What we learned: Wednesday 06 March
And with that, I am going to put the blog to bed. Before we go, let’s recap the big headlines:
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese marked the final day of an Asean summit in Melbourne by announcing $61.5m for a range of initiatives designed to strengthen ties with south-east Asian nations.
The PM said “remains concerned” about humanitarian situation in Gaza and that Australia would “make an assessment” on UNRWA funding.
Australia’s economy expanded 0.2% in the final quarter of 2023, with the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, saying “even weak growth is welcome growth”.
Optus has been slapped with a $1.5m fine by the communications watchdog after the telco was found to have breached public safety rules.
The Greens released their latest housing policy, proposing to create a public property developer to build 360,000 homes over five years.
Qantas fined $250,000 for standing down worker who raised Covid concerns.
Two climate protesters are in jail for blocking traffic lanes on a major Melbourne freeway, causing significant rush-hour delays.
Victoria’s attorney general, Jaclyn Symes, said the government will not be releasing the Ken Lay report into a second safe injecting room for the CBD.
The federal energy minister, Chris Bowen, has significantly reduced the size of Australia’s third offshore wind zone after lobbying from environmental groups.
A man has died from a possible hit-and-run incident after his body was found lying on a suburban Sydney street early in the morning.
A search is under way for a hiker missing in bushland on Queensland’s highest mountain.
The sentencing of former army lawyer David McBride has been postponed at the last minute after the commonwealth attempted to introduce further evidence.
Updated
Albanese says Keating ‘doesn’t need advice’ from him after ex-PM’s comments on foreign minister
Let’s return to one point from Anthony Albanese’s post-Asean press conference: his defence of his foreign minister after fresh criticism from Labor luminary Paul Keating.
In a statement on Tuesday, Keating said:
It doesn’t take much to encourage Penny Wong, sporting her ‘deeply concerned’ frown, to rattle the China can – a can she gave a good shake to [on Monday].
That was a reference to a speech on Monday in which Wong raised concerns about destabilising and dangerous actions in the South China Sea. Keating said the Malaysian prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim, had “dropped a huge rock into Wong’s pond by telling Australia not to piggyback Australia’s problems with China on to Asean”.
Albanese said he did not believe Keating’s comments detracted from the work the Australian government was doing at the special summit with Asean leaders in Melbourne, which wrapped up this afternoon:
No, in a word, and Penny Wong will be regarded as one of Australia’s finest foreign ministers since federation. Penny Wong is someone who brings Australia enormous respect, enormous respect – she’s someone who is diligent, she’s someone who is engaging, she’s someone who is across of all of her briefs and she’s someone who represents Australia in a way in which every Australian can be proud.
Asked whether Keating should stop the personalised language against Wong, Albanese said:
I know Paul and respect him. Paul, I think, doesn’t need advice off myself. It is up to him, but people are accountable for what they say. Paul is accountable for what he says. He knows that. On Penny Wong, I think quite clearly he’s is wrong.
Updated
Ita Buttrose was farewelled at this ABC this afternoon, with ABC managing director David Anderson calling her the perfect chair of the ABC for this moment in its history.
“Australians everywhere shared in our recent 90th anniversary celebrations and the fact Ita was chair at the time gave that moment even more resonance,” Anderson told staff.
“Ita has provided guidance and support not only to the board and leadership team but to many of us at the ABC and we thank her for her dedication and service.”
Buttrose finished her five-year tenure today, and will be replaced by a former News Corp chief executive, Kim Williams, on Thursday.
Anderson said the former magazine and newspaper editor had been “a staunch advocate for the ABC, its staff and the Australian public”.
“The stability and good governance of the ABC Board under her leadership have ensured the ABC continues to be a valued national asset informing, educating and entertaining all Australians,” he said.
Buttrose said it had been an honour to chair the ABC.
“The ABC has a presence in the lives of many Australians,” she said. “It is our country’s most trusted media organisation and its biggest cultural institution.”
Rapist officer ‘should never have been employed’ to work in NSW prisons, scathing inquiry finds
The former corrections officer Wayne Astill should “never have been employed” to work in New South Wales prisons, an inquiry has found, after complaints of serious criminal misconduct were made decades before he was found guilty of sexually assaulting female inmates.
Handing down his report after a special commission of inquiry into Astill’s offending at the Dillwynia women’s correctional centre, the commissioner, Peter McClellan, said it was “corruption or incompetence” that saw the former police officer hired by Corrective Services NSW in 1999.
McClellan, a former NSW supreme court judge, found there had been “tragic” consequences as a result of notes on Astill’s file from his time working as a police officer and detective being ignored.
He said:
He should never have been employed by CSNSW. His file contained complaints of serious criminal and other misconduct which, apart from raising questions as to why he was not prosecuted, cast doubt on the integrity of CSNSW’s employment process. Whether corruption or incompetence (it must have been one or the other) was responsible for his acceptance by CSNSW, I cannot say. It has led to tragic consequences for both prisoners and prison officers.
The state government released McClellan’s scathing 800-page report on Wednesday after months of hearings. It included 31 recommendations including urgent improvements to CCTV coverage at the prison and a clarification of the reporting requirements for allegations of misconduct.
Updated
‘People have to compromise’, says Albanese over Asean declaration on South China Sea
Finally, Albanese was asked about the 2016 Asean ruling that addressed China’s claims to the South China Sea. He was asked if he was able to convince Asean leaders to keep that reference in the final declaration this time:
You will see these declarations are worked out by a whole team of foreign ministers and others. Can I say that we were able to reach a consensus across a full range of issues, so people have to compromise because in order to get a statement from Australia and Asean, it isn’t the same endpoint that any one country would have if they went away and wrote a statement.
It was very clear, the position that was put very clearly by President Marcos, but others as well. The South China Sea is an important issue and there is a general recognition that we need to make sure that activity in the South China Sea alleviates any tension and doesn’t add to it. That’s an important thing going forward.
Updated
Asean ‘business champions’ will be volunteer roles, Albanese says
The PM is then asked how the 10 “business champions” he has picked will find time to engage with investments in the region:
It will work because the capacity of the people that we have, they bring with them, because they have a history of success in business – they bring with them a track record of engagement. It is different from, of course they will work with our embassies and high commissions in the different locations.
They will work with the landing pad that we’ve established and our dealmaking teams that are also part of the recommendation of Nicholas Moore. I think they will be very successful. It’s one of the recommendations of Mr Moore. All of them, to preempt things, they are not being paid at all. It is them giving back to the community and I think that’s a great thing.
Updated
PM ‘remains concerned’ about humanitarian situation in Gaza and says Australia to ‘make an assessment’ on UNRWA funding
The PM is asked about UNRWA funding and Gaza, after Canada reinstated its funding for the UN agency.
We will make an assessment at an appropriate time, but we have input and when it comes to UNRWA, we doubled the funding and provided more than $20m going forward, has been provided for UNRWA.
We have expressed our deep concern about the humanitarian crisis that we see ongoing in Gaza. We remain concerned about that. We want, as we have said on numerous occasions, we want humanitarian assistance to be able to be delivered to the people of Gaza. This is a dire and catastrophic circumstance that we see and we want people to have access to appropriate support and just the essentials of life.
Updated
Albanese ‘very concerned’ about ‘unsafe and destabilising behaviour’ in South China Sea
Next question is on a reported collision between ships from China and the Philippines, and Albanese focused on sovereignty:
One of the themes at Asean was very much sovereignty, and all of the Asean nations emphasised they are sovereign nations and that includes maritime cooperation as well.
I am very concerned and Australia is concerned about any unsafe and destabilising behaviour in the South China Sea. It is dangerous and it creates risks of miscalculation, which can then lead to escalation, so we would call upon a number of nations emphasised in the statements the foundation document is the UN convention on the law of the sea. That is something that should be the guide for all nations participating in Asean.
Updated
Australia ‘should not underestimate’ scale of Asean investment: Albanese
The PM is asked if he expects major Australian companies to make investments in the region, and his answer is an obvious “yes”.
I would expect that when I look through the list of major businesses who were here at the CEO level over the couple of days, you had CEOs of banks and financial institutions, resources companies, manufacturing, energy companies all wanting to participate and I believe very firmly that this will lead to further Australian investment in our region but will also lead to further investment here as well.
One of the things we should not underestimate is the investment of some of the Asean nations and serious companies here – for example, Melbourne Port is owned out of the Philippines, a major port here that has invested more than $1 billion.
Updated
Albanese speaking to media at Asean summit
You might have thought it was over, but the PM is back, this time in press conference mode.
He begins by thanking the attendees, and largely repeating his reflections earlier, on the opportunities the summit presents:
We live in a region of the world with the fastest growth in human history. That presents an opportunity from that proximity going forward. We have today adopted the Asean-Australia joint leaders’ vision statement and the Melbourne declaration reaffirming our commitment to securing peace, security, prosperity and a sustainable future for the region. We have announced more ways in which my government is strengthening ties with south-east Asia.
This includes establishing a $2bn south-east Asia investment financing facility to increase Australian investment in the region in key sectors such as infrastructure and the clean energy transition. And energy cooperation package to support the Asean Centre For Energy and establish an Asean centre for climate change. Appointing 10 business champions to facilitate greater commercial links between Australia and the economies of Asean and I thank each of those 10 business leaders who have agreed to be volunteers in this process to contribute to our national interest. Improving visa access for south-east Asia, the establishment of an Asean Australia centre in Canberra and more than 75 Asean scholarships with world-class Australian universities.
Updated
Albanese to establish dedicated Asean Australa centre to ‘foster deeper cultural ties’
Finally, the PM says his government will establish a dedicated Asean Australia centre that will be the “focal point of engagement”:
And to provide a stronger focus for collaboration and people-to-people links, I’m proud to announce the establishment of a dedicated Asean Australia centre. The centre will be a focal point for engagement, fostering deeper cultural ties and people-to-people links, and lift south-east Asia literacy here in Australia.
And alongside all of this, Australia’s investing in scholarships, in climate change and energy collaboration, and in infrastructure partnerships – building on the excellent work done in these areas in previous years. The vision statement and the Melbourne Declaration that we issued today speak to our strong consensus and a shared sense of purpose.
Together, we have every reason to be optimistic for the future security of our region, for the future prosperity of our economies, for the future success of our citizens – and for the future strength of our comprehensive strategic partnership in the decades ahead.
Updated
Albanese appoints 10 ‘business champions’ to lead south-east Asia investment facility
Albanese goes on to address his announcement yesterday, of a $2 billion south-east Asia investment financing facility, to push for greater investment in the region:
To be truly engaged, to be a partner and a participant in this growth and success, Australia needs to be invested. And the south-east Asia economic strategy is our blueprint for doing just that. That is why I announced yesterday that Australia is establishing a $2 billion south-east Asia investment financing facility to catalyse greater Australian investment in south-east Asia.
Through this facility, our government is saying to Australian companies that we want them to invest in south-east Asia for the health of their own businesses and the broader Australian economy.
And here’s how we are going to help. We’ve also appointed 10 business champions implementing another of the economic strategy’s key recommendations. These are senior Australian business leaders who will help set the agenda for future growth in the commercial relationships we have with the countries of south-east Asia, to help Australian tech companies enter new markets in south-east Asia. I also announced yesterday that we will establish new regional landing pads in Ho Chi Minh City and Jakarta.
These will help open up important business for Australia’s tech enterprises as the digital economy in south-east Asia is projected to be worth up to $1tn by 2030.
Updated
Australia improving visa access to Asean countries ‘to show that Australia is open for business’, Albanese says
The prime minister has continued speaking at Asean, where he has addressed how he thinks Australia can continue building its relationships in the region:
We can do more, and we can do it better to lift our two-way trade and investment relationship, and to make it easier for our people to engage with each other.
That is why we’re improving access to long-validity visas for south-east Asian travellers, to show that Australia is open for business, tourism and trade.
We are also implementing other key recommendations of our south-east Asia economic strategy to 2040.
Updated
Good afternoon, Mostafa Rachwani with you for the rest of the day’s news.
Anthony Albanese speaking at Asean Melbourne summit
Anthony Albanese is speaking at Asean now. He’s opened his remarks by thanking the dignitaries who have participated in the talks. Here’s a taster:
Together, we achieved a great deal of agreement today. All of it built on a shared understanding that the Asean-Australia partnership has never been stronger or more important to the peace, stability, and prosperity of our region.
Asean itself is a powerful force for regional stability because, as all of us acknowledge, peace is the essential precondition for prosperity. For our region to flourish and for our people to succeed into the future, we must continue to preserve that peace and security through the rules and rights that uphold the sovereignty of all nations and the dignity of every individual.
My government is focused on ensuring that the partnership between Australia and Asean can shape the future of our region. We understand this is not just about deepening engagement between governments – it’s about strengthening and diversifying the business and trade and education connections which have played a central role in the economic transformation of our region.
Updated
NSW police confirm incident in Sydney CBD
NSW police have confirmed that an incident has occurred at what was reported to be the NSW police headquarters in Sydney’s CBD this afternoon.
A police operation in Elizabeth Street “has concluded”, a police spokesperson said in a statement:
Police have arrested a man who is assisting with inquiries.
No further information is available.
Updated
Thanks to Rafqa Touma for taking us through the news today so far. I’m Stephanie Convery and I’ll be with you until early evening.
Updated
Teen arrested after man shot outside property north of Brisbane
A teenager has been charged weeks after a 43-year-old man was shot outside a property north of Brisbane.
Paramedics responded to a call to a Narangba address before 10pm on 20 February and found the man with a gunshot wound to his hand.
He was taken to Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital in a stable condition with “non-life-threatening injuries”.
More than two weeks later, police have arrested an 18-year-old man over the shooting.
Police said they executed a search warrant of a Narangba address on Tuesday and allegedly found a firearm linked to the shooting.
The Morayfield man has been charged with acts intended to maim, unlawful possession of a firearm, authority to possess explosives and stealing.
He will appear in Caboolture magistrates court on Wednesday.
- AAP
Updated
Climate putting a strain on fish stocks, Abares conference hears
“Some of these stocks are going to be in real trouble as a result of climate, as opposed to as a result of fishing,” the Australian Fisheries Management Authority CEO, Wez Norris, said.
The conference was told “significant climate impacts” on Australia’s marine ecosystem is affecting many fisheries species.
“The whole thing is completely changing,” said Gretta Pecl from the University of Tasmania.
Seafood production and management all over the world will continue to be severely challenged by the extreme challenges we are seeing in the marine environment.
Pecl said she and all the other climate and ocean scientists she knows are “flabbergasted” by the recent increase in ocean temperatures.
A new global sea surface temperature of 21.17C was recorded this week, Pecl said.
The comments come as Abares forecasts that the gross value of Australian fisheries and aquaculture production will grow by 0.5% in 2023-24.
- AAP
Updated
Climate and regulation ‘weighing down’ seafood industry, producers say
Climate change and government barriers are some of the biggest challenges weighing down the seafood industry, a major agricultural conference has been told.
NSW mussel farmer Sam Gordon said climate change had been a “huge problem” for his Jervis Bay operation, with rain forcing him to close for almost half of 2022.
Trying to manage processing staff when you’re open one week, you’re shut the next week ... and trying to explain that to the major retailers ...is a real challenge.
Gordon told the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (Abares) conference in Canberra that climate change had put aquaculture into “uncharted territory”, and government barriers are also causing a major headache.
I’m really worried that the state governments and commonwealth government just don’t have the means to keep up with legislation.
The seafood farmer said that to operate his business he liaises with 13 different government departments, with his biggest challenge having to deal with conflicting regulations.
“We need to scale up and we’d like to go into offshore waters, the technology is there … the challenge for us is government regulation because we’re going into an area that’s unchartered,” Gordon said.
The Australian Fisheries Management Authority CEO, Wez Norris, who is tasked with making sure fish stocks are sustainable, described the jurisdictional arrangements governing fisheries as “ridiculously complex”.
There are eight fisheries management agencies (the states, commonwealth and Northern Territory) with “inflexible” arrangements over who manages what, Norris said.
– AAP
More to come in the next post.
Updated
Environmentalists welcome offshore wind farm zone decision
Friends of the Earth have welcomed the federal government’s declaration of the Southern Ocean offshore wind zone.
“It is a sign that an ecologically sustainable offshore wind industry is achievable,” the environmental justice organisation said in a statement.
The reduction of the total size of the exploration area reflects “the need to protect sensitive marine ecosystems,” the statement reads.
Pat Simons, Friends of the Earth’s renewable energy spokesperson, said:
Offshore wind will play a critical role in cutting polluting greenhouse gas emissions by powering millions of homes with clean, renewable energy and is a much better choice than coal and gas.
The next step, Friends of the Earth said in the statement, is for the federal government to commit to marine spatial planning in offshore wind zones “to provide a pathway for deeper engagement with local communities, particularly First Nations”.
Updated
Dutton ‘very proud’ of one-hour appearance at Gina Rinehart’s 70th birthday
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has said he was “very proud” to be at the 70th birthday of his “dear friend” and mining billionaire Gina Rinehart last week.
Speaking in Perth this afternoon, Dutton confirmed he had flown to Perth to attend the party, describing Rinehart as a “dear friend, a great Australian and Australia’s most successful businesswoman”.
Reports emerged earlier this week the Liberal leader had flown across the country to attend the event for just an hour before returning to Melbourne to campaign on cost-of-living issues ahead of the Dunkley byelection.
Dutton confirmed on Wednesday he flew there at his own expense and didn’t pay for accommodation as he took the red-eye flight back to Melbourne, arriving at 4.30am.
Dutton added:
If people want to speak negatively about [Rinehart], then that’s an issue for them. I actually celebrate the fact that we have an incredibly successful businesswoman in our country. She’s a friend of mine, I was happy to go there at my own expense to her birthday, and I don’t resile from it at all.
Updated
Sentencing for former army lawyer David McBride postponed
In breaking news, the sentencing of former army lawyer David McBride has been postponed at the last minute after the commonwealth attempted to introduce further evidence.
McBride’s sentencing date was due to happen next Tuesday but the ACT supreme court vacated that date on Wednesday morning after McBride’s defence requested further time to consider the evidence.
That evidence is in the form of an affidavit – much of it classified – from a senior military figure discussing the harm and “severity” of McBride’s actions after he passed on defence documents to journalists at the ABC.
The documents formed the basis of ABC’s investigative series exposing war crimes in Afghanistan, titled The Afghan Files.
McBride pleaded guilty to three charges last November, including stealing commonwealth information and handing it to the media.
McBride’s lawyer, Mark Davis, told Guardian Australia on Wednesday he was considering whether McBride’s guilty plea should be adjusted and whether the case should return to hearings.
Having come this far with McBride on a torturous journey, once again we’re back into the wilderness awaiting his fate ... at the moment, we’re hoping to get it back on track as a sentence, but we don’t have endless funds like they have. We don’t have endless staff. And David doesn’t have endless energy for this.
Updated
Reduced offshore wind zones still ‘five times more than what we need’, Victorian energy minister says
D’Ambrosio said the reduced zone would not affect Victoria’s ambitious renewable energy targets, adding that another zone in Gippsland has already been approved. She said:
If we consider the size of the zone that’s been declared off Gippsland, if it’s all full, it can give us about 10 gigawatts of offshore renewable energy ... we’re going to an option in 2032 which is to deliver at least two gigawatt. So 10 gigawatts already [in] just Gippsland itself is more than enough. It’s five times more than what we actually need to have a successful auction.
She said Bowen’s declaration today will add further acreage that can accommodate 3GW:
When you take those together, you can see Gippsland the wind gives us five times more area for projects to be built to deliver those gigawatts. So that’s not the issue for us in Victoria … The issue here is what is next in terms of the commonwealth government’s commitment ... We need a plan from them.
D’Ambrosio said the federal government needed to introduce a national wind target:
They’ve got a national target for hydrogen. They’ve got a national target for a range of other renewable energy technologies. They don’t have one for offshore wind. So there’s a massive gap here.
Updated
Victorian energy minister unconcerned by offshore wind zone reduction
Earlier today, the Victorian energy minister, Lily D’Ambrosio, responded to her federal counterpart Chris Bowen’s decision to significantly reduce the size of Australia’s third offshore wind zone, after lobbying from environmental groups.
Under the plan the new zone, to be located about 15–20km off Victoria’s coast, would span 1,030 sq km rather than the initially planned more than 5,000 sq km.
D’Ambrosio said she’s not concerned about the size of the new zone:
That’s five times more than what we need for our first auction, which is fantastic.
She said expressions of interest from proposed projects will open later this year before an auction in 2025:
By 2026, towards the end of that year, we will be in a position to have awarded the first contracts for our first target for 2032. It’s really exciting. We’re doing a lot of the heavy lifting in Victoria. And the real question here, of course, is that what happens next from the commonwealth government? I mean, they’ve done the paperwork for declaring the zones. They’re doing feasibility licenses, that’s all well and good, but their job does not end and should not end once they finish the paperwork for what is an essential new industry, not just for Victoria, but for the rest of the country.
Updated
Up to $10m additional fines possible if Optus does not meet review requirements
Optus could be hit with a further fine of up to $10m if it does not meet requirements from the review.
“All telcos need to have systems in place that ensure they are meeting their obligations, including having robust oversight and assurance processes for third-party suppliers,” Yorke said.
When emergency services are hindered, there can be very serious consequences for the safety of Australians.
An Optus spokesperson said it accepted that proper audits were not in place to ensure the database requirements were being met.
“We apologise for this and accept that we have not met community expectations,” the spokesperson said.
Optus has now introduced those audits and checks-over its supplier’s performance to ensure this issue is not repeated. Optus accepts the ACMA’s findings and has agreed to an enforceable undertaking.
The communications watchdog has hit five other telcos with a combined $2m in fines for similar database responsibility breaches over the past 18 months.
– AAP
Updated
Optus fined $1.5m for 'alarming' safety breach
Optus has been slapped with a $1.5m fine by the communications watchdog after the telco was found to have breached public safety rules.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority found Optus did not upload the details of 200,000 mobile customers to a database used by emergency services between January 2021 and September 2023.
The Integrated Public Number Database is used to provide information to police, fire or ambulance services during triple zero calls, as well as being used to issue emergency alerts in disasters such as bushfires.
Samantha Yorke from the authority said an investigation into Optus was launched after a compliance audit found data was not submitted. She said:
While we are not aware of anyone being directly harmed due to the non-compliance in this case, it’s alarming that Optus placed so many customers in this position for so long.
Optus cannot outsource its obligations, even if part of the process is being undertaken by a third party.
As well as the financial penalty, Optus will be required to carry out an independent review of its compliance with the database, which is court enforced, and adopt any of the recommendations put forward.
– Australian Associated Press
More to come in the next post.
Updated
Qantas fined $250,000 for standing down worker who raised Covid concerns
Qantas has been hit with a $250,000 fine after it was found guilty of breaching workplace health and safety laws in standing down a worker for raising Covid-19 concerns, AAP reports.
The airline agreed in late February to pay $21,000 to Theo Seremetidis, a trained health and safety representative who directed others not to clean planes arriving from China early in the Covid-19 pandemic.
Seremetidis was stood down by Qantas subsidiary Qantas Ground Services (QGS) in February 2020, hours after he told others to cease cleaning and servicing planes over concerns staff could be at risk of contracting the virus.
Judge David Russell handed down the $250,000 penalty to Qantas in the NSW district court on Wednesday. He said:
The conduct against Mr Seremetidis was quite shameful.
Even when he was stood down and under investigation, QGS attempted to manufacture additional reasons for its actions.
Russell said Qantas acted to advance its own commercial interest in taking the action:
There was a gross power imbalance between senior managers at QGS and Mr Seremetidis, a part-time employee on a modest wage.
The airline faced a maximum penalty of $500,000. It is the first instance of a major airline facing criminal prosecution for violations of workplace safety regulations.
Updated
Man arrested over alleged hit-and-run in Sydney's west
New South Wales police have arrested a man over the alleged hit-and-run in Mount Prichard that we reported on earlier.
In a statement, police said officers seized for forensic examination a Lexus sedan at a home near the suburban Sydney street where a man was found early in the morning.
Police arrested a 55-year-old man at the house where the Lexus was seized. He has been taken to Fairfield police station and is assisting police with their inquiries.
Updated
Queensland police vaccine mandate was issued in good faith, premier says
The Queensland premier, Steven Miles, says the state government issued its unlawful police vaccine mandate in good faith, in response to a question in question time.
The Katter MP Shane Knuth has demanded the state government reappoint workers sacked under the state government’s “unlawful” police vaccine mandate.
The supreme court last week struck down vaccine mandates over the police and ambulance departments. It found the police commissioner had failed to consider the Human Rights Act when making her decision in 2021.
“Will the premier immediately instruct all government departments withdraw all disciplinary action directly related to the mandate and reinstate all affected workers back to their full employment?” Knuth, asked in question time.
Miles told parliament the government is taking crown law advice on the decision before taking further action.
“Of course, all of our agencies will comply with decisions of the court,” he said.
We took the decisions that we took at the time and in the interests of Queenslanders, in the interests of preserving the life of Queenslanders.
A couple years down the track, it might be a bit easy in hindsight to pore over that decision-making, but I can assure the member for Hill, and everyone in this house, all of those decisions were made based on the advice that we had available to us, the advice that those steps would keep Queenslanders safe, and we stand by those decisions.
The supreme court ruled the police mandate was “unlawful” and the paramedic one of no effect. The decision could be appealed to the supreme court of appeal.
Updated
Government and private spending boosted growth as household savings picked up
That the economy kept growing in 2023 owed a lot to government spending picking up some of the slack. Spending rose 0.6% in the December quarter, although well down on the 1.5% expansion in the September quarter, the ABS said.
Much of that spending was on benefits to households, but outlays to hold the voice referendum also sprayed a bit of money into the far reaches of the nation.
Extra benefits meant household spending not only grew (albeit 0.1%) but it helped the income to savings rate turn positive to 3.2% for the first time after two years of declines. Among other things, that means there’s a bit more left in the kitty for many if the rainy days return.
Incomes are also rising at about the pace of inflation and will probably be outpacing price increases during the current quarter.
Add in the prospect of inflation falling further, tax cuts by July and possibly RBA rate cuts not too long after that, it’s not hard to see things turning around for many. (China growth prospects being one possible headwind.)
Anyway, the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, is saying the “quite weak” growth was still welcome in the circumstances. He compared Australia’s 1.5% GDP growth in 2023 with other nations.
(According to the Economist, the US economy grew 3.1% last year, while Japan eked out 1% growth and the UK shrank 0.2%. The Euro area grew 0.1% and Canada 0.5%.)
Updated
'Even weak growth is welcome growth,' treasurer says
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, is speaking at a press conference on the national account numbers announced a short while ago.
He says the numbers show that Australia’s growth is “subdued but relatively steady”:
In the face of high interest rates, high moderating inflation and ongoing global economic uncertainty, the Australian economy grew by 0.2% in the December quarter to be 1.5% higher through the year, according to the ABS. Growth slowed over the year but it held up in the quarter.
The economy grew a little but not a lot. Growth in our economy was quite weak as we have expected. Even weak growth is welcome growth, in the circumstances. Slow growth is still significant growth, given challenging global conditions combined with the impact of higher interest rates.
Updated
Growth slowed each quarter in 2023 but nadir might be near
A revision to the September quarter figures (to 0.3% growth from 0.2% previously reported) meant Australia’s economy slowed in each quarter in 2023.
Still, it did avoid a fall, and with the RBA all but done on lifting rates, inflation ebbing and tax cuts flowing from the middle of the year, it’s not out of the question that things might start looking up before too long.
As it turned out, trade was key to growth remaining positive while a drop in inventories didn’t do as much damage as expected.
(Breaking): Australia's GDP expanded 0.2% in the December quarter, with a boost from "net exports" offsetting other weak contributions. (Source: @ABSStats ) pic.twitter.com/eiCvvumyRk
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) March 6, 2024
Household spending rose 0.1% in the quarter, with a 0.7% increase on “essentials”. Discretionary spending, though, dropped 0.9%.
With economists (or at least the consensus) getting the forecasts right, it’s not surprising that market reaction to the GDP figures has been minimal.
The Aussie dollar was hovering around the 65 US cent mark and stocks were holding to modest falls of the day (about 0.2%).
Interest rate futures, too, will probably stay with their minimal prediction that the RBA will cut the cash rate at its 18-19 March meeting next week. Cuts seem to be a couple of meetings away at least.
Updated
Greens urge Queensland government to cut public funding to weapons makers linked to Israel
Queensland parliament will today debate a motion calling for the state government to cut funding to companies they say are involved in the manufacture and supply of weapons to Israel.
The Maiwar MP, Michael Berkman, gave notice of a motion declaring that the state government had “provided public support and funds for arms manufacturers who supply weapons used in Israel’s attacks, many of which amount to war crimes according to Human Rights Watch and the UN”.
“This includes at least $9m for manufacturers to supply Boeing with weapons, and a 2023 manufacturing capability grant of an unknown amount to Ferra Engineering to supply Boeing’s Ghost Bat program,” he said.
Ferra Engineering is the sole supplier of F-35 jet fighter components, which the Israeli Defence Force confirmed on 7 November 2023 have been used to drop 900kg JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) bombs in their invasion of Gaza.
The motion calls for the state to immediately withdraw all public funding and support for the company and others and to advocate for a ceasefire. It will be debated this afternoon.
The opposition also sponsored its own motion calling for the parliament to expand an inquiry into cost of living to also include areas of responsibility of the state government including energy bills.
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LNP MP admits to parliament he snapped photo of Labor MP’s phone
The Liberal MP Michael Crandon has outed himself as the one who snapped a pic over the shoulder of a fellow MP in parliament last year.
The photo of a text message between the then deputy premier, Steven Miles, and Pumicestone MP, Ali King, kicked off a war of words on Tuesday, because the now-premier denied the message’s existence earlier this year. The opposition alleged that he had lied to parliament.
First thing on Wednesday morning, Crandon, the member for Coomera, outed himself as the one who had taken the photo of King’s phone.
“I wish to inform the house that it was I, having made a snap decision, that took that photo,” Crandon said.
I unreservedly apologise to the member of Pumicestone for the invasion of the member’s privacy and, additionally, I unreservedly apologise to the house for my indiscretion.
Yesterday, I had some private matters that took my attention for a time. I became became aware that the matter had been referred to the ethics committee late yesterday,
I have reflected deeply on my actions and this morning in contemplating them. I came upon the following Bible passage in 1 Corinthians 10.13. ‘No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind; and God is faithful. He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.’
I once again apologise to the member for Pumicestone and the house for my indiscretion.
The text message advised King to rise during a parliamentary sitting and apologise for telling prospective Queensland Health employees to send their resumés to her office.
Miles apologised for what he called a failure of memory on Tuesday.
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Economic growth figures revealed for December quarter
Australia’s economy expanded 0.2% in the final quarter of 2023.
GDP was expected to have grown 0.2% in the December quarter, and that’s what we got. Economists, too, were on the mark with the 1.5% annual pace of growth, which is what the Australian Bureau of Statistics duly reported.
Not so promising was the 1% drop in per capita GDP, once the growth in the population was taken into account. That meant each quarter of 2023 showed a reduction.
More soon.
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December quarter GDP data may signal how soon we might get interest rate cuts
We’ll soon get the national accounts figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, telling us how the economy was faring at the end of 2023.
The GDP data always offers a variety of narratives. We get quarterly numbers that will probably be the headline ones even though they can bounce around a bit – and are often revised. We also get the yearly ones that are probably easier to digest.
Economists are predicting the December quarter posted a 0.2% increase from the September quarter, which, while not great, would at least not be a negative. In fact, a positive figure would make it nine quarters in a row of growth.
At an annual level, those economists are expecting GDP was 1.5% larger in 2023 than in 2022.
Once the growth of the population is taken into account, though, per capita GDP was flat in the December quarter of 2022 and has been shrinking each quarter since. The December numbers should confirm that dismal outcome has continued.
There’s something of a trade-off going on. The weaker the growth, the more likely it is that the Reserve Bank will be cutting its key interest rate, saving households on variable mortgages (and businesses too).
Bring it on, you say. Unless, of course, the economy hits the skids and employers start shedding more of their staff – a bad result for many.
Ahead of today’s numbers, investors weren’t predicting any more RBA rate rises but the timing of the first cut may hinge on how weak or strong the GDP figures are. The first cut of 25 basis points to 4.1% isn’t fully priced in until October, according to the ASX tracker.
We’ll find out soon enough. Don’t go too far away.
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The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, also makes a brief statement on the tabling of the report by Victoria’s special inquiry investigating historical sexual abuse at 24 government schools, including Beaumaris Primary. She says:
I want to thank the victims and their families and loved ones who have supported people for so many years through the trauma and grief, experienced … in our education settings and I want to thank them for their courage and strength, not just participating in this inquiry but for driving this inquiry in the first place. The report has been tabled in the parliament this morning.
The deputy premier, the minister of education and I will be meeting with some of the representatives who are here in the chamber today to see that report. We are going to consider that report. It’s been handed down just this week and we will be responding to that report in due course.
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Victorian premier calls West Gate Bridge protesters idiots
Joining the chorus of people criticising the climate protest on the West Gate Bridge yesterday is the premier, Jacinta Allan. She says they’re “idiots”:
This is one of our busiest parts of our road network that these – they’ve been called idiots and I would agree with that characterisation. A small number of people who behave like this, who put their safety at risk, the safety of other Victorians at risk.
Victoria police responded really quickly and we’ve seen too, in terms of the prevent powers, they’ve already made a couple of arrests … suggests that Victoria police have demonstrated very clearly that they have the powers and the resources that they need to respond to incidents like this and I thank them for it.
I also thank the way Victorians responded by supporting each other in an incredibly frustrating set of circumstances. This does nothing, this sort of behaviour, to advance your cause.
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Jacinta Allan defends not releasing safe injecting room report
The Victoria premier, Jacinta Allan, is defending the government’s decision not to release the Ken Lay report into the second safe injecting room, despite a motion from the upper house.
Speaking outside parliament, she says:
The government intends to release the Ken Lay report once it has made the decision, based on the advice it’s received in the Ken Lay report but also on other sources of advice. I’ve made that clear some time ago, supporting vulnerable Victorians, particularly those with addiction.
We are focused on supporting them in the best possible way, not on political stunts here in the Victorian parliament that do nothing to support vulnerable Victorians, nothing to support people with addictions, and that’s what we are focused on.
She reaffirms her commitment to release the report by the end of the year. (Ken Lay handed it to the government in June 2023.)
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Search for missing hiker on Queensland's highest mountain
A search is under way for a hiker missing in bushland on Queensland’s highest mountain.
The man in his 20s was reportedly hiking in bushland off Josephine Falls Road in Bartle Frere, a mountain south of Cairns, on Tuesday.
He was last heard from at 6.30pm, sparking an emergency service response.
Police and paramedics began a search for the man on Tuesday night but stopped when it got dark.
The search commenced again at 6am on Wednesday with emergency services ramping up efforts to find the man.
– Australian Associated Press
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NSW police probe possible hit-and-run after body found
A man has died from a possible hit-and-run incident after his body was found lying on a suburban Sydney street early in the morning.
Emergency services were called to an intersection in Mount Pritchard, in the city’s south-west, about 3am on Wednesday after reports of a man in the street with serious injuries.
Paramedics attended the scene but the man was declared dead.
Police officers established a crime scene and were investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Officers would investigate whether the man was the victim of a hit-and-run.
Insp Benjamin McIntyre called on anyone with information to contact investigators.
“We’d be calling for any people who were travelling on Pritchard Street at Mount Pritchard between 2am and 3am to make contact with police, especially if you have dashcam footage,” he said.
“We’ll spend the rest of the morning canvassing the surrounding streets looking for CCTV footage.”
– Australian Associated Press
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Media watchdog examining offshore gambling ads in cricket coverage
Australia’s media watchdog is taking a closer look at advertising for offshore gambling companies during international broadcasts of cricket in Australia and New Zealand.
Last week, Guardian Australia revealed Cricket Australia was paid to promote the “surrogate” of a controversial offshore gambling company that is banned by several nations and accused of accepting bets on children’s sport, cockfights and promoting topless casinos.
The sporting body immediately removed the 1xBat logo from its international broadcast of the Boxing Day Test match once it confirmed the brand was an affiliate of the controversial gambling company, the subject of an official warning from the Pakistan government.
This morning, the ABC reports the Australian Communications and Media Authority (Acma) is examining whether Foxtel breached gambling laws by broadcasting ads for two illegal offshore betting companies during coverage of the Australia v New Zealand Test match last week. One company was 1xBat, the other was Parimatch.
Australia’s Interactive Gambling Act prohibits offshore gambling companies from offering bets to people based in Australia and bans the promotion of their services. But an exemption is offered if an ad is “an accidental or incidental accompaniment to the publication of other matter”. In the case of Cricket Australia and 1xBat, the ads were not shown to Australian audiences.
An Acma spokesperson said:
The ACMA is considering the information about the Aus/NZ cricket including the context in which the content was alleged to have occurred.
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Spender wants ‘people power plan’ to address cost-of-living crunch
The independent MP Allegra Spender has kicked off a major energy conference in Sydney with a call on the Albanese government to fund a “people power plan” in its May budget.
With solar panels improving in efficiency and cost, and batteries falling in price by 20% a year, the economics are shifting inexorably towards renewables in the home – especially when power bills have been climbing in recent years.
But not fast enough, and many households – think renters – are missing out, hence Spender’s push. (Almost half of those in her Wentworth electorate are renters and 60% live in apartments.) She says:
Our power bills were driven up by Australia’s dependence on ageing and unreliable coal-fired power stations and by the price gouging of a foreign-owned gas cartel, but there is a way out.
Home electrification is a massive cost-of-living and climate opportunity. But there are too many people who are still locked out.
That’s not fair.
Spender’s plan would target renters and apartment-dwellers, among others missing out. Those in regional areas would also be a priority, not least because such communities are expected to host the wind and solar farms cities can’t.
Regulatory reform would also be needed to break down the bureaucratic barriers, she said.
Funded by taxing the windfall profits of the gas industry, the plan could target half a million homes to electrify over the next three years.
That last part might be unwelcome by the government but the general push to spread the benefits of renewables is harder to reject. Recent strains in the power grid by just short heatwaves should be a reminder to governments state and federal that they have to do a lot more and soon to avoid more serious strains next summer (if not before).
Spender also told the Smart Energy Council conference that nuclear energy plans by the opposition didn’t make sense. The technology was “too slow and too expensive and [small modular reactors] are completely unproven”, she said.
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The Southern Ocean wind zone was the third officially declared offshore wind zone in Australia and would bring 1,740 jobs to Portland and surrounds during construction, as well as 870 ongoing operational jobs, the ministers said.
The zone was expected to generate up to 2.9GW of offshore wind energy – enough to power more than 2m homes.
It was originally slated to be able to produce 14.6GW.
“Victoria is leading the way in offshore wind, with the first wind zones in the country declared off the coast of Gippsland and the southwest coast,” D’Ambrosio said in a statement.
This is another step closer to delivering our target of at least two gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2032 and will also help us get to net zero by 2045.
The decision to significantly reduce the size of the wind zone followed lobbying from environmental groups, who posed concerns about marine life.
Feasibility licence applications for offshore wind projects in the zone are expected to close on 2 July.
– Australian Associated Press
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Ocean windfarms zone to be one-fifth of planned size
The federal energy minister, Chris Bowen, has significantly reduced the size of Australia’s third offshore wind zone after lobbying from environmental groups.
An offshore wind zone near western Victoria will be one-fifth of its original planned size.
Bowen made the announcement today, saying the decision to cut the area of the Southern Ocean wind zone followed extensive consultation with local leaders, industry and community groups.
The final area of the zone, to be located about 15km to 20km off Victoria’s coast, would span 1,030 sq km rather than the initially planned more than 5,000 sq km, Bowen said in a joint release with the Victorian energy and resources minister, Lily D’Ambrosio.
The zone would no longer take in an area off South Australia’s coast, and the significant reduction accounted for the area’s environmental, cultural heritage and economic significance, the ministers said.
“The Southern Ocean offshore wind zone has the potential to create thousands of new, high-value jobs and help secure cleaner, cheaper more reliable energy for regional Victoria,” Bowen said in a statement.
The wind zone was slated to work around the Bonney Upwelling, Deen Maar Island and shipping routes.
– Australian Associated Press
More to come in the next blog post.
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Victorian government won’t release safe injecting room report
Victoria’s attorney general, Jaclyn Symes, says the government will not be releasing the Ken Lay report into a second safe injecting room for the CBD.
Last month, a motion passed the upper house requiring the Allan Labor government to publicly release the full Ken Lay Report by 6 March.
But Symes – who is also the leader in the upper house – says the government will claim “executive privilege” on the report:
We will be claiming executive privilege just for the purposes of responding to the motion, but I want to reaffirm the government’s commitment to release that report, accompanied with a response from the government … at the same time.
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Coercive control and stealthing laws set to pass Queensland parliament
Removing a condom without consent will be considered rape and coercive control will become a criminal offence under a bill expected to pass through Queensland parliament today.
Coercive control is a pattern of behaviours that is highly correlated with the risk of domestic harm and homicide. Under sweeping reform by the Queensland government, it will become a criminal offence in 2025 and attract a maximum penalty of 14 years.
The act of stealthing – or removing or tampering with a condom during sex without consent – will be criminalised and carry a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Stealthing is illegal in Tasmania, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and the ACT.
The affirmative consent model is also expected to pass parliament. It will require free and voluntary agreement to participate in a sexual activity.
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The Greens MP for Melbourne, Ellen Sandell, has a different take on the protest. She tells reporters:
It’s very brave to go out there and put yourself at risk to sound the alarm about our politicians not doing enough about climate change. I know that people were disrupted and I’ve got sympathy for people – it’s frustrating to have your day disrupted like that.
But look at the disruption that’s been caused by climate change. We’ve already had literally thousands of people evacuated from their homes because of fires this year. We’ve had thousands and thousands of people without power because of storms exacerbated by climate change. These are the kinds of disruptions that we’re seeing already because of climate change. And I think it’s courageous for people to stand up and say, no, politicians need to do better.
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Victoria’s police minister, Anthony Carbines, is not happy about the climate protest yesterday on the West Gate Bridge.
Speaking outside parliament, he says police moved as quickly as they could to bring it to an end:
Protesters were making a point of being in a complex location. So it was always going to be very challenging and difficult for the police to move. That’s part of the tactics that they employ – the despicable tactics that they employ – police deployed a cherrypicker. They did everything they could to remove protesters and we should be thankful for the work that they do.
Carbines says the community were “put at risk” during the protest:
We’ve seen birth by the side of the road in traffic yesterday, others who missed medical appointments that are very serious.
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Joseph Zammit defended his group’s action in Melbourne magistrates court, saying they were concerned about people’s futures:
What they suffered today is nothing compared to what’s going to happen in the future.
What we’re actually doing is a service to the community.
But Magistrate Andrew McKenna chastised the activists, saying the actions are hard to justify:
It’s not about anarchy. It’s about an ordered society – the proper democratic way.
Whether someone has a worthy cause or not, you’ve got to work within the law to promote it and if you don’t, you’re liable to be punished.
Bradley Homewood said he was forced to act after being driven to a state of despair over the existential crisis faced in a climate breakdown:
I feel like I have no choice left.
I’ve tried all the conventional methods of campaigning and nothing has worked.
We view what we do as a proportional response to the inaction from governments of the world.
He defended his actions saying non-violent protests are vilified at the time but activists ended up vindicated in the future.
McKenna said the protesters would have produced the opposite reaction they desired among most of the community.
Deanna “Violet” Coco has had previous run-ins with police in Victoria, NSW and Western Australia for her activism.
She was jailed for 13 days after blocking a lane of the Sydney Harbour Bridge during morning peak hour in 2022.
Police accused Coco of making a career out of being a public nuisance.
As he jailed Coco, McKenna said she was completely uncaring of the victims of her actions:
She basically put her own interests and her own cause ahead of the interests of others in the community – many more people than just she and two others.
Zammit is due back in court on 16 April.
– Australian Associated Press
Updated
Bridge climate protesters jailed for rush-hour chaos
Two climate protesters are in jail for blocking traffic lanes on a major Melbourne freeway, causing significant rush-hour delays.
Deanna “Violet” Coco, 33, from NSW and 51-year-old Bradley Homewood from Williamstown pleaded guilty to two counts of public nuisance by obstructing motorists and obstructing police and emergency service workers on Tuesday.
Both were sentenced to 21 days imprisonment.
Their co-accused, Joseph Zammit, 68, from Melbourne, also pleaded guilty to the same charges.
He was released on bail on the condition that he not attend unlawful protests or undertake any unlawful actions during a protest and not associate with Coco and Homewood.
The members of environmental action group Extinction Rebellion parked a truck on the West Gate Bridge about 7.45am on Tuesday and climbed on top, unfurling banners which read “declare a climate emergency” and “climate breakdown has begun”.
Police alleged they set off flares while on top of the truck.
The protest caused a traffic gridlock with three city-bound lanes blocked and delays stretching about 30km.
Officers used a cherrypicker to arrest and lower the trio safely at 9.45am after they refused to get off the truck. Significant traffic delays persisted after the lanes were reopened.
“The ramifications of their actions caused massive catastrophic inconvenience and delay to thousands of members of the public,” a police prosecutor told court.
– Australian Associated Press
(More to come on this in the next blog post)
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New analysis shows 2m hectares of Queensland forest destroyed in five years
More than 2m hectares (4.94m acres) of bushland in Queensland that included large swathes of possible koala habitat has been cleared over a five-year period, new analysis shows.
The research, commissioned by Greenpeace and conducted by the University of Queensland academic Martin Taylor, found almost all land clearing that occurred in the state between 2016 and 2021 was in areas where threatened species habitat was “likely to occur”.
Almost two-thirds of the cleared area, or 1.3m hectares, was marked by the Queensland government as “category x”, meaning it was exempt from state vegetation laws that regulate land clearing. Some 500,000 hectares of that land was koala habitat, the report said.
Read more here:
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Rural pride festival to run after ‘distressing’ debate
The Rainbow festival in Orange, central west NSW, will be held later this month, after an overwhelming majority of local councillors voted down a motion to withdraw council support.
Cheers rang out in the city’s council chambers after the 10-2 vote last night, as LGBTQ+ community members and their supporters embraced and waved pride flags.
The council announced the inaugural festival last month, featuring celebrations such as a parade and drag competitions to increase visibility and tolerance in the growing region.
But Councillor Kevin Duffy put forward a motion to cancel council’s involvement.
“Sexuality, gender and identity are not jurisdictions or charters of the Orange city council, ideologies that we should be nowhere near,” Duffy told the meeting, which drew a crowd of 200.
A group describing themselves as “locals for locals” handed out flyers days before the meeting calling for the cancellation.
The document claimed activities such as drag queen story time and face painting targeted and “sexualised” children.
Adelaide Pratt, a young doctor, urged councillors to disregard “absurd” arguments.
“We want all young people to know they will be loved and accepted for who they are,” Pratt said.
The festival will run from 22 March, and the council received a $125,800 NSW government grant for the event.
The NSW Labor MLC Stephen Lawrence said the state government provided funds because it recognised the high levels of suicide among members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Lawrence told the meeting he remembered feeling he did not belong when he realised he was gay as a child:
Now I live a very happy life, but it’s not easy as a gay kid and that’s why this sort of festival is so important.
I know it’s brash and it’s loud, but it has to be to reach the people it needs to reach.
Councillor Melanie McDonell said the community was “fractured and hurting” over the motion, which she described as bigotry.
The campaign against the festival would have long-lasting effects, the Greens councillor David Mallard said:
It’s caused anxiety and distress for members of the LGBTQI community and the family and friends who love them.
It’s caused damage to the image of Orange as a progressive and welcoming city.
– Australian Associated Press
Updated
More from Penny Wong on ABC a short while ago.
The foreign minister was asked about Sydney law firm Birchgrove Legal applying to the international criminal court to consider investigating the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and his government over alleged complicity to deaths in Palestine.
Australia’s decision to freeze funding to UNRWA, approving defence exports to Israel and the government’s support for Israel’s actions are among the actions cited by lawyers in documents sent to the ICC.
Wong told ABC:
I do not think this conflict or the cause is resolved. I don’t think the cause of peace is furthered by misinformation.
Asked “how are they being misinformed”, Wong continued:
Well, I think people can see over a very long period of time, since the horrific events of October 7 and since, the Australian government – including me as foreign minister – has been utterly clear about the importance of Israel and all parties observing international law and we have been very clear about international humanitarian law. That has been our consistent position.
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Wong says government focused on ‘Australia’s national interest’ after Keating comments on China
The foreign minister, Penny Wong, is being asked about contentions with the former prime minister Paul Keating over Australia’s relations with China on ABC TV.
Wong reaffirms “the importance of the maritime domain for our security, for our economic prosperity, the importance of ensuring that international law continues to operate and be respected and observed, particularly in the South China Sea and the region”.
“That is important for stability,” she says. “That is a pretty reasonable position and certainly one that was articulated also by the Philippines foreign secretary who spoke with me.”
She goes on to say “we are often treated” to Keating’s opinion:
He is entitled to his opinions, but I have to say I am much more focused on doing the work here. And the work here is in … Australia’s national interest, working with the countries of this extraordinary region of south-east Asia, which is so critical to Australia’s prosperity and to our security.
We want peace, stability and prosperity in the region in which we live, and that is what we are working on in this summit. We are really grateful and pleased that so many leaders have come to Melbourne to be with us.
The comments come after the Malaysian prime minister urged the world to accept China as a superpower at the Asean summit in Melbourne.
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Queensland boosts funding for Indigenous LGBTQ+ health
Queensland will invest almost $7m to boost LGBTQ+ healthcare and reduce suicide rates for Indigenous Sistergirl and Brotherboy communities across the state.
The $6.8m funding boost is part of the Queensland Women and Girls’ Health Strategy 2032 and will provide face-to-face, online and telehealth support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sistergirl and Brotherboy communities dealing with physical and mental health issues.
Queensland’s health minister, Shannon Fentiman, said the specialist support would be life-changing for LGBTQ+ communities across the state.
She said:
We know that affirming care that’s easy to access, timely and individualised will deliver real health outcomes for our trans and gender-diverse communities.
I’m excited this initiative means location will no longer be a barrier to accessing this crucial support.
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Good morning, readers, and welcome to the live blog.
Thanks to Martin Farrer for kicking us off. I’ll be rolling your news updates throughout the rest of the day – so if you see anything you don’t want us to miss, shoot it my way on X (Twitter) @At_Raf_
Let’s go.
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Australia outlines $61.5m for Asean development
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, will mark the final day of an Asean summit in Melbourne by announcing $61.5m for a range of initiatives designed to strengthen ties with south-east Asian nations.
The initiatives include 75 scholarships for students from south-east Asian nations to study at Australian universities, 55 fellowships for mid-career professionals, and an Asean-Australia centre in Canberra to promote the regional forum. The Australian government will also support English language training for Timor-Leste.
Asean leaders will meet at Government House in Melbourne today to finalise a joint statement on behalf of all nations, made with consensus. The statement is expected to reference territorial disputes in the South China Sea, the conflict in Gaza and the military junta in Myanmar.
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Greens propose plan to build 360,000 homes
The Greens have released their latest housing policy, proposing to create a public property developer to build 360,000 homes over five years.
Out of the total, 70% would be offered for rent, with rents capped at 25% of the average household income, which the Greens say would save renters $5,200 a year.
The remaining 30% would be sold to owner-occupiers at slightly above cost, which would save about $260,000 on the cost of a home (a 33% discount on the median private market house), compared with average market prices, the party claims.
According to the Parliamentary Budget Office, the policy would cost $6.5bn over four years to the budget or $5.8bn in underlying cash balance terms. At $28bn over 10 years, the Greens argue the cost is equivalent to the amount spent on rental deductions for property investors.
It comes as the Greens housing spokesperson, Max Chandler-Mather, prepares to debate the issue with Mike Zorbas from the Property Council at the National Press Club today.
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Optus fined $1.5m after failing to add close to 200,000 customers to emergency services register
Optus has agreed to pay a $1.5m fine for a large-scale breach of public safety rules, after failing to add close to 200,000 customers to the register of numbers accessed by emergency services for warnings over disasters such as floods and bushfires, and by 000 to provide location information to the police, ambulance and fire brigade.
The error was discovered through a compliance audit that indicated Optus failed to upload the data for customers on the Coles Mobile and Catch Connect brands to its outsourced provider, Prvidr, between January 2021 and September 2023.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (Acma) member Samantha Yorke said:
When emergency services are hindered there can be very serious consequences for the safety of Australians.
While we are not aware of anyone being directly harmed due to the non-compliance in this case, it’s alarming that Optus placed so many customers in this position for so long.
An Optus spokesperson said the company accepted proper audits and checks were not in place for services supplied through partner brands, and that this had been rectified. The company apologised for the error.
Telstra and Aussie Broadband are among the other telcos to have copped fines for similar breaches in the past 18 months, with penalties totalling $2m.
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Welcome
Good morning. Thanks for joining us for our daily news blog. I’m Martin Farrer and I’ll be bringing you a few of the top overnight stories before my colleague Rafqa Touma clocks on.
It’s not every day that a company run by one of the richest people in the world lends the Labor government a helping hand. But Elon Musk’s Tesla has launched a fierce attack on the Australian car lobby for misleading the public about the impact of the Albanese government’s clean car policy. The Australian arm of the company has accused the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries of running a “concerted public campaign” against the government plan, including claiming to multiple media outlets that the price of popular utes could increase by up to $13,000 despite knowing this was not how the system worked.
The Malaysian prime minister has urged the world to accept China as a superpower in comments at the Asean summit in Melbourne. According to reports in the Nine newspapers, Anwar Ibrahim warned the summit of global disaster if the US and China cannot improve their tense relationship and said the risk of Chinese aggression in the South China Sea was exaggerated.
It’s the last day of the summit today and Anthony Albanese will mark the wrapping up by announcing $61.5m for a range of initiatives designed to strengthen ties with south-east Asian nations. More coming up.
Claims for the disability support pension took more than 80 days on average to be processed in the final months of last year and some local government areas are experiencing average wait times of more than 200 days, data has revealed. According to the data provided by the Department of Social Services in Senate estimates last month, disability support pension claims took an average of 82.2 days between September and December 2023. In 2020-21, the average wait was 33 days.
The Greens have released their latest housing policy, which proposes to build 360,000 homes over five years through a public developer. More on that in a few minutes.
And Optus has been fined $1.5m for failing to put hundreds of thousands of customers on a register of numbers used to send vital flood and bushfire warnings. More on that coming up too.
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