What we learned: Thursday 20 March
We will wrap up the live blog here for the evening. Here’s what made the news today:
A re-elected Labor government would reduce the price of PBS-listed medicines to no more than $25 a script in a major election pledge to be included in next week’s budget.
The proposal was quickly matched by the Coalition.
The government said it would not negotiate over the PBS, in response to US drug companies writing to the Trump administration complaining about the Australian scheme.
In a wide-ranging foreign policy speech, the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, said the Coalition would pursue free trade agreements with the EU and Israel if they win the election.
Australia’s population grew by 1.8% in the year leading up to last September, according to new statistics from the Bureau of Statistics.
The unemployment rate held steady at 4.1% in February, despite a surprise 53,000 drop in the number of employed Australians in the month.
The Victorian and federal governments and the operators of Melbourne airport signed an agreement to push ahead with the construction of a long-awaited train line.
Victoria’s number of recorded criminal offences increased by more than 13% in 2024, amid a proposed bail crackdown by the state government.
Walter Sofronoff will launch a legal challenge against yesterday’s finding of serious corrupt conduct by the ACT integrity commission.
Until tomorrow, enjoy your evening.
NSW government considers lithium battery regulation
Common lithium batteries with the potential to spark toxic fires could be regulated in NSW in a national first, AAP reports.
The batteries are the first target of a NSW plan to requiring makers and sellers of products deemed to pose a risk of environmental harm to follow requirements in design, safe disposal, recycling and other aspects.
The state’s environment minister, Penny Sharpe, says consumer batteries, solar power system batteries and electric bikes and scooters must be made as safe as possible.
We want batteries out of bins, we want them out of trucks and we want them out of waste facilities.
The state will be the first to implement such laws, if they pass, creating a framework for suppliers to participate in mandatory stewardship schemes.
There are between 10,000 and 12,000 fires each year in trucks and at waste facilities caused by the improper disposal, use and poor design of lithium batteries, according to estimates by the waste and recycling industry.
Fire and Rescue NSW have dealt with hundreds lithium-ion battery incidents in recent times, that have led to multiple fatalities and at least 33 injuries.
Under the planned laws, battery suppliers will have to register battery products and facilitate safe disposal or recycling through dedicated collection points.
They will be charged with running public education campaigns and required to enhance their battery products in areas ranging from packaging and importation to safety and recycling potential.
The laws and regulations will apply to smaller embedded batteries found in everyday devices such as cordless vacuums, electric toothbrushes, children’s toys, bikes and scooters.
Updated
In what seems to be an afternoon of letter writing, the Greens leader, Adam Bandt, has also written to the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, expressing concern over our report this morning that when parliament sits next week, the government plans to rush through contentious legislation next week to protect Tasmania’s salmon industry from a legal challenge over the industry’s impact on an endangered fish species.
The Greens say the move will weaken environmental laws.
There’s 1 week of Parl left.
— Adam Bandt (@AdamBandt) March 20, 2025
I’ve written to PM offering support to pass laws to cut student debt, see GP for free & get dental into Medicare, Dutton-proofing these measures.
But Lab & Lib want to gut enviro laws instead, with a bill Gov’s keeping secret.
Show us the bill, PM. pic.twitter.com/QdzxCLwMwK
Chalmers prompts Taylor on debates offer
The treasurer has written to his shadow counterpart, Angus Taylor, seeking a response on a proposal he made three weeks ago for multiple debates in the lead up to the election.
In the letter, Chalmers said “I haven’t received a response since then except for some brief public remarks which were ambiguous.”
He said there has been interest to host the debate from the National Press Club, ABC 7.30, ABC’s Q+A, Sky News, News Corp, ANU, and others. Chalmers said:
I’m prepared to schedule a debate with you weekly in any or all of these forums ahead of the election, provided that includes the traditional National Press Club debate and ensuring that other venues are also appropriately neutral.
I hope you agree the economy should be front and centre in this year’s election campaign and that multiple debates would help ensure that’s the case.
I look forward to your response, so that we can schedule a series of well-informed public debates between now and an election in May.
Updated
NSW Law Centre says Human Rights Act would bolster ‘social cohesion’
The NSW Law Centre has welcomed the state government’s indication it would “engage in good faith” on calls to enact a Human Rights Act, saying it would foster “social cohesion”.
The centre is among a number of human rights and civil liberty groups that have long been calling for such an act, which is already in place in Queensland and Victoria.
Greens MP for Newtown, Jenny Leong, gave notice of a private member’s bill to establish the act yesterday, arguing it would protect rights like housing, education, and freedom of protest. In response to the notice, the NSW attorney general, Michael Daley indicated the government would engage in good faith.
The Human Rights Law Centre has also repeatedly called for such an act amid a crackdown on the right to protest.
Leong said after notice was given:
Our communities deserve better than ad hoc, reactive reform that offers nothing beyond more criminalisation, more policing and more political spin: we need a NSW Human Rights Act that clearly sets out and protects equality and dignity for everyone – including rights to essentials like housing and education.
President of the Law Society Jennifer Ball, said such laws can lead to better decision-making across all branches of government. She added:
The fragility of structures supporting human rights in NSW and Australia were placed in sharp focus by government responses to the Covid-19 pandemic, when decisions on curfews and closed borders could not be properly tested in our courts. The time is now ripe to advance coherent and consolidated human rights legislation in NSW.
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Threats against mosque ‘truly disgusting’, NSW premier says
Chris Minns, has responded to reports of a threat against a mosque in Western Sydney, saying it was “truly disgusting”.
He said:
The NSW police force have launched an urgent investigation into this threat and those responsible will face the full force of the law.
Every single person in our state deserves to be able to practise their faith free from threats and this racism and Islamophobia has absolutely no place in NSW.
Updated
In response to the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, describing the prime minister’s response to the Chinese naval flotilla as “the weakest, most limp-wristed response” from a leader, the foreign minister, Penny Wong, describes the language as “unsurprising” given Dutton “is a bloke who opposed marriage equality”.
Well, this is a bloke who opposed marriage equality. So I think people can draw their own conclusions about the term he used.
Dutton opposed marriage equality, but as the architect of the same-sex marriage postal survey, he vowed and ultimately did vote to pass the legislation in line with his electorate’s endorsement.
Wong said in response to American pharmaceutical companies complaining to the US Trump administration about the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme in Australia, that the Australian government will continue to stand up for, and advocate for Australia’s interests.
Including making it clear to American pharmaceutical companies and that lobby group, that Australia’s PBS is not up for grabs. Which is not up for negotiation, what Labor had to do when the Liberals put in place, or negotiated the US free trade agreement. It was the Labor Party in opposition that had to protect the PBS.
I would say this about Mr Dutton. You know, he says ‘I would have got it, he would have got a deal, no question.’ Australians need to ask, what would he be prepared to give away to get that deal? Would he be prepared to give away’s PBS funding? Would he be prepared to give away things core to who we are, we know how much of the Americanisation of health has appealed previously to Peter Dutton.
Wong says she has asked her department to do an assessment of where a reduction in US aid as a result of Trump cuts may be most problematic.
Wong suggests the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, cannot be taken “too seriously” because “he’s part of a government that cut aid”.
Wong said the government will continue to engage with the US in our region.
Part what if we do with the United States is - in relation to the Pacific. Because obviously we have been an ally who is most closely engaged with the Pacific because of who we are, part of the Pacific family, part of the Pacific Islands Forum, of course we’ll continue to do that.
But I’m making the point the opposition leader has absolutely no credibility when it comes to the Pacific. This is a bloke who made a joke about climate change, remember, joked about water lapping at the door, something I still hear when I visit the Pacific. He hasn’t visited. He continues to leave on the table, leave on the chopping block, aid cuts. He’s not serious, demonstrates yet again reckless, not up to the job. Just not up to the job.
In response to the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, saying today that one of his first acts would be to call Benjamin Netanyahu and affirm Australia’s traditional support for Israel, Wong says Dutton is “the man who made fun of the Pacific, talked about the drums of war, who left a vacuum in the Pacific for others to fill”.
He remains lost in our region, where Australia’s interests lie. Most of our - so many of our interests lie in our region. And again, Mr Dutton, just like Scott Morrison, is lost in our region. This a man as opposition leader - I don’t think he has visited one Pacific Island country or South-East Asian country.
Australians ‘rightly distressed’ by collapse of ceasefire
Turning to the Gaza conflict, Wong says Australians are “rightly distressed” by the ceasefire in Gaza not holding, and horrified by the loss of life, including children.
We continue to urge the ceasefire to be observed. We continue to say that Hamas should release hostages, we continue to say international humanitarian assistance should flow. And of course, I have consistently - the government has consistently - urged all parties, including Israel, as a democracy, to comply with international law, including international humanitarian law.
She said it is “regrettable that we’ve never seen Mr Dutton talk about those obligations or the importance of international humanitarian law”.
Updated
PM would consider Australian peacekeepers in Ukraine: Wong
The foreign minister, Penny Wong, tells ABC’s Afternoon Briefing if there was a request for a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, the prime minister has said Australia would consider it.
That’s a very sensible position and it’s a position I find interesting, Peter Dutton, where he has a choice, back Australia or public a political fight, he always chooses picking the political fight.
Updated
Psychiatrists hearing adjourned until April
On day four of arbitration over psychiatrist’s pay in Sydney’s industrial relations commission (IRC) court, we were meant to hear evidence from expert witnesses called by either side – NSW Health and the doctors’ union.
The Australian Salaried Medical Officers’ Federation (Asmof) is seeking a special levy to increase its psychiatrist members’ pay by 25% to stem the flow of specialist doctors leaving the public system.
However, after counsels on both sides raised objections with each other’s expert evidence, the bench has given directions to postpone the hearing until 4 April and the closing submissions to take place on 10 April.
The counsel for NSW Health raised four objections with the evidence of Asmof’s expert witness Prof John Buchanan, including that in the rush to file statements for the expedited hearing he had not provided references for all sources.
Thomas Dixon, the counsel for Asmof, raised the issue that NSW Health’s evidence only dealt with costings if the 25% award was made, but didn’t “deal with the counterfactual.”
The IRC bench proceeded to give directions that both parties would respond to extra evidence requested by each other before the hearing resumes in April.
Updated
Alleged Islamophobic comment targeting a mosque under investigation
The Lebanese Muslim Association has referred an alleged Islamophobic comment targeting Lakemba mosque to New South Wales police for investigation.
In a statement, the association alleged a comment on its social media page contained “a deeply offensive reference to the Christchurch terrorist attack”, which killed 51 worshippers in 2019.
Earlier this month the Australian Islamic House – Masjid Al-Bayt Al-Islami in Edmondson Park - reported an online threat made against it on Instagram. Police confirmed they were investigating that threat.
Here’s part of the association’s statement:
The thousands of Australian Muslims who gather at Lakemba mosque and across the country do so with love and commitment to this nation. They are citizens who contribute to its prosperity and diversity. Yet they continue to feel unsafe in their own country due to the lack of legal protections and the unchecked rise of anti-Muslim rhetoric.
A spokesperson for the NSW police said an investigation had been commenced following the report.
As investigations continue, anyone with information is asked to call Campsie Police Area Command or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
The NSW Police Force takes hate crimes seriously and encourages anyone who is the victim of a hate crime or witnesses a hate crime to report the matter to police through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or through Triple Zero (000) in an emergency.
It is important that the community and police continue to work together to make NSW a safer place for everyone.
Updated
Three charged in NSW over alleged NDIS fraud
Three people have been charged over alleged National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) fraud incidents in Kempsey and the surrounding areas.
Three search warrants were executed at properties in South West Rocks and Arakoon on Wednesday morning by NSW police with assistance from NDIA investigations, the Australian federal police, and Services Australia.
A fourth search warrant was executed at a Sydney property at the same time.
As a result of the search warrants, police allegedly located and seized several documents, records, and electronic storage devices.
Two men – 32 and 36 – and a 31-year-old woman, were arrested and taken to Kempsey police station where they were charged with alleged fraud offences.
The 36-year-old was charged with three counts of dishonestly intend to obtain a gain, attempt to dishonestly intend to obtain a gain, and deal in indictable crime proceeds: money/property equal to or greater than $1m.
The 32-year-old was charged with four counts of dishonestly intend to obtain a gain, and two counts of attempt to dishonestly intend to obtain a gain.
They were refused bail to appear before Kempsey local court on Thursday
The woman was charged with attempt to dishonestly intend to obtain a gain.
She was granted strict conditional bail to appear before Kempsey local court on 10 April.
Police will allege in court that fraudulent invoices were submitted for services not provided to vulnerable NDIS participants, in order to obtain a financial gain.
Updated
US government in ‘temporary pause’ of funding to some Australian university research
The Trump administration told Australian university researchers a push to promote administration priorities and avoid “DEI, woke gender ideology and the green new deal” was behind a “temporary pause” of funding, according to a memo seen by Guardian Australia.
University sector sources say the US has severed research funding at six universities – Monash University, Australian National University and the University of Melbourne, University of Sydney, University of New South Wales and University of Western Australia – since Donald Trump came to power, including some as early as January. ANU is the first university to publicly acknowledged it.
The projects, which spanned a range of topics from agriculture to foreign aid, social science and geology, were cancelled pending a review as part of US higher education cuts. Some notifications came directly from US government agencies to researchers.
Updated
Many thanks for joining me on the blog today, I’ll hand over to Josh Taylor for the rest of the afternoon. Take care.
Gas shortfall delayed as homes electrify, winters mild
The Australian Energy Market Operator has long predicted gas shortfalls for southern states, AAP reports, yet lower projected demand has helped it push out that timeline until 2028 – three years later than forecast.
The Eraring coal station staying open longer than expected following its delayed retirement should further lower demand for gas power generation, the market operator said in its report today.
The latest assessment landed the same day as a newly-inked deal between the federal government and Australia Pacific LNG to secure more gas for the domestic market.
AEMO chief executive officer Daniel Westerman said investment in new supply was necessary as gas fields in the Bass Strait were depleting. He flagged several options to address shortfall risks for southern states:
Investment could include new production, storage, transportation, and liquefied natural gas (LNG) regasification terminals, or a combination of these solutions.
Gas-fired power stations can be turned on quickly to produce electricity and are viewed as the “ultimate backstop” as renewables replace coal in the grid to cut emissions from the energy system.
Under the Labor government’s deal with APLNG, commercial and industrial gas consumers would have first preference for the new supply of up to 40PJ of gas. That gas would be covered by the government’s code of conduct that dictates new supply will be offered at $12 a GJ.
Australia's population grows by 1.8%
Australia’s population grew by 1.8% in the year leading up to last September, according to new statistics from the Bureau of Statistics.
Beidar Cho, the ABS’s head of demography, said at 30 September 2024, the population was 27.3 million people – “484,000 more people since the same time in 2023.”
There were 617,900 people arriving from overseas and 238,100 departures. This means that 379,800 people were added to our population from overseas migration for the year to 30 September 2024, continuing a downward trend in recent quarters.
Natural increase (births minus deaths) added 104,200 people, down 3% from the previous year, the data shows. There were 291,200 births and 187,000 deaths registered over the period. Cho said:
Western Australia had the fastest increase in population growth, up 2.5% in the last year. This was followed by Victoria, which grew by 2.1%, and Queensland which rose 2%.
Tasmania saw the least growth over the 12-month period, with a 0.3% rise in population.
Updated
Cold front to bring severe storms to parts of Victoria this evening
The Bureau of Meteorology says a cold front is bringing severe storms, gusty winds and showers to much of the southeast today, particularly across Victoria.
There is a “very high” chance of showers in Melbourne, most likely this afternoon and into the evening, as well as the chance of a thunderstorm.
A cold front is bringing severe #thunderstorms, gusty winds, and showers are a risk across much of south-east #Australia today, predominantly across #Vic.
— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) March 20, 2025
Latest forecasts: https://t.co/4W35o8i7wJ or the BOM Weather app. pic.twitter.com/DmELgX4Q8V
Liz Jack appointed commissioner of Australian Sports Commission
Liz Jack has been appointed as a new commissioner of the Australian Sports Commission.
Jack represented Australia in diving and went on to coach and lead the sport as chair from 2022 to 2025, before stepping down from the Diving Australia role to become an ASC commissioner.
In a statement, the ASC said the appointment follows four new commissioners being announced last month, including Lydia Williams, Andrew Purchas, Dr Chloe Flutter and Selwyn Button.
ASC chair Kate Jenkins welcomed Jack to the board in a statement:
Liz brings a unique mix of experience from inside and outside of sport that will complement our existing and diverse group as we continue to drive Australian sport forward … The ASC looks forward to working with its refreshed board through this exciting period for sport to unite and inspire the nation.
Regulator calling for submissions on Virgin’s move to have small pets in plane cabins
The food and safety standards regulator has called for submissions about Virgin’s application to have small pets in passenger plane cabins.
They’ve released a 31-page risk assessment, which says the “public perception” about the risk of disease transmission onboard aircraft is “greater than the actual risk.”
It said introducing companion dogs and cats into the cabin does increase “the potential public health safety risk on board from foodborne illnesses,” but:
Risk mitigations can maintain the overall level of risk to be the same as before companion animals were allowed into the cabin.
The report concludes that any risk may be slightly higher for young children and immunocompromised people, but the “overall level” of risk from having pets on board is “expected to be low when appropriate mitigation controls are in place.”
Keeping the animals in secure containers throughout their journey, prohibiting food handler contact with the animals, adhering to good hygienic practices in food preparation and service, maintaining cleanliness, and using predominantly pre-packaged foods should contribute to minimising any potential risk …
Watch: update on the flooding in northeast Queensland
The Bureau of Meteorology has provided an update on the “significant” flooding in parts of northeast Queensland, as heavy rainfall begins easing:
Severe Weather Update: Significant flooding continues for north-east Qld, heavy falls easing
— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) March 20, 2025
Video current: 11:00 am AEST 20 March 2025.
For the latest forecasts and warnings, go to https://t.co/4W35o8iFmh or the BOM Weather app. pic.twitter.com/7N0PsZWnoW
Chalmers responds to latest jobs figures
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, says the latest jobs figures show “some of the expected softening in the labour market”, but has reiterated that the jobless measure (at an unchanged 4.1%) is still “really low”.
The “softening” Chalmers is referring to is the surprise 52,800 drop in employment in February, when economists had anticipated a lift of 30,000.
The question of course turns to what this means for interest rates ahead of the next Reserve Bank decision on April 1 – when the consensus is the central bank will hold at 4.1%.
ANZ economists say they “don’t think this print in isolation will have a material impact on the RBA’s monetary policy decisions”, adding they only expect one more cut in August.
Financial markets, however, are pricing in a fair chance of a cut at the mid-May meeting (so too late for the government’s electoral fortunes).
As mentioned earlier, the unemployment is well below the over 5% rate leading into the pandemic and the 7.5% rate recorded at the height of the Covid lockdowns.
Chalmers in his statement said “while there are still challenges in our economy and people are still under pressure, we still have the lowest average unemployment of any government in the last 50 years”.
Low unemployment and much lower inflation is a remarkable combination when you look at our historical experience and what’s happening in other countries. Under Labor, unemployment is low, inflation is down, real wages are rising again, interest rates have started to come down, debt is lower and growth is rebounding solidly.
Updated
Gig drivers gaining avenue to fairer pay and conditions
AAP reports that the NSW government is introducing legislation to protect transport gig workers by giving the Industrial Relations Commission power to determine fair and reasonable pay and conditions.
The state’s industrial relations minister Sophie Cotsis said the laws pave the way for gig economy drivers to have labour standards with the same rights afforded to truck drivers, couriers and taxi drivers.
For rideshare gig workers they haven’t had a level playing field. They are unable to go to the Industrial Relations Commission and what we’re doing is we’re providing that mechanism ... To put it very simply we’re filling the gaps.
Eligible gig workers in the transport sector would be able to apply through their union to the industrial umpire, to set in stone contract agreements that regulate their pay and conditions.
Since 2017, 18 food delivery riders have been killed on Australian roads – with 15 of those in Sydney alone.
Latest Closing the Gap data released
Peak Indigenous organisations have called for urgent action from state, territory and federal governments to improve the lives of First Nations people, after the latest Closing the Gap data revealed rates of involvement in the child protection system, incarceration and suicide rates were increasing.
Closing the Gap said it’s “deeply disappointing” Australian governments have failed to close stark disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.
The 2025 Close the Gap campaign report by the Lowitja Institute was released today, on Closing the Gap day. It follows an update to the national dashboard earlier this month which showed just four targets out of 16 were on track to be met.
The others were going backwards, stagnating or getting worse. Access to land and sea rights and greater communications connectivity had gains and progress on early childhood outcomes and healthy birthweight targets had stalled.
A central focus of this year’s report is the success of First Nations leaders who are actively shaping solutions and paving the way to close the gap. Karl Briscoe, the co-chair of Close the Gap said:
We are proud to share this report, which not only highlights the achievements made in the pursuit of equity and justice but also reinforces the importance of continuing to elevate Indigenous voices.
Briscoe’s sentiments were echoed by fellow co-chair, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Katie Kiss, who said it was important to hold governments accountable for their commitments.
Our recommendations in this report are clear … we urge all levels of government to fulfill their obligations under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.
Letter calling for suspension of Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah research fellowship to be overturned
More than 200 recipients of Australian Research Council (ARC) funding have sent a letter to the education minister, the chair of the ARC and the vice-chancellor of Macquarie University calling for the suspension of Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah’s research fellowship to be overturned.
Last month, the ARC chair, Prof Peter Shergold AC, confirmed at Senate estimates that her grant had been suspended pending further investigation over concern about the “acquittal of public funds” and did not have to do with her pro-Palestine stance.
Among those who signed the letter were academic and gay rights activist Emeritus Prof Dennis Altman, musician and actor Dr Lou Bennett AM, historian Emeritus Prof Richard Broome, anthropologist Prof Ghassan Hage and Stella Prize winner Prof Clare Wright.
Co-originator of the letter, Dr Jordana Silverstein said there was “widespread unhappiness with the treatment of our esteemed colleague Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah”.
Across the country, and across industries, we are regularly witnessing people being fired, or punished at work, for everything from wearing a keffiyeh to displaying a Palestinian flag to providing accurate information about events in Gaza.
Updated
Chris Minns won’t appear before upper house inquiry on Dural caravan incident
The NSW premier has said he will not appear before an upper house inquiry that will examine when he and members of his cabinet knew the Dural caravan incident was not a terror event and if it was before controversial legislation passed parliament.
The proposed inquiry passed with support from both the opposition and Greens, and members of the crossbench, yesterday in the wake of police revelations a caravan found laden with explosives on the outskirts of Sydney was a “con job” by organised crime.
Chris Minns cannot be compelled to appear before that inquiry, and he has said he won’t voluntarily either if he is asked.
He told reporters this morning:
I’m not going to go to a kangaroo court presided over by Mark Latham, ex-One Nation MPs and the NSW opposition. We need to let serious criminal investigations be carried out by NSW police, not a rag tag group of upper house MPs that are intent on hogging the limelight and having a media conference …
This was not fake. These threats were real. The motivation for it clearly was not ideological or religious terrorism, but that doesn’t mean the threat to sections of the people in NSW was not genuine and real and needed to be investigated.
In case you missed it, there’s more on the inquiry here:
Updated
Missing disability-support horse located, and never stolen
Earlier today, we reported on a missing disability-support horse, Rosie, beloved by more than one hundred children.
As it turns out, she was never stolen! Victorian police cancelled a media opportunity scheduled for this afternoon and said:
Investigators have located the horse and further information has come to light revealing it had not been stolen. This is no longer a police incident …
Some good news for your Thursday afternoon.
Updated
Carbines acknowledges cost-of-living role in rise of theft
Anthony Carbines attributed the rise in retail thefts to cost-of-living but had little sympathy for those doing the offending.
There’s no doubt that there are economic challenges that are driving theft in the community from retail stores, there’s a clear link there. What we also have to understand is that repeated theft also has an effect on people working in those stores, people who own those businesses, who have trouble keeping staff who are traumatised when they’re confronted by a theft in a shop.
He said many people were doing it tough due to interest rate rises but they were not entitled to a “leave pass”:
There are many in the community who are working hard, working two or three jobs, and they’re not breaking the law, who are busting a gut to put food on the table for their families, to pay their mortgages, but they’re not breaking the law. They don’t get a leave pass when it’s hard, there are many people doing it hard, but they’re not breaking the law.
Updated
Carbines said about 330 young people responsible for most youth offending
Anthony Carbines said about 330 young people were responsible for most youth offending, with even fewer committing hundreds of offences:
A good example from the Crime Statistics Agency [is] some 20 young offenders committing over 300 aggravated burglaries where there’s also theft of motor vehicles … It is a very good example of the offenders that we’re dealing with, the churning of the offence rate of serious crimes they’re committing and the capacity to pull that up through changes to bail laws that have greater consequences on those individuals.
He said greater resources, reporting and understanding of family violence had led to the high number of offences recorded, and that “we’re probably going to see more instances called out”.
But I think it’s about continuing to provide the support. It’s not as though there wasn’t family violence occurring years ago. We weren’t seeing the numbers reported. We weren’t seeing the supports provided, both in the law and to our organisations to call it out.
Our government had a royal commission into family violence, and since that time, we’ve seen a lot more victims be able to come forward, a lot more victims get support. But we’re a long way from done here, and that work needs to continue.
Updated
Victorian police minister holds press conference on latest crime figures
The Victorian police minister, Anthony Carbines, also held a press conference after the release of crime stats, which show a 15.7% increase in offences recorded in 2024 compared to 2023.
He said despite this increase, the unique offender rate has remained “flat”, meaning repeat offenders were responsible for the bulk of offending:
What it’s showing is we’ve got repeat offenders out there that are driving the crime rate. We need to pull that up. We need to hold those offenders accountable and the way that we do that is by passing our tough bail laws.
Updated
Victorian police officers relieved about proposed bail reform in state
Earlier this afternoon, Victoria police held a press conference about the state’s crime statistics that have been released today.
Data released by the Crime Statistics Agency shows a 13.2% increase in the state’s crime rate, driven by repeat youth offenders. But the number of unique youth offenders fell by 3%.
The Victorian government this week introduced a bail crackdown to parliament in response to the state’s growing crime rate.
The deputy commissioner, Bob Hill, said police officers are relieved about the proposed bail reform:
We know in the fullness of time, these young perpetrators, the young serious criminal offenders will be held to account, and they’ll be incarcerated, and they’ll be incarcerated on remand and then potentially sentenced.
Updated
Albanese on breakdown of ceasefire in Middle East, humanitarian aid for Gaza
Anthony Albanese was also asked if the breakdown of the ceasefire in the Middle East was inevitable, and responded, “no”.
And I wanted to see the ceasefire continue. I want to see hostages released. And I want to see an end to the tragic loss of life we’re continuing to see.
Will the ceasefire come back, or is it all over? Albanese said he “certainly hope[s]” it comes back.
We need peace and security in the region. That is in the interests of all in the region, and that is what I want to say. And I think anyone who looks at some of the images that have been conveyed in recent days will surely agree that that’s the case.
Wrapping up the interview, Raf Epstein noted Israel was shutting off electricity and denying aid to Gaza before the ceasefire failed. Is Australia OK with this?
Albanese responded that “we want to see a ceasefire, we want to see a resolution, we want to see humanitarian support be able to be provided, and we want to see the hostages released”.
But is Israel wrong to deny them aid? The PM repeated, and said:
We want to see people, of course, have access to basic services including food and water and electricity. That is a basic human need. And we don’t want to see innocent people suffering.
Updated
Albanese asked if he trusts Donald Trump
Earlier this morning, the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, also spoke with Raf Epstein on ABC Radio Melbourne, where he was asked – “do you trust Donald Trump?”
Albanese responded by asking, “what sort of question is that?”
I mean, he’s the president of the United States. He’s elected as the president of the United States. I’m the prime minister for Australia. He’s entitled to pursue his agenda, of course. But I’m entitled to defend Australia’s national interest and that’s what we’re doing.
Epstein said some of Trump’s behaviour “rewards our enemies rather than our friends,” and that’s why he posed the question. Albanese answered:
Well, I will continue to develop a constructive relationship with president Trump, as I do with other world leaders. That’s my job.
Updated
Albanese reiterates government will defend PBS from potential tariffs
While Peter Dutton was giving his speech, Anthony Albanese also gave a press conference on the Gold Coast, where he touted Labor’s pledge to reduce the price of PBS-listed medicines to no more than $25 a script.
Taking questions, he reiterated the government would defend the PBS against any potential tariffs from the US:
This is not for sale and it is not up for negotiation. This is a part of the free trade agreement, because Labor insisted [this] as a condition of our support for the free trade agreement. The pharmaceutical benefits scheme is a part of who we are as Australians and we will always stand up for it.
Albanese argued that tariffs are an “act of economic self-harm”, and said Australia’s position had been put forward “very strongly” to the US.
The United States enjoys a two to one surplus, they sell twice as many goods in value to Australia as we sell to the United States, therefore the imposition of tariffs is certainly not in their interest of the United States and obviously is not in the interest of Australians either.
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Full-time employment fell by 35,000 in February
More on this morning’s jobs figures, which showed a steady 4.1% unemployment rate in February despite a surprise drop in the number of Australians with jobs.
The monthly ABS report showed that – adjusted for seasonal factors – full-time employment fell by 35,000 and part-time employment by 17,000.
The jobless rate was steady thanks to a fall in the workforce participation rate to 66.8% from 67.2% in January. In other words, a slightly smaller labour force (which counts those with jobs or looking for a job) has offset the impact of the drop in the number of employed people.
The ABS said fewer older people returning to work in February went some way to explaining the fall in employment, but noted that the labour market remains in good shape, with the share of Australians with jobs remaining near record levels.
Early mail from economists is that this is a “sideways” step for the labour market.
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John Howard had biggest influence on Dutton’s political life
Taking a final question, Peter Dutton was asked if there is a previous PM he would like to emulate if elected as Australia’s leader?
Dutton said John Howard has had the biggest influence on his political life, also saying Kevin Rudd had a “natural instinct … in relation to foreign affairs matters”.
He was robust in some of the language he used at different points as we recall, but I think he had a genuine engagement and the capacity to be respected in those discussions.
He also mentioned Tony Abbott’s response to the “loss of life at the hands of Russia, of innocent Australians, just going on holiday” (in relation to the downing of MH17). But he concluded by talking about Howard:
I think the short answer to your question is probably John Howard’s relationship with Indonesia, in particular – the response to the tsunami, the way in which that was instinctive. Our response in East Timor and the liberation and support there, I think, were two of the most substantive moments in foreign affairs that served our country’s interests and our friends’ interests.
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Dutton: US cut to Pacific aid ‘detrimental to collective interests’ of region
Continuing to take questions, Peter Dutton has also criticised the United States’ decision to cut aid in the Pacific. He told the crowd:
They’ll make decisions they believe is in their country’s best interests, as we do, and we each respect that, but I think there is a place for Australia to advocate for some of that funding to return, and we can do that in a respectful way with the United States.
I don’t agree with some of the funding that they’ve withdrawn, and I think it is detrimental to the collective interests in the region, and I hope that there can be a discussion between our governments about a sensible pathway forward in that regard.
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Coalition won’t send troops to Ukraine without US presence
Sticking with international matters, Peter Dutton was asked about whether Australian troops should go to Ukraine.
Anthony Albanese has previously said Australia may send a “small contribution” of peacekeepers to Ukraine if asked:
Dutton argued that Australia shouldn’t be “out ahead of where the Europeans are in relation to a border presence with Russia, where there is no United States assurance about providing an overlay”.
The United States has said that they won’t have a presence, and I think that is a fraught decision by the prime minister, and I strongly believe in providing additional support to Ukraine …
I think we should be providing support to see [Ukraine] thrive as a democracy in the region, but the thought that we’re going to send troops from our shores at a time when the prime minister says, in our region, it’s the most precarious period since the second world war, we’re under done as it is, and the billions of dollars, as I point out, of sustainment are better spent and directed into training and acquisition of capability.
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‘Critical failure in our response capacities’ towards China
Peter Dutton was also asked about China, and what message Xi Jinping was sending with naval task group to go around Australia? He argued it was a “show of force” and “contempt”, and continued:
The Papua New Guinean government had been provided with pre-warning, whereas the Australian government hadn’t [known] about the movements.
It shows also a critical failure in our response capacities, or whether the government directed that. It was no response. There were surface assets that had deployed, but again, there was no urgency to that task.
Dutton argued that Australia’s “response time” was being tested and how Australia would engage, and said “the prime minister, frankly, has failed every one of those tests”.
Dutton was asked how he balance being tougher with China but have a stronger relationship with it than the current government? He responded:
I believe that our relationship is best enhanced where we can have a respectful relationship, and that is achieved if we’re able to speak frankly about our points of differences and engage vigorously on our points of mutual interest.
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Dutton ‘confident that we can achieve plan A’ on Aukus
On Aukus, Michael Fullilove asked whether a “plan B” is needed for the Aukus deal, or if he is feeling confident?
Peter Dutton said he is “confident that we can achieve plan A, and it’s a national project that must be successful”.
The opposition leader said he agrees with the PM when he says “we live in the most precarious period since the end of the second world war” – but argued more action is needed.
There is a deep and consistent theme of concern about what happens in this century, and the prime minister reflects that in his statement, but it’s not reflected in the investment decisions or in the budget papers, or indeed in the direction that the government’s given to defence.
He went on to say the Coalition is committed to increased defence spending. Asked to provide specifics on where this funding would go, Dutton said “it’s on human capability [and] defence materiel, and it’s also about how we’re leveraging the opportunities here in Australia”.
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‘My job is to put Australia first’
Peter Dutton was asked about his intention to visit the United States first, if elected, and how he would seek to manage interactions with Donald Trump.
The opposition leader said “the best indicator is past performance, and I have had a consistency in the way that I’ve approached relationships with world leaders”.
President Trump has been elected to put America first. My job is to put Australia first, and I will stand up firmly against President Trump or anyone else in our country’s best interests …
There are great areas of mutual interest and benefit to a productive relationship, and I think we can achieve that in a way that the government hasn’t been able to achieve.
Dutton said he doesn’t think Labor were expecting Trump to win the election, “or surely ambassador [Kevin] Rudd would have deleted [his] tweets before President Trump was elected.”
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Dutton concludes Lowy Institute speech with focus on defence
Here is how Peter Dutton wrapped up his speech at the Lowy Institute:
My true belief, my honest belief, is that we live in the best country in the world … and the time now is for us to take seriously the threats, the unknowns, and to provide support to defence industry, to every asset we have at our disposal – including the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade – our international relationships, and to leverage that to the maximum benefit for every Australian, and that’s the commitment we make in this election to the Australian people.
He’s just started taking questions from the Lowy Institute’s executive director Dr Michael Fullilove – we’ll bring you all the highlights.
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Dutton would meet Trump in Washington soon after winning election
Back to Peter Dutton’s speech: he reiterated the Coalition’s stance that it is against Donald Trump’s tariffs on Australian aluminium and steel.
They’re not just unjustified, they benefit neither Australia nor the United States, and we will continue to offer the Albanese government bipartisan support for the removal of these tariffs and exemption from future tariffs, because that is in Australia’s best interests.
Dutton was critical of Anthony Albanese’s handling of Australia’s relationship with the US, and said:
I will seek to meet President Trump in Washington in the early days of the Dutton Coalition government. I will talk to him about how our national interests are our mutual interests.
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Unemployment unchanged at 4.1% in February
The unemployment rate has held steady at 4.1% in February, despite a surprise 53,000 drop in the number of employed Australians in the month.
Ahead of Labor’s fourth budget next week and an election likely to be defined by cost of living, the key jobless rate has hovered around 4% since the start of 2024 despite rate hikes and a weak economy.
It remains well below the pre-Covid level of more than 5%.
Speaking this morning on ABC radio ahead of the employment numbers, the employment minister, Murray Watt, spruiked the government’s job creation record.
It’s a real credit to the workers and employers of Australia that we continue to keep these sort of job numbers happening despite the challenging conditions we’ve been facing.
Peter Dutton says if elected he will axe 36,000 public service jobs.
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Anti-nuclear protesters interrupt Dutton’s speech
As Emily brought you a moment ago, what appeared to be an anti-nuclear protest interrupted Peter Dutton’s speech at the Lowy Institute, with two protesters ejected from the room.
“Mr Dutton,” called out a young man who stood up from the audience, brandishing a blue piece of fabric with words including “nuclear” written on it.
“Why are you lying to the Australian people about the cost of nuclear?” he continued, as two security staff quickly escorted him out of the room.
The full text of the handwritten sign couldn’t be immediately seen on the TV broadcast of the speech.
Dutton continued on with his speech for a few seconds, before another man stood up in the crowd and began calling out to the opposition leader about nuclear energy. Again we couldn’t hear all of what he was saying, as security quickly pounced to eject him from the room, but the man appeared to describe nuclear power as a “stupid idea”.
A security staff member grabbed the man, who appeared to stumble and fall, colliding with a few people seated next to him.
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China live firing incident ‘failure of diplomacy and defence’
Peter Dutton has been speaking about China, and accused the government of failing to call out “military aggression”.
He spoke about the recent live firing exercise incident and labelled this an “unacceptable” “failure of diplomacy and defence at the highest levels”.
Red lines need to be made clear, especially in a period of tension, because if they’re not, we end up with a situation like the one in recent weeks – the situation where the Chinese navy provided no notice of its live fire exercise whilst it circumnavigated Australia, a situation where our national maritime surveillance was outsourced to a Virgin airline pilot.
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Dutton criticises government’s stance on Israel
Peter Dutton also argued that “one of the Albanese government’s most egregious foreign policy failures has been the treatment of Israel”.
He criticised the government’s decision to change Australia’s position on recognising West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and refer to the West Bank and Gaza as occupied territories.
Following Hamas’s barbaric attack on Israel, the government should have sent a strong and clear message that it stood with our ally. Instead … we began to hear unreasonable calls for immediate restraint, calls for Israel to not look back in anger, calls for Israel to de-escalate and to pause its military response.
Dutton accused Labor of adoption “adversarial positions towards Israel” to boost Labor’s vote in certain seats, and continued:
If I become prime minister, one of my first orders of business will be to call prime minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu to build on the one-on-one meeting I had with him during my recent visit, and to help rebuild the relationship Labor has trashed. Israel will be able to count on our support again in the United Nations.
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Albanese ‘inexperienced’ and ‘weak’ on national security
The opposition leader took aim at the prime minister, arguing he is “inexperienced” and “weak” when it comes to defence and national security. Peter Dutton said:
The government is the most leftwing since the Whitlam government of the 70s, and we are less safe because of it today.
He took aim at Anthony Albanese for refusing to donate out-of-service Taipan helicopters to Ukraine, “which they dismantled and instead buried”.
[The government] ignored repeated requests from Ukraine for more thermal coal, and it hasn’t delivered the M1 Abrams tanks that it promised. And while other countries reopened their embassies in Kyiv in a matter of months, the Albanese government kept the Australian embassy closed for almost three years now.
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Further defence investment needed to become resilient – Dutton
On foreign policy and national security, Peter Dutton said he believes there is “right and wrong, and good and evil in the world”.
He argued some democracies had “lost their resolve and their confidence because we’ve become susceptible to the false arguments of advocates of keyboard warriors and conspiracy theorists who distort morality for political ends”.
The Coalition government will always stand with our friends and our allies in their darkest hours when they face tyranny and terrorism, and if we don’t stand with other democracies when their security, their sovereignty and their freedom is imperilled, who will stand with us when our freedom, our sovereignty and our security is imperilled?
Dutton said because Australia is a middle power, there “must be limits to the support that we provide”, and spoke of the need to invest further in defence.
We need to develop our defence capabilities at speed and scale so we can become a more credible partner to contribute to the objectives of deterrence and peace. Most importantly, we need to become a more self-reliant and resilient country. If we don’t, Australia could be flat-footed in any uncertain time over the course of this century.
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Dutton says Coalition would oppose any tariffs on PBS
Like the prime minister earlier today, Peter Dutton said he would fight against any efforts to impose tariffs on Australia’s PBS.
The PBS, just like Medicare, is the fundamental basis of our healthcare system, and we’re an aging population.
Coalition would pursue free trade agreement with Israel and EU, Dutton says
Peter Dutton said that under the previous Coalition government between 2013 and 2022, 11 free trade agreements were finalised.
He said whereas under the Albanese government only one has been finalised, with the UAE.
I can announce today that one of our priorities will be taking forward a robust free trade agenda.
Dutton said the Coalition would “reinvigorate negotiating a high-quality, free trade agreement with the European Union that’s stalled under Labor”. He continued:
We will revitalise discussions on a free trade agreement with our trusted partner, Israel, building on a strong economic relationship and looking to harness Israel’s strengths in technology … We will [also] seek to expand opportunities for trade and investment with Canada and other like minded countries …
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Dutton underlines security in Lowy Institute address
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, is giving a speech at the Lowy Institute in Sydney.
He said many issues would be at the centre of the upcoming election – cost of living, the economy, housing, migration, health and energy – but defence and national security would also “weigh heavily on the minds of Australians, too”.
Australians know that we face a far more uncertain and dangerous world today than at any time in recent memory. The imperialistic Putin seems to be determined to swallow up Ukraine, the Iranian regime and its sponsored terrorist proxies, the Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthi terrorist groups, want to exterminate Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, and the Chinese Communist party is asserting [itself] militarily in our region and indeed across the world, often in aggressive ways that have endangered our men and women in uniform.
Only a few minutes into his speech, two hecklers have been heard interrupting from the crowd.
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Victorian Greens to oppose ‘draconian’ bail laws in upper house
The Greens also spoke at parliament this morning, with the leader, Ellen Sandell, confirming the party would oppose the “draconian” bail laws in the upper house.
The last time we had laws like this in Victoria, we saw a doubling of First Nations women in our prisons for non-violent crimes. We saw more kids in our prisons. The community wasn’t any safer and we saw deaths in custody.
Sandell said the premier is “committed to this erroneous course of action just to save her political scalp”. Instead, she said, there should be more funding for community-based crime prevention initiatives “that actually work”.
It’s been revealed that at the same time the Allan Labor government has been ramming through these draconian bail laws, there has been a 46% reduction in crime prevention programs for youth. This just underlines that [for] the premier, this issue is all about saving her own political scalp. It’s not about following the evidence of what works. It’s not about making our communities safer.
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Victoriam government’s main concern is repeat offenders – premier
Jacinta Allan also spoke about a Guardian Australia report this morning that showed the government has slashed resources for community crime prevention programs in recent years, with only $12.9m allocated in 2024-25 – a 46% reduction from the previous financial year.
She said the government has given police funding to do prevention work instead, adding that her government’s particular concern was with repeat offenders:
We’ll continue to look at what further preventive measures need to be taken. But right now we have a particular issue with a group of offenders who are engaging in a repeat pattern or behaviour with some of the worst of offences, and that’s what our tough new bail laws are focused on.
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Allan reiterates parliament will sit until ‘tough bail bill’ passed
Jacinta Allan also had a crack at the opposition, who is planning to move an amendment in the Victorian upper house today to remove the word “tough” from the government’s “tough bail bill”.
She said this “says it all about the political games that the Liberal party is focused on, not community safety”.
This is a tough bail bill that brings in the toughest bail laws in the country. The question for the Liberal party is: why are they focused on semantics and not outcomes? …
Seriously, focus on the substance of the issue here. Get this bill passed through the parliament. Don’t keep shifting the goalpost. Don’t get out in your liquid paper pen and cross out words. Get up and do the work. Do the hard work. Sit in the parliament, pass the bill. That’s my expectation. That’s the community’s expectation.
She said parliament would continue to sit this week until the bill passes.
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West Gate Tunnel cost blowout one that builders ‘need to sort out’ – Allan
Jacinta Allan was also asked about another project – the West Gate Tunnel – which the Herald Sun this morning reported will need an extra $1bn to get finished in time.
According to the report, the builders of the tunnel – which will link the West Gate Freeway to CityLink – have faced soaring costs due to construction price pressures and will request extra funds from Transburban.
Allan said she expected Transurban and its builders to foot the bill for any additional costs.
That sounds like something that the contractors and Transurban need to sort out. We have an agreement signed, a contract signed between the government, Transurban and its contractors, CPB and John Holland. If there are any issues to be worked through, that’s to be worked through by Transurban and its builders, consistent with the contract that has been signed with the government.
Asked if she could guarantee there would be no further blowouts on the project, Allan said:
My expectation is that the project be delivered consistent with that agreement that was signed.
Updated
Agreement signed to start building Melbourne airport line
The Victorian and federal governments and the operators of Melbourne airport have this morning signed an agreement to push ahead with the construction of a long-awaited train line.
The federal infrastructure minister, Catherine King, the Victorian transport infrastructure minister, Gabrielle Williams, and Melbourne airport chief executive, Lorie Argus, held a press conference at Tullamarine this morning to mark the agreement, committing to work “collectively, in good faith” to deliver the project
As part of the agreement, a steering committee of senior officials will be set up to progress the works.
It comes after the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, last month announced the federal government will pour additional $2bn into the project, taking its total investment to $7bn in an effort to end delays.
Speaking to reporters outside parliament, the premier, Jacinta Allan, said it’s time all parties work together to get it delivered:
I’ve been incredibly frustrated, as have Victorians, at some of the delays that have been caused because of the lack of agreement to deliver the airport rail. There’s three partners to this project – the federal and state governments, who are the funding partners, and the delivery partners ...
We need the cooperation and the support of the airport because, whilst they’re not putting in any funding to the project, we need to work through the arrangements of how to deliver this project within the area that they lease from the federal government.
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Albanese vows to defend PBS against potential US tariffs
The prime minister says the government will defend the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme as US drug companies urge the Trump administration to view the scheme as an “unfair trading practice”.
The US president, Donald Trump, has promised further tariffs and will look at targeting the agriculture, vehicle and pharmaceutical sectors next.
The Labor government has just announced further reductions to medicine costs under the PBS and Anthony Albanese has been spruiking the changes while doing the radio rounds in Queensland, telling Nova Brisbane:
The pharmaceutical benefits agreement was introduced by a Labor government way back with Curtin and Chifley, and we are defending it, and we want to reduce the cost of medicine. The maximum cost will reduce to $25 – now that’s more than a 20% cut.
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Those allegedly involved in caravan plot don’t meet threshold of hate speech laws – Minns
Chris Minns said the charges those allegedly associated with the Dural caravan plot are facing “are very serious” but don’t meet the threshold of hate speech laws:
Hate speech laws are serious and they’re ubiquitous in the community, and they need to be confronted. But they’re not the same as allegedly being involved in a plot to sow fear and be responsible for the destruction of property and burning down community facilities. I mean, it’s a different, it’s a different measure. These laws that we introduced are not at that seriousness level.
After a few more questions, the press conference wrapped up.
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Minns says Sydney needs ‘way more, way more’ private development
Back at his press conference: Chris Minns says the houses at the proposed Rosehill development would be private, with “a mix of social housing put in there”.
That’s always [been] the idea … which is what Sydney needs. We need more private development in Sydney – way more, way more.
Minns went on to compare the cost of housing in Sydney to Melbourne:
[The] median house price in Sydney is $1.6m; the median house price in Melbourne is $1m. [The difference] between those two figures is the reason why we are considered a city without a future, because we won’t have young people [living here].
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North-east Queensland town warned of flooding as river breaks banks
AAP has some more details about the flooding situation in north-east Queensland, as we flagged earlier:
The Lower Herbert River near Halifax rose past the major flood level of 5.5 metres this morning. Emergency services urged nearby residents to move their vehicles to higher ground as the river broke its banks.
For days, persistent showers and storms have been occurring across the Lower Herbert and Tropical Coast, with up to 200mm of rain recorded between Townsville and Innisfail each day.
Ingham, Cardwell and Townsville saw more than 200mm in the last 24 hours while 450mm was recorded at Cardwell Gap, leading to flash flooding.
Other towns like Trebonne recorded 348mm and flood-weary Ingham saw 267mm.
Today will be another rainy day for north-east Queensland with the risk of higher falls during the morning. The Bureau of Meteorology warned the intense downpours could continue into tomorrow, wherever thunderstorms arrive from the ocean.
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NSW premier promises a fare-free day on Sydney trains
Chris Minns said there would be a fare-free day on Sydney’s train network once industrial bargaining has been concluded.
Taking a question from reporters, he said the priority is to have “a regular, reliable service [so people] can get to and from work [when] the train is expected to be there”.
Part of it has been signal failures. There’s no doubt about it. I’m not blaming the union for that. I’m not blaming industrial action. It was a signal failure. We need to be very clear about when the system doesn’t work, people can’t get home …
We’ve put tens of millions of dollars into a maintenance program. We’re seeing less of it across the system, but it’s a huge pain, massive pain for commuters when it happens.
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Law will apply to anyone bringing batteries into NSW – Sharpe
Taking questions, Penny Sharpe said the legislation would apply to anyone supplying batteries into NSW, “regardless of where they come from”.
What this scheme will allow us to do, for the first time, is to have a line of sight on what’s coming in, whether they’re following the rules that are there, and we will have the ability to actually call them out for that.
She said the NSW government was working with the federal government in terms of importing.
But as a result of this scheme, this will be the first time that we’re able to understand the amount that’s coming in and be able to regulate that and to be able to force compliance on suppliers who currently have no requirements.
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Sharpe optimistic NSW disposal of lithium batteries bill will pass
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, has been holding a press conference in Kingscliff, announcing the return of the Seas The Day surf festival.
The state’s energy minister, Penny Sharpe, has also been speaking about the product lifecycle responsibility bill introduced to parliament.
As we flagged earlier, the law would regulate the handling and disposal of lithium batteries used in electric scooters and bikes. Sharpe said:
We’re very optimistic that the bill will pass next week, but we need to take action. We cannot ignore it any more. We need batteries out of bins, out of trucks and out of waste facilities …
We don’t believe that this is onerous, but we do believe that it’s necessary to make sure that we can safely deal with these products that are incredibly important to decarbonisation, but also just to everyone’s life, because they love these products that have got batteries in them. But we have to make sure they’re safe.
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Police investigating alleged theft of beloved disability support horse Rosie
Victorian police are investigating the alleged theft of a beloved disability-support horse from Axedale this week.
Rosie has helped more than 100 children with disabilities as a therapy horse over the past two years, police said in a statement. She is valued at $40,000, “but means even more to the young children who ride her”.
Investigators were told the horse was allegedly stolen from a property on Canny Road between 8pm on Monday and 8am on Tuesday.
Investigators are hoping someone has CCTV or dashcam footage of a vehicle towing a horse trailer in Axedale, Heathcote, Strathfieldsaye or Bendigo between Monday night and Tuesday morning.
Leading Sen Const Dan O’Bree said officers were extremely motivated to return this horse:
This is a case that’s caused a lot of pain to a number of vulnerable young children. Rosie means an awful lot to these kids and we want nothing more than to see her returned unharmed.
Someone out there will have seen something, or know something, and it’s important that they come forward.
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Victoria police say repeat child offenders ‘key reason’ for rise in crime
Victoria police say repeat child offenders are a “key reason” for the state’s increase in crime, in response to a release of the state’s crime statistics this morning.
Data released by the Crime Statistics Agency for 2024 shows the state’s number of recorded criminal offences increased by more than 13%.
There has been a focus on youth offenders in the state amid the debate about crime, with some saying there is a “youth crime crisis” in the state.
Victoria police says the number of child offenders decreased by 3% while the number of repeat offenders increased by 4.9%.
In simple terms, there are less children committing crime, but those who continue to offend are doing so more frequently.
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Crime in Victoria up by more than 13% last year, data shows
Victoria’s number of recorded criminal offences increased by more than 13% in 2024, amid a proposed bail crackdown by the state government.
According to the newly released data by the Crime Statistics Agency, recorded offences in the state increased by 13.2% to 8,691.6 per 100,000 Victorians in 2024.
The report found victimisation increased by 16.8% while the number of person-related victim reports increased by almost 20%, primarily driven by theft.
The CSA chief statistician, Fiona Dowsley, said the rate of theft offences being recorded per 100,000 Victorians has exceeded historical peaks and is driven by record-high numbers of motor vehicle and retail store thefts:
These increasingly prevalent theft offences can be opportunistic in nature and may be linked to cost-of-living pressures, especially for increases in shoplifting, where increases are linked to adult offenders often in their 30s.
The Allan government this week introduced a bail crackdown in response to the state’s rising crime rate, which has sparked a fierce rebuke from human rights and Indigenous groups.
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Emergency warning for Halifax as major flooding likely
The Bureau of Meteorology is warning of major flooding in the north-east Queensland town of Halifax this morning.
The Herbert River at Halifax was at 4.66 metres and rising earlier this morning, above the moderate level. It is expected to exceed the major flood level of 5 metres and potentially peak at 5.5 metres at midday.
An emergency warning has been issued, with communities in the lower Herbert area of the Hinchinbrook shire advised to take shelter now.
Evacuation routes may be cut off by flooding. If your life is in danger, call triple zero immediately. Emergency services may not be able get to you because it is too dangerous.
A “prepare now” warning remains in place for low-lying and flood-prone areas of Townsville, and a “stay informed” warning issued for Giru and surrounding communities.
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Steggall launches climate resilience plan
The independent Warringah MP, Zali Steggall, will today launch her climate resilience plan – aimed at protecting households, communities, businesses and the economy from escalating climate risks.
The plan includes $10bn for a new Climate Resilience Fund, to be managed by the Future Fund. A statement said this would deliver climate resilience infrastructure projects, funded by the phasing out of the fuel tax credit for all industries, except agriculture businesses.
The statement said independent modelling from the Parliamentary Budget Office shows this would result in an increase to the underlying cash balance by about $1.5bn over the 2024-25 budget forward estimates period.
The teal MP’s plan would also include $40m to expand the work of the Resilient Building Council, and legislate independent national climate risk assessments and adaptation plans every five years.
Updating the national construction code to adopt resilience standards is also part of the plan, as well as coordinating all levels of government to create stronger land planning controls.
Steggall said in a statement that with the federal budget days away, “it’s time for the government to start prioritising long-term investments in climate risk”.
Budgets are about priorities, and with estimates that Cyclone Alfred cost the economy $1bn a day, it’s astonishing neither of the major parties has a credible economic plan or cohesive policy to invest in resilience to protect our communities and our economy from this growing climate risk.
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Sofronoff to challenge serious corrupt conduct finding
Walter Sofronoff will launch a legal challenge against yesterday’s finding of serious corrupt conduct by the ACT integrity commission.
As Sarah Basford Canales reports, the former Queensland judge was found to have engaged in “serious corrupt conduct”, after the ACT Integrity Commission reviewed his inquiry into the prosecution of Bruce Lehrmann.
You can read the full details on this below:
Glen Cranny, Sofronoff’s solicitor, said in a statement this morning:
Mr Sofronoff has today filed an application in the federal court of Australia challenging the lawfulness of the Integrity Commission’s report.
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Coalition to match Labor's PBS pledge
The Coalition has confirmed it would match Labor’s pledge to reduce the price of PBS-listed medicines to no more than $25 a script.
A statement from the shadow health minister, Anne Ruston, said this would “ensure Australians have more affordable access to the medicines and treatments they need, at a time when healthcare has never been more expensive”.
More families are being forced to delay or avoid refilling their scripts or seeking health advice because they just cannot afford it under Labor.
Eight per cent of Australians delayed or went without their prescription medication in 2023-24 due to cost concerns. It has never been more important to ensure Australians have affordable access to essential medicines and treatments.
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Australia wants both Israel and Hamas to adhere to ceasefire – Butler
The health minister, Mark Butler, was also on ABC News Breakfast this morning, where he was asked about the unfolding situation in Gaza.
Specifically, what concerns does the government hold for the safety of Australian medics in Gaza? Has there been any contact with them, and has Australia sent a strong enough message to Israel about the danger of this latest bombardment on civilians, aid workers and hostages?
Butler said all of this was being undertaken by the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, and “other global-facing ministers”.
She’s working day and night on this issue and others that impact Australia from around the world. But we’ve made it very clear – we want to see this ceasefire put back in place. We want to see both parties adhere to the ceasefire, and that includes, frankly, Hamas releasing hostages that have now been kept for almost 18 months.
Seeing this conflict flare up again is a cause of great distress to Australians. We just urge both parties to adhere to the terms of the ceasefire that were put in place previously.
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NSW government aims to regulate lithium battery handling and disposal
The handling and disposal of lithium batteries used in electric scooters and bikes, which can cause fires, will be regulated in a nation-first initiative.
As AAP reports, the NSW government has introduced the product lifecycle responsibility bill to parliament. If passed, the law will create a framework for suppliers of batteries and other products to participate in mandatory stewardship schemes.
This means that those who make and sell the products will have to follow requirements on design and manufacturing, reuse and recycling, and safe disposal. The first products to be regulated under the law will be batteries.
There are between 10,000 and 12,000 fires each year in trucks and at waste facilities caused by the improper disposal, use and poor design of lithium batteries, according to waste and recycling industry estimates.
Fire and Rescue NSW has dealt with 384 lithium-ion battery incidents since 2024 alone. Those incidents included at least 33 injuries and multiple fatalities.
Under the planned laws, suppliers will have to register battery products and facilitate safe disposal or recycling through dedicated collection points. They will be charged with running public education campaigns to improve awareness of battery risks and disposal.
The laws and regulations will apply to smaller embedded batteries found in everyday devices, such as cordless vacuums, electric toothbrushes, children’s toys, e-bikes and e-scooters.
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Watt: ‘no doubt’ increased government spending influenced jobs market
The employment minister, Murray Watt, was on ABC RN just earlier ahead of the latest employment figures being released today.
Watt expects them to be “roughly the same as what we’ve seen in the last couple of months”.
We want to make sure that the unemployment remains in that historically low range that we’ve seen over the last couple of years … We’d certainly be hopeful today of seeing some further jobs growth and keeping that unemployment rate low.
He was asked to what extent government spending is making the unemployment rate look better than it otherwise would be.
Watt said there is “no doubt” increased government funding has influenced the labour market, and continued:
I don’t think that anyone would be arguing that we need fewer aged care workers or fewer early childhood educators. So of course, the government funding that we provide in those sectors, [and] disability care, has been important for job creation. But if you have a close look at the figures, four out of five of the new jobs that have been created since we came to office have actually been in the private sector.
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Malaysia agrees terms for restarting MH370 wreckage search
Malaysia has agreed to terms and conditions of an agreement with exploration firm Ocean Infinity to resume the search for the wreckage of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, its transport minister has said.
As Reuters reports, the flight was carrying 239 people – including six Australians – when it vanished en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in 2014 in one of the world’s greatest aviation mysteries.
The decision will enable the start of seabed search operations in a new location estimated to cover 15,000 sq km in the southern Indian Ocean, based on a “no find, no fee” principle, minister Loke Siew Fook said.
Ocean Infinity will receive $70m if the wreckage is successfully located, he said.
The government is committed to continuing the search operation and providing closure for the families of the MH370 passengers.
It was not immediately clear how long the search contract with Ocean Infinity would be. Loke had previously said it would cover an 18-month period.
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Sharma says Coalition will not take Dutton's referendum idea to the election
Dave Sharma was also asked about Peter Dutton’s idea for a referendum to give ministers the power to deport dual citizens who have committed serious crimes. Would he support this?
The senator said “that’s not Coalition policy”.
And I wouldn’t – I’m not advocating for that at the moment. I think this came up from the news report that was in the Fairfax [Nine] media two days ago. I think Peter Dutton and the leadership team have been clear – this is not a policy we’re [advancing]. We’re not ruling it out indefinitely but [it’s] not something we’ll take to the election.
Is it something you discussed in the party room? Sharma said he wouldn’t reveal what is discussed in the party room, but reiterated that it’s “not something we’re planning to take to the election and not an idea we’re seeking to advance in the context of this election campaign”.
Here is what Dutton said of the idea, at his most recent press conference yesterday afternoon:
I want a mandate from the Australian people to be able to implement the laws which are necessary to keep us safe. The prime minister dismisses it as a thought bubble.
And here is the full timeline, as written by Josh Butler, of the Coalition’s rhetoric around this “thought bubble”, as the prime minister has labelled it:
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‘Israeli government does not have a lot of palatable options’ – Sharma
The Liberal senator and former ambassador to Israel Dave Sharma was up on ABC News Breakfast earlier to discuss the latest strikes carried out by Israel on Gaza.
The massive Israeli airstrikes shattered the two-month ceasefire on Tuesday, killing more than 400. A further 20 Palestinians died in attacks on Wednesday, local health officials said. You can read the latest below:
Sharma was asked whether there is growing discontent among hostage families in Israel, and also in Australia with those with connections to Israel, that the government doesn’t appear to want to stick to a ceasefire to ensure the hostages come home?
The senator said he understood and “entirely empathise[d]” with their concerns, continuing:
If any of us were in their position, we would be single-mindedly focused on the return of our loved ones. I can understand that. This is a politically contentious issue in Israel, there’s no walking away from that, but I don’t think the government has a lot of good choices.
Continuing the ceasefire was not going to lead to the release of further hostages, at least according to the mediators involved in the talks. Hamas had basically said they weren’t planning on returning any more. As I said, in that situation, the Israeli government does not have a lot of palatable options.
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‘No way’ Australia would negotiate over the PBS – health minister
Continuing from our last post: Mark Butler also spoke on the Today show this morning, where he made it clear “we’re not going to negotiate over the PBS”.
He ruled out reciprocal tariffs, saying this would make prices more expensive for Australians, and said:
Our the clear message we want to send to everyone, whether it’s to the Americans or to patients here in Australia who might be worried about these reports, is that … we’re not going to negotiate over the PBS. This is one of the cornerstones of, I think, one of the best healthcare systems in the world. We’re not interested in an American-style user pays healthcare system in the Labor party. We’re determined to protect Medicare and to protect the PBS …
There is no way we will negotiate around the elements of the PBS that has served Australians so well over the last 75 years.
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Australia won’t be influenced by ‘lobbying by big pharma’ in US – Butler
Mark Butler was asked about reports that US pharmaceutical companies have been urging Donald Trump to consider Australia’s PBS as an “unfair trade practice” and impose “reciprocal” tariffs.
A new round of US tariffs will take place in April – how would the Australian government respond?
Butler says “we’ll certainly respond by defending the PBS”, and continues:
I call it one of the shining jewels of one of the world’s best healthcare systems. We do not want to go down the path of an American-style user pays system … We’re not going to be influenced by lobbying by big pharma over in the US, about what price people pay for their medicines here in Australia …
I’m not sure we’ve heard anything from the [Trump] administration yet, but we are prepared to make it very clear there is no change.
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Butler says Labor’s medicines pledge ‘really good health policy’
The health minister, Mark Butler, just spoke with ABC Radio National about Labor’s pledge to reduce the price of PBS-listed medicines to no more than $25 a script.
He was asked why the measure would begin from January next year, and not this July? Butler said indexation usually occurs in January, and continued:
We need software arrangements and the like. And the important thing is, we’re delivering cheaper medicines this year. We’ve frozen the price of medicines for this year … Cheaper medicines is not just good for the hip pocket of household budgets, it’s really good health policy, because cheaper scripts are far more likely to be filled.
The cost is $689m a year – how will that be paid? Butler pointed to next week’s budget and said the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, would outline the specifics.
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Greens continue call for dental to be included under Medicare
As Josh Butler reported this morning, a re-elected Labor government would reduce the price of PBS-listed medicines to no more than $25 a script in a major election pledge to be included in next week’s budget.
Greens senator Nick McKim was on the Today show earlier this morning, and welcomed the move – calling for further measures to include dental under Medicare:
People are getting smashed everywhere they go with [the] cost of living, and health is a big, big part of that. The Greens have long been calling for relief to be given for people in health … We would really like to see dental into Medicare. That would have been a great thing for the government to do, and they still could do it in the budget next week. But as far as this announcement goes, it will provide much needed relief to millions of Australians.
He was also asked about a report in the Financial Review saying that treasurer, Jim Chalmers, is set to spend $100bn off budget, and responded:
If people are worried about the expenditure, the way to fix that and balance the budget is to make big corporations and ultra-wealthy billionaires pay their fair share of tax. And then we could do a lot of the good things, like putting dental into Medicare.
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Good morning
And happy Thursday – Emily Wind here, signing on for blogging duties. I’ll be taking you through all of our rolling coverage during most of the day.
You can get in touch with any tips, feedback or questions via email: emily.wind@theguardian.com. Let’s go.
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Australians’ belief in the fair go is waning, says researcher
As mentioned in the intro, we have a long essay today about changing social trends in Australia by the researcher and regular Guardian contributor Rebecca Huntley.
She draws attention to how the idea of fairness and equality appears less important to Australians now than when she first started studying attitudes two decades ago, with concerns about feeling safe and personal freedom ranked more highly.
And the three takeaways are that the belief in the fair go is waning, that someone’s engagement with society is becoming the best lens through which to analyse attitudes, and how gender and generational issues are shaping society. She writes:
I am seeing a shift that has caused me to rethink the way I view Australia; a change in attitude that has profound and far-reaching implications for how Australians think about what politicians are offering.
You can read the full, fascinating article here:
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Greens pledge to 'end homelessness'
The Greens have launched a plan they say would “end homelessness” in Australia, outlining a call for billions in extra funding for accommodation and supported tenancies.
At a launch in Brisbane today, the Greens housing spokesperson, Max Chandler-Mather, will say the policy offers “every single one of the 37,800 people experiencing chronic homelessness across Australia access to a permanent home and wraparound support services, with no strings attached”. He says the Greens would push for such changes if they held a position of power in a potential minority parliament after the election.
The Greens want the federal government to fund 50,000 ongoing supportive tenancies over the next four years, as well as double housing and homelessness funding to state governments. People experiencing homelessness would be given secure housing, as well as wraparound services to manage personal, mental health or substance issues.
The minor party says current schemes leave homeless people in motels or boarding houses with little support. Their alternative plan would see an extra $5.2bn over four years to provide the 50,000 tenancies and build 40 new accommodation buildings (like youth foyers) nationwide, which would include housing and supports.
Doubling support to state governments for their homelessness programs would cost another $7.5bn over four years. The Greens say their policy would be paid for through their plans to increase taxes on big corporations and banks. Chandler-Mather said:
It might sound radical to some politicians, but the solution to homelessness is giving people homes and then providing the support they need to get back on their feet. In a minority parliament the Greens will keep [Peter] Dutton out and push Labor to fund real action on the homelessness and housing crisis.
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Good Life festival is latest to skip 2025 due to costs
Good Life has become the latest music festival to announce that it will not be taking place this year.
The festival, which is aimed at teenagers and takes place across a number of cities, started in 2010 but said that after “careful consideration” it would be paused due to “rising operational and talent costs”.
In a statement, Good Life said:
After careful consideration, we’ve made the difficult decision to pause Good Life in 2025 due to rising operational and talent costs. These challenges have made it unfeasible to deliver the world-class lineup and experience that Australian teens have come to expect.
Since its inception in 2010, Good Life has been more than just a music festival – it’s been a rite of passage for Australian teens. Our mission has always been to provide an affordable, drug- and alcohol-free event where young people can safely immerse themselves in live music and entertainment, fostering real connections in an increasingly digital world.
However, the organisers promised they would be back next year
To our fans, artists, partners, and the wider community – thank you for your unwavering support. This isn’t goodbye. We look forward to returning stronger in 2026.
The announcement follows a number of other high-profile festival cancellations. In January, Groovin the Moo and Splendour in the Grass cancelled their 2025 editions for the second year running.
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Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with some of the top overnight stories before Emily Wind takes the news baton.
In our top story this morning, the former foreign affairs minister Bob Carr tells us that Australia faces a “colossal surrender of sovereignty” if promised US nuclear-powered submarines do not arrive under Australian control. As a report by a group called Australians for War Powers Reform is released today, Carr argues that the US is “utterly not a reliable ally” to Australia.
There’s a lot of politics around this morning with another report saying a re-elected Labor government would reduce the price of PBS-listed medicines to no more than $25 a script in a major election pledge to be included in next week’s budget. At the same time, Peter Dutton faces internal pressure to match Labor’s budget giveaways as Coalition MPs hope to neutralise a potentially potent Labor attack during the campaign. And the Greens launch their housing policy in Brisbane today with a call for billions in extra funding for accommodation and supported tenancies. More coming up.
Dovetailing with this buildup of political stories today, we have a fascinating read by the researcher Rebecca Huntley about social trends and how Australians have lost hope in the concept of the “fair go” and place more value in security and personal freedom. She finds that driving this change is the unaffordability of housing and declining engagement with politics, and has some suggestions about how to fix the problem.
And the Good Life music festival has joined the growing list of festivals to cancel their 2025 editions, as costs escalate. More on that soon.
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