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The Guardian - AU
National
Josh Taylor and Emily Wind (earlier)

NSW nurses and midwives announce strike – as it happened

John Howard Donald Trump Australia Democracy Republican
Nurses and healthcare workers rally outside NSW premier Chris Minns’ office.
Nurses and healthcare workers rally outside NSW premier Chris Minns’ office. Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/AAP

What we learned, Friday 20 September

We’re wrapping up the blog for today. Here’s what made the news:

Updated

[Continued from previous post]

The Minns government’s legislation was also developed in response to an independent review of the state's environmental laws by former top public servant Dr Ken Henry.

While conservation groups are expected to call for the reforms to be even stronger, the inquiry has also heard from developer and industry lobby groups opposed to the reforms.

Earlier in today’s hearing, the policy director of the NSW Minerals Council, Claire Doherty, claimed that development wasn’t the biggest contributor to biodiversity loss. She said:

Development is a very small proportion of the impacts on nature in NSW.

Whether the BOS [Biodiversity Offsets Scheme] is the very highest priority in terms of making changes, I would question that.

Updated

‘Loopholes’ need fixing in NSW’s environment laws that allow developers to ‘offset’ habitat clearing, ecological association says

The vice-president of the New South Wales Ecological Consultants Association, Rebecca Hogan, says the state government’s proposed biodiversity offset reforms should be amended to fix a range of “loopholes”.

A parliamentary inquiry is examining the Minns Labor government’s legislation that would strengthen the state’s environmental laws that allow developers to “offset” habitat clearing.

At a hearing this afternoon, Hogan said:

We’re in support of most of the reforms proposed, but are deeply concerned by the lack of definition around phrases and terms used.

The industry needs clear direction and interpretation guidelines. There are loopholes all over the place.

Biodiversity offsetting usually involves conserving and restoring bushland to compensate for clearing of ecosystems in another area for development.

The environment minister, Penny Sharpe, promised to reform the system after an earlier inquiry found there was too much flexibility for threatened habitat to be “traded away for cash” when offsets should be a genuine last resort.

[Continued in next post]

Updated

Private companies could be banned from running NSW elections

Private companies could be banned from running elections in NSW after reports of three-hour waits to vote at recent council polls, AAP reports.

The state’s premier, Chris Minns, floated the ban on Friday, suggesting he would introduce changes that outlawed the practice as long delays could disfranchise voters and potentially threaten democratic principles.

Two councils – Liverpool and Fairfield – used private companies at local elections on Saturday, while the NSW Electoral Commission ran the remaining polls.

Minns, who claimed the significant delays were only experienced at polling stations run by private contractors, said it “wasn’t good enough”.

It has to be as convenient as possible for a voter to walk into a booth, cast their vote, be part of democracy and get on with their Saturday.

It’s not acceptable to have a three-hour wait just to cast your vote for a local council election and, I think, a lot of people would have thrown their arms up in frustration and left if they weren’t going to get a fine.

But Fairfield council staff disputed the premier’s stance and said voters experienced no delays.

Using a private provider was as simple as comparing the options and picking the one with the best value for taxpayers, a spokesperson told AAP.

Updated

Firefighters battle industrial fire in Sydney’s south-west

Fire and Rescue NSW are battling a large fire at a commercial complex on Kaleski Street in Moorebank in Sydney’s south-west.

More than 100 firefighters and 26 trucks are either on the scene or en route.

Fire and Rescue NSW said:

On arrival, crews were confronted with large volumes of smoke coming from the property and immediately set about tackling the blaze with multiple lines of hose.

Two aerial platforms are also being used to douse the flames from above.

Residents in surrounding buildings have been evacuated and there is a large amount of smoke in the vicinity.

Nearby residents are being urged to stay inside, close windows and doors and avoid the area.

Operations are ongoing.

Updated

Victorian drivers spared on-the-spot traffic fines as police beef up industrial action before AFL grand final

Victoria’s treasurer has urged police to think about the consequence of their actions as officers beef up industrial action ahead of the AFL grand final, AAP reports.

Tim Pallas accused the police union of taking action against the community as a consequence of their own failure to vote for a previous pay offer.

He said:

I would urge police to think a bit sympathetically about the consequence of the actions.

The police association knows full well they reached an agreement in principle with the government, they failed to be able to deliver that agreement through a vote of their membership.

It seems a little perverse that they’re taking action against the community and the community’s interest as a consequence of their own failure.

Pallas flagged the state would seek Fair Work Commission intervention to reconcile differences in the bargaining.

We’re not going to see this as some sort of game in an ongoing negotiation process.

The verbal blast followed 15,000 officers voting to escalate efforts for better pay and working hours, including refusing to hand out on-the-spot traffic fines to drivers from Friday morning.

Updated

Key event

Manhunt under way after inmate escapes Sydney’s Silverwater prison

An inmate has escaped custody at Sydney’s maximum security Silverwater prison, say NSW police.

Gary Glover, 44, was last seen on Jamieson Street, Silverwater, in the city’s south-west, about 1.30pm today. He is described as 170cm tall, Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander in appearance and having a large build, brown eyes, black hair and a tattoo of a flag on the left side of his neck.

He was last seen wearing a green shirt and pants, black boots and a yellow hi-visibility vest.

Police are appealing for information and urged the public not to approach the man but instead call triple zero (000) immediately.

Updated

University antisemitism inquiry risks marginalising ‘other communities who face daily discrimination’, new Muslim group says

A judicial inquiry into antisemitism on campuses risks marginalising Muslim and Palestinian university students concurrently facing a rise in discrimination, Muslim Voices Matter has warned.

A spokesperson for the group Ghaith Krayem told a committee holding a Senate inquiry into the bill that the body fully supported efforts to combat antisemitism “when it genuinely exists”, but questioned the necessity of the legislation.

Muslim Votes Matter is one of the new organisations seeking to mobilise Australian Muslims at the next federal election, describing itself as “the largest, and among the fastest growing, minority groups in Australia”.

Krayem:

What evidence exists to suggest antisemitic incidents at Australian universities are significantly more prevalent or severe than other forms of discrimination such as anti-Muslim or anti-Palestinian racism? We’re not saying it doesn’t exist or it hasn’t increased, we’re asking the community to separate out activism against Israel and its application of Zionism from genuine antisemitism.

Kraymen questioned why the bill didn’t concurrently address a parallel rise in anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian sentiments on campuses. He said conflating criticism of Israel with antisemitism could have a “chilling effect” on campuses and undermine free speech.

By introducing legislation that addresses only one form of racism, we risk further marginalising other communities who face daily discrimination.

Updated

Meet Coles Jetson: Robotic online grocery shopping has arrived

Coles has launched an automated warehouse for grocery delivery in Victoria.

The supermarket chain said the Truganina site was more than 87,000 square metres – four times the size of the Melbourne Cricket Ground – and, when fully operational, would hold 3m units of stock and be able to process more than 10,000 customer orders a day when running at capacity.

Coles said a centralised hub would contain a fleet of more than 700 bots able to fill a customer order containing 50 items in five minutes, using AI air traffic control to guide the bots around a 3D grid. However, Coles staff would pack and deliver the items.

A second site in Wetherill Park, New South Wales, will open next month.

The Coles chief executive, Leah Weckert, said it was the first of its kind in the country:

This transition from a local, store-based fulfillment model to a central, world-class facility will enable us to better serve the greater Melbourne region, home to more than five million people.

Amazon has similar facilities and is planning to launch more automated delivery centres in Australia soon.

Updated

ABS told Labor excluding gender identity questions posed risk to census

The Albanese government was warned that excluding questions on sexual orientation and gender identity from the census could increase feelings of exclusion in the LGBTQ+ community and even risk the success of the data collection exercise, newly released documents reveal.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics raised concerns in ministerial submissions about strong public criticism to scrapping the proposed questions, potential “damage” to relationships with LGBTQ+ expert groups advising on the census and limitations in the quality of data the census collects.

Read more:

Updated

Many thanks for joining me on the blog today, Josh Taylor will be here to take you through the rest of our rolling coverage. Take care, and enjoy your weekend.

Overheated market could burn first-time homebuyers, expert says

One expert says pushing people to enter the “overheated” housing market is a bad idea, AAP reports, with new data finding first-time buyers want to buy property as soon as possible.

A survey from insurance company Helia found 71% of Australians agree “now is a good time” to buy a property, despite cost-of-living stresses and persistent inflation at 3.8%.

Of the 3002 respondents, 1965 were first-timers and most (87%) agreed with the statement they were “feeling a growing sense of urgency to buy [their] first property as prices keep going up”.

Prof Emma Baker, director of the Australian Centre for Housing Research, warned that focusing on home-buying was not in the nation’s best interest.

Should we be encouraging people into an overheated market? No. It’s not fair on them and bringing forward demand in a tight market only contributes to greater unaffordability.

She said young householders seeking to become owners “clearly face more barriers than their parents did”.

House prices have risen consistently for 50 years, moving from three times to around 10 times average income … Many young people will be lifetime renters. Over the last couple of Censuses, Australia has begun to shift … to a nation of home purchasers and renters.

Baker suggested more discussion should focus on how to make rental markets more appealing “rather than obsessing about how to bring more people into home ownership”.

Updated

Prepare to leave warning issued for rural Queensland town amid fast-moving fire

A ‘prepare to leave’ bushfire warning has been issued for Rosenthal Heights, near Warwick, 130km south-west of Brisbane.

The Queensland fire department says a fast-moving fire is burning on the corner of Ford and Kingsleigh roads, travelling towards Inverleigh and Ranger roads.

Conditions could get worse quickly. Firefighters are working to contain the fire. You should not expect a firefighter at your door.

The warning said some properties were at risk and the fire was likely to hit the community in the coming hours. Roads, power, water and mobile phone services may be affected as the fire approaches.

Updated

Greens warn Danish immigration minister to ‘not go down this path’ on asylum policy

Continuing from our last post: Greens immigration spokesperson, David Shoebridge, met Kaare Dybvad Bek and told him, “Very clearly: do not go down this path” and copy the Australian playbook.

Shoebridge told AAP:

A national asylum policy that deliberately harms innocent people who are only seeking protection is a race to the bottom, where you will squander billions in public funds and degrade your collective values.

Australia’s more recent history on asylum seekers should also be a lesson, but in what not to do and how to avoid your politics sinking to a moral low.

The Human Rights Watch Australia director, Daniela Gavshon, also told Dybvad Bek that Australia’s “failed offshore detention regime” on Nauru and Manus Island in Papua New Guinea had caused “immense suffering”.

Vibe Klarup, Amnesty International Denmark’s secretary general, likened Nauru to “an open-air prison” and said, “From a human rights perspective, there are no good lessons learned from the very costly Australian model.”

Updated

Danish immigration minister hails ‘valuable’ Nauru tour

Denmark’s immigration minister says he gained “valuable insights” on a trip to Nauru to study Australia’s controversial offshore asylum seeker processing setup, AAP reports.

Danish immigration minister, Kaare Dybvad Bek, last week travelled more than 13,000km from Copenhagen to the tiny Pacific Island nation of Nauru, which has hosted an Australian-run immigration detention centre on and off since 2001. He told AAP:

I had a prolific trip, which gave me lots of valuable insights and lessons. I learned much about both the pros and the cons of the cooperation between Australia and Nauru.

Dybvad Bek said since 2014 more than 30,000 people have drowned or disappeared on their way to Europe, and the “current situation is deeply inhumane and an insult to humanity.”

The Danish government only wishes to engage in solutions in line with our international obligations and responsibilities, including the European convention on human rights.

We’ll bring you more on this in a moment.

Updated

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for damaging winds about the Snowy Mountains from tomorrow morning.

Damaging winds around 60-70km/h, with peak gusts above 90km/h, are possible over elevations above 1000m of parts of the Snowy Mountains from early tomorrow.

This will follow the passage of a cold front across Victoria. Winds are expected to ease by early Saturday afternoon, the Bureau said.

Locations which may be affected include Jindabyne, Perisher Valley, Charlotte Pass, Thredbo and Adaminaby.

Union asked if rejecting 3% offer would give it less leverage in negotiations

Over four months of negotiations, Shaye Candish said the union wasn’t able to resolve “even the most simple claims” such as whether nurses should be entitled to have two days off in a row.

However, two small no-cost claims have been settled, in relation to having notice boards in tea rooms and nurses not working night shifts before they go on leave.

In response to a question suggesting that rejecting the 3% offer would give the union less leverage in negotiations, Caddish said “we would never stand in the way of our members receiving an increase to their pay”.

But the reality for us is that members have already rejected this offer, and 3% doesn’t go nearly far enough.

Low wages were undermining their ability to deliver high quality care, Shaye Candish added, and leaving nurses and midwives feeling undervalued.

NSW midwives are moving to states like Victoria and Queensland, where wages are between 10 and 22% higher, she said.

Unfortunately they’re in a position where they’re forced to take this action to the government to the table and offer something meaningful.

It’s not acceptable for the state government to continue turning a blind eye to the pay inequity that is seriously undermining this state’s largest female-dominated workforce. We now have the lowest paid nurses and midwives in the country.

NSW Nurses and Midwives Association says members ‘furious’ amid pay negotiations

NSW nurses and midwives will strike for 24 hours next Tuesday, after the government has given “no indication they intend to move” on their initial offer of an annual pay rise of 3%.

NSW health minister, Ryan Park, this morning said the 3% pay rise was conditional on no further industrial action.

NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA) general secretary, Shaye Candish, said the government’s offer of a 3% increase was “already rejected” by NSWNMA members, who have called for a wage increase of 15%.

The union has “genuinely tried to avert this action, but the government has simply failed to demonstrate a willingness to move”, she said.

Our members are furious … it’s a really difficult decision for a nurse or midwife to decide to go on strike.

Updated

Nuclear cannot deliver in timeframe needed for climate and energy security, independent MP says

Independent MP for Wentworth, Allegra Spender, says that nuclear power cannot deliver results in the timeframe needed for “climate and for energy security”.

In a series of tweets, she responded to reports that the Coalition’s plan for seven nuclear power plants could lift power bills for average households by $665 a year:

Spender said:

The next 10 years is what counts for climate and for energy security, and nuclear simply cannot deliver in that timeframe.

This is not about being “pro” or “anti” particular technologies. It’s about basing energy policy on the facts. We’re already at ~40% renewables. We need to accelerate action on what we know works, rather than causing huge investment uncertainty by ripping up AEMO’s plan.

We can remain open to the possibility that new technologies may develop on future, but that doesn’t mean we should bet the house on them and ignore the evidence of what works today.

Updated

Taking questions, James Johnson said the Socceroos have a match in less than three weeks – which is why they’re looking to appoint a new, permanent coach, rather than an interim one.

We will look locally and globally. But ultimately, we need a coach that will come in and get the best out of an Australian group of players and take our great players through a complicated Asian qualifying process.

FA hopes to appoint new Socceroos coach ‘in the coming days’

James Johnson said Football Australia was already searching for a new coach:

We know the market, we know who is available, and I want to confirm that we will move quickly to appoint a permanent coach before the next window. And hopefully, in the coming days or next week or two, we would like to convene you here with us so we can share the news of who the new Socceroos coach will be.

Updated

James Johnson from Football Australia has been speaking to reporters, following news that Socceroos head coach Graham Arnold has resigned.

Johnson said the resignation transpired “very quickly”, off the back of the last match in the qualifiers against Indonesia.

I want to say very clearly that we appreciate Graham Arnold… [He] has been a key person within the Subway Socceroos set-up for the past six years, and under his leadership, there have been many outstanding achievements that have been made by the Subway Socceroos…

He’s had an outstanding playing career and he’s done a lot for Australian football. So we wish Graham Arnold, we wish his family, all the very best in the future and on behalf of the Football Australia board, I do want to thank Graham, personally, for all of the work that he’s done over the past six years.

Aussie shares hit all-time high for fourth straight day

The local share market has hit a record high for a fourth straight session and is on track for its seventh straight day of gains, AAP reports.

At noon the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was up 36.4 points, or 0.44%, to 8,228.3, and had been as high as 8,246.2. For the week it was on track for a 1.5% gain, its best week in five weeks. The broader All Ordinaries was up 41 points, or 0.49%, to 8,458.0.

Every sector of the ASX was higher at midday, with tech the biggest gainer, up 1.2% as Technology One grew 2.2% to an all-time high of $24.02 and Life360 rose 5.4% to a 10-day high of $18.13.

In the heavyweight mining sector, goldminers were gaining as the precious metal changed hands just below its all-time high of $2,600 set Wednesday.

Northern Star was up 1.0%, Evolution had added 0.9% and West African Resources had grown 2.7%. Elsewhere in the sector, BHP and Fortescue were both up 0.6%, while Rio Tinto had edged 0.1% higher.

The big four banks were mixed, with ANZ up 0.7% and Westpac adding 0.2%, while CBA and NAB were both down 0.1%.

Insurance companies IAG and Suncorp had dropped 0.6 and 1.4%, respectively, while Computershare had dropped 2.8%. Lower interest rates tend to hurt the bottom lines of all three companies, which need to have billions stashed in short-term investments.

Myer was down 5.1% to a nine-day low of 83c after the department store chain reported a 26% drop in full-year profit.

University of Sydney ‘did not always meet expectations of Jewish community’: vice-chancellor

The vice-chancellor of the University of Sydney, Prof Mark Scott, has apologised to students and staff who provided testimonies of antisemitism on his campus, acknowledging his institution “did not always meet the expectations of the Jewish community”.

Speaking at a Senate inquiry into antisemitism, where the Committee heard the University of Sydney was one of the “worst places” to be a Jewish student, he said he had “never encountered an issue that’s generated more anguish or grief or anger” as the events of, and after, 7 October:

I’ve read the complaints that have been made to the university and all those shared in submissions to this inquiry … and the testimonials are heartbreaking and unacceptable and for that I am sorry. No one should feel at risk, unsafe or unwelcome at any place of learning.

Scott said the establishment of a pro-Palestine encampment at his university in March – the first in Australia – presented a “difficult period for the university, its students and staff”. He said management was meeting daily in a “complex, fast moving environment” to navigate campus safety.

I recognise we did not always meet the expectations of the Jewish community. I regret we did not communicate the agreement to end the encampment with the Jewish community before it was announced. I realise there is a lot of work to do to win back the trust and confidence of the university’s Jewish community and I’m committed to doing that.

Updated

It’s a Friday afternoon, which can only mean one thing: it’s time to get stuck into the latest Weekly Beast from Amanda Meade:

The Bureau of Meteorology has published a weather outlook for the weekend ahead, with rain set to affect the north-west:

Updated

Australia needs ‘strong, decisive’ response to deaths in custody: Senator Thorpe

Yesterday, independent senator Lidia Thorpe’s motion for the attorney general to provide quarterly reports on deaths in custody passed the Senate.

It passed with the support of all non-government senators. The quarterly statements will detail, by state and territory, the number of:

  • Deaths in custody, including breakdown by age groups and cause of death

  • Ongoing coronial inquests;

  • Incidents of self-harm in custodial settings; and

  • Miscarriages and stillbirths in custodial settings.

In a statement today, Thorpe said Australia needs “a strong, decisive federal response and nation leadership on these critical issues”.

Yesterday Labor senators were alone in opposing this motion. The entire crossbench and the Coalition are united on this. We want to see the federal government finally start taking responsibility for what is happening in this country’s criminal legal system.

Labor will make the excuse that these are just ‘state issues’, but we should not accept this weak cop-out. The attorney-general meets regularly with the states and territories, he can and should require them to provide this data.

  • Lifeline (13 11 14), 13YARN (13 92 76)

Updated

Further Cook Strait ferry drama in New Zealand

A ferry containing 88 passengers and crew lost power and drifted for two hours in New Zealand’s notoriously dangerous Cook Strait, AAP reports.

In the latest drama to hit ferry sailings between the North and South islands, the Connemara was tugged back to Wellington early on Friday morning after the mishap.

Wellington harbourmaster Grant Nalder told Radio NZ the ferry, run by private operators Bluebridge, lost power about 10.30pm as it was sailing off the south coast of Wellington, bound for Picton.

The incident occurred in thankfully light winds, and the Connemara was drifting south-east, away from land.

The NZ transport minister, Simeon Brown, called the power outage an “unfortunate incident” that would prompt the Connemara’s grounding, and told Radio NZ:

The vessel won’t be allowed to go back into service until [Maritime New Zealand] has investigated and is assured that it is safe for it to do so.

Bluebridge said 24 passengers, 13 freight drivers and crew were on board the overnight freight sailing, which returned to its Wellington wharf at sunrise.

Updated

Candidates for abolished seat of Higgins target Senate ‘job share’

Two Melbourne women who were planning to run for the now-abolished seat of Higgins on a job-sharing basis now say they will run for a Senate spot.

Lucy Bradlow, a political communications expert, and Bronwen Bock, an investment banker, announced in April they planned to run for federal parliament as independent “job-sharing candidates” for the Melbourne metropolitan seat. If they were successful, they planned to share a laptop, as well as split official duties and travel to Canberra on alternate weeks.

The Australian Electoral Commission has since abolished Higgins in its redistribution prior to the next federal election. And the pair said in a Facebook post on Friday they now plan to run for the Senate – as a single senator:

Higgins no longer exists, but our belief remains. We believe Australians deserve real representation, real action, and a government that works for its constituents. That’s why today, we are launching the Better Together Party – our campaign to be the independent job-sharing Senator for Victoria. We want to give Victorians a real voice in the federal Senate. We stand for a new era of politics, where collaboration and inclusivity drive innovative policies and meaningful change for all Australians.

But we can’t do it alone. We need you to join us on our journey. If you’re registered to vote ANYWHERE in Australia, you can be part of the Better Together Party and have a voice in our future. It’s easy and free to sign up. Visit our website TODAY to join us and learn more about our policies and values.

Updated

Consumer advocate says insurance sector faces ‘market failure’

A consumer advocacy group has told a parliamentary inquiry the insurance sector has suffered a “market failure”, with fast-rising home premiums leaving families exposed.

Tyrone Shandiman, founder of the Australian Consumers Insurance Lobby, cited the example of a pensioner in Townsville, in Queensland’s north, paying 40% of her pension for home insurance. Shandiman said:

We believe in the first instance insurers should have the opportunity to deal with problems within this market, but we do not support market failure, and the market is failing.

We believe that when the insurance market is not meeting the needs for consumers, governments must intervene.

Australia is grappling with an insurance crisis, leaving many households either unwilling or unable to insure their homes, with those in and around areas prone to natural disasters the most affected.

Shandiman said that high premiums were forcing people to under-insure or drop insurance altogether, which meant they required government assistance when things went wrong.

The Greens-chaired select committee on the impact of climate risk on insurance is holding a public hearing in Sydney today.

Updated

Sydney rail chaos averted as free fares get union tick

Earlier, we brought you news that Sydney’s business community was pleading with rail workers to call off industrial action, ahead of meetings to confirm free-travel arrangements for this weekend’s footy finals. You can read all the details earlier in the blog here.

As AAP now reports, Unions NSW assistant secretary and lead negotiator, Thomas Costa, said trains could run as needed while the free-travel offer was in place. He told ABC Radio:

If you’re offering free fares over the weekend, we’re happy to run the trains as normal. Whether the trains run as normal or not will be up for management and their ability to manage the timetables.

The rail union’s opposition to the conversion of a stretch of the Bankstown line to metro train is running in parallel to an enterprise agreement claim for a 32% pay rise over four years and a 35-hour work week.

Transport for NSW secretary, Josh Murray, said there would still be interruptions over the weekend as officials worked through last-minute schedule changes:

We’re putting those special event services into the timetable and we’ll provide more information about what the regularity of those will be because it’s last minute.

Updated

NSW nurses and midwives to strike next week

The NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association says members will strike for 24 hours next week, as pay negotiations continue with the state government.

Thousands of nurses and midwives will strike from the start of morning shift next Tuesday. The union says the Minns government failed to demonstrate a willingness to negotiate in good faith by close of business yesterday.

Earlier this morning, NSW health minister, Ryan Park, said the government accepted to pay nurses an interim 3% increase, back-paid to 1 July this year, contingent on the industrial action ceasing.

NSWNMA general secretary, Shaye Candish, said in a statement:

We have genuinely tried to avert this action, but the government has simply failed to demonstrate a willingness to move.

Our members are desperate to provide the safe level of care NSW patients need when seeking treatment inside public hospitals, but instead of their skilled work being remunerated accordingly, their employer believes a baseline 3% pay offer is enough.

It’s not acceptable for the state government to continue turning a blind eye to the pay inequity that is seriously undermining this state’s largest female-dominated workforce. We now have the lowest paid nurses and midwives in the country.

Updated

Jewish council calls for inquiry into all kinds of racism on university campuses

A judicial inquiry into antisemitism on campuses risks silencing Palestinian voices and stoking a culture war, the Jewish Council of Australia has warned.

Sarah Schwartz, executive officer of the Jewish Council of Australia and an academic at the University of Melbourne, has told a Senate inquiry into the proposed bill that it risked increasing antisemitism by conflating Judaism with the state of Israel.

We have never been more visible. Our identities and communities are constantly platformed, written about in the media and weaponised by politicians to justify support for a nation state accused of genocide.

Such an inquiry risks pitting racialised groups against each other. An inquiry into antisemitism alone places it in a category separate to other forms of racism, thus creating a perception of a hierarchy of racism which we say will only generate division between Jewish and other racialised groups.

Instead, she said the body would support an inquiry into all kinds of racism on university campuses – including Islamophobia and racism towards Indigenous Australians, as was recommended in the Australian Universities Accord.

The Senate inquiry into the proposed bill has received more than 600 submissions, including from students who have expressed fear of attending campus due to rising antisemitism.

However others, including the Loud Jew Collective, warned the proposed commission of inquiry was being proposed “not to combat antisemitism but rather to exceptionalise Jews and to demonise Palestinians and their supporters”.

Updated

NT teachers to be highest paid in country under new deal, education minister says

The NT’s education minister, Jo Hersey, says teachers in the territory will become the highest paid in Australia under a new pay deal.

In a statement, she said more than 90% of teachers voted in support of the Territory government’s pay offer of a 12.9% pay increase over three years.

The Territory must be competitive if we are going to attract and retain excellent teachers and this deal delivers the country’s best pay deal.

Other benefits include a $1,000 increase in the Katherine and Alice Springs attraction and retention allowance, she said, which is now worth $4,500 a year.

Over the life of the agreement, the increase represents a 13.46% compounded pay rise.

The commissioner for public employment will lodge the agreement with the Fair Work Commission for approval, and until then, the current enterprise agreement continues to apply.

Updated

Man in critical condition after alleged shooting in rural NSW

An investigation is under way after a 46-year-old man was shot in the abdomen at a rural property in New South Wales.

Officers were called to the Hillston property, 100km north-west of Griffith, about 2.30am and were told the man and two women – 31 and 56 – were in the home when three people allegedly entered, one armed with a firearm.

Police allege the resident was shot twice before the alleged intruders left.

The man was treated by paramedics and taken to Griffith hospital, and has since been airlifted to a major metropolitan hospital in a critical condition with life-threatening injuries.

Inquiries are now under way, police said.

Updated

Graham Arnold to depart immediately as Socceroos head coach

Football Australia has released a statement, confirming Graham Arnold will depart immediately as head coach of the Socceroos.

FA said Arnold advised them of his decision to resign earlier this week.

Arnold has served as the head coach since August 2018, marking his second term with the team after a brief interim role in 2006-2007.

James Johnson, CEO of Football Australia, said:

While we respect his decision and are saddened to see Graham leave the national team set-up, this scenario is not uncommon in international football. We will act swiftly in appointing a new head coach to ensure continuity and stability, particularly as we approach the crucial second window of the AFC Asian Qualifiers next month.

Arnold said that “leading the Subway Socceroos has been the pinnacle of my career and a true honour”.

I’ve given 40 years of service to Australian football, with the last six years in my role as Socceroos’ head coach. I said after our game against Indonesia that I had some decisions to make, and after deep reflection, my gut has told me it’s time for change, both for myself and the program.

Updated

Sydney academics concerned policy requiring permission for megaphones and posters on campus may be illegal

More than 50 academics at the University of Sydney’s Law School have signed an open letter expressing concerns a new campus policy which requires explicit permission for megaphones to be used or posters to be put up on campus may be illegal.

The letter, delivered to the chancellor, vice-chancellor and Senate on Friday, said the policy “unreasonably limits” the right to free protest on campus and was introduced without consultation, breaching the university’s own policies and inconsistent with Australia’s obligations under international law.

The policy breaks with a proud history and tradition of protest at the University of Sydney. It disproportionately curtails the freedoms of expression, assembly and movement that have long been enjoyed responsibly by the staff, students and the general public at the university.

A spokesperson for the University of Sydney said it always welcomed feedback and appreciated the “time and consideration” colleagues had taken to share their views about its new policy, adding they planned to review it before the end of the year, with formal submissions encouraged.

We updated the policy to ensure we are striking the appropriate balance between protecting freedom of speech and academic freedom, while making sure our campuses are safe and welcoming for all our students and staff, and our core operations can take place without disruption.

It comes as the university is under fire on Friday at a Senate inquiry on antisemitism on campus. The Zionist Federation of Australia president, Jeremy Leibler, told the inquiry the vice-chancellor’s engagement with Jewish and Israeli students was “extremely sub-standard”.

That provided anti-Israel protesters with a powerful lesson and a disturbing lesson.

Updated

The PM was asked why he doesn’t go to New York for the UN next week, which he hasn’t attended since taking office?

Anthony Albanese said he was coming to the US just for the Quad and had “been to the overseas meetings that I have to go to.”

He listed upcoming meetings he would be attending, including the G20, Chogm – and hosting King Charles and Queen Camilla during their visit – plus the Asean and East Asia summit in Laos.

I have prioritised the visits that I have to make and I know I get criticised for not doing more international travel. The irony of that, when compared with some of the coverage of when I do travel, is not lost.

Asked if he didn’t view the UN as important, he said “of course it is, but Penny Wong, our foreign minister, will be attending.”

Also asked if he would be meeting with Donald Trump, Albanese said “I am meeting the president of the United States. It is Joe Biden and I will meet with him.”

Updated

Albanese says alleged Indian spying will ‘no doubt’ be raised with Modi at Quad meeting in US

Anthony Albanese was asked if he had the chance to speak with Narendra Modi since the announcement Australia expelled two Indian spies in 2020.

The PM was asked, what will you be saying to him to get an ally, a friend, to cease and desist from that kind of spying on Australian soil? He responded:

What I do is act diplomatically and have those discussions, and that will no doubt be something that is raised…

I spoke with prime minister Modi a couple of weeks ago in August … after his re-election and congratulated him… I raise issues privately [which is] how we deal with things diplomatically, and I’ll continue to do so.

Updated

PM responds to release of footage showing interaction between Chinese and Australian aircrafts in 2022

The White House has said China would be high on the agenda during Quad discussions.

The PM was asked if he agrees with this, and if the release of footage showing an interaction between a Chinese aircraft and an Australian aircraft was “perhaps some sort of preemptive warning to Australia about Chinese strength?”

Anthony Albanese responded:

We know that in our region there is strategic competition, and of course that is a factor when we look at the way that our region is operating, the relations between the rise of China with nations in our region.

But that is not the only focus of course. This is a focus on our four nations, the security and stability that democracies can provide and we want to, with regard to China, my position is very clear. It is that we will cooperate when we can, we will disagree where we must, but we will engage in our national interest.

And that is something that has led to an improvement in the relationships with China, and that does not mean there aren’t differences there, there are. We talk about them and we discuss them in appropriate forms and we discuss them very directly.

Anthony Albanese was asked if he is concerned Donald Trump would walk away from the Quad alliance, if elected in November.

The PM said he was not concerned, because “this is a relationship between our two great nations forged during World War II”.

Ever since then, we have relied upon our friends in the United States and they have been able to rely upon us as well.

Updated

PM arrives in Philadelphia for Quad leaders meeting

Anthony Albanese has arrived in Philadelphia, US, ahead of the Quad leaders meeting, and has been speaking to reporters.

The prime minister said the Quad meeting provides “an opportunity to talk directly to the leaders of the United States in president [Joe] Biden, my friend prime minister [Narendra] Modi from India and my friend the prime minister [Fumio Kishida] of Japan.”

We will be discussing ways in which we can provide further support in the region, to developing nations, including the action that we are taking together on climate change and supporting their energy security…

As I said in my Shangri-La dialogue address last year in Singapore, peace and security do not just happen, you have to work on it. You’ve got to work for stability and that is what the Quad focus will be over the next couple of days.

Updated

Qantas says teams working to get footy fans to Sydney for the game

Qantas has just issued a statement following this morning’s cancelled flight from Adelaide to Sydney. A spokesperson said:

We understand this disruption is frustrating and apologise to passengers the inconvenience.

Our teams have worked hard to get footy fans on their way as soon as possible and all customers impacted are due to arrive into Sydney in time for the game.

It’s understood the QF734 flight was cancelled due to an engineering issue, and customers have been reaccommodated onto the earliest possible services – with the latest customers arriving to Sydney by 6.45pm.

More on the flights from Adelaide to Sydney, ahead of tonight’s game:

A search of the next flights available with Qantas shows customers may have to spend thousands to get a seat on board, after the 10am flight was cancelled.

An 11.25am flight from Adelaide to Sydney, via Canberra, was listed from $2,207 about 10.50am.

Meanwhile a midday flight from Adelaide to Melbourne, then Melbourne to Sydney via Jetstar, was listed for $1,329.

Adelaide-Sydney flight cancelled ahead of tonight’s AFL

A Qantas flight from Adelaide to Sydney has been cancelled at the last minute, ahead of Port Adelaide’s preliminary final against the Swans at the SCG.

Flight QF734 from Adelaide to Sydney, set to depart at 10am, has been cancelled. Some people reportedly paid over $900 for a seat on board.

Another Qantas flight from Adelaide to Sydney is scheduled for 11am, while a Virgin flight is scheduled for 11.25am and a Jetstar flight at midday.

An Adelaide Airport spokesperson said it is unsure of the reason for the cancellation and had contacted Qantas for more information.

We have also reached out to Qantas for comment, and will bring you the latest when we can.

Updated

As we flagged just earlier, a commemorative service has been taking place in Canberra to mark 25 years since Australian troops were first deployed to Timor-Leste.

Some photos have begun filtering through from the service:

Updated

Graham Arnold is to step down as Socceroos manager before Australia’s next World Cup qualifier in October, AAP reports.

Sources familiar with negotiations told AAP that Arnold has been in dialogue with Football Australia this week, ironing out an exit strategy from a role he has held since 2018.

Arnold’s departure comes after the Socceroos picked up just one point from a possible six in their opening two games of third round World Cup qualifying.

Australia fell to Bahrain earlier this month and then were held scoreless in a 0-0 draw with Indonesia.

FA declined to comment when contacted by AAP.

Updated

Australia marks 25th anniversary of East Timor service

Today marks 25 years since Australian troops were first deployed to Timor-Leste.

Around 5,500 Australian service personnel were sent in 1999, the largest deployment of Australian troops since the Vietnam War, after the Timorese voted for independence from Indonesia in 1999.

The minister for defence personnel, Matt Keogh, said in a statement:

We pay tribute to the six Australians who tragically lost their lives while deployed, or as a result of their service. We also recognise the remarkable resilience of the Timorese people and the enduring friendship between our two nations.

We are grateful to the many Australians who served in Timor-Leste who have regularly returned over these 25 years, strengthening the bonds and productivity of local communities.

As commemorative services are held all over Australia, we thank all who served and continue to serve to this day.

A commemorative service has been taking place at the Australian Peacekeeping Memorial on Anzac Parade in Canberra, where Keogh is delivering an address. We’ll bring you more from this, and photos from the service, as they filter through.

Updated

Advocates fear government’s support at home provisions based on misleading data

Advocates for older people have expressed fears that the federal government’s support at home provisions in its new aged care bill are based on misleading data, in the wake of a report today from Anglicare.

Anglicare Australia surveyed home and community care providers servicing 28,000 older people. All those providers reported being unable to meet the demand for at-home services under the commonwealth home support programme within their community.

Describing the current funding model as “restrictive and rationed”, the report also noted, as Guardian Australia has previously reported, that the government’s published wait times for the more substantial home care packages do not include the time it takes for a person to be assessed or reassessed. Current wait times exceed 15 months for some packages.

You can read more about the way the home care funding model currently works and why older people and their advocates have been pushing so hard for the new model here:

In announcing the new aged care act last week, the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said the new model would reduce wait times for in-home care, with a target of a three-month wait by July 2027.

Corey Irlam, acting chief executive of older person’s advocacy organisation Cota, said that benchmark needed to include all aspects of the waiting process, including the wait for assessment.

We’re not talking about a difference of a week here and there – we’re talking about many, many months of an older person’s life. With reports of around 10,000 people dying a year on the waitlist, sadly that’s often time people don’t have.

Not only will we be pushing the government to ensure it’s not fudging the figures on how long people are actually waiting for care, but we’ll also be calling on the Parliament to ensure the new Aged Care Act has a legal requirement for Government to publish a full waitlist report making the entire waiting journey transparent from application until your aged care services commence.

Updated

Myer profit falls as brands underperform

Department store chain Myer has suffered a steep fall in full-year profit, with the result weighed down by weak sales in underperforming brands Sass & Bide, Marcs and David Lawrence.

Myer posted a $52.6m net profit result for 2023-24, according to results released today, down 26% from a year earlier. Sales also fell, dragged lower by store closures.

The company attributed the fall in profit to challenging trading conditions, inflationary cost pressures and underperformance of various fashion labels.

Myer’s executive chair, Olivia Wirth, said:

Today’s result reflects the challenging macroeconomic environment for Australian retailers.

The recent earnings season showed that consumers were reducing their spending on many discretionary items, with furniture and clothing retailers among the most affected.

Myer disclosed that about half of its decline in net profit was attributable to the underperformance of brands Sass & Bide, Marcs and David Lawrence.

The NSW government says it will accept a recommendation put forward by the Industrial Relations Commission as pay negotiations continue with the Nurses and Midwives’ Association.

Nurses and midwives walked off the job across the state for 12 hours earlier this month, after demands for a 15% pay rise this year were rebuffed.

In a statement this morning, NSW health minister Ryan Park said the IRC had recommended both parties enter four weeks of intensive discussions.

The IRC recommends NSW Health pay nurses an interim 3% increase, back-paid to 1 July this year, contingent on the industrial action ceasing. Park said:

The Government will accept this, and has notified the Association of its intention to do so, on the basis the Association also agrees to the recommendation.

Park said this is “an opportunity for nurses to receive increased pay and patients to continue to receive care while the broader dispute is in the process of being resolved by the parties.”

Lithium-ion batteries ‘fastest growing fire risk’ in NSW, says Fire and Rescue

Fire and Rescue NSW says that lithium-ion batteries are the “fastest growing fire risk” in the state.

Since 1 January this year, FRNSW says it has attended more than 210 lithium-ion battery fires where people were injured and property severely damaged, with two fatalities.

This comes as the firefighting agency says it recorded 12 preventable residential fire deaths across NSW this winter – an increase of four on last year’s fatality rate.

There were 1,001 residential fires and 105 people injured this winter according to FRNSW, who released the following data:

  • In 422 cases, fires broke out in kitchens, 95 in the bedroom, 79 in lounge rooms and 51 in chimneys.

  • The leading cause of residential fires was human activity (494) followed by arson (138), undetermined causes (123), electrical faults (77) and overheating (40).

FRNSW commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell said the statistics reinforce the importance of having a working smoke alarm:

In almost half of all fires we attend each winter, there is no smoke alarm or it is not in working order. These figures are very sobering and should be a wake-up call for people to take home fire safety seriously.

Updated

Senior constable charged with allegedly supplying prohibited drugs

A police officer has been charged with allegedly supplying prohibited drugs in southern New South Wales, police said in a statement.

Following extensive inquiries, a search warrant was executed at a home in Wagga Wagga yesterday where a number of items were seized for forensic examination.

A 36-year-old male senior constable – attached to a command within the southern region – was arrested and taken to Wagga Wagga police station. He was charged with three counts of supplying prohibited drugs and knowingly dealing in proceeds of crime.

The man was granted conditional bail to appear before Wagga Wagga local court on 13 November. The man is suspended with pay and his employment status is under review.

Jewish students being singled out, spat on and ‘fearing for their safety’, inquiry told

Jewish students are being singled out, spat on, removing identifiable symbols and “fearing for their safety”, a Senate inquiry has heard.

President of the Australasian Union of Jewish Students (AUJS), Noah Loven, told the inquiry into antisemitism on campuses that the current situation was “untenable”.

We are in a crisis and this crisis has gone on for far too long. Some have stepped up but others have allowed this hate to fester … letting Jewish students fend for themselves.

Loven said not all criticism of Israel was antisemitic but “some undeniably crosses the line”.

We fully support the right to protest but when protests glorify violence against Jews, insult or harass them, deface campuses with swastikas, it crosses a line.

Assoc Prof Efrat Eilam, from the Australian Academic Alliance against Antisemitism, said staff and students were being subjugated to a “Jewish cancel culture”.

The two bodies have backed a judicial inquiry, with the AUJS noting the situation had become “politicised” and a unified response was necessary to draw a line.

The inquiry has received more than 600 submissions, with some Jewish community members citing antisemitism and others noting heightened levels of Islamophobia and expressing concern over conflation with antisemitism and criticism of Israel.

Updated

University of Sydney one of 'worst places' to be Jewish student, Senate inquiry told

The University of Sydney is one of the “worst places” to be a Jewish student, a Senate inquiry has heard.

Asked about management’s response to an ongoing pro-Palestine encampment, national vice-president of the Australasian Union of Jewish Students, Zachary Morris, said the university was “one of the worst places” to be a Jewish student, adding the vice-chancellor had “failed his students”.

We have tried repeatedly to engage, after the first meeting his chief of staff had to apologise for his behaviour as soon as he left the office … The issue is no longer with what is happening with students, the issue is with how the administration has responded.

If it was just about flags we wouldn’t be here … there’s a marked reduction in attendance.

Morris cited graffiti of swastikas in a tunnel left for two weeks, students being filmed and receiving death threats and academics “terrified to leave their offices”. In June, the university instructed protestors to disband their encampment, and have since enacted a strict Campus Access Policy requiring additional approval for some protests.

Jewish groups and vice-chancellors will be among those to appear at the Senate inquiry today into shadow education minister Sarah Henderson’s private senator’s bill to establish a judicial inquiry into antisemitism on campuses.

Henderson said there had been a “failure of leadership” from vice-chancellors who had allowed “hate and incitement to run rampant over many months”.

Updated

Here’s a look at today’s weather forecasts across the country, thanks to the Bureau of Meteorology:

Portable wi-fi stations to support disaster-hit communities in NSW

The NSW government is rolling out portable tech to deliver back-up internet connectivity during natural disasters, AAP reports, so communities and emergency responders can stay connected.

The technology includes trailer-mounted, solar-powered satellite internet stations that can provide wi-fi coverage to a roughly 500 metre radius. There are four portable connectivity units on the way that can be combined to cover a larger area.

The units will also be available in Service NSW disaster recovery centres, alongside a satellite-equipped vehicle so the agency can set up temporary offices with internet access.

The supplied connectivity will also be handy for contacting family members, applying for government support and lodging insurance claims after disaster events.

The government is investing about $5m in the new technology, which will be delivered this summer.

Updated

Rishworth questioned on calls for total ban on gambling advertising

Moving to calls for a total ban on gambling advertising, Amanda Rishworth was asked why the government won’t accept this recommendation.

She said the government has “introduced bet stop [and] activity statements”, so are “looking at the evidence of what actually makes a difference”.

Now, when it comes to the late Peta Murphy’s report, we’re of course working through those recommendations. 21 of those recommendations have really significant interactions or require co-governance with states and territories, and I’m working with my state and territory colleagues about how we progress many of these recommendations.

So, this is a joint effort. But to suggest we haven’t been doing anything is just not right. We have taken the most significant action.

What about comments from health experts that banning gambling ads would go further to tackle the scourge of problem gambling and help families? Rishworth said “we’re looking at that recommendation very closely” and repeated that she was working with state and territory colleagues.

Asked when a decision on this is expected, she repeated a similar answer:

We’re working through all the issues. I continue to talk with my state and territory colleagues, and we’ll keep working on this.

Updated

Rishworth defends jobseeker increase

Asked if the government should do more to increase JobSeeker – going up roughly a dollar to $56 a day, still well below the Henderson poverty line – Amanda Rishworth said:

In terms of those on the lowest incomes, we’re very focused on supporting those people. Many people on JobSeeker will also get Commonwealth rent assistance. They will also benefit from our freeze to medicines, will benefit two years in a row from our $300 discount on energy bills.

So, these are a suite of measures. We’ll always look at where we can better support people. Part of that is making sure that we do every budget look at what we can budget for. At the same time as making sure we’re not adding to the inflation challenge. That’s the balance we’re doing.

Updated

Amanda Rishworth questioned on increase to rent assistance

The minister for social services, Amanda Rishworth, was also on ABC News Breakfast to discuss the increase to jobseeker and rent assistance from today.

She was asked about those comments from Dr Cassandra Goldie (see earlier posts) that while extra money is welcome for people receiving government payments, rent increases for a single person is only $1.64 a day.

Is that enough? Rishworth responded:

Obviously it’s a 12% increase in the support of rent assistance on those maximum rates. But since we’ve had come to government, people have had $2,000 on average extra in rent assistance for those receiving commonwealth rent assistance.

The minister said this “helped to drive down rents across the board” and is “not the only measure”.

Updated

Free weekend trains in Sydney in bid to support football finals amid industrial action

Sydney’s business community is pleading with rail workers to call off industrial action ahead of meetings to confirm travel arrangements for this weekend’s footy finals, AAP reports.

The Rail, Tram and Bus Union failed to reach a breakthrough in emergency talks with the NSW government and threatened to not provide the extra services needed for a marquee weekend of sport.

In Sydney there are NRL and AFL finals – including the Swans’ sold-out game against Port Adelaide at the SCG – and the Bledisloe Cup rugby union fixture.

The state’s transport minister Jo Haylen says trains will be free on the weekend, a concession to the union hoped to allow for timetable changes so special event services can run. She told ABC Radio today:

One of the bans that the union has put in place is around altering the timetable, so that means no ability for Sydney Trains to run those special event services.

[The union and Sydney Trains] are meeting now and we’re hopeful that given we have opened the gates … that we will be able to insert those special event services to get people out to Sydney Olympic Park.

Updated

Acoss wants jobseeker lifted to same rate as pension

Q: I know you’ve been pressuring the government on the jobseeker front for many years now. What ideally would you like to see the figure increased to, per week?

Acoss CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie said:

We have consistently said that payment needs to go up to the same rate as the pension, so it would go from $56 per day now to $82 per day.

This is a modest increase. It was recommended that we get a substantial increase to jobseeker … repeatedly by the independent Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee which was created by the Labor government.

Very generous tax cuts were delivered for people on higher incomes, and here we are today with again a couple of dollars extra for people who are on the pension and jobseeker – just $1 extra per day to cover very serious increases in costs.

Updated

Jobseeker’s $1 a day increase ‘nowhere near what it needs to be’, Acoss CEO says

The chief executive of the Australian Council of Social Service, Dr Cassandra Goldie, spoke with ABC News Breakfast earlier as the government’s promised 10% increase to commonwealth rent assistance begins today.

Goldie said that jobseeker payments will go from $55 per day to $56 per day, and for single pensioners it will go from $80 per day to $82 per day. The commonwealth rent assistance would go from $94 per week to $105 per week, she added.

I think people can see that every dollar does make a difference, but these are not big dollars – and these are coming off the back of poverty payments already.

Jobseeker is nowhere near what it needs to be as the unemployment payment to help people out there trying to cover those big rent increases, those ongoing increases in food prices and of course, medicines and other essentials.

Updated

Shorten skirts question on whether Donald Trump is compatible with democracy

As the wide-ranging interview wrapped up, Bill Shorten was also asked about comments from former PM John Howard that Donald Trump is “not compatible with democracy”.

Shorten said Howard is “entitled his opinion” but the comments were “a pretty interesting development [and] I think his party should listen carefully to what he says”.

Asked if Trump is incompatible with democracy, as Howard suggested, Shorten said he currently serves in the government who “will work with whoever America produces [via] their electoral processes”.

But what does Shorten, the soon-to-be vice-chancellor, think? He said:

Get back to me on the first of February … or sometime in February on that one.

But I do think that the January 6 riots were shocking. I do think it’s a matter of record that more could have been done by the outgoing president. But you know, John Howard has got the freedom of not being in politics, and I have the privilege of serving in a cabinet.

Updated

Shorten questioned on role of group homes moving forward with NDIS

Moving to the NDIS, Bill Shorten was asked how the government is progressing with recommendations to phase out segregated employment by 2034 and group homes within 15 years – which the government said needed further consideration.

He responded:

I think we’re capable of providing independence, innovation and the accommodation options for people with profound and severe disabilities, which will ultimately make the need for sort of group homes … not so necessary. But it’s going to take a lot of work to get that right.

See, a lot of the housing we use is sort of what you call was the legacy housing – the states might have built it in the 50s and 60s, and they passed that over to the NDIS accommodation. Sometimes we’re fitting people around old houses rather than working out what new tech could mean for innovation, independence for people.

It is a complex task, and it’s going to be a multiple election cycle task, but we are now as a nation investing the money in it, which wasn’t always the case.

Updated

Asked about UN vote, Shorten says ‘mainstream Australia’ wants comprehensive ceasefire deal

Bill Shorten was also asked to respond to comments from opposition leader Peter Dutton, that the government is damaging its relationship with the US and Israel, after Australia decided to abstain from a UN motion calling for a withdrawal from Gaza and the West Bank.

At the same time, deputy leader of the Greens Mehreen Faruqi said Labor had “shown itself to be gutless fence-sitters” and voters would “not forgive and forget”.

Shorten said Dutton’s “job is to just oppose things that the government are doing” and defended the government’s position:

The fact that we’re pressing for a ceasefire, that we want increased humanitarian access – so we want the release of hostages, which we’ve been very consistent on and that we want to prevent regional escalation – is the right way to go.

In opposition [it’s] easy just to throw rocks, but when you’re in government you’ve got to take into account all the perspectives and the long-term interests. And I think that the fact we’re supporting a comprehensive ceasefire deal is actually where mainstream Australia is.

Updated

Q: The Fed has cut rates by half a percentage point. Should the RBA be looking to do the same?

Bill Shorten says “the Fed is different to the RBA” and while the RBA is independent “that doesn’t mean that they’re immune to getting advice from other people or hearing different points of view”.

I think it is significant that the Fed has decided to lower interest rates in America by half a per cent, but our economies are not identical. So how long that takes to flow through and the impact that has remains to be seen.

I noticed that our dollar rallied on the basis that the Fed was cutting rates and of course, with a rallying dollar, it means … it takes some pressure, inflationary pressure [off] us.

Updated

Bill Shorten was asked if the Greens had outperformed the government, at least in the messaging on housing.

He told host Patricia Karvelas:

The reality is most Australians see through the Greens.

We’ve got cost of living pressures, which are absolutely real. With the Reserve Bank increasing interest rates 13 times, what you’ve got is mortgage holders under pressure [and] what you’ve got is renters under pressure, and it is a challenge. And that is why we’re trying to increase, through various mechanisms, the amount of supply of housing in this country.

Updated

Shorten calls Greens ‘formidable and destructive’

The Labor MP Bill Shorten has also been speaking with ABC RN and has been scathing of the Greens – after a bitter housing standoff this week. Josh Butler has an full explainer on this below:

Shorten described the Greens as a “formidable and destructive political part of Australian life” and said:

Labor and the Liberals, whatever you think of us or the Liberals, we seek to form governments in Australia, and when you form a government, that means you’ve actually got to get things done. The Greens are playing a sort of competition … a party in protest or an outrage factory so they can [be all] things to all people, because they only have to implement their policies.

So they play by different set of rules, and what they do is they create anxiety. They create anxiety for people who might want to buy their first home. They create anxiety for our NDIS reforms.

They think that [they are morally] superior to people who disagree with them, and I found in political life, [just] because someone disagrees with you doesn’t make them morally inferior, they just have a different proposition or set of values.

Updated

Dutton responds to modelling showing power bills could rise under nuclear plan

Peter Dutton was questioned on new modelling showing power bills could rise by about $665 a year under the Coalition plan to build nuclear plants around Australia.

He responded by arguing that power bills had gone up under Labor, and decrying a loss of baseload power under renewables.

However, Ameo last month said that Australia’s main power grid would remain reliable as it shifts from coal domination to running overwhelmingly on renewable energy – but only if investments in new generation are delivered “on time and in full”. Adam Morton had the full story:

Updated

Shorten and Dutton respond to latest job figures

The outgoing NDIS minister Bill Shorten and opposition leader Peter Dutton made their regular Friday morning appearance on the Today show just earlier.

Shorten was asked about the latest job figures, released yesterday, which dampened hopes of an interest rate cut. He said:

Like everyone I hope to see downward pressure on interest rates, although I think it is good that we’re seeing such strong job numbers (with 47,500 jobs added last month).

I mean, when you see that under this government nearly a million new jobs are being created, that’s got to be good news. The majority of them are full-time jobs, and most of them are going to women.

Dutton responded that people are picking up second and third jobs and working more hours, so “businesses are more reluctant to put people on full time, which is why we see full time numbers come back under this latest announcement”.

Updated

AMA urging stop to ‘coercive and deceptive’ marketing of commercial foods for infants

The Australian Medical Association is calling on the government to implement best practice standards for nutrition in commercial foods for infants and young children.

As part of its submission to the Department of Health and Aged Care’s public consultation, the AMA is urging the government to put a stop to what it says is coercive and deceptive marketing of products.

This comes as a study found not a single infant or toddler food product stocked in Australian supermarkets meets standards set by the World Health Organization. Natasha May had the full story last month:

President Professor Steve Robson said parents and guardians should be able to rely on the government to ensure commercial foods are labelled and marketed responsibly:

Many commercial foods for infants and young children fail to support optimal health, growth and development. The nutritional content of many of these products is inadequate and they fall short of international standards for labelling and promotion.

Parents and guardians are being bombarded by coercive marketing but do not have enough information about the nutritional quality of the commercial foods being sold to them to be able to make informed choices.

To protect our youngest Australians, comprehensive changes to the composition, texture, and labelling of commercial foods for infants and young children are imperative.

The AMA says the changes must be mandatory, and compliance must be strictly monitored and enforced.

Australia’s ‘sex report card’ released

The latest Australian Study of Health and Relationships was revealed at a conference in Sydney this week held by the International Union Against Sexually Transmitted Infections.

It doesn’t sound much fun but the results are basically our sex report card and make for fascinating reading.

They show, for example, that one third of Australians have searched for a partner online. Natasha May has the full story here:

Updated

Welfare advocates warn rent assistance rise will do little amid housing crisis

The Albanese government’s promised 10% increase to commonwealth rent assistance begins today, but welfare advocates warn it will do little to help.

The changes will come in line with indexation, which varies based on the payment. Single recipients receiving the maximum rate of rent assistance will get an extra $23 per fortnight If they are renting on their own. Families with one or two children get an extra $27.02. But welfare advocates said it will do little help in the midst of a housing crisis.

Antipoverty Centre spokesperson Kristin O’Connell said:

Rent assistance went up by $25 and … average rents have gone up by more than $100. What might look like a big percentage increase is, frankly, fuck all, and that’s one of the reasons that this is so upsetting.

The latest Quarterly Rental Review Report showed the median weekly rent value across all Australian dwellings hit a fresh record high of $627 per week, and rental costs range from $770 per week in Sydney, to $547 in Hobart.

A major issue with rent assistance is that around 300,000 people who receive it actually lose money every six months when it is indexed, O’Connell said:

When CRA is indexed, the amount of rent that you have to pay before you get any rent assistance increases. So the proportion of your rent, where you qualify for it, reduces if you aren’t receiving the maximum payment.

Updated

Victoria’s housing crisis worsening on nearly every key indicator, index shows

Victoria’s housing crisis has worsened on nearly every key indicator one year since the state government’s housing statement, which set to tackle affordability by building 800,000 new homes and increasing renters rights.

The Council to Homeless Persons’ new Housing Insecurity Index shows:

  • Annual rents rose 13.3% across the state, with a 14.6% increase in Melbourne, and 5.3% in regional areas.

  • The public housing waiting list is now at 61,587.

  • The number of people who received support from specialist homelessness services in Victoria increased from 30,510 in July 2017 to 32,496 in June 2024.

  • The number of people accessing specialist homelessness services because of housing stress has been above 10,000 for every month since January 2023.

  • Proportion of social housing in Victoria’s total housing stock is just 2.8% – the lowest in Australia.

CHP chief executive Deborah Di Natale says the index shows the state government must show more ambition:

Things have actually gotten worse for Victorians at the brink of homelessness since the government unveiled its Housing Statement last year.

She called on the government to commit to building at least 6000 new public and community homes each year for a decade.

Updated

Good morning

And happy Friday – thanks to Martin for kicking things off. I’m Emily Wind, and I’ll be with you on the live blog for most of today.

As always, you can reach out with any tips or questions via X, @emilywindwrites, or you can send me an email: emily.wind@theguardian.com.

Let’s get started.

Federal Labor announce boost to rent assistance

The Albanese government has announced a range of measures to combat cost of living pressures, including what it claims is the the first back-to-back increase to commonwealth rent assistance ever and the indexation of pensions and payments.

In a joint statement today, treasurer Jim Chalmers and minister for social services Amanda Rishworth said “we recognise that people are under the pump and we’re doing something about it”.

We’re already rolling out tax cuts and energy rebates and from today we’ll give people more help to pay the rent and deliver an increase to pensions and payments including the age pension.

Some of the measures include:

  • Increasing rent assistance by 10% plus indexation, which they claim will benefit nearly a million households around the country.

  • The latest round of payment indexation including for the age pension, disability support pension, jobseeker, carer payment and parenting payment, set to benefit more than five million households.

  • Jobseeker recipients with an assessed partial capacity to work of less than 15 hours per week will move to the higher rate, receiving an increase of $71.20 a fortnight combined with indexation.

  • Income limits for the commonwealth seniors health card will also increase to $99,025 for singles and $158,440 for couples (combined).

Updated

Job figures could lead to longer wait for rate relief

Mortgage holders may have to wait longer for an interest rate reprieve, following stronger than expected jobs figures, reports AAP.

The Commonwealth Bank has shifted its forecast for when the Reserve Bank will lower the official cash rate, now saying a 0.25 percentage point reduction will happen in December, as opposed to previous predictions of a November rate cut.

The revised forecast followed the unemployment rate staying at 4.2% for August, with the number of jobs added to the market almost double what economists had predicted.

Commonwealth Bank’s head of Australian economics Gareth Aird said:

The recent strength in employment growth coupled with still relatively hawkish rhetoric from the RBA governor means we now see December as the more likely month for the start of normalising the cash rate.

We expect the RBA will commence an easing cycle before it declares we have hit full employment given policy is currently restrictive.

Not all the ducks have lined up for a November rate cut.

The Reserve Bank will meet on Tuesday to determine whether to cut the official cash rate of 4.35% or leave it on hold.

Updated

Lambie says Rex Patrick will lead her federal Senate ticket in SA

Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie has announced her former upper house colleague Rex Patrick will lead the minor party’s ticket in South Australia in the upcoming federal election.

In a statement on Friday morning, Lambie said she shared the same values as Patrick, who was a senator between 2017 and 2022, and Australia needed him back in Canberra. Lambie said:

Rex is known as the ‘Transparency Warrior’ for good reason, he works hard to hold the government accountable. He should be in the Senate where he can continue to represent the interests of everyday Australians.

Rex’s departure from the Senate was a loss for all of us, but particularly South Australia. We need to get Rex back into the Senate so SA once again has a sensible voice representing them in Canberra.

Since leaving the federal parliament at the last election, Patrick has ruffled feathers in Canberra for his work as an avid freedom of information campaigner.

One of his most recent fights in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal is to prevent a common practice of shredding documents once a minister leaves office. The act prevents attempts at successfully attaining documents through FoI requests.

Updated

Howard says US political system ‘far inferior’ to Australia’s

In his interview with Nine, John Howard said political events seen in the US showed its system had major deficiencies compared to Australia’s.

Everything we’re witnessing in America tells us is that their political system is far inferior to ours.

In a parliamentary system, Donald Trump would never have got to the leadership of the Republicans, and I don’t think Kamala Harris would ever have got to the leadership of the Democrats.

We wouldn’t have gone through the agony the Democrats went through regarding Joe Biden.

They have a different system. And my take, my very strong view, is that a parliamentary system is much better than a presidential system.

Updated

John Howard says Donald Trump's behaviour 'not compatible with democracy'

Former Liberal prime minister John Howard has taken aim at Donald Trump, describing him as “not compatible with democracy”.

Howard, who took Australia into Afghanistan and the Iraq war alongside the United States during his time in office, said the Republican candidate’s refusal to accept the result of the 2020 election meant he would not want Trump to win this time.

Howard said in an interview with Nine News:

In normal circumstances, I would unhesitatingly favour a Republican victory, but there are reasons that prevent me doing that on this occasion.

In other words, I think his refusal to accept the result of the last election and various attempts to overturn that result not compatible with democracy.

When you play the democratic game, you’ve got to accept the democratic result… The choice the American people must make is a difficult choice - I’m glad I don’t have a vote there, because I think it would be very hard.

I’m not impressed with Kamala Harris. I don’t think she’s got a very good idea of how to run the American economy.

I worry that she might lead an administration that will spend far too much, and some of that expenditure will be irresponsible ... she leads a party that, generally speaking, favours far too much government intervention for my liking.

Updated

Welcome

Good morning and welcome to our Friday rolling news blog. Emily Wind will be along soon to bring you all the breaking stories of the day but before that this is Martin Farrer with the best of the overnight stories.

After a week in which a Guardian Australia investigation has revealed the huge profits being made by online real estate portals from charging sellers, the former chair of Australia’s competition law enforcer says he believes the regulator should consider investigating the behaviour of the market’s leading portal, realestate.com.au, for potential anti-competitive behaviour. Rod Sims told us the behaviour of realestate.com.au was “well worth considering under section 45 of the Competition and Consumer Act”.

Former Liberal prime minister John Howard has taken aim at Donald Trump, describing him as “not compatible with democracy”. Howard, who took Australia into Afghanistan and the Iraq war alongside the United States during his time in office, said the Republican candidate’s refusal to accept the result of the 2020 election meant he would not want Trump to win this time. More on this soon.

The Albanese government has announced a range of measures to combat cost of living pressures, including what it claims is the the first back-to-back increase to Commonwealth rent assistance ever and the indexation of pensions and payments.

In less good news for households, the Commonwealth Bank has pushed back its forecast for when the Reserve Bank will lower the official cash rate, now saying a 0.25 percentage point reduction will happen in December, as opposed to previous predictions of a November rate cut. More coming up.

Updated

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