What we learned; Wednesday 29 January
As our live news coverage draws to a close, here’s what’s been keeping us busy today:
A caravan loaded with explosives and a list of Jewish community targets is the subject of a massive police investigation after its discovery in Dural, New South Wales.
Australian soldier Oscar Jenkins is “alive and in custody”, weeks after he was reported to have been killed after being captured fighting in Ukraine.
The treasurer hailed “remarkable progress” on inflation – while his counterpart in opposition declared the figures to be “stubbornly above target”.
Elizabeth Struhs’ sister said she was “relieved” outside court after her family members were convicted over Elizabeth’s death.
- And the Bureau of Meteorology has forecast widespread heatwaves across the nation this weekend.
Thank you for joining us. See you bright and early tomorrow.
Updated
Here’s what we know so far about the caravan of explosives found in Dural:
Police say a caravan was parked in a hazardous position on a Dural road from 7 December to the 19 January.
Police say they were contacted on 19 January after an amount of explosives and some indication that those explosives might be used in “some form of antisemitic attack” were discovered in the caravan.
Police say a list of location targets used by the Jewish community was found in the caravan. The Jewish community has been made aware of those.
Chris Minns says a “massive” response has been mobilised to investigate the incident, comprising the New South Wales police, the Australian federal police, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and the New South Wales Crime Commission.
100 counter-terrorism officers are involved, as well as scores of officers from operations Pearl and Shelter.
Police say the van is believed to have contained enough explosives to create a 40-metre blast zone. The explosive is power gel, possibly from a mining site.
Police say arrests have been made “on the periphery” of the incident.
Police say the matter is not yet being treated as a terrorist incident.
The incident may affect Australia’s terrorism threat level. Up until now, “there’s been no significant threat of harm to an individual, but this has changed”, says the head of the investigation, deputy police commissioner, David Hudson.
There is no ongoing threat to the community in relation to the caravan, police say.
Members of the public are encouraged “to be vigilant in relation to what they see and what they hear in relation to antisemitism,” says Hudson.
“This is the discovery of a potential mass casualty event,” the premier says. “There’s only one way of calling it out, and that is terrorism. That’s what we’re very worried about. This would strike terror into the community, particularly the Jewish community, and it must be met with the full resources of the government.”
Minns adds that “it’s with great regret that I can’t make that guarantee” that there will not be an escalation of violence and attacks on the Jewish community. “There’s bad actors in our community, badly motivated, bad ideologies, bad morals, bad ethics, bad people.”
Updated
Bringing the press conference to a close, the premier, Chris Minns, says:
This is the discovery of a potential mass casualty event. There’s only one way of calling it out, and that is terrorism. That’s what we’re very worried about.
This would strike terror into the community, particularly the Jewish community, and it must be met with the full resources of the government.
Updated
The deputy commissioner David Hudson says that the explosive was power gel, possibly obtained from a mining site.
Also in the caravan was a list of potential targets from within the Jewish community, he says. He adds that it is not appropriate to nominate the targets.
I can indicate that … the Jewish community will be made aware of those, and have been.
He could not say when those targets had been notified of the threat:
I don’t want to really disclose our communication pathways to that community, but we are constantly in communication with the Jewish community, and have been since, since last October, when these incidents escalated, and certainly since October the seventh, when we saw what happened at the Opera House.
Updated
The incident has not yet been declared a terrorist incident, the deputy commissioner David Hudson says.
Normally, we would declare a terrorist incident, or the commissioner would be asked to declare such, if we were in need of additional powers under the Terrorism (Police Powers) Act.
We haven’t seen fit. We’ve got sufficient powers under our current legislation at this stage, but if we require that from the commissioner to make such a declaration in conjunction with the government, we will ask for that.
We need to gather further evidence from a number of individuals that we’ve identified, and those investigations are ongoing before we would even consider asking the commissioner to make such an assessment.
He says investigators do not yet know whether the explosives were intended to be used or were intended to be found and claimed by others, “but we are working through that. But I can say the amount of explosives is very real, and we need to take every threat at its absolute highest in this current environment.”
Updated
A caravan loaded with explosives found in Dural had the potential to cause a significant amount of damage, the NSW police deputy commissioner David Hudson says.
When asked about the damage the explosives could have caused if detonated, he said:
I’m not an expert. I believe that the blast zone could have been 40 metres in diameter, which is a significant amount of damage.
Updated
Van containing explosives and indications of planned antisemitic attack found on outskirts of Sydney, police say
The New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, says “massive” amounts of resources including police and counter-terrorism teams are being used to confront a “very serious threat” to the community after a caravan laden with explosives and containing antisemitic material was found in Dural.
In an ongoing press conference, the state’s deputy police commissioner David Hudson says that on 19 January “police were contacted and subsequently recovered a caravan on a residential property, rural property. That caravan contained an amount of explosives, and some indication that those explosives might be used in some form of antisemitic attack. Since that time, obviously, we have taken, as the premier indicated, the threat very seriously.”
He continues:
We’ve mobilised the joint counter-terrorism team in relation to conducting the investigation. That team is comprised of us, the NSW police, in addition the Australian federal police, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and the NSW Crime Commission in a joint partnership investigating this matter. As such, there are over 100 officers of those agencies deployed and currently engaged in investigations in this particular matter.
Investigations over the last 10 days have progressed, however, there is a lot to do. We have made arrests on the periphery of this job, but we are still looking for assistance in relation to anyone who saw that caravan parked by the side of the road from the seventh of December to the 19th of January this year in Dural, a caravan that was parked in a hazardous position prior to it being moved by a local resident.
The premier says:
I want to make it absolutely clear, and I understand community concerns about this story and similar escalating incidents of antisemitic violence in our community, that anyone attempting terrorism, violence, hatred in our community will be met with the full force of the law, that there are massive amounts of police and government resources being devoted to this investigation, that there will be absolutely no tolerance under any circumstances for these acts of criminal violence in our community.
And anyone attempting this level of violence in NSW will be met by every resource that we have to throw at it.
Updated
NSW police are investigating incident at Dural working with AFP and Asio
The New South Wales deputy police commissioner David Hudson has released a statement from Dural, where investigations into an incident are under way.
The NSW Police Force is working with the Australian Federal Police, NSW Crime Commission, ASIO, Victoria Police and the Queensland Police Service.
This is an ongoing investigation and is being taken seriously with all lines of inquiry being pursued.
There is no ongoing threat to the community.
Hudson and the premier, Chris Minns, will address the media about the incident shortly – we’ll bring you more as soon as we can.
Updated
Teenage boy arrested after death of man on NSW south coast
A teenage boy has been arrested after the death of a man on the New South Wales south coast yesterday.
Police said emergency services were called to Dunmore, near Shellharbour, on Tuesday afternoon after a 25-year-old man was found critically injured.
Paramedics treated the man for a stab wound to his abdomen but he died at the scene.
In a statement, police said that a 15-year-old boy had been arrested at a home in Horsley this afternoon.
He was taken to Lake Illawarra police station, where inquiries were ongoing. He has not been charged.
A 35-year-old woman was earlier charged and remains before the court. Investigations continue.
Updated
Bureau of Meteorology forecasts heatwaves across Australia this weekend
The Bureau of Meteorology forecasts widespread heatwaves across Australia this weekend, bringing hot days with temperatures from 6C to 12C warmer than average.
In its latest heatwave update, the bureau says extreme to severe heatwave conditions are expected through parts of the north interior and north-western Western Australia from Friday to Sunday.
Severe to low intensity heatwave conditions are expected through parts of central and western Northern Territory, southern parts of the Kimberley, much of southern and inland WA, and parts of the Furneaux Islands and eastern Tasmania.
The bureau predicts low intensity heatwave conditions through parts of the ACT and much of western, northern and southern New South Wales, parts of the Cape York peninsula and southern and western Queensland, parts of the Tiwi Islands and much of southern and eastern Northern Territory, much of South Australia including Adelaide, much of Victoria including Melbourne and much of Tasmania including Hobart.
Updated
Wong says Russia has confirmed Melbourne man Oscar Jenkins is alive and in custody
In breaking news, the foreign minister, Penny Wong, says the government “has received confirmation from Russia that Oscar Jenkins is alive and in custody” – weeks after the Australian man was reported to have been killed after being captured fighting in Ukraine.
Wong said in a statement that the government was calling on Russia to release the man.
The Australian Government has received confirmation from Russia that Oscar Jenkins is alive and in custody. We still hold serious concerns for Mr Jenkins as a prisoner of war.
We have made clear to Russia in Canberra and in Moscow that Mr Jenkins is a prisoner of war and Russia is obligated to treat him in accordance with international humanitarian law, including humane treatment.
Wong said she had spoken with the Ukrainian foreign minister and the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, who she thanked for their advocacy.
“The Government calls on Russia to release Mr Jenkins,” Wong continued.
If Russia does not provide Mr Jenkins the protections he is entitled to under international humanitarian law, our response will be unequivocal. DFAT continues to provide consular support to the family.
Updated
‘No sign of prices coming down,’ shadow treasurer Angus Taylor says
Despite positive-looking inflation figures, Angus Taylor has repeated his line that core inflation remains stubbornly above target.
Speaking with the ABC just now, the shadow treasurer told Patricia Karvelas:
Sadly, we have seen a crash in Australia’s standard of living, PK. Since Labor came to power, we have seen the biggest [decline] in Australian household standard of living in our history, the biggest of any of our peer countries, and we know right at the heart of it is a big increase in the price of everything, over 10% increase in prices for Australian families.
… We have core inflation stubbornly above target, services inflation that is above 4%, and there is no sign of prices coming down, that’s not going to happen. We’re going to continue to see price increases and, worst of all, we’ve not got a restoration of our standard of living back to where it was when Labor came to power until beyond or 2030 or beyond.
… This is a situation that is worse than Canada, worse than the UK, worse than the United States, worse than our peer countries across Europe. It is a diabolical situation and the treasurer is out today congratulating himself and telling Australians that this is a soft landing.
A little earlier, Anthony Albanese told the same program:
Getting inflation down without having people cast aside as some of the commentators would have had us do, is like landing a 747 on a helicopter pad. It has been a difficult thing to navigate, but we have been determined to make sure no one is left behind and also no one is held back.
Updated
PM says Dfat seeking confirmation Oscar Jenkins who reportedly died fighting for Ukraine is alive
The prime minister says the government is seeking further confirmation and details about news that the Australian soldier Oscar Jenkins, who travelled to fight in the defence of Ukraine, is alive and in Russian captivity and not dead as feared.
Anthony Albanese told the ABC:
I can say that we have received that information through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, but we are seeking confirmation.
But we are seeing confirmation … I am reticent to confirm that is the case, but certainly that has been the statement made by Russian authorities through to our Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade officials as well, so if that is the case it certainly would be welcome, it is something that we have demanded information on.
The PM says he is “reluctant” to go into the details about communications between the Russian ambassador and the Australian government.
One of the things we have been keen on doing is making sure that Mr Jenkins’ family get information before it is spoken about publicly as well. But at this stage we are seeking further confirmation and details. We will continue to do so. We always make representations on behalf of Australians and, can I say this, the foreign affairs and trade officials do a remarkable job providing that representation.
Updated
Anthony Albanese has been asked whether the inflation figures – about which he is “clearly happy”, suggests Patricia Karvelas – may influence the timing of the election.
The PM refuses to be drawn on an election date, but concedes that he is “always pleased to see Australians getting relief from inflation”.
Inflation punishes people who have less income, more than people who are wealthy. I am pleased because I want Australians to have their living standards grow and what we’re seeing here is inflation is going down, wages are going up, while employment is being maintained with low unemployment. I think that tri-factor of lower inflation, higher wages and low unemployment is a good outcome for our country.
Updated
PM says claims inflation has not come down 'rather extraordinary'
Anthony Albanese is speaking with Patricia Karvelas on the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing.
The prime minister says today’s inflation figures are “welcome news”.
It is indicative of the hard work that the government has done when it comes to responsible economic management, but also the hard work that Australians have done as well.
I certainly think the government has done what we can and these figures are very welcome. We understand there is more to do but that stands in stark contrast to the rather extraordinary claims that – we’ll wait and see if Angus Taylor on your show makes the same claims - that inflation hasn’t come down.
… It would appear, unlike the government’s responsible economic management, the opposition’s irresponsible economic rhetoric wants to see Australians worse off because they think that will make them better off politically.
Earlier, the shadow treasurer said:
Now, we see the inflation out today and we see that core inflation is stubbornly above target.
Updated
Wartook residents told to leave immediately due to Grampians fire danger
Wartook, Victoria residents have been advised to leave immediately because of bushfire danger.
VicEmergency said:
Leaving immediately is the safest option, before conditions become too dangerous. Emergency services may not be able to help you if you decide to stay.
A bushfire in the Grampians national park continues to burn.
Updated
Orcas hunt great white sharks and eat their livers, scientists find
The first confirmed evidence of orca predation on great white sharks in Australia and their likely selective eating of shark liver has been published, reports Guardian Australia’s Petra Stock.
Using DNA and citizen science data, scientists have been able to confirm orcas have a taste for shark liver and prey on great white sharks in Australian waters.
The phenomenon was previously observed off South Africa, where in one published case an individual orca incapacitated a great white and ate its liver in under two minutes.
Updated
Australia bat first as cricket Test series in Sri Lanka begins
Away from news from Canberra, Guardian Australia’s live coverage of Test cricket in Sri Lanka is under way.
Australia is batting first as the two-Test series begins in Galle. The tourists have dropped a selection bombshell with the young opener Sam Konstas omitted from the XI as Travis Head takes his spot at the top of the order and Josh Inglis has been handed a Test debut.
Both sides have turned to spin as a new-look Australian lineup seeks to win a series in Sri Lanka for the first time since 2011. Follow all of the action from day one of the first Test with our over-by-over cricket blog:
Updated
Littleproud clarifies comment that Coalition would start work on nuclear power plants 'the very first day' after elected
The Nationals leader, David Littleproud, has been forced to clean up remarks he made about the Coalition’s nuclear policy, after he appeared to say a Dutton government would start building the plants on its “very first day” in office.
Labor ministers jumped on Littleproud’s claim in a Sky News interview on Wednesday, pointing out Peter Dutton had promised extensive community consultation, engagement and planning in the seven communities before those plants would be built.
“We’ll start building the first nuclear power plant the very first day after a Coalition government is elected. We’ll get on with the job. The time for talk is over,” Littleproud said on Sky.
The employment minister, Murray Watt, tweeted: “Your power bill goes up from Day 1 under Dutton.” Other ministers including Ed Husic and Tanya Plibersek also criticised the statement, calling the Coalition’s plan “sloppy” and questioning key details such as its cost and what designs would be used.
Littleproud was asked about his statement in a subsequent press conference in Bendigo, where he claimed to have been misrepresented, and that he meant the preparatory work – not necessarily the construction – would commence immediately.
He said:
I know the prime minister is running this around in Canberra and that’s the sad, desperate state that he’s got to. The reality is, is that there is a process, a process where technical assessments would take place.
They start from on those seven sites that we’ve identified. Now, if he wants to be puerile about this and doesn’t want to have a mature conversation about energy alternatives, then he’s a prime minister that’s out of ideas … The process starts as we’ve clearly articulated with those technical assessments on the seven sites we’ve identified.
Updated
'I'm relieved': Elizabeth Struhs' sister speaks outside court after family members convicted
Jayde Struhs has welcomed the court’s conviction of her father, Jason, mother, Kerrie, and brother, Zachary, for manslaughter – but said more should have been done to protect her sister Elizabeth.
The estranged former member of the Saints religious group left after coming out as a lesbian. She testified against her family in the trial.
Outside court in Brisbane, she said:
It’s been a long and hard three years. Not a moment has gone by that I haven’t thought about my little sister. I think the court made the right decision, and I’m relieved that those responsible were found guilty for their actions.
Although we had a good outcome today, I have to acknowledge the system failed to protect Elizabeth in the first place. We are only here today because more wasn’t done sooner to protect her or remove her from an incredibly unsafe situation.
Elizabeth, a type 1 diabetic, died in 2022 because she was denied insulin. Her mother, Kerrie, was previously convicted of failing to provide her the necessaries of life after she fell into a coma in 2019.
Updated
Severe storm forecast for parts of northern NSW and Queensland
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for parts of northern New South Wales and southern Queensland.
The warning is in place for parts of NSW’s northern tablelands and north-west slopes and plains and for those in Queensland’s southern downs area.
The bureau has forecast heavy rainfall, damaging winds and large hailstones in the affected areas.
Updated
With that, I will pass the blog baton into the capable hands of Daisy Dumas. Thanks for reading.
Greens support university governance probe
The Greens have backed Labor senator Tony Sheldon’s move to conduct a Senate inquiry into university governance, labelling it a “win for all of us” who’ve critiqued corporatisation in the sector.
Senator Mehreen Faruqi, deputy leader of the Greens and higher education spokesperson, sits on the Senate education and employment committee, which Sheldon chairs. She said that as a former academic, she had seen “this decline where students and staff suffer while the executive class splurge on consultants and largesse”.
The need for an extensive overhaul of university governance has been crystal clear for a long time as neoliberal policies of both Labor and Coalition governments have crept in. Universities have become places of systemic wage theft while VCs and executives walk away with hefty paychecks.
The corporate model has corroded universities to the extent that nothing short of a governance overhaul will do to fix the problems that have been entrenched over years.
Cleaning up university boards to ensure they are run by staff and students, not stacked with corporate elites, will lead to a more democratic university which serves the public interest.
Updated
SA premier promotes autism portfolio in cabinet reshuffle
The autism portfolio has been elevated to cabinet for the first time by South Australian premier Peter Malinauskas, who has reshuffled his ministry after the resignation of police minister Dan Cregan.
Emily Bourke has been promoted to cabinet after serving as an assistant minister for just under three years, adding emergency services and correctional services and recreation, sport and racing to the autism portfolio, which she has held since 2022.
Bourke would be responsible for delivering the state’s autism strategy 2024-29 which was launched last year, Malinauskas said.
The autism community has long been fighting for change. We have listened and we’re acting.
One in four Australians has an autistic family member and the state government says it is committed to making South Australia an autism-inclusive state.
The changes mean there are a record seven women in cabinet.
Updated
Greens question if Japanese whaling ‘research’ vessels in Southern Ocean
The Greens have urged the Albanese government to immediately confirm with the Japanese consulate whether Japanese whaling “research” vessels are currently operating in the Southern Ocean following reports of ships off Australia’s Antarctic coastline.
The Greens spokesperson for healthy oceans, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, said the Australian government had been a historical ally for cetaceans through the International Whaling Commission and other diplomatic forums.
It’s hard not to be cynical about the intention of Japanese whaling ‘research’ ships operating off Australia’s Antarctic coastline given Japan’s former ‘research program’ was proven by the ICJ to be a thinly disguised commercial whaling operation.
Last year Japan commissioned a US$47m whale factory processing ship, stoking fears that a resumption of whaling in the Southern Ocean was on the horizon.
It’s a critical time for the Australian government to step up its advocacy for the protection of whales, and use its influence to get an ironclad guarantee from Tokyo that Japan is not preparing to resume whaling in the Southern Ocean.
Updated
Seven quit climate group over Labor’s mine approvals
Seven Canberran community leaders have now resigned from a climate reference group in protest against the Albanese government’s approval of coal and gas mines, including four coal expansions approved in December 2024.
The group was organised by the federal member for Canberra, Alicia Payne.
Dr Simon Copland, executive director of the Conservation Council ACT Region, said the initiative was initially welcomed, given the members’ belief in the importance of working with government.
“It is with deep disappointment that we have made the joint decision to resign from the group. We cannot in good conscience continue to participate in, and implicitly endorse, the Albanese government’s continued disregard for genuine and science-aligned climate action,” he said.
The government’s approval of 32 new or expanded coal and gas developments since taking office is a betrayal of the values of Canberrans and the urgent need to phase out fossil fuels to avert climate disaster.
Copland said that, in 2025, the Albanese government will consider signing off on projects including Woodside’s Burrup Hub/North West Shelf extension gas project and the proposed Middle Arm industrial precinct and gas exporting hub in the Northern Territory.
The West Shelf Extension alone, would, if approved, produce over 6 billion tonnes of carbon pollution to 2070. It’s time to turn off the tap for new coal and gas pollution.
Australian Youth Climate Coalition Canberra facilitator Hannah Vardy, Rising Tide Canberra organiser Ruth Ragless and People’s Climate Assembly committee member Anne Gunn also resigned, joining three other members who had earlier quit the group.
Updated
Australian share market rises
The local share market is rallying after a cooler-than-expected inflation readout boosted the odds of a domestic rate cut next month, AAP reports.
At lunchtime Wednesday, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was up 72.1 points, or 0.86%, to 8,471.2, while the broader All Ordinaries was up 77.3 points, or 0.89%, to 8,721.8.
The bourse was already in the green but jumped another 26 points in the space of three minutes after the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that consumer prices rose just 0.2% in the December quarter.
Annual trimmed mean inflation – the Reserve Bank’s preferred measure – was just 3.2%, compared to market consensus of a 3.3% decline.
Betashares chief economist David Bassanese predicted that given the inflation results, the RBA would reward hard-pressed households and mortgage holders with an interest rate cut at its February policy meeting.
My expectation is the RBA will follow up with two further rate cuts this year, not immediately but likely following confirmation of further declines in inflation.
Krishna Bhimavarapu, APAC economist at State Street Global Advisors, agreed that the readout confirmed that the RBA would cut rates next month.
Every sector of the ASX was in the green at midday, with tech the biggest gainer, rising 2.3%.
Updated
Littleproud joins in ‘Bendigo blitz’
Nationals leader David Littleproud is bouncing around Bendigo today as part of the party’s “Bendigo blitz” culminating in the launch of Andrew Lethlean’s election campaign for the seat.
Among those doorknocking visiting businesses and local forums are the federal deputy leader of the Nationals Perin Davey, Senate leader Bridget McKenzie, Darren Chester, Dr Anne Webster and Sam Birrell.
Littleproud said Lethlean and the Nationals were “building real momentum” in Bendigo.
We are turning Bendigo green and gold today and throughout the campaign. If we don’t win Bendigo, families risk getting another three years of Anthony Albanese.
The Nationals are leaving no stone unturned to win this seat and bring more common sense to Canberra, with Andrew representing the people of Bendigo. We believe in Andrew because we believe in Bendigo.
The seat has been held by Labor’s Lisa Chesters since 2013 with a margin of 8.9%. The Nationals did not run a candidate in the seat in the last election.
Updated
Opera Australia CEO quits
Opera Australia’s chief executive, Fiona Allan, has quit, less than two months before an independent review into the flagship company’s culture and governance is due to be handed down and less than six months after the sudden departure of artistic director Jo Davies.
Opera Australia chair Rod Sims said Allan, who was recruited in 2021 as the company was facing a financial crisis following Covid-19 lockdowns, was leaving to pursue new opportunities.
Davies parted ways with the company in August, citing “differences of opinion” for her sudden exit.
OA’s chief operating officer, Simon Militano, has been appointed acting chief executive. The company still has no artistic director.
In 2024 Opera Australia posted a $7.8m deficit.
Updated
Man held after allegedly displaying Nazi symbol in Adelaide
Police have arrested in man in Adelaide after he allegedly displayed a Nazi symbol in the city centre while participating in National Socialist Network activities on Sunday.
In a statement, South Australia police said the man was located at 12.30pm on Tuesday on Nelson Street, where he allegedly displayed another Nazi symbol.
The 29-year-old Victorian man was arrested and charged with two counts of displaying a Nazi symbol, police said. He has been bailed to appear in the Adelaide magistrates court on 25 March.
Updated
Angus Taylor has just been asked whether today’s inflation figures were a planned “soft landing” for the economy.
The shadow treasurer’s answer and description of the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, was unambiguous:
Well, if his plan was to cause more damage to Australians’ standard of living than we’ve ever seen before, than any of our peer countries, then he should fess up to that … his plan is that we won’t restore our standard of living until 2030. This is his plan.
This is the guy who doesn’t understand economics. He doesn’t understand business. He doesn’t understand our economy. He’s barely worked in the private sector and when he did, he hated it. He simply doesn’t know how the economy works.
Updated
Cost-of-living pain ‘far from over’ – Angus Taylor
Staying with the shadow treasurer, who says that a report from Deloitte indicates “we won’t see a restitution of Australian standard of living back to where it was when Labor came to power until 2030”.
Speaking about “Labor’s cost-of-living crisis”, Angus Taylor continued:
This pain is far from over. We see the treasurer out today patting himself on the back but Australian families with a mortgage have paid $50,000 more on that mortgage as a result of the 12 interest rate increases that have occurred under Labor. We’ve got an economy that has been in a household recession for a record seven consecutive quarters and, again, none of our peer countries have seen that situation.
We’re absolutely at the back of the pack in beating inflation and getting the low-inflation strong economy we all want to see.
… We’ve got a treasurer more interested in spin than substance, more interested in rhetoric than reality, but the reality of Australian families and Australian businesses – and we’ve seen it here today – is the pain continues.
Updated
Angus Taylor says core inflation ‘stubbornly above target’
The shadow treasurer is responding to today’s inflation figures.
Angus Taylor told media:
Cost-of-living pressures are affecting all Australians … the cost-of-doing-business pressures are affecting all businesses across Australia, and that suffering continues. Now, we see the inflation out today and we see that core inflation is stubbornly above target.
Services inflation is subbornly above 4%. It hasn’t moved much in the last 12 months and underneath that is a situation where Australians continue to pay more at the checkout.
They continue to pay more for insurance, pay more for all of their services and we’ve got a situation where Australians are paying more than 10% extra in what they buy every day compared to when Labor came to power.
For working families, that number is closer to 18%, and that accumulated price increase and pain for Australian households is not going away. Indeed, we’ve seen the biggest collapse in Australian standard of living in our history, higher than our peer countries, and that pain is not going away.
Updated
Acoss chief urges February rates cut
Australian Council of Social Service (Acoss) CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie has called on the Reserve Bank to cut interest rates at its February meeting after today’s inflation numbers.
Goldie said:
With inflation consistently falling and firmly in the target band, it’s hard to justify leaving rates this high.
Raising the cash rate has dramatically increased financial stress among people on low and modest incomes. It’s time to finally give people some desperately needed relief.
In recent years incomes have fallen, economic growth has stagnated and almost all jobs growth has been in government-funded services. Growth in government spending on services like the NDIS, childcare and healthcare is not only essential to meet people’s needs, it’s keeping us out of a recession.
She said failing to lower interest rates would only cause more economic damage and needlessly threaten thousands of jobs.
Low unemployment is an opportunity, not a problem as some economic commentators suggest. There is no sign that reducing unemployment further would risk a fresh outbreak of inflation.
Updated
Verdict expected in Struhs murder trial
The Queensland supreme court is packed to capacity for the verdict in the Elizabeth Struhs case.
All 14 adult members of the Saints – a Toowoomba religious sect – are on trial for causing the death of the eight-year-old by denying her insulin in 2022. Her father, Jason, and religious leader Brendan Stevens have been charged with murder, and her mother Kerrie and brother Zachary with manslaughter.
Almost all nine chairs in the modified main court are taken up by investigating police and family, including her sister Jayde Struhs. There was a scrum at the door as media and court watchers competed for seats.
The overflow court is also at capacity, with 71 at last count. Some are standing.
Justice Martin Burns is expected to hand down a summary of his judgment.
The judgment has been delayed for 15 minutes but is expected to start soon.
Updated
Treasurer urges caution with DeepSeek
Finally, Chalmers is asked about the Chinese AI chatbot DeepSeek that has been making waves in recent days, being credited with a “Sputnik moment” in the global AI development race. As we reported yesterday, the app appears to censor answers to sensitive questions about China and its government.
Should Australians be concerned about this rise?
Chalmers says it is a “very fast moving and volatile” space.
We are forward-leaning about AI, we think it can be revolutionary in our economy, that it has the capacity to boost productivity and deliver a whole range of economic gains, but we know there needs to be guardrails as well.
If you look at DeepSeek and what we have seen in the last couple of days, which has been some pretty extraordinary developments … we would urge Australians to be cautious about this new technology. We are constantly receiving advice, you would not expect me to go into the detail of that now here. What we are trying to do … is to work closely with the private sector, updating the advice when it is appropriate.
Updated
Key event
Back to the Reserve Bank, Jim Chalmers is asked whether a potential lowering of inflation rates would be a personal vindication of Labor’s fiscal strategy.
The treasurer replies the “most important thing” is to see some of the “price pain” Australians have been hit with continue to ease.
There has been some very strange commentary – people saying there would be three rate hikes last year and there were none, hasn’t been a rate hike since November in 2023 … we get a lot of free advice and one of the things I am proudest of is we have maintained a focus on the key elements of soft landing in our economy, inflation coming down, not sacrificing people’s jobs, keeping the economy ticking over. We serve an economy which is soft, softer than is normal.
We still have people under pretty extreme pressure but the sorts of things that we are preparing for and planning for are now unfolding. This substantial and now sustained moderation … is a pretty remarkable achievement for which all Australians can share in.
Updated
Chalmers is asked about whether today’s inflation rates will influence the timing of the election.
He says “you’d have to ask him [the prime minister]” and reiterates the next budget is due on 25 March.
I’ve seen speculation about a third surplus. And I would urge caution on that front. We are deliberately cautious and conservative when it comes to budgets, we were at the first three and will be in the fourth.
I think there is cause for additional caution and conservatism because there has not been anything yet that we have seen which would make us think that there will be a substantial difference to the budget bottom line than what we forecast in December in the midyear budget update.
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Treasurer hails ‘remarkable progress’ on inflation
Jim Chalmers is asked whether there is an argument for the Reserve Bank not to cut interest rates.
Are they being pushed to the other direction?
The treasurer says he won’t make any commentary that can be “confused with giving free advice to the independent Reserve Bank” when they meet next month.
I have always seen our responsibility as a government to be a focused on the areas that we can influence, getting inflation down, getting wages up, keeping unemployment low … We leave the decision on interest rates to the independent Reserve Bank.
We have had a lot of free advice over the last couple of years [from] our political opponents and others who say we should have cut much harder or done things differently. What these numbers show is we have been able to achieve something that other countries cannot – it is to make this remarkable progress on inflation at the same time as we maintain the gains were made in the labour market and keep the economy ticking over.
… Australia has shown that there is a better way to go about it and we’re seeing the fruits of some of those efforts in the inflation numbers today.
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Chalmers says the “biggest risk” to inflation, cost of living and the economy is “Peter Dutton and a Coalition government”.
If you look at the impact of the cost of living measures over recent years … it is worth reminding people that Peter Dutton did not support cost-of-living help for Australians doing it tough. If Peter Dutton had his way, Australians would have been thousands of dollars worse off and they would be worse off still if he wins the election …
He will push up bills and nuclear insanity that he has been trying to force on the Australian people. The choice of the contrast is very clear – that the biggest risk to inflation and the cost of living and the economy in 2025 is Peter Dutton and a Coalition government.
On to questions.
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Steadying his mini victory lap, Chalmers acknowledges cost-of-living pressures are not disappearing, “but they are easing”.
We know the fight against inflation is not yet over but these are incredibly encouraging signs. We are getting on top of this challenge in our economy. The worst of the inflation challenge is now well and truly behind us and that is one of the reasons why we are confident but not complacent about the economy in the year ahead.
The treasurer then takes aim at the Coalition.
We know our political opponents will try and dismiss and diminish what Australians have been able to achieve together in the economy. When Australians are doing it tough, we know how important our cost-of-living help is and we know that the best thing we can do and most important focus that we can maintain is on the cost of living and that is the government’s approach.
The Albanese Labor government is focused on beating inflation and helping with the cost of living and building Australia’s future. Our political opponents Peter Dutton and the Coalition are focused on conflict and culture wars.
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Soft landing for economy looks ‘more and more likely’ as inflation falls – Chalmers
The treasurer says the worst of the inflation challenge is now “well and truly behind us”.
Chalmers says the big drivers that moderated the inflation rate were construction costs, rates and insurance.
That I think is quite an encouraging sign that inflation is moderating more quickly than anticipated even as recently as the forecasts that we released in December … Australians collectively can be really proud of the culmination of developments that we have seen in our economy in recent times.
Inflation is down, wages are up, unemployment is low, and 1.1 million jobs have been created during the course of this Albanese Labor government. The soft landing that we have been planning for and preparing for is now looking more and more likely. Many countries around the world have paid for this kind of progress on inflation with much higher unemployment or with negative quarters of economic growth.
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Inflation figures ‘better than market expected’
Chalmers says inflation was “much higher and rising fast” under the Liberals, sitting at 6.1% when Labor came into office.
He says today’s figures are “better than the market expected” and “lower than forecast”.
We have been able to get on top of this inflation challenge and to get it down in a very meaningful way. Inflation is now almost a third of the 6.1% that we inherited when we came to office.
If you look at the numbers, headline inflation was just 0.2% in the December quarter – that makes it 2.4% higher through the year, which is around one quarter of its peak and in the bottom half of the Reserve Bank’s target band.
It means our headline inflation is now lower than most major advanced economies including the US, the UK and Germany.
Updated
New figures show ‘sustained progress’ against inflation – treasurer
Chalmers is up now. He says today’s figures are “very welcome developments” showing “meaningful and substantial and now sustained progress in the fight against inflation”.
It means that headline inflation is now at an almost four-year low and now sits in the middle of the Reserve Bank’s target band and underlying inflation is now at its lowest in three years.
These are very welcome developments. We don’t pretend it is mission accomplished on inflation but we are making very substantial progress. On every measure we have now made substantial and sustained progress in this fight against inflation.
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The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, is expected to address the media shortly following the release of today’s inflation figures.
Sitting where they are, he’s likely to have a bit of a spring in his step.
Melbourne school fined $140k after student’s death on overseas trip
A Melbourne private school has been fined $140,000 after one of its students fell fatally ill on an overseas class trip.
Kilvington grammar school student Lachlan Cook, 16, suffered diabetes complications during the to Vietnam in September 2019 and later died in hospital in Melbourne.
He had been self-managing his type-1 diabetes when he fell ill and was taken to hospital 24 hours after first showing symptoms.
Lachlan suffered a heart attack and was flown back to the Royal Children’s hospital in Melbourne, with his life support switched off in October 2019.
A coroner in 2023 found his death was preventable, with WorkSafe issuing charges to both the school and travel company World Challenge Expeditions.
Kilvington and the travel company both pleaded guilty in the Victorian county court to failing to ensuring that persons other than employees were not exposed to health and safety risks.
Judge Angela Ellis on Wednesday sentenced Kilvington to a $140,000 fine, while World Challenge was fined $150,000.
Both the school and organisation received a conviction.
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Australian dollar falls over inflation data
The Australian dollar dropped in response to the inflation data, as currency traders start to price in an interest rate cut next month.
The local currency fell from just over US62.5c to US62.3c. The Australian dollar typically falls when rates are lowered, and rises when they increase.
The fall is modest given there were widespread expectations in the market of an incoming interest rate cut before the inflation data was released.
Updated
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has released a detailed breakdown on the consumer price index (CPI) data.
Michelle Marquardt, ABS head of prices statistics, said December quarter’s rise was the same as the 0.2% increase in the September 2024 quarter – the lowest recorded since mid-2020, when childcare was free during Covid.
Annually, the December quarter’s rise of 2.4% was down from 2.8% in the September quarter. Annual trimmed mean inflation was 3.2% in the December quarter, down from 3.6% in the September quarter.
The trimmed mean excluded price falls in both electricity and automotive fuel this quarter, alongside other large price rises and falls.
The main contributors to the quarterly rise were recreation and culture (+1.5%), driven by domestic holiday travel, and alcohol and tobacco (+2.4%), which were largely offset by falls in housing (-0.7%) and transport (-0.7%).
Marquardt said the commonwealth’s energy relief fund rebates led to the large fall in electricity prices, which dropped by 9.9% in the December quarter.
Without the rebates, electricity prices would have risen 0.2% this quarter.
Updated
The underlying rate, which strips out volatile price swings, is even lower than consensus, and should cement a rate reduction next month.
AMP’s chief economist, Shane Oliver, said before the data release that it “will be very hard for the RBA not to cut rates at its February meeting” if the underlying rate dropped to 3.2%.
The headline inflation rate, which includes government rebated-electricity bills, dropped to 2.4%, dropping faster than the market predicted.
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Inflation rate falls to 3.2%
The Australian Bureau of Statistics has released today’s highly anticipated consumer price figures.
Australia’s underlying inflation rate has fallen to a three-year low of 3.2%.
The annual rate for the December quarter will raise hopes of a pre-election interest rate cut next month.
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‘Our vision for an inclusive Australia’: Rishworth launches new disability strategy
The minister for social services, Amanda Rishworth, addressed Deakin University in Geelong this morning to officially launch the federal government’s updated disability strategy.
She said the strategy was “Australia’s plan to make life better for people with disability”.
Australia’s disability strategy sets out our vision for an inclusive Australia. It is a commitment by all levels of government to take actions to improve the lives of people with disability in Australia, an Australia where the 5.5 million people with disability have the support they need to live the life they want and participate as equal members in the community.
Rishworth said the updates to the strategy reflected what had been heard since its original launch three years ago, including through the royal commission.
We heard from you that having accessible housing and reducing homelessness was a really important issue for people with disability – and that’s why the updated strategy now has a priority focus area on this.
States and territories will increase the supply of accessible housing for people with disability. And the commonwealth will be looking at ways to make it easier for people renting to find properties that will meet their access needs.
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All eyes on inflation data
Australia’s consumer price figures will be out shortly, providing a critical data set that will inform the Reserve Bank’s cash rate-setting decision next month.
The RBA will largely be interested in the underlying inflation rate for the December quarter, which strips out volatile price swings including the government rebated-electricity prices.
The economist consensus is for an annual 3.3% reading, according to Bloomberg. This could leave the likelihood of a rate cut at about 80%, as per current market pricing.
A 3.2% reading would lock in a rate cut, according to the chief economist at Betashares, David Bassanese.
Meanwhile, a higher-than-expected 3.4% reading would mean mortgage holders – and the government – would need to bear with the current elevated rates.
The next rate decision is seen as politically sensitive given a cut could provide ammunition to the government to argue that inflation is getting under control and cost-of-living relief is on its way before an election.
Updated
Social media influencer who allegedly drugged baby daughter for profit granted bail
A social media influencer who allegedly gave her baby multiple drugs to film her in “immense distress” in a plan to gain fame and money online has been granted bail by a Queensland magistrate.
On Wednesday morning, magistrate Stephen Courtney accepted the arguments of lawyer Mathew Cuskelly that any risk his 34-year-old client, who cannot be named for legal reasons, posed to her now 18-month-old daughter could be ameliorated by strict conditions.
The defence lawyer proposed that contact with her child be limited to the supervised and audiovisual and that she have no contact with potential witnesses.
Cuskelly had also argued on Tuesday that the case against his client was largely circumstantial and that its complexity meant it might be years before the Sunshine Coast mother faced trial.
She was not considered a risk of skipping bail nor suicide.
On Tuesday, crown prosecutor Jack Scott alleged that the woman’s manufacturing of symptoms in her child with a cocktail of drugs not prescribed for her daughter had caused her to have a cardiac arrest and concerned her doctors to the extent that they undertook what in hindsight was unnecessary brain surgery to remove benign tumours.
Police allege the woman’s poisoning and torture of her child occurred over several months last year, while the baby girl was in hospital with a legitimate and treatable health condition.
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Grampians bushfires ‘could merge’
Raging bushfires at either end of a blaze-ravaged national park could merge as crews grapple with the rugged terrain and southerly winds, AAP reports.
With locals in the north-west Victoria town of Dimboola returning home after a fast-moving bushfire destroyed property, authorities are shifting their focus to two out-of-control blazes in the popular Grampians national park.
State Control Centre spokesperson Luke Heagerty said it grew considerably in the past 24 hours and was sending smoke towards the regional centre of Horsham and into New South Wales.
He told AAP on Wednesday that once the fire had reached the end of the park and was in more open grassland, “we can have fire crews there waiting to extinguish and to also establish some containment lines if possible”.
The Forest Fire Management Victoria chief fire officer, Chris Hardman, said the latest blazes could burn for weeks.
Heagerty said they could join.
Where we’ve got the right combination of wind and where we’ve not been able to establish containment lines or use some other strategies to slow the spread of the fire, that is a possibility.
We really don’t want to use that as an assumption that that will happen but the reality that we’re dealing with in the Grampians national park is that it’s very difficult to get crews in to the area between those two groups of fires.
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Cyclones possible in tropics over coming week, weather bureau warns
The Bureau of Meteorology has released its latest tropical climate update, indicating up to five tropical lows may form across Australia in the coming week, possibly bringing cyclones.
The forecast also shows a “moderately strong pulse” of the Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO) which moved from the eastern Indian Ocean to the Maritime Continent during the past week.
All surveyed climate model forecasts indicate that the MJO will track across the Maritime Continent and approach the Western Pacific during the next fortnight.
An active MJO in the Maritime Continent at this time of the year increases the chance of monsoon onset and provides favourable conditions for tropical cyclone development across the Australian tropics … A monsoon surge is expected to develop over the Arafura Sea later this week and extend eastwards over Cape York Peninsula.
Darwin is expected to have its officially recognised monsoon onset sometime within the next two weeks, “but the timing is uncertain and partly dependent on the development and movement of nearby tropical lows”.
Updated
Be careful with DeepSeek, ministers warn
Internet users should exercise caution before handing over personal details to Chinese artificial intelligence model DeepSeek, federal ministers have urged and AAP reports.
The AI assistant – launched last week – rocketed to the top of app stores, with DeepSeek claiming it uses less data at a fraction of the cost of other services.
Housing minister Clare O’Neil said security agencies will be looking into DeepSeek. She told Seven’s Sunrise program that while there were opportunities for AI, users needed to be cautious about the information they pass on.
It’s fine to talk to the app, but perhaps don’t give it personal information that you don’t want the rest of the world to know. What our national security agencies will be doing at the moment is having a look at the settings of the app and understanding more about how it works before it issues some formal guidance to Australians.
Opposition finance spokeswoman Jane Hume told Sunrise the government needed to make any security concerns about the use of DeepSeek public.
It’s overtaken ChatGPT, we would urge caution on this one. Take our advice from the security experts, and we hope that the government will make that advice explicit.
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Search for prison escapee under way
In New South Wales, police are appealing for information to help find a man who escaped from a minimum security correction facility in Nowra this morning.
David Johnson, 44, was last seen on the Links Road in South Nowra about 7.45am today.
Officers attached to south coast police district have commenced an investigation to locate him.
Johnson is described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 185cm tall, with a medium build, brown hair, blue eyes and a goatee-style beard. When last seen, he was wearing a dark green t-shirt, dark green shorts and no shoes.
Updated
Sydney light rail lines suspended
Sydney commuters have been hit with another round transport delays following the suspension of light rail lines due to an issue with communication systems.
This morning three lines including L1 Dulwich Hill, L2 Randwick and L3 Kingsford were suspended, with Transdev issuing an alert warning travellers to allow extra travel time.
Light rail services have since begun running again in a limited fashion, with buses continuing to supplement some services.
It follows train union halt work bans that have wrought havoc across Sydney’s transport network in recent months, as negotiations with the state government continue.
Transdev said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon:
Sydney trams are back in full service.
There were communications and signalling system issues earlier with L1 Dulwich Hill, L2 Randwick, and L3 Kingsford suspended at about 8am this morning.
L1 trams gradually resumed from 8.45am and L2 and L3 from 9 am.
Updated
Victoria launches advisory council to boost struggling live music industry
The Victorian government has launched a new music industry advisory council to provide expert advice on the challenges facing the state’s music industry and future-proofing its global recognition.
Chaired by the managing director of independent music publisher Concord Australia and Apra Amcos board member, Jaime Gough, the group is made up of 14 artists, venue operators, promoters, publishers, managers and other industry leaders.
The minister for creative industries, Colin Brooks, said he looked forward to working with the new body to ensure Victoria remained the “beating heart” of Australian music.
We’re supporting Victorian artists and venues to thrive, creating more opportunities for creative projects, live gigs and local jobs while strengthening our state’s renowned music industry.
The news follows the cancellation of Splendour in the Grass for the second year in a row, with organisers citing needing “a little more time to recharge”.
Throughout 2024 a federal parliamentary inquiry into the faltering live music sector held a series of hearings across the country.
Rising operational costs and increasing incidences of extreme weather – necessitating last-minute cancellations and driving up the cost of insurance premiums – were the most common reasons cited at the hearings for the sector’s failure.
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Greens pledge $31bn for public hospitals under new plan
The Greens have announced a $30.6bn election commitment to public hospitals across the nation, which would increase commonwealth funding to the co-funded sector.
The pledge would see a pathway to 50-50 funding of public hospitals between the states and territories and the federal government and remove the 6.5% cap on funding growth.
Senator Jordon Steele-John, the Greens spokesperson for health and mental health, said he had heard from nurses and doctors that they “desperately need our governments to invest more in our local public hospitals”.
It’s time for the major parties to stop passing the buck between state and federal governments and do what the community expects – that is, invest the money needed to ensure everyone can access the best possible healthcare at our local public hospitals.
This election there is a clear choice – more of the same underfunding of our local public hospitals, or we can get more Greens into federal parliament to make billionaires and big corporations pay their fair share of tax to fund the public healthcare our community needs, like well-resourced local public hospitals, dental into medicare, and seeing the GP for free.
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Head of Victorian lodge ‘devastated’ at loss from bushfire
The camp director of Little Desert Nature Lodge, Moshe Kahn, appeared on ABC News Breakfast this morning following the loss of the accommodation facility in bushfires yesterday.
Kahn said he was “just devastated” and there was “no thought of a bushfire” when about 100 people visited the lodge over the weekend.
It was beautiful. It was peaceful. An incredible uplifting weekend. I left on Sunday morning. Monday morning, all of the other guests left and there was no thought of a bushfire.
The lodge has been in operation for five decades and had entered new owners’ hands two years ago. Asked if anything had been saved, Kahn said the manager’s residence was spared but the entire main block including 40 bedrooms was “all gone”.
The guests left at about 11am. There was no talk of fire. At about 12.30pm … [we had a] phone call from the CFA saying that there was a fire but you don’t need to evacuate. We evacuated about 5pm and by 8pm it was already on fire.
We’re going to need help rebuilding … there’s open grass all around … it’s quite incredible that it even caught on fire. But it ended up flying across and landed right on the deck with the ember so that’s ultimately what got it going … Had you asked me on Monday morning... it’s not what we thought would happen.
Updated
Origin Energy fined $1.6m after revealing details on violence-affected families
Australians fleeing family violence had their private details shared without their consent and were pursued for debt recovery by a major energy retailer, AAP reports.
Origin Energy has paid $1.6m in fines after it was served penalty notices by the Essential Services Commission for breaching rules to safeguard the vulnerable cohort between June 2021 and March 2024.
In that span, the ASX-listed company disclosed confidential information of 16 family violence-affected customers without their consent 21 times and took debt recovery action against another 38 without considering the potential impact.
Under Victorian rules, energy retailers cannot disclose a customer’s information to third parties without consent and are required to consider the potential impact of debt recovery on those customers.
Origin’s conduct was disappointing and highlighted the need for a continued focus on supporting family violence victims, commission chair Gerard Brody said.
This penalty shows the Essential Services Commission is determined to ensure retailers follow those rules.
Origin has been contacted for comment.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732), Lifeline 13 11 14
Updated
Race discrimination commissioner condemns neo-Nazi rally in Adelaide
Australia’s race discrimination commissioner, Giridharan Sivaraman, has condemned a neo-Nazi rally held in Adelaide on Australia Day, warning a national anti-racism framework is needed to combat the white supremacy movement.
South Australian police arrested 16 men on Sunday alleged to be members of the National Socialist Network, following a march through Adelaide’s CBD. One was charged with using a Nazi symbol.
Sivaraman said far right rallies were a “horrific manifestation” of what happened when racism was normalised.
The rise of far-right movements in this country and their influence cannot be ignored. This was a day of national significance which is also a day of sorrow and remembrance for many First Nations people.
Politicians and other prominent figures need to be careful that their language doesn’t embolden these acts of hatred. The media needs to be careful about which ideologies it platforms and how.
If we really want to target these and other similar threats, the only way forward is national anti-racism action that addresses the roots of this ideology in Australia.
Updated
Woman charged with murder after alleged stabbing near Shellharbour
A woman will appear in court today on murder charges following the death of a man near Shellharbour in regional New South Wales on Tuesday.
Emergency services were called to a street in Dunmore about 3pm after a 25-year-old man was found critically injured.
NSW Ambulance paramedics treated the man for a stab wound to his abdomen but he died at the scene.
Following police inquiries, a 35-year-old woman was arrested at a home at Albion Park Rail this morning and taken to Lake Illawarra police station, where she was charged with murder.
She has been refused bail to appear in Wollongong local court today. Police believe a number of people were at the scene at the time and inquiries are continuing.
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People with disability to get ‘more choice over where they live’ under Labor plan
The minister for social services, Amanda Rishworth, appeared on ABC News Breakfast this morning ahead of launching an updated disability strategy to improve accessibility for 5.5 million Australians living with a disability. It will have a particular focus on homelessness and housing.
She said:
What the strategy will do is actually get all levels of government … making sure that when it comes to homelessness services, there will be a particular focus on meeting the needs of people with disability. And when it comes to building homes, there will be a focus on making sure that those homes are more accessible as well, so that people with disabilities have more choice over where they live.
Rishworth pointed to a spot of intriguing local news for her South Australian electorate, with reports that her main opponent for the Liberal party will be another Rishworth – her cousin.
How do you feel about that?
Rishworth replied that she hadn’t been in contact with her opponent, adding that “it’s a democracy”.
Anyone can run. So I’ll be putting what I stand for and my record forward at this election. And I’m really proud to stand by the fact that I’ve fought very hard for my electorate every single day that I’ve been the local member and I’ll be standing on that record.
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Third man charged over alleged bashing of off-duty police
A third man accused of involvement in a bashing that left two off-duty police officers in hospital has been hit with charges, AAP reports.
Emergency services were called to the popular Sydney entertainment precinct of Enmore Road in Newtown on 22 January, where they treated the officers, including a 25-year-old who was unresponsive.
An off-duty nurse gave him CPR until paramedics arrived and he was taken to hospital. Both police have since been released from care.
Koby Weaver, 20, and Danai Deneiderhavsein, 18, faced Downing Centre local court last Friday on charges relating to the incident but neither received bail.
Police confirmed on Wednesday that a 22-year-old man was also arrested in Enmore on Tuesday afternoon.
He has been charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent and assault occasioning actual bodily harm in the company of others.
Police did not issue him bail and he will face the Newtown local court on Wednesday.
Weaver was charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent, while Deneiderhavsein was charged with two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in company
A court was last week shown a brief phone-camera clip said to capture part of the alleged confrontation.
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Woman due in court over alleged murder in Coffs Harbour
A woman has been charged following an investigation into the alleged murder of a man on the New South Wales mid-north coast last year.
Emergency services were called to Kurrajong Street in Coffs Harbour about 4.15am on Thursday 26 September 2024 following reports of an assault.
Officers found a 41-year-old man suffering injuries to his upper body and he was taken taken to Coffs Harbour hospital, where he later died.
A 24-year-old man was charged by police and remains before the courts.
Following further inquiries, police arrested a 38-year-old woman at Coffs Harbour police station yesterday and she was charged with accessory after the fact to murder and carry a cutting weapon upon apprehension.
She was refused bail to appear before Coffs Harbour local court today, Wednesday 29 January.
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Teens charged after fatal NSW motorcycle collision
Three teenagers have been charged following the death of a motorcyclist in regional New South Wales on Tuesday.
About 7.15am, officers attempted to stop a ute that had been reported stolen from Moree, on the Kamilaroi Highway, west of Gunnedah.
It allegedly failed to stop and a pursuit began before it collided with a motorcycle.
Police stopped to assist the rider, who was critically injured. He was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics but died at the scene.
The ute allegedly continued through Gunnedah on to the Oxley Highway and further police attended to assist and initiated a second pursuit.
At Carroll, east of Gunnedah, the ute left the road with three occupants allegedly running from the scene. Following a search, three boys, all aged 14, were arrested and taken to Tamworth police station.
A 14-year-old boy, who police will allege was the driver, has been charged with 15 offences including aggravated dangerous driving occasioning death and fail to stop and assist, while the other two boys, both aged 14, have each been charged with five offences.
All were refused bail to appear in a children’s court on Wednesday.
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Greens choose western Sydney candidates for election
The Greens have launched two women to run in Barton and Watson in the upcoming federal election as focus turns to Labor’s hold on western Sydney.
Deputy Greens leader and NSW senator Dr Mehreen Faruqi today announced the preselection of Manal Bahsa as the candidate for Barton and Jocelyn Brewer as the candidate for Watson.
Faruqi said:
Jocelyn is a former teacher, parent and psychologist. She is ready to fiercely fight for change for her community. Manal is a practising lawyer and a woman of colour who lives in the heart of Barton. She will be an authentic, powerful voice for her community. We will keep Dutton and his Coalition out, but the truth is that Labor has abandoned western Sydney, and people have had enough.
Brewer pointed to tax reform of bid corporations, free dental and mental health services and the climate crisis and key policy platforms, while Bahsa said she was a “passionate advocate for civil rights”.
While I was born in Australia, my family’s diverse heritage has deeply shaped who I am – my mother is of Greek and Ghanaian descent, and my father is Lebanese.
To me, Australian democracy is about more than just elections – it’s about valuing the inherent dignity of every individual and ensuring everyone has the right to live free from oppression, discrimination and fear.
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Heffernan said the Grampians fire had grown to 5,000 hectares overnight as a result of dry lightning on the western side of the national park.
It will continue to burn for some time and be a challenge for firefighters in the days and weeks to come, particularly as we see warmer weather returning to the state.
A lot of work is now starting to be done on the private farmland adjoining the Grampians National Park in anticipation for that warmer weather later on this week and into next week. And it’s just so devastating for the local community, but also devastating for our First Nations people there. As we know, the Grampians is full of such rich heritage for our First Nations people.
Dry lightning ignites Grampians fire front as community faces 'devastating loss'
Firefighters are continuing to battle an out-of-control blaze north-west of Melbourne that has destroyed two homes and an accommodation lodge.
Country Fire Authority (CFA) chief officer Jason Heffernan appeared on ABC News Breakfast this morning to provide an update. He said crews had been working “very hard” overnight on the Little Desert fire and the fire in the Grampians.
Melbourne wasn’t let go either, with a grassfire very early this morning in Altona that needed to be responded to by Fire Rescue Victoria and assisted by the CFA.
Today, attention will turn back to the western part of the state. Crews will continue to black out and overhaul that fire ground as residents continue to return into the township of Dimboola to check their properties … unfortunately we’ve seen that loss of property there, and the nature lodge as well, which will be devastating for the local community.
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Gallagher on the chances of interest rates cut
The finance minister, Katy Gallagher, is appearing on ABC Radio National ahead of today’s inflation numbers.
Asked if she was confident the RBA would cut rates, she replied the government had been making sure the decisions it took “don’t work against the RBA” and “the statistics speak for themselves”.
When we came to government inflation had a six in front of it, now it has a two in front of it.
Gallagher said there had been “quite extraordinary” job creation in Labor’s term, with 1.1m additional jobs, almost half going to women, and wages growing “for the first time in a decade”.
Asked if Labor would implement further cost-of-living relief if there was no rate cut, she pointed to the upcoming budget, due to be handed down on 25 March.
We get that people have been doing it tough, feeling under pressure, which is why throughout the budget we have found very responsible ways to find some relief from that … As we are putting our budget together, obviously we are mindful of the economic conditions, how people are feeling and whether there are any responsible decisions we can take.
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Labor adds homelessness focus to disability strategy
Australians with disabilities experiencing homelessness will be prioritised as the government commits to disability reforms, months after a scathing royal commission into the sector, AAP reports.
The updated disability strategy, which acts as a framework for policy commitments from state and federal governments, will include an additional homelessness priority area, commitment to a new community engagement plan and three fresh action plans.
The updated plan will be unveiled by social services minister Amanda Rishworth in Melbourne on Wednesday. She said the plans set out the “specific steps” governments would take to drive change:
For the first time, they also include a number of national actions that all governments will work on together, with the disability community, to ensure people with disability right across Australia experience the benefits.
The review was led by an advisory council, chaired by Jane Spring, who said the peak bodies and disabled community were looking for better coordination of services.
Spring said three new targeted action plans would include better housing services, a plan for safety, rights and justice of Australians with disabilities and a commitment to better data collection.
The strategy review was one of 222 recommendations from the landmark disability royal commission. Ten months after the report was released, the government committed to fully implementing just 13 of the recommendations.
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Funding boost for uni agriculture programs
Four universities have received $1m in funding to run agriculture pilot programs in a bid to attract students to the profession.
The funding, allocated in the federal budget, will go to Charles Sturt University, the University of Queensland, Australian National University and Charles Darwin University, to run over 2025 and 2026.
The assistant minister for education and agriculture, fisheries and forestry, Anthony Chisholm, said the work liaison pilot program aimed to undo “preconceived stereotypes” about working in the agricultural sector.
Some students, especially those in our cities, can see a career in agriculture as something that’s only for those who live in the regions or for those whose family own land that can be used to operate an agribusiness.
AgConnections aims to break down these misconceptions and build on the diversity of the industry, by highlighting and encouraging women and Indigenous Australians wanting to pursue a career in agriculture.
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What’s been happening with the weather
The Bureau of Meteorology’s Sarah Scully appeared on ABC News Breakfast this morning to run through the severe weather that has been hitting Australia this week – from heavy rainfall to extreme heat and fire danger.
Scully said the focus of the heat moved out of Melbourne on Monday to New South Wales, with widespread temperatures reaching 40 degrees on Tuesday.
Really gusty southerly changes pushed through the Sydney area around 4pm … the mean wind with that buster just to the south of Sydney was 80km/h gusting to 90km/h so it really packed a punch and dropped temperatures by 10 to 15 degrees as it moved through within the hour.
Meanwhile, further north, Queensland was hit with 200mm of rain in some parts on Monday and Tuesday, particularly the far north. Scully said the BoM was monitoring five different tropical low developments across the waters of northern Australia.
Scully:
There’s a few that we’re keeping a particular eye on. One of those is the low sitting off Cairns. From tomorrow there’s a low chance of it developing into a tropical cyclone and that risk increases towards the weekend to moderate but there’s also tropical lows set to develop through the Gulf of Carpentaria and another one in the Coral Sea and as well two off the north-west coast of WA.
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New health cyber sharing network aims to improve data protection
A cyber “neighbourhood watch” for healthcare providers and industry is being set up to help protect Australians’ most sensitive information from cyber threats.
Recent cyber-attacks on healthcare organisations, including health funds and hospitals, have led the federal government to award $6.4m to CI-ISAC, a not-for-profit organisation providing cyber threat intelligence, to create a health-specific, information-sharing and analysis centre.
The new health cyber sharing network will enable organisations across the sector – including public and private hospitals, health insurance providers, medical clinics, as well as a large number of health and medical-related third-party suppliers and vendors – to exchange cyber security threat information more quickly, within a secure and confidential environment.
David Sandell, the CEO of CI-ISAC Australia, said:
The health and medical sector holds a large amount of incredibly private and personal medical and financial information. We have already seen several high-profile data breaches in the health sector, and the new network can help members reduce their cyber risks. Cyber-attacks can also greatly disrupt important health services, and this industry cannot afford interruptions with patients’ wellbeing at stake.
The national cyber security coordinator, Lt Gen Michelle McGuinness, said:
Many in the healthcare sector would know well the philosophy that prevention is better than a cure. This also applies to cyber security and is the driving concept behind this grant.
Strong industry collaboration and enhanced threat detection through the work of CI-ISAC will increase the protection of Australians’ sensitive health data.
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Good morning, readers. It’s Caitlin Cassidy here to take you through the news of the day. Thank you as ever to Martin Farrer for kicking us off this morning.
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Federal funding for free internet extended
Thousands of families with school children will be eligible for free internet, with the government announcing $4.9m to extend the free school student broadband initiative to June 2028.
The program was due to end in 2025, which the government says is currently accessed by more than 23,000 families.
Under the extension up to 30,000 places will be available for eligible families who have difficulty accessing internet connections.
Communications minister Michelle Rowland said it would ensure more families didn’t have to deal with the “burden and uncertainty of mobile internet usage and data cost” so their children could do their homework.
The school student broadband initiative is making a serious difference for thousands of families who now are able to enjoy the benefits of having reliable internet at home – a must in our increasingly digital world.
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Coalition has narrow lead over Labor, poll suggests
The Coalition holds a narrow lead over Labor ahead of a federal election that must be held by mid-May, a Roy Morgan poll suggests, Australian Associated Press reports.
The survey puts the coalition on 52% to Labor’s 48% on a two-party-preferred basis, unchanged from the pollster’s reading of support in the previous week.
Prime minister Anthony Albanese and opposition leader Peter Dutton both visited Western Australia this week in what is seen as unofficial election campaigning.
On primary votes, Roy Morgan said the coalition was down 1.5 points to 40.5% while Labor’s support was up one point to 29.5%.
Support for the Greens fell 1.5 points to 11.5% while backing for the other minor parties category slipped 0.5 points to 3.5%.
One Nation gained two points to 6% and support for independent candidates rose 0.5% to 9%.
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The likelihood of a February interest rate cut
Mortgage-holders will be about $8,000 better off on average if a slowdown in inflation paves the way for the Reserve Bank of Australia to cut rates as expected, AAP reports.
Data to be released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday is widely tipped to show core inflation for the December quarter was substantially lower than the RBA’s forecasts.
With underlying inflation moving sustainably back to target and Australia’s economy growing at its slowest rate since the 1990s – outside the pandemic – the door should be opened to an interest rate cut in February, Deloitte Access Economics partner Stephen Smith said.
On the other hand, tightness in the labour market, elevated government spending and a falling Australian dollar were militating against a cut.
But Smith still expects 75 basis points of cuts in 2025 followed by a further 75 basis points in 2026. He said:
By the end of the rate-cutting cycle, a household with an average-sized mortgage and a variable mortgage rate would be around $8,000 better off in today’s dollars.
Read more in our preview story
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Verdict due in Struhs murder trial
The verdict in a mammoth trial of 14 members of a Toowoomba religious sect accused of causing the death of an eight-year-old member with diabetes is expected to be handed down in Queensland today.
Elizabeth Struhs died on 6 or 7 January 2022, allegedly of diabetic ketoacidocis due to not being provided insulin.
Her father, Jason, is on trial for murder, as is Brendan Stevens, the head of the Toowoomba order, known as the Saints.
Elizabeth’s mother, Kerrie, and brother Zachary are charged with manslaughter, alongside 10 other members of the Saints.
The Queensland supreme court sat for nine weeks last year before Justice Martin Burns adjourned the case to consider his verdict in September.
The Saints, who repeatedly told the court that they believe Elizabeth will be raised from the dead, refused legal counsel and did not enter pleas. Pleas of not guilty were entered on their behalf.
Jason Struhs allegedly withdrew some of his daughter’s insulin on 1 January 2022 and all of it two days later. As her health deteriorated, the Saints are alleged to have sung and prayed for her healing or resurrection, and are accused of not calling an ambulance.
If Jason Struhs and/or Brendan Stevens are convicted, it would be the first time a person has been convicted of murder in Queensland “by reckless indifference”.
Justice Burns will begin handing down his judgment, which is expected to be lengthy, at 11.30am Brisbane time.
In a separate case, Kerrie Struhs was convicted of failing to provide the necessaries of life when Elizabeth fell into a coma in 2019, also as a result of her type-1 diabetes.
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Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it will be Caitlin Cassidy for the bulk of the day.
It’s not often that the release of economic statistics can be described as highly anticipated. But it holds true for millions of Australians about today’s inflation numbers and their potential impact of interest rates. And that’s not to mention Anthony Albanese, who is trailing Peter Dutton in the polls and could do with a better story to tell about the economy. More coming up and the figures are out at 11.30am.
Verdicts are expected later this morning in the trial of Jason Struhs and 13 other members of the religious group he belonged to over the death of his eight-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, who suffered from diabetes.
One of the people attending the commemoration at Auschwitz was Australia’s attorney general, Mark Dreyfus. Three of his grandparents died at the hands of the Nazis and today he writes a moving piece about the “shocking rise in antisemitism in Australia” and how attempts to politicise the issue must be rejected. He simply says: “Today I say never again.”
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