What we learned: Wednesday, 3 April
With that thrilling statement, we will wrap the blog for the evening. We’ll be back first thing tomorrow for all the latest. Until then, have a lovely night.
Here were the major developments of the day:
Samantha Mostyn will be Australia’s next governor general. Speaking in Canberra, the prime minister said Mostyn, who will be the 28th governor general and the second woman to hold the role, will be sworn in on July 1.
The Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (Vals) has slammed the state government’s response to a report by the Indigenous-truth telling commission into reform to overhaul the child protection and criminal justice systems. The Victorian government has handed down its response to a report by the Yoorrook justice commission. The government has supported four of the report’s 46 recommendations in full, while 24 have been accepted in principle.
The Northern Territory government has announced funding to recruit an additional 200 police officers in a bid to “deliver more police on our streets than ever before”.
And Anthony Albanese said he spoke with Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, this morning, expressing his concern over Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom’s death following an Israeli air strike. The foreign minister, Penny Wong, said the Israeli government “must change course”, while the Israeli ambassador to Australia, Amir Maimon, vowed Israel would “thoroughly investigate this tragedy”.
Updated
King Charles issues statement on appointment of new governor general
King Charles has released an official statement following the announcement of our next governor general, Sam Mostyn.
He says he has been “pleased” to approve the appointment of Mostyn on the advice of our PM.
The governor general holds office at the pleasure of the King, however, in Australia, a governor general’s term of office is usually understood to be five years.
His excellency general the honourable David Hurley will conclude his appointment on 1 July 2024.
There you have it! He’s not mincing his words.
Updated
Parking cars in EV charging spaces without charging them to be fineable offence in SA
Parking petrol-powered vehicles in spaces designed for electric cars will attract fines in six Australian states and territories after the South Australian government announced new penalties for the act.
Electric car drivers will not be immune to the fines, either, because they include a penalty for drivers who park battery-powered vehicles in charging bays but do not connect to a charger.
The South Australian government launched the transport penalties this week, following states including NSW, Victoria and Queensland. Industry experts welcomed the move, saying it could educate more road users about the importance of vehicle chargers, but they also warned it could take months before fines are issued.
The new parking offences, which were gazetted by the government in November last year, will attract on-the-spot fines of $75 in the first instance and $111 for repeated infringements.
Fines will be issued to drivers of diesel and petrol-powered cars who park their vehicle in clearly signposted electric vehicle charging bays, as well as EV drivers who park in the spaces but do not use the charger provided.
-AAP.
Updated
Julia Gillard issues congratulations to new governor general Sam Mostyn
Former Labor prime ministers are lining up to get behind the appointment of Sam Mostyn: First Paul Keating, now Julia Gillard.
— Julia Gillard (@JuliaGillard) April 3, 2024
One question remains. With David Hurley, and her excellency, Linda Hurley exiting the building, who will take up the mantle of resident singing sovereign?
COLDEST 100
— australian kitsch 🦘 (@OzKitsch) January 28, 2023
1.
Song for the Invasive Species Solutions Trust (2021)
Her Excellency Linda Hurley 🇦🇺#coldest100 #hottest100 pic.twitter.com/tTheILUkpR
Updated
Dfat still determining if any Australians injured by Taiwan earthquake
Australian officials in Taipei are still making inquiries with local authorities to determine whether any Australians have been affected by the earthquake in the region.
A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Dfat) said Australians in the region were advised to follow the directions of local authorities.
Dfat doesn’t have a register of Australians residing or travelling overseas, with initial reports confirming four people have died and dozens have been injured in the natural disaster.
Australians in need of emergency consular assistance should contact the Australian government’s 24-hour consular emergency centre 1300 555 135 (within Australia) and +61 2 6261 3305 (from overseas).
Read our coverage here:
Updated
Storms and possible floods to hit eastern NSW from Friday
Storms, heavy rain and potential flooding will hit north-east NSW and southern Queensland from Thursday before heading south to Sydney.
A wet weather system will start moving into northern NSW overnight, delivering widespread rainfall of 30 to 50 mm across the New England and Northern Rivers regions and possible flooding in southern Queensland on Thursday. Sydney will get three days of drenching as the trough sweeps through, with up to 25mm on Thursday, up to 100mm on Friday, and up to 50mm on Saturday.
The BoM has warned flooding could hit Sydney and coastal NSW on Saturday, with particularly strong floods possible along the Hawkesbury-Nepean River from late Friday.
NSW’s SES is moving its volunteers from the state’s west towards the east coast, to back up their Sydney and coastal colleagues. “Most of our eastern coastline is going to be operational with this potential weather system,” spokesperson Stephanie Heard said.
Heard said the NSW SES is well-prepared to support communities but warned residents against entering floodwaters.
We’re really urging people at the moment to never ride, walk or drive through any floodwaters … It’s just not worth the risk.
The weather system drenched Victoria before sweeping north into Queensland earlier this week. It’s set to grow stronger overnight and potentially form a low pressure system as it moves south and draws in ocean moisture ahead of the weekend.
Updated
McCarthy says there were discussions about appointing an Indigenous governor general
McCarthy was also asked about the appointment of Sam Mostyn as Australia’s next governor general.
It was speculated on and I think we even discussed it here with you that the prime minister might consider, at least consider, an opportunity to appoint an Indigenous governor general.
“We did discuss that,” she replied.
Asked if we will have to wait another five years for the prospect, McCarthy quipped:
We certainly did discuss it and in fact I think I might have suggested you should bury a hatchet in it as well … clearly the prime minister is very happy with their choice and I certainly wish Sam Mostyn all the best.
Updated
Alice Springs curfew ‘not the long-term solution’, assistant minister says
A curfew in Alice Springs is “not the long-term solution” to address youth crime, the assistant minister for Indigenous Australians has told the ABC.
Speaking on Afternoon Briefing ahead of her trip to Central Australia, Malarndirri McCarthy said it was “good to see calm on the streets of Alice Springs” and a “circuit breaker” was needed to stem ongoing conflict.
But clearly it’s not the long-term solution.
We will travel down through to Tennant Creek and down to Alice Springs and get a sense of how people are feeling and what is going on and also get a deeper understanding of where this will go in terms of the long-term commitment of the Northern Territory government … we have committed from the federal perspective quite heavily in terms of funding in central Australia and it’s important to get a sense of where people are at.
Asked if it would make sense to extend the fortnight curfew throughout the duration of the school holidays, McCarthy said it was not for her to say.
I think it is important to listen to the residents of Alice Springs … both those who live there and those who come in from the communities as to how they are feeling.
Updated
Climate modelling predicts severe ‘megadroughts’ could hit Australia
Megadroughts that last more than two decades and are more severe than anything in recent experience could soon hit Australia, according to fresh climate modelling.
The droughts are exceptionally severe, long-lasting and widespread and can last decades or even centuries, researchers at the Australian National University and ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes say.
The ANU-led team found 20th century droughts in south-western and eastern Australia were longer on average compared to those in pre-industrial times. The research painted a picture of future droughts in Australia that were far worse than any from recent years.
Modelling co-author Georgy Falster said megadroughts were part of the natural variations in Australia’s climate, but human-induced changes were probably making the prospect of such an extreme event more likely.
The combination of climate change on top of naturally occurring megadroughts that could last for 20 years means that, in the future, Australia could see droughts that are worse than anything in recent history.
-AAP.
Updated
Tributes have continued to pour in for aid worker Zomi Frankcom after she was killed in Gaza, including from politicians across the political divide.
The foreign minister, Penny Wong, this afternoon laid flowers for Frankcom alongside Australian non-government organisations.
This afternoon I joined representatives from Australian NGOs to lay flowers for Zomi Frankcom at the monument to commemorate the sacrifices of Australia’s humanitarian workers.
— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) April 3, 2024
Zomi will not be forgotten. pic.twitter.com/NfHtWaZBH1
Her note reads:
For Zomi, Your commitment to humanity will not be forgotten. Vale, Penny Wong.
Updated
Don Farrell says Australia wants ‘accountability’ for aid workers’ deaths in Gaza
The trade minister, Don Farrell, is appearing on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing now, and the first line of questioning is the federal government’s response to the death of seven aid workers in Gaza – including an Australian.
What actions does Australia reserve the right to impose on Israel … what sanctions?
Farrell says Australia wants “accountability” and “oversight”, while falling short of confirming charges would be pressed if and when the actions of individuals were identified.
We want full accountability from the Israeli government about what has happened here.
Pointed to Australia’s expulsion of an Israeli diplomat in 2010 for forging four Australian passports used in the killing of a Hamas operative in Dubai, Farrell said he would “leave this to the prime minister and the foreign minister”.
I don’t think we could have expressed more strongly our condemnation of what has gone on here. An innocent, young Australian has been killed in terrible circumstances and we will continue to press the Israeli government for the satisfactory outcome of the situation.
Updated
First free Australian multi-day pill testing service wraps at Rabbits Eat Lettuce music festival
Australia’s first multi-day pill testing service has been successfully completed, with hundreds of festival-goers tested over the Easter long weekend.
The pill testing service, made available at Queensland’s Rabbits Eat Lettuce festival, forms part of a $1m state government commitment to fund and evaluate drug checking services over the next two years.
Some 257 festivalgoers had their substances tested for free by a qualified chemist over the four day event. They also met with a harm reduction worker as part of the service, who provided information on the dangers of drug use.
The average age of patrons who visited the service at the festival were between 28 and 30 years old.
Of the 210 samples provided, approximately 14 were discarded. The most common substances presented for testing were MDMA and ketamine.
Queensland’s minister for health, mental health and ambulance services Shannon Fentiman said there was “no safe way to take illicit drugs” - but harm could be reduced.
In 2021, there were over 2,200 drug-related deaths in Australia, which is 2,200 too many. That is why this initiative is important.
Updated
Humanitarian agencies issue joint statement condemning rising aid worker death toll in Gaza
Australian humanitarian agencies have endorsed a joint statement condemning the rising aid worker death toll in Gaza following the Israeli airstrike that killed seven people working for the World Central Kitchen.
Caritas Australia, Oxfam Australia, Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA, Save the Children Australia, ActionAid Australia, Plan International Australia, Care Australia and the Australian Council for International Development urged the federal government to use all diplomatic means available to ensure Israel complied with international humanitarian law – including support for a permanent ceasefire.
The bodies said at its “most basic level”, humanitarian law demands “rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access, freedom of movement for humanitarian workers, and the protection of civilians including medical and aid workers”.
It also demands the protection of refugees, prisoners, the wounded and sick.
Caritas Australia’s CEO, Kirsty Robertson, said inside Gaza civilians were experiencing “suffering on a mass scale”.
The psychological toll of this conflict is set to leave an unprecedented and tragic legacy on Gaza’s young population, over half of whom are under 15 years old. Protecting humanitarians as they try to alleviate some of this suffering is the bare minimum that we should expect as international community, and a human family.
Updated
Aged care peak body welcomes reform delay as chance to ‘get this right’
Continued from previous post:
The Aged & Community Care Providers Association (ACCPA) has welcomed the opportunity to provide continued input into the act.
Tom Symondson, the CEO of the industry peak body, says it is a “chance to usher in a new era to reform our aged care system”:
We need to make sure that the legislation, which will likely govern the aged care sector for the next 30 years, is not rushed. We need to get this right.
We of course want to see the legislation passed and implemented as soon as practical. But this allows more time to engage meaningfully with older people, the community, the sector and other stakeholders.
It is far more important that the legislation and associated requirements be passed when it is ready, than passed to meet the 1 July date.
Updated
Aged care reforms potentially delayed past 1 July commitment
Aged care minister Anika Wells says the government is taking more time to consider a new Aged Care Act, potentially pushing out the 1 July timeline that had previously been committed to.
The minister says the major new reform is one that “we must get right”. The government now doesn’t expect to have the act, updating laws from 1997, passed before 1 July - but is confident that the reforms will be made public later this year.
It’s understood that public comments on drafts and consultation sessions had been more fulsome than expected. Combined with only four parliament sitting weeks until July, including one week for the budget, it’s unlikely the major reforms will be passed before that time.
In a statement today, Wells thanked “the older people, their families and carers, workers, advocates and aged care providers who shared their feedback on the draft new Aged Care Act”.
We heard strong feedback that the proposed new Aged Care Act is a once in a generation opportunity for systemic reform that we must get right.
The government is now considering the extensive and valuable feedback to refine and finalise the draft legislation before it is introduced to parliament. We will update the commencement date of the legislation following these updates and before the bill is introduced to the parliament.
The minister said the government is “committed to working with all members of parliament to implement these reforms”.
Updated
A travel company and a Melbourne school have been charged over the death of a student who became unwell on a school trip.
Lachlan Cook, 16, a student at Kilvington Grammar, suffered diabetes complications during a trip to Vietnam in September 2019 and later died in a Melbourne hospital. His death was found to have been preventable by a coroner in 2023.
A court previously heard the boy had been self-managing his type 1 diabetes when he fell ill and was taken to hospital 24 hours after first showing symptoms.
On Wednesday, it was revealed WorkSafe has charged both the school and travel company.
World Travel Expeditions has been charged with three counts of failing to ensure that persons other than employees were not exposed to health and safety risks under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
The regulator alleges the company failed, so far as was reasonably practicable, to reduce the risk of illness or death to participating students, including those with diabetes.
The school is also facing one charge under the health and safety law.
- AAP.
Updated
NT announces funding for additional police recruitment
The Northern Territory government has announced funding to recruit an additional 200 police officers in a bid to “deliver more police on our streets than ever before”.
It comes midway into a curfew in Alice Springs preventing young people from leaving their homes between 6pm and 6am that has been criticised by the Northern Territory Police Association (NTPA) as possibly being unlawful.
The 200 extra officers will be recruited over the next four years, in addition to the current target of 1,642 officers in the Northern Territory police force.
The chief minister, Eva Lawler, said the investment in new police was the biggest commitment by any government in the Territory.
Nothing is more important than keeping Territorians safe – and that’s why my government will deliver more police on our streets than ever before.
Investing more in the Northern Territory police force so they can have the right amount of officers available to combat crime each day is a key plank of my commonsense plan to lower crime.
Updated
Jewish community organisations say death of aid workers in Israeli drone strike ‘a tragedy’ but ‘ultimately the responsibility of Hamas’
Jewish community organisations in Australia have responded after Israel confirmed it had killed seven aid workers, including the Australian citizen aid worker Lalzawmi “Zomi” Frankcom, in Gaza on Monday.
Earlier, we brought you comments from Australian political leaders, including Anthony Albanese, who said he had used a phone call with Benjamin Netanyahu this morning to express Australia’s anger and outrage and to demand “full accountability”.
The three cars were struck by Israeli drones when they travelled along a route south of Deir al-Balah pre-approved and coordinated with the Israel Defense Forces. The IDF chief of the general staff, Lt Gen Herzi Halevi, said today that the strike was “a grave mistake” that “followed a misidentification at night, during a war, in very complex conditions”.
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO, Alex Ryvchin, expressed “condolences to Ms Frankcom’s family and all those affected”, saying she was a hero:
Those who voluntarily travel to a war zone to help people in need are heroes. Their deaths are an immense tragedy. We support the government’s call for a thorough and transparent investigation to determine how this happened and ensure it doesn’t happen again.
Ryvchin said casualties caused by accidental fire were “a grim reality of war especially one involving a ruthless terrorist force that uses unlawful and sinister tactics intended to ensnare the civilian population in the fighting and inflict maximum suffering on non-combatants”.
The president of the Zionist Federation of Australia, Jeremy Leibler, said Frankcom was “part of the vital humanitarian resupply efforts by World Central Kitchen” and described her death as “a tragedy”. Leibler added:
The dual tragedy here is that like the innocent Israelis murdered by Hamas on 7 October and the innocent Palestinians since, Ms Frankcom’s death is ultimately the responsibility of Hamas.
Earlier, the relatively new Jewish Council of Australia called on the Australian government to “do everything in its power to stop Israel committing the crime of genocide” and to use “all available forms of diplomatic pressure, including sanctions and travel bans on extremist settlers and those suspected of war crimes”.
Updated
Paul Keating welcomes Sam Mostyn’s appointment as governor general
Australia’s next governor general, Sam Mostyn, may be best known as the first woman AFL commissioner and a longstanding gender equity advocate.
But earlier in her career, she was also an adviser to former PM Paul Keating. Keating, who championed the cause to become a republic during his tenure and since, has cast his politics aside to welcome her appointment.
I am certain Samantha Mostyn will bring much credit to the role of governor general.
Paul Keating’s statement on the appointment of Sam Mostyn as Governor-General. (Mostyn was communications policy adviser to Keating as PM.) #auspol pic.twitter.com/exGt0Z0Ah3
— Troy Bramston (@TroyBramston) April 3, 2024
Updated
Coroner tempers hopes for scope of teen’s inquest
An unprecedented inquest for the first juvenile to die in youth detention in Western Australia won’t be a roving royal commission, a coroner says.
Cleveland Dodd, 16, was found unresponsive after harming himself inside his cell in a troubled youth wing of a high-security adult prison in the early hours of October 12, 2023. The Indigenous teen was taken to hospital in a critical condition and later died, causing outrage and grief in the community.
Coroner Phil Urquhart said at the start of hearings in Perth on Wednesday there had never been a similar inquest in WA.
He said it was the first to be held for a young person who had died by “apparent suicide” in a youth detention centre contained in a maximum-security prison built to house adults.
The expedited inquest has also included an unprecedented early level of involvement from the coronial investigators, including examining Cleveland’s cell in Unit 18 soon after his death and supervising evidence gathering.
Despite this, Urquhart said the inquest would be a limited fact-finding exercise and he could not make findings of negligence or guilt for criminal offences.
Cleveland’s mother, Nadene Dodd, said in a statement her family is “still reeling” from the loss:
With each new detail that comes to light about the night he died or about Unit 18 generally, I become more determined to get justice for Cleveland, and for all the other boys sent there.
- via AAP
Updated
I’ll now leave you with Caitlin Cassidy, who will have the blog until this evening. Thank you for following along.
NSW Catholic high school teacher charged with having sex with 17-year-old student
A Catholic high school teacher in the New South Wales Hunter region has been charged with having sex with a 17-year-old student following a police investigation.
Police said they arrested the 39-year-old teacher at All Saints’ College in Maitland at the local police station on 28 March. He was charged with nine counts of sexual intercourse with a person under his care.
The teacher was granted conditional bail to appear before Maitland local court at the end of the month, police said.
The man was placed on “administrative leave” last month after being accused of serious misconduct.
More on this story here:
Victorian response to truth-telling report ‘reads like it was slapped together overnight’: Aboriginal Legal Service
The Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (Vals) has slammed the state government’s response to a report by the Indigenous-truth telling commission into reform to overhaul the child protection and criminal justice systems.
The Victorian government has handed down its response to a report by the Yoorrook justice commission. The government has supported four of the report’s 46 recommendations in full, while 24 have been accepted in principle.
Another 15 recommendations are under consideration, including establishing an independent police complaints body.
Vals says the government’s response is “unworthy of the heart wrenching truths” the inquiry heard.
In a statement, Nerita Waight, the chief executive of Vals, says it is “so disappointing” the government did not develop a “more detailed response” that supported all the recommendations in full:
We have waited over 210 days for the Victorian government to respond to the Yoorrook for justice report and it reads like it was slapped together overnight.
Updated
Dutton hints at Coalition support for blunting domination of big supermarkets
Staying with Peter Dutton’s earlier press conference, the opposition leader hinted toward support of new powers to break up the supermarket duopoly under a future Coalition government.
The Greens introduced divestiture proposals to the parliament in the recent sitting period, with the aims of breaking up the market power of Coles and Woolworths. The Nationals initially backed the concept, then later clarified that the Liberals and Nationals parties would work together on a divestment structure of their own.
Concrete details of that idea haven’t landed yet, but the opposition are believed to want any such powers to focus more tightly on supermarket players rather than broad-ranging powers applying to the whole economy.
Asked about the divestiture push today, Dutton didn’t rule it out.
He told his press conference:
I believe very strongly that if there’s market failure in a particular market and consumers are being adversely impacted – for example, in a particular geographic region where there was a concentration of Coles or Woolies stores, to the exclusion of those other competitors, and consumers were paying more by way of price – then I think in that circumstance, you would look at whether or not that market domination would continue.
You’ve got a situation now where Coles and Woolies have their own property development arms, they’re purchasing blocks of land so that other competitors can’t build within the vicinity of their existing operations or their planned operations. So, I think there’s a question mark about the appropriateness of that behaviour. Ultimately, we’ve got consumers who are paying through the roof at the moment for items when they turn up to a checkout, and that’s because of the government’s energy policy, because of the decisions the government’s made in two budgets which have forced up inflation.
The Nationals have also raised issue with the property development and “land banking” issue, where large companies buy up prime real estate which can stop the entry of new stores.
Updated
Dutton sidesteps questions about exactly where nuclear power stations should go
Peter Dutton is still resisting revealing exactly where the Coalition would plan to build nuclear power stations, again sidestepping questions about the key detail of the opposition’s controversial alternative to renewable energy.
Dutton has shared only bare details of the plan - which started as a push for small modular reactors, but now may rely on large structures. The Australian newspaper today reported that the opposition may finally unveil the details, long after first proposing the idea, in the lead to the May 14 budget.
Key questions remain about where the plants would be built, how much power they could generate, what it would cost, how much public funding the government would have to pledge to make the projects viable, and what the Coalition would propose to do with the nuclear waste.
Asked at a press conference today exactly where the nuclear plants would be built, Dutton quickly launched into a standard tut-tutting of renewables, running through a stump speech about “likely disruption to power”.
“Which means not just that your fridge goes off at home, but that the cold rooms go off at the supermarket, that we don’t have reliable energy for the manufacturing process so jobs are lost in the Australian economy.”
It went on like that for a while, before a journalist interjected to re-emphasise the actual question: “But what regions would this work in?”
The opposition leader would only repeat previous pledges around building them on former coal power station sites, without narrowing down that list.
He said:
We’ve been very definite in our advice that we’re looking at about half a dozen sites, on brownfield sites, those where you’ve got a coal fired generator coming to an end of life. We’ll make more announcements about that in due course.
Australia is the only country of the G20 that hasn’t got nuclear as part of its energy mix, or hasn’t committed to doing so as part of their domestic energy mix. Why is Anthony Albanese smarter than 19 of the G20 nations? Well, the fact is that he’s not.
Updated
Ambassador says Israel will 'thoroughly investigate this tragedy' after aid worker deaths
The Israeli ambassador to Australia, Amir Maimon, says he is “deeply saddened” by the deaths of the Australian citizen Zomi Frankcom and other aid workers in Gaza.
In a post on X a short time ago, Maimon said he and his team at the Israeli embassy “mourn the death of Australian humanitarian worker Zomi Frankcom”, who was part of the World Central Kitchen (WCK) charity team.
Maimon wrote on X:
The IDF does and will continue to do everything in its power to prevent harm to civilians. Israel will thoroughly investigate this tragedy to guarantee the safety and security of aid workers in Gaza.
The comments come after the Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said he used a phone call with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to express anger and outrage at the killings.
Three cars were struck by Israeli drones on Monday night when they travelled along a route south of Deir al-Balah pre-approved and coordinated with the Israel Defense Forces.
The IDF chief of the general staff, Lt Gen Herzi Halevi, said the strike was “a grave mistake” that “followed a misidentification at night, during a war, in very complex conditions”.
But WCK said it was “an attack on humanitarian organizations showing up in the most dire of situations where food is being used as a weapon of war”.
Updated
Rosie Batty agrees money could be better spent stopping violence than buying submarines
An audience member at Rosie Batty’s National Press Club address has yelled “don’t spend it on submarines!” after Batty was asked what the government needs to do in the upcoming budget to “put their money where their mouth is” and help end violence against women and children.
“Very good answer,” Batty responded to the suggestion from the audience member.
Batty said the current model of funding distribution leaves the sector “scratching around”:
The way that our funding is distributed, it does not encourage collaboration. It does not really encourage us all working together. We’re kind of competing with each other, scratching around, trying to gather stuff.
The scale of this issue is so enormous. So we really do need to not let them off the hook, keep them accountable.
Updated
Circling back to Rosie Batty’s speech at the National Press Club.
Batty has urged a look at how unconscious bias impacts responses to domestic violence, saying one of the reasons her story was deemed so “horrific” was because she was a “white privileged middle-class woman”.
She said:
I will never know what it’s like to have my visa hanging over my head or not have any rights and no benefits and no support, except some charitable model that may just help me, and the degree of isolation and abuse those women are experiencing defies belief.
Aboriginal women disproportionately experience violence and the culture of violence is not Aboriginal. We know that. The effects of colonisation and racism, all of this - those [are] drivers. So I think it’s our job still to not let those people who are experiencing violence be swept aside, to not be seen, to have no voice. We need to make space for them.
Earlier in Batty’s speech, she said a dedicated minister focussed on children would be an “important step” in ending violence against women and children.
She also backed the government’s ambition to end the violence against women and children in a generation, saying:
By making that bold suggestion, we can pressure the government towards that. How can we aim for less? It is possible.
Murder charge heard in court after woman’s body found in Brisbane unit
A man charged with murder after a woman’s body was found in an inner-Brisbane unit will remain in custody.
Steven Rhain Pinker, 42, was arrested about 1pm on Tuesday after police found the body of a 66-year-old West Australian woman in a Brunswick Street unit in Fortitude Valley.
The dead woman was related to Pinker and he was charged with one count of murder as a domestic violence offence.
Magistrate Colin Strofield adjourned the matter until April 29 and remanded Pinker in custody.
– via AAP
Updated
Dutton says death of aid worker Zomi Frankcom a 'tragic circumstance'
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, says the killing of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom by an Israeli airstrike was a “tragic circumstance” and expressed his condolences for her family.
Speaking from Sydney earlier today, Dutton said:
Our thoughts, our prayers and condolences obviously go out to Zomi’s family and her friends and those who are there serving at the moment in harm’s way trying to provide support to to people who are in a very difficult situation.
Dutton said innocent people were losing their lives in Gaza as “a direct result of Hamas’ attacks on the 7th of October” and called on Hamas to release hostages “so that a ceasefire can be entered into”.
Dutton’s comments come after Anthony Albanese detailed a phone call had with Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu where Albanese expressed “outrage” and demanded “full accountability” following the killing of Frankcom, and six other aid workers, while delivering aid in Gaza.
Updated
Rosie Batty feels ‘despair’ at level of domestic violence despite her efforts
Rosie Batty, who is speaking about the national domestic violence crisis and is marking 10 years since her son Luke was murdered by his father, has said “transforming our culture is a long game, but we must maintain hope”.
She tells the National Press Club:
Between many things they have grappled with since Luke’s death, large among them is feeling the absolute despair I carry. That despite my campaigns, despite the hundreds of speeches I’ve made, despite marching, crying, and shouting from the rooftops about family violence, despite a royal commission and millions of dollars of resources to prevent violence against women and children, [women] are still being murdered at an alarming rate in Australia. One woman a week is murdered by her current or former partner. Last year, 64 women were killed in instances of violence in Australia.
There’s one hard truth staring all of us in the face. Nearly everyone who has experienced family violence in this country, mostly women and children, did so at the hands of a man. More than 94% of perpetrators are men. We must hold these perpetrators to accounts, yes, but we must also instil in our boys something better than this narrow and damaging definition we use to describe “real men”.
Updated
The domestic violence campaigner Rosie Batty is appearing now to address the National Press Club.
Updated
‘Brilliant choice’: reactions to Sam Mostyn’s appointment as governor general
Politicians and leaders across the spectrum are welcoming the appointment of Sam Mostyn as the nation’s next governor general – the second woman to hold the position.
She will be sworn in on 1 July, replacing David Hurley.
Congratulations to Australia’s next Governor-General, Sam Mostyn.
— Tanya Plibersek (@tanya_plibersek) April 3, 2024
Sam is a business leader who has spent her career championing gender equality in business, sport and community. She will bring a wealth of experience and compassion to the role of GG.
An outstanding choice. pic.twitter.com/jpFa1m88JB
The actress and writer Magda Szubanski said it was the “best bloody news EVAH”, adding Mostyn was a “brilliant choice” for the job.
Craig Foster, chair of the Australian Republic Movement, said Mostyn would be a “wonderful president of the Australian republic”.
An inspired choice in Sam Mostyn, a genuine, beautiful human who cares about others. One that I’m sure Australians would make, if we had the choice. Rather than asking for the approval of a King. In fact, Sam would be a wonderful President of the Australian Republic.
Congratulations to Sam Mostyn AO on her appointment as our next Governor General when David Hurley completes his term. She is an outstanding choice. pic.twitter.com/GCldDiT66D
— Zoe Daniel MP (she/her) (@zdaniel) April 2, 2024
Updated
In social post, Wong reiterates call for Gaza ceasefire and condemns ‘outrageous’ deaths
The foreign minister, Penny Wong, has taken to social media to reiterate her calls for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Wong made her first public statement on the death of Australian citizen Zomi Frankcom and her colleagues yesterday evening, and has since made a number of media appearances condemning the violence as “outrageous and unacceptable”.
The deaths of Zomi Frankcom and her colleagues are outrageous and unacceptable.
— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) April 3, 2024
They only make more urgent our call for the Netanyahu Government to comply with the demands of the international community. pic.twitter.com/O508tclzBi
More than 30,000 people are dead and more than 650,000 Palestinians starving. And now more than 190 humanitarian workers killed.
We repeat our demands for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. Aid must flow, civilians must be protected, hostages must be released.
Updated
Bus driver set to plead to charges over fatal Hunter Valley crash
A bus driver accused of causing one of Australia’s deadliest crashes, which left 10 people dead and 25 injured, is expected to plead to the charges next month.
Brett Button, 59, appeared briefly in Newcastle local court on Wednesday, where his lawyer indicated he planned to enter pleas to the charges against him at his next court appearance over the Hunter Valley crash in June 2023.
Defence barrister Chris O’Brien was granted an application for the case to be adjourned to 8 May, so discussions with the NSW Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions could continue. O’Brien said a case conference was held on Tuesday, but further talks were needed.
He said it was anticipated Button would be ready to plead to the charges next month and either be committed for trial if he pleaded not guilty or for sentencing if he pleaded guilty.
Button was granted bail in June after concerns were raised for his mental health and wellbeing if he remained in custody.
He is facing a total of 89 charges after 10 counts of manslaughter and 16 counts of causing bodily harm by “wanton or furious driving’ were added to his previous charges when the case was mentioned in court in January.
Button was arrested after a bus taking 35 wedding guests from the Wandin Valley Estate to Singleton crashed at about 11.30pm on June 11.
– via AAP
Updated
Clare puts wellbeing of school principals on agenda after alarming survey
The education minister, Jason Clare, will put the wellbeing of school principals firmly on the agenda after the release of a survey that warned of a possible mass exodus from the teaching profession.
The latest results of the ACU Principals’ Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Survey found more than half of the nation’s school leaders were considering quitting or retiring early due to stress and unsustainable workloads.
Clare has confirmed the issue of retaining and sustaining school leaders will be introduced at the upcoming education ministers meeting, with a view to incorporate concrete strategies into the upcoming National School Reform Agreement (NSRA).
It’s the first time the health and safety of principals has been acknowledged as an urgent issue at all levels of government.
The Australian Secondary Principals Association’s (ASPA) president Andy Milson said the body had been sounding the alarm for more than a decade:
It’s very pleasing to see it finally getting the attention it deserves at a national level. Our school leaders ... do the job because they love it. We can’t take that for granted.
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The Nationals leader, David Littleproud, has congratulated Sam Mostyn on her appointment as Australia’s next governor-general.
Littleproud wrote on X:
On behalf of The Nationals, congratulations to Ms Samantha Mostyn AO on her appointment as our next governor-general. Ms Mostyn has had an extensive career in the business community, advocating for women and has held many positions of leadership.
The appointment is an incredible honour and we look forward to her serving with distinction for all Australians.
Updated
My colleague Daniel Hurst has the story on Anthony Albanese’s phone call with Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu following the killing of the Australian aid worker in Gaza:
Updated
Train operators fined over derailment that killed two in Victoria
Two train operators have been fined a total of more than $500,000 over a Victorian derailment that killed two men.
NSW Trains and the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) were charged with breaching the state’s rail safety laws after the XPT passenger train came off tracks north of Melbourne on February 20, 2020.
Experienced driver John Kennedy, 54, and rail worker Sam Meintanis, 49, were killed, while eight passengers were seriously hurt and 58 others sustained minor injuries.
NSW Trains and the ARTC in February pleaded guilty over the derailment, with their sentences handed down in the Melbourne magistrates court this morning.
Magistrate Brett Sonnet sentenced NSW Trains to a $150,000 fine, and ARTC has been ordered to pay $375,000.
- AAP
Updated
Video – Albanese conveys ‘anger and concern’ to Netanyahu
In case you missed our coverage earlier this morning, here’s Anthony Albanese speaking about his conversation with prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu after Australia aid worker Zomi Frankcom was killed in an Israeli air strike.
Albanese said the death of Frankcom, who was one of seven aid workers killed in the strike while delivering aid in Gaza, was “completely unacceptable”.
Updated
Water safety warning at dozens of Victorian beaches after rain
Dozens of beaches around Victoria’s Port Phillip Bay are unsafe for swimming after days of heavy rain.
The Environmental Protection Agency has rated the water quality at 36 bay beaches near Melbourne and surrounds as “poor”.
Impacted beaches stretch from St Kilda and Brighton to the Mornington Peninsula’s Portsea, Sorrento and Rye along with Williamstown and Altona in Melbourne’s west.
Meanwhile, in NSW, damaging winds, heavy rainfall and dangerous surf is moving along the coast. We covered this with more detail a little earlier here.
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Indigenous teen’s family want answers from inquest in WA
The mother of the first juvenile to die in youth detention in Western Australia has said ahead of an inquest into the death she’s determined to get justice for her son “and for all the other boys sent there”.
Cleveland Dodd, 16, was found unresponsive after harming himself inside his cell in a troubled youth wing of a high-security adult prison in the early hours of October 12, 2023.
The Indigenous teen was taken to hospital in a critical condition and later died, causing outrage and grief in the community.
The first part of an expedited inquest in Perth examining Cleveland’s death starts today and runs until April 12.
His mother, Nadene Dodd, says she is “still reeling from the loss of my son”.
Dodd said in a statement read by lawyer Dana Levitt at a pre-inquest press conference on Tuesday:
The months since Cleveland’s passing have been fraught with grief.
With each new detail that comes to light about the night he died or about Unit 18 generally, I become more determined to get justice for Cleveland, and for all the other boys sent there.
I’m hopeful that Cleveland’s death is the catalyst for an overhaul of youth justice in Western Australia.
After the opening statement, Coroner Phil Urquhart will close the court so counsel and lawyers involved in the inquest and some of Cleveland’s family can view Casuarina Prison CCTV footage from the night the teen self-harmed.
Witnesses who worked at Unit 18 including three youth custodial officers, a nurse and a manager are understood to be scheduled to start giving evidence on Friday, with a full day set aside for each.
– via AAP
Updated
AGL was warned it was wrongly taking welfare payments from former customers but failed to act, court hears
Energy company AGL was warned it was taking money from the welfare payments of former customers, and was sent daily updates on the transactions being made on the company’s behalf via the government debit scheme Centrepay, but failed to take steps to stop more than $700,000 in wrongful deductions, court documents allege.
Guardian Australia last week revealed serious problems with Centrepay, a system that allows businesses to take early deductions from a person’s welfare payment before it hits their bank accounts.
The energy regulator has accused AGL of receiving more than $700,000 from the welfare payments of vulnerable Australians who had ceased being AGL customers years prior.
Christopher Knaus and Lorena Allam have the story here:
Netball star Samantha Wallace-Joseph apologises for anti-trans commentary
Chastened after being spoken to by her Super Netball club, Swifts player Samantha Wallace-Joseph has apologised for anti-trans rhetoric published on social media over the weekend.
Wallace-Joseph came under fire after reposting an Instagram tile of Joe Biden highlighting March 31 – Easter Sunday – as International Transgender Day Of Visibility.
“The disrespect is crazy. Don’t play with GOD,” Wallace-Joseph wrote over the slide in a story that has since been deleted.
After a meeting with NSW Swifts representatives on Tuesday, Wallace-Joseph apologised in a joint statement with the club:
It was not my intention to upset and disrespect anybody and whilst I feel my post was taken out of context, I didn’t say what I meant clearly.
I did not wish to cause any offence to members of the trans-gender community and it is clear that I have and for that I am sorry.
NSW Swifts executive general manager Kath Tetley said in the same statement that the club was committed to being a safe and inclusive space for all.
- via AAP
Updated
Minns pitches controversial crime reforms to Moree but critics say jailing kids doesn’t work
The New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, will meet town leaders in Moree today to pitch his government’s controversial new bail laws and a suite of regional crime measures to curb a spike in violent robberies, break-ins and car thefts in the town.
Minns also plans to jump-start a pilot program in which $13.4m will be spent on provisions such as extra judicial resources, the Aboriginal Legal Service, and a bail accommodation and support service for young people.
Moree’s mayor, Mark Johnson, said he was optimistic about the measures, which will include making it harder for older youths to be released on bail, and hopes the broader it will create a template for other towns.
But he said the solution to rising youth crime in the town was not a silver bullet, and the town “can’t jail our way out of this”.
Critics have slammed the measure as likely leading to more children – particularly Indigenous youths – being kept behind bars. The Aboriginal Legal Service said more than half of the 4393 children sent to prison in 2023 were Indigenous.
In a statement on Tuesday, the organisation said:
If jailing kids worked, we would have seen it by now.
Aboriginal community-led and Moree-based youth justice organisation, Just Reinvest, said initiatives should be about helping to break the cycle of crime.
Updated
Severe weather to rain down on NSW bringing floods
NSW communities and school holiday travellers have been warned to prepare for severe weather conditions with likely heavy downpours and flash flooding.
Poor weather is forecast for much of NSW in the latter half of the week as the State Emergency Service anticipates a flurry of requests for help.
The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting heavy and intense rain and a possible east coast low.
Wet weather will track along the east coast.
Communities in the New England, Northern Rivers and along the northern half of the mid-north coast should expect widespread showers of 30mm to 50mm and up to 100mm in some areas.
Come Friday, the bureau is forecasting the trough to deepen and potentially develop into a low-end east coast low that may bring damaging winds, heavy rainfall and dangerous surf. It will impact the mid-north coast before shifting to the Hunter, Sydney, Blue Mountains and Illawarra by the evening.
The weather system is expected to move south on Saturday to the Illawarra and South Coast bringing heavy rainfall, strong to gale-force winds and hazardous surf.
- AAP
Albanese says he has given his personal number to Zomi Frankcom’s brother
Albanese has now wrapped up the press conference. He ended saying he had given Frankcom’s brother his personal mobile number after being asked how he was supporting Frankcom’s family:
I indicated to him I would be available at any time, at any time, to provide whatever assistance either my office or the Australian government could provide to him and his family, noting that members of the family are overseas themselves and that this is an enormous personal tragedy for them, but this is also a significant loss for our nation.
Updated
Albanese on aid worker’s death: ‘We need a full and proper explanation’
The questioning on Frankcom’s death, and the death toll in Gaza, continued:
Q: Do you want to see charges laid? Is that the kind of accountability you want to see?
Albanese:
Well, we have expressed very clearly that we need a full and proper explanation for how this has occurred. The first step is the acceptance of responsibility and that has occurred. But we want a very fast, immediate, clear and transparent process to occur.
Q: Prime minister, how was your message received when you laid out Australia’s position on the two-state solution on sustainable ceasefire, was there a sense of acquiesce? Do you feel like your message was being heard?
Albanese:
We put our message which we have clearly not for the first time. As we have through the way that we have voted in the United Nations, as we have through the statements that we have issued. But we had a reasonably long conversation this morning. Prime minister Netanyahu expressed his views and I expressed the views of Australia.
Q: Prime Minister, you’ve noted the many civilian deaths in Gaza, you note the death of many aid workers, do you believe that Israel is at risk of losing the power of moral persuasion?
Albanese:
I think that the global community is very concerned about the death toll that has occurred in Gaza. This latest incident will add to that concern which is there. We saw an extraordinary resolution of the UN Security Council just last week with the United States not vetoing that proposal. That gives a clear indication of global opinion, not just of leaders as well, but I think people when they look at what is happening in Gaza are very clear about the extraordinary loss of life which is there and I believe that Australians are very concerned about that.
Updated
Albanese is asked what Australia will do if Netanyahu doesn’t ‘change course’
Albanese is asked if he had flagged with Netanyahu what actions Australia will take if the Israel government does “not change course” or undertake a “satisfactory investigation” into Frankcom’s death. Albanese did not indicate he had.
Albanese responded:
I indicated and confirmed what Australia’s position has been over a considerable period of time. I indicated my concern with a ground invasion of Rafah and the consequences for the civilian population there. I reiterated Australia’s concern at the loss of life that has occurred in Gaza. I reiterated Australia’s condemnation unequivocally of the events of October 7 and of Hamas as a terrorist organisation. I indicated very clearly Australia’s view, as I have in every conversation I have had with prime minister Netanyahu, our support for a two-state solution in the Middle East, support for Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security with prosperity side by side, and that that was in the interests of both Israelis and Palestinians.
Updated
Albanese speaks with Netanyahu: 'I expressed Australia's anger'
Albanese has said he spoke with Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu this morning, expressing his concern over Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom’s death following an Israeli air strike.
Albanese said:
I spoke with prime minister Netanyahu this morning with a phone call that was organised overnight. I expressed Australia’s anger and concern at the death of Zomi Frankcom.
This is someone who was volunteering overseas to provide aid through this charity. This is completely unacceptable. The Israeli government has accepted responsibility for this and prime minister Netanyahu conveyed his condolences to the family of Zomi Frankcom and to Australia as a result of this tragedy.
Albanese said Netanyahu has “committed to full transparency about how this tragedy could possibly have occurred”:
When I spoke with the prime minister, I emphasised the importance of full accountability and transparency, and prime minister Netanyahu has committed to full transparency about how this tragedy could possibly have occurred. There is a need for a thorough investigation into what happened here and prime minister Netanyahu committed to that.
I made clear, again, that it is Australia’s view that humanitarian assistance must reach people in Gaza unimpeded and in large quantities.
I conveyed to prime minister Netanyahu in very clear terms that Australians were outraged by this death, by this tragedy, of this fine Australian, and I indicated to prime minister Netanyahu as well just some of the characteristics that I spoke with Zomi’s brother about yesterday. This is an Australian who we can all be proud of, someone who not only was in Gaza assisting people in need, but had in the past provided support for people in Bangladesh, in Pakistan, here in Australia after the bushfires. This was someone who was clearly committed to benefit her fellow humanity, and someone whose loss is very deeply felt by her family, but I think felt by Australians as well.
Updated
Sam Mostyn on becoming governor general: 'I'm deeply honoured by this great privilege'
The incoming governor general, Samantha Mostyn, has said she is “deeply honoured by this great privilege”.
Speaking now after Albanese’s announcement about Mostyn’s appointment, she said:
I’m deeply honoured by this great privilege and look forward to representing the values, hopes, and aspirations of all Australians. I will never underestimate or take for granted the expectations that come with high office and I am ready to serve with integrity, compassion and respect.
Speaking about her career prior to the appointment, she said:
Alongside my broad business career, I forged a strong connection with many other aspects of Australian life including in sport, civil society, arts and culture, First Nations reconciliation, sustainability and the environment, policy development, mental health, gender equality, and young people. In those roles, it has been a privilege to work with so many Australians across this country. Engaging respectfully in the complex conversations that define the Australian community in all of its rich diversity.
Updated
Sam Mostyn announced as Australia's next governor general
Anthony Albanese has announced Samantha Mostyn will be Australia’s next governor general.
Speaking in Canberra now, the prime minister said Mostyn, who will be the 28th governor general and the second woman to hold the role, will be sworn in on July 1.
She will replace David Hurley who has been governor general since 2019.
Albanese added:
Sam Mostyn is an exceptional leader who represents the best of modern Australia. She has lived her life in the service of a powerful Australian principle when more people have the opportunity to fulfil their potential, our nation is a better place. Australia will always be a stronger and more successful country when we draw on the skills and smarts of all our citizens.
Mostyn has worked with Reconciliation Australia, Beyond Blue, the Australia Council for the Arts, the National Mental Health Commission, and was the first woman appointed as the AFL’s commissioner.
Updated
‘A bit rich’: Larissa Waters rejects Wong’s claim that Greens ‘politically utilising’ Gaza war
The Greens senator Larissa Waters was on RN Breakfast a short time ago, where she was asked about Penny Wong’s comments this morning that the Greens are “politically utilising” the war in Gaza.
Wong made the comments on RN Breakfast in response to accusations that US planes being sent to Israel contain parts manufactured in Australia, where Wong added Australia is not sending weapons to Israel.
In response to Wong’s comments, Water’s said:
I think it’s a bit rich to be saying the Greens are somehow doing wrong here when we are simply calling for our government to be as strong in support of a peaceful and lasting permanent ceasefire.
Now, the documents that were revealed in Senate estimates show that components of those warplanes are coming from Australia and I know that’s inconvenient for the foreign minister, and probably very embarrassing, but it doesn’t change the reality of the situation. And we will keep calling out these atrocities. And we will keep calling on our government, whichever political party it might be, to be better. And to call out this genocide and to stop the tacit and indirect support and to actively be so much stronger in our rhetoric.
Asked if Waters accepts that “Australia is not sending weapons to Israel”, she said:
I’m informed that the definition of weapons under relevant international conventions includes weapons components, we are sending weapons components and international law would say that’s weapons. So I think we’re getting into semantics when the principle of the matter is, Australia should not be supporting this genocide in any way and we should be strongly condemning it. And our government has been far too mild in its response. And they need to be calling for a permanent and lasting ceasefire that there’s been too much death and murder. This is this is now a genocide and it’s a manufactured famine.
Updated
Anthony Albanese has called a snap press conference in Canberra at 8.30am. We’ll have coverage of this for you soon.
Man dies after being hit by truck on Melbourne freeway
A man has died in Melbourne’s south after being struck by a truck on a major highway near Frankston.
Victorian police said the truck collided with the man, who died at the scene, on the Frankston Freeway near Seaford Road at about 5.30am this morning.
The truck driver stopped at the scene and has been assisting police with enquires while they investigate the fatal collision.
Updated
Wong expects Netanyahu to ‘make himself available for a call’ with Albanese
Wong said she “expects Mr Netanyahu to make himself available for a call” with prime minister Anthony Albanese on the deaths of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and seix of her colleagues.
Wong, who spoke with Israel’s foreign minister overnight, said:
I believe, and the government believes, this obviously is an issue that we need Israel to address. The Australian community needs Israel to address. So, of course, we would expect Mr Netanyahu to make himself available for a call.
Asked whether the Australian government ever consider sanctions against Israel, Wong said “we don’t speculate on sanctions”.
Wong did not indicate she would take the step of expelling the Israeli ambassador or other diplomats after being asked during the interview if she would do so. She said “it’s important we maintain diplomatic relationships with many countries” and have an avenue for expressing “our views about issues which are important to Australians”.
Updated
Netanyahu 'must change course', Penny Wong says
Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, “must change course”, Penny Wong has said.
The foreign minister is speaking on ABC News Breakfast about the death of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and six of her colleagues. Wong said:
What I’ve said to my counterparts directly, and what I have said previously publicly … that unless Israel, Mr Netanyahu, changes his course of action, Israel will continue to lose support. We say to Mr Netanyahu, you must change course.
Wong was then pressed on the fact “nothing is happening” despite these calls, she responded:
Unfortunately, you and I both know that nation states make their decisions and those decisions may include acting in ways which diminish their standing internationally.
Asked what the the foreign minister makes of Netanyahu’s comments that this was an unintended strike and “happens in war time”, Wong responded:
I would say to Mr Netanyahu that war time does not obviate responsibility for observing international humanitarian law, including the protection of aid workers, and the Australian government, on behalf of the Australian people, and on behalf of Zomi Frankcom, expects full accountability for what has occurred. That the death of an aid worker in these circumstances is unacceptable.
Updated
Key event
Wong says aid worker deaths ‘even more distressing’ as movements were coordinated with Israeli military
Penny Wong says the aid workers died after World Central Kitchen had coordinated their movements with Israel’s military was “even more distressing”.
She added:
This has been a conflict which has been particularly fatal for aid workers. I know that the UN Secretary General said overnight, some 196 aid workers have been killed in this conflict. This is unacceptable.
Asked how comfortable Wong was with the fact 32,000 people have died in Gaza, and 74,000 have been injured, Wong replied:
I don’t think anybody’s comfortable with this conflict, with the civilian lives which have been lost, with the hostages who remained unreleased. As you said more than 30,000 civilians have been killed more, than half a million Palestinians are starving. What we have said to the Netanyahu government directly is that they must change course. We’ve also said we support an immediate humanitarian ceasefire consistent with the UN Security Council resolution.
Updated
Wong speaks with Israeli counterpart about Zomi Frankom's death: 'We expect full accountability'
Penny Wong says she has told Israel’s foreign minister that the death of aid worker Zomi Frankcom is “outrageous and unacceptable” and has “expressed the outrage of the nation”.
The foreign minister, who is speaking on ABC now, said she spoke to her counterpart last night. She said of the conversation:
I expressed that that we expect full accountability for the steps. We spoke about his intention to ensure that there was a thorough investigation.
We spoke about the importance of full accountability and transparency and obviously we will continue to work with the Israelis on the detail of this investigation. What we expect is a transparent, full accountability for what has occurred, which is a death not only this Australian, Zomi Frankcom, but also a number of other aid workers.
Updated
Man charged with murder after woman’s body found in Brisbane unit
A woman has been found dead in a Brisbane unit and a man has been charged with murder.
Police said they found the body of a 66-year-old Western Australian woman at a Fortitude Valley unit following a welfare check about 1pm on Tuesday.
A 42-year-old man, who officers said was related to the woman, was arrested at the unit and later charged with one count of murder (DV offence).
He will appear in the Brisbane magistrates court on Wednesday.
– AAP
Updated
Good morning, everyone! I’ll be taking you through our rolling live news coverage today.
As always, if there’s anything you’d like to bring to our attention, you can reach me at jordyn.beazley@theguardian.com.
Dutton targets small business conference to push nuclear policy
The federal opposition leader will use a small business conference in Sydney to argue that his nuclear energy policy will help them by creating cheaper energy costs, AAP reports.
Peter Dutton believes lower energy costs are key to unlocking Australia’s future economic competitiveness and nuclear would help bring prices down.
He will take the opportunity to spruik the Coalition’s upcoming energy policy at a small business conference in Sydney on Wednesday.
“I want to see our industries remain onshore and the cost of doing business come down for small businesses across the country,” he is expected to say in his speech at the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia event.
He will say he wants to broaden the nation’s manufacturing capabilities by growing the resource and defence sectors and developing a domestic green steel industry.
“But these goals cannot be achieved without cheap, consistent and clean power,” he will say.
The opposition has already foreshadowed a tilt towards nuclear technology and is working on a policy with possible sites for reactors on old coal station locations to take advantage of existing transmission infrastructure.
“Nuclear is the only proven technology which emits zero emissions, which can firm up renewables, and which provides cheap, consistent and clean power,” he will say.
The federal government has repeatedly dismissed nuclear as technology that is ill-suited to Australia that has a high price tag and will take too long to roll out.
Updated
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live blog covering all the news from across Australia. I’m Martin Farrer and I’ll be bringing you the best of the morning stories before my colleague Jordyn Beazley takes up the running.
Taylor Auerbach, a former Seven producer, has sworn an affidavit saying text messages and receipts in his possession show tens of thousands of dollars was billed to the network while the Spotlight program was courting Bruce Lehrmann for an exclusive television interview. Auerbach will give evidence about the expenses tomorrow in a sensational development in the defamation trial which has been reopened after an application by Ten was accepted by the federal court.
The leaders of business groups have called for the lowest paid workers to limit their pay demands to no more than 2%. In light of the fact that the average pay of top bosses has increased from 17 times average earnings in the early 1990s to about 55 times now, we thought it might be a good idea to ask them if company bosses were prepared to stick to the same ceiling. Find out what they said to our reporters Jonathan Barrett and Peter Hannam.
Israel has admitted that its air strike killed Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and six of her colleagues as they were delivering food in Gaza. Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said overnight that the deaths of the seven volunteers was “a tragic case of our forces unintentionally hitting innocent people in the Gaza Strip”, before adding: “This happens in wartime.” In a television interview on the ABC last night, Anthony Albanese said the Australian government had so far been unable to speak with the Israeli ambassador or other top officials.
