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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Daisy Dumas and Emily Wind

Thorpe says she intended to hand king ‘a notice of complicity in genocide’ – as it happened

Lidia Thorpe Australia Anthony Albanese Chris Minns Peter Dutton Police Queen Elizabeth II King Charles III Parliament House (Facility) Sydney

What we learned today, Monday 21 October

This is where we’ll wrap up the blog for the day, but first a recap of the main events:

The live news blog will be back tomorrow morning.

Updated

Charles marvels at rainforest gully in botanic gardens

In their last formal event in Canberra during this visit at the Australian National Botanic Gardens, King Charles walked down a path of rocky stairs into the rainforest gully with the head of the gardens, Dr Rebecca Pirzl. He held tightly to the rail and at the bottom of the steep stairs, paused touching a large tree and looked up into its canopy.

As Queen Camilla made her way down the steps cautiously in her heels, the king told Pirzl “it’s extraordinary” while looking down the gully, which features plants from the diverse rainforests from Tasmania to Queensland.

The king and queen walked along the lower boardwalk in the gully, Charles initially striding off quickly before Camilla called to him to slow down.

They paused for photos before making their way up more rocky steps to the tree planting location.

Updated

Liberal candidate concedes defeat in Pittwater

The Liberal candidate for Pittwater, Georgia Ryburn, has conceded the NSW state electorate to the independent candidate, Jacqui Scruby.

Ryburn was not expected to win Saturday’s byelection by the time counting finished on the night, and this afternoon said she had called Scruby to congratulate her.

In a post on her Instagram account, Ryburn said:

I have just called Jacqui Scruby to concede and congratulate her.

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t extremely disappointed. This wasn’t the outcome I had hoped for, but I know this isn’t the end of the road.

I am extremely grateful to be your Liberal candidate for Pittwater, and am humbled by the amazing support from the Pittwater community and the Liberal party.

Ryburn’s career as deputy mayor of the Northern Beaches council was cut short by her party’s failure to lodge the paperwork to nominate more than a third of its candidates for the recent local government elections.

The Climate 200-backed Scruby secured a historic 22% swing against the Liberal party when she ran for Pittwater at the 2023 state election.

She lost by only 606 votes to the Liberals’ Rory Amon, who triggered the byelection when he resigned less than halfway through his first term as Pittwater MP.

Amon quit NSW parliament after being charged in August with 10 child sexual assault offences. He has denied all charges.

Updated

King and queen plant snow gums

King Charles and Queen Camilla each took part in the royal tradition of planting a tree in Canberra today.

The governor general escorted the king and queen for the ceremony which took place in the grounds of Government House where they met the horticultural coordinator Glenn Huender and senior horticulturist Chris Mansfield, and planted Eucalyptus pauciflora – also know as snow gum trees.

Schoolchildren from Wamberal public school had travelled for four hours to see the tree planting and student Imogen Kimble was on hand to help the king plant his tree. The king asked Huender about the composting for the soil, which was all done on site.

The royals then went over to talk to the schoolchildren who were very excited to have the chance to meet them.

Updated

Queen Camilla takes part in domestic violence troundtable

The domestic violence campaigner Rosie Batty, award-winning author of See What You Made Me Do, Jess Hill, professor of domestic and family violence at the University of Technology Sydney, Dr Anne Summers, and executive general manager, inclusion and social policy, at the Australian Football League, Tanya Hosch, were among a powerful group of advocates, experts and survivors who joined Queen Camilla today for a roundtable discussion about the epidemic of domestic violence gripping Australia.

During the discussion the Queen heard from key sector experts as well as women with lived experience about the measures being implemented to try to end violence against women in Australia.

Hosch said sport had an important role to play:

One in 20 is a paid member of the AFL sporting code. There is a lot of work to be done.

Camilla asked:

Are these women prepared to come forward and talk?

Do Indigenous people feel able to come forward?

The governor gerneral, Sam Mostyn, said:

Aboriginal women had fallen out of the system. There are hundreds of women over decades whose experiences are not recorded.

Katie Kiss, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social justice commissioner, talked to the queen about children being removed from their families.

While Hill discussed the pervasiveness of coercive control:

Perpetrators all study from the same handbook. It is terribly difficult to prove.

Twenty-one-year-old Conor Pall from Mildura, Victoria was the sole male around the table. As a children’s author and advocate, Pall represents the rights of young people affected by family violence. He knows from personal experience how the voices of child victims are rarely heard in the justice system and is determined to use his lived experience as a male survivor to drive change.

Before the roundtable Battie said it was “great” that the queen was using the tour to raise awareness of the issue.

Updated

King surveys flora, meets Andrew Forrest and talks sport at botanic gardens

King Charles was led on a detailed tour of the Banksia Gardens at Canberra’s National Botanic Gardens by Beverly Ardler and Kain Ardler from the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community, as well as Botanic Gardens head Dr Rebecca Pirzl.

Wearing dark glasses in the hot Australian sun, the king moved slowly through the display of the iconic Australian plants, asking questions and pointing out particularly interesting examples.

The Ardlers explained about the significance of banksia species to their community and how bushfires affected local ecosystems.

The botanic gardens’ display is the largest collection of Australian plants in the world.

The king was met at the entrance to the Banksia Gardens by Australian mining mandate Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest, with whom he spoke at length.

On his way out, he was met by students from Ainslie School. Leo Turner, 12, asked the king if he’d heard of AFL. The king replied:

Yes, I’ve heard of it.

Leo asked:

What’s your favourite sport?

The king replied (before saying goodbye):

I can’t do much now. Too many injuries. I used to sit on a horse.

Updated

More in-home support needed for people ‘traumatised through institutions’

Back to the Senate community affairs committee hearing on the new aged care bill, the Department of Health and Aged Care says more support for in-home care is needed for all Australians who’ve been traumatised through institutions.

Andrea Kelly from the department was speaking about the wish of many First Nations elders to stay on country. Kelly said she had conducted more than 135 consultations and met with around 1,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, as well as peak bodies and providers around issues of cultural safety.

Kelly said:

People want to stay at home, they don’t want to go into residential aged care, and that’s particularly true for Stolen Generation survivors, veterans and members of the LGBQTI community that I’ve met with.

Kelly agreed that greater in-home supports would need to be provided to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, and other Australians who had experienced sexual child abuse.

While my conversations have been specific with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, I think that model of care we need to think about for all Australians who’ve been traumatised through institutions.

Updated

King watches ‘bushfire’ during CSIRO lab visit

King Charles has toured the CSIRO’s National Bushfire Behaviour Research Laboratory, where he viewed a “Pyrotron” demonstration.

The seven-minute demonstration replicated a bushfire in a 29-metre-long combustion wind tunnel.

The experiment is used to better understand bushfire behaviour and effective methods to suppress it, senior research scientist Matt Plucinski said.

The king was invited to start the experiment as he met with researchers and CSIRO head Doug Hilton, receiving a briefing about how quickly the fires could spread.

The eucalyptus smoke was “the smell of science”, Hilton joked with the king.

Outside, an ACT Rural Fire Service engine doused itself during a “burn over drill”, demonstrating how firefighters stuck in the truck in the middle of a fire storm would survive the worst of the blistering inferno.

The king was introduced to five volunteer firefighters before they started the drill, forcing him to take a slight step back as he was sprayed with a light mist due to the breeze. He told reporters as he left the site after the drill:

It was very encouraging to see what they can do.

He asked the firefighters about the differences between bushfires in the northern and southern hemispheres, including comparisons with Canada.

It was King Charles’ second visit to a CSIRO Canberra site, the first being February 1966, when the young prince toured the wildlife research division.

Updated

Multiple arrests during king’s ACT visit

ACT police made multiple arrests in Canberra in relation to the visit of King Charles today.

About 11am a 62-year-old man was arrested at the Australian War Memorial for breach of the peace.

He was taken to the ACT watch house, where he signed an undertaking to keep the peace and was released without charge, police said.

A second arrest was made about 11.30am, when police arrested a 21-year-old woman for failing to comply with a police direction, police said.

She was charged and she faced ACT magistrates court this afternoon.

Police said “several” other arrests were made at the Australian War Memorial – those people were later released without charge.

In relation to an “interaction” with Senator Lidia Thorpe at the memorial, police said:

This morning, police spoke to a protest group near the Australian War Memorial.

The group was directed to move on from the area and they complied with that direction.

No arrests were made and police consider the matter finalised.

Updated

One-hour cap on household services for older people is due to budget, official says

Back to the Senate community affairs committee hearing, where the Department of Health and Aged Care has affirmed the goal of the new aged care bill will be to have people ageing at home for longer.

Greens senator Penny Allman-Payne has raised why there is a one-hour cap on services to help older people clean their houses, including gardening, which was raised as a serious issue – alongside the lack of gardening services – preventing people staying at home longer.

Allman-Payne gave the example of older renters being subject to eviction because of their inability to maintain the garden to a standard the landlord deems acceptable.

Nick Morgan, from the department, said there was a one-hour cap on household services because of the need to retain budget for personal care and clinical services.

Updated

Queensland LNP candidate says sorry for Nazi joke

Queensland LNP candidate Bree James has apologised for making a Nazi joke in a Facebook post.

On Saturday, the Barron River candidate posted an image of herself beside an election banner which had been vandalised with a spray painted moustache in the style of Adolf Hitler.

“Even the banner is getting in the spirit and celebrating my German heritage”, she said, in the post advertising the city’s German festival.

She apologised on the weekend, and again on Monday when Labor’s campaign bus visited her pre-poll booth.

James reportedly told the cameras the post was a joke in poor taste that she had apologised for “and I hope people can forgive me”.

On Monday, Labor opponent Craig Crawford said James is “unfit for office”.

Bree James is unfit for office, and people should not be voting for her in the upcoming election. David Crisafulli should have cut her then and then. I’m pretty sure that if I had done something stupid like that, I certainly would have offered my position up to the premier.

LNP leader David Crisafulli said on Monday that he’d spoken to his candidate and “I’ve expressed my view to her very clearly.

“Is this acceptable? It’s not. It’s disappointing, it’s wrong, it’s not funny”, he said.

Updated

Australian Monarchist League demands Thorpe resign

The Australian Monarchist League is demanding the resignation of Senator Lidia Thorpe after her “failed attempt to disrupt His Majesty the King” at Parliament House this afternoon.

In a statement, the league’s national chairman, Philip Benwell, said:

Senator Thorpe should step down with immediate effect.

The Australian Monarchist League unequivocally condemns the ill-considered behaviour of this isolated senator.

Her childish demonstration has done nothing to diminish the gratitude and pride that millions of Australians have for our country, its history, its peoples and its sound system of governance. In fact, it has likely only strengthened these feelings.

Should she not resign, the league is calling for Thorpe’s “misconduct” to be addressed “in accordance with what is the obvious and prevailing public sentiment.”

Updated

Albanese’s $4.3m home buy not a good look, ex-Tory MP says

Rory Stewart, former Tory MP and co-host of the The Rest is News podcast, says Anthony Albanese’s purchase of a multimillion-dollar home on the New South Wales Central Coast “doesn’t look great”.

“The idea of buying luxury mansions doesn’t look great when you’re a leftwing leader,” he told David Speers, host of ABC Insiders, in an interviewed aired on Afternoon Briefing.

Keir Starmer’s popularity ratings are tanking because he’s getting wealthy donors to buy him fancy spectacles and clothes for his wife. And Boris Johnson was not helped by having or putting £100,000 wallpaper on his walls. David Cameron understood this and deliberately cut his salary when he came in as prime minister ... travelled on EasyJet.

When asked if it is fair to say voters don’t like to see their prime ministers getting anything, other than being paid, he said:

That’s true, and as a working politician, I often was resentful of that. I remember that there were times when I felt like saying to voters: ‘Listen, it would be better if we returned if you like to the British parliament of the early 20th century where MPs didn’t receive salaries and we’ll just work for free for you!’ But, of course, there are problems with doing that too.

When asked whether the coarseness of Trumpian politics were permeating the political culture in the Anglosphere, he said he had noticed the “dead cat strategy” in effect:

Which is – if somebody is focusing on some scandal, something that you’ve got wrong, you just slap a dead cat on the table and move on.

Updated

Thorpe says she intended to hand king ‘a notice of complicity in genocide’

Senator Lidia Thorpe has released a statement following her remarks to the king in Parliament House this afternoon.

She said she intended to hand “a notice of complicity in the genocide of the First Peoples of this county” to King Charles.

The senator’s uncle, Robert Thorpe, issued the same notice to the international criminal court on 13 October, according to the statement.

She said:

Today I intended to hand King Charles a notice of complicity in the genocide of the First Peoples of this county. Krauatungalung elder, Uncle Robbie Thorpe, issued this notice to the international criminal court on October 13 this year, requesting King Charles be charged and prosecuted for genocide.

The visit by the so-called king should be an occasion of truth-telling about the true history of this country.

The colonial state has been built on the continuing genocide on First Peoples.

Today I was silenced and removed from the parliamentary reception when pointing out that the Crown stole from First Peoples.

The truth is, this colony is built on stolen land, stolen wealth and stolen lives.

The British Crown committed heinous crimes against the First Peoples of this country. These crimes include war crimes, crimes against humanity and failure to prevent genocide. There has been no justice for these crimes. The Crown must be held accountable.

Today, the AFP threatened to arrest me for wearing a T-shirt that said ‘Stolen Land, Stolen Lives, Stolen Wealth’. I was at a rally to call out the crimes committed by the Crown. This is a clear attack on free speech and expression, at the war memorial of all places.

Sovereign elder Uncle Coco was arrested by AFP today for peacefully standing up against the genocide on his people and all First Peoples of this continent.

This colonial government will punish our elders for protesting against a genocide but refuse to hold the perpetrators to account.

Today we call for justice, an end to this ongoing genocide, for treaty and a republic. We want to be able to live in peace and finally come together as a nation.

Updated

‘Spectrum of supported decision-making’ in new aged care bill, department says

Older Australians will be supported to make decisions for themselves for as long as possible under the new aged care bill, the Department of Health and Aged Care said this afternoon when answering questions from the Senate standing committee on community affairs on the bill.

Mel Metz, the assistant secretary of the legislative reform branch in the department, said – after peak bodies representing older people advocated strongly for including supported decision-making arrangements in the bill – that the model on which the framework was based came from an Australian Law Reform Commission report as well as more recent endorsement through the disability royal commission.

Supported decision-making recognises capacity to make decision is not black and white, and it exists on a spectrum and can fluctuate, and that’s especially true in aged care for people with dementia.

What supported decision-making means is that rather than substituting a new decision-maker when a person’s decision-making capacity diminishes, people are supported to make decisions for themselves for as long as possible.

There’s a single concept of supporter rather than a dual representative and supporter framework in the bill – recognising that capacity isn’t static and that a person might need different levels of assistance day to day.

Drawing on state and territory arrangements in place, “there is a substitute decision-making in the bill – but that’s at the very end of that spectrum of supported decision-making for people who absolutely cannot make decisions even with support”.

Updated

Thorpe’s behaviour ‘alienated a lot of people’ – Labor MP

Over to Afternoon Briefing, where – you guessed it – the king and queen are on the agenda.

Speaking with the ABC, the assistant minister to the prime minister, Patrick Gorman, who is responsible for much of the planning behind the king’s whistle-stop tour, commented on Lidia Thorpe’s remarks shouted to the king at the state reception in Parliament House’s Great Hall.

I thought that behaviour was pretty inappropriate. I think that it alienated a lot of people. And I think most of the Australian public expect that their members and senators behave with dignity, especially at these formal state occasions.

I can’t speak for the Senate, they are in charge of their own members and their own disciplinary procedures. What I hope is that this doesn’t detract from the fact that it was an incredibly warm reception for the king and the queen. There was clearly a lot of people in the room who were really honoured to have been invited to that very special occasion.

As you said, the first time that we’ve had a king of Australia in fact visit Australia, and what we saw in the king’s remarks were his warm affection for this country – a country that he came here as a student. He’s visited 17 times. And I think that he really went out of his way, not just to talk about the causes that were important to him, such as climate change, but also to talk about his great appreciation of the respect that First Nations Australians have shown him on those visits.

Updated

King’s visit ‘difficult for many First Nations people’, Greens senator says

Greens senator Dorinda Cox says the visit of King Charles III is a reminder of colonialism’s “harrowing injustices”.

The Yamatji-Noongar woman said on Monday – before Senator Lidia Thorpe’s comments disrupted a state reception in Canberra – that the federal Truth and Justice Commission Bill, introduced by the Greens, would allow for First Nations-led, trauma-informed truth telling to fully implement all pillars of the Uluru statement from the heart.

In a statement, Cox said:

This visit will be difficult for many First Nations people, who still feel the injustice every day of colonialism, especially our stolen generations, which are perpetuated through systemic and structural racism and discrimination. Visiting memorials and attending charity events is not changing the harrowing injustices and ongoing unacceptable rates of deaths of our people in Australia.

First Nations justice, truth telling and healing needs to be a priority. The king should be clear in his recognition and support of this. He now needs to be on the right side of history. We need the Labor government to have clear instructions from their sovereign head that we can’t continue on this path if we want peace and healing, this comes with accepting responsibility for the role, actions and destructive impacts of the Crown.

Cox went on to say:

I invite the king to reflect on this and that sovereignty that was never ceded. There is trauma and grief for First Nations people. He needs to hear this and acknowledge it. The commonwealth has nothing to fear from this formal recognition.

First Nations communities continue to feel the impact of policies rooted in colonial attitudes – such as forced removals, land and resources theft, and systemic discrimination – that has left deep scars that we need to heal from. We cannot do this without truth telling and truth listening.

The time is now. It’s time to respect our inherent, sovereign right to self-determination, including the protection and preservation of our lands and waters – under our custodianship. Ensuring Australia’s First Peoples are consulted in every vital decision about our shared future.

Updated

Watt welcomes compensation ruling on illegal Qantas sackings

The workplace relations minister, Murray Watt, has welcomed the federal court decision for Qantas to compensate workers found to be illegally sacked during the pandemic.

In a post to X, Watt wrote:

I congratulate [the Transport Workers Union] for pursuing this case in the Federal Court. I also congratulate Qantas’ new management team for taking a more cooperative approach to workplace relations, which is delivering for the company and its workers alike.

Updated

Tony Abbott says ‘unfortunate political exhibitionism’ from Lidia Thorpe

Former prime minister Tony Abbott, who attended the event, expressed his dismay at Lidia Thorpe’s remarks to the King in the Great Hall.

“It’s unfortunate political exhibitionism, that’s all I’d say,” he said after the event.

Another guest, businessman Dick Smith, said the disruption was an aspect of Australian democracy.

I think that’s the wonderful part of our democracy – that she’s not going to be put in jail.

Smith has known the king for many years, including a meeting in 1982 when Smith landed his helicopter on the grounds of Balmoral Castle in the UK.

Updated

Sewage theory investigated after Sydney beach tar balls

The sewage theory floated as an explanation for the “tar balls” that closed eastern Sydney beaches last week has not been ruled out by the lead agency investigating the source of the pollution.

In a statement this afternoon, a spokesperson for NSW Maritime said:

Investigations are continuing, with a number of samples still being tested by the NSW Environment Protection Authority.

An update will be provided once the origin is definitively known.

On Friday, Jon Beves, a chemistry expert from University of New South Wales who is part of a team of scientists analysing the debris, told Guardian Australia the “most logical answer” was that the balls were formed from crude oil.

However, he said the balls also contained other greasy materials including fatty acids which meant they potentially had come from a sewage outflow instead of an oil spill or leak off the coast.

Later that same day, the NSW Maritime executive director, Mark Hutchings, said:

Based on advice from the EPA, we can now confirm the balls are made up of fatty acids, chemicals consistent with those found in cleaning and cosmetic products, mixed with some fuel oil.

They are not harmful when on the ground, but should not be touched or picked up.

Updated

Full transcript of Thorpe yelling at King Charles

Thank you, Emily Wind. Let’s get on with the rest of the day’s breaking news.

Over in Canberra, our team has pieced together the full transcript of senator Lidia Thorpe’s remarks to King Charles at a state reception in the Great Hall at Parliament House a short time ago:

You are not our king. You are not sovereign. You are not our king. You are not sovereign.

You committed genocide against our people. Give us our land back. Give us what you stole from us – our bones, our skulls, our babies, our people. You destroyed our land. Give us a treaty. We want a treaty in this country. You are a genocidalist. This is not your land. This is not your land. You are not my king. You are not our king.

Fuck the colony. Fuck the colony. Fuck the colony.

Updated

Many thanks for joining me on the blog today, Daisy Dumas will be with you for the next little while. Take care.

Here’s another angle of Lidia Thorpe’s protest in parliament house earlier this afternoon, where she shouted following King Charles’ speech:

‘Offensive graffiti’ in Sydney’s eastern suburbs investigated

NSW police have released CCTV footage after multiple structures were graffitied across Sydney overnight.

Police said officers located “offensive graffiti” on the walls of multiple structures in Bronte, Tamarama and Bondi beaches late last night. Photographs sent to 2GB’s Ben Fordham show the word “Hamas” graffitied.

Police said an investigation has commenced, and investigators had released images of a man they believed might be able to assist with inquiries.

He is depicted wearing a grey long-sleeve shirt, black jeans, white/grey shoes, a grey beanie and blue face mask. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.

Updated

Greens say they will ‘keep fighting’ for republic

Earlier today, deputy Greens leader Mehreen Faruqi issued a statement ahead of the parliamentary reception for King Charles and said the party would “keep fighting” for a republic.

In the statement, Faruqi said:

The truth is, racism and colonialism are intertwined; and the monarchy symbolises an era that should be left behind for good, not celebrated.

Preserving the British monarchy is to preserve white supremacy and the systemic racist structures that were built by the empire and persist today.

It’s time for Australia to embrace a republic rooted in decolonisation and sovereignty for First Nations – a crucial step towards racial justice, truth telling and treaty.

Updated

RBA says it is not ‘data obsessed’

Andrew Hauser, the Reserve Bank’s deputy governor, has conceded that the strength of Australia’s labour market in September had been “surprising”, or so he told a CBA global markets conference in Sydney today.

As you may recall, the jobless rate actually edged lower to 4.1% (from what had previously been reported by the Bureau of Statistics as 4.2% for August), with an addition of about 62,000 jobs.

Markets had already been tilting towards an interest cut NOT landing until February and now they are pricing in that first reduction as most likely next April. (April Fool’s Day, as it happens.)

Hauser, though, made it clear that the RBA was also not “data obsessed”, with the jobs figures just part of the wider “context” the board will consider. As we’ve noted in this blog previously, the September quarter inflation figures will land on 30 October, and most of the other data points (including the monthly CPI figures) are basically noise.

We also asked Hauser about China, particularly in light of the latest effort to stoke growth, namely today’s cuts in official interest rates. He said:

What happens in China matters for us, both in terms of our export growth and in terms of our investments, and so, you know, we are watching it closely.

He didn’t say whether he thought the Chinese rate cuts would work, along with the barrage of other stimulatory efforts. “I think it’s possible to tell different stories about the outlook for China”, ranging from the pessimistic to the more optimistic.

In a nod to his next speech – about the importance to Australia’s fortunes that international markets remain open – Hausers said:

Trends in the Australian economy [were] very often shaped by events outside of Australia.

The RBA board next meets on 4-5 November, wrapping up just as the US population goes to the polls – another overseas event that could play a big bearing not just on Australia but just about everywhere else.

Updated

Earlier today, Lidia Thorpe issued a statement calling for a “treaty republic”. She said that Australia had “unfinished business that we need to resolve before this country can become a republic” – and that this “must happen through treaty”.

You can read more of what she said earlier in the blog, here.

Updated

Watch: Lidia Thorpe shouts after King Charles’ speech

Here is the moment that independent senator Lidia Thorpe shouted after King Charles’ speech in Parliament House just earlier.

As Sarah Basford Canales notes, Thorpe can be heard saying:

This is not your land. You are not my king. You are not our king.

Updated

More from Australia’s privacy commissioner on AI

Continuing from our last post: Some companies have updated their terms since the arrival of large-language-model AI systems to say that personal data will be used unless users opt out, and in some cases this has only been picked up by users of the platform delving into the terms and sharing that information with other users.

Carly Kind said only updating the policy wasn’t sufficient:

Just updating a privacy policy will not be sufficient to meet the requirements of the Privacy Act, in which entities have to be able to establish that it’s within users’ reasonable expectations that their personal information will be used in a different way. And so I think that’s the relevant test that entities need to turn their mind to.

If you don’t have consent to use that information in a different way, then you need to be able to show it within users’ reasonable expectations.

Updated

Privacy watchdog issues AI warning over people’s data

Australia’s privacy commissioner, Carly Kind, has warned companies that bury how they’ll use AI on people’s data they have collected risk being investigated by her office.

The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner released new guidelines for both developers of AI systems and the organisations that use those systems on how personal information should be used. Kind told Guardian Australia:

We think that this guidance will hopefully set out pretty clearly how they need to be thinking about that when it comes to larger players and the developments of developers of these models. We’re articulating the legal situation we would have imagined that they had also given consideration to, these laws in the development of these models.

We would expect to see compliance with the Privacy Act in instances where the Privacy Act applies, and it does apply to some overseas entities. And then it will be a matter for my office to consider whether to take enforcement action if we do have a sufficient suspicion to suspect non-compliance.

Updated

King ‘doing an amazing job’, longtime fan says

Earlier, Elaine Hoskins spoke of the moment she got to shake Queen Camilla’s hand at the Australian War Memorial.

Camilla is wonderful. Always the lady, and she is such a supporter to him, and it was a privilege to talk to her today.

Hoskins drove up from Melbourne with her husband, Russell Baker, to get a glimpse of the royals. But it wasn’t her first time travelling afar to see the British monarchy.

Donning a tiara, Hoskins said she was a fan of King Charles III since she was 12.

Charles and I are the same age, yes, and so he was my pin-up boy on my wall from when I was about 12. He came to the throne through sadness, but as he is now, I think he’s doing an amazing job.

Hoskins went to King Charles’ coronation in England, where she picked up the flag she brought to Canberra.

As for Baker, does he share his wife’s love for the British monarchy too?

Oh yeah, but she is an absolute monarchist. She’s just mad [about the royals] ... I don’t care. I’m a royalist more than anything – I don’t think we should be a republic.

Updated

Thorpe removed from reception after yelling 'you stole from us' at king

The independent senator Lidia Thorpe has been removed from a parliamentary reception for King Charles and Queen Camilla after yelling “this is not your country” and “you are not my king” and “fuck the colony”.

After King Charles concluded his speech, Thorpe walked up the aisle towards the stage, yelling at the royal couple.

“You stole from us,” she shouted, as officials stepped forward to stop her reaching the stage.

… You destroyed our land. Give us a treaty. We want a treaty in this country.

As security officers escorted Thorpe back to the door, she shouted:

This is not your land. You are not my king. You are not our king.

As she left the hall and was forced back into the foyer she could be heard shouting: “Fuck the colony.”

Updated

Wrap-up of Albanese and Dutton’s speeches

Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton welcomed King Charles and Queen Camilla to Parliament House with warm greetings and a few jokes, thanking them for standing with Australians in good times and bad.

Albanese called it honour of his life to have led the Australian delegation attending the king’s coronation.

Albanese praised the king’s engagement on issues including climate change and reconciliation.

You have shown great respect for Australians, even during times where we’ve debated the future of our own constitutional arrangements and the nature of our relationship with the Crown. Nothing stands still.

Dutton also welcomed the royal couple and lightened the mood, noting how much those gathered had been anticipating the visit.

“People have had haircuts, people have shined shoes – and that’s just the republicans,” Dutton said, drawing laughter around the room.

Updated

King’s speech ends with heckles

The king has finished his speech with applause heard across the room, but a heckler can be heard from the crowd:

You are not out king … Give us our land back … You destroyed our land … We want treaty.

Updated

Today’s global challenges require ‘both ancient and new thinking’ – king

King Charles said that with Covid-19 “barely behind us”, the impacts of climate change “deepening” and the “horrors of war, death and needless destruction all too visible”, this moment in history “requires both ancient and new thinking”.

The challenges we now face call us to show not only constancy and valour but also humanity, empathy and generosity of spirit.

Looking out across the global commonwealth of nations, I see a family of some 2.5 billion people striving for peace, justice and mutual respect. The commonwealth spans six continents and as a group has the size and influence to play a significant role on the global stage, while being small enough to nurture a personal relationship.

It has the diversity to understand the world’s problems, and the sheer brain power and resolve to formulate practical solutions.

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King says Australia ‘particularly vulnerable’ to climate change

King Charles noted the Black Summer bushfires of 2019-20, the floods of 2022-23 and the tropical cyclones last year and this year, and spoke of the importance of addressing climate change.

I cannot tell you how much I have felt grief and shock of what you have gone, through having visited many of the communities myself over all of these years. Amid such overwhelming challenges, I have always been deeply impressed by the extraordinary bravery and resilience of those who look up, look out and – in that most Australian way – battle on …

The regular roll of unprecedented events is an unmistaken sign of climate change, to which Australia is so particularly vulnerable.

The king said that Australia’s “international leadership on global initiatives to protect our climate and biodiversity is of such absolute and critical importance”.

Australia has all of the natural ingredients to create a more sustainable, regenerative way of living, by harnessing the power with which nature has endowed the nation. Whether it be wind or its famous sunshine, Australia is tracking the path towards a better and safer future.

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King recalls attending Victorian school in 60s

King Charles is speaking about his first visit to Australia in 1966 for school in Victoria – “and, ladies and gentlemen, what an education it was!”

I had thought that the school I had been attending in Scotland was remote and testing enough, but nothing had quite prepared me for the realities of the bush country around Mount Bulla.

Six decades since his first visit, the king said he was “witnessed both continuity and great change.”

It is worth reflecting that Australia’s unique character has endured and also evolved, and that Australia has become a stronger nation as a result of becoming one of the most multicultural on Earth.

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King notes Australia’s ‘long and sometimes difficult journey towards reconciliation’

King Charles III is now addressing the crowd at the parliamentary reception, saying he is “enormously touched” by the welcome.

Let me also say how deeply I appreciated this morning’s moving Welcome to Country ceremony, which offers me the opportunity to pay my respects to the traditional owners of the lands on which we meet – the Ngunnawal people and all First Nations peoples who have loved and cared for this continent for 65,000 years.

In my many visits to Australia, I have witnessed the courage and hope that have guided the nation’s long and sometimes difficult journey towards reconciliation. Throughout my life, Australia’s First Nations peoples have done me the great honour of sharing so generously their stories and cultures. I can only say how much my own experience has been shaped and strengthened by such tradition and wisdom.

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Dutton says Australia should ‘never take British inheritance for granted’

Peter Dutton told King Charles that his presence “reminds Australians of all of the things that we love about Britain” – as well as “our great British heritage”.

Representative democracy, the constitution, the separation of powers, the rule of law, the English language, freedom of speech, of association of the press, and so much more besides.

We should never take our British inheritance for granted. Australia has benefited from the stability of a democracy with the monarchy as our bedrock. Through times of peace and war, constitutional and parliamentary crises, good times and bad – Australians have known stability and have taken confidence knowing that there are better days ahead, because our institutions are protected and underpinned by the independence and stoicism of the reigning monarch.

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Peter Dutton is now addressing the crowd at the parliamentary reception. The opposition leader took a moment to send his well wishes to Princess Catherine:

Upon your return home, your majesties, I know that you will convey Australia’s well wishes to the Princess of Wales.

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‘The commonwealth is family’ – PM

Anthony Albanese has noted “decades of change” in Australia, stating that “bonds of respect and affection” have endured. He told King Charles during the address:

The Australia you first knew has grown and evolved in so many ways. Our communities have been strengthened and enriched from people drawn from every culture [and] background … As a modern, outward-looking economy, we found our place in the world and made our home in the region. We’ve gained a deeper and truer understanding of our national story. Yet through these decades of change, our bonds of respect and affection have matured and they have endured …

For Australia, the commonwealth is family. And, as with any family, we appreciate our differences … We know the institution is secure in your hands, and we know your commitment to peace and stability will act as your guide during the challenging times in which we find ourselves.

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PM says king has ‘long apprehended the grave reality of climate change’

Anthony Albanese is now speaking at the parliamentary reception.

The prime minister told King Charles that as king, he has “an extraordinary duty to the traditions so carefully upheld, protected and generations of your forbearers, not least your mother, Queen Elizabeth II”.

He noted the king’s work towards addressing climate change, and said:

Your abiding duty to all that has been built on the foundations of tradition is balanced by a great responsibility to the future – both its serious challenges and its exciting possibilities.

You have long apprehended the grave reality of climate change. You take seriously the threat that it represents, as well as the necessity and, crucially, the capability of humanity to take meaningful and effective action against it.

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Lidia Thorpe turns back on king

Senator Lidia Thorpe turned her back on King Charles and Queen Camilla as they stood to attention for the national anthem, sung in English and the local Ngunnawal Indigenous language.

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Parliamentary reception begins at Parliament House

The parliamentary reception, hosted by Anthony Albanese, is beginning in Parliament House.

The national anthem was just sung in both English and Ngunnawal language, with Aunty Violet Sheridan welcoming King Charles and Queen Camilla, and guests, to Ngunnawal Country.

Sheridan said:

A Welcome to Country is a traditional Aboriginal blessing, symbolising the traditional owners of the lands welcoming you. But it also shows your respect for the first peoples of the land you are meeting on. The reason for this custom is to protect your spirit while you are on our land …

I’d like to pay my respects to my elders past, present and emerging, and extend that respect to any First Nations people here this morning. But I’d also like to acknowledge all of the non-Indigenous people here as well. In keeping in the general spirit of friendship and reconciliation, it gives me great pleasure to welcome you, King Charles III, and Queen Camilla, and special guest the prime minister, distinguished guests, to the land of the Ngunnawal people.

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Man arrested at war memorial

ACT police have confirmed a 62-year-old man was arrested this morning outside the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, where King Charles and Queen Camilla were visiting earlier.

The man was arrested for allegedly failing to comply with a police direction. He would be conveyed to the ACT watch house and was expected to be charged, police said.

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Child allegedly hit with rock through Queensland train window

Queensland police are appealing for witnesses after a rock was allegedly thrown through a train window, striking a five-year-old boy in the head.

Detectives from the Cairns Child Protection Investigation Unit are investigating the alleged incident on 19 October, that occurred around 4pm near the James and Law Street intersection.

The child was taken to Cairns Hospital with serious injuries and was expected to be transported to Townsville Hospital yesterday for further treatment.

Police are appealing for witnesses, and anyone with vision, to come forward. Investigations are continuing.

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A pool reporter has let us know that Queen Camilla is wearing a white silk crepe court dress by Anna Valentine, as well as a diamond and pearl brooch worn previously by Queen Elizabeth II and the Queen Mother.

Lidia Thorpe says Indigenous treaty must be part of becoming republic

Earlier today, Lidia Thorpe released a statement saying a treaty with First Nations people must be central in any moves towards a republic.

Thorpe said she was following the footsteps of her uncle, Robbie Thorpe, who has long advocated for a republic through treaty. She said in a statement there was “unfinished business that we need to resolve before this country can become a republic”.

We can move towards a Treaty Republic now. The two processes are not opposed, they’re complimentary.

As First Peoples, we never ceded our Sovereignty over this land. The Crown invaded this country, has not sought treaty with First Peoples, and committed a Genocide of our people. King Charles is not the legitimate Sovereign of these lands.

Any move towards a republic must not continue this injustice. Treaty must play a central role in establishing an independent nation. A republic without a Treaty must not happen.

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Thorpe turns her back to national anthem

Inside the reception hall, Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe has turned her back to the screen while the national anthem was playing.

Thorpe is wearing a long possum-skin coat and is standing at the front along the royals’ route into the hall.

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NSW premier Chris Minns says King Charles ‘seems lovely’

The New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, says King Charles III “seems lovely”.

At a press conference earlier today, Minns was asked what he thought of the British monarch when they met for the first time in Sydney over the weekend.

The King, who has been undergoing treatment for cancer, is midway through a quick Australian visit with his wife, Queen Camilla, their first trip here since his coronation. Minns said:

It was really brief, but he seems lovely. And he seemed very happy to be in Sydney.

I hope he has a good time in Canberra and in Sydney, it’s obviously a brief visit, and that’s in recognition of the fact that he’s undergoing treatment.

I think most people are very happy to have him here, and I’m sure tomorrow will be a great day in Sydney.

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Royals arrive at Parliament House

The King and Queen have arrived at Parliament House in a large motorcade of black SUVs with a police escort on motorbikes. They were greeted with a 21-gun salute that absolutely bewildered the large flock of seagulls that normally swim in the water feature out the front of parliament, with the Federation Guard of military personnel presented for inspection by the King.

It’s hot out here – government staffers have been wandering through the gathered crowds, offering sunscreen and water bottles – but the King took the time to walk through the guard for an official inspection, stopping several times to speak to some members of the army and navy gathered in formation. We can’t hear what they said from our vantage point off to the side.

The King and Queen are now meeting the official party, including prime minister Anthony Albanese, opposition leader Peter Dutton, governor general Sam Mostyn and other dignitaries.

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King Charles and Queen Camilla have arrived on the forecourt of Parliament House, received by the governor general Sam Mostyn, who presented the prime minister Anthony Albanese.

The King is meeting the official greeting party right now, and will soon proceed into Parliament to sign the visitor books alongside the PM, president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives.

After that, the parliamentary reception will begin.

Inside Parliament’s Great Hall, MPs, senators and others with a floor pass for the coming reception are watching the outside arrival proceedings on a big screen and chit-chatting in what is a standing-room morning tea, hurry-up-and-wait kind of scenario.

Those in the building who’ve not been so bestowed are crowding around the balconies above the parliamentary foyer, smartphones hoisted, waiting for their majesties to set foot on the marble and glide the few metres towards the hall’s doors and all the folks inside.

Me, l’m in the gallery above the supping throng, waiting like everyone else.

Until something actually happens, back to you.

Hephner the alpaca meets the king

King Charles III and Queen Camilla have greeted the crowd at the Australian War Memorial, shaking hands and high-fiving kids.

The royal couple walked down a cordoned off road leading to the memorial. Queen Camila greeted fans who had waited nearly two hours in the sun on one side while King Charles greeted the other.

If you’ll remember earlier in the day, we spoke to Hephner the alpaca and his owner, Robert Fletcher.

Hephner was let into the war memorial and got the chance to meet the king.

We’re told he sneezed, literally, at the opportunity. Fletcher told Guardian Australia earlier that Hephner wasn’t a spitter but he didn’t rule out sneezing.

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Crowd grows outside parliament ahead of royal visit

Several hundred people have gathered on the Parliament House forecourt ahead of the royal arrival. There’s tight security and members of the military are preparing a ceremonial welcome and 21-gun salute.

The crowd, gathered on both edges of the forecourt to see the royal motorcade arrive, is a mix of ages and backgrounds. We found Serena and Gabriella, dressed in suit jackets with Union Jack flags, and a stuffed corgi – famously, the late Queen’s favourites. They were Serena’s husband and their young daughter, Darcy. Serena said:

It’s a historic occasion … It’s pretty special.

Gabriella donned a cardboard mask of Queen Camilla.

Others are dressed in Union Jack clothing, or memorabilia from other royal occasions.

Out on the front lawns of Parliament House, far from the official forecourt area, are a few large flags with the slogan “abolish the monarchy”. We can’t see much more from this vantage point, but the yellow flags are visible from the area where the King and Queen will arrive.

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King Charles and Queen Camilla arrive at War Memorial

King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrived at the Australian War Memorial a few short moments ago where they were greeted by a crowd of a few thousand.

The two will lay a wreath at the memorial before greeting members of the crowd and visiting a memorial that commemorates the military service of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

As the king wound down his window, members of the crowd screamed with joy.

One excited crowd member, Carly McCrossin, told the 10 News reporter next to me she kept shouting “I love you, Charles” while holding her young children. Her friends nearby couldn’t believe they’d picked the right side to receive a wave from the king.

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Small group of protestors at War Memorial ahead of royal visit

A small group of protesters set up near the Australian War Memorial earlier to protest the arrival of the royals.

Some media had been set up at the Australian War Memorial but we were in fixed positions, so couldn’t get much closer.

The crowd was holding Aboriginal and Palestinian flags and calling out “no pride in genocide” and “always was, always will be, Aboriginal land”. Police slowly started directing them away.

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Crowds growing to catch glimpse of King Charles in Canberra

Plenty of visitors to the Australian War Memorial for today’s royal visit have gotten into the spirit.

One of those is Lynton Martin, who stood out in the crowd with his bejewelled crown and British flag suit. Martin told Guardian Australia he had already been waiting for around 1.5 hours in line before the gates opened.

I got it specifically for the royal tour, and it will now be my royal outfit. I went to the coronation last year in England, and over there, there’s pump, there’s pageantry, there’s colour, there’s passion, it’s everywhere. So I wanted to make the King and Queen feel at home here in Australia.

Martin explained his passion for the royal family started was influenced by his grandmother’s love of them.

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Qantas CEO apologises to sacked workers

The Qantas chief executive, Vanessa Hudson, has apologised to almost 1,700 former ground handlers who were illegally sacked and has pledged to engage in prompt negotiations to determine the size of the compensation payout.

The apology came after the federal court ruled today that three of those workers should receive a combined $170,000 for non-economic loss suffered, which is to be used as a basis to calculate a total compensation bill. Hudson said in a statement:

We sincerely apologise to our former employees who were impacted by this decision and we know that the onus is on Qantas to learn from this.

We recognise the emotional and financial impact this has had on these people and their families. We hope that this provides closure to those who have been affected.

Qantas and the Transport Workers’ Union will now engage in mediation over the size of the compensation payout and report back to the court early next month.

The total sum is expected to consist of economic and non-economic loss. Separately, the union is also seeking penalties against Qantas.

The federal court previously found the airline’s decision to outsource ground handler jobs in 2020 was illegal. But it also ruled that those workers would have been retrenched one year later as Qantas sought to cut costs, limiting the anticipated payout.

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Sussan Ley registers purchase of four-seater plane

We love keeping an eye on the federal parliament’s register of interests for any fun updates (financial, property, gifts and hospitality) from our politicians – but deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley might have one of the more interesting disclosures we’ve seen for a while, noting that she has taken out a personal loan to buy her own plane.

Ley, who says she got her pilot’s licence at 19, has picked up a Cessna 182, a four-seater, single engine plane. Her register of interests has today been updated to note a “personal loan on purchase of Cessna 182. Creditor: Westpac”.

The member for the rural electorate of Farrer, a large area which takes in much of the NSW-Victoria border region, recently got back her pilot’s licence which had lapsed. Ley’s spokesperson said the Cessna was “her favourite aircraft and a reliable working bush aircraft” and that she would use it to travel around her vast electorate.

Her electorate of Farrer is 126,500 square kilometres, and one of the largest in the country. It is around the same size as Greece, Bangladesh or Nepal. She is using her plane to help to fly around her electorate at her own expense.

Her plane is also a way for her to continue to fly, which is a personal passion for her. She has a passion for aviation which she has spoken about over career and most recently as deputy leader and shadow minister for women.

Ley recently told the Nightly newspaper about re-obtaining her pilot’s licence, saying: “This will give me opportunities to fly to parts of my electorate that I wouldn’t normally visit, but I’ve always considered it very important ... I’m always wanting to visit them more.”

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King Charles and Queen Camilla arrive in Canberra

Vision is being broadcast of King Charles and Queen Camilla arriving in Canberra, to cheers from the crowd as they disembark from their plane.

We’ll have more in a moment from Sarah Basford Canales, who is on the scene at the Australian War Memorial, where the royals will shortly visit.

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Allan says she is determined to ‘fight back against Nimby-style approach’

The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, was asked whether her housing plan is politically motivated – given the vast majority of the suburbs she has earmarked for development are in Liberal-held seats.

She denied this, but also had a crack at the opposition in the process:

This is about building more homes for more Victorians, because for too long, too many Liberals conservative politicians have chased local votes and blocked the building of more homes in their community. I’m determined to fight for those Victorians who need the government to fight back against this Nimby-style approach.

We need to fight back against this approach for the simple reason that it’s just not fair. It’s just not fair on younger Victorians to be denied the opportunity people of my generation and others have had to buy their first home, to start a family, to build their long-term wealth.

These younger Victorians are being locked out of being able to afford or buy a home, maybe close to where they grew up, close to their family, network of support. They’re being denied choice and opportunity, and that is not fair, and they need someone in their corner fighting for them, and that’s what I and the government will be doing.

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More on the Victorian stamp-duty announcement

The Victorian treasurer, Tim Pallas, said the scheme will cost the government about $55m and is designed to be a short-term intervention.

At the moment, we know that the industry is in a difficult situation, and what they need is the ability to be able to put away these vitally important projects. We expect that over the next 12 months, the material circumstances of the industry will improve.

We know, for example, that the spike in commodity prices are already coming off, but they still continue to beset the industry with difficulties. Additionally, I anticipate that we will see – if not by the end of this year, then certainly by early next year – interest rates come down. Now, they won’t come crashing down, but they will come down modestly, is our anticipation.

But that will take about another six months before … we do need this period of adjustment and support for the industry, and that’s the rationale behind the 12 months.

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Victorian premier announcing stamp duty holiday for off-the-plan apartments

Victorians buying apartments, townhouses and units off the plan won’t have to pay any stamp duty for 12 months, under a state government initiative aimed at stimulating development.

The premier, Jacinta Allan, is announcing the policy, which comes into effect immediately and will be open to all buyers for properties of any price point.

Currently, stamp duty concessions on off-the-plan properties are only available to first-home buyers and owner occupiers and are capped at $750,000 and $550,000, respectively

The government estimates the policy will cut the stamp duty of buyers of a new $620,000 apartment down to just $4,000, a saving of $28,000.

Speaking at a recently opened build-to-rent project in North Fitzroy, Allan said the move responds to feedback from the construction industry that the current interest rate burden has slowed sales and stopped developments from beginning.

It will get more of these projects away sooner. And what that means [is] that [it] unlocks more homes for everyone. More homes, more opportunities – whether you want to live in an apartment, a unit or a townhouse. It provides more opportunities for more Victorians to be able to find a home where they want to live.

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Nick McIntosh argued that law reform is still needed, calling for the establishment of a Safe and Secure Skies Commission – for “independent oversight over the entire aviation industry”.

We should never have been in this position. These workers really should have their jobs back as we speak. The problem was that the law didn’t allow that to happen. It was too difficult to reinstate 1,700 workers – it was alright if it was two workers, but 1,700 was too much.

That needed to change as well so that if this ever happens again – and let’s hope it doesn’t – but if this ever happens again, these workers will have their jobs back. We won’t be going through years and years of high court challenges, we’ll have these workers back doing what they do best.

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Union estimates compensation will exceed $100m

The assistant secretary of the Transport Workers’ Union, Nick McIntosh, also spoke with the media following the court decision.

Taking questions, he said the union estimates the compensation figure is “probably worth in excess of $100m”.

Clearly it’s going to be dependent on different individual cases.

The really crucial element, though, is this non-economic loss. This is tax-free money that is in recognition of people’s hardship and distress suffered.

This will make a big difference to every one of the 1,700 people, but we do [think] this will be a global figure in excess of $100m.

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Workers welcome court decision on Qantas outsourcing

Damien Pollard, another illegally outsourced worker, told reporters that he was “an extremely proud” Qantas worker and expected to be there until he retired:

I’ve spent the last four years fielding hundreds of phone calls from my members in Canberra, people that are going through personal problems and mental health issues that were caused by this decision.

So today’s judgment by Justice Lee goes some way to facilitating a little bit of recovery from all that and hopefully allowing for us to move on with our lives.

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Sacked Qantas worker reacts to court decision

Don Dixon, one of the illegally outsourced workers with Qantas, spoke with the media and said this was a victory for “ordinary Australian workers”.

He said working for Qantas was like a family – so today’s decision is “sad in one way but it’s jubilant in all other ways”:

We stood up and we fought. Every Australian now should say, you know what – this is [the] spirit of Australia. You dig in when it gets tough, and you don’t give up and here we are today having a massive victory.

Dixon said that “so many families struggled” throughout the campaign and “losing your job as quickly and as brutally as it was, it was a horrible thing”:

We thought we were there for the rest of our lives. Most of us are getting on in years, so getting another job out in the harsh world was very, very difficult. So this compensation will go a long way of paying people’s mortgages and giving them some hope that all isn’t lost when you group together and you have that fight.

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Qantas ordered to pay $170,000 to three workers illegally sacked at start of pandemic

A federal court judge has rebuked Qantas for the “vast legal costs” expended to defend claims it illegally sacked almost 1,700 ground handlers in 2020, as former workers move a step closer towards a compensation payout.

Justice Michael Lee has ruled that three test cases should each receive $30,000, $40,000 and $100,000 each. They suffered varying amounts of “non-economic loss”, the court ruled.

Justice Lee ordered Qantas and the Transport Workers Union into mediation using the test case amounts to inform a total payout, with the parties due to report back early next month.

He found that the workers would have been retrenched one year later in 2021 anyway due to Qantas’ “laser-like” focus on cutting costs, limiting compensation to the twelve months following the outsourcing decision.

You can read the full story below:

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Trainee doctors rate training experience ‘pass’ at best in survey

Trainees rated their training experience a “pass” at best in 2023, a survey from the peak body for doctors reveals.

Just over one in five respondents didn’t feel comfortable raising bullying, harassment and discrimination with their college and only over half felt safe raising training and wellbeing concerns. Dr Sanjay Hettige, Council of Doctors in training chair described these figures as “far too low”, warranting greater attention from medical colleges.

Only 4 in 10 trainees reported receiving useful feedback from their college, which Hettige said had a “huge impact on trainee health and wellbeing”.

Almost 8 in 10 rural based trainees wanted to stay in rural practice, but only a third of metropolitan based trainees said they would consider moving to rural practice.

Hettige said that greater exposure to rural training could help solve the rural doctor shortage, but graduates often have “no choice but to go to the big cities”.

Unless greater focus is given to creating more rural training opportunities, this trend will continue at the detriment of patients in rural and regional Australia.

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People already lining up at Parliament House ahead of royal visit

It’s still hours before the King and Queen arrive at Parliament House, but eager royal watchers have already been lining up for some time on the building’s forecourt.

Before Parliament House staff closed up the front of the building for security reasons, we spotted around 50 people already lined up to get close to the royals; some prepared for the long haul with camp chairs and sandwiches, others bearing flowers and gifts.

One family arrived wearing gold plastic crowns.

There’s people of all ages, young and old, including a few kids that look like they’ve gotten the day off school to catch a glimpse of Charles and Camilla.

We’ll bring you more from Parliament House later this afternoon.

Brittany Higgins speaks on risks to baby during ‘acutely stressful pregnancy’

Brittany Higgins, who is currently pregnant, says that her baby is “perfectly fine and healthy” after a blood test raised red flags in the second trimester.

In a post to Instagram, Higgins said it is an “understatement to say that we’ve had an acutely stressful pregnancy”, with her and her husband, David Sharaz, having the “scare of [their] lives” with a recent blood test:

Our baby had a high probability of a genetic disorder – which wouldn’t have mattered to us – but scarily could mean he may be incompatible with life outside of the womb.

After an amniocentesis and a seemingly never-ending wait our prayers were answered. Our little guy is perfectly fine and healthy.

Higgins said she wanted to talk about this as it “takes the stigma out of these very real circumstances that people are faced with when trying to start families”.

Meanwhile, Higgins and Sharaz have still not sold their French home. Higgins said in July that she was being forced to sell the home to defend the defamation action brought by the Liberal senator Linda Reynolds.

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Alpaca joins crowd awaiting royal couple

At Canberra’s Australian War Memorial, territorians are lining up to catch a glimpse of the king and queen’s first pitstop in the nation’s capital.

One of those in line is Robert Fletcher and his alpaca, Hephner. Hephner sported a sparkly gold crown and bow tie, with a blue velvet suit (see our previous post for some photos).

And he was on his best behaviour, Fletcher said.

We just thought, what an opportunity to dress him up as royalty and bring him today.

Hephner is a monarchist, Fletcher said, and would love to meet King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

I think this is probably the last opportunity that you’ll ever get to see them, certainly in my lifetime and probably my daughter’s lifetime as well.

The gates opened at 10.30am, but whether Hephner with his human family will be allowed to pass through remains to be seen.

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People lining up to see King and Queen at War Memorial

King Charles and Queen Camilla are continuing their tour of Australia, with their first stop today at the War Memorial in Canberra.

Mike Bowers is there to capture all the action, and people are already lining up to catch a glimpse of the royals, including Robert Fletcher and his alpaca, Hephner:

You can have a read of the full royal itinerary below:

Extreme fire danger for west coast of South Australia

There is an extreme fire danger rating for the west coast of South Australia today.

The Bureau of Meteorology says hot and dry conditions, with gusty north-westerly winds forecast ahead of a cooler, south-westerly change this afternoon and evening.

Updated

Here’s a look at today’s weather forecasts across Australia’s capital cities, from the Bureau of Meteorology:

Entertainment Quarter at Sydney's Moore Park set for redevelopment

Sydney’s Entertainment Quarter at Moore Park is set for redevelopment, with the state government opening a tender process for its long-term lease.

Proposals are being sought to deliver more visitors, live performances and events, a statement from the NSW government said. It is also seeking proposals for additional creative spaces that could host up to 20,000 people.

The state government said the EQ is one of Sydney’s key entertainment and sports precincts but is “currently underutilised”, considering its location between Centennial Park, the SCG and Allianz Stadium, and proximity to the CBD via the light rail.

The current lease has a maximum term expiring in 2046 and the open-tender will allow all parties to put forward proposals. The open tender will commence in the “near-term” and run through next year.

The NSW premier, Chris Minns, said in a statement that the EQ was “falling far short of meeting its full potential”:

We want to turn the EQ into a thriving world-class precinct, full of dining and entertainment options, complete with a brand new venue that can host between 15,000 to 20,000 for live music and public events …

From cutting through red tape that has decimated Sydney’s nightlife to getting visitors and entertainment back into the city with projects this like this, we’re focused on turning Sydney into the best entertainment destination in the world.

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Stamp duty for off-the-plan homes slashed in stimulus bid for Victorians

Every Victorian who buys off-the-plan apartments, units and townhouses will have their stamp duty slashed, AAP reports, but only for a limited time.

The premier, Jacinta Allan, announced Victorian stamp duty concessions would be expanded to all buyers and uncapped. Thresholds for stamp duty concessions had previously been set at $750,000 and $550,000 for first home buyers and owner-occupiers respectively.

But eligibility has been expanded to investors and the value cap removed for one year from today, providing a 100% discount for outstanding construction and refurbishment costs when calculating stamp duty.

Allan said the 12-month stimulus plan was in response to under-pressure builders crying out for help after successive interest rate rises. She told Sunrise earlier:

It’s certainly having an impact on the housing industry. That’s why we’re providing this support. It’s good for builders, it’s certainly good for buyers who will save money, it’s good for building more homes.

The premier foreshadowed she would release more housing policies and initiatives across the rest of the week.

Updated

Bowen underscores gas won’t be included in any capacity scheme

The energy minister, Chris Bowen, has been taking questions after his speech, confirming he wouldn’t include gas into the capacity investment scheme (that was set up speed up the renewables’ rollout).

Bowen noted NSW had included gas in its long-term auction system, and noted that no gas operator had bothered to bid “because it is so expensive”. Hence, putting gas into the federal scheme “achieves nothing” because such project would never get support. “It’s just a distraction,” he said.

(His federal counterpart, Ted O’Brien, had argued last week: “The inclusion of gas in the CIS is crucial to addressing the immediate challenges in Australia’s gas market, ensuring reliable electricity supply, and stabilising energy prices.”)

Bowen, meanwhile, downplayed reports in the past week or so in the Murdoch tabloids and the AFR about Norway’s Equinor pulling out of the running for a proposed offshore windfarm zone near Illawarra. He noted that Equinor had announced its exit from the race back in June (and hence, wondered why it was being repeated).

The company was still in the running for a zone planned for the offshore Hunter River, up the NSW coast, and the much larger zone off the Gippsland coast was going “gangbusters”.

As we anticipated, that second round of the CIS is only an acceleration (albeit a significant one). The overall size of the scheme will not be expanded, Bowen’s office has confirmed.

Meanwhile, Bowen hinted the government won’t be releasing its 2035 emissions targets this side of the election. He would be taking advice from the Climate Change Authority (now chaired by Matt Kean, the former NSW treasurer and energy minister in a Liberal-led coalition).

No nation had yet lodged 2035 carbon cuts to the UN body (the UNFCCC), Bowen noted. Perhaps Australia won’t be in a hurry to sign up.

Updated

Andrew Barr speaks following election win in ACT

The ACT chief minister, Andrew Barr, spoke with ABC News Breakfast earlier after his election win over the weekend.

Barr, already the longest-serving political leader in the country, fended off a negative swing and an independent surge to win his third election as chief minister.

He noted swings against some incumbent parties, including Labor, and said “there are always lessons to learn from each election campaign”:

It is looking increasingly certain of 10 Labor and three Green [seats], with a possibility of an additional seat either going to Labor or Green in the southern electorate of Brindabella. But there’s postal votes and interstate votes that will need to be added to that count. We would hope this would be resolved by the end of the week.

Responding to accusations that Labor is dominating the jurisdiction, Barr argued that “power is always shared in the ACT” with crossbenchers:

In this instance, we will expect a crossbench of at least five and possibly six members out of our 25-member assembly. But they have generally represented progressive views.

The Canberra Liberals are the most right-wing branch of the Liberal party in this country, and that’s been ably demonstrated election after election … We don’t make any apologies for running successful campaigns.

Barr argued that “votes were quite sharply weaker for the Liberal party” after its leader, Elizabeth Lee, was caught giving the middle finger to a journalist.

Updated

Government to accelerate clean energy auction scheme, Bowen says

The federal energy minister, Chris Bowen, says the government will accelerate the pace of its capacity investment scheme, an auction system that helps underwrite the rollout of renewables.

Bowen has told an AFR energy conference in Sydney that its second round of investments has been lifted to 6GW of new renewable generation from 4GW. Storage (mostly big batteries) will be lifted to 4GW from an original 2GW. He said:

I expected it to work well, and it’s working better than I thought.

The scheme guarantees a minimum payment for the power supply – but if wholesale prices are higher than a certain level, the government would take a share of the cut.

It’s not clear if the acceleration of the plans means the overall scheme will be larger than anticipated. Perhaps there’s also an insurance element. Auction results can’t be overturned if the government were to change at the next election.

The Coalition has said it wants to introduce gas in the scheme (something that states such as Victoria had opposed in the past). Plans for seven nuclear power plants are unlikely to gain market interest to include them in any action, given most reports estimate such generation to be far more expensive than wind or solar (even with storage added).

Bowen said uncertainty in the industry was something the Coalition was “deliberately” creating by introducing nuclear proposals to Australia’s mix. Bowen said he remains confident that the government can meet its 2030 goal of supplying 82% of electricity from clean energy sources.

Bowen noted too that some parts of the grid had record minimum demand on the grid over the weekend, something we touched a week or so ago here:

Updated

Byelection results reflect shift away from major parties: Ryan

Monique Ryan was also asked about Jacqui Scruby’s election results in Pittwater at the weekend, and if they makes her feel more comfortable ahead of the next federal election regarding retaining her own seat. She said:

[Almost] a third of Australians did not vote for the major parties [in 2022], I don’t think we have seen anything since that time that’s changed their minds.

I think people are seeing that independents can hold the governments to account at all levels of government. We play an important role, we’re pragmatic and centrist and we contribute. The results from the elections over the weekend reflected that.

Updated

Ryan says Allan ‘playing politics’ with Nimby-ism suggestion

Monique Ryan was also asked about suggestions from the Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, that part of the opposition to the rezoning plan is “Nimby-ism”.

Ryan accused the premier of “playing politics with this” and said she is “trying to create a point of difference:”

I’m not interested in that. I’m interested in ensuring … these developments will be [designed] in a way that’s sensible and sustainable, they’ll be delivered on time … and we’ll retain the character of the suburbs in which we’ve chosen to live, while welcoming hopefully hundreds of thousands of new people into the area.

Updated

Independent Kooyong MP responds to Victorian government rezoning plan

Monique Ryan, the federal member for Kooyong, was up on ABC News Breakfast earlier to discuss the Victorian government’s rezoning plan:

Ryan has been quoted in the Financial Review as saying new developments proposed by the Allan government could result in buildings that were too tall, ugly, and slow to be delivered. She responded to this, and said:

The announcement this weekend from the premier was for nine massive new developments just in the electorate of Kooyong. That’s huge. These could be up to 20 storeys high. Of course that will cause some concern from people who live in the area, who have chosen to live there, because it’s a beautiful part of the world.

Ryan said that people need “certainty” their kids will still get into local schools and that they won’t lose green spaces and amenities, and that more detail is needed on the plan.

We’re not saying we don’t want it, I think people in my part of the world are welcoming it. We’d also like some assurances from the government they will include social and affordable housing in these developments. We really don’t have any detail as of yet and that’s the stuff that’s missing at this point.

Updated

Teal independent speaks following byelection results at the weekend

The independent Jacqui Scruby, a Climate 200-backed former adviser to federal MPs Zali Steggall and Sophie Scamps, is set to win the Pittwater byelection in NSW.

She spoke with ABC RN this morning and said “of course” her results are “part of a broader trend” towards independents, and “people wanting a different type of politics”:

So this representation that is community representation, rather than party representation, and also the ability for independence, I think, to work across party lines, hold governments’ to account, but also work collaboratively with governments in order to deliver …

I’ve earned the trust of traditional Liberal voters, and I will seek to maintain that trust and gain the trust of others.

Scruby argued that people are “sick of divisive politics” and are “looking for representation that is not divisive, that’s really practical”:

And it’s a bit more nuanced as well, because part of community representation is bringing people into their democracy and helping them understand the nuance of policies, rather than … opposition for the sake of opposition.

Scruby said that in the three NSW byelections, the Liberal candidates that were chosen didn’t live in their electorate – and “how that played … maybe is a lesson to the Liberal party”.

Updated

Shadow housing minister responds to business call for $10bn housing reform

While on ABC RN, the shadow housing minister, Michael Sukkar, was also asked about calls from the Business Council for a $10bn federal plan to cut the cost of construction. You can read all the details on this below:

The business council is calling an increase in foreign workers with construction skills. Sukkar was asked: how can the Coalition back this if it wants to cut the number of permanent visas?

Sukkar argued that “you’ve got to reorientate the composition of who you bring in”:

In recent times, we’ve had the Labor party bringing in more yoga instructors than bricklayers … We’ve made clear we’re going to reduce migration to free up 100,000 homes for Australians. Now you can simultaneously ensure that of the generous migration program that Australia does have in place, that you reorientate it to the sorts of skills we need.

The government and the opposition have both promised cuts to migration in response, at least partially, to Australia’s housing crisis. But how much does immigration actually contribute to the cost of housing and rent? You can read more on this below:

Updated

Shadow housing minister critical of rollout of Victorian rezoning announcement

The shadow minister for housing, Michael Sukkar, was up on ABC RN this morning to speak on the Victorian government’s rezoning plan, as we flagged earlier:

Sukkar criticised the state government for a lack of consultation with the community and said:

If you’re going to make any of these sorts of investments or changes, you’ve got to consult with the people who are affected now … For people to wake up one morning and read that there’s going to be a 20 story tower next door to them, I don’t think it’s unreasonable that they’re a bit crazy … That’s the first I’ve heard [and] that’s the problem with this announcement, there’s been no discussion with the community.

Classroom mobile ban hailed success by NSW government

The NSW government’s decision to ban mobile phones in thousands of public school classrooms has been hailed a success, AAP reports.

An education department survey of almost 1,000 public school principals found huge support for the ban, with 95% reporting positive results. The premier, Chris Minns, said in a statement today that one year in “it’s clear, this was the right decision”:

Without the distraction of a mobile phone in their pockets, students have been able to focus on their learning, while building stronger relationships with their classmates.

The survey also found 81% of principals agreed students’ learning had improved, 87% said students were less distracted in the classroom and 86% said socialising had improved.

The ban was introduced at the beginning of term four in 2023.

Updated

Allan calls out opposition to housing plan

Jacinta Allan said that “Nimby-ism” – aka a “Not In My Back Yard” approach to new housing – was “one way to describe” how opponents to her plan are feeling.

She told ABC News Breakfast that for too long, “too many politicians have not addressed this key fundamental issue which is why we’ve got to this point.”

We’ve got to this point because the loudest voices, who don’t necessarily represent all of the community, have particularly got in the way of building new homes. They’ve been the blockers. They’re particularly Liberal members of parliament, like we saw yesterday in Brighton, and we’ve got Monique Ryan, who is not Liberal. We have residents who are not necessarily Liberal members either.

Yesterday, angry Brighton residents surrounded the pub where Allan announced the housing plan to media, chanting: “Shame, premier, shame.”

Allan said what she would talk to the community about is whether it “makes sense to have taller buildings hugging the train station itself, being close to the train station, and then having lower levels as you move away from the train stations”:

… we’re going to embark on a consultation, community by community, street by street, house by house.

Updated

Victorian premier defends housing plan to rezone affluent areas

The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, has been speaking with ABC News Breakfast about a plan to create 50 new “activity zones” to help deliver more than 30,000 additional homes across Melbourne by 2051.

Defending the plan, she said that more homes need to be built in the state, particularly for younger Victorians under 40:

Anyone under the age of 40 knows just how tough it is to find a home, particularly to find a home close to where they grew up, close to families. We need to get on and build more homes, particularly in and around the suburbs of Melbourne.

Allan was asked about pushback from locals, including those in Brighton, and whether she should have spoken with residents. She said 25 zoning locations had been announced, with another 25 to come, and “we’re going to get on and talk to people in those local communities.”

I know from my conversations with many Victorians that putting homes next to a train station just makes sense for so many people … The status quo is just not an option any more.

It’s tougher and tougher for younger people to get into a home, to start a family, to build their long-term wealth that previous generations have had that opportunity to. We’ve got to get on and find new ways to push on and build more homes, because the status quo is locking out too many people.

Updated

Bid to avoid post-2032 homelessness in Queensland

There are fears Brisbane could be heading toward a post-2032 Olympic Games homelessness crisis if the next state government does not take action, AAP reports.

The warning comes after a Q Shelter-commissioned Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute report on the Olympics’ impact on homelessness and the local housing market.

Q Shelter’s CEO, Fiona Caniglia, said the “best-case scenario is people will be pushed out to the regions”.

But if you live here now and for reasons that are important to you, like work and family, then we need to create a framework so you can stay, and so you’re not forced to move because of the impact of the games.

Reports will be published annually leading up to the 2032 games to monitor housing market conditions and the responses to homelessness in Brisbane. The aim is to help calibrate policy responses to ensure Brisbane 2032 delivers its intended legacy of social inclusion.

However, Q Shelter said it was not out of the realm of possibility that Brisbane could be the first games host that doesn’t worsen homelessness. This could be done through legacy planning, including repurposing the athletes’ village into social housing.

Updated

Treasurer says 'worst is behind us' in fight against inflation

Overnight, the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, said “the worst is behind us” when it comes to inflation. Speaking to 7News’ Spotlight program, he said the peak in inflation was now “in the rear-view mirror, and we’re not complacent about that”.

But we are confident that, having been through a very difficult time together, better days are ahead.

Asked whether that meant interest rates would come down before a potential election next May, Chalmers said there was “really good reasons for treasurers of either political persuasion not to make predictions about interest rate movements”.

The market expects that there will be interest rate cuts in 2025 … as treasurer, I’ve been very careful not to make those kinds of predictions.

Chalmers said that Australia “came quite close” to recession in the first two quarters of this year, and that growth was “very, very flat” in March and June.

And if I’m honest with you … there were times where we feared that the economy would go backwards. But if you’re asking me, was I worried at the time? Too right I was …

There were some moments in the lead up to the release of [the national accounts] where there was a very substantial risk that the economy might have gone backwards. A lot of relief when we discovered that it hadn’t.

Updated

Welcome

Good morning, and welcome back to a new week on the Australia news live blog. I’m Emily Wind, and I’ll be taking you through our rolling coverage this Monday.

The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has said that “the worst is behind us” when it comes to inflation. Speaking on 7News’ Spotlight program last night, he said:

When it comes to inflation specifically, the worst is behind us … The peak in inflation is now in the rear-view mirror and we’re not complacent about that, we’re cautious about that, but we are confident that having been through a very difficult time together, better days are ahead.

We’ll bring you more from his interview in a moment.

Meanwhile, King Charles and Queen Camilla are continuing their tour of Australia as part of their first visit to the country since Charles became its reigning monarch.

This morning, the couple will visit the Australian War Memorial in Canberra and the prime minister will host a reception at Parliament House. The king will meet firefighters and bushfire researchers at CSIRO, while Camilla will meet the founder of the charity donations platform GIVIT. There will also be a tour of the National Botanical Gardens.

As always, you can read out with any tips, questions or feedback via X, @emilywindwrites, or you can send me an email: emily.wind@theguardian.com. Let’s get started.

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