What we learned; Wednesday, 19 February
With that, we will bid adieu to the blog for the evening.
Thanks for joining us, we’ll be back first thing tomorrow for all the latest. Until then, here were todays largest developments:
The South Australian government has placed the Whyalla steelworks into administration. The Australian Workers Union has strongly backed government intervention to secure the future of the Whyalla steelworks and its workforce, describing it as a “critical pillar” of Australian industry.
A woman will face court charged over allegedly Islamophobic attacks on two women at a shopping centre, as one of the alleged victims says she remains terrified.
Queensland’s treasurer has announced an outlook downgrade for the state government budget in state parliament.
Wages growth continues to decelerate, AAP reports, falling to 3.2% in 2024 and adding to the case for more interest rate cuts.
Network Ten has breached gambling advertising rules by airing four gambling ads during the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix, the broadcasting watchdog has found.
The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) has commenced legal action in the federal court against the CFMEU and its former Victorian secretary, John Setka.
The mining billionaire Clive Palmer launched his new political venture a week after losing a high court bid to reregister the United Australia party (UAP) ahead of the federal election, with a rebranded Trumpet of Patriots party to contest the upcoming poll.
And members of the CFMEU stormed the offices of the Queensland Council of Unions in advance of a rally at parliament house on Wednesday.
Updated
Members of the Cfmeu stormed the offices of the Queensland Council of Unions in advance of a rally at parliament house on Wednesday.
QCU secretary Jacqueline King said several members of the Cfmeu had begun protesting outside the Trades and Labour Council building in South Brisbane at about 8am to 8.15am.
Despite the building being locked down, three members of the group made their way into the building via fire stairs, she said.
We did have to get security officers to basically calm ... there were quite a few people who were upset internally in different areas of building, and understandably, so we did (employ security and lock the building) to assuage their fears that something else would happen.
King said the event was not organised by the Building Trades Group of unions, which organised the rally later that morning.
CFMEU members storm the offices of Queensland Council of Unions
Members of the CFMEU stormed the offices of the Queensland Council of Unions in advance of a rally at parliament house on Wednesday.
QCU secretary Jacqueline King said several members of the Cfmeu had begun protesting outside the Trades and Labour Council building in South Brisbane at about 8am to 8.15am.
Despite the building being locked down, three members of the group made their way into the building via fire stairs, she said.
We did have to get security officers to basically calm ... there were quite a few people who were upset internally in different areas of building, and understandably, so we did (employ security and lock the building) to assuage their fears that something else would happen.
King said the event was not organised by the Building Trades Group of unions, which organised the rally later that morning.
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Industrial action on Sydney rail network suspended until 1 July
Sydney commuters have been granted a more than four-month reprieve from industrial action on their city’s train network, after the Fair Work Commission ordered rail employee work stoppages be suspended for four months to help unions and the state government strike a pay deal.
Late on Wednesday, the Fair Work Commission announced that while it would not grant the more than six-month suspension that the New South Wales government had requested – meaning no protected work stoppages could be taken until September when the dispute could be settled by arbitration – it would order all industrial action be halted until 1 July.
You can read more about the pay dispute and industrial action here:
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Former Whyalla owner ‘seeking advice’ after administrators appointed
A spokesperson for Sanjeev Gupta’s GFG Alliance says the company is assessing its options after the Whyalla steelworks was pushed into administration by the South Australian government.
GFG’s One Steel Manufacturing had operated the site since 2017, until the appointment of administrators, KordaMentha, earlier today.
GFG has been under pressure from the government to pay debts to creditors of the Whyalla steelworks and the state, which is owed “tens of millions of dollars”, including $15m to SA Water.
The Whyalla plant has been beset by problems, including under investment as well as a series of shutdowns of its coal-fired blast furnace. Gupta’s steel empire has faced similar pressures across Europe.
The GFG spokesperson said:
GFG is assessing what this means and is seeking advice on its options. Our concern is first and foremost the wellbeing and safety of our employees.
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S&P Global cites ‘potential for a significant fiscal deterioration’ in Queensland credit rating downgrade
Queensland’s economy has “the potential for a significant fiscal deterioration with strong growth in operating and capital expenditures”, according to a rating agency.
S&P Global revised the state’s budget outlook from AA+ stable to AA+ negative this afternoon. The treasurer, David Janetzki, told parliament it would take a “miracle” to avoid a full credit downgrade, affecting borrowing costs.
In a statement, S&P Global said the decision reflects it view that the state’s fiscal position may deteriorate compared with last year’s assessment based on the new Liberal National party government’s mid-year fiscal and economic review released last month.
MYFER outlined much higher operating and capital expenditure, with a total increase of about A$53 billion over the next four years. Consequently, it forecast a rapid rise in debt.
In saying this, we see elevated uncertainty over Queensland’s fiscal outlook. This is because the government describes MYFER as the previous government’s “last budget update” and hasn’t incorporated its own fiscal strategy or all of its decisions in fiscal forecasts.
The government has promised to address spending pressures and escalating capital costs in its June 2025-2026 budget to ensure debt will be lower than that forecast in MYFER. It is unclear how the government will address spending pressures and how much lower expenditure and debt will be in the upcoming budget. This uncertainty is captured in our negative outlook.
The rating agency said significant fiscal deterioration with rising debt is possible and it anticipates budgetary metrics will be structurally weaker as spending rises. It also forecasts that the new state government will cancel a number of infrastructure projects, reducing state debt.
We forecast Queensland’s operating margins will narrow but remain in thin surplus over the next three years.
This post was amended on 20 February 2025. A previous version incorrectly stated the ratings performance had been revised from A+ rating to AA negative rating.
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Neighbours tell of heroic actions during fatal Sydney house fire
Neighbours have spoken of the shock and panic during the house fire that killed a mother and her young daughter in Sydney’s south-west, AAP reports.
Ten people were inside a property at Heckenberg when the fire broke out shortly after midnight on Wednesday, gutting the family home.
A few doors down from the charred home, the disability support worker Daniel Bates saw a toddler being hurriedly carried out of the blaze by a woman.
I saw the house engulfed (in the fire), came out … and I saw the lady carrying the child across the road and she was just standing there in a state of shock and panic, like looking for somebody.
The child was mostly covered in soot. That house was fully on fire in about 60 seconds.
Visibly distraught family members were at the scene with investigators during the day, while some people stopped to leave flowers in tribute to the victims.
Across the street, one resident said she was woken by loud screams of people calling for help.
We thought it was a fight, like heaps of people arguing around 12.30am and then we went outside on the porch and saw the fire was going straight up.
I spoke to his worried wife and told her ‘good on him for going inside’ … then he came out and sat all panicked saying, ‘oh my God, oh my God’ and I tried to calm him down.
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Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union welcomes Whyalla administration
The Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union has welcomed the South Australian government’s move to place the Whyalla steelworks into administration.
Its national secretary, Steve Murphy, said the decision echoed the sentiments largely felt by the workforce.
We can’t leave this in the hands of private capital. We need to ensure Australia remains a leader in steel manufacturing, which includes a plan to transition to green steel.
The Whyalla steelworks remains critical to Australia’s iron and steel industry, our local manufacturing capability, the decarbonisation of our economy, and the ambition of Future Made in Australia.
Where Whyalla steel goes will determine whether we will see the full realisation of Future Made in Australia and the re-industrialisation of our regions.
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Fair Work Ombudsman begins legal action against Setka and CFMEU over alleged AFL coercion attempt
The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) has commenced legal action in the federal court against the CFMEU and its former Victorian secretary, John Setka.
Setka faces penalties of up to $37,560 and the CFMEU faces penalties of up to $187,800 if found guilty of the alleged contraventions.
The FWO alleges Setka “intended to coerce” the AFL into dismissing former Australian Building and Construction commissioner, Stephen McBurney, as its chief umpire.
It further alleges he took “adverse action” against McBurney because he had exercised his workplace rights – including initiating court actions against the CFMEU between 2018 and 2023.
The FWO said the legal action concerned widely reported public statements made by Setka last year in relation to McBurney, who was head of officiating at the AFL, including that the CFMEU would disrupt or delay AFL building projects if it didn’t dismiss McBurney.
The FWO’s allegations include that Setka authorised the publishing of a post on the CFMEU Vic-Tas Facebook page that stated:
“Good luck to the AFL with any plans to build any projects, as our members will not be building or supporting any projects that the AFL are involved in [while the AFL supported McBurney].
The FWO alleges Setka’s conduct, and through him the CFMEU, contravened two sections of the Fair Work Act which make it unlawful to try to coerce employers not to employ someone or take adverse action against them.
Ombudsman Anna Booth alleged Setka had engaged in “deliberate unlawful conduct against a former senior public official”.
A first directions hearing date has not yet been set.
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Katy Gallagher hits back at Coalition criticism of government fiscal policy
The finance minister, Katy Gallagher, appeared on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing earlier from sunny Cairns to discuss yesterday’s interest rate cut.
Asked if she agreed with the assessment by the shadow treasurer, Angus Taylor, that the RBA’s decision was due to sacrifices made by Australians rather than government policies, she described it as a “shared effort”.
I must say I am rather surprised when Angus Taylor talks about inflation under our government, when it was under his government that it went so high and was increasing at the last election and we have got it down … which has led to the bank feeling able to cut interest rates.
Gallagher agreed the economy had been “subdued” but said Australia had been dealing with a global inflation challenge.
That has led to the Reserve Bank increasing interest rates which has put downward pressure on consumption and you have seen that in the growth figures across the economy but what the opposition do not say is that we have continued to see growth, continued to see low unemployment, unlike many of our comparable countries, we have wages moving again, and interest rates peaked lower than they did in other countries.
So I am not saying the last couple of years have been easy for Australians, they haven’t … [but] the opposition has opposed every measure that we put in place to actually deal with the cost-of-living pressures.
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Australian Workers Union backs Whyalla steelworks intervention
The Australian Workers Union has strongly backed government intervention to secure the future of the Whyalla steelworks and its workforce, describing it as a “critical pillar” of Australian industry.
Paul Farrow, AWU national secretary, said placing the Whyalla steelworks into administration was the “right move to stabilise the business and pave the way for a long-term transition to green steel”.
The AWU calls on the federal and South Australian governments to act swiftly and decisively to take back control of the plant, protect thousands of jobs, and ensure Australia remains a leader in steel manufacturing.
Without immediate action, Australia loses a critical sovereign capability relied on by its construction, infrastructure and manufacturing industries. It jeopardises many thousands of jobs – on site and up and down supply chains. And it risks losing a generational opportunity to reindustrialise and lead the world in green iron and steel production.
Tens of thousands of households rely on the steelworks and any disruption would be an absolute disaster.
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McKenzie deflects question on potential minority government
Still on the upcoming federal election, McKenzie is asked whether the Nationals are open to forming a minority government with crossbenchers, as the opposition leader “at least entertained” over the weekend.
Again, she says that’s a decision for the Australian people.
We obviously would prefer to be in a majority government with a clear mandate to deliver on our policy platform, which is a whole raft of policies to actually get our country back on track and fix the malaise that we have found ourselves in with household recession … but ultimately it is up to the Australian people and, you know, we will see what happens on the Sunday morning post election.
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Bridget McKenzie says she agrees with Clive Palmer that Australia ‘going backward’
The Nationals’ Senate leader, Bridget McKenzie, is appearing on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing and being asked about the launch of mining behemoth Clive Palmer’s new political party, the Trumpet of Patriots.
Palmer’s tagline for the party, “Make Australia Great Again”, has been trending today on X. No word yet on whether Donald Trump is flattered by the imitation or will instead sue him for plagiarism.
Asked if the Coalition is worried Palmer may take some votes from the Coalition, McKenzie says a “whole range” of political parties will compete at the next election, including the Greens and the teals (who are not a political party).
We live in a democracy … Australians will have a choice to make about which political movement will deliver a better future for them.
I think Clive’s got one thing right and that is that Australians are going backward under Anthony Albanese.
We will see how many Australians back Clive Palmer’s perspective and his policies and how many want to see Trump-like policies here in Australia … it will be the candidates that the citizens decide who will get the great privilege to represent them here in Canberra.
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Woman charged after alleged assaults on two Muslim women in Melbourne
A woman will face court charged over allegedly Islamophobic attacks on two women at a shopping centre, as one of the alleged victims says she remains terrified, AAP reports.
The 31-year-old Pascoe Vale woman is accused of assaulting a pregnant 30-year-old Muslim woman inside an Epping shopping complex in Melbourne’s north on Thursday before attacking 26-year-old Ealaf Al-Easawi about 10 minutes later, AAP reports.
The childcare worker had been grocery shopping on her break and said she had never seen her attacker before.
The 26-year-old says she is now too scared to leave her home and has trouble sleeping due to body aches, bruises and back pain.
I feel terrified, traumatised and still can’t believe what happened to me.
Victoria police charged a woman on Wednesday with intentionally and recklessly causing injury, unlawful assault and aggravated assault. Police will allege the victims were targeted because of their head coverings.
Investigators are also separately investigating a report of online threats being made against one of the victims.
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Four in five Australians say interest rate cut alone will not affect their vote
With Labor bleeding support in the polls, supporters hope the Reserve Bank’s interest rate cut can turn the political tide in the party’s favour, AAP reports.
But polling indicates one rate cut will not sway most voters.
Four in five Australians say a cut would have no impact on their voting choices, YouGov polling has found, prompting calls for targeted action on drivers of the cost-of-living crisis.
“The party best placed to win the election will be the one that addresses the real concerns of working Australians who live in the outer Sydney and Melbourne electorates that will decide the election,” YouGov’s director of public data, Paul Smith, told AAP.
People regard the cost of living as being caused by large corporations like banks and supermarkets and energy companies … being able to put up prices and charges without constraints.
This is what they’re looking for action on.
More than half of Australians blame the growing cost of living on corporations, while roughly 30% point the finger at the government and about 20% note international circumstances, YouGov found.
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Queensland hit with credit rating downgrade
Queensland’s treasurer has announced an outlook downgrade for the state government budget in state parliament.
Credit rating agency S&P said the state’s credit rating had fallen from AA+ stable to AA+ negative.
“Labor’s fiscal vandalism was so bad that from here, it will take a miracle to avoid a rating downgrade. But we are acting,” the treasurer, David Janetzki, said.
Janetzki said the LNP government had cancelled a number of infrastructure projects pursued by its predecessor, including the Pioneer Burdekin hydroelectric project near Mackay.
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Police give update on fatal Sydney house fire
New South Wales police have provided an update on a house fire that claimed the lives of two people including a young girl late last night.
An investigation is under way into the deaths of the woman and child, as well as the hospitalisation of three people following the fire in Sydney’s south-west overnight.
About 12.40am, emergency services were called to Heckenberg after reports of a house fire. Fire and Rescue NSW crews put out the blaze, which had extensively damaged the house.
Upon entering, police and fire crews found a 46-year-old woman and a six-year-old girl deceased inside. They are yet to be formally identified.
Eight other people, who were inside the house at the time, escaped the blaze.
A two-year-old girl remains in a critical condition in hospital, as does a 50-year-old man.
A 14-year-old girl was taken to Liverpool hospital and a two-year-old boy, a seven-year-old girl, a 36-year-old man and two women aged 37 and 51 were checked at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
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Chalmers hopes landlords will ‘take into consideration’ passing interest rate savings on to tenants
Jim Chalmers is hoping Australia’s landlords will be kind-hearted enough to help ease the cost-of-living for their tenants by passing on rate cuts, AAP reports.
“We want to make sure that landlords take this into consideration as well,” Chalmers told ABC Radio National on Wednesday.
Renters are doing it tough as well, that’s why we’re providing two rounds of rent assistance help and all the other cost‑of‑living help that we are providing. Because we know as tough as it’s been for mortgage holders who get some relief yesterday, it’s also been tough for renters, and they are a big part of our thinking when it comes to our cost‑of‑living help.
But Leo Patterson Ross, chief executive of the Tenants’ Union of NSW, doesn’t have high hopes for the better angels of property investors to shine through.
“That’s always the hope. It never really plays out in evidence,” he told AAP.
As rates were going up, landlords capitalised on housing shortages and increased rents higher than they otherwise would have to offset rising mortgage costs, Patterson Ross said.
But on the way down, there isn’t the same sort of incentive for a landlord to test the market and then see that rents are falling.
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Many thanks for joining me on the blog today, Caitlin Cassidy will be here to take you through the rest of our rolling coverage. Take care.
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Whyalla business group president says steelworks administration ‘positive step forward for the city’
Malcolm McLeod, the president of the Whyalla Business and Tourism group, says the Whyalla steelworks administration is a “positive step forward for the city”.
Speaking on ABC TV just a moment ago, he said the move would give the town “a bit of certainty going forward”.
It has obviously been a tough six to 12 months … [The premier] made it clear there is certainty for the contractors [and] they will get paid, but I think the most important thing I’m looking forward to, hoping I can hear tomorrow, is hopefully there’s something in [the support package] for the current creditors.
McLeod said there had been several local businesses putting tools down, making their employees take annual leave and lots of layoffs.
Because they haven’t had any work at the steelworks [because of] the ongoing maintenance and things like that, and that was the case during the period of the blast furnace being offline, and it has slowly, slowly got worse.
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Legal changes needed to ensure medical abortions available in every NSW health district, Greens say
A new bill introduced in NSW parliament wants to ensure that medical abortions are available within every local health district in the state.
Greens MP in NSW’s upper house, Dr Amanda Cohn, is this afternoon proposing an amendment to abortion law reform act in state parliament which would help ensure women can access abortions within a reasonable distance.
In December Guardian Australia revealed just three of 220 public hospitals provided terminations. You can see the maps of the state’s abortion ‘deserts’ here:
Cohn’s bill would oblige at least one hospital per LHD to provide medical abortion, and ensure LHDs make information publicly available where the service can be found.
The bill would allow nurse practitioners to prescribe medical abortions up to 9 weeks gestation, which was recently recommended by a government review of abortion legislation.
Cohn’s amendment also seeks to remove mandatory reporting requirements that create barriers for practitioners, and require those who object to abortion to refer a patient somewhere which does provide the service.
Cohn, the Greens spokesperson for health and former GP, said:
As a former prescriber of medical abortion, I know this is medically straightforward health care, but people are still blocked by cost, stigma, and geography.
Greens seeking to make fossil fuel companies contribute to natural disaster insurance
The Greens would seek to make fossil fuel companies contribute to natural disaster insurance and preparation works for resilience, under a policy to make insurance cheaper for Australians in at-risk areas.
The Greens’ deputy leader, Mehreen Faruqi, visited the NSW seat of Richmond, a Greens target electorate, today to announce the plan, which she said would “shift the costs of the climate crisis to those responsible for it.” Richmond, held by Labor on a thin margin and situated around the Byron Bay area, “is Australia’s second most at risk electorate to climate disasters”, Faruqi said.
The Greens’ plan would seek to incentivise state governments to abolish stamp duty on house and car insurance, expand the cyclone reinsurance pool to all natural disasters, and bring in a “polluter pays” rule that would see coal, oil and gas companies have to contribute to the reinsurance pool and the government’s Disaster Ready Fund for preparation and resilience infrastructure – like flood levees, fire breaks or cyclone shelters.
With mounting and overlapping natural disasters nationwide, there are major concerns developing over some areas not being able to obtain affordable home or car insurance as premiums spike, leaving vulnerable communities at risk.
The Greens would also seek to give the ACCC more powers to force insurance companies to explain the cost of premiums, and set up a public national disaster database. Faruqi said cutting stamp duty could help reduce insurance premiums, while the other measures could help people obtain insurance. Faruqi said:
Families, renters and retirees should not have to pay skyrocketing insurance premiums for a climate crisis they did not cause. Filthy rich coal and gas companies caused the climate crisis and they should pick up the tab.
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Gupta previously described Whyalla as ‘spiritual home’
Continuing from our last post:
British steel tycoon Sanjeev Gupta described Whyalla as his “spiritual home” in 2021, while struggling to keep his business empire afloat. At the time, he said:
Whyalla will always be a special place for me; I have said before it is my spiritual home, I’ve made many friends since I acquired the business, both in the community and among our workforce. And from the beginning what I have admired most is their resilience.
You can read the full article from 2021 below:
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Whyalla steelworks placed under administration – how did we get here?
Here’s a snapshot of the longstanding problems facing the Whyalla steelworks.
The British industrialist Sanjeev Gupta bought the struggling Whyalla steelworks in South Australia through the company he leads, GFG Alliance, in 2017.
When it is online, the plant produces finished steel used in construction and rail. It is one of two major integrated steel projects in Australia, alongside the larger BlueScope operations in Port Kembla, south of Sydney.
The Whyalla plant has been beset by problems, including underinvestment as well as a series of shutdowns of its coal-fired blast furnace.
Timelines for upgrades, including installation plans for an electric arc furnace to replace the coal-based system, have consistently blown out.
Many of the financial problems facing Gupta’s global steel empire are linked to the 2021 collapse of primary financier Greensill Capital.
There were concerns that a public bailout might end up helping other parts of GFG. Instead, the South Australian government has moved to have administrators appointed, taking control of the steelworks away from GFG.
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‘In due course’: Chalmers signals further Whyalla steelworks announcements
Jim Chalmers was also asked about the South Australian government’s decision to put the Whyalla steelworks into administration, as we brought you just a moment ago.
He said securing the future for steel in Whyalla was important:
That is a really important town, and we are big believers in the future of Whyalla, we are big believers in the future of the Australian steel industry and Australian manufacturing more broadly … That has really driven us in our conversations with our South Australian counterparts.
The prime minister has been talking to premier [Peter] Malinauskas, minister [Ed] Husic has been talking to his counterpart, I have been talking to [SA treasurer Stephen] Mullighan and we will have more to say about those discussions in due course.
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Treasurer addressing media in Brisbane
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has been speaking to reporters in Brisbane this afternoon.
He is continuing Labor’s argument that the “Liberal party and their cheerleaders in the media were really disappointed when rates were cut”.
We see that reflected in the commentary, a lot of that commentary as a political position dressed up as economic commentary … I try not to focus too much on [that] … I focus on the objective commentary.
On Clive Palmer’s new political mission, he told voters “who are tempted by the big dollars of [Palmer] and others to be very careful about where you put your vote at the next election”.
He argued that a non-Labor vote “puts Medicare and wages at risk.”
[Peter Dutton] needs to find $600bn from somewhere for nuclear reactors, and he won’t tell Australians where the cuts will come from. That should send a shiver up the spine of every Australian and especially every Australian worker.
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Malinauskas to outline role of hydrogen in decarbonising steel ‘tomorrow’
The South Australian premier said hydrogen would “absolutely” play a role in the decarbonisation of steel in the future – and would outline more about its plans in relation to this tomorrow.
We absolutely believe as a government that hydrogen will have a role to play in the decarbonisation of steel in the future. I mean, it is the way to do it.
We can question timing and when that might occur, but at some point it will be part of the future and I’ll have more to say about what we’re doing with our own plans tomorrow.
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Administration will ‘stabilise’ steelworks business: Malinauskas
Continuing to address reporters, Peter Malinauskas said workers at Whyalla had been facing ongoing uncertainty for four months, “arguably longer than that,” with some workers made redundant because of the uncertainty.
The administrator will stabilise the business and seek to stop that from occurring.
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Malinauskas flags more ‘active engagement’ from commonwealth coming
Peter Malinauskas said Anthony Albanese has been “fully abreast” of the situation with GFG and support the actions of the state government.
I have been speaking to the prime minister not just about the immediate financial circumstances of the steelworks recently … I can’t tell you how pleased I am that he has been receptive, more than receptive, actively interested.
The prime minister has been fully abreast of the situation around GFG for some time, I readily engage with him and I very much look forward to that interest and active engagement from the commonwealth being more fully known in the not-too-distant future.
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Bailing out GFG higher risk than administration, premier says
Asked why he opted for administration rather than bailing out GFG, Peter Malinauskas said it was about securing steel making in the country long-term.
He said the state government didn’t want to go from “one disaster to the next” or from “one new owner to the next”.
If we bailed out GFG, gave GFG a big sum of money, we would have to be satisfied that it would actually achieve that end … and I think when you look at all of the public reporting of GFG – not just about what has occurred in Australia [but] what has happened globally – it is obviously necessary for government to contemplate all risks associated with handing over taxpayers’ money and that sort of circumstance. We just couldn’t abide that risk.
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‘Time will tell’ how long it takes for new owner to emerge: SA premier
Taking questions, Peter Malinauskas said “time will tell” how long it takes for a new owner to emerge.
Last time this occurred it took 17 months before it came out of administration. So I don’t think people should assume this will be a quick process, but it will be an important one to make sure we get the right outcome.
The premier said the administration was fully funded – and he would announce how so, tomorrow, and for how long.
Needless to say, it is fully funded for a more than long period of time to be able to get us through the next stage.
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Whyalla steelworkers will continue to be paid, premier says
Peter Malinauskas said that after question time today, he would fly to Whyalla to “look in the eyes of people who work at the steelworks and assure them of their future”.
Administration does not raise questions over whether they get paid, administration means that when they do work they will get paid for it. They deserve that.
Tomorrow morning, the premier will announce “one of the most comprehensive industry support packages that this nation has ever seen,” he added.
There was an option that we could provide assistance to GFG and Mr Gupta, there was an option that we could have bailed out GFG, but we are not going to do that.
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Steelworks owner’s financial position ‘going from bad to worse’, premier says
The South Australian premier said that by putting Whyalla into administration, this would allow the administrator to stabilise the business and “secure its long-term future.”
Peter Malinauskas said the steel taskforce told the government that the owner of the steelworks’ financial position was “not just deteriorating, it was likely to continue deteriorating into the future.”
More than that, it was compromising the very operations of the steelworks itself. That advice completely accords with all of the information that we receive on the ground from people who work within the steelworks …
Given the state of the steelworks was going from bad to worse and the finances of its owner were compromised, it ran the real risk that every week and month [that] went by where the owner of the steelworks was not able to invest in is operations appropriately, it was approaching a point where it would be irredeemable. That is unsatisfactory. That invites government intervention.
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GFG to no longer operate Whyalla steelworks
Peter Malinausakas also spoke of the decision to place the Whyalla steelworks into administration – meaning its owner, GFG Alliance, is no longer running it.
KordaMentha has been appointed as administrator, he said.
We take this action very conscious of its significance, very conscious of the responsibility that has been bestowed upon us by taking this action, but we do so with absolute confidence and clarity that this is the right course of action to secure steel making in this country.
It is unacceptable for such an important critical piece of economic infrastructure for the nation to be in a situation where its ongoing operations are so severely compromised, as we believe was the case prior to today.
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South Australian government forces Whyalla steelworks into administration
The South Australian government has placed the Whyalla steelworks into administration.
Speaking at a press conference, the premier, Peter Malinauskas, said changes were made to the Whyalla Steel Works Act today, to make three changes:
The first is to give the state rights to enter the steelworks to perform [basic] functions such as basic inspections. The second is to get definitively the right to have access to the accounts of the operator of the steelworks. The third is to provide the South Australian government a first charge over debts that are owed to the South Australian government by the operators of the steelworks.
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Bleak outlook for whales in remote mass stranding
It appears unlikely any whales can be saved from a pod of 157 that remain stranded on a remote Tasmanian beach, AAP reports.
Wildlife experts and veterinarians, who are at the beach near the Arthur River on Tasmania’s west coast, believe the false killer whales have been stuck for 24-48 hours.
They estimate about 90 of the group remain alive. You can read more on this below:
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NSW police suggest ‘level of coordination and organisation’ in Sydney antisemitic attacks
Speaking generally, NSW police said at a press conference earlier that there is “a level of coordination and organisation” in the series of antisemitic attacks across Sydney. They told the press:
As you’re aware, there are some complexities in these investigations … There’s a level of coordination and organisation in these offences. We will continue to make sure that we try and track down every single person involved in these offences, from those committing them And to those organising them.
Police also said clone plates were identified in the CCTV footage released related to the incidents on Thursday, 30 January.
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Human rights commissioner writes to Burke to clarify Nauru resettlement deal
The Australian Human Rights Commissioner has written to Tony Burke seeking clarity on the arrangements made with the Nauruan government after the minister announced the tiny Pacific nation would take three non-citizens for an undisclosed sum.
The three men, which form part of the larger NZYQ cohort of more than 280 non-citizens released from indefinite immigration detention after a landmark high court ruling in 2023, have been re-detained in immigration detention centres pending their removal to Nauru on Monday.
Guardian Australia reported earlier this morning legal representatives for the men are contemplating a legal challenge, which would prevent their removal while the laws are tested in court.
The commissioner, Lorraine Finlay, revealed today she had written to Burke asking for details of the arrangement and information on whether Australia had sought any human rights guarantees from Nauru as part of the agreement. Finlay said:
Any arrangement needs to be consistent with Australia’s domestic laws and international human rights obligations. In particular, the UN Human Rights Committee emphasised in two recent decisions concerning Australia that sending people offshore does not absolve states of their legal obligations towards asylum seekers or absolve them of accountability.
Finlay said she also sought clarity on whether the deal would be extended to more of the NZYQ cohort, which included 282 non-citizens as of the end of December 2024.
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Thousands of CFMEU members march on Queensland parliament
Thousands of CFMEU members have marched on Queensland parliament, over the new LNP government’s decision to pause workplace protections.
The deputy premier, Jarrod Bleijie, halted the application of Best Practice Industry Conditions (BPIC) on government projects worth more than $100m. They included requirements for work during very hot or humid weather among others. He also required union representatives give 24 hours’ notice before attending a site.
The Electrical Trades Union state secretary, Peter Ong, said BPIC “set a level playing field on every government job” covered.
But these grubs in here, these grubs will say that it’s cost buyouts, all the jobs are being blown out because of BPICs. A heat policy, EBA rates, and pay and conditions. Apparently you don’t deserve them. Apparently they cost too much.
What if it’s good enough for the rest of the industry to pay them? Why wasn’t it good enough to be paid on government jobs?
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Victorian transport minister describes auditor-general report as ‘out of date’ and ‘misleading’
Continuing from our last post:
Victoria’s transport minister, Gabrielle Williams, described the Vago report as “out of date” and “misleading”.
She said the report “incorrectly” classifies any additional scope added to a project as a “cost escalation”. Williams cited the level crossing removal project as an example, which increased in cost by $2.28bn in 2022-23 when 10 extra level crossings were added.
That is not a cost escalation, it is an increase in scope and an increase in benefit for the Victorian community. Similarly, [during] the car parks program, we added additional car parks at East Pakenham and Greensborough, as well as an additional amenity like extra bus interchanges. That is not a cost escalation, it is a scope increase and an increase in benefit to the Victorian community.
Williams said she “rejected” the Vago finding that projects had blown out by $11.66bn in 2023-24.
Quite frankly the way that this has been calculated is wrong, it is simply wrong. Included within that figure is increases to project scope across a number of different projects that may result, for example, from things like community consultation.
It might result from an identification of opportunities that become available throughout the course of completing a project where we realise there’s more we can do that benefits more people.
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Costs of Victoria’s major projects up more than $11bn
Victoria’s major projects have increased in cost by $11.66bn in the last year, according to a new report by the state’s auditor-general.
The Victorian Auditor-General’s Office’s (Vago) 2023/24 Major Project Performance Reporting, tabled in parliament this morning, tracks the costs of major projects against their set budgets and timelines.
It said of the 110 major projects it has reviewed, almost half (53 projects) had increases in total estimated investment (TEI) over time. This includes a $11.6bn increase in TEI since the previous year’s review.
Of the 10 projects it examined more closely, Vago said five had a “significant” change of more than 20% to their TEI. The report said:
These TEI increases over time suggests that cost estimation is not always reliable at business case or investment decision stages. Entities’ cost estimation and cost planning capabilities are also not adequately identifying construction market price volatility.
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Funding announced to improve outcomes of First Nations boys and young men
A foundation headed by an ex-AFL player to improve the outcomes of First Nations boys and young men will receive $33.6m from the federal government.
Labor has announced the Clontarf Foundation, established in 2000 by former footballer Gerard Neesham, would receive the funding in a bid to close the education gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
The funding will support up to 12,500 First Nations boys and young men to continue their schooling in 2026.
A further $1.5m will be donated to a phonics-based reading and literacy program for primary students in regional and remote schools.
The minister for Indigenous Australians, Senator Malarndirri McCarthy, said it was “essential” First Nations students were given the support they needed to complete year 12 and move into work or study.
Wages growth fell to 3.2% in 2024
Wages growth continues to decelerate, AAP reports, falling to 3.2% in 2024 and adding to the case for more interest rate cuts.
While bad news for workers, the Reserve Bank of Australia will be encouraged that the tight labour market does not appear to be contributing to a rise in staffing costs and inflation.
On a quarterly basis, the 0.7% rise in the wage price index, as reported by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday, was down from the 0.8% increase in the three months to September.
It was the equal lowest rise in quarterly wages since March 2022, the ABS head of prices statistics, Michelle Marquardt, said.
At 3.2%, the annual increase in wages was down from 4.2% in December quarter 2023 and is the equal lowest since September quarter 2022.
Despite delivering mortgage holders a first interest rate cut in more than four years on Tuesday, the RBA governor, Michele Bullock, made clear the board would not rush into more reductions without more certainty that inflation was truly and sustainably descending to target.
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One big chart: tracking Clive Palmer’s political spend
With the news that Clive Palmer has a new party, now is a great time to look at this chart of his spending in politics. This chart from our data journalists Josh Nicholas and Nick Evershed shows at least one reason why donation reform is a good idea:
You can read the full post here from our One big chart series:
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Upcoming election Palmer’s last before spending and donation caps come into force
Continuing from our last post:
This coming poll will be Clive Palmer’s last chance to throw tens of millions of dollars at election candidates before new spending and donation caps come into force.
The mining magnate fronted today’s press conference alongside Trumpet of Patriots leader and the “next prime minister of Australia”, Suellen Wrightson, and Glenn O’Rourke, whose name the party is registered under.
Palmer said Trumpet of Patriots invited him to join the party after last week’s failed high court bid to re-register United Australia Party in time for this year’s poll.
The process to register a new party or change the name of an existing one typically takes several months, meaning assuming control of a registered party was Palmer’s only realistic option if he wanted to run candidates under a party banner.
He denied paying O’Rourke for the party.
During an at-times chaotic press conference in Parliament House, Palmer ruled out running as a candidate (“I’m too old”) and confirmed he had approached Pauline Hanson about joining forces, but nothing eventuated.
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Palmer says he will spend ‘whatever is required’ for new political mission
Circling back to our earlier post, Clive Palmer is promising to spend “whatever is required” to help his Trumpet of Patriots candidates win seats at the upcoming federal election.
Palmer unveiled his latest political venture in Canberra today, vowing to bring Donald Trump-style policies to “drain the swamp” of Australian politics. He plans to run candidates in all lower house seats.
The billionaire spent almost $123m to win just one seat at the 2022 election – Victorian Ralph Babet’s spot in the Senate.
Justifying that outlay as a “good use of my money”, Palmer said he was prepared to unleash another spending spree during the 2025 campaign.
It’s a good investment to free this country from the waste and corruption that is occupying the public service and the government, from the lobbyists who are in this house every day to see members of parliament. I’ve been here, I’ve met them, I’ve heard what they’ve wanted to say and that’s not the way you should govern a country.
So I’m more than happy to spend my funds defending the right of free speech, and whatever is required to be spent will be spent.
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Former Victorian Liberal leader claims premier will soon be ousted by deputy, who will then try to jump seats
Continuing from our last post:
Matthew Guy, the shadow public transport minister, said he would not listen to Danny Pearson, who lost the portfolio during a cabinet reshuffle in December. He went on:
Danny Pearson just got demoted. I wouldn’t be taking advice from him … [he’s] a disaster. The guy presides over $200bn of debt, standing next to [former treasurer] Tim Pallas and he’s giving lectures to other people.
Guy, the two-time former Liberal leader, also extraordinarily claimed that Ben Carroll, the deputy premier, would be premier in five month’s time and then attempt to take Pearson’s seat of Essendon off him, given it is held by a stronger margin than his own neighbouring seat of Niddrie. He said:
Danny Pearson will be rolled by Ben Carroll, because Ben Carroll will be the premier by July. Let’s face it, Jacinta Allan’s a train wreck.
Speaking of trains, Pearson has got no friends. You can tell when he gets up to speak, they all turn their heads or look at their phones. Pearson’s about as popular as, you know, a holiday in Paraguay. So, you know, I don’t see much of a future for Danny Pearson.
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Victorian opposition lashes Labor over delays to contactless public transport payments
Victorian Liberal MP Matthew Guy has lashed the former transport infrastructure minister, Danny Pearson, over the government’s failure to deliver a contactless payment system on the Myki public transport card in time for the opening of the Metro Tunnel.
Speaking outside parliament this morning, Guy said:
They’ve been planning for 10 years for contactless ticketing. They say the system is complex. It’s been in Sydney for six years, how complex can it be? Tap on, tap off on your phone, on your watch, on your credit card. It’s been in Sydney for six years.
[The government has] spent $1bn and we’ve got nothing for it. I mean, it’s just emblematic of a government that is a train wreck. They can’t even get the tickets [system] right on a tunnel that’s not even open. I mean, you couldn’t write this kind of incompetence. It is so laughable.
Pearson had earlier in the morning rubbished a report in the Herald Sun which said the new Metro Tunnel stations, scheduled to open later this year, are being fitted with Myki readers that do not allow for contactless ticketing.
He said contactless Myki had not yet been set up and the cost of replacing the readers was incorporated into the contract for the new system.
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CCTV footage released in Strike Force Pearl investigation
NSW police spoke to the media a short while ago after releasing CCTV footage earlier this morning as investigations continue into a spate of antisemitic incidents in Sydney’s east.
On Thursday 30 January, officers were called to a school and a nearby home in Maroubra, as well as a shopping centre in Eastgardens, where they located “multiple forms of antisemitic graffiti”, police said in a media release. On the same day, officers were called to a home in Eastlakes, in Sydney’s south-east, where more antisemitic graffiti was found.
Police believe the incidents are linked and Strike Force Pearl, which was set up to probe alleged hate crimes in Sydney, took carriage of the investigations.
This morning Strike Force detectives released CCTV footage of a white Kia Stonic SUV seen travelling on the M5 on-ramp near Kingsgrove Road about 5.20am on Thursday 30 January.
The car was seen in the vicinity of the Maroubra school and home about 5.40am, and outside the Eastgardens shopping centre later about 5.57am.
Police believe the Kia travelled to Eastlakes about 6.20am, and was seen travelling on King Street, Mascot, about 6.29am before turning left on to O’Riordan Street.
They “hope to speak to the driver and passenger who they believe can assist with inquiries”.
The passenger is described as a man of Caucasian appearance and thin build, last seen wearing a blue jumper, an orange liner, a white medical mask, dark pants and brown shoes. The driver is described as a man of a large build, last seen wearing dark clothing and a baseball cap.
Police are urging the public to contact Crime Stoppers with information about either men, and dashcam or CCTV footage of the incidents.
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Sydney ‘hotspots’ patrolled around-the-clock in wake of antisemitic attacks, police say
NSW police are undertaking 250 taskings a day across Sydney since the commencement of Strike Force Pearl, which was set up to investigate alleged hate crimes in Sydney.
Police spoke to the media a short while ago as investigations continue into antisemitic attacks in Sydney’s east.
Since Strike Force Pearl has commenced, I can say, beside the investigation going around the clock, we are completing about 250 taskings a day right across Sydney. That’s 24/7 dedicated resources patrolling hotspots in and around our city to make sure people are safe. And I want to give that commitment that that will continue.
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Police update after nurses’ alleged anti-Israel threats
NSW police said the matter of two hospital workers allegedly making anti-Israel threats to an Israeli influencer over video chat last week is still under investigation. They are speaking to press live:
As you can understand, there are some complexities around obtaining the evidence. We need to make sure we comply with all those foreign rules that are there and making sure that we can get a admissible statement that can be used in accord in New South Wales.
Police said the influencer Max Veifer has cooperated “from the very outset”.
We’re speaking to him on a daily basis at this point in time. I don’t want to give a timeframe exactly when that evidence will come to us, or how it will come to us, but certainly it is being undertaken right this minute.
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Network Ten breached gambling ad rules, watchdog finds
Network Ten has breached gambling advertising rules by airing four gambling ads during the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix, the broadcasting watchdog has found.
An investigation by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (Acma) found the commercials were aired at prohibited times in March last year.
A separate investigation found that streaming service 10 Play also breached online gambling advertising rules during two live-streamed sports events.
Acma rules say broadcasters are restricted from airing ads during broadcasts of sporting events between 5am and 8.30pm, including the five minutes before and after the event, to protect the community from gambling related harms.
Acma member Carolyn Lidgerwood said:
Broadcasters should have strict controls in place to ensure compliance with the restrictions on gambling ads during sporting events.
Ten has agreed to review its processes to introduce additional quality controls.
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Jewish leaders call for Victorian opposition to support anti-vilification bill
Rabbi Gabi Kaltmann, a prominent member of Melbourne’s Jewish community, has urged the state opposition to support the Victorian government’s anti-vilification legislation. He said in a statement this morning:
The government has now amended the legislation after hearing concerns about the political carve-out. The much-anticipated anti-vilification legislation is not just about protecting the Jewish community from rising antisemitism; it safeguards all minority and faith groups from racism and intolerance. It is imperative that this bill receives bipartisan support from the major parties. A strong, united commitment to this bill is essential.
Kaltmann said the government may have to weaken the bill in order to get crossbench support:
Relying on crossbench negotiations to secure its passage would be a missed opportunity for bipartisan support on such an important issue and lead to worse outcomes for all minority groups.
It comes after the Zionist Federation of Australia, Zionism Victoria, the Jewish Community Council of Victoria and the Executive Council of Australian Jewry issued a joint statement on Tuesday night also urging the opposition to shift its stance. The statement read:
We have observed reports that, notwithstanding these amendments by the government, the Victorian opposition is proposing to vote against the bill. We recognise that the opposition has. over a long time, taken consistently strong positions against antisemitism and hatred in Victoria. However, we are deeply disappointed by these reports.
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Greens criticise ‘pay to play’ private dinners with senior politicians
Greens senator Larissa Waters has accused Labor and the Coalition of using fundraising dinners with party donors to “maintain cozy relationships with big corporations”.
Guardian Australia has revealed that the prime minister, the opposition leader, senior cabinet ministers and Coalition figures will all rub shoulders with party donors in coming weeks, ahead of the election.
One invite shows a Labor fundraising forum has sent personal invitations for an exclusive, intimate dinner with Anthony Albanese at an undisclosed Sydney venue on 12 March. The dinner is capped at 10 people, and the cost is not disclosed. The evening has been described as a special opportunity to build a relationship with Albanese.
To attend these dinners, guests must be members of the party’s business forum, which can cost up to $110,000. Additional attendance fees may also be charged.
Waters, who is the Greens’ spokesperson for democracy, said the private paid dinners were not in the public interest.
Australian voters live in stark reality: struggling to put food on the table as so-called ‘business leaders’ pay up to $110,000 for access to senior politicians in the major parties … As the Greens have long pointed out, these ‘pay-to-play’ events ensure that those with the deepest pockets get a seat at the table, while ordinary voters are left behind.
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‘Looking out’: ABC studio in western Sydney officially opens
The ABC’s Parramatta studio in western Sydney has been officially opened by the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, who sat down with Joe O’Brien for the first live, on-set TV interview from the new newsroom.
The prime minister said:
This is Sydney’s heartland here. And what we’re seeing is that Sydney is now looking out rather than just in. And that’s really important for this great global city.
ABC chair Kim Williams hosted the event, which was also attended by NSW premier Chris Minns, federal minister for communications Michelle Rowland and ABC managing director David Anderson.
The promenade level, which includes a 220-square-metre video studio with 100 square metres of LED screens, is equipped with augmented reality capabilities, and live radio and audio studios.
ABC Radio Sydney has been working from ABC Parramatta since May 2024 and the NSW 7PM News moved there in December. The ABC NEWS channel did its first transmission from the new Studio 91 on Monday.
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Albanese weighs in on Nacc investigation of six robodebt referrals
Taking a final question, Anthony Albanese was asked about news that the National Anti-Corruption Commission will investigate six referrals made by the robodebt royal commission.
Is that the right call, and would he like to see the sealed portion of the report made public? Albanese said the Nacc “engages in its activities at arm’s length from politics and at arm’s length from the government”.
It was one of the core commitments that we made at the election – an independent anti-corruption commission. We’ve delivered it, and that stands in stark contrast to the former government that used to promise a lot and never deliver.
Scott Morrison presided over commitments at the 2019 election that they would deal with an anti-corruption commission and, indeed, there was legislation that was never even moved in the parliament about that.
At the last election, a range of people walked away from the Coalition because they hadn’t delivered on climate change, they regarded gender equality as something to talk about but not actually do, and they didn’t act on the anti-corruption commission. We’ve delivered that. They should be allowed to do their work at arm’s length from the government.
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PM on the investigation into caravan with explosives found in Dural
Asked if he had heard anything further about the caravan containing explosives in Dural, NSW, and if he was confident police would make arrests, the PM said he would leave it to the police to do their job.
There have been statements made in the media that make it clear that all is not what it seems from the first reporting of that, but the police have to be allowed to do their job.
We know that there are criminal elements that have been involved in some of these antisemitic attacks, and that is why some of the pre-empting of this is not appropriate.
I support all of the law enforcement authorities, whether that be the AFP or the NSW police going about their job.
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PM says government seeking to verify two videos of Oscar Jenkins
On his reaction to the footage released of Oscar Jenkins in recent days, the PM said the government was seeking verification of two videos.
We continue to say to Russia that Mr Jenkins, as a prisoner of war, is entitled to the law being observed, and we will hold them to account for that.
But we’ve also called for Russia to release Mr Jenkins so that he may return home to his family. I raised this issue, as well, directly with President Zelenskyy when I spoke to him a fortnight ago.
PM says no federal intervention in NSW rail dispute
The prime minister also shot down suggestions the federal government should intervene in the ongoing dispute between the NSW government and the rail unions.
This is a dispute that is there between the rail union and the NSW government. They were very close to an agreement, and some thought there was an agreement reached on the weekend.
I call upon the union to recognise that they will not have public support if they are disrupting people going about their business, going to work, engaging in rail activity that they need to get about this vast city.
Anthony Albanese continued, and said “we want this dispute to be settled.”
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PM responds to Khawaja claims of media bias
Just on our last post, the prime minister also responded to a post from Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja, who wrote on social media that the media “has never treated attacks against the Islamic community or any other community the same as [antisemitic] attacks”.
Khawaja wrote:
They are all deplorable. But there is no way that [antisemitism] is any less or more then [Islamophobia] and vice versa. They both deserve the same weight as they are both relevant. But the media will never treat them the same. And as a result people will always think that one is more prevalent than the other. But that is not true.
Asked for a response, Anthony Albanese said he respected Khawaja as a “great Australian” but his view was that “any attack on people on the basis of their faith or who they are is reprehensible”.
I certainly hope that the [alleged] perpetrators get tracked down and face the full force of the law. People should be allowed to go about their business in a peaceful and harmonious way. That’s overwhelmingly what occurs.
Where we are here in Dulwich Hill, in my electorate, I know that my neighbours and the community that I’ve been a part of my whole life respect each other, revel in the diversity and celebrate our diversity. And there’s no place for these attacks.
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PM asked if he takes Islamophobia seriously after alleged assaults
The prime minister also responded to the alleged attack of two Muslim women in Melbourne last week – as he did on the radio earlier.
Anthony Albanese was asked to respond to comments from Muslim community leaders that he doesn’t take Islamophobia seriously, and said:
I take all attacks on the basis of people’s faiths seriously, and they should all face the full force of the law. We’ve appointed a special envoy on Islamophobia – that’s an important step forward – and I’m someone who celebrates our diversity and who respects people regardless of their faith.
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PM dismisses ‘strange’ Clive Palmer ads as billionaire to launch new political venture
The prime minister was asked about news this morning that billionaire Clive Palmer will launch his new political venture, Trumpet of Patriots, today (see earlier post).
Anthony Albanese said people were “entitled to run” but that it was “a distortion of democracy when you have an individual spending $100m on a campaign right around the country”.
I’ve seen these strange ads have been appearing for months now. I’m not sure what the objective of them is, but people are entitled to put themselves forward in an election. But if you’re a serious political party, then you have to have serious policies. At the moment, there’s only one political party in Australia that has serious policies.
The PM said the alternative government in Australia was not Palmer but “a mob that have, after three years, produced three policies”.
A $600 billion nuclear energy plan which is not supported by any of the state or territory governments, including David Crisafulli or the Northern Territory government.
Albanese said their second policy was cuts, and their third was “free lunch for some that everyone has to pay for”.
They’re the only three policies they’ve come up with. Labor is the only political party that has a coherent economic social and environmental policy in 2025.
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Australians ‘worked hard for this outcome’ – PM
Anthony Albanese was asked whether $100 of savings a month, delivered through the rate cut, would make a difference in people’s day to day lives.
He responded that this was partnered with rising wages and tax cuts to “make a difference to people”.
We know that people are still under financial pressure, but Australians have worked hard for this outcome, and Australians deserve praise and support for what they have done.
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PM addresses media in Sydney
Anthony Albanese is speaking to reporters in Sydney’s Dulwich Hill.
Taking questions, a reporter asked the prime minister if he was disappointed the RBA governor had given no impression of further rate relief in the near future. Albanese said Michele Bullock had “done her job”.
The RBA governor has made some comments that aren’t surprising but, importantly as well, if you look at the statement that was made, the first headline in her statement was about inflation falling. And that’s important.
The PM said he didn’t know what opposition leader Peter Dutton thought of the rate cut because “no one’s seen him since the announcement”.
But Angus Taylor looked like someone had run over his cat in the driveway yesterday. He looked so disappointed. They’ll continue to talk Australia down, I’ll continue to talk Australia up.
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NSW government pushes to tighten rules on child bail
The NSW government will today introduce controversial legislation to extend laws which make it harder for children to get bail.
The laws – which were first introduced almost a year ago and were meant to expire in April – adds an additional test to young people aged 14 to 18 who allegedly commit a break and enter or car theft offence while on bail to get bail again. The premier Chris Minns said:
Extending this bail test is one way my government is responding to youth crime. It’s not ‘mission accomplished’ on youth crime, but the bail laws are working, so we’re extending them.
The government said “data shows the strict test is working with the bail refusal rate under the laws more than double that of the general refusal rate”. But opponents to the laws – such as the Aboriginal Legal Service – have argued that does not work to keep communities safer in the long term as time in custody increases a child’s likelihood to further offend.
Roy Butler, a former police administrator and the independent MP for Barwon, which takes in some of the most disadvantaged communities in the state, agrees it is not a long term solution. While he will support the laws, he urged more investment in diversionary programs.
What we know is that young people who are committing less serious crimes go on to commit more serious crimes the longer that they’re in contact with the criminal justice system.
Earlier this month, the government announced over $6m to support community safety across Bourke, Moree and Kempsey. It comes after a $26.2m injection last year into community safety, some of which went to diversionary programs.
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Allan responds to yesterday’s rate cut
Asked about the interest rate cut yesterday, Jacinta Allan said it was a “relief” but there was still more to do to support working people and families.
Like all Australians yesterday, we were relieved to see the Reserve Bank cut interest rates and also relieved to see the banks move really quickly to implement that change.
This is going to bring relief to working people and families around the country, but we know working people and their families are continuing to hurt because one interest rate cut doesn’t necessarily cover the pain that we’ve seen from 13 interest rate increases over recent times. So it is welcome, but we know working people and their families are hurting.
She said the state government had introduced a $400 school savings bonus, free breakfast program and schools and free Tafe courses, which were “making a real difference in the lives of working people”.
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Victorian Labor in talks with crossbench to secure support for bill
Jacinta Allan confirmed the government had been in talks with the crossbench in the upper house to secure their support for the bill (which would be needed for it to pass if the Coalition continued to oppose it).
But she said that “what happens in the legislative council will be a matter for the legislative council”.
We said back in November that we were bringing the bill to the parliament, letting it lay over the summer period so we could consult. There has been extensive consultation and we’ve listened, which is why we’ve made the amendments we’ve had. This bill at its fundamental core is stamping out hate, and it’s – again – it’s up to the extreme rightwing Liberal party to explain why they don’t support that.
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Allan say she won’t water down bill to ‘appease extreme right wing of Liberal party’
Yesterday, the state’s shadow attorney general, Michael O’Brien, told reporters the Coalition wouldn’t support the bill due to concerns with the “subjective” legal test that it uses to determine whether hate speech constituted a civil offence.
Asked whether she would consider changing the wording in the bill to secure bipartisan support, Jacinta Allan said she would not “water down” the bill to “appease the extreme right wing of the Liberal party”.
What this is about is … giving ongoing permission for people to be hateful on the basis of identity, and I reject that. This is how extreme the Victorian Liberal party has become under Brad Battin.
They want to allow hate to continue on our street. They want to allow vilification. They want to allow people to be subjected to vile forms of hate simply because of who they are. I won’t stand for that as premier, and it’s up to the Liberal party to explain why they do.
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Allan accuses state opposition of ‘shifting the goalposts again’
Jacinta Allan said the government moved amendments to the bill following consultation but the Liberal party had now “shifted the goalposts again”.
She laid blame at the Coalition’s new opposition leader, Brad Battin, who secured the role with support from conservatives within the Liberal party room, and said:
Are we really surprised that under the current Liberal leader, his extreme rightwing party, wants to allow a framework in this state where hate can exist? Well, as premier, I will not stand for that.
Battin has previously rejected that he holds extreme views.
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Allan says Victorian anti-vilification bill makes her proud
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, has been speaking to reporters outside parliament, ahead of debate continuing on the government’s anti-vilification legislation.
The Coalition yesterday said they would not support the bill, despite the government making some amendments to it after they raised concerns.
Allan said introducing the bill to parliament alongside representatives from Victoria’s multicultural and multi-faith communities was “one of the proudest days” she’s had as premier.
It’s the Victorian community’s bill. It’s a bill that’s had a long process, that had its genesis in an evil act in my hometown in Bendigo, where the Nazis came to protest against the construction of a mosque, a construction of a place where people of Islamic faith wanted to go and pray.
I was proud as premier to bring this bill to the parliament and continue to work with our multi-faith and multicultural and equality groups, because now more than ever, we need the strongest possible framework in this state.
We need laws to give police the powers to crack down on hate because, as we are seeing, intolerance exists. Islamophobia exists in Epping Plaza. Antisemitism is on our streets. Intolerance, transphobia, homophobia, racism, sexism, it exists, and through [our] social cohesion bill, we have a once in a generation opportunity to crack down on hate in all of its forms.
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Scott Morrison asks for return of family album found in op shop
Former prime minister Scott Morrison has asked for his privacy to be respected after an old photo album containing photos of himself and his family was mistakenly donated to a Sydney op shop.
A TikTok user found the old photo album at a Rockdale op shop and shared footage of this online, showing various travel photos from three decades ago.
Morrison confirmed to Guardian Australia that the album was donated as an “innocent mistake”, as part of a box of donations.
He has asked for the photo album to be returned and “for our privacy as a family to be respected.”
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Plibersek delays decision on gas plant extension
The environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, has delayed a decision on whether to give one of Australia’s biggest greenhouse gas emitters the green light to extend its life to 2070 until after the Western Australian state election.
A decision on Woodside’s North West Shelf gas processing plant on the Burrup Peninsula had been due by 28 February, but the deadline has been extended until 31 March, after WA goes to the polls on 8 March. The delay could push the verdict into the upcoming federal election campaign, or even beyond it, depending on when it is held.
A spokesperson for Plibersek said the project extension was not due to come online until the 2030s, and the federal government did not receive the full documentation needed to make a decision until earlier this month.
The department now requires reasonable time to assess the project in accordance with Australia’s national environment laws, which were put in place by John Howard’s Liberal government.
The WA Labor government approved the extension in December. More than 750 organisations and individuals had formally appealed against the WA approval, arguing the extension should be refused due to its contribution to the climate crisis and potential damage to one of the world’s oldest and largest collections of Indigenous rock art.
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Palmer to launch new political mission with Trumpet of Patriots party
The mining billionaire Clive Palmer will launch his new political venture today a week after losing a high court bid to re-register the United Australia party (UAP) ahead of the federal election.
Palmer is scheduled to make a “major political announcement” at 11am in Canberra, where he will launch a rebranded Trumpet of Patriots party to contest the upcoming poll.
A new Trumpet of Patriots website, which carries Palmer’s authorisation, promotes a Donald Trump-style vision to “drain the swamp” of Australia’s political system. It calls for candidate nominations for the 2025 election by 28 February.
Trumpet of Patriots party was registered under a different name in 2011 before changing to its existing moniker last year.
Palmer last week lost a court challenge to re-register UAP in time for this year’s election.
The process to register a new party or change the name of an existing one typically takes several months, meaning that assuming control of a registered brand was his only realistic option if he wanted to run candidates under a party banner in the coming poll.
This election will be Palmer’s last chance to throw tens of millions of dollars at poll candidates before new spending and donation caps come into force. Palmer spent about $123m ahead of the 2022 election, which delivered just one seat – Ralph Babet’s Victorian Senate seat.
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NSW Bar Association opposes state’s proposed hate speech laws
The NSW Bar Association has opposed the state government’s proposed hate speech laws which are aimed at curbing antisemitism, arguing it would introduce subjectivity into criminal law.
The Minns government introduced the laws – which would criminalise intentionally inciting hatred on the grounds of race – to parliament yesterday as part of a suite of laws proposed in the wake of a spate of antisemitic vandalism and arson attacks in Sydney.
The government introduced the laws after a report it commissioned, which was conducted by the Law Reform Commission and consulted with faith and legal groups, advised against it.
In a statement released a short time ago, the bar association’s president said while the spate of antisemitic vandalism in Sydney were “reprehensible”, it agreed with this review’s recommendations and opposed “terms in which the offence is framed”.
Dr Ruth Higgins SC, president of the NSW Bar Association, said the state government had “rightly prioritised this issue and supported the Jewish community.”
However, proposals for law reform must be carefully scrutinised to ensure they are appropriate, balanced, and proportionate.
The Association shares the concerns expressed by the NSW Law Reform Commission in its recent review of serious racial and religious vilification, that terms such as ‘hatred’ introduce “imprecision and subjectivity into the criminal law. The criminal law demands clarity and consistency to ensure it can be understood by the community and predictably enforced.
Higginson said the association did support another part of the laws, which will see police given expanded move on powers for protests that occur in or near places of worship.
These amendments may be seen to strike an appropriate balance between the right to freedom of religion and the right to freedom of expression.
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Uniting welcomes NSW pill testing trial
Uniting NSW, which operates a safe injecting site in Sydney’s Kings Cross, has welcomed news a Wollongong festival will be the first in the state to trial pill testing (see earlier post).
Emma Maiden, the NSW and ACT general manager of advocacy and external relations, said the announcement follows long-term advocacy and is “a logical direction in harm reduction in NSW.”
Giving people good information about the drugs they are planning to take saves lives and helps people make more informed choices. If one life is saved, this trial will be worth it.
Evidence shows these services have been highly effective at keeping people safe by reducing immediate drug use, preventing overdose and connecting people who use drugs with health services. For many young people this could be the first time they have spoken to a health practitioner about their drug use.
Maiden said an ongoing program for all festivals across the state was “urgently” needed, as well as a fixed site facility “to provide this life-saving service for people who use drugs outside the festival setting.”
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Watt asked if he would use ministerial powers to intervene in Sydney trains dispute
Just circling back to Murray Watt’s earlier interview on Sunrise: the employment minister was asked about the ongoing standoff between the NSW government and the rail unions.
Specifically, he was asked about a power in his federal portfolio allowing him to terminate all industrial action that would cause significant damage to the Australian economy – will he do this?
Watt said the powers existed and that it was an “extraordinary one”.
It has never been used [by] any minister either side of politics the whole time it has been in the acts of Parliament.
The minister said he was focused on “trying to convince both sides to resolve this”.
I understand the frustration of Sydney commuters, I am frustrated and I don’t even live in Sydney, [let alone] commuters who are putting up with this for months …
The matter is now before the Fair Work Commission today and I think that is a good thing they have an opportunity to help resolve this. We need this to end as quickly as possible so people can get on with their lives.
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Mass whale stranding off Tasmania coast
A mass whale stranding is occurring near Arthur River on the west coast of Tasmania.
The Department of Natural Resources and Environment said a group of 157 whales had stranded themselves.
The animals appear to be false killer whales, initial observations show 136 animals are still alive …
Stranding response in this area is complex due to the inaccessibility of the site, ocean conditions and the challenges of getting specialist equipment to the remote area.
The department said a request would be made if assistance is required from the general public.
All whales are protected species, even once deceased, and it is an offence to interfere with a carcass. People are reminded there is an active bushfire response on the state’s west coast and to avoid the area.
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PM says alleged attack on two Melbourne Muslim women ‘outrageous’
The prime minister was also asked about the alleged assault of two Muslim women in Melbourne last week, with host Raf Epstein noting that he did a number of interviews yesterday and the issue wasn’t raised.
He was asked if the media and political reaction would have been different if it was two Jewish women. Anthony Albanese said he finds it “outrageous” people were allegedly assaulted “for who they are.”
The [alleged] perpetrators should be held fully to account and face the full force of the law.
Does the community view Islamophobia different to antisemitism? The PM said he could only comment on how he looked at it, and that “I regard any attacks on the basis of race or people’s faith as being an outrage”.
And I think that overwhelmingly, Australians are harmonious. What we have in this country is the great privilege of living in a continent where overwhelmingly, Australians respect each other and our diversity is a source of strength, is my very strong view.
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Albanese on rate cut and criticism from Coalition
The prime minister has been speaking with ABC Radio Melbourne, saying yesterday’s rate cut was the relief Australians “needed” and “deserved”.
Anthony Albanese was asked whether people would notice an extra $100 in their bank account each month? He said “of course” people notice the extra money, and that their wages are increasing.
On criticism from the Coalition, he said:
The previous mob weren’t profligate in the way that they did a budget. As I said, $78 million deficit. They promised a surplus in their first year when they were elected in 2013, and every year thereafter, and they didn’t deliver one, not one – didn’t come close.
And you know, they come onto radio programs, people like Jane Hume have pretended that none of those facts are real. Well, it is a fact that inflation had a six in front, now it has a two in front. It is a fact that 1.1 million jobs have been created since we’re in government. It is a fact that they wanted tax cuts for you and me but not for most of your listeners.
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Banks should pass on rate cut ‘asap’ – Watt
The employment minister, Murray Watt, said the banks should have passed the interest rate cut on to customers yesterday, rather than wait until the end of February.
Speaking on Sunrise, he said the big four banks should be passing the cut on “asap”.
[There should be] not one day delay in making that happen because I think Australians really deserve this rate cut.
Watt said that “I would prefer to see the banks get moving sooner than they are planning to” but this is “the call they are making”.
The shadow finance minister, Jane Hume, was also on the program and agreed:
The Coalition have said consistently that we want to see the banks pass on any interest rate cut in full. Australians are crying out for assistance …
We also want to see what the big banks want to do with deposit rates as well because we know there are a lot of people out there now going to earn less on their savings.
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Chalmers worries Trump tariffs could be inflationary
Giving yet another interview this morning, Jim Chalmers said he was “certainly” concerned that Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs could be inflationary.
Speaking on the Today Show, the treasurer said this was a concern for Australia:
That’s the economic theory that tariffs run the risk of pushing up inflation and slowing growth. So that’s the concern for Australia. We’ve got a very trade-exposed economy, and so we don’t want to see the escalation of these trade tensions.
There is a lot of global economic uncertainty, as the Reserve Bank governor said yesterday, a view that we share. But what the governor said yesterday, a view that I share wholeheartedly, is that we’re optimistic about the future of our economy, but we’re alive to the risks, and some of those risks are global.
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Julie Bishop on rate cut, Trump administration, Rudd’s role as ambassador
The former foreign minister and deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop was on the Today Show earlier to weigh in on yesterday’s rate cut, which she said would set the scene for the upcoming federal election.
The government will say it’s evidence of their economic management and their plans working. The opposition will say that it’s too little, too late. Thus, the scene is set for the next election.
On the foreign affairs portfolio, she said Australia was facing “a very different US administration, even far more different than Trump the first time around”.
President Trump has made it quite clear that the days of the US being a global leader in open and free trade are coming to an end. It’s all about the United States interests, and that he will negotiate hard in America’s interests. So for Australia, even though we have a trade deficit with the United States, we’re facing tariffs. But countries that have a trade surplus are really going to have a tough time. Canada and Mexico, it’s a whole new era in terms of US interests.
Bishop ruled out ever going back to being an ambassador herself, and weighed in on Kevin Rudd:
As long as Kevin can continue to have … constant open access to the White House, if he can achieve that, then he’ll be continuing to do a good and competent job. But time will tell.
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Taylor says Labor expanding public service ‘way too much’
Continuing to speak on ABC RN, Angus Taylor was asked to clarify the Coalition’s stance on public service jobs.
Would the Coalition cut jobs to reverse the 36,000 position increase in the public service, or would there be a hiring freeze and a reduction by attrition?
The shadow treasurer declined to outline the Coalition’s exact policy but said Labor had increased the public service “way too much”.
We certainly don’t want to cut back in areas that are absolutely essential for Australians, like veterans’ affairs, but right now, if the government doesn’t tighten its belt, then households will have to do it instead.
And so we do want to make sure we’ve got a productive and effective public service. And we do think that adding 36,000 public servants is the inappropriate thing to do.
Taylor said that under the Coalition, the “numbers [would] be lower, and we’ll say more about the details of that in the lead-up to the election”.
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Shadow treasurer weighs in on rate cut and criticises public spending
Angus Taylor told Sky News yesterday’s rate cut was “welcome relief”, but for some families “too little too late”. The shadow treasurer said:
We’ve seen the biggest hit to Australia’s standard of living in our history. It’s been unprecedented, unparalleled, worse than any other of our peer countries around the world.
Taylor argued that the “hard work has been done here by Australian families, not by the government”. He took aim at government spending and said:
And the Reserve Bank made this point in its statement, that we’ve seen government spending growing fast, getting to record levels. So household spending has had to do the work, and Australian families have had to take on to cut back on their spending, take on extra jobs, in some cases, extra hours to make ends meet.
The shadow treasurer also spoke with ABC RN just earlier, where he was asked what spending the Coalition believes shouldn’t have happened.
He gave a similar response to the above, before the host pointed out Michele Bullock’s comment that public demand is not the main game. Taylor said:
In answer to your your original question, we’ve been very clear, we’ve opposed over $100 billion of spending in this term of parliament that we think is inappropriate at this time. Whatever the merit of those initiatives, they’re not the right ones. None of this is cutting essential services – that’s not what we’re proposing – but it is saying that every dollar of taxpayers’ money needs to be managed very carefully.
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Chalmers on inflation, March budget and election date
Jim Chalmers was also on ABC News Breakfast, where he said the “worst of the inflation challenge is behind us”, with the peak being in 2022.
The Reserve Bank say they are increasingly confident that they’re getting on top of this inflation challenge in our economy, and that’s why we got the interest rate cut that we saw yesterday.
Asked if any more cost of living initiatives are coming, the treasurer said the government was “still making decisions about [our] fourth budget”.
“But I think there are hints in the government’s first three,” he said, pointing to previous cost of living measures.
The treasurer said he was “certainly” preparing for a budget at the end of March.
We spent the vast chunk of Monday and Tuesday locked up in the cabinet room with my colleagues in the expenditure committee putting together a budget. We’re certainly working towards that … [But] obviously there’s going to be an election at some point in the next three months.
He deferred to the PM when asked about the date of the upcoming election, but said Anthony Albanese may not have decided yet:
He’s weighing it up. I wouldn’t have thought he would have decided for sure. And that’s why we continue these budget preparations.
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Chalmers says it’s ‘not unusual’ for RBA to be cautious about flagging future cuts
Making the rounds on breakfast television this morning, Jim Chalmers denied that government spending has ruled out further rate cuts.
Speaking on Sky News, the treasurer said the RBA governor, Michele Bullock, had “pointed out on other occasions that public spending is not the main game”.
If anything, the two surpluses that the government has delivered have been helping in the fight against inflation.
Responding to Bullock’s commentary yesterday, the treasurer said it was “not unusual” for governors to “choose their words carefully [and] not make predictions about future interest rate cuts, to be cautious about that”.
I don’t make predictions about future movements in rates either. But I think we should recognise that the fact that the Reserve Bank governor and the board saw it fit to cut interest rates yesterday is a reflection that we’ve made a lot of progress together on inflation as Australians.
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Treasurer questioned on election timing
Jim Chalmers was on 7:30 last night and was asked if Labor would call the election before the next RBA meeting on 1 April.
The treasurer said the timing of the election was a matter for the PM:
We’re working towards a budget on the 25th of March. As I said before, I try not to apply a political lens to the decision that’s been taken today.
My job in the government is to obsess over the numbers in the economy, not to obsess over numbers in the opinion polls or election dates and the like. Our focus was on the cost of living before this decision, it will be on the cost of living after this decision, no matter when the election is.
Chalmers was also asked if he thought the single measure would be enough to offset the collapse in living standards, and said “that remains to be seen”.
To be to be frank about it, I think we have acknowledged throughout that it’s been an especially difficult period for Australians.
We saw inflation much higher and rising when we came to office, living standards and real wages were falling when we came to office, and we’ve been working very hard to try and turn that around. It’s been a good thing that real wages are growing again.
The treasurer has been making the rounds on breakfast programs this morning – we’ll bring you the key takeaways from this shortly.
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Peak body calls for better data collection of road toll
Continuing from our last post: In response to the worsening death toll, the Australian Automobile Association (AAA) – the roof body of state groups such as the NRMA and RACV – has broadened its call for better data collection to help authorities tackle the road safety crisis.
AAA managing director Michael Bradley has called for the federal government to introduce “no-blame investigations” into road trauma – similar to what are conducted after aircraft, train and boat crashes – alongside police probes.
Rather than focusing on individual blame, these investigations look at the systemic issues that can be addressed to prevent future trauma.
He noted such investigations are used in countries such as the United States, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.
You can read more on Australia’s worsening road death toll here:
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Cyclist and motorcyclist fatalities spike amid rise in road deaths
Deaths on Australian roads are continuing to increase, with a sharp spike in cyclist and motorcyclist fatalities in January, as motoring groups call for “no-blame” investigations to better respond to incidents.
There were 114 people who died on Australian roads in January, the latest monthly data from the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics shows.
It takes the rolling 12-month tally for fatalities to 1,324, an increase of 6% on the same period a year earlier. Within that period, cyclist fatalities jumped 55%, up from 29 to 45 deaths in the year to the end of January, while motorcyclist deaths rose by 19% over the same period, from 244 to 290.
Pedestrian deaths also jumped by 4% over the 12 months to the end of January, up from 165 to 171.
Driver deaths rose only slightly over the 12-month period, from 596 to 600, while passenger deaths remained the same at 204.
The latest data shows a continuation of a worsening trend in the safety of Australian roads, with 2024 being the fourth consecutive year of road death increases – the first time such a trajectory was recorded since the 1960s, before seat belts were made mandatory.
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PM responds to yesterday’s rate cut
Anthony Albanese was interviewed last night on the ABC and asked about the interest rate cuts. This is what the prime minister had to say:
We now have inflation falling. It has a two in front of it, 2.4. It had a six in front of it when we were elected. Real wages are increasing. Employment is still strong. We’ve created 1.1 million jobs.
And now we have interest rates falling for the first time in five years. So it will be welcome news for people. We know that people have been doing it tough. And this will not ease all of that pressure, but it will be welcomed by those with a mortgage.
Albanese was also asked why he did not rein in some spending, which some economists say could have dropped inflation sooner. He responded:
The fact is we inherited a $78bn deficit under the Liberals, and we turned that into a $22bn surplus and then followed it up with another surplus.
We have had responsible economic management and the cost of living relief that we’ve put in place, whether it be the tax cuts for every taxpayer, the energy bill relief, cheaper medicines, cheaper childcare, free TAFE, they’ve all been designed in a way that has assisted to put that downward pressure on inflation, whilst putting more money in people’s pockets.
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NSW music festival pill testing trial announced
A music festival in Wollongong early next month will become the first in New South Wales to trial pill testing.
As we flagged just earlier, the service will be run by a government agency for the first time in Australia – at the Yours and Owls festival – led by NSW Health.
Patrons will be invited to have substances analysed to test for purity, potency and adulterants, a statement said, followed by a discussion with a qualified counsellor. NSW police will be on-site undertaking actives “that may involve drug dog and strip search operations”, a statement said.
The festival’s co-founder, Ben Tillman, said he “enthusiastically” welcomed the move from the state government.
Pill testing is something we have been fighting for, for some time now. While Yours and Owls maintains a zero-tolerance policy to illegal drugs, we are realists and see the abstinence-only approach as unhelpful.
Pill Testing is not a panacea. However, it is a proven harm minimisation strategy that has been successfully implemented in many countries overseas for the past 20 or so years.
The state minister for health, Ryan Park, said “no level of illicit drug use is safe and pill testing services do not provide a guarantee of safety”.
However, this trial has been designed to provide people with the necessary information to make more informed decisions about drug use, with the goal of reducing drug-related harm and saving lives.
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Welcome
Good morning and welcome back to the Australia news live blog. I’m Emily Wind, and I’ll be taking you through our rolling coverage for most of today.
A music festival in Wollongong early next month will become the first in New South Wales to trial pill testing. The service will be run by a government agency for the first time in Australia at the Yours and Owls festival, led by NSW Health.
Patrons will be invited to have substances analysed to test for purity, potency and adulterants, a statement said, followed by a discussion with a qualified counsellor. We’ll have more details on this soon.
Meanwhile, new footage has emerged overnight of Australian man Oscar Jenkins – after a separate, unverified video came to light yesterday. The video has not been verified by Guardian Australia, and is entirely in Russian.
It shows the 32-year-old seated in front of a Russian flag as a man tests his blood pressure. According to translations from the ABC, the man jokes in Russian that Jenkins’ blood pressure would be “zero” if he was dead – after reports emerged in January that he had died after his capture while serving alongside Ukraine’s armed forces.
As always, you can reach out with any questions, feedback or tips via email: emily.wind@theguardian.com. Let’s get started.
