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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Cait Kelly (now), Nino Bucci and Emily Wind (earlier)

CrowdStrike has ‘issued a fix’ to Windows outage – as it happened

John Setka Dominic Perrottet Coalition Anthony Albanese Australia New South Wales Matt Smith Queensland United States Labor
A Coles checkout terminal in Canberra affected by the Windows outage
A Coles checkout terminal in Canberra affected by the Windows outage. Airports, banks and media companies have also been impacted. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

What we learned – Friday 19 July

And with that, we are going to put the blog to bed. Before we go, let’s recap the big headlines:

Updated

Boss of cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike blames global IT outage on software update

CrowdStrike president George Kurtz said the problem was caused by a “defect found in a single content update for Windows hosts”.

He wrote on X:

Clare O’Neil says fix ‘may take some time’

The home affairs minister, Clare O’Neil, has just issued a statement about the outage. She says a fix has been issued but it may take a while – it’s understood every affected computer had to be rebooted.

O’Neil says:

The Australian Government has conducted a National Coordination Mechanism meeting, which I joined earlier this evening. Crowdstrike attended the meeting and we can confirm there is no evidence that this is a cyber-security incident.

This is a technical issue, caused by a Crowdstrike update to its customers. They have issued a fix for this, allowing affected companies and organisations to reboot their systems without the problem.

The company has informed us that most issues should be resolved through the fix they have provided, but given the size and nature of this incident it may take some time to resolve.

Governments are closely engaged at all levels, focused on bringing together the affected parties and ensuring government entities institute the fix as quickly as possible. Further updates will be issued as required.

Updated

Microsoft says ‘we anticipate a resolution is forthcoming’

Microsoft has said the company is working to restore the outage and a fix is coming:

A spokesperson said:

We’re aware of an issue affecting Windows devices due to an update from a third-party software platform. We anticipate a resolution is forthcoming.

Updated

Victoria update: no impact to critical infrastructure or Triple Zero

A spokesperson for the Victorian government has also issued a statement:

We are monitoring the impacts of the global IT outage, and are enacting continuity plans for those services impacted.

There has been no impact to critical infrastructure or Triple Zero Victoria, and we are working closely with the federal government to understand the impact of the outage.

There have been major delays to the V-Line system but it is understood services are now resuming.

Updated

Spokesperson for Virgin says airline is ‘stable’

The outage resulted in cancellations, with some travellers having to get a hotel for the evening.

A spokesperson said:

Virgin Australia can confirm its operations remain stable following the impacts of a large-scale IT outage impacting businesses across the country.

We thank guests who were disrupted by this incident for their patience and understanding and will work with them to ensure they get to their destination as quickly as possible.

Updated

Six Woolworths stores closed

Woolworths has also issued an updated statement, saying six stores have been closed. The spokesperson said:

All stores across the country except for six are open and trading.

In some cases, customers may find less registers available than normal so we’re grateful for their patience.

A small number of online orders have been unable to be fulfilled and those customers have been contacted.

We’d also like to thank the thousands of team members who have helped customers throughout the afternoon and evening.

Updated

Melbourne airport update

Melbourne airport has just put this update on X about how each airline is currently affected:

Updated

I am leaving you for the night, but Cait Kelly is coming in to keep this outage blog going for a bit longer. Stay patient in these trying times.

Trains resume on Hunter and Southern Highlands lines

A Transport for NSW spokesperson says trains are now back up and running on the Hunter:

Trains have resumed on the Hunter Line between Newcastle and Dungog/Scone and Southern Highlands Line between Campbeltown and Moss Vale/Goulburn after earlier being impacted by a broader IT outage.

Updated

‘Not a cyber attack, just an interaction of two pieces of software’

Dave Parry, a dean and professor in the school of IT at Murdoch University, said:

What’s happened today is that an update to a thing called Falcon Sensor, which comes from a company called CrowdStrike and is a Windows-based tool to detect and respond to cybersecurity threats, seems to have caused a problem with Windows (it looks like Windows 10). That means that the machines that have had this update effectively are doing a thing called the ‘blue screen of death’. This means their machines want to reboot, but then they can’t be rebooted, and so the machines basically become useless.

This has become a global phenomenon because CrowdStrike is a very large company, and a lot of companies and organisations use them to detect and protect against threats. The issue will affect very, very large numbers of machines around the world. It’s not a cyber attack, but it’s just an interaction of the two pieces of software.

Updated

CrowdStrike incident ‘appears to violate every good software engineering practice we know’, expert says

Here’s what some experts have to say about the outage:

Prof Salil Kanhere, from the school of computer science and engineering at UNSW Sydney, said:

The global IT outage appears to have been caused by an issue with the CrowdStrike antivirus software. It appears to have impacted Windows machines with this software installed, causing them to crash (blue screen error) and get stuck in boot loops.

An update to their software appears to have been rolled out globally without proper testing. Antivirus software is typically given access to a deep set of permissions (kernel-level access) on computers to protect against viruses and malware. The flip side, however, is that if this very software malfunctions, then it can crash the computer, as we have observed with this outage.

This incident appears to violate every good software engineering practice we know. It also points to the need for mechanisms that can protect a computer’s operating system from potentially misbehaving anti-virus software.

Updated

Impact of outage currently ‘manageable’, NSW government says

The NSW government says that apart from Services NSW and Transport NSW, things are going OK. A spokesperson said:

The NSW Government is aware of an outage that is affecting a range of services.

We understand, via the Commonwealth, that there is no information to suggest that this is a cyber incident.

An initial assessment has taken place to assess the impact across our services.

NSW emergency services remain operational and available to respond to any requests for assistance at this time, 000 calls can be made, and there are no impacts to health services. However, there are some impacts to transport as well as Service NSW.

At this stage impacts are manageable, with business continuity plans in place to ensure minimal disruption to the community.

This includes some emergency dispatch services being impacted, with manual processes promptly put in place.

The NSW Government has stood up the relevant co-ordination arrangements and is working closely with the Commonwealth.

Updated

Here’s our wrap of the story so far:

Buses replacing trains on some NSW regional lines, others restored

Transport for NSW have this statement re multiple impacts caused by the outage:

Buses will replace trains on the Hunter Line between Newcastle and Dungog/Scone as the broader IT outage has impacted the train radio network in those areas and trains are not able to run safely.

Trains are running again on the Southern Highlands Line between Campbelltown and Moss Vale/Goulburn after being impacted earlier by the outage.

Passengers are advised to delay their trips and make alternative travel arrangements. There are no impacts to other modes of public transport and no impacts to the wider Sydney Trains network.

There are no adverse impacts to the road network and traffic lights are operational.

The 131 500 Transport Infoline is currently not receiving calls, but the transportnsw.info website is unaffected and contains live traffic and transport information.

People can still ring the Transport Management Centre on 131 700 to report road incidents.

The Transport Management Centre and Sydney Trains have field crews across the roads and public transport network, and are working closely with NSW Police and emergency services.

Updated

Prime minister statement on cyber outage

I understand Australians are concerned about the outage that is unfolding globally and affecting a wide range of services.

My Government is working closely with the National Cyber Security Coordinator.

There is no impact to critical infrastructure, government services or Triple-0 services at this stage.

The National Coordination Mechanism has been activated and is meeting now.

Federal government holds emergency meeting over Windows outage

We reported earlier that the federal government had convened a meeting of emergency authorities, under the umbrella of the National Emergency Management Agency. The meeting started at 6pm.

Also invited were some of the stakeholders who have been impacted by this outage. It is understood that includes the major supermarket and retail chains, the major telcos and internet providers, representatives from the banking and finance sector, airlines, utility heads, transport and logistics operators, and state and territory government representatives.

We’ll update up on the outcome of that meeting as soon as more information comes through.

Updated

AFL match will go ahead, but some ticketing issues expected

The outage is also going to impact tonight’s AFL game between Essendon and Adelaide at Docklands stadium, in Melbourne.

An email sent to AFL members just now said:

A global digital outage affecting multiple organisations is impacting AFL Member access to mobile tickets for tonight’s match.

The email provided further details for those who had not already downloaded their tickets, as it appeared these would be the crowd members affected.

Updated

I hope you’re not relying on us to fix any of these issues, but if you are, perhaps start here:

At a shopping centre in Sydney’s inner west, the only shop that appeared to be closed at 5.30pm that shouldn’t be was Liquorland.

The entrance to the Marrickville store had been shuttered with a sign stuck to the door that said: “temporarily closed due to issues”.

Shortly before 6pm the shop opened again, with a staff member saying they could only take cash.

The major supermarkets were open. A staff member at Coles said they experienced problems for only about 20 minutes.

Updated

No news is good news re NSW Health, which says:

NSW Health, including NSW Ambulance, does not use Crowdstrike software. There are no known impacts on NSW Health systems and services to date. We will continue to closely monitor the situation. In case of an emergency call triple zero (000).

Updated

Coles Supermarkets shuttered in some places, including the local of our own Molly Glassey:

Virgin Australia have just issued an updated statement. Cancellations and delays expected. Here it is:

Virgin Australia operations are continuing following a large-scale IT outage impacting multiple airlines and other businesses, however some cancellations and delays are expected. We are working to resolve any delays and get our guests on their way as quickly as possible.

Service NSW has been affected too, as per statement:

Service NSW has been impacted by a worldwide third-party IT outage impacting transactions in service centres and contacts centres. Service NSW apologises to customers for any inconvenience. Teams are working to restore services as quickly as possible. The majority of digital transactions have not been impacted and people are encouraged to complete transactions via the Service NSW website where possible.

Updated

The memes will not be stopped.

Updated

Commonwealth Bank says PayID payments down for some

The Commonwealth Bank has confirmed it is aware that some customers are currently unable to make PayID payments. It is investigating “any impacts to our systems and services”.

A spokesperson says:

We are aware of a large-scale technical outage affecting a number of companies.

This outage relates to a technical issue with a third-party software platform.

We are urgently investigating any impacts to our systems and services.

We know some customers have been unable to make PayID payments. If you are unable to use PayID, you’re still able to make payments between your accounts or pay someone using their BSB and account number.

We’re sorry for the inconvenience. Thanks for your patience while we work through the impacts.

Updated

Telstra is saying the outage is due to issues with Crowdstrike AND Microsoft.

Updated

The outage has also hit Victoria’s regional train network, Vline.

Our own Guardian Australia reporter Stephanie Convery is on a train from Melbourne to Bendigo and says it has just been announced that the signals system statewide is down.

She is stuck in Gisborne, which is about an hour outside Melbourne, for an “undetermined amount of time”, according to the announcement.

Updated

Sydney airport delays possible 'throughout evening'

This just in from Sydney airport:

A global technical outage has impacted some airline operations and terminal services.

Flights are currently arriving and departing however there may be some delays throughout the evening.

We have activated our contingency plans with our airline partners and deployed additional staff to our terminals to assist passengers.

Anyone travelling today should leave plenty of time to come to the airport and check with their airline regarding the status of their flight.

Updated

Reuters is also reporting that several US airlines have been grounded, and that all air traffic has been halted in Berlin until 0800 GMT (about 45 minutes’ time).

Updated

Triple-0 ‘currently not affected’ by outage, government says

And here is a statement from the Australian government:

The Australian government is working closely with the national cyber security coordinator on this unfolding outage.

We understand triple-0 services are currently not affected by this outage.

The information as it stands is this outage relates to a technical issue with a third-party software platform employed by affected companies.

As the cyber security coordinator has said, there is no information to suggest this is a cyber security incident and they are continuing to engage across key stakeholders.

The national emergency mechanism group will meet shortly, co-chaired by the National Emergency Management Agency.

Updated

Outage affecting multiple airlines, Virgin says

Virgin Australia issued this statement a short time ago:

Virgin Australia is aware of a large-scale IT outage impacting multiple airlines and other businesses which is having an impact on our operations. We are working to resolve this issue as soon as possible. We appreciate the patience of all travellers as we work through a solution and will provide an update once more information is known.

Updated

There are unconfirmed reports that multiple airlines in the US and Australia have grounded flights. The US ABC is reporting that American Airlines, United and Delta have asked the US Federal Aviation Administration for a “global ground stop on all flights”.

Outage hits Melbourne airport

Melbourne airport confirms it is also impacted by the outage:

Updated

Energy and climate ministers back consumer resources, reject nuclear option

The gathering in Melbourne today of federal, state and territory climate and energy ministers has broken up with quite a few items ticked off, according to its communique.

All but one of the jurisdictions represented has a Labor government (or Labor-Greens for the ACT), with only Tasmania a Liberal holdout. In any case, the ministers agreed they don’t like nuclear energy in a snub to the federal Coalition that is pushing for seven reactors.

The communique said:

Ministers for the commonwealth, states where nuclear reactors have been proposed, and the territories reiterated their opposition to nuclear. These ministers agreed that in Australia, nuclear is too expensive and too slow as coal-fired power stations age and exit, risking reliability and affordability for consumers, and emissions reductions.

Might make for an awkward gathering should the LNP gain office at the next federal election.

One notable outcome of today’s meeting was agreement to push on with a consumer energy resources “roadmap”. (We looked at the potential before, such as here and here.)

According to a draft version of the roadmap, “better strategic coordination of household and consumer energy assets could save Australians more than $19bn over the next 15 years, through avoided [spending] on new large-scale energy infrastructure and transmission assets”.

With about a third of households with solar panels, many with batteries and devices that can be programmed to run at certain times (think electric vehicles, for one example), there’s scope for consumers to save money and even be rewarded for changing their behaviour.

When there’s lots of wind and sun, for instance, power prices can turn negative, the perfect time to switch on – and avoid using power when prices are high.

No new money appears to have been set aside – so far – but watch this space.

Updated

Crowdstrike identifies issue behind worldwide outage

Cybersecurity software firm Crowdstrike has posted in its support updates that it has identified the issue behind today’s massive, global Windows outage.

It is an issue with “content deployment” that has since had those changes reverted and has advised a workaround for affected users.

We are still waiting for confirmation or a statement from Crowdstrike’s media team. It’s almost midnight in the US, so it’s not clear when we might get more detail.

Updated

No information suggesting hack behind outage, cyber chief says

The national cyber security coordinator, Lieut Gen Michelle McGuinness, has provided the following update:

She went on to say that:

Updated

We have entered the “police social media teams posting memes” phase of the cyber outage.

OK, this seems suboptimal.

In other news, The Australian is reporting that the CFMEU has sacked eight Victorian union delegates who were linked or had close affiliations to outlaw motorcycle gangs. It’s been quite the week for the union.

Updated

Here’s how things are going on the ABC News channel:

Updated

I thought this was quite good from 10 News until I realised they had misspelt “companies”.

Updated

No confirmed cause for widespread Windows outage

We are seeing reports of nationwide Windows outages, with users reporting seeing the Blue Screen of Death error messages across banking institutions, supermarkets and media companies including the ABC.

An email sent around the ABC, seen by Guardian Australia, says Windows terminals across the country are experiencing blue screens of death, causing issues with some TV studios, and some radio studios are offline.

It appears to be larger than just Australia and is affecting Windows PCs globally.

The cause is currently unconfirmed, but cybersecurity software firm Crowdstrike has reported blue screens of death and says the cause is currently under investigation.

Guardian Australia has heard that it may have been a software update issue with Crowdstrike but is seeking to confirm with the company directly and also seeking comment from Microsoft.

Updated

Our own Peter Hannam has captured a perfect image depicting the current situation.

ABC and banking hit by outages with apparent link to Microsoft

The outages across multiple sectors including the media and banking appear to be linked to Microsoft.

An internal ABC email seen by Guardian Australia shows that staff there have been told “Windows workstations experiencing BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) nationally”.

“The cause of this is unknown and is under active investigation,” the email sent at 3.13pm said.

“ABC Television output is currently on air, although some News studios are having issues. Several radio studios across the country are offline, alongside the Windows PCs which switch ABC Radio outputs to air.”

Updated

Looks like it’s not just media either.

A reader has also been in contact to say they were unable to contact the Bendigo Bank via phone just now.

It appears other media outlets are affected too by this outage. We’ll bring you more when we have it.

Updated

The ABC is reporting widespread outages. This from Sydney radio presenter Andy Park.

Updated

Amex fined $8m over unsuitable David Jones credit cards

American Express has been hit with an $8m fine after admitting it did not properly assess whether customers were suitable for two co-branded David Jones credit cards, AAP reports.

The development is a landmark win for the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (Asic) in the first case of its kind over what are known as design and distribution obligations (DDO).

The American Express co-branded David Jones credit cards were offered from August 2008 until July 2022, when the firm pulled these financial products. While the cards could be sourced online, 80-90% of all cards issued were handed out by retail staff in person at David Jones premises.

In its federal court lawsuit, Asic said high cancellation rates of the David Jones cards showed the firm had not met its obligations to ensure they were appropriate for consumers. ASIC deputy chair Sarah Court said on Friday:

This is an important decision, because it highlights the requirement for issuers and distributors of financial products to customers to have in place adequate systems to monitor events and circumstances that suggest a target market determination is no longer appropriate.

Initially contesting the allegations, in March American Express admitted contravening the Corporations Act and agreed to a proposed $8m penalty. On Friday, Justice Ian Jackman approved this amount.

The judge found that by May 2022 American Express ought to have known the documents describing the target market appropriate for the David Jones cards were insufficient.

Updated

Many thanks for being with me on today’s blog, Nino Bucci will see you through the remainder of Friday’s news. Take care, and enjoy your weekend.

Ordering protesters outside PM’s office to leave is ‘cruel’, liberties council says

The NSW Council for Civil Liberties says protesters who have gathered outside Anthony Albanese’s electoral office for nearly six months have been issued a letter to leave, after a woman was arrested outside his office yesterday.

The council’s president, Lydia Shelley, said Albanese had shown “a tremendous lack of empathy towards his constituents by not granting them a simple meeting”, which they had been requesting.

Earlier today, the PM told a press conference in Cairns that there had been “issues at [his office] of disruption”.

Not aimed at getting assistance, aimed at securing – I’m not quite sure what the aims are.

Shelley argued that since the picket launched outside Albanese’s office, it had “not intimidated anyone or prevented access”, and the “only goal of the peaceful protesters has been to communicate directly with their MP, as their electoral representative, their views in relation to the events in Gaza and how they affect people in Australia”.

She said the direction to leave and “attitude towards the protesters is undemocratic and, frankly, cruel”.

We urge Mr Albanese to remember the winter of 1983 when he was amongst a group of protesters who occupied the clocktower in the Sydney University quadrangle in a protest action against the economics department … [Albanese] joined his fellow protesters to occupy the clocktower and to disrupt faculty meetings. He was subject to disciplinary proceedings from the university as a result…

In refusing to meet with his constituents, who are feeling anguish, grief and helplessness, many Australians are left to ask what is left worth fighting for?

Updated

Rights watchdog has ‘grave' concerns over Queensland watch house footage

The Australian Human Rights Commission has expressed “grave concern” over footage, released as part of a Guardian Australia and SBS The Feed investigation, depicting a 13-year-old First Nations child being forcibly restrained and kept in an isolation cell inside a Queensland police watch house.

National children’s commissioner Anne Hollonds alleged that this treatment of a young child with a disability was an “egregious breach” of human rights and said in a statement:

Police watch houses are no place for children. I have witnessed myself that there are no windows, no natural light or fresh air. No education, rehabilitation or recreation is provided. The police officers had no training to care for children, most of whom come in with pre-existing disability, trauma and mental distress.

Hollonds said the footage emphasised a need for the safety and wellbeing of children to be made a national priority for Australia through the national cabinet.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice commissioner Katie Kiss said that current approaches to children’s detention “disproportionately affect children who have not received the necessary social and community supports – and too often these are First Nations children.”

Disability discrimination commissioner Rosemary Kayess said the over-representation of children with disability – in particular First Nations children with disability – in the justice system “reflects an experience of cumulative disadvantage”.

Updated

Rates uncertainty takes wind out of home price growth

The prospect of higher-for-longer interest rates has sapped some heat from the property market, AAP reports, as growth in house prices slows in the winter months.

National home values rose half a per cent over the four weeks to 18 July, according to CoreLogic’s daily index, down from a 0.7% increase logged in the same period last month.

The property data company’s economist, Kaytlin Ezzy, said easing growth likely stemmed from stubbornly low consumer sentiment knocked around by still-elevated inflation. A rise in advertised stock levels in some markets was also playing a role, she said.

With many household budgets already stretched by the high cost of living and increased debt-servicing costs, it’s likely some potential buyers are holding off and delaying purchasing decisions until the outlook for interest rates becomes clearer.

This had likely reduced demand and taken some heat out of the real estate market, the economist explained.

The slowdown in dwelling values was most pronounced across houses, with units less sensitive to market conditions. Compared to mid-sized capitals, which have been growing strongly for some time, prices in Sydney were cooling faster.

Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth did see the pace of home price growth tick a little lower through early July, hinting at the first signs of easing demand. Renters are also seeing light at the end of the tunnel, with the number of vacant rental properties rising nationwide.

Updated

Greens MP decries woman’s arrest outside PM’s office

The NSW MP for Newtown, Jenny Leong, has labelled the arrest of a woman outside Anthony Albanese’s electorate office in Grayndler as a “disgrace”.

Sarah Shaweesh says she entered the PM’s office as a constituent seeking information about her family’s declined visa application. Police said she was asked to leave Albanese’s office but didn’t, and was arrested for trespass.

In a post to X, Leong called on Albanese to apologise to Shaweesh, plus “intervene to have any charges against her dropped and set up an urgent constituent meeting with her so his office can assist with the family visa issue”.

Leong wrote:

Reports that following Sarah’s arrest the PM issued a notice to the protesters outside and that the peaceful demonstration was then shut down by police are deeply concerning.

Again and again, the NSW and federal Labor government are using the police to silence dissent and act as enforcers of their anti-protest, anti-Palestine agenda.

The right to peaceful protest and non-violent civil disobedience is a fundamental human right and critical to a strong democracy.

Updated

Woman arrested outside Albanese’s electorate office ordered to keep distance from it

The Palestinian-Australian constituent of Anthony Albanese who was charged with trespassing after she sought visa help has been ordered to not go within 100m of the prime minister’s electorate office, according to her lawyer.

Yesterday, Sarah Shaweesh was arrested after she allegedly refused to leave Albanese’s electorate office in the Sydney seat of Grayndler. Shaweesh, who has been involved in the five-month long, 24/7 picket outside the Marrickville office, said she went inside the office to ask about the declined visa applications for five of her family members who live in Gaza.

Shaweesh, who will appear before court on 10 September, was given bail conditions by New South Wales police that included not being allowed within 100m of the Marrickville electorate office and a list of names of the office’s staff who she is not allowed to contact or “harrass”, according to Shaweesh’s lawyer.

Amnesty International called the arrest a “grave escalation of the criminalisation of protest in Australia”.

A spokesperson for the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Mohamed Duar, said:

It is extremely concerning that Ms Shaweesh may have been arrested and denied access to support that she was entitled to seek as a constituent because of her participation in peaceful protest outside this office. This looks like a grave escalation of the criminalisation of protest in Australia.

Palestinian Australians are distressed and terrified for their family members in Gaza, with every day bringing more news of Israeli bombardment on civilian ‘safe zones’. Ms Shaweesh has expressed this anguish through lawful, peaceful protest and sought to help her family members. There is no justification for criminal charges for exercising her human rights.

Updated

Australia to simulate arrival of deadly bird flu

Australia will wargame the arrival of a bird flu strain that’s ravaging wildlife overseas, AAP reports, but some say it’s about a year too late.

Agriculture ministers from around the country have agreed to hold a national preparedness exercise amid fears the deadly H5 strain could reach Australia within months.

Australia is the last continent to be free of the strain, which has caused mass deaths worldwide in poultry, wild birds and other wildlife including seals and sea lions. Scientists have warned it is most likely to arrive with migratory birds that will be heading for the nation’s shores this spring.

There’s no date yet for the exercise and few details about what it will involve but ministers who met this week say it will promote better collaboration between agriculture, environment and health agencies.

The Invasive Species Council has long been calling for scenario planning to get all relevant agencies and stakeholders ready and it’s happy that will finally happen. Campaigner Jack Gough told AAP:

This is something that should have happened a year ago, when the government got a risk assessment saying the impacts of this disease on our wild birds would be catastrophic.

It should have been a priority then. It means we are behind the eight ball but it’s good that this has happened.

Updated

In case you missed it, Josh Taylor reported earlier that abortion providers in Australia are now required to register with a US-based certifications company to advertise on Google:

The Greens leader in the Senate, Larissa Waters, reacted to the story on X and said:

Access to safe, legal abortion remains a postcode lottery in Australia, with different rules, costs and availability depending on where you live. The last thing we need in Australia is a US-based company regulating our access to information about reproductive healthcare…

Abortion and contraception are legal, basic healthcare services. They should be safe, accessible and freely available everywhere in Australia, including on Google.

Updated

Get stuck into the latest Weekly Beast from Amanda Meade:

Basketball star named as Labor pick for Queensland seat

Former NBL professional basketballer Matt Smith has been named as Labor’s candidate for the seat of Leichhardt at the next federal election.

As AAP reports, the seat takes in Cairns, Port Douglas and the Cape York Peninsula, including the entire Torres Strait up to Boigu, Dauan and Saibai islands. The seat is among targets for the Labor government as it looks to increase its electoral fortunes in Queensland.

It is held by the coalition’s Warren Entsch, who has been the sitting MP since 1996, with the exception of one term between 2007 and 2010.

Entsch, who is retiring from politics at the next election, won Leichhardt with a 3.4% margin, despite suffering a slight swing of 0.7% away from him in 2022.

Anthony Albanese said that after several seasons with the Cairns Taipans, Smith was already a community champion on and off the court.

The prime minister said:

He’s a voice which is well known to people in this community, and I think following on from [Entsch] who’s been a long-term servant of this community.

Labor holds just five of the 30 electorates in the Sunshine State. The Coalition is yet to pre-select its candidate for Leichhardt.

Updated

‘A lasting legacy’: tributes flow for Perrottet

Reactions are flowing after former NSW premier Dominic Perrottet announced his retirement from politics this afternoon.

The Liberal MP for Manly, James Griffin, said Perrottet had been an “outstanding leader for NSW”. He wrote in a post to X:

His vision, passion and dedication to NSW will be missed as he retires from parliament. Dom never wasted a day as premier and I wish he had more time in the role. Wishing you well!

Stu Cameron, CEO of Wesley Mission – a Christian non-profit focusing on gambling, housing and mental health reform – said:

For the first time in six decades NSW is having a serious conversation about reforming a rampant and destructive pokies industry, a conversation happening because [Perrottet] took a courageous and principled lead. It will be a lasting legacy.

Updated

Albanese dismisses return of construction watchdog

The prime minister says reviving a construction sector watchdog to address alleged illegality in the CFMEU would do little to fix the problems at the embattled union, AAP reports.

As we flagged earlier, opposition leader Peter Dutton says laws to reinstate the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) will be brought to parliament when it next meets in August. But Anthony Albanese said it would not be effective.

The prime minister said the regulator failed to address issues to do with controversial CFMEU Victorian branch head John Setka, who resigned following the allegations against the union. Albanese told reporters in Cairns earlier:

The ABCC was put in place by the coalition, and during the entire time they were in government, John Setka increased his influence, not just in Victoria, but took over the South Australian branch.

Overwhelmingly, what unions do is they represent their members to improve wages and conditions each and every day. That should be what they do.

Updated

Waiting lists average up to 577 days at Queensland gender clinic

The independent evaluation also looked at waiting lists at Queensland’s gender clinic.

As of June 2024, when it was completed, the service has 547 children actively receiving care, with another 491 waiting for care. The report reads:

The median wait time for an initial appointment with the QCGS in June 2024 for category 1 referrals is 25 days, category 2 referrals is 434 days and category 3 referrals is 577 days.

It notes that “it is distressing for families being on a long waitlist in the context of their own distress as well as the current societal pressure and debate” and recommends an immediate increase in staffing.

About a third of patients are discharged after an assessment without any prescription for puberty blockers, about a third undertake further clinical assessment, and a third are prescribed gender affirming hormones. The report reads:

Despite these challenges, the panel observed a commendable level of dedication within the service, evident in the staff’s unwavering focus and commitment to patient outcomes.

However, the combination of this dedication, high workloads and external pressures have created feelings of isolation amongst clinic staff, compounded by concerns regarding personal safety.

Updated

Queensland gender clinic staff under stress due to public debate over care – report

The evaluation of Queensland’s gender clinic has partially blamed escalating “ethical debate” about gender dysphoria treatment for worsening staff morale.

A report into the Queensland children’s hospital’s gender service has been handed down – you can read more on this earlier in the blog.

Clinicians have invested time into educating the broader medical community, in order to address external criticism and offer accurate information, it found. But “the increasing number of critics and misinformation presents growing pressure for the service to continuously address and manage”, it reads.

Growing public debate has also “compelled” staff to feel protective of their clinical practice and the children and adolescents they are caring for, “as they are constantly under scrutiny and criticism”, the report reads.

The clinic, Queensland’s first, was opened in 2017. An evaluation was due to be completed in 2021 but was delayed by the Covid pandemic.

Updated

BoM forecasts frost over Queensland

The Bureau of Meteorology has warned that extensive frost is likely across Queensland on Saturday morning, including across the Atherton Tablelands.

It said frost should contract into central and southern parts of the state from Sunday, as minimum temperatures start rising in northern Queensland.

Updated

Perrottet to formally resign on 11 August when NSW parliament returns

Dominic Perrottet has released his own statement, announcing his retirement from politics.

He said it was the “greatest privilege of [his] life” to serve as premier, treasurer, minister for industrial relations and minister for finance, services and property.

I love NSW. It has been an absolute honour to represent the 8 million people who call this great state home, especially as their 46th premier.

I got into politics to promote ideas and new ways of thinking and I am proud to have been part of a government that left NSW a much better place than we found it.

I would like to thank the communities of Castle Hill, Hawkesbury and Epping who I have had the good fortune of representing since my time in office.

I will request the government afford me the opportunity to deliver a valedictory speech when parliament returns in August and I intend to formally resign to the speaker of the legislative assembly on 11 August 2024.

Speakman thanks former NSW premier Perrottet for his ‘tireless service’

Here’s more from that statement from Mark Speakman about the retirement of Dominic Perrottet, the former NSW premier:

He helped drive the largest infrastructure program in NSW since federation, including key projects like the Northwest Metro, Sydney Metro, WestConnex, and unprecedented hospital and school upgrades, along with the new Sydney Football Stadium and Art Gallery expansion.

He helped guide us through the pandemic, championed reopening NSW, created financial support packages for families and small businesses, and swiftly opened international borders with the rest of Australia following, demonstrating his decisive leadership.

His retirement marks the end of a career defined by visionary leadership and unwavering dedication to the people of NSW. His contributions to financial management, infrastructure, and family support have set a high standard for future leaders.

His legacy is one of remarkable achievements and steadfast leadership. His vision and reforms have helped to transformed NSW, setting the stage for continued growth and prosperity.

I thank Dom for his tireless service and wish him all the best with his new role. I also wish Helen, Charlotte, Annabelle, Amelia, Harriet, Beatrice, William and Celeste all the best as they adjust to Dom and life after politics!

Updated

Perrottet retires from NSW parliament

The former NSW premier and the Liberal member for Epping, Dominic Perrottet, has announced his retirement from politics.

Mark Speakman, the leader of the opposition, praised Perrottet for a “distinguished 13-year political career”. Speakman said in a statement:

Dominic has dedicated over 13 years to improving New South Wales, making major contributions as minister for finance, services and property, treasurer, leader of the NSW parliamentary Liberal party and premier.

He has left an indelible mark on our state.

He was a reformer who had a passion for new ideas and imagination for what would make NSW a better place for all. He delivered five budgets with strong surpluses and record infrastructure investment, pivotal in the asset recycling agenda and establishing the NSW generations fund, Australia’s first sub-national sovereign debt retirement future fund, now valued at over $17bn.

Perrottet was premier from 2021 to March 2023, when he lost the state election to Chris Minns.

Updated

NSW police seize more than 300 prohibited weapons

Two men have been charged after more than 300 weapons were allegedly seized as part of an ongoing investigation under Strike Force Dudi, NSW police say.

In March 2024, officers from South Sydney police area command established Strike Force Dudi to investigate an alleged affray involving a number of men on Elizabeth Street, Waterloo. Several people have been charged and are before the courts.

During investigations, Strike Force Dudi investigators identified that prohibited weapons were allegedly being sold from businesses in Haymarket. On Thursday, police searched businesses on Hay Street, Haymarket, and homes in Amos Street, Westmead and Shepherd Street, Cherrybrook.

During the search police allegedly seized more than 300 weapons including flick knives, sheath knives, butterfly knives, Zombie knives, push daggers and concealed blades.

Two men – aged 45 and 60 – were arrested in Haymarket and taken to Day Street police station where they were each charged with offences including sell and possess prohibited weapons and being dealers who buy/sell/manufacture prohibited weapons without a permit.

Both men were bail refused to appear at Downing Centre local court on Friday.

Updated

If you’re looking for a lunchtime read today, look no further than Mike Hytner’s interview with Olympic chef de mission, Anna Meares:

Since retiring from the track eight years ago, her journey to becoming the public face of Australia’s 2024 Olympic team has not been straightforward. She told Guardian Australia:

I really feel like I’ve hit the jackpot in terms of the opportunity to have the job of a lifetime. I love working in this space. I’ve got great people to work with. And now I can do something positive. If that’s a positive impact behind the scenes for someone else, that’s my gold medal. That’s how I’m measuring my gold medal.

Read the full story above!

BoM forecasts damaging winds across NSW

The Bureau of Meteorology says damaging winds are forecast for parts of New South Wales this afternoon, as a cold front passes through.

Vigorous winds are expected in the southern ranges, central tablelands and Illawarra coast, while blizzard conditions are likely in the alpine region.

Updated

Queensland children’s gender service safe and should be expanded, report finds

An inquiry into the Queensland children’s hospital’s gender service – called to investigate allegations by a staff psychiatrist – has found the service is “safe” and should be expanded statewide.

Dr Jillian Spencer, a senior staff specialist who was stood down from the hospital in 2023, alleged that the hospital prescribed treatment like hormone blockers too rapidly.

The report, authored by Associate Prof John Allan, found that the hospital provided safe, evidence-based care consistent with national and international guidelines.

There was no evidence of children, adolescents or their families being hurried or coerced into making decisions about medical interventions, the inquiry found. Allan said the panel had considered the UK review of children’s services conducted by British paediatrician Hilary Cass:

The panel actively considered the findings and ultimately made a number of recommendations that were aligned with the Cass review findings, particularly in reference to a networked approach to care; appropriate data collection and linkages to research; and improving health worker expertise and understanding of diverse gender experiences to enable expanded service options.

It made 25 recommendations, including that the state government should establish a network of centres outside Brisbane, with the Queensland children’s hospital serving as a referral hospital. About 40% of patients come from regional areas, the inquiry found. It also recommended an increase in staff.

The evaluation included clinical representatives from across Australia from disciplines such as psychology, general practice, child and adolescent psychiatry and paediatric endocrinology. It also included representatives of from the queensland paediatric quality council and a representative with lived experience.

The clinic’s budget has been doubled to $5.2m.

Updated

US political divide affecting its world standing: PM

The prime minister Antony Albanese has said political polarisation in the US has affected America’s standing in the world, AAP reports.

While he did not comment on reports of president Joe Biden’s political fate, Albanese said the discourse in American politics generally was a concern. He told Cairns radio station 4CA:

We see the polarisation in the United States is not healthy, and it is not something that is lifting up the United States’ standing in the world.

He later told reporters in Cairns that Australia would work closely alongside the US, regardless of who wins the presidential race:

The relationship between our two great nations is a relationship based upon our common values, our support for democratic values and human rights, our support for our relationship through our alliance as well.

There will be a great deal of interest in the US presidential race and all of us will have our personal views on those issues but it’s important, as prime minister, that I allow those democratic processes to take place.

I wish Joe Biden well. As president of the United States, I have had a very positive relationship with him, and on a personal level.

PM says arrest at his office yesterday a police matter

Anthony Albanese was asked about an incident at his electorate office in the seat of Grayndler yesterday, where a Palestinian-Australian constituent of his seeking visa help was arrested and charged with trespassing. You can read the full story below:

Albanese said MPs offices are “not the political frontlines”.

No one is prevented from seeking help, that’s not what it’s about. There’s been issues at my office all year … the police have taken action – that’s action by the police, not by my office, by the police – [to] make sure that safety occurs.

Albanese said he was proud of his office staff and their record in providing service.

There has been issues at my office of disruption … not aimed at getting assistance, aimed at securing – I’m not quite sure what the aims are. [Israel prime minister] Benjamin Netanyahu is not looking at what’s happening on Marrickville Road before decisions are made.

He said the government continues to express its concern about Gaza and has continued to vote that way.

We are not participants in the conflict that is occurring in the Middle East and the idea we are, and people should be subject to the sort of abuse that has occurred, is just inappropriate …

Updated

Albanese says Labor ‘won’t take lectures from the Coalition’ over CFMEU investigation

Turning to the CFMEU, the PM was asked about calls from the Coalition that whoever is appointed as administrator should be completely independent with no union or political affiliations.

Anthony Albanese responded, “I’m not quite sure what that means.”

The Coalition would probably want [Liberal senator] Michaelia Cash to be appointed as the administrator and, unless it’s Michaelia Cash, they would probably find some reason to object …

We won’t take lectures from the Coalition who have such a pathetic record on these issues. My government has acted decisively, we will put administrators in because we will ensure that culture changes, and we will make sure that anyone with any links is removed from the union movement.

Overwhelmingly, what unions do is they represent their members to improve wages and conditions, each and every day …

Updated

PM says Queensland watch house reports are ‘matters for the Queensland government’

The prime minister was asked about an exclusive joint investigation by Guardian Australia and SBS The Feed, which revealed how teenagers born with severe intellectual disabilities and branded repeat offenders are being locked up in adult watch houses.

Asked if Queensland needs to ban the practice of children in Queensland watch houses, Anthony Albanese responded:

Those are matters for the Queensland government.

Updated

Albanese says MediSecure hack ‘not the first and it won’t be the last’

The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has been speaking to the media from Cairns in Queensland.

He was asked about the MediSecure hack where 12.9 million people, or almost half of the whole country, had their personal and health data stolen by hackers earlier this year in one of the biggest breaches in Australian history.

The PM said the government has ramped up its funding of the Australian Signals Directorate in response to cyber security concerns, as well as establishing a taskforce to work with business on these issues.

This is a very significant cyber event. It is not the first and it won’t be the last. It is something that we are very conscious of as a government and we are working with the private sector, as well as with our agencies, because these issues can be an issue of national security but they can be an issue as well of the privacy of individuals.

He said the AFP is continuing to investigate the incident.

Updated

Damaging winds developing about South Australian coastline, Mount Lofty Ranges

The Bureau of Meteorology says an approaching cold front could see damaging wind gusts develop around the Mount Lofty Ranges from this morning.

A vigorous southwesterly flow is also expected to impact parts of the coastal fringe, continuing to tomorrow morning.

Strong winds averaging 50-60km/h with damaging gusts of 90km/h are likely from early this morning for the Mount Lofty Ranges.

For the coast, winds around 60-70km/h with gusts around 100km/h are possible from this afternoon, likely impacting Adelaide from the evening and moving into the southeast by Saturday morning.

Other locations that may be affected include Port Lincoln, Ceduna, Kingscote, Victor Harbor and Meningie.

More on Victoria’s move to permanently introduce e-scooters

Victoria’s public transport minister, Gabrielle Williams, said new legislation would also be introduced to parliament next year, setting out minimum standards for operators and councils. Share hire e-scooters are only legal in council areas that have an agreement with an operator.

E-scooters must not travel at more than 20km/h, and only be ridden on roads with a maximum speed limit of 60km/h or less.

Willams said:

E-scooters are here to stay – they’ve proven popular among commuters, especially shift workers, providing an additional option to travel home safely. We know there have been safety concerns, and that’s why we have thoroughly assessed their use and are introducing some of the toughest new laws in the country to make e-scooters safer.

Victoria to permanently introduce e-scooters

The Victorian government has announced e-scooters will become a permanent fixture in the state from October, with new “significant” fines to be introduced to improve safety.

The minister for public transport, Gabrielle Williams, this morning announced the government will permanently legalise share hire e-scooters across the state, following a two-year trial in Melbourne’s CBD and some regional cities.

She said to address safety concerns, the government will – from October – increase fines for e-scooter offences including riding on the footpath, not wearing a helmet, drinking alcohol while riding and underage riding.

New offences with significant fines will also be introduced for riding as a passenger and not wearing a helmet as a passenger.

Williams said the Department of Transport and Planning was also working with councils and e-scooter operators to introduce additional safeguards for share hire e-scooters, including footpath detection and other technology to further improve safety for riders and pedestrians.

This includes disabling e-scooters for hire without attached helmets and verification of riders wearing a helmet and introducing a cognitive reaction test to reduce drink and drug-affected riding.

Updated

Child commissioner suggests root causes of offending behaviour must be addressed

As for what needs to be done moving forward, Luke Twyford suggested that the “root causes of offending behaviour” and said:

These young people are very clear around their disengagement from our education system, about the domestic violence in their lives, about their own issues with substance addiction.

He added that detention centres need to be reformed, stating that when young people are held in cells and custodial settings “we actually have an opportunity to work with them to change their behaviour, and too often we’re missing that opportunity.”

Thirdly, he said young people need to be supported after they leave detention “for a long period of time” with case management.

Those three things, I think, are very clear, evidence-based, and if we can start to see that in our general discourse, we’ll be shaping [a] far better youth justice system and a safer Queensland community.

Updated

Queensland child commissioner says young people in watch houses ‘stuck between two systems’

Luke Twyford – Queensland’s family and child commissioner – was asked about the Guardian Australia report that a 14-year-old First Nations girl child Cairns with foetal alcohol spectrum disorder – known as FASD – and other severe intellectual disabilities, was placed into isolation.

Asked if Queensland police are treating these children fairly, Twyford responded that the QFCC led a review into the watch houses earlier this year and found that no one is directly responsible for the wellbeing of children in watch houses:

What we find for Queensland young people is they’re stuck between two systems where [the Department of] Youth Justice says their detention centre is full, and the police system is therefore left trying to raise and accommodate young people for numbers of days and weeks when it is not their skillset…

Asked if QFCC is investigating any of the incidents raised in the reporting, Twyford said it was not his role to investigate individual incidents but he would be raising questions with the police commissioner.

I think we do need to continue to push for a system where young people are accommodated in places where their wellbeing is the No 1 priority, before and after their appearance in court.

Updated

Queensland’s child commissioner says watch houses an ‘inappropriate place for any child to be accommodated’

Luke Twyford, chief executive and principal commissioner of the Queensland Family and Child Commission (QFCC), spoke with ABC RN earlier this morning about the alleged mistreatment of children in Queensland police watch houses.

An exclusive joint investigation by Guardian Australia and SBS The Feed revealed how teenagers born with severe intellectual disabilities and branded repeat offenders are being locked up in adult watch houses.

Twyford said he had seen the videos published as part of the investigation, calling them “incredibly concerning” and “distressing”. Asked whether labelling the treatment as “abuse” is an appropriate description, he responded:

Watch houses are a necessary part of the justice system when people are first arrested. Police do need to bring people back to a safe place for a matter of hours. I have constantly said, and the (QFCC) really stands by the fact that watch houses are an inappropriate place for any child to be accommodated.

The Queensland government changed the law last year allowing children to be detained in watch houses. Twyford said today there are roughly 40 people under 18 in Queensland watch houses and “too many of them have been there for multiple days awaiting entry into a detention centre”.

Updated

Penny Wong attending Japan-Pacific Islands leaders meeting

The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has shared some images from Tokyo, where she is attending the 10th Japan-Pacific Islands leaders meeting.

Wong met with Japan’s national security adviser, Akiba Takeo, to “discuss our approaches to global conflicts, cyber cooperation and regional security,” she said in a post to X.

She also shared photos meeting with Fiji’s prime minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, Tonga’s PM, Hu’akavameiliku, Vanuatu’s PM, Charlot Salwai, and Nauru’s president, David Adeang.

Updated

Shorten says last CFMEU Labor donation was over two years ago

Earlier on the Today Show, the NDIS minister, Bill Shorten, was asked about the CFMEU and said that the last donation received by the Labor party from them was more than two years ago.

Shorten was asked whether Labor would pay donations back. He said:

We’ve said that we’re suspending all donations from the CFMEU. In fact, we’ve suspended the CFMEU from the Labor party … The last donations were over two years ago. We’ve taken the action to stop any financial relations with the CFMEU.

Updated

NSW government establishing taskforce to address exploits of demerit point system

The NSW government has established a taskforce to crack down on those found to be exploiting the demerit point system.

The demerit point integrity taskforce – made up of Transport for NSW, NSW police and Revenue NSW – will work to identify fraudulent behaviour in the demerit point scheme, such as “drivers racking up high numbers of demerits and those selling demerit points online, including on Facebook Marketplace,” a statement said.

The taskforce has been established following a recent case where a French national allegedly had more than 200 demerit points applied to his licence.

The taskforce will focus on the tiny fraction – 0.005% – of drivers who have 20 or more demerit points, the government said, also reviewing the suitability of current penalties, suspensions and what extra measures are available to deter people from racking up extremely high demerits.

It will initially run for three months and report its finding to the state government. Acting minister for police and counter-terrorism, Tara Moriarty, said:

I want to make clear there is zero tolerance for anyone who tried to subvert the demerit and penalty system. This taskforce will help ensure the penalties apply to all road users.

Updated

More on the energy and climate ministers meeting in Melbourne

Continuing from our last post: Shane Rattenbury wants to include scope 2 & 3 emissions into Beetaloo’s assessment, not just the scope 1 emissions that would result from actually extracting the gas. He’s keen on getting an update from both the federal and NT governments:

You cannot say you’re going to meet your client and emission reduction targets, but at the same time be opening up a vast array of new fossil fuel projects that will produce significant amounts of emissions. The two simply are inconsistent.

Also likely to be discussed is NSW’s work on a framework for the orderly exit of coal-fired power plants. One question is whether the work will make a difference to ensure there’s greater certainty of when a big plant might exit, to limit the opportunity for companies to game the market (or use changes to extract funding from governments to stay open). Observers wonder if the work will go far enough.

Lastly, there may be passing reference to nuclear energy (as in, “we don’t want it or need it”), hydrogen strategies (will Fortescue’s cutbacks make a difference?) and whether the federal government needs to chip in money to support offshore wind developments rather than just issue feasibility licences.

And that’s just a subset of what could be a busy day of discussions.

Updated

Energy and climate ministers gather to discuss broad policy mix

Federal, state and territory energy and climate ministers have gathered for a day of meetings in Melbourne today, something they do (locations vary) every four months or so.

With the energy transition struggling a bit, and the climate risks mounting as greenhouse gas emissions rise, these meetings have a long list of “high-level” subjects that typically get ticked off so that fresh challenges can be examined.

Consumer energy resources, such as the potential for electric vehicles to be a source of stability for the grid – and not just an extra heavy load – will be among the top issues discussed by Chris Bowen, the federal energy and climate minister.

There’s only one Liberal government represented, Tasmania’s, and it’s certain Nick Duigan – that state’s energy minister – will be discussing the need for progress on a second transmission link to the mainland, the Marinus link. (The drought and a lack of wind resulting in the island drawing a lot of power lately from Victoria may also feature.)

The only Greens minister, the ACT’s Shane Rattenbury, will be raising the not-very-small matter of how scope 2 and 3 emissions from gas extraction in the Beetaloo Basin in the Northern Territory will be handled. That’s the emissions caused by the processing, transport and combustion of fossil gas.

Rattenbury notes that Beetaloo is projected to produce 34m tonnes a year of CO2-equivalent pollution, or about 10% of the nation’s emissions by 2030 (assuming our emissions drop a lot from the current annual level of about 460 mtCO2-e by then).

The Albanese government won Greens support for its revised safeguard mechanism legislation in the Senate that is aimed at reducing industrial emissions by pledging to consider Beetaloo’s impacts. That task, though, was to be handled by the energy and climate ministers – which is why it has made it to Friday’s agenda. More to come.

Updated

Firefighters on way to battle blazes in Canada

This morning, 31 members of the NSW Rural Fire Service are heading to Canada to help fight hundreds of wildfires that are continuing to burn.

The personnel will join a 116-strong Australian-New Zealand contingent going to Canada to assist with battling more than 650 fires that have burnt almost 1.5m hectares of land.

Updated

Cost of flying Julian Assange to Australia revealed

Flying Julian Assange back to Australia on a private charter cost taxpayers $781,480.30, plus an extra $47,000 in commercial travel for the two ambassadors who accompanied him, according to documents provided to the Senate.

Foreign affairs minister Penny Wong has confirmed that a private organisation, Wau Holland Foundation, will be invoiced for the charter flight portion of the bill. The non-profit foundation based in German is an advocate for freedom of information.

The documents reveal that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade had a further $55,402.51 in associated costs.

They also confirm further details of the plea deal reported previously by Guardian Australia, including that having Australia’s ambassador to the UK, Stephen Smith, accompany Assange on the flight from London to Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands was a condition of Assange’s bail from the London court and that the ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd, met them in Saipan to ensure nothing went wrong at the final court stage.

Wong wrote in a letter to the Senate in response to an order for the production of documents initiated by Liberal senator Dave Sharma:

A condition of Mr Assange’s bail was that he would be accompanied by High Commissioner Smith to a United States jurisdiction, while Ambassador Rudd has played a central role in bringing the two sides together and travelled to Saipan to ensure arrangements with the Department of Justice proceeded as agreed.

The Australian Government facilitated all arrangements for the flight following an agreement for the costs to be reimbursed by the [WHF]. [Dfat] expects payment to be made by the end of August 2024, which is in line with the terms of the payment schedule.

Whilst in Australia, High Commissioner Smith and Ambassador Rudd undertook meetings about AUKUS and other arrangements as well. Ambassador Rudd also undertook meetings with Governor Palacios of the United States Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands during his time in Saipan.

Updated

Dutton says opposition will reintroduce legislation for ABCC in August

Opposition leader Peter Dutton has flagged he will reintroduce legislation for the building construction watchdog – the Australian Building and Construction Commission, or the ABCC – in August.

Speaking to the Today show earlier, he said:

We’ll reintroduce that legislation for the building construction watchdog when we go back to parliament in August. We hope the government can support it because they abolished it at the request of the CFMEU.

The Howard-era ABCC was abolished in 2023, and had enforced workplace relations compliance in the building and construction sector. Its powers were transferred to the fair work ombudsman.

The Coalition has repeatedly called for the return of the ABCC but this may be the first time a date has been set for reintroducing legislation. Yesterday shadow treasurer Angus Taylor told ABC RN that the ABCC “needs to be brought back” and said at the time:

We need a tough cop on the beat that is independent, that is able to take action, and most importantly, that builders and contractors can go to [with the] safe knowledge that there’s not going to be intimidation as a result.

Updated

More on the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre’s report

Prof Suresh Sundram, the head of psychiatry at Monash University’s school of clinical sciences, said he was “very concerned” about the health of the PNG cohort because “many of these people … are now too medically unwell to be able to actively participate in decision making about their futures”.

He claimed there was “no monitoring of their health status” and that because PNG is a lower-middle income country, there were “constrained health resources to manage highly complex patients”:

The rates of mental and physical illness in people who were held offshore are higher than observed in comparable onshore populations and markedly higher than mainstream populations. This includes extremely high rates of mental disorders such as major depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Thanush Selvarasa, a refugee previously held in Manus Island, described his experience needing to access medical care:

When I was in the Manus Island centre, we didn’t have a medical facility, this is why I needed to get to Australia. But now, if people need a medical facility, they can’t get to Australia under the Medevac law … I know how bad it was in PNG. I was one of them. It’s really hard to live there.

Updated

Health warning for growing cohort of offshore detainees

The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre has released a health report looking at the 47 refugees held in Papua New Guinea and 96 on Nauru, demonstrating an “urgent need to medically evacuate those remaining.”

The report found the following outcomes:

  • 20% of refugees in PNG are so unwell their lives are at imminent risk.

  • 100% of the refugees in PNG, and 65% of people held in Nauru suffer physical health conditions.

  • 88% of the refugees in PNG, and 22% of people held in Nauru suffer severe mental health conditions.

  • 100% of people in PNG reported difficulty accessing medical care, including being declined care, and being asked to pay for care when they have no financial support.

  • 60% of people in Nauru reported concerns with the limited healthcare available in Nauru.

  • 100% of people detained in Nauru and in PNG have reported experiences of trauma (including persecution, the journey to seek asylum by sea, family separation, medical trauma, experiences of violence in detention).

  • 40% of the refugees in PNG suffer chronic suicidal ideation and a history of suicide attempts.

  • 10% of people held in Nauru experience suicidal ideation.

The ASRC says it has submitted more than 400 risk notifications regarding people held on offshore detention over the past 11 years and despite this “overwhelming evidence”, “successive governments have continued to prop up the brutal offshore regime at a cost of over $12bn since July 2012”.

A health crisis is now mounting in PNG and Nauru under the watch of the Albanese government and experts are clear Labor must act now to evacuate all people held offshore to ensure their safety while protection claims are processed and resettlement is prioritised.

Lifeline: 13 11 14

Updated

Welcome

And happy Friday. I’m Emily Wind and I’ll be with you on the Australia news live blog for most of today.

Making news overnight, the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre has released a new report detailing the health status of 47 refugees in Papua New Guinea and 96 people now held on Nauru, which it says demonstrates “further evidence the Australian government’s offshore detention policy has been 11 years of costly cruelty”, putting people’s “lives and health at risk”.

The report found that 100% of people detained in Nauru and PNG have reported experiences of trauma, while 100% of refugees in PNG and 65% in Nauru suffer physical health conditions. Twenty per cent of refugees on PNG are so unwell their lives are at imminent risk, the report found. Behrouz Boochani, author and former refugee held on Manus Island, said:

Australia cannot get away from what it has done to them and obviously is responsible for this tragedy. These people are our friends, and we know how much they have suffered. The only thing I can say is that it is enough – they should be evacuated now to receive medical treatment and support to start a new life.

We’ll bring you more on this soon.

Meanwhile, energy and climate ministers are meeting in Melbourne today, AAP reports, with stubborn cost-of-living pressures and energy reliability concerns behind a push for consumers to get more out of their rooftop solar, electric vehicles and appliances. Peter Hannam will bring us more on this later this morning.

As always, you can get in touch with any thoughts, tips and questions via X, @emilywindwrites, or you can send me an email: emily.wind@theguardian.com.

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