What we learned, Friday 2 February
Here are the main stories of the day:
Israel has accused the Australian government of forgetting “Hamas’s culpability” for the war in Gaza, in a sign of growing tensions as ministers consider reinstating funding to a key UN agency;
NSW police find no evidence that “gas the Jews” was chanted at a pro-Palestine rally in Sydney last year;
Frank Zumbo, chief of staff to the former Liberal MP Craig Kelly, has been found guilty of indecently assaulting four women;
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, says the Liberals will not “take money away” from people who benefit from Labor’s tax changes; and
The government issues a formal direction to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to investigate the supermarket sector.
We will see you back here again for more news tomorrow.
Updated
Better consultation needed on renewal energy projects: study
Promoting trust and communication will be vital if wary Australians are to embrace the nation’s transition to net zero, according to a major energy study, AAP reports.
Improved community consultation, better complaint handling through ombudsman roles and a rating system for developers are among nine recommendations of the review put forward by the Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner.
All have been accepted in principle by the federal government.
Led by Commissioner Andrew Dyer, the study aimed to determine more effective ways to engage landowners and communities directly affected by the green energy transformation.
It found some participants had “a lack of trust” in project developers, including government-owned corporations.
ACCC formally directed to probe supermarkets
The government has now issued a formal direction to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission for an investigation into the supermarket sector.
Flagged by the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, at the NationalPress Club last week, the probe will “investigate pricing and competition in the supermarket sector to ensure Australians are paying a fair price for their groceries” – including allegations of price gouging.
“We want a fair go for families and a fair go for farmers,” said treasurer Jim Chalmers.
“Australians are under cost-of-living pressure, and we know that a lot of that pressure is piled on at the cash register.”
The ACCC investigation will look at competition in the industry including the growth of online shopping, the competitiveness of small and independent retailers, their pricing practices, pricing issues including the difference between farm-gate and supermarket prices, and loyalty programs and third-party discounts.
The ACCC will give an interim report by August and a final report by February 2025.
The assistant minister for competition, charities and Treasury, Andrew Leigh, said “economics teaches us that monopolies tend to overcharge and underdeliver”.
“In a highly concentrated market like Australia’s grocery sector the risk of price gouging is high and that’s especially true when the rising cost-of-living is hurting so many Australians This ACCC inquiry, along with the review of the Food and Grocery Code by Dr Craig Emerson and Choice’s quarterly price reporting will ensure that Australian families and farmers are getting a fair deal.”
Updated
Terror victim payment scheme activated for Hamas attacks
The minister for home affairs, Clare O’Neil, has announced the government has activated the Australian Victim of Terrorism Overseas Payment (AVTOP) to support Australians who were harmed or lost a close family member in the 7 October Hamas terrorist attacks in southern Israel.
The statement says that the declaration means that eligible Australians may now seek a one-off payment of up to $75,000 in financial assistance.
The AVTOP scheme does not replace other forms of financial or medical assistance that may be available to Australians in the region, the statement says.
Updated
‘Plebiscites can be divisive’: PM on Australia Day debate
On 3AW, Albanese shrugged off the host’s suggestions for a plebiscite on the date of Australia Day, stating “plebiscites can be divisive themselves”.
The PM said Australia Day is a day that “we can reflect on everything that Australia is, on the pride that we should have.”
Asked about the government’s post-Voice plans in Indigenous affairs, Albanese said Labor hoped to focus on Closing The Gap, citing a focus on areas like the Community Development Program, employment, housing and education, especially in remote areas.
Updated
PM shoots down calls for alcohol tax freeze
Anthony Albanese has shot down calls for the federal government to freeze taxes on alcohol, saying “we’re not looking at that at the moment”.
The federal excise on alcohol (including spirits and beer) goes up twice a year, based on inflation – and the push from the brewing and distillery lobby, to pause or lower the excise, comes equally frequently.
The latest call to freeze the excise was published in the papers today. Albanese was asked on 3AW radio whether the government had plans to heed the calls.
“The last time I had schooners, I bought a few, it added up to almost $30 for just three beers,” he said.
Leaving aside the question of what beer the PM drinks at $10 a schooner (the 3AW host didn’t ask) he shot down calls for the government to intervene and stop those prices going higher.
“Is it possible you may look at that, either perhaps pausing the excise?” asked host Jacqui Felgate.
Albanese said it wasn’t on his government’s radar, but “in the lead-up to budgets, you have submissions and I’m sure that there’ll be submissions along a whole range of ways”.
Updated
Imams Council commends NSW police’s protest findings as premier stands firm
There have been more responses to the findings by NSW police that pro-Palestinian protesters did not use the grossly offensive “gas the Jews” chant at the 9 October gathering near the Sydney Opera House. (See article here.)
The Australian National Imams Council commended the police for the probe and the “courage in stating the truth of the matter”.
“ANIC calls upon the NSW premier and his government to take a robust approach to identifying the perpetrators of the video and slanderous subtitles,” a statement from the group said.
“Given the detrimental impact the video has had on social cohesion, it is imperative that steps be taken to prosecute those who disseminated the video and used it as a basis to foment and pursue false allegations,” it said, adding it was “incumbent on the government to take steps to address the harm caused to social cohesion in NSW and manifest, in a demonstrative manner, support and empathy for the distress and grief being experienced by the Muslim and Arab communities”.
NSW premier Chris Minns, though, said his views on the 9 October event were “well known and have not changed”.
“The protest was violent and racist. Hate speech and racist language have no place in NSW,” he said in a statement. “If those comments were made about any other group my reaction would be the same.”
Updated
Far worse things to do on a Friday afternoon than devour the always-excellent Weekly Beast.
Updated
Bail relaxed for alleged war criminal
An ex-SAS soldier facing war crime allegations has been handed relaxed bail conditions after a magistrate ruled he presented no extra risk to officers conducting checks on him.
Oliver Jordan Schulz, 42, was granted permission to fly to Perth to visit his lawyers after a bail variation hearing at Sydney’s Downing Centre local court on Friday.
Schulz’s new bail conditions also allow him to travel from his current location in rural NSW to Sydney for medical reasons.
You can read more on that story here:
Many thanks for joining me on the blog today. It’s been a big week, but there’s still more to come – Nino Bucci will take you through the rest of today’s rolling coverage. Have a great weekend!
Woman dead after car-bus collision in South Australia
A woman has died, and three people have been taken to hospital, after a crash between a bus and a car in South Australia.
About 7.15am, emergency services were called to the intersection of Mallala and Navvy Hill roads in Korunye after reports a Fuso bus and Ford sedan had collided.
One of the passengers in the Ford, a 23-year-old woman, died at the scene. The driver, a 22-year-old man and the other passenger, a 19-year-old woman, were flown to the Royal Adelaide hospital for treatment – the 19-year-old with serious injuries.
The driver of the bus, a 36-year-old man, was taken to the Lyell McEwin Hospital for treatment of minor injuries.
Police said the bus was not a school bus, and there were no passengers on board at the time of the crash – only the driver.
Major crash officers are at the scene and road closures are in place. People are asked to please avoid the area if possible.
Updated
Greens say claim Great Barrier Reef protections are ‘on track’ are ‘duplicitous’
The Greens say it is “duplicitous” for the federal government to claim it is “on track” to protect the Great Barrier Reef from being declared in danger at an upcoming World Heritage Committee meeting.
In a statement, the Greens spokesperson for healthy oceans, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, said the claim was “duplicitous” because at the same time, the government has facilitated new fossil fuel projects like Barossa – “one of the dirtiest projects in Australia’s history that’ll emit 401 million tonnes of CO2 over its lifetime”.
The World Heritage Committee first warned the Great Barrier Reef could be declared in danger due to climate change over a decade ago. Yet instead of treating the root cause of the reef’s decline - which is rising emissions from burning fossil fuels - it’s been a case of deja vu as successive governments splash cash to buy political cover.
Endless scientific reports continue to sound the alarm on the grim outlook for the reef, with scientists now concerned that back-to-back cyclones have exposed the Great Barrier Reef to extensive and persistent flood plumes. Help to mitigate the impacts of these events is of course welcome, but the Great Barrier Reef can’t be protected from the political stupidity of prioritising new coal and gas over coral.
Updated
Wong spokesperson denounces Dutton for 'cheap political hit'
The minister for foreign affairs, Penny Wong, has hit back at the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, after he suggested the prime minister should consider sacking her.
Dutton’s criticism came as the government considered reinstating funding to a key UN agency delivering aid to civilians in Gaza, depending on the progress of multiple investigations into the organisation.
A spokesperson for Wong said in a statement issued moments ago:
The foreign minister has acted entirely within the law. The government has received legal advice on this. Our focus is the dire humanitarian situation and what Australia can do to help - Mr Dutton is focused on making false and exaggerated claims for a cheap political hit.
Australia has suspended $6m in funding that it pledged to UNRWA in mid-January, as it pushes for action in response to allegations as many as 12 of the agency’s employees may have been involved in the 7 October Hamas attacks.
Dutton took aim at Wong earlier today, accusing her of ignoring prior warnings from Jewish community leaders about the risk of funding to UNRWA being misused. He had said:
Now, if the foreign minister is directing Australian taxpayers’ money to an organisation known to be a front or affiliated or associated with a terrorist organisation, her job is completely untenable.
Updated
More rain for Queensland’s gulf country
Ex-Tropical Cyclone Kirrily is expected to remain slow-moving around the gulf country region in Queensland today, bringing heavy rainfall and flash flooding tomorrow.
The Bureau of Meteorology says six-hourly rainfall totals between 90 and 150mm are likely near the Queensland and Northern Territory border tomorrow. Twenty-four-hour totals of 150mm to 250mm are possibly, with isolated falls up to 300mm also possible.
A separate severe thunderstorm warning will be issued if very dangerous thunderstorms with intense rainfall are detected.
Meanwhile, damaging wind gusts of about 110 km/h are also possible across the Gulf Country today, extending into the north-west tomorrow.
Updated
Penny Wong and US secretary of state swap notes on Middle East
The Australian foreign minister, Penny Wong, and the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, focused on the Middle East in a phone call today.
A spokesperson for the US state department, Matthew Miller, said Blinken and Wong swapped notes about their recent trips to the region. Miller said in a statement:
Secretary Blinken and foreign minister Wong emphasized the importance of humanitarian aid reaching those in need in Gaza.
The leaders also stressed the need to protect civilian lives in Gaza and called for Hamas to immediately release all hostages.
The secretary underscored the importance of protecting the flow of goods and holding the Houthis accountable for their reckless attacks on vessels in the Red Sea.
Updated
BoM provides update on heatwaves, rains and floods
The Bureau of Meteorology has published this weather update, looking at the west coast heatwave and the ongoing rain and flooding in Queensland.
Weekend Weather Update: National weather forecast, Friday 2 February 2024. Video current: 12:00pm AEDT 12 January 2024. For the latest forecasts and warnings go to our website: https://t.co/4W35o8iFmh pic.twitter.com/5wIC9C4RGC
— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) February 2, 2024
Updated
The employment minister, Tony Burke, says the government welcomes news of an agreement between the Maritime Union and port operator DP World which will end a protracted dispute.
He said in a statement:
This is how enterprise bargaining is meant to work: both parties negotiating in good faith to reach an agreement that acknowledges the common interests between employers and workers.
While there are some processes still to complete, this in-principle agreement is good for the company, good for the workers and good for the Australian community.
Burke claimed that if he as the minister had intervened, as the Coalition opposition had requested, “this dispute would have dragged on for months.”
It would have been the wrong call and it highlights Mr Dutton’s appalling judgement.
The Albanese Labor government has improved the enterprise bargaining system so that more Australian businesses and workers can benefit from agreements like this, delivering more secure jobs and better pay.
Updated
Council for Civil Liberties says politicians ‘regurgitating serious allegations as fact’ caused unnecessary harm to vulnerable communities re pro-Palestine chants
The NSW Council for Civil Liberties says the findings of an NSW police investigation demonstrate that more needs to be done to ensure “civil liberties and parliamentary process are not disregarded when it is politically desirable to do so”.
The investigation into a pro-Palestine rally in Sydney found that some protestors chanted “where’s the Jews?” and not “gas the Jews” in a widely circulated video:
President Lydia Shelly said in a statement:
We stand with the protestors who continue to advocate for peace and justice. We reiterate that criticising a State power’s military campaign that disproportionally impacts civilians should be permitted in a democracy. In fact, it is essential.
The changes to S93Z of the Crimes Act came hot on the heals of the release of a wrongly captioned video on social media. The NSW premier did not wait for the review of the evidence prior to changing the law.
This is another example of how due process, civil liberties and human rights can be swept aside under the guise of ‘expediency.’ Regurgitating the serious allegation as a ‘fact’ ripped at the fabric of our social cohesion and caused unnecessary harm to vulnerable communities.
Shelly said the changes to S93Z of the Crimes Act should have been reviewed by a parliamentary inquiry before being enacted to parliament, and the current review, while welcomed, is “too little too late”.
Updated
Opera House protest scenes ‘unacceptable’, NSW opposition says
The NSW opposition leader, Mark Speakman, has commented on today’s police statement that found a 9 October protest at the Opera House did not chant the deeply offensive “gas the Jews” phrase, but “where’s the Jews?”
Speakman said:
Everyone deserves to feel safe in their community. The scenes at the Opera House were unacceptable. The Minns Labor government failed to provide a safe environment for Sydney’s Jewish community who were meeting to mourn the atrocious 7 October terror attacks in Israel.
In relation to the review of NSW’s laws related to threats and incitement to violence, led by former chief justice Tom Bathurst, the spokesperson said:
Tom Bathurst is an outstanding jurist, and we are open to considering his views on whether further changes to legislation could help make our community further free from threats of violence.
NSW premier Chris Minns has been approached for comment.
Updated
Israeli ambassador accuses Albanese government of forgetting ‘Hamas’s culpability’ in Gaza
The Israeli ambassador to Australia, Amir Maimon, has taken aim at the Albanese government, accusing it of forgetting “Hamas’s culpability” for the war in Gaza.
The comment come as the government weighs up reinstating funding to a key UN agency providing aid to civilians in Gaza.
The foreign minister, Penny Wong, has called for a thorough investigation into the “deeply concerning” allegations that as many as 12 UNRWA staff were involved in the 7 October Hamas attacks.
But Wong also said on Thursday that it was important to remember “the scale of the humanitarian crisis” in Gaza and “the absence of any alternatives if we are serious about trying to ensure that fewer children are starving”.
Maimon wrote on X a short time ago:
At a time when Australia is “coordinating with like-minded partners as well as UNRWA” in response to the damning evidence of UNRWA employees’ participation in the October 7th massacre, it’s worth thinking about the following. It’s been 118 days during which the UN, its General Assembly, and its many agencies have failed to condemn Hamas.
It’s been 118 days during which Israeli hostages – 136 of them, including infants – have been held in Hamas dungeons without any trace of assistance from the UN or any of its agencies. 118 days of total silence from the UN and its agencies about the heinous crimes against Israeli women.
The UN and many of its member states, including Australia, voted for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza that would only help Hamas to reorganize – a resolution that again failed to condemn Hamas, and again failed to call for the release of all hostages.
Now, listening to the most recent remarks by Australian officials, it seems that Hamas’s culpability has been forgotten – along with the fate of tens of thousands of displaced Israelis and the starvation of Israeli hostages in Gaza.
Maimon did not directly name Wong, but the comments came a day after Wong noted reports from the UN “that 400,000 Palestinians in Gaza are actually starving and a one million are at risk of starvation”. She also noted that “an estimated 1.7 million people in Gaza are internally displaced and there are increasingly few safe places for Palestinians to go”.
The Australian government has repeatedly condemned Hamas. When voting with the majority of countries in favour of a ceasefire motion at the UN general assembly in December, Australia renewed calls for the release of hostages and called on Hamas to surrender. The government has said it supports Israel’s right to defend itself, but that this must be in line with international law.
Docks industrial dispute resolved
The maritime workers union have come to an agreement with DP World, bringing months of stalemates and stoppages to an end, AAP reports.
DP World, which runs several port terminals across Australia, had been in dispute with unions over pay, with the multinational logistics company threatening to dock the wages of workers involved in industrial action.
But on Friday, the Maritime Union of Australia’s assistant national secretary, Adrian Evans, announced the two parties had come to an “in-principle agreement” after three days of negotiations before the Fair Work Commission.
The new four-year agreement would provide fair pay, safety and fatigue management measures, improved job security and a better world-life balance for wharfies, the union said.
The deal was yet to be endorsed by union members, but Mr Evans said the MUA was pleased negotiations had ended.
“Wharfies perform hard, physical work on a 24-hour, seven-day working week in all conditions and all seasons,” Evans said. “The past fortnight has shown how quickly a fair and sustainable deal can be solved once both the workforce and the employer are fully engaged in the negotiation process.”
All industrial action has been withdrawn and the DP World employees are set to return to work.
Updated
Zumbo guilty of indecent assault
Frank Zumbo, the chief of staff to former Liberal MP Craig Kelly, has been found guilty of indecently assaulting four women – including exposing his penis to one while sitting on a park bench – over a number of years while working together in the politician’s electorate office.
On Friday, magistrate Gareth Christofi delivered his decision in the trial that began in June 2022, over 20 charges of sexual touching and indecent assault, as well as backup charges of common assault, that occurred between 2014 and 2020.
Christofi found Zumbo guilty of seven charges of aggravated indecent assault of a victim under authority of offender, and one charge of assault with an act of indecency, which related to four women who worked in the Sutherland shire electorate office.
Zumbo was acquitted of two charges of sexual touching a fifth woman who worked in the office, with the backup charges of common assault also dismissed.
Prosecutors unsuccessfully applied for a detention application. A sentencing hearing has been set for 26 March.
Updated
Not guilty plea entered over Hillcrest jumping castle deaths
A jumping castle operator charged with workplace safety breaches over the Hillcrest Primary School tragedy in which six children died has pleaded not guilty, AAP reports.
Chace Harrison, Jalailah Jayne-Maree Jones, Zane Mellor, Addison Stewart, Jye Sheehan and Peter Dodt were killed after the inflatable castle was lifted into the air in December 2021. They were enjoying end-of-year ce lebrations with classmates on the oval of the school in Devonport in Tasmania’s north-west.
Rosemary Anne Gamble, the operator of a company called Taz-Zorb which supplied and set up the castle, was charged in November with failing to comply with workplace health and safety requirements.
Gamble appeared in Devonport magistrates court this morning and entered a plea of not guilty. She was granted bail and is expected to next appear in court in March.
It is alleged the castle was tethered at four of its eight anchorage points. It is also alleged pegs were not installed at the recommended 45-degree angle and pegs recommended by the manufacturer, or a suitable alternative, were not used.
According to court documents, seven students were on the castle when a “significant” weather event occurred, causing it to become dislodged and airborne. They fell from the castle, while a blower attached to the castle to keep it inflated struck a nearby student.
It is alleged Gamble failed to ensure the anchorage system was sufficient to prevent the castle from lifting and failed to ensure there was a peg at each anchor point in line with the manufacturer’s instructions.
Gamble arrived at the school with two workers and set up the castle and zorb balls. It is also alleged she failed to provide the workers with information, including the manufacturer’s operating manual for the castle.
Updated
Council for Australian Jewry says ‘exact words used in chants not the core issue’ on pro-Palestine protests
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry has responded to the NSW police investigation into a pro-Palestine rally, which found no evidence of the phrase “gas the Jews” being used in audio-video files from the demonstration.
The council’s Co-CEO, Alex Ryvchin, said in a statement:
Multiple independent witnesses have verified and declared that the ‘gas the Jews’ phrase was used. We know what we heard, and the world knows what was said.
Ryvchin said that the “exact words used in these chants is not the core issue”, but the demonstration itself.
‘Where’s the Jews’ is as bad as ‘gas the Jews’. ‘Fuck the Jews’ is as dangerous and abhorrent as ‘gas the Jews’.
This is the issue and no matter what efforts some will go to, to deflect or confuse the public, the issue was and remains violence on our streets and threats to our social cohesion.
Updated
Palestinian advocates say NSW police investigation ‘damning indictment’ on those who demonised protestors
The president of the Australian Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN), Nasser Mashni, says the police investigation that found protestors at a pro-Palestine rally chanted “Where’s the Jews?” and not “gas the Jews” is a “damning indictment” on those who shared the video to demonise protestors.
In a statement from APAN and the Sydney-based Palestine Action Group, Mashni said politicians across the state and federal parliaments used the video from 9 October, which was “deliberately inaccurate and maliciously subtitled”, to “sow discord and hate towards Palestinians and our supporters”:
We heard opposition leader Peter Dutton call for people who chanted ‘Gas the Jews’ – a phrase this investigation has confirmed as false – to be deported.
We heard our prime minister [Anthony Albanese] and foreign minister [Penny Wong] condemn protesters based on this video, and the NSW premier Chris Minns use the video to create a sense of fear in the community, restrict the right to protest and ‘strengthen’ hate speech laws.
And we’ve seen the mainstream media publish stories about this video, using it to smear people protesting in support of Palestinians, and to sow division and hate in our community.
This has all caused very real harm and damage.
Mashni has called on politicians and media outlets who relied on the video to “spread hate and fear” to issue a public apology or issue front-page corrections.
In a statement earlier, NSW police said an independent forensic analysis found no evidence of the phrase “gas the Jews” being used in audio-video files from the demonstration. Police obtained statements from individuals who claimed the hear the phrase, but these could not be attributed to any specific individual.
Police also said that audio and visual files that circulated had not been doctored, but were “cuts from a more parent file”, and subtitles are “an opinion” of what someone hears.
Updated
For all the details on the NSW police investigation into a pro-Palestine rally in Sydney – where it has been determined people said “where’s the Jews?” in a widely-circulated video – my colleague Peter Hannam has the full story:
Northern Queensland could be hit by severe thunderstorms today
The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting severe thunderstorms for parts of northern Queensland today.
It said heavy rainfall and flash flooding was possible between Port Douglas and Paluma.
Intense rainfall and intense winds was also possible in the northwest near ex-Tropical Cyclone Kirrily.
⛈️Storm forecast today 2 Feb: Severe thunderstorms with heavy rainfall/flash flooding possible in northern #Qld between Port Douglas and Paluma, intense rainfall & damaging winds a risk in the northwest near ex-TC Kirrily. Warnings: https://t.co/qdVyFCN94p pic.twitter.com/4nLh2RZIlS
— Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) February 1, 2024
Updated
Tropical low east of Queensland could become a cyclone
The Bureau of Meteorology is monitoring a weak tropical low “well to the east” of the Queensland coast, which has an increasing chance of becoming a cyclone in the Coral Sea from mid next week.
The BoM says the sub-tropical low is moving north-east away from the coast, and is likely to move outside the Australian region by Saturday.
The likelihood of it developing into a tropical cyclone increases to low on Tuesday (10-15%), and moderate (25%) from Thursday.
The most likely scenario is that [the low] begins to move to the west across the Coral Sea next week, although there is a considerably large spread in area where 06U may move.
The potential for an impact to the Queensland coast late next week will continue to be monitored …
Updated
Chalmers and Ley trade barbs over stage-three tax cut changes
As to be expected, the stage-three tax debate remains in full swing, with the deputy Liberal leader, Sussan Ley, and the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, at odds over previous comments made by Ley.
At a press conference just earlier, Chalmers said this when commenting on the opposition’s position on stage three:
We’ve seen them flailing about and fumbling about in recent days, and what we’re left with is the only definitive statement that’s been made. Sussan Ley was asked, ‘Will you unwind Labor’s tax cuts?’ and she said, ‘Absolutely.’
In a tweet after the press conference, Ley said:
[Chalmers] continues to lie about my comments regarding this tricky prime minister’s broken promise.
(She also called Chalmers a “Bracket creep”, which is a new one).
.@JEChalmers continues to lie about my comments regarding this tricky Prime Minister's broken promise.
— Sussan Ley (@sussanley) February 2, 2024
It’s unsurprising to see Jim Chalmers cut loose when it comes to the truth.
Australians are learning the hard way that Jim is a Bracket Creep, and he wants to take your money.
So what exactly did Ley say? On Sky on 24 January, she was asked if the opposition would “roll back whatever changes are made” to stage-three, and responded:
Well this is our position. This is absolutely our position.
She later walked back the comments, clarifying that the opposition’s position was to support stage-three as it existed before the changes, and denied promising to roll them back.
Updated
Labor senator Linda White taking leave for health reasons
Senator Linda White says she will be taking leave from the Senate while dealing with some health issues.
In a statement, White said she will be focusing on her recovery “for the next while” so she can return to her full duties as soon as possible:
I want to thank those who have sent me their good wishes, in particular members of the Labor team who I am so privileged to work with.
I appreciate my privacy being respected at this time.
— Senator Linda White (@LindaWhiteAUS) February 1, 2024
Updated
Dutton suggests PM sack Penny Wong over potential UNRWA funding reinstatement
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has criticised the possibility of Australia reinstating funding to a key UN agency delivering aid to civilians in Gaza, going as far as suggesting the prime minister should consider sacking the foreign minister, Penny Wong.
However, some of his comments lack critical context.
The agency in question, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), supports more than 5.6 million Palestinians in the occupied territories and refugees and their descendants in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan.
UNRWA is in the midst of a funding and credibility crisis after more than 10 donor countries – including Australia, the US and the UK – suspended funding to it. The suspension of funding came after Israel provided the agency with information alleging that as many as 12 of the agency’s staff were involved in the 7 October Hamas attacks on southern Israel.
The Israeli government, which has long been critical of UNRWA, has argued the agency’s problems go deeper than the allegations surrounding 7 October involvement and it should have no future role in Gaza.
Aid groups have implored the Australian government to reinstate funding, saying “the dire situation in Gaza will rapidly escalate without UNRWA’s critical support” and that the government should “be judicious and discriminate between allegations against a small number of individuals and the foreseeable impact of defunding UNRWA on millions of Palestinians reliant on their services, including children”.
Speaking in Melbourne just earlier, Dutton noted that the government’s announcement in mid-January of a further $6m for UNRWA came after Jewish community leaders warned the government about the risk of the funding being misused. Dutton said:
Now, if the foreign minister is directing Australian taxpayers’ money to an organisation known to be a front or affiliated or associated with a terrorist organisation, her job is completely untenable.
And again, if the prime minister had the strength of leadership, he would stand up and say that Australian taxpayer money is not going to a terrorist organisation.
If Penny Wong is now advocating, knowing that this money is going to an organisation not fit-for-purpose, if that is her argument*, then the prime minister should sack her.
And I don’t believe that any Australian who works hard for their money is prepared to give their money over to an organisation that is acting against the interests of the stated purpose of that organisation, or individuals who will suffer as a result of it.
*That is not Wong’s argument. She says the allegations must be throughly investigated, but she has also pointed out that UNRWA has a critical role in delivering services at a time when many people in Gaza are displaced and starving. The United States similarly says UNRWA has a critical role to play once the allegations are investigated and acted on.
Updated
Deeming defamation case: no second trial at this stage
Federal court justice Michael Wheelahan has ruled he won’t order a separate trial to determine imputations at this stage.
He also asked Deeming’s lawyers to reconsider the number of imputations they’re making:
I will not preclude an application for a separate trial being made but I’d like to note first whether the applicant will be revising the pleadings.
He’s adjourned the matter until 23 April.
Updated
Deeming defamation case: Pesutto presses to avoid second trial
John Pesutto’s barrister Matthew Collins, appearing via video link, said they don’t want a separate trial into the imputations as it would “add to more costs”:
We think we’d be better off focusing on just getting the matter ready for trial ... we would end up with two trials rather than one, no material shortening of the second trial, a diversion of our resources to deal with the separate trial.
Updated
Hearing into Deeming defamation case against Victorian Liberal leader begins
The federal court Justice Michael Wheelahan has begun the first hearing into the defamation case brought by expelled Liberal MP Moira Deeming against opposition leader John Pesutto by saying he wants to set down a 10 day trial to begin on 16 September.
But Deeming’s lawyer, Sue Chrysanthou, is pushing for another short hearing before then to determine imputations, which she says will save both parties “a significant amount of time and costs”.
Wheelahan, however, raised the number of imputations in Deeming’s statement of claim. He says there are 67 across five publications:
The media release comprises 18 lines and you have pleaded 23 imputations.
He’s asked Chrysanthou whether these imputations overlap. She replies:
They are all different levels of culpability.
Updated
Chalmers says Miles entitled to express opinions on RBA rates
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, also responded to calls from the Queensland premier, Steven Miles, for the Reserve Bank to cut interest rates.
Chalmers said “most Australians” have a view about interest rates, and premiers and treasurers at the state level are entitled to express their opinions.
I’m not troubled by that. I would be surprised, frankly, if the reserve bank was troubled by that.
I’ve got a different set of responsibilities and obligations. My job is to safeguard the independence of the Reserve Bank and my job is to make sure that I’m doing everything I can, as the nation’s treasurer, to put downward pressure on inflation…
Updated
Chalmers calls on LNP members directly to support tax cut changes
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has also been speaking to the media about the stage-three tax cuts.
He claimed the way the Coalition and the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has responded to the changes was “diabolically out of touch [with] middle Australia, and with these cost-of-living pressures”.
He called on LNP members directly to support the changes:
I call on LNP members – whether they’re from Logan, the Gold Coast, throughout south-east Queensland or right around Australia – don’t stand in the way of Labor’s cost-of-living tax cut, which will make life a little bit easier for middle Australia.
Updated
Dutton says pro-Palestine protest was ‘a moment of national shame’
Peter Dutton is asked to respond to the NSW police invesitigation that found “where’s the Jews?” was chanted at a pro-Palestine rally in Sydney, not “gas the Jews”, as widely circulated.
Dutton responded that the “accounts from that night speak for itself”.
It was a moment of national shame, it shouldn’t have been allowed to take place, and the fact is that many people in the Jewish community across Australia, including here in Melbourne, are feeling very, very scared at the moment.
Updated
Dutton claims taxes will ‘always’ be lower under Liberal-National government
Opposition leader Peter Dutton is speaking to the media from Melbourne.
Speaking on the stage-three tax cuts, Dutton still wouldn’t confirm the Coalition’s position – stating “we’ll make our announcement in due course” – but claimed taxes would “always” be lower under a Liberal-National government.
Q: The government is offering more money to most taxpayers with this revised stage-three tax cuts. Will you guarantee that no voters will lose what is being offered to them?
Dutton said “the prime minister hasn’t delivered that”, and claimed four million Australians will be worse off.
Q: Where did you get that figure?
That’s the projected figure over the course of the medium term, and it’s 1.8 million [people] immediately and it grows to 4.1 [million] because this is the impact of bracket creep.
Dutton did not cite a source of where this figure is from.
Updated
Police provide more details on Berowra train fatalities
Wrapping up the press conference, the deputy commissioner provided some more information around the deaths of two people at a railway in Berowra.
As we reported earlier, emergency services were called to Berowra railway station shortly after 12am following reports a man and woman had been hit by a train.
Police were told a woman, aged in her 30s, was being assisted off the tracks by a man in his 20s when they were both hit by a freight train. The pair were treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics, however they died at the scene. They have not been formally identified.
Speaking in Sydney, the police officer said the matter is still under investigation with “a lot to work through”, but it appears some property of one of the persons was on the railway track.
It appears that two persons then entered the railway track and unfortunately a train approached at the time. A collision resulted and, tragically, two persons have passed away. We will continue to investigate the circumstances of the incident.
Police believe the two people knew each other.
Updated
NSW police’s forensic expert relied on audio-visual evidence, not witness testimony
Lanyon said several statements were obtained from people who claimed to hear “gas the Jews” at the rally.
Those persons have not been able to ascribe those words to any individual. We haven’t identified any individual who used those words.
But what I’m saying today is the expert has made an examination of the audio and visual files which were taken from outside the Opera House on that occasion. That’s where he has concluded with overwhelming certainty that the words used where “where’s the Jews?”…
We won’t be going back to them to speak about what has subsequently been concluded by the expert, because the expert is relying on what they heard on the audio and visual analysis.
The expert who conducted this analysis is from the National Centre of Biometric Science, “an eminent expert who has been used by law enforcement right across the country, including the NSW police force”, the officer said.
Updated
NSW police: evidence of other antisemitic chants made at rally; audio in video was not doctored
NSW police’s deputy commissioner, Mal Lanyon, said there is “certainly” evidence of other anti-semitic chants being made at the rally, which were “offensive and completely unacceptable”.
But I think the major contention has been about the phrase that was chanted, and quite emphatically, our expert has said that it is ‘where’s the Jews?’
The officer was asked whether the audio in the video had been manipulated? He said the video had not been doctored, but had been compiled from a “parent file”.
What the expert has concluded is that there is a compilation video which has a number of audio and visual files. Those audio and visual files have not been doctored, they’re simply cut from a more parent file… When examined, the parent file and the video compilation have the same audio and visual, and from that, the expert has been able to conclude they are the words that were used. Obviously, subtitles are … an opinion of someone putting those subtitles on there of what they hear…
Updated
Phrase chanted at pro-Palestine protest last year was ‘Where’s the Jews’: NSW police
NSW police are giving a press conference, following news an independent analysis of audio and video files from a pro-Palestine protest at the Sydney Opera House last year found no evidence for claims that anyone had chanted “gas the Jews”.
Deputy commissioner Mal Lanyon said:
As part of the investigation, investigators engaged an eminent expert in biometric science. That expert has conducted an audio, visual and acoustic phonetic analysis of the audio-visual files.
As a result of that examination, the expert has concluded with overwhelming certainty that the phrase chanted during that protest, as recorded on the audio and visual files, was, “Where’s the Jews?” Not another phrase, as otherwise widely reported.
The strike force continues to investigate offences arising from that protest and we urge any member of the public with information to come forward and provide information.
Presser shortly on this from NSW police… pic.twitter.com/0oZlGdkppX
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) February 1, 2024
Updated
Man charged for allegedly scaling and tagging Flinders Street station
A man has been charged over allegedly scaling and tagging (spraying graffiti all over) Flinders Street railway station in Victoria.
Victorian police allege that on 12 January, a man scaled and tagged the heritage listed façade of the building and caused “extensive damage”.
It is also alleged tags were painted on walls around the Westgate tunnel project in Spotswood and across Sandringham, Mernda, Craigieburn and Sunbury railway lines.
The damage is estimated at over $200,000, police said.
Police executed search warrants at addresses in West Footscray and Caulfield North and seized a number of items including spray paint, knuckle dusters and a samurai sword.
A 23-year-old West Footscray man has been charged with multiple offences including criminal damage and possessing a controlled weapon. He has been bailed to appear in Melbourne magistrates court on 8 February.
Updated
Speaking to 3AW, Victorian opposition leader John Pesutto was also asked about the opposition’s stance on treaty.
This comes after it withdrew its support for a treaty with the state’s Indigenous people and ended years of bipartisanship on the issue.
Pesutto argued that the opposition never supported the treaty itself, but the “process” of working towards one.
I’ve had some concerns for a while about whether, under any scenario, I could see the Coalition agreeing to a treaty. And I’ll tell you why – the treaty, according to [premier] Jacinta Allan, is a process. [She] has never explained to our listeners or the Victorian people what could be or what won’t be in the treaty.
When asked if he knew what was in the treaty, Pesutto claimed “Jacinta won’t tell us”.
Updated
Pesutto says taxpayers not paying for defence on Deeming defamation action
Victoria’s opposition leader, John Pesutto, was speaking with 3AW radio just earlier.
He was asked about the defamation case brought against him from expelled Liberal MP Moira Deeming. He said the matter between the two was “sorted out” from his end – he is not the one bringing the legal action.
There was an outcome last year that had it been observed, would have seen her return to the party room. Things have taken a different course. I’m totally focused on the cost of living issues facing Victorians, I’m not bringing this action, I’m not concerned about it, it’s with my lawyers and they manage it for me.
Asked about the cost of the legal action, Pesutto said “I’m the one who gets the bills and I’ll sort that out”, but taxpayers won’t pay for it and neither will the party.
Updated
The former Labor MP for Hawthorn, John Kennedy, is in court to watch Moira Deeming’s defamation proceedings kick off against John Pesutto - the current member for Hawthorn.
Could this be the beginning of a bid for reelection?
Updated
NSW police say no evidence offensive antisemitic phrase chanted at pro-Palestine protest last year
New South Wales police say an independent analysis of audio and video files from a pro-Palestine protest at the Sydney Opera House last year found no evidence for claims that anyone had chanted “gas the Jews”.
People reported hearing the comments at the protest in October last year, and the reports are being investigated by Strike Force Mealing.
In a statement this morning, police said they would continue their investigation and urged anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers. Police said:
Strike Force Mealing was established to investigate reported unlawful activity committed during an unauthorised protest at the Sydney Opera House on 9 October 2023.
Police received reports following the protest suggesting that an offensive antisemitic phrase was chanted during the event.
As a result of independent forensic analysis of audio-video files of the demonstration provided to investigators, police have no evidence that this phrase was used.
Police also obtained statements from several individuals who attended the protest indicating they heard the phrase however these statements have not attributed the phrase to any specific individual.
We’ll bring you more after a press conference due to start shortly.
Updated
First hearing to be held in Deeming defamation case against John Pesutto
I’ve just arrived at federal court for the first hearing in expelled Liberal MP Moira Deeming’s defamation action against the Victorian opposition leader, John Pesutto.
She alleges comments he made after she spoke at an anti-trans rally gatecrashed by neo-Nazis in March last year defamed her.
Her lawyers said Pesutto’s comments, as well as a 15-page document his office circulated to Liberal MPs and the media when he moved to expel her from the party, were defamatory as they suggested Deeming “supports, sympathises with or associates with white supremacists and neo-Nazis”, and that she is a white supremacist or neo-Nazi.
Pesutto denies these imputations and his lawyers will largely rely on the honest opinion defence, which allows people to express opinions on matters of public interest, as well as the defences of contextual truth and qualified privilege.
According to the defence document – seen by Guardian Australia – Pesutto will argue her association with the event organisers made her unfit to be a member of the Liberal party room.
The first case management hearing will largely be procedural and should be done within an hour, with neither expected to attend.
But Deeming’s lawyer, high-profile defamation barrister Sue Chrysanthou, has flown down from Sydney to push for another short hearing to determine imputations that could expedite any possible trial. Here’s our preview:
Updated
Gunner quits Fortescue as exodus continues
Michael Gunner, the former chief minister of Northern Territory, has resigned from Fortescue, adding to the exodus of high-profile departures from the mining and energy company.
Gunner joined the Andrew Forrest-led company in late 2022, several months after he resigned as the Top End leader.
In August last year, the chief executive of Fortescue’s mining business, Fiona Hick, and chief financial officer, Christine Morris, both resigned after short stints with the company.
Guy Debelle, the former Reserve Bank deputy governor, also left Fortescue last year after just 17 months in the role.
Gunner said in a social media post that he’d made the decision to leave for personal reasons, and he said he’d always be a “friend of the Fortescue family”. He wrote on LinkedIn:
After taking on the Australian director role in August it meant more travel away from Darwin and the family, which I found too difficult.
I’m taking a bit of time before deciding with the family what I do next and am now reporting for lunchbox duty.
Fortescue has been contacted for comment.
The company is undergoing significant change as it diversifies away from its roots as a pure Pilbara iron ore miner to also develop into a clean energy producer.
Gunner worked in the energy division, as did Deborah Caudle, who resigned from her role as chief financial officer in January. Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull also recently cut ties with Fortescue’s energy division.
Updated
Assistant competition minister says ‘too many markets are dominated by just a few players’
The assistant minister for competition, Andrew Leigh, has put together this video encouraging more competition in the Australian economy. He compared Australia’s concentrated supermarket, banking and telco sectors to the diversity offered in sporting codes, and said:
Too many markets are dominated by just a few players. Sport shows us how competition can make the game more fun. Wouldn’t it be good if our economy was just as competitive as our favourite sporting codes?
Australian sports fans can choose between a dozen or more teams. But in many industries, there's only a few companies to choose from. Wouldn't it be great if the economy was as competitive as our favourite sporting codes? #InequalityBites #auspol #FairGame pic.twitter.com/Aqglvx9WIn
— Andrew Leigh (@ALeighMP) February 1, 2024
Updated
Australia’s January was third hottest on record, BoM data shows
Summer might not have felt very warm so far, but perceptions can be misleading.
Data out from the Bureau of Meteorology for last month shows that it was particularly warm for overnight temperatures. January, in fact, was the third-warmest on record for minimum temperatures:
Remarkable minimum temperatures for Australia in January - third highest for the month in records going back to 1910. (Source: @bom_au) pic.twitter.com/CgEmcyDlNE
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) February 1, 2024
Maximum temperatures weren’t notably warm, perhaps not surprising given the storms and rain events that meant there was a lot of moisture to evaporate and blunt some of the daytime heat:
Maximum temperatures were more mix, but still above the long-run average for January... pic.twitter.com/g1wOmnp2Ru
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) February 1, 2024
Mean temperatures that average out the days and nights were also pretty high, given the warm overnight readings to start with.
The result is that by mean temperatures, only two other Januaries were warmer than last month.
And for mean temperatures (now I've had a closer look) was also the third warmest January on record. Only January in 2013 and 2019 were warmer, with the fourth warmest back in 1932). pic.twitter.com/JWXnbYwf71
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) February 1, 2024
A couple of hot spells ahead, such as Sunday and Monday in eastern states, so February might end up on the warm side of the ledger too.
Updated
Penny Wong signals next steps in UNRWA funding investigation while in NZ
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has shared more photos from her meeting with New Zealand’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Winston Peters.
Through working together, Australia and New Zealand can use our influence to shape the world for the better.
— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) February 1, 2024
NZ’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters and I discussed what more we can do together, in particular in the Pacific. pic.twitter.com/EsBRIZXsFG
In case you missed it: while in New Zealand, Wong announced she has directed Australia’s humanitarian coordinator, Beth Delaney, to coordinate “like-minded partners as well as UNRWA” to work out the next steps after more than 10 countries suspended funding to the agency.
Peters said New Zealand’s next tranche of funding to UNRWA was not due until the middle of the year, meaning there was time for Wellington to assess the findings of the investigations.
You can read all the details from Daniel Hurst below:
Updated
Two dead after being hit by train in Berowra
A man and a woman have both died after being hit by a train in Berowra, in Sydney’s north.
According to NSW police, emergency services were called to Berowra railway station shortly after 12am following reports a man and woman had been hit by a train.
Police were told a woman, aged in her 30s, was being assisted off the tracks by a man in his 20s when they were both hit by a freight train.
The pair were treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics, however they died at the scene. They have not been formally identified.
Officers have established a crime scene and are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident, and a report will be prepared for the information of the coroner.
Updated
Dutton says Liberals will not ‘take money away’ from people who benefit from tax changes
Speaking to Nine’s Today show, the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, was asked:
At the end of the day, you know, your own electorate is among those who are going to benefit greatly from these changes to the tax cuts, some 85% of them. You don’t want to take money away from them, do you?
Dutton:
And we’re not going to. I’ve been very clear about the fact that …
He was also asked whether he backed calls from some premier’s that the RBA should cut interest rates. Yesterday, Queensland premier, Steven Miles, said the RBA “needs to start cutting interest rates now to take pressure off households”.
Dutton argued Miles, and Victorian premier Jacinta Allan, were “at odds with their Labor colleagues”, noting the RBA’s independence.
Somebody like Steven Miles or Jacinta Allan and others, frankly, they’d be better off concentrating on how they can deal with the ambulance ramping disaster and youth crime at the moment, which is out of control in many parts of the country.
So, I think they should concentrate on fixing up their own problems at the moment.
Updated
Dutton does not take definitive position on stage-three tax cut changes
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, spoke to Nine’s Today show earlier about the changes to stage-three tax cuts.
He argued the tax changes were a political decision made in the lead-up to the Dunkley by-election. He pointed to the rising cost of groceries, fuel and electricity as something the government needed to focus on, but denied the Coalition is “at odds” over whether to support the tax cuts.
No, we’re not [at odds]. We’re working through the figures. There are big numbers here, and our argument is that there should be incentive in the system.
There was a bit of back-and-forth over the opposition’s position on the changes. Dutton was asked if he would stand in the way of these changes as a party?
He responded:
I’ve been very clear that the Liberal party is the party of lower taxes. We always have been, we always will be, because we manage the economy more effectively. So, we’ll announce our position in due course, but we think there’s a massive black hole in what the government’s doing at the moment.
So, no definitive answer on the Coalition’s position just yet.
Updated
Australia ‘on track’ with climate targets to protect reef, Labor tells Unesco
The Albanese government has claimed it is “on track” to have national climate targets that would be in line with keeping global heating to 1.5C in a report to Unesco on efforts to protect the Great Barrier Reef.
The federal and Queensland governments are trying to convince Unesco not to recommend the world’s biggest coral reef system be placed on a list of world heritage sites in danger – with a decision due at a meeting in India in July.
Last year Unesco’s 21-country world heritage committee followed recommendations from Unesco that Australia should submit a report by 1 February that would review progress against a list of concerns, including action on improving water quality, sustainable fishing and climate change.
Continue reading:
Today, the government is also set to release a strategy to restore and protect wetlands in the catchment of the Great Barrier Reef.
Updated
Heatwaves scorch WA but cool change expected over weekend
Over in Western Australia, the state is expected to swelter through yet another day of heatwaves.
However, a cool change is on the way this weekend, senior meteorologist Miriam Bradbury told ABC News Breakfast.
We are continuing to see severe heat waves across the west coast, including Perth. We have seen a few extremely hot days across there with temperatures in the high 30s and low- to mid-40s. Perth has seen a couple of days in the low 40s and is forecast to get to 39 today. T
he good news is we are expecting a cooler change to move through over the weekend with milder temperatures on the way there.
Today, there are extreme fire danger ratings in place for Swan Inland North, Swan Inland South, Brockman and Blackwood.
Updated
BoM warnings over ex-Tropical Cyclone Kirrily still current for Queensland
Senior BoM meteorologist Miriam Bradbury said ex-Tropical Cyclone Kirrily is currently sitting north of Burketown in Queensland, expected to be slow-moving today.
Speaking to ABC News Breakfast, Bradbury said the BoM still has warnings current for the Gulf Country, with the ex-cyclone impacting the far northwest of Queensland and far northeast of the NT.
Mornington Island saw more than 130mm of rainfall overnight, and has seen wind gusts over 100km/h, with very wet and windy conditions in the vicinity of the ex-cyclone.
We are expecting ex-Tropical Cyclone Kirrily to be slow moving today, lingering in the same area it is now.
Through the weekend we are expecting to see the system drift slowly southwards, so through the western districts of Queensland, gradually moving towards NSW.
It is likely to move into NSW early next week but it will start to lose moisture and energy that we have been seeing across Queensland.
Updated
BoM issues wind weather warning for Tasmania
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for damaging winds in parts of Tasmania.
Damaging wind gusts of around 100km/h are likely to persist across elevated areas in the south-west and central west, as well as areas like Hobart and the Tasman Peninsula, the BoM said.
Winds are likely to ease below warning thresholds this afternoon.
Kununyi (Mt Wellington) recorded a 137km/h wind gust at 4am, while Cape Bruny recorded a 100km/h wind gust at 2am.
Severe Weather Warning for DAMAGING WINDS
— TasALERT (@tasalert) February 1, 2024
South East, Central Plateau and parts of Western, Upper Derwent Valley, North West Coast, Central North & Midlands Districts. Locations affected Strathgordon, New Norfolk, Tarraleah, Geeveston, Dover & Huonville. https://t.co/wgSR5iYq7W pic.twitter.com/z44zOLXyg8
Updated
Aid head says ‘not tenable’ to cease funding to the UNRWA in Palestine
The CEO of the Australian Council For International Development, Marc Purcell, was just speaking to ABC News Breakfast about the open letter (see previous post).
Purcell argued it was “simply not tenable” to cease funding to UNRWA right now:
Australia has a very important role to play as a signatory to the ICJ, a signatory to the genocide convention, to ensure the protection of Palestinian civilians and ensure that the investigations that are occurring with UNRWA … don’t inhibit funding and delivery of services that are going to basically save lives in coming days and weeks and months.
He said funding “must” continue flowing to UNRWA even while investigations are ongoing, because “this is a conflict situation”.
UNRWA has done the right thing in standing down the staff, sacking them. They have got an independent investigation occurring. 150 UN UNRWA staff have been killed, their families and children as well, over the past several months of this conflict. The UN is in the middle, sandwiched in the conflict, trying to do its best to save lives. Donor governments like Australia need to bear this in mind that, if funding ceases, there is nowhere else to turn to. People will simply collapse and die.
Updated
Aid groups call on PM and Wong to back ICJ ruling on Israel
A coalition of Australian aid groups have written to the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, urging them to publicly back the interim International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling that Israel must prevent possible acts of genocide in Gaza.
The letter from peak body the Australian Council For International Development (ACFID), also signed by Oxfam Australia, ActionAid Australia and Caritas Australia, also calls on the government to ensure Australia adheres to rules it is bound to under the genocide convention and arms trade treaty.
The letter calls for the unconditional release of hostages, also urging the government to support new funding worth $100m to Gaza and the West Bank, including for Australian non-government organisations on the ground.
Speaking to the pausing of funding to UNRWA, ACFID’s CEO, Marc Purcell, said:
It is imperative the Australian government considers the allegations against a small number of the agency’s 13,000 employees in the context of the catastrophic consequences of withholding life saving aid to Palestinian civilians, including children.
The full list of signatories also includes Act for Peace, ADRA, Anglican Overseas Aid, Baptist World Aid, Good Return, Global Mission Partners, PLAN International and WaterAid.
Updated
Grab a coffee, and catch up on all the biggest headlines from overnight with today’s Morning Mail:
AI report warns against technological biases and ‘culturally unsafe’ outputs
More on the latest report from the government Productivity Commission:
The Productivity Commission report also touches on issues of AI bias and warns that technology could discriminate against certain communities. An overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in administrative data could result in biased AI outputs, for example.
Improved data on driving behaviour could lead to better drivers paying lower premiums for car insurance and vice versa.
There are also concerns about generative AI programs using art in their training data. Not only does this pose issues for artists’ copyright, but it also poses issues for authenticity.
For example, if First Nations art is used in AI training data sets, it allows generative AI programs to produce “culturally unsafe outputs”, the report said.
The productivity commissioner, Stephen King, said clear rules around text and data mining for AI training models would help protect creative industries and improve data accessibility, as would a national data strategy.
- from AAP
Updated
Good morning
And happy Friday! Thanks to Martin for kicking things off – I’m Emily Wind and I’ll bring you our live coverage today.
See something that needs attention? You can get in touch via X, @emilywindwrites, or send me an email: emily.wind@theguardian.com.
Let’s get into it.
Productivity commission warns sports patrons may be unknowingly giving up biometric data
Australians who attend sports games could unknowingly be trading their biometric data for entry to the match as advances in artificial intelligence incentivise risky data collection, AAP reports.
The latest report from the government productivity commission says the popularity of artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI technologies will pose significant issues.
“AI is heightening data-related risks including through increased capacity to misuse (or even weaponise) data,” the report says. “Data that is not risky today may become so tomorrow.”
AI technologies are generally trained on immense datasets, which has increased the value of data and changed the nature of data collection. Developments such as facial recognition have increased the potential for intrusive personal information collection that can put a person’s privacy and rights at risk.
For example, the report says crowds at sports grounds that use facial recognition technology could have their faces scanned and the data sold.
Updated
Nerves and memory as Queensland stares down ex-Cyclone Kirrily
More on Queensland: The former cyclone Kirrily has been lingering near Burketown, which was evacuated last year after torrential rain led to record river levels and “unprecedented” flooding in the remote Gulf of Carpentaria.
“There’s a lot of really nervous people,” Burke shire’s mayor, Ernie Camp, told AAP.
The former cyclone is set to start moving in the north-west today, tracking south inland over western Queensland in the coming days. There is also a severe weather warning for the north tropical coast, Tablelands, Herbert and Lower Burdekin regions north of Townsville with heavy rainfall developing last night.
But there may be more heavy showers to come after a low formed off the south-east coast. The storm has a “low” chance of intensifying into a cyclone by mid-next week but may then track back towards the Queensland coast, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
Updated
Flood warnings as Ex-Tropical Cyclone Kirrily lingers near north-west Queensland
A nervous wait lies ahead for north-west Queensland, with ex-Tropical Cyclone Kirrily set to bring more rain and flooding, Australian Associated Press reports.
Almost a week after making landfall near Townsville as a category two cyclone, Kirrily is still lingering. The cyclone’s remnants have been in the state’s north-west for days, bringing widespread rain and flooding.
Roads are cut, rail networks affected, Kynuna residents have been evacuated and the town of McKinlay is isolated.
Now a remote region is bracing for the worst with ex-Kirrily’s presence sparking a severe weather warning for Gulf Country set to last through to today.
Heavy downpours, including isolated falls of 300mm, are possible and may lead to “life threatening” flash flooding.
Updated
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our rolling news coverage. I’m Martin Farrer and I’ll be bringing you the top stories this morning to kick things off.
Yesterday we learned who the big donors are in Australian politics. But our analysis shows there is $57m of “dark money” floating around – funding where the source is unknown. That’s around one quarter of political funding and comes about because parties were only required to declare the source above a certain threshold, which in 2022-23 was $15,200. The figures bring more calls for more transparency and to increase scrutiny on the Albanese government’s promises to reform political funding.
It’s a big day in Victorian politics with the start of the defamation proceedings brought by former Liberal MP Moira Deeming against the state’s opposition leader, John Pesutto. She says he defamed her in a series of comments after she spoke at an anti-trans rights rally that was gatecrashed by neo-Nazis, who performed the Sieg Heil salute on the front steps of parliament last March. He is expected to rely on an “honest opinion” defence which allows people to express opinions on matters of public interest, as well as the defences of contextual truth and qualified privilege. Get up to speed with this preview by Benita Kolovos.
The Albanese government has claimed it is “on track” to have national climate targets that would be in line with keeping global heating to 1.5C in a report to Unesco on efforts to protect the Great Barrier Reef.
In Queensland, ex-cyclone Kirrily is still lingering and is about to hit the Gulf country.
And the Productivity Commission has published a report on artificial intelligence. More on that soon, but the top line is that it brings new risks for privacy and the “weaponisation” of data.
