What we learned: Thursday 29 June
And that’s where we’ll leave you this evening. Here’s a snapshot of what we learned today:
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, denies Australia’s first budget surplus in more than a decade comes at the expense of under-pressure households as the cost of living rises, but also said he is “not floating” more cost of living relief at the moment.
The environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, has announced a full audit of 1,000 environmental offset sites, in a bid to rein in developers flouting the rules.
The federal and New South Wales governments have announced a deal to underwrite 550 megawatts of dispatchable electricity – that is, power that can be called on at any time – as part of a commitment to firm up the national grid.
The defence minister, Richard Marles, has offered to extend the presence of Australian troops and police in Solomon Islands beyond the end of the year.
The commonwealth is seeking access to evidence gathered during the Ben Roberts-Smith defamation trial to use in ongoing war crimes investigations, the federal court has heard.
Retail sales for May rose 0.7% compared with April, and there were 432,000 job vacancies in May 2023, down 9,000 from February, according to new figures from the ABS.
Victoria’s anti-corruption watchdog says it will be focusing on the “improper influence” of lobbyists, donors and government-aligned stakeholders, as well as the excessive use of force by police officers and their response to family violence in the upcoming financial year.
Victorian private schools with annual fees over $15,000 will be stripped of their longstanding payroll tax exemption.
Police have grave fears for a Belgian tourist who vanished near a remote walking track in north-west Tasmania, saying the conditions in the area are “not survivable” for the length of time she is thought to be exposed.
Thanks so much for your company this afternoon. See you tomorrow.
Updated
NSW to get new urgent care clinics and virtual consultation services
New urgent care clinics and virtual consultation services will be rolled out across NSW to help ease pressure on overcrowded emergency departments, AAP reports.
A mainstay health union says tackling the issue requires having more qualified boots on the ground.
On Thursday the government revealed it either fully or partly supports 10 of 12 recommendations made by a parliamentary inquiry into emergency departments being forced to make patients wait in ambulances – a practice known as ramping.
The health minister, Ryan Park, said the government had inherited a troubled system and would introduce measures to ease the strain:
We know patients can suffer when our emergency departments are overcrowded and there are delays in the transfer of care from our paramedics to our hospital clinicians.
The government has already committed $175m to recruit an additional 1,200 nurses by 2027.
It will also roll out 25 Urgent Care Services across the state and direct patients to virtual care services to help reduce numbers arriving at emergency departments.
Health Services Union NSW secretary, Gerard Hayes, said with about 12,000 health worker vacancies, attracting more people through better wages and conditions was the best option.
The best and fastest way to improve the hospital performance in NSW is by resolving the attraction and retention crisis.
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Former Victorian deputy premier James Merlino to chair Suburban Rail Loop
The former Victorian deputy premier James Merlino has been appointed as chair of the Suburban Rail Loop project.
In a statement circulated just now, a Victorian government spokesperson said Merlino has been appointed effective 1 July 2023 and his term will run for three years to 30 June 2026.
It’s almost exactly a year since Merlino quit politics, announcing on 24 June last year that he would resign from his roles as Victoria’s deputy premier, minister for education and minister for mental health, and would not contest his seat in the November election.
Merlino replaces James MacKenzie, who has been chair of the SRL project since it was established in September 2019. MacKenzie will stay on the board.
The spokesperson said:
Suburban Rail Loop is a critical project for our growing city and state – and as a person of the highest integrity, with a proven ability to deliver complex infrastructure and policy agendas, James Merlino is expertly placed to lead the authority into the next phase of project delivery.
Mr Merlino has extensive experience in infrastructure construction and commercial contract management, as well as a deep understanding of public administration and stakeholder engagement.
Merlino said:
Suburban Rail Loop will be the transformative link that connects a growing Melbourne – putting our world-class public transport system on the map. I’m proud to be joining the board to help deliver this landmark project for all Victorians.
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Swifties prepare for another go at the Ticketek ‘lottery’ tomorrow
As Swifties across Australia prepare for another round of Hunger Games on Friday in a bid to secure tickets to Taylor Swift’s Sydney and Melbourne shows, Ticketek has admitted its booking system isn’t actually a queue but more like a lottery.
When presale tickets went on sale for the Eras tour earlier this week, they sold out in a matter of hours after 4 million users vied to secure the 450,000-odd tickets up for sale.
Punters on social media reported confusion around the ticketing process; some who had been waiting on a loading screen since opening were left without tickets, while others who logged on well after were able to quickly secure seats.
That’s because Ticketek doesn’t allocate tickets on a first come, first served basis. Rather, once a person has logged into the waiting “lounge”, they are picked at random.
Read the full story here:
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Voice referendum will 'lift up the nation': PM
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, believes the voice referendum will “lift up the nation”, again stressing he is confident the vote will pass later this year.
The PM was on ABC regional radio in Victoria this afternoon, after a visit to Horsham. Asked several questions about the voice, including on slipping poll support for the change, he said:
I think there’s a bit of an irony that there’s this huge focus on polls that show all sorts of things, depending on what one you look at ... the truth is people will really examine the details when it gets closer. It’s a very clear proposal.
Albanese pointed to a “very lovely” welcome to country he’d experienced on his trip today:
It’s something that was just respect, giving respect, and it’s something that this is really about, giving respect to Indigenous Australians.
Asked by the host “is it your job to turn public sentiment around?”, the PM backed the campaign already gearing up.
This is a community campaign, this isn’t something that came from the government. It came from ATSI people themselves in the lead-up to the 2017 constitutional convention held at Uluru. They determined this was the priority.
This will be a grassroots campaign. People talking to friends, family, neighbours.
This is something I think will lift up the nation. It’s an opportunity for national unity.
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International diplomatic corps take a trip to Adelaide
More than 70 ambassadors and high commissioners have travelled from Canberra, where they are usually stationed, to Adelaide for a gathering of the international diplomatic corps.
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, and the trade minister, Don Farrell, are both South Australian senators and are not shy of promoting their home state.
The heads of mission arrived in Adelaide yesterday afternoon and are due to leave tomorrow. The program is expected to include a focus on several topics including Australian identity and cultural heritage and trade and investment opportunities.
Wong tweeted about it this afternoon, saying it was a “chance to highlight Australia’s approach to the world”:
Very special to welcome the international Diplomatic Corps to Adelaide alongside Trade Minister Farrell.
— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) June 29, 2023
It’s the first time ambassadors to Australia have been brought together like this since 2018. A chance to highlight Australia's approach to the world. pic.twitter.com/VPzrfXkJ2I
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VicRoads apologises for digital licence email bungle
A Victorian digital licence pilot is off to a bumpy start after 57,000 customers received emails with incorrect surnames, AAP reports.
The state’s licensing and registration company VicRoads sent emails inviting motorists around Ballarat in western Victoria to take part in the trial, but names in the emails did not match the addresses or surnames of the recipients.
“We apologise to customers in Ballarat impacted by an error in the email inviting them to sign up for the digital driver licence pilot,” VicRoads’ registration and licensing services chief executive, Dean Tillotson, said in a statement.
He said the error had not compromised any personal details.
The Victorian government announced the digital licence trial for Ballarat in May, with a statewide rollout planned for 2024.
The digital licence will allow motorists to store a copy on government apps.
Tillotson said VicRoads would continue to accept motorist information for four to six weeks.
The treasurer, Tim Pallas, apologised on behalf of the Victorian government for the inconvenience caused to motorists:
It looks like it’s a mail merge gone wrong.
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Marles offers to extend Australian troops and police presence in Solomon Islands
The defence minister, Richard Marles, has offered to extend the presence of Australian troops and police in Solomon Islands beyond the end of the year.
Speaking on the second day of a visit to Honiara today, Marles also said the Albanese government welcomed plans to review the existing bilateral security treaty between Australia and Solomon Islands to “reflect the contemporary security environment and the contemporary level of assistance that is being provided by Australia”.
The comments follow concerns last year about China’s signing of its own security agreement with Solomon Islands. Marles, who is also the deputy prime minister, said today:
Obviously the relationship that Solomons has with China is a matter for Solomons and China. Our focus is simply on being the very best partner that we can be. That’s very much been my message.
Australia’s posture is to seek to be the natural partner of choice. And we do think that there is much that we can offer in relation to security, through support for the [Royal Solomon Islands Police Force], and I think that sentiment was shared.
Marles met yesterday with the prime minister of Solomon Islands, Manasseh Sogavare. Marles told reporters today that Australia was open to the Solomons International Assistance Force (SIAF) continuing beyond December 2023:
We spoke about the Solomons’ International Assistance Force, of which Australia is a contributing member. And we made clear that if it was the Solomons’ wish for SIAF to continue, then Australia stood ready for that to occur, and that we were happy to support a continuation of the SIAF’s presence in supporting the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force as necessary.
Obviously, this is a matter for Solomon Islands. But we wanted to make completely clear that from the perspective of Australia, we stood ready for that support to be provided for as long as possible.
And we obviously know that there are a couple of really big events coming up for Solomon Islands, the Pacific Games in November is critical and making sure that the security environment around that is peaceful is obviously a key objective of the country. But so too is the peaceful conduct of the elections in April of next year. And so we’re very mindful that an ongoing SIAF assistance could be of assistance to Solomon Islands. And we’ve certainly made clear that we are ready to provide that if Solomon Islands wanted it.
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Andrews’ China trip cost Victorian taxpayers almost $83,000
The Victorian premier Daniel Andrews’ recent trip to China cost taxpayers almost $83,000, it has been revealed.
In a travel report, posted online by the Department of Premier and Cabinet on Thursday, it was revealed Andrews’ four-day trip to the Chinese cities of Beijing, Nanjing and Chengdu in March cost $82,716.27.
This included $61,813.95 on air fares for Andrews and his advisers Ben Foster and Marty Mei, $14,933.81 for accommodation and $5,968.51 for other expenses, such as transfers.
It was the premier’s fifth trip to China and the first for an Australian leader since the Covid-19 pandemic. It brings the total amount Andrews has spent visiting the country since 2015 to $517,000.
It’s hard to compare it to the premier’s previous trips, given the costs of travel have sharply risen after the pandemic, but the last time he travelled to China for five days and with two staff in April 2019 it cost a total of $37,264.52.
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Multiple rule changes announced for upcoming AFLW season
The AFL Commission has approved multiple rule changes for the 2023 AFLW season due to start in September.
The length of the season and structure remains unknown as players continue negotiations with the league over the collective bargaining agreement.
But all AFLW clubs have today been advised of five changes to last season’s rules, which the AFL’s acting general manager of football, Laura Kane, said aimed to improve the “on-field product” and competitiveness between clubs.
For the eighth edition of the women’s competition:
Quarters are increased to 15 minutes plus time on for goals and major injuries, while break lengths have been reduced – six minutes between quarters and 14 minutes at half-time.
Boundary throw-ins from inside 50 metres will move back to the boundary line.
Interchanges have been adjusted with the introduction of a cap on rotations at 60 for each team. There will also be a cap on runners, limiting their access to the field.
A two-year roll-over period for low-level offences will be introduced.
Kane said in a statement the rule adjustments were made in consultation with senior coaches, the AFLW competition committee and the AFL Players’ Association:
These rule adjustments will give supporters more of what they love – a balance between attack and defence, improved strategic tension, and encourage more instinctive play.
Restricting runners’ access, extending quarter lengths and introducing an interchange cap is designed to open up the game, which provides an opportunity for players to compete with more flair and have greater freedom to play on instinct.Adjustments to the location of the boundary throw-ins within the 50-metre arcs will create more opportunities for teams to score from stoppages, while changes to our low-level sanctions for reportable offences will further prioritise the health and safety of AFLW players.
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Ukraine grants made to Nato and UK despite uncertainty, audit office finds
Let’s bring you some more detail from that Australian National Audit Office report regarding Australian assistance to Ukraine.
The largely positive report found that some grants were made to Nato and the UK defence ministry despite uncertainty around the legislative basis for providing that assistance.
The report said the Australian government provided $42.4m internationally in grant funding as part of its military assistance package for the Ukrainian government.
This included $4.2m to a Nato trust fund for Ukraine in early March 2022 – shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country – and $18m to the UK Ministry of Defence in early May 2022. There was a further $20.2m provided to the Nato fund in August 2022.
The report said Defence initially sought urgent internal advice from its legal and finance areas, as well as the Australian Government Solicitor (AGS), on the legislative authority for the grants:
Defence records indicate that AGS advice was sought urgently on 28 February 2022, with ‘preliminary’ oral advice received within three hours on the same day. A written summary of that advice was provided by AGS to Defence on 4 March 2022. The summary indicated that the preliminary advice had canvassed sources of legal authority supporting the payments, and assessed the legal risks relating to those sources of legal authority. The preliminary advice was not clear-cut, with the risks (relating to the identified sources of legal authority for the payments) ranging from ‘at least medium risk’ to ‘high risk’. The summary also indicated that with more time and background information, AGS may have arrived at a different view.
The report said the second payment to the Nato fund was four times the initial value, and five months later, but Defence did not take any steps in the meantime to update the “preliminary” legal advice “or resolve the issues raised in that advice regarding the sources of legal authority for these payments and the legal risks”.
The ANAO said Defence had told it in March 2023 that it took “the issue of risk seriously” but also noted “there was Government direction to provide assistance to Ukraine and high legislative risk in the area of funding is not unusual”. Defence also argued the risk of challenge to the legislative authority “was seen as remote and so open for a decision maker to accept”.
In a 5 August 2022 written briefing to the new minister, Richard Marles, Defence advised:
It is possible to accept the [legal] risk, noting the unprecedented nature of the payments.
Updated
Grant rules should be tightened, with less ministerial discretion, review finds
Rules governing billions of dollars of federal grants should be tightened, with clearer reasons for departing from departmental recommendations and less ministerial discretion to choose from pools of eligible projects.
Those are some of the central recommendations of the audit committee’s review of the commonwealth grants rules, in a bid to crack down on politicised programs including car park rorts, the building better regions fund and safer communities program examined by the auditor general.
The joint committee of public accounts and audit tabled its report on Thursday, finding grants programs resulted in “unjustifiably partisan outcomes and were politicised with reasons for ministers’ decisions simply not recorded, inadequate or unavailable”.
Read the full story here:
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New Zealand’s public broadcaster told to review rating of dolphin documentary after viewer complaint
A scene in a nature documentary featuring dolphins mating has caused New Zealand’s Broadcast Standards Authority (BSA) to give the country’s public broadcaster a slap on the wrist, AAP reports.
The nature series Our Big Blue Backyard drew the ire of one Kiwi who successfully complained to the BSA.
In the offending scene, a female dolphin is targeted by a pack of male dolphins that mate with her.
“She’s trapped at the surface, and the males take turns. Once they’ve all mated with her, they leave her alone,” the narrator says, accompanied by underwater footage of the encounter and dramatic music.
The BSA said the footage included “the male dolphins swarming around the female with their genitalia visible, and at one point a male visibly entered the female ... accompanied by audio of dolphin cries”.
Viewer Chris Radford appealed to the BSA that TVNZ should not have aired the program at 7:30pm with a G, or general, classification. In his submission, he argued:
While the behaviour may have been natural, it was still a kind of sexual violence inflicted upon the female dolphin.
The poor creature was trying to flee from the male dolphins.
It is clear that this is a situation where further counselling will be required for young children regarding the behaviour observed.
TVNZ argued it was factual, educational, was not unduly dramatised and should not be considered akin to human sexual violence:
Such an assessment reflects a judgement predicated on human sensibilities which, as above, we do not consider are an appropriate framework for understanding animal behaviour.
The BSA ruled in favour of the viewer, finding the program should have been given a PG rating recommending parental guidance, as it “went beyond audience expectations of the programme’s ‘G’ rating”.
Updated
‘Some shortcomings’ found in Australian defence management of military assistance to Ukraine
Australian military assistance to Ukraine has been delivered on 40 flights since Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country early last year, a new report has revealed.
The number of flights carrying Australian supplies was disclosed in a new Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) report tabled in parliament today, although it does not break down the precise delivery schedule. In recent times the Coalition has criticised secrecy over exactly how many of each item has been delivered.
The ANAO said it had found “some shortcomings” in the Department of Defence’s management of assistance to Ukraine, even though it found the planning, implementation and delivery of the Australian government’s approved assistance was “largely effective”.
The report said:
Defence delivered military assistance quickly and in line with Australian Government expectations, while assessing the risks and implications for Australian national interests and capability. However, not all legislative and administrative requirements were met in the context of this rapid implementation activity…
In the context of rapid implementation, some shortcomings were identified in respect to: demonstrating that policy approvals were secured for all items; resolving uncertainty around the legislative authority for grants of financial assistance; the completeness and quality of advice on aspects of Defence’s grants administration; having Australian defence export permits for all items; securing authorisations for gifting certain items; lodging Australian Customs export declarations; and recording gifted assets.
For example, the report said advice provided to decision-makers surrounding financial assistance grants to Nato and the United Kingdom ministry of defence “was not complete and did not satisfy all mandatory requirements of the Commonwealth Grants Rules and Guidelines”.
The ANAO listed “two opportunities for improvement” and Defence agreed.
More details soon.
Updated
Payroll tax exemption changes to gather $100m less than forecast in Victorian budget
Victoria’s treasurer, Tim Pallas, and education minister, Natalie Hutchins, are holding a press conference about the state government’s watered down payroll tax exemption for private schools.
Under the changes, 60 Victorian private schools – with annual fees over $15,000 – will lose their payroll tax exemption,
Hutchins said the Andrews government had listened to the concerns raised by the non-government school sector.
Pallas said the reform would rake in about $100m less in revenue compared to the government’s forecasts in the state budget:
I think we struck the right balance here.
Updated
Payroll tax to apply to Victorian private schools with fees over $15,000
Victorian private schools with annual fees over $15,000 will be stripped of their long-standing payroll tax exemption.
The measure, announced in last month’s state budget, was intended to affect about 110 private schools – with annual school fees above $7,500 – and rake in more than $420m in revenue. But it was watered down after the proposed reform sparked criticism from the non-government school sector and the opposition, who argued it was an arbitrary “hit list” that would result in higher fees for parents.
The state’s education minister, Natalie Hutchins, said the change would ensure “exemptions from payroll tax flow to the schools that genuinely need support.”
The Andrews government on Thursday said the measure would be set at a higher level to ensure low-fee independent schools were not impacted.
It said the change, which comes into effect July 2024, would apply to 60 non-government schools, less than one in 10 in the sector.
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Queensland government not considering name change for Brisbane ahead of 2032 Olympics
The Palaszczuk government has rejected claims, made by Brisbane radio earlier today, that it is considering changing the name of the Queensland capital to its Indigenous name, Meanjin, prior to the 2032 Olympics.
Radio station 4BC reported that “sources” this morning said the government was working with First Nations groups and the Greens to change the name of Brisbane, in the wake of the formerly titled Fraser Island reverting to its Indigenous name, K’gari.
Palaszczuk’s office has released a statement denying these claims.
Updated
Pilot killed after large bird struck his plane windshield, authorities conclude
Authorities investigating a pilot’s death in southern Queensland have ruled a large bird shattered his crop duster’s windshield as it flew low over a property, AAP reports.
Tom Grey was conducting sprays at a property in Western Downs when the crash happened on 19 September 2022.
The Australian Transport and Safety Bureau (ATSB) found the Air Tractor AT-502B was running parallel to a paddock fence line at a property near Chinchilla when an Australian bustard struck the aircraft.
Investigations indicated the plane was only 2.5m above the ground when the bustard, one of Australia’s largest birds – which can stand up to 1.2m high and can weigh up to 10kg – shattered the right windshield.
Assessments of the crash site suggested the plane then continued flying for a further 310m, or five seconds, with the ATSB establishing the birdstrike “affected the pilot’s ability to control the aircraft, resulting in a collision with terrain”.
The 32-year-old pilot died at the scene, while the bird’s carcass was found in the cockpit.
Severed wings from the animal were found about 310m north of the wreckage, in line with the aircraft’s track along the fence.
More than 1,300 birdstrikes were reported to the ATSB in 2022 with strikes usually resulting in nil-to-minor damage to the aircraft and occupants, the bureau said.
This incident is the second confirmed fatality involving a bird in Australia.
Updated
That’s all from me today! I’ll hand you over to Stephanie Convery, who will take you through the afternoon’s news.
Updated
Labor cuts billion dollar space observation program
The Albanese government has cut a Coalition-initiated space observation program as a budget-repair measure, AAP reports.
The industry minister, Ed Husic, confirmed the government would not proceed with the national space mission for earth observation program. It was established to build and launch four satellites between 2028 and 2033.
The cost of the program had been estimated at more than a billion dollars.
The government decided to “re-prioritise” $452.4m to address budget costs in the next three years. About 30 staff are expected to be impacted and public servants will be re-assigned while contractors will have their existing terms honoured.
Liberal deputy leader, Sussan Ley, slammed the decision as a “national disgrace” which would make Australia weaker.
In cutting this program Anthony Albanese has presided over one of the single worst industrial policy calls in Australian history.
As the space industries of other nations are lifting off, Australia’s is being taken off the launch pad.
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Acting director general of Queensland Health announced
Michael Walsh will be appointed acting director general of Queensland Health next month, following the surprise resignation of Shaun Drummond.
Walsh, who previously served as director-general of Queensland Health until 2019, will fill the position from 24 July while an international recruitment campaign kicks off to fill the role permanently.
Drummond will step down from the role at the end of this month as multiple health crises grip the state and amid ongoing criticism of proposed changes to whistleblower laws made by the department.
Drummond, who has spent eight months in the job, attempted to distance himself from a submission into whistleblower laws by the department which suggested people who provide journalists with “inappropriate” information should be penalised.
In a letter to the Courier-Mail, he said the submission about the laws had not come from him personally and he did not aim to restrict press freedom.
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Calls for federal decriminalisation of drug possession
Experts are calling on the federal government to decriminalise drug possession, as hospital admissions and deaths rise, AAP reports.
Representatives from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre fronted a parliamentary inquiry into law enforcement dealing with illicit drug use today, and said drug prohibition is not working.
Research fellow at the centre Rachel Sutherland said deaths relating to the use of amphetamines hit record highs three years ago.
These harms have been increasing under the current prohibitionist framework so it’s clear that we need to change how we respond to drug use.
Drug policy modelling program director, Alison Ritter, said the goal of drug decriminalisation is not to reduce use but to target the related harmful consequences.
Its goal is to increase access to assessment, education, treatment, to reduce stigma and increase the likelihood that a young person will talk with their parent about things that worry them about drug use.
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Would’ve, could’ve, should’ve?
A look at what the Opera House might’ve looked like:
This is what the Opera House could’ve looked like based off old design options - but 50 years on, there's still nothing better than the real thing. pic.twitter.com/T5CX9rZCXv
— Chris Minns (@ChrisMinnsMP) June 28, 2023
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Search continues for missing Belgian woman in Tasmania
Police are continuing search efforts today in Waratah in north-western Tasmania, focusing on the Philosophers Falls area where missing Belgian woman Celine Cremer’s vehicle was located on Monday.
Cremer’s vehicle was observed in the falls’ car park as early as 20 June 2023, according to information the police received yesterday.
Information indicates that Cremer was equipped for a light walk.
Police say weather conditions have been extremely cold with snow fall in the area over last weekend and light snow falling on searchers yesterday, with a bushwalkers’ weather alert in place for Tasmania.
The Philosopher Falls walking track remains temporarily closed to the public while searching continues.
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Rex begins daily flights between Sydney and Adelaide
Rex has launched daily flights between Adelaide and Sydney, AAP reports.
Rex’s deputy chairman, John Sharp, says there had already been strong demand from eager travellers.
What Rex brings to the market is choice and affordable fares with an excellent customer experience.
The airline says the extra competition will lead to lower fares.
The managing director of Adelaide airport, Brenton Cox, says the new service will improve travel options between the two cities, and make connections with regional NSW destinations more seamless.
The new route will be serviced by Boeing 737-800NG aircraft. The move comes after Rex launched flights between Adelaide and Melbourne in 2021.
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China’s domination of critical minerals must end: Chalmers
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, says China’s domination on the production of critical minerals must end, AAP reports.
Mining had been “a force for good” in Australia and would become an even bigger source of strength, he said at the World Mining Congress.
“We have what the world needs when the world needs it.”
More than 3500 delegates from 70 countries gathered in Brisbane to focus on lessening the footprint of the industry as mining intensifies and developing technology to boost production and worker safety.
Chalmers said the domination of China for every critical mineral would not lead to the strong and secure supply chains the world needed.
He added that Australia’s strategy did not amount to protectionism, despite concerns about wealthy countries teaming up to exclude rivals.
“None of what we’re doing involves shutting the world out – it’s about finding new ways to partner and co-operate.”
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South Australian vote on state voice to parliament delayed until 2024
The vote for South Australia’s voice to parliament has been delayed until 2024, to distance the local body from the ongoing debate over a national voice, AAP reports.
The government had previously planned to have elections in September with the state body operating by the end of the year.
The Aboriginal affairs minister, Kyam Maher, said the clear advice from both the electoral commissioner and the commissioner for first nations voice was that work being done in SA was being overshadowed by the debate at a national level around the yes and no referendum campaigns.
We have done so much work to support the South Australian voice and it will be proceeding regardless of the outcome of the referendum.
By allowing for more time, we’re giving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in South Australia the opportunity to fully understand how they can get involved and take the time to campaign, with distance from the discussion about the national voice.
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Struggling Victorians receiving energy bill relief grants in record numbers
Amid the cost-of-living crunch, more than 86,000 such grants were handed out in the past nine months, AAP reports.
In its latest market report, the Essential Services Commission revealed 67,413 residential customers required tailored electricity bill assistance in March, the highest number since the relief scheme began in 2019.
Another 55,415 households had help to pay their gas bills over the course of the month.
In total, 86,482 utility relief grants were credited to Victorians between July 2022 and March – up 22 per cent over the same nine-month period in the year before.
The surge comes ahead of the Victorian default offer rising by 25 per cent from July 1, meaning annual power bills will cost an extra $352 for the state’s residential customers and $752 for small businesses.
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Gravitational waves fill the cosmos!
But you can’t see them. They have been revealed by new radio data, because they are invisible ripples in spacetime caused by supermassive interstellar activity, as put by Nasa.
Congratulations to NANOGrav for detecting evidence that gravitational waves fill the cosmos.
— NASA (@NASA) June 29, 2023
These ripples in the fabric of space happen when massive objects like black holes circle one another before colliding. The result brings us closer to understanding how galaxies evolve.… pic.twitter.com/AuXBgkZkb7
Our science writer Donna Lu has written about them (and more other-worldly space things) here:
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Concerns raised about expert witness called in Faruqi v Hanson legal battle
Pauline Hanson’s lawyers have shared a judge’s concern over an expert witness sought by Mehreen Faruqi’s team in a legal battle between two senators over racial discrimination and free speech, AAP reports.
Faruqi sued over a tweet by Hanson, who wrote she should “pack [her] bags and piss off back to Pakistan”.
The Greens deputy leader is seeking $150,000 from Hanson in the lawsuit, claiming the tweet breached the Racial Discrimination Act by insulting, offending, humiliating and intimidating herself and others with Pakistani backgrounds.
Faruqi’s barrister Jessie Taylor told the federal court five days should be enough to hear the issue, when she will seek to call three expert witnesses, including one sparking concern from the other parties and the bench.
Taylor proposes to call an expert on the relationship between freedom of speech and hate speech.
“Those are matters which have attracted significant, enormous volumes of academic consideration,” she says.
Justice Angus Stewart questioned the admissibility of their evidence, preferring legal consideration rather than academic.
“I’ve got books on freedom of speech but they were written by a law professor,” he says.
Hanson’s high-profile barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC was also surprised by the third proposed expert.
“It seems to us there are seven experts and they’re sitting on the high court,” she says.
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Retail sales and job vacancies in May point to economy’s resilience
Two sets of stats out just now from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) indicate the economy is holding up despite the record burst of interest rate rises from the Reserve Bank.
Retail sales for May rose 0.7% compared with April. Economists had been expecting a retreat of about 0.1% after a flat month in April and 0.4% growth in March.
Retail sales edged up 0.7% in May from the previous month, defying economists' expectations of a small retreat. (Source: @ABSStats ) pic.twitter.com/sGqFlyDK5X
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) June 29, 2023
Ben Dorber, ABS head of retail statistics, said: “Retail turnover was supported by a rise in spending on food and eating out, combined with a boost in spending on discretionary goods.’”
This latest rise reflected some resilience in spending with consumers taking advantage of larger-than-usual promotional activity and sales events for May.
(Can imagine the effects of the Taylor Swift tour will bring a bit of a boost too, especially now that there are extra concerts.)
There were 432,000 job vacancies in May 2023, down 9,000 from February, according to new figures from the ABS.
Bjorn Jarvis, the ABS head of labour statistics, said: “The number of job vacancies fell by around 2 per cent between February and May, the fourth consecutive quarterly decrease.”
Despite the ongoing decline over the last year, vacancies remained elevated.
While job vacancies have fallen by around 10 per cent over the past year, they were still high – around 89 per cent higher in May 2023 than in February 2020, just before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This May saw businesses continuing to report difficulties in recruiting and retaining staff
And the prospects of finding a new job if you lose yours remain high, with job vacancies down just 2% in May from February, the ABS said. Employers were still looking to fill more than 430,000 roles.
Job vacancies fell 2% in the three months to May but remain high by historic levels with more than 430,000 positions to be filled. (Source: @ABSStats ) pic.twitter.com/reTl447Vir
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) June 29, 2023
Vacancies remain about 90% higher than in February 2020, before the Covid pandemic.
The dollar was little moved on the news while stocks gave up a little of their morning gains - suggesting today’s numbers haven’t shifted the dial too much as far as expectations about what the RBA might do next Tuesday.
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Another rate rise still possible but unlikely, investors say
In the wake of yesterday's lower than expected headline CPI numbers for May, investors pared their expectations of a July RBA rate rise. It's now only about a 1-in-6 chance (but markets have been wrong the last two meetings...) pic.twitter.com/fjNZLkZaFZ
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) June 29, 2023
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The protestors risking prison for the climate
Brad Homewood has two jobs. His paid job is driving a mini-mix concrete truck around suburban Melbourne. His volunteer work has ended in him being arrested 13 times for taking part in protests meant to disrupt an economic system driving a climate and ecological emergency.
Read Adam Morton’s story on the activists who risk prison to shatter Australia’s climate complacency here:
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Plibersek outlines how audit will investigate environmental law compliance
More on the newly-announced audit of environmental offsets, which we covered in the blog a little while ago.
Tanya Plibersek, the minister for environment and water, says the audit will investigate the compliance of over 1,000 offset sites approved under national environmental law over the last 20 years, “to make sure developers are meeting their obligations”.
We want to better protect nature, while also supporting essential sustainable development like housing and renewable energy. Developers should do everything they can to avoid habitat destruction and reduce impacts on nature. Properly managed offsets are a last resort but will help to make sure nature is better off overall.
Our environment reporter Lisa Cox has been writing about failures in Australia’s environmental protections for a long time. A series of her exclusives led to a parliamentary inquiry, a state audit and Icac referrals. Here is a look back at the painstaking work that went into piecing it all together:
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Early detection database for diabetes suggested
More on calls for improved diabetes testing:
Diabetes Australia is pushing for a database that could be used to keep track of alerts reminding patients to get medical checks, AAP reports.
Prof Richard MacIsaac says it is crucial to keep as many people off dialysis as possible, because it is both a massive burden on the health system and tough on patients.
“A person receiving dialysis is visiting hospital more than 150 times a year to receive around 780 hours of care,” MacIsaac says.
“But if we can detect people early, existing medicines are excellent at stopping or slowing the progression of kidney disease.”
1 in 20 hospitalisations in Australia is a person living with diabetes requiring dialysis.
— Diabetes Australia (@DiabetesAus) June 28, 2023
We need a Diabetes Kidney Disease Screening Program to raise awareness and make it easier to get kidney checks.
Thanks to @rileyrobyn08 for this important story in the @theheraldsun pic.twitter.com/6BDOUTyi3i
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Calls for more testing for diabetes
There are calls for more diabetes testing over fears the number of patients with related kidney disease admitted to hospital will soar, AAP reports.
A patient with diabetes also having dialysis now makes up one in 20 hospitalisations. This costs about $2.68bn a year. The figure is expected to jump 45% by 2040, unless early screening is rolled out, according to a report by Diabetes Australia.
It shows better early detection can save about $500m a year, lead author Prof Elif Ekinci says. And implementing that could be cost-effective:
“It doesn’t require new clinics, new operating theatres or new hospital beds,” Ekinci says.
“It involves taking our existing health infrastructure, including existing databases and services, and optimising them to increase rates of screening.”
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More partners leave PwC with income pool cut by 20%
Partners at embattled consultancy firm PwC will have their income pool cut by roughly 20% next financial year, due to the divestment of government services.
On Wednesday afternoon, the retirements of 70 PwC partners was announced to the firm - up from the 60 who left the consultancy firm last year.
Here’s a statement from a PwC spokesman:
At the end of each financial year, we have partners leave the firm and retire from the partnership.
We have had a slightly higher than average number of departures and retirements during the year, but our partnership has also grown during that time.
More senior, higher-earning partners will take a greater reduction in their income than more junior partners.
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Commonwealth seeks access to Ben Roberts-Smith defamation trial evidence for war crimes investigations
The commonwealth is seeking access to evidence gathered during the Ben Roberts-Smith defamation trial to use in ongoing war crimes investigations, the federal court has heard.
Roberts-Smith lost a defamation case against three newspapers and their reporters last month, with Justice Anthony Besanko finding, on the balance of probabilities, Australia’s most highly decorated living soldier murdered unarmed civilians while serving in Afghanistan.
Besanko heard on Thursday that the commonwealth would make an application to view evidence that was otherwise protected on national security grounds. Roberts-Smith opposes the application, but the media outlets do not.
Barrister Joe Edwards, for the commonwealth, said there was nothing unusual about a law enforcement agency accessing a court file, but the application on behalf of the Office of the Special Investigator was necessary because of the “quite strict rules” regarding the sharing of information before the court that was protected on national security grounds.
But he said it was necessary for those orders to be amended so that they “don’t have the inadvertent effect of frustration or impairing the conduct of ongoing criminal investigations”.
Edwards said that solicitors for Roberts-Smith had raised “a number of concerns” about the amendments, but there was some hope they would be agreed to.
He said that if the application was contested it was possible he would have to rely on confidential evidence which would have to be given in a closed court, and that Roberts-Smith and his lawyers would not be able to hear this evidence.
The court also heard that Roberts-Smith agreed to pay the media outlets’ legal costs on an indemnity basis dating back to 17 March 2020, but that there was a dispute about whether he should also pay costs earlier than that.
The outlets are also seeking third-party cost orders against Roberts-Smith’s former employer, the Seven Network, and Australian Capital Equity, Seven chair Kerry Stokes’ private company, which provided funds for Roberts-Smith’s case. These orders are disputed.
No further information has been heard in court on Thursday about the extent of the legal costs, but the combined costs are estimated to be in the tens of millions of dollars.
The hearing continues.
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Report into allegedly corrupt land deals in Melbourne set to be released
More on Victoria’s anti-corruption watchdog. A long-awaited report into allegedly crooked land deals between council and developers in Melbourne’s south-east, dubbed Operation Sandon, is also expected to be released in the coming months.
The Ibac chief executive, Marlo Baragwanath, said it would focus on high-risk public sector agencies that were “more likely to be vulnerable to corruption”:
They hold valuable information that could be misused or because they are responsible for high value investments, planning, outsourcing of public services delivery or allocation of funding.
We will also produce a strategic assessment on corruption risks associated with the water sector and explore prevention and education opportunities to address systemic corruption risks relating to use of public funds in the health sector.
Alongside its powers to investigate police complaints, it will also research Victoria police’s handling of family violence perpetrated by officers. It comes after an ABC investigation in 2020 uncovered “vast disparities” between how it treats employees who use violence and offenders in the broader community.
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Key event
Victorian anti-corruption body to focus on ‘improper influence’ of lobbyists and others
Victoria’s anti-corruption watchdog says it will be focusing on the “improper influence” of lobbyists, donors and government-aligned stakeholders, as well as the excessive use of force by police officers and their response to family violence in the upcoming financial year.
The Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission (Ibac) annual plan, released on Thursday, outlined five focus areas for 2023/24 as it works to prevent and expose public sector corruption and police misconduct. They are:
High-risk police units, divisions, and regions
Excessive use of force, including use of force on people at risk
Police responses to family violence incidents and predatory behaviour
High-risk public sector agencies, including those managing high-value matters
Improper influence, including by lobbyists, donors, government-aligned stakeholders and third-party facilitators
So far this year, the government has released two reports that tackle the issue of political influence. The first, related to former Labor minister Theo Theophanous, who Ibac had found secretly lobbied for a developer in exchange for donations to to the 2018 election campaign of his daughter – Northcote MP Kat Theophanous.. The second found a $1.2m contract was awarded to a union due to pressure applied by Victorian government advisers.
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Audit of 1,000 environmental offset sites announced
The environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, has announced a full audit of 1,000 environmental offset sites, in a bid to rein in developers flouting the rules, AAP reports.
The audit will consider whether offset requirements have been met, and if they are delivering the environmental benefits claimed.
Companies have been warned by the government to have their house in order, and to be upfront about any issues before reviewing gets under way.
Penalties may be slapped on businesses for projects found to be in breach of their approval conditions.
Plibersek said when developers agreed to offset their impacts, it wasn’t a choice but a legal obligation.
“For too long projects have gotten away with promising one thing and not following through,” she says.
I’ve been told of a carpark being built where trees were meant to be planted to provide habitat for threatened species, and of unauthorised clearing of a site that was not properly protected.
Approval holders should consider themselves on notice – deliver on your obligations for nature, or face penalties.
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Premier of Victoria Daniel Andrews says TAFE will be more likely to produce “jobs of the future”.
"The jobs of the future are more likely to be found in TAFE ... [than] in the Arts degree that I did in Classics and Middle Eastern politics 30 years ago," premier Daniel Andrews tells the SEC jobs and skills forum.
— Benita Kolovos (@benitakolovos) June 28, 2023
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Victorians rush to claim last EV rebates before scheme ends
A last-minute rush has seen more than 1,300 Victorians claim rebates on their electric vehicle purchases days before the state government ends the scheme, almost a year earlier than planned, AAP reports.
Government figures show Victorians have been claiming the $3,000 electric car subsidies at a rate of more than 60 a day since the change was announced early in June as part of the state’s 2024 budget.
But many more subsidies are available in other Australian states without plans to shut down their schemes, including New South Wales where more than 17,000 drivers could still claim a rebate, and in Queensland, which will double its subsidy for some buyers the day after Victoria ends its offer.
RMIT engineering research fellow Dr Syed Ali said Victoria’s move to end vehicle rebates was premature and had the potential to slow electric vehicle adoption and see Australia fall short of its 2030 emissions reduction target.
You can read the full AAP report here:
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Icac report set to be released shortly
Icac officials have arrived in the speaker’s dining room at NSW Parliament House to hand over the report of findings on former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian and Daryl Maguire.
Follow along with Christopher Knaus at our dedicated live blog here:
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Me too, Jenna Price.
One tab checking Swift resales, the other refreshing @nswicac
— Dr Jenna Price (@JennaPrice) June 28, 2023
If you are also looking for breaking updates on the NSW Icac, due to hand down findings on the former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian and former MP Daryl Maguire, follow along at our dedicated live blog:
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Severe weather warning across north-west Tasmania
A severe weather warning has been issued for damaging winds for people in parts of western and northern Tasmania.
A severe weather warning has been issued for damaging winds for people in parts of Western and Northern Tasmania.
— TasALERT (@tasalert) June 28, 2023
Locations which may be affected include Smithton, Sheffield, Deloraine, Whitemark, Bridport and Lake St Clair.
For more info go to https://t.co/TBrBbOoTDO pic.twitter.com/gOHFUSR3U6
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Jeremy Corbyn’s poetic roast
Our morning news editor Nick Miller summarises why former UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is being roasted on Twitter:
It's complicated but basically Corbyn quoted Shelley and it's prompted deep thoughts about the value of poetry and meaning of 'ye'. https://t.co/CZ4t8UwSvo
— NickdMiller ❔ (@NickdMiller) June 28, 2023
Basically, Corbyn posted 18th century poet Percy Bysshe Shelley’s famous “Rise like lions” verse to promote his poetry anthology – but Twitter users thought it was his own, and weren’t impressed.
You can read the full story from Stewart Jeffries here:
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NSW spending on temporary accommodation for homeless people rises to $55m a year
NSW is spending more than $55m a year on hotel rooms for people who would otherwise be on the street, as affordable housing options continues to dwindle, AAP reports.
Housing minister Rose Jackson says the number of people in temporary accommodation has ballooned in recent years.
It acts as circuit breaker for homeless people to get a shower and shelter while they attempt to re-enter the housing market.
“Because of the depth of the housing crisis, we are seeing thousands and thousands more people require that motel room, require that hotel room because the only other option is to sleep on the street,” Jackson says at today’s Property Council of Australia summit.
People have the genuine sort of sense that it’s bad, but I don’t think people quite realise just how stretched and dysfunctional and overwhelmed the system that is actually trying to respond to it is.
The state recorded a 34% jump in people sleeping rough in its latest homelessness street count released last week.
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Younger generations of Australians becoming more progressive
Australians born after 1996 are the most progressive since the second world war, with the Coalition on track to tank in future elections if it can’t appeal to younger voters, a new report claims.
The report “Generation Left: young voters deserting the right” argues that generation Z adults (born between 1996 and 2009) are shaping up to be far less likely than any previous generation to become conservative as they age.
Read the full story from Stephanie Convery here:
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Debris from Titan submersible brought ashore
Looking to international news for a moment – debris from the Titan submersible that imploded on a voyage to the Titanic wreck has been brought ashore.
A Canadian-flagged ship brought ashore debris from the Titan submersible that imploded while on a voyage to the century-old wreck of the Titanic earlier this month, killing all five people on board https://t.co/onsAWfrrWo pic.twitter.com/4IomgqLhsn
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 28, 2023
Video from the Canadian Broadcast Corporation shows what looks like the nose of the submersible, along with shattered fragments wrapped in white tarp, Reuters reports. The debris was pulled up by a crane at the St John’s harbour in Newfoundland.
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Scientists develop vaccine to protect saltwater crocodiles from virus
Scientists have developed a vaccine to protect farmed saltwater crocodiles from a disfiguring virus threatening northern Australia’s multimillion-dollar leather industry, AAP reports.
The commercial viability of the $100m industry has been under threat by the mosquito-borne West Nile virus. When there is more rainfall, outbreaks of the virus increase, causing lesions to 30% of croc hides.
Scientists from the University of Queensland have developed a vaccine based on a benign “Binjari” virus isolated from Australian mosquitoes and is the first of its kind.
“We have demonstrated that our vaccine induces a robust, immune response in vaccinated animals after two doses,” UQ’s Prof Roy Hall says.
“Crocodiles that received the vaccine developed strong protective immunity against WNV, without the virus replicating.”
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Jim Chalmers says surplus not at expense of struggling households
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, denies Australia’s first budget surplus in more than a decade comes at the expense of under-pressure households as the cost of living rises, AAP reports.
Chalmers has confirmed there will be a larger surplus for the 2022/23 financial year than predicted in last month’s federal budget.
He told Seven’s Sunrise program this morning:
By getting the budget in much better nick by finding savings ... it actually makes it possible from that much stronger foundation to provide the $15bn of cost-of-living relief that we had in the budget.
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Jim Chalmers 'not floating' more cost of living relief
The federal treasurer, Jim Chalmers, says he is “not floating” more cost of living relief at the moment – even with a bigger-than-forecast surplus expected after this financial year – on ABC RN this morning.
You did leave the door open for more cost-of-living relief though - how do make that call? or are you saying you haven't left the door open?
— RN Breakfast (@RNBreakfast) June 28, 2023
"if we can afford to help people in different ways obviously, we consider that at the time.. but I'm not floating that now"
-@JEChalmers
Chalmers says he aims to maintain a healthy budget surplus to keep pressure off inflation.
“It’s really important to recognise the cost of living help in the budget is rolling out now,” he says.
“The other important point is when it comes to the surplus … by getting the budget in much better nick, we can afford to provide this cost of living support for people.”
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NSW Greens to introduce rent freeze bill
The New South Wales Greens will today introduce a bill to freeze rents across the state for two years despite failing to secure the support of the government.
The legislation seeks an immediate start so landlords would not have time to raise rents.
The Greens housing spokeswoman, Jenny Leong, said the government had been engaging in a “blame game” rather than acting to stop rents from rising further.
“Every day they fail to act is another day that renters will be forced to choose between a rent hike they can’t afford or eviction,” she said.
NSW and federal Labor have a choice – they can stand on the side of big investors and developers, or they can relieve renters from soaring rents by supporting the Greens rent freeze bill.
The premier, Chris Minns, has already ruled out supporting such measures.
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Jim Chalmers says economy expected to ‘slow considerably’
The federal treasurer, Jim Chalmers, says inflation will be a bit higher “than we like” for some time, even as inflation figures released yesterday were lower than expected.
“Inflation is certainly moderating in our economy, and that is very welcome news, but we understand that a lot of Australians are still under the pump,” he said on ABC Breakfast this morning. “Inflation will be a bit higher than we like for a bit longer than we’d like.
But it is obviously very very welcome news that inflation continues to moderate.
We know people are still under the pump, we still expect our economy to slow considerably, but we go into this period of global uncertainty from a position of relative economic strength.
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Sister of missing Belgian woman says search ‘inconclusive’
The sister of missing Belgian woman Celine Cremer said the rescue effort remained “inconclusive” in a Facebook update yesterday:
“The search continues by drone and ground patrol, but the results remain inconclusive,” Amélie Cremer says. “The news is not reassuring but we are hopeful and waiting for information to drop.”
Celine had been travelling in Tasmania, and was last seen in Waratah on the 17 June.
Police received a concern for welfare report for Celine on Monday, and her vehicle was found in a carpark at the Philosopher Falls Track on Tuesday.
They will resume the next two days, this time with sniffer dogs. The authorities are doing everything they can to rake as much land and they are very present for us. Celine’s car was towed expertly and to find elements that will allow the investigation to move forward.
Guardian Australia have contacted Tasmania police for an update on today’s continued search of the Philosopher Falls Track area at Waratah.
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Albanese government scraps first national space mission
The federal government has cancelled a program labelled as “Australia’s first national space mission”, which was meant to see four satellites built to detect and monitor natural disasters and undertake maritime surveillance.
The Morrison government had promised $1.2bn for the National Space Mission for Earth Observation (NSMEO) program. At the time, the government said it would also be used for weather forecasting, environmental management and helping farmers.
The Albanese government has now returned the money to the budget and will continue to use international partners’ satellite data. The industry and science minister, Ed Husic, said the government “values the role our space sector plays”. He said:
That’s why in our recent budget we placed the Australian Space Agency on sustainable financial footing.
Not only does the sector draw on significant support from across portfolios, but space-related firms will also be able to access capital through our $15bn [national reconstruction fund] plus our newly announced $392m industry growth program.
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Energy deal announced by federal and NSW governments
The federal and New South Wales governments have announced a deal to underwrite 550 megawatts of dispatchable electricity – that is, power that can be called on at any time – as part of a commitment to firm up the national grid.
It is the first announcement under the commonwealth’s capacity investment scheme, which is promised to support large-scale generation and storage to support variable solar and wind energy.
The federal climate change and energy minister, Chris Bowen, said the generation capacity built following a tender process would improve the security and reliability of the grid in NSW and put downward pressure on electricity prices.
Today’s announcement will drastically improve energy security with large-scale batteries and other zero-emission technology that can quickly dispatch cleaner, cheaper renewable energy when it’s needed, like when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing.
NSW had previously announced a tender for 380MW of dispatchable capacity. The governments said the new deal would lift the total to 930MW – roughly equivalent capacity to a coal-fired power plant.
The state government has already received bids totalling 3,300MW under its scheme. The NSW energy minister, Penny Sharpe, said that it was a “clear indication that we can transform our energy system”.
Any risks around grid reliability can be resolved by accelerating the development of a clean, reliable, consumer-focused energy system.
The national capacity investment scheme is promised to add 6GW of generation capacity. The next tender will be in South Australia and Victoria and is promised by October.
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Indonesian president to visit Australia next week
The Indonesian president, Joko Widodo, will visit Sydney next week, for meetings with prime minister Anthony Albanese between Monday and Wednesday.
Albanese announced the visit overnight, saying Indonesia was “of vital importance to Australia, as a partner and a neighbour”.
“Underpinned by a warm friendship and strong people-to-people links, our bilateral relationship includes cooperation on climate and clean energy transition, defence, security, economic development, trade, investment and education,” the PM said.
Albanese and Widodo will hold the eighth Australia-Indonesia annual leaders’ meeting during the visit, with “deepening commercial and economic links and opportunities for both countries through the transition to net zero” high on the agenda.
“I am delighted to welcome my friend President Widodo to Australia,” Albanese said. “This will be our fourth meeting together. As one of our closest neighbours, Australia is building extensive cooperation with Indonesia on climate, economic development, education and regional security issues.”
No word yet on whether the two will again jump on a bike to recreate their unexpected cycling adventure when Albanese visited Indonesia last year, but we can live in hope (maybe an e-scooter zip around the harbour).
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Frontier announces more Swift shows
Yesterday’s online queue for less than half a million Taylor Swift concert tickets clocked up 4 million users – that’s a lot, even if you account for the many people trying to beat the queue by opening multiple browser tabs. And a record, Ticketek said.
So it’s less than jaw-droppingly surprising that this morning Frontier have announced two new shows, one each in Sydney and Melbourne, with tickets going on sale on Friday.
The concerts are at the MCG on Sunday 18 February and Accor Stadium in Sydney on Monday 26 February. As before, sales will be staggered with Sydney going on sale at 10am and Melbourne at 2pm.
The pre-sale tickets for the other concerts are sold out, though there are apparently some (very expensive) VIP and hotel packages still available. All the details are here. Form an orderly queue.
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Welcome
Good morning and thanks for joining us for our rolling coverage of the day’s news. I’m Martin Farrer and I’ll be bringing you the top overnight stories before Rafqa Touma takes the helm.
The big news today will be the expected release of the findings of the New South Wales corruption watchdog’s inquiry into the scandal that cost Gladys Berejiklian her job as state premier. We’ll be firing up a separate live blog very shortly where you can follow all the developments.
Our top story this morning is an exclusive report that the federal government has suspended a major audit of the aged care sector being carried out by the embattled consultancy firm PwC amid concerns about potential conflicts of interest. The government had warned bosses that it was concerned about potential conflicts after the recent tax scandal, which has shaken the firm to the core. And now ministers have decided that PwC cannot carry on with the audit while also spruiking consultants for the aged care industry.
The Greens’ decision to go hard on the issue of renting has frustrated federal ministers who have seen their housing bill held up by the minor party. But there’s an interesting insight this morning into why the Greens’ tactic is a potentially successful one with a report predicting young Australians are far less likely to shift to the right in the way their parents and grandparents have traditionally done. Bad news for Peter Dutton, but good news for Adam Bandt if his party is seen as champion of Gen Z causes such as helping renters.
And, in big news for millions, Taylor Swift has added two new shows to her Australian tour (one each in Sydney and Melbourne) after a record 4 million users joined an online queue for tickets yesterday.
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