What we learned: Wednesday 24 August
And with that, we will close the blog for the day. Here’s what happened today:
Crikey is using a legal threat from Lachlan Murdoch to drive subscriptions, a statement of claim lodged by the co-chairman of News Corporation alleges.
Scott Morrison’s predecessor, Malcolm Turnbull, said the inquiry into Morrison’s secret ministerial portfolio “must go beyond Morrison”, adding that “something has gone seriously wrong” at Government House.
Stuart Robert said the deputy prime minister’s comments on the inquiry “scream of a political witch hunt”, while the deputy Liberal leader, Sussan Ley, said the government should be “bursting” with economic solutions rather than probing Morrison.
The attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, confirmed the inquiry will bring “change in law”, adding “Morrison shouldn’t be hiding behind the pandemic.”
Meanwhile, Simon Birmingham, the opposition leader in the Senate, said the opposition would support legal change following Morrison advice.
Sydney commuters will be faced with a second day of train strikes this week, despite the government delivering a deed it says will meet the rail union’s demands.
Queensland teachers reportedly set to have their pay cut for refusing to get vaccinated against Covid-19 are “facing the consequences of that choice”, the federal aged care minister, Anika Wells, said.
The New South Wales Labor MP Tania Mihailuk has rejected allegations of bullying levelled through the media this week, adding that she was “strong-willed” but “not a bully”.
Jonathan Kearns, head of domestic markets at the Reserve Bank, warns Australia must confront climate risks.
The NSW roads minister said the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Harbour Tunnel and under-construction Western Harbour Tunnel will not be privatised.
The National Council for Fire and Emergency Services gave a fire season outlook, saying there is “a varied fire potential”.
Australia released more than 45,000 sq km of ocean for oil and gas exploration,
The NSW Nurses and Midwives Association announced there will be a 24-hour strike from 7am on Thursday 1 September.
Updated
Sydney commuters to face a second day of train strikes this week
The outcome comes despite the government delivering a deed it says will meet the rail union’s demands, AAP is reporting.
The employee relations minister, Damien Tudehope, called on the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) to give up on upcoming industrial action on Wednesday, saying an agreement was close to being reached which would satisfy union demands.
The long-running dispute revolves around the government’s new intercity trains, a Korean-built fleet the union says are unsafe and require modifications.
The fleet were designed for drivers to monitor platforms via CCTV, with a risk a driver would not be able to see if someone had fallen through the gap between platform and train.
Tudehope said a deed had been presented to the RTBU on Wednesday afternoon, which had been negotiated by minister for regional transport and roads Sam Farraway.
We call on the union today to execute that document and to call off the industrial activity, which has inconvenienced the people and commuters of this state.
However, Tudehope conceded the deed had not yet been signed by either party, and the RTBU maintained it was too late to avert planned strikes on Thursday.
This is something which the government has entered into in good faith,” Tudehope said.
The union will not be taken by surprise in respect of any of the terms of the agreement which has been submitted.
We would expect the unions now to abandon the industrial activity, which they have engaged in circumstances where they have held the commuters of Sydney to ransom over a long period of time.
Farraway said he’d met with the Combined Rail Unions and RTBU over the past fortnight and had collaborative discussions about completing a deed over the Korean-built trains.
It comes after a chaotic Tuesday on Sydney’s rail network, with the T1, T7 and T9 lines affected and the T5 line prevented from operating.
Further strikes are planned on Thursday, with workers on the City Circle and at Redfern to go on strike.
Updated
Doctor misunderstood why girl who later died of sepsis was brought to hospital, inquest hears
A Perth doctor who saw Aishwarya Aswath on the night of her death did not have access to the girl’s triage notes and misunderstood why she had been brought to hospital, an inquest has heard.
Aishwarya, 7, died of sepsis in April last year, hours after presenting to the Perth Children’s hospital emergency department with a fever and unusually cold hands.
She was left in a waiting room for more than 90 minutes, despite her parents pleading with staff to escalate her care as her condition deteriorated.
You can read more on the story at the link below:
Updated
Monique Ryan: ‘Who knew what, and when?’
Oh what a tangled web we weave
— Dr Monique Ryan MP (@Mon4Kooyong) August 23, 2022
When first we practice to deceive..
Who knew what, and when? Enquiries into the Member for Cook's actions as PM will need to include multiple sectors of the public service - as well as the former Attorney-General and the Governor-General. pic.twitter.com/obDUpnFjFp
Updated
Disability job services shake-up
A job agency that came under fire at the disability royal commission for a questionable barista course is among several providers stripped of contracts under a shake-up of Disability Employment Services (Des).
AimBig Employment is one of 52 for-profit and charity-run employment services providers that have lost market share in the $1bn-a-year program following a performance review.
You can read more on the story from Luke Henriques-Gomes at the link below:
Updated
Ukrainian ambassador: Australia’s support for Ukraine ‘a vital investment into the future’
Ukrainian ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko was on Sky News earlier today, urging Australians to continue supporting Ukraine as the country marks its 30th anniversary of independence from Russia.
Russians are pursuing a chauvinistic plan of reviving an empire, and Vladimir Putin is on a mission.
I think the world needs to stop him, including Australia, which is supporting Ukraine, which is sending military assistance to Ukraine, providing humanitarian assistance.
It’s important that Australia carries on doing it because that’s a vital investment into the future, into the security [in] the Indo-Pacific, into the standards of living here in Australia.
Updated
Michael McCormack on Scott Morrison’s ministries: ‘Out there in voter land they are not talking about this’
Former deputy PM and current Nationals MP Michael McCormack has backed his former boss, Scott Morrison, repeating some of the excuses the former PM rolled out last week, adding that he did not think this was a crisis.
Speaking on the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing, McCormack said he accepted the solicitor general’s findings with regard to the legality of Morrison’s secret portfolio (just that), adding that the former PM indicated he might take more portfolios after taking health:
The solicitor general Stephen O’Donoghue has found no wrongdoing by Scott Morrison legally. He has not breached the constitution. So I will accept the solicitor general in that regard.
I just note David Shoebridge calling it a scandal and a crisis. This is the bloke who wanted to defund the police when he was in the New South Wales parliament so I won’t take any lectures from a Senator Shoebridge. I have got to tell you, out there in voter land they are not talking about this, they are talking about FMD, they are talking about the price of petrol, they are talking about the cost of living, the lack of land to build houses upon.
I am happy to say I knew the fact that should Greg Hunt, health minister at the time, become incapacitated the prime minister clearly stated that he would take over those responsibilities.
But the prime minister at the time indicated, he said I may well have to take over other portfolios. It was not as if he needed to, it wasn’t as if he was ultimately making any decisions in those portfolio areas … Pep-11 and the resources minister, that came later on. This was at a time when there were mass graves being dug in New York.
There was a lot going on at the time and we were fearful, the chief medical officer had told us that this could potentially kill up to 40,000 or 50,000 people in Australia. We were making decisions at the time, making sure that we kept Australians safe.
Updated
WA police appeal for information after man blinded when potato ‘thrown or fired’ from car
WA police are appealing for information after someone “threw or fired” a potato at two men, causing serious facial injuries.
Police said two men were travelling on scooters along a footpath in Trigg, Perth on Friday 20 May, when occupants of a silver Ford Falcon threw or fired the potato.
It resulted in serious injuries to one of the men, including “permanently losing sight in one eye, several facial fractures and a fractured arm”.
In a statement, police say they believe the Ford Falcon was travelling in a convoy, along with a black sedan and an older white Nissan Patrol with a snorkel, bulbar and missing rear spare tyre.
Detectives wish to speak to anyone who saw the incident, or observed anyone throwing or firing potatoes or other objects at members of the public on West Coast Drive or in the area.
Updated
‘Sometimes when you embark on a witch-hunt, you find a witch,’ Tim Ayres says about Morrison’s secret ministries
Assistant trade and manufacturing minister Tim Ayres was on ABC News this afternoon and was initially asked what he made of figures in the Liberal party describing the government’s inquiry into the Scott Morrison’s secret ministerial portfolio a “witch-hunt”.
Ayres was not having it, saying that “sometimes when you embark on a witch-hunt, you find a witch”:
This has been an extraordinary aggregation of prime ministerial responsibility, it has been an extraordinary breach of Westminster standards against a backdrop that debauched and diminished standards of government right over the life of the Morrison government, misuse of taxpayer funds for political purposes, the rort that happened under the government.
And now we find that Scott Morrison so distrusted his colleagues and so centralised power and authority in the Prime Minister’s Office that he was secretly throwing himself into, as far as we know now, five ministries.
It is the kind of thing that diminishes people’s faith in democracy and we need to take steps of the government to get to the bottom of what actually happened first of all. And then set about the job of making sure this can never happen again.
Updated
Crikey publisher’s chief executive: ‘We are determined to fight’
Will Hayward, the chief executive of Crikey’s publisher Private Media, has said the company stands by its reporting and was prepared to defend itself against the “considerable resources” of News Corp co-chairman Lachlan Murdoch.
Murdoch filed defamation proceedings in the federal court late on Tuesday, with his lawyers claiming an article Crikey ran in June was defamatory.
Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, Hayward said he intended to push for more subscribers as a way of funding the case:
We are determined to fight for the integrity and importance of diverse independent media in Australian democracy.
We welcome Lachlan Murdoch’s writ. Crikey’s Murdoch Letters series this week reveals how media power works in this country. We believe that coverage of the events of January 6 at the US Capitol, and the role of Fox News in those events, is absolutely legitimate.
The best way to support our case is to subscribe to Crikey. Here in Australia, if we lose the case in court, the cost to Crikey could be millions in damages and legal costs.
Updated
NSW nurses to strike on 1 September: ‘They’re fed up with being ignored’
Nursing strikes are set to continue in New South Wales, with the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association announcing there will be a 24-hour strike from 7am on Thursday 1 September.
A majority of the union’s 200 branches voted in favour of industrial action in ballots this week. It will be the third large strike action from the union this year.
They are pushing for staff-to-patient ratios to be implemented on a shift-by-shift basis, with the union’s general secretary Shaye Candish saying their members were “angry” and “fed up”:
Our members are angry, and they’re fed up with being ignored. We indicated to the NSW government earlier this year that we needed an open and meaningful dialogue with them about safe staffing.
Updated
University students should get partial refunds for online learning, opposition says
The opposition education spokesman Alan Tudge has called for university students to be offered a partial refund for “poor” learning experiences.
Tudge told Sky News that while the pandemic had affected learning experiences in the past there should be no reason for lectures to still be affected:
I hear from parents and from students directly all the time that they were promised to have an in-class experience, an on-campus experience, but have been delivered something very different.
The last couple of years with the pandemic, there were restrictions in place which meant that you couldn’t have your full on campus experience.
But today, you can go to the Opera House, it will be full. You can go to the MCG, it will be full. There’s no reason at all that lectures can’t be back as normal and as promised.
Updated
Em Rusciano calls for NDIS to support ADHD patients and opens up on diagnosis
The comedian Em Rusciano has addressed the National Press Club today and called for the NDIS to fund treatments for ADHD.
Rusciano, who has a daughter with ADHD and a son with autism, said she believed more sensitivity was needed when dealing with children with autism and their families.
She said families were treated as “guilty until proven worthy” when trying to access NDIS funding, and said she was encouraged to bring her son “to the brink of an autistic meltdown” so an NDIS case worker would “witness it rather than take my word of it”.
I have to prove how hard my life is with my son and I have to say and report on things no mother should have to do.
You have to say the very worst. You have to put on a show ... I’ve heard mothers that are being asked if you have had to call the police on your child or if your child has ever been in danger. These questions are unacceptable.
We need proper government recognition and support. ADHD needs to be included in the NDIS as a primary disability.
Even though ADHD was recognised as a disability in the 1992 Disability Discrimination Act, it does not appear on the list of disabilities supported by the NDIS.
She also opened up on the difficulty she faced in getting her ADHD diagnosis at age 42 and the grief she felt for her younger self. We’re put together part of her speech in a video:
Updated
Good afternoon, Mostafa Rachwani with you this afternoon, and a quick thanks to Natasha May for guiding us through the morning.
Thanks for your attention this hump day. I hand the blog helm over to the inimitable Mostafa Rachwani!
La Niña rainclouds bring silver lining as fire risk stays low across much of eastern Australia
We brought you the details of the media conference as the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council released its seasonal bushfire outlook earlier today.
If you’re interested in reading more on the different fire risks for different states, my colleague Donna Lu has the full story:
Months of wet weather across eastern Australia may have a silver lining, with the national council for fire and emergency services advising a normal to below-average likelihood of bushfires this spring in regions devastated during the black summer.
Updated
NSW beekeepers ‘at war’ with mite as hives destroyed
The hives and honey of New South Wales beekeepers are being destroyed in the war against the varroa mite, AAP reports.
The NSW Department of Primary Industries estimates the deadly parasite could cost Australian beekeepers $70m a year if it takes hold.
The destruction of hives and bee colonies began on Monday in identified eradication areas.
As of Friday, 99 infested properties had been identified in Newcastle, Port Stephens and the Central Coast region.
All hives and bees in the eradication zones will be destroyed, regardless of whether or not they have varroa mites.
No new hives can be established in the eradication zones for at least three years.
The department’s chief plant officer Satendra Kumar says the destruction is necessary, and acknowledged beekeepers are facing a challenging period.
Dr Kumar said:
They are at war for the rest of the country.
He estimated the hives will be destroyed by the end of September.
Updated
Communication minister urges AFL commission to ensure sport remains on free-to-air TV
As the AFL media rights negotiations enter their final stages, the minister for communications, Michelle Rowland, says AFL coverage should remain accessible for all Australians.
The AFL is a core and enduring part of Australia’s history and culture, and it’s important AFL coverage remains accessible for all Australians. pic.twitter.com/3vzzwLxYFM
— Michelle Rowland (@MRowlandMP) August 24, 2022
Updated
RBA urges business to act now on climate threats or face potential legal action
If you were following along the blog this morning my colleague Peter Hannam shared several insightful posts about the RBA warning businesses they would need to consider the economic consequences of global warming.
If you’re interested in hearing more about the central bank’s advice, the full article is now out:
The Reserve Bank has warned banks, insurers and other businesses to act now to manage the financial threats from global warming, with directors and trustees likely to face litigation risks if they don’t take “appropriate actions”.
In a broad-ranging speech on Wednesday, the central bank’s head of domestic markets, Jonathan Kearns, said the climate crisis was a “significant issue” for the economy and society. Effects would be “more severe” if actions were delayed.
WA records one Covid death
Western Australia has recorded one Covid death and 1,685 new cases in the latest reporting period, with 237 people in hospital and eight in intensive care.
Updated
Ardern rallies behind Finnish prime minister
New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern has bemoaned the harsh spotlight that may put people off entering public life as she reflected on the uproar surrounding a leaked video of the Finnish prime minister Sanna Marin partying.
Marin has been engulfed in a storm of criticism following the publication of a private video showing her dancing with friends.
New Zealand’s prime minister said she did not want to interfere in “domestic political situations of any other leader or country” but suggested the outcry was damaging.
Ardern said:
My one general reflection is that ever since I’ve been in this role I’ve really had a mind to whether or not we are attracting people to these jobs.
We need people from all walks of life to look to politics and think, ‘That’s a place I feel I can make a positive difference’.
Marin, Finland’s prime minister since 2019, is often compared with Ardern – both being young, female leaders with centre-left outlooks who have managed coalition governments.
Prior to taking office, Ardern was known for enjoying the odd DJ spot, with a varied setlist covering everything from Iggy Pop to Beyonce.
Under her leadership, the Labour party has placed a focus on achieving diversity of representation in its caucus. After its 2020 election win, Labour’s party room boasted a female majority for the first time.
– via AAP
Updated
Elderly man and wife found dead at SA retirement home in alleged murder-suicide
The bodies of a man and a woman, both aged 93, have been found at a retirement village in Adelaide’s eastern suburbs, police say.
A spokesperson for South Australian police gave a media press conference this afternoon, saying police believe the deaths were the result of a murder-suicide.
Police allege the man killed his wife and then himself:
At around about 8am this morning police were called to a unit at Barns Road at Glynde along with police and paramedics at this location. Tragically we found a deceased male and a female within the unit.
There is a currently a police investigation underway with regard to the deaths of both people and at this stage … We believe it is a murder-suicide.
Police are still at the scene and it is an ongoing investigation to determine the circumstances … but it appears rather tragic.
Crisis support services can be reached 24 hours a day: Lifeline 13 11 14; Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467; Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800; MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78; Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636
Updated
Single parents, people with disability and those in financial stress more likely to suffer emotional abuse by partner, data shows
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has released new analysis on people experiencing emotional abuse from a partner, commonly known as coercive control.
An estimated 2.2 million women (23%) and 1.4 million men (16%) have experienced emotional abuse by a partner at some point since the age of 15, according to a 2016 personal safety survey.
Will Milne, a crime and justice statistics expert at the ABS, said the new analysis found socio-demographic characteristics associated with higher rates of partner emotional abuse:
People more likely to experience partner emotional abuse were single parents, people with intellectual or psychological disability, and those experiencing financial stress.
It also found that childhood experiences of abuse and violence increased the risk of experiencing partner emotional abuse later.
Women and men who experienced childhood abuse or witnessed parental violence as a child were about twice as likely to experience partner emotional abuse in their adulthood.
The rate was highest for women who were both physically and sexually abused as a child. We found they were three times more likely to experience partner emotional abuse in adulthood (57%) than women who did not experience childhood abuse (18%).
The data also showed that those who experienced emotional abuse were more likely to have also experienced other forms of domestic violence. Milne said:
We found that over half of women (58%) and a quarter of men (26%) who experienced partner emotional abuse had also experienced physical or sexual violence by a partner. The rate of partner violence was over eight times higher than for those who had not experienced emotional abuse.
Updated
Australian leaders reaffirm support for Ukraine on its independence day
The prime minister Anthony Albanese has reaffirmed Australia’s support for Ukraine as the European nation marks 31 years of independence amid war with Russia. Albanese wrote in a statement:
Australia’s solidarity with Ukraine rests in our belief that international law must prevail to preserve the sovereignty of all nations and uphold the basic human value of self-determination.
To all Ukrainian-Australians and the Ukrainian people, we stand with you in the struggle for peace and freedom on Ukraine Independence Day. 🇦🇺🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/k406d9zDCa
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) August 23, 2022
The leader of the opposition, Peter Dutton, has also released a statement on behalf of the Coalition:
Throughout this time, Australia has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine and continues to condemn Russia’s abhorrent actions.
Today, our thoughts are with the people of Ukraine as they mark their Independence Day – exactly 6 months since the beginning of Russia’s invasion. We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine amidst Russia’s brutality. The Coalition's statement: https://t.co/MS3VL7l0fU pic.twitter.com/q6Wp3FOezH
— Peter Dutton (@PeterDutton_MP) August 23, 2022
Updated
Greens demand First Nations people be consulted on ocean released for exploration
The Greens’ resources spokesperson, Senator Dorinda Cox, has also spoken out on the government’s release of 46,758 sq kms of ocean acreage for oil and gas exploration.
Cox says “Sea Country does not belong to Labor, to sell to the highest bidder”:
Aboriginal people never ceded sovereignty to our lands, waters and sky. Like other nations, First Nations borders don’t begin and end at sea level. Sea Country does not belong to Labor, to sell to the highest bidder.
The Greens demand that the Traditional Custodians of these waters be consulted and that any corporation or Government obtain their free, prior and informed consent before they proceed with their operations.
Updated
Australia releases more than 45,000 sq km of ocean for oil and gas exploration
My colleague Lisa Cox reported earlier that the federal government was today due to announce its annual release of ocean that will be available for companies to explore for oil and gas.
The minister for resources Madeleine King has announced that 46,758 sq km of new ocean acreage will be available for exploration.
The areas released include the Bonaparte, Browse, Carnarvon, and Gippsland basins off the coasts of the Northern Territory, Western Australia, Victoria, and the Ashmore and Cartier Islands
King said the release would play an important role in securing future energy supplies:
The annual release of areas for offshore petroleum exploration supports ongoing investment in the nation’s petroleum sector, which is vital for the economy and meeting the energy needs of Australians.
At the same time as we strive to reduce emissions it must be emphasised that continued exploration for oil and gas in Commonwealth waters is central to alleviating future domestic gas shortfalls.
Australia’s energy sector also continues to support international energy security, particularly during the global turbulence caused largely by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
But the Greens’ spokesperson for healthy oceans, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, attacked the decision and its impact on the environment:
Labor has made a mockery of its own weak climate target by offering up new areas of ocean acreage for fossil fuel companies to plunder, pollute and profit from in a time of climate emergency.
We already have enough oil and gas in reserves to trigger catastrophic climate change to our planet. There’s no plausible excuse for Labor to put our marine ecosystems in jeopardy for the sake of a few profit-driven interests to drill for the exact same product that is killing our oceans.
Updated
SA records two Covid deaths
South Australia has recorded two Covid deaths and 936 new cases in the latest reporting period, with 257 people in hospital and eight in intensive care.
South Australian COVID-19 update 24/08/22.
— SA Health (@SAHealth) August 24, 2022
For more information, go to https://t.co/XkVcAmeZ6V pic.twitter.com/FPTMuujMIH
Updated
Harbour Bridge and Harbor Tunnel won’t go private
The NSW roads minister says the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Harbour Tunnel or under-construction Western Harbour Tunnel will not be privatised.
Natalie Ward ruled out any government plans to privatise the infrastructure as tolls loom as a key state election battleground, AAP reports.
Ward fronted a budget estimates hearing today and was quizzed about government plans for the three major roads, amid increasing scrutiny of Sydney’s extensive toll road network, as cost of living pressures bite.
The rising cost of living across Sydney, including escalating road toll charges, are expected to be a headline issue at the March election.
The Greens’ Abigail Boyd asked Ward if she would rule out cutting a deal with toll road operator Transurban on toll revenue from the Harbour Tunnel or the Harbour Bridge.
Transurban operates 10 roads in Sydney and has one of the remaining projects that makes up mega-project WestConnex, set for completion in 2023. Ward said:
We are absolutely not doing that and the scare campaign needs to stop.
Ward was then asked the same question about the Western Harbour Tunnel, a major project set to create a western bypass of the Sydney CBD. She said:
There are no plans to do so at this time, I think that’s ruling it out.
Updated
Julian Hill attacks Scott Morrison
Labor MP Julian Hill has launched a stinging attack on Scott Morrison on his own Facebook page, accusing him of breaking “numerous ancient democratic conventions”.
“Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should,” Hill wrote, in a comment on Morrison’s post yesterday following the solicitor-general’s advice that the former prime minister had “undermined” parliamentary traditions around accountability.
Hahaha. Happy to lose this bet - Scotty hasn’t deleted my comment. Yet. #auspol pic.twitter.com/LN8H3VOcnz
— Julian Hill MP (@JulianHillMP) August 24, 2022
Hill’s comment, which is still visible on Morrison’s post, has attracted more than 1,200 likes. In it, he criticises Morrison’s response as “word salad”.
“I bet you’ll delete this comment like you have numerous others overnight as you’re a spin merchant not a leader,” he wrote.
Morrison’s post, according to social media tracking bot Auspol Posts, garnered more interactions than any other by a federal politician yesterday. It was liked by Morrison’s colleagues including Melissa Price, Andrew Wallace and Michael Sukkar.
With 17897 interactions, Scott Morrison has had more engagement on this Facebook post than any other politician's post on Aug 23:https://t.co/joqKhkt17f
— auspol_posts (@auspol_posts) August 24, 2022
(5015 comments, 12454 likes and reactions, 428 shares)
Morrison has said his decision to secretly take on extra department responsibilities was in the “national interest”, voicing his concern over possible sickness or misadventure befalling ministers in key portfolios during the pandemic. In his statement, he said he would “appropriately assist any genuine process to learn the lessons from the pandemic”.
Updated
WA already dealing with active fires in north of state
In Western Australia, there is currently significant fire risk in the northern parts of the state while the fire season in southern WA will only start in December.
The fire and emergency services commissioner in Western Australia, Darren Klemm, said:
The seasonal outlook for spring shows significant areas motivated fire risk in the northern part of the state who in Western Australia already high the bushfire season in that part. Bushfire season in the southern part of the state doesn’t start until runabout December.
So we are already dealing with active fires up in the northern part of the state, around those areas where that are showing up in the FRS.
Updated
Normal fire seasons for Queensland and South Australia
A normal fire season is predicted in South Australia. However, there is concern for the north of the state because of large fuel loads.
In Queensland, a normal bushfire season is expected over the next three months but there is concern about grass fires with some limited grass fires already having occured in the central and western parts of Queensland.
Above average fire risk for Northern Territory
The assistant chief fire officer for the Northern Territory, Joshua Fischer, says the spring outlook brings an increased fire risk.
It brings an increased bushfire risk across the top and as you move into the late dry season, likely to experience prolonged and consecutive fire weather events that increases into severe fire danger and above which is what we’ve been experiencing across the western top end the last three days, resulting in some pretty significant fire events across the … Darwin region.
With that said, with the remainder of the spring outlook, this is expected across the Top End … and into the gulf. Really good early dry seasons mitigation burns in place by landholders government agencies that has reduced fuel load and the bushfire risk.
As we move into central Australia, we’ve seen two consecutive years of above normal rainfall, particularly in the Alice Springs area in the MacDonnell Ranges and the burn plans by region. We’ve got really good continuous fuel load right across southern springs which is why we have declared and above normal bushfire potential in that Alice Springs region. Last time we saw this fuel loads that was in 2011 where we saw 40% of central Australia impacted by fire over the spring and summer period.
Updated
Below normal fire potential for NSW, ACT and Victoria
The NSW commissioner, Rob Rogers, said there was a below normal fire risk for previously affected areas, but normal for the rest of the state.
The ACT has below normal fire risk because of recent rain.
Updated
Below normal fire danger in Victoria
Now the different state and territory chiefs are presenting what different parts of the country can expect.
The chief officer of the Country Fire Authority Victoria, Jason Heffernan, says there is a “below normal bushfire danger for the eastern portions of the state.” However he emphasises it’s not a time to be complacent because grass fires can be just as dangerous as bushfires.
Updated
“The main story is one of climate drivers”: Bureau of Meteorology says
Dr David Jones from the Bureau of Meteorology has provided the meteorological outlook.
We know looking back the past year, the weather has been like this in New South Wales and Queensland and other parts of Australia, fire continues to be less severe for years like 2009 when we were in a drought.
Of course, a matter of caution that we have seen overseas conditions can turn very quickly so we will provide that just to what we referred back to and refer back to the website so we monitor and update that continuously.
As we look forward to next three months here, the main story is one of climate, drivers which fire conditions. Typically when we had one the other year, it does lead to rainfall and is exactly what our seasonal forecast show for the next three months. Whatever an average conditions and that’s good for fire but for those people who are suffering floods all recently suffered floods in place, where conditions are likely to continue.
We have got a 70% chance [of La Nina] at this point in time, we are keeping in mind that it’s not an off switch, conditions might give you very similar conditions so watch the bureau, right on the edge of a La Nina at the moment.
Temperatures, Australia is more than average again this year, this promotes the normal but with the way conditions has been a big call in the recent years, the forecast is a mixed bag so warmer temperatures are likely overnight and also in the Far North in the south, daytime temperatures close average or below average. The climate conditions are better than what of it in recent years and again, keep up-to-date with the information and always take precautions.
Fire and Emergency Services Council presents fire season outlook
The National Council for Fire and Emergency Services is giving a media conference presenting their seasonal outlook for spring which will tell Australians what they can expect for the upcoming fire season.
The head of the service takes microphone:
The seasonal outlook shows a varied fire potential. It has been quite wet across the country. It has generated huge amounts of grass growth in some places and according to the experts from the bureau, we are looking likely to head towards another La Nina pattern.
On one hand, that means we may be anticipating a normal fire season in most areas but there will still be some places that, with all that grass growth and with abundant fuels out there, that may see above average fire danger and that is something you will hear about today as well. We are encouraging all communities to prepare now, as I mentioned, the best time to be doing these things is under blue skies.
Updated
ACT records no Covid deaths and 119 people in hospital
There were 258 new cases in the last reporting period, and two people are in intensive care.
ACT COVID-19 update – 23 August 2022
— ACT Health (@ACTHealth) August 23, 2022
🦠 COVID-19 case numbers
◾ New cases today: 258 (127 PCR and 131 RAT)
◾ Active cases: 1,586
◾ Total cases since March 2020: 200,796 pic.twitter.com/Dc2aOC6EHw
Updated
Queensland records 29 Covid deaths and 376 people in hospital
There were 2,612 new cases in the last reporting period, and 12 people are in intensive care.
Today we have recorded 2,612 new COVID-19 cases.
— Queensland Health (@qldhealth) August 24, 2022
Sadly, we have reported 29 deaths in the past 24 hours.
Full details ➡️https://t.co/rKHIwrH8sQ pic.twitter.com/AGrwBPdUSQ
Updated
Landcare ‘starved of funds’ says chair ahead of charity’s biennial conference
Landcare Australia desperately needs more money and volunteers, the chair of the national conservation charity says.
Doug Humann, who will address a biennial conference in Sydney today, told AAP the charity’s funding had been slashed. Humann said:
The landcare program has been starved of funds in recent years, it’s lost funds.
We need to reinstate the level of funding for landcare, the National Landcare Program, it needs to be directed to landcare projects on the ground.
The twin crises facing land and water management in Australia are climate change and biodiversity loss.
AAP reports conservationists, farmers and climate experts are meeting for the charity’s biennial conference to discuss how Landcare is helping biodiversity and more sustainable farming systems in the face of a changing climate.
During a farm visit to a landcare project at Camden on the outskirts of Sydney on Tuesday, Humann said the charity was reliant on volunteers and needed an injection of youth. Humann said:
What we need is more young people involved and we’ve got a particular program running at the conference that’s focused on getting more youth into Landcare.
Updated
NSW roads reopen in Blue Mountains
The Great Western Highway was closed earlier this morning due to black ice.
UPDATE: The Great Western Hwy has reopened in both directions btwn Katoomba and Mount Victoria. Continue to exercise caution and drive to the conditions.
— Live Traffic NSW (@LiveTrafficNSW) August 24, 2022
You can check out the footage of the snow for yourself:
Crikey in legal battle with Lachlan Murdoch
Crikey is using a legal threat from Lachlan Murdoch to drive subscriptions, a statement of claim lodged by the co-chairman of News Corporation alleges.
The lawsuit was filed in the federal court late on Tuesday, a day after Crikey bought a full-page ad in the New York Times inviting Murdoch to sue them over the alleged defamation.
The writ alleges that after receiving a concerns notice from Murdoch someone from Crikey’s publisher, Private Media, contacted the Sydney Morning Herald “seeking to publicise that Murdoch had complained about its content”.
The claim says:
Private Media has continued to use the SMH article and their (false) allegations about Murdoch intimidating them, to promote the article and the Crikey website in order to increase its number of subscribers for financial gain.
Updated
Newton-John to be honoured in annual walk
Late singer and Australian icon Olivia Newton-John, who died earlier this month, will be remembered during her annual Walk For Wellness, AAP reports.
Her grieving husband, John Easterling, said the event, which raises money for cancer research, would be held at one of her favourite spots – Alexandra Gardens in Victoria – on October 9. He said:
The wellness walk and wellness programs meant so much to Olivia.
At [her] deepest essence, she was a healer using her mediums of song, of words, of touch. She continues to inspire each of us to be our best, recognise our gifts, and contribute to those less fortunate.
Newton-John, best known for playing Sandy in the 1978 hit film Grease opposite John Travolta, died on 8 August at the age of 73.
She battled breast cancer three times after first being diagnosed in 1992, leading her to create the Olivia Newton-John Foundation to fund cancer research.
She also founded the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre in Melbourne, which supports people living with the disease.
Updated
What’s next?
In his speech, Kearns (the RBA’s head of domestic markets) goes on to note that the Council of Financial Regulators – the RBA, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, and the Australian Treasury – set up a Climate Working Group back in 2017.
Expect more to come on so-called Climate Vulnerability Assessments, disclosures and sustainable finance – and what constitutes “sustainable” is itself a challenge. Kearns said:
These are complex issues and our understanding of how best to respond will evolve over time.
As we noted recently, however, the climate models the RBA (and about 100 central banks around the world) are relying on may provide only a partial guide (at best) as to how a hotter world will affect the risks cited above.
A lot of evolution to come, in other words.
Updated
Climate risks extend beyond environment: reserve bank review
The RBA also notes there’s a liability risk too for the effects of the climate crisis as lawyers identify the culprits – particularly among businesses, directors and trustees.
“This risk exists not only when they choose not to take appropriate actions but also if they are not informed to take appropriate actions,” Kearns says. (Makes one wonder if certain ‘informers’ in the media might one day be liable. Hmmm.)
However, since the subject is financial markets, the RBA’s point is to note that financial stability is also at threat, particularly for insurers, banks and superannuation funds.
Climate change can significantly affect the prices of assets if it reduces future cash flows and makes them more volatile.
Climate risks affect the value of assets used as security for loans and thereby the potential losses that lenders face if borrowers can’t meet their repayments. Climate change can also affect the ability of households and businesses to meet their repayments because of the impact it can have on their incomes.
Expect mortgages to be harder to get if you’re living in relatively at-risk climate regions. Loans for homes are more like 25 years rather than three years for business loans, for starters.
Anyway, according to loan-to-value ratios that gauge exposure, banks are going to have to reassess their risks, Kearns says.
The RBA in its look at climate risks also has a stab about how loan-to-value ratios might be affected by climate change. As houses become harder to insure in a warming world, banks are going to have to reassess their lending books. pic.twitter.com/pZzrnTKTdm
— Peter Hannam (@p_hannam) August 24, 2022
Updated
Reserve bank warns Australia must confront climate risks
The Reserve Bank has just published an interesting speech by Jonathan Kearns, head of domestic markets at the central bank.
The RBA has just put out an interesting review of the climate change risks in the financial system, noting it's a "significant issue with broad-ranging implications for the economy": https://t.co/Wuuw8moX9Y pic.twitter.com/QBwPDru1qf
— Peter Hannam (@p_hannam) August 23, 2022
Increases in the number of hot days are arguably among the clearest signs of the impacts of a warming world, but the threats extend in many directions.
There’s the physical risk, both acute and chronic, to various assets - when things break, in other words. There’s also the transition risk of being stuck in dead-end industries and technologies. Fossil fuels are one place to start, with the RBA producing this chart for coal (but not providing one for fossil gas):
Aside from the physical risk - both acute and chronic - there is the transition risk from climate change, the RBA says. That's being stuck in industries and technologies the sun should be setting on. The bank plots this difference for coal between current and net-zero policies. pic.twitter.com/kP2nindyTy
— Peter Hannam (@p_hannam) August 23, 2022
Updated
Snow in Orange and Blue Mountains
Parts of NSW beyond the Great Dividing Range have been blanketed in snow as a polar blast sweeps through south-east Australia.
Katoomba is putting on a good show this morning. #snow pic.twitter.com/ts1Bq7oeG3
— Sandy knows integrity matters 🎀 (@SandyinKatoomba) August 23, 2022
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.❄️❄️❄️ It’s starting to come down in Orange and is forecast to get heavier this afternoon.
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) August 23, 2022
A reminder to keeps flammables a metre from the heater and if travelling drive to the conditions. #nswrfs @BOM_NSW @SkyNewsAust pic.twitter.com/sooI55XI1r
Updated
Government should be ‘bursting’ with economic solutions rather than probing Morrison, deputy Liberal leader says
The deputy Liberal leader, Sussan Ley, spoke with ABC earlier this morning about the Albanese government calling for a further inquiry into the former prime minister Scott Morrison’s secret ministerial appointments.
Ley is arguing the government is spending too much time examining Morrison and not enough time focusing on the challenges facing the Australian economy.
Cabinet spent yet more time considering issues from 2020 and 2021 [which] really give[s] me cause for concern.
Why isn’t the Albanese cabinet bursting out of that room full of ideas for struggling Australians who right now do not have an answer to increasing power prices, to mortgages going up next month, add[ed] to electricity bills and the cost of groceries that [will] really worry them?
The ABC highlighted that it is a criticism the government would disagree with, with jobs and skills a big focus ahead of the summit next week.
Updated
Prime minister calls visa backlog a ‘hopeless situation’ but says there is movement
Circling back to the prime minister Anthony Albanese’s interview with 2GB radio this morning:
2GB host Ben Fordham asked Albanese about the problems of staff shortages. There are currently 500,000 job vacancies; the the food industry is one of the worst affected, with 170,000 unfilled positions “from paddock to plate.”
Fordham asks Albanese when the backlog of 140,000 skilled migrants waiting on visas will be fixed.
Albanese:
It’s a hopeless situation … that we inherited. We have put considerable resources into additional staff to get these visas processed.
Albanese said it was extremely frustrating “that there are people who want to come here who’ve been waiting in the queue, as you say some for more than a year, but their visas can’t be processed.”
However, he says “there is movement” as the government have reallocated staff from other areas into visa processing.
Albanese says part of the problem is previous “gut[ting]” of the public service.
We’re working as fast as we can to deal with this. Of course, with visas you do have to have checks. You can’t just have open borders. So they do need to be processed, but we’re working as quickly as we possibly can.
Updated
Essendon turmoil continues with departure of CEO Xavier Campbell
Essendon CEO Xavier Campbell has resigned after nearly nine years in the position as a tumultuous period continues at the AFL club.
The latest change in the Bombers’ senior management structure comes just days after coach Ben Rutten was sacked, with club president Paul Brasher also having exited the club this month.
Campbell announced his resignation at a meeting with the staff and players on Wednesday morning, ending a 13-year association with the Bombers, having arrived in 2009 before being appointed to the role of CEO in 2014.
More than 60 firearms seized in Victoria
More than 60 firearms have been seized in police raids across regional Victoria and Melbourne’s western suburbs, AAP reports.
Police on Tuesday searched three properties in Lal Lal, Werribee and Altona North, seizing a number of weapons including an air rifle, shotguns and hand grenades.
A 62-year-old Werribee man is expected to be charged with offences including possessing a trafficable quantity of firearms.
Another 59 firearms were seized from an address in Clarkefield, north of Melbourne, on July 2.
A 29-year-old Clarkefield man was subsequently charged with possessing a trafficable quantity of firearms, possessing a controlled weapon without excuse, and possessing cartridge ammunition.
The man was remanded in custody ahead of his appearance at the Melbourne magistrates court on October 3.
Updated
Black ice closes roads in the Blue Mountains
Drivers in the Blue Mountains are being warned to avoid the Great Western Highway due to black ice.
Icy conditions have also closed the Bells Line of Road in both directions at Scenic Hill.
Brrrrrr! What’s it like at your place this morning?
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) August 23, 2022
Many areas are waking up to a winter wonderland thanks to snow overnight, as these pics from NSW RFS - Katoomba/Leura Brigade show.
Many roads are affected by snow and ice so take it easy. #nswrfs pic.twitter.com/3x5bzp5Q8a
Updated
Hazardous surf warning for NSW
The cold front that brought widespread light rain, snow and frost has now moved over the Tasman Sea and formed a low pressure system off the NSW coast. Warnings are current for Coastal Waters and Hazardous Surf. Details https://t.co/Ss766eTahj pic.twitter.com/hEhrd8Zda1
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) August 23, 2022
NSW MP Tania Mihailuk rejects allegations of bullying
The New South Wales Labor MP Tania Mihailuk has rejected allegations of bullying levelled through the media this week.
Speaking on 2GB this morning, the member for Bankstown said she was “strong-willed” but “not a bully”. She said:
Everybody in the party and in my community knows I’m pretty strong willed. I’m loud. I call a spade a spade. But I’m not a bully. I completely reject that.
She said she had grown up in a “tough community” and “taken up a few fights in my time”.
Mihailuk claimed it was an “orchestrated attack” against her ahead of preselection and in the wake of the Broderick review into NSW parliament culture. She said:
I think this is definitely an internal stitch up. There’s no question that there are people inside the party who want to drive me out.
I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to take up the fight in the preselection. I care about my community and I want to be part of a Chris Minns Labor government next year.
Minns this week said any allegations needed to be dealt with through the party’s or parliament’s complaints process. He also backed his MP and said she was tough.
I would say about Ms Mihailuk that she’s very tough ... She often takes contrary views to many of her colleagues, she’s the kind of person who will come up and tell you when you’re wrong.
.@BenFordham - "Would you have called a staff member the C word while you were at a primary school?"
— Ben Fordham Live (@BenFordhamLive) August 23, 2022
.@TaniaMihailukMP - "Absolutely not."
.@BenFordham - "You've never used the C word to describe anyone?"
.@TaniaMihailukMP - "That's just outrageous."
Updated
‘If it’s a political circus this does nobody any good’: Hume on further Morrison inquiry
Hume is now being asked about the Morrison secret ministries saga, continuing a line of argument we heard from Stuart Robert earlier this morning of criticising the Labor government using the further inquiry for political gain.
Hume said:
We don’t want to turn this into a political opportunity … if it’s a political circus this does nobody any good.
Updated
‘Enormous pent-up demand’ for pensioners to be able to fill worker shortage, Hume says
Jane Hume, the shadow finance minister, is speaking to Sky News about the workers shortage ahead of the government’s jobs summit next week.
Hume is calling for the government to introduce the oppositions’ proposal to allow pensioners to work an additional day without affecting their income. She says there is:
Enormous pent-up demand from pensioners and employers.
Updated
Unvaccinated Queensland teachers to have pay reduced
Queensland teachers reportedly set to have their pay cut for refusing to get vaccinated against Covid-19 are “facing the consequences of that choice”, the federal aged care minister, Anika Wells, said, according to AAP.
Education Queensland has sent letters to about 900 of 54,000 public schoolteachers, aides, administration staff and cleaners to inform them their pay will be reduced for “serious misconduct” for failing to get the jab, the Courier-Mail reports.
The department is taking the retroactive disciplinary action against those workers for not complying with the chief health officer’s directive, which was repealed on 30 June.
Wells says everyone has the right to choose whether to get vaccinated, but the staff involved knew the consequences of their decision and teachers deserve a safe workplace. She told Nine’s Today program:
Everyone has the right to make a choice about whether or not to get vaxxed, but no one has the right to be free from the consequences of that choice, and these have been set out a long time coming and they’ve had their pay docked for the six months running up to this.
So this isn’t a surprise and something that the Queensland government is going to have to work through with the very small pocket of teachers given 99% are actually vaccinated.
Updated
Victoria records 10 Covid deaths and 402 people in hospita.
There were 3,359 new cases in the last reporting period, and 24 people are in intensive care.
We thank everyone who got vaccinated and tested yesterday.
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) August 23, 2022
Our thoughts are with those in hospital, and the families of people who have lost their lives.
More data soon: https://t.co/eUcG50Y3T0 pic.twitter.com/AmvoApwFMo
Updated
NSW records 14 Covid deaths and 1,867 people in hospital
There were 6,690 new cases in the last reporting period, and 38 people are in intensive care.
COVID-19 update – Wednesday 24 August 2022
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) August 23, 2022
In the 24-hour reporting period to 4pm yesterday:
- 96.9% of people aged 16+ have had one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine*
- 95.4% of people aged 16+ have had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine* pic.twitter.com/G7jtvEJxIX
Updated
Birmingham says ‘some of the language from the government has been a little over the top’
Birmingham is asked if he agrees with his colleague Stuart Robert that Labor is engaging in what Robert called a ‘witch hunt’ against Scott Morrison:
Let’s see how far this goes, in terms of the inquiry and the other pursuit by the government. Some of the language from the government has been a little over the top, in terms of the way in which they’ve sought to personalise or attack this. At times Anthony Albanese sounded like he has enjoyed being the opposition leader again and that is not to underplay the important principles at stake here.
There are important principles at stake and I have been clear in my language this morning, that mistakes were made, it was wrong and changes should be made to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
The government should be getting on with focusing on helping Australians with the cost of living … they certainly shouldn’t be distracted by continuing to try to drag over the former prime minister’s actions when there are many pressing issues that Australians face day-to-day at present.
Asked if Morrison should apologise to the Australian public, Birmingham said it “is a matter for him as to how he wants to conduct himself”.
Updated
Opposition would support legal change following Morrison advice, leader in the senate says
Simon Birmingham, the opposition leader in the Senate – speaking to ABC News Breakfast – says he doesn’t dispute the findings of the solicitor general and would support the government introducing legal change following the secret ministries saga.
I think his ultimate recommendations, that there should be some provisions put in place in a legal way to ensure that such administrative arrangements in the future are always transparent and in the public, it is something the government should act on and we should support them acting on it.
Birmingham said he does believe the former prime minister Scott Morrison should step up and take part in that inquiry:
As long as it is a fair inquiry, yes, he should, of course. What really matters here is that the issues raised are responded to in a way that prevents them from happening in a way in the future that could cause harm.
Let’s remember that Scott Morrison, aside from one instance in relation to a [gas field] approval, didn’t exercise any of the powers.
What would be a threat in the future [would be] if somebody were to both take on these sorts of extended responsibilities and exercise them in ways that lacked transparency, so that’s why the government should, first and foremost, act on the advice it has now received from the solicitor general and I would be calling on them to do so.
Updated
Morrison’s ‘legacy deserves to be remembered for the things they got right,’ Birmingham says
Simon Birmingham, the former finance minister in the Morrison government and now the opposition leader in the Senate, is speaking with ABC News Breakfast about the inquiry announced into Scott Morrison’s multiple ministries.
Asked if he agrees that the former prime minister undermined the principles of responsible government, Birmingham responds:
I think Scott Morrison, like all of us, did some things right and some things wrong. Clearly here, he made some mistakes in relation, particularly to the secrecy around these administrative arrangements.
Elsewhere, when it came to saving jobs, securing businesses, saving lives, making our country more secure, he got many things right. On the whole, his legacy deserves to be remembered for the things they got right.
On these arrangements, yes, he made mistakes, he got them wrong and clearly changes should be made in accordance with the advice from the solicitor general to prevent that from happening again.
Updated
Anthony Albanese on cost of living
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has addressed the cost of living crisis on 2GB Radio.
He said:
Some things are beyond our control, for example the Russian invasion of Ukraine had an enormous impact on energy prices and supply chains around the world. Inflation rose to double digits in the UK and in northern America it is much higher than it is here.
There are things we can do: the budget in October will reduce the cost of medicine; we have a plan to reduce the cost of childcare for just about every family who has their kids in care ... We want to put downward pressure on inflation by dealing with supply side issues. There are things we can do.
Albanese played down the prospect of extending the six-month halving of petrol excise tax. He noted the $1tn of debt and that the cost of petrol has come down, in the range of $1.50 a litre to $1.90.
He said:
We’re having a look at the circumstances that are there. But with regard to petrol, [the] cost is so enormous, [we] can’t see a way through [to extending it].
Asked about the 170,000 extra workers needed in the food supply chain, Albanese said Labor had inherited a “hopeless” situation from the Morrison government and had responded by putting extra resources into visa processing.
He also spoke about the “absurdity” of bringing in temporary migrants, getting rid of them and then bringing in more temporary migrants – foreshadowing a possible increase to permanent migration at the jobs and skills summit and October budget.
Updated
Authenticity makes for better public policy, aged care minister says
The minister for aged care and minister for sport, Anika Wells, was talking to Chanel 9 this morning about childcare reform and her own experiences balancing work with children. But she believes being honest about caring responsibilities can inform policy for the better:
What everybody wants is authenticity in people in public life.
If that means being honest about your caring responsibilities that ultimately makes for better public policy.
The juggle is real. I don’t apologise for trying to balance my work with being a mum (‘trying’ is the key word here friends). I hope more mum and carers are supported to do the same in their workplace. It can be tough to navigate but luckily the kids are so cute it’s worth it. pic.twitter.com/o1dDcvSs5w
— Anika Wells MP (@AnikaWells) August 23, 2022
Updated
Polar blast sweeping across Australia’s east forecast to bring rain, hail and snow
If you’re shivering through that polar blast and want to know more about what’s going on with the weather, my colleague Mostafa Rachwani has answers:
A polar blast is making its way across Australia’s east coast, bringing with it rain, snow and a drop in temperatures.
A cold front that moved through Victoria and Tasmania earlier in the week is now moving across New South Wales, with the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting rain and potentially severe thunderstorms, including hail, for areas in the north-east of the state.
Updated
Snow in the Blue Mountains
Residents in NSW are seeing snow as an icy blast sweeps through the south-east of the country.
There are beautiful images from the Blue Mountains where snow fell last night while those in the Southern Tablelands have also woken up to snowy landscapes.
Still coming down nicely in Blackheath. Light fall so far but it could accumulate gradually to a good few cm. Touch and go, before the low moves away. Will be very pretty when the sun comes out tomorrow but will melt fast pic.twitter.com/MnZzmZht30
— Blackheath Weather (@BlackheathWx) August 23, 2022
Leura Mall, just a little while ago. pic.twitter.com/dmL0LIarfZ
— Joshua McKinnon (@corduroy) August 23, 2022
Now at Katoomba , and still falling ❄😀❄ pic.twitter.com/IL4A476jO7
— G.Macnaz (@GMacnaz) August 23, 2022
Farnham’s family ‘overwhelmed by the incredible wave of support’
Legendary musician John Farnham’s wife Jill and sons Rob and James have released a further statement this morning, following the singer’s almost twelve-hour cancer surgery yesterday, saying he is now in a stable condition.
The family’s statement said:
We are genuinely overwhelmed by the incredible wave of support, love and messages we have received from so many people around Australia. This means so much to us as a family. Thank you to everyone for this. John will be blown away.
John will remain in hospital for a period of time for recovery and post operative treatment.
Jill Farnham provided further details on her husband’s treatment:
John has been through an eleven-and-a-half hour surgery in Melbourne yesterday and is now in a stable condition in ICU. The cancerous tumour was located in his mouth and it has been successfully removed. There is still a long road of recovery and healing ahead of us, but we know John is up for that task.
Rob and James Farnham paid tribute to the medical teams involved:
We are in awe of the incredible teams of healthcare professionals who have guided us through this very challenging time with such compassion. All of you undertook this big job and have given us a magnificent outcome. To all the surgeons, doctors, nurses and consultants – thank you one and all so very much.
Updated
Turnbull says inquiry must go beyond Morrison
Scott Morrison’s predecessor Malcolm Turnbull was speaking to ABC Radio after making statements on social media that the inquiry announced by Anthony Albanese yesterday must go beyond Morrison.
Turnbull told the ABC “something has gone seriously wrong” at government house.
The inquiry into the #SecretMinistries scandal must go beyond Morrison. Understanding, as I do, how PMO, PMC and the GG office are meant to work I remain astonished that there was apparently no pushback to Morrison when he embarked on his bizarre secret accumulation of power.
— Malcolm Turnbull (@TurnbullMalcolm) August 23, 2022
How did all these experienced people allow Morrison to do this. If any of them had dug their heels in, pushed back, and done so in writing it is hard to believe even the self described bulldozer would have persisted. If they did not push back then they, and the system, failed.
— Malcolm Turnbull (@TurnbullMalcolm) August 23, 2022
Updated
AWU response on veggies for penalty rates
The Australian Workers Union has responded to the National Farmers Federation suggestion that “non-monetary benefits” - including accommodation, fuel, and food - could be considered when approving workplace pay deals.
The AWU national secretary, Daniel Walton, said:
The days of vulnerable workers being ‘paid’ with food instead of money should be long behind us. Ms Simon must urgently acknowledge that these arrangements belong in the history books.
Some jobs in remote locations require employers to provide accommodation and life essentials. At no point, however, should this necessary provision of essentials be considered some kind of ‘service’ for which workers are expected to forgo pay.
If farmers want to run bed-and-breakfasts from their properties they are free to do so. But they should never be allowed to force vulnerable workers to purchase that kind of ‘service’ from them.
If you work in Australia you deserve the Australian minimum wage and not a cent less. No ifs, no buts. I don’t know why this basic moral concept seems so hard for some people to accept.
Updated
Morrison ‘shouldn’t be hiding behind the pandemic,’ attorney general says
Dreyfus is asked about Morrison’s Facebook post yesterday, which said his support for any inquiry is conditional upon the inquiry looking at the state and territories’ roles in the pandemic. He responds:
That’s the sort of blame shifting we have become accustomed to from Mr Morrison, always pointing the finger at someone else, always seeking to drag in other people.
He was responsible for appointing himself to the five ministries. We need to hear from him and the other ministers in the former government to get to the bottom of what happened.
He shouldn’t be hiding behind the pandemic and he shouldn’t be pointing the finger at states and territories. This is about our national government. This is about the conduct of the former prime minister and the conduct of the former government, some of those former ministers are still in the parliament.
Mr Morrison is still in the parliament. That is what this inquiry needs to get at.
Updated
Attorney general hopes Morrison will cooperate with inquiry
Question:
Do you foresee the framework of the inquiry being such that the former prime minister Scott Morrison would be compelled to appear to give evidence?
Dreyfus:
I am hoping that won’t be necessary. He has said he will cooperate with an inquiry and he should. He still hasn’t properly explained why he appointed himself to five ministries. This hiding behind the pandemic won’t cut it. He kept it secret, which raises questions about what he thought he was up to.
The inquiry is going to look into the detail and Mr Morrison should be cooperating and so should all of the former ministers in the government – so should Mr Dutton make sure that all of the former ministers cooperate with the inquiry, so we can get to the bottom of what happened and make sure that our responsible government system is not undermined in this way ever again.
Updated
Attorney general confirms inquiry will bring ‘change in law’
The attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, spoke to ABC News Breakfast this morning following the solicitor general’s advice over the actions of the former prime minister Scott Morrison. The Albanese government has flagged a further inquiry.
Dreyfus is asked, “will it be a judicial inquiry, for instance will a former judge or a judge be heading it up?”
He responds:
It will be an eminent legal person inquiring into this matter and we do need to inquire. We need to nail down all of the details and we need to have recommendations as to how to make sure this never happens again.
We have done what we can in the prime minister announcing yesterday that all details of all appointments of ministers will be published by our government, so we are doing what we can to restore trust and integrity in government in Australia, but we need to make sure this never happens again.
That might mean a change in the law. That’s what the inquiry is going to help us get to.
Updated
Robert: ‘ulterior motive’ behind deputy PM’s comments
Stuart Robert is saying that there could be an ulterior motive behind Marles’ comments. The host of RN Breakfast, Patricia Karvelas, presses Robert on what those motives could be.
Robert responds the motives could be “severe consequences” for Morrison. Karvelas asks him: shouldn’t Morrison be facing repercussions?
Robert goes on to emphasise the solicitor general’s advice has said what Morrison did was legal.
Updated
Stuart Robert says deputy prime minister’s comments ‘scream of a political witch hunt’
The government is promising a full inquiry into the former prime minister Scott Morrison’s decision to secretly have himself sworn into 5 other ministries.
Stuart Robert, the shadow assistant treasurer and shadow minister for financial services, is speaking with ABC Radio.
Robert is questioning the government’s intent and motivations, highlighting the comments that came yesterday from the deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, that Morrison should face several consequences. He said:
The challenge of course is when you hear Deputy PM Richard Marles say Mr Morrison must pay a high political price for this, you start to wonder what the governments intent is.
If the intent is to ensure open transparent government then you’ll get every bit of support.. Mr Marles’ comments sound like a political witch-hunt.
Marles’ comments yesterday scream of a political witch hunt.
Updated
Good morning!
Fallout from the Morrison secret ministries saga continues after the solicitor general’s advice was revealed yesterday, along with prime minister Anthony Albanese’s announcement of a further inquiry into who else knew and whether there are further legal implications.
Constitutional experts continue to weigh in on how Morrison’s actions could be legal at the same time ‘fundamentally undermined’ responsible government. Luke Beck, a professor of constitutional law at Monash University, told ABC Radio this morning that this disjuncture can be explained because many of Australia’s political conventions are not enshrined in law.
The speaker of the house, Milton Dick, has rejected the Greens push to refer Morrison to parliament’s powerful privileges committee with Dick saying there was not enough evidence to say the former prime minister deliberately misled the lower house.
The former prime minister Tony Abbott told Sky News yesterday he would not defend Morrison:
I’m just not gonna (sic) defend what was done.
We also know legendary singer John Farnham is in a stable condition following almost 12 hours of surgery to remove a cancerous tumour in his mouth – particularly poignant given his job.
His family said in a statement the musician “has now been transferred to ICU and is in a stable condition.”
The south-east of the country continues to shiver through very chilly conditions as an icy blast sweeps NSW, ACT, Victoria, and Tasmania.
Let’s get going.
