What we learned: Monday 31 October
And with that, we are going to put this blog to bed. Before we go, let’s recap the big stories:
The education minister hailed the post-lockdown Naplan results as “better than expected”.
Hearings began in the robodebt royal commission in which it was revealed a government department received advice in 2014 that the scheme may not be legal.
The chair of the Australian Monarchist League and former Coalition senator, Eric Abetz, criticised Labor’s republic minister, saying the government’s proposed consultation tour next year was “a con to the Australian people”.
Leftist candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva staged an astonishing comeback to win Brazil’s election, beating the far-right incumbent, Jair Bolsonaro.
Defence has been caught up in a cyber-attack on a contractor, which may have exposed private communications between current and former members of the defence force.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, sent condolences to family of Grace Rached, who was identified as the Australian killed in the South Korean crowd crush.
The Victorian government will sponsor the Diamonds netball team in a four-and-a-half-year deal after Hancock Prospecting’s exit.
VicForests has paid $1.65m in court costs to environment group Friends of Leadbeater’s Possum, bringing a five-year legal matter to a close.
Thank you for spending part of your day with us. We will be back tomorrow to do it again.
Updated
A ransomware attack may have resulted in data related to private communications between current and former Australian defence force members being compromised, with as many as 40,000 records at risk.
The defence department confirmed on Monday that a dataset from ForceNet, a communications platform, may have been compromised after an attack on an external ICT service provider.
Updated
Senate inquiry to investigate rise in students refusing to return to school
From AAP:
The reasons why growing numbers of students are refusing to go back to school in the wake of Covid-19 lockdowns is set to be put in the spotlight.
A Senate committee has been established to examine the rise of school refusal, where students are unable to attend for a long period of time.
School refusal is different to truancy, where students are unable to attend class for a consistent period of time, often due to emotional distress at school or issues at home.
Hearings will begin in early 2023, with people able to make submissions to the inquiry until 9 December.
The president of the Australian Primary Principals Association, Malcolm Elliott, said that while school refusal had been an issue in the past, it had been exacerbated by the Covid pandemic and associated lockdowns.
“Covid pressures tested every element [of schooling] and many more cases of school refusal are emerging,” he said.
The issue of school refusal has really gained prominence following the period of lockdowns when there was uncertainty in school communities about how children and families would respond.
It was hoped that children would flock back to school in regular numbers, and that was the expectation but it was not the case.
Updated
Queensland should join other Australian states and decriminalise public intoxication while removing criminal offences for begging and public urination, a parliamentary inquiry recommends.
In a report tabled to state parliament on Monday the committee’s chair, Labor’s Corrine McMillan, said the three offences disproportionately affected the “most marginalised Queenslanders”.
Woman tells robodebt royal commission of ‘very pushy’ debt collectors
Madeleine Masterton, who was the first plaintiff in the Victoria Legal Aid legal challenge, has told the robodebt royal commission how she was pursued by “very pushy” private debt collectors.
Masterton had been receiving youth allowance while working varied hours as a university student.
She was “shocked” to receive a $4,000 debt – including a 10% recovery fee – from Centrelink in 2018. She said she was later contacted by a “very pushy” debt collector from Probe Group, leading her to reluctantly agree to a payment plan of $50 a week.
She said:
They asked me at the time what my income was and how much money I had.
After seeking help from Victoria Legal Aid, Masterton’s case was allocated to a lawyer, Miles Browne.
“I … indicated to her at that stage that we had received advice that the way in which the scheme operated may be unlawful,” Browne said.
Browne said he advised that one of her options was to challenge the debt in the federal court.
Asked why she took on the case and continued with it when the debt was reduced to $600 by Centrelink to fix a “double counting” error, Masterton said she “felt testing the lawfulness … would have a greater impact socially”.
She also had friends that had received debts through the program, and had seen media coverage showing how the contentious scheme had affected thousands of people.
As Guardian Australia revealed in May 2019, Centrelink wiped Masterston’s debt completely and then argued there was no longer a legal issue for the court to determine.
Browne said Centrelink never explained how it had recalculated the debt to zero, given Masterton had not provided any further information.
The inquiry heard that in doing so, the Department of Human Services had simply decided to accept Masterton reported her income correctly.
“Did you commonly find that all a customer had to say was ‘but I reported accurately’ and they would zero the debt?” the royal commissioner, Catherine Holmes, asked.
Browne responded:
I’m not aware of another instance in which that occurred.
Masterton told the royal commission she felt Centrelink had simply wiped the debt to get her to “go away”.
She was pleased to see the scheme wound up and hoped the royal commission would ensure nothing similar would happen in future.
Victoria Legal Aid subsequently brought another legal challenge on behalf of Deanna Amato in June 2019, which prompted the government to concede the scheme was unlawful in November that year.
Updated
Albanese and Dutton praise US staging B-52 bombers in NT
From AAP:
The stationing of nuclear-capable US bombers is being heralded as vital to Australia’s security.
Australia and the US have agreed to work together on projects in the Northern Territory and build a facility capable of housing six B-52 bombers and other aircraft.
The bombers are capable of being armed with nuclear weapons.
The two nations are also working together to upgrade airfields, fuel storage facilities, accommodation and training areas.
Asked about the accommodating of nuclear-capable bombers, prime minister Anthony Albanese said: “We engage with our friends in the United States alliance from time to time”.
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, said it was essential Australia’s relationship with the US continued to deepen.
“It would be fantastic to have them cycling through more regularly,” he said of the bombers.
“It bolsters our security position in an uncertain time.”
Updated
Renewables set new milestone
Renewable energy generation hit a new record on Friday, briefly contributing more than two-thirds of the power in Australia’s main grid.
According to the Australian Energy Market Operator (Aemo), the milestone was set at 12.30pm, with a contribution of 68.7%, or 18,882MW, from renewable sources.
Updated
Animal rights activists protest against the Melbourne Cup
PETA has started protesting the Melbourne Cup – one day early with “Dinosaurs” running around Flemington.
Running towards a giant breakaway banner reading, “Finish the Cruel, Prehistoric Melbourne Cup Now”, protesters donned inflatable Tyrannosaurus rex costumes and carried signs reading, “Horse Racing Is Prehistoric”.
PETA’s Emily Rice said:
The Melbourne Cup – and all other events that cause horses to sustain catastrophic injuries and even die in the name of greed – deserve to go extinct.
Today’s dinosaur dash proves you can have fun by cheering on willing participants who enjoy themselves. No one needs to suffer for entertainment.
Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses Campaign Director Elio Celotto said:
We are inviting people to boycott horse racing by saying ‘Nup to the Cup’ and joining one of these many events taking place across the country.
We’ll be just up the road from Flemington holding an amazing party, with music, dancing and some fun human races. Everyone is welcome to join us.
Updated
Bruce Lehrmann to face retrial
The ACT director of public prosecutions has confirmed he intended to proceed with a retrial of Bruce Lehrmann who is accused of raping Brittany Higgins.
Lehrmann has pleaded not guilty to sexual intercourse without consent.
Updated
Australian share market up slightly over October
From AAP:
The Australian share market has finished October with a respectable performance ahead of a busy week of central bank rate hikes.
The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index on Monday finished up 77.8 points, or 1.15%, to 6863.5, while the broader All Ordinaries gained 81.3 points, or 1.17%, to 7054.8.
For the month the ASX200 gained 389 points, or 6.01% in its second-best performance this year. In March the benchmark rallied 450 points, or 6.39%.
The Australian dollar was meanwhile buying 64.19 US cents, from 64.45 US cents at Friday’s close.
Updated
‘Loved by all’: family of Australian killed in South Korea crowd crush pay tribute
From AAP:
The family of an Australian woman killed in a Halloween crowd crush in South Korea has paid tribute to the 23-year-old, describing her as the life of the party and an incredible human being.
Sydney film production assistant Grace Rached was identified as the Australian victim of the tragedy in the Itaewon district of Seoul on Saturday night, when more than 150 people died.
Rached’s family said she was a talented film producer who was passionate about making a difference.
They said in a statement:
We are missing our gorgeous angel Grace, who lit up the room with her infectious smile.
Grace always made others feel important and her kindness left an impression on everyone she ever met. Grace always cared about others and she was loved by all.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said consular officials are providing assistance to her family.
Rached was working as a production assistant at Singapore-based film and media company ElectricLime, and had previously worked at smaller production companies, and had volunteered for Sydney short film festival Tropfest.
She had studied at the University of Technology in Sydney, completing a Bachelor of Communications and International Studies.
Her family said:
[Grace] cared deeply about her two sisters and was a wonderful role model. Grace showed us what it meant to be an incredible human being.
We will deeply miss our beautiful Grace, our life of the party.
Updated
The Paramedics Union of NSW just shared this on Twitter:
Last week, ambulance crews presenting to Gosford Hospital were turned away without triage and told to go to Hornsby, Wyong and Royal North Shore. Some of these patients were very ill, going strait to resus at the other hospitals.
— APA NSW (@APANSWOFFICIAL) October 31, 2022
NSW premier touting western Sydney infrastructure projects
From AAP:
Western Sydney will have the “very best infrastructure possible” thanks to the state Coalition government’s sale of infrastructure, the NSW premier says.
Dominic Perrottet is spruiking the $5bn WestInvest program in the lead-up to the March election, when western Sydney will be a key election battleground.
The funds came from the sale of the incomplete WestConnex motorway, where tolls are due to rise again in January.
“We built the road, we recycled the asset, unlocked capital which we have invested in projects that will make a real difference in people’s lives,” Perrottet told reporters in Parramatta on Monday.
“This is all about making sure western Sydney has the best infrastructure possible.”
Monday’s beneficiaries include the City of Parramatta, Hawkesbury Council and The Hills Shire Council.
Treasurer Matt Kean has been touring suburbs this month announcing more than $357m in funding for 68 projects that he says “are going to improve the lives of residents and business owners throughout western Sydney”.
Updated
Tony Burke suggests new government body to aid Indigenous artists
From AAP:
A new government body could help Indigenous artists maintain control of their work, arts minister Tony Burke said.
The concept would mean Indigenous artists could retain authority and autonomy in their work, Burke said, even when dealing with large established arts institutions.
The organisation could be run autonomously from inside the Australia Council, he said in a speech at the Purrumpa: First Nations Arts and Cultural Gathering in Adelaide on Monday.
Aboriginal playwrights, for example, could be funded to staff their productions with First Nations crew who they could bring with them to established theatre companies, he said.
“How do we establish a mechanism that allows there to be financial power for First Nations artists, when dealing with non-First Nations companies, so that the power of creator isn’t lost by the time it reaches the audience?” Burke asked.
The idea comes after a federal budget in which the government funded some election promises, including $80m for a National Aboriginal Art Gallery in Alice Springs and $50m for an Aboriginal Cultural Centre in Perth.
But dollars were not forthcoming for a broader arts sector hit hard during the pandemic, with the forward estimates showing the federal government’s arts and cultural funding is set to decline from $859m in 2022/23 to $783m in 2025/26.
Updated
Queensland government ‘unwilling to learn’ from cyber-security mistakes, report finds
From AAP:
The Queensland government is losing millions of dollars and putting itself at risk of cyber attack because it’s “unwilling to learn” from mistakes and failing to be upfront about their own performance, a report says.
Queensland auditor general Brendan Worrall says almost a third of 454 recommendations he has made to improve government performance in 2018-2020 are yet to be fully implemented.
He says the failure to make changes is impacting oversight, use of IT and data, and sometimes cost millions through poor contract and project management.
“My experience has been that entities are either unwilling to learn from the past or each other, or lack the systems or corporate knowledge to understand the reasons for past failings,” Worrall wrote in the report, publish on Monday.
“In some instances, the fear of repeating past failures is resulting in entities missing opportunities to implement new systems and technologies.
“There is also a lack of information and data sharing within and between entities that would enable them to learn from the mistakes of others and prevent them from re-occurring.”
Updated
The minister for foreign affairs, Penny Wong, has sent Australia’s condolences to India after a nearly 100-year-old suspension bridge over the Machchhu River collapsed on Sunday. As many as 132 people have been reported dead so far.
Australia sends our thoughts to the loved ones of those killed, and to the people of India, following the bridge collapse in Gujarat.
— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) October 31, 2022
Our sincere condolences to all those affected by this tragic event. https://t.co/dWMP5gXO8d
Updated
The “ruse” to keep Indigenous members of a Northern Territory community in the dark about the death of a teenager shot by police was necessary at the time, an inquest has been told.
Supt Jody Nobbs made the decision in November 2019 to not tell locals in Yuendumu about the death of Kumanjayi Walker, who was shot three times during a bungled arrest.
High levels of toxic PFAS chemicals found in drinking water at Avalon Airport
From AAP:
Firefighters and air-traffic controllers are being tested after high levels of toxic PFAS chemicals were found in drinking water at a major Victorian airport.
The contamination has forced the closure of the fire station at Avalon Airport.
United Firefighters Union aviation branch secretary, Wes Garrett, says about 30 firefighters are anxiously waiting for blood test results after PFAS was detected at levels well beyond safe drinking limits.
The air-traffic control tower is also affected, but not the terminal itself.
Man-made PFAS chemicals are often referred to as forever chemicals because they are very slow to break down and accumulate in humans.
They have been associated with a range of serious health issues.
Some of the worst types were used in fire fighting foams. They were banned in Australia more than a decade ago but by that time had already created lasting contamination issues at sites where the foam was used.
Updated
New Zealand government appalled by Iranian crackdown on protesters, after Kiwi pair released
From AAP:
Jacinda Ardern has defended her government’s role in freeing two Kiwi influencers from Iran, saying the episode did not compromise New Zealand’s position on Tehran’s brutal repression of civil unrest.
However, with Expedition Earth pair Topher Richwhite and Bridget Thackwray now released from detention, New Zealand is now stepping up its criticism of the Iranian regime.
On Monday, foreign minister Nanaia Mahuta said New Zealand hoped to send a “strong signal” by withdrawing from bilateral human rights talks with Iran.
“Aotearoa New Zealand continues to be appalled by the use of force by Iranian authorities in response to peaceful demonstrations following the death of Mahsa Amini last month,” she said.
“Violence against women, girls or any other members of Iranian society to prevent their exercise of universal human rights is unacceptable and must end.”
Updated
Victorian Greens make case for four-day working week
From AAP:
A four-day working week has been pushed back onto the Victorian election agenda despite both major parties rejecting the idea.
Victorian Greens leader, Samantha Ratnam, on Monday pitched a $60m fund to help a transition to a four-day working week.
Under the two-year trial, Victorian-owned entities and departments with less than $50m in annual turnover would be eligible to apply for the funding.
Female-dominated workplaces would be prioritised and the cash used to increase staff numbers in frontline workplaces, or support systems and technology within workplaces to adapt to a new schedule.
Workplaces would transition full-time staff to four days with no loss of pay or entitlements, while part-time workers would get a proportional reduction in working hours or an equivalent pay rise.
Similar pilot programs have been launched in Canada, the United States and Ireland, with outstanding results, Ratnam said.
“Workers often achieve the same or greater output, and with a much more reasonable work-life balance,” she said.
Updated
Legal doubts over robodebt raised with government department in 2014, inquiry hears
The Department of Social Services held internal legal and policy advice casting doubt on the legality of the robodebt scheme almost five years before the Coalition government accepted it was unlawful, a royal commission has heard.
The inquiry, called by the Albanese government, is investigating a botched Centrelink scheme that ended in a $1.8bn settlement between the commonwealth and hundreds of thousands of people issued unlawful social security debts.
Updated
Victorian budget deficit to be $1.82bn higher
From AAP:
Victoria is set to record a $1.82bn higher than expected deficit this financial year but has revised net debt forecasts down.
A mid-financial-year update, released on Monday ahead of the government entering caretaker mode, shows Victoria is forecast to post a $9.68bn deficit for 2022/23.
That’s up from the $7.86bn estimate given in the May state budget.
“The risks to Victoria’s outlook are elevated and include uncertainty around the outlook for domestic and global inflation, interest rates, geopolitical conditions, recent flood events and ongoing impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic,” it said.
However, Victoria’s total net debt by mid 2026 has been revised down to $115.6bn from $118.5bn.
The treasurer, Tim Pallas, said the improved debt position was largely attributable to the government’s VicRoads joint venture, which netted the state $7.9bn.
“We did better than we expected in that transaction,” he told reporters.
“We hadn’t provisioned that much and that effectively is the difference between those debt numbers.”
The cash has been put into a future fund to help pay down Victoria’s spiralling debt and doesn’t count against this financial year’s operating result.
“It’s essentially a capital injection,” he said.
Updated
Defence contractor holds up to 40,000 personnel records
The contractor that was targeted in a malware attack held 30,000 to 40,000 records relating to Australian defence department employees, the minister for veterans’ affairs and defence personnel has confirmed.
The minister, Matt Keogh, confirmed that while that was the extent of the data held by ForceNet, a communications platform used by defence, there was no indication that data had been compromised.
Keogh also said defence was working to establish which current and former employees had data on the system.
He said during a press conference in Hobart earlier:
We’re working with that external provider to make sure we’ve got a full picture of what sort of data was there and available. We understand it may have been about 30 to 40,000 records that they held. So we’re not saying that that’s what’s out there but that’s what the external provider held. But we’re working now to get a full picture of who those individuals might have been and, as I say, we’ve provided information about how people can get in order additional information they may need.
Keogh said there had been no impact on defence systems:
Defence has communicated with staff around making sure that people, in effect, remain vigilant around their personal information in light of recent cyber security attacks we’ve seen from a number of organisations in Australia.
And also to let Defence staff know that an external contractor has been the subject of a ransomware attack. That external contractor was providing...like an internal social media platform which has data from 2018 regarding Defence personnel.
We haven’t seen any evidence of that information being made available to anyone as a result of that attack, but we just want to make sure that all Defence staff and personnel remain vigilant, and we’re working with that external contractor now to make sure we get the best picture of what has occurred so that they’ve got the best support to ensure the security of their data as well.
Keogh said the recent spate of cyber attacks in Australia, which include those targeting Optus and Medibank, were concerning, and highlighted the need for individuals to be vigilant about their personal information, and for governments to ensure the security measures employed by organisations were sufficient.
I think it’s all Australians – and rightly the Australian government – is quite concerned about this sort of cyber activity that’s occurring, people seeking through nefarious means to get access to others’ personal data as a way of trying to steal identities and swoop people’s identification.
Updated
Queensland to raise concerns of ‘washing’ of Naplan data
Queensland is concerned about the way Naplan results are being “washed” and will raise it at the next education ministers’ meeting.
Queensland education minister, Grace Grace, says the regulator Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority has suggested to her their “washing” or scaling of NAPLAN results is skewing the data.
“I do have concerns that the lower participation rates for Naplan this year have had an impact on the data,” Grace said on Monday.
“We know the preliminary Naplan results couldn’t be published as planned in August for this very reason.
“I am also concerned about all the washing of the data that takes place and what this means for the reliability of the results, which I hope to raise at the next education ministers’ meeting.”
Grace also said students had been affected by the delayed start to the school year due a Covid-19 outbreak and by flooding disasters.
“I’m not going to worry too much about this year’s data, we had a delayed start to school, it’s been a very disruptive year,” she told ABC Radio.
Updated
NSW government says optional land tax will help first home buyers
AAP reports.
Optional land tax will help first home buyers purchase property sooner and save them money over the time they’re expected to stay in the property, the NSW government says.
Some could live in their property for 63 years and still pay less than they would for upfront stamp duty, NSW Treasury analysis says.
That figure is for a first-home buyer buying a $1.5m unit, the maximum eligible price.
More realistically, “under reasonable assumptions”, the Treasury analysis still shows those who opt for annual land tax will save money for more than 20 years.
The premier, Dominic Perrottet, wants to start a trial in January of an optional land tax for first home buyers.
It would allow them to avoid the high cost of stamp duty, and the property would not be locked into the tax if sold.
Updated
Childcare industry short 16,000 workers
Australia will need to hire 16,000 new early childhood educators to address shortages and meet increased demand after the federal government pledged billions in childcare subsidies.
Labor has announced a $4.7bn policy to subsidise child care from July 2023, as part of its plan to improve women’s participation in the workforce.
However, John Cherry from Goodstart Early Learning said the country would need to employ an additional 9000 childcare workers and fill the 7000 vacancies the sector already faced to meet the rise in enrolments.
Early childhood education centres are already struggling to keep up. At Goodstart, between 80 and 100 centres have capped enrolments due to staff shortages.
“Parents are sitting on a waiting list, waiting for a spot to open up while the centre director is desperately scrambling trying to find staff so that she can take in those families,” Cherry told a Senate committee.
Since 2020, the number of vacancies at Goodstart has doubled and attrition rates have increased from 14 to 24%.
In the regions, Cherry said up to 40% of early childhood educators were leaving the sector.
Low pay, burnout and lack of professional recognition are the main forces driving the mass exodus.
“Lots of people are telling us they could earn more stacking shelves at Coles or Bunnings. And they absolutely can,” he said.
Updated
Thistlthwaite: cyber-attack on ForceNet service being taken ‘very seriously’
The assistant minister for defence, Matt Thistlethwaite, says the cyber-attack on one of the defence department’s contractors is being taken “very seriously”.
The attack targeted the ForceNet service, which is run by an external provider and used by bureaucrats within the defence department and military personnel. Thistlewaite told the ABC:
Defence have notified all ADF personnel this morning that a Defence ICT provider [was breached], so I want to stress that this isn’t an attack or a breach on Defence ICT systems and entities, it’s on one of the external providers that Defence contracts to run one of their websites. And all ADF personnel have been notified.
At this stage, there is no evidence that the data set has been breached, that’s the data that this company holds on behalf of Defence. So there’s no evidence of a data set being breached at this stage.
However, of course, Defence is taking this very seriously and that’s why they’ve taken the prudent approach to notify all ADF personnel and they’re suggesting considering changing passwords and moving to two factor authentications and the like.
Thistlethwaite said Defence was partnering with the company IDCARE, an identity and cyber support service, to protect staff.
Guardian Australia has contacted the defence department for comment.
Updated
Australians have raised over $500,000 on GoFundMe to assist flood victims
GoFundMe has released a statement saying Australians across the country have raised more than $500,000 for flood victims to assist families, individuals, businesses and organisations affected by the floods.
Nicola Britton, the regional director for GoFundMe Australia, said:
It is devastating that we are once again seeing heightened fundraising activity for those impacted by severe flooding, for the third time this year alone.
We know that the cleanup efforts are costly, lengthy and both physically and mentally draining. Most of all, moving quickly to rebuild lives and homes is vital. The local and national community spirit is shining through as Australians step up to help deliver these funds and subsequent recovery efforts quickly.
GoFundMe trust and safety crisis response teams are continuing to work around the clock, vetting and verifying fundraisers relating to the floods, and monitoring the events closely.
Please find a consolidated list of verified fundraisers on the GoFundMe Flood Relief Hub.
Updated
Hello everyone, this is Cait. I want to thank Natasha quickly for taking us through the morning – she is the blog queen.
First up, I have this cute news for you:
New native bee species discovered
A new native bee species with a dog-like “snout” has been discovered in Perth bushland though Curtin-led research that sheds new light on our most important pollinators.
Published in the Journal of Hymenoptera Research, its author, Dr Kit Prendergast from the Curtin School of Molecular and Life Sciences, has named the new species after her pet dog Zephyr after noticing a protruding part of the insect’s face looked similar to a dog’s snout.
Prendergast said the rare and remarkable finding would add to existing knowledge about our evolving biodiversity and ensure the bees, named leioproctus zephyr, were protected by conservation efforts.
Updated
Thanks for your attention today. I now pass the blog batton onto the magnificent Cait Kelly!
Moderate flood and damaging wind warnings for Tasmania
⚠️ MODERATE #Flood Warning for #SouthEsk. Renewed rises occurring in upper. Moderate flooding at Fingal from Monday evening. Minor flooding Lewis Hill, Llewellyn, Perth and Trevallyn. See https://t.co/V9LYfDBwsY for details and updates; follow advice from @SESTasmania. #TasFloods pic.twitter.com/pi7qUEPyMi
— Bureau of Meteorology, Tasmania (@BOM_Tas) October 31, 2022
⚠️ MODERATE #Flood Warning for #Macquarie. Renewed rises occurring Lake River and Brumbys Ck due to recent rainfall. Moderate flooding continues at Cressy and minor flooding elswhere. See https://t.co/V9LYfDjneQ for details and updates; follow advice from @SESTasmania. #TasFloods pic.twitter.com/90NtrRuumR
— Bureau of Meteorology, Tasmania (@BOM_Tas) October 31, 2022
The risk of damaging winds has reduced about the NW of Tas, but continues elsewhere. The strongest winds will contract to the E & SE this afternoon, before easing throughout by evening. There is an enhanced risk of trees toppling in these gusty winds due to saturated soils. pic.twitter.com/lkx5Htvcmd
— Bureau of Meteorology, Tasmania (@BOM_Tas) October 30, 2022
Interim Ambulance Victoria CEO appointed
An interim chief executive of Ambulance Victoria has been appointed while the search ramps up for a permanent CEO.
Professor Shelley Dolan will step into the role on 9 November. Dolan is the CEO of the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne. She has worked in health leadership for more than 25 years, and was previously the acting CEO of the King’s College hospital NHS Foundation Trust in London.
Ambulance Victoria’s chair, Shelly Park, said she had great confidence in Dolan’s leadership skills. Park said in a statement:
Shelley will be an inspiring leader as she steps in to drive the important cultural and operational strategic reforms currently underway at Ambulance Victoria while the board progresses the search for a new CEO.
The former Ambulance Victoria CEO Tony Walker unexpectedly left the role last week, two months earlier than planned. Prof Walker is in remission after taking five months’ leave this year for cancer treatment and finished up after 37 years with the service.
He previously denied he was pressured to resign after the service was beset by issues during the Covid-19 pandemic.
- from AAP
Updated
VicForests to pay $1.65m to Friends of Leadbeater’s Possum after court case
VicForests has paid $1.65m in court costs to environment group Friends of Leadbeater’s Possum, bringing a five-year legal matter to a close.
Friends of Leadbeater’s Possum had challenged logging by the state-owned forestry corporation in 66 coupes in Victoria’s central highlands.
In a high profile judgment in 2020, the federal court found logging by VicForests had been, or would have been, conducted in breach of Victorian legislation and was therefore also in breach of federal law.
The court agreed that past and proposed logging would have a significant impact on the vulnerable greater glider and the critically endangered Leadbeater’s possum, effectively enforcing federal laws over logging operations that had been exempt under a regional forestry agreement.
VicForests successfully appealed the central finding that logging within an RFA area was subject to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
But the federal court of appeal upheld other findings that VicForests had breached state laws with respect to greater glider and leadbeaters’ possum habitat. It also upheld an order that the logging corporation pay the Friends of Leadbeater’s Possum’s costs and added an order that VicForests must pay 50% of the Friends’ costs of the appeal.
The group said the $1.65m in costs had now been paid and its president, Steve Meacher, said it was good to see the case reach its conclusion after five years.
He said the appeal judgment demonstrated the EPBC Act was not fit for purpose:
It neither protects the environment nor conserves biodiversity from logging in publicly owned forests despite the presence of federally listed threatened species.
Further, we succeeded in proving the logging was being conducted illegally under state law and those findings withstood VicForests’ most determined appeal.
Updated
Australian leaders applaud Brazil election result as a win for democracy and environment
Former prime ministers Kevin Rudd and Malcolm Turbull have also taken to social media to congratulate Brazil’s new leader Lula da Silva.
Both highlighted the leftist candidate would give greater hope for democracy and the global environment.
This is a great win for my old friend Lula. A great win for Brazilian democracy. Looking forward to Australia working with Brazil on climate change globally. https://t.co/O4DjEpzNQy
— Kevin Rudd (@MrKRudd) October 30, 2022
Congratulations @LulaOficial - your election will encourage democrats everywhere and give new hope for the Amazonian and global environment. I wish you and @AlboMP every success in advancing Australia/Brazil collaboration. #Brazilelections
— Malcolm Turnbull (@TurnbullMalcolm) October 30, 2022
Updated
Albanese congratulates incoming Brazilian president
On Twitter, the PM has congratulated Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for his win against incumbent the far-right president Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil’s presidential election.
Electoral officials declared the election for the leftist leader and former president of Brazil, who won 51% of the vote to 49% for Bolsonaro.
Huge congratulations to @LulaOficial on a tremendous victory in the Brazilian elections. Look forward to working with you on protecting our global environment.
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) October 31, 2022
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New online resources on Indigenous voice to parliament from ‘yes’ campaign
The two leading “yes” campaigns for an Indigenous voice to parliament – From the Heart and the Uluru Dialogue – have announced the release of a new online learning resource to raise the understanding of the voice to parliament referendum. In a press release they said:
The interactive course has been created following demand from across the country – from individuals, small business, local organisation’s and even corporates wanting to share with their staff – to drive awareness on the significance of constitutional recognition for First Peoples, understand what the voice to parliament is and why a referendum is needed to change the Australian constitution.
TikTok star Wollie Gela – who is from Darnley Island (Erub), Boigu Island, Kaurareg, Angkamuthi, Butchulla and Gubbi Gubbi – appears alongside Wamba Wamba lawyer Eddie Synot from the Indigenous law centre at UNSW and the Uluru Dialogue, and NAIDOC committee member and Torres Strait man Kenny Bedford.
Film director and Arrernte/Kalkadoon woman Rachel Perkins features throughout, along with Reconciliation Australia CEO, Karen Mundine, who is from the Bundjalung nation of northern New South Wales.
Dean Parkin, a from the heart director and Quandamooka man, said:
Many Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians have been asking for more information about this important issue on the national agenda.
We are ramping up our efforts to explain why a referendum on Indigenous constitutional recognition through a voice to parliament is fair, practical and a way of bringing the country together.
This is a simple resource that explains what it’s all about and is aimed at people who don’t have a lot of background about the issues. It’s important all Australians are included in this important discussion.
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Grace Rached identified as Australian killed in South Korean crowd crush
The Australian who was killed during a crowd crush at Halloween festivities in South Korea has been identified as 23-year-old Sydney woman Grace Rached.
The crowd crush caused the death of more than 150 people in Itaewon, Seoul on Saturday night. Two other Australians who Rached was with are now being treated in intensive care.
In a statement, Rached’s friend Silvio Cohiji, who met the filmmaker at university, said people always gravitated towards her:
Grace was an amazing person, A beam of light that would do anything to lift the people around her and had such a huge life ahead of her, was doing amazing things in her career and travelling a lot.
Had the joy of life in her and everyone was always their happiest around her Everyone gravitated towards her and she loved her parents and her little sister so much she was truly a person you would be blessed to have crossed paths with.
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Government had advice in 2014 that robodebt scheme may not be legal
The Department of Social Services had internal legal advice casting serious doubt on the legality of the robodebt scheme five years before the Coalition government accepted it was unlawful, a royal commission has heard.
On the first day of hearings on Monday, senior counsel assisting the commission, Justin Greggery KC, told the inquiry that the department had sought internal legal advice “before and during its implementation” of the scheme.
But the inquiry heard it did not seek an authoritative legal opinion from the solicitor general or another eminent barrister until August 2019, in response to a legal challenge from Victoria Legal Aid. The solicitor general’s advice went on to prompt the government to accept the scheme was unlawful in the federal court.
The royal commission, called by the Albanese government, is probing the botched Centrelink scheme, which ended in a $1.8bn settlement between the commonwealth and hundreds of thousands of people who were issued unlawful social security debts.
Greggery said the Department of Social Services and Services Australia had “sought and obtained advice from their internal legal departments about aspects of the scheme before and during its implementation”.
He said one piece of advice from the department’s internal legal department provided in December 2014 said the “proposal to smooth a debt amount over an annual or other defined period may not be consistent with the legislative framework”.
Greggery said:
That of course was generally consistent with the central part of the opinion of the solicitor general provided almost five years later.
The robodebt scheme was established in July 2015 and ran until November 2019, using a process in which a person’s income reported to the tax office was averaged or “smoothed” and then compared to the income they reported to Centrelink. These calculations were used to see if a person had been overpaid and issued a welfare debt.
Greggery claimed that over time the department did not seek “authoritative advice” because other advice had “created an expectation within those departments that the external and authoritative advice may not be favourable in the sense that it may not support the legality of the scheme”.
The inquiry continues.
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‘Once in a lifetime opportunity’: SA reviews plans for national centre for First Nations cultures
The South Australian government will “review” plans for a national centre for First Nations cultures that is already under construction. The $200 million Tarrkarri centre is spruiked as “the world’s leading First Nations cultural centre” and is set to open in 2025.
SA premier, Peter Malinauskas, said the location next to the Botanic Gardens on North Terrace was “perfect”, and that the land that would never be available again. He said it was a “seminal moment in history” to recognise Aboriginal stories and that both state and federal governments were committed to the Uluru statement of the heart and “determined to enshrine voice treaty and truth into law”, and that former Indigenous Australians minister Ken Wyatt would work with former foreign affairs minister Bob Carr on the review.
Malinauskas said:
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to create something truly extraordinary.
So I am announcing today that we are taking a moment … that we will be conducting a review into the plan for the centre to ensure that what we build is a truly world class artistic cultural institution.
Federal Indigenous affairs minister, Linda Burney, spoke after Malinauskas at the Purrumpa conference - the largest national gathering of First Nations arts and culture representatives in 50 years. She said the planned referendum for a voice to parliament was a “once in a generation” opportunity to “make structural change that will see Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people flourish”.
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Albanese: 'we want to get wages moving' without delay
Anthony Albanese has poured cold water on the crossbench push to delay consideration of the IR bill into next year.
Albanese told reporters in Melbourne:
We want to get wages moving again as soon as possible. That’s our priority. We’ll have constructive discussions with anyone who’s willing to have them. We’re continuing to engage with business. We’re continuing to engage with unions. And with the crossbench and across the parliament. But there’s already been substantial consultation. We’ll continue to work that through. We’ve introduced the legislation. Prior to the legislation being introduced, we made it available to different parties to examine. We’ve made it clear we’ll consider practical changes which are put forward. It’s been referred to a committee. I’d encourage people to participate constructively in that process.
But we need to get wages moving. It’s a very clear commitment that we made. When I made the commitment during the election campaign that I would support the Fair Work Commission if they made a decision to increase the minimum wage by just $1 an hour to keep up with inflation, that was derided as irresponsible and loose by the then Morrison government ... They said they wanted low wages to be a key feature of the economic architecture. Well, we don’t. We want wages to get moving.
And particularly wages in sections like feminised industries, childcare, aged care, disability care. I understand the Fair Work Commission will hand down its outcome on aged care workers some time in the coming weeks. We await that decision as well.
The workplace relations minister, Tony Burke, said he is “deeply reluctant” to split the bill.
In a statement, Burke told Guardian Australia:
I respect the different concerns that Senator David Pocock has raised but I am deeply reluctant to delay any provisions which will get wages moving.
People have had their wages deliberately held back for 10 years and, with inflation moving at its current rate, I don’t see how I can deliberately hold back parts of legislation that seek to get wages moving again.
I’m hopeful to continue the good-faith discussions with Senator Pocock and the other crossbenchers and satisfy any concerns they have about the bill itself.
People have been waiting 10 years while their wages were deliberately held back, I really don’t want that situation to remain unfixed.
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PM defends infrastructure spend in Victoria, accusing Morrison government of being a ‘vacuum sucking money’ out of state
Reporter:
Labor has slashed $1.4bn in funding over four years from Victoria’s hospital, but yet commits to funding Suburban Rail Loop. Do you think the federal government has abandoned Victoria?
Albanese:
The federal government is doing more for Victoria than the former government ever did. The former government, at one stage, was giving Victoria 8% of the national infrastructure budget. It was like a big vacuum sucking money out of Victoria and not put anything back.
We’re working constructively. I was with Daniel Andrews at the opening of the new cancer centre here in Victoria. We’re continuing to provide substantial funds for Victoria. I’ve been at announcements in recent weeks with the premier about not just infrastructure but about flood recovery as well. We’ll have more announcements in coming days.
Albanese emphasises his commitment to working with all state governments:
We want to work with governments across the entire country, regardless of their political colour. I was yesterday with Dominic Perrottet, was visiting my seat of Grayndler, and was very welcome to do so.
Last week, I was with the premier, Jeremy Rockliff, in Tasmania, announcing support for energy infrastructure there. I’ll continue to work with governments across the board.
Albanese finished up his response with praise for Andrews (ahead of this state election) while taking a swipe at former Melburnian and ex-treasurer Josh Frydenberg.
But I think that Daniel Andrews has done an extraordinary job. Victorians had a major impact of Covid. Daniel Andrews has shown real leadership during that time. It took myself, as leader of the opposition, to stand up in the parliament and move a motion congratulating Victorians on their efforts that they’ve done keeping each other and their communities safe. Josh Frydenberg chose to give a bit of a different speech that day, which is maybe one of the reasons why he now isn’t in the federal parliament.
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Albanese brings up Dutton being ‘apparently barred from coming to Victoria’
Going back to Anthony Albanese’s press conference, the prime minister was asked about why he and Daniel Andrews were holding press conferences at the same time instead of being out together campaigning days out from the Victorian state election.
The prime minister brought up reports federal opposition leader Peter Dutton has been barred from Victoria during the state election campaign.
Well, I spoke to [Andrews] this morning, and we can’t be in two different places at two different times. I’ll be with the premier and I will campaign and, unlike the leader of the opposition – who’s apparently been barred from coming to Victoria –I’m here.
I’ll give you another big tip - I’ll be back here on Wednesday. And I look forward to campaigning. I was with the premier last week. I’ve been with the premier multiple times in recent weeks. I’ll continue to be here.
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Victorian government to sponsor Diamonds netball team in 4.5 year deal
At the same time as the prime minister was speaking, the Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, made an announcement that the Victorian government will sponsor the Diamonds netball team. The deal comes after Hancock Prospecting withdrew its sponsorship and within days of Victoria’s state election.
Andrews says it’s a win-win deal for netballers and the tourism sector.
We are really thrilled today to be able to announce a 4.5-year sponsorship deal where Visit Victoria will become a significant sponsor for the Australian Diamonds netball team. This is a coup for our state.
Players in that Diamonds team will wear the Visit Victoria logo. There will be social media content, digital content, advertising during big games. There’ll also be, courtside, a presence as well, taking what is the sports capital, the major events sports capital – food, wine, everything in between capital – of our nation. It’s all about encouraging more people to come here and visit Victoria.
There’ll be members of the national squad that’ll be involved in participation efforts at that grassroots level. So, going out into Victorian communities, particularly in culturally and linguistically diverse areas.
There’ll be five test matches played in Melbourne. There’ll be the 2023 Super Netball grand final played here in Melbourne. As I said, the uniform, logo, signage, promotional material, all manner of digital content - again, using the very best netballers in our country to project all that we offer nationally and internationally. That advertising’s really important. There’ll be access to players to promote Victorian tourism to promote so many of the wonderful offerings that we have to the world.
Andrews said both tourism and gender equality in sport are both very important to Victoria.
We’ve got a strong record of supporting this sport. And this is just a natural next step to take. I thank Netball Australia, Visit Victoria, and all of those who’ve been involved in this coup for us for visiting Victoria. It’s a fantastic outcome… other states wanted this, but Visit Victoria got in, and we are delighted to have been able to secure this sponsorship opportunity. It is unique.
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Albanese sends condolences to family of Australian killed in South Korean crowd crush
Albanese pays tribute to the Australian who is among the more than 150 people who have died in the Halloween crowd crush in Seoul.
My sincere condolences to the family of the Australian who’s died in this extraordinary tragedy where over 150 people have lost their lives.
These were people who were out celebrating Halloween, out to have a good time. And to come home safely. This tragedy has impacted people in South Korea in particular.
But it’s also impacted, in the harshest way possible, one Australian family, and other Australians who were hurt in this incident. And we just wish all of those people a very speedy recovery.
A reporter asks Albanese if the government knows anything about the identity of the Australian who died.
We do, but we’d like to talk to the families, and that information, first, for obvious reasons out of respect for them.
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PM asked about US nuclear-capable bombers
Reporter:
Can you confirm that the US is preparing to deploy six nuclear-capable bombers to northern Australia?
Albanese:
We engage with our friends in the United States alliance from time to time - there are visits, of course, to Australia, including in Darwin, that has US Marines, of course, on a rotating basis stationed there.
Prime minister pays tribute to workers looking after natural disaster victims
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is speaking in Melbourne following his visit to the national resilience centre at Mickleham this morning. The facility was previously a Covid quarantine facility but was converted into crisis accomodation for those affected by the floods in Victoria.
I visited the 125 Victorians using that facility because their homes have been affected by these dreadful flooding events. I met with the residents there, including families – one family with three young ones who are using that facility. I met people from Melbourne, as well as from Ballarat, from all around Victoria, including Rochester. People are using that facility. And the staff there are doing a fantastic job.
In one spot, they have Services Australia staff. They have healthcare. They have good food. So, whilst they’ve gone through such a tough time, they’re resilient. And they were up-beat about being looked after. What’s extraordinary about Australians is that, at the most difficult of times, they show the greatness of the Australian character.
And the people I spoke to all just kept saying, ‘Oh, we know there’s lots of people worse off than me’. But these people are doing it tough. But they’re resilient, they’re looking forward to either having their homes fixed up and being able to move back or, in some cases, that’s not going to be the case – they’re looking for new housing options.
But I pay tribute to all those people who are working so hard to look after Victorians and, indeed, throughout Australia, at this difficult time. We know there is some further wet weather ahead later this week. And I just say [to] people – stay safe. Follow the advice which is given by emergency services, by the SES, by the experts. Don’t take risks. Make sure you look after yourself.
Albanese also flagged that further flood support will be announced “in coming days”.
I had a discussion with the premier this morning, and again over the weekend, about further support that will be offered. And we’re working through those issues. There’ll be more announcements on that in coming days.
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'Peace and stability' in the Pacific region a priority, US ambassador says
Caroline Kennedy says America will continue to work with allies to combat the rising influence of China in the region.
Her interview comes as it was revealed that Australia and the US will work together on projects in the Northern Territory and build a facility capable of housing six B-52 bombers and other aircraft.
Asked about how worrying China’s ambitions were in the context of that agreement being made, Kennedy says:
The region has faced increasing tensions, I know that because I served in Japan.
But America has, for the past 75 years, worked really hard to support the rules-based order that’s lifted millions of people out of poverty and really has supported peace and stability throughout this region. And that commitment hasn’t changed.
We do it through diplomacy, we do it through dialogue, we do it through deterrence.
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Caroline Kennedy praises Australia: ‘America doesn’t have a stronger, closer ally’
The US ambassador to Australia, Caroline Kennedy, has spoken with ABC News Breakfast this morning in her first media interview since coming to the country.
Kennedy said “it’s such an important time to be ambassador” and that travelling across so much of the country since she’s arrived has been the “most amazing introduction”.
America doesn’t have a stronger, closer ally. I see that every day as I go around. Everyone’s been so friendly, it’s so beautiful. So I’m really honoured to be here.
When asked about the recent attack on the husband of Nancy Pelosi, Kennedy said she was “shocked and saddened” by the incident. Kennedy, who is the daughter of John F Kennedy, said Pelosi, has been “a friend of our family, for my whole life really”.
Does Kennedy believe Australians have cause to be concerned about the direction the United States is heading in?
Well, I couldn’t be prouder of my country and I think that some of this is very disturbing, and any kind of violence should never happen, especially in a democracy. So that’s concerning. But I think that the vast majority of Americans condemn it, and I think our democracy is strong, and most people in America are maybe not what you see in the media.
I think that American democracy has really been an inspiration for the world. People still want to come there. People still quote President Kennedy to me all the time in terms of public service and patriotism. I’m so proud of our democratic traditions, and I look forward to them becoming stronger in the future as well.
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Four-day work week back on Victorian poll agenda
A four-day working week has been pushed back onto the Victorian election agenda despite both major parties rejecting the idea.
Victorian Greens leader Samantha Ratnam today pitched a $60m fund to help a transition to a four-day working week model.
Under the two-year trial, Victorian-owned entities and departments with less than $50m in annual turnover would be eligible to apply for the funding.
Female-dominated workplaces would be prioritised and the cash used to increase staff numbers in frontline workplaces, or support systems and technology within workplaces to adapt to a new schedule.
Workplaces would transition full-time staff to four days with no loss of pay or entitlements, while part-time workers would get a proportional reduction in working hours or an equivalent pay rise.
Similar pilot programs have been launched in Canada, the United States and Ireland, with outstanding results, Ratnam said. She said:
Workers often achieve the same or greater output, and with a much more reasonable work-life balance.
The Community and Public Sector Union has written to parties to ask for their position on a four-day week for its staff and the wider sector.
Premier Daniel Andrews and opposition leader Matthew Guy last week publicly declared they did not support the proposal.
Two weeks out from early voting centres opening, new polling indicates millions of Victorians are yet to make up their minds.
A Resolve Strategic survey of 800 voters, taken from October 20 to 24 and published in the Age today, found 27% of respondents were uncommitted.
The cohort equates to a quarter of Victoria’s four million-plus enrolled voters who could be swayed in the lead-up to the November 26 poll.
- from AAP
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Defence caught up in cyber-attack
A communications platform used by the Department of Defence has been hit by a ransomware attack.
Hackers targeted the ForceNet service, which is run by an external provider.
Government officials said no data of serving or former military personnel appeared to have been compromised or stolen.
In an email to all staff, the Defence secretary said the matter was being taken “very seriously”.
The attack happened earlier this month.
– from AAP
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Jacqui Lambie doubts IR bill can be passed by Christmas
Senator Jacqui Lambie has also been toughening her rhetoric on the IR bill. On Thursday, Lambie said it would “be hard to do our due diligence” to pass the bill this year. On Monday Lambie warned on Sky News that many elements of the bill seemed designed to help union recruitment.
Lambie said:
Unions won’t be getting it all their goddamn way, I’ve had enough of them ... Getting this through before Christmas, I doubt very, very much. Right now, it seems to be seeing all the union side of it and not about small business and big business. I’m really concerned about our small business and coming out of Covid ... they’re just starting to get back on their feet. If we don’t get this right, we’re going lose small businesses.
Lambie also expressed concern that the bill might increase strike action - although the Australian Council of Trade Unions notes that in some respects it actually makes strike action harder, such as the new requirement for conciliation and the possibility FWC will arbitrate an “intractable” dispute.
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Leftist candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva wins Brazil election
The results have come through in Brazil’s election, with leftist Lula da Silva defeating the incumbent, Jair Bolsonaro.
You can follow what that means, and the reactions to the win, more closely on our live blog exclusively dedicated to that contest:
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More than 500 illicit firearms seized, with rise in 3D printed guns an increasing concern
More than 500 firearms have been seized and scores of people arrested during a national crackdown on illicit firearms involving multiple law enforcement agencies.
Operation Athena, featuring police from jurisdictions across Australia and federal agencies including Australian Border Force (ABF) and Australian Federal Police (AFP), raided scores of properties between 23 October and 29 October.
More than 100 search warrants were executed during the coordinated strikes, leading to 86 arrests and netting 523 firearms as well as 209 firearm parts.
A number of gel blasters were seized, which are of increasing worry to authorities, given they can look identical to real handguns, shotguns and rifles.
Numerous people were also arrested for allegedly making hybrid 3D printed guns, another area of growing concern.
ABF assistant commissioner East Erin Dale today said border force officers were highly skilled in targeting suspect consignments and detecting firearms. He said in a statement:
ABF and its federal and state and territory law enforcement partners will continue to target people who attempt to import firearms, parts or accessories such as silencers into Australia without a proper permit.
This highly successful week of action shows the ABF is determined to stop illicit firearms ending up on Australian streets.
- from AAP
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Spender adds voice to calls for more time to look at IR bill
The independent member Allegra Spender has taken to social media to back those senators calling for more time to scrutinise the government’s industrial relations bill.
Good reform needs both business and the unions on board. Otherwise we’ll have a bitter and damaging fight.
The government shouldn’t rush industrial relations changes. Remember Work Choices? Good reform needs both business and the unions on board. Otherwise we’ll have a bitter and damaging fight. https://t.co/kvcHfgPjQz
— Allegra Spender (@spenderallegra) October 30, 2022
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David Pocock calls for government to consider splitting IR bill
The independent senator David Pocock has suggested the government could split its industrial relations bill to pass the non-controversial parts this year.
On Thursday Pocock and the Senate crossbench (minus the Greens) voted for a committee inquiry to be extended to February 2023, because they want more time to consult on the bill, but were defeated.
On Monday, Pocock told Radio National:
This is a massive IR omnibus bill, they’ve thrown in a whole bunch of different things, a lot of them are very welcome ... We’ve got to get wages moving for low-paid workers, we’ve got the gender pay gap widening, women are earning $290 per week less than men. But there are elements of this bill that do warrant more time.
Pocock said three weeks to make submissions to an inquiry and one week of hearings is “not the level of scrutiny Australians would expect for big industrial relations laws”.
The good bits according to Pocock are: gender equity as an objective of the Fair Work Act, new expert panels on the Fair Work Commission, equal remuneration principle and banning pay secrecy. He described those as “great reforms” and “fairly non-controversial” and also noted that changes to the better off overall test “have broad support”.
He said:
I’ve said there are elements of this bill that should absolutely pass … On the bigger things I haven’t had time to look at detail, we’ve already found a few drafting errors, it does warrant more scrutiny. I’m not here to be a rubber stamp despite agreeing with many elements of this bill.
Pocock singled out multi-employer bargaining as an element that needed more scrutiny, and said although he understands the argument for urgency “we also want to get this right” and a month or two’s difference won’t matter much.
Pocock said he would “be happy to look at a carve-out”, ie voting on non-contentious bits this year.
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Perrottet says he has spoken with Andrews on stamp duty
The New South Wales premier, Dominic Perrottet, has claimed the Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, had taken an interest in his proposed changes to stamp duty for first home buyers.
Speaking in western Sydney on Monday, Perrottet said the pair had discussed the scheme while together in the border city of Albury last week.
He said:
I was with Dan Andrews in Albury last week and he said he’ll be monitoring it very closely.
Anything that premiers and governments around the country can do to help first time buyers, the better.
The NSW Labor opposition has staunchly opposed the reform. You can read more about what the proposed state law means here:
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Victorian SES receive 540 requests for assistance in 24 hours
An uptick in falling trees due to damaging winds in Victoria has seen state emergency services receive over 540 requests for assistance within 24 hours (as of 9.30am this morning).
A busy night for our SES volunteers, with over 540 Requests for Assistance received in the last 24 hours. Calls were largely in relation to trees down, blocking access or over drive ways. A big thank you to our SES volunteers for working hard to clear these calls! 🧡🧡 pic.twitter.com/aw5YpP5Jka
— VICSES News (@vicsesnews) October 30, 2022
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Damaging winds leave 14,000 Victorians without power
Residents across Australia’s east coast are bracing for more wild weather as communities already hit hard by flooding continue the clean-up.
A severe weather warning has been issued for Victoria, NSW, ACT, South Australia and Tasmania with damaging winds expected for the rest of Monday.
More than 14,000 people were left without power in Victoria after damaging wind gusts hit southern parts of the state, from the South Australian border across metropolitan Melbourne to Gippsland, on Sunday night.
The SES received more than 350 calls for help in 24 hours, mostly in outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne.
The Murray River remains in flood at Echuca, although water levels are slowly subsiding.
An evacuation order has been issued for Bogong Village near Falls Creek in the state’s northeast, where a slow-moving landslide is active above the alpine settlement.
Across the Bass Strait, Tasmanians have been warned of the risks of flash flooding, winds of up to 110km/h and possible thunderstorms in southern parts of the state.
- from AAP
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‘Not a consultation, but a con to the Australian people’: Abetz criticises republic minister
The federal government will conduct a national consultation tour next year to hear from Australians about whether to sever ties with the British monarchy.
The assistant minister for the republic, Matt Thistlethwaite, has said it will be important to speak to as many people as possible, including younger Australians, migrants and those who voted no at the 1999 republic referendum.
The former coalition senator Eric Abetz, the chairman of the Australian Monarchist League, shared his thoughts about the tour with ABC News this morning:
I think the assistant minister got it half-right when he said “con”. This is not a consultation, but a con to the Australian people.
What he’s doing is using Australian taxpayer resources to fund a 3-year campaign to try to promote to the Australian people something they don’t want or need.
The democracy that we have in Australia works exceptionally well. Indeed, in the democracy index of the world, of the top five democracies, four of them are constitutional monarchies. I think that speaks for itself as to how well constitutional monarchies operate.
So, we as volunteers in the Australian Monarchist League have a huge task in trying to fight the huge bankrolling of the pro-republic campaign by the government with taxpayer dollars. We rely on volunteers such as myself to promote the message that, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. And we have been served exceptionally well by our constitutional monarchy.
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Search begins for national anti-corruption commissioner
The government’s search for the first national anti-corruption commissioner begins today, along with the attorney general’s department commencing advertising for the commission’s other statutory roles.
Much like the methodology of the prince in Cinderella, the government says they are “casting the widest possible net” in their search.
The attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, released a statement:
This is a necessary step to achieve our aim of having the National Anti-Corruption Commission up and running by mid-2023.
Any appointments will be subject to the passage of the National Anti-Corruption Commission legislation and approval by the parliamentary joint committee.
This will be a merit-based, transparent and robust recruitment process, adhering to the highest standards of integrity and accountability.
The government is casting the widest possible net to ensure the commission is led by the most capable and qualified people, consistent with our commitment to restoring transparency and merit to statutory appointments.
If you’re not quite sure how the Nacc will work, my colleague Paul Karp has you covered:
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68 flood warnings across NSW
The SES have issued 68 flood warnings in NSW, including six emergency warnings and 41 watch and act warnings.
NSW SES has 68 current warnings across NSW:
— NSW SES (@NSWSES) October 30, 2022
6 Emergency Warnings
41 Watch and Act
21 Advice
Please visit https://t.co/BCnxAe6tsR to view the interactive map and list of warnings.
(Post current: 8.30am Monday 31 October 2022). pic.twitter.com/yDrlqa6BVu
Robodebt royal commission hearings begin
The first round of hearings kick off today for the inquiry into the botched Centrelink debt recovery scheme, investigating the establishment, design and implementation of the unlawful program.
The royal commission was promised by Labor during the election and subsequently called in August to get to the bottom of what the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has labelled a “human tragedy.”
My colleague Luke Henriques-Gomes, who has been following this issue in depth for a number of years (and indeed won a Walkley for his reporting on it), has a preview of what you can expect from these hearings including who is and isn’t expected to appear as witnesses:
The first two weeks of hearings are expected to centre on evidence from current and former officials from the Department of Social Services, which held ultimate responsibility for the policy, and Services Australia (previously Human Services), which administered the scheme.
Former government ministers including Scott Morrison, Alan Tudge and Stuart Robert are understood not to have been called for the initial hearings, though previous comments aired at the inquiry suggest it is likely they will be called at some stage.
You can read the entire preview here:
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‘I just thought it was typical old Albo just having a rant’: Andrews on bullying allegations
Andrews is asked if she believes there is evidence of the PM bullying Michelle Landry:
I was in the chamber at the at the time. When I when I listened to what the prime minister was saying, I just thought it was typical old Albo just having a rant, which is what he’s quite well known for.
If you look at the way parliament operates, it’s not the way that a corporate boardroom would operate at all. I mean, if you had a difference of opinion with someone you certainly wouldn’t behave as is done in question time.
So I think at the very least, it’s an opportunity for a bit of self reflection by the prime minister about way he handled it.
And to come out and say ‘well, I wasn’t saying that to Michelle Landry, I was saying it to Peter Dutton’ really raises the question: oh, hang on, so it’s okay to yell at Peter Dutton?
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Andrews pledges to cooperate with Labor on fixing any loopholes found in visa regime
ABC Radio asks Andrews about reports in the Nine papers of significant gaps in Australia’s visa regime allowing migration agents and fixers to set up so-called visa farms.
Andrews:
I would encourage the Labor government to have a look at the issues in that report and see whether or not there are concerns, there are loopholes and if so I can assure them I will work very cooperatively to get them fixed.
Andrews says she was not aware of the details in the story but was “very concerned” when she read them.
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Election day boat interception announcement made for transparency’s sake: Andrews
On the topic of sharing information that could put an operation at risk, which Andrews is so concerned about, Karvelas asks:
Your department was found to have leaked details of a boat turnback which had come from Sri Lanka on election day this year … and yet you’re criticising this government for … allegedly leaking?
Andrews:
It was a deliberate decision that was taken on the day. And the reason that that decision was taken was because of transparency, and for deterrence ... the issue was that there was a lot of a lot of criticism about discussions of boat arrivals and the fact that we, as a Coalition, were very concerned about whether or not there would be increases in boat arrivals.
Now on election day, when that boat arrived, and I was advised of it early in the in the morning and the prime minister at the time, Scott Morrison would have been advised either before or after – I’m not sure when he was actually advised of that … The decision was taken that in the interests of transparency, the information would be released and it would be released by the agencies responsible because that was the most apolitical way to release that information.
Now, if we had won the election, and a couple of days later it had been made clear that a boat had arrived, we would have been roundly accused of hiding that because a boat had turned up on our watch. So in the interests of transparency, the prime minister made the call – which I had no issue with – of asking the authorities to put out a very situational, focused announcement that a boat had been intercepted and that was the start and finish of the involvement of the departments on that day.
And I think that’s a reasonable thing to do, so that people were very much aware of what was happening.
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‘The whole thing has been terribly handled’: Andrews
Andrews raised concerns about the level of detail that was put out about the repatriation mission in the media before it occurred. Andrews says the announcement that the four women and 13 children have arrived endangers any future repatriation of the women and children who have yet to be brought back.
The next issue now is we’ve had the minister of home affairs come out and say that these four women and their 13 children have arrived. Reporting indicates that there are many others that are still in camps in Syria.
So it raises the issue of what is going to happen to those women, when and if will they be bought to Australia? And does this not heighten the risk for a future mission when it’s known that there will be others that are likely to be carried out? So the whole thing has been terribly handled.
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Andrews: Morrison-era repatriation of Australian families from Syria is ‘not inconsistent’ at all
In 2019 the former Morrison government repatriated eight children and grandchildren of two deceased IS fighters. Given Andrews’ criticisms of the Albanese government’s repatriation over the risk of radicalisation of the children, she is asked: why is this repatriation different from the Morrison government’s actions?
The potential there was for those children to have been radicalised and to continue to be radicalised when they came back to Australia.
It’s not inconsistent at all … these children were orphans and that was the rationale behind bringing them back to Australia at that point in time and having to manage those risks.
In this case, it’s the wives of terrorists and their children that are … being brought back here to Australia by the Labor government. And I don’t think that that is acceptable and I also know what risks were, potentially, there for Australian personnel to go in to retrieve these women and their children.
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Success of repatriation of families from Syria due to a 'level of luck': Andrews
The shadow home affairs minister, Karen Andrews, has told ABC Radio that the success in the government’s repatriation of the first group of Australian women and children from a refugee camp in northern Syria was due to a combination of good management and “luck”.
Karvelas:
It’s been successful, which means the risk was managed, right?
Andrews:
Well, that’s easy to say in hindsight … But when you’re actually planning a mission, you’ve got to take into account what the risks will be. And in my very strong view, and based on the advice that I was given, the risks were too high.
Maybe that [success is] a lot to be said for a level of management but also a level of luck that went with that, as well, because it very well easily could have ended quite badly. I’m very relieved and happy that it hasn’t.
Any such risk was not low risk, there were always risks involved. The fact that it didn’t eventuate in a tragedy for Australian personnel going into rescue them, I think is really a positive thing. We should focus on that.
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Shadow defence minister defends not repatriating women and children from Syria while in office
The first group of Australian women and children repatriated from a refugee camp in northern Syria is being questioned by authorities after arriving back in Australia on Saturday.
The shadow home affairs minister, Karen Andrews, spoke to ABC Radio about the news. RN Breakfast host Patricia Karvelas asked Andrews:
When you were in government you said it was too risky to try to remove these families. Were you wrong to delay it for so long?
Andrews:
No, not at all. The very clear advice I received was that it was too risky to send Australian personnel into these camps.
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Improving education of First Nations kids needs to start before school, education minister says
Clare says there have been “good results” when it comes to the most recent Naplan testing outcomes for Indigenous students, but he wants to focus on the inequality which begins before school.
The readiness of Indigenous children to start school is well below the general population. 55% of 4-year-olds are ready to start school, only 34% of Indigenous children that.
The gap has got worse over the last four years. That gap is getting bigger, not smaller. It’s one of the reasons why in the big childcare legislation we introduced a couple of weeks ago I made sure there was changes to the law there, so there was a guaranteed access to 36 hours a fortnight of early education for Indigenous children.
If we’re serious about tackling disadvantage, you can’t start at school. You need to go way back to zero. That’s for Indigenous and non-indigenous children. If you get access to good early education from zero to five, it can make the world of difference.
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Primary reading skills a year ahead than 14 years ago, but not translating into high school
Clare says the fact that reading skills of primary school kids is a year ahead of where they were 14 years ago, when Naplan testing began, comes as “really terrific news”.
We’ve seen massive growth in the reading skills of primary school students over that period of time. It’s not translating into high school. That is one of the things we need to look at.
Clare admits he is “not sure” as to the reasons why the good results in primary school are not translating to secondary school outcomes.
That’s what I want the Australian education research organisation to drill deeper into. We’ve got the national schooling agreement to kick off next year, to make sure what we need to focus on.
I’d like them to look at the gap between the results of children from poor backgrounds and wealthier backgrounds. We’re seeing that gap growing. We’re seeing improvements in primary school, we’re still seeing that gap growing.
I don’t want us to be a country where your chances in live depend on your parents or where you grow up or the colour of your skin.
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Education minister hails post-lockdown Naplan results as 'better than expected'
This year’s Naplan results are out and show no overall decline in learning, despite being the first tests following the protracted lockdowns in Sydney and Melbourne.
The education minister, Jason Clare, told ABC News Breakfast the results are “better than I expected”.
This is the first Naplan since those big lockdowns in Melbourne and Sydney last year, and there was some pretty horrific predictions about what that could mean. That hasn’t transpired.
I think that’s a tribute to the incredible work that teachers and parents and students did. We’ve seen pretty stable results across most of the categories.
There are some examples, particularly in year 9, where we’ve seen a tapering off. That’s of concern. I think part of that is Covid. But Naplan tells us what’s happening. It doesn’t tell us why. We need to drill deeper.
If you have a look at the data, we’re seeing a bit of a tapering off for boys and girls in reading and maths over the course of the last three years. Over 14 years it’s pretty stable. Over the last three years we’ve seen a drop. That’s why I say it may be Covid.
Naplan doesn’t measure everything. It doesn’t measure the big mental health impacts that Covid has had on young people either. The next step for us is to better understand why it’s happened.
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Good morning!
More wild weather is on the cards for the eastern states even as communities are still cleaning up from the most recent flood disaster. Warnings are in place across Victoria, NSW, South Australia and Tasmania for severe winds and thunderstorms.
The Murray River remains in flood at Echuca, although water levels are slowly subsiding. Moderate flooding is also occurring along the Campaspe River downstream of Rochester.
A landslide warning for Bogong Village has seen residents of the north-east Victorian locality told to evacuate.
The United States’ Air Force is preparing to deploy nuclear-capable B-52 bombers to Australia amid growing tensions with China, the ABC is reporting. Dedicated facilities for the giant aircraft will be built by the US at Tindal air base, south of Darwin, and will be used for a “squadron operations facility” during the Northern Territory dry season.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade last night confirmed an Australian is among the more than 150 people who have died in the Halloween crowd crush in Seoul.
You’ll have me (Natasha May) with you on the blog each morning this week before Amy Remeikis returns when parliament sits next week.
Let’s get going!
