What we learned, Wednesday 24 May
That’s where we’ll leave the blog for today – thanks so much for joining us. Here is a wrap of the day’s biggest stories:
A New South Wales police officer has been charged and will appear in court next month after allegedly tasering a 95-year-old woman with dementia.
The Treasury confirmed that it has referred the PwC tax scandal to the Australian Federal Police for a criminal investigation.
Liberal MP Julian Leeser urged his colleagues to back the Voice.
The ABC managing director appeared before Senate estimates and said he was “worried about” First Nations staff.
Hawthorn Football Club CEO Justin Reeves resigned, the club has confirmed, due to the “personal toll” and need to focus on his wellbeing in a “difficult period” for the club.
A 15-year-old boy was taken into custody after discharging a firearm in the carpark of a school.
The defence minister, Richard Marles, said Australia is “not about to be invaded”.
Scott Morrison argued that the Indigenous voice will cause “confusion, uncertainty”.
The former attorney general Christian Porter will not act for billionaire Clive Palmer in his $300bn lawsuit against the federal government.
Anthony Albanese and Narendra Modi held a press conference following the end of their bilateral meeting.
Daniel Andrews said landlords can claim his tax hike as a deduction.
More than 100 Australian academics and scholars called on the government to rethink its nuclear-powered submarine plan, arguing it is risky, expensive and will increase dependence on the US.
Updated
Asked in a seven minute press conference over the charging of an officer why she still hasn't watched body cam footage, and why it hasn't been released, Karen Webb replied "I'm not the investigator". https://t.co/07fQIbirXo
— Caitlin Cassidy (@caitecassidy) May 24, 2023
Treasury refers PwC to AFP for criminal investigation
Elsewhere, the Treasury has confirmed that it has referred the PwC tax scandal to the Australian Federal Police for a criminal investigation.
Treasury secretary Dr Steven Kennedy said in a statement released tonight that recent revelations on the extent of the scandal is behind the referral:
PwC Australia’s former head of international tax, Mr Peter Collins, improperly used confidential commonwealth information.
The emails that the Tax Practitioners Board tabled in parliament on 2 May 2023 highlighted the significant extent of the unauthorised disclosure of confidential commonwealth information and the wide range of individuals within PwC who were directly and indirectly privy to the confidential information.
In light of these recent revelations and the seriousness of this misconduct, the Treasury has referred the matter to the Australian Federal Police to consider commencement of a criminal investigation.
The Tax Practitioners Board moved to ban former PwC partner Peter Collins from acting as a tax practitioner until next year. Collins was the partner who leaked confidential government tax plans, with a 148 page document released by Senate estimates showing the extent of the breach.
Updated
Police officer who tasered 95-year-old charged
Good evening, Mostafa Rachwani with you this evening with breaking news that a New South Wales police officer will appear in court next month after allegedly tasering a 95-year-old woman with dementia.
The 33-year-old senior constable has been told to appear in court over the offences of recklessly causing grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and common assault.
He will appear at Cooma local court on 5 July and remains suspended from duty without pay.
Police say Claire Nowland was armed with a steak knife at the time of the incident, which occurred at an aged care facility in Cooma.
NSW police commissioner Karen Webb and deputy commissioner Paul Pisanos will address the media this evening to provide an update.
Investigations into the critical incident continue.
Updated
No answers today in Senate estimates over Clive Palmer litigation
There has been plenty of argy bargy in Senate estimates with the Attorney General’s Department this afternoon, much of it over Clive Palmer’s penchant for litigation against Australia.
To be more precise, much of it is about Greens senator David Shoebridge’s frustration at officials taking many of his questions on notice.
One thing that was confirmed, though, was that there are two other actions – besides the whopping great $300bn one – under way, as Paul Karp initially wrote here:
Updated
Universities welcome Australian-India migration partnership
The peak body for Australia’s tertiary education sector has welcomed the finalisation of migration and mobility partnership between Australia and India, announced today.
Universities Australia’s chief executive, Catriona Jackson, said the body fully supported growing the nation’s “flourishing” relationship with our neighbour, describing universities as playing a key role in “maximising the economic potential” of the relationship.
The Australia-India migration and mobility partnership arrangement will support the flow of more students, researchers and skilled people between our countries. This is a good thing.
Before the pandemic, international education contributed around $40bn to Australia’s economy, with Indian students contributing $6.1bn of that total figure in 2019.
We already have more Indian students studying in Australia than before the pandemic, but it is in our interest to build on this.
Jackson said the new arrangement would also allow for greater collaboration between researchers and fill skill shortages in Australia.
Updated
Lesser: voice will focus on ‘real work’ rather than ‘culture wars of Twitter’
Leeser said he believed the voice would focus on issues around health, education and employment, saying:
Frankly, it will have too much real work on its hands to worry about the boring culture wars of Twitter.
He rubbished claims that it would give “special privilege” to Indigenous people.
I know there are many Liberal and National voters wrestling with how to vote at the referendum. To them I say I believe what the voice is seeking to accomplish is in accordance with our values and history.
We might not trumpet our virtue as others do, but we have always been on this journey.
Updated
Julian Leeser urges colleagues to back the voice
Liberal MP Julian Leeser says the Indigenous voice is in keeping with conservative values and history, imploring his Coalition colleagues to back the referendum.
The longtime voice advocate has rubbished key criticisms of the no campaign, but still had kind words for the conservative identities pushing the anti-voice vote, calling for respectful debate around the looming public vote. He told the House of Representatives:
The voice is advisory. It won’t be Moses handing down the tablets from the mountain. The parliament will still be the democratic centre of our national life.
He said the voice’s role would be simply to advise – likening its advice to that given by other government organs.
Just like the security services, the chief medical officer, chief scientist, Dfat and so many agencies advise.
They will have no interest in where the Department of Finance purchases its paperclips or recycled paper, as some have claimed. It will not run programs or dish out grants. And it will have no interest in submarines as some no advocates suggest … And if the voice wants to lambast the RBA on interest rates – I say join the queue.
Updated
Earlier today, a rally was held in Sydney calling for the release of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange (it was meant to be timed with Joe Biden’s visit, but we know how that turned out …).
His wife, Stella Assange, spoke prior to a march down the CBD streets. Have a geeze at the action here:
The Free Julian Assange Rally
— People For Assange (@people4assange) May 24, 2023
in Sydney’s Hyde Park today
kicked off with excellent speeches followed by a huge midweek crowd led by Julian’s wife Stella taking to the CBD streets to bring the important #FreeAssange message to the people. #auspol#JournalismIsNotACrime pic.twitter.com/4fWBfywPUA
AG’s office coy on potential new claims against commonwealth from Clive Palmer’s company
Earlier in May Guardian Australia revealed that Clive Palmer’s company Zeph Investments had given notice it intends to sue Australia in a fresh case, in addition to an existing $296bn claim, with a potential third claim in the works.
The two new prospective investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) claims were revealed in budget papers, and the attorney general’s department told the Guardian the claims were “unrelated on their facts to the arbitration already on foot”, that is, are new matters that could expose Australia to further legal liability.
But at Senate estimates on Wednesday, officials from the attorney general’s department refused to answer questions from Greens senator, David Shoebridge, about what the new claims are.
Asked what was in Zeph’s notice of intention to seek arbitration, the acting general counsel, Jesse Clarke, told the committee “it would be for Zeph to articulate the claim”.
He said:
I don’t propose to answer. [The matter] could continue to a notice of arbitration, to which the commonwealth would then respond. It would do so at that time.”
When Shoebridge noted there can’t be any prejudice to Zeph, because it already knows what’s in the notice, Clarke replied:
That’s not the basis of my reluctance. It’s because our role is to defend the commonwealth in those proceedings. To speculate on what may be in that claim, could prejudice the commonwealth’s litigation strategy.
Shoebridge then insisted on an answer, but Clarke took the question on notice for the government to consider whether it will claim public interest immunity, blocking the content of the notice.
Shoebridge said this showed how “damaging” ISDS claims are for democracy, that the arbitration is a “secret process”. He said it was “deeply unsatisfactory” that officials would not answer.
Updated
Minister closes office after break-in
Minister for immigration Andrew Giles has closed his office in the northern Melbourne suburb of Thomastown following an overnight break-in. He says an “unacceptable toll” has been taken on electorate staff in the past few months in the wake of ongoing protests and graffiti.
My electorate office is closed today and for the next few days following a break in overnight.
— Andrew Giles MP (@andrewjgiles) May 24, 2023
After protests on the roof, obstructions to constituents entering the office, graffiti, constant calls to the police and now a break in, this has taken an unacceptable toll on my electorate staff.
— Andrew Giles MP (@andrewjgiles) May 24, 2023
Updated
Parliamentary committee to examine Victorian rental crisis
Victoria’s rental crisis will be placed under the microscope of a parliamentary inquiry, despite the Andrews government blocking the Greens’ attempt to establish the probe.
Last week, exiled Liberal MP Moira Deeming sided with the Andrews government in voting down an attempt by the Victorian Greens to establish an inquiry into the state’s worsening rental crisis. But a non-government dominated parliamentary committee has self-referred an inquiry that will examine the rental crisis and housing affordability.
The Greens’ renters’ rights spokesperson, Gabrielle de Vietri, backed the committee investigating issues contributing to the housing crisis:
The rental crisis in Victoria is out-of-control. We’re seeing retired women sleeping in cars and families with school kids living in tents.
Updated
Voice referendum not ‘front and centre’ MP Le says
Earlier today, former prime minister Scott Morrison had a go at sporting bodies coming out in support of the voice (which his party has rejected), saying:
While keenly interested in the NRL’s opinion on hip-drop tackles I don’t think I will be referring to them the constitutional advice in making my decisions on this matter.
Labor MP Louise Miller-Frost and independent MP Dai Le were asked about his view on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing.
Miller-Frost said sport was a “very important part of our society” and it’s “entirely appropriate” for codes to have a position.
Perhaps it is not the position the former prime minister is advocating … it is pleasing to see that we have not only the sports organisations but the faith-based organisations, major companies coming out and supporting the voice … at the end of the day we will know when the referendum happens.
Le said she’d spent a lot of time on the ground and had picked up her community were not engaged with the referendum and it wasn’t “front and centre”.
I will remain undeclared. I will leave it to the people to make the judgment at the end of the day what they want to do. It is a referendum at the end of the day.
Updated
Cash queries resignation of AAT president in Senate estimates
There have been many questions in senate estimates about the appointment and resignation of Fiona Meagher as president of the administrative appeals tribunal (AAT).
Meagher quit abruptly at the end of last year after a pretty chaotic time. The government is working on a new form of the body, and today appointed a new president – Emilios Kyrou.
Shadow attorney general Michaelia Cash asked the attorney general’s department whether Meagher was pressured to resign, whether she was offered a payout or compensation, whether her commission as a federal court judge was called into question, and a range of other questions. She asked Labor senator Anthony Chisholm for a “guarantee that neither the attorney general nor his office put pressure on [her] to resign”.
“You’re putting a slur in the guise of a question without producing any evidence … as a fishing exercise,” Chisholm said.
I’m confident that the attorney general acted appropriately at all times. It’s an offensive question.
Updated
Trip was to be with family, Nationals leader says
Still on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing, Nationals leader David Littleproud has appeared following revelations he has repaid travel expenses he claimed after leaving parliament early to travel to the Gold Coast in February.
Littleproud said the travel was to be with his family, not to purchase a unit, which he did three days prior.
The proximity of the Gold Coast airport was close to my home and the decision was made that I thought I could go back to either one of those ports [the Gold Coast or Brisbane]. Subsequent to that, the advice was my only port was Brisbane, I wasn’t aware of that and I made an error of judgement in not knowing that.
… I take it very seriously about my travel and how I spent Australian taxpayer money but to remove any doubt, I’m simply paying for the whole trip, even though it was really close to price in airfares from Canberra to the Gold Coast and to Brisbane because of the proximity. It’s important we uphold integrity in that and we try to do the right thing but we made the mistake in getting the wrong advice.
Asked if the property was an investment, he said it would be an investment and at “some juncture” would be a retirement home for him and his wife.
This was simply about going home, not about purchasing a unit.
Updated
Mineral deal will strengthen US-Australia alliance, resources minister says
Meanwhile, on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing, resources minister Madeleine King has appeared following a joint deal with the US on critical mineral exports to reduce Australia’s reliance on China.
King said it was an “important step” in strengthening the US-Australia alliance and would work to unblock the processing of Australia’s “vast reserves” of critical minerals.
We need to power this industry are really very quickly because of the Green revolution the whole world wants to undertake, and right now we know that most of those supplies are coming from one country and we need to be a competitor and America is going to help us …
This is about cooperation, as it always has been with the US. We work together … having American government investments and American corporate investment in our critical minerals industry is something that is unequivocally a good thing for the nation.
Updated
Netball Australia only body yet to back the Uluru statement
In a statement, Butchulla and Gubbi Gubbi woman and Football Australia general manager of First Nations, Courtney Fewquandie, said:
Football Australia, under the attentive guidance of Niag, remains committed to continuing to support football in its role in promoting the advancement of recognition and culturally informed decision making with First Nations people.
It leaves the country’s netball organisation as the only major sporting body to have not committed to a position.
Netball Australia are conducting education processes about the referendum for players and staff.
Tennis Australia has previously committed its support to the Uluru statement but has not yet confirmed its position on the voice to parliament.
Updated
Football Australia announces support for Indigenous voice to parliament
Football Australia has re-affirmed its support for the Uluru statement from the heart including the Indigenous voice to parliament.
It follows Rugby Australia, the NRL and the AFL which in recent weeks confirmed their support for the yes campaign in the voice referendum.
Today, Football Australia reaffirmed its support for the Uluru Statement from the Heart in full, including the Voice to Parliament.
— Football Australia (@FootballAUS) May 24, 2023
This reinforces Football Australia’s stance as one of the first national sporting bodies to support ‘the Voice’, when on 13 September 2022, it… pic.twitter.com/0BiykJLihS
The chief executive of Football Australia, James Johnson, said:
Our National Indigenous Advisory Group (Niag) have been instrumental in guiding Football Australia through key milestones, including our support for the Uluru statement from the heart in full, as we bring to life our commitment to being recognised as a leader in embedding respect and recognition of First Nations voices and traditions.
Updated
Albanese previously compared India’s prime minister to hit musician Bruce Springsteen, now he’s lighting up the opera house in his honour.
The rockstar visit continues.
Anthony Albanese has confirmed the Federal Government will pay for the Sydney Opera House to be lit up in the Indian flag tonight. “There’s 1.4 billion reasons to do it.” @2GB873 @9NewsSyd
— Chris O'Keefe (@cokeefe9) May 24, 2023
Updated
AFL Dockers back Indigenous voice to parliament
The Walyalup football club, also known as the Fremantle football club, has affirmed its support for the yes campaign in the upcoming referendum.
In a statement, the club’s president Dale Alcock said it was the board’s view a voice would provide “appropriate representation” and be a step in the right direction towards a more reconciled Australia.
Our club’s core business is football, but we also have a significant opportunity to support the community we work within by sharing the board’s support of important social matters.
In our short history, we have had more games played by First Nations players than any other AFL club.
The continuous and ongoing connection our club has with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives since inception allows us to keep learning, recognising, and celebrating First Nations culture, and has shaped our club for the better.
The Collingwood football club was the first AFL team to come out backing the yes vote.
Updated
Police seriously injured after truck allegedly rams vehicles in Queensland
In Queensland, four police officers have been injured, two seriously, when an allegedly stolen truck rammed their vehicles on Darling Downs.
The male truck driver was arrested following the crashes north of Toowoomba on Wednesday afternoon.
Officers were trying to intercept the vehicle in Meringandan when it allegedly rammed one police vehicle about 1.30pm.
Two officers were seriously injured, with one taken to hospital in Toowoomba and the other flown to Brisbane.
The vehicle hit two other police cars a short time later in neighbouring Kleinton, with two more officers suffering minor injuries.
Police said the truck then came to a stop and the man was taken into custody.
-AAP.
Updated
Reeves, announcing his resignation, said timing had always been important to him and now was the right time for new leadership at Hawthorn.
I’ve worked hard with my team to establish strong foundations for the club to work through some important cultural, strategic and operational matters and, with that work done, I’m confident the club can emerge stronger than ever.
I believe now is the right time to hand over to new leadership. I’m confident my departure will allow the board to identify a new CEO to lead our incredibly talented executive team, to ensure future club sustainability and success … I’m grateful for the opportunity to lead Hawthorn and thank the club’s ever so talented employees, loyal members and committed commercial partners.
The board will shortly form a sub-committee to lead the search for Hawthorn’s new CEO.
It follows the resignation of Jeff Kennett as president of the club late last year.
Updated
Hawthorn president Andy Gowers said while disappointed he had resigned, he respected Reeves’ brave decision.
Justin is a highly respected sporting executive, which is a reputation built from delivering great results and running sound operations for more than 15 years in AFL football.
On behalf of the board, I thank Justin for his unwavering commitment to the Hawks over nearly six years, during which there has been some challenging periods that required astute leadership.
Hawthorn has initiated a search for a new CEO and we look forward to working with acting CEO Ash Klein in the meantime.
Updated
AFL club Hawthorn’s CEO stands down
Hawthorn Football Club CEO Justin Reeves has resigned, the club has confirmed.
In a statement on Wednesday afternoon, Hawthorn said Reeves had advised the board of his resignation, effective immediately, due to the “personal toll” and need to focus on his wellbeing in a “difficult period” for the club.
The board has appointed Ash Klein as acting CEO.
It ends his six-year tenure at Hawthorn, following a decade in senior commercial roles at Geelong and Collingwood.
Updated
ABC managing director ‘worried about' First Nations staff
The ABC is appearing before Senate estimates where it has faced many questions about the events which led up to Stan Grant’s decision to stand down due to racist abuse.
ABC managing director David Anderson said:
I’m worried about Stan but I’m also worried about our other staff. I’m worried about our First Nations staff as we head towards a referendum on the voice, to make sure that they are sufficiently protected.
Justin Stevens, ABC head of news, has revealed that Grant, the host of Q+A, has taken eight weeks’ leave but hopes he will return.
Stevens told senators the Murdoch family and the ABC have had an “interesting” relationship since the 1930s when he was asked to elaborate on his criticism of media organisation News Corporation.
Stevens said despite criticism from News Corp of the ABC, the media organisation employed good journalists, and some of the ABC’s staff came from there, including Patricia Karvelas and David Speers.
He said they would not censor journalists simply because they worked for News Corp and they were not the ones who made the decisions anyway.
Updated
Attorney general’s department reconsidering PwC contract
The attorney general’s department is reconsidering a contract with PriceWaterhouseCoopers, which has used confidential information for financial gain.
Department chief operating officer, Cameron Gifford, said if the contract for managing workflow went ahead, PwC would not have access to any sensitive information.
He said:
The department actually is having another look at the work which has been contemplated under that contract [and] considering whether or not it will proceed on the basis of whether or not it’s the right way to go.
It might actually be [there are] technological advances which are better adopted than the body of work that was being contemplated for that contract, but that’s currently under consideration by the department.
Updated
Two rescued after boat catches fire in Port Phillip Bay
Two people have been rescued after a boat caught fire and sank in the waters of Port Phillip Bay, south of Melbourne’s city centre.
Firefighters responded to the blaze on a 30-foot cabin cruiser near Elwood beach about noon on Wednesday after residents reported seeing huge flames and plumes of black smoke.
Police and the coastguard were also called to the scene. The fire engulfed the boat and despite the efforts of fire crews, the vessel sunk.
A Victoria police spokesperson said two men aboard, a 61-year-old and a 59-year-old, managed to jump into the water before the boat was engulfed in flames.
Army personnel, who had (somewhat luckily) been training nearby, plucked the pair to safety and transferred them to Williamstown pier before they were checked over by paramedics. They were both uninjured.
The spokesperson said they managed to grab a lifejacket each as they abandoned the burning boat, which helped them stay afloat.
One witness named Dan described seeing the boat engulfed in flames to Melbourne radio 3AW:
There’s a boat on fire, there’s black fumes of smoke. I can see huge flames coming out of it, it’s too far away to see any people but it’s a massive boat fire. You can see it from all aspects of the bay.
- With AAP.
Updated
Western Australian police have just provided an update on the incident, confirming the school is currently in lockdown. There are no known injuries.
We’re currently responding to reports of shots being fires at Atlantis Beach Baptist College in Two Rocks.
At this stage we have the school in lockdown, we have a person in custody. I want to reassure the parents and the community that we have a significant number of police resources onsite and we’re dealing with the situation.
We do not have any reports at this stage of anyone being injured … we ask that parents and members of the public give us some distance to complete our duties.
The co-educational school, which caters to students from kindergarten to Year 10, is yet to publicly respond to the incident.
Updated
Boy, 15, discharges firearm outside WA school
In Western Australia, a 15-year-old boy has been taken into custody after discharging a firearm in the carpark of a school.
Western Australian police say about 11.50am, officers attended a school on Breakwater Drive in Two Rocks, an outer suburb in Perth’s north, in response to the incident.
Police remain on the scene and are liaising with the school. They say there is no ongoing risk to the public and there have been no injuries – all staff and students are accounted for.
Updated
Yohoo! Thanks as ever to the unparalleled Amy Remeikis. I’ll be with you for the rest of the day, and all its news.
There is a bit of house business before the referendum legislation debate will begin again, but everyone is focussed on getting to the end of the day – which will be at 10pm or so.
Estimates will also continue. Caitlin Cassidy will take you through the late afternoon while I work on another project, but I will be back with you very early tomorrow – which is also the Guardian’s 10th birthday! If you want to join us in celebrating, you can attend our event at the Seymour Centre tomorrow where you’ll be treated to an all-star Guardian Australia cast
You may all have cake for breakfast as your own treat. I will be.
Until then –please, take care of you Ax
Updated
And Anthony Albanese calls question time to an end. It’s early today. Which is the treat we all deserve. Nay – NEED
The shadow defence minister, Andrew Hastie, asked the defence minister, Richard Marles, to “confirm how Australia will safely dispose of nuclear waste from the new Aukus submarines”.
The answer boils down to: watch this space.
Well, I thank the member for his question. It is a very important question. As we have made clear, in the announcement of the optimal pathway by which Australia will acquire a nuclear-powered submarine capability that we made in March, part of that pathway is to be accountable for the full nuclear cycle including the disposal of the reactor at the end of his life. The safe disposal of that has been an important commitment that we have made to the International Atomic Energy Agency as part of making clear that Australia will meet its obligations under the non-proliferation treaty.
We have made clear in our announcement that we will embark on a process by which we will determine how the place of disposal of the means of disposal will be chosen. We have time to do that because obviously the first reactor that we would face needing to dispose of is not needing to be done for decades, but it is important that we get this process in place and will do so in the timeframe that we’ve already articulated.
For background on this by Daniel Hurst:
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Paul Fletcher continues to exude second-speaker debate energy in his attempts to mirror Tony Burke’s tactics and asks for Clare O’Neil to table the document she was reading from during a dixer answer.
I’m too tired to sigh at this point.
Milton Dick says ‘we can go through this every time’ and asks O’Neil if it was a confidential document. She says yes. It is not tabled.
Updated
The independent MP for Kooyong, Dr Monique Ryan asks Catherine King:
My question is for the minister for infrastructure. Minister, gas extraction from the Beetaloo basin will detonate a $1.4 billion carbon bomb. The Northern Territory chief minister and federal climate minister admitted last week that jurisdictions outside the territory will have to offset both emissions. Can you please inform the house which jurisdictions will be lifting that load and exactly how will they be doing?
Tony Burke jumps up to say the question is to the wrong minister, and there is a little bit of confusion over whether or not they need to get the right minister (Chris Bowen) up to answer it straight away or not.
Catherine King stands up to say thank you, but that question is for Bowen, and then Bowen takes the floor and says:
Mr Speaker, in relation to the question, our safeguard reforms which I acknowledge [the member is a] supporter, Scope 1 for any extraction must be net-zero reflected in the safeguard rules I put down.
In addition, in relation to Beetaloo, this government is 100% committed to the Pepper review and I indicated as late as last week on radio that we remain committed to that recommendation and I would have thought that is a sensible thing to do because it is an important recommendation.
I have indicated that has cost jurisdiction obligations and to ensure it is met it is appropriate for the energy ministers council to consider cross-border ramifications as to whether [where it] is sent and submitted and where it should be offset and that I refer to the Ministers Council for further consideration.
Updated
David Coleman gets a rare question, which brings about a cheer from the Labor benches.
The Liberal MP and shadow minister for communications asks:
In my household, as many others, football time is family time but this time has been encroached upon by the corrosive influence of sports betting advertising during the broadcasting of games. As announced in the budget reply speech by the leader of the opposition, the Coalition government moved to ban sports gambling advertising during the broadcasting of games. Will the prime minister work with opposition to get this in initiative implemented now?
Anthony Albanese:
I thank the member for his question and no one likes their football more than me. More than me, although I did not enjoy last Friday night, it must be said!
Siggggh
Albanese then gets to the question:
If only they had been in government sometime in the last decade! If only they had the opportunity to do something! To act!
He talks about the review Labor has in place to look at gambling (it is mostly online but includes some bits on broadcast) and finishes with
Not only ads on TV but also social media and branding, not just live TV but streaming. A comprehensive inquiry is under way. Something that the Leader of the Opposition is apparently is not aware of. We have also held the first meeting of state and territory ministers responsible for gambling harm reduction since 2017! They didn’t even have a discussion about any of these issues, not in 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 or 22! Nothing!
The Coalition had nine years to act on banning ads during sport but they did not. But they didn’t. The only reason there are any restrictions on gambling ads during live sport is because of actions that Labor has taken. We will await the inquiry that looks at a comprehensive response, because that is what is appropriate.
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Australia 'not about to be invaded' defence minister says
The defence minister, Richard Marles, says Australia’s principal security threat is not an invasion of the continent, as he defended the government’s decision to cut the number of infantry fighting vehicles it is buying for the army.
He said there was no point having large numbers of them unless Australia was about to be invaded.
Marles told parliament the government had “rescoped” the procurement of the next-generation vehicles in line with the defence strategic review recommendation. As announced last month, Australia will buy 129 infantry vehicles, rather than up to 450 originally planned.
Interestingly, Marles’ defence of the decision came in response to a dixer, rather than an opposition question.
This is obviously a difficult decision. There are many who disagree with it, including apparently those opposite.
But no one is suggesting that Australia’s principal threat is an invasion of the continent. What we need is a nimble and mobile army. It is to be potent so we need a number of those fighting vehicles but we need to have the capacity to transport them, which means that if we don’t, we risk having hundreds of those vehicles stranded in Australia. And if we’re not about to be invaded, what is the point of that?
Now, they are the strategic reasons behind the hard decision we have made. That stands in stark contrast to the way defence policy was handled over most of the last decade because the former government didn’t do strategy and the former government was incapable of making a hard decision. When they spent money - they were completely out of control.
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Greens leader Adam Bandt has the next crossbench question and he asks Jim Chalmers:
Your budget spent a staggering $313 billion on Labor’s stage three tax cuts for the wealthy, giving politicians and billionaires $9,000 a year. It has nothing for 5.5 million voters who do not get commonwealth rent assistance. In the middle of a rental crisis, why is Labor spending $313 billion on tax cuts for politicians and billionaires but cannot find $1.6 billion a year to find the Greens plan for a rent freeze?
Chalmers:
I say respectfully to the leader of the Greens that indicate about social and affordable housing, he would vote for it.
If you cared about the pressure that people are under in the housing market, he would put his money where his mouth is in the Senate and support the housing Australia Future Fund.
But as members of the side of the house are aware, that is not the only part of what is a broad and ambitious policy agenda that we have when it comes to housing and I pay tribute to the housing minister and all of the colleagues for the substantial amount of attention and investment that housing gets in our budget.
After going through some other measures, Chalmers finishes with what has become Labor’s go-to lines on this:
The time has come, Mr Speaker for the end of political games played in the Senate when it comes to social and affordable housing. There are people who are counting on this place to pass the necessary legislation to build tens of thousands of new homes including for women and kids fleeing violence*. We want to see those homes being built and we need the assistance of the Senate to make that possible.
*which goes both ways. Labor could compromise to get those homes built just as easily as the Greens could drop their demands. Which is why it is an ineffectual line.
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Greens-turned-independent senator Lidia Thorpe has used questions over budget funding for central Australia to have a crack at the attorney general’s department, saying “people are dying at the hands of this system”, and asking officials if they “believe that there is an issue in this country with Aboriginal deaths in custody at the hands of your system”.
(Department secretary Katherine Jones said there were “ongoing instances” of deaths in custody, with more than 500 recorded since the royal commission).
You can catch up on Guardian Australia’s groundbreaking reporting on the issue here:
Just before that, shadow attorney general Michaelia Cash peppered officials with questions about the voice, including whether it would be subject to freedom of information requests, whether members would have to declare political affiliations and union memberships, and whether they would face bankruptcy and criminal proceedings restrictions in the same way members and senators do.
Updated
The National MP for Nicholls, Sam Birrell asks Catherine King:
I refer to the minister’s response in last year’s Question Time that the money for the Shepparton bypass remains in the budget and we are fully committed to the project. Does the minister stand by her statement or will the Shepparton bypass fall victim to her infrastructure review?
King says the infrastructure funding remains, but that projects were not properly funded.
King:
The member points to a project that illustrates the problem we have been left with. After 10 years of mismanagement of this pipeline, putting political priorities about deliverability, making announcements when you didn’t know how much a project was going to cost, didn’t have a founding partner, doing it without actually working with state governments to actually see whether the projects could be delivered, we are now left with a pipeline full of over 800 projects, many of which she cannot simply be delivered.
We are cleaning up the mess that you have left, those opposite left, to make sure we can actually deliver projects rather than just keep promising them and promising them and promising them. We actually want to build them.
Updated
Richard Marles does his daily defence rah-rah where he speaks about how terrible the Coalition’s defence funding policy was.
Marles:
The government has re-scoped the procurement of the next generation of infantry fighting vehicles from 450 down to 129 vehicles.
This is being done in line with the recommendation of the defence strategic review and the process for managing the manufacturer of those vehicles will now be handled by the minister for defence industry [Pat Conroy].
This is obviously a difficult decision. There are many who disagree with it. Including apparently those opposite. But no one is suggesting that Australia’s principal threat is an invasion of the continent.
What we need is a nimble and mobile army. It is to be potent so we need a number of those fighting vehicles but we need to have the capacity to transport them and if we don’t, we risk having hundreds of those people stranded in Australia.
If we’re not about to be invaded, what is the point that? They are the strategic reasons behind the hard decision we have made. That stands in stark contrast to the way defence policy was handled over most of the last decade.
The former government did not do strategy and the former government was incapable of making a hard decision when they spend money, they were completely out of control.
Paul Karp hears Liberal MP Andrew Wallace say “re-scoped? re-scoped? You mean cut”
Updated
Liberal MP Andrew Hastie asks Anthony Albanese:
How many people smuggling boats have the government dealt with over the last 12 months?
Albanese:
I refer the member to the level of transparency his government had when they were in office.
(That was the whole answer)
Updated
Angus Taylor asks Anthony Albanese:
UBS research says the increasing rate of inflation is a surprise with gross inflation likely to remain elevated. The treasurer says that inflation is moderated. What is the prime minister’s message to Australian families paying more at the checkout? Why are Australians pay more for the food they put at the table?
Oh wait! We can help answer that one!
Updated
Everyone loves Modi.
Anthony Albanese takes a dixer on the visit and the meeting and then Peter Dutton stands to associate the Coalition with the prime minister’s answer and speaks on his meeting with Modi:
I had been meeting with [Indian] prime minister Modi this morning and was late to Question Time but I wish the meeting had gone on longer and I would have avoided more of Question Time!
It was a very cordial and engaging discussion and the wide-ranging topics we traversed gave an indication of the bipartisan support in the relationship and prime minister Modi acknowledged that.
As the prime minister points out it followed on from quite an extraordinary event last night. Lots of people in attendance. From both sides of politics.
But I said to the prime minister this morning that every politician there last night was jealous of the fact that he was able to get 20,000 people chanting his surname in unison on the other side of the world!
Mainly at Labor party functions, yes!
I thought that was an extraordinary event and acknowledge the work of the Indian community in hosting prime minister Modi. We have an amazing diaspora community and people who have contributed in many ways to our national life and they and an integral part of not only present day Australia and into the future as well.
Updated
Indi MP Helen Haines asks Mark Butler:
My question is for the minister for health. The workforce is so thin that both hospitals and aged care services has no choice but to pay exorbitant agency and accommodation fees to employ and how the doctors and nurses. Albury-Wodonga health spent $2.1m last year on accommodation for locum workers, money could that could be spent on patient care. How do you know that your budget measures will make a difference to the rural health workforce crisis?
Butler acknowledges the depth of knowledge about health issues on the crossbench and says:
We have never pretended these issues will be fixed overnight but we were determined to work on them as quickly as it possibly could. We put in place additional workforce incentives for doctors for example, additional skills, emergency medicine, in mental health, in obstetrics, they started in the first budget last October and I thought they would have been supported by those opposite who are heckling.
We also put in place additional incentives for nurse practitioners which we will come back to because what they are such a great potential source of expert clinical work particularly in rural Australia expanded rural training including an expansion of the John Flynn program.
We reinstated the frankly inexplicable decision made by the former government to get rid of the bulk-billing loading for tele-health psychiatry at a time when rural and regional Australia were benefiting from the benefits of technology.
We are expanding the single employee model from one pilot project under the former government to 21 and I wrote to state and territory ministers for an additional 10 sites across Australia and in response to the member for Gilmore’s question the bulk-billing will be higher outside the major cities then inside the cities which is why I think you saw the response from the Rural Doctors Association to our budget. We said this budget has gone a long way to fixing the underinvestment in rural health and primary care over the past decade.
Mr Speaker, I agree with the member for Indi. It will not happen overnight. The national cabinet knows this issue and asked the eminent public servant Robert Kraft to take a review of the recruitment and registration of overseas trained doctors and professionals which the member knows are more important in rural communities and elsewhere. As health ministers we are working on the implementation of that interim report.
Updated
Victorian treasurer open to rent caps
Victoria’s treasurer, Tim Pallas, is speaking at the annual Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Melbourne Press Club post-budget event.
He’s largely covering the same ground as the premier did this morning, but said something very interesting about rent caps.
While ruling out a rent freeze – describing it as a “distortion of the market” – he said he was open to looking at rent caps.
Pallas says:
I do think there has to be a point at which the community says this has gone beyond reason … some of the poorest people are being encumbered with costs. One in three Victorians rent and they do need and deserve support.
Updated
Albanese finishes with:
They find it offensive? You know what I find offensive? The fact that they give a $1 an hour increase they thought it would wreck the economy!
That is what I find offensive! That is why during the election campaign I held up that coin because that’s the difference between Labor and the opposition.
Those opposite will always stand up for those who do not need government to make a difference, and to let the market rip and do not worry about helping people who need help! We on this side make no apologies for standing up for those people who are on the minimum wage and I say to the leader of the opposition– you should have stayed outside for a bit longer because it wasn’t going well!
Peter Dutton returned during that melee, which surely must have given him second thoughts for at least a moment.
Updated
Anthony Albanese, in answer to Sussan Ley’s (head on desk) question:
I’m delighted to get a question from the Opposition about wages. There are two different positions. Those on that side of the chamber had low wages as a key feature of the economic architecture. They consciously wanted low wages. We on this side have said very clearly that we want to lift wages. We understand that wages are part of people’s living standards. That is why I will be very interested, very interested, in what their responses to our aged care position. The $1.3 billion that is in the budget to lift the wages of aged care workers, 250,000 of them. You can’t be serious.
The ‘you can’t be serious’ was directed at Ley who got up with a point of order and even Milton Dick had to hold back a sigh.
There is no point of order.
Albanese:
I’m being totally relevant. None of them were concerned about the billion-dollar package to assist wages of people in aged care. $11.3 billion. What we said very clearly, very clearly, is aged-care workers deserve more than our thanks, deserve a wage increase. That is what they deserve. During the election campaign, during the election campaign I well recall, I kept that lucky $1 coin in my pocket, Mr Speaker. I kept my pocket during the debate. Here it is! And during the campaign, I thanked them for infrastructure for once again being helpful. Because during the campaign, held up this $1, this $1 coin.
He holds up the $1 coin.
The Liberal MP Michael Sukkar approaches the despatch time and tells Albanese to sit down.
Milton Dick is OUTRAGED
The member for Deakin, that is not appropriate to come to the dispatch box and say someone to sit down. OK? If you want to make a point of order, the prime minister can pause.
Sukkar says it is customary for the minister to sit down when someone raises a point of order.
Dick says it is customary for the MP raising the point of order to wait to be called.
Sukkar doesn’t take the hint that Dugald is not playing today and says:
If the the prime minister is holding up a prop, he should tell the Australian people that dollar is worth less now ….
Sukkar is sat down. Albanese is told to put the dollar away. We have all lost three minutes of our lives.
Updated
Peter Dutton is back in the big chair – so he must have absolutely motored back from Sydney to ensure he wasn’t gone from question time for too long.
Sussan Ley is back again.
In this house yesterday, the prime minister said and I quote: “Wages are increasing under this government.” But, prime minister, page six of the government’s own budget paper number one shows real wages will fall by 2.25%. Are the treasurer’s budget people wrong or did the prime minister mislead the house?
Siiigggggh. We just had ABS data showing nominal wages had increased. Nominal means the dollar figure. They are growing at the fastest rate since 2012.
But REAL wages are going backwards because of inflation.
And the budget papers are A FORECAST for real wages.
Which is how both things can be true.
I don’t have an economics degree, but even I can work that out.
Updated
AG to wait on high court decision before addressing tactic used to deny compensation to victims of child abuse
The government will consider what it can do in the face of a tactic being used to deny compensation to victims of child sex abuse once a high court case has been finalised.
Greens senator David Shoebridge asked the attorney general’s department about use of arguments for permanent stays in such cases.
Shoebridge said it was being used in jurisdictions across the country, and in a range of institutions to “prevent survivors of child sexual abuse from seeking fair compensation”.
Department officials said attorney general Mark Dreyfus had decided not to intervene in the ongoing court case, but that they would offer him advice once the case was decided.
Department assistant secretary from the National Office for Child Safety, Rebekah Kilpatrick, said:
We’re certainly aware of the issue [and we are] watching keenly to understand what the policy and legislation implications are and then we’ll be able to provide advice to the attorney general.
In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or Bravehearts on 1800 272 831, and adult survivors can contact Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380
Updated
Anthony Albanese:
Of course, the budget papers show that under the energy price relief plan that we put in place, retail electricity price increases in 2023-24 an expected to be 25 percentage points smaller and retail gas prices increases, around 16 percentage points smaller than expected prior to the Government intervention.
We partnered with the state and territory governments to deliver up to $3 billion of electricity price relief for over 5 million households and over 1 million small businesses. Those opposite voted against this plan.
They voted against this price relief. And the companies are involved have all said, to quote Origin Energy, forward electricity prices have produced and this is expected to have a positive impact on consumer tariffs. That is what they have to say. That is what they have to say.
Of course, those opposite who apparently are unaware of the Russian illegal invasion of Ukraine and what has happened.
(“Just one example, just one example,” Ley says from the opposition leader’s seat)
Paul Fletcher asks about relevance and I think my eye twitch is back permanently now.
Albanese then gets to the opposition voted against the power bill relief part of the answer and the opposition get rowdy and then Milton Dick says NO MORE.
Question time begins
Peter Dutton is meeting with prime minister Modi, so deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley is in the big seat for at least part of question time.
Which means she get to ask the first question.
On election day last year, the prime minister promised newspapers around the country that if elected he would cut power bills by $275 every year. Prime minister, power prices are rising rapidly for millions of households and small businesses right now. Can the prime minister provide a single example of any family or business have seen the promised $275 reduction in their power bill?
The commitment was for 2025, but I think I may be the only person who remembers that at this point.
Updated
It is now time for question time.
Take a deep breath
Further to that, AAP reports
Gen Angus Campbell has written to a number of Afghanistan war veterans saying their honours for distinguished and conspicuous service could be stripped, the ABC has reported.
The proposition has landed on the desk of defence minister Richard Marles, who would need to make a recommendation to the governor general.
The possible stripping of medals comes in the wake of investigations into potential war crimes carried out by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan.
Senior veterans’ leaders are calling on the federal government to reject the recommendation.
Campbell previously decided to strip unit citations from special forces troops who served in Afghanistan following the damning Brereton inquiry, which found evidence of war crimes.
But the move was blocked in 2021 by then defence minister Peter Dutton, who said only those convicted of war crimes would lose their meritorious citations.
RSL Australia said the organisation was advised Cambell had written to at least seven officers and they were told the defence force chief was going ahead with the fresh push.
The RSL has said administrative action should be off the table until criminal charges are dealt with and the facts are established, in accordance with due process.
The organisation said the removal of war medals from veterans appeared to be unprecedented.
RSL national president Greg Melick said while there needed to be command accountability for any wrongdoings in Afghanistan, the facts had not yet been established in court.
In the meantime, all involved have a right to a presumption of innocence.
We remain very concerned about the breadth and depth of the impact that this is having on the mental health of our veterans.
The Commando Association’s Steve Pilmore said soldiers and veterans felt the system had turned its back on them.
It feels to them like organisational betrayal.
Any punitive administrative action taken to remove awards or sanction veterans must be supported by evidence, it must be fair and considered, and individuals must be afforded due process.
• Anyone affected by the Brereton report should call Hayat Line on 1300 993 398, a free and confidential line for those going through difficulties. In Australia, support and counselling for veterans and their families is available 24 hours a day from Open Arms on 1800 011 046 or www.openarms.gov.au and Safe Zone Support on 1800 142 072 or https://www.openarms.gov.au/safe-zone-support
Updated
OSI fronts Senate estimates over investigation into alleged war crimes
The Office of the Special Investigator, responsible for investigating allegations of war crimes against Australian special forces soldiers in Afghanistan, was up at Senate estimates late last night.
The director general of the OSI, Chris Moraitis, was careful not to comment on any investigations or operational matters, but confirmed he was aware of coalition forces’ Joint Priority Effects List (JPEL).
The Greens’ defence spokesperson, David Shoebridge, asked a series of questions about JPEL, describing it as a list of individuals who coalition forces in Afghanistan were permitted to capture or kill.
Moraitis confirmed that the OSI was “examining the facts and the circumstances of a variety of operations, which may or may not have involved JPEL” but said the nature and legal status of the list would be a matter for the Department of Defence.
During the Senate committee hearing, Shoebridge asked:
Are you aware of reports that the preference of some parts of the special forces was just to kill JPEL targets, not detain them, possibly because of a lack of faith in the Afghan legal system?
Moraitis told the committee:
That is a matter of public knowledge. And there have been numerous books and reports written about that suggestion.
Shoebridge added:
That would be in gross breach of international law wouldn’t it, if that was the case?
Moraitis said:
Well, it depends on the circumstances, yes.
When asked whether OSI had sought any independent legal advice about the lawfulness of the list, Moraitis said:
Senator, our whole existence is to examine as best we can, what happened in that period in Afghanistan involving special forces and whether they did or did not comply with international humanitarian law. If we can prove that they did not comply with international humanitarian law - and yes we have taken advice in that area of international humanitarian law in general and the rules of engagement and the rules of war - we will pursue those matters. I won’t go any further than that.
Updated
Australian food producers fear loss of naming rights
If you missed this from Daniel Hurst, it is worth your time –
Australian dairy farmers and wine producers have urged the government not to make them a “scapegoat” in the final stages of trade negotiations with the European Union.
The plea has been sparked by fears Australian producers could be blocked from using the names feta and prosecco as part of a free trade agreement that both sides hope to finalise by the middle of this year.
The trade minister, Don Farrell, said the names remained a sticking point in the negotiations and he was trying to persuade the EU to recognise “just how important and how difficult it is to give those things up”.
But in an interview with Guardian Australia’s political podcast, Farrell refused to rule out the possibility of a shift in position if the EU agreed to grant substantial market access to Australian exporters.
Updated
We are on the downhill slide into question time, which will be the second last time this week we are subjected to it.
Expect more of what we saw yesterday – deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley has been out and about talking about ‘middle Australia’ again, so that seems to be where the Coalition’s mind is settling.
Updated
Really hitting the hard issues in estimates
Senator Hollie Hughes in comms #estimates brings up these two things. Firstly that it's an issue that the comms minister might need to be told how to pronounce Launceston, and that the department used an acronym for regional mobile programs that reads like "Be Crap" pic.twitter.com/J94lQbj1ZR
— Josh Taylor (@joshgnosis) May 23, 2023
To my count, that’s the third time Scott Morrison has made a contribution to a debate since he lost the prime ministership and government and moved to the opposition backbench. He spoke when the Queen died, he spoke on his censure motion and now he’s ambled to his feet to speak against the voice.
Updated
Universities Australia joins advisory board for centre for Australia-India relations
Universities Australia has nabbed a spot on the advisory board for the new centre for Australia-India Relations.
CEO Catriona Jackson, appointed on a three-year term to represent the higher education sector, said universities had the “full support” of both governments to expand the relationship.
India is one of our most important strategic and economic partners and we fully support the government’s focus on maximising the opportunities this relationship presents. We are entering a golden era in our relationship with India and, importantly, education and research are front and centre. It is a big part of what binds us.”
Australia’s university sector has more than 450 formal partnerships with India, the second largest international student market behind China. There has been a 160% jump in the number of students arriving from India to begin a degree in Australia at the same time Chinese student enrolments have dropped.
The appointment follows a parliamentary inquiry last week which found there had been a surge in fake student visa applications from south Asian countries – including India – with students lured on false promises of long-term work and permanent residency.
Updated
And the former prime minister finishes off with a little bit of division.
We are one and free, Mr Speaker. I believe we need to keep it that way, and therefore cannot support the government’s proposal at this referendum.
That said, I remain committed to the constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians and all Australians being treated equally under our constitution.
And I look forward to the day when such a proposal is brought forward in a way that unites rather than divides our country.
That proposal will have my enthusiastic support.
Just like old times.
Updated
Scott Morrison is getting to the end of this and says:
I understand that that is the hope of the proposal, and hope is a good thing, but hope disappointed will be crushing to the soul and such disappointment can be reasonably foreseen by proceeding with the government’s proposal.
In my experience, we will make better progress on improving the lives of Indigenous Australians, by focusing on what we can agree on to get down on the ground rather than gambling with our constitution.
Scott Morrison argues Indigenous voice will cause 'confusion, uncertainty'
Scott Morrison is using old arguments here, which have already been debunked:
The impact of the voice on the operations of executive government and the parliament are also not known, presenting significant and unknown risks that cannot be easily remedied, if at all, is ill defined creating significant constitutional risk ultimately the high court will be left to decipher the unknown and decide what this all means long after Australians have cast their vote.
With no further say, this will inevitably lead to confusion, uncertainty, over everything from our national defence to the operations of settling which all fall within the ambit of the voice. There are no limits.
Once our constitution is permanently changed, the scope and role of the voice will appropriately be open to interpretation by the high court, who will then also be able to have a role both our elected parliament and our elected executive government in the future in relation to the role and conduct of the voice
The parliament is in charge of its own destiny. It does not have to take on the recommendations from the voice and anything the parliament does, can be undone.
For our explainer on the Indigenous voice to parliament by Lorena Allam, read on:
Updated
Scott Morrison is now running through what is government did in terms of changing Closing the Gap policies, increased funding and changing ‘young and free’ to “one and free” in the national anthem.
But he is supporting the no case.
All of these remedial actions were designed to redress indigenous disadvantage and amplify the voice of Indigenous Australians within our democracy while observing important constitutional principle that no one should ever have any greater rights than any other in our country.
The government’s proposed changes to our constitution will change this permanently creating different rights for one group of Australians over others based solely on race.
Scott Morrison is now running through a history of Indigenous legal and constitutional changes. He makes a point that he was “proud to stand” for the apology as one of his first acts after becoming an MP.
Peter Dutton famously boycotted the apology.
Updated
Scott Morrison:
This referendum is not a decision of companies or unions or sporting codes or or any other.
These groups have no standing under our constitution but as Australians you do.
These groups have no standing under our constitution but, as Australians, you do. Such groups can represent whatever views they like they’re entitled to do that. It’s a free country. We celebrate that.
However, while keenly interested in the NRL’s opinion on hip-drop tackles, I don’t think I’ll be referring to them for constitutional advice in making my decisions on this matter.
Updated
Scott Morrison speaks against Indigenous voice to parliament
Former prime minister Scott Morrison is a surprise addition to the voice referendum legislation debate speaking list.
He is up now.
He says the referendum is not something companies or sporting groups will decide, they have “no standing in our constitution”.
Updated
Liberal senator Sarah Henderson has asked the minister representing communications minister Michelle Rowland about the statement regarding Stan Grant this morning, and why it did not reference the ABC’s own conduct and alleged racism at the national broadcaster.
Senator Carol Brown said Rowland had been in contact with the ABC MD, and ensured all complaint and support avenues have been open to staff, and the ABC is undertaking a review on how it can provide greater support to staff experiencing racism.
Brown said the government expects there be respectful debates and media companies should do more to support respectful debate.
She said the ABC has operational independence, and the ABC has responded.
Christian Porter won’t act for Clive Palmer in lawsuit against government due to conflict of interest
Former attorney general Christian Porter will not act for billionaire Clive Palmer in his $300bn lawsuit against the federal government.
Porter had received “confidential and privileged information” that was relevant to that lawsuit when he was still in office in 2020.
Palmer’s Singapore-based company Zeph Investments is suing Australia for $296bn, arguing a breach of the Asean free trade deal. (You can read all the details here).
Jesse Clarke, the AGD’s general counsel, international law (acting), said:
Upon receiving the notice of arbitration… that was reported in the media. It identified the honourable Christian Porter as one of the parties assisting the claimant, the department checked its records and confirmed that while Mr Porter was attorney general, he received confidential and privileged information and took decisions regarding the conduct of the dispute.
Labor senator Helen Polley suggested that was a conflict of interest, and Clarke said:
Senator, what I can say is, following the department establishing that that information was received by Mr Porter when he was attorney general, we sought and have subsequently received confirmation from Mr Porter that he has in fact not been retained, nor will he act for Mr Palmer, or any of his companies in relation to this dispute, nor has he passed on any confidential information to them.
For further background on this story from Paul Karp:
Updated
Question about Scott Morrison’s secret ministries in Senate estimates
There is ongoing public interest in former prime minister Scott Morrison’s secret ministries, Labor senator Anthony Chisholm has told Senate estimates.
Shadow attorney general Michaelia Cash is quizzing the Attorney-General’s Department about whether they briefed the government about releasing the advice of solicitor general, Stephen Donaghue, on the matter.
Donaghue found Morrison’s secret additional ministry appointments were legal but “fundamentally undermined” responsible government.
Chisholm said, in the discussion about releasing Donaghue’s advice, that he was “aware of a lot of public interest into the secret ministries of the Morrison government”.
I know as I still go about the country today, I still get people raising it with me as unusual and symptomatic of our predecessors,” he said.
Cash said she was “glad” to hear those comments.
Because what it has now shown is that there are circumstances in which a government will release constitutional advice, and you have confirmed for me that those circumstances clearly include when it is in their political interest to do so,” she said.
Chisholm pointed out that that was not what he had said.
Department officials took on notice questions about any advice given on the release of the advice.
Updated
Coalition and Labor argue over mobile blackspots program funding
The environment and communications committee in Senate estimates has gone into a break after arguments between Coalition and Labor senators over the government’s mobile blackspots program funding.
Prior to the 2022 election, the Labor in opposition promised in certain electorates that they would get new mobile towers under the program, and in government set about delivering those in the first round of funding of the program under the new government in 54 locations which overwhelmingly went to Labor electorates (74% the Coalition has said).
The Coalition has accused the government of engaging in pork-barrelling, and the auditor’s office is considering the round in its reviews.
Labor argues that while the sixth round of funding was picked by the minister, the future rounds will go through department application processes with the telecommunications industry.
But Liberal senator Hollie Hughes says taxpayer funds have been used to “bribe” electorates, noting that nine out of 54 of the locations were in the marginal seat of Eden Monaro.
Labor accused Hughes of “badgering” the minister representing the communications minister, senator Carol Brown, and then the chair called a break.
Upon return, Brown said the blackspots were election commitments and the government is delivering on them.
Updated
Key takeaways from Modi and Albanese press conference
So, no questions were allowed at that press conference with Narendra Modi and Anthony Albanese in Sydney.
Let’s take stock of a few key points from the prime ministers of India and Australia:
The two countries are pushing ahead with setting up a taskforce on green hydrogen and will strengthen their cooperation in the mining and critical minerals sectors, moves that Albanese said would help reduce global emissions.
The two leaders finalised an Australia-India Migration and Mobility Partnership Arrangement, which the Australian government says will “promote the two-way mobility of students, graduates, academic researchers and business people, while also enhancing cooperation to prevent irregular migration and people smuggling”.
Albanese announced the establishment of the new Australian Consulate-General in Bengaluru, while Modi flagged plans to set up an Indian Consulate-General in Brisbane.
They expressed hopes for a trade deal by the end of this year.
Modi said the pair had once again discussed “the issue of attacks on temples in Australia and activities of separatist elements” and said that Albanese had “once again assured me today that he will take strict actions against such elements in the future also”.
There was no direct mention of any human rights concerns in the leaders’ public remarks; Modi said “democratic values” were the foundation of ties between Australia and India.
Both leaders described the deepening relationship between the two countries as also being important for regional stability. Modi noted that India, Australia, Japan and the US had discussed Indo-Pacific issues at the rescheduled Quad summit in Hiroshima last weekend: “Friends, the scope of India Australia ties not limited to merely our two countries. It is also linked to regional stability, peace and global welfare.”
Updated
‘Our strong partnership with India will deliver benefits for Australia in trade’
The official statement from Anthony Albanese from the bilateral meeting has been released:
Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Australia has strengthened the close and strong relationship that Australia enjoys with India.
This is a relationship we need to invest in. Our strong partnership with India will deliver benefits for Australia in trade, investment and business, and in regional security and stability.
In my first year as prime minister, I have met with Prime Minister Modi six times, which underscores the value we place on deepening ties between our nations.
Australia is a better place because of the contributions of Indian-Australian community, and we want to see more connections between our countries.
Updated
Andrews vows ‘we are going to support’ timber workers
Yes this Victorian presser is still going. The premier is now being asked about the resignation of the CFMEU’s Michael O’Connor from the government’s forestry advisory committee after the decision to end native logging six years early. O’Connor claims the government has ignored the union and employers in making the decision.
Daniel Andrews rejects this:
This is all about being honest and upfront with hundreds and hundreds of workers. We’ve got a number of court judgments that have been handed down by judges ... we had a plan to exit native timber harvesting at the end of this decade [but]a number of judgments have been handed down, one of which is on foot by way of appeal at the moment.
We’ve got very firm legal advice from the solicitor general and other well-respected senior counsel, that there is every prospect that that legal action regardless of the appeal will continue.
… So the choice is this: do we spend the next six months pretending that this isn’t the reality we confront? Or do we spend the next six precious months working with individual workers and families with businesses and communities to deal with what we have fully acknowledged is very, very painful news?
… This is a big challenge and we’re going to wrap support around each of those workers and their families. Just like the car industry, we are going to support them with absolutely tailored packages.
Updated
Narendra Modi then invites Anthony Albanese and all Australians to India for the cricket world cup later in the year.
Albanese has been invited to the G20 summit India is hosting later in the year – India is hosting the summit in New Delhi. But it has drawn controversy for hosting a tourism meeting for G20 leaders in the Himalayan territory of Jammu and Kashmir, which is disputed territory.
Narendra Modi also includes this warning in his remarks:
Friends, Prime Minister Albanese and I have in the past discussed the issue of temples in Australia and activities of separatist elements.
We discussed today also again today.
We will not except any elements that harm the friendly and warm ties between India and Australia by their actions or thoughts. I thank the prime minister for the actions that have already been taken. Prime Minister Albanese has once again assured me today that he will take strict action in the future.
Updated
‘Our ties have entered the T20 mode,’ Modi says of Albanese
The Indian prime minister Narendra Modi is now addressing the press conference in Hindi and is being translated:
I’m visiting Australia within two months of the visit of my friend, Prime Minister Albanese to India. This is our sixth meeting in the past one year. This reflects a depth in our comprehensive relations, confidence in our views and the maturity of our ties. In the language of cricket our ties have entered the T20 mode.
He goes through the same aspects as Anthony Albanese – strategic and trade relationship with growing links and mutual respect.
As you said yesterday, our democratic values are the foundation of our ties. Our relations are based on mutual trust and respect. The Indian community in Australia is a living bridge between our country.
Updated
Albanese announces establishment of new Australian consulate general
Among the announcements the pair are making Anthony Albanese says:
I’m also pleased to announce the establishment of a new Australian consulate general which will help connect Australian businesses to India’s booming digital and innovation ecosystem. And I welcome India’s plans for a consulate general in Brisbane. The establishment will be the fifth diplomatic presence that is there in India from Australia.
Updated
Anthony Albanese and Narendra Modi hold press conference
There has been an exchange of documents, hands have been shaken and a small applause offered – and now Anthony Albanese and prime minister Narendra Modi are holding their press conference following the end of their bilateral meeting.
It is the sixth time the pair have met in a year.
Albanese:
My visit to India in March for the Australia India annual leaders’ summit focused on the key pillars of our relationship – trade, investment and business cooperation, defence and cooperation, climate and energy cooperation, and of course people to people links. In our bilateral meeting today, Prime Minister Modi and I further built on those pillars.
The pair also spoke about renewable energy and the Australia-India green hydrogen taskforce has been signed.
Updated
Sky News content not covered by proposed law to tackle online misinformation
The communications department told Senate estimates that online abuse such as that directed to Stan Grant over the ABC would likely fall under the Online Safety Act.
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young also asked whether the proposed misinformation and disinformation legislation would not apply to content from Sky News, and the department indicated it would not be covered due to being a journalism outlet, but clarified Acma had other powers over broadcast content.
Updated
Proposed law to tackle online misinformation won’t have takedown powers
The proposed legislation tackling misinformation and disinformation online won’t have powers to remove individual pieces of content and won’t apply to news sites or authorised electoral material, the communications department said in Senate estimates.
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has been asking the communications department about the development of the legislation.
First assistant secretary Pauline Sullivan said the legislation will use codes to encourage industry compliance. The existing framework put together by industry body Digi will continue to be used, but the Australian Communications and Media Authority will be given powers to request information from the platforms about their work to tackle misinformation online.
If the industry code is registered, Acma can then enforce the platforms against the code, and if the code is not working, Sullivan said it could then enforce standards under the proposed legislation.
Sullivan said drafting on the legislation is “well advanced” and an exposure draft will be released for comment likely in the next month.
Sullivan said the legislation is focused on “systemic issues”, and won’t have takedown powers for individual pieces of content as currently exists in the Online Safety Act for content found to be bullying or image-based abuse.
The legislation would not only apply to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms, but also web forums, the department said.
There would be exclusions for professional journalism news sites and authorised electoral material, the department indicated, but that will be part of the consultation process.
Updated
Albanese-Modi press conference soon
We are expecting the press conference following the Albanese-Modi bilateral very soon.
There won’t be many questions, but we will bring you what we can.
Updated
Andrews says plan in pipeline to benefit first home buyers
Daniel Andrews admits there’s nothing in the budget for first home buyers other than the exisiting stamp duty exemptions currently in place. But he flags broader planning reform is coming soon that will open up supply and drive down prices:
In just a couple of months time we will bring down a comprehensive housing statement. It won’t necessarily have everything in it and it won’t necessarily have everything done in the first five minutes.
It’ll be a longer-term plan and there’ll be further work to be done in 2024 and 2025 and well beyond that.
Supply is the issue and anybody who’s applying for a rental and finds that they’re one of 25 different applications – 50 even – and you’ve got estate agents and some landlords essentially running an auction for a rental.
They can tell you there’s not enough supply, and that’s why we need to make better decisions and make them faster.
Updated
New treatment added to PBS for children born with dwarfism
Health minister Mark Butler has announced a new treatment for children born with the most common form of dwarfism has been added to the PBS.
The Australian government will list now Voxzogo® (vosoritide) on the PBS for treatment of patients with achondroplasia whose growth plates are not yet closed.
Without a subsidy, Voxzogo could cost more than $330,000 per year. Butler says through the PBS, “Australian families with eligible children will pay a maximum of $30 per script or just $7.30 with a concession card”.
It’s expected to help about 140 Australian children. From the statement:
Achondroplasia is the most common form of skeletal dysplasia or dwarfism, affecting around one in 20,000 babies born in Australia.
It is a rare condition caused by a genetic mutation which results in impaired bone growth and disproportionately short limbs.
Voxzogo works directly on the growth points of the bones to promote new bone growth in patients whose bones are still growing.
Patients with achondroplasia are also at risk of severe complications throughout their lives and are almost 50 times more likely to die before the age of 5 than other children.Australia has played a leading role in the development of Voxzogo – with the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne becoming the largest Voxzogo clinical trial site in the world, led by Australian Clinical Geneticist and world-renowned achondroplasia expert Professor Ravi Savarirayan.
Updated
Daniel Andrews says landlords can claim his tax hike as a deduction
Daniel Andrews is asked about the implications on the federal budget if landlords claim the tax hike as a deduction – has he heard from a grumpy Jim Chalmers?
He replies:
No … I’d encourage anybody who can lawfully, legally make claims against that federal tax system to do so. I’m sure that accountants will provide advice to that end.
It does depend on the individual circumstances how your finances have been structured, but those costs are tax deductible.
That’s the advice I have and I’m sure that people will make those claims and it’ll be up to the Australian Taxation Office to make the adjustment.
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Victorian budget honours election commitments, Andrews says
After 10 minutes of talking at this super Victorian government press conference we’ve got the first question to the premier:
Do you accept this budget affects the average Victorian negatively, as well as the top end of town?
Daniel Andrews says:
No I don’t accept that. We made a number of commitments at the election last year, each and every one of them have been honoured. Everything from free, kinder and adding to the free Tafe course list, all the way through to building hospitals and schools. But the other commitment that we made to the Victorian people was that they wouldn’t just do the popular thing.
We will do the right thing and the right thing in the first instance, [is to] deliver on all the election commitments we’ve made. And secondly, lay down a clear plan to pay back that Covid credit card – emergency borrowings borrowings that we simply had to make, debt that we simply had to incur to save lives and save livelihoods to get through a one in 100 year event
… All of the measures announced yesterday by the treasurer have regard to the capacity to pay. I will give you one example, let’s talk about some of the land tax changes that we’ve made. Well, landlords, any land tax is fully tax deductible depending on the way in which they have their affairs arranged.
Very big businesses, the top 5% of businesses across our country, and this is based on national payroll – they have shared in almost $1 trillion in profits in the last three years. 24% more profit than the three years before that.
So there is a capacity to make those important contributions.
Updated
People protest in Sydney over Julian Assange’s imprisonment
A rally has just begun in Sydney’s Hyde Park calling for Julian Assange’s freedom.
The rally was originally organised to protest Jo Biden’s visit but is going ahead despite the cancellation of the US president’s visit for the Quad summit.
Speakers including Stella Assange will take the mic at 11am pic.twitter.com/Bp476Rnclp
— Natasha May (@natasha__may) May 24, 2023
Stella Assange, who married the WikiLeaks founder last year in London’s Belmarsh prison, is visiting Australia this week to build the case for his release.
She will be speaking at the rally alongside Assange’s father and brother, John and Gabriel Shipton, Assange’s lawyer, Stephen Kenny, and whistleblower David McBride. Former Greens Senator Scott Ludlum is MCing the rally.
Gabriel Shipton told Guardian Australia Assange’s team are open to a plea deal but the ball is in the US’s court.
Julian Assange’s brother, Gabriel Shipton, says Assange’s team are open to a plea deal but the ball is in the US’ court. pic.twitter.com/a4EgaCQ07B
— Natasha May (@natasha__may) May 24, 2023
Sydneysiders and their canines call for Julian Assange’s release pic.twitter.com/ugMlHCz2wy
— Natasha May (@natasha__may) May 24, 2023
Free Julian Assange ribbons are being tied around protesters’ hair and shoulders this morning at Hyde Park pic.twitter.com/PTNauXVKUr
— Natasha May (@natasha__may) May 24, 2023
Updated
Allegra Spender wants to increase transparency and integrity to Infrastructure Australia
Independent Wentworth MP Allegra Spender wants to make some amendments to Infrastructure Australia to increase transparency and integrity around the body.
The transparency amendment would require IA to publish infrastructure audits on its websites as soon as it is able.
It surprised me to learn that no such requirement currently exists, that it is possible IA could undertake a strategic audit of the nation’s infrastructure and not actually have to make that audit publicly available.
Some would say such a scenario is unlikely but the standards of transparency in infrastructure investment are so parlous that I believe the parliament should legislate to require publication.
Not just of these audits but much more of the material which is used by government to consider infrastructure investments.
The integrity amendment is based on Anthony Albanese’s own 2014 amendment that he moved as shadow infrastructure minister which was rejected by the Abbott government.
My thinking and my goals are the same as the prime minister’s thinking and goals at the time. The goal is to ensure that the government only invests in infrastructure projects which create benefits greater than their costs.
And for that to happen, Spender, like Albanese before her, only wants projects which have had a cost-benefit analysis on the infrastructure priority list.
To ensure these analyses are undertaken in a reliable and consistent way, without the selection of favourable variables, the amendment requires Infrastructure Australia to publish a standard methodology which must be used by proponents.
The amendment then creates a requirement that the Commonwealth not provide public funding to major projects which are not on the Priority List. In line with the Prime Minister’s amendment, a major project is defined as one worth more than $100 million.
Spender doesn’t think these amendments are controversial. But let’s see how much support they get.
Updated
Government recommends Emilios Kyrou as new head of administrative appeals tribunal
Acting attorney general Katy Gallagher has released a statement on the government’s recommendation for the new head of the AAT:
The Hon Justice Emilios Kyrou AO is being recommended as a judge of the federal court of Australia and as president of the administrative appeals tribunal (AAT).
On 16 December 2022 the Australian Government announced it would replace the AAT with a new administrative review body. The appointment of a new President of the AAT is an important step in the Government’s reform of Australia’s system of administrative review.
As President, Justice Kyrou would lead the AAT through this important reform and would be the inaugural president of the new administrative review body, once established, for the remainder of the term of his appointment.
The proposed term of appointment is five years.
Justice Kyrou has been selected though a transparent and merit-based process. His Honour has the experience and capacity to lead a trusted federal administrative review body in a fair, efficient, accessible and independent manner.
Updated
Daniel Andrews goes out selling the Victorian budget
The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, is speaking at Monash University’s Clayton campus a day after the state budget.
Flanked by ministers Natalie Hutchins, Lily D’Ambrosio and Steve Dimopoulos, Andrews is spruiking a $236.6m package to prepare the workforce for the transition to renewable energy.
It includes $116m for new six tech schools and pathways for students to learn about renewable energy, robotics and advanced manufacturing. This was a commitment the government made during the November election.
Andrews says:
Yesterday’s budget fully delivered on all of our election commitments, and one of those was to have six more tech schools with a dedicated focus towards renewable energy … Those six tech schools will have a focus on literally thousands and thousands of jobs that we will need over coming decades as we transition away from fossil fuels and move to a 100% renewable energy future. Cutting emissions, creating opportunity, a good thing for the planet, fantastic for people as well.
Every minister is going to get a turn making a spiel, before we get to the “Covid debt repayment plan”.
The plan involves a hike on taxes paid by medium to large-sized business and investment property owners, raising $8.6bn over four years, while the government will save about $2.1bn by cutting up to 4,000 public service workers in the next financial year.
Businesses, property groups and unions are all unhappy. I imagine it’s going to be a lengthy press conference.
Updated
Government looking at wage subsidies to get people in work, Burke says
Tony Burke answered that question with:
Yeah, look, I can’t make it as a policy announcement now, but the thing that I’m looking at is how we can better use wage subsidies. One of my concerns with work for the dole is at the end of it you’ve got no prospect of a job, because of the way it’s currently structured. And I’m interested to see as to whether there’s ways we can provide wage subsidies so that where you go to is somewhere where it’s a real employer who, if they want to keep you on, there’s actually a prospect of that happening.
So that’s what I’m trying to work out. And a lot of employers used to be wary of using wage subsidies, but since jobkeeper, businesses are a lot more familiar with how a wage subsidy works. So I’m working through at the moment with the department – so you’re the first to get this – but working through as to whether, instead of the exact way we’ve done work for the dole in the past, whether there’s a way of doing it that has a better chance of leading to permanent work for people.
Updated
Tony Burke asked about work for the dole
Sydney radio 2GB host Ben Fordham is continuing his obsession with “work for the dole” and jobseekers doing it, asking Tony Burke in an interview if he knew how many of the 1.1 million people on jobseeker and youth allowance were participating in work for the dole schemes.
Q: Out of the 1.1 million, it’s under 4,000 that are working for the dole. Would you support a strengthening of Work for the Dole so we can get more people out there and learning the benefits of contributing?
(It should not need to be said, but this is a very old and lazy characterisation of people who are on welfare payments. We know that a lot of people are on jobseeker who are sick – chronically ill, chemo treatments, you name it. There are people who only have a partial capacity for work. People with mental illness and disabilities. Older people, people who don’t have the necessary skill levels, people with caring responsibilities, transport issues, or live in areas where there aren’t jobs – ‘thin labour markets’ they call them. It is not about not wanting to work, or needing to “learn” the benefits of contributing. By and large, people want to work and have shown that time and time again. But ‘any old job’ does not suit people’s circumstances and we shouldn’t be forcing people to accept a job that doesn’t suit them or their lives just to suit some outdated notion that the “best form of welfare is a job”.)
Updated
Greens warn of 'debt spiral' for students
Student debts are expected to have increased by 15% in two years under parliamentary library forecasts provided to the Greens.
Last year, student debts were indexed by 3.9% and will be indexed by a further 7.1% on 1 June. Based on forecasts for the consumer price index in the May budget, the parliamentary library has estimated next year, student debts will be indexed by around 3.9%. It’s a stabilisation from this year’s high but a 14.9% jump from 2022 to 2024.
For a person with an average student debt of around $24,770, it means their total loan will have increased by $3,868 in the two-year period assuming they don’t make repayments during this period. For a debt of $100,000, it would represent a $15,617 increase.
The Greens education spokesperson, Mehreen Faruqi, said students were being trapped in a “debt spiral” and the party would make it an election issue if the federal government provided no reprieve.
The government knew that indexation would be high this year and now they know it will be high next year too. To allow student debts to rise at this pace is negligent and just plain cruel. The system needs to change, and that starts with ending indexation.”
Updated
Albanese and Modi meet (again)
The Albanese-Modi meeting is underway.
After that, Modi will meet with the opposition. He spent much of yesterday meeting with business leaders.
Modi is the only Quad leader to keep his Australian trip plans after US president Joe Biden cancelled to handle the debt ceiling and the Quad met in Japan (although it was still hosted by Albanese) on the sidelines of the G7.
But that means he is getting the star treatment and A LOT of attention.
Updated
Estimates agenda
In estimates, the legal and constitutional affairs committee is up – expect the voice to parliament to come up there, along with religious discrimination.
The finance and public administration committee will focus on Indigenous issues, before moving on to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet agencies.
The environment and communications committee is all about the arts and comms today, which means ABC estimates will be up.
And then there is rural and regional affairs where it will be all things agriculture, fisheries and forestry.
Updated
Lidia Thorpe quotes used by no referendum campaign
Josh Butler has spoken to independent Senator Lidia Thorpe about a no group including her quotes without her permission:
Senator Lidia Thorpe has branded a leading no group in the referendum as “deceptive and underhanded” after her quotes critical of the Indigenous voice were used in a Facebook campaign targeting young voters.
Conservative lobby group Advance is blanketing Facebook with ads from two new pages run by the prominent referendum critics. But the group has defended its use of quotes from leftwing Indigenous leaders and images from Invasion Day rallies in an attempt to reach so-called “progressive no” voters.
“Inner-city voters need to hear there is a very different side to this story, one their Labor and Greens MPs are hellbent on hiding,” an Advance spokesperson said.
Updated
Storm in a T-shirt?
Liberal senator Sarah Henderson has questioned the industry department secretary, Jim Betts, over wearing a T-shirt to a supply chain conference in Brisbane, and whether it was “appropriate attire” for a secretary.
Betts confirmed he was wearing a T-shirt with the late US supreme court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on it.
Betts:
A very well respected figure internationally, who sadly passed away a few years ago. And I like wearing T-shirts with lawyers on them.
Henderson:
I don’t ask with any disrespect. I am just curious as to the standards. It is unusual for the secretary of a department to present wearing a T-shirt? And I was wondering if that was OK for all of your department?
Betts said it was OK, and he was happy to discuss the substance of his speech and the future of rail
Updated
Juukan Gorge: ‘the devastating loss will never be recovered’
Today marks three years since Rio Tinto destroyed Juukan Gorge, one of the most important sites for the Puutu Kunti Kurrama people.
The destruction led to a Senate inquiry and a board review into how Rio Tinto handled heritage management, but the scars remain.
Chairperson of the Puutu Kunti Kurrama land committee, Burchell Hayes says this is a sad day for all Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura people, and “the devastating loss will never be recovered”.
The destruction of our most significant cultural heritage site should not have happened, and to ensure that we will never experience this senseless feeling of loss and devastation in the future, we are driven towards achieving a co-management process of Country with mining companies,” he said in a statement.
We have already started to see minor aspects of the co-management model working at Juukan Gorge, through rehabilitation works of some of the surrounding areas,” he said.
The PKKP Aboriginal Corporation established a committee as a mechanism to “communicate and recommend the desired rehabilitation and remediation outcomes at Juukan Gorge with Rio Tinto” following the tragic destruction and has asked the mining giant to rehabilitate surrounding areas.
“We are now three years on from this destructive mining incident and the remediation works are starting to take shape,” Hayes said.
Recent rehabilitation activities have seen the commencement of seeding and replanting in the area to revegetate the Juukan Gorge landscape with native plants.
Updated
‘People were there chanting for Narendra Modi 12 hours in advance of the gig’
On the Nine network Anthony Albanese doubled down on his Bruce Springsteen comparison to Narendra Modi:
It was a pretty extraordinary welcome last night. The Boss, Bruce Springsteen, of course, I’ve seen him play there.
The difference is, I guess, that people were there chanting for Narendra Modi 12 hours in advance of the gig last night. It was a very warm welcome. The energy in the room was quite extraordinary.
Updated
‘Many people will have many things that are said’
That continued:
Q: So you don’t agree with him?
Birmingham:
Patricia, I’m not going to let you play those word games with me. I’ve outlined my approach …
Q: I’m not trying to play word games. It’s a really big, big statement for him to say, the idea of re-racialising Australia. You either agree or you disagree.
Birmingham:
Many people will have many things that are said during this debate. I hope that they are all said as respectfully and considered as possible. Peter made a long contribution as leader in terms of his speech on this bill. Everybody is entitled to be able to go and read that, see it all in the context in which those arguments were put.
Updated
Birmingham refuses to comment on Dutton’s claim the voice would ‘re-racialise’ Australia
That interview also moved on to Peter Dutton’s claims that the voice would “re-racialise” Australia.
Simon Birmingham was asked whether he agreed and said:
Well, I’m not going to spend my time between now and the referendum commenting on the comments of …
Which was a very similar line Julian Leeser used yesterday when asked the same question on the same program. Leeser though stepped down from the shadow frontbench so he could campaign for yes. Birmingham has not done that.
Q: It’s your leader though, and it was his main – he’s not just – I’m going to politely push back a little bit here. You say [you won’t] comment on the comments of people in this debate. He’s the leader of the Liberal party. He is the opposition leader. It’s not just some bit player. He’s a really key person on your side of politics. He’s your leader and he says it will re-racialise Australia. Do you agree with him?
Birmingham:
Patricia, and I have outlined the approach I’m taking to this referendum and the campaign, and that’s the approach I’m going to stick to.
Updated
‘China has a far greater influence over Russia than India,’ Birmingham says
The transcript of Simon Birmingham’s interview with Patricia Karvelas on ABC RN Breakfast has landed in my inbox so I can bring you a bit more of what was said about whether India needs to be pressed for not condemning Russia for its invasion of Ukraine:
Q: India’s biggest supplier of weapons is Russia. The deputy prime minister yesterday told me the government is confident that India is strategically aligned with Australia. Will you raise the issue of Russia with the Indian prime minister?
Birmingham:
I expect that, and it will be a short discussion, I imagine that Peter Dutton and I will have. But it’s welcome that Prime Minister Modi is giving us that opportunity. We’ll be wanting to prioritise the areas of bilateral cooperation between Australia and India and how we pursue that. Of course, as part of a very contested global environment, Russia’s actions are reprehensible at present. There have been certain steps and statements made by India in terms of acknowledging the pressures there and engagement that’s been had in terms of their consideration of the situation in Ukraine and that’s to be welcomed. If we get the chance to encourage their consideration of those difficulties and support Ukraine, then I’m sure we will do so. But there are many topics on the list to encourage in terms of our bilateral relations.
Q: Yeah. Look, the reason I raise it is because the opposition has been really very strong in saying that with China these issues should be raised and the question I keep hearing, particularly from listeners, is, well, why isn’t the same standard put on India? Do you understand that critique?
Birmingham:
Look, I can understand. I think almost all analysts would say China has a far greater influence over Russia than India would have in terms of their strategic support. It is between China and Russia that the commitment was made just prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, of friendship without limits. And I think it is within that sphere that it is right for the world to look to Beijing to play as strong a leadership role as it can to get Russia to cease its horrific invasion of Ukraine and the terrible outcomes that it’s having.
Updated
House of Reps prepares for marathon session
The House sitting will begin at 9am and there will be some House business – introduction of bills and some quick votes and then it is back to the referendum legislation.
That will go on until just before question time when the 90-second statements (better known as the airing of the grievances/MP amateur stand up) but the debate will start back up against just before 5pm and will go until about 10pm (with half an hour in there for the adjournment debate).
Fifty-one MPs have had their say. There are at least another 55 listed to speak.
Updated
Albanese says aged care homes are finding nurses: ‘90%-plus are ready to go’
Over on the Seven network, Anthony Albanese was asked about concerns the aged care sector was struggling to meet the government’s new staffing requirements:
We have provided massive injection of funds for that sector. For a government that presided over the debacle that was exposed by the aged care royal commission, where we had a mistreatment of our oldest Australians – who deserve respect and deserve to live their later years in dignity – who didn’t bother to implement the recommendations of the aged care royal commission, we make no apologies for implementing the recommendations of the Aged Care Royal Commission that said that these things needed to happen in order for people to live with the dignity and respect that they deserve.
Older Australians built this country. They deserve to be looked after.
And the idea that putting a nurse into a nursing home, from my perspective, is something that – how is it that you have nursing homes without nurses in them? And one of the things that that will do as well, instead of people having to go off to an emergency department of a hospital, if they can get the care from a nurse, as an aged care resident, on the spot, then what you’ll see is less acute health issues arise.
And we are implementing it, overwhelmingly, 90%-plus are ready to go on that issue.
Updated
Trade minister to meet Chinese commerce minister again
The trade minister, Don Farrell, is likely to meet his Chinese counterpart for the second time this month when they are both in the US for wider trade talks.
Farrell will fly to Detroit today and will be there until Saturday. He is going there to lead Australia’s delegations at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) and the US-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (Ipef) meetings.
It is understood Farrell is likely to see the Chinese commerce minister, Wang Wentao, at the Apec meeting, just weeks after they met in person for the first time during the trade minister’s trip to Beijing. Apec’s 21 member economies account for 75% of Australia’s total trade in goods and services.
Farrell said in a statement:
Regional economic partnerships, such as APEC and IPEF demonstrate our willingness to collaborate on challenges confronting the global economy, such as supply chain resilience, the clean energy transition, building a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific, and ensuring that the international rules-based system is respected…
While in Detroit, I will also participate in the Australia-US Strategic Commercial Dialogue with US Secretary of Commerce, the Hon Gina M. Raimondo, to progress our common economic interests...
The Albanese government is committed to diversifying our trading relationships and delivering broader and stronger trade agreements for the benefit of Australian businesses and workers.
Updated
Albanese on India’s position regarding Ukraine
The interview on ABC News Breakfast moves on to India not condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Albanese says:
India is responsible for its own international relations and I respect that. We have very different histories. India has been a leader of the nonaligned movement for such a long period of time. India is a great supporter of peace and security and stability in our region. India participated in not just the G7 meeting that was held on the weekend, but the Quad leaders meeting is very important in building up that support for security stability, peace and prosperity in our region and the world. And at the G20 meeting that will be hosted in India later this year, I am sure, hopefully it will be resolved by then and Russia will recognise its mistake and withdraw before then. If not, I expect that there will be a similar statement to which there was at the G20 last year, to which India participated.
Q: The reason I ask is, in not condemning the invasion, India clearly is not respecting the rule of international law. If China was to invade Taiwan, are you concerned about where India would fall in that dispute?
Albanese:
You have just drawn a very long bow with, with respect. The truth is that India itself has been concerned about border skirmishes with China which have occurred on its border and India is a nation that does respect national sovereignty and national borders.
Q: But it refuses to criticise what Russia has done in inb reaching those borders by going into Ukraine?
Albanese:
Go and look at the G20 statement from last year, with respect. India was a party to that and India’s incoming chair of the G20 will play a very important role and ...
(There is cross talk and because of the delay between the studio and where Albanese is, the pair decide to leave it)
Updated
‘What I don’t do is leak text messages with other world leaders’
Will Anthony Albanese raise the human rights breaches that have advocates concerned with Narendra Modi?
Albanese (with a dig at Scott Morrison)
One of the things that I do is engage with people on a one-on-one basis. I do that consistently. What I don’t do is leak text messages with other world leaders. I have a respectful relationship with Prime Minister Modi and with other leaders.
Updated
Albanese stresses economic and education ties
Anthony Albanese however, wants to concentrate on those Es Modi mentioned.
What does he want out of today’s meeting?
Building our economic relationship. We want to upgrade the economic cooperation agreement between Australia and India. We are hoping to conclude that by the end of the year.
Today we will talk about specific areas where we can cooperate on areas like green hydrogen, in particular, we that will be on the agenda but also the education relationship between our two countries, the Deakin University will open as the first foreign university in India in Gujarat very soon and after that, Wollongong University are going to establish what will be the second foreign university in India later on.
We have a very important relationship, we know India will grow to be the third largest economy in the world in coming years.
It is already the most populous nation in the world and the cooperation that we have across defence and security, across the economy, across society and culture and education is a real opportunity for Australia and India to both benefit from increased cooperation and mutually beneficial arrangements.
Updated
Cricket builds friendship between Australia and India, says Albanese
Narendra Modi described the Australia-India relationship last night as the three Cs – commonwealth, cricket and curry, the three Ds – diaspora, democracy and dosti (Bollywood film series and friendship) and the 3Es – economy, energy and education.
In his interview with ABC News Breakfast this morning Albanese was asked about one of the Cs – I think you can guess which one.
Albanese:
There is always a discussion about cricket when Australians and Indians gather and I did get the experience of being day one of the fourth test for a brief time with Prime Minister Modi. It was quite an experience in the world’s biggest stadium there in March and Australians and Indians are very passionate about their cricket but it is part of the way that we build our friendship between our two nations.
Updated
India and Russia have a ‘historic relationship’, Wong says
Does Penny Wong expect Anthony Albanese to raise the fact that India has not condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine?
Wong:
This is an historic relationship between India and Russia, which, you know, we’re all aware of, but I would note that Prime Minister Modi met with President Zelenskyy and after that meeting, which was just last week, President Zelenskyy welcomed India’s support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, which is the position Australia takes.
We continue to stand with Ukraine, as do so many countries around the world.
Updated
Penny Wong asked about listing of alternative medicines on Medicare
Foreign affairs minister Penny Wong had a chat to the Nine network this morning where she was asked whether the government would agree to include alternative medicines on Medicare as India would like.
Wong:
I won’t pre-empt the meeting but I would say this is a really important relationship for Australia. It’s a relationship that’s got a lot of momentum. We’ve got Prime Minister Modi here, which is really fantastic. Obviously Prime Minister Albanese went to India in March and they’ve just come back from the G7 and Quad meetings in Japan together. So I think Prime Minister Albanese said he’d met Prime Minister Modi six times since he was elected just over a year ago. So that demonstrates the importance of the relationship.
We will look at all of the issues that are on the table. I tried a bit of ayurvedic myself. Found it very helpful.
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Education survey out today
A national survey has been released today as part of the federal government’s expert panel review into the next school reform agreement.
The agreement, to inform the future of the education system, was postponed by Labor until 2024.
The minister for education, Jason Clare, said the survey would be open to teachers, parents and students, canvassing how to improve education outcomes and student health and wellbeing as well as how to support and retain teachers.
The expert panel, led by Dr Lisa O’Brien, will report to education ministers at the end of October, with the survey to remain open until late June. O’Brien said they would also be visiting schools across the country.
We want to hear from everyone connected to Australia’s schools about what is working, what isn’t working, and what more is required to improve student learning and wellbeing outcomes.”
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Open letter signed by 110 academics calls for Aukus rethink
More than 100 Australian academics and scholars have called on the Albanese government to rethink its nuclear-powered submarine plan, arguing it is risky, expensive and will increase dependence on the US.
An open letter to the government, signed by 110 people, argues it is “imprudent to hitch Australia’s most expensive and lethal defence capability to an increasingly uncertain ally that is in relative decline, politically unstable, and exhibiting troubling signs of sliding into an illiberal democracy”.
The letter, coordinated by Macquarie University sessional academic Vince Scappatura, says:
Aukus will come at a huge financial cost and with great uncertainty of its success. It is likely to compound Australia’s strategic risks, heighten geopolitical tensions, and undermine efforts at nuclear nonproliferation.
It puts Australia at odds with our closest neighbours in the region, distracts us from addressing climate change, and risks increasing the threat of nuclear war.
Australia’s defence autonomy will only be further eroded because of Aukus. All of this will be done to support the primacy of an ally whose position in Asia is more fragile than commonly assumed, and whose domestic politics is increasingly unstable.
The letter – whose signatories include a former Australian ambassador, Richard Broinowski, and the Sydney Peace Foundation founder Stuart Rees – says Aukus “will equip Australia with a potent capability to strike Chinese naval forces close to their home ports and, in coalition with the US, play a frontline role in hunting China’s nuclear-armed submarine force and its second-strike nuclear deterrent capability”.
The signatories also include Peter Stanley, a former principal historian of the Australian War Memorial, and Albert Palazzo, a former director of war studies in the Australian Army Research Centre. The full list and letter can be found here.
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Sussan Ley says opposition is not using scare tactics on voice referendum
Sussan Ley has been out and about early this morning in the press gallery. The deputy Liberal leader held a quick doorstop where she was asked about Asio boss Mike Burgess’s warning in estimates that the referendum campaign could incite spontaneous violence.
Ley is asked whether she thinks the opposition has resorted to ‘scare’ tactics and says:
Absolutely not. We would join everyone in this house in calling for respectful debate. Of course, debate should be respectful, and overwhelmingly it is. As I travel around Australia people ask me questions about what the voice referendum means and how it will close the gap for Aboriginal Australians, because that’s where people’s hearts are. That’s what they want to see, that’s what they’re looking for in this referendum. I can’t answer those questions because Anthony Albanese has said ‘wait until the referendum, and then we’ll take six months to work out the detail’. People want the detail now.
But overwhelmingly, people are asking for that detail in a respectful way, and we will always call out outliers, who behave in a disrespectful manner, who have divisive language, and who don’t treat this referendum in the way that all referenda should be treated in Australia. We will always call that out.
But overwhelmingly, I’m pleased to say that people are asking genuine questions. Unfortunately, they’re not getting answers.
Peter Dutton said the voice would re-racialise Australia, something Linda Burney said was “misinformation” and “disinformation”.
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Birmingham on India human rights concerns
Over on ABC radio RN Breakfast and Liberal moderate Simon Birmingham was on the fence over whether or not anyone should bring up the concerns of human rights groups about the treatment of Muslims and other minorities in India with its prime minister, Narendra Modi. Anthony Albanese will be meeting with him later this morning, but Birmingham and opposition leader Peter Dutton will also have an opportunity to meet him.
Australia should always be predictable and consistent with how we apply our values in the world …
Our values are our own, we don’t get to control what happens in other countries.
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Albanese and Modi to meet
The big meeting between Albanese and Modi will get underway at 10am AEST. But first there is a bit of fanfare and the usual pre-meeting remarks where each pretend like it’s perfectly normal to re-greet each other in front of media cameras and speak about how strong the relationship between the two countries is.
That will all start about 30 minutes before.
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Pauline Hanson’s knitwear
In case you didn’t know (and if you didn’t I applaud you and hope you’ll teach me your ways) Pauline Hanson is auctioning off knitwear.
Including this teal number that has caught Simon Holmes a Court’s attention
pauline hanson spent 60+ hours knitting this “teal” jumper… and is auctioning it off. current bid $740.
— 💧simon holmes à court (@simonahac) May 23, 2023
well that’s mrs hàc’s xmas present sorted. 😉https://t.co/ETfs5s5mNR pic.twitter.com/Q06zR78ww4
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Good morning
We have made it to day three of the House-only sitting and estimates and we are all still mostly intact.
Anthony Albanese will follow up last night’s community event with India’s prime minister Narendra Modi with a bilateral this morning at Admiralty House.
Last night in front of about 20,000 Modi fans and inaugural Australian Idol winner Guy Sebastian, Albanese referred to Modi as the “Boss” – in the Bruce Springsteen way. He was making the point that the last time he was at Olympic Park he saw Springsteen and the crowd was nowhere near as excited.
“Prime Minister Modi is ‘The Boss’,” Albanese declared to cheers.
And now the pair are to sit down in staid Admiralty House and discuss defence and trade. And, human rights watchers hope, the treatment of Muslims and other minorities in India under Modi’s rule. Modi is coming to the end of his second term as prime minister and is expected to be re-elected for a third, so the relationship between Modi and Albanese has time to continue to build. In his first year as prime minister, Albanese has met with Modi six times already. Australia is serious about building stronger trade and defence relationships with India. But friends can still point out issues of disagreement.
Meanwhile in the parliament, the House sat late to get through more speakers on the referendum legislation bill. About 101 house MPs want to speak on it so far, so the House will sit tonight as well to try and get through another big chunk. This debate will be allowed to run its course but it’s pretty much running as you would expect – Labor, Greens and teal independents for, Liberal, Nationals against.
It is going to pass the Senate with the Greens and the Jacqui Lambie Network and the government has shown no signs of wanting to amend the question so “executive” remains. But we’ve got a lot more speeches to get through first.
We will cover the day for you, including the estimates hearings – hopefully that means you can have some fun.
It’s at least a four coffee morning. And maybe a piece-of-cake-for-breakfast kinda day.
Ready?
