What we learned: Thursday 27 June
With those remarks from Rudd that’s where we’ll leave the blog for tonight, but first a quick recap of the main events:
Simon Birmingham said the PM’s phone call to Julian Assange was not “appropriate”. He went on to say Assange did not deserve a “warm embrace” from Anthony Albanese “like some type of hero”.
The foreign minister, Penny Wong, said on Assange: “My job was to advocate on behalf of an Australian citizen.”
Julian Assange is “overjoyed” and “marvelling at the horizon”, his wife, Stella Assange, has said.
Assange’s lawyer thanked Albanese, Wong, Mark Dreyfus and Kevin Rudd for their help.
Barnaby Joyce took aim at supermarkets: “A loss of dignity for the lady pushing the trolley”.
Albanese warned of danger of “another decade of denial” on climate.
David Pocock said Labor and Coalition were “out of touch” with young people after decision on duty of care bill.
Inflation data raised the spectre of an RBA interest rate hike.
Stella Assange and supporters spoke to media at Parliament House.
The Senate voted 40 to 20 to split build-to-rent changes from the Treasury bill.
Peter Dutton said: “We’re huge supporters of renewable energy.”
Woolworths limited customers to buying two cartons of eggs in NSW, ACT and Victoria.
The Coalition and Greens teamed up to block the NDIS bill in parliament.
We’ll be back tomorrow morning with the Australia news live blog.
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Kevin Rudd credits PM with ensuring Assange’s return to Australia
Former prime minister turned ambassador to Washington Kevin Rudd says Julian Assange’s release from jail and return home is important for all Australians because anyone could find themselves overseas and needing their government’s help.
Rudd told ABC TV on Thursday:
It matters for all Australians because you don’t know when you’re going to end up in a pickle.
Speaking to journalists later, he said the responsibility of any Australian government was to deal with every consular case. Rudd said:
That’s what we’ve been doing.
He said each set of circumstances was different.
You just you never know when someone is going to a friend of yours or relative is going to end up in a pickle somewhere.
Rudd credited the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, with being the “principal linchpin” in ensuring the plea deal was reached that saw Assange released.
The truth is, doesn’t matter how good your diplomatic team is, you need prime ministerial authorisation, prime ministerial direction and frankly a clear prime ministerial mandate to engage the US system at a level of seniority, which would make a difference. That’s what made this possible.
He said knowing the Australian executive government was unwavering in its determination to resolve the case enabled him and his diplomatic colleagues to navigate the tricky points in negotiations.
Let me tell you what was absolutely fundamental – and I’m not just saying this – to engage the US administration, confident in the basis that the prime minister and the foreign minister were absolutely resolute on the need to bring this case to a close. So obviously, on the way through, you’re going to have ebbs and flows, points of things nearly being resolved and then unresolved.
But the only way this worked was not because you had me or anybody else, doing negotiations. [It was] because we could confidently look the folks that we’re dealing with in the eye and say ‘our prime minister wants this fixed’. And that’s what we did.
Rudd said his interest as a diplomat was in stopping the Assange case “being a diplomatic problem” between Australia and the United States.
I didn’t want it to end up a long-term irritant.
He and Australia’s high commissioner to Britain, Stephen Smith, accompanied Assange on the flight from London back to Australia via Saipan in the Mariana Islands.
Rudd said they spoke about a range of issues including Assange’s experiences in jail, which he called “the elephant in the room”.
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Guardian photographer at large Mike Bowers has captured the Australian ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd, in the press gallery of Parliament House this evening. Rudd is in Canberra after accompanying Julian Assange on his flight from Saipan, where the historic plea deal was made, back to home soil.
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Shorten says NDIS ‘too important for political games’ after Coalition and Greens block bill
The NDIS minister, Bill Shorten, is furious with the opposition and the Greens after they teamed up to delay a key bill in the Senate on Thursday.
After question time, the unlikely alliance teamed up for a second time in one day to send a bill that would make changes to how participants receive budgets and give the head of the National Disability Insurance Agency additional powers to knock back participant budget top-ups to a committee until early August.
Shorten, at a press conference in his ministerial office, launched a new online tracker to determine how much money has been “wasted” as a result of the bill’s delay in passing.
Shorten said the cost – estimated by the NDIS actuary to be around $1bn – was “obscene, horrific, stupid and arrogant”.
“This inquiry, to be done by the same senators effectively who’ve done the first inquiry, will be looking at the same evidence and what they’ll be finding out is the same issues. So we want to just expose that a billion dollars is what this extra eight weeks [of inquiry] is going to cost. It’s about $23m a day, according to the actuary, for nearly a million dollars an hour. This scheme is too important for political games.”
Asked whether he would consult again with states and territories, who have very publicly shared their concerns about the bill, Shorten labelled it a “circle jerk”.
“Why are we going to do a circle jerk around stuff which has already been established and provided? What’s the new state position?”
Shorten also joked he would “appreciate” if the Guardian Australia wanted to make him “NDIS minister for life” when asked if planned to stick with the portfolio until the next federal election.
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Why are some Victorian hospitals saying they’re freezing recruitment and looking for ways to cut costs?
There are fears among Victorian hospitals that they will have to close beds, delay elective surgeries and sack staff as the state government works to rein in post-pandemic health spending amid its debt woes.
Despite both the premier, Jacinta Allan, and the health minister, Mary-Anne Thomas, dismissing such measures as “speculation” and “fearmongering”, several major hospitals have confirmed they have imposed hiring freezes ahead of submitting their annual budgets to the health department.
The opposition leader, John Pesutto, has described the situation as “alarming” and warned “lives will be put at risk”.
But what’s actually going on? Here’s what we know:
Driver charged over minibus double-fatality gets bail
A driver has been charged over a minibus crash that killed two migrant farm workers and left many more in hospital, AAP reports.
Fua Moananu, 25, appeared before Mildura magistrates court today, with white bandages along the left side of his face, charged with two counts of dangerous driving causing death and five counts of dangerous driving causing serious injury.
The bus was reportedly attempting to pass another vehicle while travelling on the Calder Highway at Carwarp, 30km south of Mildura in north-west Victoria, about 7.45am on Tuesday, when it lost control and hit a tree.
Noting the police investigation was ongoing, Magistrate Patrick Southey said it was unclear how strong the prosecution’s case for dangerous driving was. He said:
It’s not at all clear how, why, this accident happened.
The road was straight, driving conditions were good and there have been no signs of drug or alcohol use, he said.
It’s just a mystery.
Two passengers, aged 43 and 34, died at the scene of the crash, two more aged 39 and 37 remained in hospital in a critical condition and another two in their 20s were still in a serious condition.
One of the men in hospital was unlikely to survive, the state prosecution told the court.
A 40-year-old man remained in hospital in a stable condition while three other passengers in their 20s were taken to hospital for observation.
Police understand all passengers and the driver were Samoan nationals.
Moananu will be bailed once he hands his passport to police, but he will not be permitted to drive, leave the Mildura region, or go to any points of international departure.
A committal mention for the matter will be heard on 4 December.
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Sydney could become a city without youth due to housing crisis, Minns says
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, is leaning on urban developers to help solve the state’s housing crisis, urging the sector to seize its responsibility and help him shape Sydney, AAP reports.
Again declaring housing is the “biggest single challenge facing the state”, Minns told the Urban Development Institute of Australia’s annual lunch that Sydney could become a city without youth if there was no urgent intervention.
The government committed $5.1bn for public housing in its budget earlier in June, while a signature planning policy involves the blanket rezoning of land around metro stations and transport hubs for higher-density properties.
Minns described those present at the developer lobby run lunch as part of a “bigger community mission” to improve the state’s housing for generations to come.
There’s a massive opportunity for builders and developers, one I know many of you take up every single day – to design your buildings with pride, to build them to the highest standard and facilitate the kinds of communities that turn houses into homes.
It’s a massive challenge, one that sits on the government’s shoulders but also on the industry’s shoulders, the challenge to provide houses to the next generation to demonstrate and ensure that we do not become a city without grandchildren.
But the premier did not touch on some of the more controversial issues facing the industry, such as the presence of rogue operators leading to high-profile failures in a series of major housing developers.
His Labor government has been injecting funding into the Building Commission NSW to crack down on what it has described as “dodgy” operators.
During a question-and-answer session with the former Liberal state minister Stuart Ayres, who now heads the institute, Minns said his administration wanted “to have your back” and for developers to do well.
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Coalition and Greens team up to block NDIS bill in parliament
The NDIS bill has been sent back to a parliamentary committee for further consideration after the opposition and the Greens teamed up to block Labor’s push.
A final committee report on the bill was released last week, with the Labor-chaired committee recommending it be passed. Both the Greens and Coalition senators shared disappointment there had only be a handful of public hearings and felt like the report was rushed.
About 3pm, a Greens amendment to send the bill back to the committee for reporting in early August passed 43 ayes to 20 noes.
Earlier this week, the NDIS minister, Bill Shorten, accused the Coalition of a “disingenuous” and “lazy” decision on NDIS reforms, after the opposition proposed to team up with the Greens to delay the bill for further consideration by a committee.
Shorten is expected to hold a presser at 5pm in his parliamentary office on the bill’s future.
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Thanks Amy and good afternoon everyone. As we settle into that Thursday afternoon feeling of the weekend being almost in reach, we still have plenty more news coming your way.
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The parliament is winding down, and so am I.
A very big thank you to everyone who joined us in a huge week of news – we do not take a single one of you for granted and it means a lot that you would choose to spend your time with us. Thank you.
Natasha May will take you through what is left of the evening and I will be back early on Monday morning with another politics live blog. Until then – take care of you.
Oh yay.
We'll have a Senate Estimates spillover hearing next Thursday 4 July with the AFP and Home Affairs - plenty of outstanding questions for both! pic.twitter.com/md3NhYZPoq
— David Shoebridge (@DavidShoebridge) June 27, 2024
Seven’s YouTube channels replaced with AI-generated streams of Elon Musk after apparent hack
Seven’s YouTube channels have gone offline after the network’s pages were apparently hacked and replaced with AI-generated streams of Elon Musk and the Tesla logo.
News.com reported that for five hours on Thursday morning, visitors to some of the network’s channels could see a Tesla-branded livestream of a deepfaked Musk accompanied by a version of his voice encouraging users to deposit cryptocurrencies Bitcoin, Etherium and Dogecoin.
The videos were at one point viewed by tens of thousands of people, Sydney Morning Herald reported.
As of mid-afternoon on Thursday, 7 News Spotlight’s YouTube channel, which has 858,000 subscribers, stated it “doesn’t have any content” while its 7 News channel told visitors the page was not available.
In a statement to multiple outlets, a Seven spokeswoman said: “Seven is aware that some of its branded YouTube channels are not appearing as they should. Seven is investigating and working with YouTube to resolve the situation as soon as possible.”
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Melbourne airport rail link should proceed but without underground station, report says
Construction on initial stages of a rail link to Melbourne’s airport should proceed, a commonwealth-appointed mediator has recommended, as he dealt a blow to the airport owner’s demand for an underground station that has formed the centre of a dispute that has delayed the long-promised train line.
In his report delivered to the Albanese government, Neil Scales, the mediator appointed to settle the long-running dispute between the Victorian government and Melbourne airport, made recommendations for a path forward on the stalled project, in which the government only wants to contribute finances for a cheaper above-ground station instead of the underground option preferred by the airport.
Scales’s report recommended that the federal and Victorian governments, who are funding the project with the airport, proceed with “no regrets” work at Sunshine Station “to transform it into a major transport hub and capitalise on the early works already completed for the Melbourne Airport Rail Link”.
The federal and state government will now discuss a funding arrangement for the Sunshine Station upgrade, while Scales recommended ordering fresh modelling on the timeline for capacity of the Tullamarine Freeway.
Regarding the location of a train station at the airport – the crux of the dispute that has stalled the project – Scales’s report “recommended against further commonwealth and state consideration of an underground option at this time”.
Scales’s report said if the airport’s owner and operator, Australia Pacific Airports Melbourne (APAM), “wish to progress with the option of an underground station” they should “produce a suitable and comprehensive business case, so that key stakeholders can examine the proposal in detail”.
Melbourne is considered the most populous city in the developed world without a rail link to its main airport.
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Here is how Mike Bowers saw QT, where apparently there was a lot of interest in things happening just above, off centre.
Or perhaps our MPs have gone to the Joey Tribbiani school of acting.
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Question time ends
There are a couple more questions, but we have heard them all before.
Anthony Albanese gets to his feet to end question time – but Ted O’Brien is on his feet! And Labor thinks this is hilarious! There are groans about possibly missing out on O’Brien’s no doubt well-researched question delivered in his trademark scintillating manner but, alas, we are to be forever bereft of this particular moment of genius.
Albanese calls an end to questions.
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Chris Bowen takes a question on renewable energy
The Liberal MP for Sturt, James Stevens, reads his own question, where he discovers how the national energy market works:
Stevens:
Over the last year, South Australia relied on electricity imports from Victoria for every single week of the year, including seven weeks where imported energy exceeded 50 gigawatt hours. During these periods, South Australia also fired up its own gas and diesel generation to keep the lights on. When Yallourn closes in 2028, where will South Australia import energy from during periods of prolonged wind droughts?
Anthony Albanese has a bit of a chat about how he had a good time in the electorate last time he was in town and had some good talks with voters. He then hands over to Chris Bowen to have some fun, because Ted O’Brien hasn’t asked a question today.
Bowen:
That question from the member for Sturt was the most successful intervention in the renewable energy debate since Josh Frydenberg and Premier Rann held a press conference. (It was Jay Weatherill but Bowen has a mind blank here, and doesn’t seem to remember his SA Labor colleague’s name).
Premier, not Premier Rann! Josh Frydenberg and the premier of South Australia had a press conference together where Josh Frydenberg was blaming renewable energy for the South Australia blackouts.
Renewable energy had nothing to do with. And I tell you what, Mr Speaker, the honorable member for Sturt might have wanted to check. He asked about the closure of a Yallourn power station, which was announced when they were in office. Mr Speaker, and what did they do? They brought down the underwriting new generation investment fund, which should have been called the unfortunately no generation involved fund, of course it delivered not one watt of energy. What we saw was four gigawatts leave the grid and one gigawatt come on. And that was result of ten years of policy [incompetence].
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More on ‘Labor’s economic incompetence’
Liberal MP Tony Pasin has been very quiet this question time (he is usually the silver medallist in interjecting, but has not quite worked out how to get as loud as Michael Sukkar) which can only mean one thing – he has a question.
And he does!
And he’s reading it! And the chamber finds this hilarious, meaning Dugald has to step in and remind people who are paid at minimum $233,643 a year that it is not illegal to read in the chamber.
Pasin:
Mr Speaker, my question is to the prime minister. Prime Minister, Mount Gambier food based manufacturer Sugar and Spice in my seat of Barker is at breaking point since 2020. They have seen their energy costs risen, rise by 36%. That’s despite seeing usage decline. Owners Victor and Tanya have told me, and I quote, the significant rise in energy costs since Labor has come to office is very disappointing. Prime Minister, when will Australian families pay the price for Labor’s economic incompetence?
He does not get the question out in time, so Labor has a bit of a joke about it, but Dugald shuts them all up. He truly is not playing today.
But Anthony Albanese ignores the Speaker’s ire:
I thank the member for Barker for his ‘question’ and for being here after 3:00 (a reference to how often he is thrown out).
Well, well done son. Well done, well done. We know why. And it’s Thursday, so a special a special stamp for the member for Barker.
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Sophie Scamps asks Mark Dreyfus about whistleblower protection
Mackellar independent MP Sophie Scamps stands up to say she will be reading her question.
Our political system is hugely important to the people of Mackellar. And whistleblowers are a vital pillar of that integrity. Yet right now we have a whistleblower serving a lengthy jail term and one facing trial. Civil society is united in its call for a federal whistleblower protection authority, something the attorney general promised before the 2019 election. Will you recommit to establishing a whistleblower protection authority in this term of government? Thank you.
Mark Dreyfus says integrity is very important to the government and, he would hope, to every member of the parliament. He goes through what the government has done in that space so far but is then asked about the crux of the question – whistleblower protection – and says:
The government is now progressing a second, broader stage of reforms, which has included the release of a consultation paper. There has been public consultation on additional supports for public sector whistleblowers, which may include a whistleblower protection authority. There have been submissions received as part of that consultation process, and they are being used to inform the government’s next steps for reform.
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‘What did you say about misogyny?’
Amanda Rishworth takes a dixer, the answer for which she reads from a piece of paper. Peter Dutton is heckling her as she reads it (Karen Middleton in the chamber says it’s about her tabling the paper she is reading from) and Rishworth breaks from the script to say:
What did you say about misogyny the other day? What did you say about misogyny the other day?
Dutton then gets to his feet to say he wants Rishworth to table the paper she was reading from. There is a procedural back and forth and Dugald is over it and says that people are entitled to read things in the chamber.
He reminds members that “reading questions and reading answers is not against the Standing Orders”.
We move on.
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Cost-of-living attack turns to power bills
Liberal MP Melissa McIntosh is next on the “economic incompetence” train:
The annual St Vincent de Paul Society tariff tracker has exposed the impact of eye-watering energy prices ,with households in some regional areas now paying a record $4,170 a year for combined gas and electricity bills, despite the prime minister promising on 97 occasions that he would reduce power bills by $275. Prime Minister, why are Australian families paying the price for Labor’s economic incompetence?
Get your economic bingo card out!
Albanese:
I’m asked about energy policy and I’m happy to speak about it. On Monday, every household will get $300 off their energy bills and every small business will get $325 off their energy bills and that’s something that they oppose. They’re against it.
They come to the despatch box and ask questions about energy prices at the same time as they vote against energy relief in people’s bills that will make a practical difference and at the same time as they now propose the highest-cost new form of energy in nuclear. And the true cost of nuclear power in Australia is the grave risk and the great cost of going backwards, not just the hundreds of billions of dollars in the cost of constructing the reactors, more than a decade away, not just the price that households and businesses would pay for energy that is eight times more than renewables, but the danger that another decade of denial prevents the action on climate, but also the investment in energy that we need right now.
He continues, covering the Coalition nuclear policy, cost of living, low paid worker pay increases, bada bing, bada boom – you name it, Albanese ticks it off.
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Greens v Labor on the build-to rent scheme
Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather shakes things up with a question to Jim Chalmers:
Skyrocketing rents increasing at close to twice the rate of inflation and corporate price-gouging are driving inflation and threatening homeowners and renters with another interest rate rise.
Treasurer, instead of allowing the Reserve Bank to hit people with another interest rate hike, why don’t you show leadership and work with national cabinet to impose a rent freeze and cap and make price-gouging illegal?
Chalmers:
The member for Griffith has got a lot of nerve asking this question today, having just teamed up in the Senate with the Coalition, with the conservatives, to knock off tens of thousands of rental properties to help fix the problem that we have with housing supply in this country.
Now, if the Greens political party really cared about building for homes, they would have voted for the tax break that would have built tens of thousands of homes for people to rent.
Now, this is the hypocrisy at the very, very core of the Greens political party and they keep teaming up with the conservatives in the Senate and in the House of Representatives to prevent this country building the more that our people desperately need.
And the consequence of your vote in the Senate today, the consequence of your vote, could be 160,000 fewer homes for homeless people and young people to rent.
Now, if you really gave a stuff about homelessness in this country, you would vote for the policies that would build more housing supply in this country.
And you wouldn’t conduct this ridiculous, underhanded, hypocritical campaign, which sees you vote more frequently with them than with us, to build the homes that you pretend you want to see in our local communities.
Now, Mr Speaker, if the member for Griffith and his Green colleagues really cared about homelessness, if they really cared about rental pressures, they would vote with the Labor government to build more properties in this country for people to rent and every time they don’t do that, they lay bare what’s really going on here. They are much, much more interested in fighting Labor in the inner cities than they are for fighting for more homes for young people and the homeless.
Updated
There is another question on Labor’s “economic incompetence” but there is only so many times we can write a different version of the same question, and the corresponding different version of the same answer.
The cost-of-living attack continues
Liberal MP for Dawson, Andrew Wilcox, asks Anthony Albanese:
Support services for people who are homeless in my electorate of Dawson is at breaking point.
The operator of Pie in the Sky laundry said, quote “go to the grocery store and the price difference from six months ago is astronomical. We’ve seen rental increases from $260 per week to $350”. Prime Minister why are Australian families paying the price for Labor’s economic incompetence?
Albanese:
I thank the member for Dawson for his question and go to cost of living measures and the impact it has on people in his community.
What we know is that every single one of the people who are working in that community and paying tax will get a tax cut on Monday as a result of the measures we have put in place.
The member for Dawson also knows that those opposite on his team said that it would crush confidence, obliterate opportunity, undermine strength of the economy, it was Marxist economics.
We are getting wages moving again. But you voted against every single measure that we put in place to ensure wages got moving. The Coalition claim it would return Australia to the Dark Ages. It would close down the economy and it would leave supermarket shelves bare. On cheaper medicines you voted six times in the Senate to stop it, to stop cheaper medicines.
Not surprising given as health minister the opposition leader of course wanted to jack up the price of essential medicine by $5 a script. When we strengthen Medicare by tripling bulk billing incentives the shadow health minister dismissed the initiative and opposed it.
On cheaper childcare, the opposition opposed that as well. And now the energy price relief plan, it was described by the former leader of his party, not once but the sequel no one wanted to see, the member for New England, who rose to the position twice, he described it as Venezuelan communism.
That’s how he described cheaper energy bills. When it comes to housing there’s been a vote over there in the Senate this morning where once again we seem to be No-alition with the Coalition and the Greens getting together once again.
It goes on, but we can not.
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Greens senator says ‘agendas’ at play in opposition’s criticism of Julian Assange
The Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson has said political agendas are at play ahead of a looming federal election in response to the opposition’s criticism of Julian Assange today.
At a press conference shortly before question time, the Tasmanian senator said he wondered if Assange’s return to Australia after a 14-year-long legal saga (including five years spent in a London jail) was a dream.
For many people in this building, many other politicians across the political divide, and many of my colleagues have been working the last six years to try and build a political alliance - both here in Australia and in the US – to see Julian freed. I can’t tell you how happy I am that this has happened.
The WikiLeaks founder’s release has been supported by politicians from Labor, the opposition and the crossbench, including the former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce.
But on Thursday the shadow foreign affairs minister, Simon Birmingham, criticised Anthony Albanese’s phone call to Assange on Wednesday evening for being “neither necessary, nor appropriate” after saying he’s pleased the ordeal is over.
Julian Assange is not a hero. He’s been convicted of a crime. He’s admitted to that crime, and he should not be receiving that type of special homecoming greeting from our prime minister.
Whish-Wilson said “agendas” were at play, and the opposition would try to “smear” the occasion for political purposes.
I just think there’s agendas here. It may be because there’s an election looming, and the LNP don’t like the fact that the prime minister has shown some leadership and some courage and will be rewarded by Australians for this, and they’re going to do everything they can to smear this and I think that’s very sad.
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Highest number of sexual assault victim-survivors recorded in 31 years
The number of victim-survivors of sexual assault recorded by police rose by 11% in 2023, the 12th straight annual rise, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
Samantha McNally, ABS head of crime and justice statistics, said:
There were 36,318 victim-survivors of sexual assault recored by police in 2023, with increases across almost all states and territories.Accounting for population growth, the rate of recorded sexual assault victim-survivors has gone up from 126 per 100,000 people last year, to 136 victim-survivors per 100,000 people.
This is the highest rate of sexual assault victim-survivors recorded in our 31-year dataset.
The majority, 84%, of sexual assault victim-survivors were female, and 41% of reporters were between 10 and 17 years at the date of the incident. More than two in three (69%) sexual assaults took place in a residential location and most sexual assaults (69%) were reported to police within a year.
Family and domestic violence-related sexual assaults made up almost two in five (39%) of all sexual assaults reported to police (14,059 victim-survivors).
If you or anyone you know is in need or crisis please call the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service on 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) or Lifeline 131 114
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Cause for hope on interest rates
Inflation is featuring prominently in question time. Here’s reason for some calm about the risk of another RBA rate rise just yet:
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Woolworths limits customers to two cartons of eggs in NSW, ACT and Victoria
In what will probably be the only news worth reading this hour, AAP has reported on new egg limits at Woolworths:
Woolworths customers will be limited to two cartons of eggs in parts of Australia as bird flu outbreaks stifle supplies.
A Woolworths spokeswoman said a two-pack purchase limit had been introduced in NSW, the ACT and Victoria to manage stock delays.
“Along with other retailers, we’re expecting a short-term delay in stock from one of our egg suppliers in NSW, ACT and Victoria, due to the temporary closure of one of their packing sheds,” the spokeswoman said.
“Their supply is expected to recover over the next week as they ramp up operations at their other sites.”
Coles introduced a similar policy earlier in June.
The limit comes after bird flu was detected at an eighth Victorian farm on Tuesday, and as ACT authorities investigate a suspected outbreak on a commercial egg farm in Canberra.
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… and treasurer responds
Jim Chalmers (after running through the usual inflation answer):
If those opposite want to say that spending in the budget is the primary determinant of inflation, then no wonder they left us with inflation much higher than it is now, Mr Speaker. They delivered a budget with no savings in it, their last budget. They spent $40 billion, almost double what we spent. They had two deficits worth $135 billion that we’ve turned into surpluses. They spent most of the upward revision to revenue. And they found no savings in their last budget.
Angus Taylor has a point of order on relevance:
The question was about the treasurer’s failed budget and why ...
He’s made to sit down.
Tony Burke steps up:
In terms of an attempt at a tightly framed question, I don’t think I’ve seen anything worse with that aim than this one. It went across every field in the portfolio.
Dugald rules the question was broad with a bunch of things in it, so the answer is relevant.
Chalmers:
This is why the leader of the opposition was moved to insist the other day that the shadow treasurer is not incompetent.
Dugald:
The treasurer will return to the question.
The treasurer is out of time.
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Treasurer questioned on inflation and rates
Angus Taylor asks:
Labor’s home-grown inflation has increased for four months in a row, in stark contrast to peer countries. and leading economists don’t see any rate cuts coming in the next 12 months and, worse, now see a rate rise in August as a real risk. Three failed budgets have left the Reserve Bank doing all the heavy lifting. There is no relief in sight for struggling families. When will the Treasurer cut the spin and take responsibility for his failed budgets?
Jim Chalmers gets a bit of energy in response to getting a question from his favourite person:
That’s what happens when you have to put months of questions into one opportunity.
(This is where Michael Sukkar got booted out. Milton Dick has his “Dugald” hat on – Dugald being his given name, with Milton being his middle one – and is “not mucking around today”. He also warns Clare O’Neil for interjecting. He’s handing out warnings like Mr Beast hands out chocolate bars with about the same response – warm disappointment).
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Liberal MP Michael Sukkar finishes out a strong week of interjections with his third ejection from the chamber in just four days.
It’s a good performance, that is rarely matched in this parliament.
Independent MP Allegra Spender asks about the cost of childcare
Allegra Spender:
One of the biggest cost-of-living pressures facing families in Wentworth is early childhood education. At a pop-up last week, mothers told me childcare costs were affecting their decisions to work or even have a second child. Families are struggling and even those who are relatively well paid and childcare centres told me bureaucracy is adding complexity and costs to their centres. What will the government do to make early childhood education more affordable and less bureaucratic for childcare workers?
Jason Clare takes this one:
Just like our universal superannuation system is a national asset, we want to build a universal early education and care system that can be a national asset for this country. I was asked about affordability.
Come Monday, it will be one year since our cheaper childcare laws came into effect and they have cut the cost of childcare for more than a million Australian families. To give you an example, a family on, say, $120,000 a year combined income with one child in care three days a week have paid over the last year $2,000 less in childcare bills than they otherwise would have had to pay because of the cheaper childcare laws that we’ve put in place.
Come Monday, that same family will get a tax cut of about $2,000 as well. And that’s real cost-of-living relief. I can also tell you this: Since we came to government, there are more children in childcare, 60,000 more. There are more childcare centres, 700 more, and more childcare workers and educators, 30,000 more. But we need more and we need to do more and that’s why the treasurer announced a provision for pay increases for childcare workers and I can advise the member that we will shortly receive the work of Professor Deborah Brennan from the University of New South Wales and the Productivity Commission to help us to take the next step to chart a course to develop a truly universal early education and care system.
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Greens want build-to-rent scheme to have 100% affordable dwellings
As my colleague Amy blogged just a moment ago, the Greens held a quick press conference shortly before question time on Labor’s proposed build-to-rent scheme, Julian Assange, inflation and the NDIS.
Starting with housing, the minor party’s housing spokesperson, Max Chandler-Mather, said the Greens would work in “good faith” with Labor to pass the bill but had demands to make apartments built more affordable.
The bill, announced earlier this month, will offer tax incentives to developers building build‑to‑rent projects, consisting of 50 or more dwellings. At least 10% of the units will have to be “affordable” and will be offered at 75% of market rate.
The Greens, however, want to see more done. They’re proposing for 100% of the new dwellings to be deemed “affordable” and they want to see the definition of affordable changed so that rent will be either 25% of a tenant’s income or 70% of market rate - whichever is lower.
Additionally, Chandler-Mather said there should also be a 2% rent cap every two years imposed on the units and they should be built to an energy efficiency standard rate of at least 7.5%.
Chandler-Mather said:
It beggars belief that in the middle of the worst housing crisis we’ve faced in generations, Labor’s current proposal is more tax handouts for property investors and property developers to build apartments that no one will be able to afford ... Labor has an opportunity here to work with the Greens to produce a bill that will get developers to start building apartments that are rent capped and affordable. Now that seems like a win win for everyone. Right now, the only winners are developers, who will pocket tax handouts to build apartments that no one can afford.
Continuing with the Greens presser and Max Chandler-Mather has said if his proposed changes to Labor’s build-to-rent scheme lower incentives for property developers, it’s a sign the “proposal is not going to fix the housing crisis”.
He said:
“If private developers will only build apartments that no one can afford, then we’ve got a problem. And that is a definition and a demonstration of just how broken our housing system is.”
Updated
The dixers are on cost of living relief as well – it is the same answer as what is being given to the opposition questions on inflation, but with a bit more pizzaz (as you would expect, given that they know the questions are coming, have often written the questions, and have an opportunity to rehearse the answers).
But everyone seems pretty exhausted in the chamber. The vibes are not vibing.
The LNP MP for Bowman, Henry Pike, has been booted from the chamber under 94A.
Milton Dick is not playing today. He’s never in a particularly patient mood as the week comes to a close.
Question time begins
Peter Dutton has opened up the questions with another one about inflation and “reckless spending” across “three failed budgets”.
He doesn’t put a lot of energy into the delivery of the question. Anthony Albanese seems to put even less energy in answering it (you have all heard this answer before – lower inflation than other nations, Reserve Bank governor is happy with the fiscal surpluses, inflation is not of our doing).
Updated
Greens throw down affordable housing gauntlet
The Greens have launched the latest cannon shot across the ballast of the government’s housing policy legislation – they are asking for 100% affordable housing and they want the definition of affordable housing changed in the legislation. The current plan has 10% at 3/4 the market rate – the current definition of affordable housing.
The Greens want that changed to 25% of a tenant’s income or 70% of market rent – whatever is lower. They also want minimum lease increase from one to five years, energy efficient standards to be at least 7.5.
They have said there is room to negotiate, but this is their starting point.
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‘We’re huge supporters of renewable energy,’ Peter Dutton says
Peter Dutton was asked about investment in renewable energy.
He said:
Fantastic - we’re huge supporters of renewable energy. It needs to be in the system. But we have to stop pretending it can work 24/7.”
Dutton then talked about social licence for renewables, claiming that his electorate would be “rioting” if 10 wind towers were proposed in a community that “goes crazy” about 5G towers. He joked that – although he already rides around in an armoured car – he would have even greater need of it.
I’m not sure why Dutton would compare irrational conspiracy theory opposition to modern telecommunications technology – which we go ahead and build anyway – with wind towers, and then conclude that we shouldn’t build the latter.
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Labor to fight proposed delay to NDIS reforms, which Bill Shorten calls ‘disingenuous’ and ‘lazy’
One of the federal government’s priorities this sitting fortnight is passing the NDIS bill to get the multibillion-dollar scheme “back on track”.
Earlier this week, the NDIS minister, Bill Shorten, accused the Coalition of a “disingenuous” and “lazy” decision on NDIS reforms, after the opposition proposed to team up with the Greens to delay the bill for further consideration by a committee.
A proposed Senate amendment by Greens senator Nick McKim suggests the committee report back by 5 August ahead of the next parliamentary sitting fortnight.
But the federal government is attempting to make a last-minute amendment to bring that forward a month earlier to next week - 3 July.
If that happens, Labor will still need either the Coalition or Greens’ support for it to pass the Senate and into law.
And, at this stage, it’s not clear that’ll happen. Stay tuned.
Updated
Dutton accepts ‘big upfront cost’ of nuclear but says it’s better than batteries or green hydrogen
Dutton was asked about whether the economics of nuclear power stack up, and how long it will take to get the industry up.
Dutton said Australia needs a “credible pathway” to achieve emissions reduction and meet international commitments. Dutton argued that batteries and green hydrogen are not feasible, and that pumped hydro is “very expensive”.
Dutton, who wants the government to own nuclear power plants, claims he arrived at this solution from an economic perspective. Dutton accepted there is a “big upfront capital cost” to nuclear. The CSIRO has said it is more expensive than renewables, even considering cost of transmission and firming.
Dutton said:
90% of firming power goes out of the market by 2034. The difference is we propose nuclear, and they [Labor] propose green hydrogen. Nobody can tell you when green hydrogen will be available ... it’s not a proven technology.
The Coalition is also proposing small modular reactors for the first two power plants, and that is not commercially available anywhere in the world at present.
Dutton said “we can’t run an economy on hope and emotion” and accused those who say the Coalition’s plan is not viable of having undisclosed conflicts (because they have invested in renewable energy, because they know it’s cheaper).
Dutton then invoked SA Labor premier Peter Malinauskas and former WA premier Mark McGowan - “they don’t have concerns about safety, they don’t have concerns about disposal”. Malinauskas has also said that nuclear is too expensive and doesn’t make sense in the Australian context.
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Bruce Lehrmann ordered to pay $2m to Ten
Ten’s defence of defamation action from Bruce Lehrmann amounted to $3.67m but the network has told the federal court it will accept $2m in what the former Liberal staffer’s lawyer said “might be the deal of the century”.
In a costs hearing before justice Michael Lee on Thursday, Lehrmann’s lawyer Paul Svilans said his client neither “contests nor opposes” the order sought by Ten for a $2m lump sum.
The court has previously heard Lehrmann is unemployed and does not have sufficient means to foot the bill.
Lee made orders for Lehrmann to pay a lump sum of $2m to Ten despite the network’s total bills being far higher.
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Coalition tax plans ‘will depend where we find ourselves before next election’, Dutton says
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, is doing a Q&A with the Committee for the Economic Development of Australia.
Dutton argued that in government the Coalition showed an “appetite” to tackle bracket creep and had a “win” in legislating stage-three tax cuts. He said that bracket creep will “erode” gains from Labor’s tax plan “over a number of years”.
Dutton was deliberately vague about the Coalition’s tax plans, claiming it supports “lower, fairer, simpler taxes”. But he said it was “a costly space to weigh in to, and difficult from opposition to develop a new tax system without help of central agencies”.
Dutton said the Coalition wants to look at business taxes as well as personal income taxes, but both will depend “where we find ourselves in the fiscal space before next election” and how much “head room” the opposition has.
Updated
We are now into the downhill slide towards question time.
Huzzah.
Take what has happened in the three previous question times and turn it up to 11 and you’ll probably get close to what it’s going to be like. So grab what you need to get through it, now.
Greens say Labor’s build-to-rent changes just ‘tinkering around the edges’
A bit more detail on those build-to-rent changes. The changes provide incentives by increasing the capital works deduction rate to 4% per year and reducing the final withholding tax rate for properties in which institutional investors become landlords for long-term leases.
The Greens are concerned that 90% of homes built will be “unaffordable” and are pushing Labor to change the definition and proportion of affordable housing. The Greens have also pushed for rental agreements to include caps on rent increases and protections against unfair evictions.
The Greens housing spokesperson, Max Chandler-Mather, said:
Labor’s plan boils down to giving tax handouts to property developers to build apartments almost no one will be able to afford, with no protections against unlimited rent increases.
What this bill proves is if Labor wanted it could impose rent caps on any developer receiving the tax handouts, but instead has chosen to allow developers to jack up the rent by as much as they want.
Once again Labor is tinkering around the edges and announcing a policy that makes it look like they are doing something for renters, when in reality it is just a plan to give property developers more tax handouts.
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Veterans with MyService account can add veteran Gold or White card to digital wallet
Bill Shorten says it is part of making digital access easier for all users of government services:
MyGov app users have now added a total of over 1.2 million digital cards and certificates to the wallet – it’s a convenient option for people to securely store these important cards and documents.
Matt Keogh, the veterans affairs minister, said it would enable easier access to health services for veterans:
We’ve been working to make it easier for veterans to access services and supports through the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, these updates will put those supports right in the palm of your hand.
I encourage health professionals and service providers to accept the digital cards where these are offered.
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Liberals and Greens ‘standing in way of more help for renters’, housing minister says
The housing minister, Julie Collins, has responded to the Senate voting to send the build-to-rent bill to an inquiry to report by 4 September.
She said:
The Liberals and the Greens stood in the way of more social and affordable housing through our Housing Australian Future Fund. They are standing in the way of more help for Australian home buyers through our national shared equity scheme Help to Buy.
And now they have decided to stand in the way of more help for renters by holding up our build-to-rent legislation. This legislation includes more affordable housing for renters.
The Liberals and the Greens’ anti-housing alliance have never seen a new home they won’t try and block in parliament ...
Australians want delivery, not delays. Action, not attacks.
For the Liberals and the Greens, it’s always about the politics and never about the people.
Updated
Senate votes 40 to 20 to split build-to-rent changes from Treasury bill
The Senate has voted 40 to 20 to split build-to-rent changes out of Labor’s Treasury bill, and send it to an inquiry to report by 4 September. The Coalition and Greens voted together in favour of the motion moved by Nick McKim.
This, from Labor MP Jerome Laxale, I think will be typical of the government response:
You 👏🏼 can’t 👏🏼 fix 👏🏼 a 👏🏼 housing crisis 👏🏼 by 👏🏼 blocking 👏🏼 more housing 👏🏼#auspol pic.twitter.com/jqMOQBeS9p
— Jerome Laxale MP (@jeromelaxale) June 27, 2024
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Andrew Bragg on build-to-rent tax concessions: ‘solely designed to bolster foreign investment’
Unsurprisingly, Liberal senator Andrew Bragg is pleased with the vote splitting off the build-to-rent tax concessions from the rest of the Treasury bill.
As mentioned during the Senate estimates spillover hearing on Tuesday night, this tax concession is solely designed to bolster foreign investment in Australian houses.
The Labor government wants to give foreign fund managers a tax cut so that 150,000 houses will be owned by these managers.
Australians must not become serfs to foreign fund managers. The Australian dream is not about foreign fund managers renting out houses to Australians.
Updated
Vote on splitting build-to-rent from bill
The Senate is voting on the Greens and Coalition bid to split the build-to-rent legislation from the rest of the Treasury bill before the chamber.
The division is happening and it looks like they have the numbers to mess around the government here.
Updated
New ground in the housing policy wars?
Paul reported a little earlier that the Greens and Coalition are planning on splitting Labor’s Treasury bill to carve out the build-to-rent legislation which is part of the legislative package.
The Greens plan on speaking on that at 1.30, just ahead of question time.
But hold on to your hats – it looks like new ground in the housing policy wars is about to open up.
Updated
University of Melbourne issues misconduct notices to pro-Palestine student protesters
The University of Melbourne (UoM) has issued academic misconduct notices to a number of students who were part of an ongoing pro-Palestine occupation of Arts West building, renamed Mahmoud’s Hall by protestors, in semester one.
A spokesperson for the university confirmed it was in “direct communication” with individuals in relation to the upcoming misconduct hearings.
They said staff and students were required to comply with codes of conduct or be subject to relevant consequences. The university’s conduct policy issues a range of consequences, ranging from minor breaches to suspension and expulsion.
The University is currently progressing a range of matters in relation to student conduct. The University will not comment on individual matters, in line with our confidentiality requirements and our commitment to procedural fairness under University policy.”
Last month, the UoM became the first university in Australia to reach an agreement with protestors to cease their encampment after students occupied the building for more than a week. While not willing to divest from weapons manufacturers and companies with ties to Israel, a spokesperson said the university would make additional disclosures about its research project grant arrangements to help improve transparency.
Updated
Wilkie says ‘no one was endangered’ by Assange’s leaks
The independent MP Andrew Wilkie, who has been advocating for Julian Assange’s freedom since the mid-2000s, spoke to the ABC a little earlier today about some of the criticisms of Assange’s work, including that he endangered people.
As far as endangering people, this is one of those points that is so muddled up with misinformation and disinformation. The fact of the matter is that after the leaks, both the US government and the Australian government conducted inquiries into the implications of the leaks. In Australia it was done by the Department of Defence and in both the United States and Australia those inquiries found that no one was endangered by the leaks.
Updated
Birmingham continues with criticism of Assange
Simon Birmingham has spoken to Sydney radio 2GB where he again spoke about Julian Assange and whether or not it was appropriate for Anthony Albanese to phone him when he landed back in Australia.
He was asked about Barnaby Joyce’s concerns and whether or not it is appropriate for the USA’s espionage “tentacles” to “reach right across the world?” Birmingham says:
I think the US is entitled to, of course, apply its laws, as you said in your introduction. Julian Assange is viewed by many people through different lenses. I don’t see him as a journalist, nor as a responsible publisher. He published some half a million documents without the faintest idea of what was in most of them, without curating or editing or doing the type of work that you, or any other responsible journalist would do in terms of assessing what the implications of your story were.
And as the US state department has been clear in publishing all those documents, he put lives at risk. He caused the US to have to reposition different people and make various changes in their operations because he had no regard at all for what he was publishing.
It was just to publish and be damned approach, which is not journalism. And I’m sure if there were different cases that came before the US courts in future, they will hang in part off of whether or not actual journalistic ethics are being applied.
Updated
The Greens senator David Shoebridge then makes the point:
If an Australian prime minister talking to an Australian citizen challenges the relationship with the United States, there is a problem with the relationship.
And the press conference ends.
Updated
Stella Assange encourages journalists to make FoI requests from US government
Stella Assange is asked about whether there are any book or movie deals in the works.
She responds with a message to the media:
Julian literally just got off a plane. I have many stories to tell and on the plea agreements, I believe, and correct me if I am wrong, that Julian is not allowed to request freedom of information or make freedom of information requests from the US government but you can and I encourage you to.
Why would they want him not to do that? Please do.
Updated
Coalition and Greens take aim at Labor’s proposed build-to-rent changes
In the Senate today the Coalition and Greens are planning to split Labor’s proposed build-to-rent changes out of the treasury bill they are contained in, and send them to an inquiry to report by 4 September.
As we reported on Monday the Greens are concerned the changes amount to more tax concessions for developers and that 90% of homes built will be “unaffordable”. The Greens housing spokesperson, Max Chandler-Mather, is pushing behind the scenes for the definition and proportion of affordable housing to be changed. The Greens also think if the government can mandate that the first occupant gets a three-year lease, then it also has leverage to limit rent rises for those properties.
The Coalition wants to split the bill in order to vote it down, but the Greens haven’t gone that far despite their concerns.
The Liberal senator Andrew Bragg has used the build-to-rent scheme as evidence Labor is seeking to help superannuation funds own others’ homes rather than helping Australians buy their own.
In a speech to the Housing Industry Association last week Bragg, described build-to-rent tax concessions and the increase in commonwealth rent assistance as a “perpetual renting plan”.
At its heart is a corporate housing policy to ensure that a generation of Australians become renters for life.
The Coalition and Greens will also split buy-now pay-later reforms out of a treasury bill to send to an inquiry to report by 2 August, but the Greens are broadly in favour of those, they just want more scrutiny.
Updated
Has Julian Assange been able to speak to his children as yet?
Stella Assange:
Not yet, because we want to do it when we are in the same place. I am obviously here and the kids were asleep when he arrived last night. It is still, it hasn’t happened yet but they were very excited when they found out their dad was coming home.
I had to tell them gradually so they were very, very excited. They were jumping on the sofa and I managed to send a video of them reacting and jumping on the sofa to Julian while he was I think in Saipan and he was very pleased.
The last question is called, so “he can do just that”.
Updated
Stella Assange says Julian plans to ‘taste real food’ and ‘enjoy his freedom’
What does Julian Assange plan to do now?
Stella Assange:
He plans to taste real food and he plans to enjoy his freedom. Julian is the most principled man I know and he will always defend human rights and speak out against injustice and he can choose how he does that, because he is a free man.
Asked if he had indicated if he would publish confidential documents again, Assange says:
Julian just got back from a 72-hour long flight to freedom and five years of incarceration in a high security prison and seven years before that arbitrarily detained in the Ecuadorian embassy and a year and a half before that he was under house arrest.
He is just savouring freedom for the first time in 14 years. He needs time to rest and recover and he is just rediscovering normal life. And he needs space to do that.
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Scott Ludlam celebrates Assange release but says: 'What about the other whistleblowers?'
The former Greens senator Scott Ludlam is also at this press conference:
I want to acknowledge the Albanese government. It is an example of a government leading from the front. The work, some of it behind the scenes, some in public, the fact we were able to unite people from across the political spectrum is a credit.
It is also about some of the work that goes on that is maybe less visible from in here, people who are organising rallies and banner drops in 2011.
People who signed petitions, it was a global grass roots movement that gave us momentum, that gave that impetus to the diplomatic work that has got us over the line.
Ultimately this is about you (the journalists) … He and his colleagues knew what they were walking into and they knew the risks they were taking and they did it anyway, in part to protect your right to do your job, to inform us about what government is doing in our name. We are celebrating.
That celebration is tempered by fact that the United States government, our supposed ally, was willing to torture an Australian citizen and one of your colleagues for 14 years and that it took a global movement to get him out.
We are celebrating, but I feel as though we need to have in our minds today, forefront: what about the other whistleblowers, the other journalists and publishers? This is about all of us collectively. One chapter ends, thank God, and another one begins.
Updated
Assange’s lawyer pays tribute to Scott Ludlam’s advocacy
Jennifer Robinson:
When I first started to come down here to parliament in 2010 and 2011 and walked the halls, it was Scott Ludlam from the Greens who led that initiative and we would speak to an empty room. After a decade of advocacy, bringing together people from across the political divide, the work that has been done here in parliament by this group of friends has really changed things for Julian.
The parliamentary resolution that was passed through this parliament with two-thirds of the support, government and the cross bench, was all the difference, in terms of our advocacy internationally and in changing the political position in the United States and firming up our government’s position.
I want to thank our prime minister Anthony Albanese for the principled leadership that he showed as leader of the opposition in saying enough is enough, in his keeping his word as prime minister and raising it at the highest levels.
Without that support, we wouldn’t be where we are today. That came from the Australian public demanding it and it came from this group of members of parliament who put it on the agenda and continued to put it on the agenda until it became the Australian Government’s position. I really want to thank everyone here today for their remarkable contribution.
We wouldn’t be here without the global movement of people that came together to support Julian and support a free speech and that is what made the difference.
Updated
Stella Assange says Julian was 'pleading guilty to journalism'
Stella Assange continues:
I think it is important to recognise that this breakthrough came at a time when Julian was going to be able to air his arguments in the UK, if there had been an appeal. He had been granted permission to appeal the issue before the high court, was going to … to rely on constitutional protections in the US for freedom of speech and freedom of expression and it was only then that there was a breakthrough in the negotiations and things started moving very quickly.
I think that is very telling and if Julian pleaded guilty, in a federal court in Saipan, it is because he was pleading guilty to committing journalism.
This case criminalises journalism, journalistic activity, standard journalist activity of news gathering and publishing. This is the reality of this prosecution.
The case should never have been brought but the important thing is that Julian is free and that he is no longer in Belmarsh prison and that the case is over and we can put this behind us and Julian is overjoyed and so grateful to the Australian people, to the members of parliament and to the government and also the opposition who came together to voice the need for his release.
Updated
Stella Assange and supporters speak to media at Parliament House
Stella Assange is addressing media at parliament house, along with the members of the Bring Julian Assange home parliamentary group.
His longest serving counsel, Jennifer Robinson is also at the press conference.
Assange:
I am eternally grateful to everyone who has made this possible in this building. The group of friends from across the political spectrum, who came together on this issue. I think it is unique that it got people together from all sides to work towards Julian’s freedom and to keep it at the top of the agenda for years now. The results we see today, we see last night, I think the whole world celebrated with us.
It was us meeting on the tarmac but it was the entire world who was celebrating.
Updated
Inflation data raises spectre of RBA interest rate hike
The 4% May inflation rate (and 4.4% underlying rate) that surprised almost everybody yesterday has raised the spectre of a Reserve Bank interest rate rise when the board next meets on 5-6 August.
We saw the dollar and stocks move in opposite directions as investors factored in the increased chance of a rate increase (dollar looks a bit more attractive, debt-repaying companies less so). And those investors also lifted their expectations of an August rate hike to almost 40%.
So far none of the big four banks tips an early rate hike. As with the RBA, they’re probably hold off making that call until they see what the full quarter’s inflation looked like, and we don’t get those ABS numbers until 31 July.
NAB, though, did make a move, pushing back its prediction of when the RBA would start cutting the cash rate from November to next May. ANZ made a similar move a couple of weeks back, and now expect a February rate reduction, but so far Westpac and CBA haven’t followed suit though it’s unlikely they’ll keep their November rate cut prediction for long.
November, as it happens, is when investors are fully pricing in a cash rate cut to 4.1%, but that’s November 2025 – or about half a year after the next federal elections must be held.
Labor political strategists banking on a rate cut to go to the polls on are facing diminishing prospects. Current market expectations suggest a cut from the RBA's current cash rate of 4.35% isn't priced in ... until November 2025. (Via ASX.) pic.twitter.com/GaXeWuBCat
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) June 26, 2024
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Pocock says Labor and Coalition ‘out of touch’ with young people after decision on duty of care bill
More on the Senate committee’s decision not to support David Pocock’s duty of care bill for young people.
In a dissenting report, Pocock notes the “overwhelming” public support for the bill to be passed.
Of the 403 submissions published on the committee website, just one expressed outright opposition. A petition in favour of passing the bill has nearly 15,000 signatures.
Pocock says in his dissenting report:
It is shocking that the Labor party and the Coalition refuse to hear the cry for this bill to be passed. By turning their backs to the submissions and public support for a duty of care on climate change, the major parties again show Australians, and particularly young people, how out of touch they are.
In their recommendations the bill not be passed, the government and Coalition wrote the bill “would not achieve its stated aim” but the “committee considers that policy development and assessment processes may benefit from a more explicit emphasis on the implications of decisions for children and future generations”. Their report says some submissions from the legal profession had highlighted potential issues and challenges with the bill.
Pocock said the bill had strong support from the medical fraternity, in particular, and by “ignoring all of the evidence and the overwhelming calls for this bill to be passed, the government has turned its back on young people”.
Updated
Penny Wong also held a doorstop this morning after doing her own media rounds and she was succinct in her response to Simon Birmingham’s claims that Anthony Albanese welcoming Julian Assange back to Australia with a phone call risked damaging the US-Australia alliance:
Senator Birmingham should answer whether or not Senator Canavan’s outspoken support for Mr Assange has damaged the alliance.
I mean, I think we know what the opposition is playing at. We made clear our views to our friends and allies in the United States. The pathway to this is obviously the court decision.
Updated
Anthony Albanese said yesterday that Labor senator Fatima Payman would not be attending caucus for the rest of the parliament session (which ends next Thursday) but that doesn’t mean Payman does not sit with her caucus colleagues in the Senate.
Payman remains a member of the caucus and the Labor party. Not sitting with the caucus means she will not attend the caucus meetings. The next one is scheduled for Tuesday morning (when all parties hold their regular parliament session meetings) so Payman will miss that. But you’ll see her in her regular spot in the senate chamber.
Updated
Simon Birmingham finessed the lines by the time he got to a doorstop interview a little earlier this morning:
Yesterday, Julian Assange pleaded guilty in a United States court to charges under the US Espionage Act, and by nightfall he was welcomed home by the Australian prime minister.
That just sends all of the wrong signals and is irresponsible and inappropriate of Anthony Albanese to welcome home Julian Assange on the same day he’s pleaded guilty to US charges related to espionage.
Now, of course, the Australian-American alliance is an enormously strong one and it can withstand many, many things. And it will certainly not be affected in terms of the big strategic goals we have, such as Aukus, by this type of incident. But there will be many Americans who think that it’s inappropriate for the Australian prime minister to provide that type of homecoming welcome to Julian Assange. Having just pleaded guilty to US charges.
(A doorstop is a very quick press conference)
Updated
Birmingham on Assange: ‘What he did all those years ago was not careful journalism’
The Liberal senator Simon Birmingham was also asked about what work the previous Coalition governments had done to bring about an end to Julian Assange’s case, given there is a consensus it had “gone on for too long”.
There was criticism that the former prime minister Scott Morrison “didn’t lift a finger” when it came to Assange.
Birmingham says:
Well, the question of extradition was always a matter for the UK courts to determine.
And Julian Assange was always within his rights to both resist that through the legal processes and to appeal it at the many different junctures when the court found he could or should be extradited. You know, ultimately, although in very peculiar circumstances, he did face a US court, did plead guilty to a charge under the United States Espionage Act.
And that stands as a fact and, of course, is reflective of the fact that what he did all those years ago was not careful journalism like you or other people in the ABC, or indeed any other responsible media outlet would do.
Instead, he simply published around half a million documents and without having read them, curated them, checked to see if there was anything that could be damaging or risking the lives of others in there. He simply dumped them on the internet. That is not journalism and shouldn’t be feted as such.
Updated
Assange does not deserve 'warm embrace' from Albanese 'like some type of hero', Birmingham says
Simon Birmingham was doing the media rounds this morning, doubling down on his statement that it was not “appropriate” for the prime minister to have called Julian Assange as soon as his plane touched down in Canberra.
He told the ABC’s Tom Oriti:
The fact that it’s at an end is welcome. What he does not deserve, though, is the warm embrace or homecoming welcome of prime minister Albanese like some type of hero. When in fact what he did yesterday, shortly before being welcomed back to Australia by the prime minister, was finally plead guilty to charges under the Espionage Act in a United States court.
And it shows little regard for our closest ally to be welcoming home somebody who has just pleaded guilty to such charges.
Would it not have been strange for the prime minister not to have spoken to Assange, given what was involved in reaching the deal with the US?
Birmingham:
I think it would have been perfectly normal. People come home to Australia every day, including those who may have encountered criminal proceedings or otherwise overseas, and they don’t get a welcome home call from the prime minister of the country.
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Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel enters new testing phase
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, is holding a press conference to announce the Metro Tunnel is entering a new testing phase, which she says involves repeatedly running systems and technologies that have never been used on the existing Melbourne train network.
Speaking at the completed Parkville station, Allan says:
Just as thousands and thousands of Victorians every single day will be using the Metro Tunnel, we will be undertaking thousands and thousands of opening and closing of the platform screen doors and the running of the test trains. They’ll be something like 30,000 times the platform screen doors will be opened and closed. There’s another 150,000km of test trains to run to make sure that all the systems are integrated and operational and ready to go.
She says from later in the year, they will also begin running practice services with drivers and station staff to ensure everything is ready for passengers when the tunnel opens.
Consisting of two 9km train tunnels under the CBD, the Metro Tunnel will connect the Sunbury line, which runs through Melbourne’s western suburbs, with the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines, in the city’s south-east, taking the pressure off the City Loop.
Five new underground stations have also been created, including Anzac, near the Shrine of Remembrance, Parkville, near the University of Melbourne and several major hospitals, and Arden, a developing area in Melbourne’s north.
Last year, the developer of the project let slip at a business event that he expects it to be completed by September. Allan on Thursday maintained it will open in 2025, which itself was a year ahead of the initial schedule.
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In case you missed it last night, this was the moment Julian Assange reunited with his wife Stella and father John Shipton.
Save the Children ‘deeply disappointed’ with Senate committee decision on Pocock’s young people bill
The crossbench have the support of the aid and advocacy organisation Save the Children who have announced they are “deeply disappointed” with a Labor-led Senate committee’s decision not to recommend the passing of David Pocock’s duty of care bill for young people.
Sophia Pauchet, a Save the Children Australia youth advisor who co-wrote a submission to the committee in support of the bill, said the recommendation against the legislation was another “example of governments and politicians restricting their view of what is possible to the boundaries of their elected term”.
All we ask is for the government to look past a three-year scope, to consider the future of this nation, the wellbeing of your children and the planet that is required to help us grow, and to legislate a duty of care.
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A little later this morning, the co-convenors of the Bring Julian Assange Home Parliamentary Group will meet with Julian Assange’s wife, Stella Assange, and his lawyers, Jennifer Robinson and Barry Pollack, “to discuss the finalisation of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s plea deal with the United States Department of Justice that has allowed him to return home to Australia”.
That will be happening at 10.30am in the parliament.
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Albanese warns of danger of 'another decade of denial' on climate
Anthony Albanese has delivered his Ceda state of the nation address, where he, as reported earlier, spoke of the “risk” of the Coalition’s nuclear foray.
In the past two years, you know how far we have come, the progress we have made. And you know the grave risk and great cost of falling back.
That’s the true cost of nuclear power in Australia.
Not just the hundreds of billions of dollars in the cost of constructing the reactors more than a decade away.
Not just the price households and businesses would pay for energy that is eight times more expensive than renewables.
But the danger that another decade of denial prevents the action on climate and investment in energy we need now.
We cannot go back to the politics of conflict undermining business certainty and driving up power bills.
We cannot afford nuclear power to be deployed as just another weapon in the culture wars.
Australia has every resource imaginable to succeed in this decisive decade. Critical minerals, rare earths, skills and space and sunlight, the trade ties to our region.
The only thing our nation does not have is time to waste.
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Senate committee says Pocock’s ‘duty of care’ bill should not be passed
David Pocock’s “duty of care” to young people bill has been through a Labor-led Senate committee, which recommended it not be passed.
After the federal court ruled the government did not have to consider its duty of care to young people when making environmental decisions, Pocock responded with a bill that would have legislated it.
The aim was for governments to be forced to consider the impact of climate harm on young people’s wellbeing as part of its decision making process.
Instead, the committee recommended “the Australian Government consider the utilisation of the Australian Human Rights Commission’s Child Rights Impact Assessment Tool to assist in policy development and decision making”.
The crossbench have come together to say that isn’t good enough and are pushing the government to “legislate what people already assume is happening when governments are making decisions that impact on the ability to create a liveable future for young people”.
The independent MP Kylea Tink said it was beyond time for government’s to think beyond their own political term.
Australian politics is blighted by self-interest and short-termism. This government is failing young Australians through the decisions they are making.
That’s why a legislated Duty of Care is so sorely needed. In almost every aspect of life we recognise we have a duty of care to others. A duty to ensure our decisions and actions do not negatively impact someone else.
Why is it acceptable for our Government not to be held to that same standard? Legislating a Duty of Care is not radical, it is nothing more than what every day Australians expect from our government. The government should show they take generational inequity seriously by legislating a Duty of Care immediately.
Kate Chaney, Monique Ryan, Zali Steggall, Allegra Spender, Sophie Scamps, Zoe Daniel and Helen Haines will all be pushing for the government to adopt a legislated duty of care, along with Pocock and Tink. But without government support, the bill will go nowhere.
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Barnaby Joyce takes aim at supermarkets: 'A loss of dignity for the lady pushing the trolley’
Barnaby Joyce speaks to that:
A true market is a multiplicity of buyers, a multiplicity of sellers and transparency and transactions. And you don’t get that when you’ve got two people buying a product and having 80% of the market. It’s just that’s ridiculous.
A good step is a code of conduct, and I’m glad we’ve got it.
And to enforce it … and to really give the supermarkets a warning, you know.
We are watching this space incredibly closely because we cannot have the loss of dignity of someone who goes to pay for their product and their piece of plastic says decline.
That is happening as well. That is a loss of dignity for the lady pushing the trolley. And that is a disgrace. And that’s disgusting. We’re moving them to vegetarian diets. Not because they don’t like meat – because they can’t afford it.
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‘When the Greens and the Nationals get together, I just say, watch this space’ – McKim on supermarkets
Nick McKim and Barnaby Joyce might have found themselves on a unity ticket when it comes to Julian Assange, but it quickly falls apart when it comes to energy.
Joyce obviously backs in nuclear. McKim doesn’t agree.
McKim then brings up the two Nationals senators, Ross Cadell and Matt Canavan, who crossed the floor yesterday to support his legislation calling for the ACCC to have divestiture powers over the major supermarkets.
Speaking of agreeing with you, Barnaby, yesterday the Greens moved our laws to break up the supermarket duopoly and not a single National party senator voted against those laws, I might add.
And the Greens and the Nationals getting together. Well, folks, last time that happened, we ended up with a royal commission into the banks that exposed some terrible, shonky behaviour from our big banking corporation. So when the Greens and the Nationals get together, I just say, watch this space on on divesting and breaking up the supermarket duopoly that are price gouging ordinary Australians.
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Assange ‘paid a heavy price’ for revealing ‘important truths’, Nick McKim says
On the same program, the Greens senator Nick McKim is asked about whether Julian Assange should receive a pardon:
I don’t know what his chances are of a pardon. He should get one. I mean, he’s been treated appallingly for a long time.
And Barnaby’s right to acknowledge that there weren’t many people on Mr Assange’s side in the early days, and I acknowledge Barnaby was. And also point out for the Australian Greens, we were there for Mr Assange in the very early days.
But look, he was persecuted terribly for revealing really important truths that made really, really powerful people around the world very uncomfortable. And he paid a heavy price for that.
And ultimately, the amazing scenes that we saw last night were thanks to a whole range of people. Barnaby’s mentioned some, but there were millions of people around the world that just campaigned and never gave up.
And last night, it’s not only a triumph for Julian Assange, for his family, for those close to him. It’s a triumph for millions of a of people around the world who never, ever gave up on this cause.
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Barnaby Joyce ‘really happy’ about Julian Assange’s release
The Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce spoke to the Nine network about Julian Assange’s release:
The job’s done. It was a long journey.
It was at the end a big, big crowd, but at the start [it was a] very small group.
Joyce said his support came from a matter of principle.
Take out Julian’s name and put in your son or daughter’s name and say, would you support this person? And it’s on the premise of extraterritoriality. We can’t just have Australian citizens whipped off to third countries.
He didn’t didn’t commit a crime in Australia. He wasn’t part of a crime in Australia. We wasn’t a citizen of the United States. He wasn’t in the United States, where the offence is occurred to them, and we’re about to send him to the United States for 175 years in jail?
If you said that was happening to your son or daughter, would you expect Australian legislators to go into bat for them? Of course you would. And this is this is something where I’m really happy that it’s come to a conclusion.
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Does Katy Gallagher believe the way the prime minister has dealt with the issue set ‘a new precedent’ for Labor MPs who may wish to cross the floor?
No, I don’t believe it does.
Gallagher backs PM on Payman
Does Katy Gallagher understand the frustration of some in the Labor caucus who may have wanted to cross the floor on issues that were important to them, such as marriage equality, but didn’t because of the party rules?
Gallagher:
I think these are dealt with individual circumstances and I think as Labor politicians you know, as in any member of a party, there are times when you might disagree or agree, or there’s a range of views within the caucus. And one of the things is our collectivity. Our solidarity is one of the strengths of … our political organisation.
But I think for Senator Payman, as a caucus we have tried to be mature, sympathetic and supportive.
Ultimately there there are also consequences for decisions individuals make and in this instance, I think the response from the prime minister has been absolutely appropriate.
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Katy Gallagher is asked about Fatima Payman’s decision to cross the floor to support the Greens motion asking the Senate to recognise Palestinian statehood and the decision not to expel her from the party (which is one of the risks for a Labor member who makes the decision to cross the floor)
Gallagher says the party “have tried to be I think pretty sympathetic and supportive of Senator Payman”.
I think the prime minister has brought that approach. We recognise as every parliamentarian has in some way recognised that the awful situation in the Middle East and the fact that, you know, everyone’s concerned about the ongoing conflict, and particularly what it means for the people of Gaza.
We have rules within our party or, you know, conventions within our party and there’s been a mature discussion that I wasn’t privy to. We tried to be supportive and understanding.
But we are also a collective of politicians that stand together. So, you know, I think this has been dealt with in the most appropriate way.
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Gallagher asked about inflation
On to the economy. Does the sticky inflation, which increased to 4% in May (up from 3.6% in April), mean interest rates cuts will be delayed?
Katy Gallagher:
I think you’re gonna know my answer, which is really that that’s a matter for the independent reserve bank. They make decisions about interest rates. The government’s job is to make sure that we’re doing what we can to put downward pressure on inflation, but also try and help people with those cost of living pressures, which you rightly point out is the top issue facing households across Australia and that’s why our budget has sought to do that.
And it’s why everything the government does is we are considering in in the cost of living frame for people, because that is the number one issue.
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Gallagher says Assange ‘needed to be bought home’
The finance minister, Katy Gallagher, is up on ABC RN Breakfast next, and while she is there to talk about yesterday’s inflation figures, she is asked about Simon Birmingham’s criticism of Anthony Albanese welcoming Julian Assange home with a phone call.
Gallagher says:
I don’t think it’s a surprise that the opposition seek to either try to write themselves in or seek to divide and be negative about this. I think, overwhelmingly it’s a positive event that happened and it happened over a number of years, as you heard from your previous guests.
Asked if she believes Assange to be a “hero”, Gallagher says:
People have different views about Julian Assange.
I don’t know whether that is particularly useful today. I mean, people have different views about what he did. But I think everyone agrees that this had gone on for too long and I understood the opposition to feel that way too, and that he needed to be bought home and it’s been through careful, and considerate and strategic diplomacy, working with lots of people, of course, who’ve been supporters of Julian Assange and his family and his legal team to make sure that this was able to be his freedom was able to be secured.
I think overwhelmingly that is a positive outcome and again, I think it’s been through a huge effort of a number of people.
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Assange’s lawyer thanks Albanese, Wong, Dreyfus and Rudd for their help
How did Julian Assange’s release all go down?
Lawyer Jennifer Robinson:
We’ve been working towards this deal for more than a year and in the last month has been furious and complex negotiations involving myself, my US co-counsel and the US government, supported by the Australian government.
So I really want to give thanks, not just to prime minister Albanese, but to our foreign minister Penny Wong and Mark Dreyfus our attorney general, and Kevin Rudd, our ambassador in the United States. Without their intervention, and really making clear to us that this is a priority of Australia that this is what the Australian people want. That they had to take this action because it’s what the Australian people wanted.
They were responding to the electorate, and that made a huge difference in terms of bringing the US government to the table.
And in time we’ll we’ll speak more about how that all went down, but I can tell you that, you know, we’re really pleased with this outcome and to have Julian out.
Which, was against all odds and against one of the most powerful governments in the world I think is both a testament to the problematic nature of the case, that should never have been brought in the first place but also to Australia’s diplomacy with our ally, and it made all the difference.
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What does life look like for Stella and Julian Assange now?
We haven’t had time to talk about it. That’s why we we’ve asked for privacy and space and time to figure things out.
We you know, I packed the bags and got on a plane and got here in order to receive Julian.
Hopefully rest recovery and a period of calm.
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Stella Assange: Julian’s return is ‘historic moment’ that ‘belongs to all Australians’
Jennifer Robinson is also asked about Simon Birmingham’s criticism of Anthony Albanese calling Julian Assange as he landed in Australia and claims that the release of Assange (after he was convicted on one count of violating the US espionage act) has damaged the US-Australia alliance.
Robinson says:
It is entirely appropriate for the Australian prime minister to call an Australian citizen who has been through what Julian’s been through and has just touched down in Australia.
To suggest that looking after an Australian citizen and being kind and welcoming to an Australian citizen who has been through so much, could damage our alliance is, I think wrong and I think Mr Birmingham needs to get his priorities straight.
Stella Assange addresses the same question:
I think Julian’s return to Australia is a historic moment. It belongs to all Australians. It belongs to Australia as a whole and I think it’s a moment for everyone to celebrate that this Walkley award awarded journalist has finally been able to return to his home country, and that Australia has fought for him, and that support for Julian goes across politics.
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Julian Assange ‘overjoyed' and 'marvelling at the horizon', wife Stella says
Stella Assange, Julian Assanges’ wife, is speaking to ABC radio RN Breakfast, along with Assange’s lawyer Jennifer Robinson.
Asked about Assange’s first night back home, Stella says:
He’s overjoyed to be back home. He’s just marvelling at the horizon.
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Wong on Payman: ‘It’s not just a matter of rules. It’s a matter of what we believe, even when we disagree’
Asked about Labor senator Fatima Payman’s decision to cross the floor, which usually would result in expulsion from the party, Penny Wong said Anthony Albanese “has shown great restraint”.
Albanese announced in question time yesterday that Payman would not sit in the Labor caucus for the rest of the session (which ends next Thursday) after she crossed the floor to vote with a Greens motion calling for the Senate to recognise Palestinian statehood.
Labor’s attempts to amend the motion to add recognise statehood as part of a peace process that led to a two-state solution were defeated. The Greens motion was also defeated, but Payman voted with the Greens against the decided Labor caucus position, which under party rules risks her Labor membership.
Wong:
We understand how difficult this has been for her she has been directed not to attend caucus and we do expect all of our senators and members to abide by the decisions of the caucus
Wong is asked about caucus members who may feel upset at the decision, given there were times when members were bound to party decisions they did not agree with, including when Labor was against marriage equality.
Wong:
Look, I understand why caucus members are feeling upset. I mean, there’s there’s a lot of personal commitments that we bring as members of the Labor party and there’s members and senators elected on the Labor ticket, a personal commitment to the collective. It’s about respect for one another.
And I believe that the collective, we stand together, and that is why it’s not just a matter of rules. It’s a matter of what we believe, even when we disagree.
We have those arguments internally as you saw over many years, in the marriage equality debate. That’s what I did. And I think that’s the right way to go about it.
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Wong rejects Birmingham’s criticism, says US alliance ‘deep and strong’
Asked about her Liberal counterpart Simon Birmingham’s criticism of Anthony Albanese’s phone call with Julian Assange and his claims that the deal to release Assange has “damaged” the US-Australian alliance, Penny Wong says:
That’s not not correct and disappointing that Simon would go to the alliance. He would know that our relationship with the United States is deep and strong.
And that is why we were able to advocate in the way we did. And ultimately, the pathway to resolving this, … had to be through the resolution of the legal process.
I raised that with the United States at my level, the prime minister raised it at his level, the attorney general raised it at his level.
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Australian writer imprisoned in China 'remains a priority’: Wong
Asked how the government is dealing with the Chinese-Australian academic Dr Yang Hengjun, who is imprisoned in China and has been given a suspended death sentence, Penny Wong says:
Dr Yang remains a priority for our government. We continue to raise his case with the Chinese authorities at all appropriate levels and we will continue to do so. It was obviously raised, as you know, when Premier Li was here.
What I would say is today I am very pleased to see Mr Assange reunited with his family in Australia.
I hope he can spend some time with his wife and children and his parents. It’s obviously been a very long journey for him.
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Wong on Assange: ‘My job was to advocate on behalf of an Australian citizen’
The foreign minister, Penny Wong, is speaking to the ABC radio host Sabra Lane about Julian Assange’s release.
Asked if she is worried about the precedent Assange’s conviction could mean for press freedom, Wong says:
There are a range of views about this matter and about this case, and you’ve seen them reported today in the commentary. What I would say is, regardless of those views, we were of the view that his case had dragged on too long, that nothing was to be served by his further incarceration. And that is why the prime minister myself, the attorney general, and the ambassador and high commissioner and all of the officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade were advocating for resolution.
What I will say is, as the minister for foreign affairs, my view was my job was to advocate on behalf of an Australian citizen and I said for some time that the only pathway to resolve this was to have the legal process resolve – that provided the pathway for his return home and that is what has happened.
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Warning over mushroom gummies after five people attend hospital in NSW
The New South Wales health department has issued a warning for people to not consume Uncle Frog’s Mushroom Gummies after “several people presented to hospital experiencing unexpected toxicity”.
Since April 2024, at least five people have been treated in NSW hospitals after ingesting the gummies. The products consumed were:
Uncle Frog’s Mushroom Gummies – Cordyceps
Uncle Frog’s Mushroom Gummies – Lion’s Mane
NSW Health says there have been other people hospitalised in other states, and it was working with other jurisdictions to investigate the issue.
Patients have reported signs and symptoms, including: nausea or vomiting; seizure-like activity and involuntary movement (such as limbs twitching and eye movement); anxiety; disturbing hallucinations; drowsiness or loss of consciousness; dizziness or lightheadedness; racing heart.
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Simon Birmingham says PM's phone call to Julian Assange not 'appropriate'
Overnight, Anthony Albanese became the first person to speak to Julian Assange after his plane touched down in Canberra, through a pre-arranged phone call.
The shadow foreign affairs minister, Simon Birmingham, criticised the call as “neither necessary, nor appropriate”.
Albanese has repeatedly said that regardless of your views on what Assange did, the matter had gone on for too long.
This call is neither necessary nor appropriate. Julian Assange was not wrongfully detained like Cheng Lei, Sean Turnell or Kylie Moore-Gilbert.
— Simon Birmingham (@Birmo) June 26, 2024
For 12 years Assange chose to avoid facing justice in countries with fair judicial systems. He is underserving of this treatment. https://t.co/I8zDNFZ66V
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Good morning
Thank you to Martin for starting us off on another busy news day. You have Amy Remeikis with you for most of the parliament day.
I’ve got two coffees going and another brewing as we come to the close of the first sitting week of the session.
Ready?
Let’s get into it.
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Nuclear push would drag out energy transition, Albanese warns
A proposal to build nuclear reactors risks further delay to Australia’s energy transition, the prime minister is due to warn today.
The Coalition’s intention to build seven nuclear reactors across five states would undermine certainty for business and industry, Anthony Albanese will say in a speech to the Committee for Economic Development of Australia’s state of the nation conference on Thursday, according to notes given to media in advance.
“That’s the trust cost of nuclear power in Australia, not the just the hundreds of billions of dollars in the cost of constructing the reactors more than a decade away ... but the danger that another decade of denial prevents the action on climate and investment in energy we need now,” he will say.
“Australia has every resource imaginable to succeed in this decisive decade: critical minerals, rare earths, skills and space and sunlight, the trade ties to our region.The only thing our nation does not have, is time to waste.”
– via AAP
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Assange hopes to retreat to quiet life – but that may not be easy
There’ll plenty of reaction to Julian Assange’s dramatic return to Australia and not least how Australians in general view his return.
Our reporter Tory Shepherd has been looking at the different views about Assange who has proved a divisive figure over the years but who has nevertheless managed to gain support from wildly different parts of the political spectrum.
She writes:
A cross-party delegation of Australian MPs travelled to Washington last year to lobby the government to drop the prosecution. Labor representatives, Greens and an independent were joined by the larger-than-life Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce and “Trumpian” right-wing Liberal Alex Antic.
Fast forward to now and Assange will be met by a media storm, not all of it welcoming.
Conservative broadsheet the Australian ran an opinion piece headlined: “Fittingly pathetic end to the tawdry tale of a traitor” and asked “Is he simply a criminal activist who endangered people’s lives or a crusader of press freedom that his backers claim him to be?”.
The Sydney Morning Herald asked whether it was a win for press freedom. “Perhaps,” Peter Greste, a journalist who was imprisoned on trumped-up terrorism charges in Egypt, concluded.
The plan is for Assange to retreat somewhere quiet to reacclimatise to life as a free man but, as Tory writes, that might not be possible:
Assange may seek solitude and ordinariness, but the clamour over his return home is unlikely to be easily quieted.
Read the whole piece here:
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Canberra bird flu case linked to NSW outbreak
The New South Wales government says it is working with the ACT government after the detection of a suspected case of bird flu in an egg production site in Canberra.
The detection was linked to the confirmation of avian influenza at a farm in the Hawkesbury region last Wednesday, NSW agriculture minister Tara Moriarty said in a statement.
The NSW government has offered assistance to the ACT environment minister, Rebecca Vassarotti, in dealing with the issue.
The statement said avian influenza was not a food safety concern and that it was safe to eat poultry meat and eggs after proper handling and cooking.
“I would like to reassure the Canberra community that the avian influenza virus is a low risk to the public. Transmission to humans is very rare and unlikely unless there is direct and close contact with sick birds,” Vassarotti said in a statement on Wednesday.
The ACT located commercial egg farm has been locked down with no products, eggs, and machinery allowed in or out, and the site’s hens will be disposed of.
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Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of the day’s politics (and news). I’m Martin Farrer and I’ll be flagging some of the top overnight stories before Amy Remeikis comes along.
Julian Assange will wake up to his first day of freedom for 14 years today after arriving back in Australia last night. Speaking at media conference shortly after his arrival, his wife Stella Assange asked for privacy for the WikiLeaks founder and his family as he adjusts to freedom after his dramatic release culminated in emotional scenes at Canberra airport last night. “Julian needs time to recover. To get used to freedoms,” she told the media, and time “to let our family be a family”.
We have plenty more to read on yesterday’s developments. And there’s a political angle: our political editor writes that Assange’s freedom is a quiet triumph for Anthony Albanese. More coming up.
Another long-running legal saga had a significant twist last night when a trial date was set for Linda Reynolds’s defamation case against her former staffer Brittany Higgins.
Meanwhile there are some predictions this morning that interest rates could rise in August after yesterday’s surprisingly strong inflation number, while National Australia Bank has pushed back its expected start date for interest rate cuts to May 2025, a much longer wait than the previously forecast November 2024. The persistence of high prices will be a problem for the Albanese government. And as our story on inflation reports today, it’s another headache for small businesses in a period marked by lockdowns, reopenings, hybrid office trends and worker shortages.
Finally, the detection of bird flu at an ACT egg production facility yesterday has been linked to a previous detection in NSW. More on that soon.
