Category Archives: Australia news

Australia news live updates: ClubsNSW chief says he ‘misspoke’ in linking Perrottet’s faith to pokies policy

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Independent MP Alex Greenwich calls on Josh Landis to step down following comments about NSW premier. Follow the latest updates live

Alice Springs’ convention centre was packed last night for a meeting where business owners alleged they’ve suffered losses due to government inaction.

The ABC is reporting that organiser and business owner Garth Thompson told the crowd that the Northern Territory government had neglected Alice Springs and residents “deserve to be compensated for what the government has put us through”.

I’m more than proud to stand here and say we, as a community of Alice Springs, are about to sue our government for $1.5 billion in compensation.

Those of us who came here for a community meeting ended up listening to 20 to 30 minutes of a local business owner essentially stir up a very emotive narrative centred around the protection of private property.

I think it’s fair to say that the premier has very little understanding of this issue and has acted from his conservative Catholic gut rather than based on evidence.

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Three or more concussions add up to long-term cognitive problems, study suggests

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Multiple concussions in a lifetime were shown to affect the ability to plan and pay attention, though research also underlined health benefits of playing sport

Experiencing multiple concussions may be linked to worse brain function in later life, suggests a study of nearly 16,000 people.

Among 15,764 people aged 50 to 90, those who reported three or more concussions had worse complex planning and attention scores on a range of cognitive tests.

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Australia and France agree arms deal for Ukraine as talks seek to bury Aukus debacle

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The countries will jointly supply thousands of artillery shells to Kyiv to kickstart ‘new cooperation between defence industries’

Australia and France have agreed a deal to jointly manufacture and supply thousands of artillery shells to the Ukrainian army, the defence and foreign ministers of the two countries announced on Monday.

The agreement, “worth several million (Australian) dollars”, was announced after bilateral talks in Paris aimed at resetting the relationship between the two countries seriously damaged by the 2021 Aukus affair.

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Whistleblower bill excluding sexual harassment complaints from protection goes too far, Greens senator says

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David Shoebridge says employment-related complaints should also be protected as whistleblowers ‘too often lose their careers from speaking out’

Labor’s whistleblower bill goes too far in excluding personal conduct such as sexual harassment complaints from protection, the Greens and legal stakeholders have warned.

The Greens justice spokesperson, David Shoebridge, said the bill “excludes whistleblower complaints with a mixture of employment elements”, which he claims goes a step further than the related recommendation from a review into the laws.

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George Pell funeral: removing abuse victims’ ribbons is wrong, former church official says

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Advocates furious the church keeps removing ribbons intended to give voice to survivors of clergy abuse

Francis Sullivan, the former head of the Catholic church’s Truth Justice and Healing Council, says the removal of ribbons commemorating abuse survivors from St Mary’s Cathedral appears designed to prevent the scandal from being “associated with Cardinal [George] Pell” in the days leading up to his funeral.

Survivors and their supporters are furious that the church is continually removing ribbons they have tied to the fence surrounding Sydney’s St Mary’s Cathedral before the requiem mass planned for Pell on Thursday.

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Australia vows to keep raising human rights concerns with China despite ambassador’s warning

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Xiao Qian implies resumption of dialogue conditional on Australia taking a ‘constructive attitude’ and not ‘trying to smear China’

The Australian government has vowed to keep raising human rights concerns “at the highest levels” after Beijing’s ambassador urged the country to avoid “trying to smear China”.

After a thaw in the diplomatic relationship between the two countries, China has signalled its openness to resuming a dedicated human rights-focused dialogue for the first time in nine years.

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Australia news live: Peter Dutton to attend voice referendum working group meeting remotely

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Follow the day’s news live

The finance minister, Katy Gallagher, also spoke to ABC Radio this morning about how the government is balancing the budget with record high inflation, and all signs pointing to another rate hike from the RBA next week.

Gallagher says there will be mortgage pain for over a fifth of mortgage holders:

We’re expecting about 20% of mortgage holders to come off fixed rate loans this year.

We always said 2023 was going to be challenging year … Dealing with the inflation challenge is a key economic priority for the government.

What you’ll see is a continued focus on cost-of-living relief, funding those priority areas like health and aged care and making sure we’re getting the balance right in terms of spending restraint, banking upgrades and looking for sensible savings where we can.

There’s no doubt that migrants have been key to the formation of modern Australia.

I think [migrants] should be recognised for their contribution to this country. And I think that’s fair enough, but that’s not minimising the Indigenous.

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Teal MP Monique Ryan taken to court by staffer Sally Rugg over alleged workplace law breach

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Rugg is suing the Kooyong independent in federal court in relation to Fair Work Act’s ‘general protections’ provisions

The independent federal MP Monique Ryan is being sued for an alleged breach of workplace laws by her staffer Sally Rugg.

Rugg, an activist and former GetUp campaign director, filed a case against Ryan in the federal court on 25 January, alleging a breach of the Fair Work Act’s “general protections” provisions.

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‘The government has listened’: Australia’s peak bodies praise $300m federal arts policy

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Launched by Anthony Albanese at Melbourne live music pub the Espy, the policy offers welcome support for the beleaguered industry

Australia’s arts industry has welcomed the federal government’s $300m national cultural policy Revive, which was launched on Monday by the prime minister, Anthony Albanese.

Albanese described it as a comprehensive and inclusive way to enhance the lives of all Australians, “from the gallery, to the mosh pit, to your favourite reading chair”. While most of the major policies were released over the weekend, the official launch, held at Melbourne live music venue the Esplanade, revealed a few more details, such as the establishment of a national poet laureate – a position Australia has not had since the convict era – and the commitment to deliver a state of culture report every three years, similar to the government-issued state of the environment report.

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‘Complete, unmitigated disaster’: inquest into Veronica Nelson’s death urges overhaul of ‘discriminatory’ Victorian bail laws

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Coroner refers prison health contractor to Director of Public Prosecutions over death in custody

A Victorian coroner has declared the state’s controversial bail laws discriminatory and a “complete, unmitigated disaster”, using landmark findings into the 2020 death in custody of First Nations woman Veronica Nelson to recommend urgent reforms.

Coroner Simon McGregor on Monday handed down the highly anticipated findings into the death of Nelson, a 37-year-old Gunditjmara, Dja Dja Wurrung, Wiradjuri and Yorta Yorta woman who was in prison after being arrested for shoplifting and refused bail.

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Adani claims US investment firm’s fraud allegations are an ‘attack on India’

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Conglomerate responds to Hindenburg Research report that claimed it was the ‘biggest con in corporate history’

Adani Group has published a 413-page rebuttal of fraud allegations by Hindenburg Research, likening the US investment firm’s report to an attack on India amid mounting financial pressure on the coal conglomerate.

The lengthy response was an attempt to soothe investor concerns and stir nationalist fervour as Adani attempts to complete a US$2.5bn share sale, one of India’s largest ever fundraising campaigns, designed to finance capital expenditure and reduce debt.

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Arrernte traditional owners urge PM to ‘come back and talk to the elders’ amid Alice Springs crisis

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Strong Grandmothers of the Central Desert group wants Anthony Albanese and other politicians to hear concerns at grassroots level

Arrernte traditional owners are urging the prime minster to return to Alice Springs to talk to elders on the ground following his visit last week in response to a surge in crime and antisocial behaviour in the Northern Territory town.

Eastern Arrernte woman Elaine Peckham, senior Western Arrrernte woman Doreen Carroll and Southern Arrernte and Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara and Ngaanyatjarra woman Brenda Shields form part of the Strong Grandmothers of the Central Desert group, who have come together to advocate for their community and push for change.

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Australian universities welcome snap decision by China to ban online studies

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Move would encourage an estimated 40,000 Chinese students to return to Australia

The Australian university sector has welcomed a snap Chinese government ban on citizens studying at foreign universities online.

The chief executive of Universities Australia, Catriona Jackson, said the move would encourage some 40,000 Chinese students to return to Australia but warned there would be logistical hurdles.

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Search stepped up for potentially deadly radioactive capsule lost in Western Australia

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Authorities have conceded the capsule of highly radioactive material may never be found after disappearing on a 1,400km journey

A tiny, potentially deadly, radioactive capsule that has been missing for more than two weeks somewhere in the vastness of Western Australia might never be found, authorities have conceded.

On Sunday, Western Australia’s Department of Fire and Emergency Services (Dfes) revealed it was bringing in new radiation detection equipment that could be fitted to vehicles – superseding handheld sensors – to help locate the capsule somewhere along the 1,400km journey from which it originally disappeared.

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Czech pair defend Australian Open doubles title; millions of RATs to expire in coming months – as it happened

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This blog is now closed. Follow our next Australia news live blog here when it launches

There are reports of delayed and diverted flights at Sydney airport after an air control tower was evacuated.

Airservices Australia has told Nine that the incident was sparked by fumes emitting through the air conditioning system, resulting in two international flights being diverted.

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Voice to parliament no campaign to push for recognition of migrants as well as Indigenous people

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Warren Mundine says no campaign will propose a new referendum on an acknowledgment in the preamble of the constitution

The no campaign in this year’s voice referendum will propose a symbolic constitutional recognition of both Indigenous people and migrants, instead of an Indigenous voice to parliament, Warren Mundine has revealed.

Mundine, a leading organiser of the no campaign, said it will run on a slogan of “recognise a better way”, proposing to insert an acknowledgment in the preamble of the constitution, via another referendum.

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Iraqi man dies in suspected suicide at Villawood immigration detention centre

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The man in his 30s, who was a detainee for five years, found in his cell at the Sydney centre

An immigration detainee from Iraq has died in a suspected suicide at the Villawood detention centre in Sydney.

The Department of Home Affairs, which oversees immigration detention, confirmed the death of the man on Sunday.

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NSW Coalition pledges feasibility study for specialist domestic violence courts

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Labor opposition says move a decade overdue, with similar courts already operating in Queensland and overseas

The New South Wales Coalition will consider establishing standalone domestic violence courts, which Labor says are almost a decade overdue.

Domestic violence cases would be heard by dedicated magistrates and potentially later in specialised court buildings under the Coalition’s election pledge.

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Kevin Rudd to shed media disclosure obligations as ambassador to US

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Former prime minister’s 84 disclosed public speaking activities to soon be marked ‘ceased’ on foreign influence register when he takes up position in US

For years, the former prime minister Kevin Rudd has disclosed details of state-linked media interviews – including with the BBC and Radio NZ – and other public speaking commitments on the Australian government’s foreign influence register.

His prolific postings are based on what the former Labor leader once labelled an “absurd interpretation” of his obligations by government officials.

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Australian period underwear makers deny using ‘forever chemicals’ after Thinx settles suit in US

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Modibodi and Bonds say they avoid using PFAS chemicals, which break down slowly over time and have unclear health impacts

Australian manufacturers of period underwear have denied using “forever chemicals” in their products following a class-action lawsuit in the US, while experts say more research is needed into the compounds and their potential health impacts.

Thinx, a US manufacturer of menstrual hygiene products, announced last week that it had reached a settlement in a class-action lawsuit over allegations “regarding the presence of short chain per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (‘PFAS’)” in its underwear.

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