Category Archives: Australia news

Australia news live updates: ‘optimistic in the extreme’ to expect operational nuclear submarine by the 2030s, says Marles

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Defence minister blames Coalition for submarine delay; NSW parliamentary inquiry into Barilaro appointment begins; David Hurley apologises for promoting builder; Chris Bowen addresses National Press Club; NSW records 11 Covid deaths, Tasmania one. Follow live

Turnbull says Albanese ‘is not Scott Morrison and that’s a big advantage’

Australia’s new prime minister will have an easier time mending relations with the French “because he is not Scott Morrison and that’s a big advantage”, the former leader Malcolm Turnbull has told journalists in Paris.

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Governor general David Hurley apologises for video praising builder who renovated his home

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Queen’s representative says decision was made ‘on the spur of a happy moment’ and his words were not intended to be used in advertising

Australia’s governor general, David Hurley, has apologised for a decision made “on the spur of a happy moment” to pose for a photo with and provide a testimonial for a builder who completed his home renovation, which was later used in the company’s advertising material on its website and social media.

Hurley said he had received no benefit for his comments or the photo, had never intended them to be used in commercial advertising and had not made reference to his position as the Queen’s representative.

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Candidate for John Barilaro’s NY role had offer retracted after ‘government decision’, inquiry told

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Head of Investment NSW, Amy Brown, told to ‘unwind’ process after an instruction from the office of the then deputy premier John Barilaro

Businesswoman Jenny West was given a “verbal offer” for a New York-based trade commissioner job, but the head of Investment New South Wales, Amy Brown, was told to “unwind” the process after an instruction from the office of the then deputy premier John Barilaro.

In an explosive hearing of an upper house inquiry investigating how Barilaro was eventually offered the $500,000-a-year role, Brown, a senior public servant responsible for filling the role, revealed West was told she had got the job in August last year.

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Financial advisor jailed after stealing more than $363,000 from ‘vulnerable’ single mother client

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Scott Hines, who formerly worked in ANZ’s Mildura branch, has been sentenced to three years and five months in prison

A vulnerable single mother was focused on caring for her disabled daughter when she trusted Scott Hines, an ANZ financial adviser, to look after her finances.

Over seven years, the 41-year-old Mildura man gradually took full control of her bank accounts, stealing more than $363,000.

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Mother of crash victim launches petition to sack drink-driving Queensland mayor

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Judy Lindsay had met with mayor Karen Williams earlier that day to discuss loss of her daughter in drink-driving incident

Separate petitions calling for the sacking of a Queensland mayor who admitted crashing her vehicle into a tree east of Brisbane after drinks at a work function have been signed by more than 6,300 people.

Redlands mayor, Karen Williams – a campaigner against drink-driving – conceded she had had “several glasses of wine” prior to the crash, which came hours after she met with families who had lost loved ones in accidents caused by drink-drivers.

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Three in four Australians believe US ties increase chance of war involvement in Asia, poll shows

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Lowy Institute’s foreign policy poll also finds 74% of respondents support democracy over any other form of government

More than three in four Australians believe the alliance with the United States makes it more likely Australia would be drawn into a war in Asia against the national interest, a new poll shows.

The Lowy Institute’s annual foreign policy poll suggests that Australians are increasingly worried about the rise of authoritarianism and global instability, while their preference for democracy has reached a record high.

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PM says EU trade talks stalled over perception of Australia as ‘handbrake’ on climate action

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Anthony Albanese blames lack of climate leadership and relationship breakdown with France for hindering European deals

Negotiations for a “critical” trade deal with the EU have stalled over perceptions Australia isn’t “fair dinkum” on climate change action and due to a fractured relationship with France, Anthony Albanese said.

The prime minister met with his Spanish counterpart, Pedro Sánchez, on Tuesday in Madrid before the Nato summit, marking the first bilateral visit by an Australian prime minister.

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Uber and Transport Workers’ Union strike agreement on gig economy employment standards

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Ride-sharing giant and union support an independent regulatory body to create industry-wide standards and resolve disputes

Ride-sharing giant Uber and the Transport Workers’ Union have struck a landmark agreement on proposed employment standards and benefits ahead of expected new gig economy regulation from the Albanese government.

The union and Uber have also agreed to jointly support the creation of a new independent government-funded regulatory body to create industry-wide standards for ride share and food delivery gig workers following months of negotiations.

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Malaysian foreign minister says concerns remain about Aukus pact after meeting with Penny Wong

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Saifuddin Abdullah points to risk of regional arms race but pledges increased trade and cooperation on cybersecurity with Australia

Malaysia’s foreign minister, Saifuddin Abdullah, has said that his country’s concerns about the Aukus nuclear submarine pact remain unchanged, after a meeting in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday with his Australian counterpart, Penny Wong.

Saifuddin told reporters he communicated Malaysia’s ongoing concern about the security deal between Australia, the UK and the US during a “very candid” discussion with Wong on her first visit to the Malaysian capital as Australia’s foreign minister.

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Queensland integrity review a ‘wake-up call’ on government lobbying

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Peter Coaldrake calls for more accountability and transparency surrounding lobbyists in his final report

An integrity probe into the accountability and culture of the Queensland government is a “wake-up call” for greater transparency.

The report warned the only way to restore public faith in Queensland politics was to be “more accountable and transparent ... and behave with integrity”.

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Australia’s 35 newly elected MPs head to ‘parliament school’

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New MPs will hear from clerks, whips, former MPs, the outgoing speaker, the federal police and Asio on the inner workings of Parliament House

Australia’s 35 newly elected MPs have gone back to “school” in Canberra to learn about the inner workings of Parliament House before they officially take their seats in the chamber next month.

In a two-day session of what is coined “parliament school”, the new members of the House of Representatives are undertaking an induction that includes briefings from the clerks, whips, former MPs, the outgoing speaker, and government agencies, including the federal police and Asio.

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Labor extends term of Australian defence force chief Angus Campbell by two years

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Defence minister Richard Marles says continuity in ADF leadership important for Aukus but warns of nuclear-powered submarine delay

The chief and vice chief of the Australian defence force have had their terms extended by two years as the new government warns the country “cannot afford any more delay” to the delivery of new submarines.

The acting prime minister, Richard Marles, said continuity at the top of the ADF would help Australia to bed down the Aukus deal with the US and the UK, but he said the nuclear-powered submarines would not be ready “soon”.

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Nation records 75 Covid deaths as data shows fatalities rising since March – as it happened

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Australian Defence Force chiefs to have terms extended; nation records 75 Covid deaths as weekly fatalities double since March. This blog is now closed

The census shows that Christianity remains the country’s most common religion, AAP reports, with 43.9% of Australians identifying as Christian. But the number of followers continues to decline, dropping from 61.1% in 2011 and 52.1% in 2016.

Catholicism is the largest denomination, followed by Anglicanism. Other religions are growing: Hinduism was listed by 2.75% of respondents and Islam grew to 3.2%.

And close to 40% (38.9) have no religious affiliation, up from 22.3% in 2011 and 30.1% in 2016.

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Liberal MP was ‘patron’ of Queensland gun club for which he claimed to have ‘secured’ $20,000 grant

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Ross Vasta says he had ‘no decision-making power over the process or the outcome’ in grant to Belmont Branch of the Sporting Shooters Association

A Liberal MP said that he “secured” a $20,000 grant for a gun club which lists him as its patron, raising questions about whether he should have disclosed his links to the organisation in his register of interests

Backbencher Ross Vasta posted on Facebook in 2018 that he had “secured $20,000” for the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (SSAA) club in Belmont, a grant that would allow them to lay asphalt over their dirt carpark.

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Thanasi Kokkinakis ‘can’t wait’ to meet Novak Djokovic after maiden Wimbledon win

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  • Australian beats Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak 7-6 (7-5), 6-2, 7-5
  • Kokkinakis the only Australian winner on day one in SW19

Thanasi Kokkinakis “can’t wait” after breaking his Wimbledon hoodoo to set up a second-round blockbuster with three-time defending champion Novak Djokovic.

Five long years since his last appearance at the All England Club, Kokkinakis continued his 2022 renaissance with a watershed 7-6 (7-5), 6-2, 7-5 victory over Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak on Monday.

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Paying coal and gas plants to supply back-up energy a ‘retrograde step’, Clean Energy Council says

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‘It’s the wrong policy debate at the wrong time,’ industry says of capacity mechanism

Australia’s peak renewable industry groups say paying coal and gas plants to remain in the electricity market as back-up capacity would be “a retrograde step”, and a lengthy debate about changes could stall much-needed new investment.

Kane Thornton, the chief executive of the Clean Energy Council, said his organisation had “real concerns” about the proposal by the Energy Security Board for a so-called capacity mechanism to be introduced after 2025. Such a scheme would charge consumers for idle generation or supply to reduce risks of potential power shortages, as experienced across eastern Australia this month.

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Census 2021: Australia’s millennial generation is overtaking baby boomers, new ABS data shows

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Data released on Tuesday shows a snapshot of the nation during Covid-19 and reveals insights into religion, identity and how Australians live

New data released on Tuesday from the latest census shows that Australia’s millennial generation is becoming the nation’s largest, displacing the postwar baby boomers.

Both demographic groups comprise 5.4 million people but the 2021 statistics reflect a diminishing number of “boomers” compared with the 2016 survey.

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Cyclone numbers have fallen since start of 20th century, study suggests

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Scientists warn that while total number of cyclones may be decreasing, global heating will see a higher proportion of more damaging storms

Global heating has coincided with fewer tropical cyclones forming each year around the globe compared with the second half of the 19th century, according to a new study.

The average annual number of cyclones fell by 13% across the 20th century, with steeper declines seen after 1950.

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Glass act: critics see right through Adelaide rental with bathroom ‘cube’ built next to kitchen

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A North Adelaide studio apartment has been ridiculed online, with some likening it to ‘your first custom house in the Sims’

Convenience: in every sense of the word, 4/201 O’Connell Street has it.

Ablute without ever having to take your eyes off the television, or interrupting your dinner party conversation.

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‘Get a real job’: NSW deputy premier lashes out at Blockade Australia protesters

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Ten arrested as direct action group starts week of ‘disruption’ to ‘resist climate destruction’ as NSW police pledge crackdown

The New South Wales deputy premier has told climate change protesters to “go and get a real job” after police made 10 arrests across Sydney.

Blockade Australia protesters were among a group of 50 to 60 activists who converged on Hyde Park about 8am on Monday, before marching towards the harbour, chanting, playing drums, with some pulling down signs, dragging wheelie bins onto the road and blocking intersections.

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