Category Archives: Australia news

Jacqui Lambie wants deal on union-busting bill ‘as soon as possible’

Posted on by

Crossbencher ‘hopes to think’ she is close to a deal with government on union penalty bill unexpectedly defeated last year

Senator Jacqui Lambie is looking to strike a deal with the government “as soon as possible” on the union penalty bill, while Labor struggles to contain a debate in its own ranks about union-backed superannuation funds.

Lambie is meeting the industrial relations minister, Christian Porter, on Tuesday to continue negotiations on the bill, which would lower the threshold for the deregistration of unions and disqualification of their officials.

Continue reading...

Matt Canavan quits cabinet to back Barnaby Joyce for National party leadership

Posted on by

Joyce says he will challenge Nationals leader Michael McCormack for the top job when a party room spill is called on Tuesday

Barnaby Joyce will challenge Michael McCormack for the leadership of the Nationals when a party room spill is called on Tuesday, saying he has learned from his past mistakes and is the best person to lead the party to the next election.

The former leader’s tilt at a comeback won support from the cabinet minister Matt Canavan on Monday night, with the Queensland senator resigning his position to back Joyce in the leadership ballot.

Continue reading...

Koala ‘massacre’: scores of animals found dead or injured after plantation logging

Posted on by

Victorian environment minister ‘appalled’ by allegations and her department is investigating

Investigators at the scene of a “koala massacre” at a cleared gum tree plantation in Victoria say the number of animals killed is likely to rise above 40 as they make their way through 10 kilometres of felled timber.

A major incident response has been set up at the site, on private land near Cape Bridgewater, with koalas being treated by vets for starvation and broken bones.

Continue reading...

30 years of Australia’s hollow promises on climate policy

Posted on by

This summer, Scott Morrison has faced international criticism over his climate change policies. But this government is just the latest in a long line that have either failed on meaningful climate policy at home, or blocked stronger climate action on the world stage.

In this episode of Full Story, Guardian Australia editor Lenore Taylor explores Australia’s long track record of stalling on climate change action.

To learn more, you can read Lenore Taylor’s piece on Australia’s broken climate policy promises.

Continue reading...

Australia fires: threat remains for ACT bushfires as NSW issued with smoke health warning – latest updates

Posted on by

A total fire ban remains in place across the capital territory as fires continue to burn, causing severe smoke and dust haze in NSW

A quick recap.

Looks like the forecast rain is heading over Canberra. We’ll wait to hear if this helps or hinders the firefighting efforts.

Rain heading through Canberra. Let's hope this brings some relief. No sign of the storm yet though. pic.twitter.com/YVJDd3HK3u

Continue reading...

Australia fires: bushfires menace homes and lives – and firefighters warn winds will create new threats

Posted on by

Embers flare into an out-of-control blaze on ‘another difficult day’ in NSW and in the country around Canberra

• Terror on all sides: inside a firestorm tearing through the Australian bush

The New South Wales premier, Gladys Berejiklian, says the Australian state has experienced “another difficult day” as multiple emergency fires burned across its south-east.

While five emergency warnings were in place on Saturday afternoon for blazes across the NSW south coast and south-east, at 9pm on Saturday evening just one remained at the highest level.

Continue reading...

Labor attacks Josh Frydenberg for failing to meet banking royal commission deadline

Posted on by

Labor claims that although six of the recommendations have been implemented, the government has fallen behind their set timeframe

Labor has attacked treasurer Josh Frydenberg for falling behind on the government’s promised timetable for turning the recommendations of the banking royal commission into law.

On Friday, to coincide with the first anniversary of royal commissioner Kenneth Hayne’s final report, Frydenberg said the government was “on track to meet the accelerated timetable” to implement royal commissioner Kenneth Hayne’s 76 recommendations.

Continue reading...

Jacqui Lambie says people scared and confused by Coalition’s cashless welfare card plan

Posted on by

Senator says after visiting remote Indigenous communities that many there feel they have not been properly consulted over new card

Independent senator Jacquie Lambie says “the government has a problem” with the rollout of its controversial cashless debit card, after her fact-finding visit to the Northern Territory and Western Australia.

Lambie visited several remote Aboriginal communities to “get a view from the ground on how the card is functioning, before voting on the government’s proposed changes for its future”, she said. Most of the people she spoke to “didn’t know any change was being proposed at all”.

Continue reading...

Wuhan coronavirus grown by scientists in Melbourne – video

Posted on by

Scientists at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity in Melbourne have grown the novel coronavirus from a patient sample, which they plan to share internationally under advice from the World Health Organization to provide data to fight the virus.

The virus has also been grown in cell culture in China, but the breakthrough in Melbourne will allow accurate investigation and diagnosis of the virus globally. The project comes from a collaboration between the Royal Melbourne hospital and the University of Melbourne

Continue reading...

‘New underclass’: Labor warns on Australia’s reliance on short-term migration

Posted on by

Large numbers of easily exploited temporary migrants could have a ‘corrosive’ effect, says Kristina Keneally

Australia’s reliance on temporary migration is creating a new economic underclass that risks having a “corrosive” effect on the nation’s society, Labor’s shadow home affairs minister, Kristina Keneally, says.

In a major speech to the Curtin institute on Thursday night, Keneally will step up Labor’s attack on the government for its reliance on temporary migration, saying current trends could see as many as 3 million people – or 12% of the population – living in Australia on a temporary basis.

Continue reading...

Canberra fires live updates: capital of Australia faces renewed bushfire threat – latest news

Posted on by

Huge fires to the south smother city with smoke amid weather forecast for heatwave and searing temperatures as Scott Morrison prepares to address National Press Club today. Follow live news and latest updates

From Tuesday night. A lot of ACT residents are comparing this fire to the devastating 2003 blaze.

Just a reminder of where we’re at. On Monday, a defence helicopter landed in the Namadgi national park, south of Canberra, and accidentally sparked what authorities have called the city’s “most serious” bushfire threat since the city’s devastating 2003 fires.

Tuesday saw dramatic images of the fire approaching Canberra’s southern suburbs, but conditions eased throughout the evening and the fire was downgraded from emergency level to watch and act just before midnight.

Continue reading...

Josephine Cashman sacked from Indigenous advisory body after letter published by Andrew Bolt

Posted on by

Indigenous affairs minister says Cashman’s membership of advisory group on voice to parliament is untenable after letter is used to discredit Bruce Pascoe

The Aboriginal businesswoman Josephine Cashman has been sacked from her government advisory role, after allegations that she provided a faked letter from a senior Aboriginal leader as part of a campaign to discredit the author Bruce Pascoe.

In a brief statement the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Ken Wyatt, said Cashman’s actions were “not conducive to the constructive and collaborative approach” needed on the advisory council on an Indigenous voice to parliament.

Continue reading...

Jacinda Ardern lets phone call from Scott Morrison go to voicemail – video

Posted on by

The prime minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, lets a phone call from her Australian counterpart, Scott Morrison, go to voicemail during a press conference. Ardern was speaking about the idea of cooperating with Australia on an evacuation of citizens from Australia and New Zealand from coronavirus-hit Wuhan, China

Continue reading...

Coronavirus: China premier Li Keqiang visits Wuhan as death toll hits 81 – live updates

Posted on by

World Health Organization chief travels to Beijing as more than 2,700 cases reported in China. Follow the latest news about the outbreak.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has committed $10m (£7.6m) to tackling the virus.

The money will be split between China and countries in Africa.

One supermarket shopper was unfazed by the visit to Wuhan of China’s prime minister Li Keqiang, Keith Zhai from Reuters reports.

While Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivering his speech in a Wuhan super market, this auntie in front can’t stop getting her groceries done. “Nothing can stop me from buying veggies” #coronarvirus video from internet pic.twitter.com/A7CePMfis0

Continue reading...

Federal government withholds water funding from NSW in Murray-Darling standoff

Posted on by

Minister disappointed that New South Wales did not submit Murray-Darling basin resource plans

The federal government is withholding millions of dollars from the New South Wales government for failing to complete water resource plans for the Murray-Darling basin.

In a letter to the state’s water minister, Melinda Pavey, the federal water resources minister, David Littleproud, raised concerns the 20 plans had not been submitted.

Continue reading...

Sydney light rail temporarily suspended after car collides with a tram

Posted on by

Police allege the motorist failed to stop at a red light before hitting the tram

One of Sydney’s new trams derailed on Sunday after being struck by a motorist who police allege drove through a red light.

The collision between the tram and a car temporarily shut down a busy Sydney street on Australia Day. South Dowling Street at Surry Hills was closed in both directions for about 90 minutes following Sunday’s accident, which occurred just before 5pm.

Continue reading...

Coronavirus outbreak: China promises tougher crackdown to stop spread – as it happened

Posted on by

Officials announce new measures to contain disease, including wildlife trade ban and bus suspensions, as confirmed death toll reaches 56

Jonathan Ashworth, the UK’s shadow health secretary, urged the government to reassure the public it is sufficiently prepared as the NHS is already struggling in the flu season.

He told the Guardian:

The NHS is currently under immense strain this winter with staff already working flat out and hospitals overcrowded. We need urgent reassurance from ministers they have a plan to ensure we have capacity in place to deal with Coronavirus should we need to,

Continue reading...

Coronavirus: Australia considers evacuating citizens caught in China amid lockdown

Posted on by

Chief medical officer says Australia is ‘incredibly well prepared to isolate and deal with’ any more cases

Australia’s chief medical officer has warned there will likely be more cases of the deadly coronavirus confirmed in the country, as the federal government explores plans to evacuate Australian citizens from the pandemic’s epicentre in central China.

Prof Brendan Murphy, Australia’s chief medical officer, said more cases of 2019-nCoV were likely, following the confirmation of four cases.

Continue reading...