Category Archives: Australia news

Iran sanctions scandal: Australian company offloads $15m cargo it says it was duped into carrying

Posted on by

Quantum Fertiliser, part of ASX-listed Incitec Pivot, says it is reviewing its operations to avoid a recurrence

The Australian multinational at the centre of an Iran sanctions scandal has offloaded a $15m shipment of Iranian cargo it says it was duped into taking, and is reviewing its operations to avoid a repeat.

A subsidiary of ASX-listed company Incitec Pivot took hold of a cargo shipment of fertiliser from Iran late last month, potentially risking a contravention of strict United States sanctions.

Continue reading...

Robodebt could target pensioners and ‘sensitive’ groups, leaked documents show

Posted on by

Exclusive: Coalition needs to include over 65s and other disadvantaged welfare recipients to hit $600m budget plan

The Morrison government could target thousands of pensioners and other “sensitive” welfare recipients under a proposed expansion of the controversial robodebt scheme needed to achieve a promised $2.1bn in budget savings, according to confidential documents seen by Guardian Australia.

The documents, stamped “PROTECTED CABINET”, show the scheme would fall $600m short of its required budget savings unless it is expanded to hit “sensitive” groups originally quarantined from data matching.

Continue reading...

Security blunder as Queensland premier’s office publishes name of Asio agent

Posted on by

Exclusive: accidental release of intelligence operative’s name in Annastacia Palaszczuk’s diaries blamed on ‘administrative error’

The Queensland premier’s office has mistakenly published the name of a secret intelligence operative in an extraordinary national security breach potentially punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment.

The name of the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation (Asio) agent was accidentally published during the routine public release of Annastacia Palaszczuk’s diaries, a practice designed to boost government transparency.

Continue reading...

Melbourne archbishop says George Pell innocent and questions if victim mistaken

Posted on by

Peter Comensoli says he accepts victim was abused but wonders whether he was wrong in naming cardinal as abuser

Catholic archbishop of Melbourne Peter Comensoli says he believes convicted paedophile Cardinal George Pell when he protests his innocence, and has speculated if the sole living victim got the name of his abuser wrong.

A day after Victoria’s court of appeal upheld Pell’s conviction for the rape of a 13-year-old choirboy and sexual assault of another at Melbourne’s St Patrick’s Cathedral in 1996, Comensoli said while he respected the courts, he also believed his friend and would continue to visit him in prison.

Continue reading...

Montara oil spill: site’s new operator rejects suggestion it couldn’t afford second clean-up

Posted on by

Jadestone CEO says it could cover the cost of cleaning up a major spill, even though company has never made a profit

The new operator of the site of Australia’s worst ever oil spill has dismissed concerns it might not have the financial capacity to clean up should disaster strike again.

Ten years ago on Wednesday an estimated 40 million litres of oil leaked from a faulty rig in the Montara field, in the Timor Sea, and for 10 weeks spread over tens of thousands of square kilometres of ocean.

Continue reading...

Vatican invokes Cardinal George Pell’s ‘right to appeal’ after child sexual abuse conviction upheld

Posted on by

Former Vatican treasurer, and most senior Catholic cleric in the world to be convicted of child sexual assault, maintains innocence after losing appeal

The most senior Catholic cleric in the world to be convicted of child sexual abuse, Cardinal George Pell, has lost his appeal against his conviction, but maintains he is innocent.

In a brief statement issued after the decision the Vatican reiterated that Pell maintained his innocence, and that it was now “Pell’s right to appeal to the high court”.

Continue reading...

Big irrigators take 86% of water from Barwon-Darling, report finds

Posted on by

Lower Darling pushed into drought three years early because of sheer volume of water extraction by just a few licence holders

A handful of big irrigators are responsible for 86% of water extracted from the Barwon-Darling river system, pushing the lower Darling into drought three years early, an expert report has found.

The NSW Natural Resources Commission released the report by the Australian Rivers Institute professor Fran Sheldon on Monday night, after it received criticism for the claim that extraction of water by cotton growers had pushed the river system into hydrological drought three years early.

Continue reading...

Cardinal George Pell loses appeal on child sexual assault conviction – live

Posted on by

Appeal dismissed by a majority of two to one for the 78-year-old who will remain in prison until October 2022. He was sentenced in March for sexually assaulting two choirboys in 1996

By the way - this is a huge testament to the value of the jury system. I will have so much to say about that. There is NO strong evidence judges alone are less biased or more correct than a jury of 12. #Pell.

Interesting that Morrison said the decision to strip Pell of his honours is independent to the government. Back In February my colleague Paul Karp was told that if Pell lost the appeal the prime minister would write to the Council of the Order of Australia recommending it review and revoke the honour, a decision made on its recommendation by the governor general.

Related: PM to strip George Pell of Order of Australia honour if cardinal loses appeal

Continue reading...

Australia to join US military effort to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz

Posted on by

Troops, planes and warships to help guard the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East where tensions are flaring with Iran

Australia will send troops, planes and warships to help guard the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East.

The prime minister, Scott Morrison, said Australia would make a “modest and time-limited” contribution to international efforts to protect freedom of navigation in the region.

Continue reading...

Instagram censors Melbourne artist’s anti-Beijing post but ignores trolls

Posted on by

Badiucao accuses the social media firm of violating the free speech of people who speak up against China’s bullying

A Melbourne artist who posted anti-Chinese government work has had it pulled offline by Instagram, while death threats against him have remained uncensored.

The censorship of Badiucao – and later restoration – by Instagram came as Twitter and Facebook suspended more than 200,000 accounts deemed to be part of a “co-ordinated state-backed operation” of misinformation from the People’s Republic of China.

Continue reading...

Alan Jones says advertisers who leave his program will be replaced by others

Posted on by

Total of 19 big advertisers have dropped his breakfast program after comments he made about Jacinda Ardern

Broadcaster Alan Jones says advertisers who chose to abandon his program because of his slurs against women will be replaced by others.

“I’ve got no comment about the advertisers, they can make their own judgement if they go,” a defiant Jones told Nine News. “There will be others that take their place.”

Continue reading...

Australia’s most senior public servant refuses to appear before Senate inquiry

Posted on by

Inquiry looking at Christopher Pyne and Julie Bishop’s new corporate jobs will demand Martin Parkinson attend

Australia’s most senior public servant is refusing to appear before an inquiry into Christopher Pyne and Julie Bishop’s controversial new corporate jobs, saying it would not be “worthwhile” for him to give any further evidence.

The stance of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet secretary, Martin Parkinson, has prompted stern words from the Senate committee chair Jenny McAllister, who has now demanded he appear as requested.

Continue reading...

Vanuatu will host the next Pacific Islands Forum. We want to know if Australia really wants a seat at the table | Ralph Regenvanu

Posted on by

Scott Morrison should bring strong climate commitments to next year’s forum to avoid a repeat of this year’s summit

Last week at the close of the Pacific Islands Forum in Tuvalu I described the leaders’ discussions as frank and fierce. It is now well-known that the leaders debated the text of the Kainaki II Declaration for Urgent Climate Change Action Now for many hours. I do not want to comment on the tone of the debate, as many others have done that already.

Instead, as incoming Pacific Islands Forum chair, Vanuatu has a message for Australia: we ask that Australia prepares well ahead of the next forum meeting in 2020 and comes to the table ready to make real, tangible commitments on climate change.

Continue reading...

‘Really upset’: welfare changes forced woman to volunteer as husband was dying

Posted on by

Amid debate around the low rate of Newstart, for those nearing pension age, a collision of policy adjustments is taking its toll

Marie Jentner’s husband was dying when Centrelink gave her some more bad news: she was now a jobseeker.

At 62, she had quit her job of 27 years to care for Siegfried, who had testicular cancer and couldn’t walk or look after himself. When he was moved into palliative care the following year, Jentner’s carer’s payment was cancelled and she was put on the lower Newstart allowance.

Continue reading...

Sydney lord mayor calls snap Pyrmont planning review an ‘astounding betrayal of trust’

Posted on by

Clover Moore warns NSW planning rules at stake after Berejiklian says suburb is ‘open for business and ready to be taken to the next level’

The lord mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore, has warned that “the entire credibility of the planning system” in New South Wales is at stake after the premier intervened to order a speedy review of planning controls in Pyrmont, where her own planning department has blocked the development of a 62-storey tower on top of Star casino.

The rejection of the Star proposal for the 237 metre tower, in the historic area zoned for eight storeys to the west of the CBD, has bitterly divided the state government and led to a ferocious campaign by Star, aided by the Daily Telegraph and radio talkback host Alan Jones.

Continue reading...

Picking fruit is work, not benevolence, and doesn’t absolve Australia of climate responsibility | Victoria Stead

Posted on by

The deputy prime minister’s comments about the Pacific were both insulting and wrong

Australia’s diplomatic performance throughout the Pacific Islands Forum has evoked a colonial arrogance that many hoped was in the past. While Pacific Island states raised understandable concerns about the climate emergency and rising sea levels, Australia’s response was to insist on the removal of references to coal from the official communique.

The deputy PM, Michael McCormack, who was left in charge of the government while Morrison was busy dismissing our neighbours’ concerns in Tuvalu, continued the insults at home.

Continue reading...

Morrison’s ‘arrogance’ on climate blasted as Australia accused of ‘trying to destroy’ Pacific islands

Posted on by

Labor says PM has trashed Australia’s standing as former Kiribati president urges review of Australia’s membership

Labor has accused Scott Morrison of trashing Australia’s standing in the Pacific and alienating its friends at the Pacific Islands Forum in Tuvalu, while a former president of Kiribati has urged Australia’s membership to be reviewed.

Anote Tong said the forum should consider possible sanctions or suspension of Australia for its continued “protestations” on coal and climate.

Continue reading...

Pro-Hong Kong rally in Melbourne turns violent amid clashes with China supporters

Posted on by

Victoria police say they will not tolerate ‘those who break the law or engage in antisocial or violent behaviour’

Two men have been interviewed by police after a clash between pro-Hong Kong and pro-China demonstrators at a rally in Melbourne’s CBD turned violent.

Hundreds gathered outside the State Library on Swanston Street from about 7pm on Friday for a planned rally in solidarity with protesters in Hong Kong. It turned violent when a group of pro-China protesters arrived. The event was estimated to have attracted 600 people at its peak.

Continue reading...

Fiji PM accuses Scott Morrison of ‘insulting’ and alienating Pacific leaders

Posted on by

Exclusive: Frank Bainimarama says Australian leader is pushing nations towards China

Scott Morrison has been accused of causing an extraordinary rift between Australia and Pacific countries by the prime minister of Fiji, who said the Australian prime minister’s insulting behaviour while at the Pacific Islands Forum in Tuvalu would push nations closer to China.

In an exclusive interview with Guardian Australia after the conclusion of the PIF, Frank Bainimarama, the prime minister of Fiji and a political heavyweight in the region, said Morrison’s approach during the leaders’ retreat on Thursday was “very insulting and condescending”.

Continue reading...

British ski instructor jailed for rape and assault in Australia

Posted on by

Matthew James Williams sentenced for ‘horrifying’ attack on pair in Jindabyne

A British ski instructor has been jailed for 10 years for raping a woman and physically assaulting her male friend in Australia.

Matthew James Williams, 29, attacked the pair on a street in Jindabyne, south of Canberra and near the border between New South Wales and Victoria, in July 2018. He had followed the woman and her 25-year-old companion after they left a pub to walk home.

Continue reading...