Offered opportunities to attack in Sky News debate, Daniel Andrews and Matthew Guy each sought to be more civil than the other
There was a point, about halfway into the only debate ahead of the Victorian state election between Daniel Andrews and Matthew Guy, that summed up the entire affair.
“I’m not here to have a fight, I’m here to answer questions,” the opposition leader said in a monotone.
Continue reading...Prosecutors said there was not a reasonable chance of conviction in case, brought by taskforce hailed as Australian-first
A rape case involving a Victorian police officer has collapsed, in a blow to a new dedicated taskforce set up to investigate serious family violence allegations within the force.
A male senior constable had been charged with one count of rape and another of sexual touching without consent allegedly committed in August 2019.
Continue reading...Shaun Gilchrist, candidate for Narracan, was due to face court on 30 November charged with one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault
A Victorian National party candidate who had been due to face court on rape charges has died days before the state election.
Shaun David Gilchrist was expected before court on 30 November charged with one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault ahead of a trial that had been scheduled for next year.
In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. Other international suicide helplines can be found at befrienders.org
Continue reading...Partner pleads guilty to three charges of sexual assault, two charges of rape, will be sentenced as serious sexual offender
Suspecting her fiance was cheating on her, a Melbourne woman logged into his email account. There she found videos of him raping her as she slept, prosecutors have told the Victorian county court.
The man she trusted in a relationship for more than two years has admitted raping her seven times and sexually assaulting her 21 times without her knowledge.
In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. Other international suicide helplines can be found at befrienders.org
Continue reading...Sydney Water says filtration systems under extreme pressure amid floods, as all Melbourne beaches declared unsuitable for swimming
Just a quarter of Sydney’s largest drinking water catchment, the Warragamba Dam, is safe for consumption, prompting fears residents will need to conserve water.
Ben Blayney, the head of water supply and production at Sydney Water, said the past year’s floods had placed extreme pressure on the city’s water filtration system.
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Birmingham against a windfall tax for oil and gas companies
Birmingham says he is opposed to a windfall tax for oil and gas companies to help assist with rising energy prices.
We don’t think that simply slugging a tax in relation to companies is going to do anything for the energy prices of Australians. You’ve got to fix supply in the gas market to provide for genuine outcomes there, and those types of taxes will actually only hurt you in the longer term because they will act as an investment disincentive and you have less supply for the future.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has previously said limiting global heating to 1.5C as set out in the Paris agreement meant there can be no new oil, gas or coal investment beyond 2021.
A windfall tax is not about shoring up gas supplies, but generating revenue which can re-invested in new renewable energy projects and other decarbonisation projects.
I strongly support recognition and have done for many years and, of course, the debate around the voice has come along subsequent to early efforts to try to achieve Indigenous recognition. When it comes to the model for the Voice, I do think Australians deserve to see more detail and have more answers about how it will work, how it will be constituted and how it will make a difference. I understand the very passionate views by those who argue for the voice and I don’t wish to see them disrespected in any way, but I also acknowledge that there are strong Indigenous views of doubt and question about whether the voice will be actually effective in achieving any substantial change on the ground in relation to Indigenous disadvantage.
We are going to be asked to support a constitutional change for a model that is as undefined by the government in relation to that model. It is not unreasonable to want to see the detail of the model.
An economy growing as strongly as possible, keeping unemployment as low as possible – those are the things that our government managed to achieve, with strong economic growth in our last year in office, with unemployment down to 50-year lows, creating the conditions for economic growth to help to drive productive wages growth.
Continue reading...Matthew Guy announces Renee Heath will not sit in party room following newspaper investigation into City Builders Church
The Victorian opposition leader, Matthew Guy, has dumped an upper house candidate who is a member of a conservative church from the Liberal party a week before the state election.
Renee Heath is still expected to be elected to parliament, given she occupies the top position on the Liberal party’s ticket for the eastern Victorian region.
Continue reading...Foreign minister says ‘Australia stands with Ukraine’ following reports a Russian missile landed in Polish territory killing two people. Follow the day’s news
ABC Radio asked Simon Birmingham about reports from this morning that a Russian missile has hit Poland near the Ukraine border: The shadow foreign affairs minister says:
This is deeply, deeply troubling news.
If an accident occurs it can result in a real escalation ... it shows just how dangerous a game Russia is playing.
We can’t expect instant miracles, but the ultimate test of dialogue will be the outcomes that are received if this dialogue is successful, to see breakthroughs in regard to those trade barriers... and also critically the just treatment of Australian’s detained in China.
And then of course challenges in terms of engagement within the region, that we must continue to argue for China to respect international law, international rules and norms
Continue reading...The likely successor to Daniel Andrews as party leader says it’s committed to overhauling women’s health statewide – but there’s always more to do
As the likely successor to Daniel Andrews, Jacinta Allan is prepared for a lot of things. But seeing a premier tweeting about tampons was something she could never have fathomed when she was first elected two decades ago.
“We’ve come such a long way in the time I’ve been in parliament,” she says.
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Andrews rules out deal with the Greens and independents in event of minority government
Dan Andrews was also asked what would happen if Labor finds itself in a minority government situation – will it do a deal with the Greens?
No deal will be offered and no deal will be done.
And independents – no deals with independents?
No deal will be offered and no deal will be done.
So if you’re in a minority situation and you hold more seats than the Liberal party, what happens? You go back to another election?
Well, I think what the best thing to do, and what happens, Michael, is we work hard for the next 13 days, we work hard to put a positive and optimistic plan out there, and we’ll see what the verdict of Victorian voters is. I’m arguing, I’m urging people to vote for a strong, stable majority Labor government, to vote for your local Labor candidate.
The new SEC – government-owned, not private for-profit, but government-owned electricity, so owned by every single Victorian – creates nearly 60,000 jobs – 6,000 of those will be apprentices. It will be 100% renewable electricity. These companies can’t be relied upon to replace themselves. They’ll just put another profit machine in place. We need to make sure that we’re looking after pensioners, we’re looking after families and, indeed, businesses. And without electricity, there is no economy, so we have to replace them. And we choose to replace them with a public option – a government-owned option. An option that’s owned by every single Victorian.
Continue reading...No one was injured in the incident, which occurred near Inverleigh along the Hamilton Highway in regional Victoria
Dozens of shipping containers have been thrown from the tracks when a freight train derailed in Victoria’s west, closing the rail corridor to Adelaide.
The train derailed near Inverleigh along the Hamilton Highway outside Geelong at about 5.30am on Monday.
Continue reading...Severe storms continue to drench exhausted communities as a humid air mass prompts flash flooding alerts in eastern Australia
Wild storms have caused the biggest blackout in South Australia since the entire state went dark in 2016, as flash flooding caused havoc in parts of New South Wales and Victoria.
More than 423,000 lightning strikes were recorded in SA on Sunday. Heavy winds downed trees and SA Power Networks received more than 500 reports of fallen wires.
Continue reading...Victorian opposition vows to restrict gas produced in the state from being exported in a bid to reduce household bills; Anthony Albanese speaks to Chinese premier Li Keqiang at East Asia Summit gala dinner. This blog is now closed
Two historic military planes collided and crashed to the ground Saturday during a Dallas airshow, federal officials said, sending plumes of black smoke billowing into the sky.
Officials didn’t immediately make clear how many people were on board the aircraft or if anyone on the ground was hurt. Nonetheless, an ABC News producer – citing reporting from a colleague – said on Twitter that at least six people, all crew members, were feared dead after the crash.
Continue reading...PM gives address at Asean summit in Cambodia underscoring Australia’s commitment to partners and to regional values
Infectious diseases specialist Dr Noor Bari says the situation unfolding with the Majestic Princess is serious for more reasons than many believe.
She says that despite cruise line companies upgrading their HEPA/UVC air intake systems, a critical number of cases on board can quickly overwhelm the limited facilities on board.
Continue reading...Daniel Andrews also listed first in his seat in Mulgrave, while Matthew Guy will appear sixth in Bulleen
Teal independent candidate Nomi Kaltmann will be placed at the top of the ballot paper in the tightly held seat of Caulfield during the Victorian state election, with Daniel Andrews also securing the most coveted spot in Mulgrave.
Kaltmann was one of two teal candidates in Melbourne’s south-east to secure the top spot, after all 88 lower house seats and eight upper house regions had their ballots drawn for the 26 November poll on Friday afternoon.
Continue reading...Chief health officers urge people to take up protective measures as Covid hospitalisations double in some states
The number of active Covid cases has exploded across the country as Australia enters its fourth wave, prompting renewed warnings to protect vulnerable aged care residents.
Jurisdictions collectively recorded more than 58,000 new cases of Covid in the past week, with some states reporting a doubling in the number of people hospitalised with the virus.
Continue reading...Widespread showers and storms forecast for Sunday could cause rapid river rises and flash flooding in parts of NSW and Victoria
Parts of Victoria and New South Wales could be hit with new flood emergencies as soon as this weekend, with heavy rain forecast to cause rapid river rises and flash flooding while also putting further pressure on already-full catchments.
“Forecast rainfall in coming days will likely push many rivers and creeks back into moderate to major flooding, as well as prolonging existing flood peaks,” the Bureau of Meteorology said in a statement on Friday afternoon.
Continue reading...Defence officials say there is an issue with hydrogen sulphide in the vessels’ waste systems. Follow the day’s news live
Coalition’s staff cap has fuelled lack of payment integrity, Shorten says
Bill Shorten goes on to criticise the NDIS staff cap implemented by the Coalition government:
When there were 180,000 participants in the scheme, the staff numbers were around 3,500 to 4,000. And the government of the day said, ‘OK, no more staff.’
Now the scheme has half a million people-plus, and what’s happened is that we’ve brought in contractors or labour hire or partners in the community and the scheme hasn’t been well, in my opinion, supervised and well loved.
I don’t blame someone for seeking to get support for the child. What does make me wonder is the state school systems providing the support for kids with developmental and learning delays? Are they doing enough or not? How can you force their hand to do it so that these people aren’t going on the NDIS?
Originally, when the NDIS was created, it was to be a 50/50 split, at the moment the federal government is paying 64% to 66% of the scheme and states are paying in the mid 30s.
Continue reading...Federal government paying contractor $900,000 for review of naval shipbuilding
The federal government is paying a contractor $900,000 to carry out a new review of naval shipbuilding issues with the findings due by January.
Australia has the expertise and capability. What we don’t have yet is the scale to deliver the graduates and skills in the quantities required …
I’m here to tell you today is that whatever submarine design ends up being chosen, we won’t be able to build and operate it locally unless we address the fundamental issue of Australia’s workforce capability gap.
Nuclear science should clearly be the first cab off the rank for this program, but this approach will also be necessary across the broader advanced capabilities of Aukus including in cyber and computing, engineering, space and quantum physics.
An Aukus pathways program, jointly developed with Defence, could feature a portfolio of tailored degree programs providing a pathway for students to gain qualifications in an Aukus-related field and then progress to a position in Defence working on Aukus programs.
Continue reading...Exclusive: Australian data security experts described the July 2020 move as ‘dubious’ and ‘outrageous’
Under pressure to control spiralling Covid cases in July 2020, the Victorian government sent contact tracing data to the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission in the hope a controversial data mining platform might help identify the source of mystery cases.
Data security experts described the move as “dubious” and “outrageous”.
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