Agricultural officers given power to stop and search cars and trucks near the Queensland-NSW border. Follow the latest news live
Search efforts continue for third Indonesian crew member
Search efforts are continuing today for the third Indonesian crew member who remains missing after a boat capsized off the coast of Indonesia.
The search continues for a crew member who is still missing.
Our thoughts are with them and their loved ones.
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Warren Mundine said he has kicked two people off his no campaign group Recognise a Better Way, one of which for allegedly making an antisemitic comment.
I’ve actually kicked several people off our campaign in regard to their comments and I intend to keep on doing that.
That’s just between us and the couple of people we had sent off. I don’t appreciate racist comments … All they know is I got rid of them and I don’t accept any racial comments from anyone in regard to these issues.
… It wasn’t particularly about Aboriginals, one was a very antisemitic comment and I’m not gonna wear that crap.
When I talk about treaties, when I talk about constitutional recognition, it is in regard to treaties that are signed between the commonwealth government and First Nations peoples.
… I believe in treaties between the First Nations and the commonwealth and at that, and I put it in that context.
I was involved in the beginning … and then after it got further down the track in regard to [what] it was looking at, [then I said] I don’t support that.
It has to be the First Nations, it has to be the traditional owners who make those agreements. I can’t speak for other people’s country, and they can’t speak for my country.
Continue reading...David Littleproud says his party has ‘real concern’ about regional advisory bodies Dutton has promised to put in legislation, but not in the constitution
The Nationals have refused to commit to legislating an Indigenous voice if the Coalition wins the next election, undercutting Peter Dutton’s attempt to win over voters with an alternative proposal.
Dutton has campaigned against enshrining a voice to parliament in the constitution, arguing it is “risky” to mention the advisory body in the nation’s founding document.
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Coalition argue migration rates are behind housing crisis
The Coalition have pursued Labor over those figures, despite the numbers being lower than what was forecast when the Coalition was in power, and due to the re-opening of the borders after the pandemic closures.
I’m very supportive of migration to Australia which helped build this country, but the pace and the rate of that migration is absolutely a legitimate issue for public debate and the impact that has on services into our community is also very legitimate, particularly housing. Frankly, I thought this was a particularly tone deaf contribution from the business community today, suggesting that the only numbers that matter were the permanent migration program and not the temporary workers, students who are coming here right now.
Because we know they are coming in extraordinary numbers and by the end of this year, I’ve been told by people in the industry it’s going to be eye wateringly high numbers, perhaps the largest ever on record.
If we want to continue to be competitive in attracting global talent, our migration system needs to be reformed.
Australia is competing against other countries for the best and brightest; and slow or complex migration systems, which do not provide appropriate levels of certainty for someone looking to uproot their lives to move internationally, puts us at a serious disadvantage.
There is a current misconception that our migration figures are higher than normal.
It is important to recognise migration numbers currently recorded simply reflect a rebalancing after the pandemic border closures in 2020 and 2021.
Continue reading...Exclusive: Government agency wrote to voice referendum no campaign leader, saying her claim was incorrect and pointing to publicly available one-page document
The National Indigenous Australians Agency has written to Coalition senator and no campaign leader Jacinta Nampijinpa Price to flatly deny her claims that it told her the Uluru statement from the heart was a 26-page document, again confirming it is a one-page document.
It is likely to further escalate tensions in the parliament over the voice referendum, after the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, described Coalition questions about the Uluru statement as “conspiracy theories”. Prof Megan Davis, the Uluru Dialogue co-chair and architect of the Uluru statement, claimed opponents were seeking to “confuse the mainstream media and our political leaders”.
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Continue reading...Despite claiming he lives overseas and can’t testify at a parliamentary hearing, John Margerison still has a role in at least 10 firms according to Asic records
A Gold Coast businessman with ties to former Liberal MP Stuart Robert remains listed as a director in at least 10 Australian companies despite “severing ties” and living abroad.
John Margerison had been called as a key witness for a parliamentary hearing in July into contracts awarded by Services Australia and the National Disability Insurance Agency.
Continue reading...Australia has ‘nothing to fear and everything to gain’ from a yes vote, Anthony Albanese says. This blog is now closed
Albanese says he won’t announce date of voice vote at Garma
Albanese will not announce at Garma what date the voice to parliament referendum will be held on:
I’ve made it clear a year ago what the timetable would look like, that it would be in the last quarter of this year. Obviously when we get into December, you are into the rainy season, so that gets knocked out. September, it could be held then except we have the footy finals.
We’ll make an announcement soon. We’ll talk through with the Australian Electoral Commission and make sure it’s an appropriate date, one that doesn’t clash with other events.
What is occurring with this referendum is it’s a clear proposition … the words are clear that have been put forward, they’ve been passed by the parliament, overwhelmingly by the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Indeed, across the parliament, both sides say they support constitutional recognition. Both sides say that you need to legislate the voice. The only difference is that Peter Dutton is saying that if you actually … enshrine it in the constitution, that that is something that they oppose.
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Queensland to give free meningococcal B vaccine to infants, children and adolescents
The meningococcal B vaccine will be made free for infants, children and adolescents in Queensland.
After hearing the stories of heartbroken Queensland families, I had to act.
We know the meningococcal B strain can be lethal and – if a young person is lucky enough to survive the disease – it’s likely they will develop permanent and sometimes devastating complications.
Continue reading...Exclusive: Lawyers and environmentalists warn international community is watching carefully amid ‘science, logistics and influence race’
Australia’s international reputation and diplomatic influence will be damaged unless the federal government intervenes to ensure crucial climate change research in Antarctica is not cancelled, international lawyers and environmentalists have warned.
The environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, is also facing political pressure from the Greens and the Coalition, which have both raised concerns about plans to cancel or heavily restrict studies of record-low sea ice, ice shelves and declining penguin populations due to a budget crunch.
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RFS predicts severe bushfire season to come
Firefighters are scrambling to catch up on bushfire preparations as NSW braces for a hot summer, AAP reports.
The No 1 factor for that not going ahead was the weather conditions, the rain, the flooding, that’s meant the crews weren’t able to get out and do that important work in communities.
There is plenty more to be done and this boost in mitigation personnel will enable even more vital work to be undertaken.
This is a tragedy. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the Australian Defence Force personnel on board. All were from the 6th Aviation Regiment based at Holsworthy army barracks in Sydney and valuable members of our community.
Our thoughts are also with those who served alongside these four young men – their friends and colleagues in uniform – and the broader defence community.
Continue reading...The home affairs minister, Clare O’Neil, says revelations about contracts with company linked to a foreign bribery case ‘merit detailed and thorough examination’
Labor has announced an independent review of the management of regional processing procurement by the Department of Home Affairs after revelations it granted contracts to a company linked to the subject of a bribery investigation.
The home affairs minister, Clare O’Neil, announced the inquiry citing “serious issues” with the governance of offshore processing contracts which she said “merit detailed and thorough examination”.
Continue reading...Families grant permission to name the four service members who went missing during military exercises off the coast of Whitsundays on Friday – this blog is now closed
Asked about the surplus the government now finds itself overseeing, Rishworth is asked whether there will be any further assistance in the next budget.
Of course, the changes we’re making - whether it’s to rent assistance, jobseeker - are structural changes. They’re ongoing increases that will be applied. So when you talk about the surplus from last year, that’s a very different circumstance to the reforms that we’ve made which are ongoing and structural. We have calibrated these to be responsible to help people that are doing it tough. But also, that they’re sustainable into the long-term.
The economic inclusion committee was providing a very specific advice on the level of jobseeker to inform the budget process. Of course, the budget process has to take in a range of different factors, including a responsible structural adjustment. But also, of course, as the treasurer has said, making sure that we’re not adding to inflation. So there is a lot of issues that we do have to weigh up in a budget process.
Continue reading...Former Liberal deputy leader tells National Press Club she supports the referendum, but stops short of saying she will actively campaign for yes vote
The former foreign affairs minister Julie Bishop has called for Australians to support the Indigenous voice referendum, warning that existing policies are not working to close the gap.
Bishop, who was deputy leader of the Liberal party for 11 years, said many Indigenous people she respected greatly “have put a lot of thought into this and they believe that it is a step in the right direction”.
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Continue reading...John Margerison was due to front parliamentary committee hearing into government contracts but his lawyer says he now lives overseas
A businessman with links to former Liberal MP Stuart Robert will not face a parliamentary committee inquiry because he has “severed all ties” with Australia, his lawyer says.
The joint committee of public accounts and audit (JCPAA) is investigating how government contracts are awarded. It has heard allegations – which Robert strenuously denies – that lobbying firm Synergy 360 proposed a structure that would benefit Robert financially.
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Continue reading...Police extend search for Andrew Findlay after body of art dealer Tim Klingender was found. This blog is now closed
A man and woman will face court today in Melbourne accused of murder after the body of a man in his 40s was found in a city street, AAP reports.
Police say the charges follow an alleged incident at a home near Glen Waverley train line in Binalong Avenue, Chadstone on Tuesday, where a man in his 40s was fatally assaulted.
It can be a sensitive and confronting topic for many people so it is important that any future legislation is done through intensive and thorough consultation with all Territorians.
This is an imperative step forward for the Territory and I am honoured to play my part in this important consultation process.
Continue reading...Exclusive: Australian government is refusing to say how much it is giving Papua New Guinea under the agreement
The Australian government is refusing to say how much it is paying to Papua New Guinea in a secret agreement to hold about 75 refugees and asylum seekers in Port Moresby.
Parliamentary documents have revealed for the first time this week that the Morrison government signed a “confidential bilateral agreement” with PNG in December 2021, paying the PNG government to provide welfare and support for refugees forcibly sent to PNG by Australia.
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Continue reading...Former competition watchdog Allan Fels tells parliamentary inquiry federal government must act now to avoid conflicts of interest. Follow the day’s news live
Divers are trying to retrieve hundreds of drones that plunged into Melbourne’s Yarra River over the weekend due to a technical error.
The drones were part of a light show for the Matildas’ game against France on Friday night but fell into the river due to a technical glitch. The retrieval operation began on Sunday and is continuing on Monday.
We want to see all drones taken back out of the river because we know if they are left there they will leach chemicals which can damage the environment.
We want investors to come into the market to take advantage of the great demand for rental accommodation.
But we don’t want to stifle that by putting unnecessary burden (on landlords).
Continue reading...Yes and no camps have been writing their competing essays, to be published by AEC on Tuesday
Supporters of an Indigenous voice to parliament say they are “ready to prosecute their simple, hopeful message” and will submit the official yes case to the Australian Electoral Commission on Monday.
The yes and the no camps have been drafting their competing essays, limited to 2,000 words each, with the two documents to be published online by the AEC on Tuesday.
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Continue reading...Deputy prime minister Richard Marles says byelection swing to LNP was ‘half the average swing you would expect against a sitting government’
Senior members of the Albanese government insist they are not troubled by Labor’s loss in the Fadden byelection, as they seek to reassure Australians their main focus is on the cost-of-living crisis.
The Liberal National party retained the safe Gold Coast seat on Saturday in a byelection caused by the resignation of former minister Stuart Robert. There was a swing of about 2.4% to the LNP after preferences.
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Cabinet meeting to decide Lowe’s successor today
Philip Lowe will be replaced as the Reserve Bank governor, with today’s cabinet meeting to decide his successor, Guardian Australia has confirmed.
If I was asked to continue in the role, I would be honoured to do that and I would continue.
If I am not asked to continue in the role, I will do my best to support my successor, and the treasurer has said he will make an announcement before the end of this month.
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