Jim Chalmers hints concession on threshold for imports could finally lead to an agreement. Follow the latest updates live
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Two flights from Dubai land in Sydney and Melbourne
A second commercial flight landed in Sydney last night from Dubai and the first made its way to Melbourne from the Middle Eastern hub.
Continue reading...Union says students blindsided after non-refundable visa fee rose from $2,300 to $4,600
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International students say they feel like “ATMs” after the federal government quietly doubled application fees for temporary graduate visas, making Australia’s costs the most expensive in the world for graduates hoping to stay onshore after completing their studies.
The non-refundable visa fee rose from $2,300 to $4,600 without prior warning on Sunday, placing Australia well in excess of competitors including New Zealand (A$1,406), Canada (A$262), the UK (A$1,665) and the US (A$661).
Continue reading...The home affairs minister says the One Nation leader was frustrated with the Muslim community because it ‘didn’t give her what she wanted’. Follow live updates
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Police investigating the mistaken kidnapping of grandfather Chris Baghsarian are appealing for information about suspicious car fires that could be related to the case, AAP reports.
Hopes are fading of finding the 85-year-old alive, who was taken captive more than a week ago when three men stormed his Sydney home and bundled him into an SUV.
Continue reading...Survey by Australian Human Rights Commission found universities failed to meet duty of care, while complaints processes were ‘Kafkaesque’
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Racism is “systemic” at Australia’s universities, according to a landmark report found students have mocked their Palestinian peers with shouts of “terrorism”, some students have been followed by campus security and First Nations students have been compared to “petrol sniffers” in lecture halls.
The report also found Jewish students were fearful to attend classes, with one harassed for wearing their kippa walking to class and another who described people screaming “send them to the camps” at a group of Jews on campus.
Continue reading...The victim was treated by NSW paramedics for wounds to his thigh but died at the scene
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A 15-year-old boy has been charged with murder after a teenager was allegedly stabbed to death behind a high school.
Police said a 17-year-old boy died from stab wounds to his thigh following a confrontation at a park in Sydney’s north-west about 4.20pm on Monday.
Continue reading...Higher education regulator investigates Catholic institute after comments by academics, including endorsing the White Australia policy
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An influential Catholic college in Sydney is under investigation by the higher education regulator over a series of comments made by two of its prominent academics supporting the White Australia policy and calling for Anglo-Celtic Australians and Europeans to become a “supermajority” in the country.
The federal education minister, Jason Clare, said the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (Teqsa) was “undertaking a compliance process” with Campion College in relation to a number of comments made by Stephen McInerney, a dean of studies, and Associate Prof Stephen Chavura, a senior lecturer.
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Total fire ban in parts of New South Wales
While a storm system continues to affect parts of New South Wales’ east, the state’s west faces extreme fire danger.
I expect it will be pretty much what the Nationals have wanted all along because it’s been really clear that they have set the agenda in terms of the energy and climate policy of the Liberal Party.
I’m genuinely concerned and genuinely disappointed that this has happened because we do need to take action on climate change.
I think my a lot of my community will be going ‘Why on earth has the Coalition done this if they are seeking to ever take back seats’ like mine?
Continue reading...Exclusive: Victorian education department apologises to mother who alleged her nonverbal child was sexually assaulted by the man. He denied the allegations and no charges were laid
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A school bus chaperone who allegedly sexually assaulted a nonverbal child continued working with students for months during the subsequent Victorian police investigation, prompting an apology to the girl’s mother from the state’s education department.
The allegation was denied by the chaperone and did not lead to charges. But Victoria’s education department apologised to the mother last year for failing to implement risk mitigation strategies during the police investigation.
In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800; adult survivors can seek help at Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380. Other sources of help can be found at Child Helpline International
Continue reading...Testing and remediation to take place in 15 schools after a consumer safety recall was issued for coloured sand used in sensory play and arts and crafts
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More than a dozen primary and preschools in the ACT have shut their doors, and a special school in Brisbane has made a snap closure, after an asbestos warning was issued for a range of colourful children’s sand products imported from China and sold at leading Australian retailers.
On Friday , the ACT’s education minister, Yvette Berry, confirmed 15 schools and six preschools would be fully closed, up from three earlier in the morning. Nine schools and preschools would be partially closed to multiple cohorts while testing and remediation took place.
Continue reading...Shoebridge accuses Labor of being ‘addicted to secrecy’. Follow today’s news live
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Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with some of the best overnight stories before Krishani Dhanji takes the controls.
Asio chief Mike Burgess gave a speech at the Lowy Institute in Sydney last night in which he said there were “at least” three countries whose governments were prepared to carry out assassinations on Australian soil. Asked whether it was too alarming, Burgess said that it was “incredibly important” for Australians to understand the dangers the country faced.
Continue reading...Regional and disadvantaged schools are bearing the brunt of the crisis, with almost two-thirds of teachers reporting high levels of stress
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Mathew Burt has been principal at Broome Senior High School for less than a decade, yet he’s one of the longest-serving school leaders across the Kimberly.
After spending most of his teaching career in Perth, Burt decided to make the tree change north in 2018 with his wife and two children. He said teacher shortages have hit all of Western Australia but, the more regional you go, the worse the crisis gets.
Continue reading...Queensland checking all 172 schools sitting exam with pupils expected to claim special consideration after studying the wrong Roman emperor
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Year 12 students from at least eight schools in Queensland were taught the wrong topic for their final history exams and authorities are now checking with 172 schools to see if any more were affected.
Students were meant to study Julius Caesar, but the affected pupils instead learned about his nephew Augustus, according to the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority.
Continue reading...Jason Clare says artificial intelligence is ‘supercharging bullying’ to a ‘terrifying’ extent
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A disturbing new trend of AI chatbots bullying children and even encouraging them to take their own lives has the Australian government very concerned.
Speaking to media on Saturday, the federal education minister, Jason Clare, said artificial intelligence was “supercharging” bullying.
Continue reading...The Liberal leader says the prime minister must extract ‘concrete’ results on Aukus and trade. Follow today’s news live
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Hume: Ley describing Melbourne as Australia’s ‘crime capital’ just ‘explaining what every Victorian already knows’
The federal Liberal senator for Victoria, Jane Hume, was on ABC Radio National a short time ago speaking about crime in the state.
Sussan and the shadow ministry team are putting together our policy agenda as we speak. It is only five months since the last election, but I don’t agree that there is nothing that a federal government cannot do. In fact, there are plenty of things that a federal government can get involved in to help states tackle crime, whether it be working for consistent bail laws across the country.
Continue reading...Treasurer says he spoke to former PM ‘half a dozen’ times before unveiling changes to his plans for superannuation tax concessions. Follow today’s news live
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Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then Nick Visser will take over.
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, says he spoke to former Labor prime minister Paul Keating ‘half a dozen times’ last week as he finalised the federal government’s watered-down superannuation tax plan. More coming up.
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James Paterson says Hastie move to backbench part of Liberals’ ‘debate and contest about ideas’
The sooner the Liberal party can sort out its differences the better but it may take a while after Andrew Hastie’s departure to the back bench, according to one of the rogue MP’s closest colleagues.
But we do have to make sure we go through our processes. We have to make sure we have those debates.
One of the reflections we’ve all had about the last parliamentary term is that there wasn’t enough debate and contest about ideas, that we need to robustly contest policy before we settle on it.
On the back bench, I’ll continue to advocate for things I believe in.
Continue reading...Peter Briggs says relying on overseas construction is ‘folly’; industrial relations commission to rule this morning on government’s stoush with doctors. Follow the latest news live
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The former head of Australia’s submarine squadron has urged Australia against outsourcing boat construction overseas, as bureaucrats express confidence the US won’t scuttle Aukus, Australian Associated Press reports.
A parliamentary inquiry yesterday ran the rule over the Geelong treaty, a 50-year Aukus cooperation agreement between Australia and the UK signed in July.
There is no minimum protection in the treaty for a guaranteed work share for genuine Australian industry.
The Collins project has established a viable submarine supply chain within Australia.
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PM brushes off Coalition criticism for attending UK Labour party’s national conference
Returning to Albanese’s appearance on Sky News this morning, the PM has shrugged off criticism from the Coalition that he is spending too much time engaging in international diplomacy after he attended the UK Labour party’s national conference.
What I do is work very hard representing Australia.
In Liverpool, I’ll be having discussions with ministers, not just with prime minister Starmer, about Aukus and about that progress, taking the opportunity to sit down with government ministers.
I think you can be strong on borders without being weak on humanity, and that’s what drives my government.
Continue reading...Follow the latest updates live
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Parents need boost to lift flagging vaccination rate
Parents need practical strategies such as easier access to appointments and bulk-billing to help reverse a concerning decline in childhood vaccination rates, research has found.
The top barriers were mostly around ability to get appointments easily, being able to prioritise their child’s vaccination over all of the other things that they have to get done, the cost of getting their child vaccinated.
We now know that that will be on the 20th of October. The point here is that they had spoken a number of times by phone. The relationship is conducted at many, many levels. It is going well.
We’ve got the lowest tariff rate. Aukus is happening at a pace. And so we’re really confident … about the progress of our relationship with the US.
Continue reading...US president berates Australia and others for recognising Palestine, but agrees to Albanese meeting in October. Follow today’s news live
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Albanese to make case for US capital to flow to Australian economy
Anthony Albanese and Australia’s ambassador to Washington, Kevin Rudd, are preparing to attend a major investment event in New York in the next few hours.
American capital and Australian manufacturing are a natural fit. And if we move now, we can make them an unbeatable combination. We can put our investment partnership at the centre of a defining global opportunity.
The world’s shift to clean energy represents the biggest change since the industrial revolution. We are looking at ever-increasing global demand for clean energy and the technology that generates and stores it.
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