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Liberal senator David Van is speaking to Sydney radio 2GB about independent senator Lidia Thorpe’s allegations in the Senate yesterday.
Thorpe withdrew the remarks to comply with the Senate’s standing orders but said she would be making a statement on the issue today.
Continue reading...Liberal vehemently denied the claims made by the independent senator under privilege, which she later withdrew to comply with Senate rules
Lidia Thorpe has withdrawn allegations she made in parliament accusing Senate colleague David Van of harassment and sexual assault, an allegation the Liberal politician vehemently denied.
After making the initial claim on Wednesday afternoon, Thorpe returned to the chamber to say she was withdrawing the remarks in order to comply with Senate standing orders, but would make further comment on Thursday. Thorpe made the initial claims under parliamentary privilege during an interjection in the Senate on Wednesday afternoon as Van was speaking about respect in parliament.
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Continue reading...Senator’s comments come as leader Adam Bandt says the party is yet to see the complaint of racism foreshadowed by Lidia Thorpe
Senator Mehreen Faruqi has revealed she has “experienced racism in the Greens” as leader Adam Bandt declined to rule out that the party had received complaints about alleged racism beyond one expected from Lidia Thorpe.
Faruqi, the Greens’ anti-racism spokesperson, made the comments at a press conference on Tuesday at which Bandt confirmed the party is yet to see the complaint of racism foreshadowed by senator Thorpe on the ABC on Sunday.
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Continue reading...Independent senator also foreshadowed abstaining from Senate vote on Indigenous voice referendum in interview with ABC
Senator Lidia Thorpe says she will lodge a complaint to the Human Rights Commission against her former party, the Australian Greens, claiming she experienced racism during her time in the organisation.
But the party said it is not aware of the complaint and is committed to stamping out racism at work and in parliament.
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Sydney man arrested for alleged major heroin smuggling operation after deportation
A Sydney man has been charged for allegedly orchestrating one of the biggest heroin imports in recent history after being deported from Türkiye, the Australian Federal Police has said.
Police will allege the man has been based in a number of countries since March 2020 and is responsible for organising the importation of 347.9kg of heroin into Sydney in December 2020, while he was based in Thailand. It will also be alleged this man has extensive links to transnational organised crime groups, which helped facilitate this importation.
Continue reading...Prime minister returns to Australia on Sunday after joining in pledge to new monarch, a decision backed by colleagues
Anthony Albanese’s decision to pledge allegiance to King Charles at the monarch’s coronation has been described as “crucial” by his own government, despite the prime minister’s stance as a staunch republican.
The prime minister on Sunday said it was an honour to represent Australia at the coronation, where he entered Westminster Abbey behind Governor-General David Hurley and the national flag-bearer, soccer star Sam Kerr.
Continue reading...Exclusive: Aboriginal Olympian Nova Peris says ‘change begins with listening’ as campaigners from 12 countries ask for ‘process of reparatory justice to commence’
Australians have joined Indigenous leaders and politicians across the Commonwealth to demand King Charles III make a formal apology for the effects of British colonisation, make reparations by redistributing the wealth of the British crown, and return artefacts and human remains.
Days out from Charles’s coronation in London, campaigners for republic and reparations movements in 12 countries have written a letter asking the new monarch to start a process towards “a formal apology and for a process of reparatory justice to commence”.
Continue reading...Senator says she was provoked and stood up for herself after video showed expletive-laden row outside Melbourne strip club
The independent senator Lidia Thorpe says speculation about her mental health is a “racist and misogynistic narrative” used to discredit outspoken women and claims political opponents including Anthony Albanese are trying to “drag” her down.
After video emerged showing the Victorian senator engaged in an expletive-laden argument outside a Melbourne strip club on the weekend, the prime minister suggested health issues could be behind the incident and said he hoped she “gets some support”.
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Continue reading...The senator called Anthony Albanese’s comments ‘insulting’ after video circulated of her in an expletive-laden argument with several men
The independent senator Lidia Thorpe has hit back at Anthony Albanese’s suggestions that health issues could be behind her early-morning altercation outside a Melbourne strip club, claiming the prime minister and her detractors are “taking their info from rightwing media”.
Thorpe has come under fire this week after video circulated of her in an expletive-laden argument with several men outside a Brunswick club at about 3am on Sunday morning. One person is heard calling Thorpe a “racist dog”. She replies: “Any black man that stands with the fucking white little cunt like that, youse can all get fucked, too.”
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Continue reading...Covid measures had been in place since 5 January, after China halted a lot of its own protocols. Follow the day’s news live
Gallagher aware of funding issue on national partnership agreements
A lot of funding in Australia is tied up in national partnership agreements. They are usually for short periods – the commonwealth works with the states to come to an agreement on funding, but it often means that agreements almost come to an end (or indeed, do end) and need emergency funding to continue while the next national partnership is worked out.
That agreement, which this money flows through is part of the national housing and homelessness agreement. And we are in active negotiations with the states. I’m aware of the funding issue. This is, you know, to give appropriate remuneration funding for or funding for payment for staff and Julie Collins is working hard on it. I can’t give you an answer today because it is right literally on our table.
We certainly were aware of the inflation problem in October. So you saw that we were we had upside, revenue coming in to the budget that we banked that – I think it was 99% in the first two years and 94% of the upside revenue over the forward estimates.
Now that was an important message, not just from the fact that we’re going to be fiscally responsible, but that where we can, you know, show restraint in spending.
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Facing up to financial distress
It is not just academic though – there have been increased reports of people feeling distressed because of financial pressures.
When people are under extreme financial pressure, that has implications for their wellbeing more broadly. I mean, I think that is understood. And I’m sure that the governor in accepting that meeting understands that.
What we want to do as government is make life a little bit easier for people where we can, whether it’s with energy bills, whether it’s with cheaper early childhood education, cheaper medicines, trying to get wages moving again, financial security is a big part of what we’re focused on, particularly when these cost-of-living pressures are so acute.
Continue reading...Exclusive: Former Greens senator denies relationship with Dean Martin and says she was told by her then party’s lawyers to say she dated him
Senator Lidia Thorpe has denied she ever dated former Rebels bikie boss Dean Martin and instead alleged she was told by lawyers for the Greens to claim the pair had a relationship.
A Senate privileges committee report into “possible obstruction” of the law enforcement committee – of which Thorpe was once a member – has found she should have declared her links to Dean Martin. However, it found that the former Greens senator did not disclose any of the committee’s sensitive activities and that she should not be found in contempt.
Continue reading...Actor and ‘cultural icon’ honoured in state memorial service at Hamer Hall. This blog is now closed
Independent MP Zali Steggall suggests Labor’s take on the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act is “greenwashing,” following the appearance of Chris Bowen, minister for industry, energy and emissions reduction, on ABC Insiders this morning.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers defended potential alterations to tax breaks on multimillion-dollar superannuation balances on Sky News this morning.
The fundamentals won’t change. The tax concessionality will still be there, but we do need to consider whether we can afford the degree of tax concessionality for people who’ve got very big balances.
I’m not interested in a war of words with John Howard. John Howard is someone who I respect and he deserves better than to be wheeled out to prop up Angus Taylor’s dodgy arguments or to shore up Peter Dutton’s failing leadership.
Continue reading...First female Indigenous senator from WA says she and her predecessor are ‘very different politicians’
Dorinda Cox has been appointed as the Greens’ new First Nations spokesperson after Lidia Thorpe’s departure from the party.
Cox, a Yamatji-Noongar woman, has been handed the job as the party campaigns for a yes vote in the upcoming voice to parliament referendum.
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