What we learned, Friday 12 September
Thanks for following the live blog this week. We’ll wrap up our coverage of today’s breaking news there. Here were the day’s top stories:
A new national IVF accreditation system is planned after embryo bungles sparked a rapid review.
The federal government approved Woodside’s massive North West Shelf extension with added protection for rock art.
Angus Taylor said he supported the decision to sack Jacinta Nampijinpa Price
The Albanese government’s Islamophobia envoy handed down his report, containing 54 recommendations spanning every large government agency.
The envoy, Aftab Malik, said Islamophobia has been “persistent” and “never fully addressed”.
Jayne Hrdlicka, the former Virgin Australia chief, left the airline with a $50m package.
GPs and medical groups called for nationally consistent rules on treating ADHD.
Dementia has become the leading cause of death in Australia, accounting for almost 17,400 deaths in 2023.
Anthony Albanese said Charlie Kirk’s shooting was “horrific” and condemned all political violence. He also said his discussions with Donald Trump have been “really warm” after the US president described him as a “good man”.
We’ll keep you across the nation’s breaking news over the weekend.
Updated
New IVF accreditation system planned after embryo bungles sparks rapid review
A new independent accreditation regime will be introduced for fertility providers by 2027 to restore “confidence, independence and transparency” in the sector after two embryo mix-ups at a leading clinic sparked an urgent review.
The federal health minister, Mark Butler, and his state and territory counterparts met in Perth on Friday and accepted recommendations from a rapid inquiry into the IVF sector.
The review was launched in June after two separate bungled embryo implants at Melbourne-based Monash IVF.
A communique from Friday’s meeting said ministers agreed with the review’s finding that the existing “industry-led” accreditation system for providers was “not adequate”.
The ministers agreed to introduce a new independent accreditation system, which will be overseen by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care.
The new regime will be in place by January 2027. Speaking after the meeting, Butler said:
There is no greater investment of hope and confidence that I can imagine people making into a sector than the investment of hope to help build a family.
I know as a father of a beautiful IVF baby myself that the damage to confidence in their sector over the last several months demanded that health ministers take action.
We want to see an independent accreditation system, and we decided to do that at this meeting after that rapid review. We want to see the highest possible standard right across the country so that every family can be confident they’re getting the best possible care and support from this sector.
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Gun control advocates call for NSW premier to abandon hunting bill entirely
Gun control advocates have responded to the news the NSW government will not give up time in its legislative agenda to a bill that would enshrine “a right to hunt”.
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, had previously given the bill broad support, but on Monday said he did not back a right to hunt, after gun control advocates widely criticised it.
It came after Minns met Walter Mikac, who established the Alannah and Madeline Foundation after his wife and two daughters were killed in the 1996 Port Arthur massacre.
Stephen Bendle, a senior adviser at the foundation, said it welcomed the news the bill was now stalled in the NSW upper house.
We are pleased that the government is slowly walking back the bill … We only wish the premier would come out outright and stand with the broader community, and distance himself entirely from the bill before parliament sits next week.
Bendle said he was disappointed a special inquiry into the bill had been “rushed through”, making only one final recommendation – that the issues it raised be debated in parliament – but none on the other issues that saw submissions from advocates and members of the public, including the use of silencers and night-vision goggles, as well as the right to hunt.
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Traditional owners welcome rock art protection near North West Shelf gas project
Murujuga’s traditional owners and custodians have welcomed the government’s added protection on the Murujuga Indigenous rock art complex alongside its North West Shelf gas project approval.
The Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation released a statement welcoming the new measures protecting the area’s cultural heritage, which includes more than 1m petroglyphs dating back 50,000 years, including the oldest known image of a human face. Its chair, Peter Hicks, said:
This extraordinary landscape has been managed and cared for by our ancestors for more than 50,000 years and is a sacred, spiritual and deeply storied place.
With this declaration, we have an even clearer way forward and we thank the federal government for enacting a critical part of Australia’s legislative framework to ensure that this sacred place is protected in perpetuity.
The corporation, a governing body made up of five language groups – the Ngarluma, Yaburara, Mardudhunera (Mardathoonera), Yindjibarndi, and Wong-Goo-Tt-Oo peoples – acts as custodian for the land neighbouring Woodside’s Karratha gas export plant. Read more here:
Updated
Greens praise First Nations ‘hard work’ on Woodside conditions
Mehreen Faruqi, the Greens senator, has cheered the “hard work” of First Nations communities who advocated for extra conditions on the Woodside North West Shelf gas export project.
The Albanese government today approved the project’s extension until 2070 but added conditions to protect more than 1m pieces of ancient World Heritage-listed Indigenous rock art that sit nearby.
Faruqi said the conditions were a good outcome, but the extension was a “betrayal” of voters who want climate action. She told the ABC:
I cannot call this approval of a climate bomb a positive decision. Of course, if there are conditions being put for the rock art, that is a good thing and First Nations communities have pushed for that very long and very hard …
Their hard work has forced the minister to put some conditions on but releasing 6.1bn tonnes of carbon emissions does not protect anyone in Australia or around the world, and people really didn’t vote for Woodside ‘s carbon bomb.
Read more about the government’s decision here:
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Islamophobia envoy says report was ‘truly independent’
Aftab Malik, the federal government’s special envoy to combat Islamophobia, says his calls for legal and other reforms have been made “truly independent” of government.
Malik said he had been given the resources to work independently from the government, but the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, “seems to be pleased” with the report. He told the ABC:
Everyone [in government] has been there to support me and to provide me with any assistance that I’ve required. And out of all of this, one thing I can say is they truly allowed me to be truly independent.
Malik said he met regularly with the special envoy to combat antisemitism, Jillian Segal, but demurred when asked to comment on her report, which controversially recommended cutting funding from universities and artists if they fail to act against antisemitism.
She has effectively produced a report that reflects the Jewish community, and I produced a report that reflects the will of the Muslim community. In our report, the Muslim community stakeholders I talked to do not want retribution. They wanted recognition.
Malik’s recommendations include a new powerful commission of inquiry into Islamophobia, which he said would “signal to the Muslim community that Islamophobia, in the most senior and highest level [of government], … is the top priority of the day.”
Read more about the report here:
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Islamophobia envoy says Sussan Ley did not take up invitation to meet
The Albanese government’s special envoy against Islamophobia says the Liberal leader, Sussan Ley, did not take up an invitation to meet, and he instead met two other Coalition frontbenchers.
Aftab Malik today handed down a report on Islamophobia containing 54 recommendations, which he described as a “beginning step”. He told the ABC:
Now my job is to ensure there is momentum behind this to ensure the government addresses these and [in] a very timely manner.
Malik has recommended the government legislate more specifically against religious discrimination to protect Muslim Australians, which Anthony Albanese has said he could only pursue with the support of the Coalition.
Malik told the ABC he invited federal politicians to meet him in July, but Ley did not meet him, and he recalled just two Coalition frontbenchers attending. He said:
I don’t think Sussan Ley was able to attend. It went out to all parliamentarians. Members of the Liberal party were there and representatives from the Green party, independent, the Labor party. … I think we had the shadow attorney-general, and we had the shadow immigration minister, they were both present.
All I can do is issue an invitation to all parliamentarians, and I really urge them to come speak.
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NSW Greens call for Labor to reject hunting bill entirely
Sue Higginson, the NSW Greens MP, has called for the Minns government to entirely disavow the Shooters and Fishers-sponsored hunting bill after Labor said it would. Higginson said:
This bill was never about invasive species control; it was about the Shooters party embedding the gun lobby into our public institutions and weakening Australia’s tough and successful gun laws here in NSW.
Chris Minns, the Labor premier, had initially given broad support to the bill in June, although not for sections that liberalised the use of silencers and night vision goggles. But on Monday, he said he did not support a central element enshrining a “right to hunt”, widely criticised by gun control advocates, saying it could lead to the creation of a US-style right to bear arms.
Both the Shooters party and Minns have denied the government’s support for the bill was an attempt to gain votes on an unrelated workers’ compensation reform bill in the upper house, in which the government does not have a majority. Robert Borsak, the Shooters MP, has been contacted for comment.
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Crime scene established after man dies in Sydney house fire
Police have established a crime scene after a house fire in Sydney’s south-west left one man dead and another in a serious condition.
The home in Yagoona, north of Bankstown, was “well alight” when police responded to reports of fire after 1:30pm this afternoon, NSW police said. The blaze is now extinguished.
Firefighters pulled a person out of the burning two-storey home, Fire and Rescue NSW posted on X.
Paramedics treated a 60-year-old man, but he died at the scene, police said. Another man, 86, was taken to hospital in a serious condition from smoke inhalation.
A crime scene had been established and an investigation launched, police said.
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NSW government stalls progression of hunting bill
The NSW government says it will not devote any further time in parliament towards legislation that would establish a right to hunt on public land, effectively stalling the controversial bill it had previously supported.
A spokesperson for the Minns government has confirmed to Guardian Australia that the government will not use any more of its “business time” to progress the bill brought by the Shooters and Fishers party, which would allow recreational hunters to shoot feral animals in state forests and on crown lands.
It comes as a report by an upper house committee on the bill, released today, revealed a shift in the government’s position. Earlier this week, government MPs on the inquiry – which Labor did not support – voted against motions critical of the bill, including a $7.9m allocation in June’s state budget to create a conservation hunting authority.
But the committee, which received more than 2,600 submissions from organisations and members of the public on animal welfare, public safety and changes to gun control, made only one final recommendation: that the issues it identified be debated in parliament.
The government’s decision not to allocate further business time to the bill, brought by the Shooters MP Robert Borsak, means it now must be debated in the upper house during the shorter slots allocated for private members’ bills. It will face considerable opposition and calls for amendments from the cross bench.
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Aerial and on-water surveillance stepped up after Sydney shark attack
Surf life-savers on Sydney’s northern beaches will ramp up jetski and drone surveillance as surf competitions return to the water close to where a man was fatally mauled by a shark last weekend.
Jetskis and drones will be positioned across the competition area for board riding events at North Avalon, Mona Vale and Queenscliff this coming Saturday and Sunday, Surf Life Saving NSW said in a statement.
The Surfing NSW CEO, Lucas Townsend, said the week had been “extremely tough” for the area’s “tight-knit board riding community”.
Our focus now is helping clubs, volunteers and members feel confident returning to the ocean. With support from Surf Life Saving NSW, every club round this weekend will have a visible water-safety presence to help rebuild confidence across our surfing community.
Tim Quinn, the co-president of Queenscliff Boardriders (QBC), said the club’s members felt “vulnerable”.
With the recent tragic events on our local beaches, QBC members have felt vulnerable and apprehensive about returning to the water. Running our monthly comp was important to bring our community together in these difficult times.
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Sydney flights to go ahead uninterrupted as staff shortage resolved
In a bit of good news, Airservices Australia says flights from Sydney airport will no longer need to be paused this afternoon.
A spokesperson said the organisation had resolved the staffing issue affecting Sydney airport and would now be able to provide an uninterrupted departure service.
A number of air traffic controllers at Sydney Tower had called in sick today, which had prompted the now-cancelled pause on takeoffs.
Updated
Thanks to Nick Visser for his blogging expertise this week. Let’s get into the rest of Friday’s breaking news.
That’s all from me. You’ll be in the very capable hands of Luca Ittimani for the rest of the day. Happy weekend.
Sydney flight takeoffs paused after air staff call in sick
Sydney’s air traffic controllers have called in sick, disrupting flight plans and prompting a half-hour pause on departures this afternoon.
Departures will be paused from 3:30pm to 4pm to manage the staff shortage, Airservices Australia said. Takeoffs are also understood to have been spaced out by four minutes over much of the day.
Qantas has three flights scheduled to take off during the pause, but was aiming to get the flights off the ground earlier or leave passengers waiting briefly.
Guardian Australia understands Virgin Australia has no flights scheduled during the window, but minor delays are expected after the pause is lifted as the backlog of delayed flights clears.
Airservices said the staff shortage would not impact arrivals. A spokesperson said:
“We sincerely apologise to airlines and the travelling public for any delays.”
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Watt says Woodside extension conditions ensure no ‘unacceptable impacts’ to rock art
Watt says the 48 conditions he has imposed will ensure there are no “unacceptable impacts” to rock art in the region.
He just told reporters:
The conditions will ensure that this project will be operated in a way that does not cause unacceptable impacts to the rock art, including by restricting our emissions.
Watt declined to specify what significant impacts to the rock art would be, adding:
I am very invested in protecting this rock art. … That’s why we accepted the 48 conditions, which could have things like reducing nitrogen oxide gases by 60% by 2030 and more beyond that which go to reducing sulphur oxide gases.
Updated
Federal government approves Woodside’s massive North West Shelf extension with protections for rock art
The Albanese government has approved an extension to 2070 of one of the world’s biggest gas export projects, saying it has agreed to conditions to protect more than 1m pieces of ancient World Heritage-listed indigenous rock art that sit adjacent to the site.
Climate campaigners have described Woodside’s North West Shelf extension as a “carbon bomb” that is incompatible with global climate goals.
The federal environment minister, Murray Watt, revealed his decision this afternoon after saying in May he was proposing to approve the plans.
The minister also granted a “partial” protection of the site under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act, after an application more than three years ago from traditional owner Raelene Cooper, of the Save our Songlines group.
Watt’s department had been in talks with Woodside since May over conditions relating chiefly to nitrous oxide emissions.
The extension allows Woodside to continue operating its Karratha plant, which processes gas and liquefies it for export, beyond 2030 and up to 2070.
Confirming the approval, Watt said he had imposed 48 conditions on Woodside that related to restricting and monitoring industrial air emissions, including nitrous oxide, that could be damaging the rock art.
The Karratha plant neighbours the World Heritage-listed Murujuga indigenous rock art complex – a landscape of more than 1m petroglyphs, with art as old as 50,000 years.
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Angus Taylor supports decision to sack Jacinta Nampijinpa Price
The opposition frontbencher Angus Taylor backed Sussan Ley’s decision to sack outspoken Liberal Jacinta Nampijinpa Price this week.
In his first public comments about the saga, Taylor said Price had a big future in Liberal Party politics, despite being demoted to the backbench over inflammatory comments about immigration.
Ley sacked the former shadow assistant minister after she stopped short of expressing confidence in Ley’s leadership. Party infighting spilled into public view over Price’s claims Labor had politicised the immigration system to bring in Indian migrants to boost support for the Albanese government.
“I do support the decision, because Jacinta wasn’t able to support Sussan, of course,” Taylor told Sky News this afternoon, adding:
Can I say that? It’s extremely disappointing, though. From my point of view, Jacinta is a valued member of the Liberal party team.
She’s courageous. She is talented. She’s determined, and I’m sure she’ll continue to make a great contribution to the Liberal party in the months and years to come, and I will encourage you to do so.
Taylor is a key backer of Price and had planned to run for the Liberal leadership on a joint ticket with the Northern Territory senator. Taylor is considered a key rival to Ley within the Liberal party room.
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More on the Diamonds’ deal
The deal includes increased investment in programs covering wellbeing, alumni support and commercial opportunities.
The Netball Australia boss, Stacey West, said the agreement sought to maximise commercial and social opportunities for the sport.
The Diamonds players are the best players in the world and they should be recognised and rewarded for their strong marketability, world class skills, hard work and their dedication to our sport and our communities.
It comes after players in the domestic Super Netball competition locked in a deal in 2024that incentivises athletes to market themselves to potential sponsors.
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Netball’s Diamonds to get major pay boost after landmark deal
Australia’s Diamonds will receive a significant pay boost after agreeing to a landmark deal with Netball Australia (NA).
NA and the Australian Netball Players’ Association (ANPA) have for the first time agreed to a revenue-sharing model in the new collective player agreement, which will see players receive a direct share of Diamonds sponsorship, broadcast and event revenue.
National players will also receive a roughly 40% pay rise over the three-year deal.
The ANPA chief executive, Kathryn Harby-Williams, said players were delighted that their contribution to the game was acknowledged in the new deal.
The new revenue share partnership model aligns netball with other major national and international sports, recognising that the world champion Australian Diamonds are more than just employees – they are the product.
This agreement ensures players are starting to be rewarded in a way that reflects their impact and success.
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Albanese proud of Australia’s multiculturalism but says we must not take social cohesion for granted
The prime minister says the report reflects his pride in Australia.
We need to nurture social cohesion. We can’t take it for granted. My government does that each and every day. We call out when there are attempts to divide us and we work each and every day to create a more united and stronger Australia.
I’m really proud of our country. We should be proud, when we look around the world, at what we are achieving here in this great nation of Australia. That doesn’t mean there’s not more work to do. It means that we can’t take it for granted and my government certainly isn’t doing that.
Updated
You can read the full report below
The special envoy has published the full report, A National Response to Islamophobia, here. Take a look.
Islamophobia envoy's report has 54 recommendations spanning every large government agency
Malik says the report “proposes a way forward for the religious protection of all religious communities who have not been afforded this to date”. It includes 54 recommendations.
He says:
The recommendations that I present today emerged from a combination of Muslims’ lived experiences in Australia, the input of 30 national and international experts and academics, as well as the only two other envoys in the world solely committed to combatting Islamophobia …
I have made 54 recommendations spanning every major agency in the Australian government, and the recommendations encapsulate [these] key areas:
Accountability and responsibility: holding individuals and institutions accountable for hate speech and discriminatory actions and policies;
Protection and support: ensuring that victims of Islamophobia have accessible support services and that communities feel safe and valued;
Education and awareness: challenge Islamophobia, promote understanding and respectful dialogue through training, media, the arts and education.
These recommendations aim to engender a fair, respectful and inclusive environment, one that actively combats prejudice and hate, but importantly respects fundamental freedoms.
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Envoy Aftab Malik says Islamophobia has been ‘persistent’ and ‘never fully addressed’
Aftab Malik, the special envoy to combat Islamophobia, says the report is a historic moment for Australia, “a moment where we decide who we are as a country and whether we are prepared to take the necessary steps to ensure that every person in Australia, regardless of faith, ethnicity or background, is safe, valued and treated with dignity”.
Malik says:
The reality is that Islamophobia in Australia has been persistent, at times ignored and other times denied, but never fully addressed.
We have seen opposition to mosques and Islamic schools turn to violent vandalism on Muslim properties. We have seen public abuse, graffiti … We have seen Muslim people and children targeted, not for what they have done, but for who they are and what they wear.
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PM: ‘We must stamp out the hate, fear and prejudice’
Albanese says the report reflects efforts to celebrate Australia’s diversity and strengthen Australian values.
He says:
Australians should be able to feel safe at home in any community. The targeting of Australians based on their religious beliefs is not only an attack on them, but it’s an attack on our core values. We must stamp out the hate, fear and prejudice that drives Islamophobia and division in our society.
… I really see that Australia can be a microcosm of what we want the world to be. A place where people live side-by-side in harmony. Where we’re enriched by the diversity from people from different faiths, different backgrounds, different heritage.
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Islamophobia envoy to hand down recommendations to Albanese government
The special envoy to combat Islamophobia is expected to hand down a report to the Albanese government very soon. We’ll bring you live coverage of the press conference, due to begin at 1.15pm, featuring the prime minister, the special envoy, Aftab Malik, and the minister for multicultural affairs, Anne Aly.
Stick with us.
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Australian dollar at highest value in nearly a year
The Australian dollar has surged against the US dollar as prospects of more interest rate cuts fade here but improve in the US.
One Australian dollar was buying 66.6 US cents on this afternoon. The last time the AUD rose that high was in October last year, excluding a brief bounce in the days after Donald Trump’s election to the presidency in November.
A weakening job market in the US has added to worries that the world’s biggest economy might be entering a sustained slump, in part under the stress of tariff shocks.
The US central bank chief had been averse to cutting interest rates over the year but in late August flagged a cut might be necessary.
In Australia, an uptick in economic growth along with steady job growth and low unemployment have dispelled hopes of three more interest rate cuts.
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Eighth man charged over Camp Sovereignty attack
An eighth man has been charged over the alleged attack on Melbourne’s Camp Sovereignty by a group of men, including neo-Nazis, after anti-immigration protests in late August.
Victorian police said a 22-year-old man from Benalla was last night charged with violent disorder, affray and discharging a missile. He will face court on 16 September.
Three other men, aged 20, 23 and 32, were arrested and charged days after the alleged assaults, which occurred when a group of men, including neo-Nazis, left protests against migration on 31 August and stormed the Indigenous activist site.
Another four have been charged in the intervening weeks, one of whom faces charges of assault by kicking and committing an indictable offence while on bail, and another a charge of assault with a weapon.
Detectives continue to investigate the incident and urge anyone with any information or footage that might help them to contact Crime Stoppers.
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ANZ projects economic growth to pick up to two year-high
ANZ has predicted Australia’s economy is growing at about 2.5% annually, which would be the highest rate since 2023.
The bank’s economists pointed to data from competitor NAB showing businesses are ordering more and more goods ahead of time, while ANZ’s own job ads indicator suggests steady employment growth.
Unemployment is expected to be stable at 4.2% when the August figures are released next week, according to the analysis from ANZ’s economic team. The economy’s returning momentum suggests there’ll only be one more interest rate cut, they said.
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Shakespearean drama at ANU has many wondering who will exit stage after vice-chancellor Genevieve Bell
When Julie Bishop fronted hundreds of staff at the Australian National University to announce the vice-chancellor’s resignation on Thursday, she noted at the beginning of her chancellory address that it was R U OK? Day.
In response, the crowd laughed.
The departure of Prof Genevieve Bell has been anticipated for more than a week but it throws up more questions than answers. Staff are yet to hear if about 100 jobs remain on the line, or if eight change proposals will still go ahead.
The restructure, and how it has been handled, has placed ANU at the centre of a governance crisis. The National Tertiary Education Union, students, the sector’s regulator and politicians have raised the alarm about an alleged culture of fear that has driven an academic to consider taking her life.
Read more here:
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Sydney man to face court after police seize $1m in cannabis plants
A man in NSW will face court today after police said they seized a large amount of cannabis plants from a home in Sydney’s western suburbs with an alleged street value about $1m.
NSW police said they began an investigation in June into allegations of a hydroponic set up in the suburb of Condell Park. At around 4pm yesterday, officers executed a search warrant on a home, where they allegedly found and seized a hydroponic system and 300 cannabis plants.
A man, 44, was arrested at the scene and taken to Bankstown Police station where he was charged with knowingly taking part in cultivation of a large commercial quantity of cannabis, found on/entering/leaving drug premises and hindering or resisting police officers in the execution of duty.
He was refused bail and will appear at Bankstown Local court today.
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‘Grave concerns’ from states over Labor plan to move autism services off NDIS
Labor is facing a growing revolt by the states about plans to provide early intervention autism services through a new $2bn national scheme, with Victoria’s disability minister warning children’s rights must not be traded away “for 30 pieces of silver”.
States and territories were blind-sided by last month’s announcement from the health minister, Mark Butler, that the federal government had scrapped plans for locally provided services for children with mild autism and other developmental issues, as part of efforts to ease pressure on the rapidly growing NDIS budget.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, wrote to state premiers last week saying negotiations on a new national health funding deal would remain tied to planning for the nearly $50bn NDIS, including moves to shift childhood foundational supports to the new Thriving Kids program, due to start operating nationally on 1 July next year.
A copy of the letter, seen by Guardian Australia, shows services to children under eight years old with low to moderate needs and their families will receive targeted therapeutic early intervention supports at schools, health clinics and community facilities.
Read more here:
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Former Virgin Australia chief exits with $50m
Jayne Hrdlicka, the former chief executive of Virgin Australia, left the airline with a remuneration package worth more than $50m, according to the company’s annual report.
Hrdlicka, who was brought on to revive the airline after its collapse early in the pandemic, left in March, shortly before Virgin Australia re-listed on the ASX.
She has had several high-profile executive roles, and is the former head of Qantas’ budget carrier, Jetstar.
Virgin’s annual report, released this morning, shows Hrdlicka left the airline with a package of cash and shares valued at $49.9m, which included various performance-linked payments and shares.
While the shares are valued in the annual report at its initial public offer price of $2.90 a share, they now trade at more than $3.20, tipping her total package over the $50m mark.
There are restrictions on when Hrdlicka can cash in the shares. The overall payout, known colloquially as a “golden handshake” is large even by corporate Australia levels.
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Is Coalition chaos making life easier for Albanese? – Full Story podcast
After a week of infighting, Sussan Ley was left with no choice but to sack conservative Jacinta Nampijinpa Price. As Price and her supporters push for a more Trumpian turn, Ley is fighting to bring the opposition back to the centre. But with the Coalition tearing itself apart, should the media turn its attention to the party in power?
Bridie Jabour talks to the Guardian Australia editor, Lenore Taylor, deputy editor Patrick Keneally and the head of newsroom, Mike Ticher, about who is holding Labor to account when the Coalition is constantly in chaos.
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NSW police celebrate 200 years as world’s longest-serving mounted unit
Today marks the 200th anniversary of the NSW Mounted Police, the longest-serving continuously mounted police unit in the world.
The force will participate in a street parade in Sydney today, ending at the Sydney Opera House, which will include serving officers and troop horses, as well as a contingent of retired officers, among others. It begins at 11am at Hyde Park Barracks.
The mounted police unit was formed before the London Metropolitan Mounted Police, which began in 1828, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, in 1863.
Yasmin Catley, the state’s police minister, said in a statement:
From bushranger patrols in the 1800s, to crowd management and search operations today, this bond has helped keep the people of NSW safe for two centuries.
I want to acknowledge all former and current serving Mounted Police Unit officers, and their loyal Troop Horses, who have played an integral role in this state’s proud policing history.
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Offshore wind was touted as a big part of Australia’s energy transition – but does it still have a future?
For many Australians, the scale of offshore wind projects can be hard to fathom. These powerful machines, designed to harness the strong and consistent winds blowing over the ocean, are colossal, with blade tips reaching up to 350m – higher than our tallest skyscrapers.
If everything falls into place, Australia’s first offshore wind project could have turbines in the water before 2032.
But those ambitions have begun to look increasingly optimistic in recent months as plans for projects up and down the east coast have collapsed.
Read more here:
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Albanese says discussions with Trump have been ‘really warm’
Anthony Albanese says he looks forward to continuing to engage with the US, calling the relationship an “important one”.
He added that every discussion with president Donald Trump, including his call last week, had been “really warm” and said he would continue to work with the White House to advance Australia’s interests and see more American tourists visit the country.
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PM hails relationship with Pacific region after returning from forum
Albanese was speaking in Cairns after returning from Solomon Islands for the Pacific Islands Forum. He said the country’s relationship with the region remains as strong as ever, and is linked in its prosperity:
We are family and we look after each other and we’ll continue to do so.
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Albanese says Kirk shooting is ‘horrific’ and condemns all political violence
Anthony Albanese has called the assassination of the US right wing commentator Charlie Kirk “horriffic” as he reiterated his condemnation of political violence.
The prime minister just spoke to reporters in Cairns:
This is horrific. There is no place for violence. I think the world is shocked by such an event and my heart goes out to Mr Kirk’s family and to all those who will be grieving today in the United States. Political violence has no role.
We in Australia can be really proud of the way that we conduct ourselves. We need to continue to get rid of the fringes, whether they be of the extreme left or the extreme right.
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What do the experts say on ADHD rules?
Dr Michael Wright, the president of the Royal Australian College of GPs, said:
This is a chance for health ministers to make sure patients get consistent, affordable ADHD care no matter where they live.
Dr Rod Martin, Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine president, said:
Whether a GP can provide care for a patient with ADHD is determined more by which side of a border they’re on than that GP’s training or experience in ADHD care. That inconsistency serves no one and further reduces health outcomes for rural, remote, and First Nations communities.
Prof David Coghill, the ADHD Professionals Association president, said:
When GPs have the right tools, appropriate training, and support, they can provide safe and appropriate care for both children and adults. Making non complex ADHD care available through GPs will increase access to care, reduce inequality and costs, and improve the lives of Australians.
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GPs and medical groups call for national rules on treating ADHD
GPs and ADHD professionals are calling for nationally consistent rules around who can diagnose and treat ADHD, as currently some states allow GPs to provide care while others don’t.
With state and federal health ministers expected meet today, the Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP), the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM), and the Australasian ADHD Professionals Association (AADPA) have written a letter urging the ministers to allow GPs to use their full training and expertise to diagnose and treat ADHD.
At their last meeting in June, health ministers agreed that harmonising ADHD prescribing rules would be a priority.
With a rise in diagnoses, there have been rising costs and long wait lists involved to see a specialist in order to get a diagnosis, management plan and prescription medication for ADHD. These access issues are exacerbated in regional areas.
The joint letter urges the health ministers to make prescribing rules consistent across Australia so that specialist GPs, as well as psychiatrists and paediatricians, can start, change and continue ADHD medications for adults and children.
They are also calling for the alignment of criteria such as age limits, review periods, and transition rules from child to adult care, as well as funding for GP training, mentorship and tools, which is already happening in New South Wales and Wester Australia.
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Divisions over Gaza hit Eurovision as Ireland pulls out
Ireland’s national broadcaster, RTÉ, has decided not to take part in next year’s Eurovision song contest if Israel is a participant.
RTÉ is the second of 37 broadcasters who took part in the event this year to have made participation next year conditional. The broadcaster said in a statement:
It is RTÉ’s position that Ireland will not take part in the 2026 Eurovision song contest if the participation of Israel goes ahead. … RTÉ feels that Ireland’s participation would be unconscionable given the ongoing and appalling loss of lives in Gaza.
Slovenia’s national broadcaster, RTVSLO, has also said it will participate in next year’s contest only if Israel is not involved. This week the Spanish culture minister said Spain should not take part either.
Read more here:
Dementia now a leading cause of death in Australia
Australians are dying from dementia more than any other disease, as advocates warn the number of people with the disease could exceed 1 million without government intervention, AAP reports.
Dementia accounted for almost 17,400 deaths in 2023, equivalent to almost one in 10 of all deaths, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
It is the leading cause for women and second to heart disease for men.
More than 425,000 Australians were estimated to be living with dementia in 2024, equivalent to 16 people in every 1,000. By 2065, almost 1.1 million people are predicted to have dementia, a 2.5-fold increase.
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'An entirely unedifying week' for the Coalition, Jane Hume says
The Liberal senator Jane Hume says she hopes the Coalition does not repeat the drama surrounding Jacinta Nampijinpa Price over her remarks on Indian migrants, adding there had been “mishandling on all sides”.
Hume spoke to Channel Seven’s Sunrise this morning, saying it was now time to move on after Nampijinpa Price was dumped from Sussan Ley’s shadow ministry:
This has been an entirely unedifying week for the Coalition. Not something that we want to repeat. Something we should learn from.
I think there has been mishandling on all sides, but the good news is we have cauterised the wound. We are going to move on now and talk about what’s important to ordinary Australians.
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Trump calls Albanese a ‘good man’ – report
Donald Trump said Anthony Albanese is a “good man” in brief remarks to a reporter from the Sydney Morning Herald in Washington DC.
The two leaders had a call last week during which the pair discussed the strength of the countries’ relationship and “the importance of our shared security interests”.
The Herald asked Trump about the chat as the president was leaving the White House earlier today.
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Hanson-Young says health concerns are mounting for people near SA algal bloom
Hanson-Young said she remained concerned about the health impacts on people related to the algal bloom, saying “anecdotally, health concerns and symptoms are mounting every day from people who live, work, and play along our coastline”.
She told RN Breakfast:
We need a much better and robust health advice regime. The anecdotal evidence now that people who are down living by the sea, where the foam and the sea mist, where the bloom has been, are getting sick, that the irritations, the cold-like symptoms, the respiratory systems, the rashes, you know, the government advises that this goes away in a few days.
We’re finding that people who live down in these areas are being impacted every day and they feel like the government is just not responding with the full force of resources that’s needed.
The SA government says the algal bloom does not produce toxins harmful to humans or one that could cause long-term effects. But officials say exposure could cause skin and eye irritation and symptoms such as shortness of breath or coughing. The symptoms usually resolve within a few hours of leaving the beach or nearby areas.
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Sarah Hanson-Young says government response to SA’s algal bloom ‘doesn’t touch the side of what’s needed’
The Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has been up and down the South Australia coastline this week looking at the impacts of the state’s devastating algal bloom, saying the government response thus far is a long way from what’s needed to address a major environmental crisis.
Hanson-Young spoke to RN Breakfast about the scope of the response so far:
It’s clear that the scale of the government response just doesn’t match the scale of the disaster that we have here, whether it’s the economic impacts, the loss of fishing, the loss of jobs, the loss of tourism, the health impacts … And then, of course, the huge job that is needed to restore the local environment to make it more resilient to this toxic algae.
Hanson-Young said the government should be investigating a jobseeker-like program to help support those who rely on the gulf, saying the $14m pledged by the Albanese government wasn’t nearly enough to help deal with the crisis (the state government has matched that funding for a total of $28m):
The money from the federal government, 14 million bucks, It doesn’t touch the side of what’s needed.
The government, frankly, if I’m really honest, has been floundering in their response to this environmental, social and health disaster.
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Good morning, and thanks to Martin Farrer for getting the blog rolling. Nick Visser here to take the reins. Let’s dive in.
NSW wild weather ‘just the beginning’, says SES chief
People in New South Wales should prepare for more wild weather as they clean up after this week’s heavy rain and tornadoes.
Crews responded to more than 700 incidents between Wednesday and Thursday, including 36 flood rescues. The rain has slowly eased with sunny conditions predicted for Friday.
Hazardous surf conditions caused by a large and powerful swell are expected to continue today and decrease gradually on Friday.
However, SES assistant commissioner Dean Storey urged NSW residents to remain vigilant, with storm season brewing.
“This is just the beginning of what we are expecting to be a very busy storm season and it’s important people take simple steps to prepare,” he said.
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ATO watchdog to investigate how interest is applied on unpaid taxes
The watchdog for the Australian Taxation Office will investigate how it charges interest on tax debts, warning it believes the agency could take a more “compassionate approach” in certain cases.
The tax ombudsman said it will look into the “hot topic” among the community where those owing the ATO money attempt to reduce or remove the 11% interest rate applied to the tax debt.
The ombudsman said it had received 134 complaints from taxpayers and tax professionals about a general lack of consistency and transparency in how interest is applied to debts.
Attempts to reduce or remove tax debt interest are determined by the ATO and can only be reviewed in the federal court.
From July 2025, tax debt interest is no longer tax deductible, placing additional pressure on taxpayers and small businesses already under financial stress, the watchdog said.
The ombudsman, Ruth Owen, said:
Taxpayers have an obligation to pay their tax bills, and we know most people are trying to do the right thing, but there are certain circumstances where we think the ATO could take a more compassionate approach to debt collection.
Although [applying debt interest] is an important element of the tax system, to ensure that those who deliberately avoid paying tax are not given an unfair advantage, it should not punish those trying to do the right thing.
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North West Shelf gas decision looms over Pacific climate talks
An expected call on the future of a major Australian gas project could cast a shadow over the final days of a climate change-heavy Pacific leader talks, Australian Associated Press reports.
The final go-ahead for the Woodside North West Shelf gas hub to continue operating until 2070 could be granted by the federal environment minister, Murray Watt, today, following years in approvals limbo.
Australia’s fossil fuel exports have long been a source of tension for climate-vulnerable Pacific islands on the front line of rising seas and severe weather, a point reiterated by the Vanuatu climate change adaptation minister, Ralph Regenvanu, in Honiara on Wednesday.
Regenvanu said Australia’s long-held argument that it was only responsible for cutting the greenhouse gases it emitted within its borders “is no longer tenable” following a landmark world court advisory opinion in July.
“We want Australia to start seriously talking about its fossil fuel production pipeline,” Regenvanu said at a Pacific Island Forum side event on Wednesday.
Anthony Albanese said he would “act in Australia’s interests but also in the interests of engaging in action on climate change” when queried on the Pacific reaction to the looming North West Shelf decision.
“We know that gas has an important role to play in the transition,” he told reporters from the leaders-only retreat in the Solomon Islands yesterday.
You can read more on Regenvanu’s previous criticisms of the North West Shelf project here:
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Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the breaking overnight stories and then my colleague Nick Visser will be driving the news bus.
Anthony Albanese faces tough talks on climate action at the Pacific Islands Forum in Solomon Islands today – and they will be even tougher if his environment minister, Murray Watt, gives the final go-ahead today for Woodside to extend the life of its North West Shelf gas project as has been suggested by reports this week. More coming up.
And the watchdog for the Australian Taxation Office will investigate how it charges interest on tax debts, warning it believes the agency could take a more “compassionate approach” in certain cases. More details in a moment.
