What we learned; Wednesday 16 July
It’s time to wrap up our live news coverage. Here’s what’s been keeping us busy today:
The education minister, Jason Clare, said the sheer scope of childcare centres in alleged paedophile Joshua Dale Brown’s work history showed the need for a database or register to track workers who moved between centres. He also said “cutting blokes out” of childcare centres was not “the solution” to improving safety.
Anthony Albanese and Chinese and Australian business leaders were treated to a full rendition of Australian rock classics in Beijing’s Great Hall, including songs by Paul Kelly, Midnight Oil and Powderfinger, as a gesture of respect.
Bradley John Murdoch, the man who killed British backpacker Peter Falconio in 2001, has died from throat cancer. Murdoch died yesterday at a hospital in Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. He had been moved to the hospital from jail in June.
Ed Husic says Australia shouldn’t “necessarily get hung up on definitions” after a report from the federal antisemitism envoy called on the government to adopt a working definition of it. He said he’d much prefer an effort to “bring people together without necessarily having to use sticks and threats of funding”.
Finally, a humpback whale has been taking in the attractions of Sydney Harbour – and delaying ferries while doing so. The animal visited Watsons Bay in Sydney’s east, Circular Quay, Fort Denison, Garden Island, Balmoral Bay and Rose Bay. The whale expert Dr Vanessa Pirotta described the young whale as “cruisey” and highly inquisitive.
Thank you for joining us. We’ll be back bright and early tomorrow.
Updated
Stray humpback crosses Sydney Harbour to Rose Bay
We have a whale update!
The “inquisitive”, bus-sized humpback whale on tour of Sydney Harbour is now in Rose Bay in the city’s east.
According to Dr Vanessa Pirotta, who is on board a New South Wales Maritime boat shadowing the whale in an effort to protect it from the busy traffic of the harbour, the whale is “very cruisey”.
It is also on the move.
After our last update – when the mammal was in Balmoral Bay – it headed back towards the Harbour Bridge and then past Neutral Bay. It then headed past Taronga Zoo before crossing the harbour to Rose Bay.
Updated
AEC confirms challenge to election result in Bradfield
The Australian Electoral Commission has acknowledged the petition lodged with the high court sitting as the court of disputed returns by the Liberal candidate Gisele Kapterian for the election for the seat of Bradfield in NSW.
In a statement this afternoon, the AEC said the action was a “legislated option for any participant in the federal election to potentially exercise and we respect the right of anyone to do so”.
The electoral commissioner, Jeff Pope, said the court of disputed returns played a critical role in ensuring the integrity of Australia’s federal electoral process.
“The AEC looks forward to supporting the Court in this critical role if and when required,” Pope said.
As the matter is now before the Court it is not appropriate for the AEC to provide any further comment at this stage.
Read more here:
Updated
Cancer Council welcomes vaping figures but warns against complacency
The boss of the Cancer Council of Victoria, Todd Harper, has welcomed today’s figures showing dangerous vaping rates among younger Australians may have turned.
After years of rapid growth, new research released on Wednesday by the health minister, Mark Butler, showed take-up could have peaked among teenagers and high school-aged children.
Vaping rates fell from 17.5% at the start of 2023 to 14.6% in April this year among children aged 14 to 17 years.
Across the whole population, vaping declined from 9.1% in 2023 to 8.2% last year.
Harper said while today’s news was positive, now was not the time to become complacent.
Decades of efforts to address nicotine addiction has taught us that we need to sustain our efforts for the longer term. These addictive tobacco and nicotine products are marketed irresponsibly by industry, and we must remain ready to counter their tactics.
The figures come a year after federal Labor made changes to the law restricting the sale of vapes to pharmacies.
“We must not take our eye off the goal of Australians being able to live their lives free from addiction to nicotine,” Harper said.
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Greens call for national watchdog to oversee early childhood sector
The Greens are urging the government to set up an independent watchdog to oversee Australia’s early childhood education and care sector – and warn “piecemeal safety measures” will continue to leave children at risk.
In a statement, the Greens said they took a Parliamentary Budget Office-costed plan to the 2025 election which would establish a national watchdog with the authority to enforce quality standards and shut down unsafe centres. The plan was backed by The Parenthood and Royal Far West, according to the statement.
The Greens spokesperson for early childhood education and care, Steph Hodgins-May, said the party would not stand in the way of a new national childcare staff database, but further measures were needed.
We took a plan to the election that would give the government the power to ensure childcare centres are safe for kids, staff and families. The Prime Minister has no excuse not to act.
How much more harm do we need to learn about before this government acts? The system is in crisis, and band-aid fixes won’t protect our kids.
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Clare criticises 'drip feed' release of childcare centres worked at by accused Melbourne paedophile
Jason Clare says access to information about childcare workers should be accessible at the click of a button and not delivered in a “drip feed” way.
Speaking on the ABC just now, the education minister responded to news of yet more childcare centres in which alleged Melbourne paedophile Joshua Dale Brown worked.
“This is another reason we need an educator register, a database telling us where people are working and where they have been working,” he said.
The company responsible should know this at the click of a button, but so should we. This shouldn’t be the information that comes out in drip feed form, it should be information easy to access quickly.
He said he had not been briefed about potentially more affected childcare centres coming to light.
Police have been briefing the Victorian government specifically, but this is the sort of information police should have at their fingertips, that we should have right now. We do not have it, but we should.
Updated
Clare not troubled by antisemitism definition as proposed by envoy
Jason Clare says he is not troubled by the definition of antisemitism as proposed by the antisemitism envoy and criticised by Labor MP Ed Husic.
Speaking on the ABC just now, the education minister said:
I had a look at what Ed Husic had to say. He was fundamentally making the point that a definition of antisemitism should not stop somebody from criticising the government of Israel and I think he is right in that respect.
I don’t think the definition does, by the way – but I have been critical of the government of Israel. I think as long as you can make that point very clear you are on good ground.
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Can Australia reach its 2029 housing construction target?
Australia will have to build housing at a significantly faster rate than it has in the last couple of decades to meet the government’s target of 1.2m new homes between June 2024 and 2029.
To hit the target we need about 240,000 new dwellings every year, and new data shows we are already falling behind. The most recent State of the Housing System report predicts we will fall short of the target by more than 260,000 homes, an even bigger miss than was predicted the year before.
See the “one big chart”, devoted to the housing target, here:
Updated
Woman faces court accused of murder of seven-month-old son
A mother has faced court accused of the murder of her seven-month-old son in what police allege is a domestic violence homicide.
Jacinta Beth Sells briefly appeared in the Western Australian magistrates court today, AAP reports.
The 31-year-old allegedly murdered her son in the early hours of Monday at the family’s home in the suburb of Balcatta, in Perth’s northern suburbs.
Police and paramedics were called to the residence about 3am after reports of a serious assault.
The lifeless infant was found with critical injuries, believed to be stab wounds, and declared dead at the scene.
Updated
Parks and Wildlife crews escort stray humpback in Sydney Harbour
The New South Wales Parks and Wildlife Service, the Port Authority and Transport for NSW are urging all vessels on Sydney Harbour to take care and give a stray humpback whale “plenty of space”.
A spokesperson for NPWS says the humpback whale in Sydney Harbour is being escorted by a NPWS crew to make sure it, and the public, are safe.
NPWS crews have been out in small boats moving alongside the whale as it swims freely in the harbour, they say. Bright orange buoys were attached to a line between the two crews to draw the attention of other vessels and to alert them that the whale is nearby.
“This is done to avoid any accidental collisions and to keep the animal safe in this very busy city harbour,” they say.
At this stage, there is nothing to suggest the whale is injured or entangled, it appears to have just taken a detour on its journey north. We expect it will leave the harbour when it is ready, and thank everyone for their cooperation.
The service says about 40,000 humpback whales are now on their annual migration from Antarctica to Queensland.
Updated
Thank you Nick Visser. I’m Daisy Dumas and I’ll be with you for the remainder of today’s live news coverage – including humpback whale updates, of course.
Updated
That’s all for me. Whale aficionado Daisy Dumas will be your blog guide for the rest of the afternoon. Take care.
Circular Quay whale now near Sydney’s north shore
Sydney’s most curious nautical visitor has now made its way over to Balmoral on the city’s north shore.
The sub-adult humpback was first spotted in Sydney Harbour at about 8am today and has swum close to Fort Denison, Circular Quay, Garden Island and Watsons Bay since.
Whale expert Dr Vanessa Pirotta, who is on a New South Wales Maritime boat shadowing the creature, said the animal was highly inquisitive and appeared to be relaxed.
Just now, it was seen swimming close to a paddle boarder with onlookers watching on from Balmoral beach in the background.
Pirotta told Guardian Australia:
This whale continues to surprise me. It’s just hanging out and in such shallow water – I’d expect this from a southern right whale, not a humpback whale.
Updated
More than 400 drones fall into Yarra River during Women’s World Cup light show – video
Here’s a video of the moment all those drones fell from back in 2023.
Updated
NSW police seek information after major Sydney tunnel shut down during car fire
A major arterial road tunnel in Sydney was closed for about an hour this morning after a car caught fire, but police are now searching for the drivers of the vehicle after saying drugs were found inside.
NSW police said emergency services responded to reports a silver Audi was on fire in the M5 tunnel in Sydney at around 6.20am. Two occupants reportedly left the vehicle and walked out of the tunnel before Fire and Rescue NSW arrived to extinguish the fire. All eastbound lanes and one westbound lane were closed until about 7.50am, prompting major traffic delays.
Police allege officers later found methamphetamine and cannabis inside the car. They are appealing for information about the occupants, noting the vehicle was not reported stolen.
Updated
Strong winds blamed for 427 drones falling into Yarra River during Women’s World Cup light show
Strong winds have been blamed for more than 400 drones that fell from the sky into Melbourne’s Yarra River during a light show celebrating the Matildas before the Women’s World Cup.
The light show, using 500 Damoda drones, was scheduled for the evening of 14 July 2023 over the river in Docklands, in Melbourne’s CBD.
The drones, part of a show celebrating Australia’s women’s football team, launched at 6.30pm. Less than two minutes later many began showing critical errors indicating an autopilot failure, according to an Australian Transport Safety Bureau report into the incident, released this week.
Read more here:
Childcare educator workloads include many unpaid hours, impacting quality of care, study finds
Childcare educators are spending only two-and-a-half hours of undistracted time per day with children due to heavy workloads and unpaid hours, according to an Australian-first study.
AAP reports the study, published on Wednesday, also found more than three-quarters of educators work an average of nine unpaid hours per week, directly impacting the quality of care they can give to children.
University of Sydney lead researcher Erin Harper said the findings paint a stark picture of a sector in crisis:
Many educators said they spend a lot of time working away from children in their care and are often interrupted by multi-tasking, administrative work, or cleaning duties.
The research, which surveyed 570 educators, indicates unpaid hours make up a significant portion of the overall workload.
SA algal bloom a climate change 'wake-up call', Ken Henry says
Henry was just asked about the devastating toxic algal bloom in South Australia that has fouled beaches and devastated marine life over the last few months. Henry said the event was not an early warning of the impacts of climate change, but a late one that scientists had been warning of for decades.
He told the National Press Club:
It’s well past time that we, and others in the world, dealt properly with the threats of climate change and the warming of the oceans. …
It’s another wake-up call, but it’s not an early wake-up call. We should have been well awake decades ago. And of course, some people were. Some people were awake decades ago, and were calling for action decades ago. And I think that that is how we should treat this.
Read more here:
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Ken Henry, ex-treasury head, says ‘of course’ Australia needs a carbon tax
Ken Henry, the former treasury secretary who now leads the Australian Climate and Biodiversity Foundation, is speaking before the National Press Club, where he was just asked if it was time for the nation to reconsider the need for a carbon tax. He had this to say:
It still boggles the mind that we had the world’s best carbon policy, and then, for purely political reasons, decided that we could afford to do without it. A country that’s capable of creating the best and then decides that it doesn’t need anything at all – well, my God. Of course we need a carbon tax.
But in the meantime, we’ve got something else, and we’ve got to make this something else work … I am not of the view that without a carbon tax we should give up. Clearly I am not of that view and that’s why I’m here. We’ve got to make what we’ve got work.
Read more here:
Jewish advocacy group says adoption of antisemitism definition ‘valuable tool’
Alex Ryvchin, the co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, fired back at Labor MP Ed Husic, who said this morning Australia shouldn’t necessarily get “hung up” on definitions of antisemitism.
Ryvchin said Husic was entitled to his own opinions, but not “to his own facts”, adding:
Antisemitism is becoming more entrenched among young people. … This is unsurprising given that generation has grown up almost completely relying on digital platforms as the source of news and information.
Ryvchin went on to say the adoption of a definition of antisemitism, as proposed by the federal envoy on antisemitism, Jillian Segal, would be a “valuable tool in understanding what is and isn’t antisemitism”:
Ms Segal’s plan seeks to grapple with the precursors to violent antisemitism. That is essential to reversing the increasing normalisation of racial abuse, exclusion and violence in our society.
Segal’s report recommending the adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism has caused controversy.
You can read more about the differences in opinion on the report here:
New childcare centre added to list of alleged Melbourne paedophile’s workplaces
Alleged paedophile Joshua Dale Brown has been linked to another daycare centre not previously listed by authorities, bringing his total known workplaces to 24.
Childcare operator G8 wrote to parents on Tuesday to tell them that the 26-year-old worked at World of Learning in Point Cook, in Melbourne’s west, on 24 August 2023.
The letter reads:
Based on our review of our records, there are no records of Mr Brown working at World of Learning Point Cook on any other day. This information has been provided to Victoria Police. We are writing to you because your child attended World of Learning Point Cook on 24 August 2023. In the interest of transparency, it was important we inform you of this information as soon we could and apologise that we were unable to provide it earlier.
The centre, however, was not listed by police on Tuesday when they revealed four more childcare centres had been added to Brown’s work history, along with additional employment dates at 10 other centres.
Nor is it on the website that contains the list of Brown’s workplaces, which is being managed by the health and education departments.
Here’s our Victorian correspondent Benita Kolovos with the latest:
Updated
Decision over contempt referral for Nine Entertainment over Antoinette Lattouf’s employment case due in on Friday
Justice Darryl Rangiah has reached a decision on whether Nine Entertainment will be referred for contempt and will hand down his judgment on Friday, according to the federal court.
Members of a pro-Israel lobby group who complained to the ABC about Antoinette Lattouf’s employment asked the court to refer the Age and the Sydney Morning Herald for criminal contempt.
They accused eight editors, reporters and lawyers from Nine of breaching a suppression order in the Lattouf case which said that the names of the people who complained about Lattouf should not be published.
Nine submits the suppression order does not apply to articles published before it was made and has asked the court not to refer Nine for contempt.
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Family of murderer Bradley John Murdoch issue statement after his death
Bradley John Murdoch, who murdered British backpacker Peter Falconio, was “much more than the headlines”, his family have said in a statement.
We understand that the public perception of Bradley will always be shaped by his conviction, but our intention is simply to share the man we knew, the version of him that was rarely, if ever, seen beyond our family and close friends.
He was deeply loved. He will be deeply missed.
Murdoch died without ever revealing the location of Falconio’s remains.
Updated
'Inquisitive' whale explores Sydney harbour
A sub-adult humpback is taking in the attractions of Watsons Bay in Sydney’s east, having swum close to Circular Quay, Fort Denison and Garden Island, says whale expert, Dr Vanessa Pirotta.
Speaking from a NSW Maritime boat in the harbour just now, the scientist and organiser of the Wild Sydney Harbour citizen science project said the whale was first spotted close to Fort Denison about 8am.
While it’s not unusual for a whale to take a detour off the “humpback highway” running down Australia’s east coast – four humpbacks have been seen in the harbour this migratory season, she said – it is “crazy” for the creatures to be as inquisitive as the whale seen today.
“It’s the most inquisitive whale. It’s thin, but from its behaviour, it’s very relaxed,” she said.
It’s not every day a whale takes a detour and hangs out in Watsons Bay – maybe it’s having fish and chips.
Most will hang out around Manly and then work out it’s not in the right place and swim away but this one is having the full harbour experience.
There is a whale and her calf in Circukar Quay! (She delayed my ferry) pic.twitter.com/kPx4L8ek2S
— Ray E 🍡 (@ballast_point) July 15, 2025
Pirotta said the whale’s condition suggested it was migrating south and that its harbour trip was posing a navigational challenge to ferries and vessels.
NSW Maritime and NSW Parks and Wildlife are literally escorting a school bus-sized mammal out of the harbour. It’s so easy for vessels to strike whales.
They do things when you least expect it – [we’re] making sure it has space and is escorted out of the harbour, because this one is very inquisitive.
She said the whale was in “OK” health and that the Wild Sydney Harbour citizen science project had “delivered” today, after commuters on the harbour first spotted the whale.
Updated
Band plays Australian rock anthems in China’s Great Hall of the People as ‘warm gesture’ to visiting leaders
Chinese and Australian business leaders were treated to a full rendition of Australian rock classics at a dinner last night, Anthony Albanese says.
Speaking a moment ago at the Great Wall of China, the prime minister said a band played songs by Paul Kelly, Midnight Oil and Powderfinger as a gesture of respect to the visiting leaders:
I’ve got to say that the band there in the Great Hall played a different version of Paul Kelly’s To Her Door, of Midnight Oil’s Power and the Passion, and a range of songs as well. That obviously took them a long period of time and those gestures matter. Respect matters between countries. And I think I took that as being a very warm gesture indeed and they did it very well, I must say.
Powderfinger as well – they did the full kit and caboodle and so it was a splendid occasion.
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Albanese says China trip emphasises need for ‘positive relationship’ between nations
Anthony Albanese is speaking from the Great Wall of China, affirming the longstanding economic relationship between the two countries and his government’s continued support for free trade. The prime minister said:
Yesterday was an opportunity as well for us to develop the relationship between Australia and China. I’ve said consistently that we’ll cooperate where we can, disagree where we must, but engage in our national interest. It is very clear that it is in our national interests for us to have a positive relationship with China.
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Tasmanian leaders to face off in only debate of snap election at 12.30pm
Liberal and Labor leaders will front up for the only debate in Tasmania’s snap election campaign as the prospect of another hung parliament looms, AAP reports. Voters will head to the ballot box on Saturday, six weeks after the minority Liberal premier, Jeremy Rockliff, lost a vote of no-confidence in parliament.
The latest opinion poll has the Liberals on track to win more seats than Labor, but not enough to reach the 18 mark required for a majority. Both major parties have ruled out doing a deal with the Greens, meaning they will probably have to rely on an independent-heavy cross-bench to govern.
Rockliff and the state Labor leader, Dean Winter, will go toe-to-toe on Wednesday at a debate hosted by Sky News and the Mercury newspaper at 12.30pm local time.
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Clare says ‘cutting blokes out’ of childcare centres not ‘the solution’ to improving safety
Clare was asked if men should be barred from working in childcare centres. The education minister pointed to safety reviews that found doing so was not the best path forward. He said:
We know what we need to do here. In none of the reports do they recommend this, but they recommend the register and national mandatory safety training, so that the 99.9% of people who work in our centres, who are good, honest people … have the skills they need to identify [a] person that is up to no good …
There will be individual centres that we will talk to mums and dads about the way they operate in the system, but just cutting blokes out altogether is not going to be the solution.
Read more here:
Updated
Clare orders racism review of Australian universities
Clare was asked about federal antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal’s report suggesting universities could have funding withheld if they fail to take action against hate. He said he would not say how the government would respond to those recommendations just yet, noting:
There is no place for the poison of antisemitism in our universities. There is no place for the poison of racism in all of its ugly or noxious forms in our universities or anywhere else. I’m not going to say what our response to the recommendation will be.
Clare said he had asked the race discrimination commissioner, Giridharan Sivaraman, to conduct a review of racism in Australia’s universities, pending another report from the special envoy to combat Islamophobia.
Read more here:
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Clare says register would help identify ‘red flags’ if workers change jobs ‘for the wrong reason’
Clare said a register or database could help officials identify potential red flags linked to childcare centres or workers. He said:
If we build this the right way, it helps us to identify or prompt regular red flags when someone is moving for the wrong reason.
Some people will move between centres due to labour hire, but there may be instances they move from centre to centre because they’re quietly being moved on. If the system works the way it needs to, when something is not right, the police are called, the regulator comes in and, if necessary, the centre is shut down.
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Clare says parents ‘want action’, not ‘excuses’ after more alleged abuse in childcare centres revealed
The education minister, Jason Clare, is speaking to the media about revelations that a further 800 Victorian children need STI tests and his push for a national register or database of childcare workers. From the University of Tasmania’s Lilyfield campus, he said:
I don’t think Australian parents are interested in excuses; they want action, and action requires all levels of government to work together and [for] industry to join in.
Look at the revelations that another 800 children have to be [tested], blood tests and urine tests. Think about the anxiety that mums and dads are going through today; think about the trauma that kids are going to have to go through with all of that testing.
The Victorian government is working quickly to track all this down but it highlights to me the importance of a national register or a national database.
Updated
'Nightmare' childcare centre case shows need for worker database to lift safety, education minister says
The education minister, Jason Clare, said the sheer scope of childcare centres in alleged paedophile Joshua Dale Brown’s work history showed the need for a database or register to track workers who moved between centres.
Channel 7’s Sunrise asked Clare this morning about “nightmare” new details surrounding Brown’s workplace history, which prompted officials to recommend 800 more Victorian children be tested for STIs:
You just used the word nightmare. That’s the right word. More parents are being put through the wringer. All the fear and anxiety that their kids might be sick, and all the trauma that kids have to go through …
The Victorian government and authorities are doing everything they can to track the details of where he worked. But this highlights an example of why you need a database or a register, so you know where all childcare workers are and where they’re moving from centre to centre. That’s just one of the things that we need to do.
Clare said the government would introduce legislation next week to cut funding from childcare centres that “aren’t up to scratch” or were not meeting “the sort of safety standards that parents expect and that our kids deserve”.
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Albo’s agenda today? The Great Wall of China and the country’s panda capital
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, will visit the Great Wall of China as his trip continues today. Albanese, who met China’s president, Xi Jinping, and premier, Li Qiang, yesterday, will also move on to the city of Chengdu – known as the panda capital of China – where he is expected to make an announcement related to pandas.
Albanese will also reportedly make an announcement about a tennis tournament.
In Beijing yesterday, Albanese told Xi: “In Chengdu tomorrow, I will look at where Australia has growing ties, particularly on medical technology and sports.” He added:
Tomorrow I’ll also visit the Great Wall, where Australia’s prime minister, Gough Whitlam, who of course, initiated the recognition of the People’s Republic of China when he came as Labor party leader in 1971.
You could expect to see more of the prime minister’s trip and any public statements sometime in the afternoon.
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Butler says government to 'quickly' move to address child safety in centres
The health minister, Mark Butler, has vowed this morning that the government will introduce urgent legislation when parliament sits next week. This comes after revelations yesterday that an additional 800 children should be tested for STIs after Victoria police said alleged paedophile Joshua Dale Brown had worked at more childcare centres than disclosed initially.
Butler spoke with Nine’s Today, saying “so many” Victorian parents would now be wondering whether they were going to “get a call” about their child’s health. He said:
We have to fix this, and we have to fix it urgently. And the government’s committed to doing that. We’ve been talking to the opposition to make sure that it’s something that has a broad base of support and can happen as quickly as possible.
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More on the teenage vaping data released this morning
The federal government believes dangerous vaping rates among younger Australians may have turned a corner after years of rapid growth, with new research showing take-up could have peaked among teenagers and high school-age children.
Data released by the health minister, Mark Butler, on Wednesday showed that vaping rates fell from 17.5% at the start of 2023 to 14.6% in April this year among children aged 14 to 17. The report says the data follows the July 2024 vaping reforms, which were designed to curb youth access and use, and to reduce the social acceptability of vaping.
The figures come as the Therapeutic Goods Administration and Australian Border Force announced more than 10m illicit vapes had been seized since January 2024, worth a combined street value of $500m.
Read more here:
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Women who experience birth trauma report high levels of unmanaged pain
Women who experience birth trauma are reporting high levels of unmanaged pain and physical injuries leading to significant mental health impacts, AAP reports.
Research by Birth Trauma Australia has found distressing or emergency procedures and poor management of pain or physical injuries are the most significant contributors to birth trauma. The study has been released during birth trauma awareness week, held each year to highlight the issue and provide support to women and their families.
Birth injuries are linked to a range of physical, psychological and social impacts including conditions like pelvic organ prolapse, painful sex and urinary incontinence.
Relationship strain, reduced body confidence, difficulty returning to work and ongoing social or physical limitations can all be experienced as a result of these injuries. Birth Trauma Australia co-founder Amy Dawes said:
Birth trauma is not new but it’s just historically been shrouded in secrecy and there is an ongoing culture of dismissing women’s problems. At the moment access to care after trauma is based on your post code but we need a holistic approach that all women have access to.
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Mark Butler says he is confident ‘peak’ of vaping behind us
Health minister Mark Butler says he is confidence the “peak of vaping” is behind us amid new data that shows vaping rates have fallen among Australian children aged 14 to 17. Overall, rates for those over 15 reduced by more than a third, while vaping rates among the 30- to 59-year age group also dropped by about half.
Butler spoke to the ABC this morning, saying fewer young people were now smoking both vapes and cigarettes, and there were now fewer positive messages about vapes circulating. The data comes a year after Labor introduced world-leading laws restricting the sale of vapes to pharmacies, as well as other requirements. Butler said:
We know we’ve got a long way to go. This is a tough fight against some pretty tough opponents – big tobacco. Organised crime is still determined to make money out this public health menace, but I’m pleased that we look like we’ve turned the corner.
I am confident that we have seen that peak of vaping behind us and we’re starting to see a reduction, particularly among children and teenagers, which was our primary focus. But in no way am I sanguine about this.
I know this is a really, really tough fight and we’ve got a lot more to do, not just in the area of vaping, but illicit tobacco as well, which is probably now the biggest threat we have, the largest public health objective we have as a country, which is to stamp out smoking, still the biggest preventable killer of Australians.
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NT police say it is ‘deeply regrettable’ Bradley Murdoch died without disclosing location of Peter Falconio’s body
NT police acknowledged the death of murderer Bradley John Murdoch, saying his refusal to disclose the location of Peter Falconio’s remains had denied the backpacker’s family “the closure they have so long deserved”. The force said:
It is deeply regrettable that Murdoch has died without, as far as we are aware, ever disclosing the location of Peter Falconio’s remains.
His silence has denied the Falconio family the closure they have so long deserved. Our thoughts are with the Falconio family in the United Kingdom, whose grief continues.
NT Police said it remained committed to finding Falconio’s remains, pointing to the reward of up to $500,000 for information that leads to the discovery of his body:
We continue to appeal to anyone who may have information that could lead us to Peter Falconio’s remains to come forward, no matter how small the detail may seem.
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Torres Strait community leaders will keep ‘knocking at government’s door’ after court dismisses landmark climate case
The lead plaintiffs in the federal case arguing the government breached its duty of care to protect the Torres Strait Islands from climate change, which was dismissed yesterday, said they will keep urging for more action to protect their homes.
Uncle Pabai Pabai and Uncle Paul Kabai from the islands of Boigu and Saibai had asked the courts for orders requiring the federal government to take steps to address climate harm in their communities, including increased efforts to cut planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions. The class action case, filed in 2021, was dismissed in a decision that said while there was merit to their factual allegations, the common law of negligence was not a “suitable legal vehicle” to claim damages or relief.
Uncle Paul told the ABC this morning the pair were exploring next steps and would continue to call for more action:
It is time now for us to keep knocking at the government’s door. We need to a better outcome for our future, our kids and our kids and the next generation to come.
It’s time for us to pass the message to the community and the people out there, Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, and let them know that climate change is happening. To battle together and give a strong voice to the government.
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SUV driven into luxury Sydney CBD store in ram raid targeting handbags, police say
Police in Sydney are investigating after an SUV was driven into a luxury store in the city’s CBD early this morning, part of a ram raid targeting handbags.
NSW police said officers had been called to the store about 3.45am by reports the vehicle had been driven through a shop window. An unspecified number of luxury handbags were taken before a group of people left in a white BMW wagon and grey Audi S3. The SUV remains at the scene.
All three vehicles were stolen, police said.
A crime scene has been established and police are investigating how many people were involved and what was stolen. Authorities urge anyone who sees vehicles matching the description to report them to police immediately.
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Husic says envoy’s report makes critical point all must play role to combat antisemitism
Ed Husic added that Jillian Segal’s report made several stark points about the spread of antisemitism across Australia and the threats of hatred spreading among young people. He told RN Breakfast:
I think the critical point that it makes is we’ve all got a role to play in combating antisemitism, that everyone, not just government, has a role to play. Because, as the report points out, antisemitism poses a threat not just to Jewish Australians, but when hatred goes unchallenged, our democracy is at risk.
He added that claims in the envoy’s report that younger Australians were at risk of becoming “fully fledged anti-Semites” run the risk of being “a bit too sweeping”:
I appreciate the point that’s trying to be made, but I think that’s a statement we’ve got to be careful as taking as an evident truth.
Husic went on to say that he had regularly spoken out against antisemitism out of a feeling that all Australians should never feel fear “for who they are”, adding:
I’ve spoken up against antisemitism, conscious of the intergenerational trauma caused by the Holocaust … As the special envoy points out, antisemitism has been an ancient hatred. I just have to emphasise I’ve never needed a definition to do so.
I just knew I never wanted a fellow Australian to feel fear for who they are.
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Ed Husic says Australia shouldn’t necessarily get ‘hung up’ on definition of antisemitism
Ed Husic says Australia shouldn’t “necessarily get hung up on definitions” after a report from the federal antisemitism envoy called on the government to adopt a working definition of it. Husic spoke to RN Breakfast about envoy Jillian Segal’s plan to address anti-Jewish hatred, saying he’d much prefer an effort to “bring people together without necessarily having to use sticks and threats of funding”.
Segal has proposed universities and artists could have funding withheld if they fail to act against antisemitism, among other recommendations in a wide-ranging plan released this month. Husic said this morning:
I would much prefer us finding ways to bring people together rather than being heavy-handed in response. We should always be focusing on what brings us together. …
We shouldn’t necessarily get hung up on definitions. I understand the government will go through and take on board the recommendation that’s in the special envoy’s report. I just think the issue of definition instantly brings into question whether or not people will be able to raise their concerns about the actions, for example, of what the Netanyahu government is doing in Gaza and how that would be treated under a definition.
Read more here:
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NSW releases housing pattern book with architectural home designs for $1
What if you could buy architect-designed drawings for a new home for $1 – and have certainty your council would approve it within 10 to 20 days?
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, will release the state’s housing pattern book on Wednesday, which contains eight blueprints for architect-designed townhouses, terraces and manor houses, chosen from internationally renowned firms including Sam Crawford Architects, Carter Williamson Architects, Saha and Anthony Gill Architects.
The designs – which will be available for $1 for the first six months and then for $1,000 – can be adjusted to fit a family’s needs and are designed with sustainability, ease of construction and cost effectiveness in mind. By comparison, getting custom architectural plans can cost upwards of $20,000.
The plans are intended to boost the state’s sluggish housing construction rates and help alleviate cost of living pressures.
Read more here:
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Bradley Murdoch, man who murdered British backpacker Peter Falconio, dead at 67
Bradley John Murdoch, the man who killed British backpacker Peter Falconio in 2001, has died from throat cancer. He was 67.
Murdoch died yesterday at a hospital in Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. He had been moved to the hospital from jail in June.
In 2005, Murdoch was convicted and sentenced to life in prison with a minimum period of 28 years. The body of Falconio, believed murdered in 2001, has never been found, and Murdoch always maintained his innocence. Last month police offered a $500,000 reward for information on the location of Falconio’s remains.
Murdoch had been diagnosed with throat cancer in 2019.
Read more here:
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Good morning, Nick Visser here to take you through the day’s news. Let’s get into it.
Make US relations our priority, Angus Taylor urges PM
The shadow defence minister, Angus Taylor, has urged Anthony Albanese to shore up Australia’s relations with the United States, including signing on to a deal with Taiwan despite the prime minister’s trip to China.
Speaking on ABC’s 7.30 on Tuesday, Taylor said Australia should have strong trade relations with China, but singled out the United States and the need for the federal government to avoid tariffs on exports:
After over 250 days of this new US administration we should have seen a face-to-face meeting between the prime minister and the president of the United States and we should be seeing relationship-building and work going on … around the Aukus alliance, around our strategic alliance more broadly.
Taylor singled out a joint commitment with the US on the security of Taiwan and peace in the Taiwan Strait as something Australia should strive towards, adding that was why Aukus was “so important”.
Asked if the Coalition would be prepared to guarantee to Donald Trump that Australia would join a war with the US over Taiwan, Taylor said you couldn’t “codify your response in every scenario” but the security and peace of Taiwan was needed:
You can make principled commitments to the security of Taiwan, to peace through deterrence and capability in the Taiwan Strait … that does mean you’re prepared to act under certain circumstances.
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Woman charged with murder of seven-month-old baby in Perth
A woman has been charged with murder after the death of a seven-month-old baby in Perth on Monday.
Emergency services were called to a residence in Balcatta, north-west of Perth, about 3.10am by reports of a “serious assault”, Western Australian police said.
Police and St John WA attended and found the infant with critical injuries. The baby was later declared dead.
On Tuesday 15 July, homicide squad detectives charged a 31-year-old Balcatta woman with murder.
She is due to appear in Perth magistrates court today.
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China hails Albanese's 'personal efforts' to restore ties
Relations between China and Australia reached a “low point” but are back on track under Anthony Albanese’s leadership, the Chinese premier, Li Qiang, said last night after the pair met in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
China’s premier congratulated Albanese on his re-election, Australian Associated Press reports, and for his “personal efforts” to stabilise the China-Australia relationship, which soured under the former Liberal government during the Covid pandemic.
“China-Australia relations have moved beyond a low point and returned to the right track of stability and development,” Li said.
Since the pair last met in October last year “a lot has happened in the world”, Li said, and there was growing instability and uncertainty in the global economy.
“The development of all countries is faced with new challenges. Given such circumstances, China and Australia as important trade partners, should strengthen dialogue and cooperation,” he said.
Albanese said he looked forward to the two nations exploring new opportunities in trade, climate change, tourism and culture.
“We’ll also have an opportunity to have a frank and open dialogue that enables us to navigate issues that need to be discussed,” he said.
For more on Albanese’s visit and his meeting with Xi Jinping yesterday, check out Tom McIlroy’s report here:
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Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the stories making the news this morning and then it’ll be Nick Visser to take the controls.
China’s premier, Li Qiang, last night hailed Anthony Albanese for his “personal efforts” to stabilise the China-Australia relationship, which went south under Scott Morrison’s leadership and the Covid pandemic. After a meeting in the Great Hall of the People wrapped up a busy day of diplomacy for Albanese, Li said relations had “moved beyond a low point”. More coming up.
As Albanese continues with his diplomatic offensive in China, the shadow defence minister, Angus Taylor, told ABC’s 7.30 that he believes the prime minister should be making more progress on shoring up Australia’s relations with the US. Taylor said the reset of relations with Washington should include a deal to protect Taiwan – despite the problems that it might pose with China. More coming up.
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