Nationals leader David Littleproud has weighed in on the Erin Patterson trial verdict, saying the case had “captured the nation’s attention for so long” – but acknowledged it was important for politicians not to “delve into” the commentary.
“I think it’s important the judicial system has been allowed to create that environment for a fair trial and a jury of Ms Patterson’s peers have found her guilty,” he told the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing.
Now, whether she moves forward with an appeal is her judicial right, you need to respect that.
I think what we need to learn from this is obviously without having seen the evidence in any great deal, I think it’s important that politicians don’t delve into some of the commentary without understanding …
I think there’s always lessons and as a judicial system I think we should be proud of the fact, not just of our court system, but also the police, in the way they professionally have been able to put forward a case to Ms Patterson’s peers.
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New South Wales Police has released CCTV images of two men – one of whom appears to have caught alight - as part of its investigations into a suspicious fire at a salon in Sydney’s west last month.
Police said that at about 5am on Friday 13 June, emergency services were called to a shop on Burwood Road, Burwood, after reports of a fire. Police and fire crews extinguished the fire, which triggered the evacuation of a residential complex above the shop.
No injuries were reported while the shop sustained minor damage and was established as a crime scene, police said in a statement.
On Wednesday and Saturday, police were again called to the salon after reports men were seen attempting to gain access to the premises, police said, adding the men left the scene before the police’s arrival.
Today, police released CCTV of two men detectives believe may be able to assist with their inquiries, urging anyone with information about the men to contact the police.
Police described one man as being of a medium build and was wearing an orange high-viz jumper and dark-coloured pants with high-viz stripes.
The second man, police said, has a thin build and was wearing a dark-coloured hooded jumper with white stripes and black pants.
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Auction clearance rates above 70% across much of Australia ahead of rate decision
Housing auctions are intensifying across the country, as prospective buyers buoyed by falling borrowing costs bid up prices.
Preliminary auction clearance rates held above 70% at the weekend, according to Cotality data, extending a recent run of strong results.
Clearance rates refer to the percentage of properties sold at auction compared with the number of properties listed for auction, and exceeding 70% typically indicates sellers are in control of the market.
The results complement recent property price data showing home prices are at peak levels in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Darwin. Melbourne prices and clearance rates are also surging, erasing some of last year’s price falls.
The Reserve Bank is expected to cut the official cash rate, which informs borrowing costs, by a quarter percentage point to 3.6% tomorrow. A cut would represent the third reduction this year, and likely fuel even more buying momentum in the property market.
Sydney’s preliminary clearance rate over the weekend came in at 72.5%, while Melbourne was at an even stronger 75.5%. Brisbane was at 70.8%, Adelaide at 65.7% and Canberra at 73.1%. Sales in Perth, Hobart and Darwin are typically done through private treaties rather than auctions.
The average across state capitals was 73.1%.
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Hannah Thomas: NSW police use emergency riot powers to justify arrest of pro-Palestine protester
New South Wales police have been accused of unlawfully or retrospectively authorising emergency powers after it was revealed former Greens candidate Hannah Thomas had been charged under a rarely used law introduced in the wake of the 2005 Cronulla riots, writes my colleague Jordyn Beazley.
The 35-year-old was arrested at a pro-Palestine protest in Sydney on 27 June that was attended by about 60 people. She was subsequently taken to hospital and this week will undergo a second round of surgery amid fears she could lose sight in her right eye.
Read more here:
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More on Erin Patterson found guilty
A jury has found Erin Patterson guilty of murdering three relatives and attempting to murder a fourth with a deadly beef wellington lunch almost two years ago, write my colleagues Nino Bucci, Adeshola Ore and Benita Kolovos.
As the trial entered its 11th week, a Victorian supreme court jury convicted Patterson of murdering her estranged husband’s parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and his aunt, Heather Wilkinson. The 12-person jury also found Patterson guilty of attempting to murder Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, who survived the lunch after spending weeks in hospital.
As the verdicts were read out, Patterson did not drop her gaze from the jury. She looked ahead, calmly.
Read more here:
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WA police concerned over German backpacker
Police in Western Australia are concerned about the welfare of a German backpacker who has not been heard from for more than a week.
26-year-old Carolina Wilga was in the Wialki area, near Beacon, in the Wheatbelt region at the time of her last contact with friends on 29 June, WA Police said in a social media post yesterday.
Police believe she visited a convenience store on Stirling Terrace, near the intersection of Goomalling-Toodyay road in Toodyay on 28 June.
Wilga had been backpacking in Australia for the last two years and lived mainly in hostels, police said.
Police described Wilga as having a slim build, frizzy or curly long dark blonde hair and brown eyes. She has several tattoos, including one which depicts symbols on her left arm.
She may have been travelling in a black and silver 1995 Mitsubishi Station sedan, with WA registration 1HDS 330, police said.
Anyone with any information about Wilga is urged to contact police immediately.
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Jury finds Erin Patterson guilty of murders and attempted murder
The jury has found Erin Patterson caused the death of her lunch guests.
On the three charges of murder she has been found guilty. On the charge of attempted murder she has also been found guilty.
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Labor warned against ‘shirking legislative reform’ after robodebt royal commission
Economic Justice Australia has also released a statement calling for the government to implement the full robodebt royal commission report recommendations, two years since it published its final report.
CEO Kate Allingham:
While the unlawful robodebt scheme was a Liberal-era policy failure, the Labor government has now been in power for three years. Anthony Albanese has previously called the Liberal party’s failures in this regard a ‘gross betrayal’ of Australian citizens, but a full term in power failing to enact legislative reform also makes this government culpable of failing to protect its constituency.
Just in March this year, it was revealed that an estimated 10,000 people may have had their social security payments wrongly reduced or cancelled as the result of the potentially defective administration of the employment services compliance system.
Separately, a test case was heard in the federal court this year regarding a debt that was raised against a person using the unlawful practice of income apportionment, which potentially affected more than 2 million Australians.
Allingham said:
It seems to have gotten to the point where, instead of having had meaningful reform off the back of robodebt, government departments now have a process to follow whenever these failures occur. We do not need a clean-up checklist, we need reform that ensures people do not get harmed to begin with.
Continuing to shirk legislative reform, even as consecutive failures reinforce its necessity, amounts to the government treating the sizable portion of the population who receive social security payments with contempt.
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Horse in Queensland dies from Hendra virus
Horse owners have been urged to vaccinate their horses after a horse in south-east Queensland died from Hendra virus.
Biosecurity Queensland said it received positive test results from the horse on 4 July 2025 and that horse died on the property after its condition rapidly deteriorated.
It is the state’s first case of Hendra virus since 2022.
The agency said the horse was unvaccinated and that its officers were working with the horse owners to ensure the risk is contained on the property.
“Biosecurity Queensland officers are also working with Queensland Health in relation to humans who may have had contact with the infected horse so their experts can manage the health of people involved,” the agency said in a statement.
The vaccination of horses is the most effective way to help manage Hendra virus disease, it said, adding that if a horse becomes sick, owners should contact their veterinarian immediately.
In a separate statement, Racing Queensland joined Biosecurity Queensland in encouraging owners to vaccinate their horses.
It warned signs of Hendra virus infection can be non-specific in the early stages and that horses may become infectious before appearing unwell.
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Acoss on robodebt: ‘particularly concerning that no individuals involved have been properly held to account’
Charmaine Crowe, Acoss program director of social security, said that “while the government has made some positive steps to improve social security administration in light of the royal commission, including implementing an advocates channel and strengthening the ombudsman’s powers, there remains a lot more work to do.”
It is particularly concerning that no individuals involved have been properly held to account for the enormous injustice inflicted on hundreds of thousands of innocent people.
These reforms are vital to improving our social security system and ensuring that nothing like robodebt can ever happen again.
We urge the government to take swift action to address these ongoing problems, particularly in light of other failures to properly administer the system, like the targeted compliance framework, where people have had their payments wrongly cancelled.
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Accos calls for adoption of remaining robodebt recommendations
Two years on from the findings of the robodebt royal commission, the federal government has still not implemented all of its recommendations, the Australian Council of Social Service has said.
Acoss is calling on the federal government to adopt the remaining recommendations of the royal commission, including:
Legislating a statute of limitations on debt recovery - a key recommendation that remains unaddressed.
Refraining from recovering debts under review - the default position is to continue recovery even when a debt is under review, rather than pausing automatically. A person can request a pause to debt recovery if it is under review.
Clarifying protections for people in vulnerable circumstances - it’s still unclear how people in severe hardship are systematically shielded from compliance actions that could worsen their situation.
Introducing a duty of care - the government still has no formal obligation to ensure people are receiving the correct payment for their personal circumstances.
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SBS chair George Savvides steps down
The federal government is looking for a new chair for SBS following the departure of George Savvides AM, who is stepping down after eight years on the multicultural broadcaster’s board.
Savvides joined the SBS board as deputy chair in 2017 and has been chair since 2020.
A former Medibank chief executive, Savvides was born of Greek Cypriot parents.
Savvides described his time as chair of SBS, concluding with the broadcaster’s 50th anniversary year, as “one of the greatest privileges of my professional life”.
SBS broadcasts in 60 languages across multiple platforms.
SBS managing director James Taylor said:
I’d like to congratulate George, on behalf of the board and the organisation, for the immense contribution he has made to SBS over the last eight years. From the very beginning, he saw the potential and responsibility of SBS – not just to be a broadcaster, but to be a builder of trust, identity, and inclusion in this country.
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NT coroner makes 32 recommendations after inquest into death of Kumanjayi Walker
NT coroner Elisabeth Armitage has now handed down her findings after the inquest into the death of Kumanjayi Walker.
She said she has made 32 recommendations. Among them are recommendations for additional engagement with and supports for Yuendumu night patrol, youth services, disability services, mediators and rehabilitation programs.
She recommended NT Police’s management of internal complaints and internal investigations be addressed and that the NT police engage directly with the Yuendumu leadership groups to develop mutual respect agreements, including when it would be appropriate for police not to carry firearms in the community.
Armitage also made other recommendations concerning the use of long-arm weapons and on recruitment, training and cultural inductions.
“To NT Health, in an effort to both prevent and address trauma experienced by young people like Kumanjayi, I have recommended a strengthening of its developmental screening programs for children under five years,” she said.
Specifically I have recommended that the circumstances of Kumanjayi’s death be incorporated in training on officer-induced jeopardy.
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NT coroner says dragging of Walker after he was shot ‘should not have happened’
NT coroner Elisabeth Armitage’s findings into the death of Kumanjayi Walker address the immediate aftermath of his shooting, she said moments ago.
Understandably, members of Kumanjayi’s family were extremely upset after he was shot. Police dragged him to one of the police vehicles. This was the last time his family saw Kumanjayi alive.
She said she heard in the inquest that immediate response police “explained that they did not mean any disrespect in dragging Kumanjayi, and they did so for safety reasons and to render first aid”.
However, dragging is a disrespectful act. It should not have happened.
• Indigenous Australians can call 13YARN on 13 92 76 for information and crisis support; or call Lifeline on 13 11 14, Mensline on 1300 789 978 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636
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NT coroner: Walker’s death was ‘avoidable, although in some significant respects the failures were institutional’
Elisabeth Armitage says Kumanjay Walker’s death in Yuendumu on 9 November 2019 “was avoidable, although in some significant respects, the failures were institutional”.
I share the view expressed by the use of force experts and several highly experienced senior police officers who said that this was a case of ‘officer induced jeopardy’, an expression that describes situations where officers needlessly put themselves in danger, making themselves and others vulnerable and creating a situation that justifies the use of deadly force.
She said that Mr Rolfe, “a very junior officer, made a series of flawed decisions that significantly increased the increased the risk of a fatal interaction with a member of the public” and “did not prioritise safety in the arrest of a vulnerable teenager”.
She said an “ops plan” – planning a careful arrest of Walker, who had a history of trauma and poor impulse control – drafted by Sergeant Frost from Yuendumu police station and approved by a superintendent was “ignored” Mr Rolfe.
Mr Rolfe was aware of the written arrest plan, since he and his … colleague … were provided a copy when they arrived at Yuendumu and were briefed on it by Sergeant Frost – but Mr Rolfe ignored the plan.
Mr Rolfe thought he knew better than Sergeant Frost, a female bush cop. He thought he was fitter and faster than bush cops.
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NT coroner says Rolfe ‘had a tendency to seek out situations in which force would be necessary’
Coroner Elisabeth Armitage says there “were instances where [Zachary] Rolfe used force without proper regard for the risk of injury to persons, all of whom were Aboriginal boys or men” and that he prioritised “a show of force over potential peaceful resolutions”.
Mr Rolfe had a tendency to rush into situations to get his man without regard for his and others safety and in disregard of his training.
He had a tendency to seek out situations in which force would be necessary, because he found combat situations exhilarating and had an interest in adrenaline-style policing.
She said Rolfe disturbed evidence and on “at least five occasions” recorded his “forceful arrests” of Aboriginal men.
He replayed the body-worn video to colleagues and forwarded the phone footage to family and friends.
It is clear that a significant motivation for doing this was because he was proud of, was boasting about, and wished to be celebrated for his physical feats of tactical skill or ability.
He thought that using force against arrest targets and causing them serious injury was funny.
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NT coroner finds police officer Zachary Rolfe ‘was racist’
Elisabeth Armitage says she is “comfortably satisfied that racist language was normalised within the Alice Springs police station during Mr Rolfe’s time there as a police officer.”
His racist messages were not mere aberrations. They were at least in part reflective of a work culture that tolerated racism.
Having considered all the evidence, including Mr Rolfe’s explanations and justifications, I found that Mr Rolfe was racist and that he worked in, and was the beneficiary of, an organisation with hallmarks of institutional racism.
I am satisfied that there is a significant risk that his racism, in combination with some of his other attitudes and values, affected his interactions with the community of Yuendumu on 9 November 2019, his entry into their houses and his perception of and response to the young Aboriginal man he shot and killed in a way that increased the likelihood of a fatal outcome.
• Indigenous Australians can call 13YARN on 13 92 76 for information and crisis support; or call Lifeline on 13 11 14, Mensline on 1300 789 978 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636
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NT coroner acknowledges Rolfe’s ‘stressful period’ but also evidence of ‘attitudes that reflect poorly on him’
Coroner Elisabeth Armitage has acknowledged the “stressful period” junior police officer Zachary Rolfe has been through since the death of Kumanjayi Walker, as well as his relentless – and difficult and traumatic – workload.
“Nevertheless, I received a substantial body of evidence that plainly reveals examples of Mr Rolfe’s conduct, including dishonesty and attitudes that reflect very poorly on him,” she said.
I heard evidence about some of Mr Rolfe’s attitudes that may have influenced why he made decisions to enter house 511, and conduct the flawed arrest on Kumanjayi in the manner that he did.
Mr Rolfe’s text messages provided evidence of his derisive attitudes to female colleagues and some superiors, his frustration or contempt for more senior officers who had not earned his respect, his attraction to high adrenaline policing and his contempt for bush cops or remote policing - all of which had the potential to increase the likelihood of a fatal encounter with Kumanjayi, for reasons outlined in my findings, I am comfortably satisfied that these unsavoury views and attitudes were consciously or unconsciously embedded in the decisions Mr Rolfe made on 9 November 2019.
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NT coroner hopes findings ‘will help to prevent a similar tragedy’
Elisabeth Armitage says it is her “sincere hope that the handing down of these findings will help to prevent a similar tragedy” to that of 9 November 2019.
Nothing in the findings should be taken to mean that I think that police are not entitled to lawfully defend themselves against serious attacks. An important aim of these findings, however, is to make recommendations that reduce the risk of attacks upon police who perform a vital role in our community.
Although much of this inquest reviewed formal documents, policies and the actions of others, I never lost sight of the fact that I was inquiring into the death of a person who lived, was loved, is missed and mourned. While family members accept his frailties and vulnerabilities, they urge me to remember him from his humanity and to acknowledge the whole person they have lost.
She says that in her findings, she has “set out in some detail the family history for Kumanjayi, including some of the challenges he had growing up”, including being exposed to alcohol when in utero, his substance abuse from about the age of 13 and his time in juvenile detention.
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NT coroner: ‘Kumanjayi’s passing is a tragedy for him and those who knew and loved him’
Elisabeth Armitage has begun reading her findings from the inquest into Kumanjayi Walker’s death.
“Kumanjayi’s passing is a tragedy for him and those who knew and loved him in this community,” the coroner has just said.
I am very sorry for your loss, and condolences have been expressed by the agencies who were represented at the inquest and many individual witnesses who were deeply affected by his passing.
Today, I again acknowledge your pain and sorrow and pay my respects to all those who grieve him.
Evidence in this inquest has been distressing to hear, particularly for those who loved Kumanjayi. I acknowledge that participating in these proceedings has taken a toll on Kumanjayi’s family and this community.
I appreciate the gracious way his family and all of you gave evidence, listened, bore witness and patiently awaited these findings into Kumanjayi’s death and these proceedings have also had a profound impact on many people connected with the events of the day - that includes police witnesses, Mr Rolfe and his family, cleaning staff and other service providers.
I acknowledge that it has been hard for many of you, and that the receipt of these findings may also cause distress.
• Indigenous Australians can call 13YARN on 13 92 76 for information and crisis support; or call Lifeline on 13 11 14, Mensline on 1300 789 978 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636
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NT coroner arrives at court to deliver Kumanjayi Walker inquest findings
As we await the findings from the inquest into the death of Kumanjayi Walker, all eyes are on Yuendumu. Here’s NT coroner Elisabeth Armitage arriving a short time ago.
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Hello readers, I’m Daisy Dumas and I’ll be leading the rest of the day’s live news coverage. Thank you for your excellent blogging this morning, Jordyn Beazley.
Victorian premier says taskforce is next step in ‘plan to crack down on hate’
Allan said the Victorian government had already taken a number of steps to stem antisemitism – including anti-vilification and social cohesion laws – and that the taskforce builds on this work.
She said the anti-vilification and social cohesion laws had given police additional powers and harsher penalties to crackdown on anyone targets people because of their faith.
In addition to this, Allan said:
We are currently drafting legislation and are undertaking consultation to crackdown on extremist behaviour at protests. The banning of facemasks, the banning of attachment devices, and the banning of the display of terrorist symbols and signs. The legislation is being drafted and we will be bringing that legislation to the parliament in the next session of parliament.
But we know that we will need to continue to do more and I will not rest in doing more to make it clear that hate has no place here in Victoria. Which is why establishing the anti-hate taskforce in partnership with Victoria police is the next step in this plan to crack down on hate, but also, too, work with communities right across the state in continuing to strengthen the social fabric of our community.
The anti-hate taskforce will be meeting this week. And we will ensure that the voices of our Jewish community are part of that meeting, to hear from them and what they are experiencing and how to guide the next steps of the taskforce.
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‘Acts of antisemitism have no place here in Melbourne’
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, is speaking now about the alleged arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue on Friday and establishing the anti-hate taskforce with Victoria police.
Allan said:
We thank police for their efforts to swiftly arrest the individual alleged to have perpetrated what is a hateful act. Any attack on a synagogue, it is an act of antisemitism. I condemn it.
I will not rest, will not rest, and will continue to take any action necessary to not only to strengthen the law but to respond and lead in … how we as a community need to act to say very, very clearly that acts of hate, acts of violence, acts of antisemitism have no place here in Melbourne and Victoria.
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NSW police appeal for information on ‘six days of carnage’ believed to be linked to drug cartel
NSW police spoke a little earlier about its investigation into a “contract crew” alleged to be responsible for “six days of carnage” in 2024 in which one man was fatally shot and another was shot and allegedly buried but survived.
Detective superintendent Joseph Doueihi said the crew – allegedly linked to a drug cartel – were “very likely” motivated by “something that’s gone wrong within that drug trafficking syndicate from Melbourne”.
The three incidents include the alleged murder of 32-year-old Rich ‘Dylan’ Choup – who was fatally shot in Sydney last July. A 31-year-old man from south-west Sydney was allegedly kidnapped and tortured. The third incident is the alleged attempted murder of a man in Jimboomba, Queensland. Police said the 23-year-old man was shot through the eye and then buried.
Doueihi said:
We believe that Mr Choup was an employee of that syndicate and has fallen foul of that syndicate for some reason – we don’t have the exact details. That is also part of our appeal today, is to establish what the exact motive may have been in relation to that.
We believe the kidnapping of the first male is also linked to a drug trafficking syndicate and something that’s gone wrong within that drug trafficking syndicate. In relation to the attempted murder of the man in Queensland, that unfortunately is not that clear. It remains unclear at the moment for the exact motive but there is a possibility that that also is linked to the drug trafficking syndicate.
Doueihi said it was unbeknown to the “contract crew” that the alleged victim in the third incident had survived.
He said:
The male was shot in the head through the eye, with the bullet lodged in his brain. He was buried in a shallow grave. Unbeknown to the offenders, who believed he was deceased, the male crawled out of the grave and made his way to a nearby service station, where an ambulance was called, and the man was taken to a nearby hospital, had surgery, and had the bullet removed. Queensland police are investigating that matter.
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Trump and US commerce secretary say tariffs are delayed until 1 August
The US Trump administration plans to start sending letters to its trade partners on Monday that will set the much-awaited new tariff rates on global imports.
The administration’s commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, has confirmed the “rates and deals” being set will come into effect on August 1.
US president Donald Trump had in April announced a 10% base tariff rate on most countries and additional duties ranging up to 50%, although he later delayed the effective date for all but 10% until 9 July.
The new date of 1 August offers countries a further three-week reprieve, but also plunges importers into an extended period of uncertainty.
It comes after Anthony Albanese said last Monday that trade tariffs placed on Australia by the US Trump administration “should be zero”.
The prime minister said Australia has continued to put forward its case that it should be exempt.
He said last Monday:
We continue to put our case forward that it shouldn’t be 10.
It should be zero. That is what a reciprocal tariff will be. We have a US free trade agreement, of course, and we’ve put forward very clearly our arguments. We’ll continue to do so.
Jacinta Allan vows to stand with Victoria’s Jewish community
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, has appeared briefly to speak about the government’s response to antisemitism after an alleged arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue.
Today the state government announced it would be setting up an anti-hate taskforce to look “at the bigger picture across our city and state”
Allan said:
I’ll continue to stand with a strong, proud Jewish community here in Victoria every single day. Every single day. They are a big, important part of our community. They demand our support at this most difficult time. They demand our action, which is why, alongside strengthening laws and the response of Victoria police, we will continue to work to build a stronger place where everyone can be who they are, and practice their faith safe and free from hate.
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Australia lifts aid to Fiji and deepens ties after Rabuka visit
The Fijian prime minister Sitiveni Rabuka’s week-long visit to Australia has borne fruit, with Anthony Albanese’s government agreeing to bolster aid to the Pacific nation by tens of millions of dollars.
Australia has agreed to a fresh commitment of $52m of support, with a focus on border security, taking commitments to Fiji to just under $500m over the next four years.
Foreign minister Penny Wong has also announced a deepening of policing and security ties, including officers and advisers to be embedded in Fijian operations.
Rabuka arrived in Canberra last week, meeting with governor general Sam Mostyn before a series of meetings with Australian officials, including Albanese.
He addressed the National Press Club on Wednesday, calling for a deepening of defence ties and raised the prospect of Fijian soldiers serving in the Australian defence force.
– via AAP
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NSW police hunt for 'contract crew' after man killed and another allegedly buried alive
New South Wales police have alleged a “contract crew” linked to a drug trafficking syndicate is responsible for “six days of carnage” in which one man was fatally shot and another was shot and buried but survived in 2024.
Police said it was investigating the alleged murder of 32-year-old Rich ‘Dylan’ Choup – who was fatally shot in Sydney last July – and two other violent incidents believed to be linked:
Police believe the three incidents occurred within a six-day period and may be linked to a Victorian drug trafficking syndicate.
Detectives are appealing to the public for information about the incidents.
Police said the incidents include a 31-year-old man from south-west Sydney who was allegedly kidnapped and tortured.
Another incident included the alleged attempted murder of a man in Jimboomba, Queensland.
Police said the 23-year-old man was shot through the eye and then buried:
Police believe the man was shot and buried, with those responsible likely unaware he crawled out of his shallow grave to seek help a short time later.
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Victoria creates anti-hate taskforce after alleged antisemitic attacks
The Victorian government has convened a new anti-hate taskforce after a spate of alleged antisemitic attacks in Melbourne at the weekend.
Victorian premier Jacinta Allan said the taskforce will build on the work undertaken by the Local Escalation and Help (Leah) at the local level, by looking “at the bigger picture across our city and state.”
The taskforce will be formed by the Victorian police and the government.
Allan said:
It will have its first meeting this week where I will be updated on: how Victoria Police plans to operationalise the criminal components of the Anti-Vilification and Social Cohesion Act; progress and updates from the LEAH meetings occurring within the Jewish Community; the progress of community consultation and development of legislation for increased police powers to stamp out extreme and violent protest.
I will also invite representatives of Melbourne’s Jewish Community to participate in this meeting, so their voice is heard from the outset.
The taskforce will meet regularly and consist initially of representatives of Government including myself and the Minister for Police, Victoria Police and the Lord Mayor of Melbourne – with membership to expand over time.
Hate doesn’t belong in Victoria. It has no place outside synagogues or inside restaurants.
We have a strong action plan and we’re implementing it piece by piece. We back our police, we’re giving them more powers – and we won’t rest until every Victorian feels safe to be who they are.
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McCarthy says ‘now is the time’ for federal action on truth-telling
Malarndirri McCarthy has said that “now is the time” for the federal government to take “the steps that are required around truth-telling”.
The minister for Indigenous Australians was speaking on ABC News Breakfast a short time ago.
McCarthy was asked if she could see could see the federal government undertaking a truth-telling inquiry in the wake of Victoria’s Yoorrook Justice Commission releasing its report.
McCarthy said:
I have been watching states and territories. I know that, since the defeat of the referendum, we have looked at what’s going on in each of the state and territory jurisdictions.
But now is the time, I hope, as we go forward, that we can look at what we can do at a federal level in regards to taking the steps that are required around truth-telling.
We do talk about this when we come to Garma, but now is the time to see action, and I do want to read the Yoorrook Justice Commission report and see what we can do at a federal level.
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Ley writes to Albanese to offer Coalition support on child safety reforms
The opposition leader, Sussan Ley, says she has written to Anthony Albanese to offer the Coalition’s support on safety reforms after allegations against a Victorian childcare worker rocked the sector last week.
On Tuesday, a Melbourne childcare worker was charged with with more than 70 offences relating to eight alleged victims aged between five months and two years old, prompting health authorities to urge the parents of 1,200 children to seek testing.
Speaking on Sunrise this morning, Ley said she felt “physically sick” upon learning of the allegations against the childcare worker.
I have written to the prime minister in good faith to offer our constructive engagement in the lead-up to parliament returning so we can have legislation ready to go to actually act once and for all, to do what I think every parent would expect and every community member would expect – to make sure our children are safe in childcare settings.
When asked whether the Coalition had done enough to strengthen safety in the wake of the 2017 royal commission into child sexual abuse, Ley said it is “not about the blame game”.
The education minister, Jason Clare, is a good person. My shadow education spokesperson is a good person and they will work together.
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Designs to be released for essential worker homes at Sydney WestConnex site
The New South Wales government is today unveiling concept designs and plans for 577 homes that will be built on surplus government land at the former WestConnex dive site in Annandale.
The homes will include 220 build-to-rent apartments for essential workers.
The land was secured by the government as part of its $450m build-to-rent essential worker housing program.
NSW premier Chris Minns said:
Housing is the single largest cost of living pressure people face and this block of land has sat unused for years – so we’re using it to help deliver essential housing for essential workers.
This project will deliver hundreds of homes that will cut both costs and commute times for its residents, while allowing workers to build a life close to their jobs, allowing them to deliver world class public services.
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Jewish community ‘not OK’ after alleged antisemitic Melbourne attacks
The chair of the Anti-Defamation Commission, Dvir Abramovich, says the Jewish community is “not OK” after a spate of alleged antisemitic attacks in Melbourne at the weekend.
Speaking to ABC’s Radio National this morning, Abramovich said antisemitism was “not just an abstract issue, it’s a real-life threat to our lives and to Jewish life here”.
I need Australians to really hear that: if ever there was a moment to break the glass and pull the alarm labelled never again, it’s right now because what happened on Friday night wasn’t some isolated outburst, it was the boiling point of something that’s been building for years now, since October 7.
Abramovich said he went to the East Melbourne Synagogue on Saturday to see the doorway after the fire and “something broke in me”.
And there’s a prevailing feeling in our community that something is cracked. And we’re not sure who’s going to protect us.
He commended strong condemnation from Anthony Albanese, the home affairs minister, Tony Burke, and the former attorney general Mark Dreyfus at the weekend but called for strong action, including state and federal hate crime task forces and national anti-vilification education.
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Plea for data registry funds in fight against MND
Health advocates are calling on the government to launch a data registry for motor neurone disease, with $12m needed to know the extent of the illness nationwide and target specific support to affected patients.
The disease robs individuals of the ability to walk, talk, swallow, and eventually breathe, as it impairs nerve cells responsible for transmitting signals from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles.
More research needs to be done and consolidated through a national database on the causes of the disease, MND Australia CEO Clare Sullivan said.
“It’s one of those diseases we still don’t know a lot about, there’s no specific diagnosis,” she said.
“You have to exclude everything else, and then you’re left with motor neurone disease.
“That also goes to why we need better data. We don’t even know how many people in Australia have motor neurone disease.”
– via AAP
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McCarthy says Yuendumu counting on action as community awaits Walker inquest findings
The minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy, has said the people of Yuendumu and central Australia more broadly are counting on action after the release of the report into Kumanjayi Walker’s death.
Walker, an Indigenous teenager, was fatally shot by then-Northern Territory police constable Zachary Rolfe in November 2019. The NT coroner Elisabeth Armitage will hand down her findings at a special hearing in Yuendumu from 10.45am today.
McCarthy, speaking on ABC News Breakfast this morning, said she and many others looked forward to reading the coroner’s report, but that many continued to feel the toll of Walker’s death.
If there’s one word that can be used, which I’ve heard elder Ned Hargraves use, it’s that they’re exhausted, they’re tired, they’re wearied by all of this.
They are hopeful that some good will come from it, and I’m sure they’ll speak for themselves on it today.
But it is important to see and listen to what the coroner has to say today.
In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Indigenous Australians can call 13YARN on 13 92 76 for information and crisis support. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org
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Toxic algal bloom arrives on Adelaide’s beaches
South Australia’s toxic algal bloom has arrived on Adelaide’s beaches, deepening public concern about the unfolding catastrophe, which has affected the state’s coastline since March.
Until recently, city beaches had escaped the worst of the deadly bloom of Karenia mikimotoi algae, which had devastated marine life from the Fleurieu peninsula, to Kangaroo Island, the Yorke peninsula and the Ramsar-listed Coorong, amid warmer than normal sea temperatures.
But in the wake of a major storm on 24 June, masses of dead rays, fish and rare and unusual marine life began washing up from north of Grange jetty to south of Christies beach surf club.
“Until that time, it hadn’t hit metro Adelaide,” said marine biologist Dr Michael Bossley. “Suddenly, the people of Adelaide and the government and just about everybody are doubling down on their concern.”
Climate and environment reporter Petra Stock has more:
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Most older Australians support tax hike for high super balances, report finds
Most older Australians support increasing taxes on high superannuation balances, a new report shows.
The federal government is hoping to lift taxes on super balances above $3 million from 15% to 30% in a move predicted to impact about 0.5% of savers.
Despite outcry from the opposition, about 57% of seniors endorse the change, according to a survey of 3000 people aged 50 and older conducted by National Seniors Australia for the Super Members Council.
The results appear to track with broader public sentiment on Labor’s bill, Super Members Council CEO Misha Schubert said.
“There seems to be broad Australian understanding about the importance of equity and sustainability in the super system, and a strong sense of fairness as the starting point,” she said.
– via AAP
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Coalition frontbencher calls for national cabinet after Melbourne attacks
The Coalition frontbencher Melissa McIntosh has called for the prime minister to convene an urgent meeting of national cabinet after several alleged antisemitic attacks in Melbourne at the weekend.
“Why isn’t he convening National Cabinet and bringing the states together with urgency to address this issue?” McIntosh asked on ABC’s Insiders on Sunday.
But Victoria’s opposition police spokesman David Southwick, who is Jewish, said there was no need for another “talkfest”.
“The time for talk is over. We need action,” the Caulfield MP said.
A 34-year-old man from New South Wales has appeared in court charged over allegedly entering the grounds of the East Melbourne Hebrew congregation on Albert Street at about 8pm on Friday, pouring a flammable liquid on the front door of the building and setting it on fire.
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Acoss urges RBA to cut interest rates tomorrow
The Australian Council of Social Service is calling on the Reserve Bank of Australia to cut interest rates again tomorrow after the latest inflation data showed that price pressures are continuing to ease.
“With inflation well within the RBA’s target and decreasing, there is no reason to keep interest rates high,” said Jacqueline Phillips, acting CEO of Acoss.
People on low and modest incomes have borne the brunt of interest rate rises and desperately need relief. The economic conditions clearly support a rate cut.
Phillips said a series of rate cuts now would open the door to stronger growth in jobs and help restore people’s incomes after a decade of stagnation.
Low unemployment should be celebrated, not feared. There is no evidence that our current unemployment rate is driving inflation. In fact, inflation continues to fall even with unemployment at these levels.
We should be supporting job creation, not deliberately trying to push people out of employment to meet an arbitrary unemployment target.
While welcome, rate cuts alone would not solve the living standards crisis for people who are hit the hardest, she added.
We need an urgent increase to JobSeeker and other social security payments to lift them to a liveable level.
We also need further investment in social housing and home energy upgrades for low-income renters to bring down energy bills.
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Bowen travels to Pacific in push to host Cop31
While there’s no confirmation of who will host Cop31 next year, climate change and energy minister Chris Bowen will travel to the Pacific this week to discuss Australia’s joint bid with the region to host the climate summit.
Australia is lobbying to host the summit against Turkey, and Anthony Albanese promised during the federal election campaign to hold the summit – if we won – in Adelaide.
Bowen will visit Tuvalu, Palau, Samoa and the Marshall Islands and says the trip will help deepen ties with the region.
It makes sense that the world’s biggest climate conference should be hosted by the region facing some of the world’s biggest climate impacts.
Australia and the Pacific’s joint bid for COP31 is about ensuring that the region’s voice shapes global climate action for the benefit of the Australian and Pacific people.
South Australia’s acting premier, Susan Close, says her state is a “global leader” in decarbonisation, with 75% of its energy coming from renewables, and a target of net 100% renewables by 2027.
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Welcome
Good morning and welcome to Monday’s live news blog.
The Albanese government will continue its efforts to host the Cop31 climate summit against stiff competition from Turkey, with climate and energy minister Chris Bowen travelling to the Pacific.
And the opposition frontbencher Melissa McIntosh has called for the prime minister to convene an urgent meeting of national cabinet after a spate of alleged antisemitic attacks in Melbourne at the weekend.
I’m Jordyn Beazley and I’ll be taking you through the morning’s news.
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