What we learned, Monday 21 July
We will wrap up the live blog here for the evening. Here’s what made the news:
$14m in one-off funding was announced by environment minister Murray Watt to support the response to South Australia’s algal bloom crisis.
Mark Latham’s portrait will remain on the wall of the federal Labor caucus room in parliament house, but with added text, amid debate in the party about Latham in recent weeks.
Former Liberal prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, has rejected Coalition criticisms of Labor prime minister Anthony Albanese’s trip to China, saying it was “absolutely the right thing to do to go to China”.
Ahead of parliament sitting tomorrow for the first time since the May federal election, Albanese has told the Labor caucus to “repay the faith” voters put in them at the election.
The opposition leader, Sussan Ley, has said the opposition won’t simply “get out of the way” of the government in the new term.
Australian Greens leader, Larissa Waters, has backed the expulsion of her party’s co-founder Drew Hutton over claims he fostered debate the party deems transphobic, saying the move reflected “good governance”. Hutton is considering his legal options.
Another childcare centre in Melbourne has confirmed it terminated alleged sex offender Joshua Dale Brown’s employment.
Peter Ryan, a Walkley Award-winning journalist who worked in the field for 45 years, died in Sydney after a battle with cancer.
We will be back with the Australian politics live blog bright and early tomorrow for the first sitting day of the new parliament. Until then, enjoy your evening.
Australian Conservation Foundation welcomes ‘overdue’ algal bloom funding
Darcie Carruthers, the South Australia-based nature campaigner for the Australian Conservation Foundation, has welcomed environment minister Murray Watt’s funding announcement to support the response to the algal bloom crisis but says it is overdue and more needs to be done:
It is long overdue and very welcome assistance. But I would say that the federal government needs to focus on the causes of this economic and environmental disaster to prevent it from happening again.
A marine heatwave and the water from the disastrous 2023 Murray Darling floods are both factors that have allowed the algae to take hold and both warming waters and floods are supercharged by burning fossil fuels.
If Minister Watt is serious about protecting nature and businesses he’ll stop approving coal and gas and create nature laws that protect them from climate pollution.
Carruthers said she also believed it was “reasonable to declare this a national disaster when tens if not hundreds of thousands of animals are dying and local businesses and communities are struggling”:
Declaring this a national disaster could render them more assistance.
Updated
Search for missing fisher in NSW expands
A multi-agency search for a fisher missing off Australia’s east coast has been massively expanded, AAP reports.
The search, broadened on Monday afternoon, began after a 56-year-old man failed to return from a day of fishing.
He departed from Batemans Bay marina on the NSW south coast about 6am on Saturday.
Contact was made with the man about 10am but emergency services were called when he failed to return that night.
The search initially focused on an area between Ulladulla and Merimbula but was widened as it continued on Monday.
Led by the Marine Area Command, vessels, fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters have now scoured as far north as Port Stephens and as far south as the Victorian border – an area spanning about 700km.
Four Marine Rescue NSW vessels are involved.
The expanded search followed unconfirmed sightings of the man’s eight-metre Arvor cruiser by members of the public.
Marine Rescue NSW inspector Stuart Massey said crews were determined to find the 56-year-old.
There were almost 30 volunteers on the water on Sunday across six vessels, covering an area from Ulladulla to Merimbula and up to 22km seaward under the direction of police, Massey said.
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Greens says algal bloom support funding nowhere near what is needed
Greens environment spokesperson, Sarah Hanson Young welcomed the $14m of funding to address the algal bloom crisis in South Australia but said it was “nowhere near what will be needed.”
She told ABC’s Afternoon Briefing she was disappointed the environment minister, Murray Watt, stopped short of declaring a disaster.
I understand the point around it does not fit in the checklist. I don’t care about the bureaucracy.
She said the parliament makes the laws, so they should be made to fit the crises being faced.
If it happened on Bondi beach I think this government would have responded much sooner, the national media would have been much more focused on it, it has been very late coming but I’m glad we are there and it is down to the hard work and advocacy of the South Australian community.
They have been up in arms about this for weeks. They wanted the minister to come, he finally went today, put money on the table but there is a long way to go.
Hanson Young said it is the climate crisis because of warming oceans. It wasn’t just about the environment, she said, but flow-on effects to the communities along the South Australian coast.
What will people do? This will have a long tail, it is a disaster and we need this to be taken seriously.
Updated
Former Liberal prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull said he did not know what the outcome of the review of Aukus would be. On shadow defence minister Angus Taylor’s call for commitment to Taiwan from Australia, Turnbull said Taylor “clearly misspoke and is not sufficiently familiar with his portfolio”.
Why on earth would Australia be giving an undertaking to take any action in respect of Chinese attempt to invade Taiwan if the United States has not made any commitment itself?
Updated
Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull responded to reports he had spoken with the US under secretary of defence policy Elbridge Colby, who is leading the US review of Aukus about the project before Colby was appointed to the review.
He told ABC’s Afternoon Briefing that Colby is “one of the smartest, most clear-sighted people in the defence policy world in Washington and has been for some years”.
He said the reservations about Aukus Colby has expressed are ones that “any rational American policy official or policy thinker would have.
They are, firstly, the Virginia class submarines are the most valuable and survivable parts of the US Navy. The US Navy does not have enough of them. They are producing about half as many as they need for their own purposes, let alone to spare any for Australia, so the question is how can this be any for Australia in 2031?
He said the second issue Colby raised prior to being appointed was around if Australia was investing sufficiently in its defence capabilities.
This problem has been exacerbated by the decision to go into naval nuclear propulsion which is hugely expensive and we have already seen one program after another being cancelled because there is not enough in the defence budget after spending money on Aukus to pay for it …
There is a real question in the Americans’ mind as to whether Australia is able to sustain its small capable military and, at the same time, pay for the submarines within the defence budget so you can understand that he would be saying no doubt to the Australian government, if you are not prepared to increase your budget, maybe you would be better off just finding a small capable military and leaving the nuclear submarine to those who are prepared to pay for it.
Updated
Turnbull rejects criticism of Albanese’s China trip
Former Liberal prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, has rejected Coalition criticisms of Labor prime minister Anthony Albanese’s trip to China, saying it was “absolutely the right thing to do to go to China”.
He told ABC’s Afternoon Briefing he would have done the same when he was in office:
I think the visit to the great wall and going further afield out of Beijing and Shanghai was very good. If I had had more time when I had a similar official visit in 2016, I would have done the same thing, so it makes perfect sense.
He said the visit went about as well as it could go, and it was a “storm in a tea cup”:
The criticism the opposition has made of his visit to China is opposition for the sake of opposition. I know what it is like, I have been leader of the opposition. You end up becoming a whinger and a knocker all the time and sometimes you have to hold back because it does the opposition much more harm that it does the government.
Updated
Just more on the earlier news of the $14m support package for the algal bloom crisis in South Australia. Environment minister Murray Watt has stopped short of calling the event a national disaster or emergency.
Speaking at a press conference in Adelaide on Monday afternoon, Watt said:
The federal cabinet was unified in recognising that this is a very serious event facing South Australia and that we need to step up federal government support for South Australia as they lead the response effort here.
Updated
Mark Latham portrait to remain on Labor caucus room wall with added text
Mark Latham’s portrait will remain on the wall of the federal Labor caucus room in parliament house, but with added text, amid debate in the party about Latham in recent weeks.
The ABC reported the words: “In 2017 Mark Latham was expelled from the Australian Labor party and banned for life. His actions do not accord with Labor values and fail to meet the standards we expect and demand” will be added to the portrait but it would remain up on the wall.
Portraits of former leaders and other significant MPs hang in the party room where members meet regularly during sitting periods.
Latham was Labor leader from 2003 to 2005, when the party remained in opposition. He now sits as an independent in the NSW parliament, but has faced calls to resign from parliament following losing a defamation case regarding homophobic comments he made about independent MP Alex Greenwich, and criticism of Latham airing confidential medical information about Greenwich in parliament.
Last week Latham also faced allegations of emotional, physical and financial abuse that were aired from a former partner in court documents. Allegations Latham has strongly denied.
He was expelled from Labor in 2017 after joining the Liberal Democrats.
The finance minister and minister for women, Katy Gallagher, told ABC’s Afternoon Briefing the addition of a statement was an acknowledgment that “you can’t erase history” and that Latham didn’t align with modern Labor’s values or standards of behaviour.
Latham posted on social media after the move was announced, likening the decision to Josef Stalin’s purges.
Updated
Federal government announces $14m support for SA algal bloom
The federal environment minister, Murray Watt, who is in SA today announced a one-off $14m package of support for the toxic algal bloom event in South Australia, which has killed thousands of animals that are washing up on SA beaches.
Watt said the package was requested by the SA government.
Having officials here on the ground last week has helped finalise what that request would be and having received that we have been able to turn that around very quickly.
Now, they will need to be some further discussions between ourselves and the South Australian government about exactly the details of how that funding is used. But it is intended to deal with a number of short-term requirements and some of the longer term needs that South Australia is going to face as it recovers from this event.
He said discussions would continue over the next couple of days but the funding would support activities including cleaning up the beaches, and supporting businesses in the area.
There are businesses doing it really tough as a result of this event. It is likely this support will also provide further community awareness about what this event involves and how people should be dealing with it and importantly, looking more long-term, there is clearly a need to invest more in science and research about this event, on top of the substantial resources we and the state government are already putting into science and research.
Updated
German backpacker who went missing in WA back home
The German backpacker who went missing in outback Western Australia for 11 nights has reportedly returned home.
German publication Bild reported on Sunday Carolina Wilga has now returned home.
Wilga hit her head in a car crash and left the car “in a state of confusion” and got lost as as a result.
She was last seen on 29 June in a shop in Beacon, 300km north-east of Perth.
Police sent land and air resources to comb the remote Wheatbelt area for Wilga. After her van was found bogged and abandoned in Karroun Hill, nearly 150km away from Beacon, Wilga was found alive the following day 24km from her car.
Updated
Cashless gaming trial to begin in Victoria in September
A long-awaited trial of cashless gaming will begin in September at pokies venues across three Victorian local government areas.
The minister for casino, gambling and liquor regulation, Enver Erdogan, on Monday announced the trial will run across all 43 venues with gaming machines in Monash, Greater Dandenong and Ballarat LGAs from September to November.
Punters at these venues will need to use a YourPlay card to play electronic gaming machines and set loss limits.
Erdogan said “account-based play” will offer people more control over their gambling habits and can provide them with greater insight into how much they spend gambling:
This trial is an important first step – helping people take control of their gambling and make better choices.
It comes after the premier, Jacinta Allan, faced backlash from her Labor caucus in May for delaying the trial. It was originally scheduled to begin in mid-2025 and become mandatory by 2027 but the necessary legislation didn’t pass parliament in time.
Former premier, Daniel Andrews, first announced the plan to move to cashless gaming in July 2023, as part of a broader plan to reduce gambling harm.
Since then, the government has introduced several measures including mandatory closure periods from 4am to 10am, slower spin rates in new pokies machines and a cap on the number of machines in the state at the current level until 2042.
Updated
Sydney man to face court on allegations of impersonating a foreign police officer
A man will face court today on charges he impersonated a foreign police officer, including driving a car with an unlawful police insignia, after he was stopped by NSW officers in Sydney last week.
NSW police said officers with the force’s traffic and highway patrol saw a black sedan in the suburb of Strathfield on Friday around 2.50pm during their patrols that had the insignia of Chinese police on the hood. Officers spoke with a 20-year-old man at the scene, who allegedly showed them ID documents and a disability pass.
Officers later searched the vehicle, seizing ammunition. A search of a home in Sydney’s Baulkham Hills suburb later resulted in the seizure of two firearms.
The man was taken to Burwood police station where he was charged with several offences, including use display of an emergency services insignia, driving a motor vehicle with unlawful police insignia, the use of false document to influence exercise of public duty and several weapons charges, among others.
He was refused bail.
Updated
‘It could be Bondi tomorrow’: Greens call for support package for SA algae bloom
The Greens have welcomed the environment minister, Murray Watt, travelling to South Australia to inspect the toxic algae bloom, which has killed thousands of animals and resulted in fish carcasses to wash up on beaches.
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young told the media in Canberra this afternoon that the government needs to provide a ‘Covid-style’ care package, and will be pushing for a parliamentary inquiry into the issue. Hanson-Young warned the bloom is a ‘canary in the coalmine’ for climate change:
About bloody time that the environment minister showed up in South Australia to have a look at what is an unfolding disaster …
We need the federal government to recognise that this is a national disaster … I’m just gobsmacked that the more experts I speak to about this issue, the more they say they tried to warn government … They asked for help and support so that they could help the government get ahead of the game, and they were ignored.
Updated
That’s all for me, thanks for sticking with us this morning. Josh Taylor will be your news guide for the rest of the day. Take care.
Australian share market falls after record gains
The local bourse has been unable to push further into record territory, with most sectors losing ground at the start of a busy week for markets. Near noon on Monday, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index had given up three-quarters of Friday’s gains, AAP reports.
Investors’ attention would be fully captured by stocks this week as US company reporting season hit full stride and a number of important Australian companies addressed shareholders, Moomoo market strategist Michael McCarthy said.
It might be a hectic week for markets, he added, with a number of US Federal Reserve board members speaking publicly, the release of New Zealand inflation data as well as a gauge of Australian and US business activity known as the purchasing manager index.
At midday, nine of the ASX’s 11 sectors were in the red, with energy and materials up marginally. The financial sector was the biggest loser, dropping 1.8%.
Updated
Albanese challenges Coalition to avoid ‘cul-de-sac’ politics of last parliament
The prime minister issued a challenge to the opposition in his remarks, saying:
Those opposite will have to decide whether they’ll continue the course that they set last term, which essentially was a cul-de-sac, didn’t lead anywhere at all, just saying, ‘No’ and not being constructive.
Albanese said lawmakers should look at the “big opportunities” for the nation, adding:
Where are the rewards that come from gender equality, from the net zero transition, from making sure that we grow new industries … This is the task which we have. We should go about it with determination, with humility, making sure – if people have got a good idea – we’re up for engagement, positively and constructively.
Updated
Albanese urges Labor caucus to 'repay the faith'
Prime minister Anthony Albanese is speaking to the Labor party caucus ahead of tomorrow’s first sitting day of the new parliament. He said members should reflect on their success in the last election as a moment to maintain a sense of “purpose and a clear idea about why we are here”, adding:
A lot more people try to get here than do get here. And, more often than not, Labor has been at the other end of the corridor. Which is why we should never, ever, ever take it for granted. …
Each and every day, we must work hard to we repay the faith that has been shown in us. …
People don’t expect perfection. They understand that the world will throw things at us. But they expect that we will put them first, rather than be focused internally on what goes on in this building.
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Victoria to establish state register of childcare workers within weeks, Jacinta Allan says
Victoria’s premier has said childcare regulations have “not worked” and vowed the state’s register of childcare workers will be established within weeks, after reports that alleged paedophile Joshua Dale Brown was sacked from multiple centres.
Jacinta Allan on Monday said there was a need to strengthen both state and federal regulations governing the sector, adding:
There has clearly been systems that have not worked.
Allan refused to comment on the specifics of Brown’s case or the “decision taken by the independent regulator”. But she said working with children’s checks would be included in the review into the childcare sector, led by former South Australian premier Jay Weatherill and senior bureaucrat Pamela White.
Read more here:
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Larissa Waters says expulsion of Queensland Greens co-founder ‘good governance’
Australian Greens leader, Larissa Waters, has backed the expulsion of her party’s co-founder Drew Hutton over claims he fostered debate the party deems transphobic, saying the move reflected “good governance”. Waters said:
This was an independent decision of the party, via the governance processes established by the membership, and with a clear outcome.
Nobody is above the rules.
After a complaint against him, the party’s Constitution and Arbitration Committee found that while Hutton himself had not demeaned trans women, he had provided a platform for others to do so and it suspended his membership until such time as he deleted a post criticising the Greens and removed the offending comments made by others.
The senator for Queensland said her party’s stance that “trans rights are human rights” had been determined and “backed again and again” by thousands of party members”,“pretty much all” of whom were able to have respectful policy discussions “even when we disagree”. Waters said:
Greens members have been working hard to resolve this matter through the party’s governance processes, and to ensure that the party’s important work on environmental, climate, economic, and social justice doesn’t stop because of one man’s focus on how other people identify.
The rest of us are just getting on with the job.
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Victorian wildlife officials still suspect poisoning after more than 150 corellas and other birds found dead
Victorian officials say they still suspect poisoning caused the deaths of more than 150 corellas and other birds earlier this month after wildlife rescuers described a scene where ill birds were falling from the sky.
Victoria’s Conservation Regulator has now ruled out avian influenza H5N1 through testing after the animals died in the Melbourne suburb of Springvale South between 12 July and 13 July. Most of the affected birds were little corellas, but some long-billed corellas and crested pigeons also died.
A spokesperson for the regulator urged anyone with information to come forward, adding:
It’s illegal and dangerous to poison wildlife, and we’re calling on the community to come forward with any information they might have that will help us to track down whoever is responsible.
We would remind the community to please avoid feeding wild birds because this can potentially promote spread of disease.
Updated
UK charity shop gets large donation of Nick Cave’s old books
An Oxfam charity store in Hove, England, recently received a large donation of musician Nick Cave’s old books. The shop said the collection, some 2,000 books, comes from a collaborative, touring exhibition staged by Cave, Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard alongside the Royal Danish Library, called “Stranger than Kindness”.
A man who works at the Oxfam store told The Argus the collection spanned a wide range of topics, saying:
It’s a very interesting donation. The types of books are very wide ranging – there’s philosophy, art, religion, even old fiction paperbacks. It’s an incredibly varied donation.
The man added that a few of the books do have ephemera used as bookmarks, including old plane tickets, but there wasn’t much about the books themselves that would identify them as part of Cave’s collection.
Still, a report from the Sunday Times said a crowd had already gathered in recent days to sift through those on offer, finding a boarding pass to Amsterdam in Cave’s name in one, a crushed cigarette packet and an old envelope bearing the words “Luke’s tooth” in others. Cave’s son, Luke, is now 34.
The books are slowly being placed on the shop floor should you find yourself in Hove.
Updated
Thanks to the eagle-eyed reader who emailed to note the photo at the top of the blog appeared to show the prime minister as a four-armed man. We can, alas, confirm Anthony Albanese retains just two arms and it’s a trick of the AAP photographer’s camera lens.
More on the light plane crash in south-east Queensland yesterday
A pilot and flight examiner died in a light plane crash that ignited a “fireball” in south-eastern Queensland yesterday.
A twin turboprop Reims Cessna F406 aircraft owned by Aero Logistics crashed into a grassy area at Devon Park, near Oakey, west of Toowoomba, about 3pm on Sunday.
Two men onboard the aircraft, confirmed as an Aero Logistics pilot and an external flight examiner, died in the crash. Ben Smee, the chief executive of Aero Logistics, said in a statement:
This is a terrible tragedy for the two people onboard the aircraft and their families, friends and workmates. They were experienced pilots and well-respected by everyone at Aero Logistics.
This is a devastating loss for everyone who knew them.
Read more here:
Updated
The PM’s son, Nathan, joined him on his walk to Parliament House
PM says an education ‘shouldn’t mean a lifetime of debt’, promising Hecs relief
Prime minister Anthony Albanese says Labor’s bill to cut Hecs debts will be first on his government’s agenda when parliament resumes tomorrow, saying “getting an education shouldn’t mean a lifetime of debt”.
In a staged photo op, Albanese walked to Parliament House this morning from his home at The Lodge (about a 15 minute walk). His team has just posted to X some slow-motion footage of him striding into work through the courtyard at the back of his prime ministerial office, looking determined in an example of what the kids might call “aura farming” these days.
“We promised cutting student debt would be the first thing we did back in parliament. And this week we’re introducing the legislation to make it happen,” Albanese’s X post says.
We promised cutting student debt would be the first thing we did back in Parliament.
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) July 21, 2025
And this week we're introducing the legislation to make it happen.
Because getting an education shouldn't mean a lifetime of debt. pic.twitter.com/6hdTBowEp1
We hear the legislation will be introduced midweek into parliament, and while the Coalition say they haven’t seen the bill yet, it’s expected they might support the change.
Just as a quick aside, Albanese’s video is soundtracked by a clip of the 2023 song Life Will Be by British soul artist Cleo Sol. We’re making no allusions to any deeper meaning behind that song choice, but if you’re interested, the opening lyrics to that tune are:
So many days, you hid the truth / Prayin’ for that moment and someone to believe in you / Get out your way, ‘cause time won’t wait for you / Live your life, live your life.
Updated
$500,000 reward offered in investigation into alleged Melbourne arson attack
It’s hoped a $500,000 reward will help find those responsible for an alleged arson attack that claimed the life of an innocent woman who was house-sitting, AAP reports.
Katie Tangey, 27, died along with her family’s dog after the alleged arsonists hit the wrong address while she was minding the home in Truganina in Melbourne’s west, in the early hours of 16 January.
Shortly after 2am, two people were captured on CCTV getting out of a dark-coloured vehicle – similar to a BMW X3 or X5 – outside the address.
There’s an explosion and the pair leave the area.
Tangey was inside the three-storey property, which belonged to her brother and his wife.
Anonymous calls to Crime Stoppers provided police with some information, including one in which the caller gave a name believed to be a pseudonym or nickname.
Investigators want that caller to make contact and provide them with more information.
Detective Inspector Chris Murray said police are close to solving the crime and called for anyone with information to come forward.
Those responsible for Katie’s death know they targeted the wrong house and they have to live with the knowledge that they are responsible for the horrific death of a completely innocent young woman.
We believe we know who directed this crime, and we know we are getting closer to proving who was responsible for carrying it out on the night.
In April, police released a computer-generated image of a man they believe may have been involved in the incident.
He is described as 25 to 30, with a slim build and of Middle Eastern appearance.
Updated
There will be plenty of pomp and ceremony in parliament tomorrow. Here’s a little taste
While parliament’s corridors are already abuzz (and all the politicians have been busy in meetings and media interviews), the first sitting day of the new term begins tomorrow.
It all kicks off at 9am when there will be a Welcome to Country in the parliament’s Great Hall, followed by a smoking ceremony just outside the front doors.
Then the deputy of the governor general will address all MPs and senators in the Senate chamber to formally open the 48th parliament, and from here there’s a bit of walking back and forth between the chambers.
All the new MPs and senators will be sworn in (but it’ll take a few days before they all get to give their first speeches).
After a bit of a break between proceedings, the governor general, Sam Mostyn, will arrive at parliament. She will receive a royal salute, see the new presiding officers of each house, and speak to all the MPs and senators back in the Senate chamber, with a 19-gun salute to mark the end of her address.
Parliament will begin sitting at 5pm (when the first couple of first speeches will commence). That also means we’ll see the first question time of the new parliament on Wednesday.
Updated
NT woman airlifted to hospital after spear embedded in her head
An 18-year-old woman was airlifted to the hospital from Angurugu in the Northern Territory yesterday after a spear was embedded in her head following an alleged domestic violence incident.
NT police are appealing for information after the incident after emergency services were called to the area around noon on Sunday. Police and local clinic staff arrived to find the victim conscious, with the spear “still embedded” in her head.
She has since been airlifted to the hospital in a serious but stable condition.
The alleged offender remains outstanding and investigations are ongoing.
Updated
ACT police respond to protest at Canberra weapons maker
ACT police were responding earlier this morning to reports of a protest on the roof of a building in Hume, a suburb of Canberra.
Video footage from the group Whistleblowers, Activists and Communities Alliance appears to show half a dozen protesters in red jumpsuits, some carrying flares and signs, on top of a facility owned by Electro Optic Systems (EOS). The Australian-owned company creates and manufactures technology including weapons systems. A large banner reading “Stop arming Israel” was unfurled on the building.
ACT police confirmed officers were responding to the incident but it wasn’t clear if anyone had been removed from the site. EOS has not responded to a request for comment.
Updated
Rescue group says whale calf struck by boat reflects need to give animals ‘space and quiet they need’
A rescue group said a whale calf and its mother have faced “significant” challenges during their northern migration up the coast of NSW after the young animal was struck by a small fishing boat off the Illawarra this weekend.
Orrca has been tracking the southern right whale and her calf, the only identified mother and calf so far this season. The mother sustained injuries during the migration after being hit by a vessel near Merimbula earlier this month, and while the calf was also struck on Saturday, the group said there were no “obvious injuries” at the time. Orrca said:
Southern Right Whales are one of the most endangered whale species in Australian waters, with an estimated east coast population of just 250–300 individuals. Their recovery has been slow due to their low reproductive rates, with mothers typically calving only once every three years.
We urge all members of the public to give this vulnerable mother and calf the space and quiet they need to rest and recover. Southern Right Whales depend on sheltered coastal waters to nurse and feed their young, and they must be allowed to do so without disturbance.
The group’s president, Ashley Ryan, added:
This was an unfortunate accident. Southern Right Whales are particularly vulnerable to vessel strikes because they spend long periods resting at the surface in what’s known as ‘logging,’ making them harder to spot, especially in choppy conditions. They also lack a dorsal fin, which is often the first sign of a whale’s presence for boaters.
Allegra Spender to hold special talks on tax system
Ahead of next month’s productivity summit hosted by treasurer Jim Chalmers, the independent MP for Wentworth, Allegra Spender, will host special talks on the tax system this week.
In the last parliament, Spender led work on a tax reform green paper. Friday’s event will bring together Australia’s leading tax experts and economists, alongside business, civil society and environmental organisations. Spender wants concrete proposals and ideas for reform to come out of the meeting.
Speakers will include Ken Henry, tax expert Bob Breunig, former Productivity Commission boss Michael Brennan and economists Chris Richardson and Richard Holden. Spender said:
We all agree that Australia needs urgent tax reform, so sooner or later we must reckon with the practical implications: inevitably tax reform will mean winners and losers.
I am inviting all sides of politics to come together, listen and to engage with experts on actual proposals that may help to address our key economic challenges – intergenerational inequity, climate change/the energy transition, and sluggish productivity.
We are not going to solve tax reform in one day, but I believe the more that we can have some of these conversations in the public domain ahead of The Treasurer’s Round Table, the more fruitful and concrete that conversation will become.
Updated
Death on the sand: fish and animal carcasses rot on Adelaide shores amid toxic algal bloom – video
Revelation comes after other reports of Joshua Dale Brown being sacked
It comes after Nido Early School last week confirmed it terminated Brown during his probation period in July 2021, after he allegedly breached the company’s internal policies around handling of incident reports while working at their Werribee service.
And D.O.T.S Occupational Therapy for Children at Footscray also confirmed earlier this month Brown was terminated after 26 days working on its non-clinical admin team.
In a statement posted on Instagram on 1 July, the service’s director, Hannah Dunn, said:
We terminated his contract as he was not a good fit for our practice after 5 weeks of commencing.
In early July, police revealed Brown had been charged with more than 70 offences relating to eight alleged victims, aged between five months and two years old.
It has plunged the childcare sector into crisis, with both the Victorian and federal governments also under pressure to reform the rules and regulations that govern the industry.
Updated
Another childcare centre confirms it sacked Joshua Dale Brown
Another childcare centre in Melbourne confirms it terminated alleged sex offender Joshua Dale Brown’s employment.
Wallaby Childcare has confirmed it let Brown go after he spent just five weeks working at its Sanctuary Lakes centre in early 2021. The company said in a statement:
The alleged offender worked at our service for a brief period of time, 5 weeks, in April-May 2021. He was terminated in probation as we felt he did not align with our company standards or values. As this is an active and ongoing police investigation we don’t want to make further comments and jeopardise any aspects of the investigation
The revelation was first reported by the Age at the weekend.
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Littleproud says PM has forgotten Australians ‘doing it tough’
Nationals leader David Littleproud also spoke briefly, saying the Coalition’s fundamentals had not changed while attacking the Labor government and Albanese’s recent trip to China. Littleproud said:
Australians are still doing it tough and Anthony Albanese has been swanning around the international stage, has forgotten that there are Australian struggling to put dinner on the table tonight, are struggling to pay energy bills, who are unable to insure their own homes.
He said the Coalition would work with the government if possible, but remain a robust opposition to do what they believe is “right” for the nation:
We will agree where we can but where we must we will hold true to our values and beliefs and have the courage to stand up. We will do what is right for this country and articulate a different vision, where we need to and be constructive where we can.
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Ley says Coalition will fight ‘on behalf of the struggling Australians’
Ley is appealing to Australians doing it tough amid the ongoing cost of living crisis. She said:
On behalf of the struggling Australians, we are here to take the fight up to them because every taxpayer works hard and deserves an opposition that takes the fight up to the government. It is vital that we do that. We are here for the values that we have always stood for as a Liberal party. For hard work, reward for effort, a government that gets out of the way. …
[Australians] want a parliament that understands their lives and what their lives are like and a government that gets out the way.
Ley added:
There is a lot of work to do and we are up for it.
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Ley says Coalition won’t ‘get out of the way’ despite strong Labor majority
Opposition leader Sussan Ley said she is ready to get to work in the new parliament, saying the millions of Australians who voted for the Coalition deserve a strong opposition. She said the party would not “get out of the way” despite a strong Labor majority, adding:
The real work in the parliament of Australia will start this week and I am up to the job, I am excited and I know all you are too.
Mr Albanese is giving interviews and suggesting we should just get out of the way. We will not …
Our job is to represent the millions of Australians who voted for us and the millions who maybe did not but still expect us to be the strongest and best opposition that we can be and we will be.
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Opposition leader Sussan Ley is set to address the Coalition party room a day before parliament resumes. We’ll bring you updates from that address shortly.
Liberal senator says Chinese media portraying Albanese as ‘supplicant’ to Beijing
Liberal senator Dave Sharma had a harsh words after Anthony Albanese’s trip to China last week, saying he believes Chinese media had cast the prime minister as a “supplicant” to Beijing after the visit. Sharma told Sky News this morning:
My read of it is that Chinese state media has basically portrayed Anthony Albanese’s visit as that of a supplicant. Now, I don’t think that was [his] intention, but that’s clearly how Chinese state media has portrayed this visit. …
I think the message that China is seeking to broadcast here is – countries like Australia, close US allies – are coming to pay fealty to Xi Jinping. I think it’s unfortunate that Australia has, under Anthony Albanese, has allowed itself to be portrayed in that way.
The trip has drawn flak from others in the Coalition. Kevin Hogan, the deputy leader of the Nationals, described the prime minister’s visit as a “working holiday” last week.
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What’s the full story on South Australia’s algal bloom?
Rising sea temperatures and a lack of action about the unfolding catastrophe have left experts increasingly concerned about the health of the state’s marine ecosystems.
Senior reporter Tory Shepherd speaks to Nour Haydar about why experts say this disaster is “climate change happening”.
Group of universities call for clarity on international student numbers ‘as soon as possible’
A coalition of 14 Australian universities have issued a joint statement calling for a more sustainable and equitable international education system.
The statement, issued on behalf of Innovative Research Universities (IRU) and the Regional Universities Network (RUN), said universities needed clarity “as soon as possible” on international student allocations for 2026.
After Labor’s failed international student cap, numbers had been controlled via Ministerial Direction 107, which gave visa processing priority to “low risk” sandstone universities and students from “low risk” nations, disproportionately affecting applicants from south Asia.
The statement said the bodies’ universities were “characterised by more diverse student cohorts than the sector as a whole”, with a smaller proportion of international students than large Group of Eight institutions, but the direction had disproportionately impacted regional and outer suburban universities.
Any changes to government policy and the subsequent allocation of student places should support greater diversification of both student numbers and source countries, and address areas of persistent concentration.
Ministerial Direction 107 led to further concentration of international student numbers at large metropolitan universities, while shrinking the diversity of Australia’s international student markets.
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Reported crocodile sighting in Noosa
Queensland officials are investigating reports a crocodile was seen at the Noosa Spit this weekend. A spokesperson for the state’s Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation said:
We are aware of social media reports regarding a reported crocodile sighting today at the Noosa Spit and are investigating the matter further.
The Boyne River near Gladstone, some 300km to the north, is commonly considered the southern boundary of typical crocodile habitat.
The official urged the public to report crocodile sightings using the QWildlife app, or by filling out a form on its website, noting:
We investigate every crocodile sighting report we receive.
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Watt says SA’s algal bloom won’t be solved overnight
Murray Watt said the government was concerned about the event, but conceded it was “a naturally occurring phenomena that is not going to be solved overnight”. He said:
We all want to see those beautiful beaches return to the state they’re normally in. We want to be able to see recreational and commercial fishers be able to get back to what they’re doing and we want to see all those incredible species returned to health.
We will continue working to support the South Australian government’s response.
Watt said he would meet with the SA government on his visit and tour some affected beaches:
I have been in regular contact with Minister Close and our departments have been working closely together on the response to the bloom.
Last week I sent the head of the oceans and marine division of the department to South Australia to meet with the state government and local scientists, and to inspect the algal bloom itself. Her reports back to me confirmed the severity of the algal bloom and emphasised the need for more monitoring of the situation.
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Two dead after light plane crash in Queensland
Two people died after a light plane crashed in south-eastern Queensland on Sunday afternoon, AAP reports.
Emergency services said a twin turboprop Reims Cessna F406 aircraft crashed into a grass area at Devon Park, near Oakey, west of Toowoomba about 3pm on Sunday.
Two men believed to have been onboard the aircraft died in the crash, police said, with investigators saying forensic testing was ongoing to identify them.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau said it would transport the recovered aircraft wreckage to its technical facilities in Canberra for further study.
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Hutton says Greens ‘taken over by a cult’ after expulsion from party
Hutton issued his own statement declaring that the “Greens have been taken over by a cult”:
They have abandoned the historic mission I believed they had when I founded the party, a mission to help bring about an ecologically sustainable world. Like all cults they are deeply authoritarian and don’t believe in freedom of speech.
They should change the name of the party from the Greens to the Extreme Transgender Party.
Hutton told the Guardian he was seeking legal opinion and also considering “political options”.
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Queensland Greens founder mulling legal options after official expulsion from party
The founder of the Queensland Greens is considering both his legal and political options after being officially expelled from the party over what it considers his pursuit of speech harmful to trans people.
The decision to terminate Drew Hutton’s life membership of the Greens was upheld by delegates of the state branches on Sunday, who voted to back the findings of the party’s Constitution and Arbitration Committee’s (CAC) and reject Hutton’s appeal that sought to reframe the issue as one of free speech. Queensland Greens convener Gemmia Burden said in a statement:
This decision reflects the Greens’ position as endorsed by its membership – that trans rights are non-negotiable human rights, a position publicly reaffirmed in 2022. No one should be subjected to violence or hate speech on the basis of their gender, nor their race, sexual identity, ethnicity, or religion.
It is disheartening to see that Mr Hutton has prioritised his perceived right to free speech over the safety of others.
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Butler says algal bloom causing havoc never seen ‘in all my decades’
The health minister, Mark Butler, whose electorate spans many Adelaide beaches impacted by the algal bloom, said he’s seen the impacts of the devastation first-hand. He told RN Breakfast earlier:
Only the weekend before last, you know, I was taking a walk and I saw a dead shark, a number of dead rays, dead fish, dead cuttlefish, scenes I’d never seen in all of my decades walking along Adelaide beaches.
This is a deeply, deeply concerning and distressing situation, but it’s also quite a new situation, not just for South Australia, but for the country.
Butler said the federal government was standing ready to give “careful consideration” to requests for assistance from SA.
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Tasmania could be in political limbo for weeks
Tasmania faces a protracted period of political limbo as election votes are counted and major parties court the crossbench, AAP reports.
The incumbent Liberals claimed more seats, 14, than Labor’s nine in Saturday’s snap election but neither can reach the 18-seat mark required for majority.
The Liberal premier, Jeremy Rockliff, whose refusal to resign after losing a no-confidence vote sparked the poll, has been given “first crack” at forming government by the Labor leader, Dean Winter. However, Winter hasn’t ruled out trying to get the numbers to govern if Rockliff is unable to form a working government.
It could be weeks for three in-doubt seats to be confirmed via preferences, and any formal minority agreements might not be arranged until after the numbers are settled.
Rockliff on Sunday said he had reached out to independents on the crossbench, pledging to work collaboratively.
Tasmania’s Mercury newspaper had an apt front page this morning.
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Environment minister heading to Adelaide amid devastating toxic algal bloom
The environment minister, Murray Watt, will head to Adelaide today amid the growing crisis surrounding a toxic algal bloom off the coast of South Australia.
As Guardian Australia’s Tory Shepherd reported this weekend, the bloom has grown to twice the size of the ACT and has killed at least 12,000 animals across 400 species, including Port Jackson sharks and starfish.
Watt said the government would stand ready to support SA:
We’ve said consistently that we’re willing to support the South Australian government as they manage this event, and the visit that I’m paying today will ensure that I can keep the cabinet well informed about what the situation is and what support may be required.
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Mark Butler says Australia will not negotiate on PBS
Butler was asked about the Trump administration’s threats on pharmaceutical imports and how the Albanese government would respond if they negatively impact Australian companies. Butler said:
We won’t be negotiating about our PBS. We know that the big pharma industry in the US is lobbying that government … very hard to try and reduce the schemes that Australia and other countries have … where we’re able to negotiate good prices for medicines on behalf of the people we represent.
Now, it’s no surprise that big pharma wants to see higher prices because that means bigger profits. But you know, our position is absolutely rock solid. We will not be negotiating around that.
Read more here:
‘It’s all about delivery’: Butler says new parliament will get to work on campaign promises
The federal health minister, Mark Butler, just spoke to RN Breakfast about the government’s plans when parliament sits for the first time since the May election tomorrow. Butler said the Albanese government would push forward to deliver on the key campaign commitments that saw Labor surge to victory in May:
It’s about getting it done. It’s about repaying the confidence that the Australian people gave to the Labor party and re-electing us with an increased majority. Our job now is to deliver on those promises. Promises we made.
Butler reaffirmed the three top priorities are:
Cutting student debt by 20%, an average of $5,500 off the debt for many Australians.
Upping safety at childcare centres.
And protecting penalty rates and overtime pay for Australian workers.
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New poll ‘brutal’ for Coalition, Barnaby Joyce says
Support for Labor has crept up amid a retreat in backers of the Coalition, according to the first Newspoll since Anthony Albanese’s election win in May, AAP reports.
The survey, published in The Australian on Monday, showed a 1.4 percentage point rise in Labor’s primary vote since the election to 36% while the Coalition slipped from 31.8% to 29%.
And on a two-party-preferred basis, the Labor government has bolstered its lead to 57% to 43% over the coalition in the Newspoll.
“They are brutal numbers,” Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce told Seven’s Sunrise on Monday. He added:
Obviously, it’s going to be a hard time … any person in a lower house seat … if you had a three in front of your primary vote you would be very, very worried.
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Peter Ryan, former giant of ABC business journalism, dies aged 64
Peter Ryan, a Walkley Award-winning journalist who worked in the field for 45 years, has died in Sydney after a battle with cancer. He was 64.
Ryan spent 35 years at the ABC before he retired as the broadcaster’s senior business correspondent last month to spend more time with his family. He served as the ABC’s Washington bureau chief, head of TV news and current affairs in Victoria and the executive producer of Business Breakfast, among other roles. He won a Walkey in 2017 for an exposé on the Commonwealth Bank scandal.
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, called Ryan “an absolute legend” last month, writing at the time:
Every day as you wake up and you think about what’s happening in the economy, if you only needed to listen to one voice to be sure that you got its essential elements, it would be Peter’s.
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Good morning
Good morning and happy Monday. Nick Visser here to take you through the news. Here’s what’s on deck:
Tasmania’s snap election delivered another hung parliament this weekend as the leaders of both the Liberal and Labor parties appeal to the crossbench in hopes of forming government while the votes are counted. That could take weeks as the three seats in doubt solidify and MPs voice their allegiances.
Federal MPs will head to Canberra tomorrow for the first time since 28 March, with an election, several international crises and an ever-evolving mesh of tariff threats in between. The 48th parliament will first turn to a proposal to slash Hecs debt, as treasurer Jim Chalmers has promised.
Stick with us.
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