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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Cait Kelly and Nick Visser (earlier)

Man charged with murder after Tasmanian police officer shot dead – as it happened

Keith Smith
Tasmania police constable Keith Smith was shot and killed while on duty in North Motton on Monday. Photograph: DPFEM Media/Tasmania Police

What we learned, Thursday 19 June

And with that, we are going to put the blog to bed. Before we go, let’s recap the big headlines:

  • Iran’s ambassador to Australia called on the prime minister to condemn Israel for its attack on his country, claiming that its nuclear program is a “peaceful measure”.

  • Leaders from about 25 mostly environment and business organisations met with the environment minister, Murray Watt, in Canberra today to give their views on how to fix the national environment laws.

  • Three industrial units were extensively damaged in a fire in the Sydney suburb of Marrickville this morning, police said. About 60 firefighters responded just before 3.30am.

  • NSW Health issued an urgent alert to people who have been in the central Sydney suburb of Potts Point over the past 10 days, warning them to be vigilant for symptoms of legionnaires’ disease.

  • The federal opposition said Australia’s decline in global university rankings should be a “sobering message” for the Albanese government that current funding and policy settings towards higher education aren’t working.

  • The Victorian Liberal leader, Brad Battin, said he’s hopeful his party will be able to “move forward” after its administrative committee meets tonight to consider a loan for his predecessor John Pesutto.

  • Another group of Australians could be evacuated from Israel today as the deadly exchange of missiles between Israel and Iran enters its fifth day. The deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, has said there are 2,700 Australians in the Middle East looking for assisted departure.

  • The second budget under Western Australian treasurer, Rita Saffioti, on Thursday delivered a $2.5bn windfall for the state for the current financial year, with a further $2.4bn surplus projected for 2025-26.

  • Tasmanian police have charged a 46-year-old man with murder, attempted murder and aggravated assault after a police officer was fatally shot in Tasmania’s north-west on Monday.

Thank you for spending part of your day with us. We’ll be back tomorrow to do it all again.

Updated

Man in critical condition after being shot by police during siege in south-western Sydney

A man has been shot by police during a siege in Sydney’s south-west.

In a statement, NSW police said:

Just after 12.15pm, police were called to a caravan park on Macarthur Road at Elderslie to check on the welfare of an occupant.

Officers from Camden Police Area Command attended a cabin at the property and attempted to speak to a 52-year-old man.

A perimeter was established after the man armed himself with a knife and made threats to self-harm.

Specialist resources attended to assist, and negotiators attempted to speak to the man who refused to cooperate.

Just before 3.30pm, officers attached to the Tactical Operations Unit (TOU) gained entry to the premises and the armed man rushed at officers with the knife.

Police discharged a taser and less-than-lethal tactical rounds which were ineffective, before the man was shot.

The man was immediately treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics on scene and taken to Liverpool hospital in a critical condition.

A critical incident team from State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad will lead the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Updated

Man charged with murder after Tasmanian police officer shot dead

Tasmanian police have charged a 46-year-old man with murder, attempted murder and aggravated assault after a police officer was fatally shot in Tasmania’s north-west on Monday.

The North Motton man recently appeared in a bedside court sitting. He will reappear in court at a later date.

The man remains under guard in hospital, where he is receiving medical attention for non-life-threatening injuries.

The Tasmania police commissioner, Donna Adams, thanked those involved in the ongoing investigation for their dedication and professionalism.

I want to sincerely thank all those who have played a part in this investigation.

Their diligent work in such difficult circumstances is to be commended.

The support our members have shown for Constable Keith Smith’s family and loved ones, and each other, is testament to the strength of our blue family.

I would also like to thank community members for the outpouring of support they have shown Keith’s family and friends, and Tasmania Police more broadly.

Updated

WA state budget posts $2.5bn surplus

The second budget under Western Australian treasurer, Rita Saffioti, on Thursday delivered a $2.5bn windfall for the state for the current financial year, with a further $2.4bn surplus projected for 2025-26, AAP reports.

It’s the state’s seventh consecutive operating surplus, which Roger Cook’s government says will help the state diversify and set its economy up for the future.

Saffioti said:

This budget is being handed down at a time when the geo-political situation has been turned on its head.

We have unprecedented tariff policies coming out of the US, while the worsening conflict in the Middle East is creating significant uncertainty in global markets.”

Saffioti said the budget aimed to “fortify” WA against global shocks, invest in economic infrastructure and set the state up for a future with plenty of jobs.

The Cook government’s measures include $2.7bn to bolster economic growth and create jobs, with a focus on local manufacturing.

Updated

Marles says Australia wants to see Israel-Iran conflict ‘de-escalated’

Marles was also asked if it would be considered an escalation were the US to get involved in the conflict.

What we want is to see a de-escalation – not to see this conflict grow but to see it de-escalated, and a pathway to diplomacy and dialogue. It is precisely because of the risk of escalation and the consequences that would flow from that we are exercising our voice that way.

By doing that we are joining many other countries around the world doing the same.

Updated

Marles says about 2,700 Australians seeking assistance to leave Israel and Iran

The deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, has said there are 2,700 Australians in the Middle East looking for assisted departure.

Speaking on Afternoon Briefing, he said:

About 1500 Australians in Iran have registered for an assisted departure, about 1,200 in Israel have done the same, so 2,700 Australians in the region are looking for an assisted departure, and obviously we will act if we have an opportunity to do so.

There is an enormous amount of work going on with the ADF specifically. It is not just the ADF though, we’re looking at other civilian options. It is a pragmatic decision based on how you can get clearances to get what kind of plane into what spot.

Updated

More Australians to be evacuated from Israel and Iran today

Another group of Australians could be evacuated from Israel today as the deadly exchange of missiles between Israel and Iran enters its fifth day.

The Macnamara MP, Josh Burns, revealed on Instagram the federal government had “plans for another group to leave today if circumstances allow”.

Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran on Friday, targeting major sites and killing senior military commanders and scientists. Airspaces across both countries remained closed, given the threat posed to commercial flights.

The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, told ABC Breakfast this morning the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade had assisted the stranded Australians overnight, describing the ongoing situation as “fluid”.

As of Thursday morning, about 1,500 Australians in Iran had registered with Dfat’s portal for assistance leaving the country while there were 1,200 in Israel.

Burns wrote in his post this afternoon:

Our ongoing priority is to help Australians to get to safety as soon as it is safe to do so … we continue to work on options for departures, including for those not able to take the land journey. The situation in Iran is even more difficult and we are advising people to leave if it is safe to do so.

Australians in need of emergency consular assistance can contact the Consular Emergency Centre on +61 2 6261 3305 (if you’re overseas) and 1300 555 135 (in Australia).

Updated

Scammers impersonating ACCC phone numbers seek personal information

The National Anti-Scam Centre is warning Australians to remain vigilant following reports scammers have been impersonating phone numbers belonging to the ACCC in an attempt to steal personal information.

In some reported cases, the scammers claimed to be representatives of the ACCC and requested sensitive information over the phone. In others, they misused the ACCC acronym to impersonate an unrelated organisation and spoke in a language other than English.

The National Anti-Scam Centre warns that the ACCC phone numbers have been “spoofed”. The ACCC does not make calls from its reception numbers.

The ACCC deputy chair Catriona Lowe said:

Spoofing is when scammers disguise their phone number to make it look like they’re calling from a trusted organisation – including government agencies like the ACCC – to deceive people into answering and sharing personal information.

This is a tactic that helps scammers hide their true identity while posing as trusted institutions – it’s designed to lower your guard. If a call or message feels off, trust your instincts and hang up. It’s safer to end the call and check in directly with us.

Updated

Liberal party ‘completely dysfunctional’, premier says

At the press conference, Jacinta Allan was asked about the Victorian Liberal party’s administrative committee meeting tonight to consider a loan for the former opposition leader John Pesutto. She said she was not focused on the “utter dysfunction that’s consuming the Victorian Liberal party”.

She went on:

My focus is on what Victorians would rightly expect their members of parliament to be focused on, like the announcement we’ve just made today – supporting renters with their rights and with the dignity of long-term housing security, building more homes, providing real help with cost of living support right now. They are the things I am focused on.

Meanwhile, the Liberal party is completely dysfunctional. And what is also absolutely clear is that under Brad Battin’s Liberal party, you are completely on your own. That’s a pretty loud message that’s sent to the Victorian community. Just ask the member for Hawthorn.”

She was also asked about an incident at Northland last night, during which a man allegedly drove a stolen car through the shopping centre in a bid to evade police. Allan said:

It’s a shocking incident. Just looking at the footage, we can all picture ourselves in that shopping centre, going about our business, going to the shops, chatting to friends, talking to the retail staff.

We can all picture ourselves in that shopping centre, which makes it particularly shocking in terms of what further security measures might need to be deployed, I would like to get the advice from Victoria police first about what’s gone on here.

It comes just weeks after a brawl forced the same shopping centre into lockdown.

Updated

Victorian rental dispute resolution service to begin operations next week

Earlier this morning, the Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, and her consumer affairs minister, Nick Staikos, announced Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria (RDRV) will go live on Monday.

The government first committed to the new service late last year, to help landlords and renters settle disputes over bonds, compensation, repairs and rent increases for free and in a more informal setting.

It will be overseen by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, with a team of 40 resolution experts” to oversee each case from start to finish. It will be headed up from King Street in the CBD with other offices in Bendigo, Bundoora, Frankston and Oakeligh. The service will also be accessed online.

Allan said 60% of common rental disputes are expected to be able to be resolved through RDRV, which will free up VCAT to deal with other cases.

She told reporters:

In an Australian first from Monday, Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria will come into existence. It will be a quick, free and fair way for renters to be able to have these very common disputes resolved with their landlords.

This comes about from listening to renters, from listening to organisations like Tenants Victoria, and understanding that we do need to make it easier, quicker, without the costly legal fees that come from needing to go through those more legal processes … It will be a free service that people will be able to access online, through a telephone call, or at a number of hubs that will be located across Melbourne and regional Victoria as well.”

Updated

That’s all for me. Cait Kelly will guide you through the rest of the day’s news. Take care.

Battin insists Deeming-Pesutto saga won’t hurt Liberals at 2026 state election

Continued from previous post:

The stoush between Deeming and Pesutto has been going on since March 2023 and cost the latter his position as Victorian opposition leader. But Battin insists it won’t hurt the party at the 2026 state election.

He told reporters:

When I get to that ballot box, we’ll be coming out with our policies. I’ll give every person in Victoria the faith and confidence that we’ll have the policies to deliver to make Victoria a better place to live, that we give them the opportunities they deserve and we keep our community safe.”

Asked if he was worried about a possible byelection in Hawthorn, Battin said he wasn’t.

I’m worried about going to the meeting tonight, getting through the process, and then post that, coming out and talking about what happened … should any person wake up unhappy tomorrow, I would say to them, have a look around and smell the roses, and let’s see what Victoria really needs. And they need an opposition who’s ready to govern, and I will ensure that that is us.

Updated

Victorian Liberal leader hopeful party can ‘move forward’ as decision on Pesutto loan looms

The Victorian opposition leader, Brad Battin, says he’s hopeful his party will be able to “move forward” after its administrative committee meets tonight to consider a loan for his predecessor John Pesutto.

The 19-member committee, which includes Battin and federal Liberal MP Dan Tehan, will vote tonight on whether to loan Pesutto about $1.5m to cover the balance of the $2.3m in legal costs he owes fellow Liberal MP Moira Deeming after the federal court found he repeatedly defamed her. This would prevent Pesutto from facing bankruptcy and allow him to retain his marginal seat of Hawthorn.

Battin refused to answer questions about the loan on Thursday, repeating previous comments that his conversations with both Deeming and Pesutto would “remain confidential”. But he said “whatever the result” of the meeting, he was hoping to move on from the saga and focus on things that “are important to Victorians”, adding:

I don’t want to talk about it. Victorians don’t want to talk about it. They want to talk about what’s happening in crime.

Victims [of crime] … don’t give two hoots what’s happening inside the Liberal party. They care [that] someone came into their house with a knife or a gun to steal their car. That’s what they actually care about. That’s what I care about. So after tonight, we hopefully will have a clear path, we’ll start moving forward and have our policies to come out and talk to people about how we’re going to fix the crime crisis here in Victoria.

Updated

For Australians stranded in Israel with planes grounded, nights are the most unnerving

Leon Zwier’s daily routine in Jerusalem this week has been night and day. The Melbourne lawyer visited Israel for a conference days before conflict broke out between Israel and Iran last week, with the longstanding adversaries trading airstrikes.

Zwier is due to leave on Friday but with planes grounded across Israel, his chances of returning to Australia as planned appear slim. Almost 2,000 stranded Australians are trying to escape from the conflict zones as airports and local embassies close down amid the fighting.

Their options remain few and far between. Some Australian passport holders have been advised to leave Israel via the land border with Jordan. The 2.5-hour journey by car is risky and marred by intermittent airspace closures in Jordan due to the threat posed to commercial planes.

Read more about their options here:

Firefighting plane that crashed in 2023 had known pressurisation defect before accident, safety bureau says

A firefighting plane that crashed and killed three people in outback Queensland had a “long-term intermittent defect” which affected cabin pressure, and a phone call made minutes before the tragedy was a “missed opportunity” to save their lives, according to an investigation made public today.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) released a report on Thursday into the crash of the twin-engine charter plane, according to the AAP. The aircraft was conducting aerial fire surveillance operations for bushfires in Queensland’s north-west on 4 November 2023.

There were radio communication issues with the pilot, indicating he was suffering from a lack of oxygen in the body known as hypoxia, before the plane crashed near Cloncurry, the bureau said. The bureau also found the aircraft had a long-term intermittent defect with the pressurisation system that reduced the maximum attainable cabin pressure.

A pilot and two camera operators, including 22-year-old American William Jennings, were on board the plane, operated by Agair, which specialises in aerial firefighting and agricultural services.

Senior Agair management had tried to rectify the defect, but did not formally record it, communicate it to the safety manager, undertake a formal risk assessment of the issue or provide explicit procedures to pilots for managing it, according to ATSB chief commissioner Angus Mitchell.

Updated

Man dies after house fire in Batemans Bay

A man died this morning in a house fire that destroyed a home on the NSW south coast. Emergency services responded to the Batemans Bay area around 5.20am amid reports the structure was on fire.

Officers arrived to find the house “well alight”. Fire and Rescue NSW extinguished the blaze, but emergency services searched the destroyed property afterwards and discovered the body of a man. He is yet to be formally identified, but is believed to be in his 50s.

Police established a crime scene and are investigating the cause of the fire.

Jobs figures unlikely to shift Reserve Bank’s thinking before next interest rate meeting, economists say

Economists say today’s jobs figures, which showed unemployment steady at 4.1% in May despite a small drop in employment, are unlikely to shift the Reserve Bank’s views ahead of the next interest rate decision on 8 July.

NAB’s head of markets economics, Tapas Strickland, said the “puzzle” was how the jobs market had stayed “remarkably steady” despite a marked slowdown in growth in 2025. Strickland said he still expected the Reserve Bank to cut its cash rate at the July, August and November meetings, “but the steadiness in the unemployment rate will also likely keep the RBA cautious in assessing how supportive policy needs to be”.

Brendan Rynne, KPMG’s chief economist, said the labour market’s resilience was on borrowed time, as the powerful run of job gains in government-funded sectors such as the care economy and the public service comes to an end. Rynne said:

The private sector is not strong enough to take up the jobs growth momentum due to underlying weakness in economic conditions.

Today’s labour force data should be telling the RBA to get ahead of the curve and drop the cash rate by 25bp (0.25 percentage points) at the next meeting.

Otherwise there is the risk of unemployment blowing out simply because the market sector won’t be able to offset the corresponding fall in non-market sector employment growth.

While the jobs data was always important, it was “taking a backseat” to what was happening overseas, according to RBC Capital Markets’ chief economist, Su-Lin Ong.

The labour market “errs slightly tight”, Ong said, and while the latest release was unlikely to move the dial for the RBA board, “we continue to think that the prudent approach is patience in July with the next cut more likely in August”.

Updated

Man faces court over allegations he made threats against Albanese

A man accused of threatening to cause “serious harm” to prime minister Anthony Albanese and making a “menacing” social media post faced court earlier today. Dale Byrne, 42, appeared in court in Melbourne’s south-east after being charged with two commonwealth offences in March, AAP reports.

Court documents revealed Byrne is charged with threatening “to cause serious harm to a commonwealth official” and using a carriage service “in a manner that a reasonable person would regard as menacing”.

The first charge carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison if proven. Magistrate Fran Medina noted the two offences remained the “subject of negotiation” and had not been finalised.

Byrne’s bail conditions include that he cannot come within 100 metres of state or federal politicians, including Albanese. He will return to court on 10 July.

Updated

Conservation group alarmed after NT abandons commitment to 2030 emissions target

One of the Northern Territory’s peak conservation organisations has expressed alarm the Finocchiaro government has abandoned a commitment to a 2030 emissions reduction target.

The NT environment minister, Josh Burgoyne, told a budget estimates hearing that the government had not adopted a target it took to the election to reduce the territory’s emissions by 43% on 2005 levels by 2030, as reported by the ABC. Burgoyne told the hearing that an overarching commitment to net zero by 2050 remained in place.

The executive director of the Environment Centre NT, Kirsty Howey, said:

This is more than a broken promise – abandoning our climate targets is like pouring petrol on a fire.

You can’t claim to be serious about climate change while fast-tracking new gas projects like fracking in the Beetaloo and the Middle Arm gas and petrochemical hub, and abandoning emissions targets completely.

Without immediate action to slash emissions, Darwin and much of the Territory will become unliveable within decades.

The NT government’s abandonment of a 2030 target follows an earlier decision to scrap the territory’s 50% renewable energy target by 2030.

Updated

More from the Israeli ambassador, who said Australia remains a ‘friend’

Amir Maimon, Israel’s ambassador to Australia, says Australia remains a “friend” despite recent “hiccups” in the countries’ relations. Earlier this month, Penny Wong announced Australia would join the UK, Canada, New Zealand and Norway in placing financial sanctions and travel bans on two Israeli government ministers for “inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank”.

It followed a series of statements by Australia in recent months in the United Nations over Israel’s actions in its campaign within Gaza. Wong’s Israeli counterpart, Gideon Sa’ar, described the decision as unacceptable and said it was “outrageous that elected representatives and members of the government are subjected to these kind of measures”.

Maimon told journalists in a briefing this morning there had been “a shift” in the language since Labor was elected into government in May 2022 but the two countries maintained “very good communication”. He said:

We still consider Australia as a friendly country. There are hiccups in our relationship. It’s only normal. I think that it’s true about every country.

Asked whether criticism by longstanding friends and allies of Israel in recent months over Gaza had permanently damaged some of those relations, Maimon said:

In every relationship, there are ups and downs, and even if I think that Israel is right in the way we are handling the campaign in Gaza, it doesn’t mean that that’s how it is viewed in other capitals, but we have very close exchanges with our friends.

We [might] not always agree about everything, but relationships are not based only on one issue. You measure the quality of relationships by the volume of trade, by the volume of exchange, of high level visits, by the number of agreements, by the accessibility to the leadership and the quality of the communication, by the flow of tourism from both countries.

Updated

Man charged after SUV driven through Melbourne shopping centre yesterday

Victoria police have charged the man arrested earlier today in connection with a Toyota LandCruiser that drove through a shopping centre in the suburb of Preston yesterday afternoon.

Police arrested the man, 27, in East Melbourne and have now charged him with multiple counts, including: Two counts of aggravated and intentional exposure of police officers to risk by driving; reckless conduct endangering life; theft of a motor vehicle; hand stolen goods; driving while disqualified and criminal damage. He will appear before court today.

Officials said they tried to corner the LandCruiser in a car park yesterday, before the vehicle allegedly took “evasive action” and drove through the middle of the shopping centre. No one was injured in the incident.

Updated

Israel’s ambassador to Australia asks for recognition of ‘dirty job’ taking on Iran

The Israeli ambassador to Australia, Amir Maimon, says he expects the world to recognise the “dirty, dirty job” it is doing by taking on Iran.

Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran on Friday, targeting 100 major locations, including nuclear facilities and missile sites, and killing senior military commanders and scientists. The countries have traded airstrikes in the days since amid the escalating conflict threatening to destabilise the region.

In a briefing for Australian journalists this morning, Maimon was asked what role Australia should play in the conflict as speculation grows that the US might soon play a larger military role in the conflict. Maimon said:

I expect the entire international community … those who believe in the democratic values, all those countries that recognise the threat that Iran is posing, not just towards Israel, to the entire region. And Iran, I didn’t mention it, is engaged in ongoing efforts to destabilise the entire region, not just Israel. They are engaged in ongoing efforts to undermine the moderate Arab states.

So I believe, as the German chancellor said, I expect the international community to recognise that Israel is doing the dirty, dirty job, you know, for the … international community. … The world will be better without a nuclear Iran.

The ambassador later said he believed Iran and their proxies would be weaker after Israel’s attacks, describing them as “evil forces”. Maimon said:

It’s important to emphasise that we are now fighting against the evil forces. We are doing a great service to Europe and to the free world.

Updated

Government’s approach to higher education ‘not working’, Coalition says

The Coalition government says Australia’s decline in global university rankings should be a “sobering message” for the Albanese government that current funding and policy settings towards higher education aren’t working.

Dozens of Australia’s top universities dropped in the QS World University Rankings, released today, including the nation’s highest performer, the University of Melbourne, which tumbled seven places to 19th.

The federal shadow education minister, Jonno Duniam, said the government must “take note” of the slide down in rankings:

These results are a disappointing and sobering message to the government that the current mix of policies and funding towards higher education institutions are not leading to the results that Australians expect, and our economy demands. We want education policies that meet the 21st century skills that our economy demands, not just funding injections from which Australian taxpayers cannot see a reasonable return on their investments.

Duniam also called out the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, for only mentioning the word “education” once in his National Press Club address on Wednesday which was focused on productivity. Duniam added:

Rather than simply talking about productivity, the Labor government must put in place policy settings that actually improve educational outcomes that lead to tangible productivity gains.

The decline in global rankings was particularly attributed by industry insiders to bipartisan attacks on international students, including a proposed cap that was rejected by the Coalition before bringing a tougher policy to the election.

Updated

NSW Health investigating legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Sydney’s Potts Point

NSW Health issued an urgent alert to people who have been in the central Sydney suburb of Potts Point over the past 10 days, warning them to be vigilant for symptoms of legionnaires’ disease.

Three people living in Potts Point, aged in the 40s to 70s, have recently developed the disease who are not known to each other. Legionnaires’ is caused by an infection with Legionella bacteria and can occur when bacteria from sources like cooling towers on top of large buildings become contaminated. It is not spread from person to person.

Dr Vicky Sheppeard, health unit director for the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, said all three have been admitted to hospital. She said:

Legionnaires’ disease can develop up to 10 days after exposure. Symptoms include fever, chills, a cough and shortness of breath and may lead to severe chest infections such as pneumonia.

Health officials have sampled all cooling towers within 500m of the residents’ homes.

Updated

Net migration hit two-year low over 2024

Net migration slid to a two-year low over 2024, dragging Australia’s population growth rate to just 1.65%, its slowest pace since 2022.

The population rose from less than 27m to 27.4m by the end of 2024, more than three-quarters of which was due to migration, as Australia welcomed more than 340,000 immigrants on net.

Arrivals fell by a fifth, to less than 600,000, while departures rose to more than 250,000, trending towards the federal government’s projection of a net figure of 335,000 for the year ending June 2025.

On a quarterly basis, the December quarter saw one of the lowest net migration figures since 2021, less than 70,000, second only to the June quarter 2024.

An extra 7,500 babies were born over the year of 2024 compared with 2023, helping lift the natural population growth rate, made up of births net of deaths. Natural growth was still just 105,000, close to where it has been since 2022 and well below its pre-pandemic norm.

Every state and territory saw its population grow over the year, with migration by far the biggest contributor. More than half of new migrants moved to New South Wales and Victoria, but the two biggest states also lost residents moving interstate. Queensland and Western Australia were the biggest beneficiaries of interstate migration.

Updated

NSW Health issues Covid warning as case numbers rise

NSW Health has urged everyone to protect* themselves against Covid as cases rise across the state.

The statement said:

The latest NSW respiratory surveillance report shows 3,475 people in NSW testing positive for Covid in the week ending 14 June, an increase of more than 10% compared with the previous week.

The upswing in Covid has come at the same time as influenza is on the rise and at moderate levels in NSW.

Most people with Covid do not test for the virus, so the latest figures represent a small proportion of all people who have the virus.

Rates of Covid notifications have increased since early May 2025 and concerningly, the rate with the largest increase is in people aged 90 and over.

*You can protect yourself from catching Covid by wearing an N95 respirator mask indoors in public places. Ensuring you are up to date with your Covid vaccination helps to lower the risk of developing severe disease, hospitalisation and death.

Updated

More on the unemployment rate

We have more here on the unemployment rate, which has remained at 4.1% in May, from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Sean Crick, the ABS head of labour statistics, said:

Despite employment falling by 2,000 people this month, it’s up 2.3% compared to May 2024, which is stronger than the pre-pandemic, 10-year average annual growth of 1.7%.

This fall in employment, combined with a drop in unemployment of 3,000 people, meant that the unemployment rate remained steady at 4.1% for May.

The employment-to-population ratio fell 0.1% to 64.2%, and the participation rate fell 0.1% to 67.0%.

“Despite the slight fall in the employment-to-population ratio this month, the female employment-to-population ratio rose 0.1 percentage points to a record high of 60.9%,” Crick said.

Hours worked increased 1.3% in May, following lower levels in the previous two months coinciding with the Easter holiday period and severe weather disruptions.

Updated

Unemployment rate holds steady at 4.1%

The unemployment rate has held at 4.1% in May, new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows.

The number of employed Australians dropped by 2,500 in May, after full-time employment rose by 38,700, more than offset by a 41,100 drop in the number of part-time workers.

Economists had predicted employment would lift by 20,000 and that the jobless rate would be steady.

Updated

Former Nine reporter who accepted $50,000 from billionaire finds new job

Alex Cullen, a former reporter for Nine’s Today, has landed a new radio job in Melbourne nearly six months after he left the network over accepting a $50,000 prize from a billionaire real estate investor.

The billionaire, Adrian Portelli, challenged the media to refer to him as the “McLaren man” on air rather than the “Lambo guy”, a moniker bestowed after he showed up for a house auction for the reality show The Block in a yellow Lamborghini. Portelli offered to give $50,000 to the first television presenter that called him by the new name.

Cullen appeared to be the first to do so during a live cross from the Australian Open in January, and Portelli later shared a screen grab of a $50,000 bank transfer to the reporter. Cullen later returned the money, which was then donated to charity, but left Nine shortly afterwards.

Cullen’s new job is with GOLD FM’s Christian O’Connell Show in Melbourne. He wrote on social media:

Well this is exciting and people often say I have a head for radio. Can’t wait to join.

Updated

‘Wake-up call’ for Australian universities as 70% suffer a fall in latest global ranking

Dozens of Australia’s top universities have dropped in a global ranking amid a “turbulent year” for higher education, as attacks from Donald Trump’s second administration exacerbated years of disruption for the embattled sector.

The University of Melbourne, Australia’s highest performer, dropped seven places to 19th in the QS World University Rankings, run by the global higher education specialist Quacquarelli Symonds, while the University of Sydney dropped from 18th in the world to 25th.

The University of New South Wales, the nation’s second best performer, dropped from 19th to 20th.

The rankings, released on Thursday, drew from millions of academic papers and insights from 127,041 academics across 1,501 universities in 106 countries.

New jobs figures coming out at 11.30am

New jobs figures out later this morning are expected to show Australia’s labour market is staying strong despite a marked slowdown in growth in early 2025. Official data at 11.30am are expected to show the unemployment rate steady at 4.1% in May and pretty much where it has been since this time last year.

The consensus forecast among economists is for a 20,000 rise in the number of employed Australians, although jobs growth has been stronger than expected recently and hiring for the May election may swing the figures around a bit. The labour market has come out of the Covid-19 pandemic in better shape than when it went in.

Participation in the labour force is around record highs – a source of much pride for the Albanese government. Experts have linked jobs growth with the rapid expansion of government-funded services, such as health and aged care.

Before the health crisis, the jobless rate was in the low 5s, and there was a view that it couldn’t go much lower without triggering higher inflation. It doesn’t appear a barrier to cutting rates now.

Financial markets expect the Reserve Bank to deliver three rate cuts by December, according to ANZ figures this morning, with an 80% chance of the first cut at the end of the next board meeting on 8 July.

Qantas plane damaged after incident with air bridge in Brisbane

A Qantas plane was damaged at Brisbane international airport last night after an incident with an air bridge that reportedly left the front windscreen cracked. The airline said it is investigating “how an aerobridge made contact with the front of one of our aircraft”.

No one was injured during the incident and all passengers aboard the Boeing 737-800 aircraft disembarked the plane via stairs. Qantas said:

The aircraft will be inspected by engineers in Brisbane and repaired before returning to service.

Updated

News Corp boss earns $42m as highest-paid CEO of Australian-listed company

News Corp’s chief executive has become the highest-paid CEO of an Australian-listed company, a new analysis of CEO pay has found.

CEOs of ASX-listed companies are still being paid 55 times more than average workers in Australia but the gap is yet to widen to extremes seen overseas, according to the annual analysis from the Australian Council of Superannuation Investors (ACSI).

Robert Thomson, who heads up the American media company News Corp, was paid nearly $42m in 2024, a $300,000 pay rise compared with the previous year, when he was the second-highest-paid Australian chief.

Read more about the full list here:

More than 200 incidents of coercive control recorded in NSW since it was criminalised, but only five people charged

There have been more than 200 incidents of coercive control recorded by New South Wales police since it was criminalised but only five people have been charged with the offence.

Data released today by the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (Boscar) shows that in the first nine months since laws criminalising coercive control came into effect in July, there were 224 incidents recorded by police.

Of these reports, five people were charged with coercive control offences and 91 people were charged with other domestic and family violence offences, but not coercive control.

92% of the reports involved a female victim-survivor and an alleged male offender.

Updated

‘Small group’ of Australians have left Israel during ‘fluid’ situation, Wong says

A “small group” of Australians have gotten out of Israel via land crossing as the number of passport holders requiring help to leave the region nears 3,000.

The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, told ABC Breakfast this morning the Department of Foreign Affairs had assisted the stranded Australians overnight, describing the ongoing situation as “fluid”. As of Thursday morning, about 1,500 Australians in Iran have registered with Dfat’s portal for assistance leaving the country while there are 1,200 in Israel.

All commercial flights in Israel and Iran remain grounded and local embassies have shut.

Wong said the situation on the ground was “very difficult”:

Obviously, the situation on the ground is fluid. Iran is a, is a very complicated situation, a very risky situation. I think we all know that our travel advice remains the same, and that it is that people, if you are able to leave safely, you should do so. If not, shelter in place.

Australians in need of emergency consular assistance can contact the Consular Emergency Centre on +61 2 6261 3305 (if you’re overseas) and 1300 555 135 (in Australia).

Updated

Man arrested after Toyota LandCruiser drives through shopping centre in Melbourne

A man has been arrested after a Toyota LandCruiser was driven through a shopping centre in Melbourne’s Preston neighbourhood to avoid police yesterday.

Victoria police said a man, 27, was arrested in East Melbourne around 8.30am this morning. He will be interviewed by detectives at a later point. Police said an electronic key reprogramming tool was also seized during the arrest.

Officials responded to the shopping centre yesterday amid reports an allegedly stolen vehicle was parked outside. Police allege they tried to corner the vehicle and block it in a car park, before the driver took “evasive action” and drove through the middle of the centre.

No one was injured and no police firearms were discharged during the incident.

Updated

Victoria’s crime rate jumps by more than 15%

Victoria’s crime rate has increased by more than 15%, driven by a sharp rise in theft and repeat offending. The state’s Crime Statistics Agency released the figure for the 12 months to 31 March 2015 this morning, placing further pressure on the Allan government over its law and order policies.

The rate of recorded offences increased by 15.2% when taking into account the state’s population. This equates to 8,838.7 recorded offences per 100,000 Victorians in the past 12 months. Property and deception offences had the largest increases.

Victoria police recorded 474,937 criminal incidents in the 12-month period – up more than 20% compared with the same period last year, the figures show.

The agency’s chief statistician Fiona Dowsley said:

Theft offences have continued to rise sharply, with nearly a quarter of a million offences recorded in the last year. Increases were largest for thefts from motor vehicles and retail stores, with many of these offences linked to repeat offending.

In a statement, Victoria police said the impact of the “first tranche” of the Allan government’s bail crackdown was not evident in the statistics because it only came into effect on 28 March 2025.

Updated

Three charged over alleged $10m scheme to sell counterfeit luxury goods on social media

NSW police charged three people yesterday as part of an alleged $10m scheme to sell counterfeit luxury goods on social media. Investigators allege the group made about $9.75m in profits, building a “multimillion-dollar empire by deceiving consumers and undermining legitimate businesses”, detective superintendent Peter Faux said.

Members with the organised crime squad conducted search warrants at three properties in Sydney’s west. They seized nine cars worth about $3m, more than 500 counterfeit luxury items, $270,000 in cash and a gel blaster firearm.

Three were arrested, two 30-year-old men and another man, 33. They have been charged with dealing with property proceeds of crime, recklessly dealing in proceeds of general crime with the intent to conceal, participating in a criminal group contributing to criminal activity, among other charges.

Faux with NSW police alleged:

Behind the filters and followers was a sophisticated criminal enterprise exploiting digital platforms to sell counterfeit luxury goods.

Updated

Wong says negotiations should continue amid worries of regional escalation

Wong said Australia agreed with Trump in saying negotiations should continue. She added:

First, we agree with president Trump, nothing is too late, Iran has a choice here and the choice should be to return to the table and engage in dialogue and diplomacy. We see the situation there and as tough as their words might be, I think we all know the situation that they face and it’s time for them to return to the table.

Obviously, in relation to the region more broadly, what we have always been concerned about is the risk of regional escalation, of this conflict getting larger, spreading, the consequences for all the peoples of the region and more broadly, the globe.

Asked what Australia would do if asked for help by the United States, Wong responded: “We’re not a central player in the Middle East, obviously. We’re a long way from this conflict.” She went on:

But it does affect, as you know, regional stability and global stability. It also affects Australians. And I do want to say … I really feel for the many Australians who have family, relatives in Israel and Iran and the region more broadly.

And as well, of course, we are focused on those Australians who are in Israel and Iran and who have registered with us seeking consular assistance. That’s my focus right now.

Penny Wong says it’s not too late for Iran to come to negotiating table

Penny Wong says it is not too late for Iran to return to the negotiating table and avoid a wider conflict in the Middle East. The foreign affairs minister said she was concerned about the war spilling into the wider region and affecting people around the world.

But Wong wouldn’t say how Australia would respond if Donald Trump asked for help in any US military involvement in the conflict, saying Australia was “a long way from this conflict”.

Wong joined Sunrise this morning on Channel Seven, where she again voiced alarm about the Middle East situation. She said:

The world does certainly face a dangerous moment. But our message to Iran, along with so many countries of the world, is it’s time to stop any nuclear program and it’s time to come to the table.

Iran must return to the table and it must stop any production of nuclear weapons.

Updated

Stolen vehicle recovered after being driven through shopping centre in Melbourne

Victoria police recovered a stolen Toyota LandCruiser after the vehicle was driven through a shopping centre in Melbourne’s Preston neighbourhood yesterday afternoon.

Officers initially responded to reports of an allegedly stolen car at the centre around 4pm on Wednesday and attempted to block it in at an outdoor car park. The LandCruiser then took what was described as “evasive action”, driving through the middle of the shopping centre.

No one was injured, although one woman was taken to the hospital in shock. Officials found the LandCruiser dumped in the suburb of Northcote about an hour later, which they believe was stolen on 2 June.

Updated

Some young carers more likely to be behind peers in literacy and numeracy, study finds

Young people who care for a member of their household at age 14-15 years are more likely to be behind their peers in literacy and numeracy, and to experience financial hardship, according to a new report from the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS). The research is based on data from Growing Up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC), which has been following 10,000 children since 2004.

Young male carers were also, after controlling for a wide range of factors, around 1.5 years behind their peers in reading and 1.4 years behind in numeracy, and young female carers were 0.8 years behind in reading compared with their peers.

Compared with their peers, adolescents who care for a household member at least five hours per week were more likely to live in a jobless household from a young age, have significantly lower levels of household income throughout their childhood, and experience financial hardship.

Ben Edwards at Australian National University, who completed the research while at AIFS, said the latest ABS data showed there were 391,300 young carers in Australia under the age of 25: He said:

Children who later became carers were read to at ages 4-5 years far less often than their peers. This may be due to the parent having a health condition that limits their ability to take part in cognitively stimulating activities, or other factors.

Given reading to young children is arguably the most important at-home activity in terms of developmental outcomes, this is a clear signal to service providers and policymakers that gaps can start to open up at a very young age for children in households experiencing significant health issues or disability.

Updated

EU ambassador to Australia says proposed security pact needed amid high geopolitical tensions

Gabriele Visentin, the EU ambassador to Australia, says Europe is trying to step up cooperation with like-minded democracies after Anthony Albanese said the government could sign on to a new defence agreement with the bloc earlier this week. Visentin told RN Breakfast heightened tensions around the world, including Russia’s ongoing war with Ukraine, demonstrated the need for such pacts, saying:

We have to step up our cooperation. The geopolitical tensions are so high that therefore we really want to strengthen our relations with any other liberal democracy which shares our value and towards respect for democracy, for freedoms and as well as for prosperity, but on a rules-based international order.

That’s why we are teaming up with all the like-minded partners in the world. Especially now in the Indo-Pacific.

You can read more about that defence pact proposal here:

Updated

A short, non-exhaustive list of things Albanese could do to improve productivity

With so much talk about how to increase productivity in the economy, Greg Jericho whistles up some trademark charts this morning to suggest five things the government could do to help.

Greg suggests these could include cutting fuel tax credits, increasing research funding and finding a way to reduce the huge but nonproductive investment in property.

Read his full piece here:

Updated

Energy minister says new power bill rules will make energy system ‘fairer’

Chris Bowen, the climate change and energy minister, said while the changes to power price rules aren’t a “silver bullet”, they’re part of an ongoing process to make the energy system fairier. He told RN Breakfast:

These are important. I’m not going to pretend that they’re a silver bullet, but clearly the situation hasn’t been working …

We are taking these steps today as part of a reform process. The reforms I announced yesterday and today’s changes are part of an ongoing reform process to make the energy system better and fairer for Australians.

There’s a requirement at the moment under law that your energy bill tells you whether you’re on the best possible offer from your retailer. Many, many Australians aren’t, and that’s not good enough in my view.

Read more here:

Updated

Government rolls out changes to power pricing rules

The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) announced new rules today that will bar energy retailers from raising prices more than once per year for most people and remove fees for vulnerable customers, among other changes meant to help Australians find better energy deals.

While the changes don’t address the base price of energy, the bulk of most power bills, they will provide more information for consumers to make better choices about their providers. The changes include:

  • Customers cannot be charged higher prices for their loyalty and will pay no more than the standing offer price if their plan changes or expires.

  • The removal of unreasonably high penalties for not paying bills on time.

  • Restrict price increases in market retail contract from more than once every 12 months.

  • Prohibit fees for vulnerable customers and limit fees and charges to reasonable costs for others.

The chair of AEMC, Anna Collyer, said:

These reforms will help ensure that Australian households can have greater confidence in their energy plans and that those experiencing financial difficulty receive appropriate support.

Updated

Sixty firefighters respond to warehouse fire in Sydney’s Marrickville

Three industrial units were extensively damaged in a fire in the Sydney suburb of Marrickville this morning, police said. About 60 firefighters responded just before 3.30am to the blaze, where they found multiple two-storey buildings on fire.

The fire has since been contained and is under control, Fire and Rescue NSW said, and there were no injuries. An official described the site of the blaze as an industrial area with a few houses but no evacuations were needed to contain it. One of the affected units is thought to be a clothing warehouse.

Parts of Marrickville’s Cook Road will be closed this morning.

Updated

Chalmers still planning to ‘respectfully’ engage with Greens on superannuation tax reform

Chalmers has been touting the government’s upcoming economic roundtable in recent days after promising to advance bold reform during a speech at the National Press Club yesterday. He told RN plans to bring together a roundtable to craft a “targeted agenda” would help Australia weather what he described as our “major economic challenge”.

That includes the government’s plans to change the taxation on large superannuation balances. Chalmers said he would still seek to engage with the Greens, telling RN:

I will respectfully engage with the Greens and with others in the Senate to pass this legislation. We did announce this policy almost two-and-a half years ago. There has been an election in between and we’ll have the necessary conversations to try and see it passed.

Updated

Chalmers says there have been some ‘limited opportunities’ to get Australians out of Middle East

The treasurer spoke to RN Breakfast this morning, saying the Australian government remains focused on the 1,600 people who have registered to try to get out of Iran, as well as a large number of Australians in Israel. Chalmers said the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade was working to make that happen, telling RN:

I know that the absolutely outstanding people of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade are working around the clock to get people out where they can.

There have been some limited opportunities so far, but they’ll be exploring opportunities through today as well.

Updated

Good morning, Nick Visser here to take you through the day’s news. Thanks to Martin Farrer for getting things started today. Let’s see what Thursday has in store.

Jim Chalmers is dreaming of big economic reform. But is history on his side?

Jim Chalmers talked a big game in his speech about economic reform yesterday, asking people to forget their narrow interests and consider the national interest instead.

But that, Patrick Commins argues, is a big ask in a risk-averse political climate – starting with the prime minister – when the fight over a relatively minor tweak on taxing super provoked uproar.

Read his full article here:

Updated

Watt confirmed he intended to put a “broader reform package” to parliament than the shelved plan to legislate to create an EPA and to legislate for a second body, Environment Information Australia.

He said the package would include an EPA, but he had an open mind about its role, powers and scope. He thought it should also include national environment standards – as recommended in a review led by the former Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chair Graeme Samuel – but Watt said he had not made a final decision.

The federal EPA is an important means to an end around environmental protection, but I think we also need to look at: how is the system overall going to work? And what would be the environmental standards that are expected? I think we’ve actually got a better chance of passing laws if they deal with a broader range of issues.

On whether the revamp should introduce “climate considerations” into the environment laws – as suggested by Labor MP Jerome Laxale after Watt gave the North West Shelf gas processing plant in WA conditional approval to run until 2070 – the minister said he was “not ruling anything in or out”, but the government had placed emissions reduction requirements on heavy industry through the safeguard mechanism.

The safeguard mechanism is a Coalition-era policy that Labor revamped. It requires about 200 big polluting facilities to reduce emissions intensity by 4.9% a year, either through onsite cuts or by paying for contentious carbon offsets.

Updated

The EPBC reform train is leaving the station, says Murray Watt

Leaders from about 25 mostly environment and business organisations will meet with the environment minister, Murray Watt, in Canberra today to give their views on how to fix the national environment laws.

It is the first meeting of stakeholder groups on the issue since the previous minister, Tanya Plibersek, last year delayed a commitment to rewrite the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act until after the 3 May election.

A promise to create a national Environment Protection Agency was also later shelved after Anthony Albanese scuttled a potential deal with the Greens following pressure from WA.

Watt told Guardian Australia the meeting would include environment organisations, business groups, the mining industry, urban developers, renewable energy companies and first nations bodies. He said there was “very broad agreement that we desperately need change to these laws – they’re broken”.

The purpose in bringing them all together is so that people can hear each other’s perspectives, rather than being each other in their own corners, you know, fighting.

The way I’ve described it to a couple of people is: the EPBC reform train is leaving the station. We broadly know where we want to get to, but we haven’t yet defined the exact destination, and there’s an opportunity for all of these groups to be involved in shaping that final destination.

I want as many interest groups on that reform train working together as possible, rather than people choosing to stand on the platform, throwing rocks and shouting.

Updated

Iran’s ambassador appeals to government to condemn Israeli attacks

Iran’s ambassador to Australia has called on the prime minister to condemn Israel for its attack on his country, claiming that its nuclear program is a “peaceful measure”.

Speaking with the ABC’s 7.30, Ahmad Sadeghi asked Australia, as a “friendly nation” with which Iran is in “good relation”, to recognise that the Middle Eastern nation has a right to self defence after Israel’s attack.

Speaking about the Albanese government, he said: “They have to condemn [Israel] … I ask them.”

He said Iran’s nuclear program was a “peaceful measure” and, when pushed on whether Iran was developing a nuclear weapon, he referred to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“Of course not. You know it has been prohibited by our supreme leader,” the ambassador told the host, David Speers.

Sadeghi did not give a straight answer when asked whether Israel had a right to exist and said that should the US become directly involved in the Israel-Iran war, some 80,000 US personnel stationed in the Gulf region would “not be as comfortable as much as now”.

“The other the Islamic nations around the north, in Pakistan, in Afghanistan, in Iraq, in [the] southern part of the Persian Gulf. All, if Iran would be attacked by the US, they would not be silent,” he said, before urging Donald Trump to be “more careful”.

Welcome

Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it will be Nick Visser for the bulk of proceedings.

Iran’s ambassador has called on Anthony Albanese to condemn Israel’s attack on the Islamic Republic. The request adds to the prime minister’s in-tray as he heads home from an unsuccessful attempt to engage Donald Trump on tariffs, and considers his second term agenda with parliament’s first sitting just a month away.

One of the big pieces of unfinished business from Labor’s first term was the creation of an environmental protection agency. To address the issue, the environment minister, Murray Watt, is meeting leaders from about 25 mostly environment and business organisations in Canberra today to hear their views on how to fix the national environment laws. More details coming up.

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