‘Shit sheet’ prepared by NSW Liberal faction group about minister, inquiry hears
The NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) has resumed its examination of former Liberal staffer Dylan Whitelaw who yesterday was asked about group chat messages which made reference to a potential donations made by Angus Taylor to the Reformers – a conservative right faction group involved in branch stacking efforts.
This morning, Taylor, who is not accused of any wrongdoing, has denied payments were ever made.
Counsel assisting Juliet Curtin SC has been asking Whitelaw about efforts by the Reformers to brief against the former NSW Liberal minister David Elliott.
Whitelaw says the Reformers – part of the Liberal hard right faction – had a “large distaste” for Elliott, who was a member of the Liberal centre-right faction.
He says he does not recall being asked by a member of the Reformers, Jeremy Greenwood, to prepare a document with negative stories about Elliott. Curtin reads him intercepted messages between from December 2020.
Curtin: You asked Mr Greenwood: “When did you want the Elliot document by?” … You see that?
Whitelaw: Yes.
Curtin: And Mr Greenwood responds: “Take your time on it.”
Whitelaw: Yes.
Curtin: So it does appear that you’ve been asked by Mr Greenwood to prepare a document in relation to a person by the name of Elliot. Would that be David Elliot?
Whitelaw: I would assume so.
Curtin reads him an email with an attachment titled “David Elliott shit sheet” sent by Greenwood to himself 11 days later. Whitelaw says he does not recall seeing the document or giving it that title.
One of the allegations Icac is investigating is whether members of the Reformers solicited or accepted donations from fugitive property developer Jean Nassif in exchange for the pursuit of outcomes, including damage to Elliott’s career.
Whitelaw, who has been described as an associate of the Reformers, has not been named in any allegations.
Updated
Local transmission of H5N1 bird flu ‘extremely likely’ after 11 new detections in SA
Local transmission of H5N1 bird flu in South Australia is “very, very likely”, authorities believe, after 11 new suspected detections were reported today.
Clare Scriven, SA minister for primary industries, said the detections were all in greater crested terns in the state’s south-east, including four on Kangaroo Island.
Scriven said:
Those samples have been sent to the national laboratory in Geelong and we will wait for confirmation, but it is highly likely they are positive for H5 bird flu …
This is concerning but not unexpected. We knew that eventually when bird flu arrived in Australia it would spread. It has spread on every other continent around the globe.
One of the Kangaroo Island detections was at Seal Bay, which has the country’s third-largest Australian sea lion population. Scriven said beach tours there were temporarily paused to keep people separate from the “very vulnerable” animal population.
She added:
It seems extremely likely that we do have that localised distribution …
There has … around the world been local transmission so it was pretty much inevitable it would occur.
There had been no H5 detections in commercial poultry in Australia to date, Scriven said.
Updated
Daniel Andrews pays tribute to Jacinta Allan and says Carroll will win next election
The former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews has issued a rare public statement paying tribute to his successor Jacinta Allan and declaring that Labor’s new leader, Ben Carroll, can win the state election in four months’ time.
Andrews said he first met Allan when he was the “most junior official at the ALP Head Office and she was the youngest candidate in a seemingly unwinnable Liberal stronghold in Bendigo.” He went on:
Together, we worked to win that seat and for the next 25 years, to elect Labor governments and deliver a Labor agenda for working people. There is no greater compliment in politics than to say someone lives their values – that has always been true of JA. For nearly three decades, she has been a champion for Bendigo, for workers, for women, for the future of Victoria. I wish Jacinta, Yorick and the kids all the very best for the future.
He also congratulated Carroll on his election, saying he is a “great campaigner who will take it up to the Liberal Party and One Nation.” Andrews said:
I well remember campaigning shoulder to shoulder with Ben in the Niddrie byelection in 2012. I saw then what I know now, he is a great campaigner who will take it up to the Liberal Party and One Nation. Elections like this are won by a handful of votes in a handful of seats. I believe Premier Carroll and his team can win in November. As he has rightly pointed out the stakes are high. Working people across Victoria cannot afford the cuts that will come with a Wilson-Hanson Government. I wish Premier Carroll and his team well for the future.
In his first press conference as leader yesterday, Carroll sought to differentiate himself from Allan and Andrews. He told reporters:
Let me make one thing very clear: I am not Daniel Andrews. I am not Jacinta Allan. I will do things differently, because different times require a new approach.
Carroll comes from the right of the Labor party while Andrews and Allan are members of the Socialist Left.
Updated
Brittany Higgins joins calls for pre-recorded testimony in NSW
Separately, Britanny Higgins joined a coalition of 26 community services and legal academics on Wednesday calling for reforms allowing adult sexual assault complainants to be given the option to prerecord their evidence in NSW, AAP reported.
They argue that current court rules cause unnecessary harm and distress, with serious impacts on survivors’ wellbeing, healing and recovery.
“Justice shouldn’t require survivors to put their lives on hold,” Higgins said.
The option to prerecord evidence recognises that every day spent waiting for trial is another day carrying the emotional weight of what happened to you.
Updated
Higgins legal saga brought to a close with settlement
A workplace lawsuit linked to the Britanny Higgins saga reached a confidential settlement after mediation earlier this month, AAP reports.
Ex-Liberal staffer Fiona Brown, former chief of staff to then senator Linda Reynolds, launched legal action in 2025, alleging the commonwealth failed to stop her from becoming embroiled in a political storm following Higgins’ allegations that she was raped by Bruce Lehrmann in Parliament House.
A criminal trial of Higgins’ allegations was abandoned in 2022 due to juror misconduct. Lehrmann has always maintained his innocence. A defamation case launched by Lehrmann against Network Ten found that Higgins was, on the balance of probabilities, raped by her former colleague in the office.
Brown had alleged former prime minister Scott Morrison and senior office staff did not allow her to publicly defend herself against allegations that she had participated in a political cover-up.
If the matter was not settled, it would have reached a federal trial in 2027, in which Morrison would be put under oath.
A spokesperson for the attorney general, Michelle Rowland, confirmed a settlement had been reached and said further comment would be inappropriate “due to privacy considerations, legal professional privilege and confidentiality obligations”.
Updated
Angus Taylor denies involvement in Icac case
The opposition leader, Angus Taylor, says no payments were made in relation to a growing corruption case involving members of the NSW Liberal party, insisting he is not a party to the proceedings.
During a press conference in Queensland this morning, Taylor was asked about being named as a potential donor to a conservative Liberal group known as the Reformers, now being investigated by the New South Wales corruption watchdog.
During a hearing as part of Operation Rosny on Tuesday, a screenshot of a text message from the Catholic Schools NSW chief executive, Dallas McInerney, was shown in evidence. The screenshot was sent by Robert Assaf, a member of the Reformers, to a group chat that included Dylan Whitelaw in March 2021.
“I want to shake down Angus for 10k,” the message, read aloud at the inquiry, allegedly said. Asked if “Angus” referred to Angus Taylor, the witness and former staffer Dylan Whitelaw said: “I would assume it’s Angus Taylor”.
Taylor is not accused of any wrongdoing.
“I’m not a party to the proceedings. No payment was made,” Taylor said on Wednesday.
Asked if he would agree to appear as a witness, he said no such request had been made and he would not discuss hypotheticals.
“I haven’t been approached by the commission and I’m not going to give a running commentary,” Taylor said.
Updated
Victoria premier maintains he is a strong supporter of Airport Rail project
Carroll also said his new cabinet would discuss the $34.5bn Suburban Rail Loop project, which was first announced by Daniel Andrews, championed by Jacinta Allan, and received billions of dollars from the federal government in its May budget.
He would not say whether this would involve reviewing the project:
I’m going to run a disciplined, proper cabinet process.
But he did reiterate that he was a supporter of Airport Rail, which had stalled up until recently. Carroll said:
Everyone knows there’s not a stronger supporter for airport rail … than me … airport rail will electrify the north-west – it is a gamechanger, it’s been talked about for a hundred years. And as premier, I’m very focused on airport rail.
Updated
Carroll has already started work on royal commission into the construction sector
The new premier also told reporters he has already asked the Department of Premier and Cabinet to start working on terms of reference for the royal commission into the construction sector he annouced yesterday.
He confirmed the commission will look into the Labor government’s oversight of the Big Build, where corruption is alleged to have occurred.
Carrol said:
I said I want exhaustive terms of reference. No stone unturned. Whether it is top-tier contractors, subcontractors, labour hire, government, unions – these will be exhaustive terms of reference.
New Victorian premier holds first day presser at Kmart
The new Victorian premier, Ben Carroll, started his first full day in the top job at Kmart Bourke Street – a nod to his first job. He told reporters he spent eight years working at Kmart Airport West, calling them “crucible years”.
But he also recalls memories “of being intimidated, of being abused, of being threatened” in the job. It’s why he’s chosen to bring forward the introduction of legislation his predecessor Jacinta Allan had already committed to: establishing workplace protection orders.
Under the bill, the courts will have the power to ban or limit people’s access to workplaces when they treat frontline workers unacceptably for up to 12 months.
Breaching an order could result in up to two years in prison or a fine of up to $50,000.
The protections apply across all retail businesses and specified train, tram and bus operators. If passed, the scheme will begin on 29 July 2027 to allow further consultation and to ensure vulnerable people aren’t caught up.
Carroll told reporters:
This is a big reform, it’s been trialled in the ACT but this is going to be nation-leading and we want to make sure we get this right.
Updated
NSW police seize millions in drugs, grenades and ammunition during raid
A young man and woman were arrested after police seized millions of dollars worth of drugs, multiple grenades, ammunition and guns at an alleged safe house.
AAP reports detectives made the find during a raid on a home in Glenfield in Sydney’s south-west on Tuesday morning.
Weapons including six grenades, three semi-automatic assault rifles, four shotguns, a pistol, firearm parts and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition were allegedly found at the scene.
Six kilograms of cocaine, a kilogram each of methylamphetamine and ketamine, 15kg of cannabis, 1.1kg of heroin and 107 grams of MDMA were also allegedly discovered there.
The man and woman, both 26, were arrested and charged. The man faces 27 offences and was refused bail. The woman was charged with organising/conducting/assisting drug premises and granted conditional bail. Both will appear before the courts.
Updated
Significant traffic delays in Sydney this morning
Sydney commuters, some frustrating news if you’re already running late for work:
The M5 corridor is backed up for kilometres heading into the city, with roads closed between Beverly Hills and Mascot due to emergency work in the main tunnel.
Heavy traffic is queued on the artery, with motorists advised to avoid the area and consider other routes.
There’s no forecast yet as to when the motorway will reopen to citybound traffic.
Updated
Search to continue for missing infant in South Australia
A search will continue this morning in South Australia for a missing infant in the waters off Port MacDonnell.
The baby has been missing for days after the bodies of a mother and toddler were pulled from the ocean before treacherous cliffs in the small coastal town.
Police have been searching for the infant since Monday. They had to end the effort yesterday afternoon due to severe weather conditions.
Dan Tehan sidesteps questions on Angus Taylor’s links to Icac inquiry
Dan Tehan, the shadow minister for energy, didn’t answer any questions this morning after Angus Taylor was named as a potential donor to a conservative Liberal group being investigated by the New South Wales corruption watchdog (Icac).
Taylor is not accused of any wrongdoing. The opposition leader said yesterday the matter should be “allowed to run their course free from political interference or commentary. As such, the leader will not be providing a running commentary on any matters before the commission”.
Tehan was asked if the Icac inquiry risked becoming a distraction for Taylor if he doesn’t clarify his relationship with the group from the hard right faction of the Liberals, known as the “Reformers”. But Tehan told RN Breakfast the focus should remain on the government in power while Icac “does its job”. He said:
Let’s let Icac do its job. And in the meantime, let’s focus on the person who’s running this country.
Updated
Specially designed Airbus completes marathon 24-hour flight before joining Qantas fleet
A specially modified Airbus A350 plane touched down in France Tuesday after a record 24-hour test flight from Australia, ahead of it joining Qantas’s fleet next year, Agency France-Presse reports.
Its 23,076-kilometre journey – across three continents and two oceans, and through two sunsets and two dawns – was one of the most-watched flights shown on the Flightradar24 tracking site.
It was also a crucial step before Australian airline Qantas receives its first A350-1000ULR in April next year, to be followed by 11 others for services able to link Australia non-stop to destinations in the United States and Europe.
The ULR in its designation stands for “ultra long distance”, a feat made possible by an additional 20,000-litre rear centre fuel tank being fitted to Airbus’s A350-1000 model.
The flight from Australia to France took precisely 24 hours and 24 minutes.
Updated
Angus Taylor’s approval rating crashes and One Nation support plateaus
One Nation’s primary vote has plateaued and Angus Taylor’s approval rating has crashed, according to the latest Guardian Essential poll.
But it is not all smooth sailing for Labor, with Australians rubbishing the government’s handling of the inflation and cost-of-living crisis.
Australians have also shown their reluctance to embrace new AI datacentres, with less than a third saying they’d be happy to have a facility in their local area and sharing concerns about energy demands, water supply, environmental impacts and noise.
The Guardian Essential poll, of 1,060 voters last week, found One Nation’s popularity was continuing to level off, attracting a 25% primary vote, down one point from June’s poll. Meanwhile while Labor’s indicative primary vote ticked up one point to 31%, the Coalition’s vote dropped further, down another point to 22%.
Read more here:
Kazem Hamad sentenced to life in prison in Iraq
A former Melbourne gangster believed to be a key player in the city’s tobacco wars has been sentenced to life in prison in Iraq.
Kazem Hamad was given a life sentence for “drug trafficking” by Iraq’s Karkh criminal court, according to the National Centre for International Judicial Cooperation (NCIJC).
It added that the sentence includes “the confiscation of his movable and immovable assets in accordance with the law”.
Hamad was deported from Australia to Iraq in 2023, where he was arrested in January this year “in response to an official request from Australia”, the NCIJC said.
He “is considered one of the most wanted individuals by Iraqi and international judiciaries”, the centre said, adding that Hamad smuggled “large quantities of narcotics” into Iraq and Australia.
He is also “linked to transnational organised crime gangs involved in drug trafficking, money laundering, murder, kidnapping, extortion, and organised violence”, the NCIJC said.
Read more here:
Updated
Former Victoria premier says Ben Carroll will move to market himself as a ‘new’ type of Labor leader
Steve Bracks, a former Labor premier of Victoria, said he believes Jacinta Allan had “no option” but to resign after losing the confidence of her colleagues.
Bracks spoke to RN Breakfast this morning, saying Allan had been in office for decades and would leave a lasting legacy in the state:
Look, Jacinta Allen has been a great contributor to public life in Victoria over a long period of time. She was first elected in 1999. … She’s achieved so much over such a long period of time, and she’ll go down as one of the great contributors to public life in Victoria.
Bracks said he thinks Ben Carroll, who was chosen as the new premier yesterday, will bring a “fresh approach” to government:
He’ll market himself as not a fourth-term Labor leader, but as a new Labor leader, a new Labor leader in a new term with a new set of policies and programs. And that’s really what he’s going to set out to do. I know it’s a very short time between now and November to get that across, but he’ll do everything he can to do that.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers spoke with his new UK counterpart, Chancellor John Healey, by phone last night
It’s the first conversation since the new UK prime minister, Andy Burnham, took over and since Healey replaced Rachel Reeves in 11 Downing Street.
“Really appreciated the chance to touch base with John so soon after he was appointed Chancellor,” Chalmers said.
He’d have a lot on his mind and the briefing would be really intensive so it’s good of him to make time. Our first conversation augurs well for a really beneficial working relationship.
I’ve been fortunate with the chancellors I’ve worked with on both sides of politics.
The pair discussed global challenges and plans to meet in person in the months ahead.
“At a time of great uncertainty there’s no shortage of challenges in the global economy and we are more likely to rise to the occasion when friends like Australia and the UK work together,” Chalmers said.
CSIRO head to defend agency – and job cuts – in press club address
The head of Australia’s national science agency will defend planned job cuts, warning without a refocus the organisation risks doing nothing at scale in the future, AAP reports.
In an address to the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday, the CSIRO’s chief executive, Doug Hilton, is expected to address the agency’s choice to cut jobs from key areas in the face of funding pressures.
He is expected to say the organisations faced a sobering backlog of essential repairs and renewal at the end of 2025. More than 80% of CSIRO’s 800 buildings were no longer fit for purpose, he will say.
Hilton is expected to say the leadership team chose to exit some areas of science and narrow its focus rather than run the risk of doing nothing at scale.
Last November, the science agency said up to 350 research positions would be slashed as the “cost of doing science has gone up”.
Updated
Good morning, Nick Visser here to guide you through the day’s news. Let’s get to it.
Bill Shorten backs royal commission into the construction sector
Former union boss and former leader of the Labor party Bill Shorten has leant his support behind newly crowned Victorian premier Ben Carroll’s announcement he will call a royal commission into the construction sector.
Shorten told 7.30 last night:
He wants to act with integrity, and he wants to act in everyone’s interests.
I think he understands [what] people will be assessing: is he serving the people or is he just playing politics? So I thought he was very straight. He’s in there for Victorians, not trying to just tick the box and get particular interest groups on side.
Shorten, former national secretary of the Australian Workers’ Union before entering parliament in 2007, said Carroll’s call yesterday to set up a royal commission was timely.
I think the national mood or the state mood was there for it. I just think that the costs of construction … there may be exaggerations, but there is something rotten going on in construction, and people want to see it can be dealt with. This is public infrastructure, so it’s taxpayer money.
You can read more about Carroll’s announcement here:
Updated
Jacinta Allan the victim of 'vile' sexism, Julia Gillard says
Former prime minister Julia Gillard says departing Victorian premier Jacinta Allan has been subjected to “vile sexism” during her term in office.
Posting on Instagram yesterday, Gillard said Allan would be remembered as a role model and trailblazer who governed for all Victorians, but particularly for the lives of women and girls.
There is no doubt that as the second woman to lead the state, she has been subjected to vile sexism.
She has been courageous in calling it out and combating this misogyny. As a result, she has made it easier for the women that follow.
Gillard herself went viral globally in 2012, after delivering her now famous misogyny speech attacking the opposition leader Tony Abbott in the Australian parliament. The 15-minute tirade against Abbott inspired a range of diverse musical adaptations of the speech from classical choral arrangements to punk anthems.
Gillard, who represented the Victorian electorate of Lalor from 1998 to 2013, now sits on the boards and trusts of a number of NGOs focusing on health and women’s rights, and works the speaking circuit.
Her post also congratulated the man who toppled Allan as premier, Ben Carroll.
I know how hard working he is and how much he cares about ensuring every child gets the best possible start in life. I wish him and his team well in the months to come.
Updated
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it’ll be Nick Visser with the main action.
