What we learned: Sunday 20 August
With that, we will wrap the blog for now. Thanks for joining us, with today’s news dominated, understandably, by that heart-stopping Matildas’ run.
Here were the major events of the day:
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese says he is determined to see through a second term.
Three snowboarders have been hurt after a gust of wind caused a ski lift chair to detach at Thredbo resort.
Matildas forward Caitlin Foord has described the teams 2-0 loss to Sweden as her “worst nightmare” after the team’s fairytale run at the 2023 World Cup;
Foreign minister Penny Wong says the government has returned to “a more centrist” position on Israel with a change to official language that describes East Jerusalem as “occupied”.
Hundreds in Brisbane have gathered to see the Matildas receive the keys to the city while the team has thanked supporters for “the best four weeks of our lives”.
New South Wales has announced it will celebrate the team’s World Cup run with a mural.
Pauline Hanson has opened day two of CPAC where audiences are decidedly thinner, sharing re-runs of her satirical political cartoon series and making off colour jokes about her political rivals.
Updated
Controversial Crows loss will stand despite AFL error
AFL boss Gillon McLachlan has conceded Adelaide should have been awarded a late goal but says their crucial one-point loss to Sydney won’t be overturned.
The Crows’ finals chances ended in controversy after the goal umpire awarded a behind rather than a goal by Ben Keays, which would have given Adelaide the lead with just over a minute to play in Saturday night’s Adelaide Oval clash.
The umpire signalled the ball hit the post and didn’t seek a video review - which McLachlan said on Sunday he should have done.
The 13th-placed Crows are two wins outside the top eight with one game remaining, an away trip to play struggling West Coast.
Had they beaten Sydney, Adelaide’s season would have been well and truly alive ahead of a return clash with the Eagles. They smashed West Coast by 122 points in round 13 at the Adelaide Oval.
Adelaide chief executive Tim Silvers said in a statement on Sunday that while welcome, the admission of error did not lessen the frustration and disappointment shared by everyone involved with the club.
The Adelaide Football Club acknowledges the AFL’s response to the circumstances surrounding last night’s loss to the Sydney Swans.
Human error is, and always will be, part of football and we recognise our own performance in the first half of the season defining game was not at the standard we expect either.
We are also extremely proud of our players’ effort, commitment and never give up attitude, which was again on show.
The failure to video review the scoring attempt in question is inexplicable given the enormity of the moment, not just for that game but also what it meant for our finals chances and those of other teams in the competition.
Having spoken to the AFL and with no further avenues to explore, we have no choice other than to turn our focus to the final home and away match of the season.
While we will not participate in the upcoming finals series, we are determined to build on the progress our young playing group has made this year.
– with AAP
Updated
Matildas match against Sweden was No 1 broadcast program nationally
Some 3.38 million Australians watched Sweden defeat the Matildas on Saturday night in their fight for third place.
Seven, which broadcast last night’s match, reported on Sunday morning that Sweden’s 2-0 win was the No 1 broadcast program nationally and in the capital cities, while the pre-game program hit No 3 nationally, with 966,000 broadcast viewers.
Viewship of the match itself peaked at 3.63 million people on broadcast.
In total, the tournament has been a boon for Seven, with the company saying coverage of the Women’s World Cup has reached 14.48 million broadcast viewers so far, plus another 3.64 million on 7plus.
Managing director Seven Melbourne and head of network sport, Lewis Martin, said in a statement:
Last night’s incredible match showcased the Matildas’ unwavering determination and passion on the global stage. Their journey may have ended, but their legacy will continue to resonate with every Australian for decades to come.
As we gear up for the exhilarating Ffia Women’s World Cup 2023 final with the world’s eyes upon us, this global event demonstrates the power of live and free sport to unite the nation and inspire a future generation.
Updated
Along a stretch of rugged coastline in a national park less than 13km from Sydney’s CBD is a pram and wheelchair-friendly trail that cost the New South Wales taxpayer $2.5m.
The Boora Point track at Malabar headland is meant to be the inner city’s accessible coastal walk. Except it isn’t. At least, not at weekends.
The gates to the track are locked every Saturday and three out of five Sundays because the rifle range in the middle of the Malabar Headland national park is in use. Big red signs on the tall metal fence around the park warn of the danger.
The Anzac rifle range just south of Maroubra beach has been used for more than 150 years. It’s home to the NSW Rifle Association’s headquarters, several shooting clubs, an equestrian centre and boasts a spectacular view of the ocean.
Locals mutter about the sound of gunfire and walking track closures and a long-running debate continues to swirl over the large grassy, open space used by the rifle range on top of a contaminated former tip. Randwick council wants it turned into a public park.
But the shooters have no plans to move from the commonwealth-owned parcel of prime coastal real estate.
Read the full story here:
Matildas' World Cup run to be celebrated with Stadium Australia mural
The NSW government has joined the celebration of the Matildas’ history-making world cup run with the commission of a giant mural at Stadium Australia.
The permanent mural will capture some of the greatest moments during the Women’s World Cup finals, recording how the team captured the imagination of the nation and inspired the next generation of female athletes.
It will be installed on the external facade of the eastern side of Accor Stadium, closest to Olympic Park train station.
The NSW premier Chris Minns said the artwork is about “recognising the moments the Matildas brought our nation to a standstill”.
The Matildas’ campaign captured the imagination of Australia and the footballing world. I’m proud to announce that they will be permanently celebrated with a mural in their honour at Stadium Australia.
Mary Fowler, Steph Catley, Caitlin Foord and Mackenzie Arnold joined Samantha Kerr as household names and put the world on notice that Australia is a football nation.
The stadium where the Matildas made history in so many ways, is getting a huge Matildas mural.
— Chris Minns (@ChrisMinnsMP) August 19, 2023
This giant mural that we're commissioning at Stadium Australia will celebrate their historic success. pic.twitter.com/XrFSJh73bQ
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Unions threaten strikes at Woodside gas facilities
Unions at Woodside Energy Group’s North West Shelf offshore gas platforms on Sunday announced plans to strike as early as 2 September, which could eventually disrupt shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from top global exporter Australia.
The strike threat escalates a long-running dispute between Woodside and workers over pay and conditions on its North West Shelf gas platforms, which feed Australia’s biggest LNG plant.
Unions in Australia are required by law to give companies seven working days’ notice before any industrial action but can elect to call off any action before then.
The Offshore Alliance, which combines the Maritime Union of Australia and Australian Workers’ Union, said in a Facebook post it had “unanimously endorsed” giving Woodside seven working days’ notice to strike if its bargaining claims are not met by close of business on Wednesday. That would mean a strike could start as soon as 2 September.
Offshore Alliance spokesperson Brad Gandy said in a statement:
Woodside tried every tactic it could think of to avoid bargaining with its workers as a collective, but in the end the company failed to maintain the status quo it liked, one where what the company says goes.
Offshore Alliance members don’t take industrial action lightly, but Woodside is really leaving them with little choice here.
A spokesperson for Woodside did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Some 99% of Woodside workers granted unions permission to call a range of industrial action, including work stoppages, after Australia’s industrial umpire, the Fair Work Commission, gave permission for “protected industrial action” to go ahead.
The Offshore Alliance also represents workers at Chevron’s Gorgon and Wheatstone LNG facilities. Workers there on Friday began voting on whether to grant unions permission to call for strike action, with the first results due by Thursday.
Woodside’s and Chevron’s facilities together supply about 10% of the global LNG market. Concerns about a strike have spurred volatility in European gas prices over fears the move would fuel competition between Asian and European buyers for cargoes.
– Reuters
Updated
Future of Australian economy outlined in new report
In a quiet week for economic data, treasurer Jim Chalmers will release the latest Intergenerational Report (IGR).
The report will lay out the big changes under way in the economy and Australian society over the next four decades.
The five main spending pressures – health, aged care, NDIS, defence and interest payments on debt – are projected to grow from one-third of total commonwealth government spending in 2022-23 to one-half of total spending by 2062-63.
The cost of servicing government debt will continue to be a persistent challenge in a decade’s time, the report says. Health spending is expected to increase the most as a share of GDP over the next 40 years.
Chalmers will use a speech to the National Press Club in Canberra on Thursday to explain what the government is doing to position Australians to benefit from the changes, rather than be victims.
He lists some of the challenges as securing global supply chains, broadening and deepening the industrial base, investing in cleaner energy, better use of technology, and building the skills base to make the economy more productive.
The treasurer will be at pains to explain the government can deal with current cost-of-living pressures and balance the budget books while also looking at future trends and shifts in the economy.
In comments released ahead of the report’s release, Chalmers said:
We’re getting the budget in much better nick, but what the Intergenerational Report reveals is after this year, the pressure on the budget intensifies
Whether it’s essential spending on health, aged care, defence and the NDIS or the interest costs on the eye watering debt left behind by the Liberals, the budget is under pressure in the long term.
A book released earlier this year, More than Fiscal, produced by the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, outlines some of the pitfalls and benefits of the five IGRs produced since 2002.
The book points out not everything in the reports has been accurate.
The first IGR forecast Australia’s population to hit 25.7m in 2050 – a figure actually reached in 2021.
– AAP
Updated
Auctions across Australia continue to rise
Auction activity has ticked up for the second week running with 2,056 homes up for auction – the busiest week since before Easter and the fifth busiest week of the year.
The bounce higher than the 1,929 properties auctioned last week and more than the 1,816 auctions held at the same time last year.
Based on results collected so far, CoreLogic’s summary found that the preliminary clearance rate was 74% across the country, which is higher than the 71.3% preliminary clearance rate recorded last week and the 64.7% actual rate on final numbers.
Across the capital cities:
Sydney: 839 auctions with a clearance rate of 78.7%
Melbourne: 838 auctions with a clearance rate of 72.7%
Brisbane: 115 auctions with a clearance rate of 69%
Adelaide: 116 auctions with a clearance rate of 76.2%
Canberra: 91 auctions with a clearance rate of 62.3%
Tasmania: one home was sold prior to auction
Perth: eight of 16 results have been collected with five successful
Updated
Indigenous Stem students chosen for Nasa internships
When Lincoln Bourke joins Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California this week, he’s going to put his engineering skills to work simulating how robots move on extraterrestrial planets and moons.
Bourke, a Limilngan and Mudburra man from the Northern Territory, is one of five uni students who have earned internships with the US space agency, after being chosen for the first cohort of Monash University’s National Indigenous Space Academy, supported by the Australian Space Agency.
To prepare for their trip to California, the students attended space boot camp at Monash’s faculty of information technology in Melbourne last week.
National Indigenous Space Academy lead and Wadjak/Ballardong Noongar man Prof Christopher Lawrence said they were hoping to produce the world’s first Aboriginal astronaut.
These amazing young Indigenous Stem students will be working on ongoing Nasa projects, including ocean exploration vehicles and characterising the microorganisms within the International Space Station.
Each student will be partnered with a Nasa scientist or engineer mentor for a 10-week internship.
Prof Lawrence said there weren’t enough Indigenous scientists, technologists, engineers or mathematicians.
We want to normalise Stem so that it’s a normal discipline for Indigenous people to take up, because if anybody can pick up a piece of wood and throw it and make it come back, they’ve got to be innovators, right?
Stem is in our DNA.
– AAP
Updated
Matildas’ World Cup run ‘transformative’ for Australian football: Anika Wells
The federal minister for sport, Anika Wells, says the Women’s World Cup has been a “transformative” moment for Australian football.
She says she received a message from someone who destroyed a Socceroos jersey by writing the name of Matildas’ player, Stephanie Catley, on the back of it in black marker.
It’s been about those transformative little experiences that we’ve all been hearing about for a month … It’s about the fact that a girl came up to me on the street and said she played against Cortnee Vine back in the day … and she has been inspired to sign back up after this.
And it’s about the fact my friend told me that he took his girls to under 9s training and … next door there were two 16-year-old boys pretending to be [Mackenzie] Arnold and Cortnee Vine.
Updated
Southern right whale mother and calf move south
Maritime authorities say the female southern right whale and her calf spotted basking in shallow waters off northern Sydney have moved on, and are relaxing in waters off Malabar beach, in the city’s south.
Whale conservation group Orrca said on Sunday the pair made a slow move south overnight after spending Saturday resting and nursing in shallow waters north-east of Long Reef.
The rare duo were spotted in waters of the NSW mid-north coast late in July, and have been tracked closely as they make their way down the coast before their treacherous journey to the Antarctic.
NSW Parks and Wildlife Service authorities are asking the public to keep at least 300 metres away to avoid disturbing the whales which might cause them to move away, and tire them unnecessarily.
Any disturbance to the whales not only compromises a calf’s ability to nurse and develop, but can also drive them out into deeper waters, where they are exposed to predation by orcas and sharks, the ranger said.
The pair were first spotted on 27 July in Coffs Harbour, and have delighted whale watchers as they swan slowly down the coast, often stopping close to shore in shallow waters to rest.
– AAP
Updated
Alanna Kennedy says it was ‘heartbreaking’ to miss Matildas’ final match
Matildas defender, Alanna Kennedy, says it was “heartbreaking” to miss Australia’s final match against Sweden in Brisbane last night.
The 28-year-old was also absent during the semi-final with England after suffering concussion symptoms following Australia’s dramatic quarter-final victory over France.
But she says she is feeling “a lot better”.
It was heartbreaking not to play but … I watched one of the games on TV and I was inspired by that. I love this team and I’m so proud of everyone.
Kennedy says her teammates are some of her “best mates” and she was ecstatic to share this historic moment in women’s football with them.
There’s obviously a lot of players that came before and we want to thank them as well.
Updated
Australian research prompts the WHO to update malaria guidelines
Work by Australian researchers has prompted the World Health Organization to update its recommendations for malaria-preventing mosquito nets.
Dr Timothy Barker from the University of Adelaide led a team which proved the effectiveness of a new combination of insecticides used in such nets.
In 2021, nearly half the globe’s population was at risk of malaria. There were an estimated 247m cases and 619,000 deaths worldwide. Sleeping under a mosquito net is one of the best ways to protect against mosquito bites that spread malaria.
Dr Barker’s team analysed the results of controlled trials conducted in the Republic of Benin, Burkina Faso and Tanzania, where mosquitoes were resistant to the standard insecticide.
They showed certain combinations of chemicals lethal to mosquitoes helped boost the “killing ability” of the nets, with no additional harm to people sleeping under them.
Following his team’s work the WHO has since updated its malaria guidelines to include nets treated with pyrethroid-chlorfenapyr, as well as with the less-effective pyrethroid-pyriproxyfen combination.
Dr Barker said he was proud of his team’s effort especially as it would help save lives.
To directly contribute to a recommendation that will prevent people developing malaria, and subsequently reducing the number of people that may unfortunately die due to this terrible disease, is something that I am extremely proud of.
– AAP
Updated
Australian pop star, Nikki Webster, has made a surprise appearance at a Brisbane fan event to serenade The Matildas with their unofficial anthem, Strawberry Kisses.
Nikki Webster sings “Strawberry Kisses” to The Matildas. 🥰 pic.twitter.com/ztRDZwChs3
— Eden Gillespie (@edengillespie) August 20, 2023
Updated
Matildas’ loss to Sweden falls short in a World Cup that surpassed expectations
These two things can both be true: the Matildas overachieved at this World Cup, and underachieved against Sweden on Saturday.
Australia’s fourth-placed finish at the World Cup following a magical month that enchanted a nation is better than anyone could have expected. Indeed, with the exception of the USA, it is the best-ever performance by a host country. Australians should rightly feel proud of these Matildas after a heroic World Cup run, in the face of sustained adversity – most notably Sam Kerr’s calf injury.
The team have changed the status of football in Australia, possibly forever, and secured more than $200m in additional funding for women’s sport. In the years ahead, young girls will flock to the sport in increased numbers inspired by this World Cup; young boys will grow up with high-profile female sporting role models. The semi-final against England literally stopped the nation; the 11.5 million viewers set a new benchmark for the most-viewed program in local broadcast history.
That off-field impact is remarkable, transformative even, and it is matched by their on-field success. The Matildas have now finished fourth in the most recent editions of the two biggest tournaments in women’s football – the World Cup and the Olympics – in the space of just 24 months. For a team ranked 10th in the world, that represents consistent overachievement. It suggests the Matildas belong with the elite in women’s football.
But it is possible to think all of the above and still consider that the Matildas’ loss to Sweden in the third-place match was disappointing, an ill-fitting end to an otherwise glorious World Cup.
For more on this analysis of the Matilda’s, read the full report by Kieran Pender.
Updated
Queensland to invest $37m in women’s football
Queensland will triple its funding and invest $37m in women’s football across the state.
The funding will be funnelled into facilities, training for volunteers, purchasing of equipment and targeted programming.
The premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, said The Matildas had shown girls everywhere that “anything is possible.”
They have proven it’s not the shoes you stand in, it’s what you stand for that matters. They stand for a fair go for women.
Today isn’t about the end of something. It’s about the start of something new. We want to turn inspiration into participation.
Queensland will also build a statue to honour the Matildas at Brisbane’s Suncorp stadium.
Katrina Gorry has been asked about her run-in with Swedish player, Kosovare Asllani, last night.
— Eden Gillespie (@edengillespie) August 20, 2023
“Any game in Queensland, it always happens like that,” she jokes. “I’m glad you guys had my back.” @GuardianAus pic.twitter.com/TUN63C4Vpq
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Sam Kerr thanks Brisbane for ‘best four weeks of our lives’ as Matildas receive keys to city
Matildas captain, Sam Kerr, says “it’s been a dream come true” to play at packed-out stadiums across Australia.
Me and the girls definitely felt the love … We see everything, we appreciate everything. It’s been an emotional rollercoaster but it’s been the best four weeks of our lives.
Asked about the statue Queensland plans to build in the team’s honour at Suncorp stadium, Kerr says her team “deserves” it.
She joked that this will be the “last day” she speaks about her calf after suffering an injury early on in the tournament.
“I’m good,” she says.
Updated
Former resources minister Keith Pitt calls Chris Bowen a ‘dastardly villain’ at CPAC
Former resources minister Keith Pitt is up at CPAC, doing a bit of amateur comedy patter about wind turbines and energy minister Chris Bowen (he knows his audience and this material is killing).
Pitt, one of a string of Nationals MPs to get a speaking gig at this conservative conference, starts his Jerry Seinfeld routine by talking about a “dastardly villain” called “Chris”, which draws knowing laughter from the audience.
(Side note – one of the things I’ve been most surprised by over the two days of CPAC is the level of angst about Bowen, who is, no offence, not the highest-profile Albanese government member.)
There was a brief second where I thought the “dastardly villain” Pitt mentioned could be former PM Scott Morrison, who famously and secretly appointed himself as minister for resources (Pitt’s former portfolio) so Morrison could make a decision about the Pep-11 gas development. Pitt actually briefly mentions Pep-11 in passing, but conveniently leaves out that little detail about the Morrison secret ministry saga.
Pitt makes a stump speech about pushing for nuclear energy, and the evils of solar and wind power. His pledge to fight the government’s plans on renewable energy draws big applause from the CPAC crowd.
Updated
Pauline Hanson opens day two of CPAC
We’re back at the CPAC conference in Sydney. One Nation’s Pauline Hanson is the opening speaker (the headliner, really) and she begins by saying “you won’t get a welcome to country out of me”.
That one, predictably, got a lot of laughs.
It came after the conference played a special CPAC-themed episode of Hanson’s Please Explain web series cartoon, which made a few off-colour jokes about Anthony Albanese, Linda Burney and others.
Hanson’s speech goes on to thank the young people who are volunteering as staff at the event (all the workers are quite young, compared with the decidedly older crowds). She says the Please Explain web series was aimed to attract young people 18-35 to conservative politics, noting that progressive politics usually draws in younger voters – claiming that “the left” brings in “alphabet people” (which we took to mean a reference to the LGBTQI+ community) and Indigenous groups.
Hanson is now listing some of her favourite jokes from the cartoon series, and playing an excerpt from an old episode about Aukus, Paul Keating and China. We’re reminded of those mid-season filler episodes in sitcoms where the writers ran out of new material and instead just ran a series of clips from previous seasons.
The room at the Star is a bit more sparsely attended than yesterday.
Updated
Hundreds gather to see Matlidas receive keys to city in Brisbane
Hundreds of fans have swarmed Brisbane’s Riverstage stadium to watch the Matildas receive the keys to the city.
The crowd has been warmed up by a band performing fitting hits like Don’t stop believing, Sisters are doin’ it for themselves and the team’s unofficial anthem Strawberry Kisses.
Absolutely obsessed that they’re playing ‘Strawberry Kisses’ before the Tillies arrive pic.twitter.com/RNXGAIjEps
— Eden Gillespie (@edengillespie) August 20, 2023
The Matildas will be honoured for their herculean efforts throughout the tournament. The team secured fourth position last night after a 2-0 loss to Sweden. But it was the furthest Australia has ever placed in a World Cup.
Earlier on Saturday, the Queensland government announced a statue would be built to tribute the team’s historic success.
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CPAC Australia: hardline culture warriors rail against Indigenous voice, ‘fake news’ and ‘woke corporates’
“We are one,” the motto above the CPAC logo proudly blared on the lanyards around the necks of attendees for the Conservative Political Action Conference in Sydney on Saturday.
It clashed somewhat incongruously with the even bigger text attached to the bright red media passes given to the few journalists who came to cover the event: “FAKE NEWS”.
Parroting a Trump catchcry wasn’t exactly surprising for the CPAC event, a local franchise of the long-running American conservative gathering. In keeping with its US roots, the event hosted a smattering of devotees of the Donald, alongside several Sky “after dark” favourites and one-fifth of the Nationals partyroom.
But the real headliners were the leaders of the no campaign in the Indigenous voice to parliament referendum, with CPAC for a second year turning into a rally against the advisory body. With “vote no” stickers and Liberal-authorised leaflets available at the door, the conference positioned the campaign not just as a vote on the voice itself, but a proxy battle of conservatives versus progressives in a fight for Australia’s political ascendancy.
For more on this story, read the follow report from Guardian Australia’s political reporter Josh Butler who will once again be on the ground at CPAC on Sunday.
Updated
Anthony Albanese will seek to fulfil a second term at next election
Prime minister Anthony Albanese says he will go to the next election with the intention of securing a second term – and seeing it out.
Speaking to Sky News in an exclusive interview as Labor meets for its national conference, the PM said he does not see his age as an issue and has plans for beyond 2025.
I’ve just got here 15 months ago. I have enormous energy for the task. One of the themes of this conference is Working for Australia. And that is the focus … of my government. Working for Australia to put in place a long term Labor government. That’s my focus.
Doing good government. Securing the support of the Australian people on the journey of change because if you don’t change the world moves past you and we have enormous opportunities this decade to set Australia up for a bright future.
We live in the fastest growing section of the world in human history.
I’m very energised and when I was at the Nato summit recently I was certainly not one of the older leaders who was there.
I have the great honour of being elected prime minister in May of last year. It’s not something that when I went into parliament was on my to do list.
It’s a job I’m enjoying and regard as an incredible privilege. I love this country.
I certainly will be going to the next election with the intention of fulfilling a term. Politics can change quickly of course and we take nothing for granted, certainly not the next election … but during the last term I spoke about plans for 2022 and beyond, and beyond 2025.
Albanese was also asked in the interview if he knew the price of petrol, which is currently above $2.10 but said though he doesn’t fill up the car, the last time he did it was $1.80.
Former prime minister Scott Morrison was asked the same question at the National Press Club in February 2022 and also could not name the price.
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Labor has returned to 'a more centrist position' on Israel: Penny Wong
On the status of Palestine and the change to the government’s official position, Wong says Labor has returned to “a more centrist position”. She says the change is “consistent with the UK, the EU and New Zealand dos not prejudge final-status issues including the final status of Jerusalem”.
On East Jerusalem, Wong says:
I think East Jerusalem, has been regarded under international law as occupied. So by using the term that others use and the majority of the international community use of occupied Palestinian territories dos not mean that the Australian government would prejudge final-status issues including of Jerusalem, despite the fact that some people wish to say that that is what we are doing. We are not, and neither is the international community, and I think on this issue – I know this is an issue that people feel deeply about – we tried to take a principled, consistent and coherent position. That is how we have approached this issue, not through the prism of domestic politics, but to try to return Australia to more consistent and principled position internationally and domestically.
Asked about the Labor party platform which calls for recognition of a Palestinian state “as an important priority”, Wong says she will “not engage in hypotheticals” and that “these are sensitive diplomatic decisions that should be made by cabinet and the cabinet should make such decisions when considering all of the diplomatic issues that would necessarily be before it.”
What I would say is we have taken the last 15 months, I think you will see, whether it’s in returning Jerusalem to a final-status issue in our re-balancing of our votes, making them more consistent in the UN context, or the return to a more centrist and nomenclature in relation to occupied Palestinian territories around settlements are illegal which is in great response to events on to the ground this year. What you will see is consistency in our we approach this issue.
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Australia ‘retains concerns’ about ongoing detention of Cheng Lei and Yang Hengjun: Wong
Wong says Australia “retains concerns” about the ongoing detention of Australian journalist Cheng Lei and writer Dr Yang Hengjun.
We continue to advocate for their return to their families. We continue to advocate for their interests, and our concerns are expressed and raised in every senior interaction that we have with the Chinese government. We will continue to do that.
Wong however says “Australians do want to see a mother reunited with her children”.
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Wong on potential visit to Australia by a Chinese official
On the potential for a visit to Australia by a Chinese official, Wong says officials are “talking through when that would be convenient”.
The engagement does matter. The way I’ve described it and I think we’ve made clear we will cooperate with China where we can, disagree where we must and we will engage in our national interests, because even if you don’t agree, it is important to engage. That’s central to the navigation of both cooperation but also of difference.
Pressed on when this visit might take place, Wong says she would “anticipate that dialogue to occur in Australia at an appropriate time”.
Updated
Aukus does not lead to greater proliferation of nuclear material: Wong
Wong is asked about whether Australia will sign the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and says that she wants to stress that “No, Aukus does not lead to greater proliferation of nuclear material. I want to say that really clearly”.
We will work with the International Atomic Energy Agency to make sure it is consistent because we have quite frankly gold standards when it comes to nuclear none proliferation and we will protect that.
On the treaty itself, Wong says the government is “considering very closely the treaty” but won’t comment on whether Australia will commit, saying instead that she personally feels the treaty is a “very important tool internationally for progressing this discussion”.
We’ve set out the principles by which we would consider it, but I again want to say – I know the TPNW is a very important articulation, particularly from civil society about why people rightly want a world without nuclear weapons. The way you deliver that best, the way you deliver outcomes best is through the non-proliferation treaty.
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Storing nuclear waste generated by subs a ‘big challenge’, Wong says
Wong says union membership won’t be a requirement to work on the nuclear subs.
I don’t recall that ever being part of our procurement processes, but my point is I think the unions are a very important part of the tripartite approach to making sure we improve our national capability which is what Aukus is about and what the Defence Strategic Review is about.
On the issue of where nuclear waste generated by the submarines will be stored and disposed of, Wong says that is an open question and represents a “big challenge”.
It is one of the consequences of going down this path that we will have to deal with and we know that, which is why we are already starting the process of working through how this will happen. Obviously we are talking decades away, given the time-frame, we are talking – we don’t get the first Aukus submarine for a number of decades.
So, the reality is this is some decades off, but it is right that people are raising it. We know this is a challenge and we will make sure there is a process in place to address it.
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Aukus helps ensure a strategic balance in the region, Wong says
Wong is asked about whether China’s activities in south-east Asia is leading to a new arms race but says she does not want to “talk about this hypothetically”.
I want to talk about what is really happening. What is happening is we are seeing a change in strategic balance in the region. We are seeing more challenging strategic circumstances. The question is not commenting about it, the question is what we do about it, and what we have to do with other countries is to ensure that there is a strategic balance in the region, that we want to make sure that, you know, no country ever thinks that conflict is worth it. That’s the calculus we always have to change and we do that both by deterrence and reassurance. That’s what Aukus contributes to, just as that’s what our diplomacy, our development assistance and engagement contribute to.
Speers asked Wong directly about whether “China is making the world more dangerous”.
Wong:
I think we know, and I think we’ve been very upfront about it what is happening in terms of the military buildup in the region. We know that there is greater strategic competition between the great powers. We know what has been happening in our region. We’ve seen recently exercises in the Taiwan strait and events in the Philippines.
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Foreign minister Penny Wong on ABC Insiders
Foreign minister Penny Wong says Labor has been transparent about discussing the “strategic rationale for Aukus” at its national party conference with prime minister Anthony Albanese and senior government ministers clearly articulating the need to acquire nuclear submarines.
I think about this as how do we achieve and ensure a peaceful, stable and prosperous region in which sovereignty respected? A key part of that is strategic balance. That includes military deterrence, but it also includes reassurance through diplomacy and engagement.
Wong said that the government wants to “contribute to the strategic balance which underpins the sort of stability and prosperity and peace that we all seek in our region” through both deterrence but also dialogue.
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Matilda the platypus shows her fighting spirit
A rescued female platypus being cared for at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo has been named Matilda after Australia’s fourth-place finishing team at the Fifa Women’s World Cup.
The puggle was around four months old when she was admitted to Taronga’s Wildlife hospital in April. She was in poor condition and weighed only 280 grams.
Matilda had been found under a bush on the NSW Central Coast and was weak, severely malnourished and covered in ticks, which compromised her waterproofing making it difficult for her to swim and survive on her own.
Thanks to around-the-clock care from Taronga’s platypus team she now weighs in at 694g and is eating and foraging on her own.
NSW premier Chris Minns said naming the platypus in honour of the Matilda’s was fitting.
We are incredibly proud of the Matildas and the spirit they have shown throughout the Women’s World Cup and Tilly is emblematic of that perseverance.
We know their legacy will be remembered for generations and, now one of our most iconic native animals shares the same name.
– AAP
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Suspicious fire guts Adelaide restaurant
A suspicious fire has destroyed a restaurant in Adelaide’s eastern suburbs but quick work by fire crews has saved eight neighbouring shops.
The fire broke out at about 3am on Sunday in the complex at Toorak Gardens.
Flames quickly spread to an air-conditioning system but efforts to prevent the blaze from escalating were successful.
The Metropolitan fire service says the damage has been put at about $200,000 but could have been more than $2m if the other shops had been gutted.
Police say investigators attended the scene and believe the fire was deliberately lit.
About an hour later a stolen car was found on fire at Osborne and checks are being made to determine if the two incidents are linked.
– AAP
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Snowboarders hurt as wind gust hits Thredbo ski lift
Three snowboarders have been injured after a chair detached from a lift at the Thredbo ski resort.
Two women in their 20s suffered back injuries and a man in his 20s suffered facial injuries after one of the chairs detached from the Kosciuszko ski lift on Saturday afternoon.
Images posted online showed the injured being assisted by members of the ski patrol and a chair lying in the snow nearby.
It is believed the incident happened as the chair reached the top station on the lift and was hit by a strong gust of wind.
A storm system that swept through the ski fields on Friday had dumped fresh snow across the mountain.
The resort released a statement saying none of the injuries were serious and the incident was being investigated by Safework NSW and an independent engineer.
– AAP
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Matildas loss Foord’s ‘worst nightmare’
Brave Caitlin Foord was sporting a developing black eye and a lump on the side of her head after a Women’s World Cup loss that she said was her “worst nightmare”.
Foord clashed heads with Sweden captain Kosovare Asllani before half-time but soldiered on, sporting a bandaged head, for the entirety of the 2-0 loss in the bronze medal playoff.
Foord also played in the 4-3 loss to the US in the bronze medal playoff at the Tokyo Olympics.
It hurts to be here and get so close and fall short again.
The exact same thing happened at the Olympics and it was my worst nightmare for that to happen again and it has happened again.
We just need to grow and learn from it and never let this happen again.
I feel like we deserved to get something out of this tournament. I know we have, but personally for us to not have something around our neck is very disappointing.”
The Matildas will compete in the Paris Olympic qualifiers in October.
– AAP
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Foreign minister Penny Wong will be speaking to ABC Insiders this morning.
We’ll bring you all the latest as it happens.
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Good morning
And welcome to another Sunday Guardian live blog.
Matildas forward Caitlin Foord says the 2-0 World Cup loss to Sweden on Saturday night is her “worst nightmare” as the team ended their history-making run to end up fourth place. The Matildas struggled to match Sweden’s tempo through the first half at Brisbane Stadium in what was an at-times bruising game. Sweden’s Fridolina Rolfö netted an early penalty before a second-half goal to Kosovare Asllani capped victory.
Three snowboarders have been injured when a chair on the Kosciuszko ski lift in the Thredbo resort detached. Two women in their 20s suffered back injuries and a man in his 20s received facial injuries. It is believed the incident occurred as the lift approached the top station and was hit by a strong gust of wind.
I’m Royce Kurmelovs, taking the blog through the day.
With that, let’s get started ...
