What we learned today, Thursday 25 September
We will wrap up the live blog here for the evening.
This is what made the news today:
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, made his first speech to the United Nations general assembly, stating all countries can bring new strength to the organisation’s enduring mission.
Liberal MP Andrew Hastie said he supports the opposition leader, Sussan Ley, and anyone suggesting otherwise is “being mischievous”, rubbishing speculation he is preparing a tilt at the leadership.
The communications minister, Anika Wells, has asked to meet Optus’s parent company, Singtel, next week in Australia.
Wells also rejected questions raised by Elon Musk’s X platform on whether the under 16s social media ban could violate the human rights of children.
The Greens communications spokesperson, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, said Optus’s licence to operate as a telecommunications company should be reviewed after last week’s triple zero outage.
The Liberal candidate for Bradfield, Gisele Kapterian, conceded the race more than four months – 145 days – after the federal election, after a final review of ballot papers showed her behind independent Nicolette Boele.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has praised Australia’s efforts to keep children aged under 16 off social media, calling it a bold decision by a country determined to improve online safety.
Penny Wong said she met the Iranian foreign minister “to look him in the eye” and explain why Australia made its decision to expel its ambassador over intelligence Iran directed antisemitic attacks.
Victoria’s crime rate has increased again – by 13.8% – with theft the biggest driver.
Bruce Lehrmann’s rape case has been delayed after a pre-trial hearing set for Friday in Toowoomba was put off to next month.
The University of Wollongong has become the eighth university to sign an enforceable undertaking with the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) after underpaying thousands of staff more than $6m.
Until tomorrow, enjoy your evening.
Updated
DNA test to determine if heart belongs to Queensland man whose body was repatriated from Bali
DNA testing is being carried out on a heart that is claimed to be that of Queensland man Byron Haddow, who died in Bali in May.
The FIFO worker was found dead in the plunge pool of his Bali villa while on holiday. The body of the 23-year-old was returned to Australia four weeks later, and a second autopsy found his heart was missing.
The family’s legal representative in Bali, Ni Luh Arie Ratna Sukasari, told Guardian Australia there was a “possibility” the heart that was then returned – two months after Haddow’s death – was not his.
She said:
This possibility is under examination. The returned heart is undergoing DNA testing in Queensland to verify that it is indeed Byron’s. The family insists on certainty, full transparency, and dignity for their son.
Read more here:
Updated
New NDIS needs assessments will use technology to simplify process but advocates concerned
A new method to assess the needs of NDIS participants will be introduced mid-2026 in a federal government bid to simplify the lengthy and often expensive process.
The new assessment model will mean participants have a structured interview with an in-house assessor from the National Disability Insurance Agency to determine their supports and budgeted plans.
Participants will no longer have to source supporting documents from a doctor or allied health professional – a cost-prohibitive requirement for some.
Read more:
Updated
Star’s Queensland licence ban ruling deferred
Star Entertainment Group can operate its Gold Coast casino for at least another year after the Queensland government deferred a licence suspension, AAP reports.
The further reprieve follows a six-month deferral of The Star’s licence suspension, announced on Wednesday.
The Gold Coast suspension deferral to 30 September 2026 comes after the Sydney casino’s progress on remediation measures and was in line with a report by special manager Nicholas Weeks, the Crisafulli government said on Thursday.
The Gold Coast licence was due to be suspended for 90 days from the same date.
Weeks noted in his report that progress on remediation had been slower than anticipated, due to The Star’s recent financial challenges and uncertainty.
The acting attorney general and minister for justice and integrity, Jarrod Bleijie, said the government had set clear expectations for The Star.
The Crisafulli Government has the highest standards when it comes to the integrity of casino operations in Queensland.
We will continue to closely monitor The Star’s remediation progress to ensure key milestones are met.
Bleijie said the deferral did not prevent the government from taking immediate action should The Star fail to meet its remediation obligations.
Updated
‘Long bow’ to link immigration to house price rises, Spender says
Independent MP Allegra Spender says it is a “long bow to draw” to link house price rises to immigration in response to a social media post from Liberal MP Andrew Hastie this week.
Spender told ABC’s Afternoon Briefing that Australia was built on migrants, and political leaders had to be careful in discussions on migration. She said she had “real concerns” over the language used in Hastie’s social media post.
She said:
That’s a very negative and very, potentially very divisive language about migration, which we do not need in this country if we are going to have a thoughtful debate and avoid some of the extremes we see in many other countries around the world, including the US and the UK, [which] with that kind of migration debate, are getting quite ugly at times.
She said it was incendiary to link migration to housing prices, and the evidence for it was not there, given that the fastest housing price growth was when the Covid-19 pandemic began.
You might be able to have more of the conversation in terms of the impact on recent migration and rent, but in terms of house prices, it’s a long bow to draw.
Updated
Time to review Optus’s telecommunications licence, Greens say
The Greens communications spokesperson, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, says Optus’s licence to operate as a telecommunications company should be reviewed after last week’s triple zero outage.
Hanson-Young told ABC’s Afternoon Briefing that Optus had been “putting profits ahead of safety for far too long” and it was now costing lives.
She said the Australian Communications and Media Authority (Acma) was “a watchdog without any bite” in holding telcos to account and had been a passive regulator.
Hanson-Young said the minister should step in now to put conditions on Optus’s licence and consider reviewing the licence.
Given how many times Optus has failed – they failed to look after their customers; they’ve failed to deliver on the essential service of triple zero; they’ve failed to behave appropriately when it comes to their sales and consumer engagement. How many strikes does this corporation need? Maybe we should be reviewing their licence. That’s a much bigger conversation. I think it’s time we do.
Updated
Job vacancies drop by 2.7%
Job vacancies dropped by 2.7% in the three months to August 2025, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reports.
There were 327,200 job vacancies in August, similar to the number six months ago, but this was lower compared to the previous quarter.
Private sector job vacancies dropped 3.4%, while public sector vacancies went up 2.2% – the fourth increase in a row.
There were 5,000 fewer job vacancies over the year to August 2025. This is a smaller decrease than the same time last year, when there was a drop of 67,300 vacancies.
The number of unemployed people for each job vacancy rose from 1.9 to 2.0 between the May and August quarters, the highest level since February 2021.
Updated
Tasmanian politicians approve their own pay rise
Tasmania’s politicians have voted to accept a $30,000 pay rise despite the premier saying it fails to meet community expectations, AAP reports.
The 22% increase approved by the state’s upper house on Thursday takes the base rate of MPs from $140,185 to $171,527, which remains the lowest in the country.
Tasmania’s Industrial Commission determined that politicians’ pay, which has been frozen since 2018, should be increased.
The Liberal premier, Jeremy Rockliff, who was re-elected in a minority in July, pledged to move a motion in parliament to ensure the pay rise did not go ahead.
It was unsuccessful in the upper house, however, with independents and Labor voting for the pay rise to proceed.
Rockliff said he would not accept the boost, and it is understood individual MPs can knock it back.
As I have said, a pay increase of 22% is unacceptable and not in line with community expectations.
An increase of 3% – in line with public sector workers – is appropriate.
Rockliff’s pay would have increased from $68,000 to $369,000, still the second lowest of any state or territory leader.
Independents and Labor MPs in the upper house said they should not have been put in a position to vote on their own pay, and that the commission should have made the decision.
Updated
Australian household wealth rises 2.7%
Total household wealth in Australia was up 2.7% or $470.1bn in the June quarter, the Australian Bureau of Statistics has reported.
The ABS’s head of finance statistics, Dr Mish Tan, said the growth in household wealth in the quarter was driven by strong asset price growth, particularly in residential dwellings and super balances. The former was up 1.9% or $205.2bn.
House prices were up 1.4% in the quarter, after a flat March quarter. Annual house price growth has slowed to 3.5% compared to 7.4% in the previous 12 months.
Household borrowing grew 1.9%, or $57.5bn.
Updated
Minister requests meeting with Optus parent company over triple zero outage
In another round of TV interviews the communications minister, Anika Wells, did this morning from New York, she confirmed she had asked to meet Optus’s parent company, Singtel, next week in Australia.
The Singtel bosses will be in Australia next week following the triple zero outage last week that has been linked to four deaths.
Wells told ABC News Breakfast she had asked to speak to Singtel when the company visits next week, and she has been watching the investigation into the outage from New York.
Whilst we have to let the investigation play out, and we have to be considered in a government response to the results of that investigation, meeting with Singtel, I think, is an important step for us, and also for us to give Australian taxpayers confidence in our triple zero system, particularly ahead of the summer disaster season.
She said the Australian Communications and Media Authority (Acma) investigation into the outage will look at whether there is a lack of investment in telco in Australia, as well as call centres located in Australia.
She said Optus could expect more significant fines.
When I was speaking to the chair of Acma this morning, my time, we were talking about not just how the investigation is going, but how both Acma and government can try and shift the settings so this isn’t just a reactive setting where we respond to failures. Are there more things we could be doing to shift the settings to a more preventative setting that would help give Australian taxpayers more confidence?
Updated
Qld police union narrowly votes in favour of ‘worst ever’ pay deal
Members of Queensland’s police union have narrowly voted in favour of a state government pay deal of 8% over three years.
The Queensland Police Union of Employees general president, Shane Prior, described the pay element of the deal as the “worst ever” in July, after a backlash from many union members, but supported it based on side bonuses to general duties and rural officers.
The agreement was put to a ballot of all members, with 51.6% of members voting to take the offer.
“Members have had their say, and it is a real positive that so many have engaged in the process,” Prior said on Thursday.
This result reflects a mixed response to the proposed agreement, and while a slim majority have endorsed the offer, we have much work to do.
The state government has also struck in-principle deals with the leadership of the nurses union for an 11% pay increase and the firefighters union for an 8% increase, among others.
Updated
That’s all for me. Josh Taylor will be tending the blog for the rest of the afternoon. Take care!
More on the earthquake in Tasmania this morning, the largest in the region in 20 years
As reported in the blog earlier, some Tasmanians woke up to a 4.1 magnitude earthquake this morning.
Geoscience Australia senior seismologist Hadi Ghasemi says it was the largest quake within a 100km radius of the epicentre in 20 years, AAP reports. He said:
Tasmania is not high seismicity. But this event … is testament that earthquakes can happen anywhere in Tasmania.
Ghasemi said the largest earthquake documented in Tasmania was a mid-to-high magnitude six in the late 1800s off Flinders Island.
Hydro Tasmania said no damage had been identified to its dams in the region, including Edgar Dam, which is undergoing upgrades. The dam, about 30km from the earthquake, could withstand tremors of up to 6.8 magnitude along the Lake Edgar fault line, the electricity provider said.
Updated
Greens urge Labor to dump aged care shower payments
The Greens are urging the Albanese government to scrap co-payments for aged-care recipients that would require them to pay up to $50 each time they receive shower assistance.
In a letter to the aged care minister, Sam Rae, on Thursday, the Greens senator, Penny Allman-Payne, called on the federal government to dump changes that could require aged-care recipients to pay for “non-clinical” services, such as “personal care” and “domestic assistance”, which would include showering, cooking and laundry.
The letter, referring to ABC reports earlier this week, said recipients would be forced to pay up to $50 each time they need help to take a shower and up to $75 per hour for help with “everyday living”.
The aged care inspector general, Natalie Siegel-Brown, has previously warned in a major report of “genuine fears” that the government’s model – which comes into effect from November – would ask some elderly people to pay more for non-clinical care over essential services.
Allman-Payne said:
All Australians want to have faith that they will be looked after in their old age, and be able to access the care that they need at the time that they need it.
But unfortunately, these aged care reforms are taking Australia in another direction, where the worse your health is, the more you’ll pay. And many older Australians will be squeezed out of care entirely by the government’s price increases.
Read more here:
Updated
Bali hospital denies allegation of organ theft after body of Australian repatriated without heart
A Bali hospital has denied allegations it was involved in organ theft, after the body of a young Australian who died on the Indonesian resort island was repatriated without his heart, Agence France Presse reports.
Queensland man Byron Haddow was found dead in the plunge pool of his Bali villa earlier this year while on holiday.
The body of the 23-year-old was returned to Australia four weeks later, and a second autopsy found his heart was missing, prompting Australian officials to demand answers from their Indonesian counterparts.
Read more here:
Updated
Hastie’s public support of Ley follows his comments that the Liberal party risked extinction
In his most recent intervention on Wednesday, Hastie said that the Liberal party could “die” as a political movement unless it committed to cutting net overseas migration, which he blamed for the housing crisis.
Hastie said he was concerned about the “fragmenting” on the conservative side of politics, with One Nation and micro parties peeling off Liberal voters.
He said the Coalition must “reconstitute our natural constituency” if it wanted to beat Labor.
Unless we get our act together, we’re going to be potentially in further decline and perhaps one day extinct. That’s why what we do over the next two years is so important.
A lot of people would like us to stay exactly where we are, including some people in our party, but we can’t – the world has changed.
Updated
Hastie says he supports Sussan Ley and denies policy campaigns amount to a leadership pitch
Liberal MP Andrew Hastie says he supports the opposition leader, Sussan Ley, and anyone suggesting otherwise is “being mischievous”, rubbishing speculation he is preparing a tilt at the leadership.
Hastie’s personal campaigns on dumping net zero, “Australia-first” manufacturing and cutting immigration have been interpreted inside and outside the party as laying the groundwork to fulfil his long-held ambition to lead the party.
In an interview on 2GB on Thursday, Hastie said:
I support Sussan. Anyone who’s speculating otherwise is being mischievous.
I’m a team player. I’m just being a little bolder in some of the policy positions that I think we should adopt.
Hastie’s interventions have divided Liberal MPs. Some colleagues are frustrated with the distraction, while others have publicly endorsed the former soldier’s actions, including Jacinta Nampijinpa Price.
Price said Hastie would “make a remarkable leader one day”, suggesting his internal critics were agitating against him because they saw him as a threat.
Asked if he was a “threat” to Ley, Hastie told 2GB: “I don’t think so”.
Updated
Why Trump’s UN speech calling the climate crisis a ‘con job’ is wrong
Donald Trump recently used his own appearance at the UN general assembly to lambast climate science, calling the climate crisis “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world”. He said:
All of these predictions made by the United Nations and many others, often for bad reasons, were wrong. They were made by stupid people that have cost their countries fortunes and given those same countries no chance for success.
If you don’t get away from this green scam, your country is going to fail.
In fact, those claims themselves are wrong. There is broad scientific consensus that the world is warming, and humanity is the cause.
Updated
Billionaire Andrew Forrest says he feels ‘real pain’ when Donald Trump rejects climate science
Mining magnate Andrew Forrest spoke to a climate conference in New York City earlier, urging the US president, Donald Trump, to come to Australia to see the effects of the climate crisis first-hand after discounting the science behind global heating.
Forrest, the executive chair of mining company Fortescue, was a guest at the New York Times’ Climate Forward summit. He said at the event:
I feel real pain when I hear your president saying global warming is a great big con. Well, fellow businessman, I happen to own several million acres of land in Australia, come and see what’s happening in my land. Come and dive on these reefs, which were the most beautiful environment on Earth and are now devastated.
There’s real damage being done to people’s lives all over the world by your president propagating a complete myth that global warming isn’t happening. That’s wrong, that’s utterly wrong.
Forrest went on to speak about Fortescue’s cancelled plans to open a US$210m electric vehicle battery factory in Michigan, saying plans to employ thousands were “shattered” after Republican efforts to rescind renewable energy tax credits. He said:
The tragedy of this rollback, this one-horse bet in a multi-horse race which your administration is making now. It’s put a bet on the oldest, tiredest horse of the lot, which is fossil fuel.
Updated
Nicolette Boele says she will continue to serve with ‘integrity, care and dedication’
Independent Nicolette Boele just released a statement after Liberal Gisele Kapterian ended her court challenge over the seat of Bradfield.
Boele said:
Being part of this process has given me an even greater appreciation for the safeguards we have in place, and the value of every single vote. While we watch checks and balances erode in other countries, our electoral and judicial processes are something we can genuinely celebrate here at home.
Bradfield is a special community – our welcoming neighbourhoods, natural beauty, and vibrant multiculturalism make it a place I’m proud to call home.
I will continue to serve the people of Bradfield and ensure your voice is heard and respected in Canberra.
Boele added while she has had a busy start, there was still “much work to do”:
I look forward to getting it done.
Updated
Electricity generation costs would be up to 50% higher if Australia stuck with coal and gas only
The cost of generating electricity would be up to 50% higher today if Australia had relied solely on coal and gas instead of pursuing renewables, according to new analysis.
Right-leaning politicians and climate deniers have seized on the 30% increase in electricity bills since 2021 to call for new coal-fired power plants to replace renewable projects, claiming it would bring down energy bills.
To interrogate these claims, Paul Simshauser and Joel Gilmore from Griffith University’s Centre for Applied Energy Economics and Policy Research, modelled a counterfactual scenario where resource-rich Queensland had ignored the global push towards net zero and climate science, and instead pursued an electricity grid based on fossil fuels from 2005 – when coal and gas were “unambiguously the lowest cost technologies”.
But the pair concluded that soaring commodity prices, escalating costs associated with building new power plants, and major advances in clean energy technology means that coal can no longer claim to be the cheap energy source it once was.
Read more:
Updated
Wells rejects Elon Musk’s X’s concerns about under 16s social media ban
The communications minister, Anika Wells, has rejected questions raised by Elon Musk’s X platform on whether the under 16s social media ban could violate the human rights of children.
Guardian Australia reported yesterday X had called for a delay in the ban, due to commence on 10 December, arguing it had “serious concerns” about the lawfulness of what it described as a “punitive” policy.
Wells was asked about the news on Nine’s Today Show program, and said she was in New York meeting with tech companies and answering questions about the ban. She dismissed the concerns raised by X:
I think these are pioneering, innovating, some of the richest companies in the world. They transact a lot of business and they make a lot of revenue off Australians here on our shore, and I think it’s reasonable to ask them to use some of that tech and some of that revenue to look after our kids online.
She argued that the ban does not violate human rights covenants Australia has signed up to regarding children.
There are a number of international covenants that we are upholding by protecting the rights and wellbeing of children when there is so much evidence in now about particularly the mental harms that are afflicted to children by being exposed to social media too young – too young being before the age of 16.
Wells said she does not have a meeting lined up with Musk: “but my door is open”.
Updated
‘Urgent’ need to address lagging school performance of boys and bullying behaviour, shadow education minister says
The shadow education minister, Senator Jonno Duniam, says Australia needs to “urgently” address poor outcomes of boys in school and their “much higher tendency” toward bullying.
Addressing the Centre for Independent Studies in Sydney on Thursday, Duniam said “bizarrely”, tackling the lagging performance of boys was a “controversial topic” but was “glaringly obvious” in data.
For a long time, there’s been way too little policy attention paid to the underperformance of boys … relative to girls in Australian schooling. And I think that’s something we need to change urgently. That is a massive cohort in our education system … and we need to deal with it.
Duniam pointed to boys’ lower year 12 completion rates, lower participation in universities, lower performance in Naplan and “much higher tendency toward bullying and classroom disruption”.
He also pointed to his strong relationship with the education minister, and the “constructive approach” he would take in his new role.
It’s important to have the two major parties of Australian politics working together … And I intend to … take advantage of that golden opportunity we have now – a shadow minister who wants the right outcomes for our country … and Jason Clare, who is open to working with us and has accepted the invitation to work where we can.
Updated
Shimmering sculpture of a golden head lands in Sydney
A massive golden sculpture by British artist Thomas J Price has been unveiled outside the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney, AAP reports.
A highly detailed, reflective bronze head measuring three metres high by four metres wide, the artwork, Ancient Feelings (2025), has been installed on the museum’s Tallawoladah Lawn, facing Sydney harbour.
The head is that of a fictional black woman with both its material and scale suggesting power and high standing – challenging the notion that only wealthy, powerful people deserve commemoration. Price said:
It’s a beautiful object, and so hopefully that will entice people to look at it a little bit longer, and start to go down these paths of questioning what it is, who it is, and why it’s there.
Globally speaking, there’s a huge lack of representation and inclusion and acknowledgment – acknowledgment perhaps more than anything, because I’m pretty sure Black women know what they’re doing for the world.
Updated
University of Wollongong found to have underpaid staff $6.6m
The University of Wollongong has become the eighth university to sign an enforceable undertaking with the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) after underpaying thousands of staff more than $6m.
The university self-reported to the FWO in 2023 after receiving queries from staff. Approximately 5,340 current and former employees – mostly casual – were underpaid $6.6m between 2014 and 2024, the Ombudsman found, largely as a result of the university underpaying penalty rates and failing to pay staff for a minimum engagement period.
Back payments to individual employees ranged up to $36,000, including superannuation and interest.
The FWO found the failures were due to the university’s “poor governance processes” and “fundamental payroll system errors”.
Under the enforceable undertaking, the university must also make a contrition payment of $130,000 and implement a broad range of measures to ensure compliance with workplace laws.
Updated
Kapterian glad she had the chance to ‘review the play’ and be satisfied the ‘right call was made’
Kapterian said she is grateful the electoral system “anticipates and supports the need for further scrutiny through a statutory right”. She went on:
This is particularly so given the often difficult and subjective nature of ballot interpretation. In other words, after asking the on-field decision to go to the video umpire, we have had the opportunity to review the play and can now be satisfied the right call was made overall.
The Liberal candidate said the country needed a “strong, cohesive and modern Liberal party that speaks to the concerns of Australians”.
I believe the Liberal party’s future success depends on a policy agenda that seeks to aspirational Australians. I’m disappointed to miss out on contributing from inside the party room, but I will continue to play my part.
Updated
Liberal Gisele Kapterian concedes Bradfield, 145 days later
The Liberal candidate for Bradfield, Gisele Kapterian, has conceded the race more than four months – 145 days – after the federal election, after a final review of ballot papers showed her behind independent Nicolette Boele.
Kapterian said she was “satisfied” that overall “the correct outcome has been declared” and said she would no longer press a petition for a final review by the court of disputed returns.
Kapterian wrote on social media:
We have taken the decision to no longer press the petition for a final review by the Court of Disputed Returns. I wish Ms Boele all the best in the role and I thank the people of Bradfield for this incredible opportunity to have spoken with so many of you to hear your ideas, your stories, and what matters most to you. Come say hi if you see me around.
Updated
Bruce Lehrmann’s rape case is delayed
Bruce Lehrmann’s rape case has been delayed, after a pre-trial hearing set for Friday in Toowoomba was put off to next month.
Lehrmann is accused of raping a woman twice on the morning of 10 October 2021, in Toowoomba.
Judge Dennis Lynch delisted the Friday hearing on Wednesday. The matter is now listed for a mention on 27 October, in Ipswitch.
Lehrmann’s lawyer has indicated he intends to plead not guilty. He was charged in 2023.
Updated
Victorian police minister says officers working ‘harder than ever before to hold offenders to account’
The Victorian police minister, Anthony Carbines, just held a press conference on Victoria’s increased crime rate. He says police conducted a record 77,500 arrests in the 2024/25 financial year – showing they were “working harder than ever before to hold offenders to account.”
Carbines went one:
One victim of crime is one victim too many. There are too many victims at this time. There is a crime level that is unacceptable to Victoria police, to the government, and to me as minister to police.
But he says the state’s “tougher” bail laws were starting to show in the figures.
We’ve seen that already coming through these statistics in relation to the growth in remand. Those who’ve lost their bail privileges [is] up 26% for young people, up 46% for adults compared to this time last year. That’s because community safety has been put as somewhat priority from bail decisions, because remand as a last resort has been removed and revoked for young offenders, we will see at the end of this month a new high harm bail test in effect for six serious offences that include aggravated burglary, carjacking, among others.
Updated
Tasmanians wake up to 4.1 magnitude earthquake
A 4.1 magnitude earthquake shook parts of Tasmania this morning around 6.30am, according to data from Geoscience Australia.
The quake, centred in the township of Maydena, prompted more than 100 “felt reports” to the agency. One resident of the town of Strathgordon described the event to the ABC as a like a “really loud thunderclap that shakes the house and shakes your internals almost”.
“It carried on for a lot longer than a normal thunderclap”, the resident, Sarah, told ABC Radio Hobart.
Region: Maydena, TAS
— EarthquakesGA (@EarthquakesGA) September 24, 2025
Mag: 4.0
UTC: 2025-09-24 20:38:40
Lat: -42.84, Lon: 146.11
Dep: 10km
For more info and updates, or if you felt this earthquake, go to https://t.co/K51uWblHN3
Albanese has finished speaking (and Italian PM, Giorgia Meloni, is up).
For our full report on the speech, Tom McIlroy has you sorted:
Updated
Albanese to UN: ‘We must choose to succeed together rather than risk failing alone’
Albanese says it is time to reform the UN, to make the institution stronger around the world. He told the general assembly:
Times change, nations and regions change with them. But the ideals and imperatives that built this place are timeless.
More than ever, we must trust in each other’s humanity. More than ever, we must choose to succeed together rather than risk failing alone. More than ever, we must work to see the promises of this place deliver real progress for the people we serve.
We all have a part to play – and Australia, just as we always have – will always play our part.
Updated
Albanese told the UN that Australia has a proud record on the advancement of women’s and girls’ rights.
As one of the world’s oldest democracies – and one of the first where women could vote in elections and stand for parliament, Australia knows societies and economies are stronger when they draw on the talents of all their citizens.
Indeed, it was an Australian, Jessie Street, one of just eight women among the 850 delegates in San Francisco in 1945 who insisted that the UN Charter make specific mention of sexual discrimination.
Because, she said: ‘Where the rules are silent, women are not usually considered.’
That is why Australia proudly works to promote education, economic opportunity and empowerment for women and girls around the world.
Updated
Australia will meet its 2030 climate target, Albanese tells UN
Speaking at the UN in New York, Albanese says Australia will meet its 2030 climate targets.
Experts believe the federal government needs to boost investment in wind and solar developments, as well as transmission infrastructure and storage systems, to meet the upcoming climate targets.
Albanese said:
Australia is acting to meet the environmental challenge of climate change while working to seize and share the economic opportunities of renewable energy.
We will meet our 2030 target of 43% emissions reduction on 2005 levels. Last week we set our target for 2035: cutting emissions by 62 to 70%.
Albanese said the government’s target is ambitious, but “importantly it is achievable.”
Updated
PM calls for Australia to gain temporary seat on UN security council
Albanese revived Australia’s bid for a temporary seat on the UN security council in 2029-30.
Originally launched by the Turnbull government way back in 2015, the bid would give Australia a vote on the UN’s most powerful body.
The United Nations is much more than an arena for the great powers to veto each other’s ambitions.
This is a platform for middle powers and small nations to voice – and achieve – our aspirations.
Updated
Albanese begins major speech at UN general assembly
Anthony Albanese told the UN general assembly that all countries can bring new strength to the organisation’s enduring mission.
We all have a role to play in making sure that the system, which has enabled the rise of new powers, safeguards the rights and aspiration of every nation big and small.
The chamber is about half full for Albanese’s address, which got under way after 8pm, New York time.
For Australia, this means investing in our capabilities and investing in our relationships. Investing in development, in defence and in diplomacy.
To strengthen the security of our region, to support the sovereignty of our neighbours and to contribute to the cause of peace beyond the Indo-Pacific.
Updated
Watch live as Anthony Albanese addresses the UN general assembly
Albanese next up at the UN general assembly
Anthony Albanese is about to deliver Australia’s national address to the United Nations general assembly in New York, the last item on the agenda for the first leg of his 11-day overseas trip.
The foreign minister, Penny Wong, along with climate change and energy minister, Chris Bowen, communications minister Annika Wells and Albanese’s partner Jodie Haydon are all in the general assembly chamber for the speech.
We expect the speech to go for about 15 minutes, but leaders can speak as long as they like in this address. The longest statement on record was by VK Krishna Menon of India. He spoke for almost eight hours in 1957, over three separate sessions.
Albanese heads to London tomorrow, before a quick visit to the United Arab Emirates on the way back to Australia next week.
Updated
Nine Entertainment appoints Peter Tonagh as new chair
Peter Tonagh, a former deputy chair of the ABC, has been appointed chair of Nine Entertainment, Australia’s largest media company has told the ASX.
Tonagh replaces Catherine West as chair of Nine, which publishes newspapers including the Age and the Sydney Morning Herald and owns TV, radio and digital assets.
West said:
It has been a privilege to be part of the leadership of this iconic Australian company for almost 10 years, most recently as chair and deputy chair. Nine is part of Australia’s fabric and plays a critical role in preserving our democracy, nurturing our culture and shaping our national identity.
Tonagh’s career has included senior appointments at Foxtel (as CEO), News Corp Australia and REA Group.
Tonagh said:
I will be working closely with the board and management to drive value for all shareholders over the long term.
West replaced former the Liberal treasurer Peter Costello who resigned “effective immediately” days after he was accused of assaulting a News Corp journalist at Canberra airport.
Costello dismissed the allegations at the time, saying “there was no assault” and that the journalist Liam Mendes “fell over an advertising placard”.
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Car thefts and retail thefts rise significantly in Victoria
Theft continues to be the fastest growing and most common crime in Victoria.
In the latest Victorian crime stats, theft from motor vehicles increased significantly, with 86,351 offences recorded in the year – a rise of 24,409 offences, or 39.4% on the previous year.
Number plates were the most commonly stolen item, making up almost 40% of all thefts from vehicles, with 32,481 offences – an increase of 10,750 or 49.5%.
Motor vehicle theft also surged, reaching 33,018 offences – an increase of 9,786, or 42.1% – marking the highest level since 2002.
Breaches of family violence orders rose to 64,713 offences, an increase of 9,252, or 16.7%, as Victoria reached a record total of 106,427 family violence incidents – up by 7,617 incidents or 7.7%.
Theft from retail stores continues to rise persistently, with 41,667 offences recorded – an increase of 9,004, or 27.6%.
Theft (other) was the fifth fastest-growing offence category, with 58,593 offences – up by 7,931, or 15.7%. Within this category, petrol was the most commonly stolen item, accounting for 5,891 offences – an increase of 1,188.
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Victoria's crime rate rises by 13.8% as thefts increase
Victoria’s crime rate has increased again – by 13.8% – with theft the biggest driver.
The Crime Statistics Agency on Thursday released data showing 638,640 criminal offences were recorded in Victoria in the 2024/25 financial year – an increase of 86,587 offences or 15.7%. When adjusted for population, the crime rate per 100,000 people was 8,998.9, marking a 13.8% rise.
It is marginally smaller than the increase recorded in the previous quarter of 15.2%, but Victoria police’s deputy commissioner for regional operations, Bob Hill, said it was still unacceptably high:
As a society, we simply cannot allow the level of crime we are seeing to become normalised and accepted – every Victorian deserves to feel safe in their home, within the community and on the roads. Victoria police is tackling these issues head on.
Our members are doing exceptional work to resolve these crimes. But it must be said – the number of arrests we are seeing reflects an unacceptable level of offending.
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PM looking forward to meeting Trump next month
Anthony Albanese says he is looking forward to visiting Donald Trump at the White House next month, after the pair met for the first time in New York overnight.
The US president hosted world leaders visiting for the UN general assembly and Albanese took the opportunity to snap a selfie with Trump. The pair did not have a formal meeting in New York, and will instead have a stand-alone bilateral discussion in the Oval Office.
The Aukus nuclear submarines deal, trade tariffs and defence spending will feature heavily in the conversations on 20 October.
“We had a very warm and engaging chat,” Albanese said. “I tend not to broadcast private discussions but it was very welcome, and we look forward to a further discussion in a few weeks.”
Macquarie will pay thousands of members who invested in failed Shield Master Fund
Macquarie Investment Management will pay thousands of members who invested their retirement savings in the failed Shield Master Fund, the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (Asic) said this morning.
Macquarie admitted to contravening the Corporations Act, and said it would pay members 100% of the amounts they invested in the Shield fund, minus any amounts they withdrew. As a superannuation trustee, Macquarie oversaw about $321m in super investments into Shield by about 3,000 members between 2022 and 2023.
Sarah Court, the deputy chair of Asic, said in a statement:
This is an important outcome that stems the significant losses that threatened thousands of members’ retirement savings after they used Macquarie’s platform to invest their super in Shield.
Many members thought their funds were safe when they used Macquarie’s super platform to invest in Shield, which had no track record.
Macquarie said the payment will “eliminate the necessity for investors to wait for a likely complex multi-year process as Shield liquidators Alvarez & Marsal continue to pursue recovery of funds”, adding:
Macquarie’s decision to devote resources to achieve this outcome recognises Shield’s unique circumstances, notably the scale of the issue, its material impact on many investors and their limited access to recourse from the many different entities which played a role. The approach of providing immediate certainty and an improved outcome for investors benefits all parties.
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Incoming NSW police commissioner hopes to be judged on ‘performance’
Mal Lanyon, the incoming commissioner of New South Wales police, said he hopes to be judged on his performance in his role leading the agency, not by incidents in his past.
Lanyon was named as the successor to Karen Webb yesterday and will begin his role on 1 October. As Guardian Australia’s Jordyn Beazley reports, he faced intense questions yesterday over two incidents: a 2021 episode where he was found collapsed near Goulburn’s “Big Merino” sculpture, after he was reportedly “smashed” and had a run-in with paramedics who were called to help him.
He also recently made an admission, following a complaint to the police watchdog, that he taken his wife and another couple aboard an operational police boat for New Year’s Eve in 2023.
Layton said he had been “as open and honest as I can about those incidents”, telling RN Breakfast:
This is the type of job, because of its prominence, because the community rightly expects to be kept safe, the police commissioner’s role is always one that is appropriately scrutinised. My focus is very much on leading the organisation to make sure we do keep the community safe. That would be my focus.
I would hope to be judged on my performance in that role and the performance of the New South Wales police force going forward.
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NSW arts minister says federal government ‘open minded’ on tax reform for creative sector
John Graham, the New South Wales arts minister, spoke to RN Breakfast this morning after government data showed Australia’s cultural and creative industries delivered more than $67bn to the national economy in 2023/2024.
Government and industry leaders are meeting in Sydney today to discuss tax reform for the creative sector to help support the industry. Graham said while there are no guarantees about what could come out of the meeting, it’s good the federal government is “open minded” and recognises there is a need for change.
Graham said:
Even with increased arts funding, because of the actions of other countries we can’t keep up at the moment. It’s a good time to look at these tax settings. I’ve been really encouraged by the fact that the commonwealth’s been open to letting this conversation unfold, and they’re in a position now where they’re looking to the long term. That’s good news for some of these proposals.
It’s difficult to change the tax system, but the good news is if you do make a change, it’s big enough to make a difference and it’s there for the long term. So it will give certainty to some of these organisations.
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Former US ambassador says Australia’s recognition of Palestinian state not ‘fatal’ to relationship
Arthur Sinodinos, the former ambassador to the US, said Australia’s recognition of a Palestinian state hasn’t been “fatal” to the two countries’ relationship.
Sinodinos spoke to RN Breakfast, saying it was important Anthony Albanese meet with US president Donald Trump to ensure the White House of Australia and its partners of “the essential role we play”. Sinodinos said:
In a sort of era of America first, we have to make sure it’s not America only.
The former ambassador went on to say that there has generally been a “certain ballast” to the relationship between the US and Australia, where “most of the time, it’s in fundamentally good shape”. He added he didn’t believe Albanese’s recognition of a Palestinian state would deeply damage that relationship:
I don’t think that it’s been fatal or anything to the relationship. I mean, any criticisms about this have been from the administration have been aimed – there was one or two at Australia specifically – but most of them have been a general spray at the countries that have done this.
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Aldi has lowest home brand grocery prices, Choice survey says
Aldi recorded the lowest prices for home brand groceries and retained its crown as the supermarket with the cheapest staples, while IGA’s home brand goods cost nearly 20% more.
Consumer group Choice’s quarterly supermarket price survey found Coles and Woolworths ranked in between, with the latter’s basket of home brand goods just 10c more expensive.
Woolworths’s basket, though, was 20c costlier, or 45c excluding specials, when shoppers reviewed a broader basket of staples including fresh fruit, milk, chicken breasts and Weet-Bix. The two supermarket giants have tracked very closely on prices throughout Choice’s surveys.
New South Wales shoppers also continued to score the lowest prices, as Choice found in March, with Western Australians paying $57 for a basket priced just $53 in NSW. Victorian shoppers spent just $55.20 at Woolworths
Shoppers in Victoria paid less than other states at Coles and Woolworths, spending $55.20 on the survey basket, while those in New South Wales got the best deal at Aldi, spending just $53.80 on the same basket. Western Australian shoppers spent $57.49 for the same goods at Aldi or nearly $60 at Woolworths and Coles.
As strawberry season returns and punnet prices slip to $3, Choice’s mystery shoppers also found Coles stocked the longest-lasting strawberries. Coles’ strawberries showed no decay after one day in the fridge and less than half of the purchased punnets showed decay within five days.
Home brand products surveyed included spaghetti, soy milk, tomato paste, tomato sauce, cream cheese, thickened cream, puff pastry and frozen berries.
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What time is Albanese speaking at the UN general assembly?
Anthony Albanese will deliver Australia’s national statement to the UN general assembly this morning, Australian time.
We expect the prime minister’s speech a bit after about 10am AEST.
It will be Albanese’s first time delivering the set piece speech.
We are told he will speak about Australia’s role as a leader in our region and a middle power in the world as well as the role every nation – big and small – has to play in preserving peace and security.
The speech will also cover Australia’s commitment to action on climate change and how Australia is doing this to create jobs and opportunities for people.
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Albanese welcomes China's first emissions target but says it should not open new coal plants
Anthony Albanese says China should do more on cutting carbon emissions, including closing more coal fired power stations.
In a video statement to the UN in New York, president Xi Jinping said China would reduce its greenhouse gas emissions across the economy by 7-10% by 2035, while “striving to do better”.
It is the first time Beijing has committed to an absolute target to cut its emissions.
Speaking at an event at The New York Times, Albanese said it was not enough:
It is good that there is progress being made. We, of course would like there to be more, but it is a step forward, and indeed, China has exceeded its previous targets.
We’d like to see new coal fired power plants not open. But it is a step forward. If you look at the transition that’s occurring as part of what President Xi announced, as well of electric vehicles, that’s been a revolution, frankly, in a relatively short period of time.
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Creative sector made up 2.5% of Australia's GDP in 2023/24, delivering $67bn to economy
Australia’s cultural and creative industries delivered $67.4bn to the national economy in the 2023/2024 financial year, according to newly released government data.
The creative sector accounted for 2.5% of Australia’s GDP. It increased by 6.6% from the previous year and outpaced the nation’s overall nominal GDP growth of 4.1%.
The $67bn figure places the sector on par with the rental, hiring and real estate industry, the report by the Bureau of Communications, Arts and Regional Research found.
Key drivers of the growth were advertising and promotion, print media and publishing, film and television production, and architectural services.
The data is expected to influence how the federal government will support the creative industries in coming years, as part of Labor’s Revive national cultural policy.
Arts minister Tony Burke said the results demonstrated the positive impact a strong arts and cultural sector can have on Australia’s economy.
“There’s always room for growth, and our government is continuing to make targeted investments to ensure our creative economy continues to thrive,” he said in a statement.
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Albanese attends climate action meeting in New York
Anthony Albanese attended a special event on climate action convened by the UN secretary-general, António Guterres, this morning.
The president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, co-hosted the event in the lead up to Brazil hosting COP30 summit in November.
The prime minister showcased Australia’s ambition of new national emissions targets and climate policies, and highlighted the economic, trade and investment opportunities for Australia in the world’s transition to net zero. He told the event:
This is the decisive decade for acting on the environmental challenge of climate change – and seizing the economic opportunities of clean energy".
We all grasp the scale and the urgency of our task.
He also said Australians know too well the cost of climate change, in the form of natural disasters, and told citizens and governments around the world that it is not too late to act.
If we act now, if we move with common purpose and shared resolve, then we can do more than just guard against the very worst.
We can protect our environment and build a stronger and fairer economy for the next generation.
Good morning and happy Thursday. Nick Visser here to take over from Martin Farrer. It’s a busy morning, let’s dive in.
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Penny Wong was also asked whether the decision on Palestinian recognition could lead to even more drastic action from the Israeli government, after members of the Israeli government called for countermeasures which would include annexing the West Bank and crushing the Palestinian Authority.
“I think the world is seeing the extent to which the Netanyahu government seems to be prepared to go to avoid a ceasefire and peace. And if those actions are taken, I think that will confirm that. We all want a ceasefire. We all want the hostages returned, and we want a pathway to peace. What is happening in Gaza is unacceptable.”
Wong was asked: “Are you saying the Israeli government does not want a ceasefire in order to continue its operations in Gaza?”
Wong said:
“I’m saying if the hypothetical threats that you are putting to me I carried out, I think that would be the conclusion the world would draw. The reason we have recognised, alongside the United Kingdom and Canada, a Palestinian state is because simply this, the Palestinian people deserve a state, and we believe it’s in the interest, ultimately, also of Israel, that there will not be long term peace and security in the region without there being.
“I would say to the Israeli government that they should ensure there is a cease fire, and I would say to Hamas we call again for the unconditional release of hostages.”
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Penny Wong says she met Iranian counterpart to ‘look him in the eye’
Penny Wong said she met with her Iranian foreign minister “to look him in the eye” and explain why Australia made its decisions to expel its ambassador over intelligence Iran directed antisemitic attacks.
“I thought it was the right thing to do to meet directly with my counterpart and to look him in the eye and tell him precisely why we made the decisions we made and why what we believe has occurred. I made it very clear that the actions of the IRGC crossed a line, that they were unacceptable and that Australia was compelled to take the action we took. I made that very clear to him, and I thought that was the right thing to do in the context of all we know has occurred that we know has occurred.
Asked about whether he made any attempts to deny the involvement of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran in those attacks, Wong said:
“Obviously you wouldn’t expect them to accept these assertions, I made clear, we accept the advice we have confidence in the assessments.”
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Penny Wong says Australia takes a 'different view' from Trump on climate change
The foreign minister has reiterated Australia has a “different view” to the Trump administration when it comes to climate change, after the US president’s speech to the UN in which he called climate change a “con job”.
Appearing on ABC’s 7.30 yesterday evening, Penny Wong was asked about the speech:
“These are issues where President Trump has been very consistent. His position has been clear. Australia does take a different view.
“We accept the reality of climate change. We see it in our lives, and we believe in the importance of transitioning our economy to operate in a world of net zero. We believe that renewable energy is the cheapest new form of installed energy, and we will continue to transition our economy.”
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Von der Leyen says social media platforms ‘addict children through manipulative algorithms’
Von der Leyen said social media platforms are working as intended, “to attract and addict children through manipulative algorithms”.
She said she was establishing a panel of experts to assess the best options for European Union member states and would be guided by the experience of countries like Australia.
“Everyone understands that it is our duty to do our best to equip families with the tools to live as safely as possible, and empowering parents to collectively say ‘no’ to social media to their young children is one of these.”
Robert Abela, the prime minister of Malta, as well as Sitiveni Rabuka of Fiji and Aisake Valu Eke of Tonga also attended the event.
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European Commission president 'inspired by Australia's example' on social media ban for kids
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has praised Australia’s efforts to keep children aged under 16 off social media, calling it a bold decision by a country determined to improve online safety.
Von der Leyen and Greece’s prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis attended a special event hosted by Anthony Albanese at the United Nations in New York overnight, designed to build support for the looming social media age ban, due to come into force from December.
Along with the communications minister, Annika Wells, Albanese made the case for curbing the ability of kids to use social media, up from the existing age of entry at 13.
“I have been inspired by Australia’s example,” von der Leyen said. “You are the first to give this a try.
“We in the EU will be watching and learning from you as you implement your world first and world leading social media ban.
“Our next generation needs us to step up, and to be daring and give this a go.”
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Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories before Nick Visser gets on the case.
Anthony Albanese is attending a special event on climate action convened by the UN secretary general, António Guterres, in New York this morning as he continues his intensive round of diplomacy in the US. It comes as we report exclusively that the climate change and energy minister Chris Bowen appeared with Turkey’s first lady, Emine Erdoğan, at a major environment event in New York as negotiations over hosting rights for the COP31 summit come down to the wire.
Albanese also met European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen who praised Australia’s efforts to keep children aged under 16 off social media, saying she had been “inspired by Australia’s example”.
Penny Wong, speaking on 7.30 last night, has reiterated that Australia has a “different view” to the Trump administration when it comes to climate change, after the US president’s speech to the UN in which he called climate change a “con job”. More coming up.
Aldi has recorded the lowest prices for home brand groceries and retained its crown as the supermarket with the cheapest staples, while IGA’s home brand goods cost nearly 20% more, according to Choice survey.
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