What happened Tuesday 3 June, 2025
With that, we’ll end our live coverage of the day’s news. Here’s a summary of the main developments:
Erin Patterson has told a court she wishes she never told her Facebook friends in a private group chat “this family I swear to fucking god” in relation to her in-laws.
Anthony Albanese has brushed off Dorinda Cox’s recent strong criticism of the Labor government – of which she is now a member – claiming the senator made the shock party switch because the Greens had “lost their way” and could not effect social change.
The Reserve Bank of Australia is prepared to “respond decisively” to any deterioration in the global economy, paving the way for rapid-fire cash rate cuts if Donald Trump’s tariffs spark further market upheaval.
Mining magnate Gina Rinehart helped the Liberal party raise almost $400,000 at an exclusive dinner on the eve of the federal election campaign, the event’s organiser has revealed, but fallout from the function has left the party embroiled in a public dispute.
Thanks for reading. Have a pleasant evening.
Ticketek denies reports of problems with online Ashes ticket sales
Ticketek has denied reports of widespread problems with its online sales platform after a chorus of complaints from Cricket fans attempting to buy tickets to the Ashes series, insisting its bot protection services are designed to protect customers.
Earlier today, Guardian Australia reported fan frustration at Ticketek’s online queue for the presale window, which opened today, with staggered start times for different states.
Several people claimed that after spending hours in the queue, when they were nearing the front, they lost their place due to a computer glitch, and when they were able to rejoin the queue more than 180,000 people were ahead of them. Other people have claimed their tickets “timed out” while they were checking out.
A Ticketek spokesperson told the Guardian:
The demand for Cricket Australia’s Summer of Cricket today has sold at an unprecedented rate, all without issue.
We recognise that when we have high-demand events with limited inventory that some fans will miss out and will be disappointed.
We encourage all customers not to use multiple browsers when trying to access tickets. Our systems are designed to prevent and block access from bots, and customers attempting to access the site with multiple browsers may be flagged by our bot prevention service.”
In a statement, Cricket Australia said it had recorded its highest individual day of ticket sales in history. Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg said “to surpass our previous ticket sales record even before NSW and WA tickets had gone on sale is a remarkable achievement and reaffirms our position as Australia’s national sport”.
Updated
WA Police charge e-scooter rider with dangerous driving occasioning death after hitting Perth father
Police have charged an e-scooter rider for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol and hitting a Perth father who later died.
The incident occurred in Perth’s CBD on Saturday night, when Thanh Phan was allegedly struck by the 24-year-old riding the e-scooter.
The 51-year-old father was rushed to Royal Perth hospital, where he underwent brain surgery for swelling on the brain.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the Western Australia Police Force confirmed that Phan had died.
The statement also announced updated charges against the 24-year-old e-scooter rider, which include one count of dangerous driving occasioning death under the influence of alcohol, and one count of dangerous driving occasioning bodily harm under the influence of alcohol.
Updated
Macquarie University staff feel ‘absolutely sick’ about job and course cuts
The Macquarie Univeristy cuts reported below bring total job losses at New South Wales universities to more than 1,000 in the past year, according to the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) after similar announcements at UTS, the University of Wollongong and Western Sydney University.
Macquarie NTEU branch president, Dr Nicholas Harrigan, said he and other staff had an “absolutely sick feeling” in their stomachs when the cuts were announced.
We are real people whose lives are being turned upside down for the sake of thin arguments about budgets and prioritisation. “The clear targeting of humanities and social sciences is an attack on the fundamental inherited legacy of human knowledge that charts over 2,000 years.”
Updated
Sydney’s Macquarie University to cut as many as 60 jobs, reduce courses
Macquarie University has announced it will cut up to 60 roles and reduce its course offerings in response to “external pressures” facing the tertiary sector.
The proposed “academic workforce realignment” in the faculties of arts and science and engineering comes after the university reported a $3.7m deficit in 2024. It is expected to generate about $15m in savings.
If implemented, 50 to 60 roles would be cut and bachelor degrees in a range of courses including archeology, music and ancient history would be removed. Bachelor of Arts students wouldn’t be able to study politics, gender studies, criminology or psychological studies as majors.
The university’s vice-chancellor, Prof Bruce Dowton, said the proposal was about “strengthening Macquarie for the future”.
Universities in Western democracies are facing a range of external pressures and Australia is no exception. Accordingly, we are acting with a clear vision and a strong sense of responsibility to ensure our education and research remain relevant, impactful and sustainable. We understand that changes of this nature can be unsettling, and we do not take them lightly.”
Updated
Fatima Payman: Some may say Albanese ‘hypocritical’ about Dorinda Cox
The former Labor senator, Fatima Payman, who quit the party last year to sit as an independent, has suggested Anthony Albanese was hypocritical in drawing a distinction between her and Senator Dorinda Cox, who defected from the Greens to Labor this week.
Earlier today, the prime minister said he viewed Payman’s exit from the Labor party differently to Cox’s move.
Albanese criticised Payman, who was elected to the Senate on a Labor party ticket at the 2022 election, suggesting she “could have put herself before the people of Western Australia [at the most recent federal election] on May 3” as an independent, as opposed to when her term is up at the next election.
Both Cox and Payman were elected at the 2022 election with terms that expire at the next election.
However, Albanese appeared to view the defection of Cox – who helped the Greens campaign in the May election and was critical of the government as recently as last week – differently.
Payman, speaking to ABC TV a short time ago, said:
Some people may call the prime minister hypocritical. And, let’s call a spade a spade, but that being said, I’m just glad that Senator Cox hasn’t had to deal with all the name-calling and the smear campaign that I had to deal with.”
Payman said she had spoken to Cox on Monday and would be in communication with her. She added:
I was a member of the Labor Party and on a matter of principle I left. As it stands, Senator Cox said that, you know, her value alignment is with the Labor Party and I just wish her all the very best.”
Updated
Boele’s lead narrows in recount for Sydney seat of Bradfield
The recount for the Sydney electorate of Bradfield is progressing, with independent Nicolette Boele’s lead over Liberal candidate Gisele Kapterian narrowing to 25.
Independent electoral and polling analyst Kevin Bonham said of the recount a short time ago:
The Willougby booths are now gone with Boele leading by 25. There are only three Wahroonga booths to go (two are small and none seem likely to help Kapterian) plus two tiny booths. Unsure if there are any non-ordinary counts remaining.”
Updated
Sydney M5 East tunnel’s city bound lanes still closed
Motorists in Sydney have been warned that a major road remains closed as commuters start their evening commutes.
Earlier today, a crane crashed inside the M5 East tunnel, closing traffic in both directions. Fire and Rescue New South Wales said it was on the scene “containing a large hazardous oil spill after a crash involving a crane truck on its side”.
A short time ago, NSW transport authorities said all westbound lanes of the M5 East have since reopened.
However, all city bound lanes of the M5 East are still closed.
Updated
Cricket fans frustrated by long online Ticketek queues and technical problems for Ashes tickets
We’re hearing reports of cricket fans encountering technical issues as they attempt to buy tickets to the Ashes series in Australia.
Guardian Australia is aware of widespread fan frustration at Ticketek’s online queue for the presale window, which opened today, with staggered start times for different states.
Several people have claimed that after hours in the queue when they were nearing the front, they lost their place due to a glitch, and when they were able to rejoin, they faced a queue of more than 180,000 other people ahead of them.
Others have claimed their tickets “timed out” while they were checking out.
Guardian Australia has contacted Ticketek and Cricket Australia for comment.
Updated
Man charged with murder after body found in Sydney’s south west
A man, 32, has been charged with murder after emergency services discovered the body of a person in a home in Croydon Park, NSW. Police allege the victim, 29, had stab wounds to his neck.
They arrested the 32-year-old at the scene and took him to the hospital for assessment. He was released later that day, but was returned to the police station and charged with murder. He will appear before Burwood local court later today.
Police have appealed for information on another man who may be able to help with their investigations, described as being of Asian appearance, with a solid build and wearing a black jumper with red symbols on the back.
Updated
More on Victoria’s warmest autumn on record, with temperatures 1.9C above average
The BoM said yesterday that Victoria had its warmest autumn on record, surpassing a record last set in 2016. Temperatures were 1.9C above average for the season. But things were balmy around the entire country, which saw its fourth-warmest autumn since national observations began in 1910.
Weatherzone’s Anthony Sharwood writes the levels are notable for several reasons: No part of Australia saw below-average temperatures this autumn; temperatures in NSW were above average overall despite heavy rainfall and flooding in some ares; and a large patch of southern Australia spanning Victoria, SA and NSW all saw record-breaking or much higher than average temperatures.
A large swath of southern Australia also saw rainfall very much below average. In Victoria, it was the ninth-driest autumn on record.
Pressed for more details on the $3bn in savings measures, Symes outlined a range of other cost strategies, such as corporate savings through “automation” and by ending “lapsing programs”.
Puglielli asks whether the use of automation included job losses due to artificial intelligence. Symes said:
I wouldn’t probably characterise it like that. We’re not replacing humans with robots, but we are certainly looking at efficiencies and technology and ensuring that people can do their job as effectively as possible.
In relation to the opportunities for AI, I think the ability for people to be assisted to do their job, I think there’s some great opportunities in that respect.
Updated
Back to the Victorian budget estimates
The treasurer, Jacyln Symes, was asked earlier about the government’s review into the public service, being led by Helen Silver.
Symes says there are $3bn worth of savings measures in her budget that are a result of interim recommendations of Silver’s, including from measures such as “consolidation of accommodation”. But she refused to detail the interim recommendations, saying they will remain confidential until Silver submits her final report on 30 June:
Greens MP Aiv Puglielli then refers to a report in Guardian Australia this morning about the “Gold Review” – put together by public servants suggesting that widespread job losses could be avoided by “culling” executive-level roles.
Pugielli asks: “Are you prepared to target executive level staff through incoming cuts?
Symes responds that she is.
Read more here:
Updated
Media regulator launches investigation into gambling company’s State of Origin ‘spam’ promotions
The media regulator has launched an investigation into an offshore gambling company that sent unsolicited text messages with promotions before last week’s State of Origin game.
The text message from Betzillo, sent minutes before kick off, was sent to people who said they had never interacted with the company before:
State of Origin kicks off shortly! Get $20 if QLD wears maroon coloured jerseys + $50 Free Bet on top. Ends at kick off.
The ad included a link to a website that offers live in-play betting, which is not permitted in Australia.
Betzillo’s website describes itself as “Australia’s number one gambling site”, but it is not included on the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s (Acma) list of registered online gambling companies.
Acma believes Betzillo, which has been contacted for comment, is licensed overseas. It launched an investigation into the company shortly after being notified of the messages.
An Acma spokesperson has urged people to avoid offshore gambling companies, which often give an impression they are based in Australia.
Under the Spam Act 2003, it is illegal to send commercial electronic messages such as promotional SMS without consent. Commercial messages must also identify the sender, include a way to contact them, and provide a way to opt out or unsubscribe from further messages.
Some prohibited online gambling services look like they’re legal in Australia and some even target Australian players. If people use an illegal service, Australian regulators will not be able to help if the service provider withholds winnings.
A little mid-afternoon whale break
Every winter thousands of humpback whales migrate from Antarctic feeding grounds to tropical breeding areas along Australia’s east and west coasts.
You can read more about the migration, and check out some of the photos from the annual event, below:
PM says the Greens have ‘lost their way’ after Cox defection
The Greens have been accused of “losing their way” after senator Dorinda Cox defected to Labor in the aftermath of the party’s tough election result, AAP reports.
The prime minister said her values had become more aligned with those of his government, and noted the Greens had previously voted against Labor’s legislation to boost housing supply and had drifted from its environmental foundations to other issues.
“We know that the Greens have lost their way,” Albanese told ABC radio earlier today, adding:
I think having to sit in the Senate while the Greens blocked funding for public housing would grate against anyone who regards themselves as progressive.
Updated
Bradfield recount likely to end in coming days, election-watcher says
The recount for the NSW seat of Bradfield is likely to end late tomorrow or sometime Thursday, election-watcher Kevin Bonham says after an AEC briefing.
Bonham noted on his blog that despite that timeline, the level of challenges from election scrutineers can be unpredictable. He also said a recent changes in the margin linked to a polling booth in Turramurra was not the result of any data issue, but a large number of formality changes.
He added that data suggests the number of multiple votes was low, possibly in the single digits. At the current margin, the AEC would probably not lodge a challenge, Bonham wrote.
The margin sits at 33 votes in favour of independent Nicolette Boele.
Updated
Crane crash closes major Sydney M5 tunnel
Sydney’s M5 East Tunnel is closed in both directions after a crane crashed inside it, according to Live Traffic NSW. Motorists are being diverted around the tunnel on to other roadways or the M8.
It’s unclear if the accident will be cleared before the afternoon rush hour. An alert reads:
Avoid the area and can consider using the D5 detour instead in both directions.
Due to the nature of the incident, there is no forecast as to when all lanes will reopen.
Fire and Rescue NSW said they were on the scene “containing a large hazardous oil spill after a crash involving a crane truck on its side”.
Updated
Free AFL tickets for Victorian children for round 21
As the Victorian government gets grilled in budget estimates today, the sports minister, Steve Dimopolus, held a press conference to announce free AFL tickets for kids in round 21.
Kicking off 31 July, AFL round 21 tickets will be free for children aged 14 and under in Victoria. Dimopoulous says it will mean more families can enjoy a weekend of footy, including five matches across Melbourne and Geelong.
It comes after the government made a similar announcement last year for round 24.
Updated
Legal group ‘deeply concerned’ over uni expulsions linked to pro-Palestine demonstrations
The Human Rights Law Centre says it is “deeply concerned” at the “repressive measures” taken by universities around the country after the first formal expulsion of pro-Palestine student activists since waves of campus demonstrations began in 2023.
On Monday, four students at the University of Melbourne (UoM) had their enrolments terminated and two were suspended for six months after taking part in a pro-Palestine demonstration at an academic’s office last October.
Sarah Schwartz, legal director at the centre, said students who wished to “peacefully stand up for human rights” should be “welcome and free to do so”. Schwartz said:
The UoM’s new draconian anti-protest and surveillance measures will have a chilling effect on campus life. They jeopardise the role of universities as places where students, staff and the broader community can freely express ideas, gather peacefully, and have challenging conversations.
The vice-chancellor of the UoM, Emma Johnston, told Guardian Australia universities were places where “free and open debate must take place”. But she said “the safety of our students and staff must also be protected as this is integral to enabling free and open debate”.
Ian Roberts slams Run It Straight challenge, says hits can have ‘catastrophic’ effects
More from Ian Roberts this morning. The former NRL player said he was deeply concerned about the Run It Straight social media trend, saying science had shown repeated head trauma can be harmful to health. He told Nine’s Today:
All this stuff gets airtime. But it’s really dangerous stuff. …
Repeated head knocks and concussions: Like I was saying earlier, the science is already out there, mate. That’s damaging long term. There are consequences long term.
A New Zealand teen died last month after playing a tackling game believed to be inspired by the challenge.
Victorian premier describes neo-Nazi protest as ‘disgusting’
Jacinta Allan, has condemned a group of neo-Nazis who gathered outside Northland shopping centre and unfurled a racist banner, describing them as “cowards”.
Police are investigating the demonstration by the National Socialist Network, after an alleged fight between “rival youth gangs” last month that forced the centre into lockdown. In response to that incident, the state government moved to fast-track a ban on the sale of machetes.
Guardian Australia has chosen not to publish the wording on the banner.
Allan said:
“This is disgusting behaviour by a group of cowards who seek to do nothing more than intimidate and spread hatred – we will not stand for it. I strongly condemn this hateful, extremist behaviour and it has no place here in Victoria.
Allan says the Victorian government has recently passed tougher hate speech laws, which give “more powers for police to deal with people who whip up hate and fear against Victorians because of who they are”.
These powers and tougher penalties, however, won’t come into effect until September.
She also pointed to existing bans on Nazi symbols and gestures and the government’s proposed protest laws that will prohibit the wearing of face coverings at demonstrations and empower police to demand their removal. Allan says:
“Now we are unmasking Nazis through our protest laws, and we are making it impossible for them to function by putting their vilifying threats and incitements in the Crimes Act – where they belong.
Updated
Ombudsman reports on ‘weaponisation of child support’
Eight in 10 separated women say their former partner has financially abused them through the child support system.
A new report from the Commonwealth Ombudsman has confirmed what many already knew – that the system has been weaponised, mostly against separated mothers trying to support their children.
Financial abuse is a type of family and domestic violence. The ombudsman found that former partners are:
Deliberately not making payments or not lodging tax returns, lying to reduce their income, lying about care arrangements and being abusive or violent to stop the impacted parent from asking for help.
And it found Services Australia’s actions were “unfair or unreasonable in addressing the weaponisation of child support”. Its recommendations include that the agency should develop a strategy to identify financial abuse, and more effectively enforce payment of child support.
Services Australia has accepted the recommendations.
About 1.1 million children are supported by the system, which distributed almost $2bn last financial year. About the same amount is owed by paying parents.
• In Australia, the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732
Updated
PM trying to find a couple of weeks for a honeymoon
Anthony Albanese has shed some light on his upcoming wedding plans, saying he hopes to take “a couple of weeks” off as a honeymoon.
The prime minister, who proposed to his fiance, Jodie Haydon, in February last year, said that while the couple were yet to set a wedding date and that his re-election meant they would have to settle for a shorter honeymoon.
Albanese, speaking to ABC Radio Perth earlier today, said:
We have now had an opportunity to discuss and we have a few options between now and the end of the year, but we’re waiting as well to look at the calendar. I deliberately did not get ahead of myself. So from May 3 [the federal election date] beyond, there was a blank diary.
We would have had, had the result gone a different way, we would have had a lot of time to plan and probably would have had a two-month honeymoon. As it is, we’re trying to find a couple of weeks. I reckon the Australian people will go ‘fair enough’.”
Updated
PM asked about Cox and Payman comparison
During that press conference earlier Anthony Albanese was asked about how viewed senator Dorinda Cox’s defection from the Greens to Labor compared with former Labor senator Fatima Payman’s leaving the government last year to sit as an independent last year.
The prime minister appeared to defend comments he made at the time of Payman’s exit, criticising her for being elected on a Labor party ticket, suggesting there were differences with Cox’s election to the senate on the Greens ticket at the 2022 election.
Albanese said:
Fatima Payman of course could have put herself before the people of Western Australia [at the most recent federal election] on May 3. She chose not to. Dorinda Cox’s term is up at the end of this term, and she will have to, if she is pre-selected through ALP processes, put herself forward for election then.”
Updated
RBA sees no signs of economic damage from Trump tariffs
The Reserve Bank has released its meeting minutes, giving insight into its decision on 20 May to cut the official cash rate by a quarter percentage point to 3.85%.
Here are the main points:
Developments in the global economy, including uncertainty caused by Donald Trump’s tariffs, strengthened the case for a reduction in the cash rate.
The rise in global tariffs and increase in policy uncertainty had adversely changed the outlook for growth among Australia’s major trading partners.
A quarter point reduction would ensure that monetary policy settings remained predictable at a time of heightened uncertainty.
The rate setting board discussed whether a larger cut in the cash rate, representing a half percent reduction, would be appropriate.
Board members were not persuaded that a half point reduction was needed, noting the absence of signs in Australia that global trade policy uncertainty was having a significant negative impact on the economy.
There are also some plausible scenarios that could see upward pressure on inflation, according to the RBA.
Updated
Labor to establish Office for Multicultural Affairs
The Labor federal government will set up a new Office for Multicultural Affairs inside the Home Affairs department, which will help administer services and community grants for diverse communities.
New minister for multicultural affairs, Anne Aly, and home affairs minister Tony Burke announced the move this morning. The ministers said multiculturalism was “a fundamental aspect of our identity” in Australia, and that the new office would work on building a more inclusive society. Aly and Burke said in a statement:
The Office for Multicultural Affairs will bring together key functions within the Department of Home Affairs, more closely aligning the policies and programs that help to unite and strengthen Australia. The new office will drive a national approach to a multicultural Australia, providing leadership across the three tiers of government.
By bringing together multiple functions into one location the office will ensure Australian government policies, programs and services are accessible and equitable for all including by modernising community grant programs.
Burke and Aly said the office would look after settlement and language services, including migrant English programs as well as the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National).
Burke said: “Modern Australia and multicultural Australia are the same thing.”
Aly added:
Multiculturalism is not just about or for a section of our society, each and every one of us belongs to an Australia that has been enriched by our 65,000 years of First Nations culture and the successive stories, traditions and histories of those who have come across the seas.
Updated
Albanese says US can ‘express views’ on defence, but Australia is a sovereign nation
The prime minister is still fronting questions about US defence secretary Pete Hegseth’s call that Australia up its defence spending. Albanese said:
We’re entitled as a sovereign nation to ensure that we look after Australia’s national interest. … We welcome the US’s engagement in the region, which is why we work with them so closely. …
We’re a sovereign nation that needs to have pride in our sovereignty and in our capacity to make decisions in our national interest. In our national interest. That is what we will do.
The prime minister said Labor’s goal was to give “Australia the capability that it needs”.
Updated
Regulator sues Choosi over insurance comparison service
The corporate regulator is suing comparison site Choosi over allegations it misled consumers searching for funeral and life insurance.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) said in federal court documents that Choosi’s relevant service only compared policies issued by a single insurer, with one limited exception, distributed by a company related to the comparison site.
The ASIC deputy chair, Sarah Court, said:
We allege Choosi misled thousands of consumers into thinking they were comparing options from a range of insurers.
We will contend people were led to believe they were making a sensible decision by comparing policies; however, they were denied genuine choice.
ASIC alleges that Choosi received $61m in commissions after selling 4,225 funeral insurance policies and 9,478 life insurance policies through the portal since 2019.
The policies were distributed by Greenstone Financial Services, a company associated with Choosi, the court documents allege.
Choosi was contacted for comment.
PM says minimum wage increase will help ease some cost-of-living pressures
Prime minister Anthony Albanese just spoke about the minimum wage increases from Perth, describing them as a balm to help wage workers deal with cost-of-living pressures.
He said:
When we came to office, inflation had a six in front of it and was rising. It now has a two in front of it …
This decision today will be welcomed by people who keep our economy going. The essential workers who need this wage increase in real terms.
Updated
Australia Institute economist calls minimum wage decision ‘fair’
Greg Jericho, chief economist at the Australia Institute, described the minimum wage increase as a “fair decision” on social media. He noted that even with the increase real wages are still lower than they were five years ago, writing:
People worrying about productivity really need to ask themselves do they think the lowest paid are the cause of low productivity. I mean get real.
Also it still sees real awards lower than they were 5 years ago.
Election-watcher signals Boele in good place with final booths to go in Bradfield recount
Election-watcher Kevin Bonham has an update on the recount for the seat of Bradfield. Bonham notes that independent Nicolette Boele’s margin is now up to 34 votes over Liberal Gisele Kapterian.
Bonham says there are just 11 booths remaining in the recount, “three of them tiny”. He says:
It is very likely that Boele will now go on to be seated and there is now a good chance that the margin will be outside the margin of a potential AEC challenge over multiple voting.
This means Kapterian would have to challenge and would need to have grounds to do so, none of which have yet been suggested.
Fair Work Commission cites fear loss in real wages would become ‘permanently embedded’
The president of the Fair Work Commission, Justice Adam Hatcher, said the decision to grant an above-inflation 3.5% increase in the minimum wage was to claw back the loss of real incomes over the past few years.
Hatcher said the commission did not want to see the fall in living standards over recent years to become “entrenched” among the lowest-paid workers. He said when handing down the decision:
The principal consideration which has guided our decision is the fact that since July 2021 employees who are reliant upon modern award minimum wages, or the national minimum wage, have suffered a reduction in the real value of their wage rates.
He said the “inflation spike” had particularly hurt lower-paid workers, and that fears of further fuelling inflation had informed minimum wage decisions over recent years.
But with inflation back under control, Hatcher said it was time to make up for that hit to living standards.
This provides us with an opportunity to go at least some of the way towards correcting what has happened over the last four years by awarding a real increase to modern award wages and the national minimum wage.
We are concerned that if this opportunity is not taken in this annual wage review, a loss in the real value of wages which has occurred will become permanently embedded in the modern award system and the national minimum wage, and a reduction of living standards for the lowest paid in the community will thereby be entrenched.
We are satisfied that the level of wage increase we have determined is sustainable.
Updated
McManus says small businesses can increase prices to counter inflation, but workers rely on minimum wage changes
Sally McManus responded to a question about the effect a minimum wage increase would have on small businesses who will have to pay more in wages. She said:
They can always put up their prices, as they have over the period of inflation. Workers can’t put up their wages when inflation spikes. They depend on these increases.
For the last four years, [workers have] actually gone backwards, they’ve gone backwards in real terms. So, now them catching up is not only fair but it’s actually good for the economy to have more money circulating.
Updated
ACTU secretary says minimum wage increase a ‘great outcome’ for lowest-paid workers
Sally McManus, secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, said the 3.5% minimum wage increase was a “great outcome” for the country’s lowest-paid workers. She said the increase was 1.1% more than inflation. McManus said during a press conference:
3.5% means they’re starting to catch up again, and that makes an enormous amount of difference in terms of people’s bills, people’s ability to pay for the basics.
People obviously that are on minimum wages and award wages are paying for the essentials, and the essentials have gone up all of that time. And now, finally, they’re gonna start getting ahead again.
She said the increase wasn’t just some “little” increase but was “actually significant”.
Updated
Ian Roberts says he’s been diagnosed with epilepsy
Rugby legend Ian Roberts says he has been diagnosed with epilepsy, potentially due to his NRL career giving and receiving hits. Roberts was speaking with Nine’s Today this morning on a social media trend called Run It Straight, where two people run full-speed into each other and stream the results on the internet. He said:
In the last 12 months, I’ve had a bit of an issue myself. I was just recently diagnosed. And I’m not just saying this because we’re on air – but it’s potentially to do with this – with epilepsy.
I reckon the damage I did to myself was, was not taking the shots, was making the shots, you know.
Roberts said he’s started a new process of medication which has “really helped”, describing his health as “good” now.
Minimum wage will be $24.95 an hour and $948 for a full-time week
That minimum wage increase will equate to $24.95 an hour or $948 for a full-time work week. That’s up from $915.90 a week.
Updated
Minimum wage to increase by 3.5% from July
Australia’s minimum wage of $24.10 an hour will be increased by 3.5% from July, in a decision by the Fair Work Commission that delivers a real wage increase for the country’s lowest paid workers.
Last year’s decision was for a 3.75% increase.
Nearly 3 million employees have their pay set by an award and are directly affected by the annual minimum wage determination. The number of Australians paid the minimum wage, however, is a fraction of that – below 100,000 people, according to government estimates.
The government had argued in favour of a decision that did not send workers’ wages backwards, and the final result falls between the competing demands from the peak union body and business groups.
Inflation was 2.4% in the year to March, and the Reserve Bank recently predicted it would ease to 2.1% by June. But the RBA also expects the end of government cost-of-living support payments, such as energy bill subsidies, will see inflation accelerate to 3.1% by mid-2026.
The ACTU argued in favour of a 4.5% lift, while business groups had made the case for an increase of around 2.5% or lower, arguing that firms were struggling with sharp increases in operating costs.
The Australian Restaurant and Cafe Association, in an industry with a large share of employees on awards, had argued the minimum wage should increase by no more than 2% this year.
Updated
Larissa Waters says Cox told her of defection an hour before presser with PM, but ‘no animosity’
The Greens leader, Larissa Waters, said she had a “calm and measured” conversation with senator Dorinda Cox an hour before she defected to Labor yesterday, saying people need to have their “values fit with the party they seek to represent”. Waters told ABC News this morning:
Dorinda called me an hour before her press conference with the prime minister. And we had a very calm and measured conversation about it. And I did genuinely wish her all the best. There’s no animosity there.
It’s disappointing for us to lose a Greens senator. But Dorinda says her values lie there. You need to be true to yourself, don’t you?
Waters did hit Labor’s green light of the extension of the North West Shelf gas project when speaking about the party’s values.
What with Labor having decided just this last week to approve an absolute carbon bomb off the coast of WA, which would not only have massive climate impacts but which would have huge impacts on ancient rock art. Those values are not consistent with Greens values.
Updated
Victoria Treasury hasn’t modelled impact of credit rating downgrade
Now that the Victorian budget has been handed down, attention turns to budget estimates. The public accounts and estimates committee hearings began this morning, with the treasurer, Jaclyn Symes, and senior officials from the Department of Treasury and Finance appearing as the first witnesses.
During an exchange between the Treasury secretary, Chris Barrett, and Liberal MP Richard Welch, it was revealed that his department has not conducted any modelling on the potential impact of a credit rating downgrade.
Barrett said the department does model scenarios involving interest rate rises up to a “100 basis point increase” and its impact on the budget. He said rate increases would be the result of a credit ratings downgrade.
Victoria currently holds the lowest credit rating of all Australian states, after downgrades in the wake of the pandemic due to its rising debt levels.
Symes said Monday that ratings agencies had “provided positive initial feedback in relation to this year’s budget”, which shows net debt declining as a proportion of the economy and that the government is “moderating” its infrastructure pipeline.
She also revealed she will meet with ratings agency Moody’s this Friday.
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Seven people charged in alleged import scheme linked to 300kg of illicit drugs, 20m cigarettes
Police have charged seven men following a years-long investigation into allegations a criminal group used trusted insiders to import illegal products into Sydney.
A strike force was established in 2023 to investigate allegations that a man, 42, was importing large quantities of illegal drugs and illicit tobacco while allegedly claiming he had the ability to get around border controls. Police later discovered an industrial cooler imported from Canada in July 2024 that contained more than 280kg of liquid methamphetamine.
The man allegedly also used a freight forwarding company to import more than 20 million cigarettes from the United Arab Emirates. Police also alleged the man planned to import 50kg of cocaine in a shipping container from Panama in May 2025, allegedly disguised in cement bags.
The 42-year-old has since been arrested and charged with multiple counts of importing large quantities of tobacco and the attempted import of a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug, among other charges. He will appear in court in late July.
Six others with alleged links to the import plans also face charges.
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Lifeblood in urgent need of O-type blood donations
Lifeblood has issued an urgent call for an extra 9,500 donations of O positive and O negative blood in the next seven days. The Australian Red Cross says O-type blood supplies are at their lowest levels since October 2023. Lifeblood’s executive director, Stuart Chesneau, said:
Every day, we issue close to 10,000 blood transfusions and medications to hospitals around the country to meet patient demand and we can’t do it without people donating.
O-type blood is the most frequently ordered by hospitals and can be used in emergency situations. O negative is a “universal blood type”, meaning it can be used by anyone even if their blood type is unknown.
Fewer thab than 7% of the Australian population is O negative.
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Social housing waitlists grew by 26,000 households in six-year period
In the six years to 2022, Australia’s social housing waitlists grew by more than 26,000 households, while the number of households able to get into social housing fell by 6,400, according to new analysis from the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute.
The research called for different housing assistance options such as rent subsidies for very low-income households living in the private rental sector, forms of temporary accommodation, bond assistance and first home buyer assistance.
Chris Martin from the University of NSW Sydney said:
Australia’s social housing system needs to make stronger assurances of different kinds of housing assistance that reach beyond the constraints of unavailable social housing stock. It needs to do more for the people who are waiting, as well as for those already in social housing.
Housing legislation should enshrine the right of individuals to reasonable and necessary housing assistance, and provide for a range of forms of housing assistance that are designed in participation with recipients to better meet their needs.
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Plibersek says partner abuse study shows trend in ‘completely the wrong direction’
The social services minister, Tanya Plibersek, addressed the new study on intimate partner violence (IPV), noting the rise in reported acts suggested, on average, about 120,000 men are committing IPV for the first time each year. She told RN Breakfast:
Obviously that trend is in completely the wrong direction and it’s very important that we continue to focus on getting those numbers down …
This report is useful because it also presents us with some of the key protective factors that make it much less likely that men will use violence. It shows that good mental health, good social connection and good relationship with a father or father figure early in life are very strong, very strong protective factors.
Plibersek noted the Labor government had invested an extra $1bn in mental health support, including Medicare walk-in mental health clinics.
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One in three Australian men have committed intimate partner abuse, study finds
One in three Australian men has reported committing domestic violence, world-first research has found – and the same research has identified new ways to tackle it.
The Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) found fostering affectionate relationships between sons and fathers (or father figures) was associated with reducing the risk of intimate partner violence by as much as 48%.
Having good social supports is another protective factor, according to the AIFS report based on the study’s robust data up to 2022. Men who reported high levels of social support all the time in 2013-14 were 26% less likely to report committing IPV by 2022.
You can read more on the findings here:
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Ardern says she wrote the book to encourage others into leadership
Asked why it was so important to her to explain the depths of her self-doubt in the memoir, Ardern told 7.30 last night:
Because I know I’m not alone. Privately, in quiet conversation, the number of individuals – often people I have enormous respect for – who will in some way share that they’ve had a similar thought or a similar experience. There are plenty of people who have this experience. There just happens to be very few who then share it or talk about it out loud.
I see the benefit in that, because over time, I’ve seen the strength that comes from what we perceive to be weakness, a confidence gap often leads to humility, a willingness to bring in experts and advisers, and I think ultimately makes you a better decision maker.
And so for me, this was a way about talking about the strengths that some of these character traits bring and encourage those who might experience them – perhaps in passing, perhaps permanently – not to see it as a thing to exclude them from leadership, but rather something to encourage them into it.
Ardern had earlier said “who knows who’s out there considering whether or not they have what it takes, considering whether or not they can succeed if they lead with empathy, and perhaps who may have lost a bit of faith in politics, or politicians.”
You can read an extra from the memoir here:
Jacinda Ardern has a new memoir out
Dame Jacinda Ardern says she was “hesitant” to write a political memoir but did so in order to convey how it feels to lead as a person grappling with a “confidence gap” in the hope of inspiring others.
The former prime minister of New Zealand appeared last night on the ABC’s 7.30 report as part of her promotion of her new memoir, A Different Kind of Power, after giving the Guardian an exclusive interview which was published Saturday (definitely read it if you haven’t already done so), and the first major interview since she dramatically resigned after six years in power.
In that interview, Guardian’s editor in chief Katharine Viner writes it is the “the most modest political memoir I’ve read … dedicated to ‘the criers, worriers and huggers’; her thesis is that these people can make great leaders, too.”
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Tanya Plibersek ‘delighted’ Dorinda Cox has defected to Labor
Tanya Plibersek, the minister for social services, said she is “delighted” senator Dorinda Cox had defected from the Greens to Labor. Cox announced the shock move yesterday during an appearance alongside the prime minister, saying after some “deep reflection” she had determined “what it is that I would like to achieve in my political life and what you can’t do from the crossbench is make change”.
Plibersek told Radio National Breakfast this morning:
We’re delighted that she’s joining a very strong West Australian team …
I’m very much looking forward to her joining what’s a very strong representation for Western Australia, and I’m looking forward to going there this afternoon for a cabinet meeting.
You can read more on Cox here:
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Oxfam says level of inequality ‘scandalous and unjust’
Oxfam Australia acting chief executive Chrisanta Muli said this level of inequality was morally wrong, while many Australians are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. Muli said:
It is scandalous and unjust that property continues to be one of the biggest drivers of wealth across the decade while over 99% of rentals are unaffordable for people earning a full-time minimum wage.
The single most urgent, structural, and strategic action that the Australian government can take now is to rapidly and radically reduce the gap between the super-rich and the rest of society.
To improve the integrity of our progressive tax system, we want to see superannuation and other tax loopholes closed for big corporations and the richest 1%.
This is the most effective tool we have to ensure a more fair and equal society. When tax loopholes are closed for the wealthiest, there will be more money in the budget for healthcare, affordable housing, action on climate change and ending poverty.
Australian billionaire wealth grew by $137m every day over last decade
The number of Australian billionaires has more than doubled over the past decade, rising from 74 in 2015 to 161 in 2025, according to Oxfam Australia analysis of the Australian Financial Review Rich List.
Number crunching also revealed that in the same period, billionaire wealth grew on average by more than $137m per day, or $95,000 per minute.
In light of these staggering figures, the anti-poverty organisation is renewing its call for urgent tax reform to address rampant inequality and ensure that Australia’s wealthiest contribute their fair share.
Oxfam analysis also uncovered:
The total wealth of Australia’s richest 200 people has surged by 160% to $667.8bn in the past decade.
The average Rich Lister has over 116,000 times the wealth of an Australian in the bottom 50%.
Over the last 10 years, property has been the most frequent source of wealth accumulation for Australia’s richest, followed by retail, investments and mining/resources.
Bradfield recount continues, with Boele up by 28 votes
Exactly one month after the 3 May election, the NSW seat of Bradfield is yet to be called. A recount is under way, with independent Nicolette Boele currently up by 28 votes over her Liberal opponent, Gisele Kapterian.
The Australian Electoral Commission has until 9 July to declare a result, but it could take some time. Election-watcher Kevin Bonham notes the average difference from the first-vote tally found during a recount comes out to 22 votes, although in one case, the Tasmanian seat of Bass in 1998, the recount found a 64-vote difference.
Boele thanked supporters working as scrutineers and the volunteers cooking them hot lunches, writing on Facebook yesterday:
This is what community looks like. And it’s been the heartbeat of this campaign from day one. No matter what happens, it is such a joy to be part of this community.
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Good morning, Nick Visser here to take you through today’s breaking news. For now:
The race for the NSW seat of Bradfield remains neck-and-neck, with independent Nicolette Boele currently leading Liberal Gisele Kapterian by more than 20 votes. It’s still too early to call the seat, as a painstaking – and polite – recount remains under way. The federal election took place exactly one month ago.
The number of Australia billionaires has more than doubled over the past decade. In 2015, there were 74. There are now 161, according to Oxfam Australia. Billionaire wealth grew on average by more than $137m per day.
Stick with us for all the twists and turns the day has to offer.
