Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Josh Taylor and Caitlin Cassidy (earlier)

Petrol forecast to reach up to $2.15 a litre; Dutton blames Labor for defence cost blowout – as it happened

Omicron Richard Marles Steph Cooke Flood
Pumps at a Melbourne petrol station
Petrol is predicted to reach up to $2.15 a litre in coming weeks with the return of the fuel excise tax. Photograph: Diego Fedele/AAP

The day that was, Monday 10 October

That is where we will leave the live blog for Monday.

Here’s what made the news today:

  • Petrol prices could hit $2.15 a litre in coming weeks as capital cities return to the top of their fuel cycles and the return of an excise tax kicks in.

  • The federal government revealed a $6.5bn defence budget shortfall, saying 28 major projects were running behind schedule – or cumulatively 97 years late – including Hunter Class frigates, offshore patrol vessels and the battlefield command system.

  • The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has denied his share of responsibility for it in his time as the defence minister before the election, saying the announcement was designed to deflect attention from discussion over whether to go ahead with the stage-three tax cuts.

  • An Australian father is among the 10 people killed during a blast at a petrol station in Donegal county, Ireland.

  • A trial has been listed for a group of residents suing the Victorian government over its controversial decision to lock down nine public housing towers.

  • National vacancy rates have hit a record low as affordability starts to impact rent hikes, CoreLogic’s quarterly rental review has found.

I’ll be back with you tomorrow afternoon, while Natasha May will be on deck for the morning. Until then, stay safe.

Updated

Five-year-old girl has two fingertips severed after getting hand stuck in playground carousel

Fire and Rescue NSW firefighters attended a playground in Homebush Road, Strathfield, just before 1.30 pm on Monday and found a girl had been badly injured.

“NSW police, NSW ambulance and council staff tended to the child whilst firefighters located her two severed fingertips,” Fire and Rescue NSW said in a statement. “The young patient has been taken to the Children’s Hospital at Westmead for emergency treatment.”

The playground is reportedly closed and an investigation by the council is underway.

Updated

Australia’s trade minister promotes renewable energy future across Japan and Korea

Australia’s trade minister, Don Farrell, wants Japan to look beyond Australian coal and gas to meet its energy needs, AAP reports. Farrell is using a trip to Tokyo to talk up Australia’s renewable energy plan and encourage investment in clean technologies.

“We want to broaden it out to not just the coal and the gas, but also for the renewable products of the future,” he told ABC Radio.

The first eight hours of energy on any day in Tokyo comes from energy supplied by Australia. They want to change to a zero-carbon emission future. We’ve got lots of the products that they’re going to need to make that change.

The transition to cleaner energy includes hydrogen, with Australia exporting the first shipment to Japan earlier this year.

Critical minerals used to build electric batteries are also up for discussion:

We have the world’s largest reserves of them but to extract them and get the maximum benefit we’re going to need investment. We’re looking to particularly Japan and to South Korea as a source of that investment.

Farrell said Australia needed to move away from its reliance on China and produce high-quality and reliable supplies of critical minerals. He said Australia could position itself to take advantage of the United States pushing to import more of its critical minerals from free trade partners.

“There are only three countries that have both the critical minerals and a free trade agreement, and Australia is one of those,” the minister said. “It’s a game-changer.”

His trip includes meetings with Japan’s trade minister in Tokyo and his South Korean counterpart in Seoul.

While in Japan, the minister will also deliver the keynote speech at the Australia-Japan joint business conference to promote Australian tourism. He will then lead a critical minerals industry roundtable after landing in Seoul on Wednesday, as the two nations work to secure commercial supply chains.

Updated

The Victorian election cannot come soon enough.

Regulator withdraws charges of unlawful betting ads against Tom Waterhouse’s company

Bookmaker Tom Waterhouse’s company is “pleased” after claims by NSW’s gaming regulator of illegal betting ads were dropped, AAP reports.

Liquor and Gaming NSW on Monday withdrew 14 charges of unlawful publishing of a gambling advertisement laid against Tom Waterhouse Punting in 2020 and 2021. The matter had been scheduled to progress to a contested court hearing on Monday.

“Issues relating to evidence to be presented to the court led to the prosecutor advising that the charges should be withdrawn due to the unlikelihood of a successful prosecution,” a Liquor and Gaming NSW spokesperson said. The authority has not detailed the original allegations previously.

“Tom Waterhouse Punting Pty Ltd doesn’t wish to provide any comment other than they are pleased with the outcome,” Richard Keegan, a lawyer for the company, said.

Updated

Snags in the government’s carbon emissions move

As mentioned in an earlier post, the federal climate change and energy minister, Chris Bowen, released draft legislation today for consultation about changing the so-called safeguard mechanism supposed to cap and reduce carbon emissions from industrial plants.

The “so-called” is apt because the mechanism, introduced by the Abbott government, didn’t really safeguard much at all because the limits were never lowered to nudge polluters to pollute less.

Anyway, the government wants the legislation to “reward industrial facilities that stay below their emissions baselines, and give other facilities a new, low-cost way of reducing net emissions”, so it said today.

New safeguard mechanism credits will be generated, allowing those with cheaper abatement (ie carbon reduction) able to sell their advantage to those with more costly or limited options. (Therein lies a carbon price, you’d have to expect.)

Bowen said in a statement:

It’s vital the reforms under way are efficient for Australian industry, and this draft legislation helps to do just that.

However, there are a couple of snags, as ever with climate policy.

Among them is why it’s necessary to create a new type of credit before the government knows the extent of the problems with existing carbon credits. Former chief scientist Ian Chubb’s independent review is looking into such matters right now, and won’t be due to report back until 31 December (and it’s not clear when the government will respond).

The Australian Institute, which put out a recent submission on the changes, notes the government isn’t expected to release the draft rules on how the legislation will apply until next month. That makes it hard to assess what MP should vote on.

Alia Armistead, one of the AI’s researchers, says:

They’re changing the high-level architecture that governs all of these things. We don’t know how this new architecture is actually going to be used ... It’s a trust issue.

To mangle Ronald Reagan’s comments about Soviets and missile treaties: “Trust, but verify.” (Apparently it sounds better in Russian because it rhymes: Doveryai, no proveryai.)

Updated

Demand for grid power reaches record low in south-west WA

As noted in an earlier post, Alinta Energy’s boss, Jeff Dimery, has speculated that households may see bumps of as much as 35% in their power prices next year.

That would vary, depending on a few factors, including the state you reside in. New weekly numbers on wholesale electricity prices released by the ASX show there’s been a recent spike in futures for Victoria and NSW in particular (with a 10% or higher increase in the past week).

Prices are supposed to come down in future years, or at least that’s what the market is presently betting on.

Meanwhile, a piece of history from the weekend from WA, with demand for grid power in the state’s south-west (ie Perth and surrounds) reaching a record low thanks mostly to all those rooftop panels generating away.

WA’s energy minister, Bill Johnston, tells us record low demand is often possible now each April and October, when there’s still sunshine aplenty but a shrinking need for cooling.

And each year, another 200 megawatts of solar or more go up on people’s roofs, squeezing demand for grid power even more – or at least until new demand arrives, particularly on four wheels (ie electric vehicles).

Updated

Kate Thwaites says much work needed on gender equality in parliament

Labor MP Kate Thwaites, who was a Labor staffer when former prime minister Julia Gillard made her misogyny speech in parliament 10 years ago, tells ABC’s Afternoon Briefing that the Labor party has far more women in parliament now, and how parliament operates is changing, but there is a lot of work to do to achieve gender equality.

I want to see us get a more fair and equal paid parental leave scheme that encourages men to take up [and] makes it easier for women to take the leave that they need.

So there is much more that we can still be doing to make sure that women, particularly in the workplace, feel supported and equal. The work has begun and I think it is important that we do mark just how important that speech was in our country and how for so many younger women, I know they bring it up to me as something that they saw and it really, really spoke to them.

Kate Thwaites sitting in parliament
Labor’s Kate Thwaites wants ‘a more fair and equal paid parental leave scheme’. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Updated

Broadbent has doubts on tax cuts surviving longer term

Russell Broadbent, who has previously called for the government to axe the stage three tax cuts, says he believes the tax cuts might survive the October budget but he is not sure they’ll survive the budget next May.

The Liberal MP says people like him do not need $9,000 in tax cuts:

By the time Jim Chalmers has found out what the state of the world is and where our nation is in that mix, I think there will be a different approach to be made in May.

Economically things have changed, and when these propositions were put to the Australian people it was accepted by Labor and Liberal and everybody else – well, the Greens may not have – but we actually put them to a parliament at a completely different time when we were looking at surpluses.

Things have changed so dramatically now, not only on the economic front and not only on the debt front and I can keep going. Covid has had an enormous effect in terms of decisions to be made about the shortages and other supply-chain issues. It is a different world … and you have to deal with the issues you face today.

Updated

‘A disgrace’: Broadbent decries Canberra’s handling of defence projects

Liberal MP Russell Broadbent has admitted government handling of defence contracts has been “a disgrace” but says the issues date back to the 1990s.

The deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, earlier blamed the former Coalition government for 28 defence projects that were running at an accumulated total of 97 years overtime under the Coalition – to a shortfall of $6.5bn.

On ABC’s Afternoon Briefing, Broadbent said the statements made today could have been made in any year of his 21 years in parliament, and it was always an issue.

These defence contracts take so long in the making and the delivery, they tend to cross one or two or three governments … many of the issues we deal with now, like the Collins-class submarines, that was an issue back in the 1990s.

So, yes, we have not handled this well and yes it is a disgrace, yes there is accountability needed to be put in place.

Russell Broadbent in parliament
Russell Broadbent in parliament. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Updated

Warning against driving through floods

Watt says communities experiencing flooding or at risk of it should not attempt to drive through flood water, noting that the SES had a large number of rescues of people who drove through flood water.

He says the NSW state government and the federal government are working well together.

We are doing as much as we can to get some support out the door as quickly as possible for people. There have been lots of good pre-deployment of resources this time around, particularly by the NSW government, and … defence force helicopters [are] available as well. So I want people to know that we are standing with them and we really understand that this is a huge amount for people to deal with yet again.

Updated

Minister gives NSW flooding update

The federal emergency management minister, Murray Watt, is on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing providing an update on the wild weather on the east coast.

He says there has been a bit of a reprieve in rainfall but there is so much water in the system that there is still significant flooding in western NSW, central NSW and the Hawkesbury.

He says there could be more heaving rainfall and flooding this week in south-west NSW, central Victoria and parts of Tasmania.

Watt says:

That shows you that the weather conditions we are dealing with a very widespread ... The Bureau of Meteorology has just today released its latest weather forecast for the summer period and on top of all of this flooding we are also looking at a relatively high number of cyclones, potential bushfires and grass fires [in] parts of the country, so we are looking at a perfect storm when it comes to weather events this coming summer.

Updated

A push to reform the Australian government’s war powers has been dealt a blow, with the deputy prime minister telling an inquiry he is “firmly” against giving parliament the power to veto deployments.

Residents sue Victorian government over public housing Covid lockdowns

A trial has been listed for a group suing the Victorian government over its controversial decision to lock down nine public housing towers, AAP reports

More than 3,000 residents were forced to stay inside the North Melbourne and Flemington buildings in July 2020.

The immediate Covid-19 lockdown was announced at a 4pm press conference on 4 July, with many of the residents unaware of the order until police arrived outside.

The group are suing the state of Victoria for compensation in the Victorian supreme court, claiming the state government subjected them to 14 days of false imprisonment.

The plaintiffs also claim they had inadequate access to food, medicine, information and assistance.

The parties held a case management hearing before supreme court justice John Dixon on Monday.

The case has been listed for an estimated 20-day trial in September next year.

About 30 witnesses expected to be called to give evidence.

A further case management hearing will take place at the Victorian supreme court in January.

Police outside a locked down housing block in North Melbourne in July 2020
Police outside a locked down housing block in North Melbourne in July 2020. Photograph: Speed Media/Rex/Shutterstock

Updated

Petrol forecast to reach up to $2.15 a litre with return of excise tax

Petrol prices could hit $2.15 a litre in coming weeks as capital cities return to the top of their fuel cycles and the return of an excise tax kicks in, AAP reports.

Australia’s east coast cities are approaching the bottom of their fuel cycles, which means petrol prices are about to hit a floor before heading back up again.

The average retail price slid 0.7 cents last week, according to Australian Institute of Petroleum data.

The national weekly average across the major capital cities fell by 2.9c, to 183.2c a litre.

But wholesale prices have ticked upward to $1.70 a litre, up more than 13c from the week before.

Oil prices lifted sharply last week after petrol exporting countries decided to cut production in a bid to keep oil prices high as higher interest rates continue to cool demand.

CommSec economist Craig James said the end of fuel cycles and the return of the fuel excise tax – which shaved around 22c a litre at the pump – could see petrol reach $2.15 a litre in coming weeks.

But the ready reckoner is that a ‘fair’ price for fuel is around $1.90 – with the wholesale price near $1.71 a litre and the gross retail margin for retailers near 15-20 cents a litre.

James also said higher fuel prices would flow through to higher inflation, which would keep pressure on the central bank to keep hiking rates.

Updated

A statement from the foreign minister, Penny Wong, on the violence in Iran.

Dutton says Labor has walked away from promise on energy bills

Dutton says energy is the “biggest issue of our time” and families will be struggling to pay their bills. He says the PM has not discussed the promise before the election of reducing electricity prices by $275, and it has now been walked away from.

He’s again very defensive about claims the former Coalition government mishandled defence contracting, saying that the defence minister, Richard Marles, held a “dodgy” press conference this morning to distract from the government’s “disastrous week last week on stage three tax cuts”.

He says Marles’s comments are “laughable” and don’t hold up to scrutiny. He says that when in government, the Coalition was playing “catch-up” due to the former Labor government’s underspending.

Updated

Dutton blames Labor for defence cost blowout

The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, is holding a press conference in Bundaberg, Queensland.

He is responding to the deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, revealing earlier today that 28 defence projects were running at an accumulated total of 97 years overtime under the Coalition – to a shortfall of $6.5bn.

Dutton pushes the blame back on Labor, saying it should have ordered more jets and submarines when it was last in government (so pre-2013). He claims the announcement is a “comical distraction” from the debate last week over whether to keep the stage three tax cuts.

He said:

It just doesn’t make any sense in terms of his own argument and I’d tell you, when you do hear Labor talking about quality spending within defence, read cuts to defence – and they are trying to push to the right these project costs before the forward statements …

That is a tricky move by Jim Chalmers, who only got his doctorate from studying Paul Keating and was the chief of staff to Wayne Swan. So if you think he is off to a bad start in life, you are right. And if you are relying on him to make economic decisions in the best interests of our country, you will be hoping for a long time.

Updated

Australian among victims of Irish petrol station blast

An Australian father is among the 10 people killed during a blast at a petrol station in Donegal county, Ireland.

James O’Flaherty, 48, originally from Sydney, was killed in the blast that happened at the service station in Creeslough, a small village in north-west Ireland on Friday.

A death notice for O’Flaherty said he was survived by his wife, Tracey, and son, Hamish. A funeral will be held in St Mary’s Church in Derrybeg on Wednesday.

A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was working with local authorities.

The spokesperson said:

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is aware of reports an Australian has been killed in an explosion at a petrol station in the Irish county of Donegal.

We are working with local authorities and stand ready to provide assistance. Owing to our privacy obligations we are unable to provide further details.

The cause of the explosion is under investigation.

Updated

Apple agrees to more talks over staff pay and conditions

Tech giant Apple has agreed to two more meetings with unions and retail staff over a proposed enterprise bargaining agreement, and will give the unions 72 hours notice before opening up the EBA to be voted on by staff.

The negotiations between the unions and Apple were due to end on Friday, but the company has agreed to hold two more meetings on Tuesday and Thursday this week, and won’t open voting on the agreement to staff until at least Monday next week, the Australian Services Union and SDA told Guardian Australia.

You can read our earlier report on the state of the negotiations here:

Updated

With that, I will pass you into the thrillingly capable hands of Josh Taylor.

I just typed “enjoy your weekends” before realising it’s Monday afternoon, so have a good one regardless. He’ll be with you for the rest of the evening.

Updated

Stranded yacht with two men aboard rescued off NSW north coast

New South Wales water police have rescued a stranded yacht after a 15-hour operation under “severe conditions” off the NSW north coast.

About 12pm yesterday, emergency services were called to reports a Queensland yacht was in trouble about 50 nautical miles off the coast near Kingscliff.

Officers attached to Tweed Heads water police located the yacht, which had a shredded mainsail and no engine power, with two men – aged 56 and 61 – onboard.

About three hours later, police began towing the yacht under extreme conditions, which led to the tow line breaking multiple times.

Due to safety concerns, police couldn’t pass through the Tweed Bar and instead towed the yacht toward Southport in Queensland, where they eventually arrived about 6.30 this morning.

One of the police officers was taken to Tweed Heads Hospital in a stable condition suffering dehydration, exhaustion and a back injury sustained during the rescue. The two yachtsmen were uninjured.

Updated

Euabalong in western New South Wales is experiencing major flooding.

In Greater Newcastle, Fire and Rescue NSW is attempting to contain a fire at a home in Lake Macquarie.

Updated

Australian vacancy rates fall to record low after 'unprecedented' rent rises

National vacancy rates have hit a record low as affordability starts to impact rent hikes, CoreLogic’s quarterly rental review – released today – has found.

It shows the national rental index had its smallest monthly increase this year, up 0.6% in the month to September and 2.3% over the September quarter, a 60 basis point decrease on the three months to June (2.9%).

The quarterly trend in national rental values is now 70 basis points below the recent peak rate recorded in May (3.0%).

CoreLogic research analyst and report author Kaytlin Ezzy said there had been “unprecedented” growth in rental values in the past few years.

We saw rents fall marginally over the first few months of Covid, but since August 2020 national dwelling rents have surged almost 20%, equivalent to a weekly rent rise of approximately $90 per week.

Initially driven by a reduction in the average household size, the continued upswing in values is likely now predominantly being driven by the strong return of overseas migration, coupled with extremely tight rental supply.

Ezzy said the easing in rental growth was a little surprising, particularly given such low vacancy rates.

The slow down in the rate of rental growth may suggest an increasing number of prospective tenants are starting to come up against affordability constraints.

As high non-discretionary inflation, along with increasing rents, put additional stress on a renter’s balance sheet, it is likely a growing number of tenants look to reform larger households or find more affordable rental options in an attempt to reduce costs.

A ‘leased’ sign outside a home in Sydney
Home rents have surged nearly 20% nationally since August 2020. Photograph: Paul Miller/AAP

Updated

In the quiet afternoon lull, a deeply cursed Sorted article has placed the Australian Women’s Weekly Children’s Birthday Cake Book by Pamela Clark and Maryanne Blacker 17th (!!!) in a list compiling the nation’s best cookbooks.

If my childhood memories attest to anything it’s that nothing will come close to the joy of novelty birthday cakes prepared with misshapen love.

Updated

ABC editorial director Craig McMurtrie to leave broadcaster

A member of the ABC’s leadership team, editorial director Craig McMurtrie, has announced he will leave the ABC in January after 30 years.

The former Washington correspondent and deputy news director is responsible for the ABC’s editorial policies and representing its journalism at Senate estimates.

A US correspondent for a decade, McMurtrie started as a cadet on Radio New Zealand in 1980 and joined the ABC in 1991.

He told staff in an email:

I’m grateful for all the opportunities I’ve had – as a reporter in the Sydney newsroom, on state-based 7.30, as a national correspondent, in the frenetic Canberra Parliament House bureau, on postings to Washington, as a member of the news executive and as part of the ABC leadership team.

Thank you to my fellow directors on the executive management team and to the ABC’s leaders – Senate estimates endurance champion David Anderson and the peerless Ita Buttrose.

Craig McMurtrie at a Senate estimates hearing in Canberra last year
Craig McMurtrie at a Senate estimates hearing in Canberra last year. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Updated

Wong says trust between Quad partners ‘deep and firm’

A journalist asked about India’s dependence on Russian military equipment and whether its stance was holding back the Quad, which brings together Australia, the US, Japan and India.

Wong said the Quad was functioning “extremely well” and the level of strategic trust and strategic consistency among the Quad partners was “deep and firm”.

Jaishankar reiterated India’s stance that the Quad is primarily focused on the Indo-Pacific (ie not Ukraine) because that was the region where the convergence among Quad partners was particularly strong.

He said India had a longstanding relationship with Russia that had served its interests, and that India had acquired Soviet and Russian-origin weapons “because, for multiple decades, western countries did not supply weapons to India and in fact saw a military dictatorship next to us as the preferred partner”. (That was a reference to Pakistan.)

Jaishankar continued:

So I think we all, in international politics, deal with what we have. We make judgments, judgments which are reflective of both our future interests as well as our current situation. And my sense is, in terms of this current conflict, like every military conflict, there are learnings from it. And I’m sure my very professional colleagues in the military would be studying it very carefully.

Updated

The SES has warned major flooding is again occurring at already hard-hit Warren, 120km north-west of Dubbo.

At Gunnedah in north-east NSW, the Namoi River has reached the moderate flood level of 7.6m and is expected to hit major flood level overnight.

Updated

Wong and Jaishankar discuss Ukraine

India’s external affairs minister, Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, confirmed the war in Ukraine was one of the topics on the agenda during his meeting with his Australian counterpart, Penny Wong.

When asked whether India would support a UN general assembly resolution, to be debated this week, that declines to recognise Russia’s purported annexation of four Ukrainian regions, Jaishankar said:

Well, you know, as a matter of prudence and policy, we don’t predict our votes in advance. Having said that, you also know that we have been very clearly against conflict in Ukraine. We believe that this conflict does not serve the interests of anybody, neither the participants nor indeed of the international community. And as a country of the global south, we have been seeing firsthand how much it has impacted low-income countries, the challenges that they are facing in terms of fuel and food and fertilisers.

Jaishankar noted that India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, told Vladimir Putin at a recent summit that this was “not an era of war”.

A conflict today in some corner of the world can have a very profound impact on everybody across the world. And I think that continues to guide our thinking.

Wong did not answer directly whether Australia had encouraged India to vote in favour of the UN resolution on Ukraine, rather than abstain as it has done in previous votes.

She said:

Well, I’ll reiterate again Australia’s condemnation of Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine. And reiterate the view that we’ve expressed publicly that the annexations, so-called sham annexations, or sham referenda and the annexations, are illegal. And we remain remain of the view that Russia’s invasion is illegal.

In relation to India, I would indicate again that we welcomed prime minister Modi raising his concerns with Mr Putin in September, I think it was, and as Mr Prime Minister Modi has told Mr Putin, this is not the time for war.

Wong and Jaishankar at a press conference after their talks in Parliament House, Canberra
Wong and Jaishankar at a press conference after their talks in Parliament House, Canberra. Photograph: Lukas Coch/EPA

Updated

In Victoria, the Greens are pushing to “legalise it” and tax cannabis in a similar manner to alcohol ahead of the state election.

Greens MP for Brunswick Tim Read announced the plan today, which the party says could help raise $1.21bn in revenue over 10 years.

Penny Wong: Australia’s relationship with India is ‘a critical part of shaping the region we want’

The foreign affairs minister was addressing the media alongside India’s external affairs minister, Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, after their meeting in Parliament House in Canberra (they were due to have lunch shortly afterwards to continue the discussion).

Wong said it was an “excellent discussion” and Jaishankar had “great insights about the region and the world”.

She said Australia and India shared a region – the Indo-Pacific – and an ambition for that region “being stable, prosperous and respectful of sovereignty, where countries are not required to choose sides, but make their own sovereign choices”.

Interestingly, amid increasing strategic competition between the historically dominant US and a rising China, Wong said:

We don’t want to see any one country dominating, or any country being dominated. We both recognise our region is being reshaped, economically and strategically. And I think our partnership is a demonstration that we understand that this period of change is best navigated together.

Wong said Australia and India would continue to deepen their relationship, including by expanding their diplomatic footprints in each other’s countries.

Jaishankar said expanding the diplomatic footprint was “in our mutual interest”. He described the meeting as a “very useful, very productive, very comfortable discussion”. It was the latest of numerous meetings between the pair since the change of government, as they “really work to strengthen our bilateral relations and see how we can shape a better region”. He said the trade deal signed under the former Coalition government was getting closer to ratification:

We are very encouraged to see that the economic cooperation and trade agreement that was finalised earlier this year is moving towards its ratification and entry into force. That’s a very good development. We also note that steps are being taken to amend the double taxation ordinance agreement because that was also a bit of a challenge to growing our business.

Updated

New Guardian Australia podcast

If you missed it over the weekend, a new podcast series starring Ben Doherty has been introduced on Guardian Australia’s Full Story. It’ll be live from 17 October, and the teaser is well worth a listen.

Australia’s most decorated living soldier, Ben Roberts-Smith, is suing three of the country’s most trusted newspapers for defamation over articles he says falsely accuse him of war crimes. Whatever the outcome, the ramifications will be immense for public interest journalism, Australia’s military and the man venerated as a modern-day war hero.

Updated

Increase in psychological injury claims through NSW workers’ compensation scheme to be examined by parliamentary inquiry

The move comes amid claims the increase threatens icare’s sustainability, AAP reports.

The upper house committee on law and justice will hold a hearing on Monday, when representatives from multiple unions and professional alliances will give evidence, followed by SafeWork NSW directors and executives from the State Insurance Regulatory Authority (Sira).

A review of Insurance and Care NSW (icare), led by Robert McDougall KC, followed allegations aired on the ABC’s Four Corners in July 2020 that workers claiming psychological injury were being pushed to return to work.

McDougall noted Sira had confirmed the practice did not appear to be systemic or widespread. In icare’s submission to the committee, it says mental health is “the single greatest challenge to the sustainability of our workers’ compensation schemes”.

Employers are now needing to care for workers whose mental health is not at optimal levels. It requires a change in how we think about people with mental health issues and an understanding of the important role leaders play in setting a positive workplace culture. To put it simply, we all need to listen and care more.

The hearing comes after finance minister Damien Tudehope announced four existing claims service providers would have their contracts extended for 10 years from January, while two new providers would join the scheme.

Updated

NSW state emergency services focused on Lachlan River area around Forbes

Ken Murphy from the SES updated the ABC earlier on the greatest areas of concern in New South Wales.

He said emergency services were focusing resources on the Lachlan River area around Forbes.

This is a continually changing event and we’re asking them to stay focused, look at our websites and look at our messaging.

Ahead of renewed rain on Wednesday, Forbes said the small reprieve was allowing the SES to manage fatigue and renew resource placement.

In some areas we’re anticipating anywhere between 30 to 75 mm of rain and in some areas those rainfalls will significantly greater in isolated areas. The community needs to be aware that things can change very, very rapidly. As everyone is aware, the major dams in New South Wales are full to capacity. We’re working with the water authorities around some controlled releases so we gain some air space for anticipated weather events over the next week.

In Gunnedah:

Updated

Increased risk of flooding in eastern and northern Australia, BoM says in long-range forecast

The Bureau of Meteorology has released its long-range forecast for Australia’s coming severe weather season, warning that – if we didn’t read the room already – there’s an increased risk of widespread flooding for eastern and northern Australia.

There’s also an increased risk of an above-average number of tropical cyclones and tropical lows.

The bureau:

While severe weather can occur at any time of the year, October to April is the peak time for flooding, tropical cyclones, heatwaves, bushfires and severe thunderstorms.

Amid projections are:

  • An increased risk of an above-average number of tropical cyclones and tropical lows.

  • An increased risk of widespread flooding for eastern and northern Australia.

  • Normal bushfire potential in eastern states but an elevated risk of grass fire in southern Australia.

  • Increased risk of prolonged heatwaves in southern areas with higher humidity.

  • Normal risk of severe thunderstorms, but with possible increase in risk of thunderstorm asthma events if conditions are dry in late spring and early summer.

Updated

Meanwhile, foreign minister Penny Wong is fronting the media in Canberra with India’s external affairs minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

Food for thought …

In today’s edition of “why would you, as prime minister, hold a press conference when you could go on breakfast radio and talk about food preferences instead”:

Peak, extremely relevant banter:

Updated

Creative director of Tasmania’s Dark Mofo to stand down following next year’s festival in June

Leigh Carmichael made the announcement this morning, saying he will make space for a new artistic director in 2024, and concentrate on his existing role as director of DarkLab in a range of cultural projects.

DarkLab will continue to produce the annual winter solstice festival in Hobart known for its gothic and pagan flavours.

Carmichael has weathered controversy in recent years after Dark Mofo attracted international attention over the festival’s commissioning of a work by Spanish artist Santiago Sierra. The Union Flag performance piece intended to soak the Union Jack in blood donated by First Nations people but was pulled at the 11th hour following widespread criticism on social media.

DarkLab will continue to organise and produce the festival in Hobart.

Since establishing Dark Mofo in 2013, Carmichael and team have tirelessly grown the festival, cementing Hobart’s wintry appeal on the Australian festival circuit.

Carmichael:

I feel that after ten years curating the Dark Mofo program, it’s time for new energy and new ideas to move the festival forward. Dark Mofo occupies an important place in the Australian arts landscape, and I am confident that it will continue to provide opportunities for artists and audiences to experience challenging art in the darkest weeks of the year.

I will be devoting more time and energy into DarkLab’s other cultural projects and pushing for better venues and more public infrastructure for Hobart so that it can cement its place as a vibrant cultural city.

DarkLab is on the search for an artistic director to provide the creative direction for Dark Mofo from 2024, in line with the festival’s perennial themes around the regenerative aspects of the midwinter solstice and Dionysian revelry.

Dark Mofo will take place in Hobart 8–22 June 2023.

Updated

As mentioned earlier, the Moderna bivalent vaccine is available for people aged over 18 from today.

The Omicron-specific vaccine is comprised of vaccines against the original Sars virus and the Omicron subvariant. It was recommended by ATAGI last month.

Epidemiologist Catherine Bennett told ABC News this morning the health advice towards boosters of the vaccine program hadn’t changed.

If people have had their winter dose and they’re up-to-date, they’re fine. This is really now feeding this new bivalent vaccine targeting the BA.1 Omicron into the system so anyone who is now coming due, because they have waited three months since their last dose or since they have cleared their last infection … they’ll now be offered this new bivalent vaccine.

It’s an important time, though, for people who might have put it off, who are eligible to consider it because it actually is better targeted to these variants that are circulating at the moment, particularly that protection against severe illness for older Australians, those 50 and over.

Watch and Act warning issued for Colo, Whatleys Creek and Gospers Creek

Perrottet began today’s press conference with a flood update.

The areas of concern are in western New South Wales, in Sydney and the Hawkesbury-Nepean area. I just want to say to everybody – please continue to follow the instructions of our emergency services team. Those instructions are not there for the sake of it. Those instructions are there to keep people safe. And whilst particularly in Sydney we haven’t seen the heavy rainfall that we predicted, one thing we do know is the dams are full, the rivers are full, there is water right across the state. And every circumstance is different based on the community that you live in. So if it’s flooded – forget it.

Updated

Perrottet on possibility of changes to stage-three tax cuts: ‘it shouldn’t even be a question’

The New South Wales premier, Dominic Perrottet, has spoken out against possible future changes to the legislated federal government stage-three tax cuts.

Speaking in Leppington on Monday morning, he said it “shouldn’t even be a question”.

He said:

Our people have gone through a very tough time over the last four years. The people of NSW have been hard at work. The budget is there to help households with family budgets.

These tax cuts are legislated. It is law. It is not the government’s money. It is our people’s money. People worked hard for it and they deserve it.

Perrottet said people should keep “more of what they earn”.

Updated

I adore a political prop. Peak prop moments: Bill Shorten whipping out the Australian Constitution on Insiders, Malcom Turnbull wearing a leather jacket on Q&A (in many ways, a prop), Toto the Dog.

Australian man among 10 people killed in Ireland petrol station blast

James O’Flaherty, a 48-year-old man from Sydney, was killed in the blast that levelled the service station’s building and damaged an adjacent apartment, the ABC has confirmed.

The blast occurred just after 3pm on Friday local time at an Applegreen service station in Creeslough, a small village of around 400 in Ireland’s north-west.

The youngest victim is a five-year-old while two were aged in their teens and the oldest was 59. No further victims were expected to be found.

O’Flaherty, who lived in Rinclevan, Dunfanaghy, will be buried on Wednesday.

Police are still investigating the cause of the blast.

Updated

Marles reiterates Labor’s stance on stage-three tax cuts has ‘been clear’

Prior to the press conference wrapping up, Marles was again asked about the stage-three tax cuts. He reiterated the government’s position had “been clear” and hadn’t changed since the election.

What we have been pointing out in course of the last week is that there are real pressures on the budget going forward. I mean, given rising inflation, every dollar of debt that Peter Dutton has left us is now more expensive. And there is rising pressures on the budget when it comes to health and when it comes to the NDIS, when it comes to defence … which is why it is so important going forward that the quality of our defence spend is excellent and that the management of our defence spend is prudent.

On the budget for the bungled submarine project, he said a process was underway to determine the “optimal path” prior to updated costs being determined.

I mean, we need to know what the platform is that we’re running with. How quickly we can get it. How we can deal with capability gaps. Making sure that we are compliant with our proliferation requirements but cost is important with that. It is from there and we will then be able to place those figures into that.

Conroy added the issue with the last submarine project was the Coalition “lied about the nature of it”.

If you’re going to have a developmental project, if you’re going to have a project that’s still under design, be honest with the Australian people about that and set schedules that reflect that accordingly.

Unfortunately, the last government, whether it was Peter Dutton or other ministers, have a track record of saying that a project they’ve committed to is off the shelf … this last government promised the world and delivered very little.

Updated

Getting defence portfolio back on track will take time: Marles

Marles and Conroy are unable to give a guaranteed timeline of when the next defence projects will be finished, but warn once ground is lost, it’s difficult to make it up.

Marles:

After ten years of or the best part of ten years of neglect on the part of the former government, you can’t repair that in a few weeks, in a few months. But I want to be clear that we’ve started the job. Really started the job. And we are absolutely committed to trying to get all of these projects back on track as soon as possible. But I don’t want to understate the significance of that task. And there is the potential for capability gaps. We’ve made that really clear.

Conroy says it’s “very hard” to regain schedule once delays are faced.

The history of defence projects around the world is that it’s very hard to regrow. But, we’re going to try very hard.

Updated

Defence needs to justify ‘every dollar it spends’, Marles says

Guardian Australia’s Daniel Hurst asks a question about the prudent management of the budget portfolio Marles has been touting.

Even with the growth in defence spending, what contribution is defence expected to make to budget savings? And will we expect to see in the budget some deferrals or changes to the schedule of projects in order to make some offsets?

Marles says defence is not “immune from scrutiny” in regards to budget repair and needs to justify “every dollar it spends”, which is why he’s currently fronting the media.

What we’ve had is a decade where that didn’t occur. Where really, you have a government that was trumpeting nothing other than its spend as being the way in which it sought to project itself, rather than actually building capability for this country.

The whole point of the Defence Strategic Review is to apply critical eye against the integrated investment plan, the 10-year schedule of defence investments to make sure that they are fit for purpose … and what we’re announcing today in the face of what we have inherited in the last decade is to put forward a much more activist management of defence procurement.

Pressed again whether that means some projects could be deferred, he reiterates the Defence Strategic Review is underway and he won’t “pre-empt” its findings.

Updated

Australians should expect increased defence spending, Marles says

Marles is asked about what Australian taxpayers should expect with the budget under pressure and the defence budget heading towards 2.2%.

He says the the Defence Strategic Review is “undertaking the assessment of what the shape of our defence force should be given a very different set of strategic circumstances which the country now faces”. Bit of a mouthful!

And Australians should expect increased defence spending.

We do see that given the strategic threat that the country faces, we will have a raising defence budget going forward. It’s why it’s really important that every dollar of defence spending a managed in an excellent way. It’s why it’s important that the quality of the defence spend is put first and foremost in the thinking of government and that we focus on that. And we are completely committed to that.

Updated

Marles says monthly reports on projects of concern will not be publicly released

But “all the mechanisms by which defence is held to account” will continue to occur through forums like Senate estimates.

There are real challenges for our nation going ahead. Now, we’re confident that we can meet those challenges. We’re confident that we can get projects back on track. But we don’t want to underestimate the size of the task and it’s very important that the Australian people understand that.

Updated

‘Our focus is on the outcome of projects’: Marles

Now to questions. Marles is asked about his emphasis the shortfalls aren’t the fault of the department of defence. So, if there’s further delay or blowout, is that all on Labor? And don’t cultural problems place accountability on the department itself?

Marles says Labor accepts responsibility and culture starts “from the top”.

We accept the responsibility of government and we do so going forward. No ifs, no buts about all of that. And it’s not ultimately for departments to stand here and accept responsibility for government performance. It’s ministers and we understand that’s what it is to be a minister. We also believe that culture starts from the top. And we’re really confident that with a change of culture, where our focus is not on press releases and demanding of the department to produce press releases on a daily basis. But actually, our focus is on the outcome of projects.

Updated

Conroy announces six ‘critical reforms’ to improve defence project delivery

They are:

  • The independent project management office.

  • The monthly projects of concern updates to ministers.

  • A formal criteria and early warning indicators for problem projects.

  • Changing the culture of defence.

  • Providing greater resources to projects in trouble.

  • And convening regular ministerial summits so that ministers will be involved again in this process.

Updated

‘Goldfish lasted longer than Coalition defence ministers’, minister for defence says

Minister for defence Pat Conroy is up.

He says with defence ministers under the Coalition lasting around 18 months, “goldfish lasted longer than Coalition defence ministers”.

The last government failed in its job of ministerial oversight and energy. Failed in its job of actually overseeing this process, bringing defence and industry together to resolve these challenging areas. Because the truth is that defence procurement is complex. It is challenging. And that’s why you need defence ministers that are engaged, that are actively working every day to advance the interests of the Australian people and the ADF.

Conroy says a key indicator was the lack of oversight of defence ministers, pointing to the six ministerial summits to resolve problem projects under the past Labor government.

In the first nine years of the Coalition government, including Peter Dutton’s time as defence minister, there were a paltry six summits in nine years … on the projects of concern process ... the last Labor government in six years listed 21 projects as projects of concern. The last Liberal government … listed four projects. And ladies and gentlemen, these projects weren’t getting easier. They only listed four. Not because the projects were getting simpler. They listed four because they did not care about doing their daily job.

They did not care. They were asleep at the wheel and that’s why we’ve seen cumulative delays of 97 years across these 28 projects.

Updated

Defence budget will grow in the future: Marles

Marles says the project failures comes at a time when Australia’s strategic circumstances are “very complex and extremely challenging”. He foreshadows the growth of the defence budget in the medium to long-term in light of this.

In a rational world, defence spending is a function of strategic threat, and we are rational people. We do expect that the defence budget will grow over the medium to long-term, which is why the budget needs to be managed in an excellent way where we focus on the quality of defence spending so that we achieve the highest capability as soon as possible.

He says this will be achieved by “getting back to basics” including establishing an independent project office, seeking monthly reports and “having clear and objective criteria” by which projects are placed upon the projects of interest and the projects of concern list.

We are going to actively manage defence procurement after the last decade of negligence on the part of the former government. And I want to be clear on one point – this is not the fault of the Department of Defence. This is not the fault of Australian defence industry. They are fantastic and do a wonderful job in serving the national interest. What we have seen is a complete failure of leadership by the former Coalition government and we intend to rectify that.

Updated

Marles calls on Dutton to 'answer for' defence shortfall revelations

Deputy prime minister Richard Marles is fronting the media in Canberra following the revelation 28 defence projects were running at an accumulated total of 97 years overtime under the Coalition – to a shortfall of $6.5bn.

Marles says when it comes to defence procurement, the former government was “one of the worst” in Australia’s history.

As our government has come to office, we have inherited a defence procurement mess. A complete mess … what we had with the former government was a government that was totally focused on press releases and announcements on hoopla and vaudeville, but when it came to defence management, they were one of the worst governments in our nation’s history. And not least because we saw six, really seven, defence ministers in nine years. The last of whom was the opposition leader, and he needs to answer for this.

Updated

Tamboran Resources cut fences to access property owned by pastoral company, Beetaloo inquiry reveals

In the Beetaloo inquiry, Tamboran Resources has confirmed the company cut fences to access a property owned by a pastoral company it has been in a legal dispute with over land access.

But Tamboran’s chief executive, Joel Riddle, said it was “categorically false we’ve done anything to pressure anyone”.

Tamboran has been locked in a dispute with Rallen Australia, one of the nation’s biggest pastoral landholders.

Rallen has steadfastly opposed Tamboran’s plans to frack on its land resulting in Tamboran taking the matter to the Northern Territory’s Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

Under questioning from the Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young, Riddle told this morning’s hearing the company respected “the rights and views of all pastoralists in the Beetaloo”.

Hanson-Young:

Cutting someone’s fence doesn’t sound like respectful relations.

Riddle:

Respectfully, that is within the regulations so we were abiding by the law in doing that.

Earlier in the hearing, Riddle claimed reserves like the Beetaloo were “critical’ to lowering greenhouse gas emissions because they were “low CO2 reserves”.

Riddle said:

The Beetaloo today is Australia’s greatest emissions reduction opportunity.

In its submission to the inquiry, Tamboran called on the federal government to rewrite its climate change legislation to abandon the “unattainable” objective of trying to limit global heating to 1.5C.

Riddle told the hearing the Beetaloo would provide “critical feedstock” for industrial processes and it was “simple reality” it should be urgently developed.

Updated

New legislation on how to safeguard the Safeguard Mechanism

Energy and climate minister Chris Bowen has also told the AFR summit that he will release the draft legislation today on how the so-called Safeguard Mechanism will generate credits.

A reminder this mechanism was the “cunning plan” by then Liberal environment minister Greg Hunt that was intended to ensure Australia’s big carbon polluters didn’t keep lifting emissions while the Abbott government was shelling out billions of dollars to various schemes to cut emissions. (Spoiler: the mechanism was never enforced, so industrial carbon emissions kept rising.)

“Today, I am releasing draft legislation which will enable the Safeguard Mechanism to provide credits to those large industrial facilities which come in under their baseline,” Bowen said in his speech. (Those credits, if traded, might even hint at a (gasp) carbon price.)

This creates a key financial incentive for Safeguard facilities to make the step
changes needed to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

Consultation on the draft bill will last about three weeks, and Bowen plans to
introduce the Safeguard Mechanism Credits Bill into parliament in November.

One issue of interest is whether firms will be able to buy credits from overseas. To this end, Bowen says integrity of the credits (are they based on real emission reductions?) will be a priority.

Even strong advocates of the use of international credits recognise that we are several years off being able to assert that these requirements can be met. And so, I will continue to consider the legislative framework around international credits as part of the consultation and design process for our Safeguard reforms.

Hold your horses, in other words. With a review of domestic credits under way too by former chief scientist Ian Chubb, this is a policy issue that will get a lot more scrutiny in the not too distant future.

Labor sees the bill as an echo of the Coalition’s, but the question is whether they will support it now they are in opposition. Watch this space.

Updated

Don’t blame renewables for energy price hikes, Bowen says

Chris Bowen, the federal energy and climate minister, is speaking this morning at an AFR conference in Sydney.

As is usual, Bowen tees off at the “lost decade” of energy policy, and the fact there are only 86 months to achieve an “energy revolution” before 2030.

He also has a crack at those blaming renewable energy for the looming energy crisis in Europe and rising energy prices everywhere.

Federal energy and climate minister Chris Bowen.
Federal energy and climate minister Chris Bowen. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP

I’ve seen plenty of right-wing commentators in Australia say that what we are seeing in Europe is the result of moving to renewables too quickly.

This is the latest catch-cry of those who seek to deny and delay action in Australia, like we haven’t had enough denial and delay in Australia over the last ten years.

He says this was one of the risks from the European crisis: “That this fundamentally dishonest narrative takes a hold.”

“The European energy crisis wasn’t caused by renewables – it was caused by the withdrawal of one source of fuel from one country,” Bowen says, aiming a barb at Russia and its leader, a certain Vlad Putin. “Run by one war criminal.”

The price of gas in Europe is around nine times that of renewables, and yet some geniuses argue the problem is too much reliance on renewables.

Updated

Perth, let’s gooo.

Tamboran Resources fronts Senate inquiry into gas exploration in Beetaloo Basin

Lisa Cox has the latest in Canberra, where Tamboran Resources has fronted a Senate inquiry into gas exploration and production in the Beetaloo Basin after refusing to appear at hearings earlier this year.

The company’s chief executive, Joel Riddle, has been grilled by the Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young about a $7.5m grant the company received from the previous government.

Riddle told the senate committee Tamboran had applied for three times that amount – a total of three grants of $7.5m each for three separate wells – but was only eligible for one of the grants due to legal challenges that resulted in delays for two of the wells.

He said the company had received $4.2m of the grant so far as a rebate for drilling activity. Riddle said the $7.5m made a “material” difference to Tamboran’s operations because it allowed the company to offset about 25% of the drilling costs.

Hanson-Young:

Do you think the taxpayer should have to cover 25% of an operation like yours?

Riddle:

I think the merits of the grant scheme is in the hands of parliament.

Hanson-Young:

Are you saying you couldn’t get a loan of $7.5m to cover the gap?

Riddle:

Capital raising is something I’m very focused on and it’s very challenging for a non-producing facility like Tamboran.

Riddle said the company was one of the few operators in the Beetaloo “that have no revenue, no cash flow”.

Hanson-Young said although the company was in a “difficult spot” that did not mean taxpayers should have to fund it.

I come from the view of if you can’t do it maybe you should be looking at your project. Not everybody gets a subsidy.

Updated

Also happening today … Labor has backed the former Coalition government in supporting development of the resource-rich Beetaloo Basin, about 500km south-east of Darwin.

The previous federal government helped speed up gas exploration in the basin by handing tens of millions of dollars to fracking companies to incentivise exploration as part of its so-called “gas-led recovery”.

Read more from Christopher Knaus here:

Updated

Greens leader blasts Labor’s ‘craven’ decision to back tax cuts

Over in the Greens camp, they are still not loving the tax cuts, to put it mildly.

Greens leader Adam Bandt said the “craven” decision to back the cuts in their first budget would increase cost of living pressures and erode social democracy, warning the party would not back austerity measures to help the federal government fund stage-three cuts for high income earners.

The cost of living crisis will get worse because Labor is giving tax cuts to politicians and billionaires instead of getting dental into Medicare and making childcare free. Labor can’t cry poor in this budget while spending over $243bn on tax cuts for the wealthy.

Labor’s flat tax nightmare is tearing down social democracy, ripping money from public services to pay for $9,000 tax cuts for politicians and billionaires. With the public, unions and welfare groups all opposed to these tax cuts for the wealthy, the Greens will fight to make sure Labor’s craven capitulation is short-lived.

Greens leader Adam Bandt.
Greens leader Adam Bandt. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

Updated

Haines welcomes ‘broader conversation’ about tax reform

Haines was also asked about the controversial stage-three tax cuts.

She wasn’t as strong as fellow independent MP Dai Le, who this morning called for them to be abandoned, but said she welcomed discussion taking place.

We see challenges across the globe when it comes to our global economy. Australia is not immune to that. We’ve had calls for reform in our taxation system for many, many years. So, I think … the prime minister has made it clear there will be no changes to his policy. We won’t see that in this particular budget. But I welcome a broader conversation about how to reform our taxation system more broadly.

When I first came to parliament in 2019, I had real concerns about the stage-three tax cuts to be putting that into legislation so far out from when they would be applied. It didn’t seem prudent to me. In terms of the constituents I represent, there’s not a lot of people in that high-income tax bracket. However, there’s room to move potentially in adjusting some of these tax cuts for middle income people. Low income people most certainly. But what I want to see is evidence-based discussion and the opportunity to do broader reform in our taxation system.

Speaking of 2019:

Updated

‘It’s time for this to stop’: independent MP on parties abusing taxpayer money for political ads

Independent MP Helen Haines is appearing on ABC News following the release of a Grattan Institute report today which found nearly a quarter of tax-payer funded advertising spending is politicised.

She said the findings were “disturbing” and integrity in government is bigger than the upcoming anti-corruption commission. Last week, Haines was appointed deputy chair of the Joint Committee on National Anti-Corruption Commission Legislation – a significant move as an independent MP.

I think taxpayers expect that their money is spent in the public interest. And when we hear that around $50m per year in government advertising is more likely directed towards political purposes than the public good, then cynicism rises and that’s bad, public trust is diminished and confidence in government is diminished.

Haines said public funds needed to be spent in the public good, to promote positive messages like Covid health advice and flood watch information.

It’s time for this to stop. I think what we’ve seen is a pattern of behaviour that’s the same irrespective of who is in government … we’ve seen diminishing trust in public officials over a long period of time. This kind of political advertising only reinforces that.

The Grattan report has put forward some recommendations. One of which is that there’s an independent panel that assesses government advertising. I think that’s an idea with really good merit. When each government is umpire of its own behaviour it’s clear they’re not really playing by the rules the public expects.

Updated

Homelessness rose by 10% in NSW since pandemic began, report shows

Homelessness has increased by around 10% in New South Wales since the pandemic began, estimated to cost the economy between $524.5m and $2.5bn over the next six years.

That’s according to a new report released today, which found there has been an additional 3,700 homeless people in the state since 2020, with more people seeking assistance from specialist services.

The report, released by Impact Economic and Policy and commissioned by peak homelessness bodies, suggested 54,000 households have entered or experienced a worsening in housing stress since the start of the pandemic.

NSW Council of Social Service CEO Joanna Quilty said urgent action was needed to address housing stress:

The past two years of major disruptions brought by fires, floods and the pandemic have exposed the underlying failures of housing policy in NSW and across Australia. It is a disgrace that in Australia, a place that was once considered the ‘Lucky Country’, we have soaring rates of housing stress and homelessness while cost of living pressures continue to mount.

Aboriginal Community Housing Industry Association CEO Lisa Sampson said grassroots Aboriginal organisations needed an adequate seat at the table.

The report found there’s an overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians experiencing seeking assistance. Almost 30% of clients of specialist homelessness services in NSW are Aboriginal, compared to representing 3.4% of the overall population.

Aboriginal families, their communities and Aboriginal community-controlled organisations banded together to help one another through the successive crises … support needs to be channelled through Aboriginal community-controlled grassroots organisations. Empowerment requires meaningful contribution by all levels of government, investment in Aboriginal-led housing development … along with the simultaneous dismantling of deeply embedded systemic barriers.

The report recommends the NSW government should build an additional 5,000 social housing units annually, implement stamp duty and tenancy reform and commit to an increase in rental assistance.

Updated

This is Gunnedah today. As the rainfall recedes, rivers are continuing to fill.

Updated

Almost 30,000 affordable homes set to expire over next four years, report finds

Australia is set to lose almost 30,000 affordable properties over the next four years, putting greater pressure on the housing crisis, a report has found.

The federal government’s most recent quarterly report on the scrapped National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS) revealed 27,422 allocations will expire by 2026.

The scheme – which subsidises housing providers to rent out properties for at least 20% below market rates – was set up in 2008 but scrapped by the Abbott government in 2014.

A housing subdivision on the outskirts of Wollongong.
A housing subdivision on the outskirts of Wollongong. Photograph: William West/AFP/Getty Images

Queensland will be hardest hit by the final phasing out of the scheme, losing 6,999 affordable properties by 2024 and 7,602 by 2026. NSW will lose 5,178 allocations, Victoria will lose 4,366 and Western Australia will lose 4,656.

Everybody’s Home national spokesperson Kate Colvin said greater action must be taken now to alleviate the housing crisis.

An Everybody’s Home Budget position paper released today says at least 25,000 new social housing dwellings are needed annually across Australia to help end the crisis.

Despite being one of the richest nations in the world, Australia is facing a full-blown housing crisis with more than a million low-income Aussies living in housing stress. Since the start of the Covid pandemic, rents have increased 26%, hitting record highs in many suburbs.

The winding down of the National Rental Affordability Scheme will see Australia lose almost 30,000 affordable homes, effectively negating any impact of the Housing Australia Future Fund. We welcome the Fund as a great start, but all the evidence shows that much more is needed if we are to give low and modest income Australians the stability and security they need.

Updated

Record low grid demand meets record high renewables

Westerman notes that some recent records have fallen, such as a record 64% share of electricity in the national electricity grid “just a few days ago”. That was up two percentage points on the previous record ... and came even before we’re far into the “warming months” when rooftop PV comes into its own.

In WA, renewables last January hit over 79% renewables at one point in January, mostly due to that rooftop solar, Westerman said.

These figures are up there with any power system in the world.

On the other hand, with so much DIY electricity being produced, demand in the national electricity market fell to just 12.5GW recently, 400MW lower than the last record. Rooftop solar was contributing 42% of total demand, he said. And the Perth grid has recorded a minimum demand of just 742MW.

Updated

Capacity market in the mix, maybe

Interestingly, Aemo’s boss Daniel Westerman has continued to back in a “capacity market”, despite the proposal getting a lukewarm reception after the most recent meeting of federal and state energy ministers in August.

He told the AFR summit:

As variable renewable energy becomes the mainstay of our electricity generation, investors will struggle further with the inherent volatility of wholesale prices, and customers will baulk at long periods of elevated pricing.

This is why the Energy Security Board has recommended a capacity mechanism, to send a clear market signal for investment in firming capacity, and I’m delighted to see Energy Ministers and officials leaning in to this strongly.

In summary, a capacity market would pay generators to have a minimum amount of spare capability to turn off in a crunch time, such as during the June near-miss of power outages.

But they might be “leaning in” but that’s not the same as supporting such a capacity mechanism.

I believe that the design of any capacity mechanism needs a mature conversation between governments, industry and consumers.

In the question and answer period, he said he remained “confident” such a plan could be implemented. With several energy ministers due to speak today at the conference, including the federal one Chris Bowen, we should get an update about how that “mature” chat is proceeding.

Updated

Pat Conroy blames Morrison government for ‘chaotic’ admin of defence projects

The minister for defence industry, Pat Conroy, has blamed the turnover in defence minister under the former government for “chaotic” administration of defence projects.

The comments come as the government releases new analysis suggesting 28 major projects were running behind schedule – or cumulatively 97 years late – including the Hunter Class frigates, offshore patrol vessels and the battlefield command system.

Additionally, the government said 18 projects were running over budget with “at least $6.5bn of variations from the approved budgets identified”. This figure was based on a comparison with the amount set aside when the projects gained “second pass” approval from ministers.

Australian defence industry minister Pat Conroy.
Australian defence industry minister Pat Conroy. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

Conroy said:

Under the former Liberal government, critical defence projects have been bungled, face long delays and have failed to deliver promised capabilities – from Battlefield Airlifters which can’t fly into battlefields to helicopters which can’t shoot their weapons.

The Morrison government’s bungling has meant ADF personnel have not been getting the equipment they need to do their jobs and Australia risks gaps in its defence capability.

The former Liberal government had six defence ministers in nine years and under this chaotic administration of the defence portfolio they cut promised defence investments, failed to deliver projects on time and delivered platforms which can’t do the job.

The Albanese Labor government will address this legacy by making reforms to improve the performance of defence capability acquisition projects.

We are likely to hear more from Conroy and the defence minister, Richard Marles, in Canberra later today.

Here’s the story so far:

Updated

SES warns NSW not to get complacent as 105 flood warnings remain

There are currently 105 flood warnings across New South Wales.

SES commissioner Carlene York told 2GB this morning there were 12 flood rescues overnight, warning the community against complacency due to a reprieve in the rain.

We’re seeing flash flooding and serious riverine flooding rising. Just because it’s not raining, it doesn’t mean those rivers aren’t rising – water is still flowing into our catchment areas.

The SES issued new evacuation orders overnight for low-lying areas along the Hawkesbury River and an evacuation centre has been established at North Richmond, while flooding continues further west and south.

Moderate to heavy rainfall since Saturday caused significant river level rises across the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley triggering moderate flooding at North Richmond and Windsor and minor flooding at Penrith and Sackville.

– with AAP

NSW SES Wyong unit volunteers assisted the local community with the dangers associated with driving through flood water in NSW.
NSW SES Wyong unit volunteers assisted the local community with the dangers associated with driving through flood water in NSW. Photograph: NSW SES

Updated

Penny Wong to meet with India’s external affairs minister today

India’s external affairs minister, Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, is in Canberra today for a meeting with the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong.

They are scheduled to meet at 10am AEDT and there are expectations of a press conference later in the morning. Jaishankar has flown to Australia after a visit to New Zealand.

Updated

Energy regulator lays out challenges for the power grid

The AFR is hosting an energy and climate conference in Sydney this morning.

Daniel Westerman is the head of the Australian Energy Market Operator, and kicked off the event with the scale of the challenge:

At least five coal-fired power stations are set to close between now and 2030, and we expect the pressures on other coal-fired generators to result in further closure announcements in line with the ISP’s Step Change scenario.

To replace this energy, Australia needs to install 45 gigawatts of new supply by 2030, or about three-quarters of the capacity of the national electricity market (that serves about 80% of the nation’s populace), he said.

Around 36GW should be from renewable generation like solar and wind, and 9GW from new firming capacity like pumped hydro, batteries, and gas generation, to unlock those renewables.

And how are we going with new capacity?

In the last financial year, 29 projects representing nearly 4GW of new generation, achieved market registration in the NEM. That’s 1GW more than the previous year, and nearly 2GW more than the year before that.

But with the scale of what’s needed, we’ve still got a way to go ... things have to quicken quite a bit.

Updated

Stage-three tax cuts an ‘opportunity’ for Labor: independent MP Dai Le

Meanwhile, independent MP Dai Le was on the Today show this morning chatting news of the day, including growing debate over the controversial stage-three tax cuts.

Le said she didn’t support the cuts, fated to cost $243bn over the next 10 years.

That’s $24.3bn a year. And that’s giving those who are on very high income benefits, whereas – I’ll go back to this issue again of giving relief to working class families in western Sydney and in areas like Fowler where I’ve been asking the government and they’ve been adamant not to give relief from the fuel excise, it will cost $3bn. Yet they are prepared to stick by the $24.3bn to those who are on very high incomes.

Asked how a broken promise would look politically, she said “as we know many parliamentarians do tend to break election promises”.

The Labor party was very much opposed to the stage-three tax cuts when they went to the election in 2019. Now it gives them an opportunity – I mean they have assessed the economic situation now … the families are struggling. Across Australia, they are struggling to put food on the table, to go to the pump to fuel up their car, to takes their kids to school and go to work.

Independent member for Fowler Dai Le.
Independent member for Fowler Dai Le. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Updated

Major parties ‘weaponising’ taxpayer-funded ads for political gain, report finds

Major parties routinely abuse taxpayer-funded advertising, co-opting public information campaigns for political purposes, AAP reports:

A Grattan Institute report found nearly one-quarter of the federal government’s annual $200m advertising outlay went towards politicised messages.

During the past 13 years, the amount spent federally on advertising that lauded government achievements was worth $630m, the report says.

The institute says the issue exists on both sides of politics and at state and federal levels. Among the 10 most politicised federal advertising campaigns during the past 13 years, half came from Labor and the other half from Coalition governments.

Grattan Institute chief executive Danielle Wood, the report’s lead author, said the research showed Australians couldn’t rely on the goodwill of government ministers to stop public money being spent for political purposes:

Weaponising taxpayer-funded advertising for political advantage wastes public money, undermines trust in politicians and democracy, and creates an uneven playing field in elections. It’s time to ensure that taxpayer-funded advertising is solely for the benefit of the public, not politicians.

The report recommends tougher rules at state and federal levels to stop governments abusing the use of advertising. Campaigns should only be allowed when they encouraged specific actions, while those that only promoted policies or programs without a call to action should be banned.

Updated

‘It’s time to move on now’: Tanya Plibersek on Andrew Thorburn saga

On Sunrise, environment minister Tanya Plibersek was asked about a war of words between Victoria premier Daniel Andrews and Andrew Thorburn, the would-be CEO of Essendon who resigned following criticism about his role as chairman of City on a Hill.

His church has famously denounced homosexuality and compared abortions to the operation of concentration camps. Andrews said there was “no place for bigotry” under the veil of religion or otherwise.

When it comes to rampant homophobia, when I lead the pride march every year, I do that with a sense of genuine concern, support and commitment.

Plibersek said Andrews had a “right to his opinion”, falling short of echoing it.

I think the important thing here is that the fellow in question has resigned from the position, it really is a matter for the football club. It seems like they are moving on from a national perspective, the government is committed to making sure that we introduce religious discrimination laws, as we said we would. I think it’s time to move on now.

Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce, who appeared alongside the minister, said Thornburn had been “very badly treated”.

I think that his personal views should be separated from the overarching views of the church that he is involved with … I’m in the Catholic Church, it doesn’t mean I believe in every tenet of the Catholic Church. This is completely out of order and Mr Thorburn should get his job back. The whole thing looks like a total mess.

Updated

‘I regret not calling it out earlier’: Julia Gillard on sexism in parliament

Former prime minister Julia Gillard has been appearing in the media this morning on the 10-year anniversary of her seminal speech on misogyny.

She told the Today show she specifically regretted not calling out sexism in parliament, and the media, earlier during her time as Labor leader.

I think you always look back and think I could have done this or not. I tried to do as much as I could as prime minister in the sense that every day was precious, every day we were trying to drive big reforms forward. On sexism and misogyny I specifically regret not calling it out earlier.

I had thought when I first became prime minister that the maximum reaction to me being the first woman would be in the early days and it would wash away … I was clearly wrong on that. Knowing what I know now it was going to gather and get worse. Potentially if I called it out earlier it could have been a bit easier. You never get to run the control test in politics.

When Gillard left parliament, she said it would be easier for the next woman. She told RN she was “still optimistic”, though a decade later, she has been followed by several white men.

I think things have changed, I think it’s impossible to imagine a prominent woman in Australian politics would be called the things I was without it having huge negative consequences today … but we’ve still got a way to go.

Updated

The ground is ‘completely saturated’: NSW deputy premier

NSW deputy premier Paul Toole appeared on the Today show this morning from Bathurst.

He said the greatest areas of concern were around Dubbo, Wagga and the Hawkesbury area, with the state not out of the woods yet.

We’ve also got Forbes that is under a watch this morning as well because we are continuing to see rivers rise and flood waters continuing down in that part of the world so we want people to be on alert because they still may get door-knocked by the SES, may be asked to leave their homes and evacuate to higher areas.

The ground at the moment is completely saturated. It doesn’t take much rainfall or some of the storms to land in the right areas to see our rivers rising very quickly and we’re talking about another front coming through on Wednesday so people need to make sure they are prepared in case they are going to experience some flooding.

NSW SES deployed to assist with flood operations in Dubbo, NSW.
NSW SES deployed to assist with flood operations in Dubbo, NSW. Photograph: NSW SES

Updated

Fluoride in drinking water is safe, research shows

Having fluoride in your town’s drinking water is safe and does not affect a child’s development, research out of Queensland has shown and AAP reports.

Emotional and behavioural development, memory and self control were the same in children who drank fluoridated water and those who did not, a University of Queensland study found.

The longitudinal study released on Monday assessed 2,682 children between the ages of five and 10 from Australia’s National Child Oral Health study, following up with them seven to eight years later.

Some children lived in postcodes with fluoridated water and some did not. Participants were measured for their emotional and behavioural development, and their executive functioning development.

The study found drinking tap water with fluoride does not hinder a child’s emotional or behavioural development, with no difference detected between children who lived in the different postcodes. It also found there was no difference in the development of their higher functions.

The findings, an Australian first, mean drinking fluoridated water is safe, and supports the continuation and expansion of the country’s fluoridation program. About 90% of the country’s water has fluoride added to it, although only 71% of Queensland councils use fluoride.

Updated

Risk of major flooding in coming days remains, BoM says

Dean Narramore from the Bureau of Meteorology appeared on ABC News Breakfast this morning to discuss heavy falls over the weekend.

He said there were widespread falls of 30 to 50mm across “much of” northern and eastern New South Wales, while between Newcastle and Ulladulla widespread falls of 50 to 100mm lashed the coast.

Some of the highest falls [were] around the Illawarra area, of up to 120mm. Thankfully all that rain now has eased but … our focus is now shifting towards the middle and latter part of this week.

We have up to eight rivers right now in major flooding and just because the rain has stopped doesn’t mean the threat has eased as the water is heading to our rivers and streams. We saw it peak yesterday in the Dubbo area, but in the coming days we’re looking downstream of Tamworth, downstream also towards the Forbes area, we could see major flooding in the coming days and also for communities downstream of Dubbo on the Macquarie, also the Namoi as well as the Peel as well as the Belubula and particularly the Lachlan and the upper regions of the Murrumbidgee.

Narramore said the rain to set in from Wednesday would hit Victoria particularly hard.

The focus with this event looks to be through much of northern Tasmania, northern Victoria and southern New South Wales. But it is another big event. We’re looking at widespread 50 to 80 mm over a couple of days, particularly northern Tasmania, northern Victoria as well with isolated falls up to 100 mm. Now, these two states are also very wet so we’re likely to see lots of moderate and possibly major flooding in these states towards the end of the week.

Updated

Marles was also asked if the department would drop any of the 28 projects that have blown out in delays. He said a review was underway.

Updated

Waste in defence ‘must come to a stop’: Marles

Marles is asked how the revelations on defence will impact the upcoming October budget, already under pressure amid cost of living strains and rising inflation.

What delays in the projects do is create capability gaps but there is the potential for financial implications as you try to find a resolution for those capability gaps.

We know that defence spending is increasing, we know it represents one of the medium to long-term pressures on the budget and what that long-term requires is the quality of spending needs to be excellent.

As for whether this would impact the government’s commitment to the stage-three tax cuts, Marles said “our position on tax is well known and our position has not changed since the election”.

I don’t think we could’ve been clearer than that, we’ve been making the point that the budget is under pressure … with rising inflation, every dollar of debt that has been left to us by the former government is costing more but it’s under pressure in particular areas of spend … defence is one of those rising costs [and] the waste that we’ve seen in defence must come to a stop.

Updated

‘A failure of the former government’: deputy PM on the $6.5bn defence shortfall

Deputy prime minister Richard Marles is appearing on ABC RN discussing the defence shortfall of $6.5bn revealed today.

The government said 28 major projects were running behind schedule – or cumulatively 97 years late – including the Hunter Class frigates, offshore patrol vessels and the battlefield command system.

Deputy prime minister Richard Marles.
Deputy prime minister Richard Marles. Photograph: Jono Searle/AAP

What it reflects is we’ve inherited a complete mess from the former government, a government very focused on announcements … when it came to the delivery of projects they were one of the worst government’s we’ve seen … it was all about talking, not about doing and what that’s resulted in is a combined 28 projects 90 years behind schedule.

Asked how Marles would get the delivery back on track, he said the government would “actively manage” the projects and “get back to basics”, citing monthly reports and objective criteria.

We just need that management, we need much better hands on management from government. This is a failure of the former government … we need to be focused on capability, we cannot afford capability gaps.

Updated

More than 100 flood warnings still in place across NSW

There remain more than 100 flood warnings in place across New South Wales, including 50 “Watch & Act” listings.

There were more than 1,000 calls for assistance over the weekend, while the ADF remains on call to assist the State Emergency Service. It’s been the busiest 12 months on record for the agency.

Updated

Good morning

The reprieve from rainfall in New South Wales will be short-lived as emergency services minister Steph Cooke warns the state to prepare for another lashing to hit from Wednesday.

Flood waters are still threatening lives, with a number of evacuation orders listed over the weekend forcing residents to flee their homes across the Lachlan and Hawkesbury rivers. Thousands of others are bracing to leave if ordered.

There were 28 rescues performed by the State Emergency Services in the 24 hours to Sunday afternoon, the majority for people who attempted to drive through flood waters. Cook warned the state not to “be deceived” by sunshine as rivers continued to rise.

Meanwhile, the federal government will today reveal defence projects have blown out by at least $6.5bn, placing even greater pressure on the upcoming budget. It says 28 major defence projects are running behind schedule – or cumulatively 97 years late – including offshore patrol vessels and the battlefield command system.

The findings have led the government to implement new reforms, requiring monthly reports and “early warning” rules to keep future projects on schedule.

In Covid news, Australians over 18 can get Moderna’s Omicron-specific vaccine from today, three months after a previous vaccine or infection. The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (Atagi) last month recommended the combined booster, which is comprised of vaccines against the original Sars virus and the Omicron subvariant.

Caitlin Cassidy here to guide you through today’s news. You can reach me on Twitter at @caitecassidy, or send me an email at caitlin.cassidy@theguardian.com. Let’s get cracking.

Updated

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Why do dogs sniff each other's butts?
And like dogs, why do cats also sniff fellow felines' behinds?
LiveScience
LiveScience
‘Be in awe’: everything you need to know about the US cicada-geddon
The emergence of trillions of cicadas is under way in parts of the US – what should you do when they’re around, and what on earth are ‘zombie’ cicadas?
The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
'Zillow Gone Wild' brings wacky real estate listings to HGTV
Zillow Gone Wild started in 2020 as an Instagram account devoted to eccentric property listings. The show focuses on homes that defy everyday expectations in some way.
WEKU
WEKU
Happy Cinco de Mayo: What are its origins, and how is the celebration observed in the U.S.?
Observed every May 5th, the holiday provides a unique opportunity to connect with Latino heritage
Latin Times
Latin Times
Ditzy, unfiltered: why Drew Barrymore is Hollywood’s great survivor
The troubled child actor turned chatshow host faces flak for her toe-curling interview with Kamala Harris. But oversharing is all part of her shtick
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Britain’s most overrated food? No chance … fish and chips is a marvel
So a Michelin-starred chef said he loathed our one truly globally renowned dish. I beg to differ
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play