What we learned – Thursday 20 November
And with that, we are going to put the blog to bed. Before we go, let’s recap the big headlines:
The Liberal leader, Sussan Ley, will set out her priorities on defence preparedness and energy security in a speech to the Menzies Institute tonight. Ley will also focus on Australia’s role in resolving tensions within our region but warns Australia will have to “credibly deter others” from using force by increasing Australia’s military power and honour commitments it has made to defend friends and allies.
Tropical Cyclone Fina has intensified into a category 2 weather system and turned south towards the Northern Territory coast. Communities were preparing for it to hit.
Australian Facebook and Instagram users under 16 will be notified starting Thursday that their accounts will be deactivated by 10 December, as Meta begins to comply with the Albanese government’s social media ban.
Turkey will host the Cop31 climate conference after the Australian government dropped its push to hold the event in Adelaide at the last moment despite having launched a more than three-year campaign.
A lack of suitable jobs and a trend towards insecure work is locking hundreds of thousands of people in poverty, according to a new report that finds there are 39 jobseekers for every entry-level position in Australia.
The South Australia premier, Peter Malinauskas, complained of “frankly obscene” process that ended in Cop31 going to Turkey instead of Adelaide.
NSW police sprayed an 87-year-old with capsicum spray at a south-west Sydney aged care home yesterday.
ACT police arrested an Indigenous teenager on a bus at gunpoint last week and allegedly “slammed him on to the ground” before realising they had apprehended the wrong person.
The NSW opposition leader, Mark Speakman, stood down as leader of the NSW Liberals, after a day of drama in which he resisted moderate colleagues’ urgings to resign. The party’s health spokesperson, Kellie Sloane, is expected to succeed him as leader when the party room meets.
Thank you for spending part of your day with us. We will be back tomorrow to do it all again.
Updated
Kellie Sloane thanks Mark Speakman for leadership, endorsement
Kellie Sloane has thanked Mark Speakman for his endorsement of her candidacy for the leadership of the NSW Liberal party following his resignation, and confirmed she will nominate for the vacant position tomorrow.
In a statement shared to journalists just now, she says:
“I have enormous respect for Mark and thank him for his leadership of our party. I appreciate his endorsement of me this evening.”
Sloane says she will not make further comment until after the Liberal party room meeting to decide the new leader tomorrow morning.
Updated
The Northern Territory land councils have also used a Senate inquiry examining proposed nature law reforms to call for an expansion of the federal water trigger.
The existing water trigger requires the environment minister to consider the impacts of large coal mining, coal seam gas and unconventional gas projects on water resources.
The land councils argue it should be expanded to include other “thirsty mega projects”, including large agricultural and horticultural projects.
The NT is facing a large expansion of these types of projects. Traditional owners have taken a legal challenge to the largest ever groundwater licence granted in the territory to the high court.
The licence would allow fruit and vegetable operation Fortune Agribusiness to extract up to 40,000 megalitres of groundwater a year from aquifers under Singleton Station, near Tennant Creek.
Georgia Stewart from the Central Land Council said:
From our perspective, inland Australia is really protected by groundwater in particular, and that’s at a landscape level.
And at the moment, we have projects in the Northern Territory lined up to extract large quantities of water. In the case of Singleton, the largest ever extraction of water … it’s not a coal seam gas and it’s not a fracking project, but it’s an intensive horticulture project.
Updated
The Queensland Labor MP Nikki Boyd has apologised for giving the premier the finger during question time.
Boyd said:
Speaker, I’d like to take this opportunity to address the matter that occurred this morning. I’ve spoken to the leader of the opposition about my conduct, and he has made it clear to me that he has far higher expectations of me and all of our team.
As champions of our local communities in this house, it is unacceptable. While I withdrew twice this morning and withdrew from the chamber at the speaker’s direction, I will always take full responsibility for my actions in this chamber, and I unreservedly apologise to the premier, the house and all honorable members for any offence caused.
Government MPs accused Boyd of making an “obscene gesture” and “flipping the bird” to the premier, David Crisafulli. She was kicked out of parliament for an hour.
Boyd has been an MP for 10 years, served as the minister for fire and disaster recovery and the minister for corrective services last year and is currently a shadow minister.
Updated
The deputy CEO of the Tiwi Islands Regional Council, Heidi Dorn, has just been speaking on the ABC. Earlier, authorities in Darwin had said there was a cyclone shelter in every area, but Dorn said there were none on the islands.
The tropical lows and cyclones are not new to Tiwi, but it’s definitely, quite alarming when we don’t have a cyclone shelter, or anything like that, on both islands at the moment.
Although everyone’s calm, it’s making everyone a little bit nervous.
She said the community was preparing, cutting tree branches that were weak, and stocking up on supplies.
Updated
Georgie Purcell alleges she was sexually harassed in Victorian parliament
The Victorian Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell, in a parliamentary debate on proposed laws to restrict non-disclosure agreements in workplaces, has alleged she was sexually harassed in the state’s parliament.
Without naming anyone, Purcell alleged the harassment occurred while she was working as a political staffer and as a politician. Purcell was first elected to Victoria’s parliament in 2022.
Speaking in the upper house, she said:
I have been sexually harassed in parliament on multiple occasions … It was my very first year as a staffer, when I was just 26 years old.
I will never forget in those early months when someone came into my office for a discussion and I bent over to get something from the fridge and he remarked to me, in my member of parliament’s office, ‘If you do that again, I won’t be responsible for what happens next.’
For me, in my experience with someone else in this place, it was the late-night messages, the harassing phone calls, the harassing texts, the bombardment of digital contact, the knocks on our doors when we cannot see who is on the other side.
Purcell said she had reported sexual harassment while she was an MP and said this quickly spread through parliament:
The immediate questions were: ‘What did she expect? Look how she dresses. Look at the tattoos. Look at her past. You can’t sexually harass the stripper.’ I heard the whispers when I walked past in the hallway.
The specific timeframe of the allegations and the outcome of the report was not specified.
Victoria’s nation-first proposal to curb the use of NDAs in the workplace is designed to prevent victim-survivors from being silenced.
Updated
Land councils oppose Albanese nature fast-track laws
Northern Territory land councils have criticised an Albanese government plan to fast-track approvals for projects under national nature laws.
The land councils were appearing before a Senate committee examining legislation to reform the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.
Under the proposed reforms, three methods for assessing projects under the existing laws would be replaced with a new streamlined method that would see developments approved within 30 days.
Grassroots organisations have already expressed concern that the proposal reduces transparency and community consultation.
Dr Josephine Douglas, the policy manager at the Central Land Council, said the proposal was a significant change that would see less information about projects made available to the public and reduce the opportunity for communities to have a say. Douglas said:
For this reason, land councils do not support the proposal for undemocratic, streamlined assessment processes, especially for fossil fuel projects.
We want to see engagement with traditional owners on projects that affect them, their country and the environment. And it has to be genuine, and it needs to be tailored to the impacts of a project and the cultural concerns of each particular group.
The Central Land Council also said it was disappointed that the land councils were the only Indigenous organisations that were appearing at the hearings before the bills were expected to be debated by the Senate next week.
Updated
Speakman says Gen Z expect action on cost of living and environment
Speakman says he “just isn’t getting the oxygen”:
This is about addressing the centre ground issues that matter to people and what matters to people at the moment.
Most of all is the cost of living. A huge component of that is housing affordability. But Gen Z expects my generation to leave their world in a better place than we have it, and that involves environmental stewardship and responsibility, not denying science with your head in the sand.
And it also involves making sure that they are not the first generation worse off than their parents, and they can’t afford a home.
Updated
Speakman says stewardship of environment should be part of conservative ethos
Speakman says the NSW Liberals have strong policies – having helped pass the housing reform, back public transport and supporting Net Zero.
If you want to be a conservative, you can’t just be a conservative on economics or on institutions. You should be conservative on the environment as well.
And having that custodianship and that stewardship of the environment has to be part of our message to young people, not only as a matter of politics, but because it is the right thing to do.
Updated
Speakman says it is ‘impossible to get clear air’ with him as leader
Speakman:
Notwithstanding my best efforts, it has now reached the point where it is impossible to get clear air, no matter what policy announcements I make, no matter how ambitious I am, to make sure that the Liberal party engages with Gen Z, engages with the multicultural community, and engages with women.
There is just too much white noise that interferes with that message. And I will never get the clean air that’s needed.
Kellie Sloane will be a fantastic leader if selected by the Parliamentary Liberal party. She is someone of enormous talent.
Updated
Speakman said he is not fully sure who will put their hand up to run tomorrow, but Kellie Sloan will have his support:
I don’t know who will be the candidates for the Liberal Party leader tomorrow at a party room meeting, which I hope will be convened. I know Kellie Sloan will be one of those candidates.
Kellie spoke with me this afternoon and indicated to me as she wished to take the leadership. She believed that the interests of the party would be best served if she took the reins, and I have reluctantly agreed that that is so.
Mark Speakman stands down as NSW opposition leader and endorses Kellie Sloane as successor
The NSW opposition leader, Mark Speakman, has stood down as leader of the NSW Coalition, after a day of drama in which he resisted moderate colleagues’ urgings to resign.
The party’s health spokesperson, Kellie Sloane, is expected to succeed him as leader when the party room meets.
Speakman said he was endorsing Sloane to succeed him.
“Even a few hours is a long time in politics. I was on radio saying I was staying as leader. By this afternoon some had come forward saying she wanted to be leader of the Liberal party.”
Updated
Mark Speakman: ‘A day is a long time in politics’
The NSW opposition leader, Mark Speakman is up:
A day is a long time in politics. Half a day is a long time in politics. And even a few hours are a long time in politics. This morning the sun was shining, the birds were chirping, the jacarandas were blooming and I was on breakfast radio and on TV and saying that I would be continuing as Liberal party leader at that stage.
No alternative candidate had come forward to tell me they wanted to be the leader. No colleague had said to me they thought it would be better if I resigned. But as I said, a day or even half a day or a few hours is a long time in politics.
He says by this afternoon, there was at least one person who wanted to challenge.
Updated
NSW Liberals leader to hold press conference
The NSW opposition leader, Mark Speakman, has just announced he will hold a press conference at 5pm, where he is expected to stand down following leadership speculation swirling throughout the day in Macquarie Street.
Updated
Lock the Gate protester interrupts
The national coordinator of the Lock the Gate organisation has disrupted environmental minister Murray Watt’s speech about nature law reform at the Queensland press club today.
Ellen Roberts jumped onstage with a sign that said “Watt’s laws fast track coal and gas”.
Security removed Roberts from the stage and escorted her out of the press club venue.
Roberts said she was drawing attention to the Albanese government’s environment reforms, which she said mean mining projects will be assessed via streamlined assessment and quicker development pathways without considering climate impacts and exclude the community. She said:
Murray Watt is limbering up to do a dirty deal on these laws which will fast-track coal and gas projects and gut protections for the water that farmers and regional communities rely on.
Lock the Gate Alliance and the vast majority of other environment groups have been locked out of Murray Watt’s consultations with big business over these laws that take us backwards.
These proposed reforms fail nature and they fail Australia, and Murray Watt knows it
Updated
ACT police arrested teenager at gunpoint before realising it was the wrong person
ACT police arrested an Indigenous teenager on a bus at gunpoint last week and allegedly “slammed him onto the ground” before realising they had apprehended the wrong person.
The teenager’s family labelled the incident during a press conference on Thursday “a gross violation of a child’s human rights”.
The family said police had handcuffed the teenager before realising they had the wrong person:
Even after realising they had the wrong boy, they still searched him - a terrified child who kept saying ‘I didn’t do anything’.
The police had been searching for a 15 year old boy after an armed robbery and multiple attempted carjackings in Woden last Monday. After he was found, he was charged with three counts of attempted aggravated robbery, and one count each of intentionally wounding, common assault, and possessing a knife without a reasonable excuse.
Police in their media release about the incident said:
“Police stopped a Transport Canberra bus after receiving information that the teenager was onboard, but he was not able to be located.
The independent MP for Kurranjong, Thomas Emerson, called for an investigation into the wrongful arrest of the 17-year-old. He said:
I acknowledge police have a difficult job to do, but apprehending an innocent Aboriginal child at gunpoint was not part of the job.
Updated
ACCC says ‘magic sand’ suppliers should bear cost of disposing of them
The consumer regulator says businesses that supplied the children’s sand products at risk of asbestos contamination should cover the cost of disposing of them.
Several ranges of children’s sand products sold at major retailers including Officeworks, Target and Kmart have been recalled in the past week after testing of samples found they contained asbestos.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has instructed people with any of the products to stop using them immediately.
Sand should be placed in a heavy-duty plastic bag, double taped securely and kept away from children, the ACCC said.
While it typically costs people an additional fee to dispose of asbestos in a tip or landfill site, the consumer watchdog has now confirmed it expects the sand suppliers to foot the bill:
The businesses that supplied the children’s sand products are responsible for recalling them, which includes providing suitable remedies to consumers.
The ACCC expects the suppliers’ remedies to include assistance with disposing of the goods appropriately or providing reimbursement of any reasonable costs.
Updated
NSW police used capsicum spray to subdue 87-year-old at Sydney nursing home
NSW police sprayed an 87-year-old with capsicum spray at a south-west Sydney aged care home yesterday.
In a statement, NSW police said they were called to an aged care facility in the local area in response to concern for the welfare of a resident at just before 8pm on Wednesday.
The man had reportedly threatened to harm other residents and himself while armed with a metal object, swinging it at staff who locked themselves in a room.
Upon arrival, officers located him in the foyer, still armed with the metal ornament. He refused police direction to put it down and OC spray was deployed.
The man was restrained and assessed by NSW ambulance paramedics before being taken to Campbelltown hospital for assessment.
Police are expected to address media this afternoon with more information.
Updated
Emergency services say not to move once emergency warning stage reached
The emergency chief officer, Wayne Snell:
People should consider not moving into their motor vehicles and not moving around the city once we get to the emergency warning stage with the Australian alert system.
If people do need to move as part of their [emergency] plan … or as part of their preparations to move, they need to do that at the watch and act stage, which is an orange alert.
Updated
Residents warned to prepare but not panic
Engels said people living in the areas in the cyclone path should not panic, but be prepared:
Get your cyclone kit ready. Have your plan ready. Keep following the BoM tracker map.
She said there is a shelter in each community.
Updated
Engels said no evacuations had been announced yet:
We’re continuing to monitor and receive advice and we will advise on evacuations if it gets to that point.
We don’t have a definitive time frame for evacuation. It will just depend on the information that we have in front of us.
Minjilang, Warruwi and Tiwi Islands on priority list as cyclone nears coast
Superintendent Kirsten Engels is now speaking:
We’re working on a number of priority areas. Our focus is starting on those highest-risk areas of Minjilang and Warruwi.
We have ... police on the ground at both of these areas. And we are working with the local emergency committee there. The people on the ground are meeting with them regularly. Our next ... priority is looking at the Tiwi Islands, followed by Darwin.
Updated
Authorities issue update on Cyclone Fina
In the NT, authorities are giving an update on Cyclone Fina. Jude Scott from the BoM:
Tropical cyclone Fina remains a slow-moving category two system. It’s currently around 200km north of the Cobourg peninsula, around 400km north-east of Darwin.
Scott said Fina could still become a category three cyclone as it hits land. Darwin is now in the cyclone watch area.
And that’s because there’s a risk of gales on Saturday, probably from later in the morning into the afternoon.
The degree to which Darwin will be impacted depends on the track. If the track hugs the Tiwi island coast then the impacts will be less on Darwin. If the track moves closer to the mainland, the North Australian coast, then Darwin is likely to see the impacts of cyclone during Saturday.
Updated
We are expecting an update from authorities in the NT in the next few minutes – I will bring you that as soon as they are up.
Election sign wars could be coming to an end
The days of endless election posters at polling booths could be numbered, with the Labor Party’s NSW secretary proposing to a federal parliamentary committee that there be a limit on the number of corflutes at each location.
George Simon, secretary of NSW Labor, appeared before the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters (Jscem) today.
Commenting on what many election observers said was a major escalation in tension at polling booths in 2025, Simon claimed there were up to 30 people volunteering for each party at some poll stations and up to 100 A-frame signs set up.
He claimed some election volunteers were left “intimidated and harassed at the scale of canvassing”, and that the volume of signage and the intensity of some election campaigning had “contributed to the degradation of the voting experience for ordinary voters”.
At some hotly-contested booths, Simon claimed, volunteers camped out from the middle of the night to place their signs in prime locations and ripped posters of their opponents.
Simon suggested the committee could consider limiting signage per candidate per booth.
The committee chair, Labor MP Jerome Laxale, said the committee would consider the matter, including the environmental impact of producing many thousands of election signs – usually on thick plastic material.
“It is clear from the evidence we’ve received to date, that voter experience at the 2025 election was negatively impacted by the influx of certain third parties who chose to campaign in an aggressive and intimidatory manner,” Laxale told Guardian Australia:
While the dressing of polling places is an important part of raising awareness of candidates and election, evidence shows us that 2025 took that to a dangerous level.
Aside from the obvious environmental benefits to restrictions on signage, NSW Labor’s evidence will help us consider this matter further as we make recommendations to government.
Updated
That’s all from me! The great Cait Kelly will pick up the blog from here. Take care!
Child sex abuse survivors ask Queensland attorney general to allow them to sue institutions
Victims of child sex abuse have lobbied the Queensland attorney-general to overturn a high court ruling blocking them from suing institutions for vicarious liability.
The high court last year ruled that the Catholic church was not legally responsible for the actions of a priest.
The opposition leader, Steven Miles, used question time to call for the attorney general, Deb Frecklington, to introduce laws overturning the ruling by the end of the year. Frecklington said:
We know that it is vitally important that we consider this in an appropriate manner because of the implications of the decision that has on both common law and the duty of care.
Equally, it is important that responses to the decision are carefully considered. Any reforms will undoubtedly impact the survivors of child sex abuse. Therefore, the ramifications of future reforms must be thoughtfully developed, not add to further trauma for victims.
The Crisafulli government will continue to consider the decision, consult with our other jurisdictions to ensure we avoid unintended consequences and represent the views of all Queenslanders.
She went on to accuse the opposition of playing politics.
Updated
Teen cricketer killed during practice farewelled in Melbourne
Ben Austin, a 17-year-old cricketer who died in Melbourne last month after he was struck in the neck with a ball during practice, was farewelled during a public funeral earlier today.
One of Austin’s friends spoke at the event before a hearse being Ben’s coffin completed a lap around Junction Oval in his honour. His friend said:
Ben was the type of person who would sacrifice anything for you. He would always put your best interests before his, and for that he was the best friend I could ask for.
As I look back on all the great memories, the thing I remember the most is that man’s cheeky smile and him running around as if there’s no worries in life. He would bring a different energy to the game. Even though we were both on opposing teams, he would always wish the best for me.
At the end of the ceremony, Ben’s father, Jace, asked the crowd to sing the Collingwood song to honour his son’s love of the team.
“You were our entire world, Benny,” his father said, per the Herald Sun. “Thanks for choosing mum and me to come on your tour. But what a tour it was.”
There will be a private service for the family.
Queensland Labor MP kicked out of parliament for allegedly ‘flipping the bird’
A Labor MP has been kicked out of parliament after government MP accused her of “flipping the bird” to the premier.
During question time premier David Crisafulli accused Nikki Boyd of making an “unparliamentary gesture” towards him .
Boyd didn’t admit to the allegation but agreed to withdraw, effectively an apology.
Several government members claimed to have seen the gesture, with the deputy premier, Jarrod Bleijie, describing it as “disorderly conduct”.
The minister for youth justice, Laura Gerber, added to the accusation by specifying that Boyd had given a one-finger salute:
We wouldn’t tolerate gestures like that in our detention centers. Youth in our detention centers are not allowed to flip people the bird, for the member for Pine Rivers to flip the premier of the bird during question time.
Boyd was already on a warning for interjections and so was excluded from parliament for an hour by the speaker, Pat Weir. Weir said he would also review the tape of the parliamentary sitting.
Updated
The Ashes: what you need to know about the 2025-26 series in Australia
Calling all cricket fans!
When will the 2025 Ashes start? What is the rest of the Ashes schedule? What happens if the series is drawn?
You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers. Take a look:
Melissa McIntosh says full list of phones unable to connect to triple-zero network ‘has not been communicated clearly’
Melissa McIntosh, the shadow minister for communication, just spoke in Sydney to inform Australians about a broader list of mobile phones that will be unable to connect to the triple zero network without an update, or at all if they are older models.
Her comments come after a Sydney resident and Lebara customer died after a triple zero call didn’t work on an older Samsung phone connected to the Vodafone network. NSW Ambulance was later contacted via an alternate phone connection after the initial call failed, and responded immediately.
TPG, Optus and Telstra sent out advisories in October that some older devices would have difficulties access the triple zero network, warning they had 28-35 days to update or change devices. Customers should be individually contacted that they have an affected phone.
McIntosh said new lists published by Vodafone show a broader range of devices that are impacted, including some older iPhones and two Huawei handsets.
She said:
Why am I standing here, letting the Australian public know this very important safety alert? It’s because it has not been communicated clearly or articulately to Australians, and it must be. …
The Minister for Communications should certainly be doing more, and this is why I’ve said all along that ACMA, as the regulator, should not be the investigator when it comes to looking into what’s been going on with the 000 network.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority has previously warned Australians about older Samsung devices.
Updated
Zali Steggall ‘disappointed’ Australia dropped bid to host Cop31
Zali Steggall, the teal Independent MP for Warringah, said she is “disappointed” that Australia dropped its bid to host the Cop summit next year, which should said would have “highlighted the existential risk climate change poses to Pacific nations”.
Steggall said in a statement:
It would also have shone a spotlight on the federal government’s climate policy, putting pressure on it to do more and be better. Australians, especially younger generations, want the government to show real climate leadership on the global stage after decades of delay and lack of ambition. …
Regardless of whether Australia co-hosts COP31, we must continue to accelerate the transition to a clean and safe future. That includes phasing out coal and gas, stopping the approval of new fossil fuel projects, and investing in climate adaptation to ensure communities can cope with the challenges ahead.
She added that the Liberal party’s “backflip” on net zero targets “sends the wrong message to investors and shows it has no credibility on climate and energy policy”.
Updated
What’s happening with the NSW Liberals?
The Liberal side of politics remains in turmoil in NSW at lunchtime with the opposition leader, Mark Speakman, refusing to go gently into the night.
He’s now scheduled media interviews for this afternoon and there are rumours he has asked for a further two weeks before the party room considers the leadership issue.
So far, only one Liberal MP, Wendy Tuckerman, the MP for Goulburn, has openly called for a spill of the top job. But many others, including senior members of Speakman’s own moderate faction, have privately expressed the view he should resign to make way for fellow moderate Kellie Sloane.
As leader, Speakman can determine the timing of a party meeting.
Updated
NSW Health issues new measles alert for Sydney, says it’s likely disease is ‘currently circulating’
A person in Sydney has been diagnosed with measles despite having no known contact with someone infected, and not attending any known exposure locations.
It has prompted NSW Health to urge people across Sydney to be alert for signs and symptoms.
With the source of the infection unknown, it is likely measles is currently circulating within the community, and other people may have been unknowingly exposed, a statement from NSW Health said.
Last week NSW Health advised that a person with measles attended a number of locations across Sydney which were reported on the NSW Health website, and urged people to watch for symptoms such as fever, sore eyes, runny nose and a cough, usually followed a few days later by a red, blotchy rash that can affect the whole body.
South Western Sydney Local Health District director of public health, Dr Mitchell Smith, said everyone should check that they are protected against measles, which is highly infectious and vaccine-preventable.
For more information on measles view the measles factsheet.
Telegram drops eSafety legal challenge
Messaging app Telegram has dropped a federal court challenge to a notice eSafety issued last year that resulted in the company being issued with a fine notice of nearly $1m in February.
The regulator had sought Telegram to explain what steps it had taken to address terrorist and child exploitation material on the platform, but Telegram did not respond until nearly 160 days after the deadline, leading to eSafety issuing the filing.
Telegram challenged the reporting notice in the federal court in April, arguing it was not a “provider” of the Telegram messenger app and not required to respond to the reporting notice.
eSafety welcomed the decision by Telegram to discontinue the case, and said it was “considering its options” to enforce compliance with the reporting notice.
Updated
Buckle up, it’s likely going to be an extra-long parliamentary sitting week next week
Next week is the last sitting week of parliament for the year, and we’ve heard that Labor MPs have been told to book their flights for Friday, rather than the usual Thursday, because MPs could end up sitting late on Thursday night AND again on Friday morning.
The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation legislation (EPBC) will be the big one up for debate in the Senate. The government is adamant it has to go through parliament before the end of the year.
There are still two possible pathways, one with the Greens and one with the Coalition, and negotiations are ongoing, but there will likely be a lot of amendments that go through the Senate, which means it will have to come back to the House again (hence the expectation that there will be an extra sitting on Friday morning for that final passage).
In the last sitting week of the last term of parliament, before the government called an election, the House was also called to sit on Friday morning.
Updated
Papua New Guinea ‘not happy’ as Australia cedes Cop31 hosting to Turkey
Papua New Guinea has voiced frustration after Australia ditched a bid to co-host next year’s UN climate talks with its Pacific island neighbours, AFP has reported.
The country’s foreign minister, Justin Tkatchenko, told AFP after Australia ceded hosting rights to Turkey:
We are all not happy. And [we are] disappointed it’s ended up like this.
Australia had been pushing to host Cop31 next year alongside South Pacific nations, which are increasingly threatened by rising seas and climate-fuelled disasters. Tkatchenko on Thursday lashed the entire Cop summit process as a waste of time:
It’s just a talkfest and doesn’t hold the big polluters accountable
What has Cop achieved over the years? Nothing.
Updated
SA premier complains of 'frankly obscene' process that ended in Cop31 going to Turkey instead of Adelaide
South Australia is where Peter Malinauskas has been speaking about Australia not hosting Cop. He said he fought for it to be held in Adelaide, and after “a couple of years of effort”, SA won the right to host Cop if it was held in the country.
I understand the position the prime minister has taken. He has taken a position to try and navigate the frankly obscene process that exists internationally.
Of course, we did our best and South Australia, we won the host rights to be the host city in the event we won the rights internationally. They fell short and we accept that and we press on to pursue other opportunities for the state.
Updated
Greens say failure to secure Cop in Adelaide a missed opportunity for Australia
The Greens are using the news over the Cop negotiations to lambaste the government’s support for coal and gas companies and lament the lost opportunity for the country.
Larissa Waters, the leader of the Greens, said in a statement this morning:
This is an embarrassing outcome, but it was clear from the start that the government didn’t really want to host a climate summit. The Prime Minister never really wanted to host a climate conference if it meant being honest about the future of coal and gas while his mining corporation mates are watching.
If COP came to Australia, it would have been a good opportunity for the world’s leaders to grill Labor for their terrible track record on climate action.
Sarah Hanson-Young, the Greens’ environment spokesperson, said:
As the first person to call for the COP to be in Adelaide I am deeply disappointed the Government has failed to secure the COP. This is a huge missed opportunity for the country and my home state. We are living the harsh reality of the climate crisis with the toxic algal bloom on our doorstep, yet we are leaders in the renewables transition.
This is a climate failure for the Albanese government. The Government has let South Australians down, let Australia down and let our Pacific neighbours down.
Albanese says result of Cop negotiations an ‘outstanding outcome’, despite event being held in Turkey next year
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is explaining the thoughts behind Australia’s decision to abandon its bid to host the next Cop summit and providing more details about the country’s role.
Albanese said Turkey will host the Cop and have the Cop presidency, but Australia would have the Cop presidency for negotiations in the lead-up to the conference and there will also be a pre-Cop meeting held in the Pacific.
He said:
That will enable us to invite world leaders to make sure that the issues confronting this region, the very existence of island states such as Tuvalu and Kiribati, the issue of our oceans – all of those issues will be front and centre so it’s an outstanding outcome. I congratulate minister Bowen on the work that he has done.
The prime minister added that he is “very pleased” with the outcome despite maintaining for weeks that Australia would continue to fight for the right to host the event in Adelaide next year.
Australia, by having the Cop presidency for negotiations, will be in a very strong position, and some might argue in the strongest-possible position because we will benefit from having Pacific issues and the issues confronting Australia that we know Australia’s particularly vulnerable for the extreme weather events which we are seeing more intense and more frequent.
Updated
Australian sharemarket rises after Nvidia impresses with results
The Australia sharemarket is bouncing back after greater confidence in the US tech sector dispelled fears of an AI crash in the short term.
The ASX200 and the All Ordinaries, respectively the top 200 and 500 biggest companies on the market, have both picked up nearly 1% in early trading.
Jitters across global markets had dragged down US and Australian markets in the last month, with the ASX200 losing $200bn in value and hitting its lowest level since early June by Wednesday afternoon, at 8,447. It’s now back at 8,530 points.
The biggest company on the market, Commonwealth Bank, has picked up just over 1%, or about $1.8bn, now valued at $255bn. It had been worth nearly $300bn earlier this month.
Six in every seven businesses are seeing rising or steady share prices, though the tech sector is seeing the biggest increases, up 3.3%, with IT up nearly 5%.
Nvidia, the US tech stock that has led the AI charge, delivered stronger earnings and forecasts than expected this morning, Australian time. The company’s market value had slipped from $5tn to less than $4.4tn in the last month. In the last 12 hours, it has surged more than halfway back, to more than $4.7tn in after-market trading.
Updated
Ley says news Turkey will host next Cop summit should leave Australians ‘very pleased’
The opposition leader, Sussan Ley, says reports that Australia has dropped its bid to host next year’s UN climate summit should leave Australians “very pleased”, just days after the Liberal party formally dumped its net zero by 2050 targets.
Ley, speaking in front of an ice-cream freezer, just told a press briefing:
The fact that this government even considered spending $2bn of taxpayers money on this exercise just goes to show how their priorities are all wrong. Chris Bowen is very disappointed today, I am sure, but Australians should be very pleased with the decision that was taken away from this country and made overseas.
Ley said the Cop summit – which has resulted in landmark climate agreements and pledges to limit greenhouse gas emissions – was a “largely symbolic” event.
What I want from every exercise that this government engages with is a real demonstration of how they are going to bring prices down.
Updated
New Zealand bans puberty blockers for young transgender people
New Zealand has announced it is banning new prescriptions of puberty-blocking drugs for young transgender people, in a move that critics warned could worsen the mental health of those affected.
The step comes amid growing global debate about the number of adolescents seeking to change gender, dividing those concerned about hastiness in prescribing such medications and those worried about access to remedies they deem life-saving.
The health minister, Simeon Brown, said doctors would no longer be able to prescribe gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues for gender dysphoria or incongruence to those seeking treatment for the conditions and not already on the drugs.
Read more here:
Updated
Victoria police searching for man who stole car then allegedly dumped baby in a box in the car park
Victoria police are searching for a man who allegedly stole a car, realised a baby was in the back seat and then removed the infant and placed the child in a box in a car park before driving away.
Police have appealed for information, saying a red Volkswagen was stolen in Shepparton just before 2pm on 14 November. The driver of the vehicle parked in a supermarket car park and “quickly ran into the store”, leaving the baby in the back seat.
An unknown man then allegedly stole the car before noticing the child. Police said:
The offender then realised a baby was in the back seat and removed the baby, placing the child in a box in the car park before driving away.
The victim returned and immediately located the toddler before raising the alarm.
The man is described as in his 20s to 30s, with a slim build and 165cm tall.
Updated
NSW opposition leader refusing to step down
NSW opposition leader, Mark Speakman, is digging in and refusing to step down despite moves to encourage him to resign. He now seems to be indicating that colleagues will need to blast him out of the leadership, possibly as early as this afternoon.
Speakman told 2GB:
Well, Mark Twain once said, ‘The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated’, and that’s exactly the case in New South Wales. I’m the Liberal leader, and I intend to be until the next election.
Asked about a meeting in his office on Wednesday night, when he was visited by three colleagues – Chris Rath, Scott Farlow and James Wallace – Speakman said:
Well, we didn’t talk about the Christmas hamper, but I certainly didn’t get a tap on the shoulder, if that’s what you’re indicating.
Look, what my colleagues and I have to do is keep the focus on this government and stop talking about ourselves. It’s a government that is full of show ponies. The premier in particular, nice guy, but not delivering for New South Wales.
We’re seeing project after project after project started by the Liberals and Nationals. They’re cutting the ribbons, but they’re not coming up with any new ideas of their own. It’s a low vision, low energy, low value government, and we’ve got to keep taking the fight up for Labor.
Updated
More on Australia ending its bid to host the Cop
The Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, had signalled he had changed his messaging on hosting the world’s biggest climate meeting in a press conference in Perth late on Tuesday, local time, when he said his government would not block Turkey’s bid if it was chosen.
Longtime observers at climate negotiations said Albanese’s comments on Tuesday appeared to have undermined the Australia-Pacific bid and left Chis Bowen to sort out the details.
The prime minister’s intervention came just hours after Bowen, the main driver of the Australian bid, declared in a public event and media interview at Cop30 that Australia was “in it to win it” on Cop31.
The country’s position was further muddied by a statement issued by a government spokesperson a few hours after Albanese’s remarks. It said Australia had “the overwhelming support of our peers” and Turkey should not block Australia. It concluded: “But of course we will continue to negotiate with Turkey in good faith for an outcome in the best interests of the Pacific and our national interest.”
Read more here:
Updated
Airlines monitoring volcanic ash after Indonesian eruption, but no disruptions yet
Australian airlines are monitoring ash clouds after Indonesia’s Mount Semeru erupted on Wednesday.
A volcanic ash advisory centre in Darwin has issued a red aviation alert after the eruption, occurring on the highest peak on Java island, which sits just west of Bali. Indonesia’s Geological Agency said the event sent thick columns of hot clouds up to 2km into the air.
Both Qantas and Jetstar are monitoring the situation, but have had no changes to their schedules so far. Any customers affected by the eruption will be contacted directly should that change.
Virgin Australia has not cancelled any flights today.
Updated
Many locked into poverty amid lack of suitable jobs, report finds
A lack of suitable jobs and a trend towards insecure work is locking hundreds of thousands of people in poverty, according to a new report that finds there are 39 jobseekers for every entry-level position in Australia.
Anglicare’s annual Jobs Snapshot found that of those, 25 have barriers to work. This is the highest ratio ever recorded by the Snapshot.
Entry-level jobs now make up just 11% of all vacancies. This is their lowest share in a decade.
Anglicare Australia executive director, Kasy Chambers, says:
All of this shows that people are being failed by a system that treats unemployment as a personal fault instead of a policy failure.
Taxpayers are spending billions of dollars on private employment providers whose business model depends on compliance and punishment. They profit whether or not people find work. Meanwhile, people are stuck in endless appointments and meaningless activities – all while competing for jobs that simply aren’t there.
It’s time to end this failed experiment. The for-profit model has been running for over twenty years, and long-term unemployment has only grown.
Updated
Turkey to host Cop31 climate conference after Australia drops push
Turkey will host the Cop31 climate conference after the Australian government dropped its push to hold the event in Adelaide at the last moment despite having launched a more than three-year campaign.
Independent sources confirmed to the Guardian that the fortnight-long event would be held in Turkey’s Mediterranean resort city of Antalya in November 2026, with the details of a deal being thrashed out between the countries’ climate ministers, Chris Bowen and Murat Kurum, at the Cop30 conference in Brazil this week.
Sources said Australia had proposed an arrangement under which it would take on the Cop presidency and lead the negotiations in return for backing down on the hosting venue.
Updated
South Australian education minister says the impact, and cost, from sand clean-up a big burden for the state
Blair Boyer, South Australia’s education minister, spoke about the heavy impact in schools across the state after the ACCC issued multiple warnings over children’s play sand potentially contaminated with asbestos.
Boyer said more than 400 public schools were affected so far, with crews working to either remove or deep clean facilities where the sand was found. Some schools requiring deep cleaning will likely cost “thousands” to remediate.
He told RN Breakfast:
The impact is big, the cost is big, and of course, the worry is big as well, I think, for people out there who are asking questions about how, in this day and age, products like that can make their way into the country …
I think people are rightfully asking a question about how it can get in, how it can be on the shelves of major retailers like Kmart and Target, and then wind up in not just schools and preschools, but it would be in so many homes right around Australia as well.
Boyer has called for a national inquiry into the matter, saying he’s happy for SA to “lead the way” on that effort.
I’m sure people would like some answers about what we can do to make sure we don’t go through a situation like that again.
Updated
Police appeal for information after three public place shootings overnight in Sydney
NSW police are calling for information after three public place shootings in south-west Sydney overnight.
Police said the first incident took place just after 11.15pm in the suburb of Fairfield, after shots were reportedly fired at a house before a dark SUV lot the scene. No one was injured inside the home.
A second shooting took place about 11.55pm in the suburb of Bossley Park. Police said a single shot was fired at a caravan parked on the street before a white Audi left the scene. No one was injured.
A third shooting took place just before 3am in the suburb of Wetherill Park after shots were fired at a business before a black SUV or ute left the scene. No one was injured in the event.
Police are looking to see if the incidents are connected, or if there are connections to two overnight car fires in Kings Langley and Lalor Park.
Updated
Government reaffirms that best Cop outcome is one that elevates Pacific voices
Pat Conroy, the minister for defence industry, said Australia is still seeking to host the UN climate summit in Adelaide next year, but is being frank with the Australian people that any one country can block a successful bid.
Both Australia and Turkey are vying to host next year’s Conference of the Parties, or Cop, with neither backing down amid a deadlock.
Conroy maintained this morning that all negotiations were about securing the best possible outcome for Pacific nations particularly vulnerable to climate change. He told RN Breakfast:
We’re continuing to negotiate the best possible outcome for progress on climate action and to draw attention to what’s occurring in the Pacific. And so we are still negotiating. We’re still seeking to win the rights to host the Cop in conjunction with the Pacific. But we’re also being frank with the Australian people that the UN framework convention has consensus rules, which means that any one country can block a successful bid.
We’re still seeking to host that Cop, but we’ve been very clear. That our focus is on getting a positive outcome for climate action and highlighting what is going on in the Pacific.
Conroy said Australia would not block Turkey if the country is chosen as the host during the UN process.
We’ve said that we would not veto Turkey if they choose them. They haven’t been chosen yet, but we would not veto it.
Updated
Meta starts notifying Australian teenagers of account shutdowns as social media ban looms
Australian Facebook and Instagram users under 16 will be notified starting Thursday that their accounts will be deactivated by 10 December, as Meta begins to comply with the Albanese government’s social media ban.
Users affected by the ban will receive 14 days’ notice of their pending account deactivation through a combination of in-app messages, email and SMS before their access is cut off.
The ban will affect users on Facebook and Instagram, as well as Threads, as an Instagram account is required to use that platform. Messenger is excluded from the ban – but Meta has had to develop a way for users to keep access to Messenger without a Facebook account as a result of the ban.
Meta will begin stopping access to existing accounts and blocking under-16s from registering new accounts from 4 December, with access removed for all affected accounts by 10 December, the company said.
Read more here:
Tropical Cyclone Fina intensifies into category 2
Tropical Cyclone Fina has intensified into a category 2 weather system and is expected to turn south towards the Northern Territory coast later today.
The Bureau of Meteorology said the warning zone was Cape Don to Warruwi, including Cobourg Peninsula and Minjilang.
The bureau is forecasting the cyclone to make landfall late on Friday and into Saturday, with damaging wind gusts of up to 130km/h forecast for parts of the territory from Thursday.
The bureau’s latest warning, issued at 4.30am AEDT, said:
Destructive wind gusts to 155km/h may develop between Cape Don and Warruwi from Friday as the system nears the coast. Locally heavy rainfall which may lead to flash flooding is possible along coastal areas between the Tiwi Islands and Maningrida from Friday.
A Flood Watch is current for areas across the north-west Top End. Tides may be higher than normal about the Tiwi Islands and between Cape Hotham and Maningrida on high tides from today.
Coastal residents on the Tiwi Islands, and between Cape Hotham and Maningrida, are specifically warned of a dangerous storm tide as the cyclone centre crosses the coast during Friday and Saturday. Tides are likely to rise significantly above the normal high tide, with damaging waves and dangerous flooding.
Read more here:
Updated
Good morning, and happy Thursday. Nick Visser here to pick up the blog. Let’s get to it.
Mark Speakman says ‘boring gets the job done’
In a video posted to Facebook in the last 24 hours, Speakman pointedly addressed the backroom criticism of his low profile, adding that “loyalty, hard work and showing up for people” were the hallmarks of his leadership.
He said:
I don’t believe in showing off. I believe in showing up. That’s why I’m not a show pony. I guess that means I’m a bit boring to some people. You know what? Boring gets the job done!
Speakman has not made himself available to the press for a week and on Wednesday declined to comment on his future as leader.
Meanwhile, Sloane attended the state funeral for radio personality John Laws at St Andrew’s Cathedral and was photographed sitting behind former prime minister John Howard and former premier Nick Greiner.
The shadow attorney general, Alister Henskens, has also expressed an interest in taking the top job but, as a member of the smaller right faction, he does not have the numbers, especially as some key right figures are supporting Sloane.
The other MP who has been touted as a leadership contender, James Griffin, appears to have thrown his weight behind Sloane. He is likely to play a key role in how events unfold over the next couple of days.
One MP said “we really want this to be as clean and painless as possible. Thats why it should happen in the next 48 hours.”
Updated
Speculation over NSW leadership spill continues
The NSW Liberals appear to be inching toward a leadership spill, although no parliamentarian has yet sought a party meeting and the current leader, Mark Speakman, appears to be digging in.
Key senior members of Speakman’s own moderate faction and some senior right figures said yesterday Speakman’s time was up and that the numbers were coalescing around Kellie Sloane, the member for Vaucluse.
The former journalist has proved a strong communicator and, as health spokesperson, has demonstrated an ability to nettle the premier, Chris Minns.
While Sloane has made it clear she wants the top job, she is said to be unwilling to challenge Speakman, which means one of her colleagues will need to approach him.
Sources said the need for change is now seen as urgent because on current polling the Liberals could lose up to 10 seats – and many of those seats were held by moderates, which is currently the dominant faction in NSW.
A rout of the size that current polling implies would leave the faction severely weakened.
In practical terms, it is likely that senior moderates will present Speakman with a letter signed by 11 MPs asking for a meeting to be called. Convention dictates that if a a third of the party room want a meeting, it will be called.
But Speakman is still resisting falling on his sword as his colleagues hope he will do.
Updated
Continuing on from that last post:
Ley will also focus on Australia’s role in resolving tensions within our region but warns Australia will have to “credibly deter others” from using force by increasing Australia’s military power and honour commitments it has made to defend friends and allies.
More broadly, Ley will say that Australia should use its “cultural soft power, economic leverage and diplomatic skill” to peacefully resolve disputes and nurture international dialogue.
But she will also take a veiled swipe at China:
Australia should make its view known that the realisation of one nation’s destiny cannot be through the destruction of another’s.
Australia must be able to credibly deter others from using force. We must make the cost of using aggression too high to endure. We do this through increasing our military power and the commitments we make to defend our friends and allies.
Ley will also say the Coalition would look to uplift national pride so “more Australians believe our nation is worth defending”.
Updated
Ley to outline Coalition’s defence priorities
The Liberal leader, Sussan Ley, will set out her priorities on defence preparedness and energy security in a speech to the Menzies Institute tonight.
After a media blitz spruiking the Coalition’s settled energy policy, which will dump net zero, and while her party sets its policy priorities on immigration, Ley will outline several defence capability gaps Australia should invest in.
Ley will say Australia should have an integrated air and missile defence system, the ability to build, deploy and resupply unmanned and autonomous weapons systems, and develop a greater sovereign capability for satellite connectivity.
We cannot shape our region and the wider world in our interests if we do not strengthen our defence force, hone our intelligence capabilities and have the tough conversations.
Fuel and energy security are among the most important parts of Australia’s preparedness in a conflict or crisis, Ley will say.
She will argue Australia is not prepared for a cyber-attack on the energy grid and that Australia has been “decreasing its energy sovereignty, not strengthening it”, which she will link to the Coalition’s energy policy to expanding domestic gas supply.
Updated
Volcano erupts in Java
Indonesia’s Mount Semeru, the highest peak on Java island, erupted yesterday, blanketing several villages with falling ash, prompting evacuations and leading authorities to raise the alert to the highest level, the Associated Press reports.
Mount Semeru in East Java province unleashed searing clouds of hot ash and a mixture of rock, lava and gas that travelled up to 7km down its slopes several times from midday to dusk, while a thick column of hot clouds rose 2km into the air, Indonesia’s Geology Agency said.
The eruptions that unfolded throughout the day forced authorities to raise the volcano’s alert level twice, from the third-highest level to the highest, the agency said.
No casualties have been reported. More than 300 residents in the three villages most at risk in the district of Lumajang were evacuated to government shelters, said National Disaster Mitigation Agency’s spokesperson Abdul Muhari.
Videos showed ash sweeping through valleys.
Local media reported that authorities are struggling to rescue about 178 people stranded on the 3,676m mountain at the Ranu Kumbolo monitoring post. The group includes 137 climbers, 15 porters, seven guides and six tourism officials, according to an official with the Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park, TNBTS.
“They are currently safe at Ranu Kumbolo monitoring post,” Endrip Wahyutama, a TNBTS spokesperson, said in video statement, adding that the post is located 4.5km from the crater on the northern slope of the mountain, which is not in the path of the hot cloud flow that was observed moving to south-southeast. Bad weather and rain forced them to spend the night there, he said.
Semeru has a history of eruptions, with the last major one in December 2021.
Updated
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then Nick Visser will take the reins.
Tropical Cyclone Fina intensified to a category two storm last night, the Bureau of Meteorology said, and was expected to turn south on Thursday. The storm will bring wind gusts of up to 130km/h along with heavy rainfall and possible flash flooding along coastal areas between the Tiwi Islands and Milingimbi from Friday. Landfall is expected late Friday or early Saturday. A full update coming up.
There has been a big volcanic eruption in Indonesia, on the island of Java. We’ll bring you news of any impacts on flights.
Having spent most of her time on sorting out her energy policy and talking about immigration, Sussan Ley will outline in a speech to the Menzies Institute tonight how she would reform Australia’s defence preparedness and energy security. More coming up.
