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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Luca Ittimani and Nick Visser (earlier)

Monique Ryan to bring private member’s bill to lower voting age – as it happened

Monique Ryan
Independent MP Monique Ryan says she will press the Albanese government to lower the voting age in the coming term of parliament. Photograph: Diego Fedele/AAP

What we learned, Friday 18 July

That’s where we’ll leave our coverage of today’s news. Thanks for staying with us. Here were Friday’s major developments:

Have a great weekend. We’ll be back next week, gearing up for the first sitting of parliament since May’s election.

Updated

Katter warns Australia has ‘no shield, no helmet’ against food insecurity as peanut factories close

Bob Katter has decried the loss of Australia’s food manufacturing capabilities after Bega announced it would close two peanut processing plants.

Bega made the announcement earlier this month that it planned to close its plants in Tolga, in Queensland’s far north, and Kingaroy, 200km north-west of Brisbane, attracting condemnation from local farmers.

Katter, the member for Kennedy, said the loss of farm processing plants was undermining Australia’s food security. He said in a statement:

We are rapidly losing the ability to feed ourselves. When the ports close, or China decides to flick the switch on exports, or international prices go up, we’ll be sitting here naked, with no shield, no helmet, and no food.

The potential loss of a domestic peanut production would follow the collapse of a string of other food and produce industries, Katter said, blaming the lack of government support for farmers’ incomes.

We are the only country on earth that sends our gladiators, our food producers, into the ring without a helmet and shield. The rest of the world? Their farmers are supported to the tune of 41 per cent of their income. In Australia? Four per cent.

You think we’re 36 per cent better farmers than the rest of the world? Give me a break.

Updated

Monique Ryan calls parts of antisemitism envoy’s plan ‘contentious’ and rejects conflating views on Israel with racism

Monique Ryan says Labor should not unilaterally accept the government’s antisemitism envoy’s report, querying whether its recommendations are entirely backed by sufficient evidence.

The independent MP said it was important to fight antisemitism and hear Jewish Australians’ concerns, but discouraged the government from implementing Jillian Segal’s plan to combat antisemitism. She told the ABC:

It’s helpful to get the input of people like Ms Segal, but I don’t think the government should adopt that sort of report unilaterally … I don’t think that we should unilaterally accept any one person’s stance.

Ryan queried whether the report had sufficient evidence and singled out its recommendation that governments adopt a controversial definition of antisemitism that has been accused of conflating Jewish hate with criticism of Israel.

I have some issues with the issues that Ms Segal has raised. I’m not sure the evidence for the statements she has made in her report is there. Some of them are really quite contentious …

I think Australians – and all people, really – should have the ability to have independent views about the actions of foreign governments, be it Israel or other international powers, without that being conflated with forms of racism.

Segal’s plan, released last Thursday, also said governments should consider fighting antisemitism by withholding funding from universities and monitoring media organisations, prompting concerns, including from Australia’s race discrimination commissioner.

Updated

Body found in Snowy Mountains plane wreckage

Police have found the body of a man believed to be the missing pilot of a plane that crashed in the Snowy Mountains earlier this week.

The body was found just before 3pm today, near the crash site. The man is yet to be formally identified and was to be removed from the site this afternoon. A report will be handed to the coroner.

The plane took off from Victoria on Tuesday and never arrived at its intended destination in Moruya, New South Wales.

Search efforts began that day, and a rescue helicopter located the crashed plane in the Snowy Mountains on Thursday afternoon, near Khancoban, less than 300km from the plane’s destination.

Updated

CommBank denies union claims of offshoring jobs to ‘take advantage of cheaper labour’

The Commonwealth Bank has denied sending jobs offshore by making Australian workers redundant, after the finance union announced it would take the bank to court.

The Finance Sector Union (FSU) said Australia’s biggest bank made 304 jobs redundant in June while simultaneously advertising to fill about 100 positions in its Bengaluru-based (formerly Bangalore) subsidiary, CBA India.

About a third of the affected Australian workers held identical job titles to the positions CBA India advertised, the FSU said in a statement. The union’s national secretary, Julia Angrisano, said this indicated the redundant positions were still required but were being moved offshore, which would breach the bank’s enterprise agreement.

Angrisano said:

“By hiring for the same job, at their own Indian subsidiary, they’re showing themselves to have breached the Enterprise Agreement and essentially lied to their workers. This is the very definition of bad faith …

These jobs are not required to be done in India; they’re just moving the work there to take advantage of cheaper labour and further line their own pockets.

CommBank denied it was breaching the enterprise agreement. A spokesperson said the bank had been expanding its workforce in Australia and India and was providing opportunities for domestic staff to reskill and find new roles.

The spokesperson said:

We refute the FSU’s claims and met with them this week to respond in detail and assure them that there is no basis to their allegations.

We have been transparent in communicating workforce shifts with our technology team over the last three years. This includes being explicit about roles which are declining and offering reskilling and upskilling opportunities to people in those roles.

Updated

Monique Ryan to push for lower voting age in Australia after Labor rejects it

Independent MP Monique Ryan says she will press the Albanese government to lower the voting age in the coming term of parliament, as the UK moves to widen the franchise to 16- and 17-year-olds.

Ryan, representative for the Melbourne seat of Kooyong, said she would again put forward a private member’s bill to give older teenagers the vote after pushing for a similar move in the previous term.

Monique Ryan
Monique Ryan believes that politicians should engage young people in the political process. Photograph: Diego Fedele/AAP

She told the ABC that politicians should be working to engage young people in political processes and conversations.

The best way to do that is to enfranchise them, give them a vote, and give them a feeling that government is acting for them and in their best interests …

We want young people to have a say on those things that really matter to them.

After Labor frontbencher Matt Thistlethwaite this afternoon shot down the idea of the Albanese government lowering the age, Ryan pointed to Labor MPs’ historical support for a wider franchise:

When a parliamentary committee looked at this in 2018, Labor was supportive … It is a shame to see they are no longer on board with this idea. I will be pushing it because young people in my electorate tell me that it matters to them.

Read more about the UK’s move here:

Updated

Labor frontbencher shoots down lowering voting age

An Albanese government minister says Labor is “not open” to lowering the voting age after the UK announced it would allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote by the next general election.

The UK Labour government said it would be fairer for older teenagers, many of whom already work and are able to serve in the military.

Matt Thistlethwaite, Australia’s assistant minister for immigration, said the government would not be considering following suit. He told the ABC:

We are not open to it at the moment, it is not our policy. It’s not our policy to lower the voting age.

Thistlethwaite said Australia had achieved a record level of enrolment of young voters at the 2025 election and that the UK proposal was “interesting”.

I think a lot of nations would be looking up what the United Kingdom is exploring doing and see how it does … It is good to see young voices heard.

Updated

Hackers of 5.7m Qantas customer records identify as ‘threat actor group’, court documents reveal

Qantas has told the NSW supreme court that the alleged hackers of its customer data have identified themselves as a specific threat actor group, but the company has suppressed the group’s name.

As part of the court injunction obtained by Qantas against the release of information acquired from the hack of 5.7m customer records, we reported earlier, the court ordered that the documents the airline filed be made available to the media. This gives a little more insight into the hack.

The heavily redacted documents include an affidavit from a Qantas employee outlining that the alleged cybercriminals had self-identified as a certain “threat actor group”. However, the name of the group was redacted from the documents. Qantas sought from the court that the name of the group and the potential motivations of the group be redacted.

It is understood that the tactics used to obtain the data were similar to those employed by the group Scattered Spider, but neither Qantas nor the federal government has confirmed this.

The documents also contain emails from the alleged cybercriminals to Qantas, in which they supplied sample data to the company, and also initially gave the company 72 hours to respond – to what demands is unclear, as that is also redacted.

That deadline passed, but Qantas indicated it had subsequently continued to communicate with the alleged hackers. As of now, there is still no sign that the data has been posted on the dark web.

Updated

Angus Taylor doubles down on call for ‘principled commitment’ to Taiwan security

The shadow defence minister, Angus Taylor, has repeated his calls for Australia to make a “principled commitment” opposing the invasion of Taiwan, saying his statements this week were consistent with the status quo of peace between China and its neighbour.

Taylor had previously said Australia should make “principled commitments” and be “prepared to act” to defend Taiwan from invasion.

The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, refused to make advance commitments to join a conflict in Taiwan while visiting China this week.

Speaking to the ABC this afternoon, Taylor repeated his comments, linking Australia’s policy to its relationship with the US, which he said was committed to opposing an invasion of Taiwan.

What you can do is make principled commitments. The US has said very clearly that they will not stand for a conflict under this governments watch ….

We want to see [peace] right across our region, across the Indo-Pacific. We’re not going to achieve that, unless we have alliances like we have with the United States and … they are invested in, they are nurtured.

Taylor rebuffed repeated questions over whether he had been calling for Australia to make a new commitment to defend Taiwan and denied there was inconsistency between his view and the Coalition’s support for peace in the island.

Making a commitment as a nation to the status quo … includes, of course, peace in the Taiwan Strait and the security of Taiwan.

Updated

Former Treasury chief John Stone dies at 96

John Stone, the high-profile former Treasury secretary, has died aged 96.

Stone was a leading Australian public servant in the 1970s and 1980s, heading up the key federal government department under the Fraser and Hawke governments and working alongside treasurers John Howard and Paul Keating.

He was elected a National Party senator for Queensland in 1987 and served a three-year term. He remained a prominent commentator on Australian politics into the 21st century.

Guardian Australia understands Stone died on Thursday. The Nightly reported Stone had been diagnosed with leukaemia in recent years.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott paid tribute to Stone in a post on X. Abbott wrote:

The passing of John Stone AO leaves Australia bereft of one of its most unflinchingly courageous public intellectuals. He died yesterday, at home, with his family by his side, aged 96 …

John was perhaps our most prominent contrarian: someone who exposed the orthodoxies of the day to withering and fearless scrutiny, saying what he believed needed to be said but that almost no one else would …

John was a public servant in the truest sense: totally loyal to our country, but wanting it to be all it could be, and frank and fearless in pointing that out.

Abbott also paid tribute to Stone’s family, including his son, Andrew Stone, who served as a top economic adviser to Abbott and, more recently, to former Liberal leader Peter Dutton.

Updated

Families of children allegedly sexually abused by Joshua Dale Brown to pursue civil case against childcare giant G8 Education

Three Melbourne families whose children were allegedly abused by accused sex offender Joshua Dale Brown are preparing to take civil legal action against G8 Education, with the first claim expected to be filed as early as next week.

Law firm Arnold Thomas & Becker has announced it is preparing three separate lawsuits against Creative Garden Early Learning Centre in Point Cook, which is operated by childcare giant G8 Education.

Police have alleged that Brown sexually abused eight children, aged between five months and two years, while employed at the centre. He has yet to enter a plea, and the case is still in the early stages of the criminal justice process.

Principal lawyer Jodie Harris said the firm would begin civil legal proceedings in the supreme court “pretty immediately”.

She said the firm had been approached by more than 250 families across the 23 centres Brown had worked in. This included three families whose children attended additional centres announced by police this week:

We are acting for three families whose children attended Milestones Early Learning Greensborough, one from Milestones Early Learning in Tarneit and one family linked to Kids Academy Waratah Estate in Mickleham.

These families, like many others, are dealing with distress and uncertainty following the revelations ... Some families are unable to return to work because they can no longer entrust their children to childcare.

Updated

Dolphin carcass found on Adelaide beach amid SA’s toxic algal bloom crisis

A dolphin carcass has washed up on an Adelaide beach as the toxic algal bloom afflicting South Australia’s coast continues.

The dolphin’s body was found on Seacliff Beach, in the city’s inner south, and collected by the state’s national parks and wildlife on Thursday morning.

An autopsy would be performed to investigate the cause of death, including potential effects of algal bloom as well as the role of rough seas and storms, according to a spokesperson for the state’s Department for Environment and Water.

The deadly bloom of Karenia mikimotoi algae has devastated marine life along South Australia’s coastline since March and arrived on Adelaide’s beaches in late June. You can read more here:

As public concern deepens, the state government has increased surveillance of marine ecosystems with water sampling and patrols, expanding the number of test locations from 14 to 17 in the last fortnight.

The algal bloom had been detected at sites, including the Port River, which is home to the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary. Dolphins in the sanctuary were not believed to be at immediate risk, but water testing was continuing, the department said in a separate statement.

Updated

Thanks to Nick Visser for taking us through today’s breaking news around the country. I’ll be with you for the rest of today.

That’s all from me. Luca Ittimani will be your news guide for the rest of the day. Take care, and have a nice weekend.

Man charged over alleged theft of 53 right-footed shoes

Police have charged a Queensland man over the alleged theft of 53 right-footed shoes from a shopping centre earlier this month.

Authorities said the man, 49, allegedly entered the shopping centre in Kenmore on 7 July and removed the shoes, which had been stored in a shared commercial space.

The man has since been charged with one count of “enter premises and commit an indictable offence”. He was due to appear in court today. Det Sr Sgt Brendan Blyth said in a statement:

It’s not every day you come across a case involving the theft of 53 right shoes. While the incident may be a bit unique and different in nature, it’s a reminder that our officers take all reports seriously.

All 53 shoes have since been returned.

Updated

NSW and Victoria trial new cross-border emergency communications

A new communication system designed to help emergency officials respond to disasters that cross state borders, such as bushfires and floods, will be trialled in New South Wales and Victoria.

The trial later this year will enable first responders to switch between the states’ radio networks to better coordinate during emergencies occurring across their borders.

The new plan will enable responders to operate on the same radio network, eliminating the need to carry two radios on different channels at once. During the trial, crews’ radios will automatically connect to the local network without ever having to change devices or settings.

The NSW government said that it was an important factor in emergencies where teams from several agencies and states worked together. It added that service was essential during this year’s Tropical Cyclone Alfred, which knocked out part of Queensland’s radio infrastructure. Emergency teams were able to seamlessly use the NSW network instead during that disaster and continue their work.

Jihad Dib, the NSW minister for emergency services, said:

State borders shouldn’t be a barrier to public safety. This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to ensuring first responders have the tools to keep communities safe and connected.

Updated

150m years old and critically endangered: an assassin spider stalks its prey – video

Updated

Smoke alarm forces Qantas plane bound for Port Macquarie to return to Sydney

A Qantas plane was turned back to Sydney shortly after takeoff after a smoke alarm activated inside the aircraft.

Port Macquarie-bound Qantas flight QF2160 left Sydney airport about 8.35am today. A smoke alarm activated shortly afterwards, and while no smoke was seen inside the cabin, the plane turned around and landed in Sydney about 45 minutes later as a precaution.

All passengers on board have since been accommodated on other flights.

Updated

Greens accuse Labor of ‘toxic ties to the gas industry’ after Woodside board member invited to roundtable

A Woodside Energy board member has been invited to the federal treasurer’s ‘economic reform’ roundtable, prompting rebuke from the Greens this afternoon.

Jim Chalmers’ latest round of invitations to next month’s meeting includes Ben Wyatt, a former WA treasurer and now Woodside board member.

Steph Hodgins-May, the Greens’ spokesperson for climate and energy, said the nod showed “just how deep Labor’s toxic ties to the gas industry run”, adding the energy company had been handed “a gilded seat at the table shaping Australia’s economic future”.

Hodgins-May said:

We’ll never get serious climate action while gas giants like Woodside help write the rules, and Labor keeps the revolving door open for them.

The Labor government recently approved an extension of Woodside’s contentious North West shelf gas development. You can read more about that decision here:

Updated

Police charge alleged ‘slab stealer’ over 88 missing cartons of alcohol in Melbourne

Victoria Police have apprehended an alleged “prolific slab stealer”, saying the Melbourne man stole 88 cartons of alcohol over the last six months.

Police from Melbourne’s Bicycle Patrol allegedly saw the man walk into a bottle shop in Melbourne’s CBD on Wednesday, where he grabbed a slab and walked out without paying.

The man has allegedly stolen roughly two slabs a day during a bevy of thefts over the last six months from three Melbourne-area bottle shops.

The stolen alcohol is worth about $14,000, police allege. A slab usually contains 24 bottles or cans of alcohol.

The man, 33, has been charged with 130 counts of “shop-steal” and will appear in court on 1 August.

Updated

This Jurassic-era relic has survived 150m years on Earth – now it’s one big fire from extinction

For the last five weeks, Jane Ogilvie has searched a patch of dense shrub shaded by sugar gums on Kangaroo Island in South Australia for a surviving relic from 150m years ago.

The only known home of the critically endangered Kangaroo Island assassin spider is in the north-west of the island, where the Jurassic-era spider hides out in moist clumps of leaf litter.

In more than a month of searches, and with just a couple more weeks to go, Ogilvie, a conservation biologist working with the charity Invertebrates Australia, and a few helpers have only found one tiny juvenile assassin.

Last year, scientists found just one mature female and six juveniles at six locations, all in a 20 sq km area that includes a block of land owned by mining billionaire Andrew Forrest.

Those same locations have come up blank this year. The spiders need the moist microclimate of the leaf litter to survive, but there’s a trifecta of threats drying out their habitat and pushing them ever closer to extinction.

Read more here:

Updated

Tasmanian election set to deliver hung parliament, survey suggests

About one in four Tasmanians have already cast their vote before an election predicted to return another hung parliament, the AAP reports.

Saturday’s poll, the second in 16 months for the state, was called after minority the Liberal premier, Jeremy Rockliff, lost a parliamentary no-confidence motion in June.

The latest opinion survey suggests the Liberals will pick up more seats than Labor, but neither will reach the 18-seat mark required for a majority.

More than 100,000 people have voted early – about a quarter of Tasmania’s 412,000 enrolled voters and an increase of 30,000 from the same point in the last campaign.

Updated

Accused shoe thief in hospital after jumping off shopping mall railing

A man accused of stealing a pair of shoes is in hospital with a serious head injury after falling six metres as he ran from the shoe store.

The 29-year-old man entered a shop on Pitt Street in Sydney’s CBD before 4:30pm on Thursday and tried on a pair of shoes, police said.

New South Wales police allege the man then ran from the store without paying for the shoes, pursued by a staff member. He ran into a shopping mall and jumped over a railing, falling about six metres.

Paramedics treated the man for a serious head injury and took him to hospital, where he remains in a serious condition, police said. No charges have been laid.

Updated

Adelaide University first in Australia to receive Aboriginal name

The new Adelaide University, a merger of two of SA’s universities which will begin operations next year, is the first in Australia to receive an Aboriginal name that is enshrined in its founding act.

The university has been given a Kaurna name – Tirkangkaku – meaning Place of Learning. Professors David Lloyd and Peter Høj, the co-vice chancellors of Adelaide University, said in a statement:

This is a proud moment in the collective histories of Adelaide University, the state of South Australia and the nation as a whole, marking an important step in embedding First Nations culture and truth-telling for new generations.

Tirkangkaku represents a convergence of where people, communities and disciplines will meet in two-way knowledge exchange and step forward together through excellence and equity with a deep commitment to togetherness and an intertwined future.

Updated

Queensland man charged with attempting to import American gun parts

A Queensland man will face court over the alleged importation of hundreds of firearm parts into Australia from the US.

Police allege the 34-year-old from Joyner, at Brisbane’s northern edge, sent the weapon parts from the US to addresses in Queensland and Victoria, using false descriptions and names. He intended to assemble and sell the guns in Australia for $20,000 each, police claim.

The man arrived in Brisbane from the US on 26 June, where he was stopped by the Australian Border Force.

Police allege the man was travelling with information including sales details for nine packages containing the gun parts, prompting an Australian federal police investigation. Border security intercepted all nine packages before they were delivered.

He has been charged with nine counts of attempting to traffic in firearm parts, facing a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment. He was granted conditional bail when he first appeared before Brisbane magistrates court last month and was scheduled to reappear today.

Updated

Plane crash in Snowy Mountains ‘wouldn’t be survivable’, police say

NSW police just spoke about the wreckage of a plane discovered in the Snowy Mountains after an aircraft went missing en route from Victoria to the south coast of NSW earlier this week. Superintendent Andrew Spliet told the media it is clear from the wreckage that there had been a “significant impact” that totally destroyed the aircraft. Spliet said:

It’s clear from the wreckage of that plane that there’s been a significant impact. … Where the significant impact that has occurred, there’s quite a bit of wreckage from that impact. It’s fairly clear it wouldn’t be survivable …

You wouldn’t recognise it as a plane. It’s just a significant impact. Obviously, a fair bit of speed into the mountain range there, which has completely destroyed that aircraft. And as I said, it wouldn’t be a survivable collision.

Investigators are on the scene to determine the cause of the crash and see if they can identify the pilot. They were not yet ready to name anyone linked to the accident.

Spliet added that weather conditions on the day the plane went missing were “fairly unpleasant”. He described the terrain near the site of the wreckage today as steep and overgrown, saying it had been difficult to find the area.

Updated

Head of troubled Queensland forensic science unit quits

The head of Queensland’s long-troubled forensic science unit has resigned.

Forensic Science Queensland director Dr Linzi Wilson-Wilde was suspended last month and issued a show cause notice by attorney general Deb Frecklington.

Frecklington announced the move “following advice” after contamination issues were identified at the unit, she said. The nature of the issues is unclear.

On Friday morning, Frecklington announced she had stepped down “effective immediately”. She said:

Natasha Mitchell, executive manager forensic biology, will continue acting in the role of director until a permanent appointment is made.

The Crisafulli government is firmly committed to the future of forensic science Queensland.

Dr Wilson-Wilde, a former director of both Forensic Science South Australia and the National Institute of Forensic Science who has worked in many other forensic science roles over a decades-long career, was appointed the head of the agency under Labor last year.

She was appointed after two commissions of inquiry into the troubled clinic, which exposed “serious” failings in DNA testing for criminal cases, as a result of “mismanagement and even dishonesty by senior managers” among other problems.

Updated

Man to face court on allegations of indecent exposure on Australian flight

A man will appear in court today on charges of alleged indecent exposure on a domestic flight in Australia.

Australian federal police charged the man last month after an investigation into the alleged incident aboard a flight from Melbourne to Brisbane on 1 June. Police allege the man indecently exposed himself to two female passengers who were seated in the same row as him during the flight.

The passengers did not know the man and reported the alleged behaviour to airline staff. They were subsequently moved to other seats as airline staff monitored the man for the remainder of the flight. He was escorted from the aircraft by AFP officials in Brisbane.

He has been charged with one count of indecent exposure, facing a maximum penalty of 12 months in prison.

Updated

More roundtable invitations to come, Chalmers says

In a statement, Chalmers said more invitations would be issued for participants to attend specific sessions as the economic reform roundtable’s agenda takes shape. Chalmers said:

While we can’t invite representatives from every industry or organisation, everyone has the chance to have their say in this process with online submissions still open.

The latest list of invitees also includes the Australia Competition and Consumer Commission chair, Gina Cass-Gottlieb, the Tech Council of Australia chair, Scott Farquar, the former WA treasurer-turned Woodside board member, Ben Wyatt, and the Australian Retirement Trust chair, Andrew Fraser.

Sue Lloyd-Hurwitz, the chair of the National Housing Supply and Affordability Council, the IMF Investors chair, Cath Bowtell, and leading energy expert Dr Kerry Schott, round out the list.

A total of 24 invitations have been issued for the roundtable, which will be held 19-21 August.

Updated

Qantas awarded injunction preventing access to hack data

Qantas yesterday obtained an interim injunction in the NSW supreme court to prevent any data obtained from the hack earlier this month from being accessed, viewed, or published by anyone.

The data of 5.7 million customers, including information such as frequent flyer numbers and status, including Chairman’s Lounge access, was accessed by alleged cybercriminals earlier this month, but has not been posted online, the airline said yesterday.

But the injunction will prevent people accessing it in the event it does, Qantas said:

We want to do all we can to protect our customers’ personal information and believe this was an important next course of action.

Updated

Rockliff says Labor leader forced Tasmanians to an election ‘they do not need and do not want’

Tasmania premier Jeremy Rockliff just spoke to the media before tomorrow’s snap election. He issued a warning to voters that the state’s Labor party could soon be in minority government with the Greens:

It will be close. Labor could go backwards, or they could still retain their seats, or even get another seat, which will ensure a Labor-Green government in Tasmania.

Rockliff once again blamed Labor leader Dean Winter for the upcoming poll:

The last parliament was working too well for Dean Winter and that is why he forced an election in unity with the Tasmanian Greens, and that is why Tasmanians have an election they do not need and do not want.

Updated

Allegra Spender and Ken Henry invited to Labor’s ‘economic reform’ roundtable

The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has announced the next round of invitations for his so-called “economic reform” roundtable in Canberra next month.

Among the latest batch of 13 invitees are the independent MP and tax reform advocate, Allegra Spender, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia chief executive, Matt Comyn, the NSW treasurer, Daniel Mookhey and the respective heads of the departments of prime minister and cabinet and treasury, Steven Kennedy and Jenny Wilkinson.

Former treasury secretary Ken Henry, who this week declared fixing the nation’s broken environment protection laws the key to boosting productivity, has been invited in his capacity as chair of the Australian Climate and Biodiversity Foundation.

At this stage, Henry is the only representative from the environment movement on the invite list.

Updated

Privacy commissioner says Australians want more regulation on AI, not less

Australia’s privacy commissioner, Carly Kind, fired back at Meta’s claim it needed Australians’ public Facebook and Instagram posts to train AI.

We reported on the submission from Meta yesterday, where the company said it needed to train its AI on the posts as the system needs to learn “how individuals discuss Australian concepts”.

In a response published on LinkedIn on Friday, Kind said the vast majority of Australian consumers feel they lack control over their personal information and want to see more regulation and fewer exploitative practices. She wrote:

As the nation’s privacy regulator, it is my job to ensure that the application of the Privacy Act is in line with these community expectations.

She said nothing in guidelines she has released on training AI would prevent Meta developing AI that reflects the experience and language of Australian users “provided the proper processes are followed”:

What will undermine the ability of actors like Meta to continue to develop AI models is declining public confidence that AI tools and systems are being designed to benefit society.

She also shot back at Meta’s suggestion that her role’s functions be altered to require consideration of innovation and economic interests:

In my view, the role of the privacy regulator is to act in the public interest, not in the economic interests of tech companies.

Court throws out pro-Israel group's contempt bid against Nine papers and staff

An application by a pro-Israel group to refer editors, reporters and lawyers from Nine Entertainment for contempt proceedings has been dismissed by the federal court.

The editors of the Age and the Sydney Morning Herald and two Age reporters were among eight individuals named in the application, which was related to the Antoinette Lattouf v ABC unlawful termination case.

Read the full report here:

Updated

Albanese ends China visit

The prime minister has officially finished his visit to China, with his office calling the trip an opportunity to “continue advancing Australia’s security and economic interests”. Albanese met with the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, premier Li Qiang and the chair of the National People’s Congress, Zhao Leji. The PM also visited the Great Wall of China and Chengdu, the world’s panda capital.

Albanese said in a statement:

A stable and constructive relationship with China is in Australia’s national interest. We will cooperate where we can, disagree where we must and engage in our national interest.

Strengthening our security and economic interests with our largest trading partner will boost Australian jobs and support Australian businesses.

Updated

Salim Mehajer, former Auburn councillor, released from prison

Salim Mehajer, the former deputy mayor of a Sydney council found guilty of multiple fraud and domestic violence offences, has been released from prison on parole after spending years behind bars.

Mehajer, 39, left the John Moroney correctional complex in NSW on Friday morning after he was convicted in 2023 on four counts of making or using false documents to obtain financial advantage. He was also found guilty that year of six domestic violence offences. The former deputy mayor of Auburn council first rose in notoriety in 2015 after his lavish wedding shut down a Sydney street without permission.

The State Parole Authority decided last month that Mehajer had a “medium” risk of re-offending, granting him parole after serving three years and nine months of his seven-year sentence.

His parole conditions include no contact with the victim of domestic violence or with motorcycle gangs and a ban on visiting the Central Coast local government area.

Updated

Australian production companies may have to pay millions in alleged unpaid super after ATO ruling

Major Australian production companies, including those that produce Neighbours and Home and Away, may be ordered to pay workers millions of dollars in alleged unpaid superannuation after a 2024 tax office ruling.

The Australian Writers Guild (AWG) is gearing up for a challenge against Screen Producers Australia (SPA), after a ruling by the Australian Tax Office last December found that screenwriters in most cases were providing a service to an employer, not selling a product, and therefore must be paid super.

The ruling, which was in line with the Superannuation Guarantee Act, means that for long-running television shows, decades of super back pay could apply, although the statute of limitations for an individual employee in Australia is six years.

Read more here:

Updated

Recovery team to move in on plane wreck found in Snowy Mountains

NSW police will begin a recovery operation after finding the wreckage of what is thought to be the plane that went missing en route from Victoria to the south coast of NSW earlier this week.

The recovery will begin around 12pm today to retrieve and examine the plane, which was located in the Snowy valley yesterday. Officials with the Riverina police district, PolAir, police rescue and the criminal investigation and crime scene unit will all assist in the matter.

NSW police said officials have not yet reached the site of the wreckage, and it is unclear if an human remains are part of it. As reported in the blog earlier, one man, 74-year-old David Stephens from Brogo, near Bega, was on board the missing aircraft.

Updated

Why is everyone suddenly talking about Donald Trump’s ankles?

The White House says the US president, Donald Trump, is experiencing swelling in his lower legs and bruising on his right hand, after photographs emerged of Trump with swollen ankles and makeup covering the afflicted part of his hand, Reuters reports.

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, reading a letter from Trump’s doctor at a press briefing, said both ailments were benign. His leg swelling is from a “common” vein condition, and his hand is bruised from shaking so many hands, she told reporters.

The disclosure sought to put to rest a raft of internet rumours that the 79-year-old might be suffering from a serious ailment.

You can read more about chronic venous insufficiency here:

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Rockliff blasts Labor for pushing Tasmania into election state ‘did not want’

Tasmanian premier Jeremy Rockliff just spoke to the ABC, a day before the state heads to the polls. He maintained the election was not something the state wanted, blaming the Labor leader, Dean Winter, for the snap poll, but said the campaign had allowed the Liberals to put forward its plan for leadership once more. Rockliff said:

Tasmanians were very disappointed of course, that it’s a winter election, but nonetheless it’s an opportunity for our government to reaffirm our clear plan …

We cannot afford to have a Labor-Green government with the support again of radical independents, because that will put at risk definitely all the great work that Tasmanians are doing and have done over the course of the last decade.

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Australian Base jumper reportedly dies in accident in northern Italy

Australian Base jumper James Nowland died earlier this week in an accident at a competition in northern Italy, according to multiple media reports and an account from his brother.

Nowland, 42, was in the Dolomites region and had jumped from the peak of Sass Pordoi during the event, Italy’s ANSA news agency reported. Investigators told the outlet they suspect his parachute didn’t open due to a technical issue. Doctors tried to revive the Perth man, but were unable to do so.

Nowland’s brother, Adrian Nowland, posted a tribute to Facebook, writing:

Rest in peace brother! Wish we had more times like this together! Hope you’re soaring through the clouds doing what you love forever ❤️

Separately but also in Italy, Felix Baumgartner, the skydiver who famously jumped from the edge of space, has died in a paragliding accident.

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Agriculture minister says biosecurity ‘everybody’s responsibility’ amid new fire ant detection

The agriculture minister, Julie Collins, says biosecurity is “everybody’s responsibility” after fire ants were detected in central Queensland for the first time this month.

Collins spoke to RN Breakfast amid criticism from the coalition the government was not spending enough to contain the outbreaks, noting Labor had invested approximately $2bn in biosecurity since coming into federal office. She said:

What I would say is that Australia has been quite successful in terms of trying to contain the red imported fire ants. Compared to how other countries are dealing with it, we have managed to contain the spread of it compared to other countries …

Obviously, biosecurity is everybody’s responsibility, and part of the program has been the public awareness campaign and making sure that people understand what they are.

The latest outbreak of fire ants in Queensland sparked deep concern as the invasive pest was found almost 800km from the closest known infestation zone.

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Winter makes final appeal for majority Labor government

Winter encouraged Tasmanians heading to tomorrow’s polls to support Labor, describing a majority government as a pathway forward. He told the ABC:

My message to Tasmanians really is if you want a fresh start … the best way to deliver that is to vote Labor. Voting independents last time just delivered another Liberal government.

If you want a fresh start and a new government, the best way to achieve that is to vote Labor.

Tasmanian Labor leader says controversial AFL stadium important for retaining young people

Tasmania’s Labor leader, Dean Winter, confirmed his party supported the controversial Macquarie Point AFL stadium for the Tasmania Devils, describing it as deeply important for the state.

Winter spoke with the ABC this morning, a day before Tasmanians head to the polls for a snap election:

We support the Devils and we support building a stadium to get it done. We support that because we understand how important it is to the state.

We got to be honest and upfront … There is a budget crisis here, but we have an imperative to get an AFL team for our young people. …

We want to give them hope for the future and allow them to stay.

Recent polls show a large majority of Tasmanians want the estimated $1bn stadium deal to be torn up and renegotiated.

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Ken Henry will be invited to Chalmers’ productivity roundtable

Jim Chalmers was asked about former Treasury secretary Ken Henry’s speech this week at the National Press Club, where he described the country’s environmental laws as “broken” and said they needed reform to boost the nation’s productivity.

Chalmers said Henry, now chair of the Australian Climate and Biodiversity Foundation, would be invited to participate in the economic roundtable next month, agreeing that environmental action was an important part of the government’s plans:

I think it’s an important part of it, and particularly when it comes to making the most of this energy transformation in our economy, we’ve quite deliberately put the energy transformation at the very core of the work that we’ve asked for productivity …

The energy transformation, net zero, these are important parts of our consideration when it comes to making our economy more productive. And this is one of the reasons why we’ll be inviting Ken Henry to the economic reform roundtable in August.

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Kevin Hogan says PM should have same ‘exuberance’ to meet Trump as he did with China’s leader

Kevin Hogan, the shadow minister for trade, just spoke to RN Breakfast about Anthony Albanese’s visit to China this week, describing it a “working holiday” and dinging the PM for not having the “same exuberance … to meet with the US president”. Hogan said:

Look, I think it’s good that the prime minister went to China. I think it’s good that he did the panda thing and re-enacted Gough Whitlam’s Great Wall of China visit. I don’t have a criticism with that.

They’re an important trading partner. I’m glad the prime minister has visited there and been there because of that reason. I’m just also adding that it’s a real shame he doesn’t have the same exact exuberance about doing that with a US president.

Albanese did try to meet with Trump at the G7 last month, but the meeting was cancelled amid a spiralling crisis in the Middle East.

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Chalmers: Australian economy, hiring rates not immune from Trump uncertainty

The treasurer, who has been speaking with other leaders and business officials in South Africa at the G20 this week, said there is a “real sense” that the uncertainty surrounding US president Donald Trump’s on-again, off-again tariffs is creating unpredictability in the market. Chalmers said that volatility was on employers’ minds when they were considering hiring workers, adding:

That’s certainly the feedback that we get around the place, you know, speaking with CEOs and meeting with company boards and the like and with economists.

You know, there is a real sense that this volatility and unpredictability and uncertainty is really a defining and an ongoing feature of the global economy, and our own economy is not immune from that.

And so, I think certainly people see this uncertainty and unpredictability as a new normal that requires us to have a shift in our thinking.

Chalmers says unemployment figures ‘unwelcome but unsurprising’, expects them to rise

The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, just spoke to RN Breakfast from the G20 summit in South Africa about yesterday’s surprising jobs data, which showed Australia’s unemployment rate rising to 4.3% in June. Chalmers said:

This is unwelcome, but it’s also unsurprising. We’ve been saying for some time, including in our own budget forecast, that we expect a modest tick up in the unemployment rate. But it remains the case that over the last three years, the labour market in Australia has been a real source of strength at an uncertain time in the world.

And here at the G20, there are only two economies, including ours, where last year we saw continued growth, inflation with a two in front of it, and unemployment in the low fours.

Chalmers said he did not expect unemployment to hit the 5% mark, with a current forecast “somewhere around the middle fours”.

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Victorian regulator weighs unprecedented intervention in AFL’s fight with bookmakers over gambling revenue

The Victorian gambling regulator is considering whether to make an unprecedented intervention in a dispute between the AFL and bookmakers, which could set a limit on the league’s revenue from wagering.

Earlier this year, the AFL proposed a significant increase to the amount of money it receives from each bet placed on its game. The league also proposed a minimum $20,000 annual fee for all bookmakers, including small operators who focus on racing.

Leaked documents seen by Guardian Australia revealed the cash grab was justified as a way to address what AFL executives termed an “unprecedented” increase in “integrity risks” posed by the wagering industry, which has exploded in popularity in recent years.

The documents outlined concerns the AFL’s integrity system was seriously deficient and struggled to identify whether players, coaches and staff were using inside information to manipulate betting markets, in breach of their contracts.

Read Henry Belot’s report here:

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Happy Friday

Good morning, Nick Visser here to take you through Friday’s news. Let’s get into it.

Surprise jobless hike may trigger interest rate relief

A surprise jump in the jobless rate could help cement the case for an interest rate cut, delivering welcome relief for homeowners, Australian Associated Press reports.

The unemployment rate bucked market expectations, rising from 4.1% to 4.3% in June, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Though the result was unexpected, ex-Reserve Bank economist Luke Hartigan said it met the central bank’s year-end unemployment forecast.

“This just adds information to say that some modest reduction in interest rates is warranted,” the University of Sydney economics lecturer told AAP.

After its July meeting, the central bank disappointed mortgage-holders and shocked market economists by opting to hold the cash rate at 3.85% in a split decision.

While the recent unemployment increase has put the rate at its highest level since November 2021, Dr Hartigan maintained other metrics showed the market was still relatively solid.

“This is the first uptick in a little while, so it’s a little bit concerning,” he said.

“But in the context of where the unemployment rate is now versus where it’s been in the past, it is still very low.”

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Wreckage of missing plane located in Snowy Mountains

A plane that took off from Wangaratta in Victoria on Tuesday and never arrived at its planned destination on the south coast of New South Wales is believed to have crashed.

NSW police said yesterday that rescuers had located wreckage near the plane’s last known GPS location in the Snowy Mountains.

The only person on board the 1966 Beechcraft Debonair aircraft was 74-year-old David Stephens from Brogo near Bega.

In a statement to Bega District News, his wife, Lynda, said:

Unfortunately, David disappeared on his flight home on Tuesday … after having his aircraft inspected.

David has quite a bit of experience flying the plane, but we can’t know what situation he was facing, and we’ll only have answers once they locate the plane and, with that, David.

Emergency services were notified on Tuesday afternoon that the plane may have crashed.

A multi-agency rescue effort was then launched. NSW police now has carriage of the matter and will continue to investigate.

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Welcome

Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the breaking stories to start the day and then it’ll be Nick Visser to take the helm.

The wreckage of plane missing on a flight from Wangaratta in northern Victoria to the south coast of New South Wales has been located in the Snowy Mountains. Media reports say the only person on board was 74-year-old pilot, David Stephens from Brogo near Bega. More details to come.

Worried parents are looking for alternatives to childcare centres after sexual abuse allegations against a Melbourne man who worked at 24 facilities. For Parents, a parenting group, says the system is broken and needs to evolve to meet the needs of modern families. They believe government grants should be widened to include grandparents, nannies, au pairs and co-working spaces that allow parents to keep children close. More coming up.

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