9.20am BST
What we learned, Thursday 23 July That’s a wrap on today’s live coverage from us.
Before we go, let’s take a look at the day’s top headlines:
Australia is not ruling out stepping up joint patrols of the South China Sea following “destabilising” missile testing in the region.
Students in Victoria will be kept at home as a second teacher strike disrupts public schools , leaving thousands of families to make alternative arrangements.
Anthony Albanese has seemingly shut down prospects of a new tax on gas exports, saying he doesn’t interpret a Labor party platform document calling for Australians to get “a fair share” from natural resources as a call for such a new tax.
The prime minister also announced a new Fair Work court , which Albanese says will streamline workplace disputes.
Australia’s unemployment rate held at 4.4% in June after a big jump in the number of employed Australians in the month.
One Nation has been quick to capitalise on Barnaby Joyce ’s viral moment yelling at his staffy-border collie Stella to sit down on live television by, you guessed it, selling dog leads.
Macquarie Group’s chief executive, Shemara Wikramanayake, announced she will retire in an ASX update on Thursday.
The sex discrimination commissioner, Anna Cody, condemned Pauline Hanson ’s suggestion that domestic violence is a “two-way street“ , warning assigning blame to victim-survivors is “harmful, wrong, and dangerous”.
The supreme court of Western Australia has dismissed in full a case brought by Woodside Energy against three activists.
The ACT education minister, Yvette Berry, has resigned from her cabinet role after a ACT Integrity Commission report found “serious corrupt conduct by two ACT public officials”.
The energy company Origin has confirmed customers’ addresses and partial bank account data has been accessed in a hack that was revealed yesterday.
Thanks for tuning in, see you again tomorrow morning!
9.00am BST
Peak union body calls Hanson’s comments on family violence leave ‘shockingly out of touch’
The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) has condemned Pauline Hanson ’s comments on paid family and domestic violence leave as “shockingly out of touch”.
It comes after the One Nation leader described paid family and domestic violence leave as “holiday leave”, questioned whether it was “a scam” and said police were spending too much time on domestic violence.
ACTU’s president, Michele O’Neil, described Hanson’s remarks as “reckless and dangerous” and said people who use the leave “are not on a holiday, far from it”. O’Neil said:
Pauline Hanson needs to be reminded that on average, a woman is killed every nine days by a current or former partner in Australia. One Nation is wrong , and unions will not allow attacks on this hard-won leave to stand.
Unions campaigned and won paid family and domestic violence leave because survivors told us they needed the time, so they didn’t have to choose between going to work to put food on the table or being able to make the break to safety.
Updated at 9.12am BST
8.44am BST
Former spy refused visa to give evidence at royal commission into Bondi shooters An ex-Asio agent who allegedly has information on the Bondi shooting gunmen has reportedly been denied an Australian visa despite the royal commission’s reported interest in his evidence.
The former undercover agent known as Marcus , had reportedly attempted to apply for a visitor visa in hopes of giving evidence at the royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion.
He had previously told ABC that he had warned the spy agency about the two gunmen six years before the massacre.
A letter sent to his lawyers from the royal commission said they were “eager” to facilitate a way of receiving his submission or taking a statement from him, ABC reports.
But his request was reportedly rejected by the Department of Home Affairs over concerns he did not have a “genuine intention” of staying in Australia temporarily, saying he did not have enough ties to the country he is currently staying in to act as a significant incentive to return.
Information Rights Project, which is paying for Marcus’s safehouse in his current country of residence, has called on the federal government to reverse its decision, with its founder, Gabriel Shipton – who is also the half-brother of Julian Assange – telling Guardian Australia:
He’s facing credible death threats from ISIS and he’s trying to protect this family’s lives by being in this third country.
He really wants to come and give testimony as a whistleblower, he’s taken this big risk in revealing himself and becoming a source, and now the minister’s denied him a visa.
It’s bizarre and I hope they can reconsider.
Though he could give evidence to the royal commission from overseas, doing so would not offer him the same legal protections compared to giving onshore evidence, the Greens senator David Shoebridge said as he called on the home affairs minister, Tony Burke , to approve Marcus’s visa during a press conference on Thursday:
Minister Burke really has a choice now. He can choose to do the right thing and intervene in the public interest and ensure a visa is granted, and this evidence can be given in person to the royal commission with full protections for the witness, or refuse to act., let this refusal stand, and that will inevitably undermine the credibility of the royal commission and the credibility of the minister.
Burke’s office did not respond to a request for comment by the Guardian and the royal commission told Guardian Australia it would not comment on its engagement with particular individuals.
In a statement sent to Guardian Australia, Asio said:
Witness appearances are a matter for the royal commission, and Asio will support its decisions.
Updated at 8.57am BST
8.41am BST
Ed Husic urges Labor to embrace internal party debate on Israel-Palestine In the same Afternoon Briefing interview reported earlier, Ed Husic dismissed concerns that the party’s proposed position on Israel and Palestine would become a point of friction at the party’s conference because of “the way that debate is managed internally”.
Husic described his party as being “allergic to dissent and dispute”, but warned that this may not work “in our long-term interests as a party”. He said:
We have become so obsessed about not showing disunity, because we figure that that translates into some negative sense in the public’s mind. I’d actually argue the counter.
The public want to see politicians, particularly in our camp, stand up for something. We don’t sign up for the status quo. We sign up for change. That is not always going to be an easy process.
And the thing is, if you can’t argue your point on a conference floor or in a caucus room, how do you argue it outside?
Updated at 9.39am BST
8.19am BST
Ed Husic calls for stronger ‘practical steps’ in relation to Israel Labor MP Ed Husic has called for stronger “practical steps” from the federal government in relation to Israel and Palestine, on the sidelines of the first day of the party’s conference in South Australia.
Husic said he did not think “statements are going to cut it any more with the [Benjamin] Netanyahu government”.
Speaking to ABC’s Afternoon Briefing, he said:
They basically take them up and roll them up and ignore them, chuck them over their shoulder, ignore them. We do need to take a number of steps, and we need to take those practical steps.
When asked about his reaction to Israel’s embassy complaint ahead of Labor’s national conference on the party’s proposed position on Israel and Palestine, he said:
I do think that it is inappropriate and I do think that it is out of their playbook … And if this type of leverage that they seek to use, it’s quite frankly not right. I could never imagine an Australian government, through our embassy, our officials issuing such public commentary in that way.
Updated at 8.31am BST
8.06am BST
Former Liberal cabinet minister attends Labor fringe event
Here’s a name you might not expect at the ALP National Labor conference … it’s the former Liberal defence minister, Christopher Pyne.
The former Liberal moderate – who calls South Australia home – is appearing as the now independent chair of the Council on the Ageing (COTA).
COTA is hosting a fringe event (a bunch of events that take place alongside the conference) calling for aged care reforms. Pyne is on a panel with a group of other advocates and experts.
Updated at 8.08am BST
7.54am BST
Financial markets reckon RBA will hike by the end of the year
Financial markets now fully expect another Reserve Bank interest rate rise by the end of the year, with the chance of a hike as soon as next month doubling to 36% after solid jobs figures this morning.
The jump in oil prices after the collapse of the US-Iran ceasefire has been accompanied by rising fears of a fresh inflationary pulse as fuel costs climb higher.
Bets that the RBA will have to hike for a fourth time have now firmed after ABS data showed employment rose by 76,000 in June, even as the key jobless measure stayed at 4.4%.
Financial markets are now fully pricing in a lift in the RBA’s cash rate from 4.35% to 4.6% by December against an implied 80% chance before today’s release of the official labour stats.
Similarly, the probability of a hike on 11 August jumped to 36%.
But Taylor Nugent , a senior economist at NAB, said he believed unemployment would push higher through the rest of 2026 and that the central bank would stay on hold as the economy slowed.
Nugent, however, recognised that next month’s RBA board meeting would be “live”, estimating a 30% chance of a hike.
We think the RBA is most likely to stay on hold, but we certainly acknowledge these inflation risks are real and that in the near term they may feel compelled to lean against them more forcefully.
Updated at 8.15am BST
7.39am BST
Labor conference closes day one sans drama
The first day of Labor conference is coming to an end with no major controversies or drama.
The second part of the afternoon began debate on the environment and energy security portfolio.
Anthony Albanese runs a tight ship in his caucus (ie there’s no room for dissent), and it’s clear a tight ship has been run at the conference too – known in the past for big fights and plenty of shouting. While we’ve seen a few impassioned speeches today, there haven’t been any spicy debates.
Tomorrow the conference will debate motions on gambling – the wording of those amendments is still being worked out but we know a few of the key issues will be around a national regulator for the sector and a ban on inducements. Those were both recommendations from the landmark, “You win some, you lose more” report.
Updated at 7.50am BST
7.29am BST
Queensland social housing wait times blow out to 31 months
The average wait time for a social housing dwelling in Queensland has blown out to 31 months, parliamentary estimates has heard.
The state minister for housing, Sam O’Connor, said the state’s social housing waiting list has dropped to 41,298 people from a record 58,927 people last year, though only 5,300 households were housed, with most applications cancelled or ruled ineligible.
But the average wait time for high and very high social housing applicants spiked from about 21 months last year to 31.7 months, the hearing heard.
During the estimates hearing, Labor tabled leaked documents showing the government had quietly cut $42m from its immediate housing response program, which pays to accommodate homeless people in hotels and motels.
The document revealed this would lead to less funding to a string of homelessness services including the Salvation Army and the Brisbane Youth Service, causing job losses. The document dubbed these decisions as of “high political sensitivity”.
The Department of Housing’s director general, Mark Cridland, told the committee that the number of people covered by the program had dropped from 2,150 households last March to 1,237 currently. He said 3,252 households had been found a home, drastically reducing the demand on the program.
Labor shadow minister Meaghan Scanlon told media outside the hearing that there had been no reduction in rough sleeping and “the only reason there would be less demand on homeless services is because he changed the rules, which has reduced the number of people who can now even ask for help”.
Read more here:
Related: A missing cat and motel homes: inside Queensland’s crackdown on those in need of housing help
Updated at 7.37am BST
7.17am BST
Origin confirms hackers accessed energy customers’ partial bank details The energy company Origin has confirmed customers’ addresses and partial bank account data has been accessed in a hack that was revealed yesterday.
In a statement to the ASX this afternoon, the energy company said impacted data may include: “name, address, date of birth, contact phone number and account information, as well as the last four digits of a credit card, or the last three digits of a bank account.”
Origin’s statement noted that incomplete credit card or bank account information cannot be used to make purchases or access accounts.
It said it would advise customers once it confirmed they had been impacted but was still confirming which and how many customers had been affected.
Origin has 4.8m customer accounts in Australia and provides electricity, natural gas, LPG, and internet services to homes and businesses.
Origin’s chief executive, Frank Calabria , said the company was securing its systems and ensuring there was no further unauthorised access by working with independent cyber experts and authorities. He said:
I’m sorry this has happened. Customers trust Origin with their information, and I apologise for the impact this may cause.
Origin said the Australian Cyber Security Centre, the Australian Federal Police and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner were all engaged.
Updated at 7.19am BST
7.10am BST
ACT education minister resigns after corruption findings for two staff in her portfolio The ACT education minister, Yvette Berry, has resigned from her cabinet role after a ACT Integrity Commission report found “serious corrupt conduct by two ACT public officials”.
The commission investigated whether the process to procure a firm for the Campbell Primary School Modernisation Project was conducted with probity and whether public officials “failed to exercise their official functions honestly and or impartially”.
In a video statement posted to social media, Berry said she would take “full responsibility” for the findings relating to her staff, despite the report making no findings of corruption against her. She said:
When you are a minister, you have significant responsibilities. I have always held those responsibilities and myself to high standards.
I will take full responsibility for the findings made about my staff. You know I have never backed down from responsibility, even when it gets hard, and this is no doubt hard. I have made this decision because I don’t want a parliamentary public circus to follow this report. My family don’t deserve it and my colleagues don’t deserve it, and I have no intention of giving the Opposition and the Greens political party that satisfaction.
Berry will remain in parliament as a backbencher.
Updated at 7.28am BST
6.57am BST
Macquarie chair predicts fossil fuel funding will continue ‘for some time’
Macquarie’s chair has predicted fossil fuel funding will continue “for some time” as the company avoided a shareholder push for climate transparency.
At its AGM today, 17.9% of shareholders voted to force Macquarie to disclose how its fossil fuel financing aligns with its commitment to the goals of the Paris Agreement.
Glenn Stevens , Macquarie’s chair, told the AGM this morning Macquarie remains committed to the goals of the Paris Agreement through an “orderly transition” to green energy.
Ian Dunlop , a former chair of the Australian Coal Association and former executive and oil and gas company Shell, told the meeting Macquarie was backing “fossil fuel expansion” in practice. Stevens said in response:
The basis of Macquarie’s approach is our understanding that there will need to be some fossil fuel investment for quite possibly some time yet … The [emissions] targets that we set several years ago are the same targets now.
Kyle Robertson , the research director at Market Forces, the advocacy group that backed the resolution, said this afternoon:
Investors from across the globe have sounded the alarm on Macquarie’s fossil fuel finance, but many have let the group off the hook for enabling massive new gas projects which are hurtling us towards climate catastrophe.
Updated at 7.28am BST
6.45am BST
WA supreme court dismisses Woodside case against activists The supreme court of Western Australia has dismissed in full a case brought by Woodside Energy against three activists.
The case relates to a protest on 1 June 2023, in which Kristen Morrissey caused approximately 2,500 Woodside employees to be evacuated by a hoax “gas leak” using “stench gas”.
The oil and gas company alleged that other people were involved in the protest and asked the court to order Emil Davey, Joana Partyka and Kristen Morrissey to reveal the identities of any other such people.
The three anti-Woodside campaigners had already been charged and convicted in relation to the protest.
In 2025, Morrisey was charged with doing an act with intent to annoy and doing an act to create false belief. Partyka and Davey, who were not present at the protest but were arrested in WA counter-terror police raids weeks later, were charged with doing an act to create false belief.
All activists pleaded guilty to the charges and were convicted in the district court of Western Australia.
Woodside’s legal action sought access to information about other people involved. But in a decision on Thursday, Justice Matthew Howard said the evidence and submissions presented by Woodside did not “rise above mere conjecture or speculation”.
Joana Partyka , a ceramic artist and campaigner represented by Climate Defenders Australia, said:
After three long years of Woodside’s legal threat hanging over our heads, we stand vindicated in the eyes of history – Woodside is completely humiliated.
The case was the first time since the “Gunns 20” in Tasmania in 2005 that a large resources company had sought to target an activist campaign using Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation (known as a SLAPP suit).
Updated at 6.56am BST
6.32am BST
Labor environment group passes amendment paring back fuel tax credits The amendment is adopted unanimously and without any drama (none of the delegates vote against), which gets a huge round of applause from the spectator benches.
The room is divided by the 400 delegates on the floor and then spectator benches which includes media, lobbyists, and other observers.
There’s a contingent of around a dozen LEAN supporters in green T-shirts sitting in the room, who erupt in cheers as the amendment is supported.
But as we noted a little earlier, this doesn’t doesn’t mean that the fuel tax credits will necessarily be wound back by the government, even though there’s plenty of appetite for it within the caucus – and the rank and file.
A few MPs around the conference today say they’re hopeful the changes will be made at some point, but don’t think it’ll be done very soon as the globe continues to grapple with fuel insecurity due to the war in the Middle East.
Updated at 6.42am BST
6.22am BST
New South Wales firefighters to help battle Californian wildfires
Two dozen New South Wales firefighters will be deployed to the United States to assist with ongoing wildfires hitting California, the state’s Royal Fire Service has confirmed.
The NSW contingent includes 26 incident management and specialist firefighters, part of a contingent of 74 people across Australia that were formally requested by the National Interagency Fire Centre in the US.
The group will help battle more than 72 large wildfires which have burnt millions of hectares across the United States.
The NSW contingent will head off on Friday morning.
Last month, three firefighters were killed and two others were hurt while responding to wildfires along the Colorado - Utah border. And a fortnight ago, a pilot who was helping to fight a wildfire in Colorado has died after the aviator’s aircraft crashed into a reservoir
Updated at 6.27am BST
6.11am BST
‘Send a message to the haters’: Labor’s environment network pushes for action on generous fuel tax credits We’ve arrived at one of the policy sticking points of the day – fuel tax credits.
The Labor Environment Action Network (LEAN) has put forward an amendment to the platform to “remove disincentives for orderly decarbonisation” – ie wind back the generous fuel tax credits that go to miners, farmers and other industries.
The group says 355 branches have supported the motion around the country.
Federal MPs including Sally Sitou, Jerome Laxale , and assistant minister Ged Kearney speak on the amendment.
Laxale says that Labor’s platform should “scream” that the party is serious about the climate.
This amendment and our platform should send a message to the haters that Labor can and Labor will double down on decarbonisation. Our new platform, our new platform, should scream that Labor are serious about climate action, and no one who reads it should be surprised when we use our time in government to deliver it. Our job is not done. There are new policies that we need to reach our climate goals and targets.
The amendment is quickly adopted unanimously (none of the delegates vote against) – which gets a huge round of applause from the spectator benches.
The room is divided by the 400 delegates on the floor and then spectator benches which includes media, lobbyists, and other observers.
There’s a contingent of around a dozen LEAN supporters in green T-shirts who erupt in cheers as the amendment is supported.
Updated at 6.17am BST
5.59am BST
With that, I will hand the reigns over to Achol Arok who will be with you for the rest of the afternoon. Happy reading!
5.52am BST
‘Millionaires’ factory’: Macquarie accused of dodging climate risk
Australia’s leading investment bank has been accused of ignoring the “absolutely catastrophic” risk climate change poses to human civilisation, Australian Associated Press reports.
Former Royal Dutch Shell senior executive Ian Dunlop told Macquarie Group’s annual general meeting on Thursday the bank’s financing activities had prioritised energy security and fossil fuel expansion at the expense of human security:
If you keep doing things in the way we’ve been doing it, and they lead to the potential temperature increase that have been mentioned at two and a half, three degrees ... they’re not livable worlds. These will be catastrophic, absolutely catastrophic.
Dunlop also chaired the Australian Coal Association in the late 1980s.
Macquarie’s board has recommended shareholders reject a resolution co-filed by activist group Market Forces and super fund provider Australian Ethical asking the bank to disclose whether it is still committed to aligning its lending with the goal of net zero emissions by 2050.
Market Forces says Macquarie has become Australia’s most aggressive fossil fuel financier, tripling its oil and gas financing over the past three years.
The chair, Glenn Stevens, said climate change was a “wicked problem”, but Macquarie could not set global policy or do things that really addressed the problem for the world.
But we’re seeking to play our part in a way that we think makes sense, is tractable, practical and is in the interests of shareholders.
Another shareholder, Helen Scotts , commended Macquarie for investing in fossil fuels and said she hoped the investment bank would invest in nuclear energy next.
Earlier we brought you the news that before the meeting, Macquarie announced it had tapped the head of its retail bank, Greg Ward, as its next chief executive. Ward will replace Shemara Wikramanayake , who will retire in November after eight years as chief executive and managing director.
Updated at 6.06am BST
5.43am BST
Government security grants for Jewish community fall short of costs, ECAJ chief says
Government grants for Jewish community security have saved places of worship from severe damage, but funding still falls short of annual protection costs, the antisemitism royal commission has heard.
Peter Wertheim AM , co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), said that grant-funded fireproof doors prevented major damage during a July 2025 arson attack on an East Melbourne synagogue. The attack followed a December 2024 firebombing at Melbourne’s Adass synagogue , which prompted a $32.5m round of federal funding.
While commonwealth funding expanded to a three-year, $124m agreement in May 2026, Wertheim said a substantial financial shortfall remains. He said annual community security spending is still “more than double” the grant funding provided by the government, which ECAJ believes should fully and directly fund protection.
The funds are managed by the National Council for Jewish Community Security under the ECAJ, with state-based security groups evaluating risk criteria and assisting smaller interstate communities with applications.
Wertheim told the inquiry the community’s primary goal remains unchanged:
We would prefer to live without antisemitism and without the security funding that it’s necessitated.
Updated at 5.44am BST
5.35am BST
Sex discrimination commissioner condemns Pauline Hanson’s DV comments The sex discrimination commissioner, Anna Cody , has condemned Pauline Hanson ’s suggestion that domestic violence is a “two-way street “, warning assigning blame to victim-survivors is “harmful, wrong, and dangerous”.
In a statement today , Cody said femicide – the intentional murder of women – is a “national crisis, and any attempt to shift the blame undermines our efforts to end it”:
Domestic violence is never the responsibility of the person experiencing it … Leaving a violent relationship is not simply a matter of walking away. For many women and children – and the evidence is clear – it can be one of the most dangerous times.
Sadly, we have seen too many examples of women who left violent relationships being killed … Violence is a choice – and blame rests entirely with the person who commits it .
Hanson told 4BC radio yesterday domestic violence was “wrong but it’s also a two-way street” .
Hanson’s comments have been heavily criticised, with the One Nation leader responding to the backlash by accusing the media and the Labor party of “twisting” her words.
The CEO of Women’s Community Shelters, Annabelle Daniel , said the evidence on domestic and family violence was “clear and settled”.
Domestic and family violence is a gendered issue. And as to the question of ‘just leave!’ – that requires somewhere safe and affordable to go, or to be able to safely and affordably stay on your own.
Updated at 6.13am BST
5.26am BST
Conference adopts support for fair AI taskforce as MP points finger at tech bros
Labor has supported the adoption of a fair AI taskforce in its national platform, after a speech from NSW Labor right senator, Tony Sheldon , who put the “tech bros” on notice.
There were two amendments – one calling for the creation of the taskforce that would build awareness of the risks and opportunities of AI, and another that Labor would establish a set of Australian standards for AI and increase equitable education and use of AI.
Sheldon said:
We’ve got to be the people to say that human intelligence and creativity is the priority. We’re the ones to say that those tech bros that say to us that they’re going to replace everything you, you, and you do and make the decisions for you is the reality of the future – well, that is not true.
We need to have the strength, the capability, and the purpose to make sure that our human creativity, ambition, integrity, and intelligence is at the forefront of every decision that’s made in every industry we work in.
Sheldon also pushed for workers to have a stronger voice in the use of AI in workplaces at the NSW Labor conference earlier this month.
Updated at 5.29am BST
5.18am BST
Aged care security funding ‘a matter government would consider’
The inquiry also examined portfolio gaps regarding protective security for Jewish aged care facilities following a rejected application by Jewish Care Victoria.
Internal DPC correspondence showed the application was turned down because aged care falls under health and commonwealth portfolios, rather than state security grants.
Moule confirmed aged care primarily sits under federal jurisdiction, stating he was unaware of a specific Victorian funding program for aged care security. But he clarified that facilities are not entirely shut out from future state assistance if significant needs are raised:
If representations were made to the government in relation to security funding for aged care facilities in Victoria, then that is certainly a matter the government would consider.
Updated at 5.20am BST
5.07am BST
Victorian government shifted focus to operational security post-Bondi attack, inquiry hears
The Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet’s (DPC) secretary, Jeremi Moule, has detailed state government security funding during his appearance at the antisemitism royal commission.
Moule said the DPC distributed $3.7m across 22 Jewish community projects since the 2023-24 state budget. While funding previously targeted physical infrastructure, the Bondi attack prompted a pivot toward operational costs such as funding security guards for summer youth camps.
The rise in antisemitism in Australia and in Victoria is an issue to which the government has needed to be responsive ... [leading to] the adaptation of grant programs to be more responsive to community needs.
Operational security is now an “active conversation” within government, Moule said. He also advocated for official state and federal alignment to streamline future security funding.
Updated at 5.08am BST
5.00am BST
Macquarie CEO announces retirement after eight years at the helm Macquarie Group’s chief executive, Shemara Wikramanayake, has announced she will retire in an ASX update on Thursday.
Wikramanayake will step down in November this year after eight years in the top job and almost four decades with the company.
The company’s current head of banking and financial services, Greg Ward , has been appointed as her successor.
Wikramanayake described the role as a “great privilege” and said she had confidence in Ward’s appointment.
Looking forward, I take confidence in the strength of the team, and particularly in Greg’s ability to build on the legacy of our six decades of history. We have worked together for 30 years, and his track record, leadership and integrity make him an excellent candidate to be Macquarie’s next Ceo.
From 2021 to 2022, Wikramanayake was the highest-paid chief executive in Australia after receiving $23.7m in compensation.
Updated at 6.18am BST
4.51am BST
Push to wind back fuel tax credits
A little later today, the Labor conference will debate winding back generous fuel tax credits for miners.
There has been a push inside and outside of Labor – from the rank and file, to the unions – to cap the scheme , which refunds miners, farmers and other industries the 52.6c a litre excise applied to petrol and diesel.
Whispers had spread across the caucus that Labor would wind back some of the tax credits in the most recent budget, but that was before war broke out in the Middle East and the focus moved to securing domestic fuel supply.
The Labor Environment Action Network (LEAN) has put forward an amendment to the conference to, “remove disincentives for orderly decarbonisation” – ie wind back the credits.
We’ll see what happens on the floor when the 400 delegates vote whether to include it.
But it’s also worth noting that just because it’s included in the national platform, doesn’t mean the government will have to act on it.
Updated at 4.55am BST
4.41am BST
Danila Dilba Aboriginal Health Service CEO resigns from Child and Families partnership forum citing concerns over NT Government
The Ceo of Danila Dilba Aboriginal Health Service, Rob McPhee has resigned from his role as the Independent Aboriginal Chair of the Northern Territory Children and Families Tripartite Forum.
His resignation follows the NT government’s passage of controversial child protection laws on Wednesday, which weaken the Aboriginal child placement principle in child safety decision-making.
In a statement, McPhee said he accepted the role in 2023 as a “genuine partnership” between the Northern Territory, the federal government, and the Aboriginal Community Controlled sector but he can no longer continue in the role due to a lack of “respectful and transparent collaboration”. McPhee said:
Over the past two years, it has become increasingly evident that the Northern Territory Government is not committed to genuine partnership with the Forum on significant policy and legislative reform.
He cited further concerns that the NT government’s child safety planning and governance strategies lacked meaningful consultation with the Forum.
The decision by the Northern Territory government in 2025 to discontinue the Strategy without replacing it with an alternative long-term strategy or governance framework removed the Territory’s primary mechanism for shared accountability, long-term planning and collaborative governance for children and families.
Since then, significant policy and legislative reforms have continued to be developed without meaningful engagement through the Tripartite Forum.
McPhee’s resignation follows the NT Children Commissioner quitting in protest of the child protection reforms.
4.33am BST
One Nation selling dog leads after Barnaby Joyce dog moment One Nation has been quick to capitalise on Barnaby Joyce ’s viral moment yelling at his staffy-border collie Stella to sit down on live television by, you guessed it, selling dog leads.
(Joyce later apologised to Stella for “verbally assaulting” her.)
The “Sitdown! Barnaby’s Dog Leads” only just appeared on the party’s online shop, and apparently won’t arrive until August, but they have already dropped in price, from $15 down to $10.
According to DeepAI’s detector, the images promoting the leads are 97% likely to be generated using artificial intelligence. They feature the packaging of the leads, rather than the product itself, accompanied by an Akubra hat and a eucalyptus leaf – famously Australian things.
The website says:
Every dog owner knows the feeling. Somewhere important to be, an audience watching and a dog who has quietly decided today is not the day for instructions. Sometimes you just have to say it loud and clear: sit down … We figured a dog owner with that kind of conviction deserved a lead to match.
As someone who treats my labrador like a human prince and will cater to his every whim, this is not the lead for me.
Updated at 5.33am BST
4.23am BST
What’s happening at the Labor conference?
The Adelaide Convention Centre is abuzz, with about 3,000 people in and around the venue that is hosting Labor’s national conference.
It means that the free coffee line has about a 30-minute wait. But there are plenty of conversations happening in the queue.
Overheard was some praise for last night’s fundraising event featuring Left Right Out, described as “parliament’s best (and only) band” – led by the leader of the house, Tony Burke . Tickets for lobbyists went for $1,000 a pop, but we’re told that tickets for staffers were much cheaper. Apparently the place was packed - with around 150 tickets sold.
And it’s not just journalists who are keen for a little drama at the conference, a few attendees – including MPs – were heard saying that they’re also looking forward to some of the stickier issues like fuel tax credits, gas tax and gambling.
We’re told they they played Aussie pub classic singalong songs including Khe San and Flame Trees.
Updated at 4.44am BST
4.16am BST
Jim Chalmers praises economy’s ‘resilience’ amid strong job figures
Jim Chalmers has hailed this morning’s strong jobs figures as evidence of the economy’s “resilience” through a period of great global turbulence.
Official figures this morning showed the unemployment rate held at 4.4% in June, alongside a much stronger than expected 76,300 monthly increase in the number of employed Australians.
The participation rate, which measures the share of people aged 15 and over in the labour force, climbed to 67% and the highest in nearly a year, which explained why the jobs surge did not translate into a lower jobless rate.
“Even in the face of all this global uncertainty and volatility, unemployment remains relatively low and more jobs are being created and that reflects the resilience of Australia’s economy and the progress we’re making together,” the treasurer said, even as he recognised that “people are under pressure” from high cost of living.
Still, economists predict unemployment will creep higher this year as the economy slows, and with inflation still running too hot, the resilient labour market will keep the Reserve Bank’s finger on the interest rate-hike trigger.
Cherelle Murphy , EY’s chief economist, said that this morning’s data “will not materially change the policy picture” for the RBA:
A labour market that is only gradually cooling gives the [RBA’s] board more flexibility to keep rates higher for longer, or raise them further if needed, to tame inflation.
The next RBA rates decision is on 11 August.
Updated at 4.45am BST
4.06am BST
Husic says Labor should show ‘steel in its spine’ by raising taxes on gas exports The Labor MP Ed Husic says the federal government has the chance to show it has “steel in its spine” by raising taxes on gas exports – just hours after Anthony Albanese ruled out adopting the policy in the near future.
In a wide-ranging press conference on the sidelines of Labor’s national conference, Husic also backed an Indigenous truth-telling process and hinted he would push to strengthen the party’s criticism of Israel’s conduct in Gaza ahead of debate on Saturday.
Husic appeared alongside the Australia Institute co-chief executive Richard Denniss and Thomas Mayo , the assistant secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia, to renew calls for a 25% tax on gas exports.
Labor conference delegates are set to vote on Thursday to update the party’s platform with a commitment to extract a “fairer return” from the nation’s resources, a set of words widely interpreted as setting an expectation that the government would eventually move to raise taxes on gas exports.
Albanese rejected that interpretation in a radio interview earlier this month, ruling out any changes in the short-term as the government focuses on shoring up fuel supplies amid the Middle East conflict.
But Husic said the government would eventually have to act, such was the groundswell of public support for the policy.
He said:
Labor has a chance to be able to show, particularly to the broader public, that it’s got what it takes, that it’s got the steel in the spine to be able to make a call that’s in really the nation’s long-term interest. A lot of Australians reckon we’ve been ripped off. Labor can stand up, seize this moment, seize the money (and) also seize the agenda long term.
Updated at 4.42am BST
3.56am BST
‘I felt I had failed as a parent’: Father details impact of swastika graffiti on family home and Bondi terror attack
Former NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president, Lesli Berger , described the impact antisemitic targeted attacks have had on his family during testimony to the royal commission.
Berger recalled the shock of finding an inverted Nazi swastika graffitied on his back fence in late December 2024. The incident left his children feeling unsafe, prompting Berger to spend tens of thousands of dollars on security camera upgrades, remove his address from public records, and lock down his social media.
It’s the symbol of hatred of the political movement that wanted the extermination of the Jewish people. It’s the political movement that killed most of my family on my father’s side.
The emotional toll escalated during the Bondi terrorist attack at a Hanukkah event. His two younger children, aged 16 and 12, were home alone when news of the attack broke. Fearing their home would be targeted, the children panicked. His son called a non-Jewish friend, whose mother immediately drove over to evacuate the teenagers to her house for safety.
Fighting back tears during his testimony, Berger said the moment made him feel like he had “failed as a parent”:
He didn’t feel safe... I couldn’t believe it. Understanding everything that I had done to help the Jewish community... at that moment, I felt that it really was all for naught.
Berger told the commission that public discussions around antisemitism often overlook the trauma inflicted on families who are not direct victims of physical violence.
It has meant that as other high-profile antisemitic attacks have happened, we have felt it more keenly.
3.44am BST
First witnesses at NSW Liberals corruption inquiry revealed
The New South Wales corruption watchdog has revealed the witnesses who will appear in the first of at least eight weeks of hearings into allegations of corruption in the state’s Liberal party.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) will hold its first public hearings as part of Operation Rosny from Monday.
After an opening statement by counsel assisting the commission Dr Peggy Dwyer SC , the first witness will be hotelier Michael O’Hara , followed later in the week by former Liberal staffer Dylan Whitelaw , and Robert Assaf.
Icac is investigating the central allegation that Liberal figures or lobbyists including Assaf “solicited or accepted” donations, including from prohibited donors, in amounts which were undeclared or exceeded caps, to recruit or renew members to the party – a practice known as “branch stacking”.
As part of this, Icac is investigating donations allegedly made by O’Hara’s company Paslibdan Pty Ltd on his behalf.
Dylan Whitelaw , a former Liberal parliamentary staffer, was summonsed but did not appear before a parliamentary inquiry into allegations of branch stacking in the Hills Shire council which preceded Icac’s inquiry. He has not been named in Icac’s allegations.
O’Hara, Assaf and Whitelaw have been contacted for comment.
Updated at 4.32am BST
3.32am BST
Rabbi tells inquiry Zionism is being weaponised as an ‘excuse’ for antisemitism
Rabbi Allison Conyer said congregants across the political spectrum, including those uninvolved in politics or critical of the Israeli government, were being targeted, isolated or “cancelled”.
Conyer recounted an interfaith dialogue event, where a participant told her the term “proud Zionist” was viewed by some as equivalent to “proud terrorist”.
Rejecting the comparison, Conyer defined Zionism as “the right for self-determination in the ancestral Jewish homeland for the Jewish people”. She said Zionism does not mean “the eradication of the Palestinian people”, adding that her movement explicitly supports a two-state solution.
Conyer said the inquiry should reject binary frameworks that demand choosing between Israelis and Palestinians, adding that there are “plenty of passionate Zionists who are also critical of Israel”.
Updated at 3.40am BST
3.26am BST
Rabbi details surge in antisemitism since 7 October Rabbi Allison Conyer has detailed an “exponential” surge in antisemitism across Australian demographics since 7 October 2023 , the day of the Hamas attack on Israel, saying that members of her community are increasingly alienated from progressive and social justice spaces.
Speaking on the escalation of public harassment, Conyer cited accounts of drivers shouting “we’re hunting Jews” at pedestrians, swastikas painted on property and a customer telling a pharmacist “you can’t trust a Jew” while bystanders did nothing.
Conyer outlined the toll on staff and synagogues across the Union for Progressive Judaism network – a movement she said is defined by its modern interpretation of traditions, ordination of female rabbis, welcoming of interfaith families and LGBTQIA+ inclusion.
Almost all progressive synagogues in the region have faced bomb threats in recent years, she said. She recalled an example from a few weeks ago where a non-Jewish staff member answered a phone call where the caller declared “all Jews should be burned”.
Conyer expressed particular concern over hostility emerging within left-wing and social justice circles where congregants previously felt safe. She recounted the experience of a queer congregant who felt squeezed out of inclusive spaces:
In a community that’s fighting binaries, she expressed that she felt there was a binary... Whenever she tried to express just a difference of opinion, she was shut down and cancelled. This community that made her feel so safe now became a den of bigotry.
Conyer also pointed to a left-wing student targeted as “Zionist scum”, stating:
I give these two examples because this is blatant antisemitism hiding itself and using Zionism as the excuse.
Conyer highlighted breakdown of personal relationships across Australia.
Another thing that people told me over and over again is the loss of lifelong friendships … It was so bizarre that in a political situation outside of Australia, friendships were ended. There was no agree to disagree. There was no distinction between the actions of the Israeli government and all of Israel and all the Jewish people.
Continued in next post
Updated at 3.38am BST
3.15am BST
Workers to paint ‘size of a typical family home’ to cover up ‘Pam the Bird’ on Melbourne’s Bolte Bridge
A divisive bird in Melbourne that is art to some and vandalism to others will be no more. ‘Pam the Bird’, described by Victoria Police as a “distinct cartoon bird”, was allegedly plastered onto one of the Bolte Bridge pillars by Jack Gibson-Burrell earlier this month. He was arrested at the base of the bridge several hours later, after a considerable police response and traffic delays.
Peter Munro from Transurban told ABC Radio Melbourne this morning that work would begin today to get the graffiti cleaned off the bridge. It’s going to be a “big job”, he said, with painting crews to climb up the 140m pylon, which will take about 40 minutes via internal stairs. They’ll then come down on ropes to do the cleanup over two days.
It’s about 200 square metres of painting. So to give you a better context, we’re painting an area at the size of a typical family home … It wasn’t an option to clean it off, so we actually are painting over the top of it.
The cost will be taken on by Transurban. Asked what he would say to people arguing ‘Pam the Bird’ should be left alone, he said:
Our duty is to make Melbourne look great … to make sure that we keep it clean and free from graffiti.
3.05am BST
Rabbi says security costs and rising antisemitism forcing synagogues online Turning for a moment to the royal commission into antisemitism. Testifying today was Rabbi Allison Conyer, of the Union for Progressive Judaism, who said routine threats are disrupting daily life across the country’s network of progressive synagogues.
She outlined the financial and operational toll security threats are taking on Australian synagogues. “Many of our communities have received, in fact, almost all of them have received bomb threats at one point or another over the last couple of years,” Conyer told the royal commission, noting that places of worship and schools now regularly practice “evacuation and lockdown drills in case of a terrorist threat”.
The financial burden of providing physical security reaches up to $50,000 per synagogue. Conyer said that government grant processes are onerous for volunteer-run groups, and available funding quickly runs out.
I know one of our communities in Australia – because they don’t have enough money for security – has closed having in-person Sabbath services... And they’re only doing it online. So it’s back to Covid again.
Security presence is also taking a psychological toll on families and children, driving up to a 25% drop in enrolment at some synagogue preschools and threatening their closure, she said.
Our extracurricular activity programs, some people are nervous because they see security guards.
How do you explain to a kid why you need a security guard, someone dressed like that, yet you’re still safe.
Conyer said that a homeless service run by her synagogue lost volunteers who felt unsafe after security grant funding was denied, describing an environment where security fears continually curtail community connection.
Updated at 3.17am BST
2.59am BST
Debate opens on the floor of Labor conference
We’ve now in the thick of the conference, where the national platform itself is debated and the details combed through.
Jim Chalmers , the treasurer, moves the first chapter of the platform, which focuses on the economy. Speaking on the government’s housing reforms to capital gains tax and negative gearing, Chalmers tells the conference:
Action on this is what it means to make change, not make excuses. This is what it means to make a difference, not just mark time. This is what it means to deliver, not dither.
There are a raft of amendments – so far there are more than 500 amendments across the entire platform – that will be put forward as well.
For example, on superannuation there are at least eight amendments, from calling for under 18s to be paid compulsory superannuation to creating safeguards to ensure superannuation funds put members’ interests first.
While the motions and amendments are debated inside, the fringe events are also beginning which can also get pretty interesting. They discuss issues that might not be on the agenda, or push for more ambitious reforms that might not be adopted by the federal party.
Updated at 3.06am BST
2.51am BST
‘The Liberals, Nationals and One Nation are already a coalition’, Albanese says
The PM reflects how much Australia has changed in the last 125 years (and notes that even then there wasn’t a “monoculture”).
The first delegates (all men), he says, were Protestant, Catholic, English, Irish and “no-one was quite sure if the leader was born in New Zealand or Chile”*.
Those men could never have contemplated a Labor government caucus room with a majority of women, or a roll call which goes Abdo , Albanese , Ali , Ambihaipahar , Ananda-Rajah , and Ayres .
They might have been more comfortable with the union leadership team of O’Neill and McManus, but Michele and Sally would have come as a real shock.
Albanese also takes more direct aim at his opponents, arguing the Liberals, Nationals and One Nation are already in a Coalition.
Beyond One Nation’s personality clashes, policy confusion, conspiracy theories, and candidate chaos, and regardless of who leads the Liberals to the next election, in every way that matters, the Liberals, Nationals, and One Nation are already a coalition. It’s not just that they need each other to form government; they agree with each other about what they want to do in government.
*After a quick Google, we can confirm that Chris Watson , who Albanese was referring to, was born in Chile .
Updated at 3.12am BST
2.51am BST
Queensland government releases designs for new Olympics aquatic centre, without costings The Queensland government has released new renders of the aquatic centre planned for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, but few other details about the project.
The aquatic centre – to be built on top of the existing, heritage-listed Centenary Pool – is expected to host 25,000 spectators during the games, with 8,000 permanent seats. But like all other Olympics venues, it is yet to have a specific budget.
Simon Crooks , the CEO of the Games Independent Infrastructure Coordination Authority, confirmed at a press conference on Thursday that the centre doesn’t yet have a project validation report, which means the commonwealth has not yet signed off on funding the project, or any other.
He said the reports will be done by about the end of the year. Crooks also said the size of the centre could change, either adding more seats or fewer.
The premier, David Crisafulli , said:
Our commitment is it’ll be world class. There will be a legacy, and it’ll be done on time and on budget. And I think that’s what all Queenslanders want to see.
State parliament is currently sitting for estimates.
Updated at 4.37am BST
2.38am BST
Unemployment rate holds steady at 4.4% Breaking from Labor’s conference, the unemployment rate held at 4.4% in June after a big jump in the number of employed Australians in the month.
Employment surged by 76,300 in June, according to figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
The ABS earlier this month revised up the underemployment rate – which measures those with jobs but who can’t find more hours – to 6.3% in May, from 5.9%, blaming a “systems error”.
The latest figures show underemployment pushed higher to 6.5% in June, although it still remains well below pre-Covid levels.
The ABS has also flagged that it is updating how it collects the labour force statistics.
Updated at 2.48am BST
2.28am BST
Albanese announces new Fair Work court and more super for young workers The prime minister has just announced a new Fair Work court, which Albanese says will streamline workplace disputes.
He says it will be headed by “expert judges working seamlessly with the Fair Work Commission”.
There are still too many of the most vulnerable workers in this country being illegally underpaid because they cannot access or afford the justice that they are owed.
It will resolve disputes faster and at lower costs for both workers and employers, good for workers, good for business, good for the country, and we’re going to deliver it.
The PM also announces young workers aged 18 to 20 will soon no longer receive junior award rates after a union push.
Under the current rules, those 18 to 20 are paid less than those 21 years and over for the same jobs. Albanese says:
After decades of union campaigning, and remember back at my first conference in 1986, speaking about youth wages, workers aged 18, 19, and 20 are finally being paid like the adults that they are.
Updated at 4.02am BST
2.19am BST
Albanese takes swipe at One Nation: ‘None of them have anything new or positive to offer’ Anthony Albanese still won’t say One Nation but makes an even less veiled attempt to call out the party and leader Pauline Hanson , who just went overseas to attend conservative conferences and controversially spoke to the far-right British activist Tommy Robinson .
He says:
All those attention-seeking culture wars imported from overseas, all those trips around the world to talk Australia down, cannot disguise the fact that none of them have anything new or anything positive to offer our country.
People’s genuine frustrations deserve a practical response, not just an emotional one, because a list of problems only counts for something if it comes with solutions. And while you can go a long way in politics for a long time by raging against a system that you’re a part of without a plan to fix it, or blaming people who cannot defend themselves for a problem they did not cause, that doesn’t build anything. It doesn’t change anything.
The PM also announces the extension of paid practical payments - which receives a round of cheers and whistles across the room. See the full report on that announcement here .
Updated at 2.54am BST
2.12am BST
PM says Australians have reasons to feel ‘the economy is simply not working for them’ The PM takes the stage and also begins his address on the global uncertainty facing the nation.
He also acknowledges the pain and grievances of people at home who are struggling to make ends meet following one global shock after another.
There’s no mention of One Nation as of yet, but the government has said it believes the way to combat the growing movement is to improve living standards and make sure people feel like “the economy is working from them”.
Anthony Albanese says:
People have been given every reason to feel like the economy is simply not working for them. That goes deeper than sentiment. It’s a reality people are up against. It is a challenge confronting governments and democracies right around the world, and that is why our focus remains squarely on helping with the cost of living, on the practical measures that matter to people and make a positive difference to their lives.
To no one’s surprise, Albanese also takes an opportunity to whip out his favourite Medicare card – which saw plenty of daylight throughout the election campaign – spruiking his health policies.
Updated at 2.51am BST
2.04am BST
A rockstar welcome for the PM at Labor conference
Anthony Albanese comes out from a door on the side of the conference theatre, and runs out waving hands in the air.
He gets huge cheers and shakes plenty of hands as he walks down the aisle.
His soundtrack? Sounds of Then (This is Australia) by GANGgajang – a favourite of the PM who also played it during Labor’s campaign launch last year.
Updated at 3.51am BST
2.03am BST
‘When premiers call prime ministers, we’re always asking for something’
Just because it’s a Labor conference doesn’t mean you can’t make a few jokes at your own movement’s expense (in fact, big fights are well known to take place in conferences past).
But on a lighter note, Peter Malinauskas has a little crack at the WA government, over the spread of GST across the country.
When premiers call prime ministers, we’re always asking for something. We might start the call by talking about the weather or footy, but soon enough, we’ll put in the ask. Premier Rockcliffe asking for money for a stadium. Premier Allan asking for money for a rail project. Premier Cook asking for everyone else’s GST money. Then Premier Minns asking for the GST money back.
New South Wales emerged as the biggest loser of the GST carve up this year.
He gets a few chuckles, then gets serious again, singing the PM’s praises as he introduces him to the stage.
Updated at 3.02am BST
2.02am BST
‘If you can’t govern your dog': Malinauskas takes aim at Joyce and offers warnings for rightwing movement The wildly popular South Australian premier Peter Malinauskas is next, and also begins with a warning of the unprecedented times we live in, but not without a quip against the opposition and Barnaby Joyce’s viral moment this week that I’m sure you’ve seen (along with all the memes that followed).
In an erratic world filled with ill discipline and division, we’ve been reminded this week of that time-honoured political truth: if you can’t govern your dog, you can’t govern the country.
And the Libs, who now live in the desperate fear of being accused of Labor lite, are now embracing being Hanson-heavy, which leaves us, the Labor party. We know what a professional political party looks like.
He says the rise of the right isn’t new, but through all of that and all of the right wing movements, the Labor party has endured.
But he sets out two key risks for the party: complacency and populism:
We must recognise that the current upending of anti-Labor forces does bring with it two clear, omnipresent, and undeniable risks for our party. The first is complacency. Complacency in the idea that a splintered conservative movement automatically renders Labor as electoral favourites.
And the second risk is that, in an effort to avoid said complacency, we end up developing an agenda focused on responding to political populism rather than the needs of the nation.
Updated at 2.59am BST
1.54am BST
Escalating conflict in the Middle East reignites oil price debate
Brent crude prices will need to rise as high as $US150 a barrel if the worsening Middle East conflict restricts traffic through the strait of Hormuz for another 10 weeks, CBA experts warn.
The global oil benchmark climbed to over $US96 a barrel this morning after Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for attacks on two tankers in the Red Sea.
Crude prices are now up by a third this month and may have further to go.
John Oh , an energy economist at CBA, said Saudi Arabian oil would for the most part find other ways to get to the market even were the Red Sea shipping routes blocked.
But he warned that the latest disruptions coincided with already low global inventories following months of additional drawdowns.
Interactive CBA experts predict the hostilities to extend for a further two months, which should avoid the worst-case scenario outlined above, and the bank’s economists forecast Brent crude trading between $US70 and $US100 a barrel in the second half of this year.
Oh:
Whilst we see upside risks for oil, it’s worth noting that markets have been optimistic about a swift return to prewar levels given pipeline bypasses, reduced Chinese oil imports and non-OPEC+ supply growth have alleviated oil market’s dependence on oil tanker traffic through the strait since the war began.
Updated at 1.56am BST
1.47am BST
Labor president warns of political ‘realignment’ happening at home and abroad The ALP national conference is under way, with Kate Ellis taking the stage as the incoming national president of the party. She followed a welcome to country by Uncle Mickey .
Ellis says her predecessor, Wayne Swan, is a “giant of the movement”, which receives a big round of applause from the audience.
She notes it’s the first time in history Labor has had a president and two vice-presidents who are more women, and offers a pointed remark:
While others bicker about if and how and when women deserve representation within our political structures, we’re just getting on with the job.
She adds that she doesn’t stand here because she misses the limelight. “I really didn’t,” she chuckles, but that there’s “too much at stake for anyone to sit down on the sidelines”.
We face a time when there is a massive political realignment happening, both globally and here at home ... There are people hurting. Some of them are really angry about it, and at this conference, we show them that rather than turning our back on those people or turning their hurt into more anger and division, or grandstanding and chasing cheap headlines, will do what Labor does best. We will work to make the real decisions that improve the lives of the Australian people.
Updated at 2.13am BST
1.37am BST
Labor’s national conference kicks off in Adelaide
Hello from the ALP national conference 2026! I’m in Adelaide and will be bringing you all the action from the debates, announcements, speeches and fights.
Here’s a bit of a rundown on what’s happening:
First the former Rudd/Gillard minister, Kate Ellis , will officially become the new president of Labor’s organisational wing. She’ll say a few words, before the South Australian Labor premier, Peter Malinauskas, takes the stage. Then the spotlight will be on Anthony Albanese . We’ve only seen snippets of his speech – including his announcement of the extension of paid prac placements for allied health services.
The national platform, which outlines Labor’s whole agenda, will be debated throughout the conference, and the first few hours of today will be spent debating the economic agenda. That includes some sticking points such as gas tax policy, fuel tax credits and AI policy.
We’ll also be bringing you the action from some of the so-called fringe events that happen on the sidelines of the conference and any protest action outside.
Updated at 2.13am BST
1.25am BST
Helen Haines says new payments for health students must be delivered ‘as soon as possible’
The independent federal member for Indi, Dr Helen Haines , has joined peak bodies in welcoming the news that the federal government will extend its paid practical placements scheme to allied health students. It follows continued lobbying from the health workforce, the Greens and a coalition of independents, including Haines.
In June, Haines joined independent senator David Pocock to present a petition to the parliament signed by more than 43,000 people calling for placements to be made available to allied health and medical students experiencing “placement poverty”.
Haines said:
This is fantastic news for allied health students across Australia and alleviate enormous pressure they face when trying to juggle study and their day-to-day bills. At a time of urgent health workforce shortages, particularly in rural and regional Australia, we cannot afford to have financial pressures preventing students from completing health degrees.
I’m keen to see the detail and to ensure these payments are delivered as soon as possible. Students who are struggling with placement poverty need support now.
Read more about the announcement and what the scheme does here:
Related: ALP announces sweeping changes to student work placements as Gaza war looms large at party conference
Updated at 1.34am BST
1.13am BST
Pauline Hanson claims her highly criticised comments on domestic violence were ‘twisted by the media’
Pauline Hanson is continuing to be criticised by domestic violence experts for comments she made about the scourge, but the One Nation leader has put the blame on the media.
After comments she made in public interviews came under fire, Hanson claimed her words had been “twisted by the media” and denied she had downplayed domestic violence. She told 4BC radio yesterday it was “wrong but it’s also a two-way street”.
I’m not saying that it’s just men, women can lose their cool as well. Society is under so much pressure … Everyone is under so much pressure and it’s really hard … Domestic violence is a scourge but look … I’ve been through it myself in my life. And I just feel if you’re not in a house where you feel safe … then you shouldn’t put up with it. If these women are getting abused by men out there, then don’t put up with it.
Yesterday, after the comments were criticised, she posted a transcript of those quotes online, writing: “Here’s exactly what I said on 4BC about domestic violence, so you don’t get it twisted by the media or the Labor Party.” It is unclear what Hanson’s complaint was, as those comments were reproduced at length in mainstream media articles.
On Thursday morning, she again posted about the 4BC interview, posting audio of the exchange and claiming “there is a concerted effort by some in the media to constantly take my comments out of context”.
But some within rival media decided to use only a few quotes and made out that I downplayed domestic violence. That’s untrue, hence why it’s important that people hear the whole interview.
The One Nation leader criticised “journalistic integrity” and drew links to j ob cuts at the Nine newspapers, writing, “I’m growing less tolerant of many journalists within the MSM and so too are the public.”
Hanson has previously threatened to ban journalists from the Guardian and the ABC from One Nation events. Hanson has seen a flurry of media coverage in the last week or so for controversial comments about the White Australia policy, her decision to grant an interview to far-right agitator and convicted criminal Tommy Robinson , and her decision to join mining billionaire Gina Rinehart at a lavish Italian resort and fashion show.
Updated at 1.40am BST
12.55am BST
Peak bodies celebrate ‘overdue recognition’ of students as paid practical payment scheme extended
Peak bodies have backed the federal government’s decision to extend its paid practical placements scheme to students in 10 additional fields.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese , will make the announcement in a speech to open the Labor national conference on Thursday , which extends the scheme to students in physiotherapy, speech pathology and clinical psychology.
When the scheme was first announced last year, it was a major win for stakeholders who have spent years pushing the commonwealth to address “placement poverty” , but the federal government was urged to expand the eligibility to all students completing placements, and to increase the payments to at least the minimum wage.
The Health Services Union (HSU) national secretary, Dustin Halse , said “paid placements are a practical investment in the future of Medicare and the health, aged care and disability services Australians rely on”.
The HSU will continue campaigning until every allied health student undertaking a mandatory placement receives proper financial support.
The Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA) national president, Jesse Gardner-Russell , said it was “overdue recognition” of students in psychology and physiotherapy.
“Extending the Commonwealth Prac Payment to allied health is a … sign that the Government is listening.
12.44am BST
Man charged with AI-generated child exploitation offences
A 26-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly possessing and producing child exploitation material generated using artificial intelligence (AI).
On Wednesday, officers from South Australia police and the Australian federal police (AFP) attended a home in the northern suburbs of Adelaide and arrested the man, allegeding he’d been producing the material from the address on electronic devices.
He was charged with possessing and producing child exploitation material and granted bail to appear in the Adelaide magistrates court at a later date.
Detective superintendent Damien Epps , officer in charge of the public protection branch, said the production, possession and distribution of AI-generated child abuse material “is a heinous offence”.
Updated at 1.25am BST
12.36am BST
Continued from previous post …
The NSW Net Zero Commission’s report makes several recommendations to get the state on track to meet its legislated climate targets.
It said in addition to “meaningful consideration” of those targets in all major planning assessments – “particularly in planning assessments of coal mine extensions or expansions, and data centres” – the state government must prioritise projects that helped decarbonisation.
The government would also need to accelerate electrification of transport, buildings and industrial heating and “significantly reduce methane emissions” in mining, agriculture and waste.
The commission called for concrete action and investment to help communities already dealing with the effects of climate change to adapt.
The report also questioned a coal industry strategy the government released in March, which included the ban on greenfield projects:
The [government’s] new position includes an expectation that emissions from the coal industry will decline consistent with NSW’s targets.
It is unclear how this will be achieved, because coal mine extensions and expansions will still be considered and NSW Government expects employment from these will continue “for decades to come”.
Updated at 12.58am BST
12.27am BST
NSW Net Zero Commission warns state not on track to meet legislated carbon reduction commitments
The Minns government must guarantee “meaningful consideration” of climate targets in every major planning decision – particularly coal projects and datacentres – the NSW Net Zero Commission has said as it warned the state was not on track to meet legislated carbon reduction commitments.
The independent state body set up to monitor progress towards net zero also said a March government announcement banning greenfield coalmines “is more symbolic than material” given no mines of that type had been approved in the state since 2018.
The statements are contained in the commission’s annual report on how the state is tracking towards legislated climate targets of 50% by 2030, 70% by 2035 and net zero by 2050.
While the commission found NSW had made some progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and rolling out low emissions technology, it would miss the 2030 and 2035 targets unless it worked faster.
The report has been released a day after the state’s independent planning authority concluded its public hearings considering a Hunter Valley coalmine extension that would be the largest in NSW.
It reiterates earlier statements that further coalmine extensions and expansions “are inconsistent with NSW’s legislated targets”.
Continued in next post …
Updated at 12.57am BST
12.20am BST
Australia wants to ‘set the standards’ on AI, Anthony Albanese says
Circling back to Anthony Albanese’s ABC radio interview earlier, the PM says Australia wants to help “set the standards” when it comes to AI, but admits there are “risks” which Australia wants to control.
Albanese gave a major speech last week outlining his government’s broad thinking about AI, including plans to set rules about how datacentres will be approved and operated, but some of the nuts and bolts specifics – such as copyright, privacy and safety concerns – are still to be confirmed.
Asked on AM radio about OpenAI revealing one of its models went rogue during a test and hacked a company by itself, Albanese said: “It is a fact that there are risks here, which need to be mitigated.”
[His speech] spoke about Australian standards, and that’s why we want to work with industry, we want to work with business, but we also want to work with everyone in society.
What we’re determined to do is to shape the change by engaging in the process. We can’t pretend that it won’t occur any more than we can turn off the internet. This is a change that’s occurring, and what we don’t want is to do what happened with social media, where down the track people have recognised the damage that was done to young people … AI can bring enormous productivity benefits. It can create jobs, but it also needs to be controlled, and that is why national standards are important.
Updated at 12.23am BST
12.10am BST
Images of Brisbane’s foggy awakening this morning
As we brought to you earlier, Brisbane has been blanketed in fog this morning, causing delays to some flights, one flight diversion and a road weather alert warning.
We have some images of the moody weather here, and it’s very Stranger Things.
Updated at 12.12am BST
11.59pm BST
Trade union pushes for further tax changes on opening day of Labor’s national conference
A trade union is demanding the Albanese government pursue further tax changes to address the housing crisis – including to target vacant properties.
The Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU) will use the opening day of Labor’s national conference in Adelaide to unveil a new housing charter, which urges the government to expand on the negative gearing and capital gains tax discount changes that passed parliament late last month.
The charter specifically targets vacant properties, proposing a new tax to encourage owners to sell up. Properties left vacant for extended periods would also be stripped of tax concessions under the plan.
The union wants a massive ramp up of public housing – aided by the removal of GST on construction costs – and dedicated programs to build dwellings for essential workers such as nurses, teachers and childcare workers.
The agenda would be overseen by a new national housing commission.
The AMWU national secretary, Steve Murphy , said:
This is a sweeping, unapologetically pro-worker plan to fix Australia’s housing crisis. Working people expect action, not incrementalism, on the country’s housing emergency.
As Labor delegates gather to set the party’s platform for the next term, the AMWU will put housing squarely on the agenda. This campaign is a direct challenge to the influence of property investors, developers and financial institutions over housing policy.
The charter takes aim at the tax settings, planning failures and market structures that have entrenched property as a speculative asset class rather than a place for workers and their families to live.
Updated at 12.14am BST
11.51pm BST
Domestic violence services ‘crying out’ for more resources, Australian femicide watch founder says
Pauline Hanson has, perhaps inadvertently, placed the spotlight on domestic violence after making comments that it is “wrong”, but a “two-way street” on radio on Wednesday.
Australia’s commissioners for gender equality and children’s rights, Dr Anna Cody and Deb Tsorbaris , rejected her comments, with Cody warning “any suggestion that victim-survivors share the blame is harmful, wrong, and dangerous”.
Domestic violence is never the responsibility of the person experiencing it. Just this month, two women and two girls have been allegedly murdered. In May, there were four alleged domestic violence killings in as many days. Femicide remains a national crisis, and any attempt to shift the blame undermines our efforts to end it.
The founder of Australian femicide watch, Sherele Moody , appeared on ABC News Breakfast this morning where she accused the One Nation leader of putting back attempts to end male violence against women by “decades”. Moody said it took, on average, seven attempts before a woman leaves a violent relationship.
Sometimes it’s manipulation from the abuser. The lack of resources, fear for children … We have safety nets, and we have resources, but we don’t actually have enough of them. Domestic violence services across the country are crying out for more money and more resourcing.
Related: Every 11 days a woman in Australia is killed by someone she trusted. How can this keep happening? | Joumanah El-Matrah
Updated at 12.00am BST
11.39pm BST
Albanese shuts down new tax on gas exports, at least in the short-term Anthony Albanese has seemingly shut down prospects of a new tax on gas exports, saying he doesn’t interpret a Labor party platform document calling for Australians to get “a fair share” from natural resources as a call for such a new tax.
The prime minister was on ABC radio just now, ahead of Labor’s national conference opening today in Adelaide. As we’ve reported , a high-level commitment to increase taxes on gas exports and wind back fuel tax credits is set to be enshrined in the official party platform, which sets a long-term expectation – rather than an immediate requirement – for the parliamentary party to act.
Albanese seemed to close the door on a new gas tax in the short term at least. Asked by ABC host Melissa Clarke whether he interpreted the platform as a request from Labor members to increase taxes on gas exports, he replied: “No.”
What my party understands is a priority of Australians is making sure that we have fuel security at this point in time. People wake up every morning, and if they’re tuning into early AM or the ABC News, they’ll find that there’s news every day about what’s occurring in the Middle East. Our priority has been fuel security. We have managed to do that.
Asked whether the current gas policies deliver a fair return, Albanese said “the current policies are our priority”.
Ed Husic , the Labor MP and former industry minister, will again lead a public call for a new gas tax at the conference today, joining The Australia Institute and Thomas Mayo , assistant secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia. In a statement distributed by the Australia Institute, Husic said “it’s time for our fair share … Our party needs to seize the moment and do the right thing by everyday Australians and our manufacturers”.
Updated at 1.12am BST
11.31pm BST
Unit prices down as affordability shapes the market
Australia’s home values are continuing to fall as investors and first home buyers alike nervously survey the market post-federal budget, Australian Associated Press reports. Domain data shows homes in almost all capital cities decreased in value in the last quarter.
Units had the most consistent downturn, reflecting a decrease in interest from investors and first home buyers who typically purchase in lower price brackets. Domain chief of research, Nicola Powell , said “price declines across almost every capital city suggest investors and first-home buyers are becoming more cautious as borrowing costs rise and expectations of future price growth moderate”.
The cautiousness was largely a response to changes to capital gains tax and negative gearing announced in the May federal budget, which have made investing less attractive.
Adelaide and Canberra had the sharpest quarterly downturn in the unit sector last quarter, at 2.8 and 2.5% respectively. Sydney came in next with a 1.5% decrease, followed by Perth at 1.3%.
Darwin, which continues to be a strong city for investment, is the only place where unit prices grew last quarter. They were up 5%, to a median price of 443,300.
Related: For those shedding a tear over house prices falling, these numbers may change your mind | Greg Jericho
11.17pm BST
Australian Education Union says teachers’ ‘goodwill’ is filling a funding gap from the Victorian government
The Victorian branch president of the Australian Education Union, Justin Malali , appeared on ABC News Breakfast this morning as more than 35,000 teachers, principals and education support staff are expected to gather in Melbourne’s CBD after rejecting a pay deal proposed by the state government.
While all public schools were set to remain open on Thursday, many classes will be disrupted. Malali said teachers had been pushed to strike as Victoria’s schools “are not funded properly”.
The Victorian government funds our schools the lowest level of any state and territory, and it’s been that way for far too long.
One of the results of that is that teachers, education, support staff, school leaders are working around about 12 hours unpaid every week. It’s their goodwill, it’s their unpaid work that is actually filling the funding gap left by the Allan government.
Australian Education Union Victorian members on Tuesday knocked back the government’s updated offer of a 28.3% pay rise over the next four years, calling for a better offer to combat ongoing resourcing and staffing pressures.
Malali said challenging workloads were “driving too many people out of our profession” and if they needed to, the union would “consider escalating our campaign”.
But we want to reach negotiation. We don’t do it lightly … We have to stand up, and I think parents have an interest in sharing that outcome with teachers.
Updated at 11.21pm BST
11.07pm BST
Fog descends on Brisbane, causing flight delays and one diversion A heavy fog has fallen over Brisbane this morning and is causing significant delays at Brisbane airport.
In a statement on its website, the airport said it was “currently experiencing thick fog” which hadn’t stopped flights from departing, but was causing “impacts to some arriving flights”.
Almost 40 flights coming into Brisbane on Thursday are currently delayed. There has been one diversion with a flight from Los Angeles heading to the Gold Coast, Brisbane airport confirmed, with conditions expected to ease later in the morning.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a road weather alert warning “reduced visibility in fog will make road conditions dangerous during Thursday morning in the Brisbane Area”.
Updated at 11.10pm BST
11.02pm BST
One in five skipping personal hygiene or cleaning products amid cost-of-living concerns
A survey of more than 2,000 Australians has found one in five (20%) have skipped buying personal hygiene or cleaning products in the last 12 months to afford other essentials such as food, housing and petrol.
Conducted by leading charity Good360 Australia , the research shows one in three Australians (35%) have experienced hygiene poverty at some point, with one in 10 falling into it for the first time this year. The problem is worsening and now reaches well into middle-income Australia, including full-time workers.
The toll is serious and often hidden: one in three have avoided social situations, one in three have felt embarrassed, ashamed or experienced mental health impacts, and nearly one in four have delayed a doctor or dental appointment.
Alison Covington , founder and managing director of Good360, said:
The findings of this research are deeply concerning. Hygiene poverty is no longer a problem at the margins, it cuts across our communities, impacting millions of Australians who are being forced to skip basic hygiene products to afford food, rent, housing and petrol.
It is not only Australians on the lowest incomes that are affected. Our research shows hygiene poverty now reaches full-time workers and all types of families, extending well into middle income Australia.
The impacts are serious and often hidden, with major implications for personal health and wellbeing, as well as for our society and economy. People are withdrawing from social life, delaying medical appointments, even avoiding work or job interviews.
No one in a country like Australia should have to make these choices. Everyone deserves to live with dignity, and that starts with the basics.
Updated at 11.13pm BST
10.49pm BST
People have ‘strong’ and ‘varied’ views about taxation, Jim Chalmers says in obfuscation to calls for gas taxation
Jim Chalmers was also asked about a new leftwing manifesto circulating before the Labor party’s national conference that calls for a new tax rate for the highest-income earners, introducing wealth and inheritance taxes and extracting more revenue from gas companies. It includes the quote:
Labor will ensure that Australian people receive a fairer return from their natural resources, including through appropriate taxation arrangements.
Asked if the government should revisit the way it taxes gases, as the former leader of the party, Bill Shorten , has called for, he said people had “strong views” about the issue.
Not just in the Labor party, but in the Australian community more broadly, people do have strong views and varied views about this issue. I understand that. I acknowledge that when it comes to the appropriate taxation arrangements.
He pointed to changes the government has made to the PRRT and said Labor had “put a lot of time and effort into making sure that we are getting a fairer return”.
I do expect this issue to come up through the course of today, it has come up before … We are focused on a number of things, including our international responsibilities, but as well as that, the gas reservation policy, which means reserving more of our gas for domestic use.
Updated at 10.58pm BST
10.42pm BST
Jim Chalmers lists seven major challenges facing the Labor party The treasurer, Jim Chalmers , is appearing on ABC’s Radio National this morning ahead of the ALP’s national conference kicking off.
He touted the prime minister’s announcement today of the extension of the paid practical placements program for students, describing it in its existing form as a “really important and successful policy”.
Asked to describe the single-greatest challenging facing Labor right now, he wasn’t able to contain it to one:
Serious challenges in our economy … Intensifying global pressures, against the backdrop of some very substantial generational challenges … The AI revolution. The energy transformation, the changes to our industrial base, the ageing of our population, the fragmenting of geopolitics. All of this presents parties of the sensible centre and the centre left parties like the Australian Labor party with a series of very serious economic challenges.
Updated at 11.09pm BST
10.37pm BST
Self-reported domestic violence incidents declining in NSW but deaths and hospitalisations fail to fall
New data shows self-reported domestic violence incidents in New South Wales have declined, but the number of women and children murdered or hospitalised in domestic and family violence incidents over the past eight years has not significantly budged.
The Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (Boscar) released a report this morning that analysed five indicators over the eight years to June 2025 to determine if domestic and family violence had increased in the state.
It found three measures showed no significant change, including the number of women and children murdered or hospitalised in domestic and family violence incidents, and the number of police recorded incidents of grievous bodily harm.
Bocsar found two other domestic violence indicators, based on the annual ABS’s survey on crime victimisation, showed significant declines.
This included self-reported violent victimisation, which dropped from 4.1% in 2017 to 2018 to 3% in 2024 to 2025. Also, self-reported domestic and family violence victimisation, which declined from 0.91% in July 2016 to June 2019 to 0.65% in July 2022 to June 2025.
Boscar executive director, Jackie Fitzgerald , said:
The decline in self-reported violence is significant because it reflects underlying levels of violence in the community, not just what is reported to police. It suggests that, despite rising reports of domestic violence to police, domestic violence in the community is not increasing and may be trending down.
There’s a strong perception that violence against women is rising, which is understandable given increases in police-recorded incidents, heightened media attention and greater public awareness.
There are more people in NSW’s prisons on domestic violence charges than ever before, according to Bocsar’s latest custody data, and police recorded incidents have increased. Fitzgerald said the latter “appears to be driven by more proactive policing and increased reporting, rather than clear evidence of underlying violence”.
Last week the nation reached another crisis point for domestic and family violence after two women and two girls were allegedly murdered in four days. This included Lavanya Chappa and 13-year-old Layla Jeffery in Victoria, Jana Armstrong in Queensland, and a 17-year-old Yolngu girl in the Northern Territory. In May, a Sydney woman and her two children were allegedly murdered.
Updated at 10.48pm BST
10.27pm BST
Labor’s national conference kicks off in Adelaide
Thousands of Labor true believers have descended on Adelaide for the party’s 50th national conference, laying out the party’s platform which will cast “practical” policies as the key to combating the anxiety and frustration gripping the electorate.
Day one on Thursday will start with an address from incoming Labor president Kate Ellis. The South Australian premier, Peter Malinauskas , will also give a speech, before the prime minister, Anthony Albanese , takes to the stage for his address.
Debate on Thursday will be led by the treasurer, Jim Chalmers , on economic issues, as well as energy minister Chris Bowen later in the day on the climate and environment.
Already announced is financial assistance for students to complete mandatory placements under a major expansion of the federal government’s paid work experience program. You can read about it here:
Related: ALP announces sweeping changes to student work placements as Gaza war looms large at party conference
Updated at 10.34pm BST
10.19pm BST
Jason Clare says domestic violence is a ‘crime’, not a ‘two-way street’ in rebuke of Pauline Hanson’s comments
Jason Clare was also asked about widely criticised comments from Pauline Hanson on domestic violence.
On Wednesday, she told the radio station 4BC domestic violence in Australia was a scourge but that society was under “so much pressure”, when asked to call out the issue, describing it as “wrong” but a “two-way street”.
Asked for his reaction, Clare said:
One in four Australian women are victims of domestic violence … that’s one in four women who are violently attacked by people who tell them that they love them. You know, that’s not a two-way street. That’s a crime.
Asked if it would be a “big topic” at this week’s Labor conference, he said “I suspect it’ll be a topic”.
I think when people hear these comments, if they’re thinking about voting for Pauline Hanson, they think, hang on. I didn’t sign up for that.
Updated at 10.22pm BST
10.14pm BST
Federal education minister says teachers should be paid as well as ‘they possibly can be’
The education minister, Jason Clare , appeared on ABC News Breakfast this morning as Victorian teachers go on strike today for the second time this year.
Asked what he had to say to parents impacted by the strike, he said: “I hope this gets sorted out as quick as it possibly can.”
The teachers do the most important job in the world. I want to see them being paid as good as they possibly can be. We know that when you pay people more, more people want to do the job. In New South Wales, we’ve seen the evidence of that …
I know the Victorian government’s got a big offer on the table here of a 28% pay rise, which would be even bigger than New South Wales. So that’s a good thing and I really hope that the Victorian government and the teachers can get together and sort this out for parents and for our kids as quick as possible.
Asked if Victorian teachers should get a better offer, Clare said he wouldn’t get involved in individual negotiations but there was a teacher shortage and they should be paid “what they deserve”.
I think that the government is determined to get a good outcome here for our teachers and I’m pretty confident that this will be worked out.
Updated at 10.21pm BST
10.10pm BST
Thanks Martin Farrer for kicking things off, it’s Caitlin Cassidy here to take you through today’s news. I’m on caitlin.cassidy@theguardian.com if you’d like to get in touch.
10.06pm BST
Kennedy and Hodge to lead Australia at Commonwealth Games
Pole vault star Nina Kennedy and decorated para-swimmer Tim Hodge will lead the Australian team at the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony, Australian Associated Press reports.
Kennedy will carry the flag and Hodge will be the Games baton bearer when the team marches out early tomorrow morning AEST at Glasgow’s Hydro indoor arena.
While Kennedy will be the 24th Australian to carry the flag at a Commonwealth Games opening ceremony, the baton bearer is a new honour.
Rather than a single King’s baton, for the first time all 74 countries and territories were given their own to decorate and bring to the opening ceremony.
King Charles III started the main Scotland baton relay in March last year and it contains the full message he will read at the opening ceremony. The other batons each contain one word from his message.
Kennedy and Hodge won gold four years ago at the Birmingham Games and remain at the peak of their sports.
After winning pole vault gold at the Paris Olympics, Kennedy needed an extended break because of a hamstring injury.
But Kennedy showed only last week that she will be one of the top competitors in Glasgow, breaking the Australian record with her 4.95m vault to win the Monaco Diamond League.
Updated at 10.19pm BST
9.55pm BST
Second teacher strike disrupts public schools in Victoria Students in Victoria will be kept at home as a second teacher strike disrupts public schools, leaving thousands of families to make alternative arrangements, Australian Associated Press reports.
More than 35,000 teachers, principals, and education support staff are expected to gather in Melbourne’s CBD today after rejecting a pay deal proposed by the state government.
While all public schools were set to remain open, many classes will be disrupted.
Australian Education Union Victorian members on Tuesday knocked back the government’s updated offer of a 28.3% pay rise over the next four years, calling for a better offer to combat ongoing resourcing and staffing pressures.
“The government’s done precious little to do anything meaningful to address that and our members are carrying the weight of all the excessive workload,” Victorian branch president Justin Mullaly said.
Union educators have been locked in a pay dispute with the government for nearly a year, with graduate teachers – the worst paid in the country – earning $13,000 less than those in the Northern Territory, the best paid.
Former deputy principal Melinda Davis said the teacher strike was not simply a dispute over pay, it was about addressing conditions and class sizes.
“The government has cut funding to government schools over the past 10 years and that slow decrease in funding has meant we have schools needing repairs, but also we have lost so many teachers in the profession,” the Swinburne education expert said.
Updated at 10.20pm BST
9.42pm BST
Continuing on from last post …
More on that response from China to Penny Wong ’s comments at Asean:
They came in a press conference held by foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian . According to the official translated transcript , he was asked about Wong’s comments that China’s missile test in the Pacific was destabilising, and her concern about “some of the aggression” it is seeing in the South China Sea, in particular a recent confrontation between China and the Philippines.
He responded:
The root cause of the tension at sea lies with the deliberate infringement activities and provocation of the Philippines. Relevant countries are not parties in the South China Sea, and are in no position to interfere in the maritime issues between countries concerned.
Apparently, whenever something happens at sea, the same few countries immediately point their fingers at China regardless of who exactly is at fault. Are they trying to keep the South China Sea peaceful and stable, or simply to destabilise? I think the answer is quite clear. We urge relevant countries to stop hyping up tensions and sowing confrontation.
He said China will “continue firmly safeguarding its sovereignty, rights and interests” in the South China Sea, and on the test launch said it was a “routine training activity” not directed at any specific country or target, and China had notified relevant countries including Australia beforehand.
Updated at 10.09pm BST
9.37pm BST
China hits back at Penny Wong’s comments about South China Sea Australia is not ruling out stepping up joint patrols of the South China Sea following “destabilising” missile testing in the region, Australian Associated Press reports.
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong , was asked last night about the potential of more regular regional sea patrols in tandem with the United States and Japan, following China’s launching of nuclear-capable missiles.
“The maritime zone is critical to stability in the region so, when we have a conversation about the South China Sea, that is something I’m sure we should all keep in mind,” she told reporters in Manila where she is attending the Asean foreign ministers’ meeting.
“We are concerned about some of the aggression we are seeing, we are concerned about some of the destabilising conduct we are seeing, and the countries of the region have a choice to make about how we all respond to that.”
Wong met her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the talks on Tuesday evening to highlight her concerns.
“You speak about the importance of mutual understanding,’’ she said.
“I agree, and I expect we will discuss our concerns ... including around peace and stability in our region, safe and professional military conduct, and the importance of transparency and reassurance of intent.”
China’s foreign ministry hit back at Wong’s comments, saying Australia was not party to the South China Sea issue and had no right to intervene.
“China urges relevant countries to stop stirring up tension and inciting confrontation,” spokesman Lin Jian told a regular briefing in Beijing.
It came as Wong prepared to warn China in a speech today that Australia would not be bullied by Beijing as it builds up its military strength.
Related: Australia to warn China it won’t be bullied by ‘provocative‘ actions as it builds military and nuclear arsenal
Updated at 10.08pm BST
9.26pm BST
Welcome Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it will be Caitlin Cassidy with the main action.
More than 35,000 teachers, principals and education support staff are expected to gather in Melbourne’s CBD today as they go on strike after rejecting a pay deal proposed by the state government. More coming up.
Australia is not ruling out stepping up joint patrols of the South China Sea after “destabilising” missile testing in the region, Penny Wong said last night as she attends the Asean summit in Manila.
But China has hit back, with its foreign ministry spokesman urging “relevant countries to stop stirring up tension and inciting confrontation”. We have more on this soon.