Australia confers with New Zealand on Rafah and looming UN vote
Daniel Hurst
The Australian overseas affairs minister, Penny Wong, has spoken with her New Zealand counterpart, Winston Peters, to debate Israel’s plans for a floor invasion of Rafah and the looming UN vote on recognising Palestine as a full member state.
The name, which occurred yesterday earlier than Wong departed on a bipartisan journey to Tuvalu, is a part of the Australian authorities’s discussions with shut companions in regards to the scenario within the Middle East and tips on how to deal with the UN general assembly vote slated for Friday (New York time).
Earlier this week, Wong had telephone calls with Mohammad Mustafa, the comparatively new prime minister of the Palestinian Authority (which is dominated by Fatah, a rival to Hamas, and workout routines restricted self-rule in components of the Israeli-occupied West Bank), and with Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed, the overseas affairs minister of the United Arab Emirates.
It is known the decision with Peters lined comparable terrain: concerns about Rafah, the push to launch hostages, the prospects for a ceasefire settlement, and the UN common meeting vote. The wording of the draft movement is being intensely debated and negotiated, as many nations look to discover a technique to try to present some hope to Palestinians and kickstart a course of in direction of a two-state resolution.
Australia has tended to maneuver intently with New Zealand and Canada since December, when all three nations shifted collectively to vote in favour of an instantaneous humanitarian ceasefire. Australia, New Zealand and Canada additionally sounded the alarm in February in regards to the penalties of a Rafah floor invasion.
Key occasions
Ladies Lounge artist feedback on decision to attraction anti-discrimination ruling
As our arts reporter Kelly Burke reported yesterday, Tasmania’s Museum of Old and New Art (Mona) will attraction an anti-discrimination decision that ordered the museum to permit males entry to its women-only Ladies Lounge. You can learn that full story under:
The artist behind the work, Kirsha Kaechele, spoke to ABC News Breakfast earlier right now and stated the decision to attraction was as a result of “we need to take this conversation further”. She stated:
It doesn’t appear proper that the Ladies Lounge has to shut. I feel the courtroom took too slim a studying of the anti-discrimination act and that in truth should you assess the act, we already meet a number of the exemptions and very small adjustments would permit us to satisfy all of them.
She stated the courtroom case is “part of the art” and if the attraction is misplaced, it offers “an opportunity to reassess the writing of that law, the legislation itself”.
Because I undoubtedly consider that areas like this, the place girls can get away from males, are essential, particularly proper now – however actually within the context of thousands and thousands of years, 1000’s of years.
In an interview posted to the Mona blog, she instructed remodeling the lounge to both a church or a bathroom to satisfy sure exemptions underneath the laws:
I as soon as visited a colonial-era mansion in Manila that had two bogs, facet by facet, with a chessboard within the centre. So there may be actual precedent for participating in quite a lot of actions in the bathroom.
Council’s same-sex parenting guide ban threatens funding
The decision to ban books on same-sex parenting from native libraries has positioned one western Sydney council’s funding underneath menace, AAP experiences, because the NSW authorities investigates the motion.
Cumberland metropolis council, which covers a inhabitants of about 240,000 folks residing close to Parramatta, narrowly voted to “take immediate action to rid same-sex parents books/materials in council’s library service”. The vote handed by six votes to 5.
But the NSW arts minister, John Graham, stated banning books was a nasty signal for civilisations, including native councillors shouldn’t be participating in censorship:
It is as much as readers to decide on which guide to take off the shelf.
We are analyzing the results this decision might have for the council persevering with to obtain library funding from the NSW authorities.
Amanda Meade
Costs listening to on long-running Bruce Lehrmann defamation trial
Justice Michael Lee says he hopes his decision on costs to be delivered on Friday afternoon, 10 May, would be the final look he makes within the long-running Bruce Lehrmann defamation trial.
At a listening to on 1 May, Lee reserved his decision on costs and granted Lehrmann an extension of time to contemplate an attraction. Lee stated within the federal courtroom right now:
I want to make that the final judgment I must ship in relation to this matter and probably the final look, topic to any problem arising upon the adoption of the fee referees report.
Lehrmann’s lawyer, Paul Svilans, informed the courtroom his agency acted for the previous Liberal staffer on a no-win no-fee foundation.
Lee quipped that he appreciated Svilans was not being paid to look in courtroom and may be excused. He stated:
It was a conditional value settlement whereby there’s no obligation to pay the quantity of costs within the occasion that the proceedings have been unsuccessful.
The costs listening to has adjourned till 11.30am.
Australia confers with New Zealand on Rafah and looming UN vote
Daniel Hurst
The Australian overseas affairs minister, Penny Wong, has spoken with her New Zealand counterpart, Winston Peters, to debate Israel’s plans for a floor invasion of Rafah and the looming UN vote on recognising Palestine as a full member state.
The name, which occurred yesterday earlier than Wong departed on a bipartisan journey to Tuvalu, is a part of the Australian authorities’s discussions with shut companions in regards to the scenario within the Middle East and tips on how to deal with the UN general assembly vote slated for Friday (New York time).
Earlier this week, Wong had telephone calls with Mohammad Mustafa, the comparatively new prime minister of the Palestinian Authority (which is dominated by Fatah, a rival to Hamas, and workout routines restricted self-rule in components of the Israeli-occupied West Bank), and with Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed, the overseas affairs minister of the United Arab Emirates.
It is known the decision with Peters lined comparable terrain: concerns about Rafah, the push to launch hostages, the prospects for a ceasefire settlement, and the UN common meeting vote. The wording of the draft movement is being intensely debated and negotiated, as many nations look to discover a technique to try to present some hope to Palestinians and kickstart a course of in direction of a two-state resolution.
Australia has tended to maneuver intently with New Zealand and Canada since December, when all three nations shifted collectively to vote in favour of an instantaneous humanitarian ceasefire. Australia, New Zealand and Canada additionally sounded the alarm in February in regards to the penalties of a Rafah floor invasion.
Amanda Meade
Man wrongfully named as Bondi Junction killer asks police to contemplate prosecution of those that recognized him on social media
The Sydney man Benjamin Cohen, who was wrongly named on air by Seven News because the Bondi Junction killer, has requested police to contemplate the prosecution of these on social media who recognized him.
Cohen’s lawyer, Patrick George, stated he had supplied the commissioner of police with a complete transient of proof by customers of the social media platform X.
These individuals maliciously posted the false accusation for their very own improper functions, in some instances merely to attract consideration to themselves. It unfold like wildfire not simply in Australia however all through the world over the Saturday evening.
The conduct raises severe considerations for the welfare and security of individuals locally on account of such malicious and irresponsible use of social media.
Cohen reached a confidential settlement with the community final month. On the Saturday evening after the stabbings, Cohen’s LinkedIn profile was shared on X by accounts falsely claiming he resembled the attacker. After he settled with Seven, Cohen stated:
Users who abuse a platform to focus on people or communities ought to be held accountable for the results of their actions and platforms ought to be extra accountable for the content material they host.
Benita Kolovos
Back to the Victorian funds: Allan on housing, scrapping of sick depart for casuals
The premier, Jacinta Allan, says housing stays a precedence for the federal government regardless of little funding within the funds. She suggests the federal government is permitting the non-public sector to construct extra properties due to adjustments launched through its housing assertion final 12 months.
She says a scrapped medical precinct close to Arden station in North Melbourne might be changed with extra housing:
We know although that there’s a lot extra that we have to do on this space, which is why the chance comes at Arden to construct extra properties on that web site.
Allan says the decision to wind down its shared fairness scheme for first dwelling patrons subsequent 12 months is as a result of the federal authorities has stepped in:
We have in so many various areas throughout the federal government, the place we had a failure of the earlier federal Liberal National authorities, whether or not it was precedence major care centres, whether or not it’s with childcare, or on this occasion, the homebuyer fund. We stepped in. We made the decision to step in and present packages and help to the Victorian group. Now that we’ve got a federal Labor authorities who is concentrated on these problem, it simply is smart to carry to a conclusion the work that we’ve executed.
She says the identical precept applies with the paid sick depart scheme for casuals, which was additionally scrapped yesterday, a lot to the dismay of the unions.
Allan says:
We stepped in in the course of the pandemic. We established the sick pay assure as a pilot throughout that time period once we didn’t have a authorities in Canberra that had a spotlight on supporting employees. And that’s the reason now that we’ve got a federal Labor authorities who’ve reformed industrial relations legal guidelines on this nation to offer extra help to informal employees it is smart that that pilot has come to a detailed.
Greens senator ‘disappointed’ authorities has dominated out better divestment powers for supermarkets
In case you missed it: the ultimate report of the grocery store Senate inquiry was handed down yesterday, recommending that main supermarkets ought to be forcibly damaged up in the event that they interact in anti-competitive behaviour.
You can learn the total particulars, and all of the suggestions, under from Jonathan Barrett and Amy Remeikis:
The chair of the committee, Greens senator Nick McKim, was on ABC News Breakfast earlier this morning and responded to information that the federal government has dominated out better divestment powers. He stated:
I’m disenchanted as a result of finally, the Greens established this inquiry as a result of we needed to place downward stress on meals and grocery costs as a result of we perceive how thousands and thousands of Australians are actually struggling to make issues meet. Divestiture powers would accomplish that. And finally, the prime minister and Labor have now taken the perimeters of the company grocery store giants and their billion-dollar-plus annual earnings, and in doing so, they’ve did not take the facet of thousands and thousands of Australian buyers who’re actually struggling to make ends meet.
McKim stated a core advice within the report was to make value gouging illegal, and if the suggestions are taken up as an entire, he has “no doubt that they will bring food and grocery prices down in Australia”.
Benita Kolovos
Allan responds to criticism Catholic faculties missed out on $400 vouchers in funds
A key sweetener of the Victorian funds was $400 vouchers for college students in authorities faculties, however it has led to criticism given this system just isn’t means-tested – and Catholic and different religion faculties miss out.
Asked if rich mother and father ought to give a refund to their faculty, Jacinta Allan stated that she could be:
That’s finally a decision for each particular person household. If I may give my very own expertise, I’m proud to ship my youngsters to an amazing native authorities major faculty and I’ll have a chat to the principal and say, our allocation may be be supplied on to the college as a result of there’s a bunch of packages [that] our college offers. I’m certain that funding might be welcomed.
Benita Kolovos
Circling again to Victorian premier Jacinta Allan’s press convention
On the decision to delay the growth of the free kinder program – a key election promise – Jacinta Allan stated workforce shortages are accountable.
She has been taking questions on yesterday’s state funds, and stated:
We know that there’s workforce shortages and pricing pressures on companies and workforces across the globe, and we’ve got to recognise that we are able to’t stubbornly push on and want it was totally different.
We needed to make a decision. We’re persevering with our large growth of four-year-old kinder – it’s already taking place in regional Victoria [and] is already taking place in lots of components of metropolitan Melbourne. We’ve simply needed to take a extra gradual rollout as we obtain a full 30 hours of four-year-old kinder within the years forward as a result of we want to have the ability to prepare and scale up the workforce, which is why we’re spending greater than $350m on early childhood workforce initiatives.
Linda Reynolds and Brittany Higgins to return to mediation this month
Amanda Meade
Linda Reynolds and Brittany Higgins will return to mediation on 21 May, in keeping with an inventory in Western Australia’s supreme courtroom.
No particulars about whether or not the listening to is in particular person or on-line have been obtainable however a strategic convention is about down for Friday 24 May.
Reynolds, the previous defence minister, is suing Higgins and her fiance, David Sharaz, over a collection of social media posts she says broken her status.
Higgins’s software to vacate the trial listed for six weeks in late July was turned down.
Last week Sharaz threw in the towel in his defamation battle towards Reynolds, tweeting he would not battle the case.
Benita Kolovos
Will Victorians ever see the Melbourne airport prepare line constructed?
In yesterday’s Victorian funds the federal government stated the undertaking was not less than 4 years delayed, due to an ongoing dispute with the airport’s operators.
Taking questions from reporters this morning, the premier, Jacinta Allan, stated:
We’ve been actually clear that we wish to ship these initiatives in probably the most environment friendly approach when it comes to time and worth for cash. I feel that’s honest sufficient. The airport’s not placing a cent in direction of this undertaking, not one single cent and [are making] calls for on the state and federal governments which have been fairly unreasonable.
Benita Kolovos
Victorian premier spruiks breakfast program included in state funds
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, is at a major faculty in Melbourne’s internal north spruiking the federal government’s breakfast program, funded in yesterday’s state funds.
She says $21.1m will assist increase this system – which offers wholesome breakfast for college students in addition to lunches, snacks and take-home meals packs for college students experiencing drawback – to each authorities faculty by 2025.
Allan says it’s a funds measure targeted on “supporting families”:
It’s a recognition that households throughout the state proper now are doing it robust. The cost-of-living pressures are actual and it’s including to the price of the whole lot, and we all know that if we are able to present sensible help, based totally in a college setting, we are able to make an actual distinction to college students and their means to be taught and profit from their time at college and an actual distinction to help mother and father and households as nicely.
But we’re anticipating most questions right now to be targeted on a number of election commitments which have both been scrapped or delayed within the funds.
‘Pretty sad day’ when native authorities bans books, says NSW minister
The NSW well being minister has stated it’s a “pretty sad day” when native governments are involved about banning books somewhat than concentrating on core points resembling roads and charges.
Ryan Park was on ABC Sydney this morning, responding to information that Cumberland metropolis council had voted to put a blanket ban on same-sex parenting books at native libraries. You can learn the total story on this under:
Speaking on the radio earlier right now, Park stated:
I feel it’s a fairly unhappy day when native authorities is frightened about banning books. I feel the group and ratepayers on the market would need them to pay attention on roads, charges and garbage and ensuring their native parks are clear, tidy and nicely stored.
That’s what I count on of my native council. From my years of dealing with the native council, I feel those that focus on these type of core points are typically doing nicely by the group.
Queensland authorities accepts advice for caps on Okay’gari tourism
Andrew Messenger
The variety of vacationers on Okay’gari nationwide park may quickly be capped on the busiest days of the 12 months, amid a wave of dingo assaults.
The Queensland authorities endorsed “in principle” a advice from a 2022 examine that it regulate the variety of automobiles that may guide the boat to the island on the 20 busiest days of the 12 months.
The concept “is undergoing practical evaluation and consideration”, the federal government stated. It could be included within the improvement of a brand new tenting reserving system.
But the division of the surroundings rejected suggestions to introduce fishing licences to raised perceive the variety of fishers and a levy on guests to business and non-public premises. It stated it has applied a crackdown on allow holders to verify they’re following the foundations. It has additionally employed 24 further park rangers.
The surroundings minister, Leanne Linard, stated campers spent greater than 337,000 nights on Okay’gari in 2023, a quantity that’s rising:
The examine will assist the Queensland parks and wildlife service develop a brand new draft administration plan for Okay’gari to assist stability customer expertise and shield the world’s pure and cultural values.
Previously generally known as Fraser Island, the massive sand island has the world’s finest preserved dingo colonies. Several of the animals have been killed in current months, after high-profile assaults on guests. Rangers and the Butchulla folks, who maintain native title over the island, blame the sheer variety of vacationers on the island, and their unhealthy behaviour, for the difficulty.
Retail union backs proposal for compressed work week for Woolworths workers
Woolworths workers are one step nearer to versatile working preparations with the retail union backing a brand new proposal.
As reported in The Australian, delegates from the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) have backed a proposal for a compressed work week as a part of the brand new Woolworths enterprise settlement.
The enterprise settlement is without doubt one of the greatest within the nation, overlaying about 130,000 employees.
Under the proposal – which stays topic to a vote of workers in coming weeks – employees would have the ability to full their 38-hour, five-day working week over 4 days, by working 4 9.5-hour shifts.
The SDA NSW secretary, Bernie Smith, is reported as saying employees would wish to finish as much as 4 weekend shifts over a four-week interval as a part of the association:
That may very well be one weekend shift per week ie a Saturday or a Sunday, or it may very well be two weekends working Saturday and Sunday, and two weekends off. This is a typical retail roster.
Support for a four-day work week has grown quickly over the previous few years. For extra on this, you’ll be able to learn this incredible piece from Celina Ribeiro:
More particulars on Australia’s sanctions on alleged Russian chief of ransomware group
As we flagged earlier, Australia has imposed a focused monetary sanction and journey ban on the Russian citizen Dmitry Khoroshev for his alleged senior management function within the LockBit ransomware group. You can learn all the small print on this under:
The Australian federal police revealed extra particulars on the matter this morning. In an announcement it acknowledged that is the second use of Australia’s thematic autonomous cyber sanctions framework, after sanctioning Russian man Alexander Ermakov in October for his role in the cyber-attack on Medibank.
The AFP is working with state and territory police to work by way of the 119 experiences of crime involving Australian companies and people who have been focused by LockBit.
In many instances, Australian victims had their knowledge exfiltrated, encrypted, or each, severely impacting enterprise and people.
The AFP is working intently with Australian LockBit victims and is aiding abroad legislation enforcement to assist proceed constructing a world case towards the ransomware group.
The AFP performing assistant commissioner Chris Goldsmid stated by taking away Khoroshev’s anonymity, it has “severely undermined [his] credibility with cybercriminals and also signals any dealings they have with him could be subject to law enforcement action”.
In Australia, we’ve got a variety of proof and data to work by way of, together with IP addresses, instruments and software program deployed on Australian-owned programs, plus the infrastructure and communication utilized by cybercriminals.
Palaszczuk appointed worldwide ambassador for Smart Energy Council
The former Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk will turn into a global ambassador for the Smart Energy Council, the Courier Mail is reporting.
The official announcement will reportedly be made right now, with Palaszczuk’s first undertaking to be main the council’s delegation to China on 10 June.
Palaszczuk introduced her retirement from politics final December, stating she had “given my all” and “now is the time for me to leave”. She had served within the Queensland parliament for 18 years.
The Smart Energy Council is the impartial physique for Australian’s good vitality business, targeted on the transition to internet zero carbon emissions.
The Courier Mail experiences that Palaszczuk just isn’t anticipated to have any formal engagement with the Queensland authorities in her function.