Israel must allow humanitarian relief to reach Gaza, Australia and UK say in new statement
Daniel Hurst
Australia and the UK have called on Israel to “allow immediate, safe, unimpeded and increased humanitarian relief to reach Palestinians in Gaza” and have also called for an immediate end to fighting “as a crucial step toward a permanent, sustainable ceasefire”.
Australian and British ministers “unequivocally condemned the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel as abhorrent acts of terror against innocent civilians, including heinous acts of sexual violence”.
The ministers also “stressed that all parties must act within international humanitarian law and reiterated their calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and the protection of civilians at all times”.
A week after Australia reinstated funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (Unrwa), ministers from Australia and the UK “recognised the vital role” of Unrwa:
The ministers discussed the progress of two investigations into Unwra and the steps taken so far to reform UN and Unrwa management practices.
BirdLife Australia has released its 10th annual Aussie Bird Count data, with rainbow lorikeets once again topping the list.
What started in 2014 has now grown into Australia’s largest citizen science event, with more than 60,000 people tallying an astonishing 3.6m birds during one week last October.
Participants spent at least 20 minutes outside during the week, identifying species and tallying their results using the Aussie Bird Count app.
The top ten birds Australia-wide were:
1. Rainbow lorikeet 2. Noisy miner 3. Australian magpie 4. Sulphur-crested cockatoo 5. Welcome swallow 6. Galah 7. Silver gull 8. Australian white ibis 9. House sparrow 10. Red wattlebird
Rainbow lorikeets. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
Faith leaders pen open letter to government rejecting ALRC report
24 faith groups from multiple denominations have penned an open letter to the federal government, rejecting the Australian Law Reform Commission’s report.
The report, tabled yesterday, argues that blanket exemptions allowing religious schools to discriminate against staff and students on the basis of sexuality and gender identity should be repealed:
The open letter says faith leaders are “deeply disappointed” with the proposed reforms, and said the recommendations will “prevent the overwhelming majority of faith-based schools from preferring persons who share and authentically live out their faith”.
The faith groups argue they are not seeking to “discriminate on the basis of a protected attribute” but want to employ staff “who share or are willing to uphold the religious beliefs of the school”.
We call on the Government to reject the Recommendations made in this ALRC Final Report and to seek a policy outcome that will preserve the rights of religious schools and educational institutions to build and administer faith communities in accordance with their doctrines, tenets and beliefs.
We again welcome your commitment to consult widely in an inclusive and constructive manner, in consultation with people of faith and religious organisations, including schools, as well as with all Australians interested in this important work.
The letter is signed by the Anglican Diocese of Sydney, Australian National Imams Council, Christian Schools Australia, Australian Baptist Churches, and more.
There are notable omissions from the letter, including the National Catholic Education Commission, which has separately expressed concerns about the ALRC report.
Opposition will negotiate constructively on religious bill, Cash says
Paul Karp
The shadow attorney general, Michaelia Cash, has responded to calls from the Albanese government for the opposition to offer bipartisanship on the religious discrimination bill.
Cash told Guardian Australia:
It is up to the government to explain what is in their bill and how it relates to the recommendations in the ALRC report and previous iterations of the bill from the former government.
The priority at the moment is ensuring that any bills put forward by the government address the very serious concerns raised by faith leaders and religious schools in the wake of the ALRC report.
We will negotiate constructively with the government to try and secure a position which takes faith communities forward, and not backwards. It is concerning that the government have already ruled out an inquiry on significant legislation like this.
Shadow attorney-general Michaelia Cash and opposition leader Peter Dutton. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
Australian airlines still running very late, according to new government data
Luca Ittimani
One in four flights around Australia are arriving or departing late, up from one in five at the start of 2022, continuing the industry’s run of worsening results.
Approximately 4% of flights were cancelled in February, double the long-term average, according to the latest monthly report from the transport department’s research bureau.
Passengers between Melbourne and Darwin were more likely to run late than to arrive on time, and Mildura–Melbourne travellers left late almost as often as they left on time.
Spare a thought for the people of Mildura, where less than 60% of planes arrived or left on time.
Industrial action on Perth routes in February led to mass flight cancellations, hitting one in four trips between Perth and Broome and one in five trips between Perth and Darwin.
Airline passengers make their way through Melbourne Airport. Photograph: Julian Smith/AAP
Bonza was the only airline to get more than 80% of its flights arriving and departing on time, while Virgin AustraliaRegional Airlines was the worst performer.
QantasLink cancelled almost 7% of its flights, more than triple the proportion canned by best performer Rex.
More planes are arriving and departing on time compared to the end of last year, but the industry is still a long way from returning to the more than 80% averages it achieved before 2022.
Research from consumer advocate Choice found two in five Australians had a flight cancelled or delayed last year:
In November 45% of flights between Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane were cancelled or delayed. Customer outrage has prompted the Coalition to call for an airline passenger compensation scheme that would make carriers pay delayed customers.
For all the reasons set out in the Determination, the Authority is not satisfied that the offender has co-operated satisfactorily in police investigations, or other actions, to identify the location of Tegan.
Accordingly, having regard to s 135A (2) of the Act, the Authority has concluded that it must not make a parole order directing the release of the offender.
The figure, while previously unpublished, is understood to come from within the existing Aukus funding envelope. The Rolls-Royce plant is where the nuclear reactors will come from for Australia’s submarines.
Shoebridge – who has long opposed plans for Australia to acquire nuclear-powered submarines – said Aukus was “in deep water” because the US couldn’t produce enough nuclear submarines to make any available for Australia (the deal includes the sale of at least three Virginia class submarines in the 2030s):
How could we get a worse deal out of Aukus?
This is an extraordinarily bad deal and a bad day for Australian taxpayers …
I think for anyone to suggest that this is not new money and somehow shouldn’t trouble Australians who are looking for an affordable home, who are desperately waiting to get their dental health sorted out, who are surviving on extremely low benefits – to tell those perhaps previous supporters of the Labor government that this $4.5bn is already budgeted for, I think is a pretty poor answer from the Albanese government.
Greens Senator David Shoebridge. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP
Hillsong founder denied payout over failed prosecution
Hillsong founder Brian Houston has failed in a bid to have his legal costs covered after unsuccessfully being prosecuted for allegedly covering up his late father’s child abuse, AAP reports.
The 70-year-old was cleared in August of concealing a serious indictable offence for not reporting his father Frank Houston’s abuse of Brett Sengstock to police.
Magistrate Gareth Christofi refused Houston’s application for costs during a hearing at Sydney’s Downing Centre today. Christofi said he was not convinced police conducted their investigation of the Pentecostal church leader in an unreasonable manner:
I am not persuaded on balance that these proceedings were initiated without reasonable cause.
Brian Houston won’t be paid costs after his acquittal on a charge of concealing his father’s abuse. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP
Lawyers for Houston earlier argued the existence of a cover up was “contradicted by a substantial body of evidence” including that the Hillsong founder publicly disclosed the allegations to police, his congregation and segments of the media.
They also argued police had failed to speak to key witnesses who could have substantiated his innocence.
Christofi said it was appropriate to litigate Houston’s state of mind at the time:
In this case the applicant was the son of the man who committed these offences. The applicant was in a position of authority and had the potential at least to influence how the matter would be dealt with.
Houston did not report his father to police after he admitted in 1999 to abusing Sengstock as a child. The former leader of the international mega-church has said in the past he feels genuine sadness about what the elder Houston did to Sengstock and others, describing his father as a serial child abuser.
Accused killer Beau Lamarre removed from the New South Wales police force
Police officer Beau Lamarre, accused of murdering Jesse Baird and Luke Davies, has officially been removed from the NSW Police Force.
In a statement, NSW Police said an off-duty officer charged with two counts of murder in Sydney’s eastern suburbs had been removed from the force today.
A statement reads:
Under section 181D of the Police Act 1990, the Commissioner has the ability to remove officers if she has lost confidence in their suitability to continue as a police officer.
Jacqui Lambie says Tasmanians are ‘ready for a change’ ahead of weekend’s election
Moving now to the Tasmanian election, and senator Jacqui Lambie was on ABC News Breakfast earlier, sharing how she feels as voters head to the polls tomorrow:
She doesn’t want to feel “too confident” and get all her candidates hopes up, but said there is a level of confidence and she hopes Tasmanians “are ready for a change”.
I’ve given them choice out there. Now it is up to the voter.
Lambie’s party, who is running candidates in four electorates, could be kingmakers on Sunday if the Liberals return with a minority government. Host Michael Rowland asked Lambie for her thoughts on a comment made by premier Jeremy Rockliff, that “a minority government full of cross benchers would make the Star Wars bar scene look boring”.
Her response: “Rockliff has had ten years.”
That is rubbish. We have seen it works very well up there on the federal scale. You can see the senators up there like myself and Senator Tyrrell holding them accountable, making sure they have been called out when they need to be. Holding them on integrity [and] their values and I think that is where we need to be.
Senator Jacqui Lambie said she didn’t want to feel ‘too confident’ ahead of Tasmania’s election this weekend. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
As for whether Lambie would be prepared to deal with the Liberal party, in terms of a minority government? She said this would be up to the candidates.
Until that make-up is done, my people will continue to work right up until late this afternoon and we will see what happens in two or three weeks.
Gay conversion practices outlawed in New South Wales
Tamsin Rose
Gay conversion practices have been outlawed in New South Wales after a marathon overnight debate in the state parliament.
The Minns government law will ban conversion practices such as religious “straight camps” that attempt to change someone’s sexual orientation.
The ban was one of Labor’s election promises and was welcomed by equality groups.
The upper house debated the issue overnight before the legislation passed unamended after around 6.30am. Sydney MP Alex Greenwich said:
The sun rises today on a state that is safer for LGBTQ people. LGBTQ people are loved and beautiful, and futile attempts to change or suppress who we are will now be illegal in NSW.
Greens upper house MP Cate Faehrmann said:
The archaic and cruel practice of conversion therapy will now be banned in NSW. It was worth one hell of a late night to be one step closer to full equality.
Independent Sydney MPAlex Greenwich (centre). Photograph: Jane Dempster/AAP
Australia to give $4.6bn to UK for Aukus developments
As part of the latest Aukus developments, Australia will send A$4.6bn to the UK to clear bottlenecks at the Rolls-Royce nuclear reactor production line.
Richard Marles was asked why it costs so much, and why this component needs to be done in the UK. He told ABC News Breakfast:
We made clear a year ago that we wouldn’t be building the nuclear reactors in Australia. They will be built by Rolls Royce at its facility in Derby in the UK and once the sealed reactors are built, they will be taken here to the Osborne Naval ship yard and placed in the submarines which the rest of which will be built here at Osborne.
Building nuclear reactors is difficult to do and in order for this to play out, that facility in Derby, which is building nuclear reactors for Britain’s navy, that needs to be expanded and that is what this contribution is for.
I was at that facility last year and they are readying themselves to build the Australian reactors there already. There are parts being made as we speak, which will be on the submarine that will eventually first roll off the production line here in the early 2040s.
Physical violence towards school principals up 76.5% since 2011, report says
Tory Shepherd
Almost half of Australia’s school principals were subjected to physical violence – mainly from students – while more than half were threatened with violence, according to a new report.
The Australian Catholic University surveyed 2300 principals for its latest Institute for Positive Psychology and Education survey.
It found instances of physical violence have increased 76.5% since 2011.
Co-lead investigator, Prof Herb Marsh, said teachers were remarkably resilient in the face of violence, as well as the risk of burnout, increasing job demands, and anxiety. He said:
It is deeply concerning that offensive behaviour towards school leaders and teachers persists and appears to be on the rise.
Around 48% of principals were subjected to physical violence, of which 96.3% was at the hands of students, and 53.9% received threats of violence. More than half the principals intend to quit or retire early. Marsh said:
Assuming only half of those who agreed or strongly agreed to quit acted on this response, there would be an exodus of more than 500 school leaders – the data strongly suggests this would be experienced school leaders.
Fewer Australians claiming welfare as jobs market improves
More Australians are leaving income benefit schemes after just a year despite widespread perceptions of a nationwide increase in welfare dependency, research from e61 Institute showed, Australian Associated Press reports.
Data showing nearly half a million people were on unemployment benefit schemes for two or more years in 2023 can be misleading “at first glance”, economist Matt Nolan says.
Nolan said:
The narrative of increasing dependency is actually quite false.
The overall number of long-term welfare recipients has fallen to “record lows,” according to e61, which bills itself as a non-partisan economic research institute.
“Individuals are being shifted from, or deemed ineligible for, other benefit payments and folded into the JSP,” e61 said, describing JobSeeker as a “catch all” program.
More than 50% of people on JobSeeker have exited the scheme after one year, according to e61.
Roughly 2.7% of those between the ages of 22 and 60 are now long-term recipients of JobSseeker payments, e61 says.
An improving jobs market is also helping cut welfare recipient numbers.
Australia’s unemployment rate fell to 3.7% in February, down from the 4.1% reported in January.
Good morning and welcome to our week-ending rolling news coverage. I’m Martin Farrer and I’ve got some of the top overnight stories before my colleague Emily Wind takes you through the rest of the day.
With high-level talks between Australian and UK defence and foreign ministers starting in Adelaide today, the government will seek to prop up the Aukus pact by sending $4.6bn to clear bottlenecks at the Rolls-Royce nuclear reactor production line in Derby. We’ll have every development from the meetings as they happen.
Dennis Richardson, a former Australian ambassador to the US, has weighed into the debate about the fallout of Donald Trump’s broadsides against Kevin Rudd by indirectly warning the Coalition not to try to make political capital out of the row. The respected former senior bureaucrat and head of mission in Washington DC has cautioned that the greatest diplomatic risk lies in political point-scoring around the former US president’s comments, and not in the comments themselves. “Those who pursue this matter will be doing so for political reasons, divorced from the national interest,” Richardson said.
Koalas are among the most recognisable creatures on earth, a symbol of Australia’s unique wildlife and frequently used as a tool of soft power. But the eucalypt-munching marsupials once killed in the millions for their fur, are dwindling in number and under serious existential threat from the global heating and land clearing that is destroying their habitat. The New South Wales government is due to host a “koala summit” today to hear what can be done to halt the alarming fall in numbers.
