Bondi Junction killer’s father says he did everything in his power to help ‘very sick boy’
Tamsin Rose
The father of Bondi Junction killer Joel Cauchi has told reporters outside his Toowoomba home that he loved his son and had done “everything in my power” to help him handle his mental illness.
In a video published by The Australian, Andrew Cauchi said his son had been taken off medication “because he was doing so well but then he just took off to Brisbane”.
Cauchi stabbed six people to death at a Sydney shopping centre on Saturday afternoon.
Andrew said:
He is my son and I am loving a monster. To you he is a monster. To me, he was a very sick boy.
The father appeared distressed as he explained that he would have done something else if he had seen “any signs”.
He said:
I took him to a restaurant a few months earlier in Toowoomba and he embarrassed me totally. I said, Lord, if this was not my son. There was no way I would take him to a restaurant to be this embarrassed.
Chinese embassy releases statement on Bondi stabbings
Since a stabbing attack took place on the afternoon of April 13th at a shopping centre in Sydney, the Chinese embassy in Australia and the Chinese Consulate-General in Sydney have been closely following the situation, contacted the Australian side immediately to verify the casualties of Chinese citizens and expressed concerns.
We are deeply shocked and saddened by the unfortunate death of one Chinese student and the serious injury of another.
We extend our deep condolences to the victims and our heartfelt sympathies to their families, and wish early recovery to the injured.
We will continue to maintain close communication with the Australian side and do our utmost to provide necessary assistance to the families of the Chinese victims.
‘This is a parent’s absolute nightmare’:Joel Cauchi’s mother speaks outside her home
The mother of Joel Cauchi, Michele, spoke outside her Toowoomba home, west of Brisbane earlier. This is what she said:
This is a parent’s absolute nightmare, when they have a child with mental illness, that something like this would happen. My heart goes out to the people our son has hurt. If he was in his right mind, he would be devastated at what he had done.
He was absolutely not in his right mind. He had somehow been triggered into psychosis, and he had lost touch of reality.
He was brought up in love, he was a loved child, he was under the care of his doctors for something like 18 years, he took his medication, and then he asked the doctor if he could come down off it.
She did it over a period of a number of years, very carefully giving him the warnings of what might happen.
Anybody who’s got a relative with a mental illness will understand that medication does not make you feel very well. When he came off it, it was like it had all lifted for him and he wanted to have a life.
So after living at home until he was 35, he went to Brisbane so he wasn’t with his doctor any more. He had lots of friends until he got sick. And if you do any research into mental illness, you’ll notice people become socially isolated because they can’t cope with everything.
It’s not a joke. It’s difficult for all these poor people who have lost their loved ones.
The foreign minister, Penny Wong, has paid tribute to her mother, Jane Chapman, who died on Sunday.
Wong posted a statement to social media on Monday afternoon:
Mum was a woman of exceptional intellect and penetrating insight, of mischievous wit and endless curiosity. Most of all she was a woman of deep compassion and principle. She gave expression to her compassion through her courage and determination for justice, qualities that have steeled me through all my life’s challenges. Through her work, her choices, her courage and her deeds, she inspired and empowered me and so many others. Mum loved me completely. And she loved her granddaughters Alexandra and Hannah beyond measure. We will miss her terribly.
Wong’s frontbench colleague Katy Gallagher will become acting foreign minister while Wong takes leave.
Penny Wong has paid tribute to her mother Jane Chapman
Deportation bill affects up to 5,000 people, home affairs says
The home affairs department is now before the Senate inquiry.
Despite a briefing to the crossbench suggesting that fewer than 1,000 people are affected by the powers to require people to cooperate with deportation, officials have now admitted the figure is closer to 5,000.
People who can receive directions to cooperate in deportation include:
4,463 on bridging visa E (BVE), although the department claims that only about 1,200 are people that don’t voluntarily engage.
150 to 200 people in detention.
152 people granted bridging visa R due to the high court’s NZYQ decision.
99 people on BVRs from before the high court decision.
The Greens senator David Shoebridge summarises that the bill therefore applies to 5,000.
The home affairs department secretary, Stephanie Foster, replied that it is a “measure of last resort”.
Michael Thomas, the first assistant secretary of immigration compliance, argues that the true figure will be less than 5,000 because most people on BVE leave voluntarily.
Toowoomba mayor extends ‘deepest condolences to loved ones’ grappling after the Bondi Junction stabbings
Toowoomba’s mayor, Geoff McDonald, has extended his council’s “deepest condolences to the families and loved ones who are now grappling with unimaginable pain and grief” after the Bondi Junction stabbings.
Our hearts are heavy as we reflect on the tragic loss of innocent lives.
Cauchi, who was shot dead by police during his stabbing rampage, was diagnosed with mental illness as a teenager and had received treatment, according to police.
Shirley-Anne Gardiner, the chief executive of Toowoomba-based Momentum Mental Health, said there are a wide range of mental health services available in the city.
I think everyone is quite shocked in the community. It’s such a tragic thing that’s happened. If people need help, they can get it but people need to reach out, we need to reduce the stigma of mental illness.
Part of it does go to show that things like Covid may have impacted the ability for people to access services a few years ago.
A lot of organisations like ours can offer free support, all you have to do is reach out. Unfortunately it looks like that didn’t happen in Sydney.
The chief executive of Lifeline Darling Downs and South West Queensland, Rachelle Patterson, said the last 18 months have seen an “increase in the complexity of needs of people”, due in part to housing shortages and increased financial distress in the region.
It adds additional layers of hardship on issues people are feeling with their physical or mental health. People are shocked at what’s happened and are feeling for the victims of this crime, of which there are many.
Don’t be too pessimistic about Australia’s economy, Moody’s says
There’s been a lot of pretty bleak economic chatter around lately.
For instance, rising petrol prices in some cities - including more than $2.20/litre in Sydney – may revive some inflation fears. And that’s before the weekend flaring of tensions in the Middle East.
Local financial news outlets, such as the AFR, have also been keen to run articles lately suggesting the Reserve Bank won’t be cutting interest rates this year.
Markets can be fickle but they continue to price at least one RBA cut (lowering the cash rate from 4.35% to 4.1%) by about November, according to the ASX futures tracker.
Moody’s Analytics, meanwhile, today put out some bullish commentary about the Australian economy. “It’s hard to think of a better start to the year for the Aussie economy given the circumstances,” is what their economists Harry Murphy Cruise and Shannon Nicoll say.
Moody's Analytics are much more optimistic about the Australian economy than many pundits. They expect two RBA rate cuts in 2024, also more optimistic than many... pic.twitter.com/bFIPIzTiac
They reckon the RBA will start cutting the cash rate in September and follow up with another cut by December.
As the X (tweet) notes, it’s not all sunny uplands just yet but perhaps some of the gloom will be starting to lift. We’ll get March jobs figures from the ABS on Thursday that will update us on which way the economy is headed.
Our NSW Corro Tamsin Rose has been at the Rusanow press conference. She has posted this:
Scentre Group CEO Elliott Rusanow has just visited the memorial outside Bondi Junction. He hopes the centre will reopen by the end of the week but timing depends on when family members of the victims can come in, if they want to. Security to be reviewed across state. pic.twitter.com/FmsGrm5dWN
Westfield to facilitate victims’ families to visit Bondi Junction centre
Rusanow said the families of the victims will be given the chance to go to the centre before it opens:
Being able to facilitate that … the families of the victims, to be able to come and pay their respects is an extremely important thing that we can do. We will facilitate that to happen, and as a consequence, that will determine the timing of when and how the centre reopens.
‘Our security team have done a marvellous job,’ owner-operator of Bondi Junction Westfieldsays
Rusanow was asked if there would be a review of the security of the centre:
I think the first point is that unfortunately, a member of our team, a security guard, lost his life in trying to protect members of the public during these circumstances, as another member of our security team was injured and remains in hospital recovering from those injuries.
We are undertaking a review. Of what occurred, why the occurred, how it occurred and what lessons can be learnt.
But I will say that our security team have done a marvellous job.
Bondi Junction Westfield expected to reopen later this week, owner says
Rusanow says they expect the shopping centre will be open later this week.
As you can imagine, the process of reopening is one which is a challenging one.
Westfield Bondi plays a very important role for many, many members of the community, but we have to recognise that this has been the scene of very tragic circumstances … we have to respect the loss of life of the victims, the victim’s families and the process of reopening will take into consideration how we do that in a way which respects what has occurred.
We expect that to take a number of days, and we will expect the centre to reopen later this week.
‘We are devastated,’ CEO of owner-operator of Bondi Junction Westfield says
Scentre Group CEO Elliott Rusanow has been speaking to the media from the Bondi Junction vigil site. Scentre Group is the owner-operator of Bondi Junction Westfield.
We are devastated, along with the entire community and nation, at the loss of life, the serious injuries sustained. And we are also devastated at the experience and witnessing that many members of our community had to, bear being here this past Saturday.
Earlier today, this site was handed back from the police. We have been working with police in full co-operation and continue to do so in their investigations.
Police had cordoned off surrounding areas at Westfield Bondi Junction on 14 April 2024 after fatal stabbings. Photograph: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images
Young people need to be at the centre of home schooling reforms, Di Farmer says
Following on from previous post, on Monday Queensland education minister Di Farmer said further consultation is necessary.
I want to make it clear that while there are many aspects of the proposed bill that I fully support, there are a number of aspects that clearly need more time to work through to avoid any unintended consequences.
I have listened to education stakeholders who have made it clear both through the committee process and through ongoing meetings I have been having with them, that more work needs to be done.
I am committed to bringing together all sides, in order to understand the differing perspectives around SDAs to help design a pathway forward, putting young people at the centre.
Queensland’s human rights commissioner Scott McDougall and Queensland family and child commissioner Natalie Lewis argued for the changes to the state’s suspension policy, which disproportionately affects autistic children.
The government intends to create a Home School Advisory Group to investigate the growing sector, and also announced a review of the education department’s home education unit.
A parliamentary inquiry into the proposed bill is scheduled to report back this week.
Primary school student being home schooled. Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP
Queensland education minister delays controversial home schooling reforms
The Queensland education minister has put off a controversial set of reforms to school suspension policies and delayed a crackdown on home schooling, after a barrage of criticism by teachers, parents and the teacher’s union.
Home schooling has more than doubled in popularity in the sunshine state in recent years, and there were 10,048 students learning at home in 2023. Education minister Di Farmer plans to shelve proposed legislation that would require home-schooling parents to follow the national curriculum or an approved curriculum, among other changes.
The government also planned reform to allow suspended students a greater right to appeal a Student Disciplinary Absence (SDA). At the moment, parents can only challenge a school suspension if it would mean their child would be suspended for more than 11 days in a year.
It’s expected the reforms will now be delayed until the next term of parliament. The education department has spent more than two years consulting on the changes.
You can read more about home schooling in Australia from my colleague Caitlin Cassidy:
A man has died after being pulled from the water on the south coast of New South Wales.
About 3.30pm yesterday (Sunday 14 April 2024), emergency services were called to Darien Ave, Bombo headland, approximately 3km north of Kiama, after reports a man had fallen in the water.
Officers attached to Lake Illawarra police district responded, with assistance from Surf Life Saving and NSW Ambulance.
NSW Ambulance performed CPR; however the 41-year-old man died at the scene.
