Labor committee member Aaron Harper said he found “the behaviour of the LNP committee members downright appalling”.
The government should not have to drag a report of this importance out of a committee – it should be agreed upon and delivered to the house, in the best interest of all Queenslanders.
LNP committee member Laura Gerber said her party could not support a report that “gagged the media”. She said Labor had attempted to do so by recommending the government look into the impacts of media and social media reporting on crime.
Gerber said Labor members of the committee also voted down its policy to remove detention as a last resort from the Youth Justice Act.
The committee report is expected to be released today before the committee is dissolved.
Bipartisan Queensland youth justice committee dissolves after Labor and LNP fail to reach agreement
A bipartisan Queensland youth justice committee has collapsed after its independent chair told parliament her position had become “untenable” in the “incredibly difficult” and politically charged environment.
The parliamentary select committee was set up by the former premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and tasked with coming up with solutions on youth crime. It was the first committee of its kind to be independently chaired in more than two decades.
The chair, independent MP Sandy Bolton, said she was “deeply disappointed” that a bipartisan agreement could not be reached by Labor and LNP members.
I have endeavoured every step of the way to work patiently, impartially, respectfully and collaboratively with both sides of this chamber to get a balanced, nonpartisan report on the many contentious issues that we have heard about.
This has been an incredibly difficult environment, heightened by the media and the politicking with the upcoming election. This has not been easy and has come at great cost.
Independent MP Sandy Bolton. Photograph: Russell Freeman/AAP
The Labor government moved to compel the committee to release the report last night while accusing the LNP of seeking to block its release. The deputy chair of the committee, Labor MP Jonty Bush, also said she was deeply disappointed an agreement could not be reached:
Our committee has met more than 25 times, received over 220 submissions and generated thousands of pages of work from public servants, and those working at the frontline with young people and victims.
Council to preserve cards and messages for Bondi Junction stabbing victims at library
Waverley mayor, Paula Masselos, said discussions were continuing regarding a permanent memorial to those who died during the Bondi Junction stabbing attack.
She also said all the cards and messages that had been left for victims would be preserved in the library.
And we’re working with [the premier] also to develop a protocol for these flowers because this now is virtually hallowed ground, I think, for people. And so working on some kind of a memorial, doing something with the flowers, will be key.
Mayors from across Sydney gather at Bondi Junction to pay tribute to the victims. Photograph: Flavio Brancaleone/AAP
Day of reflection at Bondi Junction Westfield opportunity to ‘reclaim’ safe community hub: mayor
The Waverley mayor, Paula Masselos,has said today’s day of reflection at Bondi Junction Westfield is “extremely important” for a community in “very deep grief”.
Speaking to ABC TV, Masselos said today was also about “reclaiming” a significant community hub that was considered to be a safe space:
We’ve gone from shock to disbelief to now grief, and it’s gonna take quite a time for people to be able to process. And having this day of reflection in Westfield is gonna be a significant part of that journey of reconciling the grief, but more importantly, starting to reclaim what was a significant community hub, that was considered to be a very safe place – because Waverley is a safe place – to really take that back, to reclaim that.
She said there would be a formal wreath-laying ceremony today and a chance to honour “all the brave heroes who were involved”.
Paula Masselos, mayor of Waverley council. Photograph: Flavio Brancaleone/AAP
March quarter power demand picked up, nudging prices up in some states
The Australian Energy Regulator has released its quarterly wholesale markets report for the first three months of 2024 this morning, noting that the country’s third-hottest summer on record had – not surprisingly – pushed average electricity demand up 9% from the previous three months.
Wholesale power prices – which make up about a third of your retail bill – rose 20% in Queensland and 9% in Victoria compared with the same quarter a year ago. Other states in the national electricity market posted falls of 5%-16%.
The AER, though, says the uptick in some wholesale prices will not likely make much difference to its draft default market offers that will see some lower retail prices kick in from 1 July, as we noted last month.
There were a few interesting trends in the March quarter – if not particularly good ones for Australia’s emissions reduction efforts. Coal power increased for the first time in a few years even taking into account the closure of NSW’s Liddell power station compared with the March quarter of 2023. (The plant closed in April last year.)
Coal output saw a notable increase in the March quarter (esp. from the previous three months), with solar also advancing... pic.twitter.com/qVD2zflun7
Part of the coal increase seems to have been the result of fewer units going off line in the first quarter than a year earlier. (The increased reliability might be in part because the Liddell plant was finally shut down).
Another feature was the key role played by Victoria in helping to keep the lights on – even with its own challenges (recall the power lines going down and AGL’s Loy Yang A plant being forced to shut down).
Queensland’s maximum daily demand broke its previous record three times during the quarter – hence the state not being a net-exporter for a change, and the jump in wholesale prices.
The spread of solar energy, particularly on rooftops, meanwhile, meant that Victoria and South Australia both set minimum demand records for the quarter.
Marles pushed on question of citizenship offer for security guard Muhammad Taha
The PM previously has offered permanency to “bollard man”, the French construction worker Damien Guerot who was captured on video footage attempted to stop Joel Cauchi during the Bondi Junction stabbing.
Richard Marles was asked whether the government would do the same for Pakistani man Muhammad Taha, who was stabbed during the attack while trying to defend himself in a “confrontation” with Cauchi. Taha’s visa expires next month.
Marles told ABC RN:
Certainly the actions of Mr Taha were enormously brave, there’s no doubt about that … I’m not aware of the particular applications that Mr Taha has on book, but I’ve got no doubt that his circumstances will be worked through.
But the PM went further with Guerot, host Patricia Karvelas noted. Taha himself is quoted by her as saying: “As a direct victim of the incident I believe I deserve recognition and consideration for citizenship.” Karvelas reiterates the question of whether the government will give it to him.
Marles:
Obviously the circumstances of Mr Taha will be worked through but the notion that the sort of bravery that Mr Taha exhibited is what we want to see in this country is of course right.
Minns would welcome any commonwealth action to hold social media ‘to account’ over misinformation
Turning to social media, Chris Minns said platforms “need to be held to account” in regards to misinformation.
And if the commonwealth government’s pursuing tougher penalties, increased fines [or] sanctions to be put in place, we would welcome it.
He said the riot took place around midnight and 1am in the morning, which makes it difficult for police and community leaders to “try and calm down the community when, in an irresponsible way, people put [on social media] blatant lies or rumours design to incite [people]”.
There is still some very graphic material that I understand is up on several social media sites. It needs to come down. Firstly, it’s not adding to community cohesion or a sense of calm in the community. Secondly, it’s completely inappropriate, particularly for young people, and nobody – no parent – wants young people exposed to that kind of graphic footage.
So, this is a perennial problem. We only seem to really cover it when we’ve got a shocking event like we’ve seen in Sydney over the last 24 hours. But my government is going to stay on this because this is going to happen again and again and again.
Chris Minns speaks on arrest following Wakeley riot
Yesterday one arrest was made in relation to the riots outside the Wakeley church on Monday night after the stabbing attack.
Chris Minns said he welcomed this and expects more arrests to come.
There’s been a … a major police task force that’s been established to investigate that riotous behaviour… to put this in perspective I spoke to five police officers that have been admitted to hospital in the last 24 hours – I think nearly all of them were back out on duty that afternoon That’s their dedication to the job and their commitment to the NSW police force, and we owe them a big debt of gratitude.
Extra police and security around Bondi Junction and NSW ‘for as long as necessary’: Minns
Chris Minns said there would be extra police and extra security around Bondi, and around the state, for “as long as necessary”.
Not just for the immediate security needs, but so that people feel confident and safe in their community. And I completely understand why there would be a reticence or a reluctance in those areas to return to normal.
NSW premier calls for people to come together and not lose sight of goodwill
The New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, acknowledged it had been an incredibly challenging week for the state. Following two separate stabbing attacks, he emphasised that “there are millions of good people in NSW”. Speaking to ABC News Breakfast, Minns said:
I just want to send this message – there are millions of good people in NSW. There are far more good people than there are bad influencers and actors in our community, and we can’t lose faith in that or lose hope in what we have as a society in NSW.
And I’ve just got enormous confidence that we can come together. There will be better days ahead, it’s not gonna be normal for a while, but I would just take strength from our police officers, our emergency services workers and those brave individuals that put their lives on the line to save someone that they’ve never met before.
NSW premier Chris Minns. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/EPA
