We’re going to finish up there for today. Here’s what happened:
Anthony Albanese spent the day selling his new industry plan for a green interventionist industry policy, which would use direct government support to speed up the energy transition. The announcement has been met with approbation from many in industry, with Peter Dutton responding “it’s not going to happen”.
The prime minister says he was “taken aback” by comments from the opposition leader in a speech last night, in which Dutton blamed Labor and police for a rise in anti-semitism, and likened pro-Palestine protests that took place in October to the shooting murder of 35 people at Tasmania’s Port Arthur historic site in 1996.
Victoria police has announced a renewed search for missing Ballarat woman Samantha Murphy in Enfield state park, about 25km south of the regional city, focusing on an area highlighted by intelligence derived from a number of sources.
Joe Biden has said he is “considering” Australia’s request to end Julian Assange’s prosecution. Anthony Albanese responded to the news on ABC News Breakfast and said this was an “encouraging statement”. Assange’s brother said the comments “open the door for the Australian government… to get Julian’s release across the line”.
Australia’s major supermarkets accused of purchasing properties to ‘turf out’ independent stores
Jonathan Barrett
The head of the food division at Metcash, which owns the IGA and Foodland brands, has accused major supermarkets of paying inflated prices to buy out competitors, and purchasing properties to “turf out” independently owned stores at the end of their leases.
Grant Ramage, the chief executive of Metcash Food, told a Senate inquiry on Thursday that the practices diminished the network of independent stores by removing successful businesses.
The chief executive of Metcash Food has accused major supermarkets of paying inflated prices to buy out competitors. Photograph: Jenny Evans/Getty Images
“That removes critical scale from our network and they’re often prepared to pay significantly inflated prices, far more than any other independent would ever afford to pay,” Ramage said on Thursday.
“If they can’t buy the store, they try and buy the property. We have good examples where they then turf out the independent at the end of the lease even when they already have multiple stores in that locality.”
Anthony Albanese ‘taken aback’ by Peter Dutton’s comparison of Opera House protest to Port Arthur massacre
Sarah Basford Canales
At the Queensland Media Club this afternoon, Anthony Albanese was asked by Guardian Australia reporter, Eden Gillespie, about his eyebrow-raising speech last night.
Gillespie asked:
Peter Dutton has blamed police and Labor for the rise in antisemitism. He said police were going soft on people and that you had been too weak. What do you think of those allegations? And of Mr Dutton using the Gaza issue to make domestic political criticisms?
The prime minister responded:
I think that Peter Dutton’s reference to Port Arthur … people will draw their own conclusions about that. I did see those comments and was somewhat taken aback by those comments. And it’s up to him to explain that.
I’m someone who has spent time, including recently in Parliament House, with the family of victims of Port Arthur. And I think that sometimes what Peter Dutton does in his comments, is to think about how hard you could possibly go and how angry you could possibly be – and then go one step further.
Prime minister Anthony Albanese addresses the Queensland Media Club. Photograph: Darren England/AAP
Last night, Dutton likened the 9 October protests against Israel’s initial response to Hamas’s 7 October attack to the shooting murder of 35 people at Tasmania’s Port Arthur historic site in 1996, which heralded tougher gun laws in Australia.
While no one was killed during the 9 October protests, the events at the Sydney Opera House were akin to a Port Arthur moment in terms of their social significance.
Minns said the NSW police force was a “wonderful institution”:
The men and women that make up the police force work around the clock … being a police officer is way harder than being a senior politician, including being the leader of the opposition.
The NSW premier Chris Minns. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
Albanese weighs in on state elections in Queensland later this year
Let’s circle back to Anthony Albanese at the Queensland Media Club, where he has been taking questions from reporters.
He is asked about comments from the state premier, Steven Miles, that winning the Queensland election will be like climbing higher than Mount Everest, and he’s “not even at base camp yet”.
Albanese acknowledged it is difficult for a long-term government, but said “a lot of people” wrote off the former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews before the last election in Victoria.
Prime minister Anthony Albanese addresses the Queensland Media Club. Photograph: Darren England/AAP
Albanese:
What I’ve seen in Steven is someone who really cares about people, who doesn’t want people to be left behind – and that sort of compassion, I think, will shine through.
I wish him well. I am not a participant in the Queensland state election but certainly I will be prepared, as I always am. I’ve lodged a few Labor campaigns around the country and I’ve lodged a few campaigns in Queensland over a period of time also.
So it is difficult for a long-term government – they have been in government for three terms, and Annastacia [Palaszczuk] I think retired with an extraordinary record of leading Labor to victory on three occasions. She deserves incredible respect and is a Labor hero forever as a result of that.
But we will wait and see how it goes. I heard a lot of people write off Daniel Andrews before the last election in Victoria also.
NT chief minister rejects criticism of Middle Arm development at senate inquiry
Lisa Cox
The chief minister of the Northern Territory, Eva Lawler, has used a federal Senate inquiry to reject criticism of the proposed Middle Arm development at Darwin harbour, telling opponents of the project “you can’t complain about a wait time at a hospital or funding for education if you don’t support Middle Arm”.
Hearings of an inquiry examining the controversial project, in which the Albanese government is taking a $1.5bn equity stake, have been taking place in Darwin.
The project has been controversial because it was publicly labelled a sustainable development despite being linked to new gas projects.
Lawler told this morning’s hearing the proposed industrial precinct signalled “a change of direction” for the territory that would lead to an increased population, more GST and “ongoing secure jobs for territorians”. She said:
You can’t complain about a wait time at a hospital or funding for education if you don’t support Middle Arm.
Northern Territory chief minister Eva Lawler. Photograph: Neve Brissenden/AAP
The government told the hearing that an environmental impact statement for the project, originally expected last year, would now be handed to the federal government later this year.
Lawler was asked whether the government could clarify “once and for all” whether the site would support a petrochemicals industry. The chief minister said she would not rule out that possibility; however, officials said the concept for the development had evolved over the years to factor in renewable energy and critical minerals.
The chief minister said “Middle Arm provides the opportunity for energy for industry … whether it’s renewables or it’s gas”.
Tim Crakanthorp found to have breached public trust and ministerial code but no finding of corrupt conduct
Tamsin Rose
The former New South Wales Labor minister Tim Crakanthorp has been found to have breached the public trust and the ministerial code after an investigation by state’s corruption watchdog.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption made no finding of corrupt conduct.
The probe was launched last year when it was discovered the Newcastle MP had allegedly failed to declare “substantial private family holdings” in the Hunter region relating to his wife’s family. Crakanthorp was the minister for the Hunter.
Neither Crakanthorp’s wife nor her family were accused of any wrongdoing.
In its report handed to the premier, Chris Minns, on Wednesday and released publicly today, Icac found that Crakanthorp had beached the public trust when he “knowingly failed to declare a conflict of interest arising from interests” in property around the Broadmeadow Investigation Area and the Hunter Park Sport and Entertainment Precinct held by him, his wife and his in-laws.
“That such failure constituted a breach of public trust,” Icac found.
Former member for Newcastle, Tim Crakanthorp. Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/AAP
The commssion also found that Crakanthorp’s “conduct in participating in meetings when minister for the Hunter that could affect his and his extended family’s properties constituted a breach of public trust”.
The commission found Crakanthorp breached the ministerial code “by failing to declare his conflict of interest as required” and by participating in meetings relating to the conflict.
Aldi confirms it has no plans for Tasmanian expansion
Jonathan Barrett
As we flagged just earlier: Aldi is not expanding into Tasmania any time soon, according to the chief executive of the supermarket chain’s Australian arm, due to difficulties in setting up in more isolated areas with smaller populations.
Aldi’s Anna McGrath told a Senate inquiry into supermarkets today that while the chain now had almost 600 stores across the country, it could not reach some areas accessed by major chains Coles and Woolworths.
When we’re identifying where to expand, we do need to consider the additional costs and complexities that are involved and therefore when it comes to Tasmania it would be largely the supply chain elements.
It’s not currently in our plans.
An Aldi supermarket in Melbourne. Photograph: Joel Carrett/AAP
The Greens senator Nick McKim, who represents Tasmania and is chairing the committee, said the response would disappoint shoppers seeking an alternative to the majors.
Recent financial results suggest consumers are starting to turn against the big supermarkets due to high grocery prices, instead shopping at lower-cost rivals including Aldi.
The Senate inquiry, designed to investigate how big supermarkets set prices and use their market power when dealing with suppliers, is due to report its recommendations to the government in early May.
The recommendations may include measures that would help rivals better compete with Coles and Woolworths, which collectively control two-thirds of the market.
It has taken Aldi more than two decades to build a 10% market share after opening its first Australian store in 2001.
Dutton says Labor 'living out their university prejudices' in Palestine policy
Circling back to the opposition leader Peter Dutton’s press conference:
Taking questions from reporters, Dutton was asked whether the Coalition is misrepresenting what the government is saying around recognising a Palestine state.
During a speech this week, the foreign minister, Penny Wong, suggested recognising Palestinian statehood could create a path to a two-state solution – but flatly rejected any future role for Hamas.
But the opposition and Dutton have been very critical of the government’s stance:
Responding to the reporter’s question just earlier, Dutton responded:
I listen to the Palestinian leaders in our country who say that Hamas should play a role in relation to a state in Palestinian territory.* So has Penny Wong consulted with the Palestinian leaders or community here in Australia? I don’t think so.
I think Penny Wong and Anthony Albanese are living out their university prejudices, views created on university campuses for them in the 1980s that don’t have relevance in this day and age.
*Dutton did not say which Palestinian community leaders he was referring to. However, the head of the General Delegation of Palestine to Australia, Izzat Abdulhadi, reportedly told ABC radio this morning that “you can’t remove Hamas from Gaza” because “Hamas is a philosophy [and] an idea”.
Peter Dutton. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has said he is “increasingly optimistic” about an outcome to free Julian Assange, while promising to continue to use every diplomatic lever to push for it.
Albanese, in an interview with Sky News a short time ago, was asked about Joe Biden’s brief comments overnight about Australia’s request to drop the pursuit of Assange over the publication of a trove of classified documents about the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
The US president replied: “We’re considering it.”
Albanese told Sky News the comments were “encouraging” and added that Australia was using “diplomatic efforts at every level” to communicate that it was time this matter was brought to a close:
We want Mr Assange to be able to return home … I am increasingly optimistic about an outcome but it certainly has not been delivered yet. We’ll continue to argue the case at every opportunity that we have.
ACT laws change to allow majority jury verdicts in criminal trials
The Australian Capital Territory has passed new laws in response to the Bruce Lehrmann rape mistrial.
The new laws make it an offence for jurors to seek information about a trial independently such as through online searches. And in criminal trials, courts may now accept a verdict if 11 out of 12 jurors agree, minimising the risk of hung juries and retrials.
The ACT’s attorney general, Shane Rattenbury, said in a statement:
In a diverse community people may not always agree, resulting in hung juries. This not only causes delays and increased costs, but also adds emotional strain for victims, accused people and others involved in the proceedings.
The community expects both an efficient and a fair justice system. These reforms will help prevent retrials and give the community confidence in our jury system.
These reforms were developed in consultation with key justice sector stakeholders. Feedback from the justice sector was strongly supportive of updating our jury laws.
We understand the vital role jurors play in our criminal justice system. These new laws make their responsibilities clear – both for jurors and the community – and will make the process of coming to a verdict more efficient.
In October 2022 a juror caused a mistrial in the Lehrmann rape trial after conducting their own research and taking a document into the deliberation room.
Lehrmann has consistently maintained his innocence. In the abandoned criminal trial he pleaded not guilty to one charge of sexual intercourse without consent, denying that any sexual activity had occurred.
The ACT’s attorney general, Shane Rattenbury. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
Victorian water minister on Murray Darling basin plan: ‘we remain opposed to buybacks’
The Victorian water minister, Harriet Shing, is holding a press conference with the premier, Jacinta Allan, in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs. Asked about the state’s signing up to a rejig of the Murray-Darling basin plan, which we brought to you earlier on the blog, Shing says the state’s position has not changed.
She said:
It’s a wonderful outcome that finally the commonwealth has agreed to fund these projects. It stacks up for everyone and we’re looking forward to seeing that funding coming through the commonwealth with negotiations and agreements to be provided in the coming days and weeks.
Importantly, Victoria hasn’t changed its position. We remain opposed to buybacks. We haven’t signed up to any agreement that was put by the commonwealth and agreed to by other states last year. We are however determined to make sure that we’re continuing to help the commonwealth to deliver on the basin plan to return environmental water.
Victorian water minister Harriet Shing. Photograph: James Ross/AAP
