News live: PM says extra 200m litres of diesel secured; eSafety writes to Roblox and Minecraft about grooming concerns | Australia news
World experiencing ‘volatile, turbulent period’, Albanese warns
Albanese said the government was continuing to work against an extremely volatile political climate. He added:
double quotation mark What we can do here in Australia is to do everything we can to secure supply … that is precisely what we are doing.This is an extremely volatile period for the entire world. There is no getting away from it. And Australia is not immune from the consequences. …
This is a volatile, turbulent period in the world. We have been very upfront about that. We are not trying to pretend that is not the case.
Key events
Jonathan Barrett
Takeaway coffee sales plunge as fuel and living costs dent Australian spending
For many coffee drinkers, takeaway orders are changing from a habitual purchase to an occasional treat, as elevated petrol prices and other living costs leave households feeling glum.
This rapid shift in behaviour has disappointed cafe owners and surprised economists, raising an uneasy question: if takeaway coffee sales are falling, is the economy next?
Changes in coffee purchases are an early indicator of consumer attitudes because Australians are generally unwilling to give up their daily habit until absolutely necessary.
National Australia Bank research shows that more than 50% of consumers are cutting back on treats such as coffee and snacks, which the bank says are usually among the most resilient purchases.
Read more here:
Andrew Messenger
Queensland premier predicts pushback from ‘a chorus of states and territories’ over federal NDIS changes
Queensland premier David Crisafulli says there will be “a chorus of states and territories” pushing back against federal reforms to the national disability insurance scheme.
The changes, which will be announced by health minister Mark Butler at the National Press Club later today, are expected to tighten eligibility for the scheme, shifting responsibility for more kids on to states and territories.
“I want the federal government to accept responsibility for what they control,” Crisafulli said, at a press conference in Brisbane this morning.
double quotation mark I want the federal government to deal with the system, deal with the rorters, but make sure that every single person who deserves support, deserves compassion, gets it. And that’s not what’s happening at the moment.You’re going to see a chorus of states and territories from different sides of the political fence, and I’ve got a feeling most of them are going to be saying something very, very similar.
The minister for families, Amanda Camm, yesterday criticised the federal government’s proposed package of reforms, badged as “thriving kids”, as “failing kids”.
Josh Taylor
Recreations of troubling events like mass shootings reported to eSafety commissioner
There have been recreations of mass shootings on Roblox, and Islamic State-inspired games, Inman Grant said, as well as recreations of concentration camps and the January 6 US Capitol building riots on Fortnite.
Guardian Australia reported on Friday that “gamified” versions of the Bondi terror attack were found online, and reported to the eSafety commissioner.
Roblox recently introduced age assurance technology, and now groups similar child and teen groups in together, meaning adults on the service – if using adult accounts – can no longer message those users.
eSafety seeks answers on grooming and radicalisation on Roblox and Minecraft
Josh Taylor
The Australian online safety regulator has written to the companies behind gaming platforms including Roblox, Steam, Fortnite, and Minecraft asking them to explain how they’re preventing children being groomed by sexual predators or by extremist groups on their services.
The eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, said offenders often use these platforms as the first point of contact with children before moving to private messaging services.
She said:
double quotation mark Gaming platforms are amongst the online spaces most heavily used by Australian children, functioning not only as places to play, but also as places to socialise and communicate.Predatory adults know this and target children through grooming or embedding terrorist and violent extremist narratives in gameplay, increasing the risks of contact offending, radicalisation and other off-platform harms.
Ima Caldwell
A spokesperson for the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) has addressed the crowd outside Sydney’s Downing Centre court. He said:
double quotation mark This has to be the line we draw, NTEU members unanimously agree that governments can’t decide where we protest … we stand with you that charges must be dropped ….The union movement will continue to protect freedom of speech.
The New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, has argued that because the anti-Herzog protest was also covered by a major events declaration, charges would still stand for those who did not comply with police directions.
Advocates for protesters who were charged at the demonstrations have criticised Minns’ comments.
Ima Caldwell
Protesters rally at Downing Centre demanding anti-Herzog protest charges be dropped
A group of at least 40 protesters gathered on the steps outside Sydney’s Downing Centre court this morning to stand in solidarity with those facing charges from the recent demonstrations against Israeli president Isaac Herzog’s visit.
The rally called for the state government to scrap its anti-protest laws and drop all charges against the demonstrators. There were at least five uniformed police officers standing to each side of the group.
An array of symbols were on display, including the Palestinian, LGBTQI and National Tertiary Education Union flags. Other protesters held signs that read: “RESIGN CHRIS MINNS, SCRAP THE ANTI-PROTEST LAWS” and “DROP THE HERZOG PROTEST CHARGES.”
There was a sign at the front of the protest area that reads: “Sanction Israel now, Scrap the anti-protest laws, GLOBALISE THE INTIFADA.”
Last Thursday, the NSW court of appeal ruled in favour of the Palestine Action Group and Blak Caucus, finding an anti-protest law that gave police the power to restrict marches was unconstitutional.
The now defunct law, known as the public assembly restriction declaration (Pard), was introduced after the Bondi beach terror attack last year. Protesters could not use the “form 1” system to legally march in police-designated areas for up to three months after a terrorist attack.
After Thursday’s court finding, NSW police commissioner, Mal Lanyon, said officers were reviewing the charges against the anti-Herzog protesters.
World experiencing ‘volatile, turbulent period’, Albanese warns
Albanese said the government was continuing to work against an extremely volatile political climate. He added:
double quotation mark What we can do here in Australia is to do everything we can to secure supply … that is precisely what we are doing.This is an extremely volatile period for the entire world. There is no getting away from it. And Australia is not immune from the consequences. …
This is a volatile, turbulent period in the world. We have been very upfront about that. We are not trying to pretend that is not the case.
New shipments of diesel to give Australia ‘an extra buffer’, Bowen says
The energy minister, Chris Bowen, said the new diesel would serve as “extra supply to give us an extra buffer”, with the additional fuel focused on the regions.
The new shipments will come to Australia by the last week of May or the first week of June. Another 61 ships, laden with fuel, are now at sea on their way to Australia.
Albanese announces shipments of additional 200m litres of diesel
Prime minister Anthony Albanese just announced the government has secured an additional 200m litres of diesel.
That figure includes four cargoes of diesel coming from South Korea, Brunei and Malaysia. Albanese said at a press conference in Sydney:
double quotation mark We will continue to use every measure at our disposal to make a difference. … What we can control is how we respond and we are responding by throwing everything at it.
Farmers promised more fertiliser imports
Australian farmers are being promised more fertiliser imports under a deal struck between the federal government and two major companies, aimed at securing supplies in response to a global bottleneck, AAP reports.
The federal government has reached an agreement with chemical companies CSBP and Incitec Pivot, to underwrite the financial risk of importing fertiliser from overseas.
The deal was struck using the government’s strategic reserve powers – designed to shore up supplies of crude oil, fuel and fertiliser, which have been impacted by the closure of the strait of Hormuz.
Much of the world’s fertiliser usually travels through the key waterway, and the Iran war has sent prices for the crucial agricultural commodity soaring.
Under the new agreement, government funds will effectively be put up as insurance for importers who are facing rapid, volatile price changes because of the war.
Reversal on co-payments for showering and dressing help came after listening to older Australians, aged care minister says
Sam Rae, the minister for aged care, said the system for older Australians needed to be “sustainable for generations to come”, saying government reform was centred on creating a robust program.
Rae spoke to RN Breakfast, saying the government had listened to older people when it decided to reverse controversial changes that have required some co-payments for “independent support” for home care, including help with showering and dressing. The change, which costs some older Australians up to $50 an hour for basic care, began in November. The co-payments will no longer apply from October this year.
Rae said:
double quotation mark We’ve always said through this generational reform process that we’d listen to older people and we’d respond to their experiences. … What they’ve made clear is that they want showering and dressing.We’ve got a $40 billion aged care system … and it needs to be sustainable for generations to come. And that’s what this reform process has been about. … We can’t be in a situation where we’re making a promise to the people of Australia about the dignity that they’ll receive through the aged care system if we can’t deliver on it and we can’t keep it sustainable.
Mouse numbers reportedly increasing across regional Australia, agriculture minister says
Julie Collins, the federal minister for agriculture, said the government has been hearing reports of an increase in the number of mice around the country.
Collins said Australian farmers were some of the “best on the planet”, but admitted there is a lot on their plates already with the effects of the war in the Middle East. Collins told RN Breakfast this morning:
double quotation mark Obviously, you know, the more things that are impacting our farmers, the harder it is for them to keep farming.… They’re very innovative and they’re able to deal with a whole range of issues. This war is an additional issue. And then, when you talk about things like additional mice, obviously, impacting, they’re also dealing with that too. And we know that there’s a lot on their plate. What we want to do is keep them farming.
Thousands of traffic fines linked to AI cameras withdrawn in WA
Officials in Western Australia have withdrawn thousands of AI-camera traffic fines for seatbelt misuse in the six months since the technology went live in the nation’s largest state, Australian Associated Press reports, but the government will press ahead with more of the controversial devices.
More than 53,000 seatbelt infringements worth more than $29m have been issued to Western Australian drivers since the cameras went live in early October.
The state’s transport department has withdrawn about 2,050 of those, meaning about $1m in fines have been waived.
But WA police and road safety minister, Reece Whitby, told ABC Radio yesterday that the cameras were saving lives and the system was working.
double quotation mark These new safety cameras have actually changed [driver] behaviour … on our roads. We’re seeing offences being picked up at a scale we’ve not seen before because the cameras actually look down into the [vehicle] cabin. That’s a good thing.
Less than 4% of all seatbelt fines issued had been withdrawn, he said, and the vast majority of fines are accurate.
A total of 3,381 fines were appealed and about 60% of those were cancelled.
Drivers are unhappy about the cameras with some caught multiple times for the same offence.
The road safety commissioner would conduct a review of all infringements issued across the state, Whitby said, but AI traffic cameras would continue to be rolled out.
Greens say community has ‘no confidence’ proposed savings from NDIS will help disabled Australians
Jordon Steele-John, the Greens’ spokesperson for disability inclusion, said there is “no confidence” in the community regarding proposed savings from the NDIS, set to be revealed by health minister Mark Butler today.
Steele-John told RN Breakfast this morning:
double quotation mark People cannot understand, quite rightly, in my opinion, why a government facing a budget, which is ultimately always about choices, would choose to cut their services rather than make the gas exporters pay their fair share of tax, tax Gina Rinehart or Clive Palmer a bit more, or maybe … buy one fewer submarine from Donald Trump rather than take away their ability to connect with their community or get the absolute basics they need to live.
Steele-John went on to say disabled people and their families are “sick of being used as political footballs”.
double quotation mark We’re in a situation right now where the state government is saying we cost too much. The federal government is saying we cost too much. And in the middle are disabled people and our families who will end up receiving less services and support. We will end up without the supports that we need to live.
And while we’re on the subject of a tax on gas exports, check out more on the views coming out of Labor’s environment action network (Lean).
Pocock calls for government to put ‘Australians ahead of gas companies’
Jordyn Beazley
Independent senator David Pocock has said a 25% tax on gas exports is not a “radical idea”, and has urged the government to put “Australians ahead of gas companies”.
Speaking on ABC’s 7.30 last night, Pocock said:
double quotation mark We’re one of the biggest gas exporters in the world, and yet we feel poor every time gas prices go up internationally. And then we look at Norway, and they’ve got a $3 trillion sovereign wealth fund. Australians know that this just comes down to political leadership, political courage, to actually put Australians ahead of the gas company.
Pocock said he is not “demonising the gas industry”, adding that “we need this industry for the transition” to renewable energy. He said:
double quotation mark This is gas that belongs to all Australians. And a 25% gas export tax would not only raise $17bn in a normal year, probably far more, when we see the kind of windfall profits that we’re likely to see, but it would actually reduce the price of gas for Australian manufacturers, businesses and households, and that is a very good thing at the moment.
Labor changes course on aged care funding
Tom McIlroy
The health minister, Mark Butler, will detail savings from the NDIS on Wednesday, as well as new arrangements for care services like showering, dressing support and continence management.
Labor is backing down from elements of its aged care reforms, removing out-of-pocket costs for non clinical services in the Support at Home scheme.
The government has faced criticism from advocates for elderly people, experts and aged care providers, who said these personal care services are essential for people’s independence and ability to stay at home.
The minister for aged care, Sam Rae, said the changes will be effective from 1 October this year.
double quotation mark Showering, dressing, continence care – these aren’t optional extras. They’re the basics of ageing with dignity, and no older Australian should miss out because of cost.Older Australians, their families and providers told us these services needed to be protected. We’ve listened, and we’re acting.
Fourth man charged over alleged kidnapping and murder of Chris Baghsarian
NSW police have charged a fourth man over the alleged kidnapping and murder of Chris Baghsarian.
The 85-year-old disappeared from his North Ryde home on 13 February and his remains were found on 24 February near a golf club in Pitt Town.
Police do not believe he was the intended target of the kidnapping but was taken in a case of mistaken identity.
Three people have already been charged with Baghsarian’s murder.
In a statement issued early Wednesday morning, police said they arrested a 19-year-old man on Tuesday morning at Mt Druitt police station.
He was charged with murder and take/detain in company with intent to ransom occasion actual bodily harm.
The man was refused bail to appear in Mt Druitt local court today.
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then Nick Visser will be your guide through the morning.
Today the health minister, Mark Butler, will detail major changes to the NDIS including significant funding “savings”. The government says the savings, in part, from the national disability insurance scheme will go to funding improved aged care including showering and dressing.
And there has been a development in the case of the alleged kidnapping and murder of 85-year-old Chris Baghsarian earlier this year, with a fourth man arrested and charged.
