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What we’ve covered so far
Thank you for joining our live coverage so far, I’m handing over to Josefine Ganko who will anchor coverage for the rest of the afternoon.
As we hand over, here’s a brief look back at the news we’ve covered so far:
- Treasurer Jim Chalmers said addressing housing issues in Australia would be a key focus of the budget he will deliver tonight, saying the crisis is not “insurmountable”.
- Former defence lawyer turned whistleblower David McBride was jailed for five years and eight months for stealing and disclosing sensitive classified military information.
- The ACT’s integrity commissioner has launched an investigation into the former judge who helmed the Lehrmann trial probe.
- Deakin University in Melbourne has ordered pro-Palestine protesters off its Burwood campus, citing the “safety, security and amenity of all campus users”.
- Qantas axed its direct services to Shanghai following the sustained lack of demand between Australia and China.
- Question time is about to get under way in Canberra, and we will bring you the latest from that.
State’s tween account ban new front in Australia’s social media battle
By Paul Sakkal
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas is seeking backing from federal and state governments for his tween social media ban, as Elon Musk had a win in his censorship fight over footage of last month’s Sydney church stabbing.
Malinauskas announced on the weekend he had engaged former High Court chief justice Robert French to explore how the state could ban children under 14 from making social media accounts. The proposal would force 14- and 15-year-olds to gain parental consent.
SA Premier Peter Malinauskas says there’s a strong moral basis for protecting children from online harm in their formative years.Credit: iStock
In an interview with this masthead, Malinauskas acknowledged that technological complexity would probably lead to some children finding ways to break the rules. But he said the same could be said of laws banning underage drinking.
“Do kids drink underage less as a result of those restrictions? Of course they do,” he said, adding there was a strong moral basis for protecting children from online harm in their formative years.
Malinauskas revealed he had spoken to state premiers and federal Communications Minister Michelle Rowland in recent days about his plan, saying he was willing to help drive national co-ordination on regulating big tech. Rowland this month announced a pilot of age-verification technology.
Iran’s ‘destabilising behaviour’ prompts more sanctions: Wong
Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong announced the Australian government is imposing targeted sanctions on an additional five Iranians and three entities.
In a statement, Wong said the sanctions were being imposed in response to Iran’s “destabilising behaviour”.
The senior Iranian officials include the country’s defence minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani and Islamic Revolutionary Guard commander Brigadier General Esmail Qaani.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong says Iran’s proliferation and provision of missiles to its proxies has “fostered instability across the region for many years”.Credit: Getty Images
“The IRGC is a malignant actor that has long been a threat to international security, and to its own people,” she said in the statement.
Others sanctioned include business people and companies that contributed to the development of Iran’s missile programs.
“Iran’s proliferation and provision of these technologies to its proxies has fostered instability across the region for many years.”
Entities sanctioned include the navy, which seized an Israeli-linked civilian vessel in April.
“Australia will continue to deliberately and strategically apply pressure on Iran to cease its disruptive activities and adhere to international law,” Wong said.
NSW pharmacy drug trial made permanent
Women suffering from urinary tract infections will be able to continue getting treatment through pharmacies, after a trial in NSW.
Any NSW pharmacy with suitable facilities and training for staff will be able to give consultations and prescriptions for UTI medications from June 1, allowing women to avoid a trip to the doctor.
More than 16,000 women got treatment during the one-year trial and Pharmacy Guild NSW president David Heffernan labelled the initiative “a win for women, doctors, pharmacists and patients”.
“There’s a whole list of things where people fall through the cracks,” he told ABC radio this morning.
“Being able to access a health professional at your convenience and get the condition addressed properly – as it should be – is a great thing.
“Ultimately, it’s a win for the women of NSW.”
Women between 18 and 65 are eligible for pharmacy treatment if their symptoms are consistent with an uncomplicated UTI.
The NSW government paid $20 per consultation during the trial, but pharmacies will now be able to set their own fees on top of medication cost under the ongoing program.
AAP
‘Unacceptable’ pro-Palestine protesters ordered off Deakin campus
By Madeleine Heffernan
Deakin University has ordered pro-Palestine protesters off its campus in Burwood, Melbourne, citing the “safety, security and amenity of all campus users”.
But camp representative Jasmine Duff said the protesters – including 20 people staying overnight and more during the day – had received legal advice that the camp was lawful and would not comply with the order.
Deakin University has ordered an encampment of pro-Palestine protesters off its Burwood campus.Credit: Joe Armao
“We do believe we have the right to stay here,” she said.
The university has told organisers to immediately dismantle and remove the encampment due to the “unacceptable behaviour of protesters” that created an “impediment to the normal use and function of the campus”.
“The university takes its obligations in relation to ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of staff, students and visitors to the campus very seriously,” said Kerrie Parker, deputy vice-chancellor of university services.
Former defence lawyer turned whistleblower David McBride jailed
By Paul Sakkal
Former defence lawyer David McBride has been jailed for five years and eight months for stealing and disclosing sensitive classified military information to ABC journalists.
Supreme Court Justice David Mossop said McBride’s non-parole period would be 27 months.
“He very clearly breached his duty. Statements to the contrary do not breach reality,” Mossop said, acknowledging the risk of McBride’s poor mental health worsening in prison.
“It’s very important to deter others from such conduct.”
Whistleblower David McBride at the ACT Supreme Court this morning.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
The courtroom erupted when the judge read out the judgment, with cries of “shame” from McBride’s supporters.
McBride pleaded guilty in November to three charges, including theft of Commonwealth property and breaching the Defence Act.
His legal team failed to convince Mossop to allow them to argue before a jury that, while he disobeyed orders, he had a duty to act in the public interest.
The classified documents leaked to journalists by McBride led to a series of reports alleging Australian special forces troops committed war crimes in Afghanistan.
Mossop said the disclosure of sensitive documents forced Australia to alert allies about the security breach. Doing so “harmed” Australia’s foreign interests and may have decreased the willingness of partners to share information with Australia.
The breaches may also have exposed defence personnel to attacks by foreign intelligence services, Mossop said.
While the defence said McBride was motivated by exposing what he believed to be criminal behaviour by military top brass, the prosecution argued he never articulated through official complaints what the actual criminality was before leaking the files to journalists and publishing material on a website called the Ops Room.
McBride always claimed military top brass were prosecuting low-level incidents by more junior soldiers to give the impression they were taking war crimes seriously while covering up worse incidents perpetrated by more senior soldiers.
McBride considered the military’s processes to be “corrupt”, Mossop said in his judgment.
Cut reliance on Chinese and Indian students, government tells unis
By David Crowe and Daniella White
University chiefs are being told to cut their reliance on China and India and channel international students into courses that fill Australian skills shortages, deepening a dispute over federal plans to cap their annual intake.
The federal government will use the cap to encourage education providers to attract more overseas students into courses such as nursing and healthcare, setting up a new barrier for those who generate most of their fees from business courses.
Education Minister Jason Clare plans to introduce a draft law to parliament this week to create a new power to set a maximum intake for education providers.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
But the Labor policy has provoked warnings from university chiefs after an urgent meeting on Monday morning in which federal cabinet ministers set out their plans to start the new regime on January 1 to slow the soaring growth in overseas student numbers.
University of Sydney vice chancellor Mark Scott said the changes raised the risk of a “black hole” in education funding if the government went too far, setting up a debate about how to moderate the growth without starving the sector of funds.
The reform plan drew strong support from La Trobe University vice chancellor Theo Farrell, however, because he backs a shift in the rules to reduce the dependence on Chinese students and expand the number of graduates in fields such as healthcare.
Lehrmann inquiry chair Walter Sofronoff facing corruption probe
By Angus Thompson
The ACT’s integrity commissioner has launched an investigation into the former judge who helmed the Lehrmann trial probe, announcing his actions in leaking copies of the final report may amount to corruption.
Former Queensland Supreme Court judge Walter Sofronoff, KC, chaired the inquiry into the conduct of the abandoned rape trial of former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann last year, generating controversy after he sent copies of his findings to The Australian and ABC before handing the report to the ACT government in July.
Inquiry chair Walter Sofronoff will be investigated by the ACT corruption watchdog.Credit: Getty
The territory’s Integrity Commission last month said it was assessing allegations of corruption regarding Sofronoff’s actions, which were allegedly in breach of legislation governing public inquiries, as well as allegedly constituting corrupt conduct under the ACT’s Integrity Commission Act.
“The Commissioner has completed his assessment of these allegations and has decided to commence an investigation into the impugned conduct as he suspects, on reasonable grounds, that Mr Sofronoff’s conduct may constitute corrupt conduct,” the watchdog said in an update on Monday.
Jacinta Allan announces fast-track approvals to build more homes
In Victoria, Premier Jacinta Allan announced the state government has fast-tracked planning approvals for the expansion of a shopping centre development in an inner Melbourne suburb.
She told reporters this morning the $780 million expansion will see 827 new homes built across six buildings, including 10 per cent for affordable housing in Richmond.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan.Credit: Joe Armao
The project will refurbish a section of the existing Victoria Gardens shopping centre, and will create a new market hall including retail and commercial floor space.
“We’ve fast-tracked the Victoria Gardens expansion to ensure more than 800 homes can be built for Victorians right in the heart of Richmond in an area close to jobs, transport, services and shops,” Allan said.
“Nothing is more important than a roof over your head, and we’re making sure there are more affordable housing choices for our kids where they want to live.”
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