Liberals imagine Scott Morrison will quickly announce resignation
Paul Karp
Rumours are rife within the Liberal occasion that Scott Morrison, the previous prime minister and member for Cook dinner, is imminently going to announce his retirement.
We’re but to substantiate that he’s going, and plenty of we’ve spoken to have famous wryly that they’ve heard this all earlier than with repeated rumours all through 2023 that the backbencher is on his means out.
However Morrison has instructed colleagues he’s hopeful of getting one thing to announce quickly, and we’ve heard not directly that the NSW Liberal state director, Richard Shields, has instructed colleagues that Morrison is leaving. Guardian Australia has contacted Morrison and Shields for remark.
The anticipated announcement is imminent – with sources suggesting it might be made by the top of January.
In July, Morrison was the topic of hostile findings within the robodebt royal fee report. He denied all wrongdoing. The report led to stress from colleagues together with the Nationals chief, David Littleproud, Liberal MP Bridget Archer and Senator Andrew Bragg for him to go. However, perversely, colleagues additionally anticipated the report made it much less doubtless he would pull the pin instantly.
Key occasions
Luke Gosling, the MP representing Darwin, says the Stuart Freeway has reopened following intense flooding, permitting truck drivers and demanding provides again by means of.
Heavy rainfall throughout the NT – which has now moved over to the Pilbara and Kimberley in WA – brought about flooding throughout main highways and an emergency warning for the distant city of Kalkarindji (we had extra about this in yesterday’s weblog right here).
Produce cabinets in Darwin supermarkets appeared bare on the weekend, however as Gosling notes, now seem absolutely stocked as soon as extra.
He stated:
Huge due to these working to restore the roads, our truckies, and the retail staff who’ve labored all hours to feed the North.
Stuart Freeway is open however will shut within the evenings for restore work – verify forward.
Now that is one of the best form of earlier than and after 🙌🏼.
Huge due to these working to restore the roads, our truckies 🚛, and the retail staff who’ve labored all hours to feed the North.
Stuart Freeway is open however will shut within the evenings for restore work – verify forward. pic.twitter.com/uw33tJuTDy
— Luke Gosling MP (@LukeGoslingMP) January 23, 2024
Deputy chief of the Greens Mehreen Faruqi has congratulated the activists who stopped an Israeli-owned Zim ship from docking within the Port of Melbourne for 4 days.
As we reported earlier, ten individuals had been arrested yesterday afternoon amid the pro-Palestine blockade, when tensions escalated and police used pepper spray on protestors.
Victorian police confirmed that 9 individuals had been charged and bailed for trespassing, whereas one individual is anticipated to be charged on summons with felony harm.
At its peak there have been 200 cops in attendance.
In a sequence of posts to X, Faruqi stated:
I’m disturbed by the studies of police brutality, together with pepper-spraying [and] extreme use of power … It speaks volumes that in Aus[tralia] it’s extra doubtless for police to violently disrupt a peaceable protest than for our Govt to demand Israel cease their invasion of Gaza that has killed over 25k individuals.
Energy to everybody doing no matter they’ll to take motion to cease the massacres and finish the occupation and apartheid, when our Authorities refuses to budge.
Tamsin Rose
NSW launches $7.5m scheme to advertise Aboriginal-led justice options
Analysis tasks and pilot packages making an attempt to cut back Aboriginal overrepresentation within the felony justice system throughout New South Wales will have the ability to apply for grants as a part of a $7.5m scheme opening right now.
The state authorities cash shall be made out there for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations making an attempt to handle the issue by means of session, investigations and pilot packages.
The NSW legal professional normal, Michael Daley, stated:
Justice reinvestment encourages Aboriginal-led options and is an instance of presidency supporting communities to establish native points and develop a plan for change.
The grants program is designed to assist new considering that’s based mostly on knowledge and proof.
In response to the federal government, justice reinvestment “goals to useful resource communities to develop and ship options that cut back contact with the felony justice system, together with the police, courts and jail”.
South Australia swelters as heatwave warnings issued in different states
We’ve got a bit extra data right here concerning the heatwaves anticipated over elements of the nation within the coming days. From AAP:
Extreme heatwave situations are forecast in northern and central elements of South Australia, with the state’s capital tipped to succeed in 41C this afternoon, the primary day over 40C this yr.
By 11am, the mercury had already hit 36C in Adelaide with an excessive UV score of 13 predicted.
Locations in SA’s north-west, similar to Coober Pedy, had been forecast to remain within the excessive 30s till at the very least Friday.
A heatwave warning was additionally issued for Western Australia, elements of New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territory.
Sydney is anticipated to succeed in the mid-30s on Thursday and Friday, whereas Penrith within the metropolis’s west shall be nearer to 40C.
Liberals imagine Scott Morrison will quickly announce resignation
Paul Karp
Rumours are rife within the Liberal occasion that Scott Morrison, the previous prime minister and member for Cook dinner, is imminently going to announce his retirement.
We’re but to substantiate that he’s going, and plenty of we’ve spoken to have famous wryly that they’ve heard this all earlier than with repeated rumours all through 2023 that the backbencher is on his means out.
However Morrison has instructed colleagues he’s hopeful of getting one thing to announce quickly, and we’ve heard not directly that the NSW Liberal state director, Richard Shields, has instructed colleagues that Morrison is leaving. Guardian Australia has contacted Morrison and Shields for remark.
The anticipated announcement is imminent – with sources suggesting it might be made by the top of January.
In July, Morrison was the topic of hostile findings within the robodebt royal fee report. He denied all wrongdoing. The report led to stress from colleagues together with the Nationals chief, David Littleproud, Liberal MP Bridget Archer and Senator Andrew Bragg for him to go. However, perversely, colleagues additionally anticipated the report made it much less doubtless he would pull the pin instantly.
The Bureau of Meteorology has put out this map which exhibits how the extreme heatwaves are shifting throughout the nation – you may entry extra data on the web site.
The South Australian Nation Fireplace Service has introduced in water bombers to assist reply to a bushfire within the Belair nationwide park.
This comes as some areas within the state are forecast to succeed in a excessive of 46C right now.
‘A beautiful day’: freed journalist Cheng Lei thanks PM
Throughout her imprisonment in China the journalist Cheng Lei thought she would by no means return to Australia. And now, years later, she has visited Canberra to thank the prime minister in individual for reaching the unachievable.
The mom of two spent two years and 11 months in a Chinese language jail accused of nationwide security-related offences after unintentionally breaking an data embargo a couple of minutes early.
Throughout that point, she penned a love letter to Australia and wrote of the numerous issues she missed together with the solar and – most of all – her youngsters.
The federal government had offered consular help to Cheng and her household all through the interval and, in October, she lastly returned to Australia after the Chinese language authorized processes concluded.
At this time she finally had a chance to thank Anthony Albanese when she offered him with a present at Parliament Home. The framed work of Chinese language calligraphy was created by her uncle, Cheng defined.
It says, Prime Minister Albanese: near the individuals, loves the individuals, protects the individuals.
I believed it was unachievable on the time [but now] I’m very, very grateful.
Albanese hugged Cheng and defined how her return had been saved below wraps inside his authorities:
It was such an exquisite day. We had been more than happy we achieved the result. It takes willpower and we had been decided.
– AAP
The senior BoM forecaster Miriam Bradbury has printed this extreme climate replace with the newest on Tropical Cyclone Kirrily, anticipated to develop later right now:
Peter Hannam
Enterprise confidence ebbs however so do inflation pressures, NAB survey finds
Whereas the political and media focus is often on value of dwelling pressures for households, it’s price keeping track of how enterprise is faring too.
@NAB‘s month-to-month enterprise survey finds situations sagging however remaining above the long-term common. Situations, whereas increased on the finish of 2023, stay beneath the norm. pic.twitter.com/lBLUzrIkBR
— @phannam@mastodon.inexperienced (@p_hannam) January 23, 2024
NAB’s newest month-to-month survey discovered enterprise situations continued to ease however remained above the long-run common on the finish of 2023. Buying and selling situations and employment additionally fell as did capability use, all traits you’d anticipate with rates of interest rising to 12-year highs.
The 2 largest states (by financial exercise) appear to be dragging the chain, so to talk.
Nonetheless, confidence really perked up, led by the retail sector, though that a part of the survey remained well-below common. Different optimistic traits had been the “clear indicators of additional easing in enter value pressures in [December] – with labour and buy value development easing”, NAB discovered.
NAB’s chief economist Alan Oster stated:
There was a marked fall in retail value development in December. The gross sales intervals round Black Friday and Christmas doubtless have performed a task right here however that is nonetheless an encouraging signal that inflation might have eased on the finish of the quarter.
We’ll get the official ABS client value index figures for October-December interval on 31 January. Would possibly even be a “3” on the CPI for December alone.
Angus Taylor says modifications to stage-three tax cuts can be ‘the mom of all damaged guarantees’
The opposition is already criticising the federal government over breaking its promise of delivering the stage-three tax cuts, earlier than any official change has been introduced.
Earlier this morning, the shadow treasurer, Angus Taylor, spoke to Dawn and argued if any modifications go forward this may be “the mom of all damaged guarantees”.
That is one thing that the prime minister and treasurer have dedicated to over 100 occasions. As you stated, it’s in laws and Labor voted for it. And it’s been to 2 elections. So this isn’t one thing you alter. And albeit, if the prime minister decides he desires to vary this, it tells us that he’s not good for his phrase.
Requested whether or not he desires to see extra assist for these on the decrease finish, Taylor replied: “What I would like is decrease inflation.” And when requested about hire help, he stated there’s “no level coping with the signs once you’ve received to get to the supply” – being inflation.
Host Natalie Barr requested:
If you happen to’re sitting there on that decrease finish, and also you’re seeing individuals [earning] over $200,000 getting $9,000 again on this, you’re considering, ‘Dangle on, I get nothing. I’m incomes 40-45 grand a yr, and I’m getting nothing on this.’ Are you able to see their frustration?
Taylor:
Nicely, that’s proper, they’re annoyed as a result of they’ve seen requirements of dwelling dropping quicker than we’ve ever seen earlier than. However the reply is [to] get a robust financial system … Aspiration drives our financial system and these tax cuts had been all about rewarding hard-working, aspirational Australians, who don’t simply profit themselves after they go onerous. They make investments, they take dangers … they profit others by constructing companies, creating jobs and so forth. That’s what we’d like. That’s the way you beat inflation.
Energy been restored to Kalgoorlie-Boulder space
Checking in with the facility outages in and round Kalgoorlie, Western Australia:
Western Energy stated that, as of yesterday afternoon, energy had been restored to the Kalgoorlie-Boulder space.
This was achieved by means of a mixture of Western Energy community belongings, Synergy’s back-up generator and an area privately owned generator, it stated.
Late final week, residents of the mining city had been instructed they might face a blackout lasting as much as every week, after an intense thunderstorm badly broken the city’s predominant transmission towers:
Western Energy stated it’s persevering with to evaluate choices for a rebuild of the 220kV transmission line.
Preliminary development exploration started [on Sunday] and we anticipate rebuild work to take seven or eight days.
Throughout the state, 950 individuals remained with out energy as of yesterday afternoon.
There are 72 lively outages.
Antipoverty Centre requires enhance to Centrelink funds
The Antipoverty Centre is reiterating its name for the Albanese authorities to urgently enhance all Centrelink funds to “at the very least” the Henderson poverty line.
Spokesperson and DSP recipient Kristin O’Connell stated Labor’s caucus assembly tomorrow, referred to as to debate the cost-of-living, exhibits this has changed into a “political disaster for the federal government”.
Labor has lastly realised that individuals who can’t afford the fundamentals is not going to be gaslit into believing the pitiful measures in final yr’s price range are assuaging our monetary misery. No matter is determined this week, welfare recipients should not be left behind but once more.
O’Connell argued that more often than not, funds similar to commonwealth hire help and vitality subsidies “is not going to put a dent” within the cost-of-living disaster affecting welfare recipients.
Poverty is an absence of cash. The quickest and best factor the federal government can do to assist poor individuals in a price of dwelling disaster is guarantee we’ve sufficient to reside by lifting Centrelink funds to at the very least the Henderson poverty line.
There are at the moment 2.4m working age individuals counting on Centrelink funds to reside. JobSeeker is $375 every week for a single individual with no youngsters, which the centre says is $227 beneath the poverty line.
About 900,000 welfare recipients are at the moment below mutual obligations, as nicely.
An ACT man has allegedly stolen an Eftpos machine and used it to generate $16,000 in unlawful refunds.
A 34-year-old Gungahlin man is going through the ACT Magistrates Court docket right now on greater than 130 fraud and theft associated expenses.
On 12 October final yr, police responded to a report of a stolen Eftpos machine from a enterprise in Belconnen. On 19 October, police executed a search warrant on the person’s dwelling and recovered the machine, together with identification paperwork within the names of different individuals.
Following an investigation, police yesterday executed a second search warrant on the mans dwelling and seized quite a few identification and falsified paperwork, in addition to cell phones.
Police will allege the person stole greater than $16,000 by way of unauthorised refunds utilizing the Eftpos machine, and that he allegedly tried to steal an additional $55,000.
Police stated they’ll communicate to the 77 individuals whose identification paperwork had been allegedly stolen to see if additional offences have been dedicated.
A forensic examination of the seized objects is underway and police haven’t dominated out additional expenses.
Peter Hannam
NSW’s flip to face an influence pinch on Thursday (with Queensland additionally straining)
Queensland broke its energy demand report yesterday by virtually 10%, with a heatwave nudging consumption to 11,068 megawatts at its peak yesterday night.
With Sydney warming as much as the mid-30C on Thursday and Friday (nearer to 40C within the metropolis’s west), it’ll quickly be NSW’s flip to face a pressure on the grid.
It’s two days away, nevertheless it’s fascinating that the Australian Vitality Market Operator is right now alerting about a big stage two “lack of reserve” for a prolonged time period on Thursday.
Aemo seems to muster up sufficient provide of electrical energy as a buffer in opposition to an sudden drop (similar to an ageing coal-fired energy plant’s unit tripping). In its alert this morning, the operator says that between 3pm (Aedt) and 10pm, the capability reserve wanted is 1331MW whereas the out there reserve is barely 366MW.
The low-intensity heatwave taking in Sydney and Brisbane (and virtually all of the shoreline from FNQ to the NSW south coast) seems prefer to pressure within the energy grid. pic.twitter.com/pb3QI0OCiR
— @phannam@mastodon.inexperienced (@p_hannam) January 23, 2024
(AGL’s Liddell energy plant had about 1,200MW capability when it shut final April though one among its 4 items was already offline by then and the remaining three weren’t all the time out there.)
We noticed NSW’s vitality minister, Penny Sharpe, enchantment for shoppers to cut back energy demand on 14 December when there was one other scorching day (however not matched by one in Queensland).
We are able to anticipate her to reprise that message later this week.
Impartial MP Monique Ryan has welcomed studies the Labor authorities is contemplating modifying the stage-three tax cuts amid what she labelled “the worst value of dwelling disaster in a technology”.
Earlier, the prime minister Anthony Albanese all however confirmed middle-income earners can be given extra cost-of-living reduction this week, however remained noncommittal about whether or not stage-three tax cuts would stay of their present legislated kind or might be modified.
(You’ll be able to learn extra on this from Paul Karp right here).
In a press release, Ryan stated the stage-three tax cuts needs to be modified “so that they profit extra Australians” and that “no matter occurs, the federal government ought to make them fairer”.
My group has been clear with me: if the federal government goes so as to add to inflation with tens of billions of {dollars} in tax cuts, it ought to accomplish that in a fairer means.
For months now I’ve referred to as on the federal government to retain the 37% tax bracket and redirect the $8bn a yr saved to construct 100,000 houses, and broaden the Commonwealth Rental Help to assist these most in want preserve a roof over their heads.
Caitlin Cassidy
ABC and Antoinette Lattouf to fulfill in March
The ABC and former informal worker Antoinette Lattouf will subsequent meet in March after the general public broadcaster filed objections making an attempt to throw out her illegal termination dispute.
This morning, the Honest Work Fee’s (FWC) deputy president, Gerard Boyce, issued instructions for the matter, confirming the ABC would have till 2 February to file paperwork supporting its amended response.
Lattouf may have till 16 February to do the identical, with replies due on 23 February.
The previous broadcaster is alleging her informal employment with ABC radio was unlawfully terminated as a consequence of issues of “political opinion”, later amended to incorporate two additional alleged illegal grounds on the idea of “race” and “nationwide extraction or social origin”.
The ABC denies the allegations, and yesterday filed an amended response calling on the appliance to be dismissed as a result of the employment settlement was not terminated by the ABC however fairly ended on 22 December.
The broadcaster additionally alleges Lattouf shouldn’t be permitted to proceed as a result of she was entitled to make a normal protections courtroom software, fairly than an illegal termination software.
The matter is subsequent listed for listening to in Sydney, in-person, at 10.30am on Friday 8 March.
If the ABC is profitable in making out both of its objections, it could deliver an finish to proceedings. If not, Lattouf will have the ability to take her claims earlier than the federal courtroom of Australia.
