Albanese to meet with Sogavare in Canberra
Daniel Hurst
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, will seek to ease tensions with Solomon Islands when he welcomes his counterpart, Manasseh Sogavare, to Parliament House in Canberra today.
The relationship between Solomon Islands and Australia has been strained, including over the new security agreement between Honiara and Beijing.
After his last meeting with Sogavare in Fiji in July, Albanese said he was “very confident” there would not be Chinese bases in Solomon Islands, despite the two countries’ security pact that was signed just before the Australian election (the deal that prompted Labor to claim during the campaign that the Coalition had presided over the worst foreign policy failure in the Pacific since the second world war).
But despite a post-election lull, tensions flared up again recently over Australia’s public announcement of an offer to provide funding towards the holding of the next election in Solomon Islands. Sogavare’s plans to delay the election have been contentious in domestic Solomon Islands politics. Sogavare was unimpressed with the timing of Australia’s publicising of its offer: last month he branded the handling of the announcement as “foreign interference”.
Albanese and Sogavare are scheduled to meet mid-afternoon at Parliament House for talks, but at this stage this is no plan for a joint press conference afterwards. The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, is also expected to join the meeting. Some reports have suggested a dinner at the Lodge is also on the cards.
Yesterday, in a statement announcing the visit, Albanese said Australia’s relationship with Solomon Islands was “incredibly important”:
As members of the Pacific Family, we are committed to working together to face our shared challenges and achieve our shared goals, including on climate change.
I look forward to engaging with Prime Minister Sogavare on building a strong and prosperous Pacific region, based on principles of transparency, respect and partnership.
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Tamsin Rose
Kean supports Perrottet putting “people before plants”
The New South Wales treasurer, Matt Kean, has backed premier Dominic Perrottet‘s decision to push forward with plans to raise the Warragamba Dam wall, despite previously opposing the idea on environmental and economic grounds.
Speaking in western Sydney today, Kean said he also supported the premier’s call to put “people before plants”. He said:
It’s well known my love for national parks, my love for the world heritage area of the Blue Mountains. However, if it becomes a choice between water lapping up in the lounge rooms and living rooms of people in Western Sydney or in the national park, that I’m going to back the people of western Sydney every day.We need to make sure that we’re protecting residents. We’re protecting people before plants. The premier’s made that very clear and I fully support that position.
Asked if he still believed the project did not stack up economically, as he has stated in the past, Kean insisted the equation now was more complex. He said:
What we’ve seen is more extreme and frequent weather events that are impacting communities. We’ve seen the real impacts of climate change. We need to be building resilience into our infrastructure to ensure that we deal with that.
We’re always going to put people ahead of profits. There is more to this project than just the cost benefit analysis.
Public servants to get 3% wage increase
The finance minister Katy Gallagher has just announced the government’s new interim workplace relations arrangements for the commonwealth public sector.
The arrangements will see public servants receive a 3% wage increase over next 12 months.
Sydney 27mm away from hitting wettest year on record
Jonathan Howe, senior forecaster at the Bureau of Meteorology, told ABC News Breakfast that Sydney is “officially about 27mm” of rain away from hitting its wettest year on record.
He said:
Of course, you live in Sydney, you don’t need me to tell me it’s been a wet year but the records prove that, they go back all the way to 1858. The last time we saw this much rain was back in 1950. It is very significant.
We still have got two more months of the year left to fill those gauges and increase that record. That record is likely to fall late Friday night and into Saturday, that will be one to watch.
‘We don’t have a revenue crisis. We have a priorities crisis. We have a courage crisis,’ Greens senator says
We brought you the news earlier this morning of what former chair of the consumer watchdog, Rod Sims, will tell the Australia Institute’s Revenue Summit.
Greens employment spokesperson Barbara Pocock will also be speaking and her social media posts give you a flavour of her address.
Speaking at today’s Revenue Summit. Our work & care system is worn thin. Without it, there is no economy, no revenue. We can fund free childcare, decent aged care, more parental leave. Thro fair taxes on windfall profits, ending coal & gas subsidies, redirecting Stage 3 tax cuts.
— Barbara Pocock (@BarbaraPocock) October 5, 2022
We don’t have a revenue crisis. We have a priorities crisis. We have a courage crisis.
— Barbara Pocock (@BarbaraPocock) October 5, 2022
Showers easing along the east coast but with more bursts to come for inland areas
Howe said there’s another two rounds of wet weather to come Friday and Saturday into Sunday.
We are seeing another few bursts of rainfall coming through. Today we’ll see those showers generally ease across the coast but continue inland with another 50 to 100mm is possible with these two bursts coming down from the north and also the west. There are a few dry days in the forecast. Monday and Tuesday [which will give] a bit of time to dry out.
Another system will affect New South Wales and parts of Victoria but, of course, heading into late spring and summer we’re still in this active La Niña period so we expect more rainfall events and [that] does increase the risk of flooding.
Howe also said there are still wind warnings for parts of the northern Tasmania.
We have seen some strong winds overnight and those have come from the east which as people across southern Victoria and Tasmania know that’s quite unusual wind direction which can cause heightened damage to trees and properties. So warning people to keep an eye on warnings and tie loose items on your property as well.
Inland rivers in NSW the focus of the BoM’s flooding concerns
Jonathan Howe, senior forecaster at the Bureau of Meteorology, spoke to ABC News Breakfast about the massive rain belt that’s threatening much of the south-east over the next few days.
What have we seen in the last 24 hours or so?
We have seen very widespread falls right across eastern Australia overnight stretching all the way from southern inland Queensland to much of New South Wales and in Victoria and northern Tasmania as well.
But the highest falls have been across New South Wales. We have seen some pretty isolated falls above 50mm across the far New South Wales but the heaviest falls are along the coast. Some parts have seen more than 50mm including south of Canberra and also some of the suburbs of Sydney including Campbelltown.
What is the BoM concerned about right now?
At the moment we do have a number of flood watches and warnings, that does include for southern inland Queensland, much of NSW, Victoria including Melbourne and also northern Tasmania but the real concern will very much be across NSW. So the inland rivers, most rivers on and west of the Great Divide expect to see minor even moderate to major flooding. So that does include rivers like the Namoi, the Peel, the Gwydir and Macquarie Rivers, looking at towns like Tamworth, Dubbo and Bathurst. Even along the coast, there is a flood watch current also for Sydney and the Illawarra coast. We could see minor to moderate flooding for the Hawkesbury Nepean, really urging people right across those affected to keep an eye on those warnings from the bureau and follow all the advice from the local SES out there.
Julia Gillard: ‘cool anger’ drove misogyny speech
Former prime minister Julia Gillard has recounted how she challenged a senior adviser to deliver her famous anti-misogyny speech, AAP reports.
Nearly a decade since Gillard declared in Australian parliament she would not be lectured by then-opposition leader Tony Abbott on sexism and misogyny, she has reflected on the speech that attracted global attention.
The former Labor leader said her chief-of-staff Ben Hubbard asked if she was sure she wanted to respond to an opposition bid to remove then-lower house Speaker Peter Slipper, who had sent sexist text messages about women’s genitalia.
She told a 5,000-strong crowd in Sydney last night:
I wandered over to the adviser’s box and I said to the advisers there, ‘I’m going to take this, I’m going to do the reply.’
And Ben said to me ‘Are you sure?’ Because normally I used to hold myself above the tactics of the opposition on any given day.
Yes I am sure because I am sick of this shit.
Gillard said for many years she felt the speech was her constant companion.
Wherever I went it was walking with me alongside me.
But I’ve come to realise that it’s not my companion, it’s yours because it’s become your anthem of defiance when you are subjected to a sexist slur.
The former prime minister was joined by women who shared their impressions of the speech. Others beamed in via video message, including New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern, former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton and prime minister Anthony Albanese.
The latter said the response to misogynistic attacks on Australia’s first female prime minister had reverberated around the chamber, parliament, the nation and the world.
With such an economy of words Julia captured and channelled the indignities and obstacles so many women had faced their whole lives.
Julia spoke to every woman and for every woman who had been excluded and bullied and harassed or worse.
Australian women recognised themselves in the speech. That’s what made it so powerful and that is why it will endure.
Gillard said the unplanned speech was fuelled by a cool anger.
I felt analytical. I knew precisely what I wanted to say. And I felt empowered, not embattled, not cowed. And that is the spirit of the misogyny speech.
Gillard believes that a decade after the 9 October 2012 speech, sexist and misogynist behaviour is not tolerated as much as it was during her prime ministership.
The former prime minister, who serves as chair of leading mental health awareness body Beyond Blue, appeared on stage in Melbourne and Sydney over two nights.
Flood warning for Hawkesbury and Nepean rivers
Victorian Coalition pledges $1bn Metro rail boost
Train services would be extended in Melbourne’s growing south-east under a $1bn election pledge by the Victorian Coalition, AAP reports.
The Liberal-National proposal would extend and fully electrify the Cranbourne line to Clyde. It would include new Metro stations in Cranbourne East and Clyde, six road-rail grade separations between Cranbourne and Clyde and an upgraded Cranbourne Station.
The City of Casey is one of Australia’s fastest-growing communities, with its population predicted to reach 550,000 by 2041.
The Coalition has costed the plan at $928m.
The opposition leader, Matthew Guy, said the rail upgrade would cut traffic congestion:
Under this plan, residents across southern Casey will finally be connected to the Metro network, meaning quicker and more reliable travel for hundreds of thousands of Victorians and their families.
The opposition transport spokesman, Matt Bach, said Casey communities had been neglected by the state government:
It’s unacceptable one of Melbourne’s fastest-growing communities isn’t connected to the metropolitan rail network. Only the Liberals and Nationals have real solutions to give Casey residents the public transport options they deserve.
Bathurst supercar race going ahead despite rain and flood
The Bathurst 1000 supercars championship has made an announcement that the event starting today will go ahead “as planned” despite a weather forecast of impending rain and flooding.
Bathurst was one of the towns the Bureau of Meteorology has said they are concerned flooding could occur in centre and west of the state.
Supercars CEO Shane Howard said:
In light of the weather forecast over the coming days, patrons are encouraged to plan accordingly.
Sessions will begin for all categories on track on Thursday and run through until Sunday’s great race.
NSW emergency services minister, Steph Cooke, was asked by ABC News Breakfast whether that race should go ahead?
Look, we have put in wonderful preparations around Bathurst. We have seen this coming for the last few days. The SES have worked with the local council, with the event organisers, of course, and local police to proactively relocate some campers from some lower-lying areas up to higher ground.
Knowing that these systems are coming through we’re able to get on the front foot, put those preparations in place, and I think now the messaging that I’d like to get across the people who are attending the great race, this wonderful event that we have in Australia and out there at Bathurst, to be very cautious as you move in and around the community.
We might see some local road closures. That could force people on to those major roads and could result in some delays. So asking people to be patient, to drive very carefully at this time, and just keep up-to-date with the advice that’s been put out. That’s the best way to keep yourself and your family safe.
NSW prepared for flash flooding, emergency services minister says
The NSW emergency services minister, Steph Cooke, spoke to ABC News Breakfast about about the threat of flooding in the state:
We are seeing challenges on multiple fronts across New South Wales at present, across the western parts of the state we got multiple river systems that are in flood to some extent, whether that be minor right through to major.
We have prepositioned resources in response to this keeping, you know, ensuring that we have resources positioned where they may be needed whether that’s aircraft positioned around the west of New South Wales, we have got high-clearance vehicles in certain communities, we have got more than 500 SES volunteers out in the field at the moment. They are well supported by our other emergency services organisations.
What we know is that our landscape is completely saturated, our dams are all but full, and our river systems have got a lot of water coming down them. So any rainfall has the potential to cause both riverine flooding, but I think the greater risk at this point in time is flash flooding, particularly in certain communities.
We have seen Wee Waa isolated during recent times and, whilst not isolated at present, those communities out there can be re-isolated again just with a minimal amount of rain falling. So we’re very alert to that. We have got aircraft that are capable of conducting resupply into communities. We got our high-clearance vehicles, we got other aircraft that have down-the-wire capability should we need to rescue somebody out of flood waters. We’re hoping that that won’t be needed. But we are very much on high alert and ready to respond if necessary.
Majority of Goldstein in favour of reviewing stage-three tax cuts, Zoe Daniel’s survey finds
Speaking of stage-three tax cuts, Zoe Daniel, the independent member for Goldstein, has launched a survey for her electorate on the issue.
Of 834 responses, Daniel says approximately three-quarters of Goldstein are in favour of reviewing the policy.
Skills minister confirms government discussion is taking place around stage three tax cuts
As part of media rounds in light of the skills shortages news this morning, Brendan O’Connor the minister for skills and training was also on ABC Radio this morning.
O’Connor has confirmed there are active conversations going on within government about stage three tax cuts.
We pointed out some of our concerns at the time but made a commitment to stage three. That commitment has not altered.
Do you think that discussion needs to happen?
I think we should have discussions about the changing nature of the economy and what we do. I know that the treasurer, prime minister, finance minister, the cabinet are looking at these issues. There’s a very significant process right now as we prepare for the budget in three weeks looking to find savings from the misspent rorts and waste that we saw. I think we need to consider these things but let’s remember that stage three tax cuts are not until almost two years away and we have to consider the immediate matters before us and deal with them now.
Employers need to do more to upskill employees, minister says
O’Connor says the skills shortage has been treated as an urgent matter by the government:
We’ve dedicated resources to the home affairs department to accelerate the skills visas. There’s been a massive congestion of these applications over years. We need to accelerate that.
I don’t think that the previous government really understood the importance of immigration as an economic portfolio. I think that we also need to match up the investment in training and education with areas of demand in our economy. And so, we need to do better there, making sure that the VET sector, universities, are really equipping the future workforce.
Is O’Connor confident that the measures which came out of the jobs and skills summit are adequate or are there other measures that need to be considered in the upcoming October budget less than three weeks away?
I think increasing the skilled migration levels for the year is really important and given the acute shortages, I think dedicating 180,000 fee-free Tafe places for 2023 is really important. We’ve got a national skills agreement which will last for five years being negotiated between all governments. And I also think that employers need to do more. Some employers do remarkably well investing in skills, and it’s good for their companies when they do so. I think some employers could do better than they do now. I think it’s a national challenge, and therefore we have to work together. And we are focused on it, but it really does just indicate, this report indicates how big the challenge is.
