From 19 Jan 2023 04.35 GMT PM should admit mistake regarding changed transcript over legal advice on Indigenous voice: Dutton Paul Karp The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has gone on the offensive over changes to the transcript of a 2GB Radio interview with Anthony Albanese. Guardian Australia revealed this morning that the transcript marked E&OE – meaning “errors and omissions excepted” – omitted a key part of an incorrect answer about legal advice on the voice referendum. On Thursday, Dutton told 2GB Radio: His office, as you will have seen, has changed the transcript where they’re now saying that he said something that he didn’t say or that he misrepresented the position – I don’t quite understand and I hope he can come out and clarify it today. But I think Australians deserve the information from our prime minister and he was looking tricky before yesterday and with a doctored transcript now he looks even more tricky. Somebody has either shown some … bad initiative in the prime minister’s office, or he has instructed them to amend the transcript so that he can sort of whitewash history. Or he misspoke yesterday or misled: either way, as I say, there’s an integrity question here. You know, we know the PM has got a bit of a glass jaw, but if he’s made a mistake, frankly, he should have picked the phone up to Ben Fordham or to your program this morning and said: ‘look, it’s just been brought to my attention. It’s a stuff up, it shouldn’t have happened. I’ve counselled the person that did it. I wasn’t aware of it.’ Or, if he’s now saying that there was legal advice but he forgot about the legal advice or thought it not convenient to mention it yesterday, then again, he should throw his hands up and say ‘I made a mistake’.
Updated at 05.16 GMT
19 Jan 2023 07.17 GMT The day that was, Thursday 19 January We will wrap up the live blog here for the night. Here’s what made the news today: Tributes have flowed from people all across the globe after the New Zealand prime minister, Jacinda Ardern , announced she would step down from the top job by early February. Ardern has said she no longer “has enough in the tank” to keep going.
Ardern also announced the New Zealand election will be held on 14 October.
Three teenagers in the Queensland town of Tara were charged with weapons offences following shots being fired on Wednesday evening. No one was injured when the shots were fired.
Australia’s jobless rate last month rose to 3.5% as employers shed part-time positions, an indication that the record run of interest rates rises by the Reserve Bank was starting to dent demand for labour.
The Air Transport Safety Bureau will investigate cockpit voice and flight data from the Qantas flight that issued a mayday call after one of its engines failed while it was flying from Auckland to Sydney.
Protesters spray painted the Woodside logo over Frederick McCubbin’s Down on His Luck painting at the Art Gallery of Western Australia. We will be back again tomorrow morning with all the latest news. Until then, have a good evening.
19 Jan 2023 07.12 GMT Share market climbs to eight-month high The local share market has climbed to a fresh eight-month high after softer-than-expected jobs data showed the domestic economy slowing, raising expectations for less aggressive rate hikes from the Reserve Bank, AAP reports. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index closed on Thursday up 41.9 points, or 0.57%, to 7,435.3, its best level since 22 April. It barely eclipsed its previous high 29 April close of 7,435.0, considered a key technical level. The All Ordinaries gained 38.9 points, or 0.51%, to 7,648.4. The Australian dollar lost ground after the jobs report. It was buying 69.05 US cents, down from 69.99 US cents at Wednesday’s ASX close.
Updated at 07.21 GMT
19 Jan 2023 07.06 GMT Search continues for man missing in waters off Sydney A major search is continuing for a man believed to have been swept into the water off Sydney, AAP reports. Reports suggest the man feel from a height onto rocks at Blue Fish Point at Manly’s North Head before ending up in the water. Emergency services were called to the area about 5.30pm on Wednesday. Officers from Northern Beaches Police Area Command, along with the Marine Area Command and surf lifesavers, searched the area. The search was suspended late on Wednesday night and resumed on Thursday with help from the Marine Area Command and Polair.
Updated at 07.21 GMT
19 Jan 2023 06.47 GMT As regular blog readers would know, the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has been urging the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, to release the details of legislation which would set up an Indigenous advisory body. Today, constitutional lawyer Anne Twomey told the ABC there’s a good reason why the government may be unwilling to release draft laws before a referendum is held. Twomey said the point of the referendum was to put the voice into the constitution, ahead of the parliamentary process to flesh out the details: There would be real problems if you did it in advance and gave (voters) the bill and said ‘This is what’s going to happen’ and that people would think that that is what they’re voting on. When, in fact, the process involves getting parliament to decide those things in the future and change them from time to time where needed. We don’t want things frozen into the constitution that might be hard to change in the future.
Updated at 06.53 GMT
19 Jan 2023 06.30 GMT Paul Karp Dutton: Abbott would be ‘an asset’ but it is ‘tacky’ to talk about replacements after death of Jim Molan Peter Dutton has commented on the prospect of Tony Abbott putting his hand up for Jim Molan’s Senate vacancy. Dutton told ABC Radio in Adelaide: There’s no question Tony Abbott would be an asset. I mean it’s the reason that Kevin Rudd’s been appointed to be our Ambassador in Washington. It’s why Julia Gillard does work for this government and Tony has an incredible skill set and there will be many other candidates who are very credible as well. But I’m just not getting into who would be the best candidate or who you would endorse or all of that process – I think it’s all a bit tacky at the moment. I want to concentrate on celebrating Jim’s life and I was speaking with Anne Molan yesterday, and obviously her family is … going through a traumatic period, as any family would when they’ve lost their dad or their grandad or their husband.
Updated at 06.45 GMT
19 Jan 2023 06.17 GMT BoM predicts severe thunderstorms over inland NSW tomorrow The Bureau of Meteorology is warning of possible severe thunderstorms over parts of the northern inland of NSW tomorrow afternoon into the evening, with wind, heavy rain and hail all possible. Thunderstorms forecast on Friday: Severe thunderstorms possible over the northern inland incuding #Moree, #Narrabri, #Inverell on Friday afternoon and evening. Winds, heavy falls, large hail all possible. Warnings may be issued tomorrow at https://t.co/4z1dRlXMFk pic.twitter.com/VL5Tx3vzjR — Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) January 19, 2023
Updated at 06.20 GMT
19 Jan 2023 05.56 GMT Henry Belot Thanks to everyone following the blog this afternoon. It’s now time to hand over to my colleague Josh Taylor, who’ll be with you for the rest of the day.
Updated at 05.59 GMT
19 Jan 2023 05.36 GMT NSW to establish Bushfire and Natural Hazard Research Centre The NSW government will spend $8 million establishing the state’s first Bushfire and Natural Hazard Research Centre. It will be led by experts at Western Sydney University. The minister for emergency services and resilience, Steph Cooke, said the centre was a key recommendation of the 2019/20 Bushfire Inquiry. In the wake of the horrific black summer bushfire season we established an independent inquiry, and work on all 76 of its recommendations has now either been completed or is underway. We hope that the creation of a specialised research centre will help make NSW a world leader in better understanding and predicting the risk of fire and other natural hazards like floods for our communities.
Updated at 05.37 GMT
19 Jan 2023 05.24 GMT Government MPs are continuing to comment on NZ PM Jacinda Ardern’s resignation. Matt Thistlethwaite is the assistant minister for the republic. My very best wishes to New Zealand’s Prime Minister @jacindaardern. Your commitment to making NZ and beyond a better place has been an inspiration. Australia thanks you for your exemplary leadership and friendship. pic.twitter.com/jlJQUKpESQ — Matt Thistlethwaite (@MThistlethwaite) January 19, 2023
19 Jan 2023 05.10 GMT Audit uncovers some ‘shortfalls’ in telehealth rollout under Morrison government implementation An audit has uncovered “shortfalls” in the rapid rollout of telehealth services under the Morrison government, AAP reports. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the former federal government between March and May 2020 introduced 281 new telehealth items on the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS). A report by the auditor general released on Thursday found the expansion was “informed by largely robust policy advice and planning”: However there were shortfalls in the governance, risk management and evaluation of the expansion. The report found there was “no implementation plan for temporary telehealth … (and) the governance arrangements for the implementation of temporary telehealth involved inadequate assessment of the implementation and integrity risks”. [The] health [department] did not plan for performance monitoring or evaluation of temporary or permanent telehealth. Performance monitoring of the temporary telehealth expansion was limited and lacked measures and targets that could inform judgments about performance, and there was no evaluation that could assist with the design and implementation of potential expansions to telehealth during future emergency conditions.
Updated at 05.14 GMT
19 Jan 2023 05.06 GMT Simon Birmingham also comments on Australian Dr Yang Hengjun’s detention in China The shadow foreign affairs minister, Simon Birmingham, has also marked the four year anniversary of Dr Yang Hengjun’s detention in China. The Australian writer has been charged with espionage by Chinese authorities. Here’s part of Birmingham’s statement: While reports have noted that Dr Yang was allowed a consular visit, the opposition remains deeply concerned for Dr Yang’s welfare, as well as his limitations on access to legal representation. The uncertainty and continual delays to Dr Yang’s case are unacceptable and unjust. We urge the Albanese government to use all available diplomatic means to secure the release of Dr Yang as well as Ms Cheng Lei, who was detained in August 2020. Earlier today, the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, said the Australian government was “deeply troubled” by ongoing delays in Hengjun’s case.
Updated at 05.08 GMT
19 Jan 2023 04.52 GMT Not so safety beach A jet ski rider who allegedly rode dangerously close to a boat at Safety Beach earlier this week will be charged by Water Police. Police allege the 16-year-old driver, who had only recently obtained his marine license, deliberately sprayed the people on the boat with water before speeding off. Acting sergeant Michael Greenwood is not impressed: We won’t tolerate dangerous behaviour on jet skis. The bay is a shared space – be mindful of others when using it. If you engage in this type of behaviour, remember our strike teams are not far away. You will be caught up with. A jet ski rider who allegedly rode dangerously close to a boat at Safety Beach this week will be charged by Water Police. It’s alleged the rider deliberately sprayed the occupants with water before speeding off.
Details ➡ https://t.co/xx8hExl7fY pic.twitter.com/r8rsLRjWLN — Victoria Police (@VictoriaPolice) January 19, 2023
Updated at 04.56 GMT
19 Jan 2023 04.35 GMT PM should admit mistake regarding changed transcript over legal advice on Indigenous voice: Dutton Paul Karp The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has gone on the offensive over changes to the transcript of a 2GB Radio interview with Anthony Albanese. Guardian Australia revealed this morning that the transcript marked E&OE – meaning “errors and omissions excepted” – omitted a key part of an incorrect answer about legal advice on the voice referendum. On Thursday, Dutton told 2GB Radio: His office, as you will have seen, has changed the transcript where they’re now saying that he said something that he didn’t say or that he misrepresented the position – I don’t quite understand and I hope he can come out and clarify it today. But I think Australians deserve the information from our prime minister and he was looking tricky before yesterday and with a doctored transcript now he looks even more tricky. Somebody has either shown some … bad initiative in the prime minister’s office, or he has instructed them to amend the transcript so that he can sort of whitewash history. Or he misspoke yesterday or misled: either way, as I say, there’s an integrity question here. You know, we know the PM has got a bit of a glass jaw, but if he’s made a mistake, frankly, he should have picked the phone up to Ben Fordham or to your program this morning and said: ‘look, it’s just been brought to my attention. It’s a stuff up, it shouldn’t have happened. I’ve counselled the person that did it. I wasn’t aware of it.’ Or, if he’s now saying that there was legal advice but he forgot about the legal advice or thought it not convenient to mention it yesterday, then again, he should throw his hands up and say ‘I made a mistake’.
Updated at 05.16 GMT
19 Jan 2023 04.24 GMT Legendary New Zealand actor Sam Neill has weighed in on NZ PM Jacinda Ardern’s resignation. He says she was subject to a “disgraceful and embarrassing” pile on from bullies, misogynists and the aggrieved, and he doesn’t blame her for quitting. #PrimeMinister @jacindaardern resigned today. I am not surprised nor do I blame her. Her treatment, the pile on, in the last few months has been disgraceful and embarrassing. All the bullies, the misogynists, the aggrieved. She deserved so much better. A great leader. Thanks PM! pic.twitter.com/7b1AhjBXrW — Sam Neill (@TwoPaddocks) January 19, 2023
Updated at 04.45 GMT
19 Jan 2023 04.11 GMT Eden Gillespie Queensland counter-terrorism police have charged three men in relation to the displaying of neo-Nazi material, after conducting raids on three separate addresses across south-east Queensland. Police told Guardian Australia that officers had discovered a number of offensive banners, stickers and flyers after executing search warrants on residential addresses in the Brisbane suburb of Toowong, and Gold Coast suburbs of Pimpama and Oxenford. Police seize neo-Nazi paraphernalia in series of raids across south-east Queensland Read more
19 Jan 2023 03.59 GMT Emily Wind Thanks everyone for joining me on the blog this morning, and what a morning it’s been! I’ll now hand over to my colleague Henry Belot who will see you through the afternoon news.
