Sussan Ley’s office investigating whether she failed to declare 2011 trip to West Bank
The deputy opposition leader, Sussan Ley, is looking into whether she failed to declare a trip to the West Bank in 2011, funded by the Palestinian Authority.
Her office confirmed it was investigating the matter, related to a declaration 14 years ago:
If correct, this would have been an administrative oversight. Sussan has never hid from the fact that she was on the trip, she has spoken about it publicly on a number of occasions.
Key events
Burke ‘watching closely’ as to whether there could be delays in ceasefire deal
Tony Burke also welcomed news of the ceasefire deal, and said he was “watching closely” as to whether there could be delays.
We want to see a situation where the conflict is brought to an end and every hostage is released. We want all of those things to happen …
Burke says government has already ‘significantly’ increased punishments
Back at Tony Burke’s press conference in Melbourne: Asked if tougher punishments are needed to combat antisemitism, he said the government had already “significantly increase[d]” punishments.
The minister also said he had “no hesitation” cancelling visas where people hold “values that have no place in Australia”.
I have no hesitation in cancelling visas where people are making clear they have values that have no place in Australia. And I have refused visas and cancelled visas where people have been showing these forms of bigotry.
Burke launches new counter-terrorism and violent extremism strategy
The home affairs minister, Tony Burke, has unveiled a new counter-terrorism and violent extremism strategy, focusing on “whole of society efforts” to prevent politically motivated violence.
He has issued a statement providing more details on this, which says the Albanese government will invest a record $106.2m over four years in initiatives to counter violent extremism.
The centrepiece of this is a national support and intervention program, in collaboration with the states and territories, “to disengage people from radicalising to violent extremism and reintegrate them successfully into the community”.
The government will also deliver a national “step together” program using a national website and referral service, so “those concerned about someone they know radicalising to violence can receive confidential online and phone support from qualified staff in real time”.
Taking questions, Tony Burke said he doesn’t want Australians to think “the crimes that hit the news are the only problem being faced by the Jewish community in Australia”.
It is also the case that beneath the surface of what might be the most ugly and high-profile of these forms of bigotry, like all forms of bigotry, it doesn’t stop there.
It continues when students are abused in the street for their school uniform. It continues where somebody questions whether they are going to have trouble getting a rental property based on their name.
These forms of bigotry happen in a way that don’t necessarily make the news. They are brutal. They are unacceptable. They have no place in Australia.
Burke says government response to extremism needs to evolve as threat level evolves
Tony Burke noted that in December, all states and territories endorsed a new counter-terrorism strategy to tackle extremism. He also noted that the threat alert for Australia moved from “possible” to “probable” last year, and said:
[This] was because the barriers to entry, the nature of radicalisation itself, has changed.
The historic threats we have always considered with respect to violent extremism and terrorism remain, but as the director general of Asio, Mike Burgess, has made clear, increasingly we are also finding people who are younger [and] people who are radicalised faster and radicalised online.
We are increasingly finding people where it is no longer a set ideology – be it what would be viewed as an extremist ideology purporting to be based on faith, or what would be described as a rightwing, racist ideology – it is now as well mixed ideologies as part of these rapid forms of radicalisation.
Burke said as the threat level has evolved, the government’s response needs to, as well. He has been outlining measures the government is taking, including a support intervention program.
Burke condemns antisemitic attack in Dover Heights ‘in the strongest possible terms’
The home affairs minister, Tony Burke, is speaking to reporters in Melbourne, speaking about the antisemitic attack in Dover Heights overnight. He said this was a further example of “a form of hatred and bigotry that has no place in Australia”.
Obviously as you would expect, I unequivocally condemn the crimes that have been committed overnight, and as we saw yesterday with the first charges being brought forward under Operation Avalite, the people who are engaging in these hate crimes need to understand that … this is not graffiti, this is a hate crime with serious criminal penalties. And we have our best agencies working to make sure these people are hunted down so we are in a situation to throw the book at them.
Burke said that “nobody should think that anything that is happening anywhere around the world gives them the right to conduct a hate crime in Australia”.
It is condemned in the strongest possible terms.
Anti-Defamation Commission chair calls for national cabinet to be convened to address antisemitism
Dvir Abramovich, chair of the Anti-Defamation Commission, has condemned the antisemitic attack in Dover Heights as “an abhorrent message of intimidation meant to strike fear into the hearts of Jewish families across this country”.
Guardian Australia has confirmed the home targeted was a former residence of Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Alex Ryvchin.
Abramovich said in a statement that this was “not random” but “a deliberate and chilling attempt to threaten a prominent figure of our Jewish community”.
[This is] an abhorrent message of intimidation meant to strike fear into the hearts of Jewish families across this country … What we are seeing is the normalisation of anti-Jewish bigotry and every spray-painted slogan and every act of destruction is a grim reminder that the poison of this age-old prejudice is alive and thriving in our streets.
He said the “time for words has passed” and Anthony Albanese must convene national cabinet “immediately to address this escalating crisis with the urgency it deserves”.
SES receives thousands of calls for assistance amid lingering storm activity
The NSW State Emergency Service says nearly 2,000 incidents have been reported to it in the past 24 hours, urging people to monitor the Hazards Near Me app.
Spender joins calls for national cabinet to meet and address antisemitism
Independent MP for Wentworth, Allegra Spender, has joined the opposition in calling for national cabinet to meet and address a “surge in antisemitism.” Responding to the attack in Dover Heights overnight, Spender wrote on X:
I can’t believe we’ve woken up today to see another disgusting antisemitic attack in our community. These dangerous criminal attacks must be stopped and the thugs responsible brought to justice.
She said a “stronger message” needs to be sent that “these attacks are unacceptable”, calling for national cabinet to be convened:
It is time to convene National Cabinet [and] treat the surge in antisemitism like the crisis it is. We need a national approach to policing, sentencing, law reform and education – as Jillian Segal has called for.
The PM was right to appoint an Antisemitism Envoy. Now we need to listen to her advice. I have spoken to the Home Affairs Minister this morning and will continue to be in close contact with the police and NSW authorities.
Thousands still without power across NSW after severe thunderstorms
Let’s check in with the power outages across New South Wales, as a result of the severe thunderstorms earlier in the week.
Essential Energy says it continued to work through the night to restore power to customers – with about 2,270 homes and businesses without electricity.
We thank our communities for their continued patience as our crews work to restore power to our customers as soon as it is safe and possible to do so.
Wagga Wagga still has 770 without power, Nambucca Heads 340 and Mudgee 260.
Ausgrid says it has 197 unplanned outages, with 33,852 sites affected.
And Endeavour Energy says it has 239 active outages, affecting 4,158 customers.
Hard times turn voters off Labor in election lead-up
The latest polling by YouGov shows the Coalition leading Labor 51% to 49% on a two-party preferred basis, AAP reports.
In its January survey, the YouGov figures showed the Coalition increasing its lead over the government by 0.5 percentage points compared with November.
In the run-up to a federal election that must be held by 17 May, Labor’s primary vote has increased from 30% in November to 32%. The opposition’s primary share has also risen slightly from 38% to 39% in the same period.
Support for the Greens has gone backward from 13% to 12% while backing for One Nation has fallen from 9% to 7%. Voters backing other candidates such as independents remained steady at 10%.
YouGov’s director of polling, Amir Daftari, said while primary support had remained stable for the government, its drop in support on a two-party level had been months in the making:
While the results are too close to make a definitive call, Labor’s two-party preferred vote has been on a downward trend since July last year. This decline is driven by a rising Coalition primary vote and lower preferences from minor party voters to Labor across the board.
Labor was in front of the Coalition 52% to 48% at the start of 2024, but its margin has been chipped away by voter concern over cost-of-living and inflation pressures.
The polling has shown bright spots for the prime minister, with Anthony Albanese leading Peter Dutton 44% to 40% as preferred leader. Dutton’s rating has risen in the past 12 months – it was 35% in January 2024.
Sussan Ley’s office investigating whether she failed to declare 2011 trip to West Bank
The deputy opposition leader, Sussan Ley, is looking into whether she failed to declare a trip to the West Bank in 2011, funded by the Palestinian Authority.
Her office confirmed it was investigating the matter, related to a declaration 14 years ago:
If correct, this would have been an administrative oversight. Sussan has never hid from the fact that she was on the trip, she has spoken about it publicly on a number of occasions.
Charges laid after Victoria police locate factory allegedly filled with more than 150 stolen goods
Victoria police have arrested and charged nine people after allegedly discovering a factory filled with stolen goods.
Officers were first on the scene at the Wantirna South factory on 10 January, after receiving reports of suspicious activity. Police allege a stolen Renault van was driven through a boundary fence, before being located abandoned in Ringwood East. Seven people inside the factory were then arrested.
Detectives allegedly found more than 150 stolen items, including a Holden Commodore sedan, a Ford Falcon utility, multiple power tools, drugs, a handgun and multiple laptops, tablets and mobile phones. An eighth person was arrested after turning up to the factory while officers were on site, police said.
A 35-year-old Craigieburn man, 31-year-old Wallan man, 27-year-old Oakleigh South man, 34-year-old man of no fixed address, 23-year-old Deniliquin man, 28-year-old Badger Creek man, 23-year-old Mooroolbark woman and a 20-year-old Rowville woman were interviewed and released from custody pending further inquiries.
The driver of the van was arrested on Tuesday.
A 23-year-old Clayton man was charged with reckless exposure of a police officer to risk by driving, three counts of theft of a motor vehicle, criminal damage and driving while disqualified. He was remanded in custody to appear at Ringwood magistrates court on Tuesday.
US national charged with allegedly importing cocaine into Queensland in hair care bottles
A US national is due to appear in the Brisbane magistrates court today, charged with allegedly importing cocaine in shampoo and conditioner bottles
The 33-year-old man had travelled to Brisbane from the United States, and was selected for a search at Brisbane airport. Border force officers allegedly noticed two 946ml bottles of shampoo and conditioner, and performed a presumptive drug test on each.
Preliminary results allegedly returned a positive result for cocaine. The combined weight of the cocaine was 2.2kg with a total estimated street value of $880,000.
The man was charged with one count of importing a marketable quantity of a border controlled drug, with a maximum penalty of 25 years’ imprisonment.
Lawyers for the Australian federal police opposed bail at a hearing in the Brisbane magistrates court on 27 December, and the man was remanded in custody to reappear today.
More details on status of train networks across New South Wales
Transport for NSW has provided further information about the return of frequent rail services across the state today – “after one of the most significant disruptions to services in recent years”.
It said flow-on effects would be felt across the network today and over the coming days, despite more than 350 industrial bans being paused. In particular:
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Safety critical infrastructure remains on manual handling at Gosford
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More than 50 temporary speed restrictions remain on the Sydney network
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There is a sharp increase in network defects and maintenance backlog that would take some time to recover
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Some regional services remain impacted as a result of the severe thunderstorms
Transport for NSW continued to urge customers to allow plenty of travel time.
Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink thank commuters for their ongoing understanding and we look forward to rebuilding confidence in the reliability of services over coming days.
Manhunt under way after two men fatally stabbed in Melbourne
A manhunt is under way after two men died with stab wounds, AAP reports.
Emergency services were called to a home in Clyde North, in Melbourne’s outer south-east, just after 9.30pm last night.
When they arrived they found two men with stab wounds, and despite medical assistance both died at the scene.
Homicide detectives say they are searching for a third man who they believe fled the scene before emergency crews arrived. They are also speaking to other people who were at the home at the time.
A crime scene has been established while detectives try to determine what happened. Police are yet to formally identify the men but believe they were known to each other.
Frequent train services operating once again in NSW
Frequent train services appear to be back up and running in New South Wales today.
It was announced last night that trains would return to normal scheduling for now, after the Fair Work Commission placed an interim pause on its approval for rail unions to undertake industrial action, amid a long-running pay dispute with the state government.
A look at the T2 Leppington & Inner West line – which experienced major delays this week – shows all the trains running on time this morning.
In a post to X this morning, Sydney Trains told a commuter that “frequent services are currently running this morning”.
There may still be some changes to services throughout the day following earlier industrial action. You can use your apps to check out any delays/cancellations closer to your travel time.
Australia’s record on asylum seekers ‘stain on international reputation’: Asylum Seekers Centre
As Sarah Basford Canales reports, Human Rights Watch’s latest report has lashed Australia’s “diabolical” treatment of asylum seekers, condemning the treatment of those transferred to detention facilities on Nauru and noting Australia “continues to evade its international obligations”.
The Asylum Seekers Centre CEO, Frances Rush, has responded to the report, saying it “lays bare Australia’s shameful record and attitude towards people seeking asylum.”
Setting a global example for inhumane and dehumanising policy and rhetoric is a stain on our international reputation and how we see ourselves as a nation.
Labor went into the last election promising a ‘compassionate’ and ‘humane’ approach to refugees and people seeking asylum. They go into this election year having codified cruelty through a trio of brutal immigration bills and a cynical shift to harsh and degrading rhetoric.
We must heed the warning and follow the guidance of Human Rights Watch before we do even more damage to the lives of the most vulnerable people in our society.
Antisemitic attack a case of mistaken identity, Dover Heights residents believe
AAP has more details on the antisemitic attack in Dover Heights overnight.
Residents told the newswire they believe the attack to be a case of mistaken identity, as Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Alex Ryvchin used to live there.
President of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, David Ossip, said he was “profoundly disturbed and sickened to wake up to news of yet another antisemitic attack”.
Criminal acts like these, perpetrated by masked cowards and thugs in the dead of night, are intended to menace and intimidate the Jewish community and further fragment our social cohesion.
