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Australia live news: Morrison comments on Israel-Palestine conflict; government defends new asylum laws Australia live news: 70 people reportedly barred from first India repatriation flight; Morrison comments on Israel-Palestine conflict
(32 minutes later)
Follow the latest updatesFollow the latest updates
It’s been reported that about 70 Australians will be unable to fly on the first repatriation flight scheduled to arrive in Darwin tomorrow because they have contracted Covid or are close contacts of cases.
The Guardian has contacted the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for further clarification, and spokeswoman said the department was working to provide more clarification on the matter.
It is unclear if the seats the roughly 70 passengers have been forced to forfeit because of their Covid status will be offered to other vulnerable Australians before the plane departs.
It is understood the flight was planned to repatriate about 150 Australians.
Australia’s High Commissioner to India Barry O’Farrell told the ABC:
No new Covid-19 cases in South Australia.
Also in that News Breakfast interview was this exchange in which Stuart Robert defended Liberal MP Andrew Laming by saying he is “clearly” meeting the standard he has set for himself.
I’m not sure that is quite the ringing endorsement he intended.
Here is the full exchange:
Multiple outlets are reporting 40 people who were due to be evacuated from New Dehli on the first evacuation flight since the India travel ban have tested positive to Covid-19, meaning they can no longer fly. Including close contacts, 70 out of the 150 Australians who booked on the flight will not be able to return now.
The employment minister, Stuart Robert, was asked on ABC News Breakfast this morning about Anthony Albanese’s commitment in the budget reply speech to criminalise wage theft.The employment minister, Stuart Robert, was asked on ABC News Breakfast this morning about Anthony Albanese’s commitment in the budget reply speech to criminalise wage theft.
Asked if wage theft should be criminalised, Robert falsely claimed the Coalition had tried but didn’t have the Senate numbers to do so:Asked if wage theft should be criminalised, Robert falsely claimed the Coalition had tried but didn’t have the Senate numbers to do so:
In fact, the Coalition removed the wage theft section from its own bill after other pro-business sections were blocked.In fact, the Coalition removed the wage theft section from its own bill after other pro-business sections were blocked.
Labor’s shadow industrial relations minister, Tony Burke, told Guardian Australia:Labor’s shadow industrial relations minister, Tony Burke, told Guardian Australia:
In case you missed it, independent MP Craig Kelly yesterday indicated he wants Facebook to be found in contempt of parliament for removing his Facebook page after he repeatedly posted misinformation.In case you missed it, independent MP Craig Kelly yesterday indicated he wants Facebook to be found in contempt of parliament for removing his Facebook page after he repeatedly posted misinformation.
Prime minister Scott Morrison has just been asked about the situation in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank at a post-budget lunch.Prime minister Scott Morrison has just been asked about the situation in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank at a post-budget lunch.
Morrison said:Morrison said:
Morrison’s reference to the two-state solution no longer being bipartisan in Australia is an attack against his Labor opponents, and not strictly accurate.Morrison’s reference to the two-state solution no longer being bipartisan in Australia is an attack against his Labor opponents, and not strictly accurate.
At its national conference in March, Labor recommitted to a two-state solution but also agreed to an amendment that a Labor government would recognise Palestine as a state and “expects that this issue will be an important priority for the next Labor government”.At its national conference in March, Labor recommitted to a two-state solution but also agreed to an amendment that a Labor government would recognise Palestine as a state and “expects that this issue will be an important priority for the next Labor government”.
Immigration minister Alex Hawke has been forced to defend new laws that allow for refugees convicted of serious crimes to be locked up for life.Immigration minister Alex Hawke has been forced to defend new laws that allow for refugees convicted of serious crimes to be locked up for life.
Refugee lawyers are furious after the indefinite detention powers were quickly and quietly ushered through parliament with bipartisan support this week.Refugee lawyers are furious after the indefinite detention powers were quickly and quietly ushered through parliament with bipartisan support this week.
Individuals affected by the laws are now faced with a stark choice between going back to their country of origin – where they could face persecution – or spending decades in immigration detention.Individuals affected by the laws are now faced with a stark choice between going back to their country of origin – where they could face persecution – or spending decades in immigration detention.
Hawke insisted the laws were not created to redesign the country’s immigration detention framework.Hawke insisted the laws were not created to redesign the country’s immigration detention framework.
“The government takes its international obligations very seriously, and has a longstanding policy to not forcibly remove an unlawful non-citizen in breach of Australia’s non-refoulement obligations,” he said.“The government takes its international obligations very seriously, and has a longstanding policy to not forcibly remove an unlawful non-citizen in breach of Australia’s non-refoulement obligations,” he said.
“The amendments are designed to ensure that detainees are not required to be removed in breach of Australia’s international protection obligations.”“The amendments are designed to ensure that detainees are not required to be removed in breach of Australia’s international protection obligations.”
Jana Favero from the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre said the bill had been rushed through parliament without proper scrutiny of its alarming consequences.Jana Favero from the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre said the bill had been rushed through parliament without proper scrutiny of its alarming consequences.
She said the legislation did nothing to protect against the forcible return of refugees to their country of origin.She said the legislation did nothing to protect against the forcible return of refugees to their country of origin.
“Even worse, its real consequence and purpose is to obscure worsening human rights abuses through the minister’s discriminative, arbitrary and unchecked power to indefinitely detain refugees whose visas have been cancelled, for the rest of their lives without any independent oversight or fair legal process,” Favero said.“Even worse, its real consequence and purpose is to obscure worsening human rights abuses through the minister’s discriminative, arbitrary and unchecked power to indefinitely detain refugees whose visas have been cancelled, for the rest of their lives without any independent oversight or fair legal process,” Favero said.
Labor successfully moved amendments to introduce a merits review into the process and ensure the laws are reviewed by parliament’s intelligence and security committee after two years.Labor successfully moved amendments to introduce a merits review into the process and ensure the laws are reviewed by parliament’s intelligence and security committee after two years.
The Greens opposed the legislation.The Greens opposed the legislation.
A man who went on a violent rampage in Sydney’s CBD after murdering a vulnerable woman in a “cruel, brutal attack” has been jailed for at least 33 years, AAP reports.A man who went on a violent rampage in Sydney’s CBD after murdering a vulnerable woman in a “cruel, brutal attack” has been jailed for at least 33 years, AAP reports.
Mert Ney pleaded guilty to the stabbing murder of escort Michaela Dunn, 24, in a Clarence Street apartment on 13 August 2019.Mert Ney pleaded guilty to the stabbing murder of escort Michaela Dunn, 24, in a Clarence Street apartment on 13 August 2019.
The 23-year-old also admitted wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm for stabbing Lin Bo during his rampage.The 23-year-old also admitted wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm for stabbing Lin Bo during his rampage.
In the NSW supreme court on Friday, justice Peter Johnson jailed him for 44 years with non-parole period of 33 years.In the NSW supreme court on Friday, justice Peter Johnson jailed him for 44 years with non-parole period of 33 years.
He found Ney was a dangerous man who had had gone into the city to murder a young woman, to use violence and to terrify people.He found Ney was a dangerous man who had had gone into the city to murder a young woman, to use violence and to terrify people.
Although he had yelled “Allahu Akbar” on the street and delivered the Islamic State salute, the judge found he was not a religious zealot and the crimes did not relate to terrorism.Although he had yelled “Allahu Akbar” on the street and delivered the Islamic State salute, the judge found he was not a religious zealot and the crimes did not relate to terrorism.
Because of Ney’s mental health, he rejected the crown’s submission that he should be jailed for the rest of his life.Because of Ney’s mental health, he rejected the crown’s submission that he should be jailed for the rest of his life.
Victoria’s environmental regulator has accused an e-waste recycling company of causing water and atmospheric pollution after a fire in Melbourne’s north, AAP reports.
The Environment Protection Authority laid 12 charges against MRI Pty Ltd on Friday in relation to a fire that allegedly polluted Merlynston creek and Foden reserve in August 2020.
MRI was also charged with contravening conditions of its licence relating to the storage of e-waste at its Campbellfield factory.
It faces a maximum penalty of $396,528.
MRI’s factory blaze sent out toxic smoke and took 75 firefighters roughly five hours to extinguish.
Last year the EPA found the firm was storing more waste than its licence allowed and directed it to stop accepting any more until back under the threshold.
A show-cause notice was later issued by the EPA, demanding MRI explain why its licence should not be suspended.
Melbourne has experienced several large-scale industrial fires, with warehouses full of illegally stored toxic chemicals erupting in flames at West Footscray and Campbellfield in 2018 and 2017.
Labor is seeking to wrest the federal seat of Brisbane from the Liberals with the preselection of businesswoman Madonna Jarrett.
AAP reports Jarrett, Deloitte Australia’s director of global risk and public policy, is a former policy adviser in the Goss state government.
Voters in the seat of Brisbane went against trend to register a swing from the Liberals’ sitting member, Trevor Evans, at the 2019 election. Evans – the assistant minister for waste reduction – holds the seat by a margin just less than 5%.
The 2019 contest iwas made tighter by the fact Andrew Bartlett, a former Queensland senator, ran for the Greens and scored more than 22% of the primary vote.
Before 2010, Labor had held the seat for 30 years.
The ABC has cut away from the PM’s speech so I will try to find a stream, or just return when we get the broadcast again.
Scott Morrison says if Australia had the same Covid fatality rate as other parts of the world, we would have had 30,000 more deaths than we have currently recorded.
Scott Morrison is telling Liberal members why his government has been decidedly un-Liberal in its policies in response to Covid, but why he sees that as being Liberal.
He said:
The PM is speaking at a post-budget lunch in Sydney now, so I’ll bring you some of what he says.
Funny that.
Scammers are pretending to be the Australian Cyber Security Centre, offering to resolve malware issues, and then trying to get sensitive personal information, or bank account login details.
They might also request people to buy cryptocurrencies or gift cards for them.
Anglicare Australia has welcomed Labor’s social housing commitment in last night’s budget reply speech.
Anglicare Australia’s executive director Kasy Chambers said:
An attempt to block Christian Porter’s high-profile Sydney barrister from acting in the former attorney general’s defamation case turned an otherwise procedural hearing in the federal court on Friday into a fiery encounter which saw justice Jayne Jagot effectively put the case on hold for a fortnight.
Though Porter’s high-stakes case against the ABC and journalist Louise Milligan is months from trial, an intervention from Jo Dyer, a friend of the woman who accused Porter of rape, to stop Sue Chrysanthou SC acting for Porter led Jagot to make an order on Friday effectively pausing the case.
Dyer, a debater with the complainant in the late 1980s, appeared in a Four Corners episode in November in which she accused Porter of displaying “an assuredness that’s perhaps born of privilege”.
She has claimed she sought advice from Chrysanthou after an article in the Australian newspaper described the program as “a poorly executed political hatchet job”, and that the Sydney defamation specialist had reviewed a legal letter sent on her behalf.
Dyer’s lawyers are seeking an order restraining her from acting in the case on the basis it is “necessary to prevent prejudice to the proper administration of justice, and to preserve confidentiality and legal professional privilege”.
Lawyers for both Porter and Chrysanthou have argued the barrister has no substantive memory of her dealings with Dyer.
Jagot had earlier said Chrysanthou may need to be “quarantined” and “isolated” from the case until the matter was decided, but after fiery submissions from Porter’s other silk, Bret Walker SC, in which he said isolating her would cause “irreparable harm” to the former attorney general’s case, decided to instead delay the hearings until 26 May.