Greens accuse Labor and Coalition of ‘race to the bottom’ over migration bill – as it happened | Australia news
Key events
What we learned: Tuesday 5 December
And that’s where we’ll leave you this evening. Here’s our Tuesday wrap:
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The Reserve Bank has delivered a pre-Christmas reprieve for Australia’s borrowers, leaving its cash rate unchanged at 4.35%.
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Greenpeace activists have scaled a 140-metre crane next door to Woodside’s headquarters in Perth, dropping a banner than reads “Stop Woodside”.
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Israel has upgraded travel warnings to multiple countries, including Australia, citing a rise in antisemitism stemming from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
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Brittany Higgins was back in the witness box in her fourth day of testimony. Higgins was challenged by Lehrmann’s barrister, Steve Whybrow SC, over her account of the alleged rape that took place at Parliament House, including casting doubt over how drunk she was. “Are you kidding?” Higgins said through tears. “I hadn’t been raped yet but I was skipping in the middle of parliament with no shoes on so it indicates someone is pretty drunk, yes.”
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The attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, personally approved the Australian Human Rights Commission’s intervention in the high court to argue that indefinite immigration detention is unlawful.
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More Australians than ever before are buying electric vehicles, according to VFACTS monthly vehicle sales data. Year-to-date sales of battery electric vehicles have reached 80,446 – compared with 28,326 at the same time last year.
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Australian Bureau of Statistics figures released today have shown education added a further $12.1bn to the economy in the September quarter, outperforming coal exports and other minerals, while total exports have declined.
Victoria police cancelled ambulance for handcuffed Noongar man who collapsed and later died, court hears
A Noongar man who died in police custody was handcuffed while unconscious, came to and then collapsed again before a cancelled ambulance was called again, AAP reports.
A directions hearing into the death of Jeffrey Winmar, a 28-year-old Aboriginal man who died after being arrested in Melbourne’s west last month, began on Tuesday before the coroner, Sarah Gebert.
Winmar was wanted on burglary offences and was believed to be at a property in Werribee, where police, including a dog handler, were sent on 9 November.
He was seen leaving the house after police knocked at the front door and climbed over several fences before being found in a clump of trees behind a nearby property.
The court heard police handcuffed Winmar and placed him in the recovery position before calling an ambulance. The request was cancelled when he came to.
A short time later Winmar again lost consciousness and stopped breathing, as police requested another ambulance and did CPR until paramedics arrived.
More on this story here:
Peter Hannam
El Niño to linger as a tempest looks set to form in the Coral Sea
The Bureau of Meteorology has updated its fortnightly review of the climate drivers that help shape Australia’s weather.
The latest modelling has the El Niño lingering in the Pacific well into 2024.
To the north-west of Australia, conditions in the Indian Ocean remain in the so-called positive phase of the Indian Ocean Dipole. That setup, which can be a drying influence over Australia, was quite a strong one, BoM said.
BoM has lately been reminding people that while an El Niño tends to tilt the odds towards drier conditions over much of the country, that influence wanes as summer approaches. In other words, we can get wet spells, as per the past week or so in the east.
Two issues, though, include a switch to severe heat over a lot of eastern Australia, particularly New South Wales and northern South Australia:
BoM and other weather watchers also have their eye on what’s likely to be tropical Cyclone Jasper that will form in the Coral Sea in the next day or so.
Here’s another view of the possible track, via the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre. That has wind gusts reaching 125 knots (231 km/h) before they slow as it approaches the coast. (You’d have to hope so.) pic.twitter.com/1fRZP9VIC0
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) December 5, 2023
Just how strong Jasper gets and whether it will cross the Australian coast – and the wind speeds at the time – will no doubt be monitored closely by a lot of people.
Emergency works to improve Sydney’s Rozelle interchange after the multibillion-dollar spaghetti junction caused traffic chaos when it opened last week will be completed by Thursday morning’s traffic peak.
Transport NSW said the work will begin after Wednesday’s traffic peak and continue overnight with no diversions necessary.
There has been some improvements in traffic flow since last week, Transport NSW said. It estimated that today a citybound trip from Ramsey Street in Haberfield to the Anzac Bridge took 28 minutes compared to 59 minutes Tuesday last week.
My colleague Catie Mcleod has more on the works under way here:
NSW emergency services urges residents to prepare for heatwave
With high temperatures predicted for much of the state this week, agencies have put out a joint statement on how to prepare:
Rural Fire Service
RFS is urging those that live or are visiting bush fire prone areas to know the Fire Danger Rating and have a plan of action in the event a bush or grass fire.
NSW Health
NSW Health has warned people vulnerable to heat to be aware of the dangers, and have suggested some measures to stay cool:
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Avoid being outdoors in the hottest part of the day.
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Keep your home cooler by using air-conditioning or electric fans and closing doors, windows, blinds, and curtains.
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Limit your physical activity to early in the morning when it’s coolest.
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Stay hydrated by drinking water regularly.
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When outdoors, apply sunscreen and wear sunglasses and a wide brim hat to protect your eyes, face, and scalp.
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Seek out cool places or air-conditioned public facilities in your local area, if you can safely travel without getting too hot.
NSW Ambulance
NSW Ambulance has urged people in fire-affected areas to wear any form of eyewear and loose clothing to cover their skin to assist in reducing any incidental injury.
Fire and Rescue NSW
FRNSW has urged people who see an unattended fire to call 000 immediately.
They’ve also requested people clean out gutters and remove piles of rubbish, weeds and leaf matter.
NSW police
NSW police is asking commuters to “keep their cool” if the heat results in traffic delays.
They added:
We know many people will want to head to the beach, a local swimming hole or swim in your back yard pool. Please be careful. Keep a watchful eye over children especially when they are near the water – all children need to be supervised.
If you’re catching up on today’s news, check out the top stories my colleague Antoun Issa has compiled in our afternoon update:
Recently released immigration detainee to face court today
The third freed immigration detainee to be arrested after 148 people were released after the high court ruling on indefinite detention has been charged and will face Dandenong magistrates court this afternoon.
Victoria police said the 33-year-old man, who was a registered sex offender, was charged with nine counts of failure to comply with reporting obligations, and with trespassing in relation to a reported incident in Dandenong on 24 November.
Guardian Australia understands the alleged breaches of reporting obligations predominantly relate to online offending on social media.
My colleague Paul Karp has more on this story here:
Daniel Hurst
Internal security to be key feature of deal with PNG
A security agreement to be signed between Australia and Papua New Guinea this week is expected to include a major focus on internal security.
The PNG prime minister, James Marape, is due to visit Canberra for talks with Anthony Albanese on Thursday. It has long been thought that this visit would be used to sign a bilateral security agreement that has been under negotiation for months.
In an interview published today, Marape told the ABC:
The security arrangement is in the best interest of Papua New Guinea and also for Australia and its regional security interests.
Cabinet will fully endorse the finer details before prime minister Albanese and I sign off. Australian police officers will work under the command and control of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary and the Police Commissioner.
PNG’s minister of state, Justin Tkatchenko, told Reuters his country would recruit Australian police officers for key positions in its national police force under a wide-ranging deal that also covers defence and biosecurity:
This shows our commitment to Australia as one of our traditional security partners now and into the future.
Josh Nicholas
Australia is in the top third of OECD countries when ranked by greenhouse gas emission increases in 2022, according to the release of new global emissions data.
Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions rose 1.5% in 2022, after declining in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. Many other countries also saw reduced emissions in these years, with UK, New Zealand and Germany continuing to post declines.
China and the United States also saw their emissions increase in 2022, but at smaller rates than Australia. When looking only at OECD countries, Australia ranked 10 out of 38 other countries, with the biggest increases in Mexico (9.2%) and Spain (6.6%).
You can see more data on Australia’s progress in addressing global heating here.
The value of Australian education surges by 68% in 12 months
Caitlin Cassidy
Australian Bureau of Statistics figures released today have shown education added a further $12.1bn to the economy in the September quarter, outperforming coal exports and other minerals, while total exports have declined.
The latest quarterly result means education has now added $34bn to export revenue in 2023, on track to eclipse a record $41bn prior to the pandemic in 2019.
Universities Australia chief executive, Catriona Jackson, said the profits should come into consideration when determining the federal government’s upcoming migration strategy.
Labor has ruled out placing a cap on international student numbers, however earlier this year it released a suite of measures to crack down on rorts and exploitation in the sector.
Jackson said education was the “biggest export we don’t dig out of the ground”.
Australia has developed a strong, competitive edge in the global battle for international students through our careful and strategic work over many decades.
Any changes that restrict the movement of these people to our shores need to be weighed carefully against the enormous benefits they bring, during and after their studies.
Coalition want to force minister to report immigration releases to parliament
Paul Karp
The shadow attorney general, Michaelia Cash, has spoken on the migration bill, which contains the Labor amendments for a preventive detention regime for those released as a result of the NZYQ high court decision.
After Labor and the Coalition voted together to bring the bill on, Cash said the government are “finally” doing what the opposition leader had demanded, to allow “law enforcement agencies to lock up high risk individuals who have been roaming free”.
Cash revealed the Coalition will move a “modest” amendment requiring the minister to “report to parliament every time one of these dangerous individuals is released into the community”.
The Greens senator, Nick McKim, is speaking now, accusing the major parties of “a race to the bottom” to demonise refugees.
McKim accused Labor of not only “handing over the drafter’s pen to Peter Dutton … it’s now handed over chamber management” (because Labor accepted the Coalition push to bring the bill on now).
McKim is complaining that the Greens only go the preventive detention amendments three hours ago, labelling it a shameful way to legislate.
Peter Hannam
Is there the outline of a dove in RBA’s latest rates verdict?
There’s always a bit of tea-leaf reading when it comes to the RBA’s rates statement – and we get the long-playing version, with the release of the meeting’s minutes released on 19 December. By then, most of us will be in a shopping frenzy.
As the RBA governor, Michele Bullock says, the RBA only had “limited information” about the domestic economy to work with since it hiked the cash rate in November and what did emerge was “broadly in line with expectations”.
Warren Hogan, the chief economic adviser at JudoBank, has been more of a rates “hawk” than most, predicting that the RBA might have to hike its cash rate further given the strength of the underlying economy. (We’ll get an update of that tomorrow when September quarter GDP figures land.)
Anyway, he shared this correspondent’s assessment that this month’s comments were more dovish than might have been expected. Hogan says the tilt was “entirely inconsistent with gov Bullock’s tough talk in recent weeks”.
Hogan said it pointed to the RBA being patient and playing a long game.
“I think they are looking at grinding out policy tightening over an extended period if the economy doesn’t slow down and inflation come down as everyone hopes,” Hogan said.
Still, there remains the chance of one more rate rise. “Importantly, they won’t even be contemplating cuts for at least a year, if not longer,” he said.
Those with stretched finances, in other words, might not get much relief soon if Hogan is right.
“Grim Christmas for many Australians”: Angus Taylor responds to RBA interest rate hold
The shadow treasurer, Angus Taylor, has responded to the RBA keeping interest rates on hold, saying “today’s decision hasn’t made life any easier for hard-working Australians with a mortgage”.
He said:
An Australian family with a typical mortgage of $750,000 is paying an additional $24,000 a year since the 12 increases we have seen under Labor. That is an enormous increase in the yearly payment and $2000 a month in additional payments. They are struggling.
We have the highest longer-term interest rate of countries right across the advanced major countries across the world. We have seen household disposable income fall by over 5% for a typical Australian family. That is a 5% hit in what their money, their wages, their incomes, can buy in just a year. And meanwhile, we have seen two-quarters of GDP per capita going backwards.
So from the point of view of a typical Australian household that means they are seeing a recession, that is what they are seeing in GDP per capita. This will be a grim Christmas for many Australians.
Catie McLeod
Darling Harbour precinct’s $764.5m overhaul approved
The New South Wales government has approved a $764.5m redevelopment of Sydney’s Darling Harbour precinct with promises of more affordable housing for the area.
As part of the overhaul, the original Harbourside building will be demolished to make way for a new 50-storey mixed use residential and commercial building which is due to be completed in 2027.
Developer Mirvac has agreed to make a $5.2m contribution to the government which will be set aside for affordable housing in the surrounding areas including Pyrmont.
The NSW planning minister, Paul Scully, was unable to confirm how many new affordable houses would be built as part of the project.
Speaking to reporters earlier today, Scully said:
It really depends on the options that the community housing provider undertakes to deliver those.
We haven’t appointed a community housing provider … so the details will come when that happens.
Wong tells Birmingham ‘sit down and start the debate’
Paul Karp
After question time, the Liberal leader in the Senate Simon Birmingham moved to immediately bring on debate about the migration bill.
Birmingham accused the government of the “real crime” of failing to legislate preventive detention before the court decision and release of detainees. This would have made a “profound difference” and prevented alleged crimes by those released, he said.
Penny Wong’s niggle during the speech has been superb. First she noted that Peter Dutton’s office had asked Labor to slow the debate on the bill down.
Then she jibed at Birmingham that he was “losing the journos” because the gallery emptied after question time.
Then she shouted “sit down and start the debate”. She and Murray Watt are ready to go it seems.
