Dutton says NSW premier ‘effective’ but Victoria premier ‘disgraceful’ on antisemitism
The opposition leader Peter Dutton also took aim at state leaders, saying that Victorian premier Jacinta Allan’s response to antisemitism had been “disgraceful”.
In Victoria, if you contrast Jacinta Allan’s approach, which is disgraceful, to Chris Minns’ approach, which has been much more effective, then I think that there is a contrast there, and the prime minister has chosen the Jacinta Allan approach instead of the Chris Minns approach …
The prime minister got worked up when his office was picketed. But before that, we just allowed every redline to be crossed.
Key events
Wide-ranging ban on PFAS should be considered, experts tell Senate inquiry
Donna Lu
The federal government should consider a wide-ranging ban on so-called “forever chemicals” to avoid environmental harm and costly removal, a Senate committee into PFAS has heard.
The committee heard expert recommendations this morning on PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), a class of thousands of synthetic chemicals found widely in household and industrial products.
Sometimes referred to as “forever chemicals”, PFAS are difficult to break down and persist in the environment for long periods. Dr Ian Wright of Western Sydney University said there were “enormous gaps” in knowledge about PFAS in Australian waterways:
All water resources … surface water, groundwater, drinking water, need to be monitored … There’s a growing worldwide awareness that PFAS is accumulating in wildlife, and particularly as we go up to different levels in the food chain. My own research group has found PFAS in platypus … Wherever we look, we find it.
From 1 July, three specific PFAS chemicals – PFOA, PFOS and PFHxS – will be banned from import and use in Australia. However, Dr Nicholas Chartres, of the University of Sydney, said banning specific PFAS chemicals elsewhere had led to poorly researched, “similarly hazardous replacements”, adding:
We need to ban them as a class. There’s already enough exposure, because if we don’t, in 30 years time, these things will never leave our environment.
Water expert Dr Stuart Khan, also of the University of Sydney, said the only “realistic, affordable” way of dealing with PFAS was controlling it at the source:
To try and treat the water at the end – the cost is unrealistic. It’s prohibitive to be able to do that across the board for everybody here.
More investment in apartment construction needed to meet housing targets – builders
Australia has commenced construction on 43,247 new homes throughout the first three months of the national housing accord, according to data from the Bureau of Statistics.
The federal accord – signed with the states and territories, local government, institutional investors and construction sector – outlines a target of building 1.2m new homes over five years from mid-2024.
Master Builders Australia said the figures were 4.6% higher than the June 2024 quarter and 13.9% higher than the same quarter in 2023. New detached house starts saw the strongest growth, up 20.5% since June last year.
CEO Denita Wawn said while industry welcomes this, there is still a long way to go to reach the level of output required to meet the target:
Our performance in apartment construction will be the key to whether we meet the target. Apartment construction levels remain too low because the investment appetite is not there …
If we are going to solve the housing crisis, we need to build more apartments and make them more attractive for people to invest in – only then will we see a lowering of rental inflation and more homes for Aussies.
In the year to September 2024, the number of new homes beginning construction was 165,048 – below the 200,000 required.
Master Builders Australia said if things continue at this pace, Australia would commence construction on just over 825,000 new homes over the next five years – around 350,000 new homes short of the target.
Babies’ heel prick test expanded to critical disorder in Victoria
Newborn babies in Victoria will be offered an expanded heel prick test to include screening for another rare genetic disorder.
AAP reports that hours-old youngsters will be tested for galactosaemia from today, which can cause life-threatening liver disease and kidney failure if left untreated.
Its most serious form effects one in 50,000 babies and makes them unable to process a sugar found in certain dairy products, with treatment involving being fed by soy formula.
The expansion will expand the state’s screening program to 32 conditions within the first 72 hours of newborns’ lives.
Acting health minster Ingrid Stitt said it is part of more than $1m for testing for spinal muscular atrophy, severe combined immunodeficiency and congenital adrenal hyperplasia.
Newborn bloodspot screening began in Victoria in 1966 and has resulted in more than 3.6m babies tested to date. One in 1000 are found to have rare but serious conditions such as congenital hypothyroidism and cystic fibrosis.
Caitlin Cassidy
Student’s expulsion after pledging support for Hamas overturned on appeal, ANU boss tells inquiry
The Australian National University’s vice-chancellor has confirmed a student accused of making an alleged Nazi salute and Hitler moustache is still enrolled at the university and no findings have been made against them.
After expressing he was “completely astounded”, Labor MP Josh Burns went on to ask why another student who had pledged their unconditional support to Hamas had been reinstated to ANU after initially being expelled.
Prof Genevieve Bell, the vice-chancellor, said their expulsion had been overturned on appeal, which could be made on “multiple grounds”.
Our disciplinary process has two pieces to it: there is a process and there is an appeals process. That appeals process is also run in a fulsome and robust way … I am satisfied that the disciplinary process and the appeals process continue to work but I also know those are processes that, like everything else, should be regularly reviewed and updated.
Asked by Burns if ANU would review or update its process on the basis the student appealed and was allowed back on campus after they “glorified a terrorist organisation”, Bell replied ANU reviewed all its processes on a regular basis. Burns said:
What are your thoughts on including examining whether a student can do a Nazi salute or glorify a terrorist organisation and still be allowed to participate in the university?
Bell replied the university would seek to balance academic speech and freedom of speech with psychosocial harm.
Strong wind warning for NSW coasts
The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) is warning of damaging winds and possible thunderstorms forecast to hit Sydney, the Illawarra and the Hunter coast later this afternoon.
In a statement, it said that a vigorous southerly wind change currently located on the south coast would move rapidly northwards along the coast this afternoon. The wind change is likely to reach the Sydney coast in the middle of the afternoon and then extend further north to the Newcastle coastline by early evening.
Damaging winds averaging 60-70km/h with peak gusts in excess of 90km/h are possible along parts of the Illawarra, Sydney and Hunter coast, as the southerly change moves through during the afternoon and early evening.
Severe thunderstorms are also possible over parts of Sydney and the Hunter during the afternoon or early evening, it said.
Multiple capitals top 30C as heatwave hits
The Bureau of Meteorology warned yesterday that a heatwave was expected to hit parts of Western Australia, Queensland, the Northern Territory and New South Wales from today, stretching into tomorrow.
According to its latest observations, Brisbane, Perth, Darwin and Canberra have already hit 30 degrees (that’s particularly scorching for Perth, given it has just gone 9am in the west).
Perth has a forecast maximum of 37 today, with Brisbane set to hit 36 and Sydney 35.
Caitlin Cassidy
University probe into alleged Nazi salute prompts heated exchange
The Australian National University’s vice-chancellor, Prof Genevieve Bell, has been caught in a testy exchange with Labor MP Josh Burns over revelations an investigation into an alleged Nazi salute and display of a Hitler moustache during a student union meeting has cleared students of any wrongdoing.
Burns, the chair of a parliamentary inquiry into antisemitism at Australian universities, asked Bell whether the incident had been discussed during one of 30 meetings held by management with Jewish students following the 7 October 2023 attacks on Israel.
Bell told the hearing the incidents he’d referred to were reported through ANU’s disciplinary proceedings and an investigation found “there had not been a Nazi salute or a hitler moustache”. Burns replied:
Really? Wasn’t it on film?
Bell said there were a “number of other pieces of that story that were not immediately clear”.
The investigation, which was a thorough one, and we do thoroughly investigate these issues … found there was not, in fact, an incident.
Burns loaded the vision online and appeared perplexed.
How did you get to that finding? I’m looking at pictures of it now … what else was it?
Bell said the university did not discuss “pieces of individual cases” but “multiple other pieces of evidence … of vision” formed part of the inquiry which were not reported in news accounts. Burns said:
What piece of vision would rule that out from being a Nazi salute? It’s been reported publicly. I am … please help me understand how that was not a Nazi salute.
Dutton says NSW premier ‘effective’ but Victoria premier ‘disgraceful’ on antisemitism
The opposition leader Peter Dutton also took aim at state leaders, saying that Victorian premier Jacinta Allan’s response to antisemitism had been “disgraceful”.
In Victoria, if you contrast Jacinta Allan’s approach, which is disgraceful, to Chris Minns’ approach, which has been much more effective, then I think that there is a contrast there, and the prime minister has chosen the Jacinta Allan approach instead of the Chris Minns approach …
The prime minister got worked up when his office was picketed. But before that, we just allowed every redline to be crossed.
Q: The Executive Council of Australian Jewry said that people need to come together. Will you call for a more bipartisan approach?
Peter Dutton responded that if this means “doing nothing like the prime minister is proposing, no”.
If it is something like the Jewish leaders asked for yesterday, that there be a bipartisan position in the proposals that we put forward, yes, I do want a bipartisan position.
But I don’t think that the prime minister will arrive at that position. Why? Because I think he’s hung a big part of the community out to dry, because you’ve got votes that they’re chasing from inner city seats, from Greens, and in western Sydney – that’s the prime minister’s motivation here.
Dutton said this was “going to escalate to a point where somebody is going to lose their life”.
Dutton accuses PM of letting antisemitism ‘fester’
Peter Dutton took direct aim at the prime minister and accused him of allowing the issue of antisemitism to “fester”. He told reporters:
And why? For political advantage. That’s the most shameful part.
The prime minister has allowed this issue to continue to fester and it has escalated to the point where we see a childcare centre and a synagogue, a place of worship, firebombed and the prime minister has essentially absent himself from this process. It’s unacceptable.
Anthony Albanese earlier called on people not to look for “political advantage” during this time.
He has also previously hit back at accusations from Dutton on his response to antisemitism. You can read more analysis around this issue below:
Dutton calls for more details on foreign interference in antisemitic attacks
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, is speaking to reporters in Goulburn – asking questions on news the AFP was investigating foreign interference into alleged antisemitic attacks in Australia. He asked:
Why has the prime minister never mentioned this before now? When did the prime minister find out that there were foreign players? Are these state actors or organised crime groups? Or are they antisemitic groups? What did the prime minister know?
Earlier, the PM fronted media in Parramatta and fielded questions for more details but said:
I will leave the work of the AFP to be done by the AFP. They’ll continue to provide appropriate briefings, but with respect, I understand the desire for more information.
Speaking now, Dutton said this situation demonstrated the federal government should have taken action sooner to combat antisemitism.
I think that the prime minister should provide what information he can publicly.
