Albanese defends Anika Wells over reports of taxpayer-funded travel expenses
Albanese has also defended a $100k expense for communications minister Anika Wells, a staffer and a public servant to join the prime minister and foreign minister Penny Wong in New York for a United Nations meeting.
Anika Wells was doing her job as the communications minister who is in charge of this world-leading, world-leading legislation, passed with bipartisan support, to give credit to Peter Dutton when he was opposition leader. And it was an important event. And it wasn’t just the event there, it was then the follow-up of people wanting to have meetings, have discussions, how is this going to work? What can we do to get buy-in here? When you’ve got Australia, a middle power, taking on these global giants.
The PM fields a series of calls about the flights, who was responsible and the size of the bill, particularly in the context of reporting today that Wells billed taxpayers $3,000 to fly her family to be with her at Thredbo, where Wells was there in her capacity as minister for an event associated with the Paralympics.
There’s family reunion entitlements, all of the travel within guidelines.
When pressed, Albanese continued to support his minister, saying the trip was “completely within rules”.
I’m saying it was within entitlements and Anika Wells was working on that trip as sports minister, participating the lifting up of para-sport.
Key events
Sarah Basford Canales
Earlier this morning, the communications minister, Anika Wells, defended a $100,000 taxpayer-funded trip to the UN general assembly in September to spruik Australia’s upcoming social media ban as a “really tricky situation”.
On Sky News, the minister said she had been scheduled to join the prime minister’s plane on Saturday but delayed her attendance to deal with another triple-zero outage during an Optus network upgrade.
While at the general assembly, Wells hosted an event on the upcoming social media ban for under-16s, met with senior executives from Meta, Microsoft and Amazon, and attended several events and panels.
Wells said:
I had to be in two places at once. It was a really tricky situation. I appreciate that everybody’s going to have an opinion on which of those three options I should have taken … I genuinely chose the option where I thought I could discharge my duties in both areas.
For more background, read The Guardian’s previous reporting:
Victoria’s anti-corruption watchdog should be overhauled, with a broader definition of corrupt conduct that could allow it to pursue cases such as those that ensnared former New South Wales premier Gladys Berejiklian and her ex-partner Daryl Maguire, a parliamentary committee has found.
The oversight of Victoria police should also be strengthened, and the force legally required to implement Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (Ibac) recommendations, or publicly state why it was not doing so, the committee found.
The integrity and oversight committee delivered the final report from its inquiry into the adequacy of Ibac’s legislative framework this week.
The committee made 31 recommendations in the 149-page report, including about follow-the-dollar powers, legal definitions, investigations, examinations of witnesses, confidentiality and information security, and that Ibac should establish a dedicated Aboriginal engagement unit.
It said the Victorian government should broaden the definition of corrupt conduct to include matters involving a serious disciplinary offence, misconduct worthy of termination, or other relevant offences or “instances considered in breach of public trust in the public officer by reason of their appointment as a public officer”.
For more on this story, read the report by Guardian Australia’s Nino Bucci:
A cool change has moved through New South Wales overnight and though it hasn’t yet reached the north-east parts of the state it is expected to later on Sunday.
Dean Narramore from the Bureau of Meteorology is speaking to ABC to give an update on the latest weather after bushfires have scorched the New South Wales coast and communities in eastern Tasmania.
High wind will be the concern on Sunday, Narramore said with hot and windy conditions stretching through Saturday. These winds are sweeping up from the south, and are likely to push current fires north before dying down in the late afternoon.
If you’re on the northern side of any ongoing fires through parts of the state today, you’re going to be in, harm’s way possibly during the afternoon and evening hours as these strong and gusty southerly winds push those fires to the north.
Strong winds are pushing smoke haze from the firegrounds further north than yesterday, leaving clear air in their wake.
In Tasmania, another cold front is expected overnight and into Monday, which it is hoped will bring more rain but also potentially stronger winds.
We’re going to see those winds in Tasmania really pick up later today and tonight and then tomorrow. Pretty strong winds through eastern parts of Tasmania. So any ongoing fires there are definitely a concern with the next front moving in there Victoria.
Northern parts of New South Wales, particularly the Northern Rivers and Tablelands regions can expect some “pretty big thunderstorms” on Sunday.
This evening through north-east New South Wales and inland South East Queensland where large hail, damaging winds and heavy rainfall all possible.
Dolphin Sands fire in Tasmania contained but still not safe to enter
The Dolphin Sands fire has now been contained as rain overnight has helped ease conditions on the fire ground, the Tasmania Fire Service says.
About 30 firefighters from Tasmania Fire Service and Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Services are on the ground today, continuing to work on remaining pockets and conducting patrols.
Incident controller Mark Klop said that two excavators were being utilised to create a fire break at the eastern end of the fire today.
An updated forecast shows slightly elevated fire weather in the Dolphin Sands area today.
At this stage, it is not safe for residents or vehicles to enter the area. Significant debris remains on properties, including roofing materials and contaminants.
TasNetworks and tree debris have been removed, however ongoing tree assessment and assistance to TasNetworks is continuing.
We recognise that this is stressful and frustrating for residents, but the safety of the community and responding emergency services is our number one priority at this time.
Dolphin Sands Road east of 191 Dolphin Sands Road remains closed. Conditions are being reassessed today to determine when the road can safely reopen.
Dolphin Sands Road from the Tasman Highway to 191 Dolphin Sands Road is open to residents only.
Residents are urged to show caution when returning to the area.
Australian children held in increasingly “militarised” displacement camps in north-east Syria have been told they will be shot if they try to breach the fence line, as Australia refuses to issue its citizens with passports so they can be repatriated.
The US has offered to bring the Australians out of the camps on the proviso they have been issued with travel documents or passports, a condition to which Australia has not agreed.
“[The] government doesn’t have a plan to get people out of the camps at this time,” the home affairs minister is recorded as telling advocates in a meeting earlier this year.
The US government wants the camps closed, and has repeatedly urged all countries to repatriate their citizens, arguing leaving women and children in the Syrian camps makes them vulnerable to radicalisation and raises the risk of Islamic State regenerating.
There are fewer than 40 Australians – the majority young children – held in two detention camps in north-east Syria. They are the wives, widows and children of dead or jailed Islamic State fighters.
For more read the full report on The Guardian:
In some cases fire ‘jumped kilometres’, RFS chief says
A fire at Woy Woy Bay jumped a body of water a kilometre long to begin a blaze in the bay area on Saturday, Shepherd said, with firefighters observing similar activity “right across our fire grounds”.
In some cases not just jumping a kilometre but a number of kilometres ahead of the main fires.
So that’s where it becomes really problematic for firefighters trying to control those fires, trying to use aircraft to slow their spread and trying to do what they can do to protect communities and homes.
With firefighting crews still facing challenging conditions, Shepherd said there was no update on the damage assessment process yet.
He added that there has been a spike in fires over the last 24 hours, but many of the 1,500 firefighters involved in the response have been battling some of these fires “for weeks”.
Especially west of the divide where we’ve seen some quite devastating fires in cropland, where, in a number of areas, especially through the Riverina, we’ve seen fires burning through standing crops, resulting in millions of dollars worth of loss. So it has been a busy period.
It is expected that a change in weather conditions will bring relief on Wednesday, with the potential for showers in some areas.
‘Strong and erratic’ winds a challenge for NSW firefighters
New South Wales firefighters are continuing to battle fires on the Central Coast up towards Newcastle on Sunday as “strong and erratic” winds have made conditions a challenge, NSW RFS superintendent Ben Shepherd says.
Speaking to ABC on Sunday morning to give the latest update, Shepherd said firefighting crews are reporting they have the situation under control, but will “concentrate on the northern flank of that fire just while this change moves through, just to make sure there’s no further spread of the fire out towards, basically, Newcastle.”
That’s the one that has potential then to be driven under these strong winds, then cross across Oakdale Road. But again, crews are holding that fire behind those roads at the moment. But it’ll just be a test until we start to see those winds ease, probably later on today.
Shepherd said it was “literally minutes” before the Koolewong fire was driven by strong winds through homes.
It basically gave people little to no warning before we started seeing homes lost. So look, people I think sometimes underestimate how quickly these fires can develop, how quickly they can be on top of people. And I think that yesterday clearly demonstrated that unfortunately because of that, we did see a number of homes obviously being lost.
There are 60 people making use of the Gosford evacuation centre, with 25 adults and two children currently in emergency accomodation, the ABC reports after a briefing by local authorities.
The situation is ongoing, with no clear information on how many homes have been affected, or how many people have been forced out, as many residents have evacuated and are staying with friends and family.
Ben Shepherd from the NSW RFS is expected to speak to the ABC shortly to provide an update on the situation.
Watch and act notice issued for fire at Dolphin Sands in Tasmania
Residents of Dolphin Sands in Tasmania have been told it is still not safe to return after the Tasmania Fire Service issued a watch and act notice overnight.
The fire at Dolphin Sands had been contained as of Saturday night, but firefighting efforts were still under way to suppress the fire.
Residents were advised that it was not safe to enter the area with emergency crews continuing to work on the roadway. Fire investigation and hazard-identification activities are under way, and access remains dangerous.
Those who did not evacuate the area are advised to continue to monitor conditions and remain alert for changes with conditions expected to be fluid going into Sunday.
Four natural disaster declarations made in NSW bushfire-affected areas
State and federal governments are working closely with firefighting services working to contain the bushfires burning along the New South Wales coast, minister for recovery Janelle Saffin says.
Saffin said four natural disaster declarations have been made to ensure assistance for those affected in communities in six local government areas including Central Coast, Mid Coast, Upper Hunter, Muswellbrook, Warrumbungle, and Dubbo.
We moved quickly, both governments, to make sure there was that basic assistances, straight up.
This support will enable immediate financial assistance and accomodation for those who have had to evacuate their homes.
The minister, who was herself rescued from floodwaters in the catastrophic flooding that swept the Northern Rivers in 2022, also expressed sympathy with those who have been affected by the bushfires.
To the people who are today in shock and distress, I [send my] sympathy to them, and just give assurance that we will do everything we can to support them.
Saffin said that the extent of damage is not yet known as the RFS has yet to complete a damage assessment and key infrastructure such as power is in the process of being restored.
Saffin says New South Wales recovery authorities are on the ground now “working hand in glove” with first responders to be ready for a formal handover.
Albanese: ‘You’ve got to show the Australian people their faith in democracy is deserved’
Closing out the conversation, the prime minister returns to a familiar theme of his administration: concern about a lack of faith in the democratic process.
I am quite pleased, if you like, that the government has put in place a system through our cabinet committee process where we’ve gone through literally and ticked off the big commitments that we made to the Australian people. You’ve got to show the Australian people their faith in democracy is deserved.
If we got elected and thrown it all out, that would’ve been undermined. There’s more to do. There will be inevitably issues arise that we can’t foresee now. I look forward to speaking to you at the beginning of next year. I’m sure some of those would have arisen over the summer break.
And that’s a wrap.
Albanese says this year’s achievements not ‘limit of our ambition’
With the end of year closing in, the PM on a political high, Albanese is asked for his read of the political landscape given the government’s commanding political majority.
I went to the National Press Club straight after the election and made it clear for those people who thought oh well, they’ve got this majority, now they should ignore what they went to the election with. That wasn’t what we would do. This would be a year of delivery.
So we’ve gone through one by one and ticked that off. Paid parental leave extended, superannuation on paid parental leave, the increased wages in the minimum wage, the energy support through the batteries program that has made a difference. 20% off student debt.
One by one, ticking off the commitments we made at the election campaign. And then delivering it.
The PM says that these achievements do not represent the “limit of our ambition” and flags that his government will continue to address other issues including tax reform, saying “we’ll give consideration to the full suite of policy measures”, with the economy “front and centre” in the lead-up to the next budget.
So this year is, if you like, should be seen as a step on the journey, not the destination.
Albanese says announcement on gas to be made ‘before end of the year’
In another cost of living question, the prime minister is asked about whether the government will extend the household energy rebate, which is worth $150 every six months, and says that the government has been clear “this wouldn’t be in place forever”.
In response to a question about what the government is doing to “get more gas into the system” to reduce prices for retail customers, and specifically whether the government will introduce a gas reservation policy, Albanese says:
We want to make sure, importantly, you’ve got to address what the objective is. The objective is cheaper gas. And so we’re examining that. We won’t be making a decision tomorrow, contrary to what has been reported. What we’re doing is working those issues through and we’ll make an announcement before the end of the year.
The PM says he won’t say whether all gas exporters may be covered but that the government will “do a proper analysis and discussion through a cabinet government that I lead” before reiterating that the government will “make an announcement before the end of the year”.
Albanese is asked about cuts in aged care support
Albanese is now being asked about changes to the aged care system and how a cutback in support means elderly people are having to pay between $80 and $120 for help to have a shower, with the number of showers now cut back each week.
The PM says his government “inherited an aged care system that has been summarised by the royal commission’s interim findings by its title: neglect. What we have done is repair the system.
The PM then begins by listing his reforms – which he says are the “biggest reforms that have been put in place this century” – that include pay increases for aged care workers, more nurses and more time for aged care.
Asked specifically about the issue of people being charged for showers, Albanese says “we took advice from the experts on what clinical care was.”
Asked whether this should be reviewed, the PM says:
What we do constantly is we always monitor a new system, that’s what we do.
Pressed on whether that means the decision is open to change, the PM says:
We review the system at all times to make sure it’s delivering the care that is required.
Which is not a no, but also not a yes.
