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#40 - Part 1

Middle East Conflict - The Australian Perspective - Part 1

>>22645579 Sheik Ibrahim Dadoun says Mossad ‘manufactured’ Australia’s anti-Semitism crisis - A prominent Sydney sheik has claimed there was a real possibility Australia’s violent wave of anti-Semitism had been “manufactured” by Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad. The claim by Sheik Ibrahim Dadoun - until recently a director at the country’s peak Muslim body – comes after ASIO director-general Mike Burgess warned about hostile foreign states operating in Australia and said he had “grave concerns” that anti-Semitism was a hatred that defied logic and was likely to get worse. “When will the ASIO boss tell Australians if the Mossad had anything to do with the wave of manufactured anti-Semitic attacks conducted by known criminals,” the sheik told his supporters on the weekend. “If it (the attacks) were Iran, it would have been plastered all over the news. If it was China we would have known about it.” The sheik also claimed Mr Burgess believed the “hostile states” could be allies or friends to Australia who wanted to intervene in domestic politics and “affect social cohesion”. “Given that Israel is seen as a ‘friend’ to Australia, it is highly likely, in fact plausible, and a real possibility that Mossad manufactured (the) wave of anti-Semitic attacks,” Sheik Dadoun said.

>>22645634 Video: ASIO warns bikies, organised crime linked to antisemitism, hostile nations - Australia’s spy agency is targeting figures linked to organised crime and outlaw bikie gangs as it combats antisemitic attacks and plots by hostile nations to harm national security. The revelation by ASIO director-general Mike Burgess that the underworld is now in his sights marks a dramatic pivot for the domestic security agency. Historically, ASIO has focused on extremism and espionage, but it is now dealing with an increasing overlap between profit-driven criminal entities and those seeking to undermine Australian interests or community cohesion for political, strategic or other gain. Burgess said he had “grave concerns” that unnamed hostile states were using bikies or other crime groups in Australia to advance their strategic interests. In a warning to the criminal world that ASIO was now pursuing some of its members, Burgess told this masthead and 60 Minutes: “I would never have imagined that outlaw motorcycle gangs would be on our target list. “If you [gangland figures] are tasked by someone from overseas, and you’re a criminal and you’re doing that for a fee and it is a threat to security, then ASIO will be on your case. I reckon that’s going to be a problem for you.”

>>22651767 Video: NSW Minister Jodie Harrison apologises for Iran event in which Fatima Payman praised regime - NSW Minister for Women Jodie Harrison has apologised for taking part in an Iranian event featuring rogue senator Fatima Payman as a star guest, admitting her decision was “ill considered” after the WA senator used the platform to defend the hardline Islamist regime. Ms Harrison delivered a recorded speech to the event in Sydney on Saturday, which was organised by the Benevolent Iranian Women Association to mark International Women’s Day and included supporters of the Iranian government. In a news segment by Iranian state-owned network PressTV, Senator Payman described Iran as an “incredible” place for women and dismissed criticisms of the regime’s treatment of women as “propaganda”. “The incredible place that Iran is, allowing for women to participate in the workforce to ensure that they have a voice, that their voices are heard, that their (voices) involved in a democratic process - realities that we’re not privy to living here and listening to the propaganda that we receive from very single-sided organisations with specific agenda,” Senator Payman told PressTV. But late on Monday night, Ms Harrison sought to distance herself from the event, telling The Australian she did not share the views of the panellists and regretted her involvement. “I have heard the concerns raised and sincerely apologise for my participation in this event, for the message it sent which is incongruent with the view of myself and of the New South Wales government, and the distress I know it has caused for many,” Ms Harrison said. “I do not share the views expressed by the panellists at this event. The decision to provide a video message was ill-considered and I should not have provided a video message for the event.”

#40 - Part 2

Middle East Conflict - The Australian Perspective - Part 2

>>22651774 Fatima Payman tells Iran regime backers to lobby politicians over women’s rights ‘propaganda’ - Former Labor senator Fatima Payman has encouraged Australian-Iranians sympathetic to the Islamist regime in Tehran to “lobby” politicians about Western “propaganda” on women’s rights, declaring “there’s two sides to every coin”. On Monday, footage surfaced of Senator Payman speaking at a Sydney event hosted by the Benevolent Iranian Women Association, during which she appeared to dismiss global criticism of the Iranian regime’s treatment of women as “single-sided” fake news. In an interview with The Australian after attending the pro-Iran Women’s Day gathering, Senator Payman said she would keep an “open mind” when asked if she had changed her position on the regime. She said the event was “interesting” and suggested that it was her first time as a senator to hear from supporters of the Iranian regime. “I think it was really interesting, and I think I attended the event to just keep an open mind and listen to both sides because I’d heard of one side … I definitely hadn’t heard of the Benevolent Iranian Women’s Association side,” she said. “I think my key advice to them was, look, if this is your narrative and you want people to hear it, I encourage you to create a space for yourself to lobby and talk to your politicians and representatives.” Asked if she believed Australia was one of the Western nation’s allegedly spreading misinformation on Iran, Senator Payman said: “When I referred to propaganda (in the Press TV clip), I specifically mentioned it came from certain organisations with a single-sided view … and there’s two sides of every coin.”

>>22651785 Video: Muslim Vote convener warned by his education department employer over comments made on Sydney nurses - Muslim Vote convener and public servant Sheikh Wesam Charkawi has been ordered to work from home for allegedly breaching the NSW Education Departments' social media policy and code of ethics. In an Instagram post on February 16, Sheikh Wesam, commented on the two Sydney nurses threatening harm to Israeli patients in a video. He criticised Australian politicians, branding their response as "selective moral outrage". The Western Sydney Imam is a support officer at Granville Boys High School and a well-established youth leader in the Muslim community. He is also a prominent figure at the helm of the "teal-style" Muslim Vote movement, aiming to unseat Labor frontbenchers like Jason Clare and Tony Burke in the fast-approaching federal election. In an accompanying video in his Instagram post, Sheikh Wesam said the nurses' comments were "never meant to be literal or intended to be a threat to patient care", and that "in current times, in which genocide is unfolding live on our screens, emotions can sometimes get the better of anybody". He criticised the "hypocrisy" of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and NSW Health Minister Ryan Park for remaining "silent (or) hesitant when confronted with the most egregious acts of violence committed by Israel. We refuse to accept a political a media landscape when Muslims are only visible when they are being condemned but invisible when they are being killed."

>>22651808 Australian defence force officer stripped of security clearance over loyalty to Israel - An officer in the Australian army has been stripped of his security clearance because ASIO believes he is more loyal to Israel than Australia, and at risk of being exploited by the Mossad. The man told ASIO interviewers he did not view Israel as a foreign government and that he would share classified information with the Israel Defense Forces if they asked for it. ASIO said the officer, who is Jewish and served 19 years in the Australian military, withheld information from Australian officials about training courses he had undertaken in Israel - where he is not a citizen – which included self-defence, security and firearms training. In a decision published by the administrative review tribunal last week, ASIO said the officer, anonymised as HWMW in tribunal documents, was not of “appropriate character and trustworthiness to hold any security clearance”. “By virtue of HWMW’s demonstrated poor judgement, poor security practices, failure to comply with the obligations of a security clearance holder, his vulnerability to influence or coercion by the Israeli Intelligence Services, and HWMW’s demonstrated loyalty to Israel above the Australian government, ASIO assesses if HWMW were to continue to hold any level of security clearance, he would pose an unacceptable and avoidable risk to security.”

#40 - Part 3

Middle East Conflict - The Australian Perspective - Part 3

>>22657742 Sydney nurse charged over alleged antisemitic threats in online video - A Sydney nurse has been charged over an antisemitic video in which she and a male colleague allegedly threatened to kill Israeli patients and refuse them treatment. Earlier this month, Sarah Abu Lebdeh appeared alongside Ahmad Rashad Nadir in a video filmed on chat site Chatruletka and posted online by Israeli influencer Max Veifer, who described it as his “mission” to expose their antisemitic views. In the video, Abu Lebdeh had said “it’s Palestine’s country, not your country, you piece of shit” and claimed she “won’t treat” Israeli patients and would “kill them”. Ahmad Rashad Nadir, who falsely claimed he was a doctor, said he had “literally sent” Israel patients to “jahannam” (hell). Abu Lebdeh, 26, was arrested at Sutherland Police Station at about 7.30pm on Tuesday. She was charged with three offences, including threatening violence to a group, using a carriage service to threaten to kill, and using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend. NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb commended Strike Force Pearl detectives for their “exhaustive” investigation. Abu Lebdeh was granted conditional bail and is due to appear in the Downing Centre Local Court on March 19. Speaking in Hobart, Webb said Abu Lebdeh was banned from using social media and from going to a point of departure from Australia.

>>22657746 Video: NSW nurse charged over video threatening Israeli patients - A Sydney nurse is not allowed to leave the country or use social media after being charged over a video which showed her threatening harm to Israeli patients. Sarah Abu Lebdeh, 26, was arrested on Tuesday night at Sutherland Police Station. She was charged with three commonwealth offences of threaten violence to group, use carriage service to threaten to kill and use carriage service to menace/harass/offend. The video showed Ms Abu Lebdeh and fellow Bankstown Hospital worker Ahmad Rashad Nadir bragging about refusing to treat Israeli patients, killing them, and saying they would go to hell. The filmed conversation took place on cam chat app Chatruletka. The two had been stood down pending an investigation. NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb on Wednesday afternoon said Ms Abu Lebdeh had been charged with three "very, very serious" charges. "She is on very, very strict bail conditions, namely prohibiting her from going to a point of departure from Australia, but more importantly, banned from using social media," Commissioner Webb said. Mr Nadir, who is currently receiving ongoing medical treatment according to NSW Police, has not been charged, but is still under investigation. Ms Abu Lebdeh was granted conditional bail to appear at the Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday, March 19.

>>22657750 Dreyfus seeks help from Israel as Sydney nurse charged over antisemitic video - Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus has sought help from Israel in the investigation of two Sydney nurses who allegedly threatened to kill Israeli patients and refuse them treatment, taking steps this week to ensure crucial video evidence will be admissible in court. Dreyfus has approached the Israeli government to ensure the evidence will comply with Australian and Israeli law after one of the Bankstown Hospital nurses was charged with threatening violence. The legal step is aimed at overcoming any doubts about the use of a video of the two nurses captured on the live chat platform Chatruletka and shared by Israeli social media influencer Max Veifer. While NSW Police have obtained the video from Veifer, the federal move aims to make sure the video evidence is supplied by the state of Israel and does not encounter any questions in court about its provenance The request was sent to Israeli justice authorities this week and was confirmed on Wednesday by the attorney-general’s office. “The attorney-general has made a request to the State of Israel seeking evidence in support of an investigation by the NSW Police force under ‘Strike Force Pearl’ relating to alleged antisemitic threats,” a spokesman said. “The request is made in accordance with our established international crime cooperation arrangements. We cannot make any further comment.”

#40 - Part 4

Middle East Conflict - The Australian Perspective - Part 4

>>22657759 Video: Kids chant ‘Allahu Akbar’ in rally outside Sydney school after nurse charge - Dozens of schoolchildren joined in chants of “Allahu Akbar” (God is the greatest) outside a Sydney public school as tensions rose in the aftermath of police charging nurse Sarah Abu Lebdeh over an anti-Semitic video. Ms Abu Lebdeh and her colleague Ahmad Rashad Nadir, who has not been charged, allegedly threatened to kill Israeli patients and refuse to treat them. On Wednesday morning protesters at Granville Boys High School, in southwest Sydney, demanded the return to school of support officer Sheik Wesam Charkawi, who was ordered by the NSW Education Department to work from home after defending the two nurses in an Instagram post. Palestinian and Lebanese flags were waved during the protest as older men led the chants through loudhailers. Some students in uniform appeared to join the chants, while others gathered behind the school fence also joined in. The protest was organised by Teachers and School Staff for Palestine NSW, which celebrated the “spirited turnout of students, teachers, community for Sheik Wesam”. A spokesperson for the NSW Department of Education said employees had “been reminded of their duty to uphold the reputation of the department as apolitical and impartial.” “Any student who did not follow directions from staff will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action.” NSW Jewish Board of Deputies vice-president David Ossip said: “These are incredibly troubling scenes. It is outrageous, scandalous and sad that children at a taxpayer-funded school were exploited as props at a divisive political rally.”

>>22657762 Why antisemitism has become spy chief’s No. 1 worry - The surge in antisemitism has become Australia’s number one security concern for threats to life, the nation’s spy chief has claimed. Australian Security Intelligence Organisation director-general Mike Burgess told a Senate committee that while antisemitism had long festered, he worried anti-Jewish hatred had become normalised in the aftermath of the October 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel, given international protests over its military response. Synagogues have been set on fire and high-profile outbreaks of anti-Israel and anti-Jewish graffiti sprees have blighted neighbourhoods with significant Jewish populations. “We have seen a number of worrying things that were threatening and intimidating and when that goes left unchecked in society that may well create an environment where it gives violence more permission,” Burgess told estimates in response to questions from opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson. “There is also something that I am on the public record talking about. Again for me, it defies logic, that people can hold Jewish Australians to account for the actions of the Israeli state. It beggars belief that they hold state and territory and federal governments to account for the actions of another sovereign nation.” The explosion in antisemitic incidents has sparked a welter of criticism from the opposition, Jewish Australians and the Israeli government that the Albanese government moved too slowly to stamp it out.

>>22663947 Payman sorry for attending pro-Iran event as more details emerge - Independent Senator Fatima Payman has apologised for attending a pro-Iran “propaganda” event after copping heavy backlash, declaring her comments at the event did not reflect the “realities” of women who suffered violence at the hands of the hardline Islamist regime. In a statement, the former Labor Senator said she acknowledged that the Iranian community was not homogenous, adding that individuals had different lived experiences. Senator Payman had taken part in an interview with Press TV at the gathering, which is a state-backed media organisation that was sanctioned by the Australian government last year after broadcasting the forced confessions of Iranians detained and tried under politically motivated judicial procedures. On Thursday, she conceded to not having any knowledge of Press TV and their political affiliations. “At the event, I listened to Australian-Iranian women share their personal experiences, describing life in Iran in positive terms,” Senator Payman said. “However, I recognise that my comments (with Press TV) did not reflect the realities of women who have suffered violence, brutality, and severe human rights abuses. My intention was never to downplay or minimise their pain. If my words caused hurt, I sincerely apologise. I have consistently condemned injustices and human rights abuses, both in Parliament and at public events, including the deaths of Mahsa Amini and Zomi Frankcom.”

#40 - Part 5

Middle East Conflict - The Australian Perspective - Part 5

>>22677028 Sheikh Wesam Charkawi returns to Granville Boys High after student protest - School support officer and The Muslim Vote founder Wesam Charkawi, who was ordered to work from home after defending two nurses who allegedly threatened to kill Israeli patients and refuse to treat them, has been “cleared by the department to return” to work. It followed a protest at Granville Boys High School, where students and staff demanded the return of Sheik Charkawi, who was ordered by the NSW Education Department to work from home following his response to the now-viral video of the two nurses. The NSW Department of Education said in a statement that it had “counselled” Sheik Charkawi over his actions and “reminded of his obligations as a department employee”. In an Instagram video posted on February 16, Sheik Charkawi said the nurses’ comments were “never meant to be ­literal or intended to be a threat to patient care” and criticised the “hypocrisy” of Anthony Albanese and NSW Health Minister Ryan Park for remaining silent “when confronted with the most egregious acts of violence committed by Israel”. The NSW Education Department told The Australian Sheik Charkawi’s Instagram post supporting the nurses had been taken down, but on Thursday it reappeared on the Instagram page Unseat Jason Clare, an account run by Sheik Charkawi and targeting the minister in the traditionally safe Labor seat. The Instagram page Teacher for Palestine NSW, wrote: “Sheikh Wesam Charkawi has been reinstated!!!! Huge protest win!!! We can defeat repression. Palestine will be free from the river to the sea”. Some members of Teachers for Palestine attended the rally at Granville.

>>22706018 Second nurse charged over anti-Semitic video - Police have charged the second nurse over a viral anti-Semitic video allegedly broadcast from a hospital in Bankstown Hospital. Nurse Rashad Nadir, who was captured on the video, telling Israeli influencer Max Veifer he “had no idea” the number of Israelis who had attended Bankstown Hospital he had sent to “hell”, has been charged with a Commonwealth offence. The 27-year-old was arrested at Sutherland Police Station about 7.30pm on Tuesday and charged with using a carriage service to menace/harass/offend threaten to menace, harass or cause offence. He was also charged with possessing a prohibited drug. The other nurse in the video, Sarah Abu Lebdeh, was charged last week, after saying she would not treat Israeli patients but “kill them”, telling Mr Veifer he would “die the most disgusting death”. “One day, your time will come, and you will die the most horrible death,” she said. Ms Abu Lebdeh, 26, was charged with three offences: threaten violence to group, use carriage service to threaten to kill, and use carriage service to menace/harass/offend. Both nurses were immediately sacked and banned from practising as nurses after the video was circulated online. Ms Abu Lebdeh and Mr Nadir will both appear at Downing Centre Local Court later this month.

>>22706025 WA teen arrested after ‘heinous’ threat to carry out ‘Christchurch 2.0’ attack on new Sydney mosque - A teenager from Western Australia has been arrested after a “heinous” threat was allegedly made to a newly opened southwest Sydney mosque, where he allegedly vowed to “christ church 2.0 this joint” just as Australian Muslims prepared for the holy month of Ramadan. The threat, posted by an Instagram account onto The Australian Islamic House’s page on Monday, vowed to carry out an atrocity akin to the 2019 Christchurch massacre, where Australian-born man Brenton Tarrant opened fire on worshippers at the Al-Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre, killing 51 people. That account allegedly wrote on the organisation’s Instagram page: “I’m about to christ church 2.0 this joint”. On Tuesday evening NSW Police said the 16-year-old had been arrested in WA following the alleged threat just before 5pm local time and that the teenager was assisting police. “Following a referral from the New South Wales Police Force to the Western Australia Police Force, just before 5.00pm (Western Australia local time), a 16-year-old boy was arrested at Eaton, in south-west Western Australia,” a spokesperson for NSW Police said. “There are no ongoing threats to the community,” the spokesperson said. The teenager is in custody and no charges have been laid.

#40 - Part 6

Middle East Conflict - The Australian Perspective - Part 6

>>22722935 Video: Accused Woollahra anti-Semite arson and graffiti attacker Thomas Stojanovski out on bail - A man alleged to have committed an arson and vandalism attack in which anti-Semitic slurs were graffitied on vehicles and restaurants in a prominent Jewish neighbourhood in Sydney had less to say when released on bail on Thursday. Thomas Stojanovski, 20, appeared to smirk when asked questions about his alleged involvement in the “racially motivated” attack where a large number of cars at Woollahra, in Sydney’s east, were spray-painted with the words “f*k Israel” and “PKK is coming”, causing an estimated $100,000 worth of damage. It is the first time an individual before the court, alleged to be behind one of several anti-Semitic attacks that have hit Sydney’s eastern suburbs and have struck fear into the hearts of Jewish Australians across the country, has been questioned about their alleged actions. After spending more than three months in custody on remand, Mr Stojanovski was granted bail on Wednesday by Supreme Court Justice Julia Lonergan, with conditions including that he abide by house arrest, but he was released on Thursday. Escorted by his father from the maximum security section of Parklea correctional centre in Sydney’s northwest, Mr Stojanovski said he would not comment on what has been described as a “racially motivated hate crime”.

>>22723069 Burgertory owner Hash Tayeh charged for pro-Palestine rally chants - Burgertory restaurant chain owner Hash Tayeh has been charged with using insulting words in public for a chant at a pro-Palestine rally in the CBD last year. Tayeh, who has become a prominent leader of the protest movement after the Hamas attacks in Israel on October 7, 2023, and Israel’s 15-month war on Gaza, repeatedly said “all Zionists are terrorists”. On Friday, police charged Tayeh with four counts of “using insulting words in public” for uttering the statement four times during a May rally. The punishment is up to two months in prison for a first offence and six months for three or more offences. It is believed to be the first time that potential political speech has been deemed a criminal offence that breached the “insulting” law. The charges are normally levied for using abusive or obscene language against police officers. Tayeh told The Age he would “fight these charges with everything I have”. “I have never supported the harming or killing of men, women, and children - no matter their faith or background,” he said. “Standing against the loss of innocent lives is not just a political stance; it is a moral obligation. No innocent person deserves to die, and I will fight these charges with everything I have. I will take this battle as far as necessary because speaking out against injustice is not just a right - it is a duty. Criticising a regime that commits acts of terror is not a crime. It is a fundamental right, a cornerstone of democracy, and political censorship has no place in Australia.”

>>22734115 Video: Police say Sydney caravan discovery 'part of a fabricated terrorism plot' - Federal police have revealed the caravan filled with explosives found on the side of the road in north-western Sydney was a "fake terrorism plot" that aimed to cause fear in the Jewish community, but there was no risk of a mass casualty event. Police launched several raids this morning in relation to recent antisemitic attacks and arrested 14 people who were charged with 49 offences. While giving an update on the arrests, Australian Federal Police revealed that the caravan that was found full of explosives in Dural in January was an attempt driven by organised criminals to threaten the Jewish community rather than stage a terror attack. "Almost immediately (after the caravan was found), experienced investigators within the joint counter-terrorism team believed that the caravan was part of a fabricated terrorist plot, essentially a criminal con job," AFP Deputy Commissioner Krissy Barrett said. "This was because of the information they already had, how easily the caravan was found and how visible the explosives were in the caravan. Also, there was no detonator. Today, I can reveal the caravan was never going to cause a mass casualty event but instead was concocted by criminals who wanted to cause fear for personal benefit." Barrett said while the plot was not aimed at causing casualties, it was still a sinister crime. "Regardless of the motivation of those responsible for this fake plot, this has had a chilling effect on the Jewish community," she said.

#40 - Part 7

Middle East Conflict - The Australian Perspective - Part 7

>>22740317 Video: Fake terror, real fear, and hunt for puppetmaster behind anti-Semitic attacks - All 14 of the alleged offenders arrested over a streak of anti-Semitic crimes have now been charged after it was revealed an organised crime kingpin directed a cabal of Australia-based criminals to orchestrate a raft of attacks now labelled a “fabricated terror plot”. On Monday, the 14 alleged offenders were arrested after eleven simultaneous police raids, with five people charged from the outset. By Tuesday morning, all had been charged with a total of 65 alleged offences, though the supposed kingpin behind the scheme is believed to have evaded arrest so far. The alleged mastermind “pulled the strings” on a spate of Sydney’s anti-Semitic attacks from “afar”, understood to be while based on foreign soil, and had sought to leverage information about an abandoned explosives-laden caravan with police to secure leniency in a separate criminal case. The charges came after dawn raids by NSW Police and Australian Federal Police, who arrested 14 people in relation to a string of the anti-Semitic vandalism and firebombing attacks - bringing the total number of people arrested under state police’s hate-crimes unit to 29 with a total of 143 charges laid. NSW Premier Chris Minns had first labelled the caravan as a potential “mass-casualty event” and “terrorism”. Police have now called it a “criminal con job” and “fabricated terror plot” in a foiled attempt for criminals to use as a bartering tool to reduce their sentences or drop charges. It follows a summer of rising anti-Semitism in NSW, but with police now alleging that the most severe cases had their roots in the sophisticated criminal plot.

>>22740362 Video: Former Nomad chief Sayed Moosawi allegedly Bondi firebombing ringleader ‘James Bond’ - A former high-ranking bikie boss was the alleged mysterious “James Bond” who directed criminals for hire to firebomb a Bondi brewery they appeared to mistake for a Jewish kosher deli. After they realised they hit the wrong target, police allege, former Nomad leader Sayed Moosawi - known to his alleged guns-for-hire as “James Bond” – allegedly took matters into his own hands and destroyed the deli himself. Moosawi denies the allegations and intends to fight the charges. It comes as NSW Police and the Australian Federal Police arrested and charged 14 people on Monday linked to Sydney’s recent anti-Semitic attacks, allegedly at the behest of an unknown mastermind - who is not Moosawi – and remains at large. After Monday’s dawn raids and revelations, NSW Police confirmed that all 14 people arrested during that operation had been charged, totalling 65 alleged offences across different anti-Semitic attacks since December. One of those is former Nomads Parramatta chapter president Moosawi, 32, who police allege directed the October brewery firebombing and carried out the deli attack, both in Bondi.

>>22751358 Hate speech laws won’t be repealed, says Minns - NSW Premier Chris Minns has ruled out any repeal of hate speech laws passed last month, following revelations that a raft of recent anti-Semitic attacks were orchestrated by an unnamed person with organised crime connections. On Wednesday the NSW Greens claimed the attacks were “not motivated by anti-Semitism” and that the Minns government had “massively overreacted and jumped the gun with their knee jerk overreaching criminal laws”. “I expect that the parliament will shortly be considering whether these unnecessary and reactive laws should be repealed, and so we should,” Greens MLC Sue Higginson said. The NSW Council for Civil Liberties has also demanded an inquiry into whether Mr Minns “misled the parliament and public in order to pass the Places of Worship Bill and the Inciting Racial Hatred Bill”. “The Minns Labor government has played right into the hands of those who concocted the caravan plot in using it to drive a repressive and fear-based legislative agenda that has further divided the community”, NSWCCL president Timothy Roberts said. However. the Premier on Thursday reiterated that the legislation would not be repealed. “Our laws criminalised intentionally and publicly inciting hatred towards another person, or group, based on race,” Mr Minns said. “They send a clear message: the people of NSW to stand together against inciting racial hatred in our great multicultural state. NSW has seen hundreds of anti-Semitic attacks and incidents. This racial hatred has caused our Jewish community to live in fear in their own state. While the caravan was part of a criminal conspiracy - and not the plot of a terrorist organisation – it was still appalling racial hatred.”

#40 - Part 8

Middle East Conflict - The Australian Perspective - Part 8

>>22761798 Meet Mr Big: The mastermind police claim is behind fake ‘terror caravan’ - A Sydney businessman who fled Australia by boat while on bail over an alleged 600kg drug importation can be ­revealed as the man police believe is behind the contrived “terror caravan” plot. Sayet Erhan Akca, 35, a former gym and childcare centre owner, was allegedly hoping to leverage a lenient court outcome by providing information about the fabricated plan to police. The married father-of-one has been overseas - darting between Asia and Turkey – since police say he hid in a boat to flee the country in mid 2023. Police sources told The Daily Telegraph that Akca, who left behind wife Georgia and a toddler son in Sydney’s south, was possibly using the hoax caravan plot and related anti-Semitic attacks as a bargaining tool to get back home to his wife - who is not accused of any wrongdoing – and son. It is not unusual for crooks to offer up information about planned crimes or the location of drugs and weapons as leverage for a reduced prison term or to have charges dropped, a police source said. Akca first came to the attention of authorities in 2021 when he was arrested in the Australian Federal Police’s Operation Ironside sting and charged with attempting to import a commercial quantity of drugs using the messaging app AN0M. If found guilty, Akca could be facing life in jail. But he fled while on bail and a warrant for his arrest was ­issued in September 2023. Police now allege Akca is the mastermind behind the explosives-laden caravan planted on a roadside at Dural, and a string of anti-Semitic attacks in Sydney since October.

>>22761810 Sayet Erhan Akca, mastermind allegedly behind caravan ‘terror’ plot, posted vile anti-Semitic slurs - The fugitive alleged to be behind the “terror caravan plot” posted vile anti-Semitic slurs for years before fleeing Australia, after being charged with alleged drug importation offences. Police believe Sayet Erhan Akca, a former gym and child care centre owner, was hoping to leverage a lenient court sentence by providing fabricated information to police about the discovery of an explosives laden caravan and a series of anti-Semitic arson and graffiti attacks in Sydney. In recent statements, police had downplayed claims that the kingpin - who they still have not publicly identified - was motivated by anti-Semitism. However The Australian can reveal that Akca posted a series of anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli slurs over a period of many years as he was building his gym business. In one post Akca claims that “Hitler was only washing earth, they made him out to be evil”. In 2018 he posted: “How did 6 million die when only 3.2 registered Jews in Europe at the time?” In response to a report that vandals targeted the Jewish community spraying swastikas on cars, he responded: “Zeig heil.” The former gym and childcare centre owner has been living in Asia and Turkey since leaving Australia in mid-2023 while on bail over charges of attempting to import a commercial quantity of drugs using the AN0M messaging app.

>>22761846 Jewish leader slams cops and politicians for dismissing anti-Semitic motive in ‘terror hoax’ - Australia’s peak Jewish body has slammed police and politicians as “reckless and irresponsible” for dismissing anti-Semitism as a ­motivating factor behind a series of violent attacks, following revelations the alleged mastermind has a long history of extreme anti-Semitic views. In an unprecedented rebuke, Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin said recent statements claiming the attacks were “unconnected to anti-Semitic ideology” had led to increased harassment and vilification of Jews. “It has exposed dangerous failings by authorities, political leaders and public figures who chose to characterise the firebombings that hit Jewish targets as a hoax or con-job unconnected to anti-­Semitic ideology and to do so ­before the investigation had been concluded,” he said. Mr Ryvchin accepted that in some instances, authorities may have been trying to calm the community by downplaying or dismissing anti-Semitism as a motivating factor, “but the effect was the exact opposite”, he said. “It set off a deluge of anti-­Semitic conspiracy theories about ‘inside jobs’, and increased harassment and vilification of Jews. This has all diverted the discussion from how to keep Australians safe and reclaim our status as a peaceful country for all. We count on others to keep us safe, provide us with vital information and make statements that ease the crisis and not contribute to it. They need to do better.”

#40 - Part 9

Middle East Conflict - The Australian Perspective - Part 9

>>22786689 Bankstown Hospital nurses face court over ‘kill Israelis’ rant, one pleading not guilty - Dramatic scenes have unfolded outside a Sydney court as two former nurses charged over an anti-Semitic video appeared, with the lawyer of one of the accused saying his client will plead not guilty and will be arguing to have the video at the heart of the case excluded from proceedings. Sarah Abu Lebdeh and her colleague Ahmad Rashad Nadir, former Bankstown Hospital nurses, faced court for the first time since they went global for their alleged anti-Semitic diatribe filmed ­during a night shift in the break room of their ward. They appeared at Downing Centre Local Court briefly on Wednesday morning over the rant that saw both immediately stood down from their positions after the footage was released by Israeli social media influencer Max Veifer. As Ms Abu Lebdeh arrived, a group of hooded and bearded men dressed in black shielded her from the media scrum on all sides as she walked into the courthouse. Ms Abu Lebdeh is facing three commonwealth charges after claiming she would “kill” Israeli patients. The 26-year-old was charged earlier this month with threatening violence to a group, using a carriage service to threaten to kill and using a carriage service to menace/harass/offend. Mr Nadir, 27, has been charged with the commonwealth offence of use carriage service to menace/harass/offend and a state charge of possess prohibited drug, after his locker was allegedly found with a vial of morphine. Mr Nadir’s lawyer Mohamad Sakr told reporters outside court his client would be pleading not guilty and he intends “to argue for the video to be excluded from court”, citing “legal and technical grounds”. Mr Sakr alleges the video was captured “without the consent and knowledge” of his client.

>>22786699 Video: NSW nurses who allegedly threatened Israeli patients appear in court - Two nurses charged over a video which allegedly included threats to Israeli patients have appeared in a Sydney court. Ahmad Rashad Nadir, 27 and Sarah Abu Lebdeh, 26, were charged late last month and early this month over the video, which was a recorded online conversation from cam chat app Chatruletka. In the video, the pair speak to Israeli content creator Max Veifer, who had initially shared an edited version of the conversation. The nurses, from Bankstown Hospital, allegedly bragged about refusing to treat Israeli patients, killing them and saying they would go to hell. Ms Abu Lebdeh was charged with three Commonwealth offences - threatening violence to a group, using a carriage service to threaten to kill, and using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend. Mr Nadir was charged with using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend and possessing a prohibited drug. According to court documents, Ms Abu Lebdeh's alleged offence of threatening violence to a group relates to "Israeli people, and a reasonable member of that group would fear that the threat will be carried out". Mr Nadir's drug charge relates to his alleged possession of morphine. In a packed courtroom at the Downing Centre, where there was standing room only, both cases were adjourned to May 13. Outside court, defence lawyer Zemarai Khatiz, who is representing Mr Nadir, told the media the video was recorded without his client's consent or knowledge. "We'll argue for that to be excluded," he said. "He will be defending the matter on legal and technical grounds." Ms Abu Lebdeh left court surrounded by a group of men who wore black hoodies. One of the men repeatedly said "no comment" as Ms Abu Lebdeh was asked how she will plead. The men jostled with photographers and camera operators as she got into a waiting car.

>>22786702 Video: Nurse wants alleged Israeli threat video tossed out - Key evidence allegedly showing two former nurses discussing killing Israeli patients will face a legal challenge, threatening their prosecution. Sarah Abu Lebdeh and Ahmad Rashad Nadir faced court for the first time on Wednesday after sparking national outrage when recorded saying they would refuse to treat Israelis and kill them instead. In unusual scenes, Abu Lebdeh arrived at and left Downing Centre Local Court in a scrum of nine black-clad men, who helped keep a gaggle of cameras and reporters at bay. Nadir arrived in more casual circumstances, dressed in all black and flanked by his lawyer Zemarai Khatiz. After the case was briefly mentioned in court, the solicitor told reporters he planned to apply to have the video underpinning the case tossed out. "The video … was recorded without his (Nadir's) knowledge," Khatiz said outside court. "We will apply to have it excluded." If the application is successful, it could leave prosecutors with little other evidence to rely on in their cases against the nurses.

#40 - Part 10

Middle East Conflict - The Australian Perspective - Part 10

>>22845480 Video: ‘Interrupt, disrupt, expose’: Plan to drive MPs from Sydney’s mosques - A video mocking Immigration Minister Tony Burke for “scurrying like a rat” out of a community meeting appears to be the first salvo from a Palestine activist group that is promising to drive government and opposition MPs out of western Sydney. Anger over Israel’s war in Gaza has left MPs in the city’s west wary of a febrile atmosphere turning confrontational, as police ramp up election security to counter record threats against politicians. Labor’s education minister and campaign spokesman Jason Clare on Sunday said a video “basically threatened Tony Burke”, who is also Labor’s home affairs minister. “That’s not how democracy is done in Australia,” Clare said. Burke had been expected to speak at an Islamic prayer event at Parry Park in Lakemba, in his electorate of Watson, on March 21. However, the federal police agents escorting Burke were told that a text message had circulated instructing pro-Palestine activists to confront him at the event, and the minister chose to leave. One activist posted a video, filmed outside the prayer meeting and uploaded by activist account Stand4Palestine, saying Burke had left “scurrying like a rat” without addressing the crowd. “So Tony Burke, I want you to know that you are not welcome within our community, and to every single politician who is silent or complicit in the genocide in Gaza, don’t you dare show your faces in front of us,” the activist said. There is no police investigation into the video and no suggestion it contained a criminal threat against Burke.

>>22850578 Video: Liberal frontbencher heckled out of Melbourne mosque - Liberal frontbencher Jason Wood was heckled out of a Melbourne mosque while pledging $6.5 million to upgrade its facilities on Monday, after worshippers became furious their Eid celebrations were being politicised during the federal election campaign. Wood, who is the Coalition’s shadow minister for multicultural affairs, was at the event with local Liberal candidate for the Melbourne seat of Bruce, Zahid Safi, when hundreds of people in the crowd of thousands gathered for prayer at Dandenong Showgrounds stood up in anger. Several videos circulating on social media show people heckling, yelling, standing up and leaving, while another shows a physical fight breaking out. One clip includes footage of Wood being escorted out amid the commotion. “You’re not welcome here, brother, get out of here,” the man filming yells out to Wood as he passes. The backlash came a day after Opposition Leader Peter Dutton spent his second day on the campaign trail visiting a mosque in the outer Sydney suburb of Leppington, where he pledged $25,000 for CCTV cameras as the Coalition courts voters in ethnically and religiously diverse communities. But Dutton has faced regular condemnation from Islamic leaders for his comments on immigration and his unwavering support for Israel during the war in Gaza, making his recent push into those communities a challenging task among Muslim voters, in particular.

#40 - Part 11

2025 Australian Federal Election - Part 1

>>22645621 Dutton leads, Labor on course for election defeat according to shock poll - Voters have lifted Opposition Leader Peter Dutton to a significant new lead in the race for power at the federal election, backing him as a strong leader while slashing their core support for Labor to a new low of 25 per cent. The shift has taken the Coalition to a lead of 55 per cent in two-party terms when Australians are asked how they would allocate their preferences on their ballot papers, driving Labor to just 45 per cent and putting it on course for defeat. In a warning sign for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, an exclusive survey also shows that 59 per cent of voters say the good news for the government last week - when the Reserve Bank cut interest rates – will not change their vote. The survey, conducted by research company Resolve Strategic, finds that 43 per cent of voters consider Albanese and Labor to be weak, while 22 per cent say the same for Dutton and the Coalition. Asked which side offered strong leadership, 37 per cent name Dutton and the Coalition while 24 per cent name Albanese and Labor, a turnaround from when the prime minister led on this question one year ago. The Opposition Leader also has a significant lead when voters are asked to name the party and leader who was best able to deal with United States President Donald Trump, with 34 per cent preferring Dutton and the Coalition compared to 18 per cent who favour Albanese and Labor. Dutton leads as preferred prime minister for the second consecutive month, ahead by 39 per cent to 35 per cent against Albanese, although 26 per cent of voters are undecided on this question.

>>22685634 Khaki election: Dutton vows to buy more F-35s if Coalition wins office - Australia would get an extra 28 F-35 joint strike fighters under a Coalition government, with Peter Dutton vowing to boost the RAAF’s stealth jet fleet to 100 aircraft if he becomes prime minister after this year’s election. In the first major defence commitment in what looms a khaki-tinged election race, the Opposition Leader pledged to reverse Labor’s decision not to proceed with a fourth squadron of F-35s. The Coalition would provide an initial $3bn in additional Defence Department funding for the jets, with the aim of securing the first of the jets within five years. “I will strengthen our Australian Defence Force with the funding and the capabilities they require to keep Australians safe and secure,” Mr Dutton said. “Australia has long assessed the F-35A as the most capable fighter jet to meet Australia’s defence air power needs. “This investment will bolster our air force and give it the ability to rapidly respond with flexible air combat options across large distances - enhancing access across the Indo-Pacific.” He said Labor’s response to recent live-fire drills by Chinese warships off Australia’s coast had “clearly demonstrated the Prime Minister’s inability to stand up for Australia’s national interests”. The pledge comes as the Trump administration piles pressure on the US’s allies to lift military spending - something both sides of Australian politics will have to grapple with in the coming election campaign.

#40 - Part 12

2025 Australian Federal Election - Part 2

>>22697730 Cyclone Alfred looks to be final barrier to Anthony Albanese calling April 12 election - Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has all but settled on triggering an April 12 election on Sunday or Monday, but now faces several days of uncertainty caused by potential devastation from Cyclone Alfred hitting south-east Queensland. Government sources said deliberations on whether to go sooner - rather than in May - hinged on whether the storm became too disruptive for the prime minister to justify taking the country to the polls within the next week. The potential weather turmoil comes as preparations for the campaign reach fever pitch. On Monday, Liberal Party director Andrew Hirst wrote to Labor secretary Paul Erickson asking for four debates between the prime minister and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton. The last-minute negotiations coincide with considerable scepticism inside Labor that the government will bring down a budget, currently scheduled for March 25. "I can't see us going to a budget", said one senior figure. They said the choice was now between an April 12 date or waiting for the storm and its impacts to become clear, which could set Mr Albanese up to unleash a longer official campaign that takes the country to an election in early May. Another source said the chance of an election starting this weekend stood at "about 50 per cent", with much consideration being given to the fallout from the cyclone. However, they said the government was "fully ready" to begin campaigning at any moment, with key staff already moved to Labor's campaign headquarters in the Sydney CBD.

>>22697743 Anthony Albanese to adopt ‘less is more’ strategy with Jacinta Allan during election campaign - Anthony Albanese is expected to distance himself from Jacinta Allan and her embattled state Labor government as the federal ALP attempts to avert a voter backlash in its traditional heartland state of Victoria. The Australian understands while Labor plans for the Prime Minister to bask in the glow of popular Labor premiers Peter Malinauskas in South Australia and Roger Cook in Western Australia, the party concedes it has no option but to adopt a minimalist strategy when it comes to the ­Victorian Premier. Federal Labor - which holds 24 of Victoria’s 39 lower house electorates – senses the ALP brand is on the nose in Victoria, forcing it to mount a defensive campaign to save as many seats as possible. Central to this strategy is keeping Albanese-Allan double acts during the campaign to a bare minimum but stopping short of putting the Premier in the freezer and risk fuelling an image of ­internal division. With multiple polls showing as many as eight Labor seats in Victoria - Aston, Casey, Chisholm and Corangamite among them – in danger of being lost, a less-is-more Allan strategy has strong support among federal Labor MPs. “I haven’t heard someone say we’re avoiding the Premier … but clearly we want people focusing more on the federal campaign and the federal competition more so than the state government,” one Labor MP said. “It’s obvious that our position in Victoria is not what it was at the height of Daniel Andrews’ powers.”

>>22697753 Albanese, Dutton name terms for campaign debate broadcasts - Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has agreed to debate Anthony Albanese on the ABC, overcoming his criticisms of the public broadcaster as the parties propose up to four verbal sparring matches during the election campaign. Labor has sought to get ahead of the traditional dispute over when and where debates are held, offering National Press Club debates between ministers and opposition shadows in foreign affairs, treasury, health, industrial relations, energy and home affairs. Media executives played down the prospect of minister-level debates, with one saying they “couldn’t sell a debate” involving lower-profile brawlers. With an election likely to be called imminently for an April 12 election, both leaders are keen to be seen as up for the fight. Labor Party national secretary Paul Erickson last week wrote to the press club, which helps co-ordinate debates, saying one debate should be held at the press club, a “respected, neutral platform”. Erickson also suggested an ABC debate and at least one other. Liberal federal director Andrew Hirst on Monday sent a letter to Erickson saying the opposition would be comfortable with four debates in line with those networks’ requests: a Sky News/Daily Telegraph people’s forum in Sydney hosted by Sky’s Kieran Gilbert; a debate hosted by Channel Nine, which has the same owner as this masthead, moderated by Karl Stefanovic or Allison Langdon; a Channel 7 debate in Perth hosted by Mark Riley; and an ABC debate, moderated by David Speers at the ABC’s western Sydney studios.

#40 - Part 13

2025 Australian Federal Election - Part 3

>>22723254 Video: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese won’t call election for April 12 as Cyclone Alfred approaches - Anthony Albanese has ruled out calling an election this weekend as Tropical Cyclone Alfred causes havoc in northern NSW and southeastern Queensland, with voters to go to the polls in May. Before the onset of Alfred, the Prime Minister had been expected to call the election this weekend for April 12, straight after Saturday’s Western Australian state election. In an interview on 7.30 on Friday night, host Sarah Ferguson asked Mr Albanese if he was “categorically” ruling out calling the election on Sunday or Monday. “That’s correct,” he said. “I have no intention of doing anything that distracts from what we need to do. This is not a time for looking at politics. My sole focus is not calling an election, my sole focus is on the needs of Australians, that is my sole focus.” Mr Albanese has been asked a number of times over the week whether he would delay calling the election due to the cyclone. He had batted away the questions saying he was focused on the government’s response to Alfred. The decision not to go ahead with an election on April 12 means the federal budget will now be handed down as scheduled on March 25. It is understood the PM on Friday finalised decided on the change of plans and to go ahead with the budget in just over two weeks.

>>22723272 Labor sets up energy bill relief in March budget for May election - A surprise revenue gain is giving Labor more options to help households in the federal budget to be delivered on March 25, creating room for a new round of energy bill relief before an election that will be held in May. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed the budget date and election plan after top cabinet ministers signed off on major policies, intensifying a contest on economic policy with Opposition Leader Peter Dutton. Albanese and senior colleagues decided on Friday to confirm the government’s stated plan to release the budget on March 25 and head to the election in the first weeks of May, after Cyclone Alfred ruled out the option of an earlier election. Federal cabinet’s expenditure review committee has completed most of its work on the budget policies, which have been subjected to full Treasury costings, so Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Finance Minister Katy Gallagher have authority to finalise the measures with Albanese. Chalmers has named the energy bill relief as a major reason for voters to reject the Coalition at the ballot box, given the Liberals and Nationals voted against it when parliament approved the package. The moves follow a flurry of Labor measures since the start of the year, including an $8.5 billion boost to bulk-billing through Medicare, the funding of 50 urgent-care clinics to ease pressure on hospitals, more than $7 billion for public schools and decisions to fund major roads. Dutton has cited the spending as a reason for voters to throw Labor out of office, saying the Coalition would cut government waste and improve the budget bottom line.

>>22723834 Don Farrell’s US trade mission shelved as Labor eyes election - Trade Minister Don Farrell has put on hold a planned US trip to seek an exemption from Donald Trump’s steel and aluminium tariffs as Labor prepares to shift into election mode, leaving Australia’s ambassador Kevin Rudd to plead the nation’s case. Dr Rudd was due to meet Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick early on Saturday morning AEDT, but Australia’s hopes for a carve-out were dealt a blow when President Trump declared his metals tariffs were on track to be implemented on Wednesday without modification. Mr Trump issued the warning as he delivered another reprieve for Canada and Mexico, exempting imports that comply with the United States-Mexico-Canada-agreement from his threatened 25 per cent tariffs until at least April 2. Mr Farrell had said he would travel to the US for talks with Mr Lutnick after his counterpart’s appointment was confirmed by the Senate, which happened more than a fortnight ago. But the planned trip was sidelined by Senate estimates hearings in the last week of February, and Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ recent visit to Washington, when he urged US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to spare Australian steel and aluminium exporters from the planned 25 per cent duties. It’s understood Mr Farrell will see what comes of Mr Lutnick’s meeting with Dr Rudd before deciding whether to make the trip. Opposition trade spokesman Kevin Hogan said he was disappointed neither Mr Farrell nor the Prime Minister had travelled to travelled to Washington to make Australia’s case.

#40 - Part 14

2025 Australian Federal Election - Part 4

>>22729760 Labor’s emphatic WA win sets up Anthony Albanese to hold onto key federal seats in May election - West Australian Labor has won a state election victory that could set the party up for another two terms and Anthony Albanese has been given hope in his difficult task to hold on to key seats at the May federal poll, after Premier Roger Cook won a historic third landslide. Mr Cook’s iron-clad grip over all corners of Perth saw him sitting on a two party preferred vote of more than 58 per cent on Saturday night and win at least 40 seats, in what was set to be one of the ALP’s biggest election wins in its history nationwide and only overshadowed by his predecessor Mark McGowan’s record-breaking landslide in 2021. As he counted Mr McGowan among his thanks in his victory speech, Mr Cook said his government would be focused on housing, health and dealing with the cost-of-living crisis. “West Australians have voted for a future that is made in WA,” Mr Cook told his supporters in Kwinana. The WA Liberals fell flat in many of the former stronghold seats that they were expected to regain, with the party set to fail to win seats such as South Perth, Scarborough, Riverton and Bateman, all of which had been touted as all but certain to be reclaimed. While Labor had been expected to win easily, the Liberals had been wanting to reclaim a series of heartland seats to rebuild its parliamentary presence, to give it a real shot at winning government in 2029 and build up resources for the federal campaign starting next month. But Labor’s primary vote statewide dropped 18 per cent on Saturday’s counting from the last state election, with a particularly strong swing against it in WA’s regions where anger over a botched attempt at revamping cultural heritage laws and the Albanese government’s live sheep export ban saw support for the ALP recede.

>>22729807 Teal independent Kate Hulett poised to win safe WA Labor seat - The teal independent behind the likely shock defeat of a WA Labor minister in one of the party’s heartland seats says her win should be a warning to federal ­Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek. Fashion store owner Kate ­Hulett was on track to claim the seat of Fremantle from Cook government Water Minister Simone McGurk, in what was perhaps the biggest upset of the WA election. The seat has almost always been held by Labor and Ms McGurk enjoyed a margin of more than 15 per cent going into the weekend’s election. But she had been the target of a concerted and well-funded campaign that was highly critical of the Cook government’s environmental record, and in particular its perceived support for the state’s major miners and oil and gas producers. The Cook government late last year formally approved Woodside Energy’s extension of the North West Shelf gas project out to 2070, triggering fury among environmentalists, and successfully lobbied Anthony Albanese to kill off Ms Plibersek’s proposed nature positive laws. Ms Hulett had received significant financial support from Simon Holmes a Court’s Climate 200 as well as the broader community, leaving her with a six-figure war chest. Speaking on Sunday, Ms Hulett said her apparent victory should be a reminder to Ms Plibersek that voters expected the government to work for them, and not for gas companies.

#40 - Part 15

2025 Australian Federal Election - Part 5

>>22729868 COMMENTARY: Anthony Albanese will be wishing he called an April poll after all following this dream result in WA - "The Liberal Party’s disastrous showing in the Western Australian election is a nightmare result for Peter Dutton and a dream outcome for Anthony Albanese. The Prime Minister may be regretting his decision to postpone his calling of the election after Premier Roger Cook and Labor delivered an emphatic result across metropolitan Perth, with the Liberals failing to claw back ground in former stronghold seats. We thought the Liberals would never deliver a worse result than we saw in Western Australia in 2021. We may have been wrong. The Liberals should emerge with more seats than the two they held in the 2021 bloodbath, but this is arguably a much worse result for the party. Unlike 2021, there’s no Mark McGowan. There’s no Covid. The 2021 vote was almost a war-time election, with West Australians behind their closed border smitten with the government that they believed were keeping them safe. Most worrying for the Coalition, the state seats corresponding with the marginal Labor-held Federal electorate of Tangney - Bateman, Bicton and Riverton - all set to remain in Labor hands. Western Australia has shaped as a key battleground dederally since Labor’s gains in the state in 2022 helped Anthony Albanese secure a majority government. The Coalition realistically needs to win at least three more Federal seats to claim government No-one privately expected the Liberals to win. But there was an expectation that the Liberals would gain enough seats to become a viable opposition and maybe be in a position to challenge the Labor behemoth in 2029. That now looks like wishful thinking." - Paul Garvey - theaustralian.com.au

>>22734109 Roger Cook vows to help Anthony Albanese after latest WA landslide - West Australian Premier Roger Cook will use his massive election victory, his booming personal popularity and the increasingly strong resources of WA Labor to help Anthony Albanese sandbag crucial federal seats in the state. As bruised Liberal strategists try to digest what their latest disastrous campaign would mean for the push to reclaim former Coalition seats at the federal election, Mr Cook declared he would swing behind the Prime Minister’s bid to return to power. Speaking on Sunday morning after leading his party to the second-biggest win in state history, and Labor’s third consecutive landslide in the west, Mr Cook said he expected Mr Albanese to make a pitch to voters similar to the one that helped his government secure an overwhelming majority. “I think Anthony Albanese has the similar vision for the country as we have for the state,” the re-elected Premier said. “That is to make sure that manufacturing and great jobs based upon a strong manufacturing sector is part of what we want to achieve for the state. It’s part of what he wants to achieve for the country.” The Liberals so far have secured only seven of 59 seats in WA’s lower house, falling well short of their internal target of returning to the 13 seats they had before Mark McGowan’s history-making 2021 triumph. The dismal result looks all but certain to cost Libby Mettam her leadership, although the party will have only a handful of MPs with no prior parliamentary experience from which to choose her replacement. Peter Dutton on Sunday acknowledged the “mixed” results in the state and tried to drive a wedge between Mr Cook and Mr Albanese, highlighting the Premier’s opposition to several Albanese government positions.

#40 - Part 16

2025 Australian Federal Election - Part 6

>>22740487 Backlash over Clive Palmer’s Trumpet of Patriots gender advertisements - Clive Palmer’s Trumpet of Patriots party has pledged to spend more than the record $100 million that his previous political party spent at the 2022 federal election, as transgender advocacy groups voice outrage over a series of political ads published in major newspapers. Transgender Victoria has called on Palmer’s party to retract the “dangerous and hateful ad” that ran in several newspapers on Tuesday, including The Australian, and to apologise, warning of the history of self-harm caused by transphobic comments. The Age, owned by Nine Entertainment, is running the ad on Wednesday. The print ad says in large font: “There are only two genders - male and female.” It then warns, “we must stop confusing children in schools” and give them a “normal, safe” environment to grow up in. “Trumpet of Patriots should retract this campaign and apologise - or acknowledge they will have our blood on their hands,” Transgender Victoria chief executive Son Vivienne told this masthead. The ads were designed to do nothing more than stoke division and provoke outrage “from a fringe political actor desperately looking for attention”, Equality Australia CEO Anna Brown told this masthead. “They do nothing to inform debate or promote any understanding of what are complex issues that affect the most vulnerable people in our community,” Brown said. Australia’s largest regional publisher also apologised for running the same ad on the front page of the Newcastle Herald on Tuesday. “We support freedom of speech and a diversity of views, but on this occasion we let our readers and our staff down,” said Tony Kendall, managing director of Australian Community Media, which publishes the Newcastle paper. The ACM boss said the advertisement did not meet the company’s values, and that it would be removed from the paper’s digital editions.

>>22751389 Clive Palmer shares policy priorities for Trumpet of Patriots - Clive Palmer has called for banks to cap interest rates at 3 per cent, and for Kevin Rudd to be sacked as Australia’s ambassador to the US, sharing his multi-pronged pitch to get Trumpet for Patriots candidates into parliament at this year’s election. The mining magnate claimed the party already had more than 20,000 members of Australia, with “thousands of people” joining everyday, since he announced his backing of the fringe group on February 19. Addressing the National Press Club in Canberra, Mr Palmer described spending millions on politics, like his $100m cash splash to install a single candidate in the Senate, as “his golf”, claiming that he finds it “more exciting” than lawn bowls. “At 70, I could join many Australians and play lawn bowls. I find this more exciting,” he said. Mr Palmer also shared his policy push to voters included a two-prong approach to boost home ownership, proposing an interest rate cap of 3 per cent, while also allowing buyers to use their superannuation to fund up to a 30 per cent deposit. He said this would also put more rental homes on the market. He also said Trumpet of Patriots would campaign for Australian superannuation funds to only invest in Australian businesses, a ban on trans athletes, and a 15 per cent licence fee on iron ore. Trumpet of Patriots will aim to run candidates across all 150 electorates and senate seats. However, no decisions have been made on preferencing, with Mr Palmer backing neither leader and calling both major parties “whingers”.

#40 - Part 17

2025 Australian Federal Election - Part 7

>>22751403 Donald Trump will play the wildcard in the federal campaign - "Donald Trump has injected himself into the Australian election landscape in a profound and destabilising way. There are the obvious direct effects, such as the steel and aluminium tariffs imposed just weeks before the beginning of a federal election campaign demonstrate. But there are also indirect consequences. The intangible. There may be two major parties contesting the election but there are now three boxers in the ring. Anthony Albanese has decided that rolling over and playing dead in the face of Trump’s harrying behaviour will not serve either his or the nation’s interests. There is a view that there may now be political advantage for the Prime Minister in taking Trump on. His language in response to Trump’s rejection of Australia’s request for an exemption was the strongest he has used. But it is limited to the rhetorical. There is no reciprocal action planned. And for the simple reason that because of the erratic nature of his method, there is still a chance he may change his mind. While this is unlikely, for Albanese it’s a case of just having to bat on. The Prime Minister has a fine line to walk. His response has to be accountable beyond the obvious partisan political necessity. He also must consider that even if he wins the election, Trump won’t stop being an issue. The risks for Dutton are no less. A Coalition source this week was quoted as saying Trump winning was good for Dutton, Trump governing is bad for Dutton. This has some substance. While Dutton is acutely aware of the dangers that he will be assessed by voters through a prism of Trumpism, there are aspects that remind people of Trump. Dutton’s political persona as the tough guy plays to this. While Dutton has been seeking to avoid a culture war approach, there are synergies with the Coalition’s campaign slogan - getting Australia back on track – and the Make America Great Again movement. At the very least both sides acknowledge that Trump is the wildcard in the Australian federal election context. Anything could happen and most probably will." - Simon Benson - theaustralian.com.au

>>22798373 Dutton takes swipe at Rudd, says Trump would be top priority - Peter Dutton says he will seek a meeting with Donald Trump in the early days of a Coalition government, blaming previous criticisms of the US president by Labor and its failure to anticipate Trump’s election victory for leaving Australia helpless in the trade wars. In a keynote foreign policy address to the Lowy Institute on Thursday, the opposition leader stressed his disapproval of the “unjustified” decision by Trump to hit Australia and other allies with tariffs, but argued he was better suited to deal with the president than Anthony Albanese. Dutton suggested the US would be the first country he would visit if elected. He said it spoke volumes that the government first found out from the media last week that the steel and aluminium tariff exemption would not be granted, and that Albanese had not been able to secure a phone call with Trump recently. “Australia is paying the price for Labor’s ill-disciplined and disparaging remarks against President Trump, and they didn’t believe that he was ever going to win the election, which undermined their standing right at the very start,” he said. He singled out the abusive and critical tweets that Australia’s US ambassador Kevin Rudd did not delete until after Trump had been elected in November. Dutton suggested Rudd was not up to the job. “The ambassador seems to be persona non grata. The prime minister can’t get a phone call or a visit to Washington, and that doesn’t bode well for whatever is coming next,” he said of an expected second wave of tariffs to hit as early as April 2.

#40 - Part 18

2025 Australian Federal Election - Part 8

>>22798431 Video: Protester tackled during Peter Dutton Lowy Institute speech - A protester has been tackled by security as he tried to interrupt a speech from Opposition Leader Peter Dutton. The heckler was the second person within minutes to stand up and interject during Mr Dutton’s speech on foreign policy at the Lowy Institute. The man was forced out of the room by a member of security, landing on other people seated in his row and continuing to shout as he was escorted out. Another protester had only minutes earlier shouted out: “Mr Dutton, why are you lying to the Australian people about the cost of nuclear?” as the Liberal leader started to present his speech. He was also removed from the event. The protesters held up a banner reading “nuclear lies cost us all”. Mr Dutton did not acknowledge either protest and continued with his speech but later joked with the audience “we live in a great democracy”. Environmental group Rising Tide has claimed credit for the protest and said it was designed to criticise the Coalition’s proposal to build a nuclear energy industry. “Rising Tide protesters Zack Schofield and Nigel Cox unfurled the banner, asking Mr Dutton ‘why are you lying to the Australian People’ before being escorted out of the building by Federal Police and security,” the group said on Thursday afternoon.

>>22798517 Mosques, flyers, Palestine flags: Inside Muslim Vote’s war to win Sydney’s southwest - The Muslim Vote’s army of volunteers have leafleted mosques, distributed tens of thousands of flyers and decked Lakemba in Palestine flags as the political campaign ramps up its efforts to topple two Labor ministers. Federal parliament, one volunteer said, needed more Muslim Vote-backed candidates to break its “Zio-controlled narrative” (Zio is an offensive term for Zionist) as campaigners prepared to accelerate its Gaza-centric campaign in Sydney’s southwest amid community anger with Labor. Insider information from the movement comes amid the resumption of Israeli airstrikes in Gaza and possibly only 10 days before Anthony Albanese fires a starting gun on May’s federal poll. Founded by Sheikh Wesam Charkawi, The Muslim Vote - separate from the Muslim Votes Matter campaign sharing a similar name – is mobilising volunteers and how-to-vote cards, with a particular focus to dump Labor ministers Tony Burke, in Watson, and Jason Clare, in Blaxland. Although not a registered party, the campaign played a key role establishing the independent campaigns of Ziad Basyouny and Ahmed Ouf in Watson and Blaxland respectively, whose operations it is helping to co-ordinate. The Australian can reveal that on top of each candidate’s own teams, The Muslim Vote’s 60-plus “core” volunteers have devised scripts for canvassers to better ­articulate their anti-ALP message and canvassed at prominent mosques across the two divisions, which has become a campaign focus. Volunteers have leafleted almost all the area’s mosques, with campaigners being divided between locations to better maximise resources. One of the campaign’s co-ordinators said across one night, volunteers had attended 16 mosques, distributing 10,000-plus flyers.

>>22798537 Muslim Votes Matter backs Greens candidate in Wills - Australian advocacy group Muslim Votes Matter has backed Greens candidate Samantha Ratnam in one of its target seats for the upcoming federal election, as it protests against the government’s response to the Israel-Gaza conflict. MVM announced on Sunday it had endorsed Ms Ratnam - a high-profile candidate who was formerly leader of the Victorian Greens – for the seat of Wills in Melbourne’s north. Wills is one of nine electorates MVM is targeting, and is held by Labor MP Peter Khalil, who beat the Greens by 15,632 votes at the 2022 election. Spokesman Ghaith Krayem said MVM had backed Ms Ratnam because of her “strong commitment to social justice, human rights and equity”, which he said aligned with the group’s key priorities. “She has taken a firm stance on Palestinian rights, committing to active condemnation of genocide and occupation, supporting economic sanctions and advocating for accountability under international law,” Mr Krayem said. “She’s championed religious freedom and supported systemic reforms to combat Islamophobia, backing a human rights-based approach to anti-racism policies. “She’s also advocated for a fair, humane asylum-seeker policy, and committed to ethical governance, including banning corporate political donations and increasing transparency in Australia’s military and trade policies.”

#40 - Part 19

2025 Australian Federal Election - Part 9

>>22812815 Video: Monique Ryan, husband apologise after he is filmed removing Liberal sign - Teal MP Monique Ryan and her husband Peter Jordan have apologised after he was filmed removing a sign backing local Liberal candidate Amelia Hamer, marking the highest profile incident in a tit-for-tat signage war in the battleground seat of Kooyong. Videos obtained by this masthead show two youths slashing a Liberal sign to “humiliate” a homeowner while Ryan posters have been defaced with markers as the increasingly intense contest defies the affluent east Melbourne seat’s genteel character and some incidents end up in court. Ryan, who campaigned on restoring integrity to politics, and her husband both apologised for his behaviour on Saturday. “I unreservedly apologise for removing the sign,” Jordan said in a statement after video of the encounter was revealed by The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald on Monday. “It was a mistake. I believed the sign was illegally placed but should have reported my concerns to council.” The footage of Jordan shows the MP’s husband walking briskly away with Hamer’s placard under his arm down a street in Camberwell as the person filming asks a series of questions. “I’m taking the sign down,” Jordan says in the video. When asked why, he says: “it’s on public land”. Jordan is asked repeatedly who he is by the man filming, who notes Jordan is wearing a teal shirt underneath his jumper. “I’m not saying who I am,” Jordan responds. At one point, the man attempts to take the sign away from Jordan on the basis that it remains his property. Jordan pulls it back, saying: “if it goes back up, it’ll be taken down again”. “It’s an illegally put up sign, anyone can take [it] down because it’s illegal.” Jordan, who is an executive at a medical device company, eventually surrenders the sign. Ryan echoed her husband’s apology for removing the sign. “It should not have happened,” she said. “All concerns around signage should be reported to council.”

>>22812831 Video: Monique Ryan’s husband Peter Jordan filmed removing Amelia Hamer poster in Kooyong electorate - The husband of Teal MP Monique Ryan has apologised after he was caught pulling down a Liberal competitor’s poster. A video shows Peter Jordan carrying a large Amelia Hamer poster down the street near Burke Rd, Hawthorn, in the Kooyong electorate over the weekend. When asked why he was taking the sign, he claims the poster is an “illegally put up sign” and “anyone can take it down”. “If it goes back up it will be taken down again,” he says in the video. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said people had pinched his posters in every election campaign he’d been involved in. “Should it happen? No, it shouldn’t. We should have respect,” Mr Albanese told 3AW. “We’re a great democracy and people have a right to stand and have a right to put forward their cases. “Frankly, the taking down of posters or the taking of leaflets out of letter boxes, any of that stuff is always quite counterproductive.” And on Monday morning, Mr Jordan changed his tune about his actions, saying it was a “mistake” to tear the sign down. “I unreservedly apologise for removing the sign - it was a mistake,” he said. “I believed the sign was illegally placed but I should have reported my concerns to council.” Dr Ryan also apologised for the removal of the sign saying “it should not have happened”.

#40 - Part 20

2025 Australian Federal Election - Part 10

>>22817632 Marles confirms just $1bn in Defence spending to be accelerated in federal budget - Labor will defy the Trump administration’s calls for a substantial boost to Australia’s military spending, sticking to its current funding trajectory in Tuesday’s federal budget while bringing forward $1bn for submarine and missile programs. The decision to leave the defence budget largely unchanged comes despite an estimated $4bn-a-year in lost purchasing power for Defence following years of high inflation, and the Coalition’s pledge to spend “much more” than Labor on new military capabilities. With a federal election set to be called within days, Richard Marles confirmed on Monday that the budget papers would show a $10.6bn increase in defence funding over the coming four years. The figure was already baked into the government’s long-term spending plan, and sees $5.3bn shift into the four-year forward estimates period from the government’s decade-long $50bn boost to defence spending. The Defence Minister said $1bn worth of funding would be “accelerated” to prepare for US and British submarine rotations out of Perth’s HMAS Stirling naval base, and speed up the establishment of a domestic guided weapons industry. He said the budget represented “the most significant increase in Defence spending in peacetime Australia since the end of the Second World War”. Yet the funding does not markedly alter the government’s current spending plans, which would see the Defence budget rise to about 2.33 per cent of GDP by 2033-24. One of the Trump administration’s picks for a key Pentagon policy role, Elbridge Colby, recently called for Australia to spend at least 3 per cent of GDP on defence, while warning that the US faced a ­“difficult problem” in meeting its AUKUS pledge to supply Aus­tralia with three Virginia-class submarines. Former Labor defence minister Kim Beazley has called on the Albanese government to meet the Trump administration’s demands, and Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox says “the days of languid defence procurement must end immediately”.

>>22828371 Albanese planning to call election for May 3 on Friday - Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is planning to call the federal election on Friday morning, naming May 3 as the date for Australians to cast their votes amid a policy fight over the Coalition’s decision to oppose the personal tax cuts in this week’s federal budget. The move draws attention away from Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s crucial economic pitch to voters in his budget reply speech on Thursday evening, when he is expected to unveil more help for households without matching the Labor tax cut. Several sources familiar with the prime minister’s thinking said he intended to visit Governor-General Sam Mostyn at Government House in Canberra on Friday morning. The sources, unauthorised to speak to the media, emphasised that the plan was subject to change as it had been earlier this month, when Cyclone Alfred threatened the Queensland coast and forced Albanese to postpone an election that had been pencilled in for April 12. Calling the election on Friday morning would steal attention from news coverage of Dutton’s Thursday night budget-in-reply address, where the opposition leader could reveal policies on housing, gas supply and migration. But the Coalition has already released its plan to slash fuel excise for a year, giving it days of prominence. Albanese, who has become buoyant in private about the election, has told confidantes the idea of forcing voters to endure a six-week campaign was “bullshit”, making a five-week campaign before a May 3 poll the most likely option. The latest he could call an election for that date is Monday, the day after he is scheduled to appear on the ABC’s Insiders program.

#40 - Part 21

2025 Australian Federal Election - Part 11

>>22836159 Election 2025:Prime Minister Anthony Albanese calls federal election for May 3- Anthony Albanese has called the federal election for May 3, ending months of speculation about when Australians will head to the polls. Both major parties have been in campaigning mode for most of the year already, but the prime minister today visited Governor-General Samantha Mostyn to request the election, kicking off the official campaign. The call of the election comes just days after the government handed down the federal budget. It also comes the morning after opposition leader Peter Dutton's budget reply speech on Thursday night, in what analysts have said was an attempt to overshadow it. "Over the last few years, the world has thrown a lot at Australia," Albanese said this morning. "In uncertain times, we cannot decide the challenges that we will face, but we can determine how we respond." Albanese emphasised the Labor Party's focus on Medicare and cost of living, including energy bill relief and childcare support. "At this election, I'm asking for the support of the Australian people to keep building on the hard work that we have done and the strong foundations that we have laid," he said. He also addressed the possibility for disinformation and misinformation around the campaign, following a large-scale abandonment of fact-checking by social media companies, along with allegations of election interference around the world. "Anyone who tries that, I say back off," he said. "We have an extraordinary capacity to look after our nation."

>>22836210 Video: Australia PM Albanese calls national election for May 3 - Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Friday called a national election for May 3, launching a five-week campaign that is set to be dominated by cost-of-living pressures. Albanese's Labor party won a majority at the last federal election in 2022, but most recent opinion polls show the party neck-and-neck with the opposition Liberal-National coalition when votes from smaller parties are redistributed. "Our government has chosen to face global challenges the Australian way - helping people under cost-of-living pressure, while building for the future," he told a press conference. "Because of the strength and resilience that our people have shown, Australia is turning the corner. Now on 3 May, you choose the way forward." Albanese earlier in the morning met the country's Governor-General Sam Mostyn to seek permission to formally call the election, as required by Australia's constitution. The governor-general represents Australia's head of state, Britain's King Charles. Albanese has announced a slew of measures aimed at pleasing families and businesses in recent months, including tax cuts in Tuesday's budget, with the rising cost of living in the country set to dominate the campaign.

>>22836262 Video Analysis: 2025 Australian election breakdown - Sky News Chief Election Analyst Tom Connell breaks down the upcoming federal election campaign and the “crucial” performance of the Greens and independents. This comes after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the election on Friday, announcing Australians will be voting on May 3. “We know of course how the Greens and independents perform will be crucial to the outcome of this election,” Mr Connell said. “Their number grew from six to 16 last time around. “Simply put, if that number is as high or higher it’s almost certain that Australia will have its first hung parliament since 2010.”

>>22836338 Peter Dutton faces a 22-seat gain target to win election - Peter Dutton’s challenge to become prime minister of a majority Coalition government in the 48th parliament is monumental, requiring a net gain of 22 seats. The Opposition Leader needs a bigger seat gain than Scott Morrison’s seat loss in 2022. The Coalition went into the last election with a notional 75 seats and recorded a net loss of 17, finishing with 58 MPs in parliament. A by-election defeat and defections have since whittled that number down to 54 seats for the 2025 election - 22 short of the slimmest majority possible in the next 150-seat parliament. The task for Labor and Anthony Albanese looks less complicated: hold the line and they’re home. Yet in the current political climate, the government also faces a challenge to retain majority government. Starting the campaign with a notional 78 seats, Labor can afford only a net loss of up to two seats to hold on to power in its own right.

#40 - Part 22

2025 Australian Federal Election - Part 12

>>22836473 Anthony Albanese ramps up attacks on Peter Dutton, launches scare campaign - Anthony Albanese has launched a major scare campaign tying Peter Dutton to US President Donald Trump’s welfare cuts and public servant sackings, as he promises to serve a full term if re-elected and refuses to say if Australians will see modelling on how a second-term Labor agenda will impact power prices. The Prime Minister opened the 2025 federal election in Canberra with a pitch to “build Australia’s future” and ease the cost-of-living crisis with his sweep of $5 a week tax cuts, billions for Medicare bulk-billing and energy bill relief. Within the first week, Mr Albanese will face the headwinds of Mr Trump’s “Liberation Day” of mass global tariffs and a Reserve Bank board meeting where interest rates will likely be held. But after visiting Governor-General Sam Mostyn early on Friday to drown out the Opposition Leader’s budget-in-reply speech the previous night, Mr Albanese focused his press conference on his attempt to paint Mr Dutton as a politician who would “cut” and “wreck’ if he wins on May 3. “Everything in Peter Dutton’s record tells us that he will start by cutting Medicare and he won’t stop there,” Mr Albanese said in Canberra. “He will cut everything except your taxes. No-one will get any power from the Liberals’ nuclear reactors for two decades but every Australian will get the bill right away because when Peter Dutton cuts, Australians pay.” He went to slam the Coalition for its pledge to cut 41,000 public servants, saying it was not “the Australian way” and made the connection between Mr Dutton’s policy and Mr Trump’s attempts to slash the Washington bureaucracy. Well, people will make their own judgments of course but people will have a look at the mass sackings of public servants (in the US),” Mr Albanese said.

>>22836633 The ‘sledge-a-thon’ begins: Leaders square off on tax and Trump - Labor has escalated the political fight over the cost of living in the race to the May 3 federal election, accusing the opposition of misleading voters with a claim it would reduce taxes even as the Coalition voted this week against a $17.1 billion personal tax cut. The dispute flared on the first day of the formal campaign after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the election with a pledge to lift living standards over the next three years and a warning against copying policy ideas from United States President Donald Trump. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton responded with a warning to voters about the soaring price of groceries and a slump in household incomes over the past three years, while accusing Albanese of starting a “sledge-a-thon” over Trump. Albanese arrived at Government House in Canberra soon after 7am on Friday to ask Governor-General Sam Mostyn to dissolve parliament, setting up a contest between Labor’s offer of a $17.1 billion personal tax cut and the Coalition plan for a $6 billion cut to fuel excise. Dutton said families needed immediate relief on the cost of living rather than the tax cut, which is due to start in July next year and is worth $5 a week in its first year, rising to $10 a week in its second and later years. “We must do better, and there is a better way,” he said. “The Coalition has an achievable plan to get our country back on track.” Dutton also claimed to lower the burden on Australians, saying: “we will reduce tax”. Labor seized on this as a false claim because Dutton voted against the personal tax cut on Wednesday and said on Thursday he had no plans to offer an alternative in the campaign. But the Coalition is vowing to cut fuel excise, which is a form of taxation. Coalition campaign spokesman James Paterson said Labor had claimed excise reductions on beer were a form of tax relief. “Australians will be getting a tax cut every time they visit a petrol station under a Dutton Coalition government,” he said.

#40 - Part 23

2025 Australian Federal Election - Part 13

>>22836677 RAAF chief ‘very comfortable’ with Labor’s air force plan - The Chief of the Air Force Stephen Chappell endorsed Labor’s management of the defence portfolio in an extraordinary intervention just hours before Anthony Albanese called a May 3 election, declaring he was “very comfortable” with the government’s plans for the RAAF fleet. The move came after the air force’s head of capability, Air Vice-Marshal Nicholas Hogan, said an extra F-35 squadron promised by Peter Dutton “would be welcome”. Air Marshal Chappell followed-up his subordinate’s comment with a statement to The Australian. “I am very comfortable the air combat fleet that is being delivered and supported through the 2024 Integrated ­Investment Program can deliver a high level of lethality,” the RAAF chief said. Defence Minister Richard Marles’ office said it had not asked Air Marshal Chappell to issue the statement, while opposition ­defence spokesman Andrew Hastie declined to comment. Asked at the Avalon Airshow about Mr Dutton’s F-35 pledge, Air Marshal Hogan said: “Look, more F-35s would be welcome, but we will go with the decisions of the government of the day.” Both commanders’ comments were highly unusual on the eve of an election announcement given Defence jealously guards its apolitical status.

>>22836686 ACTU urges protesting voters to put Coalition last - ACTU secretary Sally McManus has urged voters planning to support independents or minor parties in protest at Labor over cost-of-living increases to put the Liberals last on May 3, as the union movement launches a defensive campaign to keep Anthony Albanese in power. As unions prepare to co-ordinate tens of thousands of volunteers to campaign in marginal seats with a “don’t risk Dutton” theme, Ms McManus said she expected Labor would face a protest from voters angry about cost-of-living increases. The nation’s top union official issued her warning as the Prime Minister faces battles to retain seats against not just the Liberals but the Greens and independents, and polls point towards a hung parliament. “I think it’s very much the same around the world and I think it’s true that people are under pressure and obviously aren’t thinking through the ins and outs, and why and how, they just know when they go and pay their bills, that it’s costing more,” she said. Signalling a more defensive campaign than the one the unions ran to help the ALP sweep back into power three years ago, Ms McManus said the union movement’s issues were “all about protecting wage increases, protecting what workers have won with improvements to workers’ rights” under Labor. “I think people will be wanting to send a message about cost of living but they’re not wanting to vote for Peter Dutton,” she said. “I think people are on to him. They’re concerned that he’s not the solution so I think there might be a protest vote, that’s for sure. If you are thinking about voting independent, or differently, but you don’t want Peter Dutton, you have got to put them last. You can’t assume everyone understands how it all works and that’s the simple message to understand, that even if you want to send a message, or you want to try something else, but you don’t want Peter Dutton, you have got to put the Liberals last, or the LNP in Queensland last, or the CLP last if you’re in the Northern Territory.”

#40 - Part 24

2025 Australian Federal Election - Part 14

>>22836700 Coalition takes aim at teals over ‘record of leaning Green’ - Teal independents have sided with the Greens in at least two-thirds of all divisions during ­Anthony Albanese’s three years in power, according to research by the parliament library. As the Coalition battles to reclaim once blue-ribbon seats it lost in 2022, the research provided to the Coalition shows that the seven teal MPs voted with the Greens between 66 per cent and 77 per cent of the time on all divisions from the start of the parliamentary term to February 13. As the Coalition ramps up its attacks on the teals for being “deceptive Greens” ahead of the election on May 3, the analysis has revealed the independents voted with the minor party on second-reading motions between 83 per cent and 70 per cent of the time. When it comes to second-reading motions, Sophie Scamps voted with the Greens 83 per cent of the time, Zoe Daniel 81 per cent, Zali Steggall 78, Monique Ryan 76, Kate Chaney 71 and Allegra Spender 70. Outgoing teal MP Kylea Tink, whose seat of North Sydney was absorbed in an electoral redrawn, voted in line with the Greens on 78 per cent of second-reading motions. Indi MP Helen Haines backed the party 79 per cent of the time. The independent MPs identified in the research have disputed the findings, arguing that their voting record reflects a more balanced political alignment based on alternative figures. On all divisions, Dr Ryan voted with the Greens 77 per cent of the time, Ms Daniel 76, Dr Scamps 74, Ms Steggall 71, Ms Chaney 68 and Ms Spender 66. Ms Tink voted 73 per cent in line with the Greens on divisions and Ms Haines 76. Liberal MP Garth Hamilton, who has been closely observing the teals’ voting records, said the data showed the risk posed by a Labor minority government run with the support of the teals. “It couldn’t be more clear to the Australian people now, who these people are,” he said. “The stories that these were disaffected Liberals have been proven false - they’re very deceptive Greens.”

>>22836738 Election 2025: ‘Un-Muslim’: How battle for Sydney’s west turned ‘militant, toxic’ - The political battle for Sydney’s southwest and long-held ALP heartlands has turned “toxic”, with corflutes defaced, “militant tactics” deployed, and mosques and Islamic schools attacked on social media for appearing with Labor figures. Reminiscent of 2024’s British election, where four “Gaza independents” were elected amid alleged “bullying and intimidatory tactics”, anti-Labor pro-Palestine campaigns have ramped up as tensions have begun to boil. Islamic schools and moderate Muslim leaders have been attacked on social media as “normalisers” for engaging with the government, corflutes at mosques have been stolen or destroyed, Tony Burke posters have been vandalised with slurs or smeared with paint, and Hizb ut-Tahrir activists have forced ALP candidates to cancel events given fears of tensions boiling over. Backed by The Muslim Vote campaign, Ziad Basyouny is taking on Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke in Watson, while Ahmed Ouf is looking to topple Education Minister Jason Clare in Blaxland, which are both held with about a 15 per cent margin and where Muslim voters make up 27 per cent and 35 per cent respectively in the two seats. Mr Burke has become a particular target for activists, with scores of his posters destroyed or defaced with the slur “c*nt” and splattered with red paint. Anti-ALP campaigners have started to distribute flyers in Arabic about the member, one of the Labor’s most vocal supporters of Palestinian statehood, calling him the “racist immigration minister”. Those flyers, which don’t carry an electoral authorisation, come despite Australia providing pathways for thousands of affected Gazans and feature misleading claims about Mr Burke’s historical support.

#40 - Part 25

2025 Australian Federal Election - Part 15

>>22840833 Australia's Albanese expects 'one-on-one' discussion with Trump on tariffs - Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Sunday he expected to have a one-on-one discussion with U.S. President Donald Trump on tariffs, as Washington prepares to announce new tariffs on its trading partners on April 2. There are concerns Australia could be impacted by the looming escalation in the Trump administration's global trade war when it unveils the reciprocal tariffs on so-called "liberation day". Trump this month imposed steel and aluminium tariffs that affect Australian exports. Albanese, speaking on the second full day of campaigning ahead of a May 3 general election in Australia, said his government had engaged "very constructively" with U.S. officials on tariffs, ahead of the expected April 2 announcement. Asked about the possibility of speaking with Trump on the issue, Albanese said: "We'll have a one-on-one discussion". "A couple of weeks ago, the reason why that didn't occur was because the president made a decision to not talk to anyone and impose this regime on every country," Albanese added, in remarks televised by the Australian Broadcasting Corp from Canberra. A key issue in Australia's election campaign is which leader - Albanese or the Liberal-National coalition's Peter Dutton - would best handle relations with Trump, who exempted Australia from U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminium during his first presidential term.

>>22840841 Golfing legend Greg Norman acting as Australia’s intermediary with US President Donald Trump as new wave of tariffs loom - Golfing great Greg Norman is once again acting as a go-between for Australia and US President Donald Trump as the clock ticks to the April 2 decision on reciprocal tariffs. The two men have been close for many years and regularly discuss their passion for golf as neighbours in the southern US state of Florida. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had a missed call from Norman on Sunday morning as he was waiting to go on air for the ABC’s Insiders, confirming he was “calling in” all contacts to get Australia exemptions and a better deal. President Trump has revealed that he “may give a lot of countries breaks” from the reciprocal tariff regime as the world waits for who is in and who is out. The US President has billed April 2 as “liberation day” where he is considering sweeping new tariffs beyond the steel and aluminium tariffs that affect Australian exports. “We’ll have a one-on-one discussion,’’ Mr Albanese said. “We are putting Australia’s case. Tariffs are an increase in price for the purchases of the goods and services, so they impose increased costs on American buyers. “We believe in free and fair trade. The US enjoys a trade surplus with Australia. We are pointing that out very clearly.”

>>22840846 Albanese calls Dutton a copycat but won’t say who he gets his ideas from - Labor has countered the Coalition on its vow to force gas exporters to reserve more fuel for the domestic market, saying it will use an existing law to ensure supplies for households and industry. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the existing law, passed at the end of 2022 over Coalition objections, already worked as a gas reservation plan because it gave the government the power to direct the companies when needed. Asked if he was willing to get more gas from the exporters if needed, Albanese said: “Of course. The law provides that, most importantly, and we’ve acted.” The fight over gas came as Albanese stepped up his claim that Dutton was copying policy ideas from others, naming the Coalition’s plan to cut 41,000 public service jobs as an example. Asked on the ABC’s Insiders program on Sunday morning if he was likening Dutton to US President Donald Trump, who is also cutting public service jobs, the prime minister said: “Well, people will draw conclusions themselves when they see mass job cuts.” But Albanese did not make a direct claim about Dutton and Trump when asked about the parallel. “Is it helpful for Australia right now for you to be using Donald Trump as a political weapon against your opponent?” interviewer David Speers asked on Insiders. “I’m not,” Albanese said. He claimed Dutton was copying policies from other Liberal leaders, given the Coalition’s promise of a $6 billion cut to fuel excise follows a similar plan from Scott Morrison as prime minister three years ago.

#40 - Part 26

2025 Australian Federal Election - Part 16

>>22845448 Albanese edges ahead of Dutton as Labor bounces back: poll - Voters have swung to Labor with a surge of support that has given Prime Minister Anthony Albanese a personal edge over Opposition Leader Peter Dutton as the country’s preferred leader, lifting the government out of a long slump ahead of the May 3 election. The dramatic swing has tightened the race for power in the opening stage of the election campaign, putting Labor and the Coalition on 50 per cent each in two-party terms in the first Resolve Political Monitor after last week’s federal budget. Albanese has taken the lead over Dutton as preferred prime minister, ahead by 42 to 33 per cent, in a significant shift since he fell behind the opposition leader at the start of this year. But Dutton retains a big gap against Albanese as the best leader to handle US President Donald Trump, ahead by 31 to 20 per cent, even as the prime minister suggests his opponent is trying to copy the American leader. The exclusive survey, conducted for this masthead by research firm Resolve Strategic, shows Labor has increased its primary vote from 25 to 29 per cent over the past month, while the Coalition’s core support has slipped from 39 to 37 per cent. Resolve director Jim Reed said this came from a boost for Labor from men and women across all age groups, with a slightly stronger gain in support from “middle Australia” parents. “There has been a swing to Labor among voters with jobs and mortgages - those who would benefit the most from the interest rate cut in February and the budget measures last week,” he said. “But the budget itself is not rated that well. This means the turnaround for Labor is not so much a budget bounce but is more about the budget, the rate cut and the response to the recent cyclone demonstrating competence together.”

>>22845454 Video: Anthony Albanese abandons modelling underpinning Labor’s energy and climate agenda - Anthony Albanese’s energy and climate change transition has been rocked after the Prime Minister junked ALP-commissioned modelling underpinning Labor’s ­promise to cut power bills by $378 from 2030 and the government’s 43 per cent emissions ­reduction target. In a move attacked by the ­Coalition and Greens as “waving the white flag on power prices” and not “cutting emissions fast enough”, Mr Albanese torpedoed the 2022 election RepuTex modelling he previously dubbed “the most comprehensive modelling ever done for any policy by any ­opposition in Australia’s history since Federation”. Asked by The Australian whether Labor stood-by its Powering Australia modelling that electricity bills would reduce by more than $100 between 2025 and 2030, Mr Albanese on Sunday declared three-times that it was ­“RepuTex’s modelling”. Mr Albanese has blamed international factors including the Ukraine war, for failing to deliver $275 reductions in power bills by 2025. But this is not relevant to the modelling assumption there would be a further $100 fall in ­energy costs over the five years to 2030. Mr Albanese had earlier ­refused to guarantee that power prices would fall once Labor’s ­energy relief rebates expired at the end of 2025.

>>22845460 Election 2025: I don’t need Scott Morrison to take on Trump, says Dutton - Peter Dutton has brushed off the idea of using Scott Morrison as a conduit for Donald Trump as Anthony Albanese says he couldn’t get a call with the US President because he had “made a decision not to talk to anyone”. Ahead of a week expected to be dominated by the “Liberation Day” global reciprocal tariffs - due to be announced on Wednesday (AEDT) – the Prime Minister denied linking his rival to the US President, despite having made a series of veiled allusions. When asked whether it was wise to link Mr Dutton and Mr Trump in the middle of tariff negotiations, Mr Albanese responded: “I’m not”. “People will draw conclusions themselves when they see mass job cuts,” Mr Albanese said. “He is talking here … about 41,000 public servants … There is no doubt that there will be consequences.” The Opposition Leader has responded to Mr Albanese’s comments that he was “photocopying” or “borrowing” policies from abroad, in a clear attempt to link the Coalition leader and the US President, by describing such language as needless “sledging”. As he faces the prospect of taking over the nation’s relationship with the US, Mr Dutton on Sunday brushed aside suggestions of deploying Mr Morrison into ­Australia’s embassy or in any other role that could benefit the Canberra-Washington relationship. “I’ve got high praise for Scott … but as I’ve pointed out before, we’ve got an ambassador in place and I want that ambassador to be successful,” he said.

#40 - Part 27

2025 Australian Federal Election - Part 17

>>22850566 Federal election 2025: Peter Dutton takes on ‘woke’ schools funding Peter Dutton is facing a potential schools funding war if he is elected in May, as NSW pushes back against the Opposition Leader’s suggestions he will use federal funding to prevent students from being “indoctrinated” with political agendas. Mr Dutton on Tuesday said a Coalition government would “reflect community standards in relation to what is being taught at our schools and our universities”. Citing a recent controversy about a law course at Macquarie University that marked students on their delivery of an acknowledgement of country and protests attended by school teachers, Mr Dutton said in outer Melbourne that this was being “translated into the classroom”. He said in a separate interview late on Monday night that “we should be saying to states and be saying to those who receive that funding that we want our kids to be taught the curriculum and what our kids need to take on as they face the challenges of the world”. “That’s the way the federal government can try to influence the NSW government or the Victorian government, whatever it might be,” he told Sky News.

>>22850621 Video: Election 2025 - Malcolm Turnbull’s security forum questions the alliance in the era of Donald Trump - "Malcolm Turnbull’s Sovereignty and Security forum in Canberra has showcased a group of frustrated national security rebels who believe Donald Trump’s America requires a fundamental reappraisal of the nature of the US alliance. I say “rebels” because many of the 100-plus experts - including former ministers, diplomats and defence officials – invited by the former prime minister aired views which both major parties will comprehensively shun during this election campaign. These included abandoning the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal, distancing Australia from Washington in foreign affairs and defence, and arguing that China is not the regional bully it is made out to be. As such, it felt a little like the Defence version of World Series Cricket or LIV Golf - a breakaway policy game occurring in parallel to the real political contest. The forum was set up by Turnbull, who accuses, unfairly I think, Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton of taking a cowardly approach to dealing with Trump. It’s much easier to talk tough about Trump without the responsibilities that come with leadership. “We will be confronting tough realities that, regrettably, both sides of politics in Australia presently prefer to ignore,” Turnbull said to begin the forum. Turnbull seemed to enjoy his self-appointed role of chief disrupter for the day. Will it change the dial in this policy debate? Probably not. Was it a Turnbull vanity project? Partly, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t worthwhile. Will it have an impact on who wins this election? Absolutely not." - Cameron Stewart - theaustralian.com.au

>>22855280 Election 2025: Peter Dutton moves to calm his anxious troops after bumpy campaign start - Peter Dutton has sought to rally Coalition MPs nervous about the party’s performance and the drop in the Opposition Leader’s personal approval ratings, assuring those worried that the Coalition had not ­convinced voters of its message that “You haven’t seen anything yet”. The Australian on Monday revealed internal concerns over the performance of the Coalition, with MPs admitting they believed the party was still lacking solid economic policies while former deputy prime minister Michael McCormack said it was clear there was “a lot of work to do” before May 3. Mr Dutton on Tuesday hit back at suggestions his campaign had not started off well, declaring it was too early to make any judgment on the Coalition’s performance. “I don’t think you’ve seen anything yet - wait until we get into this ­campaign and you will see more of what we’ve got to offer,” the Liberal leader said when confronted with the critiques from within his own party. “I will lead a team into the next election, which is experienced and which has the ability not just to clean up Labor’s mess, but to implement our positive plan.”

#40 - Part 28

2025 Australian Federal Election - Part 18

>>22855312 Coalition pledges to weed out ‘activism’ in universities - The Coalition has pledged to wipe out “woke” activism and “ideological agendas” in universities through an unprecedented level of ministerial intervention in course content. Opposition education spokeswoman Sarah Henderson, spelling out the Coalition’s higher education policy for the first time during the election campaign, said she would direct the Tertiary Quality Education Quality and Standards Agency to take action against “indoctrination’’. “I am concerned that some courses are being impacted by teachings which are designed to drive political agendas,” Senator Henderson told The Australian. “For instance, Macquarie University should be more focused on genuine academic performance rather than penalising students if they don’t complete a ‘privilege walk’ or perform a ‘thoughtful and culturally respectful’ acknowledgment of country at the beginning of an oral law exam. “Universities must be places of higher learning, not indoctrination.”

>>22855333 Election 2025: Coalition election plan to blitz teals and fight Climate 200 - Peter Dutton and senior Liberal figures are preparing campaign blitzes of teal-held seats and ­Coalition electorates targeted by independents, as new Climate 200 polling claims that Zoe Daniel has her nose in front of Tim Wilson in Goldstein. The blitz will align with campaign launches for Liberals who are fighting cashed-up teal MPs and candidates backed by resources and infrastructure supported by Simon Holmes a Court’s ­Climate 200. Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley, who has made 40 visits to teal electorates since the 2022 election, will hit target seats including Goldstein, Kooyong, Curtin, Mackellar, Warringah and Wentworth over the next fortnight as part of a broader ­national tour. Ms Ley will join Liberal contenders for streetwalks and to spruik local project announcements, and will join Wentworth candidate Ro Knox and Warringah candidate Jaimee Rogers for their official campaign launches. As the Liberal Party steps up its “Teals Revealed” campaign amid confidence it can win back up to six teal and independent seats, Climate 200-commissioned uComms polling of 1225 voters in Goldstein between March 18 and 25 indicates that Ms Daniel holds a 54 to 46 per cent two-party-preferred vote lead in the Melbourne seat.

>>22855384 Jacinta Allan’s sinking popularity inflicts brand damage on Albanese’s election hopes - Jacinta Allan’s sinking popularity has become a significant drag on federal Labor’s re-election hopes, as a new poll shows three out of four Victorian voters want someone else to be premier. The exclusive survey, conducted by Resolve Political Monitor for The Age, confirms support for state Labor has collapsed to emergency levels that will shape the federal political contest in Victoria. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton will campaign in Victoria on Wednesday. Primary support for state Labor was at 24 per cent in February and March, marginally above the 22 per cent nadir reached in the previous survey in December and January, but 12.6 points below its election-winning vote in November 2022. The state Coalition’s primary support is at 41 per cent, 1 point down on the previous survey. The latest survey of more than 1000 respondents found Allan’s personal standing with voters has continued to tank. Whereas 38 per cent of voters preferred her as premier when she took over the job from Daniel Andrews in October 2023, that figure has slumped to 23 per cent, her lowest recorded level of support. Her once-neutral “likeability” rating has cratered to minus 32 per cent, sliding 8 points since January. ALP strategists believe this helps explain why Victoria, a state which swung hard against the Coalition at the 2022 federal election, is Labor’s problem child in this campaign.

#40 - Part 29

2025 Australian Federal Election - Part 19

>>22874139 Election 2025: Palmer says he knows what Trump wants on tariffs - Billionaire miner and chair of political party Trumpet of Patriots Clive Palmer says he has been told by confidants of Donald Trump what the US President wants from Australia in exchange for dropping a 10 per cent tariff. “Apologise. What [Anthony Albanese] needs to do is apologise for the comments he made about the President. You might think this is minor but it’s an important thing if you know Trump,” Mr Palmer said. The Prime Minister took a veiled swipe at Mr Trump’s handling of economics last week, saying he understood in year 7 that border taxes hurt the country that imposed them more. “Kevin Rudd called President Trump ‘the village idiot’. If you were the President of the US and you were called the ‘village idiot’ by the ambassador, you wouldn’t be too happy with that. I think Don­ald Trump remembers that so it’s very appropriate that the ambassador also apologise and on behalf of Australia. Rudd should probably resign,” he said. Mr Palmer, who funded a two-week speaking trip to Australia for Trump supporter and television host Tucker Carlson last year, said there was also animosity towards the Albanese government from the Trump camp because of a controversial delay in granting the President’s son a travel visa to Australia in 2023. Visas for high-profile people usually take longer to clear national security vetting. “It was a fiasco when Donald Trump’s son wanted to visit Australia. All of the politicians argued whether they would issue a visa or not. Australia should apologise about that. If it was your son and you were standing for president and everyone’s against you and don’t think you’re going to get elected president and you’re under threat from lawfare, you won’t forget at that time when people come out and kick you,” Mr Palmer said.

>>22877863 Coalition axes working from home, forced redundancies policies in attempt to reboot Peter Dutton’s campaign - Peter Dutton will dump his demands that public servants return to the office and will not hand out any forced redundancies to taxpayer-funded workers, in a backflip designed to reboot the Opposition Leader’s campaign and win back female voters. With Mr Dutton losing his months-long polling edge against Anthony Albanese amid growing Liberal concerns over his campaign strategy, The Australian understands Liberal candidates in key seats were reporting significant hostility towards the return-to-the-office policy from voters, and particularly among women. In a stark departure from the Coalition’s policy just a month ago when its public service spokesman, Jane Hume, said “all members of the APS work from the office five days a week”, there is now no expectation on the number of days in the office. Senator Hume on Monday will reverse course and will ensure there is no mandated minimum number of days for public servants to work in the office. “Many professional men and women in the commonwealth public service are benefiting from flexible working arrangements, including working from home, which allow them to make valuable contributions to serving Australians,” she said in a statement. “We have listened, and understand that flexible work, including working from home, is part of getting the best out of any workforce.”

>>22877878 Richard Marles coy on future role amid speculation of Penny Wong retirement - Richard Marles has refused to commit to serving a full term as Defence Minister if Labor wins the election, amid speculation Penny Wong will retire and Mr Marles will take the Foreign Affairs portfolio. Mr Marles said he’d wanted to serve as Defence Minister in Labor’s first term, and “I’ve almost completed the job”. He said he would not pre-empt any future role if the Albanese government was returned on May 3. “We’ve got an election to win, and that’s our focus,” he said on Monday. “So the last thing I’m about to do is start speculating on what happens after the election.” Senator Wong’s political future has been the subject of persistent rumours in Canberra and her hometown Adelaide, with multiple senior Labor sources saying she plans to leave politics within six months, no matter the poll result. They say after 24 years in parliament, she wants to spend more time with wife Sophie Allouache and their daughters Alexandra and Hannah. The government rejects such talk, saying Senator Wong has no intention to retire and Labor’s national security team will be unchanged after the election. Senator Wong, one of Labor’s strongest performers, has played a low-key role in the campaign.

#40 - Part 30

2025 Australian Federal Election - Part 20

>>22877883 Donald Trump trade deal with Australia off until after election, as embassy waits for Republican backlash - Australia’s embassy in Washington will wait to see if Anthony Albanese or Peter Dutton wins the May 3 election before re-entering talks with the Trump White House over tariff carve-outs, despite an expected markets bloodbath as soon as Monday and warnings from Europe that globalisation is dead. As both the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader prepare to face Donald Trump’s rewriting of the global economic order, one of Washington’s most controversial Senate powerbrokers is also warning them not to aggravate the President on tariffs. The Australian understands the nation’s diplomats will wait at least a month before approaching Mr Trump’s trade team over the removal or watering down of the 10 per cent blanket tariff. The embassy will be hoping for renewed authority from the next prime minister and an intensification of Republican backlash against the President’s radical economic policies and their impact on both the price of US goods and the stockmarket. In the event of a hung parliament, where Mr Albanese and Mr Dutton would need crossbench MPs to get into government, any hold-and-wait strategy from the embassy and US ambassador Kevin Rudd would take even longer before there is proper re-engagement.

>>22877895 Andrew Forrest’s election plea: ‘Force Meta to operate from Australia’ - Billionaire Andrew Forrest says whoever wins the federal election needs to force Facebook owner Meta to base its Australian operations via a local entity to stop it bypassing the country’s laws and facilitating organised crime. The resources boss is suing Meta in California after it failed to take down hundreds of thousands of scam advertisements featuring his likeness that have fleeced Australians of their life savings. Dr Forrest is suing Meta in California because it has attempted to use a 30-year-old US law that grants online companies immunity from what is posted on their sites and platforms. He has argued that Meta has “knowingly advertising the content of criminals” via this loophole, which he is now desperately trying to close, “no matter the cost”. “Australian sovereignty should be the most important factor when considering how to regulate foreign tech platforms that millions of Australians access,” Dr Forrest told The Australian. “Australia should be able to enforce our laws for all companies that do business in Australia, and Australian users should have access to our courts if they suffer from big tech’s behaviour. “I don’t think this is a political debate - it’s something all parties should agree on. Whoever forms government should act immediately to require digital platforms to operate through an Australian legal entity and be subject to Australian regulations and our legal system.” Dr Forrest said it was “completely unacceptable” that “innocent Australians who have lost thousands of dollars” currently have no way to seek compensation from Meta. “Australians should be in control of what happens in Australia - it’s as simple as that.”

>>22887580 Peter Dutton’s father Bruce rushed to hospital after heart attack hours before first debate - Peter Dutton has choked up talking about his “tough bugger” dad Bruce after the 80-year-old suffered a heart attack just before the leaders’ debate on Tuesday night. The Opposition Leader’s father Bruce Dutton was rushed to hospital in Queensland after suffering a heart attack, reportedly just one hour before the debate began. “He’s stoic. He’s a tough bugger. He’s worked hard all of his life, and he’s been an amazing dad,” an emotional Mr Dutton told reporters on the campaign trail in Sydney on Wednesday. “Of course you think about him. But he’s … fine and he’s doing well.” When asked if he return to Brisbane to visit his dad, he said he would monitor the situation. “I’ve spoken to Dad this morning, and I’ve got amazing siblings and my sisters are with dad at the moment so I will monitor that.” Mr Dutton revealed he considered pulling out of the first debate of the election campaign after learning of his 80-year-old dad’s medical incident. He was in a stable condition as of 9pm on Tuesday. Mr Dutton was informed of the incident just minutes before the debate was set to kick off. When asked how his father was faring during an appearance on Nova’s Fitzy, Wippa and Kate Ritchie show in Sydney, Mr Dutton said his dad’s health was good. “He is a great man, and he’ll be fine,” he said. “Look, I thought, ‘Do I pull out of the debate?’, but my sisters were up there with him and giving me regular reports, which was good. “He’s a great man, and I love him very much.”

#40 - Part 31

2025 Australian Federal Election - Part 21

>>22887588 Election 2025: Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton battle for ascendancy over Donald Trump on tariffs - Peter Dutton has pledged to “stand up against bullies” when questioned by voters on how he would deal with Donald Trump and opened the door to extend his fuel excise cut, as Anthony Albanese tried to paint the Liberals’ nuclear power plan as an excuse to secretly cut education and health. In the first leaders’ debate of the May 3 election campaign, the ­Opposition Leader ramped up ­attacks on the Prime Minister’s management of the cost-of-living crisis and directly challenged Mr Albanese for overseeing the “highest-spending government since (Gough) Whitlam”, a claim rejected by the Labor leader. After a rocky start to his bid to oust a first-term Labor government, the Opposition Leader appeared to steady his campaign with a more confident performance while Mr Albanese said voters should not trust the Coalition. Mr Dutton took part in the debate despite his father suffering a heart attack and going to hospital just hours before the event started. The 100 undecided voters at the Sky News/Daily Telegraph people’s forum gave Mr Albanese a slight edge with 44 saying the Labor leader won the debate, 35 gave the victory to Mr Dutton and 21 left the debate still unsure.

>>22887605 Dutton reveals details of campaign pledge to cut power prices - Opposition Leader Peter Dutton will promise Australians a 3 per cent cut in household energy bills and a 15 per cent reduction in gas prices for big industrial users if he wins government, pledging to flood the Australian market with gas to make energy cheaper and grow the economy. The Coalition has released long-awaited modelling on its national gas plan that forces companies to keep Australian gas onshore, revealed in Dutton’s budget-in-reply speech last month. After Dutton spent much of this term attacking Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for failing to bring down power bills by $275 as promised, the opposition has launched its most significant cost-of-living pitch of the campaign by committing to lower electricity prices. The pledge could come back to bite Dutton if prices continue to rise, but he will rely on analysis from Frontier Economics to argue his plan will lead to a 23 per cent cut in wholesale gas prices. That would lead to a 3 per cent cut in residential electricity prices, according to the modelling, an 8 per cent reduction in wholesale electricity prices, a 7 per cent deduction for household gas prices, and a 15 per cent cut for big industrial gas users such as smelters. A 3 per cent cut to electricity bills would equate to roughly $60 off the average east coast electricity bill of $2100, which applies to a homeowner without solar panels or batteries.

>>22887620 Dutton to cut migrant numbers by 100,000 people each year - Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has committed to cutting new migrant numbers by 100,000 people each year, reinstating an ambitious target the Coalition had walked away from and prompting industry warnings that it could jeopardise the workforce needed to build homes. Dutton said the Coalition would impose the cuts “straight away, once we get into government” based on whatever the budget forecasts were, as he aimed to bring down population growth to free up housing for Australians. But the significant reduction risks backlash from businesses, industry groups and farmers who rely on migrant labour. The opposition leader has also been forced to defend his support for immigration after facing an audience question at the first leaders’ debate about “demonising migrants” in political debate. “I’ve said repeatedly that we are a great beneficiary of the migration program in our country,” Dutton said on Wednesday. He said migrant families were just as concerned about the housing market. Australia’s peak body for builders, however, warned blunt cuts to migration could jeopardise efforts to build housing stock as 25 per cent of the industry is made up of overseas workers.

#40 - Part 32

2025 Australian Federal Election - Part 22

>>22892353 Election 2025: Steve Bracks backs Jacinta Allan, Anthony Albanese unlikely to appear again with Victorian Premier - Steve Bracks has backed Jacinta Allan in a rare public intervention into Labor leadership tension as the under-fire Premier’s hold on the top job comes under new pressure. The former premier, who led Labor to three successive Victorian election victories, threw his considerable influence as a party elder behind the current leader as she battled plunging public support for Labor. In a statement released on Thursday, Mr Bracks rejected media speculation his support for Ms Allan - whose career he has backed since 1999 – was slipping and he was growing open to a leadership switch. “I firmly support the leadership of Jacinta Allan and believe she is best able to win an historic fourth term for Labor,” he said in a statement released on Thursday. “Media reporting to the contrary is false.” With renewed speculation the Premier could be forced out by anxious colleagues if federal Labor suffers major setbacks in Victoria on May 3, The Australian has confirmed there are no firm plans or even loose commitments for the Prime Minister to appear alongside her again. The “one time only” Albanese-Allan joint appearance on Monday was designed to neutralise the issue of the PM’s failure to appear with the Victorian Premier and while Labor figures have not absolutely ruled out a repeat, they say it’s highly unlikely. The “anti-Allan” strategy is in stark contrast to plans for the PM to keep standing alongside Labor’s popular premiers; WA’s Roger Cook, SA’s Peter Malinauskas and NSW’s Chris Minns between now and election day.

>>22892385 Election 2025: Shock polling has Energy Minister Chris Bowen at risk in McMahon - Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen is in danger of losing his western Sydney seat of McMahon to local tech millionaire Matt Camenzuli, according to independent polling showing ­power bills a top concern. Mr Bowen holds the seat, which has always been in ALP hands, with a margin of about 10 per cent after an electoral redistribution, but Compass polling taken last weekend shows him on just 19 per cent support, well ­behind independent candidate Mr Camenzuli on 41 per cent. Not only does the polling show Mr Bowen behind the local businessman, but also just below the Liberal support of 20 per cent. The distribution of Liberal preferences could decide the outcome on election night. Voters in McMahon overwhelmingly rejected the same-sex marriage plebiscite Labor ­supported in 2017, as well as the ­Indigenous voice to parliament. Labor support in western Sydney is under pressure, with seats being directly targeted by the ­Coalition. But Labor was dismissive of the poll on Wednesday, claiming it did not represent the electorate and that Mr Camenzuli would finish below the Liberals.

>>22900890 Video: Peter Dutton alleged target of Brisbane private school student’s terror plot - Peter Dutton was allegedly the target of a Brisbane private school student charged with buying ­ingredients to make bombs and testing “homemade explosives” in preparation to launch a terrorist attack. The 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was ­arrested and charged last August after a joint counter-terrorism ­investigation by federal and Queensland police. Sources have told The Australian that the teenager was allegedly planning to attack the federal Opposition Leader at his home on an acreage, north of Brisbane. The alleged plot, according to the sources familiar with the ­investigation, involved the use of a drone. Queensland and federal police declined to comment about their investigation or the evidence against the teenager, who on Thursday was committed to stand trial on a single charge relating to the alleged plot. The teenager, who attended one of Brisbane’s prestigious private boys’ schools until his arrest, has been charged with a commonwealth offence of committing acts done “in preparation for, or planning, a terrorist act”. It carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment if convicted.

#40 - Part 33

2025 Australian Federal Election - Part 23

>>22900903 Albanese reaches out to Dutton over report of alleged terror plot - Anthony Albanese has reached out to Peter Dutton after reports he was the subject of an alleged terror plot, saying there is "no place whatsoever in politics" for such threats and alleging he was himself the subject of a threat. A report in The Australian suggested Mr Dutton was the target of a 16-year-old boy, who allegedly bought bomb-making ingredients in preparation for an attack. A teenager, who cannot be named under Queensland laws, appeared before the Brisbane Children's Court on Thursday charged with buying and testing bomb ingredients over a period from May to July of last year. He was committed to stand trial and is remanded in custody. No details were given during the hearing as to any target of the alleged plot. Mr Albanese said the number of threats against politicians was increasing, necessitating heightened security on the election campaign trail. "I've reached out to Peter Dutton this morning, and it is a fact that the number of threats that have been made to parliamentarians has increased in recent times," he said. The prime minister alleged he had also been the subject of "a pretty serious incident" which he said was "before legal processes at the moment". "[But] I have confidence in … the Australian Federal Police and the authorities to do what they can to keep us safe. But that is one of the reasons why you have seen an increased number of security measures put in place."

>>22900909 Albanese reveals legal proceedings over ‘serious incident’ - Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has revealed authorities have launched legal proceedings to protect him after a “serious incident”, as it emerged that a Brisbane teenager had allegedly plotted to harm Opposition Leader Peter Dutton in a terrorist attack. Albanese said he had reached out to Dutton to discuss the alleged terror plot, adding that “it is a fact that the number of threats that have been made to parliamentarians has increased in recent times and that has been reported on by the appropriate authorities”. “I myself have been the subject of a range of issues, at least one of which is before legal processes at the moment,” he told reporters in Darwin. “There was a pretty serious incident.” Albanese said he had confidence in the Australian Federal Police’s ability to keep parliamentarians safe, as he noted increased security protections for politicians during the federal election campaign. The early days of the campaign were marred by environmental protesters gatecrashing several events, including by posing as journalists, leading both campaigns to tighten their security arrangements. Asked to provide more detail at a subsequent press conference, Albanese said it “is not in the interest of security to give a whole range of details, which then can lead to people copying” the threats. Albanese confirmed there had been several threats made, and one “particularly serious incident”, as he suggested authorities had advised him not to elaborate on the details.

>>22905370 Election 2025: Liberals ‘anxious’ of losing key WA seat of Forrest - A blue-ribbon West Australian Liberal seat held by the Coalition for more than 50 years is at risk of being lost to the Climate 200 teal independent, forcing the party to funnel resources into maintaining the electorate when it hoped to be flipping seats in the state. While the teals had originally planned to only bring down the margin of Forrest - in WA’s South West region – before seeking to win the seat in the following election, polling commissioned by Simon Holmes a Court’s Climate 200 revealed a tight contest between independent Sue Chapman and Liberal candidate Ben Small. When asked who would receive their first preference if the election were held today, about 20 per cent of the almost 1000 constituents surveyed earlier this month said they would choose Ms Chapman, while 34 per cent chose Mr Small - a former WA Liberal senator. However, on a two-candidate preferred basis, the polling showed Ms Chapman ahead of Mr Small 51 per cent to 49 per cent. The polling, which the Coalition has previously criticised for the way it asks voters questions, also showed 27 per cent of undecided voters preferred Ms Chapman, compared to less than 18 per cent who indicated they were leaning towards Mr Small. While Forrest withstood Labor’s wipe-out of WA blue-ribbons seats including Pearce, Hasluck, Swan and Tangney in 2022, the electorate still recorded a swing to Labor of more than 10 per cent, leaving the once-safe seat in play for the 2025 election with a margin of just over 4 per cent.

#40 - Part 34

2025 Australian Federal Election - Part 24

>>22905376 Video: Jacinta Price pledges to ‘make Australia great again’ - Coalition frontbencher Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has vowed to “make Australia great again” while standing alongside Opposition Leader Peter Dutton at an event in Perth on Saturday, echoing US President Donald Trump’s signature slogan. The firebrand senator made the remarks at the end of her speech and before a press conference where she vowed to overhaul Australia’s education system and accused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of having “effectively destroyed Australia”. “We have incredible candidates right around the country that I’m so proud to be able to stand beside to ensure that we can make Australia great again, that we can bring Australia back to its former glory, that we can get Australia back on track,” Price said. Labor has capitalised on voters’ fear of Trump’s tariffs policies and capricious approach to governing by attempting to link the Coalition to the president, which Dutton has parried by emphasising policy differences with the White House on issues such as the war in Ukraine. Asked about her remark at a press conference later on Saturday, Price said: “I don’t even realise I said that, but no, I’m an Australian and I want to ensure that we get Australia back on track.” Four days after Trump’s inauguration, Dutton appointed Price as the shadow minister for government efficiency, drawing parallels to the controversial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Trump ally and tech billionaire Elon Musk.

>>22905382 Image emerges of Jacinta Price wearing Maga cap - one day after she says Coalition will ‘make Australia great again’ - Coalition politicians have continued to downplay Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s apparent referencing of Donald Trump’s signature Make America Great Again slogan at an election rally, calling it a “slip of the tongue” even as images emerge of the shadow minister and her husband wearing Maga hats just months ago. The Nationals leader, David Littleproud, called it a “slip of the tongue” when Price, the shadow minister for government efficiency and Indigenous Australians, told a campaign rally she wanted to “make Australia great again” on Saturday. The senator later claimed she hadn’t “even realised” she made the comments, then accused the media of being “obsessed” with the US president. Guardian Australia has obtained an image of the senator at an event with her family over the Christmas period wearing a Maga hat. In one image with her husband, Colin Lillie, she is seen holding a Trump Christmas tree decoration. Price is wearing a gold and white “Make America Great Again” baseball cap, while Lillie wears a Santa hat with the same slogan and a US flag. Guardian Australia has approached Coalition campaign headquarters for comment. Despite echoing several Trump policies, including naming Price to a “government efficiency” role reminiscent of Elon Musk’s “department of government efficiency”, Dutton has shrugged off comparisons to the US president. The Liberal leader has also denied that his plans to slash the public service, including cutting roles associated with the education department and those in diversity and inclusion positions, were influenced by Trump.

>>22905392 Battle of the election ‘sugar hits’: Labor and Coalition announce tax plans at duelling campaign launches - Australians would get an automatic $1,000 tax deduction on their annual returns without having to produce receipts or paperwork, in an election promise made by Anthony Albanese at Labor’s campaign launch. The new, permanent tax deduction was announced by the Labor leader just an hour after Peter Dutton promised that a Coalition government would offer up to $1,200 in a one-off tax refund for low- and middle-income earners, as well as allow interest payments on home mortgages to be tax deductible for first home buyers. Labor and the Coalition are locked in an election spend-a-thon, with billions of new promises on cost-of-living measures and tax sweeteners – with each accusing the other of offering “sugar hit” policies to win votes. At Labor’s campaign launch in Perth, Albanese said the new “instant tax deduction” would allow all workers to claim $1,000 on work expenses against their tax liability - more than triple the existing benchmark of $300 without receipts. At the Coalition’s campaign launch, in western Sydney, Dutton pledged his own new tax relief for voters. The Liberal leader detailed what he called a cost-of-living tax offset, a $10bn tax cut to give low and middle income earners up to $1,200 in tax relief in the upcoming financial year. It closely mirrored the time-limited low and middle income tax offset from the previous Morrison Coalition government.

#40 - Part 35

2025 Australian Federal Election - Part 25

>>22909350 Newspoll: Voters expect Labor in minority government - A majority of voters now expect the May 3 election to deliver a hung parliament and a Labor minority government, as primary vote support for the Coalition falls to below levels recorded at the last election amid a boost in personal approval for Anthony Albanese. An exclusive Newspoll for The Australian shows expectations have swung significantly since the start of this year when a majority of voters expected the Coalition to win the election. Despite the increasing expectation of a hung parliament, two-thirds want a majority government, with 32 per cent wanting it to be led by Labor and 32 per cent wanting the Coalition. The latest Newspoll, the second of the campaign, shows the decline in primary vote support continuing for the Coalition, which has fallen a further point to 35 per cent. This follows a week dominated by market turmoil triggered by Donald Trump’s trade war, the ditching of the Coalition’s return to the office mandate for public servants and a closely contested leaders’ debate. This is the third consecutive poll to record a decline in the ­Coalition’s primary vote, which reached a high of 40 per cent in November last year and 39 per cent in January this year. It is now at its lowest ebb since October 2023, prior to the outcome of the voice referendum, but lower than was recorded at the last election where it achieved 35.7 per cent.

>>22909364 Trumpet of Patriots candidate Michael Jessop facing criminal charges - A man on bail for a number of serious offences, including stalking and weapons charges, will stand against Opposition Leader Peter Dutton this federal election. Michael Norman Jessop is a candidate for Clive Palmer's Trumpet of Patriots party, and will be listed on the ballot paper under Mr Dutton in the marginal Brisbane electorate of Dickson. Mr Jessop says he will fight what he describes as "trumped-up" charges. The boatbuilder, 70, from the Sunshine Coast ran unsuccessfully in last year's Queensland election as an independent candidate in the seat of Caloundra. Details of his alleged offending emerged just days before the state poll. Two of the charges, which relate to the possession of a knife and trespassing, remain before the Maroochydore Magistrates Court, where he is next due to appear in August. Other offences, including wilful damage, unlawful stalking and the unlawful possession of weapons, are before the District Court. Mr Jessop was arrested in July last year after police were called to reports of a man acting suspiciously outside a property in the Sunshine Coast town of Bli Bli, east of Nambour. Police allege they found weapons and camouflage clothing inside his car. It is also alleged that during a further search of the vehicle officers located a shovel, axe, gloves, duct tape, ropes and a cadaver bag.

>>22914061 Trump backlash shifts voters from Dutton to Albanese: poll - Voters have lifted Labor to a powerful pre-election lead of 53.5 per cent in two-party terms amid signs that some have turned away from the Coalition out of concern at the impact of US President Donald Trump on Australia. The exclusive findings show that 35 per cent of undecided voters say they are less likely to back Opposition Leader Peter Dutton because of changes wrought by Trump, while only 24 per cent say the same of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The shift has cut support for the Coalition to just 46.5 per cent in two-party terms - down from 50 per cent less than one month ago – and suggests that Labor is within sight of holding majority government. Albanese has doubled his lead over Dutton as preferred prime minister, ahead by 46 to 30 per cent, after weeks of argument about competing tax policies and a sudden Coalition retreat last week on its plan to halt working from home in the public service. The survey, conducted by Resolve Strategic for this masthead, shows that Labor has increased its primary vote from 29 to 31 per cent in recent weeks, while the Coalition’s has fallen from 37 to 34 per cent. Core support for the Greens is steady at 13 per cent and Pauline Hanson’s One Nation has slipped one point to 6 per cent, while support for independent candidates has risen from 9 to 12 per cent. Albanese and Dutton have sought to distance themselves from Trump and his policies during the campaign, but Labor has accused the opposition leader of copying the US president with his complaints about “woke” agendas and his decisions to cut public servants.

#40 - Part 36

2025 Australian Federal Election - Part 26

>>22914075 Election 2025: Peter Dutton embraces underdog status amid sliding polls for Coalition - Peter Dutton has embraced the underdog tag and tried to distance himself from US President Donald Trump, as he spent day 18 of the campaign visiting three Labor-held outer Melbourne electorates in an indication he still sees a pathway for Coalition government through Victoria. After polls showing he was losing ground to Labor, the Opposition Leader said “We’re the underdog at this election”. Mr Dutton said it was an uphill battle to knock off a first-term government but there was “no question” the Coalition could win the election. He accused Anthony Albanese of running a “scare campaign” about the Coalition because he was “ashamed of his own record”. “A first-term government hasn’t lost since 1931 … but this has been the worst government since 1931; I don’t think Australians could afford three more years of this bad government,” he said. “So we have to make sure we work hard every day between now and the election.” With Labor making electoral inroads by claiming the Coalition was mimicking Mr Trump’s policies, Mr Dutton declined to stand by his earlier comment that the US President was a “big thinker and deal-maker”. Instead, he said the election was a “contest between Anthony Albanese and myself”.

>>22924268 Video: Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton grilled over US tariffs, China in tense election debate - Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton have squared off in a tense debate held at the ABC’s Parramatta studio, discussing a wide range of topics from housing affordability to the country’s dilemma with foreign superpowers US and China. The Prime Minister and his opponent were grilled on the current pressures Australia is being put under following US President Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs. Mr Dutton actually sided with Mr Albanese this month on the topic of pushing back against Mr Trump, promising that he would always fight for Australia’s interests no matter how daunting the task. “I said in relation to President Trump I thought the scenes we saw coming out of the White House, the treatment of President Zelenskyy, was a disgrace and appalling. I stand by those comments,” he said. “We trust the US, and I don’t know the President. I’ve not met him. My point is who I trust is the Australian people. My job is to stand up for our country’s interests which is what I did when we negotiated the AUKUS deal with President Biden.” Mr Albanese said he had “no reason not to” trust Mr Trump after their most recent chat. “In the end, he made a decision as part of the US administration to put these tariffs on every country. We got the lowest amount. But we made it very clear that was an act of self-harm by the US. The US enjoys a trade surplus with Australia. All this will do is put up costs for American consumers.”

>>22927363 Mark Dreyfus strikes vote-swapping deal with anti-Israel Greens in safe Labor seat - Labor’s most senior Jewish minister, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, will direct his supporters to give their second vote to an anti-Israel Greens candidate in his safe Victorian Labor seat of Isaacs. Mr Dreyfus, who sits on a comfortable 9.5 per cent margin, has instructed his supporters to preference the Greens candidate despite previously slamming the party for inciting potentially violent anti-Israel protests outside MPs’ offices and failing to condemn terror group Hamas. His how-to-vote cards will direct voters to put Greens challenger Matthew Kirwan as their No.2 pick, despite his backing for the Palestinian Advocacy Network, his attendance at an anti-Israel protest outside a senior ALP minister’s office, and his demands for sanctions on Israel. The how-to-vote card put up on Mr Dreyfus’s social media only states Mr Kirwan and the other candidates names and does not mention their parties. The Attorney-General’s vote-swapping pact with the Greens in Isaacs comes despite fellow Victorian MP Josh Burns - who is also Jewish – refusing to direct preferences in his inner Melbourne seat of Macnamara where there is a significant Jewish voter base.

#40 - Part 37

2025 Australian Federal Election - Part 27

>>22927387 Monique Ryan, Amelia Hamer face Gaza debate amid sharp rise in Jewish Kooyong numbers - Thousands of extra Jewish voters in the Victorian electorate of Kooyong have complicated teal MP Monique Ryan’s bid to retain the seat after the redistribution overhauled the boundaries. Demographic analysis suggests close to 5000 Jewish voters are now living within the new boundaries of Kooyong after the old seat of Higgins was abolished, an estimated increase of four times the numbers compared with the boundaries. The suburb of Toorak alone has about 1250 Jewish voters, which is slightly more than the total number of Jewish voters in Kooyong before 2025. The new Kooyong now includes well-heeled areas like Armadale, Toorak and Malvern, which are wealthy inner south-eastern Melbourne suburbs. The Liberal Party has tried to paint Dr Ryan as sympathetic to the Greens, which have attracted the ire of many Jewish community members over the minor party’s pro-Palestinian stance on Gaza. But Dr Ryan has told The Weekend Australian she won’t be doing any deals with the Greens if she is re-elected and that she wants to focus on alliances that counter anti-Semitism. It comes after the October 7 atrocities and the war in Gaza, although the broad Jewish vote is not confined to conservative politics, nor does it back as a bloc the decisions of the Netanyahu government.

>>22927396 Jacinta Nampijinpa Price: Restore our nation’s greatness - what’s wrong with that? - "A few days ago, I said that I wanted to see Australia returned to its former glory. And what I meant by that was exactly what I said. That I want the damage to be reversed; that I want our country’s trajectory to begin to point true north again; that we might begin to see some semblance of restoration, redemption - dare I say it, greatness. The media pile-on that subsequently ensued is no secret to anyone. Now, I’ve received my fair share of criticism about my opinions before, so the relentless attacks weren’t all that upsetting. What really gets me, however, is that this is now the norm under Anthony Albanese. It’s one of the biggest indictments of his leadership and it must be called out. Make no mistake, the seeds of division and separatism sowed by Albanese when he committed to holding the voice referendum have had a vicious and lingering effect. We have been so divided, group against group, that it’s all we can see. It benefits no one. There are no winners - everyone suffers in a country like that. Because as the past week has shown, instead of focusing on the real issues, people are now so prone to the separatist mentality that we’re all too willing to distract ourselves with the pile-on without a second thought. The legacy of the Albanese government is the abolition of reasonable and rational conversations. Sensible ground on which mature adult conversations can be had has disappeared under Albanese’s leadership. If we oppose the voice, we’re racist; if we’re in favour of nuclear energy, we’re lunatics who’ll be guilty of creating three-eyed fish; if we witnessed the Prime Minister fall off a stage with our own eyes, we’re sorely mistaken. A Coalition government that I’m part of will govern Australia in the best interests of Australians. And the suggestion that we should be excluded from having the chance to govern because we aspire towards greatness is indefensible. So, to those in the valley of indecision, I dare you to go beyond the headline in weighing up who has the better vision and ability to lead our country. I dare you to believe that our future could be hope-filled, heading upwards, towards greatness and back on track." - Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, opposition spokeswoman for Indigenous Australians - theaustralian.com.au

#40 - Part 38

2025 Australian Federal Election - Part 28

>>22931919 Video: Teal foreign workers posting election posters on power poles caught on video abusing voters - “F*ck off,” says the young man caught on camera. He and his buddy have European accents. They’re wheeling around corflutes for teal candidate Nicolette Boele and posting them to Ausgrid power poles, which is illegal, and the teals know it’s illegal. But they’re doing it anyway, these men. Tonight, for Boele in Sydney’s Bradfield. Days earlier it was for Allegra Spender in Wentworth. Ostensibly paid to break the law, these foreign workers are not Climate 200 volunteers. They’re not teal voters. They’re almost certainly non-citizens and in all likelihood they’re working for cash and couldn’t give a toss about the outcome of the May 3 election. Confronted by local residents, they become belligerent and physically aggressive. “What’s your problem?” one of them says to an elderly couple. These residents have been filming and asking questions, but the scene is turning ugly. An accomplice moves in and manhandles the mobile phone being used to film the interaction. In a different video, a Frenchman says: “Do you want to fight?” His pal laughs, shakes his head and says: “You are actually making our evening interesting.” Paying people to break the law is surely a new low for the teals, having comprehensively rammed it down everyone’s throats that they’re lifting the standard of politics. “People want to see politics done differently,” insisted Goldstein’s Zoe Daniel. “The public wants to see accountability and integrity,” said Zali Steggall. “You’ve told me you want more integrity in politics,” said Spender. But here we not only have payments being provided for a “criminal act”, as it’s defined by the NSW Electoral Commission, but the Spender and Boele campaigns wouldn’t even respond to our questions about the employment status of these hired hands, how they were being paid, and whether these men were instructed to flout the rules on posting corflutes to power poles.

>>22931977 ‘Chilling’ video shows surgeon stomping on Monique Ryan corflute - A Melbourne surgeon has admitted tearing down a Dr Monique Ryan election sign before tutoring men in how to “bury the body” in a video that has outraged anti-violence campaigners and politicians. A video circulating on social media shows Professor Greg Malham praising US President Donald Trump after tearing down the teal Kooyong MP’s corflute before bundling it into the boot of a car and addressing “the boys”. In a second scene at another location, Malham, who is clearly identifiable in the video, removes the sign from the car’s boot and begins stomping on it before burying it under rubbish in a roadside skip. “Just finishing the job, boys. Always gotta bury the body,” he says in the recording. “Just remember these tutorials. It is all about technique, Nigel. Always remember guys, good technique, then dispose of the evidence. Always remember boys, bury the body under concrete.” Asked about the video, Malham - who specialises in spine surgery and has worked at hospitals including Epworth Richmond – told this masthead “it was a silly thing to do”. “It was intended as a joke, but I recognise how bad it looks,” he said. “I have already refunded the money for the sign to Dr Ryan’s campaign, and a bit extra.” A spokesperson for Ryan’s campaign confirmed that a donation made by Malham had been rejected and his money refunded. Respect Victoria chair Professor Kate Fitz-Gibbon said the clip showed a gendered threat directed at a woman in public life and that nobody should dismiss the attack as being “just politics”. “Violence and threats directed at women - whether online or in real life – create a climate of fear,” Fitz-Gibbon said. “This video is a stark reminder of the breadth of harmful misogynistic attitudes across the community. “What we saw in that video was not just vandalism - it was a chilling display of misogyny and intimidation.”

#40 - Part 39

2025 Australian Federal Election - Part 29

>>22932048 Morrison won’t say whether Dutton will repeat his ‘miracle’ win - Good Friday brought together political adversaries among 20,000 faithful at the Maronite Christian Monastery of Saint Charbel in Sydney’s west. Local Labor member Tony Burke was there, as was neighbouring Liberal David Coleman with a visiting couple: the Duttons. But so was Scott Morrison and his wife Jenny, making a rare appearance on the campaign trail. Morrison, a devout Pentecostal Christian who declared his 2019 election win a “miracle”, politely declined to say whether he thought Dutton would do the same - or discuss politics at all. “Happy to be here with the Maronite community,” Morrison said. “Jenny and I have a long-standing relationship with them. We’re here every year and we’re going to go and have a meal with them.” It was a community in full force, spilling out of the church’s grounds onto nearby roads, footpaths and homes to listen to hymns in Arabic and English. Parishioners watched a re-enactment of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Peter and Kirilly Dutton, largely, were just a couple in the crowd. But some were pleased he was there. Daniel Azar, 21, said his vote would be swayed by whether a politician would take a conservative stance on issues such as abortion and voluntary euthanasia. “Seeing Peter Dutton at church today for Good Friday, to witness the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, shows that people in power, in political power, can see us and recognise us as Catholics and as humans,” Azar said.

>>22932112 Election 2025: Labor confident of claiming majority - Anthony Albanese’s top strategists believe he is edging closer to claiming a majority government victory on the back of a recovery in NSW and Victoria, as Coalition ­insiders concede their hit-list of winnable Labor seats is rapidly ­diminishing two weeks out from polling day. Senior ALP figures and MPs are reporting growing optimism that Labor will win enough seats to offset any losses to the Coalition. Amid growing anxiety in ­Coalition ranks over policy cut-through, election tactics and the damaging effects of Labor’s scare campaigns, opposition tacticians now think Peter Dutton’s path to victory has dramatically narrowed since January. The ALP-held marginal seats of Gilmore on the NSW south coast and Aston in suburban Melbourne have been nominated as the only certainties expected to fall to the Coalition, alongside likely gains in Bennelong, Ryan and ­Monash. Top targets for Labor to offset losses include the Greens’ Queensland seats of Griffith and Brisbane, where the ALP is understood to have its nose ahead in a tight three-cornered contest. Despite rising confidence in Labor ranks, an ALP powerbroker warned that the party was “still under a lot of water” in Victoria and that results in Melbourne seats such as McEwen and Chisholm could come down to preferences and how much the Coalition gains from minor parties. Ahead of pre-polling centres opening on Tuesday, the senior Labor figure also cautioned that 20 per cent of voters remain undecided, which heaps pressure on the leaders to avoid mistakes in the final fortnight of the campaign. Both of the major parties are bracing for historically low primary votes, which means preferences from the Greens, One Nation, Clive Palmer’s Trumpet of Patriots and independents will be pivotal.

>>22932226 OPINION: Messiah to pariah - Dutton stopped believing in Trump, and now we know why - "The US president had unsettled the election campaign from the outset. But in the past couple of weeks, the tangerine titan had become totally toxic. And the pollsters can tell us precisely when it happened. “When you speak to people in focus groups, it had gone from a mood for change, a desire to do something about the cost of living, to do anything about the cost of living, to feeling insecure,” says the Resolve Strategic’s Jim Reed, pollster for this masthead. “Change was starting to look risky.” And the mood switch struck suddenly. “Almost immediately” after Trump’s announcement of global tariffs, the so-called Liberation Day, which was successful mostly in liberating people from their life savings. He takes us into a focus group he conducted shortly after the Trump shock: “One over-55 voter said it was the first time he’d checked his superannuation balance twice in one week.” It was a “deeply upsetting” experience for him, says Barry. “Even if you’re nowhere near retirement, your shares go down, your super goes down, you feel less confident about the future, even if you’re in your 40s or 50s. ‘My nest egg is a bit smaller - who’s doing something about it?’.”" - Peter Hartcher, political and international editor - theage.com.au

#40 - Part 40

2025 Australian Federal Election - Part 30

>>22932284 Opinion: Donald Trump’s tariffs may be Anthony Albanese’s Tampa crisis - "Two weeks can be an eternity in politics but Peter Dutton’s dream of forming a government is surely over now. The Easter and Anzac Day holiday breaks and Tuesday’s pre-poll kick-off make that more certain. Only a dramatic unforeseen event could change his fortunes. For many months before the calling of the election, the Coalition continued to be backed heavily by the betting agencies. It was the favourite with the bookies for a long time. In the last Newspoll before US President Donald Trump’s tariff announcement, the Opposition Leader led 39-31 on the primary vote and was ahead 51-49 on a two-party-preferred basis. So, what changed? For a start, Anthony Albanese’s election timing was spot-on. The irony is, Cyclone Alfred upset the Prime Minister’s plans but also gave him early momentum. When responded to well, natural disasters provide an opportunity to help people in need and to look prime ministerial. Albanese did both, and he did them well. Then came Trump’s tariffs. The tariff announcement was for Albanese what the 2001 MV Tampa asylum-seeker stand-off was for John Howard. Howard was struggling in the first half of that year but three months out from the 2001 election the Tampa crisis - and Labor’s responses to it – dramatically changed the electoral fortunes of the major parties. The images of our special forces soldiers forcibly boarding the accidental rescue ship seared the drama into the minds of voters. Now Labor is working hard to capitalise on Trump’s policies by taking every opportunity to link Dutton to the methods of the great disrupter." - Joel Fitzgibbon Labor member for the NSW seat of Hunter, 1996-2022 - theaustralian.com.au

>>22938740 Video: Anthony Albanese, Peter Dutton cancel election campaign events after Pope Francis' death, leaders' debate to resume - Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Dutton have paused campaigning in the wake of Pope Francis' death but will still go head to head in Tuesday night's leaders' debate. Both leaders' campaign teams have confirmed the cancellation of scheduled events as the news sends shockwaves around the world. Both leaders have paid tribute to the Pope in the wake of the shocking news, with Mr Albanese stating Francis would be "mourned by Catholics and non-Catholics alike". The Prime Minister said the Holy Father "lived out his faith and vocation in word and deed". "He was truly inspirational in his modest way of life and at his weekly audiences, he demonstrated his commitment to peace, equality and inclusion," he said in an address on Monday night. "Pope Francis's love for humanity was powerful and profound. The memory and example of his compassion will long endure as we mourn his death." Mr Dutton's tribute highlighted the pontiff's Christ-like values, declaring he "served God with the utmost devotion throughout his life”. “He was the first Pope from the Jesuit order and the first Latin American Pope,” he said in a statement. “He lived frugally and simply. Above all else, he was driven by Christ’s values of mercy and forgiveness. He emphasised those values in his last Christmas address, saying, ‘God’s mercy can do all things. It unties every knot; it tears down every wall of division; God’s mercy dispels hatred and the spirit of revenge.'"

>>22942998 Muslim Vote candidate to push for dismantling of Israel, ‘single democratic state’ in Palestine - A Muslim Vote-backed candidate aiming to dislodge Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke will push for the dismantling of the Jewish state of Israel if he enters parliament, calling for one “democratic” state of Palestinians and Israelis. Ziad Basyouny, the first independent from the Muslim community to run against a Labor incumbent, said he would also push for “reparations and reconciliations” for Palestinian refugees if he were elected in the western Sydney seat of Watson. Mr Burke and Education Minister Jason Clare are staring down the most potent Muslim Vote-backed challenges in their southwest Sydney seats, where voters are unhappy about the government’s stance on Gaza. In a statement, Dr Basyouny said if elected, he would push for to position “Australia as a potential leader in a new era of principled foreign policy, one that upholds justice and rejects apartheid, ethno-nationalism, and impunity for war crimes”. “We will no longer accept the double standards of global politics,” Dr Basyouny said. “Australia cannot claim to support democracy and human rights while turning a blind eye to apartheid and war crimes. Our policy puts values before geopolitics.” He said this would see Australia advocate for a “single democratic state in historic Palestine” and “recognition of the right of return for Palestinian refugees and support for reparations and reconciliation”.

#40 - Part 41

2025 Australian Federal Election - Part 31

>>22943004 Election 2025: Anthony Albanese’s preference for Israel-hating radical - Anthony Albanese is directing supporters in his seat of Grayndler to give their second votes to a Greens candidate who claims ­Israel is guilty of genocide and ­demands the Prime Minister blacklist the Jewish state and expel its ambassador. As almost all of Labor’s frontbench get into preference deals with the anti-Israel party, Mr ­Albanese has put Greens candidate Hannah Thomas as his ­number two recommendation to voters without identifying which party she represents on his how-to-vote card. The preference swap comes ­despite Mr Albanese’s own claims that the Greens are spreading misinformation on the Israel-Hamas war and that he will not be ­negotiating with them in a hung parliament. The nation’s peak Jewish body on Tuesday criticised Mr Albanese’s preference stance, saying he was “uplifting and rewarding” the political extremists in the Greens with his voting recommendation. And after five days of silence on his vote-swapping deal with the Greens in his safe outer-Melbourne seat of Isaacs, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus on Tuesday repeatedly told The Australian that the how-to-vote cards he was giving out to voters at pre-poll stations at the time were “a matter for the party”. Almost every other member of the Albanese ministry with publicly disclosed how-to-vote cards - from Jim Chalmers and Richard Marles down to assistant ministers and “special envoys” – have also directed voters to give the Greens their number two preferences.

>>22943017 Video: Anthony Albanese gags anti-Greens Labor MP Josh Burns - Anthony Albanese has muzzled the only Labor MP who has refused to preference the Greens, as the Prime Minister faces an angry backlash from Jewish leaders over vote-swapping deals with the anti-Israel party and the ALP spends millions of dollars sandbagging at-risk electorates. Amid rising concerns in Labor ranks about losing the Melbourne seats of Macnamara, Wills, Aston, McEwen and potentially Chisholm to the Liberals and Greens, Mr Albanese on Monday shut down questions to Josh Burns about his decision to leave his preferences open. On a campaign stop in St Kilda, in the heart of Mr Burns’s seat of Macnamara, Mr Albanese raised his hand and said “thanks a lot” when The Australian asked the Labor backbencher about his open ticket. Macnamara, being targeted by the Greens and Liberals, is home to a sizeable Jewish-Australian community and the Adass Israel Synagogue, which was firebombed in an anti-Semitic attack last year. After ducking and weaving during the campaign on Labor preference deals with the Greens, the release of how-to-vote cards last week confirmed that senior Labor ministers including Mark Dreyfus had preferenced the radical left-wing party for the May 3 election. Mr Burns, who is Jewish, declined to comment when asked about the Prime Minister’s intervention to block questions about Mr Dreyfus’s preference deal with the Greens. A Labor source played down the incident, describing it as nothing more than Mr Albanese ensuring everyone was “keeping on message” and it was “no big deal”.

>>22943024 Coalition pledges tough on crime $750m investment - Federal police will conduct an Australia-wide crackdown on illicit drugs, and pedophiles will be forced on to a national register if the Coalition wins the election, as Peter Dutton seeks a post-Easter election reset with his traditional strengths on fighting crime and boosting the military. The Coalition on Monday will announce a $750m “Operation Safer Communities”, which would see it establish a national drug enforcement and organised crime strike team to deal with drugs, tobacco and vapes, as well as a 12-month pilot national child sex offender disclosure scheme that would allow parents to apply to see whether an adult their child was interacting with was a convicted sex offender. This comes on top of other law-and-order policy pledges previously made by the Coalition, such as on anti-Semitic crimes and US-style syndicate-busting laws. The tough-on-crime push - which helped Queensland Premier David Crisafulli and Northern Territory Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro topple Labor governments last year – will come ahead of Mr Dutton’s long-awaited policy on defence, which is expected in the lead-up to Anzac Day at the end of the week. Mr Dutton spent a low-key Easter weekend in his home state of Queensland as he seeks to bounce back in the final two weeks of the election campaign after a mixed start.

#40 - Part 42

2025 Australian Federal Election - Part 32

>>22943027 The top reasons voters are hesitant on Albanese or Dutton - and it’s worse in marginal seats - Anger over the cost of living is eroding support for Labor in Australia’s most marginal seats, highlighting the challenge for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in gaining a convincing lead over the Coalition in the final two weeks of the campaign. An exclusive survey for this masthead by research firm Resolve Strategic shows 47 per cent of voters name the cost of living as the biggest reason for hesitating in giving their vote to Labor, ahead of other factors such as managing the economy. Results also reveal that 45 per cent name Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and his personality as the top reason they would not cast a ballot for the Coalition. The concern about Dutton has widened among voters since the Resolve Political Monitor asked the same question in February, when 35 per cent said his personality as leader was the main reason for hesitation. The findings come as senior Labor figures say they are “not taking anything for granted” despite public polls showing a swing against Dutton and the Coalition since the government unveiled an $8.5 billion boost for Medicare in February and personal tax cuts in the March 25 federal budget.

>>22943035 Trumpet of Patriots candidate Jason Smart urges voters to place him last after controversial how-to-vote card - A Trumpet of Patriots candidate has urged voters to place him last on their ballot papers, saying he was “blindsided” by chairman Clive Palmer’s decision to preference Teal independents in the upcoming federal election. TOP candidate Jason Smart, who is running in the Liberal-held Victorian seat of Flinders, on Monday announced his withdrawal of support for the right-wing party and encouraged other candidates to follow suit, after controversial preference recommendations on its how-to-vote cards were revealed on Friday. The father-of-two said preferencing the Teals, Labor and the Greens was a “shocking and sinister” move by the TOP party. “My wife and I have been sitting here at home in utter disbelief since Friday morning,” Mr Smart said. “I was given an undertaking by Clive Palmer and the TOP that if I ran as a candidate for them, that the Teal, Labor (and) Greens candidates would be last on the HTV card. I only agreed to run on that basis.” Mr Smart said he would now assist the campaign of One Nation candidate Mike Brown, who had preferenced sitting Liberal MP for Flinders Zoe McKenzie. “Mike Brown of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation, has been transparent and upfront with the Australian people about their desire to see the back of Albanese,” he said. “I share that desire, and that’s why I’m asking the people of Flinders that when they vote, to put me last. A vote for the Trumpet of Patriots is a vote for the Teals, and I won’t stand for it.”

#40 - Part 43

Australian Politics and Society - Part 1

>>22651821 Video: Northern Territory leader Lia Finocchiaro stands by decision to not acknowledge traditional owners at Darwin Bombing ceremony - Northern Territory Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro has defended her decision not to acknowledge traditional owners at last week’s Bombing of Darwin ceremony, saying the practice had become so widespread under Labor it had lost its meaning. Mrs Finocchiaro was one of eight dignitaries to deliver a speech at the event. Others included Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce, Northern Territory Administrator Hugh Heggie, Commander of Darwin’s 1st Brigade Brigadier Doug Pashley, City of Darwin chief executive officer Simone Saunders and Darwin Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis. Each speaker acknowledged the Larrakia traditional owners while Professor Heggie delivered his welcome in the Larrakia language. There was also a five-minute Welcome to Country delivered by Larrakia man James Parfitt, but Mrs Finocchiaro made no mention of the Larrakia people. She instead made special mention of veterans and their families. “I’d like to make a special acknowledgement to the veterans here today, to serving men and women, to the families and descendants of survivors, ladies and gentlemen, but also importantly to our children,” she said. Traditional owners as well as Labor and Independent politicians criticised the Chief Minister for failing to mention the Larrakia people.

>>22651829 Video: Senator Lidia Thorpe calls on Indigenous Australians to ‘decolonise’ by planting Aboriginal flags and charging white people rent -Turncoat senator Lidia Thorpe has urged Indigenous Australians to plant the Aboriginal flag on land and make white people pay to visit, to “assert sovereignty’’ over ­Australia. The former Greens senator, who defected to sit as an Independent, spoke of her ambition to run Blak Sovereign candidates in every state and territory, and outlined her provocative plans to “f*ck the colony” in a closed-door address to an anti-racism symposium organised by the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Brisbane. “We have to organise and strategise and take over our land like they did,’’ the Victorian senator said to applause from the ­audience. “We need to start putting our own flags into our own land and f*ck the colony.’’ Senator Thorpe outlined her plan to seek re-election when her term expires in three years - and then hand her seat to the Blak Sovereign movement by creating a casual vacancy in the Senate. “I have three years left but I’m gonna run again,’’ she said in a recording of her speech to the QUT academic symposium on January 23, obtained by The Australian on Tuesday. “The media don’t know that. I don’t want be there for another six years. The only reason I’m going to run again is to win it back for the Blak Sovereign movement and then I’m gonna hand it to the next generation.’’

#40 - Part 44

Australian Politics and Society - Part 2

>>22651843 US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to address super summit - US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will address the inaugural Australian Super Summit in Washington this week in a diplomatic win for Australia, as the Albanese government works to leverage Sydney as the next financial services centre for the Indo-Pacific region. The super summit is part of a key diplomatic initiative by the Albanese government - nine months in the making – aimed at unlocking greater returns for Australians by developing stronger investment partnerships and opportunities in the US economy. The push by the Albanese government to unlock opportunities for super funds in the US and potentially expand investment by tens of billions of dollars comes as it ramps up the diplomatic campaign to secure an exemption from Donald Trump’s planned 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium. Jim Chalmers arrived in Washington on Sunday night, local time, and is due to hold his own meeting with Mr Bessent, where the Treasurer will raise the case for tariff exemptions, before delivering his own address to the Super Summit at the Australian embassy in Washington on Tuesday.

>>22651858 Trump aide’s fresh attack on tech taxes ahead of Australian trade summit - A top Trump trade adviser has fired a fresh broadside at US allies who levy additional taxes on American tech companies, in a sign Australia’s latest plans to force social media giants to pay for news may antagonise the new administration. The comments came as Treasurer Jim Chalmers arrived in Washington for meetings with his American counterpart amid concerted efforts to convince the Trump administration to exempt Australia from planned tariffs. Peter Navarro, who encouraged tariffs on Australia during US President Donald Trump’s first term, criticised countries for targeting American technology firms with digital services taxes to prop up their own industries. “What these countries are doing is discriminating against our biggest tech companies,” Navarro told CNN. “They do it in a way [that] only applies to the very largest companies, and it’s always the American companies. “Meanwhile, they use them to promote their own national champions inside the country. Effectively, they steal our tax revenues from us. It’s just outrageous.” While Australia does not have such a tax and was not named by Navarro, analysts say the federal government’s plan to compel social media giants to fund Australian news outlets, or face a new tax, would be regarded by the White House as discriminatory. “The media bargaining code is implicitly a tax on disproportionately US-based tech companies in order to fund Australian media,” said Steven Hamilton, a former Australian Treasury official and now assistant professor of economics at George Washington University in Washington.

>>22651877 Inside the Trump-loving gathering that wants to save ‘Austrailia’ - “Look at these crazy Australians, who let them in?” Benny Johnson joked as he took to the stage, gesturing to a rowdy group of fans up the front of the ballroom. “They’re from Australia, they escaped the concentration camps in Australia. The COVID camps. They got out, good for them … We’re going to save Australia.” Johnson, a charismatic, fast-talking media personality with 2.7 million YouTube subscribers and 3.5 million followers on X, is typical of the guests you will find at the Conservative Political Action Conference, the world’s largest gathering of its kind, held annually just outside Washington. What started in the 1970s with a keynote address by Ronald Reagan has morphed into a massive vehicle for Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again movement, and the 2025 edition was a full-blown celebration. From across the country and the world, they flocked to the massive Gaylord National Resort and Convention Centre in National Harbor to declare victory over the “woke” left and “deep state”, to pray at the altar of Trump and to plan the American revolution they have in mind for the next four years - and beyond. A contingent of up to 40 Australians was present, including mining magnate Gina Rinehart and her lieutenant, Teena McQueen, a former Liberal Party vice-president. This correspondent saw no Australian MPs, although 28-year-old Queensland farmer Lachlan Lade, who is running for the Senate, was there in a “Make Australia Great Again” cap. CPAC Australia co-founder Andrew Cooper and chairman Warren Mundine spoke on stage during the Friday morning session, in front of an electronic sign that misspelled the country’s name as “Austrailia”. The tiny but vocal crowd audience cheered as Mundine explained the defeat of the Voice referendum.

#40 - Part 45

Australian Politics and Society - Part 3

>>22657775 Video: Captain Cook vandals ‘are criminals, not protesters’ - Police are investigating an ­attempt to decapitate a Captain Cook statue in East Melbourne, saying those responsible will be treated as “criminals, not ­protesters”. Police said a security patrol alerted officers to three people ­attempting to sever the head of the statue and using red paint on Captain Cook’s cottage in Fitzroy Gardens about 2am on Tuesday. The statue was reinstalled just over two weeks ago after it was cut off at its feet in a similar protest in February last year, with the repairs costing $13,000. The City of Port Phillip also ­repaired a Captain Cook statue in St Kilda last year, after it was toppled in the lead up to January 26. Detective Inspector Martin McLean said the force did not view the act as a protest and said offenders will be caught if they don’t hand themselves in. “The community has a pretty dim view on people who behave in this manner,” he said. “I don’t see them as protesters, I see them as criminals and that’s how we’ll deal with them.” He said there had been a strong security presence at the sites given the number of similar acts in recent years, with new security measures being installed at Fitzroy Gardens. “It’s clearly a targeted attack,” he said. CCTV footage shows three hooded figures using what police believe is an angle grinder in an ­attempt to cut the head off the statue before fleeing. The statue was left with slash marks on its neck. The graffiti, which police described as “anti-Cook comments”, was removed swiftly by the council on Tuesday morning.

>>22657788 Video: Jim Chalmers pushes US for tariff exemptions, Donald Trump orders probe into copper tariffs - Treasurer Jim Chalmers has used a meeting with his American counterpart to continue Australia's push for an exemption from hefty tariffs on Australian steel and aluminium imports. His visit coincided with US President Donald Trump flagging possible new tariffs on all imports of copper. Mr Chalmers travelled to the US capital to meet with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett alongside Australia's ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd. At the top of the agenda was the looming question over whether the Trump administration would continue its planned imposition of 25 per cent tariffs on Australian steel and aluminium. Earlier this month, Mr Trump signed an executive order directing a 25 per cent tariff be placed on all aluminium and steel imports. The tariffs, which are due to be implemented on March 12, have set off alarms and uncertainty across Australia's manufacturing industry and beyond. Prior to his visit to Washington, Mr Chalmers told the ABC he was not expecting to reach a resolution on Mr Trump's planned tariffs as talks were still ongoing. Instead, Mr Chalmers said the visit was about informing the Trump administration of Australia's unique position, and putting forward Australia's case for exemptions.

>>22657800 Video: US treasury chief says tariffs are needed to rebuild America - US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has defended tariffs at the Australian embassy in Washington as a crucial tool to reindustrialise America, generate government revenue and bring about a broad economic rebalancing to strengthen US economic security. After giving the keynote speech at the inaugural Australian Super Summit, Mr Bessent washed his hands of any final decision over whether Canberra would be granted an exemption from Donald Trump’s proposed 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium - due to begin from March 12. “We’ll know more about that from USTR (the United States Trade Representative) and Commerce (Secretary),” he said leaving the building. “It’s not really a Treasury issue.” During his remarks, Mr Bessent sketched out the Trump Administration’s expectations for American allies to contribute more towards collective security arrangements and restructure their economies to reduce any imbalances that hollowed out vital US industries. He acknowledged that, on trade, there was “very little friction between the US and Australia” but made clear the Trump Administration was pushing ahead with its reciprocal tariff agenda from early April. He said that on April 2 the Commerce Department and USTR were “going to issue an expansive report” looking at the full spectrum of trade barriers. This would include a thorough examination of tariffs levied against the US as well as the use of non-tariff trade barriers, currency manipulation and fines - including those targeting US digital and tech companies.

#40 - Part 46

Australian Politics and Society - Part 4

>>22680066 Video: Albanese backs Ukraine after Trump’s catastrophic meeting with Zelensky - Ukraine will turn to Europe for support after an extraordinary, heated argument between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office that has thrown American military aid into doubt and left a purported peace deal under a cloud. World leaders rallied behind Zelensky in the hours after the confrontation, which ended with the Ukrainian leader being forced to leave the White House early, the cancellation of a lunch and planned joint press conference with Trump, and a deal to share in Ukraine’s rare earth minerals left unsigned. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer professed his “unwavering support for Ukraine” and will host Zelensky and other European leaders at a defence summit in London on Sunday, focused on Ukraine. Following the catastrophic meeting in Washington, the London summit was reportedly expanded to include more European nations and Canada’s Justin Trudeau. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australia would stand with Ukraine “for as long as it takes, because this is the struggle of a democratic nation versus an authoritarian regime led by Vladimir Putin, who clearly has imperialistic designs, not just on Ukraine, but throughout that region”. At the White House meeting, Trump and his vice president, J.D. Vance, repeatedly accused Zelensky of being “disrespectful” of the US and insufficiently grateful for America’s support, while Zelensky called out some of Trump’s false claims and became angered when Vance said it was time to deal diplomatically with Vladimir Putin.

>>22680085 ‘Standing up to a bully’: Australia reaffirms Ukraine support - Australia says it will continue to support Ukraine against Russia “who has acted like a bully” but refuses to comment on the tense scenes between the American and Ukraine leaders. During a fiery conference in front of the world’s media the Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump exchanged barbs at each other after the two men came together peace in Eastern Europe. Back home in Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese refused to directly answer reporters’ questions about the confrontation between the two leaders. When asked if JD Vance and Mr Trump were bullying Mr Zelensky, Mr Albanese simply said he would stick up for Australia. “What we will do is stand up for Australia’s national interest and Australia has an interest in the international rule of law being upheld, and that is what the people of Ukraine are fighting for,” the Prime Minister said. During the press conference, the Prime Minister was forced to defend our relations with both the US and Ukraine. “What we will do is determine Australia’s position and Australia stand with Ukraine, and there are many of course in the Ukrainian community here as well that I have engaged with for a long period of time now, they are going through, including people who have fled the conflict, the people of Ukraine have suffered greatly in defence of their nation,” he said. “Russia has acted like a bully, a big country seeking to invade and to take over territory from another sovereign nation in this case, Ukraine,” he said. “And like the rest of, overwhelmingly, countries around the world, we have stood with Ukraine and we will continue to do so.”

>>22680116 Video: Anthony Albanese reiterates Australia's stance on Ukraine after wild meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump - Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has maintained Australia stands firmly with Ukraine, after Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump engaged in a heated public debate. A peace deal to end the longstanding Ukraine-Russia war is now under threat after the fiery media event, which ended without a deal being signed. The two Presidents met in the Oval Office of the White House on Friday after Ukraine agreed to the terms of a minerals deal brokered by the Trump administration. If signed, the deal would give the US up to $500bn in revenue from Ukraine's earth minerals in exchange for continued war effort support, but Zelensky ended up leaving without reaching an agreement. During the meeting, Zelensky, Trump and US Vice President JD Vance engaged in a shouting match. Zelensky ended up leaving the White House shortly after, with a scheduled press conference also cancelled. After several world leaders had already commented on the incident, Mr Albanese was asked about the matter during a press conference on Saturday morning. "We stand with Ukraine," he said. "The people of Ukraine are fighting not just for their own national sovereignty, they are fighting for the international rule of law. "Australia has committed some $1.5 billion to help Ukraine defend itself. More than $1.3 billion of that is military support. We will continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes."

#40 - Part 47

Australian Politics and Society - Part 5

>>22685517 Defending Ukraine is in Australia’s national interest: Albanese - Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has linked Ukraine’s war against Russia directly to upholding the rule of international law and Australia’s national interest while leaving the door open to providing more financial and military support to the war-torn nation. Amid the global fallout from the extraordinary heated argument in the White House between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump, Albanese described Zelensky as a hero leading a brave and courageous nation. The Oval Office argument turned into a lecture as Trump and his Vice-President J.D Vance berated Zelensky, who Trump accused of “gambling with World War Three” and of not wanting an end to the conflict that has killed at least 43,000 Ukrainians and an estimated 100,000 Russian soldiers. Albanese, campaigning in western Sydney on Sunday, said the survival of Ukraine from Russia’s aggression was important both to the entire international order and to Australia. “They have shown great bravery, and President Zelensky has shown leadership. He has provided leadership at an extraordinarily difficult time,” he said. “Ukraine is defending its national sovereignty, but it’s also defending the international rule of law, and that is why Australia has a national interest in providing support.”

>>22685531 Video: Ukrainian ambassador to Australia says Ukraine needs ongoing US support for its survival - Ukraine's ambassador to Australia says the Oval Office showdown between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was a "big shock" and warns his country will not survive without ongoing US support. "Emotions were high. We all know it. But Zelenskyy is a very direct man and a very honest man," Vasyl Myroshnychenko told Insiders on Sunday. Despite the extraordinary clash between the two leaders on Friday, Mr Myroshnychenko remains confident a deal between them is still possible. "I'm optimistic that we can find a way to move forward … but we cannot survive without an American commitment. We will continue fighting. We will not surrender, but to end this war we need American involvement." Mr Myroshnychenko said the fiery White House meeting was particularly difficult for his colleague, Ukraine's ambassador to the US, Oksana Markarova, who was pictured with her head in her hands during the meeting. "These are very challenging times and when you represent a country and you spend almost four years working on American support like Oksana has, that was one of those moments which was very difficult for [her] and painful," he said.

>>22685574 Tariff carve-out risk rises as Trump trade adviser slams Australia - Donald Trump’s trade adviser Peter Navarro has accused Australia of dumping subsidised, below-cost aluminium into the United States and drawn comparisons to the behaviour of Russia and China, amid rising concern the Albanese government will fail to secure an exemption from tariffs. Just days after Treasurer Jim Chalmers visited Washington to plead the government’s case for a carve-out from 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium, the staunch protectionist whose goal is to bolster American manufacturing said ending country-specific exemptions “sends a clear message”. “The era of unchecked imports undermining American industry is over. The United States will no longer be a dumping ground for heavily subsidised and unfairly traded aluminum,” he wrote in the USA Today article that was later shared by the White House. Navarro went on to claim it was not “just strategic competitors like China and Russia” that had exploited exemptions. “Nations considered US allies also have been a big part of the problem,” he said. “Consider Australia. Its heavily subsidised smelters operate below cost, giving them an unfair dumping advantage, while Australia’s close ties to China further distort global aluminum trade.” In the piece, Navarro said “voluntary restraint agreements” made by the former Coalition government after it won an exemption from tariffs in Trump’s first term initially kept exports in check. But they surged during the Biden term, he said.

#40 - Part 48

Australian Politics and Society - Part 6

>>22685587 Opinion: Trump tariffs will save American jobs and level the playing field - "In 2018, President Donald Trump implemented Section 232 tariffs on aluminum and steel to protect American producers from a flood of unfairly priced imports threatening our national security. The impact of the Trump tariffs was immediate: Century Aluminum, America’s largest producer, restarted idle production lines; Alcoa expanded operations; U.S. aluminum production surged; and a key industry undergirding our national security was reborn. Enter President Joe Biden: He handed out a complex web of exemptions for other countries and alternative trade arrangements that severely weakened the effectiveness of the Trump tariffs. Predictably, imports once again surged, and by 2024, U.S. aluminum capacity utilization had plummeted to a dangerous 52%, with smelters shutting down and American jobs disappearing. Now, President Trump is taking bold action once again. He has raised the aluminum tariff from 10% to 25% while eliminating all country-specific exemptions. This decisive move sends a clear message: The era of unchecked imports undermining American industry is over. The United States will no longer be a dumping ground for heavily subsidized and unfairly traded aluminum. Predictably, foreign nations are complaining about the new Trump aluminum tariffs. Yet, history needs to be our guide because every one of the countries that benefitted from exemptions or alternatives to the tariff abused the privileges America granted them. Consider Australia. Its heavily subsidized smelters operate below cost, giving them an unfair dumping advantage, while Australia’s close ties to China further distort global aluminum trade. Initially, voluntary restraint agreements in lieu of the Trump tariff kept Australian exports in check. However, once Biden took office, exports surged. In 2024, Australian capacity utilization hit 90% even as American capacity utilization plummeted to nearly 50%. President Trump is now writing a new story for the United States. With one stroke of Trump's pen, the Biden era of idled smelters and declining capacity utilization will come to an end as a golden age of American aluminum production regains its rightful place as a pillar of national security and economic strength. This is far more than a trade battle. It’s a fight for the survival of an essential American industry." - Peter Navarro, White House senior counselor for trade and manufacturing - usatoday.com

>>22685602 Jewish, Hindu and Iranian groups call out Labor hypocrisy - A collection of grassroots minority groups have banded together to call out Labor’s lack of action over rising anti-Semitism and racism ahead of the federal election through a new advertising campaign. The Minority Impact Coalition - a collaboration between the Queensland Jewish Collective, Iranian Novin Party and Hindus of Australia – launched the project last week, which will target Labor-held Sydney, Melbourne and southeast Queensland. The campaign urges Australian voters not to be “fooled” by Labor, with the group claiming the government is “playing both sides” of politics by calling out social division while also preferencing the Greens, who are stoking anti-Semitism. While the federal election has not been called, the ad series will be displayed on billboards, trucks and social media in the coming weeks. Community members feature in several advertisements, including Sydney midwife Sharon Stoliar, who has previously spoken about anti-Semitism in the healthcare system. MIC spokeswoman Hava Mendelle said there has been a “massive breakdown” in social cohesion across the country under Labor, which needs to be called out. “We were called the lucky country once,” she said. “It doesn’t feel so lucky any more.” Ms Mendelle, a Jewish first-generation Australian, said she no longer recognises the country she grew up in. “Politicians aren’t doing enough to really ensure that we are cohesive and that we are a community,” she said. “That’s what Australia Day is about. Instead, you’ve got people out there who are saying, ‘death to Australia’. Are you kidding me? People have come here because they want a better life; that’s the Australian dream. “The Greens have been at the forefront of this anti-Australia rhetoric and Labor is just sitting idly by on their hands not doing anything. Call out the Greens, preference them last.”

#40 - Part 49

Australian Politics and Society - Part 7

>>22691979 Harmony Day ‘hides racism’, says government watchdog - Australia’s racism watchdog has warned schools celebrating Harmony Day that the popular event “hides systemic racism’’, and it has produced a classroom lesson plan replete with trigger warnings. The Australian Human Rights Commission wants schools to rename their annual multicultural festivities on March 21 the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Many childcare centres and schools have embraced Harmony Day as a way for children to learn about different cultures by sharing food, dressing in traditional costumes, learning songs and dances, and enjoying visits from family members and Indigenous elders. But the AHRC complains that Australia’s decision to rename IDERD as Harmony Day in 1999 has “turned the day from a protest against racial discrimination into a celebration’’. “The renaming of this day hides the longstanding systemic racial discrimination many people have faced in Australia,’’ the AHRC states in a new “fact sheet for schools’’. “Calling this commemoration Harmony Day/Week causes harm to our collective anti-racism journey by undermining efforts to identify and address the harm experienced by communities because of racism.’’ Despite the AHRC’s scolding, federal Education Minister Jason Clare defended schools’ ­celebration of Harmony Day. “Harmony Week is all about breaking down barriers and increasing understanding,’’ Mr Clare told The Australian, adding: “That’s a good thing.’’

>>22697689 Albanese and Dutton have little appetite for sending troops to Ukraine - More than two decades after Australia joined the US-led “coalition of the willing” in Iraq, there is little enthusiasm among the nation’s political leaders for a similarly-billed deployment to Ukraine that even America is steering clear of. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer proposed the peacekeeping coalition to European leaders on Monday AEDT, saying the UK would work with France and a small number of other countries to develop a ceasefire plan that would be backed by “boots on the ground, and planes in the air”. But just weeks out from a federal election, neither side of Australian politics is prepared to commit troops to such a mission. Peter Dutton lavished praise on Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday following his bruising Oval Office encounter last week with Donald Trump, describing the Ukrainian President as a “modern day hero” for standing up to the “murderous dictator” Vladimir Putin. But, like Mr Trump, he said European nations needed to “step up” and deal with the security threat on their eastern frontier. “There’s no need for Australia to send troops, but we should continue our support for Ukraine,” Mr Dutton said. Anthony Albanese said Australia’s longstanding support for Ukraine, including $1.3bn in military equipment, was about “doing what’s right, but also what is in Australia’s national interest”. “The brave people of Ukraine, led so extraordinarily by President Zelensky, are fighting not just for their national sovereignty and for their democracy,” the Prime Minister said as he opened a cabinet meeting. “They are fighting for the international rule of law. And it is an easy choice that Australia has made.” But with memories still fresh of the brutal Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns, Labor is not contemplating another high-risk military deployment. “We will consider the details of any proposal, but the deployment of Australian troops to support peacekeeping forces in Ukraine is not under consideration at this time,” a government spokeswoman said.

#40 - Part 50

Australian Politics and Society - Part 8

>>22697695 Anthony Albanese now open to having troops as peacekeepers in Ukraine - Anthony Albanese says he is open to sending Australian troops to serve as peacekeepers in Ukraine, in a surprise pre-election statement after the government appeared to reject the idea. The move places Labor at odds with the Coalition just weeks out from a federal poll on the sensitive issue of sending personnel overseas, and comes as Donald Trump piles further pressure on Kyiv by ordering an indefinite pause on US aid to Ukraine. The Prime Minister declared unprompted on Tuesday that he would consider any request for Australia to join a British-led “coalition of the willing” to provide a security guarantee to Ukraine. “There’s a discussion at the moment about potential peacekeeping and from my government’s perspective, we’re open to consideration of any proposals going forward,” he said. “Australia has historically played an important role in areas including in Africa, in Cyprus, in a range of peacekeeping areas. “We want to see peace in Ukraine, but we want to make sure that the illegal, immoral actions of Russia are not rewarded and that Vladimir Putin and his designs, which are imperialistic, not just on Ukraine but on other countries, are not rewarded or encouraged.” His comment, in answer to a question on Australia purchasing fuel refined from Russian oil, came just a day after Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy appeared to rule out putting Australian boots on the ground in Ukraine. “We’re not envisaging that sort of commitment, but we stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine, and we are proud to be the biggest dominant non-NATO contributor,” Mr Conroy said.

>>22697700 WA premier calls JD Vance a ‘knob’ - West Australian Premier Roger Cook on Tuesday called J.D. Vance a “knob” in an off-hand remark to business leaders, days after the US vice president played a central role in a White House meltdown with Ukraine and as Canberra tries to fend of US sanctions. Cook, the Labor leader of the iron ore export-dependent state for nearly two years and who strongly criticised Donald Trump before he was re-elected as president, made the remark at the end of a breakfast function in Perth where he had just completed a speech. At the end of a question and answer session, Cook was asked to provide a short reaction to a series of names and issues. When prompted about Vance, Cook replied: “Knob.” The response drew laughs and applause from the crowd, which included a host of local business leaders and Cook’s predecessor as premier, Mark McGowan. “Sorry, you’ve got to have one unprofessional moment on stage and that was it,” Cook said. At a press conference later on Tuesday, Cook apologised for any offence the comment might have caused. “It was a light-hearted unprofessional moment and I didn’t mean any offence by it,” Cook said. “When I made the comments there was a lot of applause around the room, so perhaps some people enjoyed the fun that came with it, other people may have been offended, and I apologise if there was any offence.” Asked separately about Cook’s remark, federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers told reporters he would have chosen “different words”.

>>22697717 Video: Roger Cook apologises for calling US Vice-President JD Vance a 'knob' - WA Premier Roger Cook says he didn't mean to cause offence when he called US Vice President JD Vance a "knob" during a leadership forum in Perth earlier today, insisting it was a "lighthearted" comment. Cook, who is in the final week of the state election campaign that culminates on Saturday, made the remark to a journalist during a rapid-fire "finish the sentence" game in front of an audience of hundreds of people. "JD Vance is a … ?", the journalist asked. "Knob," Cook responded, sparking laughter and applause. The remarks come during the fallout of Donald Trump and Vance's contentious meeting with Ukraine President Vladimir Zelenskyy at the White House on Friday. Leaders in Australia have been tempered in their response to the incident, largely declining to comment on the approach taken by Trump and Vance, but re-affirming support for Ukraine. Questioned by reporters at a press conference later about whether the comment was damaging to the AUKUS relationship, Cook said he didn't believe the White House would have been listening. "I don't think the people in the Oval Office are listening to a sub-jurisdictional CEO in Western Australia," Cook said. "It was a light moment in a formal function and I hope it was taken in the spirit in which it was intended. "It was a light-hearted and unprofessional moment and I didn't mean any offence by it."

#40 - Part 51

Australian Politics and Society - Part 9

>>22706035 Ukraine peacekeeping offer exposes 'serious' defence capacity limits, experts warn - Australia's ability to help European allies with potential Ukrainian peacekeeping efforts is "looking pretty thin", say military and United Nations operational experts who caution the prime minister's surprise offer to Kiev means the defence budget will need to expand dramatically. Following a top-level National Security Committee meeting with senior ministers on Monday morning, Anthony Albanese on Tuesday unexpectedly opened the door to sending Australian troops to Ukraine. A growing group of European and other nations have formed a "coalition of the willing" to work on a peace plan to present to the United States and Russia. Australia stands "ready to assist" the war-torn nation, Mr Albanese said. "There's a discussion at the moment about potential peacekeeping and from my government's perspective, we're open to consideration of any proposals going forward." While it is understood that a peacekeeping mission to Ukraine is not currently under consideration, it would involve significant additional resources and personnel. "I think it's a seriously bad idea to be sending peacekeeping troops from Australia to Ukraine," said former army chief and University of Canberra professor Peter Leahy. "Operational and tactical issues" as well as the fact that such a mission would be outside Australia's region means its forces would be exposed to threats, including drones. "Our troops would be seriously in peril should we commit them there," he said. "I do see it as out of our region and I do see it as Europe's business."

>>22706098 Marine officer honored for leadership in aftermath of chaotic Osprey crash - After waking an unconscious Marine inside the flaming wreckage of their MV-22 Osprey, Capt. Joshua C. Watson rallied his Marines and called for accountability. His team had been in the rear of the twin-propeller Osprey as it approached a landing at a remote airfield near Darwin, Australia, when it plummeted to the ground after a near-mid-air collision. As Watson yelled to his Marines to get out, fuel spread and immediately ignited, making the crash site an inferno. Pulling his Marines together, he found that one was in critical condition, another needed immediate care and three were missing. And, Watson realized, his ankle was broken. Watson was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal last week, the Department of the Navy’s highest non-combat award for heroism, for his actions in the 2023 Osprey crash in Australia that killed three. Watson received the award at a ceremony at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. The crash came Aug. 23, 2023, as Watson’s Lima Company prepared to practice seizing two airfields at once. Lima’s commander would lead a force of about 70 Marines on one airfield, while Watson, the company’s executive officer, would lead a smaller force of 38 to take Pickertaramoor Airfield on Melville Island, about 45 miles north of Darwin, Australia. Training in Darwin is a regular rotation for the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force.

>>22712510 Anti-woke warrior Alex Antic welcomes Liberals’ step to the right - The world has reached “peak woke” and the times now suit conservatives who put their views with pride, Liberal senator Alex Antic has declared on his ascent to the No.1 position on the South Australian Senate ticket. Long dismissed by detractors as a political fringe-dweller and polarising force, the rise of Antic is a powerful demonstration of the changing face of the South Australian Liberal Party. With the sudden resignation of veteran minister and moderate Simon Birmingham, Antic is now the most prominent federal Liberal in SA after successfully rolling opposition frontbencher Anne Ruston for the top spot in a preselection battle last year. His elevation confirms the new complexion of the SA Liberal Party as no longer the moderate stronghold of figures such as Birmingham, former defence minister Christopher Pyne, one-term Liberal premier Steven Marshall and his deputy and attorney-general Vickie Chapman. Indeed, it was the small-l liberal ethos of the Marshall government that helped drive a surge in grassroots conservative membership, many of them people with faith-based backgrounds outraged by Liberal support for euthanasia and late-term abortion. Antic is reluctant to re-prosecute past wars with the party’s Left, but says the broadening of the party’s membership base has the SA division in what he describes as “great shape”. “What we are doing is bringing Liberals back to the Liberal Party,” Antic told The Australian. “We have seen over the last five years really true Liberals coming back to the party in droves. The party is in the best shape it’s been in years.”

#40 - Part 52

Australian Politics and Society - Part 10

>>22718818 New Zealand’s Most Senior Diplomat in the UK Ousted After Mocking President Trump - Phil Goff, New Zealand’s high commissioner to the U.K. and his country’s most senior diplomat in London, was fired for comments mocking President Donald Trump at a London think tank event at Chatham House. During remarks, he shared Winston Churchill’s speech from 1938 in which the British powerhouse blasted then-Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and his decision to sign the Munich Agreement with Adolf Hitler. Goff smugly said to Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, “President Trump has restored the bust of Churchill to the Oval Office.” Goff then condescendingly asked, “But do you think he really understands history?,” Goff was clearly referencing the tension that erupted in the Oval Office between Trump and an ill-behaved and unappreciative Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Valtonen dodged the attempt to criticize Trump alltogether and instead remarked that Churchill’s remarks were “timeless.” New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters fired Goff and, in remarks to the press, called the diplomat’s question “deeply disappointing.” He added that it made Goff’s position as high commissioner to London ‘untenable.”

>>22723852 Rudd’s crunch talks on tariffs as Trump sows more trade chaos - Australia’s ambassador to the United States, Kevin Rudd, will make a last-ditch personal plea to Donald Trump’s Commerce Secretary to spare Australian steel and aluminium producers from tariffs, despite the president’s insistence the 25 per cent duties will go ahead. Trump reiterated that the tariff on all steel and aluminium imported into the US would come into effect on March 12, even as he sparked fresh confusion by delaying the start of sweeping tariffs on some Mexican and Canadian exports. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Friday that Australia would continue to lobby the US government to be exempted from the steel and aluminium tariffs. He accused the Opposition of “not cheering for Australia” and undermining efforts to secure a carve-out by criticising the government’s approach. “We’ll continue to put our case to our friends in the United States,” Albanese said at a press conference as he insisted his immediate focus was on the response to Cyclone Alfred. Rudd was due to meet US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick overnight, the second meeting the pair have had in the past fortnight. To bolster Australia’s lobbying efforts, the government has also dispatched its top trade bureaucrat, George Mina, to Washington to join the talks.

>>22723901 NT Police Association calls for commissioner Michael Murphy to resign following ICAC findings - The Northern Territory police union is calling for Police Commissioner Michael Murphy to resign after he revealed himself as the subject of an anti-corruption commission finding. In late February, the NT's Independent Commissioner Against Corruption (ICAC) made a finding of improper and unsatisfactory conduct against an unnamed senior public official, who the ICAC said had mismanaged a conflict of interest. "I found that the conduct involved negligence and incompetence," ICAC delegate Patricia Kelly SC said. The ICAC report revealed that in early 2024, the unnamed public officer had helped a good friend get a senior position within their department, and sat on the panel that hired him. Commissioner Murphy revealed himself as the senior public officer on Thursday, releasing a statement explaining his actions. "I accept that I should have dealt better with a conflict of interest, a friendship and a referee report in relation to an appointee," he said. "On reflection, I should have managed the friendship and the conflict of interest to a higher standard and on at least one occasion should have recused myself from the appointment process in order to ensure community confidence." The ABC understands the person who applied and won the job is Assistant Commissioner Peter Kennon.

#40 - Part 53

Australian Politics and Society - Part 11

>>22723970 Geelong police work to unmask Nazi saluting soccer fans - Geelong leaders have slammed a group of local soccer fans who performed the Nazi salute at a Bell Park venue on the weekend, as the club distances itself from their confronting actions. The shocking image, allegedly of North Geelong Warriors Football Club supporters, was taken at the Croatian Club on Separation St and emerged on social media Tuesday evening. A group of men, all wearing black, posed in the venue’s smoking area. The majority of those pictured were performing the illegal gesture, while all had their faces covered digitally with a logo featuring the Croatian flag. North Geelong Warriors promptly issued a statement via social media condemning the behaviour, while president Tom Pausak further distanced the club from the actions. “I want to be clear that these people are not our supporters,” he said. “It’s not who we are, or what we stand for. It will be dealt with by Victoria Police.” Deputy Prime Minister and Corio MP Richard Marles condemned the behaviour, which he said was “not a representation of Geelong as we all know it”. “The North Geelong Warriors have been swift in their condemnation of this group, rightly calling out this appalling behaviour,” he said.

>>22724198 Oscar Cosic and Luka Jurkovic among those charged with Nazi salute - At least two soccer players from the Geelong region are among seven men who will front court later this year after being charged with performing a Nazi gesture. Oscar Cosic, who recently re-signed with the North Geelong Warriors, is among six names that appear on the Geelong Magistrates’ Court list for May 6. It’s understood Mr Cosic has been stood down by the club, with all mention of him on its online channels deleted. The club was contacted for comment, but has remained tight lipped as to whether the removal of his name from club media is in relation to the police investigation. Also among the names listed was Luka Jurkovic, who played for the Surf Coast Football Club in 2024. Surf Coast posted on its Facebook page in February that Mr Jurkovic had re-signed, however, the club said he had not officially registered and was therefore not an official member. The club reaffirmed this point in an online post Monday morning. “Surf Coast Football Club is aware of an article mentioning individuals who previously played for our club and are now involved in a police investigation,” it said. “These individuals are not members of our club in 2025 and have no current affiliation with us.”

>>22724258 Seven men charged with performing Nazi salute in Geelong - Seven men have been charged after they allegedly performed a Nazi salute inside a venue in regional Victoria on their way to a football match. An image that quickly began circulating online shows a group of fans of the North Geelong Warriors Football Club allegedly performing a Nazi salute on February 8 at the Croatian Club in Geelong. The photograph shows men dressed in mostly black clothing with their faces covered using hidden stickers featuring the Croatian flag. “North Geelong Warriors fans pre-game away to Geelong on Saturday night,” the online post read. Police retrieved CCTV footage from the venue as part of their “extensive” inquiries. Seven men have been charged on summons for public display or performance of Nazi symbols or gestures. The Victorian government made the act of displaying or performing symbols and gestures used by the Nazi Party - including the Nazi salute – illegal in October 2023. “Victoria Police stresses there is absolutely no place in our society for anti-Semitic, racist or hate-based behaviour and such activity will not be tolerated,” a police statement read.

#40 - Part 54

Australian Politics and Society - Part 12

>>22729914 UK says Australia ‘considering’ joining group to protect Ukraine peace - Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is considering joining a group of countries prepared to protect an eventual ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war, according to the UK’s prime minister. Britain and France have been leading efforts to form the so-called “coalition of the willing”, with the US’ long-term commitment to Europe’s security now in doubt under President Donald Trump. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer “spoke to the Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese this morning,” the UK leader’s office said on Saturday. “He welcomed Prime Minister Albanese’s commitment to consider contributing to a Coalition of the Willing for Ukraine and looked forward to the Chiefs of Defence meeting in Paris on Tuesday.” European countries have been rushing to boost support for Ukraine as Mr Trump pursues direct talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin to end Moscow’s three-year-long invasion of Ukraine. Key details about the “coalition of the willing” have not been specified, but the grouping was mentioned by Mr Starmer during a summit of European leaders in London last Sunday aimed at guaranteeing “lasting peace” in Ukraine. Earlier this week, Mr Albanese told journalists that Australia was “ready to assist” Ukraine. “There’s discussion at the moment about potential peacekeeping,” he said. “From my government’s perspective, we’re open to consideration of any proposals going forward.”

>>22730031 NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy to be sacked after 'incompetent' ICAC finding - Northern Territory Police Commissioner Michael Murphy has been stood down after an NT ICAC probe found he engaged in "incompetent" conduct by recruiting a close friend to a high-ranking police position. NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro announced late on Saturday that Commissioner Murphy's position was "untenable". "Today, I informed Commissioner Murphy he has lost the confidence of the government," she said. "I gave Commissioner Murphy the opportunity to resign. The police commissioner was asked to go on leave effective immediately. I have now begun the process to terminate the appointment of the police commissioner." Ms Finocchiaro's announcement came just over a week since she was first made aware of the findings against Commissioner Murphy, with his name initially kept anonymous by the ICAC. The ICAC report revealed that the unnamed senior executive, later revealed as Commissioner Murphy, had in early 2024 helped his good friend get a high-placed job in the public service, and sat on the panel that hired him. On Thursday, Commissioner Murphy publicly revealed himself to be the subject of that anti-corruption probe. Following his revelation, the entire executive board of the NT Police Association called for Commissioner Murphy to tender his resignation over the integrity breach. Commissioner Murphy's departure marks the second NT police commissioner to leave the force suddenly within two years, after Jamie Chalker was forced to retire during a period of escalating crime concerns in 2023.

>>22730053 Hunt for new NT top cop after Michael Murphy axed - The NT government is being urged to look outside the Territory to replace ousted police commissioner Michael Murphy, who was dramatically axed just two days after admitting he was the unnamed officer in a jobs-for-mates scandal. On Saturday night, Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro issued a statement saying Mr Murphy’s position was “untenable” following revelations he chaired a panel that appointed a close friend to a senior position in the force, resulting in a finding by the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption of improper conduct. Ms Finocchiaro said she had informed the commissioner he had lost the confidence of the government, but it appears Mr Murphy’s termination is not effective immediately. “I gave Commissioner Murphy the opportunity to resign,” Ms Finocchiaro said, noting that he had been “asked to go on leave”, effective immediately. Deputy Commissioner Martin Dole, a 28-year veteran of the force, has been appointed Acting Police Commissioner but is considered unlikely to score the permanent role. Current and former senior NT police told The Australian that most of the other potential candidates from within the force were tainted, even if only by association with previous scandals or involvement in racist conduct. “The job description should read: only those outside the Territory need apply,” one former senior officer told The Australian. “There are just too many skeletons in the cupboard. They need a senior officer with a record of ­integrity and strong leadership - even someone retired – to take on the job for the next 12 months while they find the right person for the next 10 years.”

#40 - Part 55

Australian Politics and Society - Part 13

>>22734118 Don Farrell won’t travel to Washington for talks on Donald Trump’s trade war despite tariff uncertainty - Trade Minister Don Farrell has ruled out an eleventh-hour trip to Washington DC after Kevin Rudd failed to secure an Australian carve-out from Donald Trump’s 25 per cent steel and aluminium tariffs with just days to go until the duties are slapped on exporters to the US. Senator Farrell said Dr Rudd had been unable to achieve a breakthrough in a Saturday morning meeting with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, though it remained unclear whether Australian companies would be hit when the details of the tariffs plan were unveiled on Thursday AEDT. “They’re continuing to engage in discussions. Hopefully we get a satisfactory outcome,” he said. Senator Farrell said while Australian officials would continue to press the nation’s case, he was not planning a last-ditch trip to the US to try and sway the outcome. “I certainly won’t be going in the next three days,” Senator Farrell told The Australian. “I’m watching intently what’s going to happen over the next three days and then we’ll make some decisions.” Anthony Albanese has also indicated he will not travel to the US ahead of the election to try and seek an exemption from the tariffs, saying his focus ahead of the March 25 budget would be the aftermath of Cyclone Alfred.

>>22734120 Trump's Turnbull Truth:Trump slams Turnbull as ‘weak and ineffective’ before call on tariffs- US President Donald Trump has lashed former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull in a late-night social media post as he prepares to decide whether to exempt Australia from tariffs on steel and aluminium imports. Trump was scathing of Turnbull on Truth Social, a social media platform owned by the president, on Sunday evening (Monday AEDT). “Malcolm Turnbull, the former prime minister of Australia who was always leading that wonderful country from ‘behind’, never understood what was going on in China, nor did he have the capacity to do so,” Trump wrote. “I always thought he was a weak and ineffective leader and, obviously, Australian’s [sic] agreed with me.” Turnbull had just appeared on Bloomberg television in the US, speaking about the planned tariffs and arguing Trump was playing into China’s hands. In his Bloomberg appearance, Turnbull said he expected Chinese President Xi Jinping to take “massive advantage” of Trump’s presidency. “Where Trump is chaotic, he will be consistent. Where Trump is rude and abusive, he’ll be respectful,” Turnbull said. “And what that will do is build trust with countries, and there will be many countries looking at China on one hand, Trump on the other, [that] will prefer China.” Turnbull also said Trump “wasn’t really prepared” to govern in his first term because he didn’t expect to win the 2016 election but was much more determined now and was surrounded by loyalists who would implement his agenda. Asked to respond to Trump’s social media barb, Turnbull said: “I’m a quivering leaf.”

>>22734131 Video: Trump’s Chaos Is a Gift to Xi Jinping, Former Australian PM Says - The second Trump administration’s poor treatment of US allies and global institutions is providing “an opportunity” for China’s president, former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said, adding that Canberra needed to try to adopt a more independent defense policy as Washington grows more unreliable. Turnbull, who led Australia from 2015 until 2018, said the world is seeing a more “undiluted” version of Donald Trump in his second term in office, and that his behavior would be viewed as an “advantage” for China’s President Xi Jinping in international relations over the next four years. “President Xi will aim to be the exact opposite of Trump,” Turnbull said in an interview with Bloomberg Television in Sydney on Monday. “Where Trump is chaotic, he will be consistent. Where Trump is rude and abusive, he’ll be respectful. Where Trump is erratic, he will be consistent.” Through that approach, Turnbull said there would be countries that look at “China on the one hand, and Trump on the other” and would “find China a more attractive partner.” Turnbull was prime minister of Australia for part of Trump’s first term in office, and had a sometimes fractious relationship with the US president at the time. Posting to his TruthSocial platform shortly after the interview, Trump said that Turnbull “never understood what was going on in China, nor did he have the capacity to do so. I always thought he was a weak and ineffective leader and, obviously, Australian’s agreed with me,” Trump said.

#40 - Part 56

Australian Politics and Society - Part 14

>>22734134 Video: US President Donald Trump attacks former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull as 'weak' and 'ineffective' following criticism of White House - US President Donald Trump has launched an attack on former Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, branding him “weak and ineffective”. The comments have been seen as a response to Mr Turnbull warning Trump’s behaviour would give China an opportunity to increase its global influence. President Trump shared the criticism on his Truth Social platform, taking aim at Mr Turnbull’s leadership during his tenure as Australia's prime minister. “Malcolm Turnbull, the former Prime Minister of Australia… never understood what was going on in China, nor did he have the capacity to do so,” President Trump said. “I always thought he was a weak and ineffective leader and, obviously, Australian’s (sic) agreed with me!!!” The Turnbull government concluded with his resignation ahead of an internal leadership ballot which saw him replaced by former prime minister Scott Morrison. The tit-for-tat reflects an ongoing tension between the two men, which began during Mr Turnbull’s tenure as prime minister. The US President cut a conversation with Mr Turnbull short in 2017 after telling him it was his "worst call by far" with a foreign leader that day. However, after working through their disagreements, Mr Turnbull was able to secure an exemption from metals tariffs during the first Trump administration.

>>22734149 Video: Donald Trump’s tongue-lashing for Malcolm Turnbull leaves no hope on tariffs - "It would be a miracle if Australia were to win an exemption this week from Donald Trump’s new steel and aluminium tariffs after his extraordinary spat with former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull. The Albanese government’s chances of an exception were ­already sliding fast before the Trump-Turnbull dust-up, with ­repeated Australian diplomatic overtures falling on deaf ears in the Trump White House. But everyone knows that the only person who really counts in this decision is the President himself, who has until Thursday (AEDT) to grant any exceptions to his 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports. So now the famously glass-jawed Trump has Turnbull’s criticisms ringing in his ears as he decides whether to grant a special exemption to Australia. This will not help. Most presidents would dispassionately separate any ­criticism from an ex-prime minister from America’s current policy priorities. But Trump has already shown that his presidency is driven as much by moods, whims, emotion, favours and threats as it is by actual policy. The Trump-Turnbull relationship has been turbulent, with Trump lashing out at the then-prime minister in January 2018 only days into his first term with a terse phone call over the so-called “refugee deal”. The two leaders then repaired their relationship to a solid and workable level. Yet since Turnbull left politics he has been an increasingly vocal critic of Trump, saying America under Trump has now become an unreliable ally. Trade Minister Don Farrell has ruled out an 11th-hour trip to Washington for now because the prospects of an exemption seem grim. Anything is possible with Trump, so there is still a small hope of a last-gasp escape. But Trump Mark II seems to like his tariffs even more than Trump Mark I did. The Turnbull spat makes it even less likely that America’s emperor will raise his thumb to spare our steel and aluminium industries from what will be an unjust and unwarranted tax." - Cameron Stewart, Chief International Correspondent at The Australian - theaustralian.com.au

>>22734151 Q Post #479 - How much did AUS donate to CF? How much did SA donate to CF? Compare. Why is this relevant? What phone call between POTUS and X/AUS leaked? List the leadership in AUS. IDEN leadership during Hussein term. IDEN leadership during POTUS' term. Who controls AUS? Who really controls AUS? UK? Why is this relevant? Q - https://qanon.pub/#479

>>22734151 Q Post #908 - Which conversation leaked? POTUS & AUS? Why that specific conversation? Signal? We (they) hear what you are saying? Threat to AUS? Why? What do they know? Trapped? Forced? Blood. Q - https://qanon.pub/#908

>>22734151 Q Post #910 - Do not focus on the call details. We knew it would leak. We knew certain areas of the WH were bugged. We knew certain people would leak. Focus - why AUS? Q - https://qanon.pub/#910

#40 - Part 57

Australian Politics and Society - Part 15

>>22740404 ‘We won’t be intimidated’: Wong hits back at Russia over ‘boots on the ground’ warning - The Albanese government has insisted it will not be intimidated by hostile rhetoric from Vladimir Putin’s regime after Russia has warned of grave consequences if Australia contributes to an international peacekeeping force in Ukraine. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has applauded Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for being willing to contribute to a “coalition of the willing” in Ukraine, while Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has argued it would be against the national interest to send Australian troops to eastern Europe. The Russian embassy in Canberra said in a statement provided to this masthead: “For Australia joining the so-called coalition of the willing would entail grave consequences. “Once again, Western boots on the ground are unacceptable for Russia, and we will not remain passive observers. To those inclined to construe the above as a threat: it is not; it is a warning. “Russia has no intention to harm Australians, and Canberra can easily avoid trouble by simply refraining from irresponsible adventurism in the zone of the special military operation.” A spokesperson for Foreign Minister Penny Wong said: “Our message to Russia is: end your illegal invasion of Ukraine. We won’t be intimidated from working towards a just peace for the people of Ukraine.” The spokesperson said Australia “has a proud tradition of supporting peace through 80 years of contributions to international peacekeeping missions. Such a mission does not yet exist in Ukraine, where Russia continues its brutal and unjustified war,” the spokesperson said. “Australia has said that if we receive a request to support a peacekeeping mission, we’ll consider it.”

>>22740507 Video: ‘Gaslighting!’: Malcolm Turnbull opens fire on Donald Trump, tariff negotiations threatened - Malcolm Turnbull has opened fire on US President Donald Trump, declaring Australia shouldn’t “suck up” to bullies and accusing political leaders of gaslighting voters on the threat he poses to the world. In an extraordinary interview on the ABC’s 7:30 ahead of Australia’s pleas to secure a tariff exemption from the US President, he warned the situation “has changed,” and he was pessimistic of a positive outcome. An unrepentant Mr Turnbull then accused the US President of trying to “extort allies” as he unloaded on his “harassing and bullying” behaviour. “Well, I do not believe that you should give in to bullies, right?” he said. “Trump wants people to suck up to him, and to be sycophantic. And I have dealt with Trump in the past. I mean, you know, the fact is - I stood up to Trump, and got him to do things he didn’t want to do, because I wasn’t being bullied by him. Most of the people, pretty much all of the people I’ve seen, international leaders, that have sucked up to Trump and been sycophants, have been run over. I mean, the reality is - if you suck up to bullies, whether it is global affairs, or in the playground, you just get more bullying. And unfortunately, you know, we are now seeing somebody that is utterly unconstrained. And if the advice is to go and suck up to him, well, where does that get you? I mean, are we just going to become just a conga line of sycophants creeping through the White House, paying homage to this guy and telling him he’s a genius?”

#40 - Part 58

Australian Politics and Society - Part 16

>>22740530 Video: In tetchy ABC interview, Turnbull says Australia cannot self-censor to please Trump - Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, who secured a tariff exemption from Donald Trump in 2018, has suggested the Albanese government will not be to blame if the US president denies Australia a repeat exemption when American tariffs take hold this week. Mr Turnbull, who made the remarks in a tense ABC Radio National Breakfast interview in which he accused the national broadcaster of adopting a "pusillanimous" approach to criticism of Mr Trump's global trade war, said the circumstances were different in 2025. "This time there will be no exemptions and they will apply right across the board," Mr Turnbull said. He said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and ambassador Kevin Rudd in Washington had done "as good a job as they can in making the case" for an exemption to 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium imports into the US. But he doubted it would be enough. Mr Turnbull hit back at questions from the ABC about whether his attack on Mr Trump would undermine Australia's case for an exemption. "Are you suggesting that we should engage in self-censorship in Australia for fear of offending the huge ego of Donald Trump?" he asked. "Is that really the state that we've got to? Surely we should be free to speak the truth. Or are we going to muzzle ourselves for fear of offending Mr Trump?"

>>22740576 Video: Malcolm Turnbull torpedoes talks over Trump’s tariffs with TV blast - Australia’s hopes of securing an exemption from Donald Trump’s steel and aluminium tariffs this week have been dealt a blow after the US President lashed ­Malcolm Turnbull - who won a carve-out from Mr Trump’s first-term tariffs – as a “weak and ­ineffective leader”. The withering attack on the former prime minister came after Australia’s ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd, failed to make headway in last-ditch talks with the Trump administration on a hoped-for waiver. Trade Minister Don Farrell on Monday ruled out an eleventh-hour trip to Washington to press Australia’s case as Anthony Albanese discussed contingency plans with the nation’s steel and aluminium producers. The attack on Mr Turnbull came after the former prime minister warned the President’s abuse of the US’s closest allies was ­providing “an opportunity” for China’s President Xi Jinping. Responding to Mr Trump’s ­attack, Mr Turnbull told the ABC’s 7.30 the President was a bully who wanted people to suck up to him. “Are we just going to become just a conga line of sycophants creeping through the White House, paying homage to this guy and telling him he’s a genius? It’s ludicrous,” he said. Opposition trade spokesman Kevin Hogan said if the government failed to win an exemption “they will have failed dismally in a critical task”. He said Mr Albanese had “lacked the courage” to travel to Washington DC for face-to-face talks with Mr Trump, in contrast to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. Mr Hogan said Labor’s efforts fell short of those of the Coalition, pointing to the Turnbull government’s success in gaining an exemption to Mr Trump’s 2018 steel and aluminium tariffs.

#40 - Part 59

Australian Politics and Society - Part 17

>>22740621 Australia had one trump card to shield it from the tariff war. It just disappeared. - The Albanese government’s bid to secure a last-minute exemption from Donald Trump’s steel and aluminium tariffs has been hit by the revelation Australia has run its first monthly trade surplus with the United States, undermining a key argument used to try to convince the US president to grant a carve-out. With the clock ticking until the 25 per cent metal tariffs are due to come into effect on Wednesday afternoon Australian time, government officials said they were locked in intense discussions with their US counterparts but had not secured a prized exemption from the White House. Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that in January, America imported more than $6 billion worth of goods from Australia. The previous monthly record, of almost $3 billion, was set in December. Offsetting the exports were $4.3 billion of imports, leaving Australia with a $1.7 billion trade surplus. It is the first time since the bureau started collating monthly trade data in January 1988 that Australia has run a surplus with the United States, due almost entirely to a 92-fold increase in the amount of gold US importers bought between November and January. Australian officials have tried to use increased American access to Australia’s plentiful supply of critical minerals as a bargaining chip in the tariff negotiations, but there were no public signs this had proved decisive with the White House. The Coalition is preparing to blame Albanese and US ambassador Kevin Rudd, rather than Turnbull, if the exemption push fails, including by attacking the prime minister for not travelling to Washington to lobby Trump ahead of the deadline.

>>22740661 OPINION: I won’t be gaslit over Trump. If you suck up to him, you will get more bullying - "On Monday afternoon, as I was walking back to my office after giving an interview to Bloomberg News, US President Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. I was, he claimed, a weak and ineffectual leader and didn’t know what was going on in China. “Australian’s”[sic], he said, agreed with him. The points I made in the interview, I had made many times, and they were hardly original. His trade war, I said, risked recession. Wall Street agrees. And I pointed out that his chaotic style of government, bullying friends and allies - threatening to annex Canada and seize Greenland, not to speak of abandoning Ukraine – made the United States look like a very unreliable ally. This would be exploited by China, I said, which this time round would seek to be as unlike Trump as possible. China would be consistent where Trump was erratic, respectful where he was abusive. This differentiation would, I said, cause many countries which were not closely aligned to the US to hedge towards China. This was all obvious, but it clearly triggered the president, late on Sunday night in Washington. Punctuation aside, his “truth” said more about his thin-skinned, volatile temperament than it did about me. I was so “weak and ineffectual” that I stood my ground in the face of his fury, and finally persuaded him to honour a refugee deal I had done with President Obama. And then I was so “weak and ineffectual” that I managed to persuade him to give Australia an exemption from steel and aluminium tariffs in 2018. The United States under Trump is not the America we have been used to. And he doesn’t pretend it is. He does not respect the international rules-based order any more than he respects alliances and treaties. He is imposing swingeing tariffs on Canada and Mexico despite having signed the USMCA free trade agreement himself with both countries in 2018. We need to have an honest conversation about this - the gaslighting has to stop. We cannot assume that an America which believes “might is right” can be relied upon as an ally." - Malcolm Turnbull, Prime Minister of Australia from 2015 to 2018 - theage.com.au

#40 - Part 60

Australian Politics and Society - Part 18

>>22746198 America First:Donald Trump rejects Australia's bid for exemption from steel and aluminium tariffs- Australia will not be granted an exemption from US tariffs on aluminium and steel imports, the White House says. US President Donald Trump had previously said he would consider excluding Australia from the 25 per cent tariffs, which take effect on Wednesday. But White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt has now told the ABC: "He considered it, and considered against it. There will be no exemptions." Asked why, Ms Leavitt said: "America First steel. If they want to be exempted, they should consider moving steel manufacturing here," she said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the decision as "entirely unjustified". "This is against the spirit of our two nations' enduring friendship, and fundamentally at odds with the benefits that our economic partnership has delivered over more than 70 years," Mr Albanese said. "Australia will continue working hard for a different outcome and discussions with the Trump administration are ongoing." Hopes for a reprieve from the tariffs were buoyed last month when Mr Trump promised "great consideration" after a warm phone call with Mr Albanese. But they were later dashed when Mr Trump's trade guru Peter Navarro said Australia was "killing" American aluminium. Speaking to the ABC at the White House on Tuesday, local time, Mr Navarro said Australia was among countries that "abused" tariff exemptions granted during Mr Trump's first term. "There were many country exemptions given, not just to Australia but to many other countries, and every single country abused those exemptions," he said.

>>22746250 Video: ‘Entirely unjustified’: Albanese blasts Trump as tariffs smash into election frame - The prospect of a punishing series of new imposts on Australian exports to the United States could play havoc with Anthony Albanese’s re-election bid as debate over who can best handle the Trump administration emerges as a key campaign issue. The US president’s decision not to grant Australia an exemption from 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium before they came into effect on Wednesday afternoon (AEDT) left the government fuming. In the prime minister’s most critical comments since Donald Trump’s return to office, Albanese accused the president of breaching the spirit of Australia’s friendship with the US. Government sources said Australian officials presented a significant written proposal over the weekend to afford the US special access to Australia’s critical minerals reserves in exchange for a tariff exemption, but the offer failed to sway the Trump administration. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton declared the imposition of the tariffs a “bad day for Australia” as he blasted the prime minister for failing to secure a second phone call with Trump as the tariff deadline approached. As he confirmed that Trump had rebuffed his attempts to speak over recent days, Albanese said the decision not to grant Australia a tariff carve-out on $1 billion worth of exports was “entirely unjustified” and “very harsh”.

>>22746286 Video: Albanese says 'unjustified' US tariffs on Australia poor way to treat a friend - The prime minister has lashed "entirely unjustified" US tariffs being imposed on Australian steel and aluminium, saying it is a poor way for the United States to treat a friend. The White House has confirmed it won't grant Australia or any other nation an exemption from tariffs imposed from today, part of US President Donald Trump's designs to bring more manufacturing to the United States. A 25 per cent tariff on Australian steel and aluminium will begin from later today. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed Australia would not retaliate with tariffs of its own, but said the US president's tariffs were an act of "economic self-harm". "Australia has a close relationship with the United States. Friends need to act in a way that reinforces, to our respective populations, the fact that we are friends," Mr Albanese said. "This is not a friendly act. But it is imposed on every country, that is important." The Coalition, meanwhile, has accused the prime minister of failing to secure a meeting with Mr Trump. "It's obvious that Anthony Albanese and [ambassador] Kevin Rudd have had a shocker," Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said. Earlier, Foreign Minister Penny Wong warned ordinary Americans would feel the pain of the "unprovoked and unjustified" tariffs. "Guess who will pay the price of this? It's actually Americans, American consumers. These tariffs will harm the ordinary American and the American economy," she told Sky News. "[It is] not the way to treat a friend and partner".

#40 - Part 61

Australian Politics and Society - Part 19

>>22751361 Video: ‘Dumpers’: US lashes Australia on trade as Canada, EU hit back over Trump’s tariffs - Canada and the European Union have swiftly retaliated against US President Donald Trump’s metal tariffs, while Australia has joined its regional allies by copping the taxes without a response but continuing to press for an exemption. Meanwhile, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, with whom Australia was negotiating in the days leading up to the tariffs being finalised, singled out Australia for criticism, accusing it of subsidising cheap aluminium exports. “You’ve got dumpers in the rest of the world. Japan dumps steel, China dumps steel … we’re going to stop that nonsense and bring steel here,” Lutnick told Fox Business on Wednesday (Thursday AEDT). “We’re not going to stand for China dumping, Japan dumping … Australia does a lot of aluminium at below cost. I mean, this has got to end, and the president is on it, and he’s protecting America.” Australia’s ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd, met Lutnick in the past few days to argue the case for an Australian exemption. That was ruled out by the White House hours before the tariffs began. No country has been granted a carve-out. Joe Courtney, a Democrat who co-chairs the Friends of Australia caucus in Congress, noted Australia had just paid the first $800 million of a total $5 billion contribution to the US shipbuilding industry under the terms of the AUKUS defence agreement. “The Trump tariffs that went into effect today are a senseless slap in the face,” he said.

>>22761954 Albanese, Dutton split on peacekeepers as Putin responds to ceasefire call - Australia will be asked to send peacekeepers to Ukraine in a plan being put to national leaders at a European summit this weekend, despite signs of dissent as Russian president Vladimir Putin places new conditions on a ceasefire. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will join the talks on Saturday night (AEDT), and is willing to consider a small deployment as a show of support with other democracies to defend international law. But the idea is turning into a heated political row after Opposition Leader Peter Dutton stepped up his warnings against sending personnel to keep the peace, while saying he backed Ukraine in its attempts to turn back the Russian invasion. British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer invited Albanese to join the summit in a phone hook-up with other members of a potential “coalition of the willing” to commit peacekeepers if Ukraine and Russia can reach an agreement to stop the war. Britain and France have committed to sending troops, and Spain has indicated some support for the mission, while more than 20 leaders from European and Commonwealth nations are expected to join the online meeting. This includes Albanese and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon as well as Canadian prime minister-elect Mark Carney. Albanese made no commitment to send troops when asked about the meeting on Friday, but condemned Russia for its invasion and criticised Dutton for ruling out the additional help for Ukraine. Dutton said he had supported Ukraine “from day one” in the conflict, such as by sending Bushmaster vehicles when he was defence minister in the previous government, but he said this did not extend to putting Australian troops on the ground.

>>22761999 Video: Australia's ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd, details efforts to sway Donald Trump on steel and aluminium tariffs - Australia's ambassador to the United States Kevin Rudd has promised to put his "shoulder to the wheel" to secure better trade relations with a "hardline" US but warned negotiations with the second Trump administration will continue to be "rough". The US on Wednesday refused to grant a tariff exemption to Australia on steel and aluminium imports to the United States, causing a political storm. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese labelled the act "not the way to treat a friend" and "entirely unjustified". Opposition Leader Peter Dutton accused Mr Albanese and former PM Mr Rudd of having "had a shocker" on the issue, despite a number of political experts having warned little could have been done to sway Trump's views on protectionist tariffs and trade policy. Mr Rudd, who has his own "nasty" history with Trump, has vowed to push on and fight for Australian interests in a new America that is less friendly to its allies. "The America we're dealing with since the 20th of January, is a vastly different America from the past, and in fact, significantly different from the period of the first Trump administration," Mr Rudd told 7.30 in an exclusive interview.

#40 - Part 62

Australian Politics and Society - Part 20

>>22762109 PM steels for food fight after critical offer fails to win over Trump - The Albanese government will promise the nation’s farmers and food producers it will fight to ­protect them from Donald Trump’s next round of tariffs, as it offers the White House billions worth of co-operation on critical minerals to shield Australia from the escalating trade war. Trade Minister Don Farrell will pledge to protect Australia’s $75bn food export industry, including beef, wine and agriculture supplies to the US, amid fears an April 2 reciprocal tariffs announcement could deepen the trade spat, with meat and pharmaceuticals also in the firing line. “We’ve got your back. We will stand with you, shoulder to shoulder, to protect our trade interests - just like we did to resolve the trade issues with China,” Senator Farrell will tell The Australian and Visy Group’s 13th annual Global Food Forum in Melbourne on Friday. “The Albanese government has a strong track record on trade, and has shown that calm, persistent and quiet diplomacy pays off. We will be unrelenting in making our case to the US, and working tirelessly for Australia.” The Australian can reveal Kevin Rudd laid out the government’s critical minerals plan to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in multiple meetings ahead of Mr Trump’s tariff decision on Wednesday, and was encouraged by the response. It proposed a guaranteed supply chain of processed minerals and investment funds for new projects. “We were led to believe by Lutnick that this is what they wanted,” a senior government source said.

>>22762169 Video: Bill Shorten says Australia should ‘fight back’ against Trump tariffs - Former senior minister Bill Shorten has waded back into the political discourse, urging Australia to “push back” against Donald Trump’s call to hit Australian steel and aluminium imports with 25 per cent tariffs. While the government will continue negotiating an exemption for Australia, it has ruled out retaliatory tariffs which it argues would hit Australian businesses harder. However Mr Shorten, who officially resigned from parliament in January to become University of Canberra’s vice chancellor, said Australia needed to “consider putting everything on the table to fight back”. He said the aggressive action was needed due to the potential of future tariffs on new sectors, like the beef industry, with Australia’s US exports totalling about $16.5bn. “I worry about the next sector and the next sector … At some stage we have to have to send a message to President Trump that if you do something to us, we’ll do it back,” he told Sunrise. “Australia might be a bit smaller than America, but we’re not a soft mark and we need to consider putting everything on the table to fight back.” Although Mr Shorten said the government, and Australia’s US Ambassador Kevin Rudd has been “doing a good job,” he said the US needs to know Australia “means business”. “I think all reasonable Australians will say at a certain point: ‘You push us, we push you.’ It’s as simple as that,” he said.

>>22762217 Australia offered Trump critical minerals. This is how he sold us fool’s gold - It’s a lesson Australian diplomats in America learn quickly. Washington DC is no place for subtlety. You need to lay it on thick. So US ambassador Kevin Rudd was effusive late last month as he spoke at a superannuation conference at the Australian embassy on Massachusetts Avenue. Rudd, a prodigious networker, was on a mission to cultivate the man Australian officials had identified as their best hope of influencing Donald Trump’s trade agenda, second only to the president himself, of course. “This is a really important appointment for America and for the world,” Rudd enthused as he introduced Trump’s commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, to the audience. “Here in this embassy you are among friends. We regard the United States as friend, partner and ally for more than 100, 150 years.” But from the very beginning there were ominous signs. A proclamation issued by the White House named and shamed Australia for surging its aluminium exports to the US in recent years, despite the Biden administration asking for more shipments to make up for sanctioned Russian supplies. “Australia has disregarded its verbal commitment to voluntarily restrain its aluminum exports to a reasonable level,” the proclamation said, a reference to a 2019 meeting between Morrison government ministers and US officials. Team Australia’s charm offensive had failed. Lutnick repaid Rudd’s efforts by going on Fox News on Thursday and singling out Australia for dumping cheap metals on the US, a remarkable claim given Australia accounts for just 2 per cent of American steel and aluminium imports. So much for being friends.

#40 - Part 63

Australian Politics and Society - Part 21

>>22762619 Trump administration accused of ‘blatant foreign interference’ in Australian universities over questionnaire on DEI and gender - The Trump administration has been accused of “blatant foreign interference” in Australia’s universities after researchers who receive US funding were asked to confirm they aligned with US government interests, including only recognising two genders. The questionnaire, sent to university researchers over the past fortnight, seeks a response within 48 hours to more than 30 questions to support “program determinations”, according to a copy of the questionnaire seen by Guardian Australia. The questions relate to the priorities of the Trump administration, including whether the organisation receives funding from China, whether there are DEI elements, and whether the project is taking “appropriate measures” to defend against “gender ideology” in line with Trump’s executive order on gender. The questionnaires were distributed by various federal agencies on behalf of an executive memo from the office of the president, requiring them to identify all funding was consistent with “policies and requirements”. Separately, six sandstone universities represented by the Group of Eight have already had research grants suspended or terminated in line with changes introduced by the Trump administration, according to the Go8. Researchers were notified shortly after the US election that the projects, which spanned a range of topics from agriculture to foreign aid and diversity and equity, had been cancelled under higher education cuts, pending a review. The Go8 has sought Australian government intervention and last week wrote to the chair of the US House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, Brian Babin, for guidance and an extension of time to respond to the requirements. The questionnaire seeks to confirm university projects don’t work with “any party that espouses anti-American beliefs”, or whether they have received “ANY funding from the PRC”, including Confucius Institutes and Chinese state or non-state actors.

>>22767921 Video: Anthony Albanese says it is in 'Australia's national interest' to back Ukraine following virtual world leader summit - Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said it is in "Australia's national interest" to stand with Ukraine following a virtual meeting with other world leaders designed to drum up support for ceasefire discussions. Mr Albanese joined a call with European and Commonwealth allies on Saturday night, hosted by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Sir Keir urged the 25 world leaders, including Mr Albanese, to sign up to a "coalition of the willing" to protect Ukraine and increase pressure on Russia to accept a ceasefire. Britain and France both say they would be willing to send peacekeepers to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire, while Mr Albanese has said his government is open to requests. But speaking to journalists on Sunday, the prime minister noted that any peacekeeping arrangement could not happen until Russia agreed to a ceasefire, because "you need peace to have a peacekeeping force". Asked about what that could look like, Mr Albanese said Australia would only provide a "small contribution" if a decision to send troops was made. "Australia stands with Ukraine, and we will continue to do so for as long as it takes," he said following the meeting. Opposition Deputy Leader Sussan Ley on Sunday reiterated the Coalition's stance that while it would stand with Ukraine "against the illegal and immortal invasion", peacekeeping forces on the ground were better handled by Europe.

>>22768009 Australia pushes for Trump tariff ‘offer he can’t refuse’ - Trade Minister Don Farrell has flagged a fresh offer to US President Donald Trump that “he can’t refuse” as he launches new round of talks to reverse last week’s tariff hit and warns Americans about more expensive hamburgers if duties were placed on Australian beef. The 25 per cent US charge on Australian metals has turned the US-Australia relationship into a key focus for the election to be held in May. The opposition on Sunday said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was inept for failing to secure a call with Trump leading up to the tariff call. Government ministers are bracing for possible tariffs on products such as beef or wine, and Farrell on Sunday said he would speak to US trade ambassador Jamieson Greer on Monday after talking to commerce secretary Howard Lutnick on Friday. “What we need to do is find out what it is that the Americans want in terms of this relationship between Australia and the United States and then make President Trump an offer he can’t refuse,” Farrell said. An offer to provide greater access to Australian critical minerals had been rejected by the US, he said, casting doubt over the prospects of any future deal.

#40 - Part 64

Australian Politics and Society - Part 22

>>22773374 Warm welcome to country or Macquarie University students fail - Law students at Macquarie University face the threat of failing a key exam if they perform an ­underwhelming acknowledgement of country or refuse to ­acknowledge traditional Abor­iginal owners at all, in a move ­labelled “indoctrination” by Indigenous leaders. The presentation is worth 30 per cent of the final course mark and students have been told the acknowledgement of country is one of the key five marking areas. The demand to perform a “thoughtful”, “culturally respectful” and “exceptionally well-written” ode to Aboriginal traditional owners at the start of an oral law exam is despite the course on “age and the law” having no direct ­relation to Indigenous matters. Longstanding academic and founding chief executive of the Ramsay Centre for Western ­Civilisation Simon Haines described assessing a compulsory acknowledgement of country as “dangerous”. “The critical error here is the confusion of categories - the academic and the political activist,” Professor Haines said. “Wherever you may stand on acknowledgement of country etc, the fact is that being obliged to make an acknowledgment statement as an assessable element in an academic process is basically shocking. Social justice activist projects should not be confused with an academic assessment project. And that’s what’s happening here.”

>>22773412 Marine Rotation Force - Darwin 2025:Colonel Jason Armas to command US Marine force flying to Darwin, Australia- Despite growing uncertainty surrounding trade relations under the Trump administration, Australia’s military relationship with Washington D.C. will remain unchanged in the Top End, with a 2500 strong US Marine force flying into Darwin. On Monday, the first batch of Marine Rotation Force - Darwin touch down, followed by further sub-units in the following weeks. It is understood the US visitors will be commanded by Colonel Jason Armas, who has almost 25 years of military experience under his belt. A graduate of the US Naval Academy in 2001, Colonel Armas deployed multiple times to Iraq and Afghanistan during the war on terror. However, Colonel Armas’ experience is not limited to the Middle East, with the senior commander having also undertaken various assignments in the Indo-Pacific region, including Japan and the Philippines. The latest MRF-D cohort are expected to have a busy season under Colonel Armas’ leadership, with the ADF having scheduled trilateral exercise Talisman Sabre for July. As such, MRF-D will have a short window to both acclimatise and familiarise themselves with their Australian counterparts before embarking upon one of the world’s largest military training exercises, which will consist of almost 20 foreign military forces.

>>22773415 US Marine commander Colonel Jason Armas tells of 17 task force military exercises during stay - A senior US commander says the Marine Corps shares a “critical” relationship with the Australian Defence Force, maintaining the two services will work “hand-in-hand” in a jam-packed year. At RAAF Base Darwin on Monday, Marine Rotation Force - Commander Colonel Jason Armas and the first batch of his 2500-strong force were seen passing through customs to retrieve their M4 carbines. In his first press conference since setting food in Australia, Colonel Armas told the media his Marines looked forward to the “hitting the ground running” in Darwin. “We look forward to the incredible opportunities that we’re going to have to continue to strengthen our relationship with the ADF throughout our time here, and we look forward to the opportunities that are not just local, but also abroad,” he said. “We already have an amazing relationship, and we look forward to continuing to advance that.” It is understood MRF-D will participate in a whopping 17 military exercises in the space of six months, which includes some activities in South-East Asia.

#40 - Part 65

Australian Politics and Society - Part 23

>>22786842 Huge batch of JFK files reveals shocking Australian link - Australia’s top spy wrote to the CIA asking to keep secret details of an investigation into phone calls made to the US Embassy in Canberra about an assassination plot before President John F. Kennedy was killed, newly declassified files have revealed. The once “Top Secret” cables between the head of ASIO Sir Charles Spry and CIA Director Richard Helms were among more than 80,000 pages of material released by President Donald Trump on Tuesday. They shed more light on discussions between Australia’s top spy agency and the CIA about declassification of the investigation into the phone calls. “Sir Charles’ letter to you recommends against declassification of the Warren Commission document CD-971, which refers to our investigation of anonymous telephone calls to the Canberra Embassy before and after the assassination of President Kennedy,” read the November 1968 memo to Mr Helms from William E. Nelson, chief of the CIA’s Far East Division. Mr Helms’ response to the ASIO chief read, “Dear Charles, thank you for your letter recommending against the declassification of Warren Commission document CD-971. I might mention that our inquiry to you in August (1968) was in anticipation of further pressure for the release of Warren Commission papers, a pressure which has not materialised. Accordingly, there is not, at the present time, any intention to release CD-971. “Should the question be raised at some future time, the points made by you in your letter provide every reason to keep the document out of the public domain.” CD-971, which consisted of a memo from Mr Helms to the Warren Commission about the “crank” calls, was declassified in 1976. But the CIA fought for six decades keep portions of the letter from Sir Charles to Mr Helms secret, until it was released in unredacted form in a previous batch of JFK files in 2023. In his reasons, Sir Charles warned that “it has never been officially stated that there is a ‘CIA Canberra Station’ or that there are CIA officers in Australia”. “Publication of these facts would invoke a spate of questions by the press and in the parliament, which would be contrary to the national security interest,” the letter read.

>>22786859 Video: Declassified JFK assassination files reveal incredible connection to Australia’s top spy agency - The declassified JFK assassination files have revealed an extraordinary connection to Australia - revealing multiple phone calls about an assassination plot made to the US Embassy in Canberra - before the President was killed. The series of once “Top Secret” cables were made between the head of ASIO Sir Charles Spry and the Director of the CIA Richard Helms. They reveal ASIO, Australia’s top spy agency, had asked the CIA to keep the investigation into calls to the US Embassy secret. “Sir Charles’ letter… recommends against declassification of…our investigation of anonymous telephone calls to the Canberra Embassy before and after the assassination of President Kennedy,” the letter read. The document is one of more than 80,000 pages of material released by US President Donald Trump on Wednesday in relation to the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy. Trump said he was releasing the documents in order to honour his campaign promise to provide more transparency about the shock event in Texas. “It’s a lot of stuff, and you’ll make your own determination,” Trump told reporters about the pages earlier this week. Trump signed an order shortly after taking office in January related to the release, prompting the FBI to find thousands of new documents related to the Kennedy assassination in Dallas.

#40 - Part 66

Australian Politics and Society - Part 24

>>22792972 Big pharma’s plea to Trump to punish Australia for cheaper medicines - American medical giants have slammed the $18 billion pharmaceutical benefits scheme in a plea to US President Donald Trump to impose punitive tariffs on Australia because it subsidises medicines for millions of patients. The US industry has named Australia’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme as one of the “egregious and discriminatory” programs to be targeted in Trump’s imminent decision on reciprocal tariffs, blaming the Australian policy for cutting prices and blocking American exporters. The formal complaint, lodged with the president’s trade chief on March 11, calls for tough action to end the “damaging pricing policies” in Australia and other countries in order to add billions of dollars to exports and fix America’s trade deficits. Health Minister Mark Butler and Coalition health spokeswoman Anne Ruston have vowed to keep the PBS off the table in any trade discussions with the Trump administration before the president’s decisions next month on another round of US tariffs on other countries. But the formal US industry position heightens the prospect of reciprocal tariffs on Australian medical companies as a way to force change to the federal government policy and extract better terms for American drugmakers. “Egregious and discriminatory pricing policies in several markets including Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan and Korea undervalue American innovation, threaten billions of dollars in lost sales and undermine American competitiveness, jobs and exports,” says the formal submission from the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, known as PhRMA.

>>22792982 ‘Lopsided and unfair’: Australian farmers in Trump crosshairs - Billions of dollars of Australian beef exports are in the firing line for more Trump tariffs after powerful American farmers accused Australia of running “by far the most lopsided and unfair trading deal” with the US. The attack comes as the White House made clear it would target other countries’ food testing and local content rules, among other non-tariff trade barriers, when it introduces “reciprocal tariffs” next month, with each trading partner assigned a score based on its import duties and perceived trade transgressions. In comments to this masthead, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), representing 175,000 American cattle farmers and feeders, accused Australia of repeatedly frustrating negotiations to end a ban on uncooked US beef products. “For 20 years, Australian beef has enjoyed the benefits of free trade with the US, and we have been stonewalled over and over again,” said Kent Bacus, the group’s trade chief and executive director for government affairs. “You can’t ignore a $US29 billion [$45 billion] trade deficit in beef [over 20 years]. All we are asking for is fair trade - that really can’t be too much to ask. US beef is the highest quality in the world, and if Australia is unwilling to recognise that, then it is only fair for the US to reciprocate.” The NCBA has also raised these points directly with officials in meetings. In a scathing submission to the US Trade Representative (USTR) - the office managing the reciprocal tariffs due to begin on April 2 – it said: “The US-Australia free trade agreement is by far the most lopsided and unfair trade deal for US cattle producers.” It said Australia used myriad sanitary concerns and “endless bureaucratic red tape” to continue to delay the approval of uncooked US beef, which has been banned since the early 2000s due to fears about mad cow disease in the US. “This is not how allies and trade partners should behave,” the association said. “This is a slap in the face to US cattle producers, and enough is enough.”

#40 - Part 67

Australian Politics and Society - Part 25

>>22792999 Video: Australian university researchers told ‘woke gender ideology’ among reasons behind Trump funding cuts - The Trump administration told Australian university researchers a push to promote administration priorities and avoid “DEI, woke gender ideology and the green new deal” was behind a “temporary pause” of funding, according to a memo seen by Guardian Australia. University sector sources say the US has severed research funding at six universities - Monash University, Australian National University (ANU) and the University of Melbourne, University of Sydney, University of New South Wales and University of Western Australia – since Donald Trump came to power, including some as early as January. ANU is the first university to publicly acknowledged it. The projects, which spanned a range of topics from agriculture to foreign aid, social science and geology, were cancelled pending a review as part of US higher education cuts. Some notifications came directly from US government agencies to researchers. A memo sent to an Australian university project on 27 January on behalf of the US office of management and budget notifying a “temporary pause” of agency funding said the executive branch had a “duty to align federal spending and action with the will of the American people”. “Financial assistance should be dedicated to advancing Administration priorities, focusing taxpayer dollars to advance a stronger and safer America, eliminating the financial burden of inflation for citizens, unleashing American energy and manufacturing, ending ‘wokeness’ and the weaponization of government, promoting efficiency in government, and Making America Healthy Again,” the memo said. “The use of Federal resources to advance Marxist equity, transgenderism, and green new deal social engineering policies is a waste of taxpayer dollars that does not improve the day-to-day lives of those we serve.”

>>22798221 US farmers demand Trump slap tariffs on Australia - American agricultural producers, from winemakers to blueberry growers, are bearing down on US President Donald Trump to bypass “protectionist” biosecurity laws and slap tariffs on Australian exports, joining multinationals, big tech and drug companies in demanding the White House overhaul reciprocal trading arrangements with Canberra. As America’s peak trading association described Australia as a “problematic market” with taxes and reporting requirements that the National Foreign Trade Council called “burdensome, discriminatory, or excessive”, US farmers complained about the “dramatic disadvantage” they faced when it came to the trading relationship with Australia. “For nearly two decades, the US blueberry industry has pursued market access for fresh blueberries to Australia … A nearly 20-year delay is unacceptable - this request must be prioritised and completed as soon as possible,” a submission to the trade office by the North American Blueberry Council said. A similar submission from the Northwest Horticultural Council said: “Australia unfairly prohibits the importation of apples from the United States due to expressed phytosanitary concerns, while allowing access for our competitors in the People’s Republic of China and New Zealand”. The formal complaints, lodged with Mr Trump’s trade chief, reveal decades-long resentments US producers harbour against foreign imports and raise the prospect that Australia’s agricultural sectors could face another trade war, just months after China lifted the last of its tariffs on wine, beef, barley and lobster. The Californian Citrus Council criticised Australia’s “unfair trade conditions” in its submission to the trade office, demanding action be taken to limit mandarin imports going forwards. “To remedy this problem, we recommend that Office of the United States Trade Representative negotiate with trading partners to impose a tariff rate quota that would limit the volume of mandarins that can be imported from Chile, Peru, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa from October through May,” the submission said.

#40 - Part 68

Australian Politics and Society - Part 26

>>22798263 Musk and big tech urge Trump to punish Australia - US President Donald Trump is being urged to target Australia over its federal laws on social media and the digital economy in a powerful campaign by American tech giants including Elon Musk to block measures that hurt their profits. The big tech companies have blamed Australia for threatening them with new federal laws and “coercing” them into sacrificing their revenue in schemes such as the News Media Bargaining Incentive, which aims to charge social media platforms to help fund Australian news content. The formal complaint, lodged with Trump’s trade chief on March 11, opens a new front in a growing trade dispute after big US pharmaceutical companies and beef producers also slammed Australia in their plea to Trump to use tariffs and other measures to shield American companies. The Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) also accused Australia of hurting American streaming media platforms by making them pay for local content such as Australian television productions, putting their revenue at risk. The peak industry group, whose members include the X platform owned by Musk - one of Trump’s key allies – also objected to Australian measures on artificial intelligence on the grounds they would curb American innovation. The complaint aims to influence Trump in a looming decision to impose reciprocal tariffs on countries he believes are hurting American exporters. The lengthy submission was backed by CCIA member companies such as Amazon, Apple, Google, X and Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.

>>22798293 ‘Welcome to country or fail course’ convener doubles down - Macquarie University law students who face the threat of failing a component of a key exam if they perform an underwhelming acknowledgment of country have been made to adopt different personas and perform a “privilege walk” in order to better understand power and status. Age and the Law course convenor Holly Doel-Mackaway on Wednesday doubled down on revelations published in The Australian that students were marked on their delivery of an acknowledgment of country, saying they would “not meet the metric or ­rubric” if they did not perform an appropriate proclamation. It comes as two students told The Australian the university’s law course has become hijacked by a political ideology that was damaging to their education, with one saying they felt ­pressured to “express an opinion that I don’t truly believe in”. Dr Doel-Mackaway was the course convener of part of a unit for honours students that required them to deliver an acknowledgment of country and to be assessed on their delivery. One former honours student told The Australian that a core component of the oral presentation of their thesis topic was the delivery of “an ‘exceptionally thoughtful and respectful Acknowledgement of Country or Welcome to Country’ connected to our chosen topic, which was to consume roughly 30 seconds of each student’s three-minute presentation”. The student, who would speak to The Australian only on the condition of anonymity, said the Acknowledgement of Country had no connection with their honours thesis subject.

>>22808536 Uncertainty over Australian Abrams tanks donated to Ukraine - A delivery of second-hand Australian Abrams tanks to Ukraine faces possible complications after US President Donald Trump's recent temporary freeze on military assistance to the war-torn nation. As the Defence department acknowledges the international military transfer remains "complex", the ABC can also reveal Ukraine's Defence Minister Rustem Umierov is scheduled to soon visit Canberra to discuss Australia's ongoing support. Last year the Albanese government announced it would send the Army's retired M1A1 vehicles to help bolster the fight against Russia's invasion, but operations have stalled at a US-funded logistics facility in Poland which was soon expected to process the fleet. Last week Poland's Minister of National Defence Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz insisted normal operations had resumed at Rzeszów after a week-long disruption, telling reporters, "We are closely monitoring the aid flowing into Ukraine." One American official, who asked for anonymity so they could speak freely, claimed the US government last year cautioned Australia against donating the aging tanks because of the logistical expense and difficulties around maintaining the vehicles inside Ukraine. Sources in Europe say the status of the jointly run logistics hub in the eastern Polish city of Rzeszów, which was established at the beginning of the war, is now in doubt following the Trump administration's recent animosity towards Ukraine.

#40 - Part 69

Australian Politics and Society - Part 27

>>22817650 Aussie munitions firm to build $120m US weapons factory - Brisbane-based munitions firm NIOA will build a $120m weapons factory in the US amid growing calls by Donald Trump for Western countries to spend more on defence. NIOA is now the largest Australian-owned supplier of munitions to the Australian Defence Force after taking over Tennessee-based army sniper rifle supplier Barrett Firearms in 2022 for a reported $200m. The $US76.4m ($121.8m) industrial precinct in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, to be known as the Barrett Manufacturing & Technology Campus, will be capable of developing and testing an expanding range of weapons, including for the ADF. NIOA chief executive Rob Nioa said the company looked forward to the positive impact the project would have on the local economy and beyond. Barrett Firearms rose to prominence in the 1990s after supplying long-range rifles to the US military during Desert Storm. Founded in 1982, its first rifle was designed by Ronnie Barrett at his dining room table, before being used in a series of high-profile US operations. Barrett now supplies weapons to more than 70 countries around the world approved by the US State Department. The Barrett M107A1 anti-materiel sniper rifle is one of the weapons systems selected by the ADF under the LAND300 project aiming to ensure Australian ground forces maintain an advantage over potential adversaries beyond 2030. “This new facility will serve as our primary firearms manufacturing site globally, and demonstrates our commitment as a major American manufacturer catering to both the commercial and military markets,” Mr Nioa said.

>>22817690 Monash law PhD students made to critique thesis based on Marxist, feminist, critical race theory - Students and academics have criticised Monash University’s PhD law course, which forces students to critique their thesis based on Marxist, feminist, critical race and queer theory, as one student claimed they were “expected” to include “critical law theory” in their black letter law thesis, and said the approach was “destroying legal academia”. It comes as Macquarie University’s vice-chancellor ordered a review of its law school practices after students said their course had become hijacked by a political ideology that was damaging to their education, with revelations law students faced the threat of failing one part of an exam if they performed an ­under­whelming ­acknowledgment of country. Monash PhD students are required to complete 120 hours of compulsory research skills training in part from “critical legal studies, international law and ­theory, feminism and philosophy”. The Australian understands Monash Law’s Critical Legal Studies looks at the relationship between law, power and politics. Lecture slides, seen by The Australian, note CLS is “concerned with theory” that includes “Marxism, postmodernism/poststructuralism; feminism; queer theory; critical race theory; critical disability theory”. Students are told to “note the intersections between these groupings”. At the end of the unit, The Australian believes, students are provided with a reflection task and asked to consider to what extent (if any) critical legal studies (or critical legal method) intersects with their research; and to reflect on the implications of these perspectives on thesis topics.

>>22817717 ‘Indigenise the curriculum’: University of Sydney begins hiring spree - The University of Sydney is on a hiring spree to “Indigenise the curriculum” over the next two years with multiple roles on offer to “decolonise” the sandstone institution’s course subjects, sparking fears of encroaching separatism within university halls. The Australian can reveal the nation’s oldest university last week started recruiting for a “Senior Education Design Officer” who would be responsible for “executing transformative curriculum projects aimed at embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge, perspectives, texts, and media within curricular projects”. The two-year University of Sydney role was advertised with a base salary of $108,557 per annum. The officer would “provide expert guidance to stakeholders, primarily academic and teaching staff, to identify, scope, and plan multiple projects that align with university objectives to Indigenise the Curriculum”, the description read. They would “collaborate with the Indigenising Curriculum team to design and deliver relevant training to academics and teaching staff” and “seek and share knowledge on national and international cultural and pedagogical approaches to educational innovation and transformation”. The university also advertised a two-year $99,455 role for a project officer to play a “key role in Indigenising the curriculum” at the university. The university would give preference to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants for both roles, the advertisements read.

#40 - Part 70

Australian Politics and Society - Part 28

>>22823269 Joe Hockey goes in to bat for US investors in Trump trade dispute with Australia - A coal mining company and its disgruntled US investors have hired former ambassador turned lobbyist Joe Hockey to help them pursue millions of dollars in compensation from Australia in a high-profile case that has become a key point of contention in trade negotiations with the Trump administration. The claim stems from the cancellation in 2014 of a mining exploration licence in the NSW Hunter Valley held by NuCoal Resources following the Independent Commission Against Corruption’s investigation into disgraced former Labor minister Ian Macdonald. For a decade, NuCoal and its investors have sought compensation, with the Americans arguing the failure to compensate puts Australia in breach of its free trade agreement with the United States. This masthead can reveal that NuCoal chairman Gordon Galt and shareholders will travel to Washington next week to personally lobby the Trump administration, having retained the services of Hockey’s advisory and advocacy outfit, Bondi Partners. Frank Pfeffer, a now-retired investor who was instrumental in co-ordinating the US backers of NuCoal, said he would also attend the meetings. “He [Hockey] is involved as far as I can tell. We’re hoping that his contacts will help,” Pfeffer said. Galt said Hockey had made “very good suggestions”, as had other former politicians. Hockey declined to comment. Hockey was Australia’s ambassador to the US from 2016 to 2020 and established Bondi Partners after his stint at the embassy, leveraging relationships in both countries to “elevate trade and investment”. The firm has a presence in six cities, and its senior advisers include former Australian defence minister Marise Payne, former West Australian premier Mark McGowan, former Trump chief-of-staff Mick Mulvaney and former Democratic senator Joe Manchin.

>>22823308 Musk steps up war with Australia’s eSafety Commissioner - Elon Musk’s X Corp has intensified its fight with Australia’s ­eSafety Commissioner, seeking to overturn a two-year-old, six-figure fine from the watchdog. eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant fined X Corp, formerly known as Twitter, $610,500 in late 2023, after the social media giant missed the deadline to say how it was combating child sexual exploitation and abuse on its platform. But X Corp has argued in the Federal Court on Wednesday that it shouldn’t have to pay the fine because it was levied at Twitter, which no longer exists. Mr Musk bought Twitter for $US44bn in October 2022 and rebadged it X in July 2023 - two months before the eSafety commissioner fined the company. It is the second time X has tried to overturn the fine. Last year it argued the fine was issued to Twitter, not X, and it therefore shouldn’t have to pay up. Justice Michael Wheelahan dismissed that argument. But on Wednesday X Corp’s barrister, Bret Walker SC, said Justice Wheelahan made a mistake, and the eSafety commissioner should have issued a new notice to X given Twitter had “ceased to exist”. Mr Walker argued that while under US law X assumed the “liabilities and benefits” of the previous entity, this could not be extended to the unexpired period for that entity “to do something in compliance with a reporting process”. The eSafety Commissioner’s barrister Stephen Lloyd rejected Mr Walker’s argument, saying the notice to comply continued over to the new entity. Ms Inman Grant declined to comment on Wednesday but said last year that if X was successful in overturning the fine, it could “set the concerning precedent that a foreign company’s merger with another foreign company might enable it to avoid regulatory obligations in Australia”.

#40 - Part 71

Australian Politics and Society - Part 29

>>22828385 Apple celebrates Aboriginal culture in Maps update, showcasing traditional names and lands - Apple Maps now displays traditional Aboriginal names for places across Australia, joining companies such as Qantas and Australia Post in celebrating indigenous heritage, as part of its biggest overhaul of the popular app. The Maps update has been a four-year project, with Apple saying it has only scratched the surface in highlighting how technology can help preserve culture and enhance education. The tech titan has worked with indigenous advisers, cartographers, traditional owners, language holders, and community members to complete the automatic upgrade, which went live on Thursday afternoon. Indigenous groups can also submit pictures of their local communities to create place cards to generate further awareness, and a similar update has been launched in New Zealand. Apple says its goal to build the world’s best map, with Google its main competitor. Both companies have also adopted dual names for the Gulf of Mexico, following Donald Trump’s executive order to rename it the Gulf of America. The Aboriginal titles also brings Australia in line with the US and Canada, where Apple has also displayed indigenous place names.

>>22828399 US conspiracy theorist Donald Day Jnr tells authorities he feels 'responsible' for death of Wieambilla killers - The US conspiracy theorist charged in connection with a deadly attack on Queensland police has told authorities he would have tried to talk the killers out of it if he had the chance. Arizona man Donald Day Jr had forged a strong online friendship with Gareth and Stacey Train before they shot police dead in a six-hour siege at their rural Wieambilla property in 2022. After ambushing officers with a hail of bullets, the couple shared one final chilling video message which appeared to address Mr Day directly. In the YouTube clip, a quietly spoken Stacey Train told "Don" they would "be home soon" and that they loved him. In a summary of Mr Day's police interview, filed to a US court this week, he told officers he was emotional after seeing the video. He said that if he had known what was going to happen, he would have told the Trains not to kill the officers as he wanted them to come to the United States. Mr Day admitted that he felt responsible for what happened to the Trains and for telling them he would have killed the "devils" and "demons" if they had come to his home. "I totally felt responsible for that … because I didn't want to see my friends get killed like that," he told police. When agents read comments he made to the Trains before the shooting that he would "kill them all because they are monsters and demons in the flesh", he answered: "Yes, I would." He also accepted police were "probably right" when they suggested he had led the Trains to a violent end. Two police officers, Constables Rachel McCrow and Matthew Arnold, and a neighbour, Alan Dare, were killed in the shooting, which Australian police labelled a religiously motivated terror attack. The young constables had been attempting to perform a welfare check on Gareth's brother, Nathaniel, when they were killed. The shooters, Gareth, Stacey and Nathaniel Train, were later shot dead on the rural property by Queensland police officers. Mr Day now faces a total of five federal charges in the US - three relating to alleged threats made online, and two accusing him of violating firearms laws.

#40 - Part 72

Australian Politics and Society - Part 30

>>22837325 Video: US authorities to fly to Sydney following arrest of alleged Ukrainian hacker Andrii Diuhovskyi - US Secret Service agents are on their way to Sydney, hoping to take an alleged computer hacker who was arrested in Australia back to America. Ukrainian national Andrii Diuhovskyi remains behind bars after Australian Federal Police acted on an international arrest warrant and detained him on Tuesday. Diuhovskyi faced court via video link from Surry Hills Police Station on Wednesday, where the matter was adjourned. The Federal Attorney General’s office confirmed to 7NEWS that he is wanted for conspiracy to commit computer instructions, unauthorised access to a protected computer, and aiding and abetting and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Before being led away, Diuhovskyi asked the Magistrate whether he was going to be taken to a jail in the United States. She confirmed he would not be yet. His matter will return to court in two weeks. If found guilty, he could face two decades in jail in the United States. The US embassy was sought for comment.

>>22837469 Video: Ben Roberts-Smith in eleventh-hour bid to reopen his appeal after secret recordings of Nine journalist Nick McKenzie - Ben Roberts-Smith has launched an eleventh-hour bid to clear his name after secret recordings caught Nine journalist Nick McKenzie claiming he had been briefed on some of the war veteran’s legal strategy during his defamation case. Lawyers for the former SAS soldier filed an interlocutory application to the Federal Court on Thursday afternoon asking for leave to reopen his appeal. “In the circumstances…. the nature of the information improperly obtained and its concealment until after the conclusion of the trial and appeal, it is in the interests of justice - both as between the parties and more broadly in relation to the administration of justice - that the matter be retried,” the application from Robert-Smith’s lawyers read. Roberts-Smith’s lawyers also argued McKenzie had “engaged in wilful misconduct” by “improperly and unlawfully obtaining and retaining information concerning the appellant’s legal strategy concerning the trial that was confidential and privileged to the appellant”. The West Australian reported yesterday that the decorated soldier’s legal team had demanded an urgent explanation from lawyers for Nine and McKenzie about what other information he was privy to during the trial following the leak of the audio. The newspaper also said it was understood Roberts-Smith’s lawyers were not ruling out seeking to have McKenzie face questioning in the witness stand. The appeal comes days after Sky News revealed the star reporter was recorded telling a witness that Roberts-Smith’s ex-wife, Emma Roberts, and her friend, Danielle Scott, had provided him with some of the former soldier’s legal strategy. McKenzie told the witness - a woman he was trying to convince to give evidence for Nine - that the intelligence he had received about the soldier’s legal strategy was “helpful” in Nine’s case.

>>22837474 Mystery witness in defamation appeal bid is Ben Roberts-Smith’s former mistress - Ben Roberts-Smith’s former mistress is the mystery witness whose secretly recorded conversation with investigative journalist Nick McKenzie has sparked an 11th-hour bid by the war veteran to reopen his defamation appeal against the Nine newspapers. Roberts-Smith, in an interlocutory application, claims there was a miscarriage of justice in his failed defamation case against The Canberra Times, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald in light of new revelations McKenzie had allegedly obtained ­information relating to his legal strategy during trial. The Federal Court has responded quickly to Roberts-Smith’s application, with Justice Nye Perram - one of three judges who reserved their decision on the appeal in February last year - calling a case management hearing for Monday to “discuss the parties’ perspectives” on how to address the issues. The shock intervention comes after Sky News Australia on Monday published a recording of McKenzie in which he appears to tell Roberts-Smith’s former mistress - identified during the defamation trial as Person 17 – that he had access to part of the soldier’s legal strategy during the case. In the recording, McKenzie tells the woman that Roberts-Smith’s ex-wife, Emma Roberts, and her friend, Danielle Scott, had been “actively briefing us on his legal strategy” in respect to her. “I’ve just breached my f*cking ethics … This has put me in a shit position now,” he said.

#40 - Part 73

Australian Politics and Society - Part 31

>>22850587 ‘Not on my watch’: Albanese says key US trade grievances are not negotiable - Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has declared key issues in trade talks with the United States are “not up for negotiation” after the US trade office added to its list of grievances with Australia just days before the Trump administration unveils a new tranche of tariffs. The 2025 report on foreign trade barriers, released by the United States Trade Representative (USTR) details several unresolved trade issues with Australia, including the prohibition of imported uncooked American beef, pork and poultry products, as well as apples and pears. It also renews concerns about Labor’s plan to impose local content requirements on streaming services such as Netflix under the National Cultural Policy, as well as a long-standing grievance about issues to do with patents and drug marketing. Albanese said three of the major concerns raised in the latest US trade report - the news bargaining code, biosecurity and pharmaceuticals – were “not up for negotiation from the Australian government”. “We will defend Australia’s interests,” he said. “The idea that we would weaken biosecurity laws is, as my mum would say, cutting off your nose to spite your face. In order to defend the exports that total less than 5 per cent of Australia’s exports, you undermine our biosecurity system? Not on my watch.” Pressed by reporters on his previous remarks about Trump and his plans for another direct call with the US president, Albanese avoided answering the questions directly but repeated: “I’ve very clearly indicated Australia is not negotiating over the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. We’re not negotiating over the News Bargaining Code [and] we won’t undermine our biosecurity.”

>>22850628 Video: Former PM Malcolm Turnbull imitates Trump, says 'eerie resonance' between president's Canada stance and Putin's approach to Ukraine - Malcolm Turnbull has delivered another scathing appraisal of Donald Trump before impersonating the US president, and has said he "couldn't pick between" Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton as a better leader to deal with the current US administration. Speaking to the National Press Conference today, the former prime minister compared Trump to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin for his stated desire to absorb Canada into the United States. "There's an eerie resonance between the language Trump uses about Canada and the language Putin uses about Ukraine: borders are fictional, doesn't deserve to be a separate country and so forth," Turnbull said. "And then I need not remind you of the shameful way Trump has treated Ukraine." He finished his final answer of the Press Club appearance with an impersonation of the US president, which was met with a scattering of laughs and applause. "Our leaders… have got to be able to stand up," Turnbull said, before mimicking the US president's speech. "And if that means you get a Breitbart or a 'Truth Social post saying you're weak and ineffectual, you don't know anything about China'… if you're spooked by that, you shouldn't be in the job."

>>22850639 Queensland police could give evidence at US trial of Donald Day Jr, conspiracy theorist linked to Wieambilla attack - Details of a deadly attack on Queensland police will be aired during the trial of a conspiracy theorist in the United States charged in connection with the murders. Arizona man Donald Day Jr regularly communicated with Gareth and Stacey Train who, along with Gareth's brother Nathaniel, fired relentlessly at officers who entered their rural Queensland property in December 2022. Constables Rachel McCrow and Matthew Arnold, and a neighbour, Alan Dare, were killed in the shooting, which police labelled a religiously motivated terror attack. Mr Day now faces a total of five federal charges in the US - three relating to alleged threats made online, and two accusing him of violating firearms laws. US District Judge John J. Tuchi ruled this week that "fact witness testimony" would be allowed in the trial relating to the circumstances of the siege and why Queensland officers entered the Trains' property at Wieambilla. Evidence by fact witnesses includes information about what they observed or experienced, rather than their expert opinions on a topic. It is unclear whether Australian law enforcement will testify in this context. In a statement, a spokesperson for the Queensland Police Service (QPS) said it would not provide "further commentary" until Mr Day's trial was finalised. Mr Day, who has never been to Australia, had asked a US court to limit "inflammatory" information about the Wieambilla shooting and the assailants. His lawyers previously argued to exclude testimony by Australian law enforcement, arguing it would "simply distract, inflame and prejudice the jury and risks turning the trial into a referendum on the Trains".

#40 - Part 74

Australian Politics and Society - Part 32

>>22860237 Trump tariffs:Australia hit with 10 per cent tariffs on ‘Liberation Day’- Donald Trump has declared that America’s friends were often worse than its enemies when it came to reciprocal trade, as he justified his new wave of tariffs on Thursday. Speaking in the Rose Garden at the White House on Wednesday local time, the US President declared “we are not taking it anymore” and that April 2 would be remembered as the day America reclaimed its destiny and US industry was reborn. He confirmed the reciprocal tariffs would commence from Friday local time, saying America would “calculate the combined rate of all their tariffs, non-monetary barriers and other forms of cheating”. The official start date for the new regime, as confirmed by the White House, is 12.01am (local time) April 5, 2025. A White House statement said the tariffs would remain in place “until such a time as President Trump determines that the threat posed by the trade deficit and underlying non-reciprocal treatment is satisfied, resolved or mitigated”. Mr Trump will be able to “increase the tariff if trading partners retaliate or decrease the tariffs if trading partners take significant steps to remedy non-reciprocal trade agreements and align with the United States on economic and national security matters”. The President said America was being “very kind” because he would charge other nations “approximately half of what they are and have been charging us”. He said imposing a full reciprocal tariff would have been “tough for a lot of countries”. Mr Trump warned that, for decades, America had been “looted, pillaged and raped”, and that other nations had become rich and powerful at its expense. “Now it’s our turn to prosper,” he said. Mr Trump said the revenue raised as a result of the new tariffs would go towards reducing taxes and paying down the national debt.

>>22860250 Video: Anthony Albanese slams US President Donald Trump tariffs as ‘unjustified’ - Anthony Albanese has slammed new tariffs announced by the US Trump administration while ruling out applying reciprocal measures, and announcing a suite of actions to safeguard industry against a more difficult global trading environment. The Prime Minister responded to Donald Trump’s announcement on Thursday AEDT that the US would impose a 10 per cent, across-the-board tariff on all imports. Mr Albanese flatly rejected the US assertion Australia applied anything equivalent to a 10 per cent tariff on the US, and said the imposition of tariffs was “unjustified”, “have no basis in logic”, and “not the act of a friend”. “Today’s decision will add to uncertainty in the global economy and it will push up costs for American households,” he said. “It is the American people who will pay the biggest price for these unjustified tariffs. “This is why our government will not be seeking to impose reciprocal tariffs. “We will not join a race to the bottom that leads to higher prices and slower growth. “We will stand up for Australia. We will continue to make the strongest case for these unjustified tariffs to be removed from our exporters.”

>>22860263 Albanese threatens to use 'dispute resolution' powers against sweeping US tariffs - Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has threatened to use "dispute resolution" powers in Australia's free trade agreement with the United States, responding to President Donald Trump's baseline 10 per cent tariff imposed on Australian exports to the US. "The Australian people have every right to view this action by the Trump administration as undermining our free and fair trading relationship," Mr Albanese said. "Our existing free trade agreement with the United States contains dispute resolution mechanisms. We want to resolve this issue without resorting to using these." The ABC revealed yesterday that the Albanese government was preparing to take the US to the World Trade Organization to accuse it of breaching their trade agreement. United States President Donald Trump has confirmed a new round of sweeping tariffs, setting a baseline on all trading nations including 10 per cent on Australian goods including beef. The Trump administration is labelling the taxes as "reciprocal" measures in response to trade barriers - and earlier this week issued a grievance list that complained Australia's biosecurity laws limited the United States from exporting fresh beef, pork and poultry products to Australia. "We imported $[US]3 billion of Australian beef from them just last year alone. They won't take any of our beef," Mr Trump said in his 'liberation day' address. "They don't want it because they don't want it to affect their farmers and, you know, I don't blame them - but we're doing the same thing right now, starting at midnight tonight, I would say."

#40 - Part 75

Australian Politics and Society - Part 33

>>22860277 Video: Trump singles out Australian beef on 'Liberation Day' - US President Donald Trump has signalled he'll target Australia beef imports as he delivered his much-anticipated "Liberation Day" announcement on sweeping tariffs. "Australia bans - and they're wonderful people, and wonderful everything — but they ban American beef," he said on Wednesday (Thursday AEDT) in a news conference at the White House in Washington DC. "Yet we imported $US3 billion of Australian beef from them just last year alone. They won't take any of our beef. They don't want it because they don't want it to affect their farmers and you know, I don't blame them but we're doing the same thing right now starting at midnight tonight, I would say." Australia will be subject to a "baseline" 10 per cent tariff on all exports to the US. Other countries, such as China, face much higher tariffs. During his announcement, Trump held up a chart showing the tariffs that will imposed on individual countries and trading blocs. Australia was also not visible from behind the lectern as Trump held up a sandwich board with each nation named. But taking the sign was US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick - where at the bottom of the chart it could be seen that the US would implement a 10 per cent reciprocal tariff on Australia.

>>22868870 ‘No exceptions’: Donald Trump tariff hawk Peter Navarro’s last-minute intervention - The 10 per cent US tariff impost on Australian goods came after a last-minute intervention from chief White House trade counsellor and tariff hawk Peter Navarro, who ­demanded tariffs be placed across the board without exception. Until last weekend, the tariff fate of America’s AUKUS partners - Australia and the UK – was still not decided. Australian negotiators in the US were holding the line on refusal to give way on beef and pharmaceuticals after earlier offering an enhanced deal to the White House on critical minerals access, which is crucial for defence materials. The US attitude to imposing any tariffs on Australia, which has been in negotiations since February, was “fluid”, “without malice” and not finally determined until just days before the US “Liberation Day” global tariff announcement from Donald Trump. But Mr Navarro, a long-term tariff advocate who has bizarrely described the chaos-creating tariff regime as a “tax cut”, personally intervened last weekend and insisted both Australia and the UK face a tariff. Part of the insistence was that the US President had promised across-the-board tariffs with “no exceptions” and Mr Navarro insisted on the tariffs on Australia and the UK.

>>22868903 Lutnick calls Australian biosecurity rules ‘nonsense’, says Trump won’t back off - US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick says it is “nonsense” that Australia bans American beef imports due to disease or chemical concerns, arguing it is simply a protectionist tactic to prop up local farmers and block American sellers. He also warned that US President Donald Trump would not back down on the sweeping worldwide tariffs he announced on Thursday until other countries changed their policies and eliminated those practices the US saw as unfair trade barriers. “Our farmers are blocked from selling almost anywhere … Europe won’t let us sell beef, Australia won’t let us sell beef,” Lutnick told CNN on Friday AEDT. The interviewer interjected to say this was “because of hormonal chemicals”. Lutnick replied: “No, no, that’s not why. It’s because they just wanna protect, they want to say: ‘Oh, what, the seeds are different?’ Other people in the world are using seeds that, insects … come on, this is nonsense. This is all nonsense. What happens is they block our markets.” Despite a free-trade agreement, Australia prohibits imports of fresh US beef due to long-standing concerns over mad cow disease. The US trade office has consistently raised this as a grievance, but Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Coalition leader Peter Dutton have both said biosecurity measures are not up for negotiation. In another interview on CNBC, Lutnick was asked why 10 per cent tariffs were applied to the United Kingdom and Australia when the US enjoyed a trade surplus with both countries. “Well, look, they each have the lowest rate available,” he responded.

#40 - Part 76

Australian Politics and Society - Part 34

>>22869920 Video: Australian superannuation funds hit by cyber attacks, with members' money stolen - A number of Australian superannuation funds have been hit with suspected cyber attacks, with members of one fund losing $500,000 between them in retirement savings. Stressed fund members have told ABC News they cannot access their accounts, adding to the anxiety. AustralianSuper has been hit with 600 attempted cyber attacks in the past month, ABC News understands, with four members losing half a million dollars combined. AustralianSuper is the nation's biggest retirement fund, with at least 3.5 million members and billions of dollars of their superannuation invested. AustralianSuper confirmed on Friday afternoon that members had been struggling to get into their accounts, and that some accounts were showing zero funds. "We are experiencing a high volume of traffic to our call centre, member online accounts and mobile app that is causing intermittent outages," it said in a statement. "Even though you may not be able to see your account, or you are seeing a $0 balance, your account is secure. This is a temporary situation and we're working hard to resolve it as quickly as possible. We apologise for any inconvenience."

>>22874151 Aussie tariffs funding Trump tax cuts: Morrison - Former prime minister Scott Morrison says a 10 per cent tariff on Australian exports to the United States seems primarily a tool to raise revenue, and so compromising on trade barriers that US firms complain about may be a wasted offer to avoid it. After Australia was hit with a baseline 10 per cent tariff out of Donald Trump’s “liberation day” blitz last week, the Albanese government has remained hopeful that its offer of preferential access to critical minerals may afford exporters an exemption in future. Nations such as the United Kingdom, Brazil and Ukraine were also hit with the baseline figure. In an interview with The Australian Financial Review on Sunday, Morrison said the Trump administration appeared to have three motivations with its tariff regime: raise revenue from the baseline tariffs, use higher tariff rates to push other countries to lower their own trade barriers; and overall, encourage the re-establishment of American manufacturing by making foreign-made products more expensive. While China has responded to Trump’s trade war with retaliatory tariffs, lifting expectations of a global recession, Vietnam and India have indicated a willingness to lower tariffs on US imports into their countries. “[The baseline tariff] very much has the look and feel of a foreign consumption tax,” he said. “What seems to be driving that, from my observation, is more the need to raise revenue for broader tax cuts.” Trump has promised “the largest tax cuts in history” to stimulate economic growth and business investment, but with a $US1.8 trillion budget deficit, he needs to find ways to pay for them.

>>22877911 New horizontal launch capability will deepen ties with NASA - A new agreement between Space Centre Australia and NASA for a “horizontal launch capability” is being framed by the company as a key step towards the opening of a major international space port in Cape York that could transform the North Queensland economy. The proposed horizontal launch capability would allow a rocket to be deployed in mid air from a C-130 Hercules military transport plane and deliver a payload weighing up to 250kg - including satellites, scientific instruments or autonomous robotic systems – into a low Earth orbit. SCA’s US-flagged company inked its first Space Act Agreement with NASA on Friday, local time, to begin testing of the horizontal capability - developed under its flagship Karman Line project – at the NASA Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. The company’s non-executive chairman, Scott Morrison, told The Australian this capability would fill an “important gap in the market” because it would allow for shorter lead times and smaller payloads to be delivered more swiftly into space. Mr Morrison said the space agreement would deepen the relationship between NASA and SCA, bringing the company a step closer to realising its vision to transform North Queensland by opening a major international space port at Cape York. He said NASA could use the proposed vertical launch space port at Weipa to support its Artemis campaign - a series of missions aimed at returning humanity to the Moon and establishing a sustainable presence there.

#40 - Part 77

Australian Politics and Society - Part 35

>>22877925 Video: Chris Minns impersonates US President Donald Trump - New South Wales Premier Chris Minns impersonates US President Donald Trump at a New South Wales Farmers Writers' Association event in Sydney. Mr Minns was asked what executive orders he would make for regional New South Wales if he was Donald Trump for the day. - Sky News Australia

>>22882770 Video: Trump takes another brutal swipe against Australia in social media tirade - Donald Trump has taken yet another swipe at Australia's refusal to accept US beef imports, as he doubles down on his contentious plan to apply widespread tariffs. Trump last week slapped a ten per cent tariff on Australian goods being exported to the US, including beef, as part of his 'Liberation Day' trade policy to apply reciprocal tariffs on nations that put up barriers to US products. On Monday, US time, Trump used his social media platform Truth Social to defend his policy against complaints from numerous countries as share markets worldwide saw a sell-off of companies whose profits will decline as a result. Trump re-shared a comment from Senator for Wyoming John Barrasso which claimed the US has not sold 'one hamburger in Australia'. Australia prevents the import of American beef when the products can't be traced from the source animal right through to the finished product. Senator Barrasso later appeared on FoxNews where he said many cattle producers in his state thought it was unfair they could not sell their goods in the US but Australia can send its beef to America. 'I appreciate what the President is doing on tariffs… Australia has sold $29billion worth of beef in the United States, and we haven't been able to sell one hamburger in Australia because of barriers,' Senator Barrasso said. 'You look at these numbers, and the ranchers of Wyoming are saying thank you Mr President, it is about time!'

>>22882785 Chalmers calls emergency economy meeting to deal with Trump tariff dump - The nation’s top economic officials have been summoned to an emergency meeting to respond to the financial chaos unleashed by Donald Trump’s tariffs, as the United States and China escalate their threats of a vicious trade war that would inflict collateral damage to the Australian economy. Trade Minister Don Farrell will also speak with the European Union’s top trade official on Wednesday in a bid to revive stalled negotiations on a European free trade pact, part of a broader push to open up new markets for Australian exporters. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton ratcheted up his economic rhetoric by claiming the economy was heading into a recession under the Albanese government, prompting Treasurer Jim Chalmers to accuse him of “reckless” alarmism before the May 3 election. Chalmers will on Wednesday lead a snap meeting of the council of financial regulators, a high-powered body that includes Reserve Bank Governor Michele Bullock and Treasury Secretary Steven Kennedy, to discuss how local and global markets are being affected by the volatility caused by Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs. Australian Securities and Investment Commission Chair Joe Longo, Australian Prudential Regulation Authority Chair John Lonsdale and Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb will also attend the meeting. “These escalating trade tensions are casting a dark shadow over the global economy but Australia’s robust economy and budget puts us in good stead,” Chalmers said, as Australian consumer confidence slumped in the wake of Trump’s tariffs. “We’re working closely with the regulators and financial institutions to ensure that everything possible is being done to safeguard Australians from this global volatility.”

#40 - Part 78

Australian Politics and Society - Part 36

>>22882807 Video: Peter Dutton claims Australia is headed for a recession amid Trump's tariff turmoil - Peter Dutton has used Donald Trump's stock market bloodbath to claim Australia will sink into a recession if Labor stays in government this federal election. The opposition leader warned Australians that a recession is "coming for our economy" while comparing his cost-of-living measures against those offered by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during a press conference in Sydney. Dutton warned Treasurer Jim Chalmers' comments highlighting that financial markets are pricing in a chance of a 50 per cent interest rate cut next month was a dire sign of things to come. "We know that Australian families have lived through almost two years of household recession. That's what Labor has already delivered during the term of government," Dutton said. Dutton predicted that "further actions out of the US, or retaliatory action from China or other countries" could also trigger a recession in the US. Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor today described the past three years as the "biggest reduction in our standard of living". And following yesterday's ASX wipe-out, which saw more than $100 billion shed before markets clawed back losses today, Taylor said ordinary Australians are right to be worried about their future. "The biggest we have ever seen… bigger than any of our peer countries," Taylor said.

>>22887622 Video: ‘Why did Australia get whacked?’: Tariffs spark US Senate row - Tensions flared at the Senate Finance Committee hearing on Tuesday (local time) as Donald Trump’s trade representative Jamieson Greer was grilled over why Australia has been hit with tariffs despite have a trade surplus with the US. Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat, lambasted Mr Greer over the 10 per cent tariffs on a country which he said was one of America’s closest security allies. “We already have a free-trade agreement, we have a trade surplus - so getting the ‘least bad’ – why did they get whacked in the first place?” Mr Warner asked Mr Greer. He added: “They are an incredibly important national security partner. Why were they whacked with a tariff? The idea that we are going to whack friend and foe alike, and particularly friends, with this level [of tariffs] is both insulting to the Australians, undermines our national security and frankly makes us not a good partner going forward,” he said. Mr Greer said that despite the surplus, Australia bans US beef and pork, and the US should be “running up the score” in terms of trade. “We’re addressing the $1.2 trillion deficit - the largest in human history - that President Biden left us with, we should be running up the score in Australia – they ban our beef, they ban our pork, they’re getting ready to impose measures on our digital companies, it’s incredible, “” Mr Greer said.

>>22887635 Video: Donald Trump threatens fresh tariffs on pharmaceuticals in major blow for Australia - Donald Trump has threatened to hit pharmaceutical goods with a fresh round of tariffs in what would be a significant blow to Australia. Pharmaceuticals were exempted from the wide-ranging so-called "reciprocal" tariffs unveiled last week, but in a speech this morning, the US president said there would soon be a new round of import taxes specifically targeting the sector. "We're going to be announcing, very shortly, a major tariff on pharmaceuticals," Trump told a National Republican Congressional Committee dinner. "And when they hear that, they will leave China, and they will leave other places because more of the product is here." Pharmaceuticals is one of Australia's largest exports to the United States, worth around $1.6 billion a year. However, American manufacturers have long opposed the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) in part because it limits the price customers pay for listed drugs, a point Trump raised in his speech without mentioning Australia by name. "These other countries are smart, they say you can't charge more than $88 otherwise you can't sell your product and the drug companies listen to them," he said. "But we're going to do something that we have to do. We're going to put tariffs on our pharmaceuticals and once we do that, they're going to come rushing back into our country because we're the big market."

#40 - Part 79

Australian Politics and Society - Part 37

>>22900942 Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton won’t follow Donald Trump’s tough trade talk on China - Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton are promising big business they will rebuff any push by Donald Trump for nations to take a tougher economic approach to Beijing, as the latest salvo in the White House’s trade war was expected to halve China’s GDP and push it into dumping goods that cannot be sold into America. The US President on Thursday (AEST) announced a 90-day pause on his sweeping tariffs, giving at least 75 countries a 10 per cent baseline but hitting China with even higher levies after Beijing hit the US with a retaliatory levy of 84 per cent. Asked on Thursday whether Australia’s current trade regime with Beijing could hurt chances of a tariff exemption from the US, the Prime Minister said “No”. “We will speak for ourselves, and we speak for ourselves. And Australia’s position is that free and fair trade is a good thing,” the Prime Minister said. “Our trade relationship with China is an important one. We have restored in excess of $20bn of trade exports to China where there were impediments.” Former ambassador to China Geoff Raby also warned Australia would need to team up with Beijing to mitigate the impact of the tariff crisis. “The reality is we are going to have to work with China, whether we like it or not, as well as we will work with other regional countries. But other regional countries … have none of the hesitation we have over working with China.” Mr Dutton also sidestepped Beijing’s call for a united front against Washington, saying only that Australia needed to have “a strong trading relationship with China - it’s in our mutual interest.”

>>22905410 ‘Never should have been charged’: Ghislaine Maxwell tells SCOTUS that Jeffrey Epstein deal applied to her, too - On the last day permitted by the justices, Ghislaine Maxwell filed a 159-page petition Friday asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn her sex-trafficking conviction, arguing that per the terms of a non-prosecution agreement the government made with her former boyfriend, Jeffrey Epstein, she should never have been prosecuted. The 63-year old Maxwell was convicted in 2021 of five counts of sex trafficking and grooming minors for Epstein’s abuse - crimes for which she was sentenced 20 years imprisonment. Epstein himself died in jail before he could face trial. Following Maxwell’s conviction, she unsuccessfully appealed, having argued that a 2007 plea deal between Epstein and the federal government made in the Southern District of Florida protected her - even though she was not a party to the deal and her prosecution was taking place in the Southern District of New York. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit ruled that it was “well established” law that a plea agreement “binds only the office of the United States Attorney for the district in which the plea is entered unless it affirmatively appears that the agreement contemplates a broader restriction,” and that no such indication was present in Maxwell’s case. In Maxwell’s petition, her attorney called the case “the perfect vehicle” to resolve a split among the circuits over whether, in disputes like Maxwell’s, “United States” refers to the federal government broadly, or prosecutors in a specific jurisdiction more narrowly. It goes on to argue that a promise made in a plea agreement by one set of federal prosecutors should be binding on prosecutors from a different jurisdiction. “A defendant should be able to rely on a promise that the United States will not prosecute again, without being subject to a gotcha in some other jurisdiction that chooses to interpret that plain language promise in some other way,” it said in the brief.

#40 - Part 80

Australian Politics and Society - Part 38

>>22909343 Russian ambassador leaves Canberra amid uncertainty over new replacement - A potential diplomatic stand-off is emerging over Russia's next diplomatic appointment to Australia after the previous ambassador quietly departed over a week ago. The ABC can reveal Dr Alexey Pavlovsky concluded his posting to Canberra on April 5 and flew out of the country, leaving Chargé d'Affaires Ms Yulia Gromyko as the Russian embassy's most senior diplomat. Ambassador Pavlovsky began his posting to Canberra in 2019 and had been the federal government's main point of contact as it works to secure the release of Australian prisoner Oscar Jenkins, who was captured by Russia last year fighting for Ukraine. During Ambassador Pavlovsky's tenure, diplomatic relations have continued to sour, and two years ago the Albanese government moved to prevent Russia building a new embassy on land adjacent to Parliament House. A figure with knowledge of the Russian ambassador's departure claims the name of President Putin's proposed replacement has been given to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) but it is yet to be approved. "Australia is wedged here," the official tells the ABC, speaking on the condition of anonymity. "They can't say no to the new ambassador choice, or it totally stuffs DFAT's already small diplomatic footprint in Moscow." DFAT has not responded to questions about when it was first told of Ambassador Pavlovsky's departure, but under caretaker conventions requests for "agrément" to confirm new Heads of Mission cannot be made during an election campaign.

>>22909387 Video: James Paterson unintimidated by ‘loser’ neo-Nazis - Opposition home affairs spokesperson James Paterson has been targeted by a neo-Nazi protest, saying he was not “remotely intimidated by cosplaying losers” who - between racist chants – denigrated both major parties for abandoning “the white man”. In social media video seen by The Australian, a group of 20 people clad head-to-toe in black with their faces obscured formed a barricade outside Senator Paterson’s office on York Street, South Melbourne, while an unmasked ringleader blared a speech into a megaphone beside a banner reading “Liberal or Labor Third World Australia”. The man, who at one stage appears to make an illegal Nazi salute, led the group in chants of “Australia for the white man” and “hail victory”. “Our people are displaced by swarms of foreigners. Every excess is allowed to fester in our city,” he said. Senator Paterson has been a vocal opponent of Nazism and anti-Semites, leading the Coalition’s policy in both regards. In a statement he said he was unperturbed in the wake of the protest. “I certainly won’t be lectured on patriotism from people who worship a failed foreign regime. These protesters only make me more determined to protect Australians from extremists of all stripes,” he said. “I’m not remotely intimidated by cosplaying losers who hide their faces behind masks.”

>>22909412 How election candidates are boosting The Noticer, a news site promoting neo-Nazi ideologies - Federal election candidates and elected officials have been sharing content from a publication that regularly publishes articles promoting white supremacist and neo-Nazi ideologies. The Noticer runs white supremacist content alongside stories lifted from selected news sites, a model experts say is intended to lend the outlet a veneer of legitimacy. The site is popular among the far-right community, including Australia's most prominent neo-Nazi group, the National Socialist Network (NSN). United Australia Party senator Ralph Babet has openly shared and discussed content from the site on social media. In March, the senator commented on The Noticer's coverage of an Australia Day protest in Adelaide, where a group of NSN members were arrested, and banned from consorting under strict bail conditions. "If the information in this article is correct then Australia is heading towards a very bleak future where the courts are used to punish political opinion," Senator Babet wrote on X. The Noticer also appeared to have the inside track on the rally and its aftermath, with exclusive interviews and footage including a letter from a jailed NSN member it described as a "political prisoner". ABC NEWS Verify has also found Trumpet of Patriots leader Suellen Wrightson, Family First leader Lyle Shelton, and candidates from both One Nation, and the Libertarian Party, have shared the website's content.

#40 - Part 81

Australian Politics and Society - Part 39

>>22914039 Moscow bid to base military aircraft in Indonesia a ‘big problem’ for Australia - Indonesia has told the Albanese government that reports Russian aircraft would be allowed to operate from its soil were “simply not true”, after Moscow’s apparent bid thrust national security firmly back onto the Australian federal election campaign on Tuesday. Anthony Albanese was forced to admit his government was seeking “positive clarification” from Jakarta after Janes defence journal reported Russia had made a formal request to base several long-range military aircraft out of Indonesia’s Manuhua aircraft facility just 1300km from Australia’s mainland. The claims threatened to ignite a fresh security scandal with opposition leader Peter Dutton declaring another “catastrophic” intelligence failure by the government just weeks after Chinese live-fire exercises in the Tasman Sea and the circumnavigation of Australia by a Chinese strike force raised uncomfortable questions about Canberra’s intelligence capabilities, and capacity to defend its borders. Mr Albanese refused to say whether Australia’s “extremely positive relationship with our friends in Indonesia” would be harmed if it permitted Russia to station military aircraft so close to Australia’s mainland, but added he was seeking clarification from Jakarta. “We obviously do not want to see Russian influence in our region, very clearly,” he said. “We have a position, which is we stand with Ukraine, we regard Vladimir Putin as an authoritarian leader who has broken international law, who’s attacking the sovereignty of the nation of Ukraine.”

>>22914045 Video: ‘Deeply troubling’: PM, Dutton respond as Putin moves to use Indonesian air force base - Australian officials are working frantically to prevent Russia from being granted permission to base several long-range aircraft in Indonesia, just 1400 kilometres from the Australian mainland. Moscow’s audacious bid to secure a permanent military foothold in the Indo-Pacific thrust national security to the centre of the federal election campaign, echoing the Solomon Islands’ decision to strike a wide-ranging security pact with China during the 2022 campaign. Moscow and Jakarta have rapidly deepened their military ties since Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto took power last October, raising alarm bells in Canberra. Defence Minister Richard Marles said the government had already been engaging with Indonesia “at a senior level” about the issue, as he stressed that Jakarta had not responded to Moscow’s request. Moscow has lodged an official request for Russian Aerospace Forces aircraft to be based at a facility in Indonesia’s easternmost province, the respected military website Janes first reported on Tuesday. The Russian request reportedly seeks to base several long-range aircraft at the Manuhua Air Force Base at Biak Numfor in the province of Papua, which borders Papua New Guinea. The base, which is home to the Indonesian Air Force’s Aviation Squadron 27, is approximately 1380 kilometres from Darwin.

>>22918905 Canberra confirms Indonesia won't host Russian planes at air force base - Indonesia's defence minister has assured Australia it will not allow Russian planes to be based in Papua province after a United States media outlet reported that Moscow was pushing to get access to a military base in Papua. The defence news website Janes has reported that Moscow has launched an official request to base Russian aircraft at the Manuhua Air Force Base at Biak Numfor in the Indonesian province of Papua. The Kremlin, when asked about the report that Russia has asked Indonesia for permission to base aircraft in its territory, said there was a lot of fake news around. In 2017, Russia flew two nuclear-capable bombers on a patrol mission out of the base on what appeared to be an intelligence gathering exercise. The prospect of Russian military aircraft based so close to the Australian mainland would set off alarm bells in Canberra and cause a furious political debate on the campaign trail. Australian officials scrambled to verify the reports and on Tuesday evening Richard Marles told the ABC that he'd spoken with his Indonesian counterpart. "I have spoken to my counterpart, Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, the minister for defence, and he has said to me in the clearest possible terms, reports of the prospect of Russian aircraft operating from Indonesia are simply not true," he said. The ABC has been told that the Indonesian defence minister told Mr Marles he had not received any Russian request to access the base - although that doesn't rule out the possibility it was raised at a more junior level.

#40 - Part 82

Australian Politics and Society - Part 40

>>22918914 Russian envoy raises heat over Indonesia base request claim - Russia has launched an incendiary broadside against Australia’s military posture in the Asia-Pacific, linking its military co-operation with Indonesia to the AUKUS ­defence pact and “particularly alarming” plans to deploy US ­intermediate-range missiles on Australian soil that would put ­Indonesia within range. Vladimir Putin’s envoy to Jakarta, Sergei Tolchenov, made the extraordinary statements amid an ongoing political firestorm in Australia over reports of a Russian ­request for military access to an Indonesian air force base in Papua. Mr Tolchenov’s statement appeared designed to add fuel to the fire by expressly avoiding any confirmation that Moscow had asked to station long-range military aircraft at Manuhua air force base, just 1300km from the Australian mainland. All interactions between Russian and Indonesian armed forces were aimed at strengthening their mutual defensive capabilities, were not aimed at any third countries and posed no security threat to the Asia-Pacific region, he said. But the same could not be said of Australia, the ambassador intimated, taking aim at Canberra’s ambitions to acquire nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS partnership and the large US military contingents it hosts. “When it comes to any challenges to regional stability, they are more likely to arise from the rotational deployment of large military contingents from extra-regional states on Australian territory, including the provision of airfields for the landing of strategic bombers and port infrastructure for visits by nuclear-powered submarines,” Mr Tolchenov said.

>>22918937 ‘I was wrong’: Coalition frontbencher apologises for saying Russia and China want Labor to win election - Coalition frontbencher Bridget McKenzie has apologised for claiming that Russia and China want Labor to win the May 3 election, saying she based her comments on mistaken information. McKenzie, the Coalition’s transport spokeswoman, made the dramatic intervention into the debate on Wednesday afternoon by claiming that Russia and China had both made clear they wanted Dutton to be defeated. “The defence minister of Russia [Andrey Belousov] and the Chinese leader [Xi Jinping] both have made very public comments that they do not want to see Peter Dutton as the prime minister of our country,” McKenzie told the ABC. “There’s two world leaders who don’t want to see Peter Dutton become prime minister of our country. That’s all I’m saying. That’s Russia and China.” Asked on what basis she made her comments, McKenzie said: “I made a mistake, I was wrong with what I said about the Russian defence minister and Chinese leader. I can’t verify it.” Peter Dutton on Wednesday denied he had “verballed” Prabowo by claiming he had publicly announced the proposal, saying he was referencing a “very credible military website” in Janes. “The prospect of having Russia with a greater presence in our region is very real, and there are a lot of questions that the [Albanese] government still has to answer,” Dutton said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese accused Dutton of “extraordinary overreach”, saying: “He always shoots from the hip. And when you are either the prime minister or the alternative prime minister of this country, what you need to do is to have a considered approach to our international relations.”

>>22927252 ‘It is accurate’: Website stands by controversial Russian aircraft story - The specialist military publication that first reported an alleged push by Russia to base long-range aircraft in Indonesia says it stands by the accuracy of its story as Jakarta says it welcomes visits from friendly foreign militaries. Military publication Janes first reported earlier this week that Russia had requested to base long-range warplanes in Indonesia, which Australia’s neighbour disputed as the issue erupted into the election campaign. Ridzwan Rahmat, the senior journalist who reported the story, said in a statement: “We at Janes stand by this story and it is accurate. “This story was written following a few weeks of speaking to well-placed sources within the Indonesian government. “Furthermore, to protect these sources, we will not release this information or further details of these conversations.” The publication, which began publishing books and magazines in 1898, has a loyal following in the defence and national security community. Quoting anonymous Indonesian government sources and documents, Janes reported that Russia had asked to base several long-range aircraft at the Manuhua Air Force Base at Biak Island in the province of Papua. Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said on Wednesday that the Janes report was “absolutely untrue” and Indonesia would “not allow foreign military bases on our soil.”

#40 - Part 83

Australian Politics and Society - Part 41

>>22927429 Macquarie University backflips on acknowledgement of country assessment, will not do in future - Macquarie University has bowed to pressure and will no longer mark law students on their delivery of an acknowledgement of country. But the university maintained the ability to deliver an acknowledgement of country was an “authentic, professional skill relevant to contemporary legal practice”. The Australian revealed last month that a law unit called ‘age and the law’ at Macquarie University marked students on their ability to deliver welcome or acknowledgement of country, in a move labelled “indoctrination” by conservative Indigenous leaders. The presentation was worth 30 per cent of the final course mark and students were told the acknowledgement of country was one of the key five marking areas. A high-distinction acknowledgement of country would see a student present “a brief, thoughtful, exceptionally well-written, culturally respectful ­acknowledgement of country or welcome to country at the beginning of the presentation”, the marking rubric read. But on Thursday, the university said a “thorough review” found the acknowledgement of country component of the verbal assessment was “not appropriate”. “An acknowledgement of country will not form part of the assessment task in question in future offerings of the unit LAWS5005,” a university statement read. “The unit convener has advised students that they are able to opt out of the acknowledgement of country and that students will not fail the unit, nor will their grades be adversely affected, should they decide to do so.”

>>22932371 Video: Oscar Jenkins faces up to 15 years in jail for defending Ukraine - Melbourne man Oscar Jenkins is facing up to 15 years in a Russian jail after being criminally charged for fighting in defence of Ukraine against Vladimir Putin’s invasion. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government would use whatever means possible to advocate for Jenkins, who was feared dead earlier this year before being revealed to be alive and in Russian captivity. The Prosecutor’s Office for the occupied territory of Lugansk said it had “approved the indictment in the criminal case against 33-year-old Australian Commonwealth citizen Oscar Charles Augustus Jenkins”, accusing him of being a “mercenary in an armed conflict”. The office also shared a new photograph of Jenkins, dressed in a blue and yellow coat and holding a book. Russian media outlets claimed that the former school teacher was paid a salary of around $11,000 to $15,000 per month to fight against the Russian army from March 2024 until he was captured last December. He could face a prison sentence of up to 15 years, the outlets reported. “We’ll continue to make representations to the reprehensible regime of Vladimir Putin on behalf of Mr Jenkins,” Albanese said on Saturday. “We will stand up and use whatever avenues we have at our disposal to continue to make those representations.” Albanese continued: “The people of Ukraine are fighting for a democratic nation, for their own sovereignty, but they’re also fighting for the international rule of law, which is why we do want to see peace, but we do want to see it on the terms that are acceptable to Ukraine.”

>>22932458 Australian Oscar Jenkins charged by Russian authorities - Russian authorities have charged captured Australian man Oscar Jenkins under the criminal code of participating as a “mercenary in an armed conflict”. A statement from the Prosecutor’s Office of the Luhansk People’s Republic confirmed the criminal charges against the 33-year-old, who was captured by Russian forces in Ukraine in December 2024. NewsWire understands he was fighting as part of the 402nd Rifle Battalion in Ukraine’s 66th Mechanised Brigade when he was captured near Makiivka, a tiny village on the Zherebets River in Luhansk Oblast. According to the indictment, Mr Jenkins arrived in Ukraine in February 2024 and participated in the conflict between March and December that year, where he is alleged to have received a “monthly reward” of $11,400 and $15,000 per month. “While at the Ternopil recruiting centre, he signed a contract with the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, after which he received a military uniform, equipment, weapons and ammunition for it and was sent to serve in the village of Shchurovo, Kramatorsk district, Donetsk People’s Republic,” the statement read. When questioned about the captured Australian on Saturday, Anthony Albanese said he had “certainly not” forgotten about him. “We will continue to make representations to the reprehensible regime of Vladimir Putin on behalf of Mr Jenkins,” he told reporters on Saturday. “We will stand up and use whatever avenues we have at our disposal.”

#40 - Part 84

Australian Politics and Society - Part 42

>>22936425 How Australia celebrated Easter with prayer, sport, chocolate and family time - Here’s a shoutout to all those people who didn’t get a break this Easter and won’t be taking annual leave to roll their days off into the Anzac Day long weekend. We’re indebted to our police, ambos, hospital workers, garbos and footy players. Not so much to the federal election try-hards who kept at it when most of us were doing our level best to switch off from the voting that kicks off at pre-polling stations on Tuesday. At least Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton read the room. Easter 2025 was a time for prayer or chocolate eggs, the beach and family, kiting or kicking back, when the nation took the opportunity to relax and give thanks before the winter weather closes in. It was not a time for bareknuckled political campaigning, which the Prime Minister and his opposite number wisely dialled down. Mr Albanese spent Easter Sunday morning at mass and praising his other creed, the South Sydney Rabbitohs. He took Holy Communion at St Mary’s Cathedral, where he was once an altar boy, before confessing to Andrew Johns and the blokes on the Footy Show at Nine that he had had ­limited prospects as a “skinny kid” playing rugby league. The Opposition Leader also played it low key, turning sausages in an Ipswich park in the Queensland seat of Blair, high on the blue team’s must-win list. Mr Dutton was flanked by his wife, Kirrily, and their six-year-old spoodle Ralph, as well as LNP candidate Carl Mutzelburg. Delivering a brief Easter message to the waiting cameras, Mr Dutton kept the gloves firmly in place. “We live in the best country in the world,” he said. “And it’s on these public holidays that we come together and play a bit of sport or eat and drink together.”

>>22938708, >>22938713 Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, dies aged 88 - Pope Francis, the reforming head of the Catholic Church who sought to modernise the pastoral and public priorities of the Vatican, has died at the age of 88. The Vatican announced the death of the Argentina-born Francis, a ground-breaking and progressive figure on Monday. He was the first pope to be born or raised outside Europe in 12 centuries, the first from the Americas and the first Jesuit to hold the role. Francis, who had led the world’s 1.3 billion Roman Catholics since 2013, had been in increasingly poor health and physical pain, using a wheelchair or cane for more than a year after undergoing several operations, including major stomach surgery. The Vatican announced on February 18 that he had developed pneumonia in both lungs and his condition remained “complex”. At the time, he had been suffering from a respiratory infection for more than a week and was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on February 14. Francis’ death will spark an official nine-day mourning period and weeks of intrigue as to who will succeed him in the role, with more than 140 cardinals to arrive at the Vatican within 15 to 20 days to begin the papal conclave, a secretive election process held to determine a successor.

>>22943038 Moscow comes mocking: Putin man Sergei Tolchenov’s wildcard warning to leaders on Indonesian defence ties - Moscow has warned Anthony ­Albanese and Peter Dutton to stay out of its way in the Indo-Pacific, invoking Donald Trump to ­declare Australia has “no cards” to play that could undermine ­Russia’s military co-operation with Indonesia. The prospect that Russia could operate military aircraft from Indonesia’s Biak Island continued to hang over Australia’s election campaign at the weekend, as Russia’s top diplomat in Jakarta warned Australia’s interests “cannot extend to the territory of neighbouring sovereign states that pursue active and independent policies”. A week after the original Janes report, Moscow’s ambassador in Jakarta, Sergei Tolchenov, accused Australia’s political leaders of trying to out-do each other by ramping up anti-Russian rhetoric ahead of the May 3 election. “It is clear that the leaders of the two main political parties, replacing each other in power and calling it democracy, are now trying to outdo each other, heating up the situation,” he said in a letter to the Jakarta Post. “They stop at nothing, and the time has come to play the so-called ‘Russian card’.” But he said Australia had no say over Russia’s “integral” military engagement with Indonesia, ­declaring: “You have no cards.” The statement was a reference to Mr Trump’s Oval Office meeting in February with Volodymyr Zelensky, when he said the Ukrainian President had “no cards” in peace talks with Russia.

#40 - Part 85

Australian Politics and Society - Part 43

>>22947830 Video: ADF | Anzac Day preparation - On Anzac Day, we mark the landings in Gallipoli of Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) soldiers in 1915, and commemorate all Australian personnel who served and died in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations. We reflect on their courage, discipline and self-sacrifice. The Anzac spirit lives on in the hearts and minds of all Australians as we acknowledge the courage and sacrifice of those who contributed so much to shaping the identity of our nation. Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel across Australia and serving around the world will commemorate Anzac Day through dawn services and commemorative services. In Australia, ADF personnel will support the Australian War Memorial services as well as services in each capital city and dozens of smaller cities and towns. Overseas, ADF personnel will also support services at Gallipoli in Türkiye, Villers-Bretonneux in France, as well as services in the Middle East and across the Indo-Pacific. - Defence Australia

>>22947852 Video: Final preparations underway on ANZAC Day 2025 eve - Final preparations are underway in Australia and Gallipoli for people to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice this ANZAC Day. - 9 News Australia

>>22947866 Video: LIVE: National Dawn Service | Anzac Day 2025 | OFFICIAL BROADCAST - Join us as we go LIVE for the Anzac Day 2025 National Commemorative Service in Canberra from 5.30am AEST on April 25. - ABC Australia

>>22947879 Video: LIVE: Gallipoli Dawn Service | Anzac Day 2025 | OFFICIAL BROADCAST - Join us as we go LIVE for the Anzac Day 2025 Gallipoli Dawn Service from 12:30pm AEST April 25. - ABC Australia

>>22947891 Video: Anzac Day 2025 Melbourne Dawn Service - Watch the live stream of the Dawn Service at the Shrine of Remembrance. In solemn tradition, Victorians gather to commemorate those who served and died in defence of our country. The service is held at dawn to coincide with the time of the Gallipoli landing in 1915 - the first major military action by Australian and New Zealand forces (ANZACs) during the First World War. The event includes recitations, hymns, wreath-laying and an address by the Governor of Victoria. - ShrineMelbourne

>>22947907 Video: Anzac Day 2025 Melbourne March & Commemoration Service - Watch the live stream of the Anzac Day March and Commemoration Service. Honour and recognise those who have served and who currently serve in defence of Australia and its interests. The march commences in Swanston Street (near Federation Square) along St Kilda Road to the Shrine of Remembrance. The march is normally complete by midday, and is followed by a commemoration service at the Shrine of Remembrance. - ShrineMelbourne

>>22947920 Video: The Last Post - Anzac Day 2025 - "They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them." Lest We Forget.

#40 - Part 86

Australian Politics and Society - Part 44

>>22951814 Video: Millions mark Anzac Day with dawn services and marches across Australia - Australians have gathered to mark Anzac Day and pay tribute to the men and women who have served in the nation's defence forces. The solemn day began with dawn services, held in small suburban parks, state capitals and the Australian War Memorial (AWM) in Canberra, commemorating the bravery and sacrifice of all who served in the armed forces. Today marks 110 years since Australian and New Zealand soldiers landed on the shores of Gallipoli, in Turkey, during World War I for the start of the bloody Dardanelles campaign. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese gave the dedication with a short speech at the dawn service at the AWM in Canberra. "At this hour upon the 25th of April in 1915 Anzac became one of the immortal names in history," the PM said. "We who are gathered here, think of those who went out to the battlefields of all wars, but did not return. "We feel them still near us in spirit. We wish to be worthy of their great sacrifice. Let us therefore once more dedicate ourselves to the ideals for which they died. "As the dawn is even now about to pierce the night, so let their memory inspire us to work for the coming new life into the dark places of the world."

>>22951863 Video: Bipartisan condemnation: Welcome to Country hecklers’ massive own goal - The far-right hecklers who disrupted the Welcome to Country ceremonies at Friday morning’s Anzac Day services in Melbourne and Perth were quickly condemned as fringe actors. But what they shouted - “We don’t need to be welcomed,” according to reports – has become a common refrain. It is repeated with rising frequency in conservative debates about Welcomes to Country on social media, in Sky News segments and even the Senate. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton sought to deny the agitators any impact on Friday. They roundly condemned the disruptions as disgraceful and disrespectful, and reminded Australians of the day’s intention to commemorate soldiers, including Indigenous veterans. Dutton went a step further. “Welcome to Country is an important part of official ceremonies and it should be respected, and I don’t agree with the booing,” he said. “We have a proud Indigenous heritage in this country, and we should be proud to celebrate it as part of today.” His move shut down any mainstream momentum the hecklers might have hoped to generate and reinforced a consensus in favour of Welcome to Country ceremonies, despite the Coalition’s prior concerns. In doing so, Dutton locked out the agitators and set their cause back. It was a powerful lesson on a sombre day.

#40 - Part 87

Virginia Roberts Giuffre - Epstein Files Response

>>22691991 Virginia Roberts Giuffre Tweet: (@Tara Palmeri) - I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for your courageous words regarding the release of Phase 1 of the #Epsteinfiles ..Your commitment to shining a light on these issues is not just vital for me, @VRSVirginia Roberts, but for every victim of human trafficking who has been silenced for too long. The disappointment we feel as victims is profound. In what is supposed to be a democratic society, where are our rights to freedom of information in MAGA America? It’s disheartening to witness what feels like a dog and pony show turned political stunt. True democracy should embody freedom, yet we continue to find ourselves trapped in a system that overlooks our struggles until it’s convenient for those in power. As taxpaying citizens, we have earned the right to trust our elected representatives. It raises uncomfortable questions: Does justice only apply when it suits certain agendas? I sincerely hope that Phase II of the Epstein files will not follow the same path as its predecessor but instead provide transparency and honesty about the evidence that has caused so much suffering. Having witnessed the trauma inflicted upon the girl I once was, I truly believed that leaders like @realDonaldTrump and @elonmusk aimed to “Drain The Swamp.” However, my faith is waning. I hope they prove me wrong and that justice will finally be served for the hundreds of victims, including myself, who continue to suffer from the PTSD inflicted by those we are told to trust. Thank you for being a truth seeker and for your unwavering fight for justice. Together, may we strive for a government that truly serves the people and upholds the principles of freedom for all. God bless you and God bless America

>>22691991 Tara Palmeri Tweet: Epstein survivor @VRSVirginia told me Pam Bondi's FBI files are "not good enough." They're just her public court documents rehashed. She wants the videos and photos that she's seen at the FBI. Musk promised her more, but she's hopeful for Phase 2.

>>22691994 Video: Epstein Survivors BLAST Bondi's 'Circus,' Elon Musk promised more - Epstein Survivors Virginia Roberts Giuffre and Marijke Chartouni spoke exclusively to Tara Palmeri about their disappointment in Attorney General Pam Bondi's release of supposedly new information on Jeffrey Epstein. They said Bondi just re-released public information, mostly their case documents, in binds. Giuffre, who accused Prince Andrew of sexual assault said she was promised more from Elon Musk over X. She said she's seen photo and video evidence at the FBI and she wants it released. What do you think? Tara Palmeri is one of the most feared and fearless reporters in Washington, D.C. She has 15 years of experience covering national politics and foreign affairs. She was formerly a White House Correspondent for ABC News where she covered the first Trump administration. She was the chief National Correspondent for POLITICO during the Biden administration. She has been a political analyst for CNBC, CBS and CNN. She started her career as a columnist for the Washington Examiner and then went on to report for the New York Post. She was a foreign correspondent for POLITICO Europe, where she covered international affairs, including Brexit. She writes a weekly newsletter for Puck and hosts the Ringer's political podcast "Somebody's Gotta Win." Tara also hosted two acclaimed podcasts on Jeffrey Epstein, "Broken: Jeffrey Epstein" and "Power: The Maxwells."

#40 - Part 88

Virginia Roberts Giuffre - Car Crash Incident - Part 1

>>22850665 Serious Accident:Prince Andrew accuser Virginia Giuffre says she has four days to live- Virginia Giuffre, the Perth based woman who received millions of dollars from Prince Andrew in a settlement linked to Jeffrey Epstein says she has four days to live. Ms Giuffre, 41, posted to Instagram that she had been involved in an accident with a school bus and that doctors had told her she was dying. Underneath a photo of herself covered in deep bruises, Ms Giuffre wrote she had been hit by the bus “driving 110km as we were slowing for a turn”. Ms Giuffre then said: “I’ve gone into kidney renal failure, they’ve given me four days to live, transferring me to a specialist hospital in urology. “I’m ready to go, just not until I see my babies one last time, but you know what they say about wishes.” She then added: “S- -t in one hand and wish in the other & I guarantee it’s still going to be s – t at the end of the day. Thank you all for being the wonderful people of the world and for being a great part of my life.” It is understood that Ms Giuffre had recently separated from her husband, Robert with whom she had been living with in North Perth. It is unclear where and when the crash happened. Ms Giuffre’s agent confirmed the accident. “Virginia has been in a serious accident and is receiving medical care in the hospital,’’ her spokesperson said. “She greatly appreciates the support and well-wishes people are sending.” Ms Giuffre’s father Sky Roberts told the UK Telegraph he was hoping she could obtain another medical opinion with different prognosis. “She’s not doing good,’’ he told the Telegraph. “ She’s depressed because she misses her kids. She’s got four days unless she gets another opinion from another doctor. “It could be that she could pass away in four days, like she said. But if she gets another doctor, they could probably do other things for her. So that’s all I’m waiting to hear. It’s terrible, I want to cry and everything else, but I want to stay strong for her just in case she needs something. Then I’ll be there for her.’’

>>22850679 Virginia Giuffre, Epstein and Prince Andrew accuser, in hospital after bus crash, spokesperson says - Virginia Giuffre, a prominent accuser of Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew, says she has been in a serious crash and has "four days to live". Ms Giuffre shared a photo on social media of herself with bruises on her face and ECG electrodes, stating it had been the "worst start to the new year". She said in the post that she had been in a bus crash and had "four days to live" after doctors had told her she was suffering kidney and renal failure. "'I'm ready to go, just not until I see my babies one last time, but you know what they say about wishes," she said in the post. It is unclear where the crash occurred, however, recent social media posts say the 41-year-old has been in Perth, where she was known to be living in 2020. Her spokesperson, Dini von Mueffling, told the BBC: "Virginia has been in a serious accident and is receiving medical care in the hospital. She greatly appreciates the support and well wishes people are sending." Western Australian police earlier said they had not been able to locate a crash involving a bus and a car that occurred in the last few weeks. But at a press conference later on Tuesday morning, Acting Police Commissioner Kylie Whitely said there was a "minor" crash between a bus and a car in a rural area north of Perth on the afternoon of March 24. "We have no report of any serious injuries. But that is all that we have in relation to that matter," the acting commissioner said. She said she was not aware of passengers on the bus. In a subsequent statement, WA Police said the collision was reported by the bus driver the following day. "The car sustained approximately $2,000 worth of damage," the statement read. There were no reported injuries as a result of the crash. Police would not confirm if Ms Giuffre was the driver of the other vehicle.

#40 - Part 89

Virginia Roberts Giuffre - Car Crash Incident - Part 2

>>22850692 Virginia Giuffre says she is in hospital after 'serious' car accident - Virginia Giuffre, one of Jeffrey Epstein's most prominent accusers, has said she is in hospital following a serious accident. Ms Giuffre posted on Instagram that she had suffered kidney failure after her car collided with a school bus, stating doctors had given her "four days to live" and were transferring her to a specialist hospital. In a statement shared with the BBC, her spokesperson Dini von Mueffling said: "Virginia has been in a serious accident and is receiving medical care in the hospital. She greatly appreciates the support and well wishes people are sending." Ms Giuffre said this year had "been the worst", alongside a photograph from a hospital bed showing visible bruising. The 41-year-old described the accident in an Instagram post, writing that the crash was so severe that her car "might as well be a tin can". "I'm ready to go, just not until I see my babies one last time," she added, seemingly referring to her three children. Ms Giuffre had recently been living with her children and husband Robert in the suburb of North Perth, Australia, though recent reports suggest the couple have split after 22 years of marriage. It remains unclear where and when the crash occurred. Both the Western Australia police and ambulance services told the BBC they had no records of such an accident happening in recent weeks. The police later specified that they had located records of a "minor crash" between a bus and a car on 24 March, but that no injuries had been reported as a result.

>>22850714 Prince Andrew accuser claims to have ‘four days to live’ - Virginia Giuffre, one of Jeffrey Epstein’s victims who accused Prince Andrew of sexually assaulting her as a teenager, has claimed she is dying after being hit by a school bus. Ms Giuffre, 41, shared a picture from a hospital bed, covered in bruises. In the caption, she said a speeding bus collided with her car, and that doctors told her she has four days to live. Ms Giuffre used the post to express the wish to see her three children, whom she is believed to be estranged from. “I’ve gone into kidney renal failure, they’ve given me four days to live, transferring me to a specialist hospital in urology,” she wrote on Instagram. “I’m ready to go, just not until I see my babies one last time, but you know what they say about wishes,” she added. It is unclear where and when the apparent crash happened. A spokesperson for Ms Giuffre said: “Virginia has been in a serious accident and is receiving medical care in the hospital. She greatly appreciates the support and well wishes people are sending.” US-born Ms Giuffre had recently separated from her husband of 22 years Robert Giuffre and had been living in North Perth in Western Australia. Ms Giuffre alleged that she was sexually abused or raped by Prince Andrew on three separate occasions in 2001 when she was 17. She had sued him for unspecified damages. The case was settled by The Duke of York, who allegedly paid his accuser more than £12 million using money from the Queen. The terms of the deal have remained secret, but at the time, the Duke expressed regret about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and confirmed that he will make a “substantial donation” to Ms Giuffre’s charity in support of victims’ rights.

#40 - Part 90

Virginia Roberts Giuffre - Car Crash Incident - Part 3

>>22850723 Virginia Giuffre's father's heartbreaking message to Epstein victim who has 'days to live' - The heartbroken father of Jeffrey Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre is begging his daughter to ‘hang on’ after she made the shocking announcement that she has just four days left to live. Sky Roberts told DailyMail.com that he is ‘sick to my stomach’ and would do anything to be able to fly from his home in Florida to be by his daughter’s hospital bedside in Australia following a horrific car crash. ‘I’m sick to my stomach. I feel like crying because I love my daughter more than life,’ he said. ‘If there’s anything I could do, I’d do it.’ In a gut-wrenching Instagram post late Sunday night, Giuffre announced that she had been given just four days to live after a school bus plowed into her car, leaving her with kidney renal failure. The 41-year-old - who was sex trafficked by late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, and accused Prince Andrew of sexually abusing her as a teen - wrote that she is ‘ready to go’ but just wants to see her children one final time. Roberts told DailyMail.com that the crash unfolded a couple of days ago in Australia. While he has not spoken with his daughter since the crash, his son - Giuffre’s brother - has been in regular contact with her over the past couple of days and has kept him updated as to her condition. ‘She's in really bad shape,’ he said. ‘She’s very depressed… there’s everything else she’s been going through with the divorce and not being able to see her kids.’ Roberts said that his son is ‘trying to get her spirits up so she doesn't just give up. I’m hoping she can hang on,’ he said. ‘She’s only 41. She’s got a lot of life to live. She's got a lot of things left to do - she’s helping people and helping other girls.’

>>22850745 Prince Andrew’s ex issues scathing response to Virginia Giuffre’s claim she has ‘days to live’ - Prince Andrew’s ex-girlfriend Lady Victoria Hervey issued a brutal response to his sexual assault accuser Virginia Giuffre claiming she has “days to live” after allegedly being hit by a school bus. Hervey took to her Instagram Story Monday to repost a photo of Giuffre lying bruised in a hospital bed, writing, “KARMA.” She then claimed Giuffre needed to make “a complete confession” after she sued Andrew in 2021 for allegedly raping her when she was 17 as part of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking ring. Hervey, 48, also said she doesn’t believe Giuffre, 41, is dying. Without any evidence, Hervey claimed, “Hearing from reliable sources it is thought that the FBI went to her recently with evidence/proof that she lied with recordings where she admits nothing ever happened with Prince Andrew. “She’s conveniently dying to evade jail.” The socialite then pleaded for Virginia’s husband, Robert Giuffre, to speak up. “I know he knows the truth of the fake photos and all her con jobs,” Hervey claimed, without citing any proof. Hervey further questioned Virginia’s claim about the bus crash leading to kidney failure. She also pointed to Virginia’s jewelry and the fact that she wasn’t wearing a hospital gown as reasons for her skepticism. “I mean, she is the Queen of the fake photo after all,” Hervey claimed. “Hence I’m such a skeptic and don’t believe in jumping to any conclusions right away from a visual.” A rep for Virginia did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment on Hervey’s allegations.

>>22850751 Q Post #4923 - https://twitter.com/VRSVirginia/status/1319071346282778624 - Dearest Virginia - We stand with you. Now and always. Find peace through prayer. Never give up the good fight. God bless you. Q - https://qanon.pub/#4923 - https://qanon.pub/#1054 - https://qanon.pub/#4568 - https://qanon.pub/#4728

#40 - Part 91

Virginia Roberts Giuffre - Car Crash Incident - Part 4

>>22855500 Virginia Giuffre says she mistakenly posted claim that she has four days left to live to Instagram as she reveals new details of car crash - Jeffrey Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre has said she mistakenly posted the claim that she had just four days left to live to her public Instagram. Ms Giuffre, 41, sparked concerns across the globe when she shared a photo of her 'battered and bruised' claiming she was dying after being hit by a school bus. The snap seemed to have been taken from a hospital bed, and Ms Giuffre said a speeding vehicle had ploughed into her car and that doctors had told her she has four days to live. Today she issued a statement after her post triggered an outpouring of concern for her welfare, as well as questions about the circumstances of a 'car crash' that caused her injuries and 'kidney failure'. The statement said: "Virginia thanks everyone for the outpouring of love and support. She is overwhelmed with gratitude. Today she remains in serious condition while receiving medical care. On March 24, in rural Western Australia, a school bus hit the car in which she was riding. The police were called but said that there was no one available to come to the scene. They asked if anyone was injured and suggested that if they were, they should make their way to the hospital. The school bus driver had a bus full of distraught children and left the scene to get them back, saying he would file a police report, which he did later. Virginia was banged up and bruised and returned home. Virginia's condition worsened and she was admitted to the hospital. Concerning her Instagram post, Virginia thought that she had posted on her private Facebook page. Virginia and her family thank everyone for their concern." She is currently being treated at Sir Charles Gardiner Hospital in Perth, Australia.

>>22855527 Alleged Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre charged with breaching a family violence restraining order - Virginia Giuffre appeared in court for allegedly breaching a family violence restraining order just days before claiming she had days to live following a bus crash. The alleged breach happened in early February and Ms Giuffre’s first appearance at the Magistrates Court in Joondalup, WA, was on March 14. No plea was entered at the hearing and the matter is next listed for April 9. Ms Giuffre’s estranged husband Robert, 49, is also facing separate charges. WA Court lists show the police charged Mr Giuffre for an inadequate storage facility for firearms in February this year and reckless driving exceeding the speed limit by 45km/h or more on a length of road in September last year. For the reckless driving charge, Robert was fined $1200 and lost his license for six months. The charge against Ms Giuffre hit the courts just days before she generated headlines following a bizarre bus crash incident. Ms Giuffre, 41, posted a photo of herself to Instagram with severe bruising to her face. She said she had been involved in a bus crash and had just “four days to live”.

>>22860311 Virginia Giuffre’s agent reveals she was first hospitalised with injuries in January - Virginia Giuffre, who said in a social post that she was dying after suffering renal failure from a bus crash, was admitted to hospital with serious injuries at the beginning of the year, her agent has revealed. In the latest dramatic twist to the mystery that has recently surrounded the 41-year-old, her agent issued an extraordinary statement in the early hours of Thursday saying Ms Giuffre’s latest hospital admission was not her first this year. According to the statement, she sustained serious injuries in an incident that warranted police attendance in the southwest holiday town of Dunsborough on January 9, 2025. Inquiries by The Australian have established a volunteer ambulance crew from the beachside suburb of Two Rocks collected Ms Giuffre from a residence in Neergabby between midnight and 1am on Tuesday. She was suffering severe neck and back pain and had a cuts and bruised face. She was later transferred into the second ambulance and driven south to a Perth public hospital, arriving about 2.30am. Her public Instagram post, which she said was uploaded by accident and meant for a private Facebook account instead, showed a selfie of a badly bruised Ms Giuffre. She repeated an earlier social media claim about missing her children.

#40 - Part 92

Virginia Roberts Giuffre - Car Crash Incident - Part 5

>>22860328 Bus driver in crash that left Virginia Giuffre claiming she has 'four days to live' gives HIS side of the story… and paints a VERY different picture to hers - The school bus driver involved in a road crash which allegedly left Jeffrey Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre close to death has spoken for the first time about the accident. Ross Munns contradicted Ms Giuffre's account of the incident, and insisted that the car was in a minor collision with his bus. In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, he claimed the crash had been 'blown out of proportion' and accused Ms Giuffre, 41, of exaggerating the severity of what happened. Mr Munns said that the crash happened after he had followed a slow-moving white car for three kilometres before deciding to overtake when it went under 75kmh and it was safe for him to pass it, around 3pm on Monday last week. He said that the small white Toyota Highlander involved in the collision was driven by a 71-year-old woman who he believed to be Ms Giuffre's carer. He said he had no recollection of Ms Giuffre being in the Toyota, but a police report into the incident later stated that a woman aged 41 was a passenger. Mr Munns said that he had about 29 children still on board as he began his manoeuvre only for the car to suddenly start turning right in front of him to get into a rural property north of Perth, Western Australia. Mr Munns, a school bus driver for 16 years, said that he beeped his horn, but he was unable to avoid clipping the car and damaging its tail-light in what he described as 'a minor collision'. He said he immediately stopped and went to check on the car driver who had also pulled over, and was satisfied that she was not hurt. Describing Ms Giuffre's claims and the circumstances of the crash, he said: 'It's just all blown out of proportion and I know what happened. I didn't even see her in the car.' Describing his reaction when he saw the picture of Ms Giuffre's reported injuries, he added: 'I just laughed… There is no way you could get that injury if you were in that car.' But he said he was fed up about the crash and having to deal with its aftermath, saying: 'I would rather this just go away.'

>>22869942 My children were on the school bus and Virginia Giuffre’s story doesn’t add up - Parents have defended a school bus driver accused of crashing into Virginia Giuffre at 70mph, which she alleges caused life-threatening kidney failure. Ms Giuffre, a Jeffrey Epstein victim who has accused the Duke of York of sexually assaulting her as a teenager, said earlier this week she had just days to live after she was hit by a bus in Western Australia. However parents of the children involved have backed the driver’s claim that the collision was minor, with the bus travelling at a lower speed that could not have caused the bruising to Ms Giuffre’s face seen in a photo she posted on social media. Speaking to The Telegraph, they said Ms Giuffre’s statements were “lies” and that the “whole story is sick”. Emmie-Rose Wright, said her children - aged five, eight and nine - reported that the crash only caused slight damage to the rear brake light of the Toyota Highlander Ms Giuffre was travelling in. “They [the children] got off the bus and said that they had had a small crash,” she said. “There’s no damage to the bus and none of the kids are injured.” She said the 29 children on the bus had not been “distraught” over the incident, as Ms Giuffre’s family has suggested. “They weren’t worried or traumatised at all…they thought that she had stopped in front of them unnecessarily.” Ms Wright described Ross Munns, the bus driver, as an “upstanding member of the community”, saying she “wholeheartedly” believed he would not speed or leave an injured person without medical help. Ms Wright and another parent, Hayley Miller, said the bus was intact when their children alighted about 15 minutes after the crash occurred. Ms Miller said she was “disgusted” that Ms Giuffre would share a photograph of a bruised and grazed face alongside unfounded allegations against the driver they trust with their children’s lives. “The whole story is sick and I don’t know what’s true and what is not but I do know [the injuries] are not from the bus incident,” she said. “It’s lies. I don’t know what she is trying to get from all of it… but I do feel bad for her and I hope she gets help.”

#40 - Part 93

Virginia Roberts Giuffre - Car Crash Incident - Part 6

>>22869960 The OTHER woman at the centre of the Virginia Giuffre 'four days to live' bus crash saga breaks her silence - and vows: 'I'm not covering up for her - The woman who was driving Virginia Giuffre when her car and a bus collided has broken her silence about her role in the controversial crash, insisting it's all been a misunderstanding which will be cleared up. Cheryl Sassela, 71 - the caretaker at Giuffre's $1.3million weekend hobby farm - was behind the wheel of a white hatchback when it had what police called 'a minor collision' with a school bus on a rural road north of Perth last week. Giuffre, 41, then posted a disturbing photograph to Instagram on Sunday night showing her on a hospital bed, claiming the bus had struck the car at 110km/h, leaving her with kidney failure and only 'four days to live'. However, the bus driver involved told Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday that the crash had been 'blown out of proportion' and accused Ms Giuffre, 41, of exaggerating the severity of what happened. Ms Giuffre won a multimillion-dollar payout from Prince Andrew after claiming she was trafficked to have sex with him at the age of 17 by paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Now farmhand Ms Sassela has spoken to Daily Mail Australia, insisting: 'I'm not covering for her. I'm not implicated in a cover up.' She said the incident - which resulted in a broken taillight of her car - had sparked a misunderstanding, and added: 'I'm sure Virginia will release a statement soon to clear it all up.' Remnants of the car's broken tail light were still visible and scattered across the grass verge at the scene of the crash. Ms Sassela helps take care of Giuffre's 40-acre weekend retreat which her family used as a country escape from their $1.9million beachside mansion in Perth, 60km away. Since Giuffre's split with her husband, she is believed to be spending most of her time at the rural bolthole while her husband remains with their children in Perth.

>>22874165 Domestic Violence:Virginia Giuffre Alleges Husband Has Physically Abused Her For Years: 'I Can No Longer Stay Silent'- As controversy swirls about a cryptic Instagram message Jeffrey Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre recently posted about her deteriorating health following a car crash in Australia, she is now coming forward with allegations of abuse against her husband of 22 years, Robert Giuffre. Virginia, 41, previously spoke out as a victim of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who died in his prison cell at age 66 in 2019, and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, 63, who is currently serving a prison sentence for child sex trafficking in connection with Epstein. Virginia says she has been hesitant to speak publicly about the alleged abuse involving her husband until now. In an exclusive statement to PEOPLE, Virginia said, "I was able to fight back against Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein who, abused and trafficked me. But I was unable to escape the domestic violence in my marriage until recently. After my husband's latest physical assault, I can no longer stay silent." She ended the statement by saying, "Again, I thank everyone for their support. I have faith that justice will prevail." Speaking exclusively with PEOPLE, Virginia's brother, Sky Roberts, and his wife Amanda, both 36, say Virginia - who lives in Australia — is making the allegations because of the severity of her injuries. "I think the last incident that they had, she almost died," Amanda says about the alleged Jan. 9 beating. "And we had to speak that truth with her on the phone. And I think she had acknowledged that if she had one more instance with him, she wasn't making it out of there." Sky and Amanda note that they don't know whether Virginia's medical issues were caused by the crash or complications from a recent beating she allegedly suffered at the hands of her husband, or a combination of the two. "Let's be clear, she never stated in the bus accident the cause of all her other injuries," says Sky. "But I do think that the bus crash in some way, shape, or form saved her life. It could have been a blessing in disguise."

#40 - Part 94

Virginia Roberts Giuffre - Car Crash Incident - Part 7

>>22887655 Virginia Giuffre released from hospital, family violence court matter adjourned - Virginia Giuffre has been released from hospital and granted an adjournment in a family violence court case in Perth. The Prince Andrew accuser was not required to attend the Joondalup Magistrates Court on Wednesday morning, eight days since she made headlines around the world by announcing on Instagram that she was dying of kidney failure. Ms Giuffre later said through her spokesperson that she had made the Instagram post by mistake and it was meant for a private Facebook page. The 41-year-old mother of three is estranged from her husband, Robert, and has been charged with one count of breaching a family violence restraining order. In her home state of Western Australia, the charge carries a maximum penalty of two years in jail. However, some breaches - such as sending a text – can be deemed minor and dealt with by way of a small fine. In court on Wednesday, Ms Giuffre’s lawyer, Karrie Louden, asked magistrate Andrew Maughan for an adjournment until June 11. Mr Maughan granted the adjournment but told Ms Louden “a plea will be required at the next appearance”. Outside court, Ms Louden said she was not able to comment on Ms Giuffre’s case. She said she expected Ms Giuffre would provide an update about her health soon. She confirmed that Ms Giuffre had been discharged from hospital. The Australian understands Ms Giuffre left Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital late on Monday after almost a week as an inpatient. She had been taken to the hospital by ambulance in the early hours of April 1.

>>22954287 “An incredible champion for other victims” -Prominent Epstein survivor Virginia Giuffre dies, aged 41'- Virginia Giuffre, who accused Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein of sexual abuse, has died by suicide. “It is with utterly broken hearts that we announce that Virginia passed away last night at her farm in Western Australia,” her family said in a statement provided to The Australian. “She lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking. Virginia was a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking. She was the light that lifted so many survivors. Despite all the adversity she faced in her life, she shone so bright. She will be missed beyond measure. The light of her life were her children Christian, Noah, and Emily. It was when she held her newborn daughter in her arms that Virginia realized she had to fight back against those who had abused her and so many others. There are no words that can express the grave loss we feel today with the passing of our sweet Virginia. She was heroic and will always be remembered for her incredible courage and loving spirit. In the end, the toll of abuse is so heavy that it became unbearable for Virginia to handle its weight. We know that she is with the angels.” Ms Giuffre's lawyer Sigrid McCawley described her as an “incredible champion for other victims”. “Her courage pushed me to fight harder, and her strength was awe-inspiring. The world has lost an amazing human being today,” she said. Her representative Dini von Mueffling said Ms Giuffre was one of the most extraordinary human beings she had ever known. “Deeply loving, wise, and funny, she was a beacon to other survivors and victims. She adored her children and many animals. She was always more concerned with me than with herself. I will miss her beyond words. It was the privilege of a lifetime to represent her.”

>>22954287 Q Post #4923 - https://twitter.com/VRSVirginia/status/1319071346282778624 - Dearest Virginia - We stand with you. Now and always. Find peace through prayer. Never give up the good fight. God bless you. Q - https://qanon.pub/#4923 - https://qanon.pub/#1054 - https://qanon.pub/#4568 - https://qanon.pub/#4728

#40 - Part 95

The Transgender Agenda - Australia and Worldwide - Part 1

>>22927645 Judge lashes child gender-medicine experts in blow for clinic - One of Australia’s foremost child gender medicine experts has been ruled to have misled the Family Court when giving evidence to support a mother who wished to prescribe her child puberty blockers, in a judgment that calls into question the integrity of one of the ­nation’s peak gender clinics. Justice Andrew Strum’s extraordinary judgment, which stripped the mother of custody and effectively prevented the child from accessing treatment, criticised the approach of hospitals to children questioning their gender, saying the decision to “affirm ­unreservedly” any child that raises concerns over their gender is “oddly binary”. He also found the gender clinic that treated the 12-year-old failed to formally give a gender dysphoria diagnosis until the court proceedings had commenced, despite having treated the child since they were six. The case marks the first time a sitting judge has blown a hole in the country’s gender-affirming treatment of care guidelines. While Justice Strum does not comment generally on the gender-affirming care model adopted by the gender clinic at the child’s hospital, the judgment raises big questions regarding the treatment of gender-incongruent children. The matter centred on the biologically male child whose mother believes is gender dysphoric and should be prescribed puberty blockers, but whose father wanted to hold off on treatment and “let the child be the child”. In handing down his judgment, Justice Strum sided with the father who did not wish to “pigeonhole” his child, and decided “all options” in the child’s life should be open.

>>22927657 Judgment defines the debate and slams the dogma on puberty blockers, hormones and surgery - Family Court Justice Andrew Strum is careful to state that his 58,000-word decision is about the best interests of a 12-year-old boy and not about transgender rights. Even so, his decision is the best-yet judicial guide to the debate about youth gender clinics. And it is devastating for the dominant “gender-affirming” model with its promotion of puberty blockers, hormones and surgery. The child was living with his mother and attending an unnamed gender clinic at a hospital; puberty blockers were on the cards. His father, separated, opposed this, and the judge decided the father should have sole responsibility. Along the way, Justice Strum punctured the absurd claim by Australian health authorities that England’s Cass review and its more holistic, less medicalised approach have nothing to teach our gender clinics. The judge found that the gender clinic failed to carry out the comprehensive assessment that is part of its marketing, an assessment that might have found ADHD or autism, not gender dysphoria, as needing treatment. Instead, the judge accepted evidence that the gender clinic has an ideological commitment to the medicalised gender-affirming model. He said: “No alternative treatment options are offered by the [gender clinic] for gender dysphoria diagnosed there, other than prescription of puberty blockers by a pediatrician.” Dr N, whose diagnosis of the child was in dispute, “could not identify a single case of a child who had been referred by her, or one of her colleagues, to a pediatrician at the [gender clinic] who had not been prescribed puberty blockers”. A doctor identified as Associate Professor L told the court that the treatment guidelines represented “best practice”. The judge found that Professor L’s dismissal of the Cass review was “misleading” and that the expert’s self-description as “an advocate for trans rights” was at odds with their duty of objectivity as an expert witness.

#40 - Part 96

The Transgender Agenda - Australia and Worldwide - Part 2

>>22927665 COMMENTARY: Is this the beginning of the end for puberty blockers? - "The notion that puberty blockers were both safe and fully reversible has now been called into question. Safe? Yes, except for significant impacts upon bone density, and concerns that they interrupt a crucial developmental stage in adolescent cognitive development. About 95-98 per cent of children on puberty blockers go on to take cross-sex hormones. So it would seem that they operate as a platform to get on to a trans train that hurtles inexorably to its destination - irreversible transformation of the body that some will later regret. A boy commenced early on puberty blockers who goes on to take oestrogen may never obtain adult sexual function and capacity for pleasure. Furthermore, systematic reviews of the evidence conducted in several countries have all reached the same conclusion - the evidence of mental health benefits from these treatments is very weak, and some studies show no such benefits at all. Re Devin, the decision of Justice Strum of the Federal Circuit and Family Court this week, is a further hammer blow. It must be emphasised that this is a judgment about one 12-year-old boy. It is not necessarily a precedent. Judges are not qualified to resolve great medical controversies. However, they have to be aware of the medical evidence to make decisions about individual children. Strum rejected the diagnosis of the gender clinic that the boy was suffering from gender dysphoria. The judgment is carefully and powerfully reasoned. Strum is withering in his criticisms of the hospital’s expert witnesses, especially “Assoc. Prof. L”, who argued that the landmark Cass Report, which has led to an almost complete ban on the use of puberty blockers for gender dysphoria in England, forms part of a “third wave of transgender oppression” commencing with the Nazis. Strum also rejected the very foundations of “gender-affirming care”, expressing concern about the gender clinic’s apparent policy “to affirm unreservedly those who present with concerns regarding their gender, brooking no questioning thereof” - even if it is a young child. He also rejected the notion that gender identity is innate and immutable. Is this the beginning of the end in Australia for the experiment of using puberty blockers for gender-incongruent children? The gender clinics and clinicians in private practice are fighting hard, with powerful political support from LGBTQ+ advocacy organisations. The professional medical colleges have been reluctant to take a stand; but if no one else will act, the courts will." - Patrick Parkinson, emeritus professor of law at the University of Queensland and formerly chair of the Family Law Council - theaustralian.com.au

>>22927742 Video: UK court rules a woman is ‘a biological female’ - In a dramatic legal judgment, the British Supreme Court has ruled that a woman is “a biological ­female”. The court has ruled that, ­legally, men with gender certificates saying they are a woman - in some cases self-proclaimed without any medical authority – are not women. Women’s groups across Britain immediate hailed the “commonsense” ruling. Sex Matters said: “The court has given the right answer: the protected characteristic of sex - male and female – refers to ­reality, not paperwork.” For Women Scotland, the campaigning group that took the case through the courts for the past seven years, said it was ­“absolutely jubilant”. In a statement, the group said: “This is a landmark victory, not just for For Women Scotland, but for every woman who has been told to sit down, shut up, and make way. It puts a clear boundary around what it means to be female in law and pushes back against a men’s rights movement that has tried to colonise womanhood.” Supreme Court president Lord Patrick Hodge, who led a five-judge appeal on the issue, said on Wednesday: “The unanimous decision of this court is that the definition of the terms woman and sex in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex.” He said transgender people still had protection against discrimination and harassment under the Equality Act. He said: “We counsel against reading this judgment as a ­triumph of one or more groups in our society at the expense of another. It is not. “The Equality Act 2010 gives transgender people protection not only against discrimination through the protected characteristic of gender reassignment, but also against direct discrimination, indirect discrimination and harassment in their acquired gender.” The landmark ruling is a huge setback for the Scottish government, which characterised women as anyone who thought they were women, as well as those who held a gender reassignment certificate - referred to in the court as “certifiable sex”.

#40 - Part 97

AUKUS Security Pact and Nuclear Submarine Program - Part 1

>>22657835 USS Minnesota (SSN 783) advances AUKUS with port visit to HMAS Stirling - USS Minnesota (SSN 783) arrived in Western Australia on February 25, 2025, kicking off the first of two planned U.S. fast-attack submarine visits to HMAS Stirling in 2025. Port visits support the first pillar of the Australia, United Kingdom, United States trilateral security agreement, known as AUKUS, that is delivering a sovereign conventionally armed, nuclear-powered attack submarine capability to Australia. “Every time a nuclear-powered submarine ties up in HMAS Stirling, we take a meaningful step closer to establishing Submarine Rotational Force - West and a sovereign conventionally armed, nuclear-powered attack submarine capability for Australia,” said Royal Australian Navy Rear Adm. Tom Phillips, the Australian Submarine Agency’s Head of Submarine Capability. “Each visit is unique with specific goals and objectives designed to ensure we are moving at pace to host the first rotational U.S. attack submarine in late 2027.” This year, USS Minnesota (SSN 783) is conducting at-sea operations as part of the Submarine Command Course, a training program for naval officers preparing to take command of a submarine. At HMAS Stirling, the U.S. Navy will have the opportunity to share and compare procedures, such as weapons handling, with their Australian counterparts. "U.S. Navy ships have been visiting Australia for long before I was even in the Navy. Our visit, today, is another step that continues progress towards establishing the Royal Australian Navy's sovereign, conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine force," said Cmdr. Jeffrey "J." Cornielle, commanding officer, USS Minnesota (SSN 783). "Those of us who serve aboard these highly capable warships understand the power they bring to the fight."

>>22664015 The Virginia-class fast-attack USS Minnesota is moored at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia - The world’s most advanced nuclear-powered submarine is currently moored in Western Australia as part of training exercise between the US navy and its Australian counterparts. The Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Minnesota is visiting HMAS Stirling naval base to strengthen relations with Royal Australian Navy officers. It is the first of two planned US fast-attack submarine visits to the naval base this year. The submarine is supporting the US 7th Fleet, the largest deployed fleet from the States, operating with allies to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific. Crew from USS Minnesota will conduct at-sea operations as part of the Submarine Command Course with naval officers preparing to take command of a submarine at HMAS Stirling. Australia plans to acquire a fleet of armed nuclear powered submarines in the 2030s as part of AUKUS. The deal will see up to four US and one UK attack submarines conduct operations from HMAS Stirling, before Australia receives its first Virginia-class attack submarines next decade. USS Minnesota is the fourth US submarine to visit HMAS Stirling as part of AUKUS.

>>22664021 Video: USS Minnesota Commander reaffirms bond between Aussie and US submariners during visit to HMAS Stirling - While the election of Donald Trump has made the future of AUKUS uncertain, the bond between Australian and US Navy personnel remains strong after the USS Minnesota arrived at HMAS Stirling this week. The Virginia class submarine is in Australia for a routine port visit, the first of several planned US submarine visits to the country in 2025. Commander Jeffrey “J.” Cornielle, commanding officer of the USS Minnesota said the submarine bond between US and Australian sailors is “one that’s not easy to explain”. “But it’s tighter than most of you would ever think of,” he said. “Some of your officers have been in our training courses, so we’re reunited, and being introduced to others. We’re really excited to meet some of your crews here and my crews are really excited to tour some of your boats.” He said that his crew of 140 were thrilled to be at HMAS Stirling calling it a “dream port”. “This is the port visit that every sailor dreams of and it’s our first one, so it works out well,” he said. “We will be increasing our relations with our submarine brothers and sisters here in Australia. The importance of strengthening that (AUKUS) group… between us and any of our other allied nations… is that we operate together in an ocean that we fight to ensure is free and open to the world.”

#40 - Part 98

AUKUS Security Pact and Nuclear Submarine Program - Part 2

>>22676351 Video: Asked about AUKUS, Trump replies: ‘What does that mean?’ - Donald Trump appeared to be unaware of Australia’s new military pact with the United States and Britain during a meeting with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer at the White House. The US president was asked directly by a British reporter in the Oval Office at the start of the meeting: “Will you be discussing AUKUS with the prime minister?” Trump replied: “What does that mean?” The reporter then explained it was the Australia-US-British defence technology alliance, to which Trump said: “Well, we’ll be discussing that. We have another great relationship. And you have, too. With Australia. Yeah, we’ve had a very good relationship with Australia.” Under the AUKUS agreement, Australia has committed to paying the United States $US3 billion ($4.8 billion) to enhance the US submarine industry’s capacity. In return, Washington will sell Australia several Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines, expected to be delivered in the early 2030s. Additionally, Britain and Australia will collaborate on the development of a new AUKUS-class submarine in the years to come. Speaking to reporters in Sydney on Friday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Trump’s AUKUS slip was not a concern. “There’s a lot of acronyms in this business and we all get thrown at them from time to time,” he said.

>>22676415 Video: Donald Trump's 'what does that mean?' AUKUS remark played down as verbal slip-up - Donald Trump's apparent unfamiliarity with the term AUKUS, a key defence deal between Australia, the United Kingdom, and United States, was played down by the Australian government as a likely mix-up with acronyms. During a press conference at the Oval Office on Thursday, the US president was asked whether he intended to discuss the AUKUS alliance in his meeting with visiting British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. "What does that mean?" Mr Trump responded, seemingly puzzled by the reference. "AUKUS - the Australia-US defence alliance," the reporter explained. Mr Trump responded: "Well, we will be discussing that. We've had another great relationship, and you have too, with Australia. We've had a very good relationship with Australia." Australian politicians appeared unperturbed by Mr Trump's AUKUS remark. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said there were "a lot of acronyms in this business and we all get thrown at them from time to time". "I've seen President Trump's comments. Together with Keir Starmer, he went on to speak about the really important and positive relationship with Australia," he told reporters in Sydney on Friday. "Not everyone gets the acronyms and all the rest of it, but there's no doubt in my mind the president strongly supports the alliance between our three countries and strongly supports AUKUS," he told the Today show. "He's stated that previously." Cabinet minister Murray Watt said Labor was "very confident" in AUKUS's security and that it was not prudent to overreact to a sentiment from "a president with a very full plate".

>>22676428 Donald Trump’s AUKUS embarrassment shows insignificance of deal to the US President - "Donald Trump’s failure to recognise the term “AUKUS” was an embarrassment which tells us a few home truths about where this deal - which is central to Australia’s defence planning - ranks in the president’s head. Trump’s amnesia might have briefly caused hearts to skip in Canberra, but it also won’t matter because in the end Trump is still likely to strongly support the nuclear submarine deal. Why? Because AUKUS is a very Trumpian deal. Australia pumps an astonishing $US3bn into US submarine production with an expectation - which Trump will never have to honour because it will be beyond his term – that the US eventually sells us three Virginia-class submarines. Why wouldn’t a transactionally minded American president like that sort of lopsided deal? Yet Trump’s inability to recognise the acronym AUKUS when asked about it in the Oval Office does tell us something about the different weight given to the importance of AUKUS in the US compared to Australia. It is the president who succeeds Trump who will have to make the hard decisions on AUKUS and this is where the issue becomes murky for Australia. At that point the then-US president will have the power to halt the planned sale of Virginia-class submarines to Australia from 2032 if it is judged that the loss of those submarines from the US fleet will undermine the fighting capabilities of the US military." - Cameron Stewart - theaustralian.com.au

#40 - Part 99

AUKUS Security Pact and Nuclear Submarine Program - Part 3

>>22712493 Richard Marles leaves door open to heeding US call to boost defence spend' -The Albanese government has opened the door to boosting defence spending after one of US President Donald Trump’s key Pentagon appointees called for a massive rise in Australia’s military spending from 2 per cent to 3 per cent of GDP. Defence Minister Richard Marles revealed the government was ready for an “ongoing conversation” with the Trump administration about lifting defence spending further than the government’s promised $50bn boost over a decade. With national security set to be a prominent theme of the upcoming federal election, Mr Marles said it was “completely reasonable that America is asking its friends and allies around the world to do more” to safeguard their security. “We’re totally ready to engage in that conversation with the United States, which we’ve already started when I met with my counterpart, Secretary Pete Hegseth, a few weeks ago,” Mr Marles told The Australian’s Defending Australia summit in Adelaide. Mr Trump’s nominee for head of policy at the Pentagon, Elbridge Colby, said on Wednesday that Australia needed to lift defence spending to at least 3 per cent of GDP. Mr Colby also sounded a note of caution about the nation’s AUKUS preparations, warning the US faced “a very difficult problem” in meeting its pledge to supply three Virginia-class boats to Australia, due to its slower-than-expected submarine production. But Mr Marles said he was confident the Trump administration would honour the US’s AUKUS commitments, saying he and Mr Hegseth had a “shared sense of mission around our alliance, very much including AUKUS”.

>>22712502 Collins life-extensions a critical test, Marles warns - Richard Marles has warned planned life-extensions for the navy’s Collins-class submarines will be a high-risk endeavour but says he believes the $6bn project is “do-able”. The Defence Minister said the overhauls, to squeeze another decade of service out of the 30-year-old boats, would be a critical test of the nation’s submarine-building capabilities and a stepping stone to the AUKUS program. “This is a technologically challenging thing that we’re trying to do with Collins,” Mr Marles told The Australian’s Defending Australia summit in Adelaide. He said it was “completely fair” to question the project’s viability but he believed it would be a success. “Is it doable? I do think it’s doable. I think we’re going to be really smart and really clever in the way in which we do it,” Mr Marles said. He said it was vital that Australia had an “upwardly evolving submarine capability” as it prepared to build and run nuclear-powered boats and “extending Collins is a critical part of that”. The planned life-type extension works are vital to prevent a capability gap ahead of the arrival of Australia’s Virginia-class and promised AUKUS boats from the 2030s. But there are serious concerns in government and industry over the scale and complexity of the LOTE project, which will require the subs to be cut in half to replace their propulsion systems, diesel engines, generators, their power conversion and distribution systems, and install upgraded command and control systems.

>>22773376 Secret submarine scandal: Collins lined up for lite-on refit - A $5bn plan to extend the lives of the navy’s Collins-class ­submarines is in disarray as the government-owned shipbuilder ASC warns it won’t be ready to fully upgrade the first boat, raising the prospect of a capability gap before the arrival of the nation’s nuclear-powered subs. The Australian can reveal the Albanese government is now ­considering a scaled-back “life-of-type extension” for the first overhaul from next year, which won’t deliver the extra 10 years of operational life the boat needs. The proposed “LOTE lite” upgrade plan has been kept secret by Labor as it prepares for a khaki-tinged election campaign, which will throw a spotlight on its management of the defence portfolio. Multiple sources said the ­revised upgrade scope would leave the first boat in line, the 27-year-old HMAS Farncomb, with its main motor, diesel engines and generators in place, rather than having installed new ones as ­planned. Failure to replace the critical systems would undermine the boat’s reliability and shorten its planned lifespan, degrading the ­submarine force ahead of the transition to nuclear boats in the 2030s and 2040s. The prospect of the scaled-back upgrade comes amid growing concerns over the Trump administration’s commitment to AUKUS, and fears the navy is ill-equipped to protect Australia from China’s increasingly assertive bluewater fleet following the recent circumnavigation of ­Australia by ­advanced PLA-Navy warships.

#40 - Part 100

AUKUS Security Pact and Nuclear Submarine Program - Part 4

>>22773379 Video: Ex-PM Malcolm Turnbull rips into AUKUS and describes it as 'terrible deal' for Australia' - Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has described the AUKUS partnership as a "terrible deal" for Australia. The ex-Liberal PM ripped into the trilateral defence pact with the US to deliver nuclear submarines and warned Australia could end up empty-handed. "AUKUS is a terrible deal. It is so unfair to Australia," Turnbull said during a doorstep interview in Canberra's Parliament House. "The most likely outcome of the AUKUS pillar one is that we will end up with no submarines of our own." He added: "We will have lost both sovereignty and security, and a lot of money as well. That's why I say it is a really bad deal." When questioned over reports US President Donald Trump supports the AUKUS deal, Turnbull said "of course" he would like it. He said the Trump administration would be pleased with the $3 billion dollar deal and claimed there was "no guarantee" Australia would ever be handed the promised US nuclear-powered submarines. "Of course he'd like it, it's such a bad deal for us," Turnbull added of the security agreement with Australia, the United Kingdom and US for a free and open Indo-Pacific. "He will be thinking who are these dumb guys who agreed to this deal?"

>>22773386 Visiting nuclear sub commander says US will 'follow through' on AUKUS - The commander of a visiting US Virginia-class submarine insists AUKUS will deliver the world's "most capable and stealthy vessel" to Australia's navy and has urged sceptical members of the public to better understand the benefits of nuclear-powered boats. As growing doubts emerge over the future of the US alliance under Donald Trump's administration, American submariners have shown off the cutting-edge war fighting features of the USS Minnesota during exercises off the West Australian coast. Commander Jeffrey Cornielle, the commanding officer of the USS Minnesota, says the warship is one of the most advanced in the world, and that Australia would gain the capability to "operate a nuclear-powered, conventionally armed warship". "The role of the fast attack submarine, the submarine that I operate, and I command is so dynamic that everything changes on a dime, anything from weather, operations, things that are happening around the world - and we can answer at a moment's notice," he said. "The things that this brings to our navy and to every navy that has nuclear-powered warships is significant and allows us to operate with essentially unlimited endurance, just limited by food". While showcasing his submarine, Commander Cornielle was reluctant to comment on Australia's progress towards preparing to operate nuclear-powered boats for the first time but said he believed his nation would honour its AUKUS commitments. "I think the people who are doing the negotiations, and the processes are gonna follow through with their agreements and transactions, I have no insight into what that looks like but we're working towards it, we're in pillar one now, we're moving forwards," Commander Cornielle said.

#40 - Part 101

AUKUS Security Pact and Nuclear Submarine Program - Part 5

>>22773389 Australia is buying the ‘best submarines in the world’. Here’s what we’ll get - A casual sailor enjoying a day on Fremantle Harbour could easily mistake the half-submerged nuclear submarine for a navigation marker - oblivious to the fact they are just a few hundred metres away from one of the United States military’s most prized assets. Stealthiness, after all, is the submariner’s superpower. “We want to be undisclosed, unknown wherever we are in the world,” says Jeffrey Cornielle, commanding officer of the USS Minnesota, one of the US Navy’s 24 Virginia-class fast-attack submarines. “That’s the No.1 thing.” It’s a glistening early autumn morning, and this masthead, alongside a handful of other media outlets, has been invited for a rare tour of a visiting Virginia-class submarine. Each boat costs around $8 billion to build and houses a crew of 140 people. Cornielle, matter of factly, describes the Virginia class as the world’s most advanced and capable military vessel. Accompanying us is Captain Neil Steinhagen, who admits he was not a fan of AUKUS at first. “Australia’s going to steal my resources, my parts, my people,” the 32-year US Navy veteran tells us, explaining his initial fears about the submarine pact. The US military is not producing enough submarines to meet its own stated needs, yet it has agreed to sell some of its crown jewels to Australia. Steinhagen commands a fleet of five nuclear-powered submarines headquartered at the US naval base, Guam, in the west Pacific. USS Minnesota joined his fleet last November - the first time a Virginia-class submarine has been forward-deployed at Guam, a tiny US territory closer to Beijing than Hawaii. The military base helps the US to project power into contested areas such as the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait. He was concerned that AUKUS would pull resources away from Guam but has embraced it as a way to promote stability throughout the Indo-Pacific. Cornielle, meanwhile, says his sailors are excited about becoming more integrated with the Australian Navy: “It’s going to bring a lot of energy to the fleet.”

>>22773399 US starts to build submarine presence on strategic Australian coast under AUKUS - In the control room of the American Virginia class attack submarine USS Minnesota, off the Western Australian coast, sonar operators adjust to the chatter of dolphins in new waters where the U.S. submarine presence will soon grow significantly. On a training exercise from its home port in Guam, USS Minnesota is a forerunner to four Virginia class submarines that will be hosted at a Western Australian naval base from 2027, under the AUKUS partnership to transfer nuclear submarine capability to Australia. Crew use video game joysticks to interrogate screen images from a photonic mast that has replaced a periscope. Life aboard can mean up to 100 days without seeing sunlight, and intermittent communication with families via email to maintain stealth. Commanding officer Jeffrey Corneille says the Virginia class submarine is "the most advanced warship in the world". "If someone wakes up and they say 'Is today the day?', we make sure that they say 'Maybe not'," he says, describing its deterrent role. Around 50-80 United States navy personnel will arrive by the middle of the year at Western Australia's HMAS Stirling base, which is undergoing an A$8 billion ($5 billion) upgrade to prepare for the "Submarine Rotational Force West", Australian officials have said. In two years, those numbers will swell to hundreds of U.S. navy personnel and support crew.

>>22779968 Richard Marles admits lite-on sub refit on the cards - Richard Marles has conceded the government is considering scaling back life-extending upgrades of the navy’s Collins-class submarines in a bombshell admission that raises the prospect of a widening capability gap before the nation’s nuclear subs are delivered. The Defence Minister said the government would be “managing” the scope of the life-of-type extension works to ensure the two-year overhauls could go ahead from next year. The statement followed an exclusive report by The Australian revealing government-owned submarine builder ASC had failed to complete the necessary design work for the first of the overhauls from next year. Multiple sources said the ­planned “LOTE lite” upgrades would leave the first boat in line, the 27-year-old HMAS Farncomb, with its main motor, diesel engines and generators in place, rather than having installed new ones as ­planned. Mr Marles said the current plan was to do a full 10-year upgrade but argued it would be technically challenging and confirmed key systems on the submarines could go unreplaced.

#40 - Part 102

AUKUS Security Pact and Nuclear Submarine Program - Part 6

>>22779979 Video: Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles shoots down Malcolm Turnbull’s criticism of AUKUS, calls it ‘a good deal’ - Richard Marles has shot down suggestions that AUKUS is a “really bad deal” that is in trouble after the reemergence of Donald Trump in the White House. Speaking in Perth on Tuesday, the Deputy Prime Minister said there were no indications from the Trump administration that the AUKUS deal was on the rocks. “If you look at all that has been said in relation to AUKUS across three countries, all of which have changed their government since the time that AUKUS was announced, there is only positive comment about AUKUS and a commitment to pursue AUKUS,” Mr Marles said. Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull said this week that there was “no guarantee” Australia would get any nuclear-powered submarines next decade because the US was failing to keep up with its own domestic demand. “The most likely outcome of the AUKUS pillar one is that we will end up with no submarines of our own,” he said. Mr Marles dismissed Mr Turnbull’s comments. “Respectfully, I disagree with Malcolm Turnbull,” he said. “And it’s not a surprise to hear those words from Malcolm Turnbull. One thing is, he (Mr Turnbull) has been consistent about this from the moment we announced the optimal pathway back in March 2023. But Malcolm Turnbull will say what he says. This is a fundamentally critical moment for Australia. Because what this does is gives us an evolving capability in terms of our long range submarine capability which for a country like Australia is profoundly important.”

>>22840864 ‘Disrupter’ Turnbull questions worth of AUKUS, challenges US alliance in light of Trump presidency - In his newly self-appointed role as the great disrupter, the former prime minister will host a high-powered security forum in Canberra on Monday that seeks to pressure both sides of politics to distance themselves from the US while Donald Trump is President. Turnbull’s controversial push against Canberra’s long-established pro-American diplomatic and defence priorities is a rare - but not unheard of – position for ex-prime ministers to take. Labor’s Paul Keating and Liberal Malcolm Fraser both railed against the Australia-US alliance after leaving office. Turnbull claims his so-called “Sovereignty and Security Forum” is necessary because “the second Trump administration is challenging and overturning assumptions about the international order (which) compels close allies to re-examine the fundamentals of their foreign and defence policies. This is happening in the capitals of Europe, in Ottawa and elsewhere, but not in Canberra”, he says in the invitation to the one-day forum. Turnbull believes Trump’s maverick behaviour in global affairs since assuming office, and especially his transactional approach to close allies, should lead to “serious scrutiny” of the mutual benefits of the ANZUS alliance and the AUKUS nuclear submarine pact as well as “a fundamental rethink across a broad range of policies including the AUKUS submarine project, trade, defence and regional diplomacy”. Turnbull’s push for such a forum will not be welcomed by either side of politics in an election campaign in which both sides will be seeking to avoid any fallout with Trump when he is considering imposing more tariffs on US allies.

>>22869050 AUKUS in the balance as WA Minister Paul Papalia leads USA trade mission - Paul Papalia has flown to the United States on a trade mission to shore up support for the AUKUS deal amid industry concern the Trump administration’s wavering support has left it on a “knife-edge”. Speaking exclusively to The West Australian from Alabama, WA’s Minister for Defence Industries warned the security pact is at a “critical” point. Some Trump advisors have labelled the deal to send nuclear-powered submarines to Australia “crazy” while pouring doubt on the delivery timetable. “It’s a critical moment in time, there’s a lot of sensitivity around the new administration’s relationships with the international community,” Mr Papalia said. “It has to be all shoulders to the wheel to ensure that Team Australia convinces the new administration that AUKUS is a good deal, and WA is probably the most significant player in that effort.” Mr Papalia - a former navy clearance diver who served alongside American troops in Iraq - will meet with Australia’s Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd but will not be involved in tariff discussions. “I’m not going to step on any toes, the guys in Canberra can deal with that sort of thing,” Mr Papalia said. “We’re going to add to Australia’s case, we’re not going to detract from it. But when we’re talking about the benefits we can provide to the US defence effort and our own, that’s only good for any discussions around other matters.”

#40 - Part 103

AUKUS Security Pact and Nuclear Submarine Program - Part 7

>>22887643 Australia’s submarine deal under scrutiny as global alliances shift - Britain will scrutinise Australia’s nuclear submarines deal with the UK and the United States, as concerns are raised on the other side of the Atlantic about the continued reliability of the US as a security partner. The UK House of Commons Defence Committee quietly announced a parliamentary inquiry last week into the contentious AUKUS defence pact, signed in 2021, which will cost Australian taxpayers $368 billion over the next 30 years. The inquiry - the first of its kind – will evaluate whether the program remains on track and consider the impact of global geopolitical shifts since the deal was signed. The Defence Committee chairman, Labour MP Tan Dhesi, said the AUKUS program was a vital partnership for the UK and two of its long-standing allies, bringing them even closer together in their defence co-operation. Under the first of the deal’s two pillars, Australia will acquire three nuclear-powered Virginia-class submarines from the US and build five new nuclear-powered attack submarines named SSN-AUKUS. The first of those will arrive in the late 2030s, and Australia’s first domestically built sub in the early 2040s. “AUKUS has been underway for over three years now,” Dhesi said. “The inquiry will examine the progress made against each of the two pillars, and ask how any challenges could be addressed.” Dhesi said he hoped to examine any potential expansion of pillar II of the program, which includes cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum capabilities, hypersonics and cyber warfare.

>>22892430 Musk to review US submarines as Australia warned tariffs could push up cost - Australia has been warned Donald Trump’s tariffs could push up the cost of submarines due to be acquired under the AUKUS defence pact, as Trump tasks Elon Musk’s team with improving the US capacity to build the boats. Advocates of the agreement also say the second pillar of the pact, under which Australia, the US and the UK share military data and technology, lacks focus, should be narrowed to more manageable initiatives, and that politicians need to do more to champion AUKUS to sceptical voters. Virginia senator Tim Kaine, the senior Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower, said 35 per cent of the steel and aluminium that went into ships and submarines came from partners such as Canada and the UK, which have both been hit with US tariffs. “We are already having trouble getting these ships and subs on time [and] on budget. Increase those prices - it’s going to be a problem,” Kaine told an AUKUS dinner in Washington on Wednesday night hosted by former Australian defence minister turned lobbyist Christopher Pyne. Meanwhile, Trump signed an executive order aimed at pumping up America’s commercial and military shipbuilding industry, fulfilling a pledge he made during a major speech about six weeks ago. Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and leader of the White House’s Department of Government Efficiency, was ordered to review the vessel procurement process and deliver a proposal to Trump “to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of these processes”. The order did not reference AUKUS or Australia but directed offices to pursue “all available incentives to help shipbuilders domiciled in allied nations partner to undertake capital investment in the US to help strengthen the shipbuilding capacity of the US”.

>>22900962 Australia wants AUKUS submarines for deterrence, stealth, says PM Albanese - Australia is buying nuclear-powered submarines as a deterrent, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Friday, adding that the AUKUS treaty that has come under scrutiny amid President Donald Trump's trade policy was also in the United States' interests. The U.S. sale of three nuclear-powered submarines to Australia under AUKUS is facing new doubts as Trump's tariffs take hold, and amid concern in Washington that providing the subs to Canberra may reduce deterrence to China. Campaigning for a May 3 election in the northern garrison town of Darwin, Albanese told reporters he was "confident about AUKUS". "We're investing in our assets so that we're more secure. Obviously you have assets there as deterrents," he said. "The great benefit of nuclear-powered submarines, as I've spoken about many times, the reason why the Government supports them is because of their stealth capacity." Asked about comments by a U.S. defence strategist who told Reuters that Australia was unwilling to talk about the offensive capability of the submarines, Albanese said it was not responsible "to talk up war".

#40 - Part 104

AUKUS Security Pact and Nuclear Submarine Program - Part 8

>>22900991 Election 2025: Peter Dutton fears for AUKUS under ALP - Peter Dutton says he holds “huge concern” about the AUKUS pact under Labor, ­claiming former US president Joe Biden had initially been hesitant to enter the trilateral ­security agreement but the ­Coalition, under Scott Morrison, had convinced the Democrat leader. Campaigning in Perth on Friday, where he hopes to make ­significant gains to regain government, the Opposition Leader brushed off concerns that Donald Trump’s government efficiency head, Elon Musk, could seek to make cuts to the defence ­agreement. Speaking at a business breakfast meeting at Perth’s crown casino, Mr Dutton promoted the Coalition’s track record of delivering political results, including getting the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine deal over the line. The Opposition Leader also accused Anthony Albanese of cutting defence spending, and raised concerns about Labor’s history on defence. When pressed on his concerns about the future of the security pact under Labor, Mr Dutton ­accused Labor of ripping $80bn out of defence. “First of all, they always run defence spending down, it’s what Labor governments always do, and this government is no different,” he said. “This is the biggest-spending government since the Whitlam government 40 years ago. So, first point is that we have a government that has a spending problem, but it’s not on defence, so they have cannibalised the army and navy and air force to pay for the initial parts for AUKUS. So whilst they’re telling that they’re committed, they haven’t put funding into it. And I think what Australians can see is this Prime Minister speaks out of both sides of his mouth. We negotiated the deal on all this because we live in an uncertain world.”

>>22943060 Opinion: Why Malcolm Turnbull is wrong about AUKUS - "Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has called for an “urgent assessment of the state of the AUKUS submarine project.” So, where are we? Over the past three and a half years, a significant amount has been achieved. Of course, the endeavour is risky - like all national endeavours – but that doesn’t mean we should abandon a complex undertaking such as AUKUS. Instead, we need to manage and mitigate the risk. Since the announcement in September 2021 that Australia intended to acquire nuclear-powered submarines in partnership with the United Kingdom and the United States, the plan has received significant media attention, scepticism and criticism. In a healthy democracy, any sudden decision made without a competitive evaluation process will inevitably face scrutiny. Yet despite changes in government across all three nations since AUKUS was first announced, the initiative has retained bipartisan support, a point reinforced by the US Congress supporting it through the passing of the National Defence Authorisation Act in December 2023, including the sale of three Virginia-class submarines to Australia. It is imperative for Australia to make clear to the US just how vital submarines are to our national security, and to emphasise that the extensive support we provide, including access to Australia’s strategically important geography, is part of the deal. This is especially important given the more transactional nature of the current US administration and alliance framework. In response to Turnbull’s call for an “urgent assessment”, the answer is that Australia’s plan to acquire nuclear-powered submarines remains on track. Yes, it carries significant risks - as any major national endeavour does – but the challenges have been identified, and mitigation measures are in place. The progress made over the last three and a half years is substantial. Rather than repeatedly reassessing the program, we should concentrate our political and intellectual capital on ensuring it stays the course." - Jennifer Parker, Defence expert - afr.com

#40 - Part 105

Australia / China Tensions - Part 1

>>22645646 ASIO chief made secret China trip to meet Xi’s top spy - Australia’s spy chief made a secret visit to China to meet the country’s top intelligence officials in an unprecedented effort to open up channels of backdoor communication amid major tensions between Beijing and Canberra. The revelation of ASIO director-general Mike Burgess’ clandestine mid-2023 trip to Beijing, months before Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s very public China mission, casts rare light on the delicate and complex relationship between the two nations’ spy agencies as they try to undermine each other’s operations while advancing their respective national interests. It also comes amid a fresh round of tension between China and Australia after the Chinese navy conducted live-fire exercises in the Tasman Sea, forcing airlines to divert flights and drawing criticism from Australia and New Zealand. Political sources, speaking anonymously to discuss confidential information, confirmed the trip and said it highlighted Burgess’ belief that closed-door spy-to-spy diplomacy would aid Australian efforts to resist Beijing’s aggressive intelligence and influence operations. Pressed about the trip during an interview with 60 Minutes, Burgess refused to confirm it had occurred or offer any details about its purpose. But political sources described Burgess as having “politely but very firmly” pushed his Chinese spying adversaries on their activities in Australia that he believed crossed a red line, even in the shadowy and murky world of spying.

>>22647135 China accuses Australia of ‘hyping up’ live fire drills in the South China Sea - China has accused Australia of having “hyped up” its live-fire exercises in international waters between Australia and New Zealand, as Tony Abbott warns Beijing’s naval actions are a sign of things to come if we become an “economic colony” of the Asian superpower. The ex-Liberal leader also called on the nation to step up its defence, trade and intelligence ties with Britain, Canada and New Zealand to be taken more seriously in the US. On Saturday, Chinese warships notified they would conduct live-fire exercises for the second time in as many days between Australia and New Zealand waters again with a radio broadcast notice instead of higher-level communication. Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman Wu Qian on Sunday said the People’s Liberation Army had sent repeated safety notices before the drills and that his country was “strongly dissatisfied” with Australia’s response. “China’s actions are in full compliance with international law and international practices, and will not affect aviation flight safety,” Mr Wu said in a statement. “Australia, knowing this well, made unreasonable accusations against China and deliberately hyped it up. We are deeply surprised and strongly dissatisfied with this.” Liu Xiaobo, director of the Marine Study Centre at Beijing think tank the Grandview Institution, said the PLA navy flotilla’s trip was intended to send a political message to Canberra. “The move is in response to Australia’s activities in the South China Sea, including its joint drills with The Philippines, the US and Japan,” Mr Liu, a former PLA navy officer, told The Australian.

>>22657781 Chinese app slaps Aussie politicians with restrictions - MPs using China’s answer to ­Instagram have had their ­accounts restricted, with experts ­describing the timing as too much of a “coincidence” given efforts to win over Australian-Chinese voters at the federal election. Rednote, also known as the Little Red Book or Xiaohongshu, boasts more than 300 million users - nearly one million of whom live in Australia. Politicians in both federal and state parliaments who have been using the app, which was launched in 2013, include Liberal MP Keith Wolahan, Labor MP Jerome Laxale, teal independent Monique Ryan and Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan. Mr Wolahan, whose redrawn seat of Menzies now has the largest population of people with Chinese ancestry in the country, joined Rednote in June last year and quickly amassed about 8000 followers - more than he had on any other social media platform. But late last year, Mr Wolahan began to notice the steady growth in followers and engagement drop off and after further investigation found his account had been restricted. While still able to be accessed by those already following him, Mr Wolahan’s profile is now not able to be found by new users, in what appears to be a move by the platform that is also referred to as shadowbanning. “The restriction affected views, followers and the ability to search my account,” said Mr Wolahan, who has a separate phone from his parliamentary ­device for the Rednote app. “It’s disappointing.”

#40 - Part 106

Australia / China Tensions - Part 2

>>22657808 Chinese warships re-enter Australia's Exclusive Economic Zone and head closer to Tasmania - Three Chinese warships that recently completed live-fire drills in the Tasman Sea have re-entered Australia's Exclusive Economic Zone and are currently being tracked operating east of Hobart. The Defence Department has confirmed it is working with New Zealand's military to jointly track the People's Liberation Army-Navy flotilla "in the vicinity of Australia's maritime approaches" as the task force makes its way closer to Tasmania. "Task Group 107 re-entered Australia's Exclusive Economic Zone in the early hours of this morning," the Defence Department said in a statement released on Tuesday afternoon. "PLA-N Task Group 107, comprised of the Jiangkai-class frigate Hengyang, the Renhai-class Cruiser Zunyi, and the Fuchi-class replenishment vessel Weishanhu, is operating approximately 160 nautical miles (296 kilometres) east of Hobart," the statement said. "Australia expects all militaries operating in the region to engage transparently, maintain the highest standards of safety and professionalism, and we encourage all states to maintain open communication to ensure their actions support regional security and stability. We respect the right of all states under international law to exercise freedom of navigation and overflight in international waters and airspace, just as we expect others to respect our right to do the same."

>>22657813 Video: Intelligence chief says Chinese warship deployment designed to be 'provocative' - One of Australia's most senior intelligence figures says aspects of China's deployment of three warships to the Tasman Sea appear "designed to be provocative", as the naval task group continues to be closely tracked heading back towards Tasmania. Director-general of the Office of National Intelligence (ONI) Andrew Shearer this week delivered a blunt assessment of Beijing's strategic aims for sending the heavily armed flotilla to the region, saying it was to "shape" the behaviour of states like Australia. He also described its recent live-fire exercises as unprecedented and said they demonstrated "China's growing capability to project military power into our immediate region" was "now matched by an increasing intent to do so". Appearing before a parliamentary committee on Monday night, the ONI boss observed this was "the furthest south a People's Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) task group has operated". "We judge Beijing intends to normalise this sort of presence, shape the responses of those in the region, and observe and learn from our reactions," he told the Senate estimates hearing. "The largest and least transparent military build-up since the Second World War will mean the PLA will be able to operate at greater distances from mainland China, in greater numbers, including into Australia's immediate seas and skies," he said.

>>22657821 Video: Anthony Albanese ‘misled public’ over China ‘notice’ of live fire drill - Anthony Albanese has been accused of misleading the public by arguing a Chinese naval task group gave “notice” of a live fire drill off Australia’s east coast when it provided no advance warning of the exercise. Defence officials confirmed in Senate estimates that the department learned of a live fire drill by the People’s Liberation Army-Navy ships on Friday about 40 minutes after it had begun. The Chief of the Defence Force David Johnston said Defence were told of the drill about 10 minutes after a Virgin pilot relayed a Chinese radio broadcast it received about 9.58am, of a live weapons drill occuring between 9.30am to 3pm. A New Zealand frigate also heard and passed on the radio warning through defence channels, but its notification didn’t come through to Defence until 11.01am, Senate estimates heard. Admiral Johnston said the notification of the “clearly disruptive” exercise had been “inadequate”. His comments followed those of the Prime Minister, who said on Friday that “notice was given” by the Chinese of the exercise, and on Saturday that “notification did occur of this event”. On Wednesday, the Prime Minister also suggested the warning from the New Zealand navy ship was received “at around the same time” as the one from the Virgin pilot, when it was received an hour later. But Opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson said the delayed notice meant there was no advance warning of the drill at all. “It’s not really notification of an upcoming exercise if we only find out about it after it has commenced, is it?” he told Senate estimates.

#40 - Part 107

Australia / China Tensions - Part 3

>>22663966 Australian Defence Force chief torpedoes Anthony Albanese’s version of events in Chinese live-fire drill - Defence officials have revealed an “unprecedented” joint surveillance operation tracking three Chinese warships off Australia’s coast only reported their live weapons drill an hour and a half after it started, contradicting ­Anthony Albanese’s version of events. The Chief of the Defence Force, David Johnston, told Senate estimates on Wednesday that a warning from a New Zealand warship that Australia was relying on to track the flotilla was ­received in Canberra about 11am last Friday - 90 minutes after the exercise began and about an hour after a similar warning was ­relayed by a commercial pilot. But the Prime Minister insisted later on Wednesday that the New Zealand warning came through “at around the same time” as the Virgin pilot’s notification to Airservices Australia, which had been passed to ­Defence 50 minutes earlier. The comment, and his claims last week that China had provided notice of the drill “in accordance with practice”, prompted ­Coalition allegations he was misleading the public. The charge comes ahead of a looming federal election campaign in which the Prime Minister’s leadership and grasp of complex detail will come under intense scrutiny.

>>22663998 COMMENTARY: Australia, we are completely unprepared for China - "The scale of the debacle surrounding China’s live weapons drills in the Tasman Sea was laid bare this week, not by the opposition or the government but by Greens Senator David Shoebridge. “I’m trying to work out how it is with a $55.7bn budget, we find out from a Virgin pilot and a delayed notification from New Zealand,” he told Senate estimates on Wednesday. Shoebridge, despite his political stripe, is well informed on defence matters. His brother, Michael Shoebridge, is a former Defence official and a noted security analyst. His point was well made. For all the billions taxpayers have poured into exquisite military capabilities, the Australian Defence Force only learned about Friday’s live weapons drill second-hand and after the fact. Defence Minister Richard Marles says there has been “unprecedented surveillance” of the three Chinese warships that have lurked off Australia’s coast for more than a fortnight. If that’s the case, why was Australia happy to hive off its some of monitoring of the Chinese warships to New Zealand, which notified Australia of the live fire drill 90 minutes after it began? And why wasn’t an RAAF surveillance aircraft in the area to hear the Chinese radio warning which was picked up by a Virgin pilot and relayed to Defence 40 minutes after the exercise window opened?" - Ben Packham - theaustralian.com.au

>>22664010 Defence minister urges calm over China warships episode as they travel west - Defence Minister Richard Marles has urged Australians to take a "deep breath" over the Chinese warships off Australia's east coast as the Coalition intensifies its attack on the government's response to live-fire drills last week. The opposition has accused Labor of ignoring the strategic implications of the episode because it has repeatedly stressed that the Chinese vessels haven't broken international law. But Mr Marles said that legal principle was critical because so many Australian vessels moving through waters close to China depend on it. "It's really important that we take a deep breath here. Our touchstone has to be international law," he said. "There is actually a greater frequency of Australian naval vessels closer to China than there are Chinese vessels close to Australia." Australian warships have conducted multiple freedom of navigation exercises and participated in United Nations sanctions enforcement near China - including in the Yellow Sea and the contested waters of the South China Sea. While the government hasn't drawn a direct comparison between Australia's actions close to China and the Chinese warships near Australia, Mr Marles said the same principles had to apply to both countries. "We rely heavily on international law to be there and it matters that we are there because that is where our trade routes are," he said. "That's why international law has to be our touchstone."

#40 - Part 108

Australia / China Tensions - Part 4

>>22677739 China tells Australia to expect more warship visits but insists its navy poses 'no threat' - The Chinese ambassador has signalled Beijing will conduct further naval deployments close to Australia, saying it's "normal" for a major power to send naval assets across the world. In his first comments since this month's arrival of a People's Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) taskforce, Ambassador Xiao Qian declared there was no reason for China to "pose a threat to Australia" as both countries remain "strategic partners". Ambassador Xiao has also insisted the PLA-N does not need to apologise for last week's live-fire exercise in the Tasman Sea which disrupted dozens of commercial flights, saying international law does not specify how much advanced warning is needed. "I don't see there's any reason why the Chinese side should feel sorry about that, or even to think about to apologise for that," the ambassador told the ABC in an interview while visiting Hobart. "The vessels conducted drills in a way that is in compliance with international law and international practice. They did make prior notification to the public in a way that is in accordance with international practices. "Different countries have a different practice and based on the nature of the drill, size of the drill, and the scope of the drill - my view is that the Chinese naval certification advice was appropriate". The ambassador declined to say whether the deployment of the "pretty disciplined" PLA-N taskforce was designed to send a message to Australia to stop conducting freedom of navigation exercises in the South China Sea.

>>22677763 PLA warships’ drills completely different with Australian military aircraft’s intrusion into China’s airspace: Chinese Ambassador - "The drills conducted by the Chinese fleet have been safe, professional, and in accordance with relevant international law and established practices, and they are completely different with the Australian military aircraft's intrusion into China's airspace, which is a serious violation of international law and undermines China's national security, said Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian in an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in Hobart, the capital of Tasmania on Thursday. Xiao made the remarks in response to the inquiry that the Australian side views the Chinese live-fire drills without prior notice as irresponsible and unprofessional, and whether the presence of the Chinese fleet in the waters around Australia was intended to signal Australia to cease similar activities in the South China Sea, as well as whether this action was related to the Australian federal election. Xiao stressed that during recent couple of days, China and Australia have maintained close communication through diplomatic channels in Beijing, Canberra and other multilateral occasions. Spokespersons from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National Defense have also made statements on this matter. China's position is very clear. The People's Liberation Army is strictly disciplined and consistently abides by international law and basic norms of international relations, Xiao said." - Global Times - globaltimes.cn

>>22677838 Former PM Morrison says Aussies should be ‘troubled’ by Albo’s response to Chinese gunboat diplomacy - Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison has condemned what he claims is a “hesitant and passive” response by Anthony Albanese to “bullying” from Chinese warships off the Australian coast, declaring the country must be “resolute” in its dealings with Beijing. Mr Morrison, whose criticisms of the Chinese government during his prime ministership resulted in Australia being hit with punishing tariffs on wine, barley and other goods, said US President Donald Trump’s administration would have also noticed Australia’s weak reaction to Chinese provocation. “We are in an alliance with the US and it has put us in a special category, one where you cannot sit on the fence,” Mr Morrison said. Mr Morrison said Anthony Albanese’s “hesitation and passivity” in response to the “bullying behaviour of the Chinese” would give Australians “every right to be troubled.” “Not making excuses for them (the Chinese) would be a pretty good start,” he said, referring to Mr Albanese initially playing down the seriousness of the incident. Mr Morrison said his response would have been tougher, sending the Australian navy to closely monitor the three Chinese warships rather than leaving the task to one lone New Zealand ship. “You would have been sweating on every brief, as you awaited updates on what the PLA-N was up to,” he said. “This was not business as usual. It is not unreasonable to expect the Prime Minister to have been acquainted with every detail of this event.”

#40 - Part 109

Australia / China Tensions - Part 5

>>22685558 Beijing tested our defences - Anthony Albanese blew it - "In three decades of working closely with governments on defence strategy, I have never seen a prime minister less competent than Anthony Albanese at leading on national security. For years Australian ministers have said the country faces the most difficult strategic circumstances since the end of World War II. The phrase has been repeated so often its meaning has been hollowed out and replaced with empty political blather. Is there no consequence to this worsening strategic outlook? Shouldn’t governments do something, like spend more on defence and make the military stronger? If the risk is near at hand, why are we reducing defence capabilities to pay for an imagined stronger Australian Defence Force in the 2030s and later? China’s threatening weapons tests in the Tasman last week are a consequence of successive Australian governments failing to anticipate strategic risk, and plan sensible responses. The reality of decades of not properly funding Defence is becoming clear. When our navy and air force are incapable of mounting a coherent operation to monitor, respond and pressure three Chinese ships firing weapons between the east coast of Australia and New Zealand, we should all understand this is an unacceptable political and military failure. Something must change, and quickly. What is supposedly a bipartisan approach to defence is not working. Spending is too low; equipment programs are badly designed and will not deliver for years. As a result, good people are leaving the ADF in unsustainably large numbers. There is no plan informing where and how we may need to use our forces, and a bureaucratic and political failure to think through how to deal with the biggest threat, China, and our most important partner, the US. The history of the 20th century shows that appeasement rather than military strength creates the basis for war. We need to stop appeasing China. Beijing will bully us for as long as we are prepared to submit to it. Australia needs to invest in its security and stand up for our values internationally. If we compromise on these we will turn into the third order country China wants us to be and the US fears we are becoming." - Peter Jennings, director of Strategic Analysis Australia, former executive director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (2012-22) and former deputy secretary for strategy in the Defence Department (2009-12) - theaustralian.com.au

>>22691939 Beijing’s top diplomat issues warning as Chinese warships head towards Perth - China’s top diplomat in Australia has suggested the Albanese government is “overstretching” the definition of national security risk with its ban on artificial intelligence app DeepSeek, amid rising tensions between the two countries just weeks out from a federal election. As a group of Chinese warships on Sunday tracked closer to Perth, Xiao Qian warned that Australia and other countries using nat­ional security to restrict access to DeepSeek were politicising trade and undermining global technological progress. The intervention by China’s ambassador to Australia follows an announcement by Home ­Affairs Minister Tony Burke to ban DeepSeek from all government systems and devices after intelligence agencies assessed the software posed an “unacceptable risk” to national security. The Albanese government, which has also banned public servants from using the Chinese-owned TikTok on official devices, did not apply restrictions for private users, but urged them to ­“ensure they are well informed about how their data can be used online”. Writing in The Australian, Mr Xiao said “small yards with high fences will only lead to self-isolation” and that “openness and co-operation are the only viable ­option” for Australia. “DeepSeek’s application will greatly benefit the world in various aspects. Taking restrictive measures against it under the pretext of ‘security risks’ is an attempt to overstretch the concept of national security and politicise trade and tech issues,” Mr Xiao wrote.

#40 - Part 110

Australia / China Tensions - Part 6

>>22691963 China a willing AI partner in building bright new world - "Recently, a Chinese artificial intelligence company, DeepSeek, launched an open-source model free for commercial use with outstanding performance, which has been widely welcomed by global users and praised by international media. DeepSeek’s application will greatly benefit the world in various aspects. Taking restrictive measures against it under the pretext of “security risks” is an attempt to overstretch the concept of national security and politicise trade and tech issues. This would hinder technological progress worldwide and is detrimental to global economic recovery and development. China’s artificial intelligence efforts are driving global technological progress. In recent years, new breakthroughs in AI technology have become a key driver of the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation. DeepSeek is one of the outstanding representatives in this field. Compared to other AI models, DeepSeek requires less computing power, incurs lower costs, and can be downloaded and used for free by anyone. This makes AI innovation truly accessible to all humanity, providing a low-cost, high-performance model for AI development in countries around the world, including Australia. DeepSeek has accelerated the democratisation of the latest AI advancements, propelling the global technology industry to new heights, and it has received widespread acclaim from international tech giants. As the era of AI accelerates, China is ready to work with Australia to enhance mutual understanding and trust, deepen pragmatic co-operation, and jointly build an open, inclusive, equitable, secure and non-discriminatory AI development environment. Together, we will explore the vast potential of artificial intelligence and contribute to a brighter, intelligent future for the whole world." - Xiao Qian, China’s ambassador to Australia - theaustralian.com.au

>>22706042 Trump admin to Australia: spending $56 billion on defence isn’t enough by half - The Trump administration is pushing Australia to dramatically increase defence spending to counter China’s rise, with one of the US president’s top Pentagon picks calling for military spending to rise to at least 3 per cent of gross domestic product. The first explicit call by a senior Trump administration figure for Australia to boost military expenditure would require tens of billions of dollars in extra annual spending and strain the Commonwealth’s ability to fund other portfolios such as health, education and welfare. Defence spending is currently hovering just above 2 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), which amounts to $56 billion a year. Elbridge Colby, Donald Trump’s choice to be head of policy at the US Defence Department, told a US Senate committee on Wednesday that Australia is a “core US ally” and that the military relationship between the two allies is “excellent”. “The main concern the United States should press with Australia, consistent with the president’s approach, is higher defence spending,” Colby told the US Senate Armed Services Committee in written answers. “Australia is currently well below the 3 per cent level advocated for NATO, by NATO Secretary General [Mark] Rutte, and Canberra faces a far more powerful challenge in China.” This is the first time a senior Trump administration official has explicitly called for Australia to spend more on defence.

#40 - Part 111

Australia / China Tensions - Part 7

>>22779996 Melbourne residents receive letter offering $200k for information on Hong Kong pro-democracy activist - A small number of Melbourne residents have received anonymous letters purporting to offer a police bounty of $203,000 if they inform on Kevin Yam, an Australian citizen and pro-democracy activist wanted for alleged national security crimes in Hong Kong, linking him to two nearby locations. A spokesperson for the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, told Guardian Australia the letter was “deeply worrying” and that the matter would be raised directly with officials from China and Hong Kong. The anonymous letter - mailed from Hong Kong and delivered to some Melbourne homes on Friday – contained a photograph of Yam with a headline alleging he was a “wanted person”. It then detailed a range of alleged “national security related offences” and offered HK$1m (A$203,000) from the Hong Kong police to anyone who provided information on his whereabouts or took him to Hong Kong or Australian police. Yam is a lawyer who lived in Hong Kong for 20 years before returning to Australia in 2022. He is one of eight overseas-based activists, the subject of Hong Kong police arrest warrants, accused in July 2023 of breaching its controversial national security law that grants authorities sweeping extraterritorial powers to prosecute acts or comments made anywhere in the world that it deems criminal. Yam has criticised the crackdown on dissent and erosion of judicial independence in the Chinese-controlled city and has been accused of encouraging foreign governments to impose sanctions against members of the judiciary, prosecutors and government officials. It is not known who sent the letter but its language matches a public appeals notice published on the Hong Kong police force’s official website. A UK phone number included at the bottom of the letter has also been linked to the Hong Kong police force, which was contacted for comment. The letter, which gives a detailed account of Yam’s physical appearance, listed a residential address in the Melbourne suburb of Abbotsford and another in the Melbourne CBD. The letter was sent to homes adjacent to these locations.

>>22780011 Fake pamphlets accusing former Hong Kong legislator of being a pro-Israel lawyer sent to Adelaide mosques - Fake pamphlets falsely accusing a former Hong Kong politician and Australian resident, Ted Hui, of being an pro-Israel lawyer willing to “wage war” against Islamic terrorism were allegedly mailed to mosques in Adelaide in an apparent attempt to intimidate him and undermine social cohesion. The pamphlets, which carry images of Hui and the name and contact details of his Adelaide law firm, have alarmed the Australian government, which will raise the matter with Chinese officials. It is not known who sent the pamphlets. Hui is a former pro-democracy legislator who fled to Australia via Europe in 2019. In 2022 he was convicted in absentia for his role in pro-democracy protests during 2019 and sentenced to three and a half years in jail. Hong Kong authorities have accused Hui of “foreign collusion” in social media posts seeking international support for Hong Kong under its national security law. Hui said he had been contacted by representatives from unnamed government departments about the false pamphlets and had been assured the matter was being taken seriously. The pamphlet falsely quotes Hui as saying “I am a pro-Jewish man and siding with Israel to wage war against those Islamic terrorism [sic]”. It also states that Hui can “provide assistance to local Jews”. “Those pamphlets were sent to a few mosques in Adelaide,” Hui told Guardian Australia. “I understand it is not large scale, they were only sent to a few mosques.” Hui said the government representative he had spoken to said the pamphlet had been sent from Macau, a special administrative region of China. “They are trying to make trouble for me,” Hui said. “It can be quite terrifying, at the beginning, knowing that they know where I work.” Hui said the pamphlet’s claims were “totally incorrect”. “I have not spoken a word in public about the Israel-Palestinian war,” Hui said. “They have made a fake profile of me and are using it to stir conflict and tensions in Adelaide, among ethnic communities.”

#40 - Part 112

Australia / China Tensions - Part 8

>>22780038 Melbourne residents receive 'wanted' letter for Hong Kong pro-democracy activist - The federal government has lodged diplomatic protests with China after two prominent Hong Kong activists in Australia were targeted in what appear to be coordinated intimidation campaigns. Both former Hong Kong politician and Australian resident Ted Hui, who lives in Adelaide, and prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy advocate and Australian citizen Kevin Yam have been fiercely critical of the crackdown on the dissent in the Chinese city-state. In 2024, Hong Kong authorities placed a "bounty" on the heads of both men as part of its increasingly ambitious attempts to target critics living abroad. Last week, a letter was sent to some Melbourne addresses with a picture of Mr Yam, an experienced lawyer who has been a vocal critic of the crackdown on political dissent and judicial independence in Hong Kong. Separately, a pamphlet was sent to Adelaide mosques misrepresenting Mr Hui as a pro-Israel lawyer who wants to "wage war" against “Islamic terrorism.” The letter with Mr Ya’s picture appears almost identical to one that was sent to people living near former Hong Kong politician Carmen Lau in the United Kingdom, drawing fierce criticism from British politicians. The letter appears almost identical to one that was sent to people living near former Hong Kong politician Carmen Lau in the United Kingdom, drawing fierce criticism from British politicians. The Australian government has repeatedly said the charges against Mr Yam and Mr Hui are baseless. It’s not clear exactly who sent either of the pamphlets, but Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Australian officials had made "very clear" representations to Chinese and Hong Kong officials. "We are a sovereign nation. We do not accept any one of our citizens or on our shores, people being bullied or harassed or threatened by a foreign power," she said. "We expect our democracy and our citizens to be able to operate free from such interference, that kind of pressure or threats."

>>22800991 Video: Chinese social media platform RedNote fuels misinformation concerns in Australian election- A series of attacks on Australian political parties on emerging Chinese social media platform RedNote (RED), has raised concerns about misinformation, disinformation and the risk of foreign interference ahead of the federal election. Among the most notable is an AI-generated deepfake video of Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, falsely depicting him speaking Mandarin, and a misleadingly edited video suggesting he intends to deport Chinese Australians. The Albanese government has also been targeted, including with posts showing people being arrested in shopping centres, accompanied by the false claim that Australian police are arresting temporary migrants. The vertical video platform, also known by its Chinese name Xiaohongshu, which means "little red book", was designed for lifestyle content and e-commerce and has expanded rapidly, now attracting over 700,000 monthly users in Australia. Analysts say its increasing influence and unique algorithm that makes it easy to share misinformation make it a key platform to watch in the lead-up to the election. However, the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) is not monitoring the platform for misleading or deceptive content. A dossier of attacks on Australian political parties has been compiled by the RECapture project, an initiative of several Victorian universities that analyses how Australia is portrayed across Chinese social media services. Between November and February, its researchers found misleading content on RED targeting both major parties as well as independent candidates. Peter Dutton has been one of the main targets of attacks, with misleading claims circulating about his policies on nuclear energy, immigration, housing and health care.

#40 - Part 113

Australia / China Tensions - Part 9

>>22801080 OPINION: I have a price on my head. I hope my neighbours won’t try to cash in - "This week, letters arrived at homes in Melbourne offering a $200,000 bounty on my head. I’m an Australian citizen who worked as a lawyer in Hong Kong for 20 years before returning to Australia in 2022. The bounty was placed by the Hong Kong government for my advocacy for Hong Kong democracy, which the letters characterise as threats to China’s “national security”. The anonymous letters, sent from Hong Kong, landed in the mailboxes of residents of a quiet Melbourne suburb. “Kevin is wanted on suspicion of a range of national security-related offences. “A reward of one million Hong Kong dollars [$200,000] is being offered by the Hong Kong police to any member of the public who can provide information on this wanted person and the related crime or take him to Hong Kong or Australia Metropolitan Police.” In short, the letters call for me to be kidnapped. It also emerged this week that Adelaide lawyer and former Hong Kong pro-democracy politician Ted Hui, who has the same bounty over his head, has been the subject of a more elaborate plot. Fake pamphlets with his contact details were sent to mosques in Adelaide claiming Hui was a “pro-Jewish man siding with Israel to wage war against those Islamic terrorism [sic]”. It is clearly an attempt to provoke intimidation or harm towards Hui based on both Islamophobic and antisemitic stereotypes. Who did this to us? Given the letters about me contained official Hong Kong police contact details, my conclusion is these were acts either of the Chinese or Hong Kong authorities, or parties that operate with their explicit or tacit approval. The latest threats against Hui and me have also arisen against the backdrop of an upcoming federal election. Both Labor and the Coalition have in recent months adopted China-friendly rhetoric as part of their efforts to woo ethnically Chinese voters in marginal seats. The plight of both me and Hui shows that being China-friendly and being ethnically Chinese-friendly should be kept distinct. Our experience shows that China can definitely be hostile to ethnic Chinese in Australia if they are critical of the Chinese Communist Party. Further, as much as Australia might seek to shower China with love, China has shown that it will not reciprocate. Instead, it continues to act like an authoritarian bully that will disregard Australia’s sovereignty, democracy, and social cohesion for as long as the Chinese Communist Party remains in power." - Kevin Yam, Australian citizen, Hong Kong democracy activist and PhD candidate at Melbourne Law School - smh.com.au

>>22845494 Video: 'I would prefer that it wasn't there': PM Anthony Albanese confirms Chinese research vessel was spotted off coast of Australia - Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said he'd "prefer it" if a Chinese research vessel wasn't sailing through Australian waters after being probed over the ship's close proximity. The Tan Suo Yi Hao, a Chinese mothership which ferries smaller submarines, is confirmed to be sitting in the South Australian coast in the Great Australian Bight. The PM said the government was continuing to "monitor the situation" but wouldn't be detailing any further information for "obvious reasons". "I would prefer that it wasn't there. But we live in circumstances where, just as Australia has vessels in the South China Sea and vessels in the Taiwan Strait and a range of areas, this vessel is there," Albanese said in Perth today. "We're keeping an eye on this, as we do. The Australian Defence Force [is] monitoring what is happening … It's going from New Zealand. We expect it to go around to China… around that way." The so-called "spy ship" is used for scientific research and intelligence collection, according to reports. China's Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering states the 94m ship is capable of exploring depths of 10,000m. It comes a month after a flotilla of Chinese navy ships made a surprise trip around Australia. Australian officials raised concerns over a live-fire drill alert however Chinese armed forces hit back and said it was an "exaggerated" response.

#40 - Part 114

Australia / China Tensions - Part 10

>>22845509 Turnbull’s ‘security’ forum more about personal vendettas - "Malcolm Turnbull has chosen 100 people, whom he describes as “leading’” defence and foreign policy thinkers, to participate in a forum at the National Press Club on Monday. The “Sovereignty and Security Forum” is necessary, Turnbull says, because “the second Trump administration is challenging and overturning assumptions about the international order, which compels close allies to re-examine the fundamentals of their foreign and defence policies”. This includes ANZUS and the AUKUS submarine pact. Unless we include half the first-year cadets at our tri-service military academy it’s doubtful we’d have anywhere close to 100 experts in these fields. But even so, there’s bound to be quite a few China apologists at the forum. Some may be tempted to cite an article that’s just been published by an Australian think tank by ANU academic Edward Chan. He argues that Australia should be looking for opportunities to collaborate with China on maritime security and ocean-related issues in areas such as transnational crime, sea lane safety and climate change. Chan notes that many countries in the region remain open to working with China on these topics, and that by being proactive in dialogue with China we’d enhance our role as a regional maritime state. But how can a state such as Australia, one that helped shape the Law of the Sea treaty in international negotiations over a decade and that abides by key maritime laws, have productive engagement with China? The People’s Republic of China is a power that’s actively and comprehensively provoking us and breaking ocean laws it’s signed up to. It’s “monstering” other nations to take their maritime territories and land features in their offshore zones. China has ignored international legal outcomes on Law of the Sea rulings. It destroys the maritime environment by building artificial islands in the offshore estates of other countries. If Turnbull’s forum endorses this approach, it would give a false legitimacy to China’s hollow commitments to international law." - Anthony Bergin, senior fellow at Strategic Analysis Australia - theaustralian.com.au

>>22850600 Dutton says Chinese research ship is collecting intelligence, mapping undersea cables - The opposition leader has slammed the prime minister's response to a Chinese research ship south of Australia, saying he believes the vessel is gathering intelligence and mapping the route of Australia's undersea cables. The dual purpose vessel the Tan Suo Yi Hao was conducting joint research with New Zealand scientists before travelling west along Australia's southern coastline, outside of Australia's exclusive economic zone. NZ media have reported the submersibles took Chinese and NZ scientists to the bottom of the Puysegur Trench, 6 kilometres below sea level, on a joint research mission. Anthony Albanese told reporters in Perth on Monday that he'd "prefer" the ship wasn't in Australian waters, but suggested China hadn't broken international law. But Peter Dutton took aim at Mr Albanese's response, accusing him of "weakness" on national security. He said government advice had been conflicting, and that it was unclear whether the Australian Border Force or the ADF were monitoring the vessel. "It is unbelievable that the prime minister can't explain to the Australian people what is happening here," he told reporters in Melbourne on Tuesday. "Of course, there's a collection of intelligence and of course, there is a mapping of undersea cables." It comes weeks after China's navy conducted an unprecedented circumnavigation of much of Australia, as well as hosting live fire exercises in the Tasman Sea.

#40 - Part 115

Australia / China Tensions - Part 11

>>22850602 Chinese survey vessel fits pattern of escalating intimidation - "The Chinese survey ship now navigating Australia’s southern coastline is a pointed reminder that Canberra’s “co-operate where we can, disagree where we must” approach to stabilising relations with Beijing is no defence against the sort of treatment our nearest neighbours have suffered for years. For a broad hint as to what China had planned for Australian waters, successive federal governments need only have looked to our closest neighbours and the ongoing intimidation faced from Chinese grey hulls surveying their waters. Someone in Canberra must have noticed the intermittent geopolitical stoushes over more than a decade whipped up on our maritime borders by Chinese survey vessels lingering in Indonesia’s Natuna waters on the edge of the South China Sea, in Malaysia and Vietnam? Surely nobody needs reminding of Beijing’s escalating torment and harassment of The Philippines, America’s most loyal Asian ally and an Australian defence treaty partner? Just what the Tan Suo Yi Hao vessel, equipped with a submersible capable of scanning the seabed, is doing in Australian waters is still up for conjecture, given it has just completed an authorised 45-day joint survey of southern New Zealand waters. That will be better understood in coming days, when it either heads for home or takes a right turn into the Indian Ocean off the West Australian coast. But Australia should be in no doubt that China is sending an unambiguous message with its live-fire exercises off the east coast and warship circumnavigation last month, and this latest incursion by a vessel which - as with almost all such ships – is likely equipped for dual civilian and military purpose. As it has done for years in our neighbourhood, Beijing appears to be normalising intimidatory behaviour in Australian waters. Like the proverbial slow-boiling frog, Canberra can either call it out now or risk a steady escalation in coming months and years." - Amanda Hodge - theaustralian.com.au

>>22850614 Video: Six Australian universities close Chinese government-linked Confucius Institutes - Six Australian universities have now closed Chinese government-linked Confucius Institutes on their campuses, two years after the federal government signalled it would not allow any more of the controversial educational centres to open their doors in Australia. The government ramped up scrutiny of the institutes, which critics said had undermined academic freedom and allowed Chinese authorities to exert undue influence over what was taught at universities. The centres have now quietly disappeared from some Australian campuses, with the University of Melbourne, the University of Queensland (UQ), the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and the University of Western Australia (UWA) all opting not to renew their contracts to keep them running. Adelaide University also appeared to have closed its Confucius Institute, although it refused to confirm or deny that. Confucius Institutes are hosted on Australian campuses in partnership with Chinese universities, and typically teach courses on Chinese language and culture. But in recent years, several Australian universities have scrambled to renegotiate contracts and exert more control over what is taught, as the federal government became increasingly concerned Beijing was using the centres to monitor Chinese international students on campus and push narratives favourable to its interests. In 2019, the ABC reported that applicants for volunteer teaching positions at the institutes were required to demonstrate political loyalty to the Chinese government, while Human Rights Watch said they had repeatedly censored any discussion of issues sensitive to Beijing.

#40 - Part 116

Australia / China Tensions - Part 12

>>22855449 Chinese state media praises Anthony Albanese, accuses Peter Dutton of ‘beating the drums of war’ Chinese state media has accused Peter Dutton of “beating ‘the drums of war’ against China” and praised Anthony Albanese for speaking the “truth”, as Beijing said it maintains a position of “noninterference” in elections after a Chinese deep sea research vessel sailed into the Australian campaign. The passage of the Tan Suo Yi Hao, a Chinese research vessel, along the south coast of Australia has been the centre of a loud debate during the first week of the election campaign, with the Opposition leader accusing the Prime Minister of a “wet lettuce” response. Security analysts warn the vessel has dual purpose military applications and was likely studying Australia’s undersea oceanography for the benefit of the PLA navy. In his initial response on Monday, the Prime Minister said he “would prefer that it wasn’t there”, but noted that Australian navy ships routinely operate in the South China Sea and in the Taiwan Strait. Chinese researchers praised the Australian Prime Minister’s approach. “Albanese spoke the truth, while to some extent highlighting the double standards of some Australian politicians and media,” Xu Shanpin, an adjunct research fellow at the China University of Mining and Technology, told the Global Times. In contrast, the Global Times said Mr Dutton was exploiting the issue for political gain ahead of the election. “For the opposition, especially its leader Dutton, this election could be his last chance to run for office. That’s why Dutton has begun beating ‘the drums of war’ against China again,” the state masthead said.

>>22855458 Australia’s paranoia over China’s research vessel unfounded, it doesn’t have to be this way - "Over the past two days, Australia has been paranoid about a Chinese research vessel that appeared off the coast of South Australia. In Australian media's portrayal, what was originally a harmless research ship has, for no clear reason, been transformed into a "spy ship." Sky News Australia claimed that "a Chinese spy ship spotted off the coast of South Australia has been accused of mapping Australia's submarine cables for 'future operations.'" The Australian published a more blatant headline, "China spy ship has Labor all at sea." But how can anyone be sure this ship is a "spy"? According to these media outlets, the answer is: The vessel is CONSIDERED a "spy ship," as "the PLA WOULD be vitally interested in undersea oceanography off the Australian coast." In other words, the accusation is nothing more than unfounded speculation. Some Australian politicians just don't get it. They try to block the improvement of China-Australia relations, constantly spewing harmful rhetoric and hijacking the relationship, only for their personal benefit. That's the real threat to Australia - not the research vessel from China. A better relationship with China will bring invaluable benefits to Australia. However, the key lies in managing the balance between China, Australia, and the US; Canberra cannot simply reap economic benefits from China while aligning with the US to undermine China's core interests. This is not an unreasonable expectation. But one thing is certain, China is not a threat. On this point, Australia can sleep soundly. It does not have to be this paranoid."- Global Times - globaltimes.cn

>>22869175 Chinese firm Landbridge set to be stripped of its controversial lease of the Port of Darwin - Chinese firm Landbridge is set to be stripped of its controversial long-term lease of the Port of Darwin regardless of who wins the election, with the two main major parties pledging to take control of the facility if necessary. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese dialled into ABC Darwin radio at short notice on Friday evening in a hurried bid to pre-empt a similar announcement by Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, who was en route to Darwin to launch his first major national security announcement of the campaign. Dutton was preparing to announce that a Coalition government would move quickly to terminate the current lease agreement, including by taking the dramatic step of seizing control of the port if Landbridge cannot sell it to another company. Albanese announced that he wants to get the Port of Darwin “back into Australian hands”, declaring he wants to see the end of Landbridge Group’s 99-year lease of the port. “We’ve been working on this for some time,” Albanese said of the government’s proposal, describing the port as a “strategic asset”. Albanese said the government would move to kickstart negotiations to buy back the port, saying he would be prepared to directly intervene to enter a lease agreement if a private bidder cannot be found.

#40 - Part 117

Australia / China Tensions - Part 13

>>22892329 China wants to work with Australia to 'respond to the changes of the world' as Trump slaps Beijing with 125 per cent tariffs - China has offered to "join hands" with Australia in the face of the escalating tariff war that has seen the United States hit Beijing with 125 per cent tariffs overnight. President Donald Trump stunningly put a 90-day pause on "reciprocal" tariffs against dozens of nations, dropping the high levy for most countries to just 10 per cent. But China was not spared as the tit-for-tat tariff war between Beijing and Washington heats up day by day, with 125 per cent tariffs on Chinese goods effective immediately. Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian said Beijing and Canberra must maintain their "open and cooperative" trade relationship amid the unpredictability of the US. “Under the circumstances, China stands ready to join hands with Australia and the international community to jointly respond to the changes of the world," Mr Xiao said. “In the meantime, China is also committed to working with Australia to implement the strategic consensus reached by the leaders of our two countries.” In an opinion piece to the Sydney Morning Herald Mr Xiao also hit out at the US, saying "there is no winner in a trade or tariff war and protectionism leads nowhere". "Against the backdrop of globalisation, countries around the world are closely intertwined by interests. Any unilateral measures would lead to far-reaching global repercussions and no country can stand to gain by harming others," he wrote.

>>22892340 OPINION: There is no winner in a tariff war and protectionism benefits no one - "Recently, the United States, disregarding widespread opposition of the international community, blatantly announced the imposition of the so-called “reciprocal tariffs” on all trading partners, including China and Australia, which severely undermines the legitimate rights and interests of all parties. As a responsible major country, China does not engage in trade barriers, protectionism or unilateralism. Instead, we are long committed to achieving win-win co-operation, seeking greater common grounds with other countries, and injecting stability and positivity into the global economy through high-quality development and high-level opening-up. As an open economy, Australia has also greatly benefited from globalisation and free trade. Under the new circumstances, China stands ready to join hands with Australia and the international community to jointly respond to the changes of the world, resolutely uphold international equity and justice, defend the multilateral trading system, ensure the stability of global industrial and supply chains, and maintain an open and co-operative international environment. In the meantime, China is also committed to working with Australia to implement the strategic consensus reached by the leaders of our two countries, seize opportunities of co-operation, expand mutually beneficial collaboration and promote greater development of China-Australia relations to deliver more benefits and fruits to both countries and peoples." - Xiao Qian is China’s ambassador to Australia - smh.com.au

>>22892346 Richard Marles says Australia will not 'join hands' with China to resist Donald Trump's tariffs - Australia will not work with China to resist Donald Trump's tariffs, even as his latest escalation threatens to damage both countries. Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has rejected an invitation from ambassador Xiao Qian to "join hands" with Beijing in "solidarity" after the US president threatened its rival with 125 per cent tariffs. "The only way to stop the hegemonic and bullying behaviour of the US in harvesting the whole world is to strengthen solidarity and collaboration, and to jointly resist," the ambassador wrote in an op-ed for Nine newspapers. "Under the new circumstances, China stands ready to join hands with Australia and the international community to jointly respond to the changes of the world." Mr Marles said Australia would pursue its own interests and focus on diversifying its trade, pursuing greater ties with Indonesia, India, the UK and the United Arab Emirates. "I don't think we'll be holding China's hand," he said. "We obviously don't want to see a trade war between China and the US … [but] it's about pursuing Australia's national interests, not about making common calls with China."

#40 - Part 118

Australia / China Tensions - Part 14

>>22927418 ATO wins freezing orders against fighter pilot accused of training Chinese air force - Former RAF top gun Keith Andrew Hartley, for years based in Australia, has spent the past three years fending off allegations of betraying his country and its allies by providing “training involving the use of arms or practising military exercises” to People’s Liberation Army pilots between June 2018 and January 2022. His Adelaide home was raided in 2022 as part of an investigation into his role in the scandal as the chief operating officer of controversial South African company Test Flying Academy of South Africa (TFASA), which has been accused of paying millions to dozens of former British flying aces to train Chinese fighter pilots. Included are allegations Hartley and TFASA recruited former RAF pilots - offered more $500,000 per year — to help train Chinese flyers to take off and land on the country’s new aircraft carriers, now emerging as a major potential threat to Australian, US and British interests in the Pacific region. Hartley has consistently denied any wrongdoing, and no charges have been laid. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) declined to comment on the status of their investigation into Hartley on Thursday. The former jet pilot, who flew under the call sign “Hooligan”, has now had his local assets frozen by the federal court for allegedly ducking millions in local taxes related to his training business in China. In a secret case brought by the Australian Taxation Office last month, the ATO won freezing orders against Hartley over allegations he owes more than $3m in back taxes related to his business in China. The ATO also sought freezing orders worth almost $4.2m against his privately-owned company Slugwash. Hartley fled the country fearing arrest by Australian security services in early 2023, according to the court, and has not returned since.

#40 - Part x

Julian Assange: Indictment, Extradition, Plea Deal and Freedom

>>22677965 How Julian Assange’s brother and a crypto artist raised $74m to free him - Gabriel Shipton didn’t know his older sibling at all when he was growing up. In fact, he didn’t even know Julian Assange existed until he received an email in his last year of high school saying: “this is your long-lost brother”. “I thought it was a joke,” says Shipton, a rangy, academic-looking 42-year-old film producer. “So I sent an email back saying, ‘Oh bullshit’. And he sent one back saying, ‘Ask your dad’.” So he did, and John Shipton readily came clean about the relationship he’d had with a woman when they were in their early 20s, and the child it produced. Soon after that, the siblings - Assange in Melbourne, Shipton in Sydney – connected in real life. A couple of months after Assange’s arrest, Shipton, their father and investigative journalist John Pilger visited him in Belmarsh prison. And what they saw shocked them. “I’d been visiting him in the embassy over the years, and he always had it together, even though there was intense pressure on him,” Shipton says. “I’d never seen him in a state like that. He was very distressed, and I left Belmarsh that day thinking, ‘Oh shit, I’ve got to do everything I can, otherwise Julian might lose his life’.” From that moment came two major pieces of work that ultimately helped pave the way for Assange’s release in June 2024: the documentary Ithaka, released in November 2021, and a collaboration between Shipton and the digital artist Pak that ultimately raised $US55 million ($74 million in February 2022) towards the legal campaign to free Assange. Pak is a suitably shadowy figure whose identity is unknown. A digital creator, cryptocurrency investor and programmer, they are perhaps the ideal collaborator on a project designed to aid the creator of WikiLeaks. But while Shipton will discuss the Censored program at the Australian International Documentary Conference this weekend, don’t expect any insights into Pak. “I never met him,” he says. “Actually, I don’t even know if it’s a him; I assumed it was a him, just from our conversations, but I never met him. Them.”

#40 - Part 119

Child Sexual Abuse, Pedophilia, Human Trafficking and Satanism Investigations - Part 1

>>22685705 Controversial High Court ruling could be used against sex abuse victims like Greg - Greg Barclay lost his faith in Catholicism in 1970 when he was sexually assaulted by a Marist brother, but he says the church “hit a new low” when it pursued a legal defence that would obstruct some compensation claims by survivors of institutional abuse. A contentious decision handed down by the High Court in November found the Catholic Diocese of Ballarat was not responsible for the misconduct of its former priest Father Bryan Coffey because he could not be legally considered an employee of the church. The judgment in the trial of Bird v DP has upended thousands of legal cases involving religious orders, sporting clubs and not-for-profit organisations nationwide. The Sunday Age can reveal many survivors of historical sexual abuse are now under pressure to accept reduced financial settlements, or proceed to trial, where they face significant legal hurdles. Barclay’s case against the Marist Brothers is one of more than 1800 civil claims currently before Victorian courts that have been stymied by the recent court ruling. He was just 13 years old when he was abused by brother John Anthony Skehan at the former St Colman’s College in Shepparton. In 2014, Skehan was convicted of indecent assault and handed a suspended eight-month prison sentence. Barclay, now 68 years old, said he was stunned when the High Court found existing legislation did not provide a basis for imposing vicarious liability on the church for the misconduct of its clerics. The legal principle of vicarious liability is usually reserved for employers responsible for the wrongful or negligent conduct of their employees, regardless of whether the organisation is at fault. Barclay accuses the church, and its high-profile legal team, of deliberately pursuing the defence in the nation’s highest court, after it was unsuccessful in the Supreme Court of Victoria and the Court of Appeal. “Yet again, it shows to me that the church and the Marist Brothers are morally bankrupt. In my case, they agree and admit the abuse occurred, but now they are willing to use the law and hide behind the law to deny just compensation to survivors and mitigate their financial liability. “I shake my head in disbelief that an organisation that professes to maintain some moral high ground could actually do this to survivors,” Barclay said.

>>22723204 Alan Jones charged with additional assault offence relating to 11th alleged victim - New South Wales police say they have charged former radio titan Alan Jones with an additional offence, bringing the total number of his alleged victims to 11. Police said on Friday they had charged the 83-year-old former Sydney radio host with an additional count of assault with act of indecency. Jones is due to appear before Sydney’s Downing Centre local court on 11 March in relation to the latest charge. He was charged in November with 26 historical sexual assault offences alleged to have occurred against nine people spanning almost two decades. In December, police charged Jones with an additional eight indecent assault offences alleged to have occurred against a 10th victim. Police allege the offences took place between 2001 and 2019, and say the youngest of the alleged victims was 17 at the time. On Friday, NSW police said detectives from the child abuse squad detectives had laid the additional charge, bringing Jones’s total number of alleged offences to 35. After his first court appearance in December, Jones stopped for a moment outside to speak to the throng of journalists that had surrounded him. “I am certainly not guilty, and I’ll be presenting my case to a jury, as you heard this morning,” he said at the time.

#40 - Part 120

Child Sexual Abuse, Pedophilia, Human Trafficking and Satanism Investigations - Part 2

>>22740430 Ron Brierley charged with possessing child abuse material - Former corporate titan Ron Brierley has been charged with fresh child abuse material offences. The 87-year-old was arrested on Tuesday morning and faced Waverley Local Court where he was granted bail. Brierley, a former head of the Bank of New Zealand and ex-SCG Trust board member, was charged with three counts of possessing child abuse material. As per his bail conditions, he is “not to have any device capable of accessing the internet in his residence unless the device is in the personal custody of either his solicitor … with the exception of digital television, digital radio or digital kitchen appliances”. Brierley’s spectacular fall from grace began when he was stopped at Sydney Airport en route to Fiji in December 2019, caught with thousands of images on his laptop and two USBs. Thousands more images were found when police searched his Point Piper home by police. In October 2021, he was sentenced to a seven month non-parole period in prison after pleading guilty to three charges of possessing child abuse material. The files discovered did not depict children engaged in sexual acts but did depict children as young as four - with Brierley admitting he used the images for his own sexual gratification. A judge rejected his claims he did not know the images were illegal. Four months later, he successfully appealed his initial sentence, and was re-sentenced to four months non-parole.

>>22768026 Video: Daniel Morcombe case inspires new child protection measures, sex offender registry in Queensland - Queensland will introduce tougher child protection measures by the end of the year, taking action on the state government's election promise to Daniel Morcombe's parents. Queensland Premier David Crisafulli paid tribute to the 13-year-old Sunshine Coast murder victim on Sunday, announcing the LNP's "groundbreaking" three-pronged crackdown on child safety. "I made a commitment to Bruce and Denise [Morcombe] that there would be changes and there would be the creation of a child sex offender register, in honour of their brave little boy," Mr Crisafulli said. "We have to put the rights of victims [and] children ahead of the rights of sex offenders." The premier said $10 million would go into setting up a public website listing offenders who breach bail, flagging dangerous sex offenders with residents in local areas, and giving families a chance to check the history of newcomers in their lives. "If someone breaches their [bail] conditions, they lose the right to anonymity, and there should be a website that shows that," he said. "If there is a serious, hardcore paedophile living in an area, parents deserve to know that." The premier promised "change will continue to occur every day", envisioning a "stronger Queensland with fewer victims" but would not provide a roll-out date for Daniel's Law. He said the new measures will be actioned before the end of 2025 to provide "another layer of surveillance in the form of Mum and Dad".

#40 - Part 121

Child Sexual Abuse, Pedophilia, Human Trafficking and Satanism Investigations - Part 3

>>22773405 Former Salisbury Futures Church pastor arrested in US for alleged possession of child abuse images - A former youth pastor from a mega church in Adelaide's northern suburbs has been arrested in the United States on charges of possessing child sexual abuse material. Daniel Menelaou, 28, was arrested last week by police in Atlanta, Georgia after he allegedly sent multiple videos containing abuse on the social media platform Kik. Mr Menelaou spent several years working as a youth pastor at Futures Church, which was previously known as the Influencers Church, and has several campuses across South Australia. Prior to his departure he had been at the Salisbury campus before taking up the same role at the church's Atlanta site last year. Allegations revealed in warrant A Fulton County warrant, obtained by the ABC, alleged the videos were sent by Mr Menelaou between July 2024 and January this year. It said the Roswell Police Department - along with Georgia Bureau of Investigations and Homeland Security Investigations officers — searched his home at Roswell, just outside Atlanta, on March 11. According to an arrest affidavit signed by an officer, Mr Menelaou said in a police interview he was sent "child pornography videos and images" by users on Kik. "Daniel Menelaou talked a lot about his pornography addiction, and he stated that he deleted his Kik account several times over the last couple of years, but then reinstalled it," an arrest affidavit said. In a statement, Roswell Police said detectives began investigating a cyber-tip at the end of February. "That tip lead our investigators to the Roswell home of Daniel Menelaou," the statement said. Police said several electronic devices were seized from the home for further analysis. "The investigation is still active and ongoing, and additional charges may be forthcoming," they said. Mr Menelaou has been charged with six counts of possession of child sexual abuse material.

>>22773409 Adelaide Futures church youth pastor Daniel Menelaou arrested, charged in the US over child abuse material - A married Adelaide youth pastor from one of the city’s biggest churches has been arrested in the US over videos allegedly depicting child abuse. Daniel Menelaou, 28, was arrested in the US state of Georgia following a tip-off that alleged he had been sharing sexually explicit videos featuring children. Mr Menelaou was charged last Wednesday with possession or control of any material depicting a minor in sexually explicit conduct. The messages were allegedly shared through a messaging app, with authorities seizing a number of electronic devices from the South Australian man after they started investigating a cyber tip-off. Mr Menelaou’s Instagram and Facebook accounts have been disabled. According to his LinkedIn, he served as a youth pastor at the Paradise-based Futures Church - formerly Influencers Church. He relocated to Georgia, where he was working in a similar role at Futures’ megachurch campus at Alpharetta. He was involved with Young Adults Alpharetta and less than a month before his arrest was featured on its Instagram account promoting a young adult service. A spokesman for Futures Church said they were “horrified” by the charges and “categorically condemn these (alleged) actions in the strongest possible terms”. “The charges against Daniel Menelaou are abhorrent, appalling, and completely contrary to everything we stand for,” the spokesman said. The spokesman said Mr Menelaou was initially put on administrative leave after his arrest but his position was terminated once the church became aware of the full extent of the charges. “Futures Church has a zero-tolerance policy regarding any form of abuse,” the spokesman said. “We regularly review our policies and safeguards to ensure we continue upholding the highest standards of child protection”.

#40 - Part 122

Child Sexual Abuse, Pedophilia, Human Trafficking and Satanism Investigations - Part 4

>>22837744 US toddler’s miraculous survival after prayers to George Pell - The miraculous recovery of an American baby boy who stopped breathing for 52 minutes after ­falling into a swimming pool is being credited by senior Catholic clergy to the intercession of the late cardinal George Pell. In a speech at Campion College near Parramatta on Wednesday night, Cardinal Pell’s successor as Archbishop of Sydney, Anthony Fisher, said he received a report last week about a baby, Vincent, who had just been discharged from hospital in Phoenix, Arizona. “He’s 18 months old and fell into a swimming pool,’’ Archbishop Fisher told the gathering. “He stopped breathing for 52 minutes. His parents prayed for the ­intercession of Cardinal Pell. “The boy survived and came off life support free of any damage to brain or lungs or heart. He’s fine now and his doctors are calling it a miracle.’’ Vincent spent about 10 days in hospital and was discharged a few days ago. His mother’s brother, a ­Catholic priest, contacted his friend, Father Joseph Hamilton, the Rector of Domus Australia in Rome and Pell’s former secretary, asking for prayers during his ­recovery. From Rome, Father Hamilton told The Australian on Thursday that the boy’s parents had prayed for the late cardinal to intercede for their son because they were ­impressed when they met him in Phoenix in December 2021. Pell was in the US on a book tour promoting his three-volume Prison Journal, which he handwrote during his 404-day imprisonment, largely in solitary confinement. “He said the White Mass for medical professionals in Phoenix,’’ Father Hamilton said.

>>22837756 How prayers to controversial dead Cardinal George Pell 'brought a little boy back to life' after he stopped breathing for almost an hour: 'It's a miracle' - George Pell has been credited with the unlikely recovery of a young American boy who stopped breathing for 52 minutes after he fell into a swimming pool. Parents of the 18-month-old Vincent are said to have prayed for the intercession of the late cardinal before he was discharged from an Arizona hospital. Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher related the story in an address to an event organised to honour Pell's legacy at a Catholic liberal-arts college in Sydney's west on Wednesday evening. Pell was Australia's most senior Catholic, having served as the archbishop of Melbourne and Sydney before taking charge of the Vatican's financial affairs. Campion College also unveiled the newly-named George Cardinal Pell Grand Hall at the event attended by former prime ministers John Howard and Tony Abbott. 'He's 18 months old and fell into a swimming pool,' the archbishop was quoted as saying by The Australian. 'He stopped breathing for 52 minutes. His parents prayed for the intercession of Cardinal Pell. The boy survived and came off life support free of any damage to brain or lungs or heart. He's fine now and his doctors are calling it a miracle.' Pell's supporters may cite the boy's unlikely recovery as one of two miracles required for canonisation as a saint of the Catholic Church. The process generally does not begin for at least five years following the individuals death and would likely be a politically fraught process given Pell's controversial legacy. Vincent was said to have spent 10 days in hospital before being discharged. The boy's uncle, a Catholic priest, is reported to have contacted Pell's former secretary Father Joseph Hamilton requesting prayers for Vincent's recovery. Mr Hamilton claimed the boy's parents had prayed to Pell after having met him in 2021 while he was on a book tour in their home town of Phoenix.

>>22837779 Q Post #2590 - [Cardinal Pell] - Dark to LIGHT. Q

>>22837779 Q Post #2594 - >He was the vatican treasurer I'm sure that carries some weight - #3 in the pecking order. Define 'pecking' [animals]. Q - https://qanon.pub/#2594

>>22837779 Q Post #2894 - Many more to come? Dark to LIGHT. Q - https://qanon.pub/#2894

#40 - Part 123

Child Sexual Abuse, Pedophilia, Human Trafficking and Satanism Investigations - Part 5

>>22840880 Park Hyatt Melbourne cancels plans to host George Pell memorial - The Park Hyatt Melbourne has backflipped on plans to host a George Pell memorial event after copping fierce backlash online. The five star hotel had agreed to host the event, labelled The George Cardinal Pell Memorial, but pulled the plug citing a “heightened risk” to the safety of its staff and guests following the public outcry. In 2019 Cardinal Pell became the most senior Catholic cleric to be convicted of child sexual abuse, but those charges were later quashed in 2020. He died in 2023, at the age of 81. In an email sent to event organisers, charity group Aid to the Church in Need, the Park Hyatt said it could no longer play host to the ticketed event in the face of the rumours of possible public action. “As mentioned, the hotel was recently made aware of public threats and planned protests related to the nature of your dinner event,” it read. “After further consideration, we have assessed that these circumstances pose a heightened risk to the safety and security of both our guests and colleagues, as well as the wider community. “Given our primary commitment to the safety and wellbeing of everyone at the hotel, we have unfortunately come to the difficult decision to decline hosting this event.” A number of people on social media platform Reddit said they had called the hotel to voice their disapproval of the event, while others said they planned to rally out the front on the night. The controversial evening is set to go on with the Aid to the Church website now listing the venue as “to be announced”. The $150 evening is said to include “canapes, drinks and a three-course meal” with equally controversial author Tess Livingstone as the guest speaker. Ms Livingstone recently released a biography that shone a favourable light on Cardinal Pell and his “unjust imprisonment”.

>>22860296 Western Bulldogs forced to pay $3m to child abuse victim - The Western Bulldogs will be forced to pay a child abuse victim almost $3 million including his legal bills after the High Court rejected its appeal. A note on the High Court website has confirmed that the Footscray Football Club, its former trading name, lost its right to challenge the payout awarded to Adam Kneale. Mr Kneale had won $5.9 million after his claim was confirmed in Victoria’s Supreme Court. That figure was reduced to $2.6 million after an appeal. The Bulldogs then appealed to the High Court but that was rejected on Thursday. Mr Kneale had claimed he was abused by Bulldogs volunteer Graeme Hobbs, a now-dead convicted pedophile, who was known as “Chops” at the club. A Victorian jury found in favour of Mr Kneale in 2023 and he was awarded a record payout. The club had successfully halved Mr Kneale’s payout but had gone to the High Court to attempt to reduce it further. The court announced its decision this week, denying the club’s application for an appeal. Mr Kneale’s lawyer Michael Magazanik, a partner at Rightside Legal, said his client is relieved his legal ordeal was over. “Finally Adam can look forward to living without the legal claim hanging over his head. He is proud of having fought so hard and for so long and hopes that he has given encouragement to other survivors,” he said. Mr Kneale, who is in his 50s, was believed to be the first person to sue an AFL club over sexual abuse. His abuser was a prominent volunteer at the Bulldogs. Mr Kneale was only 11 years old when the abuse began and continued for six years between 1984 and 1990. He detailed the abuse in a 5500 word statement to police which resulted in Hobbs being convicted. A court heard Hobbs had groomed young boys for abuse by offering them free season tickets to the football and cash inducement.

#40 - Part 124

Child Sexual Abuse, Pedophilia, Human Trafficking and Satanism Investigations - Part 6

>>22869967 Australian man labelled world’s worst pedophile to die in jail - An Australian man labelled the world’s worst pedophile will die in jail after a Philippines court rejected his final avenue of appeal in which he claimed he wasn’t guilty of human trafficking because he was “satisfying his own lust”. Former Melbourne man Peter Gerard Scully orchestrated a sickening years-long international child sex abuse ring that filmed the rape and torture of human trafficking victims as young as 18 months old, selling the content on the dark web. Scully, now 62, and his Filipino girlfriend Carme Ann Alvarez were sentenced to 129 years in prison and hit with a second life sentence for their depraved offending. Their crimes sparked global outrage and prompted calls for the death penalty to be reintroduced. The skeleton of a 12-year-old girl who Scully raped, tortured and forced to dig her own grave was discovered during the joint international investigation. The Australian was also responsible for a notorious video depicting the horrific rape and torture of an 18-month-old child which he sold for tens of thousands of dollars to customers online. Scully and Alvarez launched a final appeal in the Philippines Supreme Court in November seeking to overturn their life sentences for the 2014 kidnap, rape and torture of two girls aged nine and 12. Scully and Alvarez, who have pleaded not guilty throughout the judicial process and forced their victims to relive the horrors in court, attempted to argue in their appeal that their crimes were not trafficking because “they abducted the girls to satisfy their own lust, not of others”. But the court has now rejected the argument, denying their appeals and ordering the pair serve sentences of life imprisonment.

>>22927877 Video: Peter Cotton tried to raise the alarm about an abusive priest - he's worried the church hasn't learnt from it - Peter Cotton was in his first weeks at a Catholic boarding school in Perth in the 1960s when he was sexually abused by his class teacher. That teacher was then-Christian Brother Daniel McMahon. Later, in 2002, Mr Cotton found out McMahon had moved to Tasmania in the 1990s to become a priest, and he was compelled to act. Mr Cotton made a complaint about McMahon to the Archdiocese of Hobart, hoping he would be removed as a priest. "I had a 12-year-old son at the time and that's what triggered me - action needed to be taken," he said. "I'd sat on this McMahon information for decades at that stage, and I had good reason to act … and pursue a complaint to its end, which I hoped would be McMahon being defrocked." But McMahon remained a priest until the day he died in 2012. A former journalist, Mr Cotton used his research and interviewing skills to write a manuscript about his own experiences and those of other victim-survivors who he contacted. He also interviewed church figures and McMahon himself. For Mr Cotton, it was never about getting a book published, but about putting all the information together so it could be shared with others. He said letters he acquired indicated "how complicit the Archdiocese of Hobart was in maintaining McMahon as a priest within their archdiocese". "The Archdiocese of Hobart claimed [to me that McMahon] was put out to pasture 18 months after my complaint. Letters I acquired as part of the writing of the book indicated that was anything but the truth," Mr Cotton said.

>>22959474

Virginia Giuffre, accuser of Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew, dies by suicide

Sky News Australia

Apr 26, 2025

Virginia Giuffre, the American-Australian woman who accused paedophile Jeffrey Epstein of trafficking her, has died by suicide, her family confirmed.

Ms Giuffre was found unresponsive in the Western Australian farming area of Neergabby, about one-hour north of Perth, where she had been living for the past several years.

The family announced "with utterly broken hearts" that Ms Giuffre died on Thursday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YH8W2ktxXIU

>>22959474

Virginia Giuffre, prominent accuser of Jeffrey Epstein dies aged 41

ABC News (Australia)

Apr 26, 2025

Virginia Giuffre, a prominent accuser of Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew, has died aged 41.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twFuLaut1J4

>>22959480

So when are we going to expose the masonic terrorism?

>>22959474

Virginia Giuffre, one of Jeffrey Epstein's most prominent abuse survivors, dies by suicide

NBC News

Apr 26, 2025

Virginia Giuffre, one of the most prominent survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse, has died by suicide, her family said Friday. Giuffre, 41, was one of the earliest and loudest voices calling for criminal charges against Epstein and his enablers. Other Epstein abuse survivors later credited her with giving them the courage to speak out. NBC News' Stephanie Gosk reports.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hUoJjuYpkI

>>22959474

Virginia Giuffre, accuser of Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew, dies at 41

ABC7

Apr 26, 2025

Virginia Giuffre, who accused Britain's Prince Andrew and other influential men of sexually exploiting her as a teenager trafficked by financier Jeffrey Epstein, has died. She was 41.

Full story: https://abc7.com/post/virginia-giuffre-accused-britains-prince-andrew-jeffrey-epstein-sex-trafficking-scandal-has-died/16251490/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCdmWHf1gCk

>>22959474

Woman who accused Britain's Prince Andrew in Epstein sex trafficking scandal has died

WPBF 25 News

Apr 26, 2025

Woman who accused Britain's Prince Andrew in Epstein sex trafficking scandal has died

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBAyOJXPmLM

>>22959474

Epstein and Prince Andrew Accuser Virginia Giuffre Dies At 41

10 News First

Apr 26, 2025

Virginia Giuffre the woman who accused Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew of sex crimes has died, aged 41.

Her family has issued a statement, confirming she died by suicide at her farm near Perth overnight.

They're remembering her as a fierce warrior in the fight against sex trafficking, and a champion for survivors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozV7AhOEEeQ

>>22959474

Virginia Giuffre, who accused Britain's Prince Andrew in Epstein sex trafficking scandal, has died

KTVN 2 News Nevada

Apr 26, 2025

Giuffre died of suicide at her home in western Australia, according to her publicist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmtT7PxJijA

>>22959474

Virginia Giuffre, Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein accuser, dies

BBC News

Apr 26, 2025

Virginia Giuffre, who accused Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein of sexual abuse, has died by suicide aged 41, her family has said.

Ms Giuffre was one of the most outspoken accusers of convicted sex offenders Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, his former girlfriend.

She alleged they trafficked her to the Duke of York when she was 17, which Prince Andrew has strenuously denied.

Relatives said in a statement on Friday that she had been a "fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse", and that the "toll of abuse… became unbearable".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeXrfu7fVpU

>>22959474

Virginia Giuffre, prominent survivor of Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse, dies by suicide

The Independent

Apr 26, 2025

Virginia Giuffre, an outspoken survivor of Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse, has died by suicide, her family has reported.

Giuffre was one of the first people to call for criminal charges against Epstein. Giuffre recounted how she was groomed by Ghislaine Maxwell to be sexually abused by Epstein. She once said Epstein passed her around “like a platter of fruit” to other men when she was a teenager.

She also accused Epstein of trafficking her to Prince Andrew when she was 17, which the prince has denied.

According to interviews and depositions, Giuffre said she was recruited to the sex ring in 2000 by Maxwell while working as a locker room attendant in Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago.

She was 41 when she died at her farm in Neergabby, Australia.

If you are based in the U.S. and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). This is a free, confidential crisis hotline available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.

If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can also speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlM6lXVPveQ

>>22959474

Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew's accuser, Virginia Giuffre, dies

ABC News (Australia)

Apr 26, 2025

Virginia Giuffre, who accused Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein of sexual abuse, has died aged 41.

Ms Giuffre's family released a statement confirming her death at her property in rural Western Australia.

Read more here: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-26/virginia-giuffre-jeffrey-epstein-accuser-dies/105219384

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wq0SdmZ0JuM

>>22959474

Virginia Giuffre dies aged 41

news.com.au

Apr 26, 2025

Giuffre’s family issue statement confirming she killed herself at her farm in Western Australia,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEsLzqCFcmI

>>22959474

Virginia Giuffre, who accused Prince Andrew of sexual assault, has died, her family says

Sky News

Apr 26, 2025

Virginia Giuffre, who accused Prince Andrew of sexual assault, has died aged 41.

In a statement to Sky's US partner network NBC News on Friday, her family said she took her own life in the Perth suburb of Neergabby, Australia, where she had been living for several years.

Read more: https://news.sky.com/story/virginia-giuffre-who-accused-prince-andrew-of-sexual-assault-has-died-her-family-says-13355731

Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGRMfN9JAQM

>>22959474

Virginia Giuffre dead: Prince Andrew accuser commits suicide after 'toll of abuse' became too heavy

GBNews

Apr 26, 2025

'Police have said there is nothing at this time to indicate anything suspicious.'

Seven News Perth Reporter, James Carmody, discusses the death of 41-year-old Virginia Giuffre, who committed suicide after 'the toll of abuse' became too heavy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wkzVmSAi5A

>>22959621

Julian Assange joins mourners in Vatican City for Pope Francis's funeral

Sky News Australia

Apr 26, 2025

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was among thousands of mourners who gathered in Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmOgNEsMTeE

>>22959621

Julian Assange Seen at Vatican on Day of Pope's Funeral

Storyful News & Weather

Apr 26, 2025

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlqxLExTb0U

>>22959621

Julian Assange visits St Peter's square with family to attend funeral of Pope Francis

Global Pulse

Apr 26, 2025

Julian Assange visits St Peter's square with family to attend funeral of Pope Francis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uvto7ciWQLE

Just filtered a poster with 148 and there’s only one post left….. WTF???

Hamrer Hippyer - Heilung

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGVH0qY-JGw

>>22927645 (pb)

>>22927657 (pb)

>>22927665 (pb)

>>22927742 (pb)

Violent clashes in Melbourne after protesters descend on women’s rights rally

Brittany Busch - April 26, 2025

1/2

Out-of-control violence has marred busy CBD streets after protesters, who were left unaccompanied by police, clashed with passersby following earlier skirmishes with law enforcement in which four officers were injured.

Earlier on Saturday, trans-rights activists and police clashed as protesters roamed the city after gathering to disrupt a women’s rights rally.

Pro-trans protesters moved through the streets from Parliament House, where they played drums and chanted at the Women Will Speak event on the steps outside Victoria’s parliament earlier in the day. About 50 people attended the Women Will Speak event, which drew about 440 protesters, according to Victoria Police.

“Around 40 people then conducted a march across the CBD, blocking intersections with wooden pallets and swarming local retailers,” police said in a statement.

Major intersections, including the corner of Collins and Swanston streets, were blocked while demonstrators chanted anti-police sentiment and pro-trans slogans.

Shouts of “quit your job” and “defund the police” could be heard as dozens of police formed lines to try to control the group’s movements.

Police deployed pepper spray at the crowd, some protesters were detained, and another fell to the ground, appearing injured, as police tried to corral the throng.

Victoria Police said four officers were injured and two people were arrested. The organisation said the 37-year-old Brunswick woman and 41-year-old Footscray man were released with intent to summons.

Officers held their lines at the intersection of Swanston and Collins streets and the protesters moved away unaccompanied, north along Swanston Street.

As hundreds of people spilled from halted trams near the intersection, some passersby verbally confronted the protesters.

Violence broke out again a short time later outside Melbourne Central when a woman shouted at the demonstrators to move and stop blocking people “trying to get home”.

The woman put her bag down and approached some of the protesters, who threw water on her and a fight broke out. Others tried to stop the scuffle.

Some witnesses clapped for the woman as she walked away, before she picked up her bag and swung it at the activists.

Yarra Trams staff could be seen monitoring the scene and directing the movement of trams, but police were not present at that point.

A group of young men followed the protesters to the State Library lawn, yelling “f*ck trans rights”. The two groups clashed, and the activists chased the men down Swanston Street and into a small alley.

Victoria Police was asked to comment about why the demonstration was allowed to continue without police intervention.

(continued)

Talisman Sabre 2025 is coming from 13 July – 04 August 2025

Asia Pacific Defence Reporter - 23/04/2025

Australia will host the largest ever Exercise Talisman Sabre from 13 July to 4 August 2025 with over 30,000 military personnel from 19 nations set to participate in activities across Australia, and for the first time, in Papua New Guinea. Now in its 11th iteration, Talisman Sabre is the largest bilateral combined training activity between the Australian Defence Force and the United States military, reflecting the closeness of our Alliance.

Participating partner nations in Talisman Sabre 2025 also include Canada, Fiji, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Tonga, and the United Kingdom. Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam will also attend as observers.

Talisman Sabre 2025 will focus on multi-domain warfighting. Key activities will include amphibious and airborne lodgements, firepower demonstrations, and combat across land, air, sea, space and cyber domains. The logistics for preparing, staging, integrating and moving forces to and around Australia are the most complex ever undertaken for a Talisman Sabre. The activities are scheduled to take place right across the nation, including Queensland, Western Australia, the Northern Territory, New South Wales and on Christmas Island.

For the first time ever, Papua New Guinea will also host an activity, highlighting the growing capabilities and interoperability with Pacific partners as Papua New Guinea marks its 50th Anniversary of Independence.

Chief of Joint Operations, Vice Admiral Justin Jones, said: “Talisman Sabre demonstrates our enduring Alliance with the United States, through deepening cooperation in training and force integration. It is a key opportunity to work with our partners from across the region and around the globe, demonstrating our combined capability to achieve large-scale operational outcomes together. As well as welcoming the largest ever contingent of partner nations, Australia is also excited to be holding part of this year’s exercise in Papua New Guinea. This is an important demonstration of the deepening integration between Australia and Papua New Guinea’s Defence Forces.”

Talisman Sabre Exercise Director, Brigadier Damian Hill, said: “This year’s exercise will demonstrate our ability to receive large volumes of personnel and equipment into Australia from across the Indo-Pacific, to stage, integrate and move them forward into the large exercise area. Considerable planning has gone into a safe and productive exercise for all participants. Talisman Sabre 2025 will be held across a range of Defence and non-Defence training areas throughout northern Australia. I thank the traditional owners, landowners, state authorities, and key community stakeholders who have helped us develop a safe and productive exercise for all participating nations.”

https://asiapacificdefencereporter.com/australia-hosting-exercise-talisman-sabre/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBVBgSPCLPc

https://www.defence.gov.au/defence-activities/exercises/talisman-sabre

Talisman Sabre.

Magic Sword.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G02wKufX3nw

https://qalerts.pub/?q=Operation+Specialists

https://qalerts.pub/?q=magic

>>22964021

>>22964027

>>22964070

>>22968774

Australian Electoral Commission refers Monique Ryan volunteers ‘Beijing links’ video to integrity taskforce

RHIANNON DOWN and MOHAMMAD ALFARES - 29 April 2025

1/2

Australia’s election watchdog has referred a video involving Kooyong MP Monique Ryan’s campaign volunteers to a national taskforce for investigation, after footage emerged of volunteers saying they were directed to vote for her by groups accused of ties to Beijing’s foreign influence operations.

A spokesperson for the Australian Electoral Commission said the agency had become aware of the footage when it was published on Monday and launched a review.

“This includes referral for consideration by the Electoral Integrity Assurance Taskforce,” it said in a statement.

“It is important to note that Australia has a secret ballot. Nobody knows how another individual votes. Your vote is your choice. We have also published advice to voters about influence in Australian elections, including a general reminder for all voters that every voter is responsible for making their own decision”.

The taskforce is made up of officials from several government agencies, including the AEC, ASIO and the federal police.

Earlier, Ms Ryan said she had herself referred to the AEC allegations that volunteers with alleged links to the Chinese Communist Party were directed to campaign for her.

In footage uploaded to a local Facebook group on April 22, two individuals wearing “Monique Ryan” campaign shirts claimed Ji Jianmin, president of the Hubei Association, had directed the Chinese diaspora to support the teal MP.

In the video, a volunteer named Jessica says: “The Hubei Association President Ji Jianmin, how should I say this, he required us Chinese diaspora to support her.”

Another volunteer who goes by the name Stephen adds: “Monique is an independent federal MP, her policies are quite suited to the needs of us Chinese dias­pora. It feels like she can give a voice to us, so we want to support her.” The footage has since been deleted.

The Hubei Association has previously been accused of working with the United Front Department, a Chinese Communist Party agency tasked with advancing Beijing’s interests abroad.

The teal independent MP dismissed scrutiny over the video while raising concerns that a Christian sect had been campaigning for the Coalition.

Speaking outside a pre-polling site, Dr Ryan said the man in question had attended events and roundtables she had hosted for the Chinese community in her seat of Kooyong, but she had no direct relationship with him.

“I’ve never had a one-on-one meeting with him and I’ve never had his support in any direct way,” Dr Ryan told Sky News.

“In the interest of full transparency I’ve contacted the AEC and the Department of Parliamentary Services agency and given them the details I gave to The Age yesterday about my relationship with those volunteers and (man).”

Dr Ryan said she had worked hard to represent the Chinese-Australian community.

“I’m grateful for the support the Chinese Australians have given me in the last three years, and I’ve tried to work hard for the Chinese-Australian community in Kooyong,” Dr Ryan said.

“Twenty per cent of the constituents of Kooyong are Chinese-Australian, and they just have to be represented. I’ve tried to do that.

“I’m not sure about the interpretation of that video whether it’s accurate, but you know, certainly no one’s been compelled to volunteer for me, but I’m grateful for those people who’ve come out to volunteer on my campaign.”

(continued)

>>22860237 (pb)

>>22964021

‘They are calling’: Trump confirms Albanese has been trying to speak to him

Michael Koziol - April 30, 2025

Washington: US President Donald Trump confirmed he is aware the Australian government has been trying to contact him to discuss trade – and that he is yet to take Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s call.

“They are calling, and I will be talking to him, yes,” Trump told this masthead and Nine News on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST) when asked whether he would speak to the Australian prime minister.

Later, Albanese said if he won Saturday’s election, he would expect a phone call with Trump after. He told ABC radio on Wednesday morning he was not embarrassed by the president’s admission that he was not answering the phone.

“Not at all. It’s a light-hearted throwaway comment from the president,” Albanese said.

“I assure you I’m not staying up at night trying to ring anyone at the moment, I’m in an election campaign.

“I’m sure if we are successful [in the election], we will have a discussion after Saturday. We have a relationship, we’ve already had a couple of phone calls.”

Trump made the comments as he departed the White House for the US state of Michigan, where he held a rally marking his first 100 days back in office.

Albanese has been under pressure from Opposition Leader Peter Dutton over his failure to secure another phone call with the US president following their conversation in February.

During that call, Trump agreed to consider an exemption on tariffs for Australian steel and aluminium, but ultimately granted no country relief. Australia was also hit with a 10 per cent universal tariff in April, along with the United Kingdom and many other US allies.

Albanese described that decision as having no basis in logic and “not the act of a friend”.

At the most recent leaders’ debate, when asked whether he had Trump’s phone number, Albanese said he was not even sure the president had a mobile phone. Conversations between world leaders were arranged in advanced and took place in secure rooms with aides present, he said.

But Dutton remained critical. “I think the answer was ‘no’ there … We didn’t get it [Trump’s phone number],” he said.

Trump does have a mobile phone. Two journalists from The Atlantic magazine recently reported calling him on a Saturday morning in late March, while he was at his golf club in New Jersey, and he answered despite the number being unfamiliar. “Who’s calling?” he said.

Further detail has been sought from the White House about Trump’s reasons for declining Australia’s calls. An Australian government spokesperson said: “Engagement with the US administration will continue with our government, agencies and embassy officials continuing to advocate for zero tariffs.”

Earlier in the day, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said he was responsible for trade deals with countries other than China and expected to strike “incredibly smart, incredibly thoughtful” deals all over the world.

“[Trump] understands if you make a deal with a country, and you give them the parts that they want and they need, they’re going to open their market,” he told CNBC television. “People won’t let us sell chicken, they won’t let us sell beef. It’s all nonsense.”

At a press conference, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent refused to say whether the US was engaged in direct talks with China about tariffs amid the trade war between Washington and Beijing.

“I’m not going to get into the nitty-gritty of who’s talking to whom,” he said. “But … I believe that for the Chinese, these tariffs are unsustainable.”

https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/they-are-calling-trump-confirms-albanese-has-been-trying-to-speak-to-him-20250430-p5lv94.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmWd3m13EtY

>>22973546

2/2

Tony Abbott on Tuesday described welcome to country ceremonies as an “exercise in virtue-signalling” akin to wearing masks during the Covid pandemic.

Referring to acknowledgments of traditional owners and lands that are read aloud to passengers on Qantas flights, he said: “I’ve found the notion of having country acknowledged when you land in Melbourne or Sydney or Brisbane absolutely grating.”

Mr Abbott praised Peter Dutton for saying during the final leaders debate at the weekend that welcomes were overdone.

“Peter Dutton has done us all a favour by acknowledging that these things are overdone, and they certainly can be very out of place at things like Anzac Day ceremonies,” Mr Abbott said.

Mr Dutton condemned ugly scenes at Melbourne’s dawn service where self-declared neo-Nazi Jacob Hersant was filmed booing and shouting at Uncle Mark Brown while he delivered a welcome to country.

Asked if the welcomes should be part of dawn services, Mr Dutton said he believed the majority of veterans did not support them.

The furore just days before the federal election prompted Indigenous leader Pat Anderson to say Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were again being used as a political football.

Malcolm Turnbull accused Mr Dutton of resorting to culture warfare in the final week of the campaign. “This will work for him in some areas but it is just pure culture war stuff and I think it turns a lot of people off. I think it’s a mistake to go down that route,” Mr Turnbull told ABC TV.

The Anzac Day disruptions in Perth and Melbourne come after what some Indigenous leaders have described as a pushback on Aboriginal Australians since the defeat of the voice referendum in 2023.

In Perth on Anzac Day, Indigenous veteran Di Ryder delivered an acknowledgment of country rather than a welcome. She was momentarily put off by shouting from the crowd.

Mr Anderson described Ms Ryder’s acknowledgment as solemn and appropriate, and said he believed his members were supportive.

An acknowledgment is generally shorter than a welcome and can be performed by any person.

Indigenous leader and researcher Marcia Langton says many critics profoundly misunderstand what a welcome to country is. It is not a welcome to Australia the nation. Professor Langton, who wrote the 2023 book Welcome to Country as a travel guide to Indigenous Australia, says the word “country” is used to describe a particular place, often home.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/indigenous/election-2025-welcome-to-country-ok-if-apolitical-says-wa-rsl/news-story/8192f7133cc1540b3380b841901d7de9

https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/foreign-minister-senator-penny-wong-in-her-first-ever/id1350346878?i=1000705159504

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHZol5eQs70