Australia news live: Albanese and Sultan of Brunei pledge energy cooperation; antisemitism royal commission to hold first public hearings in May
TL;DR
Usman Khawaja criticizes the Coalition's migration policy, calling their comments discriminatory against Muslims. He emphasizes the importance of respecting individuals regardless of their government affiliations.
Key points
- Usman Khawaja rebukes Coalition's migration policy
- Describes comments as discriminatory against Muslims
- Emphasizes respect for individuals regardless of government
- Khawaja is the first Muslim to play for Australia
Mentioned in this story
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Still on the opposition’s migration policy, and former Australian test cricketer, Usman Khawaja, has posted a strong rebuke of it on social media, describing comments made by the Coalition as “appalling”.
He wrote on Instagram:
double quotation markFirstly just come out and say you want to discriminate against those of Islamic faith. Don’t beat around the bush by using words such as ‘extremist, ‘fundamentalist’ and ‘dictators’. Most of the world shares the same values as Australia, presumably the most important in any democracy, respect everyone and don’t break the law.
Don’t judge individuals based on their governments or government representatives. If we did that you wouldn’t be allowed anywhere at this moment.
Khawaja, who was the first Muslim to play for Australia, was not afraid to weigh in on political, social and cultural debates during his time on the squad.
Read more here:
With that, we will wrap up the blog for the evening. Have a lovely night, we’ll be back first thing tomorrow as the prime minister travels to Malaysia for more petrol and diesel supply talks with his counterpart in Kuala Lumpur.
Until then, here were today’s largest developments:
- The Sultan of Brunei welcomed Anthony Albanese to his palace for formal talks on fuel supplies today, telling the prime minister that he considers Australia to be a close friend and trusted partner. The two nations signed a joint statement on energy and food security, with the PM welcoming the “very positive discussions”.
- Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting has lost its bid to retain royalties from the mammoth Hope Downs iron ore project and will be forced to pay Wright Prospecting half of its royalties from the project. However the company is
- declaring victory against Rinehart’s children after retaining ownership of a major mine in a landmark court case.
- The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan has sworn in her new cabinet at Government House in Melbourne after the resignation of three ministers.
- Virgin Australia has lifted air fares and reducing flights to offset the high costs of jet fuel caused by the Middle East conflict.
- Part of Australia’s east coast has been shaken by an earthquake that could be felt hundred of kilometres away. A 4.5-magnitude quake hit at 8.19pm last night at a depth of 5km about 30km southwest of Orange in central-west NSW.
- And Northern Territory police are investigating the death of a 26-year-old man after a violent disturbance in Milingimbi on Tuesday.
Still on the opposition’s migration policy, and former Australian test cricketer, Usman Khawaja, has posted a strong rebuke of it on social media, describing comments made by the Coalition as “appalling”.
He wrote on Instagram:
double quotation markFirstly just come out and say you want to discriminate against those of Islamic faith. Don’t beat around the bush by using words such as ‘extremist, ‘fundamentalist’ and ‘dictators’. Most of the world shares the same values as Australia, presumably the most important in any democracy, respect everyone and don’t break the law.
Don’t judge individuals based on their governments or government representatives. If we did that you wouldn’t be allowed anywhere at this moment.
Khawaja, who was the first Muslim to play for Australia, was not afraid to weigh in on political, social and cultural debates during his time on the squad.
Read more here:
Anne Aly says Coalition’s migration policy designed to win votes from ‘certain cohort’ of Australia
The minister for multicultural affairs and small business, Anne Aly, has called the Coalition’s newly released migration policy a “not-so-subtle dog whistle”.
Appearing on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing, Aly was asked about the policy, which would end Australia’s non-discriminatory immigration program and introduce Trump-style social media vetting for visa applicants. The opposition leader, Angus Taylor, says it is “non-discriminatory on race or religion”.
Multiculturalism minister Anne Aly. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP
Aly said calling it a policy was “very gracious”:
double quotation markThat was not a policy, that was an ideological proposition designed to win votes from a certain cohort of Australia.
Angus Taylor needs to come out and actually give us a policy that states where does he want to stop people from coming? What does he want to do? Does he want to stop doctors coming to Australia? Does he want to stop nurses coming to Australia? What about teachers? What about aged care workers? Yesterday was not a policy, yesterday was, at best, a not so subtle dog whistle …
You cannot predetermine whether or not somebody is going to contribute to Australia based on where they come from.
Antisemitism royal commission to hold first public hearings in May
The royal commission into antisemitism and social cohesion will begin holding public hearings from 4 May, and will focus on defining antisemitism and the lived experiences of antisemitism.
The first block of hearings will run between 4 May and 15 May, after the commission is scheduled to hand down its interim report to the government at the end of April.
The first hearings will also focus on the nature of antisemitism now and historically, the impacts of antisemitism and assessing the prevalence of antisemitism in institutions and society.
Photograph: Steve Markham/AP
The commissioner, Virginia Bell, thanked those who have already made submissions to the commission.
double quotation markIt is vital for the work of the royal commission that we hear directly from Australians who have experienced antisemitism first-hand.
The hearings will be live streamed on the royal commission’s website.
AMA warns health system cracks ‘impossible to ignore’
There are no more efficiencies to be gained in the Australian health system, a peak body warns, as burnt-out healthcare workers battle ongoing hospital logjams.
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) is calling for longer and better quality access to GPs and more funding to address hospital overcrowding, as well as a string of other reforms, in a pre-budget submission revealed on Wednesday.
The AMA president, Danielle McMullen, said pressures facing the healthcare system were cumulative and creating stress across the sector.
She told the National Press Club patients were being treated in corridors and stuck in hospital beds due to having nowhere safe to go, with rosters being held together by the goodwill of burnt-out staff:
double quotation markThe hospital logjam is not a hospital problem, it’s a system-wide issue reflecting failures in aged care, disability support, community care. It’s costing patients time and dignity, and sadly, in some cases, their lives.
In January, national cabinet agreed to a $25bn additional public hospital funding deal to address growing pressures on the health and aged care systems. But it is not enough to clear logjams that have plagued the public system for years as the Australian population continues to grow.
– Australian Associated Press
One Nation ‘driving fear’ into the opposition, Victoria’s attorney general says
Circling back to our post earlier, and Victoria’s attorney general, Sonya Kilkenny, has weighed in on the opposition’s new policy.
Asked about it earlier today, she said the Coalition wanted to appear tough on crime as they faced a challenge from One Nation at the upcoming Nepean by-election.
She said:
double quotation markWhat we’ve got is One Nation driving fear into Jess Wilson as she faces a pretty tough by-election down in Nepean after Sam Groth abandoned his community and cut and ran down there. The first thing that comes to mind is this is an outfit that actually doesn’t understand the justice system.
They do not understand the significant reforms that we have already introduced, both to bail, but also with the introduction of adult time for violent crime.
Victorian attorney general Sonya Kilkenny. Photograph: Joel Carrett/AAP
Kilkenny said the government’s changes led to bail revocations increasing by a third in the children’s court and 84% in the magistrates court. She said bail refusal had also increased by 70% and that there had been a drop in the number of young males who offending.
Climate pollution from biggest industrial sites falls
Climate pollution from Australia’s biggest emitting industrial sites dropped 2.3% last financial year, according to data released by the Albanese government.
The data is from one of the government’s main climate policies, the safeguard mechanism. It requires the owners of facilities that pump out more than 100,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year to make an annual 4.9% cut in emissions intensity.
They can do this either through changes onsite or by buying carbon offsets said to represent cuts made somewhere else.
The drop in total direct emissions is hard to quickly assess as there were fewer facilities covered by the scheme. While total emissions were down 3.2m tonnes, the number of facilities that emitted enough to be included was also down: from 219 to 208.
The government said the total cut in emissions was 5.5% if carbon offsets bought by emitting companies were counted as part of the reductions. The use of offsets is contentious, with some experts having sharply criticised some methods used to create them.
Chevron’s Gorgon liquified natural gas processing facility was the country’s biggest polluting site in 2023-24. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images
The climate change minister, Chris Bowen, said the data showed the safeguard was a “good policy, working well”. He said it provided investment certainty for industry “to make sure that their operations are viable on an ongoing basis” while reducing emissions.
Some climate analysts said the data was not doing enough to cut emissions, and was too reliant on offsets.
There will be more on this story as we dig into the data.
Victoria’s opposition leader promises tougher crime laws ahead of state election
The Victorian opposition has pledged to further toughen the state’s bail and sentencing laws if it wins government at the state election later this year.
The Coalition leader, Jess Wilson, and shadow attorney general, James Newbury, held a press conference earlier today to announce their new policy. This policy expands on the government’s “adult time for violent crime” bill, which moved serious crimes committed by children as young as 14 from the children’s court to adult courts.
Under the opposition’s proposal, twelve further offences, including burglary, serious assault and attempted murder, would also be uplifted to adult courts.
They have also proposed introducing a “one-strike bail rule,” meaning offenders who reoffend would be automatically denied bail. An exemption for youth offenders from the offence of breach of bail would also be scrapped.
It’s not the first election the Coalition has run on a tough-on-crime agenda. Asked why the opposition continues to pursue the issue, Wilson said she would “never apologise for doing everything I can to keep Victorians safe”.
She went on:
double quotation markI’m sick and tired of hearing that people don’t feel safe in their own homes. A person’s home should be their sanctuary. It should be the place they feel the safest. And under premier Jacinta Allan and Labor, that is simply not the case in Victoria.
Joint statement emphasises importance of food security through ‘stable and efficient supply chains’
As we mentioned, after formal talks in Brunei’s Royal Palace, Albanese has signed a joint statement with the Sultan noting the two nations’ “commitment to the peace, stability and prosperity of our region”.
It also emphasises the importance of food security through “stable and efficient supply chains”.
It says:
double quotation markBrunei Darussalam and Australia share deep concern over the situation in the Middle East and its consequences for our region … We also underscore the importance of food security through stable and efficient supply chains to promote economic growth and stability in our region. Acknowledging our complementary efforts in the agriculture and agri-food sector, we are committed to maintaining open, secure and resilient supply chains to ensure long-term food production.
In this context, we reaffirm our commitment to strengthen energy and food security, to support the flow of essential goods between our two countries, including petroleum oils, such as diesel and crude oil, as well as agriculture and agri-food essentials and key agricultural inputs such as urea, to avoid unjustified import and export restrictions and to notify and consult each other on any disruptions with ramifications on the trade of energy and food related supplies.
We call on other trading partners to join us in ensuring global energy supply chains are kept open, for the benefit of the security and prosperity of our people.
Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah (R) shakes hands with Penny Wong (L) as Anthony Albanese (C) looks. Photograph: Muhammad Rudean/AFP/Getty Images
PM fields question on Brunei’s ‘somewhat chequered’ human rights record
Brunei, a reporter noted, has a “somewhat chequered” human rights record, including death by stoning being prescribed as the penalty for homosexuality and insulting the prophet Muhammad.
Asked how the PM “squared” this with the need for more supplies from Brunei and Australia’s obligations to uphold human rights, Albanese said:
double quotation markAustralia engages constructively in our region, including with Brunei. We continue to do so and Australia speaks up on human rights issues in global forums.
What we discussed today was the fuel needs and security needs of Australia as shown in the statement that we released.
Fuel shipments to continue ‘well beyond’ weekend, PM says
On to questions. The prime minister was asked what the joint statement signed today with Brunei actually guaranteed.
He replied that Brunei was “not looking at imposing export restrictions on Australia”.
double quotation markWhat Australia has done is to not only speak about today about existing supplies coming, we spoke about additional supplies as well.
On reports today that Australia was due to receive its final prewar shipment of fuel from the Middle East this weekend, Albanese said there were shipments due to continue “well beyond” the weekend.
double quotation markWe’ve made very clear and transparently, there were six ships that were cancelled for April that were due to arrive and of those, they have been replaced by nine …
We continue to monitor on a regular basis and we are doing what we can right across the board to shield Australia as best as we can from the impact of this global action. But we’re not immune from it.
Penny Wong: ‘Global supply pressures will continue for some time’
The foreign minister, Penny Wong, also briefed reporters on her first visit to Brunei since 2022, warning Australians the economic implications of the war in the Middle East may outlast the conflict.
She said:
double quotation markI want to make a couple of comments about the context of this visit which obviously is energy security and energy security is central to our cooperation.
What this visit is about is recognising the challenges that the world faces and the region faces as a consequence of the conflict in the Middle East and the continued closure of the strait of Hormuz …
Even if the ceasefire does return and we do call for that, that global supply pressures will continue for some time, so the prime minister’s engagement here in Brunei and in Singapore and in Malaysia is about making sure we have strong, reliable and trusted partnerships, for us to navigate what may be a longer economic tail of this conflict.
(L-R) Penny Wong, Brunei Fertilizer Industries CEO, Dr Harri Kiiski, and Anthony Albanese during a visit to the BFI plant facilities in Brunei today. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP
Anthony Albanese, is addressing the media now from Brunei, where he has been holding formal talks on fuel supplies.
He told reporters he and the Sultan of Brunei had “very positive discussions” about the potential for an increase in fertiliser imports to Australia, adding discussions would continue. Australia and Brunei also signed a joint statement on energy and food security today.
Albanese said there was “no more important time to engage with our neighbours” owing to the fallout in the Middle East and disruption of supplies through the strait of Hormuz.
He said:
double quotation markAustralia wants to see a de-escalation. We want to see talks between the United States and Iran resume and we want to see a resumption of normal economic activity that is so important for the global economy.
Albanese said Australia and Brunei have a “very positive relationship” as Brunei’s largest trading partner and he and the Sultan of Brunei both felt there was “a lot to benefit from engaging with our neighbours in this region”.
Anthony Albanese (left) with Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah at the Royal Palace in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP
That’s all from me. Caitlin Cassidy will guide you from here. Take care.
Northern Territory police are investigating the death of a 26-year-old man after a violent disturbance in Milingimbi on Tuesday.
Police said emergency services received reports of a large-scale fight in the community between 2pm and 4pm. Some of those involved in the fight were allegedly carrying edged weapons.
On arrival, police found a man dead with injuries. Fighting has since ended and additional police have been deployed to the Top End area, which is about 450km east of Darwin. Investigations are ongoing.
The ABC reports NT police acting commander Mark Grieve said community members in the area had been meeting to address recent unrest there before the disturbance broke out.
“We’re going to be heavily reliant on our cultural reform command to do a lot of liaising with the community to make some insight into those enquiries,” Grieve said, per the outlet.
156 service stations without diesel across Australia
The energy minister, Chris Bowen, spoke earlier about the ongoing fuel shortages, saying things are still improving.
156 service stations are now without diesel, 2% of the nation’s total.
double quotation markI want to thank everyone who has worked so hard to get those numbers down, the truck drivers, the refinery workers… up and down the supply chain dealing with high demand, particularly in regional Australia and making sure those service stations that have fuel, have diesel in particular.
Albanese heads to Kuala Lumpur after signing joint statement in Brunei
Australia and Brunei have expressed “deep concern” over the war in the Middle East with the leaders of both nations pledging to work together on strengthening energy supply chains and maintaining open trade.
After formal talks in Brunei’s Royal Palace, prime minister Anthony Albanese has signed a joint statement with the Sultan.
“We are committed to working together to strengthen energy supply chain resilience, including by deepening regional cooperation, accelerating alternative energy resources including renewable energy, and maintaining open trade flows,” the document says.
Prime minister Anthony Albanese and Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP
The monarch said it was good to speak with Albanese in person after a phone call last week and remarked on the prime minister’s busy travel schedule.
“Australia has always been a trusted friend and partner. Over the years, our relations have continued to prosper,” he told Albanese during a bilateral meeting.
The PM will depart Brunei on Wednesday for talks with his Malaysian counterpart in Kuala Lumpur, also focused on fuel security.
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Q&A
What did Usman Khawaja say about the Coalition's migration policy?
Usman Khawaja described the Coalition's comments as 'appalling' and accused them of wanting to discriminate against Muslims.
Why is Usman Khawaja's opinion on migration policy significant?
As the first Muslim to play for Australia, Khawaja's perspective carries weight in discussions about discrimination and inclusivity in Australian society.
When did Usman Khawaja make his remarks about the Coalition?
Khawaja made his remarks on social media, specifically on Instagram, regarding the Coalition's migration policy.
What values did Khawaja emphasize in his statement?
Khawaja emphasized the values of respect for everyone and the importance of not judging individuals based on their governments.
