Prime minister honours memory of Lowitja O’Donoghue
The prime minister Anthony Albanese has been giving a speech at the state funeral of Yankunytjatjara leader and activist, Lowitja O’Donoghue.
Albanese labelled her as “one of the most remarkable leaders this country has ever known”, and thanked her for the “better Australia she helped make possible”.
Perhaps even more importantly, we reflect on the possibility of an even better Australia, which she placed so clearly before us.
The prime minister said O’Donoghue’s “remarkable power” was built on an “abiding faith in the possibility of a more united Australia”, and said:
This was a faith she embodied with her efforts to bring about meaningful and lasting reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australia.
A faith underpinned by her unceasing work to improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Yet consider the stony ground in which this faith somehow took root.
O’Donoghue was a member of the stolen generation, Albanese noted, saying she “transcended the weight of her own experience and grew into a woman of grace, moral clarity and profound inner strength”.
Key events
AFL coach Alistair Clarkson fined $20k but avoids suspension
Jack Snape
North Melbourne AFL coach Alastair Clarkson is free to coach his side in round one after avoiding a suspension for an outburst in a trial match on the weekend which reportedly included a homophobic slur.
The AFL issued a $20,000 fine to the Kangaroos coach for his tirade, targeted at St Kilda player Jimmy Webster, after he caused North Melbourne’s captain, Jy Simpkin, to suffer a concussion.
AFL’s general counsel, Stephen Meade, said the behaviour was unacceptable:
While we understand there are emotions attached to the heat of the contest, engaging with an opposition player during the quarter-time break and then using language that is both unacceptable and highly inappropriate is something the AFL does not want in the game.
Clarkson said he was disappointed in himself and had apologised to Webster and St Kilda’s coach, Ross Lyon:
This has been a significant reflective moment for me. My language was not used with any intent to vilify or marginalise, however through this incident I have begun to understand the impact of the use of casual language. I am fully committed to educating myself in this regard.
The sanction includes a suspended two-game ban that will be triggered if Clarkson re-offends in the next two seasons.
North Melbourne will start their season in Sydney against the Giants next Saturday.
It’s First Dog on the Moon time, which means time to simultaneously laugh and cry (and what else could you wish for on a Friday afternoon?):
Further industrial action planned for V/Line services in Victoria
An update on the Victorian public transport industrial action that we mentioned earlier: the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) announced today it is planning further industrial action for its V/Line staff, AAP reports.
This will include two nine-hour stoppages from 3am until 12pm on 22 March and 28 March, for all non-driving operations staff – that’s the weekend of the Grand Prix and Easter weekend respectively.
As we noted, V/Line workers are seeking the same pay as staff on Melbourne’s Metro network, who received a 17% increase over four years. Other sticking points include boosting wages in line with inflation and conditions such as shift length.
Catch up on all the media events of the week with Amanda Meade’s column, Weekly Beast – the latest edition of which has just gone live:
Emily Wind
Many thanks for joining me on the blog today, I’ll pass over to Stephanie Convery who will continue our live coverage this evening. Take care, and have a great weekend.
Tasmanian independents call for end to native forestry
Two independents who could hold balance-of-power positions in Tasmania’s new parliament have pledged to fight to end native forest logging, AAP reports.
The island state will head to the polls on 23 March after the Liberal minority government failed to resolve a standoff with two crossbench independents.
The Liberals have promised to open 40,000 hectares of previously protected native trees for logging if re-elected, prompting criticism from a major forestry industry group. The Bob Brown Foundation has flagged increased protests in opposition to the move.
Incumbent MP Kristie Johnston and former Liberal Sue Hickey were among seven candidates to sign a pledge spruiked by the Australia Institute to end native forestry.
Polling indicates neither the Liberals nor Labor, who have been in opposition for a decade, will have enough support to reach the 18 seats required to form majority government.
The Greens, who have two incumbent MPs, want to end native forestry and are hoping to win enough seats to hold a balance-of-power position.
Fears for koala habitat after coal mine assessed
A proposed Queensland coal mine has been referred for federal assessment, sparking fears almost 800 hectares of koala habitat will be cleared, AAP reports.
Environmentalists have taken aim at the federal environment minister, saying approval of central Queensland’s Vulcan South mine will fast-track the decline of the region’s struggling koala population.
They had urged Tanya Plibersek to block the development before discovering the mine was referred for federal assessment last week under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.
The proposed mine’s status is “assessment active” on the EPBC Public Portal. Environmental Advocacy in Central Queensland’s director, Dr Coral Rowston, said:
We argued that the clearing of hundreds of hectares of habitat that is home to endangered animals like the koala and greater glider meant Vitrinite’s Vulcan South project should have been stopped at the first federal hurdle.
Unfortunately, last Friday Tanya Plibersek sided with a coal company against koalas.
Habitats for koalas, the endangered greater glider and the vulnerable glossy black cockatoo and squatter pigeon will be at risk if the Vulcan South project proceeds, environmentalists say.
Approval for the Vulcan South coal mine in the Bowen Basin was issued on 22 January by the Queensland Department of Environment, Science and Innovation (DESI).
A Desi spokesperson said in February all proposed projects underwent a rigorous environmental assessment to ensure they met legislative standards as part of the environmental authority process.
The site, southwest of Mackay, is set to fall short of requiring an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
Stephanie Convery
Continuing on from our last post: Nerita Waight, CEO of the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service, said of the case:
Successive governments have failed to deliver better living standards for our people through closing the gap, and the failure to close the life expectancy gap is particularly shameful.
Our people know what they need to improve their lives. Uncle Dennis is asking for this small change to the age pension so our people can have an opportunity for a more dignified retirement. It’s now for the commonwealth government to change the Social Security Act to make the pension system fairer for our Elders.
High court rejects appeal over Indigenous man’s attempt to access pension early
Stephanie Convery
The high court has refused to hear the appeal of an Aboriginal man whose case to access the age pension three years early due to racial disadvantage failed in the federal court last year.
Uncle Dennis, a 66-year-old Wakka Wakka man, argued in his case that if retiring Indigenous men were expected to live for three fewer years than non-Indigenous men, then they should receive the pension three years earlier.
He had lodged a claim to receive the pension, but it had been rejected because he wasn’t old enough (for everyone born after 1957, that age is 67).
The federal court judgement, handed down in July, said the case should be rejected because Australia’s social security legislation was not inconsistent with “equality before the law”, and that life expectancy was an estimation of how a range of factors would influence a particular group, and not a characteristic of a race.
The high court’s refusal to hear his appeal yesterday means Uncle Dennis’s legal options are exhausted, but along with the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service and Human Rights Law Centre, he has called on the federal government to act.
Uncle Dennis, who asked that his full name not be published, said in a statement:
More than a decade ago, Australian governments promised to ‘Close the Gap’, but we are not making much progress. They are all talk and no action. If it were the other way around, and white people were dying too young, they would have fixed this already.
This case was asking the government to work together with us, to give our people the same chance in life as everyone else. The pension is an important part of caring for and looking after our people when they can’t work anymore.
I took this legal action because I wanted to stand up for my people. I am disappointed that the court won’t hear our case, but we will keep fighting because truth and accountability are important.
He was assisted in his case by the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service and Human Rights Law Centre.
PM says Lowitja O’Donoghues’s life could be measured in firsts ‘but her focus was on giving people a future’
Speaking at the state funeral of Lowitja O’Donoghue, the prime minister Anthony Albanese said her life can be measured in firsts:
She was the first Aboriginal trainee nurse at Royal Adelaide hospital.
The first woman to be a regional director of an Australian federal department.
The founding chairperson of the national Aboriginal conference.
The first Aboriginal woman to be made a member of the Order of Australia.
The inaugural chairperson of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander commission.
And in 1992, at the launch of the International Year of the Word’s Indigenous People, she became the first Aboriginal person to speak at the United Nations general assembly.
Albanese said while O’Donoghue was proud of being first, she was “determined to not be last”, and held a door open “for all who followed”.
She made history but her focus was on giving people a future.
Prime minister honours memory of Lowitja O’Donoghue
The prime minister Anthony Albanese has been giving a speech at the state funeral of Yankunytjatjara leader and activist, Lowitja O’Donoghue.
Albanese labelled her as “one of the most remarkable leaders this country has ever known”, and thanked her for the “better Australia she helped make possible”.
Perhaps even more importantly, we reflect on the possibility of an even better Australia, which she placed so clearly before us.
The prime minister said O’Donoghue’s “remarkable power” was built on an “abiding faith in the possibility of a more united Australia”, and said:
This was a faith she embodied with her efforts to bring about meaningful and lasting reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australia.
A faith underpinned by her unceasing work to improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Yet consider the stony ground in which this faith somehow took root.
O’Donoghue was a member of the stolen generation, Albanese noted, saying she “transcended the weight of her own experience and grew into a woman of grace, moral clarity and profound inner strength”.
Construction industry group launches policy platform to increase female participation on International Women’s Day
Master Builders Australia – the voice of the construction industry – has launched a policy platform to increase female participation in the building and construction industry.
Released to coincide with International Women’s Day, the breaking ground: women in building and construction policy platform makes a number of proposals, including:
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Unbiased career guidance and more hands-on experience for young women in schools;
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Access to information for parents;
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The promotion of good culture and safety practices by industry leaders;
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Better support and flexibility for tradies who are pregnant or caring for children; and
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More funding for programs, education, facilities, information and forums that promote building and construction careers to women.
Master Builders Australia’s CEO, Denita Wawn, said:
As one of the biggest sectors in the economy, the building and construction industry employs over 1.3 million Australians but a female participation rate of 1% with only 3% on the tools is simply not good enough.
She said workplace shortages are putting “immense pressure on our ability to meet housing targets” and Master Builders believes women will play “a vital role in rectifying that”.
Cultural change is needed … We must do more to end the bias between universities and vocation education, and young women should be given the same opportunities as their male counterparts to pursue trade apprenticeships if they choose to do so.
Mining magnate Gutnick banned from managing businesses
“Diamond” Joe Gutnick, the former president of the Melbourne Demons AFL club, has been banned from managing corporations for four years by the financial regulator, AAP reports.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (Asic) found the mining magnate acted improperly and failed to meet his obligations as director of three companies between June 2016 and March 2020.
The three companies – Axis Consultants, Merlin Diamonds and Legend International Holdings – have all been deregistered or placed into liquidation.
Asic found he allowed a company to trade while insolvent, failed to ensure record-keeping requirements were met and failed to assist liquidators when requested.
Unless he successfully appeals Asic decision at the administrative appeals tribunal, Gutnick will be disqualified from managing corporations until March 3, 2028.
Weekend heatwave forecast over SA, Victoria and Tasmania
The Bureau of Meteorology has published its weather outlook for the weekend, detailing the heatwave set to hit the southern states:
Four arrested in Victoria as police investigation over arson attacks continues
Four additional children have been arrested as Victoria police continue investigating incidents linked to the ongoing tobacco dispute.
Warrants were executed at five residential addresses in Springvale, Princess Hill, Cranbourne East, Brighton East and Preston about 7am this morning. Four boys have now been arrested and will be interviewed by police, a statement said. They include:
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A 16-year-old Springvale boy
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A 14-year-old Princess Hill boy
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A 17-year-old Cranbourne East boy
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A 16-year-old Preston boy.
In addition to four children previously charged, investigators will now interview the four boys about an aggravated burglary in Wonga Park, and two arson attacks at a Mill Park restaurant and a tobacconist in Ballarat last month.
A white Isuzu D Max and a silver Ford Ranger were stolen during an aggravated burglary in Wonga Park between 10pm on 19 February, and 7am on 20 February. The Ford Ranger was then used in an arson attack at a reception centre in Thomastown on the 22nd, police said. It was later located burnt out in Bundoora.
A 20-year-old St Albans man was charged last week in relation to that incident.
On 27 February, the Isuzu D Max was involved in an attempted arson at a Mill Park restaurant on The Link, police allege. It was then used the following day in an arson attack at a tobacconist in Ballarat, and the store was “significantly” damaged.
A short time later, the vehicle was located burnt out on Eureka Street.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Measles cases spark alerts for airport and university
A measles alert has been issued for a major airport, university, several flights and shops in Victoria, AAP reports.
Five people have been diagnosed with the highly infectious disease, including two people travelling on planes.
Melbourne Airport’s international terminal is an exposure site on the morning of 19 February, while the domestic terminal is an exposure site in both the morning and evening of 27 February.
Flights under the alert are:
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Singapore Airlines flight SQ217 from Singapore to Melbourne on 14 February;
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Virgin Australia flight VA815 from Melbourne to Sydney on 27 February; and
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Qantas flight QF483 from Sydney to Melbourne on 27 February.
The alert also applies to the Craigieburn post office, several sites at Monash University’s Clayton campus, Clayton Woolworths and the Better Choice Werribee petrol station from 28 February to 1 March.
Victoria’s health department has urged anyone who may have come into contact with a case to look out for symptoms up to 18 days after they were exposed. Symptoms include a rash that starts on the face then spreads, feeling unwell, a fever, cough and sore throat.
Further details about exact exposure times can be found on the Victorian Department of Health website.
Regional transport chaos as train staff strike
Tens of thousands of Victorians will have their pre-long weekend train transport derailed as widespread strikes hammer the regional network, AAP reports.
Conductors, train controllers, ticket officers and customer service staff stopped work between 3am and 4pm on Friday due to industrial action led by the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU).
The strike marks a major escalation in a long-running dispute between rail operator V/Line and the workers’ union over a new enterprise agreement, and comes on the eve of Victoria’s Labor Day long weekend
Buses will partially replace trains on the expansive network which operates throughout Victoria’s regions.
But V/Line’s chief executive, Matt Carrick, said the industrial action meant the vast majority of the trains’ usual passengers could not access public transport:
Normally on a day like today you could expect about 70,000 people to use our network, today we have had about 3,000. These delays will go on well into the evening which is why we encourage people to make new transport arrangements.
V/Line workers are seeking the same pay as staff on Melbourne’s Metro network, who received a 17% increase over four years. The union said other main sticking points include boosting wages in line with inflation and conditions such as shift length.
The RTBU’s branch secretary, Vik Sharma, urged the state government to get serious at the bargaining table to resolve the pay dispute.
Trains will progressively return on the Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and Traralgon lines from 5pm but significant delays will be expected. Train drivers are not part of the strike.
Catie McLeod
Mulch company at centre of asbestos scandal seeks ‘hundreds’ of documents from EPA
The business at the centre of Sydney’s asbestos contamination scandal is seeking a trove of documents from the environmental watchdog as it begins its legal fight to overturn a ban preventing it from selling mulch.
At an initial hearing in the New South Wales land and environment court today, lawyers for Greenlife Resource Recovery and the Environment Protection Authority agreed to meet with their clients to attempt conciliation later this month.
Before then, the court has ordered the EPA to produce the documents being sought by Greenlife on a rolling basis, with a hard deadline of the end of next week.
Greenlife is challenging a prevention notice it was issued by the EPA in January after the business was identified as the supplier of recycled garden mulch found to be contaminated with bonded asbestos at the Rozelle parklands.
The EPA then launched a broader investigation which has led to the discovery of bonded and friable asbestos at 75 additional sites across greater Sydney, most of which has been linked to the Bringelly-based business.
Greenlife has consistently denied it is responsible for the contamination.
At the court hearing today, the EPA’s barrister, Henry El-Hage SC, said Greenlife was seeking a “plethora of materials” that amounted to “hundreds of documents, thousands of pages” as part of its attempt to have the prevention notice thrown out.
El-Hage told the court Greenlife was seeking documents obtained during the course of the EPA investigation including those recording or identifying the supplier of mulch as anyone other than Greenlife and those identifying potential alternative sources of asbestos contamination at various sites.
El-Hage said Greenlife was requesting some documents that the EPA considered beyond what was relevant but he did not detail what these were.
Greenlife’s barrister, Lauren Sims, had asked for the EPA to produce the documents by the end of Friday but El-Hage said it would be impossible to meet that deadline.
The parties will hold their conciliation hearing onsite at the Greenlife facility on 28 March.
If they can’t reach an agreement, the case is scheduled to return to court on 4 April.
Man arrested after woman’s body discovered in car boot
New South Wales police have arrested a man after a woman’s body was discovered in the boot of a car.
In a statement, police said emergency services were called to a unit in Evans Head about 8.10am today following reports of concern for welfare.
Officers arrived to find the body of a 60-year-old woman in the boot of a car.
A 39-year-old man, known to the woman, was arrested at the scene and taken to Ballina police station where he is assisting police with inquiries.
No charges have been laid.
Police have established a crime scene and launched an investigation into the incident.
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