Leave politics out of Alice Springs curfew, Indigenous Australians minister says
The minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, said that when it comes to the Alice Springs curfew, politics needs to be left out of it.
Speaking with ABC RN, Burney said:
This issues in Alice Springs have been a long time in the making … [The issues] will only be addressed over a long-term funding commitment, which we’ve made from the federal government.
Burney said that police commissioner Michael Murphy made a good point when he said “this will only be solved if there is government and community working together, and that’s really, really important.”
Key events
A crime scene has been declared after a man was found deceased on the Gold Coast this morning.
Queensland Police said they were called to an address on Nerang Street at Southport around 6am after a man had been found unconscious, and was later declared deceased.
Investigations into the circumstances of the death are currently underway.
Would Labor support the Greens proposed federal truth and justice system if it gets broader support from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders?
Linda Burney said the model was “very judicial” and in her personal view, “it needs to be more of a community-led initiative that brings people together”.
We will look at it very closely but … it’s not about truth telling in this instance, it’s about the model of the commission that’s been put forward.
Will Labor support a federal truth telling body?
Linda Burney was asked about a bill introduced by the Greens last week to establish a federal truth and justice system, like the Makarrata commission proposed in the Uluru statement from the heart.
Will Labor support a federal truth telling body in this term of parliament?
Burney said the Greens advised her in advance they would be putting forward the bill, which has now gone to a committee.
Labor is still very committed to the issues of truth telling and we’re working very closely with states and territories. There’s only one state that doesn’t have a truth or treaty process underfoot and you know, the issue of truth telling is something that I’m seeing right across the country being done and in a variety of ways. It’s not just governments that are responsible for this, it is also communities that are taking it up with gusto.
Burney said in her view, the opposition has played an “absolute spoilers role” in Aboriginal affairs, when asked if they might support such a measure.
It was traditionally a bipartisan issue for many years across the parliament. I don’t feel like it is now. I feel very, very sorry about that.
Burney looking for ‘silver linings’ in outcome of last year’s Voice referendum
Q: This is the first Naidoc week since the voice to parliament referendum failed last October. How are you reflecting on the significance of that referendum this week?
Linda Burney:
The referendum result was heartbreaking. But you know what? There is some real silver linings in it: six and a half million Australians voted yes, we’ve seen the emergence of young Indigenous leadership come out of it, and we also saw very high yes votes in predominantly Aboriginal communities.
So I take those silver linings as really positive outcomes and also … the issue of Aboriginal disparity and disadvantage and the shocking statistics around Aboriginal wellbeing were on the national stage.
Leave politics out of Alice Springs curfew, Indigenous Australians minister says
The minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, said that when it comes to the Alice Springs curfew, politics needs to be left out of it.
Speaking with ABC RN, Burney said:
This issues in Alice Springs have been a long time in the making … [The issues] will only be addressed over a long-term funding commitment, which we’ve made from the federal government.
Burney said that police commissioner Michael Murphy made a good point when he said “this will only be solved if there is government and community working together, and that’s really, really important.”
GPs urge jabs as winter illnesses return with a vengeance
Cases of whooping cough, the flu and gastro have surged, AAP reports, with the spike in illness hitting children hard and adding “unprecedented” pressure on some hospitals.
The winter lurgy peak is still to come for northern parts of Australia popular with holidaymakers, prompting a leading general practitioner to urge anyone who hasn’t had a jab to roll up their sleeve.
More than 170,000 influenza cases have been confirmed so far in 2024, with 29% of them in children under nine years of age.
Infections in 2024 are already 27% higher than the first six months of 2023.
Those figures don’t give a complete picture as many people do not get tested, according to Royal College of General Practitioners rural chair Michael Clements, who says cases are likely to climb as the winter virus peak hits warmer areas in August or September.
We certainly are concerned that this is going to continue to increase and potentially overwhelm the hospital systems.
His comments echo New South Wales health minister Ryan Park, who attributed “unprecedented” demand on emergency departments in his state to a 30% jump in flu cases, combined with fewer GPs working in the community.
Victoria’s health department warns vaccine coverage of influenza remains “low” in all age groups including children, despite a sixfold increase in emergency department presentations due to the flu from April to June.
Board revealed to keep emission reductions on target in NSW
The inaugural chair and commissioners aboard a body hoped to help meet emissions reduction targets have been revealed, AAP reports.
The seven commissioners and their chair on the NSW Net Zero Commission, created in December when the state legislated targets, will report annually to the government about its progress.
The commissioners include the state’s chief scientist Hugh Durrant-Whyte, former Australian Renewable Energy Agency board members Maria Atkinson and Meg McDonald and Australian Research Council’s climate extremes centre director Prof Andy Pitman, among others.
Former New South Wales treasury secretary Paul Grimes has been appointed chair. Dr Grimes was also appointed to the commonwealth’s Emissions Reduction Assurance Committee in April.
The commission would help the state progress towards its ambitious emissions reduction targets, energy minister Penny Sharpe said.
The state has legislated targets to reduce emissions to 50% of its 2005 level by 2030, 70% by 2035 and reach net zero emissions by 2050.
Alice Springs mayor weighs in on curfew: ‘It’s just frustrating’
The mayor of Alice Springs, Matt Paterson, says it is a “rinse and repeat cycle” that has seen a second curfew imposed on the red centre.
Speaking to the Today Show just earlier, he said it had been “another tough weekend” and acknowledged this curfew is different to the last – which only affected youth – whereas this one covers everyone.
After the [previous] curfew … it was actually a really good period for the last ten weeks. Up until then … there was a sense of relief in the community. A lot of people were going out, yeah, it’s just frustrating.
As for the feeling among the community now, Paterson said “people are just over it”. He said that some long-term Alice Springs residents are moving and going elsewhere.
Over the last few years, we’ve had it tough. But, you know, we need to get back to celebrating why Alice Springs is so good and these things continually make it difficult. And, you know, it’s hard for our tourism market. It’s [hard to recruit] nurses and doctors.
Paterson said two licensed venues had been closed down amid the curfew, something that commissioner Michael Murphy said police had been considering yesterday.
New safe spaces announced for women and children escaping violence
The Albanese government has announced funding for 720 new safe spaces over the next three years, providing emergency accommodation for women and children experiencing family and domestic violence.
This will bring the total number of emergency accommodation places delivered under the safe spaces program across the nation to about 1,500, once the projects are completed.
The program provides a capital investment to fund the building, renovation or purchase of emergency accommodation. About 4,200 women and children are supported each year by the current sites.
A statement said the projects will have a focus on improving access for First Nations women and children, women and children from Cald backgrounds and women and children with disability.
The minister for social services, Amanda Rishworth, said:
Family and domestic violence is one of the leading causes of homelessness and housing uncertainty for women and children across Australia, and we know there is an increased demand for emergency accommodation.
Projects will be funding in each state and territory, and are expected to be complete and delivering services by June 2027.
Burney on Alice Springs curfew: ‘No 1 priority should be safety of people in central Australia’
Yesterday a snap three-day curfew was announced for Alice Springs after a series of alleged violent assaults.
The curfew will cover parts of the CBD from 10pm to 6am, with police commissioner Michael Murphy stating a series of crimes at the weekend had contributed to the decision:
Overnight minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney released a statement on the curfew and acknowledged communities in the red centre had been “doing it tough”:
The temporary curfew is an operational decision for the NT Police – and the number one priority should be the safety of people in Central Australia.
As the Police Commissioner has rightly said, policing alone won’t solve some of the social issues facing Central Australia. That’s why investments in youth services, domestic violence services, schools and remote housing are so important.
The challenges confronting communities in Central Australia have developed over decades and solutions will take time. But with governments and the community working together, I am confident we will make progress.
Good morning
Emily Wind
And happy Tuesday – thanks to Martin for kicking things off. I’m Emily Wind, and I’ll be with you on the blog today.
As always, you can reach out with any questions, thoughts or feedback via X, @emilywindwrites, or you can send me an email: [email protected].
Let’s go.
Money launderers using casinos and property, Mark Dreyfus says
Josh Butler
The attorney general has warned that serious criminals are using casinos, real estate and luxury goods to launder their money, with the government to release new risk assessments to target such businesses.
Mark Dreyfus will appear at the National Press Club on Tuesday to discuss terrorism financing and money laundering, alongside CEO of financial crime agency Austrac, Brendan Thomas.
According to advance notes of his speech, the attorney general says the government has “no tolerance for corruption or illicit financing of any kind”, warning of coming improvements to financial crime systems.
Dreyfus is expected to say:
We want to modernise the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act to ensure it keeps pace with the increasingly digital, instant nature of our global financial system – closing those gaps that we know increasingly sophisticated, professional criminal organisations can exploit.
Money laundering is not a victimless crime. We have to act. We cannot afford any further delay.
Dreyfus will warn that drug trafficking, terrorism and child exploitation are being financed by such money laundering, and specifically pointed to several business types.
Dreyfus will say:
The money laundering National Risk Assessment shows that criminals continue to exploit established and legal channels – such as cash, luxury goods, real estate, domestic banks, casinos and remitters to launder funds in Australia.
As I am sure Brendan will indicate, the insights and risk assessments provided by Austrac – such as those being released today – should be heeded by industry and used to inform their identification and management of money laundering and terrorism financing risks. Importantly, they also send a clear signal about high risk industries and those threats and vulnerabilities to which we must pay attention.
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live blog of all the day’s news. I’m Martin Farrer and here are some of the top overnight lines before my colleague Emily Wind takes up the reins.
Fatima Payman’s resignation from Labor last week over disagreement about policy on Palestinian statehood has awoken a possibility that the party could face a serious challenge in inner-city seats from independents backed by Muslim groups and voters. We examine who the groups might be, which MPs they might target, and what it means for Australia if the politics of religious issues become more central.
The attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, will tell the National Press Club today that the nation has to act to stop drug traffickers and terrorists exploiting real estate, banks, casinos and other legal channels to launder money and profit from their crimes. Dreyfus will pledge to modernise money laundering and counter-terrorism legislation in order to crack down on a current system that is “allowing criminals to profit from their offending”.
