Key events
Refugee council welcomes findings of multicultural framework review
Just circling back to the multicultural framework review: the Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) has welcomed the findings and recommendations as a “generational reform agenda that requires a whole-of-government and community approach”.
The review made a set of 29 recommendations, calling for ten of them to be actioned immediately. As we mentioned earlier, one recommendation is for a review of the citizenship test, including considering offering it in languages other than English.
The RCOA chief executive officer, Paul Power, said:
In too many cases, we see families divided between those who are able to pass the citizenship and those who cannot. Instead of penalising those with low English proficiency, we should strive to encourage all individuals to become citizens and contribute to Australian society.
We urge the government to implement the panel’s recommendation for a comprehensive review of the citizenship test.
Government still ‘working with communities’ on implementing Islamophobia envoy, Marles says
Richard Marles was also asked about any progress on implement a special envoy on Islamophobia, following the announcement of a special envoy on antisemitism earlier this month.
Marles said “we’re working with communities around that role”. Asked how long it will take, he didn’t put a timeline on it because “we’re not gonna set somebody up to fail.”
We need to be making sure that we have a person who is in a position to do the job that we’ve asked them to do, and that is to be an envoy in combating Islamophobia.
Albanese government supports ‘principles’ of multicultural framework review, Marles says
The deputy prime minister was also asked about the recommendations of the multicultural framework review (we flagged this in yesterday’s blog), including reforms to the citizenship test.
The recommendations is:
The department of home affairs, through government and non-government consultation, to action an immediate review of the Australian citizenship test procedures, including considering providing the test in languages other than English and in alternative and more accessible formats.
Asked if the government would support this, Richard Marles told ABC RN the government supports the “principles” of the review “around the identity of our communities, their connection to Australia, their inclusion within our society”.
What the review observes is that as a country, half of our population are either born overseas or have a parent who were born overseas … What this report affirms is that what we have done as a nation and what we need to continue to do is to embrace the idea of multiculturalism …
The most Australian thing that we can see happen is for communities to celebrate their heritage, and it’s actually a very uniquely Australian perspective on how multiculturalism should work.
Marles demurs on reports Australia to take over Red Sea task force command
Q: Defence sources say authorisation has been given for Australia to take over from Italy in leading the combined task force in the Red Sea. Can you confirm that?
Marles said the decision about command structure is “ultimately a decision beyond Australia” involving multiple nations:
I’m not in a position to be able to answer those questions now, other than to say we are active participants.
Asked if Australia would be prepared to say yes, Marles said he couldn’t get into hypotheticals as “there is a process under way here”.
Marles says world must impose ‘as much pressure as possible’ to end war in Gaza
Turning to international news, Richard Marles was asked about comments from US president Joe Biden that he would like to bring the war in Gaza to an end before he leaves office.
Responding to this, Marles said Australia supports Biden’s efforts and “affirm his hope and the peace plan … to bring a ceasefire into place.”
What we’re seeing in Gaza is absolutely catastrophic. I think that the images that we are seeing on our TVs every night is utterly heartbreaking, and we need to see an end to this and that’s where our diplomatic efforts are involved.
We very much support the efforts of president Biden in relation to this, but the world has to be imposing as much pressure as possible on the participants to end this.
Asked if Australia could be louder in its opposition to the conflict, Marles said: “I think we are exercising extremely loudly to bring an end to this conflict.”
Military exercise in Northern Territory expected to resume today after aircraft crash
Deputy prime minister Richard Marles is now speaking with ABC RN, asked about the decision to suspend a large military exercise in the Northern Territory after one of the participating aircraft crashed.
Marles said the pilot ejected and was recovered safely, spending the night in hospital and will hopefully be released today.
He’s he sustained minor injuries … but he’s fundamentally OK, so that’s good news in terms of the safety of those involved.
He said the exercise itself is the biggest the air force conducts every two years, and while it was paused yesterday he anticipates it will begin again today.
Q: Why target the individuals when it’s state policy?
Penny Wong said the Australian government has been “clear in terms of state-to-state relations about our view on settlements”.
They are unlawful under international law. We’ve been clear about that … We have also said that we want to continue to take steps towards a two-state solution.
That may not be the view of some people in the Israeli government, but that is the view of the Australian government.
In terms of whether Wong thinks this will make a practical difference, Wong said Israel has had “a lot of support in the international community” and “should recognise the importance of its standing and legitimacy in the international community”.
Wong speaks about sanctions against Israelis involved in West Bank settler violence
Penny Wong also spoke about the sanctions against seven Israelis and one Israeli youth group involved in violent attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank. Josh Butler reported on this earlier in the blog.
She told ABC AM the sanctions were taken after “careful consideration”, marking a “substantial penalty”:
These individuals have been involved in violent attacks on Palestinians, including things such as beating, sexual assault and torture, resulting in serious injury and in some cases death.
We have imposed these after careful consideration and we would expect that all Australians would recognise the weight of these.
Wong said the Australian government spoke with its Israeli counterparts about this action, and noted Australia is not the only country placing sanctions on these individuals and the entity.
Whether Australia is expecting any pushback, Wong said this is a matter for Israel.
Settlements are unlawful under international law. We are continuing to act in ways that we can to look to how we protect a pathway to a two-state solution, and part of that is to ensure we also impose penalties who perpetrate violence against Palestinians.
‘We consider the situation in Gaza now is catastrophic’: Penny Wong
Foreign minister Penny Wong has been speaking with ABC AM this morning about the situation in Gaza, saying that it is “now catastrophic”.
She said:
We consider that the situation in Gaza now is catastrophic, and we really, we are deeply, deeply worried and distressed by what we are seeing happening in Gaza, in relation to the humanitarian situation.
As we flagged earlier, there are reports of poliovirus cases being discovered in Gaza. Wong said this goes to the “catastrophic humanitarian situation that we are seeing”.
We condemn Hamas. We have been clear in terms of our actions and our words that we find Hamas repugnant. We also know there are civilians in Gaza – men, women and children – who are suffering and the fact that in this century we have polio found in the traces of wastewater is extremely, extremely disturbing.
We’ll bring you more from this interview shortly.
Landmark items returned to Indigenous community from US
Culturally significant tools and other objects are returning to Warumungu Country in the Northern Territory from a museum in the United States, AAP reports.
Among the 20 objects being returned from the Fowler Museum at the University of California are a marttan (knife), murkutu (sheath), ngurrlumuru (fighting pick), kupija (adze) and wartilykirri (hooked ‘number seven’ boomerang).
Warumungu man Cliff Plummer Jabarula (Jupurula) told AAP he was honoured to be part of the repatriation:
It’s really good that they come back home because they belong to our people. My great-grandfather would have witnessed these things being sent away so I’m pretty pleased that I’m a part of bringing them home.
William Ah Kit Jakamarra said stories from older Warumungu people suggest the objects had been taken from country when work began on the Stuart Highway, which runs through the Northern Territory.
Ah Kit Jakamarra and Plummer Jabarula travelled to the US as representatives of the Warumungu community for the formal handover of the artefacts.
The objects will be temporarily held at the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies in Canberra, but once returned to Warumungu Country, they will be on display at the Nyinkka Nyunyu Arts and Culture Centre in Tennant Creek.
Good morning
Emily Wind
And hello – many 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 get in touch with any thoughts, tips or questions via X, @emilywindwrites, or you can send me an email: [email protected].
Let’s get started.
Sydney motorists warned over possible airport link confusion
Elias Visontay
A new road connecting Sydney airport to the city’s motorway network will open soon, but the state government is urging motorists to study its road signage to avoid a repeat of the traffic nightmare that occurred when the Rozelle interchange opened last year.
The Sydney Gateway, which was first announced about ten years ago as the plans for what would become the controversial Westconnex project were developed, will officially open on 1 September, connecting the airport at Mascot to the M8 and St Peter’s interchange and other major roads.
While the gateway – which is made up of 5km of new roads – is toll-free, it connects drivers to much of Sydney’s tolled motorway network. It is expected to save as much as 17 minutes from a trip between the airport and the St Peters interchange.
It is also expected to divert about 10,000 trucks from suburban streets each day as they travel between Port Botany and the airport.
Following the sustained peak traffic that formed following the opening of the Rozelle interchange last year, the New South Wales government has begun testing signage and road markings for the gateway in advance, to mitigate congestion upon opening. This testing has led to 100 changes being made.
On Wednesday, as well as announcing the opening date, the government also released virtual drive-through animations of the gateway so that motorists can familiarise themselves with the new roads.
John Graham, the New South Wales roads minister, said “for anyone who has sat in traffic around Mascot as the minutes to a flight tick down, this will be a welcome piece of toll-free motorway, while the local community will see fewer trucks on their streets”.
MIlitary exercise suspended after plane crashes in NT
Daniel Hurst
A large military exercise in the Northern Territory has been suspended after one of the participating aircraft crashed. The pilot ejected from the aircraft and is “safe and well”, according to Australian defence officials.
A defence ministry spokesperson said in a statement issued yesterday afternoon:
Defence can confirm an international participant in Exercise Pitch Black 24 is safe and well after ejecting from their aircraft this morning during flying operations.
Australian Defence Force personnel responded immediately and professionally at 10:45am to an aircraft emergency in the exercise area and coordinated recovery of the pilot with a search and rescue helicopter.
The exercise participant made immediate contact with aircrew in the area via radio following their ejection.
The pilot arrived at hospital by helicopter around 1:30pm (local time).
All flying for the remainder of the day has been cancelled.
News Corp cited social media report as saying it was an Italian aircraft, but Defence has yet to confirm the country.
Poliovirus discovery adding to Gaza’s status among ‘most dangerous places to be a child’, Unicef chief says
The “incredibly alarming” discovery of the poliovirus in Gaza only adds to the besieged territory’s status as one of “the most dangerous places to be a child right now”, the head of the UN children’s agency has warned.
The executive director of Unicef, Catherine Russell, said during a visit to Australia that Gaza was increasingly lawless.
As the Israeli military offensive continued, humanitarian workers were “risking their lives every day” to help Palestinian civilians.
In her only Australian interview, Russell raised alarm about the impact of conflicts in Sudan and Ukraine. She also said youth in low-lying Pacific island countries were “impatient with the world” for failing to act on the climate crisis.
Read more in our exclusive interview:
Penny Wong imposes sanctions on Israelis over West Bank settler violence
Josh Butler
Seven Israelis and one Israeli youth group involved in violent attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank have been hit with financial sanctions and travel bans by the Australian government, the foreign minister, Penny Wong, has announced.
Wong’s office released a statement early this morning on the imposition of Magnitsky-style sanctions over their “involvement in settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank”. Wong said in the statement:
The individuals sanctioned today have been involved in violent attacks on Palestinians. This includes beatings, sexual assault and torture of Palestinians resulting in serious injury and in some cases, death. The entity sanctioned is a youth group that is responsible for inciting and perpetrating violence against Palestinian communities.
We call on Israel to hold perpetrators of settler violence to account and to cease its ongoing settlement activity, which only inflames tensions and further undermines stability and prospects for a two-state solution.
We’ll bring you more details of the sanctions when they are to hand. We’re expecting to hear more from Wong this morning.
Her statement continued:
The Albanese Government has been firm and consistent that Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal under international law and a significant obstacle to peace.
Australia will continue to work for a just and enduring peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
Our foreign affairs correspondent Daniel Hurst reported just this week that the government was not ruling out sanctions on Israeli settlers:
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our rolling news coverage. I’m Martin Farrer and these are the top stories before my colleague Emily Wind picks up the baton.
The poliovirus has been discovered in Gaza adding to the perils facing children in the besieged territory, the head of the UN children’s agency has warned in an exclusive interview. The executive director of Unicef, Catherine Russell, said during a visit to Australia that youth in low-lying Pacific island countries were “impatient with the world” for failing to act on the climate crisis. More coming up on here.
Some of News Corp’s most experienced journalists have been made redundant amid significant cuts to the national reporting team as well as the Herald Sun and Daily Telegraph newspapers, it emerged last night. National health reporter, Sue Dunlevy, who has clocked up 36 years with the company, is among the redundancies. So too are the former Europe correspondent Charles Miranda, national investigations editor Ben Butler and investigative reporter Natalie O’Brien.
The Tokyo gold medal-winning paddler, Jess Fox, and Kookaburras veteran Eddie Ockenden have been chosen to carry the Australian flag at the Paris 2024 opening ceremony tomorrow, the chef de mission, Anna Meares, announced last night. And although the Games don’t officially start until tomorrow, some competitions have begun, with Australia’s men’s rugby sevens team beating Samoa in their opening game.
In other news, a military exercise in the NT is expected to resume after it was put on pause yesterday because of an aircraft crash. Sydney motorists have been asked to read road signs in an attempt not to repeat Rozelle interchange-like traffic chaos when a new road to the airport opens. And the federal court is due to rule today on a class action against the widely used weed killer Roundup.
And this morning, Penny Wong has announced Magnitsky-style financial sanctions and travel bans on seven Israeli individuals for involvement in settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. More on that soon.
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