Jacinta Allan flags plan to combat family violence in the works for Victoria
Benita Kolovos
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, said women across the country are “fed up” with family violence rates and has flagged her government is putting together a plan to tackle the issue, which will be announced in the coming weeks.
Speaking at a press conference in Melbourne Park, she said too many women in Victoria and across the nation were losing their lives at the “hands of someone who was meant to love them, or a complete stranger”:
We know that on average one woman in every nine days is killed by someone who is known to them – a current or former partner. This level of violence against women is not just unacceptable. It has to stop and women and the broader community are calling for it to stop … Women are fed up, they’re frustrated, they’re angry.
Allan said violence against women is the “number one law and order issue around the country”.
Not just women who are murdered, but women who are seeing repeated acts of violence perpetrated against them. This has to stop.
Key events
Minns takes questions on New South Wales’ knife laws
Taking questions, NSW premier Chris Minns said there were “reasonable questions” around knife laws in the state.
We changed knife offences in legislation soon after getting elected to government. Mid last year legislative changes went to through parliament doubling the jail term for the maximum penalty for knife offences in NSW, we took out the summary offences act and put in the crimes act and doubled the penalty fines that would be issued by magistrates and judges as a result of knife offences.
However, given these very serious criminal attacks in the last week, of course a responsible government look at the existing legislation and see where potential changes could help prevent a similar attack. You’re not get an exact attack in the future but it is important we look at how they are applied in practice and whether we can make changes to prevent it from happening again.
Minns said the sentencing council is looking at knife-related offences and will report back to government, he “await[s] their findings”.
Alleged Wakeley offender remains in hospital: police commissioner
Karen Webb said the alleged offender remains in hospital:
However, police will continue to conduct a major investigation concurrently to him being in hospital and when we have material information to share on the progress of that investigation, we will do so.
Forty-two detectives working to identify people involved in Wakeley riot
The NSW police commissioner, Karen Webb, was next to address the media, and spoke about the riot in Wakeley on Monday night following the stabbing attack at a church.
She said 42 detectives are working to “identify those responsible for the riot”.
Webb claimed a number of people disguised themselves during the riot and police will investigate for “as long as it takes” to identify them.
She appealed to the public to help police identify up to 50 people that were involved:
The sooner they are identified [and] put before the court, the sooner they can be dealt with.
We have some people that have jumped on multiple police cars, one individual has a very distinctive tattoo on his torso of a face, while he has cowardly covered his own face, so we’re calling on the public identify these people.
Social media platforms have ‘social and moral licence’ to take down divisive, graphic content: NSW premier
Chris Minns said authorities still hold major concern about rumours and graphic content on social media from the two separate stabbing attacks in Sydney.
He made some scathing comments against the social media companies earlier. Speaking now, he repeated those sentiments:
It proves very difficult to foster community cohesion and harmony, to calm down the community, to send messages of unity in a difficult period when social media firms still continue to disseminate terrible pieces of information, untruths, rumours that circulate like wildfire through an anxious community …
Even the most passionate defenders of social media firms that may argue it is difficult to take down content in the immediate aftermath of a violent incident, it is pretty hard to defend it considering we are 48 hours after the offence and it is still out there, still available. Think about what that does to community cohesion.
In my view, this is the antithesis of what we need to [do to] bring the community together and social media firms have a social and moral licence to take down divisive information and graphic content as soon as it becomes available.
‘Wonderful to see that we are a community that can come together’, NSW premier says at Bondi Junction
The New South Wales premier Chris Minns is addressing the media after he walked through Bondi Junction Westfield just earlier.
The community day of reflection kicked off at 11am, within the past hour.
He said today’s day of reflection was “the first step in healing”, and also encouraged people to attend the candlelight vigil this Sunday.
It is not back to normal for Sydney, but this is an opportunity to [grieve] and to turn the page on what has been a very difficult period, and I know many people want to express solidarity and sincere condolences to those that have lost loved ones …
There has been in the midst of so much violence and anxiety in the community and an overwhelming public response to the suffering of those families, and it is wonderful to see that we are a community that can come together, that we are a community that can stand together in difficult periods and show that grief is universal when it is felt by one family, one individual.
Peter Hannam
More on the labour market figures for March
Circling back to the new labour figures for March, showing the unemployment rate rose to 3.8%.
The labour market numbers don’t contain too many surprises. The economy did add a fair few full-time roles – almost 28,000 – but not as many as the more than 34,000 part-time positions lost.
The participation rate also dropped back to 66.6%. Had it held steady at 66.7%, the jobless rate might have clicked higher to 3.9%. Total hours worked edged 1m higher – a rounding error when the sum is about 1.93bn.
Not surprisingly, perhaps, markets have barely budged, with the dollar lingering around the 64.3 US cents mark and stocks holding on to most of their gains of just under 0.5% for the day.
Benita Kolovos
‘Behind each and everyone one of these statistics is a name, a woman’: Allan on violence against women
Jacinta Allan said she cannot speak for other jurisdictions but in Victoria, there is a “need for further action” around family violence. She has asked the attorney general, the minister for women and the minister for prevention of family violence to “come together and look how we can build on the work that we’ve done to date and go even further”:
They’re doing some further work and they’ll come back to me … probably in a few weeks time, we will have more to say about what further action we will take.
But Allan said government action alone would not be enough to stamp out the issue and there is “a responsibility on all of us [in the community] to keep calling it out”:
It is my commitment to keep calling this out because it is unacceptable …
Behind each and every one of these statistics is a name, is a woman. A woman who was loved by her family and friends. Just consider the names of the following women: Samantha, Rebecca, Swetha, Hannah, Ashley, Jade, Yixuan, Pikria, Dawn. These are women who have lost their lives in recent days, and this just has to stop, which is why I’m committed and determined to keep doing more with the tools I have as a leader of a government committed to supporting women.
Jacinta Allan flags plan to combat family violence in the works for Victoria
Benita Kolovos
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, said women across the country are “fed up” with family violence rates and has flagged her government is putting together a plan to tackle the issue, which will be announced in the coming weeks.
Speaking at a press conference in Melbourne Park, she said too many women in Victoria and across the nation were losing their lives at the “hands of someone who was meant to love them, or a complete stranger”:
We know that on average one woman in every nine days is killed by someone who is known to them – a current or former partner. This level of violence against women is not just unacceptable. It has to stop and women and the broader community are calling for it to stop … Women are fed up, they’re frustrated, they’re angry.
Allan said violence against women is the “number one law and order issue around the country”.
Not just women who are murdered, but women who are seeing repeated acts of violence perpetrated against them. This has to stop.
‘Stop buzzing about China’: Beijing slams defence plans
China has slammed plans by the federal government to pump billions of extra dollars into defence over the next decade, urging Australia to abandon its “cold war mentality”, AAP reports.
This comes after the defence minister, Richard Marles, unveiled the new national defence strategy yesterday, which will increase funding to 2.4% of GDP by 2033/34.
Responding to the strategy, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Lin Jian, said:
We hope Australia will correctly view China’s development and strategic intentions, abandon the cold war mentality, do more things to keep the region peaceful and stable, and stop buzzing about China.
Marles yesterday quoted the strategy, which states China has employed “coercive tactics in pursuit of its strategic objectives”.
But Lin said the security risks in the Indo-Pacific were coming from “major countries” outside the region:
They have been forming exclusive groupings, stoking bloc confrontation, and in particular, muddying the waters in the South China Sea, as if the world needed any more instability. China firmly opposes it.
Australia’s unemployment rate rose to 3.8% in March
Peter Hannam
Australia’s employers shed 6,600 jobs last month as the impact of higher interest rates sapped demand in the economy.
The jobless rate in March was 3.8%, the Australian Bureau of Statistics has said, compared with the previously reported 3.7% rate in February and the 3.9% reading economists had predicted for the month.
Economists had also tipped the economy to have added 10,000 extra positions for March, down from February’s unexpected jump of 116,500 extra jobs.
Andrew Messenger
Queensland Labor accuses opposition of ‘abusing’ chair of independent youth crime committee
Queensland Labor has accused the opposition of “abusing” the chair of a parliament committee, and “intimidating witnesses, including public servants” during a youth crime inquiry.
The government dissolved the inquiry into youth crime late last night, after it failed to come to a consensus. During question time, the youth justice minister, Di Farmer, went on the attack in response to a question about a proposal the LNP said would gag the media.
The behaviour of the members of Currumbin. If anyone watched any of those public hearings … intimidating witnesses, including public servants, was absolutely disgraceful. There was no intent whatsoever to address youth crime in this state.
Farmer withdrew her allegation after Currumbin MP Laura Gerber took personal offence.
The government has accused the opposition of politicising what was intended to be a bipartisan inquiry by refusing to allow it to release an interim report, and by insisting on it recommending their own policy. They asked it to recommend eliminating detention as a last resort, among other sticking points. Farmer said:
This fake concern about youth crime … We have seen an unprecedented incident in the house last night where the member for Noosa had to beg the house for some semblance of bipartisan support to ensure community safety in Queensland.
It has followed months of LNP members refusing to engage, abuse the chair in public hearings, abuse public servants, questioning witnesses or politicising those statements and questions never once – never once –coming up with any suggestions whatsoever.
Mostafa Rachwani
More from Blacktown court, where first person has been charged following Wakeley riot
The 19-year-old charged by police for his alleged involvement in Monday’s riot is a barber in Mt Druitt.
The magistrate heard he is the sole provider for his family.
Police told the court Mansour came to their attention via social media posts, and were concerned a successful bail application with restrictions on access to social media could be circumvented.
They are specifically concerned Mansour would contact other attenders of the riot, and interfere with the investigation into attenders, the court heard.
The police also say they believe 2,000 people took part in the riot, a much higher estimation than previously reported figures in the hundreds.
Mansour heard the details with his head bowed, only looking up when a group of family and friends walked into the courtroom,
Last night, heavily armed police raided a property in Doonside, and arrested Mansour, holding him at Blacktown police station overnight.
A decision is due after tea break and after an interpreter is found.
Police charge first person as part of investigation into Wakeley riot
Mostafa Rachwani
Police have charged the first person as part of their ongoing investigation into the riot that followed the stabbing attack of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuael at a church in Wakeley on Monday.
In Blacktown court this morning, police charged 19-year-old Dani Mansour with riot, affray and destroying or damaging property during public disorder.
They requested the magistrate refuse an application for bail on the basis of the serious nature of the alleged offending, and the risk he would “interfere” with evidence and the investigation into the riot via potential communication with anyone who was there.
The police referred to his “knowledge and connection” with other attenders of the riot that have yet to be identified.
Mansour’s lawyer argued that he does not have any previous convictions and that while it is a relatively strong case, and serious actions are alleged, she said strict conditions could be imposed to allow bail.
The magistrate said he would delay his decision until an interpreter is found so that Mansour could clearly understand everything being said in court.
A decision is due in the afternoon.
Opposition leader pays respect to victims at Bondi Junction Westfield
Peter Dutton was also at the Bondi Junction Westfield this morning, and spoke to the media earlier. He said:
Obviously when you see an attack like this – it’s repugnant enough that people are targeted, but in the case where women are targeted or children are the victims, there’s a particular chord that strikes in the community.
I’m honoured to be here today to pay respect to those who have lost their lives, to honour the very many brave acts, and to be part of the healing process and the unifying process that must happen for our country after a period of grief and horror like this.
Most importantly at the moment, our thoughts and prayers are with those who are still in hospital or recovering from the physical and mental scars that will in many cases take a lifetime to heal. To all those family and friends and all those that have been particularly impacted, we send our very warm and heartfelt wishes to them as well.
Premier walking through Bondi Junction Westfield, due to address media later this morning
The ABC is broadcasting live footage from inside the Bondi Junction Westfield shopping centre. The NSW premier, Chris Minns, is walking through the centre, along with the police commissioner, Karen Webb, and others. He is expected to give a press conference a bit later this morning, which we will bring you here.
None of the stores will be open today and they all appear to have their lights turned off, and advertising banners appear blacked out.
Signs can be seen displayed throughout the store with a black ribbon, reading:
Together we remember all those impacted here, Saturday 13th April 2024.
A space for the community has been established on Level 4, Myer side.
Driver stopped while allegedly going 110km/h over the speed limit in Bathurst
A man will face court after his car was allegedly detected going 110km/h over the speed limit in New South Wales at the weekend.
Police allege they detected an orange Ford Mustang travelling at 170km/h in an area signposted 60km/h around 6pm on Saturday. Police stopped the man and a drug and alcohol test allegedly returned a positive result for cannabis.
The 22-year-old was taken to Bathurst police station where a secondary test allegedly returned the same result.
He was charged with driving recklessly/furiously or speeding in a dangerous manner, and exceeding the speed limit by more than 45km/h.
The Kellyville man was given a court attendance notice to appear at Bathurst local court on 22 May. Police also suspended the man’s licence on the spot.
Australians arrested in global phishing network sting
Five Australians have been arrested as part of a global sting operation into an alleged “one-stop shop” for cybercriminals seeking to steal personal data, AAP reports.
Federal police made the arrests as part of a takedown of the platform LabHost, which they allege allows for cybercriminals to impersonate websites as part of phishing scams.
The personal details of 94,000 Australians have been stolen through LabHost, which has been used by criminals to impersonate 170 websites, including banks and government websites such as myGov, the AFP alleges.
A Melbourne man and an Adelaide man were arrested during police search warrants carried out yesterday, with police alleging the pair used LabHost. A further three people were arrested in Melbourne for drug-related offences during the searches.
AFP acting assistant commissioner for cyber command Chris Goldsmid said investigations into the Australian arm of LabHost had been under way since October:
[We allege] what was really insidious about LabHost is it was a one-stop shop for phishing. LabHost provided cybercriminals with all the tools they needed to undertake phishing attacks, including the infrastructure to host a phishing website.
Criminals could sign up to the service for as little as $270 to obtain information such as log-ins and passwords to steal money from victims, the AFP alleges.
Benita Kolovos
Landscaping goats cause traffic delays along Melbourne’s Eastlink
Delays have cleared on Melbourne’s Eastlink after several escaped landscaping goats have been caught.
ConnectEast, the owner and operator of the EastLink tollway, took to X about 9am this morning to report congestion around High Street Road at Wantirna South. They wrote:
Some landscaping control goats have escaped from their work site and are being rounded up by our team on an embankment. All lanes are open, there are no goats on the roadway, but please drive carefully.
Just 14 minutes later, they wrote the “landscaping control goats are safely back where they belong”.
Back in 2018, Eastlink confirmed they had recruited goats to clear weeds from a steep and rocky area of the tollway. At the time, they said goats have a “voracious appetite for non-native weeds, and are particularly sure-footed and ‘at home’ on tough terrain”.
Here’s a photo of the landscaping goats at work:
