Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi has applied to have her federal court case against Pauline Hanson re-opened to hear additional evidence. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi has applied to have her federal court case against Pauline Hanson re-opened to hear additional evidence. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
Faruqi v Hanson: Greens senator applies for federal court case to be re-opened for more evidence
Amy Remeikis
Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi has applied to have her federal court case against Pauline Hanson re-opened to hear additional evidence, less than a week after the court adjourned for the justice to consider the evidence.
Faruqi’s legal team filed for an interlocutory application to have the court re-open their case to offer additional evidence to Justice Angus Stewart.
While under oath, Hanson said she did not know Faruqi was a Muslim when she tweeted at the senator to “piss off back to Pakistan” in response to Faruqi’s criticism of colonisation on the day the queen died.
At the time Hanson made that statement, Faruqi’s counsel Saul Holt, accused the One Nation leader of “lying under oath”, which Hanson denied.
Faruqi’s legal team now want the court to hear additional evidence, including tweets where Faruqi references being a Muslim, allegedly including a direct reply to Hanson where she asks “I’m curious. @PaulineHansonOz am I a good Muslim or a bad one? #auspol?” and the transcript of a Sky News podcast, where Hanson was a guest and Faruqi’s religion was cited by another guest.
Hanson had previously said she did not have access to her X (formerly twitter) and only saw responses to her tweets when her staff would bring them to her attention.
The federal court heard four days of evidence from both Faruqi and Hanson’s legal team earlier this month, with Hanson arguing she made the comments as a honestly held opinion, but with no racist intent.
Faruqi’s team argued the Pakistani-born senator had been targeted because she was a ‘muslim migrant woman of colour’, using Hanson’s public statements on Islam, race and migrants from the late 1990s to last month as evidence of her intent.
The Albanese government’s gas plan sparks a backlash from within, as at least four Labor MPs express concern about fossil fuels;
Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi has applied to have her federal court case against Pauline Hansonre-opened to hear additional evidence, less than a week after the court adjourned for the justice to consider the evidence;
Victoria police will apologise for its role in the Stolen Generations as part of reforms stemming from the state’s truth-telling inquiry; and
The shadow minister for education, Sarah Henderson, will seek to establish a Senate inquiry into antisemitism on university campuses after a series of roundtables with Jewish students and community members amid ongoing protests.
ADF chief says ‘helicopter was behaving in a correct and disciplined fashion’: Yellow Sea
GenAngus Campbell was caught by journalists on his way out of a defence conference in Canberra this afternoon, where he was again pressed about a military incident between Australia and China in the Yellow Sea.
The Australian government said China released flares in front of an Australian navy helicopter as HMAS Hobart participated in an operation to enforce United Nations sanctions against North Korea. China’s foreign ministry first accused an Australian navy helicopter of deliberately flying “within close range” of Chinese airspace, later accusing the helicopter of spying.
Campbell was asked whether the spying allegations were “preposterous” or not.
The helicopter was behaving in a correct and disciplined fashion and I don’t accept that the response was anything but unsafe and unprofessional.
Defence chief ‘not satisfied’ with ‘safety and professionalism’ after helicopter incident in Yellow Sea
Gen Angus Campbell also discussed the role of young people in addressing the military’s recruitment and retention issues - a factor threatening, among other things, to undermine the timeliness of key projects like Aukus.
Campbell discouraged attacks on the younger, more “consciously aware” generations after recently spending some time with new recruits.
It is easy and comfortable to criticise younger, newer generations, but that would be a mistake. They are far better educated. They are far more connected. They are far more socially, consciously aware and active and are far more engaged in the world than my generation and I ever were.
On Thursday, Campbell said he had “great deal of confidence” the new young recruits would “realise an expression of our force and the power it can generate not yet ever seen”.
Campbell was also asked to respond to a recent incident between the Chinese and Australian defence forces in the Yellow Sea.
I encourage not only the Australian defence force, indeed, in that circumstance I require of the Australian defence force, but encourage actively all our military partners internationally throughout the world to conduct themselves in a professional and in a safe manner. And that’s what I expect. And that’s what I expect our people to give. And that’s the issue at play. And I think that, in the circumstances that occurred, we were not satisfied and very reasonably not satisfied with regard to both safety and professionalism.
‘Put down your pen’: ADF chief hits back at Aukus critics
Australia’s outgoing chief of defence force has urged Aukus critics to “put down your pen” and “get in the ring” describing the military’s involvement in the ambitious nuclear-powered submarine deal as a “great national endeavour and enterprise”.
In an address to the Air and Space Power Conference in Canberra on Thursday afternoon, the Australian defence force’s chief general Angus Campbell said Aukus would deliver “military and strategic capability” to the country’s military but also offer “extraordinary benefits across our entire economic environment”.
He continued:
For those who ran to their pen, and within days, declared defeat and ‘this cannot be done’, I would ask you to reflect on so many other occasions when Australians, cringing, have disappointed themselves - by declaring the Sydney Harbour Bridge’s two halves will fall into the ocean. The Sydney Opera House will never be the greatest opera house on the planet. The Snowy Mountains hydro scheme will fail somewhere in the mountains. The Collins class submarine? Worst submarine on the planet.
Campbell challenged detractors of the multibillion-dollar technology-sharing deal with the US and UK to drop the criticism and get on board.
If you are one of those writers, put down your pen for a moment. Knock on Admiral [Jonathan] Mead’s door and ask ‘do you have a job for me?’ Get in the ring. Give it a go because we are delivering nuclear-powered submarine capability to this nation, full stop. And it will be an extraordinary program and we will deliver because I don’t cringe when thinking about the defence of this nation. And I don’t think anybody else should either.
Labor MP Josh Wilson has added his voice to concerns about the government’s gas strategy, saying the gas industry needs to step up and do more on decarbonisation.
Wilson’s contribution makes at least four Labor MPs who have voiced concern about the expansion of gas under the Future Gas Strategy outlined by resources minister Madeleine King, with a swelling backbench unrest over the changes.
Wilson, Member for Fremantle (which neighbours King’s seat of Brand in Western Australia), pressed the need for a rapid energy transition away from fossil fuels. He said:
Our government has acted decisively to boost renewables and set a firm path for serious emission reductions after a decade of dangerous Coalition neglect. For example – we’ve doubled the rate of approvals for energy projects, and provided over a billion dollars for homes and business to upgrade their energy efficiency.
Let me be crystal clear in saying that climate change action requires fossil fuels to depart the scene in the course of a sensible and vitally important global energy transition.
Gas will be part of that transition for a longer period than coal, but for no longer than necessary.
And we should reinforce the community expectation that the gas industry must take responsibility for decarbonisation in a way that has not been sufficiently evident to date.
Another Labor MP throws weight behind ‘low-carbon future’
Labor MP Sally Sitou is the latest government politician to weigh in on the gas changes, calling on the country to “move quickly towards a low-carbon future”.
Guardian Australia understands there is concern among some Labor MPs, particularly from inner-city electorates, about the announcement. Numerous MPs have raised concern with the tone of the announcement, which some claim has overshadowed Labor’s progress on renewables and fails to emphasise the government’s support for cleaner energy advances.
Some fear the spotlight on the gas expansion may undermine the “faith” progressive communities have in Labor’s climate change bonafides, particularly in the context of Greens challenges in some inner-city areas. Josh Burns and Jerome Laxale have already raised concerns publicly, and others are unhappy behind the scenes.
Sitou, the Member for Reid, said she cares “deeply about acting to address climate change”, praising the government’s clean energy record so far, but saying more needs to be done. She said:
We need to transition as quickly as possible off fossil fuels and on to renewable energy, and that is already underway as we work towards meeting our target of 82 percent of renewable energy by 2030.
We know we’ll still need gas to assist in the transition to renewables because it provides a reliable source of energy. But for the sake of generations to come, we must move quickly towards a low-carbon future.
Labor member for Reid Sally Sitou has called on the government to ‘move quickly towards a low-carbon future’. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP
Coalition pushing superannuation withdrawals for first home buyers
The Coalition has amped up its proposal to let Australians use superannuation to buy a home despite modelling showing the proposal could cost the government up to $2.5bn a year by the end of the decade.
First home buyers would be able to withdraw their entire super balance for a deposit under a proposal from a Coalition-dominated senate committee, with its interim report on Thursday also canvassing withdrawal caps of $100,000 or $150,000.
Home buyers could also put up their super as collateral for a home loan under another recommendation by the committee, risking the loss of their entire balance if they failed to repay the loan. The report said:
[Foreclosure] is a very rare occurrence in Australia … [and] the age pension also remains available as a retirement safety net in this eventuality.
Deloitte modelling released on Thursday showed uncapped super withdrawals for housing would drain balances and see more Australians rely on the aged pension, blowing a hole of $2.5bn a year in the budget by the end of the decade.
But the Coalition senators’ recommendations go further than the modelled scenario, not only letting buyers use super as collateral but also using their withdrawal plus proceeds to move to a new house.
Committee chair and opposition home ownership spokesperson Andrew Bragg ridiculed the modelling, telling ABC Radio National:
It sounds like modelling that’s been done by Dr. Evil proposing to blow up the world in Austin Powers … the key determinant of a successful retirement is your home ownership status, not your superannuation balance.”
The proposals go further than the Coalition’s 2022 policy of permitting withdrawals of up to $50,000 and are the clearest indication yet of the opposition’s housing policy direction, after Guardian Australia in March revealed the proposed expansion of super for housing.
For sale residential sign in Nightcliff, Darwin. Photograph: Esther Linder/The Guardian
The Northern Territory government and the AFL have published a business case spelling out how the territory could gain its own team in the next decade.
Territorians love their AFL and there’s no doubt that having a long-term plan to get a team in the AFL is the best way to ensure success.
This process and the strategic business case is about making sure the NT is ready to make a bid for an AFL licence when one becomes available.
Tasmania was granted the league’s 19th licence last year, and is set to enter the competition in 2028.
Steven May of the Demons marks the ball during the AFL Round 8 match between the Melbourne Demons and the Geelong Cats at the Melbourne cricket ground. Photograph: Morgan Hancock/AAP
Faruqi v Hanson: Greens senator applies for federal court case to be re-opened for more evidence
Amy Remeikis
Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi has applied to have her federal court case against Pauline Hanson re-opened to hear additional evidence, less than a week after the court adjourned for the justice to consider the evidence.
Faruqi’s legal team filed for an interlocutory application to have the court re-open their case to offer additional evidence to Justice Angus Stewart.
While under oath, Hanson said she did not know Faruqi was a Muslim when she tweeted at the senator to “piss off back to Pakistan” in response to Faruqi’s criticism of colonisation on the day the queen died.
At the time Hanson made that statement, Faruqi’s counsel Saul Holt, accused the One Nation leader of “lying under oath”, which Hanson denied.
Faruqi’s legal team now want the court to hear additional evidence, including tweets where Faruqi references being a Muslim, allegedly including a direct reply to Hanson where she asks “I’m curious. @PaulineHansonOz am I a good Muslim or a bad one? #auspol?” and the transcript of a Sky News podcast, where Hanson was a guest and Faruqi’s religion was cited by another guest.
Hanson had previously said she did not have access to her X (formerly twitter) and only saw responses to her tweets when her staff would bring them to her attention.
The federal court heard four days of evidence from both Faruqi and Hanson’s legal team earlier this month, with Hanson arguing she made the comments as a honestly held opinion, but with no racist intent.
Faruqi’s team argued the Pakistani-born senator had been targeted because she was a ‘muslim migrant woman of colour’, using Hanson’s public statements on Islam, race and migrants from the late 1990s to last month as evidence of her intent.
And, over to Western Australia where unseasonably warm weather is about to come to an end, with severe thunderstorms forecast for the state’s south-west on Friday:
Confusion over whether Air Vanuatu has already entered administration
Back to reports of Air Vanuatu entering administration.
The Vanuatu government is considering placing Air Vanuatu, the national carrier of which it is the sole owner, into voluntary administration, as all of the carrier’s international flights are grounded amid reported financial difficulties.
A statement from Air Vanuatu released on Thursday afternoon said the government was “now considering” voluntary administration, an apparent contradiction to comments the chair of the airline’s board, Alain Lew, told the Vanuatu Daily Post that an administrator was appointment on Monday.
The international firm Ernst & Young has been appointed to assist the Vanuatu government in reviewing available options and put forward recommendations to the Vanuatu government, the airline said in a statement. But EY has not as yet been appointed administrator.
The airline said:
Ernst & Young representatives arrived in Port Vila today to begin an assessment of Air Vanuatu’s financials and are being assisted by the Vanuatu Government and the Air Vanuatu team.
Air Vanuatu, which runs crucial routes connecting Pacific locations with Australia, has confirmed all international flights from Thursday 9 May through Sunday 12 May inclusive are cancelled. All future flights after Sunday 12 May “are currently under review”.
In a statement, the Vanuatu Tourism Office said “we are conscious of the impact this situation has on travellers, ticket holders and the industry and on behalf of the Vanuatu tourism industry extend our apologies to anyone affected”.
Virgin Australia continues to fly to Vanuatu directly between Brisbane-Port Vila.
More developments from Penny Wong’s visit to Tuvalu
According to a statement released today during Penny Wong’s visit, Australia will only provide military assistance at Tuvalu’s request. Australia “does not have unqualified rights of access to Tuvalu’s territory or airspace, nor the right to establish military areas in Tuvalu”.
Australia has confirmed that it wants to gain “insight into Tuvalu’s defence and security related engagement with third parties” in the areas of defence, policing, border protection, cyber security and critical infrastructure. Infrastructure of interest includes ports, telecommunications and energy infrastructure.
But Australia says this will all be discussed directly with Tuvalu. The Australian government has promised that the effective Australian veto “will be implemented in the spirit of respect and amicable consultation” and Tuvalu “does not need permission from Australia before it starts to talk with other partners”.
The document signed by Wong says Tuvalu is free to pursue support from other countries for support with its economic and development interests, including education, health, waste, climate adaptation, gender, disability, trade or granting fishing licences.
Australia has pointed out that “if either party is concerned expectations are unreasonable, they can suspend obligations and even terminate the treaty by mutual agreement or unilaterally”.
Foreign minister Penny Wong. Photograph: Joel Carrett/EPA
‘Heartless, gutless cowards’: Faruqi slams Go8 penning letter to attorney general over pro-Palestine phrases
Greens deputy leader and spokesperson for education, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, has called vice-chancellors “heartless, gutless cowards” after the Group of Eight (Go8) penned a letter to the attorney general questioning whether the particular phrases “from the river to the sea” and “intifada” contravened federal law.
Speaking to a group of high school and university pro-Palestine protestors at the UTS on Thursday, Faruqi condemned the Go8 for questioning the use of the contested terms.
Shame on them ... from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.
In the letter, signed by vice-chancellor of the University of Sydney, Mark Scott, the VCs maintained they were “individually and collectively … committed to upholding the right to lawful expression of freedom of speech” but “it must be lawful expression of such views”. They stated:
Whilst our members are seeking appropriate legal advice, we write to seek the Australian government’s authoritative advice as to whether the particular phrases “from the river to the sea” and “intifada” contravene federal law. To date no Australian court or relevant authority has made a determination on these phrases that would allow a university to follow precedent in dealing with their use on campuses.
A University of Sydney spokesperson said that since “the protest encampment on our campus began, we have been focused on the safety and wellbeing of our community, ensuring our campus remains peaceful and our University activities can continue uninterrupted. We want to deescalate tensions rather than fuel them”.
They continued:
We recognise that peaceful protest is a legitimate expression of free speech and that political speech, even when confronting, is not necessarily a breach of our policies or codes of conduct – but we do not tolerate any form of racism, threats to safety, hate speech, intimidation, threatening speech, bullying or unlawful harassment on our campuses.
The deputy leader of the Greens, Mehreen Faruqi, has called out the Group of Eight (Go8) penning a letter to the attorney general about Pro-Palestine phrases. Photograph: Parlview
Australia promises not to stop Tuvalu pursuing ties with China
Daniel Hurst
Australia has offered assurances to Tuvalu not to infringe on its sovereignty, saying Canberra would only veto the Pacific country’s security deals with other nations “in a narrow set of circumstances” and won’t stop it pursuing a diplomatic relationship with China.
Under the agreement, the Albanese government is offering places for up to 280 citizens from the low-lying Pacific country to live, study and work in Australia each year (which will be decided by a ballot process), which it is calling “mobility with dignity”.
Australia has also offered a security guarantee to Tuvalu, promising to respond to requests to respond to military aggression, humanitarian disasters or pandemics. Critics in Tuvalu had argued that the deal infringes the country’s sovereignty because Australia would also have the right to veto security-and defence-related agreements with other countries.
An aerial view of the northern end of Funafuti island in Tuvalu. Photograph: Kalolaine Fainu/The Guardian
At present, Tuvalu maintains diplomatic relations with Taiwan, not China. However, China is known to be pursuing closer security, diplomatic and economic ties across the Pacific.
Today, for the first time, both governments released details about how the agreement will work. Australia has promised the deal won’t limit Tuvalu’s “liberty to enter into diplomatic relations with other states”.
Injured miner left in critical condition after mine collapse discharged from hospital
The 21-year-old miner who was left fighting for his life after a mine collapse in Victoria’s Goldfields two months ago has been released from hospital.
In March, one person died and 21-year-old Connor Smith was left in a critical condition following an underground rockfall. Thirty people were working about 3km from the entrance of the Ballarat gold mine at Mount Clear when the incident occurred.
As Benita Kolovos reported at the time, 28 miners made it to a “safety pod” inside the mine and were eventually brought to the surface uninjured, but two workers were pinned by fallen rocks about 500 metres underground.
Second Labor MP voices concern over government's gas strategy
Josh Butler
Another Labor MP, Jerome Laxale, is the latest in a growing backbench group to raise concern over the government’s plans to expand gas in Australia.
Shortly after Josh Burns said no more public money should go to gas (see previous post), Laxale – the member for Bennelong – raised similar points about needing to focus on renewables instead of fossil fuels and called for the government to finish the energy transition ASAP.
He said in a statement this afternoon:
I believe that we need to be moving away from fossil fuels, not championing them.
Thankfully, the reality on the ground is that’s what people are doing. Since 2022, there’s been a 25% increase in renewables, and that number is set to grow under our policies. Tomorrow, Australians will continue to electrify their homes and businesses, and support will remain for our plans to decarbonise our economy.
While we know that many in the community understand the role of gas in the transition away from fossil fuels, particularly after 10 years of climate neglect and denial by the Liberals, our government should continue to execute this transition as quickly as possible. This will remain my focus.
Jerome Laxale with the prime minister in 2022. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
Sydney Uni NTEU branch votes in favour of institutional academic boycott of Israel
Caitlin Cassidy
Sydney University’s branch of the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) has overwhelmingly voted in favour of an institutional academic boycott of Israel, becoming the first university in Australia to do so.
At a meeting today, 321 members voted in favour of the University of Sydney cutting ties with Israeli academic institutions and stopping all weapons-related research, equivalent to 93%, while 20 were against and five people abstained.
Sydney University’s branch president of the NTEU and historical supporter of Palestine, Nick Riemer, said it was the largest vote the union had in almost a year.
Riemer said the support for the motion was “so overwhelming that there weren’t even enough people against it to fill the speaking list”.
Our resolution is a clear signal to university management that union members do not support the university’s ties with the war industry or its connections with Israeli universities and their responsibility for Israel’s permanent war on Palestinians.
The Sydney University pro-Palestine encampment. Photograph: Jessica Hromas/The Guardian
