Listening to into authorities’s resolution to reject Qatar Airways routes begins
Sarah Basford Canales
The inquiry into the federal authorities’s decision-making course of to grant or reject further flights to airways begins right now in Sydney.
To convey you in control, the Coalition-majority committee is seeking to get solutions into why the transport minister, Catherine King, knocked again Qatar’s request to supply a further 28 flights every week to Australia’s main cities.
To date, we’re heard a couple of of the “components” that performed into the choice – it wasn’t within the nationwide curiosity, and the Doha incident – the place girls had been topic to invasive examinations in Qatar’s airport – was a backdrop.
However again to the hearings now. In the present day’s listening to will deal with alleged “slot hoarding” at Sydney Airport by airways and the impression it has on costs and competitors.
There’s been a little bit of a last-minute scramble to get witnesses to entrance the inquiry, however right now we’re anticipating to listen to from Sydney Airport and Flight Centre.
Marque Legal professionals, the authorized agency representing the 5 Australian girls who’re suing Qatar Airways over the 2020 Doha incident, are additionally anticipated to seem.
There can be three extra hearings after right now wraps – one this Friday in Perth, and two subsequent week in Brisbane and Canberra. It’s anticipated Qantas, unions and Perth Airport will seem on the listening to this Friday.
Yesterday, it was confirmed the Qatar Airways chief govt, Akbar Al Baker, wouldn’t be showing, in addition to former Qantas boss Alan Joyce, who’s over in Europe.
Neither has dominated out showing at one of many different three hearings.
Key occasions
Josh Taylor
Authorities to determine AI taskforce
The federal authorities will arrange an AI taskforce made up of companies together with the Digital Transformation Company, Trade, Well being, Agriculture and Dwelling Affairs to develop guardrails for AI and supply recommendation to authorities on the way to use AI safely.
The taskforce will last as long as 6 months, and comes following a public session on the way forward for AI coverage.
The finance minister, Katy Gallagher, stated that the robodebt saga had proven how superior applied sciences could cause hurt and undermine belief in authorities, so it was necessary to develop a secure and accountable use of AI.
The business minister, Ed Husic, stated AI fashions had been advancing quickly and it was necessary to get the utmost profit from the know-how, whereas additionally figuring out rising dangers:
The federal government can lead by instance by safely and responsibly harnessing the advantages of AI applied sciences. Our secure and accountable AI in Australia session is reinforcing that message loud and clear.
The brand new AI use in authorities taskforce combines a wealth of expertise within the subject of AI with broader views from throughout the APS, and I sit up for the outcomes of their work.
McKenzie: authorities ‘can’t get its story straight’ on Qatar Airways resolution
The opposition transport spokesperson, Bridget McKenzie, is subsequent up on ABC RN, talking concerning the authorities’s resolution to reject Qatar Airways routes.
As we introduced your earlier on the weblog, the inquiry into the federal authorities’s decision-making course of to grant or reject further flights to airways begins right now in Sydney.
McKenzie is heading the committee. She stated there’s a “lengthy record of individuals” invited to talk and to date, “nobody has refused to seem”.
In truth, as a result of in the event that they do, we’ve acquired the facility clearly to summons these individuals.
McKenzie stated the federal government has given 9 completely different causes for his or her resolution to dam Qatar Airway’s routes, from human rights to the atmosphere, and “can’t get its story straight”.
That’s why we’ve needed to stand the inquiry as much as resolve the actual cause. By limiting this utility by Qatar Airways we all know that Australians have a much less alternative of vacation spot into Europe, via the Center East …
I feel Australians on the finish of the day need an aviation business they will the place they will afford a ticket, the place the planes take off and land on time, the place your luggage get to vacation spot on the identical time …
O’Neil: authorities response on cybercrime won’t take away duties of firms to safe knowledge
Clare O’Neil is requested whether or not the federal government is contemplating implementing a “secure harbour rule” like different nations have that might allow companies to report what’s occurred however then be saved from prosecution.
She informed ABC RN:
What’s actually necessary to grasp … is the best way during which a cyber assault unfolds is sort of completely different than different varieties of crime. So when you get one thing stolen from your own home, the police can are available in and you may establish the gadgets which are gone normally just about instantly. Cybercrime just isn’t like that. Usually what’s taken is invisible and it’ll take generally months to grasp precisely what has occurred.
So what what we’re fascinated by for the time being is how to ensure we’ve acquired as open disclosure as doable on the disaster level of the assault. So after we know there’s an intruder on the system … we have to assist firms [eject] them from the system as rapidly as doable. That doesn’t take away from any duties that firms may have finally across the transparency of what has occurred, and reporting that to authorities and to regulators.
The one type of stress that I’d see right here is how will we handle that basically short-term disaster response … the place we have to perceive precisely what sort of crime has occurred. None of that ought to take away from the duties that firms must make the legal guidelines in Australia and nobody’s going to be taking away any of these duties.
Clare O’Neil says Australia aiming to develop into ‘world chief’ in cybersecurity by 2030
The house affairs minister, Clare O’Neil, is chatting with ABC RN this morning concerning the authorities’s plan to develop into a “world chief” in cybersecurity by 2030.
This comes after Australia confronted cyber assaults on Optus, which impacted 9 million Australians, and the Medibank assault three weeks later, which O’Neil stated was a “wake-up name”.
O’Neil stated cybersecurity was a precedence of the federal government as a result of there’s “good cause” to consider it’s solely going to worsen:
We’ve acquired actually good cause to consider that the cybersecurity atmosphere is definitely going to worsen. And I say that to not scare individuals, however to assist them perceive that we are able to see what’s coming at us and that’s the reason the federal government is so fiercely energetic on this subject.
She stated there aren’t mechanisms in place at this stage to go after culprits:
What I imply by that’s that cybercrime is a comparatively new type of felony exercise. And I feel what we’re seeing is nations world wide begin to construct and develop responses that can truly assist us convey perpetrators to account …
O’Neil stated the federal government has carried out 10 substantial reforms inside the final yr and the main target is now changing into a “cyber chief” by 2030, with company Australia additionally getting “a giant get up name” during the last yr round their duties, she added.
Ed Husic says neighborhood consent would even be barrier to Coalition nuclear proposal
The business and science minister Ed Husic spoke to ABC Information Breakfast this morning concerning the Coalition’s nuclear power proposal.
In case you missed it yesterday: the federal authorities says it could price as a lot as $387bn to exchange Australia’s retiring coal-fired energy stations with the type of nuclear energy proposed by the Coalition. You possibly can learn the complete particulars right here:
Husic stated photo voltaic and wind are the “most cost-effective, quickest” methods to get power technology.
What the Coalition is proposing is one thing they by no means actually labored on after they had been in authorities and in the event that they had been to get again into authorities, [it] would take ages to generate power and it could be rather more pricey.
He was requested if the $378bn determine was a bit “excessive”, however argued it comes all the way down to the dimensions of funding required.
That may be a big amount of cash that might be required … and the important thing ingredient right here is neighborhood consent the place these potential nuclear energy vegetation could be constructed.
…you’ve got the Liberal occasion pushing for the creation of nuclear energy vegetation whereas the Nationwide occasion fights the institution of transition traces. So that you’ll generate the power, received’t have the ability to transfer it. What we actually want is to get centered on how we make this transition as environment friendly as doable and if it’s going to additionally longer-term ship longer costs, too, after we get it proper.
Sydney to hit 34C as NSW RFS declare hearth ban
Sydney is in for an additional scorching day right now, as excessive temperatures proceed to comb the nation and the area faces its first complete hearth ban in three years.
Yesterday, the New South Wales Rural Hearth Service enacted a complete hearth ban for the whole Sydney area:
Temperatures are forecast to hit 34C in Sydney right now, with the ABC reporting the all-time September document as 34.6C.
Penrith has a forecast max temperature of 35C right now, as does Bega, with the Bureau of Meteorology additionally declaring an excessive hearth hazard for the realm.
Angus Hines from the BoM stated components of South Australia and Queensland would additionally really feel the warmth:
Most of Australia is sitting at reasonable or excessive hearth (hazard) for the subsequent few days.
The south coast of NSW has a small space of maximum hearth hazard there, overlapping with the heatwave circumstances on Tuesday.
The NSW schooling division listed 20 colleges that can be closed throughout the state’s south coast on Tuesday.
The fireplace ban and college closures apply throughout areas together with the Bega Valley and Eurobodalla Shire.
– with AAP
NSW to publish $7.8bn deficit earlier than string of surpluses
Jonathan Barrett
New South Wales will document a $7.8bn deficit this monetary yr when it fingers down its state finances right now earlier than having fun with an anticipated run of surpluses backed by income streams that outpace bills.
Whereas the 2023-24 outcome can be about $700m worse than forecast on the pre-election finances, the general place has improved by $3.6bn over the 4 years to 2026-27.
The NSW treasurer, Daniel Mookhey, has stated Labor’s first finances for the state in additional than a decade will lay the groundwork for future reform. The brand new authorities might want to deal with a power housing disaster in Australia’s most populous state, whereas being cautious to not gasoline inflation via overspending.
The federal government has already introduced its intention to see extra properties constructed nearer to Sydney’s CBD and alongside transport routes.
Mookhey will announce on Tuesday that $13bn has been redirected via an expenditure evaluate course of as a method to ship on its finances priorities whereas managing monetary pressures.
Housing affordability and important providers are two of the precedence areas.
However the state’s spending can be carefully watched, given NSW is on the cusp of a credit standing downgrade, largely on account of its escalating debt burden.
There will even be adjustments to a wealth fund arrange by the earlier Liberal authorities, with its usefulness referred to as into query given it’s forecast to generate smaller returns than the curiosity repayments on the rising debt ranges.
The expenditure evaluate was introduced quickly after Labor took workplace in March.
NSW is forecast to generate a $1.6bn surplus by 2025-26, earlier than recording a $1.5bn surplus the next yr.
Any shock to the property market may derail the anticipated return to surplus, given the state’s heavy monetary reliance on property switch taxes (stamp responsibility).
Emily Wind
Good morning everybody, and blissful Tuesday!
I’m Emily Wind and I’ll be with you on the stay weblog right now. Due to Martin Farrer for kicking issues off.
In the event you see something that wants consideration on the weblog, be at liberty to ship me an e mail: emily.wind.informal@theguardian.com.
And with that, let’s get into it.
One cause for the no lead we’ve been speaking about this morning is likely to be their use of TikTok. As our reporters clarify right here, damaging movies are spreading “like wildfire”, and leaving sure flatfooted.
Authorities to spend $1.5bn on improve for maritime. surveillance plane
Daniel Hurst
The federal authorities will spend $1.5bn on increasing and upgrading Australia’s maritime surveillance plane.
The federal government will announce right now that it has authorized the acquisition of a fourth MQ-4C Triton, a remotely piloted plane system that has a spread of as much as 15,000km, regardless of the US navy just lately scaling again its personal procurement plans.
The funding additionally contains upgrades to Australia’s present fleet of 14 Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and response plane (these are crewed). The federal government says these Poseidon upgrades will ship “enhancements to anti-submarine warfare, maritime strike and intelligence assortment capabilities”.
The defence strategic evaluate had referred to as for Australia to undertaking army energy farther from its shores, amid issues about China’s assertion of sovereignty within the contested South China Sea.
Previous to this resolution, Australia already had ordered three MQ-4C Triton techniques from Northrop Grumman to “present long-range, persistent surveillance throughout Australia’s maritime area”. The primary of the already ordered plane, together with floor and help techniques, is because of be delivered to Australia subsequent yr.
The brand new approval is for a fourth Triton, which the federal government expects to obtain within the 2027-28 monetary yr.
It says that the Triton plane “can be based mostly at RAAF Base Tindal, Northern Territory, and operated by the newly re-formed Quantity 9 squadron, situated at RAAF Base Edinburgh, South Australia”.
The Poseidon plane upgrades, in the meantime, are deliberate to run from 2026 to 2030.
The minister for defence business, Pat Conroy, stated:
The acquisition of a further Triton will improve operations from Australia’s northern bases, a precedence beneath the defence strategic evaluate.
The upgrades to the fleet of Poseidon plane strengthens our skill to safe and shield Australia’s maritime pursuits.
Listening to into authorities’s resolution to reject Qatar Airways routes begins
Sarah Basford Canales
The inquiry into the federal authorities’s decision-making course of to grant or reject further flights to airways begins right now in Sydney.
To convey you in control, the Coalition-majority committee is seeking to get solutions into why the transport minister, Catherine King, knocked again Qatar’s request to supply a further 28 flights every week to Australia’s main cities.
To date, we’re heard a couple of of the “components” that performed into the choice – it wasn’t within the nationwide curiosity, and the Doha incident – the place girls had been topic to invasive examinations in Qatar’s airport – was a backdrop.
However again to the hearings now. In the present day’s listening to will deal with alleged “slot hoarding” at Sydney Airport by airways and the impression it has on costs and competitors.
There’s been a little bit of a last-minute scramble to get witnesses to entrance the inquiry, however right now we’re anticipating to listen to from Sydney Airport and Flight Centre.
Marque Legal professionals, the authorized agency representing the 5 Australian girls who’re suing Qatar Airways over the 2020 Doha incident, are additionally anticipated to seem.
There can be three extra hearings after right now wraps – one this Friday in Perth, and two subsequent week in Brisbane and Canberra. It’s anticipated Qantas, unions and Perth Airport will seem on the listening to this Friday.
Yesterday, it was confirmed the Qatar Airways chief govt, Akbar Al Baker, wouldn’t be showing, in addition to former Qantas boss Alan Joyce, who’s over in Europe.
Neither has dominated out showing at one of many different three hearings.
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our rolling information protection. I’m Martin Farrer, bringing you some in a single day headlines earlier than Emily Wind takes over.
After two weeks of escalating rhetoric and division across the Indigenous voice to parliament referendum, the no camp has taken a majority lead in our polling sequence for the primary time. Our newest Important ballot right now exhibits the naysayers with an anticipated 51% of the vote. However 29% of the voters are nonetheless “persuadable”.
A younger girl stays in a important situation in hospital this morning and one other is in a steady situation after being stabbed on the Australian Nationwide College campus in Canberra yesterday. A 24-year-old man, who just isn’t considered a scholar on the college, has been arrested.
The inquiry into the federal authorities’s decision-making course of to grant or reject further flights to airways begins this morning, with the Coalition searching for solutions about why Qatar Airways was denied new routes. Then at noon we get particulars of Labor’s first state finances in NSW for 10 years when the lockup ends and Daniel Mookhey reveals his secrets and techniques.
And Scott Morrison has informed a church congregation in Perth that God will “kind out” the world’s issues, as he warned about an “more and more hostile” world. Talking on the Encounter Metropolis Church yesterday in a service commemorating its fiftieth anniversary, the previous prime minister stated that God has “a approach of reminding us … who’s in cost and it’s not us – thank God for that”.
