NSW Labor’s Kiama byelection win ‘gift from voters’, Minns says
Labor shouldn’t take the electorate for granted despite a solid win in the Kiama byelection that the NSW premier, Chris Minns, says was a “gift from voters”.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday morning, Minns said that he was concerned Labor MPs may “misread the message or mishear the message that the next election’s won without us even fighting for it without us even fighting for it”.
We’ve got to make progress, and one of the areas I want to identify is reliability on the heavy rail public transport network, which is not good enough and must be an urgent priority for us.
Minns said the party had gone into the byelection with a message of “try before you buy” on its newest MP, Katelin McInerney.
What that meant is that Katelin’s a great candidate. We think she’s fantastic. There’s an opportunity for you to put her to work for you for 18 months before you make a more permanent decision at the 2027 election.
Noting the large independent and minor party vote in the byelection, Minns said it was “hard for me to glean what [voters’] motivations were across the board”, but said he had faith that Labor’s performance over the next year would demonstrate the strength of the party.
At the end of the day, if you get close to the next election and we can show real progress in major public hospitals, investment in schools and our public transport network, then we think we’ll have a solid foundation to approach the next election on but that’s going to be up to the voters.
Key events
Aldi to offer solar and battery packages as retail chains move to cash in
Big businesses cashing in on Australia’s charge towards a solar future are cementing renewables as mainstream, experts say.
Supermarket giant Aldi is the latest to join the rush, flagging plans to sell solar panels and battery packages on the heels of Bunnings and Ikea developing installation arms.
Green Energy Council’s Con Hristodoulidis says the solar industry has become “the clothesline that we have in our backyard”.
When big chain supermarkets and hardware stores like Bunnings and IKEA get into it, it shows you that solar is now a mainstream part of the Australian culture.
The Climate Council’s Greg Bourne said it was interesting that chains like Aldi were now offering solar and battery packages, but warned that the installer was “more important” than the actual panels, battery, or inverter systems.
The installer who understands the integration into your particular setting is probably the most important thing of it all.
Clearly, a company like Aldi does have a global buying potential … it may well be that they can bring the prices down and deliver quality integration.
Aldi Solar’s service provider Tempo is an accredited installer, according to the New Energy Tech Consumer Code.
– with AAP
Nine arrested and charged after AFP raids targeting child exploitation material
A man who livestreamed online child sexual abuse has been charged along with several others in a string of raids across the country by the Australian federal police in the last fortnight.
More than 140 officers were involved in the raids that included 15 properties across New South Wales.
Nine people have been arrested and charged, including men and a woman accused of uploading, transmitting and distributing images and videos of children.
Among them was a 62-year-old man was arrested for live online child sexual abuse material involving children in overseas countries on three occasions. He has already faced court and been remanded in custody. He faces a maximum of 20 years in jail if convicted.
Another man posed as a woman and engaged in sexualised conversations with children to obtain sexually explicit content.
Others caught in the raids include a member of the defence force and a high ranking firefighter.
The arrests were made as part of National Child Protection Week with the investigations beginning as the result of intelligence shared by national and international law enforcement agencies.
Det Sgt Jarrod Cook said the work undertaken by investigators was “confronting and horrific” but “critical to safeguard our vulnerable young people.”
– with AAP
NSW government to rezone Parramatta Road corridor and make room for 8,000 new homes
Sydney’s ugliest road is again being touted as the next development hotspot, with plans by the Minns government to rezone and develop about 8,000 new homes along Parramatta Road in Leichhardt and Camperdown, in the city’s inner west.
The state government and inner west councillors have agreed to partner on rezoning along the Parramatta Road corridor to deliver a major boost to housing close to the CBD.
The proposed rezoning would cover the section of Parramatta Road within the Inner West local government area, complementing work already under way with Inner West council, Burwood and Canada Bay council.
It will begin with areas of Parramatta Road in Leichhardt and Camperdown, close to the city, and is likely to result in rezonings to allow buildings of between six and 20 storeys.
But unlike earlier plans, which proposed putting a light rail down Parramatta Road and limiting the amount of traffic on what was once the major artery between the city and Parramatta, this plan relies on existing transport.
For more on this story read the full report from Anne Davies:
The PM closes out the press conference by promoting his government’s support for Western Australia, saying that under his leadership he has been keen to promote the state.
Can I conclude by just saying that it’s great to be back here in WA? One of the things that I said in the lead-up to [the 2022 election] was that I wanted to put WA really at the centre of what my government would deliver over the coming period. We’re now into our fourth year. I think it’s fair to say that I don’t need a visa to get into WA because I’m here so often that it’s a continuous visa from the premier here in WA. And you know, the only concern here is that someone might challenge that I should be on the electoral roll here in WA.
And that’s a wrap.
Australia ‘not planning’ on garrisoning troops in PNG under new pact, Albanese says
Addressing questions about the new security pact with Papua New Guinea, Albanese says Australia is “not planning” on garrisoning Australian troops in the country.
He adds that Australia “operates very significantly” with a number of regional neighbours, including Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand.
Increasingly we are doing exercises and operations with all of those countries and they in turn are doing exercises and operations here in Australia. And I think what we’ll see with the defence agreement that we signed in the coming days is an agreement which speaks to an enormous amount of ambition between our two countries to work even more closely together.
Albanese described the upcoming agreement as a “refresh of an old agreement, which has been in place since 1977”.
But the level of ambition that both of us have brought to the table has meant that really, I believe what we’ll be saying in the next few days is a genuinely historic agreement between our two countries.
One of the aims of the agreement, Albanese says, is to “try and evolve the capability” of PNG’s defence force.
Veterans’ affairs minister says War Memorial investigation into Ben Roberts-Smith literary award controversy has concluded
The prime minister has thrown his support behind the Australian War Memorial council after its decision not to grant an award to a book covering the activities of Ben Roberts-Smith.
I must say that the Australian War Memorial, which is a sacred site for Australians, it is visited each and every day by young and older Australians to pay respect, to learn about the contribution that the men and women who’ve served us in uniform have made, and to give respect, particularly to those who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice.
The prime minister then passes to the veterans’ affairs minister, Matt Keogh, who says that the operation of the war memorial is “independent of politics and partisanship”. Keogh says the government sought to clarify with the memorial what occurred following media reports.
Well, this only came to my attention this week with the media reporting because what it does in that regard is independent. We saw some an explanation as to what’s occurred there. And they’re running that process and it’s now completed. And they communicated that with people that were involved in that competition. And they’ll keep doing these education programs and various different ways. And that’s a good thing that the war memorial does.
Read more on what happened in Paul Daley’s report here:
‘You don’t defend the country with a media release’, PM tells media
Asked whether Australia will be able to sustain this investment, Albanese says unequivocally “yes”, saying today’s announcement is the product of “work that’s been done”.
What we have done is consistent with the way that my government operates across portfolios. It is orderly. It is considered. It always acts in the Australian national interest. We get it right. We get the detail right and then we make an announcement.
This is a restatement of the prime minister’s theory of government that very much focuses on process and consultation.
You don’t defend the country with a media release. This here is what you defend the country with, with assets, with capability. And that’s what we’re investing in.
Defence capability announcement ‘will be welcomed’ by US and UK, Marles says
Asked about the demands being made by the Trump administration, Albanese says “Australia has always pulled our weight.”
We pay our way and we contribute to our alliance each and every day. What we have done here, if you look at what we’ve done since the Defence Strategic Review is invest in capability to make a difference.
Marles also steps in to contribute, emphasising the announcement is an investment in Australia’s defence manufacturing capability.
And so I’ve got no doubt this decision will be welcomed in the United States as it will be welcomed in the United Kingdom because it is a another step forward down the Aukus path. But fundamentally, what we are doing here is an Australian announcement and it is based on meeting the timing needs that we have to maintain the momentum around this facility.
SA and WA the ‘winners’ from defence industry investment, Albanese says
Questions now and the first is hard to hear but it appears to be about whether South Australia is being cut out of this investment.
Anthony Albanese:
Not at all. The two biggest, the two big states that are winners from what we are doing in defence are Western Australia and South Australia.
The work that is going on in South Australia is already seen training of new and upskilling of the workforce there in preparation for what will occur.
The investment that’s occurring in South Australia is enormous and here in Western Australia it is as well.
Albanese says both the South Australian premier, Peter Malinauskas, and WA’s Roger Cook are “very pleased every time we cross the borders into either of those states”.
Defence industry could overtake agriculture in WA, premier says
We’re back with the deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, who is speaking about how the Australian government is spending $127m over the next three years to perform “early works and planning to scope this project”.
This [facility] will underpin the building of army’s landing crafts. It will provide for the basis of the sustainment of nuclear powered submarines here at Henderson and in time this will provide the place where we will see the building of the Mogami-class frigate in Australia.
After Marles, we have the Western Australian premier, Roger Cook, who echoes the words of the prime minister in describing this about jobs for the local economy.
There’s a huge opportunity for us. We want to diversify our economy, make sure that WA stays the strongest economy in the country. We want Western Australians have access to the quality jobs and the business opportunity that comes from a diversified economy and the development of our defence industries is an important part.
Cook says the investment represents “a significant body of work” that is “potentially overtaking agriculture as Western Australia’s second biggest industry.”
So for us this is a big deal, and we are extremely excited to play the role that we can.
Albanese touts $12bn investment in WA Aukus shipyards
Anthony Albanese is in Western Australia to mark the $12bn investment in new shipyards to support Australia’s acquisition of nuclear submarines under the Aukus agreement.
Speaking to reporters now, the prime minister says the facility to be built will be “world class” and provide 10,000 jobs along with “strong opportunities for local industry”.
There’s no greater honour than serving our country and our nation’s uniform. And my government is dedicated to investing in the defence capabilities that our nation requires to keep Australians safe. My government has already made record investments across shipbuilding here in the west. And today’s announcement builds on that.
Albanese said “progressing these capabilities is absolutely critical”.
Unfortunately the presser has been interrupted by the weather, so we will pick this up when they regroup.
New Zealand police asked to help in Dezi Freeman manhunt
Victorian police have called in backup from New Zealand to help in the manhunt for Dezi Freeman.
The acting deputy commissioner of regional operations, Russell Barrett, spoke to the media on Sunday morning to give an update on the search.
He said police from New Zealand had been called in for their expertise, given the rugged, mountainous environment where Freeman is believed to be at large.
Barrett said there are “so many places to hide”.
If we think of Freeman and what he’s capable of, every step must be taken really really carefully.
