Barnaby Joyce apologises after comparing voting to using a bullet
Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce has apologised for comparing voting to using a bullet while speaking at an anti-wind farm rally held in Lake Illawarra at the weekend.
As local media Mercury Illawarra reported, Joyce told the crowd “your greatest weapon” in opposing the turbines is “to turn up in numbers” in Canberra and Sydney:
And the bullet you have is that little piece of paper, and it goes in that magazine called the voting box, and it’s coming up.
Get ready to load that magazine.
Go goodbye Chris, goodbye Stephen, goodbye Albo. And when they see that, they’ll let you in their office for a meeting.
He has since apologised for the comments, telling Sunrise: “I apologise for using that metaphor.”
(Political gun violence is front of mind at the moment, given the attack on Donald Trump earlier in the month).
Key events
Australia-first portable bond scheme on the way for NSW
NSW is pushing ahead with an Australia-first portable bond scheme that will allow millions of renters to digitally transfer their bond to their new home, AAP reports.
The state government has said an upgrade of the existing rental bond system will soon get underway with the work expected to be completed in 2025.
Minister for better regulation and fair trading Anoulack Chanthivong said this scheme would be “the first of its kind in the nation.”
The Portable Rental Bonds Scheme will allow eligible tenants to digitally transfer their existing bond to their new rental home. The Labor government says the scheme will give home owners security, give renters better cashflow and reduce financial stress.
Premier Chris Minns said in a statement:
Moving house is one of the most stressful things you can do, not to mention expensive for many renters. The process can leave renters out of pocket, for up to several weeks.
The NSW government’s portable bonds scheme will give cost of living relief to renters moving homes, by making sure they don’t have to set aside extra money while they wait for their bond to be refunded.
Sussan Ley says Albanese cabinet reshuffle is ‘huge concession’ government is ‘failing to deliver’
Sussan Ley was also questioned about the changes to the Albanese ministry announced yesterday, including Tony Burke taking the immigration portfolio.
She said that when the reshuffle was announced it was “about replacing three retiring ministers” but “now Anthony Albanese has had to change half his team, including Tony Burke.”
That’s a huge concession the government’s failing to deliver, because if there were problems in housing and immigration, why did the prime minister wait to move these ministers on?
She said that the current opposition frontbench is the one that will go to the next election.
Sussan Ley says Joyce ‘does use colourful language’ over bullet metaphor
Deputy leader of the opposition, Sussan Ley, was also up on ABC RN earlier and was asked to respond to those comments from Barnaby Joyce.
She said it was “not language I would have used”, but said “Barnaby, as we know, does use colourful language.”
I haven’t seen the comments specifically or in their entire context, but when it comes to promoting social cohesion everyone in their language and their words should be lifting the debate to what brings people together, not what pushes people apart, and I think all of us do that.
So by focusing and trying to interrogate individual comments at different times, I don’t think that’s particularly helpful.
Asked if she would condemn his comments, Ley said she was “not going to go that far” but “it’s not language I would have used.”
While Ley was on air, Joyce issued an apology on Sunrise. Ley said this was the “right response, so I think we should leave it there.”
Labor’s Peter Khalil says Joyce bullet metaphor ‘absolutely unacceptable’
On ABC RN earlier, the incoming special envoy for social cohesion Peter Khalil responded to those comments from Barnaby Joyce and labelled them “quite shocking” and “absolutely unacceptable.”
He’s a democratically elected representative, your obligation [and] responsibility [is] to bring people together, to unite people, not to sow discord and division through this kind of violent rhetoric.
And we’ve seen what’s happened with other jurisdictions in the US, and the polarisation, and what’s going on with the attempted assassination in the US. So it’s highly irresponsible …
We don’t have to use that kind of vile rhetoric. It’s really unnecessary and it’s unacceptable, and it should be called out.
As we mentioned a moment ago, Joyce has since apologised for “using that metaphor”.
Barnaby Joyce apologises after comparing voting to using a bullet
Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce has apologised for comparing voting to using a bullet while speaking at an anti-wind farm rally held in Lake Illawarra at the weekend.
As local media Mercury Illawarra reported, Joyce told the crowd “your greatest weapon” in opposing the turbines is “to turn up in numbers” in Canberra and Sydney:
And the bullet you have is that little piece of paper, and it goes in that magazine called the voting box, and it’s coming up.
Get ready to load that magazine.
Go goodbye Chris, goodbye Stephen, goodbye Albo. And when they see that, they’ll let you in their office for a meeting.
He has since apologised for the comments, telling Sunrise: “I apologise for using that metaphor.”
(Political gun violence is front of mind at the moment, given the attack on Donald Trump earlier in the month).
Special envoy on Islamophobia to be announced ‘soon’, Khalil says
Peter Khalil was asked why a special envoy on Islamophobia is yet to be announced, following the announcement of a special envoy on antisemitism.
He said you would need to ask the relevant ministers and prime minister, but flagged it would be “announced soon.”
Those envoys that you mentioned are quite different. They are outside of the parliamentary process [and] they are working, obviously, with those communities … around those two issues of antisemitism and Islamophobia, which we’ve seen increasing both over this period…
They’re important roles in engaging with communities … it’s all about trying to bring people together.
Peter Khalil on new role as special envoy on social cohesion
As Anthony Albanese unveiled changes to his cabinet ministry yesterday, he also announced three special envoys.
Peter Khalil will report to the prime minister on social cohesion, NT MP Luke Gosling will report on veterans affairs, defence and northern Australia issues and Andrew Charlton will have responsibilities in the cybersecurity and digital resilience space.
Khalil spoke with ABC RN about the new role just earlier and said that social cohesion is about “different parts of our society sticking together to form a united whole.”
The act of forming that united whole, it really is about the relationships that we have with each other within our city, how we work together, common goals we share, what common ground we have, how that society works effectively …
It’s not just about multiculturalism [and] it’s not just about religious background or ethnicity. It’s much broader than that … We [have] our political beliefs, the intergenerational differences, the socioeconomic differences, and that is really important that we find ways and policies to strengthen our ability to form that united whole society, especially when it’s being threatened with fragmentation through many different challenges that we’re facing.
Wieambilla shootings inquest to begin today
An inquest into what appeared to be an ambush of Queensland police by three extremist Christian conspiracy theorists will begin today.
In December 2022, Queensland police officers Rachel McCrow and Matthew Arnold were ambushed and killed by conspiracy theorists Nathaniel, Gareth, and Stacey Train – who also killed their neighbour, Alan Dare.
Police had responded to a missing person search, but Queensland police commissioner, Katarina Carroll, later said the officers “did not stand a chance”, because according to police it appeared to be a prepared ambush by three conspiracy theorists.
An inquest will now examine exactly what happened on that day. It is scheduled to sit from 29 July to 30 August, and there are extensive suppression orders in place.
You can read more on this from Andrew Messenger below:
Search effort to resume this morning for man missing in Brisbane River
A search will resume this morning amid fears a man is missing in the Brisbane River.
Emergency services were called to the Brisbane River, at the end of Boundary Street, yesterday afternoon following reports a man was in distress before a witness lost sight of him.
Police and SES volunteers commenced a search, but have so far failed to locate the man. Search efforts ceased about 9.30pm last night, and were set to resume at 6am today.
Anyone with further information is urged to contact police.
Minns: Labor motion on Palestine proves support for two-state solution
Chris Minns was also asked about the motion that passed at the state conference, calling for the government to recognise Palestine as a sovereign and independent state “as a priority”.
Asked what he makes of this outcome, Minns said he doesn’t think “that there’s a ubiquitous view”:
Other then an acknowledgment from Labor members that this is an extremely complex and emotion driven argument – and obviously, there’s not necessarily common ground either in the Labor party or right across the community – but the motion was carried.
I think that [it’s] been settled for a long time inside the NSW … conference, as well as the federal party, for a two-state solution. And the will of the conference delegates on Saturday was very clear, and that is that we want Palestinians and Israelis living side by side so that we can see an end to the violence and the death has taken place.
Minns says ‘we’ve got a long way to go’ in NSW towards addressing gendered violence
Chris Minns was asked about a protest to end gendered violence outside the state Labor conference in Sydney yesterday, and asked if he would commit to their demand for trauma-informed training for first responders?
He replied:
Yes, I’ll work with emergency departments, frontline workers, essential workers to make sure that we’ve got the best response to the rising scourge of domestic violence in the state.
They’re right to point out that the prevalence of domestic violence in NSW is greater than other jurisdictions … We’ve got a long way to go and I acknowledge – I do acknowledge, to be frank that we’re behind.
Minns: ‘everyone needs to do more’ on housing
Asked if the federal government needs to do more when it comes to addressing housing issues, NSW premier Chris Minns said that “everyone needs to do more.”
Speaking to the ABC, he said:
This is the massive block on our economic productivity, on our access to skilled labor. I speak to businesses in NSW who will say, in some cases it doesn’t matter what we offer in a pay increase if it’s going to be eaten up almost exclusively in rental charges [or] mortgage costs.
So this is the responsibility of state and federal leaders … We are well behind in this state and we welcome any help from the commonwealth…
Minns: penalties for no-fault eviction ‘to be determined in legislation’
Under the proposed changes, landlords in New South Wales would face penalties if they terminate a lease for non-genuine reasons. What kind of penalties may they face?
Premier Chris Minns said the specific penalties would be “determined in the legislation.”
We’ve got a mind’s eye as to what they’ll be – broadly what the penalties currently applying in Queensland and Victoria are – but we haven’t released them just yet.
Obviously enough to make sure that people don’t routinely or brazenly break the law, or as a cost of business, excise their tenant from their place in order to pay a nominal fine.
Minns on decision to end no-ground evictions: ‘something has to change’
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, spoke with ABC Radio earlier this morning on the back of the state Labor conference at the weekend.
One of the more notable announcements was an end to no-ground evictions in the state, with legislation due to be introduced in September. Speaking about this earlier this morning, Minns said “something has to change”:
There’s been a 35% increase in rents in Sydney apartments in two years. We’re losing twice as many young people as we’re gaining every 12 months in New South Wales, you’re seeing a massive exodus of some of our brightest and best to other jurisdictions.
Businesses are hurting, they can’t get skilled labour right across the board, and we’ve been warned by the productivity commissioner that we run the risk of being a city without grandchildren because young people are being locked out.
You can read more about the no-grounds eviction proposal below:
South Australia topping Australia’s economic ladder
More traditionally regarded for the quality of its wine and festivals, South Australia has once again been recognised as an economic powerhouse for its robust jobs market and strong building activity.
As AAP reports, the state topped CommSec’s July state of the states report – which gauges the economic momentum of each region – after ranking first in the previous two quarters.
SA was again followed by Western Australia and Victoria in second and third place, respectively. WA was fast gaining on top spot, leading on relative population growth and home lending metrics.
The report, which judges performance relative to each jurisdiction’s historic benchmark, had the Australian Capital Territory in fourth place. The ACT topped the list in terms of economic growth but was held back in other areas, such as relative unemployment.
Queensland and Tasmania took out fifth and sixth place, respectively, while Australia’s largest economy NSW came in seventh, let down by lower retail spending. CommSec senior economist, Ryan Felsman, said:
Generally speaking, state economies have slowed as consumers respond to higher borrowing costs and price pressures. The future economic path will be dependent on the resilience of the job market and interest rates.
The Northern Territory once again took out last place.
Welcome
Emily Wind
Happy Monday, and welcome back to a new week on the Australia news live blog. I’m Emily Wind, and I’ll be taking you through our rolling coverage today.
The new cabinet ministry will be sworn in today after a number of changes unveiled by the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, yesterday. The reshuffle saw Andrew Giles and Clare O’Neil dumped from their portfolios and Tony Burke appointed to home affairs, among other changes.
The ministry shakeup came after two ministers, Brendan O’Connor and Linda Burney, decided to step down from the front bench ahead of their retirements at the next election. The governor general, Sam Mostyn, will conduct the swearing-in ceremonies today.
Meanwhile, South Australia’s economy has once again been ranked first in CommSec’s state of the states report. As AAP reports, Ryan Felsman, a CommSec senior economist, said SA still had the wood on its rivals in terms of relative unemployment, construction work done and dwelling starts, but WA – in second – had stronger momentum.
Across the country, the economic performance of Australia’s states and territories is being supported by both strong employment and population growth, at a time of higher-than-desired price inflation.
See something that needs attention on the blog? You can get in touch via X, @emilywindwrites, or you can send me an email: emily.wind@theguardian.com.
Let’s get started.