Queensland police commissioner to resign
Queensland’s police commissioner, Katarina Carroll, is set to stand down in a press conference called for 10.45am AEST.
Carroll revealed last night she was weighing up not seeking to continue in the role when her five-year contract ends in July.
Guardian Australia understands she has decided not to seek a new contract.
Carroll was due to meet with the police minister, Mark Ryan, today amid heated media coverage of youth crime.
In a statement yesterday, Carroll said she was yet to have formal discussions about her contract with the government but had been considering her options, “with one of those being that I may not seek an extension to my contract as commissioner.”
Guardian Australia heard from former police officers last week who spoke of growing discontent within the service.
Former premier Annastacia Palaszczuk appointed Carroll as the state’s police commissioner in 2019. In 2014, Carroll served as the fire and emergency services commissioner.
Carroll started her career in general duties before being promoted to the rank of detective and taking on leadership positions in the drug squad and the ethical standards unit.
– Eden Gillespie and Ben Smee
Key events
Marles says increase in warships will create ‘largest fleet since the end of the second world war’
Defence minister Richard Marles is now speaking to the media about the government’s revised plans for its naval shipbuilding program.
He said the government was announcing an increase in the number of warships in the navy to being “being the largest fleet since the end of the second world war”.
Currently the navy has 11 warships but the government is committing to take that number to 26, he said.
Six Hunter-class frigates will be built at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in Adelaide, the first of those to be delivered in 2034.
The government will procure 11 new general-purpose frigates and six large optionally-crewed surface vessels.
Marles:
They have the capacity to operate in an un-crewed fashion but it is the intention of the Royal Australian Navy to crew these vessels.
They will operate in combination with the Hobart-class antiwar fare destroyers, air warfare destroyers and they will also operate in conjunction with the Hunter-class frigates.
These ships, in combination with the three existing air warfare destroyers, will take our service fleet of warships to 26. And it is the largest fleet that we will have since the end of the second world war.
Paul Karp
PM says government-run supermarket with set prices for grocery staples a good idea
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has just spoken to Mix 94.5 Radio in Perth. Most of the interview was the usual wedding logistics, after he proposed to partner Jodie Haydon on Valentine’s Day.
But things got interesting at the end when he was asked to play a game of whether he thinks certain measures are a great idea.
At first, Albanese seemed to be taking it completely seriously. Asked about a “freeze on international and interstate investors purchasing investment homes”, Albanese said it was “a bit rough” to ban interstate investors. No, he didn’t support it.
Asked if the government should run a supermarket with “fair, fixed prices on grocery staples”, Albanese replied “yes” that’s a good idea. The hosts joked it would be called Albo’s instead of Aldi.
Asked about a “giant shade sail between Australia and the sun”, Albanese said this was a “great idea” and suggested putting solar on it.
We’ll check whether Albanese actually supports these policies. The giant shade may be the stuff of techno futurism but a government-run supermarket is actually feasible.
Richard Marles and Pat Conroy announce changes to navy surface fleet
The defence minister, Richard Marles, is set to speak to the media soon, as the government announces major changes to Australia’s navy surface fleet.
In a statement from Marles and the defence industry minister, Pat Conroy, just before, it said the government has committed to increase Defence’s funding in the 2024-25 federal budget by $11.1bn over the next decade to “ensure the enhanced lethality surface combatant fleet is funded”.
Australian shipbuilders and industry will be at the centre of delivering this future fleet.
Over the next 10 years, this investment will support more than 3,700 direct jobs and deliver the critical infrastructure required at the Osborne shipyard in South Australia and Henderson shipbuilding complex in Western Australia, delivering on the government’s commitment to continuous naval shipbuilding.
Trio accused of tram track attack on little penguin
The wildlife watchdog is hunting three people accused of attacking a little penguin in the middle of tram tracks in Melbourne, AAP reports.
The Conservation Regulator today pleaded for help to find the males, who were allegedly seen kicking a little penguin in the middle of tracks at Alfred Square and The Esplanade in St Kilda about 11.30pm on December 8.
An onlooker interrupted the group and moved the penguin to the beach near St Kilda Pier before reporting the incident.
The Conservation Regulator, which is investigating, released CCTV showing the attack on the penguin.
Crime Stoppers Victoria chief executive Stella Smith described the incident as appalling, and told AAP it was important those responsible are found and punished.
It’s disturbing behaviour. The community is always outraged when they see people hurting innocent animals.
It’s important that they’re found because we wouldn’t want this to happen again and they need to understand that their behaviour is absolutely unacceptable.
People who injure wildlife in Victoria can be fined more than $48,000 or jailed for 12 months. Several little penguins have been violently attacked at St Kilda over the years.
Anyone with footage of or information about the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
Queensland police commissioner to resign
Queensland’s police commissioner, Katarina Carroll, is set to stand down in a press conference called for 10.45am AEST.
Carroll revealed last night she was weighing up not seeking to continue in the role when her five-year contract ends in July.
Guardian Australia understands she has decided not to seek a new contract.
Carroll was due to meet with the police minister, Mark Ryan, today amid heated media coverage of youth crime.
In a statement yesterday, Carroll said she was yet to have formal discussions about her contract with the government but had been considering her options, “with one of those being that I may not seek an extension to my contract as commissioner.”
Guardian Australia heard from former police officers last week who spoke of growing discontent within the service.
Former premier Annastacia Palaszczuk appointed Carroll as the state’s police commissioner in 2019. In 2014, Carroll served as the fire and emergency services commissioner.
Carroll started her career in general duties before being promoted to the rank of detective and taking on leadership positions in the drug squad and the ethical standards unit.
– Eden Gillespie and Ben Smee
Coalition and Labor seeing red
Accusations of “no, you’re angry” seem to be flying between the government and the opposition as the border debate continues.
Before Peter Dutton accused Clare O’Neil of being an “angry person” (see previous post), the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, was saying the same thing about Dutton.
Speaking to the media in Perth yesterday, Albanese said:
What Australians can trust me to do as prime minister is not to just do the easy stuff, not to be like my opponent, where he just complains and gets aggressive and he’s so angry about so many things, Peter Dutton, in life, so angry.
Everything is overblown. There is no issue too big for him to not show how small he is and the lack of vision which is there. He’s always aggressive, always negative and nothing positive to say.
Dutton criticises Clare O’Neil on 3AW
Opposition leader Peter Dutton has labelled home affairs minister Clare O’Neil an “angry person” after she accused him of telling “outright lies” about the government’s border policies.
Earlier this morning, O’Neil told ABC RN “we do not need politicians running around the country, as Peter Dutton has done, telling outright lies” when discussing the arrival of asylum seekers by boat in Western Australia last week.
(We had more on her interview in the blog earlier).
Responding to her comments on 3AW Melbourne, Dutton said:
That’s probably the kindest thing that Clare O’Neil has said about me in a long time. She’s an angry person and that’s OK.
O’Neil also told RN earlier that Operation Sovereign Borders is currently funded better than it has ever been. Dutton argued there is a “cumulative impact of $600m” being taken out of Border Force.
Paul Karp has fact checked this argument – essentially, the Coalition claim is based on extrapolating out an unusually expensive year for a further four years.
You can read all the context below:
Tory Shepherd
South Australian laws expanding definition of ‘high-risk offender’ to be put to parliament
Laws to curtail the freedom of offenders such as Snowtown accomplice Mark Ray Haydon will be put to South Australian parliament today.
Haydon, who was not convicted of any of the infamous murders but of assisting the murderers, is due for release in May.
The state government now hopes to expand the definition of a “high-risk offender” to include someone convicted of assisting an offender.
That would mean the attorney general could apply to the supreme court for an extended supervision order, meaning they could be strictly monitored and subject to ankle bracelets and curfews.
The premier, Peter Malinauskas, said the government “places the highest priority on keeping the community safe and securing justice for crime victims”.
The attorney general, Kyam Maher, said:
The Criminal Law (High Risk Offenders) Act is an important tool to allow the courts to impose strict monitoring provisions on violent offenders.
The change we are pursuing to the law today will allow the courts to extend these provisions to monitor those who help these offenders cover up their vile crimes.
Benita Kolovos
Jaclyn Symes warns more extreme weather possible
Jaclyn Symes has warned there is also possibly more wild weather on the way for Victoria. She has told reporters:
We are looking at significant weather events later in the week as well. We’re looking at extreme temperatures in the Mallee and the northern country but we are also worried about heavy rain, which could impact those communities that just got whacked last week as well. As that information comes to date we’ll be able to give you more and more details.
She said this wet weather was forecast to hit the state on Thursday.
Benita Kolovos
Victorian minister gives storm update
Victoria’s emergency services minister, Jaclyn Symes, is providing an update on the thousands of people that still remain without power a week after wild weather hit the state.
Speaking outside parliament, she says Mirboo North was the “epicentre” of storms with several homes rendered uninhabitable:
We are making those assessments in that community now but, as I understand it, there are a variety of pockets around the state, particularly those that are kind of at the end of the line of power supply, that are still off.
Symes said a lot of effort was going into restoring power for the remaining 3,900 customers without but it could take some time:
The advice is that about 2,500 will be the long tail. We are working closely with AusNet … they are throwing everything at this. It is down to house by house connections that can take some time, which is why it’s important that we have got those community services – there’s some showers and places to do your washing and plug in your mobile and things like that.
Queensland police commissioner to discuss future with state government
Queensland’s top cop is considering not seeking an extension to her five-year contract and will meet with the government to discuss her future, AAP reports.
Commissioner Katarina Carroll is yet to begin formal discussions with the state government but they are expected soon after she issued a statement yesterday evening.
Ahead of those discussions, I’ve been considering my options with one of those being that I may not seek an extension to my contract as commissioner.
Until those discussions happen, I remain firmly focused on tackling crime from every angle to keep our community safe.
Carroll said an additional 10,000 people were processed through Queensland watch houses in 2023 compared with 2022 and many of those were linked to proactive high visibility police operations targeting youth crime.
Carroll has been commissioner since July 2019, with her contract set to expire on 8 July.
The police minister, Mark Ryan, said he would support Carroll seeking an extension to her contract. She is Queensland’s 20th police commissioner.
The Bureau of Meteorology says severe thunderstorms are possible along the New South Wales coast and ranges today, with localised heavy falls and flash flooding also possible.
Weather bureau says there were almost 1m lightning strikes across NSW and southern Queensland over past 24 hours
Senior meteorologist Angus Hines from the Bureau of Meteorology spoke to Sunrise earlier this morning about the severe storms across the east coast yesterday.
He said there were tens of thousands of lightning strikes around the Sydney area and more broadly, close to a million lightning strikes across New South Wales, southern Queensland and adjacent coastal areas in the 24 hours to this morning.
It’s not the most we’ve ever seen, but it’s certainly more than just a standard stormy day.
Hines said there would be showers and thunderstorms most afternoons this week, primarily focused around NSW.
That means those places in south-east Queensland, like Brisbane, may be getting a few brighter and drier days but further south across NSW continuing to see those showers and storms.
He flagged Tuesday and Friday as having the most potential for storms, with “a couple of calmer days in between”.
More than 4,000 AusNet customers without power in Victoria
The Victorian State Control Centre has just updated us on the power outages across the state, after the disastrous storm one week ago.
As of 9.26am, there were 4,144 AusNet customers without power, “most” of which can be attributed to storm damage.
AusNet covers outer east and outer northern Melbourne, and eastern and north-eastern Victoria.
The New South Wales SES has posted more photos from the storm damage along the east coast yesterday:
🌧️⚡ Heavy rainfall hit parts of the #Hunter & #Sydney, leading to flood rescues and storm damage incidents. Overnight, our crews responded to over 388 incidents, including 7 flood rescues across Syd metro. Thankfully, all persons extricated safely! pic.twitter.com/TUedMKq48a
— NSW SES (@NSWSES) February 19, 2024
Thousands of Victorians still without power after wild storms
Benita Kolovos
Circling back to Victorian premier Jacinta Allan’s press conference in Melbourne:
Allan says thousands of Victorians are still without power after wild storms last week.
According to the latest advice, she said 3,935 customers are without power as a result of the destructive winds that lashed the state last week.
I do really want to acknowledge for those households and businesses that they’re continuing to face those difficult circumstances and the support that has commenced with the prolonged power outage payment is there and available to support to support them.
Allan said Energy Safe Victoria had already begun an investigation into the six towers that went down at Anakie, while the energy minister, Lily D’Ambrosio, has commissioned another independent review. Allan said:
The government, through the energy minister, will be initiating a review of that destructive weather event, and that will be a review that will be led by experts in this area.
She criticised the idea of a parliamentary review, which the opposition is attempting to pass in the upper house tomorrow:
I say this in terms of what the Liberal party proposing – we will take our advice on these matters from experts, not the same Liberal party who privatised the transmission lines, power stations … who privatised those critical electricity functions to private for profit companies.
More storms expected after SES responds to 388 incidents
The NSW State Emergency Service received more than 600 calls and responded to 388 incidents across the Sydney and Hunter regions yesterday as severe storms lashed the east coast.
A spokesperson said heavy rainfall led to widespread flash-flooding yesterday and similar conditions are expected today. Storms could hit anywhere between the Northern Rivers right to the Illawarra, and including some south-east inland areas and the Riverina.
Yesterday, multiple homes were struck by lightning across Sydney. Seven flood rescues were conducted in the Sydney area. All of these involved people in vehicles, who were each returned to safety.
The SES spokesperson reiterated that “if it’s flooded, forget it” and to not drive in floodwaters. She said the fact that there were no flood rescues in the Hunter region was promising, and that the community is heeding this message.
With thousands of lightning strikes & heavy rain falling across much of the east coast, RFS crews have been busy assisting the @NSWSES with flood & storm damage. Our crews also attended several Motor Vehicle Accidents & were called to a tree fire caused by a lightning strike. pic.twitter.com/oClRqJxt3z
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) February 19, 2024