Dreyfus say opposition MPs privately apologised for gag transfer in antisemitism debate
The federal legal professional basic, Mark Dreyfus, spoke with ABC RN earlier, after the opposition final week tried to gag him in parliament whereas speaking about antisemitism.
As Krishani Dhanji reported on the time, Liberal MP Michael Sukkar moved that Dreyfus now not be heard in his response to a query on antisemitism.
Tony Burke, the chief of the home, had his jaw drop open in legitimate-looking shock, whereas subsequent to him Richard Marles additionally seemed dumbfounded.
Dreyfus, who’s Jewish, had spoken in his reply about standing within the particles of a firebombed synagogue in Melbourne and visiting Israel.
Talking this morning, the legal professional basic mentioned an “extraordinary number” of opposition politicians had reached out to him.
They noticed that what occurred in parliament was a mistake, and so they’ve apologised to me for it.
He didn’t identify those that had apologised, however mentioned Sukkar had not.
Key occasions
Benita Kolovos
Symes hopes to be in place to simply accept ‘all’ suggestions from evaluation to handle finances issues
Jaclyn Symes mentioned she would obtain interim suggestions in April, to be mirrored in her first finances in Might. A ultimate report might be delivered to authorities by the top of June.
Preempting any of the questions, I’ll make that report public.
Integrity companies won’t be included within the evaluation, nor the division that runs the parliament. However ministerial workplaces might be examined.
Symes mentioned she has additionally ready for some pushback from stakeholders, and “some of these decisions will be difficult.”
There might be stakeholders which are drawn to packages which have existed for a while. It’s as much as authorities to have a look at these suggestions and actually decide whether or not they’re in the very best pursuits of Victorian households in a value of dwelling disaster.
I don’t shrink back [from the fact] that a few of these might be tough and a few folks received’t like among the suggestions, and due to this fact, as I mentioned, there’ll be exhausting selections for presidency to make. However I’m decided that this work can’t be for nothing.
The suggestions will come to authorities and I wish to be ready to simply accept all if I can … as a result of it’s wanted to handle the finances recurrent drawback that we have now. I haven’t shied away from that. That is what the aim of the evaluation is all about.
Benita Kolovos
As much as 3,000 public sector jobs might be reduce, Victorian treasurer says
Jacinta Allan and Jaclyn Symes have been taking questions, with Symes confirming about 5-6% of jobs might be reduce within the public sector.
What we have now requested Helen [Silver] to have a look at is resizing the [Victorian public service] to the share of employment that existed pre-pandemic … That’s a cool method of claiming on the uncooked figures, between 2,000 to three,000 VPS jobs could be anticipated to go.
I’ve additionally had further conversations with the [Community and Public Sector Union] in relation to any of the ramifications of these selections. However once more, this can be a technique of collaboration, dialogue. There might be some tough selections to make, however they’re vital selections.
Victorian authorities declares evaluation into public sector
Benita Kolovos
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, and state treasurer, Jaclyn Symes, are holding a press convention to announce a evaluation into the general public sector.
Allan mentioned the evaluation might be led by Helen Silver and can give attention to “waste, inefficiency and duplication”.
This impartial evaluation is guaranteeing a laser-focus on each greenback of expenditure within the Victorian authorities’s finances, like households are specializing in each greenback that they spend, so too is the Victorian authorities.
The premier repeatedly mentioned the evaluation won’t have an effect on frontline companies. She mentioned her authorities will “continue to invest in support at frontline services” – lecturers, nurses, police, crime and little one safety.
Symes, who turned treasurer in late December, mentioned she has shaped the view the finances “really needs a refresh”.
That is about guaranteeing that our frontline companies are protected, the essential companies of presidency that Victorians depend on are supported and promoted, while figuring out duplication, inefficiencies, overlap, and certainly, perhaps a few of these packages which have been round for say 20 years, which are simply not assembly the wants of the Victorian group.
Telstra hikes dividend and declares $750m share buy-back
Telstra is elevating its dividend and can spend as much as $750m shopping for again its shares, AAP experiences, after the telecommunications agency grew its first-half revenue by 7.1%.
Telstra has mentioned it made $1.1bn in web revenue within the first half, after a robust efficiency from its cell enterprise with 119,000 web new clients.
Its income for the six months to 31 December was up 1.5% to $11.6bn, with earnings earlier than curiosity, tax, depreciation and amortisation climbing 6% to $4.2bn. Chief govt, Vicki Brady, mentioned:
These are a robust set of outcomes, delivering a fourth consecutive 12 months of first-half underlying development, reflecting momentum throughout our enterprise, sturdy value management and disciplined capital administration.
Telstra introduced a 9.5% share totally franked interim dividend, up 5.6% from a 12 months in the past. The corporate will start shopping for again its shares on 12 March.
It’s going to additionally spend one other $800m over the subsequent 4 years upgrading its cell community in partnership with Ericsson, to optimise community administration with “self-detection and self-healing properties”.
Malinauskas says SA authorities has spoken to BlueScope about probably shopping for Whyalla
Peter Malinauskas mentioned the state authorities had spoken with BlueScope metal, “among other companies”, about the potential for shopping for the Whyalla steelworks.
However he mentioned it “wouldn’t be appropriate to go into the all the discrete detail of the discussions we’ve had with steel manufacturers.”
BlueScope is a very good Australian firm, it’s publicly listed, it’s effectively managed, it’s funds are sound. So I’d like to see BlueScope take part in an train to look at whether or not or not they wish to buy the steelworks, however that’ll be a matter for them.
Malinauskas says SA authorities feeling ‘confident’ in yesterday’s laws
The South Australian premier Peter Malinauskas additionally spoke with ABC RN earlier this morning after yesterday’s Whyalla announcement.
He was requested if the laws that was pushed by means of yesterday could possibly be legally challenged? The premier mentioned the federal government acquired “legal advice from some of the smartest minds we have in the nation” and had been feeling assured:
We stay in a rustic the place the regulation prevails and that affords people and entities rights, and so they’re entitled to pursue them as they see match.
However evidently, the occasions that transpired in Parliament didn’t happen with out the South Australian authorities having access to the very best recommendation within the nation, together with authorized recommendation from among the smartest minds we have now within the nation in that specific discipline of regulation, and we’re fairly assured.
SA premier says he ‘won’t apologise’ for ensuring state authorities had every thing lined up earlier than appearing on Whyalla
The South Australian premier was requested if his authorities ought to have moved quicker on Whyalla, given so many individuals have misplaced fairly some huge cash on this course of?
Peter Malinauskas mentioned that when state authorities’s take this form of motion, “you want to do it with caution and a degree of thoughtfulness.”
So I make no apologies about ensuring we received every thing lined up earlier than we act[ed].
However greater than that, though there’s been broad reporting globally notably within the monetary press concerning the state of GFG and its struggles, right here in Whyalla, the employees have been getting paid. Collectors have had quarters and so they have been paid. There have been challenges of late funds however nonetheless getting paid. All that began to vary late final 12 months, that’s what invited the federal government intervention and therefore what we noticed in mid-February.
Malinauskas on quantity of debt owed to state authorities and collectors
The South Australian premier, Peter Malinauskas, has been making the media rounds this morning, and spoke to ABC Information Breakfast earlier concerning the Whyalla steelworks’ administration.
He was tight-lipped on the announcement the prime minister will make at present, however mentioned the state and federal governments had been “working closely together now for some time to be able to arrive at this point”.
Requested how a lot GFG Alliance owes the federal government and collectors, Malinauskas mentioned there was “a degree of transparency now that is going to be allowed to take place that wasn’t true this time yesterday” when it comes to GFG’s monetary conditions.
The numbers which have been bandied round publicly is over $300m value of collectors that aren’t being funded by GFG, and we have now no cause to imagine that quantity is in any method too small. However let’s wait and see what the directors discover out concerning the full image of the dimensions of that debt.
‘Extraordinary’ opposition gag try was ‘wrong’, Dreyfus says
Persevering with to talk on ABC RN, Mark Dreyfus mentioned it was “it was an extraordinary thing to gag” within the parliament.
The gag is used very hardly ever. To hunt to gag the legal professional basic of the Commonwealth after I’m speaking concerning the topic as severe as this – and a topic as private and as near me as this – was mistaken.
Requested how tough it’s to juggle being legal professional basic with additionally being a member of the Jewish group, he responded he’s happy with his position – however it’s private.
I hope that I’m managing to stability these difficulties, however it’s private. We should always remember the Holocaust and I’ll hold saying that.
I’ve actually simply come again from the … eightieth anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, a spot the place my great-grandmother died, was murdered by the Nazis. And it is extremely private, however so it’s for each member of the Jewish group.
Dreyfus mentioned he believes Australians “stand with the Jewish community against antisemitism and stand with the Jewish community in wanting to remember the Holocaust and wanting to say ‘never again’.”
Dreyfus say opposition MPs privately apologised for gag transfer in antisemitism debate
The federal legal professional basic, Mark Dreyfus, spoke with ABC RN earlier, after the opposition final week tried to gag him in parliament whereas speaking about antisemitism.
As Krishani Dhanji reported on the time, Liberal MP Michael Sukkar moved that Dreyfus now not be heard in his response to a query on antisemitism.
Tony Burke, the chief of the home, had his jaw drop open in legitimate-looking shock, whereas subsequent to him Richard Marles additionally seemed dumbfounded.
Dreyfus, who’s Jewish, had spoken in his reply about standing within the particles of a firebombed synagogue in Melbourne and visiting Israel.
Talking this morning, the legal professional basic mentioned an “extraordinary number” of opposition politicians had reached out to him.
They noticed that what occurred in parliament was a mistake, and so they’ve apologised to me for it.
He didn’t identify those that had apologised, however mentioned Sukkar had not.
Marles rejects Trump’s accusation Zelenskyy is a ‘dictator’
Richard Marles was requested about Donald Trump’s escalated assaults on Volodymyr Zelenskyy, after the US president referred to as the Ukrainian chief “a dictator” who had “better move fast” or he “won’t have a country left”.
Requested if he thinks Zelenskyy is a dictator, Marles mentioned “no”, however mentioned “I’m also not about to engage in a running commentary of President Trump’s remarks.”
We clearly, and I believe the world clearly, welcomes any efforts to result in peace. The struggle in Ukraine has seen a really important lack of life over what’s coming as much as three years.
Having mentioned that, it may possibly’t be peace on any phrases – and to be clear, I don’t suppose America is saying that both. It’s actually vital that we’re empowering Ukraine on this course of. And we’ve mentioned from the outset, and we proceed to say, that this battle can solely be resolved on Ukraine’s phrases.
The aggressor right here is Russia. They had been those who illegally crossed into Ukraine, who invaded Ukraine. That’s the reason we’re supporting Ukraine. We see that what’s at stake right here.
The host notes that Trump just isn’t “saying any of that”, and Marles repeats that he received’t give “a running commentary on what President Trump is saying.”
Marles says Australians ought to have “confidence” in Asio after chief revealing makes an attempt to hurt Australians overseas
Circling again to Richard Marles’s interview on Sky Information earlier.
The defence minister was requested a few speech from the Asio boss, Mike Burgess, final night time, who revealed not less than three international locations have plotted to hurt Australians overseas and on residence soil, together with a deliberate assassination to silence a human rights activist:
Requested if Australians had been weak to assaults, Marles mentioned he wouldn’t use this phrase, and Australians ought to have a “sense of confidence about Asio and the other security agencies that we have to meet the threat that we face.”
The basic truth is that we stay in probably the most difficult, and in lots of respects, probably the most threatening strategic circumstances that we’ve confronted for the reason that finish of the second world struggle. You may look around the globe to see how advanced it’s, and in lots of respects, how unstable it’s – and we’re not immune from that.
Requested if he’s apprehensive concerning the years forward, Marles responded “I’m not sanguine, that’s for sure”.
We stay in a really advanced and, in lots of respects, threatening surroundings, and we have to be ensuring that we’re ready for that.
