Burke addresses Netanyahu criticism, says strength not measured by ‘how many people you can blow up’
Tony Burke, the minister for home affairs, has addressed Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s criticism, saying Anthony Albanese had shown strength in standing up for Australian values on the world stage.
Burke spoke to RN Breakfast this morning, saying Israel was “lashing out” as the country had against others who said they would recognise a Palestinian state. Burke said:
Strength is not measured by how many people you can blow up, or how many children you can leave hungry. Strength is much better measured by exactly what prime minister Anthony Albanese has done –which is when there’s a decision that we know Israel won’t like, he goes straight to Benjamin Netanyahu.
He has the conversation, he says exactly what we’re intending to do, and has the chance for the objections to be made person to person. And then having heard them, makes the public announcement and does what needs to be done.
Burke said he had not yet seen a letter Netanyahu sent to Albanese. But he said such criticism was further isolating Israel:
What we are seeing with some of the actions they’re taking is a continued isolation of Israel from the world, and that is not in their interests either.
Key events
Natasha May
‘Clear cut’ regulator decisions would help keep capital in Australia, AustralianSuper says
Speeding up regulator decisions would be the “single most important thing” that would help keep investments in Australia rather than overseas, AustralianSuper’s boss says.
The fund’s chief executive, Paul Schroder, appeared on ABC’s 7.30 program last night after speaking at the government’s economic roundtable as one of four experts on a session about attracting capital to Australia.
Given more than half of AustralianSuper investments are overseas, host Sarah Ferguson asked Schroder what would make them invest more money in Australia.
He insisted the fund needs to have a globally diversified portfolio to make the most money for members in retirement but when pushed acknowledged more still could be invested domestically if governments make financial decision making easier:
We need to be in a situation where governments of all tiers can make decisions more quickly – whether that is a yes or no – knowing that is really important. Having the right settings about the long term is really important … for example, housing. …
The single most important thing the government could do is to say at all levels of government, ‘We are going to make it much easier and much more clear-cut’.
Netanyahu sent Albanese a letter last week, saying antisemitism has ‘scarred’ Australia
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent Albanese a letter last week after Australia’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state, writing antisemitism had “scarred” cities across the nation and the move would only pour “fuel on this antisemitic fire”.
Sky News obtained a copy of the letter, dated 17 August, which accused Albanese of appeasing Hamas:
Your call for a Palestinian state pours fuel on this antisemitic fire. It is not diplomacy, it is appeasement. It rewards Hamas terror, hardens Hamas’s refusal to free the hostages, emboldens those who menace Australian Jews and encourages the Jew-hatred now stalking your streets.
Netanyahu went on to praise Donald Trump for protecting the civil rights of Jewish people, telling Albanese:
Antisemitism is a cancer. It spreads when leaders stay silent. It retreats when leaders act. I call upon you to replace weakness with action, appeasement with resolve.
Josh Butler
Greens want Albanese to legislate right to work from home
The federal Greens are pushing for the Albanese government to follow Victoria’s lead and legislate the right for workers to work from home at least two days a week.
In a new policy announcement on Wednesday, Senator Barbara Pocock wants employers to be required to “positively consider reasonable requests to work from home at least two days a week, provided working from home was not at odds with the inherent nature of a workers’ role”, according to a statement from her office.
The policy would apply where WFH is “is sensible and doable”. The Greens note that the government has taken up previous ideas around establishing a right to disconnect, and that women especially could benefit from a WFH right being enshrined in law. The Greens’ leader, Larissa Waters, said:
The prime minister supports Victorian Labor premier Jacinta Allen’s push for legislating work from home two days a week. Now he has a chance to work with the Greens in federal parliament to make this a reality for those Australians whose jobs it suits.
Pocock noted that working from home “is not possible in all roles” but said that “where it is practical, workers should have a reasonable right to work from home for up to a couple of days a week.” She added:
The productivity commission has found that working from home not only reduces breaks and sick days, it can be less distracting than working on-site, which can lead to improved productivity. Similarly, OECD research shows that working from home – especially in hybrid models – can boost productivity and employee wellbeing, provided businesses invest in digital tools and smart management practices.
Burke said Israeli politician’s calls for destruction of Hamas not one of the grounds for cancelled visa
Burke was asked about the specifics behind Rothman’s visa cancellation on RN Breakfast earlier, including if the politicians calls for the destruction of Hamas were one of the grounds behind that decision.
The home affair minister said that claims were “mischievous” and “ridiculous”, saying the delegate who made the decision had included “simply descriptive” details about Rothman in the decision, including his views of Hamas, his professional qualifications and his alignment with his far-right party platform. Burke was asked if “his calling for the destruction of Hamas” was one of the specifics behind the rejection. He replied:
Of course not. Then just look at the number of people, yeah, the number of people with that exact view who we give visas to in Australia. Like, obviously, it’s not.
And some of what follows in that paragraph [in the visa decision] is simply descriptive of his views and consistent with many people who we let into the country.
And some of it is quite extreme views, which are not consistently held across the country.
Coalition says Burke has applied visa decisions ‘inconsistently’
Andrew Hastie, the shadow minister for home affairs, maintained the Coalition stance that Australia’s relationship with Israel is “now at an all-time low”. In an interview with RN Breakfast, Hastie said the decision to recognise a Palestinian state had “damaged” the relationship, adding:
I think as well, this latest visa decision, regardless of what you think of the Knesset MP who applied to come to this country, has further damaged the relationship as well. …
I think the government’s failed to recognise what this cancellation would mean. This wasn’t just any old visa. … I’m sure he said a whole range of things that I probably wouldn’t agree with. But nonetheless, he’s a member of the Knesset.
Hastie was asked again about Rothman’s views, saying while he “obviously” didn’t support them, Burke had applied the standard of visa approvals “very inconsistently”.
Burke defends decision to deny visas to far-right Israeli politicians
Burke was asked about the government’s decision to deny a visa to Simcha Rothman, a far-right Israeli politician, earlier this week, as well as that of another Israeli politician last year. The home affairs minister vehemently defended the call, saying the government had taken similar steps in the past against other controversial speakers, including US far-right commentator Candace Owens and the rapper Kanye West.
Burke told RN of the two Israeli politicians:
One of them has described Palestinian children as the enemy, and the other has described Palestinian children as little snakes. As little snakes.
Now, if anyone wanted to come on a public speech tour and they had those views publicly expressed about Israeli children, I would block the visa. And I am going to not have a lower bar for the protection of views that are bigoted views against the Palestinian people. I take the role very seriously in Australia that we have a power, or I have a power, and my delegates in the department have a power under the Migration Act, to block people from coming here if we think they will incite discord.
Burke went on to say his views on the matter were firm:
I have a strong view that no matter who you are in Australia, you have a right to feel safe and to be safe. And I also have a view that words can be bullets.
Burke addresses Netanyahu criticism, says strength not measured by ‘how many people you can blow up’
Tony Burke, the minister for home affairs, has addressed Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s criticism, saying Anthony Albanese had shown strength in standing up for Australian values on the world stage.
Burke spoke to RN Breakfast this morning, saying Israel was “lashing out” as the country had against others who said they would recognise a Palestinian state. Burke said:
Strength is not measured by how many people you can blow up, or how many children you can leave hungry. Strength is much better measured by exactly what prime minister Anthony Albanese has done –which is when there’s a decision that we know Israel won’t like, he goes straight to Benjamin Netanyahu.
He has the conversation, he says exactly what we’re intending to do, and has the chance for the objections to be made person to person. And then having heard them, makes the public announcement and does what needs to be done.
Burke said he had not yet seen a letter Netanyahu sent to Albanese. But he said such criticism was further isolating Israel:
What we are seeing with some of the actions they’re taking is a continued isolation of Israel from the world, and that is not in their interests either.
Sussan Ley says Albanese ‘mismanaging’ Israel relationship
Sarah Basford Canales
The opposition leader, Sussan Ley, has accused Anthony Albanese of “mismanaging” Australia’s relationship with Israel after Benjamin Netanyahu lashed out overnight calling him a “weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia’s Jews”.
The latest diplomatic row between Australia and Israel was prompted by the visa cancellation of far-right Israeli politician Simcha Rothman ahead of his planned speaking tour in Sydney and Melbourne later this week. The home affairs department cancelled Rothman’s visa on the basis it was “an unacceptable risk” to order in Australia and concern he could make “inflammatory statements to promote his controversial views and ideologies”.
In retaliation, the Israeli foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar, revoked the visas of three Australian diplomats to the Palestinian Authority living in East Jerusalem and working in an office in the West Bank. Sa’ar also cited Australia’s intention earlier this month to recognise a Palestinian state at the UN general assembly in September as another example of the Albanese government “choosing to fuel” antisemitism.
Ley’s statement said while the Australian prime minister deserved respect, it was a “two-way street”.
She continued:
Anthony Albanese has mismanaged international relationships to the point where he now finds himself at the centre of a troubling diplomatic incident.
This is a direct consequence of bad decisions he and his government have taken that do not advance Australia’s interests …
Her intervention comes after Netanyahu launched a blistering attack on Albanese for “abandoning” Israel.
Read more here:
As I noted in my hello earlier, rain is on the brain in Sydney, with a deluge set to continue for days.
Melbourne is cold, but lovely, and Adelaide and Hobart are both expecting sunshine today. Brisbane, Perth and Canberra are in for rain.
O’Neil says housing market is ‘not functioning correctly’
The housing minister, Clare O’Neil, said the issue of housing remains the “principal problem” confronting Australians, insisting the Labor government is doing all it can to tackle a market that is “not functioning correctly”.
O’Neil spoke to ABC News this morning as politicians and industry experts gather for the second day of the roundtable, where housing is expected to be a top issue.
She said:
You and I are about the same age and I remember being preoccupied by this. I remember sitting around share house table wondering if we would ever own our own home. This reflects the fact that we have a housing market that is not functioning correctly …
We’ve got a 40-year-old crisis because, for that period of time, our country has not been building enough homes and this productivity issue may seem and sound a little bit remote to people watching at home but this is really about how can we build homes faster, more quickly. Because more housing means more affordable housing for Australians.
Tom McIlroy
It’s the second day of Labor’s economic reform roundtable
The second day of Labor’s economic reform roundtable in Canberra kicks off in Canberra very soon (about 8am) with comments from the treasurer, Jim Chalmers.
On the agenda are subjects including better regulation and approvals, competition and dynamism across the national economy, and AI and innovation.
Ahead of the opening, Chalmers said:
The timing for this roundtable couldn’t be better, and the responsibility on all of us couldn’t be bigger.
Our economy is finally balanced between the progress that we’ve made on wages and inflation and living standards and the productivity that we desperately need to sustain that progress in the years and decades ahead.
When it comes to regulation, we need to make sure that it’s serving a useful purpose.
Nick Visser
Good morning, and happy rainy day to those in NSW. Nick Visser here to take over for Martin Farrer. Let’s dive in.
Man shot dead in western Sydney
A man has been shot dead in western Sydney in yet another such attack in the city.
Emergency services were called to Regiment Grove in Winston Hills at around 7pm on Tuesday night, police said, following reports of a shooting in the street.
Officers from Parramatta police area command arrived and were told by witnesses that a man had been shot while in a car.
The man was treated by NSW ambulance paramedics before being taken to hospital but he was later declared dead.
He has not been named.
The incident followed the shooting dead of a man and the attempted killing of another as they left a pub in Forest Lodge on Sunday.
Police chiefs described Sunday’s incident as an “outrageous, brazen, callous attack” in which one of the bullets fired by the assailants “narrowly missed” a female staff member.
Albanese joins Ukraine ‘Coalition of the Willing’ call
Anthony Albanese last night joined a call of leaders of Ukraine’s allies – the so-called “Coalition of the Willing” to discuss additional sanctions to increase the pressure on Russia.
Following talks at the White House yesterday in which Donald Trump showed some unity with European leaders in support of Ukraine, the call was hosted by UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, and included French president Emmanuel Macron, German chancellor Friedrich Merz, Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson, Poland’s Donald Tusk and Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni.
The groups agreed that planning teams will meet US counterparts in the coming days to advance plans for security guarantees for Ukraine.
Albanese posted on X that “Australia welcomes ongoing efforts towards achieving a just and enduring peace, including yesterday’s discussions in Washington”.
Tom McIlroy
Plibersek says increase appropriate
Plibersek said the increase was appropriate “as Australians begin to feel the positive impacts of inflation easing”.
“The government will now gradually return deeming rates to pre-pandemic settings – that is, to reflect rates of return that pensioners and other payment recipients can reasonably access on their investments,” she said.
Deeming rates also feed into the calculations for payments including jobseeker and parenting support.
Under the changes, future increases will coincide with the indexation of welfare payments and will be based on advice from the Australian Government Actuary.
Plibersek also announced the latest round of indexation would push up payments including the age pension, disability support pension and carer payments by $29.70 per fortnight from 20 September.
Labor to make changes to deeming rates
Tom McIlroy
Labor will make changes to the way pension payments are calculated for the first time since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, ending a three-year freeze on deeming rates.
Deeming rates are used to calculate income from financial assets held by some 900,000 people receiving Centrelink payments, including about 450,000 older Australians on the age pension.
The social services minister, Tanya Plibersek, said overnight age pension recipients had saved about $1.8bn as a result of the deeming rate freeze put in place by the former Morrison government, but that incremental rises would begin to take place from next month.
From 20 September, a deeming rate of 0.75% will apply to financial assets under $64,200 for singles, with assets over the amount deemed at a rate of 2.75%.
Federal court to hear Bruce Lehrmann appeal
Amanda Meade
Bruce Lehrmann’s appeal against the federal court ruling that he was not defamed by Network 10 and Lisa Wilkinson is due to be heard today.
In April last year, Justice Michael Lee found that on the balance of probabilities Lehrmann raped former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins in Parliament House in Canberra in 2019, and that Lehrmann was therefore not defamed when Wilkinson interviewed Higgins about the case on The Project.
Lehrmann is appealing on grounds including that the sexual assault described by Lee was “substantially inconsistent” with the violent rape portrayed on The Project, according to submissions to the appeal filed with the court in March.
Lehrmann’s legal team say he was denied procedural fairness because the case which was found to be true was not put to him in cross-examination.
The appeal against that finding will be heard over three days in Sydney before the full court of justices – Michael Wigney, Craig Colvin, and Wendy Abraham.
The hearing starts at 10.15am and we will be blogging updates here.
Read more about the appeal here:
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the best of the overnight stories and then Nick Visser will take the wheel.
The opposition leader, Sussan Ley, has accused Anthony Albanese of “mismanaging” Australia’s relationship with Israel after Benjamin Netanyahu lashed out overnight, calling him a “weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia’s Jews”. More in a moment.
Labor will end the Morrison-era freeze on deeming rates in a move that will see people claiming Centrelink payments pay more in tax on their financial assets. Social services minister, Tanya Plibersek, said incremental rises would take place from next month. More shortly.
A man was shot dead in western Sydney last night in the latest shooting to hit the city. Witnesses told police the man was targeted while in a car in Winston Hills. It follows an attack in Forest Lodge on Sunday in which one man was killed and another injured. More details coming up.
And today sees the start of Bruce Lehrmann’s appeal against last year’s loss in his defamation case against Network 10 and Lisa Wilkinson. We’ll bring you lots more on that during the day, once it gets going.
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