Australia information dwell: Sydney’s New Yr’s Eve fireworks could also be cancelled amid practice strike motion, NSW police commissioner warns | Australia information

Key occasions

Albanese continues to lash nuclear coverage from opposition

Again to nuclear vitality, a reporter requested how a lot Anthony Albanese thinks the vitality debate goes to form or body the election marketing campaign subsequent yr?

The PM mentioned there have been “no consultants within the vitality sector backing up the Coalition’s costings”, and instructed the media:

We’ve the CSIRO versus Peter Dutton, who hid from the costings, introduced it simply earlier than Christmas and introduced it not in Canberra, earlier than the nationwide press gallery, however went as much as Brisbane to announce it simply earlier than Christmas, hoping that it will simply disappear.

I inform you what has disappeared, the Coalition’s credibility, as a result of each evaluation says it can take too lengthy, it can price an excessive amount of and it simply doesn’t add up for Australia …

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Albanese on presence of Chinese language cops in Solomon Islands

A reporter famous there have been nonetheless 14 Chinese language cops within the Solomon Islands as a everlasting rotating presence – has Australia sought any ensures to both cap or scale back the variety of cops from China on the bottom?

Anthony Albanese responded:

We’ve agreements with the Solomon Islands and a part of that’s ensuring that Australia stays the safety accomplice of alternative.

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Albanese questioned on nuclear video citing well being issues

Taking questions, Anthony Albanese was requested if Labor was working a scare marketing campaign on nuclear relating to well being issues – concerning a video shared to its social media.

The prime minister mentioned what’s “scary” is “the failure of the Coalition to have any correct costings.”

It’s now per week since they launched their costings and it has been a shambles. Peter Dutton has been on the market saying they’d a costing of shoppers and the way they’d profit. There’s nothing on this costing to point that that’s the case. Nothing.

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Anthony Albanese mentioned the safety deal was a three-part coverage:

One is taking care of their very own police forces. Secondly, cooperation with their Melanesian neighbours and, thirdly, engagement with Pacific Island discussion board members.

He mentioned funding over 4 years can be guided by the Solomon Islands’ priorities.

[The] package deal will enhance funding, coaching and infrastructure help to develop the Royal Solomon Islands police drive in a sustainable method. It contains price range, coaching and infrastructure, together with a police coaching centre in Honiara, and it follows the opening simply a few weeks in the past of the Pacific Policing Initiative coaching centre in Brisbane.

Albanese mentioned the funding would “strengthen the Solomon Islands home safety and it’ll improve its skill to contribute to regional stability.”

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Up to date at 18.57 EST

Albanese addresses media about new safety cope with Solomon Islands

The prime minister Anthony Albanese is chatting with reporters from Canberra, about Australia’s new safety cope with the Solomon Islands – as we simply reported.

He mentioned the federal government has labored “tirelessly” within the Pacific to enhance relations since coming to authorities, describing it being “at a really low ebb in 2022”.

A part of that was simply alienation that our Pacific Island neighbours felt from Australia’s coverage on local weather, our coverage on overseas relations and the way in which that we handled our fellow members of the Pacific household.

Albanese mentioned he was proud his authorities is making “a major funding within the police drive of the Solomon Islands, to make sure that they’ll proceed to take major duty for safety within the Solomons.”

It’s also the case that at the moment we reinforce prime minister [Jeremiah] Manele’s remark that Australia is the safety accomplice of alternative.

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Australia declares new safety cope with Solomon Islands

Australia has introduced a brand new safety cope with the Solomon Islands greater than two years after the Pacific nation signed a controversial safety settlement with China.

In a joint assertion on Friday, Anthony Albanese mentioned the help package deal would develop the scale and functionality of the Solomon Islands’ police drive after a request by prime minister, Jeremiah Manele.

The deal will embrace funding, coaching, and infrastructure help to develop the island’s police drive in a “sustainable method” and features a new coaching centre in its capital, Honiara. The assertion mentioned:

This partnership is an funding in Solomon Islands, which is able to assist unlock prosperity for extra Solomon Islanders and set up a brand new basis for our cooperation …

We look ahead to implementing this partnership in a manner that not solely strengthens Solomon Islands’ home safety, but in addition enhances its skill to contribute to regional stability.

Tensions between Australia and the Solomon Islands got here to a head within the weeks earlier than the 2022 federal election after it was revealed the Pacific nation had signed a safety pact with China.

Albanese is because of maintain a press convention on the announcement at Parliament Home shortly.

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Sydney’s New Yr’s Eve fireworks could also be cancelled amid rail disruption, police chief warns

The NSW police commissioner Karen Webb has says she has “grave issues” for the NYE fireworks amid industrial motion from the rail unions – saying she has not dominated out recommending to the federal government to cancel the fireworks.

Chatting with reporters earlier this morning, she mentioned:

Every year, we police New Yr’s Eve on the idea that 250,000 folks can come into town after which safely depart town. Leaving town is predicated on entry to move, together with trains, and if trains aren’t out there, and folks can’t depart town, I’ve very giant issues of the chance that can create to the general public, as a result of households received’t have the ability to get dwelling and so they’ll be trapped within the metropolis with no manner out.

So I haven’t dominated out that I’ll suggest to the federal government that we cancel the fireworks … It’s that critical.

Webb mentioned if there was no public transport then “I can’t assure security” and cancelling the fireworks was “actually an choice I want to contemplate when it comes to threat to public security”.

NSW premier Chris Minns mentioned the state authorities would take onboard any recommendation from police:

That’s why we’re in courtroom, the stakes are excessive … We’ve received a couple of steps to take earlier than a call’s being made, however as I mentioned, we might after all take the recommendation of NSW police and the police commissioner.

In 2023, the Metropolis of Sydney estimated the price of the world-famous fireworks to exceed $6m.

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Up to date at 19.01 EST

Pesutto on whether or not he gave casting vote

John Pesutto mentioned it was a “lengthy and civil dialogue” and “all people had an opportunity to take part”.

On whether or not he was the casting vote, the opposition chief mentioned:

I had proposed and did use that casting vote to vote the movement down, however because it turned out, the constitutional requirement applies in any occasion that an absolute majority of 16 is required, so it overrides the whole lot else.

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Up to date at 18.48 EST

John Pesutto is now taking questions, and was requested whether or not the vote passed off twice. He mentioned no, it didn’t:

No. The difficulty of the casting vote in the long run turned out to be pointless, as a result of the recommendation to the room was that an absolute majority of 16 was required.

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Up to date at 18.48 EST

Pesutto fronts media after Deeming vote

The Victorian opposition chief. John Pesutto, is chatting with reporters after the Liberal get together room voted for Moira Deeming to stay on the crossbench and never return to the get together.

He mentioned the vote didn’t meet the required majority of 16, and solely met 14 votes with “a few folks away”.

The vote was had after an extended and civil dialogue between members. This concludes the matter of the membership … as opposition chief and as various premier, our focus is on holding the Allan Labor authorities to account, and that features its new ministry, and in addition specializing in the byelections we now have in Prahran and Werribee which shall be held in just a few weeks’ time.

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Up to date at 18.49 EST

Final-minute Christmas reward information

With 5 days till Christmas (!!) and the weekend simply across the nook, it’s the proper time to revisit our reward information for 2024.

Have a learn under for 57 excellent last-minute reward concepts, together with experiences, subscriptions, digital merchandise and extra:

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Benita Kolovos

Liberals react to Deeming vote outcome

Victorian Liberal MPs are leaving the get together room and it seems virtually all are upset with the draw.

John Pesutto is but to talk, whereas higher home MP Anne-Marie Hermans, who voted for Deeming’s return, says the closeness of the vote means the problem just isn’t resolved.

I personally don’t assume that we now have resolved it by having such an in depth vote, and having a frontrunner having to forged his vote.

Chris Crewther, a Deeming supporter, mentioned:

Sure, it’s a very disappointing resolution, I believe the fallacious resolution was made at the moment. Sure, it could be troublesome to unite. However I believe the talk was held very congenially inside the get together room. It was executed in a really correct matter, and I believe that we did present at the moment that we will truly debate and comply with disagree.

He mentioned he hoped Pesutto and the management group would “rethink readmitting Moira [Deeming] off their very own again, given the very shut outcome at the moment”.

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Up to date at 18.46 EST

Bali 9 reunited with household in time for Christmas

As we flagged earlier, 5 members of the Bali 9 have been launched from custody to spend Christmas with their households for the primary time in 20 years.

AAP studies that Matthew Norman, Scott Rush, Martin Stephens, Si Yi Chen and Michael Czugaj – all now aged of their late 30s or 40s – spent 20 years locked in Bali’s Kerobokan Jail after being discovered responsible of trying to visitors heroin.

After spending 4 days within the Howard Springs federal lodging facility close to Darwin, the boys returned to their respective properties yesterday the place they are going to proceed reintegrating with Australian society.

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Benita Kolovos

Pesutto drew casting vote in Deeming get together room resolution

Higher home MP Renee Heath simply confirmed it was a draw, with 14 Liberals supporting Deeming’s return and 14 opposing. She described the outcome as “disappointing”.

The draw meant opposition chief John Pesutto drew a casting vote.

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Deeming to stay on crossbench after Liberals reject return to get together room

Benita Kolovos

Moira Deeming will stay on the crossbench after a bid to return her to the Liberal get together room failed.

The failed movement to reinstate Deeming had been put ahead by Liberal MPs Chris Crewther, Renee Heath, Joe McCracken, Richard Riordan and Invoice Tilley, who had argued she had been unfairly expelled in 2023.

Deeming had been expelled from the get together room in 2023 after she attended a rally that was gatecrashed by neo-Nazis.

A federal courtroom decide final week discovered Pesutto defamed Deeming by falsely implying in feedback he made after the rally that she knowingly related and sympathised with neo-Nazis and ordered he pay her $300,000 in damages.

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Up to date at 18.39 EST

Benita Kolovos

Victorian Liberal get together room assembly ongoing

We’re nonetheless ready exterior the Victorian Liberal get together room, the place MPs are assembly to debate returning Moira Deeming.

The assembly goes longer than a couple of MPs anticipated, although one has raised the purpose all 5 petitioners who known as the assembly will wish to converse to their movement, as will opposition chief John Pesutto and others.

We’ll have an final result for you as quickly as we hear.

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Up to date at 18.11 EST

Free lesson to assist younger Victorian drivers keep away from critical crashes

1000’s of Victorian youngsters shall be supplied a free driving lesson in a bid to scale back main and deadly crashes. As AAP studies, dad and mom can even take part within the hour-long session, Victorian roads minister Melissa Horne mentioned in asserting the scheme at the moment.

The in-car classes shall be delivered by an accredited driving teacher to show street security expertise, and assist supervising drivers help kids to finish their required 120 hours. The initiative is anticipated to help about 15,000 households within the state.

Victorian L-platers aged 16 to 19 shall be eligible to take part if they’ve practised for 10 to 30 hours and have a licensed supervising driver to attend the lesson.

Younger drivers are virtually 4 instances extra prone to be concerned in a deadly or serious-injury crash than extra skilled drivers.

Victorian learners want to finish 120 hours of follow to get a probationary licence, which has helped scale back deadly and critical crashes amongst younger drivers by greater than 40% since its introduction in 2007.

Coaching and accreditation for driving instructors to ship this program may also be free.

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Up to date at 18.02 EST