Key events
What we learned; Friday 21 February
With that, we will wrap the blog for the day. Enjoy your evenings and take care.
Here were the biggest developments of the day:
E-scooter rider dies after crash in Gold Coast park
A person has died on the Gold Coast after a fatal e-scooter crash, Queensland Police have confirmed.
Police are investigating after the crash occurred at Highland Park today.
Initial information indicates a member of the public walking through a park on Gloucester Court discovered the rider unresponsive near the crashed e-scooter.
Paramedics performed CPR on the rider; however, they were declared deceased at the scene.
Investigations will be conducted by the Forensic Crash Unit to try and determine the cause of the crash.
In 2024, eight people were killed on e-scooters in Queensland, and more than 1,000 presented to emergency departments after e-scooter rides.
‘No imminent risk’ to Australia from Chinese warships drills, Albanese says
The prime minister has appeared in Wollongong to address the media following an apparent live-fire drill undertaken by Chinese warships in the seas between Australia and New Zealand.
Anthony Albanese said China had issued an alert that it would be conducting the activities, including the potential use of live fire.
It’s outside of Australia’s exclusive economic zone. Australia and New Zealand ships and aircraft have been monitoring the Chinese fleet while they have been travelling down the coast of Australia off the coast, as you would expect us to be doing.
Albanese said he had spoken with the chief of the defence force, the defence minister and foreign minister, while also reaching out to New Zealand’s PM this afternoon.
He said when such drills occurred, airlines were notified to stay out of the area. Airservices Australia has also been informed and taken action.
According to the chief of the defence force … it’s not clear whether there was any actual live fire used in this area. But it is consistent with international law.
Asked what his level of concern was, Albanese said the activity occurred in waters consistent with international law, with notification.
There, according to defence, there has been no imminent risk of danger to any Australian assets or New Zealand assets.
NSW vilification laws ‘misguided reaction’ to rise in racism, Amnesty says
Amnesty International Australia says the NSW government’s decision to pass laws restricting protest and criminalising vilification is a “misguided reaction” to the recent rise in racism and vilification.
Nikita White, Amnesty International Australia Strategic Campaigner, said the government justified its rush to pass these laws by citing recent antisemitic attacks, but criminalising peaceful protest was “not a solution”.
It is a dangerous suppression of people’s human rights. Restricting fundamental human rights, such as the right to peaceful protest, will not address the root causes of hate.
The Crimes Amendment (Places of Worship) Bill removes limitations to NSW police’s “move-on” powers, making it easier to issue these orders to protesters near places of worship.
This bill also imposes up to $22,000 in fines or two years in prison for conduct near places of worship deemed as “harassment.”
White:
We urge the government to adopt a more comprehensive approach to protecting communities from vilification, ensuring the safety and security of all communities.
Risk of tropical cyclones forming off the coasts of WA and Queensland
Two tropical cyclones could form in the Australian region from early next week, Weatherzone has forecast, a week after Severe Tropical Cyclone Zelia made landfall.
The two areas of low pressure near northern Australia are being watched closely by meteorologists due to the risk. One is located to the north of WA and has been showing “clear signs of rotation” over the past two days.
Weatherzone says if it continues to strengthen, another tropical cyclone could develop of WA’s north coast.
The Bureau of Meteorology gives this system a 60% chance of becoming a tropical cyclone on the weekend. The Bureau has also started issuing forecast track maps for the system, showing that it could become a category three severe tropical cyclone early next week.
At this stage the soon-to-be tropical cyclone is expected to remain away from the Australian coast, although its forecast track may change in the coming days.
The other developing tropical low is over the northern Coral Sea, to the east of northern Queensland. It’s expected to develop more slowly, with a 55% chance of becoming a tropical cyclone during the first half of next week.
Worst weekly loss in two years for Australian share market
The local share market has suffered its worst weekly loss in more than two years after giving up ground each day, while the local currency climbed to a two-month high, AAP reports.
The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index on Friday shed 26.6 points, or 0.32%, to 8,296.2, while the broader All Ordinaries fell 30.8 points, or 0.36%, to 8,570.9.
For the week, the ASX200 shrank 3.03% in its biggest weekly plunge since a 3.9% loss for the week ending 2 September 2022.
In currency, the Australian dollar earlier traded above US64¢ for the first time since 10 December.
Late Friday afternoon it had dropped slightly below that level, buying US63.95¢, up from US63.64¢ at 5pm AEDT on Thursday.
Wong expressed ‘importance of Oscar Jenkins’ condition’ to Russian foreign minister at G20
The Russian foreign minister is expected to attend the G20 meeting.
Asked if Wong has spoken to him and raised the issue of captive Australian Oscar Jenkins, Wong says Australia has halted engagement with Russian officials at a senior level since the invasion of Ukraine but made an exception for that on Thursday.
I wanted to express very clearly to Mr Lavrov the importance of Oscar Jenkins’ condition. I expressed to him the importance we associate with Mr Jenkins being treated appropriately, and [that] Russia comply with its international obligations.
I’m not going to disclose more than what is in Mr Jenkins public interest that I can say to you that Mr Lavrov understood that our view was Mr Jenkins needed to be treated appropriately and Russia needed to comply with its international legal obligations.
Asked if she “shirt fronted him”, which you may remember from the days of Tony Abbott, Wong says she “spoke to him as you would expect I would speak to him on such a matter”.
At the time, Abbott’s threat to Vladimir Putin was dismissed by a Russian embassy official as “immature”. They said while Abbott may be a fit cyclist, the Russian president was a judo champion.
Australia capable of navigating Trump administration
Yesterday on Afternoon Briefing the former prime minister Malcom Turnbull did not mince his words on Trump, suggesting Australia cannot, and should not, rely on America any more for geopolitical stability.
Asked if she agrees with his assessment, Wong says America has been Australia’s “principal strategic partner and strategic ally for many decades”.
She does, however, note that Trump is charting a “very different course”, which is one way of putting things.
That alliance has stood the test of time and it has stood the test of political change. It is an alliance and a relationship which has been fostered by and carried by administrations and governments of both political persuasions.
It is the case that president Trump is charting a very different course too, and he said he would, and we should expect that, we should also have some confidence in our capacity to navigate that.
I was very pleased and honoured to be the first Australian foreign minister to be invited to a presidential inauguration … This is a very deep relationship, it is a relationship that is important to both countries.
Australia continues to back Zelenskyy and Ukraine: Wong
Turning to Donald Trump, Wong is asked about false comments made by the president that the Ukrainian leader Zelenskyy is a dictator.
Does that language alarm you?
Wong says: “I don’t believe he is.”
What I’ve said very clearly for many years now is Russia is the aggressor here. Russia is engaged in an illegal war against Ukraine, it has contravened the UN Charter. As a permanent member of the Security Council it used its veto to protect itself so it could continue to conduct this war.
We stand very firmly in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. I have the opportunity to briefly meet president Zelenskyy when I was in Poland recently, and I made very clear to him that we, the people of Australia, the country of Australia, continues to stand with him and the people of Ukraine in their struggle for their sovereignty.
Should Wong then be concerned that the US is refusing to co-sponsor a draft UN resolution that demands Russia withdraw its troops?
Wong says, “The US can make its decisions and can articulate the reasons for it.”
Wong: ‘concerns about transparency’ over Chinese military exercises
Wong says Australia has “concerns” about transparency with China’s notice and will discuss this with the foreign minister when she meets them.
Obviously, this is an evolving situation but I can talk about what the practice is, which is countries including Australia and others can conduct military exercises in international waters.
The advice to me is this is what China is doing. When they conduct those exercises, obviously, notice is provided to ensure that that is available to anyone in the area and that is what Airservices Australia is doing. We have concerns about the transparency associated with this at the notice.
Asked if this is a “deliberate show of force by China”, Wong says that is just commentary.
As the foreign minister, what I need to articulate is Australia’s interest and Australia’s interests are in transparency and the observance of international law including the law of the sea, what we always articulate, for example, in relation to the South China Sea.
Australia monitoring Chinese warships conducting military exercises off east coast ‘very closely’, Penny Wong says
The foreign minister, Penny Wong, is appearing on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing from Johannesburg, where she is visiting for the G20 meeting of foreign ministers.
Wong is expected to meet China’s foreign minister later today.
Pointing to breaking news that commercial pilots have been warned of a potential hazard in the airspace between Australia and New Zealand, where three Chinese warships are conducting military exercises, Wong says it is a Chinese task group that the deputy prime minister has previously spoken about.
We are aware of this task group, we are monitoring this task group very closely [that is] as I understand it, operating in international waters. We will be discussing this with the Chinese, and we already have, at official level in relation to the notice given and the transparency provided in relation to these exercises, particularly the live fire exercises.
Asked why Airservices Australia are telling commercial pilots not to fly over the area, she says it’s an “evolving situation” but it would be normal practice where a task group is engaging in exercises for there to be advice given to vessels and aircraft in the area.
Rafqa Touma
Dutton’s food-only business lunch policy would cost taxpayers $500m, according to Treasury
Despite opposition leader Peter Dutton attempting to clarify that his policy for tax-deductible lunches and entertainment for businesses applies to food only, Treasury analysis suggests even excluding entertainment the plan will cost taxpayers half a billion dollars a year.
The Coalition’s tax-deductible entertainment and lunches policy would cost between $1.6bn and $10bn a year, the Labor government claimed according to costings Jim Chalmers commissioned from his Treasury department earlier this month.
The shadow treasurer, Angus Taylor, claimed it would be far less than the government said, but is yet to release the opposition’s costings for the policy. But Guardian Australia understands that even if only meals are eligible under the plan, it would cost $500m a year.
Henry Belot
Gambling regulator warns Sportsbet its advertising may breach the law
Victoria’s gambling regulator has warned Sportsbet its ad encouraging people to bet on this weekend’s Blue Diamond Stakes may be in breach of the law.
The ad on the gambling giant’s homepage encourages people to “back the winner” of race eight at Caulfield Racecourse this weekend “and get a share of $1m in cash”.
The ad, which can be viewed by people who do not have a Sportsbet account, states the “offer applies to your first fixed odds win bet”.
Section 4.7.10 of the Gambling Regulation Act 2003 states: “A wagering service provider must not offer any credit, voucher or reward as an inducement to open a betting account.”
A Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission spokesperson said it was “concerned that inducements are being offered that encourage people to open betting accounts”:
Accordingly, we recently started a consultation process with industry to provide stronger guidance on complying with the law on inducements.
We will make relevant inquiries in relation to the example provided to ensure the provider complies with its legal obligations, as appropriate.
Sportsbet was contacted for comment.
‘Future of public education at stake’ in election, Clare says
The education minister, Jason Clare, has told the Australian Education Union (AEU’s) national conference that the “future of public education is at stake” in the upcoming federal election.
Speaking to the conference on Friday, Clare said education “changes communities … and changes countries”, with public education doing most of the heavy lifting:
There is really only one job in politics I have ever wanted. And this is it. There is one reason more than anything else I wanted to do it. To do what we are doing right now. Fixing the funding of our public schools and what it will do.
Clare has secured deals with every jurisdiction bar New South Wales and Queensland to fully fund public schools by the end of the decade, with Western Australia signing on first 12 months ago.
Since I last spoke at this conference, something else just as important has happened. We’ve doubled what we’re offering the states. We will fund the full 5%. What you’ve always asked for.
I can promise you as long as I am in this job, I will not stop fighting for this. What I can’t promise you is that this will survive if Peter Dutton becomes prime minister. That’s not a threat, it’s just the truth.
Peak of fire danger in SA and Victoria on Saturday, and risk will extend to Tasmania
Still on the weather, the Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for Australia’s south-east, similarly projecting extreme fire dangers amid a “burst of heat and gusty winds”.
Meteorologist Jonathan How said high fire danger ratings were already in place for Victoria and South Australia on Friday afternoon, as winds and heat rose.
He said the peak of the fire danger would arrive on Saturday, where the risk would also extend to Tasmania as an ongoing bushfire burnt in the north-west of the state:
We are also forecasting the possibility of dry lightning, which may ignite new fires across the landscape.
Maximum temperatures on Saturday will reach six to 12 degrees above February average … it will reach the high 30s to low 40s across inland parts of the mainland … For many people, it will be a bit of a shock, particularly given the cool conditions across south-eastern parts of the country.
It will be a sweltering night for Melburnians, not dropping below 25C to Sunday morning.
Hot, windy weather in the south-east
South-eastern Australia is in for some hot, windy weather this weekend, prompting an extreme fire danger in parts of Victoria and South Australia.
That’s according to Weatherzone, which projects strong northerly winds will drag hot inland air through to Sunday. Adelaide and Melbourne Airport had already reached 30C by 2pm today, while Saturday is forecast to be even warmer.
Temperatures are expected to rise to 38C in Adelaide and Melbourne, Weatherzone forecasts, and in excess of 40C further inland.
Weatherzone:
The combination of hot and windy weather on Saturday is expected to cause extreme fire danger ratings over parts of central and western Vic and central and south-eastern SA.
This has prompted the CFA to declare total fire bans in the Mallee, Wimmera, South West, North Central and Central (includes Melbourne and Geelong) districts of Victoria on Saturday.
A southerly change isn’t expected to arrive until Saturday evening in South Australia and Sunday afternoon in Victoria.
Esteemed colleague Caitlin Cassidy here. It’s Friday afternoon, and you know what that means! News.
Stephanie Convery
I’m going to hand you over to my esteemed colleague Caitlin Cassidy now, who will take you through the rest of the afternoon’s news.
