Krissy Barrett to be first female commissioner of Australian Federal Police
Prime minister Anthony Albanese is speaking after appointing Krissy Barrett as the new commissioner of the Australian Federal Police. It’s a historic appointment, which will see Barrett become the first woman to lead the agency.
Barrett has worked in law enforcement for nearly 25 year and most recently served as a deputy commissioner with the AFP, managing national security. She also worked on the Bali bombings investigation.
Albanese said:
The role of the AFP is critical to keeping our nation safe. There is no greater honour than wearing the uniform of those that serve and protect Australians. And we are so proud of our world-leading AFP and the work that they do. Krissy, we very much look forward to working with you as you take on the leadership of the AFP.
Her five-year term will begin on 4 October.
Updated at 23.22 EDT
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Australia will spend $130m to woo international tourists, including new ad featuring Nigella and Robert Irwin
The government will soon launch a $130m campaign to appeal to international travellers, including a series of ads set to roll out in China, the US, UK, India and Japan. The television and online ads are centred on a 3-minute video featuring Ruby the Roo and a slate of international and local celebs, including Robert Irwin, Nigella Lawson, Heartbreak High star Thomas Weatherall and others.
The government says every dollar in tourism investment leads to $14 in return to the tourism industry.
Check out the full ad below:
NSW Greens say Minns seeking to ‘override the will of the people’, will work to roll back police powers to move on protesters
Sue Higginson, the NSW Greens justice spokesperson, said she will introduce a measure in parliament this week to remove police powers to move on peaceful protesters, saying NSW premier Chris Minns had sought to “override the will of the people and is influencing the police with his personal opinion and his own ignorance and arrogance”.
Sue Higginson. Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/AAP
Higginson’s remarks come after the major protest over the Sydney Harbour Bridge yesterday. She said in a statement:
Labor premier Chris Minns is acting strangely and is not listening. He has lost authority over his own caucus and on matters too significant to ignore. …
The premier has come out saying he has no regrets about his fierce opposition to the history-making march for humanity and is now making clear his opposition to future marches across the bridge … The question now really has to be: where was the premier? What was more important for the premier that he could not attend the march for humanity? …
Protest in NSW is a critical feature of our democracy, and the state’s response to protest can make the difference between whether it is safe, peaceful and understood.
As reported in the blog earlier, at a press conference earlier today Minns did not rule out changes to legislation to make it harder to organise demonstrations that would cross the bridge. He said the public has a right to protest but he was tasked with protecting that right and the need for public safety.
Updated at 00.31 EDT
Greens back ACTU calls for levy on coal and gas exports and rollback of negative gearing
The Greens have thrown their support behind a proposal from the Australian Council of Trade Unions to roll back negative gearing and capital gains tax discounts, as well as impose a 25% tax on coal and gas export revenue.
Sally McManus, the secretary of ACTU, told ABC’s Insiders this weekend the government needed to “bite the bullet” on such policies to help young people get a leg up. McManus said the union, which represents about 1.8 million workers, believes the major changes would be in the national interest. The ACTU secretary will be at treasurer Jim Chalmers’ upcoming economic roundtable.
ACTU secretary Sally McManus. Photograph: James Ross/AAP
Greens leader Larissa Waters agreed with the ACTU proposals on Monday, which echo changes the party has long called for, saying:
Australia urgently needs comprehensive economic reform that tackles both the housing crisis and the climate crisis.
The Greens would be happy to see reforms in all of these areas come to the Senate and to work with Labor to pass them.
Updated at 00.13 EDT
Police CCTV shows man in Scream mask approaching Melbourne synagogue – video
Police CCTV shows man in Scream mask approaching Melbourne synagogue – videoShare
Current AFP commissioner leaving role after more than a decade: ‘It takes a toll on family life’
AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw said earlier he is leaving the role a year early after saying the job had taken a toll on his family life. Kershaw said earlier:
I’m coming up to almost 11 years as a commissioner and, as you’d appreciate, it takes its toll on the family life. Being a grandfather has changed me dramatically, and I need to be there for my family.
I want to give back to the Australian community in some other capacity down the track but it has been an incredible journey for myself. I am very grateful and privileged to have been able to serve the community.
Reece Kershaw and Krissy Barrett. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAPShare
Updated at 23.42 EDT
PM says he is not surprised Australians marched in Sydney en masse yesterday
The prime minister said it is a good thing for people to peacefully protest in a healthy democracy, saying he was not surprised “so many Australians have been affected” by the images coming out of Gaza. Albanese said at a press conference:
Yesterday’s march was peaceful and an opportunity for people to express their concern about what is happening in Gaza.
It is not surprising so many Australians have been affected in order to want to show their concern at people being deprived of food and water and essential services. And so the demonstration in a democracy, it is important people be able to express themselves.
Prime minister Anthony Albanese. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP
Albanese went on to say that the march’s approval was a decision for the courts and it was important for the rule of law to win out.
What’s an immediately important takeout was it was peaceful. I don’t support when there have been breaches of the peace, which has occurred in the past. What we saw yesterday was peaceful demonstration in a democracy; it is important people be able to express themselves.
Updated at 23.41 EDT
Krissy Barrett to be first female commissioner of Australian Federal Police
Prime minister Anthony Albanese is speaking after appointing Krissy Barrett as the new commissioner of the Australian Federal Police. It’s a historic appointment, which will see Barrett become the first woman to lead the agency.
Barrett has worked in law enforcement for nearly 25 year and most recently served as a deputy commissioner with the AFP, managing national security. She also worked on the Bali bombings investigation.
Albanese said:
The role of the AFP is critical to keeping our nation safe. There is no greater honour than wearing the uniform of those that serve and protect Australians. And we are so proud of our world-leading AFP and the work that they do. Krissy, we very much look forward to working with you as you take on the leadership of the AFP.
Her five-year term will begin on 4 October.
Updated at 23.22 EDT
Major flooding hitting parts of NSW, with hundreds of properties under evacuation orders in Gunnedah
Around 230 properties in the NSW town of Gunnedah are under evacuation orders amid major flooding. NSW SES officials said more than 1,500 volunteers had attended about 2,200 incidents over the weekend. In Gunnedah, officials said the Namoi River is now at 8.4m and is expected to peak later this evening, although it will stay at a major flood level until at least Wednesday.
Debbie Platz, the deputy commissioner of the NSW SES, said on the ABC earlier:
We are monitoring 11 different river systems and all of them, anything from a minor to a major flooding, we do need people to stay really alert. So, concentrating on your Hazards Near Me app, where you live, where you work and where you’re travelling to, and also the SES website.
And we’ll provide you with the most up-to-date information that we can so that we can keep you and your family and friends safe.
Updated at 23.11 EDT
Sussan Ley says protests that shut down major routes ‘not reasonable’
Opposition leader Sussan Ley was just asked about yesterday’s protest in Sydney. She expressed concern about Sydney being thrown “into chaos for hours” and mused about people accessing emergency services, with the additional police deployed to monitor the event. Ley said:
It’s not reasonable that we have protests that shut down a major arterial route. It’s not reasonable that we throw Sydney into chaos for hours and hours and I just wonder about the people who genuinely needed emergency services and had to wait or couldn’t actually get them.
So thank you to the police, thank you to the emergency services for what you did to keep Sydneysiders safe.
Opposition leader Sussan Ley. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP
Ley encouraged NSW premier Chris Minns to take action to address such protests in the future. Ley said:
These events are overseas. This is the shutting down of a major city.
Updated at 22.54 EDT
Jordyn Beazley
Minns on court allowing Sunday march: ‘I don’t want to make the same mistake twice’
Minns said he wouldn’t rush legislation because there’s a chance it could be deemed constitutionally invalid.
He said:
We thought we were on firm ground with the police rejection of the form one last Saturday, but the supreme court knocked it over. So I don’t want to make the same mistake twice, other than to say I have to examine all of this. I’m not ruling anything out. And I think even most reasonable people would expect that, yes, you do have, from time to time, massive demonstrations, even if it’s on the bridge, but knocking it out every week is just not something that we can consider forever.
Updated at 22.40 EDT
Jordyn Beazley
Chris Minns says he will ‘look very closely’ at judgment allowing Harbour Bridge march
Returning to the NSW premier, Chris Minns, who spoke about the protest across the Sydney Harbour Bridge a short time ago.
Minns did not rule out changes to legislation to make it harder to organise demonstrations that would cross the bridge, saying the government was examining whether a precedent was set by the courts in authorising the march.
Asked if he would consider legislation, he said: “Look, I’m not going to announce something like that this morning.”
He then said:
There’s a few reasons for that. Firstly, we want to look specifically at the judgment. If it doesn’t provide a precedent, then the police will still make assessments on form ones, regardless of who puts in an application, whether it’s an anti-vax group … or whatever the demonstration is. I’ll have to look at that very closely.
Updated at 22.36 EDT
Natasha May
Joe Massa’s mother says toddler ‘would be with us today’ if the proactive question had been asked
Joe’s mother Elouise told the press conference had this question been asked on the day her toddler presented to the emergency department, she believed he would still be alive today:
When we were in hospital on the 14th of September last year, had I been asked “are you worried Joe is getting worse?”, had the healthcare clinicians been retrained and empowered to ask those simple five words – “worried they are getting worse?” – had that happened, I truly believe Joe Massa would be with us today, would be with his siblings.
So today it’s such an important day. It’s a day of proactivity. It’s a proactive tool, worried they are getting worse. Joe would be alive had that question been asked to us that day and had the clinicians listened attentively and purposefully to our answers.
So let’s look to the future … Let’s learn from the past, and let’s ensure that every single healthcare clinician across the emergency departments and elsewhere more broadly use this, are empowered and that parents are empowered to respond clearly and respectfully so that together we can save lives.
Updated at 22.30 EDT
Natasha May
New NSW healthcare question ‘designed to be proactive’, minister says
Park said the new tool will provide a proactive tool for families, as opposed to the reactive Reach protocol already in place.
Park said this fits into the work he is doing with the family of toddler Joe Massa, who died after waiting hours at Northern Beaches hospital emergency department with his parents’ concerns not being followed up.
This works in partnership with a piece of work that we are doing with the Massa family around enhancing Reach.
Reach is very much more a reactive lot of protocols. This question is designed to be proactive, designed to be asked regularly, even if the vitals are not indicating that there is a problem.
… The feedback that Eloise and Danny Massa provided me on day one when I met them was that they didn’t feel that they had been listened to and heard.
Updated at 22.24 EDT
Natasha May
NSW children’s health workers will be required to ask families: ‘are you worried they are getting worse?’
As we mentioned in the blog earlier, the NSW health minister has today launched a new tool to support parents to raise concerns about their child’s condition if they feel it is getting worse.
Healthcare workers will be required to regularly ask families the question: “Are you worried they are getting worse?” in paediatric and neonatal observation charts in emergency departments. This will be implemented in all NSW public hospitals by October 2025 and will be extended into maternity and adult wards in early 2026.
The health minister, Ryan Park, held a press conference earlier this morning at the Sydney Children’s hospital, elaborating on what the program will mean:
So what does this mean? It means we will regularly ask this question as we do our rounds, as we do our transition, as we do our shift changeover, when another clinician or another allied healthcare professional or a nurse comes and sees our child, it’s all about making sure that we give the power to people who know their child the most, and that is parents and carers.
Park said if a parent is concerned, then it will trigger a series of clinical reviews.
Updated at 22.22 EDT
NSW beaches to be extremely dangerous for days, surf life savers say
Beaches across NSW are expected to be “far too dangerous for coastal activities” in the coming days amid large surf and hazardous conditions.
Surf Life Saving NSW said life savers were issuing urgent warning to rock fishers, swimmers and boaters to stay away from the coastline, saying the entire state was seeing beaches hit with large surf. Those conditions come amid moderate to heavy rain across the state, and are set to remain for at least two days.
SLSNSW life saving manager, Oliver Munson, said:
Even in what profiles as our off-season, these hazardous surf events are something our lifesavers are always prepared for. The conditions are not isolated, the entire NSW coastline is expected to be hazardous for swimming, boating and rock platform-related activities over the coming days.
There have been three coastal drowning deaths in NSW since 1 July.
The cliff on the northern end of Bronte Beach in Sydney, seen Sunday. Photograph: Flavio Brancaleone/AAPShare
Meg Harris puts gold stamp on swim worlds but US pip Australia on medal table
Swimming with her eyes shut, Meg Harris put a golden exclamation mark on Australia’s world titles with a victory in the women’s 50m freestyle. Harris’ gold medal on Sunday’s last night of the titles in Singapore came amid silver medals to compatriot Jenna Forrester (women’s 400m medley) and Australia’s women’s 4x100m medley relayers.
Australia, with eight gold, six silver and six bronze, finished second on the medal tally behind the United States (nine, 11, nine).
Australia’s Meg Harris flanked by Qingfeng Wu and Yujie Cheng of China after winning gold in the 50m freestyle at the swimming world titles. Photograph: Tingshu Wang/Reuters
The 23-year-old Harris, who is partially deaf, was stunned at her success – not least because she swims the entire lap with her eyes closed. She said:
It’s normal for me. I do it a lot in the 50m and in the 100m, I always do it on the second lap. So I’m not quite sure what it is, I do it in training as well, but I guess it’s just like trying to focus on my stroke … not 100%, that’s just what happens.
Read more:
ShareJordyn Beazley
NSW police minister says ‘nobody is being stopped’ from protesting
The NSW police minister, Yasmin Catley, was asked about the protest across the Sydney Harbour Bridge a short time ago.
Asked if she recognised the need for a symbolic protest given the situation in Gaza, Catley said:
Police have facilitated more than 100 marches by this organisation in the past 20 months, so nobody is being stopped.
Let’s be clear about that, but each of those applications that are put forward will be assessed for their risk, and that’s exactly what we want the police to be doing.
Asked if she would consider legislation to “ban bridge protests”, she said that’s a “hypothetical”.
She then said:
The police will make these decisions. The Court made the decision to allow yesterday to go ahead. We absolutely respect that decision. But people are allowed to protest in this state, but they have to do it lawfully, peacefully and take the direction of police.
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Tom McIlroy
Ed Husic says some protest signs shouldn’t detract from march
Labor MP Ed Husic says a protester at the huge Sydney Harbour Bridge march on Sunday with a sign depicting Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei should not detract from calls for an end to the war in Gaza.
Husic was one of the high profile marchers who crossed the bridge, part of the crowd of at least 90,000 people. He said the image of the Iranian dictator was not in the spirit of the event, telling Sky News this morning:
I’m obviously here as a member of parliament, not the chair of the Australian chant regulator authority.
There are, when you have so many people present, you won’t agree with everyone, and clearly people will pick out some things that were objectionable to other people, and I completely understand that.
That’s democracy, but I just think, I would hate for it to detract from the images of that aerial view of the Harbour Bridge, with so many people on it, that just want the hostilities to end, and particularly impact on kids.
The Palestine Action Group’s March for Humanity in Sydney on Sunday. Photograph: Flavio Brancaleone/AAPShare
Updated at 21.15 EDT