Australia live news update: Daniel Andrews asks ‘what is the point’ of News Corp story revisiting his fall; boy’s body found in Canberra | Australia news
Benita Kolovos
Andrews not surprised by Herald Sun ‘investigation’
Victoria’s premier Daniel Andrews says he’s not surprised by the front page of the Herald Sun this morning, which revisits the circumstances of the fall that kept him off work for months last year.
Andrews fractured his spine and broke several ribs when he slipped and fell while getting ready for work at a Mornington Peninsula holiday rental on 9 March last year.
The Herald Sun located the rental and spoke to several unnamed sources who suggest he fell the night before.
Asked if he was frustrated by the front page, the premier responded:
No, not really. There’s not much that surprises me really. But look, can anybody tell me what the point of this story is? I genuinely don’t know what the point of the story is. Can any of you explain it to me? Are you going to interview the stairs next?
People can go as low as they want. I’m not coming there with them. It’s as simple as that. This was a terrible accident, it was an accident. It was no one’s fault.
Here is the story in question:
The entire front page *and* a two-page spread are dedicated to…the steps Dan Andrews fell on over a year ago.
Yes, that is three pages of prime news real estate for steps pic.twitter.com/2y0BndC2be
— Belinda Barnet (@manjusrii) November 5, 2022
Key events
Filters BETA
Australian federal police do not believe any other party was involved in three deaths at Yerrabi Pond that included two young boys.
Police confirmed in a statement that they had found the body of an 8-year-old boy in Yerrabi Pond, in Canberra’s north, on Sunday morning.
The bodies of his mother and brother were discovered on Saturday after a member of the public found them and notified police.
An investigation into the deaths is ongoing and a report is being prepared for the coroner.
Crisis support services can be reached 24 hours a day: Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800.
Benita Kolovos
Asked about a staffer to a Victorian Liberal MP accusing the premier of lying about the circumstances of his fall last year (she has since deleted the Tweet), Guy replies:
Number one, I certainly haven’t seen social media this morning. Number two, no one in my campaign team has said that. And number three, I focus on the future, not the past and those matters.
Following today’s Herald Sun front page, I’ve gone through the archives and found the premier’s statement following his discharge from hospital on 15 March, 2021. Here’s how he explains the circumstances of his fall:
Also, none of this is new? The premier’s statement when he was discharged from hospital on March 15 described them as wooden steps: pic.twitter.com/yGfiG0SWoY
— Benita Kolovos (@benitakolovos) November 6, 2022
Nothing to see here folks.
Body found in search for missing boy
Police have found the body of eight-year-old boy following a search in Yerrabi Pond in Gungahlin, in Canberra’s north.
The discovery was made after an extensive search of the pond and nearby bushland that began Saturday night and continued into Sunday morning.
A woman and child were found dead in the pond on Saturday.
The woman is believed to be the mother of the two boys.
The Australian federal police are about to release a statement – we’ll have more as it comes.
Benita Kolovos
Victorian Liberal opposition pledges to cut stamp duty if elected
Victorian opposition leader, Matthew Guy, has announced that if the Coalition is elected later this month, it will cut stamp duty for first home buyers for 12 months.
Speaking in Donnybrook, in Melbourne’s growing north, Guy says the tax cut will apply to first home buyers for all purchases up to $1m, aligning with the median Melbourne house price:
It is a sensible way to get young Victorians into home ownership. The Labor government wants to keep people renting forever. I don’t. I want to provide incentives for people to be able to buy their own home.
This policy has been costed by the independent Parliamentary Budget Office at $261m. The policy would be reviewed prior to the end of 2023, with a decision as to whether to continue it made in the context of the budget.
Currently, Victorian first home buyers are eligible for a $10,000 grant on properties of up to $750,000. The grant doubles for new homes built in regional Victoria.
Benita Kolovos
Victorian Liberal staff accused of feeding conspiracy around Daniel Andrews injury
A staffer to a Victorian Liberal MP has accused the premier of lying about the circumstances of his fall last year. Raf Epstein from the ABC has called it out:
Liberal staffer – (still? presumably on the campaign trail?) – either way..
Directly raising the conspiracy theory about the stairs.
This is poisonous because it so quickly gets very crazy. They should refrain from this stuff. https://t.co/JZs5uyZ29W
— Raf Epstein (@Raf_Epstein) November 5, 2022
The staffer has since deleted the tweet.
Opposition leader, Matthew Guy, has just kicked off a press conference in Donnybrook, in Melbourne’s north, and will no doubt be asked about it.
For some background on the conspiracy theory surrounding the Victorian premier’s accident:
Nearly one tenth of New South Wales protected as national park
An extra 1,300 hectares have been added to New South Wales’ national parks in what the state government says shows its commitment to conservation and biodiversity.
NSW Environment minister James Griffin said in a statement on Sunday that 602,500 hectares has been reserved since 2019.
The latest additions to the NSW national park estate is another step towards protecting and conserving critical habitat for vulnerable species like koalas, powerful owls, swift parrots and squirrel gliders.
These targeted pockets of land are now protecting land in the Hunter, Sydney and Riverina regions in perpetuity while offering habitat, wildlife corridors and food sources to more than 30 threatened species.
Our national parks are incredibly important for protecting threatened species and areas of cultural significance, and they also play a significant role in the economy, receiving 60 million visits each year while supporting 74,000 jobs and driving $18 billion in economic activity.
Almost a tenth of New South Wales – 9.5% – is covered by national parks which are home to 85% of the state’s threatened and endangered species.
The latest additions to the national park estate include:
Hunter region
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Warrawolong nature reserve – 101 hectares, supporting at least 60 fauna species
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Tangory nature reserve – 503 hectares, supporting a sanctuary for more than 100 fauna species
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Tiraki nature reserve – 609 hectares, linking two regional wildlife corridors and protecting 18 threatened flora and fauna species recorded there, including the migratory and endangered swift parrot
Sydney
Riverina region
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Medowie state conservation area – 72 hectares, protecting critical habitat for koalas, squirrel gliders and masked owls
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Murrumbidgee Valley regional park – 12 hectares, protecting riverine habitat, including for the vulnerable superb parrot.
It shouldn’t need to be said but the Herald Sun’s Dan Andrews exposé is as absurd as it is factually questionable.
I can’t believe I am even saying this but here goes. My partner Jack is an exercise physiologist. He sees clients every single day who have suffered falls. He says short steps can actually cause the worst accidents.
— Benita Kolovos (@benitakolovos) November 5, 2022
Benita Kolovos
Andrews not surprised by Herald Sun ‘investigation’
Victoria’s premier Daniel Andrews says he’s not surprised by the front page of the Herald Sun this morning, which revisits the circumstances of the fall that kept him off work for months last year.
Andrews fractured his spine and broke several ribs when he slipped and fell while getting ready for work at a Mornington Peninsula holiday rental on 9 March last year.
The Herald Sun located the rental and spoke to several unnamed sources who suggest he fell the night before.
Asked if he was frustrated by the front page, the premier responded:
No, not really. There’s not much that surprises me really. But look, can anybody tell me what the point of this story is? I genuinely don’t know what the point of the story is. Can any of you explain it to me? Are you going to interview the stairs next?
People can go as low as they want. I’m not coming there with them. It’s as simple as that. This was a terrible accident, it was an accident. It was no one’s fault.
Here is the story in question:
The entire front page *and* a two-page spread are dedicated to…the steps Dan Andrews fell on over a year ago.
Yes, that is three pages of prime news real estate for steps pic.twitter.com/2y0BndC2be
— Belinda Barnet (@manjusrii) November 5, 2022
Benita Kolovos
No plans to criminalise leaking information about Ibac: Andrews
The Victorian premier Daniel Andrews says he has no plans to criminalise the publishing or leaking of information related to the state’s anti-corruption watchdog, despite the agency’s pleas.
Victoria’s Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (Ibac) on Friday urged the government to introduce legislation that would make it an offence for any person to report the contents of draft reports.
It came after Ibac successfully sought an injunction to prevent the Age from publishing information from an investigation into the government’s awarding of two grants worth $3.4m to a Labor-linked union.
Andrews told reporters today:
We have no plans to change the law in that regard and because we haven’t done it, the agency has had a go at us.
Asked if his office communicated to Ibac prior to the agency seeking an injunction, Andrews said:
It’s an independent agency. They make their own decisions and I’m not here to confirm or otherwise or make any comment at all on what injunctions have been sought or granted. That is not appropriate at all. If you want to know what they did and why and who and how and all of that you have to speak to them. I’m not a spokesperson for them.
Benita Kolovos
Veterans card to help with reskilling
Victoria’s minister for veterans Shaun Leane says the proposed veterans card will particularly help veterans from more recent conflicts reskill:
Veterans from contemporary conflicts don’t necessarily enjoy the benefits that some of the older veterans do under the federal system. So we want to acknowledge them.
We want to make sure that we assist them with their cost of living but importantly acknowledge their great service … My conversations with particularly younger veterans is that employment is key to their well being.
These people are assets, their attributes and their various skills is exemplary. We’ve had a public sector employment program with hundreds of veterans being employed in the public sector. And this year, we launched the private sector employment program.
Benita Kolovos
Victorian Labor promises new veterans card
The Victorian premier Daniel Andrews has announced that if re-elected his government will spend $37m to introduce a veterans card to help those who have served the nation with the rising cost of living.
The veterans card will entitle veterans to a $100 discount on the registration of one vehicle, free trailer and caravan registration and free fishing and boating licences as well as free public transport on Anzac Day and Remembrance Day.
On top of the discounts, the card will give veterans access to dedicated employment programs to help them find careers after finishing their period of service.
Andrews says there are more than 90,000 veterans in Victoria. He says the veterans card will particularly assist younger veterans who aren’t eligible for the commonwealth government’s gold card program:
We want to make sure that every veteran whether they be a bit older or a bit younger, because they’re from a more contemporary conflict, gets the access and that streamline access into employment.
The ADF have invested in them very, very heavily with their skills and training and it only makes sense for us to utilise those skills, particularly when we’ve got workforce shortages in so many different parts of the Victorian economy … I can’t think of a better way to invest $37m in saying thank you to our vets, they’ve done a great job.
We’re very proud of them. We’re very grateful to them. All the things that we enjoy today is because of them and their sacrifice and their service.
And that’s a wrap from Insiders this morning.
Noongar community ‘really hurting’ from Cassius Turvey’s death
Chaney is asked about the death of Indigenous teenager Cassius Turvey while walking home from school in Perth.
Chaney says police are investigating and it is too early to discuss motive.
It is a huge challenge and I was at the vigil on Wednesday, and it was very moving, and the Noongar community in Perth and the broader community is really hurting about this.
On the broader issue of racism, we don’t yet know what the motivation for that alleged murder is.
I think every mum has a right to expect that her child can walk home from school safely, and I think as a community, we all need to be thinking about what role we play in creating a situation where that is possible.
For more on the reaction to the death of Cassius Turvey, read the full story from Guardian Australia’s Indigenous affairs reporter Sarah Collard.
