As it happened: Brisbane on Wednesday, May 15

A 60-year-old man claims he was assaulted by a moped rider who clipped the side mirror of his Holden Commodore in Brisbane’s inner-south.

The Commodore driver, from Nundah, has told police he was stopped at traffic lights travelling north on Leopard Street in Kangaroo Point when the white moped struck his mirror about 4.45pm on Tuesday.

A generic image of a moped. The Commodore driver claims he was assaulted by a moped rider in Kangaroo Point.

“A verbal exchange has then occurred between the two parties, before both turned right onto Llewellyn Street where they came to a stop,” police said in a statement.

“There has then been a physical altercation between the driver of the sedan and the moped driver, resulting in the victim sustaining multiple injuries, including to his head, face and hand.”

The moped rider was described as tall, with a slim build, and was wearing a hi-vis shirt and a black open-faced helmet at the time.

Police are urging nearby residents to review any CCTV footage, and are asking motorists to check their dashcam footage.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Policelink on 131 444.

Thanks for joining us. We’ll be back with you live tomorrow morning. Here are some of today’s top stories:

A review is under way after three people died by suicide at Prince Charles Hospital’s mental health unit in the past 16 months.

Australia’s richest person, Gina Rinehart, has demanded the National Gallery remove a portrait of her by Archibald Prize-winning Indigenous artist Vincent Namatjira.

Vincent Namatjira’s portrait of Gina Rinehart at the National Gallery of Australia.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Brendan Kerry, one of Australia’s most successful figure skaters, has been permanently barred from competing in the US after an investigation found he engaged in sexual misconduct with a minor.

A prosecutor has told Chris Dawson’s murder appeal that he appeared to show a “complete lack of sentiment” towards his young daughters when he refused to look at portraits of the pair.

Chris Dawson; and sketches of his daughters commissioned by his wife, Lynette, in 1981.Credit: Nick Moir, NSW Supreme Court

In sport, a pair of Queenslanders – Jock Campbell and Reds rookie Tom Lynagh – have thrust themselves into the mix for shock Wallabies call-ups.

And Wayne Bennett has agreed to terms on a $3 million, three-year coaching deal after meeting with South Sydney officials in Brisbane.

As we reported earlier, Queenslanders will benefit from the state government’s $1000 energy bill rebate, as well as the federal government’s $300 rebate.

Premier Steven Miles has celebrated today, saying this means some Queensland households will not pay an electricity bill until March next year.

We checked the average electricity bill for Queensland households with the Australian Energy Regulator.

The annual electricity bill for average-income Queensland households in 2022-23 ranged from $1944 to $1951, according to the regulator.

Some Queenslanders may not pay an electricity bill until next year, Premier Steven Miles claims.Credit: AP

The state government rebate will be applied to all household bills from July 1 as a $1000 lump sum credit on your electricity account, which will carry over onto future bills until used up.

The federal government’s $300 rebate will be paid as a $75 credit on each quarterly bill.

Despite bursting onto the Super Rugby Pacific scene and capturing the attention of new Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt, Queensland Reds winger Tim Ryan has been shifted to the bench for Saturday’s clash with the Fijian Drua.

Tim Ryan of the Reds scores a try against the Blues.Credit: Getty

The 20-year-old flyer stole the show in his starting debut three weeks ago, when he became just the second Red to score a hat-trick in a thrilling defeat to the Blues.

Queensland coach Les Kiss has moved winger Suliasi Vunivalu and rookie prospect Floyd Aubrey into the starting side.

“I’m a big believer in giving young players a go when they are good. Tim Ryan has been proving that, but it’s also about managing their exposure the right way at this level,” Kiss said.

“He’ll have the chance to attack this game from the bench.”

The deaths of several patients in the mental health unit at The Prince Charles Hospital will be the subject of an independent investigation.

There were reportedly three deaths in the mental health unit and two serious self-harm incidents over the past 16 months.

Several deaths at The Prince Charles Hospital will be investigated.

An independent review, by a five-member team, has been commissioned by Metro North Health to “look at possible further improvements to the unit to ensure greater robust care measures to protect vulnerable inpatients in times of crisis”.

“Tragically, some patients have passed away while in the care of the unit, necessitating a review into what can be done better,” the Queensland Health region said in a statement.

“Metro North Health offers its most sincere condolences to the loved ones of those affected and remains in contact with the families impacted with a commitment to mitigate instances of this occurring through the review process and its findings.”

The unit has experienced an increase in complex admissions requiring longer stays, which Metro North Health said had strained resources.

If you or anyone you know needs support, call Lifeline 131 114 or Beyond Blue 1300 224 636.

A 60-year-old man claims he was assaulted by a moped rider who clipped the side mirror of his Holden Commodore in Brisbane’s inner-south.

The Commodore driver, from Nundah, has told police he was stopped at traffic lights travelling north on Leopard Street in Kangaroo Point when the white moped struck his mirror about 4.45pm on Tuesday.

A generic image of a moped. The Commodore driver claims he was assaulted by a moped rider in Kangaroo Point.

“A verbal exchange has then occurred between the two parties, before both turned right onto Llewellyn Street where they came to a stop,” police said in a statement.

“There has then been a physical altercation between the driver of the sedan and the moped driver, resulting in the victim sustaining multiple injuries, including to his head, face and hand.”

The moped rider was described as tall, with a slim build, and was wearing a hi-vis shirt and a black open-faced helmet at the time.

Police are urging nearby residents to review any CCTV footage, and are asking motorists to check their dashcam footage.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Policelink on 131 444.

Turning to the NRL for a moment: You may already know that Gold Coast star David Fifita will not be heading to Sydney after the Roosters withdrew a $3.3 million offer and will instead recommit to the Titans until 2026.

The Titans announced Fifita’s decision this morning after the 24-year-old had a change of heart.

Titans chief executive Steve Mitchell has confirmed that Fifita’s contract has not changed from its original offer, despite his shock backflip.

The Roosters withdrew their offer to million-dollar Titans forward, David Fifita.Credit: Getty

Fifita, who had a clause inserted into his last deal which enabled him to test the open market should former coach Justin Holbrook no longer be at the Parkwood-based outfit, appeared destined to join the Sydney Roosters on a four-year deal from 2025.

However, on Wednesday morning it was revealed the State of Origin sensation had harboured doubts over the move, with Roosters boss Nick Politis withdrawing the offer and Fifita opting to remain at the Titans until the end of 2026.

“It [the contract] was basically sitting there, there was an opportunity for him to stay on with us, so there was an opportunity for him to take it up. We didn’t want to change the contract, we wanted to get it out and get back to work,” Mitchell said of Fifita’s contract, believed to be about $1 million a season.

“These are big decisions. These guys have short careers over a 10-year span.

“I think Dave’s real experience was the week - giving him a chance to actually process where he’ll be [and] what that means. His family [is] critical to him - his mum and grandmother come to the games regularly.”

Despite the calls for greater federal infrastructure funding as recently as, er, yesterday, and not a great deal more turning up in the budget last night, Queensland Premier Steven Miles is hailing it as a “win for Queenslanders”.

“This was a budget that prioritised contributing to the costs of households. So, you shouldn’t be surprised that there wasn’t lots of new money for lots of new projects,” Miles told a media conference in Bundaberg today.

Queensland Premier Steven Miles has nothing but praise for the federal budget today.Credit: Dan Peled

Miles said new initiatives to boost fledgling hydrogen projects and new mineral mining to underpin the energy transition would focus benefits on the state, while $300 energy rebates would bolster the state’s own $1000 rebate scheme.

“I certainly welcome the decision of the Australian government to follow our path of providing a direct contribution to household power bills, because that’s the best way to help working families, and also the best way to put downward pressure on [inflation],” he said.

Miles also attempted to claim a win on yesterday’s “request” that the federal government “should aim to halve the level of international migration” – despite this being an existing policy.

The Prime Minister has also defended his government’s $300 energy bill rebate, saying every Australian - including the nation’s highest earners - deserves cost-of-living relief.

The government has come under scrutiny for its energy-bill relief, with critics claiming it will go to those who do not need help, but Mr Albanese maintains it must not be means tested.

“We want to make sure that every Australian gets support during what is a cost-of-living crisis, which everyone is feeling,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told the Today show.

Asked if billionaire mining magnate Gina Rinehart also needed help with her power bills, he stood by the budget proposal.

“This is the most effective way to deliver support across the board,” he said.

“Gina - if she pays income tax - will get a tax cut, as well as every Australian.

“That is because, right throughout the income scales, there are pressures on that as well.”

More than 10 million households will receive the $300 energy-bill rebate, to be paid as a $75 credit on each quarterly bill, while small businesses will receive $325.

AAP

Treasurer Jim Chalmers says every Australian will get $300 in energy bill relief, instead of only those most in need, because it avoids creating a new system.

Speaking on the ABC this morning, Chalmers said everyone was doing it tough in the cost-of-living crisis, and giving all Australians the $300 energy bill relief was most efficient.

“Once you go beyond providing this to people on pensions and payments, you have to design a whole new system in order to create a new distinction,” Chalmers said.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers on Wednesday morning.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

“We are providing this energy bill relief to every household. We think that’s a good way to help make things easier.”

Asked why the government did not create a new system, Chalmers said a lot of the relief was delivered via energy retailers.

“They don’t have information about people’s incomes, and so you would have to take a long time and spend a lot of money and effort to design a system where the retailers [get] access to people’s income information,” he said.

“This is the best way to provide help to more people who are under pressure, and it is an efficient way to provide that assistance.”

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says he does not understand why every Australian is getting $300 energy bill relief, and is also critical of the extra $1000 rebate for Queensland households.

Speaking on ABC TV this morning, Dutton said it would have been better for the federal government to support Australians in need, rather than everyone.

“I don’t understand why you and I, on high incomes, need to get that assistance. Frankly, I think the money would better provided by way of support to those more in need, but the government – as was the case for Labor in Queensland facing an election – they’re splashing out cash because they know that they’ve got a huge problem on their hands for the average household in Australia,” Dutton said.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton outside Parliament House in Canberra this morning.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

“They’re $35,000 worse off under this government, and people are paying thousands more each month for their mortgage in many cases, and I think this is a Band-Aid on a bullet wound... The government’s made a really bad situation for Australian families over two budgets, and last night, they made it worse.”

Queensland social service groups have previously questioned whether the state government’s $1000 power bill rebate risks sucking up budget cash that could be used to better target help to those who need it most.

St Vincent de Paul Society state chief executive Kevin Mercer said his organisation was concerned the rebates were not sufficiently targeted and represented “a subsidy to all Queenslanders, including those with the ability to absorb higher energy costs”.