Politics Latest: PM 'missing in action' on mental health: claim

The outgoing chair of a peak mental health body has blasted Anthony Albanese for not taking the issue seriously enough, amid revelations from Scott Morrison on his struggles.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his predecessor Scott Morrison. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

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4:14 pm April 26, 2024

Police operation underway at Sydney uni

Staff writers

A possible bomb threat has caused multiple buildings to be evacuated at The University of Sydney this afternoon, with a major police operation underway.

The university’s student newspaper, Honi Soit, reported the Fisher Library, New Law Building, and the Abercrombie Business School were evacuated Friday afternoon.

A University of Sydney spokesperson confirmed there was a police operation on campus in a statement to the newspaper.

“As soon as we became aware of a threat made, we immediately contacted NSW Police who attended campus. Fisher Library and the Law Building have been evacuated as a precautionary measure and staff and students were advised to temporarily avoid the area until NSW Police operations are complete,” the statement said.

🚨BREAKING: An update to the threat to USyd’s Camperdown campus is now live. More info to come.

— Honi Soit (@honi_soit) April 26, 2024

NSW Police have confirmed an exclusion zone is in place.

“A police operation is underway at a university campus on City Road, Camperdown,” police said.

“An exclusion zone is in place and the community is urged to avoid the area.”

An email from Accommodation Operations also stated they are “aware there is a police operation impacting student accommodation”, according to Honi Soit.

By Clareese Packer

2:49 pm April 26, 2024

Albanese: 'Faraz Tahir died a national hero'

Noah Yim

Anthony Albanese was also speaking at Faraz Tahir’s funeral, where he said Tahir was a “national hero”.

“Without doubt, he helped save lives that day,” the Prime Minister said. “And without question, Faraz Tahir died a national hero. And he will be remembered as a hero in the history of this hard time but also remembered in all of our hearts.

“On behalf of the Australian government and the people of Australia, I offer our deepest sympathies to all of you who knew Faraz Tahir best and loved him the most.

“Faraz Tahir counted himself lucky to have come to Australia. In truth, Australia was lucky to have him. He was grateful to Australia – today, as our nation remembers his bravery and honours his life, we affirm that Australia will always be grateful to Faraz Tahir.”

2:45 pm April 26, 2024

'NSW is heartbroken': Premier's tribute to Bondi victim

Noah Yim

Faraz Tahir.

NSW Premier Chris Minns was speaking at the funeral for Faraz Tahir, the Bondi Junction Westfield security guard who was one of six who died two weeks ago.

“When you hear the words people use to describe Faraz, it tells the story of his character,” Mr Minns told the service. “They say he was kind, that he gave back, that he was happy, that he was hopeful, that he was looking forward to a brighter future here in Australia.

“It took great bravery to move across the world and it took real optimism to plan a life right here in Australia.

“NSW is heartbroken today as we farewell Faraz and you should be proud of him as a friend, of someone that you loved.

“But in the end, as a final analysis, we can just say that he was a good man, a warm hearted person, and he was a hero of our state. He will be remembered.”

1:59 pm April 26, 2024

Shorten respects Morrison's mental health revelations

Staff writers

National Disability Insurance Scheme Minister Bill Shorten says he respects Scott Morrison speaking out about mental health, but still maintains he “wasn’t very good” as prime minister.

“His personal medical history is his story, I think he was a pretty average prime minister, but on this point I would say I respect him coming out and talking about it, because at the very least, if he says ‘I needed help, I was taking medication’, what that might do is it might lead to other people seeking help,” he said.

“But on this matter, it’s his history, and if he’s come forward and chosen to share it with us, I hope that other people realise that seeking support when you’re doing it tough, be it depressed or stressed or anxious or you can’t get out of bed in the morning, then that’s probably a good thing.

“Because if a prime minister says they have that problem, then maybe it’s okay for other people to admit they’ve got that problem too.”

By Clareese Packer

1:56 pm April 26, 2024

Domestic violence issues 'appalling': Shorten

Staff writers

NDIS Minister Bill Shorten. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Diego Fedele

National Disability Insurance Scheme Minister Bill Shorten says the government needs to take ideas out of the “too hard basket” to address violence against women.

Mr Shorten said the rate of women being killed by current and former partners is “appalling” and a “disaster" on SKY News this afternoon.

“Once upon a time if you heard aggro and aggression at a neighbours place people would have turned up the TV to drown it out, or close the blinds, and I think the community as well has become more focused, but clearly not enough,” he said.

“I know the Albanese government has invested $2.3 million in the last two years. Our strategy looks at prevention, early intervention, it looks at making sure that we’ve got the right crisis supports, and also making sure that people can heal and recover,” he said.

“I do think that we've got to talk more and see what ideas we’ve put in the too hard basket and get them out of that.”

He also said “not all sexism and misogyny ends up in shocking violence, but all violence starts from a view of sexism and misogyny”.

“Speaking as a bloke, as an Australian male, it’s on us to help talk to other blokes when we see them evincing stupid attitudes," Mr Shorten said.

“If you were in a relationship and the other person doesn’t want to be in it, you’ve got to accept that judgement.

“Some men think that they can control women financially, exploit them, none of that is acceptable.

“How on earth someone who once claims they loved a person could be so consumed and twisted that that love turns into violence and worse. It’s an inexplicable mindset but we’ve got to tackle it.”

By Clareese Packer

12:39 pm April 26, 2024

Morrison shows everyone's vulnerabilities: Richardson

Staff writers

Former Labor minister Graham Richardson says he believes his Liberal friend, former prime minister Scott Morrison, is “relieved” to be out of the prime minister role.

“I think he's very relieved to be out of it, as he should be,” he told Sky News this morning.

“You step up for this extreme level of public service and it takes a hell of a toll on you, it doesn’t matter who you are," Mr Richardson said “It’s tough going, it's very long hours under extraordinary pressure, and only some people can do it, and do it for a long time.”

Mr Richardson also spoke to Mr Morrison’s book revelations of anxiety and medications while in office, calling him a “very good man”.

“It’s typical of Scott Morrison. He’s someone committed to the truth, he couldn’t tell a lie if he tried. Thats why he's been a friend of mine for many, many years,” he said.

“I think he’s a very good man, and he's come out and made these admissions so that we can realise that it happens to everybody, it’s not something that’s just gonna happen to you, it happens right across our society for every level.

“I think Scott wanted to make it clear to everybody that that was the case and that he was not immune from the troubles that the rest of us experience .”

Mr Richardson also took the opportunity to call X (formerly Twitter) owner Elon Musk a “twit” following calls for social media to take more responsibility when it comes to violent content.

“I think Elon Musk is a twit, he's a very wealthy, clever twit, but nonetheless he’s a twit,” he said.

“I hope that as many people as possible get on side with the government because this guy doesn’t deserve to keep winning.”

– Clareese Packer

11:59 am April 26, 2024 Highlight

Outgoing Mental Health expert in broadside at PM

Staff writers

Outgoing Mental Health Australia chair Matt Berriman has blasted Anthony Albanese as "missing in action" on mental health, despite community unease over the Bondi stabbing attack and rising domestic violence, and growing fears current mental health services are not fit for purpose.

His comments also follow exclusive revelations in The Australian today by former Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who has admitted in a new book that he turned to medication to manage his anxiety as the pressures of the nation's top job mounted.

Mr Berriman said frustration over being able to get an audience with the Prime Minister was a key factor in his decision to step down.

He said he wanted to talk to the Mr Albanese about a 'whole of government' approach to the issue to address a looming crisis head on.

"There's not enough government support, funding, service provision … the last national outpouring of grief (before Bondi) was the Port Arthur (massacre) and I thought John Howard stood up brilliantly on the back of that and made reforms.

"I thought the Prime Minister was missing in action when the country needed him. I lost the support of the government on mental health and I had to make the hard decision to step down.

“It was more inaction to be honest, I wasn’t able to get in touch with the Prime Minister, I wasn’t able to secure meetings with the Prime Minister,” Mr Berriman told Sky News on Friday.

“Although Mark Butler had huge ability as the health minister and we have a very close relationship, it is an all-government issue…and I wasn’t seeing that traction," he said.

Opposition trade and tourism spokesman Kevin Hogan, meanwhile, commended Mr Morrison for being open about his “mental health challenges”.

“I’m actually really glad that he has shared that story because not everyone shares their mental health journey and it even shows that prime ministers and presidents can have mental health challenges,” Mr Hogan told Sky News on Friday.

“Scott was the prime minister through very difficult times, we had a pandemic (and) I know he has publicly mentioned in his book as well the relationship with China caused him great stress,” he continued.

Mr Hogan also took aim at the Albanese government after outgoing Mental Health Australia Chair Matt Berriman said he “lost the support” of the Albanese government on mental health reform, following his decision to step down from the role on Wednesday.

– Elizabeth Pike

11:28 am April 26, 2024

Muslim leaders 'not consulted' on teen terror raids

Staff writers

Peak Muslim bodies say the community was not consulted by police before recent anti-terror raids, which led to the arrest of seven minors believed to be associates of the teenager who allegedly stabbed Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel last week.

On Friday morning the Australian National Imams Council released a statement on behalf of the Alliance of Australian Muslims and the Australian Muslim Advocacy Network to call for transparency and accountability from law enforcement.

“The presumption that terrorism is inherently tied to religion is not only inaccurate but harmful. This misconception persists despite extensive scholarly work demonstrating that terrorism is driven by political and ideological motives, not religious faith,” the statement read.

“Furthermore, the recent raids resulting in the arrest of seven minors, coupled with advance media notifications, underscore a concerning pattern of questionable law enforcement tactics. Despite reports to the contrary, there was no consultation with the community prior to these operations.

“The lack of evidence pointing to a concrete threat or plan among these youths, as noted by senior police officials, calls into question both the necessity and the manner of these operations. This lack of transparency exacerbates the distress within our community.”

In the statement, the peak organisations demanded an ‘immediate and thorough inquiry’ into the processes leading up to the raids, alongside a revision of the Australian Terrorism Laws to Laws to eliminate the classification of 'religiously motivated' terrorism.

– Elizabeth Pike

11:20 am April 26, 2024

Racing Victoria CEO Andrew Jones' shock resignation

Yoni Bashan

Racing Victoria CEO Andrew Jones has announced his resignation. Picture: Getty Images

Racing Victoria CEO Andrew Jones has announced his resignation from the sporting body, in a shock announcement emailed to associates on Friday morning.

Jones said his exit was timed to provide the agency’s yet-to-be-named chair the opportunity to pick their own operational leader. Former AFL boss Gillon McLachlan is firming as a likely candidate to be picked for the role.

Jones had been the subject of longstanding criticism from some stakeholders, including billionaire racehorse owner Jonathan Munz, chairman of the Thoroughbred Racehorse Owners’ Association, and Victoria Racing Club CEO Steve Rosich.

Jones and some RV directors had been the subject of an unsuccessful boardroom putsch by Munz last month.

“I thank each and every one of you for your support over the past two years and beyond,” Jones wrote. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with you.”

Jones named several highlights from his time at the organisation, namely securing more than $2bn in funding for racing, enhanced equine welfare policies, increased support for jockeys and trainers and “the first metropolitan club merger in decades”.

“All the while managing through a very material drop in wagering across the industry.”

10:53 am April 26, 2024

Woolies hit with fine for staff underpayments

Angelica Snowden

Woolworths Group has been hit with a fine of $1.2m and its subsidiary Woolstar must pay $36,000 after pleading guilty to underpaying staff in Victoria long service leave entitlements.

The fines were handed down in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday morning, after the court heard about the under fire company's failure to ensure state-by-state payroll compliance was "systematic" and "significant".

It comes after the company admitted last week it shortchanged 1235 former Victorian employees by $1.24m, as it failed to properly pay their long service entitlements.

The underpayments were between $250 and $12,000.

They admitted this took place between November 2018 and January 2023.

Woolworths Group and Woolstar self-reported to the Victorian Wage Inspectorate, and have previously said they paid back all the money.

The Wage inspectorate originally filed more than 1000 criminal charges against the companies in August last year.