PoliticsLatest: PM 'sympathetic' over bashing as Dutton says Giles and O'Neil must go
Peter Dutton says the PM's sympathy for a Perth grandmother allegedly bashed by a released detainee is not enough, and ministers Andrew Giles and Clare O'Neil 'must go'.
Randa Abdel-Fattah’s ‘intifada’ kids excursion will be probed. Picture: Instagram
Opposition education spokeswoman Sarah Henderson said it is "frankly shocking" that the University of Sydney has not done more to stop the "Intifada" protests on their campus.
"There are very strong policies at all universities, including in Sydney, which guard students against harassment and intimidation threats of violence, and the bottom line is the universities are not taking any action," Ms Henderson told Sky News.
Ms Henderson said the Education Minister Jason Clare needs to take action.
"Whoever has given this advice needs to go from the university and what the hell is the Minister of Education doing? Why has he not intervened?" she said.
"I've called for him to resign if he can't get this under control, that government has lost all control. And frankly, this is absolutely shocking.
"He's more concerned about protecting his own political survival than anything else.
"The Prime Minister needs to intervene and put into the job a minister for education who is prepared to stand up to these universities."
Treasurer Jim Chalmers. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nikki Short
Jim Chalmers will be proposing a significant rewrite of foreign investment rules. Speaking on ABC, the Treasurer previewed the foreign investment settings that will be revealed on Wednesday.
"This budget that we hand out two weeks from now will have the usual emphasis on responsibility, on fighting inflation in the here and now, but there'll be a much bigger emphasis on economic security," Dr Chalmers explained.
"That's because we recognise the world is changing, and the face of that change is accelerating, we need to make sure that we are attracting investment, private investment and public investment.
Dr Chalmers said he would suggest a "major overhaul of the foreign investment framework" in three ways.
"I want to make it stronger so that it's more robust, that we are imposing much more scrutiny on investments which may not be in our national interest," Dr Chalmers said.
"Secondly, I want to make it more streamlined for that less risky investment, investment that we trust. Thirdly, I want to make it clearer and more transparent.
"I'm pretty confident when people see the full suite of this overhaul tomorrow they will say that we have been very, very attentive to making sure our framework is as robust as it can be."
Dr Chalmers said one of the elements of the overhaul he wants to make more substantial is on-site visits by officials.
"Sometimes when foreign investment bids are approved … there are a series of conditions imposed on, we want to mention we've got the resources to actually enforce those conditions and some of those will be physical," Dr Chalmers said.
"Some will be financial or the structure of ownership of boards and the like, so a big part of what I'm announcing tomorrow is about, how do we make sure that we do impose the conditions that are complied with."
Dr Chalmers said the changes being made tomorrow do not need to be legislated.
"What we are most fundamentally talking about now is getting the regime right for the future," Dr Chalmers said.
"We can enforce compliance, we can go back into these deals, we are enhancing actually in the changes announcing tomorrow, some of those powers.
"Fundamentally, it's about looking forward, looking at how to attract less risky investment and how do we better screen the more risky investments.
"It'll rely on hundreds of billions of dollars of private investment and we need to make sure that that is in the national interest.
"An investment can be a big part of our national economic success but only if it's a screen robustly and that's what I intend to do."
Opposition science spokesman Paul Fletcher said the process behind the $1bn investment in quantum computing is "clouded in secrecy".
"There was no public transparent expression of interest process … a small number of companies were invited to participate but they were required to sign non-disclosure agreements," Mr Fletcher told Sky News.
"The government's been very cagey about what the commercial terms are… None of that has been disclosed and it's hard to have much confidence that the… Labor Government has negotiated in the way that commercial investors would.
"Is it appropriate to risk. Taxpayers' money on technology that… is several years away from being commercialized? Is it appropriate to risk so much taxpayer money on one company?"
Mr Fletcher said we should be questioning the impact this joint investment will have on Australian quantum companies.
"The Australian Government is effectively saying well we've looked across the board and we've chosen PsiQuantum instead of all of the Australian-based companies," Mr Fletcher said.
"Does that do damage to their capacity to raise money? A number of those companies have raised significant money in the private… commercial marketplace and are making very solid progress."
By Isabella Pesch
Albanese government 'sleepwalking' through detainee debacle
Nationals Senate Leader Bridget McKenzie said the Labor government seems to be "sleepwalking" through the immigration detainee debacle, as an immigration detainee was found to be involved in a violent home robbery in Perth.
"Governing is tough, but it means that great privilege comes with responsibility," Ms McKenzie told Sky News.
"You need to front up. You assured us they were all controlled and monitored and that measures were in place to keep us safe.
"A minister's job is to front up, explain and assure the public and if you can't do it you should stand down."
Ms McKenzie stressed the Albanese government needed to do more to monitor detainees who were released back into the community.
"When you've got people repeatedly breaching their visa conditions and bail orders, then you should, as a Commonwealth, be applying when they come up again," Ms McKenzie explained.
"That they do not get bail again, that they're actually not allowed to roam the streets.
"You should be assuring yourselves that those ankle bracelets are exactly where they're supposed to be particularly on the more violent perpetrators that are within this cohort."
Ms McKenzie said while there are changes that can be made to legislation, there are resources available to the government, including the preventative detention order regime.
"Right now, there are things that are available to the government to use and to do. They're not doing it," Ms McKenzie said.
"It just seems they're sleepwalking through this, it shows they are not taking it seriously."
The Chair of Airlines for Australia and New Zealand Graeme Samuel said we shouldn't "write off" Bonza too quickly following today's announcement the airline will go into voluntary administration.
"Let's remember that Virgin went through similar issues just a few years ago, as a result of COVID," Mr Samuel told Sky News.
"They're up, and they're working, and they're thriving, and it's been able to survive."
Mr Samuel said there are a few areas Bonza's administrators will need to look into.
"One of the big things the administrators are going to have to do is to see whether the airline can survive (and) whether they can negotiate with the airports," Mr Samuel said.
By Isabella Pesch
Tehan lashes Giles, O'Neil on 'outright incompetence'
Opposition immigration spokesman Dan Tehan. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman
Opposition immigration spokesman Dan Tehan has lashed out at Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles for trying to "shift the focus" from the Labor government's "outright incompetence" after an immigration detainee was found to be involved in a violent home robbery in Perth.
"What we have here is 154 hardened criminals released into the community, the parliament rushed back before Christmas to put a preventative detention order in place and now the government has sat on its hands," Mr Tehan told ABC.
"(They are) not acting on this regime knowing that the chances of reoffending by these hardened criminals were high and sadly now we have this alleged case in Perth where we have seen a vicious, vicious assault and the government needs to answer questions on it.
"Andrew Giles and Clare O'Neil are nowhere to be seen, yet their fundamental job is keeping the Australian community safe. And the only thing that Andrew Giles has done publicly in the last 24 hours is, on Facebook and Instagram, put up a message about the government's energy-saving program.
"Ministers Giles and O'Neil stood before the Australian people and said they had set up this task force to keep the community safe. They had set up this task force so state and territory governments, and the Commonwealth, and other law enforcement agencies could work seamlessly to keep the Australians safe.
"Clearly, the allegation is they have failed and failed abysmally. We need answers as to where the system went wrong."
By Isabella Pesch
National Cabinet to discuss Victorian Royal Commission findings
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the recommendations found by the Royal Commission on family violence in Victoria will be discussed at the emergency national cabinet tomorrow morning.
Australia's first royal commission into family violence was completed in 2015.
In January last year, the Victorian Government implemented recommendations found by the Royal Commission.
"Part of the agenda tomorrow will be the Premier of Victoria Jacinta Allen reporting on those issues (Royal Commission's recommendations) … and how that's gone," Mr Albanese said.
"So we need to acknowledge that (gender-based violence) is an issue, which is long term and does require attitudinal change.
"(It) requires a whole range of measures but we also need practical immediate measures and responses as well, and I look forward to a constructive discussion."
Mr Albanese said there is a national crisis in Australia.
"On average one woman loses their life every four days. That represents a crisis, that requires action," Mr Albanese said.
"This is far more complex, it requires governments at all levels, it requires everyone in this room, everyone in the media, everyone in our entire society to be involved here because it requires a change in behaviour by men."
Mr Albanese briefly mentioned the gender-based violence rally on Sunday with Canberra and the interaction with rally organiser and domestic violence advocate, Sarah Williams.
"With regards to Sarah, I wish her well. People can see the video for themselves, they can see what was said and they can see what people didn't say," he said.
Queensland Deputy Premier Cameron Dick said the $1bn investment into quantum technology in Queensland is a very significant project for the state and Australia.
As part of the investment technology company PsiQuantum will establish its Asia-Pacific Headquarters and build successive generations of its Fault-Tolerant Quantum Computer (FTQC) in Brisbane.
"For Queensland, this is our Project Apollo, as Project Apollo impacted space travel and all the scientific and technological advancements that came from that are still delivering generations later," he said.
"So too will quantum computing have a transformational impact on information technology. This happens once in a generation and Queensland wanted to be part of it.
"Quantum computing will transform medicine and manufacturing. It'll transform finance and commerce. It'll help with national defence and national security in particular cyber security.
Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic said the joint investment is about revitalizing Queensland's manufacturing capabilities which will create a stronger economy and secure jobs into the future.
"This is a critical investment, a strategic investment in our tech capabilities that will help us in our advanced manufacturing ambitions. Australia is known for having one of the biggest quantum workforces on the planet," Mr Husic said.
"What we want to do is bring (our) talent back. We want that talent to join with local quantum talent to be able to make the breakthrough that will go past the constraints of current classical computing.
"What we want to do is have this investment where we say the Asia Pacific headquarters are located here in Queensland. Opening up opportunities for Queenslanders but also the rest of the ecosystem, all the quantum talent in this country being able to work together.
The Albanese Government has announced a $1 billion investment in quantum computing, which is expected to create 400 jobs in Queensland.
The joint investment with the Queensland Government into technology company, PsiQuantum will secure its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Brisbane.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the investment will put Brisbane on the "global tech powerhouse map".
"What this is doing, is saying that we want our innovation and our smarts to deliver benefit for us here. And then of course, to transfer that to the world," Mr Albanese said.
"We want more ideas that start in Australia to stay in Australia and that is what we mean by a future made in Australia.
"High-tech jobs, jobs in manufacturing … jobs that are created through science, making sure that we have a public sector contribution in this case, equity and loans from both the Commonwealth and the Queensland Government.
"Meaning we have a stake in this business a stake in the outcome. Which will produce a return to taxpayers, but one that then accelerates private sector activity and private sector capital and private sector creation of jobs here.
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has insisted Ministers Andrew Giles and Clare O'Neil are "doing an excellent job across their portfolios", despite the alleged Perth assault of an elderly woman.
"Those ministers are doing an excellent job," Mr Marles said.
"Obviously this incident is deeply concerning, our thoughts are very much with those who are concerned.
"Clearly this is a matter before the WA court, so there's a limit as to what I can talk about."
He reinforced the limits of federal powers in regard to bail laws and conditions – which are state ordered – but said the Labor government had previously submitted to the High Court the group of detainees should not have been released.
"The cohort are now under strict supervision orders – obviously we exist within a federal system and things like bail are done at a state level, but we're doing everything we can to ensure the safety of Australians and the ministers are doing an excellent job."
Mr Marles also said the Prime Minister should not have to apologise to anyone for the speech he delivered at the rally against violence on Sunday – particularly not at the behest of Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, who "was not there at all".
"The idea that Peter Dutton is out there criticising the Prime Minister in circumstances where the Prime Minister stood up and marched on this issue and Peter Dutton didn't, is breathtaking," he said.
A TikTok influencer charged with the torture of her toddler allegedly covertly gave her child epilepsy medication while in hospital against doctors’ orders, a court has heard.
