PoliticsLatest: Jewish leaders, universities in talks over campus unrest

The 'open and frank discussion' followed pro-Palestine 'occupations' at a handful of the nation's universities to protest the war in Gaza.

Members of the Australian Palestinian community and Australian Israeli members at the Palestinian Protest Campsite at University of Sydney. Picture: Ayush Kumar / AFP

Welcome to The Australian's rolling coverage of news from Canberra and around the nation.

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8:31 pm May 3, 2024

Bowen urged to reset Labor's gas policy

Staff writers

Nationals MP Keith Pitt has urged the Minister for Energy Chris Bowen to urgently reset the Labor government's gas policy.

"If you don't develop your gas resources, you will run out of gas. And that's exactly what's going on," he told Sky News.

"(The government) should stop funding the environmental defenders' office with taxpayers' money,who spend all their time in the courts trying to shut down resource projects, but they're nowhere to be seen when you've got wind and solar projects actually destroying pristine forests and koala habitats.

"They should bring back the coalition strategic basin gas plans because that'll bring on more gas."

Mr Pitt said the 2050 Net Zero target is not feasible for Australia.

Last year, a report by the Green Building Council of Australia showed the nation needs to electrify 500 homes every day to meet its 2050 Net Zero target.

"I'd like to see them building those homes to start with, because right now the Albanese government is nowhere near their target on housing. Yet… the federal government has brought in close to a million immigrants in a very short period of time and there is no way to house them," he said.

Mr Pitt said the Queensland Government's policy to issue a $1000 energy rebate to the state's household is "an absolute joke".

"You're going to be given $1,000 from the taxpayer's money, from the Queensland State government, to pay to organizations like Ergon and Energex," he explained.

"Who will then buy things from organizations like…Toronto Energy, all of which are government-owned corporations, owned by the state government, owned by the taxpayer.

"I think people are desperate for support, and I understand that … I welcome anything that will help every individual get through and pay their bills. But I'm more worried about the federal budget."

By Isabella Pesch

6:42 pm May 3, 2024

Concerns raised over Vic health department problems

Staff writers

Victorian opposition police spokesman Brad Battin has expressed his concern about the state of Victoria's health department after a woman passed away while waiting for a bed at Maroondah Hospital in East Melbourne on Wednesday.

"When we talk about… the government going broke or the debt, this is the outcome of it: families have lost a loved one whilst waiting to get treatment at Maroondah hospital," he told Sky News.

"There are problems in the Victorian health system and if the government don't do something about it, people will die.

"I only hope that we can work in a bipartisan way to get a positive outcome.

"Because at the end of the day, it's not about us in the parliament. It's about the families who have lost a loved one.

"It's about time that the government listens… let's make sure doctors are available for people when they need them to stop this happening in the health system."

By Isabella Pesch

5:24 pm May 3, 2024

Calls for online porn age verification welcomed

Staff writers

MP for Fisher Andrew Wallace said the Labor Government's $925m investment into ending gender-based violence is welcomed but "a lot more work" needs to be done.

"It's good that… the Prime Minister called a National Cabinet. It's good that the Prime Minister is allocating another $925 million, it is a good start," Mr Wallace told ABC.

"But there's a lot more work to be done. There are no silver bullets in this issue."

Mr Wallace said he is pleased with the government's proposal to implement an age verification for accessing online pornography.

"I am very pleased to see the government has finally come on board with the
recommendation, not just of the inquiry I led, by the eSafety Commissioner, which called for an age verification for online porn," he said.

"This pilot program will require people who are going to access pornography to identify to a third party that they are over the age of 18.

"What we know as a result of multiple inquiries and reports is there is a direct correlation between access at a young age to hardcore, violent pornography… and family, domestic and sexual violence.

"That is irrefutable. What an age verification will do is it will help. It will not eliminate, but it will help reduce that exposure and that is a good thing."

Mr Wallace said the technology that will help enforce this age verification tool is "evolving".

"This is not a new concept and we know the UK has already been rolling it out as we speak," he explained.

By Isabella Pesch

5:18 pm May 3, 2024 Highlight

Go8 uni leaders meet nation's peak Jewish body

Noah Yim

The leaders of the country's Group of Eight universities sat down for an "open and frank" discussion with the nation's peak Jewish body and the Australasian Union of Jewish students about the "current situation of unrest" on many of their campuses, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry said.

This comes as a handful of the nation's universities, especially in the Go8, have seen pro-Palestine protesters pitch tents and sleep overnight on campus to protest the war in Gaza.

"Jillian Segal, who represented the ECAJ in the meeting and Noah Loven, President of AUJS, raised the vulnerability of Jewish students and staff who are facing intimidation and harassment from their peers and outside agitators," an ECAJ statement read. "Ms Segal stressed the importance of universities upholding their respective codes of conduct and bring disciplinary action against those found to be in breach.

"The VCs assured the ECAJ the situation on each campus is receiving serious attention at the highest level, is monitored and reviewed daily and significant effort and importance is being placed on keeping all students and staff safe. Indeed, a number of the universities are currently taking disciplinary action against individuals who have breached their codes of conduct."

The ECAJ also said it "welcomed remarks today by the Prime Minister that anti-Semitism has no place in our country and Jewish students must feel safe at their universities".

3:44 pm May 3, 2024

Domestic violence solution goes beyond money: Hume

Staff writers

Opposition finance spokeswoman Jane Hume said though good work has been done to end the gender-based violence crisis in Australia, the solution goes beyond money.

In an emergency cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that $925m will be committed to aiding the national crisis.

"It's not just about what the federal government can do, it's not just about what state governments or community groups can do. It's about… standing shoulder to shoulder and working towards the same outcome," Ms Hume told Sky News.

"The fourth national action plan to end violence against women and their children is something that has been worked on in a bipartisan way across governments over time.

"The dial hasn't moved far enough, nowhere near enough, so more does need to be done."

Ms Hume said successful, local initiatives are working to combat the issue that should be rolled out nationally.

"There are also some local and on-the-ground programs that work exceptionally well. The Fathering Project is one that I can think of that's run out of New South Wales," she said.

"The problem is so many of these things are done locally and not scaled. Now that can sometimes be a good thing, not a one-size-fits-all approach.

"But you do want to know what it is that moves the dial, what it is that changes attitudes and cultures so that we can protect women in the future.

"There is work that needs to be done. There is no doubt about that. We need to be better with our responses to women who are fleeing domestic violence or intimate partner violence."

By Isabella Pesch

2:42 pm May 3, 2024

'Anti-Semitism has no place in Australia': PM

Noah Yim

Anthony Albanese this morning met with the nation's top Jewish rabbis in the Central Synagogue.

"Anti-Semitism has no place in Australia," he wrote in a social media post.

"I spoke about my government’s commitment to the safety of Jewish Australians with Rabbinical Councils from across the country this morning.

"Students must feel safe at university classes.

"Families must feel safe in their own neighbourhoods.

"People must feel safe to practice their faith in peace."

Antisemitism has no place in Australia.

I spoke about my government’s commitment to the safety of Jewish Australians with Rabbinical Councils from across the country this morning. pic.twitter.com/962ivYRbID

— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) May 3, 2024

1:51 pm May 3, 2024

'Disgraceful': MPs slammed for detainee bungle

Staff writers

Opposition trade spokesman Kevin Hogan condemned the government for remaining tight lipped about the alleged assault of a Perth grandmother by a freed immigration detainee.

"We know that from the day the High Court made its decision, this government has been on the back foot about that, they're always playing catch up," Mr Hogan said on Sky.

"The fact that neither minister has been brave enough or responsible enough to front up to a press conference to explain to the Australian public what is going on and what they're doing about it is absolutely disgraceful.

"They could be much more proactive, much more definitive and much more open in their communication.

"They're not talking to the media this week about what's happened and that says everything."

By Grace Baldwin

12:56 pm May 3, 2024 Highlight

Another freed detainee charged with home burglary

Paul Garvey

The latest released detainee charged with breaching his curfew requirements had previously been charged earlier this year with aggravated home burglary.

Burundi-born Kimbengere Gosoge appeared in Midland Magistrates Court on Thursday after being charged with breaching his curfew requirements five times in as many days, as well as one count of failing to maintain a monitoring device. He did not apply for bail and will reappear in court later this month.

Court records show that Gosoge had already been charged with one count of aggravated home burglary before he was arrested on the curfew breaches. He is due to appear in court on that matter in early June.

Gosoge had previously faced deportation after being convicted of burglary and stealing back in 2017. In that instance, he was given a six-month community-based order for a charge of being armed or pretending to be armed in a way that may cause fear and one charge of burglary, and was fined $500 for three counts of stealing and one count of breaching a bail undertaking.

He then became one of the 152 people in indefinite immigration detention to be released following last year’s High Court decision.

The news about Gosoge’s earlier aggravated burglary charge follows a week of intense scrutiny of the Federal government’s handling of the released detainees. Another former detainee, Majid Jamshidi Doukoshkan, was charged over his alleged role in the brutal bashing and burglary of an elderly Perth couple. He had previously been repeatedly bailed and had his ankle monitoring requirements lifted despite multiple instances of non-compliance with his curfew.

12:14 pm May 3, 2024

Emergency package 'in days' for NSW DV victims

Staff writers

Acting NSW Premier Prue Car. Picture: Tim Hunter.

NSW Acting Premier Prue Car has promised action "within days" for people fleeing domestic violence situations.

Ms Car said among everything tabled at the Cabinet meeting, there had been three key takeaways – all of which would be available in the emergency package.

"Out of today, we have clearly heard three very clear things: that we need to invest very clearly in crisis responses and front-line services for women who are fleeing domestic and family violence, who are fleeing violent homes, violent partners, violent relationships, but that we need to do better in primary prevention and in early intervention," Ms Car said.

"Those three clear things we put in an emergency package because this response has to be in this way.

"We will deliver an emergency package within days, we're not talking about months or weeks out, within days, an package and then also we will be talking about the medium and long-term actions that we need to invest in and drive as a government in terms of driving the cultural change to stop women from dying and to stop women from being victims of domestic violence, family violence and violence in their intimate relationships."

The importance of education was also paramount, Ms Car said, and would be a critical element of the NSW government's approach to tackling the scourge of domestic violence.

"We need to speak to our young boys, teach what is respectful and what is disrespectful, and we can always support schools to be able to do that," she said.

"Anything that we do that involves education in schools will really be about us being able to resource the education system, and our teachers, to be able to deliver that.

"This is a whole-of-societal challenge and education is always, always part of the answer – but the Government needs to make sure that schools are supported to be able to do that.

"Men have to be so much part of this behaviour change, and men in leadership positions need to step up and take that opportunity."

NSW Minister for Water, Housing and Homelessness Rose Jackson said the time had come for "good action" against domestic violence.

"One of the topics discussed was housing and I know, as Minister for Housing and Homelessness, that both crisis and emergency housing and long-term housing for women has got to be a core part of the response," Ms Jackson said.

"It frustrates me, as it does everyone, and it is often the women and children that have to leave the home but the reality is, when we are prioritising women's safety, a safe place to go is critical to ensure that the harm that women are enduring is stopped.

Ms Jackson also delivered a passionate message of solidarity with women in NSW, as well as raising a clarion call for men to do better.

– Grace Baldwin

12:02 pm May 3, 2024

Protests at Sydney Uni 'winding down' after tense scenes

Noah Yim

Picture: Noah Yim

Protests at University of Sydney by pro-Palestine and pro-Israel groups appear to be winding down after tensions flared before noon, with both groups shouting slogans and small groups from both sides facing off.

The pro-Palestine rally was first to begin earlier this morning at the University of Sydney’s pro-Palestine encampment as the pro-Israeli contingent gathered on the other side of the campus block.

Hundreds gathered at the university’s iconic quadrangle festooned with banners, Palestinian flags, and chants of “from the river to the sea”.

Security personnel were spread throughout campus.

Shortly before noon, a small crowd of pro-Israeli protesters have broken off and have made it over to the pro-Palestine protest.