Victoria to introduce free public transport throughout summer season weekends
Benita Kolovos
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, is doing a breakfast tv blitz this morning to announce that the general public will be capable to journey without spending a dime each weekend from early December till 1 February, as a part of the launch of the metro tunnel.
Allan has described it as a “thanks” to commuters for enduring disruptions because the challenge was constructed. Talking on At this time, she stated:
To say thanks to Victorians for his or her [patience, we are] delivering free public transport for everybody each weekend, all over the place in our state. From the opening of the metro tunnel in early December via to the first of February, after we combine this superb piece of infrastructure into the [public transport network].
Over the summer season, the tunnel will run each 20 minutes between 10am to 3pm on weekends, and 10am to 7pm on weekends.
Then on 1 February, underneath a full timetable overhaul referred to as the federal government calls the “large swap”, Cranbourne, Pakenham and Sunbury strains will start completely utilizing the tunnel.
The premier defended the two-phase launch:
That is the way you do it to get a clean, protected begin, to get passengers utilizing this infrastructure on the earliest alternative.
Jacinta Allan speaks to media to mark the opening of Melbourne’s metro tunnel on Tuesday 7 October. {Photograph}: Callum Godde/AAPShare
Up to date at 16.34 EDT
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Metal producer requires east coast fuel reserve
Australia ought to set up an east coast fuel reserve, the CEO of Bluescope metal has stated. Mark Vassella instructed ABC RN Breakfast this morning that manufacturing in Australia is closing down “largely due to dysfunction within the fuel market”.
He says the fuel trade has been very worthwhile for the nation however we are actually seeing “out-of-control” vitality prices, significantly for trade-exposed industries like Bluescope metal.
In main producing nation nations like Qatar or the US, vitality prices … $2 or $3 a gigajoule. In 2024, Australia paid over $10 a gigajoule for fuel … for fuel now in Australia, you’re paying within the excessive teenagers, someplace between $13 to $20 a gigajoule…
These producer nations that I’ve talked about with a lot decrease prices usually have a reservation system and a pricing mechanism. In truth, Western Australia since 2006 has run a reservation system the place home fuel costs have been at a a lot decrease stage than we see on the east coast … And I feel, fairly frankly, if the federal government was organising the trade at this time, we’d be a really totally different setup and a reservation system and a pricing mechanism can be a part of that setup.
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Up to date at 17.13 EDT
Coalition continues concentrating on ‘waste’ in funds
The Coalition says it’ll undergo the funds “line by line” trying to lower “waste” as a part of its financial plan.
There’s not likely an entire lot shocking there – the Liberals promised the identical factor forward of the final election, and have repeatedly accused Labor of occurring a budgetary spending spree.
The shadow treasurer, Ted O’Brien, received’t reveal the place the waste is or what he’ll lower, and received’t say whether or not the Coalition will lower taxes if it wins authorities.
There isn’t a doubt that this authorities is introducing measures of their funds that are wasteful. We shall be going via line merchandise by line merchandise to establish the place that waste is.
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Up to date at 17.07 EDT
Liberal senator accuses communications minister of getting ‘coaching wheels on’
The Coalition is pinning blame on the federal government over the Optus triple-zero outage in September, and is asking for a Senate inquiry into the difficulty.
Yesterday, the opposition directed each single query to the communications minister, Anika Wells, throughout query time.
Former shadow communications – now backbencher – Sarah Henderson is on ABC RN Breakfast this morning and questions why it took so lengthy for the federal government to behave when a report right into a earlier Optus outage was launched 18 months in the past.
This minister has her coaching wheels on, she’s a brand new minister by her personal admission, she’s not doing a ok job, and she or he’s obtained so much to reply for.
Requested why there must be one other inquiry when the Australian Media and Communications Authority (Acma) is already it, Henderson says:
Asking Acma, the regulator, to research this matter is like placing Dracula in control of the blood financial institution. The regulator can not examine itself.
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Up to date at 17.19 EDT
Deported Australian who was on Gaza flotilla claims Australia didn’t help their extraction
One of many Australians who was on the World Sumud Flotilla claims the Australian authorities didn’t help their extraction from Israeli detention.
Juliet Lamont, an Australian film-maker, tells ABC Information Breakfast that the flight from Israel to Jordan, the place she at the moment is, was not facilitated by the Australian authorities.
We have been facilitated by different governments, not the Australian authorities, and now we’re right here and we’re looking for a solution to come again to Australia and we’re actually, actually upset that the Australian authorities have been so shameful [in] their help of their residents.
The Italian authorities has been actually supportive, as a result of they’ve mainly set their complete nation on hearth and the Australian authorities have been bereft and completely shameful of their … help.
Lamont says the group have been in an “outrageous” jail in Israel and have been left with no entry to medicine or meals.
Dfat stated it has been offering consular help to the seven Australians who have been arrested by Israeli authorities, among the many greater than 500 individuals who have been on the flotilla.
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Up to date at 16.48 EDT
Victoria to introduce free public transport throughout summer season weekends
Benita Kolovos
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, is doing a breakfast tv blitz this morning to announce that the general public will be capable to journey without spending a dime each weekend from early December till 1 February, as a part of the launch of the metro tunnel.
Allan has described it as a “thanks” to commuters for enduring disruptions because the challenge was constructed. Talking on At this time, she stated:
To say thanks to Victorians for his or her [patience, we are] delivering free public transport for everybody each weekend, all over the place in our state. From the opening of the metro tunnel in early December via to the first of February, after we combine this superb piece of infrastructure into the [public transport network].
Over the summer season, the tunnel will run each 20 minutes between 10am to 3pm on weekends, and 10am to 7pm on weekends.
Then on 1 February, underneath a full timetable overhaul referred to as the federal government calls the “large swap”, Cranbourne, Pakenham and Sunbury strains will start completely utilizing the tunnel.
The premier defended the two-phase launch:
That is the way you do it to get a clean, protected begin, to get passengers utilizing this infrastructure on the earliest alternative.
Jacinta Allan speaks to media to mark the opening of Melbourne’s metro tunnel on Tuesday 7 October. {Photograph}: Callum Godde/AAPShare
Up to date at 16.34 EDT
The Australians detained by Israel over participation in Gaza flotilla have been deported to Jordan
Tom McIlroy
A gaggle of Australians who have been detained in an Israeli jail after being arrested as a part of the pro-Palestinian flotilla carrying support to Gaza have been deported to Jordan.
Affirmation the seven Australian residents had been launched by Israeli authorities was obtained on Tuesday evening, following Australian authorities representations to authorities on the bottom.
The federal government raised the welfare and therapy of Australians who have been detained with Israel in Tel Aviv and in Canberra.
The Israeli navy stopped the World Sumud flotilla final week, intercepting all however one of many vessels making an attempt to breach the blockade. On Friday, all 42 vessels have been confirmed to have been stopped by Israeli forces.
The flotilla was carrying about 500 individuals, together with parliamentarians, attorneys and activists equivalent to Greta Thunberg, the Swedish local weather campaigner.
You may learn the complete story right here:
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Up to date at 16.27 EDT
Clare O’Neil decries opposition’s ‘cover-up’ accusations over return of six Australians from Syrian detention
Cupboard minister Clare O’Neil and shadow cupboard minister Michaelia Money have clashed this morning over the circumstances surrounding the return of six Australians from a Syrian detention camp.
On Dawn a little bit earlier the 2 traded barbs over whether or not the Australians have been supported by the federal government of their return. The opposition is accusing Labor of a cover-up over their return.
The primary group of Australian youngsters born to international fighters to be returned from northern Syrian camps was in 2019 underneath the previous Morrison authorities.
This morning, O’Neil was at pains to say the Labor authorities wasn’t serving to the most recent group, and attacked Money for calling it a “cover-up”
Right here we now have a bunch of people that weren’t supplied any repatriation help by our authorities. So, as typical we’re seeing Michaelia attempting to make a political situation out of one thing that doesn’t actually make sense. Why was Michaelia in favour of it in 2019, however in 2025 she has all these points and questions?
Requested for particulars on precisely how the group made their return, O’Neil stated she’d let the international minister and prime minister reply these questions. Money wasn’t satisfied.
Australians need management, not excuses. They need solutions not silence …
What’s the situation, Clare, with saying the ISIS brides have returned? The youngsters weren’t born in Australia. They have been born abroad. They didn’t have any paperwork, they didn’t have a passport or start certificates. The Australian authorities needed to facilitate the giving of these paperwork to the youngsters to ensure that them to return into Australia.
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Up to date at 16.35 EDT
Household of activists detained by Israel on Gaza flotilla demand investigation into torture allegations
Natasha Might
The households of Australian activists on board the flotilla carrying support to Gaza are demanding an investigation into allegations they’ve been tortured and injured after being detained in Israel, Greens MP Sue Higginson says.
In a letter signed by NSW Greens MPs, Higginson has written to the Northern Rivers MP, Justine Elliot, demanding she advocate for locals Surya McEwan, Juliet Lamont and Hamish Paterson who joined the World Sumud Flotilla.
In an announcement, Higginson stated:
At this time I joined the households of locals Surya McEwan and Hamish Paterson to precise our anguish at Israel’s brutal torture of Surya, Hamish and my buddy Juliet Lamont, Australian residents who peacefully and legally tried to get child system, meals and medical provides to ravenous Palestinians in Gaza as a part of the World Sumud Flotilla.
The households referred to as for his or her native federal member Justine Elliot to finish her silence on the kidnapping and torture of her constituents, and for Overseas Minister Penny Wong and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to facilitate their speedy launch and to research the dreadful allegations of mistreatment by Israel.
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Up to date at 16.08 EDT
Krishani Dhanji
Good morning, Krishani Dhanji right here with you for an additional parliamentary sitting day. It’s going to be a busy one, so let’s get straight into it!
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Labor to introduce ‘inform us as soon as’ laws to chop purple tape
The finance minister, Katy Gallagher, says Labor will make it simpler for Australians to have interaction with authorities companies, with new laws to create a “inform us as soon as” method.
Labor will introduce new laws at this time referred to as the regulatory reform omnibus invoice 2025, designed to offer higher regulation, lower purple tape and supply extra accessible authorities companies.
The “inform us as soon as” method at Providers Australia is designed to scale back the variety of occasions Australians are required to offer the identical info when accessing companies like Medicare rebates, Centrelink, and baby help.
Gallagher stated the invoice is an results of the federal government’s financial reform roundtable.
“These are commonsense reforms from the Albanese Labor authorities that can make an actual distinction in individuals’s lives,” she stated.
“Accessing on a regular basis companies shouldn’t be tough or burdensome, and we’re dedicated to streamlining companies just like the age pension and baby help to make them less complicated and simpler to entry.”
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Up to date at 16.04 EDT
Hire hikes speed up as rental vacancies hit document low
Luca Ittimani
Hire hikes are again on the rise after a decline in new listings introduced vacant rental charges to a document low – regardless of a increase in housing investor exercise.
Simply 1.47% of Australia’s rental inventory is up for hire, lower than half the typical pre-pandemic proportion, new knowledge from Cotality reveals.
The annual tempo of hire hikes has now accelerated to 4.3%, the equal of $28 enhance within the nation’s median weekly rents. The median weekly hire has surpassed $700 throughout Australia’s capital cities, with Brisbane and Perth operating particularly scorching.
Regional rents are catching as much as the cities as properly, reaching $591 in September on a weekly median foundation – about $110 behind the capitals, in comparison with a niche of $120 in Might 2024.
Hire worth progress had beforehand been easing from an annual tempo of about 8% and held close to a four-year-low of simply 3.4% since Might, amounting to a couple of $20 weekly enhance on the median hire, Cotality discovered.
Kaytlin Ezzy, an economist with Cotality, stated re-accelerating hire rises have been the results of far fewer properties than regular being listed “for lease”, with listings operating at simply three-quarters of the pre-pandemic common.
Ezzy famous that even a current explosion in dwelling loans to buyers, or potential landlords, had not boosted rental listings.
Property buyers have grow to be so lively in recent times that the Reserve Financial institution stated final week overcrowding out there might threat a future home worth bubble and ensuing crash in its assessment of Australia’s monetary system.
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Attorneys argue police opposition to Palestine Motion Group’s Sydney rally is unconstitutional
As 1,000 gathered in Bankstown, roughly 400 marched via Melbourne for a peaceable vigil to honour the warfare useless.
Additional gatherings are deliberate this week, together with Palestine Motion Group’s deliberate Sunday rally that can begin in Sydney’s metropolis centre and end on the Sydney Opera Home forecourt if police fail of their authorized bid to have it banned
The NSW supreme courtroom elevated the matter to the state’s highest courtroom for a listening to set on Wednesday, when pro-Palestine attorneys will argue police opposition to the protest is unconstitutional.
“You’d should stay in a vacuum not to concentrate on the numerous public significance of those proceedings to all members of the group,” Justice Ian Harrison stated, citing the urgency required to have the matter finalised by Sunday.
NSW has a allow system that permits protest individuals to dam public roads and infrastructure except a courtroom denies permission on account of a police problem.
A lawyer for the organisers argued a slender studying of the protest laws meant solely comparatively minor protections can be supplied.
Particular offences referring to actions on the Opera Home wouldn’t be coated, unduly constraining demonstrators’ implied constitutional proper to political communication, they stated.
“This case can have far-reaching ramifications, not just for the pro-Palestine motion, however for the proper to protest basically in Australia,” their lawyer, Nick Hanna, instructed AAP.
Learn extra right here:
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Up to date at 16.07 EDT
A whole bunch of Muslim Australians collect in Sydney to mark two years of Gaza warfare
A whole bunch of Muslim Australians have gathered in Sydney to mark two years since Israel started its army assault on Gaza in retaliation to Hamas’ assault, with audio system calling for an pressing ceasefire, Australian Related Press reviews.
Audio system on the rally in Bankstown final evening instructed attendees waving Palestinian flags that Israel’s deadly marketing campaign is grounded in a long time of unlawful occupation.
They gathered regardless of pleas from a number of Australian leaders, together with Anthony Albanese, to depart 7 October alone for Jewish teams to mourn Hamas’s lethal shock assault two years go.
“We’re gathered right here at this time, regardless of immense stress on the organisers of this rally … via the politicians of this nation that at this time isn’t a day to mourn … or in remembrance of the Palestinians,” speaker Firaz Nomin instructed the group.
“It must be a day as a substitute on which we faux that historical past began two years in the past.”
They lambasted Albanese and his international minister, Penny Wong saying they need to be involved with seven Australian residents detained in Israel as a part of an support flotilla to Gaza shouting “Convey them dwelling”.
Different audio system recounted the killing of Australian support employee Zomi Franckom and six-year-old baby Hind Rajab, as they led the group in chants of “Cease killing youngsters”.
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Up to date at 15.51 EDT
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our stay information weblog. I’m Martin Farrer with the highest in a single day tales after which Krishani Dhanji shall be right here to steer you thru one other day in parliament.
A whole bunch of Muslim Australians gathered in Sydney final evening to mark two years since Israel started its army assault on Gaza in retaliation to Hamas’ assault, with audio system calling for an pressing ceasefire. As 1,000 gathered in Bankstown, roughly 400 marched via Melbourne for a peaceable vigil to honour the warfare useless. Extra developing.
Rents are on the rise in Australia with the annual tempo of will increase as much as 4.3%, in keeping with new figures, because the variety of vacant leases falls to pre-Covid ranges. Extra developing.
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