logo
Australia news LIVE: Coalition, division, PM heads to Rome, Roberts-Smith back in court

Australia news LIVE: Coalition, division, PM heads to Rome, Roberts-Smith back in court

The Age15-05-2025
Latest posts
7.00am
Underworld links in big building projects secretly mapped
By Nick McKenzie
Victoria's Allan government is secretly mapping the infiltration of Victoria's biggest infrastructure projects by firms with suspected links to the underworld while warning its key contractors to purge gangland figures from their supply chains.
The moves are detailed in confidential documents from the state's peak infrastructure agency that reveal the government's concern about the reach of figures such as Mick Gatto and bikie enforcers into its sprawling multibillion-dollar Big Build program.
One file includes a list of firms that officials suspect may be both gangland-linked and profiting – directly or indirectly – from taxpayer projects.
They include Gatto and his construction industry consulting businesses along with the Gatto-linked traffic management firm Jarrah Resource Management – whose shareholders previously included Gatto's daughter and which has won work on Big Build road and rail upgrades.
Read the exclusive story here.
7.00am
Pope-bound PM affirms stance on religion
By David Crowe and Paul Sakkal
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has cited his Catholic childhood as a key influence on his approach to government as he heads to Rome for the inaugural mass of Pope Leo XIV amid heightened attention on his faith.
Albanese, whose mother was a devout Catholic, said that church teachings on helping the vulnerable had shaped his politics – and he revealed that they triggered a key moment in the election campaign.
Speaking to this masthead on the Inside Politics podcast, the prime minister said the separation of church and state was one reason he was sworn into office with an affirmation rather than with a Bible.
But he added that his 'no one left behind' mantra was underpinned by a moral imperative to use the tools of government to lift people up.
Here's the full story.
7.00am
Momentum builds for Liberal inquiry
By Paul Sakkal
Momentum is building within the Liberal Party to launch a special inquiry into its future as Coalition leaders Sussan Ley and David Littleproud jostle over the role of nuclear energy, risking a formal split of the parties.
Littleproud travelled from Canberra to Albury to meet with Ley – who is in her hometown to be with her dying mother – about the future of the Coalition pact that allows them to create a joint shadow cabinet.
Debate continues about whether the Coalition should retain its polarising plan to build nuclear reactors, a key line of attack for Labor during the campaign.
Littleproud, whose party lobbied for the energy overhaul last term, is under pressure from his MPs to secure a guarantee to enshrine the nuclear policy in any agreement signed with Ley.
7.00am
What you need to know
Good morning, and welcome to our live coverage of today's national news stories. I'm Ben Cubby, and I'll be with you for the morning.
It's Friday, May 16.
Here's what's making news.
Momentum is building in the Liberal Party to launch a special inquiry into its future, as Coalition leaders Sussan Ley and David Littleproud jostle over nuclear energy, risking a formal split.
Ben Roberts-Smith will find out this morning if he has won his court bid to overturn a devastating defamation loss.
Prime minister Anthony Albanese has spoken about his views on religious faith as he prepares to travel to Rome for the inaugural mass of Pope Leo XIV and hold meetings with world leaders.
The vote count continues today, as Liberal Tim Wilson's lead over independent Zoe Daniel in the Melbourne seat of Goldstein narrows further.
In Victoria, the state government is secretly mapping the infiltration of big infrastructure projects by firms with suspected underworld links and warning key contractors to cut ties with gangland figures.
In NSW, the state's healthcare system risks being overwhelmed by an avalanche of ageing and chronically ill patients, a special commission report has found.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Trump's Epstein claim sparks Virginia Giuffre family outrage
Trump's Epstein claim sparks Virginia Giuffre family outrage

Perth Now

time15 minutes ago

  • Perth Now

Trump's Epstein claim sparks Virginia Giuffre family outrage

Donald Trump's admission that Epstein recruited Virginia Giuffre from Mar-a-Lago has sparked outrage from her family, who are now demanding answers about what he knew and when. Speaking aboard Air Force One, the president told reporters that Epstein 'stole' Ms Giuffre from the Mar-a-Lago spa when she was just 16. 'Everyone knows the people who were taken,' Mr Trump said. 'People were taken out of the spa hired by him… And then not too long after that, he did it again. And I said, 'Out of here.'' But the family of Ms Giuffre, who lived in WA before she tragically took her own life, has issued a furious response. 'It was shocking to hear President Trump invoke our sister and say that he was aware that Virginia had been 'stolen' from Mar-a-Lago,' the family said in a statement. 'It makes us ask if he was aware of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's criminal actions, especially given his statement two years later that his good friend Jeffrey 'likes women on the younger side... no doubt about it.'' The comments have sparked renewed scrutiny of Mr Trump's long-denied ties to Epstein and his inner circle, including whether his administration sought to downplay any connection. Mr Trump has previously claimed he 'never had the privilege of going to (Epstein's) island' and insisted Democrats planted his name in case files. But Florida's former attorney general Pam Bondi reportedly told Mr Trump that his name appears 'multiple times' in Epstein-linked documents. Ms Giuffre, who died at the age of 41 in April, was one of the most vocal survivors to speak out about Epstein and Ms Maxwell's trafficking operation. She maintained she was recruited into the ring while working as a locker room attendant at Mar-a-Lago in 2000. Mr Trump officially severed ties with Epstein in 2004. Over the years, he's attributed the falling-out to everything from Epstein being 'a creep' to a dispute over a Palm Beach property. His latest remarks, however, raise new questions about what he knew and when. The Ms Giuffre family also lashed out at Congress over ongoing moves to allow Ms Maxwell to testify about Epstein's network, calling her 'a monster who deserves to rot in prison for the rest of her life.' 'If our sister could speak today, she would be most angered by the fact that the government is listening to a known perjurer,' their statement continued. 'A woman who repeatedly lied under oath and will continue to do so as long as it benefits her position.' Ms Maxwell, currently serving a 20-year sentence, met with Justice Department officials last week. She is scheduled to testify before Congress on August 11, though a request for immunity has already been denied.

Giuffre family demands answers after Trump says Epstein ‘stole' Virginia from Mar-a-Lago
Giuffre family demands answers after Trump says Epstein ‘stole' Virginia from Mar-a-Lago

West Australian

time15 minutes ago

  • West Australian

Giuffre family demands answers after Trump says Epstein ‘stole' Virginia from Mar-a-Lago

Donald Trump's admission that Epstein recruited Virginia Giuffre from Mar-a-Lago has sparked outrage from her family, who are now demanding answers about what he knew and when. Speaking aboard Air Force One, the president told reporters that Epstein 'stole' Ms Giuffre from the Mar-a-Lago spa when she was just 16. 'Everyone knows the people who were taken,' Mr Trump said. 'People were taken out of the spa hired by him… And then not too long after that, he did it again. And I said, 'Out of here.'' But the family of Ms Giuffre, who lived in WA before she tragically took her own life, has issued a furious response. 'It was shocking to hear President Trump invoke our sister and say that he was aware that Virginia had been 'stolen' from Mar-a-Lago,' the family said in a statement. 'It makes us ask if he was aware of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's criminal actions, especially given his statement two years later that his good friend Jeffrey 'likes women on the younger side... no doubt about it.'' The comments have sparked renewed scrutiny of Mr Trump's long-denied ties to Epstein and his inner circle, including whether his administration sought to downplay any connection. Mr Trump has previously claimed he 'never had the privilege of going to (Epstein's) island' and insisted Democrats planted his name in case files. But Florida's former attorney general Pam Bondi reportedly told Mr Trump that his name appears 'multiple times' in Epstein-linked documents. Ms Giuffre, who died at the age of 41 in April, was one of the most vocal survivors to speak out about Epstein and Ms Maxwell's trafficking operation. She maintained she was recruited into the ring while working as a locker room attendant at Mar-a-Lago in 2000. Mr Trump officially severed ties with Epstein in 2004. Over the years, he's attributed the falling-out to everything from Epstein being 'a creep' to a dispute over a Palm Beach property. His latest remarks, however, raise new questions about what he knew and when. The Ms Giuffre family also lashed out at Congress over ongoing moves to allow Ms Maxwell to testify about Epstein's network, calling her 'a monster who deserves to rot in prison for the rest of her life.' 'If our sister could speak today, she would be most angered by the fact that the government is listening to a known perjurer,' their statement continued. 'A woman who repeatedly lied under oath and will continue to do so as long as it benefits her position.' Ms Maxwell, currently serving a 20-year sentence, met with Justice Department officials last week. She is scheduled to testify before Congress on August 11, though a request for immunity has already been denied.

Childcare centres on notice after new safety laws pass parliament
Childcare centres on notice after new safety laws pass parliament

The Australian

time3 hours ago

  • The Australian

Childcare centres on notice after new safety laws pass parliament

Parliament has passed new laws allowing the federal government to cut funding to childcare centres that 'are not up to scratch' on safety. It comes just weeks after horrific allegations of sexual abuse at a centre in Melbourne sparked national outrage, with Labor acting on royal commission recommendations made under the former Coalition government. Under the laws, a childcare centre's safety will be assessed when it applies for the Childcare Centre Subsidy (CCS). Centres will also undergo checks to keep the federal funding. If they fail to meet the standards, the federal government can order them to tighten safety, temporarily halt their CCS money, or even cut off it off altogether. The new laws also aim to stop childcare operators with a bad history from opening new centres and boosts transparency for parents, allowing them to see if a centre has had conditions put on it or if its CCS application was ever rejected. Education Minister Jason Clare spearheaded the legislation, which passed the Senate without amendments. Speaking before it passed, he said the changes were not 'an idle threat'. Education Minister Jason Clare says new childcare laws 'will close' centres that 'are not up to scratch'. Picture: Martin Ollman / NewsWire 'The intention here is not for centres to close but for centres to raise their standards to meet the quality and safety standards that we expect them to have,' Mr Clare told reporters at Parliament House. 'But it's not an idle threat — if centres don't act, then they will close. 'And I think parents will want to know if their centres are not up to scratch. 'And that's why, as part of this legislation, we're saying that, if my department imposes a condition on a centre and says, 'You've got this time to get up to scratch,' they have to tell the parents at that centre what's happening as well so they've got the information they need to make the decisions they need to make. 'To make sure their children are getting the best-quality care and education they can.' Earlier this month, Victoria Police revealed Joshua Dale Brown, 26, had been charged with more than 70 offences, including sexual activity in the presence of a child under 16 and possession of child abuse material. He was a worker at Creative Garden Early Learning Centre in Point Cook and had a working with children check. Melbourne childcare Joshua Brown was charged with more than 70 offences. Picture Supplied., The Australian Education Union welcomed the new laws, saying in a statement they would 'contribute to the urgent and systemic reform needed to restore community confidence'. 'The AEU is deeply distressed by the recent allegations of abuse in early childhood education and care settings,' the union's deputy president Meredith Pearce said. 'Early Learning is important for children's development and every parent must be able to place their trust in safe, secure and supported early learning environments. 'The changes are welcome, but if we want to ensure we are embedding child safe practices and minimising risk to all children, the practice of under the roof ratio's needs to cease, the threshold for quality standards needs to be lifted, and the workforce needs to be qualified, professionally paid and well supported.' In his comments, Mr Clare thanked the opposition for working to get the changes through so quickly. 'This is a different parliament and a different opposition leader,' he said. 'I think want us to work together on the big things that matter to help Australians. 'And particularly on the childcare matter where it could have been very different.' He singled out Sussan Ley and his opposition counterpart Jono Duniam for working 'constructively with us'. 'I take my hat off to them,' Mr Clare said. 'This is what Australians want of us, tis is what they expect of us. 'To be honest, it's what they should demand of us.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store