Judge's ire as 'glacial' cattle export lawsuit plods on
The class action was brought in October 2014 by farmers who allege they lost income after then-Labor senator Joe Ludwig banned live cattle exports to Indonesia in June 2011.
The government had reacted to public outcry after an ABC Four Corners program showed graphic footage of cattle being inhumanely slaughtered.
At a brief hearing on Monday, Federal Court Justice Tom Thawley criticised the lawsuit's slow pace.
"It has taken an inordinate amount of time for these proceedings to be heard," he told lawyers representing both the class action and Mr Ludwig.
"The parties have carried on at a glacial pace for years."
In June 2020, Justice Steven Rares found Mr Ludwig committed misfeasance in public office by suspending the export of live cattle to Indonesia for six months from June 2011.
An additional 88,000 head of live cattle would have been sent to Indonesia in 2011 if the minister had acted properly, the court found.
In a June judgment, Justice Thawley limited the potential compensation farmers could receive over the then-senator's unlawful order.
While farmers contended more cattle would have been exported in 2012 and 2013 had Mr Ludwig made an exceptions order instead of his six-month ban, the judge disagreed.
This means farmers can only seek compensation for losses from 2011.
On Monday, class action barrister Patrick Holmes said his clients were still considering whether to appeal the June decision.
Any appeal has to be lodged by August 5.
Justice Thawley scheduled another short hearing two days after that date.
He warned the parties to work out a plan if there was no legal challenge.
"If there is no appeal, the timetable had better be one which deals with this case expeditiously," he said.
Only the lead applicant in the class action, the Northern Territory-based Brett Cattle Company, has received a payout of $3 million as a result of the lawsuit.
Settlement talks are ongoing.
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West Australian
2 hours ago
- West Australian
Urgent action needed to start decommissioning industry, warn unions and green groups
Thousands of jobs could be created in WA to handle tens of billions of dollars in work recycling old offshore oil and gas rigs – but only if governments stop dragging their feet and act urgently on a plan to kickstart a decommissioning industry. Unions and environmental groups have united to call for urgent action and get sods turned on a new WA decommissioning hub within the next two years. Otherwise, they warn, Australia will lose out on the lucrative industry to countries such as Brunei and Denmark. Dismantling and recycling the five million tonnes of oil and gas infrastructure off WA's coast has the potential to be a multibillion-dollar industry for the State as projects reach the end of their lifetime. But research from the Centre of Decommissioning Australia — an independent organisation that works with industry and government — found about half of the $61 billion worth of decommissioning work needs to start within the next decade, and three-quarters by 2040. A coalition consisting of Unions WA, Greenpeace Australia Pacific, the Maritime Union of Australia, the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, the Electrical Trades Union, the Conservation Council WA and the Wilderness Society says WA cannot wait much longer if it is to benefit from this potential. 'If WA doesn't get its act together, then we risk missing out,' Greenpeace's WA campaign lead Geoff Bice told The West. 'Given the amount of work that needs to be done to get it ready, we'd like to see action on this in this term of government … If it gets pushed out beyond the next election cycle, that's getting into too-late territory.' Resources Minister Madeleine King launched a decommissioning roadmap in December while Premier Roger Cook included the sector as a priority in his Made in WA election plan, which identified Ashburton as the site of a decommissioning hub. Mr Bice said not enough had been done since the launch of these plans and it was time to see actual decisions made. The report launched on Monday anticipates thousands of jobs would be created in building a WA decommissioning hub, and hundreds more for its ongoing operations and maintenance. Already, Australia is missing out on work: the Federal Government sent the Northern Endeavour floating production, storage and offloading vessel to Denmark for decommissioning, while Santos is also expected to dispose of its Ningaloo Vision FPSO overseas. Brunei is opening a new decommissioning facility this year, further increasing competition. AMWU WA secretary Steve McCartney said getting the industry moving domestically would create jobs in Australia and offer opportunities to feed green steel projects, another focus for the Federal government. 'Not only would this help stand up green steel projects in the South West, it would provide long-term and stable onshore demand so we never see another debacle like the Northern Endeavour work being stolen from Australian workers ever again,' he said. Ms King said the Government was 'determined to build a strong decommissioning industry' in Australia to create jobs here as work scaled up in coming years with oil and gas companies obliged to deal with infrastructure at the end of projects. 'This is not an optional requirement. It is the responsibility of industry to remove all infrastructure and rehabilitate the production area,' she said. Australian Energy Producers chief executive Samantha McCulloch said the oil and gas sector would draw on decades of operational expertise and the capabilities of its highly skilled workforce to back safe and efficient decommissioning of its infrastructure.
The Age
6 hours ago
- The Age
Rank estate agents according to sale price accuracy
Moronic outbreak The article 'Neo-Nazis march, then gather' (10/8) rightly reports on the activities of cosplaying white males invoking Nazi-era tropes. That said, it is important to put these actions in perspective. A robust Australian democracy should be able to countenance outbreaks of moronism without, for example, reflexively making parallels to the brawling street fighting of fascist 'Brownshirts' of the 1920s presaging the rise of Adolf Hitler. Flexing muscles on a cold country road in Victoria for a media opportunity is not comparable to the actions of far-right agitators, aligned with parliamentary parties, recently besieging and torching migrant hostels in places like Portsmouth in the UK and North Eastern Germany. Perspective is the key term here. 'Holocaust education', as mandated currently in half of US states, including once recalcitrant Arkansas, can still play a role here in combating prejudice and ignorance. As Anthony Albanese often puts it, Australia must act in its own rational, democratic way. Jon McMillan, Mornington Coalition of bigots It is testimony to the historical power, resilience, toxicity and broad appeal of antisemitism, that it can bring into our streets groups so otherwise diverse as multi-ethnic, anti-Israel supporters of Hamas, and white-supremacist neo-Nazi supporters of Hitler (″ Neo-Nazis march, then gather ″, 10/8). Bill James, Frankston Why not terrorists? I was shocked by the photo on the front page of The Age (10/8) showing a man with an image of Adolf Hitler and the word, 'patriot'. This is not an Australian patriot. Australia fought Hitler and the Nazis in the Second World War. How is it that the National Socialist Network is not a proscribed terrorist organisation? The same image of Hitler was used in a graffiti attack on a temple in Boronia on July 21 with the addition of abusive text. In your article, there is mention of a person being assaulted during the city march of neo-Nazis early Saturday, and journalists being assaulted while sitting in their car outside of the neo-Nazi camp taking place this weekend. All of these are criminal actions, and yet the persons responsible are not held to account. Questions have to be asked as to why this organisation is allowed to flourish. Di Cousens, Upwey With a whimpe r Aptly titled The Hollow Men, TS Eliot's 1925 poem, resonated with me as a schoolgirl living in the backdrop of the Vietnam War. The atrocities caused by napalm, bombs and land mines was unfathomable to me and so I marched with 100,000 people in Melbourne moratoriums. All we wanted was peace and an end to conscription, which called up our young male friends who didn't even have the right to vote. The war ended and had achieved nothing but destruction. 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Fraser Faithfull, Caulfield South Surgeon rorts As a retired board member of the TAC, I am appalled to read of the alleged widespread rorting of the TAC by surgeons and others (10/8), which must not only be stopped but must also lead to full reparations and punishment for those found guilty. TAC has always done a wonderful job for Victorians of caring for people who experience road trauma, and has also invested massively in innovative accident prevention initiatives, catalysing a nearly fourfold reduction in our road toll and injuries, over decades. The alleged theft of monies from the TAC can only lead to depletion of resources and hence reduced efforts in its legitimate care and accident prevention budget. Proven offenders deserve no less than loss of their medical license, and all the other legal penalties that their thieving deserves. The investigation should not be done by involved parties such as the college of surgeons or even the TAC, who will, I fear, be far too gentle and 'wrist-slapping' in their inquiries. Call the police, bring in the fraud squad. The alleged thieves are systematically stealing from all Victorians. Prof Danny Samson, department of management and marketing, University of Melbourne Microchip e-bikes Bans on bikes on the London metro apply to all non-folding bikes, not just e-bikes (10/8). Any ban on legal e-bikes on trains here undermines government policies promoting health, reduced use of cars and the viability of small businesses that cater for the needs of cyclists in both Melbourne and the regions. Disturbingly, such a ban would infringe the human rights of many seniors and those of any age with disabilities who depend on legally compliant e-bikes to participate in our society while relying on trains to extend the range of their trips and as a bail-out in emergencies. 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The Advertiser
7 hours ago
- The Advertiser
'Great friends' Australia, NZ vow closer defence ties
China's assertiveness is pushing Australia and New Zealand's militaries ever-closer, with the Kiwi leader declaring the nation's defence forces should become as "interoperable as possible". Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon ended a warm weekend together in the cold, atop a glacier near the South Island ski resort town of Queenstown on Sunday. The pair traded some friendly banter about which country could lay claim to the invention of the pavlova at the end of their annual leaders' meeting. But in a gesture of peace, Mr Luxon met his trans-Tasman partner halfway, offering a dessert with one side adorned with kiwifruit while the other was generously topped with Tim-Tams. "We have solved a centuries-old debate," the New Zealand prime minister said in a video posted to social media featuring the sweet treat. Despite sitting on opposing sides of the left-right political divide, the interaction showed the close personal relationship between Mr Luxon and Mr Albanese. The pair developed a friendship when the former worked as an Air New Zealand chief executive while the now-Australian prime minister served as transport minister. Earlier on Sunday, the leaders visited an Anzac memorial at the nearby town of Arrowtown and laid wreaths to commemorate soldiers from both countries fallen side-by-side in joint battle. "When Australians think of New Zealand, we think of the Anzacs and we think of the sacrifice that we've made together in defence of our freedom," Mr Albanese told reporters. "Australia and New Zealand are great friends. We think alike and we act alike on the international stage." Mr Albanese and Mr Luxon vowed to further integrate the two nations' economies as the regional partners face the "most unpredictable and dangerous" strategic environment in decades. New Zealand has in recent decades sought to maintain a more independent foreign policy to Australia, retreating from the ANZUS alliance in the 1980s after banning US nuclear-powered submarines from its ports. But since the election of the conservative Mr Luxon in 2023 and amid increasing Chinese military assertiveness in the Pacific, the tone has shifted. Mr Luxon has spoken positively of Australia acquiring nuclear submarines through the AUKUS pact and on Sunday he floated the possibility of piggy-backing onto Australia's deal to acquire 10 frigates from Japan, further increasing interoperability between the two nations' militaries. New Zealand's upcoming bid to replace its naval helicopter fleet was another example where it could co-ordinate its military hardware with Australia. "We want to make sure that they're as interoperable as possible with the Australians when we go to market," Mr Luxon said. "We actually want to present joint procurement bids for those things that we can tap on the New Zealand requirements, and as a result, lower the collective cost for each of those individual items for each country." The move to tie New Zealand defence forces closely to those of Australia and allies like the US has been criticised as threatening its independent foreign policy, including by former longstanding Labour prime minister Helen Clark. But University of Otago politics researcher Nicholas Khoo said strengthening military co-operation was appropriate given the increasing uncertainty in international politics. "It's an area where we could legitimately expect to see very real progress," he told AAP. Prof Khoo said the meeting showed the two neighbours' "steady build-up" of co-operation, which didn't exist until two years ago. New Zealand only had one alliance-level partner in Australia and the summit showed its investment in that relationship, he said. Co-operation was also seen as a way to help both countries achieve their goals of boosting economic productivity, including by renewing joint standards arrangements to streamline regulations in various sectors. The pair spoke with business leaders on Saturday evening about removing regulatory pinchpoints to make it easier to operate across the two countries, Mr Luxon said. "We want the barnacles off the boat, to go as quickly as we can for both countries that are trying to improve productivity," he said. China's assertiveness is pushing Australia and New Zealand's militaries ever-closer, with the Kiwi leader declaring the nation's defence forces should become as "interoperable as possible". Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon ended a warm weekend together in the cold, atop a glacier near the South Island ski resort town of Queenstown on Sunday. The pair traded some friendly banter about which country could lay claim to the invention of the pavlova at the end of their annual leaders' meeting. But in a gesture of peace, Mr Luxon met his trans-Tasman partner halfway, offering a dessert with one side adorned with kiwifruit while the other was generously topped with Tim-Tams. "We have solved a centuries-old debate," the New Zealand prime minister said in a video posted to social media featuring the sweet treat. Despite sitting on opposing sides of the left-right political divide, the interaction showed the close personal relationship between Mr Luxon and Mr Albanese. The pair developed a friendship when the former worked as an Air New Zealand chief executive while the now-Australian prime minister served as transport minister. Earlier on Sunday, the leaders visited an Anzac memorial at the nearby town of Arrowtown and laid wreaths to commemorate soldiers from both countries fallen side-by-side in joint battle. "When Australians think of New Zealand, we think of the Anzacs and we think of the sacrifice that we've made together in defence of our freedom," Mr Albanese told reporters. "Australia and New Zealand are great friends. We think alike and we act alike on the international stage." Mr Albanese and Mr Luxon vowed to further integrate the two nations' economies as the regional partners face the "most unpredictable and dangerous" strategic environment in decades. New Zealand has in recent decades sought to maintain a more independent foreign policy to Australia, retreating from the ANZUS alliance in the 1980s after banning US nuclear-powered submarines from its ports. But since the election of the conservative Mr Luxon in 2023 and amid increasing Chinese military assertiveness in the Pacific, the tone has shifted. Mr Luxon has spoken positively of Australia acquiring nuclear submarines through the AUKUS pact and on Sunday he floated the possibility of piggy-backing onto Australia's deal to acquire 10 frigates from Japan, further increasing interoperability between the two nations' militaries. New Zealand's upcoming bid to replace its naval helicopter fleet was another example where it could co-ordinate its military hardware with Australia. "We want to make sure that they're as interoperable as possible with the Australians when we go to market," Mr Luxon said. "We actually want to present joint procurement bids for those things that we can tap on the New Zealand requirements, and as a result, lower the collective cost for each of those individual items for each country." The move to tie New Zealand defence forces closely to those of Australia and allies like the US has been criticised as threatening its independent foreign policy, including by former longstanding Labour prime minister Helen Clark. But University of Otago politics researcher Nicholas Khoo said strengthening military co-operation was appropriate given the increasing uncertainty in international politics. "It's an area where we could legitimately expect to see very real progress," he told AAP. Prof Khoo said the meeting showed the two neighbours' "steady build-up" of co-operation, which didn't exist until two years ago. New Zealand only had one alliance-level partner in Australia and the summit showed its investment in that relationship, he said. Co-operation was also seen as a way to help both countries achieve their goals of boosting economic productivity, including by renewing joint standards arrangements to streamline regulations in various sectors. The pair spoke with business leaders on Saturday evening about removing regulatory pinchpoints to make it easier to operate across the two countries, Mr Luxon said. "We want the barnacles off the boat, to go as quickly as we can for both countries that are trying to improve productivity," he said. China's assertiveness is pushing Australia and New Zealand's militaries ever-closer, with the Kiwi leader declaring the nation's defence forces should become as "interoperable as possible". Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon ended a warm weekend together in the cold, atop a glacier near the South Island ski resort town of Queenstown on Sunday. The pair traded some friendly banter about which country could lay claim to the invention of the pavlova at the end of their annual leaders' meeting. But in a gesture of peace, Mr Luxon met his trans-Tasman partner halfway, offering a dessert with one side adorned with kiwifruit while the other was generously topped with Tim-Tams. "We have solved a centuries-old debate," the New Zealand prime minister said in a video posted to social media featuring the sweet treat. Despite sitting on opposing sides of the left-right political divide, the interaction showed the close personal relationship between Mr Luxon and Mr Albanese. The pair developed a friendship when the former worked as an Air New Zealand chief executive while the now-Australian prime minister served as transport minister. Earlier on Sunday, the leaders visited an Anzac memorial at the nearby town of Arrowtown and laid wreaths to commemorate soldiers from both countries fallen side-by-side in joint battle. "When Australians think of New Zealand, we think of the Anzacs and we think of the sacrifice that we've made together in defence of our freedom," Mr Albanese told reporters. "Australia and New Zealand are great friends. We think alike and we act alike on the international stage." Mr Albanese and Mr Luxon vowed to further integrate the two nations' economies as the regional partners face the "most unpredictable and dangerous" strategic environment in decades. New Zealand has in recent decades sought to maintain a more independent foreign policy to Australia, retreating from the ANZUS alliance in the 1980s after banning US nuclear-powered submarines from its ports. But since the election of the conservative Mr Luxon in 2023 and amid increasing Chinese military assertiveness in the Pacific, the tone has shifted. Mr Luxon has spoken positively of Australia acquiring nuclear submarines through the AUKUS pact and on Sunday he floated the possibility of piggy-backing onto Australia's deal to acquire 10 frigates from Japan, further increasing interoperability between the two nations' militaries. New Zealand's upcoming bid to replace its naval helicopter fleet was another example where it could co-ordinate its military hardware with Australia. "We want to make sure that they're as interoperable as possible with the Australians when we go to market," Mr Luxon said. "We actually want to present joint procurement bids for those things that we can tap on the New Zealand requirements, and as a result, lower the collective cost for each of those individual items for each country." The move to tie New Zealand defence forces closely to those of Australia and allies like the US has been criticised as threatening its independent foreign policy, including by former longstanding Labour prime minister Helen Clark. But University of Otago politics researcher Nicholas Khoo said strengthening military co-operation was appropriate given the increasing uncertainty in international politics. "It's an area where we could legitimately expect to see very real progress," he told AAP. Prof Khoo said the meeting showed the two neighbours' "steady build-up" of co-operation, which didn't exist until two years ago. New Zealand only had one alliance-level partner in Australia and the summit showed its investment in that relationship, he said. Co-operation was also seen as a way to help both countries achieve their goals of boosting economic productivity, including by renewing joint standards arrangements to streamline regulations in various sectors. The pair spoke with business leaders on Saturday evening about removing regulatory pinchpoints to make it easier to operate across the two countries, Mr Luxon said. "We want the barnacles off the boat, to go as quickly as we can for both countries that are trying to improve productivity," he said. China's assertiveness is pushing Australia and New Zealand's militaries ever-closer, with the Kiwi leader declaring the nation's defence forces should become as "interoperable as possible". Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon ended a warm weekend together in the cold, atop a glacier near the South Island ski resort town of Queenstown on Sunday. The pair traded some friendly banter about which country could lay claim to the invention of the pavlova at the end of their annual leaders' meeting. But in a gesture of peace, Mr Luxon met his trans-Tasman partner halfway, offering a dessert with one side adorned with kiwifruit while the other was generously topped with Tim-Tams. "We have solved a centuries-old debate," the New Zealand prime minister said in a video posted to social media featuring the sweet treat. Despite sitting on opposing sides of the left-right political divide, the interaction showed the close personal relationship between Mr Luxon and Mr Albanese. The pair developed a friendship when the former worked as an Air New Zealand chief executive while the now-Australian prime minister served as transport minister. Earlier on Sunday, the leaders visited an Anzac memorial at the nearby town of Arrowtown and laid wreaths to commemorate soldiers from both countries fallen side-by-side in joint battle. "When Australians think of New Zealand, we think of the Anzacs and we think of the sacrifice that we've made together in defence of our freedom," Mr Albanese told reporters. "Australia and New Zealand are great friends. We think alike and we act alike on the international stage." Mr Albanese and Mr Luxon vowed to further integrate the two nations' economies as the regional partners face the "most unpredictable and dangerous" strategic environment in decades. New Zealand has in recent decades sought to maintain a more independent foreign policy to Australia, retreating from the ANZUS alliance in the 1980s after banning US nuclear-powered submarines from its ports. But since the election of the conservative Mr Luxon in 2023 and amid increasing Chinese military assertiveness in the Pacific, the tone has shifted. Mr Luxon has spoken positively of Australia acquiring nuclear submarines through the AUKUS pact and on Sunday he floated the possibility of piggy-backing onto Australia's deal to acquire 10 frigates from Japan, further increasing interoperability between the two nations' militaries. New Zealand's upcoming bid to replace its naval helicopter fleet was another example where it could co-ordinate its military hardware with Australia. "We want to make sure that they're as interoperable as possible with the Australians when we go to market," Mr Luxon said. "We actually want to present joint procurement bids for those things that we can tap on the New Zealand requirements, and as a result, lower the collective cost for each of those individual items for each country." The move to tie New Zealand defence forces closely to those of Australia and allies like the US has been criticised as threatening its independent foreign policy, including by former longstanding Labour prime minister Helen Clark. But University of Otago politics researcher Nicholas Khoo said strengthening military co-operation was appropriate given the increasing uncertainty in international politics. "It's an area where we could legitimately expect to see very real progress," he told AAP. Prof Khoo said the meeting showed the two neighbours' "steady build-up" of co-operation, which didn't exist until two years ago. New Zealand only had one alliance-level partner in Australia and the summit showed its investment in that relationship, he said. Co-operation was also seen as a way to help both countries achieve their goals of boosting economic productivity, including by renewing joint standards arrangements to streamline regulations in various sectors. The pair spoke with business leaders on Saturday evening about removing regulatory pinchpoints to make it easier to operate across the two countries, Mr Luxon said. "We want the barnacles off the boat, to go as quickly as we can for both countries that are trying to improve productivity," he said.
