Extra $800m for AUKUS was scheduled, PM
Anthony Albanese was asked about the new payment that took the total to $1.6bn, which was reported in Nine newspapers on Wednesday.
'There is a schedule of payments to be made, we have an agreement with the United States as well as with the United Kingdom,' Mr Albanese told ABC's Afternoon Briefing.
'It is about increasing the capacity, their industrial capacity, and as part of that, we have Australians on the ground, learning the skills so that when it comes to the SSN-AUKUS, the submarines being built here in Australia, we have those skills.' Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the $800m sent to the US for AUKUS was a scheduled payment. NewsWire / Martin Ollman Credit: News Corp Australia
Defence Minister Richard Marles earlier confirmed the report saying 'the payments are occurring in line with Australia's commitment to contribute US$2bn by the end of 2025, which underscores our commitment to the successful delivery of AUKUS Pillar I outcomes'.
The US' review was announced in June and is being headed up by Elbridge Colby, the US undersecretary of defence.
Mr Colby recently made headlines when it was revealed he was pressuring the Australian and Japanese governments to reveal what they would do if China invaded Taiwan. The nuclear submarines are set to be built in Australia. NewsWire / Morgan Sette Credit: News Corp Australia
The AUKUS deal is a long-term arrangement that will cost upwards of $268bn, and as much as $368bn, over the next 30 years.
Australia would buy nuclear submarines from the US, while developing our own capacity to build submarines in Adelaide.
The new payment came as Opposition defence spokesman Angus Taylor said he was 'worried' about the government's position on defence.
'I worry that the government – I think it's not just me worried, I think every expert looking at this is making these comments – they're deeply worried that we're not on our way to having the defence force we need in such an uncertain time,' Mr Taylor said.
'We've got authoritarian regimes around the world flexing their muscles.'
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Sydney Morning Herald
a few seconds ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Israel's denials don't change the fact that children are starving
The Israeli embassy says there's no starvation in Gaza. That the images are fake. That the dying children aren't real (' Israel's denial of starvation reports in Gaza 'beyond comprehension' ' July 29). But they are real. And we know it. Haaretz, the Israeli newspaper, calls this a policy of starvation. It has documented the blockade of aid, the bombing of bakeries, the shootings at food queues. Wasted bodies. Children dying slow, preventable deaths. Journalist Gideon Levy goes further – he calls this denial 'no less vile than Holocaust denial.' Because it erases the victims. Because it adds insult to the unimaginable cruelty. So how many more must die before Australia acts? Before we impose sanctions? Cut military ties? Recognise Palestine? How many photos of starving children do we need before Anthony Albanese does more than speak? Words don't fill empty stomachs. Lila Malagi, Flinders (Vic) The Deputy Israeli ambassador should read the two reports released on Monday by two Israeli human rights groups, the Israeli-Palestinian human rights group B'Tselem, and the Physicians for Human Rights – Israel, which have concluded that Israel's conduct in Gaza constitutes genocide against the Palestinian population. Or is this just another case of fake news? Joe Collins, Mosman Israel's denial of starvation in Gaza is to be warmly welcomed. It is such a blatant untruth that it reinforces our scepticism about all of Israel's assertions. A government that is prepared to brazenly contradict the plain and heart-breaking evidence clearly cannot be trusted. Claims that the devastation of Gaza and the slaughter of its people are in self-defence, that civilians are never targeted, only Hamas terrorists, that Israel's army is the most moral in the world, that Hamas is solely responsible for the failure of ceasefire negotiations, and so many more, all without evidence, cannot be taken seriously. We should be grateful that Israel's relentless public relations campaign has been so nakedly exposed. Tom Knowles, Parkville (Vic) If the Israeli government insists that the starvation inside Gaza is Hamas propaganda, then why not let the international press in to report independently? Wayne Fitness, Rankin Park Israeli Deputy Ambassador to Australia Amir Meron should be informed that the international media is poised to descend on Gaza and reveal the starvation hoax. It's ready when you are, Amir. Garry Feeney, Kingsgrove In all the talk on Israel and Hamas and Palestine, there has been little mention of the horrors of October 7, 2023, when more than 1200 men, women and children, including citizens from 30 countries were slaughtered by Hamas. Girls and women were sexually assaulted, and physically and mentally damaged. And there are still hostages being held by Hamas. Selwyn Suchet, St Ives Chase No, Alex Nikulin (Letters, July 28), my point is not that 'the picture of the starving child is fake news', but that media outlets have a duty and responsibility to uphold factual integrity. Printing context-lacking photos risks legitimising anti-Jewish hatred under the guise of political criticism. In the case of Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq, his mother is reported to have told the media that her son suffers from a muscular disorder that results in wasting. In other words, Muhammad's condition stems from a medical disorder, rather than an embargo by Israel on food distribution. George Fishman, Vaucluse Building bridges Presumably the NSW government profited from the closure of the Sydney Harbour Bridge when Hollywood and the Formula 1 organisers came to town (' Pro-Palestine activists vow court action over march on Harbour Bridge ', July 29). Rather than Sydney 'descending into chaos', the record shows we revelled in the excitement of those particular Sunday mornings in 2005, on one occasion seeing Mark Webber zoom across the bridge a dozen times. Notice periods aside – since the premier could counter-offer a future date for a protest march – does our desire for entertainment and profit trump the human and compassionate urge to peacefully protest over a human catastrophe which we cannot unsee: the preventable starvation and killing of thousands of innocent children and adults? C'mon, Premier Minns. Jane Woolford, Marrickville Premier Minns, surely you see that a couple of hours of disruption for Syndeysiders is meaningless against the suffering of the people of Gaza. As governments worldwide stand by, bound up by their fear of antisemitic accusations, seemingly powerless to act, everyday people are feeling anguish and outrage, in need of a collective voice and sense of action. Why wouldn't our most well-known landmark be the right location to show that Australians are not blind or numb to this atrocity? Kathryn Bates, Ashfield Until a letter writer Dale Bailey wised me up, I'd thought the main function of the Harbour Bridge was to allow people to get from one side of the harbour to the other, while collecting revenue (Letters July 29). But then, I'd once thought the Opera House steps were mainly for starstruck groups taking selfies. Now, our bridge is seen as a possible 'leverage' opportunity for controversial causes. Thankfully, Premier Minns sees it differently. Rosemary O'Brien, Ashfield Coal mining doomed Correspondent Bruce Johnson thinks we will have a choice about giving up our income from coal and gas (Letters, July 29). He is mistaken. Just last year, China installed about 300 gigawatts of new green generating capacity. For comparison, our total capacity, according to the market operator, is about 65 gigawatts. China will need a total of about 1500 gigawatts for its large population and will reach that capacity in renewables in a few years. It will then begin to reduce coal generation to just enough for firming, so it will shut down hundreds of generators and the price of coal will plummet, leaving our mines as worthless, stranded assets. The only remaining coal exporters will be low-wage producers like Brazil and Indonesia. What our government does about mine approvals or net-zero targets is irrelevant in the face of this market shift. A more important question is who will pay to remediate our bankrupt mines? And where will the 18,000 workers go? Alan Stanley, Upper Corindi Correspondent Bruce Johnson is correct that the export revenue from coal and gas is $55 billion and $90 billion respectively, but how much of that revenue remains in Australia? The gas extraction sector is more than 90 per cent foreign owned, and it has been determined that they pay no royalties on over half of their exports and invariably pay no company tax. The net benefit to Australia is a much smaller number. Graeme Finn, Campsie Danger on wheels With proposed legislation regulating e-bikes and e-scooters being considered by the state government, the concerns of your writer about the need for enforcement of penalties is timely (' Reckless food delivery riders making footpaths 'lawless' ', July 28). Given that many such riders are unlicensed and may not carry any ID, the only effective penalty would appear to be provision for police and council rangers to seize and impound illegally used e-vehicles. They would then only be returned with proof of ownership and payment of a penalty. Lee Cook, Orange As an e-bike rider, I would like the option of taking it on a train at some time. I have a reputable brand for electronics and would be happy to get the equivalent of a 'test and tag' once a year to prove it is safe, with an appropriate, easily visible tag (' E-bikes and e-scooters face Sydney train and metro ban', July 27). Graeme Finn, Campsie I have recently witnessed two incidents while doing school drop-off with my grandchildren – a rider on an e-scooter in the middle of the road without a helmet while using his mobile phone in one hand and vaping with the other, and a young mother with a baby in a carrier on her back and a young child in front of her on the e-scooter on their way to school. Again, no helmets. Colleen Northam, Taree Good news stories I agree with Peter Hartcher and his views on journalism (' Good journalism can seek solutions ', July 29). I subscribe to a weekly newsletter called Fix the News. It reports stories that do not hit the mainstream. For example, Senegal has eliminated trachoma, which can cause blindness. A new six-in-one vaccine has been developed to protect against diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B, polio, pertussis and type-B influenza. New Zealand engineers have worked out how to turn Earth's most abundant mineral, olivine, into zero-waste battery materials, and global coal cargoes shrank by 6 per cent in the first half of this year. The sum of this news leaves me with feelings of hope, rather than despair. News outlets could do more to promote these stories. Tom Meakin, Port Macquarie Peter Hartcher's article is a refreshing take on what news could be. The gruelling reporting of death, corruption, misery and self-interest is depressing. While such reporting won't go away, balancing it with meaningful writing on how we can contribute to societal improvement will lift our outlook, our mental health and our world. Might the Herald lead by starting a daily double page spread of positive news? I'm sure it will become the go-to section (after the letters pages, of course). Wayne Duncombe, Lilyfield I have written here so many times highlighting that journalism has become reporting opinions about issues but not offering a solution (what next, what should we do). It has taken Peter Hartcher to tell us that we have a media problem and there are people trying to do something about it. Jenny Greenwood, Hunters Hill Healthy masculinity Apparently, men lifting weights at Bondi is a public safety issue. 'Too much testosterone', we're told (' Tension over the Bondi Beach gym crackdown ', July 29). Right. Because the real danger is men getting strong together, instead of sulking alone watching Andrew Tate videos. Outdoor gyms offer routine, connection and a sense of purpose. Mocking that only pushes men toward isolation and resentment – fertile ground for misogyny. If we want fewer angry, disconnected men in society, let's stop treating healthy masculinity like a liability. Walter Lee, Ashfield Unhappy new year It is a sad time when North Sydney Council chooses to charge people $50 to watch the iconic fireworks (' Council debates charging for NYE Sydney Harbour fireworks ', July 29). Their greed has successfully removed the 'happy' from 'happy new year'. It would be interesting to know just how many of the councillors will pay the $50 if they choose to watch themselves. Peter De Silva, Essendon (Vic) Given that North Sydney Council received $10 million from a federal government grant originally designed to build female change rooms and upgrade community swimming pools in rural and regional areas, might it discount the price charged for us country folk for New Year's Eve fireworks? Graham Fazio, Cootamundra Who nose best? Emily Kowal's article on the so-called childcare 'mouth taping incident' goes too far (' Sydney childcare centre censured for taping toddlers' mouths shut ', July 29). Taping the mouth is a common way to encourage nostril rather than mouth breathing. Asthmatics breathe through their mouths and so do kids with allergies, and that's a bad thing. If they learn to keep their mouths closed and breathe through the nose, allergies and reactions to things like carpets, dust and cat dander decrease dramatically. I got over my own asthma as an adult using this method. So did my son. It's a Russian system called Buteyko. The article suggests it's some weird cult practice and dangerous, which it isn't. People could avoid a lot of ENT surgery if they breathed through their noses more. Karen Halabi, Tamarama Downsizing disincentive Jane Caro's article on downsizing was a good read (' Downsizing was just the best move ', July 29). She mentions the benefit of the tax incentives for downsizers to boost their super funds. However, over the horizon is a looming additional tax on unindexed super balances above $3 million. This new tax may mean that seniors and retirees will not want to downsize and put their excess cash into super while they can stay in their current home tax-free. The unintended consequence could be more pressure on the housing market, unless of course the government decides to tax the family home. Wilfred Gay, Middle Cove Sky's the limit An egregious example of harbour exploitation, as described by Richard Spencer (Letters, July 29), lies in Taronga Zoo's latest attempt to Disneyfy its operation. A new Sky Safari is certainly needed, but Taronga's plans to build pylons 10 storeys tall in the middle of the route are clearly an attempt to create a totally non-zoological entertainment – 'views from the Heads to the Blue Mountains' – that will stick out like a sore thumb above the trees on its harbour slopes. It will be illuminated and run night and day. Odd that everyone else on the harbour slopes is restricted to eight metres in height so that views from the harbour remain a delight. Jeremy Eccles, Clifton Gardens Tariff tanty Another day, another tariff tantrum from you-know-who (' Trump signals tariffs of up to 20 per cent ', July 29). It is a mystery to me why we are not getting together with Canada, Mexico, Japan, Britain, the EU, India and any other nation that wants in to create a trading bloc that sells to America anything it wants, but only buys from it if no other supplier is available, and sell only to each other. Also, no retaliatory tariffs. Why should we punish ourselves they way the Americans are punishing themselves? Nicholas Triggs, Katoomba Refund required If the US can't supply the Virginia-class nuclear submarines as stated in the AUKUS agreement, do we get back the $1.6 billion we have already paid? Daniela Catalano, Haberfield Land clearing Unfortunately, many people of NSW believe that they have the right to do whatever they like on their private land, while the 'leaders' they elect allow the ongoing devastation of this once-magnificent landscape and the unique wildlife it nourished (' NSW land clearing on par with Indonesia ', July 29). As usual, there's a handful doing the right thing – environmental groups, progressive crossbenchers, protesters and activists, who, in this shamelessly capitalist climate, are treated as radicals or criminals. If you are not protesting, lobbying, donating or voting for change, you are complicit in the extinctions and carnage we are facing. Marie Healy, Hurlstone Park Cheaper childcare The response by David Rose for more council-run childcare centres piqued my interest (Letters, July 29). I recently asked our local councillors why childcare services could not be restored in the Pittwater ward, given that the merged Northern Beaches Council has nine council-run centres in the former Manly and Warringah wards. I was assured that Pittwater residents were not subsidising childcare provided elsewhere on the northern beaches because the services were 'cost neutral'. If these services are indeed cost neutral, then why the heck are we not establishing more centres for struggling parents, especially given that this council recently increased rates by 25 per cent? Wendy Janssens, Newport
SBS Australia
17 minutes ago
- SBS Australia
A bill to cut student debt passes the House of Representatives
TRANSCRIPT A bill to cut student debt passes the House of Representatives... The ACTU warns employers to introduce AI responsibly in the workplace Australia makes cricket history with eight-match clean sweep of West Indies. A bill to cut university student HECS debts by 20 per cent and reform the debt repayment scheme has passed the House of Representatives with the support of the Opposition. The one-off cut to student debt is set to slash an average of $5500 from the debt of millions of Australians. Despite the Coalition saying during the campaign it would not support the debt cut, new leader Sussan Ley said the opposition would not stand in the way. The proposal was a major Labor election commitment and the first legislation introduced to the new parliament. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has celebrated the move as the bill moves to the Senate. "We are very pleased that the first piece of legislation to pass this house was to pass student debt by 20 per cent. This will cut the debt of three million Australians by an average of $5,500 each. It will make reforming the system to make payments fairer as well, making that long-term difference." Australia's big banks are due to hand back more than $60 million in bank fees while the Commonwealth Bank has opted not to refund $270 million in fees charged to disadvantaged customers. The national corporate regulator, ASIC [[ah-sick]], has issued a reprimand to banks for incorrectly charging customers on Centrelink and Disability Support payments. Westpac and Bendigo Bank have announced they will issue refunds to eligible customers, while CommBank said it will not give back the $270 million it had charged low-income customers since the Royal Commission into bank misconduct six years ago. Betttina Cooper from Mob Strong Debt Help says this is a blow to First Nations people as historically it was the Commonwealth Bank which set up branches in remote communities. "ASIC has released two reports. The banking code has changed. Does it really take a big stick for CBA to do the right thing? Shame on CBA. Just shame! It is clear what they need to do. It is clear from the ASIC report. When will CBA do what's right for its vulnerable customers? Profiteering off your most vulnerable customers is not a good look." The Australian Council of Trade Unions is calling for tougher regulations on the rollout of artificial intelligence in workplaces to protect jobs. At a federal economic reform roundtable next month, the ACTU will call for a new set of A-I implementation agreements that employers must provide to workers. It wants agreements to compel employers to consult their staff before new artificial technology is introduced into workplaces. They say the agreements should include job security guarantees, skills development and retraining, transparency over technology use, privacy and data collection protections. Labor frontbencher Mark Butler didn't comment on the union calls but says employers must introduce AI responsibly. "Like any technology there will be an impact on workplaces. Some of that will be job creation, some of that will impact existing jobs. That's what we've seen through technology for hundreds of years. I encourage employers to do this sensitively and make sure they're taking employees along with them when they think about adopting new technologies. Employers should have been doing that for many many years." The operator of some of Australia's biggest petrol-station chains says new tobacco packaging laws and the black market is behind a 10 per cent drop in convenience sales. Viva Energy, the Geelong refinery owner which operates nearly 1,000 petrol stations, reported $835 million in convenience sales in the six months to June 30, down 10.4 per cent from the previous year. They say the fall was driven by a decline in tobacco sales, which dropped 27 per cent due to new tobacco packaging laws taking effect and the continued growth in the illicit tobacco trade. The new packaging laws require health warnings printed on every cigarette, while taxes of more than $1.30 per cigarette have been blamed for a flourishing black market. Australia have created a slice of cricket history after completing an eight-match clean sweep of their West Indies tour with a three-wicket win in the fifth and final T-20 international in St Kitts. After bowling the home team out for just 170, their lowest score of the five-match T-20-I series, Australia reached their target with three overs to spare, making 7-173 off 17 overs. Despite the absence of pace trio Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc and star batter Travis Head, Australia became the first team to beat another I-C-C full member 5-0 in a T20-I series. Captain Mitchell Marsh says he wasn't expecting a clean sweep but he's proud of the team. "To be honest I probably didn't expect five-nil at the start of the series but I think, across the board, we played some fantastic cricket. I certainly knew that no Australian team had done it. As a group coming together, a lot of us haven't played that much together with some young guys coming in so it'll be something that we're very proud of."
Sydney Morning Herald
31 minutes ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Epstein's brother urges Trump to reopen investigation into disgraced financier's death
But despite the department, the FBI and Attorney-General Pam Bondi drawing a line under the case, a large and influential section of Trump's Make America Great Again movement continues to demand answers over the saga. Loading Theories about the death and the contents of the so-called Epstein files have long been pushed by far - right influencers, and during last year's presidential election campaign, a group of Trump allies publicly called for the documents to be released. Trump said at the time he would declassify the files, but added, 'you don't want to affect people's lives if there's phoney stuff'. Trump was friends with Epstein in the 1990s, and they mixed in the same New York social circles before falling out in the 2000s, according to Trump. Law enforcement agencies have not accused Trump of any wrongdoing related to Epstein, and he has never been identified as a target of any associated investigation. Mark Epstein said his brother and Trump were 'really good friends' who would fly in each other's planes. 'In the early 90s, I know Trump was in Jeffrey's office a lot when he was in financial trouble'. In Scotland this week, Trump claimed the pair fell out and did not speak for 14 years because Epstein 'stole' staff from his Mar-a-Lago estate to work for him instead. 'He did something that was inappropriate. He hired help, and I said, 'Don't ever do that again,'' Trump said. Since coming under pressure over the Epstein files, Trump has been accused of running a distraction campaign. Earlier this month, he posted about a football team changing its name; floated new ingredients of Coca-Cola; and released more than 230,000 pages of files on civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Parts of his MAGA base have fractured over what is being perceived as a broken promise, with popular podcaster Joe Rogan describing the refusal by the administration to release any more information as a 'line in the sand'. Amid frustration that the outcry has persisted, Trump has called the Epstein matter 'boring' and said he doesn't understand why people are still interested. Only 'pretty bad people' wanted to keep fuelling the story, Trump said earlier this month. Mark Epstein said while he didn't know what was in the Epstein files, he didn't object to anything being released. Loading He said he and his brother had spoken regularly but did not see each other in person for years – 'He had his circle of friends and I had mine.' Mark Epstein said his brother admitted to him in the late 2000s to being involved 'with underage girls'. 'He told me he was stupid,' he said. In 2008, Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty to procuring a minor to engage in prostitution, as part of a plea deal. In July 2019, he was arrested again and charged with sex trafficking, but was found unresponsive in his cell the following month and died. Mark Epstein said the accusations against his brother didn't change their relationship. 'He's my brother, that's all that needs to be said.'
