Newsroom edition: could Coalition chaos be good for country voters?
As this episode was recorded, the Liberal and National parties were still locked in discussions over the Coalition agreement, after the parties dramatically parted ways earlier in the week.
But with a reunion already on the cards, Bridie Jabour spoke with Mike Ticher and former rural and regional editor Gabrielle Chan about why the breakup could be good for regional voters
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The Guardian
24 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Federal watchdog finds ‘no corruption' in $2.4m settlement to Brittany Higgins following alleged rape
The federal anti-corruption watchdog has found there was 'no corruption issue' regarding the $2.4m settlement paid to Brittany Higgins following her alleged rape within Parliament House. The National Anti-Corruption Commission released the findings of its preliminary investigation into the matter on Thursday, concluding there was 'no inappropriate intervention' by the Labor government. In December 2022, Higgins signed a deed of settlement with the commonwealth when Labor's Mark Dreyfus was the attorney general. The former Liberal senator Linda Reynolds later accused Dreyfus of 'seeking to silence' her for not allowing her to defend herself against Higgins' claims. The Nacc found there was 'no material difference' in legal advice received by the former Coalition government before the May 2022 election and advice subsequently received by the newly elected Albanese government. The Nacc concluded: 'There was no inappropriate intervention in the process by or on behalf of any minister. The then attorney general approved the settlement in accordance with the departmental advice.' 'There is no evidence that the settlement process, including the legal advice provided, who was present at the mediation, or the amount, was subject to any improper influence by any Commonwealth public official,' the anti-corruption watchdog said in a statement. 'To the contrary, the evidence obtained reflected a process that was based on independent external legal advice, without any inappropriate intervention by any minister of either government. There is therefore no corruption issue.' Guardian Australia reported in September 2024 that Reynolds had referred the matter to the Nacc in October 2023 and was provided commonwealth assistance to fund the referral. The deed, released during Lehrmann's failed defamation case in December 2023, compensated Higgins for her loss of earning capacity, legal costs, medical expenses, domestic assistance and '$400,000 for hurt, distress and humiliation'. As part of Higgins' claim, she alleged the commonwealth had breached its duty of care because Reynolds and her staff mishandled the matter and did not adequately support her. The Nacc's finding comes as the WA supreme court prepares its judgment on Reynolds' defamation case against Higgins over a series of social media posts, published in July 2023, which the former minister claims damaged her reputation. In court in August 2024, Reynolds accused Dreyfus of 'seeking to silence' her. Sign up to Morning Mail Our Australian morning briefing breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion She said the claims that she had not given Higgins adequate support after her alleged rape in March 2019 were 'utterly defendable'. 'My defence was to be no defence … I was outraged.' Reynolds is separately suing the commonwealth over Higgins' settlement for taking over her defence in the mediation, which she publicly claimed amounted to 'egregious conduct'. Higgins alleged that she was raped by Bruce Lehrmann in the ministerial suite of the then defence minister, Reynolds, in 2019. The accusation spawned more than a dozen legal cases. In a criminal trial in 2022, Lehrmann pleaded not guilty to one charge of sexual intercourse without consent, denying that any sexual activity occurred. The trial was aborted after a juror obtained information outside the evidence presented in court and, in December of that year, prosecutors dropped charges against him for the alleged rape of Higgins, saying a retrial would pose an 'unacceptable risk' to her health. A federal court judge overseeing a defamation case launched by Lehrmann against Network Ten found in 2024 that Higgins was, on the balance of probabilities, raped by Lehrmann in the office. Lehrmann is appealing that verdict.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Aukus: US to review submarine pact as part of 'America First' agenda
The US has launched a review of its multi-billion dollar submarine deal with the UK and Australia, saying the security pact must fit its "America First" the trilateral pact, widely seen as a response to the growing power of China, Australia is to get its first nuclear-powered subs from the US, before the allies create a new fleet by sharing cutting-edge Australia and the UK - which did its own review last year - have sought to play down news of the US probe, saying it is natural for a new administration to move comes as Australia faces pressure from the White House to lift its military spending, from 2% to 3.5% of GDP, a push so far resisted by Canberra. The agreement - worth £176bn ($239bn; A$368bn) - was signed in 2021, when all three countries involved had different leaders."The department is reviewing Aukus as part of ensuring that this initiative of the previous administration is aligned with the President's America First agenda," a US defence official told the BBC."As [US Defense] Secretary [Pete] Hegseth has made clear, this means ensuring the highest readiness of our servicemembers, that allies step up fully to do their part for collective defense, and that the defense industrial base is meeting our needs."The review will be headed up Elbridge Colby, who has previously been critical of Aukus, in a speech last year questioning why the US would give away "this crown jewel asset when we most need it".Defence Minister Richard Marles, speaking to local Australian media on Thursday morning local time, said he was optimistic the deal would continue. "I'm very confident this is going to happen," he told ABC Radio Melbourne."You just need to look at the map to understand that Australia absolutely needs to have a long-range submarine capability."Some in Australia have been lobbying for the country to develop a more independent defence strategy, but Marles said it was important to "stick to a plan" - a reference to the previous government's controversial cancellation of a submarine deal with France in favour of Australian government spokesperson told the BBC it was "natural" that the new administration would "examine" the agreement, adding the UK had also recently finished a review of the security pact between the long-standing allies. There is "clear and consistent" support for the deal across the "full political spectrum" in the US, they said, adding Australia looked forward to "continuing our close cooperation with the Trump Administration on this historic project".A UK defence spokesperson told the BBC it was "understandable" for a new administration to look at the deal, "just as the UK did last year". Aukus is a "landmark security and defence partnership with two of our closest allies", the spokesperson said, and "one of the most strategically important partnerships in decades, supporting peace and security in the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic".
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
It was always going to be a tightrope walk... Now Albo has everything on the line when he meets Donald Trump this weekend: PETER VAN ONSELEN
Anthony Albanese is expected to meet US President Donald Trump during the G7 Leaders' Summit in Canada, starting in three days time. And boy are there some big issues likely to be on the agenda, starting with the AUKUS agreement. Australia's ambitious plan to enhance its naval capabilities through the AUKUS partnership faces renewed uncertainty as the United States launches a comprehensive review of the agreement. Assuming their meeting still happens it will be the first face-to-face encounter between the PM and Trump since the US President was elected. It's only been a matter of months since Trump has been back in charge, and he's already seeking to reassert a combative vision of American power globally. How Albo reacts to Trump when they meet will test the PM's ability to defend national interests without undermining the alliance. Under the AUKUS pact, Australia is set to acquire between three and five Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines from the US. However, questions have arisen about the US industrial base's capacity to produce the subs without compromising its own needs. The review is being led by Under Secretary of Defense Elbridge Colby, a known skeptic of the pact. Its terms of reference include assessing whether the AUKUS agreement aligns with President Trump's America First policy. Colby has previously questioned the wisdom of transferring critical assets like the Virginia-class submarines to US allies, suggesting it could weaken America's naval strength. Deputy PM and Defence Minister Richard Marles has attempted to downplay the significance of the review, describing it as a natural step to ensure alignment with US defence priorities. But it will certainly be on the top of the agenda when Albo and Trump meet. The PM will want to be able to say that he has received assurances that the agreement is iron clad. The question of defence spending also isn't clear cut. Trump's supporters in the US have floated a 3.5 per cent of GDP benchmark they want Australia's defence spending to rise to. Given that it's currently only at 2.4 per cent (including across forward estimates stretching all the way out to 2034), to lift our defence spending in line with US expectations would be fiscally reckless without cuts being made elsewhere. The Australian budget is already forecast to be in deficit for the coming decade, with gross national debt at the trillion dollar mark. While some domestic foreign policy hawks are independently pushing for higher defence spending, the figure team Trump wants us to meet is unrealistic for a country that faces no direct military threat and is unlikely to anytime soon. Equally, social spending pressures are mounting. The recent election campaign included a raft of new spending promises, with recurrent spending on policies such as the NDIS already a strain on the budget. To increase defence spending in that climate is unlikely to be popular. Besides, Australia's commitment to spend $368 billion on the AUKUS submarine program should be more than enough to signal that we take our defence and alliance duties seriously. Another volatile topic expected to come up at Albo's meeting with Trump is trade. The US President's across-the-board 10 per cent tariff on imports is economic vandalism dressed up as nationalism, and Australia currently isn't exempt. It's a regressive policy that punishes allies and undermines the very order the US once built. Albanese has been unusually forthright on this issue, condemning the move and seeking exemptions. Whether he can actually secure them is another matter, and depends less on the logic of his arguments than it does on Trump's whims. If the meeting achieves anything it will be to gauge whether the President is open to pragmatism rather than simply doubling down on his new found protectionism. Finally, the beef issue is deceptively niche but symbolically important for Australia. For decades, we have maintained biosecurity restrictions on US beef imports, particularly those involving supply chains running through countries with a history of mad cow disease. Washington wants access to the Australian market but the government is firm in saying no way. Albanese has so far been unequivocal that protecting Australia's disease-free status is non-negotiable. The blunt rejection of US demands for access is all about Australia retaining its access to high-value export markets like Japan and Korea, which is dependent on our gold-standard reputation for safe meat. In all of these areas of discussion the real test for Albanese when he meets Trump Mark II for the very first time is to show resolve in the face of Trump's tendency to dominate and distract. Voters won't necessarily remember every talking point, or the finer details of what gets discussed. But they will notice if their Prime Minister looks like he blinked and Trump got the better of him.
