Australia election: Teen charged after Peter Dutton's office vandalised
A teenager has been charged after Australian opposition leader Peter Dutton's office was vandalised for the third time during the election campaign.The Liberal Party leader's office in Arana Hills, Brisbane was splattered in red paint, and covered with posters criticising his stance on a number of issues.Police say four people seen acting suspiciously at the site in the early hours of the morning fled when officers arrived, but an 18-year-old woman was tracked by the dog squad and charged with causing wilful damage.Australians vote in an election on Saturday, 3 May, and Dutton has in recent days caused controversy for his comments about ceremonial Aboriginal rites.
The opposition leader has been criticised by some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, including former party colleagues, after saying Aboriginal "welcome to country" ceremonies are "overdone". The short ritual has become standard at public events and recognises traditional land owners.
One of the posters plastered on his office said "always was, always will be Aboriginal land". Others criticised his comments about finding "common ground" with Donald Trump, his stance on the Israel-Gaza war, and his links to mining billionaire Gina Rinehart.The same office was vandalised earlier this month, with the words "maggot" and "scum" written in black, and again a few days later, with a window smashed and white paint splashed across the entrance.
Dutton is yet to comment on the vandalism, but members of his party have previously said attacks on political offices are "out of control"."Unfortunately this is an increasingly frequent occurrence, not just targeting Peter's office - although his has been targeted a number of times - but targeting members of parliament all around the country with graffiti and even more serious acts of violence," James Paterson told Sky News Australia last week.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Huckabee suggests Muslim countries should give up land for Palestinian state
The US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has suggested Muslim countries should give up some of their land to create a future Palestinian an interview with the BBC, Huckabee said Muslim countries have "644 times" more land than Israel. "So maybe, if there is such a desire for the Palestinian state, there would be someone who would say, we'd like to host it," he a separate interview with Bloomberg, Huckabee said the US was no longer pursuing the goal of an independent Palestinian state. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce later said the president was responsible for US policy in the Middle East, adding the ambassador "speaks for himself". The ambassador also called a two-state solution "an aspirational goal". Later this month at the United Nations in New York, French and Saudi diplomats will host a conference aimed at laying out a roadmap for an eventual Palestinian he did not say where any future Palestinian state could be located specifically or whether the US would support such an effort, Huckabee called the conference "ill-timed and inappropriate"."It's also something that is completely wrongheaded for European states to try to impose in the middle of a war," he said, arguing that it would result in Israel being "less secure"."At what point does it have to be in the same piece of real estate that Israel occupies?," he told the BBC's Newshour programme. "I think that's a question that ought to be posed to everybody who's pushing for a two-state solution."Asked if the US position was that there could not be a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Huckabee said: "I wouldn't say there can never be, what I would say is that a culture would have to change."Right now the culture is that it's OK to target Jews and kill them and you're rewarded for it. That has to change."The "two-state solution" is a formula for peace between Israel and the Palestinians that has generally received international backing, including from multiple US administrations. It proposes an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, with East Jerusalem as its capital. It would exist alongside rejects a two-state solution. It says any final settlement must be the result of negotiations with the Palestinians, and statehood should not be a has previously been a strong supporter of the idea of a "greater Israel", seeking permanent Israeli control of the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and using the biblical term "Judea and Samaria" for the West of his language echoes positions frequently taken by ultranationalist groups in Israel. Some in this movement, including far-right ministers in the Israeli governing coalition, have argued for the expulsion of Palestinians from the occupied West Bank and Gaza, saying any future Palestinian state could exist in Arab or Muslim countries. If such a policy was enacted, rights groups and European governments argue it would be a clear violation of international law. The ambassador also strongly criticised US allies for sanctioning two far-right Israeli ministers over "repeated incitements of violence against Palestinian communities" in the occupied West sanctioning of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich was part of a joint move announced by the UK, Norway, Australia, Canada and New Zealand on Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the Israeli officials had "incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights". The men were banned from entering the UK and will have any assets in the UK registered strong objections to the move, and Huckabee called it a "shocking decision.""I have not yet heard a good reason for why these two elected ministers have been sanctioned by countries that ought to respect the country's sovereignty and recognise that they have not conducted any criminal activity," he war in Gaza began after Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking around 251 others are now 56 hostages still being held by Hamas in Gaza, at least 20 of whom are believed to be October 2023, at least 54,927 Palestinians have been killed, according to the territory's Hamas-run ministry of health. The UN estimates that more than a quarter of them are children.
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Britain sanctions two far-right Israeli ministers over inciting violence against Palestinians
BRITAIN has slapped sanctions on two far-right Israeli ministers it accused of inciting extremist violence against Palestinians. Foreign Secretary David Lammy joined Norway, Australia, New Zealand and Canada in imposing travel bans and asset freezes on Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. 3 3 The move, branded 'outrageous and unacceptable' by Israel's foreign minister, risks a row with Donald Trump's US administration, which is leading Israel-Hamas ceasefire talks. Mr Lammy and his four counterparts accused the two ministers of using 'monstrous' rhetoric. In a joint statement, they said the pair 'incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights'. Both must be held to account, they said, for calling for the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza so it could be re-settled by Jewish Israelis, as well as using extremist and violent language in pushes to annex the West Bank. Mr Ben-Gvir and Mr Smotrich have threatened to withdraw from their government to force fresh elections if Israel ends its war against Hamas. Asked if the UK would urge PM Benjamin Netanyahu to sack them, Mr Lammy said: 'The Israeli government will make their own determination.' The Tories' Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel said of the sanctions: 'The Conservative Party had always been committed to supporting a two-state solution — delivered in the right way, and at the right time — and will work with the Government to support efforts to achieve this.' Mr Ben-Gvir, Israel's national security minister, pledged last night: 'We survived Pharaoh, we will survive Keir Starmer as well.' Finance minister Mr Smotrich added: 'Britain has already tried once to prevent us from settling the cradle of our homeland, and we will not allow it to do so again.' No 10 said: 'Ben-Gvir and Smotrich do not speak for all Israeli people, but have a long history of dangerous and extremist views.' Israel is expected to debate its response to the sanctions next week. 3 Death of Hamas chief Mohammad Sinwar could cause DECIMATED terror group to implode
Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Telegraph
Starmer turning against Israel risks further conflict with White House
The contrast could not have been greater. At around midday UK time, it emerged the Government would sanction two ultra-nationalist Israeli cabinet ministers. The measures against Bezalel Smotrich, the finance minister, and Itamar Ben-Gvir, the security minister, reflect dismay at much of their behaviour, but particularly their efforts to frustrate a two-state solution. Within two hours, however, an interview with Mike Huckabee, Donald Trump 's new ambassador to Israel, sent a different message. In it, the Republican evangelical pastor (who is close to Mr Smotrich) appeared to all but completely withdraw US support for a Palestinian state. Asked if the two-state solution remained a US policy goal, as it has been for decades, he said: 'I don't think so.' He suggested he'd rather see a legal home for the Palestinians carved out of a Muslim country than the West Bank, where the majority currently live. It is British policy to eventually recognise a Palestinian state, but successive governments have been reluctant to make the move. Sources stressed as recently as last week that Downing Street had made no decision on this. Emmanuel Macron, along with Saudi Arabia, is currently embarked on a mission to cajole allies like Britain to, diplomatically speaking, put their money where their mouths are on the issue of recognition. A much-vaunted France-Saudi conference on the subject is due to take place later this month, about which Israel is extremely nervous. Gideon Sa'ar, Israel's foreign minister, recently threatened to annex the West Bank in retaliation. The feeling among diplomats is that – as with Tuesday's announcement of sanctions – recognition of a Palestinian state would have the greatest impact if done in coordination with allies. Sir Keir and David Lammy will be watching their European partners carefully to see who moves first. To do so would certainly widen the rift over Israel with Washington DC further. It is a rift that has been growing for some time. Mr Trump's criticism of Israel's policy in Gaza has been limited, while Sir Keir has been gradually increasing his. Sanctioning the ministers opens up another potential conflict between the two leaders. The Trump administration rails against threats to free speech. And yet Britain, in concert with Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway, has subjected two elected lawmakers and ministers to harsh restrictions based, in large part, on things they have said. In the meantime, Mr Smotrich and Mr Ben-Gvir will certainly stay on in their posts despite the allegedly inciting 'extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights'. Sanctioned or not, they will no doubt continue calling for ever harsher treatment of Gaza and Jewish proliferation in the West Bank.
