Pro-Palestinian rallies to proceed in Sydney, Melbourne today
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ABC News
16 minutes ago
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Bruce Lehrmann appeal live: Hearing begins in the Federal Court
Bruce Lehrmann's appeal against his defamation case ruling is beginning today in the Federal Court of Australia. Mr Lehrmann sued Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson over an interview on The Project in which Brittany Higgins detailed her rape allegation. But last year, Justice Michael Lee found, on the balance of probabilities, the former Liberal Party staffer did rape his then-colleague in the Parliament House office of senator Linda Reynolds, though he has consistently denied the allegation. Follow live.
ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Australia stands firm in face of Israeli leader's furious attacks on Anthony Albanese
The Australian government has stood firm in the face of the Israeli leader's blistering attack on Anthony Albanese and defended the grounds on which it cancelled the visa of a far-right member of Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition. In a social media post on Tuesday night, Mr Netanyahu launched an extraordinary missive at his Australian counterpart, describing him as a "weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia's Jews". Overnight, it also emerged that the Israeli prime minister had sent a letter to Mr Albanese, alleging that Australia's decision to recognise a Palestinian state would "pour fuel on the antisemitic fire". "It is not diplomacy, it is appeasement," the letter obtained by Sky News and dated August 17 read. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke told the ABC on Wednesday morning that Mr Netanyahu had "lashed out" at a number of countries who have issued their support for Palestinian statehood. "Strength is not measured by how many people you can blow up or how many children you can leave hungry," he said. "Strength is much better measured by exactly what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has done, which is when there's a decision that we know Israel won't like, he goes straight to Benjamin Netanyahu. "He has the conversation, he says exactly what we're intending to do, and has the chance for the objections to be made person to person." Australian and Israel relations have progressively soured over the past year, reaching a crescendo earlier this month when Mr Albanese announced he would recognise Palestinian statehood in September. After a call with Mr Albanese during which Australia's plan was conveyed, Mr Netanyahu told a rare media conference for foreign journalists that the development was "shameful". Tensions flared again this week when the government confirmed it had cancelled the visa of Israeli politician Simcha Rothman — a member of Mr Netanyahu's governing coalition — days before he was due to embark on a speaking tour in Australia. Hours after the decision was made public, Israel declared that it would revoke the visas of Australia's representatives to the Palestinian Authority. After Mr Netanyahu's attack on Mr Albanese, Israeli Opposition Leader Yair Lapid described it as a "gift" for Australia. "The thing that strengthens a leader in the democratic world today most is a confrontation with Netanyahu, the most politically toxic leader in the Western world," he said in a social media post. The "backdrop" for the decision to cancel the Australian visas, according to Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, was both Australia's decision to recognise a Palestinian state and what he described as the "unjustified refusal" to grant Mr Rothman a visa. Mr Burke — who, as home affairs minister, is ultimately responsible for the issuing of visas — provided an explanation for the visa ruling on Wednesday, pointing directly to comments the Israeli politician had made describing Palestinian children as the enemy. "If anyone wanted to come on a public speaking tour and they had those views publicly expressed about Israeli children, I would block the visa," he said. "And I am going to not have a lower bar for the protection of views that are bigoted views against the Palestinian people." The letter revoking Mr Rothman's visa, seen by the ABC, said he had the potential to use the events he would be participating in to "promote his controversial views and ideologies, which may lead to fostering division in the community". It cites examples of Mr Rothman claiming that children were not dying of hunger in Gaza, that those children were Israel's enemies, and that the idea of a two-state solution had "poisoned the minds of the entire world". But Mr Rothman, in an interview with the ABC earlier in the week, claimed the sole reason he was blocked from entering Australia was because he had said: "Hamas is bad and Israel is good." "I take the role very seriously in Australia that we have a power, or I have a power, and my delegates in the department have a power under the Migration Act, to block people from coming here if we think they will incite discord," Mr Burke said. The opposition has blamed Labor for the deterioration in relations with Israel, describing the current status of the relationship as an "all-time low". Shadow Home Affairs Minister Andrew Hastie on Wednesday suggested Mr Rothman should have been given more leeway in his visa application because he was an elected member of a foreign parliament. "I'm sure he said a whole range of things that I probably wouldn't agree with, but nonetheless, he's a member of the Knesset," he said. "I think the government's failed to recognise what this cancellation would mean. This wasn't just any old visa." Mr Hastie did not answer directly when asked whether he believed Mr Rothman should have been granted a visa, but noted he was a "member of the Israeli parliament". The Coalition is also opposed to Labor's decision to recognise Palestinian statehood at a United Nations meeting next month and has vowed to reverse the decision if elected in three years. Mr Hastie argued that Labor had been selective in which visas it denied, alleging supporters of Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel had been let in to the country, while Mr Burke accused the opposition of being selective in their outrage. "It seems that the Coalition only believe I should be rejecting people if they will cause harm to the Jewish community and not if they will cause harm to the Palestinian or Muslim community," Mr Burke said. "I have a strong view that no matter who you are in Australia, you have a right to feel safe and to be safe. And I also have a view that words can be bullets."
ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
Tasmanian Labor discuss new leadership following failed no-confidence motion
The ABC understands the dominant left faction of the Tasmanian Labor Party is meeting this morning to discuss potential leadership contenders. A Labor MP has told the ABC Josh Willie and Ella Haddad have been considering nominating. It is understood there will also be a meeting of the wider parliamentary Labor party later this morning. Despite only winning 10 seats at the election, the party had been hoping to take government through a motion of no confidence in Premier Jeremy Rockliff and confidence in Labor leader Dean Winter. But the party failed to convince a single crossbencher to support it with many saying Labor had shown it was unable to compromise and not ready to govern. The motion was defeated last night 24 to 10. The confirmation of election defeat now means both leadership positions will be automatically declared vacant. If there are multiple nominations there will be a statewide ballot. Mr Winter, who is from the right faction, has yet to confirm if he will nominate again. The party was criticised by the crossbench during the debate for refusing to compromise on key policies, contrasted to the Liberals who have now committed to banning greyhound racing and reviewing the sustainability of the salmon industry. While the party faced a resounding loss both at the election and in parliament, a Labor MP told the ABC that backflipping on greyhound racing and the salmon industry at this late stage would be a mistake. They said if the party was going to move on such policies, it should have done so over a week ago.
