Is Palau about to accept third-country nationals from the US?
The government of Palau considers a request from the Trump administration to accept third-country nationals seeking asylum in the United States.
Police in Papua New Guinea report destroyed bridges and stolen ballot boxes during a by-election in the country's highlands.
Accommodation concerns ahead of the Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting in Honiara in September.
The history-making Solomon Islands women's soccer team receive a hero's welcome on their return to Honiara after toppling Papua New Guinea in the OFC Nations Cup Final.
And new archaeological research carried out in PNG has revealed women played a bigger role in information sharing than previously thought.
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ABC News
3 hours ago
- ABC News
The Tasmanian Liberals' handling of Marinus Link could spell the end of their days in government
Just two weeks ago, on election night, independent Craig Garland indicated he was open to working with the Liberal Party. He even said he could sign a confidence and supply deal with the government, just six weeks after he supported a no-confidence motion in Premier Jeremy Rockliff that ended up triggering an early state election. "I put my hand out to work in a collaborative manner with the government and that's what I'll be continuing to do," Mr Garland said on election night. Two weeks later, not only has Mr Garland ruled out signing a formal agreement with the Liberals, but has again committed to supporting another no-confidence motion to kick them out of power. So, how has the goodwill eroded so quickly? For Mr Garland, it was just one issue: Mr Rockliff's handling of the Marinus Link deal. Despite promising to publicly release the whole-of-state business case into the deal for four weeks before signing off and allowing it to go ahead, the government kept it hidden from public view until after the deal was signed. Labor and crossbench MPs were given limited access to the business case in briefings this week, but only if they signed confidentiality agreements. They couldn't take the business case out of the room, or talk about what they'd learnt. For Mr Garland, it was all contrary to the messages Mr Rockliff had been sending him, that he'd be collaborative, open and transparent. "I thought, 'this is terrible, this is not open, transparent government, it's a continuation of the norm of what I've experienced the last 14 months in parliament'," Mr Garland said. "And that's why I supported the no-confidence motion. Nothing has changed." They're angry words that leave little to the imagination. And they have big repercussions for Mr Rockliff's chances of forming minority government. If the Liberals fail to win a 15th seat by claiming the final undecided seat in Bass, they need four extra MPs on board to form minority government. They've already ruled out working with the Greens — who voted for the no-confidence motion and have made clear that they are much more motivated to work with Labor. So, without Mr Garland, where do the extra numbers come from? Well, if Labor wins that final seat in Bass, the Liberals need all four of the remaining four options — independents Peter George, Kristie Johnston and David O'Byrne, plus Carlo Di Falco from the Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party. But the Liberals' path to power could have slightly more options if independent George Razay or Shooters, Fishers and Farmers candidate Michael Frydrych win in Bass. Then they'd need to get four of the five remaining crossbenchers on board. That's still a pretty tough ask. And throw in that you've just made a number of crossbenchers extremely angry through the lack of transparency with the Marinus Link deal. Both Ms Johnston — who voted for the no-confidence motion in Mr Rockliff — and the newly elected Mr George have been scathing about the process and how little time they had to go through complex documents and wrap their head around one of the biggest infrastructure projects in the state's history. The government argues it had no other option but to keep the Marinus deal under wraps to secure the best deal for the state. And it's right that the fact a decision to go ahead with the project needed to be made during caretaker period was outside its control. But the lack of consultation with MPs, and the failure to release the business case publicly before the deal was signed, is squarely a Liberal decision. And it's a hard sell to suggest the deal was so good for Tasmania that releasing it publicly ahead of time would have led to the federal or Victorian governments trying to re-negotiate. So far, it's failed to win over Mr Garland. And if Ms Johnston and Mr George come to similar conclusions, the Liberals' days in power could be numbered. Labor can form government through a no-confidence motion in Mr Rockliff. If they win the seventh seat in Bass, their 11 members will vote for it, plus Mr Garland. It would then succeed with the support of those who backed the last no-confidence motion: the five Greens, plus Ms Johnston. If it happens, the Liberals will be left on the opposition benches wondering how it all went wrong. And they won't have to look much further than their decision to walk away from a commitment to transparency at the time they could least afford to do it.
ABC News
8 hours ago
- ABC News
Independent Braddon MP Craig Garland won't sign confidence and supply agreement with Liberals
Tasmanian independent MP Craig Garland has ruled out signing a confidence and supply agreement with Premier Jeremy Rockliff, making the Liberals' return to power more difficult. The Liberals have won at least 14 seats following the July 19 election, four short of the 18 seats needed to govern in majority. Mr Garland, who was re-elected in the seat of Braddon, was one of several crossbenchers who the Liberals had been negotiating with to secure their support to govern in minority. But in a statement released on Friday morning, Mr Garland said he had no faith in Mr Rockliff. "In the previous parliament, I supported the no-confidence motion brought forward by Labor leader Dean Winter for a range of reasons — chief among them the premier's mishandling of the proposed Macquarie Point stadium and the disastrous, wholly unsustainable budget delivered by his treasurer. "Since calling the election, the premier and his party have refused to acknowledge our dire financial situation or the deeply flawed way they have attempted to push through the stadium project — ignoring community concerns and seeking to bypass scrutiny by the Independent Panel." Mr Garland said the government's handling of the Marinus Link decision, including last-minute, confidential briefings for crossbenchers about the project, was unacceptable. "While the premier promised to do things differently after the election, the recent handling of the Marinus Link decision tells a different story. "It was rushed, secretive and emblematic of a government that has learned nothing. "The same arrogance, lack of transparency, incompetence and dishonesty continue to define this administration, with the energy minister on behalf of the government, signing Tasmania up to yet another multi-billion dollar — behind closed doors — deal, without a mandate and without proper scrutiny, that will cost Tasmanians." Mr Garland said these were not "traits of a government" that he could support. "I will not waste my time or Mr Rockliff's by entering into any formal negotiations with him, which is why I called him this morning to tell him as much. I also believe it is important to be up-front with the Tasmanian people about this." His decision gives Labor a better chance of forming a minority government, even though it has only secured 10 seats, with a chance of picking up an 11th seat in Bass. "I look forward to continuing discussions with Mr Winter." In a subsequent interview on ABC Mornings, Mr Garland confirmed he would support a motion of no confidence in Mr Rockliff, if one is moved when parliament returns.
ABC News
8 hours ago
- ABC News
Shooters, Fishers and Farmers candidate Carlo Di Falco elected to Tasmanian parliament
Shooters Fishers and Farmers (SFF) party candidate Carlo Di Falco has won the final seat in the Tasmanian electorate of Lyons and will join the state's 35-seat lower house. As the distribution of preferences continued on Friday, ABC chief elections analyst Casey Briggs declared Mr Di Falco had secured the seat. Mr Di Falco, an SFF candidate for Lyons at the last three state elections, is the first from the party to be elected to Tasmanian parliament. The party described its campaign as being "run on the smell of an oily rag", with no paid staff and limited funds. Tasmania's latest election is the fourth in seven years, and happened only 16 months after the last one. It resulted in another hung parliament. The Liberals have won 14 seats, Labor 10, the Greens five, and four independents have been elected, while one seat in the electorate of Bass remains in doubt. Regardless of which major party forms government, they will need support from some or most of the crossbench to form minority government.
