Greens veteran reacts to new leader
Former Greens leader Christine Milne says the party's new leader Larissa Waters is the right person for the job.
Milne was the second leader of the federal Greens, with the party holding the balance of power in the Senate during the Rudd and Gillard Labor governments.
Now the party is likely to again hold the sole balance of power in the upper house.
Speaking with ABC NewsRadio's Rachel Hayter, she said Senator Waters will be a great leader.
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The Advertiser
6 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Vance stirs the pot in California, after a tense week
Vice President JD Vance has used an appearance in Los Angeles to renew criticism of the city's officials over violent unrest there, and rebut claims that it was fuelled by the Trump administration sending in federal officers. Vance also referred to US Senator Alex Padilla, the state's first Latino senator, as 'Jose Padilla,' a week after the Democrat was forcibly tackled and handcuffed by officers for speaking out during a news conference by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. "I was hoping Jose Padilla would be here to ask a question," Vance said, in an apparent reference to the altercation at Noem's event. "I guess he decided not to show up because there wasn't a theatre." In a statement on X, California Governor Gavin Newsom responded to Vance's reference to "Jose Padilla," saying the comment was no accident. Jose Padilla also is the name of a convicted al-Qaida terrorism plotter during President George W Bush's administration, who was sentenced to two decades in prison. A spokesperson for Padilla, Tess Oswald, noted in a social media post that Padilla and Vance were formerly colleagues in the Senate and that Vance should know better. "He should be more focused on demilitarising our city than taking cheap shots," Oswald said. Responding to the outrage, Taylor Van Kirk, a spokesperson for Vance, said of the vice president: "He must have mixed up two people who have broken the law." Vance's visit to Los Angeles to tour a multi-agency Federal Joint Operations Centre and a mobile command centre came as demonstrations calmed down in the city and a curfew was lifted this week. Vance echoed the president's harsh rhetoric toward California Democrats as he sought to blame them for the protests in the city. "Gavin Newsom and (Los Angeles Mayor) Karen Bass, by treating the city as a sanctuary city, have basically said that this is open season on federal law enforcement," Vance said after he toured federal immigration enforcement offices. "What happened here was a tragedy," Vance added. "You had people who were doing the simple job of enforcing the law and they had rioters egged on by the governor and the mayor, making it harder for them to do their job. That is disgraceful.' Newsom's spokesperson Izzy Gardon said in a statement, "The Vice President's claim is categorically false. The governor has consistently condemned violence and has made his stance clear." At City Hall, Bass said Vance was "spewing lies and utter nonsense." She said hundreds of millions of dollars were wasted by the federal government on a "stunt." The friction in Los Angeles began June 6, when federal agents conducted a series of immigration sweeps in the region that have continued since. Amid the protests and over the objections of state and local officials, Trump ordered the deployment of roughly 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to the city. Trump has said that without the military's involvement, Los Angeles "would be a crime scene like we haven't seen in years." Earlier Friday, Newsom urged Vance to visit victims of the deadly January wildfires while in Southern California and talk with Trump, who earlier this week suggested his feud with the governor might influence his consideration of $40 billion in federal wildfire aid for California. "I hope we get that back on track," Newsom wrote on X. "We are counting on you, Mr Vice President." Vice President JD Vance has used an appearance in Los Angeles to renew criticism of the city's officials over violent unrest there, and rebut claims that it was fuelled by the Trump administration sending in federal officers. Vance also referred to US Senator Alex Padilla, the state's first Latino senator, as 'Jose Padilla,' a week after the Democrat was forcibly tackled and handcuffed by officers for speaking out during a news conference by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. "I was hoping Jose Padilla would be here to ask a question," Vance said, in an apparent reference to the altercation at Noem's event. "I guess he decided not to show up because there wasn't a theatre." In a statement on X, California Governor Gavin Newsom responded to Vance's reference to "Jose Padilla," saying the comment was no accident. Jose Padilla also is the name of a convicted al-Qaida terrorism plotter during President George W Bush's administration, who was sentenced to two decades in prison. A spokesperson for Padilla, Tess Oswald, noted in a social media post that Padilla and Vance were formerly colleagues in the Senate and that Vance should know better. "He should be more focused on demilitarising our city than taking cheap shots," Oswald said. Responding to the outrage, Taylor Van Kirk, a spokesperson for Vance, said of the vice president: "He must have mixed up two people who have broken the law." Vance's visit to Los Angeles to tour a multi-agency Federal Joint Operations Centre and a mobile command centre came as demonstrations calmed down in the city and a curfew was lifted this week. Vance echoed the president's harsh rhetoric toward California Democrats as he sought to blame them for the protests in the city. "Gavin Newsom and (Los Angeles Mayor) Karen Bass, by treating the city as a sanctuary city, have basically said that this is open season on federal law enforcement," Vance said after he toured federal immigration enforcement offices. "What happened here was a tragedy," Vance added. "You had people who were doing the simple job of enforcing the law and they had rioters egged on by the governor and the mayor, making it harder for them to do their job. That is disgraceful.' Newsom's spokesperson Izzy Gardon said in a statement, "The Vice President's claim is categorically false. The governor has consistently condemned violence and has made his stance clear." At City Hall, Bass said Vance was "spewing lies and utter nonsense." She said hundreds of millions of dollars were wasted by the federal government on a "stunt." The friction in Los Angeles began June 6, when federal agents conducted a series of immigration sweeps in the region that have continued since. Amid the protests and over the objections of state and local officials, Trump ordered the deployment of roughly 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to the city. Trump has said that without the military's involvement, Los Angeles "would be a crime scene like we haven't seen in years." Earlier Friday, Newsom urged Vance to visit victims of the deadly January wildfires while in Southern California and talk with Trump, who earlier this week suggested his feud with the governor might influence his consideration of $40 billion in federal wildfire aid for California. "I hope we get that back on track," Newsom wrote on X. "We are counting on you, Mr Vice President." Vice President JD Vance has used an appearance in Los Angeles to renew criticism of the city's officials over violent unrest there, and rebut claims that it was fuelled by the Trump administration sending in federal officers. Vance also referred to US Senator Alex Padilla, the state's first Latino senator, as 'Jose Padilla,' a week after the Democrat was forcibly tackled and handcuffed by officers for speaking out during a news conference by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. "I was hoping Jose Padilla would be here to ask a question," Vance said, in an apparent reference to the altercation at Noem's event. "I guess he decided not to show up because there wasn't a theatre." In a statement on X, California Governor Gavin Newsom responded to Vance's reference to "Jose Padilla," saying the comment was no accident. Jose Padilla also is the name of a convicted al-Qaida terrorism plotter during President George W Bush's administration, who was sentenced to two decades in prison. A spokesperson for Padilla, Tess Oswald, noted in a social media post that Padilla and Vance were formerly colleagues in the Senate and that Vance should know better. "He should be more focused on demilitarising our city than taking cheap shots," Oswald said. Responding to the outrage, Taylor Van Kirk, a spokesperson for Vance, said of the vice president: "He must have mixed up two people who have broken the law." Vance's visit to Los Angeles to tour a multi-agency Federal Joint Operations Centre and a mobile command centre came as demonstrations calmed down in the city and a curfew was lifted this week. Vance echoed the president's harsh rhetoric toward California Democrats as he sought to blame them for the protests in the city. "Gavin Newsom and (Los Angeles Mayor) Karen Bass, by treating the city as a sanctuary city, have basically said that this is open season on federal law enforcement," Vance said after he toured federal immigration enforcement offices. "What happened here was a tragedy," Vance added. "You had people who were doing the simple job of enforcing the law and they had rioters egged on by the governor and the mayor, making it harder for them to do their job. That is disgraceful.' Newsom's spokesperson Izzy Gardon said in a statement, "The Vice President's claim is categorically false. The governor has consistently condemned violence and has made his stance clear." At City Hall, Bass said Vance was "spewing lies and utter nonsense." She said hundreds of millions of dollars were wasted by the federal government on a "stunt." The friction in Los Angeles began June 6, when federal agents conducted a series of immigration sweeps in the region that have continued since. Amid the protests and over the objections of state and local officials, Trump ordered the deployment of roughly 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to the city. Trump has said that without the military's involvement, Los Angeles "would be a crime scene like we haven't seen in years." Earlier Friday, Newsom urged Vance to visit victims of the deadly January wildfires while in Southern California and talk with Trump, who earlier this week suggested his feud with the governor might influence his consideration of $40 billion in federal wildfire aid for California. "I hope we get that back on track," Newsom wrote on X. "We are counting on you, Mr Vice President." Vice President JD Vance has used an appearance in Los Angeles to renew criticism of the city's officials over violent unrest there, and rebut claims that it was fuelled by the Trump administration sending in federal officers. Vance also referred to US Senator Alex Padilla, the state's first Latino senator, as 'Jose Padilla,' a week after the Democrat was forcibly tackled and handcuffed by officers for speaking out during a news conference by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. "I was hoping Jose Padilla would be here to ask a question," Vance said, in an apparent reference to the altercation at Noem's event. "I guess he decided not to show up because there wasn't a theatre." In a statement on X, California Governor Gavin Newsom responded to Vance's reference to "Jose Padilla," saying the comment was no accident. Jose Padilla also is the name of a convicted al-Qaida terrorism plotter during President George W Bush's administration, who was sentenced to two decades in prison. A spokesperson for Padilla, Tess Oswald, noted in a social media post that Padilla and Vance were formerly colleagues in the Senate and that Vance should know better. "He should be more focused on demilitarising our city than taking cheap shots," Oswald said. Responding to the outrage, Taylor Van Kirk, a spokesperson for Vance, said of the vice president: "He must have mixed up two people who have broken the law." Vance's visit to Los Angeles to tour a multi-agency Federal Joint Operations Centre and a mobile command centre came as demonstrations calmed down in the city and a curfew was lifted this week. Vance echoed the president's harsh rhetoric toward California Democrats as he sought to blame them for the protests in the city. "Gavin Newsom and (Los Angeles Mayor) Karen Bass, by treating the city as a sanctuary city, have basically said that this is open season on federal law enforcement," Vance said after he toured federal immigration enforcement offices. "What happened here was a tragedy," Vance added. "You had people who were doing the simple job of enforcing the law and they had rioters egged on by the governor and the mayor, making it harder for them to do their job. That is disgraceful.' Newsom's spokesperson Izzy Gardon said in a statement, "The Vice President's claim is categorically false. The governor has consistently condemned violence and has made his stance clear." At City Hall, Bass said Vance was "spewing lies and utter nonsense." She said hundreds of millions of dollars were wasted by the federal government on a "stunt." The friction in Los Angeles began June 6, when federal agents conducted a series of immigration sweeps in the region that have continued since. Amid the protests and over the objections of state and local officials, Trump ordered the deployment of roughly 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to the city. Trump has said that without the military's involvement, Los Angeles "would be a crime scene like we haven't seen in years." Earlier Friday, Newsom urged Vance to visit victims of the deadly January wildfires while in Southern California and talk with Trump, who earlier this week suggested his feud with the governor might influence his consideration of $40 billion in federal wildfire aid for California. "I hope we get that back on track," Newsom wrote on X. "We are counting on you, Mr Vice President."
News.com.au
8 hours ago
- News.com.au
Brisbane households slugged with $50 green waste bin fee – even if they don't want one
Households in a major city are set to be slugged with an extra $50 waste levy as the council announces a major rollout as part of its annual budget to help skirt the state government's 'bin tax'. From August, Brisbane City Council will introduce the Universal Waste Charge, an opt-out green waste program for about 170,000 stand-alone households that will replace the Waste Utility Charge and scrap existing surcharges. Instead, residents will be charged a flat annual universal waste fee of $512.96 – whether they use the new green waste bin or not. This is an increase of about $50 per year, with the rollout expected to take place between August and December. Residents who already paid for a green waste bin will not have to cop the fee. However, those who do not want the bin will still have to pay the extra fee. 'Other households will pay an extra $49.52 a year, with $33 of this increase related to the waste levy introduced by the former Labor state government,' a council statement read. Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the change was part of a 'large-scale tax-avoidance scheme' that would help the council dodge the state government's 'bin tax'. He said the introduction of the green bins would help reduce strain on growing landfills. 'One of the things this does is it helps us avoid the state government's bin tax,' he said per The Brisbane Times. 'Every year there's a tax that increases on waste going to landfill. 'At the moment, for example, our green waste recycling program saves about $1.6m a year in state government taxes. 'We're running a large-scale tax avoidance scheme because I don't want anyone to have to pay the state government's bin tax.' The state government levy was introduced in 2019 and charges the council about $115 per tonne of waste in the landfill. It is expected to increase by $10 every year until 2028. Mr Schrinner argued the recently announced annual fee would help save between $2m and $3m within the first year of the scheme. In the span of five years, Brisbane City Council estimates it will save approximately $32m. 'Every house will get a green bin, and that will be part of the business-as-usual service,' he said per The Brisbane Times. 'The reason we're doing that is because of the state government's bin tax … that effectively forces ever-increasing costs onto councils.'
News.com.au
8 hours ago
- News.com.au
Minns NSW Government to introduce suite of DV reforms to close loopholes
The NSW government is set to introduce groundbreaking reforms aimed at bolstering support for victims of sexual violence across the state and closing a loophole that left a shocking crime unpunished in some cases. The Minns Labor Government is set to introduce a suite of reforms to parliament next week, bringing NSW into line with relevant Commonwealth offences and increasing protections from sexual exploitation. A new provision to the Crimes Act 1900 will ensure sexual offenders who either sexually assault someone or indecently interfere with their body after death are unable to escape prosecution when the time of death is unknown, making which specific crime occurred unclear. The new provision means when it is clear 'beyond a reasonable doubt 'that one of these two crimes occurred, but it is uncertain due to the timing of death which one, the accused will be sentenced with whichever offence has the lesser maximum penalty. Previously they would have been unpunished. The government says the reform is in 'direct response' to issues that arose in the inquest of Mona Lisa and Jacinta Rose 'Cindy' Smith in 2024, and the tireless advocacy of their families for reform. The penalty for indecently assaulting a deceased person will also be increased and criminalising female genital mutilation will also be strengthened. Other amendments to the act will redefine the age threshold for child abuse material offences, raising it from 16 to 18 years, aligning with Commonwealth standards. These reforms are designed to close existing legislative gaps and ensure the safety and wellbeing of children. The Crimes Act will also be amended to 'make it easier to prosecute people who commit sexual acts in the presence of children', the Minns government said in a statement. Changes to the act will also be made to ensure female genital mutilation is considered a crime regardless of the reason or motivation or age of the victim, while ensuring medically necessary practices are protected. The legislation, to be introduced in Parliament the day after the Minns Labor Government hands down the 2025-2026 NSW budget, comes after changes around domestic violence offences. These changes included making it harder for alleged domestic violence offenders to get bail, and introducing electronic monitoring for alleged serious domestic violence offenders. It also strengthened laws to protect against repeated breaches of ADVOs, and made changes to bail courts across NSW to ensure bail decisions are made by magistrates and judges – not registrars. Attorney-General Michael Daley said the Minns Labor Government stands with victim-survivors. 'We are ensuring that women and children are better protected from sexual abuse and exploitation,' he said. 'Our Government is closing loopholes and strengthening the law to make it easier to prosecute those who commit acts of sexual violence. 'I thank the families of Mona Lisa and Jacinta Rose 'Cindy' Smith for their bravery and advocacy in the face of tragedy to strengthen New South Wales laws to better protect victims.' Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, Jodie Harrison said the government is 'working to build a safer New South Wales for women and children'. 'Sexual and abuse and exploitation is unacceptable, at the same time as we are investing in support services for victim survivors, we are ensuring that perpetrators are held to account,' she said. 'We will continue to work with experts, advocates and victim survivors to address the impact of domestic and sexual violence across our state.'
