Latest news with #AlisonXiao
ABC News
23-05-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
Four dead in NSW floods
Samantha Donovan: Hello, welcome to PM. I'm Samantha Donovan, coming to you from the lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation in Melbourne. Tonight, as floodwaters make their way slowly downstream in New South Wales, authorities are working to resupply isolated communities. Also, the Liberal Party agrees in principle to the National's policy demands and a native Australian orchid wins gold at the Chelsea Flower Show in London. Prof Kingsley Dixon: It's extraordinary to see these little blue Aussie orchids shining and people think they're the most amazing things. Samantha Donovan: We begin tonight with the flood disaster in New South Wales. Four deaths are confirmed so far. Thousands of homes are without power and many residents remain stranded in an area stretching from the state's central coast up to Grafton in the Northern Rivers region. The rain has eased in that area but an enormous logistical operation is underway. Getting supplies of food, water and other essentials into isolated communities is a major priority for authorities and on top of that the risk to lives remains. Alison Xiao filed this report. Alison Xiao: In Port Macquarie about 300 kilometres north of Sydney, locals like Dale Jordan are helping bring supplies to neighbours who've been stranded. Dale Jordan: We've got a lot of the locals on the north shore who need just basic supplies like water, eggs, milk, alcohol obviously. So we've got some local guys here, local oyster farmers and boaties who are actually willing to go over in the waters. Alison Xiao: Others in the town like Julie Norman are still cut off from their homes by floodwaters and running low on supplies. Julie Norman: We have no power now and we have no internet of course but I can still use a gas stove and we're having lots of Suimins. Yes, noodles. Probably till Sunday we've got milk in the cupboard, long life milk, Vegemite. So we all have Vegemite sandwich early. Alison Xiao: She dealt with similar floods four years ago and is waiting anxiously for waters to recede so she can check on her home. Julie Norman: If it starts receding now and it looks like it, my house might be saved. Last time I lost all my photographs, my family albums and everything so I've put them up high before I left the house. Then last time I lost everything so I know what to expect. Alison Xiao: Further south but inland from the coast, fifth generation dairy farmer James McRae is counting himself lucky he hasn't lost any livestock but many of his neighbours in Barrington haven't been as fortunate. Mr McRae says many farmers who can't get back to their properties are feeling anxious about their animals. James McRae: We've heard stories of farms losing all of their young stock, calves and heifers and stuff. There have been dairies and are currently dairies that are out of action and they haven't been able to milk the cows and those cows are in a real state at the moment which is really hard for the farmers, incredibly mentally difficult for the farmers. Alison Xiao: Although the intense rainfall has eased in some of the worst hit towns including Taree and Kempsey, authorities are urging people to take care with dozens of emergency warnings still in place. Many main roads are also still cut off by flood water or landslips. The Premier Chris Minns says it still might not be safe to venture out. Chris Minns: We're asking people to look at the app rather than the sky to make a determination about whether it's safe to go home or to use your local roads. Alison Xiao: There have been four confirmed deaths in these floods but the Premier says without the work of emergency services performing more than 600 flood rescues the death toll could have been far worse. Chris Minns: Without the SES, without the volunteers we would have had hundreds of deaths and we're in deep deep gratitude to those people who volunteered their time or work for emergency services. Alison Xiao: The SES Commissioner Mike Wassing says the focus of the response is starting to shift. Mike Wassing: Recognising the tempo that we're starting to see that is slowly decreasing the rescue operations that is allowing our resupply focus to turn to those people that have been very patient and I appreciate the community's patience where you have been isolated that we're actually able to focus more on our resupply. Alison Xiao: Cameron Anderson is an emergency management specialist from La Trobe University and was a volunteer firefighter in the Victorian Black Saturday bushfires in 2009. He says there are many priorities that authorities are balancing. Cameron Anderson: People who are cut off from supplies are always a concern. Food and medication is another one that can run down quite quickly that can cause people who are otherwise vulnerable to become even more so after emergency and they can be a real challenge ensuring they get the support they need. The other challenges with floods can be the damage to infrastructure so we can have power and access to clean water can be cut off. Alison Xiao: He says both residents and volunteers are feeling weary. Cameron Anderson: We're seeing particularly with climate change we're seeing these disaster events happening more severely. We rely very heavily on volunteer emergency services in Australia and they're already seeing some challenges with getting enough members to undertake their workload. So it can put you know quite a burden on them and be quite a challenge when it comes to balancing those things. Alison Xiao: Cameron Anderson says there's still a long road ahead. Cameron Anderson: A lot of the challenge with floods comes from the fact that you know unlike fires and some of the other emergencies that Australia can experience flooding is quite a long-running and quite a dirty emergency. Floods have you know once they're long lasting after the flood waters recede then communities and responders are left with mud, mould you know along with the building damage and displacement. Then you've got social recovery and you know we need to rebuild people's confidence and their place in the community and adjust them to what that new normal looks like for them. And of course then there's the challenge of building back better. Samantha Donovan: Cameron Anderson is an emergency management specialist at La Trobe Uni. That report from Alison Xiao and Myles Houlbrook-Walk. There's been another development in the rift between the federal Liberal and National parties this afternoon. In an online meeting, the Liberals have agreed in principle to four key policy demands from the Nationals. That breakthrough could clear the way for a new coalition agreement between the two sides. ABC political reporter Evelyn Manfield is in Parliament House in Canberra. Evelyn, what can you tell us about what happened in this meeting? Evelyn Manfield: Sam, the Liberal Party has agreed in principle to the four key policy demands from the Nationals. This is of course part of an effort to bring the coalition back together after what's been a very dramatic week that's played out very publicly, not just here in Canberra, but right across television screens across the country. So the four key policy demands that they've agreed to in principle are this idea to lift the moratorium on nuclear power, divestiture powers to be able to break up the big supermarkets if they abuse their market power, a major regional fund to help with things like infrastructure, and then universal phone coverage and access right across the regions. So what's happened is Susan Lee has gone back to her party today. They've given that support. What triggered this of course was yesterday the Nationals leader David Littleproud insisting that the Nationals would provide solidarity in terms of the shadow cabinet, which is what Sussan Ley had been really wanting that sort of solid agreement on. Samantha Donovan: I haven't seen any formal announcements about the outcome of this meeting and it's been a national online hook-up. Do you know if any of the four policy issues are proving more difficult for the Liberals to back? Evelyn Manfield: Yeah, we certainly haven't seen anyone stand up and speak or anything like that, as you say. But look, what we are hearing from at least one source so far is that there are still negotiations to go. So they've reached this in principle agreement, but particularly around supermarket divestiture powers and the $20 billion regional future fund, there is still more to be discussed. The future fund is really interesting because we were actually hearing from former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull this morning on an ABC podcast. He was raising concerns about the expense of $20 billion. He's saying, you know, when we would end up back in government or in three years time, you just don't know what sort of position the budget's going to be in. Also worth mentioning, nuclear, as I mentioned before, we understand the commitment now is to lift the moratorium on nuclear power. So very different than what was promised during the election, which of course was to build seven publicly funded power plants. Samantha Donovan: So a bit of work still to be done. What happens now in terms of talks between the two sides to resume the coalition partnership? Evelyn Manfield: So Sussan Ley, the Liberal leader, will go back to her Nationals counterpart, David Littleproud. They will have further discussions. But this is certainly a step forward towards trying to get the coalition back together. And as you said, the demands from the Nationals in terms of those four key policies have now be met in principle and the Liberals are happy that they've got that agreement around shadow cabinet solidarity. Samantha Donovan: And has there been any reaction to the Liberal Party's decision yet to back those four policies, at least in principle? Evelyn Manfield: Pretty limited reaction so far. We have had Nationals Senator Matt Canavan post on social media calling it a back down from the Liberals and saying well done to his leader, David Littleproud. We have also heard from Michael McCormack, who's just spoken to the ABC, of course, a former Nationals leader as well, but still current MP. Michael McCormack: The opposition should be should be very much for those four policy areas. But we're also not in government. So you can't really enact the sorts of things that you'd like to from opposition. So what we need to do is we need to be united. We need to be strong. We need to have good policies out there to restore the faith of people that they obviously didn't have on May 3rd. Samantha Donovan: Michael McCormack is the former leader of the National Party, and I was speaking to ABC political reporter Evelyn Manfield in Parliament House in Canberra. For the first time since World War II, German troops are to be based in another country. About 5,000 soldiers make up a new unit that will be stationed in Lithuania. After Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the unit's purpose is to bolster the defence of Lithuania and the neighbouring Baltic republics Latvia and Estonia. Isabel Moussalli prepared this report. Isabel Moussalli: In Lithuania's capital Vilnius, soldiers march through the streets while dozens of military helicopters fly above. This is a momentous occasion, the inauguration of a new German brigade. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz addresses the crowds. Friedrich Merz: We must be able to defend ourselves against such attacks at all times. Freedom is not for free and we are aware of our own responsibility. Isabel Moussalli: Germany has had troops in Lithuania since 2017, but this new unit represents a significant change as Germany works to strengthen its military in the face of Russian aggression. Lithuania borders the Russian area of Kaliningrad, which is detached from the rest of Russia, and Belarus, which is an ally to Moscow. Friedrich Merz: More than ever before, we depend on solidarity and friendship among liberal democracies. Peace in Europe has been broken. Each and every day, Russia is violating the order that we collectively adopted as a lesson from the horrors of the Second World War. With a criminal war of aggression against Ukraine, but also with attacks and murders in numerous European cities, with acts of espionage and sabotage. Isabel Moussalli: On these Lithuanian streets, residents take a closer look at the tanks moving through their neighbourhood. This man welcomes their arrival. Opinion: It really gives us more safety, more precaution and we are just, as a country, we are more ready about it. So I'm very happy that Germans are here. I'm very happy that my country is collaborating with Germany. Isabel Moussalli: But another resident, Nicole Zinkova, has mixed feelings. Nicole Zinkova: You need to defend yourself, so this is important to have. But at the same moment, it makes me sad pretty much, because we need it. Isabel Moussalli: Maria Rost Rublee is a professor of international relations at the University of Melbourne. Prof Maria Rost Rublee: This is pretty historic. This is the first time since World War II that Germany is going to have a permanent foreign troop deployment. And it's historic because of course, World War II, you know, the German loss and concerns about German aggression. Germany had taken a very low profile in terms of defence and military spending. But now, with concerns about Russia's aggression, you know, Germany has taken on a new role. Isabel Moussalli: While it may be a significant move, Professor Rublee says it's not significant in terms of numbers. Prof Maria Rost Rublee: Essentially, this is a German brigade, which is about 5,000 troops and supporting civilians. And so it's not as though that this is going to turn the tide against any Russian invasion if Russia did decide to invade Lithuania. But what this says is that Germany is taking on a new role that sees that Lithuania's security is German security, that NATO security is German security, and that they're essentially going to, you know, stand up and move past the backseat role that it's been taking in defence and security for a long time. Isabel Moussalli: And this isn't the only change. Prof Maria Rost Rublee: Another historic first in terms of defence and security for Germany. They've just amended the country's basic law, essentially their constitution, allowing them to exempt defence spending from Germany's strict debt rules. And so Germany is taking on a much more, a much more leadership role in Europe in terms of defence spending, military positioning and thinking as well. Isabel Moussalli: The new unit is expected to reach its full strength by the end of 2027. Samantha Donovan: Isabel Moussalli reporting. Australian students are caught up in a battle between Harvard University and the American President Donald Trump. His administration has banned the university from enrolling international students because it claims the prestigious Ivy League school isn't doing enough to protect Jewish students on campus. It's also accusing Harvard of being sympathetic to the Chinese Communist Party. Harvard says the ban on international students is unlawful and an attack on academia. Luke Radford has more. Luke Radford: Graduating from university can be an emotional time with uncertainty about what comes next. But when you're also at risk of being deported, the anxiety is even higher. Sarah Davis: It's obviously an incredibly stressful time for many of us. Luke Radford: Sarah Davis is president of the Harvard Australia and New Zealand Student Society. Like many other students at the world famous university, she's just five days away from graduation. But that's the least of her concerns. Sarah Davis: We actually rely on Harvard sponsoring our working rights after we graduate from the university. So those of us who are about to graduate in five days are currently in limbo about whether or not we'd be able to accept our jobs that we've all got lined up for after graduation. Luke Radford: The administration of US President Donald Trump has revoked Harvard University's ability to enrol international students, all six and a half thousand of them. The administration says this is a direct result of Harvard allowing anti-American pro-terrorist agitators to assault Jewish students on campus, as well as accusations the university hosted and trained members of a Chinese paramilitary group. But the Trump administration says it will reverse the decision if Harvard provides all records including audio or video footage of foreign students participating in protests or dangerous activities on campus. The university has called this action unlawful. The president's Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told Fox News other institutions should take note. Kristi Noem: There should be a warning to every other university to get your act together because we are coming to make sure that these programs, that you are facilitating an environment where students can learn, where they're safe and that they're not discriminated against based on their race or their religion. Luke Radford: There are those who support the ban, such as Jay Greene, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, the conservative think tank who wrote the Project 2025 manifesto. Jay Greene: So I don't believe it's illegal. Again, foreign student visas are a privilege, not an entitlement. In particular, students cannot enter the United States if they provide support for designated terrorist organisations. Luke Radford: If the ban goes through, international students at Harvard will have two choices. Find another American university or leave the country. Former Harvard student Stephanie Pow says she was shocked to hear about the ban. Stephanie Pow: If you're already on campus, I think you'd be worried about what that means for you if you're thinking about applying. It might actually make you think twice about applying to Harvard, but also potentially other universities in the US if the rules can change like that so quickly. You might actually look elsewhere and to other prestigious universities in other countries. Luke Radford: Most students could look somewhere else, like Australia. Professor Peter Hurley is director of the Mitchell Institute at Victoria University. Prof Peter Hurley: International students usually have two types of points. They're often after they finish high school, so that would be, say, going to university. So there's always a new cohort coming up and then often in the kind of graduate area. So I think those cohorts, those groups, are going, OK, I won't do that. But I can imagine a lot of Australians are saying the same thing about travel to America at the moment because of that kind of uncertainty. Luke Radford: All this has alarmed members of the academic community, both in the US and abroad. Brian Schmidt is former vice-chancellor of Australian National University, a Nobel laureate and a Harvard alumnus. Brian Schmidt: It's more than sad. It's scary. I have lived my entire life in a period of time where within our Western democracies, our lives have gotten better and better. It's been largely secure and we are literally looking at going back into the dark ages here where we're going to go backwards, where we're going to have conflicts, where there is no way our children are going to have lives as good as we had. And I find that very scary. Luke Radford: The international student ban is likely to be challenged in the US Supreme Court. Samantha Donovan: That report from Luke Radford and Kimberley Price. Well, let's have some good news now. A display of a rare Australian orchid has been awarded a gold medal at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show in London. The Great Sun orchid only grows in parts of southern Australia and flowers between September and December. It was its first appearance at what is regarded by many as the world's top horticultural event. Kingsley Dixon is a professor of botany at the University of Western Australia and organised the Great Sun orchid display. Speaking from London, he told me the gold medal was unexpected. Prof Kingsley Dixon: It's extraordinary to see these little blue Aussie orchids shining brightly and people think they're the most amazing things and people keep saying, oh my god, you have blue orchids in Australia and I said, no, we have a lot more than that. So I think it's just our little Aussie native plant battlers that are actually winning the day. So it's been an extraordinary feeling and makes you very proud to be an Australian. Samantha Donovan: So they're blue. Tell us a little bit more about what a Great Sun orchid looks like. Prof Kingsley Dixon: These are sun orchids. We had to source them from a colleague in Germany who I've worked with for about 40 years because we, of course, our orchids don't flower for another five or six months in Australia. And he just happened to have some which we managed to get over. And they're sun orchids, which of course someone said to me at the display before we were setting up and he said, you brought sun orchids to London. That's very brave because they need warm sunny conditions to flower. But they've turned it on inside the massive marquee at the Chelsea exhibit and do look amazing against that beautiful backdrop of the Australian bush. Samantha Donovan: And what were some of the comments or observations of all those crowds at the Chelsea Flower Show? Prof Kingsley Dixon: Just disbelief. We had, of course, the message that we're giving through the display is the urgent need for global orchid conservation and particularly in Australia, as we know, climate change and land clearing and continued impacts like weeds taking out this extraordinary orchid flora. And that's right through temperate Australia and through the tropics. But the comments are just disbelief. They all want to come and see them now. So look out Australia. Our orchids are now centre stage in people's minds. Samantha Donovan: Orchid tourism might take off. Professor Dixon, you mentioned the importance of conservation. Apart from looking good, what is the importance of the orchid and similar Australian orchids to the environment? Prof Kingsley Dixon: So orchids are amazing. The best way to describe them is they're the canary in the mine. They really tell you, are you doing well or are you doing badly? Orchids are the first thing often to depart when your bushland, your ecosystem begins to collapse. I've worked on them all my life and have watched them dwindle to nothing, including in places, wonderful places like Kings Park in Perth, which has 300 hectares of bushland. So they really say well ahead, things are not good. And I always say to all of my research students and the communities, including indigenous communities, if we can get the orchids right, the rest of the ecosystem will follow. So they really are the profits of how well you're doing with managing bushland. And there are many areas where we're now succeeding with orchids, but the journey is a very long one and a very complicated one. And we're looking to Australian mums and dads and school kids to join us in the fight forward so that we have our own Chelseas in everyone's backyard across Australia. Samantha Donovan: Professor Dixon, I know someone else who's interested in orchid conservation is King Charles. Did he stop by your orchid display? Prof Kingsley Dixon: The Royals came on Monday. Queen Camilla in particular! I was not at the display because they restrict the numbers. So we had one of our anchor people at the display for security reasons and she was there for a very long time and very interested. And we are having discussions with them about what might happen next year. So it is, he loves his meadow orchids at his place at Highgrove, which are British orchids and wants to see more meadow orchids in Britain. And so I think we've really got the patron of orchid conservation there already. Samantha Donovan: Kingsley Dixon is a professor of botany at the University of Western Australia. And that's PM for this week. PM's producer is David Sparkes. Technical production by Joram Toth, David Sergent and Nick Dracoulis. I'm Samantha Donovan. I hope you have a great weekend. Good night.
ABC News
16-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Ben Roberts-Smith appeal dismissed
Samantha Donovan: Hello, welcome to PM, I'm Samantha Donovan, coming to you from the lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation in Melbourne. Tonight, war veteran Ben Roberts-Smith loses the appeal in his defamation battle with the Nine Group newspapers. Also, Israel continues its bombardment of Gaza and two dedicated crews set out to row boats all the way from WA to the coast of Africa. Matt Mason: So we're going to try and be the first and fastest classic style boat to row across the Indian Ocean. That's a different type of boat compared to a lot of the majority of ocean rowing boats. Slightly tougher rowing and takes us a lot longer. Samantha Donovan: War veteran Ben Roberts-Smith is vowing to take his defamation case all the way to the High Court after the Federal Court dismissed his appeal today. In 2023, the court found in favour of three newspapers upholding their truth defence and finding it was more likely than not that Mr Roberts-Smith had been involved in the murder of four Afghan prisoners while he was serving in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012. Mr Roberts-Smith has consistently denied those allegations and hasn't been charged with any criminal offences. Alison Xiao has this report on the latest in his multi-million dollar defamation case. Alison Xiao: It was all smiles as lawyers for Nine left the Federal Court this morning. Reporter: How is your client feeling about this decision? Any celebrations planned for later tonight? Alison Xiao: Decorated war veteran Ben Roberts-Smith has been ordered to pay Nine newspapers legal costs after the full bench of the Federal Court shot down his appeal to overturn the decision in his defamation case against the media outlet. The former Special Forces Corporal had unsuccessfully sued three Nine-owned newspapers for defamation over a series of articles in 2018 which contained allegations of war crimes in Afghanistan as well as bullying and domestic violence. His appeal was heard in February last year and his legal team argued there were several legal errors. The judges hearing the appeal disagreed, explaining their unanimous decision in an executive summary. Judges' Statement: Having carefully considered all these matters, we are unanimously of the opinion that the evidence was sufficiently cogent to support the findings that the appellant murdered four Afghan men and to the extent that we have discerned error in the reasons of the primary judge, the errors were inconsequential. Alison Xiao: The Victoria Cross recipient has also lost a bid to reopen the appeal with the inclusion of new evidence. Nine's management and its journalist Nick McKenzie have described their win as emphatic and vindication for Australian soldiers who told the public the truth. Lara Khider from the Australian Centre for International Justice has welcomed the decision but called for Mr Roberts-Smith to be held criminally accountable. Lara Khider: It's very important for whistleblowers and for investigative journalists to be able to feel protected, to be able to do such important work that helps to expose war crimes and allegations of the sort that are very serious and the public must be aware of. We would be hoping for not just a positive civil outcome but an outcome in relation to criminal accountability. Alison Xiao: The defamation case is estimated to have cost more than $25 million and lasted more than 100 days. This morning at Federal Court in Sydney, Mr Roberts-Smith didn't appear and his lawyers stayed silent outside court. Reporter: Is this the end of the road for Ben Roberts-Smith? Alison Xiao: The saga looks set to continue. Ben Roberts-Smith says he will immediately seek a High Court challenge to today's decision. In a statement he says, I have only ever asked for a fair and just hearing. That has not occurred. Mr Roberts-Smith has always denied the allegations made against him and no criminal charges have been laid against the former Special Forces Corporal. Samantha Donovan: Alison Xiaoa with that report. The reasons for today's judgement by the Federal Court's full bench won't be released until next week. Dr Michael Douglas is a barrister specialising in defamation law at Francis Burt Chambers in Perth. He told me he's not particularly surprised Mr Roberts-Smith lost his appeal. Michael Douglas: It was always going to be a difficult task for Mr Roberts-Smith to overturn what was quite a rigorous first instance judgement. And part of the difficulty facing Mr Roberts-Smith is that he was essentially challenging factual findings. Ordinarily for a defamation case, it's the application of the Lord of the facts that's where usually you'll go to challenge a first instance judge on appeal. But here, he's not all made findings about the allegations of Ben Robert Smith committing essentially war crimes that they were justified and trying to overturn factual findings about what evidence meant. That's always going to be quite difficult within an appeal court. Samantha Donovan: Ben Roberts-Smith is now adamant that he'll challenge the judgement in the High Court. Do you think it's a case the High Court will take on? Michael Douglas: It's hard to say. The High Court doesn't take on many cases. You need what's called special leave to appeal to the High Court. And it's unclear whether this is the sort of case where special leave would be granted. It does raise an issue of public importance in the sense that whether or not Mr Roberts-Smith committed war crimes and did the things he was alleged to do, those are topics that go to really important issues about not just Mr Roberts-Smith, but the treatment of the military and various other things. So that part of the test is satisfied. But the reason why I'm quite sceptical is that there doesn't seem to be any issue of legal principle that really jumps out at me that anyone has got wrong. The first instance judgement was pretty orthodox, an orthodox approach to evidence. So it's going to be really difficult for Mr Roberts-Smith to get special leave. But that said, I wouldn't want to prejudge what the High Court does and they may take a different view. So we'll have to wait and see. Samantha Donovan: Dr Douglas, what sort of costs bill do you think Mr Roberts-Smith will be up for at the conclusion of this appeal to the Federal Court? Michael Douglas: I honestly don't know. I know, however, that it's going to be massive and it will dwarf nearly any other defamation case in the history of our country. Whatever it is, I'm sure Kerry Stokes will be able to afford it. But nonetheless, it's not a sum that any ordinary person could afford. Samantha Donovan: And in terms of defamation law, what is the significance of this case? Michael Douglas: I don't see it as being of huge legal significance. It's more of, I guess, cultural or political significance in that Mr Roberts-Smith is a public figure and he's taken up a large part of the Australian public consciousness. But in terms of setting a legal precedent, I'm not sure that it's going to change much. But I stand to be corrected if the reasons for decision deal with issues that I'm unfamiliar with, it may be more significant than I think. Samantha Donovan: Dr Michael Douglas is a defamation barrister in Perth and he was referring there to billionaire WA businessman Kerry Stokes, who's been financing Mr Roberts-Smith defamation case. Well, to another defamation case now, and the former leader of the Victorian Liberal Party, John Pesutto , is at risk of being bankrupted and booted from state parliament after an order he pay more than $2 million in legal costs. Last December, the federal court found he defamed his Conservative Party colleague, Moira Deeming , by falsely implying she had links to neo-Nazis. Mr Pesutto lost the Liberal leadership as a result of the case. The moderate MP who had been trying to stop the state Liberal Party moving further to the right says he's determined to stay in parliament. Kimberley Price has more. Kimberley Price: The public stoush between John Pesutto and his Conservative colleague, Moira Deeming, has resulted in the former Victorian opposition leader facing bankruptcy. It is understood Mr Pesutto cannot pay the $2.3 million ordered by the court after Ms Deeming successfully sued him for defamation. If he's declared bankrupt, Mr Pesutto will be unable to sit in parliament. A GoFundMe page has now been launched to help pay Mr Pesutto's fees. All of Victoria's living former Liberal premiers have financially supported Mr Pesutto, including Geoff Kennett. He's called on the party and the public to help. Jeff Kennett: I think and hope there'll be a whole range of people, fair-minded people out there in the public arena, who will help John Pesutto meet this extraordinary bill. What's occurred is very, very sad and I've never seen it occur in my political life before. Kimberley Price: But Liberal leader Brad Battin, who ousted Mr Pesutto in December, did not indicate whether or not the Liberal Party or the party's investment arm, the Cormac Foundation, should help Mr Pesutto. And he refused to answer questions about the future of Mr Pesutto's grip on the seat of Hawthorne. Brad Battin: It is a hypothetical at the moment. We haven't had any conversations about that. I have had a focus to work with John as I have in the past and I will in the future. I would like to see John there in November 2026. Kimberley Price: In December, a federal court found Mr Pesutto defamed Ms Deeming on multiple occasions by associating her with neo-Nazis after she attended a 2023 anti-trans rally that was gate-crashed by a group who performed the Nazi salute. Ms Deeming was later expelled from the parliamentary team. After losing the case brought against him, Mr Pesutto lost the party leadership and Ms Deeming has since been returned to the party room. In a statement today, Mr Pesutto says he's committed to his electorate. John Pesutto (Statement): Whilst I'm taking time to review today's court decision with family and advisors, I reiterate that I am determined to continue serving the people of my electorate of Hawthorne and the people of Victoria for as long as they will have me. Kimberley Price: While the courts and money are central to this story, it's also linked to a battle within the Liberal Party between moderates and more hard-lined conservatives. Emeritus Professor of Politics at Monash University, Paul Strangio, says John Pesutto tried to steer the Victorian Liberals to become more centrist as the state turns more progressive. Paul Strangio: That's reflected both in federal election results and at state election results. And really central to that was that the party was seen as being out of alignment with Victorians. It was too conservative-oriented. Kimberley Price: Do you think that is a problem plaguing the Liberal Party as a whole? Paul Strangio: Undoubtedly. I think it's worth remembering that once upon a time, Victoria was the heartland of liberalism. And what we've seen in Victoria, of course, is that the party has time and again lost the two-party preferred vote here. In fact, on 15 out of the 17 last federal elections, it has lost the two-party preferred vote in this state. Kimberley Price: Mr Pesutto has the option to appeal today's decision. Samantha Donovan: Kimberley Price reporting. This is PM, I'm Samantha Donovan. You can hear all our programs live or later on the ABC Listen app. Israeli military strikes in Gaza have left scores of people dead and raised further alarm in the international community. Palestinian health authorities say more than 100 people have been killed in the space of 24 hours. The latest deaths come as Israel's long-time ally, the US, raises concerns about the humanitarian catastrophe in the occupied territory. And a warning, there are some distressing details in this report from Myles Houlbrook-Walk. Myles Houlbrook-Walk: In the south of Gaza, in Khan Yunis, a mother mourns the loss of her children killed in strikes by the Israeli Defence Force. Alison Xiao: They are children, what did they do wrong? What did they do wrong? Myles Houlbrook-Walk: Eerily similar scenes in Gaza's north in Jabalia. A young boy cries for his father killed in airstrikes, screaming, for God's sakes, dad, why did you leave us? According to Palestinian health authorities, more than 100 people have been killed in attacks in the last 24 hours. The Israeli military says it struck Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad fighters in southern Gaza. It's vowed to continue the strikes while Israeli hostages taken in the October 7 terrorist attacks remain in Gaza. Jennifer Tiernay is executive director in Australia for MSF, or Doctors Without Borders. She says Israel is being totally reckless with its approach, killing too many civilians, including children. Jennifer Tiernay: They have an obligation to protect medical facilities and to protect civilians and they are absolutely not doing that. Myles Houlbrook-Walk: Israel has stopped medicine and food flowing into Gaza since March 2. For that, it's been condemned by Australia, some European nations and the United Nations. 500,000 people face starvation, according to the UN. Jennifer Tiernay says the situation is dire. Jennifer Tiernay: The blockade of aid has only exacerbated the fact that there has not been enough medical supply, enough food and safe enough shelter and hospitals that are open for people to be able to access. The situation has been the same for months on end. Myles Houlbrook-Walk: Israel's strongest ally, the United States, did raise some concern today via Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Marco Rubio: We think that the elimination of Hamas is what achieves peace. We're troubled by the situation there. Both the Israelis with American backing and support have offered a plan to deliver aid that doesn't get diverted or stolen by Hamas. Myles Houlbrook-Walk: The US supports a plan to resume aid delivery that could come into effect later this month and would see Israel secure premises where aid can be distributed from. But Jennifer Tiernay says aid distribution needs to be carried out by neutral organisations, not Israel. Jennifer Tiernay: We have watched Israel ignore the needs of the Palestinian people for months on end. To put our trust in their now supposed care is really, I think, asking us to stretch ourselves to believe in a reality that we've not even seen a glimpse of. So I think it's absolutely essential we use the actors that are in place, the neutral humanitarian actors. Myles Houlbrook-Walk: Dr Juliette McIntyre is a senior lecturer of law at the University of South Australia and says the legal standing around the provision of aid in conflicts is clear. Juliette McIntyre: Using aid as a bargaining chip is itself in breach of international law. So aid is required to flow to civilian populations, particularly occupied civilian populations as here, and there's really no sort of negotiation to be had around that. Myles Houlbrook-Walk: But as for enforceable consequences for potential breaches of international law that Israel has been accused of, it's yet to see many. Dr McIntyre says that's in part due to UN Security Council sanctions being vetoed by the US. Juliette McIntyre: So the UN Security Council could order other states to, for example, either stop economic support of Israel or stop sending weapons to Israel. But as I said, the US has a veto at the UN Security Council. And so that means anything is going to be blocked in relation to Israel. Myles Houlbrook-Walk: A tour of the Middle East by President Donald Trump now wrapping up has delivered no headway on a ceasefire or an immediate resumption of aid, nor a change to its voting intentions at the United Nations. Samantha Donovan: Myles Houlbrook-Walk reporting. Australian Fashion Week comes to an end in Sydney today, and while there's been plenty to celebrate, the industry is concerned so few clothes are being made here. In fact, 97% of the clothing and shoes bought in Australia are imported. Now two powerful fashion figures are trying to establish a national strategy to encourage domestic manufacturing. But high labour costs may be a sticking point. Nadine Haynes prepared this report. Nadine Haynes: It had all the runway glitz and glamour you'd expect of Australian Fashion Week. Local designers who'd spent months preparing for the event, hoping to catch the eye of Australian and international buyers. But mixed with that excitement is an air of uncertainty. How can we get more fashion manufacturing on Australian soil? Jaana Quaintance-James is the Australian Fashion Council's CEO. Jaana Quaintance-James: We need to build greater resilience for the Australian fashion industry, which is the $28 billion industry in terms of economic value added to the Australian economy annually employs 500,000 people. Today, 97% of what is sold in Australia is manufactured offshore. Nadine Haynes: Jaana Quaintance-James says, while we won't see 100% of our clothes being made here, we can definitely do much better than 3%. She points to RM Williams as the gold standard when it comes to manufacturing clothes in Australia. That brand's chief operating officer, Tara Moses, says doing it domestically allows greater quality control of the raw materials and the final product. Tara Moses: What we see at RM Williams, what that means for us as an industry is that we can have more capabilities here within Australia to manufacture from the very beginning of the process to the very end of the process. And we see with our brand that our customers really care about that and want to contribute to that and have that meaning, that deep meaning and that connection to the products that they wear every day. Nadine Haynes: Now, Jaana Quaintance-James and Tara Moses have announced a partnership. The goal is to establish a national fashion manufacturing strategy. Some of the issues they're tackling are skills gaps, high labour costs and investment in machinery. It also involves working out what we do well in Australia and building on that. Jaana Quaintance-James: We grow amazing cotton and amazing wool and we send every single tonne of that offshore to be processed and we don't add, we add very little value in that process and sometimes we're re-importing that material. Nadine Haynes: Both Jaana Quaintance-James and Tara Moses know the industry has been declining for years. Jaana Quaintance-James: So the plan is to conduct a national consultation across industry. So we have hundreds of stakeholders mapped out across Australian manufacturing. What we're going to be doing is working with them to understand what the priorities for the sector are in terms of things that we need to solve. And then we'll be using that strategy, which we'll release towards the back end of the year, to really engage with government, with consumers and with industry to drive forward those outcomes. Nadine Haynes: Tara Moses says that means being more innovative than global competitors. Uniting the scattered industry, she says, would make it easier to do things on a bigger scale. And with scale comes efficiency. Tara Moses: It is a dying industry in Australia and if we don't right now start to make it grow, we're going to lose a lot of the skill set that exists today. We're seeing a lot of makers and a lot of people with specialty skills, they are retiring out and they aren't able to pass on their knowledge. Nadine Haynes: Dr Carol Tan from RMIT University is an expert on the business of fashion. She says bringing manufacturing back to Australia will be a challenge. Carol Tan: Do we have any government support? It could include incentives for local manufacturing, investment in infrastructure and training and perhaps policies that support ethical and sustainable production. And it's not just a Lone Ranger thing that you can do. You need industry collaboration. So collaboration between designers, manufacturers, textile producers. Nadine Haynes: She says consumers also play a role. Carol Tan: So not all consumers prioritise Australian made or sustainability over price. So a large segment of the market will likely to continue to be drawn to affordability and the wide variety offered by platforms like Temu. Nadine Haynes: Dr Tan says it's all about educating consumers about quality, ethics and sustainability so that they're more willing to pay a premium price for a better product. Carol Tan: At the end of the day, we cannot compete on price, right? You know that our labour costs are so expensive. I know even with economies of scale, think about what we are paying the worker compared to all these countries that have been doing it for a very long time. And they also have the technology. So unless we start investing in technology, it's going to be actually quite difficult, but possible. So it's not all doom and gloom. Samantha Donovan: That's Dr Carol Tan from RMIT Uni. Nadine Haynes with that report. Well, can you imagine rowing a from Western Australia all the way to Africa? That's a feat two determined international crews are trying to achieve. By sheer coincidence, they're setting out within days of each other from the town of Carnarvon, 900 kilometres north of Perth. And they expect to be rowing for the best part of three months to reach the African coast. Lina El-Saadi filed this report. This is control centre. Matt Mason: So we've got a chart plotter, switchboards that powers everything. Lina El-Saadi: It's all aboard on No Great Shakes. This rowboat, complete with a crew of four from the UK, is in for an incredible journey from Carnarvon on the remote West Australian coast all the way to the African nation of Tanzania. Matt Mason: So we're going to try and be the first and fastest classic style boat to row across the Indian Ocean. Carnarvon is a great launching off point because of the currency straight out. You know, we've only got a few hundred miles north to go and then we're in the trade is. Lina El-Saadi: Crew member Matt Mason says the team is trying to row the full distance in under 90 days after careful preparations. No Great Shakes left from Carnarvon around midday yesterday. Part of what makes this cruise attempt unique is the type of boat they're rowing. It's what's called a classic style. Matt Mason: That's a different type of boat compared to a lot of the majority of ocean rowing boats because we don't have the wind assistance. So slightly tougher rowing and takes us a lot longer. Lina El-Saadi: In an amazing coincidence, another completely unrelated boat and crew are also making the voyage. The other vessel is called Untamed. It's leaving Carnarvon tomorrow with a crew made up of four men from the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Ukraine and China. They're hoping to make the journey of more than 9000 kilometers to Mombasa in Kenya in 75 days. Along the way, they'll be contributing to research at the University of Western Australia, which in turn is helping them plan their route. Here's one of the rowers, Evgeniy Sudyr. Evgeniy Sudyr: They want to do this for a couple of reasons. One of them is to check dynamics of ocean rowing boat in the Indian Ocean. And also they want to research how currents and winds are affecting performance. And all of this is a good thing to do research. Nobody did it before. Lina El-Saadi: One of the rowers on No Great Shakes, Jake Mattock, started running marathons to get ready. Jake Mattock: These guys are military, you know, Marines and commandos. I'm a civilian that worked in tech sales. I wanted to build up that kind of mental strength that I can sustain like endurance events and have, I can stay calm under pressure in nature. Lina El-Saadi: Both crews will have two people rowing at a time, two hours on, two hours off, 24 hours a day. That's 12 hours of rowing each, every day. The vast and dangerous Indian Ocean has always attracted adventurers. In 2023, Perth man Rob Barton became the first man to row solo from Australia to mainland Africa. It took him 86 days. Rob Barton: You do feel very insignificant out there, but you learn to have a lot of faith and confidence in your boat. It's all down to you. Your personal strength just grows as each day goes on. Made it yesterday. Why can't you make it tomorrow? Lina El-Saadi: And as these two crews set out, No Great Shakes rower, Matt Hemmings, thinks when it's all over, he'll look back on these few months with an odd affection. Matt Hemmings: It's pretty much type two fun. So it's not going to be fun at the time. You'll look back on it with a weird fondness. Samantha Donovan: I bet they will. That's Welsh rower, Matt Hemmings, speaking to our reporter, Lena El-Saadi in Carnarvon, WA. And that's PM for this week. PM's producer is David Sparkes. Technical production by Joram Toth, David Sergent and Nick Dracoulis. I'm Samantha Donovan. Have a great weekend. Good night.
