Latest news with #AnzacDayEve
7NEWS
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
AFL world in meltdown over Private Hettie Adams' epic rendition of New Zealand national anthem
The AFL world have united in praise for Private Hettie Adams after yet another stirring rendition of the New Zealand national anthem on Thursday night. Adams is no stranger to performing on the big stage, having sung at the traditional Anzac Day Eve and Anzac Day blockbusters multiple times. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Hettie Adams sings the NZ national anthem. And she once again wowed fans at the MCG during the pre-match ceremony before Melbourne's win over Richmond. Adams effortlessly nailed the performance of God Defend New Zealand, which features the first verse sung in Māori before repeated in English. Fans at the MCG erupted in applause and social media lit up after she finished. The Australian national anthem, performed by Mitch Relf, then followed. Channel 7 commentator Kane Cornes was in awe after witnessing Hettie's performance live for the first time. 'She has the pipes of an angel. It's the best rendition of a national anthem I've ever heard,' he said on SEN on Friday. 'That was pure magic. It's just a sensational national anthem. That's the first one I've actually been to live in a stadium ... Private Hettie Adams, hats off to you because that was unbelievable.' Fellow AFL commentator David King agreed and suggested that the New Zealand anthem should be sung after Australian anthem in the future. 'We witnessed the biggest smashing of all-time last night in the pre-game, the New Zealand national anthem versus the Australian national anthem. We got destroyed,' he said on SEN. 'We've got to play ours first because we just can't match it.' They weren't the only two to sing the praises of Adams. 'Private Hettie Adams BOG once again,' on fan tweeted. 'Private Hettie Adams absolutely nailed the NZ Anthem,' another added. 'I'm voting for the party that makes Private Hettie Adams a dual citizen of Australia and New Zealand. Nails it every time,' another said. 'Hettie Adams and the NZ Anthem. 10/10. No notes,' another added, 'We say it every year but, man, the NZ anthem slaps so hard,' another said. 'Gets better every year that NZ anthem,' another added. Adams will be back at the MCG on Friday to sing the NZ anthem ahead of the traditional Collingwood-Essendon blockbuster.
Sydney Morning Herald
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Anzac Day 2025 LIVE updates: Albanese, Dutton attend dawn services amid federal election campaign
Latest posts Latest posts 4.22am Two-up: a 'fair dinkum' tradition or a devilish game of skill? Penry Buckley Heads or tails? It's a simple choice, with a fair outcome. But it's only in Australia that it's become a national pastime and, some might argue, a sport. The game of two-up, where punters bet on the outcome of two coins thrown into the air, has a reputation for being 'fair dinkum', a reminder of its 19th-century goldfield beginnings. But its uptake by Australian soldiers in both world wars has seen it enshrined in the national mythology. The game is now played play once a year on Anzac Day with near-religious reverence at pubs and RSLs following dawn services nationwide. So as you enter the ring this Anzac Day, what can you use to your advantage? Is a coin toss ever really fair, and is two-up a fiendish game of skill or one of pure chance? You can read the full story by Penry Buckley here. 4.18am Rinehart calls for enormous increase in defence spending By Paul Sakkal and Shane Wright At last night's Anzac Day eve service in Sydney, Australia's richest person, mining magnate Gina Rinehart, called for a gargantuan rise in defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP, as Peter Dutton and Richard Marles watched on from the audience. Dutton, Marles and former prime ministers Tony Abbott, Scott Morrison and John Howard were guests at the Channel Seven Anzac Day Eve ceremony just outside the Sydney Opera House. It came a day after the Coalition leader said if his party formed government, it would take defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2030 and to 3 per cent by the middle of the next decade. Defence spending under Labor is projected to rise from 2.02 per cent of GDP this year to 2.3 per cent by 2034, making the Coalition's 3 per cent long-term pledge significantly more ambitious. You can read the full story here. 4.13am Welcome By Nick Newling Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of the federal election. Today we bring you a special early edition of the national blog, in which we will be following commemorations of Anzac day across the country. My name is Nick Newling, and I'll be taking you through all the morning's news as it happens. We are expecting to see both Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton attend services this morning.
Daily Mail
24-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Gina Rinehart calls for a huge change to Australia's military at moving Anzac Day vigil
Australia's richest person, mining magnate Gina Rinehart, has called for Australia to more than double its defence budget at an Anzac eve sunset vigil. Ms Rinehart, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and Defence Minister Richard Marles attended the Channel Seven Anzac Day Eve ceremony outside the Sydney Opera House on Thursday evening. Former prime ministers Tony Abbott, Scott Morrison, and John Howard were also in attendance. Ms Rinehart used the platform to call upon leaders to spend five per cent of the nation's gross domestic product (GDP) on defence. Defence spending has been at 2.02 per cent of GDP under Labor who are projected to increase funding to 2.3 per cent by 2034. For comparison, the US spends about 3.4 per cent of its GDP on defence. Mr Dutton on Wednesday said a Coalition government would increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by the end of the decade. From there spending would reach 3 per cent of GDP by 2035, the amount US president Donald Trump called on his allies to spend. The mining billionaire said the government has not done enough to protect Australians with tensions rising in the region and across the globe. 'We urgently need to do more to defend Australians, starting with protecting our ports, airports, sea lanes and other vital infrastructure, and significantly boosting our smart sea mines, war drones and Israeli-style (ballistic defence) domes accordingly,' Ms Rinehart told the crowd. 'Boosting our defence manufacturing here in Australia, as well as our budget to five per cent of GDP. Five per cent of GDP, like Europe is moving towards. 'I have so much more to say on this, at another time.' It is unclear how Ms Rinehart proposes the government afford such a spending increase. The Coalition's plan to increase spending to 3 per cent would cost at least $100billion in the first half of the 2030s. 'The prime minister and the deputy prime minister regularly tell Australians that we live in the most precarious period since the end of the Second World War,' Dutton said in a statement on Wednesday. 'Yet, over the last three years, Labor has done nothing about it, other than rip money out of defence, weakening strength and morale.' Mr Dutton would not disclose exactly how a Coalition government would cover such expenditure. He said he would begin by repealing Labor's marginal tax cuts, due to take effect from mid-2027. Australia has not spent five per cent of its GDP on defence since the Korean War in the 1950s and only a select few countries do so today. Liberal campaign spokesman Senator James Paterson defended the party's defence target of 3 per cent of GDP when he appeared on Sky News on Thursday. 'Nobody contends that we're spending enough on defence right now,' he said. Senator Paterson suggested Australia's delayed response to the live firing exercises of a Chinese warship in the Tasman Sea demonstrated the need for increased military spending. Defence Minister Richard Marles said the Albanese government had budgeted for 'the biggest peacetime increase in defence spending that has occurred in Australian history'. 'We certainly agree that the world is an unpredictable place, and that our strategic circumstances are as complex and in some respects, as threatening as we have faced since the end of the Second World War,' he said at a press conference on Thursday. 'So, it's no small step that we've already taken, and we will continue to assess the strategic circumstances and what is the appropriate defence spend in the context of all of that.'
Herald Sun
24-04-2025
- Business
- Herald Sun
Federal election: Gina Rinehart wants huge rise in defence spending
Australia's richest person, mining billionaire Gina Rinehart, has called for defence spending to be increased to 5 per cent of GDP – far more than either party is proposing – at an Anzac Day Eve event with Opposition Leader Peter Dutton. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese again bizarrely denied he had fallen off a stage – despite hours earlier saying 'falling off the stage' was his worst moment of the campaign. The PM also defended a Labor candidate who once shared a fake image depicting Mr Dutton as a Nazi, saying she was an 'extraordinary Australian'. HERE'S HOW THE DAY UNFOLDED Originally published as Election campaign live: Gina Rinehart calls for defence spending to be more than doubled at Anzac event with Peter Dutton
News.com.au
24-04-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Gina Rinehart calls for defence spending to be increased to 5 per cent of GDP
Mining magnate Gina Rinehart has called for the federal government to increase defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP at an Anzac Day Eve event at the Sydney Opera House with Opposition Leader Peter Dutton. The mining billionaire and Australia's richest person said the spending should be more than double the current level of 2.03 per cent of GDP. 'We are all especially privileged to be here this evening, as we are free from a war on our shores,' Ms Rinehart said. 'It is my belief we urgently need to do more to defend Australians, starting with protecting our ports, airports, sea lanes and other vital infrastructure, and significantly boosting our smart sea mines, war drones and Israeli-style domes accordingly, and boosting our defence manufacture here in Australia, as well as our budget to 5 per cent of GDP. 'Five per cent of GDP … like Europe is moving towards. I have so much more to say on this, at another time.' Her comments come the day after Mr Dutton vowed to increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent. US President Donald Trump has called on allies to lift defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP. Rinehart has been a key supporter of Mr Trump. Mr Dutton, Defence Minister Richard Marles, and former prime ministers Tony Abbott, Scott Morrison and John Howard also attended the event. 'So much of our wealth and opportunity, underwritten by past generations of heroes and contributors, stands at risk from the modern aspirations of others, their modern behaviour, from modern realities hitherto remote from our shores, our interests, our treasures, our lives,' Ms Rinehart added. 'That sacrifice won us time and with hard work, investment, risk, common sense, reliable electricity, vision, and blessed with natural resources to underpin a high standard of living, Australia has become a remarkable, successful home blessed with opportunities for all Australians.'
