Latest news with #LiberalMP
Daily Mail
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Fresh blow for Dan Andrews statue as the tribute is called into question over claims of a 'possible cover-up'
A contentious bronze statue immortalising former Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews will be debated in state parliament amid claims 'unresolved allegations' remain. Plans to make Andrews the fifth premier to be given a permanent statue have been contested by 12,644 Australians in a petition tabled in the Victorian parliament. 'We respectfully urge the government to cancel this proposal as it is inappropriate to erect statues of living politicians,' the petition said. 'Public monuments should be reserved for individuals whose legacies have been tested over time and are broadly regarded as unifying. 'There remains unresolved allegations regarding Daniel Andrews' management and handling of human rights during the state's pandemic response, lockdowns, and use of enforcement powers. 'These issues should be fully resolved before any public honour is considered.' Liberal MP Moira Deeming presented the petition, which noted Andrews' highly-debated involvement in a car crash with a teenage cyclist in 2013. 'Questions persist regarding Daniel Andrews' actions, including delays in reporting the incident and concerns about a possible political cover–up, raising serious doubts about accountability in public office,' the petition continued. 'Spending taxpayer money on a political monument, particularly for a figure whose legacy remains contested, is inappropriate during a time of economic hardship and community division. 'Doing so risks deepening distrust and undermining public confidence in government priorities. 'The petitioners therefore request that the Legislative Council call on the government to cancel any plans to commission or install a statue of former Premier the Hon. Daniel Andrews.' Andrews is set to be the fifth Victorian premier to receive recognition with a statue, alongside John Cain Jr, Rupert Hamer, Henry Bolte and Albert Dunstan who all stand on Treasury Place in the city's CBD. However, details of the cost of his statue and its planned location remain under wraps. When pressed, Andrews said those decisions were up to his successor. Victorian Premier Jacina Allan told reporters this week that the process of installing the Dan Andrews statue is underway. 'Former Liberal premier Jeff Kennett introduced a policy to install statues of former Victorian premiers who serve 3,000 days or more in office, in recognition of their long service to Victoria,' she said. 'The existing statues are located outside 1 Treasury Place and include former premiers Rupert Hamer, Henry Bolte, Albert Dunstan and John Cain Jr. Parliamentary standing orders permit the debate of petitions which receive more than 10,000 signatures, with a minister to provide a response within 30 days. Andrews was premier for almost nine years before he resigned in late 2023. He has since taken on a new role at Orygen, a mental health organisation. His handling of the Covid pandemic and use of enforcement powers were called into question after Melbourne remained in lockdown for 245 days, the longest in Australia and large parts of the world. A bungled hotel quarantine scheme by the Andrews Government has been blamed for the deaths of 768 people. The families of those victims publicly condemned Andrews last year when he was awarded the nation's highest honour – the Companion of the Order of Australia.
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Politics
- News.com.au
‘Ridiculous' for convicted Kiama MP Gareth Ward to stay on: NSW Premier Chris Minns
Kiama MP Gareth Ward could be booted from parliament as early as next week after he was convicted of assaulting two young men, with the state government preparing a motion to have him expelled. The former Liberal MP was found guilty of three counts of assault with act of indecency against an 18-year-old man at Meroo Meadow in 2013 by a jury on Friday. The jury also found the one-time families minister guilty of a fourth offence of intercourse without consent against a 24-year-old man in Potts Point in 2015. It is understood the state government will move a motion when parliament resumes on Tuesday, August 5 to expel Ward. On Monday, Premier Chris Minns praised Ward's accusers as 'incredibly courageous people' and again called on the disgraced MP to resign from parliament. 'Firstly, he should resign,' Mr Minns said. 'It is completely ridiculous to be in a situation where someone has been not accused, not charged, but convicted of incredibly serious offences and stay as a member of parliament.' Mr Minns said the NSW Legislative Assembly needed to 'be in a position where it protects its integrity'. 'One of the positions it can take to protect its integrity is to say that if you've been convicted of these serious charges, it's not reasonable that member stay as a member of parliament,' he said. 'I haven't spoken to all of my colleagues, and I haven't spoken to the crossbench or the opposition about it, but it would seem ridiculous that he would continue as a member of parliament.' Mr Minns confirmed the parliament had the power to remove Ward but noted it was important that the Legislative Assembly's decision 'is not punitive'. 'The punitive measure is up to the NSW court. It's not up to parliament,' he said. 'They'll make the decision about what punishment is applied, not us.' Asked on Monday if he would support a motion to expel Ward from parliament if he did not resign, Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said he would. 'Subject to the government indicating its legal advice that the power is there, we would support that motion,' Mr Speakman said. 'And look, on the face of it, the power is there. But I would like to see the legal advice.' Both Labor and the Liberals have called on Ward to resign following Friday's verdict. 'Gareth Ward should not be in parliament,' Mr Speakman said. 'The jury finding is of behaviour that is completely reprehensible. It's sickening. 'He should not be in the parliament. His position is untenable. He cannot represent the constituents of Kiama. 'He obviously can't represent them when he's incarcerated, and even if he remains out of incarceration for the time being, there is no way he can effectively represent his constituents. 'So he must resign, and if he doesn't resign, then parliament has to take all the steps it can to protect its integrity, and if the power is there to expel Mr Ward, he should be expelled.' Neither Mr Minns nor Mr Speakman confirmed whether they were involved in discussions about preselecting candidates for a potential by-election. 'I'm sure there are conversations under way,' Mr Speakman said. He later went on to clarify: 'I'm just surmising the nature of politics these sort of conversations happen.' Ward only narrowly beat out Labor's Katelin McInerney in the 2023 state election. Ward is yet to be sentenced and will next appear in court on Wednesday.
News.com.au
24-07-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Liberal Goldstein MP Tim Wilson says more consultation needed with small business on penalty rate ban
The Coalition has indicated it will delay Labor's proposed laws to ban the reduction of penalty and overtime rates in modern awards, with Liberal MP Tim Wilson stating more information was needed on the impact on small businesses. A new Bill, which was introduced by Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Amanda Rishworth on Thursday, will also override the Fair Work Commission (FWC) from substituting the entitlements if it reduces the overall take-home pay of even a single worker on a modern award. However, Mr Wilson, the Coalition's small business and industrial relations spokesman, accused Labor of trying to 'ram' the legislation through parliament and signalled the opposition was likely to push the Bill to an inquiry. While he confirmed he'd reviewed the legislation, Mr Wilson said Ms Rishworth was still unable to answer how the Bill would affect small businesses. 'There is a simple reality. There are no penalty rates on jobs that do not exist,' he said. 'The Coalition supports penalty rates. We support higher wages … but that isn't what we're getting from this government with their approach, where their focus is how they do their pay-offs as part of their legislative victory lap, rather than focusing on how to improve the economic conditions that list the standards of living and the wages of Australians.' While Mr Wilson said the Coalition would 'obviously talk to parties from across the parliament', the opposition had yet to take a firm stance on the Bill. Ms Rishworth urged the Coalition and Greens to support the legislation and said it was a 'key commitment' Labor took to the election. 'My message to the opposition is that they need to listen to the decision of the Australian people,' she said. 'The Australian people clearly back this government to get on with the job of getting wages moving and ensuring that Australians can earn more and keep more of what they earn.' In response, Mr Wilson said it was proper and 'standard' process to get an 'assessment of the impact of legislation'. 'This is standard, so they can make the claims about what their mandate may be, it doesn't mean it gives them a right to override the standard processes of legislative passage,' he said. As it stands, Labor will need either support of the Greens or the Coalition if it is to pass the legislation in the Senate. While the Greens have confirmed the party has reviewed the legislation, it has yet to reach a position. Greens workplace relations spokeswoman Barbara Pocock said the party was having a 'close look' at the Bill and would make a decision 'in the coming days'. She also pushed for stronger workers' rights like a four-day work week without a reduction in pay. Responding to whether the Greens would support pushing the legislation to an inquiry, she said the party would consider all options. 'This is a no-cost bill for small business, as I read it, but as I said earlier, I've just received the Bill,' she said. 'We're having a close look, and we will want to make sure that there are no unintended consequences and that we get the best possible Bill that we can for some of Australia's most vulnerable workers.' The election promise was prompted by a FWC review prompted by the Australian Retailers Association to allow senior management to take a 25 per cent wage increase above minimum award entitlements in exchange for overtime, weekend and public holiday penalty rates and rest breaks.
ABC News
17-07-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Crown says MP Gareth Ward's alleged assaults 'not a coincidence' in closing address
The prosecution in the sexual assault trial of New South Wales MP Gareth Ward has told the jury the striking similarities between the two complainants' stories are evidence that they are telling the truth. On Thursday, in closing submissions in week eight of the trial, the Crown said both alleged victims were "strangers to each other, living separate lives, hours apart", and yet had each independently come forward with "remarkably similar accounts of being assaulted by Mr Ward". "It is not a coincidence," the prosecutor told the NSW District Court in Sydney. "There are just too many similarities for that to be the case. "Keep in mind how these men are not known to each other, they live in different cities, [and] there is no suggestion they have in any way gotten their heads together. Mr Ward has pleaded not guilty to five charges, including sexual intercourse without consent. The jury has heard that both young men, aged 24 and 18 at the time of the alleged offending, had each met Mr Ward through his position as a then-Liberal MP. One was employed as a political staffer, and the other encountered Mr Ward at a networking event. The Crown said the nature of their relationship with Mr Ward was "very unequal in terms of the power dynamic". The Crown said both complainants said they were feeling emotionally low on the nights in question; the older after a difficult day at work, the younger due to a relationship breakdown, and both had been drinking. The court heard they were both separately invited to Mr Ward's homes in Potts Point and Meroo Meadow shortly before the alleged assaults in 2015 and 2013. The Crown said each of the men described being touched inappropriately while lying down, one in a bed, the other on the grass and later in a bed, and both said Mr Ward continued after being told to stop. The Crown told the jury it could consider the numerous independent similarities when weighing the credibility of the complainants' accounts. "You might think what happened to [the complainants] did not happen by random chance or just dumb luck," she said. "Similar behaviour, similar setting, same man, same conclusion — this is not a coincidence. "The Crown says the only reasonable explanation for the similarities is that the complainants are giving truthful accounts." The prosecution also raised what is known in law as "tendency evidence", behaviour that may suggest a person has a particular state of mind or pattern of conduct. The Crown said the jury could consider the combined evidence of both complainants involving Mr Ward as showing a tendency for him to be sexually interested in young, subordinate men, and to act on that interest. After her opening, the Crown turned to the prosecution case in more detail about the older complainant, and the alleged assault at Mr Ward's apartment at Potts Point after an event at NSW Parliament in September 2015. The Crown said the older complainant correctly identified the sparsely furnished Potts Point apartment, down to the specific bedroom, arguing this level of detail supported his account that the assault happened there. The Crown said the older complainant's willingness to concede small, uncomfortable details — like briefly participating in a kiss with Mr Ward, was a mark of honesty, not embellishment, and showed he knew it was important to tell the truth "warts and all". The jury was told the accused appeared to be "smoothing things over" the morning after the alleged assault, taking a detour to a cafe with the complainant instead of his usual parliament entrance, in what was framed as an attempt to defuse the night before. The Crown described a series of "deflections" by the complainant after the alleged assault, saying he walked a fine line, remaining polite and friendly with an MP while quietly distancing himself, all to protect his career. Jurors were told the complainant was deeply conscious of Mr Ward's influence, worried about losing political opportunities, and even feared being unable to pay his bills, pressures that the Crown said explained his continued friendliness. The Crown is continuing to make closing submissions, with the defence then expected to present its closing submissions to the jury.
The Guardian
18-06-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Trump ponders Iran action, Liberal suggests tax breaks for mothers, Maroons come good in Perth
Morning everyone. Donald Trump says he might order a strike on Iran, or he might not, pointing out that 'nobody knows' what he's going to do in response to the Israel-Iran conflict. He also spoke about the potential for a peace deal. We have an expert team of reporters and commentators to try to make sense of the crisis and what it means for the world. We also report on what Anthony Albanese will risk if he goes to Europe to try to meet Trump, how Labor can reform the economy, the highest paid executives in Australia, and an incredible win for Queensland in Origin II. Star performers | Australia's bogong moths are guided by the stars as they navigate up to 1,000km to a place they've never been before, new research has concluded, making them the first invertebrates confirmed to use celestial navigation. Albanese's dilemma | Anthony Albanese will have had plenty of time on the long flight back from Canada to consider whether he should make a snap trip to Europe next week to get a meeting with Donald Trump. But our chief political correspondent, Tom McIlroy, says it would risk a second humiliating snub. Liberal rethink | Special tax breaks for mothers should be considered as part of an overhaul of the tax system to better support 'modern families', a Liberal MP has argued. Levy break | Developers in New South Wales will be able to choose between paying a levy of $12,000 per lot, or building infrastructure such as roads and parks themselves as an 'in kind payment' in a further push to speed up the construction of new housing in the state. News extra | News Corp's chief executive, Robert Thomson, is the highest-paid chief executive of an Australian-listed company, according to an analysis of pay figures, taking home $42m last year. Iran warning | Donald Trump has left the world hanging over whether he will join Israel's war on Iran after the country's supreme leader rejected US calls for surrender and warned that joining the war (pictured) would lead to 'irreparable damage'. We look at how the Israeli assumption about the US joining in is being tested, why the conflict is bad news for Russia, and how the Iranian opposition is positioning itself in a fast-moving situation. Australians stranded in Israel are waiting anxiously as the conflict intensifies. In the US, a majority of Trump voters oppose intervention, while Tucker Carlson confronted Ted Cruz in a televised spat that exposes the rift in Republican ranks. Follow all the developments live. Fed hold | The US Federal Reserve kept interest rates on hold overnight despite calls by Donald Trump that it should cut them, but policymakers did signal that they might make some cuts later this year. Pride of Europe | Dozens of MEPs from around Europe have pledged to go to Budapest to take part in this month's Pride march in defiance of Hungary's hardline prime minister, Viktor Orbán. Trans rights | A Tennessee state law banning gender-affirming care for minors can stand, the US supreme court has ruled, in a devastating loss for trans rights supporters. Heist charges | Seven men in California have been charged over the 'largest jewellery heist in US history' after allegedly stealing $100m worth of gold, diamonds, rubies, emeralds and luxury watches from an armoured truck. The Air India crash and the miracle of seat 11A Aviation journalist Jeff Wise talks about last week's Air India crash in which 270 people died – and the story of how one passenger survived. Sorry your browser does not support audio - but you can download here and listen $ Jim Chalmers has asked people to forget their narrow interests and consider the national interest in economic reform. But that, Patrick Commins argues, is a big ask in a risk-averse political climate where a relatively minor tweak on taxing super provoked uproar. With so much talk about how to increase productivity, Greg Jericho whistles up some of his trademark charts to suggest five things that the government could do to help. Midwinter is nearly here and that means it's getting cold inside as well as outside. So we asked an interior designer, Emma Blomfield, to come up with some tips about how to make your home feel a bit cosier. Sign up to Morning Mail Our Australian morning briefing breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Rugby league | Queensland showed huge character to hold off a remarkable second-half comeback by the NSW Blues and clinch a 26-24 win in the second game of the State of Origin series in a rain-soaked Perth last night. Cameron Munster was the difference as he showed why he's been made Maroons captain. Rugby union | Winger Harry Potter expects the Lions series to be 'pretty monumental' after being named as a surprise pick for the Wallabies squad. For their opponents, Maro Itoje will play his first game as captain when the Lions take on Argentina tomorrow. Football | Manchester City's defence of their Club World Cup crown has started with a 2-0 win over Morocco's Wydad, while Real Madrid are in action against Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia. The driver who crashed a stolen LandCruiser through a Melbourne shopping centre has been urged to give themselves up, the Herald Sun reports. There are more doubts over Tasmania's new stadium after a state MP claimed to the Mercury that the federal government has capped spending on the project. People on the south coast of NSW are being urged to take part in a huge survey of migrating whales, Bega News reports. Melbourne | Victorian Liberals meet this evening over the future of former leader John Pesutto. Sydney | Closing submissions in the fair work hearing between NSW government and psychiatrists. Enjoying the Morning Mail? Then you'll love our Afternoon Update newsletter. Sign up here to finish your day with a three-minute snapshot of the day's main news, and complete your daily news roundup. And follow the latest in US politics by signing up for This Week in Trumpland. And finally, here are the Guardian's crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow. Quick crossword Cryptic crossword
