Latest news with #SamanthaDonovan
ABC News
03-06-2025
- General
- ABC News
Israelis accused of firing on Gaza aid centre
Samantha Donovan: First this evening to Gaza, where Israeli forces have reportedly again fired on people waiting for aid in the town of Rafah in the enclave's south. There are reports more than 20 people have been killed. Matthew Doran is the ABC's Middle East correspondent in Jerusalem. Matthew, what's known about this incident so far? Matthew Doran: Well, Sam, the details are still coming through. But what we know is that as Palestinians were waiting to access this aid distribution site in Rafah in southern Gaza, local authorities are saying that Israeli forces opened fire. There are differing accounts at this early stage as to exactly what has happened there. But certainly all of the Palestinian media outlets and the Palestinian authorities are definitely saying Israeli forces were involved here. We are seeing some figures, and I must stress that these are unconfirmed at this stage, that at least 24 people have been killed so far. And we are seeing some reports that more than 200 have been wounded in this incident. There are reports in Palestinian media saying that this is not only a case of Israeli soldiers opening fire, but we are also seeing some reports of Israeli shelling being involved in this incident as well. What happens at these sites is that they open quite early in the morning. Palestinians are told to arrive to go through the screening processes. They then go into these sites and they pick up the supplies that they can access and that they can carry back to their families. It is quite a controlled process. We know that the Palestinians are told to take certain roads, for example, to enter these sites. And it appears that, again, this is an incident of a third in as many days where there has been a shooting attack near one of these sites. Samantha Donovan: This appears to have happened quite early in the morning. And I imagine a lot of these people queuing up have had to walk great distances. Matthew Doran: They certainly have because there aren't that many of these aid distribution sites actually operating across Gaza. The main ones that we are hearing a lot about in the last few days are in the south of Gaza and around the area of Rafah. This is an area which is totally controlled by the IDF. It has been for a number of weeks now after they cleared the Palestinian population out of there. So people are making a trek through an IDF-controlled area. There are no distribution points in the north at this stage. So if you imagine not only people having to travel from central regions of Gaza, but also northern areas if they want to try to access this aid, it is a very long journey for many of these people. Samantha Donovan: So, Matthew, what has the Israeli military had to say about these reports that more than 20 people have been killed and perhaps hundreds injured? Matthew Doran: So they haven't commented specifically on those figures. What the IDF has said, they have confirmed that there has been an incident at one of these sites where Israeli forces fired some warning shots at what they are describing as Palestinian suspects who deviated from that agreed access route. When those individuals didn't change course, more shots were fired. And it says that this happened around 500 metres or so from where the aid distribution site is, not actually within the confines of it, but from where that site, outside of where that site is. It says it's investigating this incident and we may well hear more details throughout the day here. It is still fairly early in the day here in the Middle East. Very, very particular wording being used at this stage. And it appears there's still a lot of confusion as to exactly what's happened there, even though the Palestinian authorities say it's very clearly the work of Israel. Samantha Donovan: Matthew Doran is the ABC's Middle East correspondent. He was speaking to me from Jerusalem.
ABC News
03-06-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Gazans shot near Rafah aid centre
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, Australia's lowest paid workers set for a pay rise after a decision by the Fair Work Commission. Also, new findings on how fathers can prevent their sons from becoming perpetrators of domestic violence. And a rare two metre long fish discovered on a Tassie beach has scientists fascinated. Sybil Robertson: It was really silvery because the sun was just catching it at that moment when I first saw it. It just looked like a long silver streak on the beach. And as you got closer, you could see the beautiful colouring around his head. Samantha Donovan: First this evening to Gaza, where Israeli forces have reportedly again fired on people waiting for aid in the town of Rafah in the enclave's south. There are reports more than 20 people have been killed. Matthew Doran is the ABC's Middle East correspondent in Jerusalem. Matthew, what's known about this incident so far? Matthew Doran: Well, Sam, the details are still coming through. But what we know is that as Palestinians were waiting to access this aid distribution site in Rafah in southern Gaza, local authorities are saying that Israeli forces opened fire. There are differing accounts at this early stage as to exactly what has happened there. But certainly all of the Palestinian media outlets and the Palestinian authorities are definitely saying Israeli forces were involved here. We are seeing some figures, and I must stress that these are unconfirmed at this stage, that at least 24 people have been killed so far. And we are seeing some reports that more than 200 have been wounded in this incident. There are reports in Palestinian media saying that this is not only a case of Israeli soldiers opening fire, but we are also seeing some reports of Israeli shelling being involved in this incident as well. What happens at these sites is that they open quite early in the morning. Palestinians are told to arrive to go through the screening processes. They then go into these sites and they pick up the supplies that they can access and that they can carry back to their families. It is quite a controlled process. We know that the Palestinians are told to take certain roads, for example, to enter these sites. And it appears that, again, this is an incident of a third in as many days where there has been a shooting attack near one of these sites. Samantha Donovan: This appears to have happened quite early in the morning. And I imagine a lot of these people queuing up have had to walk great distances. Matthew Doran: They certainly have because there aren't that many of these aid distribution sites actually operating across Gaza. The main ones that we are hearing a lot about in the last few days are in the south of Gaza and around the area of Rafah. This is an area which is totally controlled by the IDF. It has been for a number of weeks now after they cleared the Palestinian population out of there. So people are making a trek through an IDF-controlled area. There are no distribution points in the north at this stage. So if you imagine not only people having to travel from central regions of Gaza, but also northern areas if they want to try to access this aid, it is a very long journey for many of these people. Samantha Donovan: So, Matthew, what has the Israeli military had to say about these reports that more than 20 people have been killed and perhaps hundreds injured? Matthew Doran: So they haven't commented specifically on those figures. What the IDF has said, they have confirmed that there has been an incident at one of these sites where Israeli forces fired some warning shots at what they are describing as Palestinian suspects who deviated from that agreed access route. When those individuals didn't change course, more shots were fired. And it says that this happened around 500 metres or so from where the aid distribution site is, not actually within the confines of it, but from where that site, outside of where that site is. It says it's investigating this incident and we may well hear more details throughout the day here. It is still fairly early in the day here in the Middle East. Very, very particular wording being used at this stage. And it appears there's still a lot of confusion as to exactly what's happened there, even though the Palestinian authorities say it's very clearly the work of Israel. Samantha Donovan: Matthew Doran is the ABC's Middle East correspondent. He was speaking to me from Jerusalem. Back to Australia now and from July 1st, millions of workers will be entitled to a pay increase. The Fair Work Commission announced today it's decided to boost the minimum wage by 3.5 per cent. That's higher than the rate of inflation. The Commission says workers need the cost of living relief and businesses can, on the whole, afford it. Here's our business correspondent, David Taylor. David Taylor: Australia's lowest paid workers will soon be getting a bit of a pay bump, roughly $32 extra a week, taking their salary up to $948 a week. Despite the increase, these people on their lunch break in Brisbane's South Bank think the minimum wage is still too low. Opinion: Phone bills, internet, you can't survive without internet. But with a wage like that, you have to decide what's most important. I don't think so. Opinion: I don't think I could afford my rent off that. Yeah, cost of living is obviously affecting us all and it's quite a low weekly take-home wage. Opinion: I think it should be above $1,000. Opinion: Being a second year apprentice, I only earn around $17.50 an hour and I don't think that's going to change with the award, so it doesn't really affect me. David Taylor: It's one of the largest above-inflation increases ever awarded and will lift the national minimum wage from $24.10 an hour to $24.95 an hour. Today's decision also results in an increase for many workers not on the minimum wage. It'll affect pay rates for workers on 120 wards, or about 21% of the workforce. Unions had asked for a 4.5% pay bump. While they didn't get anything near that, ACTU National Secretary, Sally McManus welcomed the outcome. Sally McManus: The Fair Work Commission accepted the arguments made by unions that it was time for low-wage workers, award workers to start catching up for what was lost during the inflation spike. David Taylor: But that extra money has to come from somewhere. The CEO of the Australian Restaurant and Cafe Association, Wes Lambert, says businesses will cop the financial hit at an already vulnerable time. Wes Lambert: On top of insurance, on top of rents, on top of utilities, on top of all of the other costs that hospitality businesses have to face, while they also have price ceilings, consumers don't want to pay more than $5 for a cup of coffee. We don't have any room to move. If we can't raise our prices and we're stuck with no profit or a loss, that just leads to business closures. David Taylor: While CEO of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, or ACCI, Andrew McKellar, agrees businesses will find it tough to accommodate the increase. Andrew McKellar: It has to be remembered that this decision is being delivered against a backdrop of declining productivity. We've seen profitability for many businesses going backwards over the past 18 months or so. David Taylor: So where does all this leave Australia's struggle to boost productivity? The Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Amanda Rishworth, says the government's working on it. Amanda Rishworth: The productivity challenge is something that our government is absolutely committed to and something that, as you may know, the Treasurer has commissioned the Productivity Commission to look into this. David Taylor: While that's all going on in the background, AMP's chief economist, Shane Oliver, says despite weak levels of productivity, wages growth above 3% does not appear to be inflationary. Shane Oliver: I think 3.5% is a reasonably good outcome. It does give workers a real wage rise of just over 1%. David Taylor: Just on that though, the Reserve Bank has consistently said what it's concerned about with a tight labour market is that it will push wages growth up and without the associated productivity gains, that could be inflationary. Now we know that productivity is still lagging. It's negative based on the latest national accounts. So are you concerned that an above inflation wage rise like this, without the productivity gains, could lead to inflation? Shane Oliver: Look, it's certainly a risk. There's no doubt about that. But I guess the Reserve Bank and many economists have to concede that despite poor productivity growth in recent years, and a tight labour market, we have seen wages growth slow down. David Taylor: Official figures on the overall health of Australia's economy, including an update on productivity growth, will be released tomorrow. Samantha Donovan: David Taylor reporting. Now to the mushroom murder trial of Victorian woman Erin Patterson. The accused triple murderer has continued giving her evidence today, led by her defence council. Ms Patterson is accused of killing three of her husband's relatives in 2023 by deliberately serving them a lunch of beef wellington containing death cap mushrooms. She's pleaded not guilty to three charges of murder and one of attempted murder. Kathleen O'Connor was in the courtroom in the Victorian town of Morwell. Kathleen, what did Erin Patterson tell the court about that deadly lunch back in July 2023? Kathleen O'Connor: Yeah, so Erin Patterson was asked about the lunch in 2023 and she responded to the questions by the defence. He said, do you accept there must have been death cap mushrooms in the lunch? And she said, yes, I do. He asked, do you remember where they came from? And she said the vast majority of them were from Woolworths and there was some from a grocer in Melbourne. She still maintains that she bought some of them at an Asian grocer, but she can't remember the specific purchase of them is not clear in her mind. He asked, have you purchased mushrooms from those kinds of shops before? She said, yes. They then went on to a little bit of a history of her foraging for mushrooms in the past. Miss Patterson told the court that she really loved mushrooms and first became interested in them back in 2020 during the COVID lockdown, saying that she was drawn to them. She told the court that she hid the mushrooms in her cooking often, primarily because her children didn't like them. And she said that they tasted good and were healthy. In 2020, she claims that she found them growing around and she worked herself up to consuming them, saying it was a process over several months in the lead up to it. But she got to a point where she felt confident in identifying them and she actually cooked them and ate them and said that they tasted good and she never got sick. Samantha Donovan: And Kathleen, was Miss Patterson asked by her defence barrister why she had invited her four in-laws to lunch that day? Kathleen O'Connor: So this was a contentious part of the case. The jury were shown text messages from Erin to her in-laws about some bad news that she needed to share with them. But in the courtroom today, she admitted that she had never been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and that was the reason why she had invited her in-laws in the first place, because she had some bad news to share with them. She also told the court that she never had a needle biopsy on a lump on her elbow, that she had previously told Gail Patterson about her now estranged husband's mother. Defence lawyer Colin Mandy SC also asking Miss Patterson, have you ever been worried about having it, having ovarian cancer? And she said, yes, I was quite worried about it. At one stage, she had abdominal pain and chronic headaches, and she consulted with Dr. Google and she also had a family history. Samantha Donovan: But she's confirmed to the court that she never had ovarian cancer, as she told the guests at the lunch in 2023? Kathleen O'Connor: That's correct. She never had ovarian cancer. She was never diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Samantha Donovan: And I understand Erin Patterson became emotional at times giving her evidence to the court today, particularly when talking about her in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson. What happened? Kathleen O'Connor: Yeah, she broke down a couple of times, Sam, when she was asked about her relationship with who is now her estranged husband's parents after she had split with Simon, telling the court the relationship between them, it never changed. They just continued to love me before she then broke down into tears. Miss Patterson also told the jury that she didn't want to separate from her husband, but she felt like she had no choice. There were some private messages as well between Erin Patterson and her friendship group that were also shown to the jury. Miss Patterson saying that she was expressing her frustration about Gail and Don's involvement in her and Simon's relationship to her friends, saying, this family, I swear to God. Erin Patterson also telling the court she felt really upset and frustrated and felt desperate. And that's the reason why she confided in her friends about the relationship problem she was having with Simon and Gail and Don's involvement in that. She then conceded, you know, I should never have said that. I felt ashamed and the family didn't deserve to hear that. They didn't deserve it. And yeah, just broke down in tears. Samantha Donovan: Our reporter Kathleen O'Connor at the Erin Patterson murder trial in the town of Morwell in regional Victoria. This is PM. I'm Samantha Donovan. Just a reminder, you can hear all our programs live or later on the ABC Listen app. Grain growers around Australia are expected to produce a bumper crop this winter, despite drought and flooding hitting hard in some regions. The federal government's agricultural research body, ABES, is forecasting a haul of more than 55 million tonnes of grains, including wheat, barley and canola. But experts are warning a lot could change between now and the harvest, with many growers waiting anxiously to see if any rain comes their way. Luke Radford prepared this report. Luke Radford: Across Australia, grain growers have spent the past month planting this season's crop. Wheat that can be used to make bread and pasta, barley to make beer, as well as other grains like canola, chickpeas and oats. But this year, it's a story of the haves and have-nots. And even for farmers who've had a bit of rain, it's a season that's resting on a knife's edge. South Australian farmer James Stacey. James Stacey: We've sown crops into nothing, so it's all about water use efficiency and getting the crop in the ground to make the most of the rain that falls. But we are very fortunate compared to a lot of other areas in the state which are pretty dry still. Luke Radford: In South Australia and Western Victoria, it's been the driest start to the year on record. The next week will be absolutely crucial. Forecasted rain over much of the region could set up the season for success. But James Stacey says if that doesn't come, things will be dire. James Stacey: We've got enough moisture in the ground now that our crops are fine with just these bits and pieces. And I think this year might be a bits and pieces year. They'll all add up to something. It is fairly concerning that we do still need 150, 200 mls between now and harvest time. Luke Radford: Despite South Australia and Western Victoria battling their worst drought on record, the forecast for the whole country is a different story. The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Science, or ABARES, is predicting while it will be smaller than last year, it will still be a very large crop. ABARES Executive Director is Dr Jared Greenville. Jared Greenville: We're still seeing fairly positive in terms of the overall plant for this year's winter crop sitting at around 25 million hectares, which is about 10% above the 10-year average and the second highest on record. Luke Radford: The key thing to remember is that this is a forecast. Dr Greenville says this year more than ever, the final result could vary wildly. Jared Greenville: If the timing and the amounts don't come through, then the outcome will be a fair bit less, you would say, particularly because there's no soil moisture this year in South Australia and parts of Western Victoria to really help that crop go on. Whereas this time last year, even though it was looking dry and it was still also uncertain, we did have that soil moisture around that would at least give us some certainty that something would grow. Luke Radford: It's a widely different story depending on where you are. Above average rainfall in Queensland and northern New South Wales has set farmers up with a bit of confidence, like southern Queensland grower Stuart McIntyre. Stuart Mcintyre: This time we've decided just to go with wheat. The outlook did look a little bit, not quite as convincing for us as far as weather goes. So we have pulled back on the amount of area that we were going to plant. Luke Radford: But it's a different story further south. Ryan Dennis, who farms north of Wagga, had sown half his crop before deciding to stop because it was too dry. Ryan Dennis: Well by now the canola, if we'd had grazing canola, you know, it'd be nearly up to your knees I suppose. And yeah, your normal main season canola would hopefully be up around your ankles. But everything's definitely delayed. But with the wheat and the barley, hopefully it'll compensate pretty well. It's not out of its window too far. Luke Radford: The reason farmers are still planting such a large crop despite the weather is mainly thanks to how far farming technology and practices have come. Western Australia farmer and Chair of Grain Growers Limited, Rhys Turton, explains. Rhys Turton: I think our water use efficiency in growing grain and just the whole production package is now quite resilient. And they're probably keeping us just ahead of the curve a little bit in terms of declining rainfall but ever increasing production. But I think the innovation around technology, plant breeding, the use of different farm inputs has really helped our production systems no end. Samantha Donovan: Rhys Turton is a West Australian farmer and the Chair of Grain Growers Limited. That report from Luke Radford and Clint Jasper. In a disturbing finding, a long-term national study has found a third of Australian men have used some form of violence against an intimate partner. But the research from the Australian Institute of Family Studies has also identified risk factors that, if addressed, could prevent violence before it happens. It's found, for example, that men who have affectionate relationships with their fathers are less likely to abuse their partners. Nick Grimm reports. Nick Grimm: Like a lot of Australian men with school-aged kids, Conrad Slee is an active member of a group of dads at Perth's Kensington Primary School. And as a father of two boys, he's conscious of the need to be the sort of man he wants his sons to one day become. Conrad Slee: I have an amazing dad who was around and did a lot of the parenting for us when we were younger, so he's been an amazing example for me. And I'd love for my two sons to have the same relationship with me as they get older. Taking a positive and loving and compassionate and empathetic approach to the world is better for everyone. Nick Grimm: It's a view backed up by research that surveyed 120,000 men and boys across Australia, tracking their responses to whether they've ever used intimate partner violence during their lifetime. The Australian Institute of Family Studies research defines intimate partner violence as physical, emotional or sexual violence, and it's found those admitting to its use grew from one quarter of males in 2013 to around a third in 2022. But study lead author Dr Sean Martin says it's also revealed powerful factors helping men to avoid engaging in violent behaviour. Sean Martin: We found that there was a strong connection between paternal affection and the later use of intimate partner violence. So men who reported that they felt like they received that love and affection that they needed from their father or their father type figure, these men were much less likely to report intimate partner violence. Tanya Plibersek: It's very significant and it does show, I mean, look, a bit of this is common sense, right? Nick Grimm: Federal Minister for Social Services, Tanya Plibersek, says the research finds men with loving fathers and positive role models are almost 60% less likely to carry out intimate partner violence. Tanya Plibersek: If you've got a warm and loving relationship with a father or father figure who demonstrates what it's like to be a warm and loving man to your mother or to the women around you, that's the first information, the first pattern that young men have to learn from. Of course, it's significant. Bruce Robinson: There's no doubt that if we can just get dads to be better dads, more connected to their kids, we could dramatically reduce the incidence of domestic violence. Nick Grimm: Bruce Robinson is a professor of medicine and founder of The Fathering Project, which delivers programs, services and resources to support fathers to raise happy, healthy children. Bruce Robinson: Dads should never tolerate violence or aggression towards girls and not say, oh, boys will be boys. Whether it's girls in the playground, their sisters or their mother, do not ever, ever tolerate it. It just doesn't happen in my house. And kids will grow up, boys will grow up then with a sense of respect for women. And the second thing is to spend time with the kids in ways that make them feel worthwhile because if you don't, then they will feel like they're made of glass and everybody's a hammer. So when domestic violence is often a desire to control because they feel out of control. Whereas if fathers are really engaged with their kids and make them feel worthwhile, take them on dates, then they get an internal sense of worth and they don't need to control a woman. Samantha Donovan: Professor Bruce Robinson from The Fathering Project, Nick Grimm with that report. And if you're in an abusive situation or you know someone who is, please call 1800RESPECT. That's 1800 737 732. If it's an emergency, call triple zero. A woman walking along a beach in Western Tasmania has stumbled upon a rarely seen creature washed up from the depths of the Southern Ocean. Lying on the sand was a two metre long oarfish in excellent condition. The species gets its name because it looks very much like a long, flat oar of a boat. Isabel Moussalli has more. Isabel Moussalli: Sybil Robertson says she sees all sorts of things wash up on Tasmania's Ocean Beach. Sybil Robertson: I was watching the sea eagle and I noticed it was coming down onto the beach and I thought it's unusual, I don't often see them land on the beach. And I went to see what it was looking at and that was it. Oh, I could see it was a long fish, but I had no idea what kind of fish. Isabel Moussalli: On what was meant to be a regular dog walk, the Strahan resident and her dog discovered the elusive oarfish, the longest bony fish species in the world. This one was about two metres in length. Sybil Robertson: It was really silvery because the sun was just catching it at that moment when I first saw it. It just looked like a long silver streak on the beach and as you got closer you could see the beautiful colouring around its head and the markings on it were fabulous. Isabel Moussalli: She snapped a few photos of the massive discovery and posted it in a citizen scientist group where the finding was confirmed and gained the attention of experts. Neville Barrett: Very few people have ever seen one so it's very much a fortuitous lucky thing really. Isabel Moussalli: Associate Professor Neville Barrett is a fish biologist with the University of Tasmania's Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies. Neville Barrett: It's very rare. They're oceanic, you know, they can grow up to eight metres in length but they live in what they call the mesopelagic zone so it's out there in the open ocean. Isabel Moussalli: The CSIRO says there are two species found in waters off Australia and there are records of at least 70 specimens washing ashore. Dr Barrett explains they typically live and die well out of sight of humans. But whether you call it a creature of the deep sea... Neville Barrett: It depends what you call deep you see because they're typically found down 150 metres down to 400 or 500 metres deep. That's pretty deep for most people. We call it a mid-water, mid-ocean species. Isabel Moussalli: But it's one that won't be forgotten on this rugged Tasmanian beach. Samantha Donovan: I bet it won't be, that report from Isabel Moussalli and Georgie Burgess. Thanks for joining me for PM, I'm Samantha Donovan. The podcast of the full program is available on the ABC Listen app. We'll be back at the same time tomorrow. Good night.
ABC News
23-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Libs agree 'in principle' to Nats demands
Samantha Donovan: 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.
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
14-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Macquarie Bank sued by ASIC
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, the corporate watchdog takes Australia's biggest investment bank to court. Also, anti-abortion activists in New South Wales accused of bullying as the issue is debated in state parliament. And politicians across the country under pressure as voter anger about crime grows. Paul Williams: There's no doubt that no matter where you live in Australia, youth crime is an issue. And I think that it's something that, you know, any state or territory government that doesn't address it is bound to be punished by the electorate. Samantha Donovan: First this evening, Australia's largest investment bank, Macquarie Group, has again found itself in hot water with the corporate regulator. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission, or ASIC, is taking Macquarie Securities to court for allegedly engaging in misleading conduct by misreporting millions of short sales to the market between 2009 and 2024. A short sale involves an investor borrowing shares at a high price, selling them and then buying them back, hopefully at a lower price, to make a profit. This latest intervention comes less than a week since ASIC found significant supervision and compliance failures in a separate Macquarie Bank division. Our business correspondent, David Taylor, spoke with the ASIC chair, Joe Longo. David Taylor: What is ASIC alleging that Macquarie Securities has done? Joe Longo: Well, Macquarie is under an obligation to report short sales. And so the allegation in this case is that over many years, since 2009, Macquarie have not been accurately reporting their short sales and related regulatory data. David Taylor: OK, so if I get the picture straight, we're looking at, geographically, Sydney, Macquarie Bank's headquarters, the dealing room. And you've got traders since the global financial crisis engaging in this short selling activity, trying to make a profit. And the transaction data that resulted from those trades wasn't accurate when it landed on your desk. Joe Longo: Yeah, that's correct. The number of trades and the number of reports that were inaccurate will be subject to the court case, but it's in the millions. And so Macquarie have been unable to tell us exactly how many trades they failed to report or inaccurately report. But we've been able to find evidence of many millions of trades that were not reported. David Taylor: There's one thing to have erroneous compliance measures. It's another thing that Macquarie was giving you the wrong figures on purpose to achieve some kind of end for Macquarie. Is that also a possibility? Joe Longo: Now, let me be very clear. There's no suggestion in this case that this was deliberate, that this was a consistent failure over many years of Macquarie's systems. Over the years, we were we got reassurances that their issues with their reporting were being fixed or had been fixed when in fact they hadn't been. But we're not alleging in this case that the conduct was deliberate. That this really represents an underinvestment in the systems and processes, a hubris, an arrogance that they thought they'd fixed the problem when in fact they hadn't. And so this case is really saying we're taking you to court because we've had enough. We've given us all these reassurances over the years and you haven't improved. David Taylor: Just on that, Joe Longo, though, you pulled Macquarie Bank up last week for misreporting its trading activities on its derivatives desk. So does Australia's biggest investment bank have a systemic compliance problem because that's significant? Joe Longo: Well, we do have very fundamental concerns about the risk management processes and systems and their risk management culture. And we have our trust and confidence in compliance in Macquarie's compliance culture and risk management has been significantly undermined over the last period of time. And that's why you're saying all of these matters being brought by ASIC and indeed also been instances by regulators in the US and the UK as well. So, yes, we are very concerned about the compliance culture at Macquarie and we've enhanced our supervision and monitoring of what's going on over the last 12 months in particular. David Taylor: Joe Longo, ASIC says that the bank's, quote, repeated systemic failure to detect and resolve these issues indicated serious neglect of its systems and disregard for operational controls and technological governance. End quote. Now, you've tried on multiple occasions to pull Macquarie Bank into line. How long before ASIC actually takes Macquarie's financial services license away from it? Joe Longo: We're some way from that. Macquarie is a major institution of the Australian economy. They're a very successful institution. Our expectation is that they should be able to deal with these issues and they've simply not done so. So our job is to hold them to account for that. And in the coming year or two, you can expect us to continue to intensify our supervision of Macquarie. But there's no suggestion at this point that their license is at risk. David Taylor: But you wouldn't rule it out, though, because there's there's only so much that you can warn them about. Joe Longo: Well, every institution that's a holder of a license needs to be careful they hang on to it. Samantha Donovan: The chair of ASIC, Joe Longo, is speaking with our business correspondent, David Taylor, and Macquarie Group has told the ABC it's now reviewing ASIC's claim. But it says the reporting issues identified in the proceedings have been remediated, and it added that as the matter is now before the court, it isn't appropriate for the bank to make any further comment. The U.S. President Donald Trump has met with Syria's interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, in Saudi Arabia. It's the first time leaders of the two nations have met in 25 years. It came not long after Mr. Trump announced the U.S. will lift sanctions on Syria. Those sanctions were imposed during the dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad, which was overthrown last December. Professor Bob Bowker is with the Australian National University's Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies. He's also a former Australian ambassador to Syria. He told me the American decision to lift sanctions on that country is a positive move. Bob Bowker: The Syrian leadership is only barely in control of the various militias that brought it to power, indeed to exercise discipline among their own ranks. They really have to show that they are performing on the economic front much more strongly than they are at the moment. And Trump's message, and it's clearly been well received on the streets in Syria, is that the United States is not going to get in the way of that. I think that that's very good news for Syria and it's good news for the region. Samantha Donovan: How will it actually help the Syrian people? Bob Bowker: Well, the first thing is likely to be American investment in oil, because that is a resource that has been badly run down over the period of the civil war. The other area, of course, is hotel construction, tourism and the like, because those are jobs that will immediately provide a predictable prospect of a return to normality for many middle class Syrians. Samantha Donovan: Donald Trump said he made the decision to lift the sanctions after speaking to Turkey's President Erdogan and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. What would their case to the American president have been? Bob Bowker: I expect that they made the argument that the future of the region lies in commerce, not in chaos. And that is something which bin Salman has been consistently arguing now. That it is up to the region to shape its own future. Now, for Trump, who is essentially a nationalist and doesn't really look positively at external interventions of any sort, the notion that the region will find its own feet appeals enormously to him. So at a personal level, it's going to mean a lot to Trump to have people telling him that it's been a job well done. The people who will not be saying that to him, of course, will be the Israelis. Samantha Donovan: Tell us a little bit more about why Israel won't be happy with this decision. Bob Bowker: As far as Syria is concerned, the the Israelis have clearly decided that it is unlikely that a government that is stable in Damascus will be to their strategic advantage. And indeed, there is concern in Israel that Turkey may wind up providing a degree of strategic depth to a new government in Damascus that will be ideologically very unsympathetic toward Israel. But on the other hand, I think the reality is that Trump has identified what needs to be done in Syria, which is setting aside for a while at least our concerns about its potential to move in directions that are antagonistic toward our notions of how a society should operate. I mean, an Islamist dominated government in Damascus will be bad news for women, will pose very great questions about the futures of minority groups, including Christians and Yazidis and others. But those issues need to be dealt with down the track. What we are facing in the immediate term is a need to get a government in place that is able to make effective decisions and deliver on those decisions. Samantha Donovan: I know you listened to President Trump's speech in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. What did you make of it? Bob Bowker: I think the United States has recognised, and this is really what came through in the speech, it's recognised that the Gulf has more to offer the United States than has Israel. I'm not saying that Israel is a liability, but it is certainly no longer able to sell itself as a strategic asset to Trump in the way that was possible with previous US presidents and politically the force to be reckoned with, if you are an aspiring Republican politician, it is no longer AIPAC and the pro-Israel lobby. It is Trump and the Trump machinery. And that is a message I think that we'll be getting across the American political system. Samantha Donovan: President Trump's visit to the Middle East isn't over yet. What else are you watching out for? Bob Bowker: The next phase of this visit will be in Doha, where Trump is expected to make a statement on the future of the conflict in Gaza. And there is widespread expectation that Trump will insist that the conflict be ended immediately and that the entirety of the hostages held by Hamas be released. But the key to watch, I believe, in Doha tomorrow and the next few days is whether Trump is prepared to insist that aid flow immediately into Gaza from Egypt under the supervision and using the resources of the United Nations and the World Food Program. It is, I think, absolutely unacceptable to agree to what the Israelis are proposing, which is to control access to that food aid and deliver it through private military companies without a regard for the principles under which the United Nations has long operated its humanitarian relief. There's overwhelming evidence of starvation and the immediate need to release the aid that is currently waiting on the border with Egypt to reach starving people. Samantha Donovan: Professor Bob Bowker from the Australian National University's Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies. He's also a former Australian ambassador to Syria. To the trial in regional Victoria of accused triple murderer Erin Patterson now where mushroom experts have been giving evidence. Ms Patterson's mother and father-in-law and her husband's aunt died after eating a Beef Wellington lunch. She served them in 2023. Prosecutors allege it contained poisonous death cat mushrooms. Ms Patterson has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder and to another charge of attempted murder. For the latest, I spoke a little earlier to ABC reporter Sacha Payne, who's in Morwell for the trial. Sacha , the trial has been hearing evidence from mycologists, which I understand are mushroom experts. One has been from the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne. What has he told the court? Sacha Payne: Yes, well, we've heard a lot of detail in the last couple of days about mushrooms in particular. There's been a lot of discussion and questions in the trial till now about the health status of Erin Patterson, the relationship she's had with her family and her ex-husband, and also, of course, the health status of the guests at the lunch. But in the last couple of days, we've really drilled down into death cat mushrooms, identifying mushrooms and how difficult it is to actually identify mushrooms just from a photo. Now, yesterday we heard from a globally recognised mushroom expert, Dr Tom May. He told us yesterday that he had seen death cat mushrooms growing when he went on a walk in Outrim, which is in South Gippsland, not far from where Ms Patterson lives. He says that he took photos and he uploaded those photos to a website which is called the iNaturalist website. He was questioned again today in detail about mushrooms on that website. The court was shown dozens of different mushrooms. Some were death cats, some were not. And Dr May was asked about the difficulty in identifying a death cat mushroom just from a photo. And he says he admitted that there is a range of edible mushrooms that share physical similarities like colour with death cat mushrooms. And that there are many native species of mushrooms, including amanita, of which the death cap is one species of amanita. Samantha Donovan: And there was another mushroom expert giving evidence today. And I understand she talked about the actual Beef Wellington meal that Erin Patterson served to her guests. What was her evidence to the court? Sacha Payne: Well, yes, Dr Camille Truong, who also works at the Royal Botanic Gardens with Dr May. So she's another mycologist, a mushroom researcher who specialises very specifically in mushrooms. She said she received a call that a package had been dropped off for her at the Royal Botanic Gardens several days after the lunch. And when the guests were in hospital showing signs of mushroom poisoning and when Ms Patterson was also in hospital, she says that she examined the leftovers. The package was sent to her at her home. She says it contained large resealable bags with food inside. And that when she looked at them under a microscope, she looked for what kind of mushrooms were in there. She was asked by the prosecution, did you find any death cat mushroom pieces? And she said, no, she didn't. She says she then took the sample to the Royal Botanic Gardens the next day and again looked at it under a microscope and again was asked, did you find any signs of death cat mushrooms? And she says, no, she didn't. But all she found in the sample that she looked at were field mushrooms that are commonly found at supermarkets. Samantha Donovan: The ABC's Sacha Payne reporting from Morwell in Gippsland. This is PM. I'm Samantha Donovan. You can hear all our programs live or later on the ABC Listen app. Samantha Donovan: Proposed laws that would allow experienced nurses and midwives to prescribe abortion medication to terminate early stage pregnancies have passed the New South Wales lower house. The bill has prompted significant protests outside Parliament and politicians, the nurses union and academics are accusing those protesters of spreading misinformation. Myles Houlbrook-Walk reports. Tony Abbott: And by God bless our society from this shameful act of decline. Myles Houlbrook-Walk: Outside the New South Wales Parliament last week in Sydney, protesters gathered, among them Tony Abbott, some faith leaders and other activists voicing their concern about a bill that would allow experienced nurses and midwives to prescribe abortion medication. It's something that already happens in Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia and the ACT. Another high profile critic of the bill is Joanna Howe, a legal professor from the University of South Australia who's campaigned across the country to reduce access to abortion. Joanna Howe: On the one hand, I'm incredibly proud that we've been able to gut this bill of three out of four of its elements. But on the other hand, I am devastated that it is a bill that now will lead to a new class of health practitioner being involved in abortion. Myles Houlbrook-Walk: In its original form, the bill required medical professionals who object to providing abortion to refer the patient to another medical professional. Amendments have now removed that requirement. Dr. Howe has been accused of bullying by the New South Wales Premier and the opposition leader, a claim she rejects. She's also been criticised by Greens member of the Upper House, Dr. Amanda Cohn, a GP turned politician who introduced the original version of this bill. Amanda Cohn: A number of MPs in the debate called out the bullying and intimidating tactics that we've seen from some of the opponent to the bill. And that was really heartening and really unifying for people in the parliament. Myles Houlbrook-Walk: Dr. Anna Noonan is a research fellow at the University of Sydney School of Rural Health. She says the changes in this bill would improve access to safe abortion, especially for those living further from large cities. Anna Noonan: For people living outside metropolitan centres in New South Wales, options for abortion care locally are really scarce. The nursing workforce really do provide that frontline care to rural and remote communities. These are highly skilled and qualified people who are well positioned and well trained to provide medication abortion. Myles Houlbrook-Walk: Dr Prudence Flowers from Flinders University researches the social issues and history around abortion and family planning. She says across the country, there's a growing political movement seeking to reduce access to abortions. Anna Noonan: In South Australia, the bill that was introduced was attempting to restrict access to abortion after a certain point. And so it was a modification of the decriminalisation bill. In Queensland, there wasn't really actual legislation. It was this kind of debate. But so both of those were more explicitly attempts to change the law or erode the law. Myles Houlbrook-Walk: Dr Flowers has also studied closely the history of abortion rights in the US and says much of the opposition in Australia has been emboldened by a decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022 by the American Supreme Court, which significantly reduced access to abortion. Prudence Flowers: I think the reason there's this huge upsurge, so both there's the the example of the US has emboldened a lot of opponents of abortion. And they can see that it is possible to reverse legalised abortion. But you can also see decriminalisation itself as the trigger for this kind of wave of action. A lot of these people will be quite clear that they don't ever want to see abortion be viewed as normal. They want it to become unthinkable. Myles Houlbrook-Walk: But Dr Flowers says despite this American style attempt to influence Australian politics, the public and politicians by and large remain unperturbed. Prudence Flowers: Australia is a pro-choice country. For decades, we've had really high pro-choice majorities amongst the public in all kind of public opinion polling. We've kind of moved towards a completely decriminalised model. Samantha Donovan: That's Dr Prudence Flowers from Flinders University. The reporter, Myles Houlbrook-Walk. Combating crime has emerged as a key priority for voters around the country. Survey data released before the federal election showed crime had jumped from the ninth to the third top issue voters want addressed. And political analysts are expecting it'll also be an issue in coming state elections. Kimberley Price has more. Kimberley Price: Getting tough on crime is a rising priority for politicians across Australia. As state and territory governments deal with community frustration about crime. Political scientist Paul Williams from Griffith University says, particularly in post-COVID Australia, voters are putting pressure on their leaders. Paul Williams: There's no doubt that no matter where you live in Australia, which state or territory, city or regions or bush, youth crime is an issue. And I think that it's something that, you know, any state or territory government that doesn't address it is bound to be punished by the electorate. Kimberley Price: That pressure is leading to some big and often expensive commitments. The latest is Victoria. After passing its stricter bail laws, the government has earmarked $727 million to increase capacity in jails. That'll include a thousand new adult prison beds and 88 new beds in youth detention. Enver Erdogan is the Victorian Minister for Corrections. Enver Erdogan: We have made significant investments in the physical infrastructure across our corrections and youth justice system. This is about scaling up the system. Kimberley Price: This comes after elections in Queensland. The Northern Territory and Western Australia all saw campaigns fought with tough on crime policies. There's clear data showing that voters are increasingly looking for politicians that tackle crime. Research from Roy Morgan released during the federal election campaign showed crime was rated the third most significant issue of concern for voters behind cost of living and health. Julian McCrann is the head of the Roy Morgan poll. Julian McCrann: It really came up as one of the big increases for any of the issues that we measure, which was not expected. But when you think about what's been going on, particularly Queensland, Victoria, Northern Territory, you can understand why. Kimberley Price: In Victoria, a by-election for the state seat of Prahran in February highlighted this growing political reality. Julian McCrann: And that swung from the Greens to the Liberals. When you look at the conservative side of politics, they do tend to offer a tougher approach. And when crime is high or perceived to be high, at least it is effective. Kimberley Price: While governments are toughening up bail laws and promising to put more people behind bars, there are critics who argue that does little to fix the problem. David Murray from Jesuit Social Services believes the Victorian government is reacting to public pressure rather than proven methods. David Murray: You know, in Victoria, it's a small number. And the police have identified a small group of people who are committing very large numbers of repeat offences. But it's a very tiny number of people, relatively. So, yes, I think the government is, in a sense, captured by this volatile and sort of very dramatised media discussion. We have long advocated and continue to advocate for a stronger investment and commitment to addressing the drivers of criminal behaviour. Kimberley Price: Professor Williams believes it will be a major focus at upcoming elections. Paul Williams: Given that the sting seems to be coming out of the cost of living crisis, it's therefore likely that other issues are going to overtake cost of living. And the most likely candidate for a state like Victoria where there have been crime problems is youth justice. So I'm expecting, you know, youth crime to actually dominate the Victorian election. Samantha Donovan: That's Professor Paul Williams from Griffith Uni, Kimberley Price reporting. Thanks for joining me for PM. I'm Samantha Donovan. We'll be back at the same time tomorrow. Good night.
