Latest news with #Taipans
Perth Now
4 days ago
- Politics
- Perth Now
Federal parliament's newbies are steppin' out
Politics makes strange bedfellows and the 48th parliament is full of them. After the May election, Canberra will welcome about 40 new politicians including one of its tallest-ever MPs, a former pirate negotiator and a few familiar faces. At more than two metres in height, Matt Smith is a stand-out among Labor's coterie. The former basketball player wrenched the far north Queensland seat of Leichhardt from the coalition for the first time in almost two decades after years spent forging ties with the community during his time with the Cairns Taipans. Mr Smith held the team's record for blocked shots when the Taipans went into administration in 2008. The news broke the players, he says, but locals' efforts to save the team transformed his perception of community. "At the height of the global financial crisis, people dipped into their own pockets to keep the team afloat," he tells AAP. He could have returned to his Victorian roots after retiring from basketball in 2018 but Mr Smith says he now belongs to Cairns. "The Taipans, as we know them now, are a community-funded team because of the never-say-die attitude, because of the passion from far north Queensland," he says. "There is an obligation to give back to everyone who's given so much and this is the best way that I can help and improve the community that I love and that has been so good to me over the last 20 years." The Queensland MP isn't the only new politician with outsized life experience. NSW One Nation senator Warwick Stacey dropped out of high school and headed to southern France where he worked as a handyman and English teacher before joining the British army. He eventually settled into a job as a kidnap and response consultant, advising clients on ways to navigate kidnappings, and even planning and implementing a ransom delivery to Somali pirates. Senator Stacey hopes his past can differentiate him from other politicians, who comparatively have "very little life experience". "(They've) gone from university into the union or into a parliamentarian's office as a staffer and then they put their hand up for a seat," he says. "I'd like to bring my experience." But a few newcomers can lean on their extensive political experience to offer specific insights into their communities. MP for Lyons Rebecca White has already spent 15 years serving voters in Tasmania's parliament and even led the state's Labor opposition for about half her tenure. "I've had a pretty long apprenticeship," she tells AAP. Her federal electorate has the exact same boundaries as her former state seat. But entering parliament as part of Labor's significant lower house majority offers new opportunities. "I've had the privilege of being able to represent my community for a long time in the state parliament but a really large part of that was in opposition, which has been frustrating at times," she says. "There are things we could have done if we were elected to government in Tasmania and we weren't able to progress. "I'm really excited about the opportunity to make change." Goldstein MP Tim Wilson is also no stranger to politics and will return to parliament as the only Liberal to win back their seat from a 'teal' independent at the 2025 election. The contest in the inner-Melbourne seat was so close it took almost a month, and a partial recount, before Mr Wilson was officially declared the victor over independent Zoe Daniel. But the Liberal Party's broader defeat cast a shadow over his win. "I always privately had this fear that I would be the only one who would defeat a teal but I never voiced that publicly," he says. "I had never imagined a scenario where I would be the only one to win a seat, the only liberal in a capital city and one of two in metropolitan Australia. "So despite the excitement, I think that actually hit me with a sense of responsibility." Still, he's not the only newcomer to defeat a well-known politician. Experienced foster carer Sarah Witty beat former Greens leader Adam Bandt and took the seat of Melbourne back to Labor for the first time in 15 years. It was one of the biggest upsets of the 2025 election and while she never expected to win, from her first day on the campaign, the appetite for change was clear. "I knew there was definitely a swing away, I just wasn't sure how far we would go," she says. Parliament will resume on July 22.
Perth Now
08-05-2025
- Perth Now
Overwork complaint unheard before fatal chopper crash
A pilot's complaint that work burdens would "ultimately kill me" went unheard by army aviation's commander before a helicopter crash killed him and three others, an inquiry has been told. The Australian Defence Force inquiry into the July 2023 crash continues in Brisbane before former judge Margaret McMurdo. The crew from the 6th Aviation Regiment was flying in a night training run during the ADF's annual Exercise Talisman Sabre alongside US forces. Captain Danniel Lyon, Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Class 2 Joseph "Phillip" Laycock and Corporal Alexander Naggs died when their MRH-90 Taipan crashed into waters off Queensland's Whitsunday Islands. The inquiry has heard the crew was probably suffering from "hazardous fatigue", with an aviation medicine expert saying it was "highly likely" that contributed to the crash. Under questioning on Thursday, Major General Stephen Jobson, the former commanding officer of Army Aviation Command, agreed that significant workload was a driver of fatigue. "Solving that fatigue metric in the workplace ... it's a never-ending commitment from command to respond, to mitigate, to prevent, act in regard to fatigue." Counsel assisting, Colonel Jens Streit, quoted a previous army aviation witness telling the inquiry that Capt Lyon during a training course had complained about heavy administrative burdens compromising his ability to be a pilot. The witness gave evidence Capt Lyon said words to the effect he "no longer had time to remain proficient and confident within the cockpit" and didn't feel empowered to "prioritise my primary role that could ultimately kill me". Ms McMurdo said "the remarkable thing" about the complaint was that administrative burdens were affecting officers' ability to be safe pilots and that it could lead to accidents and fatalities. When asked if Capt Lyon's complaint had been reported to him, Maj Gen Jobson said: "They're quite distinctive final words. I would recall if that was advised to me." Asked about the Talisman Sabre exercise in 2023, he said he was satisfied important risk controls were in place for the mission. Maj Gen Jobson told the inquiry on Wednesday the Taipans were underperforming and posed an "elevated risk" to personnel. The inquiry has heard Army Aviation was working on the "rapid replacement" of the Taipan with new US-made Black Hawk helicopters when the 2023 crash happened. Public hearings of the inquiry will close on Friday with statements from the families of those who died in the crash.
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Australian guard Armstrong inks NBA deal with Warriors
Promising guard Taran Armstrong has joined a growing band of Australians in NBA ranks after signing a two-way deal with seven-time champions the Golden State Warriors. The deal - which could see Armstrong line up alongside superstar Steph Curry - comes on the back of the 23-year-old's outstanding second NBL season with the Cairns Taipans. Armstrong averaged 17.1 points, 4.7 assists and 4.6 steals in 19 games for the last-placed Taipans, and scored 20 or more points on eight occasions. NEVER IN DOUBT! After two seasons in Cairns, Taipans point guard Taran Armstrong is headed to the @nba with a two-way @warriors contract!Congratulations @taranarmstrong1 🧡[via @ShamsCharania, ESPN] — Cairns Taipans (@CairnsTaipans) February 23, 2025 This month, Armstrong turned NBA scouts' heads when he posted the first triple-double of his NBL career - 28 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds - in the Taipans' win over Brisbane. Taipans coach Adam Forde predicted the dominant performance was a sign of things to come. "This is just an example of what he's capable of doing and the evolution of his game from last year to this year," Forde said post-game. "Imagine what that's going to look like five years from now, wherever he is in the world, just capitalising on his talent that he's had to work really hard for." Armstrong's two-way deal means he can spend time with both Golden State and their G-League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors. His agent Daniel Moldovan said the Steve Kerr-coached Warriors are a perfect fit for Armstrong's development. "Taran's stellar season saw him receive interest from multiple NBA teams towards the end of the NBL season," Moldovan told NBL Media. "Golden State is the perfect program for him to develop from within. He has a very bright future." Armstrong, who grew up in Burnie and attended Basketball Australia's Centre of Excellence as a teenager, is the first Tasmanian to earn an NBA deal.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Black Hawk helicopters to join Australian defence fleet
A dozen Black Hawk helicopters will be rolled out by the Australian Defence Force to be used as part of emergency and counter-terrorism operations. Following testing and training, 12 UH-M60M Black Hawks have joined the defence force's fleets, with a further seven to be added by the end off the year. The Black Hawks, which were fast-tracked from the United States, were brought in to replace the problem-ridden MRH-90 Taipan helicopters. The Taipans were pulled from service more than a year early in 2023 following a crash off the Queensland coast which killed four people on board during military drills. Defence Minister Richard Marles said the acquisition of the Black Hawks and testing was one of the fastest in history of the Australian Defence Force. "These helicopters will contribute to the security of our nation and help keep Australians safe," he said. "This capability is yet another indication of the strength of our alliance with the United States and their support for increasing our capability and delivering an integrated, focused force." The Black Hawks will operate out of bases in Oakey in Queensland and Holsworthy in NSW. As part of its role, the helicopters will be involved in domestic emergencies as well as providing support to overseas allies in the Indo-Pacific. It is also expected the Black Hawks will be able to support counter-terrorism operations in Australia. Defence Industry Ministry Pat Conroy said the helicopters would be a critical asset to the ADF. "The acquisition of these Black Hawks is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our teams across defence and industry who have worked tirelessly to bring this capability into service," he said. There will be 40 Black Hawks in the Australian fleet by 2030.
