Australia and Papua New Guinea lock in new defence treaty after delay
Tom McIlroy
Australia and Papua New Guinea have locked in a major new defence treaty, weeks after the deal was delayed due to domestic political concerns in PNG.
The cabinet of the PNG prime minister, James Marape, has signed off on the agreement and an announcement is imminent in Port Moresby.
The two countries will agree to defend each other in the event of a military attack, and increase cooperation between the Australian defence force and their PNG counterparts.
Designed to push back against China’s expansionist attitude to Pacific countries, the deal is the latest negotiated by the Albanese government with regional neighbours.
A similar agreement with Vanuatu was also delayed last month.
The treaty will allow PNG citizens to join the ADF, and for Australians to serve with PNG troops, promote interoperability between the two countries and integrate responses to a military attack.
Joint military training and defence exercises are planned, as well as new cooperation on cybersecurity preparedness.
The agreement was due to be signed when Anthony Albanese was in PNG for the 50th anniversary of independence from Australia in September.
Key events
Assistant treasurer ‘confident’ clash with states over hospital funding can be resolved
The assistant treasurer, Daniel Mulino, says he’s “confident” the commonwealth, states and territories can resolve their dispute over hospital funding, even though the end-of-year deadline for a new deal is rapidly approaching.
States and territory leaders have rejected the federal government’s latest health funding offer, saying it will shortchange them by tens of billions of dollars and won’t go far enough to cover the costs associated with running public hospitals.
Earlier today, the New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, told reporters the latest offer from the commonwealth was lower than the amount that had been agreed upon at their last national cabinet meeting and that a new deal was “a long way off”.
But Mulino, speaking on the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing program, downplayed any concerns the federal government might have that a new agreement not being finalised before the end of the year.
Mulino didn’t answer directly when asked if the government was able to meet the deadline, instead saying:
I don’t want to comment on the details of the negotiations the Minister for Health is engaged in, with his counterparts and other ministers.
But what I would say is that the Commonwealth government has always stated it’s more than open to good faith discussions on these complex issues.
These kinds of discussions are always complicated. But, look, I’m confident we’re going to land on good outcomes.
He pointed out that the health funding negotiations also involved the NDIS and aged care, which involve multiple levels of government.
Benita Kolovos
Fourth Victorian Labor MP announces they will bow out of parliament at next year’s state election
A fourth Labor MP has announced they are not going to re-contest the 2026 Victorian state election.
Jordan Crugnale, the member for Bass, made the announcement on social media and it was followed by a statement by the premier, Jacinta Allan.
Crugnale did not provide a reason for the decision but said representing the community had been a privilege and the experience had shaped her profoundly. She went on:
Representing our wonderful, growing and proud community has been a journey imbued with highs and lows, fierce advocacy and hard-won outcomes, treasured friendships and beautiful connections. I love what I do and what I will continue to do.
Crugnale won the seat at the 2018 election and held on in 2022 by just 202 votes after it underwent a significant redistribution that turned it marginally Liberal.
It comes after Pakenhan MP Emma Vulin, Bayswater MP Jackson Taylor and Melton MP Steve McGhie all announced they won’t run again in 2026. Victorian Labor opens preselection for held lower house seats on Friday.
Catie McLeod
Hi, I hope you’ve been enjoying reading today’s blog so far. I’ll be with you until this evening.
Nick Visser
That’s all for me! Catie McLeod will take you through the rest of Thursday’s news. Take care.
CommBank restores services after outage
Commonwealth Bank says it has fixed the issues today affecting multiple services, including payments, online access and ATMs. Those services are now working.
The bank said at 2.30pm:
We apologise for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience.
Virginia Harrison
Vanuatu open to signing deal with Australia but will not be subject to ‘bullying’ from larger countries
Vanuatu remains open to signing a wide-ranging deal with Australia but must assert its sovereignty and will not be subject to pressure or “bullying” from larger countries, the country’s internal affairs minister, Andrew Napuat, said.
Australia failed to seal the $500m Nakamal agreement in Port Vila last month amid concerns from Vanuatu that it would block other countries providing infrastructure funding. Weeks later, Vanuatu said it planned to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to deepen policing cooperation with China.
While Napuat said the two deals were separate, the stalled Nakamal pact and Australia’s recent failure to sign a defence treaty with Papua New Guinea have dealt a blow to Canberra’s efforts to push back on Beijing’s influence in the Pacific.
Read more here:
Police scouring national park with more resources in ongoing search for Desmond Freeman
Victoria police have been conducting a search of Mount Buffalo national park near Porepunkah for the past two days in the ongoing manhunt for Desmond Freeman.
Officials said the search involves nearly 100 additional officers from the public order response team and specialist search dogs from Queensland police. Police said in a statement:
Victoria Police, including its tactical police, continue to maintain a significant presence in the Porepunkah area.
We are committed to using every available resource and the necessary skills required to find Freeman.
A reward of up to $1m remains for any information leading to Freeman’s arrest. Police warned anyone who sees him to not approach, but to phone triple-zero immediately.
Andrew Messenger
Brisbane’s Story Bridge to reopen to cyclists and pedestrians
After nearly seven months, pedestrians and cyclists will again be allowed to travel over Brisbane’s Story Bridge.
Brisbane city council mayor, Adrian Schrinner, announced the council has finished installing about 300 metres of replacement footpath for crumbling depression-era concrete on the western bridge walkway. Installation of decking on the eastern path has now begun.
Schrinner refused to dedicate one of the six car lanes to pedestrians and cyclists on the basis that most people drive.
Kathryn Good, organiser of Story Bridge Active Travel Alliance, said the reopening was a bittersweet milestone:
Council talks about ‘keeping Brisbane moving’, but their treatment of active transport is stuck in reverse. If you’re not in a car, their policies make it clear: you’re not going anywhere fast.
Tom McIlroy
Australian government welcomes new defence pact
The federal government has welcomed a new defence treaty with Papua New Guinea, set to be signed in coming weeks.
PNG’s prime minister, James Marape, confirmed on Thursday the deal was set to be signed, after it was delayed last month by political considerations in PNG.
A government spokesperson says the treaty is a done deal:
Last month, prime minister Albanese and prime minister Marape signed a joint communique for a Papua New Guinea-Australia Mutual Defence Treaty.
As the leaders said at the time, that Treaty would be signed following Cabinet processes in both countries.
This Treaty will elevate our relationship with PNG to an Alliance – the first in over 70 years and only our third overall.
It puts our relationship with PNG on the same level as we have with the United States and New Zealand and builds on the already strong bonds between our defence forces, our economies and our people.
An update on the CommBank outage
Commonwealth Bank said services including payments, online access and ATMs were affected by the outage.
Access is currently being restored.
Footage shows vessel in flotilla bound for Gaza being intercepted by IDF soldiers – video
Footage captured by a British journalist travelling with the flotilla headed for Gaza captured the moment activists say the Adara vessel was intercepted by IDF soldiers.
The pro-Palestinian Global Sumud Flotilla consists of more than 40 civilian boats and is attempting to breach the maritime blockade of Gaza and bring humanitarian aid to the war-torn territory.
Flotilla says boat Australian travelling on intercepted and boarded
Krishani Dhanji
The Global Sumud Flotilla says Australian Abubakir Rafiq has been “abducted” after the boat he was on – Spectre – was intercepted and boarded.
Guardian Australia hasn’t separately verified Rafiq being taken, and has contacted Dfat.
Rafiq is one of six Australians who joined the flotilla of more than 40 boats. The latest information we have is that there are about 30 boats that are still on course heading towards Gaza to open up a humanitarian corridor and provide humanitarian aid.
Yesterday Guardian Australia spoke to two other Australians on board – Juliet Lamont and Surya McEwen.
McEwen, who has been on multiple flotillas, said his resolve has been “magnified” as the situation continues to worsen:
The opportunity to bring food to starving children and to bring medicine to people who aren’t being allowed to have medicine is like part of the duty of the human spirit. [It’s] the test of our generation. In decades to come, it’ll be the question like, What did you do during this moment? Or what would you have done?
We represent billions of people across the world, and there’s people on the ground who are doing the same work … we will create peace and justice and equality, finally, for people in Palestine.
Follow the latest developments live:
Some Commonwealth Bank services down
CommBank is reporting some of its services are currently unavailable, with some users reporting difficulties accessing the bank’s app.
The bank said in a statement at 12pm:
We’re urgently working to fix this. We’ll continue to provide updates here. We apologise and appreciate your patience.
Benita Kolovos
Victoria premier says reported review of Suburban Rail Loop ‘commonplace’
Victoria premier Jacinta Allan was asked earlier about a report in the Age, which revealed a major contract for the Suburban Rail Loop is being reviewed by the Foreign Investment Review Board. Allan says it’s “commonplace” and forms part of the tender process.
[FIRB reviews] – they’ve been part of … projects here … for projects like Sydney Metro as well so this is a fairly standard part of the contract and the procurement processes that companies who are engaging on projects in Australia participate in. But let’s also remember that it’s a fantastic thing that we have global companies.
Allan says it’s had no impact on the timeline on the SRL.
Australia and Papua New Guinea lock in new defence treaty after delay
Tom McIlroy
Australia and Papua New Guinea have locked in a major new defence treaty, weeks after the deal was delayed due to domestic political concerns in PNG.
The cabinet of the PNG prime minister, James Marape, has signed off on the agreement and an announcement is imminent in Port Moresby.
The two countries will agree to defend each other in the event of a military attack, and increase cooperation between the Australian defence force and their PNG counterparts.
Designed to push back against China’s expansionist attitude to Pacific countries, the deal is the latest negotiated by the Albanese government with regional neighbours.
A similar agreement with Vanuatu was also delayed last month.
The treaty will allow PNG citizens to join the ADF, and for Australians to serve with PNG troops, promote interoperability between the two countries and integrate responses to a military attack.
Joint military training and defence exercises are planned, as well as new cooperation on cybersecurity preparedness.
The agreement was due to be signed when Anthony Albanese was in PNG for the 50th anniversary of independence from Australia in September.
Natasha May
‘People will be turned away from emergency departments’: Minns
Minns said a deal between the states and commonwealth on hospital funding was a “long way off” and in the meantime could result in people being turned away from emergency departments:
Ultimately, the way this will be managed is that people will be turned away from emergency departments. There’s only so many doctors and nurses. There’s only so many paramedics that we can employ in our public hospital system, particularly if it’s going to be starved of funds in the years ahead.
The feds have got deeper pockets. We appreciate they’re under pressure with the NDIS, but we need help to run some of the biggest public hospitals in the country, if not the world.
Natasha May
Commonwealth not stepping up to aged care responsibilities – contributing to hospital bed block, Minns says
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, says the net reduction in the money the commonwealth is contributing to state hospitals is responsible for the bed for bed block in NSW.
At a press conference this morning, Minns said “the offer that we’ve gotten from the commonwealth is lower than the agreed amount from our last national cabinet meeting. So we’re going backwards. We’re not going forwards.”
Minns explained the commonwealth has the responsibility for aged care which he said is the major source of bed block in hospitals:
We’ve got hundreds of patients in New South Wales public hospitals that would ordinarily be discharged, except they’ve got nowhere to go. They’re all aged, and they need a place to go.
Now the commonwealth’s responsibility is aged care in New South Wales and Australia across every jurisdiction, and they can’t have it both ways. We can’t have hundreds of patients who are in New South Wales public hospitals that should be discharged and at the same time, see a net reduction in the amount of money that the commonwealth is prepared to give the states.
Two bushwalkers rescued from Cradle Mountain national park less than a week after a tourist died
Two bushwalkers with mild hypothermia are being rescued from rugged wilderness, less than a week after a tourist died in the same area, AAP reports.
The pair activated an emergency beacon at 7.15pm on Wednesday in Tasmania’s Cradle Mountain national park, but an attempt to reach them by helicopter was called off in bad weather.
An on-foot search and rescue group reached the bushwalkers and were expected to walk with them to safety on Thursday morning.
They were given treatment for mild hypothermia.
Temperatures in the national park reached zero degrees on Thursday morning – snow has fallen in the area in the past week.
It comes less than a week after a female Chinese tourist died in the national park after being “overcome” by weather conditions while walking with a group.
