Lidia Thorpe says ‘burn down parliament’ comment was a metaphor
Josh Butler
Independent senator Lidia Thorpe downplayed what she called “mock outrage” over her remarks at a rally yesterday, saying her words about burning down parliament house were “clearly a figure of speech”.
Thorpe, the Victorian federal politician, told a pro-Palestine rally on Sunday: “We stand with you every day, and we will fight every day, and we will turn up every day, and if I have to burn down parliament house to make a point … I am not there to make friends.”
Those remarks were strongly condemned by conservative politicians in the Coalition and One Nation. Liberal senator Maria Kovacic told Sky News that Thorpe “should consider whether she is right to be sitting in our parliament”.
In a statement this morning, Thorpe shrugged off the criticism, saying: “My rally remarks were clearly a figure of speech – a metaphor for the pain in our communities and the urgent need to end genocide in Palestine and everywhere.”
They were obviously not a literal threat. This mock outrage is ridiculous. While people are dying and starving in Gaza, politicians and media are once again clutching their pearls and chasing a scandal instead of focusing on what really matters. This is just another political game designed to distract from the real issues.
I have always rejected violence. Any suggestion otherwise misrepresents my longstanding commitment to pursuing justice and self-determination for First Peoples and all oppressed peoples through peaceful, democratic means.
Key events
Josh Taylor
Google won’t say whether legal challenge to under-16s ban still planned
Guardian Australia reported earlier this month the legal threat Google had made to the government over YouTube being included in the under-16s social media ban.
Liberal senator Sarah Henderson sought to clarify with Google and YouTube’s senior manager of government affairs and public policy in Australia and NZ, Rachel Lord, whether a legal challenge was still planned, but Lord would not answer directly.
She said:
To be clear, at this point in time, we are continuing to speak and engage constructively with the eSafety commissioner and the government on this issue.
Henderson said the inclusion of YouTube in the ban was a “betrayal” of young people, given the platform had previously been given an exemption, and something she said the Coalition – which campaigned for the broader under-16s social media ban – was receiving a lot of complaints about.
Lord said Google maintains the view it should be exempt.
Asked whether Google was lobbying the US government on the matter ahead of Anthony Albanese’s visit next week, Lord said the company had alerted Google colleagues in the US about a “range of issues” being dealt with in Australia, but could not say if the US government was lobbied on those issues.
Lidia Thorpe says ‘burn down parliament’ comment was a metaphor
Josh Butler
Independent senator Lidia Thorpe downplayed what she called “mock outrage” over her remarks at a rally yesterday, saying her words about burning down parliament house were “clearly a figure of speech”.
Thorpe, the Victorian federal politician, told a pro-Palestine rally on Sunday: “We stand with you every day, and we will fight every day, and we will turn up every day, and if I have to burn down parliament house to make a point … I am not there to make friends.”
Those remarks were strongly condemned by conservative politicians in the Coalition and One Nation. Liberal senator Maria Kovacic told Sky News that Thorpe “should consider whether she is right to be sitting in our parliament”.
In a statement this morning, Thorpe shrugged off the criticism, saying: “My rally remarks were clearly a figure of speech – a metaphor for the pain in our communities and the urgent need to end genocide in Palestine and everywhere.”
They were obviously not a literal threat. This mock outrage is ridiculous. While people are dying and starving in Gaza, politicians and media are once again clutching their pearls and chasing a scandal instead of focusing on what really matters. This is just another political game designed to distract from the real issues.
I have always rejected violence. Any suggestion otherwise misrepresents my longstanding commitment to pursuing justice and self-determination for First Peoples and all oppressed peoples through peaceful, democratic means.
Critics say Labor government has failed to raise payments and help alleviate poverty
Kristin O’Connell, a spokesperson for the Antipoverty Centre and a disability support pension recipient, said federal Labor’s failure to raise payments had made things more difficult for those with low incomes.
She said in a statement the group had regularly heard from people who say “life has gotten harder since the Albanese Government came to power”:
Centrelink payments are still hundreds of dollars a week below the poverty line. It’s no wonder poverty is rising. People can’t keep up when the basics are unaffordable and support has been frozen in real terms. …
There’s no such thing as a responsible budget that keeps people in poverty. If you’re proud of balancing the books while people go hungry, you’ve lost sight of what good government means.
Read more here:
One in seven Australians living in poverty, report says
About one in seven Australians were living in poverty in 2022-23, according to a new report by the Australian Council of Social Services (Acoss) and the University of NSW released for the start of anti-poverty week.
AAP reports the study found 3.7 million people, or 14.2% of the population, were living in poverty in that period, equating to one in seven Australians. That includes 757,000 (or one in six) children. The report shows poverty has increased since the Covid-19 pandemic, when the jobseeker rate was temporarily doubled.
Cassandra Goldie, the CEO of Acoss, said:
While the Albanese government has taken some steps to reduce poverty, such as supporting minimum wage increases and small income support increases, it must do so much more to turn this trend around.
The government must fix woefully inadequate income support payments, set targets and boost social housing and commit to full employment. It should also adopt time-linked targets for poverty reduction to hold us all to account.
Sydney rolls out upgraded trains on Blue Mountains Line
The first upgraded Mariyung train rolled along Sydney’s Blue Mountains line this morning after years of delays and more than $1bn in cost overruns. The first carriages left Central station at 6.24am after the government had to wide tunnels and expand train platforms to accommodate the new trains.
The trains will gradually replace the V-Sets that have run along the line since the 1970s, which officials said have become a “magnet” for vandals and graffiti. The Mariyung carriages offer two-by-two seating, a quieter, air-conditioned ride, charging ports and digital information screens on board.
Jenny Aitchison, the minister for regional transport, said in a statement:
From Lithgow to Sydney, the Blue Mountains Line is a vital link for thousands of regional commuters. The new Mariyung trains will make those journeys safer, smoother and more enjoyable – connecting people to jobs, education and essential services.
This rollout is about more than new trains, it’s about investing in regional infrastructure, creating local jobs, and ensuring our transport system meets the needs of communities outside the city.
The Mariyung fleet has already been operating on the Central Coast and Newcastle lines since December last year, and will be rolled out on the South Coast line in 2026.
The Blue Mountains line has seen decreases in punctuality in recent years. Data from Transport NSW shows the trains are running on time less than 70% of the time.
Under-16s social media ban will be ‘extremely difficult to enforce’, Google says
Josh Taylor
Google has told the Australian parliament that the under-16s social media ban will be “extremely difficult to enforce” and will not fulfil the intention of keeping kids safer online.
At a senate committee hearing this morning on the raft of age verification measures being implemented on the internet in Australia, Google and YouTube’s senior manager of government affairs and public policy in Australia and NZ, Rachel Lord, said the under-16s ban, which is expected to include YouTube, will have “unintended consequences”.
She said:
The legislation will not only be extremely difficult to enforce, it also does not fulfil its promise of making kids safer online.
YouTube has invested heavily in designing age appropriate products and industry leading content controls and tools that allow parents to make choices for their families, forcing kids to use YouTube without an account removes the very parental controls and safety filters built to protect them across sport, music, creative learning and classrooms.
She said the ban, due to come into effect on 10 December, would impact safer access to YouTube’s services, and she repeated Google’s claim that YouTube is not social media but “a video streaming platform that Australians use as a content library and a learning resource.”
She said features such as no autoplay, break reminders, and turning off personalised advertising would not be available to teens accessing YouTube in a logged out state once the ban on under-16s holding an account is in effect.
Read more on what YouTube and other social media platforms look like when logged out:
NSW to begin $200m pothole blitz across greater Sydney
The NSW government said this morning it will fast-track $200m in spending to fix potholes and maintain roads across the Sydney region.
Officials said more than 5,100 potholes have already been repaired on Sydney’s roads in August and September alone. That’s nearly half of the 10,879 that were fixed in all of 2024.
Potholes will be prioritised in areas by traffic volume, location and severity and the road’s importance to freight, bus services and emergency access.
The premier, Chris Minns, said in a statement:
We know how frustrating it is for drivers to deal with damaged roads and potholes, especially after one of Sydney’s wettest winters on record. This $200 million blitz will help make sure our roads are safer and more reliable, while supporting the crews who are already working hard every day to keep Sydney moving.
A report in May from the NRMA estimated there was a road repair backlog in NSW of about $3.4bn in 2023-4, with the worst problems in regional areas, though the backlog for metropolitan councils was also rising.
Andrew Messenger
Child injured in Queensland shark attack remains in hospital
A 14-year-old boy injured in a shark attack off Thursday Island in far north Queensland remains in hospital.
The boy was attacked by a shark before 6.23pm on Saturday at Cook Esplanade. He reportedly suffered significant abdominal injuries as a result of a shark attack.
He was taken to the Thursday Island hospital before being airlifted to Townsville university hospital with reported life-threatening injuries.
A spokesperson for Townsville hospital said the boy was in a critical but stable condition on Monday morning.
Jewish community holds vigil, hopeful Gaza ceasefire will hold
Jewish Australians are hopeful that Israel’s two-year war in Gaza is coming an end as a ceasefire holds for another day ahead of the expected release of Israeli hostages, AAP reports.
Many gathered on Sunday in a vigil organised by Jewish groups in Sydney attended by thousands of people. The Israeli ambassador to Australia, Amir Maimon, said had he emphasised to the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, that Hamas must have no role in Gaza’s future governance. Maimon said:
We will not forget October 7, nor its victims, including members of my own family. We collectively hold our breath, cautiously optimistic that tomorrow our prayers will be answered and our brothers and sisters will be returned home to their families.
Jordyn Beazley
Public service employees now able to seek orders and receive damages over workplace bullying and harassment
Reforms for New South Wales workers come into effect today, with public service employees now able to seek orders and damages from the industrial tribunal to stop workplace bullying and sexual harassment.
The damages can go up to $100,000 and can also include ordering an employer to take specified actions to stop the conduct, and requiring a public apology be made to the harassed worker.
From today, gender equality will also be included in the Industrial Relations Act, alongside improved wage theft laws and new powers for the Industrial Relations Commission of NSW to resolve workplace disputes.
NSW minister for industrial relations, Sophie Cotsis, said:
This major reform focuses on gender equality as well as the elimination of workplace bullying and sexual harassment which are new key objectives of the IR Act.
Achieving gender equity across workplaces is now a significant component of the NSW IR system. This is part of the Government’s commitment to pursuing gender equity in NSW.
NSW SES gets more than 200 calls after extreme wind across Sydney region
NSW SES received more than 230 calls across the Sydney region yesterday amid extreme wind that felled some trees and dropped branches on to properties and roads.
Sydney Airport saw wind speeds up to 72kmh, with some gusts up to 102kmh in the afternoon.
The agency said the busiest areas for emergency crews were Bayside, Parramatta and Bankstown.
Burke urges ‘turning temperature down’ after Lidia Thorpe comments at Melbourne pro-Palestine rally
Tony Burke responded this morning to senator Lidia Thorpe’s remarks yesterday at a pro-Palestine rally, saying he did not want to inflame the debate.
Thorpe had told the rally:
We stand with you every day, and we will fight every day, and we will turn up every day, and if I have to burn down Parliament House to make a point … I am not there to make friends.
Burke, the minister for home affairs, said Thorpe’s remarks were “of course” unacceptable, adding he believes lawmakers should be working to turn down the temperature now that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the terms of a ceasefire deal.
Burke told RN:
The concept of wanting to inflame, push the temperature up, is not what anyone should be doing, least of all a member of parliament. I’m not going to respond to that by increasing the heat in the opposite direction.
I really think it’s a time for just turning the temperature down because there are two things, and we’ve got a chance of getting both. There are two things that Australians have been wanting. They’ve been wanting the killing to end, and they’ve been wanting to make sure that the conflict’s not brought here. We might be looking right now at the chance for the killing to end. So, let’s also try to calm things down here.
Burke added the world had finally reached a point with the war in Gaza where “despair is turning to hope”.
There’s been many false starts, but I can’t remember a time where there has been a greater level of hope than there is right now.
Sarah Basford Canales
Minister to meet with big tech companies this week ahead of under-16 social media ban
The communications minister, Anika Wells, will meet with social media companies, including Meta, Snapchat, YouTube and TikTok, today as the clock winds down on implementing a social media ban for under-16s.
The eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, will join the minister for the meetings set to re-enforce expectations that big tech companies must work proactively with the government to enforce the laws when they come into effect from 10 December.
A meeting with Elon Musk’s X, which has been critical of the changes, is scheduled for next month.
Wells said:
In two months our world-leading social media minimum age laws will give children a reprieve from the persuasive pull of platforms and those platforms must work closely with eSafety to ensure their systems comply with the law.
There’s a place for social media, but there’s not a place for predatory algorithms damaging children.
Read more here:
Tony Burke says government will use ‘all the laws available’ to deal with Qantas data breach
Tony Burke, the minister for cybersecurity, said government authorities will use “all the laws available to them” to deal with the Qantas data breach, saying the airline has a responsibility to protect customer data.
Burke spoke to RN Breakfast this morning, saying:
There was some conversation around the fact that it was an outsourced company where the breach had occurred – that doesn’t get you off the hook on your obligations. You can outsource parts of your business, but you don’t outsource the law. So the obligations that are there in Qantas, and they know this, to make sure that they provide cybersecurity.
Burke had a simple message for any Qantas customer affected by the breach, as well as Australians he said are sure to receive more sophisticated scam calls and emails as time goes on:
If you’re getting a call you’re not expecting, hang up, call back through the official line. These sorts of styles of attack will increase. We’re used to cyber being something that’s done at the technical level, but with the improvements in artificial intelligence, increasingly, you’ll hear a friendly voice, sometimes a familiar voice, on the other end of the phone. And when it’s a call you’re not expecting, hang up, call back.
He would not say if Qantas should compensate customers, saying he was focused on the “offence” part of the breach.
Qantas warns against scam claims after millions of customers subject to latest data leak
Millions of Australians have been cautioned not to fall for bogus Qantas compensation claims after having their personal information leaked online, AAP reports.
The flying kangaroo was one of six global companies to have their data released at the weekend after hackers from Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters made good on a ransom threat.
The leak stemmed from up to 5.7 million Qantas customers having their data compromised in one of its offshore call centres that used Salesforce software. Details included full names, email addresses and frequent flyer details, as well as business and home addresses, dates of birth, phone numbers, gender and, in fewer cases, meal preferences.
Qantas has offered a support line and specialist identity protection advice to affected customers.
The airline also obtained an injunction from the NSW supreme court to prevent the stolen data being accessed, viewed, released, used, transmitted or published by anyone.
Good morning
Hello there, and welcome to Monday. It’s Nick Visser here to get you up to speed with the morning’s news. Here’s what’s on deck:
Qantas is warning millions of Australians to be on guard against fake compensation claims after their personal data was leaked online this weekend. Data shared on the dark web includes full names, emails and frequent flyer details, as well as personal information like birthdays and phone numbers.
The communications minister, Anika Wells, will meet with social media companies today alongside the eSafety commissioner before the country’s landmark social media ban for under-16s goes into effect in December.
The NSW government will spend $200m to repair potholes and maintain roads across Sydney, which will come as welcome relief to drivers after one of the wettest winters on record. The state repaired nearly 10,900 potholes last year, and has already tackled more than 5,100 in August and September alone.
Stick with us.
