From 2h ago ABC reiterates call for One Nation to remove Bluey cartoon Amanda Meade The ABC has doubled down on its call in Senate estimates for depictions of Bluey to be removed from a One Nation cartoon in which the beloved character repeatedly runs over politicians with an SUV. The broadcaster’s managing director, Hugh Marks, said on Tuesday that he became aware of One Nation’s potential breach of intellectual property rights last week and sought legal advice. An ABC spokesperson said on Wednesday. double quotation mark As the managing director stated during Senate estimates, the ABC does not own the intellectual property for Bluey.
The ABC is considering available options. In the meantime, the ABC considers the relevant cartoons should be immediately removed from One Nation’s platforms and no further use should occur. Bluey’s international distributor, BBC Studios, and the Brisbane-based creators Ludo have been in discussions with the ABC about the issue.
Earlier today, the communications minister, Anika Wells, said the ABC is “well within its rights to be concerned” about One Nation’s use of Bluey, “one of Australia’s biggest, most loved, most well-known exports”. Key events 35m ago Marrickville golf club grant continues to haunt Labor 48m ago Question time ejection counter: one 1h ago Taylor attacks Labor’s ‘out-of-control spending’ after inflation numbers revealed 1h ago Question time begins 2h ago Labor is Greens’ main target, not One Nation, Shoebridge says 2h ago ABC reiterates call for One Nation to remove Bluey cartoon 3h ago Australia not heading towards recession, RBA chief economist says 4h ago Inflation acceleration sharpens expectations for interest rate rise 7h ago Australia Post chief paid ‘mind-blowing’ $1.2m bonus 8h ago Australia pays biggest bill for global diesel crisis 8h ago eSafety commissioner and family subjected to ‘onslaught of online abuse and threats’ 8h ago Shoebridge to pitch increased welfare spending, hike in tax-free threshold 8h ago Inflation expected to rise to 4.2% Nationals MP Darren Chester kicked out of question time Nationals MP Darren Chester has become the second member booted from the chamber, meaning today’s question time has clocked the most ejections of the week so far. The speaker, Milton Dick , chides the member for Gippsland on the way out: double quotation mark People are passionate about issues – I understand that, but it’s not the way to handle yourself in the house.
PM says he takes issue of AI-generated deepfakes ‘very seriously’ Crossbench MP Zali Steggall asks whether the government will make it illegal to create and disseminate AI-generated deepfakes. She said a recent AI-generated deepfake video, targeting senator Jacqui Lambie , spread false statements in her name, resulting in increased threats to her. Independent member for Warringah, Zali Steggall (right).
Photograph: Hilary Wardhaugh/Getty Images The prime minister acknowledged the impact on the senator and responded: double quotation mark It’s not just about politicians, of course. It’s people right across the board, seeing these deepfakes, and it’s hard, there’s videos of people standing outside Parliament House, making statements that aren’t them. That distorts fact from fiction and that is a huge issue.
I take these issues very seriously, and so does the government. The digital duty of care is in part aimed at addressing these issues. Speaker warns against a ‘war of tabling’ The manager of opposition business in the house, Dan Tehan , has continued hammering on the golf club, attempting to table a long list of government announcements, Hansard references, interview transcripts and more relating to the grant.
But the speaker, Milton Dick , steps in: double quotation mark Don’t abuse question time by trying to do these tricks and stunts. I’m over it, and everyone’s over it. I don’t want this war of tabling to continue on ...
If people want to table documents, they’ve got the right to do that – but just be reasonable and responsible. Marrickville golf club grant continues to haunt Labor The $6m grant to the Marrickville golf club continues to follow Labor as the Liberal MP for Monash, Mary Aldred , asks why the infrastructure department had confirmed the funding was not for addressing sewerage flows when the minister had previously said it was. The infrastructure minister, Catherine King , answered: double quotation mark The decision brief for this project, which we’ve released for transparency, shows that funding for this project was assessed by my department against the criteria publicly available and found to be value for money.
Unlike those opposite, we are delivering our election commitments in a transparent way. The prime minister on Tuesday admitted he got it wrong after telling parliament the grant was to stop “raw sewage” going into the nearby river. Coalition attacks on PM continue in question time Nationals MP Kevin Hogan returns to cost-of-living pressures in his question to the prime minister as he asks: “Why do Australians always pay the price because a prime minister can’t ever admit he’s made a mistake?” As Anthony Albanese attempts to point to the conflict in the Middle East, interjections pour in from the Coalition and he issues a reminder: double quotation mark We should turn the temperature down, and maybe people could stop interjecting.
Question time ejection counter: one Notions of respectful and civil debate appear to have gone out the window in today’s first QT ejection. The prime minister is asked about “getting rid of the climate change department” and as he affirms climate change is real, parliament’s typical argy bargy returns and the MP for Wide Bay, Llew O’Brien , is ejected. The Nationals member for Wide Bay, Llew O’Brien is ejected from the chamber.
Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP As O’Brien leaves to serve a three-hour ban from the chamber the speaker, Milton Dick , says: double quotation mark Swearing in the parliament is completely unacceptable and he [O’Brien] will leave the chamber for three hours. Honestly, we will not allow this parliament to have that language. None of us will accept that.
I won’t accept it. Australia won’t accept it. Chalmers says global oil prices are behind inflation After another question on inflation, the treasurer, Jim Chalmers , points to the impact of conflict in the Middle East. double quotation mark One of the reasons why the shadow treasurer and the leader of the opposition don’t have any credibility, is because they refuse to acknowledge the impact of higher global oil prices on inflation – not just in Australia, but, indeed, around the world.
If you look at the inflation numbers today, the biggest driver was petrol prices ... those opposite might want to pretend that that’s not happening, but that’s a factor. PM urges parliament to unite on proposed social media reforms After the government’s digital duty of care bill passed the House of Representatives today, Anthony Albanese answers a dixer on the issue: double quotation mark We know that the algorithms drive people towards more extreme positions and we know this is having an impact on our society. The deliberate design of social media algorithms are designed to push people further and further down these rabbit holes, and to change society for the worst.
You see, the impact and harm of social media right across our society Australians are sick of it. Anthony Albanese arrives for question time. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP Taylor attacks Labor’s ‘out-of-control spending’ after inflation numbers revealed As expected, the opposition leader, Angus Taylor , has kicked things off with a question on the latest inflation numbers .
He asks: double quotation mark Last year, your treasurer boasted ... Will the prime minister acknowledge reality, accept his treasurer was wrong and admit Labor’s out-of-control spending is forcing families and small businesses to pay more for everything? The prime minister, Anthony Albanese , says economies around the world are facing challenges: double quotation mark Every day, [Australians are] experiencing the impact of the cost of living, we certainly understand that that puts people under pressure.
And just like in countries right around the world, the challenges that we face in our economy are serious. The reality is they’re not going to be solved overnight . Opposition leader Angus Taylor.
Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP Question time begins Freshly dropped and hotter-than-expected, inflation figures are set to fuel the furore in QT today. Let’s get into it. ‘Profit ahead of compliance’: casino company handed giant fine Australia’s biggest listed casino company has been hit with a $260m fine, four years after financial intelligence agency Austrac launched legal action against the company.
The Star Entertainment Group was penalised in the federal court on Wednesday. Austrac previously argued a $400m penalty was necessary to punish what it said were “manifest failures” at Star. But the stock market-listed company, which has a market value of $763m, argued any penalty over $100m would send it into liquidation.
Justice Cameron Moore determined a $260m penalty was appropriate for the significant harm Star’s conduct has caused. double quotation mark In effect, Star put profit ahead of compliance and did so on a large scale. – Australian Associated Press The Star casino in Sydney. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP Watchdog ‘spent millions’ as billionaire Clive Palmer fined $10,000 A marathon legal battle sparked after Clive Palmer’s dinosaur-inspired takeover of a championship golf course and resort has ended with a $10,000 fine. The Queensland district court convicted Palmer Leisure Coolum and fined it $10,000 for breaching takeover laws during an acquisition of a Sunshine Coast resort.
The mining magnate bought the five-star 324-room Hyatt Regency Coolum, on 150 hectares and with a 2km beachfront, for a reported $80m in July 2011. The resort lost its hosting of the Australian PGA Golf Championship but Palmer would bring in more than 160 lifesize dinosaurs and an exotic car museum. In 2012, Palmer’s company committed offences while proposing to buy out a group of timeshare investors in the resort called The President’s Club.
The resort pleaded guilty in June 2026. – Australian Associated Press Clive Palmer in Brisbane, February 2024. Photograph: Darren England/AAP Labor is Greens’ main target, not One Nation, Shoebridge says Sarah Basford Canales The Greens leader, David Shoebridge , says Labor is its main target as it looks to double its vote between now and the next federal election to “replace” the governing party. Following his speech at the National Press Club, Shoebridge was asked what he’s going to do differently given the party’s vote hasn’t risen much further since the last federal election.
The NSW senator said: double quotation mark They [Labor] have sold their conscience, and we need to be loud and proud that our job in politics is to do what we said today: to replace the Labor party. Yes, we want to fight One Nation, and we want to fight the racism, and division. But they rose on Labor’s watch, and our way to defeat that hate and division is through the Labor party .
David Shoebridge at the National Press Club. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP Man charged after allegedly threatening politician on social media A man has been charged after allegedly using social media to threaten a federal parliamentarian. The Australian federal police arrested the 39-year-old in Lithgow on Tuesday and charged him with using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence.
Officers executed a search warrant and allegedly discovered 1 gram of a white crystalline substance and drug paraphernalia, and seized a mobile phone. The man was charged with one count of drug possession and another count of possession of equipment for administration of a prohibited drug. Melissa Davey Opposition questions government on aged care tool consultation process The shadow aged care minister, Anne Ruston , is asking department officials about there were any meaningful public consultations about the government’s new “escalation pathway” for the aged care assessment tool.
After it was revealed that aged care assessors said the algorithm-driven tool was underquoting on needs of older Australians and assessors had no power to override wrong decisions, the government added a new review pathway. It means decisions can be escalated to a delegate for review. Aged care assessors have told Guardian Australia this creates more administrative load – they want the ability to override wrong decisions themselves.
Recommendation 4 of the commonwealth ombudsman’s report into the failures of the assessment tool says any changes to aged care legislation should be preceded by open, public consultation. Ruston asks whether a series of closed-door, targeted workshops met that standard – department officials say consultation was folded into workshops alongside a rapid review with aged care advocacy groups, geriatricians and assessment groups. Departmental officials say that no draft rules for the pathway were provided to those stakeholders, and no public consultation was conducted.
Draft versions of the rules were shared with stakeholders through the minister’s office. Cait Kelly Advocates accuse government of ‘cherrypicking’ welfare compensation recipients Welfare advocates have accused the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) of “cherrypicking” who might get compensation for having their payment unlawfully cancelled, after it was revealed the department had invited 50,652 to apply, when an estimated 310,000 people were impacted. The Antipoverty Centre spokesperson and member of the DEWR Targeted Compliance Stakeholder Reference Group Kristin O’Connell said: double quotation mark All members of the reference group have repeatedly raised our concerns about this process with DEWR and urged them to ensure everyone subjected to these unlawful decisions receives compensation.
It is not up to the department to decide whether or not these 300,000 people were harmed – if they made an unlawful decision, they should repay people as an act of good faith. If people have not been approached but believe they were impacted, they can still apply, with more details here . ABC reiterates call for One Nation to remove Bluey cartoon Amanda Meade The ABC has doubled down on its call in Senate estimates for depictions of Bluey to be removed from a One Nation cartoon in which the beloved character repeatedly runs over politicians with an SUV.
The broadcaster’s managing director, Hugh Marks, said on Tuesday that he became aware of One Nation’s potential breach of intellectual property rights last week and sought legal advice. An ABC spokesperson said on Wednesday. double quotation mark As the managing director stated during Senate estimates, the ABC does not own the intellectual property for Bluey. The ABC is considering available options.
In the meantime, the ABC considers the relevant cartoons should be immediately removed from One Nation’s platforms and no further use should occur. Bluey’s international distributor, BBC Studios, and the Brisbane-based creators Ludo have been in discussions with the ABC about the issue. Earlier today, the communications minister, Anika Wells, said the ABC is “well within its rights to be concerned” about One Nation’s use of Bluey, “one of Australia’s biggest, most loved, most well-known exports”.
Patrick Commins Jim Chalmers blames Middle East conflict for high inflation Jim Chalmers has blamed higher global oil prices for intensifying cost of living pressures at home, after inflation jumped to 4.3% in the year to September. The treasurer in a statement said inflation was “too high”, but that prices were rising faster across a range of countries, not just here. Fuel prices were up more than 9% last month, and were 24% higher than a year earlier, he said. double quotation mark We’ve seen higher oil prices driving higher inflation around the world and today’s figures confirm we are not immune from that.
From an economic point of view, the [Middle East] conflict can’t end soon enough. We know this doesn’t make it any easier for families who are under pressure. The treasurer’s comments come after a sometimes heated debate earlier in the day between the Treasury secretary, Jenny Wilkinson , and Liberal senator Jane Hume around the extent to which government spending was to blame for high inflation.
Jim Chalmers speaking during question time on Monday. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP
Source: The Guardian
