Maggie Tabberer dies aged 87
The family of TV personality Maggie Tabberer have confirmed her death in a post to Instagram. They wrote:
This morning we lost our beautiful mother and Nanna. She was an icon in every sense of the word and we will miss her dearly… Along with the rest of Australia.🥰 rest in peace Nanna. We love you to bits forever.
Allow Instagram content?
This article includes content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click ‘Allow and continue’.
Key events
Karen Middleton
AFP and Asio warn of ‘shocking’ numbers of teens in terrorism cases
Asio and Australian federal police have revealed that two teenagers aged 16 and 14 have been convicted under Australia’s counter-terrorism laws and warned that “shocking” numbers of their priority cases involve young people.
The anonymised details of the two unrelated cases have been published as part of an unprecedented coordinated plea from security agencies in the Five Eyes countries – Australia, the US, Britain, Canada and New Zealand – for their citizens to do more to stop young people falling prey to radical, violent ideologies.
“In every one of the terrorist attacks, disruptions and suspected terrorist incidents in Australia this year, the alleged perpetrator was a young person,” Asio’s director general, Mike Burgess, said in a statement accompanying the analysis.
Read the full story here:
Josh Taylor
Union says Fair Work hearing over Woolworths warehouse a ‘distraction’ from ongoing dispute
As a Fair Work Commission hearing was under way for Woolworths attempting to force United Workers Union (UWU) workers picketing outside warehouses to allow workers to reopen the warehouses and stock increasingly empty shelves in shops across the eastern seaboard, the union has described the action as a “distraction” from the ongoing negotiations.
The strike of around 1,500 workers in distribution centres stocking Woolworths has now lasted 16 days, and Woolworths has attempted to re-open one of the warehouses in Victoria using workers from a rival union, but has been prevented by striking workers outside the warehouse.
At a press conference in Melbourne on Friday, UWU national secretary, Tim Kennedy, said the Fair Work hearing was a “distraction” and if Woolworths is successful it wouldn’t change anything.
If those orders are granted, it doesn’t change the situation, because the collective bargaining dispute and the decision workers have taken under the collective bargaining laws and their right to strike under law continues on until we reach agreement. So in many respects, it’s a pure distraction and a leverage point.
Negotiations between Woolworths and the UWU over wages and conditions continue, and Kennedy said, in discussions with Woolworths management, they were beginning to understand the concern from workers around the use of an algorithmic framework that measures worker output by the minute.
These warehouses are dangerous places to work in, people get injured in them, they can actually get killed in them, and if you privilege speed over safety, you do a lot of damage and so the nature of this dispute is not purely just about money. It’s about the nature of the work and how people can feel safe and secure to go to work because they’ve only got one body and they also can only do as much as they can, and there is no accountability or transparency or understanding about how these speeds are set, and they’re the things we need to resolve.
He said workers were prepared to return to work once an in-principle agreement is made with Woolworths, and workers vote in favour.
Donna Lu
Australian antimicrobial use significantly higher in affluent areas, study finds
The use of antimicrobial drugs in Australia is greater in areas with richer and more highly educated residents, new research suggests.
Antimicrobials kill or slow the growth of microbes, and include antibiotics for bacterial infections, antiviral and antifungal drugs.
The study, led by researchers at the University of Queensland, looked at the presence of 102 different antimicrobial drugs at 50 wastewater treatment plants across the country, which cover around 50% of the national population.
It found that antimicrobial usage was greater in higher-income areas, as well as places where there was a higher proportion of residents attending university or already with a bachelor’s degree or higher level of education.
Australia has high rates of antimicrobial use – it ranks in the top 10% for per‐capita antibiotic consumption in the world.
Study co-author Dr Jake O’Brien said in a statement:
Extensive use may pose a risk for the development of antimicrobial resistance, which is a critical global health challenge projected to cause up to 10 million deaths annually by 2050.
Responsible use is crucial to prevent antimicrobial resistance, which experts have previously described as a “looming global health crisis” that could make some of most critical drugs to modern medicine ineffective.
The five most common antimicrobials or breakdown products, all detected in more than 90% of samples, were amoxicilloic acid, cephalexin, ciprofloxacin, sulfapyridine, and sulfamethoxazole.
Dutton is asked whether Coalition nuclear plan would be cheaper than renewables
Asked whether the Coalition’s nuclear plan would be cheaper than Labor’s renewable plan, opposition leader Peter Dutton said “100% renewables only” will drive up electricity and gas prices and make the electricity network less stable.
He spoke at a press conference a short while ago:
What we have demonstrated through Frontier Economics, which I think is the most dominant economic model in the country when it comes to energy, is the government’s 100% renewables is not only driving up electricity and gas prices but it is making the electricity network less stable. That’s why we are seeing many factories go offshore. We lose the jobs, we lose the economic productivity, and the government’s policy that Chris Bowen has put together is not costing $122 billion as the government claims, it is now costing more than $550 billion. Some people say that that figure is too conservative and that it could cost over $1 trillion.
And there is nothing for free here. People listen to the prime minister and hear him say that the wind is free and the sun is free – why are your power bills going through the roof?
Dutton says Australia’s UN vote for end to Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories leaves us ‘less safe’
Peter Dutton says we are an “essential ally of Israel”. Asked at a press conference a short while ago whether Australia’s UN vote for an end to Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories “will mean more terrorism”, the opposition leader said:
I think the prime minister needs to give very detailed information of the government’s stance in relation to Israel, as a complete departure from the promise the prime minister made to the Australian Jewish community before the last election. He said he would adopt a bipartisan position, as has been the case for his predecessors. It’s impossible to imagine Bob Hawke or Paul Keating or even Kevin Rudd or Julia Gillard would have taken the path that Prime Minister Albanese has.
I think it has left our country less safe, I think it has created an air of uncertainty.
Peter Dutton on Melbourne synagogue fire: a ‘shocking turn of events’
Opposition leader Peter Dutton addressed the press a short while ago. Speaking about the suspicious fire at a Melbourne synagogue this morning, he said:
To see the firebombing of a synagogue, a place of worship, is something that is not welcome and has no place in our country whatsoever. And today we should double down on our support of the Jewish community, who will be feeling this very acutely.
Armed guards were protecting kids at Jewish schools this very day and that is unacceptable in our country. There is a lot of work and a lot of leadership that needs to be provided to make sure that people of Jewish faith and people right across the country can be given assurances around safety, basic safety requirements, where people go to a synagogue or they go to another place of worship, when they go to a supermarket, they should do so safely in our country and that has been a very, very sad, shocking turn of events in Melbourne overnight.
Melissa Davey
Elective surgery admissions surge
Admissions for elective surgery were the highest on record in 2023-24, data published by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare today shows.
Elective surgeries are procedures that are deemed medically necessary but are planned surgeries and not considered an emergency and, as a result, may be subject to delays
While most elective surgeries performed in Australia occur in private hospitals, the AIHW data provides an overview of elective surgeries from public hospital waitlists.
It shows cataract extraction was the most common procedure for those admitted from an elective surgery waitlist, accounting for 11% of all intended procedures. The greatest percentage increases in admissions from elective surgery waitlists were for vascular surgery (12% increase compared with 2022-23) and paediatric surgery (8.2% annual average growth since 2019–20).
There were 771,600 admissions from public hospital elective surgery waitlists in 2023-24 (excluding the Northern Territory where data is still being collated), a 5% increase from 2022-23.
An AIHW spokesperson said the increase in the number of admissions from public hospital elective surgery waitlists follows a period of considerable disruption to the health system as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Peter Hannam
Focus on demand side of energy equation
Most of the attention of governments – and the media – tends to be on the supply side of the energy equation.
We have tended to neglect the demand side, particularly energy efficiency matters, but there’s an emerging understanding that “demand response” will be critical to ensuring grid stability.
In short, the spread of devices that can be remotely switched on or off, smart meters that can provide price signal to nudge usage depending on availability of supply, and the decentralising of generation (eg rooftop solar) and batteries, mean the grid is becoming much more flexible.
Today, a group of diverse peak bodies – from the AiGroup, Acoss, the Energy Efficiency Council and the Property Council – called on the government to set up a national energy performance agency to give consumers greater clout in the debate.
At present, responsibility for managing energy costs is spread across portfolios and governments, and that makes it harder for it to gain bureaucratic or community traction.
There should also be national energy performance targets, so progress can be tracked, more representation of those with consumer and demand-side expertise.
It sounds a bit arcane and even a bit revolutionary (the Daily Telegraph today took offence at the prospect that air-conditioners might be remotely controlled). The reality, though, is upon us, and for some the prospect of free electricity after an upfront payments might be what they happily choose to take up, as we noted earlier this year:
Gosford fires ‘a callous and brazen attack’, NSW police say
Police do not yet know the motive behind fires allegedly set in Gosford yesterday. They said at a press conference:
At this stage motive is something we are very interested in. It’s obvious there was a reason why the man went to both locations and we are keen to ascertain what the reason is but at this stage we don’t know.
This is a callous and brazen attack … It is violent behaviour which as NSW Police we will not tolerate and that is why we established a strike force to investigate the matter and we are putting a lot of resources in the inquiry to bring this to a resolution as quickly as possible.
Police deliver update after blast and fires in Gosford
NSW police are addressing media after an explosion and fires in Gosford yesterday:
We believe this is a targeted attack and not a random incident.
Two crime scenes unfolded here on Donnerson Street in the Gosford CBD very quickly yesterday afternoon. The first was in the Legal Aid building where there were reports of an explosion. That building was quickly evacuated and no one there was injured, very fortunately.
But as things were unfolding outside the Legal Aid building, police were called two blocks up the street to the building behind me, in the Gosford CBD, where there were reports of a man entering one of the levels of the buildings where there are legal offices located lighting a fire and then as he moved away and made his way outside about 50 people needed to be evacuated. No serious injuries reported from that one as well.
One at the other location. I would describe it as a moderate fire that caused moderate internal damage to those premises. That fire was extinguished by Fire and Rescue NSW. At that location, a 54-year-old employee suffered smoke inhalation and was treated at the scene by New South Wales ambulance and did not require any further treatment. Happily, no other person was injured as a result of that could have been an entirely different outcome.
Peter Hannam
Energy ministers gather as peak bodies call for more attention to ‘demand response’
Federal, state and territory energy ministers are gathering in Adelaide today (some are Zooming in) to cap another full-on year for the sector.
No doubt summer and the readiness of the grid to cope with heat will come up. As we noted here this week, the Australian Energy Market Operator sees extra renewables and 58% more storage (ie batteries) than a year ago should help.
A lot will hinge, though, on the reliability of the ageing coal-fired power plants, a point underlined by last week’s power squeeze in New South Wales. The nation’s biggest coal plant, Origin’s Eraring, was struggling a bit to get all its units back online, for instance, which is why specialists like University of NSW’s Dylan McConnell reckon it’s a “toss of the coin“ whether we’ll get through the summer without some major disruption.
Today’s meeting will also discuss what the grid should look like post-2030. Last week federal energy minister Chris Bowen named the panel and terms of reference for the review, as we covered here:
There’ll be a media conference and statement after about 2.30pm Aedt that we’ll monitor.
Counter-terrorism police join investigation of Melbourne synagogue fire, PM says
Josh Butler
In an ABC radio interview, Anthony Albanese spoke at length about the Melbourne synagogue fire. The prime minister said he’d received a briefing from AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw and that counter-terrorism police were involved in the investigation:
There are two persons of interest who were there and witnessed, what was witnessed was them using accelerant and then spreading it with a broom, clearly designed to maximise the damage that could occur. Victoria police arson squad,are leading the investigation at this stage.
The Melbourne joint counter-terrorism taskforce will be liaising, of course, with Vic pol, and the police will be making a statement later this morning.
It’s a terrible morning to awake to this news, which all Australians should unequivocally condemn. This is an outrage. The violence and intimidation and destruction at a place of worship is something that we should never see in Australia. It’s risking lives, it’s clearly aimed at creating fear in the community.
Albanese said he’d spoken to Labor MP Josh Burns, who is Jewish, and in whose electorate of Macanamara the Ripponlea synagogue is located.
He told me that this is a community that very much revolves around the synagogue. Many Holocaust survivors came from Hungary, in particular after world war two, and it’s been a centre of community activity. It’s a peaceful organisation and community and this attack is just an outrage.
One witness treated for hand injury
Victoria police say they are aware of one witness who received an injury to his hand at the scene of a suspicious fire at a Melbourne synagogue this morning.
Addressing press a short while ago, police said they will increase patrols in the area:
I have spoken to local area commander, patrols will be increased. I want the public to be reassured that we’ll do our utmost. Again, I’m here for that reassurance. That is we are taking this seriously. We’ll give the local community what they need and that is we want them to be able to go about their business and pray safely.
Police seek security footage from synagogue neighbours
More from the police press conference on the suspicious synagogue fire in Melbourne. Police “implore the community” to assist investigators by looking at their own security footage:
We want them to identify if around 4.10 they saw two individuals, there may be more, loitering around this area. We’re looking for vehicles, we’re looking for those two individuals. We want some starting points. We know from experience that these investigations get solved through CCTV. We need the community’s help.
We implore the community. I know this is not going to be a stretch for the local community here to give us assistance. We know the local community want these people caught as we do.
Blaze deliberate and targeted, police say
Victoria police believe the fire at a Melbourne synagogue this morning was “deliberate” and “targeted”.
The officer in charge of the arson squad is addressing press live in Melbourne:
Our first and foremost priority is to identify those individuals that are responsible for this. We believe it was deliberate, we believe it has been targeted. What we don’t know is why. And we will get to the why.
I’m here … to give that reassurance to the community that we will do everything we can to bring these individuals before the courts, and to let the community know that we’re going to do our best to make sure that they can return as they should to their local synagogues and do what is absolutely Australian – that is to be able to worship without fear.
Masked pair seen ‘spreading an accelerant’, police say
Two people in masks were allegedly seen “spreading an accelerant of some type” inside the Melbourne synagogue that was ablaze this morning, Victoria police have said. They are addressing press about the incident, which is being treated as suspicious:
At that location, deliberately lit fire was detected. What we do know – a witness who was attending morning prayers has entered the synagogue, and upon entering has seen two individuals who were wearing masks, they appeared to be spreading an accelerant of some type inside the premises. This individual has left. Police were subsequently called to the premises where the premises has been engulfed and has suffered extensive damage.
