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With that, we will wrap up the blog for the night. Here’s what happened today:
Cardinal George Pell, the former Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne, died in Vatican City, aged 81.
There were various reactions across the country, some honouring Pell and others remembering the controversy that surrounded him.
A bipartisan coalition of members of congress have written to US president, Joe Biden, expressing their support for the Aukus deal.
Prime minister, Anthony Albanese announced new funding being brought forward for the Rocky Ring Road despite the project being stalled under the previous government.
The New South Wales anti-corruption watchdog said it is now unlikely to finalise its probe into the former premier Gladys Berejiklian before the March election.
Climate change minister, Chris Bowen said the $600m decarbonisation fund for big business is in the national interest.
A “massive” disaster relief operation is in full swing in the Fitzroy River catchment area, where many people remain isolated by floodwaters and damaged roads.
Sun Cable, the company aiming to supply Darwin and Singapore with electricity from a giant solar farm in the Northern Territory, was placed into voluntary administration.
Residents near Menindee warned to avoid mosquito bites due to Murray Valley encephalitis fears
Authorities in NSW are urging residents near Menindee to be wary of mosquitoes and of Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE), a virus that can spread from mosquitoes to humans.
MVE virus is spread by mosquitos from infected animals to humans. Rarely it causes severe neurological illness with headache, convulsions and reduced consciousness in some cases.
The virus cannot be transmitted between humans, and people cannot get the virus by touching an infected animal or eating animal products.
In a statement the executive director of Health Protection NSW, Dr Richard Broome, urges people to avoid mosquito bites and says that MVE only causes symptoms in a minority of people:

Only a small proportion of people infected with the virus will experience symptoms, which include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhoea, and muscle aches. Among those who get a severe infection, some may die or have lifelong neurological complications.

There is no vaccination or specific treatment for MVE and the best way to avoid infection is to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes, which are most active between dusk and dawn.

Avoiding mosquito bites will also protect against other mosquito-borne infections including Japanese encephalitis, Ross River fever and Barmah Forest virus.

Only a small proportion of people infected with the virus will experience symptoms, which include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhoea, and muscle aches. Among those who get a severe infection, some may die or have lifelong neurological complications.
There is no vaccination or specific treatment for MVE and the best way to avoid infection is to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes, which are most active between dusk and dawn.
Avoiding mosquito bites will also protect against other mosquito-borne infections including Japanese encephalitis, Ross River fever and Barmah Forest virus.
Coalition welcomes US bipartisan show of support for Aukus
The federal opposition has welcomed a move by members of the US House of Representatives to declare their strong support for Aukus.
The supportive letter to the US president, Joe Biden, was signed by nine US House of Representatives members from both parties, including the Democratic representative Joe Courtney who led the effort.
The letter says the US will gain from providing “our closest ally with an undersea capability to better posture itself in the region”.
Courtney’s grouping says while it is essential for the US to stick to its own plan to build a minimum of two submarines a year to meet American requirements, “we are supportive of expanding the industrial base to meet Aukus expectations”. That could include the US providing or building new submarines for Australia before domestic construction is ready.
The Coalition’s defence spokesperson, Andrew Hastie, said the opposition “welcomes the bipartisan support and commitment of the US Congress for Aukus”.
In a statement issued this afternoon, Hastie said:

The Coalition, which alongside our US and UK partners formed the historic security pact in 2021, recognises that delivering future capability, including Australia’s first nuclear submarine, will require a significant step up from industry and government.

Production lines must be scaled up to get boats in the water as quickly as possible – whether it be to support ‘off the shelf’ options or to domestically produce nuclear powered submarines. Or both concurrently.

We know that Aukus is a nation building opportunity for Australia and call on the Albanese Government to do whatever is necessary to drive contribution in a timely manner.

The Opposition remains committed to supporting the shared vision of Aukus to secure Australia’s national interests.

The Coalition, which alongside our US and UK partners formed the historic security pact in 2021, recognises that delivering future capability, including Australia’s first nuclear submarine, will require a significant step up from industry and government.
Production lines must be scaled up to get boats in the water as quickly as possible – whether it be to support ‘off the shelf’ options or to domestically produce nuclear powered submarines. Or both concurrently.
We know that Aukus is a nation building opportunity for Australia and call on the Albanese Government to do whatever is necessary to drive contribution in a timely manner.
The Opposition remains committed to supporting the shared vision of Aukus to secure Australia’s national interests.
Key decisions are due in March.
Anthony Albanese prepares to travel to PNG where he will address parliament
Anthony Albanese has spoken to ABC Queensland about his trip to Papua New Guinea.
He said:

I will have the great honour tomorrow morning of being the first foreign leader to ever address the parliament of Papua New Guinea [and] Thursday the 12th of January isn’t normally when the parliament would be sitting. So the PNG government of Prime Minister [James] Marape, are giving Australia, a great honour, in all of the MPs being brought together for this address and then we’ll have our PNG-Australia annual leaders dialogue take place after that.

Minister Pat Conroy who has responsibility for the Pacific is coming with me as well as Senator Nita Green, who’s the local senator based here in Cairns will be traveling, as well as senior members of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

This will be important. There’s no more near neighbour with such a strong history as Papua New Guinea in the links with Australia, of course, and next year, we will commemorate the 50-year anniversary of independence for PNG …

The economic relationship and economic development there is critical. National security – we will be talking about our enhanced security arrangements and cooperation there, which is critical as our near neighbour to the north. But also, our common interest in acting on climate change and will be having a discussion as well about advancing the vision that Prime Minister Marape has to have a rugby league team based in PNG, made up of people from PNG, the Pacific Islands and around the region. And that is something that, of course, those links are so important that we have those cultural links and our common interest, and one of our common interests is, of course, passion for rugby league.

I will have the great honour tomorrow morning of being the first foreign leader to ever address the parliament of Papua New Guinea [and] Thursday the 12th of January isn’t normally when the parliament would be sitting. So the PNG government of Prime Minister [James] Marape, are giving Australia, a great honour, in all of the MPs being brought together for this address and then we’ll have our PNG-Australia annual leaders dialogue take place after that.
Minister Pat Conroy who has responsibility for the Pacific is coming with me as well as Senator Nita Green, who’s the local senator based here in Cairns will be traveling, as well as senior members of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
This will be important. There’s no more near neighbour with such a strong history as Papua New Guinea in the links with Australia, of course, and next year, we will commemorate the 50-year anniversary of independence for PNG …
The economic relationship and economic development there is critical. National security – we will be talking about our enhanced security arrangements and cooperation there, which is critical as our near neighbour to the north. But also, our common interest in acting on climate change and will be having a discussion as well about advancing the vision that Prime Minister Marape has to have a rugby league team based in PNG, made up of people from PNG, the Pacific Islands and around the region. And that is something that, of course, those links are so important that we have those cultural links and our common interest, and one of our common interests is, of course, passion for rugby league.
Bushwalker spots three men in the water off Sydney sparking rescue
Three men whose boat capsized in rough seas off Sydney have been rescued thanks to a bushwalker’s keen eye, AAP reports.
The walker saw the men in the water near Wedding Cake Rock in Sydney’s south today and called for help, sparking a rescue involving three helicopters.
The men had been in the water for about an hour before being spotted, the NSW ambulance Inspector Andrew Bibby said.
“All agencies worked well together to coordinate the rescue, with the men winched from the water and taken to NSW ambulance paramedics to be assessed,” Bibby said.
The men were treated for hypothermia at Wattamolla beach before being taken to Sutherland hospital in a stable condition.
Bibby said the use of life jackets was key in preventing a more serious outcome.
“This is a timely reminder to anyone heading out on the water to be prepared,” he said.
Marine Rescue NSW said boaters should ensure to bring an emergency beacon, called an Epirb, when heading out on the water, particularly more than two nautical miles.
The beacon emits a continuous radio signal when activated, alerting search and rescue services.
A spokeswoman for NSW police confirmed the overturned boat has been safely towed to shore.
We’re getting a bit more clarity over what happened between billionaire investors in Sun Cable, Mike Cannon-Brookes and Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest.
So, Grok, which is MCB’s family firm, points to one investor standing in the way of the company. Forrest isn’t named, but he’s the one they have in mind.
“In the circumstances, including where all but one shareholder agreed with the company’s funding strategy – the Board was left with no other option, but to enter into voluntary administration,” the Grok spokesperson says.
Grok remains “a strong supporter of Sun Cable delivering the world’s largest solar energy infrastructure network and the Australia-Asia Power Link (AAPowerLink)”, the spokesperson said, adding they are confident the firm “will be an attractive investment proposition and remain at the forefront of Australia’s energy transition”.
The “circumstances”, so Guardian Australia has been told, involve the need for emergency funding in the order of $60m that investors had to decide on just before Christmas. Forrest had his view and MCB had a different one.
Why the company needed the funds, having raised $210m last March, seems to hinge on how fast Sun Cable was “burning” through the cash. Management was – according to one source – also failing to meet its agreed goals, with Indonesian agreements being one source of angst.
MCB’s Grok reckons Sun Cable “has made tremendous progress” over the AAPowerLink in the past few years and sees voluntary administration as providing the best opportunity for it to access “appropriate funding sources”.
Those sources could yet include money from Twiggy Forrest, but that would seem unlikely unless the board and management changed, and that includes turfing out MCB who is Sun Cable’s chair.
Moral of the story? As the African parable goes, “when two elephants fight, the grass suffers. When elephants make love, the grass also suffers”.
One elephant per pasture, then, might be the way to go.
Scott Morrison loses Twitter blue tick status
In another loss, the former prime minister Scott Morrison has been stripped of his blue Twitter verification tick.
It comes after the Twitter CEO, Elon Musk, introduced a paid verification program, and after Twitter Support said (in a tweet, of course) that verified accounts that change their display name or profile photo will lose their check until their account can be reviewed.
Morrison’s Facebook and Instagram accounts are still verified though, and also more active than his Twitter.
His last tweet was a link to an explainer on how to vote for the Liberal party on election day:
Ten-year-old boy critical but stable after Gold Coast helicopter crash
Sydney boy Nicholas Tadros is in a critical but stable condition a day after he was due for surgery following the helicopter crash that killed his mother and three others on the Gold Coast, AAP reports.
The 10-year-old is one of three survivors who were in a helicopter that collided with another chopper and crashed into a sandbar near Sea World on 2 January.
Four people died including Nicholas’s mother, Vanessa Tadros, 36, Britons Ron and Diane Hughes, 65 and 57, and the 40-year-old pilot Ashley Jenkinson.
Nicholas’s lungs were flooded with aviation fuel but their capacity has improved over the past few days and he was transferred on the weekend to Queensland Children’s hospital for an operation on Tuesday.
His father, Simon Tadros, told friends it would be a “major test” with five surgeries for broken bones in his left hand and both legs, which are broken in multiple places.
Nicholas’s condition has been “critical” since the crash, but he appeared to have slightly improved as of Wednesday.
“Nicholas Tadros is in a critical but stable condition,” a hospital spokesperson said.
Simon Tadros’s friend Charlie Bakhos invited people to pray a special rosary for Nicholas at St Charbel’s Monastery Punchbowl, in south-west Sydney, on Wednesday night.
“For his recovery and to give his family strength during this time,” he wrote on Facebook on Wednesday. “Everyone is welcome.”
The nine-year-old Victorian boy Leon de Silva, who was in the same helicopter as Nicholas, is in a stable condition at the hospital after suffering a brain injury in the accident.
Leon’s mother, Winnie, 33, is also stable in a Gold Coast hospital after undergoing another operation for her injuries that include two broken legs, a damaged left knee, a broken right shoulder and a broken collarbone.
The Catholic archbishop of Sydney, Anthony Fisher, has remembered Cardinal George Pell as “a fine priest” and “a good Christian soul”.
In a statement, Fisher says Pell “lived up” to his own episcopal motto, “Be Not Afraid”, and that he had seen Pell last week for the funeral of Pope Benedict, where Pell was “in good spirits”.
Fisher also adds that the archdiocese of Sydney “thrived” under Pell’s leadership and that Pell worked for “openness in Church affairs”:

The Archdiocese of Sydney thrived under his leadership. He saw great promise in youth, and his vision in bringing World Youth Day 2008 to Sydney saw a whole generation of young Catholics respond to Christ’s call. Our community as a whole was uplifted by this colossal event and moved by the testimony it offered.

His Eminence was an author of books and a regular newspaper columnist, a lecturer and leader in Catholic education, and a scholar in his own right. He served the broader Church as a member of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vox Clara Commission, the Pontifical Council for the Family and the Congregation of Bishops.

As Prefect for the Secretariat of the Economy, member of Pope Francis’ Council of Cardinal Advisors and one of the highest-ranking church officials in the world, the Cardinal’s work for openness in Church affairs was hugely important.

His final years were marked by his wrongful conviction and imprisonment, but he bore this with grace and goodwill and gave us all an example of how to accept suffering with dignity and peace. His words of reconciliation with his detractors and concern for survivors increased in authenticity as he steadfastly and successfully maintained his innocence.

The Archdiocese of Sydney thrived under his leadership. He saw great promise in youth, and his vision in bringing World Youth Day 2008 to Sydney saw a whole generation of young Catholics respond to Christ’s call. Our community as a whole was uplifted by this colossal event and moved by the testimony it offered.
His Eminence was an author of books and a regular newspaper columnist, a lecturer and leader in Catholic education, and a scholar in his own right. He served the broader Church as a member of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vox Clara Commission, the Pontifical Council for the Family and the Congregation of Bishops.
As Prefect for the Secretariat of the Economy, member of Pope Francis’ Council of Cardinal Advisors and one of the highest-ranking church officials in the world, the Cardinal’s work for openness in Church affairs was hugely important.
His final years were marked by his wrongful conviction and imprisonment, but he bore this with grace and goodwill and gave us all an example of how to accept suffering with dignity and peace. His words of reconciliation with his detractors and concern for survivors increased in authenticity as he steadfastly and successfully maintained his innocence.
Retailers call on government to help fix ‘chronic labour shortages’
Following on from the release of labour numbers from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australia’s peak retail body, the Australian Retailers Association, is urging the government to introduce measures to alleviate “chronic labour shortages”.
In a statement, the ARA said the data released today showed the scale of the crisis, showing 49,900 vacancies across the retail sector in November 2022 – an increase of 8.2% compared to August 2022.
The association’s CEO, Paul Zahra, has urged state and federal governments to intervene:

Retail businesses are at the coalface of Australia’s economy and our daily lives, yet they can’t secure enough staff.

The Government has made great strides in this space, increasing the cap on migration, improving support for women in the workforce and introducing the Work Bonus for pensioners – but it’s clear from today’s data that further work is urgently needed.

These shortages were exacerbated during the frenetic Christmas trading period, the most critical time of the year for retail. And the strain of labour shortages is far reaching.

You end up with staff who can find themselves overworked and burnt out, and shoppers languishing in longer queues. With longer waiting times, shoppers become impatient and the risk of antisocial behaviour increases.

Retail businesses are at the coalface of Australia’s economy and our daily lives, yet they can’t secure enough staff.
The Government has made great strides in this space, increasing the cap on migration, improving support for women in the workforce and introducing the Work Bonus for pensioners – but it’s clear from today’s data that further work is urgently needed.
These shortages were exacerbated during the frenetic Christmas trading period, the most critical time of the year for retail. And the strain of labour shortages is far reaching.
You end up with staff who can find themselves overworked and burnt out, and shoppers languishing in longer queues. With longer waiting times, shoppers become impatient and the risk of antisocial behaviour increases.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued severe thunderstorm warnings for central Queensland:
A 10-strong Australian team has just completed a 1,200km traverse across Antarctica, reaching a site where they hope to drill a core of ice at least one million years old.
Tractors set off from Casey station – 3,880km south of Perth – on 23 December, dragging heavy-duty sleds, snow groomers, accommodation vans, science labs and tents.
After passing a European ice core team carrying out a simultaneous mission, the Australian team arrived at its selected drill site at Little Dome C in the last few hours. The Antarctic traverse is the furthest inland for the Australian program since 1962.
“We made it,” tweeted the glaciologist and cryosphere modeller Dr Lenneke Jong.
The aim of the Australian Antarctic Program’s Million Year Ice mission is to drill down 3km and extract a core of ice that will give a continuous record of the Earth’s climate going back one million years.
After setting up the mobile research station, the drilling program is expected to take four to five summers to complete.
As snow falls in Antarctica it traps air pockets as it compresses year after year, preserving a record of the atmosphere at that time.
Ice cores have been a central tool for climate scientists to understand the planet’s past conditions, and are used to help calibrate climate models.
The environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, tweeted congratulations to the team.
PM urges politicians ‘to not put up furphies’ on the voice referendum
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has implored federal politicians not to put out “furphies” on the voice to parliament referendum, and says social media companies have a responsibility to not let misinformation thrive on their platforms.
Going back to Albanese’s press conference in Queensland earlier on, he was asked a few questions about the voice at the tail end, specifically about fears of misinformation online. As we reported this morning, several legal experts raised concerns that the scrapping of the official information pamphlet traditionally distributed at referendums would lead to further false details being spread online.
Albanese said the government would continue to put out clear factual information on public websites about the vote. After criticising the Coalition frontbencher Jane Hume who admitted she hadn’t read the voice co-design report from Marcia Langton and Tom Calma, the PM also made a pointed remark about the role of “public office holders” (ie politicians) in the referendum.

I would just say that people should not put out disinformation. It will be combated where it can.

But I would say that there’s a need to be responsible, particularly public office holders, to be responsible and to not put up furphies in order to to confuse the situation going forward.

I would just say that people should not put out disinformation. It will be combated where it can.
But I would say that there’s a need to be responsible, particularly public office holders, to be responsible and to not put up furphies in order to to confuse the situation going forward.
Pressed further on whether the government had actively sounded out social media companies in a bid to address misinformation on the voice, Albanese admitted he hadn’t personally.

I have not had those discussions. But social media platforms have a responsibility to make sure that misinformation isn’t got out there.

Social media has a responsibility to do the right thing here.

I have not had those discussions. But social media platforms have a responsibility to make sure that misinformation isn’t got out there.
Social media has a responsibility to do the right thing here.
Anthony Albanese asked about Chinese ambassador’s comments on Japan
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has declared that Australia has “a very positive relationship with Japan” in response to a question about the Chinese ambassador’s warning that Canberra should be wary of Tokyo’s intentions.
Albanese attempted to remain above the fray as he was asked a series of questions today about the 90-minute press conference conducted by China’s ambassador, Xiao Qian, yesterday. The main message that Albanese took from that press conference was that China was “positive and constructive” about the prospect of continued improvement in relations between Canberra and Beijing this year.
Xiao yesterday took a swipe at the Japanese ambassador to Australia, Shingo Yamagami, who has repeatedly warned publicly about security threats posed by China. Xiao said ambassadors posted to Canberra should not try to stop Australia from developing a normal relationship with a third country such as China: “I’m afraid our colleague from Japan is not doing his job.”
Xiao argued Japan had never properly apologised for its actions during the second world war – including bombing Darwin and mistreating Australian prisoners of war – and he questioned whether “they might repeat the history”.
That intervention prompted a journalist to ask Albanese in Rockhampton today:
Yesterday, the Chinese ambassador raised world war two and that Australia should be wary of a possible military attack from Japan in the future. Do you think that’s a serious prospect?
Albanese responded:

We have a very positive relationship with Japan. I have visited Japan twice as prime minister and hosted Prime Minister Kishida at a very successful visit in Perth at the end of last year. I look forward to hosting Prime Minister Kishida here in some time in 2023 as part of the Quad leaders meeting.

With China, we also want to see an improvement in relations. I believe that the ambassador’s comments were positive and constructive about those issues. I met with President Xi last year. That was a positive meeting; it led to the foreign minister visiting Beijing on the 21st of December to commemorate the 50th anniversary of positive relations between Australia and the People’s Republic of China.

I look forward to continuing to build on that constructive dialogue, I want to cooperate with China where we can, we will disagree where we must, but will engage in our national interest.

We have a very positive relationship with Japan. I have visited Japan twice as prime minister and hosted Prime Minister Kishida at a very successful visit in Perth at the end of last year. I look forward to hosting Prime Minister Kishida here in some time in 2023 as part of the Quad leaders meeting.
With China, we also want to see an improvement in relations. I believe that the ambassador’s comments were positive and constructive about those issues. I met with President Xi last year. That was a positive meeting; it led to the foreign minister visiting Beijing on the 21st of December to commemorate the 50th anniversary of positive relations between Australia and the People’s Republic of China.
I look forward to continuing to build on that constructive dialogue, I want to cooperate with China where we can, we will disagree where we must, but will engage in our national interest.
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has released a statement on Cardinal George Pell’s death, calling him an “important intellectual figure and a towering presence in the Catholic community”.
The statement rattles off all the places Pell has been, including when he was ordained, his appointment as cardinal (which Dutton calls a “good day for Australia”) and his appointment in 2014 as head of the Vatican’s Secretariat for the Economy.
Dutton goes on to say that Pell’s convictions being quashed by the high court should have caused some reflection for the Victorian Labor government that “led this modern-day political persecution”:

No other Australian has risen to a higher position in the Catholic Church.

A fierce defender of the Catholic faith and Christian ideals, Dr Pell made friends – and enemies – along the way.

On his passing, the fact he spent a year in prison for a conviction that the High Court of Australia unanimously quashed should provide some cause for reflection for the Victorian Labor Government and its institutions that led this modern-day political persecution.

Pell never lost faith in his God, his country, and in justice – despite the tests and trials he endured in life.

No other Australian has risen to a higher position in the Catholic Church.
A fierce defender of the Catholic faith and Christian ideals, Dr Pell made friends – and enemies – along the way.
On his passing, the fact he spent a year in prison for a conviction that the High Court of Australia unanimously quashed should provide some cause for reflection for the Victorian Labor Government and its institutions that led this modern-day political persecution.
Pell never lost faith in his God, his country, and in justice – despite the tests and trials he endured in life.
Sun Cable, the company aiming to supply Darwin and Singapore with electricity from a giant solar farm in the Northern Territory, has been placed into voluntary administration.
The company had the backing of both Mike Cannon-Brookes and Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest, including raising $210m from the billionaires and other investors last year.
The plans had included a solar farm of as much as 20 gigawatts of capacity, and had been eyeing a project cost of $30bn all up.
In a media statement today, Sun Cable said it had “made the difficult decision to enter voluntary administration”. It’s hoped the move would “unlock a path forward for the company to access additional capital for continued development of its marque project, the Australia-Asia PowerLink (AAPowerLink) and progress the next stage of its development portfolio in a strong market”.
The administrators, Christopher Hill, David McGrath and John Park of FTI Consulting, will likely “seek expressions of interest for either a recapitalisation or sale of the business”.
“The appointment followed the absence of alignment with the objectives of all shareholders,” the statement said.
It notes Sun Cable currently has a portfolio of a further 11GW of proposed projects.
Cannon-Brookes, as chair of Sun Cable, may not be going away, it seems.
“Sun Cable has achieved so much since it was founded in 2018. I’m confident it will play a huge role in delivering green energy for the world, right here from Australia,” MCB, the co-founder of Atlassian, said. “I fully back this ambition and the team, and look forward to supporting the company’s next chapter.”
Let’s see if any of these ventures can be revived.
The Catholic archbishop of Melbourne, Peter Comensoli, is holding a press conference on the “really unexpected” death of Cardinal George Pell.
I am a sinner, all of us are sinners, and all of us in that sense we failed in ways. In a sense, our beliefs as Christians is towards a God who is full of tenderness and we strive to live that in our own lives. None of us do that well, all the time. We are all sinners and in need of our Lord’s mercy and forgiveness.
Comensoli says Pell was “quite a good mentor, a really important mentor, a father figure for me”.

I have known him well for about 12 years, and it is seen as something of a real friend.

Of these last few years, when he has been in retirement, either in Rome or back in Sydney, that he has been able to continue to exercise his role as a cardinal and to do so in ways that were then able to build up the life of faith in those sort of settings.

I have known him well for about 12 years, and it is seen as something of a real friend.
Of these last few years, when he has been in retirement, either in Rome or back in Sydney, that he has been able to continue to exercise his role as a cardinal and to do so in ways that were then able to build up the life of faith in those sort of settings.
PM says Australia will continue to engage China on dropping tariffs
Asked whether Australia might drop its World Trade Organization challenges against China’s tariffs on Australian wine and barley in order to progress the diplomatic relationship, Anthony Albanese said the government would “engage in our national interest”.
He said Australia would “continue to put our case that any impediments which are there towards trade should be removed in Australia’s interest and in China’s interest”. He said Australia was looking for a “win-win” outcome (using one of Beijing’s favourite phrases), but that the two countries would continue to have differences:

The dialogue has been constructive. No one can argue that the mood in the relationship has not been enhanced substantially since I’ve been prime minister. I’ve been busy making sure that that occurs. We’ll continue to engage in a constructive way. But we do have differences with China, and we’ll continue to stand up for our interests where we must …

The fact that yesterday, again, the ambassador made positive soundings is a good sign. But we’ll continue to engage diplomatically.

The dialogue has been constructive. No one can argue that the mood in the relationship has not been enhanced substantially since I’ve been prime minister. I’ve been busy making sure that that occurs. We’ll continue to engage in a constructive way. But we do have differences with China, and we’ll continue to stand up for our interests where we must …
The fact that yesterday, again, the ambassador made positive soundings is a good sign. But we’ll continue to engage diplomatically.
For more on the Chinese ambassador’s intervention, see our news report here:
Related: China raises Australia’s hopes over detained pair and trade disputes amid thaw in relations
Good afternoon, Mostafa Rachwani with you this afternoon, beginning with a quick thanks to Rafqa Touma and Natasha May for their work this morning.
Handing over to Mostafa Rachwani, who will carry the blog into the evening.
Archbishop Peter Comensoli says he hopes his work with victims of child sexual abuse defines “appropriate compensation and redress”.

I would hope on my own journey with them, which is something happens on a weekly basis for me, that I am walking with and seeking justice for, defining of appropriate compensation and redress, and there are ongoing care and support, all things we as a local church group in Melbourne strive to do as best we can.

And each of us will be judged accordingly on how we might be able to handle that.

I would hope on my own journey with them, which is something happens on a weekly basis for me, that I am walking with and seeking justice for, defining of appropriate compensation and redress, and there are ongoing care and support, all things we as a local church group in Melbourne strive to do as best we can.
And each of us will be judged accordingly on how we might be able to handle that.
Archbishop Peter Comensoli tells a press conference that Cardinal George Pell was “one of the great churchmen of Australia”.

He, over many years, has been a forthright defender of the faith, a great gospel man I find him. And that dimension of his life will remain, I think, a very important dimension.

There probably has not been a churchman in Australia quite like the cardinal. His response in the Australian context and the international context has been quite instrumental, and I think for many years to come that will be known and thought about.

He, over many years, has been a forthright defender of the faith, a great gospel man I find him. And that dimension of his life will remain, I think, a very important dimension.
There probably has not been a churchman in Australia quite like the cardinal. His response in the Australian context and the international context has been quite instrumental, and I think for many years to come that will be known and thought about.
Million-year ice core researchers travel 1,200km over icy landscape to reach project site
Australian researchers have made it to Little Dome C in Antarctica to drill down into million-year-old ice in an effort to learn about climate change.
The team of 10 traversed 1,200km over 19 days in temperatures as low as -50C on their Antarctic expedition.
The researchers will analyse air bubbles trapped in ice cores to help inform what we know about the climate system’s stability over the past 1m years, and help scientists make predictions about the future.
Retail sales rise 1.4% in November, boosted by Black Friday spending
More from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, with retail sales growth surprising on the upside too.
Completing the trifecta of higher-than-tipped November numbers from the ABS today were retail sales.
These rose 1.4% for the month alone, and 7.7% from a year earlier. The ANZ, for instance, tipped a 0.6% monthly rise and CBA expected a 0.8% increase.
Given rising prices and an expanding population, total spending hit new record highs, as you might expect (sans pandemics etc).
Among the pointers to the economy being robust towards the end of 2022, October’s retail sales were also revised to a 0.4% increase compared with an initial decrease when first reported.
Ben Dorber, the ABS head of retail statistics, attributed Black Friday sales for boosting spending on clothing, footwear, furniture and electronic goods. (Not to be confused with “Black Friday” related to bushfires – this is some marketing ruse for the day after the US Thanksgiving day on the last Thursday of November.)
“Given the increasing popularity of Black Friday sales, the smaller increase in October may reflect consumers waiting to take advantage of discounting in November, particularly in light of cost-of-living pressures,” Dorber said.
All up, then, the November numbers might well be noted by the Reserve Bankers at the beach or wherever they spend their summer sloth. Not a lot of sign of the economy losing steam even with the flurry of rate rises to November (with another in December).
John Howard releases statement on death of George Pell

The death of George Cardinal Pell in Rome has taken from us a person of enormous influence, not only in the Catholic Church, but in the nation more generally.

He was a strong and determined religious leader. His episcopal motto was ‘be not afraid’. In the senior roles he held in the Church, he displayed consistent courage in expressing Christian views in the public space. Believers and non-believers alike were left in no doubt where George Pell stood on issues.

His deep and compassionate faith sustained him during more than 400 days in prison for alleged crimes which many, me included, believed should never have been the subject of charges. Cardinal Pell’s trust in Australia’s justice system was vindicated when the High Court of Australia unanimously quashed his conviction.

A great sports lover, having been an accomplished Australian Rules player, he then embraced the more widely played Rugby codes in Sydney. Until recent years he and his late sister were regulars during the traditional New Year Cricket Test in Sydney. We often spent time together at the cricket discussing all manner of issues.

I liked and respected the late Cardinal a lot. His passing is a great loss to the intellectual and spiritual life of our country.”

The death of George Cardinal Pell in Rome has taken from us a person of enormous influence, not only in the Catholic Church, but in the nation more generally.
He was a strong and determined religious leader. His episcopal motto was ‘be not afraid’. In the senior roles he held in the Church, he displayed consistent courage in expressing Christian views in the public space. Believers and non-believers alike were left in no doubt where George Pell stood on issues.
His deep and compassionate faith sustained him during more than 400 days in prison for alleged crimes which many, me included, believed should never have been the subject of charges. Cardinal Pell’s trust in Australia’s justice system was vindicated when the High Court of Australia unanimously quashed his conviction.
A great sports lover, having been an accomplished Australian Rules player, he then embraced the more widely played Rugby codes in Sydney. Until recent years he and his late sister were regulars during the traditional New Year Cricket Test in Sydney. We often spent time together at the cricket discussing all manner of issues.
I liked and respected the late Cardinal a lot. His passing is a great loss to the intellectual and spiritual life of our country.”
Teal independents say safeguard mechanism revamp ‘falls short’ and has ‘room for improvement’
Zali Steggall, the federal member for Warringah, says the Albanese government’s proposed changes to the safeguard mechanism “falls short”.
Kate Chaney, the federal member for Curtin, thinks there is “room for improvement”, but says the proposal still “looks pretty good”.
The New South Wales anti-corruption watchdog says it is now unlikely to finalise its probe into the former premier Gladys Berejiklian before the March election, citing the complexity of the investigation.
Operation Keppel began as an investigation into the former Wagga Wagga MP Daryl Maguire before widening to include Berejiklian after details of her “close personal relationship” with him were revealed in 2020.
Berejiklian resigned as premier in 2021 after the Independent Commission Against Corruption revealed it had widened its probe to include whether she broke the law by failing to report his alleged conduct. Berejiklian repeatedly denied any alleged wrongdoing, including during her grilling at a fresh set of hearings in October 2021.
The commission had been expected to hand down its findings last year, but it has repeatedly pushed the finalised report, including as recently as October.
On Wednesday the commission confirmed the commissioner, Ruth McColl, was “continuing her work in relation to the Operation Keppel report” but was now unlikely to deliver the final report until the second quarter of this year.
In a statement, the commission said:

Substantial parts of the report have been drafted. At the same time, it must be recognised that the report concerns complex matters of law and fact, two public inquiries which proceeded over 30 days, over 2,800 pages of transcript, 516 exhibits comprising approximately 10,600 pages and 957 pages of submissions (the last of which were received on 18 October 2022).

It is necessary that the issues relevant to the investigation are addressed carefully. Ms McColl is working to complete a draft of the report as soon as possible but, given these matters, it is not possible to specify a date by which it will be completed.

Substantial parts of the report have been drafted. At the same time, it must be recognised that the report concerns complex matters of law and fact, two public inquiries which proceeded over 30 days, over 2,800 pages of transcript, 516 exhibits comprising approximately 10,600 pages and 957 pages of submissions (the last of which were received on 18 October 2022).
It is necessary that the issues relevant to the investigation are addressed carefully. Ms McColl is working to complete a draft of the report as soon as possible but, given these matters, it is not possible to specify a date by which it will be completed.
It said that once the report was complete it would still need to be subjected to “review, editing and production processes” and was “now unlikely” to be handed in during the first quarter of the year. Icac said:
On the information presently available the Commission anticipates it is more likely to be available for furnishing in the second quarter of 2023.
Abuse survivor network calls for Catholic church to avoid funeral service with full honours for Pell
SNAP, a network of 25,000 abuse survivors based in the United States, has called for the Catholic church to avoid a “funeral service with full honors for Cardinal Pell”.
In a statement, the group said:

We hope Catholic officials will show compassion to abuse victims and betrayed Catholics by avoiding a funeral service with full honors for Cardinal Pell. Restraint would be appropriate unless the church hierarchy wants to deepen already deep wounds.

In our view, Pell’s serious wrongdoing is already ignored and minimized by the church’s hierarchy.

We hope Catholic officials will show compassion to abuse victims and betrayed Catholics by avoiding a funeral service with full honors for Cardinal Pell. Restraint would be appropriate unless the church hierarchy wants to deepen already deep wounds.
In our view, Pell’s serious wrongdoing is already ignored and minimized by the church’s hierarchy.
The group encouraged abuse survivors to seek support from trusted friends and families or from support groups.
Louise Milligan: ‘Think about how painful it is’ for victim survivors
ABC reporter Louise Milligan, who has reported extensively on Cardinal Pell, tells ABC News how alleged survivors of child abuse may take news of Pell’s death.

This is the end of a very dark chapter in the life of the Australian church which is connected to the life of the international church. George Pell was at the pinnacle of that history in Australia and then rose to become the third most senior Catholic in the world.

For victims and survivors, including complainants who made allegations against him, it is, I think, still brings up all of that pain. And the pain never goes away.

I would always say to people to think about those people. Think about how painful it is for those people and have a bit of empathy and kindness towards those people.

This is the end of a very dark chapter in the life of the Australian church which is connected to the life of the international church. George Pell was at the pinnacle of that history in Australia and then rose to become the third most senior Catholic in the world.
For victims and survivors, including complainants who made allegations against him, it is, I think, still brings up all of that pain. And the pain never goes away.
I would always say to people to think about those people. Think about how painful it is for those people and have a bit of empathy and kindness towards those people.
Aerial shots show Broome-bound freight pushing through roads inundated with water, amid flooding in Western Australia.
Community disenchantment means Catholic church’s influence ‘waning rapidly’: Francis Sullivan
Francis Sullivan, CEO of the Truth, Justice and Healing Council, tells ABC news the Catholic church’s influence is “waning rapidly”.

We saw through the royal commission the absolute horror the community felt when it realised the degree to which the church would conceal and do everything to protect its image, even though the damage to survivors was so obvious.

And the persistence and inertia that the hierarchy of the church has demonstrated for decades has only led to great disenchantment and disinterest now, from so many Catholics and the wider community. And in turn, the church’s influence in areas where it should have quite a lot of it is waning rapidly.

We saw through the royal commission the absolute horror the community felt when it realised the degree to which the church would conceal and do everything to protect its image, even though the damage to survivors was so obvious.
And the persistence and inertia that the hierarchy of the church has demonstrated for decades has only led to great disenchantment and disinterest now, from so many Catholics and the wider community. And in turn, the church’s influence in areas where it should have quite a lot of it is waning rapidly.
On Pell’s handling of sexual abuse complaints against clergy, Sullivan says:
The whole sex abuse scandal is prominent because he, along with others, administered the church in a period where they sought to contain rather than be completely open.
The Truth, Justice and Healing Council was established by Catholic representative bodies in response to the royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse.
Global economic growth forecast downgraded by nearly half
The World Bank has downgraded its global economic growth forecast for 2023 by almost half – from 3% to just 1.7%.
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, says “this report leaves little no doubt the international economy is facing its third crisis in 15 years – following the hammer blows caused by the GFC and pandemic”.

We should be optimistic about the future of our economy and our country but realistic about what the deteriorating international outlook means for us in Australia.

Global prospects in 2023 will be shaped by the energy shock caused by the war in Ukraine, China’s Covid management, the fate of major economies, and the trajectory, severity and impact of interest rate rises around the world. And here in Australia, we know all too well our communities and economy are also facing greater threats from floods, fire, storms and drought.

While Australia won’t be immune from a global slowdown, the Albanese government is continuing its work towards creating a stronger, more inclusive and more resilient economy that can better withstand future shocks.

We should be optimistic about the future of our economy and our country but realistic about what the deteriorating international outlook means for us in Australia.
Global prospects in 2023 will be shaped by the energy shock caused by the war in Ukraine, China’s Covid management, the fate of major economies, and the trajectory, severity and impact of interest rate rises around the world. And here in Australia, we know all too well our communities and economy are also facing greater threats from floods, fire, storms and drought.
While Australia won’t be immune from a global slowdown, the Albanese government is continuing its work towards creating a stronger, more inclusive and more resilient economy that can better withstand future shocks.
Thanks for your attention this Wednesday morning. Take it away, Rafqa Touma!
Snap analysis on US jostling on Aukus
It’s worth taking a moment to step through why a group of US politicians felt the need to write to Joe Biden in strong support of the Aukus security deal – and where the points of contention remain as key decisions loom.
Under Aukus, Australia plans acquire at least eight nuclear-powered submarines with the help of the US and the UK, and March looms as the deadline for more details about which design will be adopted and the timeframe for construction. That’s why there is an uptick in activity to bed down exactly how this might be achieved.
The letter to the US president, published overnight, was signed by nine US House of Representatives members from both parties, including Democratic representative Joe Courtney who led the effort.
They were implicitly pushing back at an argument advanced recently by two key senators about risks to the US’s own submarine needs if the Biden administration agrees to sell one or two Virginia-class submarines to Australia this decade. The idea has been floated as a potential way to bridge the gap before Australia is ready to start building its own nuclear-powered submarines in Adelaide. Domestically built ones may not start to be operational until the late 2030s or early 2040s, but Australia’s existing conventional Collins class submarines will start to be retired in the late 2030s.
The stopgap idea is clearly being taken seriously by the Biden administration. But it’s well known that the US production line is already under stress as the US navy seeks to ramp up construction of its own submarines.
That is what led Democratic senator Jack Reed – the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee – and then-Republican senator James Inhofe to implore Biden not to stress “the US submarine industrial base to the breaking point”. Reed and Inhofe raised concern that “what was initially touted as a ‘do no harm’ opportunity to support Australia and the United Kingdom and build long-term competitive advantages for the US and its Pacific allies, may be turning into a zero-sum game for scarce, highly advanced US [nuclear submarines]”.
But the new letter by the Courtney-led bipartisan group says the US will gain from providing “our closest ally with an undersea capability to better posture itself in the region”. Courtney’s grouping says while it is essential for the US to stick to its own plan to build a minimum of two submarines a year to meet its own requirements, “we are supportive of expanding the industrial base to meet Aukus expectations”.

Far from a zero-sum game, the potential for the United States to provide or build new submarines under Aukus, should that be the recommendation of the trilateral consultation, could very well be a ‘rising tide that lifts all boats’ …

We particularly believe that an expansion of our industrial base beyond two submarines would support the early provisioning of existing Virginia class submarines to be made available concurrent with the retirement of the Collins class attack submarines. These realities should not be viewed as a reason not to pursue US build submarine options in Aukus but rather as a unique opportunity to leverage the support and resources possible under Aukus to grow our industrial base to support both US and Australian submarine construction, recognizing that the full fruition of Aukus over many decades will result in Australia’s ability to domestically produce nuclear-powered submarines.

Far from a zero-sum game, the potential for the United States to provide or build new submarines under Aukus, should that be the recommendation of the trilateral consultation, could very well be a ‘rising tide that lifts all boats’ …
We particularly believe that an expansion of our industrial base beyond two submarines would support the early provisioning of existing Virginia class submarines to be made available concurrent with the retirement of the Collins class attack submarines. These realities should not be viewed as a reason not to pursue US build submarine options in Aukus but rather as a unique opportunity to leverage the support and resources possible under Aukus to grow our industrial base to support both US and Australian submarine construction, recognizing that the full fruition of Aukus over many decades will result in Australia’s ability to domestically produce nuclear-powered submarines.
It should be pointed out that none of the US politicians who have been active on either side of this debate have been hostile to the broad security partnership known as Aukus. The contention is about exactly how the US can help Australia in the short to medium term without undermining its own submarine needs.
For his part, Reed popped up on Twitter overnight to made clear his recent letter should not be seen as opposing Aukus; he just wanted “responsible oversight and a stable industrial base”. Reed said Aukus was “central to ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific, dramatically improving the capabilities of our allies, and increasing our engagement in the region”.
Expect to see this debate heating up in the weeks ahead.
Number of job vacancies slide further but remain far above pre-Covid levels
Another key number out today from the ABS is the one for job vacancies, and that result is a slight down arrow.
In November, vacancies totalled 444,000 – down 5% or 23,000 – from the August reading. That tally is now off 8% from the May peak.
The number of job openings, though, remains high by historic measures, and is still almost double the pre-Covid level of 228,000.
The number of businesses reporting at least one vacancy is still rising, with about 28% of firms looking for staff, according to Bjorn Jarvis, head of labour statistics at the ABS.
Jarvis said:
These figures continue to show the high demand for workers across many businesses and all industries, in a tight labour market.
Interestingly, vacancies to work in the public sector were up 6% while those in the private sector were down by that margin, compared with August.
Such large vacancy numbers might suggest the jobless rate, at 3.4% in November, might have further to fall before it inevitably starts to climb as the higher interest rates start to drag on the economy.
Next up, some retail numbers that are mildly therapeutic.
Father of deceased ex-choirboy will continue civil action against Pell despite cardinal’s death
A father of a deceased ex-choirboy who alleged that Cardinal George Pell sexually abused him while he was archbishop of Melbourne will continue his civil action against the cardinal despite his death.
Pell was acquitted in 2020 after the high court quashed his convictions for child sexual assault related to allegations he molested two choirboys in the sacristy at St Patrick’s Cathedral while he was archbishop of Melbourne in 1996.
He served 13 months in prison before being released.
One of the choirboys died aged 31 from a drug overdose. His father filed a civil claim against the Catholic archdiocese of Melbourne and Pell in the supreme court in July last year.
The man is suing for damages for psychological injury, which he claims he suffered after learning of the allegations his son had been sexually abused.
The case is being defended.
His lawyer, Shine Lawyers chief legal officer, Lisa Flynn, has issued the following statement:

Shine Lawyers is progressing a civil claim on behalf of the father of a former altar boy who alleged he was sexually abused by George Pell.

The Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne is also listed as a defendant in this matter.

The claim will continue against the church and whatever estate Pell has left behind.

A civil trial likely would have provided the opportunity to cross examine Pell, and truly test his defence against these allegations.

There is still a great deal of evidence for this claim to rely on, and the court will be asked in due course to make its ruling on that evidence.

Shine Lawyers is progressing a civil claim on behalf of the father of a former altar boy who alleged he was sexually abused by George Pell.
The Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne is also listed as a defendant in this matter.
The claim will continue against the church and whatever estate Pell has left behind.
A civil trial likely would have provided the opportunity to cross examine Pell, and truly test his defence against these allegations.
There is still a great deal of evidence for this claim to rely on, and the court will be asked in due course to make its ruling on that evidence.
Taking questions, Albanese is asked about Cardinal George Pell’s death. He expresses his condolences for those mourning and says it will “come as a shock to many”. He also says the Department of Foreign Affairs is assisting bringing Pell’s body back to Australia.

For many people, particularly of the Catholic faith, this will be a difficult day and I express my condolences to all those who are mourning today. I discussed with Archbishop Fisher this morning, I expressed my condolences to Archbishop Fisher on behalf of the government.

Archbishop Fisher informed me that there will be a service held in the Vatican in coming days but then there will be a service at St Mary’s Cathedral at sometime in the future.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade trade [is] providing assistance to ensure that Cardinal Pell is brought back to Australia and those arrangements are being put in place and further announcements will be made when they are finalised.

For many people, particularly of the Catholic faith, this will be a difficult day and I express my condolences to all those who are mourning today. I discussed with Archbishop Fisher this morning, I expressed my condolences to Archbishop Fisher on behalf of the government.
Archbishop Fisher informed me that there will be a service held in the Vatican in coming days but then there will be a service at St Mary’s Cathedral at sometime in the future.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade trade [is] providing assistance to ensure that Cardinal Pell is brought back to Australia and those arrangements are being put in place and further announcements will be made when they are finalised.
Asked whether he will be attending the funeral, Albanese said:
It hasn’t been set yet for when, for any of those dates. There will be an event in the coming days in the Vatican and that will be held as appropriate. The announcements will be made, they haven’t been finalised yet of course, this will come as a shock to many. This was a hip operation and the consequences of it unfortunately have been that Cardinal Pell has lost his life, and I’ll express my condolences to all those who will be mourning today.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is speaking live from Rockhampton in Queensland. He’s speaking about new funding being brought forward for the Rocky Ring Road despite the project being stalled under the previous government.
Now that you have a federal Labor government working with the Queensland Labor government, we are getting on with this project, and that is why we have brought forward $280m to commence a project that will cost more than $1bn. We are still doing the final costing because it wasn’t done properly by the former government.
Albanese says the project will mean more than 2,600 heavy vehicles are taken off Rockhampton CBD every day which will improve efficiency and road safety.
Consumer prices in November were up 7.3% from a year earlier, with the cost of food, transport and new houses rising the most, the Australian Bureau of Statistics says.
In the first batch of notable ABS stats for the year, headline CPI quickened in the month from the 6.9% pace recorded in October. Analysts had been tipping 7.2%, so the outcome was slightly above those expectations.
Within the mix, the cost of building a new home rose 9.6% from a year earlier. Food and non-alcoholic beverages were 9.4% more pricey, while transport was 9% more expensive.
The trimmed mean measure of inflation, which the Reserve Bank is interested in, rose 5.6% from a year earlier, or slightly above the 5.5% market consensus.
Prior to today’s numbers, investors had tipped a roughly three-in-five chance the RBA would hike its key interest rate another 25 basis points when its board meets early next month. Such a rise would extend the record series of rate rises to nine, and bring the cash rate to 3.35%.
That’s getting a bit ahead of things, but today’s CPI numbers on the margin will likely increase the odds of that rate rise on 7 February.
A couple of other economic stats to look at … stay tuned.
Australia’s lucrative international student sector appears set for a huge boost due to improving relations with China.
Government data shows Chinese student visa holders more than halved between 2019 and 2022, falling from 165,149 to 78,234 during the pandemic period.
China’s ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, said yesterday “bad political relations” had contributed to students’ reluctance to come to Australia, but more stability in the relationship should see that trend reversed. He told reporters:

Some Chinese students are not happy with the policies and then they might be hesitant to come to study.

Once we have an improvement [in the] relationship, that absolutely is going to send messages to students [that] you should have confidence about the future, you should have confidence about the relationship between the two countries, you should have confidence to come back to study in Australia.

Some Chinese students are not happy with the policies and then they might be hesitant to come to study.
Once we have an improvement [in the] relationship, that absolutely is going to send messages to students [that] you should have confidence about the future, you should have confidence about the relationship between the two countries, you should have confidence to come back to study in Australia.
Xiao said “absolutely extraordinary” policies for international students could also deter students from coming to Australia. Student visa holders require approval from the Department of Home Affairs to switch courses and some require initial approval before they can begin a course.
Xiao said:
Some of the policies by the previous government, they have been a negative influence on Chinese students’ attitudes to come to study in this country. This is absolutely extraordinary … this is very much not a normal kind of practice in many other countries.
Australia’s international student sector was valued at a cool $40bn in 2019.
The employment and workplace relations minister, Tony Burke, said the Labor government was approaching Chinese-Australian relations differently from its predecessors. He told Nine:
… the refrain now is, you cooperate where you can, you disagree where you must, and you pursue the national interest. Out of that we have seen a thawing of relationships; things are much better than they were twelve months ago.
– AAP
Reports Pell’s body will be flown back to Australia for burial
Cardinal George Pell has died in Rome, but Catholic media outlet Crux Now is reporting his body will be flown back to Australia for burial.
Pell will be flown back to Australia following his Vatican funeral, and he will be buried in St. Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney, where he served as archbishop for 13 years before moving to the Vatican.
The president of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe, has just issued a statement on the death of George Pell.
Costelloe said Pell had provided “strong and clear leadership” for the church in Australia.

The world, as his Vatican appointments as Prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy and as a member of the Council of Cardinals, an advisory group to Pope Francis, testify.

Cardinal Pell’s impact on the life of the Church in Australia and around the world will continue to be felt for many years. As we remember him and reflect on his legacy, I invite all Catholics and other people of goodwill to join in praying for Cardinal Pell, a man of deep and abiding faith, and for the repose of his soul.

The world, as his Vatican appointments as Prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy and as a member of the Council of Cardinals, an advisory group to Pope Francis, testify.
Cardinal Pell’s impact on the life of the Church in Australia and around the world will continue to be felt for many years. As we remember him and reflect on his legacy, I invite all Catholics and other people of goodwill to join in praying for Cardinal Pell, a man of deep and abiding faith, and for the repose of his soul.
Government considering introducing carbon tariffs, Bowen says
Circling back to the ABC Radio interview with the energy minister, Chris Bowen, following the government’s changes to the safeguard mechanism yesterday:
Bowen said the government is considering introducing carbon tariffs in the way that the EU has talked about doing, so that Australian businesses now facing these obligations remain competitive internationally.
Yes, this is something we should look at alongside all the other options available to government to ensure that now that Australia has a decent climate policy, Australian industry is guided on that, and just as Europe has gone down this road, Australia will consider its options alongside other options.
Returning back to the Aukus submarines, which have been in the news since a US senator expressed concerns about what the deal would mean for America’s own defence capabilities.
A bipartisan coalition of members of congress have written to the president, Joe Biden, expressing their support not only for Aukus but for the commitment to help Australian develop its nuclear powered submarine capability.
We write to reiterate strong support not just for the Australian-United Kingdom-United States security pact (Aukus) but also, in particular, the commitment to develop an Australian nuclear powered submarine capability.
You can see their full letter here:
Archbishop of Melbourne confirms George Pell died of heart complications following hip surgery
The archbishop of Melbourne, Peter A Comensoli, has confirmed George Pell died of heart complications following hip surgery in Rome. In a statement, he said:

It is with great sadness that I have learned that Cardinal George Pell, the seventh Archbishop of Melbourne, has died overnight from heart complications following hip surgery in Rome, Italy.

Cardinal Pell was a very significant and influential Church leader, both in Australia and internationally, deeply committed to Christian discipleship.

Cardinal Pell led the local Church of Melbourne from 1996 to 2001 with strong leadership in the Catholic faith and with good governance, before being transferred to Sydney and then to Rome.

At this immediate moment, let our prayers go out to the God of Jesus Christ, whom Cardinal Pell wholeheartedly believed in and followed, that he may be welcomed into eternal life.

Our prayers of comfort and condolence are also with his family, especially his only surviving sibling David Pell.

May eternal light shine upon him, and may he now rest in peace and rise to glory in the Lord.

It is with great sadness that I have learned that Cardinal George Pell, the seventh Archbishop of Melbourne, has died overnight from heart complications following hip surgery in Rome, Italy.
Cardinal Pell was a very significant and influential Church leader, both in Australia and internationally, deeply committed to Christian discipleship.
Cardinal Pell led the local Church of Melbourne from 1996 to 2001 with strong leadership in the Catholic faith and with good governance, before being transferred to Sydney and then to Rome.
At this immediate moment, let our prayers go out to the God of Jesus Christ, whom Cardinal Pell wholeheartedly believed in and followed, that he may be welcomed into eternal life.
Our prayers of comfort and condolence are also with his family, especially his only surviving sibling David Pell.
May eternal light shine upon him, and may he now rest in peace and rise to glory in the Lord.
Australian charities forced to spend millions to deal with donation dumping
Australian charities are forking out millions of dollars to deal with donation “dumping” amid increasing demands for their help as the cost-of-living crisis bites.
The St Vincent de Paul Society in South Australia knew that the Christmas break increased the risk of donated goods being left strewn across the ground outside bins, so it organised daily cleanouts of the bins – but it wasn’t enough. Images show piles of goods stretching the length of its storefront in Mount Barker.
In the end, it had to hire trucks to remove the goods, some of which will end up in landfill.
Related: ‘We can’t police it’: Australian charities forced to spend millions to deal with donation dumping
WA bushfire threats downgraded
Two bushfires that threatened properties in Western Australia have been downgraded from emergency warnings to watch and act alerts.
Residents near a fire burning east of Donnybrook in the state’s southwest were told on Tuesday they were in danger and should evacuate. The warning was issued for people in parts of Beelerup, Brookhampton and Charley Creek, and an evacuation centre was opened at Donnybrook Recreation Centre.
That blaze was downgraded to watch and act on Wednesday morning.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services said the fire, caused by lightning, was stationary but not contained or controlled, with 30 firefighters building and strengthening containment lines.
Meanwhile, a second blaze that on Tuesday threatened homes about 10km southeast of Bridgetown in the rural areas of Sunnyside, Kingston and Yornup has also been downgraded from an emergency warning to a watch and act.
The fire started near the intersection of Gomm Lane and Kingston Roads on Sunnyside, in the state’s heavily wooded southwest.
An earlier blaze threatening homes near the tiny town of Kununoppin, north of Merredin, has been contained.
– AAP
The Archbishop of Sydney, Anthony Fisher, has released a statement on the death of George Pell. He says:
It is with deep sadness that I can confirm His Eminence, George Cardinal Pell, passed away in Rome in the early hours of this morning. This news comes as a great shock to all of us. Please pray for the repose of the soul of Cardinal Pell, for comfort and consolation for his family and for all of those who loved him and are grieving him at this time.
You can read the Guardian’s obituary for Cardinal George Pell, who has died aged 81, here:
Related: Cardinal George Pell, Australia’s most powerful Catholic, who was dogged by scandal – obituary
Cardinal George Pell has died in Vatican City, aged 81.
Cardinal Pell, the former Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne, died on Tuesday evening, AAP has confirmed.
He was the Vatican’s top finance minister before he left in 2017 to stand trial in Australia for child abuse offences.
In 2020, Pell was cleared on appeal of his 2018 conviction for molesting two teenage choirboys in the sacristy at St Patrick’s Cathedral while he was Archbishop of Melbourne in 1996. The convictions were quashed in an unanimous decision by the high court.
Next big wet may be in north Queensland and heat builds in the south
PM Anthony Albanese and other government ministers have lately been out to the Kimberley in the nation’s north-west to inspect flood damage.
We’re approaching halfway in the cyclone season, so there could be more places to visit to inspect the disasters that the climate change minister, Chris Bowen, told us earlier in the week were becoming “less natural” as the planet heats up.
A look at the Bureau of Meteorology’s rain forecasts suggest the north Queensland coastline could see some sizeable accumulated rainfall totals over the next week or so.
The south, meanwhile, has been warming up, and another heatwave is on the way for the south-east in the next few days.
Melbourne is looking at a top of 38C on Saturday, the latest bout of peaky hot days this summer. Adelaide is also tracking for a toasty 37-38C on Friday and Saturday.
By contrast, Sydney is yet to clock a 30C day this summer (with 29.7C in December the nearest miss so far). A few days over the next week may nudge 29C and perhaps tick over the 30C level for the first time since last February.
Hamish McDonald asks Bowen about the $600m fund that has been set up to help cover the costs of decarbonisation, and how the government justifies subsidising big business. Bowen says it’s in the national interest and a continuation of previous Labor policies to advance the transition to net zero.
McDonald:
Many of these businesses are trading … against businesses overseas. There will be an impact on their capacity to operate because of these obligations, and you’re making grants available to them from a $600m fund to help cover the cost of decarbonising. These are big businesses. They are enormous polluters, why should taxpayers be subsidising these businesses transition programs?
Bowen:

Because this is a national endeavour. Because it is vital for those companies to make this transition but it’s also vital for our country … We need to be all in, and these companies need to be all in and they are in many instances making many hundreds of millions … billions of dollars of investment, including big traditional fossil fuel industries, and they know they need to do that.

Just as the CSC and Arena [Australian Renewable Energy Agency] have played a vital role in what we have achieved previously – and we’re very proud of them being Labor creations – we would not have achieved anywhere near as much without the investments [and] coinvestments as CFC and arena helping businesses make this transition.

We are … putting an obligation on businesses to decarbonise at quite an ambitious rate. We will make the $600m out of the $1.9bn, [the] powering the regions funds [are] available to help you if you can satisfy us that it is real investment in real abatement and real reductions in emissions, then this is a national endeavor.

Now we can’t afford not to be all in. We need all businesses doing all levels of government doing it, all society. And so this is a real partnership. And yes, of course, we are requiring businesses to make big investments but where we can provide that extra bit of support to provide that extra certainty and again, as I said, enabled, in some cases management to convince the boards that this is a good instance. I think this is very much in the national interest.

Because this is a national endeavour. Because it is vital for those companies to make this transition but it’s also vital for our country … We need to be all in, and these companies need to be all in and they are in many instances making many hundreds of millions … billions of dollars of investment, including big traditional fossil fuel industries, and they know they need to do that.
Just as the CSC and Arena [Australian Renewable Energy Agency] have played a vital role in what we have achieved previously – and we’re very proud of them being Labor creations – we would not have achieved anywhere near as much without the investments [and] coinvestments as CFC and arena helping businesses make this transition.
We are … putting an obligation on businesses to decarbonise at quite an ambitious rate. We will make the $600m out of the $1.9bn, [the] powering the regions funds [are] available to help you if you can satisfy us that it is real investment in real abatement and real reductions in emissions, then this is a national endeavor.
Now we can’t afford not to be all in. We need all businesses doing all levels of government doing it, all society. And so this is a real partnership. And yes, of course, we are requiring businesses to make big investments but where we can provide that extra bit of support to provide that extra certainty and again, as I said, enabled, in some cases management to convince the boards that this is a good instance. I think this is very much in the national interest.
Acting defence minister unfazed by comments from China’s ambassador
RN Breakfast host Hamish McDonald also asked Keogh about some of the more incendiary comments that came from China’s ambassador Xiao Qian’s press conference yesterday, but the acting defence minister says the rhetoric is nothing new.
Qian warned that the Aukus deal will end up as a costly mistake. However, Keogh said he does not interpret his words as a threat.
The comments that were made yesterday are the same sort of comments that China has made about the Aukus deal since it was initially announced. We’re familiar with the concern that China has raised but putting that one side I think the more important element of what was spoken about yesterday by the Chinese ambassador was the improving of the relationship that comes from a new government here in Australia and looking at how we improve those trade relationships in particular, with China reopening those markets for Australia into China.
McDonald:
Interestingly, the ambassador waged a war of words, if you want to put it that way, on the Japanese ambassador, who warned Canberra against believing too much of what China is saying. In return, the Chinese ambassador seemed to suggest that Japan could once again pose a military threat. What do you make of this style?
Keogh:
Well, again, this is not sort of rhetoric that we haven’t heard before from China, about other countries like Japan. But I don’t think we need to be getting ourselves concerned into day to day commentary on what one country said about another country in speeches like this.
McDonald:
Respectfully, this is no day to day diplomacy. I mean, the Chinese ambassador was talking about the second world war, Japan invading Australia, bombing Darwin and never apologising for it. This is fairly extraordinary stuff.
Keogh:
Look, it’s it’s, as I said before, it’s not rhetoric that we haven’t heard before.… It’s not something that it’s useful for us as a government to provide running commentary on those sort of things that have been concerns expressed between two other countries.
Australian involvement in construction of Aukus submarines important, acting defence minister says
More on submarines. In an interview with ABC Radio, the veterans affairs and acting defence minister, Matt Keogh, has reaffirmed the government’s confidence it can reach its deadline of acquiring nuclear submarines by the end of the next decade.
Asked if the government has been in contact with these US senators that have raised concerns about the procurement process and the impact on the US construction process of its own submarines, Keogh said:

We’re certainly alive to the concerns that were raised in that letter that those congressmen wrote, but we’ve been engaging with the Biden administration, very positively … The American government and the UK Government are as committed as the Australian government to this project and see that there is a pathway forward on how we will go about procuring these submarines.

The industrial base for all of the three countries – Australia included – is critical to achieving those outcomes and making sure that we’re able to grow the pie by bringing the Australian industrial base into those existing industrial bases is very important.

So it’s important for from an Australian point of view that there’s Australian involvement in the construction of these submarines … it’s important that we do grow the Australian industrial base not just to support submarines, but to support our defence capability more generally, looking at things like missile technology, for example, as well, but also to the broader Australian industry.

We’re certainly alive to the concerns that were raised in that letter that those congressmen wrote, but we’ve been engaging with the Biden administration, very positively … The American government and the UK Government are as committed as the Australian government to this project and see that there is a pathway forward on how we will go about procuring these submarines.
The industrial base for all of the three countries – Australia included – is critical to achieving those outcomes and making sure that we’re able to grow the pie by bringing the Australian industrial base into those existing industrial bases is very important.
So it’s important for from an Australian point of view that there’s Australian involvement in the construction of these submarines … it’s important that we do grow the Australian industrial base not just to support submarines, but to support our defence capability more generally, looking at things like missile technology, for example, as well, but also to the broader Australian industry.
Western Australia is facing the prospect of another natural disaster, with bushfire emergency warnings in place in the south of the state only a week after the once-in-a-century flooding in the Kimberley.
In the early hours of this morning a bushfire emergency warning was issued for parts of Beelerup, Brookhampton and Charley Creek in the Donnybrook-Balingup shire.
A watch and act warning has also been issued for the Noggerup, also in the Donnybrook-Balingup, and part of the Wellington National Park in the shire of Dardanup.
In the north of the state, a barge containing food, medicine and other essential supplies is arriving in Broome, after last week’s flooding devastated the region’s road and air infrastructure.
The roadway over the Fitzroy River, the state’s only sealed roadway to the north, was left looking as thought it “had a big bomb dropped on it” was how the emergency services minister Murray Watt described it yesterday. However, that main freight route could take more than a year to rebuild, according to Stephen Dawson, WA’s emergency services minister.
In international news, the 80th Golden Globes are due to be held today with Australians including Cate Blanchett, Margot Robbie, Hugh Jackman, Baz Lurhmann, and Elizabeth Debicki nominated for some of the top prizes.
We’re also expecting to hear from the energy minister, Chris Bowen, on ABC Radio following the government releasing their plan to revamp the safeguard mechanism.
Let’s kick off!
US senator tweets support for Aukus submarine deal
An influential US senator who warned that the Aukus pact could push the US submarine-building industry to breaking point has tweeted he is proud to support the “powerful partnership”.
Democrat Jack Reed and Republican James Inhofe wrote to the US president, Joe Biden, late last year imploring him not to let the security pact between Australia, the US and the UK come at a cost to US capability.
They urged the president not to sell Virginia-class submarines to Australia, an option that the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has been pushing as a way of filling a gap in Australia’s defence capability.
In response to the leaked letter, the Albanese government has stood by the nuclear-powered submarine project and says it remains on track.
On Tuesday, senator Reed tweeted his support for the “powerful partnership” struck in September 2021 by Biden, the then Australian prime minister Scott Morrison and the former UK leader Boris Johnson.
Reed said successful implementation of Aukus required “responsible oversight and a stable industrial base”, particularly when it came to submarine programs.
– AAP
Anniversary is opportunity for us to reflect on the mental health effects of war, Keogh says
The veteran affairs minister, Matt Keogh, says the 50th anniversary of the end of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War is “an opportunity for Australians to reflect”.
Keogh told ABC News Breakfast how the Vietnam War has shaped better understanding of mental health for contemporary veterans:

The 3,000 Australians injured and the 523 that lost their lives serving our nation … were part of the 60,000 Australians that were involved in the Vietnam war effort from Australia.

It’s really our Vietnam veteran cohort that led us to really understand the impact of war from a mental health point of view and to understand things like PTSD … what we’ve learned from that cohort has allowed us to be in a much better position to support our contemporary veterans as well.

The 3,000 Australians injured and the 523 that lost their lives serving our nation … were part of the 60,000 Australians that were involved in the Vietnam war effort from Australia.
It’s really our Vietnam veteran cohort that led us to really understand the impact of war from a mental health point of view and to understand things like PTSD … what we’ve learned from that cohort has allowed us to be in a much better position to support our contemporary veterans as well.
On whether Australia should have never gotten involved in the Vietnam war, Keogh says:

I don’t think it’s useful to reflect on if Australia should have been involved or not involved in those conflicts. What’s important is to think about the sacrifice of the individuals and their families from their involvement.

When it came to Vietnam, we had national service involved in that time, we had conscription. That led to some massive protests across Australia and a lot of negative views from Australians about that conflict. What is important … is to think about how that reflected on those individuals and there’s an opportunity in this 50th anniversary year … to be very clear in communicating to our veterans that their service is respected, and honoured, and that we thank them for that service and the sacrifice that they made and the sacrifice their families made by putting on the Australian uniform with the Australian flag and serving their nation and we thank them for that service.

I don’t think it’s useful to reflect on if Australia should have been involved or not involved in those conflicts. What’s important is to think about the sacrifice of the individuals and their families from their involvement.
When it came to Vietnam, we had national service involved in that time, we had conscription. That led to some massive protests across Australia and a lot of negative views from Australians about that conflict. What is important … is to think about how that reflected on those individuals and there’s an opportunity in this 50th anniversary year … to be very clear in communicating to our veterans that their service is respected, and honoured, and that we thank them for that service and the sacrifice that they made and the sacrifice their families made by putting on the Australian uniform with the Australian flag and serving their nation and we thank them for that service.
50 years since Australia announced withdrawal from Vietnam War
Today marks the day that Australia’s governor general officially ended Australia’s involvement in the war in Vietnam, 50 years ago. During the course of Australia’s involvement, 60,000 served in Vietnam, 523 were killed and almost 2,500 were wounded.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has taken to social media to acknowledge the anniversary and pay tribute to those Australians.
Bowen defends carbon credit review amid criticisms from whistleblower who first blew lid
McDonald also asks Bowen about some of the criticisms that have emerged from the Chubb review into Australia’s carbon credit scheme, which found the scheme did not need an overhaul.
Andrew McIntosh, the academic who initially blew the whistle with concerns about the scheme, told ABC Radio earlier this morning he found the review’s findings bewildering:
The panel has not presented any analysis or evidence to support its conclusions that there’s nothing essentially wrong with the scheme. We and others have presented a veritable mountain of evidence that there’s significant problems.
Bowen defends the independence of the review and its findings:

This panel took many many submissions, held many stakeholder groups, went out and saw these projects, went out to places like Cobar and saw the controversial methods being implemented and saw regeneration on one side of the fence and sparse environments on the other side of the fence and saw the real world impacts of this now.

Carbon credits are important, they are a complement to emissions reduction at the facility level, at the coalface if you will. They will not be ever replaced that but they are important part of the journey and I’m absolutely determined that there will be rigour.

We will take legislation through to implement the recommendations when I come to appoint the members [in] this new committee and nobody will be in any doubt. When I appoint the new members of the rigour, their independence, their credentials, their scientific background, and there will be, I think, an opportunity for great confidence in the system.

This panel took many many submissions, held many stakeholder groups, went out and saw these projects, went out to places like Cobar and saw the controversial methods being implemented and saw regeneration on one side of the fence and sparse environments on the other side of the fence and saw the real world impacts of this now.
Carbon credits are important, they are a complement to emissions reduction at the facility level, at the coalface if you will. They will not be ever replaced that but they are important part of the journey and I’m absolutely determined that there will be rigour.
We will take legislation through to implement the recommendations when I come to appoint the members [in] this new committee and nobody will be in any doubt. When I appoint the new members of the rigour, their independence, their credentials, their scientific background, and there will be, I think, an opportunity for great confidence in the system.
Long wait before flooded WA bridge reopens
A Western Australian bridge destroyed by once-in-a-century flooding could take more than a year to rebuild, the state’s emergency services minister has said.
The roadway over the Fitzroy River in the Kimberley region is the state’s only sealed roadway to the north.
The emergency services minister, Stephen Dawson, said there was significant damage to the bridge at Fitzroy Crossing and the Great Northern Highway.
Engineers and divers are expected to start inspecting the structure in the coming days to determine what can be salvaged and how much work will be required before the transport link can reopen.
Dawson told reporters:
That will give us [an] indication [of] how many months or indeed years [it will take] to build that bridge back up again. Early indications are that that work will take a significant amount of time.
He said any work was likely to start after the wet season ends.
State authorities are also looking at temporary transport alternatives, such as an old flood crossing across the river bed, and talking to the Australian Defence Force about building a temporary bridge.
In the meantime, road trains with freight for Kununurra and the Northern Territory have been diverted from southern WA in South Australia to travel up the Stuart Highway through central Australia.
A barge is also transporting essential goods from Perth Hedland to Broome, with authorities saying an airlift and boats might be the only way to reach some communities until the roadway is repaired.
– AAP
Safeguard mechanism will take 205m tonnes of carbon out of atmosphere, Bowen says
The climate change minister, Chris Bowen, yesterday released the government’s plan to revamp the safeguard mechanism, a Coalition policy that was promised to limit emissions from more than 200 industrial facilities but in practice has failed.
Now, the Albanese government says Australia’s big polluting sites from mid year will have to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 5% a year until 2030 but will face no limits on the use of carbon offsets.
Bowen is this morning speaking to ABC Radio about some the concerns that have emerged since the changes were announced, including whether there is enough incentive to reduce emissions, rather than simply buying offsets. Bowen says there “absolutely” is.

This is a very ambitious package that we announced yesterday.

5% reductions each year is an ambitious step forward, between now and 2030, it will take 205m tonnes of carbon emission out of our atmosphere.

Now that’s equivalent to two thirds of the emissions from all of Australia’s cars over that period. So this is a big deal.

This is a very ambitious package that we announced yesterday.
5% reductions each year is an ambitious step forward, between now and 2030, it will take 205m tonnes of carbon emission out of our atmosphere.
Now that’s equivalent to two thirds of the emissions from all of Australia’s cars over that period. So this is a big deal.
You can read more about the safeguard mechanism from our environment editor Adam Morton and economics correspondent Peter Hannam:
Related: Australia’s big polluters must cut emissions by nearly 5% a year, but can use offsets to get there
Fitzroy Crossing airstrip now dry enough to land larger aircraft
A “massive” disaster relief operation hits full swing in the Fitzroy River catchment area, where many people remain isolated by floodwaters and damaged roads.
More than nine tonnes of food and 10 boxes of medical supplies have been flown in to flood-ravaged Fitzroy Crossing as more planes join the airlift.
WA’s fire and emergency services commissioner, Darren Klemm, told reporters:
This is a massive operation underway to get essential supplies into that community and its surrounds.
It was earlier reported that the airstrip was too flooded to get large aircraft in, but the airstrip was now dry enough to land larger aircraft. It will significantly increase capacity to resupply the town of about 1,200.
He said:
I want to reassure the people in the Kimberley region we are bringing a significant amount of food into the region to ensure we have adequate supplies.
Authorities, with assistance from the Australian Defence Force, have also started the damage assessment and cleanup operation in the areas they can access.
– AAP

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