Australia news live: Minns staffers a no-show at inquiry into NSW caravan plot; western Sydney trains suspended after vandalism of wire

Minns staffers a no-show at inquiry into NSW caravan plot despite threat of arrest

Jordyn Beazley

More on the inquiry into the NSW government’s handling of information about the caravan “fake terrorism plot, which has just started. Independent MP Rod Roberts, who is chair of the inquiry, has just done a roll call of the five Labor staffers who were summoned to appear.

They have not arrived, and the inquiry has now been adjourned for 30 minutes.

Roberts said:

Well, it appears obviously that those witnesses are not in attendance. However, to ensure procedural fairness to witnesses, I ask a member of the committee to move a motion to adjourn the hearing for 30 minutes to allow witnesses who may be running late, stuck in a lift, can’t find this room in particular, giving them the opportunity to attend.

Key events

Wong says Iran should come ot the table:

We want dialogue, diplomacy, and we want de-escalation and we want Iran to return to the table. We want Iran to stop any nuclear weapons program. That is the call we have made and that is the call the other countries have made.

Iran has the opportunity, the president has given them the opportunity to engage in diplomacy, and they should take it.

Wong says DFAT are sending a response team to Azerbaijan to help Australians who can get to the border:

We are seeking to – in the process of getting a crisis response team into Azerbaijan and the purpose is to the Australians back into that border and that is the border crossing are most vitally exit from Tehran.

Australia will try to help people to safety over coming days and weeks – Wong

Wong:

That is what we seek to do, we are putting people on the ground in Azerbaijan, we are involved in assisting Australians and providing advice to Australians in Israel. We had another bus overnight go to Jordan, with I think some 38 people in addition to the small group the day before.

Obviously it is a challenging situation on the ground. We will seek to provide and assist people to safety in the weeks and days to come.

‘We cannot fly aircraft in or out’ – Wong

Wong says it will be extremely difficult for Australians to leave Iran because the airspace is closed. There are about 2,000 Australians and their family in Iran and around 1200 in Israel who want to evacuate.

She said:

We are really conscious it is difficult. I wish it were not so, I wish that we had more capacity to assist but the difficult reality is the situation on the ground is extremely unstable.

The security situation is obviously very difficult.

Again, I emphasise the airspace remains closed.

What that means is, we cannot fly aircraft in or out because of the security situation and because of the possibility of strikes. What we can do is what we have done, which is deploy consular staff to Azerbaijan from Tehran, [which is] eight hours. It’s the closest land crossing available, and we are doing that to assist Australians who get to the border.

Wong says ability to provide consular services in Iran ‘extremely limited’

Wong:

We urge Australians who are able to leave Iran to do so now if it is safe. Those who are not able to do so or who do not wish to leave are advised to shelter in place. We continue to plan to support Australians departing Iran and we remain in close contact with partner countries.

Unfortunately at this stage our ability to provide consular services is extremely limited.

Penny Wong is speaking now about the situation in the Middle East.

Simon Birmingham to lead Australian Banking Association

Patrick Commins

The former Coalition minister Simon Birmingham has been appointed the head of Australia’s influential banking lobby group.

The Australian Banking Association (ABA) represents the country’s largest lenders, as well as smaller players, and the former senator replaces the retiring Anna Bligh, a former Queensland premier.

Birmingham said in a statement he would always “put trust in Australia’s banking system first, pursue a competitive regulatory environment and work to ensure innovation in banking strengthens Australia’s financial interests”.

Birmingham retired at the recent election after 17 years in parliament as a senator, during which time he served as education minister and foreign affairs minister.

The banks have largely escaped political attention over recent years, after performing as part of the so-called “Team Australia” moment during the pandemic, and as other segments such as the supermarkets and energy retailers have taken the spotlight.

Simon Birmingham says he will ‘always put trust in Australia’s banking system first’. Photograph: Jono Searle/AAP

Jim Chalmers said the ABA was “fortunate to be bringing in someone of Simon Birmingham’s calibre as its new CEO”.

“I’m looking forward to engaging with him on the big issues shaping Australia’s banking sector,” he said in a statement.

Since his exit from politics, Birmingham had taken a senior role with ANZ, and will start his new role on 18 August.

Jordyn Beazley

Government staffers tell NSW caravan plot inquiry they have just cause for no-show

We have another update on the inquiry into the NSW government’s handling of information about the caravan “fake terrorism plot, which was just adjourned for 30 minutes after the staffers summoned to appear were not yet there.

The committee conducting the inquiry has published a letter that the five NSW government staffers sent to the chair of the committee, independent MP Rod Roberts, on Thursday.

They have argued against being summoned to appear, saying they have reasonable excuse and just cause for not attending.

They wrote that giving evidence at the inquiry “would be at odds with the principles of ministerial accountability and comity between the Houses of Parliament”.

The scene at the NSW inquiry, including empty seats that were to be filled by government staffers summoned to appear. Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP

In the letter the five staffers – which include three of premier Chris Minns’ staff members and two of police minister Yasmin Catley’s – wrote:

There is an outstanding inquiry by the Legislative Assembly’s Standing Committee on Parliamentary Privilege and Ethics (Standing Committee) as to the implications of the Select Committee’s inquiries on the exclusive cognisance of the Legislative Assembly, principally as a consequence of the Select Committee’s inquiries into the information that was before members of the Legislative Assembly at relevant times.

In light of recent events, we anticipate that the Standing Committee’s inquiry will consider whether the compulsion of ministerial staff to give evidence about the information before members of the Legislative Assembly infringes parliamentary privilege, or otherwise offends principles of our Westminster system of government.

In these circumstances, and particularly while the Standing Committee’s inquiries are ongoing, we consider that there is a reasonable excuse or just cause for us to not attend the hearing, and we propose not to do so. Given your comments on breakfast radio yesterday as to the motivation for issuing the summonses – which make it clear we are ‘proxies’ because our respective Ministers cannot be compelled as witnesses to the Select Committee – we also consider that they have not been properly issued.

The letter also pointed out that one staffer summoned to appear, premier Chris Minns’ deputy chief of staff, Edward Ovadia, had already informed the committee he was away for the duration of the period being looked into.

Vandalism prompts Sydney train suspensions

In Sydney, trains are suspended in both directions between Cabramatta and Granville.

Buses are replacing trains between these stations on the T2 Leppington and Inner West and T5 Cumberland lines.

The failure is due to vandalism of a signal wire at Guilford.

Currently, there are 14 rail replacement buses running, with more on the way. Passengers should allow extra travel time and also consider using a local bus services instead.

Transport minister John Graham said:

Sydney knows through bitter experience how badly a single track failure can affect services across the network.

Sydney’s train system is complex enough without adding a failure due to one idiot vandalising a signal wire.

Sydney Trains is working as fast as possible to rectify this incident.

The failure is due to vandalism of a signal wire at Guilford. Photograph: NSW government

Minns staffers a no-show at inquiry into NSW caravan plot despite threat of arrest

Jordyn Beazley

They have not arrived, and the inquiry has now been adjourned for 30 minutes.

Roberts said:

Well, it appears obviously that those witnesses are not in attendance. However, to ensure procedural fairness to witnesses, I ask a member of the committee to move a motion to adjourn the hearing for 30 minutes to allow witnesses who may be running late, stuck in a lift, can’t find this room in particular, giving them the opportunity to attend.

Jordyn Beazley

NSW government staffers due to appear at caravan plot inquiry

We will soon learn whether an inquiry into the New South Wales government’s handling of information about the caravan “fake terrorism plot” will descend into a deeper saga. Due to start in a few moments, five of the government’s staffers have been summoned to appear after declining to do so.

But it’s unclear if they will. If they don’t comply with the summons, they risk being arrested.

Yesterday premier Chris Minns reasserted that the staffers would not appear, saying the inquiry was based on a “conspiracy” that he and senior cabinet ministers deliberately misled parliament before passing controversial hate speech and protest laws.

The staffers summoned to appear include: Chris Minns chief of staff James Cullen, his deputy chief of staff Edward Ovadia, and Sarah Michael, who works in Minns’ office.

Police minister Yasmin Catley’s chief of staff, Ross Neilson, has also been summoned, and so has her deputy chief of staff, Tilly South.

Ben Doherty

Program helps hundreds of refugees settle in Australia

Launched in 2022, Crisp has helped more than 650 refugees from all around the world settle in Australia so far, under a model that has seen more than 1,000 Australians form some 140 groups to support a refugee family for a year.

The community sponsorship program is delivered by Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia (CRSA) with funding from the federal government. People first must be officially accepted as refugees by the UN’s refugee agency, UNHCR, qualifying them for resettlement under Australia’s humanitarian program.

Lisa Button, chief executive of the CSRA, says ‘everyday Australians have told us this program helps them feel empowered’. Photograph: Jessica Hromas/The Guardian

In February, the federal government announced Crisp – the community refugee integration and settlement pilot – would become a permanent feature of Australia’s overall humanitarian program.

Lisa Button of the CRSA said:

As we mark World Refugee Day this week, we applaud the work of Australians who are laying out the welcome mat and preparing to do all they can to welcome and support the settlement of refugee newcomers.

In the face of feeling helpless at a time of global uncertainty, conflict and unrest, everyday Australians have told us this program helps them feel empowered. They can do something direct and meaningful and help people in need.

Ben Doherty

Refugee families set to come to Australia among those trapped in Middle East

About a dozen refugee households who were set to arrive in Australia within weeks under a community refugee sponsorship program are among those trapped across the Middle East, trying to find flights to Australia.

The escalating conflict between Israel and Iran has shut down most air travel out of the region, and refugees on the verge of resettlement are among those left stranded.

Friday 20 June is World Refugee Day: the UN’s refugee agency estimates more than 122 million people across the world have been forced to flee their homes because of persecution, conflict, violence or human rights violations. That represents more than one in every 67 people on Earth.

Among that number were nearly 42.7 million refugees.

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The refugee households set to come to Australia were due to be welcomed by local community groups across the country as part of the community refugee integration and settlement pilot (Crisp), under which informal groups of everyday Australians are matched up with a refugee household to assist them on arrival and during their first 12 months in the country.

Lisa Button, chief executive of Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia, said several anxious Australian community groups had been preparing for the imminent arrival of refugee households of various nationalities currently residing across the Middle East.

We know this conflict is exacting a terrible toll on people in the region and that the Australian government is doing all that it can to support Australians and permanent residents on the ground.

In addition to those with family in the Middle East, there are also many Australians who have no family links in the region but who are deeply invested in seeing people brought to safety because of their involvement in the Crisp.

NSW Health issues measles alert for Sydney

NSW Health issued an alert for Sydneysiders to be on alert for signs and symptoms of measles after a confirmed case travelled through Sydney international airport on Monday.

Officials said the case recently returned from South-East Asia, where there are ongoing outbreaks of measles.

Anyone onboard Vietnam Airlines flight VN773, which arrived in Sydney around 8am Monday 16 June, or in the international arrivals and baggage area between 8am and 9.30am that day, should monitor for symptoms.

File shot of a passenger collecting their luggage at Sydney airport. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP

Dr Mitchell Smith, acting director of public health for the south-western Sydney local health district, said there was no ongoing risk in those locations, but cautioned those who may have been exposed to watch for signs.

Symptoms to watch out for include fever, sore eyes, runny nose and a cough, usually followed three or four days later by a red, blotchy rash that spreads from the head and face to the rest of the body…

We want to remind the community to make sure they are up to date with their vaccinations. The measles vaccine can prevent the disease even after exposure, if given early enough. This should be a reminder for everyone to check that they are protected against measles, which is highly infectious.

The vaccine is safe and effective, and given for free to children at 12 and 18 months of age. Anyone in NSW born after 1965 who hasn’t had two doses can also get the vaccine free.

Josh Butler

Coalition urges Labor to confirm plans for under-16s social media ban: ‘Time is ticking’

The Coalition has called on the Labor government to confirm its plans for the under-16s social media ban, saying Australians need clarity on how the ban will be enforced and what verification tools all users will need to endure to get online.

Some brief preliminary results of the age assurance trial were published today, with a short document saying the trial was progressing with some promising result. But the results flagged issues with the accuracy of some of the tools, as well as some platforms seeking to gather more private data than needed.

Shadow communications minister Melissa McIntosh says the government needs to say more about how the system will work. She said in a statement:

The social media age limit is set to commence in December this year, yet the Albanese Labor government has still not confirmed what technology or verification tools will be required to protect kids and young people online.

Melissa McIntosh says Australia ‘needs confidence in the government’s choice of technology and verification tools’. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

McIntosh noted that some experts “are already raising concerns about the accuracy of potential verification processes”, adding:

The data is reflective of increasing harms with kids’ social media use, and this is why the parliament has passed legislation for a social media age limit. But time is ticking for the government to make this happen.

Australia needs confidence in the government’s choice of technology and verification tools. We are six months away from the age limit commencing and social media companies need clarity now around what requirements must be put in place to protect our children.