Follow all the day’s news. That's it for today, thanks for reading 09:55 Here are the main stories on Friday, 29 July: The infrastructure minister, Catherine King, says a regional grants scheme that was “contaminated” by the Coalition may need an overhaul, but it has been defended by the former deputy PM Michael McCormack; At least 157 Covid deaths recorded across Australia (including 105 in Victoria that were not previously reported because of a data issue); Former home affairs minister Karen Andrews links the interception of four asylum seeker boats from Sri Lanka to the immigration policies of the new Labor government; Independent ACT senator David Pocock has his request for an Auslan interpreter in the Senate to translate his first speech denied by the major parties, who are worried about the “precedent” it would set; Jacqui Lambie and Tammy Tyrrell are the latest two senators to have staffing levels restored by the Albanese government; The ALP national executive takes over the Tasmania branch, saying it needed to intervene to rebuild the culture of the party; and The Victorian opposition leader, Matthew Guy, asks reporters to “give me a break” when questioned over comments made by candidate Moira Deeming attacking transgender rights. Enjoy the rest of your evening, we will see you back here tomorrow.   09:20 It is The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever 2022 tomorrow ... ... in which people dress as Kate Bush and recreate the film clip to her hit 1978 song. There’s not been one for a while, what with the pandemic and all, but there’s events listed across Australia tomorrow in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Canberra, Bunbury, Fremantle, Deloraine (Tasmania), Newcastle and the Bega Valley. Here’s some pictures from the 2018 event in Sydney: Related: Kate Bush fans mark 'Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever' – in pictures   09:20 Stranded humpback whale euthanised A young whale stranded on rocks near Port Macquarie has been euthanised because of fears it would not survive at sea. According to a statement from the Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (Orrca), the humpback was only a week old and was wedged between the rocks in the shallows. The statement said: The decision was made to attempt to remove the Humpback from the rocks by ORRCA volunteers, NPWS as well as local lifeguards. The rescue team worked together relocating the little whale to the closest sandy beach area to further assess the whale’s condition. Upon assessment, this Humpback was noted to be approximately only one week old and had numerous cookie cutter shark bites. It is believed that this young whale had been on its own for at least the last 24hrs before being found by a member of the public wash ashore this morning. Sadly, due to the fact this whale would still be dependent on its mother for survival and the mother could not be found, the difficult decision was made by the vets in attendance to euthanize this whale this afternoon. It would not have survived on its own if it was taken back out to sea. A juvenile humpback whale is stranded at Oxley Beach, Port Macquarie. ORRCA volunteers and National Parks and Wildlife are on site. pic.twitter.com/j5prmANhrY— Ruby Pascoe (@RubyPascoe) July 29, 2022   08:48 Mutilated animals dumped in Brisbane park AAP has this disturbing report: More than a dozen mutilated animals including a decapitated koala, dogs, birds and possums, have been discovered in an inner city Brisbane park. Horrified council workers made the macabre discovery at Toowong’s Anzac Park in the heart of the city on Thursday night. Two 44-litre drums containing soil were found at the scene, with the mutilated animal corpses placed in a pile nearby. “Officers were called to a location on Wool Street around 6.30pm after the animals, including koalas and dogs, were discovered on a grass verge,” police told AAP in a statement. “Investigations are underway into the cause of death and the circumstances leading up to them being left.” Brisbane’s Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said it was a “sick act” and the officers who stumbled on the gruesome scene had been offered counselling. “I’m saddened, disturbed and appalled at what’s occurred here,” Cr Schrinner said. “It’s now a matter for police who I hope will find the culprits so our courts can deal with them.” Police and the RSPCA have launched a joint investigation and will scour the city’s network of CCTV footage but have asked anyone with information to contact authorities.   08:41 You could do a lot worse than watching some meteors this weekend: Related: Trio of meteor showers to dazzle Australia and New Zealand – how to see and best time to view tonight and this weekend   08:40 McCormack defends grants scheme savaged by audit office AAP reports that Michael McCormack says he’s “proud” of the program: Former deputy prime minister Michael McCormack has defended a regional grants scheme following scathing findings of the program in an auditor-general report. An Australian National Audit Office examination of the former coalition government’s Building Better Regions fund found Nationals-held electorates received $100 million more than they would have if the money had been distributed on merit. The $1.15 billion fund awarded grants to 1300 projects across the country, with 65 per cent of infrastructure grants handed out to schemes not assessed as having the most merit. The report said while the program was well designed, money for projects could be overridden by a panel of ministers, which included Nationals MPs and former deputy prime ministers Barnaby Joyce and Mr McCormack. While the new Labor government has vowed to overhaul the scheme, Mr McCormack said all of the projects were properly assessed. “Local members know which project is going to serve their communities better than a bureaucrat in Canberra,” he told Sky News on Friday. “We take on board those local decision makers’ advice and then we act accordingly.” © Provided by The Guardian Michael McCormack: ‘I’m proud of what we were able to do.’ Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said she was not surprised by the report’s findings, coming off the back of similar grant funding scandals under the previous government. “Australians have got zero tolerance for this,” she told ABC TV on Friday. “Certainly, I’m determined to make sure we have clearer, fairer, transparent processes right the way across the regional grants program that I administer.” Mr McCormack said he stood by every decision made under the grants scheme, even the ones not properly documented. “I went out of my way to ensure that the Labor seats were looked after, the independent seats were looked after, sometimes at the expense of coalition seats,” he said. “I’m proud of what we were able to do.”   08:37 Bettongs released into protected reserve AAP have this report, for all the bettong freaks out there (of which I am one): Another 80 brush-tailed bettongs have been released into a protected reserve on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula as efforts continue to ensure the survival of the endangered species. In two releases during July, 36 of the marsupials were brought from the Upper Warren region in Western Australia and 44 were relocated from SA’s Wedge Island. In August last year, an initial 40 bettongs from Wedge Island were also released into their new home in the Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park, an area where they’ve been locally extinct for more than a century. Bettongs once inhabited more than 60 per cent of mainland Australia but habitat loss and introduced predators including feral cats and foxes pushed the species to the brink of extinction. © Provided by The Guardian A brush-tailed bettong is released into South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula. Photograph: Wwf Australia/PR IMAGE They are now only found in small pockets of WA, on offshore islands in SA and in a handful of fenced sanctuaries. The WA bettongs were chosen from a healthy population near Manjimup, 307 kilometres south of Perth. Representatives from the Narungga people travelled to WA to meet the traditional owners, the Noongar people, and to support ecologists and a team from the Western Australian Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions to capture the animals. The bettongs were given health checks and fitted with tracking devices before being set free. Ecologists hope the 80 new arrivals will improve genetic diversity and build resilience in the population. To help ensure their safety, a 25-kilometre predator control fence has been built across the foot of Yorke Peninsula.   08:28 Fresh calls for mask mandate in SA AAP reports on a push to reintroduce masks amid a surge in Covid cases: A leading epidemiologist has called for South Australia to reimpose a mask mandate to help bring the current wave of Covid-19 infections under control. Prof Adrian Esterman told a parliamentary committee on Friday that while the most recent wave of Omicron cases had peaked, measures were needed to lower the increasingly higher troughs between infection peaks. That would help relieve the severe pressure on the health system, he said. “If it was me in charge, I’d be introducing a face mask mandate,” Esterman said. But he said a mandate would only work if there was better messaging around what types of masks to wear, as well as how to wear them and when to wear them. “Surgical masks aren’t as good as these P2 or N95 masks. Cloth masks simply don’t work against these sub-variants,” he said. Despite his calls, the chief public health officer, Prof Nicola Spurrier, who also appeared before the committee on Friday, continued to oppose a mandate. “Masks are only one part of our mitigation strategy,” she said. “We all know that masks can help and it reduces the transmission potential by about 10%. But Spurrier said SA also needed to have a legislative ability to impose a mandate, and that was no longer the case with the lifting of the emergency declaration. She said SA Health’s views on a mask mandate or reimposing other social measures, such as density limits, could change should a more severe virus variant emerge. SA reported another 3,148 Covid-19 cases as well as eight more deaths on Friday. There are 341 people in hospital with the virus including 11 in ICU. Staffing boost for Lambie senators 08:07 Paul Karp Further to our story last Friday that One Nation and David Pocock had their staffing cuts eased, we can now report that the Jacqui Lambie Network’s two senators have had some staff restored. Guardian Australia understands that both Lambie and her Senate colleague Tammy Tyrrell will each get a total of six staff, the four electorate office staff, one adviser and one assistant adviser. That’s up from five, which is what Anthony Albanese first proposed, and what crossbench MPs currently get, except those in regional areas. The United Australia party’s Ralph Babet is meeting the prime minister next week.   07:52 ALP national executive intervenes in Tasmania branch AAP has this report on the news we brought you earlier: Labor’s national executive has taken over the party’s Tasmanian branch after years of bitter infighting and poor showings at recent state and federal polls. The party on Friday announced the operations of the state conference and current administrative committee would be suspended for up to three years. Labor has been in opposition in Tasmania since 2014, with the party suffering a swing against it at the May federal election despite widespread success on the mainland. State Labor leader Rebecca White, who has led the party to election losses in 2018 and 2021, said the party’s culture needed to improve. “We need all arms of the party to be working smarter, and better together. Our party was not at its best last year,” she said. She said the party needed to be more inclusive and have appropriate mechanisms for the handling of complaints and disputes. Ms White quit as leader following the 2021 loss but was reinstated several weeks later after her replacement David O’Byrne resigned from the role following accusations he harassed a junior employee years ago. First term upper house member Bastian Seidel quit politics in August, slamming a toxic party environment and leaks. Former state president Ben McGregor stood down as a candidate in the lead-up to the 2021 state poll over inappropriate text messages he sent to a colleague seven years ago. He subsequently threatened Ms White with legal action after she said he wasn’t fit to sit in parliament. Former senators Doug Cameron and Nick Sherry have been appointed as administrators of the branch and will be responsible for governance and administration. “Tasmanian Labor needs a circuit-breaker to rebuild,” national secretary Paul Erickson said in a statement. “This intervention is about improving the culture of the branch, reinstating trust, respect, transparency and a party-first approach to internal decision-making.” Mr Erickson said the decision was supported by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Labor holds two of five federal seats in Tasmania. It won nine of 25 lower house seats at last year’s state poll.   07:42 Pretty wild picture from the NT, via the ABC. Shocking photos show tourists standing metres away from the croc-infested water at Cahills Crossing in Kakadu @abcdarwin pic.twitter.com/l5EpMQnU6t— Samantha Dick (@samanthadick00) July 29, 2022   07:35 Just on the top of the Covid wave again, Victorians. Here’s to a smooth ride down the face and into a glorious spring. . @VictorianCHO “We’re probably at peak of wave right now, I expect we’ll see a flattening of numbers and decrease in coming days,” @SkyNewsAust #springst pic.twitter.com/OO4o4hiAT8— Simon Love (@SimoLove) July 29, 2022 Karen Andrews links June asylum seeker boat arrivals to Labor policy 07:25 Josh Butler Former home affairs minister Karen Andrews has linked the interception of four asylum seeker boats from Sri Lanka last month to the immigration policies of the new Labor government. But missing from the former cabinet minister’s criticism was mention of the ongoing economic and social turmoil in Sri Lanka, a situation the home affairs minister, Clare O’Neil, said the government was working to address. In June, directly following the 21 May election of the Albanese government, Operation Sovereign Borders said four people-smuggling boats were discovered on their way from Sri Lanka. Andrews said it was the highest monthly total of boat arrivals since 2015. In a statement the Australian Border Force said: Australian authorities intercepted four maritime people smuggling ventures from Sri Lanka with a total of 125 Sri Lankan nationals on board. All 125 passengers and crew were safely returned to Sri Lanka in close cooperation with the Sri Lankan government. Sri Lanka has experienced months of upheaval and unrest as anti-government protests agitated for the removal of the country’s former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa following economic troubles, a financial crisis, shortages of food, petrol and power. Andrews linked the boat arrivals to Labor’s plan to abolish temporary protection visas, which the former Coalition government said was a key component of their border protection strategy. She tweeted, “Labor should not be weakening our borders by abolishing temporary protection visas,” accompanied by a video with the caption “keep TPVs, the people smugglers are watching”. Today the Australian Border Force released a report showing the largest number of boats interceptions since 2015. Labor should not be weakening our borders by abolishing Temporary Protection visas. pic.twitter.com/p2bKLgpZXy— Karen Andrews MP (@karenandrewsmp) July 29, 2022 We’ve contacted O’Neil’s office for comment. Last week, the minister said in an ABC interview that the government was working to support Sri Lanka through its ongoing turmoil. O’Neil visited Sri Lanka shortly after taking government, and said the two countries were working to address crime and people smuggling. She told Radio National: Australia is safest in a region of prosperous, functional, strong democracies, of which Sri Lanka was one until very recently. So, we have an absolute national interest here in helping this country get back on its feet. O’Neil drew a link in her interview between Sri Lanka’s situation and potential people smuggling ventures, reiterating the fact that Australian border policy had not changed. She said: The most important thing for me to do in my position is to just continue to reiterate to people that Operation Sovereign Borders is Australian government policy. Don’t get on a boat and think that you are going to be able to make a life in Australia. You will be turned back. There are other ways that we can help Sri Lanka. But coming on a boat is not a pathway to come to Australia. And I would just urge Sri Lankans to understand that there has been no change in government policy.   07:16 Benita Kolovos Matthew Guy dismisses concerns over candidate’s transgender comments Victorian opposition leader, Matthew Guy, has asked reporters to “give me a break” when questioned over comments made by Liberal candidate Moira Deeming attacking transgender rights and her claim LGBTQ+ children were being taught to be “narcissistic”. Deeming, a teacher and Melton councillor, was preselected at the weekend to represent the Liberals in the Western Metropolitan Region, replacing outspoken MP Bernie Finn ahead of the November state election. In a 2020 interview, Deeming described Victoria’s Safe Schools program as created by “paedophilia apologists”, claimed teachers were actively trying to change children’s gender and sexual identity, and criticised initiatives aimed at celebrating gay and transgender students, saying they were “teaching them to be really narcissistic”. The full story is here: Related: ‘In the past’: Matthew Guy dismisses concerns over Victorian Liberal candidate’s attacks on transgender rights   06:57 Brett Sutton to give Victoria Covid update at 4.15pm In a somewhat triggering moment, we’ve just received word that the Victorian chief health officer, Brett Sutton, is going to be providing a Covid update around 4.15pm. Remember when we always feared that the later it was, the worse the news would be? And Friday arvo is absolute take out the trash time ... but I’m sure it’s nothing.   06:27 Melissa Davey Chief medical officer calls for end to debate over deaths ‘with or from’ Covid Australia’s chief medical officer, Prof Paul Kelly, has called for an end to the debate as to whether people “die with or of Covid,” as Covid deaths in Australia exceed 11,500. Speaking at the Australian Medical Association (AMA) national conference this afternoon about lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic, Kelly said 72% of Australia’s Covid deaths have occurred this year, and in 85% of those cases “Covid primarily or absolutely” contributed to the death. Politicians have previously been accused of being insensitive for implying that because those who died after being infected with Covid were already in palliative care they would have died soon anyway. “We need to put to bed this issue of ‘with or due to’ Covid,” Kelly said, making it clear that Covid is cutting people’s lives tragically short. He said over 65% of deaths are in people over 80 years old, and that he has written to all aged care facilities saying residents diagnosed with Covid deserve access to a GP within 24 hours of a Covid diagnosis so they can potentially be prescribed life-saving antivirals. In regards to mask mandates, he said those were decisions for politicians. Kelly said he has been asked by the health minister to begin some strategic planning and consultation around establishing a centre for disease control, which was one of the Labor government’s election promises. The pandemic renewed calls for a national, coordinated response to diseases, with Australia the only OECD country without a centre for disease control. The conference session was interrupted at the very end by an anti-vaccination protester, whose microphone was quickly shut off before he was escorted from the building. Nationals leader hits back at infrastructure minister over regional grants 06:20 Josh Butler The Nationals leader, David Littleproud, has hit back after government criticism following the audit office’s analysis of the Building Better Regions fund, defending the fact his party’s seats got far more cash than the merit-based process recommended. The infrastructure minister, Catherine King, responded, accusing the Nationals of having their “hands in the cookie jar”. The audit office found Nationals seats got more than $100m of extra funding due to the way the Coalition ran the scheme, ignoring recommendations from the department and considering “other factors” to choose which projects to fund. Liberal seats got twice as many grants as Labor seats. Littleproud said in a statement: Hardly surprising Nationals seats received more funding than Liberal and Labor seats under the Building Better Regions Fund, it was for regional Australia and we represent most of it. Projects funded are focused on improving and strengthening regional communities and I challenge the Labor government to maintain such record levels of funding to regional Australia. Asked at a press conference whether the Nationals’ relatively strong showing at the recent election was due to this funding, King said: “There is a reason that they funded more projects in their seats.” They made sure their seats did well out of this fund and I’ll let people draw their own conclusions from that. I think you’d have to say that the National party have had their hands in the cookie jar when it comes to regional funding. Former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce was the infrastructure minister at the time of the latest funding decisions. We contacted his office for comment, but a spokesperson said Joyce was unavailable, as he was on personal leave following the death of his father this week. National Covid update 06:17 Here are the latest coronavirus case numbers from around Australia on Friday, as the country records at least 157 deaths (105 that were previously not reported in Victoria due to a data feed issue) from Covid-19: ACT Deaths: 0 Cases: 1,007 In hospital: 147 (with 1 person in ICU) NSW Deaths: 22 Cases: 14,927 In hospital: 2,257 (with 67 people in ICU) Northern Territory Deaths: 0 Cases: 380 In hospital: 58 (with no one in ICU) Queensland Deaths: 17 Cases: 9,420 In hospital: 906 (with 30 people in ICU) South Australia Deaths: 8 Cases: 3,148 In hospital: 341 (with 11 people in ICU) Tasmania Deaths: 0 Cases: 1,042 In hospital: 158 (with 44 people in ICU) Victoria Deaths: 107 (including 105 since July 1, delayed in recording due to data feed issues) Cases: 10,898 In hospital: 813 (with 32 people in ICU) Western Australia Deaths: 3 Cases: 4,423 In hospital: 424 (with 17 people in ICU)   06:11 Medical bodies and minds come together in Sydney The first day of the Australian Medical Association’s conference continues in Sydney with the health minister, Mark Butler, and the chief health officer, Paul Kelly, in attendance. In his speech, Kelly reiterated the need for a centre for disease control in Australia. Butler flagged the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce will address cuts to Medicare in the past decade. After a decade of Liberal cuts and attacks on Medicare, it's never been harder or more expensive to see a doctor in Australia. That's why we've brought Australia's health policy leaders together to form the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce. pic.twitter.com/mCbpytQjKx— Mark Butler MP (@Mark_Butler_MP) July 29, 2022 The good, the bad and the ugly of the pandemic response are being discussed at #AMANatCon with @DrAhmedKazmi Prof Paul Kelly @healthgovau, @amapresident, @mckellar_andrew, @enenbee with Fulin Yan and Emily McMahon from the Health Advisory Panel for Youth at @syd_health pic.twitter.com/qA5wcQZPsc— AMA Media (@ama_media) July 29, 2022   06:08 I am handing over to my wonderful colleague Nino Bucci but before I do so, I can’t resist a bit of shameless self promotion sharing my own article for any fellow cheese aficionados out there. In “a big win for cheese lovers” Australians will soon be able to enjoy British raw milk cheeses, with new regulations part of a growing move away from enforced pasteurisation. The deal, signed last week at the Australian high commission in London, will allow the UK to export 12 varieties to Australia. Six varieties of raw milk cheese, including Montgomery’s cheddar and Sparkenhoe red leicester, were served as the ink dried. Related: ‘Big win for cheese lovers’: fromageries celebrate melting of Australia’s ‘ultraconservative’ rules   05:38 Government subsidies should target energy efficiency, consumer body says A report released today from the Australian Energy Market Operator (Aemo) warned Australians the sky-high power prices they are paying may not be going away any time soon. The chief executive of Energy Consumers Australia, Lynne Gallagher, was on the ABC earlier today and said the price hikes would simply be too high for some people to pay. Gallagher said she believes governments have an obligation to make sure all Australians can keep the lights on. It’s absolutely critical to our lives and livelihoods. There’s no quick fix here or easy fix. There’s only really two things you can do. You can actually work on bringing prices down, and governments are already thinking about ways that they can address the kinds of factors that the Aemo report addresses today. But the other thing they can do is directly support consumers to be more energy efficient, to change energy use in their home and that way we can bring bills down and reduce some of this pressure. Gallagher said government subsidies should be aimed at changing behaviour rather than paying high bills. You need to do something directly for people on low incomes. But longer term, if people can actually be more energy wise, use less energy in their home, but still stay comfortable, use less energy in their business and not have these high energy costs, so it’s a win-win for everyone when we actually work on those kinds of direct measures as well that make energy more affordable.   05:36 Perrottet follows in Howard’s cricketing footsteps The New South Wales premier, Dominic Perrottet, has channeled former PM John Howard with a “shocking” cricket performance during his trade mission in India, Sky News is reporting. Howard’s infamous blunder bowling one right into the pitch happened while visiting Pakistan in 2005. Perrottet’s trip to Mumbai has already been somewhat overshadowed by the growing controversy surrounding the inquiry into former deputy premier John Barilaro’s appointment to the role of trade commissioner in New York. Many are saying Perrottet’s trip couldn’t have come at a worse time, and during a local cricket match with juniors in Mumbai, he seems to have continued that run of bad timing. © Provided by The Guardian One of the NSW premier’s better balls to Adam Gilchrist in Mumbai. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP Sky News’ Jack Mahony reports: The premier, who is overseas with trade minister, Stuart Ayres, to promote trade ties, decided to join some juniors from the Mumbai Cricket Association during a nets session on Thursday. Perrottet lined up to bowl against legendary Australian wicket keeper Adam Gilchrist. He began his action smoothly but things quickly took a turn for the worse when he reached the crease. The premier held onto the ball a fraction too long before slamming it into the ground right in front of his feet. Unfortunately for Perrottet the ball then bounced away behind him. ACT senator David Pocock denied Auslan interpreter for first speech 05:36 Amy Remeikis Independent ACT senator David Pocock has had his request for an Auslan interpreter in the Senate to translate his first speech denied by the major parties, who are worried about the “precedent” it would set. Pocock, who will deliver his first speech to the Senate on Monday, had agreed to have an Auslan interpreter stand by his side, live translating his words for the hearing impaired. The government has now offered to have screens on the floor of the Senate displaying an interpreter as a compromise. Related: ACT senator David Pocock denied Auslan interpreter for first speech in Senate   05:05 Record ambulance ramping at WA hospitals Western Australia may be past the peak of its Covid-19 and flu outbreaks as ambulance ramping figures reach new heights, AAP reports. Ambulances have spent 6,531 hours ramped outside hospitals in July, overtaking the record set last August. Ambulance ramping, where patients face long waits to be handed over to emergency departments, has blown out since the McGowan government took office in 2017. The health minister, Amber-Jade Sanderson, on Friday defended the figures, saying every health system in the world was facing similar pressures. The state’s chief health officer, Dr Andy Robertson, revealed WA’s current wave of Covid-19 infections appeared to have peaked, with 4,423 cases recorded on Friday. Robertson played down suggestions there were large numbers of cases going undetected. He told ABC radio: We appear to be past the peak of the current wave. There are indicators we use that give us some certainty that case numbers as a whole are coming down, and we’re not missing a lot of cases.   04:46 Settled weather conditions bring cold temperatures to ACT and inland NSW Blue skies and sunshine at #WaggaWagga Airport, as well as much of inland #NSW ☀️ These settled weather conditions bring cold temperatures overnight and the chance of widespread frost tomorrow morning, with fog also possible in southern parts. See: https://t.co/SPHgGeisGZ pic.twitter.com/Y9lI4kkotM— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) July 29, 2022 Blue skies and sunshine at #Canberra Airport ☀️ These settled weather conditions bring cold temperatures overnight and the chance of widespread frost across the #ACT tomorrow morning, with fog also possible in southern parts of #NSW. See: https://t.co/Fra4GA8hfw pic.twitter.com/AMRTRUurcn— Bureau of Meteorology Australian Capital Territory (@BOM_ACT) July 29, 2022 Video: Increased boat attempts to Australia are ‘concerning’: Karen Andrews (Sky News Australia) Increased boat attempts to Australia are ‘concerning’: Karen Andrews Sky News Australia See more videos SHARE SHARE TWEET SHARE EMAIL What to watch next Nancy Pelosi’s Taiwan visit would create ‘another crisis’ for Biden administration Sky News Australia Primary teachers demand change to national curriculum Sky News Australia Coping mechanisms are key to surviving as a coach: Matthew Elliott Sky News Australia Shakira facing up to eight years in prison for alleged tax fraud Sky News Australia Sexual assault crime at all-time high Sky News Australia Will Smith apologises to Chris Rock for 'unacceptable' Oscars slap Sky News Australia Ariarne Titmus sets Commonwealth Games record in all-Australian podium Sky News Australia Australia brings home gold at Commonwealth Games Sky News Australia Critical delays found in Victorian ambulances during code red Sky News Australia Albanese hires industrial relations advisers Sky News Australia Albanese proposes referendum question on Indigenous Voice to Parliament Sky News Australia Chalmers’ state of economy speech didn’t offer ‘any real solutions’ Sky News Australia Australia is in ‘deep trouble’ once wages start chasing inflation Sky News Australia Politics is ‘preoccupied’ with the woke Sky News Australia Ordinary Americans are ‘struggling to make ends meet’ Sky News Australia Biden administration has tried to 'deny’ US is heading into a recession Sky News Australia Click to expand Replay Video Nancy Pelosi’s Taiwan visit would create ‘another crisis’ for Biden administration US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s planned trip to Taipei would “create another crisis” for President Joe Biden and his administration, says The New Republic writer Alex Shephard. Sky News Australia Primary teachers demand change to national curriculum The Australian Primary Principles Association claims changes made to the national curriculum are making it Sky News Australia Coping mechanisms are key to surviving as a coach: Matthew Elliott Former NRL head coach Matthew Elliott says it's essential for coaches to have coping mechanisms to deal with “elation at the highest level” and disappointment at an acute level. Sky News Australia UP NEXT   04:33 The absolutely always excellent Weekly Beast is out: Related: Neighbours finale a TV ratings jackpot as Ten farewells Ramsay Street in last episode | The weekly beast Labor party national executive takes over Tasmanian branch 04:29 In a fairly significant move, Labor’s national executive are taking over the Tasmanian branch of the party. According to a statement just released: Tasmanian Labor needs a circuit-breaker to rebuild. This intervention is about improving the culture of the branch, reinstating trust, respect, transparency and a party-first approach to internal decision making. Statement from Labor national secretary #politas pic.twitter.com/aJjWWYox5D— Emily Baker (@emlybkr) July 29, 2022 South Australia records eight Covid deaths 04:12 There were 3,418 cases recorded, with 341 people in hospital, and 11 of them in ICU. South Australian COVID-19 update 29/07/22. For more information, go to https://t.co/XkVcAlWPSN pic.twitter.com/GG627078mz— SA Health (@SAHealth) July 29, 2022   04:04 Kevin Rudd weighs in on Taiwan tensions A discussion between the US and Chinese presidents has been dominated by tensions over Taiwan with Xi Jinping warning Joe Biden against “playing with fire”. The sharp words come after the US House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, announced she is considering a visit to Taiwan. Former prime minister Kevin Rudd spoke to the ABC from San Francisco about the situation: My analysis is this is not likely to break out into a shooting match if Pelosi proceeds. Mind you, I don’t think Pelosi travelling to Taiwan at this stage is helpful in terms of Taiwan’s intrinsic national security. It tends to serve more heretic domestic political interests in the United States. I think, on balance, it’s better for the overall relationship if she does not proceed at this stage but, as I said before, I don’t think either side, the United States or China, at this stage want to go to war over a Pelosi visit though, if it does proceed, the Chinese military have indicated there will be a reaction of some form or another.   03:53 Peter Hannam Producer price index increased by 1.4% in June quarter Today the Australian Bureau of Statistics provided the data for producer prices. The 5.6% annual rate of increase was the highest since the December quarter of 2008. Consumer price inflation, as you’ll have probably seen, came in at 6.1% at an annual rate for the June quarter. That was the highest in 21 years. Australia's producer prices rose at annual pace of 5.6% in the June quarter, up from 4.9% in the March quarter. The quarter-on-quarter pace, though, slowed (as it did for the CPI) to 1.4% from 1.6%. pic.twitter.com/TvBkue0Mwh— Peter Hannam (@p_hannam) July 29, 2022 At least on a quarterly basis the producer price index eased back, with the 1.4% rise down from 1.6% in the March quarter. Energy was again the main contributor the increase, with refined petroleum products basically double in price from a year ago. (Thanks mostly to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.) And not surprisingly, higher fuel costs were a driver (so to speak) of the higher producer prices. Energy companies, meanwhile, are cashing in... pic.twitter.com/8RHb01ZIV1— Peter Hannam (@p_hannam) July 29, 2022 Australian-based energy companies have been able to charge more for the fossil fuels they have extracted. (So far, there’s not been a lot of discussion about the Albanese government going after some of the windfall profits ... perhaps there should be. Overnight Shell reported US$11.5bn (AU$16.4bn) in second-quarter profit alone.) Separately, next week’s economic news will likely include a lot of discussion about the Reserve Bank and its cash rate. Here’s what the market expects for the bank’s August board meeting: Look out for more proof that higher interest rates are nudging property prices lower. The outlook for the RBA's cash rate, at least from investors' views. They judge it as a two-in-three chance that the central bank would lift the rate from 1.35% to 2% on August 2nd. (Economists reckon the hike will be more likely 50 basis points to 1.85%). pic.twitter.com/Ci48NAyWp1— Peter Hannam (@p_hannam) July 29, 2022   03:49 Possum rescued from Sydney drain This little guy looks like he’s had a rough time of it, stuck inside a drain in Birchgrove. Luckily, Fire and Rescue NSW has freed the possum who is now in the care of WIRES. BALMAIN | #FRNSW received a call to station this morning to assist public. Resident of @IWCouncil home in Birchgrove Rd had found possum stuck in a drain. Crews successfully freed the trapped curious animal and passed onto @WIRESWildlife. pic.twitter.com/duzXNxtgNr— Fire and Rescue NSW (@FRNSW) July 29, 2022 Regional grants 'contaminated' by previous government, infrastructure minister says 03:47 Josh Butler The infrastructure minister, Catherine King, has flagged overhauling the in-progress sixth round of funding under the Building Better Regions program, claiming it may be “contaminated” after a scathing audit office report on the Coalition’s handling of the $1bn fund. King she told ABC Melbourne: I have to look at whether we proceed with that or not because, frankly, I think this whole scheme has just been contaminated now when you look at this report. She said there would be a decision on regional grants in the near future. The audit office found Nationals seats got more than $100m of extra funding due to the way the Coalition ran the scheme, ignoring recommendations from the department and considering “other factors” to choose which projects to fund. Liberal seats got twice as many grants as Labor seats. King has flagged her plans to design “a new transparent scheme, to actually try and work out how we can put processes in place to make sure this doesn’t happen under us”. The minister told ABC that she wouldn’t do away with ministerial discretion altogether, opening the door to Labor making their own decisions in government too. But she said the new Albanese government would look to change how grants are awarded. I think having much greater transparency, making sure the guidelines are very clear, where if you are going to have other factors in the guidelines, you spell those out, you don’t just say that there are other factors and leave it like that ... I’m having a bit more of a think about sort of independent panels or looking at cross-party panels as well.   03:34 Burney and Albanese leave for Garma The minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, has said she is off to the Garma festival in northeast Arnhem Land, along with the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and WA senator Patrick Dodson. The four-day celebration of the Yolngu people’s cultural, artistic and ceremonial traditions attracts about 2,500 people, AAP reports. The gathering will allow senior Indigenous leaders to engage with the federal government on the path to a referendum for recognition in the constitution and a voice to parliament. They will also discuss other key challenges facing Indigenous Australians to help inform policies and decision-making. Off to Garma Festival with @AlboMP, @SenatorDodson and colleagues. There’s important work to be done advancing the Uluru Statement and Voice to Parliament, I hope you enjoy coming on this journey over the next few days. #auspol #garma— Linda Burney MP (@LindaBurneyMP) July 29, 2022 Heading to Garma Festival in Arnhem Land today with Minister for Indigenous Australians @LindaBurneyMP, @SenatorDodson, and parliamentary colleagues. We'll advance talks between First Nations peoples and the Government on a Voice to Parliament.— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) July 29, 2022   03:08 Tess McClure Australian tourist in serious condition after falling into thermal sinkhole in NZ An Australian woman has been seriously injured after she fell into a geothermal sinkhole that opened up in a popular tourist village in New Zealand. The woman fell into the two-metre-wide fumarole when it opened suddenly on a footpath near the entrance of Whakarewarewa thermal village in Rotorua, in central North Island. Related: Australian tourist in serious condition after falling into thermal sinkhole in New Zealand   03:03 AMA national conference starts The Australian Medical Association’s national conference has just kicked off at Sydney’s Darling Harbour. The pandemic response, general practice, rural doctors, private health and gender equity will all be discussed. A question time with the health minister, Mark Butler, and his shadow counterpart, Anne Ruston, will take place tomorrow. AMA President @amapresident Dr Omar Khorshid has welcomed #AMANatCon attendees telling them it’s been a whirlwind two years and thanking them for their sacrifice during the Covid pandemic pic.twitter.com/6m17E5heYO— AMA Media (@ama_media) July 28, 2022   02:57 Whale rescuers working against the swell We brought you news of a juvenile humpback whale stranded in Port Macquarie a little earlier. The Port Macquarie News is reporting that the rescue effort is underway by volunteers with ORRCA (the Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia). Ruby Pascoe reported that “ORRCA volunteers are working against the swell as they attempt to rescue the trapped juvenile whale.” The whale is 4.2 metres and ORRCA estimates it weighs around two tonne. pic.twitter.com/jk2lW5gYHL— Ruby Pascoe (@RubyPascoe) July 29, 2022   02:50 Eden Gillespie Push for pill testing at festivals in Queensland Queensland’s mental health commissioner has told parliament pill testing at festivals in the state could save lives. In budget estimates on Friday, Greens MP Michael Berkman asked the state’s mental health commissioner, Ivan Frkovic, about plans to introduce drug checking at festivals and whether those measures could be life-saving. Frkovic said: There’s certainly organisational capacity to be able to do that at various festivals. I think there is evidence both from other jurisdictions in Australia but also internationally, which would suggest that having drug checking facilities, particularly temporary ones, or even fixed sites, can contribute to saving lives. Berkman also asked about how hepatitis C transmission in prisons could be reduced by needle and syringe exchange programs. Helen Brown, thhe acting deputy director-general of clinical excellence, said: There are a number of opioid substitution programmes currently available across correctional facilities in Queensland. [But] at present we don’t have a needle exchange programme, but it has been something that’s been considered.   02:46 Cronulla player Toby Rudolf backs NRL pride round Following the NRL’s pride jersey debacle, Manly boss Scott Penn has said he wants to speak with the NRL about introducing an inclusion round next season. The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting that Cronulla prop Toby Rudolf has backed a pride round. Christian Nicolussi writes: Rudolf, a player with big hair and an even bigger personality, is one of very few NRL stars to openly speak about his same-sex experiences, and said while he identified as heterosexual, ‘love is love, and I love to share it with everyone’. The Australian Rugby League Commission’s chairman, Peter V’landys, has said he is open to the idea of a pride or inclusion round, but stressed the decision was ultimately one for the Commission. Related: Manly owner wants NRL inclusion round as boycotting players told to stay away from game Queensland records 17 Covid deaths and 906 people in hospital 02:15 There were 9,420 new cases in the last reporting period, and 30 people are in intensive care. Today we have recorded 9,420 new COVID-19 cases. Sadly, we have reported 17 deaths in the past 24 hours. Full details➡️ https://t.co/rKHIwroZeI pic.twitter.com/Sa69yLYjk0— Queensland Health (@qldhealth) July 29, 2022   02:10 Young humpback whale stranded in Port Macquarie The Port Macquarie News is reporting that help is onhand at the site from National Parks and Wildlife as well as volunteers with ORRCA (the Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia). A juvenile humpback whale is stranded at Oxley Beach, Port Macquarie. ORRCA volunteers and National Parks and Wildlife are on site. pic.twitter.com/j5prmANhrY— Ruby Pascoe (@RubyPascoe) July 29, 2022   02:02 Eva Corlett New Zealand climbers survive avalanche and blizzard, thanks to snow cave and muesli bars Two climbers who were buried by an avalanche and then caught in a blizzard atop one of New Zealand’s most famous mountain ranges survived their ordeal by digging themselves out of the snow, building a cave and living off muesli bars. The two men in their 20s were on a three-day ice climbing adventure in The Remarkables – a 2,300-metre high range above Queenstown – when they triggered an avalanche and were carried about 20 metres downhill. Related: New Zealand climbers survive avalanche and blizzard, thanks to snow cave and muesli bars   01:54 Josh Taylor Meta’s funding cuts won’t impact Australian deals, company says Meta’s decision to cut funding from US news outlets for its Facebook News Tab will not have an impact on funding deals in Australia, the company has said. Overnight, Axios broke the news that Meta began telling its news partners in the US it no longer plans to pay publishers for their content on Facebook’s News Tab. The deals, worth a reported US$105m, were signed in 2019. Meta has argued a lot has changed since the deals were signed, and people do not come to Facebook for news. Several Australian news media companies, including Guardian Australia, signed deals to be paid for content with Meta in early 2021, in exchange for the Facebook platform not being designated under the News Media Bargaining Code set up by the former Morrison government. Being designated under the code would have led to much more stringent requirements for Meta to keep operating in Australia. A spokesperson for Meta said the cut to US funding would not impact Australia: This doesn’t impact any of our current deals in Australia. The Treasury is currently reviewing the operation of the code, and the former Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) chair Rod Sims has called for Facebook to be designated under the code to be forced to negotiate with The Conversation and SBS for payment for content – which the company has so far refused to do. Victoria records 107 Covid deaths and 813 people in hospital 01:46 That high number of deaths reported today is due to data feed issues, authorities say with 105 additional deaths being reported since July 1. “Ordinarily today’s figure would be 2.” There were 10,898 new cases in the last reporting period, and 32 people are in intensive care. Due to data feed issues this month, a high number of COVID-19-related deaths is being reported today. This has resulted in 105 additional deaths being reported since July 1. Ordinarily today’s figure would be 2. The average daily deaths in Victoria over the past fortnight is 19. pic.twitter.com/hLkdnR4j9m— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) July 29, 2022   01:38 Price hikes drive record energy switch More Australians opted to switch energy providers than ever before in June this year, as price hikes compelled consumers to consider the competition, AAP reports. Nearly 240,850 households across the country changed power companies in June, according to the Australian Energy Market Operator. Joel Gibson, from consumer network One Big Switch, said the move en masse in June was due to the largest power price hikes the country has seen. A report by the energy market operator today confirmed unprecedented wholesale prices which are now flowing through to households and businesses. That could be a driver for more people to change energy providers in July, with most of the big retailers not increasing their prices until July or August, Gibson said. Four retailers have also gone out of business, mostly in July - Enova Energy, Pooled Energy, Weston Power & Power Club - and their customers will be automatically switched to big retailers. And finally, the Victorian government has also this month started paying households $250 just for visiting their energy comparison website. AGL and EnergyAustralia will hike rates for 5.5 million customers next Monday. NSW Labor leader declines to call for the resignation of Stuart Ayres 01:33 Michael McGowan The New South Wales Labor leader, Chris Minns, has declined to call for the resignation of under-fire minister Stuart Ayres, saying he doesn’t believe it would change anything. Ayres is under increasing pressure after a series of revelations raised new questions about his involvement in the controversial New York trade job given to the former deputy premier John Barilaro. The government insists Barilaro’s appointment was the responsibility of the public service and was done at arms’ length from the government. But on Thursday the Guardian revealed Ayres asked the chief executive of the agency responsible for the appointment to add a name to the shortlist for the job. Documents also show the department was waiting on “ministerial feedback” before finalising its offer to Barilaro. He has also been accused of potentially misleading parliament after he said “no suitable candidate” for the job had been found during a first-round of recruitment last year. He has repeatedly denied misleading the parliament. In an interview with the ABC on Friday, Minns declined to call for Ayres’ to quit, saying he didn’t think it would change anything: Ordinarily, I would say that this is grounds for a clear case of misleading the New South Wales parliament but I am reluctant to call for a resignation because I don’t think it would change. They often appoint friends and associates of the government to senior positions. I don’t think anything would change if you swapped Stuart Ayres out with one of his colleagues.   01:28 Attendees arrive for Garma festival Leaders continue to arrive in a remote corner of the Northern Territory for Australia’s largest Indigenous gathering, the Garma Festival, which begins today. The annual event is held in Gulkula, a ceremonial site on the Gove peninsula in northeast Arnhem Land. Eddie Synot, a Wamba Wamba First Nations public lawyer and researcher, shared the below picture arriving into the Gove yesterday evening. The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and the minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, are set to arrive later today. A bit special flying into Gove for Garma this evening. Looking forward to the weekend & talking #UluruStatement pic.twitter.com/jUguE6jtxi— eddie synot (@EddieSynot) July 28, 2022 Tomorrow I will be travelling to the NT for the Garma Festival to advance discussions with First Nations people on a Voice to Parliament. pic.twitter.com/0ets2Ypxid— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) July 28, 2022   01:11 Pandemic drove youth homelessness, new study shows A new survey by Mission Australia shows youth homelessness numbers have risen significantly compared to pre-pandemic levels with the hardships young people are facing compounded by the rising cost of living. The research found one in 20 people between ages 15- 19 became homeless for the first time, renewing calls for a national plan to tackle homelessness. Sharon Callister, the CEO of Mission Australia, appeared on the ABC earlier this morning talking about the services that can be extended to help with the crisis. The main reasons for [young people] finding themselves homeless for the first time were conflict and family breakdown, family and domestic violence, psychological distress, unfair treatment and discrimination and, not surprisingly, Covid-19. We were pretty concerned with the findings, and we actually did a snapshot back to 2017 to make a comparison pre-Covid. And at that time, one in 25 of our youth responding to the survey had said that they were homeless for the first time as well. Neither of those statistics are good, but it is an alarming trend that the homeless rate is increasing. If you’re a youth person and you have found yourself homeless, the first thing you need is to find a home. We’re really inspired by the fact that the new Albanese Government have made a commitment to a nationally coordinated plan for homelessness and housing. This is a really big step for us, and they’ve also committed to 30,000 new social and affordable housing.   29 Jul 2022 00:58 Man convicted for owning boa constrictor without a permit In a statement Victoria’s conservation regulatory said: We received reports the man was keeping a carpet python without a licence, but officers inspected and discovered the snake was actually a boa constrictor. A Nagambie man has been convicted and ordered to pay more than $1200 after pleading guilty to keeping a controlled pest animal without a permit after Authorised Officers found him in possession of a two-metre-long boa constrictor last year. pic.twitter.com/MGZMAqxDcA— Conservation Regulator Vic (@ConservationReg) July 28, 2022   29 Jul 2022 00:31 Ukrainian president to address Australia Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the president of the Ukraine, is set to address Australians next week via a video link. The sold out in-person event will take place the evening of 3 August at the Australian National University (ANU). President Zelenskiy will share his experiences as a world leader navigating the realities of war, nearly six months since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. © Provided by The Guardian The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, during a joint press conference with the president of Lithuania, Gitanas Nausda, on 28 July 2022. Photograph: Alexey Furman/Getty Images The event will be officially opened by Julie Bishop, the chancellor of ANU and former foreign minister, and will also feature a Q&A session between the President and students at the ANU. Professor Brian Schmidt, the vice-chancellor of ANU said: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine threatens the peace, liberty and democracy on which freedom of inquiry and academic collaboration is based.. President Zelenskiy continues to inspire the world through his leadership and service to his country. We are incredibly grateful to have President Zelenskiy share his time and thoughts with our community.   29 Jul 2022 00:26 Snow returns to Tasmania This may look a little like a frosty windscreen, but it's actually snow from overnight. Snow settled at elevations of 400 to 500 metres, with snow flurries down to around 300 metres. pic.twitter.com/mEEwXbQhys— Bureau of Meteorology, Tasmania (@BOM_Tas) July 28, 2022 NSW records 22 Covid deaths and 2,257 people in hospital 29 Jul 2022 00:07 There were 14,927 new cases in the last reporting period, and 67 people are in intensive care. COVID-19 update – Friday 29 July 2022 In the 24-hour reporting period to 4pm yesterday: - 96.8% of people aged 16+ have had one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine* - 95.3% of people aged 16+ have had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine* pic.twitter.com/W7We68rBZs— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) July 28, 2022   28 Jul 2022 23:58 Josh Butler Conservative Christian groups lobby federal MPs against territories’ assisted dying rights legislation Conservative action groups are mobilising supporters against a government push to allow territories to make their own laws on euthanasia, raising concerns around potential impacts on Indigenous Australians in the Northern Territory. The Australian Christian Lobby is flooding federal MPs with emails in a campaign to block a private member’s bill to be introduced next week, but territories minister Kristy McBain says she’s confident it will pass parliament. Paul Karp and Josh Butler bring you the full story: Related: Conservative Christian groups lobby federal MPs against territories’ assisted dying rights legislation   28 Jul 2022 23:41 Frost across Australia’s eastern states Australians from Queensland right down to Victoria have been waking up to frosty conditions this morning. Sunrise, fog and a touch of frost - a typical winters morning for the #Gympie region ❄️ Morning frost inland in southern and central #Queensland on Saturday, morning frost in the #southeast interior on Sunday. Check your local forecast at https://t.co/gwwoU9j9t0 #QLDWeather pic.twitter.com/8eydwZKvFs— Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) July 28, 2022 Current temperatures across #NSW 🥶 a cold start for many areas along the ranges and inland with widespread #frost this morning as well as tomorrow. See your local forecast to see how cold your area will be overnight tonight and into tomorrow morning at: https://t.co/SPHgGeisGZ pic.twitter.com/W6kyHFvPdu— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) July 28, 2022 ❄️A frost warning has been issued for all districts for Friday morning, with temperatures dropping below 0°C across many locations. https://t.co/PihSPvZM25 pic.twitter.com/fV3cQRNGhr— Bureau of Meteorology, Victoria (@BOM_Vic) July 28, 2022   28 Jul 2022 23:34 Christopher Knaus NSW issued 501 fines to children under 15 in past year for not wearing or carrying mask About 500 children aged under 15 were fined a total of $20,000 for not wearing or carrying a mask in New South Wales in the past 12 months, including 34 who remain in an unpaid work and development scheme to reduce their debts. The state government has faced sustained criticism for its pursuit of children over Covid rule breaches, particularly given the confusing and shifting nature of public health orders and the disproportionate impact Covid fines are having on the most disadvantaged.   28 Jul 2022 23:30 Peter Hannam What’s the go with Australia’s energy market? There’s quite a bit to digest in the Australian Energy Market Operator’s report on how the National Electricity Market fared in the June quarter. You can find the report here, or jump to our coverage here, where we outline the soaring cost of electricity and gas. Some of that tripling of wholesale gas and electricity prices will start showing up in your energy bills – if they are not already (which may dash hopes that inflation is about to peak). Here’s a chart showing how the different sources of energy changed from a year earlier – with black coal’s contraction particularly notable. How energy sources changed in the national electricity market (serving about 80% of Australia's population) in the June quarter from a year earlier. pic.twitter.com/WiBh9kKZ8V— Peter Hannam (@p_hannam) July 28, 2022 Black coal is used in NSW and Queensland, with the latter owned by the state government – and therefore a player in the market, but to whose benefit? Anyway, here’s how output changed in those two states. How black coal fared in the national electricity market in the June quarter - sinking to its lowest level for any June quarter since the market began in 1998. Part of the reason was plant breakdowns or maintenance, but also exposure to more costly coal. (Source: AEMO) pic.twitter.com/sMEBiPTWHo— Peter Hannam (@p_hannam) July 28, 2022 Among the interesting takeaways was the curbs on the ability of some hydro plants to operate as much as they might have given the amble inflows during another La Niña season. It turns out that having flooded river valleys can curb just how much extra water hydro plants can add to flows. (Snowy Hydro, now fully commonwealth-government owned, also has potentially contradictory motives – maximum profits or add to blunt price spikes.) Also of note is what happened to gas flows. Unlike last year, Victoria was a net exporter of the fossil fuel, while Queensland sucked in more than it sent south. The swing amounted to 7 petajoules of gas. That’s worth keeping in mind, particularly as arguments about Victoria (and other locations) needed to open up to gas exploration and development are about to be revived when the ACCC releases its latest gas report – at least if today’s report in the AFR is any guide.   28 Jul 2022 23:24 Business Council calls Albanese government the most engaged she’s seen Westacott, the council’s chief executive, told ABC Radio: I can’t remember a more engaged government than this. I have had call after call after call from ministers. She said the reason the council has put together a document with practical recommendations comes in response to government interest. She says the government is really willing to listen to the business community, and the last government she saw as engaged was Tony Abbott’s.   28 Jul 2022 23:19 ‘We need to rebrand Australia’ to workers, Business Council of Australia says Jennifer Westacott, the chief executive of the Business Council of Australia, is speaking to ABC Radio. Following the treasurer’s first address to parliament (that’s Jim Chalmers, for those of you who are still processing it) which revealed Australia was facing its greatest cost of living pressures in two decades, the business council released a report this morning with recommendations to release economic bottlenecks. Westacott is asked about how much impact the government can have when much of the situation is caused by international factors. She says Australia has to “pull every lever in our control to get rid of friction and blockages in our economy.” When you add up all those little things it makes a big difference. She says addressing the labour shortage is paramount: getting rid of red tape, fast-tracking visas and extending hours students can work. We need to rebrand Australia as a place we want people to come to work.   28 Jul 2022 23:08 Commonwealth Games opens in Birmingham The Commonwealth Games in Birmingham open this week, following an opening ceremony featuring a raging bull, Malala Yousafzai, a Brummie drag queen and Duran Duran. How can sports lovers follow the action? Who makes up the Australian team? Guardian Australia’s deputy sport editor Emma Kemp has your questions answered. Related: Commonwealth Games: if you’re watching from Australia, here’s what you need to know | Emma Kemp   28 Jul 2022 23:03 Infrastructure minister says she is redesigning the regional grants programs Infrastructure minister Catherine King appeared on ABC earlier this morning responding to the report handed down by the National Audit Office into the previous government’s management of the building better regions fund, finding that seats held by the Nationals appeared to be the biggest beneficiaries. King says she is “surprised but not surprised”: It is part of the pattern we saw in the last decade with the Liberal National Party Government … As a regional MP, I know community members here have been putting grants into the building better regions fund and to hear this is just really disheartening. Communities under Labor, many council areas under the last government, we thought why would you bother putting into this program. The previous government has a lot to answer in relation to this …I have got a big mess to clean up now when it comes to this and we need to try and get more transparent processes in place so regional communities across the country can benefit, no matter who they vote for. Australians have zero tolerance for this. I am in the process of trying to redesign the regional grants programs and I will make announcements about that. We have election commitments we need to account for and be transparent ... I am determined to make sure we have clearer, fairer transparent processes right the way across the regional grants programs that I administer.   28 Jul 2022 23:03 Indigenous MPs represent their electorates, not Indigenous people as a whole, co-chair of design group on the voice says Marcia Langton is saying the fact that there are now Indigenous members of parliament is not enough because those members represent their electorates, not Indigenous people as a whole: What we’ve set out is the preferred option of most Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people … they want to be able to have a formal relationship with government so their concerns are heard and so there’s a formal way for their views to be registered.   28 Jul 2022 23:01 ‘Read our report,’ Indigenous voice co-chair tells critics calling for more detail Marcia Langton is asked about the opposition’s calls for more detail in what the voice will look like. She says this could stymie the process: When people say they want more detail, all it tells me if they don’t want to read our report because all the detail is there. "I see this demand for more detail as just mischief making and selling confusion.. we couldn't be more clear than we have been" - Marcia Langton— RN Breakfast (@RNBreakfast) July 28, 2022   28 Jul 2022 22:58 Marcia Langton is speaking about the problems Indigenous communities face, which she says need to be addressed through a voice to parliament: Our constitution remains racist, there’s two racist provisions in it and the high court decision that the commonwealth can do harm to us stands. What we’ve recommended is a very straightforward plan that I think resolves the problem … how do we ensure … our people survive into the future? She says stakeholder consultation reveals Indigenous people want a “full relationship with government” so that when communities raise problems they want addressed (for example, the need for drinkable water) they have assurances they will be heard. © Provided by The Guardian Marcia Langton: ‘Our constitution remains racist.’ Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP   28 Jul 2022 22:56 Marcia Langton, Indigenous academic and co-chair of the senior design group on the Indigenous voice to parliament, is speaking to ABC Radio about her expectations for the Garma festival, which starts today. The gathering will allow Indigenous leaders to engage with the government on issues including the path to a referendum for recognition in the constitution and a voice to parliament, and prime minister Anthony Albanese is due to give a major address. what do you and others want to hear from the PM at Garma this weekend? "Most of all what we want to know is that this new government understands the issue and why this is so important .. and I'm sure he'll learn some more here [at Garma]" - Marcia Langton— RN Breakfast (@RNBreakfast) July 28, 2022   28 Jul 2022 22:53 Rapid Covid-19 tests detect Omicron, TGA reassures public No rapid antigen tests have been removed from the Australian market because they couldn’t detect the Omicron Cvariant, the health regulator says. AAP reports that the Therapeutic Goods Administration issued the public notice last night after several incorrect media reports that the RATs were ineffective. The TGA confirmed that only four RATs have so far been cancelled from the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods, with three being removed by their supplier. The TGA cancelled just one product because the sponsor couldn’t provide sufficient data on the RAT’s sensitivity to Covid-19. Good morning! 28 Jul 2022 22:39 I hope you’ve been enjoying Amy Remeikis’s superb politics live blog – as parliament takes a breather so is she, but will be with you again Monday. Australians are waking up to the news that wholesale energy prices have tripled from last year, according to a report released today by the market operator. Australia’s energy market operator said failing coal-fired power plants and soaring global gas costs combined to create “unprecedented” market disruptions. A review by the National Audit Office has revealed the previous government’s $1.15bn grants program for regional development found Liberal-held seats received twice as many grants as Labor electorates. My colleague Josh Butler brings you the full story. Australia’s largest Indigenous gathering, the Garma festival, starts today in north-east Arnhem Land, where prime minister Anthony Albanese and minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney will be in attendance. The gathering will allow Indigenous leaders to engage with the government on issues including the path to a referendum for recognition in the constitution and a voice to parliament. My name is Natasha May and, if you want to get in touch, please do so either pinging me @natasha__may on Twitter or emailing natasha.may@theguardian.com. Let’s jump in!

Follow all the day’s news.

Here are the main stories on Friday, 29 July:

Enjoy the rest of your evening, we will see you back here tomorrow.

It is The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever 2022 tomorrow ...

... in which people dress as Kate Bush and recreate the film clip to her hit 1978 song.

There’s not been one for a while, what with the pandemic and all, but there’s events listed across Australia tomorrow in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Canberra, Bunbury, Fremantle, Deloraine (Tasmania), Newcastle and the Bega Valley.

Here’s some pictures from the 2018 event in Sydney:

Related: Kate Bush fans mark 'Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever' – in pictures

A young whale stranded on rocks near Port Macquarie has been euthanised because of fears it would not survive at sea.

According to a statement from the Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (Orrca), the humpback was only a week old and was wedged between the rocks in the shallows.

The decision was made to attempt to remove the Humpback from the rocks by ORRCA volunteers, NPWS as well as local lifeguards. The rescue team worked together relocating the little whale to the closest sandy beach area to further assess the whale’s condition. Upon assessment, this Humpback was noted to be approximately only one week old and had numerous cookie cutter shark bites. It is believed that this young whale had been on its own for at least the last 24hrs before being found by a member of the public wash ashore this morning. Sadly, due to the fact this whale would still be dependent on its mother for survival and the mother could not be found, the difficult decision was made by the vets in attendance to euthanize this whale this afternoon. It would not have survived on its own if it was taken back out to sea.

The decision was made to attempt to remove the Humpback from the rocks by ORRCA volunteers, NPWS as well as local lifeguards. The rescue team worked together relocating the little whale to the closest sandy beach area to further assess the whale’s condition.

Upon assessment, this Humpback was noted to be approximately only one week old and had numerous cookie cutter shark bites. It is believed that this young whale had been on its own for at least the last 24hrs before being found by a member of the public wash ashore this morning.

Sadly, due to the fact this whale would still be dependent on its mother for survival and the mother could not be found, the difficult decision was made by the vets in attendance to euthanize this whale this afternoon. It would not have survived on its own if it was taken back out to sea.

A juvenile humpback whale is stranded at Oxley Beach, Port Macquarie. ORRCA volunteers and National Parks and Wildlife are on site. pic.twitter.com/j5prmANhrY

Mutilated animals dumped in Brisbane park

AAP has this disturbing report:

More than a dozen mutilated animals including a decapitated koala, dogs, birds and possums, have been discovered in an inner city Brisbane park.

Horrified council workers made the macabre discovery at Toowong’s Anzac Park in the heart of the city on Thursday night.

Two 44-litre drums containing soil were found at the scene, with the mutilated animal corpses placed in a pile nearby.

“Officers were called to a location on Wool Street around 6.30pm after the animals, including koalas and dogs, were discovered on a grass verge,” police told AAP in a statement.

“Investigations are underway into the cause of death and the circumstances leading up to them being left.”

Brisbane’s Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said it was a “sick act” and the officers who stumbled on the gruesome scene had been offered counselling.

“I’m saddened, disturbed and appalled at what’s occurred here,” Cr Schrinner said.

“It’s now a matter for police who I hope will find the culprits so our courts can deal with them.”

Police and the RSPCA have launched a joint investigation and will scour the city’s network of CCTV footage but have asked anyone with information to contact authorities.

You could do a lot worse than watching some meteors this weekend:

Related: Trio of meteor showers to dazzle Australia and New Zealand – how to see and best time to view tonight and this weekend

McCormack defends grants scheme savaged by audit office

AAP reports that Michael McCormack says he’s “proud” of the program:

Former deputy prime minister Michael McCormack has defended a regional grants scheme following scathing findings of the program in an auditor-general report.

An Australian National Audit Office examination of the former coalition government’s Building Better Regions fund found Nationals-held electorates received $100 million more than they would have if the money had been distributed on merit.

The $1.15 billion fund awarded grants to 1300 projects across the country, with 65 per cent of infrastructure grants handed out to schemes not assessed as having the most merit.

The report said while the program was well designed, money for projects could be overridden by a panel of ministers, which included Nationals MPs and former deputy prime ministers Barnaby Joyce and Mr McCormack.

While the new Labor government has vowed to overhaul the scheme, Mr McCormack said all of the projects were properly assessed.

“Local members know which project is going to serve their communities better than a bureaucrat in Canberra,” he told Sky News on Friday.

“We take on board those local decision makers’ advice and then we act accordingly.”

Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said she was not surprised by the report’s findings, coming off the back of similar grant funding scandals under the previous government.

“Australians have got zero tolerance for this,” she told ABC TV on Friday.

“Certainly, I’m determined to make sure we have clearer, fairer, transparent processes right the way across the regional grants program that I administer.”

Mr McCormack said he stood by every decision made under the grants scheme, even the ones not properly documented.

“I went out of my way to ensure that the Labor seats were looked after, the independent seats were looked after, sometimes at the expense of coalition seats,” he said.

“I’m proud of what we were able to do.”

Bettongs released into protected reserve

AAP have this report, for all the bettong freaks out there (of which I am one):

Another 80 brush-tailed bettongs have been released into a protected reserve on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula as efforts continue to ensure the survival of the endangered species.

In two releases during July, 36 of the marsupials were brought from the Upper Warren region in Western Australia and 44 were relocated from SA’s Wedge Island.

In August last year, an initial 40 bettongs from Wedge Island were also released into their new home in the Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park, an area where they’ve been locally extinct for more than a century.

Bettongs once inhabited more than 60 per cent of mainland Australia but habitat loss and introduced predators including feral cats and foxes pushed the species to the brink of extinction.

They are now only found in small pockets of WA, on offshore islands in SA and in a handful of fenced sanctuaries.

The WA bettongs were chosen from a healthy population near Manjimup, 307 kilometres south of Perth.

Representatives from the Narungga people travelled to WA to meet the traditional owners, the Noongar people, and to support ecologists and a team from the Western Australian Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions to capture the animals.

The bettongs were given health checks and fitted with tracking devices before being set free.

Ecologists hope the 80 new arrivals will improve genetic diversity and build resilience in the population.

To help ensure their safety, a 25-kilometre predator control fence has been built across the foot of Yorke Peninsula.

Fresh calls for mask mandate in SA

AAP reports on a push to reintroduce masks amid a surge in Covid cases:

A leading epidemiologist has called for South Australia to reimpose a mask mandate to help bring the current wave of Covid-19 infections under control.

Prof Adrian Esterman told a parliamentary committee on Friday that while the most recent wave of Omicron cases had peaked, measures were needed to lower the increasingly higher troughs between infection peaks.

That would help relieve the severe pressure on the health system, he said.

“If it was me in charge, I’d be introducing a face mask mandate,” Esterman said.

But he said a mandate would only work if there was better messaging around what types of masks to wear, as well as how to wear them and when to wear them.

“Surgical masks aren’t as good as these P2 or N95 masks. Cloth masks simply don’t work against these sub-variants,” he said.

Despite his calls, the chief public health officer, Prof Nicola Spurrier, who also appeared before the committee on Friday, continued to oppose a mandate.

“Masks are only one part of our mitigation strategy,” she said.

“We all know that masks can help and it reduces the transmission potential by about 10%.

But Spurrier said SA also needed to have a legislative ability to impose a mandate, and that was no longer the case with the lifting of the emergency declaration.

She said SA Health’s views on a mask mandate or reimposing other social measures, such as density limits, could change should a more severe virus variant emerge.

SA reported another 3,148 Covid-19 cases as well as eight more deaths on Friday.

There are 341 people in hospital with the virus including 11 in ICU.

Further to our story last Friday that One Nation and David Pocock had their staffing cuts eased, we can now report that the Jacqui Lambie Network’s two senators have had some staff restored.

Guardian Australia understands that both Lambie and her Senate colleague Tammy Tyrrell will each get a total of six staff, the four electorate office staff, one adviser and one assistant adviser.

That’s up from five, which is what Anthony Albanese first proposed, and what crossbench MPs currently get, except those in regional areas.

The United Australia party’s Ralph Babet is meeting the prime minister next week.

ALP national executive intervenes in Tasmania branch

AAP has this report on the news we brought you earlier:

Labor’s national executive has taken over the party’s Tasmanian branch after years of bitter infighting and poor showings at recent state and federal polls.

The party on Friday announced the operations of the state conference and current administrative committee would be suspended for up to three years.

Labor has been in opposition in Tasmania since 2014, with the party suffering a swing against it at the May federal election despite widespread success on the mainland.

State Labor leader Rebecca White, who has led the party to election losses in 2018 and 2021, said the party’s culture needed to improve.

“We need all arms of the party to be working smarter, and better together. Our party was not at its best last year,” she said.

She said the party needed to be more inclusive and have appropriate mechanisms for the handling of complaints and disputes.

Ms White quit as leader following the 2021 loss but was reinstated several weeks later after her replacement David O’Byrne resigned from the role following accusations he harassed a junior employee years ago.

First term upper house member Bastian Seidel quit politics in August, slamming a toxic party environment and leaks.

Former state president Ben McGregor stood down as a candidate in the lead-up to the 2021 state poll over inappropriate text messages he sent to a colleague seven years ago.

He subsequently threatened Ms White with legal action after she said he wasn’t fit to sit in parliament.

Former senators Doug Cameron and Nick Sherry have been appointed as administrators of the branch and will be responsible for governance and administration.

“Tasmanian Labor needs a circuit-breaker to rebuild,” national secretary Paul Erickson said in a statement.

“This intervention is about improving the culture of the branch, reinstating trust, respect, transparency and a party-first approach to internal decision-making.”

Mr Erickson said the decision was supported by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Labor holds two of five federal seats in Tasmania. It won nine of 25 lower house seats at last year’s state poll.

Pretty wild picture from the NT, via the ABC.

Shocking photos show tourists standing metres away from the croc-infested water at Cahills Crossing in Kakadu @abcdarwin pic.twitter.com/l5EpMQnU6t

Just on the top of the Covid wave again, Victorians. Here’s to a smooth ride down the face and into a glorious spring.

. @VictorianCHO “We’re probably at peak of wave right now, I expect we’ll see a flattening of numbers and decrease in coming days,” @SkyNewsAust #springst pic.twitter.com/OO4o4hiAT8

Former home affairs minister Karen Andrews has linked the interception of four asylum seeker boats from Sri Lanka last month to the immigration policies of the new Labor government.

But missing from the former cabinet minister’s criticism was mention of the ongoing economic and social turmoil in Sri Lanka, a situation the home affairs minister, Clare O’Neil, said the government was working to address.

In June, directly following the 21 May election of the Albanese government, Operation Sovereign Borders said four people-smuggling boats were discovered on their way from Sri Lanka. Andrews said it was the highest monthly total of boat arrivals since 2015.

In a statement the Australian Border Force said:

Australian authorities intercepted four maritime people smuggling ventures from Sri Lanka with a total of 125 Sri Lankan nationals on board. All 125 passengers and crew were safely returned to Sri Lanka in close cooperation with the Sri Lankan government.

Sri Lanka has experienced months of upheaval and unrest as anti-government protests agitated for the removal of the country’s former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa following economic troubles, a financial crisis, shortages of food, petrol and power.

Andrews linked the boat arrivals to Labor’s plan to abolish temporary protection visas, which the former Coalition government said was a key component of their border protection strategy.

She tweeted, “Labor should not be weakening our borders by abolishing temporary protection visas,” accompanied by a video with the caption “keep TPVs, the people smugglers are watching”.

Today the Australian Border Force released a report showing the largest number of boats interceptions since 2015.

Labor should not be weakening our borders by abolishing Temporary Protection visas. pic.twitter.com/p2bKLgpZXy

We’ve contacted O’Neil’s office for comment. Last week, the minister said in an ABC interview that the government was working to support Sri Lanka through its ongoing turmoil. O’Neil visited Sri Lanka shortly after taking government, and said the two countries were working to address crime and people smuggling. She told Radio National:

Australia is safest in a region of prosperous, functional, strong democracies, of which Sri Lanka was one until very recently. So, we have an absolute national interest here in helping this country get back on its feet.

O’Neil drew a link in her interview between Sri Lanka’s situation and potential people smuggling ventures, reiterating the fact that Australian border policy had not changed. She said:

The most important thing for me to do in my position is to just continue to reiterate to people that Operation Sovereign Borders is Australian government policy. Don’t get on a boat and think that you are going to be able to make a life in Australia. You will be turned back. There are other ways that we can help Sri Lanka. But coming on a boat is not a pathway to come to Australia. And I would just urge Sri Lankans to understand that there has been no change in government policy.

The most important thing for me to do in my position is to just continue to reiterate to people that Operation Sovereign Borders is Australian government policy. Don’t get on a boat and think that you are going to be able to make a life in Australia. You will be turned back.

There are other ways that we can help Sri Lanka. But coming on a boat is not a pathway to come to Australia. And I would just urge Sri Lankans to understand that there has been no change in government policy.

Matthew Guy dismisses concerns over candidate’s transgender comments

Victorian opposition leader, Matthew Guy, has asked reporters to “give me a break” when questioned over comments made by Liberal candidate Moira Deeming attacking transgender rights and her claim LGBTQ+ children were being taught to be “narcissistic”.

Deeming, a teacher and Melton councillor, was preselected at the weekend to represent the Liberals in the Western Metropolitan Region, replacing outspoken MP Bernie Finn ahead of the November state election.

In a 2020 interview, Deeming described Victoria’s Safe Schools program as created by “paedophilia apologists”, claimed teachers were actively trying to change children’s gender and sexual identity, and criticised initiatives aimed at celebrating gay and transgender students, saying they were “teaching them to be really narcissistic”.

The full story is here:

Related: ‘In the past’: Matthew Guy dismisses concerns over Victorian Liberal candidate’s attacks on transgender rights

Brett Sutton to give Victoria Covid update at 4.15pm

In a somewhat triggering moment, we’ve just received word that the Victorian chief health officer, Brett Sutton, is going to be providing a Covid update around 4.15pm.

Remember when we always feared that the later it was, the worse the news would be? And Friday arvo is absolute take out the trash time ... but I’m sure it’s nothing.

Chief medical officer calls for end to debate over deaths ‘with or from’ Covid

Australia’s chief medical officer, Prof Paul Kelly, has called for an end to the debate as to whether people “die with or of Covid,” as Covid deaths in Australia exceed 11,500.

Speaking at the Australian Medical Association (AMA) national conference this afternoon about lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic, Kelly said 72% of Australia’s Covid deaths have occurred this year, and in 85% of those cases “Covid primarily or absolutely” contributed to the death.

Politicians have previously been accused of being insensitive for implying that because those who died after being infected with Covid were already in palliative care they would have died soon anyway.

“We need to put to bed this issue of ‘with or due to’ Covid,” Kelly said, making it clear that Covid is cutting people’s lives tragically short.

He said over 65% of deaths are in people over 80 years old, and that he has written to all aged care facilities saying residents diagnosed with Covid deserve access to a GP within 24 hours of a Covid diagnosis so they can potentially be prescribed life-saving antivirals.

In regards to mask mandates, he said those were decisions for politicians.

Kelly said he has been asked by the health minister to begin some strategic planning and consultation around establishing a centre for disease control, which was one of the Labor government’s election promises. The pandemic renewed calls for a national, coordinated response to diseases, with Australia the only OECD country without a centre for disease control.

The conference session was interrupted at the very end by an anti-vaccination protester, whose microphone was quickly shut off before he was escorted from the building.

The Nationals leader, David Littleproud, has hit back after government criticism following the audit office’s analysis of the Building Better Regions fund, defending the fact his party’s seats got far more cash than the merit-based process recommended.

The infrastructure minister, Catherine King, responded, accusing the Nationals of having their “hands in the cookie jar”.

The audit office found Nationals seats got more than $100m of extra funding due to the way the Coalition ran the scheme, ignoring recommendations from the department and considering “other factors” to choose which projects to fund. Liberal seats got twice as many grants as Labor seats.

Littleproud said in a statement:

Hardly surprising Nationals seats received more funding than Liberal and Labor seats under the Building Better Regions Fund, it was for regional Australia and we represent most of it. Projects funded are focused on improving and strengthening regional communities and I challenge the Labor government to maintain such record levels of funding to regional Australia.

Hardly surprising Nationals seats received more funding than Liberal and Labor seats under the Building Better Regions Fund, it was for regional Australia and we represent most of it.

Projects funded are focused on improving and strengthening regional communities and I challenge the Labor government to maintain such record levels of funding to regional Australia.

Asked at a press conference whether the Nationals’ relatively strong showing at the recent election was due to this funding, King said: “There is a reason that they funded more projects in their seats.”

They made sure their seats did well out of this fund and I’ll let people draw their own conclusions from that. I think you’d have to say that the National party have had their hands in the cookie jar when it comes to regional funding.

They made sure their seats did well out of this fund and I’ll let people draw their own conclusions from that.

I think you’d have to say that the National party have had their hands in the cookie jar when it comes to regional funding.

Former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce was the infrastructure minister at the time of the latest funding decisions. We contacted his office for comment, but a spokesperson said Joyce was unavailable, as he was on personal leave following the death of his father this week.

Here are the latest coronavirus case numbers from around Australia on Friday, as the country records at least 157 deaths (105 that were previously not reported in Victoria due to a data feed issue) from Covid-19:

Medical bodies and minds come together in Sydney

The first day of the Australian Medical Association’s conference continues in Sydney with the health minister, Mark Butler, and the chief health officer, Paul Kelly, in attendance.

In his speech, Kelly reiterated the need for a centre for disease control in Australia.

Butler flagged the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce will address cuts to Medicare in the past decade.

After a decade of Liberal cuts and attacks on Medicare, it's never been harder or more expensive to see a doctor in Australia. That's why we've brought Australia's health policy leaders together to form the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce. pic.twitter.com/mCbpytQjKx

The good, the bad and the ugly of the pandemic response are being discussed at #AMANatCon with @DrAhmedKazmi Prof Paul Kelly @healthgovau, @amapresident, @mckellar_andrew, @enenbee with Fulin Yan and Emily McMahon from the Health Advisory Panel for Youth at @syd_health pic.twitter.com/qA5wcQZPsc

I am handing over to my wonderful colleague Nino Bucci but before I do so, I can’t resist a bit of shameless self promotion sharing my own article for any fellow cheese aficionados out there.

In “a big win for cheese lovers” Australians will soon be able to enjoy British raw milk cheeses, with new regulations part of a growing move away from enforced pasteurisation.

The deal, signed last week at the Australian high commission in London, will allow the UK to export 12 varieties to Australia. Six varieties of raw milk cheese, including Montgomery’s cheddar and Sparkenhoe red leicester, were served as the ink dried.

Related: ‘Big win for cheese lovers’: fromageries celebrate melting of Australia’s ‘ultraconservative’ rules

Government subsidies should target energy efficiency, consumer body says

A report released today from the Australian Energy Market Operator (Aemo) warned Australians the sky-high power prices they are paying may not be going away any time soon.

The chief executive of Energy Consumers Australia, Lynne Gallagher, was on the ABC earlier today and said the price hikes would simply be too high for some people to pay.

Gallagher said she believes governments have an obligation to make sure all Australians can keep the lights on.

It’s absolutely critical to our lives and livelihoods. There’s no quick fix here or easy fix. There’s only really two things you can do. You can actually work on bringing prices down, and governments are already thinking about ways that they can address the kinds of factors that the Aemo report addresses today. But the other thing they can do is directly support consumers to be more energy efficient, to change energy use in their home and that way we can bring bills down and reduce some of this pressure.

It’s absolutely critical to our lives and livelihoods. There’s no quick fix here or easy fix. There’s only really two things you can do. You can actually work on bringing prices down, and governments are already thinking about ways that they can address the kinds of factors that the Aemo report addresses today.

But the other thing they can do is directly support consumers to be more energy efficient, to change energy use in their home and that way we can bring bills down and reduce some of this pressure.

Gallagher said government subsidies should be aimed at changing behaviour rather than paying high bills.

You need to do something directly for people on low incomes. But longer term, if people can actually be more energy wise, use less energy in their home, but still stay comfortable, use less energy in their business and not have these high energy costs, so it’s a win-win for everyone when we actually work on those kinds of direct measures as well that make energy more affordable.

Perrottet follows in Howard’s cricketing footsteps

The New South Wales premier, Dominic Perrottet, has channeled former PM John Howard with a “shocking” cricket performance during his trade mission in India, Sky News is reporting.

Howard’s infamous blunder bowling one right into the pitch happened while visiting Pakistan in 2005.

Perrottet’s trip to Mumbai has already been somewhat overshadowed by the growing controversy surrounding the inquiry into former deputy premier John Barilaro’s appointment to the role of trade commissioner in New York.

Many are saying Perrottet’s trip couldn’t have come at a worse time, and during a local cricket match with juniors in Mumbai, he seems to have continued that run of bad timing.

Sky News’ Jack Mahony reports:

The premier, who is overseas with trade minister, Stuart Ayres, to promote trade ties, decided to join some juniors from the Mumbai Cricket Association during a nets session on Thursday. Perrottet lined up to bowl against legendary Australian wicket keeper Adam Gilchrist. He began his action smoothly but things quickly took a turn for the worse when he reached the crease. The premier held onto the ball a fraction too long before slamming it into the ground right in front of his feet. Unfortunately for Perrottet the ball then bounced away behind him.

The premier, who is overseas with trade minister, Stuart Ayres, to promote trade ties, decided to join some juniors from the Mumbai Cricket Association during a nets session on Thursday.

Perrottet lined up to bowl against legendary Australian wicket keeper Adam Gilchrist.

He began his action smoothly but things quickly took a turn for the worse when he reached the crease.

The premier held onto the ball a fraction too long before slamming it into the ground right in front of his feet.

Unfortunately for Perrottet the ball then bounced away behind him.

Independent ACT senator David Pocock has had his request for an Auslan interpreter in the Senate to translate his first speech denied by the major parties, who are worried about the “precedent” it would set.

Pocock, who will deliver his first speech to the Senate on Monday, had agreed to have an Auslan interpreter stand by his side, live translating his words for the hearing impaired.

The government has now offered to have screens on the floor of the Senate displaying an interpreter as a compromise.

Related: ACT senator David Pocock denied Auslan interpreter for first speech in Senate

Record ambulance ramping at WA hospitals

Western Australia may be past the peak of its Covid-19 and flu outbreaks as ambulance ramping figures reach new heights, AAP reports.

Ambulances have spent 6,531 hours ramped outside hospitals in July, overtaking the record set last August.

Ambulance ramping, where patients face long waits to be handed over to emergency departments, has blown out since the McGowan government took office in 2017.

The health minister, Amber-Jade Sanderson, on Friday defended the figures, saying every health system in the world was facing similar pressures.

The state’s chief health officer, Dr Andy Robertson, revealed WA’s current wave of Covid-19 infections appeared to have peaked, with 4,423 cases recorded on Friday.

Robertson played down suggestions there were large numbers of cases going undetected. He told ABC radio:

We appear to be past the peak of the current wave. There are indicators we use that give us some certainty that case numbers as a whole are coming down, and we’re not missing a lot of cases.

We appear to be past the peak of the current wave.

There are indicators we use that give us some certainty that case numbers as a whole are coming down, and we’re not missing a lot of cases.

Settled weather conditions bring cold temperatures to ACT and inland NSW

Blue skies and sunshine at #WaggaWagga Airport, as well as much of inland #NSW ☀️ These settled weather conditions bring cold temperatures overnight and the chance of widespread frost tomorrow morning, with fog also possible in southern parts. See: https://t.co/SPHgGeisGZ pic.twitter.com/Y9lI4kkotM

Blue skies and sunshine at #Canberra Airport ☀️ These settled weather conditions bring cold temperatures overnight and the chance of widespread frost across the #ACT tomorrow morning, with fog also possible in southern parts of #NSW.

See: https://t.co/Fra4GA8hfw pic.twitter.com/AMRTRUurcn

Video: Increased boat attempts to Australia are ‘concerning’: Karen Andrews (Sky News Australia)

Nancy Pelosi’s Taiwan visit would create ‘another crisis’ for Biden administration

Primary teachers demand change to national curriculum

Coping mechanisms are key to surviving as a coach: Matthew Elliott

Shakira facing up to eight years in prison for alleged tax fraud

Sexual assault crime at all-time high

Will Smith apologises to Chris Rock for 'unacceptable' Oscars slap

Ariarne Titmus sets Commonwealth Games record in all-Australian podium

Australia brings home gold at Commonwealth Games

Critical delays found in Victorian ambulances during code red

Albanese hires industrial relations advisers

Albanese proposes referendum question on Indigenous Voice to Parliament

Chalmers’ state of economy speech didn’t offer ‘any real solutions’

Australia is in ‘deep trouble’ once wages start chasing inflation

Politics is ‘preoccupied’ with the woke

Ordinary Americans are ‘struggling to make ends meet’

Biden administration has tried to 'deny’ US is heading into a recession

The absolutely always excellent Weekly Beast is out:

Related: Neighbours finale a TV ratings jackpot as Ten farewells Ramsay Street in last episode | The weekly beast

In a fairly significant move, Labor’s national executive are taking over the Tasmanian branch of the party.

According to a statement just released:

Tasmanian Labor needs a circuit-breaker to rebuild. This intervention is about improving the culture of the branch, reinstating trust, respect, transparency and a party-first approach to internal decision making.

Tasmanian Labor needs a circuit-breaker to rebuild.

This intervention is about improving the culture of the branch, reinstating trust, respect, transparency and a party-first approach to internal decision making.

Statement from Labor national secretary #politas pic.twitter.com/aJjWWYox5D

There were 3,418 cases recorded, with 341 people in hospital, and 11 of them in ICU.

For more information, go to https://t.co/XkVcAlWPSN pic.twitter.com/GG627078mz

Kevin Rudd weighs in on Taiwan tensions

A discussion between the US and Chinese presidents has been dominated by tensions over Taiwan with Xi Jinping warning Joe Biden against “playing with fire”.

The sharp words come after the US House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, announced she is considering a visit to Taiwan.

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd spoke to the ABC from San Francisco about the situation:

My analysis is this is not likely to break out into a shooting match if Pelosi proceeds. Mind you, I don’t think Pelosi travelling to Taiwan at this stage is helpful in terms of Taiwan’s intrinsic national security. It tends to serve more heretic domestic political interests in the United States. I think, on balance, it’s better for the overall relationship if she does not proceed at this stage but, as I said before, I don’t think either side, the United States or China, at this stage want to go to war over a Pelosi visit though, if it does proceed, the Chinese military have indicated there will be a reaction of some form or another.

My analysis is this is not likely to break out into a shooting match if Pelosi proceeds. Mind you, I don’t think Pelosi travelling to Taiwan at this stage is helpful in terms of Taiwan’s intrinsic national security.

It tends to serve more heretic domestic political interests in the United States. I think, on balance, it’s better for the overall relationship if she does not proceed at this stage but, as I said before, I don’t think either side, the United States or China, at this stage want to go to war over a Pelosi visit though, if it does proceed, the Chinese military have indicated there will be a reaction of some form or another.

Producer price index increased by 1.4% in June quarter

Today the Australian Bureau of Statistics provided the data for producer prices. The 5.6% annual rate of increase was the highest since the December quarter of 2008.

Consumer price inflation, as you’ll have probably seen, came in at 6.1% at an annual rate for the June quarter. That was the highest in 21 years.

Australia's producer prices rose at annual pace of 5.6% in the June quarter, up from 4.9% in the March quarter. The quarter-on-quarter pace, though, slowed (as it did for the CPI) to 1.4% from 1.6%. pic.twitter.com/TvBkue0Mwh

At least on a quarterly basis the producer price index eased back, with the 1.4% rise down from 1.6% in the March quarter.

Energy was again the main contributor the increase, with refined petroleum products basically double in price from a year ago. (Thanks mostly to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.)

And not surprisingly, higher fuel costs were a driver (so to speak) of the higher producer prices. Energy companies, meanwhile, are cashing in... pic.twitter.com/8RHb01ZIV1

Australian-based energy companies have been able to charge more for the fossil fuels they have extracted.

(So far, there’s not been a lot of discussion about the Albanese government going after some of the windfall profits ... perhaps there should be. Overnight Shell reported US$11.5bn (AU$16.4bn) in second-quarter profit alone.)

Separately, next week’s economic news will likely include a lot of discussion about the Reserve Bank and its cash rate. Here’s what the market expects for the bank’s August board meeting:

Look out for more proof that higher interest rates are nudging property prices lower.

The outlook for the RBA's cash rate, at least from investors' views. They judge it as a two-in-three chance that the central bank would lift the rate from 1.35% to 2% on August 2nd. (Economists reckon the hike will be more likely 50 basis points to 1.85%). pic.twitter.com/Ci48NAyWp1

Possum rescued from Sydney drain

This little guy looks like he’s had a rough time of it, stuck inside a drain in Birchgrove.

Luckily, Fire and Rescue NSW has freed the possum who is now in the care of WIRES.

BALMAIN | #FRNSW received a call to station this morning to assist public. Resident of @IWCouncil home in Birchgrove Rd had found possum stuck in a drain. Crews successfully freed the trapped curious animal and passed onto @WIRESWildlife. pic.twitter.com/duzXNxtgNr

The infrastructure minister, Catherine King, has flagged overhauling the in-progress sixth round of funding under the Building Better Regions program, claiming it may be “contaminated” after a scathing audit office report on the Coalition’s handling of the $1bn fund.

King she told ABC Melbourne:

I have to look at whether we proceed with that or not because, frankly, I think this whole scheme has just been contaminated now when you look at this report.

She said there would be a decision on regional grants in the near future.

The audit office found Nationals seats got more than $100m of extra funding due to the way the Coalition ran the scheme, ignoring recommendations from the department and considering “other factors” to choose which projects to fund. Liberal seats got twice as many grants as Labor seats.

King has flagged her plans to design “a new transparent scheme, to actually try and work out how we can put processes in place to make sure this doesn’t happen under us”.

The minister told ABC that she wouldn’t do away with ministerial discretion altogether, opening the door to Labor making their own decisions in government too. But she said the new Albanese government would look to change how grants are awarded.

I think having much greater transparency, making sure the guidelines are very clear, where if you are going to have other factors in the guidelines, you spell those out, you don’t just say that there are other factors and leave it like that ... I’m having a bit more of a think about sort of independent panels or looking at cross-party panels as well.

Burney and Albanese leave for Garma

The minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, has said she is off to the Garma festival in northeast Arnhem Land, along with the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and WA senator Patrick Dodson.

The four-day celebration of the Yolngu people’s cultural, artistic and ceremonial traditions attracts about 2,500 people, AAP reports.

The gathering will allow senior Indigenous leaders to engage with the federal government on the path to a referendum for recognition in the constitution and a voice to parliament.

They will also discuss other key challenges facing Indigenous Australians to help inform policies and decision-making.

Off to Garma Festival with @AlboMP, @SenatorDodson and colleagues.

There’s important work to be done advancing the Uluru Statement and Voice to Parliament, I hope you enjoy coming on this journey over the next few days. #auspol #garma

Heading to Garma Festival in Arnhem Land today with Minister for Indigenous Australians @LindaBurneyMP, @SenatorDodson, and parliamentary colleagues. We'll advance talks between First Nations peoples and the Government on a Voice to Parliament.

Australian tourist in serious condition after falling into thermal sinkhole in NZ

An Australian woman has been seriously injured after she fell into a geothermal sinkhole that opened up in a popular tourist village in New Zealand.

The woman fell into the two-metre-wide fumarole when it opened suddenly on a footpath near the entrance of Whakarewarewa thermal village in Rotorua, in central North Island.

Related: Australian tourist in serious condition after falling into thermal sinkhole in New Zealand

The Australian Medical Association’s national conference has just kicked off at Sydney’s Darling Harbour. The pandemic response, general practice, rural doctors, private health and gender equity will all be discussed.

A question time with the health minister, Mark Butler, and his shadow counterpart, Anne Ruston, will take place tomorrow.

AMA President @amapresident Dr Omar Khorshid has welcomed #AMANatCon attendees telling them it’s been a whirlwind two years and thanking them for their sacrifice during the Covid pandemic pic.twitter.com/6m17E5heYO

Whale rescuers working against the swell

We brought you news of a juvenile humpback whale stranded in Port Macquarie a little earlier.

The Port Macquarie News is reporting that the rescue effort is underway by volunteers with ORRCA (the Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia).

Ruby Pascoe reported that “ORRCA volunteers are working against the swell as they attempt to rescue the trapped juvenile whale.”

The whale is 4.2 metres and ORRCA estimates it weighs around two tonne. pic.twitter.com/jk2lW5gYHL

Push for pill testing at festivals in Queensland

Queensland’s mental health commissioner has told parliament pill testing at festivals in the state could save lives.

In budget estimates on Friday, Greens MP Michael Berkman asked the state’s mental health commissioner, Ivan Frkovic, about plans to introduce drug checking at festivals and whether those measures could be life-saving.

There’s certainly organisational capacity to be able to do that at various festivals. I think there is evidence both from other jurisdictions in Australia but also internationally, which would suggest that having drug checking facilities, particularly temporary ones, or even fixed sites, can contribute to saving lives.

There’s certainly organisational capacity to be able to do that at various festivals.

I think there is evidence both from other jurisdictions in Australia but also internationally, which would suggest that having drug checking facilities, particularly temporary ones, or even fixed sites, can contribute to saving lives.

Berkman also asked about how hepatitis C transmission in prisons could be reduced by needle and syringe exchange programs.

Helen Brown, thhe acting deputy director-general of clinical excellence, said:

There are a number of opioid substitution programmes currently available across correctional facilities in Queensland. [But] at present we don’t have a needle exchange programme, but it has been something that’s been considered.

There are a number of opioid substitution programmes currently available across correctional facilities in Queensland.

[But] at present we don’t have a needle exchange programme, but it has been something that’s been considered.

Cronulla player Toby Rudolf backs NRL pride round

Following the NRL’s pride jersey debacle, Manly boss Scott Penn has said he wants to speak with the NRL about introducing an inclusion round next season.

The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting that Cronulla prop Toby Rudolf has backed a pride round. Christian Nicolussi writes:

Rudolf, a player with big hair and an even bigger personality, is one of very few NRL stars to openly speak about his same-sex experiences, and said while he identified as heterosexual, ‘love is love, and I love to share it with everyone’.

The Australian Rugby League Commission’s chairman, Peter V’landys, has said he is open to the idea of a pride or inclusion round, but stressed the decision was ultimately one for the Commission.

Related: Manly owner wants NRL inclusion round as boycotting players told to stay away from game

There were 9,420 new cases in the last reporting period, and 30 people are in intensive care.

Today we have recorded 9,420 new COVID-19 cases.

Sadly, we have reported 17 deaths in the past 24 hours.

Full details➡️ https://t.co/rKHIwroZeI pic.twitter.com/Sa69yLYjk0

Young humpback whale stranded in Port Macquarie

The Port Macquarie News is reporting that help is onhand at the site from National Parks and Wildlife as well as volunteers with ORRCA (the Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia).

A juvenile humpback whale is stranded at Oxley Beach, Port Macquarie. ORRCA volunteers and National Parks and Wildlife are on site. pic.twitter.com/j5prmANhrY

New Zealand climbers survive avalanche and blizzard, thanks to snow cave and muesli bars

Two climbers who were buried by an avalanche and then caught in a blizzard atop one of New Zealand’s most famous mountain ranges survived their ordeal by digging themselves out of the snow, building a cave and living off muesli bars.

The two men in their 20s were on a three-day ice climbing adventure in The Remarkables – a 2,300-metre high range above Queenstown – when they triggered an avalanche and were carried about 20 metres downhill.

Related: New Zealand climbers survive avalanche and blizzard, thanks to snow cave and muesli bars

Meta’s funding cuts won’t impact Australian deals, company says

Meta’s decision to cut funding from US news outlets for its Facebook News Tab will not have an impact on funding deals in Australia, the company has said.

Overnight, Axios broke the news that Meta began telling its news partners in the US it no longer plans to pay publishers for their content on Facebook’s News Tab.

The deals, worth a reported US$105m, were signed in 2019. Meta has argued a lot has changed since the deals were signed, and people do not come to Facebook for news.

Several Australian news media companies, including Guardian Australia, signed deals to be paid for content with Meta in early 2021, in exchange for the Facebook platform not being designated under the News Media Bargaining Code set up by the former Morrison government. Being designated under the code would have led to much more stringent requirements for Meta to keep operating in Australia.

A spokesperson for Meta said the cut to US funding would not impact Australia:

This doesn’t impact any of our current deals in Australia.

The Treasury is currently reviewing the operation of the code, and the former Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) chair Rod Sims has called for Facebook to be designated under the code to be forced to negotiate with The Conversation and SBS for payment for content – which the company has so far refused to do.

That high number of deaths reported today is due to data feed issues, authorities say with 105 additional deaths being reported since July 1. “Ordinarily today’s figure would be 2.”

There were 10,898 new cases in the last reporting period, and 32 people are in intensive care.

Due to data feed issues this month, a high number of COVID-19-related deaths is being reported today.

This has resulted in 105 additional deaths being reported since July 1. Ordinarily today’s figure would be 2. The average daily deaths in Victoria over the past fortnight is 19. pic.twitter.com/hLkdnR4j9m

Price hikes drive record energy switch

More Australians opted to switch energy providers than ever before in June this year, as price hikes compelled consumers to consider the competition, AAP reports.

Nearly 240,850 households across the country changed power companies in June, according to the Australian Energy Market Operator.

Joel Gibson, from consumer network One Big Switch, said the move en masse in June was due to the largest power price hikes the country has seen.

A report by the energy market operator today confirmed unprecedented wholesale prices which are now flowing through to households and businesses.

That could be a driver for more people to change energy providers in July, with most of the big retailers not increasing their prices until July or August, Gibson said.

Four retailers have also gone out of business, mostly in July - Enova Energy, Pooled Energy, Weston Power & Power Club - and their customers will be automatically switched to big retailers. And finally, the Victorian government has also this month started paying households $250 just for visiting their energy comparison website.

Four retailers have also gone out of business, mostly in July - Enova Energy, Pooled Energy, Weston Power & Power Club - and their customers will be automatically switched to big retailers.

And finally, the Victorian government has also this month started paying households $250 just for visiting their energy comparison website.

AGL and EnergyAustralia will hike rates for 5.5 million customers next Monday.

The New South Wales Labor leader, Chris Minns, has declined to call for the resignation of under-fire minister Stuart Ayres, saying he doesn’t believe it would change anything.

Ayres is under increasing pressure after a series of revelations raised new questions about his involvement in the controversial New York trade job given to the former deputy premier John Barilaro.

The government insists Barilaro’s appointment was the responsibility of the public service and was done at arms’ length from the government.

But on Thursday the Guardian revealed Ayres asked the chief executive of the agency responsible for the appointment to add a name to the shortlist for the job. Documents also show the department was waiting on “ministerial feedback” before finalising its offer to Barilaro.

He has also been accused of potentially misleading parliament after he said “no suitable candidate” for the job had been found during a first-round of recruitment last year. He has repeatedly denied misleading the parliament.

In an interview with the ABC on Friday, Minns declined to call for Ayres’ to quit, saying he didn’t think it would change anything:

Ordinarily, I would say that this is grounds for a clear case of misleading the New South Wales parliament but I am reluctant to call for a resignation because I don’t think it would change. They often appoint friends and associates of the government to senior positions. I don’t think anything would change if you swapped Stuart Ayres out with one of his colleagues.

Ordinarily, I would say that this is grounds for a clear case of misleading the New South Wales parliament but I am reluctant to call for a resignation because I don’t think it would change.

They often appoint friends and associates of the government to senior positions. I don’t think anything would change if you swapped Stuart Ayres out with one of his colleagues.

Attendees arrive for Garma festival

Leaders continue to arrive in a remote corner of the Northern Territory for Australia’s largest Indigenous gathering, the Garma Festival, which begins today.

The annual event is held in Gulkula, a ceremonial site on the Gove peninsula in northeast Arnhem Land.

Eddie Synot, a Wamba Wamba First Nations public lawyer and researcher, shared the below picture arriving into the Gove yesterday evening.

The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and the minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, are set to arrive later today.

A bit special flying into Gove for Garma this evening. Looking forward to the weekend & talking #UluruStatement pic.twitter.com/jUguE6jtxi

Tomorrow I will be travelling to the NT for the Garma Festival to advance discussions with First Nations people on a Voice to Parliament. pic.twitter.com/0ets2Ypxid

Pandemic drove youth homelessness, new study shows

A new survey by Mission Australia shows youth homelessness numbers have risen significantly compared to pre-pandemic levels with the hardships young people are facing compounded by the rising cost of living.

The research found one in 20 people between ages 15- 19 became homeless for the first time, renewing calls for a national plan to tackle homelessness.

Sharon Callister, the CEO of Mission Australia, appeared on the ABC earlier this morning talking about the services that can be extended to help with the crisis.

The main reasons for [young people] finding themselves homeless for the first time were conflict and family breakdown, family and domestic violence, psychological distress, unfair treatment and discrimination and, not surprisingly, Covid-19. We were pretty concerned with the findings, and we actually did a snapshot back to 2017 to make a comparison pre-Covid. And at that time, one in 25 of our youth responding to the survey had said that they were homeless for the first time as well. Neither of those statistics are good, but it is an alarming trend that the homeless rate is increasing. If you’re a youth person and you have found yourself homeless, the first thing you need is to find a home. We’re really inspired by the fact that the new Albanese Government have made a commitment to a nationally coordinated plan for homelessness and housing. This is a really big step for us, and they’ve also committed to 30,000 new social and affordable housing.

The main reasons for [young people] finding themselves homeless for the first time were conflict and family breakdown, family and domestic violence, psychological distress, unfair treatment and discrimination and, not surprisingly, Covid-19.

We were pretty concerned with the findings, and we actually did a snapshot back to 2017 to make a comparison pre-Covid. And at that time, one in 25 of our youth responding to the survey had said that they were homeless for the first time as well. Neither of those statistics are good, but it is an alarming trend that the homeless rate is increasing.

If you’re a youth person and you have found yourself homeless, the first thing you need is to find a home. We’re really inspired by the fact that the new Albanese Government have made a commitment to a nationally coordinated plan for homelessness and housing. This is a really big step for us, and they’ve also committed to 30,000 new social and affordable housing.

Man convicted for owning boa constrictor without a permit

In a statement Victoria’s conservation regulatory said:

We received reports the man was keeping a carpet python without a licence, but officers inspected and discovered the snake was actually a boa constrictor.

A Nagambie man has been convicted and ordered to pay more than $1200 after pleading guilty to keeping a controlled pest animal without a permit after Authorised Officers found him in possession of a two-metre-long boa constrictor last year. pic.twitter.com/MGZMAqxDcA

Ukrainian president to address Australia

Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the president of the Ukraine, is set to address Australians next week via a video link.

The sold out in-person event will take place the evening of 3 August at the Australian National University (ANU).

President Zelenskiy will share his experiences as a world leader navigating the realities of war, nearly six months since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The event will be officially opened by Julie Bishop, the chancellor of ANU and former foreign minister, and will also feature a Q&A session between the President and students at the ANU.

Professor Brian Schmidt, the vice-chancellor of ANU said:

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine threatens the peace, liberty and democracy on which freedom of inquiry and academic collaboration is based.. President Zelenskiy continues to inspire the world through his leadership and service to his country. We are incredibly grateful to have President Zelenskiy share his time and thoughts with our community.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine threatens the peace, liberty and democracy on which freedom of inquiry and academic collaboration is based..

President Zelenskiy continues to inspire the world through his leadership and service to his country. We are incredibly grateful to have President Zelenskiy share his time and thoughts with our community.

This may look a little like a frosty windscreen, but it's actually snow from overnight. Snow settled at elevations of 400 to 500 metres, with snow flurries down to around 300 metres. pic.twitter.com/mEEwXbQhys

There were 14,927 new cases in the last reporting period, and 67 people are in intensive care.

In the 24-hour reporting period to 4pm yesterday:

- 96.8% of people aged 16+ have had one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine*

- 95.3% of people aged 16+ have had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine* pic.twitter.com/W7We68rBZs

Conservative Christian groups lobby federal MPs against territories’ assisted dying rights legislation

Conservative action groups are mobilising supporters against a government push to allow territories to make their own laws on euthanasia, raising concerns around potential impacts on Indigenous Australians in the Northern Territory.

The Australian Christian Lobby is flooding federal MPs with emails in a campaign to block a private member’s bill to be introduced next week, but territories minister Kristy McBain says she’s confident it will pass parliament.

Paul Karp and Josh Butler bring you the full story:

Related: Conservative Christian groups lobby federal MPs against territories’ assisted dying rights legislation

Frost across Australia’s eastern states

Australians from Queensland right down to Victoria have been waking up to frosty conditions this morning.

Sunrise, fog and a touch of frost - a typical winters morning for the #Gympie region ❄️

Morning frost inland in southern and central #Queensland on Saturday, morning frost in

the #southeast interior on Sunday.

Check your local forecast at https://t.co/gwwoU9j9t0 #QLDWeather pic.twitter.com/8eydwZKvFs

Current temperatures across #NSW 🥶 a cold start for many areas along the ranges and inland with widespread #frost this morning as well as tomorrow. See your local forecast to see how cold your area will be overnight tonight and into tomorrow morning at: https://t.co/SPHgGeisGZ pic.twitter.com/W6kyHFvPdu

❄️A frost warning has been issued for all districts for Friday morning, with temperatures dropping below 0°C across many locations. https://t.co/PihSPvZM25 pic.twitter.com/fV3cQRNGhr

NSW issued 501 fines to children under 15 in past year for not wearing or carrying mask

About 500 children aged under 15 were fined a total of $20,000 for not wearing or carrying a mask in New South Wales in the past 12 months, including 34 who remain in an unpaid work and development scheme to reduce their debts.

The state government has faced sustained criticism for its pursuit of children over Covid rule breaches, particularly given the confusing and shifting nature of public health orders and the disproportionate impact Covid fines are having on the most disadvantaged.

What’s the go with Australia’s energy market?

There’s quite a bit to digest in the Australian Energy Market Operator’s report on how the National Electricity Market fared in the June quarter.

You can find the report here, or jump to our coverage here, where we outline the soaring cost of electricity and gas. Some of that tripling of wholesale gas and electricity prices will start showing up in your energy bills – if they are not already (which may dash hopes that inflation is about to peak).

Here’s a chart showing how the different sources of energy changed from a year earlier – with black coal’s contraction particularly notable.

How energy sources changed in the national electricity market (serving about 80% of Australia's population) in the June quarter from a year earlier. pic.twitter.com/WiBh9kKZ8V

Black coal is used in NSW and Queensland, with the latter owned by the state government – and therefore a player in the market, but to whose benefit? Anyway, here’s how output changed in those two states.

How black coal fared in the national electricity market in the June quarter - sinking to its lowest level for any June quarter since the market began in 1998. Part of the reason was plant breakdowns or maintenance, but also exposure to more costly coal. (Source: AEMO) pic.twitter.com/sMEBiPTWHo

Among the interesting takeaways was the curbs on the ability of some hydro plants to operate as much as they might have given the amble inflows during another La Niña season.

It turns out that having flooded river valleys can curb just how much extra water hydro plants can add to flows. (Snowy Hydro, now fully commonwealth-government owned, also has potentially contradictory motives – maximum profits or add to blunt price spikes.)

Also of note is what happened to gas flows. Unlike last year, Victoria was a net exporter of the fossil fuel, while Queensland sucked in more than it sent south. The swing amounted to 7 petajoules of gas.

That’s worth keeping in mind, particularly as arguments about Victoria (and other locations) needed to open up to gas exploration and development are about to be revived when the ACCC releases its latest gas report – at least if today’s report in the AFR is any guide.

Business Council calls Albanese government the most engaged she’s seen

Westacott, the council’s chief executive, told ABC Radio:

I can’t remember a more engaged government than this. I have had call after call after call from ministers.

She said the reason the council has put together a document with practical recommendations comes in response to government interest.

She says the government is really willing to listen to the business community, and the last government she saw as engaged was Tony Abbott’s.

‘We need to rebrand Australia’ to workers, Business Council of Australia says

Jennifer Westacott, the chief executive of the Business Council of Australia, is speaking to ABC Radio.

Following the treasurer’s first address to parliament (that’s Jim Chalmers, for those of you who are still processing it) which revealed Australia was facing its greatest cost of living pressures in two decades, the business council released a report this morning with recommendations to release economic bottlenecks.

Westacott is asked about how much impact the government can have when much of the situation is caused by international factors. She says Australia has to “pull every lever in our control to get rid of friction and blockages in our economy.”

When you add up all those little things it makes a big difference.

She says addressing the labour shortage is paramount: getting rid of red tape, fast-tracking visas and extending hours students can work.

We need to rebrand Australia as a place we want people to come to work.

Commonwealth Games opens in Birmingham

The Commonwealth Games in Birmingham open this week, following an opening ceremony featuring a raging bull, Malala Yousafzai, a Brummie drag queen and Duran Duran.

How can sports lovers follow the action? Who makes up the Australian team?

Guardian Australia’s deputy sport editor Emma Kemp has your questions answered.

Related: Commonwealth Games: if you’re watching from Australia, here’s what you need to know | Emma Kemp

Infrastructure minister says she is redesigning the regional grants programs

Infrastructure minister Catherine King appeared on ABC earlier this morning responding to the report handed down by the National Audit Office into the previous government’s management of the building better regions fund, finding that seats held by the Nationals appeared to be the biggest beneficiaries.

King says she is “surprised but not surprised”:

It is part of the pattern we saw in the last decade with the Liberal National Party Government … As a regional MP, I know community members here have been putting grants into the building better regions fund and to hear this is just really disheartening. Communities under Labor, many council areas under the last government, we thought why would you bother putting into this program. The previous government has a lot to answer in relation to this …I have got a big mess to clean up now when it comes to this and we need to try and get more transparent processes in place so regional communities across the country can benefit, no matter who they vote for. Australians have zero tolerance for this. I am in the process of trying to redesign the regional grants programs and I will make announcements about that. We have election commitments we need to account for and be transparent ... I am determined to make sure we have clearer, fairer transparent processes right the way across the regional grants programs that I administer.

It is part of the pattern we saw in the last decade with the Liberal National Party Government … As a regional MP, I know community members here have been putting grants into the building better regions fund and to hear this is just really disheartening. Communities under Labor, many council areas under the last government, we thought why would you bother putting into this program.

The previous government has a lot to answer in relation to this …I have got a big mess to clean up now when it comes to this and we need to try and get more transparent processes in place so regional communities across the country can benefit, no matter who they vote for.

Australians have zero tolerance for this. I am in the process of trying to redesign the regional grants programs and I will make announcements about that. We have election commitments we need to account for and be transparent ... I am determined to make sure we have clearer, fairer transparent processes right the way across the regional grants programs that I administer.

Indigenous MPs represent their electorates, not Indigenous people as a whole, co-chair of design group on the voice says

Marcia Langton is saying the fact that there are now Indigenous members of parliament is not enough because those members represent their electorates, not Indigenous people as a whole:

What we’ve set out is the preferred option of most Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people … they want to be able to have a formal relationship with government so their concerns are heard and so there’s a formal way for their views to be registered.

‘Read our report,’ Indigenous voice co-chair tells critics calling for more detail

Marcia Langton is asked about the opposition’s calls for more detail in what the voice will look like. She says this could stymie the process:

When people say they want more detail, all it tells me if they don’t want to read our report because all the detail is there.

"I see this demand for more detail as just mischief making and selling confusion.. we couldn't be more clear than we have been"

Marcia Langton is speaking about the problems Indigenous communities face, which she says need to be addressed through a voice to parliament:

Our constitution remains racist, there’s two racist provisions in it and the high court decision that the commonwealth can do harm to us stands. What we’ve recommended is a very straightforward plan that I think resolves the problem … how do we ensure … our people survive into the future?

Our constitution remains racist, there’s two racist provisions in it and the high court decision that the commonwealth can do harm to us stands.

What we’ve recommended is a very straightforward plan that I think resolves the problem … how do we ensure … our people survive into the future?

She says stakeholder consultation reveals Indigenous people want a “full relationship with government” so that when communities raise problems they want addressed (for example, the need for drinkable water) they have assurances they will be heard.

Marcia Langton, Indigenous academic and co-chair of the senior design group on the Indigenous voice to parliament, is speaking to ABC Radio about her expectations for the Garma festival, which starts today.

The gathering will allow Indigenous leaders to engage with the government on issues including the path to a referendum for recognition in the constitution and a voice to parliament, and prime minister Anthony Albanese is due to give a major address.

what do you and others want to hear from the PM at Garma this weekend?

"Most of all what we want to know is that this new government understands the issue and why this is so important .. and I'm sure he'll learn some more here [at Garma]"

Rapid Covid-19 tests detect Omicron, TGA reassures public

No rapid antigen tests have been removed from the Australian market because they couldn’t detect the Omicron Cvariant, the health regulator says.

AAP reports that the Therapeutic Goods Administration issued the public notice last night after several incorrect media reports that the RATs were ineffective.

The TGA confirmed that only four RATs have so far been cancelled from the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods, with three being removed by their supplier.

The TGA cancelled just one product because the sponsor couldn’t provide sufficient data on the RAT’s sensitivity to Covid-19.

I hope you’ve been enjoying Amy Remeikis’s superb politics live blog – as parliament takes a breather so is she, but will be with you again Monday.

Australians are waking up to the news that wholesale energy prices have tripled from last year, according to a report released today by the market operator.

Australia’s energy market operator said failing coal-fired power plants and soaring global gas costs combined to create “unprecedented” market disruptions.

A review by the National Audit Office has revealed the previous government’s $1.15bn grants program for regional development found Liberal-held seats received twice as many grants as Labor electorates. My colleague Josh Butler brings you the full story.

Australia’s largest Indigenous gathering, the Garma festival, starts today in north-east Arnhem Land, where prime minister Anthony Albanese and minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney will be in attendance.

The gathering will allow Indigenous leaders to engage with the government on issues including the path to a referendum for recognition in the constitution and a voice to parliament.

My name is Natasha May and, if you want to get in touch, please do so either pinging me @natasha__may on Twitter or emailing natasha.may@theguardian.com.