Australia news live: Queensland premier launches surprise move to gag debate on abortion law changes; Paul Fletcher to stand down

Andrew Messenger

‘Extraordinary scenes’ at Queensland parliament after ambush abortion gag moved

Debate has continued on the ambush abortion motion in Queensland parliament.

There was absolutely no notice of the move before it was sprung on the house by the premier after question time. David Crisafulli said his motion “ends” a “disgraceful” “US-style scare campaign” during the election campaign.

Abortion dogged the LNP during the election campaign with the party never detailing how it would meet that promise. Crisafulli never ruled out a conscience vote on the issue; many MPs including him have declared their opposition to some forms of abortion. He said:

I said from day one, it was not part of our plan. I said there will be no changes. And despite that – Labor knew this – and despite that, the social media tsunami, the grubby phone calls continued unabated. They spent millions of dollars on a disgraceful scare campaign.

Opposition leader Steven Miles said the move was “extraordinary”.

Mr. Speaker, these are extraordinary scenes. I thought I’d never seen anything as extraordinary as what they did at the last sitting. But this, with no notice, no discussion, no advice to the media that it was even coming, such a grubby, grubby treatment [of a serious issue].

Queensland man charged after allegedly threatening criminal damage at Caulfield community centre

Benita Kolovos

A Queensland man has been charged by counter terrorism investigators after he allegedly threatened criminal damage at a community centre in Caulfield.

Queensland Police have issued a statement confirming a 52-year-old Holland Park man was arrested on Saturday night following a “threat of criminal damage to a community centre in Caulfield” on Sunday.

He was subsequently charged with using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence, police said, and is due to front Nanango Magistrates Court on 16 January.

The threat against the community centre in Caulfield came just two days after the separate and unrelated firebombing at the nearby Adass Israel synagogue in Ripponlea, which Victoria police yesterday declared a terrorist attack.

Victoria police said there was nothing to indicate the incident is linked to the synagogue fire in Ripponlea and the investigation into that matter remains ongoing.

Henry Belot

Prime minister arrives at Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne

The prime minister Anthony Albanese has arrived at the Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs.

A large cohort of Melbourne’s Jewish community, including Labor MP Josh Burns, welcomed Albanese outside the synagogue, which still has police tape surrounding it.

Community leaders told people at the synagogue not to heckle the prime minister before he arrived.

Queensland premier introduces motion to ban any amendment to abortions laws

Andrew Messenger

Queensland premier David Crisafulli has moved that the state parliament ban the introduction of any bill amending the state’s abortion laws.

The issue persistently dogged the LNP leader during the election campaign.

Crisafulli moved that the house:

Orders that A) no bill or amendment seeking to amend the termination of pregnancy act 2018 is allowed to be introduced. B) No motion or amendment seeking to have this house express its views on the termination of pregnancy act 2018 is allowed to be moved, and 2 the speaker is to rule out of order any bill, motion or amendment that offends the order in 1.

Crossbench MP Robbie Katter has repeatedly vowed to reintroduce the party’s “babies born alive” bill, which regulated abortion providers.

If successful the motion would effectively gag parliament on the issue.

Sarah Collard

Burney hits out at Dutton for stance on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags

Former Indigenous affairs minister, Linda Burney, has hit out at Peter Dutton on his stance on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags.

The opposition leader Peter Dutton has said earlier that he would take down the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags before press conferences or speeches, if elected prime minister.

Burney has said on Instagram that Dutton is known as “the man who walked out on the Apology to the Stolen Generations.”

The former minister, who held the portfolio from 2022 to earlier this year, wrote:

This is the man who gave no support to the Referendum. He refuses to offer bipartisan support on all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social and justice issues. What else can you expect from a man like him?

The prime minister began holding press conferences in front of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags in 2022, after he was elected.

Ben Doherty

Magistrate says Alan Yazbek ‘no Nazi lover’ as restaurateur escapes conviction for displaying swastika

Sydney restaurateur Alan Yazbek has escaped conviction after displaying a Nazi swastika at a pro-Palestinian rally.

Magistrate Miranda Moody did not record a conviction against the 56-year-old on Tuesday instead handing him a 12-month conditional release order in the Downing Centre local court. The magistrate said:

This man is no neo-Nazi or rightwing extremist. He is no Nazi lover.

Yazbek was “deeply remorseful” for carrying the handmade sign, Moody said.

In sentencing, the magistrate took into consideration reference letters from a number of people including multiple Jewish friends of Yazbek. She said the high-profile restaurateur had suffered significant extra-curial punishment.

“He has paid a very high price for his foolishness,” Moody said today, citing abusive letters and his decision to step down as co-director of Nomad Group after his arrest.

More on this story here:

Business confidence jumps to highest in almost two years

Peter Hannam

As the nine members of the Reserve Bank board go through their final deliberations ahead of the 2.30pm AEDT rates decision, NAB has released their latest monthly survey of business sentiment and conditions.

Perhaps a little surprising to those who focussed on the admittedly disappointing September quarter GDP numbers, business confidence is actually quite upbeat. In fact, it’s now back to around the long-run average levels and it is now at its highest since early 2023.

Only construction and retail posted retreats, with sentiment otherwise on the rebound (see chart).

Business conditions, meanwhile, tracked sideways at “an around-average level”, NAB said. Outside mining, conditions were strongest in the services sector – which makes up most of the economy.

Cheery news, too, on the prices front, with labour and purchase costs both easing further in the month. NAB said:

Overall, the survey continues to paint a picture of resilient activity levels in the economy and a trend easing in price and cost pressures.

Capacity utilisation remains on the high side but that too declined “a relatively sharp 0.7 percentage points”, so that’s also heading in the right direction.

The RBA, though, will probably view these numbers as confirming what they were probably planning to do anyway: leave interest rates on hold for a ninth meeting in a row.

Remember to check back here in just over two hours for the RBA rates decision.

Indigenous Australians minister says Dutton ‘unfit’ to be PM after flag comments

Sarah Collard

The Indigenous Australians minister, Malarndirri McCarthy, has responded to opposition leader Peter Dutton’s earlier comments that he would take down the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags before press conferences or speeches, if elected prime minister.

On Instagram, McCarthy said Dutton is “once again proving himself unfit to be prime minister” and that he is dividing Australians “once again”.

She said that the Australian Aboriginal flag and the Torres Strait Islander flags were proclaimed flags under the Flags Act 1953 on 14 July 1995.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture is the oldest continuing culture in the world, and I believe all Australians should take great pride in that.

Benita Kolovos

Jacinta Allan announces business council to provide her with direct advice

The Victorian premier has also announced a “business council” who she says will provide her with direct advice. The council includes:

• Andrew Dillon, AFL chief executive

• Andrew Irvine, National Australia Bank chief executive

• Anthony Pratt, chairman of Visy

• Mark Mentha, co-founder and partner at KordaMentha

• Mike Schneider, Bunnings CEO

• Nick Reece, Lord Mayor of Melbourne

• Penny Fowler, chair of the Herald and Weekly Times and the Good Friday Appeal

• Prof Sharon Pickering, vice-chancellor at Monash University

The council will be chaired by Ahmed Fahour, former Australian Post CEO who is now the head of Tim Gurner’s property group.