Australia news live: Albanese to convene national cabinet meeting to discuss antisemitism after Sydney childcare centre attack
National cabinet to meet this afternoon to discuss antisemitism in Australia
Josh Butler
National cabinet will meet this afternoon to discuss antisemitism in Australia, Guardian Australia has confirmed.
Government sources said Anthony Albanese would convene a virtual meeting of state and territory leaders at 5pm AEDT today. It comes after the latest antisemitic attack on a Sydney childcare centre overnight, which Albanese described as “a hate crime” and “an act of vile, antisemitic violence”.
We’ll bring you more shortly. Albanese is holding a press conference in western Sydney.
Key events
Wesfarmers to wind down online retailer Catch
Jonathan Barrett
Perth-based conglomerate Wesfarmers is winding down its e-commerce platform, Catch, after years of underperformance by the once promising online retailer.
Wesfarmers said in a statement that Catch’s e-commerce fulfilment centres will be transferred to Kmart Group, which houses the Kmart and Target businesses. Wesfarmers managing director Rob Scott said in a statement:
The recent increase in competitive intensity in the Australian e-commerce sector has affected Catch’s financial performance and growth prospects.
We thank the Catch team for their hard work improving the operating performance of the business and building valuable capabilities for the group. Where possible, opportunities for redeployment within the group will be offered to affected team members.
Wesfarmers bought Catch, known for its online Catch of the Day deals, from its founders in 2019 for $230m as part of its expansion into digital retail. But revenue soon started to drop as shoppers moved their business elsewhere, including Wesfarmers’ revamped Kmart stores.
Wesfarmers said it would provide an update to shareholders on the wind down at a strategy briefing in May.
Local MP condemns targeting of childcare centre in his electorate
The MP for Kingsford Smith in Sydney – which includes Maroubra, the suburb where a childcare centre was targeted with antisemitic graffiti and set alight overnight – has issued a statement on the incident.
Matt Thistlethwaite said the attack “is a disgusting and cowardly act of antisemitism that I strongly condemn”.
The targeting of an early child education facility is horrific.
I offer my full support to members of our Jewish community and the staff, parents and children of the school. Please feel free to contact me if you need assistance.
There is no place for these hateful and cowardly acts of antisemitism.
Sussan Ley says Albanese has ‘finally bowed to pressure’ to convene national cabinet
As Josh Butler confirmed earlier, Anthony Albanese will convene national cabinet this afternoon to address antisemitism in Australia.
The deputy leader of the Liberal party, Sussan Ley, has posted a video to social media, saying the prime minister has “finally bowed to pressure” and called the meeting.
But that’s not enough. He must act.
Albanese addressing media in western Sydney
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is addressing reporters in western Sydney. He is announcing more than half a billion dollars for two projects in the region, including:
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$345m from the federal government to upgrade stage one of Townson Road and Burdekin Road at Schofields.
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$235m to deliver the early works and property acquisitions to support the upgrade of 3.2km of Garfield Road West between Richmond Road, Marsden Park and Denmark Road, Riverstone.
The PM said the announcement was “$580m from the commonwealth in total to safeguard a region that is growing.”
National cabinet to meet this afternoon to discuss antisemitism in Australia
Josh Butler
National cabinet will meet this afternoon to discuss antisemitism in Australia, Guardian Australia has confirmed.
Government sources said Anthony Albanese would convene a virtual meeting of state and territory leaders at 5pm AEDT today. It comes after the latest antisemitic attack on a Sydney childcare centre overnight, which Albanese described as “a hate crime” and “an act of vile, antisemitic violence”.
We’ll bring you more shortly. Albanese is holding a press conference in western Sydney.
Daisy Dumas
More reactions from Maroubra locals to childcare attack
Andrew Golabek, 64, a local business owner, said that he thought “fighting overseas shouldn’t get involved in Australia”.
This is a peaceful country. Why do they attack the childcare? Why do they attack children? They have no morals and ethics.
Pro-Palestinian Jewish advocate and former member of the synagogue, Michelle Anna Berkon, said that “racism is horrific”.
It’s a terrible thing. This is a really awful thing to happen in the Jewish community I grew up in.
Graffiti daubed on the centre could not be seen late this morning, with earlier footage from the scene showing the words “Fuck the Jews” written on a wall beside the burning building.
Maroubra community members react to targeting of local childcare centre
Daisy Dumas
Nick Klein, an accountant, lives two streets from the synagogue and is due to celebrate his son’s barmitzvah there on Saturday. He said it was “very close to home”.
To smell the fire here, it’s shocking. The fact that it’s a childcare centre – how low can you go? I just think it’s disgusting, it’s a disgrace. These people are deliberately targeting the Jewish community. It’s a crime, it’s clearly a racist crime.
A member of the synagogue’s congregation, who wished to remain anonymous, said he was “rattled, shocked, but also disgusted that this could happen in our community.”
I’ve called Australia home all my life and this is really testing what I thought of my country. I know this is a minority but it needs to be stamped out. It’s hard for everyone here, it’s not just the Jewish community.
Daisy Dumas
Maroubra residents shocked after attack on local childcare centre
Maroubra residents have expressed shock after an antisemitic attack on a local childcare centre.
Only About Children on Storey Street was firebombed and daubed with graffiti before 1am this morning. It is close to the Maroubra synagogue and the Mount Sanai college, but is understood not to have religious affiliations.
Later this morning, extensive fire damage in the lower level of the two-storey building was clear, with the smell of burning in the air.
Anthony Albanese visited the centre at about 8.30am and arson detectives remain at the scene.
A local mother who walks past the centre on her school commute and wished to remain anonymous said that Maroubra was “a close and diverse community, where people of all cultures, religions and backgrounds live together in harmony and help each other out.”
This kind of hate has no place here, and we will continue to resist it with all our hearts.
Police appeal for information after gun found in backpack at sporting event last year
NSW police are appealing for information after a man allegedly found a pistol hidden inside a backpack at a sporting event last year.
Police said on 6 October, a 37-year-old man attended the event at Thomas Dalton park at Fairy Meadow and found a grey Puma backpack. Police allege that inside was a black pistol wrapped in a sock, inside a clear zip-lock resealable bag.
The man reported the find to officers, who commenced an investigation. The pistol was subject to a forensic examination by specialist police.
Police have today released images of the firearm, urging anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers.
Extreme heat, heavy rainfall across WA as conservation council calls on government to reject fossil fuel expansion
The Conservation Council of Western Australia says Perth was approaching record temperatures yesterday, as Tropical Cyclone Sean flooded the Pilbara with record rainfall.
Perth recorded 44C yesterday, in what it said was a “clear signal that climate change is here and now”. At the same time, Karratha was hit with 270mm of rain in less than 24 hours.
Anna Chapman, the fossil fuels program manager at the CCWA, said these “weather extremes offer a taste of our future if we continue to drive climate change by expanding gas extraction and processing.”
The state government’s continued support for the expansion of fossil fuel projects, including extending the North West Shelf gas processing facility at Woodside’s Burrup Hub, directly contributes to the escalating climate crisis. The pollution generated by gas projects will only exacerbate the extreme weather events we are already witnessing.
She called on the WA government to reject new fossil fuel developments – such as Woodside’s Browse gas proposal, “where there are plans to drill 50 gas wells around the pristine Scott Reef”.
Instead, WA could be a world leader in creating a clean, renewable energy future.
No more warnings for misbehaving telcos as government increases penalties for breaches
Misbehaving telecommunication companies will no longer be warned before being slapped with new multimillion-dollar fines for breaching their obligations to customers.
As AAP reports, the federal government has scrapped the two-step process that can lead to major fines for telcos that breach industry standards or codes of conduct.
Currently, the Australian Communication and Media Authority must first issue a warning to encourage the company to comply no matter how serious the breach. If there is further noncompliance then the agency can act to issue a fine.
Under the changes, the agency can act quickly to hold the companies to account and will no longer be tied to issuing a warning before cracking down on serious breaches.
To align telcos with other sectors like energy and banking, the maximum penalties for breaches of industry codes and standards will also increase from $250,000 to $10m. Courts will also be able to determine the fine amount based on the financial turnover of the telco and the scale of the breach to ensure the penalty is proportionate to the harm caused.
A Carriage Service Provider registration scheme will also be established to increase the visibility of telecommunication retailers in the market. The scheme also means the enforcement agency can stop providers from operating in the market when they’ve been found to pose “unacceptable risk to consumers or have caused significant consumer harm”.
Australia among top five countries for trust in scientists
Donna Lu
Most people trust scientists and believe they should engage more in policymaking, a survey of nearly 72,000 people in 68 countries has found.
Out of the countries surveyed, Australia ranked equal fifth with Bangladesh for trust in scientists, behind Egypt, India, Nigeria and Kenya.
Study co-author Dr Mathew Marques, of La Trobe University, said in western countries people with rightwing political views trusted scientists less than those with leftwing political views, with Australia as an exception:
Unlike in North America and many western European countries, in Australia having a right-wing versus left-leaning political orientation didn’t seem to matter. This could mean political polarisation around science is not as much of an issue in Australia as it is for specific scientific issues like climate change.
Study co-author Dr Zoe Leviston of the Australian National University said most people believed scientists should spend more time trying to improve public health outcomes, reduce poverty, and develop clean energy technologies, adding:
68% of Australians agree or strongly agree that scientists should communicate their findings to politicians, while 80% believe scientists have a responsibility to communicate about science with the general public. Globally, 78% of respondents perceive scientists to be qualified, while 57% perceive scientists to be honest.
More details on graffiti and fire at Sydney childcare centre
AAP has more details on the targeting of the Only About Children centre in Maroubra in Sydney’s east overnight.
The centre was allegedly set on fire shortly after midnight, while the words “Fuck the Jews” were sprayed in black paint on a wall.
The site is a block away from Maroubra synagogue, and the attack marks the latest in a string of alleged antisemitic arson and graffiti incidents in the city’s east, which is home to a large Jewish community.
Before their press conference, the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and NSW premier, Chris Minns, both attended the site.
The ground floor of the childcare centre was well alight by the time firefighters arrived on the scene, NSW police said. The blaze was put out but the building sustained extensive damage. There were no reports of injuries and the property was empty at the time.
Scorch marks could be seen around broken windows of the childcare centre hours later and the burnt smell of the overnight firebombing was still evident nearby.
What is 93Z under the NSW Crimes Act?
Just circling back to some legislation changes that the NSW premier, Chris Minns, flagged during that press conference.
He flagged potential changes to 93Z of the Crimes Act. This section outlines the “offence of publicly threatening or inciting violence on grounds of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or intersex or HIV/AIDS status”.
You can read more details on the act here.
In late 2023, the NSW parliament amended section 93Z to make it easier for police to prosecute anyone “recklessly or intentionally” threatening or inciting violence against others on a range of issues, including on the basis of race, religion and sexual orientation.
Woman arrested in relation to alleged December antisemitic attack in Woollahra
At the press conference just minutes ago, acting police commissioner, Peter Thurtell, said a 34-year-old woman was arrested in relation to an alleged antisemitic attack on Magney Street in Woollahra in December.
He said other people were being investigated, and police were also looking at “all the other matters to see whether they’re linked”.
The female – we’re investigating whether there’s other people involved with her. We won’t stop. We’ve obviously got good leads that we’re going through.
Asked if she was alleged to be a “main player”, Thurtell said that matter was before court today:
We’re alleging that she was part of a criminal group that was involved in that. So, yes, we do believe that she was a significant player in that incident.
Ryvchin says ‘we need national cabinet to deal with national emergency’
Co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry Alex Ryvchin has again called for national cabinet to meet to deal with the increase in antisemitic attacks, which he labelled a “national emergency”.
Ryvchin’s former home in Sydney was vandalised last week. He told reporters after the attack it would be “one hell of a coincidence” if he was not the target.
In a post to X this morning, Ryvchin said that to firebomb a childcare centre “requires a depth of savagery that is difficult to imagine”.
Today, families will be having conversations about whether it’s safe to send their children to the places where they should be safest. Places of worship, homes and now preschools have all been targeted …
Antisemitism consumes everything. It is the disease that is destroying our country. We need national cabinet to deal with what is a national emergency.
