1 month ago
Voters turn out for Dunkley byelection
We’re a little over an hour away from polls closing in the Dunkley byelection, which has been billed as a temperature check for the government.
Here’s a quick recap of what unfolded while the electorate cast their vote:
Labor holds the seat by a 6.3% margin, with the community leader Jodie Belyea fighting to retain it after the death last December of the Labor member for Dunkley Peta Murphy.
The Coalition preselected the Frankston mayor, Nathan Conroy. The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has argued a swing of more than 3% would be bad news for the PM.
Earlier today, Anthony Albanese spoke from the electorate to praise Belyea, saying she’s a strong supporter of education and the community. He also joined the Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, and Belyea to open the Peta Murphy Breast Imaging Suite at Frankston hospital in honour of Murphy’s four-year battle with breast cancer.
She advocated for the amazing sporting facilities where we held yesterday’s press conference so young people could get access to the opportunity that comes through that.
Albanese also urged voters to turn their backs on the Liberal party over their “fear campaigns” after the wrongful arrest of a released immigration detainee.
Peter Dutton visited the seat on Friday, promising locals a significant rail upgrade if his party wins the next federal election.
This morning, the Liberal senator Jane Hume joined Conroy at a primary school polling booth in Langwarrin for a press conference, only to be frequently interrupted.
Conroy said as a protester interjected:
We don’t shout people down.
What we do have is a strong positive campaign.
Conroy said the rising cost of living was the number one issue for voters, while also promoting local infrastructure investment. He said:
We need to have more jobs, more business, more choice, more homes for people.
Then you look at crime, crime is on the rise and that’s because of the housing crisis and the cost-of-living crisis.
Key events
Some images from the wires of Mardi Gras marchers preparing for Sydney’s annual parade, which kicks off at 6pm.
Voters turn out for Dunkley byelection
We’re a little over an hour away from polls closing in the Dunkley byelection, which has been billed as a temperature check for the government.
Here’s a quick recap of what unfolded while the electorate cast their vote:
Labor holds the seat by a 6.3% margin, with the community leader Jodie Belyea fighting to retain it after the death last December of the Labor member for Dunkley Peta Murphy.
The Coalition preselected the Frankston mayor, Nathan Conroy. The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has argued a swing of more than 3% would be bad news for the PM.
Earlier today, Anthony Albanese spoke from the electorate to praise Belyea, saying she’s a strong supporter of education and the community. He also joined the Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, and Belyea to open the Peta Murphy Breast Imaging Suite at Frankston hospital in honour of Murphy’s four-year battle with breast cancer.
She advocated for the amazing sporting facilities where we held yesterday’s press conference so young people could get access to the opportunity that comes through that.
Albanese also urged voters to turn their backs on the Liberal party over their “fear campaigns” after the wrongful arrest of a released immigration detainee.
Peter Dutton visited the seat on Friday, promising locals a significant rail upgrade if his party wins the next federal election.
This morning, the Liberal senator Jane Hume joined Conroy at a primary school polling booth in Langwarrin for a press conference, only to be frequently interrupted.
Conroy said as a protester interjected:
We don’t shout people down.
What we do have is a strong positive campaign.
Conroy said the rising cost of living was the number one issue for voters, while also promoting local infrastructure investment. He said:
We need to have more jobs, more business, more choice, more homes for people.
Then you look at crime, crime is on the rise and that’s because of the housing crisis and the cost-of-living crisis.
Lawyers who had Elon Musk’s pay dismissed as excessive seek $6bn in Tesla shares
The lawyers who successfully argued that Elon Musk’s $56bn pay package was excessive are seeking a record legal fee worth $6bn, payable in the electric car maker’s stock, according to a court filing.
“We recognise that the requested fee is unprecedented in terms of absolute size,” Friday’s filing by the three law firms with the court of chancery in Delaware said.
The fee works out to an hourly rate of $288,888, according to the filing.
The electric vehicle maker is being asked to pay the fee because it benefited from the return of Musk’s pay package, which the legal team said will result in the return to the carmaker of 266m shares.
More on this story here:
Thunderstorm warning issued in NSW
There is a now severe thunderstorm warning for the mid-north coast and parts of the north-west slopes and plains in NSW:
⚠️⛈️ Severe thunderstorm warning now covers the Mid North Coast and parts of the North West Slopes and Plains. Localised heavy rainfall, damaging winds and large hail are possible.
Pea-sized hail reported at Lowanna near Coffs Harbour.
Monitor updates at https://t.co/Ss766eSCrL pic.twitter.com/ishgUPsdZL
Mardi Gras parade to begin with tribute to Jesse Baird and Luke Davies
A moment of silence will fall over Sydney’s Mardi Gras parade to honour the memories of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies after their alleged murders, AAP has reported.
Parade-leading motorcycle club Dykes on Bikes will pause in Taylor Square to signal a moment of silence for the pair during Saturday’s march on Oxford Street, Mardi Gras organisers said in a statement.
“This moment of commemoration serves as a powerful reminder of the bonds that unite us and the memories of those we hold dear,” they said.
Qantas is expected to commemorate flight attendant Davies on its parade float while the AFL is expected to announce a tribute for umpire Baird in coming weeks.
A large crowd gathered in Darlinghurst on Friday to pay their respects to the two men.
Attendee Antonio Sneddon told Guardian Australia’s Rafqa Touma:
This Mardi Gras is going to be different, because there are two bright souls who are not going to be here to celebrate.
These two lovely bright people, they are part of the rainbow community.
It feels like we lost brothers.
This year’s Mardi Gras will also have the first-ever Timor-Leste float, with around 200 people marching in it.
My colleagues Jordyn Beazley and Luca Ittimani have the story here:
WA becomes first state to ban plastic-lined takeaway cups
Hundreds of millions of coffee cups are expected to be saved from landfill as the nation’s first ban on plastic-lined takeaway cups takes effect, AAP has reported.
Western Australia became the first state to introduce the ban on single-use, non-compostable coffee cups on Friday, with businesses who fail to comply threatened with hefty fines.
Instead, cafes can use compostable paperboard cups, which are excluded from the ban, or encourage customers to bring keep cups of their own, said WA Environment minister Reece Whitby.
This is an excellent move for the environment because we know that plastic persists in the environment for decades and decades and decades.
The change is part of a wider push by the Cook government to reduce the prevalence of single-use plastics in the economy.
Also banned on Friday were unlidded disposable plastic food trays, such as sushi trays and bento boxes.
NSW premier Chris Minns has announced he will join a number of ministers to march in the Mardi Gras parade this evening, marking the first time in history a NSW premier has joined the celebration.
Sydney Mardi Gras to attract hundreds of thousands to Oxford Street
Hundreds of thousands will gather in Oxford Street for the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras annual parade festivities on Saturday, AAP has reported.
Float organiser Jane O’Keefe, who has been participating in the parade for years, feels the loss of the couple but is all the more determined to give her very best for crowds. She told AAP:
Our community’s very used to death.
There will not be one of us marching tomorrow night that hasn’t been heartbroken and grieving, but we can be both.
We can hold both grief, trauma, and joy - and remember them in a way.
The founder of the Itty Bitty Titty Committee will be joined by lesbian community members dressed in pink utility jumpsuits with “Lesbies” written on the back in Barbie font.
More than 60 police officers will march as part of the parade in a new “no uniform” compromise reached with NSW police.
Mardi Gras board co-chair Brandon Bear said organisers understood it was a difficult time for the community and that there was a range of opinions on the subject of police participation.
Hecklers interrupt Liberal candidate for Dunkley
Hecklers have targeted the Liberal candidate for the seat of Dunkley as the major parties make their last-ditch pitch to byelection voters, AAP has reported.
Liberal senator Jane Hume joined opposition candidate Nathan Conroy at a primary school polling booth in Langwarrin for a press conference this morning, only to be frequently interrupted.
Conroy said as a protester interjected:
We don’t shout people down.
What we do have is a strong positive campaign.
Conroy said the rising cost of living was the number one issue for voters, while also promoting local infrastructure investment. He said:
We need to have more jobs, more business, more choice, more homes for people.
Then you look at crime, crime is on the rise and that’s because of the housing crisis and the cost-of-living crisis.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton did not make an appearance on Saturday but has previously said that while the vote won’t change the government, it could send a message to the prime minister he wasn’t doing enough.
Investigators race to identify two dead in unit fire
Police are working to identify two bodies found after a blaze destroyed a unit on the outskirts of Newcastle.
Emergency services were called to the building at Teralba early on Thursday morning after reports of a fire. Fire and Rescue NSW crews managed to extinguish the blaze, but not before the building had been severely damaged.
Police officers from Lake Macquarie and the NSW state crime command’s arson unit found a body during an initial search of the unit. As searches continued on Friday, a second body was found. Both bodies are yet to be identified.
Inquiries into the cause of the fire are ongoing, but forensic examinations have been paused while investigators conduct an assessment of the building to ensure the structure is sound.
A NSW police spokesperson told AAP on Saturday only two people were unaccounted for, but officers won’t be able to ensure there were no other victims until they are able to completely finish their examination of the premises.
