News live: PM says extra 200m litres of diesel secured; eSafety writes to Roblox and Minecraft about grooming concerns
World experiencing ‘volatile, turbulent period’, Albanese warns
Albanese said the government was continuing to work against an extremely volatile political climate. He added:
What we can do here in Australia is to do everything we can to secure supply … that is precisely what we are doing.
This is an extremely volatile period for the entire world. There is no getting away from it. And Australia is not immune from the consequences. …
This is a volatile, turbulent period in the world. We have been very upfront about that. We are not trying to pretend that is not the case.
Key events
Sydney dealing with new organised crime environment, NSW police commissioner says
Back to the fourth man charged over the alleged kidnapping and murder of Chris Baghsarian.
The New South Wales police commissioner, Mal Lionsaid the man, 19, was arrested on Tuesday and was allegedly involved in Baghsarian’s initial abduction. He told 2GB radio this morning:
We’re alleging this 19-year-old actually provided a firearm that was used in his initial kidnapping.
Investigators are continuing to look into other possible suspects, Lanyon said, adding that Sydney was now dealing with a very different organised crime environment.
We are seeing young people predominantly being contracted online to conduct very serious criminal activity. There are a lot of young people who are seeing what they believe to be an easy dollar but not understanding the ramifications … the crime of murder carries life.
Read more here:
Condom prices could rise 30% due to Iran war
The world’s top condom producer, Malaysia’s Carex Bhd, plans to raise prices by 20% to 30% and possibly further if supply chain disruptions drag on due to the Iran war, its chief executive said.
Reuters reports Karex is also seeing a surge in condom demand as rising freight costs and shipping delays have left many of its customers with lower stockpiles than usual, CEO Goh Miah Tips told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday.
“The situation is definitely very fragile, prices are expensive … We have no choice but to transfer the costs right now to the customers,” Goh said.
Karex produces more than 5 billion condoms annually and is a supplier to leading brands like Durex and Trojan, as well as national health systems such as the UK’s NHS and global aid programmes run by the United Nations.
Read more here:
Greens leader says party won’t support NDIS changes
Larissa Watersthe Greens leader, said changes to the NDIS, set to be detailed later today, amount to a “cynical political exercise” from the Labor party.
Waters wrote on social media the Greens would not support the effort, saying:
Pitting people who genuinely need care against each other while leaving $17 billion in the pockets of gas corporations they’re too cowardly to tax is shameful.
Our system of care is being diminished, while Labor wastes billions on AUKUS and let the 1% opt out of paying their fair share.
The Greens will not support Labor trying to balance the budget off the back of disabled people.
Takeaway coffee sales plunge as fuel and living costs dent Australian spending
Jonathan Barrett
For many coffee drinkers, takeaway orders are changing from a habitual purchase to an occasional treat, as elevated petrol prices and other living costs leave households feeling glum.
This rapid shift in behaviour has disappointed cafe owners and surprised economists, raising an uneasy question: if takeaway coffee sales are falling, is the economy next?
Changes in coffee purchases are an early indicator of consumer attitudes because Australians are generally unwilling to give up their daily habit until absolutely necessary.
National Australia Bank research shows that more than 50% of consumers are cutting back on treats such as coffee and snacks, which the bank says are usually among the most resilient purchases.
Read more here:
Andrew Messenger
Queensland premier predicts pushback from ‘a chorus of states and territories’ over federal NDIS changes
Queensland premier David Crisafulli says there will be “a chorus of states and territories” pushing back against federal reforms to the national disability insurance scheme.
The changes, which will be announced by health minister Mark Butler at the National Press Club later today, are expected to tighten eligibility for the scheme, shifting responsibility for more kids on to states and territories.
“I want the federal government to accept responsibility for what they control,” Crisafulli said, at a press conference in Brisbane this morning.
I want the federal government to deal with the system, deal with the rorters, but make sure that every single person who deserves support, deserves compassion, gets it. And that’s not what’s happening at the moment.
You’re going to see a chorus of states and territories from different sides of the political fence, and I’ve got a feeling most of them are going to be saying something very, very similar.
The minister for families, Amanda Cammyesterday criticised the federal government’s proposed package of reforms, badged as “thriving kids”, as “failing kids”.
Josh Taylor
Recreations of troubling events like mass shootings reported to eSafety commissioner
There have been recreations of mass shootings on Roblox, and Islamic State-inspired games, Inman Grant said, as well as recreations of concentration camps and the January 6 US Capitol building riots on Fortnite.
Guardian Australia reported on Friday that “gamified” versions of the Bondi terror attack were found online, and reported to the eSafety commissioner.
Roblox recently introduced age assurance technology, and now groups similar child and teen groups in together, meaning adults on the service – if using adult accounts – can no longer message those users.
eSafety seeks answers on grooming and radicalisation on Roblox and Minecraft
Josh Taylor
The Australian online safety regulator has written to the companies behind gaming platforms including Roblox, Steam, Fortniteand Minecraft asking them to explain how they’re preventing children being groomed by sexual predators or by extremist groups on their services.
The eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grantsaid offenders often use these platforms as the first point of contact with children before moving to private messaging services.
She said:
Gaming platforms are amongst the online spaces most heavily used by Australian children, functioning not only as places to play, but also as places to socialise and communicate.
Predatory adults know this and target children through grooming or embedding terrorist and violent extremist narratives in gameplay, increasing the risks of contact offending, radicalisation and other off-platform harms.
Ima Caldwell
A spokesperson for the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) has addressed the crowd outside Sydney’s Downing Centre court. He said:
This has to be the line we draw, NTEU members unanimously agree that governments can’t decide where we protest … we stand with you that charges must be dropped ….
The union movement will continue to protect freedom of speech.
The New South Wales premier, Chris Remembershas argued that because the anti-Herzog protest was also covered by a major events declaration, charges would still stand for those who did not comply with police directions.
Advocates for protesters who were charged at the demonstrations have criticised Minns’ comments.
Ima Caldwell
Protesters rally at Downing Centre demanding anti-Herzog protest charges be dropped
A group of at least 40 protesters gathered on the steps outside Sydney’s Downing Centre court this morning to stand in solidarity with those facing charges from the recent demonstrations against Israeli president Isaac Herzog’s visit.
The rally called for the state government to scrap its anti-protest laws and drop all charges against the demonstrators. There were at least five uniformed police officers standing to each side of the group.
An array of symbols were on display, including the Palestinian, LGBTQI and National Tertiary Education Union flags. Other protesters held signs that read: “RESIGN CHRIS MINNS, SCRAP THE ANTI-PROTEST LAWS” and “DROP THE HERZOG PROTEST CHARGES.”
There was a sign at the front of the protest area that reads: “Sanction Israel now, Scrap the anti-protest laws, GLOBALISE THE INTIFADA.”
Last Thursday, the NSW court of appeal ruled in favour of the Palestine Action Group and Blak Caucus, finding an anti-protest law that gave police the power to restrict marches was unconstitutional.
The now defunct law, known as the public assembly restriction declaration (Pard), was introduced after the Bondi beach terror attack last year. Protesters could not use the “form 1” system to legally march in police-designated areas for up to three months after a terrorist attack.
After Thursday’s court finding, NSW police commissioner, Mal Lionsaid officers were reviewing the charges against the anti-Herzog protesters.
World experiencing ‘volatile, turbulent period’, Albanese warns
Albanese said the government was continuing to work against an extremely volatile political climate. He added:
What we can do here in Australia is to do everything we can to secure supply … that is precisely what we are doing.
This is an extremely volatile period for the entire world. There is no getting away from it. And Australia is not immune from the consequences. …
This is a volatile, turbulent period in the world. We have been very upfront about that. We are not trying to pretend that is not the case.
New shipments of diesel to give Australia ‘an extra buffer’, Bowen says
The energy minister, Chris Bowensaid the new diesel would serve as “extra supply to give us an extra buffer”, with the additional fuel focused on the regions.
The new shipments will come to Australia by the last week of May or the first week of June. Another 61 ships, laden with fuel, are now at sea on their way to Australia.
Albanese announces shipments of additional 200m litres of diesel
Prime minister Anthony Albanese just announced the government has secured an additional 200m litres of diesel.
That figure includes four cargoes of diesel coming from South Korea, Brunei and Malaysia. Albanese said at a press conference in Sydney:
We will continue to use every measure at our disposal to make a difference. … What we can control is how we respond and we are responding by throwing everything at it.
