Evening News Bulletin 22 April 2025
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TRANSCRIPT:
- The third leader’s debate going ahead tonight in Sydney;
- New Zealand’s deputy Prime Minister introduces a controversial gender bill to Parliament;
- Richmond’s Noah Balta avoids a prison sentence after an assault last year.
The third leaders debate will go ahead as planned in Sydney tonight, despite the major party chiefs suspending their campaign events temporarily to mark the death of Pope Francis.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton told Channel Seven earlier today that it was not a time for politicking.
“I don’t think there is any need for over-the-top politics today. I think we can respectfully put our positions. (Early) polling obviously opens today. There is a leaders’ debate tonight. I understand the prime minister is happy to proceed with that. So yeah, I think it is a respectful day. And we can state our policies. But I don’t think it needs to be an over-the-top day.”
The debate between Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton will be broadcast by Channel Nine from 7.30pm Australian Eastern Standard Time.
But viewers can also stream it online via 9Now and Stan.
Clive Palmer’s Trumpet of Patriots’ political party has launched an internal probe into allegations its how to vote cards have been tampered with.
Senator Ralph Babet has posted a media release on his Facebook page saying they are looking into the claims.
It’s understood the cards will be reprinted to reflect the party’s correct position, which is to place Labor and the Coalition last.
The Canadian Assembly of First Nations says it is joining the world in mourning the death of Pope Francis, three years after his public apology for the church’s role in residential schools.
The final report from Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission identified scores of cases of physical, emotional and sexual abuse experienced by Indigenous children forced to attend the schools.
It’s estimated around 60 percent had been run by the Catholic Church.
Assembly chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak has told Canadian public broadcaster C-B-C that she appreciated Pope Francis’ actions in support of healing.
“I want to appreciate him for listening to our survivors, for inviting us to the Vatican in April 2022, which I was a part of. And hearing the history that happened in our beautiful country – but that had such a dark history. But I think Pope Francis – he opened a new chapter to healing.”
New Zealand’s minority coalition partner has introduced a bill to parliament that will define women and men by their biology, preventing trans women and men being recognised by law.
The populist New Zealand First member’s bill is a longshot to become law as it has to be selected at random from a ballot and then garner majority support in parliament.
But party leader and deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has said in a statement that laws should reflect what he’s described as biological reality.
Opposition Leader Chris Hipkins has described the bill to Stuff news as “typical populist politics”.
Police say the youngest son of a woman kidnapped from her Sydney home last week and later found murdered will likely experience lifelong complications from the injuries he received during the alleged attack.
The eight year old was allegedly hit with a baseball bat during the incident that saw his 45 year old mother taken from their home in Bankstown last Thursday.
He and his 15 year old older brother remain in hospital under police guard.
New South Wales Police have said in a statement that inquiries have established the woman and children were likely targeted as a result of her partner’s involvement with an Organised Criminal Network based in Victoria.
Victoria has launched a two year trial to monitor a group of young people released on bail in Melbourne.
Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny says that from today, Children’s Courts and the Supreme Court will have the power to impose electronic monitoring and intensive supervised bail for teens in the metropolitan area as part of their bail conditions.
Up to 50 young people charged with serious offences and who require additional support and supervision to comply with their conditions will be eligible for the trial.
Youth Justice Commissioner Andrea Davidson says the electronic monitoring will give youths an extra incentive to take their situation seriously.
“The electronic monitoring trial represents a new way to support young people and help them to turn their lives around… We know that there is a small but very complex group of young people responsible for repeat offending including whilst on bail… We’re committed to providing the best possible outcomes for young people in Victoria, using an evidence-based understanding of what works to address offending behaviour and divert young people away from the community justice system.”
To sport and in A-F-L news,
Richmond’s Noah Balta has avoided jail time after admitting to assaulting a man at the end of an 11 hour pub crawl in the regional border town of Mulwala last year.
He’s been fined $3,000 instead, and handed a night curfew.
The curfew could rule him out of upcoming night games.
Richmond is likely to come under scrutiny for any selection decision, after Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan earlier criticised the club for allowing him to be part of the side that faced the Gold Coast this past weekend.
“It’s up to Richmond Football Club to explain why they’ve made this football decision – as parents around the country are going to sit down with their kids and watch the footy this weekend, and try to explain to their kids why this behaviour is wrong and dangerous.”
