Morning News Bulletin 28 June 2024
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- A Labor senator to remain a member of the party after crossing the floor to support a Greens motion
- Kevin Rudd says Julian Assange recieved the same treatment as any citizen needing help
- Queensland take victory in the first ever three-game Women’s State of Origin series
Western Australian federal senator Fatima Payman says she plans to stay a member of the Labor party after crossing the floor to vote on a pro-Palestine motion.
Senator Payman has been barred from a federal Labor caucus meeting at the behest of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese after she supported a Greens Senate motion about recognising Palestine as a state.
The move usually would have had her expelled under party conventions but the sensitivity of the war in Gaza and expelling the Australian Parliament’s first hijab-wearing Muslim woman has led leaders to issue her a caution.
Senator Payman has told online news channel 6 News she has received “many welfare checks” from Labor colleagues and hopes to continue to advocate from within the party.
“When I was crossing the floor, I crossed it knowing that there was going to be the potential expulsion as a consequence. But when I was crossing the floor, it was for my conscience, and also understanding that I was standing for the ethos of the platform, what our rank-and-file members have asked for, what my West Australian constituents have called on.”
It comes as cabinet Minister Katy Gallagher says the most effective way to stand against what she described as the “awful situation” in the Middle East was in “unison”, as she defended Labor’s policy of not allowing members to cross the floor.
US Ambassador Kevin Rudd says persistence from the prime minister and senior diplomats was pivotal in allowing Julian Assange to return home to Australia.
In his first public comments since the WikiLeaks founder arrived in Canberra after striking a plea deal with US authorities, Mr Rudd says representations to America over many years paved the way for his release.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese posted a picture of himself on X, calling the Wikileaks founder, who pleaded guilty to one espionage charge in a United States Court, saying he was pleased to “welcome him home”.
But Liberal frontbencher Simon Birmingham says while he’s glad to see Julian Assange’s legal saga end, it was “inappropriate” for the Prime Minister to call him.
Asked if the Australian government had grown too close to Mr Assange, Mr Rudd has told SBS News he had received the same treatment as any citizen requiring assistance.
“It doesn’t matter which Australian citizen finds themselves in difficulty abroad, the responsiblity of any Australian government is to deal with it as a consular case, that’s what we’ve been doing. Same thing about Cheng Lei, same thing about others – each of the circumstances is different.”
Police have arrested the flatmate of a woman who was stabbed to death in a share house in Sydney’s inner west.
The woman, aged in her fifties, was found inside the home in on Clements Street in Russell Lea where she had only been living for a few weeks.
Police say they responded to a triple-zero call from a concerned neighbour and were at the scene within one minute.
The 42-year-old person of interest, or POI, was one of five occupants of the house, who were all present when the alleged attack took place.
Superintendent Christine McDonald says it is being investigated as a domestic violence homicide.
“We know that the victim and the other housemates moved into this residence five to six weeks ago. The POI moved in three weeks ago. That will form part of our investigation, into their relationship. But what I do know, and what I believe to be true, is that they were not in an intimate relationship. The fact that they are living together, residing under the one roof, albeit for two to three weeks, makes it a domestic violence incident.”
New data shows sexual assaults in Australia have reached the highest level on record.
Figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed the number of sexual assaults recorded by the police rose by 11 per cent in 2023.
It marks the twelfth straight annual rise in sexual assaults and the highest level the ABS has seen in more than 30 years of record-keeping.
And in rugby league, Queensland have won the first ever three-game Women’s State of Origin series after a commanding 22-6 victory over New South Wales in Townsville.
Queensland raced to an early lead, finishing the first half 14-0 up, but a 90-metre intercept try by the Blues in the second half added a bit of jeopardy to the closing minutes.
But it was too little too late for the Blues to prevent a Maroons victory, an unlikely turnaround after Tahnee Norris’ side were outplayed by New South Wales in Game One and required a late comeback to salvage the series in Game Two.
The Maroons’ Lauren Brown told Channel 9 the team knew they had to keep up the intensity from the start.
“We knew that obviously the Blues, they won the start of the last two games, so we had to come out firing, so we had to come out firing. We got all riled up, we were seeing red when we were coming out for kickoff, and I’m glad that the girls held it for the whole game.”
