Bondi terror accused Naveed Akram formally charged with 19 new offences
Prosecutors have filed court attendance notices today for 19 additional charges against Naveed Akram, accused of acting as a gunman in the Bondi terror attack, increasing the total charges against him to 78.
A commonwealth prosecutor informed Downing Centre local court on Wednesday that these documents were filed today following the revelation of the new charges last month.
Akram, 24, and his father, 50-year-old Sajid Akram, are alleged to have killed 15 people after opening fire at a Hanukah festival at Bondi Beach on 14 December.
Akram survived a police shootout and was initially charged in December with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder and one count of committing a terrorist act, which investigators believe may have been "inspired by Isis." Sajid Akram was fatally shot by police at the scene.
The newly added charges include 10 counts of shooting with intent to murder and six counts of discharging a firearm with intent to resist arrest.
Prosecutors requested another extension on Wednesday to file the brief of evidence, with the court setting a new deadline of 12 August. The prosecutor stated they are still reviewing approximately 230,000 CCTV images and numerous devices "from other persons purportedly linked to the defendant" that require translation. She told the court:
"We are progressing really steadily and well through the preparation of this matter towards charged verification."
An interim suppression order was placed over several victims and complainants named in the new charges, which the court noted included police officers.
One Nation says it will ‘target Labor held seats’ as rightwing party seeks donations from supporters
In a fundraising email sent today, Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party accused Labor of "destroying the Australia we know" and labelled Prime Minister Anthony Albanese a "liar." The party declared its intention to target Labor-held seats in the upcoming election.
"One Nation has proven we can win lower house seats – so it’s time to target Labor held seats," the email stated.
One Nation’s recent surge in polling, now surpassing both Labor and Liberal on primary votes, has been viewed as a threat to conservative parties. However, if current polling trends continue, outer suburban and regional Labor-held seats could also be at risk.
The campaign, titled "fire the liar," references a Labor fundraising drive aimed at preventing One Nation from converting polling momentum into seats.
Fundraising emails are common across political parties, including Labor, Liberal, One Nation, and independents.
On Tuesday, Hanson criticised Labor’s fundraising efforts, calling them "disgusting."
"I just can’t believe that they are brave enough to ask poor Australians to give over their money to fund their campaigns. It’s just disgusting."
One Nation has been sending weekly emails to supporters, suggesting donation amounts between $5 and $100 to "support our fight to challenge the two-party system – fund ads, materials, and campaigning on the ground." These emails direct supporters to the party’s website, which states: "One Nation needs your help to break the party system."
Government loses indefinite detention case in high court, liable for damages
The Australian government has been ruled liable for damages to Safwat Abdel-Hady, a man unlawfully held in immigration detention for 18 months because he could not be removed to another country, the High Court announced.
This case could set a precedent regarding the government’s liability for damages concerning more than 350 unlawful non-citizens released after the High Court’s 2023 ruling against indefinite detention.
Abdel-Hady, an Austrian citizen, was detained unlawfully due to health conditions that restricted his travel and eliminated any realistic prospect of removal.
The High Court’s decision means the government cannot defend against damages claims by citing reliance on its 2004 Al-Kateb ruling, which allowed indefinite detention of non-citizens unable to be removed but was overturned in 2023.
Abdel-Hady’s case will now proceed to the Federal Circuit Court to determine damages liability.
Further details will be provided as the case develops.
ACT will move to abolish stamp duty for first home buyers
The ACT government will abolish stamp duty for all first home buyers starting 1 July, according to reports from AAP, despite the territory’s budget being burdened by debt.
Housing remains central to ACT Treasurer Chris Steel’s second budget, scheduled for release on Wednesday.
This move is part of ACT Labor’s long-term plan to replace stamp duty with higher property rates and will extend the exemption to all first home buyers, removing previous income and price eligibility limits.
The ACT will be the first Australian jurisdiction to fully abolish stamp duty for new entrants to the property market.
First test of national emergency warning alert system coming today in Canberra suburb
Australia’s emergency warning system will undergo its first test today in Canberra’s Duffy suburb, with the federal government advising recipients that the alert is a trial and no action is required.
The AusAlert system will send text messages to all mobile phones in the designated area, accompanied by a siren sound. It is designed to warn Australians about natural hazards such as bushfires and floods, security threats including terrorism, and biosecurity or health emergencies.
The system will become operational later this year, with a nationwide test scheduled for 27 July. Smaller local tests will occur in the coming weeks.
Duffy is the initial test site, with subsequent tests planned for Launceston on 15 June, Cooya Beach in Queensland on 16 June, Liverpool in New South Wales on 17 June, and Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory and Geelong in Victoria on 18 June, among others.
The government has emphasized that recipients of test alerts should not take any action, as these are only trials.
The government website states:
"A test alert will be sent to all mobile devices in the selected testing area at the time of the test. If you are in the test area with a compatible mobile device you may receive the alert."
Devices may vibrate and emit a siren-like sound for approximately 10 seconds. An AusAlert message will appear on device screens, clearly marked as a test. The exact appearance depends on device type and operating system.
Disability discrimination commissioner warns NDIS changes will leave participants in ‘unsafe situations’
Disability Discrimination Commissioner Rosemary Kayess has called for a pause on the Albanese government’s proposed overhaul of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), warning that planned participant budget cuts could place individuals in "unsafe situations."
Kayess appeared on the second day of a Senate inquiry into Labor’s extensive NDIS reforms, which aim to save $37.8 billion over four years.
The reforms include new powers allowing the federal minister to reduce funding across entire support categories.
Health Minister Mark Butler plans to use this authority to cut funding for social and community participation activities by 50%. These funds help participants hire support workers to accompany them in public, fostering independence and reducing social isolation.
Under questioning from independent Senator David Pocock, Kayess warned of the potential harm these cuts could cause.
"We know it will leave people in unsafe situations. We had four-and-a-half years of evidence given to the disability royal commission. People with disability in 2009, 2010 after the first round for a disability strategy identified the way that the vulnerability that is created when people are isolated and that’s how they become vulnerable, they end up in either closed environments or isolated environments and they are at risk of violence, abuse, and exploitation."
When asked if the bill should proceed in its current form, Kayess responded:
"No, I think it needs to stop and slow down so there can be far more analysis. I feel the analysis we’ve been able to do over the last couple of weeks is still inadequate."
Western Sydney airport opening date set for 25 October
Western Sydney International Airport will commence operations on 25 October, with executives pledging to alleviate demand on some of Australia’s busiest domestic routes, according to AAP.
Jetstar and Qantas tickets will be available from Wednesday morning. Jetstar plans to operate 21 weekly services to Melbourne, Brisbane, and the Gold Coast.
Qantas will begin flights to and from the airport in March 2027.
The inaugural flight from Sydney’s second airport will be a Jetstar service to the Gold Coast, departing at 11am on 25 October.
Two international routes, Auckland and Changi, had been announced previously.
KPMG loses contracts and leaders amid scandal over alleged confidential leaks
KPMG Australia’s chief executive has resigned, and the firm’s government contracts are under threat amid a scandal involving alleged leaks of clients’ confidential information.
The London-based firm is accused of leaking secret documents and breaching independence rules, coinciding with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) being banned from government work for leaking confidential tax data for commercial advantage.
KPMG has already lost at least one $10 million per year contract and faces two inquiries.
Albanese urges ‘civil’ discourse on immigration debate amid One Nation rise
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called for a more civil tone in the immigration debate, refraining from attacking the opposition or One Nation’s policies.
Speaking on ABC Melbourne, Albanese was reluctant to label the opposition’s stance on permanent residents as "racist."
"Quite clearly, [Angus Taylor] has decided to compete with One Nation in that sphere … I’m not about using slogans. I’m saying that it’s not factually correct to say that someone who is an Australian permanent resident from a place, like India or China, where you can’t have dual citizenship, who, for practical reasons, or indeed there are so many people from the United Kingdom and from a range of countries who’ve been here almost their whole life who aren’t citizens …
We need to be able to have discourse, which is civil, where people are able to discuss things in a factual way, put different views, sure, but do it in a way that has some respect rather than the way that discourse is occurring."
When asked whether the immigration debate is driven by higher levels of non-white migrants, Albanese said:
"There are a range of factors which will drive people’s views, and I don’t think Australians aren’t homogenous. They don’t have one view, people will have a range of different views, but what I say is that we are stronger because of the diversity that is here in this country."
Disability workers will push for 35% pay rise
Community and disability workers are pursuing the largest pay increase in decades, seeking a 35% wage rise in an historic claim, as the government defends significant cuts to the National Disability Insurance Scheme, AAP reports.
The Australian Services Union (ASU) will file the claim for 300,000 workers, citing increasing demands and complexity in their roles.
ASU National Secretary Emeline Gaske stated that the workforce, predominantly female, has been undervalued and underpaid for years.
"We surveyed our members and what they told us was stark. More than half say they cannot get ahead financially. One in three won’t have enough to retire on," she said ahead of the claim being lodged on Wednesday.
"As the sector continues to grow and demand for workers is surging, we cannot afford to lose workers because pay is failing to keep up with the cost of living. Something has to give, and that something is pay."
How the war in Iran could leave one Australian farmer $600,000 out of pocket
John Bennett’s farm, located over 11,000 km from the Strait of Hormuz, is experiencing daily impacts from the Middle East conflict. He estimates that increased fertiliser costs could reduce his farm’s profits by approximately $600,000 this season.
"Numbers are big in farming," Bennett said. "And in the end not a lot comes out at the end of the pipe."
Albanese says ‘we need to do more’ on house prices
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addressed questions about backlash to changes in capital gains tax discounts and negative gearing.
"Tax reform’s hard … We’re working through these issues," he said, highlighting efforts to support first home buyers. "The changes that we’ve made are modest."
He noted that grandfathering provisions protect those already holding negatively geared assets.
Albanese maintained that Treasury forecasts do not predict house price falls but rather smaller increases over time compared to previous large gains.
"It is certainly the case that since the changes were made in 1999, house prices have increased by 400%. That’s more than double the increase in incomes, and that’s what leads and explains the gap that’s there in affordability.
What we’ve done is thrown everything at supply … But we need to do more. Which is why these changes are aimed at boosting supply as well as giving first home buyers a fair crack."
