Hanson tells star candidate to stop speaking Japanese
A newly announced One Nation candidate has been scolded by Pauline Hanson for speaking Japanese at his official unveiling, AAP reports.
Former NSW trade commissioner Mike Newman will stand as the party’s lead candidate and run in the traditionally Labor-voting seat of Cessnock in the Hunter Valley.
Newman admitted he had not lived in the state for 25 years but refused to answer questions about moving to the seat he will contest.
Mike Newman and Pauline Hanson leave a One Nation media call on Friday. Photograph: Michael Gorton/AAP
During a press conference in Singleton, Newman responded in Japanese to a question from a foreign media outlet before being told off by his boss. Hanson told her candidate:
double quotation mark“I think everyone else might appreciate [English].
Mr Newman continued to answer the question on how a One Nation government would support Asian investment in Japanese before translating into English.
Despite the One Nation leader’s calls for a “monoculture” and her infamous 1996 speech in parliament where she spoke of the danger of being “swamped by Asians”, the candidate shut down suggestions his party had a culture of racism. Newman told News24 separately:
double quotation markMy wife’s Japanese, so if I thought for even a fleeting second that [One Nation] were racist … All my business partners are Indians who are absolutely patriotic Aussies, I don’t really see that.
Updated at 01.58 EDT
Key events
What we learned, Friday 28 August
That’s where we’ll leave our live coverage for the day.
Before we go, let’s recap the day’s top headlines:
Thanks for sticking around, have a lovely weekend!
Updated at 02.13 EDT
Hanson tells star candidate to stop speaking Japanese
A newly announced One Nation candidate has been scolded by Pauline Hanson for speaking Japanese at his official unveiling, AAP reports.
Former NSW trade commissioner Mike Newman will stand as the party’s lead candidate and run in the traditionally Labor-voting seat of Cessnock in the Hunter Valley.
Newman admitted he had not lived in the state for 25 years but refused to answer questions about moving to the seat he will contest.
Mike Newman and Pauline Hanson leave a One Nation media call on Friday. Photograph: Michael Gorton/AAP
During a press conference in Singleton, Newman responded in Japanese to a question from a foreign media outlet before being told off by his boss. Hanson told her candidate:
double quotation mark“I think everyone else might appreciate [English].
Mr Newman continued to answer the question on how a One Nation government would support Asian investment in Japanese before translating into English.
Despite the One Nation leader’s calls for a “monoculture” and her infamous 1996 speech in parliament where she spoke of the danger of being “swamped by Asians”, the candidate shut down suggestions his party had a culture of racism. Newman told News24 separately:
double quotation markMy wife’s Japanese, so if I thought for even a fleeting second that [One Nation] were racist … All my business partners are Indians who are absolutely patriotic Aussies, I don’t really see that.
Updated at 01.58 EDT
Victorian multicultural affairs minister offers support to local Nepali community
Victoria’s multicultural affairs minister, Paul Edbrooke, has offered his “deepest sympathy” to the victims, families and friends affected by the fatal flash floods on the Nepal-Tibet border.
Edbrooke, who said the “Nepali community is one of the fastest growing in Victoria” continued:
double quotation markWe stand with you in your moment of pain.
If there is anything the Victorian Government can do to support your community through this period, we will.
We commend the efforts of emergency services and volunteers in Nepal and China, who are working tirelessly.
And we again extend our heartfelt condolences to the families and communities in mourning.
Updated at 01.56 EDT
Who actually benefits from new datacentres in Australia? – Australian Politics podcast
The latest episode of the Australian Politics podcast looks at this week’s political disagreements over AI data centres’ energy requirements, WA’s GST deal and migration arrival numbers – through the lens of public policy and economics.
Hear from political editor Tom McIlroy, economics editor Patrick Commins and Grattan Institute’s CEO Dr Aruna Sathanapally.
Photograph: Steven Markham/AAP
Listen here:
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Sarah Collard
Productivity Commission to review national agreement on Closing the Gap
The federal government has announced a second review of the Closing the Gap national agreement with the Productivity Commission being tasked with assessing the overall effectiveness and impact of federal, state and territory governments and the Coalition of Peaks.
The federal government says the commission will undertake a “more explicit” look at funding, investments and Aboriginal community-controlled sector resources to see how government spending supports and reaches the agreement’s 19 targets which aim to address various social, justice and health inequities experienced by Indigenous communities.
The commission will consult broadly with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, communities and organisations, as well as with local, state, territory and commonwealth governments.
The Minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
The Productivity Commission is expected to deliver its report by the end of 2027. It’s the second review into the agreement after a two-year comprehensive consultation and report in 2024.
The Minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy, said the government is committed to Closing the Gap and ensuring all parties work effectively together. McCarthy said:
double quotation markThe National Agreement provides a pathway for change for First Nations people and communities, and we are building on what is working.
The Productivity Commission review, along with the Independent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led Review, is an important part of making sure all partners are accountable to their commitments to the National Agreement.
The Coalition of Peaks lead convener, Donnella Mills, said the agreement was a “landmark framework” that required organisations and government to work together to achieve reform.
double quotation markThe National Agreement is a landmark framework – ambitious in scope, grounded in four Priority Reforms and designed to change the way governments work with our people and communities.
Governments must be held to account for delivering on the funding commitments agreed in the Closing the Gap Agreement. That is what this review will deliver, a clear view of whether that investment has been made.
Updated at 00.39 EDT
Aussie shares recover as tech and bank stocks bounce
Australia’s share market is staging a modest recovery, edging higher after a midweek inflation surprise hammered hopes that the Reserve Bank’s interest rate hiking cycle was over, AAP reports.
The S&P/ASX200 rose 30 points by midday, up 0.33% to 9,068.1, as the broader All Ordinaries lifted by 28.6 points, or 0.31% to 9,271.8.
Despite an overnight rally in US technology stocks supporting local IT names, domestic and global risks were weighing on investor confidence. Westpac economist Mantas Vanagas said:
double quotation markInvestors and analysts continue to assess the implications for future Reserve Bank policy decisions, now fully pricing in a rate hike before the end of the year, up from only a 50% chance at the start of this week.
Oil prices took a step higher after reports suggested that President Trump had rejected the idea of re-establishing the terms of the memorandum of understanding the US signed with Iran in June.
Consumer staples eased 1.1%, falling for a second session after rallying on the back of strong results from Coles and Woolworths, while cyclicals were down 1.7% since Monday.
Australian IT stocks outperformed the broader market, the segment charging 4.6% higher, as WiseTech, Xero and Technology One soared.
The Australian dollar is buying 71.97 US cents, up from 71.84 US cents on Thursday at 5pm.
Updated at 00.25 EDT
Dolphin dies from H5 bird flu in South Australia
Lisa Cox
A dolphin has died from H5 bird flu in South Australia, marking the second native mammal species to which the virus is known to have spread.
The common dolphin was found recently deceased near Goolwa on the state’s Fleurieu Peninsula and reported by a member of the public. State tests confirmed the animal was positive for H5N1 but samples had been sent to the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness for further analysis. A government spokesperson said:
double quotation markWhile the detection in the common dolphin is a new development in Australia, there is evidence of dolphins and porpoises catching H5 bird flu overseas. Dolphins would not commonly eat birds but it is not unusual for them to sometimes interact.
It follows two earlier detections in long-nosed fur seals in SA at Beachport and the Pages Islands and a suspected detection in a red fox – a feral pest species – near Port Adelaide.
The federal government’s risk assessment rated common dolphins at high risk from bird flu, meaning they potentially face severe population declines where the virus takes hold.
A common dolphin seen off the coast of Port Stephens in New South Wales. A common dolphin has died from H5 bird flu in South Australia, marking the second native mammal species to which the virus is known to have spread. Photograph: Puffin’s Pictures/AlamyShare
Updated at 00.43 EDT
UN response underway after ‘catastrophic’ flash floods devastate Nepal–Tibet border
Footage posted to social media by the United Nations shows the aftermath of deadly flash floods that swept through the Nepal–Tibet border.
The UN is among a number of humanitarian partners aiding the government-led response to the disaster.
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Updated at 22.56 EDT
Australian Antarctic expeditioners withdrawn because of bird flu outbreak
The Australian government will withdraw 24 expeditioners from its Macquarie Island research station as an expected H5 avian influenza (bird flu) mass mortality on the remote island poses psychosocial risks to staff.
The research station, where the 24 staff live and work, sits on the Southern Ocean island about 1,500km south-east of Tasmania.
While bird flu has not yet been detected on the island, experts “predict a high likelihood of a significant mortality event during the upcoming breeding season”.
The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) said the decision was “a necessary precaution” to protect staff from potential “prolonged psychological stress and other workplace impacts”.
The DCCEEW deputy secretary, Sean Sullivan, said the move was an “unusual measure, but is the most appropriate course of action”.
double quotation markOur first priority is the health and safety of our expeditioners. While the risk to humans of H5 bird flu is considered low, we can’t ignore the psychosocial risks of living near potentially large numbers of affected animals. Our expeditioners already live and work in one of the world’s most remote and challenging environments. It is important that we minimise any additional risks that could affect the wellbeing of our people and the safe operation of our stations.
Updated at 23.22 EDT
Nick Visser
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