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What we learned today, Monday 27 October
With that, we will shut the blog for the evening. Thanks for reading. Krishani Dhanji will be back with you first thing tomorrow for all the latest in the world of Australian politics.
Until then, here were today’s major developments:
Microsoft “deprived” Australian consumers of informed choice, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has alleged. The body will take federal court action against Microsoft over allegedly misleading about 2.7m Australians with Microsoft 365 subscriptions.
More than 100 scientists and researchers have urged the PM to tackle widespread deforestation that is driving an extinction crisis across the country when the government introduces environment reforms this week.
The Business Council of Australia has rejected Sussan Ley’s call to split the environment bill into separate pieces, saying the legislation should be passed as one “holistic” package dealing with both pro-environmental and pro-business sections.
An RAAF flare incident was directly raised with the Chinese premier, Anthony Albanese has confirmed, without giving details as to what he said. He told reporters his meeting with Li Qiang was “positive”.
And the Coalition is calling for an inquiry into the CFMEU administration after Nine newspapers reported its efforts have been hampered by a lack of investigative capability.
Updated at 02.52 EDT
Taxpayers fork out $75m for embattled Spirit ferries
Taxpayers will fork out $75m to help the beleaguered operator of two new Spirit of Tasmania ferries navigate ongoing financial issues, AAP reports.
It has also been revealed human error is to blame for $9m worth of upgrades needed for the vessels and their yet-to-be-completed berth in Tasmania.
The two replacement vessels are not expected to be in service until late 2026, years behind schedule, because a berth in Devonport was not built in time for their arrival. The saga, which caused one of the new ships to be kept in Scotland for months, has been dubbed one of the biggest infrastructure stuff-ups in Australia’s history.
Tasmania’s government on Monday announced it would give the ship’s state-owned operator TT-Line an injection of $75m in the November 2025-26 budget. The funds would deal with “medium-term” financial issues, the TT-Line chair, Ken Kanofski, told reporters:
What we said is ‘we need a buffer’, we don’t want to run too close to the wind.
The Labor opposition MP Dean Winter said Tasmanians were being forced to pay the price for incompetence. The state government has not ruled out giving TT-Line the remaining $25m of the company’s request if needed.
The Spirit of Tasmania II docked in Port Melbourne. Photograph: Joel Carrett/AAPShare
Updated at 02.24 EDT
Coalition wants a ‘balanced outcome’ on environment protection reforms
The shadow environment minister, Angie Bell, has told ABC’s Afternoon Briefing the Coalition will “look at everything that is on the table” when it assesses the federal government’s environment protection laws.
The Coalition wants to break reforms of the federal environment protection regime in two, prioritising measures to fast-track projects while probably further delaying protections for nature.
Asked if the Coalition would be satisfied with Labor doing a deal with the Greens if it can’t find a compromise, she said they had “only just received” extracts from the second part of the minister Murray Watt’s reforms.
Currently we’re going through those extra details. The first tranche of extracts that we received have a lot of moving parts. There’s a lot of uncertainty … but also there’s not much in there really about protecting the environment in detail.
We want to get a balanced outcome and that means we want protections for the environment but we want assurances … I have met with the minister’s office and the department now five times and we’ll continue that consultation as we go through the process. We want to make sure the bill is the best it can be.
Updated at 01.58 EDT
Henry Belot
Entain gambling acknowledges ‘certain deficiancies’ in old anti-money laundering system
Gambling company Entain – which runs the Ladbrokes and Entain brands in Australia – has acknowledged its previous anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing regime “missed the mark”.
Entain was taken to the federal court in December by Australia’s financial intelligence agency Austrac, which alleged the company accepted $152m in bets from 17 high-risk customers who had “suspected criminal profiles and associations”.
The company has now filed its defence in the case. While it acknowledges “there were certain deficiencies” in its operations, it disputes a number of allegations made by Austrac.
Entain Australia’s chief executive, Andrew Vouris, said in a separate statement the company “sincerely regrets that our old program didn’t meet expectations”:
We followed expert advice at the time but, looking back, we recognise the old program missed the mark. We’ve acknowledged our shortcomings, taken responsibility, and spent the last two years learning from them and fixing them.
In a statement, the company said it had significantly expanded its anti-money laundering unit and invested millions of dollars in new systems and technologies.
The company said it closed the betting accounts of all 17 high-risk customers “prior to legal proceedings” and in some cases “as far back as 2020”.
Updated at 01.40 EDT
Government won’t say when it will respond to antisemitism and Islamophobia reports
Aly was also asked about when the federal government would respond to two reports which have been handed down in recent months: one from the antisemitism envoy, and one from the Islamophobia envoy.
Both made a series of recommendations about how to address antisemitism and Islamophobia in Australian society, including reforms to education and the media, as well as detailing a significant rise in discrimination.
Aly said they were currently looking at both reports concurrently but neglected to answer whether a comprehensive response would be delivered by the end of the year.
I don’t want to put a timeframe on it. It’s an incredibly important piece of work and it’s important we get it right. The efforts that have been put into the reports deserve us to take our time and be thoughtful and comprehensive in our response.
Updated at 01.30 EDT
Labor willing to negotiate with Greens or Liberals to get environmental reforms passed, Anne Aly says
Anne Aly, the minister for multicultural affairs, international development and small business is appearing on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing as debate continues over environmental reforms, to be introduced to parliament this fortnight.
The Coalition wants to break reforms of the federal environment protection regime in two, prioritising measures to fast-track projects while probably further delaying protections for nature. The Business Council wants the government to water down powers to block projects and for bipartisanship on the issue.
Asked if Labor was prepared to water down the bill to meet demands, she said “pretty much everyone” had an opinion on the legislation:
We’re focused on getting the bill passed and getting the balance right between ensuring that our environment is protected but also that there is confidence for industry as well … these laws frankly are no longer fit for purpose. They are laws that were drafted back in the ‘90s.
On whether Labor would prefer to do a deal with the Coalition or the Greens – who want the reforms to go further – she said:
There are two pathways to making a deal. One with the Greens and one with the Liberals. I believe that Murray Watt as the minister responsible has done a great job in negotiating thus far … We want to get it passed and as soon as possible. Through either of those avenues as long as it delivers what Australians want, what Australians need which is environmental protection and certainty to the industry.
ShareCoalition to move motion calling for Senate inquiry into Optus triple zero outage
Coalition senator Sarah Henderson will move a motion on Tuesday for the federal government to launch a senate inquiry into last month’s Optus triple zero outage.
An inquiry by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (Acma) is under way but Henderson said that was “woefully inadequate” and questions remained over when the federal government was informed about the breakdown.
Speaking to the Senate today, Henderson said there were still conflicting reports about whether three or four people died as a result of the outage.
This is an essential service for all Australians. Every Australian needs to know that when they pick up the phone and dial triple zero they will get the help they need from the fire brigade, from the ambulance service or from the police …
We are also putting on the table the need to bring mobile phone roaming into this country so that if you don’t have a mobile connection or service from one carrier, particularly when you’re in a regional area, you can use another carrier’s tower.
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young is co-sponsoring the notice of motion to set up the inquiry alongside Coalition senators Dean Smith and Ross Cadell.
Updated at 01.33 EDT
Vaginal ring contraceptive to be added to PBS on 1 November
Hundreds of thousands of Australian women will have access to another affordable contraception option as a vaginal ring is added to the government’s medication subsidy scheme for the first time, AAP reports.
The NuvaRing is a prescription contraceptive method which is inserted into the vagina by the user and distributes hormones to stop ovulation.
It can be used for three weeks in a row before being removed for a week, and a new one is then inserted. Used correctly, the ring is is 99.5% effective, which is similar to other hormonal contraceptive options.
The NuvaRing is available in a three-pack as a private script for $130. From 1 November, when it will be added to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), it will cost general patients $31.60 and concessional patients $7.70. From 1 January, the maximum women will pay per script will be $25.
Sexual Health Victoria medical director Sara Whitburn told AAP one of the biggest barriers to people choosing the NuvaRing has been cost, but it could be a good option for people who had stomach upsets from taking the pill.
Side effects of the ring are similar to the contraceptive pill, including acne, bloating, weight gain and reduced libido.
Health minister Mark Butler said women’s health needs had been sidelined for too long.
Australia has one of the lowest uptake rates in the developed world of long-acting contraceptives, partly due to access and affordability.
Updated at 01.03 EDT
Krishani Dhanji
Thank you all for following along on the blog with me today!
I’ll leave you with the fabulous Caitlin Cassidy for the rest of the afternoon and see you here bright and early tomorrow.
Musician Holly Rankin warns institutions have ‘failed to engage’ with young people
Earlier today, Holly Rankin (also known by her stage name Jack River) who’s been pushing for protections for artists against AI, as well as engaging young people in politics, gave the Speaker’s lecture at Parliament House.
She warned institutions have “failed to engage” with young people, which has seen a new generation move “from institutions to individuals, from mastheads to personalities, from politicians to podcasts”.
Young Australians aren’t disengaged from civic conversation. They’re just having it somewhere else.
The conflict, she said, is that the new “public square” where young people are getting their information, is controlled by a small handful of billionaires.
Musician Holly Rankin, also known as Jack River, gives the Speaker’s Lecture at Parliament House. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP
She says young people want to see humanity and authenticity in politicians, and urged them to meet young people where they’re at.
Where the town square once gathered people into one conversation, algorithms scatter them into thousands of bubbles, pushing and prodding us into attentional addiction. Each citizen lives inside a personalised poker machine – an individually engineered echo chamber that plays on our fears, hopes and insecurities …
Young Australians are ready to engage in democracy. They’re building civic communities with or without institutional support. They value transparency, accountability, humanity, and truth – the same values that birthed democracy itself.
Updated at 00.48 EDT
Tl;dr here’s what you missed in question time
There was plenty of energy in the chamber today, and the eviction of two Labor MPs from the House by one sassy Speaker Milton Dick. The first was Rob Mitchell during the very first question, and the second was Josh Burns, while Ted O’Brien was trying to roast Jim Chalmers.
The Coalition used the first half of its questions to press the government on the administrator of the CFMEU following reports by Nine Newspapers.
The government backed the work of the administrator, in response, and said it was taking the “strongest” action possible.
Independent MP Nicolette Boele asked the government how taxpayers would benefit financially from the critical minerals deal signed with the US (when the current petroleum resource rent tax has been heavily criticised for getting little out of the profits mining and resource companies make). Richard Marles wouldn’t address the financial issue, and just said the deal is in the “national interest”.
Barnaby Joyce, after all the hoo hah this morning, sat in his usual spot with the Nationals (though left the chamber for about 15 minutes).
Updated at 00.34 EDT
Luca Ittimani
Failed First Guardian fund’s vendors request government refund
Companies that allowed customers to invest in the failed First Guardian superannuation fund are asking the government to help refund members who lost money.
About 6,000 Australians had a combined $505m in savings in the collapsed fund before the corporate regulator froze its assets in February 2025, having moved their super into the fund through wealth companies Netwealth, Equity Trustees and Diversa.
Netwealth told investors today it had applied for financial assistance on behalf of its 1,088 fund members who had $101m in the failed fund. The company said it had complied with all relevant laws when offering the First Guardian Fund and believed the losses were the result of fraud.
Netwealth said that qualified it for a payout under super laws that protect defrauded funds and had applied to the assistant treasurer for help on Friday. It warned investors may still only see partial compensation, in a sharemarket update today.
Diversa today told Guardian Australia it also believed the First Guardian losses were the result of fraud and would apply for assistance and Equity Trustees confirmed it was also considering applying.
Asic and First Guardian’s liquidators have raised widespread concerns over the fund’s use of investor money and are continuing investigations. You can read more about the collapsed funds here:
Updated at 00.26 EDT
Sarah Basford Canales
Protest against changes to NDIS
Just before question time today, a group of advocates arrived in front of Parliament House to protest against upcoming changes to the NDIS by the Albanese government.
The health minister, Mark Butler, announced major changes to the important scheme in August, including the $2bn Thriving Kids program that will result in children with mild to moderate levels of developmental delay and autism being diverted off the NDIS and onto state-ran support programs.
The Greens senator, Jordon Steele-John, joined the rally, telling the audience consecutive governments since the NDIS first began rolling out in 2016 had slowly undermined the scheme in an effort to improve its financial sustainability.
The senator urged the disability community to continue fighting to protect the scheme:
I know that so many of us wish that we never again would have to have these fights. The word ‘burnout’ flows throughout the community. I know that the road has been hard, and I know that the road still is to come … I draw hope that we will endure together, that we will thrive together, that we will celebrate together, And that victory will be ours.
Craig Wallace from the Disabled People Against Cuts group said the NDIS “was a world leading social reform that offered choices … it was structured around the way we live our lives, not our impairments”.
There are problems with the NDIS … but they are not problems caused by us. They are caused by the decisions of the people behind us in this building [Parliament House]. They are the problems with services, markets and providers and state governments pulling away, and yes, disability is expensive and that cost is borne by us and by families and by carers, and eventually, by the whole community.
Read more:
Updated at 00.35 EDT
With a final dixer on the upcoming PBS listing of contraceptives, question time is done for the day. Just three to go.
New Bradfield MP Nicolette Boele asks about the critical minerals deal
Back to the crossbench, new independent MP Nicolette Boele asks Richard Marles how much the Australian public will benefit financially from the critical minerals deal.
Over the weekend, we reported members of the crossbench are calling for a mining rent tax to guarantee taxpayers a “fair cut” of a potential critical minerals boom.
Marles says the $8.5bn deal signed by Anthony Albanese and Donald Trump is “genuinely in Australia’s national interest”.
What we have faced globally is that while we have been engaging in the mining and extraction of critical minerals and rare earths, the processing of them – a sector that would involve significant employment and significant industrial development in this country – has proven much more difficult, given the structure of the global market. And that’s why we have put in place a number of measures, such as the Critical Minerals Production Tax Incentive, and the Critical Minerals Facility.
He doesn’t say whether there will be any tax on the revenue made by companies mining and producing critical minerals.
Updated at 00.14 EDT
Josh Butler
‘A lot of intelligent people here’
There’s not much that unites the Labor and Coalition benches these days, but the unintentionally perfect timing of House Speaker Milton Dick was one of them just now.
Labor MP Josh Burns was ejected from Question Time after interjecting during a question from Liberal deputy Ted O’Brien. This is a real bugbear of Dick’s, who admittedly gives a fair bit of leeway during the QT interjections but gets unhappy when a question is interrupted.
“I don’t know why this is so difficult. When people are asking questions, don’t interject,” Dick called out in an angry voice.
“There’s a lot of intelligent people here …,” he continued, letting that remark hang in the air for a moment – until nearly the entire chamber cracked into laughter.
O’Brien himself, at the dispatch box, put his hand to his forehead as if shielding his gaze from the sun, looking around in the chamber in mock confusion, mouthing: “where?”
Dick continued, amid the laughter: “Well, in the [public] gallery, there are.’
Updated at 00.06 EDT