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What we learned, Tuesday 3 March
And with that, we are going to put the blog to bed. Before we go, let’s recap the big headlines.
Anthony Albanese said he does not believe the US government will request military assistance from Australia in its conflict against Iran, noting Australia is “a long way” from the Middle East.
The Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, arrived in Australia today for a three-day official visit, set to include a rare address to federal parliament. Carney is due to visit Sydney and Canberra and hold talks with Albanese. It will be the ninth meeting between the two leaders.
The defence minister, Richard Marles, said an airbase used by the Australian defence force near Dubai was hit by a drone strike over the weekend, but said all personnel are “safe and accounted for”.
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, rejected the idea that industrial silos being demolished to build 8,500 new homes in inner Sydney have architectural value, indicating that further sites in the city may have to come down to build more housing.
Virgin Australia, which partners with Qatar Airways, cancelled six more flights into and out of Doha, Qatar, as airspace over the country remains closed. Routes between Doha and Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth were all subject to cancellations, with affected guests contacted directly about their travel options.
The NSW government said consumers can continue to feel confident enjoying locally grown berries, with laboratory testing confirming the state’s berries meet food safety standards for pesticide residues.
Anthony Albanese tabled a Liberal election review in question time, making it public. The Liberal federal executive decided to shelve their election review and keep it a secret, but the report was leaked.
Thank you for spending part of your day with us. We will be back tomorrow to do it all again.
Updated at 02.42 EST
Geelong explosions caused by burning vehicle on back of a truck spreading to nearby gas bottles, firefighters say
Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) has released a statement in regards to the fire in Geelong we mentioned earlier in the blog.
It said:
double quotation markFRV was called at 3.28pm, after callers to Triple Zero (000) reported a car fire with further callers reporting explosions and plumes of smoke billowing into the air.
Crews arrived on scene within five minutes to find a vehicle on the back of a truck on fire with flames spreading to nearby gas bottles causing multiple explosions.
Firefighters are working to bring the incident under control.
An emergency warning has been issued for the corner of Thompson Road and Armstrong Street, North Geelong.
Victoria Police and Ambulance Victoria are also on scene assisting firefighters with the response.
Updated at 02.33 EST
Radio network confirms Kyle and Jackie O show taken off air effective immediately
ARN Media has just announced that the Kyle and Jackie O show will be taken off air effective immediately.
In a statement to the ASX, ARN Media said Henderson has expressed she “cannot continue to work” with Kyle Sandilands and has been offered an alternative show on the ARN Network.
The media company also said it had written to Sandilands over his on-air behaviour on the 20 February program and he has been given 14 days to remedy it, during which he will not appear on air.
Updated at 03.10 EST
Health alert after new case of measles in Sydney’s west
In a statement, NSW Health has advised people in western Sydney to be alert for signs and symptoms of measles after a new case has emerged.
It said:
double quotation markThis person has had no known contact with anyone else with measles and did not attend any known exposure locations in Sydney.
With the source of the infection unknown, it is likely measles is currently circulating within the community, and other people may have been unknowingly exposed to measles.
The person visited several locations across Western Sydney while unknowingly infectious, including healthcare facilities.
A full list of locations is available on the NSW Health website. Exposure locations and times are updated regularly.
Updated at 01.40 EST
Emergency warning in Geelong after gas bottles explode and start fire
An emergency warning has been issued in Geelong, with emergency services asking people in the area around Thompson Road and Armstrong Street to leave immediately, after exploding gas bottles started an industrial fire.
The warning says people should:
Follow the instructions of police and emergency services who are at the scene. Leave immediately.
Move away from windows, glass doors and glass windows.
Take care to avoid debris that could be hot or sharp.
If you can do so safely, exit buildings in the area as quickly as possible.
When you leave, take your pets, mobile phone and medications.
Travel to the home of family or friends who are away from the warning area.
More info here.
Updated at 01.30 EST
Man shot dead by Queensland police after allegedly threatening officers
Queensland police have spoken about the death of a 21-year-old man who was shot by police in Brisbane on Tuesday morning.
Police were called to the home in Tingalpa on Tuesday morning for a welfare check. Police said they tried to negotiate with the man. At about 10.30am, the man allegedly made threats towards police while armed with a knife and was shot.
Speaking to the media, Acting Chief Supt Heath McQueen said:
double quotation markOur police, they attend incidents daily … these incidents are often dynamic in nature and split-second decisions need to be made in relation to those incidents.
I’m confident that the use of force used is appropriate given the circumstances however, as I said, this will still be investigated by Ethical Standards Command with oversight of the [Crime and Corruption Commission].
I can confirm that one of the officers suffered a minor injury as a result of this incident today.
Updated at 00.58 EST
Patrick Commins
Chalmers warns petrol retailers not to ‘gouge’ motorists
Jim Chalmers has told the competition watchdog to keep an eye on petrol retailers to ensure they aren’t using the jump in global oil prices as an excuse to “gouge” motorists.
In a letter to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the treasurer asked the watchdog to “investigate any concerns arising about misrepresentations regarding petrol prices, false and misleading conduct or anti-competitive conduct in petrol markets, and to take appropriate action”.
Pump prices have tracked higher over the past month, reflecting rising global oil prices as traders anticipated a US-Israeli attack on Iran, which duly began at the weekend.
Oil prices have jumped another 10% so far this week, and are close to $US80 a barrel, based on the international Brent crude benchmark.
That means petrol prices are likely to track higher still over the coming week as those wholesale prices feed through to the bowser.
“The recent spike … should not be used as an excuse for retailers to gouge customers or to increase prices opportunistically above and beyond the impact of events in the Middle East,” Chalmers said in his letter.
Updated at 00.35 EST
Penry Buckley
Minns downplays retirement, says he wants to serve full term if re-elected next year
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, has downplayed comments in which he suggested he would retire some time after the next state election, which will take place this time next year.
Yesterday, at a press conference about the completion of tunnelling on the Metro West project, which is expected to open in 2032, Minns said he would not be premier by the time the metro was finished.
Asked by the ABC Sydney’s Hamish Macdonald earlier today if his comments meant he was retiring, Minns said:
double quotation markNot imminently, no. I was asked a question about 2032, which I just want to … point out is in the middle of the next parliament, not even the one upcoming. So, look I’ve got a difficult re-election campaign ahead of us in 2027. If we were to win that, and it’s a big if, I would love to serve a full term, but in the long run, I don’t know, it’s up to the people of NSW.
Asked if serving a full term means he would also contest the 2031 state election, Minns said:
double quotation markWell, look, I’d love to, but I … treat these things I hope in a humble way. If I come out and say I’m going to hang around until 2032, half of your listeners are going to say: ‘Wait, we get a say in that mate, don’t get too ahead of yourself.’
Chris Minns. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAPShare
Updated at 00.22 EST
Benita Kolovos
Victorian Greens to introduce bill aimed at strengthening corruption watchdog
The Greens are also focusing on corruption at Victorian parliament this week.
Tomorrow, they will introduce their “ending political corruption” bill to the upper house for debate. They attempted to do so in the lower house this morning but Labor voted it down.
The bill would enact several of the recommendations made in a recent report by the state’s integrity and oversight committee, including giving the anti-corruption watchdog the power to investigate how third parties spend public funds, the ability to conduct more public hearings and expand its jurisdiction to investigate “grey” corruption.
These were all reforms the Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission’s Victoria Elliott told the integrity and oversight committee yesterday were needed to investigate allegations of corruption on the government’s Big Build sites.
Greens leader, Ellen Sandell, said:
double quotation markSomething is seriously wrong when our anti-corruption watchdog doesn’t have the power to investigate billions of dollars going missing on Labor’s major infrastructure projects and when Labor is this desperate for this to go away, it begs the question of what they are trying to hide.
Victorian Greens leader Ellen Sandell. Photograph: James Ross/AAPShare
Updated at 00.10 EST
Krishani Dhanji
Thanks all for joining me on the blog today. I’ll leave you with the lovely Cait Kelly for the afternoon.
I’ll see you here bright and early tomorrow. Take care.
Updated at 23.55 EST