From 44m ago
Press China to release Yang Hengjun, rights group say
Daniel Hurst
Human rights groups have urged the Australian government to demand the immediate release of Australian writer Dr Yang Hengjun and press other human rights issues strongly during meetings with China’s top diplomat today.
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, will hold talks with her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in Canberra today, with trade, regional security and human rights among the topics expected to be raised.
Amnesty International has written to Wong saying it “joins Uyghur, Tibetan, Hong Konger and Chinese human rights communities in urging you to address the Chinese government’s human rights violations and secure tangible improvements”.
Sam Klintworth, the national director of Amnesty International Australia, wrote that Wong should “call on the Chinese leadership to release Dr Yang immediately and unconditionally on humanitarian grounds and ensure that he receives urgent and appropriate medical care”.
Tibetan community associations urged the government not to “repeat past mistakes of sacrificing human rights at the altar of trade”. Zoe Bedford, from the Australia Tibet Council, said:
Normalising trade deals with China at this time is an unacceptable act while China violates the human rights of so many.
Human Rights Watch said the Australian government “should move beyond statements of concern and make clear their intention to seek accountability for China’s ongoing human rights violations”.
<gu-island name="KeyEventsCarousel" priority="feature" deferuntil="visible" props="{"keyEvents":[{"id":"65f9f0cf8f0848030042cb71","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"
Welcome back to parliament for another sitting day we like to call “how is it only Wednesday?”.
","elementId":"e8aacab8-c5a9-4234-96fe-ebd4c1df7e75"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"
Thank you to Martin for starting us off – as he laid out, it’s all about Wang Yi’s visit today. But there is also some more fallout from what looks like the Albanese government decision to shelve the religious discrimination legislation for an indefinite time. There is no bipartisan support for key elements and, after the voice referendum, it doesn’t seem the government isn’t willing to go down another drag ’em out fight that will harm communities.
","elementId":"00ef4a36-a5a7-4857-a744-9649634bc6a0"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"
This is all a hangover from 2016 when the Liberal’s right flank, then led by Cory Bernardi, demanded changes to 18C and 18D of the Racial Discrimination Act. To get the marriage plebiscite over the line in the party room, and again appease the right flank of his party Malcolm Turnbull later agreed to a religious discrimination act. Scott Morrison turned that into “religious freedoms” and even had a bill, but he pulled it from the senate after five Liberals crossed the floor to support an amendment which would prevent religious schools from discriminating against children of different sexualities as well as trans kids.
","elementId":"9b092c44-abf9-4113-b199-09d28112599b"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"
Each time the debate has been held, it has caused some harm.
","elementId":"63ba7ae3-f9cc-4693-b116-4d29bef43ff0"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"
We’ll follow the results of the latest foray into this space as the day unfolds. You have Amy Remeikis for most of the day, with Paul Karp, Josh Butler, Karen Middleton, Daniel Hurst and Sarah Basford Canales bringing you the news. Mike Bowers is already out and about.
","elementId":"e83ea041-3d1d-4323-a9dc-0635305133f9"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"
It’s a four-coffee morning. Ready? Let’s get into it
","elementId":"af0a7134-025e-40cd-a13d-9410cbb70deb"}],"attributes":{"pinned":false,"keyEvent":true,"summary":false},"blockCreatedOn":1710878927000,"blockCreatedOnDisplay":"16.08 EDT","blockLastUpdated":1710879863000,"blockLastUpdatedDisplay":"16.24 EDT","blockFirstPublished":1710879639000,"blockFirstPublishedDisplay":"16.20 EDT","blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone":"16.20","title":"Good morning","contributors":[],"primaryDateLine":"Tue 19 Mar 2024 16.24 EDT","secondaryDateLine":"First published on Tue 19 Mar 2024 15.26 EDT"},{"id":"65f9901e8f08c35d1de35f57","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"
Human rights groups have urged the Australian government to demand the immediate release of Australian writer Dr Yang Hengjun and press other human rights issues strongly during meetings with China’s top diplomat today.
","elementId":"957d9b0e-e408-4d36-ae65-026e0f0912aa"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, will hold talks with her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in Canberra today, with trade, regional security and human rights among the topics expected to be raised.
","elementId":"bff4e2f0-7055-4c06-bfc0-4beb6a9bf7cf"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"
Amnesty International has written to Wong saying it “joins Uyghur, Tibetan, Hong Konger and Chinese human rights communities in urging you to address the Chinese government’s human rights violations and secure tangible improvements”.
","elementId":"f96af0cf-a54e-40f4-8723-bd68e8779514"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"
Sam Klintworth, the national director of Amnesty International Australia, wrote that Wong should “call on the Chinese leadership to release Dr Yang immediately and unconditionally on humanitarian grounds and ensure that he receives urgent and appropriate medical care”.
","elementId":"fb49c53c-0fdf-4296-9544-8f304a028f9b"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"
Tibetan community associations urged the government not to “repeat past mistakes of sacrificing human rights at the altar of trade”. Zoe Bedford, from the Australia Tibet Council, said:
","elementId":"196e2e47-d874-4f22-98b6-86c4731fdaee"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement","html":"
\n
Normalising trade deals with China at this time is an unacceptable act while China violates the human rights of so many.
\n
","elementId":"2d5fa70f-196a-4fbc-9adb-11b74794e5be"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"
Human Rights Watch said the Australian government “should move beyond statements of concern and make clear their intention to seek accountability for China’s ongoing human rights violations”.
","elementId":"60a4da8c-912f-4fc2-99ca-e1f8e1938344"}],"attributes":{"pinned":true,"keyEvent":true,"summary":false},"blockCreatedOn":1710876374000,"blockCreatedOnDisplay":"15.26 EDT","blockLastUpdated":1710877271000,"blockLastUpdatedDisplay":"15.41 EDT","blockFirstPublished":1710877274000,"blockFirstPublishedDisplay":"15.41 EDT","blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone":"15.41","title":"Press China to release Yang Hengjun, rights group say","contributors":[{"name":"Daniel Hurst","imageUrl":"https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2020/03/30/Dan_Hurst.jpg?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=a5af531a12fe1dac65af586a33e46f25","largeImageUrl":"https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2020/03/30/Dan_Hurst.png?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=841ba2989a73d161b6a26127a9274808"}],"primaryDateLine":"Tue 19 Mar 2024 16.24 EDT","secondaryDateLine":"First published on Tue 19 Mar 2024 15.26 EDT"},{"id":"65f966258f08f31585c701c1","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"
Six of the 10 former indefinite immigration detainees charged with breaching visas that were later found to be invalid have had their charges dropped so far, Australian federal police have revealed.
","elementId":"83265ee7-1d0c-48c3-ab03-4a91d8487e10"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"
In a late-night Senate estimates hearingAFP assistant commissioner Kirsty Schofield said the figure included the three who had been remanded in custody for more serious breaches of conditions attached to the now-invalid visas.
","elementId":"ba655417-ce70-4b3a-a3c3-f613d17c8a8c"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"
Last Tuesday it was reported the visas given to the NZYQ cohort after their release from indefinite immigration detention had been issued incorrectly. It meant the charges against 10 of the cohort for conditions, such as breaching curfew, were likely to be dropped.
","elementId":"c0c426b3-1ad6-40e8-ad4a-b73e785d58e6"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"
Schofield said the commonwealth director of public prosecutions was working through withdrawing charges for the remaining four.
","elementId":"b4e3e583-73d0-4135-807e-a56ba6fa282a"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"
She also said there were now 152 in the NZYQ cohort, up from 149 previously.
","elementId":"a70f6dc4-41ae-45e7-ade3-4d2a2015a4f9"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"
Earlier in the hearing the Liberal senator James Paterson asked whether the AFP was preparing to monitor additional former detainees in response to further high court rulings.
","elementId":"349b728e-b320-4591-9331-9884ebde2b46"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"
Acting commissioner Ian McCartney said there were “ongoing discussions” and the AFP was ready to “pivot” if further detainees were released. But he also said it was not the police force’s role to monitor any of them.
","elementId":"68d24e2e-e694-400e-812f-52032b0be232"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement","html":"
\n
The AFP’s role is not to monitor, it’s to enforce breaches.
\n
","elementId":"d60f86d5-7c0f-4713-94ad-d59927d19d16"}],"attributes":{"pinned":false,"keyEvent":true,"summary":false},"blockCreatedOn":1710876374000,"blockCreatedOnDisplay":"15.26 EDT","blockLastUpdated":1710876558000,"blockLastUpdatedDisplay":"15.29 EDT","blockFirstPublished":1710876559000,"blockFirstPublishedDisplay":"15.29 EDT","blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone":"15.29","title":"Six former detainees accused of breaching visas have had charges dropped, AFP says","contributors":[{"name":"Sarah Basford Canales","imageUrl":"https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2023/08/01/Sarah_Basford_Canales.jpg?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=66c36b9cb909414f7b8e8c893cfd6bcd","largeImageUrl":"https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2023/08/01/Sarah_Basford_Canales.png?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=5e1ba75fa72eea4b851d7dbb67ae83c4"}],"primaryDateLine":"Tue 19 Mar 2024 16.24 EDT","secondaryDateLine":"First published on Tue 19 Mar 2024 15.26 EDT"},{"id":"65f9660f8f08f31585c701c0","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"
Good morning and welcome to our rolling coverage of the political day in Canberra. I’m Martin Farrer and these are the top overnight lines to digest before Amy Remeikis cranks up for another day.
","elementId":"4f03c041-83b3-407b-9dd0-da19b8b255f4"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"
The Albanese government is heading for a roadblock in its attempts to ride out the politically damaging fallout from the immigration detention imbroglio. Our exclusive story shows many more people could be released than previously thought if the government loses the latest legal challenge to the scheme. A leaked internal estimate obtained by Guardian Australia shows more than 170 people in immigration detention could be released if a court decides the scheme is illegal – many more than the 40 reported so far.
","elementId":"d9891e9b-ebf3-4f49-b3dd-25e5fc4a2c6f"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"
Last night at Senate estimates Australian federal police revealed that six former immigration detainees charged with breaching visas that were later found to be invalid have had their charges dropped so far – more on this soon.
","elementId":"80e817be-3891-421f-81d1-191848b5a3c7"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"
The visit by China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, will begin in Canberra today with human rights activists calling on Penny Wong to demand the release of the Australian writer Dr Yang Hengjun, who has been jailed in China on espionage charges since 2019. Wang’s arrival in Australia has already caused political and diplomatic waves, with former Labor prime minister Paul Keating riding at the crest. But if the visit is the hard end of Australia’s relations with China, then Adelaide zoo’s two pandas are the softer, more cuddly end, and we’re looking today at how Wang Wang and Fu Ni tell the story of the relationship’s ups and downs.
","elementId":"b95980cd-69c1-4fde-9ced-fada46de0017"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"
Tasmania’s Liberal and Labor leaders will go head-to-head in their final election campaign debate this afternoon as they count down to Saturday’s vote. Liberal premier Jeremy Rockliff will butt heads with Labor leader Rebecca White, who is having a third crack at leading the state, at a peoples’ forum in Hobart. Opinion polls point to the Liberals getting the most seats but not enough for majority government. Our reporter has been to the island state and finds that the campaign has been dominated by one issue: the failing health system.
","elementId":"0021b564-9c1e-42a7-8414-c40e73602f20"}],"attributes":{"pinned":false,"keyEvent":true,"summary":false},"blockCreatedOn":1710876374000,"blockCreatedOnDisplay":"15.26 EDT","blockLastUpdated":1710876581000,"blockLastUpdatedDisplay":"15.29 EDT","blockFirstPublished":1710876374000,"blockFirstPublishedDisplay":"15.26 EDT","blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone":"15.26","title":"Welcome","contributors":[{"name":"Martin Farrer","imageUrl":"https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2019/06/10/Martin_Farrer.jpg?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=a491d63a001c65f468c602e5bbcb494a","largeImageUrl":"https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2019/06/06/Martin_Farrer,_L.png?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=f706e98cb1db7a0312c04c2836c71178"}],"primaryDateLine":"Tue 19 Mar 2024 16.24 EDT","secondaryDateLine":"First published on Tue 19 Mar 2024 15.26 EDT"}],"filterKeyEvents":false,"id":"key-events-carousel-mobile"}” config=”{"renderingTarget":"Web","darkModeAvailable":false}”>
Key events
Filters BETA
Good morning
Welcome back to parliament for another sitting day we like to call “how is it only Wednesday?”.
Thank you to Martin for starting us off – as he laid out, it’s all about Wang Yi’s visit today. But there is also some more fallout from what looks like the Albanese government decision to shelve the religious discrimination legislation for an indefinite time. There is no bipartisan support for key elements and, after the voice referendum, it doesn’t seem the government isn’t willing to go down another drag ’em out fight that will harm communities.
This is all a hangover from 2016 when the Liberal’s right flank, then led by Cory Bernardi, demanded changes to 18C and 18D of the Racial Discrimination Act. To get the marriage plebiscite over the line in the party room, and again appease the right flank of his party Malcolm Turnbull later agreed to a religious discrimination act. Scott Morrison turned that into “religious freedoms” and even had a bill, but he pulled it from the senate after five Liberals crossed the floor to support an amendment which would prevent religious schools from discriminating against children of different sexualities as well as trans kids.
Each time the debate has been held, it has caused some harm.
We’ll follow the results of the latest foray into this space as the day unfolds. You have Amy Remeikis for most of the day, with Paul Karp, Josh Butler, Karen Middleton, Daniel Hurst and Sarah Basford Canales bringing you the news. Mike Bowers is already out and about.
It’s a four-coffee morning. Ready? Let’s get into it
Sarah Basford Canales
FoI system ‘dysfunctional and broken’
The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner appeared at an additional Senate estimates hearing last night where it discussed the state of the freedom of information system – described as “dysfunctional and broken” in a Senate inquiry report last December.
Its boss, Angelene Falk, said in her opening statement the OAIC had 2,213 review applications on hand. That’s an increase of last year’s figure of 2,008 matters under review.
When someone is not satisfied with the outcome of an FoI, or if there are significant delays to an FoI request, they can go to the OAIC to have it reviewed.
The agency has been plagued by staffing and funding restrictions for years and has struggled to deal with the growing backlog. Falk said about 60% of the applications were more than 12 months old. She added there had been an increase in the number of information commissioner decisions over the last financial year.
The Greens senator David Shoebridge took issue with the way Falk was describing the statistics, suggesting the backlog would never get resolved at this rate:
It’s going to take you 15 years or more to deal with the backlog. That’s not a strategy to deal with the backlog, that’s a strategy of managed decline.
The new FoI commissioner, Elizabeth Tydd, said there had been a steady increase in the number of review requests being made. The OAIC said it was looking at improving how agencies dealt with FoIs to lower the number of reviews required.
Natasha May
Healthcare change will help rural communities
Australians will more easily receive care from nurse practitioners and midwives under reforms the government says will particularly help rural and remote communities.
Nurse practitioners are experienced registered nurses who have completed a master’s degree. They and endorsed midwives are now prevented from autonomously providing Medicare services and prescribing Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme medicines without the supervision of a doctor.
An independent review found this legislated requirement created several barriers to accessible, high-quality care for patients, particularly in rural and remote communities where it can be harder to see a doctor.
The government will introduce the health legislation amendment (removal of requirement for a collaborative arrangement) bill which will remove those barriers and, subject to its passage through parliament, the change will come into effect from November.
The assistant minister for health and aged care, Ged Kearney, said:
This change is long overdue and one that just makes sense.
As a former nurse, I understand just how underutilised nurse practitioners and midwives are in our health system. Labor’s legislation is about getting the best out of the existing health workforce and attracting more people to the professions.
Annie Butler, the federal secretary of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, said:
Removing these unnecessary restrictions, which are completely out of step with international best practice, will allow highly trained NPs and endorsed midwives to utilise their full-set of skills and experience. With increased demands for healthcare and with chronic workforce shortages across the country, the ANMF and our members believe this is a common-sense solution.
Sarah Basford Canales
AFP pressed on satisfaction survey
Continuing with the AFP appearance at Senate estimates last night: the acting top cop was asked why questions had been removed from an internal survey the agency rated poorly on in prior years.
Each year the AFP holds an internal census allowing its staff to respond on how they’re feeling and areas for improvement.
The Greens senator David Shoebridge asked why questions about senior leadership in the AFP and HR processes had been stripped from the latest census.
In the 2022 survey about a third of the more than 5,000 respondents gave positive answers when asked whether senior management communication was effective, while 31% answered positively when asked whether recruitment and promotion decisions were fair and based on merit.
Shoebridge asked the acting AFP commissioner, Ian McCartney, whether he agreed it was an embarrassing result:
It’s not embarrassing. It’s information we asked for and we received and it’s information we build upon to improve the organisation.
The Greens senator then asked why those questions didn’t appear in the latest survey. The acting chief operating officer, Katherine van Gurp, rejected the suggestion the questions had been “stripped” out, saying the survey instead focused on determining the “psychosocial hazards in the workplace”:
I’ll also note that the staff survey in and of itself is … there to actually support the workforce and help us understand factors impacting our workforce, to make improvements. It’s not used as a performance management tool for our senior leaders.
Press China to release Yang Hengjun, rights group say
Daniel Hurst
Human rights groups have urged the Australian government to demand the immediate release of Australian writer Dr Yang Hengjun and press other human rights issues strongly during meetings with China’s top diplomat today.
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, will hold talks with her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in Canberra today, with trade, regional security and human rights among the topics expected to be raised.
Amnesty International has written to Wong saying it “joins Uyghur, Tibetan, Hong Konger and Chinese human rights communities in urging you to address the Chinese government’s human rights violations and secure tangible improvements”.
Sam Klintworth, the national director of Amnesty International Australia, wrote that Wong should “call on the Chinese leadership to release Dr Yang immediately and unconditionally on humanitarian grounds and ensure that he receives urgent and appropriate medical care”.
Tibetan community associations urged the government not to “repeat past mistakes of sacrificing human rights at the altar of trade”. Zoe Bedford, from the Australia Tibet Council, said:
Normalising trade deals with China at this time is an unacceptable act while China violates the human rights of so many.
Human Rights Watch said the Australian government “should move beyond statements of concern and make clear their intention to seek accountability for China’s ongoing human rights violations”.
Six former detainees accused of breaching visas have had charges dropped, AFP says
Sarah Basford Canales
Six of the 10 former indefinite immigration detainees charged with breaching visas that were later found to be invalid have had their charges dropped so far, Australian federal police have revealed.
In a late-night Senate estimates hearingAFP assistant commissioner Kirsty Schofield said the figure included the three who had been remanded in custody for more serious breaches of conditions attached to the now-invalid visas.
Last Tuesday it was reported the visas given to the NZYQ cohort after their release from indefinite immigration detention had been issued incorrectly. It meant the charges against 10 of the cohort for conditions, such as breaching curfew, were likely to be dropped.
Schofield said the commonwealth director of public prosecutions was working through withdrawing charges for the remaining four.
She also said there were now 152 in the NZYQ cohort, up from 149 previously.
Earlier in the hearing the Liberal senator James Paterson asked whether the AFP was preparing to monitor additional former detainees in response to further high court rulings.
Acting commissioner Ian McCartney said there were “ongoing discussions” and the AFP was ready to “pivot” if further detainees were released. But he also said it was not the police force’s role to monitor any of them.
The AFP’s role is not to monitor, it’s to enforce breaches.
Welcome
Martin Farrer
Good morning and welcome to our rolling coverage of the political day in Canberra. I’m Martin Farrer and these are the top overnight lines to digest before Amy Remeikis cranks up for another day.
The Albanese government is heading for a roadblock in its attempts to ride out the politically damaging fallout from the immigration detention imbroglio. Our exclusive story shows many more people could be released than previously thought if the government loses the latest legal challenge to the scheme. A leaked internal estimate obtained by Guardian Australia shows more than 170 people in immigration detention could be released if a court decides the scheme is illegal – many more than the 40 reported so far.
Last night at Senate estimates Australian federal police revealed that six former immigration detainees charged with breaching visas that were later found to be invalid have had their charges dropped so far – more on this soon.
The visit by China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, will begin in Canberra today with human rights activists calling on Penny Wong to demand the release of the Australian writer Dr Yang Hengjun, who has been jailed in China on espionage charges since 2019. Wang’s arrival in Australia has already caused political and diplomatic waves, with former Labor prime minister Paul Keating riding at the crest. But if the visit is the hard end of Australia’s relations with China, then Adelaide zoo’s two pandas are the softer, more cuddly end, and we’re looking today at how Wang Wang and Fu Ni tell the story of the relationship’s ups and downs.
Tasmania’s Liberal and Labor leaders will go head-to-head in their final election campaign debate this afternoon as they count down to Saturday’s vote. Liberal premier Jeremy Rockliff will butt heads with Labor leader Rebecca White, who is having a third crack at leading the state, at a peoples’ forum in Hobart. Opinion polls point to the Liberals getting the most seats but not enough for majority government. Our reporter has been to the island state and finds that the campaign has been dominated by one issue: the failing health system.
