Sussan Ley ‘really disappointed’ with Elon Musk – as it happened (2024)

With that, we’ll end our live coverage of the day’s news.

Here’s a summary of the main news developments:

• Thousands of Australians have gathered at dawn services around the country to commemorate the sacrifices of service men and women past and present on Anzac Day.

• Five of the seven teenagers arrested on Wednesday as part of counter-terrorism raids in Sydney have been charged with a range of terrorism offences.

• The family of a Cobram woman found dead at her home in northern Victoria have remembered her as “proud aunty” who had the “biggest heart of anyone we know”.

• A cluster of 20 drug overdoses in New South Wales has prompted the state’s health department to issue a public warning about the danger of synthetic opioids, which are often substantially more powerful than heroin.

• Five women who allege they were forced off a Qatar Airways plane by armed guards and intimately examined at Doha airport are attempting to overturn a legal decision that found they could not sue the airline directly.

• Authorities rushed to save more than 150 whales from a mass stranding at a beach in Western Australia’s south-west.

Thanks for following along.

A man has died after he fell from a collapsing wind tower in the Whitsundays region of Queensland.

Queensland ambulance service responded to a call at a property near Lake Prosperine at about 12:40pm, the Courier Mail reported, with an TACQ helicopter later sent.

An ambulance spokesperson told the Courier Mail the man, who working at the time of the incident, had fallen 20 metres, sustained critical injuries and was treated on the scene but succumbed to his injuries.

Australia unveils $30m in regional support on World Malaria Day

The Albanese government has announced an investment in malaria-prevention efforts in the Pacific and south-east Asia.

On Thursday, to mark World Malaria Day, the foreign minister, Penny Wong, said Australia was investing up to $30m to support governments and communities across the region “deliver new tools and build critical skills to eliminate malaria”.

In a statement, the government said: “Malaria remains a major challenge in our region with over 7m reported cases in 2022, and rising infection rates in some countries.

“Malaria is a burden on families and health systems, slowing development and restricting growth. New tools are urgently needed to address the emerging resistance to current treatments, and the impact of climate change, which threaten to roll back progress achieved against malaria.”

The government said its new package “provides comprehensive support ranging from preventing infections through strengthened mosquito control to developing better testing tools and improved treatments”.

It includes $5m to James Cook University to support Pacific countries to strengthen surveillance and control of mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue and zika.

It also includes a new $8m partnership with non-government health organisation PATH, in a consortium with Australia’s Burnet Institute and Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, to develop new diagnostic tests targeted to our region.

Additionally, the government is providing $17m to the Medicines for Malaria Venture, for the development of new malaria treatments including medicines suitable for use in pregnancy and for children.

Gardener taken into custody after man found dead and woman injured

More on the homicide investigation in Queensland, after an incident where a man was found dead and a woman suffered serious head injuries at a home north of Brisbane.

Police were called to do a welfare check at a Burpengary East home on Thursday morning where they found two people in their 70s with serious head injuries. The man was declared dead at the scene while the woman was rushed to hospital in a life-threatening condition.

A 26-year-old Boondall man was taken into custody after he waited at the property for police.

Det Insp David Harbison said it was not a domestic violence-related incident and the 26-year-old man was not previously known to the victims. “We believe he just attended today to do some form of gardening duties,” Harbison said. Police are not looking for any other persons of interest.

Harbison described it as a tragic and devastating incident.

“It is so terribly traumatic for anyone to see this, including first responders,” he said. “We hope to get to the bottom of it and learn more and try to understand how this incident occurred.”

– from AAP

Many thanks for joining me on the blog today. Elias Visontay will be here to guide you through the rest of today’s news. Take care.

A pro-Palestine protest encampment has begun at the University of Melbourne, just days after a similar one was launched at the University of Sydney.

A statement from UniMelb for Palestine Action Group says the Gaza solidarity encampment began at 10am today on the south lawn.

Protesters will remain at the encampment until the university “divests and cuts ties with all weapons manufacturers”; abides by the boycott, divest and sanction (BDS) list; and provides “transparency” around research being conducted under funds and grants from weapons manufacturers, the statement said.

Photos from the university campus show that dozens of tents have been set up, along with protest signs. The separate encampment at the University of Sydney is continuing, entering its third day.

A University of Melbourne spokeswoman said the institution “is a diverse, multi-cultural and multi-faith community made up of more than 80,000 students and staff combined, where a wide range of views exist”.

“All perspectives are welcome but these must be expressed in a respectful way, so that everyone can fully participate in University life,” the spokeswoman said.

Mental health chief resigns over government ‘inaction’

The head of Australia’s peak mental health body, Matt Berriman, has resigned over what he labelled the Albanese government’s inaction following decades of underfunding and inattention.

A former professional cricketer and businessman, Berriman was appointed to Mental Health Australia’s top role in December 2021 but has quit in protest because he said not enough was being done. He told the ABC:

I don’t think over the last 20 years mental health has been addressed in this country and the Labor government promised that was going to happen and it hasn’t.

Berriman took aim at the government’s approach to mental health, saying it was inadequately funded and was not given the attention it deserved.

The health minister, Mark Butler, said the government would continue to work closely with the sector and reform would not happen overnight.

Mental Health Australia said it was with “sadness” it announced Berriman’s resignation, which was effective immediately. Berriman said:

I remain driven by a desire to ensure that one day equitable and easy access to good mental health support and services will be considered an unquestionable basic human right, and an integral part of how our society functions.

– from AAP

Deputy opposition leader Sussan Ley said she backs the eSafety commissioner “one hundred percent” and is “really disappointed” by the approach X boss Elon Musk is taking with the platform.

To get yourself up to speed on the Musk v Australian online safety regulator saga, you can read this explainer from Josh Taylor:

Speaking to Sky News earlier today, Ley said:

I’m for X obeying the law and I’m not for the actions and the statements of our eSafety commissioner being ignored. We back her 100%.

Ley largely spoke from a place of concern over the content young people could potentially access online. She continued:

I’m really disappointed with the approach of Elon Musk and the way he’s taken over this company. It’s just a free for all and it’s not fair and it’s not right.

Asked about criticism that Australia shouldn’t be able to tell X what it can and can’t do in other countries, Ley said this is “patently ridiculous” because "that’s why we have an eSafety commissioner”.

Her LNP colleague, Nationals senator Matt Canavan, has a different opinion. Earlier today he shared a video message from bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel – who said he was okay with videos of his alleged attack remaining online – and said:

I pray that our leaders and regulators will listen to your humble request for the video of the [alleged] attack on you to remain online.

The Parks and Wildlife Service WA said four pods of up to 160 pilot whales in total had spread across roughly 500m, at Toby’s Inlet near Dunsborough.

But sadly 26 whales have died, they confirmed:

There are 20 whales in a pod about 1.5km offshore. Another pod of about 110 animals are together closer offshore.

Parks and Wildlife said an experienced team including wildlife officers, marine scientists and veterinarians are on-site or on their way.

Thank you to everyone in the community who has shown their concern and been working with our staff on the beach and in the water …

Our team is assessing the conditions of the whales that have stranded on the beach. Our teams on the water are trying to keep the animals together and away from the beach.

Parks and Wildlife said based on previous strandings, including the one near Albany last year, whales often have to be “euthanised as the most humane outcome”.

People are encouraged to stay away from the site.

Albanese joins Katter and Lambie for game of two-up

Back from his trip to Papua New Guinea, the prime minister has landed in Townsville and marked Anzac Day with a game of two-up at the local RSL.

Sharing photos of the game on X, Anthony Albanese was joined by MP Bob Katter, independent senator Jacqui Lambie and Labor senator Nita Green.

For those who don’t know, two-up is an Australian gambling game that can only be played on Anzac Day. As history professor Bruce Moore explained last year, two coins are placed on a small piece of wood called the “kip” and tossed into the air, and bets are placed on whether both coins will fall with heads or tails facing up.

Moore said two-up was always illegal because it is an unregulated form of gambling, but from the 1980s it became legal in most states on Anzac Day alone.

From the very early period of the first world war, two-up assumed great importance among the Australian troops. Soldiers reported that two-up was played on the battlefield during the Gallipoli campaign, even when under shellfire. As the war dragged on, numerous stories were told about Australian soldiers’ obsession with playing it.

Warning issued for shark activity around Toby’s Inlet

People are being urged to remain on alert around Toby’s Inlet near Dunsborough, as potential dead whales may attract sharks.

In a statement, SharkSmart WA said dead and injured whales could “act as an attractant that could lead to sharks coming close [to the] shore”.

While it’s not uncommon for sharks to be present off the Western Australian coast throughout the year, people should exercise additional caution.

People are asked to report shark sightings to Water Police on 9442 8600.

Wildlife group urges public to stay away from site of mass whale stranding

The Dunsborough & Busselton Wildlife Care Inc is urging people to stay away from the site of a mass whale stranding at Toby’s Inlet.

The group said they are currently attending the beach with DBCA officers, rangers and “everyone who needs to be [here].”

The public are now hindering procedures and lots [of] dogs and kids [are] causing more problems… We will ask for help as and when needed.

Wildlife groups respond to mass whale stranding in Western Australia

We’re keeping an eye on the mass whale stranding near Dunsborough in Western Australia for any developments, as a coordinated rescue effort is being formed between DBCA staff and Perth Zoo vets.

As we reported earlier, up to 100 pilot whales are stranded on the shore of Toby’s Inlet. Six whales are believed to have died.

The Perth Wildlife Rescue Network said on Facebook that people should stay away from the area, or keep their distance, if they are not physically assisting with the rescue.

Please do NOT take your dog down to the beach off lead to run around… Please listen to DBCA officers [and] don’t try to be a hero, you may get hurt or cause injury to the whales.

Wildlife rehabilitation organisation F.A.W.N.A Inc. urged people to register their interest to help with the rescue, rather than just showing up, because “there are too many people crowding already.”

Busselton council said city rangers are in attendance and the beach has been closed.

And Casey Woodward with WA Landcare said although the situation is “incredibly distressing” it’s important for people to follow the instruction of government departments:

The last thing they need is a circus when they are trying to coordinate a very intense situation on a falling tide.