Vigil for Pheobe Bishop following grim bush discovery
A vigil will be held in memory of 17-year-old Pheobe Bishop after the discovery of human remains in rugged national parkland.
The vigil follows police confirmation that they found human remains in “unforgiving” terrain in a national park southwest of Bundaberg.
Floral tributes were laid outside the share house where Bishop lived, with a candlelight vigil at Kolan Community Park between 4pm and 6pm on Sunday. Locals have been asked to wear bright colours and butterflies.
A second candlelight vigil will be held at Buss Park in nearby Bundaberg on Monday from 5pm.
Well-wishers have left tributes on social media sites advertising the events.
Bishop was last seen near Bundaberg airport about 8.30am on 15 May after booking a trip to Western Australia to see her boyfriend.
Police have charged her housemates with her murder.
– with AAP
Key events
Paterson has acknowledged that the government could work around the Coalition on policy issues, such as the proposed changes to the way superannuation is taxed, by doing a deal with the Greens.
He was asked whether the refusal of the Coalition to negotiate with the government on the changes means the government will seek to pass the bill by looking elsewhere.
Well, the truth is, David, because of the extent of the government’s win at the election, if they don’t want to sit down and negotiate with us, they have other pathways available that they didn’t have.
Asked whether the Coalition’s position was reasonable, Paterson add:
Even if the entire cross bench and the Coalition opposes it, they can still pass things with the Greens. Now, the Greens are a more natural ally for the government on something like a tax increase because we’re never going to be party to a tax increase. We’re never going to make that easier for the government. We’re fighting this because we’re opposed to it in principle and proud to do it.
Paterson says that “it’s unusual to have a Shadow Minister for Finance advocating for an increase in in spending in any portfolio” but that experts have been calling for Austral to up is defence spending.
I’m happy to do the hard work in the next two years to put in place good strong fiscal rules to allow us to take to the next election, a strong budget that invests in the things that Australians need, including the critical services that they rely on, but also our national security and defence.
The Shadow Finance Minister also says that he believes it was a strategic mistake for the Coalition to pledge to repeal a tax cut at the last election, saying it’s “in the Liberal Party’s DNA to argue for, and advocate for, lower taxes wherever they can be afforded and whenever they are achievable.”
As I’ve said recently, I think that we made a strategic mistake at the last election by opposing a tax cut and taking to the election the repealing of the tax cut. And that’s not a mistake that we’ll repeat.
Paterson also attacked the government over its planned changes for the way superannuation for high income earners is taxed.
Paterson says the Coalition is unclear on government plans for a critical minerals stockpile, but supports “any sensible steps that represent an economic for Australia and an opportunity for us to demonstrate that we are a good alliance partner of the United States”.
Paterson was asked about whether the Coalition would support the government’s plan for a critical minerals stockpile, in the context of an Australia offer to leverage access to these resources in return for the US dropping tariffs against Australia.
Separately, he said the Coalition supported lifting Australian defence spending to 3% of GDP – the “exact profiling of that increase is something that we’ll determine through the policy process and closer to the next election”.
We’ve got three years to outline exactly what we could spend that money on. But there’s plenty of good advice out there in open source that suggests areas of investment.
One is spending to resolve the recruitment and retention crisis facing the ADF. Another is to make sure that we have the munitions stockpile that we would need to survive a conflict, God forbid, if that should break out.
Other things like hardening the northern bases, the air and miss aisle defence, drone defence. Purchasing our own lethal drones. There is no shortage of good thing that we could spend on that increase our ability to defend ourselves and safeguard our sovereignty.
Paterson says PM should have met Trump sooner on possible trade exemptions
Shadow finance minister, James Paterson, says the Coalition expects Anthony Albanese to follow the example of UK prime minister Keir Starmer in negotiating a partial exemption from steel and aluminium tariffs if he meets with US president Donald Trump on the sidelines of an upcoming G7 meeting.
Paterson says the Coalition, however, supports the government’s position that biosecurity standards will not be dropped to accomodate US demands, though the party is not opposed “in principle” to the importation of US beef to Australia.
Paterson added that he thought it would “have been much easier” to negotiate an exemption if the prime minister “had made the effort to go and meet the president earlier than he has now”.
It’s seven months on since the president was elected. And other world leaders like Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron have made the trip to the United States and met with the president multiple times in multiple forums. The Australian prime minister has not yet done so.
Shadow finance minister James Paterson will speak to ABC Insiders host David Speers this morning.
Earlier this morning federal trade minister, Senator Don Farrell spoke to Sky News. He was followed by Coalition MP Tim Wilson.
Resources minister Madeleine King will hold a presser in Western Australia this morning.
We will bring you the latest as it develops.
Privatisation shelved as premier fights to stay afloat
Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff has intervened to end his government’s push to sell off state assets after a turbulent week in which he lost a no-confidence motion in parliament.
Rockliff has stopped prominent economist Saul Eslake from preparing a report on viable opportunities to sell government-owned businesses to support Tasmania’s troubled finances.
In a post to social media, he promised legislation ensuring that any sales would require a two-thirds majority support in parliament.
Today, I can confirm that there will be no privatisation under a government I lead.
We will also be changing the law so that a government business can only be sold in future if it receives a two-thirds majority in the parliament.
An election could be called on Tuesday.
Despite feuding over the state’s finances, Tasmania’s proposed $715m stadium looms as the biggest issue.
The roofed Macquarie Point proposal is a condition of an AFL licence, with the state government responsible for delivery and cost overruns.
Labor and the Liberals support the stadium but recent polls suggest Tasmanians are not sold.
Firebrand senator Jacqui Lambie, independent federal MP Andrew Wilkie and acclaimed author Richard Flanagan are among well-known Tasmanians who oppose the project.
– AAP
Vigil for Pheobe Bishop following grim bush discovery
A vigil will be held in memory of 17-year-old Pheobe Bishop after the discovery of human remains in rugged national parkland.
The vigil follows police confirmation that they found human remains in “unforgiving” terrain in a national park southwest of Bundaberg.
Floral tributes were laid outside the share house where Bishop lived, with a candlelight vigil at Kolan Community Park between 4pm and 6pm on Sunday. Locals have been asked to wear bright colours and butterflies.
A second candlelight vigil will be held at Buss Park in nearby Bundaberg on Monday from 5pm.
Well-wishers have left tributes on social media sites advertising the events.
Bishop was last seen near Bundaberg airport about 8.30am on 15 May after booking a trip to Western Australia to see her boyfriend.
Police have charged her housemates with her murder.
– with AAP
Good morning
And welcome to another Sunday morning Guardian live blog.
A vigil will be held for a Queensland teenager Pheobe Bishop on Sunday afternoon after police confirmed they had found human remains in a national park. Bishop’s housemates have been charged with her murder after she missed a flight she was expected to board at Bundaberg Airport.
Embattled Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff has intervened to stop a privatisation to sell off state assets after losing a no-confidence vote in parliament earlier this week. The Premier is expected to call an election on Tuesday after facing pressure over his government’s management of state finances.
I’m Royce Kurmelovs and I’ll be taking the blog through the day.
With that, let’s get started …
