New Greens leader David Shoebridge said party members will have a say in future leadership decisions. He promised a conversation across all branches before the next vote. Shoebridge said, “You absolutely should have a say in the leadership for the Greens.” This change will happen during this term of parliament.

From 1h ago

Shoebridge says party members will get input into leadership changes

Josh Butler

New Greens leader David Shoebridge says ordinary party members will have input into the next leadership decision, pledging a “conversation” to occur across branches and membership.

The Greens’ party room chooses its federal leader, which is the same as the Liberal and Nationals, but unlike Labor, which has a party room and membership vote. Shoebridge said this week, in announcing his leadership tilt, that he supported membership having a say; Mehreen Faruqi, who was unsuccessful in her leadership candidacy, said after the party room vote that she wanted members to have input.

In a social media video this afternoon, with the caption “your say on Greens leadership”, Shoebridge said: “You absolutely should have a say in the leadership for the Greens”.

“The good news is Steph [Hodgins-May] and I are gonna make this happen,” he said.

Shoebridge didn’t commit to any specific type of model, but said it would be “a conversation we’re going to have right across the Greens. Every state and territory, hundreds and hundreds of branches, thousands and thousands of members, because members want to be engaged in this.”

Shoebridge committed that the change would happen “before we make the next decision on the federal leadership”, which under Greens rules, happens after every federal election – so, in other words, in this term of parliament.

Updated at 01.08 EDT

Key events

Medibank facing dual court actions over data hack

Federal Court Justice Jonathan Beach heard evidence on Friday to help decide whether two seperate cases against Medibank will be held jointly or as separate trials, AAP reports.

The health insurer is facing both a class action by impacted customers and civil penalties brought by the privacy watchdog over the 2022 hack.

After Medibank declined to pay a ransom, personal data was leaked on the dark web under malicious file names including boozy, STD and psycho.

A lawyer for the class action argued it was in the interests of justice to hear the cases together. Wendy Harris KC said.

double quotation markThe technical issues here overlap and intersect at multiple stages ... in terms of the architecture of Medibank’s cybersecurity systems (and) the control deficiencies in them.

Neil Young KC, who is representing Medibank in both matters, called the class action a “total mess”, saying it went well beyond the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner’s case in its allegations of cybersecurity failures.

double quotation markThere are many new allegations of breach.

In order for us to address those new allegations, that’s going to require time.

Justice Beach adjourned the matter until October 16, in part to allow the class action party to consolidate its statement of claim.

Henry Belot

‘The prime minister deserves pay justice too’: union leader

A union leader campaigning for public servants to be paid more by the federal government says the prime minister is vastly underpaid.

Earlier today, Guardian Australia reported on 11 public servants being paid more than $1m, which is significantly more than the prime minister’s base wage of $622,000. One public servant was paid more than $1.5m.

Jeff Lapidos, who leads a branch of the Australian Services Union that represents Tax Office staff, has spent more than a decade fighting for better pay and conditions. He has also seen significant job cuts.

When asked about the Future Fund salaries, Lapidos said he did not believe in common salary levels across the public service. He said officials should instead be paid for the value of their work.

double quotation markAfter inflation, the value of ATO employees’ salaries has fallen by 9.55% over the last 13 years. This is disgraceful exploitation by successive Coalition and Labor governments.

The ASU is campaigning for pay justice for all ATO staff. The prime minister deserves pay justice too. His office is vastly underpaid.

The prime minister’s salary is set by an independent remuneration tribunal.

Achol Arok

Good afternoon! l’ll be here to take the reins.

Nick Visser

That’s all from me. Achol Arok will take things from here and guide you into the weekend.

ANZ ends relationship with KPMG

A big four bank is ending its relationship with its auditor of nearly six decades in the latest fallout from a whistleblower scandal, AAP reports.

KPMG has been ANZ’s auditor since 1969 and while the partners who worked on the audit have regularly rotated, the bank is looking for a new firm.

“A tenure of this length is no longer considered appropriate and has been under consideration by the board for some time,” ANZ said in a statement on Friday.

ANZ will begin a competitive tender process to select a new auditor beginning with the 2028-29 financial year.

The tender process will wind up in April and KPMG won’t be eligible to participate, the bank said. KPMG earned $21.4m for auditing and reviewing ANZ’s accounts in 2024-25, with its total fees, including non-audit services, coming to $29.6m for that financial year.

Updated at 00.46 EDT

Shoebridge says party members will get input into leadership changes

Josh Butler

New Greens leader David Shoebridge says ordinary party members will have input into the next leadership decision, pledging a “conversation” to occur across branches and membership.

In a social media video this afternoon, with the caption “your say on Greens leadership”, Shoebridge said: “You absolutely should have a say in the leadership for the Greens”.

“The good news is Steph [Hodgins-May] and I are gonna make this happen,” he said.

Updated at 01.08 EDT

City of Yarra mayor cleared of assault allegation at election party

A prominent mayor has been cleared of punching a community activist who had gatecrashed his election after-party, Australian Associated Press reports.

The City of Yarra mayor Stephen Jolly, 64, said he was relieved to be acquitted of unlawful assault after Melbourne magistrate Jill Prior handed down her decision on Friday.

Jolly, whose council includes Carlton North, Collingwood and Richmond, fought the charge at a contested hearing, denying he intentionally struck activist Estella Burrows in the face on 1 November 2024.

Burrows and two other masked protesters had gatecrashed Jolly’s election after-party at a Collingwood venue, holding a banner and using a megaphone to accuse Jolly of abuse.

It was alleged Jolly punched Burrows to the face as he and other attendees forced the group to leave. The mayor denied intentionally hitting Burrows and separately argued he was acting in self-defence.

The magistrate on Friday determined Jolly did strike the left side of Burrows but she could not be satisfied he did so intentionally.

It was possible Jolly had been trying to disarm the group of their megaphone or he was reaching forward to move them away, the magistrate determined.

As a result, she found Jolly not guilty of the unlawful assault charge.

Outside court, Burrows told reporters she was disappointed but not surprised at the decision, claiming the justice system only worked in the favour of powerful white men.

Updated at 00.51 EDT

This crocodile just predicted the winner of the NRL grand final

Elvis the saltwater crocodile has his prediction for the winner of the NRL grand final: the Newcastle Knights.

The Australian Reptile Park gave Elvis the choice between the Knights and the Sydney Roosters (in the form of two pieces of meat dangled from sticks).

We’ll see if his prophecy comes true.

Updated at 23.47 EDT

Death row inmate Christa Pike survives two lethal injections in Tennessee – The Latest

The convicted murderer Christa Pike, sentenced to death, has survived two lethal injections and was taken to hospital.

Pike, 50, has spent three decades on death row after she was convicted of the murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer in 1995. She would have been the first woman to be executed in Tennessee in 200 years.

A last-minute appeal to stop the lethal injection was overturned by the supreme court, but the state governor, Bill Lee, has suspended executions in Tennessee for the rest of the year.

Lucy Hough speaks to the attorney and anti-capital punishment campaigner Clive Stafford Smith about the case in The Latest.

Updated at 00.14 EDT

Coalition rails against ATO's decision to stop taking credit card payments

The Coalition is railing against news the Australian Tax Office will no longer accept credit card payments from 20 November 2026.

The ATO made the announcement yesterday, the first day of the new policy by the Reserve Bank to bar businesses from charging a surcharge on credit or debit card purchases.

Angus Taylor, the opposition leader, said the decision by the ATO was “beyond comprehension” by an “insensitive government”. He said during a press briefing today:

double quotation markThis government that just doesn’t get it, on the day that they impose these surcharges on small businesses, has decided that the ATO won’t take credit card payments because they don’t want the surcharges. I mean, seriously, you couldn’t make it up.

None of them have worked in the real world.

Jane Hume, the deputy opposition leader, said the government needed to reverse the ATO shift. She told Channel 7 this morning:

double quotation markThe Coalition is calling on the government to reverse this change that the ATO is imposing on small businesses because, quite frankly, it’s been very clear that this government doesn’t understand small business, and it’s imposing unnecessary costs on them.

Updated at 23.25 EDT

Israeli embassy condemns ‘flydubai false flag’ conspiracies

Tess Ikonomou

Conspiracy theories circulating online about the alleged flydubai attack have “recast” Jewish people as the culprits, the Israeli embassy in Australia says.

In a statement, the embassy said it “condemns the anti-Semitic ‘false flag’ conspiracy theories” being posted online which accuse Israel of staging the attack.

A false flag is a harmful act carried out with the intention of blaming an enemy for it.

An Omani co-pilot is alleged to have stabbed his colleague during the flight en route to Tel Aviv.

The foreign minister, Penny Wong, confirmed yesterday two Australians who were onboard the plane were safe.

Updated at 23.51 EDT

NSW police allege two women targeted in ‘excessively violent’ home invasions

Achol Arok

NSW police believe two women who were allegedly assaulted and robbed during separate home invasions were targeted in premeditated attacks.

Speaking at a press conference, the sex crimes squad commander, Detective Supt Virginia Gorman, said the three men charged had allegedly planned the offences.

double quotation markI believe that these men had done some research and they believed that these women might be home alone and they might have money on the premises. So they were specifically targeted.

Gorman described the alleged offences as “very violent”. She said:

double quotation markExcessively violent for three men armed with a weapon against vulnerable women home alone – excessively. It’s excessive violence.

They were armed with a knife. They used duct tape to restrain them. They had duct tape over their mouths. They assaulted the women, punching a woman. You don’t need to do that to overcome a solo female. The violence is over the top for what they’ve done.

Police said both women were treated for “minor physical injuries”.

Updated at 22.10 EDT

Jackie O’s $80m legal fight with ARN Media delayed by months

Federal court justice Wendy Abraham on Friday postponed radio host Jackie “O” Henderson’s two-week trial until late April after a crucial pre-trial hearing was aborted on Thursday.

AAP reports a civil trial between the owner of KIIS FM, ARN Media and its former breakfast star was set to begin on 12 October, but a delay in pre-trial proceedings and the filing of documents have caused a mammoth delay.

Dozens of documents in the 3,900-page court book have been caught up in battles between the two sides over legal privilege.

Henderson is suing the radio giant for unlawful termination of her $100 million contract after refusing to work with her co-host.

Updated at 21.33 EDT

Victoria set for ‘much more’ rainfall after period of wild weather

Significant rainfall is expected to continue across much of Victoria, which has already been battered by storms and flash flooding.

AAP reports Melbourne recorded one of its wettest October days in several years after the city received up to 25mm of rain within an hour on Thursday afternoon, with other areas of Victoria also hard hit.

More than 200 calls for help were made to the SES, including six water rescues, after parts of Melbourne were hit by the flash flooding. The city was plunged into darkness about 3pm as the system moved through, with the Melbourne (Olympic Park) measuring station recording 47.8mm of rain since 9am on Thursday.

David Crock, a senior meteorologist with the Bureau of Meteorology, said the total marked the city’s highest daily rainfall total since April 2024.

Rainfall will continue on Friday and Saturday in Victoria, with a flood watch current for catchments across much of central and eastern parts of the state.

“There is much more to come,” Crock said.

Conditions are expected to ease on Sunday as the low pressure system moves offshore, with conditions predicted to ease from the west.

Updated at 22.44 EDT

Josh Butler

Anthropic pushes for opt-out model for Australian content

The AI giant Anthropic has urged the Albanese government to consider giving “conditional approval” for big tech to train its models on Australian copyrighted works under an opt-out model, after conceding it won’t secure a blanket copyright exemption.

But Australia’s public broadcasters, the ABC and SBS, have strongly criticised AI firms, calling on the government to enact strict new rules to compensate media organisations and protect public interest journalism.

In submissions to a federal parliamentary inquiry, the ABC demanded AI companies be subject to the same copyright, defamation and privacy rules as media outlets, warning of a “cannibalisation” of mainstream news.

Josh Taylor

Steam has age checks – but just with credit cards for now

Earlier in the blog we had the eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, calling out Valve and its gaming platform Steam as “outliers” in relying on self-declaration for age instead of having age assurance technology – similar to the social media ban – which they have been required to have since March this year.

In the eSafety report out today, it clarifies that Steam did not have these measures in place during the reporting period when the questions were issued to Valve.

Steam has since brought in a form of age checking as of last month. There’s been a bit of controversy about it because to access content meant for people aged 18 and over in Australia, the only form of age checking Steam is accepting is credit cards.

This presents an issue for anyone who doesn’t have a credit card, or doesn’t want to use it for Steam.

The eSafety commissioner’s statement out today makes clear the office is “engaging with the company to seek commitments that it will put in place additional forms of age assurance to give its customers choice”.

Card surcharge ban will take time to work through

Australian businesses will need time to adjust to the new ban on card surcharges as the major banks prepare for a potential merchant fees war, AAP reports.

The change, driven by the central bank to give consumers transparency at the till, only came into effect on Thursday.

Commonwealth Bank says that from its end, the transition has been relatively smooth, although it has sensed pockets of anxiety.

Even though consumers will no longer see the surcharge on eftpos, Visa, Mastercard and Amex transactions, businesses are still on the hook to cover the cost by either absorbing it or increasing product prices.

The banks have already remotely removed the surcharge option from the in-shop terminals used by merchants, including key hospitality operations that were the biggest fee users.

At the same time, banks still have to cover the interchange fee – paid by the merchant’s bank to the customer’s bank when a payment is processed – even though it has now dropped to 0.3%, from 0.8% (roughly three cents on every $10) – and shopkeepers still pay merchant fees to their banks.

Labor to make it harder for international students to 'course hop'

Krishani Dhanji

International students will soon find it harder to transfer courses, and remain in Australia for longer, under a series of rule changes to stop the increase of “permanently temporary” migrants.

The assistant minister for international education, Julian Hill, is giving a speech this morning to the Migration Institute of Australia and says under the rules a student will now need a separate visa to transfer courses, making it much harder to “course hop”.

The home affairs minister, Tony Burke, announced at the press club last month that transfers could only be to courses of equal or higher value, meaning a student could not start a bachelor or masters’ degree and then drop to a vocational course.

Hill will say:

double quotation markOne of the biggest problems has been the growth in permanently temporary migrants. People who hop from visa to visa, who may have spent most of their adult lives here, with kids who are now Australian, but who will never make the cut for skilled migration or who wait for years on bridging visas for a permanent visa.

Hill will also crack down on migration lawyers and agents who try to “game” the system by profiting off people who have baseless visa claims.

Updated at 19.50 EDT

Online game ‘threat environment is getting more serious’, eSafety chief says

Julie Inman-Grant, the eSafety commissioner, said she expected by now there would be “better protections” for children in the online gaming space as “the threat environment is getting more serious”.

She told RN this morning some changes had been made, but other companies were lagging behind:

double quotation markSome are doing better than others. We’re starting to see Roblox uplift. And Minecraft has education-based games that are safer than, say, the online version. But we would expect to see more from Fortnite.

And Steam and Valve are really the outliers. They’re still relying on self-declaration for age assurance, even though in March we have required all gaming platforms to be able to age assure those under 18 and prevent harmful content being served to them.

Inman-Grant said it was a “shame” that some companies needed regulatory pressure to better their safety standards.

double quotation markWe’re starting to see gaming platforms act more like social media platforms. They’re trying to keep the kids on the platforms longer. … They’re introducing new services like dating services and shopping malls where the primary demographic is 8 to 13 and they’re allowing adults to intermingle. I mean, what could possibly go wrong there?

Updated at 19.53 EDT