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Albanese to leave PNG without signing major defence treatyTom McIlroyAlbanese will leave Papua New Guinea without signing a major defence treaty on Wednesday, instead securing a joint communique with his counterpart James Marape.Albanese will speak from Port Moresby in the next few minutes.The treaty is considered “a work in progress”, despite months of negotiations and Albanese downplaying an earlier delay during commemorations of PNG’s independence from Australia on Tuesday.There are concerns within the PNG government about the country’s sovereignty under the deal. Australia governed PNG until 50 years ago.Albanese and Marape. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/EPAIt is the second such delay in as many weeks. Ahead of the Pacific Islands Forum last week, Vanuatu’s government paused the signing of a joint agreement with Australia, saying more work was needed on the question of critical minerals funding from China.PNG’s cabinet is going to meet next week to discuss the deal with Australia. It had been due to sign off on the deal on Monday night but fell short of the required quorum of members due to independence celebrations.The treaty will allow PNG citizens to join the Australian Defence Force, and for Australians to serve with PNG troops, promote interoperability between the two countries and integrate responses to a military attack.Joint military training and defence exercises are planned, as well as new cooperation on cybersecurity preparedness.ShareKey eventsShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this featureAlan Jones faces nine new counts of indecent assaultBroadcaster Alan Jones has been hit with another batch of historical sexual abuse charges, AAP reports.The shock jock and one-time Wallabies coach had previously been accused of sexually touching 11 victims, the youngest of whom was 17 at the time.Jones, 84, had previously indicated he will plead not guilty to 35 historical offences. He was charged with another nine counts of indecent assault on Monday, bringing the total to 44.Alan Jones. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAPThe allegations span nearly two decades, when Jones dominated the airwaves on Sydney radio. Jones has vowed to fight the charges, with his lawyer questioning the strength of the evidence against him.Jones’ arrest in November came after an eight-month police investigation into a number of alleged indecent assaults and sexual touching incidents between 2001 and 2019.The new charges will be mentioned in court for the first time on Thursday.ShareUpdated at 01.01 BSTThe commission’s report found that:
The ratio of economic benefits to costs from the new stadium being built is less than 0.5 (that is, costs will be worth twice the benefits).
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The cost to construct the stadium equates to about $5,900 for every Tasmanian household.
In addition to economic impacts, there are social, cultural and community benefits and costs. However it is highly unlikely that any unquantifiable social and cultural impacts – both positive and negative – will significantly change the excess of costs over benefits.
The stated costs of the stadium are “optimistic” and there is a “significant risk they will be much higher”. They will have to be funded either by $1bn in debt or higher taxes.
The size, shape and location of the site is ill-suited to a building like the stadium – a “singular, large, bulky monolith which will overwhelm those surrounding buildings and the setting”.
ShareTasmanian planning commission recommends against Hobart stadiumTasmania’s planning commission has thrown a spanner in the works of the AFL’s expansion plans, by recommending against a new stadium proposed for Hobart.The commission has this morning released an expert panel’s assessment of the Macquarie Point stadium project. It said:
The panel recommends that the project should not proceed.
The IAR [Integrated Assessment Report] identifies a number of benefits and disbenefits that would accrue if the project proceeds. The panel has concluded that the benefits are outweighed by the disbenefits.
The final decision on the stadium is due to be made by the state’s parliament later this year.An artist’s impression of a proposed stadium in Hobart, Tasmania. Photograph: Philp Lighton Architects/AAPShareUpdated at 00.56 BSTAustralia and PNG the ‘truest of friends’, Albanese saysAlbanese stressed the tight-knit relationship between Australia and PNG during his remarks, saying:
Australia and PNG are the closest of the neighbours … and we are the truest of friends. We’re there for each other when times are tough, but we take pleasure and joy in each other’s achievements. …
Australia and PNG will keep walking together. Side by side, step by step, towards the future. And I very much value my friendship with the prime minister. But importantly as well, I value the friendship between our two peoples. This at the end of the day is a people to people relationship. And it will be strengthened in the years ahead
ShareAlbanese says communique with PNG start of partnership to ‘shape the future’Albanese said the communique as the start of a “partnership that will shape the future”, expressing optimism the document will lead to a defence treaty following cabinet discussions in both PNG and Australia.Albanese told reporters:
The text of this treaty has been agreed and it will be signed following cabinet processes in both countries. This treaty will elevate our relationship to the status of an alliance. It will be Australia’s first new alliance in more than 70 years. …
It contains a mutual defence commitment under which both countries recognise that both Australia and PNG have a mutual interest in our security. It also will be a reflection of our shared commitment to regional security, our shared values and the depth of our partnership.
Anthony Albanese. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/ReutersShareMarape says Australia has ‘never abandoned’ PNG, adding defence strategy in mutual interestPNG prime minister James Marape is speaking in Port Moresby alongside Anthony Albanese after the pair signed a joint communique.Marape said:
Australia has never abandoned us, true to the words of Gough Whitlam, Australia will find its purpose and meaning in the construction of a modern Papua New Guinea that is vibrant, prosperous and democratic. …
It is in our mutual interest to have a defence focus and strategy that’s mutual for two nations working side by side.
ShareAlbanese to leave PNG without signing major defence treatyTom McIlroyAlbanese will leave Papua New Guinea without signing a major defence treaty on Wednesday, instead securing a joint communique with his counterpart James Marape.Albanese will speak from Port Moresby in the next few minutes.The treaty is considered “a work in progress”, despite months of negotiations and Albanese downplaying an earlier delay during commemorations of PNG’s independence from Australia on Tuesday.There are concerns within the PNG government about the country’s sovereignty under the deal. Australia governed PNG until 50 years ago.Albanese and Marape. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/EPAIt is the second such delay in as many weeks. Ahead of the Pacific Islands Forum last week, Vanuatu’s government paused the signing of a joint agreement with Australia, saying more work was needed on the question of critical minerals funding from China.PNG’s cabinet is going to meet next week to discuss the deal with Australia. It had been due to sign off on the deal on Monday night but fell short of the required quorum of members due to independence celebrations.The treaty will allow PNG citizens to join the Australian Defence Force, and for Australians to serve with PNG troops, promote interoperability between the two countries and integrate responses to a military attack.Joint military training and defence exercises are planned, as well as new cooperation on cybersecurity preparedness.SharePrime minister Anthony Albanese is set to speak from Papua New Guinea in a few minutes. The two countries have been negotiating the details behind a landmark military defence agreement.ShareUpdated at 23.53 BSTQueensland coalminer blames state royalties regime on decision to slash 750 jobsAndrew MessengerThe BHP Mitsubishi Alliance has blamed Queensland’s “world’s highest” coal royalties regime for a decision to mothball its Saraji South coalmine and slash 750 roles across the state.The metallurgical open cut coalmine, about 300km north west of Rockhampton, opened in 1979. The company announced it will be put into care and maintenance in November and that it is also conducting a strategic review of the BHP FutureFit Academy in Mackay. Photograph: David Gray/ReutersSaraji South is part of the country’s fourth-largest mining complex, with the remaining mines to continue operating. The company said maintaining operations in lower margin areas of BMA’s mine footprint is not sustainable under current conditions in Queensland. BMA’s asset president, Adam Lancey, said:
As joint owners of BMA, BHP and Mitsubishi Development do not want to see operations paused or jobs lost, but these are necessary decisions in the face of the combined impact of the Queensland government’s unsustainable coal royalties and market conditions.
The simple fact is the Queensland coal industry is approaching a crisis point.
This is now having real impacts on regional jobs, communities and small businesses.
The uncertainty this creates for our people and our communities is not taken lightly, and we will do everything we can to support them.
Some of the staff are based in Brisbane, but it is understood most of the economic impact will be felt locally.The company is the largest private sector employer in central Queensland.ShareUpdated at 23.38 BSTCoalition question remain despite more detail on plans for social media companies to block under-16sMelissa McIntosh, the shadow minister for communications, said the Coalition has questions after the eSafety commissioner detailed how social media giants will be expected to handle the ban on users under 16.Yesterday, the eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, said social media platforms from 10 December will be expected to take a “multilayered waterfall approach” for age checking to make sure that government ID is never the sole or final choice for people to verify their ages.Melissa McIntosh. Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/AAPBut McIntosh said the Coalition still has questions about how the age checks will take place. She told RN Breakfast:
I’ve got some question marks around some of the measures that the eSafety commissioner is implementing. When this legislation was passed, there was going to be no digital ID, and this has crept into the guidance material now. It’s not a first step, but it’s a backup step that people may need to use digital ID. So there’s some shifts, there’s some changes.
Families are telling me they don’t feel like parents, schools, and kids are being educated, that this is coming.
… I think Australians have a right to question that being as an option if all other proofs of identity, you know, age verification fail in this process.
ShareUpdated at 23.39 BST
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