Australia news live: Liberals call for Lidia Thorpe to face privileges committee; eastern states brace for more rain

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Severe thunderstorms predicted across Queensland

Coroner unable to determine cause of Belgian backpacker’s death

A coroner has concluded Belgian backpacker Theo Hayez is dead but she is unable to determine the cause or manner of his death, AAP reports.

New South Wales coroner, Teresa O’Sullivan, said suicide appeared to be highly unlikely and there was no reason for the 18-year-old to intentionally vanish.

But she could not make a finding on the two competing theories put forward at the inquest into his disappearance more than three years ago.

The competing theories were that he had a terrible accident as he tried to climb towards the lighthouse at Byron Bay or that one or more persons caused his death and disposed of his body.

She said:

Sadly, there is just insufficient evidence before me to substantiate or exclude either theory.

He was reportedly last seen about 11pm on 31 May 2019 when he was ejected from the Cheeky Monkeys bar in Byron Bay.

Police were alerted six days later, when he failed to return to his hostel and could not be found or contacted.

A large-scale search was launched, with only a hat believed to belong to Theo located.

Police in February announced a $500,000 reward for anyone with significant information about Theo’s case. The coroner said:

I hope if there is any further information to be known, the reward would provide a motivation to come forward and contact Crime Stoppers.

O’Sullivan acknowledged the sadness and loss experienced by Theo’s family and friends, some who travelled from Belgium to Byron Bay for the inquest.

It is obvious from the evidence he had a bright future ahead of him.

She concluded by making recommendations to cut the red tape involved in searching for missing persons.

Updated at 19.43 EDT

Victoria proposes new standards to protect gig economy workers

The Andrews government has pledged to implement new minimum standards to better protect the state’s gig economy workers.

Under the standards – to initially be voluntary – gig economy companies would be required to consult with their workers about changes to work arrangements and tell workers how much they could expect to earn from each job. Workers would also be able to call on a dedicated support service.

The Victorian government said it would implement the standards if re-elected at next month’s election and aim to enshrine compliance with them in law next year. The reforms follow an independent review into the sector that was released in 2020.

Victoria’s industrial relations minister, Tim Pallas, said the standards would provide gig workers, who lack bargaining power, with clarity:

We know platforms want to do the right thing by the people they engage to do their work – we expect an enthusiastic response to these important reforms.

Earlier this month, New South Wales Labor proposed giving gig economy workers worker’s compensation and portable leave entitlements if the party wins next year’s state election.

Updated at 19.41 EDT

Sussan Ley says treasurer was pushing to scrap tax cuts within Labor

Opposition spokesperson Sussan Ley has begun speaking at a media conference in Sydney. She’s voicing the coalition’s concerns ahead of the Labor government delivering their first budget on Tuesday next week.

Ley is accusing the government of leaving Australians behind and that the budget will do “little to change that.”

We hear complaints that the floods drove up prices and they’re powerless to stop it. That’s not good enough.

Ley went on to criticise the foreign minister, Penny Wong’s reversal of the Morrison government’s recognition of West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Anthony Albanese said he would improve foreign relations with Australia’s allies, but this week, having sided with terrorist groups, over the Biden administration in America, we see that was a lie too.

Ley goes on to claim there is widespread disagreement amongst government ministers, including on stage-three tax cuts, claiming it was the treasurer who pushed to have the controversial policy scrapped when it was in discussion.

The government service minister disagrees with the treasurer on tax policy. Let’s be clear what happened with tax relief. Jim Chalmers pushed hard inside the Labor party to have these tax cuts scrapped in next week’s budget.

Updated at 19.35 EDT

More flood warnings for northern Victoria

It is now too late to leave Barmah, while people from Seymour to Shepparton have been warned by emergency services to watch and act.

Updated at 19.26 EDT

Government working to stop child abuse before it starts: Rishworth

The minister for social services, Amanda Rishworth, will mark the fourth anniversary of the national apology to victims of institutional child sexual abuse in a speech at a Relationships Australia event in Adelaide.

The apology followed the findings of the five-year royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse initiated by former prime minister Julia Gillard.

Here’s some of what Rishworth will say in her speech:

Four years ago, the Australian government and parliament unreservedly apologised to the victims and survivors of institutional child sexual abuse.It followed the longest royal commission in this country’s history and heard stories of the rights of children to be safe, nurtured and supported being ignored.

No apology can ever take away the trauma and pain, but all levels of government are committed to working towards repairing our communities and giving true and practical meaning to this apology.

Today, I recommit to working with urgency and ambition on this journey to stopping child abuse before it starts. We need to work together to keep children safe, to trust them and most of all respect their innocence. I’m pleased we are enshrining victim-survivor voices into the governance arrangements. This will ensure they are at the heart of government decision making.

In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or Bravehearts on 1800 272 831, and adult survivors can contact Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380

Updated at 19.24 EDT

Voice of child sexual abuse survivors to be formalised in redress scheme

Victim/survivors of child sexual abuse will be involved in decision making over the future of the redress scheme, with the government committing to appoint a victim/survivor to the governance board.

The minister for social services, Amanda Rishworth, will mark the fourth anniversary of the national apology to victims of institutional child sexual abuse with a range of announcements at a Relationships Australia event in Adelaide:

To date, the scheme has received more than 20,000 applications with 45 redress support services across the country aiming to improve access to practical and emotional support.

An independent review of the scheme was delivered in June last year. Efforts to improve the scheme are currently underway, but the Albanese government has committed to preparing a full transparent response to the review’s 38 recommendations by early 2023.

In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or Bravehearts on 1800 272 831, and adult survivors can contact Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380. In the UK, the NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adult survivors on 0808 801 0331. In the US, call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline on 800-422-4453. Other sources of help can be found at Child Helplines International

Updated at 19.19 EDT

Flood warnings for inland NSW rivers

Victorian opposition proposes Mildura to Melbourne flights for $100

The Victorian opposition has pledged, if elected in November, to cap return airfares from Mildura to Melbourne at $100.

Under the plan, those living within 150km of Mildura will be eligible for two $100 return flights to Melbourne in the next two years. If it proves successful, the Liberals and Nationals will extend the trial further.

Mildura is Victoria’s largest population centre without a passenger train, with residents facing travel times of up to nine hours one way to get to Melbourne via public transport or a six-hour drive.

There are up to eight plane flights a day between Mildura and Melbourne, which take a little over an hour one way but cost three times more than trains and coaches combined.

The opposition leader, Matthew Guy, said:

Part of Mildura’s beauty is its isolation, but that can come at a hefty price for those looking to get to Melbourne with return flights often costing more than $400. Our plan will make it easier and cheaper for locals to get to and from home, ensuring time spent with friends and family, or important appointments, aren’t missed.

Mildura is viewed as a must-win for the Coalition next month, with local police Sgt Paul Matheson running for the Liberals and former Swan Hill mayor Jade Benham running for the Nationals.

It is held by independent MP Ali Cupper, though an electoral redistribution ahead of the 26 November election would see it fall into National hands if the 2018 vote is repeated, albeit on a razor-thin 0.4% margin.

Updated at 19.04 EDT

Liberals call to refer Lidia Thorpe to privileges committee

The Liberals’ Senate leader, Simon Birmingham, has said that Greens senator Lidia Thorpe has “serious questions” to answer about her undisclosed relationship with a former bikie boss while she sat on parliament’s law enforcement committee.

Birmingham told Sky News the conduct “may well give rise to a privileges investigation and inquiry, and we will be pursuing those in the Senate in next week”.

The Liberal leader, Peter Dutton, and deputy, Sussan Ley, have gone further in saying she is unfit to sit in parliament – but the significance of a privileges committee referral is that it could result in an investigation about who knew what when and why Thorpe didn’t disclose the relationship to the committee or her party leader.

Labor’s manager of government business in the Senate, Katy Gallagher, has also signalled that Adam Bandt’s explanation and Thorpe’s resignation as deputy Greens Senate leader is not the end of the matter.

Gallagher told Channel Nine:

Well, you know, we need to understand a bit more of what’s gone on here and who knew what when, but I think there’s a serious issue here. I think the Senate deserves an explanation. Certainly the committee that she sat on deserves an explanation. And I think there’s probably more to go but I don’t think it’s going to be that easy to just flick it off as a “serious error of judgment”.

In a statement, Thorpe said she accepts she “made mistakes” and had “not exercised good judgment”. Thorpe acknowledged she did not advise Bandt of her relationship with Dean Martin, but insisted that confidential committee documents on how the AFP monitors outlaw motorcycle gangs were “treated in confidence”.

Thorpe said Martin’s history with the Rebels was a “past connection”.

Obviously, I’m concerned about the criminal activities of outlaw motorcycle clubs in general. But when we met, Mr Martin was no longer involved with that world.

Updated at 18.40 EDT