Australia news live: Uluru Dialogue accuses Dutton of ‘deception’ over voice; Kamahl and MC Hammer back yes vote

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Advice on potential charges over William Tyrrell disappearance to be given to NSW police soon, coroner told

Advice from prosecutors regarding possible charges over the 2014 disappearance of three-year-old William Tyrrell will be given to New South Wales police in the coming months, a coroner has heard.

A coroner heard on Friday that police are seeking the advice from the office of the director of public prosecutions about the case, with that opinion due to be delivered by the end of January.

Earlier this year multiple media outlets reported that police had recommended the foster mother be prosecuted over William’s 2014 disappearance as investigators believed she might have disposed of his body.

But lawyers for the woman again called on police to release any evidence they suggested would form the basis of criminal proceedings against her.

“We are midway through the inquest and William remains missing and his case unsolved,” lawyer Rylie Hahn-Hamilton said outside the inquest.

“William’s foster mother maintains she had nothing to do with his disappearance and asks the police to continue … looking for William and what happened to him.”

Updated at 23.17 EDT

Chicken workers strike at Inghams

Workers have gone on strike over claims of paltry pay at poultry producer Inghams, raising fears of a shortage of cheap chooks at the checkout, AAP reports.

More than 1,000 Australian Workers’ Union and Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union members stopped work for 24 hours at the company’s Bolivar site in South Australia and at Osborne Park in Western Australia on Friday in pursuit of a 6% per annum pay rise over three years.

Inghams produces about 40% of Australia’s chickens and supplies brands such as McDonald’s, KFC and Woolworths.

E&P Capital retail analyst Phillip Kimber said in a note to investors:

Given a live supply chain, prolonged industrial action would be quite disruptive and begin to impact Inghams’ ability to supply chickens to its customers.

Kimber expects the parties to reach a compromise, with annual pay rises falling somewhere between the union’s claims and management’s offer of between 3.45% and 3.9% a year.

Updated at 23.02 EDT

Dancing on the edge: ‘waltz’ delivers rare chicks

Some bird-related news for you below from AAP, and also a reminder from us that our polls for Bird of the Year open on Monday.

The birth of four fluffy plains-wanderer chicks has provided a much-needed boost for the critically endangered species, whose numbers have dropped by 85% over the past two decades.

The golden-coated babies hatched at Werribee Open Range Zoo earlier this month and have joined its specialised threatened species program in a bid to save the birds from extinction.

The zoo says they are known for their quirky behaviour and are genetically distinct from any other species on the planet. The babies weigh 5-6g each and were born following a romantic encounter between their parents, described by zookeepers as a waltz.

There are now 20 plains-wanderers living at the zoo and they will eventually be released into areas with habitat management strategies.

Updated at 23.10 EDT

Kamahl switches to yes vote in voice referendum

Australian singer Kamahl, who had been vocal about voting no in the upcoming referendum on an Indigenous voice to parliament, has said that after “sleepless nights weighing the pros and cons” that he will now be voting yes.

In a video statement supplied to news.com.au, Kamahl said he had changed his mind after speaking one on one with comedian Dane Simpson and constitutional lawyer Eddie Synot.

Kamahl said:

They have convinced me otherwise. And I’m delighted that I’ve changed my no.

Kamahl says he will now be voting yes for the Indigenous voice. Photograph: Carly Earl/The Guardian

Updated at 22.58 EDT

New Qantas chief apologises for ‘letting down’ customers

Qantas’s new CEO, Vanessa Hudson, has issued an apology to customers, saying: “I know that we have let you down in many ways.”

In a video statement released today, Hudson said:

We haven’t delivered the way we should have. And we’ve often been hard to deal with. We understand why you’re frustrated, and why some of you have lost trust in us.

I know that our people have tried their absolute best under very difficult circumstances. I want you to know that we’re determined to fix it to improve the experience for you and to support our people better. We want to get back to the national carrier that Australians can be proud of. That’s known for going above and beyond. We understand we need to earn your trust back, not with what we say but what we do and how we behave.

This is going to take time and I asked for your patience. The work is already under way. We’re putting more people in our call centres to help solve problems faster. We’re adding more frequent flyer seats. We’re reviewing all of our customer policies to make sure they’re fair.

And we’re giving our frontline teams more flexibility to better help you when things don’t go to plan. That’s only the start.

This has been a humbling period, but through it, I share the pride and passion that I know our people have for Qantas and this gives me the confidence that we will rebuild your trust. Thank you for your support.

New Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson has told customers the airline needs ‘to earn your trust back’. Photograph: Russell Freeman/AAP

Updated at 22.26 EDT

Australia wants ‘just and enduring two-state solution’, Wong tells Israeli minister

Foreign minister Penny Wong has held a “very positive, constructive meeting” with her Israeli counterpart after Australia’s position returned to referencing “occupied Palestinian territories”.

The government is strengthening its opposition to settlements, affirming them as illegal under international law.

Speaking from New York on Friday, Senator Wong described her meeting with Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen as “very positive” and “constructive”:

Obviously, I reiterated Australia’s friendship with Israel, I reiterated our longstanding position that we wish to see a just and enduring two-state solution.

We believe that’s in the interests of both Israeli and Palestinian peoples.

Updated at 22.05 EDT

Swimming Australia silent on Indigenous voice after other sports declare support

With three weeks to go before the referendum on an Indigenous voice to parliament, Swimming Australia remains the most prominent sporting organisation not to explicitly give its support, claiming it is unable to speak on behalf of its state-based member organisations.

In May, sporting heavyweights such as the AFL, NRL and Football Australia issued a joint statement in support of the Indigenous voice to parliament in a group of more than 20 athletic entities and alongside smaller national sporting organisations (NSOs) for taekwondo, badminton and triathlon.

Since then other sporting bodies such as Athletics Australia and Basketball Australia have also issued statements of support.

More on this story here:

Updated at 21.56 EDT

Covid test-logging axed in NSW as state weighs up virus costs

More pandemic-era measures could be rolled back in NSW after the state government moved to scrap a system that allowed people to register positive tests, AAP reports.

Residents will no longer be able to log rapid antigen test results via the ServiceNSW app in a change the state health minister says will save up to $12m over the next four years.

When the tests were approved for use in 2021, people in NSW were required to register positive results but the system was made voluntary in October 2022.

Health minister Ryan Park said the decision to axe the service was part of “a return to normal” in how authorities dealt with Covid-19.

He said he was working with health officials to go “line by line” through any remaining pandemic-era measures to see if they were still needed, in order to funnel more money back into frontline services.

A rapid antigen test (RAT) showing a negative result. Photograph: Darren England/AAP

Updated at 22.06 EDT

Invermay gas leak now contained

An update on the gas leak in the Launceston suburb of Invermay, which led authorities to advise nearby residents to evacuate.

Authorities say the leak has now been contained and the area made safe.

What does Lachlan Murdoch’s elevation mean for News Corp in Australia?

My colleague, Amanda Meade, has some analysis on what to expect. She writes the future of the Australian, which Rupert Murdoch launched in 1964, is less assured under Lachlan who is arguably less wedded to the paper than his father.

Read it here: