News live: Victoria bus crash; Australia at UN general assembly; Hawthorn AFL racism review allegations

Bowen to UN: ‘Australia is back as a responsible global citizen’

The foreign minister Penny Wong, the energy minister Chris Bowen and senator Pat Dodson, Australia’s special envoy for reconciliation, are currently in New York for the 77th meeting of the UN General Assembly.

António Guterres, the United Nations secretary general, told the assembly “the climate crisis is the defining issue of our time”:

It must be the first priority of every government and multilateral organisation. And yet climate action is being put on the back burner – despite overwhelming public support around the world.

You can read more about Guterres’ address here:

Bowen has declared “Australia is back” when it comes to climate change, telling world allies at the assembly that it’s no longer consumed by domestic debates over global warming and wants to become a renewables powerhouse.

Wong will participate in 30 engagements throughout the week, and is expected to deliver Australia’s address to the assembly on Friday, after meeting with the foreign ministers of Quad nations, which include the United States, India and Japan.

Updated at 19.18 EDT

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Australia sanctions Russia steel magnate

Australia has sanctioned the Russian cofounder of a steel and mining company, Alexander Abramov, AAP reports. The billionaire was initially listed as one of 67 Russian oligarchs sanctioned by Australia in April before he launched legal action against the foreign minister, Penny Wong, arguing the sanctions damaged his reputation.

A sanctions instrument was signed by Wong last week but listed on the legislation register on Wednesday morning. The sanctioning comes as Wong met with her Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Kuleba said he requested additional military assistance from Australia, including for Canberra to send more Bushmaster vehicles. Ukraine’s ambassador to Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, has also requested further artillery support in the form of up to 12 howitzers and ammunition.

Senator Wong said she expressed Australia’s solidarity with Ukraine and admiration for the courage and sacrifice Ukrainians had shown. She told reporters in New York:

There is always more we can do and the government will continue to look at ways we can support them.

Her comments come as Russia paves the way for the formal annexation of seized Ukrainian territory after nearly seven months of war.

Russian-backed officials in several areas it partially controls have called for referendums on joining Russia, a move supported by Moscow. You can read Guardian’s full story about that latest development in the Ukraine invasion here:

– with Reuters

Updated at 19.59 EDT

Most of NSW blanketed by cloud

If you stayed with us through my colleague Peter Hannam’s very excellent – but complex – economic analysis, here is an interesting visual from the Bureau of Meteorology to give your eyes a break.

Updated at 19.58 EDT

Review into RBA bond-buying binge released

The Reserve Bank this morning has released the results of its review into its bond-buying activities during the Covid pandemic.

This was essentially the “quantitative easing“ component that supplemented a huge increase in fiscal support by federal and state governments. It’s a bit complex, but stay with us.

As the bank states, its bond purchase program snapped up $281bn between November 2020 and February 2022. Not small bikkies in an economy worth about $2tn a year.

Here’s how the binge compared with other nations:

As the RBA said this morning, the purpose was to “lower the structure of interest rates in Australia”. By increasing demand for bonds, the RBA reduced the yields for bonds, in effect making it cheaper to borrow than it would otherwise have been.

It provided “extra insurance against the ongoing risk of very bad economic outcomes”, the bank said.

For instance, here’s what the RBA was looking at in terms of the unemployment rate, and how it turned out:

The difficulty, of course, is understanding how much of those “very bad” outcomes were avoided because of the bond buying (versus other measures). The review estimated, though, that buying up all those bonds reduced the yields (the interest rate) on government bonds “by around 30 basis points“.

That’s almost a third of a percentage point, which doesn’t sound like much, but it did keep borrowing costs lower than would have been the case otherwise. In fact, those fell to record lows and contributed to a lower exchange rate for the Australian dollar (as other nations were doing the same thing).

One difference from other nations, though, has been the spread of bond purchases. The RBA’s have been bunched more at the near-end of maturities.

That bunching may, though, have an advantage for the central bank’s balance sheet. As the chart below shows, the RBA’s liabilities have been transformed, with all those bonds blowing out the liabilities:

However, while the RBA’s balance sheet changed, its sacrifice was for the good of the general government balance sheet. The program “resulted in government debt being issued at a lower fixed cost than otherwise”.

“There will be an ongoing, albeit diminishing, saving on debt issued over the next 10 years, as the Bank’s holdings gradually mature,” the RBA said.

The review assesses the program to have been a success, but the RBA board stress that “it is appropriate to consider use of unconventional monetary policy tools only in extreme circumstances, when the usual monetary policy tool – the cash rate target – has been employed to the full extent possible“.

In other words: don’t expect another bond-buying binge until the key interest rate returns to near zero again. Hopefully, that won’t be soon – or ever.

Updated at 19.46 EDT

Haim to headline Laneway festival 2023

And for something a little lighter: US trio Haim have announced they are headlining the Laneway festival 2023 in Australia and New Zealand via a Kylie Minogue tribute on Instagram – which features custom lyrics and some adorable backyard sibling choreography.

US artist Phoebe Bridgers and Japanese artist JoJi are also headlining a lineup that features Finneas (aka Billie Eilish’s brother), NZ band the Beths, Norway’s Girl In Red, UK rapper Slowthai, Ireland’s post-punk group Fontaines DC, and Australian acts Tasman Keith, Mallrat and Harvey Sutherland.

Laneway’s tour starts in Auckland on 30 January, before heading to Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth, with general public tickets on sale at 9am Thursday 29 September, and pre-sale on the Tuesday from 11am.

Updated at 19.35 EDT

NSW Labor promises extra 1,200 nurses as part of safe staffing commitment

An additional 1,200 nurses and midwives will be recruited into the NSW health system if Labor wins the next state election, to be held in March 2023.

The extra nurses will come above the government’s additional recruits outlined in the 2022-23 NSW state budget within the first four years of government, at a cost of $175m.

The commitment comes as part of NSW Labor’s plan to introduce minimum and enforceable safe staffing levels to public hospitals, starting with emergency departments.

The staged approach would subsequently be rolled out into other areas including ICUs, maternity wards, and Multi-Purpose Services, which are often in regional areas.

The NSW Labor leader, Chris Minns, said:

After more than a decade of the NSW Liberals and Nationals in government, our health system needs structural repair.

Experienced nurses and midwives are either dropping their working hours or worse, leaving the system altogether because they’re not supported enough in the workplace and see the workloads as untenable.

These changes will see more health staff retained, working in areas that need them the most, and it means better outcomes for patients and the level of care they will receive in New South Wales.

Ryan Park, the NSW shadow minister for health, said:

The first phase is a $150m-commitment to fund an additional 500 paramedics in Labor’s first term to ease the burden of chronic paramedic shortages and the unprecedented strain on our rural and regional health system.

Updated at 19.31 EDT

Barnardos study finds children victims of domestic violence have nowhere to turn

Children and young people continue to be regarded as onlookers rather than as co-victims of domestic and family violence (DFV), a research study has found.

The study by Barnardos Australia released today reveals the ongoing shadow that DFV casts on children in their later lives, with persisting health and psychological impacts.

Seven in ten survivors say they had no idea where to seek help and for those who did seek help, they mostly experienced a negative outcome and the situation worsened, the report found.

Barnardos Australia says a whole of system change is needed to recognise children and young people experiencing DFV are victim survivors in their own right, and the development of measures that address their unique needs.

The Barnardos Australia CEO, Deirdre Cheers, said:

Children are the silent victims of DFV and yet we know they are forced to manage the impact, often alone, for the rest of their lives.

Indeed, recognition of children and young people experiencing DFV as victim survivors in their own right and with their own unique safety and support needs is long overdue.

The study’s lead researcher, Dr Rob Urquhart, said study participants of 149 victim survivors provided an unexpectedly rich collection of first-hand accounts about living with DFV.

The report found cumulative impacts with 88% reported experiencing psychological distress, 79% suffered self-esteem problems and 65% found it difficult to trust other people.

Barnardos is calling for federal and NSW governments to increase funding for trauma-informed child counselling and therapy, additional domestic and family violence specialist workers and an increase in integrated public housing for children and families fleeing domestic violence.

Mandatory national domestic and family violence police training and education programs in early childhood education, primary and secondary schools have also been ear-marked as a priority.

If you or someone you know is impacted by family violence, call 1800-RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit www.1800RESPECT.org.au.

Updated at 19.22 EDT

Local member says thoughts are with girls, teachers, driver and their families involved in crash

Catherine King, the minister for infrastructure, transport, and regional development, has released a statement in response to the collision of a school bus which came from the Ballarat region, within her electorate.

A teenage girl and a driver were seriously injured when the school bus collided with a truck and rolled down an embankment west of Melbourne.

A police spokeswoman told 3AW radio station the bus was coming from a school in the Ballarat area and the students were on their way to the airport for a trip.

– with AAP

Bowen to UN: ‘Australia is back as a responsible global citizen’

The foreign minister Penny Wong, the energy minister Chris Bowen and senator Pat Dodson, Australia’s special envoy for reconciliation, are currently in New York for the 77th meeting of the UN General Assembly.

António Guterres, the United Nations secretary general, told the assembly “the climate crisis is the defining issue of our time”:

It must be the first priority of every government and multilateral organisation. And yet climate action is being put on the back burner – despite overwhelming public support around the world.

You can read more about Guterres’ address here:

Bowen has declared “Australia is back” when it comes to climate change, telling world allies at the assembly that it’s no longer consumed by domestic debates over global warming and wants to become a renewables powerhouse.

Wong will participate in 30 engagements throughout the week, and is expected to deliver Australia’s address to the assembly on Friday, after meeting with the foreign ministers of Quad nations, which include the United States, India and Japan.

Updated at 19.18 EDT

France lobbies Australia over helicopters

Circling back to the ABC Radio interview with Richard Marles, who said any decision to scrap the fleet of Taipan helicopters early would be made in Australia’s best interest. Australia is reviewing whether to scrap multi-role helicopters a decade before originally planned, according to the AAP.

The French government have a stake in the Taipan’s manufacturer Airbus, and is lobbying the government not to scrap the program. Marles says his French counterpart, Sébastien Lecornu, raised the issue with him when they met in September.

Marles told reporters on Wednesday:

France, in a completely respectful way, are advocating on behalf of their defence industry and you would expect that and it’s totally appropriate.

We’ve been completely clear and upfront and honest with the French and they know that too, and I think they appreciate that.

The former Morrison government announced it would scrap the almost 50 Taipan helicopters and replace them with US Black Hawk helicopters. The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, met with the French president, Emmanuel Macron, in July and Australia is hoping to host the president later in the year.

Albanese has said the government is working towards a “reset” of the relationship with France after tensions were strained when the Morrison government scrapped a $90bn submarine contract. Marles said he was confident the relationship with France was moving forward.

But the defence minister added that Australia will continue to assess all of its capabilities to ensure they’re cost effective and fit for purpose. Marles said:

We need to be making sure we have the best capability possible but it needs to provide value for money.

Marles has launched a review of Defence’s posture to determine what needs to be done to bridge capability gaps until Australia is able to acquire nuclear-propelled submarines.

The review is due to be handed down in March.

Updated at 18.52 EDT

Severe weather warning for central NSW

Central NSW is bracing for further potential flooding with severe weather warnings in place, AAP reports.

The worst of the rain is expected on Wednesday, with six-hourly totals up to 70mm expected in the Central West Slopes and Plains and Riverina region.

The warning area covers a region stretching from south-west of Dubbo through Parkes to Young and out to Narranderra.

A cold front coming from South Australia is expected to move into western NSW later on Tuesday and fuel further rain. Many catchments are already experiencing ongoing flooding from previous rainfall over the last few weeks, the Bureau of Meteorology warned on Tuesday.

Major flooding is possible along the Namoi, Macquarie and Lachlan Rivers and is already occurring at Wee Waa, Warren Weir and Euabalong on Tuesday afternoon.

People in Gunnedah in the north-west of the state have already been hit with their third flood in a year, with the State Emergency Service (SES) saying water inundated five houses on the weekend when the Namoi River peaked at just over eight metres.

The SES is warning residents at risk of flooding to prepare and plan, with the ground already saturated and more heavy rain to come. The agency has begun moving resources and equipment to areas of concern, including in the Central West and further north in the New England region.

There were three more requests for flood rescues overnight on Monday, on top of 30 over the weekend.

An SES spokesperson said:

With more weather coming from Wednesday we are concerned and are reminding the community to make sensible smart decisions when travelling at the moment.

Updated at 18.42 EDT

Support for republic below 50% in the SMH Resolve poll

The Nine papers have conducted their own Resolve Political Monitor poll asking Australians about their feelings towards the monarchy in the wake of the Queen’s death.

Its findings – that support for a republic has dropped to 46% – is similar to Guardian Australia’s Essential poll, released yesterday, which had support at 43%.

The SMH’s chief political correspondent, David Crowe, writes:

Voters have shifted in favour of the status quo when asked to decide a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question on a republic at a time of global attention on the Queen’s funeral and the transition to King Charles, shattering the narrow majority for change revealed in a similar survey in January.

The exclusive findings show that only one state, Victoria, would back a republic and would do so with a tiny majority of 50.2%, dooming a referendum to failure and repeating the rejection of the 1999 attempt to amend the Constitution.

However, the deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, told ABC Radio this morning “I don’t think we should read too much into polls into the republic in the immediate aftermath of such a historic moment as the death of Queen Elizabeth II”.

Updated at 18.40 EDT

Consumer watchdog to conduct review into childcare costs

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission will investigate the rising cost of childcare and out-of-pocket costs hitting family budgets, with an extra $11m commitment from the government.

The finance minister, Katy Gallagher, was on ABC News Breakfast and was asked why –as the ABC put it – the $400m a year organisation needs “an extra $11 million to confirm something we already know?”

We’re asking a lot of the ACCC at the moment. They’ve got their eyes on many different parts of the economy.

In terms of our investment in early childhood education and care, which will be flowing through soon, $5bn, we want a better understanding of some of the drivers of cost increases in childcare and making sure some of our investments are actually doing what we want them to do; to make child care more affordable for families and allowing more women – well, it’s predominantly women – to work extra hours if they want to and not be disincentivised by the childcare system as it operates now.

Having more scrutiny and better transparency about some of the drivers in cost increases would be very useful, not only for parents, but at government, when we look at how we make investments in early childhood education and care.

Asked whether the government will consider price controls, Gallagher said “I don’t want to get ahead of the work the ACCC is going to do.”

Updated at 18.27 EDT

Students in school bus roll were on their way to the airport for a trip, coming from Ballarat area

We brought you the news earlier that a teenage girl and a driver were seriously injured when a school bus collided with a truck and rolled down an embankment west of Melbourne.

The crash happened near an intersection on the Western Highway at Bacchus Marsh about 3.15am, AAP reports.

A Victorian police spokeswoman has told 3AW radio station the bus was coming from a school in the Ballarat area and the students were on their way to the airport for a trip.

Hawthorn racism review will allege the club separated First Nations players from families

The ABC has this morning reported that AFL club Hawthorn’s racism review will allege the club was involved in separating First Nations players from families and demanded a pregnancy termination.

Russell Jackson writes:

Hawthorn had more than 20 First Nations players in the period of the review. Three families involved told ABC Sport about incidents in which club staff allegedly bullied and removed First Nations players from their homes and relocated them elsewhere, telling them to choose between their careers and their families.

But the gravest accusations relate to the club’s alleged intimidation tactics to separate couples at the earliest stages of pregnancies and parenthood, and the alleged demand that one player should instruct his partner to terminate a pregnancy — actions the families say created multi-generational traumas.

Updated at 18.21 EDT

Vision has come through of that collision between a school bus and a truck, which sent the bus with 28 students rolling down an embankment in Bacchus Marsh north-west of Melbourne.

Morrison responds to latest revelations about secretive committee of one

Scott Morrison has responded through a spokesperson to revelations his cabinet subcommittee of one appears to have met hundreds of times.

Despite the cabinet office policy committee having only one permanent member (Morrison), the former prime minister now disputes this characterisation by citing other ministers who were “co-opted” onto the body (that is, had an automatic right to participate).

His spokesperson said:

The Cabinet Office Policy Committee (COPC) process succeeded the previous process for conducting ‘deep dive’ policy discussions. Ministers, officials, experts and members of parliament were co-opted to these meetings in an inclusive process, as appropriate, to participate in deep dive policy discussions to assist frame the government’s policy responses to significant issues, consider strategic policy direction and to assist in the early stages of preparing cabinet submissions, including budget submissions. Numerous meetings were held across the full spectrum of federal government policy responsibilities.

The COPC process proved very effective and practical in working though complex policy issues. The process was modelled on the NSC and ERC process, where officials and experts join these discussions to assist with discussion of policy development. The process proved far more targeted, effective and dynamic than more rigid cabinet sub-committee processes and complemented those processes where appropriate.

The deputy PM, treasurer and finance minister were standing co-options to all COPCs, with the exception of national cabinet … They were co-opted onto all meetings of any COPC – ie – an automatic participation.

Updated at 18.07 EDT

Defence minister affirms need for long-range nuclear submarines despite expense

Australia faces a looming capability gap as our ageing fleet of Collins-class submarines are retired and before a new fleet of still-hypothetical nuclear submarines is delivered.

The deputy prime minister and minister for defence, Richard Marles, is speaking to ABC Radio. He says the government doesn’t yet have an answer on the total cost of a new fleet of nuclear submarines but “we do know it’s going to be more expensive.”

However, he said the state of global affairs means “what we do need is a highly capable long-range submarine”.

As for the safety side of nuclear subs, Marles says the government is “pleased” the international atomic agency (IAEA) is satisfied for now, that Australia can operate nuclear submarines without violating commitments but says he “want[s] to make clear this is early days.”

Updated at 18.21 EDT

School bus crash in Victoria

Thirty three people are in hospital after a school bus collided with a truck north-west of Melbourne earlier this morning,

One teenage girl and a driver were seriously injured while four adults, 27 other students and the bus driver taken to hospital as a precaution.

The crash occurred near an intersection on the Western Highway at Bacchus Marsh about 3.15am, and sent the school bus rolling down an embankment.

Melbourne-bound highway lanes will remain closed for several hours as emergency services clear the scene.

The students’ parents were asked to stay away from the crash and contact Ballarat police station.

– with AAP

Updated at 17.49 EDT

Good morning!

The former prime minister Scott Morrison is under pressure yet again as a Guardian Australia exclusive sheds new light on the secret ministries saga.

Freedom of information documents reveal Morrison’s secretive cabinet committee of one permanent member appears to have met hundreds of times in the last term of parliament.

It has sparked fresh warnings from the former senator Rex Patrick that the body was an “abuse of process”, and prompted calls to release its documents, or to expand the inquiry into Morrison’s multiple ministries, as proposed by the Greens.

Away from politics, wet weather is expected in north-east Victoria, inland New South Wales and southern Queensland, which could exacerbate flooding of inland rivers.

The worst of the rain for central NSW is expected today with six-hourly totals up to 70mm in the Central West slopes and plains and Riverina region. The area of concern stretches from south-west of Dubbo through Parkes to Young and out to Narranderra.

This morning, the finance minister, senator Katy Gallagher, has told the ABC the audit the government is carrying out will be ongoing beyond the October budget because of the deficit, but also because it is good practice.

Also today, the Reserve Bank of Australia’s deputy governor, Michele Bullock, will speak at noon in Sydney following the bleak preview presented last week by the governor, Philip Lowe.

The disability royal commission hearings continue, and Cate Campbell will address the National Press Club.

Let’s kick off!

Updated at 17.35 EDT