Australia news live: Clare dismisses Dutton’s ‘fake fight’ over 26 January; Captain Cook statue vandalised in Sydney
Clare says Dutton’s push to legislate 26 January as Australia Day ‘same fake fight we have every year’
Circling back to the education minister, Jason Clare, who had been speaking on Sunrise earlier.
He was asked about Peter Dutton’s key proposal to keep Australia Day on 26 January, and if Labor would follow suit. But Clare said “the date’s not changing” and “we have the same fake fight every year”.
This is just another distraction from Dutton to conceal this stinker of a policy. There is a smelly flower in Sydney today, [but] the real stinker here is this idea that taxpayers should pay for their boss’s lunch, and [he] still won’t tell us how much it’s going to cost.
The host said that Dutton wanted to put 26 January as Australia Day into law – would Labor? Clare said it was already in employment law:
That’s what I’m saying. It is a fake fight to distract from the mess of Peter Dutton’s crazy policies.
Key events
Dutton questioned on Paris climate agreement, 2035 targets
Asked about the Paris climate agreement, after Nationals leader David Littleproud said Australia should follow Trump and withdraw, Peter Dutton responded:
I have made comments in relation to these matters yesterday, and we have been specific in relation to our targets around net zero by 2050. There is legislative requirements in the parliament at the moment.
He also said PM Anthony Albanese should release modelling in relation to 2035 targets:
In opposition, we don’t have any of that … We don’t have the resources of treasury and the central agencies otherwise to be informed in relation to some of the economic settings that the PM has before him.
Dutton yesterday criticised Labor for not setting a 2035 target, despite having ruled out announcing a 2030 or 2035 target of his own before the election. You can read more from Dan Jervis-Bardy below:
Dutton condemns vandalism of statues of former PMs
Peter Dutton also condemned the vandalism of statues of former prime ministers Paul Keating and Kevin Rudd in Ballarat.
He said Australia should have “great respect for our former prime ministers, regardless of if they are Liberal or Labor”.
They lead the country at different times and we should be respectful of our history ,and we should be very respectful of those who have led our country. I would absolutely condemn the actions and as I say, this represents 0.1% of Australia.
Dutton claims children being ‘indoctrinated’ and calls for Australia to ‘re-establish sense of pride’
Asked about polling showing that support for changing the date of Australia Day is “starting to lose steam”, Peter Dutton said Australia needs to “re-establish our sense of pride.”
We don’t have the patriotism of the United States, but we need to be more proud of who we are. We have university lecturers and some teachers who are telling children they should be ashamed of the history and who we are as a country. It is complete nonsense.
Parents have had enough of it. They want their children to be educated, not indoctrinated and like all of us, they want a country where we can celebrate the wonderful achievements that we have, the peace and freedom and the ability to speak your mind, to do it freely and fairly and responsibly and according to the law.
Earlier today, the deputy PM Richard Marles said public opinion on 26 January would wax-and-wane from year to year.
Dutton says vandalism of Captain Cook statue ‘an outrage’
Taking questions, Peter Dutton responded to reports that the Captain Cook statue in Randwick, in Sydney’s east, had been vandalised overnight and called this “an outrage.”
1% of the population who would commit such an act [are] un-Australian, and they deserve the condemnation of 99.9% of Australians who are good people and celebrate who we are as a country.
We have a heritage and a history, like every other nation. And there are blemishes, there are elements of our history that you wish you could change if you lived in the 19th century, but we don’t – we live in the 21st century. And in 2025, we should be proud of who we are, proud of the country that we’ve created, and we should be proud to celebrate on our national day.
Dutton addressing reporters in Adelaide
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, is speaking to reporters in Adelaide, touting his taxpayer funded lunches for bosses policy.
He’s been speaking at a local cafe, and said cafes, pubs, restaurants and clubs were the “lifeblood of the local economy”.
This is an opportunity for the local real estate agent or the local builder or the local accountant or whatever it might be to come down to a business like this, to entertain their clients, to try and build up their own businesses … [and] spend money on their staff in a cafe like this, make a tax deductible and take them out of the jungle of the fringe benefits tax.
Health Services Union calling for targeted funding for aged care and disability apprentices
The Health Services Union has called on the federal government to provide targeted funding for 10,000 new aged care and disability support apprentices.
National secretary Lloyd Williams said an independent review of apprenticeship incentives shows that despite massive workforce shortages, “a lack of funding is preventing disability and aged care apprenticeships from taking off”.
He welcomed the prime minister’s announcement today regarding tradie apprentices, and said this was “exactly why we need similar targeted incentives for aged care and disability support”:
Without targeted funding, Australia risks inflaming the workforce crisis in aged care and disability which would have dire consequences in those critical sectors. With an ageing population and growing NDIS, Australians’ access to quality care and support is at risk.
The HSU stands ready to work with the government to address Australia’s urgent skills needs in aged care and disability.
Courts staff taking industrial action could affect trials
Court hearings and trials could be disrupted in Western Australia when hundreds of court security and custodial officers walk off the job over a wage dispute.
As AAP reports, Ventia-employed workers are set to strike for eight hours today, with a rally planned in front of a supreme court building in Perth.
The Transport Workers Union, which represents the workers, says the action will prevent prisoners from being transported to courts and disrupt court operations, causing delays in hearings and trials.
The state premier, Roger Cook, said the government would work with the union and he hoped the strike would not affect the court operations.
Union state secretary Tim Dawson said there had been “endless delays and broken promises” and the government had failed to deliver on its promise to commit funding for “safe wages”.
Staff at Ventia are understood to be paid up to 24% less than those of their competitors, even though they do the same job. The union wants a commitment to provide equivalent wages for staff.
Restoring statue ‘big effort and expense’, councillor says
Randwick city councillor Dr Carolyn Martin spoke with 2GB’s Ben Fordham about the vandalism of Randwick’s Captain Cook statue, which she described as an “absolute mess.”
Speaking on the program earlier this morning, Martin said she noticed the vandalism on her way home. She spotted a step ladder nearby, and said there was red paint “splattered” all over the statue and “they’ve knocked his hand off and also part of his face and nose”.
I’m here with a council worker that looked after it last time when it was damaged, and just to restore it is such a big effort and expense. But that aside, it’s just we’re all just horrified and out of interest.
She said Randwick council ratepayers would have to pick up the bill for the repairs.
On 15 February last year, the statue was vandalised “with part of the sandstone damaged and the statue partially covered with red paint”. Repair works were expected to be completed the following month.
Randwick City Council confirms vandalism of Captain Cook statue
Randwick City Council has confirmed a statue of Captain Cook has been damaged overnight.
It said in a statement the sandstone hand was “completely removed and the statue partially covered in red paint”.
Council had cleaned and restored the statue after a similar incident last February. Randwick mayor Dylan Parker said in a statement:
Randwick City Council condemns this act of vandalism of the heritage Captain Cook statue. Vandalism has no place in public discussion.
Vandalism is an illegal act that does a disservice to progressing your cause, a disservice to the community and a disservice to reconciliation.
Council staff are currently actioning plans to clean and restore the statue.
Police investigating after Captain Cook statue vandalised in Randwick
NSW police are investigating the vandalism of a statue in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
The Daily Telegraph reported images of the Captain Cook statue at Randwick covered in red paint and with its hand knocked off, ahead of Australia Day this weekend.
Police said a number of items were seized at the location and a crime scene had been established, to be forensically examined by specialist police.
Police are working with Randwick Council to assist with the removal of the graffiti.
We have contacted Randwick city council for more information, and will bring you the latest as soon as we can.
Two teenagers allegedly shot in Collingwood overnight
Victorian police are investigating after two teenage boys were allegedly shot early this morning.
Emergency services were called to Collingwood this morning where two boys were found with gunshot wounds, about 1am.
A 17-year-old boy was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries, and a 15-year-old boy was taken to hospital with serious injuries.
Police understand a large group of people were fighting on Hoddle Street prior to the shooting. Police said in a statement:
Detectives believe the incident was a targeted attack and are working to establish the exact circumstances. Police are continuing to patrol the area for public reassurance.
