NSW premier addressing media on rail disruptions, negotiations with union
The New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, is addressing the media amid the train disruptions across the state.
He said nearly 2,000 services were cancelled across the network yesterday, and today more than 1,000 were expected to be cancelled:
Now you think about the economic activity that has been smashed as a result of that massive, wide-scale industrial action, and think about the incalculable cost on the NSW economy, of having a major international city’s public transport system completely rendered, or next to rendered, useless.
Minns said the government would make an application in the Fair Work Commission to end protected industrial action and move to an arbitrated decision by the Fair Work umpire:
We will ask for that decision to be expedited and made urgently by the commission, and we’re hopeful that the commission could step in at this point and end wide scale industrial disruption that’s affecting hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people.
Key events
RTBU accuses NSW government of ‘shifting blame of its own failure to negotiate with workers’
The Rail, Tram and Bus Union has responded to the state government’s indication it would apply to stop protection industrial action under the Fair Work Act, labelling this a “desperate attempt to shift the blame for its own failure to negotiate with workers.”
The union said the government has “failed to engage in a single bargaining meeting” for 44 days, and “continues to drag its feet and refuse to negotiate in good faith.” The statement from the union continued:
If the NSW government truly cared about its essential workers … it would have come to the table long ago with a fair offer for these important workforces. Instead, it engages in cheap political tricks designed at achieving headlines, pays law firms top dollar to bring bogus legal cases, and anything else it can to avoid sitting at the bargaining table.
Now, instead of negotiating, the government is scapegoating rail workers, blaming them for economic disruption they themselves caused. The real cost to the economy isn’t the industrial action—it’s the government’s refusal to negotiate a fair deal.
The workers of NSW are asking for basic, fair wages, safer conditions, and job security … The longer the government refuses to take this seriously, the longer this dispute will drag on.
Shorten releases statement ahead of resignation next Monday
Bill Shorten has released a statement, confirming he will stand down as MP for Maribyrnong and from the cabinet from next Monday, 20 January.
The outgoing NDIS minister will begin his role as vice chancellor and president of the University of Canberra from that date, as we flagged earlier in the blog.
Shorten said this allows him time to start his new role before students commence the 2025 academic year, and because his resignation is within 120 days of a federal election, “there will be no need for a byelection in Maribyrnong.”
My six terms and more than 17 years as a member of the Australian Parliament have been an extraordinary experience and I leave knowing I have tried my hardest every day for the voters of Maribyrnong and indeed for every Australian. Leading the great federal Labor party for six years has been a particular privilege of my service in Parliament.
I thank the people of Maribyrnong and the people of Australia for their tremendous support from 2007. It’s been an honour to serve and I’m proud of all we have achieved together.
He described the new appointments as part of today’s cabinet reshuffle as “excellent appointments” that “show the strength and depth of the Albanese Labor government.”
Greens issue statement on ceasefire deal: ‘welcome and overdue’
Greens leader Adam Bandt and foreign affairs spokesperson Jordan Steele-John have released a statement on the ceasefire deal – which they described as “welcome and overdue”.
The pair said over the past 15 months “we’ve witnessed unimaginable tragedy as Gaza – an area half the size of Canberra with a population of more than two million – has been invaded and tens of thousands of people have lost their lives.”
The Greens are want Labor to call for a permanent ceasefire “that sees the end of the occupation of Palestine by the state of Israel”, and to end the two-way arms trade between Australia and Israel.
The party is also calling on Labor to sanction members of the Israeli government “directly involved in war crimes”, and for Australia to “formally intervene” on behalf of South Africa at the ICJ and commit to uphold ICC warrants.
It is a testament to the millions of people who have peacefully protested week-on-week over the past year, including here in Australia, that we’re seeing news of a ceasefire today …
We must ensure international humanitarian law is upheld and those who have committed war crimes are held to account. And we must recognise the right to self-determination, the statehood of Palestinians, and the right of both Palestinians and Israelis to live in peace.
More details on NSW, Queensland forecasts today
In New South Wales, the Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting severe thunderstorms in the far north-east, likely over the northern rivers.
Storms are possible over the broader north-east area.
In Queensland, severe storms are possible south of Bowen, and in the north-east. The bureau said “isolated, very dangerous” storms were possible near the NSW border.
Elsewhere in the state, firefighters are working to tackle a bushfire west of Mount Isa, believed to have been started by a lightning strike on Tuesday. The Queensland Fire Department said:
[It] is in a similar spot to a fire which affected Mt Isa in 2023 … Crews in the far north west of the state will continue to monitor several fires burning in the Mt Isa area today.
While the majority of Queensland remains on flood and storm watch this week, the folk in Mt Isa are keeping their eyes on a completely different threat. 🔥
A fire burning to the west of the township is believed to have started from a lightning strike on Tuesday, and is in a… pic.twitter.com/a91kgq9B4A— Queensland Fire Department (@QldFireDept) January 16, 2025
1,300 jobs left to clear for NSW State Emergency Service
The NSW SES has provided an update on social media about the storm damage overnight, and further forecasts for the day ahead:
☔ It’s been a busy 24 hrs for the NSW SES.
There have been 2,500+ incidents logged with around 1,300 of those jobs to be cleared up today.We’re expecting follow up storms today and further rainfall over the next 24 hrs in the Mid North coast and North East regions of the NSW pic.twitter.com/gq7qFKLUgk
— NSW SES (@NSWSES) January 16, 2025
Body of missing swimmer in Victoria found after large-scale search
Police have located the body of a missing swimmer in Mildura, near the NSW border, after a large-scale search.
Police say a multi-agency search commenced after reports a 54-year-old man had failed to return after going for a swim in the Murray River on Tuesday afternoon.
The search included NSW and Victoria police, SES vessels and a rescue helicopter. Searchers located the body today in waters nearby.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
Krishani Dhanji
ACTU calls for RBA to cut rates after jobs data
The Australian Council of Trade Unions is again calling for interest rates to be lowered, after a small increase in the jobless rate from 3.9% in November, to 4% in December.
The ACTU president, Michele O’Neil, says she’s concerned that not lowering the interest rate will threaten more jobs, and waiting for unemployment to rise before dropping the rate would be “harsh” and “unnecessary”:
Today’s softening jobs figures provide yet more evidence of the need for an urgent rate cut.
Yet the Reserve Bank has stuck to the view that unemployment needs to go up further, before interest rates can come down. That view is outdated, flawed and will put more workers’ livelihoods at risk.
The RBA board will next meet in mid-February.
Petra Stock
90% of power outages across NSW from lightning strikes: Ausgrid
Electricity network company Ausgrid said approximately 90% of the outages that occurred last night across NSW were due to lightning strikes, with more than 300,000 strikes reported across the state.
The situation had been further exacerbated by high winds, falling trees and continuing bad weather.
About 89,000 customers remained without power, with northern Sydney, the Hunter and Newcastle regions hardest hit.
Ausgrid said crews had worked through the night to restore power to 50,000 homes and businesses, and were focused on returning power to remaining customers as quickly and safely as possible:
Please always stay at least 8 metres away from fallen powerlines and if you are in the Ausgrid network area, report electrical hazards by calling 13 13 88 or visiting ausgrid.com.au/hazards.
Services may worsen in the afternoon: Sydney Trains CEO
The Sydney Trains’ chief executive, Matt Longland, said like yesterday, service disruptions may worsen in the afternoon:
We do expect that we’ll see that again today, hopefully not to the same extent as yesterday.
He said disruptions were worse in the inner west and services that connect through the Blue Mountains and Parramatta.
Minns defends ability to work with unions
A reporter asked if this situation is proof the state Labor government is “not as good at working with unions as you thought”, after running on a platform of public sector pay rises.
Chris Minns said “we never promised” there would not be industrial issues:
We were going to have them, every Labor government’s had them – every Labor government in NSW has had them. What I did promise in the election campaign is that when they occurred, we would always act on behalf of the interests of people, the people of NSW and I believe that’s what we’ve done.
Minns ‘looking at’ compensation for yesterday’s disruptions
People are asking for their money back off the back of yesterday – is the state government open to that?
Chris Minns said he was “looking at it”, but his main focus is “ending the dispute so that we can get certainty when it comes to public transport.”
