Nacc to investigate six individuals referred to body after robodebt royal commission following review
Sarah Basford Canales
The National Anti-Corruption Commission has announced it will investigate the six individuals referred to the body after the robodebt royal commission, following an independent review.
The anti-corruption watchdog has released a statement confirming the six referrals would be investigated to “determine whether or not any of the six referred persons engaged in corrupt conduct”.
The commission is now making arrangements to ensure the impartial and fair investigation of the referrals, as it did with the appointment of Mr Nettle as independent reconsideration delegate. The commissioner and those deputy commissioners who were involved in the original decision not to investigate the referrals, will not participate in the investigation.
The Nacc’s own watchdog, Nacc inspector, Gail Furness, released a report in October finding that the Nacc commissioner, Paul Brereton, was “affected by apprehended bias” and should have “removed himself from related decision-making processes and limited his exposure to the relevant factual information”. Furness also said there was “no intentional wrongdoing”.
After the report’s release, the Nacc announced it would engage an “independent eminent person” to reconsider whether the referrals should be investigated.
The independent reviewer, Geoffrey Nettle AC KC, made a decision earlier this month, the Nacc said, adding it would not divulge its reasons for relaunching the investigations.
Key events
Andrew Messenger
Queensland government to release Olympics report next month
The Queensland government will announce its plans for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics next month.
The deputy premier Jarrod Bleijie told parliament today that a review of Olympics plans by its Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority will complete its final report by 8 March. The document will then be made public on 25 March, alongside the government’s response.
On the 25th of March, all will be revealed. Our delivery plan will provide a new way forward and get the games back on track and three years of Labor, delays and wrong priorities, there is little time to waste.
Queenslanders no longer want to be embarrassed on the world stage. We will deliver a 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games our state can be proud of and showcase what makes us a great state on the world stage.
It’s the second review of plans for the the Olympics. Former premier Steven Miles also appointed a board to review the plans of his successor, Annastacia Palaszczuk, but ignored the primary recommendation that athletics be held at Victoria Park in inner-city Brisbane. Instead Labor planned to hold the busiest sports at a site in Brisbane’s south, at the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre.
The new government has repeatedly promised not to build any new stadiums for the games, and specifically ruled out doing so at the Gabba, Victoria Park or the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre.
Reactions flow to NSW government’s proposed new laws against inciting hatred
The Independent MP for Wentworth, Allegra Spender, has welcomed a move from the NSW government to introduce laws against inciting hatred (see earlier post).
In a post to X, she Spender said she sought these changes at a national level “but Labor and the Coalition didn’t back them”.
I’ll keep pushing. But NSW mustn’t exclude hate against other targeted groups. Inciting hatred is corrosive and it needs to stop.
Meanwhile, the NSW Council for Civil Liberties says the the incitement of violence on the basis of race, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, intersex status and HIV status is already illegal, “and rightly so”.
These laws protect our community while not unreasonably burdening free speech. The proposed changes expand these laws to criminalise only the incitement of racial hatred and will have the effect of expanding existing divisions in our community.
Timothy Roberts, president of the NSWCCL, said criminal laws should “always be a last resort [because] you cannot arrest your way to social cohesion, you cannot arrest your way to stop hate.”
Just as heavy criminal penalties already in place have not stopped arson, hate symbols and graffiti.
Wong warns of Russian misinformation amid video of Oscar Jenkins
Josh Butler
The foreign minister, Penny Wong, has cautioned about Russian misinformation and Moscow’s “propensity to provide us with incorrect information”, when asked about the video which emerged overnight of Australian man Oscar Jenkins who was captured while fighting in Ukraine.
Wong spoke to the ABC this afternoon, calling on Russia to release Jenkins after he was taken hostage last year. Reports emerged this year that he may have been killed, but then further information to the government indicated he may still be alive. A YouTube video emerged in the last 24 hours appearing to show him alive. Wong said:
First I want to say that we call on Russia to release Mr Jenkins. We hold serious concerns for his warfare, and I have, and we will continue to engage with both Ukraine and the International Committee of the Red Cross, in relation to Mr Jenkins.
The government was aware of this video in recent days. I will say, we do know that Russia is very prone to misinformation and disinformation, and I think in relation to Mr Jenkins, more generally, we should always be aware of Russia’s propensity to provide us with incorrect information.
Asked if Australia was discussing a prisoner swap directly with Russia to secure Jenkins’ freedom, Wong declined to comment publicly, saying she would not speculate.
We’ve obviously made our position very clear to Russia, and we will continue to do so. What I would say is, Mr Jenkins is a prisoner of war, that there are Geneva conventions [and] international law which apply to him, and Russia must observe them.
Dutton says ‘free world’ must ‘stand together’ and pressure Putin
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, says Australia “stands proudly” with president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people. In a post to X, he wrote:
The UK has provided stoic leadership, along with others, since the moment of Vladimir Putin’s barbaric invasion of Ukraine.
Peace and stability will prevail across Europe if the free world stands together and continues to pressure Putin. He must not be given an inch and certainly not rewarded for his murderous deeds.
Deep low over Tasman Sea behind south-eastern cold snap
The Bureau of Meteorology says the cold snap in south-eastern parts of the country is being caused by a deep low circulating over the Tasman Sea.
The bureau is forecasting strong winds and powerful southerly swells for northern New South Wales and the south-east Queensland coast.
Hazardous surf warnings are in place for the Byron, Coffs, Macquarie and Hunter coasts in NSW, and for the K’gari coast, Sunshine Coast waters and Gold Coast waters in Queensland.
Steggall lashes Dutton’s plan to break up insurers
Independent MP for Warringah, Zali Steggall, has lashed Peter Dutton’s threat to break up insurance providers as “populist rhetoric masquerading as a credible solution”.
Steggall said she agrees with the opposition leader that “astronomically high insurance costs are a threat to families, and a threat to our economy”, noting that the climate crisis is already costing Australians $38bn a year.
By 2060 the annual cost is projected to almost double to $73bn. Meanwhile, recent economic modelling predicts a 14% annual hit to Australia’s GDP by 2050 driven by disaster damage, labour force impacts, and reduced land productivity from climate change, if action isn’t taken.
These are not hypothetical risks; the climate crisis is already impacting household budgets, destabilising businesses and supply chains, and threatening our living standards and way of life.
Steggall said climate risk is one of the biggest threats to Australia’s democracy, but Dutton “refuses to acknowledge it and has no plan to address it”.
He seems to think that if he doesn’t mention climate change, somehow it will go away. It won’t. Breaking up insurers will not make insurance more affordable. Unless we address the massive, underlying factor of climate risk – its associated costs are only going to escalate.
Nacc to investigate six individuals referred to body after robodebt royal commission following review
Sarah Basford Canales
The National Anti-Corruption Commission has announced it will investigate the six individuals referred to the body after the robodebt royal commission, following an independent review.
The anti-corruption watchdog has released a statement confirming the six referrals would be investigated to “determine whether or not any of the six referred persons engaged in corrupt conduct”.
The commission is now making arrangements to ensure the impartial and fair investigation of the referrals, as it did with the appointment of Mr Nettle as independent reconsideration delegate. The commissioner and those deputy commissioners who were involved in the original decision not to investigate the referrals, will not participate in the investigation.
The Nacc’s own watchdog, Nacc inspector, Gail Furness, released a report in October finding that the Nacc commissioner, Paul Brereton, was “affected by apprehended bias” and should have “removed himself from related decision-making processes and limited his exposure to the relevant factual information”. Furness also said there was “no intentional wrongdoing”.
After the report’s release, the Nacc announced it would engage an “independent eminent person” to reconsider whether the referrals should be investigated.
The independent reviewer, Geoffrey Nettle AC KC, made a decision earlier this month, the Nacc said, adding it would not divulge its reasons for relaunching the investigations.
Benita Kolovos
Victorian Liberal MP Moira Deeming not in parliament
Victorian Liberal MP Moira Deeming will remain out of the country and miss a week of parliament due to a reported medical situation, just days after telling the party she would cut short her planned trip to attend a Jordan Peterson conference.
A spokesperson for opposition leader, Brad Battin, confirmed Deeming remained overseas and was prevented from travelling back home. The spokesperson said:
Moira Deeming MP will not be able to return to Melbourne in time for the upcoming parliamentary sitting week due to an unforeseen medical situation. Moira appreciates the community’s understanding and respect for her family’s privacy as they navigate this challenging situation.
Deeming had cancelled her plans to attend the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship conference after public pressure from senior colleagues, telling the Guardian she would return early from her trip to the UK due to “distraction caused by uninformed and unfair characterisations of my leave entitlements”.
A Labor party source confirmed the party had granted her a pair to negate her absence for the entire week after being provided a medical certificate this morning.
Australian shares drop as traders wait for RBA decision
The local share market is on track for its second day of losses, AAP reports, as traders wait to see if the Reserve Bank cuts rates for the first time in more than four years.
At midday the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was down 51.1 points, or 0.6%, to 8,486.0, while the broader All Ordinaries was down 48.1 points, or 0.55%, to 8,762.8.
The Reserve Bank will hand down its latest decision on interest rates at 2.30pm AEDT. Yesterday the futures market was giving 90% implied odds that Australia’s central bank would cut rates for the first time since November 2020.
If the RBA surprises and keeps rates on hold, expect the ASX200 to dive back towards support at 8,440/8,460 and the Australian dollar to rip higher towards resistance at 64.40 to 64.60 US cents, said IG market analyst Tony Sycamore.
Seven of the ASX’s 11 sectors were lower at midday, with consumer staples, health care and tech higher and utilities flat.
Energy was the biggest mover, dropping 1.7% as Woodside fell 2.2% and Whitehaven Coal retreated 3.5%. All of the big four banks were lower, with Westpac dropping 2.2%, CBA and NAB both retreating 1.2% and ANZ dipping 0.6%.
The Australian dollar was buying 63.42 US cents, from 63.60 US cents at 5pm yesterday.
Flight Centre welcomes ACCC backing of Virgin and Qatar alliance
Travel agency Flight Centre has welcomed news of the ACCC backing a partnership between Virgin Australia and Qatar Airways that will effectively double the amount of flights the Doha-based carrier operates to Australia.
Flight Centre’s corporate global chief operating officer, Melissa Elf, said the move would bring about stronger competition and capacity:
The [move] will support the recovery of our international visitor economy, and strongly contribute to corporate travel recovery.
It will not only make travel to the Middle East and Europe more affordable for our corporate travellers, but it will importantly see inbound benefits to Australian trade and tourism.
Elf said a similar example was playing out on flights into the US and China currently, proving there was a direct correlation between regions that were adding and welcoming airline capacity and the cost of travel decreasing.
Queer music and arts festival joins growing number of festivals going on hiatus
The queer music and art festival Gaytimes is joining the growing list of festivals going on hiatus due to skyrocketing production costs, AAP reports.
The festival has been running almost a decade, but organisers say they are taking a break after this year’s outing in March as they work out how to make the event financially sustainable. Festival co-founder Anna Whitelaw said:
The last two years we’ve really seen our costs go through the roof, and we haven’t been able to manage those increases.
It comes days after R’n’B festival Souled Out, which was to have featured US R’n’B stars Don Toliver and Vince Staples, was cancelled.
The list of festivals that have succumbed to the challenges facing the Australian industry is long and growing, with Groovin the Moo, Harvest Rock, Spilt Milk and Splendour in the Grass among those cancelled.
Whitelaw said that while ticket and bar sales had previously covered costs, the price of everything from securing international artists, to insurance and portaloos has gone up.
The ninth edition of Gaytimes will be held from 21 to 23 March.
Natasha May
More on the funding for complex mental health services
The health minister, Mark Butler, said “mainstream services don’t work for everyone” and the investment in diverse digital mental health programs will deliver “more mental health care, more fairly and more efficiently.”
All the successful grant applicants’ services are accredited against the national safety and quality digital mental health standards. Other funded programs include a first of its kind Australian digital mental health service for culturally and linguistically diverse communities being delivered by St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney, through its This Way Up program.
The investment will also support the Parent-Infant Research Institute to help new fathers who are experiencing depression through the DadBooster national online treatment program, as well as its MumMoodBooster program for postnatal women. The Panda national perinatal mental health help line was also a recipient.
The other successful grant applicants include the Blue Knot Foundation’s helpline for those who have experienced complex trauma, the Butterfly Foundation’s national helpline which help Australians experiencing an eating disorder or body image issues, LGBTIQ+ Health Australia’s QLife program and Orygen’s Most program for young people from 12 to 25 years of age.
Natasha May
Government grants $135.2m in funding to twelve mental health services
More Australians, including those with complex mental illness, will be able to access free digital mental health services tailored to their specific needs after the government granted $135.2m in funding to twelve mental health services.
While funding has long been directed towards digital solutions for mild to moderate mental health conditions, more than five million Australians living with complex, severe or long term mental ill health and trauma will now also be able to get tailored support online.
Sane, the government funded national provider of support for complex or severe mental health, has been awarded $27.3m over three years for the national roll out of a free digital psychosocial recovery program for those with mental illness, as well as for their family, carers and kin.
According to Sane’s CEO, Rachel Green, this investment is the first of its kind globally and an enormous step forward when it comes to the accessibility:
There’s strong evidence that digital mental health support services are just as effective as face to face services, more economical and rapidly scalable to overcome geographic or workforce challenges.
Our services have now grown to encompass a stepped digital support offering, proven by independent evaluation to reduce symptom domination, improve quality of life, and importantly, empower individuals to have the knowledge, skills and confidence to build their own recovery journey.
The Sane digital program will be made nationally available for free from July 2025, with support services including a 14 week program of one on one recovery-focused counselling or peer support, semi-guided “recovery club” including online group session, tailored recovery resources and peer support, as well as self-guided recovery community where people can connect with peers within a safe, moderated environment.
Virgin Australia welcomes ACCC draft determination on proposed alliance with Qatar
Virgin Australia has welcomed the ACCC’s draft determination regarding its proposed alliance with Qatar Airways, as we reported earlier.
A spokesperson with Virgin said in a statement:
This announcement – recommending authorisation of a five-year alliance with no conditions – will deliver significant benefits to Australian travellers in the form of greater competition, value and choice when travelling to Europe, the Middle East and Africa, as well as significant benefits to the Australian economy more broadly, including tourism, job creation and better freight export options.
Virgin Australia’s proposed new services from Melbourne, Perth, Sydney and Brisbane to Doha are currently on sale, and today’s ACCC announcement confirms their support for these services.
