Australia news live: Josh Burns says he broke ranks on Labor’s gas policy to show his daughter ‘I did everything I could’ on climate emergency | Australia news

Penny Wong is speaking on RN Breakfast now. Right off the bat she was asked by Patricia Karvelas if the Australian government will support admitting Palestine as a full member of the UN at a vote later today.

Wong begins with a preamble about Australia’s support for a two-state solution, then says:

We will consider the final resolution that comes before the General Assembly. Obviously, countries are still negotiating texts.

Q: There have been reports that you’re leaning towards an abstention if you were to abstain. What would that mean?

Wong responds:

I don’t want to speculate about our vote… I think an abstention generally means you can agree in part with the resolution, but not with sufficient, not with all of it or not with a sufficient extent of the resolution for you to vote for it, so it can send a message that whilst you don’t agree with it in full, you’re not going to stand in the way.

Q: A few of our listeners are texting and saying why wouldn’t you vote yes, given what you’ve said about supporting through the process rather than waiting to the end [for] recognition of Palestine?

Wong responds:

I understand that question… I understand questions from those who don’t want us to deal with it at this time. I think one of the things we are aware of, and thinking about, is the timing of the situation on the ground. We know Hamas is still holding hostages. We want to look at the wording of the resolution to make sure we are being responsible, that what we commit to we are obliged to and look to the UN Charter and the resolution would have to be consistent with the charter. And of course it was with our partners, but your listeners, what I would say to them is Australia does support a two state solution.

Q: But if you were to vote no or abstain, wouldn’t it be viewed by people who are pushing for a Palestinian state and a two state solution or a stronger line on Palestine as your reluctance?

Wong responds:

You’ve spoken to me many times over the years Patricia and you know, I always try and bring a more nuanced discussion about what is really happening rather than getting drawn into the end the hard edges of the debate. Unfortunately, in this country, we seem we see too much of this discussion, which is looked at by those who basically say you’re either with us or against us. And everything is black and white and simple. Regrettably, that is not what is happening in the Middle East. And regrettably, that is not how we should be looking at this.

Meta was correct to remove two Facebook posts allegedly misrepresenting the Australian Electoral Commission’s statements about voting multiple times in the voice to parliament referendum, the company’s independent oversight board has found.

The oversight board, which independently reviews cases selected to examine Meta’s content moderation policy, examined posts by two different Facebook users showing screenshots of information shared by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) on X ahead of the voice to parliament referendum in October.

The AEC had posted advice that: “If someone votes at two different polling places within their electorate, and places their formal vote in the ballot box at each polling place, their vote is counted.”

It also posted a comment explaining the secrecy of the ballot would prevent the AEC from knowing which ballot paper belongs to which person, but that the number of double votes is always incredibly low.

The posters both left out other information posted by the AEC, including that voting multiple times is an offence in Australia, and encouraged multiple voting and that people should “smash the voting centres”

Meta removed the posts, and the oversight board found this was the right decision:

The board finds that both posts violated the Coordinating Harms and Promoting Crime rule that prohibits content “advocating, providing instructions for, or demonstrating explicit intent to illegally participate in a voting or census process.

The board’s own analysis found posts containing the AEC screenshot were shared on Facebook over 475 times and received thousands of reactions and at least 30,000 views.

The board reviewed the two posts as part of its preparation for the number of elections in 2024.

Labor MP Josh Burns has said he feels blindsided by the Albanese government’s support for new gas production and that he didn’t get into politics to “be a support mechanism for the fossil fuel industry”.

He was the first of five MPs – including Jerome Laxale, Sally Sitou, Josh Wilson and Ged Kearney – to break ranks and raise concerns about the gas policy.

Speaking on RN Breakfast a little earlier, Burns said:

I’m under no illusion that we have a responsibility to make sure that Australians have electricity, that they have power that they have affordable power. But also what are the levers the government has and how do we use them to ensure that the transition to low-emissions future is happening as quickly as possible? And that is my focus, and that is what I believe the Labor party needs to focus on as well.

Asked if he expects the government to reverse its decision, Burns said “we’ll continue to have conversations about policy direction”. He then pointed out that the number of renewable energy projects had “skyrocketed” under the government.

Burns said one of the problems with the announcement was the “open-endedness”. He argued there needed to be an end date for when Australia will cease using fossil fuels, so there is a timeline to work towards. He later said:

I also have a young family and a young daughter and I want her to know that, in my time in politics, I did everything I could to try and set up Australia and be a part of the generation that takes climate change and the climate emergency extremely seriously.

More on the backbenchers revolting against Albanese’s plan here:

A guide to the Indigenous voice to parliament, written by Thomas Mayo and Kerry O’Brien and published before last year’s ill-fated referendum, won book of the year at the Australian book industry awards last night.

The Voice to Parliament Handbook was hailed “a poignant reminder of a significant moment in Australian history” at the annual award ceremony in Melbourne on Thursday.

Also honoured was Melissa Kang and Yumi Stynes’ Welcome to Sex, a controversial sex education book that was removed from some retailers’ shelves last year after a self-described thinktank claimed “it was teaching sex to children”.

The Voice to Parliament Handbook, published by Hardie Grant in the months leading up to the October referendum, had been “crafted during a pivotal moment in Australia’s political and cultural landscape”, Abias organisers said in a statement, calling it “an extraordinary achievement, developed under intense time constraints”.

Here’s the full story from our arts reporter Kelly Burke:

Jordyn Beazley

Good morning, and happy Friday! I’m Jordyn Beazley and I’ll be with you on the live blog today.

As always, if you see anything you’d like to bring to my attention, please email me at jordyn.beazley@theguardian.com, or reach me on X at @jordynbeazley.

Cait Kelly

Everybody’s Home wants social housing target increased

Everybody’s Home has urged the federal government to increase its social housing target and back it up with funding in next week’s budget if it is serious about easing the crisis.

Only 3% of homes that the government wants Australia to build over the next five years are set to be social housing.

As the government confronts warnings it will fail to meet its 1.2m housing target, Everybody’s Home spokesperson Maiy Azize said building more social housing was essential:

It’s clear that the private market can’t meet the government’s target, and their track record shows us that these homes won’t be affordable for most people. Social housing is guaranteed to be affordable for people – and, at scale, it pushes down the cost of housing for everyone.

The government describes its national housing target as ambitious but it’s lacking ambition when it comes to bringing down the cost of housing.

There is no use building homes that people can’t afford. The government must end the social housing shortfall – and aim for 10% of all homes in Australia to be social housing.

The government has announced that from July next year women suffering from persistent pelvic pain and endometriosis will have access to longer specialist gynaecological consultations of 45 minutes or more, covered under Medicare.

The leading standards body for women’s health, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (Ranzcog), has been lobbying the government to have the benefit added to the Medicare schedule (MBS).

Ranzcog has long argued that current MBS items don’t allow for sufficient appointment time for practitioners to consult with patients presenting with persistent pelvic pain.

Two new items will now be added to the MBS to help patients access improved care for complex gynaecological conditions, requiring an investment of $49.1m. The two new MBS items will provide a higher fee for longer initial gynaecologist consultation ($168.60 for a minimum of 45 minutes, compared to the standard rate of $95.60), and a higher fee for longer subsequent consultations ($84.35 for a minimum of 45 minutes, compared to the standard rate of $48.05).

Dr Marilla Druitt, obstetrician gynaecologist and Ranzcog councillor, said:

The MBS additions are good step in the right direction. Complex problems require complex solutions. If we have more time to listen to patients, we can address their needs better.

There are a number of different areas where we can continue this work, with funding for pain management and endometriosis education for healthcare providers being a priority.

Greens call for Israeli ambassador to be expelled

Daniel Hurst

The Greens have called on the federal government to expel the Israeli ambassador, Amir Maimon, arguing it was time for Labor to move beyond “hand-wringing pleas for restraint”.

Australia has joined with the US and other countries in opposing a large-scale Israeli military offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, raising alarm about the “devastating” impact on Palestinian civilians who are sheltering there.

The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has repeatedly said he is determined to proceed with a Rafah offensive, arguing it is necessary to destroy the last stronghold of Hamas in Gaza.

The Greens said the Australian government should expel the ambassador “until the state of Israel abides by the orders of the international court of justice” including allowing the unrestricted flow of aid. The party’s leader, Adam Bandt, said in a statement issued today:

With even Joe Biden suspending weapon shipments, Labor’s continued refusal to take any actions against Benjamin Netanyahu’s extreme war cabinet is inexcusable cowardice.

The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, last month played down the idea of expelling Israeli diplomats, saying Australia maintained diplomatic relationships with many countries and used those channels to “express our views about issues which are important to Australians”.

New parliamentary committee set up to investigate social media

Josh Butler

The federal government will set up a new parliamentary committee to investigate social media, including the news media bargaining code, which could force tech giants to pay news publishers for their work.

The communications minister, Michelle Rowland, announced overnight the government’s plan to establish a joint select committee into social media. Her office said it would allow the parliament to examine the influence and impact of social media on Australian society, including its effects on public interest journalism, the spread of online harms and the use of algorithms and recommender systems.

It’s expected to be debated when parliament returns next week.

Rowland said of the social media companies:

Their decisions in recent months – particularly Meta’s decision to withdraw from paying for news in Australia – demonstrates the negative impacts these companies can have on our society.

Social media has a civic responsibility to its Australian users – and our society more broadly. The government is committed to making social media companies more transparent and accountable to the Australian public, and the joint committee will enable parliament to undertake this task.

The committee is expected to examine Meta’s decision to abandon deals under the news media bargaining code, the role of Australian journalism in countering mis- and disinformation on digital platforms, algorithm and recommender systems, effects on mental health and issues such as scams, age-restricted content, child sexual abuse and violent extremist material.

The assistant treasurer, Stephen Jones, raised concerns about “an environment where it can be difficult to distinguish fact from fiction”.

The social media giants seem more determined to wipe trusted news sources from their platforms than scammers and other criminals. This will open the floodgates for misinformation and disinformation.

We have a clear message for the platforms. Be better. Do better. The committee will put big tech under the microscope to help create a safer online environment.

Good morning and welcome to our rolling news coverage as we reach the end of another working week. I’m Martin Farrer and these are the top overnight headlines for you to catch up with before my colleague Jordyn Beazley comes along.

The growing number of pro-Palestinian encampments on Australian university campuses has brought with it a much greater level of scrutiny – and accusations of antisemitism from Jewish groups and federal opposition politicians. The protesters say their movement is peaceful but the Australasian Union of Jewish Students claimed this week that Nazi salutes had been seen at the ANU camp in Canberra. Our reporters have spoken to both sides to gauge the mood. It comes as the Greens called last night on the federal government to expel the Israeli ambassador, Amir Maimon, arguing it was time for Labor to move beyond “hand-wringing pleas for restraint”. More details coming up.

Our exclusive lead story hears a bitter complaint from an Aboriginal corporation that its views have been misrepresented in the government’s Future Gas plan to make out that it is in favour of more fossil fuel development. The Nurrdalinji Native Title Aboriginal Corporation is quoted in the document saying energy security is a “pressing issue” but its says its support for more solar has been removed. Also unhappy are five inner-city Labor MPs who have criticised the government’s plan, arguing it will overshadow progress on clean energy.

The government has followed up its tough talk on combating the sometimes harmful impact of social media by setting up a parliamentary probe into their influence and impact on Australian society. The communications minister, Michelle Rowland, will announce today that a new committee will investigate content that people are exposed to online. More coming up.