Australia news live: Senate antisemitism inquiry told University of Sydney is one of the ‘worst places’ to be a Jewish student | Australia news
University of Sydney one of ‘worst places’ to be Jewish student, Senate inquiry told
Caitlin Cassidy
The University of Sydney is one of the “worst places” to be a Jewish student, a Senate inquiry has heard.
Asked about management’s response to an ongoing pro-Palestine encampment, national vice president of the Australasian Union of Jewish Students, Zachary Morris, said the university was “one of the worst places” to be a Jewish student, adding the vice chancellor had “failed his students”.
We have tried repeatedly to engage, after the first meeting his chief of staff had to apologise for his behaviour as soon as he left the office … The issue is no longer with what is happening with students, the issue is with how the administration has responded.
If it was just about flags we wouldn’t be here … there’s a marked reduction in attendance.
Morris cited graffiti of swastikas in a tunnel left for two weeks, students being filmed and receiving death threats and academics “terrified to leave their offices”. In June, the university instructed protestors to disband their encampment, and have since enacted a strict Campus Access Policy requiring additional approval for some protests.
Jewish groups and vice chancellors will be among those to appear at the Senate inquiry today into shadow education minister Sarah Henderson’s private senator’s bill to establish a judicial inquiry into antisemitism on campuses.
Henderson said there had been a “failure of leadership” from vice chancellors who had allowed “hate and incitement to run rampant over many months”.
Key events
Lithium-ion batteries ‘fastest growing fire risk’ in NSW, says Fire and Rescue
Fire and Rescue NSW says that lithium-ion batteries are the “fastest growing fire risk” in the state.
Since 1 January this year, FRNSW says it has attended more than 210 lithium-ion battery fires where people were injured and property severely damaged, with two fatalities.
This comes as the firefighting agency says it recorded 12 preventable residential fire deaths across NSW this winter – an increase of four on last year’s fatality rate.
There were 1,001 residential fires and 105 people injured this winter according to FRNSW, who released the following data:
In 422 cases, fires broke out in kitchens, 95 in the bedroom, 79 in loungerooms and 51 in chimneys.
The leading cause of residential fires was human activity (494) followed by arson (138), undetermined causes (123), electrical faults (77) and overheating (40).
FRNSW commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell said the statistics reinforce the importance of having a working smoke alarm:
In almost half of all fires we attend each winter, there is no smoke alarm or it is not in working order. These figures are very sobering and should be a wake-up call for people to take home fire safety seriously.
Senior constable charged with allegedly supplying prohibited drugs
A police officer has been charged with allegedly supplying prohibited drugs in southern New South Wales, police said in a statement.
Following extensive inquiries, a search warrant was executed at a home in Wagga Wagga yesterday where a number of items were seized for forensic examination.
A 36-year-old male senior constable – attached to a command within the southern region – was arrested and taken to Wagga Wagga police station. He was charged with three counts of supplying prohibited drugs and knowingly dealing in proceeds of crime.
The man was granted conditional bail to appear before Wagga Wagga local court on 13 November. The man is suspended with pay and his employment status is under review.
Jewish students being singled out, spat on and ‘fearing for their safety’, inquiry told
Caitlin Cassidy
Jewish students are being singled out, spat on, removing identifiable symbols and “fearing for their safety”, a Senate inquiry has heard.
President of the Australasian Union of Jewish Students, Noah Loven (AUJS), told the inquiry into antisemitism on campuses that the current situation was “untenable”.
We are in a crisis and this crisis has gone on for far too long. Some have stepped up but others have allowed this hate to fester … letting Jewish students fend for themselves.
Loven said not all criticism of Israel was antisemitic but “some undeniably crosses the line”.
We fully support the right to protest but when protests glorify violence against Jews, insult or harass them, deface campuses with swastikas, it crosses a line.
Associate Professor Efrat Eilam, from the Australian Academic Alliance against Antisemitism, said staff and students were being subjugated to a “Jewish cancel culture”.
The two bodies have backed a judicial inquiry, with the AUJS noting the situation had become “politicised” and a unified response was necessary to draw a line.
The inquiry has received more than 600 submissions, with some Jewish community members citing antisemitism and others noting heightened levels of Islamophobia and expressing concern over conflation with antisemitism and criticism of Israel.
University of Sydney one of ‘worst places’ to be Jewish student, Senate inquiry told
Caitlin Cassidy
The University of Sydney is one of the “worst places” to be a Jewish student, a Senate inquiry has heard.
Asked about management’s response to an ongoing pro-Palestine encampment, national vice president of the Australasian Union of Jewish Students, Zachary Morris, said the university was “one of the worst places” to be a Jewish student, adding the vice chancellor had “failed his students”.
We have tried repeatedly to engage, after the first meeting his chief of staff had to apologise for his behaviour as soon as he left the office … The issue is no longer with what is happening with students, the issue is with how the administration has responded.
If it was just about flags we wouldn’t be here … there’s a marked reduction in attendance.
Morris cited graffiti of swastikas in a tunnel left for two weeks, students being filmed and receiving death threats and academics “terrified to leave their offices”. In June, the university instructed protestors to disband their encampment, and have since enacted a strict Campus Access Policy requiring additional approval for some protests.
Jewish groups and vice chancellors will be among those to appear at the Senate inquiry today into shadow education minister Sarah Henderson’s private senator’s bill to establish a judicial inquiry into antisemitism on campuses.
Henderson said there had been a “failure of leadership” from vice chancellors who had allowed “hate and incitement to run rampant over many months”.
Here’s a look at today’s weather forecasts across the country, thanks to the Bureau of Meteorology:
Portable wi-fi stations to support disaster-hit communities in NSW
The NSW government is rolling out portable tech to deliver back-up internet connectivity during natural disasters, AAP reports, so communities and emergency responders can stay connected.
The technology includes trailer-mounted, solar-powered satellite internet stations that can provide wi-fi coverage to a roughly 500 metre radius. There are four portable connectivity units on the way that can be combined to cover a larger area.
The units will also be available in Service NSW disaster recovery centres, alongside a satellite-equipped vehicle so the agency can set up temporary offices with internet access.
The supplied connectivity will also be handy for contacting family members, applying for government support and lodging insurance claims after disaster events.
The government is investing about $5m in the new technology, which will be delivered this summer.
Rishworth questioned on calls for total ban on gambling advertising
Moving to calls for a total ban on gambling advertising, Amanda Rishworth was asked why the government won’t accept this recommendation.
She said the government has “introduced bet stop [and] activity statements”, so are “looking at the evidence of what actually makes a difference”.
Now, when it comes to the late Peta Murphy’s report, we’re of course working through those recommendations. 21 of those recommendations have really significant interactions or require co-governance with states and territories, and I’m working with my state and territory colleagues about how we progress many of these recommendations.
So, this is a joint effort. But to suggest we haven’t been doing anything is just not right. We have taken the most significant action.
What about comments from health experts that banning gambling ads would go further to tackle the scourge of problem gambling and help families? Rishworth said “we’re looking at that recommendation very closely” and repeated that she was working with state and territory colleagues.
Asked when a decision on this is expected, she repeated a similar answer:
We’re working through all the issues. I continue to talk with my state and territory colleagues, and we’ll keep working on this.
Rishworth defends jobseeker increase
Asked if the government should do more to increase JobSeeker – going up roughly a dollar to $56 a day, still well below the Henderson poverty line – Amanda Rishworth said:
In terms of those on the lowest incomes, we’re very focused on supporting those people. Many people on JobSeeker will also get Commonwealth rent assistance. They will also benefit from our freeze to medicines, will benefit two years in a row from our $300 discount on energy bills.
So, these are a suite of measures. We’ll always look at where we can better support people. Part of that is making sure that we do every budget look at what we can budget for. At the same time as making sure we’re not adding to the inflation challenge. That’s the balance we’re doing.
Amanda Rishworth questioned on increase to rent assistance
The minister for social services, Amanda Rishworth, was also on ABC News Breakfast to discuss the increase to jobseeker and rent assistance from today.
She was asked about those comments from Dr Cassandra Goldie (see earlier posts) that while extra money is welcome for people receiving government payments, rent increases for a single person is only $1.64 a day.
Is that enough? Rishworth responded:
Obviously it’s a 12% increase in the support of rent assistance on those maximum rates. But since we’ve had come to government, people have had $2,000 on average extra in rent assistance for those receiving commonwealth rent assistance.
The minister said this “helped to drive down rents across the board” and is “not the only measure”.
Free weekend trains in Sydney in bid to support football finals amid industrial action
Sydney’s business community is pleading with rail workers to call off industrial action ahead of meetings to confirm travel arrangements for this weekend’s footy finals, AAP reports.
The Rail, Tram and Bus Union failed to reach a breakthrough in emergency talks with the NSW government and threatened to not provide the extra services needed for a marquee weekend of sport.
In Sydney there are NRL and AFL finals – including the Swans’ sold-out game against Port Adelaide at the SCG – and the Bledisloe Cup rugby union fixture.
The state’s transport minister Jo Haylen says trains will be free on the weekend, a concession to the union hoped to allow for timetable changes so special event services can run. She told ABC Radio today:
One of the bans that the union has put in place is around altering the timetable, so that means no ability for Sydney Trains to run those special event services.
[The union and Sydney Trains] are meeting now and we’re hopeful that given we have opened the gates … that we will be able to insert those special event services to get people out to Sydney Olympic Park.
Acoss wants jobseeker lifted to same rate as pension
Q: I know you’ve been pressuring the government on the jobseeker front for many years now. What ideally would you like to see the figure increased to, per week?
Acoss CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie said:
We have consistently said that payment needs to go up to the same rate as the pension, so it would go from $56 per day now to $82 per day.
This is a modest increase. It was recommended that we get a substantial increase to jobseeker … repeatedly by the independent Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee which was created by the Labor government.
Very generous tax cuts were delivered for people on higher incomes, and here we are today with again a couple of dollars extra for people who are on the pension and jobseeker – just $1 extra per day to cover very serious increases in costs.
