Key events
SA premier says state contacted Optus about outage before company reached out
Peter Malinauskas, the premier of South Australia, said he was bewildered by the lack of communication between Optus and the state government during a triple-zero outage last week that may be linked to multiple deaths.
Malinauskas spoke to RN Breakfast, saying there was “genuine concern” about what led to the outage:
When people call triple-zero in their time of the need, it’s just one of those services you need to work. …
It’s the way you respond to it that often matters so much. And that’s where Optus has been found wanting, to put it mildly. The lack of communication between Optus officials and appropriate government authorities is bewildering.
Malinauskas said ambulance services and police both noticed a drop-off in the number of calls before the state contacted Optus, rather than the company telling officials of the outage.
As far as I can tell, it was the South Australian government that alerted Optus to there being a problem, rather than the other way around. …
Now, the duty is on Optus to let authorities know that there’s a problem, if they indeed are aware of one. And it turns out they were, as early as a few hours before that. So that with and of itself raises very serious questions that we expect to be examined through an independent investigation.
Converted ebikes will be banned on NSW rail network
The NSW government announced a ban on converted ebikes on the state rail network, saying the risk of lithium-ion battery fires was too great.
Beginning 1 November, the converted ebikes – defined as regular pedal bikes that have been fitted with batteries and motors – will be barred from Sydney Trains, NSW Trainlink and Metro services. Anyone who brings one of the devices onboard could be fined between $400 and $1,110, a comparable offence to bringing a petrol-powered device on a train or railway service.
The ban does not apply to travel on concourses, lifts, escalators or in storage facilities outside fare gates, and riders passing through community access gates won’t be affected.
Other ebikes, shared ebikes and mobility devices will not be affected, but Transport NSW said it would continue to monitor all incidents involving them “closely”.
John Graham, the NSW minister for transport, said:
The overwhelming message from the consultation was that banning all ebikes from trains would go too far. Taking out the highest risk ebikes is a sensible and balanced step, but we will watch this space very closely and take further action if necessary.
Matt Kean says emissions reduction a clear growth opportunity for Australia, ‘not a drag’
Matt Kean, the chair of the Climate Change Authority, said the emissions reduction target set by the government last week would not be a “drag” on the Australian economy, adding the country needed to “get on” with plans to slash emissions and build out renewable energy sources.
Kean spoke with RN Breakfast about the government’s 62% to 70% reduction target over 2005 levels and the need for renewable energy capacity:
We need to get on with it, and we’re going to need everything, everywhere, all at once. We’re going to need batteries, we’re going to need wind, we’re going to need offshore wind, we’re going to need storage … and we’re going to need new transmission lines.
Kean was also asked about opposition leader Sussan Ley’s criticism that the targets would be too costly. He rejected that assertion, saying:
The clear and undeniable truth is that against the backdrop of falling emissions that we’ve recommended, 62% to 70%, there is a net benefit to the Australian economy. There is a clear economic growth opportunity here, not a drag for the economy, and we should get on and do it because it’s in our national interest. …
A 62% to 70% fall in emissions is an economic growth opportunity for Australia, not a drag.
Tom McIlroy
PM meets with King Abdullah II of Jordan
Anthony Albanese met with King Abdullah II of Jordan in New York overnight, part of a major diplomatic push ahead of the UN general assembly.
The prime minister and the king discussed the Israel-Gaza war and other security issues in the Middle East, hours after Australia formally recognised Palestine as a state.
It’s the start of a big week for Albanese, who announced the recognition move with the foreign minister, Penny Wong, outside the United Nations headquarters in downtown Manhattan.
Australia acted in concert with similar declarations by prime ministers Keir Starmer of the UK and Mark Carney of Canada and ahead of a major conference on the two-state solution, hosted by France and Saudi Arabia. Albanese told the travelling media pack:
Australia is a longstanding supporter of a two-state solution as the only pathway to a secure and prosperous future for Israelis and Palestinians alike.
We recognise the legitimate and long held aspirations of the people of Palestine of a state of their own, and in doing so, we reaffirm Australia’s longstanding position of two-states, the state of Israel and the state of Palestine, living side by side behind internationally recognised borders in peace and security.
Albanese played down concerns that the US could retaliate against Australia for recognising Palestine, a move opposed by the president, Donald Trump.
No meeting between the pair has been confirmed yet this week, but the Australian side remains eager to secure face-to-face talks.
Netanyahu warns Australia to ‘stand by’ for response after recognition of Palestinian state
Tom McIlroy
Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has lashed Australia’s decision to recognise Palestinian statehood, warning leaders the moves reward terrorism by Hamas.
Anthony Albanese is at the United Nations this week, working alongside the leaders of France, Britain and Canada.
In a statement on Monday morning, Australian time, Netanyahu warned Albanese and other world leaders to “stand by” for his response. He said:
There will be no Palestinian state. The response to the latest attempt to force upon us a terror state in the heart of our land will be given after my return from the United States.
I have a clear message to those leaders who are recognising a Palestinian state after the horrendous 7 October massacre: You are rewarding terror with an enormous prize. And I have another message for you: It’s not going to happen.
There will be no Palestinian state to the west of the Jordan River.
For years I have prevented the creation of that terror state, against tremendous pressure, both domestic and from abroad.
We have done this with determination and with astute statesmanship. Moreover, we have doubled the Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria, and we will continue on this path.
The response to the latest attempt to force upon us a terror state in the heart of our land will be given after my return from the United States. Stand by.
Good morning
Good morning, and happy Monday. Nick Visser here to get the day rolling. Here’s what’s on deck.
Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has issued a warning after Australia formally recognised a Palestinian state, alongside the UK and Canada. The Israeli leader said Australia should “stand by” for his response, with Netanyahu adding other nations were “rewarding terror with an enormous prize” with the move.
Some ebikes will be banned from Sydney trains, NSW Trainlink and Sydney Metro services from 1 November due to the risk of lithium-ion battery fires, the state’s transport minister announced today. The ban encompasses so-called “converted e-bikes”, classified as pedal bikes that have been fitted with batteries and motors. Other ebikes and mobility devices will not be affected.
We’ll be following any further updates from Optus after the company’s CEO said established processes were not involved when an upgrade to its infrastructure sparked a triple-zero outage that may have cost at least three lives.
And there’s more to come.
