Angus Taylor doubles down on call for ‘principled commitment’ to Taiwan security
The shadow defence minister, Angus Taylor, has repeated his calls for Australia to make a “principled commitment” opposing the invasion of Taiwan, saying his statements this week were consistent with the status quo of peace between China and its neighbour.
Taylor had previously said Australia should make “principled commitments” and be “prepared to act” to defend Taiwan from invasion.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, refused to make advance commitments to join a conflict in Taiwan while visiting China this week.
Speaking to the ABC this afternoon, Taylor repeated his comments, linking Australia’s policy to its relationship with the US, which he said was committed to opposing an invasion of Taiwan.
What you can do is make principled commitments. The US has said very clearly that they will not stand for a conflict under this governments watch ….
We want to see that right across our region, across the Indo-Pacific. We’re not to achieve that. Unless we have alliances like we have with the United States. They deliver. They are invested in. They are nurtured.
Taylor rebuffed repeated questions over whether he had been calling for Australia to make a new commitment to defend Taiwan and denied there was inconsistency between his view and the Coalition’s support for peace in the island.
Making a commitment as a nation to the status quo … includes, of course, peace in the Taiwan Strait and the security of Taiwan.
Key events
Labor frontbencher shoots down lowering voting age
An Albanese government minister has said Labor is “not open” to changing the voting age after the United Kingdom announced it would allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote by the time of the next general election.
The UK Labour government said it would be fairer for older teenagers, many of whom already work and are able to serve in the military.
Matt Thistlethwaite, Australia’s assistant minister for immigration, said the Albanese government would not be considering following suit. He told the ABC:
We are not open to it at the moment, it is not our policy. It’s not our policy to lower the voting age.
Thistlethwaite said Australia had achieved a record level of enrolment of young voters at 2025’s election but said the UK proposal was still “interesting”:
I think a lot of nations would be looking up what the United Kingdom is exploring doing and see how it does. … It is good to see young voices heard.
Josh Taylor
Qantas has told the NSW supreme court the alleged hackers of its customer data have identified themselves as a specific threat actor group, but the company has suppressed the name of the group.
As part of the court injunction obtained by Qantas against the release of information obtained from the hack of 5.7m customer records we reported earlier, the court ordered documents Qantas has filed to the court to be made available to the media which gives a little more insight into the hack.
The heavily-redacted documents include an affidavit from a Qantas employee outlining that the alleged cybercriminals had self-identified as a certain “threat actor group” but the name of the group was redacted from the documents, and Qantas sought from the court that the name of the group and the potential motivations of the group be redacted.
It is understood that the tactics used in obtaining the data were similar to the group Scattered Spider, but neither Qantas nor the federal government has confirmed this.
The documents also contain emails from the alleged cybercriminals to Qantas where they supplied sample data to the company, and also initially gave the company 72 hours to respond – to what demands is unclear as that is also redacted.
That deadline passed, but Qantas indicated it had subsequently continued to communicate with the alleged hackers. As of now there is still no sign that the data has been posted on the dark web.
Angus Taylor doubles down on call for ‘principled commitment’ to Taiwan security
The shadow defence minister, Angus Taylor, has repeated his calls for Australia to make a “principled commitment” opposing the invasion of Taiwan, saying his statements this week were consistent with the status quo of peace between China and its neighbour.
Taylor had previously said Australia should make “principled commitments” and be “prepared to act” to defend Taiwan from invasion.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, refused to make advance commitments to join a conflict in Taiwan while visiting China this week.
Speaking to the ABC this afternoon, Taylor repeated his comments, linking Australia’s policy to its relationship with the US, which he said was committed to opposing an invasion of Taiwan.
What you can do is make principled commitments. The US has said very clearly that they will not stand for a conflict under this governments watch ….
We want to see that right across our region, across the Indo-Pacific. We’re not to achieve that. Unless we have alliances like we have with the United States. They deliver. They are invested in. They are nurtured.
Taylor rebuffed repeated questions over whether he had been calling for Australia to make a new commitment to defend Taiwan and denied there was inconsistency between his view and the Coalition’s support for peace in the island.
Making a commitment as a nation to the status quo … includes, of course, peace in the Taiwan Strait and the security of Taiwan.
Former Treasury chief John Stone dies at 96
John Stone, the high-profile former Treasury secretary, has died aged 96.
Stone was a leading Australian public servant in the 1970s and 1980s, heading up the key federal government department under the Fraser and Hawke governments and working alongside treasurers John Howard and Paul Keating.
He was elected a National Party senator for Queensland in 1987 and served a three-year term. He remained a prominent commentator on Australian politics into the 21st century.
Guardian Australia understands Stone died on Thursday. The Nightly reported Stone had been diagnosed with leukaemia in recent years.
Former prime minister Tony Abbott paid tribute to Stone in a post on X. Abbott wrote:
The passing of John Stone AO leaves Australia bereft of one of its most unflinchingly courageous public intellectuals. He died yesterday, at home, with his family by his side, aged 96 …
John was perhaps our most prominent contrarian: someone who exposed the orthodoxies of the day to withering and fearless scrutiny, saying what he believed needed to be said but that almost no one else would …
John was a public servant in the truest sense: totally loyal to our country, but wanting it to be all it could be, and frank and fearless in pointing that out.
Abbott also paid tribute to Stone’s family, including his son, Andrew Stone, who served as a top economic adviser to Abbott and, more recently, to former Liberal leader Peter Dutton.
Families of children allegedly sexually abused by Joshua Dale Brown to pursue civil case against childcare giant G8 Education
Benita Kolovos
Three Melbourne families whose children were allegedly abused by accused sex offender Joshua Dale Brown are preparing to take civil legal action against G8 Education, with the first claim expected to be filed as early as next week.
Law firm Arnold Thomas & Becker has announced it is preparing three separate lawsuits against Creative Garden Early Learning Centre in Point Cook, which is operated by childcare giant G8 Education.
Police have alleged that Brown sexually abused eight children, aged between five months and two years, while employed at the centre. He has yet to enter a plea, and the case is still in the early stages of the criminal justice process.
Principal lawyer Jodie Harris said the firm would begin civil legal proceedings in the supreme court “pretty immediately”.
She said the firm had been approached by more than 250 families across the 23 centres Brown had worked in. This included three families whose children attended additional centres announced by police this week:
We are acting for three families whose children attended Milestones Early Learning Greensborough, one from Milestones Early Learning in Tarneit and one family linked to Kids Academy Waratah Estate in Mickleham.
These families, like many others, are dealing with distress and uncertainty following the revelations … Some families are unable to return to work because they can no longer entrust their children to childcare.
Dolphin carcass found on Adelaide beach amid SA’s toxic algal bloom crisis
A dolphin carcass has washed up on an Adelaide beach as the toxic algal bloom afflicting South Australia’s coast continues.
The dolphin’s body was found on Seacliff Beach, in the city’s inner south, and collected by the state’s national parks and wildlife on Thursday morning.
An autopsy would be performed to investigate the cause of death, including potential effects of algal bloom as well as the role of rough seas and storms, according to a spokesperson for the state’s Department for Environment and Water.
The deadly bloom of Karenia mikimotoi algae has devastated marine life along South Australia’s coastline since March and arrived on Adelaide’s beaches in late June. You can read more here:
As public concern deepens, the state government has increased surveillance of marine ecosystems with water sampling and patrols, expanding the number of test locations from 14 to 17 in the last fortnight.
The algal bloom had been detected at sites, including the Port River, which is home to the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary. Dolphins in the sanctuary were not believed to be at immediate risk, but water testing was continuing, the department said in a separate statement.
Luca Ittimani
Thanks to Nick Visser for taking us through today’s breaking news around the country. I’ll be with you for the rest of today.
Nick Visser
That’s all from me. Luca Ittimani will be your news guide for the rest of the day. Take care, and have a nice weekend.
Man charged over alleged theft of 53 right-footed shoes
Police have charged a Queensland man over the alleged theft of 53 right-footed shoes from a shopping centre earlier this month.
Authorities said the man, 49, allegedly entered the shopping centre in Kenmore on 7 July and removed the shoes, which had been stored in a shared commercial space.
The man has since been charged with one count of “enter premises and commit an indictable offence”. He was due to appear in court today. Det Sr Sgt Brendan Blyth said in a statement:
It’s not every day you come across a case involving the theft of 53 right shoes. While the incident may be a bit unique and different in nature, it’s a reminder that our officers take all reports seriously.
All 53 shoes have since been returned.
NSW and Victoria trial new cross-border emergency communications
A new communication system designed to help emergency officials respond to disasters that cross state borders, such as bushfires and floods, will be trialled in New South Wales and Victoria.
The trial later this year will enable first responders to switch between the states’ radio networks to better coordinate during emergencies occurring across their borders.
The new plan will enable responders to operate on the same radio network, eliminating the need to carry two radios on different channels at once. During the trial, crews’ radios will automatically connect to the local network without ever having to change devices or settings.
The NSW government said that it was an important factor in emergencies where teams from several agencies and states worked together. It added that service was essential during this year’s Tropical Cyclone Alfred, which knocked out part of Queensland’s radio infrastructure. Emergency teams were able to seamlessly use the NSW network instead during that disaster and continue their work.
Jihad Dib, the NSW minister for emergency services, said:
State borders shouldn’t be a barrier to public safety. This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to ensuring first responders have the tools to keep communities safe and connected.
150m years old and critically endangered: an assassin spider stalks its prey – video
Smoke alarm forces Qantas plane bound for Port Macquarie to return to Sydney
A Qantas plane was turned back to Sydney shortly after takeoff after a smoke alarm activated inside the aircraft.
Port Macquarie-bound Qantas flight QF2160 left Sydney airport about 8.35am today. A smoke alarm activated shortly afterwards, and while no smoke was seen inside the cabin, the plane turned around and landed in Sydney about 45 minutes later as a precaution.
All passengers on board have since been accommodated on other flights.
Greens accuse Labor of ‘toxic ties to the gas industry’ after Woodside board member invited to roundtable
A Woodside Energy board member has been invited to the federal treasurer’s ‘economic reform’ roundtable, prompting rebuke from the Greens this afternoon.
Jim Chalmers’ latest round of invitations to next month’s meeting includes Ben Wyatt, a former WA treasurer and now Woodside board member.
Steph Hodgins-May, the Greens’ spokesperson for climate and energy, said the nod showed “just how deep Labor’s toxic ties to the gas industry run”, adding the energy company had been handed “a gilded seat at the table shaping Australia’s economic future”.
Hodgins-May said:
We’ll never get serious climate action while gas giants like Woodside help write the rules, and Labor keeps the revolving door open for them.
The Labor government recently approved an extension of Woodside’s contentious North West shelf gas development. You can read more about that decision here:
Police charge alleged ‘slab stealer’ over 88 missing cartons of alcohol in Melbourne
Victoria Police have apprehended an alleged “prolific slab stealer”, saying the Melbourne man stole 88 cartons of alcohol over the last six months.
Police from Melbourne’s Bicycle Patrol allegedly saw the man walk into a bottle shop in Melbourne’s CBD on Wednesday, where he grabbed a slab and walked out without paying.
The man has allegedly stolen roughly two slabs a day during a bevy of thefts over the last six months from three Melbourne-area bottle shops.
The stolen alcohol is worth about $14,000, police allege. A slab usually contains 24 bottles or cans of alcohol.
The man, 33, has been charged with 130 counts of “shop-steal” and will appear in court on 1 August.
Graham Readfearn
This Jurassic-era relic has survived 150m years on Earth – now it’s one big fire from extinction
For the last five weeks, Jane Ogilvie has searched a patch of dense shrub shaded by sugar gums on Kangaroo Island in South Australia for a surviving relic from 150m years ago.
The only known home of the critically endangered Kangaroo Island assassin spider is in the north-west of the island, where the Jurassic-era spider hides out in moist clumps of leaf litter.
In more than a month of searches, and with just a couple more weeks to go, Ogilvie, a conservation biologist working with the charity Invertebrates Australia, and a few helpers have only found one tiny juvenile assassin.
Last year, scientists found just one mature female and six juveniles at six locations, all in a 20 sq km area that includes a block of land owned by mining billionaire Andrew Forrest.
Those same locations have come up blank this year. The spiders need the moist microclimate of the leaf litter to survive, but there’s a trifecta of threats drying out their habitat and pushing them ever closer to extinction.
Read more here:
Tasmanian election set to deliver hung parliament, survey suggests
About one in four Tasmanians have already cast their vote before an election predicted to return another hung parliament, the AAP reports.
Saturday’s poll, the second in 16 months for the state, was called after minority the Liberal premier, Jeremy Rockliff, lost a parliamentary no-confidence motion in June.
The latest opinion survey suggests the Liberals will pick up more seats than Labor, but neither will reach the 18-seat mark required for a majority.
More than 100,000 people have voted early – about a quarter of Tasmania’s 412,000 enrolled voters and an increase of 30,000 from the same point in the last campaign.
Luca Ittimani
Accused shoe thief in hospital after jumping off shopping mall railing
A man accused of stealing a pair of shoes is in hospital with a serious head injury after falling six metres as he ran from the shoe store.
The 29-year-old man entered a shop on Pitt Street in Sydney’s CBD before 4:30pm on Thursday and tried on a pair of shoes, police said.
New South Wales police allege the man then ran from the store without paying for the shoes, pursued by a staff member. He ran into a shopping mall and jumped over a railing, falling about six metres.
Paramedics treated the man for a serious head injury and took him to hospital, where he remains in a serious condition, police said. No charges have been laid.
