Australia news LIVE: PM offers 30 more Bushmasters to Ukraine at NATO; Voice to parliament debate continues

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  • Indo-Pacific tensions highlight need for ties with Australia: European Commission president
  • This morning’s headlines at a glance
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Former judge slams robo-debt sealed section

A former top judge and integrity campaigner says the names of those referred for possible prosecution over the robo-debt royal commission findings should be revealed, and argues the secrecy of the report’s sealed section has created a block on open justice.

Anthony Whealy, KC, a former NSW Supreme Court judge and the chair of the Centre for Public Integrity, is one of two top legal figures who say the risk of prejudicing future proceedings is trumped by the right to know who had been referred to various agencies, including the corruption watchdog.

Anthony Whealy, a former NSW Supreme Court judge and chair of The Centre for Public Integrity, says the sealed section of the robo-debt report should be revealed.Credit: Peter Rae

“It’s better, I think, in the public interest that those people be named, and we know who they’re being referred to because I think that’s what the public is entitled to know,” Whealy said.

“Certainly, it’s a job unfinished … because the commission has the power to make referrals to various disciplinary or criminal agencies, and until we know exactly what it’s done in that regard, we don’t see the finished product, and therefore, I think, you know, there’s a certain air of dissatisfaction with that aspect of the outcome.”

Continue reading about this issue here. 

Indo-Pacific tensions highlight need for ties with Australia: European Commission president

Overseas, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen says rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific show why Australia and the European Union need to build stronger economic ties, one day after make-or-break trade talks failed to reach an agreement.

Speaking ahead of their bilateral meeting in Vilnius, Lithuania on the sidelines of the NATO summit, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reassured von der Leyen that Australia wanted to negotiate a trade deal, after talks ended in another deadlock in Brussels on Tuesday.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at NATO.Credit: Reuters

“I think it’s very important that we meet in these times because these are times where we see the shifting of the geopolitical landscape, not only the atrocious war that Russia unleashed against Ukraine in Europe but also rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific,” von der Leyen said.

“So these are times where democracies have to stand together and democracies have to stand together to deepen their friendship, their partnership, but also to strengthen their economic ties.

“It is important for us to have sound supply chains, to diversify to like-minded partners.”

Read the rest of Latika Bourke’s piece here.

This morning’s headlines at a glance

Good morning, and thanks for your company.

It’s Thursday, July 13. I’m Caroline Schelle, and I’ll be anchoring our live coverage for the first half of the day.

Here’s what you need to know before we get started:

  • Anthony Albanese has offered Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky 30 more Bushmaster armoured vehicles after the pair met on the sidelines of the NATO summit.
  • A former top judge and integrity campaigner says the names of those referred for possible prosecution over the robo-debt royal commission findings should be revealed.
  • Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe has deferred several major reforms proposed by the independent review until next year.
  • Federal Labor MP Jerome Laxale says he will not shy away from using council citizenship ceremonies to detail his reasons for voting Yes in the upcoming Voice referendum.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr on the sidelines of the NATO summit. Credit: Nine News

  • The chief executives of Australia’s largest publicly listed companies have taken a financial hit with their average take-home pay falling to its lowest in nine years.
  • In Victoria, more than 20 vulnerable children living in state care are reporting allegations of abuse each week.
  • The NSW government will review a grants scheme funded through poker machine profits after the a peak welfare body raised concerns clubs view the money as theirs “to spend as they see fit”.
  • And overseas, leading BBC anchor Huw Edwards has been named as the presenter at centre of sex photo scandal in the UK.
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