Australia news live: conservation group lashes Coalition promise to fast-track decision on expanding Woodside gas project

Dutton defends move for referendum to deport dual citizenships

On his proposal for a referendum to allow ministers to deport dual citizens, a reporter asked whether voters may view this as being aligned too closely with Donald Trump?

Peter Dutton said no, and spoke of his time as minister for home affairs:

I cancelled visas of about 6000 people who were non-citizens … They were people who were involved in terrorist activities. They were people who are involved in outlaw motorcycle gangs, who are probably the most evil networks of criminal enterprise in our country. And I cancelled those visas, and it made our country a safer place …

I want a mandate from the Australian people to be able to implement the laws which are necessary to keep us safe. The prime minister dismisses it as a thought bubble.

Multiple Coalition MPs have said this is not an official policy – Josh Butler has put together a timeline of the various comments made on this:

Key events

Henry Belot

Dutton says letters targeting exiled Hong Kong dissidents in Australia ‘deeply concerning’

The opposition leader Peter Dutton has described the delivery of letters and pamphlets targeting two exiled Hong Kong pro-democracy advocates living in Australia as “deeply concerning”.

On Monday, Guardian Australia revealed Ted Hui and Kevin Yam were both subjects of anonymous letters and pamphlets that were mailed from Chinese-controlled territories. It is not clear who created and posted the material, which the Australian government has condemned.

Detail from the bogus pamphlet about former Hong Kong democracy activist Ted Hui that was sent to Adelaide mosques. Photograph: Henry Belot/The Guardian

Both Hui and Yam, along with the federal government and human rights groups, believe the letters were designed to intimidate and scare the men, who are wanted by Hong Kong authorities for allegedly breaching a controversial national security law.

The foreign minister, Penny Wong, has also raised concerns about the letters and has pledged to discuss them with officials from Hong Kong and China.

Dutton has now commented on the targeted letters and called on the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, to provide an update on the issue:

I am very worried about this. I think the prime minister should provide a national update in relation to what action, if any, the government has taken.

I think it is deeply concerning where a foreign power is trying to influence somebody here in Australia. It is against Australian law.

Every effort should be made by the Albanese government to deal with the issue, and to deal with it promptly. I think the prime minister owes an explanation to the Australian public and we hope it is provided soon rather than later.

Josh Butler

Liberal candidate rubbishes referendum idea at press conference alongside Taylor

The Liberal candidate for a crucial Tasmanian seat has waved away the Coalition’s idea for a referendum on stripping citizenship from dual nationals, telling a press conference – alongside shadow treasurer Angus Taylor – that “nobody’s talking about this” in his electorate.

As we reported yesterday, there was some split opinions in the Coalition about Peter Dutton’s referendum idea, with many MPs in favour but some raising major concerns – and several saying the idea hadn’t been discussed in either the Nationals nor Liberals party rooms.

Taylor was in Braddon, a battleground seat in Tasmania, this morning with the Liberal candidate Mal Hingston. It’s held by the Coalition, but current member Gavin Pearce is not standing again, and Labor desperately wants to win it.

Taylor, asked about the referendum idea, said:

We’ve said we’d consider all options. We’ve been absolutely clear on that throughout.

Hingston was asked about the idea too, and whether anyone in his electorate had been talking to him about such a constitutional change. His response, according to a transcript from Taylor’s office:

No, they’re not. People in Braddon are talking about access to health and health services, and they’re talking about cost of living. Nobody’s talking about this here. But I am supportive of anything that’s going to keep Braddon members safe and secure, and give them that sense of security. So, you know, I’m open to these conversations, but it’s not a hot topic at the moment.

So we have an idea how the referendum idea is going down in battleground seats, at least.

Dutton rejects claim pre-approval of gas project would be legal risk

Peter Dutton also rejected the claim that flagging his pre-approval would be a legal risk, and told reporters:

No, I don’t think we see that risk at all. There’s already a national interest test within the act now, [the environment minister] Tanya Plibersek just chooses not to use it – again, because this is not about environmental concerns, this is about political gain.

And Tanya Plibersek is stopping the gas extension from going ahead in WA, and [independent MP for Curtin] Kate Chaney is urging her to stop it, because they’re more worried about green votes than they are about jobs within the mining sector here in Western Australia.

Dutton promises ‘approval’ of North West Shelf project in 30 days if elected

Just back to some more of the comments Peter Dutton made around Woodside’s North West Shelf gas project:

He argued that the Western Australian economy “cannot survive, manufacturing cannot survive, electricity cannot be produced, without gas in the system.”

I’m seeking a mandate from the Australian people, in particular from the people of Western Australia, to make sure can keep mining going and keep investments and approval processes flowing because without it, there are no jobs. And if we shut down the WA economy as Tanya Plibersek is trying to do than it would be devastating not just for this local economy but for our national economy as well.

The Coalition has promised to fast-track the decision on the project – but Dutton implied he is going to approve it, saying “we will make sure that this approval is arrived at in 30 days.”

If we’re elected, which will strongly support the WA mining sector, we will make sure that projects are approved in a timely way.

Peter Dutton. Photograph: Nadir Kinani/AAP

Dutton says only Coalition will make ‘people hear we are the best country in the world’

A reporter asked about the Coalition’s intention to add a question on antisemitism in the citizenship test – would it be an automatic fail if people get it wrong?

Peter Dutton did not answer directly, but answered:

We should make it clear that when people come here to our country, we want people to adhere to the rule of law, and we want people to be treated equally who are already here in our country [and] not to be discriminated against because of their religion or because of their skin colour or because of their religious affiliation or because of their political affiliation.

I think it’s time for us to assert our values and make sure that people hear very clearly that not only are we in the best country in the world, we’re going to make sure that that’s the case into the future, and we can only do that if there is a Coalition government elected after the election.

With that, the press conference wrapped up.

Dutton defends move for referendum to deport dual citizenships

On his proposal for a referendum to allow ministers to deport dual citizens, a reporter asked whether voters may view this as being aligned too closely with Donald Trump?

Peter Dutton said no, and spoke of his time as minister for home affairs:

I cancelled visas of about 6000 people who were non-citizens … They were people who were involved in terrorist activities. They were people who are involved in outlaw motorcycle gangs, who are probably the most evil networks of criminal enterprise in our country. And I cancelled those visas, and it made our country a safer place …

I want a mandate from the Australian people to be able to implement the laws which are necessary to keep us safe. The prime minister dismisses it as a thought bubble.

Multiple Coalition MPs have said this is not an official policy – Josh Butler has put together a timeline of the various comments made on this:

Dutton asked if gas has more prominent role than nuclear under Coalition plan

A reporter has asked if this move by the Coalition is an admission that gas has a more prominent role to play in energy than nuclear under its plan.

(David Littleproud weighed in on this earlier today, which you can read here.)

Peter Dutton says:

This is an announcement by us today which recognises that, yes, under our plan, nuclear is 44% cheaper than the government’s renewables-only policy, but in the interim, we can bring down prices if we increase the gas supply.

Dutton takes aim at Labor over energy bill relief promise

Peter Dutton also took aim at the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, for promising “on 97 occasions” to deliver a $275 price reduction on people’s electricity bills.

The pledge was first made before Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Dutton told the media just now:

Almost at the end of this terrible term of government, the treasurer refuses to even mention that [$275]. So how could you believe anything that Jim Chalmers says going into the next election if they didn’t deliver on their last promises? How can you believe them on the promises that they’re making this time around?

Dutton addressing media in WA

The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, is holding a press conference in Western Australia.

He is announcing the Coalition is promising to fast-track a decision on Woodside’s North West Shelf gas extension if it wins the upcoming federal election.

He accused the environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, as being the “minister for no mining”, and said:

Why would they destroy jobs and economic activity in WA? Because they want to chase green votes in inner-city Sydney and Melbourne. And I think West Australians are smart enough to realise that they’re being duped by a prime minister who is no Mark McGowan, no Roger Cook, and frankly, he’s a prime minister that is against mining and is against agriculture and is against development.

Watch and act for Charters Towers amid rising river heights

Just following on from the previous post, an emergency watch and act alert has been issued for Charters Towers due to rising river heights at Charters Towers Weir.

Residents have been advised to prepare for level 5 water restrictions, should the river continue to rise.

Heavy rainfall warning issued for parts of north Queensland

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning of heavy rainfall for parts of north Queensland.

The BoM says it will be a continuation of heavy showers and a few thunderstorms about the coast and ranges of the Herbert and Lower Burdekin district. Six-hourly rainfall totals of between 100mm and 160mm are possible, with isolated totals of 190mm possible.

Conditions are set to ease during Wednesday afternoon.

Locations which may be affected include Ayr, Giru, Alva Beach, Woodstock and Clare.

Up to 211mm of rain has already been recorded in the six hours to 8.18am at Apjohn St, Horseshoe Bay.

Lehrmann inquiry head Walter Sofronoff engaged in ‘serious corrupt conduct’, review finds

Former Queensland judge Walter Sofronoff engaged in “serious corrupt conduct”, the ACT Integrity Commission has found, after reviewing his inquiry into the prosecution of Bruce Lehrmann.

The commission released a report on Wednesday into Sofronoff’s conduct as a Board of Inquiry into the prosecution.

It found that “Sofronoff’s conduct fell within several elements of the definition of ‘corrupt conduct’”, through his disclosures to two journalists: Janet Albrechtsen at The Australian newspaper and Elizabeth Byrne at the ABC.

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