Australia news live: Bridget McKenzie confirms she received 16 free flight upgrades; man bitten in 21st K’gari dingo incident this year

Bridget McKenzie discloses 16 flight upgrades

Josh Butler

The s senator has just disclosed 16 flight upgrades on Qantas and Virgin flights going back to 2015, which she had failed to declare over the last four parliamentary terms.

As we brought you earlier, the opposition transport spokesperson had found more than a dozen instances where she had not disclosed flight upgrades as required by parliamentary rules on her register of interests. Her office had been expected to update the register after she had run a self-audit of her own travel schedule – and that update has now come, showing 16 flight upgrades, including five personal trips to or from New Zealand.

s senator Bridget McKenzie. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

We are awaiting a statement from her office, but we understand McKenzie will stress that none of the upgrades were specifically requested by her, and that several of them came due to her membership of Virgin’s elite airline lounge club, or her Qantas frequent flyer status.

However we understand also that five trips between Australia and New Zealand – one in 2016, four in 2018 – were personal trips.

McKenzie’s update to the register, which has just arrived on the parliament’s website, shows two Qantas flight upgrades in July and August 2024 which she said was due to her frequent flyer status. Just last week, McKenzie told Sky News: “I’ve never sought one [a flight upgrade] … I haven’t been offered one.”

The update also shows seven Virgin flight upgrades between 2015 and 2019, which she said were “provided within membership of Virgin ‘the club’ allocation’”.

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Scott Morrison says there is “no doubt it’s a Trump victory”.

Speaking with the ABC, the former PM said Donald Trump would be a positive force for global security.

This was a very difficult climb for the Democrats and vice president Harris. Then you have Donald Trump, who is like unlike any other politician you will ever come across, and I can say that with some experience having dealt with both President Trump and President Biden.

I think what he brings now is an assertiveness and a strength to the role, which I think will have a very positive impact on global security issues … That means getting in a position of strength and then getting the right outcome, the idea of just fighting to fight tomorrow with no real intent or resource to fight to win – that isn’t a good outcome for global peace and a good resolution in Ukraine, either. I think that is a recipe for calamity. I think President Trump will bring a fresh take on that. And frankly, we need a few fresh takes on some of these challenges, whether it’s there, or in the Middle East.

Bridget McKenzie discloses 16 flight upgrades

The s senator has just disclosed 16 flight upgrades on Qantas and Virgin flights going back to 2015, which she had failed to declare over the last four parliamentary terms.

As we brought you earlier, the opposition transport spokesperson had found more than a dozen instances where she had not disclosed flight upgrades as required by parliamentary rules on her register of interests. Her office had been expected to update the register after she had run a self-audit of her own travel schedule – and that update has now come, showing 16 flight upgrades, including five personal trips to or from New Zealand.

We are awaiting a statement from her office, but we understand McKenzie will stress that none of the upgrades were specifically requested by her, and that several of them came due to her membership of Virgin’s elite airline lounge club, or her Qantas frequent flyer status.

However we understand also that five trips between Australia and New Zealand – one in 2016, four in 2018 – were personal trips.

McKenzie’s update to the register, which has just arrived on the parliament’s website, shows two Qantas flight upgrades in July and August 2024 which she said was due to her frequent flyer status. Just last week, McKenzie told Sky News: “I’ve never sought one [a flight upgrade] … I haven’t been offered one.”

The update also shows seven Virgin flight upgrades between 2015 and 2019, which she said were “provided within membership of Virgin ‘the club’ allocation’”.

NSW Police investigate body found in car in Sydney’s south

New South Wales Police said emergency services were called to Durham Street, Hurstville, at about 5:15 on Tuesday after reports of a concern for welfare.

Officers found a dead woman in the passenger seat of a vehicle, the police said in a statement a short time ago.

The woman, who is yet to be formally identified, is believed to be aged in her 40s.

Police established an investigation into the incident and a 46-year-old man was arrested at a home at short time later.

He was charged with contravening an AVO, taking and driving conveyance without consent of owner, Drive whilst Disqualified second offence and breach of bail. No charges have been laid over the woman’s death.

He was refused bail and appeared in local court today, where he was refused bail to reappear on 19 November.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.

Police seek information on alleged fraudsters posing as psychics

Police are re-appealing for information as investigations continue into alleged fraudsters who posed as psychics.

New South Wales Police said Strike Force Recycling was established in July 2024 to investigate after a number of people reported they had paid money to people claiming to be psychics.

Police said a woman, 48, and a man, 50, were arrested on 8 August. Both remain before the courts.

Police appealed to identify a third woman they believe may be able to assist with inquiries. They said she had a Mediterranean appearance, was believed to be aged in her 40s, about 150cm tall, had a large build and spoke with a Romanian accent.

At about 9:30am today, police executed a search warrant at a storage unit in Victoria Ave, Chatswood.

Police said that during the search, officers seized antique statues, an antique sword, crystal ball and second world war collectors’ memorabilia, including a suitcase and a firearm magazine.

Anyone with information about the woman is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.

US Democrats in Australia ‘know the drop is coming’

Nervous hope is mixing with anticipatory dread among Americans watching the US election results come in at the Kent St Hotel in Sydney.

Emily, who is visiting Sydney, says the energy has shifted at US election watch party, hosted by Democrats Abroad.

At midday, “it was buzzing,” she says. “Like before a really fun concert starts, something anticipatory.”

But I think the reality is starting to set in.

It is a little bit like dread, holding your breath. It’s like when you are on a rollercoaster, you know the drop is coming.

Job providers accused of harassing jobseekers over payslips

The government is investigating four job providers for regularly harassing jobseekers for payslip information.

Earlier this year a Guardian Australia investigation found providers regularly harass jobseekers to get payslip information.

Under questions from Senator Penny Allman-Payne, the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations said the department has started investigating providers, which it would complete by mid-November. It could not name the four providers until it was finished.

Deputy Security Tania Rishniw:

One of the things that we have done now in terms of payslips is we have a specific line in terms of the customer service line that any complaint about payslips automatically gets referred to our complaints team, to be looked at, to be investigated, to make sure that those complaints are taken seriously.

We’ve updated guidelines for providers that make it absolutely clear that there are consequences.

Australia’s red centre is roasting

A large swathe of inland Australia is sweltering today, with five states forecast to hit 44C.

Thargomindah in Queensland and White Cliffs in New South Wales surpassed that, both reaching 45.1C.

Meanwhile, thunderstorms are on their way for almost all of NSW:

Greens call for ban on MPs getting free flight upgrades

The Greens say federal parliament should implement “a blanket ban on MPs requesting or accepting free flight upgrades”, which they want to apply to both personal and work travel.

The party’s transport spokesperson, Elizabeth Watson-Brown, claimed the move would restore trust and integrity in how politicians deal with the aviation sector.

“Banning free flight upgrades would help curb any potentially inappropriate behaviour from MPs and prevent airlines from wielding undue influence over political decisions,” she said in a statement.

Watson-Brown said it was “completely understandable for people to be questioning Qantas’ relationship with the very same MPs and Ministers that regulate them.”

In a cost-of-living crisis that’s seeing people across the country struggle to pay for food and rent, MPs on generous salaries don’t need to be getting freebies when they travel.

Man bitten by dingo on K’gari

Rangers have increased patrols and warned visitors to be vigilant after Sunday’s attack, which marked the 21st dingo incident at K’gari, formerly Fraser Island, in 2024, AAP reports.

The man was walking from his car to a picnic area at Lake McKenzie when a tagged female dingo suddenly ran at him from behind, rangers say.

The dingo bit the man on the right calf, causing a minor puncture wound. The dingo retreated when he turned around and kicked sand at it.

Rangers responded quickly and “observed the dingo continuing to walk around the car park and loiter close to vehicles and people for about an hour before it returned to the bush,” Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service senior ranger Linda Behrendorff said.

A four-year-old girl was flown to hospital after she was bitten on the chest while a group was fishing on the island, north of Brisbane, in August.

Behrendorff said visitors should only use fenced picnic areas when eating or preparing food and should not take food or drinks to the lake’s shores.

“Visitors and residents are also reminded to remain vigilant of their surroundings at all times, keep children within arm’s length, never walk alone and carry a stick at all times,” Behrendorff said.

Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour has previously called on the Queensland government to consider restricting families to camp inside fenced areas on K’gari after a rise in incidents.

A quarter of job providers underperforming

The department of employment and workplace relations is up in senate estimates where the discussion is focusing on the performance results of providers.

Job providers receive millions of dollars in public funding to help jobseekers get into work.

The most recent data has shown 44 providers out of 178 received a low-performance rating. Low means providers are “not meeting the department’s expectations”.

In comparison, just 15 received a high performance.

NSW Libertarian party’s US election function in full swing

In his Uncle Sam outfit and sneakers, Jim Sternhell is one of the more colourful characters among the crowd at the US election watch party in New South Wales parliament.

Increasingly excited attenders at the pro-Trump crowd have sought out Sternhell for selfies as the results roll in.

The state’s Libertarian party, hosting the event, has already called the election for Trump, but Sternhell is not yet as optimistic, fearing election interference by the Democratic party:

There’s a whole array of tricks they can do both before, during and after.

The dentist and One Nation member has only a tangential connection to the US, spending four months in Arizona as a boy and with one of his daughters now living in the US, but he’s concerned about the election because of what it means for climate change – which he says is a hoax.

Sternhell, who is mulling running for office in his local electorate of Wentworth in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, has popped up in his distinctive outfit at past rallies for Trump and the Conservative Political Action Conference. He’s also a regular attender at anti-climate action rallies and protests against what he describes as “anti-radical Islam”.

Tony Burke addresses high court ruling on ex-immigration detainee monitoring

The minister for home affairs has responded to the high court’s decision to quash the Albanese government’s ankle bracelet and curfew regime for former immigration detainees.

In a statement released a short time ago, Burke indicated he intended fix the problem:

The Australian government is taking immediate steps to protect community safety following the high court’s ruling in the YBFZ case.

Regulations are now being finalised that will allow for an adjusted process for electronic monitoring devices and curfews to be used. I will sign off on these regulations later today.

Tomorrow I will introduce new legislation to support those regulations. The legislation will also strengthen the government’s power to remove people who have had their visas cancelled to third countries.

The government has also boosted personnel and resources for Operation Aegis in order to keep the community safe. The number of officers has been increased by 66%.

The government imposed strict conditions on the NZYQ cohort because community safety is our top priority.

We argued strongly in the high court to keep electronic monitoring and curfews in place.

The court’s decision is not the one the government wanted – but it is one the government has prepared for.

Burke closed by once again assuring the public that the “security and safety of the Australian community will always be the absolute priority for this government.”

Body found in search for boy swept out to sea in NSW

The body of a boy, believed to be that of the 11-year-old who was swept out to sea on New South Wales’ Central Coast on Sunday, has been found.

A short time ago, NSW Police released a statement:

A body, believed to be that of a boy missing at The Entrance, has been located today.

About 5.15pm on Sunday, emergency services responded to reports a child had been swept into the ocean while attempting to cross The Entrance Channel.

An extensive multi-agency search for the missing boy was subsequently conducted, with ongoing taskings continuing today.

About 2.30pm today, emergency services were called to The Entrance following reports a body had been located in the water.

While the body is yet to be formally identified, it is believed to be that of the missing boy.

The boy had been visiting the Central Coast from Sydney with his father and three siblings.

The police said a report will be prepared for the Coroner.

Despite no official election outcome as of yet, New South Wales Libertarian MP John Ruddick has declared Donald Trump has won the US election, getting cheers from the 50 or so attenders at his watch party in state parliament:

The NSW Libertarian party is going to make history around the world. We are calling this election for Donald Trump. Donald Trump has won. And I can say this is the greatest comeback in history since the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Ruddick told the crowd he hoped to hear from “president-elect Trump” soon and asked:

Do we want to continue to watch Fox [News] or do we want to watch them cry on CNN?

The crowd cheered as the results for the key swing state Georgia, where Trump is now leading 51%, appeared on screen – a CNN presenter said the count in some states would not be completed today and would continue tomorrow, drawing some boos and shouts of: “That’s a steal!”

Thank you, as ever, Tory Shepherd. Let’s get straight on with the rest of the day’s (non-US election) news…

I’m going to leave you with Daisy Dumas for the rest of the afternoon. I may need a shower, some white noise (read: wine), and some dog time after that QT. See you tomorrow!

Question time wraps up

That’s another question time over, and it had the scrappy feeling of the last day of school. But it’s not! It’s back on tomorrow, then there are two more sitting weeks before the end of the year.

Labor ‘considering a whole range of possible reforms’ on childcare, Chalmers says

The independent MP Kylea Tink is asking the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, about abolishing the activity test for childcare.

Chalmers says:

We are big believers in the social and economic value of early childhood education and care. We see it as a gamechanger for families, and for the economy more broadly … we are considering a whole range of possible reforms as part of our commitment to try to get the system as close as we can to something which is a bit more universal.

He says early childhood education and care has been “at the very core of our agenda”, that the government has invested in cheaper childcare and lifted subsidies.

“We’re also delivering a 15% pay rise for our early childhood educators,” he says.