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Albanese pays tribute to Richardson's 'rogue's charm' in Sydney eulogy
Prime minister Anthony Albanese is delivering a eulogy at the state funeral for Graham Richardson in Sydney.
The PM said:
[There’s] no escaping the fact that Graham’s life was very colourful. [With a] rogue’s charm and an instinctive capacity to disarm.
It’s no secret that he played his politics hard, very hard.
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Dan Jervis-Bardy
Telstra knew of triple zero death the same day
Telstra was aware a person had died after failing to connect to triple zero on the day it occurred - but did not directly raise it with the communications minister, Anika Wells, in two subsequent meetings.
The chief executive of Telstra, Vicki Brady, gave the explosive evidence while fronting an parliamentary inquiry into the triple zero network in Canberra on Tuesday.
Earlier on Tuesday, TPG Telecom boss Iñaki Berroeta revealed a person in Wentworth Falls, New South Wales, had died on 24 September after their incompatible Samsung device was unable to connect to the triple zero network.
Berroeta said TPG only learnt of the death on Monday after it was notified by Telstra, which operates the emergency call system.
The death occurred while Wells was in New York prompting the government’s social media ban, the $94,000 travel bill for which has ignited a controversy about her expenses.
Fronting the committee, Brady revealed NSW Ambulance emailed Telstra on the morning of 24 September to advise them that a person who had failed to connect to the network had died.
The committee heard that Telstra contacted the federal communications department on the day of the incident and provided the ambulance service with details for the Australian Communications and Media Authority (AMCA).
Cait Kelly
Jobseekers losing payments due to service provider errors
The Commonwealth Ombudsman’s second report into the system designed to penalise jobseekers has found employment services providers are making large-scale errors that penalise jobseekers, with little oversight for the department.
In August, the ombudsman found 964 jobseekers had their payments unlawfully cancelled between April 2022 and July 2024 by the automated IT system that underpins the “mutual obligations” framework.
Now, the final report has found that job providers are setting unrealistic targets, with a three-month study from this year showing 51% of jobseekers are not capable of meeting them.
The Ombudsman also found that providers are not meeting requirements to record proper information about a person’s full circumstances, leading to wrongful cancellation and suspension decisions. On top of this, it also found that DEWR and Services Australia’s strategy to remediate job seekers affected by unlawful income support payment cancellations is not fair or reasonable.
Josh Taylor
Bluesky brings in age assurance in Australia
X alternative platform Bluesky has said it has brought age assurance measures to Australia, despite the platform not currently being named as needing to comply with the under-16s social media ban.
In a post on Tuesday, the company said:
We’ve upgraded our age assurance system to comply with upcoming laws in Australia and other regions, and to restore access to people over 18 in Mississippi.
The eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, told Senate estimates last week Bluesky had been assessed as being “low risk” due to there being approximately just 50,000 Australians on the platform, and very few young people.
But the regulator is mindful that teens may migrate to platforms not currently included in the ban after tomorrow, and more may be added as time goes on.
Bluesky said that from 10 December it will require new users to complete age assurance using Kids Web Services. Users 18 or over will have full access to the platform, and users who are between 16 and 18 will not be able to access adult content such as pornography on the platform.
Andrew Messenger
Brisbane City Council to vote on AirBnB tax proposal today
The local law would only apply to less than 500 dwellings let on the short stay market, in low density areas of the city. There were about 4000 properties in the market at last count, the BCC said, which is about 1% of the city’s available housing stock.
Under the local law owners would be required to get a development approval before listing their properties on the short-term market and pay a fee.
The council said the law would respond to reported concerns by neighbours of short stay residences about security, overcrowding, noise levels, disruptive and anti-social behaviour, damage to shared or common areas, parking availability, increased insurance costs; and cleanliness of common areas.
The police “ensures the amenity of residents in the vicinity of short stay accommodation is safeguarded,” a council document attached the new proposed local law reads.
It also “requires that a contact person be nominated to manage all complaints related to short term accommodation bookings and activities, which must be available for contacting 24 hours a day, 7 days a week”.
The local law will go to public consultation before going to a final vote and taking effect next year.
Marles reflects on Richardson’s mentorship and love for Labor party
Defence minister Richard Marles reflected on Richardson’s mentorship during prepared remarks earlier during the state funeral. He said they connected in the aftermath of the Rudd and Gillard governments, saying:
Before long we were speaking together often. … As I faced the kind of difficult situations, which are really the bread and butter of politics, Graham was always there with advice.
He was so encouraging about taking the difficult steps necessary to get the job done. … I was just one of many people who was the beneficiary of his mentorship. And so it is absolutely right to say that Graham’s mark lives on in the current generation of Labor politicians.
Marles said Richardson didn’t need to help as he was already a “giant” of politics, but did so out of his love for the country.
[His actions were a] demonstration for how much he loved the Labor party, how much he cared about Australia. And for those of us who were the beneficiaries of his advice … he cared about us. Graham Richardson was a man with a big heart. …
Graham, you were magnificent, and mate, I will miss you very much.
Benita Kolovos
Victoria Greens say it is important to ‘talk about what we are saying sorry for’
Greens leader, Ellen Sandell, has told parliament her party is supporting the apology motion but stressed it was important to “talk about what we are saying sorry for”.
She says since colonisation there have been “swift, brutal and systematic” attempts to “wipe out Aboriginal people, to wipe out their culture, their language, their children and their future” and lists several of the 50 massacres that are recorded across Victoria:
And that is why today we say sorry.
Sandell says it would be “negligent to ignore” the fact the apology comes just a week after the Victorian government passed laws to uplift serious crimes committed by children as young as 14 from the children’s court to adult courts.
She says this will have a “disproportionate impact on First Nations children”, as the bail law changes have led to a rise in First Nations women being remanded in custody.
Sandell says:
Looking back now on Victoria’s true history – back to the actions of people in the 1800s, the 1900s, I believe most of us in this place would be horrified and say ‘people should have known better. Right now, we cannot deny it, we do know better. I fear that in 10 or 20 years time a new parliament, filled with new people, will have to stand in this exact place and apologise again, for policies enacted this year, that governments knew would destroy more First Nations peoples lives.
Benita Kolovos
Victoria opposition leader speaks on apology motion
Jess Wilson, the Victorian opposition leader, says while her party will not support the apology motion, they are sorry for the past laws and policies that have hurt Aboriginal Victorians. She says:
To all Aboriginal Victorians listening today, I say this plainly. I see the injustice in our history. I see the disadvantage that still exists today, and I am determined that we must do better. We accept that this parliament and government’s past have authored laws and policies that have hurt and caused injustice and disadvantage to Aboriginal Victorians, and for that, we say sorry.
She says while today is a “historic day” it is not unprecedented, citing Liberal premier Jeff Kennett’s 1997 apology to the Stolen Generations.
She says that unlike today’s motion, the apology in 1997 was brought forward by “both sides of parliament, with Premier Kennett working in collaboration with then opposition leader John Brumby on a form of words, both sides of the house could endorse.” Wilson goes on:
I want to emphasise that the difference in approach between the Coalition and the government represent a policy disagreement on the most effective method to achieve meaningful outcomes and improvements for indigenous Victorians. They do not represent a disagreement on the need to achieve these outcomes and improvements.
She says if elected next year, she wants to work with Rueben Berg and Ngarra Murray, the co-chairs of the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria, to address disadvantages and create opportunities for Indigenous Victorians. Wilson says:
Noel Pearson speaks of the three great threads of our shared Australian story – our rich Indigenous heritage, our significant British inheritance and our incredible migrant success story – all three strands are worthy of acknowledgement, of celebration, but in acknowledging that, we must also acknowledge the significant disadvantage still confronted by our First Peoples and commit together to addressing it. My appeal to all Victorians is simple and goes to the love of this great country and how we as a nation have always prized a fair go. The continued disadvantage of our Aboriginal people diminishes us all. And on behalf of the Liberal and the s coalition, I commit to addressing it if elected in 2026.
Mourners include Alan Jones, Tony Abbott and Tanya Plibersek
A slate of notable mourners are in attendance at the funeral today.
Albanese says Richardson akin to a Sydney landmark like the Harbour Bridge
Albanese said Richardson was a “master” at forging “unlikely friendships”, saying he was as comfortable in the “circles of the powerful, the famous and the wealthy” as he was being a grandfather.
“He was nearly as much a Sydney landmark is the Harbour Bridge,” Albanese said. “He loved and lived all of what politics can be.”
“I extend my deepest sympathies on behalf of the nation, to all who loved him.”
Victoria premier delivers state apology to First Nations people
Benita Kolovos
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, is delivering an apology to First Peoples in parliament, acknowledging the “past laws, policies and practices that have contributed to systematic injustice for First Peoples”. She says:
Decisions made in this parliament over its long history have long denied the First Peoples of this land their rights and their self determination. Today, this parliament becomes a place of reckoning, and that reckoning has meaning for all of us who call Victoria home, we acknowledge the harm inflicted on generations of First Peoples and mark the beginning of a new era, one that embraces truth, honors justice and creates space for a shared future built in full view of the past.
Allan outlines the many separate harms caused by colonisation – laws that “took land, removed children, broke families and tried to erase culture”, “violence committed under the banner of the state and the colony”, destruction of sacred sites and forced removals to missions and reserves – and says “we say sorry” for each of them. She says:
From today, our hope is that your descendants and all Victorians hear these truths and move forward together in the knowledge of your legacies. We offer this apology with open minds, open eyes and open hearts. We know that words alone are not enough. This is why the State of Victoria has pursued treaty to create the enduring change that must follow. Let this be one act, one act among the many, that honors the truth and upholds justice.
Albanese pays tribute to Richardson's 'rogue's charm' in Sydney eulogy
Prime minister Anthony Albanese is delivering a eulogy at the state funeral for Graham Richardson in Sydney.
The PM said:
[There’s] no escaping the fact that Graham’s life was very colourful. [With a] rogue’s charm and an instinctive capacity to disarm.
It’s no secret that he played his politics hard, very hard.
Benita Kolovos
Victoria premier responds to opposition’s apology stance
The premier, Jacinta Allan, responded to the opposition’s decision not to support the apology motion. She says Jess Wilson “will forever be remembered for turning her back on the opportunity to join across the parliament to apologise for the past, because that is how we lay the foundations for the future”.
Allan went on:
It is absolutely unfathomable for the Liberal party to claim today the word treaty should be disassociated with this apology. You can only make this apology as a parliament, as a state, because you’ve acknowledged the truth of the past.
She accused Wilson of being “controlled by the extreme right wing of her party”, which the Liberal leader disputed.
Wilson responded:
It’s really disappointing from the premier that she’s decided to divide Victorians today, rather than working with us on a bipartisan motion. We only need to go back to the first apology in this place by Jeff Kennett to see how that could be done in a meaningful way.
Allan also disputed a report in the Herald Sun, which suggested reparations would be a part of the treaty. She said the documents the Herald Sun article were based upon were from a briefing provided to former leader Daniel Andrews prior to treaty negotiations beginning.
Allan said:
They were briefings from a different time. We have undertaken a respectful negotiations process … reparations are not part of the full treaty program.
Some photos from inside the state funeral for Graham Richardson
Old politicos and media heavyweights gather for Graham Richardson’s funeral
Anne Davies
Today’s state funeral for Graham Richardson is a gathering of the old political and media class.
Among the arrivals: Mike Gallagher who was NSW police minister in the O’Farrell government, Bob Hawke’s widow Blanche d’Alpuget, Ros Packer, widow of Kerry, and Kaila Murnain, a former ALP state secretary.
Media figures attending included Janine Perrett (whose career spans The Australian, Nine, News Ltd, Sky and the ABC) and Sky CEO, Paul Whittaker.
Former NSW premier, Bob Carr, and a host of former and current NSW ministers were also seen arriving.
Benita Kolovos
Vic opposition won’t support apology to First Nations people
The Victorian opposition will not be supporting the apology. Their spokesperson for Aboriginal affairs, Melina Bath, has told reporters it is “symbolic” and “divisive”, as it mentions the treaty.
But, as the premier mentioned at her press conference, the apology was a commitment as part of the state’s treaty negotiations.
Bath went on:
The apology – as written by the premier and provided to us last night at 5pm, speaks to the need for action and the importance of treaty. Clearly, the premier knew that this type of apology would not be palatable for the Liberals and s.
At a separate press conference, Liberal leader, Jess Wilson, echoed this argument:
We have a difference of position on the treaty that is well known and unfortunately, the government has not put forward a motion that we cannot support, despite that fact we understand the importance of the apology today … I’ll be speaking to that in the chamber and acknowledging the past hurts. But unfortunately, the government has chosen to politicise this rather than working with us.
While Bath suggested Coalition MPs may not be in the chamber for the apology, Wilson later clarified they would be but would not be supporting the motion.
Victorian government prepares to deliver apology to First Nations people
Benita Kolovos
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, and minister for treaty and First Peoples, Natalie Hutchins, held a press conference this morning ahead of a state apology to be delivered in parliament this morning to First Peoples.
The apology, which acknowledges the impacts upon First Peoples since colonisation, was a key recommendation of the Yoorrook Justice Commission and was a commitment of the state’s treaty - the nation’s first.
Allan says:
To move forward into the new treaty era, to move forward acknowledging the truth, to move forward in unity and partnership, an apology is necessary. An apology that acknowledges the past but it’s also part of building that stronger, better future ... It’s about changing the practices of the past that haven’t closed the gap, that haven’t addressed the injustices that have held so many First Peoples back from the opportunities others have had.
Hutchins says the apology is far broader than one delivered by former premier Jeff Kennett in 1997 to the Stolen Generation:
Our apology today is around acknowledging the findings that have come through Yoorrook, the injustices that have happened caused by government policy time and time again and have had huge effects on our First Nations Peoples, things like being denied the ability to speak language after settlement, being connected to land, being connected to traditional owner groups, they’re very significant matters that have continued to affect many generations. We heard stories throughout Yoorrook of Aboriginal women not being able to give birth inside Victorian hospitals and giving birth on the verandahs of those hospitals, of servicemen returning from service and beating being treated in their communities with disregard. These are the things that we are apologising for and acknowledging today, and they should not be underestimated.
