Australia news live: Zali Steggall condemns ‘scaremongering’ over voice detail; Daniel Andrews claims Liberals ‘a nasty, bigoted outfit’ | Australia news

A historian whose research confirmed a celebrated Wollongong resident worked for the Nazi intelligence apparatus and may have been involved in war crimes says he is confident in his identification but unsure about the extent of his crimes.

Bronius “Bob” Sredersas donated 141 artworks, including paintings, wood carvings and ceramics to the Wollongong Art Gallery before his death 1982.

In April last year research by Sydney Jewish Museum’s resident historian Emeritus Professor Konrad Kwiet validated previous work by councillor Michael Samaras which identified Sredersas as a Nazi collaborator in Lithuania.

Kwiet worked as the chief historian with a special investigations unit set up under the Hawke government to prosecute suspected war criminals in Australia.

During a speech at the Wollongong Art Gallery on Saturday, Kwiet said the passage of time, fragmented documents spread between archives across Europe and an attempt to cover up the truth will make connecting Sredersas to a war crime difficult.

The Australian legislation prescribes a criminal proceeding of murder.

So someone must have murdered and for that you need a living witness to testify he or she committed murder.

We don’t have that in his case.

Kwiet said he was confident in his identification of Sredersas but on the available evidence, were he alive today, would likely face prosecution as an accessory to murder.

NSW Jewish Board of Deputies chief executive Darren Bark said on Sunday that Kwiet’s latest findings “come at a time of rising right-wing extremism and neo-Nazi presence across our country”.

In recent weeks we have seen shocking neo-Nazi displays on the steps of Victoria’s parliament, as well as reports of students continuing to perform the Hitler salute in Sydney schools.

The Bob Sredersas story is a unique opportunity to inform the Wollongong and border community about the horrors of the Holocaust and where racism, hate speech and discrimination can ultimately lead.

Sredersas’ background was first uncovered by Wollongong councillor Michael Samaras, but his concerns were initially ignored. Paul Daley, writing in Guardian Australia, brought attention to the claims.

For more on this story, read the Guardian’s previous reporting.

‘Recovery of the Liberal party starts here’: John Pesutto

Pesutto says he knows the path to rebuilding will be hard but he is “determined to get us there”.

Pesutto says he does not know what is being said by his colleagues, but reform of the party is necessary.

What I will say is that every bit of information that came to me about Aston was that it was a federal byelection, on local issues.

Victorian Liberal opposition leader John Pesutto is speaking live in Melbourne now and says that he is “well aware” that the party must reform in order to secure its future.

I’m reaching out to diverse communities across Victoria, I’m travelling to various parts of the state that haven’t seen a Liberal MP in years and I’m saying we’re here for you.

For me, I’m past talking about it. I’m here for you.

Pesutto says the Liberal candidate in Aston was a “good candidate” and he hopes to see her in government “some day”.

‘I would like to be able to access impartial advice’: Steggall backs voice

Study subsidy for nurses, rural doctors to stay in NSW

Young doctors in the NSW regions will be among thousands of healthcare students eligible for a $12,000 scholarship if they commit to working in the state’s public health system for five years.

With 2,000 scholarships a year, the government initiative is aimed at slowing the number of young graduates dropping out of the NSW healthcare workforce.

The program will support up to 850 nurses; 400 doctors, with a focus on regional and rural interns; 150 midwives and a host of other workers including paramedics and physiotherapists, the NSW government announced on Sunday.

Those who have already begun their studies will also be recognised under a transitionary arrangement. Some 2,000 students will be eligible for a one-off payment of $8,000 upon their graduation.

Premier Chris Minns said in a statement that he had “spoke to paramedics and nurses”.

I’ve spoken to paramedics and nurses about what it is really like in our emergency wards – every day, every night and on every shift – they’re not just tired, they’re exhausted and they’re leaving. I’m determined to turn that around.

The scholarships begin in 2024.

– AAP

Labor’s $10bn housing fund revived

Labor’s flagship multibillion dollar housing fund could be revived later this year after a federal government minister vowed to push on with negotiations.

Legislation to set up the fund was rejected by the Senate crossbench, forcing the government to back away from its plan to get it passed during last week’s parliamentary session.

Industry minister Ed Husic is adamant the government has not given up and is still focused on tackling housing affordability.

Making homes available to low-income earners, being able to help others secure accommodation … the housing affordability future fund is a big part of that.

We will work with other parliamentarians, with the Greens and the crossbench, if they are willing to do so.

Husic declined to make predictions about the future of the fund.

I’d actually wait until we get close to putting it (before the Senate) before seeing what the actual result is.

The $10bn Housing Australia Future Fund would finance the construction of 30,000 social and affordable rental homes over five years.

The Greens withheld their vote, arguing it didn’t go far enough to alleviate soaring rents and the party is pushing for a national rent freeze.

Anthony Albanese said last week a national rent freeze was impossible, branding the idea as “pixie dust”.

Independent ACT senator David Pocock is also holding out for a larger commitment from Labor.

Jacqui Lambie Network senator Tammy Tyrrell said the sticking point for her vote was the lack of a commitment from Labor that 1,200 of the new homes would be built in Tasmania.

The government needed the support of the Greens plus two crossbenchers for the housing fund legislation to pass.

The opposition says the fund will be inflationary and put pressure on the budget when restraint is needed.

Parliament will next sit in May for the federal budget.

– AAP

With the NSW Labor government looking to be elected on a minority, they will need to negotiate with the 12 members of the crossbench.

Here are the key policies of NSW Labor, Greens and independents on climate:

NSW Labor:

• Jihad Dib expected to be named NSW minister for energy and climate change and says the No 1 priority is to “keep the lights on”.

• Clean energy target of 50% renewable energy by 2030 and close as possible to 100% by 2050.

• Pass new laws for carbon emissions reduction targets of 50% by 2030, net zero by 2050.

• Set up Net Zero Commission to monitor and review energy prices, progress and impact on jobs and industry.

• Create state-owned NSW Energy Security Corporation, a $1bn body to attract private investors to bankroll renewables projects.

• Continue the Coalition’s $1.2bn transmission acceleration fund.

• New $25m hydrogen vocational training centre in Glenwood to reskill workers and train new apprentices.

NSW Greens:

• NSW Energy Transition Authority with at least $500m annually to support communities and workers.

• Establish PowerNSW, a publicly-owned nonprofit electricity company to reduce power bills.

• Invest in publicly-owned renewable energy generation projects.

• Tackle energy poverty with a rollout of household efficiency upgrades.

• Get 1m homes off gas over six years and ban gas connections on new builds from 1 July 2024.

• Increase coal royalties to share industry profits.

• Phase out existing coal and gas projects, along with coal-fired power stations, by 2030 to avoid worst climate outcomes.

• Ban new coal and gas projects, including Santos Narrabri gas project.

Independents:

• Stop coal seam gas development on Liverpool Plains, including Narrabri.

• Require climate impact statement for every new coal and gas project or expansion.

• All projects must have climate impacts considered before approval.

• Give communities the right to test merits of projects in land and environment court.

• Reduce cost of living by accelerating transition to renewable energy and permanently cheaper power bills.

– AAP

Continuing vote counting in NSW hands two wins to Liberal party

Ongoing vote counting in the New South Wales election has handed two wins to the Liberal party on Saturday dashing Labor’s hopes of reaching a 47-seat majority.

Projections show the Liberal party will retain the Central Coast electorate of Terrigal and the south-west Sydney seat of Holsworthy, while Liberal Jordan Lane has eked out a 0.25% margin in the north-west Sydney seat of Ryde.

Should Lane hold on in Ryde, the Coalition will claim 36 seats and Labor 45 – a reversal of what each side held going into the March election.

Meanwhile in the federal byelection for Aston, a bump in the postal votes for the Liberals hasn’t been enough to close the lead held by Labor.

‘Nasty, bigoted outfit’: Andrews says Coalition out of touch after Aston loss

Things are getting tense – essentially this all comes down to very different views of accountability and transparency. Andrews is attempting to argue that his decision was pragmatic and based on what he thought the media ought to see – for instance he is suggesting that reporters want to interview Chinese officials, which is a bit of sleight of hand.

For the reporters, on the other hand, the issue is one of principle: this isn’t about interviewing Chinese officials, this is about whether there were witnesses on the trip to answer basic questions. Were their meetings on the sidelines? Who was Andrews actually meeting with? What were people in the delegation saying? Why does a premier get to decide what is newsworthy for the media?

And then there is also some of the usual nonsense when it comes to Daniel Andrews that’s been flying around corners of the internet – suggestions that somehow Andrews may have divided loyalties – which has been turbocharged by geopolitical events.

Naturally, they get muddled up. Andrews is trying to hose down the conspiracy theories, but it’s also a look at how the Victorian premier views the media.

Andrews is asked about his counterpart, WA premier Mark McGowan who is planning his own trip to China and how he is, notably, bringing media along.

When you travel to China, you don’t get to interview any of the people I would meet with. That’s just how it works. I’m not saying it was a good thing, or not. I’ve done more press conferences then most. Some of them can be very, very lengthy. I try to answer any questions you have for me.

The notion that if you’d been there you’d be able to have a long chat or a long chat with the people I met with, that’s never happened.

Follow-up questions about the decision not to bring media that would be able to report who Andrews met with and how it went.

This is not about me. It’s not about you. It’s about Victoria.

Andrews says it was his call to make to bring media and that he felt it was not appropriate. It was “back to back meetings” and “we weren’t signing deals”.

More questions now about the message or “edicts” Chinese officials may have sent, via Andrews, about relations with Australia.

Andrews says he can’t answer that – he didn’t meet the foreign minister or anyone who would have authority and he won’t comment on trade matters before the WTO.

But Andrews says that if he is being asked about how he thinks the Chinese view Australia, he says it’s positive.

There is a degree of trust, a degree of respect and we’re in a good place to do business with.

You heard it here first: Daniel Andrews is all business.