TRANSCRIPT:
- The PM caught on camera joking with US representative about halving the cost of the Pacific policing initiative...
- Head of Australia's biggest bank says impacts of interest rate hikes are being unevenly felt across economy...
- Three Australian tennis champions crash out on day three of the US Open.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been caught on camera joking with the US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell about going halves on the cost of the Pacific Policing Initiative.
The video was filmed at a media event at the Pacific Islands Forum, the evening after Australia announced it has secured support for the policing initiative that it will commit $400 million to establishing.
The US is not part of the Pacific Islands Forum, but is attempting to curb China's influence in the area.
The video, filmed by Radio New Zealand, shows Mr Campbell and Mr Albanese speaking to each other.
"CAMPBELL: We're making our way through the Pacific, you know.
ALBANESE: Well, we had a cracker today, getting the Pacific policing initiative...
CAMPBELL: That's fantastic that you're doing this.
ALBANESE: It is so important, and it'll make such a difference.
CAMPBELL: It's a great thing. And I talked with Kevin about it, and so, you know, we were going to do something, and he asked us not to. So we did not. We've given you the lane. Take the lane.
ALBANESE: You can go us halvies on the cost if you like. It'll cost you a bit.
CONROY: Come on, Lydia."
The video ends with Minister for the Pacific Pat Conroy addressing RadioNZ journalist Lydia Lewis who filmed and uploaded the clip.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the journalist who captured his conversation with US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell should "think about their own ethics".
The moment was captured at an event open to media at the Pacific Islands Forum on Wednesday night.
Mr Albanese told journalists that it was a friendly, private, conversation.
"ALBANESE: The video is what it is. Someone, you know, it's up to them, to whoever did that, to think about their own ethics when it comes to journalism. It was a private conversation. It was a jovial conversation, and a friendly one –you know, it is what it is. People try and read something into it, you must be pretty bored, frankly.
JOURNALIST: It was on the plenary floor, it was open to media.
PRIME MINISTER: You must be pretty bored. Journalists tend to identify themselves, are professionals. I hope that you do."
Kiwi journalist Lydia Lewis has responded, saying "I was just filming and taking photos from my story”.
The New South Wales government has pledged its support for all recommendations from a world-first birth trauma inquiry.
This was the first Parliamentary Inquiry into Birth Trauma in the world, and received over 4000 submissions.
Research has shown that up to 1 in 3 Australian women experience birth trauma, and 1 in 10 Australia women have experienced obstetric violence.
Sharon Settecasse from Better Births Illawarra said their organisation supported thousands of women to share their stories, and want commitments made by the New South Wales Health Minister to be urgently implemented across the state.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton has reiterated his trust in the Coalition's nuclear energy proposal, as Australia's peak energy market manager said the government's new energy sources must be built on time to avoid critical supply gaps.
The 2024 August report found that the federal and state government programs for additional renewable energy and transmission developments would provide sufficient generation to meet frowing demand over the next 10 years if delivered on time and in full.
But Opposition leader Peter Dutton says nuclear energy is the best approach if the government is looking to shut down coal and gas energy sources.
"Nuclear is a zero emissions technology. You can look at the capital cost over 60 to 80 year period, whereas with a wind turbine it's about 19 years. So you've got three or four life cycles for wind turbines compared to the life cycle of a reactor, and we know that 19 of the top 20 economies in the world are using or have signed up to nuclear power for those reasons. The only one economy that hasn't signed up to it is Australia."
Under the plan, seven nuclear reactors would be built on the sites of retiring, or retired, coal-fired power plants across five states.
The Albanese government has condemned the plan, saying it will destroy jobs and lead to higher power prices.
The head of Australia's biggest bank says the impacts of interest rate hikes and stubborn inflation are being unevenly felt across the economy.
Commonwealth Bank chief executive Matt Comyn told a parliamentary committee into the big four banks that many Australians were experiencing "extreme shocks".
While he said the broader economy was "fundamentally sound", cost-of-living concerns were affecting the bank's customers.
And in tennis,
Three Australian tennis champions have crashed out on day three of the US Open.
Rinky Hijikata was no match for Grigor Dimitrov, suffering a 6-1 6-1 7-6 thrashing at the hands of the Bulgarian ninth seed to bow out in the second round.
Former women's quarter-finalist Ajla Tomljanovic and 18-year-old qualifier Maya Joint were also eliminated on day three at Flushing Meadows.
With 10 players making the second round, Australia's bumper 20-strong contingent had made their brightest start to the Open in 45 years.
