Australia news LIVE: Federal seat of North Sydney abolished; Defence Minister strips medals from ADF officers

Good morning, I’m Nick Newling, and I’ll be taking over the live blog’s coverage of this morning’s national news.

If you are still catching up on today’s events, the top stories are:

• Labor will no longer include criminal penalties for seriously vilifying minority groups from its upcoming hate crimes bill.

• Anti-war demonstrators have vowed to continue to protest at a Melbourne military expo after a day of violent clashes in which members of the group pelted police with horse manure, rocks, eggs, beer bottles, tomatoes, canned food and a mild acid.

• Nine chief executive Mike Sneesby will depart the company at the end of September after 3½ years in the role.

Early Childhood Education Minister Anne Aly says more laws do not necessarily change behaviour, as anti-war demonstrators threw projectiles at police in Melbourne yesterday.

Police estimate about 1500 protesters attended a rally against a Melbourne military expo, as 42 people were arrested and 22 were charged and bailed, while 27 police officers required medical attention.

Aly told ABC Radio National it is important to foster a culture of civil debate.

“I’m of the belief that laws don’t … necessarily change behaviour and that you know, really, societal change and cultural change is what changes behaviour,” she said.

“Laws can do only so much really, we need to be a country that fosters civil debate, fosters our democracy, fosters the ability for people to agree or disagree civilly … without that moving into violence or hatred.

“I think we need laws to protect people, yes, but we also need to foster a culture of civil debate.“

Independent senator David Pocock says the government has not done anything to curb political advertising and that he has serious concerns about the misinformation bill.

Last week, Pocock posted a fake video to X showing Prime Minister Anthony Albanese falsely announcing a full ban on gambling advertisements.

Pocock used the video to advocate for laws to ban the technology when it comes to elections.

Speaking on ABC Radio National this morning, Pocock said when it comes to elections Australia will be seeing a “far more nefarious use of generative AI” if it is not banned before the federal election.

“This is a threat to our democracy and I would love to see the government, the opposition, the parliament, actually prioritise protecting our democracy and saying this new technology cannot be used when it comes to elections,” he said.

Asked if Pocock would consider using the upcoming Senate inquiry into the government’s misinformation bill to try to include a ban on AI technology during the election, the independent senator said he will try anything.

“I’ll use any avenue I can, because I think our democracy is so precious and it is worth protecting and the parliament should be proactive,” he said.

“Obviously, this misinformation bill, when it was first sort of released as an exposure draft, I have serious concerns about how you regulate misinformation in a country that doesn’t have a Human Rights Act or some sort of broad overarching act when it comes to freedom of expression, so I think this is a very delicate thing.”

Nine chief executive Mike Sneesby will depart the company at the end of September after 3½ years in the role.

The company informed the ASX on Thursday morning that Sneesby will step down as CEO and a director of the board, with chief financial officer Matt Stanton appointed interim chief executive. Stanton will also lead the search for a successor.

Sneesby said it has been a privilege leading Nine, but added that it was now the right time for new leadership.

“I take great pride in the achievements of the Company during my time as CEO and thank the Board, the leadership team and everyone at Nine for their support during my tenure,” Sneesby said.

Nine is the publisher of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, and also owns the Nine Network, commercial radio stations 2GB and 3AW, as well as streaming service Stan, Domain and The Australian Financial Review.

You can read the full report here.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has dropped plans to introduce changes to his planned overhaul of the Reserve Bank board, which were aimed at winning support from the Coalition.

Instead, the treasurer revealed any amendments to his proposals would effectively depend on negotiations in the Senate and with the Greens.

This week, shadow treasurer Angus Taylor revealed the Coalition would not back the reforms, the most important of which is the creation of a specialist interest rate-setting committee.

The committee, recommended by an independent review of the RBA, would bring the bank into line with other central banks around the world. The review found the current structure had contributed to “shortcomings” in its decisions, with senior staff unable to be challenged by part-time board members.

Taylor accused Chalmers of trying to “sack and stack” the monetary policy committee and ruled out supporting the reforms even if all concessions demanded by the Coalition were supported.

Chalmers told the House of Representatives that while he still believed a bipartisan approach to the RBA was the best outcome, he would not amend his proposals in line with what he had previously indicated to the Coalition.

“Instead, we are considering our options and considering next steps,” he said.

Chalmers also confirmed that working with the Greens may be the only way to get the reforms through the parliament.

“We anticipate that we will have to move amendments in the Senate to secure further support,” he said.

“It is not our preference to accommodate the Greens but the Coalition may force our hand.

“The government is committed to strengthening the independent Reserve Bank in an increasingly complex and changing world.”

The Greens have indicated support for two key changes – retention of the power of the government of the day to overrule Reserve Bank decisions and an obscure power that allows the bank to direct the use of credit.

Both powers, in place since 1959, have never been used. Chalmers had already agreed to retain the overruling power as part of his negotiations with the Coalition.

Anti-gambling advocate Tim Costello says Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is parroting the lines of the gambling industry, similar to how US politicians take on the lines of the National Rifle Association.

Yesterday during question time, Albanese said advocates like Costello don’t just want a full ban on advertising, but a ban on gambling entirely.

Speaking on ABC Radio National this morning, Costello said he was incredibly disappointed with Albanese.

“I’m very disappointed that Albo knows exactly my view. In 30 years of advocating reform, I have never been a prohibitionist,” Costello said.

“I’m actually saddened for Albo. He should be better than that … he knows exactly what my position is, it’s for reform [of] gambling ads.”

Costello accused Albanese of “mindlessly repeating the industry’s statements” and when asked if Albanese is taking on the lines of the gambling industry similar to how US politicians take on the lines of the NRA, he agreed.

“I really am, and that’s what’s sad. I’ve said for a long time, the blind spot in America is guns, the blind spot in Australia, when the rest of the world looks at us, is gambling with the greatest gambling losses,” he said.

It’s the image of a little boy in a Spider-Man suit that no Australian will ever forget.

William Tyrell, just three years old, disappeared from his foster grandmother’s home in Kendall NSW 10 years ago today.

His body was never found, and investigators have little hope he will ever be found alive.

A coronial inquest into William’s disappearance will resume in NSW later this year. Despite a renewed push by investigators in 2021, no one has been charged in connection with his disappearance.

The only person to be found guilty of an offence connected to the case was former lead investigator Gary Jubelin, who secretly recorded an interview with a suspect without the person’s knowledge.

In an interview with Today on Nine, Jubelin said he hasn’t given up hope that the case could be solved.

“It saddens me that an investigation that I promised to the families that I would do everything humanly possible to get justice and sadly I can’t help them in the position I am now, and I feel like I’ve let the families down,” Jubelin said.

“I always believe that the case is solvable.”

Anti-war demonstrators are expected to return to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre to protest a military expo, one day after their rally descended into a violent clash with police.

More traffic chaos is expected today, with the road remaining closed from the Spencer and Flinders Street intersection to the corner of Clarendon Road and City Road in Southbank.

The convention centre is also blocked off, with dozens of police stationed outside as attendees arrived on Thursday.

Shortly before 8am, one silent protester was stationed outside the convention centre with waiting police and media.

The Police Association of Victoria blasted Wednesday’s scenes as “some of the most violent” protests officers have seen in decades.

“And since the World Economic Forum, we haven’t seen people bring this, for no apparent reason, to the police,” union boss Wayne Gatt told 3AW Breakfast on Thursday morning.

“That’s confronting when you hear that from such experienced police officers who do demonstrations and deal with peaceful protest and protest pretty much as their day job.”

Gatt said Wednesday’s turnout was “overwhelmingly” people looking for a fight rather than standing for a cause, and any cause was lost in their actions.

“They wouldn’t be coming with their faces covered. They wouldn’t be coming with goggles on. They wouldn’t be coming armed with weapons, rocks, bottles and the like, [or] liquid to throw at the police,” Gatt said.