Key Points
- First day of pre-sentence hearings for Erin Patterson
- ACCC warns over more sophisticated scams as 108,000 reported in 2025
- Titans replace Des Hasler with Josh Hannay
TRANSCRIPT
Erin Patterson's only surviving victim has urged her to confess to killing three people at a toxic mushroom lunch in her rural Victoria home, even as he says he has forgiven her for trying to kill him.
Church pastor Ian Wilkinson has made the remarks in the Supreme Court in Melbourne on the first day of a two-day pre-sentence hearing for the murders, which Patterson has always denied.
But despite offering the olive branch, Mr Wilkinson broke down in tears as he delivered his victim impact statement, saying he only feels half alive without his wife, who died from the poisoning alongside her sister Gail Patterson and Gail's husband Don.
Patterson's estranged husband Simon Patterson also had his statement read out on his behalf, which spoke of a 'grim reality' where his children live in an irreparably broken home with only a solo parent, when almost everyone else knows their mother murdered their grandparents.
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The ACCC national anti-scam centre is warning that advances in technology are increasing the threat posed by scammers, particularly online.
Already this year, 108,000 scams and financial losses of about $175 million have been reported to the National Anti-Scam Centre’s Scamwatch service.
ACCC Deputy Chair, Catriona Lowe, says although there was a decline in the number of scam incidents reported in the past year, the number which involved financial losses, increased by 40 per cent.
"It means we're seeing a decline in what we call good Samaritan reporting. So, people that may have spotted a scam but still report the details of the scam to the Scamwatch service. It also potentially means more Australians are being caught by scams as scammers continue to be increasingly sophisticated users of technology."
This week is Scam Awareness Week and banks are using the opportunity to warn customers to be alert to deepfake Artificial Intelligence and increasingly sophisticated messages, emails and other communication designed to secure bank details.
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Independent MP Andrew Wilkie says further protections are needed to ensure government measures like the unlawful Robodebt scheme are never repeated.
Introducing a bill with the Greens, Mr Wilkie has said the government must legislate the remaining changes recommended by the Royal Commission to protect the integrity of the social security system.
The government accepted, or accepted in principle, all 56 of the recommendations from the royal commission into Robodebt, but only 28 of the findings had been fully implemented.
Mr Wilkie says the government must finish what they started.
"In particular speaker, deputy speaker, a large part of the bill aims to give effect to recommendation 10.1 that services Australia should design policies and processes with emphasis on the people they are meant to serve, and it does this by inserting within Social Security law, improved principles and duties for the secretary in administering that law."
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A new First Nations-led educational institute will be created as part of Victoria's landmark treaty process.
It comes as negotiations between the First People's Assembly and the Victorian government on a statewide treaty, are expected to be finished by the end of the year.
According to the ABC, the Assembly will be given powers to create a First Peoples Institute.
It won't be a school or university - but a higher education program aimed at addressing academic inequality.
Rueben Berg is the First People's Assembly of Victoria Co-Chair."The First Peoples' institute will be a way that we as First Peoples can build on the existing skills of our community to show all the leadership roles that will exist in the treaty era."
Victoria's Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Gabrielle Williams, says the state is very close to being the first jurisdiction in this country to sign a treaty with First Nations people.
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And in NRL, the Gold Coast Titans have announced Des Hasler will step down as head coach at the end of the NRL season and will be replaced by highly regarded Cronulla assistant Josh Hannay.
Hasler who has a year left on his contract, will be leaving after a poor performance over two seasons at the club.
Midway through the 2023 season, the Titans fired Justin Holbrook to clear the way for two-time premiership-winning mentor, Hasler, to take over.
But the Titans have won only 13 of 46 games in his charge and are last on the ladder with a fortnight to play in the regular season.
Hasler will still coach the final two games of the season.
