TRANSCRIPT
- A $230 million domestic violence prevention and support package for New South Wales.
- Whistleblower David McBride faces sentencing today.
- And in sport, Bulldogs’ midfielder Tom Liberatore under health review amid AFL drama.
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Bail law reform, homelessness prevention programs and greater support for victim-survivors are key initiatives in a New South Wales $230 million domestic violence prevention and support package.
As Premier Chris Minns unveiled details of the four-year funding plan today, he says domestic violence is preventable and there needs to be a greater focus on disrupting the cycle of abuse early.
"So today the government's announcing a $230 million package for domestic family and sexual violence in our community. But I need to say that this is not a day of joy or boasting from the New South Wales Government. This package is being demanded by the victims and survivors of domestic family and sexual violence in New South Wales. It's a recognition that the state needs to do more and that something needs to change. I am truly sorry that these reforms are getting announced today and not earlier than today. The bottom line here is that all governments need to do better. "
The emergency package was promised after New South Wales cabinet met last week to hear from experts in the field.
More than $73 million will go towards reforming the New South Wales justice system, including $45 million set aside to improve bail laws and other systemic responses, to be detailed in coming weeks.
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Former military lawyer, David McBride who helped expose alleged war crimes by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan is set to face a sentencing hearing today.
Mr McBride pleaded guilty to three offences in the ACT Supreme Court in November, including stealing commonwealth information and passing that on to journalists.
Acting Legal Director with the Human Rights Law Centre, Kieran Pender says Australia needs better whistleblower protections.
"The government is committed to stronger whistleblowing laws. We need that commitment to come to fruition. But critically, we need support for whistleblowers around those laws. So our laws on paper, okay, they're not working in practice. But the critical missing piece of the puzzle is an independent body a whistleblower protection authority to oversee and enforce whistleblowing laws and support whistleblowers."
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Israeli police have raided an East Jerusalem hotel room used by Al Jazeera as its de facto office following a government decision to shut down the Qatari-owned TV station's local operations.
Videos circulated online showed plain clothes officers dismantling camera equipment in a hotel room.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet shut down the network for as long as the war in Gaza continues, on the grounds the Qatari television network threatens national security.
Al Jazeera called the move a "criminal action" and rejected the accusation the network threatened Israeli security as a "dangerous and ridiculous lie" that puts its journalists at risk.
Walid Omari is Al-Jazeera's Bureau Chief in Israel and the Palestinian Territories.
"This decision is very dangerous one. Israel cannot claim all the time that she's a democracy that is democracy and at the same time, they are cutting and prevent the journalists to do their job."
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Perth's Muslim community is bracing for a potential backlash after a radicalised teenager, who was fatally shot by police, stabbed a man with a large kitchen knife outside a Bunnings store on Saturday night.
Members of the Muslim community of Perth had previously warned authorities that the boy seemed to have been radicalised, something Prime Minister Anthony Albanese acknowledges.
"So we acknowledged the very important work that the Muslim community did to alert police to the messages that had been sent out by this young man."
Police say the attack has the hallmarks of a terror incident but have not officially declared it an act of terrorism.
The 30-year-old victim of the attack is in a stable condition.
Meanwhile, the Imam of Perth's largest mosque, the Nasir Mosque, has condemned the attack.
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The Western Bulldogs will assess the health of star midfielder Tom Liberatore today after his AFL return ended dramatically following an apparent boot to the forehead.
Liberatore could also be in match review trouble, adding to the Bulldogs' woes in the wake of Sunday's upset seven-point loss to Hawthorn at Marvel Stadium.
It leaves the Bulldogs in major trouble at 3-5 and ramps up the pressure on coach Luke Beveridge, who is enduring a bad few days.
Last week, Essendon ruckman Sam Draper said several Bulldogs players would leave at the end of the season if Beveridge remained coach.
That earned Draper a sharp public rebuke from his coach Brad Scott, while Beveridge called the comments bizarre.
Nevertheless, Beveridge is well aware the Bulldogs are now firmly in the media spotlight following the Hawthorn loss.
