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TRANSCRIPT
- Indigenous leaders say much can be learned from the handling of an attempted terrorism attack targeting the community
- Reserve Bank governor dashes hopes of a rate cut in coming months
- Superbowl halfime performer Bad Bunny says his Puerto Rican heritage will take centre stage on Monday
Indigenous leaders in Western Australia are calling for more resources for school and community education programs, after a terrorism charge was laid over an attempted bombing in Perth.
WA Police allege a home-made bomb was designed to explode on impact, but failed to detonate when it was thrown at Indigenous protesters and their supporters during an Invasion Day rally.
A 31-year-old man has been charged over the incident.
Stolen Generations Survivors advocacy group, Yokai Healing our Spirit, says more funding must go towards Indigenous truth-telling and Aboriginal-led healing initiatives to tackle hatred and racism.
Assistant Minister for Defence Peter Khalil says the whole community must come together to eliminate prejudice and racism.
"We as parliamentarians, as a government, as lawmakers to pass laws - whether they be anti-discrimination laws, hate speech laws that penalise the worst of that kind of behaviour where it breaks down. That leadership is also the responsibility of community leaders, faith leaders, community members, that we are a society. That we are a society that is pluralistic, multi-faith, multi-ethnic. And it works because of decades of commitment by Australians."
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The Reserve Bank governor says the central bank is forecasting that it will take until 2028 for inflation to come back within the target range of between 2 and 3 per cent - dashing hopes of a rate cut in coming months.
Michele Bullock faced questions before Senate estimates today [[6 Feb]], after the Reserve Bank increased interest rates earlier this week for the first time in more than two years.
The rate was increased by 25 basis points to 3.85 per cent, with the central bank citing concerns around inflation.
Ms Bullock told Senate Estimates, the independence of the central bank is important so it can deliver on its mandate on employment and inflation.
"In many ways, the position we are in, although everyone is talking about it negatively, it is actually quite positive. The reason we are in this position is because the labour market is doing really well. The labour market has stabilised and it has stabilised at a relatively low unemployment rate. This is good news."
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One of the most famous crime figures in Australia is to walk free after Victorian prosecutors announced plans to drop a retrial on drug trafficking charges.
Tony Mokbel was jailed for 30 years in 2012, after pleading guilty to engineering a drug syndicate but his case was reassessed after revelations his lawyer, Nicola Gobbo, was a police informant while acting as defence counsel for clients including Mokbel.
A court subsequently acquitted him of one charge and ordered a possible retrial over allegations he tried to import a commercial quantity of designer drug MDMA in 2005.
Now that the retrial has been abandoned, the 60-year-old has told media he is going to take advantage of his new freedom and take a holiday overseas.
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In New Zealand, people gathered at dawn on the Waitangi Treaty Grounds to mark the signing of the Waitangi treaty.
The Treaty was signed in 1840 between the British Crown and Maori people and is seen as New Zealand's founding document.
Speakers at the dawn service included Chief Justice Dame Helen Winkelmann, Labour leader Chris Hipkins and Greens co-leaders Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick.
Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour was the highest-ranking Government official and was interrupted by a large volume of hecklers during his speech.
"I was asking somebody why is there so much bad news ... and I'm sure some of this will make the news ... and yet there is so much good in the world."
Speaking later, he dismissed the protestors as 'a few muppets'.
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To sport now and in NFL,
Days out from the Superbowl, halftime performer and Puerto Rican star Bad Bunny will use one of the biggest stages in the world to celebrate his home country.
The musician has recently spoken out against immigration raids in the US that have killed civilians and sparked protests around the country, and his Superbowl performance will reportedly be patrolled by ICE agents.
Ahead of Monday's game between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, Bad Bunny says he is speechless with excitement.
"Actually we have a football player playing at the Super Bowl from Puerto Rico. So, yeah, I grew up watching sports, playing sports -very bad-, but well, I do, I love sports so yeah, always… Actually is one of my favorite like combination like sport with music."
