Australia news live: alleged mushroom murders accused back in court; Littleproud denies Coalition at odds over nuclear power

Erin Patterson appears via video link ahead of today’s court appearance

Nino Bucci

Erin Patterson has appeared via video link ahead of a court appearance this morning.

Wearing a royal blue top and staring straight ahead, Patterson appeared on camera from a small room in the Murray unit of the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre, a women’s prison.

A mention of her case is expected to start soon in the Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court in Morwell.

Key events

Nino Bucci

Paterson’s case temporarily stood down as multiple people join wrong online court link

Erin Patterson’s case has been stood down temporarily, as the court heard multiple people including her lawyer and the prosecutor had joined the wrong online court link.

The court also heard that Patterson was no longer being represented by Philip Dunn KC, who had been replaced by Colin Mandy SC.

Patterson was asked by magistrate Tim Walsh who she expected would be appearing on her behalf this morning, when it because clear that neither her lawyer nor the prosecutor was on the online hearing. Paterson said:

It was my understanding that Mr Mandy would be here.

Walsh apologised to Patterson for having to stand the matter down because of the issue.

Erin Patterson speaking to a reporter outside her home. Photograph: Nine News/Supplied by AAP

Erin Patterson appears via video link ahead of today’s court appearance

Nino Bucci

Erin Patterson has appeared via video link ahead of a court appearance this morning.

Wearing a royal blue top and staring straight ahead, Patterson appeared on camera from a small room in the Murray unit of the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre, a women’s prison.

A mention of her case is expected to start soon in the Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court in Morwell.

‘Why not walk?’: Google Maps to roll out green features

Google Maps will politely pester Australian travellers to take public transport or walk to their destination in one of several of green changes introduced to the service this Earth Day, AAP reports.

Fuel-efficient routes, which will be shown in the app from today, will use artificial intelligence to identify paths that use the least energy, even if they take more time.

Google Maps users will be able to specify whether they are driving a petrol, hybrid, diesel or electric vehicle to help determine the most energy-efficient route, and EV drivers will be able to search for nearby charging stations.

Users in Sydney and Melbourne could be prompted to travel in even more environmentally friendly ways in future, as the app will deliver suggestions showing public transport or walking alternatives if travel times are similar or better.

The new feature is expected to launch in Australia’s two biggest cities in the “coming weeks”.

The Google Maps logo seen displayed on a smartphone. Photograph: NurPhoto/Getty Images

Caitlin Cassidy

Education minister to attend teaching summit in Singapore

The education minister, Jason Clare, will strengthen ties with his Chinese counterpart at an international summit on the teaching profession in Singapore.

Clare is travelling to the summit today, which will be attended by education ministers from 20 nations to address the role of technology in the future of learning, education and training.

As part of the visit, Clare has planned bilateral meetings with New Zealand’s newly sworn-in education minister, Erica Stanford, the minister of education for People’s Republic of China, Professor Huai Jinpeng, and Singapore’s minister for education, Chan Chun Sing.

It follows Jinpeng’s first ministerial visit to Australia last year, in a sign of a return to normality for the nation’s international education sector. China remain’s Australia’s largest market, composing 20% of all international students.

Minister for education Jason Clare. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

‘Insulting and offensive’ to conflate X takedown order with censorship: Birmingham

The shadow foreign minister, Simon Birmingham, said the opposition would support any moves from the government to place penalties on social media companies that won’t remove content deemed damaging to social cohesion.

Speaking to ABC News Breakfast earlier today, Birmingham argued social media giants should be able to use their algorithms to “quickly and effectively remove content that is damaging and devastating to the social harmony and fabric of society”.

We should expect that, we should demand it, and we will certainly back the government to put in place the types of powers or penalties that make social media companies pay attention.

Asked about Elon Musk’s pushback to a global takedown order, and accusations of censorship, Birmingham said this was a “completely ridiculous and preposterous argument”.

The type of standards that we expect in everyday life, that we expect in other forms of media, should be able to be applied to the online world as well.

The idea that it is “censorship” to say that imagery of a … stabbing incident should not be able to be broadcast in an unfiltered way for all to see, children to access and otherwise, is an insulting and offensive argument.

Shadow minister for foreign affairs Simon Birmingham. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Inspection report finds ‘serious concerns’ at Western Australian detention centre

An inspection report by the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has found a high-security immigration detention centre in WA was, in part, “no longer fit for purpose”.

The report of Yongah Hill immigration detention centre followed a two-day inspection of the adult male facility in 2023, and raised concerns over the safety conditions and level of care for detainees and staff.

Inspectors noted a reported rise in the trafficking of drugs and other contraband, bullying and standover tactics, and violence. It also found a “lack of access to healthcare”.

The AHRC made 33 recommendations to the department of home affairs, including that “inadequate” low security compounds be decommissioned and replaced with smaller compounds, a review of officer staffing with an intent to increase numbers, and an independent review of healthcare services.

The AHRC has made a number of recommendations in a report on the Yongah Hill immigration detention centre in WA. Photograph: AAP

Human rights commissioner Lorraine Finlay said:

Parts of Yongah Hill are no longer fit for purpose. A majority of the people interviewed told us that they felt unsafe in detention. The welfare and safety of both detainees and staff must be paramount.

But there must be a nuanced approach. Safety is about how you treat people, not just how you keep them secure.

You can read the full story from Paul Karp below:

Nationals leader denies tension in Coalition around nuclear power

Paul Karp

The Nationals leader, David Littleproud, has denied that there is tension in the Coalition around nuclear power, telling Sky News that while “a few want to make hay for their own personal gain” by leaking out of party room, a “clear majority” of his party want nuclear power.

Littleproud said the Coalition has a “clear proposal” to put nuclear power stations where existing coal power stations are, which would reduce the need to build new transmission lines from renewable energy.

Littleproud said the Coalition will incentivise communities “that are most appropriate” for nuclear power by asking what they need “in terms of infrastructure and discounted power”, which he said would also increase their industrial capacity. “That’s the pathway Peter Dutton and I are on,” he said.

Responding to reports that the Coalition has delayed its policy, which was set to be announced before the budget, Littleproud said that the opposition “won’t be bullied into any timeline” but the plan will be released before the election.

Littleproud said the Coalition’s policy would help Australia “live up to its international commitments by 2050”.

In September Littleproud faced a push at the Nationals’ conference to abandon the net zero by 2050 commitment. He stared it down, but is still under pressure to seek a multi-billion dollar deal from the Liberals in return for continuing to support the target.

Nationals leader David Littleproud. Photograph: Aston Brown/The Guardian

Greens accuse Elon Musk of ‘profiting off outrage and hatred’ on social media

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has urged X boss Elon Musk to “come out from behind his keyboard and front the Australian people and parliament” after stating he will fight a global takedown order of content related to last week’s church stabbing in Sydney.

Speaking to ABC News Breakfast, Hanson-Young said “horrific videos (that) spread like wildfire” need to be taken off of platforms at the “very least”.

The problem we have (is) that for far too long, these big tech giants have gotten away with little to no regulation, they don’t pay tax, and no wonder (they) think that they can give the middle finger to the government.

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

She said social media is like the “wild west” and that “cowboys like Elon Musk” use it to “keep on making money and profiting off outrage and hatred”.

I know that the Australian community are white-hot with anger about this, as are communities right across the world. We do need proper regulation of these big social media company, but we’ve got to be smart about it…

It’s not individual users that made those horrific videos spread like wildfire over the last week. It is the algorithms and the business model of these social media companies, and that’s what we need to get to. We need proper regulation for transparency of algorithms, transparency and reporting of how they use users’ data and they need to be taxed and regulated properly.

Elon Musk should front the Australian people and the parliament and have a genuine conversation about being a good corporate citizen.

NSW police appealing for information around Wakeley riot last week

The New South Wales police have released images of 12 men they believe can assist with inquiries into the Wakeley riot last week.

Three men have so far been charged over their alleged involvement in the riot, and remain before the courts.

The Strike Force Dribs commander, superintendent Andrew Evans, said these particular 12 individuals are being targeted by investigators because of the alleged “violent and aggressive nature of their actions”.

We are doing everything we can to identify these men and are now appealing for public assistance. Someone in the community knows who they are.

The men are detailed by police as follows:

Person A: Caucasian appearance, medium build, with a tattoo of Jesus Christ on his stomach and a full tattoo sleeve on his left arm. Wearing black jeans that cut off at the ankle, black belt, dark coloured shoes and a black shirt wrapped around his face.
Person B: Mediterranean/Middle Eastern appearance, with receding dark brown hair and a beard. Wearing a black jumper, grey pants, black shoes and carrying a grey shoulder bag.
Person C: Mediterranean/Middle Eastern appearance, with short black hair and beard. Wearing a grey V neck shirt, dark jeans and white shoes.
Person D: medium build, wearing a grey hooded jumper, grey shorts, black socks and white shoes.
Person E: Mediterranean/Middle Eastern appearance, muscular build, tan complexion, with a dark coloured beard. Wearing a Nike hat, black singlet, grey cargo pants and white shoes.
Person F: Wearing a t-shirt, a ring and a watch on his left hand and carrying a cross.
Person G: Mediterranean/Middle Eastern appearance, wearing a black jumper with yellow writing, a white hat and white shoes.
Person H: Wearing a t-shirt and carrying a fire extinguisher.
Person I: Short dark hair and a beard, wearing a hooded jumper, dark pants and a black shoulder bag.
Person J: Large appearance, bald with a goatee, wearing a dark jumper with writing around the collar.
Person K: Hair in braids and having a dark beard, wearing a black hooded jumper, tracksuit pants and socks with slides; and
Person L: Wearing a dark singlet, dark shoes and light-coloured shorts.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.

Police tape outside the Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley. Photograph: James Gourley

Waverly mayor says candlelight vigil for Bondi Junction victims ‘very sombre’

Waverly’s mayor, Paula Masselos, said last night’s candlelight vigil for the victims of the Bondi Junction attack was “extremely emotional” and “very sombre”.

She said between 5,000 and 7,000 people attended the vigil, including the prime minister, premier and governor, as well as Inspector Amy Scott.

Speaking to ABC News Breakfast, Masselos said:

There is going to be quite a journey of healing, because people heal at various times … We are working with the state government (on) a permanent, in-place memorial, which will also be a part of the healing process. That’s going to take just a little bit longer… But rest assured, we are here for the community and we will be with the community as they go through their own grieving process.

The mayor said she had the opportunity to speak with Faraz Tahir’s community, who showed up in large numbers to honour the security guard who lost his life in the attack.

I know that a lot of people also embraced them and were supporting them. So last night it really was an opportunity to also acknowledge the bravery and heroism of a number of people.

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