Salim Mehajer, former Auburn councillor, released from prison
Salim Mehajer, the former deputy mayor of a Sydney council found guilty of multiple fraud and domestic violence offences, has been released from prison on parole after spending years behind bars.
Mehajer, 39, left the John Moroney correctional complex in NSW on Friday morning after he was convicted in 2023 on four counts of making or using false documents to obtain financial advantage. He was also found guilty that year of six domestic violence offences. The former deputy mayor of Auburn council first rose in notoriety in 2015 after his lavish wedding shut down a Sydney street without permission.
The State Parole Authority decided last month that Mehajer had a “medium” risk of re-offending, granting him parole after serving three years and nine months of his seven-year sentence.
His parole conditions include no contact with the victim of domestic violence or with motorcycle gangs and a ban on visiting the Central Coast local government area.
Key events
Rockliff says he expects Tasmanian election to be close
Tasmania premier Jeremy Rockliff just spoke to the media before tomorrow’s snap election. He issued a warning to voters that the state’s Labor party could soon be in minority government with the Greens:
It will be close. Labor could go backwards, or they could still retain their seats, or even get another seat, which will ensure a Labor-Green government in Tasmania.
Rockliff once again blamed Labor leader Dean Winter for the upcoming poll:
The last parliament was working too well for Dean winter and that is why he forced an election in unity with the Tasmanian Greens, and that is why Tasmanians have an election they do not need and do not want.
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Here’s the latest list of invitees to Chalmers’ productivity roundtable
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has announced the next round of invitations for his so-called “economic reform” roundtable in Canberra next month.
Among the latest batch of 13 invitees are the independent MP and tax reform advocate, Allegra Spender, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia chief executive, Matt Comyn, the NSW treasurer, Daniel Mookhey and the respective heads of the departments of prime minister and cabinet and treasury, Steven Kennedy and Jenny Wilkinson.
Former treasury secretary Ken Henry, who this week declared fixing the nation’s broken environment protection laws the key to boosting productivity, has been invited in his capacity as chair of the Australian Climate and Biodiversity Foundation.
At this stage, Henry is the only representative from the environment movement on the invite list.
Josh Taylor
Privacy commissioner says Australians want more regulation on AI, not less
Australia’s privacy commissioner, Carly Kind, fired back at Meta’s claim it needed Australians’ public Facebook and Instagram posts to train AI.
We reported on the submission from Meta yesterday, where the company said it needed to train its AI on the posts as the system needs to learn “how individuals discuss Australian concepts”.
In a response published on LinkedIn on Friday, Kind said the vast majority of Australian consumers feel they lack control over their personal information and want to see more regulation and fewer exploitative practices. She wrote:
As the nation’s privacy regulator, it is my job to ensure that the application of the Privacy Act is in line with these community expectations.
She said nothing in guidelines she has released on training AI would prevent Meta developing AI that reflects the experience and language of Australian users “provided the proper processes are followed”:
What will undermine the ability of actors like Meta to continue to develop AI models is declining public confidence that AI tools and systems are being designed to benefit society.
She also shot back at Meta’s suggestion that her role’s functions be altered to require consideration of innovation and economic interests:
In my view, the role of the privacy regulator is to act in the public interest, not in the economic interests of tech companies.
Court throws out pro-Israel group’s contempt bid against Nine papers and staff
Amanda Meade
An application by a pro-Israel group to refer editors, reporters and lawyers from Nine Entertainment for contempt proceedings has been dismissed by the federal court.
The editors of the Age and the Sydney Morning Herald and two Age reporters were among eight individuals named in the application, which was related to the Antoinette Lattouf v ABC unlawful termination case.
Read the full report here:
Albanese ends China visit
The prime minister has officially finished his visit to China, with his office calling the trip an opportunity to “continue advancing Australia’s security and economic interests”. Albanese met with the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, premier Li Qiang and the chair of the National People’s Congress, Zhao Leji. The PM also visited the Great Wall of China and Chengdu, the world’s panda capital.
Albanese said in a statement:
A stable and constructive relationship with China is in Australia’s national interest. We will cooperate where we can, disagree where we must and engage in our national interest.
Strengthening our security and economic interests with our largest trading partner will boost Australian jobs and support Australian businesses.
Salim Mehajer, former Auburn councillor, released from prison
Salim Mehajer, the former deputy mayor of a Sydney council found guilty of multiple fraud and domestic violence offences, has been released from prison on parole after spending years behind bars.
Mehajer, 39, left the John Moroney correctional complex in NSW on Friday morning after he was convicted in 2023 on four counts of making or using false documents to obtain financial advantage. He was also found guilty that year of six domestic violence offences. The former deputy mayor of Auburn council first rose in notoriety in 2015 after his lavish wedding shut down a Sydney street without permission.
The State Parole Authority decided last month that Mehajer had a “medium” risk of re-offending, granting him parole after serving three years and nine months of his seven-year sentence.
His parole conditions include no contact with the victim of domestic violence or with motorcycle gangs and a ban on visiting the Central Coast local government area.
Kelly Burke
Australian production companies may have to pay millions in alleged unpaid super after ATO ruling
Major Australian production companies, including those that produce Neighbours and Home and Away, may be ordered to pay workers millions of dollars in alleged unpaid superannuation after a 2024 tax office ruling.
The Australian Writers Guild (AWG) is gearing up for a challenge against Screen Producers Australia (SPA), after a ruling by the Australian Tax Office last December found that screenwriters in most cases were providing a service to an employer, not selling a product, and therefore must be paid super.
The ruling, which was in line with the Superannuation Guarantee Act, means that for long-running television shows, decades of super back pay could apply, although the statute of limitations for an individual employee in Australia is six years.
Read more here:
Recovery team to move in on plane wreck found in Snowy Mountains
NSW police will begin a recovery operation after finding the wreckage of what is thought to be the plane that went missing en route from Victoria to the south coast of NSW earlier this week.
The recovery will begin around 12pm today to retrieve and examine the plane, which was located in the Snowy valley yesterday. Officials with the Riverina police district, PolAir, police rescue and the criminal investigation and crime scene unit will all assist in the matter.
NSW police said officials have not yet reached the site of the wreckage, and it is unclear if an human remains are part of it. As reported in the blog earlier, one man, 74-year-old David Stephens from Brogo, near Bega, was on board the missing aircraft.
Why is everyone suddenly talking about Donald Trump’s ankles?
The White House says the US president, Donald Trump, is experiencing swelling in his lower legs and bruising on his right hand, after photographs emerged of Trump with swollen ankles and makeup covering the afflicted part of his hand, Reuters reports.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, reading a letter from Trump’s doctor at a press briefing, said both ailments were benign. His leg swelling is from a “common” vein condition, and his hand is bruised from shaking so many hands, she told reporters.
The disclosure sought to put to rest a raft of internet rumours that the 79-year-old might be suffering from a serious ailment.
You can read more about chronic venous insufficiency here:
Rockliff blasts Labor for pushing Tasmania into election state ‘did not want’
Tasmanian premier Jeremy Rockliff just spoke to the ABC, a day before the state heads to the polls. He maintained the election was not something the state wanted, blaming the Labor leader, Dean Winter, for the snap poll, but said the campaign had allowed the Liberals to put forward its plan for leadership once more. Rockliff said:
Tasmanians were very disappointed of course, that it’s a winter election, but nonetheless it’s an opportunity for our government to reaffirm our clear plan …
We cannot afford to have a Labor-Green government with the support again of radical independents, because that will put at risk definitely all the great work that Tasmanians are doing and have done over the course of the last decade.
Australian Base jumper reportedly dies in accident in northern Italy
Australian Base jumper James Nowland died earlier this week in an accident at a competition in northern Italy, according to multiple media reports and an account from his brother.
Nowland, 42, was in the Dolomites region and had jumped from the peak of Sass Pordoi during the event, Italy’s ANSA news agency reported. Investigators told the outlet they suspect his parachute didn’t open due to a technical issue. Doctors tried to revive the Perth man, but were unable to do so.
Nowland’s brother, Adrian Nowland, posted a tribute to Facebook, writing:
Rest in peace brother! Wish we had more times like this together! Hope you’re soaring through the clouds doing what you love forever ❤️
Separately but also in Italy, Felix Baumgartner, the skydiver who famously jumped from the edge of space, has died in a paragliding accident.
Agriculture minister says biosecurity ‘everybody’s responsibility’ amid new fire ant detection
The agriculture minister, Julie Collins, says biosecurity is “everybody’s responsibility” after fire ants were detected in central Queensland for the first time this month.
Collins spoke to RN Breakfast amid criticism from the coalition the government was not spending enough to contain the outbreaks, noting Labor had invested approximately $2bn in biosecurity since coming into federal office. She said:
What I would say is that Australia has been quite successful in terms of trying to contain the red imported fire ants. Compared to how other countries are dealing with it, we have managed to contain the spread of it compared to other countries …
Obviously, biosecurity is everybody’s responsibility, and part of the program has been the public awareness campaign and making sure that people understand what they are.
The latest outbreak of fire ants in Queensland sparked deep concern as the invasive pest was found almost 800km from the closest known infestation zone.
Winter makes final appeal for majority Labor government
Winter encouraged Tasmanians heading to tomorrow’s polls to support Labor, describing a majority government as a pathway forward. He told the ABC:
My message to Tasmanians really is if you want a fresh start … the best way to deliver that is to vote Labor. Voting independents last time just delivered another Liberal government.
If you want a fresh start and a new government, the best way to achieve that is to vote Labor.
