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Sky News AU
5 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Tasmania Decides: How to watch Sky News Australia's live Tasmanian state election coverage as votes roll in
Tasmanians are heading to the polls on Saturday to decide on the state's next government as Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff and Opposition Leader Dean Winter battle it out for the state's top job. Stream live coverage of election day from 6pm AEST at or download the Sky News Australia app The snap election comes just sixteen months after Tasmanians last cast their votes, with this election marking the fourth in seven years for the state. It has been a tumultuous few months in Tasmanian politics after the Labor Leader successfully moved a no-confidence motion in the Liberal Premier. 'This is not an election that Tasmanians would have expected, but it comes at a crucial time for the state," Sky News Chief Anchor Kieran Gilbert said. Craig Herbert, Editor of the Mercury said: "It's the election nobody wanted, yet here we are, in the middle of a Tasmanian campaign so soon after the polls returned a Liberal minority government to power in March last year. Sky News' comprehensive coverage and analysis of the Tasmania Decides will continue on Sunday Agenda on Sunday morning from 8am. Who will feature in Sky News' election coverage? From 6pm, Sky News Chief Anchor Kieran Gilbert will be live with his 2025 Tasmanian election panel - including Sky News Political Editor Andrew Clennell, Sky News Chief Election Analyst Tom Connell, AM Agenda host Laura Jayes. Tasmanian Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care and former Tasmanian Labor Leader Rebecca White, Tasmania Liberal Senator and Shadow Environment Minister Jonathon Duniam and Sky News Political Commentator and former Labor Cabinet Minister Graham Richardson will also be joining the panel. Why is there a snap election? The Tasmanian parliament passed a no-confidence motion against Premier Rockliff last month, with the deciding vote being cast by speaker of the house Michelle O'Byrne. The Premier described the events as a 'sad day' yet accepted the Parliament's decision. Tasmanian Governor Babara Baker then granted Mr Rockliff's request for an early election on June 11 following the no-confidence vote, and a snap election date was set. Premier Rockliff issued a statement on social media at the time to announce the election had been called for, and that it was one that his party was "going to fight for in the name of common decency". Tasmanians last went to the polls in March 2024, when Mr Rockliff was voted in as the new Premier over incumbent Rebecca White. Labor claimed that seven members of the caucus had lobbied for a change in leadership within the Tasmanian Liberal Party. Mr Rockliff previously denied there was any threat to his leadership.
Sky News AU
16-07-2025
- Sky News AU
'I wish he left something': Peter Falconio's dad speaks on heartbreak after outback killer Bradley John Murdoch dies without revealing location of slain body
Peter Falconio's father Luciano Falconio has expressed remorse over still not knowing the location of his son, after outback killer Bradley John Murdoch died overnight without ever revealing what happened to his victim's body. Just hours after finding out Murdoch died from throat cancer on Tuesday overnight, Mr Falconio told Newscorp: 'He has died, oh dear." 'You heard I said, 'oh dear', that's my goodwill towards anybody. 'I don't wish anybody dead because you have only got one life and I think if you've been given that gift of life...I don't even know what to say'. On the same day, a couple hours prior to Murdoch's death, Mr Falconio told Newscorp he wishes something was left behind for him to help find his backpacker son's body. However, Murdoch died having taken that secret to the grave, by maintaining his innocence on the murder till the very last day. 'I tell you what I think, I wish he (Murdoch) left something for me to find him,' Mr Falconio said. 'I wish he left something. 'My vocabulary is not that good, what can I do, I'm only a human being'. Mr Falconio, 28 at the time, and Ms Lees, then 27, were exploring the Northern Territory outback– about 300km north of Alice Springs – on February 14, 2001, when Murdoch approached the young couple and tricked them. He waved the pair down by falsely convincing them there were sparks coming from their van. After Mr Falconio stopped the car, he walked to the rear of the van where he met his deadly fate. Ms Lees last saw him alive when he approached the driver's door and asked his girlfriend to rev the engine. Shortly after returning to the rear, Mr Falconio was shot in the head by Murdoch. Murdoch then approached the driver's door, pointed a gun at Ms Lees and abducted her into his four-wheel drive, but she managed to escape when Murdoch momentarily stepped away from the vehicle. Murdoch was found guilty of the murder of Mr Falconio and assault of Ms Lees on December 13, 2005, and was sentenced to life in jail, with a non-parole period of 28 years. He unsuccessfully appealed his conviction twice and was never eligible for parole due to the "No body, no parole'' legislation. Colleen Gwynne, who led the investigation that caught Murdoch, told Sky News Murdoch was definitely the killer. "You get a lot of people saying you don't have a body so you don't have a case,' she told Laura Jayes on AM Agenda. 'Bradley Murdoch was convicted by a jury after extensive evidence, both circumstantial and forensic evidence, and there are a whole range of things in that complex case that says that Bradley Murdoch absolutely committed this crime." 'There was a well-known journalist, Paul Toohey, who wasn't a believer and he said to me 'I think you've got the wrong man' so I said 'well sit in on the trial', which he did, and he wrote a book as a result of that and it's a pretty comprehensive perspective of the evidence and who Bradley Murdoch was.' Ms Gwynne said on the day news broke of Murdoch's death it was hard to listen to claims he was innocent. Mr Falconio's father previously made an emotional plea to find his young son's body just days before his killer died, adding he dosen't know if him and his wife will 'live long enough' to ever find out where he is. 'Today is an important day,' he told News Corp. 'It is very significant, I wish I could find him and make an end to it, bury him. (I want to) find where he is buried and what happened to him, even me, I don't know. 'I know what happened, but I don't know where he is."
Sky News AU
16-07-2025
- Sky News AU
'Absolutely committed this crime': Officer who caught Outback killer Bradley John Murdoch says she has no doubt right man convicted for murder of Peter Falconio
The woman who caught Outback killer Bradley John Murdoch says she has no doubt police got the right man. Murdoch, 67, died in the Alice Springs Hospital on Tuesday, almost 24 years to the day since the gruesome murder of British backpacker Peter Falconio on a remote stretch of the Stuart Highway. Murdoch abducted Falconio's girlfriend Joanne Lees but she managed to escape before the killer dumped Falconio's body somewhere in the vast NT outback. Colleen Gwynne, who led the investigation that caught Murdoch, told Sky News Murdoch was definitely the killer. "You get a lot of people saying you don't have a body so you don't have a case,' she told Laura Jayes on AM Agenda. 'Bradley Murdoch was convicted by a jury after extensive evidence, both circumstantial and forensic evidence, and there are a whole range of things in that complex case that says that Bradley Murdoch absolutely committed this crime." Ms Gwynne said she would encourage people who believed Murdoch was innocent to read the transcripts from his Supreme Court trial. 'There was a well-known journalist, Paul Toohey, who wasn't a believer and he said to me 'I think you've got the wrong man' so I said 'well sit in on the trial', which he did, and he wrote a book as a result of that and it's a pretty comprehensive perspective of the evidence and who Bradley Murdoch was.' Ms Gwynne said on the day news broke of Murdoch's death it was hard to listen to claims he was innocent. 'But we know that we put together a compelling case and there is no doubt Bradley Murdoch committed this crime and I suspect probably other crimes too,' she said. Ms Gwynne, who left the NT Police 10 years ago, remains in contact with Ms Lees and Mr Falconio's family and has been in contact with them since Murdoch's death. She said Ms Lees remains close to the Falconios and is treated like part of their family. 'They're devastated I think,' she said. 'It's hard for them because they're so far away and there hasn't been much contact with the police or anyone from NT really for 10 years since I left. 'And I think there's a little bit of frustration, I'll be honest with you, but it's hard to put into words how you'd feel on a day like today. You feel a bit hopeless to be honest.' Police have increased the reward for credible information that leads to the discovery of Falconio's body to $500,000.
Sky News AU
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Professional 'Trump basher' Kevin Rudd has to resign in the wake of embarrassing claims of Trump disapproval
If Kevin Rudd genuinely cares about Australia's relationship with America, and not just polishing his own image, he should resign as our ambassador. US President Donald Trump does not suffer fools nor does he reward enemies and this week we got confirmation of what many had already suspected. Experienced pollster Brent Buchanan, a veteran of three Trump campaigns, told Sky News Australia that Mr Rudd is the reason our PM Anthony Albanese has not secured an in-person meeting this term with the President. This wasn't about protocol, or policy. Not even the fallout from that moment when Mr Trump abruptly ditched his schedule to authorise the bombing of Iran. The reason is Kevin Rudd, the former PM and self-professed 'China Guy', who engineers our relationship with our critical ally from a plush office in Washington. "I think he doesn't like the current ambassador, and that's one of the biggest issues," Mr Buchanan told AM Agenda host Laura Jayes. "Donald Trump needs to find an Australian that he likes - or Australia needs to find an Australian that Donald Trump likes and let that person take point - because so much with Donald Trump is personal relationships." What Mr Buchanan was referring to, of course, was Mr Rudd's very public assessment of the President as a "traitor to the west", a "village idiot", a "political liability" and the cherry on top for the June 2, 2020 rant: "the most destructive president in history". "He drags America and democracy through the mud. He thrives on fomenting, not healing, division," the 26th PM of Australia posted on his then Twitter account. "He abuses Christianity, church and bible to justify violence." His appointment to the top diplomatic gig by his Labor pal Mr Albanese came after these openly hostile views and that is still baffling to consider. And it would seem Mr Rudd's digital housekeeping when he got busy scrubbing his wild anti-Trump rants from social media, revealed last November, has not had the intended impact. In an attempt to suture the wound, the ex-MP for Queensland's Griffith electorate has also been in Aspen, Colorado, recently where his praise for Trump was flowing like the region's famed Cabernet Sauvignon. The President got full marks (what a relief) for his Middle East diplomacy, the way he manages NATO allies and there were even hints that he might be worthy of a Nobel Peace Prize. Mr Rudd even managed to sound upbeat about Gaza and the West Bank claiming that Trump's actions would somehow "move the debate and the dial" toward a two-state solution. But the sudden praise isn't savvy diplomacy. It's a desperate and frankly embarrassing attempt to clean up his own mess because "leopard" and "changing spots" springs to mind. Mr Rudd's brand as a Trump basher is so enmeshed it's hard to accept he is suddenly a genuine fan, amid all the think tank waffle. What is clear, however, is that we no longer have the indulgence or bandwidth to let Mr Rudd orchestrate this diplomacy, even if the most generous of observers insist that Mr Trump does not hold grudges. As a nation, we are trying to steer major strategic goals like AUKUS and trade with the US, including the excruciating tariff issue. When questioned about the Pentagon's 30-day review of the AUKUS agreement, Mr Rudd brushed it off, saying the Australian government was "completely relaxed" because it was standard practice for any new administration to reassess programs inherited from their predecessors. Mr Rudd also brushed off the recent G7 summit in Canada when Mr Trump skipped meetings with Mr Albanese as "Everyone got it". No, Kevin. Everyone didn't get it. Australia needs an ambassador to the US who is taken seriously on both sides of the aisle in Washington. Someone who can talk policy without lecturing. Or better yet, someone who doesn't do a complete 180 on past insults without so much as an admission they were wrong, petty and undiplomatic. In essence, a person who is capable of building a serious working relationship with Mr Trump rather than treating him like some kind of moral enemy. Louise Roberts is a journalist and editor who has worked as a TV and radio commentator in Australia, the UK and the US. Louise is a winner of the Peter Ruehl Award for Outstanding Columnist in the NRMA Kennedy Awards for Excellence in Journalism and has been shortlisted in other awards for her opinion work
Sky News AU
03-07-2025
- Business
- Sky News AU
Nationals Senate leader blasts Foreign Minister as she returns from Washington without a trade deal
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has been accused of returning from the US empty-handed after having failed to achieve a trade deal with the Trump administration or secure a meeting with the president. The Foreign Minister was in Washington DC for the Quad Foreign Ministers meeting and was able to talk with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio - but was unable to secure a carve out from the 10 per cent tariffs or a meeting with President Donald Trump. Speaking to Sky News, Nationals senate leader Bridget McKenzie was scathing about the Foreign Minister's trip to the US. 'She was unable to secure an exemption on our tariffs despite the United Kingdom being able to get an exemption,' she said on Sky News NewsDay. 'She was unable secure a meeting with President Trump for our Prime Minister. 240 days since this guy's been in the White House and we're unable to land a critical and important meeting with our most important ally.' She also went onto accuse the Prime Minister of being closer with Chinese president Xi Jinping, after it was confirmed that Anthony Albanese will meet with him while travelling to the Quad summit. 'Albo's about to get on the plane and head over to see President Xi. So, you know, I think it is very concerning." Mr Albanese has yet to secure a meeting with the US President despite Mr Trump returning to the White House nearly a year ago. The pair were due to have a sit-down meeting at the G7, but Mr Trump cancelled and returned to Washington DC due to the crisis in the Middle East. Ms Wong spoke to AM Agenda Host Laura Jayes in Washington DC and downplayed any concerns around the AUKUS agreement, or on securing tariff relief. 'We're obviously very flexible about those arrangements. The President is a very, very busy man,' Ms Wong said, before adding that Secretary Rubio was hopeful a meeting between Mr Albanese and President Trump takes place. When asked about the tariffs, Minister Wong was pressed on what action had been done by the government to change Trump's mind. 'The US has a trade surplus with us,' she said. 'There's a lot of benefit to the United States from the free tariff arrangements that exist under our Free Trade Agreement.' The scrambling for a meeting with President Trump comes amid concerns Mr Albanese is being snubbed because of US Ambassador Kevin Rudd. The former Prime Minister made statements critical of Mr Trump prior to becoming Mr Albanese's pick to be US ambassador.
