Latest news with #MarkDreyfus
CTV News
06-07-2025
- CTV News
Alleged arsonist charged over fire at Australian synagogue
Australian government lawmaker Sarah Witty, center left, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, center, and Jewish government lawmaker Mark Dreyfus, center right, address the media outside the East Melbourne Synagogue in Melbourne, Australia Sunday, July 6, 2025, after someone set fire to the synagogue's front door two days earlier. (AP Photo/Rod McGuirk) MELBOURNE, Australia — A man was charged Sunday over an arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue in an apparent escalation of antisemitic violence in Australia's second-most populous city. Angelo Loras, 34, appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court Sunday charged with arson, endangering life and property damage. He was also charged with possessing a 'controlled weapon' on Saturday when he was arrested. The charge sheet does not say what that weapon was. The Sydney resident did not enter a plea or apply to be released on bail. Magistrate John Lesser remanded Loras in custody to appear in court next on July 22. Flammable liquid was ignited at the door of the East Melbourne Synagogue, also known as the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation, on Friday night as 20 worshippers shared a Shabbat meal inside. The congregation escaped without harm via a rear door and firefighters contained the blaze to the entrance area of the 148-year-old building. Rabbi Dovid Gutnick, who was inside the synagogue with his family on Friday, said security cameras showed the perpetrator ringing the doorbell twice moments before the flames erupted. Gutnick's 13-year-old son was in the synagogue office at the time and decided against opening the door after seeing the visitor on the security camera monitor. 'We use the security cameras to assess people who ring the doorbell. Generally, we don't hesitate to let someone in,' Gutnick told The Associated Press. 'My son hesitated and didn't answer. By the time I came to the front, there was already smoke and flames coming in under the door,' he added. It was the first of three apparent displays of antisemitic violence across the city on Friday and early Saturday morning. Authorities have yet to establish a link between incidents at the synagogue and two businesses. Antisemitism blamed for attacks on businesses Also in downtown Melbourne on Friday night, around 20 masked protesters harassed diners in an Israeli-owned restaurant. A restaurant window was cracked, tables were flipped and chairs thrown as protesters chanted 'Death to the IDF,' referring to the Israel Defense Forces. A 28-year-old woman was arrested at the scene and charged with hindering police. Police are also investigating the spray-painting of a business in Melbourne's northern suburbs and an arson attack on three vehicles attached to the business before dawn on Saturday. The vehicles had also been graffitied. Police said there were antisemitic 'inferences' at the scene. The business had also been the target of pro-Palestinian demonstrations in the past year. Political leaders condemn antisemitism Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke met with Jewish leaders at the damaged synagogue on Sunday. Burke told reporters that investigators were searching for potential links between the three incidents. 'At this stage, our authorities have not drawn links between them. But obviously there's a link in antisemitism. There's a link in bigotry. There's a link in a willingness to either call for violence, to chant violence or to take out violent actions. They are very much linked in that way,' Burke said. 'There were three attacks that night and none of them belonged in Australia. Arson attacks, the chanting calls for death, other attacks and graffiti — none of it belonged in Australia and they were attacks on Australia,' Burke added. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the Australian government to 'take all action to deal with the rioters to the fullest extent of the law and prevent similar attacks in the future.' 'I view with utmost gravity the antisemitic attacks that occurred last night in Melbourne, which included attempted arson of a synagogue in the city and a violent assault against an Israeli restaurant by pro-Palestinian rioters,' Netanyahu said in a statement on Saturday. 'The reprehensible antisemitic attacks, with calls of 'death to the IDF' and an attempt to attack a place of worship, are severe hate crimes that must be uprooted,' he added. Rod Mcguirk, The Associated Press
Daily Telegraph
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Telegraph
17 new Labor MPs prepare to enter Canberra next month. Here's who stood out
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News. As parliament prepares to return at the end of July, 17 enthusiastic new MPs will arrive in Canberra as the face of Labor's historic 94-seat victory at the federal election. The party is energised with the batch of new, younger talent with the hope of future prime ministers sitting among them. But Labor MPs recognise the influx of new blood comes with its own challenges: barefaced ambition that will demand the old guard move over and make room. 'We have won 94 seats, all roads lead to the Labor Party at this time,' one Labor MP said. 'But that has its own difficulties, they are all ambitious and want to have a go.' That ambition has already started bubbling away and was palpable when, just days on from Labor's historic win, long-term Labor figures Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus and Industry Minister Ed Husic were dumped to make room for Sam Rae, elected in 2022, and Daniel Mulino, elected in 2019. 'I think it's time for that … when you look at the front bench, many of them have been there for a long time,' the MP adds. Sam Rae. Picture: Newswire/Nicki Connolly Dr Daniel Mulino. Picture: David Clark Already party insiders are singling out members of the class of 2025 as those with cabinet minister – or even treasurer and prime ministerial – potential over those who would be excellent local MPs but have a 'ceiling'. Among the names that did stand out was former Tasmanian Labor leader Rebecca White, who retained the seat of Lyons after sitting Labor MP Brian Mitchell retired. White, a seasoned political operative who led the Tasmanian Labor Party from 2017 to 2024, was described by multiple sources as the likely future successor for Agriculture Minister Julie Collins. Collins also hails from Tasmania. Rebecca White, a seasoned political operative, stands out among the ALP's ministerial hopefuls. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones 'Given where we have come from in Tasmania, she would be well placed to be the lead Labor person out of Tasmania in the longer term,' another Labor MP said of White. 'I assume she will take over from Julie in the longer term.' The source points out that the party has had 'good people' from the island state but 'not people who are on the trajectory to become cabinet ministers' besides Collins. Confidence in White is high, with the MP predicting 'out of that group that got in 2025, she'd be the first to make cabinet.' A second source agreed Ms White was being primed as a future minister and that was evident in Anthony Albanese's decision to award her an assistant ministry in health and aged care, Indigenous health and women. Multiple Labor sources said Matt Smith had charisma that helped him stand out. Picture: Elodie Jakes The other name repeatedly raised was Leichhardt MP and former professional basketballer Matt Smith, who multiple sources said had charisma that helped him stand out. 'Matt Smith seems really great – he is a real potential minister,' one Labor MP said of the candidate who won the Queensland seat off retiring Liberal Warren Entsch. Queensland emerged as the state with the most promising talent, with eight new MPs, including Renee Coffey, Kara Cook and Julie-Ann Campbell. Cook had been Labor's only female Brisbane councillor and the party's deputy leader before winning the federal seat of Bonner. 'Kara is not new to politics so she'll start a little bit ahead of others,' one of her parliamentary colleagues said. Campbell would be a future Labor minister straight from central casting with her trade unionist and Queensland Labor Secretary history. 'Julie-Ann has had institutional experience, which does lead to you getting a pretty good sense of how everything works and managing large organisations,' a Labor colleague said. Potential stars, clockwise from top left, Renee Coffey, Kara Cook, Julie-Ann Campbell and Ali France. Unlike the other names, Coffey's CV is heavier on real-world experience as the chief executive of a mental health charity, but colleagues credit her with ministerial potential after she won the seat of Griffith from popular Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather. The same MP said: 'Her result was not an accident She is very, very smart.' A senior Labor source agreed the three MPs were standouts describing Campbell as a 'strong political campaigner' whose links to the Chinese community as a Chinese-Australia would help Labor's standing with multicultural voters. The source also pointed out Ali France, who has already made history by toppling Peter Dutton, as an 'obvious' standout. 'Ali France's dad was an MP so there are some strong political roots and smarts there. I would definitely rate her as a future minister,' they said. Victorian MP Gabriel Ng, who took Menzies from rising Liberal star Keith Wolahan in one of the biggest election shocks, was given an honourable mention as a strong performer. But the 2025 batch of minister hopefuls will have to wait their turn with class of 2022 MP Andrew Charlton and Mulino both being groomed for future leadership potential. Mulino is considered whip-smart, with a solid economic background and years behind him as a state MP, and has recently been elevated to assistant treasurer. One source predicted his next role will not be treasurer but he's certainly on the trajectory. Gabriel Ng. Picture: NewsWire/Martin Ollman Andrew Charlton. Picture: Supplied Charlton, who has been elevated to the role of cabinet secretary after just one term, has been given front-row access to seeing how leadership works. 'Charlton is a Rhodes scholar. He's one of the smartest people in the building and he's also really likeable,' a Labor MP said of the Parramatta MP and Kevin Rudd staffer. The new role exposes him to how the expenditure review committee works and how ministers fight it out for cash – compulsory learning for any ministerial aspirant. Do you have a story for The Telegraph? Message 0481 056 618 or email tips@
Daily Mail
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Senator Linda Reynolds lashes out after corruption watchdog clears Brittany Higgins' $2million payout
Senator Linda Reynolds is 'bitterly disappointed' by a watchdog's finding there was no corruption associated with a $2.4million compensation payout to former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins. Ms Higgins reached the agreement with the Commonwealth in December 2022 after her alleged rape in Parliament House in 2019, while she was working in Senator Reynolds' office. The settlement was referred to the National Anti-Corruption Commission by Senator Reynolds, who questioned the handling of the process by then-attorney-general Mark Dreyfus. 'I am bitterly disappointed by the NACC's decision not to investigate the circumstances surrounding the Commonwealth's multi-million dollar settlement with Ms Higgins,' Senator Reynolds said in a statement on Thursday. The senator claimed she had been given 'no opportunity to defend the serious and baseless claims against me' during a mediation process. 'I fail to understand how the Commonwealth and its lawyers could not appreciate the serious and probable consequences of settling such serious allegations on my behalf... and the message that it would send to the public about the truth of those matters,' she said. Senator Reynolds said it was one of the issues her Federal Court lawsuit against the Commonwealth over the settlement would explore. The commission found 'no corruption issue' with Ms Higgins' payout following an investigation. 'No corruption issue arises, and so there is no basis for any further action by the commission,' the watchdog said in a statement. 'There was no inappropriate intervention in the process by or on behalf of any minister. 'The then-attorney-general approved the settlement in accordance with the departmental advice. 'Documents produced showed that decisions made in relation to the settlement were based on advice from independent external solicitors and experienced senior and junior counsel.' The commission said there was 'no material difference' in the legal advice surrounding the payment during the term of the former coalition government and the current Labor government. The agreement of the settlement amount within one day during mediation was not unusual. 'It was the culmination of a process which took approximately 12 months. None of this is unusual for a non-litigated personal injury claim,' the commission said. 'A critical consideration during the settlement process was avoiding ongoing trauma to Ms Higgins.' Ms Higgins alleged she was raped by Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann in a Parliament House office in 2019. Lehrmann has always denied the allegations. Charges were brought against Lehrmann in a criminal trial in 2022, but were abandoned after juror misconduct. A retrial was ruled out because of the potential effect on the mental health of Ms Higgins. A defamation trial brought on by Lehrmann found that on the balance of probabilities he had raped Ms Higgins.
News.com.au
12-06-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
Linda Reynolds targets former Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus in Higgins lawsuit
Linda Reynolds has turned her attention to former Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus in her bid to sue the Commonwealth over its compensation payment to Brittany Higgins, as the nation's anti-corruption agency revealed there was 'no corruption issue' in the payment. The retiring former Liberal minister in May launched action in the Federal Court against the Commonwealth, with the crux of the claim over the $2.4m compensation payment to Brittany Higgins in 2022. Senator Reynolds argued the payment was 'publicly affirming' of Ms Higgins allegations against her that she didn't support her former staffer when she alleged she was raped by Bruce Lehrmann. The Federal Court has found Mr Lehrmann raped Ms Higgins on the civil standard of the balance of probabilities. A criminal trial was aborted due juror misconduct and a charge against him was dropped. Mr Lehrmann has always denied the allegation and is appealing the Federal Court's finding. An amended version of Ms Reynolds statement of claim was filed on Wednesday, just a day before the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) said there was 'no corruption issue' in the $2.4m payment. The NACC on Thursday announced there was 'no evidence that the settlement process, including the legal advice provided, who was present at the mediation, or the amount was subject to any improper influence by any Commonwealth public official'. Senator Reynolds' amended statement of claim was made public late on Thursday afternoon. Among the changes is a reference to a speech by Mr Dreyfus the then Attorney-General made to parliament on March 15, 2021. Mr Dreyfus is not a party to the claim. Mr Dreyfus recounted to the House of Representatives a speech by Ms Higgins just outside Parliament House, where she told a large crowd she was raped inside the building by a colleague, and how her story was 'a painful reminder to women that it can happen in Parliament House and can truly happen anywhere'. 'If a woman cannot feel safe from rape in Parliament House, a veritable fortress ringed with security cameras, with entrances protected by armed guards and with Federal Police officers on duty inside, where can women feel safe?' Mr Dreyfus told the House of Representatives, according to a transcript excerpt in the claim. 'How strong is the rule of law if it isn't able to protect a young woman working in the ministerial wing of Parliament House?' The amended statement of claim argued Senator Reynolds had suffered loss and damage as a result of Mr Dreyfus' conduct, including denying her the opportunity to rebut Ms Higgins' allegation 'in the appropriate forum'. It also argues Mr Dreyfus 'enabled and encouraged the falsity of Ms Higgins' claim to be maintained by Ms Higgins'. HWL Ebsworth, which acted on the Commonwealth's behalf, is also being sued by Senator Reynolds for negligence. Lawyers on behalf of Senator Reynolds argued HWLE breached its fiduciary duty to her by excluding her from the mediation conference where the $2.4m settlement was reached, and failing to conduct independent investigations to establish if there was 'at least a meaningful prospect of liability' by Ms Higgins. However, similar alleged breaches initially put forth against the Commonwealth were withdrawn in the amended document, with it now largely focusing on allegations of Mr Dreyfus' misfeasance of public office and alleged breaches of HWLE. Mr Dreyfus has been contacted for comment. He earlier welcomed NACC's statement. 'The NACC has conclusively found there was no improper interference by any Commonwealth official at any stage,' Mr Dreyfus said. 'I regret the baseless allegation of corruption has been so widely publicised ahead of this finding and hope future matters can be resolved in a more timely manner. 'I also regret any further distress caused to Ms Higgins as a result of this matter.'
The Guardian
12-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Linda Reynolds alleges Mark Dreyfus had conflict of interest when he signed off on Brittany Higgins' $2.4m settlement
Linda Reynolds is suing the commonwealth over Brittany Higgins' $2.4m settlement, alleging in court documents that former attorney general Mark Dreyfus committed 'misfeasance of public office' by denying her an opportunity to defend herself against allegations she mishandled the incident. It comes as the federal anti-corruption watchdog released its findings on Thursday, concluding there was 'no corruption issue' in Higgins' settlement and 'no inappropriate intervention' by the Labor government. In an updated statement of claim to the federal court on Wednesday, the former Liberal senator alleged Dreyfus had a conflict of interest in signing off on the settlement in December 2022 because of public statements he had made. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Reynolds is suing the commonwealth and its lawyers for damages and legal costs in an effort to 'vindicate and restore her reputation', the statement of claim said. Reynolds' claim alleges Dreyfus' role in the matter 'enabled and encouraged the falsity of Ms Higgins' claim', referencing a speech the then opposition attorney general made in March 2021. In the lower house, Dreyfus quoted a speech Higgins delivered on the lawns of Parliament House where the former Liberal staffer claimed 'people around me did not care about what happened because of what it might mean for them' and that she was a 'political problem'. 'It's very clear the prime minister [Scott Morrison] has made looking after Liberal party mates his main focus – not looking after women, not looking after the country and not looking after the rule of law or justice but looking after his political mates,' Dreyfus said at the time. The deed, released during Bruce Lehrmann's failed defamation case in December 2023, compensated Higgins for her loss of earning capacity, legal costs, medical expenses, domestic assistance and '$400,000 for hurt, distress and humiliation'. As part of Higgins' claim, the former staffer alleged the commonwealth had breached its duty of care because Reynolds and her staff mishandled the matter and did not adequately support her. Documents released to the Western Australian supreme court last year showed Reynolds was asked to not attend the mediation in December 2022 or make any public commentary about Higgins and to maintain confidentiality of information related to the settlement and civil claims in order to give the commonwealth the 'best position to achieve a resolution at the mediation'. The settlement was signed a week later. In court in August 2024, Reynolds accused Dreyfus of 'seeking to silence' her. She said the claims that she had not given Higgins adequate support after her alleged rape in March 2019 were 'utterly defendable'. 'My defence was to be no defence … I was outraged.' Reynolds told the court the letter had made her 'very angry' and she considered the federal government was attempting to 'lock me down'. The day before the mediation, 13 December 2022, Reynolds sent the June letter from her personal email address to Janet Albrechtsen, a columnist at the Australian newspaper. 'The letter of confidentiality was never signed by me so my recollection is while they sent the proposal, what the Commonwealth wanted in terms of locking me down, I never agreed,' Reynolds said. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion 'So therefore I had no particular concern about sending that to Ms Albrechtsen.' In October 2023, Reynolds referred the settlement to the National Anti-Corruption Commission to examine the process. The Nacc released the findings of its preliminary investigation into the matter on Thursday, concluding there was 'no inappropriate intervention' by the Labor government. The Nacc found there was 'no material difference' in legal advice received by the former Coalition government before the May 2022 election and advice subsequently received by the newly elected Albanese government. The Nacc concluded: 'There was no inappropriate intervention in the process by or on behalf of any minister. The then attorney general approved the settlement in accordance with the departmental advice. 'There is no evidence that the settlement process, including the legal advice provided, who was present at the mediation, or the amount, was subject to any improper influence by any Commonwealth public official. 'To the contrary, the evidence obtained reflected a process that was based on independent external legal advice, without any inappropriate intervention by any minister of either government. There is therefore no corruption issue.' In a statement on Thursday, Reynolds said she was 'bitterly disappointed' by the decision, questioning how the settlement 'could possibly settle unsubstantiated and statute-barred claims made against me' without 'taking a single statement from me or speaking to me at all'. Dreyfus responded that he regretted 'the baseless allegation of corruption has been so widely publicised ahead of this finding and hope future matters can be resolved in a more timely manner'. A case management hearing is scheduled in Perth next Thursday. Reynolds is awaiting the judgment of a separate defamation case in the Western Australia supreme court against Higgins over a series of social media posts, published in July 2023, which the former minister claims damaged her reputation.
