Daniel Hurst
‘A bad look’, says Cheng Lei of apparent attempt to block her view of document signing
So there was a little bit of drama away from the cameras during the signing of agreements and then statements to the media by both Anthony Albanese and the visiting Chinese premier, Li Qiang, in the main committee room of Parliament House.
The Australian journalist Cheng Lei, fully within her rights, attended the event in her capacity as a presenter and reporter for Sky News Australia. Cheng was detained in China in 2020 and the Australian government had repeatedly pressed for her release until a breakthrough late last year when she was allowed to return home to Australia.
At the signing ceremony, Cheng sat with her fellow Australian journalists in the seats set aside for media representatives.
As the agreements started to be signed, a Chinese embassy official stood in a position in front of Cheng but looking forward at the official proceedings. The Chinese embassy official was repeatedly asked to move by Australian officials, initially politely. After these requests were rebuffed, an Australian official said: “You’re standing in front of my Australian colleague – you must move.”
A fellow Australian journalist then offered to swap seats with Cheng, resulting in her moving two seats to the right. After the pair swapped seats, another embassy official appeared to move around to try to get close to Cheng. An Australian official blocked the path before that official could get close to Cheng.
The leaders proceeded to give their statements to the media, and (as expected) they left the room without taking questions from reporters. No one attempted to shout a question. Comment is being sought from the Chinese embassy.
Cheng returned to the Sky News desk after the event. Commenting on the attempts to block her view, Cheng told Sky News:
I’m only guessing this is to prevent me from saying something or doing something that they think would be a bad look, but that in itself was a bad look.
Key events
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, and shadow foreign affairs minister, Simon Birmingham, are this afternoon also meeting with visiting Chinese premier, Li Qiang.
What will they be bringing up China’s leader? Birmingham has also spoken with Afternoon Briefing before that meeting:
This visit will be judged on the results in terms of progress against those residual trade issues, consular issues and other important matters as to how we engage with one another in this region.
…Those issues of regional engagement – particularly our military to military engagement – and what we have seen in terms of the conduct of China’s military in ways that have threaten the lives and safety of our Defence Force personnel.
And it is not just about Australia and Chinese military conduct but about Chinese military conduct across the region, even while these meetings are taking place in Canberra today we have seen reports of another incident involving a Chinese military and the Philippines. Disturbing and concerning reports and these happen far too often because of approaches that are too aggressive, too risky and create the prospect of potential escalation.
Minister hints China’s sanctions on Australian lobster could soon be lifted
The agriculture minister, Murray Watt, says “there is no doubt this has been a very positive visit from Premier Li Qiang”, hinting China’s sanctions on Australian lobster may soon be lifted.
Appearing on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing, Watt said:
I participated in one of those meetings the prime minister had with Premier Li Qiang and pretty much every single issue that people would expect to be raised was raised directly with the Chinese premier. We would certainly be hopeful, in my space of agriculture, to see a resolution of the remaining suspensions, particularly around lobster.
We would be hopeful of that happening soon. The Prime Minister raised it directly and I would say it received a positive hearing from Premier Li Qiang.
Asked if he believes the era of economic or trade coercion is over now, Watt says “I’d certainly like to think so.”
Pet dog dies after shots fired through Gold Coast unit back door
A pet dog has died after multiple shots were allegedly fired from a high-powered rifle into a Gold Coast unit complex, AAP reports.
Queensland police today said it was fortunate a woman had not also been killed in the shooting, which they described as a targeted attack.
A man allegedly fired seven shots through the rear sliding glass door of the Mudgeeraba apartment early on Sunday.
The small white dog was in the lounge room and was shot in the shoulder, police said.
The unit’s 43-year-old female occupant suffered a hand injury during the incident, and later underwent surgery at Gold Coast University hospital.
The pet was taken to an emergency vet for treatment but was later euthanised due to its injuries. Acting superintendent Mark Mooney told reporters:
It’s quite sad obviously for the [pet’s] owner.
… We believe it was targeted and there is no threat to the community.
It’s extremely concerning and we’re really fortunate the lady wasn’t killed herself.
Police said they are studying CCTV footage.
Amy Remeikis
AEC’s proposed electorate boundary changes already shaking things up
The draft redistribution announcement from the Australian Electoral Commission has set more than a few cats among the preselected candidate pigeons, with the proposed boundary changes opening up the question of whether or not preselections should be re-opened in some electorates.
One of those was Bennelong, after the AEC proposed abolishing the seat of North Sydney, which is held by independent MP Kylea Tink.
A big chunk of Tink’s voters would be moved into Bennelong, which is currently held by a snail’s breath by Labor MP Jerome Laxale. With the boundary change recommendation, Bennelong would become nominally an LNP seat (nominally means on the numbers, which are based on how people voted in the last election. It doesn’t take into account how some of those votes may change this time around).
But with Bennelong very much in play, there were questions over whether the Liberal preselected candidate for North Sydney, Gisele Kapterian, would make a play to be preselected in the seat, despite the Liberal party having already chosen Scott Yung to run in the seat.
But after two days of speculation, Kapterian has said that she is “not contemplating running in Bennelong” and has told Yung she won’t be pushing to re-open preselections.
North Sydney Liberal Candidate:
“I’m not contemplating running for Bennelong and I have informed Scott Yung accordingly” pic.twitter.com/a6W06bbDGB— NSW Political Alerts (@NSWPolAlerts) June 17, 2024
Don’t expect this to be the last of it though.
Tink is still considering what steps she will take given the likelihood she will be left without an electorate at the next election. One of the options under consideration is running in Bradfield, currently held by the Liberal shadow minister Paul Fletcher.
The only issue with that is Bradfield already has an established independent candidate in Nicolette Boele who managed to turn Bradfield into a marginal seat at the last election, and who has been campaigning in the electorate throughout this term.
There is also speculation that Fletcher may be pushed aside to head off a strong independent challenge, with former NSW state treasurer Matt Kean being one of the names being put forward. Kean is staying mum, but unseating a sitting MP, particularly one in the shadow ministry, is a big ask.
And that isn’t taking into account all the potential issues in Victoria, where the AEC has proposed to abolish the seat of Higgins, held by Labor MP Michelle Ananda-Rajah.
Former Liberal MP Katie Allen had been preselected to recontest the seat she lost to Ananda-Rajah, but is not ruling out a move to the neighbouring Chisholm, where Theo Zographos has already been preselected for the Liberals.
Of course, the AEC won’t make a formal decision on the boundary changes until October. Stay tuned.
John Farnham’s son shares first public photos of singer since cancer surgery
Cait Kelly
The son of John Farnham has shared photos of his father for the first time since the legendary Australian singer announced he was cancer-free last year.
Rob Farnham shared pictures of his wedding to wife Melissa on Instagram, where they were surrounded by friends and family.
Farnham, 74, was diagnosed with throat cancer in August 2022 and underwent a 12-hour operation to remove a mouth tumour. It is the first time pictures of him have been made public since his recovery.
Rob Farnham wrote on social media on Sunday about his February wedding:
Shared the happiest moment with my favourite person in the universe and she said ‘I do’.
Melissa, my life is forever better now you’re a part of it. You looked radiant, beautiful and elegant. I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for us, and I’m truly honoured to have you by my side as my wife for life.
Rob, 44, is the eldest of Farnham’s two sons and appeared in the blockbuster documentary Finding The Voice about his father last year.
In the second half of last year, Farnham made a statement about his personal recovery, saying he was “the luckiest man I know right now”. He said last August:
I’ve lost count as to how many other procedures there’s been.
Albanese’s press conference has wrapped up now and the two leaders will head to Perth for events in Western Australia tomorrow.
Albanese says ‘I didn’t see’ Chinese official blocking Cheng Lei’s view
Albanese is asked about the Chinese embassy official blocking journalist Cheng Lei’s view from cameras at diplomatic signing event, to which he says “I didn’t see.”
I saw Cheng Lei and we smiled at each other during the event.
I’m not aware of those issues, it’s important people be allowed to participate fully. That’s what should happen in this building and anywhere else in Australia.
Albanese on foreign interference
In response to a question about foreign interference, Albanese says:
I did raise the issue of ensuring foreign interference wasn’t acceptable in Australia’s political system. We’ve seen a full expression of our democracy, our different views, out the front of Parliament House this morning we saw an expression of that.
As my colleague Dan Hurst mentioned earlier, as the ceremonial welcome for China’s premier took place, a couple of hundred metres away, protesters gathered, including some holding Chinese flags, while human rights advocates protested against the visit.
Albanese says he raised human rights and Yang Hengjun case with Chinese premier
Albanese says he and the Chinese premier engaged “in a very direct way about some of the differences we have.”
I certainly raised our issues in the Pacific as well as other issues including human rights, Dr Yang [Hengjun]’s case, as well as the Australians who are on death row. We of course in Australia oppose capital punishment and I reiterated our position there.
Anthony Albanese says China-Australia dialogue ‘patient, calibrated and deliberate’
Albanese says the government’s approach to the dialogue has been “patient, calibrated and deliberate” in the interests of Australia, China and stability in the region:
The recommencement of our regular annual leaders meetings has restored the high level dialogue which is central to this stabilisation, and we discussed today next year’s meeting which will be held in China.
Good afternoon one and all! We are jumping straight into the PM’s press conference in Canberra where Anthony Albanese is making a statement to the media after his talks with Chinese premier, Li Qiang.
