Australia news LIVE: PM says no second chances on Voice; ACT top prosecutor hits back at inquiry after resignation
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Key posts
- ACT prosecutor quits, accuses head of Lehrmann inquiry of unfairness
- PM says no second chances on Voice
- Niger’s citizens undaunted as deadline to reverse coup expires
- This morning’s headlines at a glance
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ACT prosecutor quits, accuses head of Lehrmann inquiry of unfairness
ACT top prosecutor Shane Drumgold has accused the head of the inquiry into the Bruce Lehrmann rape case of denying him procedural fairness, and has disputed many of the probe’s findings after resigning from his high-profile role last week.
In a written statement on Sunday, Drumgold denied acting dishonestly or underhandedly after inquiry chair Walter Sofronoff, KC, found he had lied to the Supreme Court in the lead-up to the trial, and said the inquiry had missed the opportunity to focus on systemic issues in the justice system instead of focusing largely on him.
ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold has resigned.Credit: Rhett Wyman
“Although I accept my conduct was less than perfect, my decisions were all made in good faith, under intense and sometimes crippling pressure, conducted within increasingly unmanageable workloads,” Drumgold said.
“The pre-emptive release of the report to the media has denied me procedural fairness. It has deprived the ACT Government of the opportunity of considering my conduct objectively.”
Sofronoff’s findings were published by The Australian on Thursday. An ACT government spokesperson rebuked Sofronoff, saying he had told the government he had given embargoed copies of the report to some journalists ahead of him providing it to the territory last Monday.
Read more on this issue here.
PM says no second chances on Voice
Australians will have one chance to vote for a Voice to parliament, Prime Minster Anthony Albanese has warned, signalling he will not seek to create the body by legislation if the referendum fails later this year.
In an interview with the ABC’s Insiders program, Albanese, who has been at the Garma Festival in the Northern Territory over the weekend, drew parallels with the republic referendum in 1999, in which some supporters of the proposal voted No as they did not support the model proposed at the time and expected a second referendum would be held.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrives for the opening ceremony of the Garma Festival.Credit: Rhett Wyman
Asked repeatedly if he would legislate the Voice if the referendum was defeated in a vote widely expected to be held on October 14, Albanese said the vote “is a once in a generation opportunity”.
“Many people in the republic referendum thought it would come around again. And that’s why I say to those people – including people who say ‘it [Voice] doesn’t go far enough, so therefore I’m going to vote no’ – a no vote will be a vote for more of the same,” he said.
Continue reading about the Voice here.
Niger’s citizens undaunted as deadline to reverse coup expires
Thousands of supporters of Niger’s coup leaders flocked to a stadium in the capital Niamey, apparently undaunted by the threat of military intervention from West Africa’s regional bloc as its ultimatum to reinstate the president expires.
On Niamey’s streets there were also sporadic displays of support for the junta, which has said it will not cave in to external pressure to stand down following the July 26 power grab. There were no signs of opposition.
The seventh coup in West and Central Africa in three years has rocked the Sahel region, one of the poorest in the world. Given its uranium and oil riches and its pivotal role in a war with Islamist militants, Niger holds importance for the US, Europe, China and Russia.
Demonstrators gather in support of the soldiers in the capita Niamey.Credit: Reuters
Defence chiefs of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have agreed on military action, including when and where to strike, if the detained President, Mohamed Bazoum, is not released and reinstated by Sunday.
ECOWAS did not respond to a request for comment on what its next steps would be, or when exactly on Sunday its deadline expires.
A spokesman said it would issue a statement at the end of the day.
Blasting military tunes and tooting vuvuzela horns, over 100 junta supporters earlier set up a picket near an air base in Niamey – part of a citizen movement to offer non-violent resistance in support of the junta if needed.
Reuters
This morning’s headlines at a glance
Good morning, and thanks for your company.
I’m Caroline Schelle, and I’ll be anchoring our live coverage for the first half of the day. It’s Monday, August 7.
Here’s what you need to know before we get started:
- Labor has created its policy position on AI, which will for the first time outline the party’s approach to the technology dominating global debate.
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says voters will have only one chance to vote for a Voice to parliament, drawing parallels with the republic referendum of 1999.
- Confidential documents reveal a shortfall of hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to wipe out venomous fire ants that are threatening to spread across the country.
ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold, SC, outside the inquiry into the Lehrmann trial.Credit: Rhett Wyman
- ACT top prosecutor Shane Drumgold accused the head of the inquiry into the Lehrmann rape case of denying him procedural fairness.
- The Spanish renewable energy giant that is building Australia’s biggest wind farm says bad behaviour within the sector is putting community support for future projects at risk.
- In case you missed it, this piece explains how Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather went from young Labor to PM’s foe.
- And overseas, Moscow unleashed a missile and drone barrage on Ukraine, following through on its promise to retaliate for an attack on a Russian tanker.
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