As it happened: Bruce Lehrmann to sue ACT over handling of Higgins case; Dutton labels PM ‘incompetent’ on Voice

ANZ will keep pursuing its proposed $4.9 billion take-over of Suncorp’s banking arm despite the competition watchdog rejecting the deal.

The proposal was knocked back by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission on Friday morning over concerns it would further cement the market dominance of the big four banks.

However, ANZ plans to appeal the decision to the independent Australian Competition Tribunal, a move Suncorp supports.

“Together with ANZ, we will make our case to the tribunal, which is led by a justice of the Federal Court of Australia,” Suncorp chairwoman Christine McLoughlin said.

“The tribunal will look at all of the evidence with fresh eyes before forming its own view.”

S&P Global Ratings noted the planned joint appeal, saying it still viewed the acquisition as a “plausible outcome”.

The ACCC said the proposed acquisition had the potential to lessen competition in the Queensland market for home loans as well as banking services to small firms and agribusinesses.

“The four majors dominate and have dominated for some considerable time and we considered this transaction was likely to reinforce or almost cement that continuing dominance,” deputy chair Mick Keogh said.

“That therefore meant we would have four majors very similar in many respects and more likely to be engaged in live-and-let-live competition rather than the fierce competition that would benefit consumers.”

AAP

NSW Health will not follow the path of their Queensland counterparts in making free meningococcal B vaccines more widespread, despite NSW seeing more cases of the deadly virus this year.

On Friday, the Queensland government announced children under two and teenagers from 15 to 19 would be eligible for free meningococcal B vaccines.

The vaccine will also now be part of routine childhood and school immunisation programs.

However, a spokesperson for NSW Health said the meningococcal B vaccine remained free for indigenous children, and children with certain medical conditions, but that the scheme would not be expanded to make it universally free.

The meningococcal B vaccine costs around $115 and two doses are required to ensure immunity, not including the added cost of a doctor’s appointment.

By July 31, NSW had recorded 24 cases of the meningococcal virus this year. Nineteen of those were meningococcal B. Queensland has recorded 23 cases of meningococcal this year, its state health department said today.

Meningococcal ACWY is on the national immunisation plan, but meningococcal B is not, with meningococcal B emerging as the most common version of the virus.

RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins said that, while it was rare, it was also becoming the more lethal variation of the virus.

“There is evidence that meningococcal B is emerging as a more common cause of death and one reason may be a result of widespread vaccination in the community against the other meningococcal strains,” Higgins said.

“Between 1997 and 2016, it is estimated that 396 people died from meningococcal disease and 32 per cent of those deaths happened to children aged less than five. It’s a dangerous disease for those who make it through too, 25 percent of people who get this disease end up with a disability.”

Tasmania’s long-awaited Marinus Link project is in financial limbo after a cost blowout.

The underwater electricity project was set to connect Tasmania with the mainland, with 80 per cent of its funding from a loan scheme and the other 20 per cent shared equally between Tasmania, Victoria and the Commonwealth.

Premier Jeremy Rockliff on Friday said the Marinus Link was an important project to boost Tasmania’s renewable energy development and support economic growth - but only for the right price.

The Bass Strait project was slated to cost up to $3.8 billion and was expected to improve energy reliability.

But the Tasmanian government had since been advised of a “material and significant cost increase” for the project, Mr Rockliff said.

The government said it would not disclose the extent of the cost blowout because of a live procurement process.

“The right price does not mean any price and from day one we have said that the cost benefits of this project must stack up in favour of Tasmanians,” Mr Rockliff said.

“I have asked the prime minister to consider alternative funding options for the increased costs of this project.”

Tasmania has committed more than $100 million to the Marinus Link, the North West Transmission Development and the Battery of the Nation projects.

AAP

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has ruled out using his attendance at the Garma Festival to announce the date of the referendum.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Albanese said he would instead be using the event, which is held over four days in northeast Arnhem Land, to gain more advice from First Nation voices on when the date should be.

Trade Minister Don Farrell has welcomed China’s decision to drop tariffs on Australian barley and believes it will set a precedent for the remaining restrictions on Australian exports to be removed.

“It’s another very positive step in the full resumption of normal trade between Australia and China,” he said.

Speaking alongside Foreign Minister Penny Wong in Adelaide on Friday, Farrell said Australia had made it clear to China that it preferred to resolve the disputes through discussion and dialogue rather than disputation.

But the World Trade Organisation case launched by the former Liberal government in 2020 (which China was expected to lose) gave Canberra leverage over Beijing in discussions with Chinese ministers once high-level diplomatic contact resumed last year.

Wong said Australia was confident of winning its other WTO case against China over anti-dumping tariffs of up to 200 per cent on Australian wines.

“We have a dispute before the WTO in relation to wine we are confident of our case. And we retain our view, which we have expressed publicly and to the Chinese officials that it is in the interest of both countries for these impediments to be removed,” she said.

“We do want Chinese consumers to be able to enjoy Australian wine.”

Wong said the removal of the tariffs on barley was a positive development but would not give a firm commitment to a visit to Beijing by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese later this year.

“What I would say is the prime minister has made clear he would welcome a visit and we hope we can continue on the positive path that we are on,” she said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also labelled the move from China a positive step.

“I have said very clearly on China, that we will co-operate where we can, disagree where we must, but will engage in our national interest,” he said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is still speaking at the Garma Festival, and he’s addressing questions about wavering public support for the Voice to parliament.

Albanese declared the Voice would succeed, and he said polling showing the referendum to establish the Voice could fail would turn around as people focused on it as voting day draws near.

The Resolve Political Monitor shows that the Voice falling from a high of 64 per cent public support in September last year to to 48 per cent support in June.It also showed that more people expect the referendum will be defeated than think it will succeed and four states would vote No if the national vote were held tomorrow.

“There will be a focus in the weeks leading up to people voting, particularly in the four weeks leading up because this is an issue which isn’t about politicians, isn’t about Canberra, it’s about every Australian getting one vote, one value in this referendum,” Albanese said.

The PM said Indigenous recognition was long overdue in Australia.

“We are the only former colony of Europe that does not recognise that there were inhabitants here before 1788, in our case.

“In New Zealand’s case that was recognised in the 19th century, in Canada’s case in the 20th century.

“This is something that is for First Nations people but it is more than that. It is something for all of us for all of us to be lifted up.”

Penny Wong and Trade Minister Don Farrell spoke to reporters earlier today in Adelaide.

The press conference came after China announced it would scrap anti-dumping and anti-subsidy tariffs on Australian barley from August 5.

You can watch the press conference below:

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is visiting the Garma Festival in East Arnhem land today, declaring that the local Dilak Council of cultural leaders is an example of how the Indigenous Voice to parliament would work.

The Dilak Council includes senior cultural leaders of 13 clan groups in a decision-making body based on traditional structures.

Albanese said the referendum to establish constitutional recognition of the Voice would be held in the last quarter of this year, and he was confident a successful result would deliver outcomes like he as seen on his trip to Arnhem Land.

“The Dilak Council, is an example of exactly how a voice with local structures can work giving a voice to Canberra about how we achieved better results because we know that when we listen to people who are directly affected by issues, you get better outcomes,” he said.

Albanese said he’d had an opportunity to listen and opportunity to listen about the vision that the community here has have on your country of education advancement for the people of health.

“It doesn’t envisage one size fits all because different communities have different histories have different organisations as well,” Albanese said.

“It has driven reform from the ground up and it’s ensured that communities have their say.”