Australia news live: Extinction Rebellion protesters disrupt AFL grand final parade; disability royal commission releases final report | Australia news – Beragampengetahuan

Daniel Hurst

A senior official involved in Aukus negotiations, Scott Dewar, has been named as Australia’s next ambassador to China.

Dewar will take over from Graham Fletcher, who has been Australia’s top diplomat in Beijing since 2019, after a series of steps to “stabilise” the rocky relationship.

Dewar, who has previous diplomatic experience in China, has recently served as deputy secretary (international and security) at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Dewar was previously involved in sensitive talks before the Aukus security partnership was announced in 2021.

The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, announced a series of diplomatic appointments this afternoon, saying the new heads of mission and consuls-general would “reinforce our diplomatic capability, build influence and advance Australia’s national interests around the globe”.

Wong said she was “pleased to appoint highly qualified individuals to lead Australia’s posts in Bali, China, Colombia, Estonia, Hong Kong, Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Russia and Sweden”.

The appointments are:

• Ms Jo Stevens as Australia’s next Consul-General in Bali.

• Mr Scott Dewar as Australia’s next Ambassador to China.

• Ms Anna Chrisp as Australia’s next Ambassador to Colombia.

• Mr Sri Ayyalaraju as Australia’s next Ambassador to Estonia.

• Mr Gareth Williams as Australia’s next Consul-General in Hong Kong.

• Mr Paul Wilson as Australia’s next Ambassador to the Marshall Islands.

• Mr John Feakes as Australia’s next High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea.

• Mr John Geering as Australia’s next Ambassador to Russia.

• Ms Frances Sagala as Australia’s next Ambassador to Sweden.

Josh Butler

Ice-cream company Ben & Jerry’s backs Indigenous voice to parliament

Ice-cream chain Ben & Jerrys is the latest company backing the Indigenous voice referendum, calling the vote “an important step towards self determination and a more fair future” – but saying more should be done.

The company, which has advocated loudly for progressive causes in the past, hadn’t made major statements on the referendum until now – an issue Guardian Australia understands had troubled some employees. On Friday, Ben & Jerrys put out a statement saying it backed “an unequivocal ‘Yes’ vote at the upcoming referendum and see this as an important step towards self determination and a more fair future”:

While the Voice is a critical step, the Voice cannot be the final destination – it is clear that on its own, it is entirely inadequate to address the impacts of centuries of colonisation, unfair policies and racism.

If we are going to have a more fair future, these fundamental outcomes must come next and happen on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island peoples’ terms. It’s critical we all see ourselves as allies to this, and hold the Government to account to make this a reality.

US disappointed by Solomons snub

Daniel Hurst

White House officials say they are disappointed that the prime minister of Solomon Islands declined to attend a summit between the US president, Joe Biden, and Pacific leaders in Washington.

But they have insisted that the US is in listening mode, not lecturing mode, amid intense competition for influence across the region.

The prime minister of Solomon Islands, Manasseh Sogavare, who struck a security agreement with China last year, said earlier this week that the US should stop “lecturing” Pacific leaders.

Sogavare was a notable absence from this week’s summit at the White House. The prime minister of Vanuatu, Sato Kilman, also did not attend but that was because he had to return to face a parliamentary vote of no confidence.

Mira Rapp-Hooper, the senior director for east Asia and Oceania at the White House’s national security council, told a media briefing today:

We were disappointed that Prime Minister Sogavare was unable to attend the summit in Washington.

We did reach out, including at the very highest levels, to encourage him to join us for this terrific conversation … this opportunity to engage amongst friends, and we’re disappointed that he declined to do so.

Rapp-Hooper said she didn’t “have much to say” about Sogavare’s recent comments about US lecturing, except to say all of the conversations with Pacific leaders this week were “collaborative, constructive, forward looking”.

She said the talks “involved an incredible amount of listening by US government officials to continue to refine their understanding of what our Pacific Island Forum friends are most looking for from us”. She added:

So that’s the approach that we’re going to continue to take. We continue to believe that it’s the right approach.

Extinction Rebellion is claiming it has disrupted the AFL grand final parade by “gluing themselves to the road”.

In a statement, they claimed that three protesters glued themselves to the road in front of the cars carrying AFL players after four banner-holders halted the vehicles.

The activists were wearing shirts reading “Climate breakdown has begun”, with the other side of their shirts reading “No footy in 50 degrees C” a reference to the hot weather expected across grand final weekend.

Security removed the protesters after they glued themselves to the ground, with the parade continuing soon after.

Cait Kelly

Inquiry calls for establishment of disability support worker registry

The recommendations for the disability commission also called on the Australian government to establish a national disability support worker registration scheme by 1 July 2028.

The registration would include a code of conduct and minimum standards for registered disability support workers, including support coordinators.

The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission should create an beragampengetahuan investigators panel, it stated. Where the panel decides NDIS participants experienced violence, abuse, neglect or exploitation they should be entitled to redress.

A dedicated First Nations Unit should also be established to develop its engagement with and understanding of the issues facing First Nations participants

States and territories should each establish or maintain an beragampengetahuan ‘one-stop shop’ complaint reporting, referral and support mechanism to receive reports of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disabilities.

The report called on the federal government to set up a 1800 number and website, to direct people to their jurisdiction complaint.

Cait Kelly

Overrepresentation of people with disability in criminal justice settings must be addressed, inquiry report says

The recommendations from the royal commission into disability also included overhauls to the criminal system, including prohibiting solitary confinement in youth detention and raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility to age 14 in states and territories that haven’t done so.

It said the overrepresentation of people with disability in criminal justice settings and children with disability in youth detention settings needed to be addressed.

The report called on the Western Australian government to immediately cease confinement practices at youth detention centres amounting to the solitary confinement of children with disabilities and addresses high staff attrition rates in youth detention.

It said the New South Wales government should review existing policy regarding the use of seclusion for adults with cognitive disabilities.

The report also suggested increasing culturally safe disability services and supports for First Nations people with disabilities, and removing barriers to the NDIS in remote and very remote communities.

Cait Kelly

Phase-out of group homes recommended by disability inquiry

Another key recommendation from the report is to phase out group homes.

In Australia, 17,000 people live in group homes. The commissioners agreed that group homes should be phased out, though there are differing opinions on the timeframe.

Commissioners Bennett, Galbally, Mason and McEwin recommended governments develop and implement a comprehensive roadmap to phase out group homes within the next 15 years.

They recommended governments should cease the construction of new group homes within two years, stop placing residents in group homes within five years and develop a timeframe for transitioning residents within the next 15 years.

Cait Kelly

Disability inquiry recommends immediate action to limit use of restrictive practices such as restraints

There are 222 recommendations from the royal disability commission, which are aimed at improving the rights of the 4.4 million of Australians with disabilities.

Some more of the key recommendations include:

• Taking immediate action to make sure restrictive practices, such as restraint, neck holds or seclusion, are not used as punishments or threats.

The commissions were decided about the future of the Australian Disability Enterprises – after hearing last year that the lowest wage an hour for a supported employee at one large ADE was $2.27 an hour.

Four commissioners recommended ADE should be phased out by 2034. All commissioners recommended the Australian government should introduce a scheme to ensure that employees with disabilities are paid at least half the minimum wage.

Housing was a big ticket beragampengetahuan, with the commission recommending state and territory governments should commit to increasing the availability and supply of accessible and adaptive housing.

It called on state and territory governments to adopt the Australian Building Codes Board’s liveable housing design standard for all new dwellings.

More to come.

Cait Kelly

Disability royal commission recommends phasing out special/segregated education

One of the key recommendations from the royal commission into disabilities is a phasing out of special/segregated education.

The commissioners were split 3-3 on if schools should be phased out, with those in support recommending that:

No new special/segregated schools being built or new special/segregated classes or units being included within schools from 2025.

As part of this jurisdictions should offer equal access to mainstream education, by creating a legal entitlement for students with disabilities to enrol in a local mainstream school.

States and territories should establish an beragampengetahuan review process to enable a parent or supporter of a child or young person with disability to challenge a refusal to enrol a child in school.