Stephanie Convery

The Australian hospitality recruitment app Supp requires workers to hold an ABN and classifies them as independent contractors rather than casual employees. Workers and legal experts argue that many shifts arranged through the platform involve business-set hours, supervision, workplace procedures and employer-provided equipment, potentially making the workers employees entitled to minimum pay, casual loading, penalty rates, breaks, superannuation and other protections. Several users told Guardian Australia they received no superannuation. Supp denies misrepresenting working relationships or engaging in sham contracting, while saying it will adapt as employment law evolves. A workers’ union has warned that the model shifts risk onto a vulnerable workforce, and Daniel McBurnie has called for an independent Fair Work Ombudsman audit.

Australian secondhand booksellers are concerned that unusual bulk orders from Canadian company Zoom Books may connect their inventories to the AI industry’s practice of destructive scanning, in which books are cut apart, digitized and pulped. The concerns follow revelations from the Anthropic copyright case that such scanning can be used to train AI models and was deemed lawful as transformative use under US copyright law. Zoom Books denies digitizing books or selling them for destruction, saying it resells them intact or responsibly recycles unrehomed volumes, while Anthropic says it has never purchased books from the company. Booksellers distinguish between destroying common books and cutting up unique or historically significant works, emphasizing that rare books carry physical, cultural and personal value beyond their text.

Ben Carroll has been sworn in as Victoria’s premier after Jacinta Allan resigned amid poor polling, low personal approval and disputes over alleged corruption in the Big Build construction program. Carroll immediately announced a royal commission into the construction sector, plans for a special prosecutor and expanded anti-corruption powers over public spending by private contractors. He promised a different approach from Allan and Daniel Andrews, while Allan endorsed him after deciding that a leadership contest so close to the state election would waste time and resources. A brief challenge from attorney general Sonya Kilkenny collapsed, and Gabrielle Williams became deputy leader.

Ben Carroll, Victoria’s deputy premier and a Labor right-faction politician, has become premier after Jacinta Allan resigned with his support. Elected for Niddrie in 2012, Carroll built his career through unionism, legal work and numerous ministerial portfolios, and secured the deputy premiership after challenging Labor’s preferred succession arrangement in 2023. As education minister, he oversaw strong NAPLAN results and introduced mandatory phonics classes, but his tenure also included examination errors, the 2024 VCE “cheat sheet” leak and escalating industrial action by teachers. His elevation follows poor polling, concerns about Allan’s leadership and allegations of organised crime infiltration of Victoria’s construction program. Carroll is seen as more supportive of a royal commission into the construction sector, tougher on the teachers’ dispute and focused on improving Labor’s economic credentials before the state election.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan and Deputy Premier Ben Carroll have both indicated they would contest a possible leadership ballot after Allan was reportedly told she lacked majority caucus support and should resign. A spill petition requires the backing of 50% of Victorian Labor’s caucus. If multiple candidates nominate, caucus and rank-and-file members would each receive 50% of the voting weight, with the process potentially lasting six weeks. Because Carroll is both deputy leader and a candidate, Labor would need to appoint a separate interim leader while the contest proceeds, creating significant uncertainty for the government just four months before the state election.

The Guardian’s live coverage reported that comedian Nikki Osborne defended her interview with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, arguing that his “shag, marry, date” exchange involving Kylie Minogue had been taken out of context; Albanese had previously apologised. Australia’s first nationwide AusAlert test reached 94% of targeted mobile towers, exceeding the government’s 90% goal, though some devices failed to sound and advocates warned that alerts could expose phones hidden by domestic-violence survivors. In New South Wales, ICAC heard allegations concerning illegal political donations and influence over Liberal Party affairs, including claims involving property developer Jean Nassif. Other major developments included Jacinta Allan losing majority caucus support in Victoria, Pauline Hanson losing her appeal over racial discrimination against Mehreen Faruqi, legal action by the family of Kumanjayi White after his death in custody, new suspected bird-flu detections in South Australia, and scrutiny of counterterrorism preparations following the Bondi Hanukah attack.

Australia’s live news included Liberal MP Julian Leeser telling the antisemitism royal commission that his seven-year-old son no longer feels safe attending synagogues or Jewish events after the Bondi terror attack. Labor’s national conference faced a potential debate over Ed Husic’s resolution condemning Israel’s war in Gaza, while delegates passed a motion to improve multicultural representation. Advocacy groups urged the government to strengthen gambling reforms, including a pathway to ban gambling advertising. The government announced it would close the Climate Active carbon-neutral certification scheme. Other developments included a US decision to impose a 12.5% tariff on Australian exports, an ABC review of two removed Four Corners episodes, warnings about possible eye risks linked to GLP-1 drugs, the replacement of Queensland’s police pistols, and the arrival of a Qantas ultra-long-distance test flight.

The Supreme Court of Victoria rejected Marat Ganiev’s application to permanently stay the remaining charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice in connection with Isla Bell’s death. Justice James Elliott ruled that prosecutors were entitled to file a fresh indictment after withdrawing the murder and manslaughter charges because of insufficient evidence, and found that Ganiev could still receive a fair trial. Ganiev will return for a directions hearing in August. Bell’s family and supporters remain distressed and have called for reform of Victoria’s justice system; co-accused Eyal Yaffe was released after prosecutors withdrew the charges against him.

The Guardian’s live coverage reports Monique Ryan condemning Pauline Hanson’s admiration for Donald Trump’s mass-deportation policy and disputing Hanson’s claims about a White Australia position. Other major developments include protests by First Nations people calling for the closure of the US-Australian Pine Gap facility and the return of Arrernte land; Penny Wong pressing Laos over prosecutions related to the deaths of Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones; and an audit criticizing the transparency and slow progress of the $10bn Housing Australia Future Fund. The liveblog also covers Queensland’s review of pumped-hydro projects, scrutiny of KPMG’s new CEO amid the audit-leaks scandal, Jewish schools diverting education funds toward security, a Queensland watch-house death under investigation, a Perth teenager’s alleged killing of his mother, a fatal car crash involving journalist Mark Bode, teachers planning industrial action, Qantas’s apology for a lengthy tarmac delay, and further redundancies at Nine newspapers.

The Guardian’s live coverage reports tributes at the state funeral of broadcaster and former senator Derryn Hinch, who was remembered by colleagues as a larger-than-life journalist. Political developments included Liberal MP Dan Tehan rejecting Tony Abbott’s claim that multiculturalism has failed, while Anthony Albanese criticised Pauline Hanson’s political rhetoric and overseas campaigning. One Nation defended Hanson against claims linked to the White Australia policy while supporting mass deportations. The antisemitism and social cohesion royal commission heard about heightened security demands and the continuing sense of danger among Jewish Australians, while Minister Anne Aly rejected competition between responses to antisemitism and Islamophobia. Other developments included bail for an Australian woman accused of travelling to Islamic State-controlled Syria, a discrimination claim by academic Randa Abdel-Fattah, the eviction of Sydney’s LGBTQ+ arts venue Divine Playhouse, Luca Lavigne’s appointment as Mamamia CEO, Coles’ legal challenge over a proposed second Kalgoorlie store, and the renaming of South Australia’s Grey electorate after Indigenous rights advocate Lowitja O’Donoghue.

Victoria’s new Violence Reduction Unit is adapting a Scottish model that treats violence as a public-health problem and intervenes through schools, hospitals and locally targeted services. Led by Andrea Davidson with guidance from Scottish pioneer Karyn McCluskey, the program is embedding social workers and mentors in high-risk schools and trauma wards, backed by a $30 million funding increase. Its long-term future is uncertain because the state election is approaching: the Labor government combines the preventive model with tougher sentencing measures, while the opposition may abolish the unit. Advocates argue that meaningful reductions in violence require sustained evidence-based work over 10 to 15 years rather than short-term political responses.

High costs, poor communication and declining confidence in commercial strata management are prompting some Australian apartment owners to take control of their owners’ corporations. In Victoria, most smaller schemes are not legally required to employ professional managers, and owner advocates argue that managers often act as though they control buildings rather than work for owners. A Victorian review found concerns about hidden commissions, conflicts of interest, excessive fees, proxy-farming, poor access to records and weak enforcement, with tribunal cases taking an average of 23 weeks. In Sydney, one owner organised fellow residents, replaced an investor-dominated committee and developed a sustainable repair plan after discovering extensive water damage. The article’s Melbourne-based narrator similarly dismissed a property manager, learned to self-manage the building and reduced costs while overseeing major repairs.

Australian artist Jane Allan is facing allegations that her $20,000 Doyles Art Award-winning painting, Seaside Explorers, imitates Nicholas Harding’s Two Estuary Figures. The Doyles committee has said it is investigating and considering how to strengthen its judging process, while lawyers discuss whether the prize money can be recovered. Allan’s earlier painting Weight of the Mind’s Periapt, a finalist for the Darling portrait prize, was also found to bear marked similarities to Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Untitled (Two Heads on Gold); the National Portrait Gallery acknowledged that Allan was clearly influenced by Basquiat but said prize entrants must declare their work original.

One Nation is polling strongly in Pakenham, a marginal Victorian electorate where cost-of-living pressures, housing scarcity, infrastructure concerns and distrust of major parties are driving voter dissatisfaction. Pauline Hanson’s advocacy of a monocultural Australia, reduced migration and cuts to childcare-worker pay appeals to some voters who see her as unusually direct, while others regard her as racist and reject her opposition to multiculturalism. Several voters support planned migration but want housing and infrastructure to keep pace, and some say One Nation lacks concrete fiscal and material policies. Labor’s incumbent, Emma Vulin, is not contesting the November state election, with 23-year-old Alessandra Soliven selected as her replacement.

A live Australian news roundup reported that Surf Life Saving NSW received an urgent exemption to fly shark-monitoring drones over Coogee Beach, with the NSW government seeking to make the arrangement permanent after a shark attack. Other major developments included Liberal frontbencher Jonathon Duniam’s decision to leave politics, debate over proposed NDIS changes, the recovery of a girl’s body from Sydney’s Parramatta River, the reported shooting of an Australian girl in Pakistan, and the death of sprinter Jemma Stapleton in Thailand. The blog also covered a planned Bondi memorial, a legal appeal by the founder of a women-only social media app, World Cup gatherings, risks facing New Zealand music festivals, and Australian cookbook authors receiving James Beard awards.

Reports from Victoria’s Commission for Children and Young People and the auditor-general found that child protection services repeatedly closed reports or referred families to voluntary services despite ongoing risks. In 35 cases involving children who later died, there had been 267 prior reports, most of which were closed without the children being assessed as at significant risk. Rising demand, inaccurate and incomplete data, inadequate service funding, declining foster-carer numbers and low kinship-carer payments are placing further strain on the system. Unions and advocates called for greater funding and early support, while the Victorian government cited $4.8bn in investment and funding to modernize digital systems. The article also reports on Queensland debate over adoption policy for Indigenous children.

A childcare worker in Victoria, identified as Sofie, agreed to care for baby Lily for a weekend after the child was removed from her mother under a court protection order. More than six months later, Lily remains with Sofie and her husband, who have become her primary carers despite Sofie’s limited prior relationship with the child and the arrangement’s unclear duration. The case highlights wider problems in Victoria’s child protection system, including understaffing, changing case workers, delayed medical care and essential equipment, inadequate communication, unclear financial responsibilities and insufficient support for kinship carers. Advocacy groups and the public-sector union describe these failures as systemic, while the state government cites significant investment but declines to comment on the individual case. Lily has reportedly made substantial progress in Sofie’s care, although reunification with her mother remains the intended long-term outcome.

The live blog reports that former Liberal senator Hollie Hughes and former Liberal vice-president Teena McQueen defected to One Nation, a move Angus Taylor dismissed as their choice. Labor is likely to retain Queensland’s Stafford seat despite a substantial swing against it, prompting speculation about Steven Miles’s leadership, although senior Queensland Labor figures publicly backed him. Other major developments include debate over extending the fuel-excise discount amid global oil-supply disruption, plans to redevelop former Hobart military barracks for up to 1,000 homes, and government arguments over capital-gains tax and bracket-creep reforms. The coverage also reports a Qantas flight diversion after an alleged assault on a flight attendant, arrests of five Melbourne men over alleged violent-extremist material, and a suspected ransom agreement following the ransomware attack on Instructure’s Canvas platform.

Kyle Hudson opened a Sportsbet account on his 18th birthday and wagered nearly $896,000 across Sportsbet, Bet365 and Entain-owned platforms before dying by suicide at 22. Betting companies repeatedly flagged aspects of his activity, but largely responded with generic safer-gambling messages, limited account suspensions or automated interventions, while continuing to offer inducements that encouraged further deposits and betting. Entain restricted him mainly because he used promotions to reduce losses and generate winnings, treating him as a commercial risk. Evidence at the Victorian inquest indicated that Hudson had concealed the scale of his gambling, experienced suicidal thoughts after losses and lost almost all available funds shortly before his death. Experts and his family argued that gambling harm played a significant role, while criticizing betting-company practices and the federal government’s limited response to recommendations on gambling reform.

Opposition leader Angus Taylor used his first federal budget reply to promise inflation-indexed tax brackets, major immigration cuts linked to housing construction, restrictions on welfare access for non-citizens, continued coal-fired power generation, expanded fuel storage and a future generation fund. The Coalition would scrap net-zero-related agencies, electric-vehicle tax concessions and other climate incentives while retaining or expanding several costly commitments. Labor called the package uncosted and warned of cuts to Medicare, education and essential services, while refugee and migrant groups accused the Coalition of fearmongering and demonising migrants. The speech followed poor polling for the Liberals and pressure from One Nation.

A Victorian coronial inquest heard that Kyle Hudson, who died by suicide aged 22, wagered $895,733 across 8,485 bets over four years and suffered an estimated net gambling loss of $47,946 despite earning only about $105,000. Forensic accountant Cameron Gray said Hudson redeemed 489 inducements, including more than 300 from Sportsbet and 72 from Bet365, and that deposit-match promotions were influential in drawing him back to betting accounts after withdrawals. The inquest is examining whether Sportsbet, Entain and Bet365 properly assessed his risk of gambling-related harm. Entain’s compliance head said Hudson was blocked from bonus bets on Neds and Ladbrokes because he used them to bet both sides of events, describing the restriction as commercial-risk management.

Six people who travelled on the hantavirus-affected MV Hondius—four Australians, one Australian permanent resident and one New Zealand citizen—were taken from Tenerife to the Netherlands after plans for a direct return to Australia changed. They are expected to fly to Perth under medical supervision and complete the first three weeks of a 42-day quarantine at the Centre for National Resilience in Bullsbrook. Flight crew will also be required to isolate. Health minister Mark Butler said the travellers were in good health but acknowledged continuing transmission risks after further cases, including a critically ill French passenger, emerged. Australia’s quarantine period exceeds the World Health Organization’s recommendation and is intended to prevent spread of the virus, which can cause severe respiratory illness and death.