Brisbane ferries suspended ‘until further notice’ – as it happened
Key events
What we learned: Monday, 3 March
We’re going to call it a day. Here’s a look back at today’s major stories:
Thanks so much for your company. We will be back, bright and early, with you tomorrow.
New Zealand leader says he still trusts President Trump despite volatile Ukraine conference
New Zealand’s prime minister, Chris Luxon, says he still trusts Donald Trump, even as the US leader backflips on support for Ukraine.
New Zealand is not a formal ally of the United States – unlike Australia – but has long-standing security and intelligence links such as the Five Eyes network.
In Wellington on Monday, Luxon admitted a fractious joint press conference between Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy was a “tough watch”:
I see our current intelligence reports, not ones from 20 years ago, and I’d just say to you that it is right that we are very much part of the Five Eyes network.
I trust the president, and I trust the American system, and that we can work well with the American system.
Beaches closed on Bribie Island as Cyclone Alfred bears down
Christopher Knaus
David McBride’s lengthy prison sentence failed to take into account ‘brave and selfless’ motivations, lawyers argue
Lawyers for David McBride have argued their client’s lengthy prison sentence failed to take into account he was motivated by “bravely and selflessly” attempting to right what he saw as a “serious wrong”.
McBride, a former military lawyer, on Monday argued against both his conviction and his five-year, eight-month prison sentence for taking and leaking classified material to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
That material was subsequently used by the ABC as part of an exposé on alleged war crimes by Australian troops in Afghanistan.
Flanked by two corrections officers, McBride entered the ACT court of appeal on Monday to a standing ovation from his supporters. They had packed out the public gallery after earlier hearing a speech outside court by Bernard Collaery, who was charged over disclosures about Australia’s bugging of Timor-Leste, an impoverished ally, during oil and gas negotiations.
Business outlook brighter but red tape chafes operators
Businesses feel optimistic about their growth prospects after the Reserve Bank’s first rate cut in more than four years, while a lift in profit and inventories shows modest signs of a rebound.
Buoyed up by the prospect of lower interest rates, small and medium enterprises plan to expand operations, buy new equipment and boost marketing budgets in 2025, a survey by business lender Judo Bank has found.
Sentiment has surged, with 68% of the 517 surveyed business owners confident about their growth outlook this year, said the bank’s managing director of relationships, Ben Tuszynski.
More than four in five respondents reported stable or strong business health, despite almost half of employers finding it hard to secure staff amid heavy competition for workers.
– AAP
On the scene: Bribie Island prepares for Cyclone Alfred
Our reporter Joe Hinchliffe is on Queensland’s Bribie Island, as residents prepare for Cyclone Alfred.
He’s observed supermarket shelves with no produce as families stock up on essentials before the worst of the weather.
People are also sandbagging areas of the island and preparing barriers, in anticipation of possible flooding.
Property prices rebound after rate cut
Australia’s short-lived housing price downturn appears to be over as a modest interest rate cut fuels expectations for those seeking to get on or move up the property ladder, as AAP reports.
Property values rose 0.3% across the country in February, bringing prices back near record highs after a 0.4% drop over the previous three months, CoreLogic’s monthly home value index showed on Monday.
The first weekend of March had the most auctions of 2025 at 2,773, more than 4% higher than the same week 12 months earlier.
Even before homebuyers feel the effect of the Reserve Bank’s February rate cut, rising confidence was contributing to a surge in demand, CoreLogic’s research director, Tim Lawless, said:
It’s been quite an abrupt change of pace.
This is probably a signal that there’s been a boost to confidence, that buyers are probably starting to position themselves in the marketplace (ahead of future growth).
Nicky Winmar asks to co-lead AFL racism class action
AFL great Nicky Winmar has asked to “courageously” co-lead a landmark racism class action brought by retired Indigenous players, lawyers say.
The action was lodged in the Supreme Court by Phil Krakouer, who played 141 games for North Melbourne, in September 2023, alleging senior AFL management did nothing to prevent racism within the sport.
Former players claim they experienced racism, racial vilification, racial discrimination, racial abuse, racial violence or victimisation between 1975 and 2022 while participating in the AFL competition.
Krakouer, who was formally leading the case, may be joined by another leading plaintiff, the court was told on Monday afternoon.
The AFL is fighting the allegations and its barrister, Mark Costello KC, questioned whether that plaintiff could be involved in the action when he was also involved in a separation case about concussions.
– AAP
Amanda Meade
ABC argues Antoinette Lattouf’s social media activity affected perception of ABC’s impartiality in closing submissions
Antoinette Lattouf’s social media activity adversely affected perceptions of the ABC’s impartiality because it did not reflect an Israeli perspective on the conflict, the ABC has told the federal court in closing submissions.
Here’s part of its submission:
The Human Rights Watch story was immediately preceded by a story quoting Ms Lattouf talking critically of the Israeli Defence Force.
The ABC, which is defending the unlawful termination case, said Lattouf’s sharing of the Human Rights Watch post on Instagram was fundamentally different to the ABC News report on the same topic:
The ABC has an obligation to report the news, whereas someone like Ms Lattouf is reasonably taken to have made choices about what to post.
The ABC accepts Lattouf’s race and background “were a factor in the decision to engage her”, but it denies it was motivated to take her off air “to any degree by her race or national extraction”.
Jonathan Barrett
Creditors told Whyalla steelworks was losing $1.5m a day
The Whyalla steelworks was losing $1.5m a day leading up to the appointment of administrators, attenders of the first creditors meeting of the collapsed South Australian project heard today.
The steelworks was put into administration last month after the South Australian government, which is also a creditor, lost confidence in the entity operating the steelworks, ultimately headed by UK billionaire Sanjeev Gupta.
Accounts from the project’s former owner, OneSteel Manufacturing, show that the company lost $319.1m in the seven months to the end of January, equating to a pre-tax loss of $1.5m a day. Attenders were told:
This loss was driven by a combination of factors, including the blast furnace shutdowns, working capital constraints and shipping restrictions.
The accounts have not been verified by administrators KordaMentha.
Creditors have claimed debts in excess of $1bn, with entities linked to Gupta’s GFG Alliance claiming debts of $536m.
GFG’s representatives, which did not attend the meeting today, said in a statement read out by the administrators:
While we are saddened by the decision of the South Australian government, we continue to believe in the strategic importance of Whyalla, and will fully support a viable long-term solution for the future of the Whyalla steelworks.
Gallagher reaffirms Labor’s commitment to Ukraine but refrains from commenting on Trump’s behaviour
The finance minister, Katy Gallagher, has declined to comment directly on the US president Donald Trump’s treatment of Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the oval office.
Speaking to the ABC, Gallagher said:
I’m not sure there is much use in me commenting on President Trump and his behaviour. People can see the vision and make their own decision about that. We have been absolutely clear that our support is for Ukraine and against the illegal invasion of their country and we are standing strong with Ukraine.
People can make their own decisions about Donald Trump and the way he conducted that meeting, but our commitment and support for President Zelenskiy and the people of Ukraine remains strong.
Earlier today, Peter Dutton said he was “disappointed by the scenes at the White House”.
