TRANSCRIPT
- Major flooding continues in southwest Queensland as rainfall subsides
- The Opposition leader makes formal announcement around Port Darwin
- Only one Australian progresses in elimination round of the World Surf League
More than 600 milimetres of rain has fallen in parts of Queensland's west, as dozens of flood warnings remain in place across parts of the state.
Parts of outback Queensland received double the yearly average rainfall, and satellite imagery reveals floodwaters are consuming a land mass twice the size of Victoria.
Dean Narramore from the Bureau of Meteorology says major flooding is still occurring in southwest Queensland.
"Good news is obviously from a rainfall standpoint, very dry and clear out there this weekend and early into next week. But there's still so much water in our rivers, creeks and streams, and we do have major flooding still occurring in pretty much all of our rivers in southwest Queensland, and even a number of our rivers in our central and northern parts of Queensland as well."
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will announce financial support for flood-affected workers during a campaign visit to western Queensland today.
The federal government has approved the disaster recovery allowance, offering up to 13 weeks of income support for eligible employees and sole traders who’ve lost income due to the floods.
Payments will vary based on individual circumstances, with applications opening Tuesday afternoon.
Parts of regional Queensland have received nearly double the average annual rainfall, submerging vast areas and leaving tens of thousands of livestock dead or missing.
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The Opposition leader has formally announced that a Coalition government would move immediately to secure the Darwin port, which he described as a national strategic asset.
Speaking in the Northern Territory electorate of Lingiari, Peter Dutton said his government would make sure the Darwin port was secured in Australian ownership, or through a model where there is greater assurances around the operator.
He says intelligence briefings suggest the current situation is deteriorating, and cited the circumnavigating of Chinese naval ships around Australian territory.
Mr Dutton also criticised the Prime Minister's interview on Darwin radio on Friday [[4/4]], where he made the same announcement for Port Darwin, amid suggestions Mr Albanese stole the Opposition leader's election pledge.
"We had contact yesterday with the Chinese ambassador out of respect before we made this decision. I don't know whether the Prime Minister made a call before he called ABC radio, but we have thought through this process for a long period of time and the Prime Minister jumping on the phone trying to get in on the announcement that we've made today, I think shows that this prime minister, like the fireman who turns up to the fire when the fire's already been extinguished, I mean, he's too late to everything."
Speaking on separate matters, Mr Dutton also confirmed the Indigenous Australians portfolio would be retained by a Coalition government.
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The Chinese-owned group which Port Darwin has been leased to for almost a decade say they have not been involved in any discussions with the federal government concerning lease arrangements.
In a statement to SBS Landbridge Australia's Non-Executive Director Terry O'Connor, said the Port is not for sale, and that Landbridge considers the Port a long-term investment and have reported record operational performance this year.
This comes as both the Prime Minister and Opposition leader announced plans to find a new owner for Port Darwin, which has been a point of concern ever since it was leased to the group in 2015 for more than $500 million.
Mr Albanese is expected to announce the government's next steps on Darwin Port when he visits the Northern Territory during the election campaign, in which Labor is trying to protect the seats of Solomon and Lingiari.
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An equity analyst has described US President Donald Trump's tariffs announcement as the worst policy mistake in 100 years, as China's reciprocal tariffs spark fears of a global trade war.
China's fresh 34 per cent tariffs on all US goods, is in response to the United States imposing an additional 34 per cent levy on Chinese goods, on top of an existing 20 per cent duty on all imports from China.
Senior equity research analyst at Wedbush Securities, Dan Ives, says Mr Trump's tariffs could set the United States' tech industry back by a decade.
"Because the supply chain's built in Asia. And this is dramatic in terms of what it's going to do for growth, for cost, for I think many of these companies, and that's why it continues to be the most absurd thing I've seen on Wall Street covering stocks 25 years. The tariff war has begun there and China's not just going to sit down. Ironically, this is the best thing that's ever happened to China... and I think this is something where it's the worst policy mistake in 100 years."
There are fears iPhones prices could soar up to $3,500, as analysts suggest Apple could raise prices significantly to deal with increasing costs of manufacturing.
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And in surfing, Australians Sally Fitzgibbons and Liam O'Brien have failed to progress at the World Surf League's event in El Salvador.
There was better luck for Australian Ryan Callinan, who progressed out of Heat 2 in the Punta Roca water on Friday.
A day after top-ranked Aussies Ethan Ewing and Molly Picklum recorded opening-round wins on the fourth stop of the championship tour, veteran Fitzgibbons struggled in three-to-four-foot waves and missed her chance to progress to the round of 16.
