The shadow communications minister, Sarah Henderson,defended making two test calls to triple zero today amid the Telstra outage, saying she was “clearly concerned about the well being and safety of Australians”.
Two investigations into complaints made against the former national anti-corruption commissioner, Paul Brereton, have been dropped after its watchdog said it could not “justify such expenditure”.
Officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade say they are providing assistance to an Australian facing legal action in the US, coming after Australian-born Denise Nataly Migliorewas arrested over allegedly voting illegally in US elections.
A high-profile Melbourne manwas called a rapist and punched in the face by his former personal assistant shortly after he raped her at his home, a Victorian court has heard.
Telstra’s chief financial officer, Michael Ackland, provided more detail on the cause of this morning’s mobile network outage beyond our earlier understanding it was a time server issue.
He said it was a software fault that caused the GPS node to reset. The GPS node within Telstra tells the rest of the organisation’s systems what the most accurate time is – to the nanosecond.
The reset changed the time and synchronisation, which we know from earlier comments was then passed on to the rest of the Telstra network. If time appears wrong in the network this can cause a number of different problems, including around authentication and how the network ensures maximum speeds of data.
We don’t know yet if this was affected, but Ackland indicated Telstra was looking at its processes that allowed this issue to occur.
He said:
The fact that it occurred means that there is something in our process that we need to fix, and we change, and we are working through that. We’ll update more of that once that investigation is complete.
More than 300 welfare checks conducted after triple-zero failures, Telstra CFO says
Ackland said Telstra is confident they have “identified a software defect” as the cause for the mass outage. He confirmed there were more than 300 failed triple-zero calls.
So we did 333 welfare calls today.
We believe we are picking up all of the calls that may have failed or didn’t connect.
Of those, six customers were referred to emergency services, he said.
Asked by a reporter whether Australians could still trust the network, Ackland said:
We let customers down today in their hour of need. There’s nothing that makes that untrue for many of those customers who are in traumatic situations, and we apologise for that deeply. We take this incredibly seriously.
Telstra CFO Michael Ackland speaks to media during a press conference in Melbourne today. Photograph: Reuters
Telstra rules out ‘cyber incident’ as cause of widespread network outage
Telstra’s CFO, MichaelAckland, is speaking in Melbourne. He says that as of 4pm today the telco had “resolved all of the final issues and our network issues are fully resolved”.
We know it will take some time for devices on the network to reconnect correctly …
I encourage customers still facing issues to restart their device …
We are still conducting our investigation into the root cause, but we are confident we have identified a software defect.
I want to be clear, this was not the result of a cyber incident.
We’ll hear more about this soon from our technology reporter, Josh Taylor, on the technicalities.
Passengers asked to avoid V/Line trains tomorrow as major public transport disruption continues
Donna Lu
The effects of today’s Telstra outage are continuing to wreak havoc on the Victorian transport system, with long queues at Melbourne’s Southern Cross station for buses replacing regional V/Line trains.
The queue for coaches to replace trains on the Ballarat-Wendouree line stretches more than 100 metres.
An overhead announcement says:
We are having major difficulty getting road coaches into the station.
We are suggesting all V/Line customers try and make your own way home … with your own transport.
Apologies again for the major disruption.
Another announcement follows:
There will be a two- to three-hour delay for more coaches.
A V/Line spokesperson said in a statement:
The V/Line network continues to be impacted following the nationwide Telstra telecommunications outage, with passenger train services unable to operate.”
“This includes this evening’s and tomorrow morning’s peak services – with a very limited coach service operating.”
We advise passengers not to travel on V/Line services tomorrow if possible.
We acknowledge this has been inconvenient to many people and thank passengers for their patience as work continues to safely restore services.”
Here are some pics of the peak-hour disruptions:
Peak-hour commuters queueing at Melbourne’s Southern Cross station after delays to V/Line services caused by a Telstra outage. Photograph: Donna Lu/The Guardian
V/Line service disruptions could extend to tomorrow morning due to the Telstra outage. Photograph: Donna Lu/The Guardian
At least 32 calls had difficulty reaching triple zero in Victoria
Triple Zero Victoria(TZV) has been notified by Telstra of 32 calls that experienced difficulty connecting to the Telstra national triple zero emergency service.
A TZV spokesperson confirmed it has continued to receive emergency calls from the community and dispatch events to emergency services agencies.
We have been notified by Telstra of thirty-two calls that experienced difficulty connecting to the Telstra national Triple Zero (000) emergency service.
Victorian Police Communications Liaison Officers located in our communications centres are currently conducting welfare checks with these thirty-two calls as a matter of urgency.
As Telstra has also communicated, we ask the community to not test call 000.
No adverse events have been identified at this time.
A Victoria Police spokesperson confirmed it “is completing more than 20 welfare checks on impacted callers this afternoon”.
No issues have been identified by police so far.
For context, when you call triple zero in Australia, you first speak to a Telstra triple zero emergency call person who transfers the caller to the relevant emergency service in the requested state or territory.
The Telecommunications (Emergency Call Service) Determination 2019, which is enforced by ACMA, requires telecommunications carriers to ensure that emergency calls are successfully carried from each telecommunications provider to the Emergency Call Person (Telstra).
Once its network is restored, telcos are required to conduct welfare checks on people who have tried calling triple zero during a large network outage if they were unable to connect to triple zero.
Henderson says triple-zero ‘test calls’ did not break the law
Shadow communications minister, Sarah Henderson, defended her two test calls to triple zero today amid Telstra outages, saying she was “clearly concerned about the well being and safety of Australians”.
The bottom line is that I’m doing my job, and I don’t have trust in this government, and I have very low trust in our telecommunications carriers after what we saw last year.
Host Patricia Karvelas said the law is “crystal clear” and asked whether Henderson “knew it was an offence to call triple zero if you weren’t in an emergency”.
No, you haven’t read the criminal code correctly, Patricia, then, because the criminal code provides that someone commits an offence if they call triple zero where they’re making, or intending to make, a hoax call or where they are doing it in a vexatious way.
Reiterating her recently released media statement, Henderson said she was “not going to apologise for doing my job”.
Shadow minister for communications Sarah Henderson. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP
Is it a federal offence to call triple zero without an emergency?
As we previously reported, the shadow communications minister, Sarah Henderson, was criticised after she admitted to testing triple zero twice.
The host of Afternoon Briefing, Patricia Karvelas, suggested it could be a “federal offence” when speaking to the ABC’s chief digital political correspondent, Clare Armstrong.
474.18 Improper use of emergency call service (1) A person commits an offence if the person:
(a) makes a call to an emergency service number; and
(b) does so with the intention of inducing a false belief that an emergency exists.
Penalty: Imprisonment for 3 years.
(2) A person commits an offence if:
(a) the person makes a call to an emergency service number; and
(b) the person makes the call otherwise than for the purpose of reporting an emergency; and
(c) the call is a vexatious one.
Penalty: Imprisonment for 3 years.
(3) In determining whether a call by a person to an emergency service number is a vexatious one, have regard to:
(a) the content of the call; and
(b) the number, frequency and content of previous calls the person has made to emergency service numbers otherwise than for the purpose of reporting emergencies; and
(c) any other relevant matter.
Shadow communications minister ‘not going to apologise for doing my job’ after testing triple zero twice
The shadow communications minister, Sarah Henderson, says she is “not going to apologise for doing my job” after she tested the triple-zero number herself twice today, amid Telstra outages.
Henderson said she called triple zero twice and when those calls didn’t connect, she notified Telstra.
… it is my job to hold the government and the telecommunications carriers to account on critical services such as the operation of the Triple Zero network.
After learning about the outage, my first concern was for the safety and wellbeing of Australians. I called Triple Zero twice initially, and when these calls did not connect, I immediately notified a senior Telstra representative.
After Optus’s failure to act when first advised of the Triple Zero outage last September, access to information about the operation of the emergency call network is critical.
On behalf of the Coalition, I initiated the Triple Zero Senate inquiry because, like many Australians, I have very little trust in our telecommunications companies and the Albanese government’s management of the emergency call network.
I am not going to apologise for doing my job and it is time Anika Wells focused on doing her job a lot better than she is right now.
Australia falls further behind housing supply target
Australia is more than 112,000 homes behind its target of 1.2m by mid-2029, new building data shows, AAP reports.
The nation’s builders have completed 307,635 homes since the commencement of the national housing accord in the third quarter of 2024, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported on Wednesday.
While the number of homes under construction has been trending steadily higher, the industry remains far below the required rate to meet the target.
Assuming a steady pace of dwelling completions, Australia should have already built 420,000 homes by now.
To catch up by the end date of 30 June 2029, Australia needs to build more than 274,000 homes each year, or about 69,000 each quarter.
A 0.4% fall in dwellings completed in the March quarter to 43,816 won’t help.
Diplomats assisting Australian woman charged over allegedly voting in US elections
Officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade say they are providing assistance to an Australian facing legal action in the US, coming after Australian-born Denise Nataly Migliore was arrested over allegedly voting illegally in US elections.
A Dfat spokesperson told Guardian Australia:
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to an Australian facing legal action in the United States of America. Owing to our privacy obligations we are unable to provide further comment.
Originally from Sydney, Migliore is a resident of Franklinton, Louisiana. She allegedly voted in two elections, in 2022 and 2024, despite being ineligible.
In a statement, the acting assistant secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security, Lauren Bis, said the FBI had been involved in the case.
Bis said:
Our message to aliens who vote in American elections is clear: we will find you, arrest you, and you will face the consequences, including criminal charges and deportation. Only Americans should be electing American leaders.
Australian woman arrested after allegedly voting in US elections
Tom McIlroy
The US president, Donald Trump, has posted on social media about an Australian woman arrested after allegedly voting illegally in multiple American elections.
Denise Nataly Migliore, 51, was arrested after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) investigation into allegations she made false statements to register to vote, before casting ballots in 2022 and 2024.
As a lawful permanent resident and not a US citizen, she is not eligible to vote.
“Australian alien arrested after investigation finds she illegally voted in two federal elections,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
The ABC reported the Australian was arrested at a federal courthouse in New Orleans on 1 July. Originally from Sydney, Migliore is a resident of Franklinton, Louisiana.
Trump has railed against alleged illegal voting in US elections, despite data showing the practice is vanishingly rare.
Denise Nataly Migliore, an Australian who was arrested in the US over allegations of illegally voting in two US elections. Photograph: US Department of Homeland Security
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, spoke in Brisbane a short time ago where he announced a $250m diplomacy plan to boost rugby league in the Pacific.
Albanese has been meeting with the heads of Tonga, Samoa and Papua New Guinea, prior to heading along to the final match of the NRL’s State of Origin clash this evening (I will be interested to see what colours he is wearing).
He gave a shout-out to the NRL chair, Peter V’landys, describing him a “tyro” who is “absolutely determined that rugby league will make a difference, not just what happens on the field, but importantly, what happens off the field as well”.
Tonight, we’ll see an example of that. A game that is faster than it’s ever been, a game that brings people in and brings people together … I am delighted to join you as we launch the Pacific Rugby League Partnership. This has been years in the making. This has required hard work and diligence, a partnership between nations, leagues, clubs, and schools, but above all, it’s a partnership between peoples.
A partnership built on the Pacific’s deep shared passion for rugby league. For all of us, more than the sport, a language, a culture, a connection, that is both family and faith. Something that is so important …
This specific partnership will inspire the people of these fantastic nations, and together, of course, we’re all one Pacific family.
Albanese (left) and Samoan prime minister Laʻauli Leuatea Schmidt during a bilateral meeting in Brisbane on Wednesday. Photograph: John Gass/AAP
The shadow attorney general, Susan Carter, a member of the committee, went on to defend its work.
She told the ABC:
We spent a lot of time reviewing the submissions that we received and we invited a number of those people to attend and give evidence, but of course, we’re a bit hamstrung at the moment because we can’t compel witnesses to attend, and the times that we had available were unsuitable for those witnesses to attend …
The big question that is unanswered, that Michael Daley glossed completely over is, why did the DPP or the office of the DPP, why was the decision made to leak information about a young Indigenous offender to a radio station?
As previously reported, Dowling has admitted her office pitched the story but denied under oath that she had authorised it.
NSW attorney general says inquiry into top prosecutor ‘won’t be happening’
The NSW attorney general, Michael Daley, says an inquiry into whether the state’s top prosecutor should be removed from office, the recommendation of a controversial inquiry report, “won’t be happening”.
As we reported yesterday, a NSW upper house inquiry voted 4-3 to find that the state’s director of public prosecutions (DPP), Sally Dowling SC, authorised pitching a story to radio station 2GB about a sentencing hearing involving a young Indigenous person, and “falsely denied having done so in her evidence to the committee”.
It recommended Daley establish a formal inquiry to investigate if there are grounds to remove Dowling from office. Dowling has admitted her office pitched the story but denied under oath that she had authorised it.
Daley, who described the report yesterday as a “stitch-up”, told ABC Radio Sydney today the inquiry “won’t be happening”.
They [the committee] were not entitled to find that on the evidence before them. I don’t know what evidence they might have conjured up in their own minds, but if you have a look at the minutes and proceedings and transcripts, not only was there no evidence put before the committee to support a finding like that, they actually ignored the only sworn evidence coming out of the meeting where that media issue was discussed, and that was the evidence of sworn evidence of senior counsel Sally Dowling and of her senior media adviser.
National Anti-Corruption Commission says there’s ‘work to get on with’ after watchdog drops two investigations into former chief’s conduct
The National Anti-Corruption Commission vows to get on with the job after news this morning its watchdog is dropping two investigations into conduct by the former chief.
In a short statement this afternoon, the commission said it appreciated the Nacc inspector’s decision to cease the investigations and that she found no ongoing “systemic issues to address”.
The acting Nacc commissioner, Kylie Kilgour, said:
The commission respects the Inspector’s oversight role. As acting commissioner, I am committed to maintaining an open and constructive relationship with the Inspector. We have a range of prevention and education activities underway, as well as a number of important investigations. There’s lots of work to get on with.”
