dailynewsnblog
Aukus meetings begin in Washington
Pete Hegseth has kicked off a series of meetings with British and Australian defence counterparts in Washington that are aimed at moving forward with the large nuclear submarine building and technology sharing pact between the three nations known as known as Aukus.
“Fantastic to be meeting today with Secretary Hegseth and with [British defence minister] John Healey,” the deputy PM and defence minister, Richard Marles, told reporters.
Our focus was very much on delivery. We’ve now seen reviews in each of our three countries, as our governments have come into power. They have been done and the absolute focus, in respect of all of our three countries, was to harness our systems to deliver Aukus pillar one to make sure that we’re doing everything at full speed ahead – full steam ahead, as President Donald Trump has given us this motto – in terms of delivering on submarines.
On pillar 2, we spoke about how we can make sure we have all the momentum that we need to see that cooperation around advanced technology. So, a really important meeting today. There’s a lot of energy and momentum around the delivery of Aukus but a very significant meeting, particularly in the context of it being Secretary Hegseth’s first.
The deal was originally inked in 2021. The Pentagon recently determined that the agreement was in the US national security interest.
It includes the sale of three US-built nuclear-powered submarines to Australia starting in 2032.
Read Ben Doherty’s analysis of where the agreement currently stands:
Key events
Good morning, and happy Thursday. Nick Visser here to take the reins. Let’s jump in.
Aukus meetings begin in Washington
Pete Hegseth has kicked off a series of meetings with British and Australian defence counterparts in Washington that are aimed at moving forward with the large nuclear submarine building and technology sharing pact between the three nations known as known as Aukus.
“Fantastic to be meeting today with Secretary Hegseth and with [British defence minister] John Healey,” the deputy PM and defence minister, Richard Marles, told reporters.
Our focus was very much on delivery. We’ve now seen reviews in each of our three countries, as our governments have come into power. They have been done and the absolute focus, in respect of all of our three countries, was to harness our systems to deliver Aukus pillar one to make sure that we’re doing everything at full speed ahead – full steam ahead, as President Donald Trump has given us this motto – in terms of delivering on submarines.
On pillar 2, we spoke about how we can make sure we have all the momentum that we need to see that cooperation around advanced technology. So, a really important meeting today. There’s a lot of energy and momentum around the delivery of Aukus but a very significant meeting, particularly in the context of it being Secretary Hegseth’s first.
The deal was originally inked in 2021. The Pentagon recently determined that the agreement was in the US national security interest.
It includes the sale of three US-built nuclear-powered submarines to Australia starting in 2032.
Read Ben Doherty’s analysis of where the agreement currently stands:
Treasury’s optimistic forecast on business investment
Patrick Commins
The Treasury believes business investment in this financial year will grow twice as quickly as previously estimated, according to extracts from next week’s midyear budget.
National accounts figures showed a surge in companies’ spending in the three months to September, which the Australia Bureau of Statistics attributed to “major datacentre investment across NSW and Victoria”.
The updated Treasury forecasts show business investment is expected to grow by 3% in 2025-26, against the pre-election forecast of 1.5%, before returning to the anticipated pace of 1.5% in the next financial year.
“Construction of datacentres has accelerated and the accompanying fit-out with equipment has increased six-fold in the past five years,” the documents will say.
Non-mining investment growth has also been substantially upgraded, from a forecast 1% in this financial year to 4% in the latest estimates.
Jim Chalmers said the midyear economic and fiscal outlook would “show that the private sector recovery that we’ve been planning for and preparing for is really taking shape”.
Sarah Malick has also written about the anniversary of the riots. She was a young journalism student when she watched news footage of hundreds of young white men storming the beach.
Geographically, the Arab lads of Bankstown and Shire boys of Cronulla were neighbours, but culturally the consequences of infringing West Side Story-beach lines were clear. The 2005 beach riots made international headlines. Southern Cross-tattooed patriots marked their territory, scrawling “100% Aussie pride” in the sand and popularising the slogan: “You flew here, we grew here.”
For a young feminist Muslim woman from western Sydney who had just adopted hijab after moving out of home, it highlighted every political nerve I balanced on like a high-wire artist.
The myth of the riots, that the beach was not for people like her, is one she’s pushing back on. Read her reflections here:
Today, 11 December, marks 20 years since the Cronulla riots. Daisy Dumas recently looked at whether attitudes have changed in the decades since.
Some say Australia still has not tackled racism, and fear social media is a more powerful tool than text messages and talkback radio that stirred up Sydney rioters in 2005. Read more here:
Victorian students receive VCE results and Atar scores
Adeshola Ore
Ethan Bundle-Bell is among more than 65,000 Victorian students who will graduate with their Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) today.
At the same time, Victorian students will become the first in the country to receive their Australian Tertiary Admission Rankings (Atar) scores, with the remaining states and territories to follow next week.
Bundle-Bell, a Gunditjmara and Butchulla man, is the first in his family to complete year 12 after he undertook the vocational major program at Braybrook Secondary College in Melbourne’s west. The program is a practical and alternative pathway for students to secure a high school certificate.
While the cohort does not receive an Atar score, they do receive their VCE and a statement of results.
They account for 9,777 of the record 65,586 students graduating with their VCEs this year, according to the state government.
You can read more about Bundle-Bell’s alternative pathway to VCE here:
More than 15,300 students received at least one study score of 40 or higher, while 664 students have received at least one maximum study score of 50.
Additionally, more than 1,150 students received the Victorian Pathways Certificate, which prepared students for future studies or entry into the workforce.
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it will be Nick Visser with the main action.
Victorian students’ Atar and study scores will be available online from 7am, marking the end of more than 13 years of schooling. They will be the first to receive their scores, with the remaining states and territories to follow next week.
Police in Melbourne have uncovered suspected human remains as they investigate the disappearance of a toddler more than a decade ago. We’ll have more details in a moment and will bring any updates as we have them.
And the Treasury believes business investment in this financial year will grow twice as quickly as previously estimated, according to extracts from next week’s midyear budget.
We have more details, and there’s more economic news at 11.30am with the latest unemployment figures.
