Karl Stefanovic just released a statement following the announcement he will leave Nine immediately.
video, Stefanovic says:
double quotation mark So I’m free. Truly independent. I didn’t get the chance to thank my free to air audience for 21 years, so thank you for riding the ups. downs.
It wasn’t easy this last couple of days, but we rolled on. So here’s what I believe in: the public deserve to hear perspectives. … so on my show I’ve spoken to people who have different perspectives, I know that winds some people up.
Sometimes I agree with everything a guest says, sometimes I don’t. But importantly you get to make up your mind. …
Freedom of speech, here and around the world, is what this show is about. You don’t have to listen to my show, you have the power.
At the end of the video, Stefanovic runs from the camera, jumps in the air, and claps his feet together.
Albanese says employers should treat anyone watching the Socceroos today ‘kindly’
The prime minister. Anthony Albanese, was just asked about the lunchtime the nation will stop, 12pm today, when the Socceroos take the pitch at the World Cup.
He said employers should treat anyone watching the game “kindly,. with thoughts of our national interest” in a lighthearted interview with the ABC. He went on:
double quotation mark It will be an important day.
The PM said a ministry meeting will end sharply at 11.30am “so people can get in front of their TV screens”,. he wasn’t “giving people instructions”:
double quotation mark It will be a great couple of hours. I’m sure the whole of Australia will cheer on the Socceroos. …
I know that Australian workers will be, of course, very passionate about the Socceroos,. I know that Australian employers will be generous in their approach to these things.
A bit of common sense should apply.
‘Let’s work together’ to strengthen exclusion powers, shadow home affairs minister tells government
Jonno Duniam. the shadow minister for home affairs, has said the Coalition would be willing to work with the government to strengthen laws around temporary exclusion orders after an Australia woman with links to the Islamic State was given authorisation to return to Australia.
The decision. announced by the home affair minister, Tony Burke, came after the government was advised it could no longer enforce a criminal exclusion order.
Duniam told RN Breakfast that while the director of Asio said officials were prepared for the woman’s return, monitoring her was sure to cost the taxpayer “a lot of money”. questioned if more could have been done to keep her out of the country.
double quotation mark If the government does believe that this individual should be excluded from the country for a longer period. then let’s work together to strengthen those laws. Of course, there may well be legal challenges, but we’re open to working with the government on that.
I’d rather the individual not be here. … This is a person who is not a friend of our country. This is a person who turned their back on Australia.
Karl Stefanovic just released a statement following the announcement he will leave Nine immediately.
video, Stefanovic says:
double quotation mark So I’m free. Truly independent. I didn’t get the chance to thank my free to air audience for 21 years, so thank you for riding the ups. downs.
It wasn’t easy this last couple of days, but we rolled on. So here’s what I believe in: the public deserve to hear perspectives. … so on my show I’ve spoken to people who have different perspectives, I know that winds some people up.
Sometimes I agree with everything a guest says, sometimes I don’t. But importantly you get to make up your mind. …
Freedom of speech, here and around the world, is what this show is about. You don’t have to listen to my show, you have the power.
At the end of the video, Stefanovic runs from the camera, jumps in the air, and claps his feet together.
Good morning, Nick Visser here to take the reins. Let’s see what Friday holds after a busy week in parliament.
Defence ‘hasn’t performed as well as it could’, minister says
Performance issues in the defence department have been found to be more widespread than expected with “congested” decision making. as Labor undertakes the biggest overhaul in five decades, Australian Associated Press reports.
The federal government in December announced an independent delivery agency would be set up to tackle cost blowouts. project delays, as Labor pours billions of extra dollars into defence over the decade.
Defence industry minister, Pat Conroy, said inaccurate cost estimation. a lack of discipline in project management were behind lacklustre delivery.
“The analysis we commissioned found that the problems were more widespread than I thought,” he told AAP.
double quotation mark The processes have been setting up people (to fail). so the system as a whole has meant that defence hasn’t performed as well as it could.
Parts of the department were spending too much time in meetings, which resulted in a lack of action. decision making at the top end becoming “too congested”, Conroy said.
double quotation mark What we’ve seen is fragmented accountability.. if everyone is accountable, that means no one’s accountable.
The defence industry minister will outline progress made on the reform in an address to the National Press Club next Thursday.
He will position Labor as the party of defence to tackle growing support for One Nation. as well as address discontent within his own party at the government’s approach.
“That intellectual framework is really important to flesh out. because we have to constantly make the case for why investing in defence is progressive,” Conroy said.
“It’s both about the rise of far-right populism,. also talking to the base of the Labor party about why this is important.
“You want to fight for a progressive Australia, but you also have to defend a progressive Australia.”
‘Right time for Karl to move on from Today and from Nine,’ network CEO says
In an internal email sent to staff, seen by Guardian Australia, Nine’s chief executive officer, Matt Stanton, said “you would have seen a lot of media reporting around Karl Stefanovic. his future here at Nine”.
“We’ve … announced this morning that after more than 20 years it’s the right time for Karl to move on from Today. from Nine,” the email says.
double quotation mark Karl has been a fixture on our screens for over two decades, so we know this is a significant change for our viewers. all of us here at Nine, however it’s the right time to make it.
Who is Tommy Robinson?
Here’s a hot-off-the-presses explainer of the controversy that appears to have cost Stefanovic his planned long. cruisey farewell from Nine:
Karl Stefanovic is leaving Nine immediately, the network said in a statement this morning.
It follows days of controversy in. the highly paid Today presenter used his independent podcast series to interview British far-right activist Tommy Robinson.
“Nine Entertainment. Stefanovic have agreed that it is no longer possible for him to continue hosting Today at the same time as his independent podcast,” a Nine Entertainment spokesperson said.
“While Karl. Nine had previously agreed he would leave Today at the end of this year, they have subsequently decided he will leave the network immediately.
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.
Nine has confirmed this morning that Today host Karl Stefanovic is leaving the network “immediately” as it was “no longer possible” for him to both host Today. run his independent podcast. More on this soon.
We’re also kicking off with some rather frank comments from the defence industry minister, Pat Conroy, about his own department, which he says “hasn’t performed as well as it could”. spent too long in meetings without making decisions.
And there’s plenty of more news to come, stick with us.
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