‘I’m free, truly independent,’ Karl Stefanovic says
Karl Stefanovic issued a statement following the announcement of his immediate departure from Nine.
In a YouTube video, Stefanovic stated:
“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 and 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 clicks his heels together.
What are your plans today for the Socceroos match?
“Working” for the afternoon from the pub? Watch-party in the park? Readers were invited to share their plans with Nick Visser at nick.visser@the.com for inclusion in the blog.
Can the Socceroos stop the nation?
The World Cup match represents a potential milestone for Australian football, as the team pursues qualification for the knockout rounds for only the third time. For broadcaster SBS, the match’s significance may be even greater.
The fixture culminates 11 consecutive men’s tournaments and a commitment dating back to Mexico 1986. The audience is expected to approach or surpass the network’s record for any Socceroos match or World Cup fixture.
SBS director of sport Ken Shipp commented:
“I hope this match stops the nation – there’s every chance it will, given the favourable timing, the unprecedented media coverage we’re seeing and the excitement around this young Australian team. If it does, then that will be the result of 40 years of dedicated work at SBS.”
Thousands of pets could die if fire ants allowed to spread across Australia, report finds
A new report by the Australia Institute warns that if invasive fire ants are allowed to spread across Australia, thousands of pets could die and households may face costs exceeding $1 billion annually.
The ants have been detected in several states, with Queensland most affected. Almost all of Australia provides suitable habitat for the insects.
Key findings indicate that state and federal funding to eradicate fire ants is well below the recommended $300 million per year. If the ants spread, stings could result in an additional 624,000 medical visits for humans and 2.3 million veterinary visits for pets. Fire ant stings can cause anaphylaxis.
These figures could lead to more than 30 human deaths and thousands of pet fatalities. Rod Campbell, research director at the Australia Institute, stated:
“Fire ants are a potential economic and environmental disaster for Australia. If a murderer said that they planned to kill 30 random Australians each year, the response would be enormous.
That’s essentially what fire ants are doing – yet the response is minimal.”
Unclear if Australians affected by Venezuelan earthquakes, Albanese says
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government does not yet know if any Australians have been affected by the severe earthquakes in Venezuela, though it remains a possibility given Australians frequently travel to the region.
Albanese said the government will continue monitoring the situation but stated, “it’s not clear yet if Australians are caught up in this.” He told the ABC:
“Australians are great travellers, of course, right around the world. Given the numbers that have been impacted, it certainly is possible that Australians are caught up in it …
Our heart goes out to anyone here who has relatives or friends in Venezuela, because this is one of the worst earthquakes that we’ve seen in recent times, with catastrophic human consequences with a massive loss of life, but also massive infrastructure damage, and real consequences for the people of Venezuela.”
has reached out to DFAT for comment.
Nine news boss says Stefanovic episode ‘challenging’ and freedom of speech remains core to network’s mission
Fiona Dear, director of news at Nine, addressed staff via email regarding the decision to part ways with Karl Stefanovic.
She stated that Nine has worked “tirelessly to build a news and current affairs brand built on trust and respect and we will always fight to uphold that,” adding:
“Protecting freedom of speech is at the core of 9News and Current Affairs. We have a rich history of interviewing controversial figures, and journalists have an obligation to ask difficult questions. Part of what makes us tick is trying to understand why people are the way they are, or think the way they think. We welcome open debate and challenging norms with constructive, balanced arguments.”
Dear further wrote that journalists “play a critical role in society to question, challenge, and hold people to account regardless of where they come from or which political party or views they represent.”
She acknowledged the episode had been challenging for the broadcaster and indicated that more information about future plans would be provided “very soon.”
National Anti-Corruption Commission inquiry highlights privacy and complexity concerns
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) is under parliamentary review due to concerns about privacy and complexity potentially hindering important investigations, according to Australian Associated Press.
A committee inquiry launched in March follows conflict of interest accusations and scrutiny of the NACC’s efficiency since its establishment three years ago.
A submission from the Human Rights Law Centre noted that many Australians referring potential corruption to the watchdog do not understand how to do so due to privacy constraints, stating:
“(The) high threshold for investigations can be difficult for a referrer to understand.
It can also be difficult for referrers to properly communicate the information in a way that makes it possible for the commission to understand if it meets the requisite threshold.”
Chalmers says people will forget fuss over tax changes by the next election
Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers spoke on Radio National about recent tax changes passed by parliament, describing them as a “win for workers, for first home buyers and for future generations.”
He said negotiations with the Greens were a normal part of legislative evolution.
When asked if the tax changes would remain a political liability until the next election, Chalmers responded:
“I think the substance of what is changing here is more important. We are delivering cost of living help, we’re delivering real change via the tax system …
It is my view that every time there’s tax reform, people say the sky will fall in, people say that it is disastrous. But typically what happens, in time, is people look back on big tax reform and wonder what all of the fuss is about. I’m confident that will happen again.”
Albanese says Stefanovic saga ‘unfortunate’, but ‘words do matter’
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese commented on Karl Stefanovic’s departure from Nine during an ABC interview, stating:
“It’s a matter, of course, for Channel 9, but words do matter, and what people who are very prominent in our public discourse do, and how they conduct themselves, matters as well.
And it’s unfortunate, the way that what has been a very big career has ended in this way.
But that’s a matter for Karl Stefanovic, to think about his actions and the decisions that he’s made. And Nine have made a consequential decision.”
Albanese says employers should treat anyone watching the Socceroos today ‘kindly’
Asked about the national attention on the Socceroos World Cup match scheduled for 12pm, Albanese urged employers to be understanding of employees watching the game.
He said a ministry meeting would conclude at 11.30am to allow people to watch the match but clarified he was not issuing directives:
“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, and 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, shadow minister for home affairs, expressed willingness for the Coalition to collaborate with the government to strengthen laws regarding temporary exclusion orders after an Australian woman with links to Islamic State was authorised to return to Australia.
The home affairs minister, Tony Burke, announced the decision after advice that a criminal exclusion order could no longer be enforced.
Duniam told RN Breakfast that although ASIO officials are prepared for the woman’s return, monitoring her will likely be costly and questioned whether more could have been done to prevent her return.
“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.”
Good morning, Nick Visser here to take the reins
Following a busy week in parliament, Nick Visser took over the live news blog to cover ongoing developments.
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 anticipated, including “congested” decision-making, as Labor undertakes the largest overhaul in five decades, Australian Associated Press reports.
The federal government announced in December the establishment of an independent delivery agency to address cost overruns and project delays, coinciding with billions of additional dollars invested in defence over the coming decade.
Defence industry minister Pat Conroy attributed poor delivery to inaccurate cost estimates and a lack of discipline in project management.
He told AAP:
“The analysis we commissioned found that the problems were more widespread than I thought.”
“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.”
Conroy noted that excessive time spent in meetings resulted in insufficient action and that decision-making at senior levels became “too congested.”
“What we’ve seen is fragmented accountability ... if everyone is accountable, that means no one’s accountable.”
The defence industry minister will outline progress on reforms in an address to the National Press Club next Thursday.
He intends to position Labor as the party of defence to counter growing support for One Nation and address dissatisfaction within his party regarding 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, but 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 to staff obtained by Australia, Nine’s CEO Matt Stanton addressed media reports about Karl Stefanovic’s future at the network.
He wrote:
“You would have seen a lot of media reporting around Karl Stefanovic and 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 and from Nine.”
“Karl has been a fixture on our screens for over two decades, so we know this is a significant change for our viewers and all of us here at Nine, however it’s the right time to make it.”
Karl Stefanovic to leave Nine immediately, network confirms
Karl Stefanovic’s immediate departure from Nine was confirmed in a statement this morning.
The announcement follows controversy surrounding Stefanovic’s independent podcast series, in which he interviewed British far-right activist Tommy Robinson.
A Nine Entertainment spokesperson said:
“Nine Entertainment and Stefanovic have agreed that it is no longer possible for him to continue hosting Today at the same time as his independent podcast.”
“While Karl and 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, followed by Nick Visser with the main updates.
Nine confirmed this morning that Today host Karl Stefanovic is leaving the network immediately as it was no longer feasible for him to host Today and run his independent podcast concurrently. More details to follow.
Additionally, defence industry minister Pat Conroy made candid remarks about his department’s performance, noting it “hasn’t performed as well as it could” and has suffered from excessive meetings and congested decision-making.
Stay tuned for further news.
