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- Scott Morrison warns PM China could take advantage of his visit
- Australian sentenced to life in Philippines for ‘illegal recruitment’
- This morning’s headlines at a glance
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Scott Morrison warns PM China could take advantage of his visit
Former prime minister Scott Morrison has warned his successor, Anthony Albanese, that the Chinese Communist Party could exploit his visit to Beijing for propaganda purposes.
Albanese is due to begin a visit to China on Saturday, marking a warming in the relationship that reached a nadir under Morrison, when Beijing refused to take calls from Australian officials and leaders.
Scott Morrison has warned Anthony Albanese the Chinese Communist Party could exploit his China visit to meet President Xi Jinping.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen and AP
Albanese said his visit, timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of former Labor prime minister Gough Whitlam’s trip to Beijing, is a result of his government’s attempts to stabilise relations with China.
Asked if Albanese should be making the trip, Morrison said Australia should be wary about the way the Chinese could exploit the trip.
“I have no doubt that when the prime minister goes there, he will go there with the best of intentions to present Australia’s national interest,” Morrison said.
“That said, he cannot control what the Communist Party in China will do with that and how those images will be used, and how that can be taken advantage of.”
Find out what else he said about the trip here.
Australian sentenced to life in Philippines for ‘illegal recruitment’
An Australian has been sentenced to life in prison in the Philippines, with a court finding him guilty of “illegal recruitment” a decade after he was first detained.
Former mining executive Troy Birthisel, 54, was arrested while attempting to fly to Singapore with his Filipino girlfriend and six other women. He has been incarcerated at Lapu-Lapu city jail in Cebu province since 2013.
Troy Birthisel, 54, was arrested while attempting to fly to Singapore with his Filipino girlfriend and six other women.Credit: Fairfax Media
After a trial which took years to reach its conclusion amid prolonged delays, the Queensland father of six was on Friday found guilty by a judge of the crime of illegal recruitment involving economic sabotage in a large scale. He was handed a life sentence.
Birthisel had pleaded not guilty and maintained his innocence throughout the trial, insisting he and his girlfriend had merely been accompanying the women – who had not travelled overseas before – to Singapore to undergo psychometric testing for hospitality work.
Here’s the full story, from our South-East Asia correspondent.
This morning’s headlines at a glance
Good morning, and thanks for your company.
It’s Wednesday, November 1. I’m Caroline Schelle, and I’ll be anchoring our live coverage for the first half of the day.
Here’s what you need to know before we get started:
- Former prime minister Scott Morrison has warned Anthony Albanese that the Chinese Communist Party could exploit his visit to Beijing for propaganda purposes.
- Qantas says Labor’s workplace reforms could lead to higher airfares as it defended its employment structure as legally evolved to ensure it remains viable.
- National home values are expected to reach a record high within weeks, setting the scene for another rate rise next week.
- Australia is in the grip of an eighth COVID wave, but health officials remain confident in their decision to end the country’s emergency response.
- Foreign actors have been using advertisements on the dark web to target disgruntled workers who could disrupt critical Australian infrastructure.
- The national farm lobby and federal opposition are championing locals who oppose current plans for renewable projects in their regions.
- An Australian has been sentenced to life in prison in the Philippines, with a court finding him guilty of “illegal recruitment”.
- In other overseas news, critics have been increasingly emboldened to question Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ability to lead the country as it wages war on Hamas.
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