Islamophobia envoy’s report has 54 recommendations spanning every large government agency
Malik says the report “proposes a way forward for the religious protection of all religious communities who have not been afforded this to date”. It includes 54 recommendations.
He says:
The recommendations that I present today emerged from a combination of Muslims’ lived experiences in Australia, the input of 30 national and international experts and academics, as well as the only two other envoys in the world solely committed to combatting Islamophobia …
I have made 54 recommendations spanning every major agency in the Australian government, and the recommendations encapsulate [these] key areas:
Accountability and responsibility: holding individuals and institutions accountable for hate speech and discriminatory actions and policies;
Protection and support: ensuring that victims of Islamophobia have accessible support services and that communities feel safe and valued;
Education and awareness: challenge Islamophobia, promote understanding and respectful dialogue through training, media, the arts and education.
These recommendations aim to engender a fair, respectful and inclusive environment, one that actively combats prejudice and hate, but importantly respects fundamental freedoms.
Key events
Jo Khan
Netball’s Diamonds to get major pay boost after landmark deal
Australia’s Diamonds will receive a significant pay boost after agreeing to a landmark deal with Netball Australia (NA).
NA and the Australian Netball Players’ Association (ANPA) have for the first time agreed to a revenue-sharing model in the new collective player agreement, which will see players receive a direct share of Diamonds sponsorship, broadcast and event revenue.
National players will also receive a roughly 40% pay rise over the three-year deal.
The ANPA chief executive, Kathryn Harby-Williams, said players were delighted that their contribution to the game was acknowledged in the new deal.
The new revenue share partnership model aligns netball with other major national and international sports, recognising that the world champion Australian Diamonds are more than just employees – they are the product.
This agreement ensures players are starting to be rewarded in a way that reflects their impact and success.
Albanese proud of Australia’s multiculturalism but says we must not take social cohesion for granted
The prime minister says the report reflects his pride in Australia.
We need to nurture social cohesion. We can’t take it for granted. My government does that each and every day. We call out when there are attempts to divide us and we work each and every day to create a more united and stronger Australia.
I’m really proud of our country. We should be proud, when we look around the world, at what we are achieving here in this great nation of Australia. That doesn’t mean there’s not more work to do. It means that we can’t take it for granted and my government certainly isn’t doing that.
You can read the full report below
The special envoy has published the full report, A National Response to Islamophobia, here. Take a look.
Islamophobia envoy’s report has 54 recommendations spanning every large government agency
Malik says the report “proposes a way forward for the religious protection of all religious communities who have not been afforded this to date”. It includes 54 recommendations.
He says:
The recommendations that I present today emerged from a combination of Muslims’ lived experiences in Australia, the input of 30 national and international experts and academics, as well as the only two other envoys in the world solely committed to combatting Islamophobia …
I have made 54 recommendations spanning every major agency in the Australian government, and the recommendations encapsulate [these] key areas:
Accountability and responsibility: holding individuals and institutions accountable for hate speech and discriminatory actions and policies;
Protection and support: ensuring that victims of Islamophobia have accessible support services and that communities feel safe and valued;
Education and awareness: challenge Islamophobia, promote understanding and respectful dialogue through training, media, the arts and education.
These recommendations aim to engender a fair, respectful and inclusive environment, one that actively combats prejudice and hate, but importantly respects fundamental freedoms.
Envoy Aftab Malik says Islamophobia has been ‘persistent’ and ‘never fully addressed’
Aftab Malik, the special envoy to combat Islamophobia, says the report is a historic moment for Australia, “a moment where we decide who we are as a country and whether we are prepared to take the necessary steps to ensure that every person in Australia, regardless of faith, ethnicity or background, is safe, valued and treated with dignity”.
Malik says:
The reality is that Islamophobia in Australia has been persistent, at times ignored and other times denied, but never fully addressed.
We have seen opposition to mosques and Islamic schools turn to violent vandalism on Muslim properties. We have seen public abuse, graffiti … We have seen Muslim people and children targeted, not for what they have done, but for who they are and what they wear.
PM: ‘We must stamp out the hate, fear and prejudice’
Albanese says the report reflects efforts to celebrate Australia’s diversity and strengthen Australian values.
He says:
Australians should be able to feel safe at home in any community. The targeting of Australians based on their religious beliefs is not only an attack on them, but it’s an attack on our core values. We must stamp out the hate, fear and prejudice that drives Islamophobia and division in our society.
… I really see that Australia can be a microcosm of what we want the world to be. A place where people live side-by-side in harmony. Where we’re enriched by the diversity from people from different faiths, different backgrounds, different heritage.
Islamophobia envoy to hand down recommendations to Albanese government
The special envoy to combat Islamophobia is expected to hand down a report to the Albanese government very soon. We’ll bring you live coverage of the press conference, due to begin at 1.15pm, featuring the prime minister, the special envoy, Aftab Malik, and the minister for multicultural affairs, Anne Aly.
Stick with us.
Luca Ittimani
Australian dollar at highest value in nearly a year
The Australian dollar has surged against the US dollar as prospects of more interest rate cuts fade here but improve in the US.
One Australian dollar was buying 66.6 US cents on this afternoon. The last time the AUD rose that high was in October last year, excluding a brief bounce in the days after Donald Trump’s election to the presidency in November.
A weakening job market in the US has added to worries that the world’s biggest economy might be entering a sustained slump, in part under the stress of tariff shocks.
The US central bank chief had been averse to cutting interest rates over the year but in late August flagged a cut might be necessary.
In Australia, an uptick in economic growth along with steady job growth and low unemployment have dispelled hopes of three more interest rate cuts.
Luca Ittimani
Eighth man charged over Camp Sovereignty attack
An eighth man has been charged over the alleged attack on Melbourne’s Camp Sovereignty by a group of men, including neo-Nazis, after anti-immigration protests in late August.
Victorian police said a 22-year-old man from Benalla was last night charged with violent disorder, affray and discharging a missile. He will face court on 16 September.
Three other men, aged 20, 23 and 32, were arrested and charged days after the alleged assaults, which occurred when a group of men, including neo-Nazis, left protests against migration on 31 August and stormed the Indigenous activist site.
Another four have been charged in the intervening weeks, one of whom faces charges of assault by kicking and committing an indictable offence while on bail, and another a charge of assault with a weapon.
Detectives continue to investigate the incident and urge anyone with any information or footage that might help them to contact Crime Stoppers.
Luca Ittimani
ANZ projects economic growth to pick up to two year-high
ANZ has predicted Australia’s economy is growing at about 2.5% annually, which would be the highest rate since 2023.
The bank’s economists pointed to data from competitor NAB showing businesses are ordering more and more goods ahead of time, while ANZ’s own job ads indicator suggests steady employment growth.
Unemployment is expected to be stable at 4.2% when the August figures are released next week, according to the analysis from ANZ’s economic team. The economy’s returning momentum suggests there’ll only be one more interest rate cut, they said.
Caitlin Cassidy
Shakespearean drama at ANU has many wondering who will exit stage after vice-chancellor Genevieve Bell
When Julie Bishop fronted hundreds of staff at the Australian National University to announce the vice-chancellor’s resignation on Thursday, she noted at the beginning of her chancellory address that it was R U OK? Day.
In response, the crowd laughed.
The departure of Prof Genevieve Bell has been anticipated for more than a week but it throws up more questions than answers. Staff are yet to hear if about 100 jobs remain on the line, or if eight change proposals will still go ahead.
The restructure, and how it has been handled, has placed ANU at the centre of a governance crisis. The National Tertiary Education Union, students, the sector’s regulator and politicians have raised the alarm about an alleged culture of fear that has driven an academic to consider taking her life.
Read more here:
Sydney man to face court after police seize $1m in cannabis plants
A man in NSW will face court today after police said they seized a large amount of cannabis plants from a home in Sydney’s western suburbs with an alleged street value about $1m.
NSW police said they began an investigation in June into allegations of a hydroponic set up in the suburb of Condell Park. At around 4pm yesterday, officers executed a search warrant on a home, where they allegedly found and seized a hydroponic system and 300 cannabis plants.
A man, 44, was arrested at the scene and taken to Bankstown Police station where he was charged with knowingly taking part in cultivation of a large commercial quantity of cannabis, found on/entering/leaving drug premises and hindering or resisting police officers in the execution of duty.
He was refused bail and will appear at Bankstown Local court today.
Tom McIlroy
‘Grave concerns’ from states over Labor plan to move autism services off NDIS
Labor is facing a growing revolt by the states about plans to provide early intervention autism services through a new $2bn national scheme, with Victoria’s disability minister warning children’s rights must not be traded away “for 30 pieces of silver”.
States and territories were blind-sided by last month’s announcement from the health minister, Mark Butler, that the federal government had scrapped plans for locally provided services for children with mild autism and other developmental issues, as part of efforts to ease pressure on the rapidly growing NDIS budget.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, wrote to state premiers last week saying negotiations on a new national health funding deal would remain tied to planning for the nearly $50bn NDIS, including moves to shift childhood foundational supports to the new Thriving Kids program, due to start operating nationally on 1 July next year.
A copy of the letter, seen by Guardian Australia, shows services to children under eight years old with low to moderate needs and their families will receive targeted therapeutic early intervention supports at schools, health clinics and community facilities.
Read more here:
