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NSW premier: ‘I don’t recollect’ who was at 21st birthday party
Questions for the NSW premier turn to his Nazi uniform admission earlier this week. Perrottet is asked whether he has the confidence of the Liberal party cabinet.
Yes. Yes, I do.
The premier then repeats the statements he has made previously, saying he was a younger man who made a mistake.
I have a significant amount of support from my colleagues. I am not focussed on the past, I am focussed on driving our state forward.
Pressed on who else might have been at his 21st birthday party, where he wore the uniform, Perrottet makes clear to take the blame for himself saying, “it’s not about other people” and that “what’s important is that I did it”.
I don’t recollect. People have asked me a number of questions about who was there. It was a long time ago. What I know because I was there and I know what I did.
Again the premier falls on the suggestion that he was a younger man.
I was naive and young and didn’t see it that way. And that’s that’s just the reality of that time. I didn’t see it that way and and I made a terrible mistake, but I’m not, you know – I’ve answered, I’m just not going to keep going.
Key events
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Threat reduced in Adelaide Hills bushfire
Ground crews will continue monitoring the fireground and targeting hotspots over the coming days, with the South Australia state emergency service saying the threat has reduced.
Country Fire Service crews with support from aircraft worked in extreme conditions on Saturday to fight a scrub fire at the Black Hill Conservation park. The highly area contains steep, hard-to-reach gullies with tightly-packed scrub.
The cause of the fire is unknown but it has so far burned 45 hectares near Montacute. Two firefighters have sustained minor injuries but are recovering well and there have been no reports of property damage.
With warm weather forecast, ground crews will be working to mop up hot spots over the coming days with support from observation aircraft.
Residents are advised to remain vigilant as there may still be smoke.
The following road closures remain in place:
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Gorge Road remains closed to the public between the intersections of Kirkevue Road and Corkscrew Road and is likely to remain closed for the next 24 hours.
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Corkscrew Road is closed between Gorge Road and Montacute Road however it is expected that this will be reopened today.
New South Wales premier Dominic Perrottet has announced he will hold another press conference.
This time with the parliamentary secretary for the Central Coast and member for Terrigal Adam Crouch to make a health an infrastructure announcement at 11.30am.
WA bushfire downgraded
Authorities in Western Australia have downgraded an alert for a bushfire burning south of Perth.
A bushfire watch-and-act alert is now in place for residents in the area, with the state emergency service advising that two areas have now been given the all-clear.
Firefighters have been working overnight as the 6,000-hectare blaze was thought to be contained but uncontrolled.
06:50 AM – Bushfire WATCH AND ACT for for parts of GLEN MERVYN, MUMBALLUP, NOGGERUP, THOMSON BROOK, YABBERUP, BEELERUP, LOWDEN, QUEENWOOD, WELLINGTON FOREST, WELLINGTON MILL in the SHIRE of DONNYBROOK-BALINGUP and SHIRE OF DARDANUP: https://t.co/ZSEIQDbkiJ
— DFES (@dfes_wa) January 14, 2023
Paul Karp
Dutton renews demand for more information on voice to parliament
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, is continuing to pressure the Albanese government to release more information about the Indigenous voice to parliament.
In an interview with Nine Newspapers Dutton said that he does “support constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians” but accused Labor of playing a “tricky but dangerous political game in holding back the detail on how the voice would operate”.
Last week Dutton suggested that the government could legislate the voice before going to a referendum to constitutionally entrench it but Anthony Albanese rejected the proposal by noting the Uluru statement from the heart called for the voice in the constitution.
On Sunday, Dutton said:
The Australian public won’t vote for something the prime minister refuses to explain. This makes it essential to release the detail, in the form of a draft bill and regulations. This would be the respectful thing to do instead of keeping Australians in the dark.
The Nine Newspapers story compared this to the approach in the marriage law postal survey – although the bill circulated before that was not the one used to pass marriage equality into law.
Labor is being pulled in two directions on the voice – and my colleague Josh Butler has written today about the Blak Greens’ insistence that the voice must be accompanied by negotiations for a treaty.
The presser wraps up now with a final word from Perrottet talking about the $1bn his government is setting aside for new road projects in western Sydney. The premier says he is “not focussed on the party”.
I’m not focusing on the party, I’m not focused on ourselves. I’m focused on the people of our state. And that’s why I will finish with this. That’s why we are here today, announcing $1bn to improve the lives of people of western Sydney.
Perrottet ‘not focused on the party or politics’
Perrottet is now attempting to reframe the conversation towards the future.
I’m not focused on the party or politics. I’m focused on taking our state forward and having the long-term economic plan that will drive New South Wales and our people to great heights. That’s what I’m focused on. It’s what I’ve focused on my entire political life, whether that’s been premier, and it’s treasurer, and it’s been a very difficult few years for our people. And I’ve been there every single day. Tirelessly working to drive New South Wales forward.
Minister for metropolitan roads Natalie Ward is thrown a question about her thoughts on the revelation that the premier wore a Nazi uniform to his “uniform-themed” 21st birthday. Ward gives Perrottet her full support.
What I’ve seen in Dom Perrottet is that he is a compassionate, kind person who works his guts out every day for the people of New South Wales. I think ultimately, what he’s done, is he’s owned this or he’s stepped up, he’s answered questions, hasn’t shied away from it. And I think that that commitment and his demonstration and commitment to the community over time, as demonstrated by his actions, shows how he is deeply sorry for this, and he’s committed to multiculturalism in New South Wales.
The person that I know is someone who has absolutely committed to working hard for the people of New South Wales every single day. And I think that’s the important thing that people will see and recognise. But he hasn’t shied away from this in any respect.
Ward ends by saying that at her 21st, she had “criminally big hair” and that “hopefully” there were no photos.
NSW premier: ‘I don’t recollect’ who was at 21st birthday party
Questions for the NSW premier turn to his Nazi uniform admission earlier this week. Perrottet is asked whether he has the confidence of the Liberal party cabinet.
Yes. Yes, I do.
The premier then repeats the statements he has made previously, saying he was a younger man who made a mistake.
I have a significant amount of support from my colleagues. I am not focussed on the past, I am focussed on driving our state forward.
Pressed on who else might have been at his 21st birthday party, where he wore the uniform, Perrottet makes clear to take the blame for himself saying, “it’s not about other people” and that “what’s important is that I did it”.
I don’t recollect. People have asked me a number of questions about who was there. It was a long time ago. What I know because I was there and I know what I did.
Again the premier falls on the suggestion that he was a younger man.
I was naive and young and didn’t see it that way. And that’s that’s just the reality of that time. I didn’t see it that way and and I made a terrible mistake, but I’m not, you know – I’ve answered, I’m just not going to keep going.
Perrottet pledges $1bn for western Sydney road projects
New South Wales premier Dominic Perrottet has announced $1bn for new road projects across western Sydney.
After a brief introduction by Liberal candidate for Riverston, Mohit Kumar, the premier said the area is expected to grow by over 250,000.
It’s crucially important not just to drive jobs growth, but to ensure western Sydney is the best place to live, to work to run a business and to raise a family. That’s what this investment is all about today.
WA bushfire contained but uncontrolled
A bushfire south of Perth has been contained but remains uncontrolled.
Some 100 firefighters battled the 6,000-hectare blaze on Saturday before its started to slow.
Aerial support was also dispatched to the Donnybrook–Balingup shire on Saturday.
The fire, believed to have been sparked by lightning, was moving slowly north-west as of Sunday morning after breaching containment lines on Saturday.
04:55 AM – Bushfire EMERGENCY WARNING for for parts of GLEN MERVYN, MUMBALLUP, NOGGERUP, THOMSON BROOK, YABBERUP, BEELERUP, LOWDEN, QUEENWOOD, WELLINGTON FOREST, WELLINGTON MILL in the SHIRE of DONNYBROOK-BALINGUP and SHIRE OF DARDANUP: https://t.co/ZSEIQDbkiJ
— DFES (@dfes_wa) January 14, 2023
An emergency warning remained in place for the fire area, with residents told to flee.
Meanwhile, in South Australia, firefighters have managed to contain a bushfire in the Adelaide Hills, just east of the state capital.
Residents in Montacute had been earlier told to leave or take shelter on Saturday.
But by that night the fire was contained with firefighters remaining on scene to monitor hotspots.
Firefighters had been battling the blaze over steep, inaccessible terrain in the Adelaide Hills with 15 tankers and eight aircraft.
– AAP
New South Wales premier Dominic Perrottet has called a press conference for 9am where he will appear alongside minister for metropolitan roads Natalie Ward to make a major announcement.
We will bring you the latest when it happens.
Good morning
And welcome to another Sunday morning Guardian live blog.
Bushfires just outside Perth and Adelaide have continued to burn overnight. A 6,000-hectare blaze in Western Australia is moving slowly north-west on Sunday morning with an emergency warning still in place. About 100 firefighters had been battling the blaze – believed to have been sparked by a lightning strike – with air support. Meanwhile, in South Australia, firefighters have worked overnight to contain a bushfire in the Adelaide Hills near Montacute.
Cardinal George Pell will make his journey home after a funeral mass in Rome that concluded with a blessing from the Pope. Australia’s most senior Catholic was farewelled on Saturday in a ceremony held at St Peter’s Basilica. His coffin will now be returned to Australia to be buried in the crypt at St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney where he served as archbishop.
I’m Royce Kurmelovs, taking the blog through the day. With so much going on out there, it’s easy to miss stuff, so if you spot something happening in Australia and think it should be on the blog, you can find me on Twitter at @RoyceRk2 where my DMs are open.
With that, let’s get started …
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