Good morning. Here are the latest developments in Australian news, including fresh delays to Qantas’ nonstop Sydney-London service and South Australia’s decision not to pass a bill that would have recriminalised some abortions.
Joyce avoids confirming total migrant ban
When asked whether One Nation’s developing immigration policy included a complete ban on migration from all Muslim-majority countries, Barnaby Joyce did not directly confirm such a ban. Instead, he said Australia should avoid accepting migrants from what he described as “febrile parts of the world”.
Joyce also backed Pauline Hanson’s criticism of recent childcare wage increases and industrial relations reforms, arguing that the party should prioritise small businesses.
double quotation markThe greatest driver of our economy is small business. If you arbitrarily say, well, we’re just going to put up wages and somehow magically the small business that’s already struggling … is going to be able to somehow charge $10 for a cup of coffee and everybody will buy it, it won’t.
He said One Nation would release more of its policies closer to the election as it seeks to move beyond its role as a minor protest party and present itself as a party capable of governing.
Joyce defends One Nation immigration stance after Hanson speech
One Nation’s Treasury spokesperson, Barnaby Joyce, has defended the party’s hardline immigration policy following Pauline Hanson’s broad address to the National Press Club.
In an interview with the ABC’s Sarah Ferguson, Joyce supported Hanson’s call for a more monocultural Australia, arguing that immigration should be tightly managed to protect what he described as “Australian culture”.
When Ferguson noted that 51% of Australian residents were either born overseas or had an overseas-born parent, Joyce rejected the suggestion that One Nation’s position would alienate more than half the country.
double quotation markWhat we’re saying is Australia has to have the capacity to bring in an Australian culture, a culture with guardrails, a culture that is able to absorb people so that we have harmony, we have peace, and we have a unity of purpose.
If you get a Balkanisation in Australia where there are so many people in so many different corners that they basically live their culture not an Australian culture, then inherently that just does not work out.
All major medical organisations, including the Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the Australian Medical Association and the College of Midwives, opposed the South Australian bill.
More than 90% of abortions are carried out in the first trimester.
SA Health data show that in 2023, fewer than 1% of terminations — 47 cases — occurred after 23 weeks’ gestation.
“Of these 47 terminations, 37 were conducted for the physical or mental health of the mother, and 10 were for fetal anomalies,” SA Health said.
“In the first 18 months after the legislation was implemented, there were less than five terminations performed after 27 weeks and no terminations after 29 weeks.”
“Any abortion conducted at this stage is due to the life-limiting condition of the fetus and, or, serious threats to the pregnant woman’s health and life. It also requires the approval of two doctors,” the Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said in a statement.
Anti-abortion bill blocked in South Australia
A bill to recriminalise some abortions passed South Australia’s upper house but failed in the lower house, despite support from both the premier and the opposition leader.
Abortion had been decriminalised across all Australian states and territories by 2024, but there have been several recent attempts to return it to the Criminal Act.
The latest proposal, which would have criminalised late-term abortions, passed the South Australian upper house by one vote with support from three newly elected One Nation MLCs.
MLC Sarah Game introduced the legislation, which was drafted with anti-abortion activist Joanna Howe, who has been banned from the SA parliament over alleged bullying during debate on previous similar bills.
Game was elected as a One Nation MP but later left the party to form her own party, Fair Go. Before introducing the bill, she announced she was also leaving Fair Go to join Family First.
The bill initially banned all abortions from 25 weeks, regardless of risks to maternal health or fetal abnormalities, with an exemption only where the mother’s life was at risk. An amendment later added exemptions for severe fetal abnormalities.
Even with that amendment, the bill failed to pass the lower house, despite support from Premier Peter Malinauskas and opposition leader Ashton Hurn.
Qantas delays nonstop Sydney-London service again
Qantas has announced a new launch date for its nonstop service between Sydney and London: October 2027.
The first Project Sunrise flights between Sydney and London will use a specially manufactured Airbus A350 built in France and are expected to reduce travel time by four hours, the airline said.
Qantas also released new images of the first of 12 aircraft it has ordered, which will have the expanded fuel capacity needed to complete the route without stopping.
Delivery of the aircraft has been delayed several times. The project was paused in 2020 because of the Covid pandemic. In 2021, then-chief executive Alan Joyce expected commercial flights to begin in 2024. Last November, Qantas said the first services would start in the first half of 2027.
The airline now says tickets for the first Project Sunrise Sydney-London flights will go on sale in February 2027.
Qantas says Project Sunrise will eventually connect Australia’s east coast with additional international destinations, with Sydney-New York confirmed as the next service after Sydney-London. Launch timing for those flights will be announced next year.
