⚫️ Burst of heat

Across the country, things are happening at a local level that have an impact nationally. Here’s the stories you might not hear about in the traditional media.

A massive sinkhole several metres wide has appeared in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, drawing crowds of onlookers.

Victoria Police have cordoned off the area, and North East Link project officials say investigations are underway. No injuries have been reported.

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Glenelg Shire, in Victoria’s West, is cracking down on pets after complaints about cats hunting wildlife at night and dogs off-leash.

Fines could reach $900, with councils also pushing for containment, desexing, and microchipping to protect local animals.

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While Independent MP Zali Steggall agrees there should be a royal commission into the Bondi shooting, she’s accused the Coalition of trying to use the moment for political gain.

Independent MP Zali Steggall questioned whether the Coalition’s motivation in calling for a royal commission was “to keep Australians safe”, and accused its MPs of “looking for division” rather than “focusing on unity”.

Speaking to the North Shore Lorikeet , Steggall said “calls, especially from the Coalition, have been very politically motivated,” adding that the conservative side of politics had “the backing of certain elements of the media…”

Steggall and fellow Sydney Independent, Mackellar’s Sophie Scamps, have written to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese calling for a royal commission in the wake of the shooting at Bondi on December 14.

Other MPs on Sydney’s North Shore, like Nicolette Boele (Bradfield) and Julian Leeser (Berowra) have also backed calls for a royal commission.

🤲Multi-faith parameter: Steggall told the Lorikeet she wants broader terms of reference than the Coalition, saying a royal commission should not be restricted to an inquiry into anti-Semitism, but “address any discrimination that is occurring on the basis of faith”.

“My criticism of the Coalition is their discourse doesn't show respect for the multicultural diversity of Australia and the multi-faith aspect of Australia,” Steggall said.

“I want to look at it from a lens of anti-discrimination on the basis of faith, which ensures you address anti-Semitism, but you also address any discrimination that is occurring on the basis of faith.”

Steggall said any royal commission should look at how our education system instills respect for all faiths, and “interference by foreign nations, which we know has occurred in the past … including Israel”.

It should also ascertain whether media and social media regulations offer “sufficient protection to prevent the rise of religious discrimination and hate on the basis of religion”.

🏛️Government response: So far, Albanese has resisted calls to establish a federal royal commission.

Instead, he has announced an independent review investigating the effectiveness of federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies, headed by Dennis Richardson. Richardson served as the director of Australia’s primary intelligence and security agency, ASIO, under John Howard.

NSW Premier Chris Minns has also announced a royal commission at the state level. Albanese has committed full participation in this inquiry.

The NSW Joint Counter Terrorism Team — comprised of NSW Police, AFP, ASIO and the NSW Crime Commission — is leading an investigation into the attack itself. Meanwhile, the State Crime Command's homicide squad is leading its own investigation into the police response to the attack.

Albanese argues that while a royal commission could take years, Richardson would hand down findings by April.

Asked to predict if PM Anthony Albanese would ultimately buckle and call for a royal commission, Steggall said: “I think the more it's positioned as political point scoring, the less likely it is to happen, which is unfortunate.”