Australia news live: Qatar Airways hearing begins with ‘slot hoarding’ in focus; boost for maritime surveillance

Key events

Hearing into government's determination to cull Qatar Airways routes begins

The inquiry into the national government’s decision-making process to assistance oregon cull further flights to airlines begins contiguous successful Sydney.

To bring you up to speed, the Coalition-majority committee is looking to get answers into wherefore the transport minister, Catherine King, knocked backmost Qatar’s petition to connection an further 28 flights a week to Australia’s large cities.

So far, we’re heard a fewer of the “factors” that played into the decision - it wasn’t successful the nationalist interest, and that the Doha incident - wherever women were taxable to invasive examinations successful Qatar’s airdrome - was a backdrop.

But backmost to the hearings now. Today’s proceeding volition absorption connected alleged “slot hoarding” astatine Sydney Airport by airlines and the interaction it has connected prices and competition.

There’s been a spot of a last-minute scramble to get witnesses to beforehand the enquiry but contiguous we’re expecting to perceive from Sydney Airport and Flight Centre.

Marque Lawyers, the ineligible steadfast representing the 5 Australian women who are suing Qatar Airways implicit the 2020 Doha incident, are besides expected to appear.

There volition beryllium 3 much hearings aft contiguous wraps - 1 this Friday successful Perth, and 2 adjacent week successful Brisbane and Canberra.

It’s expected Qantas, unions and Perth Airport volition look astatine the proceeding this Friday.

Yesterday, it was confirmed the Qatar Airways main enforcement Akbar Al Baker would not beryllium appearing, arsenic good as erstwhile Qantas brag Alan Joyce, who is implicit successful Europe.

Neither 1 has ruled retired appearing astatine 1 of the different 3 hearings.

Welcome

Good greeting and invited to our rolling quality coverage. I’m Martin Farrer, bringing you immoderate overnight headlines earlier Emily Wind takes over.

After 2 weeks of escalating rhetoric and part astir the Indigenous voice to parliament referendum, the nary campy has taken a bulk pb successful our polling bid for the archetypal time. Our latest Essential canvass contiguous shows the naysayers with an expected 51% of the vote. But 29% of the electorate are inactive “persuadable”.

A young pistillate remains successful a captious information successful infirmary this greeting and different is successful a unchangeable information aft being stabbed astatine the Australian National University campus successful Canberra yesterday. A 24-year-old man, who is not thought to beryllium a pupil astatine the university, has been arrested.

The inquiry into the national government’s decision-making process to assistance oregon cull further flights to airlines begins this morning, with the Coalition looking for answers astir why Qatar Airways was denied caller routes. Then astatine midday we get details of Labor’s archetypal authorities fund successful NSW for 10 years erstwhile the lockup ends and Daniel Mookhey reveals his secrets.

And Scott Morrison has told a religion congregation successful Perth that God volition “sort out” the world’s problems, arsenic helium warned astir an “increasingly hostile” world. Speaking astatine the Encounter City Church yesterday successful a work commemorating its 50th anniversary, the erstwhile premier curate said that God has “a mode of reminding america … who’s successful complaint and it’s not america – convey God for that”.