Link copiedShareShare resultsBy chief election analyst Antony Green posted Fri at 2:00pmFriday 2 May 2025 at 2:00pmFri 2 May 2025 at 2:00pm Updated 3m ago3 minutes agoMon 5 May 2025 at 12:05pm updated 3m ago3 minutes agoMon 5 May 2025 at 12:05pm | Jason Clare (Labor) since 2007. Minister for Education. Blaxland covers western Sydney suburbs south of the M4 including Auburn, Berala, Potts Hill, Chester Hill, Villawood, Granville, Guildford, Merrylands and South Wentworthville. Covers 59 square kilometres. Remains a safe Labor seat despite major boundary changes. Loses areas south of the Hume Highway to Watson and Banks. The new boundaries shift north to the M4 and west to the Cumberland Highway. The Labor margin declines from 14.9% to a still very safe 13.0%. See polling place result map below for detail of the boundary change. (Victories by a party of government are indicated by thick coloured underlining.) Nguyen arrived in Australia almost thirty years ago, living in Cabramatta and then Edensor Park. She studied a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Western Sydney and has a Diploma in Business (Real Estate Management). She has helped local Vietnamese community organisations and is an active volunteer. Nguyen was the Liberal candidate for this seat in 2022 and for the state seat of Cabramatta in 2023. Sakr is an award-winning poet, novelist, and essayist who works in community arts and cultural development. He was born and raised in Liverpool to Arab and Turkish Muslim migrants and has lived in the Blaxland electorate for the past five years with his wife and children. Luo was raised in Granville and is a data scientist and entrepreneur who describes himself as a principled libertarian dedicated to defending free speech and individual liberty. Ouf arrived in Australia from Egypt in 2010. He is an experienced pharmacist and business owner, having co-founded and managed two successful pharmacies. He is also an elected Councillor on the City of Cumberland council. CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time Follow our live coverage of the 2025 federal election here Hundreds of thousands of Sydneysiders turned out to vote across the city on election day and voting in some of the most highly contested areas passed largely without incident despite earlier fears tensions could boil over NSW Police said they would visit polling booths across the state on Saturday after threatening and aggressive behaviour at early voting centres – especially in marginal seats where the stakes are highest – prompted the electoral commission to warn that bad behaviour would not be tolerated The relative calm on election day followed a record number of Australians voting pre-poll Figures from the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) showed 6.8 million people had lodged a pre-poll vote or almost 38 per cent of the 18.1 million people on the electoral roll The campaigns in the electorates of Bennelong and Bradfield on the north shore and Watson and Fowler in the south-west have been hard fought fierce exchanges between candidates and even aggressive behaviour by some volunteers at pre-polling booths Voters at the Bondi Surf Bathers Life Saving Club in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.Credit: Kate Geraghty voters lined up in their speedos and budgee smugglers to cast their votes on more serious issues than their swimwear would suggest Liberal challenger for Wentworth Ro Knox voted in the morning at St George’s church in Paddington national security is a huge issue for this electorate We’ve got the largest number of Jewish people in this electorate of any electorate in Australia,” Knox said acting Australian electoral commissioner Jeff Pope spoke on RN Breakfast to say Wentworth was among Sydney electorates where police had been called to deal with incidents of bad behaviour Knox said she’d experienced first-hand the heightened aggression particular to this election Liberal candidate for the seat of Wentworth Ro Knox voting at Saint George’s Church voting centre in Paddington very aggressive during this campaign,” she said I’ve experienced some relatively poor behaviour from some of the volunteers definitely not from Allegra Spender though she’s [maintained] high integrity throughout the campaign.” Spender cast her vote seaside at the Clovelly Surf Life Saving Club Choosing not to comment on Knox’s specific claims about some teals’ behaviour Spender reiterated more generally the need to act cordially “To be honest what I try and say and what I’ve been trying to say to everybody is that people can have different views but in this country we need to disagree well .. There to meet Spender in the queue was 46-year-old filmmaker Daniel Reisinger “I think like a lot of people in this electorate [I’m] just kind of sick of what the Liberal Party’s been doing I was bitterly disappointed with what happened with the [Voice] referendum and I think a lot of people are angry and not over that.” Joining the line after a swim in her recently purchased Australian-themed swimsuit took a bite out of her first-ever democracy sausage since moving to Australia from the UK Allegra Spender lodged her vote at the Clovelly Surf Life Saving Club.Credit: Kate Geraghty South-west Sydney is considered “Labor heartland” Aside from the seat of Fowler at the last election Watson and Blaxland have only ever been held by Labor In the seven polling stations the Herald visited on Saturday Syria and China) were there to exercise their right to vote in a democracy Labor’s Education Minister Jason Clare said the war in Gaza was a major concern to his constituents in his seat of Blaxland with a third of his electorate identifying as Muslim deployed an intense grassroots campaign on local issues aiming to pull disillusioned voters in a seat that had a safe Labor margin of 13 per cent Independent Ahmed Ouf (left) and Labor’s Jason Clare (centre) campaign side-by-side in Merrylands in the seat of Blaxland.Credit: Max Mason-Hubers Saqr Anejdawi voted for Ouf and said his main concern was Gaza but he was also desperate for a change in government to deliver local infrastructure “Ahmed Ouf may not win but will show the big parties we have a vote We have the right as [the people voting for] Zali Steggall Nermine Serour and Amalia Crossley with her son Elijah after voting in Bankstown.Credit: Max Mason-Hubers Cost of living was another big issue in south-west Sydney They don’t realise what the struggles the families are going through at the moment people can’t even get into their first home,” Nermine Serour said after voting at the Bankstown Senior Citizens Centre in Bankstown in the seat of Watson Watson is safely held by Labor with a 15.2 per cent margin She and Amalia Crossley made a protest vote against the main parties on Saturday after what they felt had been many “false promises” from Labor by putting the majors last 1 thing is that we don’t have enough housing to support families,” Crossley said “That’s why I strongly voted towards the Greens.” Dai Le retains one of the tightest margins in the state of 1.1 per cent against Labor “We’ve got five cabinet ministers in the current government in western Sydney five labor MPs … the people in western Sydney can tell you they’ve done nothing,” Le said but Dai Le predicts “a swing against Labor in western Sydney now Independent Dai Le talks to voters outside the polling station at Cabramatta Community Centre.Credit: Max Mason-Hubers In Bennelong – NSW’s most marginal electorate with an estimated margin of 0.04 per cent in favour of Liberal challenger Scott Yung over Labor incumbent Jerome Laxale – the Coalition candidate was out early to greet voters alongside an army of volunteers at Eastwood Public School Yung was seen switching between Mandarin and Cantonese as he moved down the lines speaking to voters from the Chinese community, a key voting bloc in the seat. Later, he was joined by former prime minister Tony Abbott, who dismissed multiple potentially damaging reports about Yung’s campaign “as a lot of beltway bubble stuff” He said Yung and Dutton had done well to appeal “to a broad cross-section of Australians” despite the slow shift away from the Liberal Party in the seat of former prime minister John Howard Yung would not say if any of the volunteers present were members of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, formerly known as the Exclusive Brethren, which sent hundreds of its members to pre-polling booths in marginal seats while instructing them to keep secret that they were members of the controversial religion Former prime minister Tony Abbott with Liberal candidate for Bennelong Scott Yung at Eastwood Public School .Credit: Steven Siewert “I think it’s in everyone’s right to participate in Australia’s democracy,” he said before Yung’s campaign staff ended his interview with this masthead where Laxale went to vote and hand out preference cards to voters the Labor member was equanimous about the possibility of losing the seat casts his vote at Denistone East Public School.Credit: Steven Siewert Asked whether reports earlier this week that his father, Alain, had made homophobic comments at a pre-polling station that had hurt his campaign in the crucial final stretch Liberal candidate Gisele Kapterian voting at Turramurra Public School.Credit: Steven Siewert “We’ve been really focusing on cost of living and housing locally here … my dad regrets what he said Bradfield’s independent candidate Nicolette Boele voting with her daughter Saskia at her alma mater Killara High School.Credit: Steven Siewert where Liberal candidate Gisele Kapterian holds an estimated margin of 2.5 per cent over teal independent Nicolette Boele polling places were quiet after record pre-polling Kapterian declined to speak to the Herald but appeared upbeat embracing and shaking voters’ hands at Turramurra Public School Accompanied by her daughter and first-time voter Saskia the teal candidate studied her preferences with the help of Herald photographer Steven Siewert’s reading glasses Boele ran unsuccessfully against Liberal MP Paul Fletcher She refused to say if she would run again in 2028 if she lost to Kapterian “Can I answer that question after we see how we go tonight?” she said Across the Parramatta electorate there was an air of politeness a volunteer for Blaxland Independent Ahmed Ouf was seen offering volunteers from all parties some food while one Labor volunteer said he gave a Liberal supporter a “leg up” to hoist a sign above the entrance It comes despite Liberal signs being reportedly slashed and pulled down earlier in the morning at the same location meets voters at Ermington West Public School.Credit: Thomas Wielecki Liberal volunteers gave out handballs to voters while Labor had their own collection of drink bottles personalised with the face of Parramatta incumbent Andrew Charlton appeared upbeat as he chatted to voters queuing up outside the school He told the Herald he was “feeling good” about the election and had already enjoyed a democracy sausage during an earlier visit to a polling booth Corflutes aplenty at Ermington West Public School in the electorate of Parramatta.Credit: Thomas Wielecki so don’t know what that means for the next meal but I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it,” he said before heading to the barbecue for another one two trucks branded with advertising for Liberal candidate Katie Mullins drove by The queue started early at Parramatta’s Arthur Phillip High School saying he opted to cast his ballot the day of the election because sickness ruined his chances of an early vote High school teacher Sonia Emily Hutchinson “I always vote in regard to health and education because that’s where me and my friends work … and sort of looking forward to the future of how we’re going to be taken care of in this country Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter NSW Police said they would visit polling booths across the state on Saturday at early voting centres \\u2013 especially in marginal seats where the stakes are highest \\u2013 prompted the electoral commission to warn that bad behaviour would not be tolerated Liberal challenger for Wentworth Ro Knox voted in the morning at St George\\u2019s church in Paddington We\\u2019ve got the largest number of Jewish people in this electorate of any electorate in Australia,\\u201D Knox said Knox said she\\u2019d experienced first-hand the heightened aggression particular to this election \\u201CThe teals in particular have been very very aggressive during this campaign,\\u201D she said I\\u2019ve experienced some relatively poor behaviour from some of the volunteers she\\u2019s [maintained] high integrity throughout the campaign.\\u201D Choosing not to comment on Knox\\u2019s specific claims about some teals\\u2019 behaviour \\u201CTo be honest what I try and say and what I\\u2019ve been trying to say to everybody is that people can have different views but in this country we need to disagree well .. it doesn\\u2019t matter who you\\u2019re voting for it doesn\\u2019t matter what your views are Let\\u2019s engage constructively,\\u201D she said \\u201CI think like a lot of people in this electorate [I\\u2019m] just kind of sick of what the Liberal Party\\u2019s been doing and I think a lot of people are angry and not over that.\\u201D Her verdict: it \\u201Ctastes like democracy\\u201D South-west Sydney is considered \\u201CLabor heartland\\u201D Labor\\u2019s Education Minister Jason Clare said the war in Gaza was a major concern to his constituents in his seat of Blaxland \\u201CLabor has taken us for granted,\\u201D he said \\u201CAhmed Ouf may not win but will show the big parties we have a vote to vote for our independents as well.\\u201D \\u201C[The politicians] they\\u2019re on top wages They don\\u2019t realise what the struggles the families are going through at the moment people can\\u2019t even get into their first home,\\u201D Nermine Serour said after voting at the Bankstown Senior Citizens Centre in Bankstown in the seat of Watson She and Amalia Crossley made a protest vote against the main parties on Saturday after what they felt had been many \\u201Cfalse promises\\u201D from Labor by putting the majors last 1 thing is that we don\\u2019t have enough housing to support families,\\u201D Crossley said \\u201CThat\\u2019s why I strongly voted towards the Greens.\\u201D \\u201CWe\\u2019ve got five cabinet ministers in the current government in western Sydney five labor MPs \\u2026 the people in western Sydney can tell you they\\u2019ve done nothing,\\u201D Le said but Dai Le predicts \\u201Ca swing against Labor in western Sydney now In Bennelong \\u2013 NSW\\u2019s most marginal electorate with an estimated margin of 0.04 per cent in favour of Liberal challenger Scott Yung over Labor incumbent Jerome Laxale \\u2013 the Coalition candidate was out early to greet voters alongside an army of volunteers at Eastwood Public School Yung was seen switching between Mandarin and Cantonese as he moved down the lines speaking to voters from the Chinese community he was joined by former prime minister Tony Abbott who dismissed about Yung\\u2019s campaign \\u201Cas a lot of beltway bubble stuff\\u201D He said Yung and Dutton had done well to appeal \\u201Cto a broad cross-section of Australians\\u201D Yung would not say if any of the volunteers present were members of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church while instructing them to keep secret that they were members of the controversial religion \\u201CI think it\\u2019s in everyone\\u2019s right to participate in Australia\\u2019s democracy,\\u201D he said before Yung\\u2019s campaign staff ended his interview with this masthead \\u201CWe\\u2019ve never held on to Bennelong and we\\u2019ll go right until six o\\u2019clock.\\u201D Asked whether reports earlier this week that his father had made at a pre-polling station that had hurt his campaign in the crucial final stretch Laxale said: \\u201CWe\\u2019ll see what happens\\u201D \\u201CWe\\u2019ve been really focusing on cost of living and housing locally here \\u2026 my dad regrets what he said embracing and shaking voters\\u2019 hands at Turramurra Public School the teal candidate studied her preferences with the help of Herald photographer Steven Siewert\\u2019s reading glasses \\u201CCan I answer that question after we see how we go tonight?\\u201D she said while one Labor volunteer said he gave a Liberal supporter a \\u201Cleg up\\u201D to hoist a sign above the entrance He told the Herald he was \\u201Cfeeling good\\u201D about the election and had already enjoyed a democracy sausage during an earlier visit to a polling booth \\u201CI went a little bit early if I\\u2019m honest so don\\u2019t know what that means for the next meal but I\\u2019ll cross that bridge when I come to it,\\u201D he said before heading to the barbecue for another one The queue started early at Parramatta\\u2019s Arthur Phillip High School \\u201CI always vote in regard to health and education because that\\u2019s where me and my friends work \\u2026 and sort of looking forward to the future of how we\\u2019re going to be taken care of in this country Cut through the noise of federal politics with news Picture suppliedThe rowers took to the water at the International Regatta Centre for the Edward Trickett NSW Grade Championship from April 5-6 Viti and Sophia started the 2025 season in strong form claiming victory at the NSW School Girls Head of the River Regatta on March 8 also held at the International Regatta Centre in Penrith Their impressive win earned the pair a coveted invitation to represent their school and New South Wales at the nationals competition in Tasmania from March 24 Working hard each day for their place in the competition Viti and Sophia collaborated with students from other schools across New South Wales - in a sport dominated by the private school sector and Zoe all started rowing at different ages but found their passion together Inspired by Blaxland High alumni and Olympic canoeists the girls all aim to represent New South Wales and ultimately Australia Blaxland High School's support has been unwavering with recent fundraisers helping ease the financial load of high-level competition "We want more girls to experience our sport," they said the trio have a goal of giving back to their community by running free rowing clinics at the Nepean Rowing Club during the upcoming school holidays Through volunteering their time and skills they hope to inspire a new generation of young athletes to take to the water and discover the sport they've come to love Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date We care about the protection of your data. Read our Privacy Policy US globalism is in retreat and Australia’s fear of abandonment is more acute than in ages The iconoclastic news whirlwind around Donald Trump points to a new US approach on the international stage: globalism and free trade are out But with Australia heavily invested in its US relationship we need to calmly undertake a net assessment: to weigh up what’s at stake while looking to engage with our region more fully US globalism has been soured by the effects of catastrophic wars in the Middle East since 2001 coupled with the 2008 global financial crisis a sense of being taken advantage of and an undermining of faith in government China’s rapid growth and adversarial mercantilism helped Russia’s barbarous invasion of Ukraine added to the mix Trump has supercharged the disruption with his sidelining of allies and favouring of autocrats helping to enable global trade and enhanced prosperity But it’s also been flimsy and is now in doubt Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email The 2017 foreign policy white paper, issued shortly after Trump came to office last time, was effectively our “Plan B” In the face of a US transactional retreat from ideational leadership the white paper talked up the alliance but mainly bolstered other connections to offset growing US disengagement We emphasised the Association of South-east Asian Nations (Asean); the Pacific Islands Forum (Pif); the Indian Ocean Rim Association (Iora) and others We came closer to European partners with our involvement in the war in Afghanistan and because they too are concerned about reverberations at both ends of the Eurasian landmass The Quad also helped tie in the US Meanwhile, the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing arrangements, spawned in the second world war, prompted parallel defence, border security, policing and intelligence ties. Quad and Five Eyes connections may have a newfound utility – for engaging with equally shocked erstwhile US allies and partners including friends in Asean Darwin (marines) and Perth (navy and submarines) Australia’s one-punch boutique defence force and limited volunteer emergency services are structured for the unipolar moment and to make not much more than niche contributions far afield We also need to boost offerings to Pif member states, facing looming environmental catastrophe, governance challenges and the buffeting from great power competition. We should propose a grand compact or a Pacific island federation the European Union and the Pacific compact state arrangements This way we would share some sovereignty and gain some collective security and bolster self-reliance Australians have a fear of abandonment matched by a lingering fear of entrapment Those fears are more acute now than in ages John Blaxland is professor of international security and intelligence studies at the ANU’s strategic and defence studies centre own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment University of Canberra provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU View all partners the incoming government’ Labor or Coalition especially with Donald Trump starting to impose tariffs on selected countries including China To discuss where Australia is placed to meet new circumstances we’re joined by two experts John Blaxland is Director of the ANU North America Liaison Office and Professor of International Security and Intelligence Studies Richard Holden is Professor of Economics at UNSW Blaxland outlines how Australia should continue to support the current international norms and how changing norms could spell trouble The rules based international order is something that we are going to feel the absence of quite keenly For small and middle powers like Australia the reliance on that order has obviated the need to spend up a lot on military capabilities and that’s going to shift We’ve seen the United States walking away from COP-related agreements but these arrangements still have global momentum and I would contend that Australia has an interest in continuing to support them as best as possible particularly for the sake of our partners in the Pacific Blaxland doesn’t think it would make a lot of difference I don’t think the United States pays much attention to what happens internally in Australian politics and I think the Albanese government and Penny Wong and Richard Marles and others are wise to present as small a target as possible The ALP is playing a difficult hand well in bilateral relations with the United States Broadly it is still strongly in our interests to make that work as best we can There’s no question there’s a closer Liberal-Trump alignment But the economic and security relations are key and here it’s important to remember that the United States has a trade surplus with Australia and so that means we’re not in his [Trump’s] crosshairs immediately for having the opposite and America is the biggest foreign direct investor in Australia by a country mile Holden says of the economy internationally The global economy is well on the way to recovering from the post-pandemic inflation the associated increases in most advanced economies and interest rates in most of those jurisdictions New Zealand is an example there’s been a real hit to the economy But it’s generally looking reasonably positive with the one big looming thing which is what happens to international trade as a result of the Trump tariff threats that are now starting to be put into action But Holden is a bit more pessimistic about Australia’s economy If you look going forward, even so far government decisions have added $78 to $80 billion to that debt and the recent mid-year update, MYEFO reports the cumulative debt for the next four years will be over $140 billion of the increase. I think there’s a sense that our fiscal house is really being put into really good shape and I don’t think that’s accurate. ‘The Muslim Vote’ which launched earlier this year promised to back at least three independent candidates in safe Labor seats at the next federal election. Now independent candidates are emerging in those seats. Ahmed Ouf, a pharmacist and councillor in the Cumberland shire will challenge Jason Clare for the seat of Blaxland, saying the people of Blaxland have been forgotten by the major parties.  Ahmed Ouf, independent candidate for Blaxland Education Minister Jason Clare won the seat of Blaxland with a 14.9% margin at the 2022 election. (ABC News: Matt Roberts) Published: 13 Dec 2024Fri 13 Dec 2024 at 6:00am Published: 13 Dec 2024Fri 13 Dec 2024 at 5:15am Published: 13 Dec 2024Fri 13 Dec 2024 at 5:40am Download the ABC listen app to text and call your favourite live radio Cumberland councillor tilting at federal seat held by Jason Clare shares thanks for ‘outpouring of community support’ Two school-age boys, one the son of a local councillor, were taken to hospital on Friday afternoon after an alleged hit-and-run incident in Auburn in western Sydney One of the children is the son of Ahmed Ouf a Cumberland councillor and an independent candidate for the federal seat of Blaxland a white Toyota Hilux entered the roundabout and struck the pair The driver of the Toyota Hilux did not stop after the collision.” anyone who witnessed the crash or has dashcam footage is asked to call Auburn Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000,” NSW police said A NSW ambulance spokesperson said the children were “hit by a car at low speed” The boys were transported to Westmead Children’s hospital for assessment A statement released by Ouf shortly before midnight on Friday said both boys had been discharged from hospital “I am very grateful for the outpouring of community support and concern have meant a lot to my family,” Ouf said is running as an independent in the safe Labor seat of Blaxland It has been held by Labor since it was formed and is now represented by the education minister Ouf’s candidacy has been backed by The Muslim Vote, a grassroots political movement developed in response to community anger at Labor’s handling of the war in Gaza “There’s lots of people from different faith groups and ethnicities and origins that live in Blaxland,” he told ABC Radio National in October “Amongst the issues that definitely were raised in the last year was Gaza.” By Eryk Bagshaw and Kayla Olaya transformative education leader and the first NSW MP to take his oath on a Quran has never seen an election campaign like this And it is being driven by sophisticated social media campaigns that have splintered communities forced Labor ministers out of mosques and littered streets with corflutes stained blood-red and the swing is on in safe seats held by Labor ministers.Credit: Monique Westermann “In the last 14 years of participating in elections I’ve never seen a campaign as dirty as this one,” says Dr Jamal Rifi a Muslim community leader in south-western Sydney The allegations are flying from both sides: claims of censorship and bullying Three cabinet ministers and potential future prime ministers have held this ground since before the global financial crisis: Tony Burke Their electorates and neighbouring Werriwa and Fowler cut like a pizza slice through south-west Sydney Labor operatives here believe the heartland seats of Blaxland and Watson could be hit with swings against Labor of more than 6 per cent as independents Ahmed Ouf and Ziad Basyouny mount teal-like challenges to incumbents Clare holds Blaxland on a margin of 13 per cent Burke holds Watson on a margin of 15 per cent “It is not panic stations,” says one senior Labor figure who asked not to be identified to speak freely “But I think there will be a lot of protest votes.” “I would expect all the western Sydney cabinet members to be returned but no one’s taking anything for granted.” Instead of pulling away in the polls as it has elsewhere, the government is increasingly relying on preferences flowing from voters who could never countenance putting the Liberals second. Opposition leader Peter Dutton’s history of targeting migrants from the Middle East in areas where the most common language spoken at home is Arabic Independent candidate for Blaxland Ahmed Ouf campaigns outside Blaxcell Street Public School in Granville.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer But Labor has not faced a threat like this in seats like these before – sophisticated independent campaigns run by former Labor members and volunteers using the momentum of a singular emotive issue: Palestine to mount an assault on its handling of the cost of living “I think it’s too late in some respects for the major parties to reverse that trend,” says the executive director for the Centre for Western Sydney “The drop-off in support [for the major parties] has been going on for decades 300 volunteers are transforming the electorate into the “Orange City” for Ouf’s campaign He spends each day handing out hundreds of orange balloons at school pick-ups Two hundred more are doing the same in turquoise for Basyouny in Watson next door From 6am to 9pm they hit the shops along the arteries that carve through these diverse electorates where weekly incomes are $200 below the state median housing and rental stress is 10 per cent higher than the rest of NSW and the parents of two-thirds of residents were born overseas but if you put a Labor photo on a donkey in Auburn they’ll still vote for the donkey because they’re so used to Labor.” The 49-year-old says it’s time to give someone else a go the secretary of the Lebanese Muslim Association says there has been “a seismic shift in the way we talk and relate to politicians” who have learnt that their vote is not taken as a fait accompli any more,” he says Basyouny and Ouf’s WhatsApp groups are filled with the children of migrants who once delivered election after election for Paul Keating Burke and Clare – all proud sons of western Sydney They have shed their parents’ war-born reluctance to challenge authority Now they are outraged by Labor’s moderate position on Gaza education and infrastructure outcomes that have seen them lag their peers in the east for all the 70 years that the party has held power in these areas “The best migrant is the infant Australian,” a 25-year-old Keating said in his maiden speech as the member for Blaxland in 1970 He urged parliament to consider “the enormous cost of bringing migrants to this country” By the time he left office as prime minister in 1996 the demographics of his electorate were unrecognisable: 40 per cent of residents were born overseas topics that still confound his successors to this day Paul Keating queues for afternoon tea with voters in Bankstown in 1993 “I would like to be able to describe my electorate as a scenic district “The suburbs within the Blaxland electorate would serve as some of the best examples of chaotic development that can be seen.” Clare despaired that Blaxland was “the mortgage stress capital of Australia” nearly 30 per cent of the electorate is still in mortgage stress financial fatigue has been driven by lower median weekly incomes and higher unemployment a Liberal supporter who will vote independent for the first time says business is down at his barbecue restaurant in Auburn by 50 per cent Marks says the teals won support in other parts of Sydney based on national issues such as integrity it’s very much about your ability to get to your job It’s things that are happening in your neighbourhood “This is where Labor has become a bit distracted.” Labor’s success at all three levels of government in this area may also be its Achilles’ heel The council election results from September are an ominous portent Labor was hit with a swing of 16.9 per cent In Canterbury-Bankstown and Liverpool it was more than 6 per cent Peri Kiratli will go into this election voting against Labor for the first time in her life she’ll be voting for Basyouny.Credit: Steven Siewert the Egyptian son of a Red Crescent surgeon away from supporting the party and towards his tilt at parliament went for a swim at a popular swimming hole in the Royal National Park When another swimmer jumped on Ibrahim from the cliff above it permanently severed the nerve between his spine and his shoulder But Ibrahim was determined to get back in the water It distracted him from the loss of his arm,” says Ouf a stroke that is hard enough with two arms “We couldn’t reach anyone in the council to help us fix the issue and save the club.” Ouf and his wife were forced to drive an hour each way to Blacktown to keep Ibrahim’s dream of making the Paralympics alive The experience lit a fire in Ouf. Through gridlock, he noticed the school playgrounds with holes in them (public schools in Paddington and Vaucluse received more taxpayer funding per student than some schools in Liverpool and Campbelltown last year) and home owners struggling to make ends meet Campaign signage for Independent candidate for Blaxland Ahmed Ouf.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer “The gap between those who are living in Blaxland and those who are living in the city is growing and nothing has been done to fix it,” he says 99 per cent of those who came here from Lebanon They want to build something for the kids.” Labor MPs point to the substantial investments in the region under their watch The fibro shacks that characterised the area have been replaced with new apartment blocks and the Sydney Metro is expanding to Bankstown But the major parties’ penchant for mixing the local and the national has meant that council and state-based problems are conflated with the responsibilities of the federal government we’ve seen both the prime minister and the opposition leader come out and promise upgrades to local connecting roads,” says Marks “I can’t think of another country in the world where the leader of the nation decides to dine out on an upgrade to a road and the opposition leader decides to pile in as well It’s just such small and narrow thinking about what is effectively the most dynamic fastest growing and exciting region in the country.” NSW Labor Minister Jihad Dib with Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke at the Lakemba Mosque in 2019 Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show that despite still lagging the eastern suburbs south-west Sydney is now wealthier than ever before “I think where the frustration might come from is there’s an expectation that so much more could happen,” says Dib The very services Labor says it has delivered have also seen residents rightly push for more as they become more educated and politically active “We are just reaching our first wave of political activation here in the west,” says Dr Mohamad Assoum a former Labor member of 17 years who is running Ouf and Basyouny’s campaigns after leaving the party over its position on the war in Gaza “There’s that feeling among some quarters that Labor could have done more the government could have done more … The general thing is: ‘Oh Labor supports a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine and voted in favour of enabling more Palestinian participation at the United Nations it reversed the Coalition’s decision to move the Australian embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem Burke was criticised by the Coalition last year for “rolling out the red carpet” to Palestinian migrants after he personally met with refugees to give them protection visas Ahmed Ouf campaigns at a butcher’s shop in Granville.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer nothing short of declaring Israel’s actions in Gaza a genocide will be enough “I just think they find [politicians] hypocritical,” says Kiratli You’re OK with Muslims being killed in Gaza Basyouny and Kheir all describe Gaza as “the straw that broke the camel’s back” is one of myriad new political organisations that have sprung up in response to the conflict Stand4Palestine, which has links to Hizb ut-Tahrir forced Burke and Clare to abandon plans to visit local mosques at the end of Ramadan after threats to their security the group celebrated when Liberal MP Jason Wood was booed out of a mosque in Dandenong after promising $6.5 million in funding to upgrade its facilities if the Coalition wins the election fuelling claims the opposition was attempting to buy votes on one of Islam’s holiest days “I don’t think they would ever do that at a church or a synagogue or a temple,” says Assoum who operates one of the state’s largest mosques in Lakemba says the decades-old model of political leaders making pitches to Muslim religious gatherings is dead “We used to do that because our fathers believed this was the way that you engage politicians,” he says “I think we’ve realised now that these places should be sacrosanct “The greatest thing that’s come out of this is not so much The Muslim Vote because I don’t think it will have a future But what’s come out of it is that there is a future for involvement and engagement in politics with the community.” Younger leaders view him as a member of the old guard of predominantly Lebanese leaders who have dominated local leadership positions since the Cronulla Riots Muslim community leader Dr Jamal Rifi.Credit: Steven Siewert “They are the generation that is exploiting the suffering of Gaza We are the generation that has always respected the suffering of Palestinians They have no idea about the division that they are causing in the community The campaigns have seen community leaders who attended an Iftar dinner with Labor MPs shamed on social media “It’s bullying,” says one senior Labor figure Defaced election posters of Tony Burke.Credit: Steven Siewert Ouf and Basyouny claim they have also been targeted by Labor supporters who have pulled down campaign materials and stopped them from campaigning outside schools and community events Ouf has funded his campaign by selling his $40,000 Toyota Kluger Ouf claims he was stopped by Cumberland Council officials from campaigning at the Nowruz festival in Merrylands to not only campaign but take the stage at the festival promoting him in a video that was later deleted from the council’s Facebook page Campaign signage for Education Minister and Member for Blaxland Jason Clare and independent candidate for Blaxland Ahmed Ouf in Granville.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer Cumberland Council said it was “disappointed” public displays had become political but did not comment on the claims that council officers denied Ouf entry to campaign at the festival Clare has been at the forefront of Labor’s national campaign as the party’s spokesman He and Burke did not respond to requests for comment on the local campaign this is my old hood,” Clare told ABC Radio Sydney in Liverpool on Tuesday in a segment dedicated to the issues in south-west Sydney But he used most of his airtime to spruik Labor’s national education and housing policies Donald Trump was mentioned more than Blaxland Clare’s opponents have taken to calling him “Casper Clare” “He turns up at an event as a friendly face then disappears like a ghost,” said one Ouf supporter Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Education Minister Jason Clare in Bankstown in 2023 Labor figures believe his street campaigning skills will see him prevail in the final two weeks of the campaign They are confident of holding McMahon and Werriwa while going on the offensive in Fowler with local Labor candidate Tu Le Independent Dai Le won the seat in 2022 in a campaign that Basyouny and Ouf have modelled theirs on The strategists are more worried about Burke Burke has a high profile as home affairs minister and has earned goodwill in the community a candidate who has been running a ground campaign since August The physician says the contrast between the political freedoms in Australia and the country he left two decades ago is not lost on him “If I decided to run against the minister of internal affairs in Egypt Ouf and Basyouny face a delicate balance of appealing to Muslim voters and the broader electorate Muslim Votes does not run either of their campaigns The two candidates say they are fiercely secular “The cost is that lots of parties will not preference me over Labor A volunteer for independent Ahmed Ouf carries a poster for the candidate in Merrylands Ouf announced on Wednesday he would preference Clare third he placed Courtney Nguyen for the Liberals Basyouny put Burke at six and the Liberals at seven from nine candidates with the Trumpet of Patriots ahead at No.4 When voters head to the ballot box on May 3 the calculation will be simple Will they be better served by cabinet ministers or by independents taking the fight to Labor for the first time “The ultimate frustration is to have a look at what everyone else has got “The difference being at the cabinet table is that you can see problems Basyouny says they have already achieved part of their goal “[We] had the minister who said he would change from the inside,” he says Making this a marginal seat means both sides of the political spectrum will give it attention.” Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter An earlier version of this story did not carry an attribution for the casualty figures in Gaza and quoted a February figure that came from the Gaza Government Office This has been updated with a more recent figure from Gaza’s Hamas-run Ministry for Health \\u201CIn the last 14 years of participating in elections I\\u2019ve never seen a campaign as dirty as this one,\\u201D says Dr Jamal Rifi \\u201CIt is not panic stations,\\u201D says one senior Labor figure who asked not to be identified to speak freely \\u201CBut I think there will be a lot of protest votes.\\u201D \\u201CI would expect all the western Sydney cabinet members to be returned but no one\\u2019s taking anything for granted.\\u201D Instead of pulling away in the polls as it has elsewhere the government is increasingly relying on preferences flowing from voters who could never countenance putting the Liberals second Opposition leader Peter Dutton\\u2019s in areas where the most common language spoken at home is Arabic But Labor has not faced a threat like this in seats like these before \\u2013 sophisticated \\u201CI think it\\u2019s too late in some respects for the major parties to reverse that trend,\\u201D says the executive director for the Centre for Western Sydney \\u201CThe drop-off in support [for the major parties] has been going on for decades It\\u2019s more accelerated in western Sydney 300 volunteers are transforming the electorate into the \\u201COrange City\\u201D for Ouf\\u2019s campaign that\\u2019s all we\\u2019ve been doing,\\u201D she said \\u201CI don\\u2019t mean to be disrespectful they\\u2019ll still vote for the donkey because they\\u2019re so used to Labor.\\u201D The 49-year-old says it\\u2019s time to give someone else a go Let\\u2019s see if they keep their promises.\\u201D says there has been \\u201Ca seismic shift in the way we talk and relate to politicians\\u201D \\u201CWe\\u2019re dealing with people like me who have learnt that their vote is not taken as a fait accompli any more,\\u201D he says Basyouny and Ouf\\u2019s WhatsApp groups are filled with the children of migrants who once delivered election after election for Paul Keating Burke and Clare \\u2013 all proud sons of western Sydney They have shed their parents\\u2019 war-born reluctance to challenge authority Now they are outraged by Labor\\u2019s moderate position on Gaza \\u201CThe best migrant is the infant Australian,\\u201D a 25-year-old Keating said in his maiden speech as the member for Blaxland in 1970 He urged parliament to consider \\u201Cthe enormous cost of bringing migrants to this country\\u201D \\u201CI would like to be able to describe my electorate as a scenic district \\u201CThe suburbs within the Blaxland electorate would serve as some of the best examples of chaotic development that can be seen.\\u201D Clare despaired that Blaxland was \\u201Cthe mortgage stress capital of Australia\\u201D \\u201CThis is the government\\u2019s fault,\\u201D he says it\\u2019s very much about your ability to get to your job It\\u2019s things that are happening in your neighbourhood rather than a national agenda,\\u201D he says \\u201CThis is where Labor has become a bit distracted.\\u201D Labor\\u2019s success at all three levels of government in this area may also be its Achilles\\u2019 heel nothing\\u2019s changing,\\u201D says Kiratli \\u201CHis brain can\\u2019t see his arm,\\u201D says Ouf It distracted him from the loss of his arm,\\u201D says Ouf they don\\u2019t value sports,\\u201D says Ouf \\u201CWe couldn\\u2019t reach anyone in the council to help us fix the issue and save the club.\\u201D Ouf and his wife were forced to drive an hour each way to Blacktown to keep Ibrahim\\u2019s dream of making the Paralympics alive he noticed the school playgrounds with holes in them (public schools in Paddington and Vaucluse in Liverpool and Campbelltown last year) \\u201CThe gap between those who are living in Blaxland and those who are living in the city is growing and nothing has been done to fix it,\\u201D he says It\\u2019s because they want to contribute They want to build something for the kids.\\u201D But the major parties\\u2019 penchant for mixing the local and the national has meant that council and state-based problems are conflated with the responsibilities of the federal government we\\u2019ve seen both the prime minister and the opposition leader come out and promise upgrades to local connecting roads,\\u201D says Marks \\u201CI can\\u2019t think of another country in the world where the leader of the nation decides to dine out on an upgrade to a road It\\u2019s just such small and narrow thinking about what is effectively the most dynamic fastest growing and exciting region in the country.\\u201D \\u201CI think where the frustration might come from is there\\u2019s an expectation that so much more could happen,\\u201D says Dib \\u201CWe are just reaching our first wave of political activation here in the west,\\u201D says Dr Mohamad Assoum a former Labor member of 17 years who is running Ouf and Basyouny\\u2019s campaigns after leaving the party over its position on the war in Gaza including former Labor senator Fatima Payman shows how perilous the conflict in the Middle East has become for Labor with members unable to reconcile the party\\u2019s position with their view on a war that has taken Palestinian lives according to Gaza\\u2019s Hamas-run health ministry The Israeli government and military says have been killed since then \\u201CThere is a level of tension,\\u201D says Dib \\u201CIt\\u2019s trauma on top of trauma.\\u201D \\u201CThere\\u2019s that feeling among some quarters that Labor could have done more the government could have done more \\u2026 The general thing is: \\u2018Oh but you know we\\u2019re just angry.\\u2019 \\u201D it reversed the Coalition\\u2019s decision to move the Australian embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem Burke was criticised by the Coalition last year for \\u201Crolling out the red carpet\\u201D to Palestinian migrants after he personally met with refugees to give them protection visas nothing short of declaring Israel\\u2019s actions in Gaza a genocide will be enough \\u201CI just think they find [politicians] hypocritical,\\u201D says Kiratli You\\u2019re OK with Muslims being killed in Gaza Basyouny and Kheir all describe Gaza as \\u201Cthe straw that broke the camel\\u2019s back\\u201D fuelling claims the opposition was attempting to buy votes on one of Islam\\u2019s holiest days \\u201CI don\\u2019t think they would ever do that at a church or a synagogue or a temple,\\u201D says Assoum who operates one of the state\\u2019s largest mosques in Lakemba \\u201CWe used to do that because our fathers believed this was the way that you engage politicians,\\u201D he says \\u201CI think we\\u2019ve realised now that these places should be sacrosanct \\u201CThe greatest thing that\\u2019s come out of this is not so much The Muslim Vote because I don\\u2019t think it will have a future But what\\u2019s come out of it is that there is a future for involvement and engagement in politics with the community.\\u201D It\\u2019s about maturity,\\u201D Rifi says \\u201CThey are the copy and paste generation We are the heavy builders\\u2019 generation \\u201CThey are the generation that is exploiting the suffering of Gaza \\u201CIt\\u2019s bullying,\\u201D says one senior Labor figure promoting him in a video that was later deleted from the council\\u2019s Facebook page \\u201CIt\\u2019s unacceptable,\\u201D says Ouf Cumberland Council said it was \\u201Cdisappointed\\u201D public displays had become political Clare has been at the forefront of Labor\\u2019s national campaign as the party\\u2019s spokesman this is my old hood,\\u201D Clare told ABC Radio Sydney in Liverpool on Tuesday in a segment dedicated to the issues in south-west Sydney But he used most of his airtime to spruik Labor\\u2019s national education and housing policies Clare\\u2019s opponents have taken to calling him \\u201CCasper Clare\\u201D \\u201CHe turns up at an event as a friendly face then disappears like a ghost,\\u201D said one Ouf supporter \\u201CIf I decided to run against the minister of internal affairs in Egypt I would be in prison,\\u201D Basyouny says \\u201CI would say I\\u2019m proudly endorsed by them \\u201CThe cost is that lots of parties will not preference me over Labor So this is an issue that I\\u2019m dealing with it\\u2019s a game of knowledge and history \\u201CThe ultimate frustration is to have a look at what everyone else has got \\u201CThe difference being at the cabinet table is that you can see problems \\u201C[We] had the minister who said he would change from the inside,\\u201D he says Making this a marginal seat means both sides of the political spectrum will give it attention.\\u201D This has been updated with a more recent figure from Gaza\\u2019s Hamas-run Ministry for Health Plans are underway for the much-anticipated revitalisation of Blaxland town centre with the release of the draft designs for the new Station Street Mall The grant-funded project is listed as a key action in Blue Mountains City Council’s Blaxland Masterplan and will deliver a reconfiguration of the existing pedestrian thoroughfare to create a new central town square for Blaxland Mark Greenhill said the designs had been developed with input from the local community “The Blaxland Masterplan guides renewal of the town centre and identifies the steps that must be undertaken to achieve the community’s vision and the delivery of a new Station Street Mall is a critical part of this work,” said the Mayor “The designs reflect the community’s vision for an accessible and vibrant green social space in the heart of Blaxland town centre.” Council will be holding an information stall in the town centre on Saturday 12 April to discuss the planned upgrades and to share the designs with the community The Blaxland Masterplan was adopted by Council in February 2024 and Council has begun early consultation with landholders within the town centre as well as state agencies such as Transport for NSW The Council says collaboration with private landholders is essential to establish the approach to design and realise outcomes identified in the plan and consultation will continue in coming months Planning analysis has also progressed to support a future amendment to the Blue Mountains LEP 2015 which will help deliver public benefits through a change to certain local controls Any future amendment would be subject to public consultation and feedback would be sought from the community Council was awarded funding via the NSW Government’s Western Sydney Infrastructure Grants program to deliver the improvements at Blaxland This is in addition to funding for improvements at Katoomba For further information visit: bmcc.nsw.gov.au/blaxland-town-centre-upgrade To view the draft designs visit yoursay.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/blaxland-town-centre-upgrade Information and Events for Local Councils throughout Australia Contact us: newsdesk@insidelocalgovernment.com.au which will be returned to the two Glenbrook nurseries Picture Blue Mountains PolicePolice arrested a 39-year-old man in Blaxland on April 23 He was charged with six offences; two counts of break and three counts of goods in custody unlawfully obtained Police allege six historic bonsai plants valued at approximately $30,000 were stolen from Glenbrook Native Plant Reserve and Nursery between March 22 and 23 police allege 15 plants valued at $2400 were stolen from Glenbrook Village Nursery overnight on April 7 Police have seized the recovered plants with support from Blue Mountains City Council The plants will be returned to both Glenbrook Native Plant Reserve and Nursery and Glenbrook Village Nursery The Blaxland man was refused bail and is due to appear before Penrith Court on Thursday says local election success means he can take Blaxland from Jason Clare “Labor didn’t believe I could get on to the council but I proved them wrong,” he says. “And we are confident we will to do it again. I’m not here to shake a narrative, or to swing a seat, I believe I can win. “You need someone with an accent in Canberra. You need someone with dark skin, an immigrant, someone from a minority, who is independent and can speak freely, in Canberra, representing this area.” Read moreOuf is the second independent to declare candidacy for a Labor seat in western Sydney after Dr Ziad Basyouny announced he would challenge Tony Burke for Watson held by the party since its inception in 1949 and most famously represented by the former prime minister Paul Keating from 1969 to 1996 historically working-class suburbs which now have large migrant communitiesincluding Lebanese has held the seat since 2007 and won nearly 65% of the vote in 2022 but Ouf believes it’s the kind of seat Labor is going to lose soon “Labor’s time in western Sydney has run out. And if they can’t see it, they are delusional.” Ouf, a 45-year-old pharmacist and immigrant from Egypt, decided to run for council as an independent after finding no local swimming facilities for his disabled son. He says the local area lacks the amenities its residents need, a sentiment he claims is echoed by the many customers at his pharmacy, which is in the heart of Auburn. And he says there is enough anger with Clare that an independent could defeat him. “They would tell me they didn’t know their local members or councillors, and that we needed so much help. Our unemployment rate is sky high, our young people have no support, and the cost of living bites here more than anywhere else. Read more“This area has not grown in the past 10 years His confidence comes from his success in the council elections where he attracted more votes than Labor in the South Granville ward He says he has built a team of “local community experts” who helped propel him over the line alongside a base of more than 180 volunteers “We are well prepared for the next election we already have a team and system in place Free newsletterGet the most important news as it breaks Ouf says his victory in the council election was built on “door-knocking and grassroots engagement” We have a well-oiled machine and it is ready to go again.” His challenge comes as Labor faces increasing pressure in similar seats amid frustration at its response to the war in Gaza Ouf says the Middle East conflict was a personal “turning point” but is just one part of his “multi-issue” campaign which also includes the cost of living “Palestine is just one of maybe 10 triggers for the local community here There is frustration and anger at this but it won’t win the election alone The Muslim Vote, a grassroots organisation aiming to topple Labor ministers was approached by Guardian Australia for comment and says it welcomes Ouf’s candidacy says Ouf’s success at council level makes him “definitely someone to watch” and shows he has a winning election machine “Just having a machine of supporters is something you can build on and he does seem to be the right kind of candidate to challenge for Blaxland,” Raue says a federal seat is much bigger than a council ward … there’s a moment right now where Labor is a bit vulnerable say it’s like Blaxland or Watson are the ones worth watching.” inviting remote workers looking to escape the isolation of their desks at home Lydia Bradshaw at a desk in the newly opened Pixel Blue Coworking and Events space Picture by Tom WalkerGlenbrook resident Lydia Bradshaw said the idea came in part from personal experience having moved to the Blue Mountains to continue her UX UI design work in a quieter setting "A lot of people in this area moved up from Sydney during COVID and have full-time remote working jobs but we don't really have a tech hub here," she said because there are so many opportunities in Sydney but people don't want to have to go all the way to Sydney." is planned to be a not-for-profit space for remote workers to connect "I think it's a common theme that we all get more work done when we're in this space - if we're focusing and not socialising We can create that sense of accountability and not get distracted by dogs and cooking," Ms Bradshaw said Ms Bradshaw is also part of the casual co-working group started last year by Julian Treweeke one of several existing members looking forward to the space's future "I really foresee cool collaborations coming out of this," Mr Treweeke said Pixel Blue Coworking and Events officially kicked things off with an inaugural Technology and Remote Working Meetup on January 31 The space is located at 2-4 Station Street Mackenzie Blake.It's the safety barrier Tracy Blake campaigned for but will never see Work is set to start on the first section of a pedestrian barrier on the Great Western Highway at Blaxland where Ms Blake's daughter Mackenzie was killed in 2021 when she was hit by a truck while walking on the footpath beside the highway Ms Blake has welcomed the start of the work even though she will never see the new safety measures as she finds it too traumatic to drive past the scene of her daughter's death The Winmalee resident instead uses an alternative route via Old Bathurst Road when she is travelling down the Mountains from her home Ms Blake said she cried when she was notified of the imminent start date describing the development as "bitter sweet" "It's a relief to know it's going in but it should have been there when they upgraded the highway [more than 20 years ago] I should never have had to advocate for it," she said A spokesperson for Transport for NSW said construction on 280 metres of fencing will start "in coming weeks" following initial works that included substantial vegetation removal from the railway and road corridors "The barrier will be constructed from steel sections welded together The footpath will also be widened as part of the safety upgrade," said the spokesperson The work is expected to take about a month to complete with the NSW government due to provide more details to the community ahead of the start date Mr Minns saw first-hand the traffic conditions at the section of highway where Ms Blake died during his visit to the electorate The Labor Party said the barrier would be built in two parts with a section between Coughlan Road and Hope Street along the westbound side of the highway to follow the section closer to the station Ms Blake said she was looking forward to hearing details on a start date for the remainder of the barrier The driver responsible for Mackenzie's death was jailed for nine years in December 2023. We care about the protection of your data. Read our Privacy Policy. Information about working in or operating early childhood education services including outside school hours care. Plus, information for parents including how to choose a service and supporting your child for their transition to school. Access info for students, parents and carers including: calendars, school operational status, key initiatives, visitor check-in procedures, and translated documents. Skills NSW helps post high school students find courses in vocational training across a wide variety of industries and course providers. The NSW Department of Education is committed to employing the best and brightest teachers who can teach and make a difference in NSW public schools. NSW Department of Education's information on curriculum taught in NSW schools, Aboriginal education and communities & personalised support. Learn about the NSW education department, who we are and how we operate. Explore our people, accountabilities, jobs, opportunities and much more. Former Blaxland High School student Noemie Fox has emulated her older sister Jess to win gold at the Paris Olympics. Noemie Fox has taken gold in the Kayak Cross, making history as the first gold medallist in the discipline’s debut at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The win was made all the more special as Noemie joined her sister, Jess, for a clean sweep of the women's canoe slalom events in Paris. Between them, the two Blaxland High School alumni claimed gold across all three of the women’s events on the whitewater. Principal Emma Le Marquand said Blaxland High staff and students alike were overjoyed to witness Jess and Noemie both win gold medals. “You’ll be hard pressed to find a school with more pride for their alumni than us here at Blaxland High,” Ms Le Marquand said. “To have not one but two inspirational women achieve gold medals is incredibly inspiring for our young people. It’s proof that with hard work and dedication, anything is possible. “We are having a great time celebrating at school, and we are just so proud of Jess and Noemie." Both Jess and Noemie attended Leonay Public School and Blaxland High School, where they balanced demanding training schedules with their studies. For Noemie, the support of her teachers and peers was pivotal to her sporting success. “So lucky to have had the best public primary and high school experience, teachers and friends," she said. “My schools always supported sport and all the overseas travel involved." We recognise the Ongoing Custodians of the lands and waterways where we work and live. We pay respect to Elders past and present as ongoing teachers of knowledge, songlines and stories. We strive to ensure every Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander learner in NSW achieves their potential through education. Olympic canoeist Jess Fox and sister Noemie are set for success in Paris, and no one is more excited than their old school community at Blaxland High. Olivia Grey reports. Olympic canoeist Jess Fox and sister Noemie are set for success in Paris, and no one is more excited than their old school community at Blaxland High. Olivia Grey reports on ‘Fox Day’ at Blaxland High. When both Jess and Noemie Fox qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics, the excitement felt by staff, students and the entire Blaxland High School community was palpable. To mark the occasion and show their support for the canoeing superstar alumni, the school celebrated ‘Fox Day’ – the ultimate party with costumes, cheerleading, a morning tea and even dressed up therapy dogs. Every opportunity to incorporate the ‘Fox’ theme was taken – from classroom decorations to the school bell for the day being 2013 earworm ‘The Fox’. The entire school was abuzz, ready to watch Blaxland’s golden girls in Paris. Principal Emma La Marquand said Fox Day was an excellent celebration of the slalom sisters, as well as all the spectacular students currently attending Blaxland High. “When you’re a teacher or principal, or anyone who works in a school, you are in awe of how incredible young people are,” Ms La Marquand said. “The reason we wanted to have Fox Day is, of course, to cheer on our amazing past students Jess and Noemie, but it’s also an opportunity to display how incredible our young people are, their incredible commitment and their ability to manage heavy workloads, all with a smile,” “Blaxland High School is an excellent example of the power of public education. Our students and their skills really reflect the diversity of the community - from sports superstars to academic whizzes, talented musicians and just generally good people. I’m always endlessly impressed by them,” she said. Gearing up to compete in her fourth Olympics, Jess has also been named as one of Australia’s flag bearers. For students at Blaxland High, she serves as the ultimate inspiration, not only for her sporting achievements, but for those out of the water too. Graduating in 2011, Jess was named Dux of Blaxland High and came first in the state in PDHPE. Not bad for someone juggling multiple trips overseas to compete and a demanding training schedule while studying. Mr Greg Wallace worked at Blaxland High for 30 years, heading up the PDHPE department, and recalls Jess not only being a talented student academically and in her sporting endeavours, but she was also a humble character. “Seeing both the girls not only do so well themselves, but to be so humble and supportive of those around them is amazing,” Mr Wallace said. “They serve as excellent role models for the current students. It’s remarkable to have such talented alumni to inspire the kids,” he said. Jess and Noemie aren’t alone in their sporting success at Blaxland. For Year 10 student Deanna Drake, an elite diver in the 2028 Olympics development squad, having such high-profile sporting superstars attend the same school as her has been a wonderful motivator. “We are having so much fun cheering on Jess and Noemie for Fox Day. Their participation in the Olympics really shows all of us that anything is possible when it comes to achievement in elite sport,” Deanna said. “We are really lucky here – the school is so supportive of our goals and genuinely want to see us do our best.” Dressed in her Australian cheerleading uniform, Year 9 student Chelsea Brown recently returned from the USA where she represented the country in the World Cheerleading Championships. For Chelsea, having such aspirational alumni encourages her in her elite sporting journey. “It’s so inspiring to have Jess and Noemie to look up to,” Chelsea said. “Blaxland High shows each and every student so much support and encouragement, no matter what they aim for. They just want to see us succeed. I’m really proud to go to school here,” she said. From the Blue Mountains and beyond, everyone at NSW Education will be cheering on the Fox sisters these Olympic games. Go Team Fox! Play Duration: 3 minutes 51 seconds3m 51sBrought to you by Olympic canoeist Jess Fox is one of the flag bearers in the Opening Ceremony. She'll be guiding the Aussie team down the River Seine in Paris. And her old school — Blaxland High in the Blue Mountains is throwing a party today to celebrate. Craig speaks to School Principal Emma Le Marquand. JESS FOX is one of the flag bearers, who will be guiding the Aussie team down the River Seine in Paris. And her old school — BLAXLAND HIGH in the BLUE MOUNTAINS — is throwing a party today to celebrate. Here to tell us more is EMMA LE MARQUAND, the principal of Blaxland High. Blaxland High School students celebrate Fox Day to honour Olympic Flag Bearer Jess Fox who(Supplied: NSW Department of Education) (22 November – I’ve been through and finalised the split and merged SA1s to produce my final version of the margins They have been incorporated into the table inside the post.) (UPDATE – the final boundaries have been released confirming the abolition of North Sydney There are some very minor changes of at most 0.1% and these have been updated in the table.) (UPDATE – Friday 13 September – a discrepancy where the new electorate file coded Mcmahon rather than McMahon caused an error in my calculations The significant changes are that Blaxland drops back from 13.9% to 13.1% while the new margin for McMahon is now 10.5% as opposed to the original estimate of 13.1% There is also a minor adjustment for Fowler the Redistribution Committee for New South Wales released the final version of the state’s new Federal electoral boundaries Draft boundaries were released in June and opened for public comment This final version will be formally gazetted later this month and used for the first time at next year’s Federal election The redistribution has taken place to decrease the number of NSW federal divisions from 47 to 46 The final boundaries have confirmed the abolition of the Independent held seat of North Sydney The draft boundaries were released when I was overseas so this post is my first analysis of the draft boundaries Today’s release includes a string small number of minor adjustments to the draft boundaries none of which alter the analysis in this post I will make minor adjustments to this post once the AEC publishes the datafiles required for calculations Re-calculating margins is a complex task of processing AEC polling place data files on where people voted in 2022 and comparing them with Bureau of Statistics files listing the low level SA1 (Statistical Area 1) composition of new electorates Complicating the process is a re-numbering of many SA1s between the 2016 and 2021 Censuses The 2022 AEC files used the old SA1 identifiers and the new electorate files use the new SA1 identifier This has required a lot of fiddling with data to resolve inconsistencies between SA1 identifiers Not all of the SA1 inconsistencies could be resolved but I do not believe they significantly affect any calculations The AEC will release its own versions of new margins next year as the election approaches The AEC has many more resources to resolve SA1 inconsistencies and splits than are available to me Based on traditional two-party preferred results including for the underlying Labor-Coalition nature of Independent held seats the changes in two-party preferred holdings are – The changes are brought about by the abolition of Independent-held North Sydney a flow on impact of which is to flip neighbouring Bennelong from being a marginal Labor seat to as very marginal Liberal seat The three-way carve up of North Sydney along council boundaries is shown in the map below The main political implications of the changes are – The new margin estimates in this post have not taken into account the adjustments included in the final boundaries the list of adjustments released seem unlikely to change the estimated margins below The abolition of North Sydney pulls Bennelong eastward In the west it loses Ermington and Carlingford to Parramatta and Epping to Berowra Into the electorate come the Hunters Hill and Lane Cove Councils Bennelong is transformed from a 1% marginal Labor seat to a 0.1% marginal Liberal seat The eastern end of Bennelong now aligns closely with the Bennelong first won by John Howard at the 1974 election Every redistribution since 1974 has shifted Bennelong further west and it has taken the abolition of North Sydney to reverse that trend Liberal MP Paul Fletcher faced a significant Independent challenge in 2022 that reduced his margin to just 4.2% versus an Independent losing areas closer to Hornsby and picking up parts of the abolished seat of North Sydney has already announced she will contest Bradfield at the next election It is unclear whether North Sydney MP Kylea Tink will also contest Bradfield with the abolition of her seat Loses the Balmain peninsula north of the City West Link to Sydney Gains areas south of Marrickville Road from Barton as the seat’s boundary returns to its traditional alignment along the Cooks River Greenway loses Labor voting suburbs south of the western rail line and Abbott Road to McMahon and Parramatta Extends north of Windsor Road into Liberal voting territory around Rouse Hill and Box Hill These change combine to reduce Greenway’s margin from 11.5% to an estimated 8.1% shedding almost of all of its rural areas along the Hume Highway north of the ACT to Eden-Monaro and Riverina It is now based on Camden in Sydney’s outer south-west fringe along with western parts of Liverpool Council and semi-rural Wollondilly Shire to the south Geographically the changes are massive but the Liberal margin declines only marginally Remains centred on the Parramatta CBD but undergoes a myriad of boundary changes along the seat’s edges Labor’s position is weakened by the loss of Labor voting suburbs south of the M4 and the addition of areas in the east from Berowra and Bennelong Also gains Girraween in the west from Greenway Forbes and Bland shires have been transferred to the nelectorate of Parkes Areas west of the ACT from Yass to the Victorian border are transferred from Eden-Monaro Rural parts of Hume are also added in the east Forestville and North Curl Curl to Mackellar Gains the rest of North Sydney Council in the west with the abolition of the seat of North Sydney Independent Allegra Spender’s position in Wentworth is significantly strengthened Wentworth is a traditional Liberal seat but is surrounded by Labor voting territory By expanding into neighbouring Sydney and Kingsford Smith Wentworth’s underlying Liberal 2-party preferred margin declines from 5.9% to 1.2% Estimating a new Independent margin for the areas added to the seat is difficult but a best estimate is that the addition of areas with weaker Liberal support boosts the Independent margin from 4.2% to 6.6% Loses areas north and east of Lake Illawarra to Cunningham Pushes further west into the southern highlands gaining the rest of Wingecarribee Shire from Hume Neve | Powered by WordPress Play Duration: 5 minutes 47 seconds5m Brought to you by Did you stay up and watch Jess Fox win another gold medal at the Paris Olympics?  She's now become the most decorated canoe slalom athlete in Olympic history and also the most successful individual medallist in Australian Olympic history. While the whole of Australia has been cheering Jess on, some of her loudest supporters are her old school mates, who studied with her at Blaxland High School in the Blue Mountains.  Hamish Macdonald spoke with Rebekah Burns about the tears, the laughter and the sweaty hugs.  The Blaxland High 'study buddies'. (Rebekah Burns) Australian National University provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU US President Donald Trump appears to have abruptly upended America’s most trusted alliances with European countries since taking office just two months ago These tough tactics have had some results. European countries have committed to spending beyond 2% And his drastic positions on Ukraine have suddenly been reversed The horsetrading over what this means for NATO isn’t over yet but Trump’s resourcefulness in this second term should not be underestimated A top Pentagon official is now calling on Australia to similarly increase its defence spending from 2% to 3% of GDP make Canberra worry about his commitment to the broader US-Australia alliance Emotional reactions over Trump should be avoided There’s no real reason to fear a potential alliance abandonment The US and Australia have plenty of compelling enduring and overlapping interests that make a Trump about-face unlikely Others have declared “the special friendship is over” and called for a drastically more independent Australian foreign and defence policy Turnbull is arguably trying to shame Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton into following his lead and challenging Trump more forcefully But how would that help with a man who evidently revels in escalating tensions There is a clear need to put emotional reactions to the side and weigh Australia’s national interests dispassionately Australia is heavily invested in the United States for its security and wellbeing. The AUKUS agreement alone will see Australia spending A$368 billion in the coming decades on nuclear-powered submarines Australia is also hugely invested in American defence technology across the sea, air, land, space and cyber domains. Overall, Australia has invested over A$1 trillion in the US – by far its largest destination for overseas investment Australia already hosts shared intelligence facilities at Pine Gap, US Marine Corps facilities in Darwin and shared submarine facilities near Perth. Jointly funded upgrades of the Tindal air base will soon accommodate American B-52 bombers Washington is also heavily invested in Australia. The US is the biggest foreign direct investor in Australia by a country mile – and also enjoys a trade surplus with Australia Australia does need to increase its defence spending Australia’s boutique force, structured as it was for the unipolar moment, when the world was dominated by one power (its ally, the US), is no longer fit for purpose. It needs to muscle up, and quickly. A scheme for national and community service would help Indeed, what most critics are calling for reflects many of the arguments made in the Australian Foreign Policy White Paper of 2017, written when Trump last came to office. I describe this as Australia’s “Plan B” but looked to mitigate the risks associated with a more transactional and less predictable US leadership More can be done, though. Australia should also look to bolster its diplomatic, security and economic cooperation with regional partners in Southeast Asia and the Pacific As part of this, Australia should avoid cutting its aid to the region and offer better options to Pacific partners – what I have called a “grand compact” with Pacific Island states In addition, more security and development cooperation is needed with nations further afield, such as Japan, India and South Korea We should avoid making upfront commitments to a land war in Asia or Europe, though. We have only recently recovered from the setback in regional defence relations from the distraction of the distant, US-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq We need to muscle up, yes. But let’s not think we can make much of a difference on the ground as part of a peacekeeping force for Ukraine It’s best to support Ukraine with resources from afar and remain focused on bolstering regional ties Pundits are also questioning whether the US can still be counted on in regional long-term defence and security planning I contend we are in danger of overreacting to the early moves of a presidency in a hurry to make significant changes We also should recognise the limits of Australian power authority and reach when it comes to influencing US behaviour We have tended to be a middle power without large-power pretensions We no doubt can do more to stand up for ourselves but let’s not get ahead of ourselves in terms of what this means for the relationship with Washington Trump evidently sees the world as “multipolar” meaning a world dominated by several powers While Trump advances such an approach to international relations it is important to remember how invested the US and Australia are in one another constitutional and broadly still liberal democracy We still talk about “shared values” because of these persistent overlaps And these overlaps have driven the alignment of these two countries’ priorities for generations In Trump’s new, transactional and multipolar world view, the US needs Australia more than it needs Europe. (Though, it should be noted, despite Trump’s tough words for Europe, the US still has more than 100,000 US military personnel there.) Over the longer term, Australia’s unique geography and shared history mean it matters in the great game of containing its main competitor, China, from dominating East Asia and the Pacific This is an enduring American interest and a longstanding Australian concern The deterrent effect from this solidarity remains the best bet to help prevent the outbreak of another war in the Pacific Correction: This piece has been amended to say Australia has invested over A$1 trillion in the US overall A ramshackle old house in one of Brisbane’s most popular suburbs could earn the right buyer more than $1 million With its rusted red roof and weather-worn exterior, 23 Chermside Street, Grange sticks out like a sore thumb amongst the quality homes on the street most which have been painted crisp white and upgraded with solar panels The tired Queenslander has certainly seen better days and the listing pulls no punches when describing its dilapidated condition Most of the paint has worn off the exterior and the weatherboards look “The best way to describe this property is structurally concerning uninhabitable and possibly unsalvageable,” the listing states The home not only has “severe structural defects” but also “historic and possibly current termite activity” Photos of the property show that the front steps are on the verge of collapsing with what appears to be a young jacaranda tree growing from underneath this old clanger has an ace up its sleeve – it straddles two 405sqm lots making it a prime redevelopment opportunity allowing two new homes to be constructed on the block two brand new homes in this location can be exceptionally lucrative,” the listing states Selling agent Cayle Blaxland of McGrath Wilston said nobody had lived in the long-held property this century apart from a family of possums that had taken up residence inside the house “It's been in the family since the 60s and the owners haven’t occupied the property for quite some time,” he said “It’s been in this particular state for a few decades.” The home could also be renovated by anyone brave enough to tackle the tumbledown home Mr Blaxland said the land represented most of the property's value and large blocks of about 800sqm in the inner north suburb that were ripe for redevelopment were “few and far between” “This property is really only one of maybe a dozen opportunities throughout the whole suburb that would still present itself to be renovated or redeveloped.” “Most of the properties have already been capitalised on.” An equivalent sized property nearby with a similar two-lot configuration but a much more habitable house sold in May last year for $2.35 million, while another house on an 810sqm block with a 20-metre frontage sold in late 2023 for $1.75 million Is that a jacaranda growing under the front steps The median house price in Grange in the past 12 months was $1.7 million – up almost 14% compared to a year ago Mr Blaxland said a newly built home on one of the property’s 405sqm lots could conservatively be valued in the high-$2 million range depending on the size and quality of build given planning approval and construction could take up to 18 months finished properties could be worth even more by then This brand new house just a few streets away demonstrates what could potentially be built on one of the lots – it recently sold for $2.65 million A five-bedroom newly built house on a 405sqm block on Wilston Road in Grange sold for $2.65 million late last year, while a brand new house on a slightly larger 422sqm block on Evelyn Street recently sold for $3 million Constructing a brand new 350sqm house in Grange would typically cost anywhere from $4000 and $5000 per square metre meaning a house of that size would potentially cost $1.4 million to $1.7 million to build While the size of the relatively flat block and the rundown nature of the house makes it a prime candidate for subdivision the property still has the potential to be fully transformed into a luxury family residence This fully renovated five-bedroom house on 810sqm of land recently sold for $4.55 million “There's a strong argument for someone to try and turn this into a nice family home and retain the full 800sqm block.” He cited the example of a fully-renovated Queenslander on a 805sqm block around the corner that recently sold for $4.55 million – a result he said was becoming "the new normal" in Grange Another fully-renovated house that sold for $5.1 million in mid-2024 currently holds the price record for an 810sqm block in Grange This renovated house on an equivalent-sized block sold for $5.1 million a buyer who redevelops or renovates the property could potentially walk away with a profit of more than $1 million the end value of the development and the price paid for the property 23 Chermside Street is for sale by offers with a deadline closing March 31 third parties have written and supplied the content and we are not responsible for it completeness or reliability of the 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All articles from our website & appThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxInteractive Crosswords Sudoku and TriviaAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueCritics should "take a valium" and see how it plays out now running the North American office of the Australian National University "He's playing games to get what he thinks is a better deal," Professor Blaxland said of President Trump Professor Blaxland thought the recent criticism of the American president by Australia's former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull was unhelpful "He likes being on television too much," the professor said and former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull Rohan ThomsonAs the ANU's professor of international security and intelligence studies Dr Blaxland is widely recognised as one of the authorities on Australia's foreign relations Before academia, he was an intelligence officer in the Australian military. He wrote much of the official history of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation. He is thought to be well-versed in ASIO's thinking and ways He is dismissive of the idea that Mr Trump's "pivot towards Moscow" will lead to a breaking of the relationship between Canberra and Washington Australia shares intelligence with the United States and he thinks that this sharing will continue done on a day-to-day basis by intelligence officers "The intelligence contacts happen at a working level way below his (Mr Trump's) radar scope," Professor Blaxland said He is not certain that the daily disruption caused by President Trump's "whirlwind" will work out well for Australia but he believes that the current "catastrophising" is way overdone I believe the clouds are dark and maybe we are going to get some rain He's playing a game to get what he thinks is a better deal We have seen a whirlwind over the last six weeks but the dust hasn't settled yet." Professor Blaxland was dismissive of former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull's recent observation that the world was now witnessing a "much more undiluted Donald Trump the second time around" with the result that China would take advantage of Mr Trump's behaviour by being friendly with countries deserted by the US Picture by Dion Georgopoulos"It's got a huge negative blowback with a punch in the other direction," Professor Blaxland said of Mr Turnbull and other's comments "We need to step back from a reflexive emotional reaction Let the dust settle and hope that we remain as well positioned as we can be to make sure our position is protected," he said Australia was not Canada We were "cousins" who had much in common but who didn't necessarily know each other that well "We don't have a trade deficit with the US And he thought that Canada's prime minister (and soon-to-be former prime minister) Justin Trudeau had put his country in America's cross-hairs There is the joint Australian-United States satellite communications installation at Pine Gap near Alice Springs; the RAAF Tindal base is also used by American bombers; HMAS Stirling in Western Australia would be crucial in any conflict with China (as the submarine base was in the conflict with Japan) "There is a massive number of sinews connecting Australia to the US," Professor Blaxland said economic and in simple human terms like the numbers of Australians who visit America Professor Blaxland was not certain that things would work out well but nor was he sure that they wouldn't He thought that Mr Trump was being "too cavalier" in a "very high stakes game" But he thought the two countries had been through too much together Steve Evans is a reporter on The Canberra Times. He's been a BBC correspondent in New York, London, Berlin and Seoul and the sole reporter/photographer/paper deliverer on The Glen Innes Examiner in country New South Wales. "All the jobs have been fascinating - and so it continues." Today's top stories curated by our news team Don't miss updates on news about the Public Service Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters Your exclusive preview of David Pope's latest cartoon Join our weekly poll for Canberra Times readers We've selected the best reading for your weekend Get the latest property and development news here tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert Your digital replica of Today's Paper Test your skills with interactive crosswords In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast host Steve Kuper speaks with Professor John Blaxland about Australia’s growing need for a national security strategy If you check the box above before you log in you won’t have to log back into the website next time you return even if you close your browser and come back later Enjoy the podcast,The Defence Connect team Listen to previous episodes of the Defence Connect podcast: "Henry is definitely a go-to person for protest-related matters." "Henry is a leading KC in appeals works and highly respected by the senior judiciary." “Henry is a highly polished performer and one of the leading barristers in his field." calm and has the ear of the court as well as the utter trust of both the lay client and the solicitor." “He is an excellent barrister with immense attention to detail "A class act who is great to work with and brings real gravitas to cases is a very good advocate and has a nice and gentle manner." "Henry is a consummate advocate at the top of his game The fluency and easy charm of his advocacy style makes everything he does look effortless and yet is very effective." "His advocacy is of course second to none; he commands the confidence of the Court and his manner with witnesses is equally firm and sympathetic His manner instils confidence in the client." Henry is ranked as Star Individual in Chambers and Partners Crime and as a Leading Silk in the Legal 500 He won Crime Silk of the Year at the Legal 500 Awards 2019 and was shortlisted for Crime Silk of the Year at Chambers UK Bar Awards 2017 Henry was featured as Times Lawyer of the Week in 2021 Henry has practised in criminal defence work for his entire career at the Bar He has appeared in many high-profile homicide trials at the Old Bailey His principal areas of work now comprise fraud and terrorist cases with an international dimension He is widely known for his appellate practice acting in cases referred to the Court of Appeal by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) He also appears for appellants in extradition cases Over the years Henry has acted for defendants charged with murder His work also covers the entire gamut of criminal defence He successfully represented the principal of a therapeutic community for disturbed children in a five-month trial at Bristol Crown Court and appeared for a defendant charged with conspiracy to rape and murder based entirely on the content of internet chat-room discussions (R v Hedgcock) He succeeded in getting the indictment against the DJ Jonathan King for historic sexual offences stayed as an abuse of process charged with funding terrorism by sending money to his son in Syria He has been instructed in a number of high-profile terrorism cases whose case was heard in secret and for John Downey charged with involvement in the Hyde Park bomb in 1982 a medical doctor accused of the kidnap of two journalists for a terrorist purpose in Syria alleged to be one of the masterminds behind the transatlantic airline plot one of only three people prosecuted for involvement in the 7 July London tube bombing Past notable cases can be viewed below. Click here to see a list of recent notable cases Henry is ranked for Financial Crime in Chambers and Partners 2018 He has developed a specialism in serious fraud and money laundering cases who was acquitted of conspiracy to defraud arising from the allegations of fixing the Libor rates He has appeared in cases in which accountants and solicitors have been prosecuted He defended a solicitor accused of conspiracy to defraud arising from the coal mining business in South Wales in which the co-defendants included a leading insolvency QC two partners in a solicitors firm and two company directors The judge dismissed the charges following complex legal submissions Henry has also represented a solicitor charged with involvement in the attempted fraudulent take-over of Sheffield United Football Club He has appeared in large scale VAT carousel fraud cases including Operation Emersed (in which he represented the principal defendant) and Operation Euripus He successfully argued against a claim for a £5m confiscation order (R v Bhabdeep Chahal) both at first instance and on the prosecutor’s unsuccessful appeal A significant part of Henry’s practice has involved representing appellants in cases referred to the Court of Appeal by the CCRC He has been instructed in some of the most celebrated miscarriage of justice cases in the last 20 years He has an almost unrivalled experience of this type of work and has been centrally involved in the development of the Court of Appeal’s jurisprudence He has appeared in two of the leading cases concerning the court’s approach to the prosecution of victims of human trafficking the young Pakistani fast bowler accused of involvement in match fixing He has always concentrated on civil liberties and human rights work In the 1980s and 1990s he represented defendants in major criminal trials arising from the miners’ strike the protest against the Poll Tax and the riot at Campsfield House immigration detention centre In 2010 he was involved in the much publicised successful defence of political activists charged with causing £180,000 worth of damage to an arms factory at the time of the Israeli invasion of Gaza He has appeared for appellants in the Privy Council facing the death penalty He represented a witness appearing before the Bloody Sunday tribunal Henry also practises in extradition and has appeared in the Divisional Court for appellants resisting their extradition to the USA and to Albania B and G [2011] 1 Cr.App.R 12: Leading case on abuse of process in context of human trafficking Henry frequently represents children and young people charged with serious criminal offences at trial In his appellate practice he has been at the forefront of the development of the law regarding the non-prosecution of victims of trafficking He appeared for the applicant Joseph McGill in the appeal of Grant-Murray & Ors [2017] EWCA Crim 1228 which concerned the trial protections for young defendants and the compatibility of the mandatory sentence of detention at her Majesty’s Pleasure with Articles 3 and 5 ECHR as well as the application of the joint enterprise principle in respect of young defendants This year marks 50 years of Garden Court Chambers winning ground-breaking cases of constitutional importance of the Garden Court Chambers Criminal Defence Team to resolve a matter of statutory construction and an apparent conflict in case law of the Garden Court Chambers Protest Rights and Criminal Defence teams instructed by Lydia Dagostino of Kellys Solicitors acted for Saliah Mehmet and Basil Peterkin Six defendants protesting against government inaction about climate change have been found not guilty by a jury who found that a conviction would not be a proportionate interference with their right to protest The Appellants were represented by Henry Blaxland QC and Owen Greenhall both members of the Garden Court Chambers Protest Team and Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh of Matrix Chambers They were instructed by Raj Chada of Hodge Emma Fitzsimons and Stephen Clark of Garden Court Chambers represented the claimant a former tenant of Garden Court also represented VCL ‘Sappers and Underminers: Fresh Evidence Revisited’ – Criminal Law Review (2017) Wednesday 18 November 2020Online5pm - 6:30pm Thursday 15 October 2020Online4:30pm - 5:30pm All related events + View more awards Regulated by the Bar Standards Board Website by Swerve and Square Eye Ltd fire station and 348 units spread over two towers are slated for an inner west suburb but the developer has faced scrutiny for the ambitious project Please call us on 1800 070 535 and we’ll help resolve the issue or try again later Any Questions? Please call 1800 070 535 Saturday & Sunday 7:00am – 11:30am (AEST) Cockburn Sound, a calm waterway tucked behind an island near Fremantle in Western Australia, is about to become much better known thanks to the trilateral technical agreement between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, known as AUKUS. To echo the sentiment of my late colleague Professor Desmond Ball after Pine Gap this military base on the southwestern coast of Australia facing the Indian Ocean could be described as the second “suitable piece of real estate” The first US Navy Virginia class nuclear-powered submarine visited Australia in the second half of 2023 and that is the start of what is to be the new normal The Submarine Rotational Force-West (SRF-West) will be supported by advanced nuclear-powered submarine maintenance facilities being built at Garden Island in Cockburn Sound Cockburn Sound provides a direct line of shot for submarines seeking to operate in or near the key Southeast Asian straits let alone anywhere across the Indian Ocean HMAS Stirling is the Royal Australian Navy base at Garden Island These include five Anzac class frigates and the six Collins class submarines as well as a fleet replenishment unit The base also houses the Marine Support Facility for vessel repair and refit This is due to be significantly expanded to meet the surge in requirements of servicing the nuclear propulsion submarines The anticipated rotation of submarines in the coming years will see HMAS Stirling grow with the investment of $8 billion That will include wharf upgrades and expansion of maintenance training and an expansion of the logistical capacity to coincide with the more frequent and longer visits of American and British submarines in the next couple of years This then will lead to hosting rotations of UK and US nuclear propulsion submarines as part of SRF-West from 2027 will be the home base for the Australian nuclear propulsion submarines which are expected to be delivered from the early 2030s History does not repeat, but it sometimes appears to rhyme: Cockburn Sound was where collectively about 170 allied submarines were based during the Pacific War From there they had ready access to the sea lines of communication across the Indian Ocean and Sunda straits to Australia’s immediate north (in modern day Indonesia) and to the South China Sea and Formosa (now Taiwan) where enemy shipping was crippled by persistent and effective submarine operations Those sea lines of communication remain essentially unchanged and Cockburn Sound looks set to re-emerge as a hive of activity for submarine forces but what most people may not yet fully appreciate is that the geostrategic significance of these submarine facilities echoes its utility from 80 years back With the Malacca Strait effectively remaining the jugular vein of the Indo Pacific through which the vast majority of East Asian trade transits a robust submarine facility at Cockburn Sound can be expected to complicate the planning of any would-be adversary seeking to intimidate threaten or directly confront Australia and its interests This is a large part of what submarine deterrence is about but its strategic rationale and the trusted collaboration upon which it builds is now a well-established fact With fresh challenges echoing those from an earlier generation that trusted collaboration is more important than ever And the deterrent effect is already kicking in The Interpreter features in-depth analysis & expert commentary on the latest international events, published daily by the Lowy Institute. hundreds of pagers used by members of the Hezbollah militant group to communicate a young girl is among the dead and almost three thousand others are injured intelligence expert John Blaxland on the sophisticated strike that’s embarrassed and rattled Hezbollah Director of the ANU North America Liaison Office and Professor of International Security and Intelligence Studies Subscribe to ABC News Daily on the ABC listen app. John Blaxland: It's unprecedented. So this is a shock, a surprise, a cunning move by the perpetrator, which everybody, I guess, assumes is Israel. Sam Hawley: And all over the country at exactly the same time, hundreds of these pagers are exploding. ABC News Reporter 1: Pagers used by hundreds of members of the militant group Hezbollah have spontaneously exploded in Lebanon and Syria, killing at least nine people and injuring thousands of others. ABC News Reporter 2: Videos show these Hezbollah communication devices exploding in people's hands and while they were in their pockets. ABC News Reporter 3: This man told the ABC he saw one victim on the street in southern Beirut. Local man in Lebanon: We saw someone lying on the ground. We thought someone had hit him. There was blood and people around him. We came back to the shop and they told us there was an explosion. John Blaxland: It appears that this is something that's been centrally coordinated and using technology that was first seen in the war in Iraq 20 years ago when we saw improvised explosive devices attached to phones detonated remotely. So it's not just mobile phones, digital mobile phones that can be operated in this way as a remote weapon, but clearly pagers can too. Sam Hawley: So what do we know about who was carrying these pagers when they exploded? Because they are an old form of technology. I mean, there's not many people that use pagers anymore. Sam Hawley: And pagers, I suppose, they thought were less easy to track than mobile phones. The report suggests that these pagers were actually ordered by Hezbollah and they came from Taiwan some months ago. So what's happened to them in the interim? John Blaxland: Well, that's right. And who knows exactly where along the supply chain they were tampered with, whether that was at the factory, at the behest of a nation state or some kind of organisation. The assumption is it's Israel. Or whether it was in transit and then tampered with. Halfway interception is conceptually an age old part of spycraft and tradecraft of espionage and sabotage. But this digital application is really unprecedented. Sam Hawley: So do we have an idea of what actually caused these pages to explode? How were they tampered with? Sam Hawley: There were some reports that the pagers actually received a message that appeared to come from Hezbollah's leadership, and that was the moment that the explosion occurred. Just, you know, obviously there's investigations still going on, but that's some of the theories. Sam Hawley: Well, even Iran's ambassador to Lebanon was injured during this attack. He's been treated for his injuries. John Blaxland: So that does point to him having a connection with Hezbollah if he's been given one of these pagers as the means, evidently, one would surmise, to communicate with Hezbollah leadership or to get messages from Hezbollah leadership to keep him appraised of Hezbollah actions, initiatives, plans. Sam Hawley: Well, Hezbollah says there was a number of its fighters killed in this attack. And of course, there were explosions too in Iran and in Syria. Incredibly sophisticated, John, as we mentioned. Hezbollah, of course, says Israel is responsible. Others are assuming that is the case as well. But of course, Israel hasn't said that it is responsible. John Blaxland: No, well, there's nothing in it for Israel to announce that they did it, except to quietly, smugly, you know, congratulate each other for what they've managed to pull off. But it would be completely counterproductive from an Israeli point of view to admit to being behind this. Sam Hawley: Of course, Israel's foreign intelligence service, Mossad, has a reputation for using very advanced spycraft tools to hunt down its enemies, doesn't it? Sam Hawley: Have we ever seen an attack like this before at this scale? Sam Hawley: So let's look now, John, at what might come next. Hezbollah says it holds Israel completely responsible. It must be incredibly embarrassing for Hezbollah to have been compromised like this, I would have thought. Sam Hawley: And do you think it could lead to some sort of escalation in the conflict in the region? Sam Hawley: John Blacksland is a professor of international security and intelligence studies, and director of the ANU North America liaison office in Washington, DC. This episode was produced by Sydney Pead, Kara Jensen-Mackinnon. Audio production by Sam Dunn. Our supervising producer is David Coady. I'm Sam Hawley. Thanks for listening. Download the ABC listen app to hear more of your favourite podcasts 2024 as students celebrate Olympians Jessica and Noemie Fox Picture suppliedIt's not often that two ex-students from the same school are selected for the Olympic Games uniting behind the efforts of paddlers Jess and Noemie Fox The sisters are representing Australia in Paris in slalom canoe/kayak, Jess at her fourth Games Blaxland High School principal Emma Le Marquand Picture suppliedSo the school went all out on Friday July 26 dressing in their best green and gold streamers and flags flying from every vantage point Even the therapy dog got into the act with an Aussie bandana Cheering on Jess and Noemie Fox at Blaxland High School Picture suppliedPrincipal Emma Le Marquand said the day not only celebrated the Fox sisters but also all the students who perform so well in their studies "Blaxland High School is an excellent example of the power of public education," she said "Our students and their skills really reflect the diversity of the community.. Oscar Blaxland still remembers the first question he asked his mother having woken up from a coma after plummeting six floors out of a window The then-three-year-old had been playing inside a unit in Sydney's Neutral Bay while his father 'I had taken my sister's slipper and thrown it out the window,' the 31-year-old software sales executive told Daily Mail Australia 'Then I got up on the windowsill to see where it landed I lost my balance and fell head first but landed on my knees.' Oscar's first childhood memory is waking up in hospital and telling his panicked mother Charlotte: 'I want to watch Sesame Street' While her son lay in a coma Charlotte had promised him that he could watch his favourite character Ernie on the popular kids show when he woke up The detail is all the more heartbreaking when Oscar reveals that doctors had told his devastated parents it was unlikely he would survive the night Both of his femur bones had been broken in three places the growth plates in his knees had been shattered and blood had pooled in his lungs Miraculously, Oscar made a full recovery with Mrs Blaxland recounting the harrowing details of his fall for the first time in her new book Miracle Boy.  While Oscar doesn't remember the fall or the recovery afterwards, he does remember visiting his preschool and showing the other children his cast.  He said it had been emotional, and sometimes overwhelming, to read how his family members were affected by the accident - most of all his father.   'It was just one of those really inexplicable things,' Oscar said.  'If you look at the body shape of a toddler, the head is quite large and even as an adult it's still the heaviest part of your body. 'They don't really know how I didn't hit the ground head first.' Oscar said he had been an adventurous child and an 'intense' teenager, joking he was 'definitely' responsible for his parent's grey hair. Oscar said his father until very recently had struggled with guilt.  'My poor father has sort of blamed himself his whole life,' he said.  'Of course he shouldn't blame himself, it wasn't his fault. Nevertheless, you come out of these traumatic incidences and people inevitably end up blaming themselves.  'He feels like he should have been my protector, he should have prevented this accident and I suppose that's your role as father, to protect your family. Oscar believes the overnight fame that came with being dubbed the 'Miracle Boy' by the media had changed his family dynamic forever.  He now wonders if his sister Priscilla, who is 18 months younger than him, sometimes felt ignored in the whirlwind that followed his accident.  'I mean, there's me in front of the cameras and getting photographed, videoed and interviewed by reporters wanting to get my story,' he said.  'And Priscilla's just there in the background. She's fine today but that's a tough thing for a child to have to go through, to feel like maybe your not important.  'My sister is very important and very special. She's a wonderful, beautiful person. But as a child, you don't understand the nuances of the context of the situation.' Oscar recently got married to his partner Kate and is excited to start his own brood.  He doesn't think the accident will impact on his parenting and believes children should be challenged in the appropriate environment.  'I think that's a good thing and so I'd like to think that I would stay true to that. But who knows? I suppose I'm only just coming to terms with the full gravity of the accident now as a 31-year-old,' he said.  'I don't really know how it's going to play out. But I do believe a bit of adventure is a good thing for children.' Until then, Oscar intends to make the most of his knees until he inevitably has to have them replaced due to a lack of cartilage following the fall.  'I don't really have any other way of explaining it. I feel normal. I'm just a regular guy. I've got pretty s***** knees, but aside from that I'm just a normal guy.' Major terror attack 'was just HOURS away' before it was foiled by the special forces and police:... 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Where 'soft-touch' Britain's asylum seekers are REALLY coming from What became of the 'Miracle Boy' who survived a six story fall?Commenting on this article has endedNewest{{#isModerationStatus}}{{moderationStatus}} Billbergia, one of Sydney's most active developers is continuing to assist in helping the NSW Government reach its ambitious goal of delivering 376,000 new dwellings including approximately 15,800 social and affordable homes Billbergia has lodged a State Significant Development Application for a mixed-use apartment development at a 1,537 sqm site in Rhodes They're seeking a 30 per cent height uplift given the amount of affordable housing they're including in the tower The Design Excellence Scheme by Group GSA was for 37 levels but Billbergia is seeking to add a further 11 levels given their commitment to 15 per cent affordable housing The uplift takes the 117-metre permitted height to 152 metres The site at 9 Blaxland Road and 424 Concord, situated in the central area of Rhodes has been identified as an important Strategic Centre in the Eastern City District Plan with significant potential for creating additional jobs and homes Currently occupying the site is the Rhodes Business Centre, a four level commercial office building which Group GSA says "lacks active frontages at the ground level and engages with the surrounding public domain poorly." The new development aims to capitalise on Rhodes' proximity to transport corridors making it suitable for affordable and market housing The 48-level mixed-use residential tower will home 319 apartments with 15 per cent designated to affordable housing set above 1,333 sqm of retail and commercial spaces in the podium An architectural design competition held in April 2023 saw Group GSA chosen to design the building which will sit in landscaping by Singapore-based landscape architects Salad Dressing "The landscape design has been embedded into the architecture of the proposed building creating a ‘vertical forest’ and ‘community in the sky’," the documents submitted to NSW Major Projects planning portal "The vertical forest will soften the building and improve the visual amenity of the site." There will be a green link between the ground floor and the public domain up to the rooftop canopy Communal spaces are also integrated into the design with two areas of communal open space for residents The development will include 12 basement levels for 280 car parking spaces New street trees will be planted in the public domain and along all road frontages and a rooftop canopy will offer additional greenery The site's location is highly accessible, with an entry portal to the Rhodes Train Station immediately adjacent to Blaxland Road and nearby bus services on Concord Road We're on a mission to radically improve the quality of Urban communities being developed across Australia We aim to showcase every development in Australia to help you find the perfect new home First high-profile candidate due to be announced this week by ‘grassroots’ movement backing independents against Tony Burke and Jason Clare A new “grassroots” political movement called the Muslim Vote says it will back at least three independent candidates aiming to topple Labor ministers and the government whip in western Sydney at the next federal election The Muslim Vote – established in response to community anger at Labor’s handling of the war in Gaza – plans to back candidates in Watson has held Watson since 2004 while the minister for education Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup The electorates have been held by Labor for decades along with other safe western Sydney seats the party relies on at federal polls. The seats have large migrant communities and a Muslim Vote spokesperson told Guardian Australia the group was seeking to shake things up so communities were better represented. Read moreThe self-described “grassroots movement” was working to mobilise volunteers who would support the independent candidates Other seats that could be targeted include McMahon and Parramatta The organisation was also looking to back lower house candidates in Victoria The first high-profile independent was due to be announced later this week A second candidate was to be revealed early next week said they had been approached by various organisations seeking to support independent candidates and were working with local communities regarding who might stand The Muslim Vote website states it is focused on “justice for Palestine” and that “the Australian Muslim community is uniting” The spokesperson told the Guardian: “This is about shifting power Our votes are not for sale but they are for lease All future leaders should be warned not to take our community’s vote for granted.” In recent days, Muslim groups have come out in support of Western Australia Labor senator Fatima Payman who says she has been “exiled” by the party and colleagues after stating she might cross the floor again on votes relating to Palestinian statehood a prominent Muslim barrister and supporter of the Muslim Vote said the group had mobilised “thousands” of volunteers and held community consultations “They have a register of thousands of volunteers they have an established social media campaign and a lot more going on offline,” Hawila said Free daily newsletterOur Australian morning briefing breaks down the key stories of the day telling you what’s happening and why it matters They have campaign experts as well as senior political advisors who are on board and advising the movement “Right now they are finalising their support for candidates and are looking to step up in the coming weeks.” Hawila said the federal government should be “very concerned” about the movement’s potential to energise voters who may have turned against Labor “So many members of the community feel Labor are out of touch with the reality on the ground – that their position on Israel has isolated them There are many concerns about Labor policies Electoral analyst Ben Raue said wins in Labor’s heartland would be difficult but the party’s vote would be “eroded” “Nationally, the Labor party vote is very low. The primary vote for Labor to win the last election was about 33% – that was a really low level. “Chipping away at their vote could cause problems for Labor. Labor’s already lost one seat to an independent in western Sydney with Dai Le in Fowler.” Raue said there wasn’t otherwise a history of independents succeeding in western Sydney seats but that could change over time. “Often these things build slowly. There is certainly potential for something to happen here.” Watson is held by Burke with a margin of 15.1%. Muslims make up 25.1% of the population in the seat. Blaxland, held by Clare, has a margin of 14.9% and a Muslim population of 31.7%. Play Duration: 3 minutes 54 seconds3m 54sPresented by As suspended Federal Labor Senator Fatima Payman considers quitting the party - a "teal-style" Muslim Vote movement's set to target seats in western Sydney in the next election. It says the Federal Government's lack of support for Palestinians is driving voters away from Labor. It has two seats in its sights - Blaxland and Watson which have the largest percentage of Muslim constituents in the country. The seat of Blaxland includes the suburbs Punchbowl and Lakemba.(Supplied: Canterbury Bankstown Council) Sheikh Wesam Charkawi: This notion or this question of, well, Labor's still better than Liberal, doesn't hold water, right? Our voices count, right? We put you in a position of responsibility to represent. You didn't do it. You didn't do that. So you shouldn't be honoured with another chance to represent your constituents once more. Sabra Lane: Sheikh Wesam Charkawi there. Nicole, is the government worried about this? Sabra Lane: And what about the suspended Senator? We're expecting a decision from Fatima Payman soon, aren't we? Blue Mountains libraries are celebrating a successful year According to the annual State Library of NSW statistics visitors to Blue Mountains library branches have risen 36% compared to last year There has been a 40% increase in library computer bookings The Blue Mountains library team have also welcomed nearly 4,000 new library members in 12 months Rosemary Dillon said the statistics highlight the incredible work of Blue Mountains libraries in providing great spaces and exceptional service to the community “Public libraries are such an important place in our society that seem to revolve around technology and where we see social isolation increasing they offer a welcome and much needed relief,” Dr Dillon said access to information and community connection “Our Blue Mountains library operates six branches from Blaxland to Blackheath with outreach services supporting the isolated “I am incredibly proud of our library team all the time and particularly so seeing these marvellous results which are a testament to their dedication and hard work.” Blue Mountains Community and Library Manager Vicki Edmunds said the results were elating for everyone in the library team “I am immensely proud of them and extend my thanks and congratulations to each and every member of the Blue Mountains library staff The work you do every day is amazing and these statistics reflect how valued you are by your local community,” she said Katoomba Library was also recently crowned number one on the list of Australia’s “coolest” libraries ASIO boss Mike Burgess gave his annual assessment of threats to Australia’s domestic security Burgess sensationally revealed that a former politician had “sold out their country” to a foreign regime citing the need to protect ASIO’s tradecraft Professor of International Security & Intelligence Studies at the Australian National University He was a co-author of the multi-volume history of ASIO; recently he co-authored Revealing Secrets: An Unofficial History of Australian Signals Intelligence & the Advent of Cyber Blaxland is currently the Director of the ANU’s North America Liaison Office On the issue of Burgess staying mum about the former politician’s identity Blaxland says there is good reason for keeping it secret as to whether the […] nation involved actually knows how effective ASIO has been at disrupting because […] one of the things that good espionage agencies do is they try and flip their targets so that they become a double agent under criticism from some experts who argue the agreement won’t necessarily protect Australia because the Americans might step back from the region and its allies is that’s half the reason why we’re doing this We want all this manufacturing capability onshore just in case they’re not going to come if we need them who this week attacked Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Canberra’s national security establishment What is interesting and a little bit unsettling is the consistency with which Paul Keating slams our principal ally and major foreign direct investor and principal economic partner screamingly silent when it comes to criticism of China.[…] And it’s Shakespearean even in terms of perhaps about the level of protest Blaxland describes the atmosphere as the 2024 presidential election kicks into gear: People are worried about what the future might look like President Trump’s talked about draining the swamp John Blaxland has received funding from the Australian Signals Directorate for an official history project but the project was cancelled at short notice in 2020 Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to visit Washington in the next two weeks to announce the long-awaited roadmap for the AUKUS submarine agreement alongside UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and US President Joe Biden Can Albanese balance the imperatives of the alliance And can the plan be implemented in a timely manner In September 2021, then Prime Minister Scott Morrison held a surprise virtual three-way meeting alongside Biden and then UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to announce a trilateral technical agreement The deal is to enable Australia to acquire nuclear-powered submarines as well as deepen defence industry collaboration between the three nations It followed a stop-start approach to domestic submarine manufacturing. The 2009 Defence White Paper called for 12 new diesel-electric propulsion submarines The global financial crisis saw funding cutbacks and delays Later, Tony Abbott hoped to buy Japanese-built submarines but with pressure for local industry input and his grip on power weakening His successor, Malcolm Turnbull, set up a multi-billion dollar deal with France instead with Australia saying it would buy a fleet of conventional submarines The French deal was then scrapped by Morrison in favour of the AUKUS plan Technological developments made conventional diesel-electric submarines obsolete for Australia Australia’s submarines face long transits between ports Advances in artificial intelligence and persistent surveillance make detection easier to the point where a short “snort” to recharge batteries is detectable To lose stealth is to lose the key advantage of submarines Nuclear-powered subs can stay underwater for far longer than diesel-electric models Another part of the rationale is that the deal would add to deterrence of China as its influence in the Pacific grows The Morrison government’s clumsy handling of cancelling the French deal significantly harmed relations AUKUS also generated consternation in Indonesia and some other Southeast Asian nations who worried the deal would lead to an arms race and greater tensions in the region Critics see AUKUS as a retrograde step, damaging Australia’s regional standing and its nuclear non-proliferation credentials. The Albanese government has pushed back and its imminent meeting in Washington means it will now wholly own the endeavour The government still needs to allay regional concerns Critics have also suggested AUKUS compromises Australian sovereignty. Albanese has rightly rejected this view, arguing deployment of military assets in the event of any conflict was a decision for Australia as a sovereign nation just as the United States will maintain its sovereignty and the United Kingdom will maintain its The irony is that for a boutique defence force like Australia’s reliance on US technology has come to be an integral part of the plan for defending Australia’s sovereignty The Albanese government set about restoring relations with France, and earlier this year France’s ambassador to Australia said the two countries have repaired the relationship As for relations with neighbours in the South Pacific and Southeast Asia, Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defence Minister Richard Marles have been actively seeking to allay concerns over nuclear non-proliferation and of Australia’s commitment to remain engaged as respected partners of ASEAN and the Pacific Islands Forum The Albanese government has been stressing that a strengthened defence capability is a net plus for security partners in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Its initiatives have been well received so far, with Indonesia promising to sign a new pact with Australia to facilitate increased military cooperation One of the most critical concerns remains the question of how willing the US government and bureaucracy will be to facilitate Australia’s ready access to nuclear propulsion technology beyond the current electoral cycle For this to happen, significant extra work is required to overcome US rules that limit the export of nuclear technologies, which are required under AUKUS. Some significant voices are advocating for this on Australia’s behalf Australia has become more important for enhanced US military contingency planning meaning the US has a vested interest in making the Australia alliance work and with evident bipartisan support for AUKUS tripartite arrangements will likely survive the tempest of local political ebbs and flows The government’s plan is to manufacture nuclear-powered subs onshore though this wouldn’t happen until well into the future Australia’s current Collins class submarines are due for a life extension refit to see them through beyond the next decade So there’s been intense speculation about an interim solution Some have suggested Australia may operate UK-built nuclear-propulsion submarines as a stop-gap until Australia’s production kicks in. The US produces larger boats but its production line is at capacity while the British option is smaller and easier to crew Crew size is a critical limitation for the Australian submarine arm which has challenges crewing even the significantly smaller Collins class submarines with Britain facing significant financial pressures a couple of submarines from the UK production line may act as a lifeline to its naval construction industry while also providing the Albanese government with the promise of a face-saving submarine delivery before the end of the decade We won’t know exactly what the plan is until the official announcement, and we may not get any interim subs at all Such an outcome would leave Australia reliant on Collins submarines well past their use by date Challenges aplenty remain. Australian nuclear technology know-how is limited, and its naval construction industry is experiencing considerable turbulence with long gaps between contracts. The university sector has an important role to meet the nuclear workforce requirements and several, like ANU But the imperatives for closer collaboration are accentuated by darkening clouds in international affairs It’s often said that weakness invites adventurism It’s an important plank for bolstering resilience and deterrence and The forthcoming Defence Strategic Review can be expected to build on the ties that the AUKUS plan represents Now comes the hard part – making the plan come to fruition.