Latest news with #NewSouthWales
The Age
2 hours ago
- Sport
- The Age
‘Think how it would affect your kids': Champion's call against vile abuse
Upon her unveiling as the Brisbane Broncos co-captain, Ali Brigginshaw has issued a palpable message to those who have taken to social media in a series of vile attacks on players. 'My message is if you're writing a comment, think about how it would affect your kids or your partner at home, because they're the people it's affecting,' Brigginshaw warned. 'I can cop most things and try not to read them, but when you go home and see your family upset that's when it hits home.' This was the first chance Brigginshaw had taken to address the abuse she received following Queensland's defeat in the women's State of Origin series, with her wife revealing the family had received messages to 'kill themselves'. Incidents of threatening comments issued to New South Wales star Liam Wright and Newcastle winger James Schiller have followed, as Brigginshaw lamented 'it does happen to every player'. Loading The 35-year-old revealed she removed herself from social media for five weeks following the attacks, claiming it was 'probably the best five weeks I've had' and admitting she will likely do the same throughout the NRLW season. 'You can be flying and nothing will affect you, and then that day you wake up when things aren't going your way it can really affect you,' Brigginshaw said. 'I didn't expect to feel the way I did – I always see myself as quite a tough player and am able to cope with most challenge. But in the pressure and the moment I was in, it hit me hard.'
Sydney Morning Herald
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Think how it would affect your kids': Champion's call against vile abuse
Upon her unveiling as the Brisbane Broncos co-captain, Ali Brigginshaw has issued a palpable message to those who have taken to social media in a series of vile attacks on players. 'My message is if you're writing a comment, think about how it would affect your kids or your partner at home, because they're the people it's affecting,' Brigginshaw warned. 'I can cop most things and try not to read them, but when you go home and see your family upset that's when it hits home.' This was the first chance Brigginshaw had taken to address the abuse she received following Queensland's defeat in the women's State of Origin series, with her wife revealing the family had received messages to 'kill themselves'. Incidents of threatening comments issued to New South Wales star Liam Wright and Newcastle winger James Schiller have followed, as Brigginshaw lamented 'it does happen to every player'. Loading The 35-year-old revealed she removed herself from social media for five weeks following the attacks, claiming it was 'probably the best five weeks I've had' and admitting she will likely do the same throughout the NRLW season. 'You can be flying and nothing will affect you, and then that day you wake up when things aren't going your way it can really affect you,' Brigginshaw said. 'I didn't expect to feel the way I did – I always see myself as quite a tough player and am able to cope with most challenge. But in the pressure and the moment I was in, it hit me hard.'
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- General
- Daily Mail
The mystery behind a sign 'error' at one of Sydney's busiest stations is revealed
Transport for New South Wales has revealed the truth behind the quirky mystery of why the sign at one of its busiest stations appears to have a spelling error. At Sydney 's Central Station, commuters and visitors have noticed something about the sign reading 'Central' between platforms 20 and 21. The letter 'C' is noticeably smaller and appears in a different font compared to the rest of the word. This seemingly minor detail has sparked confusion, with many passengers assuming it was a design error or modern oversight. But an eagle-eyed Australian recently reignited the discussion by sharing a photo of the sign on Reddit, asking why the first letter looked so out of place. Now, for the first time, the transport department has revealed the reason behind the signage quirk, and it turns out to be entirely intentional. A spokesperson for Transport for NSW (TfNSW) told Daily Mail Australia on Friday that the sign is a heritage feature, which has remained in place for decades. 'The small 'C' visible in the suspended signs on platforms 16 to 23 at Central Station is a design feature of the heritage signs that have been in use since the 1960s.' The spokesperson explained there were two fonts used on original signs when they were installed, one of which was slightly larger. Rather than update or replace the signage, TfNSW made a conscious decision to preserve it in its original form. 'The Central Station signs were rolled out during one of the periodic upgrades of this huge and busy station in the middle of the last century and were handmade,' the spokesperson said. 'Our conservation work on Central is intended to take as light a touch as possible. 'Little things like this speak to the heritage of the country's second oldest train station.' Central Station officially opened in 1906, built on top of the Devonshire Street Cemetery. It is estimated that more than 250,000 people pass through the station daily, with it linked to all train lines, Sydney Metro and the Light Rail. In a recent online post, debate was sparked as to why the sign was different from the others. 'This has driven me mental for so many years! It's been like this for so long,' one frustrated Sydneysider said on the Reddit thread. 'This is frustrating to become aware of,' another wrote. A third said: 'I noticed this a few years ago. It upsets me to no end.'
The Guardian
5 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
NSW political staffers could be arrested after failing to appear at Dural caravan inquiry
A parliamentary committee is seeking warrants for the arrest of five New South Wales government staffers who failed to appear and give evidence to an inquiry examining the Sydney caravan 'fake terrorism plot'. The staffers – three from the office of the premier, Chris Minns, and two who work for the police minister, Yasmin Catley – were summoned to appear before the inquiry on Friday. But they did not show up. The staffers claimed – in a letter to the upper house committee chair, independent MP Rod Roberts – that they had the 'reasonable excuse or just cause' required by law to not appear. The staff members argued they were 'proxies' because Minns and Catley could not, as members of the lower house, be compelled to appear as witnesses. The inquiry – launched with the support of the Coalition, the Greens and crossbench MLCs – is examining the handling of information about the caravan plot amid concerns about whether parliament was 'misled' before controversial laws aimed at curbing antisemitism were rushed through parliament. In January, after it was announced that the caravan had been found in Dural laden with explosives, Minns said it had the potential to be a 'mass casualty event'. But in March, the Australian federal police revealed they believed it was a 'con job' by organised crime figures seeking to divert police resources and influence prosecutions. Minns has said he was briefed early on that the caravan plot 'could be something other than terrorism as it's classically defined and that no line of inquiry was being ruled out by NSW police'. The premier and the police minister refused to appear at the inquiry before the committee sought the appearance of their staffers. Friday's extraordinary decision to seek the arrest warrants could lead to the staffers being apprehended and brought before the committee to give evidence. But several steps have to be completed first. Roberts, the chair, will meet with the president of the Legislative Council, Nationals MP Ben Franklin, on Friday afternoon to submit the committee's case. Under the Parliamentary Evidence Act, if the president is satisfied that the five staffers failed to appear without just cause or reasonable excuse, the matter would be referred to a judge of the supreme court. If the judge agrees, then warrants would be issued and the staffers arrested and brought before the committee to give evidence. 'This decision follows numerous attempts by the committee over several weeks to secure the attendance of these staff by invitation and ultimately by summons,' Roberts said in a statement. The staffers summoned to appear included Minns' chief of staff, James Cullen, and two of his deputy chiefs of staff, Edward Ovadia and Sarah Michael. The police minister's chief of staff, Ross Neilson, was also summoned, along with Catley's deputy chief of staff, Tilly South. The staffers' letter to Roberts, released by the committee, stated: 'Our attendance before the select committee to give evidence would be at odds with the principles of ministerial accountability and comity between the houses of parliament.' Sign up to Afternoon Update Our Australian afternoon update breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion They pointed to an outstanding inquiry on parliamentary privilege and ethics, stating they suspected in light 'of recent events' it would consider whether compelling ministerial staff to give evidence infringed parliamentary privilege or 'offends principles' of Australia's Westminster system of government. 'In these circumstances, and particularly while the standing committee's inquiries are ongoing, we consider that there is a reasonable excuse or just cause for us to not attend the hearing, and we propose not to do so,' they wrote on Thursday. 'Given your [Roberts'] comments on breakfast radio yesterday as to the motivation for issuing the summonses, which make it clear we are 'proxies' because our respective ministers cannot be compelled as witnesses to the select committee, we also consider that they have not been properly issued.' The letter noted Ovadia had informed the committee he was on leave during the relevant period. Minns told reporters on Thursday that his staff would not appear. On Friday morning, Roberts conducted a roll call twice to empty chairs set out for the staffers before closing the hearing. Earlier in the week, the premier told 2GB radio he believed the inquiry was based on a 'giant conspiracy' led by his political opponents. Minns said summoning staffers to appear was a 'bid for some kind of relevance' by opponents. Asked if his staffers were prepared to be arrested, Minns said: 'Well, I hope it doesn't get to that. I mean, I think that would be a giant overreach. It's never happened before.' The NSW Liberal leader, Mark Speakman, was asked by reporters on Friday if the move was drastic. 'It is drastic and it's easily avoidable if they do the right thing, obey the law and appear,' he said. Minns and Catley were contacted for comment.
ABC News
5 hours ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Former MP Daryl Maguire found guilty of giving false or misleading evidence at ICAC
Former Liberal MP Daryl Maguire has been found guilty of giving false or misleading evidence to the NSW corruption watchdog at a hearing in 2018, as it investigated the former Canterbury City Council. Maguire had denied wrongdoing, but prosecutors argued the former member for Wagga Wagga engaged in a "money making exercise" when he allegedly discussed a commission with a local councillor over a multimillion-dollar property deal. He appeared as a witness in Operation Dasha, the Independent Commission Against Corruption's (ICAC) investigation into allegations of corruption against councillors and whether they dishonestly exercised their official functions in relation to planning proposals. During his appearance at the public hearing, Maguire initially denied ever doing business with former councillor Michael Hawatt, or seeking payment for brokering a deal on behalf of a Chinese property developer. Magistrate Clare Farnan on Friday found him guilty of the single charge, following a hearing in the Local Court earlier this year. That outcome was delivered after apparent confusion about listing locations caused the parties to appear before a registrar in a different courtroom, who adjourned the case until September. The Downing Centre's lower level suffered flood damage due to a burst water main on Tuesday, and will remain shut for four weeks on the latest estimates. As a result, dozens of cases have had to be relocated to the nearby John Maddison Tower, including Mr Maguire's matter. When Magistrate Farnan delivered her decision, no media were in the courtroom, and Maguire's barrister Rebecca Gall applied for a non-publication order on the grounds of potential prejudice to a separate upcoming trial. Later in the afternoon, the magistrate put on the record that she had come into court in the morning expecting to deliver judgment. The magistrate said there was nothing "deliberate" about what occurred, and she had gone to "all the trouble I could" to have parties notified yesterday of the impending decision. She denied the application for a non-publication order, after hearing submissions from barrister Dauid Sibtain SC, representing the ABC and Fairfax. Magistrate Farnan said the case had already been the subject of media attention, and the interest of the community in open justice outweighed Mr Maguire's interests in the circumstances. At a hearing in late May, the court was told of intercepted phone calls between Maguire and Mr Hawatt in which the pair discussed the sale of a property on Canterbury Road at Campsie, in Sydney's inner south west. Maguire was recorded saying: "What have you got on your books? What is DA approved?". The pair then discussed the sale of the site of the former Harrison's Hardware store on Canterbury Road, for which a 300 unit development was proposed. Maguire and Mr Hawatt estimated the development to be worth up to $48 million, with Maguire asking: "What's the margin for you?". The court heard Mr Hawatt suggested a margin of between 1.5 and 2 per cent was likely, to which Mr Maguire replied: "1.5 per cent isn't enough divided by two, if you know what I mean." Deputy Senior Crown Prosecutor Phil Hogan argued the two were expecting to make money from the sale and that it would be divided equally between them. "The story that he'd prepared [for the ICAC] was, 'I'd never asked for a dollar, they never offered a dollar, nor would I ask for a dollar,'" Mr Hogan told the court. "The Crown says that statement is demonstrably misleading." Mr Hogan argued the communications between Maguire and Mr Hawatt amounted to an attempt to do business with the expectation they would both make money from that business.
