Sophie Scamps ‘deeply sorry’ after lethal humidity comments linked to NRL player death
Independent MP Dr Sophie Scamps has apologised to the family of Keith Titmuss over her comments in reference to his death, at a doctors for the environment event in February.
A coroner found Titmuss died of heat stroke after a Manly Sea Eagles pre-season training session in November 2020.
Scamps was accused of linking his death to climate change, saying at the event:
That type of lethal humidity is something that the medical fraternity is getting more and more concerned about.
Scamps spoke to 2GB this morning to apologise.
If there’s any distress or upset, deeply, deeply sorry, that was never … my intention at all.
She added:
I didn’t actually mention the young man by name nor did I say it was directly linked to climate change. The question was – what are doctors worried about with increasing temperatures…
And it is very unfortunate that I’ve upset the family. But it’s all about, even healthy young people, our bodies are not adapted to dealing with humidity.
Key events
Peter Dutton and his wife Kirilly have toured crisis support charity MSFIN in the seat of Dunkley, say reporters on the Coalition bus.
The charity provides essential material aid like clothes, prams, nappies, food, and household items to vulnerable families, through donations.
The Duttons were joined by Dunkley Liberal candidate Nathan Conroy for the tour before helping pack a few support boxes.
The charity receives 10-12 referrals a day and has already helped 3000 individuals since the start of the year.
Manager Charlotte Davies said the grassroots organisation, which started in a garage, is in desperate need of funding as referrals increase amid rising cost-of-living pressures.
Davies said the the charity is “struggling to keep up”.
We only rely on donations to fill our shelves. It’s a really hard time for our charity.
[There are] more and more dual income families needing support.
The Liberal leader met with several volunteers during the walkthrough before helping packing food support boxes.
“Not your first rodeo? You’ve moved house a few times before?,” Davies asked as Dutton was packing a box.
“Kirilly loves moving house,” Dutton responded.
Davies is the only paid employee at the charity, which has relied on volunteers to operate for the past eight years.
Dunkley in Melbourne’s south east is considered a key seat the party is hoping to win from Labor’s Jodie Belyea who won it at the March 2024 by-election.
Early voters top 4 million
Just over 4 million people have voted so far in this year’s election, according to the Australian Electoral Eommission.
With 18 million people on the electoral roll, that means more than 22% of the population has completed pre-poll.
Catie McLeod
Coles CEO claims it is not reviewing any ‘particular’ range amid cuts
Weckert has said Coles does “not have a particular range review in play”, after suppliers raised concerns about the supermarket’s decision to get rid of about 2,500 products.
The Coles operations and sustainability officer, Anna Croft, revealed during an investor presentation last year that the company would be “simplifying” its range.
Coles later confirmed it expected to remove about 10% of its product range, a decision it said was about improving the shopping experience for customers, but some suppliers have claimed was driven by the supermarket looking to increase its profits.
As Guardian Australia previously reported, Coles then wrote to suppliers on 21 February alerting them to a “major” range review.
Asked during this morning’s media briefing for an update on the range review, Weckert said:
We don’t have a particular range review in play.
What we’ve sort of talked about in the past is we’re constantly working to optimize our range, so we want to make sure that we’re able to bring more innovation in for customers.
As you can appreciate, the one thing which is finite in our business is the amount of … shelf space that we have.
And so when we look to bring in new products and new innovation, we’re constantly looking at: ‘Are there products that aren’t performing well that we would remove to make room for that innovation?’
You can read more here:
Coles revenue jumps to $10.4bn amid higher Easter egg prices
Catie McLeod
The Coles group has grown its sales revenue by 3.4% to $10.4bn across its supermarkets and liquor stores in the first three months of the year, up from the $10bn it recorded during the same period in 2024.
The strong results were mainly due to revenue from Coles supermarkets, which increased by 3.7% to $9.4bn, according to the company’s quarterly financial results released this morning.
Excluding tobacco, sales revenue increased by 4.7%.
In a briefing with journalists this morning, the Coles chief executive officer, Leah Weckert, said more customers were shopping online, with e-commerce sales up 25.7% in supermarkets and 18.2% in liquor.
Weckert said there had been price deflation in “number of categories” including fresh produce items such as broccoli and tomatoes, and packaged goods including cereal, tea, and cleaning goods.
She said there were other categories which were still experiencing inflation, such as coffee and chocolate, which she said was due to suppliers passing on the rising cost of ingredients.
She said:
If you take cocoa, for example, as an ingredient that has increased more than 180% in the last 12 months.
That is something that suppliers have been very proactive in passing on, and is one of the reasons that we saw Easter eggs more expensive during the Easter period.
Luca Ittimani
Australian dollar hits new high after tariff shock
The dollar yesterday reached its highest level against the American dollar since December, approaching 64.5 US cents.
It has spent nearly two weeks hovering below US64c, marking a full recovery for now from the Trump tariff-induced shocks in early April that sent it plummeting from 63c to 59c.
Inflation data out later today could see that move. Price hikes could continue to slow down after falling to 3.2% in the year to December, on the trimmed mean measure the Reserve Bank keeps in mind when calling interest rates.
The market expects that figure to fall to 2.8% in the year to March, though Commonwealth Bank analysts note a surprise higher number could push the Australian dollar higher, as it would discourage the RBA from cutting rates much further below their US counterparts.
The Australian dollar recovered its losses just a week or two after the initial tariff announcement against the Chinese yuan, UK pound, Japan’s yen and Indonesia rupiah and Indian rupee.
It still hasn’t recovered against the euro after falling from 0.58 to 0.54 in early April. At 0.56 the dollar is still only halfway back, though CommBank analysts reckon it’s “very undervalued” and expect it to push back to 0.57.
Hume says Coalition couldn’t release costings earlier
Shadow finance minister Jane Hume has also confirmed the Coalition’s costings will be out tomorrow, and told Sky News they couldn’t have come out sooner because the numbers needed to include all their promises.
Costings can’t be released until people have finished announcing policies. Even Labor, up until a couple of days ago, were announcing $2 billion worth of payments to the states.
Host Laura Jayes asks Hume whether the Coalition will be “upfront” with voters on their costings.
So far the Coalition has promised to cut major spending programs, like the $10bn housing Australia future fund – but that fund is an “off-budget” measure, meaning that cutting it won’t have much of an impact on the budget bottom line.
Hume says (something her Coalition colleagues have repeated a lot) that her party will “guarantee” their budget bottom line will be better than Labor’s.
All of our costings will be made very clear tomorrow.
Ben Doherty
The key security challenges facing Australia’s next government
The world is a more dangerous place.
Global conflicts have doubled over the past five years, according to Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (Acled). In 2024 alone, one person in eight across the world was exposed to conflict: political violence increased by a quarter, by factors worse in countries that held elections.
Australian political leaders of all stripes couch it in a shared aphorism: the most “challenging strategic circumstances since world war two”.
So what are the key global national security challenges the government will face after the election?
You can read our full analysis here:
Sophie Scamps ‘deeply sorry’ after lethal humidity comments linked to NRL player death
Independent MP Dr Sophie Scamps has apologised to the family of Keith Titmuss over her comments in reference to his death, at a doctors for the environment event in February.
A coroner found Titmuss died of heat stroke after a Manly Sea Eagles pre-season training session in November 2020.
Scamps was accused of linking his death to climate change, saying at the event:
That type of lethal humidity is something that the medical fraternity is getting more and more concerned about.
Scamps spoke to 2GB this morning to apologise.
If there’s any distress or upset, deeply, deeply sorry, that was never … my intention at all.
She added:
I didn’t actually mention the young man by name nor did I say it was directly linked to climate change. The question was – what are doctors worried about with increasing temperatures…
And it is very unfortunate that I’ve upset the family. But it’s all about, even healthy young people, our bodies are not adapted to dealing with humidity.
Labor minister linked to group associated with Chinese communist party, report claims
There are reports in the Australian newspaper this morning that housing minister Clare O’Neil has been linked to an organisation which been associated with the Chinese communist party and its foreign influence operation.
The Australian reports that a Chinese-Australian Labor party member had been organising with the Hubei Association to recruit volunteers for O’Neil’s electorate.
O’Neil told Sunrise this morning, on her regular panel with Liberal frontbencher Jane Hume, that her staff “did not make any requests for assistance from this organisation”.
The organisation offered assistance to the office … and my team did exactly the right thing, which is politely decline that offer of support.
O’Neil wouldn’t say whether she would refer the matter to authorities, and attacked Hume, who was pushing her to refer it.
Jane, you actually sound a bit wild right now. This is totally desperate.
The same group made headlines yesterday over links with independent MP Monique Ryan.
A video, reported by the Age newspaper, showed two people wearing Ryan T-shirts and saying Ji Jianmin, president of the Hubei Association, told them to vote for the teal MP.
Ryan told Sky News yesterday she had contacted the Australia Electoral Commission (AEC) and the Department of Parliamentary Services about the issue, and told them to investigate if there were any concerns.
Certainly no one’s been compelled to volunteer for me, but I’m grateful for those people who’ve come out to volunteer on my camp.
The AEC confirmed the matter had been referred to its integrity taskforce.
PM would ‘be happy’ with election texts ban
Albanese takes a stronger stance on whether or not texts from political parties during the election campaign should be banned, saying it’d be a “reasonable” thing to ban them.
But (and it’s a big but) Albanese says a ban might not fit in with other “legal requirements”.
I wish that were the case. I’m not sure that that fits with our democracy and the capacity of people to campaign. Well, I certainly think that would be a reasonable thing to do…
Epstein: To ban the texts?
Albanese: I’d be happy with that, but I’m not sure that it would fit in with other legal requirements about people having access.
The PM says he hasn’t received any texts from the Trumpet of Patriots, but his fiancée Jodie Heydon has.
PM says Dutton ‘dials everything up to 11’
On to other matters, Epstein asks Albanese about Peter Dutton’s accusations that the Greens are a “Jew-hating” party.
The PM says Dutton and the Coalition “engage in a lot of hyperbole”:
I’m not a commentator on Peter Dutton’s language. I think in general Peter Dutton dials everything up to 11. I think that is part of his character.
Epstein then turns to Penny Wong’s comments on the voice to parliament to the Betoota Advocate podcast.
Wong, reflecting on the referendum, said it might be thought of like the marriage equality debate in the future, saying “and I thought all this fuss, it will become something like, people go, did we even have an argument about that?”
Albanese says Wong didn’t imply that a referendum was inevitable:
She spoke about how people will look back on what the issues were. That’s very different from saying it’s inevitable. She did not say that at all.
PM says ‘not at all’ embarrassing he can’t get hold of Trump
Anthony Albanese is in Melbourne this morning and is joining ABC radio.
No surprises the first question to him is on when Trump will return his calls.
Trump has said he’s aware Albanese has been trying to get in touch: “They are calling and I will be talking to him.”
Raf Epstein asks if it’s “embarrassing”? The PM responds:
Not at all … it was a light-hearted throwaway comment from the president. I assure you I’m not staying up at night trying to ring anyone at the moment. I’m in an election campaign.
I’m sure if we are successful we will have a discussion after Saturday.
Epstein asks if there’s a guarantee there will be a conversation after Saturday.
Albanese says: “No, but I’m sure that will occur.”
Epstein then plays a clip of a US reporter cold-calling the president (bold move!) and asks if Albanese would do the same (though notably Albanese seemed to imply Trump didn’t have a mobile phone on Sunday during the final leaders’ debate).
Albanese turns the question back, saying “what do you think?” – ie I don’t think he’s going to take that approach.
What to do about those unsolicited political text messages?
As we get closer to the election, the messaging from parties is coming in thick and fast … and to your mobile phone.
You may be one of many receiving text messages from parties vying for your vote, but one party seems to be really ruffling voters’ feathers – the Trumpet of Patriots.
ABC News Breakfast has been asking pollies this morning whether those texts can be stopped. Jim Chalmers responded:
A lot of people are raising it. I’d be lying to you if I said I think deeply about this part of the electoral law. My job is to focus on the economy.
Tasmanian independent senator Jacqui Lambie said all parties sent unsolicited texts so the laws were unlikely to change.
All the parties do it, the only thing is that Clive [Palmer] has more money. The only time you see majors come together, doing electoral reform, when it suits themselves, and they want to get the independents out. It’s filth. That’s where we’re at. They won’t change those laws because they do the same thing.
And Angus Taylor just joined News Breakfast too – his advice was to just delete them.
I understand people’s concerns. I would say … do what I do if you’re not interested in them, just delete them.
Look, if political parties want to do this, the great thing about our democracy is you can just completely ignore it.
Here’s a look at why you may be getting the Trumpet of Patriot “spam” text messages.
Seems like the status quo will continue for the time being.
Benita Kolovos
Just a drill: emergency services descend on Melbourne airport
Leaving politics for a moment…
If you’re near Melbourne airport this morning you may notice an unusually large presence of emergency services – but the airport’s operator says there is no cause for concern.
From 9am, the airport is hosting a major emergency services training exercise, running into the afternoon.
The drill is designed to simulate the response to a major aircraft crash and involves several agencies including Ambulance Victoria, the Australian federal police, Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting, Fire Rescue Victoria, Victoria police and others.
O’Neil and Hume get pally – for a moment
A little earlier on Sunrise this morning, host Nat Barr asked Clare O’Neil and Jane Hume to say something nice about each other (it’s something she’s said she’ll do all week).
It’s also a nice break from all the testy boxing matches between all the pollies as we get to the pointy end of the election campaign.
O’Neil went first, complimenting Hume’s wardrobe.
I have lots of nice thing to say about Jane but I will choose this morning that she’s a really snazzy dresser – and I don’t say that just because we so often come on the show wearing exactly the same thing!
Hume then complimented O’Neil on her ability to juggle three young kids and life in politics.
Clare works exceptionally hard. She [makes it] look seamless and easy. It’s not easy. She is doing an exceptional job with those competing demands of family and professional life. I tip my hat to her.
Turns out it’s also Hume’s birthday today – so O’Neil also wished her a happy day.
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Wong compares Indigenous voice to marriage equality battle
Penny Wong has compared the voice to parliament to marriage equality, suggesting the public will reflect on the bitter fight over Indigenous recognition in 10 years’ time and ask “did we even have a debate about that?”.
In an interview with the Betoota Talks podcast, the foreign minister was asked about the failed 2023 referendum, when 60% of voters rejected a proposal to enshrine an Indigenous advisory body in the constitution.
Wong said the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, pushed ahead with the vote amid warnings it was doomed to fail because he was not a “pull-the-pin kind of guy”.
He thought it was the right thing to do.
The foreign minister then compared the push for a voice to parliament to marriage equality, which was finally achieved in 2017 after a long-running fight in which she was a central figure.
I think we’ll look back on it in 10 years’ time, and it’ll be a bit like marriage equality, don’t you reckon? Like I always used to say, marriage equality took us such a bloody big fight to get that done.
And I thought all this fuss, it will become something like, people go, did we even have an argument about that? Kids today, or even adults today, barely kind of clock that it used to be an issue.
Albanese shut the door on reviving the voice proposal after being asked during Sunday’s election leaders’ debate if he still believed in it.
It is gone.
New inflation figures out today
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) will release the latest monthly and quarterly inflation data later today.
The current inflation rate for the month of February is 2.4%.
RN Breakfast host Sally Sara asks Jim Chalmers whether it would be a “failure” if that number doesn’t drop further.
Chalmers appears to give himself a bit of leeway, saying anything with a “two in front of it” is positive.
I think any headline inflation rate today with a two in front of it is a powerful demonstration of the progress that we’ve made together as Australians on inflation. If you think about when we came to office, inflation was 6.1% and it was rising sharply.
Sara then asks whether Chalmers should be giving more regard to the warning from ratings agency S&P. He responds:
I take the contributions from the ratings agency seriously, just as I take the IMF analysis seriously as well. The point that I’ve made in relation to the ratings agency is they can be reassured by our two surpluses, by the fact that we’ve got this deficit down.
Chalmers and Wong on the Indigenous voice’s future
Treasurer Jim Chalmers says the prime minister has already ruled out establishing an Indigenous voice to parliament in a second Labor term.
Foreign minister Penny Wong spoke to the Betoota Advocate podcast about Indigenous reconciliation, and said people will reflect on the voice debate in the future, similarly to the marriage equality debate: ‘did we even have an argument about that?’.
We’ll have more on that shortly.
Chalmers was asked by the Today show a little earlier, whether he would rule out bringing the voice back.
I think the prime minister has already done that. You know, we’re looking forwards, not backwards. We were disappointed about the outcome back then, but we’ve been looking forwards and not backwards. And it’s not part of our agenda.
