Jeremy Rockliff announces early election in Tasmania as MPs’ moves to crossbench have stalled passage of legislation. This blog is now closed * Australia news live: News Corp’s Janet Albrechtsen ‘not an advocate’ for Bruce Lehrmann, court told; Victorian coal power station coming back online – latest updates [https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2024/feb/14/australia-news-live-homes-lost-thousands-without-power-after-storms-and-bushfires-hit-victoria] * Get our morning and afternoon news emails [https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl], free app [https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3] or daily news podcast [https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl] When it comes to treaty and truth-telling though, things are a little less clear. For all intents and purposes the government seems to be backing away from a designated federal process. We heard some of that yesterday, but Linda Burney continues it today. For all Jacinta Price is accusing the Labor government of doing treaty “by stealth” that doesn’t appear to be the reality. Instead, existing processes look like being utilised. I am having discussions with the cabinet about that, and I’m not going to go into those discussions. But the issue of truth-telling is incredibly important. And there are many, many ways in which that can happen, including the school curriculum. The reality is the treaty process is well under way at a state and in many ways at a local level. You look at the Noongar agreement in and around Perth. For all intents and purposes, that’s a treaty. What I’m suggesting is that we will listen to what people are saying. I know that there are some people in the media, but I want to talk also to community leadership. I’m meeting with land councils today, for example, who are in Canberra this week for estimates. Those are the organisations that really worked very hard towards the referendum and I want to hear from them where they believe the next steps should be. Continue reading... [https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2024/feb/14/australia-politics-live-food-banks-ai-tasmania-election-aged-care-treaty-question-time-anthony-albanese-peter-dutton-labor-coalition-greens]