Lunchtime News Briefing - 16 December 2025

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hello from the Amplify newsroom. I'm Hayden Visserah. The federal
government has confirmed gun laws will be overhauled following the
Bondai terror attack. The Prime Minister met with state and
territory leaders yesterday, pledging to strengthen firearm controls. Chief Minister
Andrew Barr has told the ABC he will work with
the other states and territories.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
Well, I guess from the Act's perspective, a nationally consistent
approach is ideal. The next best is that we have
a very close, if not identical arrangement with New South Wales.

Speaker 1 (00:31):
Former Prime Minister John Howard says he's all four tightening
gun laws to make people safer. He brought in a
raft of restrictions after the Port Arthur massacre of nineteen
ninety six, but says gun laws shouldn't be used to
avoid addressing anti semitism. Howard says he doesn't think the
current federal government has done enough in that departments.

Speaker 3 (00:50):
Governments and individuals can do a lot to discourage the
spread prejudice, anti semitism, hatred of Jewish people, and I
don't think the present federal government and the present Prime
Minister have done enough in that area since twenty twenty three.

Speaker 1 (01:06):
Meanwhile, the Jewish community in Canberra stands defiance, with local
community president Athel Morris wanting to make it clear that
an attack on Australians UWS is an attack on all Australians.

Speaker 4 (01:17):
We are Australians going about our Australian Jewish business and
for people to attack that is to attack an Australian
way of life and it's completely unacceptable on any level.

Speaker 1 (01:31):
Lifeblood Act have employed more staff to accommodate for these
surge in donation appointments. Following the Bondai terror attacks.

Speaker 5 (01:38):
Lifeblood has seen an increase of our blood donations. We
have accommodated by putting on a few extra staff here
in Canberra's well to help meet demands. But we are
beautifully booked over the next few days.

Speaker 1 (01:51):
ACT spokesperson Sally Davison there for those already in the
twelve week waiting period, you can book an early interval
to donate blood again after only ten days. There could
be bad news on the horizon for mortgage holders, with
two of the big banks predicting rate hikes in the
new year. NAB and Commonwealth Bank are both expecting the
first hike to come in February. NAB is also expecting

(02:14):
a second hike in May. Elofresh and New Foods is
being sued by the consumer watchdog the Age Trip will See,
accusing the meal delivery providers of misleading consumers over subscriptions.
The watchdog allegers they broke consumer law by telling customers
they could easily cancel their subscriptions online when that wasn't true.

(02:34):
Twenty twenty five has been confirmed as one of the
raiders The best seasons to date. According to their latest
economic impact reports, Raiders NURL and NRLW Matches alone contributed
more than twenty seven million dollars in stimulus to the
local economy, with more than fifty percent of that coming
from interstate and overseas visitors. Ninety seven percent of fans

(02:55):
claimed the club enhanced community spirits, pride and enjoyments, and
police are taking no chances ahead of the third Ashes
test in Adelaide in the wake of Sunday's terrorist attack
in Sydney. Security will be tightened at the Adelaide oval,
with additional bag checks and scanning at the gates. Say
Commissioner Grand Stevens has told the ABC. This is out

(03:17):
of an abundance of caution.

Speaker 2 (03:18):
We don't have any information whatsoever that indicates there's a
linkage between what happened in Bondai on the weekend and
South Australia, particularly the Test match, and.

Speaker 1 (03:27):
That's led us in the Cambon newsroom so far. We'll
have another update for you right here later on this afternoon.