travelling to india qantas

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First time in a decade: qantas plans direct a330 india flights.

Australian national flag carrier Qantas is set to resume Airbus A330 flights between Sydney and the capital of India, Delhi, for the first time in nearly a decade. In a statement released on October 22, 2021, the Sydney-based carrier says it will offer three non-stop weekly flights from Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) to Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL).

Starting December 6, 2021, Qantas will deploy one of its 28 Airbus A330 aircraft on the nearly 6,500-mile route. In its statement, Qantas says that pending approval by the Indian authorities, it would like to offer daily flights between the two cities by the end of the year. Flights between Sydney and Delhi will stop at Darwin International Airport (DRW) in the Northern Territory, while flights in the opposite direction will be non-stop.

Australians are keen to fly overseas

In its statement, Qantas says it plans to operate the Sydney to Delhi flights until at least late March 2022 but adds that the flights could continue beyond that if the demand for seats warrants it. The Sydney to Delhi service marks the first time Qantas has operated direct commercial flights to India in nearly ten years. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Qantas has conducted more than 50 repatriation flights to India on behalf of the Australian Government to bring Australian nationals home.

When speaking about the resumption of Sydney to Delhi flights in the company statement, Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said:

"Australians rolling up their sleeves means our planes and our people are getting back to work much earlier than we expected.

"This is the best news we've had in almost two years, and it will make a massive difference to thousands of our people who finally get to fly again.

"We know that Australians are keen to get overseas and see friends and family or have a long-awaited holiday, so bringing forward the restart of flights to these popular international destinations will give customers even more options to travel this summer.

"Given the strong ties between Australia and India, flights between Sydney and Delhi have been on our radar for some time, and we think there will be strong demand from family and friends wanting to reconnect once borders open."

Passengers arriving in Australia need to be fully vaccinated

When speaking about the resumption of international flights , Qantas says that while many aspects of flying will be like they were pre-COVID-19, some things will look slightly different, at least in the beginning. All passengers traveling to Australia need to be fully vaccinated with Australian Government approved COVID-19 vaccines, which are:

• AstraZeneca
• Johnson & Johnson (Janssen)
• Coronavac (Sinovac) - used by China
• Covishield, primarily used in India

*Please note Russia's Sputnik V and Sputnik Light have not been approved by Australia

Along with proof of vaccination, a negative report from a COVID-19 PCR test taken 72 hours before flying to Australia is needed for entry into Australia.

Qantas fleet update

In other Qantas-related news, thanks to lifting restrictions on international travel from November 1, 2021, Qantas says it plans to accelerate the return of its Airbus A380 aircraft from storage in the California desert. With newly updated cabins, the plan is to return the double-decker planes into service to operate flights to London and Los Angeles by next spring.

Qantas says it also plans to bring forward the delivery of Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, which are currently in storage with the American planemaker.

What do you think about the new Sydney to Delhi flights? Please tell us your thoughts in the comments.

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Qantas Returns to India After a Decade

Qantas has launched commercial flights between Australia and India for the first time in almost a decade.

The Sydney-Delhi service and the Melbourne-Delhi service have been the fastest-selling routes on the national carrier’s international network since borders reopened, with most flights in December almost entirely sold out.

Qantas is operating three weekly return flights from Sydney to Delhi, which will increase in January 2022, and four weekly return flights from Melbourne to begin from December 22, 2021.

It’s the first time Qantas has operated a commercial service to India since the end of its Brisbane to Mumbai service in 2012 and the airline’s first regular passenger flight from Australia to Delhi since 1974.

“We’re thrilled to be beginning commercial flights to India for the first time in almost a decade,” says Qantas Domestic and International CEO Andrew David. “There are very strong trade and economic links between Australia and India, and both the Melbourne and Sydney routes will help support that as international travel starts to normalise.”

Over the past 12 months, Qantas operated more than 60 repatriation flights on behalf of the Federal Government flights to bring Australians home from India.

All passengers on Qantas international flights are required to be fully vaccinated, unless they are under 12 years old, are 12-17-year-olds travelling to Australia with their family or guardian, or have an exemption. For full details, visit  qantas.com .

Initial international flights are limited to Australian citizens, permanent residents, and their immediate families and parents in line with Federal Government requirements. A number of other visa holders are expected to be able to re-enter Australia in the coming weeks

For more Airline & Airport   stories click here .

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India-bound travellers offered new destinations, more flights under Qantas-IndiGo partnership

In an announcement made on 20 january, qantas airlines said it has further expanded its codeshare partnership with the indian airline indigo. with the change, qantas passengers will have more options when travelling to over 20 cities in india, including the same baggage allowance..

Scene at Indira Gandhi International airport in New Delhi, India. Source: AP / Manish Swarup/AP/AAP Image

• Last year, Australian carrier Qantas started direct flights on the Sydney-Benglauru route.
• Qantas also has a codeshare partnership with Indian carrier IndiGo.
• Qantas operates four return flights from Melbourne to Delhi per week and four return flights from Sydney to Bengaluru per week.

Australia issues travel alert for India; warns citizens about changing COVID rules

Qantas customers travelling on IndiGo can carry the same baggage allowance as their flight from Australia as well as receiving complimentary food and drinks. Qantas media statement

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Qantas Launches Flights To ‘Silicon Valley Of India’

Direct route.

Image: Getty

Qantas today launched a new route from Sydney to Bengaluru. This is the first direct connection between Australia and Southern India by any airline.

Qantas flight QF67 will shave nearly three hours off the current fastest travel time between Sydney and Bengaluru, greatly increasing the ease of travel between India and New South Wales.

The route, which launched today, but which was announced earlier in 2022, has seen strong demand, Qantas says, with first flight there (and the one back) sold out in all cabins.

Bengaluru is known as India’s Silicon Valley. Many big finance and tech outfits have established major operations there.

Besides making business travellers’ lives easier, the new route will also provide new tourism opportunities for Sydney and New South Wales, with a direct gateway for India based visitors (the same goes for leisure travellers from Australia looking to visit India).

Qantas Domestic and International CEO Andrew David said the flights will boost tourism and economic relations between Australia and India.

“The addition of Bengaluru to our route map deepens our ties with India and follows the launch of direct services from Australia to Delhi last year which have also proven popular. Qantas is now the only airline offering direct flights between Australia’s two largest cities and the north and south of India.”

Minister for Tourism Ben Franklin said the new route solidifies Sydney’s standing as a global city.

“This partnership between Qantas and the NSW Government, through the Aviation Attraction Fund, opens up a new direct route between India and NSW, as well as fantastic opportunities for the NSW visitor economy.”

“Our airports are the gateway to our state, so supporting the return of airlines to them through the Aviation Attraction Fund is key to achieving our goal of making NSW the premier visitor economy of the Asia Pacific.”

Sydney Airport CEO Geoff Culbert said the flights would boost Sydney Airport’s connectivity.

“It’s terrific that the important and growing relationship between Australia and India is being reflected in greater aviation connectivity, and we’re delighted to soon welcome passengers on the only direct route between Australia and Southern India.”

Speaking of connections, Qantas has recently launched the first phase of its codeshare partnership with IndiGo, India’s largest domestic carrier.

According to Qantas, there are currently 11 destinations available for connection on IndiGo from Bengaluru, including Mumbai, Goa, Kolkata and Chennai. Qantas also says the codeshare will continue to roll out over coming months, giving Qantas customer more and more options for travelling around India.

Qantas has added Indian inspired menu items to its inflight menu on the new Bengaluru services, such as lamb chettinad in Business and paneer makhani, cumin seed pilaf, green peas and beans masala in Economy. Tickets between Sydney and Bengaluru start from $1,320 return.

In terms of frequency, Qantas will fly an A330 aircraft from Sydney to Bengaluru four times a week on a Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Qantas flies Melbourne to Delhi on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

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IndiGo’s Global Ambitions Take Shape: New Details From CEO Pieter Elbers

Peden Doma Bhutia , Skift

April 30th, 2024 at 11:28 AM EDT

IndiGo isn't happy just being the largest airline in India. The carrier wants to be taken seriously as a global aviation player.

Peden Doma Bhutia

India’s largest carrier IndiGo, which recently placed its first-ever order for widebody aircraft , plans to offer nonstop connectivity from major Indian airports to global destinations.

According to IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers, the decision is aligned with the government’s vision to make India a global aviation hub and powerhouse.

In the past 18 months, IndiGo has added 7 international destinations while expanding strategic partnerships, the most recent one being the codeshare partnerships with Malaysia Airlines and Qantas Airways.

But on a conference call with investors Tuesday, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers was tightlipped on where they intend to fly.

“We clearly have ideas where to go, how to develop it, but I don’t think this would be the right point in time to already move into what’s the exact network.”

He said that the plane clearly has the capabilities to go to many parts of the world from different Indian cities. “Amsterdam should be somewhere on the map,” he said half-jokingly – Elbers was born in the Netherlands, and had been the president and CEO of KLM before moving to IndiGo in 2022.

The IndiGo Aircraft Orders So Far

Last June, IndiGo placed an order for 500 aircraft with Airbus . The airline has also placed an order for XLRs and has also retained the purchase rights for an additional 70 aircraft.

“The XLRs, expected to arrive from next year, will help IndiGo further extend its range and increase the number of overseas routes for the airline, which today serve out of one specific point in India,” Elbers said.

Nairobi is one example. “Today, we operate today out of Nairobi — from Nairobi to Mumbai. With the XLR, we could start combining it also with Bengaluru or Delhi or other places in India itself.”

Currently, IndiGo has an outstanding order book of around a little short of 1,000 aircraft with a mix of 320neos, 321neos, 320 XLRs and now also the 350-900 aircraft.

IndiGo had entered into a wet lease agreement for a Boeing 777 widebody aircraft, commencing operations on the Delhi-Istanbul route in February last year. Subsequently, in May, the airline introduced its second Boeing 777 aircraft, also under wet lease terms, to service the Mumbai-Istanbul route.

Elbers said the wet lease and the codeshare with Turkish Airlines have given the airline a lot of insights and provided it with the necessary experience.

The Underpenetrated Indian Aviation Market

Elbers called the Indian aviation market still highly underpenetrated, both in domestic as well as in the international markets.

India has only around 70 wide-body aircraft and the Indian carriers are significantly underrepresented in the nonstop, long-haul international market, he said.

IndiGo, which currently operates around 350 aircraft, plans to operate 600 aircraft by 2030. “Today, we operate around 350-ish planes. By 2030, we will be operating in the range of 550 to 600 aircraft,” said Elbers.

Elbers said some of the triggers for the decision to order the widebodies include India’s economic development, the growing aspirations of Indian consumers to travel not just in the region, but beyond. He further said that for an airline that turns 18 this year this is a natural transition.

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Tags: a321xlr , airbus , asia monthly , Boeing , india , indigo airlines , low-cost carriers , turkish airlines

Photo credit: IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers places first-ever order for widebody aircraft with 30 Airbus A350s. Indigo

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Qantas probes data breach in frequent flyer app

Some Qantas customers have reported viewing strangers’ complete travel information through the app, with at least one instance of a user allegedly canceling another person’s tickets read more

Qantas Airways announced Wednesday an ongoing investigation into concerns affecting its frequent flyer application. Reports from various media sources suggest a potential data breach, allowing users unintended access to fellow passengers’ travel details.

According to local media, some Qantas customers have reported viewing strangers’ complete travel information through the app, with at least one instance of a user allegedly canceling another person’s tickets.

In response, the airline issued a statement on its website, acknowledging the situation and affirming immediate actions to address the matter. It stated, “We’re urgently working to resolve the issue impacting the Qantas app this morning,” and noted an examination into whether recent system alterations might be related to the problem.

Despite inquiries, Qantas refrained from offering additional specifics regarding the incident, neither in its initial statement nor when contacted separately by Reuters.

With inputs from Reuters

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Reporting by Sameer Manekar in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu and Rashmi Aich

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• Faruqi v Hanson: Pauline Hanson told ‘white’ Derryn Hinch to go back to where he came from, court told
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• 2h ago What we learned today, Wednesday 1 May
• 3h ago Pharmaceutical firm CEO appears before vape inquiry
• 3h ago Judge allows more time for Lehrmann to consider appeal
• 3h ago Lehrmann's lawyers want more time to consider appeal
• 4h ago Lehrmann defamation case costs hearing: Justice Lee criticises Ten lawyer
• 4h ago Police view more than 500 videos from alleged bestiality offender
• 5h ago Westpac extends pause on regional branch closures until 2027
• 5h ago South Korea signals interest in joining Aukus projects
• 6h ago Penny Wong refuses to confirm reports about India's intelligence activities
• 6h ago Shadow energy minister Ted O'Brien prompts walkout at solar conference
• 6h ago Nationwide house prices set record high for sixth consecutive month
• 6h ago NSW government launches coercive control campaign
• 7h ago NSW to hold emergency cabinet meeting on Friday
• 7h ago Qantas says app issue appears result of technology problem, not security breach
• 7h ago Vaping Senate inquiry kicks off
• 7h ago Third day of Faruqi v Hanson case begins
• 7h ago Albanese stands by decision to attend rally in Canberra against violence against women
• 8h ago Government releases full details on changes after national cabinet
• 8h ago $925m over five years for Leaving Violence program
• 8h ago Greens want violence against women declared a national emergency
• 9h ago Qantas suggests recent system changes may be behind app issue
• 9h ago Bonza ‘unlikely’ to resume flights, minister says
• 9h ago Two charged after woman’s body located in North Bondi yesterday
• 9h ago Prime minister delivers opening remarks at national cabinet
• 10h ago Qantas investigating app issue after customers report seeing strangers' data
• 10h ago Charges dropped against Victorian health department over quarantine
• 10h ago Ten people posed as patients during Victorian health minister’s visit to urgent care clinic
• 11h ago Queensland scraps detention as last resort for young criminals
• 11h ago Politicians respond to budget airline Bonza’s voluntary administration
• 11h ago Chalmers touts Aust-India ties despite spy revelations
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What we learned today, Wednesday 1 May

That’s it for today, thanks for reading. Here are the main stories of the day:

The Albanese government pledged almost $1bn to help women leave violent relationships .

Bruce Lehrmann was granted more time to consider an appeal against a ruling he was not defamed.

Pauline Hanson “plainly targeted” the Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi with a well-known racist phrase, a court was told .

The prime minister, Anthony Albanese , stood by his decision to attend a rally in Canberra against violence against women.

Bonza was “unlikely” to resume flights , the transport minister, Catherine King , said after the airline was placed into voluntary administration.

The Queensland government will scrap detention as a last resort for offenders amid growing concerns over youth crime.

The Victorian health minister confirmed public prosecutors had dropped charges against the health department over its handling of the hotel quarantine program that contributed to the state’s deadly second Covid-19 wave.

Qantas is investigating an issue with its app after customers reported seeing strangers’ data.

We will see you back here for more news on Thursday.

Australian and South Korean ministers condemn settler violence against Palestinians in West Bank

Let’s return to the meeting between the Australian and South Korean foreign and defence ministers held in Melbourne today. A joint statement gives more details about what Penny Wong and Richard Marles and their South Korean counterparts agreed regarding the Middle East:

The Ministers expressed deep concern at the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza . They condemned the horrific Hamas attacks on 7 October 2023 as acts of terror against innocent civilians. The Ministers agreed on the need for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire , and called for the immediate and unconditional release of hostages and a massive and sustained increase in the delivery of humanitarian relief to Gaza. The Ministers reiterated the importance of all parties adhering to international humanitarian law and protecting civilians . They also voiced their deep concern at ongoing high levels of settler violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank and called on all parties to refrain from actions that inflame tensions and undermine stability.

Notably, the Australian and South Korean ministers also “agreed on the need for a negotiated political solution to the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict and agreed that a secure and prosperous future for both Israelis and Palestinians will only come through a two-state solution”. The statement said the ministers “discussed how the international community can help build momentum towards a lasting peace ” and how South Korea’s approach to a recent vote at the UN security council on full Palestinian membership “ reflected this aspiration ”.

This line is interesting in light of Wong’s speech three weeks ago when she noted that the international community was “now considering the question of Palestinian statehood as a way of building momentum towards a two-state solution”. South Korea was among 12 of the 15 members of the UN security council to vote on 18 April in favour of a Palestinian request for full UN membership, but the initiative was blocked because of a US veto.

A blistering analysis on the youth crime situation in Queensland , by my colleagues Ben Smee and Andrew Messenger .

Qantas app ‘remains stable’, airline says

Qantas says its app remains stable after an issue earlier today resulted in customers being able to view the private details of others.

It said in a statement at 4.50pm:

The Qantas app is currently stable and operating normally following an issue with its homepage today. There were two periods today where some customers were shown the flight and booking details of other frequent flyers. This didn’t include financial information, and no customers were able to transfer or use the Qantas points of other frequent flyers. We have processes in place to make sure that customers were not able to board flights using the boarding pass of another customer and there were no reports of this happening. We sincerely apologise to all customers impacted and continue to monitor the Qantas app closely.

Australia not worried about sale of Austal to South Korean firm, Marles says

The defence minister, Richard Marles , says the government is not worried about the potential sale of Australian shipbuilder Austal to the South Korean company Hanwha.

Austal – which designs and builds a number of vessels for the Australian and US navies – confirmed last month that Hanwha had proposed to buy the company, subject to conditions.

Those conditions include being able to secure approvals from Australian and US regulators. Austal said at the time that it was not yet satisfied the necessary approvals would be granted, but was “open” to further talks with Hanwha about a potential sale.

Marles was asked about the matter after a 2+2 meeting with South Korean ministers in Melbourne today. He said the proposed acquisition was “a matter for Austal as a private company”, but added:

From the government’s perspective, we don’t have any concern about Hanwha moving in this direction . We have identified Austal as a strategic shipbuilder for Australia in WA. Wherever Austal goes, whatever it does, there will obviously need to be security arrangements put in place in respect of sensitive technologies and intellectual property that would have to be managed no matter what the future of Austal. And were there anything that were to transpire in relation to Hanwha, that would need to be managed in that context as well.

Faruqi v Hanson court update

Pauline Hanson’s counsel, Kieran Smark SC, is continuing to summarise Hanson’s defence against Mehreen Faruqi’s racial discrimination case. Faruqi brought the case after Hanson tweeted “piss off back to Pakistan” in response to Faruqi’s critique of colonisation on the day the queen died.

Smark is arguing that the timing of Hanson’s response to Faruqi is also relevant.

Hanson told the court on Tuesday that she doesn’t have access to Twitter herself, but her staff brought Faruqi’s tweet to her attention and she dictated a response, because she was “upset, offended and angry” at Faruqi’s critique on the day the queen died.

Hanson’s counsel says is important as “the timing of her saying that about the queen and the fact that Senator Faruqi had used the occasion of the death of the queen to advance the nominated political causes, whatever the readers thought about those causes, might be favourable, might be negative, [was about becoming a republic]”.

Smark says it is “one thing to say that generally” in the first few months of Charles’s reign, but another to say it “within hours” of the regent’s death.

Justice Angus Stewart asks Smark a question here:

“I’m still trying to understand why the response targeted as it is at the individual and their characteristics is political speech.”

Smark gives a response about political speech which ends with:

“Politics involves the deployment of rhetoric, powerful language, emotion, all with a view to persuading the audience towards a particular view and, in this case, a particular powerful view on on issues, which were clearly ones on which Senator Faruqi and Senator Hanson were separately removed, but also just as part of the political process.”

The court then adjourns until tomorrow at 10.15am when the remainder of the final submissions will be heard, including that of the commonwealth solicitor who is intervening in this case regarding the section 18C and 18D references.

NSW records leap in pneumonia cases among children

The number of school-aged children visiting NSW emergency departments with pneumonia has increased fivefold on pre-Covid levels.

Last week, 317 children aged between five and 16 visited NSW emergency departments with pneumonia – a fivefold increase on the last week of April 2019, when there were 65 cases.

In steps echoing those advised during the pandemic, the state health minister, Ryan Park , said it was important people exhibiting cold and flu-like symptoms not leave the house, and that if they needed to do so wear a mask.

NSW Health continues to monitor an increase in pneumonia cases among young people throughout the state since March 2024 and is investigating the cause of the increased spread. Encouragingly, this increase in cases has not led to a corresponding increase in severity. The increase in cases could be attributed to a number of causes, including increased vigilance in the community around respiratory illness following the Covid-19 pandemic or reduced immunity.

Earlier in the Senate inquiry, Richard Lee acknowledged Liber’s relationship with Chemist Warehouse as a shareholder.

In response to Senator Ross Cadell’ s concerns – after coming off the supermarket inquiry – around access to markets, Lee responded:

“Chemist Warehouse sit on our register. They’re a shareholder, they’re not involved in the day-to-day running of the business as an individual shareholder, as they have no board representation. They support the prescribed access model, as do all our shareholders.”

Cadell said he had “concerns over that relationship going forward”.

“What I don’t want to create is a new big industry that is controlled by channel to market.”

Pharmaceutical firm CEO appears before vape inquiry

Liber Pharmaceuticals’ CEO has defended its general manager owning a telehealth platform which prescribes vapes.

The Liber Pharmaceuticals CEO, Richard Lee , is today appearing before a Senate inquiry into the latest round of vaping reforms. His company benefits commercially from the regulation of nicotine vapes as medical products sold to people with a doctor’s prescription in a pharmacy, as Liber’s nicotine vapes are stocked by national wholesalers and major pharmacy brands.

The Nationals senator Ross Cadell asked Lee: “Smokefreeclinic.com.au is owned by your managing director, Ryan Boulton , is that correct?”

Lee: “Yes.”

Cadell: “I can go on that site and get a prescription for your products … It says nicotine vaping scripts are available for local pickup in 5,500 pharmacies on that website.”

Lee: “That goes to an independent cohort of doctors with which we have no contractual relationship.”

Cadell: “So the owner of the people that makes the products has a website that goes to an independent cohort of doctors that can prescribe your products?”

Lee: “Correct. That can prescribe any products, correct. And the simple fact of the matter – the reason we created Smokefree was because there was a lack of education and a lack of people knowing where to go to speak to a doctor. That remains the biggest issue with the channel today. It’s not that there are not enough doctors, it’s that people don’t know where to go to access.”

Judge allows more time for Lehrmann to consider appeal

Following on from our post from earlier , Justice Michael Lee has granted the application to Bruce Lehrmann to extend his time to appeal to 31 May.

Premier Chris Minns mourns death of his father

The NSW premier, Chris Minns , has confirmed in a statement that his father, John Minns , has died after suffering a heart attack earlier this week.

Minns said in the statement:

This afternoon we lost our dad, John Minns. To the end, he was surrounded by love and family, with his wife and children by his side. We thank the NSW paramedics and all the nurses and doctors at St George Hospital, who gave our dad great care this week. We have also been very moved by all the messages of support over the last few days.

Lehrmann's lawyers want more time to consider appeal

Bruce Lehrmann ’s lawyers have asked the federal court for more time to consider an appeal.

The former Liberal staffer lost the defamation case he brought against Ten and Lisa Wilkinson , with Justice Michael Lee finding that on the balance of probabilities Lehrmann raped Brittany Higgins on a minister’s couch in Parliament House in 2019.

Lehrmann had until 13 May to file an appeal against Lee’s decision but lawyers have now asked for an extension to 27 May.

Lee has heard an application from Lehrmann’s team that new senior counsel had been appointed and they needed more time to consider the lengthy judgement as well as more than 1,000 exhibits.

The application is not opposed by Ten.

Family violence payments not enough, advocates say

Mission Australia has called for government funding to help women and children escaping family violence find affordable housing, with the number of people experiencing DV seeking help from homelessness services doubling in the past three years.

Sharon Callister , chief executive of Mission Australia, said:

Every day, brave women across Australia confront the agonising choice between escaping violence and facing homelessness, or enduring unsafe and high-risk situations to avoid homelessness. Cost-of-living pressures, coupled with the scarcity of affordable housing and inadequate income support, compounds this horrific dilemma.

Delia Donovan , the chief executive of Domestic Violence NSW, criticised the federal government’s commitment of $925m - which will permanently establish a payment of up to $5,000 to help victims of violence - as not going far enough to help with housing.

Today’s National Cabinet noted the importance of housing reforms and a one-off payment is not going to provide a pathway out of abuse for women and children that are forced to choose between homelessness or abuse.

Faruqi v Hanson case update

In the other federal court hearing of the day, Justice Angus Stewart is now hearing from Pauline Hanson’s counsel, as the parties involved in Mehreen Faruqi’s racial discrimination action against Hanson comes to a conclusion.

Kieran Smark SC is appearing for Hanson today, and he is urging Stewart to look at how 18C and 18D of the Racial Discrimination Act impede on the implied right to freedom of speech.

Smark goes to fair comment and reasonableness of opinions (which has been part of Hanson’s defence).

Smark says:

Reasonableness in the context of a fair comment has a particular interesting character – it’s reasonable given that one is expressing an opinion. One is licensed to express an opinion in a sense, within the context of it being reasonable, but it’s an opinion and people hold a range of opinions. That’s the nature of opinions. Opinions are held on reasons which may not be able to be shared with other people on an axiomatic basis – that’s why they’re opinions.

Smark is arguing that Hanson was giving an opinion in good faith, and was making fair comment.

Queensland youth justice continued

All of this comes in the wake of an almighty backdown by the state Labor government.

Police minister Mark Ryan introduced legislation this morning which he said would eliminate the principle of detention as a last resort.

The legal principle is contained within the UN convention on the rights of the child.

The Liberal National opposition has called for a repeal of the legal clause for years.

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