LIVE: Election 2025 – Aussie politician is slammed for linking ‘climate change’ to death of NRL star

Teal MP Sophie Scamps has been accused of using the sudden death of a footy player to ‘gain political points’.

Keith Titmuss (pictured, below), 20, died after a Manly Sea Eagles training session at their Narrabeen training base in November 2020.

Scamps, the MP for Mackellar in Sydney’s northern beaches (pictured, below), suggested he had been a victim of ‘lethal humidity’, caused by climate change.

‘With every rise of one degree in temperature you have seven degrees increased per cent in humidity, so the death of that young man – and I’m not saying – the death of the young man, the rugby league player when it was 33 degrees, a very humid day, died from heat stress – you know, after a training session,’ Scamps told an event in February.

‘That type of lethal humidity is something that the medical fraternity is getting more and more concerned about.’

Titmuss’ mother, Lafo, told the Daily Telegraph she was ‘disappointed’ by Scamps’ comments, given the Deputy State Coroner Derek Lee did not mention ‘lethal humidity’.

Instead, Lee found that the off-season session in the heat was ‘more likely than not inappropriate’ and listed various other factors, such as his high body-mass index, that may have contributed to his death.

‘I’m disappointed that (Scamps) is using my son’s name to try and gain political points when all she needed to do was read Derek Lee’s findings, which mention nothing about climate change,’ Ms Lafo told the paper.

Manly chief executive Tony Mestrov said that ‘lethal humidity’ or climate change was not mentioned in the coroner’s report.

’To suggest otherwise is insensitive and incorrect.’

A spokesperson for Scamps said his death was ‘caused by exertional heat stroke’.

‘As a doctor and former elite athlete, Sophie takes the threat of lethal humidity extremely seriously,’ the statement added.

‘As parents, we do not want our kids to have to train and compete in conditions that put their health at risk’

Former PM Tony Abbott has backed Dutton’s comments about Welcome to Country ceremonies being ‘overdone’.

‘Peter Dutton has done us all a favour by admitting and acknowledging that these things are overdone, and they certainly can be very out of place at things like Anzac Day ceremonies,’ Mr Abbott told 2GB radio.

Abbott said the practice by airlines like Qantas and Virgin of acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land was ‘absolutely grating’.

‘I mean, why is Melbourne suddenly the preserve of people, one group of people, as opposed to everyone who’s lived there?’, he added.

The Opposition Leader was scheduled to hold a press conference at a junior footy club in the ultra-marginal seat of Gilmore.

That was, until anti-nuclear protesters had other ideas.

The demonstrators, dressed up as mad scientists in hazmat suits, had a stand-off with the waiting media as they sounded an air-raid siren and caused a ruckus.

The men pulled out a tape measure, claiming they were ‘’marking a spot for a nuclear reactor’.

Club officials remonstrated with them, with one saying: ‘Hey, we’re here for juniors’.

Dutton was whisked away from the event, but not before he’d had a chance to have a chat with a local dog-walker.

The Australian reported that the protesters identified themselves as being members of local trade union group the South Coast Labour Council – and they left in a car bearing a sign for the local Teal candidate.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton sparked a national conversation when he claimed on Sunday night that Welcome to Countries were ‘overdone’.

But the Coalition will not be bringing in any laws about when and where the ceremonies can be confirmed.

In subsequent comments, Dutton clarified the occasions he thinks it’s appropriate to hold one: To clarify: the opening of Parliament.

But not on Anzac Day, on planes, at the footy or at the start of work meetings.

Now, Coalition campaign spokesperson James Paterson has confirmed it is a ‘matter for organisers’.

‘We’re not proposing new legislation or laws to dictate when there should or shouldn’t be Welcome to Countries,’ he told ABC News Breakfast.

‘We’ve said we think they’re appropriate at some events, and Peter’s given the good example of the opening of parliament.

‘He says he thinks it can be overdone. We’ve all seen events where on Zoom calls people are doing various Acknowledgements of Country or conferences where every single person does it.

‘It cheapens it if it’s tokenistic.’

The PM certainly received very different greetings when he visited the seat of Banks in southern Sydney yesterday.

‘What happened to Labor Friends of Palestine! You are the establisher of Friends of Palestine, yet you don’t want to speak out!’, she screamed.

While Albanese’s media minders ensured that Darwich didn’t get too close, they couldn’t do anything about a passing motorist who chose that very moment to yell at the PM.

But, to undoubted relief, it was a very Australian endorsement of the Labor leader.

‘Albo, you sick c***t!’, the ute driver yelled.

The press pack were in hysterics. So too was the PM, who was captured grinning from ear-to ear inside his car.

Social media users were quick to laugh at the interaction.

One said: ‘No higher accolade’.

‘I love that Albo knew it was a compliment,’ one wrote.

Another called the PM a ‘legend’.

Millions of Aussies have been receiving unsolicited texts from Clive Palmer’s Trumpet of Patriots party during the federal election campaign.

It is understood that the party will have bought personal phone numbers from data harvesters, which they can then spam en masse.

This type of behaviour would be illegal if it was a private telemarketing company. But political parties are exempt.

‘Political parties are exempt from the Spam Act and the Privacy Act and are able to send unsolicited text messages without an opt-out option,’ an Australian Electoral Commission spokesperson told the ABC.

‘Any changes to these laws would be a matter for the Parliament to consider.’

And Independent MP Zali Steggall has said she is considering exactly that.

‘The crossbench, in fact, have been repeatedly pushing for changes to the Australian Electoral Commission laws to outlaw that spamming of voters because you can’t even opt out the way you do for commercial texting,’ Steggall told Today.

Until then, Aussies only really need to worry about the Trumpet of Patriot’s boss.

‘Only Clive Palmer has enough money to engage in scattergun tactics like texting every phone number they can get hold off,’ the ABC’s Anthony Green said.

A teenage girl has been charged after allegedly targeting Peter Dutton’s office in Arana Hills in Brisbane’s north-west overnight, 7News reports.

Red paint was splashed across the doors and over a portrait of the Opposition Leader.

The vandals reportedly left messages referencing Donald Trump, the war in Gaza, and Aboriginal land rights, including the slogan, ‘Always Was, Always Will Be’.

It marks the third time Dutton’s office has been targeted in as many weeks.

‘Around 2.30am police were called to Wye Street in Mitchelton following reports of four people in a red sedan acting suspiciously,’ a Queensland Police said.

‘The vehicle fled the scene before police arrived.

‘A police dog tracked a woman to Leslie Patrick Park and responding police located graffiti to a nearby building at Dawson Parade.

‘An 18-year-old Chapel Hill woman has been charged with one count of wilful damage and is expected to appear before Brisbane Magistrates Court on May 20.’