As it happened: Gas companies could face unprecedented price controls; renters facing toughest-ever market

Well, that’s a wrap. Thank you for joining me on the blog this afternoon.

I’m signing off for the evening but here’s a summary of the headlines today in case you missed them:

• Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is being investigated in a secret anti-corruption commission probe over his role in the awarding of two grants to a Labor-linked union on the eve of the 2018 election.
• NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet visited the regional town of Forbes, which is bracing for its worst flood in 70 years, and urged people across the state not to drive into floodwaters.
• Flights in and around the country could be impacted ahead of the festive season after airport firefighters voted to take industrial action today.
• Aged care workers will receive a 15 per cent pay boost after the Fair Work Commission handed down its decision in the high-profile wage case backed by the government.
• The Reserve Bank lowered its Australian economic growth forecasts as higher interest rates weighed on consumers’ ability to spend.
• Education Minister Jason Clare declared that the Coalition are being hypocritical in their criticism of the government’s recent mission to repatriate the families of former IS fighters from Syria.

Have a great evening and a wonderful weekend!

In lighter news, a bronze Malcolm Turnbull bust is the newest addition to Ballarat’s Prime Ministers Avenue, unveiled at a ceremony attended by the man himself today.

It’s the 29th in a succession of statues costing between $30,000 and $50,000 each and funded by the City of Ballarat.

Mayor of the city Daniel Moloney said he was proud to have Turnbull visit Ballarat’s Avenue of Prime Ministers which has become a tourist attraction.

“Ballarat’s Avenue of Prime Ministers is unique in the Australian context,” he said. “It’s not often in the global context that you get a peaceful transition of power. This is a place where we come to celebrate the history of our Prime Ministers and democracy.”

Here’s what Turnbull had to say about the statue:

“Having a head on a plinth is a bit of a worry. There’s lots of people who have wanted to put my head on something else over the years.”

“[But] very generous I thought. I think the guy behind me is better looking than the original, so I can’t complain.”

“You sort of get defenestrated as Prime Minister and then you end up in the Ballarat Botanic Gardens so it’s not all that bad.”

The head of a supermarket chain has warned purchase limits could be placed on common frozen food items such corn and potatoes because of a weather-interrupted growing season.

Ritchies IGA chief executive Fred Harrison said the shortage is “almost as bad as it’s ever been.”

“We met with Simplot yesterday, who are the major manufacturer and supplier, and there are major, major shortages at the moment on items such as corn, cauliflower, broccoli, beans, peas, carrots, and most of the world potatoes,” he told Sunrise on Friday.

Harrison also said that a purchase limit may go into effect as stock would not improve for the next six to 12 months.

“Trouble is we’ve had constant issues with potatoes for the last 12 months, so there’s not really been a state where there’s been surplus in the system,” he said. “It’s been very much hand-to-mouth. We may have to go to the customers, and say a limit of two or three packs of frozen vegetables.”

The supermarket boss also said recent flooding and supply chain issues overseas had exacerbated food supply issues.

Premier Daniel Andrews is being investigated in a secret anti-corruption commission probe over his role in the awarding of two grants worth $3.4 million to a Labor-linked union on the eve of the 2018 election, Paul Sakkal reports.

The government awarded a $1.2 million contract, which is outlined in public documents, to the Health Workers Union (HWU) on the eve of the 2018 election. Seven days earlier, and before the tender had been finalised, Andrews publicly announced an additional $2.2 million election promise for the same training program alongside HWU boss Diana Asmar.

Sources familiar with the IBAC probe, known as Operation Daintree, told The Age the premier and some of his advisers had been a key focus of the investigation, which is looking into how the money was promised to the union despite objections from Health Department officials.

Two sources with knowledge of the investigation told The Age that a critical meeting between the premier, Asmar and others in early October, weeks before the $2.2 million announcement, had been a particular focus of IBAC investigators.

The inquiry is the fourth Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission investigation to interview Andrews during his current term of office, but the first known inquiry to closely query his actions.

Read more here.