As it happened: RBA lifts interest rates to 3.85 per cent; Disposable vapes to be banned in Australia in major shift; Voice debate continues

• The Victorian Coalition formally agreed to give its MPs a free vote on the upcoming referendum to enshrine an Indigenous Voice to federal parliament.
• In NSW, Kathleen Folbigg’s legal team has urged the attorney-general to take steps to secure her early release from prison on parole, pending the final report of a landmark inquiry into her convictions over the deaths of her four children.
• Overseas, the White House estimates Russia has suffered 100,000 casualties, including more than 20,000 killed, since December, as Ukraine has rebuffed a heavy assault by Russian forces in eastern Ukraine.
• And today was the first Monday in May in the US, which means celebrities have walked the red carpet at the Met Gala, the annual charity ball for the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute in New York. You can view our gallery of this year’s fashion highlights here.

Australian man Brenton Craig Abbas Abdullah McArthur, 47, was arrested on the weekend for allegedly spitting in the face of an imam at a mosque in the Indonesian city of Bandung on Friday.

Noosa carpenter Bodhi Mani Risby-Jones, 23, was arrested in Indonesia’s ultra-conservative Aceh province, accused of an alcohol-fuelled, naked rampage outside a beachside resort that left a passer-by in hospital and prompted an angry mob of residents to threaten to burn down the hotel.

The chief of the village where the alleged incident occurred has said the resort Risby-Jones was staying in must slaughter a goat to restore peace to the deeply conservative Muslim community.

Risby-Jones faces as many as five years in prison if convicted.

The government’s travel advice said tourists shouldn’t expect to be treated differently by local authorities because they were Australian.

“It’s your responsibility to research the local laws in your destination and obey them. Even if they seem harsh or unfair by Australian standards. Like in Australia, local police are unlikely to accept ‘I didn’t know’ as an excuse for breaking the law.

The government was limited in how and when it could help if Australians broke local laws, the advice said.

“We can’t get you out of trouble, out of jail, or pay your legal bills or fines. Stay within the law, and you won’t need our help.”

Kearney said the government would provide more detail in the budget on how online sales and international border checks would be managed. But she said this was something the government would do with states and territories, who would mostly monitor and run compliance measures.

“To say that it will be too hard, that we will never be able to do it is not an option for this government, [and] not an option for parents of these young people who they see getting addicted to these vapes. We have to start somewhere where we can, and those measures will be worked out over time with the states, our own border force, controls and a plan will emerge over time.

“Is just too important to say it’s too hard, we have to try.”

Westacott said Labor’s plan to create another migration pathway for low-paid jobs could solve the shortfall, “but until it is actually established, we’re at risk of seeing serious gaps in sectors where students have been critical, like retail and hospitality”.

Aged care providers have called for a six-month delay on the restrictions to mitigate the shock on its critically thin workforce, while the hospitality lobby said the restriction would also have an impact.

Australian Industry Group chief Innes Willox said the aged-care sector’s concerns were shared across the economy.

“It is clear that as working rights of international students are wound back, alternative migration pathways will be needed to ensure we avoid areas of potential labour shortages across significant segments of the economy,” he said.

Australian Retailers Association head Paul Zahra said internation students were critical to the health of the $400 million industry, adding lower numbers of students recently had wounded retail.

“There’s no silver bullet to solve the current workforce challenges – a range of solutions needs to be implemented. But there’s no doubt that maintaining the current flexibility around working hours for students would go a long way in addressing the current workforce challenges,” Zahra said.

“Given that, it is not surprising that the Reserve Bank has made the decision that it has made today, which will inflict so much pain on so many Australians.”

Taylor said next Tuesday’s federal budget needed to deliver a surplus, which he argued was achievable.

“We’ve heard many economists in recent days saying it’s achievable and that budget surplus and ongoing budget balance, with an ongoing commitment to budget balance, is absolutely crucial to take pressure off interest rates and inflation because the harsh reality is if the government doesn’t balance its budget, households and businesses have to do the work for it.”

The man, 32, was charged with five offences linked to the incident, including aggravated robbery, driving a stolen vehicle, furious driving, and failing to stop for police.

He faced the ACT Magistrates Court on Tuesday, when he was denied bail.

ACT Policing urged any witnesses, or anyone who might have dash-cam footage, to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or via the Crime Stoppers ACT website.

With AP