Thanks for joining us. This week began with Australia recognising Palestine, and continued with a rate cut. We’ll be back soon with more live coverage, here’s how it ended:
- People banned from holding a working with children check in one jurisdiction will be banned in all under fast-tracked reforms to be delivered by the end of the year. The federal, state and territory attorneys-general agreed the change this morning. Initially, the reforms were going to take 12 months.
- The Greens, however, say this isn’t enough and have mooted plans to push for a Senate inquiry into the safety and quality of early childhood education and care when federal parliament resumes later this month.
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hit back at US diplomat Mike Huckabee over Australia’s recognition of Palestine earlier this week. Huckabee expressed his “disgust” at the move, but Albanese retorted that the continued human suffering in Gaza had disgusted Australia.
- Australia’s insatiable appetite for illicit drugs is fuelling demand from international crime groups and drug dealers cashing in on the lucrative market, prompting calls for a fresh approach.
- Energy Minister Chris Bowen has launched a scheme designed to make energy and transmission line companies more accountable to regional communities. It comes after several years of fierce opposition from some farmers and regional residents to proposed projects required to help Australian transition from fossil fuels to renewables.
- Meanwhile, a report from the Clean Energy Council today has found Australia is falling behind the government’s plan to have 82 per cent of national energy needs generated by renewables by 2030.
- Services across the nation marked the victory in the Pacific anniversary on Friday, 80 years after the end of World War Two. Almost a million Australians served in uniform during the war, of whom 40,000 were killed and 66,000 wounded.