Josh Butler

‘A win for democracy’: Labor abandons freedom of information law changes that would have reduced transparency Katy Gallagher says Albanese government still committed to reform and flags new fixes to system ‘stuck in the 1980s’

while Labor dumped its own bill to cut back Freedom of Information requests and impose new charges, Katy Gallagher says the govt is still committed to changes to make the FOI system more "efficient" - flagging a new bill in future

www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Pauline Hanson expected to face censure motion in Senate over ‘inflammatory’ comments about Muslims Labor’s move expected to be supported by the Greens, making it Hanson’s second censure within four months

🚨Pauline Hanson censured again by the Senate

Senate has voted 36-17 to censure Hanson. The Coalition didn't support the motion - but Liberal mods Paul Scarr and Andrew McLachlan crossed the floor to back the censure

www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

It’s 978 days since Peta Murphy called for a ban on betting ads. What happened to Labor’s pledge to respect parliament? | Josh Butler From gambling to ‘jobs for mates’ and reports left to gather dust, the teals have a shopping list of thorny topics to talk about

Reports are delayed, then left waiting for responses. On thorny issues, there can be long silence.

News on "jobs for mates", gambling and a lack of response to parliamentary committee reports:

www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Federal MPs accept free sport tickets from gambling companies amid calls to restrict wagering ads Tabcorp and Sportsbet provided tickets to at least six Liberal and Labor politicians, register of interests shows

At least six federal Labor and Liberal politicians, including an assistant minister and shadow ministers, have disclosed they accepted free tickets to lucrative sporting events from major gambling companies in the past six months

www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

full Angus Taylor shadow ministry list - promotions for Tim Wilson, Jacinta Price, Andrew Hastie, Tony Pasin, Claire Chandler

More: www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

PM tells Isaac Herzog Australia wants transparency over Zomi Frankcom’s death as pair meet in Canberra Israeli president’s visit met with protests outside Parliament House, with at least one independent MP boycotting question time

PM Albanese says he raised concerns w/ Israel's Isaac Herzog about aid worker Zomi Frankcom, killed by an IDF strike in Gaza - which Albanese called an "outrage"

Says Aust Govt wants transparency in investigation & pressing for "any appropriate criminal charges"
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Political parties receive more than $138m in ‘dark money’ before new donation rules begin Labor, Liberals and the Greens given tens of millions of dollars each from undisclosed sources, analysis shows

The source of more than $138m in donations to Australian political parties remains unknown, thanks to contributions that fall below the disclosure threshold in the federal electoral system that are known as “dark money”

www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Albanese defends Isaac Herzog’s Australia visit as federal MP joins calls to rescind invitation Independent MP Sophie Scamps joins Labor’s Friends of Palestine group and Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi in objecting to Israeli president’s visit

Anthony Albanese has defended the government’s invitation to Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, to visit, after another federal MP joined calls to cancel the visit after the Bondi terror attack.
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Albanese defends Isaac Herzog’s Australia visit as federal MP joins calls to rescind invitation Independent MP Sophie Scamps joins Labor’s Friends of Palestine group and Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi in objecting to Israeli president’s visit

Anthony Albanese has defended the government’s invitation to Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, to visit, after another federal MP joined calls to cancel the visit after the Bondi terror attack.
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

🚨Nationals MP Colin Boyce says he'll move a spill motion for the Nats leadership on Monday - he will run, critical of David Littleproud

Boyce on Sky: "David has made some bad decisions recently, he's upset just about everybody"

Calls to reunite the Coalition with the Libs

This is bloody entertaining cricket but ripping through these Test matches so quickly is really ruining one of the most reliably comforting parts of summer (knowing you can fall asleep on the couch, full of ham and carbs, then wake up without having missed too much) #Ashes

🚨 PM Albanese announces new Australian gun buyback scheme for "surplus, newly banned and illegal firearms - the largest buyback since the Howard government in 1996" after Bondi massacre

Expecting "hundreds of thousands of firearms will be collected and destroyed"

Bondi: National cabinet has agreed to look at gun control options in Australia including potential changes to:

- licensing
- limiting the number of guns able to be held by one person
- further restrictions to guns permitted
- limiting firearms licenses to Australian citizens

Anthony Albanese sidesteps calls for reform amid growing community anger over MP travel perks The federal opposition and crossbenchers have backed a review of expenses spending rules

Anthony Albanese sidesteps calls for reform amid growing community anger over MP travel perks

PM declines multiple times to answer whether his Labor government would now change rules, saying “I’m not the finance minister
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Guardian Essential poll: One Nation records highest-ever primary vote after burqa stunt and Joyce defection speculation Minor party reaches primary vote of 17% as majority of respondents remain pessimistic about housing affordability and the rising cost of living

One Nation up to 17% primary vote in latest Essential poll - half that of Labor’s primary (34%) and approaching the Coalition (26%)

comes after scrutiny on Hanson's burqa stunt, and Barnaby Joyce's defection from the Nationals
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

‘Between a rock and a hard place’: Bill Shorten defends Anika Wells travel expenses Former Labor leader says critics won’t be happy until politicians are ‘hitch-hiking up the Hume and sleeping in a tent’

Former Labor leader defends Bill Shorten defends Anika Wells travel expenses

“Who’d want to be a sports minister? If you don’t go to the events, you’re a sport hating, un-Australian nerd – and if you do, somehow you’re getting an unfair benefit"
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Labor minister Don Farrell claimed $9,000 for family travel during sports events and theatre showings Minister says family travel expenses, including those claimed around the time of AFL grand final and a sunset dinner at Uluru, are ‘in line with relevant rules’

New: trade minister Don Farrell charged taxpayers $9000 over three years for his family’s travel costs around Australia after being invited to football games, tennis matches, a sunset dinner at Uluru and a wine event, parliamentary records show
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Australian children moving to new social app Lemon8 but owner expected to restrict users to over-16s Australia’s under-16s social media ban might take weeks to work but all platforms are on notice, government says

Social media app Lemon8 is expected to restrict users to 16+ from December 10

It experienced a recent surge in interest as it isn't included in the under-16 ban

eSafety Commission warned it was closely monitoring the app for possible inclusion in the ban
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

AI companies could be forced to invest in renewable energy amid warning tech will use 12% of Australia’s power Australian government wants artificial intelligence industry to help expand power grid to supply their energy-intensive data centres

The Australian government could force AI companies to boost our power grid and build new wind and solar projects to help supply their energy-intensive data centres, amid concerns the booming industry could suck up vast amounts of electricity and water
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Australia politics live: Senate passes censure motion against Pauline Hanson over burqa stunt Follow live

breaking: Pauline Hanson suspended from the Senate for 7 days after refusing to apologise for burqa stunt yesterday (as compelled by Senate order and censure motion)
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

the Senate has overwhelmingly voted to censure Pauline Hanson for her burqa stunt

Motion passed 55 to 5 - only One Nation and Ralph Babet voted against

Hanson will be barred from overseas parliamentary delegations
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Pauline Hanson faces widespread condemnation after repeating ‘disgraceful’ burqa stunt in Senate Nationals senator Matt Canavan says One Nation leader ‘debased’ parliament while independent Fatima Payman says she is ‘disrespecting Muslim Australians’

The Senate has now resumed, but Hanson is suspended for the rest of the day. She was condemned by many senators for the burqa stunt - with Nationals senator Matt Canavan saying she “debased” the parliament and was “ridiculing” Muslim Australians
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Australia politics live: Pauline Hanson ejected from Senate as ‘disgraceful’ burqa stunt condemned by senators from across political divide Follow live

Pauline Hanson has repeated her 2017 stunt in wearing a burqa into the Senate chamber

Senators are yelling criticism: "been there, done that" - "old hat"

The Senate has been suspended as Hanson refuses to remove the burqa - chamber still suspended 40 mins later www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Labor has brushed aside concerns over the social media ban. But what if it doesn’t work as promised? If Meta, the world’s biggest social media company, expects problems after a year of preparation, then what should the rest of us be expecting?

One year ago this week, Labor introduced its social media ban for under 16s, ramming it through parliament in 7 days - such was their keenness

A year later, just 19 days before the laws come into effect on 10 December, the government was still finalising details
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

The $9tn cost to Australians: how a ‘misrepresented’ figure on net zero took on a life of its own A network of climate academics called Net Zero Australia say the actual cost of building a low-carbon energy system to Australians would be about $300bn * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast In seeking to prosecute its backflip on net zero and opening yet another chapter in the endless climate wars, the Nationals leader, David Littleproud, and other prominent conservatives have claimed Labor’s emissions reduction plans would cost Australians up to $9tn. But the group who many quote for that figure, a network of climate academics called Net Zero Australia (NZA), say critics are “misrepresenting” their findings. They say the $9tn price tag is for a different figure, and isn’t the cost to be borne by Australians. Continue reading...

The $9tn cost to Australians: how a ‘misrepresented’ figure on net zero took on a life of its own

Australian government could explore using AI for cabinet submissions despite security concerns Finance minister Katy Gallagher says the public service is building its own artificial intelligence program and spruiks productivity benefits

The government may explore using AI to write sensitive cabinet submissions, despite concerns about data breaches

Public servants have raised alarm at the poor quality in AI content, effects on jobs, and fears about automated decision-making after Robodebt
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

On a polarising day marking Whitlam’s dismissal, Howard backs four-year terms in rare lockstep with PM Division remains half a century on from Gough Whitlam’s historic dismissal, but there was a spark of common ground

John Howard backs four-year parliamentary terms in rare lockstep with PM, calls for Sussan Ley to support Albanese in change www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

‘Nationals-lite’: former Liberal president says party would be ‘rewarding standover tactics’ if net zero dumped Exclusive: Jason Falinski says cutting net zero would tell young Australians ‘we have given up’ and could have negative impact at next election

New: the Liberal party ran as “Nationals-lite” last election and would be “rewarding standover tactics” if it caves to dropping net zero, says former party president & MP Jason Falinski

Shadow minister Andrew Bragg says it's “not leadership” to drop it
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

The National Anti Corruption Commission says it has prepared an investigation report on a matter which “relates to a grants scheme” relating to a commonwealth official

40 corruption investigations on foot - 7 related to current or former politicians
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Nats MP Michael McCormack has once again done his "Melbourne Cup of Politics" mock horse race call in the parliament

"Canning [Andrew Hastie] has gone hard and fast, maybe a bit too Hastie"

"New England [Barnaby Joyce], maybe changing stables"