What we learned today, Wednesday 16 August
Thanks for joining us on the Australia news live blog today. That’s where we’ll wrap up our coverage – here are some key developments:
States and territories will receive a “new home bonus” of up to $3bn if they help reach an updated target of 1.2m new homes over five years, the national cabinet has agreed.
Lidia Thorpe has called for the voice referendum to be called off, arguing it is an “easy way to fake progress” for First Nations people without making any changes.
Dozens of longstanding temperature records tumbled across Australia during a warm July, as scientists warn the climate crisis is accelerating.
Pauline Hanson has had a legal victory after overturning $250,000 in defamation damages awarded after she made claims about the conduct of a former New South Wales senator in her One Nation party
Australia and California have pledged to collaborate on “fighting climate change and protecting biodiversity”.
Work for the dole rarely leads to a job and fewer than 15% of unemployed people have ever had a positive experience with the government’s mutual obligations system, a new report has found.
Enjoy the Matildas match tonight. See you back bright and early tomorrow morning.
Updated
NSW Labor warned of risks before appointing Josh Murray
Recruiters hired to find NSW’s new transport boss warned the man later handed the position was not adequately experienced, AAP reports.
Josh Murray’s appointment as transport secretary in July has become a thorn in the side of the Labor government as it defends the former corporate affairs boss as the right man to manage the state’s $178bn travel network.
Mr Murray, a chief of staff to the former Labor premier Morris Iemma who later spent 15 years at construction giant Laing O’Rourke, was shortlisted after the head of the transport minister, Jo Haylen’s office requested he be interviewed.
Documents tabled in parliament on Wednesday show a progress report by the headhunting firm NGS Global listed Mr Murray as “under review or not recommended to proceed”.
It described his experience as somewhat relevant but largely in corporate affairs or as a chief of staff and without the “level of operational complexity required” for a transport secretary.
Updated
