What we learned; Monday 3 February
Thanks for joining us on the blog today, here’s our top stories from today:
Today was the first day of the unlawful dismissal case brought by journalist Antoinette Lattouf against the ABC, which allegedly unlawfully dismissed her from a casual Sydney radio job in December 2023 three days into a five-day contract.
NAB has become the first big bank to cut fixed-interest mortgage rates, after challenger Macquarie, as expectations of an impending Reserve Bank rate cut grow
A major backer of the teal independents has topped the list of political donors ahead of the 2025 election.
A young homeless man who was living in Jewish-run crisis accommodation will remain behind bars after allegedly yelling out antisemitic abuse at a woman while he was on bail.
The Greens will support the Albanese government’s hate crimes bill if amendments are made to include additional protection – including for people with disabilities.
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young says her party will bring on debate on a bill to ban gambling advertisements, after Anthony Albanese said his government never had any legislation to deal with that issue.
A car belonging to a CFMEU official was torched overnight in a suburb on the south-west fringe of Sydney
New South Wales premier Chris Minns has conceded two of his senior ministers made a “massive error of judgment” in calling on a taxpayer-funded driver to transport them to a private lunch, but has shot down calls to sack them.
Senior meteorologist at the BoM, Dean Narramore, says major flood levels are likely to remain for several days in northern Queensland as the state continues to grapple with wild weather.
84,000 hectares has burned in the Little Desert fire, and two properties are believed to have been lost near Hattah in the Mallee, while 46,000 hectares have burned in the Grampians fire.
Updated
The first day of Antoinette Lattouf v the ABC has wrapped up without the journalist finishing her cross-examination.
She will return to the witness box on Tuesday morning; and a cross-examination of her psychiatrist, Dr Nigel Strauss, will follow.
Also scheduled for Tuesday is outgoing ABC managing director David Anderson.
Steve Ahern, who hired Lattouf for the casual role when he was acting head of capital city networks, will appear on Thursday after a full-day of evidence on Wednesday from content chief Chris Oliver-Taylor.
Former ABC chair Ita Buttrose will give evidence on Friday morning.
Among the evidence heard on Monday was that advice from the ABC’s acting editorial director Simon Melkman was sought by the executive after the ABC received a large number of complaints about its decision to appoint Lattouf as a casual radio host.
