What we learned today, Friday 16 June
With that, we’ll wrap up our live coverage of the day’s news.
Here’s a summary of the main news developments:
Fallout from allegations levelled against the Liberal senator David Van continued. The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, said he had been made aware of a third allegation against Van since he expelled him from the party room on Thursday, and called for him to resign from parliament. Late on Friday, the Victorian Liberal party’s administrative committee said it would hold an urgent meeting this weekend to discuss Van’s future.
The environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, has approved habitat clearing for a defence housing development in Darwin despite acknowledging there is a significant risk for what has been described as one of Australia’s most beautiful endangered birds.
Brian Houston never attempted to “cover up” his father’s paedophilia, instead immediately reporting his father’s confession to church leaders and banning him from preaching, Houston’s lawyer has told a Sydney court.
Sydney property developers are “laughing” about the windfall they will receive under proposed changes to the state’s planning rules, according to an eastern suburbs mayor, as debate continues on how to ease the housing crisis.
What a week it has been. Thanks for reading and have a pleasant evening and weekend.
Updated
Stoker’s message to women: ‘Don’t put up with shit’
Stoker says the past week should be a lesson – to “teach kids by our example” and report incidents “with proportionality” so problem patterns can be identified and dealt with.
“This conduct isn’t OK, it isn’t acceptable. If there’s a pattern, and I say if with some care here, then that cannot be allowed to continue. Let’s chart a way forward for everyone’s sake, raise kids not to accept this nonsense, especially at work.”
To women, she says: “Don’t put up with shit.”
“I’m not out to make this a bigger deal than it is, I’m not scarred for life, and I’m not out to get anyone. I never wanted this to be public, but I’m not about to cover it up.”
Now Van has denied the allegations, she says she is glad she went public and backed independent Senator Lidia Thorpe.
“Well, it tells me something. It tells me that speaking up was the right thing to do. After all, the standard we walk past is the standard we accept.”
Updated
