What we learned; Monday 20 January
That’s it for today, thanks for reading. Here are the day’s main stories:
Anthony Albanese says smelters will close and cost many jobs without their newly announced $2bn aluminium production incentive, which the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has labelled a “con job”.
Petrol stations in Victoria will be forced to publicly report their fuel prices a day before they come into effect, with motorists then able to lock them in for 24 hours, under a “cost-of-living shake-up” announced by the state government.
Two 17-year-olds have died in the Sunshine Coast hinterland after one slipped into a raging waterfall and her friend dived in to try to rescue her.
Tony Jones has issued an apology to Novak Djokovic after comments the veteran broadcaster made at the Australian Open led to the Serbian tennis star boycotting Channel Nine’s coverage of the tournament.
A body has been found during a search for a man missing in flood waters in the north of NSW.
The Today show reporter Airlie Walsh has reached a confidential settlement with the Nine network more than a year after filing a sex discrimination claim with the federal court.
A bushfire in Victoria’s Grampians was likely started by campers, authorities say.
Enjoy the rest of your evening, and we will see you again tomorrow.
Updated
Regional communities also back aluminium funding
Further to our last post, NSW and Queensland communities have also welcomed the $2bn green aluminium announcement.
Erin Killion, the lead organiser of the Hunter Community Alliance, said in a statement:
This is a great win for the Hunter community, not only for the workers at the Tomago Aluminium smelter and the supporting industries, but for their families.
We know that with big economic changes people can experience a lot of disruption to their lives.
As we meet the changing global markets, it’s important that communities stay together, the Hunter community and its families are just not intertwined with manufacturing but with their local schools and community groups. This approach from the federal government ensures that the community is here to stay.
Elise Ganley, a community organiser for Queensland Community Alliance, said the funding would also secure jobs at the Boyne Smelter in Gladstone and “showcase renewable energy as the best choice for high-quality manufacturing”.
Updated
