What we learned; Thursday 24 August
And that’s where we’ll leave you this evening. Here’s what we learned today:
Treasurer Jim Chalmers outlined the contents of the Albanese government’s 2023 intergenerational report, published today, saying dealing with climate change is a “global environmental and economic imperative” which brings risks but also “vast industrial opportunities”.
Ben Roberts-Smith’s appeal against the dismissal of his defamation action will be heard by the full bench of the federal court next February, the federal court has heard.
The finance minister, Katy Gallagher, says she hopes supermarket giants will start to lower the price of groceries for customers as production costs drop
The Queensland Labour government has continued attempting to pass an omnibus bill to override the human rights act to allow children to be held in adult jails and watch houses.
Gay conversion practices would be outlawed in New South Wales as part of sweeping changes to the law being proposed by the independent member for Sydney, Alex Greenwich.
A microorganism that causes a rare but potentially sight-threatening eye infection has been detected in the water at four popular New South Wales swimming spots.
A Liberian-flagged bulk carrier has been banned from Australian waters for a year after the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) found “serious issues of wage theft and seafarer mistreatment onboard”.
Offshore platform workers at Woodside have reached an in-principle agreement over pay and conditions with the oil and gas company, averting a possible strike.
Qantas Airways has soared out of the disrupted pandemic era to post a record $2.47bn full-year underlying profit, backed by strong travel demand and high ticket prices. The 2022-23 results mark a huge turnaround from a year earlier, when it fell to a $1.86bn loss.
A Gold Coast city councillor has been charged with murder.
We’ll be back bright and early tomorrow morning with more of the day’s news for you. See you then.
Updated
Queensland children may have been illegally detained for years, solicitor general advises
Queensland’s urgent move to change laws allowing the indefinite detention of children in watch houses came after advice from the state’s solicitor general suggesting young people may have been illegally detained for years.
The Palaszczuk government suspended the state’s Human Rights Act on Wednesday to introduce legislation to allow children to be kept in watch houses and adult prisons “even if it would not be compatible with human rights”.
The emergency legislation – which was expected to pass on Thursday – was added to an unrelated bill, along with a swathe of other amendments.
Read the full story here:
Updated
