What we learned: Thursday, 6 April
With that, we will wrap the blog for the evening. If you have a day off tomorrow, enjoy it to the fullest. If not, commiserations.
Here are today’s major developments:
Ken Wyatt has quit the Liberal party over its opposition to the voice to parliament. He told reporters it was a “tough” decision to make. Liberal MPs have expressed their respect for Wyatt while continuing to maintain the party line on a no vote.
It comes as Senator Pat Dodson has announced he will take a medical leave of absence from his position. We don’t have the details yet, but minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney said the nation was with him on his recovery.
Meanwhile, a coalition of 13 regional Indigenous leaders say Peter Dutton is spreading ‘misinformation and confusion’ on the voice.
In other political news, the Albanese government has committed to continuing the construction of the Inland Rail freight megaprojects that an independent review found had suffered governance failures, delays and “astonishing” cost blowouts under the former Coalition government.
And the bilby has received $5m in funding and a new recovery plan from government. With the species currently listed as vulnerable, the environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, says she wants to make sure it can be a beloved Easter icon for generations. I can’t imagine why they timed the announcement for today.
Updated
In Perth, Ken Wyatt has been approached by reporters after an exclusive in the West Australian that revealed he is quitting the Liberal party.
Short and sharp:
The decision was tough, I’ll leave it at that.
“The decision was tough”
— Jessica Page (@JessicaPage7) April 6, 2023
Former Minister for Indigenous Affairs Ken Wyatt has quit the Liberal party over its opposition to The Voice referendum @7NewsPerth pic.twitter.com/4FRWOfanDY
Updated
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