What we learned; Friday 18 May
That’s where we’ll leave the blog for today – thanks so much for joining us. Here is a wrap of the day’s biggest stories:
NSW police are investigating the use of a Taser on a 95-year-old woman with dementia at an aged care facility.
Noel Pearson continued to be very critical of Mick Gooda for offering his view “executive government” should be removed from the voice proposal.
Anthony Albanese announced Australia will be imposing further sanctions on Russia.
The deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, said he wouldn’t describe Joe Biden’s cancelled trip to Australia as a “snub”.
ABC’s Q+A host, Stan Grant, has stepped down after racist abuse following his appearance on the broadcaster’s coronation coverage.
An Australian doctor, 88, has been reunited with family after being imprisoned for eight years in Burkina Faso.
The agriculture minister, Murray Watt, said China’s decision to resume importing Australian timber is a “very positive step”.
The deputy Liberal leader, Sussan Ley, said she hopes sporting codes will also back the opposition’s call to ban gambling ads during sporting broadcasts.
Ninety per cent of teachers in New South Wales can’t afford to live where they teach, new research has found.
AMP was issued a $24m court-imposed penalty after it continued to charge the accounts of more than 2,000 deceased customers upon being notified of their deaths.
The Energy Security Board set up by the Turnbull government will be scrapped.
Updated
Survivors of child sexual abuse will be further supported as they seek help or make a compensation claim, under a $142.2 million funding boost over the next five years, reports AAP.
Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth revealed on Friday an additional $142.2m in the May budget for the National Redress Scheme, to ensure survivors can access it in a timely and trauma-informed way.
The funding will be used to improve the processing of applications, and outcomes for survivors accessing the scheme.
Rishworth said the government’s priority was to make sure survivors did not face unnecessary delays, with improvements aimed at making it easier to apply.
The extra money will ensure the scheme itself is adequately funded, but importantly that the support services around it are too, she told Sky News.
The evidence shows that if people go through a redress support service then it is a smoother ride for them through the process.
Of the funding, $80.1m over the next four years will be dedicated to scheme support services, including tailored services for Indigenous and disabled people, and language assistance.
The minister cautioned that greater benefits of the program are still to come, as it takes time for people to understand they are entitled to redress.
But an increasing number of institutions joining the scheme shows confidence in it is growing, she said.
