What we learned: Monday, 23 October
With that, we will wrap the blog for the evening. We’ll be back first thing tomorrow for all the latest, including the wonderful world of Senate estimates.
Here were today’s major developments:
The Asio director-general Mike Burgess told Senate estimates those bringing violence to protests about war in the Middle East would receive “the full force of my agency”.
Anthony Albanese arrived in Washington as part of a four-day visit to the United States centred around renewable energy and the Aukus deal.
Donald Trump described Anthony Pratt as a “red haired weirdo” as he lashed out at extraordinary reports about his personal conversations with the Australian billionaire.
The Queensland regions of Millmerran Downs, Cypress Gardens and Tara were urged to leave immediately due to a fast-moving fire, as total fire bans were extended due to the heightened risk. Fire warnings in New South Wales have been downgraded.
The Fair Work Ombudsman recovered more than half a billion dollars in underpayments to workers in the latest financial year, its annual report, published today reveals. It’s the second highest figure ever, behind 2021-2022.
Paid parental leave should be extended to a full year, according to the government’s Women’s Economic Equality Taskforce.
Junior public servants in the department of infrastructure and transport’s graduate program allegedly compiled a “hotties list” which rated female colleagues’ attractiveness.
And ground staff at Virgin Australia are threatening industrial action, including striking, amid claims they are on “poverty pay”.
I will leave you with the question on everyone’s lips … who does First Dog Toto stay with when his dad isn’t home?
Updated
Kathryn Campbell expressed interest in defence before Aukus move
The prime minister and cabinet department has offered further insight into a decision to move Kathryn Campbell to a senior Aukus role in defence, saying she had expressed “interest in the defence space”.
During Senate estimates questioning by Greens senator Barbara Pocock, department officials said the former top bureaucrat, who was foreign affairs secretary until July 2022, wanted to work in the defence department.
First assistant secretary Andrew Walter said Campbell had informed PM&C secretary Glyn Davis of her interest, and he then passed on that information to defence secretary Greg Moriarty.
In conversations with our secretary, Professor Davis, Ms Campbell had indicated a willingness to, or a hope to, continue to serve the public and we understand that [an interest in defence] was conveyed.
... it was then a matter for the secretary of defence whether he took any interest in that, and found a suitable role.
Moriarty told senators during estimates hearings in May 2023 he had been approached by Davis to look for where they could place Campbell.
[Davis] subsequently contacted me on the 14th of June to establish whether there might be a role for Ms Campbell given that she was likely to be moving, or transferred from her position as the secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade ... He asked me to think about whether there was an appropriate role [for Campbell].
Campbell was suspended without pay in the wake of the robodebt royal commission report. Defence confirmed she had resigned from the department with effect from Friday 21 July 2023.
Updated
