What happened on Friday, 17 February 2023
With that, we’ll wrap up our live coverage of the day’s news.
Here’s a summary of the main news developments:
The New South Wales finance minister, Damien Tudehope, has resigned from his position in cabinet after it was revealed he owned shares in the state’s major toll road owner, Transurban.
The former Australian prime minister Scott Morrison has defended his failure to introduce sanctions against Chinese officials over human rights abuses, saying he ran out of time before his election loss.
Large swathes of Australia sweltered amid a heatwave on Friday, including in the Pilbara, where temperatures reached 45C.
Conflicting accounts have emerged about a meeting between Peter Dutton and the Indigenous voice referendum working group after a key member of the group said the opposition leader’s personal views showed they were “not that far apart” on the voice.
Annastacia Palaszczuk says a $2.7bn plan to knock down and rebuild Brisbane’s Gabba stadium will “anchor a major urban renewal project” that will see thousands of new homes built and deliver a more connected and livable city. But political opponents, community groups and prominent architects say the project’s blown out price tag and the loss of a primary school mean the Queensland government should look to alternative plans.
The federal government is developing a national long Covid strategy, with a parliamentary inquiry hearing the condition has resulted in job losses and homelessness among some sufferers.
Thanks for tuning in, have a pleasant weekend.
Updated
Alice McCall placed into liquidation
Once one of the country’s biggest fashion success stories, Alice McCall has been placed into liquidation today.
In a statement, posted to the brand’s Instagram, McCall thanked “all the people that have worn, supported and loved the brand over the years”:
To me the brand embodied a lightness of spirit, the clothes were something you celebrated life in.
Stylist-turned-designer Alice McCall founded her eponymous label 20 years ago, and quickly found favour with celebrities, fashion editors and customers alike with her feminine, party-girl dresses featuring playful embroidery, bright palettes and sometimes daring hemlines.
The business was placed into administration in 2020, and over the next three years, shuttered all but one retail store. Matthew Kucianski of Worrells was appointed liquidator today.
In a statement to Inside Retail he said: “This is a difficult time for everyone involved ... Our team is committed to ensuring that the liquidation process is conducted in a professional and transparent manner and that all parties are kept informed of developments as they arise.”
Updated
