What we learned, Friday 23 January
And with that, we are going to put the blog to bed. Before we go, let’s recap the big headlines:
Australian actors Rose Byrne and Jacob Elordi are among a slew of Hollywood heavyweights who have been nominated for the industry’s highest honour – an Oscar.
NSW beaches are expected to be open for the Australia Day long weekend after a spate of shark attacks prompted days-long closures.
Landslides hit a house and a campground in New Zealand on Thursday, leaving at least two dead while emergency crews were trying to rescue others buried in rubble, officials said.
Ley spoke to Channel Nine’s Today this morning, where she was asked about her future as leader of the Coalition. The opposition leader maintained that she was confident in her leadership so far, and the future of her role at the helm. Later, when asked how long Sussan Ley will last as leader, the shadow communication minister, Melissa McIntosh, said she backed her leader but acknowledged Australians were “pretty unhappy” with the Coalition.
In a surprise move, the federal public service commissioner, Gordon de Brouwer, said he had written to the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and the presiding officers of parliament to resign, effective as of 13 February.
If you’re an employee earning $74,672 a year, then you are smack-bang in the middle of Australian wage earners, according to new figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. For full-time wage earners, the median cash pay before tax is $98,124 a year, and for part-time employees it’s $39,998.
Police are giving an update in Lake Cargelligo after three people were shot and killed in New South Wales yesterday. Authorities are hunting for Julian Ingram, 37, after the incident, describing him as “armed and dangerous”.
The entire state of Victoria will be under a total fire ban on Saturday, with the state set to experience severe heatwave conditions as temperatures soar between 38C and 44C. In SA, Brett Loughlin, the chief officer of the SA Country Fire Service, said Saturday is shaping up to be “some of the most significant fire weather forecasts we have seen South Australia in recent years”.
A declaration giving police the power to search people without a warrant or any suspicion of wrongdoing was unlawful and invalid. The six-month declaration, made by Victoria police on 30 November, was challenged in the federal court by a group of protesters.
And Victorians are a step closer to tapping on and travelling with their credit card, smartphone or watch, with the state government today announcing trials of contactless payment on the public transport network will begin next month.
We will be back on Sunday with the live blog. Until then, have a wonderful weekend, and stay cool.
Updated
Solar sharer scheme could save households hundreds each year, government analysis finds
The federal government’s proposed solar sharer scheme, which will offer eligible households three hours of free electricity in the middle of each day, could save households hundreds of dollar annually, according to a new analysis from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
The new analysis finds that moving just 10% of energy usage from the evening peak period to the free window could save money. Shifting 25%-30% of energy usage, including scheduling your dishwasher, washing machine, dryer or pool pump, or charging an EV, could saving about $400 for a single-person household annually, or $800-$1100 for a 5-person household.
Chris Bowen, the federal minister for climate change, said in a statement:
Australia has more rooftop solar capacity than the entire fleet of remaining coal fired power stations across the country.
The Solar Sharer Offer is about making sure we make the most of our huge solar generation, including by ensuring the benefits of cheap solar can be shared with consumers who don’t have solar systems themselves through the offer of free daytime power.
Updated
