What we learned; Friday 30 May
We will wrap up the live blog here for the evening. Here’s what made the news:
The health minister, Mark Butler, has warned a new Covid variant is spreading around Australia and urged people to get a Covid vaccine booster.
The make-up of the Senate has been finalised for the next three years, with Pauline Hanson’s One Nation now having a total of four Senate spots after Warwick Stacey secured the final spot in the NSW Senate race.
The AEC is investigating reports of a high level of informal ballots at a polling place in the town of Missabotti, NSW. The ABC reports that of the 111 people who filled out ballots, 50 were declared informal and rejected from the official tally.
The opposition leader, Sussan Ley, has farewelled her late mother with a touching eulogy at a funeral in her home town of Albury.
Up to eight people, believed to be Chinese nationals seeking asylum, have reportedly been intercepted by border officials in a remote part of the Northern Territory.
The federal budget deficit is already running $4.8bn better than expected in the financial year to April, according to the Department of Finance’s latest monthly statements.
Enjoy your evening.
Updated
Farmers given temporary reprieve from Victorian emergency services levy
Farmers will be temporarily spared from paying a hiked emergency services levy as drought support is expanded statewide in Victoria, AAP reports.
An extra $37.7m has been earmarked for drought relief in Victoria as paddocks and dams run dry after low autumn rainfall.
A Victorian drought relief package, which includes $5000 grants, will be made available across the state after previously being limited to 24 local government areas.
Its expansion means all farmers will not pay the increased rate for the expanded emergency services levy in the 2025-26 financial year.
Their rate will remain at the same level as 2024-25 and automatically applied to notices for primary production properties.
The expansion of drought support was based on Bureau of Meteorology and Agriculture Victoria advice that the worse case for May rainfall had been realised, the premier, Jacinta Allan, said.
“All of Victoria is being now recognised as being affected by drought,” she told reporters in Fiskville on Friday.
Under the original changes to the levy from 1 July, the average annual bill was expected to rise $678 for primary producers and $63 for residential homeowners.
Spooked by the backlash, the Allan government lowered the rate for farmers and introduced rebates for CFA and SES volunteers and life members.
The expanded levy was meant raise an extra $2.1bn over the next three years to cover more emergency service agencies in the face of more frequent and intense natural disasters.
The treasurer, Jaclyn Symes, said the recent tweaks would leave the budget $73m worse off but she remained confident of delivering an operating surplus of $600m in 2025-26.
Updated
