What we learned; Thursday 11 April
We’re going to finish up there for today. Here’s what happened:
Anthony Albanese spent the day selling his new industry plan for a green interventionist industry policy, which would use direct government support to speed up the energy transition. The announcement has been met with approbation from many in industry, with Peter Dutton responding “it’s not going to happen”.
The prime minister says he was “taken aback” by comments from the opposition leader in a speech last night, in which Dutton blamed Labor and police for a rise in anti-semitism, and likened pro-Palestine protests that took place in October to the shooting murder of 35 people at Tasmania’s Port Arthur historic site in 1996.
Victoria police has announced a renewed search for missing Ballarat woman Samantha Murphy in Enfield state park, about 25km south of the regional city, focusing on an area highlighted by intelligence derived from a number of sources.
Joe Biden has said he is “considering” Australia’s request to end Julian Assange’s prosecution. Anthony Albanese responded to the news on ABC News Breakfast and said this was an “encouraging statement”. Assange’s brother said the comments “open the door for the Australian government… to get Julian’s release across the line”.
A man has been charged after more than 700kg of Xanax was seized in Sydney – the NSW police force’s largest single seizure of pharmaceutical drugs.
And renters have been hit with the steepest quarterly hike in 17 years as the housing crisis continues to bite.
Updated
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