The day that was, Tuesday 13 February, 2024
With that we’ll end our live coverage of the day’s news. Here’s a summary of the main news developments:
Half a million households in Victoria are without electricity and trains have been suspended across metropolitan Melbourne after a power station went down during storms.
Australia’s last Liberal government has announced plans for an early election after the Tasmanian premier failed to resolve a standoff with two crossbench independents.
Up to 150 Australian Taxation Office staff have been investigated over suspicions they took part in a social media scam worth $2bn.
The company that supplied mulch found to be contaminated with asbestos across Sydney including at a primary school has launched a legal challenge against the environmental watchdog as it fights to keep selling the product.
Meanwhile, emergency warnings have been issued over fires burning in and near the Grampians national park, with some communities told to take shelter, as a cool change brought respite to scorching temperatures in Melbourne.
Have a pleasant evening.
Updated
Commonwealth legal costs in McBride matter now total $2.4m
The attorney general’s department has revealed the commonwealth’s external legal costs in the David McBride matter now total $2.4m.
In November, the whistleblower and former military lawyer pleaded guilty to three charges after an ACT supreme court upheld a commonwealth intervention to withhold key evidence it deemed as having the potential to jeopardise “the security and defence of Australia” if released.
This afternoon, at a hearing of the Senate’s legal and constitutional affairs committee, the Greens senator David Shoebridge asked for an update on the legal costs incurred by the commonwealth to date in the McBride matter. Departmental officials replied that it was $2,438,905, as of 22 January.
(About this time last year, the costs stood at $1,875,348.)
Updated
