What we learned today, Wednesday 7 February
And with that, we are going to put the blog to bed. Before we go, let’s recap the big headlines:
Labor’s closing loopholes bill is a step closer to passing parliament after a deal was struck with the Greens that includes a right to disconnect from work for employees.
Australia should adopt the US policy of paying whistleblowers, the former competition tsar Allan Fels told the National Press Club today.
Australians are continuously overcharged and subjected to “profit push” pricing by major corporations enjoying scant competition, resulting in higher inflation and intensifying cost-of-living pressures, an inquiry commissioned by the ACTU found.
The Greens leader, Adam Bandt, sought but failed to suspend standing orders in the House of Representatives to move that Australia “end its support for Israel’s invasion of Gaza”. In response, the assistant foreign minister, Tim Watts, defended the government’s approach to the war in Gaza.
Four Victorian Greens MPs were kicked out of parliament after they held signs up during question time that accused the government of “arming Israel”.
Labor backbenchers have privately played down the impact of Australia’s pause in funding to a key UN agency delivering aid to Gaza, with one MP denouncing “misinformation underpinning some online media and email campaigns”.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations have called for urgent action in the wake of the Closing the Gap report, which gave a scathing assessment of the potential failure of the whole agreement due to governments simply not doing enough.
The Queensland government has approved Whitehaven’s Winchester South coalmine to extract up to 17m tonnes of thermal and metallurgical coal each year for 28 years.
The Queensland government will set “yearly targets” for reducing youth crime.
About 100 pro-Palestine protesters gathered at the front of Parliament House in Canberra today to demand a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the blockade.
More asbestos has been found in new locations in Sydney and regional NSW after the discovery of contamination at several other Transport for New South Wales sites including the Rozelle parklands.
Updated
Victorian Greens MPs asked to apologise for signs in parliament
The speaker in Victoria’s lower house, Maree Edwards, has requested the four Greens MPs who broke parliament’s rules and displayed signs during question time formally apologise.
Edwards met with MPs Gabrielle de Vietri, Sam Hibbins, Tim Read and Ellen Sandell this afternoon after she suspended them from the chamber for 90 minutes for holding up signs which read “Vic Labor Stop Arming Israel”.
This apology is expected to occur in the lower house on Thursday morning.
Updated
