What we learned: Monday 25 March
That’s a wrap everyone, but before we sign off let’s recap the day’s main events:
The Albanese government announced details of its submission to the Fair Work Commission’s annual wage review, calling for the real wages of Australia’s low-paid workers to “not go backwards”.
The national security legislation monitor said laws may need paring back.
The Asio chief defended investigating journalists for potential threats to security.
A student called on MPs to ‘do their job’ to stop discrimination in schools.
The ombudsman found a Russian soldier documentary did not breach ABC standards and was not propaganda.
The Greens reshuffle moved McKim, Shoebridge to new roles.
Crossbench MPs joined the Australian Conservation Foundation in slamming the Albanese government’s offshore gas bill.
The assistant minister for trade, Tim Ayres said Australia has not supplied weapons to Israel for past five years.
The Greens lost a motion for a debate on the gas bill.
Catherine King accused the Liberals of having ‘glass jaw’ about low female representation.
Have a lovely evening!
Updated
Community legal centres overwhelmed and underfunded, peak body says
Hundreds of thousands of people are being turned away from underfunded and overstretched community legal centres, AAP reports.
Community Legal Centres Australia released its latest snapshot of operations, A Sector in Crisis, on Monday, which estimates that more than 350,000 people had been turned away in the past financial year.
Community Legal Centres Australia chair Gerard Brody says legal centres have been saying they are at breaking point for some time.
People are missing out on the help they need to prevent problems getting worse and to make it through crisis.
Local legal services are being forced to limit programs, cut off waiting lists and some are struggling just to keep their doors open under the current funding arrangements.
When communities lose their local legal services, it hurts everyone living and working in that community.
Updated
