What we learned: Monday, 27 November
And that’s where we’ll leave you this evening. Here’s our Monday wrap:
Michael Pezzullo, the longtime boss of Australia’s Home Affairs Department, was removed from the top job after an independent inquiry found he had breached the government’s code of conduct at least 14 times, including for using his power for personal benefit.
The federal Labor government and the Greens reached a deal to pass legislation to amend the Murray-Darling Basin plan and ensure an additional 450 gigalitres of environmental flows.
The major parties entered the week with Newspoll showing Labor and the Coalition are locked 50-50 on the two-party-preferred measure.
Bruce Lehrmann returned to the witness box today for the second week of a defamation case which the former Liberal staffer brought against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson. Lehrmann is suing over a broadcast he says defamed him by falsely alleging he raped Brittany Higgins in Parliament House on a couch in then minister Linda Reynolds’ office.
Adam Bandt has warned that climate protests will grow if Labor allows new coal and gas mines, after more than 100 people were arrested in Newcastle yesterday after protesters blocked a major coal port beyond an agreed deadline.
The immigration minister, Andrew Giles, introduced more amendments to laws that would add even more conditions on migrants and refugees who have been released following the high court decision that ended indefinite detention.
Former Bank of England boffin Andrew Hauser will serve as deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia for five years, treasurer Jim Chalmers announced.
And Bob Katter wants to replace the British monarch’s image on the back of Australian coins, suggesting scrapping King Charles in favour of Indigenous warrior Tubba Tre or army veteran Ralph Honner.
Amy Remeikis will be back with you bright and early tomorrow morning to take you through another day of live politics and news. Have a lovely evening.
Updated
Labor urged to avoid ‘dirty deal’ with Coalition and double number of ACT and NT senators
Crossbench MPs and senators are urging the Labor government to avoid doing a “dirty deal” with the opposition over key electoral reforms, and back a parliamentary committee’s recommendation to double the number of territory senators before the next federal election.
A long-awaited report on electoral reform, released on Monday, recommended the Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory gain an extra two Senate seats and that another inquiry look into whether the parliament should be increased across the board.
The committee chair for the joint standing committee into electoral matters, Labor MP Kate Thwaites, said the two territories should be “appropriately represented” in parliament.
She said:
It’s clear both are very different from what they were when the representation for the original states was put into our constitution at federation and they are still different from when they were granted territory representation in 1973.
You can read more about the report here:
Updated
