What we learned today, Thursday 16 November
We’re going to close the blog now, but let’s recap the big headlines before we call it quits and pick it up tomorrow:
State premiers learned which projects would be slashed as the federal infrastructure minister, Catherine King, announced the government’s response to the independent review of the infrastructure investment program. King announced there was an estimated $33bn blowout as a result of the previous government, while the Queensland treasurer, Cameron Dick, said his state had not agreed to the cuts.
Australia was given three months to find a Commonwealth Games host city.
The government introduced legislation to reform the petroleum resource rent tax (PRRT) to deliver a fairer return to the country from natural resources.
A crackdown on tax adviser misconduct in the wake of the PwC scandal will be a step closer as the government brought proposed new laws to parliament.
Josh Burns said Peter Dutton should not have conflated antisemitism with immigration detention, while Tony Burke said Dutton’s “scoring points” off antisemitism was one of the “worst performances of his career”.
Labor’s Maria Vamvakinou, Fatima Payman and the Coalition MP Mark Coulton stood with the Greens and the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network to receive a petition from more than 100,000 Australians who want an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The NSW Council for Civil Liberties and Liberty Victoria also penned a joint letter to the prime minister in relation to the “unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza”.
Younger Australians are cancelling streaming services as living costs rise, according to bank spending data, leading to savings of more than $900 a year.
The home affairs minister, Clare O’Neil, challenged Dutton’s “consistent falsehood” that the high court decision on indefinite detention was a “choice of government”, while Sarah Hanson-Young said Labor and the Coalition’s “collusion” on the immigration bill was an “absolute disgrace”.
Anthony Albanese arrived in the US for Apec and said world leaders needed to discuss the future of Gaza and “a way forward”.
Albanese also announced after a meeting with Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, that the tech company’s generative AI in email would be trialled by the Australian government.
The Coalition, led by Peter Dutton, walked out as question time ended with Tony Burke performing his one-man monologue “not even Coalition MPs want to sit with Peter Dutton”.
The Queensland government will ban gillnet fishing in protected zones within months.
Singtel rejected claims from Optus that it caused last week’s network outage.
The Australian live news blog will be back tomorrow morning. Have a great night.
Updated
Health organisations call for government regulations on alcohol marketing after Hard Solo decision
More than a dozen public health organisations are calling on the government to regulate alcohol marketing, after the industry-run regulator backflipped on its decision about Hard Solo.
The alcoholic drink Hard Solo will change its name to Hard Rated after Australia’s beverages advertising code regulator found the brand would have a “strong or evident appeal to minors”.
The joint letter, signed by organisations including Cancer Council Australia, the peak body for general practitioners, the Public Health Association and the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education says:
After almost four months, and following a number of community complaints and Parliamentarians calling for action, the alcohol industry’s own Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code (ABAC) Scheme has admitted that an alcoholic product based on a popular soft drink has been designed to appeal to children.
Asahi has known that there was community concern over their product, but instead of taking action, the company started rolling it out on tap in pubs, showing it has no concern about the complaints that have been raised via ABAC. Asahi also had no regard for the fact that the product is being promoted prolifically through TikTok by young Australians, who are sharing videos about how the product masks the taste of alcohol and appeals to young people.
In practice, ABAC’s acknowledgement that this alcoholic product appeals to children in its design does nothing to address the fundamental issue with how alcoholic products are marketed in Australia.
Advertising and marketing of addictive products that cause substantial harm, including the design of their packaging, should be required to follow Government-led rules that protect our children, families and broader community.
Updated
