What we learned today, Wednesday 27 November
That’s it for today, thanks for reading. Here are the main stories:
The Senate passed a motion suspending Lidia Thorpe from the chamber until the end of Thursday – the last scheduled parliamentary sitting day of the yea, after she appeared to throw paper at Pauline Hanson during a tense parliamentary debate earlier today.
That debate came due to Hanson’s bid for Fatima Payman to be referred for investigation, sparking an extraordinary row in the Senate this morning. Hanson’s bid failed, but not before she was accused of being racist by Payman. She objected to Payman’s comments and Payman was asked, and agreed, to withdraw the comments about alleged racism.
The social media ban for under-16s bill is still due to be debated in the Senate later this evening. The government has listed some of the previously telegraphed amendments to the bill that were needed to secure the opposition’s support.
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, welcomed the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah.
The NSW police commissioner Karen Webb said the death of a 95-year-old woman after she was shot with a Taser by a police officer was a “terrible tragedy” and that Kristian White’s future as police officer was “under consideration”.
More than 20 Rising Tide protesters were arrested for blocking the roads to federal Parliament House after they took their protest from Newcastle to Canberra today.
Shortly before the vote on Labor’s Help to Buy bill took place, the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, rose to speak and criticised his political opponents, namely the opposition and the Greens, for “reckless obstructionism and rank opportunism”.
The prime minister also killed off any deal with the Greens over the government’s Nature Positive legislation to establish a national environmental protection authority.
Independent Andrew Wilkie said he doesn’t think the government will address the ban on gambling ads before the next election after he backflipped on the under-16s social media ban, saying “the whole thing’s nonsense”.
The climate change and energy minister, Chris Bowen, claimed the government it is on track to meet its legislated 43% emissions reduction target by 2030.
ABC chair Kim Williams addressed the National Press Club, where he said “dissatisfaction” with mainstream media “needs to be taken more seriously”.
A director for the Palestinian aid agency United Nations Relief and Works Agency has urged the Australian government to “punch above its weight” and lobby Israel “very, very hard” after Israel’s parliament voted to ban the aid agency and designate it a terror organisation last month.
The headline inflation rate held steady and was at its lowest in three years.
A Jetstar flight from Sydney to Phuket has had to turn around this afternoon due to a mechanical issue.
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, called on residents of Sydney to reduce their power consumption amid ongoing risks of power outages due to the heatwave gripping the east coast.
Rogue taxi drivers in New South Wales who don’t use their meter, overcharge or refuse short trips will soon be banished from the industry if they’re convicted of fare misbehaviour twice.
Updated
Hanson 'pleased' with suspension after experiencing 'barbs', she says
Pauline Hanson says she’s “pleased” to see Thorpe’s suspension from the Senate after allegedly experiencing a number of “barbs” and “jabs” while sitting near her in the upper chamber.
Hanson said:
Each and every one of you know that since Senator Thorpe has been in this place, it has been the downfall of this chamber because of her aggression towards calling each and every one of us, who is white, that we are colonialists, that we have stolen the land. That’s not what this place is about, and that’s why I’m pleased to see ... something had to be done to rein it in.
The One Nation senator alleged she was told by Thorpe to “go back where you came from” and told she “had privileges”.
Hanson was earlier accused of being racist by independent senator Fatima Payman. She objected to Payman’s comments and Payman was asked, and agreed, to withdraw the comments about alleged racism.
Hanson also took aim at the Greens, who voted against the suspension but said they did not condone Thorpe’s behaviour.
I will say to the Greens, it’s one of your mates, I know. You got her elected to this place, but stick with the facts, which I always try to do in this place, and it has to be a safe workplace.
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