What we learned: Thursday 21 March
And that’s where we’ll leave you this evening. Here’s a wrap of what we learned today:
The defence minister, Richard Marles, and his UK counterpart, Grant Shapps, have signed a new defence and security cooperation agreement that “includes a status of forces agreement, making it easier for the respective forces to operate together in each other’s countries”
The Australian Law Reform Commission has recommended amendments to the Sex Discrimination Act and Fair Work Act to protect students and staff at schools from discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
The deputy leader of the Greens, Mehreen Faruqi, has pressed the Albanese government to “replace the superficial Harmony Week with a meaningful week of antiracism” and to establish “a standalone antiracism portfolio in cabinet”.
The former prime minister Paul Keating has said his meeting today with the Chinese foreign minister, Wang Yi, was “a very pleasant and engaging event which, in the main, was a big picture discussion about the geostrategic balances and influences in the world”.
The federal health minister, Mark Butler, has introduced a bill that would outlaw the sale, supply, commercial possession, advertising and manufacture of vapes in Australia.
The Albanese government announced that from Saturday it will implement several key recommendations of the migration review, released in December.
Almost 550,000 migrants pushed Australia’s population growth rate to a record high in the year to September 2023, threatening government efforts to ease migration levels.
PwC’s global chairman, Bob Moritz, has refused to comply with a request from the Australian parliament to share a copy of an investigation used to contain the tax leaks scandal to Australia.
Greens MP Jenny Leong was kicked out of question time in the lower house of New South Wales parliament today, after she interrupted to demand that two people be let into the public gallery in the interests of democracy.
The Queensland LNP leader, David Crisafulli, has ruled out building any new stadium for the Brisbane Olympics at the Gabba, in Victoria Park, or anywhere else.
Plagued by teacher shortages and staff burnout, Victorian public school principals are ratcheting up a campaign for more federal funding.
Updated
Victoria to crack down on dodgy landlords with giant fines
Rule-breaking landlords and real estate agents in Victoria will be targeted and hit with hefty fines if they break the state’s rental standards laws, AAP reports.
A new taskforce will crack down on the likes of false advertising, renting out properties that do not meet minimum standards and not lodging bonds.
Victoria’s consumer affairs minister, Gabrielle Williams, said the taskforce would start responding to complaints this year and be staffed by 14 intelligence analysts, inspectors, investigators and lawyers.
She said some landlords had continued to behave badly despite the state government implementing more than 130 rental reforms in 2021.
Williams said:
Most rental providers and estate agents do the right thing – today’s announcement is about sending a clear message to those trying to get away with rental offences.
Updated
