What we learned today, Thursday 19 October
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:
Penny Wong confirmed in the Senate that Australia has updated its travel advice for Lebanon to “do not travel”.
Palestinians are being “collectively punished for Hamas’s barbarism”, senior federal minister Ed Husic has said, in the strongest condemnation yet of Israel’s reprisals in Gaza by a member of the Australian government.
The Australian Human Rights Commission is urging the government to use the current low terror-threat level to end its extraordinary preventive detention regime for potential offenders, criticising its “significant impact on human rights”.
Bridget Archer has blasted Peter Dutton for appearing to “weaponise” child sexual abuse for “some perceived political advantage” after the Liberal backbencher crossed the floor to vote against a motion calling for a royal commission into child sexual abuse in Indigenous communities.
Australia’s jobless rate fell last month even as employers shed almost 40,000 full-time positions, sending mixed signals as to the need for another Reserve Bank interest rate rise to cool the economy.
Almost nine in 10 Australians support truth in political advertising laws, with majorities of both yes and no voters concerned about “lies and misinformation” during the voice referendum debate.
The head of NBN Co’s salary has jumped to more than $3m despite two cabinet ministers previously urging the government-owned company to reflect on community expectations and show restraint.
Today was the last sitting day for federal parliament this week. Senate estimates is up next week. We’ll be back bright and early with the Australian news blog tomorrow morning. Have a great night.
Updated
South Korea-Australia ink new defence co-operation deal
Australia and South Korea have signed a new slate of agreements to enhance military co-operation.
Defence Minister Richard Marles met with his South Korean counterpart Shin Won-sik in Seoul on Thursday, where the pair inked new memorandum of understandings between both nations’ armies, navies and air forces.
They will enable more complex military drills to be conducted together. Addressing the Seoul defence dialogue, Marles said “the shadow of war still haunts us”.
- AAP
