What we learned today, Wednesday 9 November
And that’s a wrap for the Australian politics liveblog for today. If you’re keen to keep up with what’s happening with the US mid-terms, follow along over here.
Here’s some of what we learned locally today:
In the wake of a ransomware group beginning to publish Medibank customer data on the dark web overnight, the AFP announced it would expand Operation Guardian – which was set up to protect the 10,000 Optus customers who had their personal information posted online earlier this year – to those Medibank customers exposed.
Clare O’Neil, the minister for home affairs and cybersecurity, said the fallout from the Medibank data breach could last months.
The environment and water minister, Tanya Plibersek, said Coles and Woolworths need to “step up” and explain how they will deal with recycling soft plastics in the wake of the collapse of Australia’s biggest soft plastics recycler, REDCycle.
The federal government used question time as an opportunity to target the previous government’s decision-making on the botched robodebt scheme through discussion of the royal commission. Mark Dreyfus called the scheme “shameful” while the opposition called the government’s use of question time to talk about the scheme “a politicised witch-hunt”.
Meanwhile, in the robodebt royal commission itself, a former senior official conceded she failed to do anything to stop the scheme even though she knew it was unlawful.
Advocates for survivors of child sexual abuse have welcomed the government’s announcement of $15m in new funds to help deal with backlogs and delays in the national redress scheme.
Three Coalition politicians met with a senior Iranian diplomat in Canberra to directly call for an end to “violence, human rights abuses and persecution of Iranian women, girls and protesters”.
Climate protesters attempted to deface one of the National Gallery of Australia’s prized modern art pieces, Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s soup cans, to protest a lack of action to address the climate crisis.
The publicly owned Future Fund is investing billions into major polluting companies, Senate estimates questioning revealed.
And Ged Kearney, the assistant health minister, and Anne Ruston, the shadow health minister, have joined together for a bipartisan announcement of clinics for endometriosis and pelvic pain.
Look after yourselves, mates, and we’ll be back with you bright and early tomorrow.
Updated
Cyclone reinsurance pool lowers expected premium cuts and is yet to sign up an insurer
Senate estimates has been hearing from the Australian Reinsurance Pool Corporation and its CEO, Chris Wallace, with the news not that promising for those in northern Australia hoping for some relief on soaring premiums.
First, the Labor senator Nita Green asked about how much cyclone-related insurance premiums were expected to fall given the Morrison government had promised drops of as much as 58%.
Well, as it turns out, the change of government meant Labor could get its mitts on the modelling and, lo and behold, the reductions in premiums were much less. Two cracks at getting a better fix in June and then October now points to much smaller reductions, ranging between 6% and 32%, so Wallace said.
As Green stated, “people have had enough of being lied to or misled”, with a barb towards the previous government.
We’ll have more on this soon, but it’s fair to say many locals are already seeing premiums climb, so there won’t be much benefit when it lands.
And that won’t be until the end of next year for big insurers and the end of 2024 for smaller insurers – none of which have signed up so far, Wallace said.
So, the bottom line – there may be relief but for many there are two cyclone seasons to get through. And a parliamentary inquiry later this month to hear more about troubles with the scheme.
Stay tuned.
Updated
