The day that was, Thursday 23 March
We will wrap up the live blog here for the night on a momentous Thursday.
Here’s what made the news today:
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, in an emotional press conference revealed the referendum question to be asked to Australian voters later this year on an Indigenous voice to parliament and the proposed change to the constitution ahead of legislation to be introduced into parliament next week.
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has said the Liberal party needs more detail on the proposed change before announcing a position. The Nationals remain opposed.
The Australian Federal Police will conduct a professional standards review into an incident at an anti-trans rally outside parliament house after the independent senator Lidia Thorpe was pulled to the ground after attempting to storm the stage.
Justice Michael Lee has begun deliberating on whether to allow Bruce Lehrmann an extension of time to sue News Corp, Network Ten, Samantha Maiden, and Lisa Wilkinson.
A helicopter carrying 10 ADF personnel ditched into Jervis Bay, but all on board escaped serious physical injury.
The health minister, Mark Butler, has said the government is working to get vaping under control.
We will be back with you again in the morning with all the latest news. Until then, enjoy your evening.
Updated
A lack of procedural fairness and a shifting of regulatory definitions were behind a Supreme Court decision that halted native logging in parts of Victoria, a court has been told.
AAP reports VicForests is appealing a 2022 ruling that the company failed to adequately survey and protect the endangered greater glider and yellow-bellied gliders in its operations.
The state-owned company has since halted native timber harvesting in East Gippsland and the Central Highlands while it develops new survey techniques to comply with the court orders.
Senior Counsel for VicForests Rachel Doyle argued the terms of the initial trial launched by environmental group Environment East Gippsland had shifted during proceedings and the decision lacked fairness.
“It drifted miles away from that quite traditional analysis to bring an inquiry into the most appropriate or most proportionate approach to conservation of gliders,” she told the court.
Doyle also argued the goalposts had been shifted on endangered glider exclusion zones from centering on habitats to taking a radius 240m from any glider sighted.
“The trial would have been different or could have been different, had VicForests been on notice at first instance of the approach that Your Honour intended to take,” she said.
Environment East Gippsland lawyer Jonathan Korman argued the matters in the previous trial were clearly established and therefore VicForests was given a fair opportunity to defend its actions.
“The applicant (VicForests) had every opportunity to meet that case,” Korman told the court.
“That was the case that was argued at trial. That was the case that Her Honour found in favour of the respondents and there is no challenge to those findings.”
The matter continues on Friday.
