What we learned, Tuesday 27 September
That’s where we’ll leave you this evening. Thanks for sticking with us. Here’s a sample of what we learned today:
Anthony Albanese has held a bilateral meeting with Japan’s prime minister, Fumio Kishida, while he is in Tokyo for Shinzo Abe’s funeral.
Labor is facing a backlash from the crossbench over its decision for the national anti-corruption commission to hold “most” of its hearings in private with public hearings limited to “exceptional circumstances”.
The fallout from the Optus data breach rolls on, as states set up schemes to help affected people replace their driver’s licence.
The chief executive of Optus, Kelly Bayer Rosmarin, said federal police were “all over” a post on an online forum which purported to have released 10,000 customer records from the data breach and threatened to release more until a $1m ransom was paid. The post was later deleted, along with a claim the writer had deleted the data and would not sell it to anyone.
The Senate will be sitting late tonight to deal with the government’s cashless debit card bill.
Senior former government officials will be called before a royal commission to give evidence explaining their roles in the robodebt scandal, which may include Scott Morrison and Alan Tudge.
Amy Remeikis will be back with you in the AM. For now, goodnight.
Updated
Coal should 'play a role for many years', new Hunter MP says
New Labor MP Dan Repacholi has used his first speech to parliament to say the government wants coal to “continue to play a role for many years to come in powering the world”, and that his electorate of Hunter would continue to supply such a market.
Repacholi apologised to local branch members in his electorate for a controversial selection process that saw him chosen as Labor’s candidate, admitting it was not “through the normal processes”.
Making his first speech on Tuesday afternoon, the member for Hunter said he left school at 15 to start an apprenticeship as a fitter and turner. A five-time Olympian and Commonwealth Games champion pistol shooter, he was elected at the May election after spending several years as a coal miner then being handpicked to replace outgoing MP, Joel Fitzgibbon, in the Hunter Valley seat.
Repacholi attracted controversy a year ago when then opposition leader, Anthony Albanese, chose him as a “captain’s pick” instead of letting local branch members run a normal preselection process.
Repacholi said he was excited about the renewable energy opportunities the Hunter region is beginning to embrace.
He noted that during his campaign for the seat, “a common theme from discussions with blue collar workers was that all politicians are all dodgy, on the take, on the gravy train and are only in it for themselves.”
Repacholi praised the looming introduction of the Labor government’s federal anti-corruption body.
Updated
