Morning everyone. The attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, has accused the Liberal party of flirting with the “far-right fringe” of the Indigenous voice debate thanks to a segment on a Sky News show hosted by former senator Cory Bernardi (remember him?). That’s an exclusive for us this morning, and we’re also keeping you up to speed with the tug of war over measures in next week’s budget. And, in what we hope you will agree is very good news, we’re looking forward to Guardian Australia’s 10th birthday.
Australia
Renting crisis | Renters in our capital cities have suffered the highest increase for a 12-month period since records began in 2007 as the housing crisis shows no sign of slowing down. The combined capital city rental rate rose 11.7% over the past year, far above the average increase of 3.5%.
Exclusive | Mark Dreyfus has accused the Liberal party of flirting with “the far-right fringe” of the referendum debate after the shadow attorney general, Michaelia Cash, appeared on a Sky News program where host Cory Bernardi drew comparisons between the Indigenous voice and apartheid.
Budget battles | Next week’s budget will increase childcare subsidies by $9bn over four years as the government fends off criticism that it is not doing enough to combat rising cost of living. It’s also under pressure on jobseeker: independent senator David Pocock has said the Morrison government’s post-Covid decision to lift jobseeker payments by $50 a fortnight helped more people than would a mooted budget proposal for those aged over 55.
Latham effect | Conservative crossbench parties look set to benefit from Mark Latham and One Nation becoming increasingly marginalised in the New South Wales upper house due to his comments over homosexuality, political experts say.
Pesticide fear | The federal government has no suitable data source for monitoring the effect of agricultural and veterinary chemicals on humans, a new report commissioned by the Department of Agriculture has found.
World
Bumper BP | Huge profits at BP have been labelled “heinous” and sparked renewed calls in the UK for a tougher windfall tax after it announced underlying profits of $US5bn in the first three months of the year.
Beijing bar | China is increasingly barring people, including foreign executives, from leaving the country, according to a report from the rights group Safeguard Defenders.
No parades | At least six Russian regions have scrapped 9 May Victory Day parades that mark the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany amid fears over Ukrainian strikes, with a region 600km from the border being the latest to cancel.
Nurse accused | Lucy Letby, a former nurse accused of murdering seven babies at a UK hospital, has broken down in tears as she told a court that she never harmed a child in her care.
Royal row | Princess Anne, the 16th in line to the British throne, has said she does not think a slimmed-down monarchy as mooted by King Charles ahead of his coronation is a “good idea”. Meanwhile, just days from the coronation, a man was arrested outside Buckingham Palace after allegedly throwing suspected shotgun cartridges into the grounds.
Full Story
Labor’s chance to lift single parents out of poverty
Single parents will be hoping that next week’s budget reverses benefit cuts made by the Gillard government in 2012 that pushed tens of thousands of people into poverty. Inequality reporter Stephanie Convery explains the problem with the single parenting payment.
In-depth
Forgive the self-indulgence for a moment, but in case you hadn’t heard Guardian Australia is about to become 10 years old. It’s a big milestone and in that decade (well, almost – the big day is actually 27 May) we’ve gone from fewer than 20 staff to 167 and have become part of the media landscape in a way few of our rivals thought possible. Editor in chief Lenore Taylor, one of Guardian Australia’s OGs, looks back on the early days and how we intend “to spend the next 10 years getting bigger, having an even greater impact and serving you better”.
Not the news
This week’s recommendation from our Stream Team is Young Adult, the 2011 film starring Charlize Theron in top form as Mavis, a thirtysomething divorcee and former prom queen whose life hasn’t quite turned out the way she imagined. Our arts writer Michael Sun calls her character a “chaotic, black hole of empathy” who “stands superior in the storied canon of unlikeable protagonists”.
The world of sport
NRL | Anti-gambling advocates have reacted furiously to NRL chairman Peter V’landys’s open pursuit of gambling revenue, criticising his description of sport as “wagering content” as scandalous and counterproductive.
Women’s World Cup | Europe’s top football nations face a broadcast blackout for this year’s Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand unless media can improve on their “disappointing” offers for the rights, says Fifa boss Gianni Infantino.
Football | Arsenal hoped to go back to the top of the Premier League when they took on Chelsea.
Media roundup
UNSW chancellor David Gonski has defended vice-chancellor Attila Brungs over his leadership style, the Australian reports. In an opinion piece, the Sydney Morning Herald says incoming Qantas chief Vanessa Hudson must make fixing the rift with customers her priority. The lead in the Australian Financial Review has treasurer Jim Chalmers warning that the latest cash rate hike shows the need for budget restraint. Victoria has “blood on its hands” over the deaths of Aboriginal deaths in custody, the state’s truth-telling commission says, according to the Herald Sun.
What’s happening today
Cost of living | ABS report on the impact of inflation on the disposable incomes of selected household types during the March quarter.
Sydney | The commonwealth and IHMS are being prosecuted by the health and safety watchdog, Comcare, over the care provided before an Iraqi man’s suicide at Villawood detention centre.
Economy | Women in Economics pre-budget panel at the National Press Club.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day – with plenty more on the Guardian’s Puzzles app for iOS and Android. Until tomorrow.
