Good morning. A push by the Greens to refer Scott Morrison to parliament’s privileges committee was rejected by the Speaker, but MPs could still vote for the move next month. A court battle looks likely after Lachlan Murdoch began a defamation suit against Australian news site Crikey. And Twitter’s former head of security has blasted his former employer over its alleged security failings.
A push by the Greens to refer Scott Morrison to parliament’s powerful privileges committee has been rejected by the Speaker, Milton Dick, who has found there was not enough evidence to say the former prime minister deliberately misled the lower house. MPs may yet vote to refer Morrison to the privileges committee when parliament resumes next month – or to set up another form of inquiry – but that would require an absolute majority. On Tuesday the solicitor general ruled Morrison’s secret self-appointment to five extra portfolios was legally valid, but accused the former prime minister of “undermining responsible government” – here’s what that means.
