What we learned: Tuesday, 20 September
Will that, we will wrap up the blog for the evening. Stay safe, and, if you’re on the east coast, stay dry as the cold front moves in. We’ll be back first thing tomorrow to bring you the latest.
Here were the major developments of the day:
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has found a $50bn improvement in the October budget compared to March in a budget preview announced today. Of that, $28bn more has come from higher than expected commodity prices, and the rest from lower-than-expected payments.
Chalmers warned the incoming government’s first budget would be “bread and butter”, while the Greens have urged Labor to redirect $1.9bn in fossil fuel subsidies to renewables.
The federal trade minister Don Farrell says he is “very confident” a free trade agreement between the EU and Australia can be reached following delegation discussions with European parliamentarians and the French trade minister in Canberra yesterday.
Former disability discrimination commissioner Graeme Innes will lead a new taskforce aimed at blitzing the massive backlog of NDIS legal appeals.
In Victoria, laws requiring people to fix a limit on their pokie losses at Crown Melbourne have passed state parliament and will now go to the governor for royal assent.
Queensland has dropped its mask mandate on public transport, while Western Australia is eyeing the end to state of emergency orders used to close the border during the pandemic.
A police taskforce will identify and review evidence for additional DNA testing as an inquiry found damning shortcomings in Queensland lab testing. Thousands of examples are expected to be retested.
And Virgin Orbit rockets will be launched into a space from a regional Queensland airport in a major deal between prominent business family the Wagner Corporation and billionaire Richard Branson.
Updated
We’re almost done with valedictory speeches at Victoria’s parliament (for today). Up now is the state’s former attorney-general Jill Hennessy, who has also served as minister for health, ambulance services and workplace safety.
She’s going through some of the reforms she’s shepherded - including voluntary assisted dying, workplace manslaughter, and no jab no play - as well as cracking gags:
The Labor Party for me has sometimes been like a bit of a bad boyfriend. Like when I’ve been really into it, it has been less interested. And when I’ve moved on with my life, it’s come a knockin’.
I’ll be back tomorrow with more speeches.
Updated
