Hi there. It's Wednesday, September 28 and you're reading The Loop, a quick wrap-up of today's news.
Let's start here: Long-awaited anti-corruption legislation has been introduced to parliament
The Albanese government's election promise to create a National Anti-Corruption Commission took a major step today, when the legislation for it was introduced to parliament.
Here's some of what Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said the commission would have the power to do:
- It could investigate "ministers, parliamentarians and their staff, statutory office holders, employees of all government entities and contractors"
- It could begin inquiries "on its own initiative or in response to referrals from anyone, including members of the public and whistleblowers". Referrals can also be anonymous
- It could investigate "both criminal and non-criminal corrupt conduct and conduct occurring before or after its establishment"
- It could hold public hearings in "exceptional circumstances"
The government wants the legislation to be passed before the end of the year, but a number of crossbenchers have already flagged they will push for changes to beef up the commission's scrutiny powers.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said he supported the model the government put forward, particularly because of its position on public hearings being rare — which is an aspect The Greens said was not best practice.
Here's the latest on replacing your important documents following the Optus breach
Optus is still in the headlines following last week's major data breach, because a number of state and territory governments have now outlined how people impacted by the breach can get new identification documents.
The documents we're talking about are:
- Drivers licences
- Medicare cards
- Passports
To learn about the best way to replace documents in your state or territory, keep reading here.
Law firms are also looking into the possibility of launching class action lawsuits against Optus, so that anyone affected by the data breach might be able to get some compensation.
Here's a bit about what that would look like, if one was to go ahead.
News you might have missed
- Authorities in South Australia said a dam wall in the Adelaide Hills town of Echunga is still at risk of collapsing and residents might have to spend another day away from their homes. There were concerns the wall of the private dam could slip and flood around 30 to 40 properties in the town. The SES said it was trying to reduce the level of water in the dam by 1.5 metres to reduce pressure on the wall
- Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said her state will build the biggest pumped hydro scheme in the world, as part of a $62 billion energy and jobs plan. She said there would be two new pumped hydro stations by 2035, while existing coal-fired power stations would gradually become clean energy hubs from 2027. Here's what she had to say about the state's renewable energy targets:
Here's what Australia has been searching for online
- Joel Selwood. The Geelong AFL great has called time on his career, announcing his retirement just days after winning his fourth premiership with the Cats. The 34-year-old finishes with a string of records, including the most games as a team captain (227), the most finals played in VFL-AFL history (40) and the record number of games played for Geelong (355)
- Robert Cormier. The 33-year-old Canadian actor, known for his roles in shows like Heartland, Slasher and American Gods, has died in hospital after suffering a fall, his family told The Hollywood Reporter. Ian Carpenter, showrunner and executive producer on Slasher, remembered Cormier as "a sweet, generous friend"
One more thing: Hugh Jackman is reprising his role as Wolverine
Huuuuuge Hugh Jackman news today — the Aussie actor is set to reprise his role as Wolverine for the next Deadpool film.
The movie is set to arrive in September 2024, around six years since Deadpool 2 and seven years since Wolverine was killed off in 2017's Logan.
Deadpool's main man Ryan Reynolds made the announcement in this typically tongue-in-cheek video:
You're up to date!
We'll be back tomorrow with more.
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