18:05:00 29/11/2016
The clock is ticking for the Federal Government as it strives to wrap up the parliamentary year with a win, and this afternoon the Coalition got a step closer to Parliament passing its key piece of legislation, enabling the establishment of the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC). Nick Xenophon was holding out on voting for the ABCC until the Government satisfied his demands over the Murray-Darling Basin, but late today the South Australian Senator announced a breakthrough on water negotiations. However, he still hasn't actually confirmed that he's going to support the workplace reforms bill, and neither have other key crossbenchers in the Senate.
More
18:10:00 29/11/2016
Labor and the Greens have won enough support on the Senate crossbench to set up an inquiry into the actions of the Attorney-General George Brandis, and the Commonwealth's negotiations with the WA Government over the liquidation of Alan Bond's Bell Group. Senator Brandis insists he's always acted in the interests of the Commonwealth, but he'll be compelled to appear at the inquiry. It will report back to the Senate in March next year.
More
18:20:00 29/11/2016
The Victorian Government has agreed to a last-minute settlement and withdrawn some Aboriginal youths from an adult jail. The deal only applies to Indigenous youths, and avoids a Supreme Court case that would have tested the legality of the government's plans to send about 40 youths to an adult prison after riots in youth detention.
More
18:25:00 29/11/2016
The competition watchdog has rejected a move by three of Australia's big four banks to collectively bargain with Apple over use of its electronic payments system. The banks want to use Apple's EFTPOS hardware, which allows contactless payments, but retain their control over the actual transfer of funds. But despite the competition stoush, analysts say the control of the technology at the point of sale is just a sideshow to what Apple is really trying to achieve in the digital space.
More
18:15:00 29/11/2016
A multi-million dollar overhaul of South Australia's child protection system will focus on prevention and early intervention for at-risk families. It's a response to the Child Protection Systems Royal Commission and the State's Government has outlined a package of measures to overhaul the sector, in addition to a suite of new child protection laws. Child protection advocates say its a positive move, but warn it will take time for the new regime to take effect.
More
18:30:00 29/11/2016
Australian taxpayers have bankrolled a multi-million-dollar fox eradication program in Tasmania which was quite possibly based on faked evidence, a report leaked to the ABC shows. The internal government report from five years ago suggests that one or two staff members working on the program may have planted evidence.
More
18:35:00 29/11/2016
Thousands of people were evacuated from Aleppo, as Syrian government forces and their allies captured another major neighbourhood in the east of the city. This victory for President Bashar al-Assad means almost a third of eastern Aleppo in government control. Some civilians described the hardships they faced as they lived under siege while waiting for buses to transport them to safety.
More
18:40:00 29/11/2016
Western Australia's top cop Karl O'Callaghan has slammed a push by WA Labor leader Mark McGowan to allow police to ram cars off the road during pursuits, warning it will lead to certain disaster.
More
18:05:00 29/11/2016
Norfolk Island, almost 1,500 kilometres from the mainland, and inhabited by just over 2,000 people, is a different kind of remote. Against the odds, the local highschool's year seven to eight debating team has come to Sydney this week to compete in the Premier's debating challenge. More
18:50:00 29/11/2016
Northern Territory corrections has confirmed there are currently no rehabilitation programs being run for high risk sex offenders inside. A damning report about the state of the Territory's correctional system, released last week, called for the immediate reinstatement of rehabilitation programs for all sex offenders. The department says violent offenders have been the priority, but advocates for victims of child sex abuse say releasing untreated offenders is an unacceptable risk.
More
18:55:00 29/11/2016
Hay bales emblazoned with cryptic messages; no - it's not crop circles for a new generation - its one Victorian farmer's effort to boost breast cancer awareness. Tammy Pettigrew and her family are doing all they can to promote breast cancer awareness after a recent brush with the illness. More
