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| UpdatedFor the second Friday running, a newspaper report is suggesting that the Coalition MP George Christensen is on the verge of quitting the Government. The ABC understands the Queensland MP has not directly threatened to the Prime Minister that he'll quit, but is considering his future. The Nationals Whip wants the Federal Government to do more to help cane growers in his electorate who are in dispute with a foreign-owned sugar mill.
Topics: liberal-national-party-queensland, federal-government, liberals, canberra-2600
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| UpdatedUS President Donald Trump has aggressively faced the media in an hour-long press conference, as his administration faces further scrutiny over alleged links with Russia. Mr Trump said that former national security adviser Michael Flynn was just 'doing his job' when he spoke to a Russian diplomat about sanctions imposed on Moscow by the Obama administration. The President has also signalled that he will sign a new executive order next week to circumvent court rulings stalling his immigration ban on citizens from seven mostly-Muslim countries.
Topics: world-politics, united-states, russian-federation
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The Turnbull Government has finished the first parliamentary fortnight for the year on a high. Malcolm Turnbull's spirited attacks seem to have impressed the sometimes restive Coalition backbench. Now the Government faces mounting challenges as it tries to frame the May budget, with billions of dollars of savings unlikely to pass the Senate.
Topics: government-and-politics, budget, canberra-2600
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Australia's multi-billion-dollar naval shipbuilding program has become embroiled in a real estate spat over who should pay for the use of Adelaide's state-of-the-art facilities. The South Australian government says that the Commonwealth wants a 99-year lease of its shipyards but is not willing to pay anything for it.
Topics: defence-and-aerospace-industries, navy, defence-industry, federal---state-issues, osborne-5017
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| UpdatedIslamic State has claimed responsibility for two bombings overnight in Iraq and Pakistan, which have killed more than 100 people. Western allies are meeting in Brussels to discuss the military campaign against IS extremists in Iraq and Syria. Australian Defence Minister Marise Payne, who will be attending the NATO ministers' meeting, says 'very significant' progress has been made on the campaign, but will not be drawn on the possibility of Australian involvement in a new US military campaign and insists that the people of Iraq and Syria must 'own' the outcome of any military action in their respective countries.
Topics: terrorism, belgium, iraq, pakistan, syrian-arab-republic
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| UpdatedThe people of Jakarta will be heading back to the polls in April after yesterday's ballot failed to produce an outright winner for the position of governor. Despite mass protests and blasphemy charges against him, the city's incumbent Christian Governor marginally won yesterday's ballot but he has a tough battle to gain the votes he needs in the weeks ahead.
Topics: world-politics, government-and-politics, indonesia, australia
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The first parliamentary fortnight for the year has wrapped up but it hasn't been a tidy one and there are plenty of loose ends, with the Government now seemingly at odds with itself over tax policy. The Finance Minister has categorically ruled out making any changes to capital gains tax concessions. But the Prime Minister appeared to concede in Question Time that the Government has looked into it as a way of repairing the budget and improving housing affordability.
Topics: parliament, government-and-politics, political-parties, australia
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| UpdatedIndigenous leader Noel Pearson says he has been vindicated by an investigation into the troubled school at Aurukun in far-north Queensland. The school was temporarily closed in May last year after student unrest. Queensland's Auditor-General has found no evidence of financial impropriety in his report into the school's operations. But the report did find that there were poor governance mechanisms in the partnership between government and Noel Pearson's organisation.
Topics: education, community-and-society, indigenous-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander, qld, australia
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| UpdatedNotorious paedophile priest Brian Spillane has today been sentenced to a further nine years jail for sexual assaults committed while he was a teacher and chaplain at St Stanislaus College in Bathurst. He's one of 12 people connected to the Catholic boys school and abuse survivors and police are baffled as to why the school has not been investigated by the Royal Commission into Child Sexual Assault.
Topics: sexual-offences, community-and-society, child-abuse, law-crime-and-justice, crime, laws, prisons-and-punishment, nsw, australia
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| UpdatedIt's been yet another dramatic and bruising 24 hours for the US President Donald Trump. His pick for Labor Secretary has withdrawn, he's veered away from long held US middle east policy, and has once again lashed out on twitter at the media. Donald Trump has also stuck out at his own intelligence officials, over what he's termed 'unfair treatment' of his former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
Topics: world-politics, government-and-politics, united-states, australia
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| UpdatedThe contracts for a gas pipeline connecting the Northern Territory to the eastern states have been drawn up, but some Aboriginal people say they're not ready to sign-off on the deal. The Aboriginal land council representing traditional owners across Central Australia says the deal's done and it's too late to speak up. But the group says they want a guarantee their land and the pipeline won't be part of a plan to frack Northern Territory land.
Topics: pipelines, business-economics-and-finance, industry, community-and-society, indigenous-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander, land-rights, aboriginal, nt, australia
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| UpdatedThe National Native Title Council says it doesn't want the Native Title Act being used as a political football by the Greens. Greens MP Adam Bandt today accused the Government of rushing through changes to the act to benefit the Adani coal mine in Queensland. But the Native Title Council, which represents traditional owners, says the legislation must be passed quickly to safeguard Aboriginal people's rights.
Topics: political-parties, government-and-politics, qld, australia
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| UpdatedThe latest official figures show the unemployment rate fell slightly in January to 5.7 per cent. A surge in Australians landing part time work, more than made up a big slump in full-time work. Social researchers say the trend to part-time work is placing a heavy financial burden on families, and is also seeing the nation undergo a significant social change.
Topics: unemployment, community-and-society, australia
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| UpdatedThe data released today at the child sexual abuse Royal Commission on the number of claims has led to shocking results. The records date back to the 1950s and show the extent of the abuse. In Australia, the Catholic Church has paid out $276 million in response to claims. Francis Sullivan from the church's Truth Justice and Healing Council speaks to PM
Topics: community-and-society, religion-and-beliefs, australia
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| UpdatedNew data commissioned for the child sexual abuse Royal Commission shows the highest percentage of claims made against Catholic Church authorities relate to abuse in schools at 46 per cent. The Royal Commission is considering the Catholic Education system and its current practices for the protection of students.
Topics: royal-commissions, child-abuse, law-crime-and-justice, australia
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Scientists may be a step closer to eradicating malaria following the stunning success of a new vaccine in a small human trial. The radical approach involves injecting patients with the cells of live malaria parasites. Thirty-five test subjects were injected with different amounts of the vaccine and those who received the highest doses enjoyed 100 per cent protection against infection.
Topics: malaria, health, vaccines-and-immunity, australia
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| UpdatedA global survey of around 1,300 chief executives by the consulting firm PWC shows money is starting to move out of China's slowing economy for the first time in seven years, despite the political uncertainty in the US. PWC chief economist, Jeremy Thorpe, says while business is optimistic about Donald Trump's economic policies, many are worried about protectionism.
Topics: corporate-governance, international-aid-and-trade, united-states, australia, china
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| UpdatedThe most sweeping changes to Queensland's parole laws in 80 years were handed down in a report into Queensland's parole system today. The state's former Solicitor General Walter Sofronoff made 91 recommendations, including more rehabilitation programs in prisons, the expanded use of GPS to track parolees and establishing a new parole board. The review into the state's parole system began after the murder of Townsville grandmother Elizabeth Kippen in July last year allegedly by a man on parole.
Topics: prisons-and-punishment, law-crime-and-justice, murder-and-manslaughter, australia
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The New South Wales Government is considering major changes to greyhound racing in the state, after announcing and then lifting a ban on the industry last year. A reform panel has unveiled 122 recommendations, designed to improve the industry's practices and reduce the number of dogs killed. Its key recommendation is for a new and independent Commission for Integrity and Welfare, to oversee the sport.
Topics: animal-welfare, australia
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There are calls to formalise the so called 'backpacker au pair' and create a specific visa to ensure safeguards are in place for workers and families. Experts say there's a rising demand for foreign live-in carers, but the industry remains unregulated and open to exploitation. It comes as childcare reforms hit the headlines again, and more families look for affordable and flexible alternatives for their children.
Topics: child-care, immigration, australia
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The highest number of abuse claims paid for by the Catholic Church relate to its education system. At St Patrick's College, in Ballarat, several Catholic priests and Christian Brothers were eventually convicted of sexually abusing children in their care. Now, the school says it wants to change its reputation to one that makes it a leader in child protection.
Topics: child-abuse, catholic, sexual-offences, ballarat-3350, australia
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While housing affordability remains a hot political issue, a national survey has uncovered a culture of fear amongst Australian renters. The consumer group Choice is warning of a power imbalance between landlords and tenants, but the real estate industry has questioned whether the report is an accurate snapshot.
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New data commissioned for the child sexual abuse Royal Commission shows the highest percentage of claims relate to abuse in Catholic schools followed by orphanages. The Church has paid out $278 million in response to claims of abuse made between 1980 and 2015.
Topics: sexual-offences, child-abuse, catholic, royal-commissions, australia
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| UpdatedDespite a strong employment figures, the Northern Territory economy is in the midst of a slowdown. The NT Chamber of Commerce says the slowing began last year, and conditions are especially tough for the retail sector. At the same time, Darwin's Inpex Ichthys gas project has been shedding workers, as the end of its construction phase approaches.
Topics: economic-trends, oil-and-gas, retail, nt
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| UpdatedAlthough there has been a 'very modest' tick down in unemployment, the standout figure of today's employment figures are the 40,000 people not in full time work, according to Professor John Spoehr, Director of the Australian Industrial Transformation Institute at Flinders University. He said the result reflects a wider problem in the country of the composition of employment growth, with most jobs being generated in the casual and part time sector.
Topics: economic-trends, unemployment, government-and-politics, federal-government, australia