Roberts-Smith, now out of the military, is under investigation by the IG of the ADF as part of an inquiry into allegations of criminal misconduct on the battlefield by the SAS in Afghanistan.
Complaints that staff performed non-work related and personal duties for Husar had merit.
Mick Tsikas/AAP
Grattan talks with Deep Saini about Husar’s announcement she will not contest the next election, Joyce’s book, and the hotly debated National Energy Guarantee.
Victorian Energy minister Lily D'Ambrosio said she suggested the longer timetable “during the course of recent weeks”.
Joe Castro/AAP
Victoria has again shifted the goal posts in the battle over the NEG suggesting parliament should pass the federal government’s emissions reduction legislation ahead of states signing onto the NEG.
Husar said in a statement: “This is a very sad day for me.”
Mick Tsikas/AAP
Labor MP Emma Husar has bowed to the inevitable and announced she will not contest next year’s election – although she plans to stay in parliament until then.
Frydenberg said: “Never before has there been an energy policy that has attracted such broad support.”
Alex Murray/AAP
Meanwhile, underlining that next week will see a tough internal debate, Liberal backbencher Tony Pasin has contradicted Malcolm Turnbull’s statement that the NEG had already been endorsed by the party room.
Turnbull on Monday night said the NEG plan had “overwhelming support” in the party room.
Dean Lewins/AAP
On Monday the Labor states were jibbing at agreeing even in principle to the NEG mechanism at Friday’s COAG energy council meeting, ahead of Malcolm Turnbull showing he can deliver his party room.
If he can get in principle agreement on the NEG on Friday, Josh Frydenberg will then take the planned federal legislation on emissions targets to the Coalition party room the following Tuesday, with the COAG energy council signing off on the package after that meeting.
Mick Tsikas/AAP
The Victorian Labor government’s cabinet will consider on Monday a raft of demands around the National Energy Guarantee ahead of a crucial federal-state energy ministers’ meeting later this week.
In his last speech in his position, released ahead of its delivery to the Whitlam Institute on Monday night, Soutphommasane says that “race politics is back”.
Mick Tsikas/AAP
Outgoing Race Discrimination Commissioner Tim Soutphommasane has accused sections of the media of the “monetisation of racism” to hold on to their audiences.
In a speech to be delivered on Tuesday, D'Ambrosio will play on dissent in the Coalition, saying: “Malcolm Turnbull is trying to get us to sign up to something that hasn’t gone to his own party room – a place full of climate sceptics”.
James Ross/AAP
“We won’t support a scheme that leaves the states in the dark and leaves us all hostage to the extremists in Turnbull’s party room,” D'Ambrosio will say.
The public service union has welcomed the new Public Service Commissioner Peter Woolcott as “a much needed change” from his controversial predecessor.
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Woolcott is a public servant with a career in diplomacy. While in the Turnbull office he has been on leave from his position as a deputy secretary in the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Late Saturday night, on counting so far, Lamb led the Liberal National Party’s Trevor Ruthenberg by 55-45% on the two-party vote – a swing to Labor of about 4%.
Mick Tsikas/AAP
The results are a deep disappointment for the government, which had hoped it might snatch at least one of the Braddon or Longman, and had hopes of winning Mayo although it quickly gave these up.
Keating said the media free-for-all the Turnbull government was permitting under its new law would “result in an effective and dramatic close down in diversity and with it, opinion”.
David Moir/AAP
Keating said that for more than half a century, Nine had never done other than display “the opportunism and ethics of an alley cat.”
In her statement late Tuesday Husar said: “The past few days have been incredibly difficult for my family. I’m a single mum and my first priority is the safety and wellbeing of my children.
Mick Tsikas/AAP
The NSW Labor party probe, led by barrister John Whelan, into the claims against Husar has been going on for some time but the story only broke publicly with a BuzzFeed report last week.
Bill Shorten, speaking on Sunday in Longman at Susan Lamb’s formal campaign launch.
Darren England/AAP
The outcomes in Longman and Braddon are vital for Shorten, who would face very serious leadership instability if he lost both seats, and a rough patch if the ALP were defeated in one.
Centre Alliance candidate Rebekha Sharkie is polling strongly ahead of next weekend’s byelection in the South Australian seat of Mayo.
AAP/Roy Vandervegt
With just over a week until the Super Saturday byelections, there is great interest in each of the five seats in play, including Mayo in South Australia.
It has been widely assumed that any dual citizenship problems are confined to the federal parliament. But that may need a rethink.
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While all the attention has been on section 44 of the Australian Consitution, some state constitutions may require closer scrutiny as well.
Smith said that coming from WA, he would like to see Perth enjoy the benefit of population growth, while avoiding the negative effects that had beset the biggest cities, i.e. Sydney and Melbourne.
Mick Tsikas/AAP
The call comes as latest figures show the annual permanent migrant intake fell to 162,400 last financial year – compared with a 190,000 planning level.
“We are driving a program of cultural change, supported by a dedicated communications strategy, to embed a strong protective security culture in PM&C,” secretary Martin Parkinson has said.
AAP/Mick Tsikas
The head of the prime minister’s department says an investigation by the Australian Federal Police has found “the breach was not a deliberate act motivated by criminal or malicious intent”.
Gaetjens recently left the job of Treasurer Scott Morrison’s chief of staff, a position he also held with Peter Costello.
Gary Ramage/AAP
Phil Gaetjens, who has served as chief of staff to two Liberal treasurers, will now run the Treasury department, after the early resignation of the current secretary, John Fraser.
The audit was started amid the public controversy over the affair between Joyce and Campion.
Sunday Night Supplied/AAP
The audit also examined Joyce’s claims between May 9 2016 and December 31 2017. It found all were within the rules.
With reviews into the ABC underway on its competitive neutrality and its efficiency, Milne said that, echoing the past, some rivals urged the ABC should be banned from providing digital services and restricted to linear radio and television.
Joel Carrett/AAP
In a strong defence of the public broadcaster, its chairman has warned against clipping the ABC’s digital wings and defended its place in preserving the nation’s identity.
The ACCC backs the Turnbull government’s push for its National Energy Guarantee, calling on other governments to commit to it.
Darren England/AAP
Incoming ALP President Wayne Swan has lashed out at Mark Latham as “someone who ratted on battlers” after the former Labor leader’s robo message to Longman voters, authorised by Pauline Hanson".
Sheep aboard the ship Bader III, which transports livestock to the Middle East.
Supplied by Animals Australia