National Legal Aid calls for $300m funding increase to keep Australian women safe

Exclusive: Peak body unable to meet increased demand for family services as nation grapples with a crisis of murdered women

More than $300m additional annual government funding is needed to meet demand for legal aid services related to family violence, the national peak body has warned, as Australia grapples with a crisis of murdered women.

The National Legal Aid chair, Louise Glanville, said that national rallies against gendered violence held over the weekend demonstrated that the community expected more to be done.

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Anti far-right campaigners say Labor’s anti-doxing laws could be weaponised

Group tells attorney general’s department that not all doxing is harmful and therefore bad or undesirable

Anti-fascist research group the White Rose Society has warned the Australian government that its push for new anti-doxing laws are a “quick fix” for complex problems that could be weaponised against reporting and have negative consequences for society.

In March the attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, announced consultation for new laws that would include a right to sue for serious invasion of privacy and a criminal offence of doxing.

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Mark Dreyfus and Sussan Ley trade barbs over release of convicted terrorist Abdul Nacer Benbrika

Attorney general says Ley needs to ‘take a long hard look at herself’ after she criticised him for not attempting to keep Benbrika behind bars

Mark Dreyfus has accused the opposition of stoking fear in the community and undermining the police in a fierce war of words over the release of convicted terrorist Abdul Nacer Benbrika.

The attorney general took aim at the deputy opposition leader, Sussan Ley, on Wednesday after she criticised him for not attempting to keep Benbrika behind bars.

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Administrative Appeals Tribunal members will be forced to reapply for jobs after Labor stacking claims

Mark Dreyfus promises ‘transparent’ process to recruit for new federal merits review body, which will review decisions on migration, the NDIS and Centrelink

Members of the soon-to-be-axed Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) will be asked to reapply for their jobs if they wish to continue on a new federal merits review body, after Labor complained the old tribunal was stacked with Liberal mates.

On Friday the attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, will open recruitment for the new Administrative Review Tribunal (ART), promising a “transparent and merit-based selection process for all members”.

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Australia news live: NSW premier warns of ‘tough summer’ ahead; Ukraine war and weak dollar causing fuel price spike

Chris Minns urges residents to have evacuation plans in place amid concerns of extreme heat during bushfire season. Follow the day’s news live

Labor looking to develop cybersecurity standards placing onus on companies after major data breaches

The federal government is looking at developing cybersecurity standards – a year on from the Optus data breach – to flip the onus towards companies and developers to keep Australians safe online, AAP reports.

If you’re buying a car seat for a new baby, you go into the store and buy a product off a shelf knowing that it will be safe for use - we don’t see the same thing with digital products.

What we want to do is move towards a world where citizens are not the ones who are having to think about and protect themselves from the cyber threat.

No, we won’t be doing that and nobody has suggested that we should.

I agree with Penny Sharp [the NSW minister for climate change] … she said publicly she doesn’t want to see Eraring stay open a day longer than it needs to or close a day earlier than it has to.

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Labor accuses Coalition of playing politics over changes to secretive intelligence committee

Opposition says plan to include crossbenchers in committee is ‘part of a grubby back room political deal’

The Albanese government has accused the Coalition of playing politics with national security, amid a political brawl over changes that could see crossbenchers join the secretive bipartisan intelligence committee.

There is speculation that the independent MP Andrew Wilkie could be in contention to be appointed to the committee – which only has major party members – but the government has not confirmed any potential choices.

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Australia news live: seizure of $270m worth of heroin is Queensland’s biggest; RBA interest rates decision due

Australians will find out at 2.30pm AEST whether the Reserve Bank will pause its interest rates hikes after 10 consecutive rises. Follow the day’s news live

Australia’s new high commissioner to the UK, Stephen Smith, says becoming a republic is “inevitable” even if Australians are proud to have the British monarch as their head of state.

In his first interview since taking up the post, Smith told the Times newspaper that most British people would be “indifferent” to Australia getting rid of the monarchy and it would not damage the countries’ relationship.

There is a lot of affection and respect for the monarchy in Australia.

That affection and respect hasn’t gone away because of Australia contemplating from time to time what it should do about its constitutional arrangements.

My personal view is it’s inevitable. But how that’s progressed is entirely a matter for the Australian government of the day.

Our public-sector workers do a great job serving their fellow Victorians and we’re proud to support them. In addition to wage increases, workers will be able to obtain a sign-on bonus while productivity improvements will bring the potential for further advancement of conditions.

The policy provides fair outcomes for employees while being responsible as we deal with the types of budget challenges faced by families, businesses and governments across the world.

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Law council joins calls to abolish Australia’s powers to detain terrorist offenders to prevent future crimes

Peak legal body endorses findings by independent monitor that recommends scrapping continuing detention orders

Australia’s peak lawyers body has urged the government to abolish “fraught” powers that allow terrorist offenders to be imprisoned so as to prevent possible crimes being committed in the future.

Last week a damning report by Australia’s national security law watchdog recommended scrapping continuing detention orders, which allow terrorist offenders to be imprisoned for three years on the basis of predicted crimes rather than for any crime they have committed.

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Former NSW deputy Liberal leader says party has ‘moved too far to the right’ – as it happened

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Prime minister pays tribute to Yunupingu

Prime minister Anthony Albanese has paid tribute to the Yolŋu man Yunupingu, one of the most significant Indigenous figures in history and a former Australian of the year, as “an extraordinary leader”.

He was one of the greatest of Australians.

An extraordinary leader of his people, respected right across Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australia.

I said to him that I was serious, that we would do it.

Today we mourn with deep love and great sadness the passing of our dearly loved father Yunupiŋu.

The holder of our sacred fire, the leader of our clan and the path-maker to our future.

The loss to our family and community is profound. We are hurting, but we honour him and remember with love everything he has done for us.

We remember him for his fierce leadership, and total strength for Yolŋu and for Aboriginal people throughout Australia. He lived by our laws always.

Yunupiŋu lived his entire life on his land, surrounded by the sound of bilma (clapsticks), yidaki (didgeridoo) and the manikay (sacred song) and dhulang (sacred designs) of our people. He was born on our land, he lived all his life on our land and he died on our land secure in the knowledge that his life’s work was secure.

He had friendship and loyalty to so many people, at all levels, from all places.

Our father was driven by a vision for the future of this nation, his people’s place in the nation and the rightful place for Aboriginal people everywhere.

In leaving us, we know that Dad’s loss will be felt in many hearts and minds. We ask you to mourn his passing in your own way, but we as a family encourage you to rejoice in the gift of his life and leadership.

There will never be another like him.

In time we will announce the dates for bäpurru (ceremonies) that will see him returned to his land and to his fathers. These ceremonies will be held in North Eastern Arnhem Land.

We ask the media to respect our grieving space over the coming weeks as we put together ceremonial arrangements to honour Dad.

Instead of flowers, we invite those of you who were touched by Dad’s fire to share with us your personal recollections and memories of his life. This will lift our spirits.

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Mark Dreyfus rejects human rights commissioner’s claim Indigenous voice would undermine principles of equality

Attorney general declines to comment on calls for commissioner Lorraine Finlay to consider her future in the role

Federal attorney general Mark Dreyfus “does not agree” with the human rights commissioner that the proposed Indigenous voice to parliament would undermine human rights principles of equality and non-discrimination in Australia, but would not comment on calls for the commissioner to consider her future in the role.

In an opinion piece published in the Australian on Thursday, commissioner Lorraine Finlay wrote that the draft wording of the referendum question and proposed amendment to the constitution “inserts race into the Australian constitution in a way that undermines the foundational human rights principles of equality and non-discrimination, and creates constitutional uncertainty in terms of its interpretation and operation”.

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Bodies of missing men found – as it happened

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Where the parties stand

So the Greens are pushing hard against new coal and gas but have not indicated they are willing to kill off the legislation.

We’re willing to negotiate on everything that we consider will be in keeping with our government’s approach and our election mandate. Nothing more, nothing less. We went to the people seeking a mandate. That’s what we will implement.

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Australians able to opt out of targeted ads and erase their data under proposed privacy reforms

Individual rights could be modelled on the EU’s general data protection regulation or GDPR, a review by the attorney general’s department says

Australians would gain greater control of their personal information, including the ability to opt out of targeted ads, erase their data and sue for serious breaches of privacy, under a proposal to the Albanese government.

On Thursday the attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, will release a review conducted by his department into modernisation of the Privacy Act which calls to expand its remit to small businesses and add new safeguards for use of data by political parties.

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PM reaffirms commitment to allow religious schools to hire staff based on faith

Albanese says Labor made its position ‘clear a long time ago’ after religious groups reject proposal as having ‘severe limits’

Anthony Albanese has reiterated that Labor will respect religious schools’ right to select staff based on faith, after widespread backlash from religious groups to a proposal to limit their hiring and firing powers.

On Monday an alliance of religious leaders rejected a proposal by the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) to allow religious preference only where “the teaching, observance or practice of religion is a genuine occupational requirement”.

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Whistleblower bill excluding sexual harassment complaints from protection goes too far, Greens senator says

David Shoebridge says employment-related complaints should also be protected as whistleblowers ‘too often lose their careers from speaking out’

Labor’s whistleblower bill goes too far in excluding personal conduct such as sexual harassment complaints from protection, the Greens and legal stakeholders have warned.

The Greens justice spokesperson, David Shoebridge, said the bill “excludes whistleblower complaints with a mixture of employment elements”, which he claims goes a step further than the related recommendation from a review into the laws.

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Labor flags law reforms to stop cases involving national security being cloaked in secrecy

Bernard Collaery welcomes proposed changes as attorney general recognises importance of open justice and public interest

The federal government has flagged amendments to national security laws to ensure that the near total secrecy that hid the prosecution and imprisonment of a former Australian intelligence officer cannot happen again.

The former government faced persistent criticism of its use of the National Security Information (NSI) Act to enforce extreme secrecy in cases of clear public interest, including the prosecutions of Bernard Collaery, Witness K and the former military lawyer David McBride.

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Interview transcript published by PM’s office omitted wrong answer on Indigenous voice legal advice

Attorney general has clarified solicitor general is being consulted on voice to parliament after Anthony Albanese said otherwise

The prime minister’s office and department published a transcript of a radio interview which omitted a key part of an incorrect answer about legal advice on the voice referendum.

In an interview on 2GB radio on Wednesday – which the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, described as a “train wreck” – Anthony Albanese replied “no, no” when asked if the government had consulted the solicitor general on the referendum – but these words were omitted from the transcript.

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Taxpayers face potential $10m payout bill as administrative appeals tribunal scrapped

Full-time members of the AAT not reappointed to a position in a new body will be eligible for compensation under existing contracts

Taxpayers could be on the hook for up to $10m in payouts to members of the administrative appeals tribunal as the Albanese government moves to scrap the existing body.

On Friday the attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, announced the tribunal will be abolished and replaced by a new merits-review body because it had been “irreversibly damaged” by political appointments.

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Australia politics live: Dutton says Coalition won’t support motion to censure Morrison – but Archer says she is ‘inclined to’

The censure motion against Scott Morrison over multiple ministries scandal will be debated in House of Representatives tomorrow. Follow the day’s news live

Bipartisanship cedes to brinkmanship in battle over integrity commission

Meanwhile, Mark Dreyfus is preparing to stare down the Liberals and the Greens over an amendment to the national anti-corruption commission legislation which Dreyfus says risks establishing the commission and the Liberals and Greens say will ensure it won’t be political.

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‘Naccflip’: Greens back down on threat to overhaul national anti-corruption commission bill

Minor party resolves to support a crossbench amendment instead of Coalition on key appointment

The national anti-corruption commission bill is set to pass after Labor successfully stared down a Greens threat to support a Coalition amendment on the appointment of the Nacc commissioner.

On Monday Guardian Australia revealed the Greens’ threat to combine with the Coalition to require a super majority of three-quarters of the Nacc oversight committee to appoint a commissioner, in a move that could have derailed the bill.

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David Littleproud is a ‘kindergarten kid’ whose Nationals will be ‘left behind’ on voice, Noel Pearson says

Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price caught in a ‘tragic redneck celebrity vortex’ and ‘punching down on other Blackfellas’, Cape York leader says

The Cape York leader Noel Pearson has called the National party leader, David Littleproud, a “kindergarten kid” whose party is in danger of being “left behind in history” after it decided to oppose an Indigenous voice to parliament.

In a blistering interview with ABC radio on Tuesday, Pearson also accused the Northern Territory Country Liberal party senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price of being drawn into a “a tragic redneck celebrity vortex”.

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