Australia politics live: Labor’s concessions to get Greens and Coalition to back nature laws overhaul revealed

12.59am GMT

Queensland’s teacher’s union president Cresta Richardson has defended today’s strike action.
Richardson said tens of thousands of teachers would be walking off the job today, but said schools had plenty of time to prepare, given seven days’ notice:

This is the strike that the premier has wanted.
We have been reasonable in our requests as we’ve been going through this process, our members have voted against the last, final, best offer from the government’s conciliation. This is really about continuing to stand up. Our members have had enough of teacher shortages. They’ve had enough of occupational violence, not being resourced enough.

Richardson said the government’s threat to go after issues outside the conciliation process was an attempt to punish members for refusing their conciliation offer. She called on the premier or education minister to resolve the dispute before it goes into arbitration at the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission next year at the latest.

12.53am GMT

Nauru president floats returning NZYQ refugees to home countries
Nauru may seek to return refugees from the NZYQ cohort to their home countries, the Nauruan president has said in a new translation of a February interview that has been the subject of months-long controversy.
David Adeang’s interview erroneously claimed those being sent to Nauru were not refugees and said Nauru may seek to return them to their countries of origin where possible.
Guardian Australia has confirmed members of the NZYQ group have had refugee protection claims recognised by Australia. It is understood some of the men already transferred to Nauru are among those who are refugees.
The Guardian has previously reported a partial transcript, which was corroborated by the full transcript read into Hansard by senators David Pocock and David Shoebridge late on Monday.

Related: Nauru president floats returning NZYQ refugees to home countries

Updated at 12.57am GMT

12.43am GMT

New BoM boss defends $96.5m website overhaul
The newly minted boss of Australia’s national weather agency has tried to shut down a brewing political storm, defending its $96.5m website overhaul.
Bureau of Meteorology chief executive, Stuart Minchin, who is two weeks into the job, defended the cost on Tuesday, saying the website redesign was part of a broader system overhaul, prompted by a 2015 cyber-attack.
Minchin said the entire system had to be replaced following the attack carried out by foreign cyber spies:

It has repeatedly been part of the budget updates. The website component is about 10 per cent of a much larger program replacing all of the bureau’s back end systems and processes.
That has been visible to the government all the way through.

The bureau’s new-look “modern and sleek” site launched on 22 October but quickly came under fire after savage storms left a trail of destruction across the eastern seaboard.
– AAP

Updated at 12.53am GMT

12.27am GMT
Labor's offer to the Coalition to get it to back nature laws revealed

As for the Coalition, the government has offered five concessions.
They include:

So-called “stop-work” orders that halt projects can only be in place for a maximum of 14 days
Clarify that maximum fines for breaches of nature laws ($1.6m for individuals, $825m for businesses) would only apply in the “most serious and egregious cases”.
Allow the minister to sack the chief executive of the independent environment protection agency (EPA) for poor performance.
Allow the minister to set “directions” to the chief executive of the EPA
Retain one of the existing project assessment pathways that requires proponents to submit “preliminary documentation” ahead of a decision.

The list of amendments does not include any changes to a new “unacceptable impact” definition that would, if met, result in the immediate refusal of a project.

Updated at 12.29am GMT

12.18am GMT

Joyce says politicians too quick to jump on the ‘offence microphone’
Staying on that 2GB interview, Joyce says politicians are quick to take the “offence microphone”, and singled out Penny Wong over her comments in the Senate condemning Hanson.
He added that Hanson wouldn’t have pulled the burqa stunt if she hadn’t been shut down from introducing her bill.

I find it annoying where everyone makes this mad dash for the offence microphone.
If you want to give someone publicity, just shut them down, and then they’ve got all the publicity they want.

The argument echoed Hanson’s public comments this morning, that she wouldn’t have worn the burqa if the Senate had debated her bill.

Updated at 12.26am GMT

12.06am GMT
Barnaby Joyce to make decision about One Nation defection by 'end of the week'

Barnaby Joyce says he’ll make a decision on whether he leaves the Nationals and defects to One Nation by the end of this week.
The widely anticipated move has been speculated for more than a month, while Joyce has held meetings with Hanson and sits outside the Nationals party room.
Speaking to 2GB radio this morning, he called himself a “front row forward” and said he’s been “put in a corner”.

I just don’t want much of a circus … I’ll get to the end of the week and we’ll make a decision then.

Nationals MPs have been imploring Joyce to stay with them this morning, including Matt Canavan, who said the speculation was turning into a long “Days of our Lives” saga.
Despite appearances, Joyce said the steak Pauline Hanson cooked on a sandwich press tasted “brilliant”.

Updated at 12.17am GMT

11.40pm GMT

Queensland teachers strike after rejecting pay offer
Queensland’s education minister has warned teachers might get a worse industrial deal after arbitration, flagging that the government will look at “other elements” of their industrial agreement.
Members of the Queensland Teachers’ Union are going on strike today after rejecting a government pay offer last month made during conciliation at the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission. The dispute will now go to a full bench of the commission for arbitration.
The education minister, John-Paul Langbroek, said on Tuesday that the conciliation offer, which included an 8% pay rise was now “off the table”.
He told media this morning that the government wouldn’t be seeking to roll back class sizes “but it is true that we’ll be looking at other elements of the industrial agreement” in the commission.
Langbroek said Tuesday’s strike would affect year 10 and 11 exams and a variety of extracurricular activities. Almost all state schools would be open, aside from a handful affected by storm damage, he said. Langbroek also dismissed the risk of a threatened third strike.

It will make no difference to what we’re trying to achieve, which is fair pay, a fair pay rise for teachers dealing with the issues of conditions that they’re concerned about, and all they’re doing is impacting parents and caregivers across the state, as well as costing themselves wages.

Related: Thousands of Queensland teachers have gone on strike with 600,000 school students affected. What happens next?

Updated at 11.43pm GMT

11.26pm GMT
Revealed: Labor's offer to get Greens to back EPBC overhaul

Guardian Australia has obtained the separate sets of concessions that the Albanese government is prepared to make to its nature laws to secure the Greens or the Coalition’s support.
The proposed concessions to the Greens, circulated on Tuesday morning, include:

Limiting the fast-tracking of fossil fuel projects under bioregional plans
Limit the new “streamline assessment pathway” to restrict fossil fuel projects
Limit the proposed new “national interest” exemption to exclude fossil fuel projects
Reversing proposed changes that would have handed the so-called “water trigger” to state governments
Require that the minister retain the power to declare that a project requires Commonwealth approval, even under deals to devolve decision-making powers to the states.
Require that the states have agreements to assess projects under federal nature laws before allowing them to have power to make decisions under the laws

The government has also offered to subject native forest logging to national environmental standards within three years, although the detail of that amendment is still being worked through.
The Greens will no doubt discuss its position on the EPBC laws at their regular Tuesday morning party-room meeting although it’s unclear if a final position will be settled.

Updated at 11.40pm GMT

11.25pm GMT
An average of nine posties a day being attacked by dogs, Australia Post says

Moving away from politics for a moment, Australia Post is warning that nine posties a day are being attacked by dogs, on average.
They’re urging pet owners to secure their dogs, particularly as households rush to make online orders ahead of Christmas.
AusPost say 46 posties a week have “fallen victim to dog-related incidents”, with NSW the worst state, followed by Queensland and Western Australia. Nationwide, 1,194 attacks have occurred in the last six months alone.
Australia Post general manager of safety, Russell Munro, said in a statement:

Our Posties want to be able to deliver for our customers without fear of being attacked or chased by a dog. Regardless of breed or temperament, we urge all owners to keep their dogs safely contained when expecting deliveries.

This is a video Australia Post released last year of dogs attacking posties:

Updated at 11.37pm GMT

11.02pm GMT

Pauline Hanson says burqa stunt a response to not being allowed to introduce bill to ban garment
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has defended her stunt in parliament yesterday, telling 4BC radio this morning that she did it because she wasn’t allowed to introduce her bill to ban the burqa.
Hanson said the bill was in response to “national security” concerns, for “assimilation” and for women “being controlled by men”.
She called her critics in parliament “hypocrites” for not allowing her to wear the garment, while refusing to debate the bill.

I couldn’t introduce it, that’s the problem, is they wouldn’t allow me to introduce it and I thought, well, OK, if you don’t want to debate this and you’ve got no problems with not banning the burqa, so I thought, no, I’ll go and put it on … Now they’re complaining because I’m wearing the burqa. You don’t want to ban it. So you’re whinging about it and I’m wearing it in the parliament. So what’s the difference? A bunch of hypocrites.

Speaking separately to ABC radio Sydney this morning, Hanson could not name a single national security incident in Australia that involved a burqa, because she hasn’t “had that briefing from Asio or the AFP”.

Updated at 11.13pm GMT

10.54pm GMT

Frontbencher denies Nationals will be a roadblock to Ley striking deal with Coalition on nature laws
Just following up on that earlier post about negotiations on the EPBC, there are rumblings the Nationals would seek to thwart Sussan Ley from striking a deal with the Coalition.
The country party has long had reservations about the federal environment protection regime and has been hostile to Labor’s plans to establish an independent EPA with the power to halt projects and issue hefty fines.
The shadow frontbencher, Jonno Duniam, disputed suggestions that the Nationals were a roadblock to a potential deal.

They’ve been very constructive to date, and I expect they’ll continue to be.
They have strong voices for their communities, and we’ll be able to work with them about the end outcome here. If that is for the Coalition to do a deal with the government that is acceptable to us, and I emphasise that we will not agree to anything that is not acceptable to our party room, our joint party room.

Updated at 11.03pm GMT

10.29pm GMT
Tim Wilson says Liberals axing net zero policy means MPs can ‘still advocate for it’

Tim Wilson is in an awkward position, having campaigned to keep net zero emissions by 2050 commitments, which his party has now abandoned. There’s been wide speculation Wilson – who represents the progressive seat of Goldstein, which he narrowly won from teal independent Zoe Daniel – could quit the shadow cabinet.
“Awkward” is perhaps how you might also describe the mental gymnastics he’s currently using to say that Liberals can still advocate for net zero. He told Sky News this morning:

We’ve had a policy review and now our policy position is silent on it. You can still support a net zero position, you can still advocate for it, you can still say it is welcome, because our focus is how to decarbonise the economy and get lower emissions.

When announcing the policy change earlier this month, Ley said, “I could not be more clear when I say we are removing net zero targets.” On whether he will quit the frontbench, Wilson said:

People always speculate about all these sorts of things, I’ve done exactly what I’ve said every step of the way, I’ve advocated for the position we took to the last election, I followed party processes, I’ve honoured my commitments. I’m not the one who should be resigning.

The shadow small business spokesperson also said he was as “surprised as anyone” to see his name in polling by the Australian newspaper yesterday, which asked voters who they would prefer as Liberal leader.
Sussan Ley was ahead of Andrew Hastie, Angus Taylor, Wilson and deputy leader Ted O’Brien in that poll, but almost half of those surveyed elected to choose the “don’t know” option.
Wilson, who joked about the polling yesterday, backed in Ley on Sky News this morning, “Sussan’s leader, that’s the focus – because the conversation is how we win, ‘we’ being the Australian people.”

Updated at 10.47pm GMT

10.18pm GMT

More on Coalition tensions over EPBC concessions
Following from our last post …
The Coalition wants amendments across seven areas that would water down the bill’s environmental protections and strip back the powers of the government’s proposed environment protection agency (EPA).
Watt has so far verbally offered two concessions to the Coalition related to fines for breaches of nature laws and the process for the issuing of so-called “stop-work orders” to halt projects.
Guardian Australia understands the government was planning to circulate written amendments on Tuesday morning to the Coalition as well as the Greens, its other potential partner to get the laws through the Senate.
Angie Bell was yet to see the offer to the Coalition when she fronted the media just before 8.30am, meaning it was unlikely she would have anything substantial to present to her colleagues at their regular joint party-room meeting later this morning.
The shadow minister, Jonno Duniam, who is leading negotiations with Murray Watt in the Senate, said the Coalition party room was “dynamic”, suggesting it could be reconvened later in the week if a deal was struck. Standing alongside Bell, Duniam said:

We have been working in good faith with the government all the way through this. They’re the ones who put this deadline down of getting a bill passed by the end of this week. If there’s such a rush, then why are they leaving it to the last minute to work with us on the amendments that Angie has been so forward-leaning on getting constructed.

Updated at 10.42pm GMT

10.18pm GMT
Coalition says it is yet to see possible concessions from Labor on nature reforms

Coalition MPs has vented their frustration with the environment minister, Murray Watt, with negotiations on new federal nature laws at an impasse just days out from the government’s self-imposed deadline to get them through parliament.
The shadow cabinet met on Monday night but was unable to come to a position on an overhaul of the environment protection and biodiversity conservation (EPBC) act because the opposition was yet to see details of what concessions the government was prepared to offer to win its support.
The shadow environment minister, Angie Bell, said that was “entirely and utterly unreasonable” given Watt’s insistence that the legislation pass before parliament rises for the year on Thursday. Bell said:

I’ll say to the minister – the ball is firmly in your court. We are expecting those amendments and it is entirely unreasonable that we have not received them to date.

Updated at 10.40pm GMT

9.55pm GMT

In pictures: Albanese and Zhao Leji meet for breakfast
China’s third-highest ranking lawmaker, Zhao Leji, returned to parliament this morning to meet with Anthony Albanese.
The two shook hands for a picture opportunity in the PM’s courtyard.
Zhao’s visit has not been without some drama: when he first arrived at parliament yesterday, parliamentarians and their staff were warned to turn off their phones, laptops and internet connected devices.

Related: Australian federal MPs warned to turn off phones when Chinese delegation visits Parliament House

Updated at 10.05pm GMT

9.43pm GMT

Labor ‘asleep at the wheel’ during Hanson’s Senate stunt, Fatima Payman says
Fatima Payman says the government were “asleep at the wheel” when Pauline Hanson entered the Senate wearing a burqa yesterday, and should have done more to remove her from the chamber earlier.
Payman told ABC News Breakfast this morning she and other senators felt unsafe, and that Hanson’s original stunt in 2017 created the precedent to have her kicked out immediately.

It was a stunt Pauline Hanson has previously pulled, so the fact that the government were found asleep at the wheel was just not OK and definitely not suitable of a government that claims to care about multiculturalism and a safe work environment. There wasn’t just me but so many other senators felt unsafe and disrespected by such behaviour. The government definitely needs to do a lot more when it comes to upholding the principles of the Senate.

Payman says she was in hospital with her father who had leukemia when Hanson first pulled this stunt in 2017, and described “getting weird stares and remarks thrown at me”. She said she fears for the other young girls who will be affected by this behaviour.

There is bound to be people out on the streets, young school girls who are probably yelled at or abused or assaulted and it is just the division that we don’t want to see in society.

Updated at 10.02pm GMT

9.34pm GMT
Hanson hosts Barnaby Joyce for office dinner with sandwich-press steaks

The rumour mill keeps chugging, and while Barnaby Joyce hasn’t yet confirmed whether he will defect to One Nation, he did dine with its leader, Pauline Hanson, last night – after she pulled the burqa stunt in the Senate chamber.
Joyce had said yesterday he hadn’t yet been invited to dinner by Hanson, but the two got together in Hanson’s office last night to share a steak cooked on a sandwich press.
Joyce is still a member of the National party, but has not been sitting in party room meetings – which means he likely won’t be there again today when they gather this morning. He has said he won’t recontest his seat of New England with the Nationals at the next election.

Updated at 10.19pm GMT

9.23pm GMT

Matt Canavan says Hanson’s stunt turns parliament into ‘circus act’
Nationals senator Matt Canavan, who was one of the earliest to condemn Pauline Hanson in the chamber yesterday, has again attacked the One Nation leader, telling Sky News this morning the behaviour turns parliament “into a circus act”.
Canavan also took the opportunity to urge Barnaby Joyce to remain in the Nationals.

I mean, look, even Barnaby couldn’t defend Pauline yesterday, right? He was asked, and he’s refused to comment. And, I mean, come on, Barnaby, do you really want to go and join the circus, or do you want to stay in a real team that’s really focused on delivering?

On whether he believes Joyce will make the move to the fringe party, Canavan said:

Look, it’s turning into a longer saga than Days of our Lives. So I think people are all sick and tired of it.

The Nationals senator also took a shot at Hanson’s cooking, saying, “I’m not going over to her office any time soon.”

Updated at 9.27pm GMT

9.08pm GMT
George Brandis condemns Pauline Hanson for ‘despicable stunt’

Former Liberal attorney general George Brandis, who famously stood up to Pauline Hanson the first time she pulled the burqa stunt in the Senate back in 2017, has called her latest behaviour “despicable”.
Speaking to RN Breakfast this morning, Brandis says Hanson’s stunt will remind the public of the “ugly and divisive politics” One Nation practises.
Brandis also says he doesn’t believe the stunt will increase the minor party’s popularity.

It was obviously a stunt. It was a despicable stunt. But Pauline Hanson does this. I mean, every once in a while, she dreams up a new stunt to try and make herself the centre of political attention and discussion. It didn’t work then.
After that episode in 2017, One Nation’s support actually fell in the opinion polls. And I expect that that will happen again.

Updated at 9.22pm GMT

8.56pm GMT

Plibersek say gambling is a contributing factor to domestic violence but dismisses ‘obsession’ with betting ads
The RN Breakfast host, Sally Sara, asks Plibersek about the sticky issue of gambling and online gambling advertising. Last year, a rapid review on preventing domestic violence commissioned by the government recommended a total ban on gambling ads.
The social services minister says there’s evidence gambling is a “contributing factor” to intimate partner violence, but so are alcohol and drugs:

We need to address all of these, and that’s why our government has done more than any government in Australian history to address problem gambling, and it’s why we’ll continue to work to address problem gambling.

Plibersek says journalists have an “obsession” with gambling advertising, which Sara pushes back on – and points out that it’s been two and a half years since a landmark report on the harms of gambling was released, which the government still hasn’t responded to.
Plibersek says, “our government’s doing more than any government in Australian history to address online gambling and problem gambling,” which is something the prime minister has repeated often, when asked about when the government will respond to the more than 30 recommendations in that report.

Updated at 9.06pm GMT

8.47pm GMT

Domestic violence among under-18s increasing, Plibersek says
Violence in relationships among young people under 18 is increasing, says Tanya Plibersek, who has announced a major funding boost for the 1800 Respect phone helpline this morning.
Speaking to ABC’s RN Breakfast, Plibersek says that in 2010, its first year of operation, 1800 Respect received 11,000 calls, but in the last financial year it received 342,000 calls.
She says the funding boost is needed to keep up with the demand.
On whether the number of domestic violence incidents is rising or falling, she says:

It’s a mixed picture. We’re seeing some areas, like intimate partner violence, slightly decreasing, but we’re seeing big increases in, for example, young relationships, under-18s. We’re seeing big increases in violence there. So we need to keep evolving as this problem in our society evolves.

If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault or family violence, call 1800-RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit www.1800RESPECT.org.au.

Updated at 11.22pm GMT

8.42pm GMT

Albanese to meet top Chinese official Zhao Leji at parliament today
The prime minister will meet with Zhao Leji, the third highest-ranking official in the Chinese government, for a breakfast this morning.
(Expect some formal handshake shots in the prime minister’s courtyard in parliament shortly.)
The visit by Zhao, the chair of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China (a role roughly analogous to that of speaker) has already made some waves – yesterday parliamentarians and their staff were urged to turn off their phones, laptops and internet while parliament administrators warned building occupants about interruptions to wifi service.

Related: Australian federal MPs warned to turn off phones when Chinese delegation visits Parliament House

On the Today show earlier, the Greens leader, Larissa Waters, questioned those security precautions.

If one man walking through the building can bring us all to halt, then I think our cybersecurity needs a bit of a look at.

Updated at 8.55pm GMT

8.34pm GMT
Hanson stunt ‘cheapens our parliament’ says Ley

The opposition leader, Sussan Ley, has also slammed Pauline Hanson, releasing a statement last night saying the stunt “cheapens our parliament”.
It’s the second time Hanson has worn a burqa in the Senate chamber – she pulled the same stunt back in 2017.
Ley said the parliament would not “let Senator Hanson’s actions distract us from fighting for Australians”.

This kind of stunt weakens senator Hanson’s case and cheapens our Parliament. Her actions do not reflect the sort of Parliament Australians elected us to convene.
This is a reminder of how brittle One Nation’s politics are. They must resort to reheating desperate stunts. Australians deserve better and we will remain focused on fighting for them and holding the government to account.

Related: Pauline Hanson faces widespread condemnation after repeating ‘disgraceful’ burqa stunt in Senate

Updated at 8.40pm GMT

8.21pm GMT

Pauline Hanson hosts Barnaby Joyce for sandwich-toaster steak dinner
Following that stunt yesterday, Pauline Hanson reportedly cooked Barnaby Joyce a steak last night, amid talks over a possible defection by the Nationals MP.
Nine have footage of said meat being cooked on a sandwich press in her parliamentary office.
Like Scott Morrison’s infamous raw-adjacent chicken curry, Labor cabinet minister Amanda Rishworth questioned how cooked through this meal was, on the Today show panel.

I hope that’s cooked well through, otherwise it may end up in a poisoning incident in parliament. Unintended, perhaps.

Joining her on the panel was the Greens leader, Larissa Waters, who dug into Hanson’s behaviour.

I don’t know about the cooking techniques there, and I’m all for re-wearing outfits, but not when it’s an outfit that’s insulting to anyone of faith in the country, and insulting to anyone who wants parliament to actually help people and fix the cost of living and bring down the cost of housing. Not just focus on itself, and not just the pathetic stunts like that. It’s shameless attention seeking that doesn’t actually help anyone or make anyone’s lives better. It actually just feeds racism. It’s dangerous and pathetic.

Updated at 8.29pm GMT

8.13pm GMT

‘Continued disappointing behaviour’ from Hanson, says Plibersek
The social services minister, Tanya Plibersek, says she doesn’t understand what Pauline Hanson was trying to say with yesterday’s burqa stunt, calling it “continued disappointing behaviour” from the One Nation senator.
Hanson wore a burqa into the Senate on Monday afternoon, after she was blocked from introducing a bill to ban the garment.
On the Today show a bit earlier, Plibersek was scathing of the stunt.

I don’t remember the last time someone in a burqa robbed a bank. Two weeks ago, there was a queue of neo-Nazis standing outside New South Wales Parliament House and I didn’t hear her joining with Asio to admit that the fastest growing source of danger in the Australian community is rightwing extremism.
The only thing that she’s ensured today is that some schoolgirl wearing a headscarf is going to get bullied on the train on the way to school.

Updated at 8.25pm GMT

8.05pm GMT
Good morning

Krishani Dhanji here with you – thanks to Martin Farrer for getting us started.
We have a busy day ahead: there will be plenty of reaction to Pauline Hanson’s gross stunt yesterday, which got her suspended from the Senate chamber.
The social services minister, Tanya Plibersek, is doing the media rounds this morning talking about an increase in funding for 1800 Respect – a national domestic violence helpline – that my colleague Josh Butler brought you a moment ago.
I’ve got my coffee, I hope you’ve got one (or several) too, let’s get into it!

Updated at 8.17pm GMT

7.55pm GMT

Ayres launches new AI safety institute to protect against ‘malign uses’ of technology
The industry and science minister, Tim Ayres, is today launching a new Australian AI safety institute, which the government says will examine AI capabilities, share information and “address potential risks” for the emerging new tech.
“AI is rapidly evolving and touches on every part of government, the economy and people’s lives. The Institute will provide a dynamic, fit-for-purpose capability that is responsive to AI’s pervasiveness and rapid evolution,” Ayres said ahead of the launch in Parliament House today.
The minister said the institute would “work across government to support best practice regulation, advise where updates to legislation might be needed and coordinate timely and consistent action to protect Australians.”
The government is still considering its broader response to AI, with numerous actions and processes on foot to develop legislation or regulation as needed, in areas including health, science, industry, copyright and privacy, and the public service.
Ayres said keeping Australians safe from the potential harms of AI would be a major part of a soon-to-be-released national AI plan, due by the end of this year.

Adopted properly and safely, AI can revitalise industry, boost productivity and lift the living standards of all Australians. But there are two sides to this coin. While the opportunities are immense, we need to make sure we are keeping Australians safe from any malign uses of AI.

Updated at 8.16pm GMT

7.49pm GMT
Chris Bath to step down from ABC Radio Sydney's Drive program

After just one year in the ABC Sydney Drive chair, Chris Bath is leaving the afternoon slot she inherited from Richard Glover who hosted the program for 26 years.
She will be replaced by Thomas Oriti, the host of the national Breakfast program on ABC NewsRadio and Background Briefing on ABC Radio National.Bath told listeners.:

Timing in life is a funny thing, and I’ve decided to step down from Drive to pursue some passion projects and different opportunities away from the news cycle that have been beckoning for years.
I know I’m leaving Drive listeners and my team in safe and kind hands with Thomas Oriti.

Bath will host a new Sunday morning program on ABC Sydney which is described as a celebration of the NSW community.
Oriti said:

ABC Radio Sydney has always been part of my life – I grew up listening to it, and it’s shaped the way I think about journalism and storytelling. To now be joining the team as Drive presenter is a real privilege. I’m excited to connect with listeners across the city and continue the tradition of thoughtful, engaging radio.

7.43pm GMT
Plibersek announces boost for national domestic violence helpline after huge increase in calls for help

The Labor government has pledged an extra $41.8m to domestic violence hotline 1800 Respect over the next two years, in a funding boost to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
The social services minister, Tanya Plibersek, said the funding – to be announced in the Myefo financial update – would back up the service’s new video counselling and SMS services for people escaping violence.

It’s a good thing that more people are identifying signs of violence and seeking help. This announcement means that 1800RESPECT can keep providing this vital service to everyone that contacts them, including victims of violence and family and friends who want to support them.
Labor established 1800RESPECT 15 years ago and now Labor is making sure that it continues to have the funding it needs.

Plibersek said the extra funding would boost the commitment to deliver 1800 Respect to $146.8m until June 2027 – but conceded “there is more work to do” in addressing violence.
“We know that not everyone feels safe picking up the phone. The expansion of SMS and video counselling means women can seek support in the safest way for them,” added the minister for women, Katy Gallagher.

Making sure 1800RESPECT can keep pace with demand is critical to our efforts to end gender-based violence.

Plibersek has called on all governments and services to do better when it comes to protecting victims of domestic violence, following Guardian Australia’s Broken trust investigation into police failures before and after the deaths of women at the hands of violent men.

If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault or family violence, call 1800-RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit www.1800RESPECT.org.au.

Related: Hannah Clarke murders: Queensland police made potentially critical mistakes, new evidence reveals

Updated at 11.21pm GMT

7.31pm GMT
Welcome

Good morning and welcome to our live politics blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it’ll be Krishani Dhanji with the main action.
We’ll be heading back to Canberra as the final sitting week hits top gear, where we might hear more reaction to Pauline Hanson’s widely condemned burqa stunt from yesterday.
Labor is still trying to strike a deal in the Senate to pass major environmental law reforms, but so far neither the Greens nor the Coalition have been persuaded to back them.
And you might see the colour orange around our nation’s parliament today – that’s because it’s the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, kickstarting 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. The government is marking it by kicking in more funding to the 1800 Respect helpline, which it says has seen a massive increase in calls for help.