The federal government has settled a compensation claim by around 1,900 asylum seekers at the Australian-funded detention camp in Papua New Guinea out of court.
Lawyers for the detainees have told the Victorian Supreme Court they have reached a settlement with the Australian government and the operators of the Regional Processing Centre on Manus Island.
The class action group members were seeking damages for alleged physical and psychological injuries suffered as a result of conditions at the facility between 2012 and 2016.
A six-month trial was due to begin today. (wed)
Principal lawyer Andrew Baker from the legal firm Slater and Gordon, which is representing the claimants, says the outcome is unprecedented.
The human rights group Amnesty International has called the Manus Island settlement historic.
But spokeswoman Kate Schuetze says the individual compensation allocated to the class action claimants is too low
Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison is playing down down reports of party divisions over the Chief Scientist's report on the energy sector.
File image of refugees and asylum seekers in the Manus Island immigration detention centre. Source: AAP
Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg briefed the coalition party room on the findings of Alan Finkel's energy review.
More than 20 M-Ps spoke out against the plan, which favours renewables over coal during a lengthy special meeting of the coalition party room.
Mr Morrison says the clean energy target is not dead and it's only early days.
Backbenchers may hold the key to whether the PM sees out his term in office. Source: AAP
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