TRANSCRIPT:
- The government delivers its latest Closing the Gap report, but it's not all good news;
- Homelessness worsening in areas where rent has risen dramatically;
- Football Australia vows tough action on the abuse of match officials.
The government says it will appoint a national commissioner to help improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney says the new commissioner will work with communities, as well as state and territory commissioners.
The announcement of the new role follows Labor's delivery of its annual Closing the Gap report to Parliament.
The report has shown only four of the 19 targets on track to be met, while outcomes have worsened in four of the targets, including children's early development and rates of children out of home care.
"Indigenous children are almost 11 times more likely to be in out of home care than non-Indigenous children and of course all children, no matter who they are deserve to be safe."
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There has been a sharp increase in demand for homelessness services in areas where rent has risen dramatically.
Homelessness NSW chief executive Dom Rowe says the state's housing crisis is putting huge pressure on frontline services, with increasing homelessness in metropolitan Sydney as well as suburban and rural areas.
He says half the people seeking help for homelessness in NSW are not receiving it due to underfunded services.
A second agency, NCOSS, has reported a similar trend.
Chief executive Cara Varian says their members are seeing people they hadn't seen before, including those working multiple jobs but still struggling to get by.
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The Deputy Chief Minister of the Northern Territory has stood by his purchase of shares in an alcohol company, just months before a crucial policy change in the Top End.
It has been revealed Chansey Paech personally invested in MetCash, an Alice Springs liquor distribution company, just months before advocating for lifting alcohol bans in the region.
The number of shares is unknown but the deputy chief minister says they were disclosed.
He says he divested his shares when he was appointed deputy chief minister in December after chief minister Natasha Fyles was ousted over her own shares scandal.
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More asbestos has been found in Sydney, with the latest find in three parks in the city's CBD.
It is understood to be friable asbestos, which is more dangerous than the bonded material, because it can easily crumble into dust and become airborne, creating a potential health risk.
Asbestos has now been detected in recycled mulch at multiple sites in NSW, including schools, hospitals, train stations and parks, after the initial discovery of bonded asbestos at the Rozelle Parklands in Sydney's inner west in January.
Premier Chris Minns says tougher penalties might need to be imposed on companies to protect the community.
"Clearly this is completely unacceptable and the government is currently investigating certain actions that we will take in the weeks ahead firstly to raise the fines that are imposed on companies that do the wrong thing. Cabinet we'll be looking at that in the next couple of weeks. Secondly, to enforce the orders that have been issued by the EPA against the company involved. And lastly, taking action particularly in relation to the site in Sydney CBD."
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Federal authorities have defended their decision to pursue terrorism charges against a 13 year old autistic boy, who was targeted in an undercover police operation.
A Victorian magistrate dismissed the charges against the boy last year, finding that the conduct of undercover police in the sting fell significantly short of the minimum standards expected of law enforcement.
The Australian Federal Police were accused of encouraging the boy's fixation with Islamic State.
The Acting Director of the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, Scott Bruckard, has told Senate estimates they did what they thought was best.
"It's a very serious allegation that was made against this young person and applying the prosecution policy of the Commonwealth, aware of his tender years, it was our view that given the very serious nature of the allegations that it was appropriate to proceed with the prosecution."
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Football Australia has issued what it calls a "strongly worded statement" on the abuse of match officials, vowing to come down hard on those responsible.
In one recent incident, Iranian-born referee Alireza Faghani was met with a torrent of online abuse after his officiating of the round-of-16 clash between Jordan and Iraq at the Asian Cup.
In the domestic A-League Men's competition, Melbourne City midfielder Tolgay Arslan is facing a lengthy ban for the use of "offensive, insulting or abusive language" towards referee Shane Skinner.
Football Australia boss James Johnson says the spate of abuse has triggered alarm bells within the organisation - and he says tough action will be taken against offenders.
