Independent minister Kylea Tink resigns; Romania's election results are declared invalid; Australian skiing champion storms to gold in Sweden
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- Independent minister Kylea Tink resigns
- Romania's election results are declared invalid
- Australian skiing champion storms to gold in Sweden
North Sydney Independent MP Kylea Tink is set to leave federal parliament, throwing her support behind a candidate hoping to improve on her earlier swing in a historically safe Liberal seat ahead of the next election.
The North Sydney MP's seat has been abolished and Ms Tink has decided not to contest elsewhere.
Instead, she will support Nicolette Boele in neighbouring Bradfield, who engineered a swing of more than 12 per cent away from Paul Fletcher at the 2022 election, a coalition minister who previously held the seat.
The North Sydney seat has been redistributed by the electoral commission between Bradfield, Bennelong and Warringah in Sydney's wealthy north shore.
The three seats are held by Liberal, Labor and independent MPs.
This comes as recent polling suggests Labor may be unable to form an outright majority at the next election.
**
The Fair Work Commission has ruled picket lines held by United Workers Union members at four key Woolworths' distribution centres are unlawful.
In a win for supermarket giant Woolworths, empty shelves in supermarkets and bottle shops in multiple states could soon be restocked.
Warehouse workers and the retail giant have been locked in tense negotiations for months over pay and conditions, including an algorithmic management platform the union said put employees at risk.
United Workers Union Secretary Tim Kennedy says negotiations are ongoing and the Fair Work hearing was just a distraction.
"Woolworths shut their warehouses. They can open their warehouses, but the warehouses only work if the workers go back to work. And the strike continues irrespective of what Fair Work Commission says."
In handing down a bargaining order, commission deputy vice president Gerard Boyce said the union had failed to meet its good faith requirements under the Australian workplace laws.
**
Penrith locals are bracing for the reopening of their beloved local beach today, as temperatures are expected to hit 35 degrees in Sydney's west.
The beach, known as 'Pondi', will be reopened after a $2.5m renovation.
The Labor government has promised improvements to Pondi, including accessibility and facilities at the beach, while beachgoers will no longer need to book parking.
The beach will be open from 10am to 7pm every day, including Christmas, until the season ends on 27 April.
Local MP Karen McKeown told Channel Nine locals are excited about the reopening.
"Beautiful morning out here. It's already in the mid twenties and we are really looking forward to a whole day of activities out here. And if the earlier season is anything to go by, we had 215,000 locals, Western Sydney residents come here and enjoy the facilities. And this year we have even more action to offer."
**
Romania's constitutional court has annulled the results of the first round of the country's presidential election.
It means the entire election process will have to be re-run with a fresh round of voting already underway.
The initial results would have pitted nationalist independent Calin Georgescu against pro-European Union reformist conservative Elena Lasconi.
Romania's top security council declassified documents on Wednesday that said the country was a target of "aggressive hybrid Russian attacks" during the election period.
Russia has denied any interference in Romania's election campaigns.
Ms Lasconi says she condemns the decision.
"This is the moment when the Romanian state trampled on democracy. We should have gone ahead with the vote. We should have respected the will of the Romanian people. Whether we like it or not, from a legal and legitimate point of view, nine million Romanian citizens, both from the country and the diaspora, expressed their preference for a certain candidate by voting."
**
And in sport,
Australian skiing legend Jakara Anthony has turned the tables on arch-rival Perrine Laffont, storming to gold in Sweden.
The Australian was unstoppable at Idre Fjall, after being relegated to second place in the opening World Cup event of the season in Finland last weekend behind Laffont.
The reigning World Cup champion got stronger as the event progressed, qualifying for the finals in second spot with a score of 77.39.
Anthony found another gear for the super final, posting her highest score of the season with 82.94, to finish 2.05 points ahead of Laffont.
