TRANSCRIPT
- The Prime Minister says Senator Fatima Payman could leave the Labor party within days
- A report finds rents in most major cities either falling, stalling or growing at a slower pace
- The Paralympics Australia chief quits eight weeks out from the Paris Olympic Games
The Prime Minister has flagged suspended senator Fatima Payman could leave the Labor party within days.
The West Australian was suspended indefinitely after she crossed the floor to support a Greens motion on Palestinian statehood - and said she would do it again in a similar vote.
Anthony Albanese addressed questions about the outspoken senator during parliament's Question Time on Wednesday.
"I expect further announcements in the coming days which will explain exactly what the strategy has been over now more than a month."
Senior ministers have stood by the decision not to expel Senator Payman, against Labor Party convention.
The Greens are using the saga to call for stronger action against Israel, including sanctioning its prime minister and expelling the ambassador.
Senator Nick McKim says it's "extraordinary" to see Labor sanction one of its own members more strongly than Israel.
"Our focus will remain - as it has been - on trying to force Labor into sanctioning the Israeli government, and trying to force Labor out of complicity with a genocide."
—-
One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson has thrown her support behind Labor's national disability insurance scheme reforms.
Last week the Coalition and the Greens voted to send the NDIS changes back to a committee, delaying its passing for two months.
The government wants to pass the legislation that would change rules that target inflation where people get more funds than originally allocated.
Both Senator Hanson and NDIS Minister Bill Shorten say the delay is wasting tax payer dollars.
"In the process of lobbying senators, I’ve been talking with Pauline Hanson - she has always been pretty firm and clear with me that she thinks that things need to be straightened up. But I’m really pleased today that she’s willing to add her voice about the need to move on parts of reforming the NDIS."
—-
A report has found rents in most major cities are either falling, stalling or growing at a slower pace.
Real estate platform Domain suggests low vacancy rates have pushed advertised rents higher for several months running but conditions are improving for renters.
Rent prices for houses fell 1.8 per cent in Hobart in the June quarter and held steady in Sydney and Perth.
—-
In the UK, the Conservative Party has all-but conceded election defeat to Keir Starmer's Labour, a day before polling stations even opened.
Opinion polls show the centre-left Labour Party is set for a big win in the vote which would end 14 years of Conservative government.
You Gov's final seat projection has put Labour on track to win a majority of 212 seats, the largest of any party in modern history.
Both Starmer and Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak kicked off the last day of campaigning before polls open warning voters of dire economic consequences if the other man wins.
Mr Sunak is urging those eligible to vote, to do so.
"Every vote matters tomorrow. Just 130,000 people could change the outcome of this election. That's what the latest analysis shows. So if people want lower taxes, they want their pensions protected and they want to prevent a Labour supermajority, there's only one thing to do tomorrow and that's to vote Conservative."
—-
The United Nations has warned thousands of people could be displaced after Israel ordered Palestinians to flee Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli army ordered a mass evacuation of Palestinians from much of Khan Younis earlier this week, suggesting troops are likely to launch a new ground assault into the Gaza Strip’s second-largest city.
Israel says it's in an effort to combat Hamas militants.
The UN's Andrea De Domenico says much of Khan Younis was destroyed in a long assault earlier this year, but large numbers of Palestinians moved back to escape another Israeli offensive in Rafah.
"Since Monday afternoon, when the evacuation order was issued, we have seen a constant flow of people moving out. We estimated up to 250,000 people could be affected by this evacuation order. But we are trying to, you know, monitor and it's very difficult for us to be on the ground in all places trying to monitor the different patterns."
—-
The chief of Paralympics Australia has quit for undisclosed reasons just eight weeks ahead of the Paris Olympic Games.
The resignation of Catherine Clark comes one day after the official launching of Australia's Paralympic team in Canberra.
Ms Clark says she is confident to hand over to the team who she says are poised to create magic.
Paralympic Australia's head of commercial, communications and brand Cameron Murray will step in as the interim chief.
