A daily 5 minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability.
This is SBS News in Easy English, I'm Biwa Kwan.
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The federal government has brought on a censure motion in Parliament against former prime minister Scott Morrison over his decision to secretly appoint himself to five portfolios.
The censure motion is the most serious statement of disapproval a parliament can make, but does not have any direct legal consequences.
The Leader of the House Tony Burke says Mr Morrison's actions did not meet the standards of accountability.
"This is not some small matter. It goes to the absolute core of the principle of responsible government... The lack of disclosure of the appointments to the public was apt to undermine public confidence in government."
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Mr Morrison has mounted a strong defence of his actions.
He told parliament he never broke the strict letter of the law when he swore himself into additional ministers, without telling those responsible for the portfolios.
He says he is disappointed to see the censure motion brought against him, adding that it is motivated by politics.
"The government's response to censure and prosecute this motion is to engage in the politics of retribution and nothing less. These are the behaviours of an opposition, Mr Speaker, not a government, who understands grace in victory is a virtue."
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The gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians is growing wider when it comes to data on incarceration rates, suicide rates and child-removal rates.
This year's Closing the Gap report confirms more than 22,000 First Nations children are removed from their families every year.
Only around 16 per cent of children who are removed are reunited with family, and less than half are placed with Indigenous carers.
Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney says the results reflect the policies and performance the previous Coalition government.
She says the government has already acted to address some of the failing areas of policy, including in the allocation of $81.5 million in the federal budget for up to 30 community-led justice reinvestment initiatives.
There report also identified areas where the government's targets are on track, including the percentage of children enrolled in preschool (at 96.7 per cent) and babies born with a healthy birthweight (at a prevalence of 89.5 per cent).
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Many young Australians are feeling doubtul about the future, according to a new report by charity, Mission Australia.
Its 21st Youth Survey interviewed 18,000 young people aged between 15 and 19.
It found their key concerns were the environment, mental health, and discrimination.
Financial stress and housing instability were also areas of worry.
One in 20 people surveyed said they struggle to pay bills.
One in 10 said in the last year they were worried about having a safe place to stay.
Mission Australia CEO Sharon Callister says she's alarmed by the results.
"Young people between 15 and 19 should not be having to deal with issues like that in a country like Australia. That's where we want to see a lot of focus and Mission Australia will use this information also to help us in terms of our service delivery and supports that we can get, as well as having governments and other organisations really paying attention to the information."
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Australian parents would face criminal consequences for smacking their children, if the country adopted a United Nations recommendation to outlaw smacking - also known as corporal punishment.
The United Nations Committee Against Torture recommends a ban on smacking in all settings be stated clearly in Australian law.
In its report, it says it is concerning corporal punishment remains lawful under the label of so-called 'reasonable chastisement' in a range of settings, including in homes, public and private schools, day care settings and some detention centres.
Along with an explicit ban in law, the committee has urged the federal government to strengthen education campaigns on what it called "alternative forms of discipline".
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