TRANSCRIPT
- Senator Fatima Payman quits Labor to serve as an independent
- A report finds a former policeman groomed and abused dozens of young boys
- Slovenian Tadej Pogacar still in pole position in the Tour de France
Senator Fatima Payman has resigned from the Labor Party, moving to the crossbench as an independent.
The West Australian Senator was indefinitely suspended from the Labor caucus last week after vowing to repeat her decision to cross the floor to vote in favour of a Greens motion to recognise the state of Palestine.
Since being suspended, Ms Payman says she has been intimidated by other Labor politicians and encouraged to leave the party and stand down as a senator.
In a speech today, she says she had been encouraged by rank-and-file party members to try to influence Labor policy on the conflict in the Middle East from within.
But the first-term senator says she's instead taken the decision to sit as an independent.
"With a heavy heart but a clear conscience, I announce my resignation from the Australian Labor Party. I have informed the prime minister that effective immediately, I will sit on the crossbench to represent Western Australia."
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Amazon Web Services will partner with Australian security agencies to store highly classified information in a top secret cloud server.
The Australian Signals Directorate ((ASD)) is partnering with the Amazon subsidiary to set up the platform, which will be operational from mid-2027 and make it easier for security services to access information.
The cloud will be "air-gapped", meaning it won't be connected to the internet, and everyone involved with its building and operation will need to meet Australian security clearance requirements.
Defence Minister Richard Marles has announced at least $2 billion will be spent over the next decade, creating up to 2000 jobs in Australia.
"This speaks to the fact that today, modern defence forces and indeed and modern conflict, is more reliant on information technology and computing infrastructure than ever before. And in turn, what that means is that increasingly modern conflict is a occurring at a top secret level."
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Independent MPs Andrew Wilkie and Rebekha Sharkie have introduced a bill to ban advertising for online gambling.
The legislation would prohibit advertising for interactive gambling services, like online and telephone gambling, across all forms of media.
A government committee last year recommended phasing out gambling advertising.
Mr Wilkie says it's time for the government to act on the recommendation.
"Hardly a day goes by in my work as a parliamentarian, that someone doesn't approach me and tell me how they are sick and tired of the incessant gambling advertising, on the TV, on their tablet, wherever. And I get it, people are sick. They're particularly sick of the advertising before and after sporting events when children are watching the television"
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A report has found dozens of young boys were groomed or sexually abused by a former senior Tasmanian police officer over several decades.
A final independent review into the behaviour of Senior Sergeant Paul Reynolds has found he used his status as a "trusted" member of the community to groom and abuse up to 52 young boys as far back as 1988.
Mr Reynolds, who worked for a decade after accusations were first raised against him, took his own life in September 2018 while being investigated over child abuse allegations.
Independent reviewer Regina Weiss heard from 87 people - among them 15 victim-survivors or their families - that he had used the perception that he had power as a police officer to influence the outcome of criminal processes over his victims.
She says there are likely more victims.
"I've worked in sexual and gender based violence for nearly 20 years, some of that in war zones. This is the most prolific grooming I have seen perpetrated by one person in my career."
If you or someone you know wants to talk about sexual assault or harassment, family or domestic violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit www.1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000.
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In cycling,
Slovenian Tadej Pogacar remains in pole position ahead of stage six of the Tour de France today despite a record-breaking 35th stage win by Mark Cavendish.
The Brit cemented his record as cycling's greatest sprinter with a victory in stage five in Saint-Vulbas, southern France, finally moving him clear of the record of Belgian legend Eddy Merckx.
Cavendish, who is racing in his 15th Tour de France after postponing his retirement by a year, told reporters it takes a lot to get there every year.
"I’m in a little bit of disbelief, like, you know, for a start I’ve put a big gamble on this year to make sure we’re good here at the Tour de France. Okay, it doesn’t mean we’re going to be top of the UCI rankings or anything, but the Tour de France is bigger than cycling isn’t it?"
Pogacar has retained the overall leader's yellow jersey after narrowly avoiding crashing into a central reservation some 57 kilometres from the finish.
