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The Liberals and Nationals today reached an agreement to reunite a week after their dramatic split, before the reformed Coalition announced their new shadow ministry.
Among the new appointments is Michaelia Cash as shadow foreign affairs minister, Angus Taylor as shadow defence minister and Jacinta Nampijinpa Price effectively demoted to shadow minister for defence industry and defence personnel. Dan Tehan was appointed shadow minister for energy and emissions reduction – with Sussan Ley saying she “doesn’t get hung up on titles” after making no appointment with an explicit responsibility for climate change.
Ley did not reappoint former Liberal frontbencher Jane Hume to shadow cabinet but denied that decision was “vengeance”. Also absent from the new lineup were former Nationals leaders Barnaby Joyce and Michael McCormack, both pushed to the backbench.
Both Ley and the Nationals leader, David Littleproud, were pressed on last week’s dramatic split between the two parties. Ley denied it was a “bitter breakup” – with Littleproud adding, “We’ve risen above that.”
Top news
Labor approves extension of Woodside’s contentious North West Shelf gas development
Woodside toxic spill near Ningaloo Reef world heritage area under investigation
Fatima Payman reports senior male parliamentary colleague over comments
SpaceX Starship breaks up over Indian Ocean in latest bumpy test
Geelong overtakes Sunshine Coast as top tree- and sea-change destination
In pictures
Robotic cats replete with glowing eyes and artificial heartbeats are touring libraries in the Blue Mountains. But this isn’t the intro to a new Terminator film: MetaCats are touted as being able to provide comfort and reduce stress – especially for children or people living with anxiety or dementia.
What they said …
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“If we didn’t proceed, it would have cost 100 jobs to local residents, but it would have had no impact on Elon Musk.”
Despite 95% of submissions opposing a land sale to Tesla – many of whom invoked language deemed too rude for publication – Marion council in South Australia has approved the deal. The mayor, Kris Hanna, stood by the decision, adding that “Tesla would almost certainly find somewhere else in Australia to build their factory”.
In numbers
The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ monthly figures show inflation has now been flat for three months at 2.4%. But there have been some wild price swings – including on eggs, as bird flu outbreaks led to empty supermarket shelves.
Before bed read
Climbers are scaling Everest at record pace, helped by new methods of technology such as xenon gas and hypoxic tents. The situation has triggered alarm in Nepal, where sherpas fear inexperienced climbers, as well as their own traditions, are being put at risk.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: AINE. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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