Aussie bank quietly testing customer AI ‘companion’
The day is coming when Australians will be able to apply for a home or business loan via artificial intelligence without even speaking to a human. That’s the view of…
Pros and cons to creating formal party, ex-teal says
Creating a formal teal party could lead to messy leadership disputes or force members to vote for policies they don’t agree with, one of Australia’s first teal independents has warned.…
Indonesia blocks Polymarket after president’s exit bets
Indonesia has blocked predictions market Polymarket as part of its crackdown on online gambling, its communications and digital ministry said, days after the site took bets on a premature end…
Indigenous kids’ rights cut after sentencing changes
Children in a jurisdiction’s youth justice system, who are overwhelmingly Indigenous, are going without legal representation and languishing in over-crowded prisons, a parliamentary inquiry has heard. In a letter from…
Federal anti-corruption boss resigns two years early
The head of Australia’s anti-corruption body has resigned two years before the end of his term amid long-running questions about potential conflicts of interest. National Anti-Corruption Commissioner Paul Brereton said…
NACC chief Paul Brereton finally gets the message and resigns
The National Ant-Corruption Commissioner, Paul Brereton, has submitted his resignation to the Governor-General, following three years of not very much. His resignation follows a tenure marred by controversy, including failing…
MP’s messaging account hacked by ‘foreign state actor’
The WhatsApp accounts of a federal parliamentarian and three staffers were hacked by a presumed foreign state actor, a budget estimates hearing has been told. The Department of Parliamentary Services…
Legislate first, ask questions later for CGT carve-out
Capital gains tax carve-outs for startups won’t be included in legislation set to be introduced to parliament within days. Instead, the government will continue consultation even as it looks to…
‘Flying blind’: why Labor ditched the inland rail route
The beleaguered inland rail project was once described as being derailed from the start. From an original estimated investment of $4.7 billion in 2015, the cost for the freight rail…
‘Hoarding has stopped’: Albanese reveals fuel levels
Drivers have almost a week’s more petrol and diesel in reserve than they did at the start of the Iran war, as the prime minister met with state and territory…