Australia news live updates: Anthony Albanese to announce details of inquiry into Scott Morrison’s secret ministries

Prime minister Anthony Albanese is expected to shortly announce details of an inquiry into Scott Morrison’s secret ministerial appointments.

Albanese will hold a press conference at 2.30pm AEST from Sydney, where he will be joined by attorney general Mark Dreyfus.

Albanese had flagged that an “eminent” legal expert would helm an inquiry, but questions remained over what powers the probe would have, whether it would be able to compel witnesses like Morrison or his staff to appear, and what form it would take.

The Greens have pushed for a judicial inquiry with powers similar to that of a royal commission.

There were 770 new cases in the last reporting period, and 10 people are in intensive care.

The leader of the Nationals and shadow minister for agriculture, David Littleproud, said he welcomes the Labor government’s federal biodiversity certification and trading scheme announced today.

However, in a statement, Littleproud has accused the prime minister Anthony Albanese of “copying National Party’s biodiversity homework”. He said:

The prime minister was not creating a once in a lifetime opportunity as it had already been done by the previous Government.

The concept, the trials with farmers, the trading platform were all funded and delivered by The Nationals in Government.

This exact legislation was also already introduced into Parliament.

The Agriculture Biodiversity Stewardship Scheme was one of my greatest achievements in Government and I’m pleased that the new Government will adopt it.

Littleproud said the previous Government invested more than $96m into the scheme and called on the government to stick to its original purpose.

The aim of this scheme was to provide a passive income stream for farmers, through a voluntary market that big corporates will pay for, and not the tax payer, to not just abate carbon but actually improve the environment.

It is now a matter of getting on and getting it done. We had farmers interested and businesses ready to go. The trading platform was being built.

But it was The Nationals that made this happen. If the Prime Minister is genuinely invested in this he will make sure this is not held up and implemented as soon as possible.”

There were 1,429 new cases in the last reporting period, and seven people are in intensive care.

Peter Hannam

Snowy Hydro managing director offers resignation

In an interesting development on the energy front, Paul Broad, the managing director and CEO of Snowy Hydro, has offered his resignation.

Broad has been Snowy’s head since 2013 and has led “organisational expansion and innovation, transforming Snowy Hydro into a dynamic and integrated energy business,” the commonwealth-owned organisation said on its website.

Broad’s exit, if confirmed, could add another cloud over the future of Snowy’s giant pump-hydro scheme, dubbed Snowy 2.0. That project will probably end up costing multiples of the original $2bn tab when then PM Malcolm Turnbull announced the plan in 2017.

Snowy 2 is also years behind schedule, with the AFR earlier this year reporting it won’t be finished until 2028. (The Australian Energy Market Operator still has a 2026 start date pencilled in, optimistically.)

Speculation has swirled about whether Broad would hold on to his role once the federal government changed in May. Snowy’s behaviour in the run-up to the recent suspension of the national electricity market in June had raised concerns among some officials.

One insider recently described Snowy’s actions as “rapacious”, which sat at odds with the organisation’s 100% federal ownership.

However, another person familiar with the energy ministers’ meeting in Canberra earlier this month said Snowy did not feature during that gathering (even though the market suspension was discussed at length).

Snowy said its board will now begin a process to identify “new leadership”, with Roger Whitby, chief operating Officer, holding the fort in the interim.

Ministers for Indigenous affairs meet to address closing the gap

Sarah Collard

Tackling disadvantage experienced by First Nations people in health, education and other areas will be on the agenda when the federal government meets today with Aboriginal peak bodies and state and territory ministers for the first time since the election.

The minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, assistant minister Malarndirri McCarthy and state and territory counterparts are meeting to address the gap in living standards between Indigenous Australians and the rest of the country.

Burney said it was vital that all jurisdictions come together to address the inequities that many First Nations people experience across the country.

The importance of closing the gap cannot be underestimated.

The minister said better data collection is needed to ensure appropriate funds and resources are directed where needed most.

It is not up to government to decide those places.

The 17 targets address disproportionate rates of incarceration, poor health, education, early childhood and the rates of children in out home care as well as strengthening culture and language.

Burney said it was not beyond Australia to close these gaps, with recent data revealing many are not on track:

Until First Nations people are living lives of choice and change, just like other Australians, then we cannot ever hold our heads in the space of Indigenous affairs.

We can ensure that we lift the standard of living for First Nations people in this country, and we can see a referendum come forward for voice to be enshrined in the constitution.

The federal government has extended the principle of carbon credits to biodiversity, announcing a new certification scheme for landholders who restore or manage habitat.

A statement issued today from the PM and the environment minister Tanya Plibersek says the biodiversity certificates can be bought and sold, with the system to operate in a similar way to current carbon crediting legislation.

They say:

The scheme will make it easier for businesses, organisations and individuals to invest in landscape restoration and management.

As companies look to invest in carbon offsetting projects like tree planting, we need to make sure there is a path for farmers and the environment to benefit.

The program will be managed by the Clean Energy Regulator, as the carbon credits scheme is. The government said it will be “consulting widely” on the rules for the scheme in coming months.

Anthony Albanese said it was a “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to “kickstart a nationwide restoration”:

Our market will be open to all land managers – whether they’re farmers, people interested in conservation or Indigenous land managers.

This is a chance to support farmers using their knowledge and expertise in a way that benefits us all – a chance to shape a better future.

Tanya Plibersek said:

Businesses and philanthropic organisations are looking to invest in projects to protect and restore nature. We need to make this easier.

Repairing nature is good for productivity. Reducing erosion, protecting topsoil and providing shelter for livestock – it’s all good for business.

There were 2,091 new cases in the last reporting period, and 16 people are in intensive care.

Albanese’s speech at the Bush Summit also made a commitment to deliver $75m post-disaster resilience for all 62 local government areas affected by the February-March floods.

Albanese said during his speech:

As you grapple with climate change, and the intensifying cycles of flood, fire and drought, you deserve nothing less than a government that has your back.

In that spirit, I announce today that the government will deliver $75m post-disaster resilience to areas across New South Wales devastated by the February-March floods.

It will be delivered by the Emergency Response Fund, which Albanese said “sat idle under the previous government”. The money will go towards:

• A flood impacts and risk management measures report;

• A levee assessment and improvement program;

• Valley level flood risk management assessments;

• Flood warning infrastructure and systems and associated community awareness;

• Flood mitigation infrastructure and voluntary house raising.

There were 252 new cases in the last reporting period, and two people are in intensive care.