TRANSCRIPT
- One of Australia's worst-ever pedophiles jailed for life
- Greens leader Adam Bandt accuses the government of breaking climate promises
- Cricket Australia have defended the light preparation leading into Australia's collosal loss to India in Perth.
One of Australia's worst paedophiles has been jailed for life for hundreds of sex offences he committed over the course of 19 years while working in childcare centres
46-year-old Ashley Paul Griffith returned to the dock in Brisbane District Court today for the completion of his sentencing hearing.
Griffith pleaded guilty to a total of 307 offences including ongoing sexual abuse and making child exploitation material against nearly 70 victims beginning in 2003.
This includes 28 counts of rape against girls primarily aged three to five at childcare centres in Queensland between 2007 and 2022.
Judge Paul Smith imposed a non-parole period of 27 years and called Griffith depraved while noting his high risk of reoffending.
"People expect that their children will be protected in childcare centres and this matter will be of significant concern to any parent or - indeed - any citizen in this state. The offences were depraved and were committed by a man with a high risk of reoffending. They were planned and recorded. Some of the recordings were uploaded on the internet which preserves some of the offending forever."
—-
Greens leader Adam Bandt has accused Labor of failing to deliver on their election promise of addressing the climate crisis during their first term.
Mr Bandt has criticised the government over high emissions, the approval of new coal and gas mines and the failure to implement key environmental legislation.
The latest quarterly emissions data has revealed emissions remain higher under Anthony Albanese than the former Scott Morrison government, however experts say this may be due to lower emissions amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
And amid the government's successful day in the Senate, passing 30 bills yesterday, one key bill that did not pass was legislation to establish Australia's first Environmental Protection Agency.
The Greens leader says more urgent action is required.
"Labor came to power in a climate election promising to cut pollution but instead they've lifted it above Scott Morrison levels. Labor has approved 28 coal and gas projects. They've not only failed to get decent environment laws secured but they've lifted climate emissions and that is bitterly disappointing."
—-
Labor is running victory laps around parliament after notching up some much-needed wins in the lead up to a federal election.
The Senate passed more than 30 bills after a marathon 14-hour sitting yesterday, forcing M-Ps to return today to rubber stamp the bills.
Labor passed key pieces of legislation including its Future Made in Australia clean energy incentives, the build to rent scheme and a social media ban for children younger than 16 which has attracted international attention.
While many of the bills including the sweeping changes to migration law and deportation powers have drawn criticism from experts and asylum seeker advocates, the parliamentary effort was undoubtedly a win for Labor.
Labor frontbencher Murray Watt says it's also a win for Australians.
"The government managed to get the Senate to support over 30 different bills that were aimed at helping Australians with their immediate challenges but also starting to build Australia's future. We had a large list of legislation, all designed to help Australians with cost-of-living pressures, to build more homes, to tackle a range of different safety issues for kids and families across the country. It's a good way for the government to end the year but - more importantly - it's a good way for Australians to end the year with that real cost-of-living support for them in their time of need."
—-
Consumers are rushing out to hunt down Black Friday sales today which are expected to break records as cash-strapped families hunt for better deals.
Roy Morgan research estimates that shoppers are expected to spend $6.7 billion from Black Friday to Cyber Monday.
As households budgets get tighter, families are looking for more bargain days, leading to Black Friday surpassing Boxing Day as the most popular sales event in the country.
—-
Cricket Australia have defended their light preparation for the first Test in Perth, adamant the current system of keeping players fresh had long brought results.
Almost every aspect of Australia's thumping 295-run loss to India in Perth has come under scrutiny in recent days, with a lengthy gap until the second Test in the Border-Gavaskar series in Adelaide.
It was the worst loss in terms of runs for the opening Test of a home summer since 1936-37.
The build-up to the match has been criticised as only Nathan McSweeney, Usman Khawaja and Alex Carey played more than two first-class games before the Test, despite four Sheffield Shield rounds being built into the schedule.
Australia will play their second test against India in Adelaide on December 6.
