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Police union calls for inquiry into Lehrmann case
The federal police union has called for a judicial inquiry into the Lehrmann case, accusing the ACT’s chief prosecutor of smearing the force’s investigation into the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins.
This followed an extraordinary letter sent to the ACT Chief Police Officer Neil Gaughan in early November, released in full under freedom of information (FOI) laws to The Guardian, in which ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold, SC, reportedly complains that police engaged in a “very clear campaign to pressure” him not to prosecute Bruce Lehrmann.
Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold, SC, announced last week Bruce Lehrmann’s retrial would not go ahead.Credit:Rhett Wyman
The chief prosecutor reportedly called for a public inquiry to examine “both political and police conduct” relating to the case and suggested that members of the Australian Federal Police had a “strong desire for this matter not to proceed to charge”.
The Australian Federal Police Association issued a statement on Thursday in which it said it “wants to make it extremely clear that the desperate attempts to smear” the AFP and policing were untested.
Read the full story here.
Queensland the hold-out on capping coal price as NSW signs on
A split between the states remains the final obstacle to a national deal on energy that will cap the price of coal and gas for major customers, with NSW and Queensland at odds over the federal payments needed to cut the cost of supplying power.
The federal government is willing to offer cash payments to ensure the new regime keeps costs down for power generators and guarantees the benefits will flow to households next year and limit the increase in retail prices.
But Queensland is holding out against a deal because of the impact on $10.7 billion in annual state royalties from coal mining, while NSW has accepted the need to sacrifice some of its royalties to secure the cut to costs.
Queensland makes more than $10 billion in annual state royalties on coal.Credit:Glenn Hunt
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will convene an online meeting of national cabinet this afternoon to overcome the final obstacles and clear the way for price caps of $125 per tonne of coal and $13 per gigajoule of gas.
Read the full story here.
This morning’s headlines at a glance
Good morning and thanks for your company.
It’s Friday, December 9. I’m Marta Pascual Juanola, and I’ll be anchoring our live coverage for the first half of the day.
Here’s what you need to know before we get started.
- A split between the states remains the final obstacle to a national deal on energy that will cap the price of coal and gas for major customers. David Crowe has the full story.
- James Massola and Caroline Schelle write that the federal police union has called for a judicial inquiry into the Lehrmann case.
- Environmental groups have cautiously welcomed reforms to environmental laws flagged by Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek, but have criticised the government for failing to include a climate trigger law to halt harmful developments. Laura Chung has the full story.
- Workers are returning to Australia’s inner city to spend at least part of their week in the office in what appears to be the end of the pandemic-driven tree change, Rachel Clun writes.
- In international news, Russia has freed US basketball star Brittney Griner in a high-profile prison exchange with the US that failed to release another detained American.
- And Iran has executed its first prisoner convicted for a crime allegedly committed during the country’s ongoing protests.
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