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I’ve got 10 seconds
The quote: “We have Temu Abbott over here trying to press buttons and divide Australia, as they always do... We have higher wages, as a result of the 4.7% [minimum wage increase], something that those opposite, those in the Liberal-One-National coalition of the three parties, speak about: they speak about battlers from time to time, but give a battler a wage increase and they hate it.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese criticised the Coalition and labelled Opposition Leader Angus Taylor "Temu [Tony] Abbott” during question time in Parliament on Wednesday. The comments came as both leaders continued their ongoing disagreement over Labor's Budget tax reforms.
The stat: 80%. The percentage of tobacco vapes and cigarettes consumed in Australia in 2025 that were bought on the black market, up from 12% in 2017. New figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics also showed a 40% increase in the quantity of nicotine consumed in Australia over the same period.
The big question:
Yesterday’s results: 61% of you think AI is making it harder to get an entry-level job in your field. Thanks for voting - your responses inform TDA's journalism and research. [1,536 votes].
I’ve got 30 seconds
Some headlines from this morning:
Economic growth slowed to 0.3% in the first three months of the year, down from 0.9% growth in December. The latest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show how interest rate rises and the start of the Iran war impacted the Australian economy over the March quarter. Annual GDP growth was 2.5%, stable from December but below the Reserve Bank’s predicted 2.6%. Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers called it a very solid result given current “global economic volatility.” Ahead of the ABS release, forecasters were expecting the Reserve Bank to hold interest rates at its next meeting on 16 June. Some forecasters still expect another rate hike before the end of the year.
The newly elected leader of the Solomon Islands has pushed for closer ties with Australia during a meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Canberra. In his first overseas trip as PM, Matthew Wale told Albanese he wants to “reset” diplomatic relations between the two countries, starting work on a major new treaty and signalling a reversal of his predecessors’ pro-China stance. The strategic importance of the Pacific island nation has been in focus in recent years due to its strengthening ties with China. Wale said “there's been problems in the last few years,” between the Solomons and Australia, but he called the “resilience” of the relationship “self-evident”. Both leaders said officials would begin work on a new global security pact. Albanese said the “comprehensive treaty” will be “underpinned by mutual trust, respect and open dialogue.”
Together with AAP.
Recommendation of the day
The real AI test is trust
At Accelerate AI, one idea kept coming up: powerful tech isn’t enough.
For AI to actually work in businesses, people need to understand it, see the benefit and trust the guardrails around it. That matters as AI moves into workplaces, customer service and even scams — where “seeing is believing” is getting harder to rely on.
Dig into what Australia needs to get right next at CommBank Newsroom
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I’ve got 1 minute
The NSW Government will introduce laws to scrap automatic drug-driving penalties for some medicinal cannabis users.
Under the proposed reforms, registered drivers who are prescribed medicinal cannabis containing THC could avoid penalties if laboratory testing finds the drug is below a prescribed threshold.
The changes follow recommendations from the state’s 2024 Drug Summit.
Cannabis
Medicinal cannabis is prescribed by authorised healthcare practitioners to treat certain medical conditions and is regulated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
While medicinal cannabis is legal with a prescription, recreational cannabis remains illegal in NSW.
Under current NSW laws, drivers who test positive for any amount of THC can face fines of up to $2,200 and licence disqualifications of up to six months, regardless of whether the cannabis was prescribed.
Proposed laws
Under the proposal, medicinal cannabis users would be able to register with Transport for NSW and avoid penalties if laboratory testing finds their THC levels are below a prescribed threshold.
Drivers would still be subject to roadside drug testing and receive a 24-hour driving ban following a positive result while samples are analysed.
Those found above the threshold would receive warnings for a first or second detection within two years. A third detection would attract a $704 fine and a minimum three-month licence suspension.
The reforms would apply only to unrestricted licence holders – meaning learner, P-plate and commercial drivers are excluded.
NSW Premier Chris Minns said the changes “strike a careful balance” between supporting medicinal cannabis users and maintaining strong road safety protections.
Reporting by Achol Arok.
Quick hits
🎧 On today’s TDA podcast, Billi and Zara go through why house prices are falling in Melbourne and Sydney. Listen or watch on Apple here, Spotify here, or YouTube here.
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I’ve got 2 minutes
Last December, 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa murdered 18-year-old university student Henry Nowak in Southampton, England.
When police arrived, Digwa claimed Nowak had launched a racist attack. It’s now known that claim was false.
Officers handcuffed the injured teenager as he repeatedly told them he had been stabbed and could not breathe. He died shortly afterwards.
Bodycam footage of the incident has now been released, sparking protests across the UK and an investigation into the police response.
Incident
On 3 December 2025, Henry Nowak was out with teammates from his university football club when he encountered 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa on a street in Southampton.
Digwa stabbed Nowak five times with a knife.
When police arrived, Digwa told officers that Nowak had racially abused him, knocked off his turban, and punched him. Digwa said he then acted in self-defence.
Bodycam footage shows Nowak lying on the ground, telling officers he could not breathe and that he had been stabbed.
One officer responded: “Don't think you have, mate.”
Officers then handcuffed and arrested Nowak. He lost consciousness a short time later and died despite attempts to save him.
Sentencing
On Monday, Digwa was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum non-parole period of 21 years.
The judge said in the sentencing: “The police were given a convincing but wholly false narrative of the incident.”
His mother, Kiran Kaur, 53, was previously found guilty of assisting an offender after attempting to hide the knife used in the attack. She is due to be sentenced on 17 July.
The release of the bodycam footage coincided with Digwa’s sentencing.
“Henry did not die with dignity. He did not die with the care he deserved. He lost consciousness before anyone believed him,” Nowak’s father Mark said. He said he welcomed the decision but the family remained troubled by the police response.
Protests
The release of the footage has sparked protests across the UK.
Thousands gathered outside Southampton Central Police Station, with some chanting “I can’t breathe,” in reference to Nowak’s final moments. Protesters later marched through the city, and clashes broke out as officers blocked access to the area where Digwa’s family lives.
Responses
Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the footage as “harrowing” and said police needed to explain how allegations of racism factored into decision-making during the incident.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage claimed the incident showed that “the rights and privileges of white people matter less than those of ethnic minorities”.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused Farage of inflaming tensions, but said the footage had raised legitimate questions about whether concerns over racism influenced officers’ actions.
Meanwhile, the UK’s police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), has launched an investigation into the actions of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary officers involved.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the watchdog would have the resources and independence needed to conduct a “full, fearless and transparent” investigation.
She also condemned violence at protests, warning that misinformation circulating online had led to death threats against a police officer who was not involved in Nowak’s arrest.
Reporting by Elliot Lawry.
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Give me some good news
The first Indigenous Australian judge in the County Court of Victoria’s 174-year history has been sworn in at a ceremony in Melbourne.
Judge Rosemary Falla was appointed to the County Court of Victoria in May, but was officially sworn in on Wednesday. After taking an affirmation of office, Judge Falla reflected on the significance of her appointment in front of her colleagues, friends, family, and community leaders. “It is critical that doors are opened, opportunities created and seized, examples set, and that we actively pay things forward. I'm sitting here today because of the generosity of so many," Falla said. Victorian Bar president Fiona Ryan SC called the appointment "long overdue".
Reporting by Emma Gillespie.
TDA titbit
Drivers in the regional Queensland town of Roma met some unexpected passengers after a truck carrying honey bees rolled on a highway early Wednesday morning.
The bees – angry after their hives were destroyed – took out their frustrations on passersby.
Talk about a sticky beak!
Reporting by Emily Donohoe.
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