☕️ The latest on the Coalition

Today marks the start of another sitting week in Canberra.

Reminder: A sitting week is when Parliament meets to debate and pass proposed legislation.

On the agenda this week is new legislation to increase government oversight of the triple-0 system.

And as we explain below, it’ll be a particularly interesting time for the Liberal Party, after one of their most high-profile politicians just quit the frontbench.

“The weather this year is not normal. The guide said he had never encountered such weather in October. And it happened all too suddenly.”
Trekker Chen Geshuang, speaking to Reuters after being rescued from Everest Base Camp. A sudden blizzard left nearly 1,000 climbers stranded at the foot of the world’s tallest mountain. According to local media reports, approximately 200 hikers remain stranded as rescue efforts continue.

4.46 million
The number of people who watched Sunday night’s NRL grand final between the Brisbane Broncos and Melbourne Storm, which the Broncos won 26-22. It is the largest TV audience in NRL history, and a 33% increase on last year’s figures. It’s also the first time in 10 years the NRL decider was watched by more Australians than the AFL’s grand final.

The national animal of Scotland is a unicorn, which also features on its royal coat of arms. The animal has been linked to Scotland for centuries, symbolising purity and power in Celtic mythology. Scotland celebrates National Unicorn Day on 9 April.

Victoria's Director of Public Prosecutions will appeal Erin Patterson’s sentence on the grounds that it is "manifestly inadequate".

Paterson was sentenced to life in prison with a non-parole period of 33 years in September. Here’s what you need to know.

In July 2023, Erin Patterson hosted her in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, and her husband’s aunt and uncle, Heather and Ian Wilkinson, for lunch. Patterson served a beef Wellington, which she said contained dried mushrooms.

Following the meal, all four became critically ill. Don, Gail, and Heather died, while Ian spent several weeks in hospital.

In November 2023, Patterson was charged with three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.

Last month, Victorian Supreme Court Justice Christopher Beale handed Erin Patterson three life sentences, with the possibility of parole after 33 years. Patterson was also sentenced to 25 years in prison for attempted murder. Her sentences are being served concurrently.

Beale found Patterson’s current prison conditions are “harsh,” and that it is likely she will be in solitary confinement “for years to come”.

Last week, Patterson’s legal team announced the intention to appeal in the Victorian Supreme Court.

Since then, the Director of Public Prosecutions (the DPP) has announced it will appeal Patterson’s sentence, calling it "manifestly inadequate".

The DPP represent the interests of the people of Victoria, and is on the opposing side of the trial to Patterson’s defence team. During the case, DPP prosecutors were pushing for Patterson to be sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Ultimately, the judge allowed for the possibility of parole, finding “The harsh prison conditions that [Erin Patterson] has experienced already and the likely prospect of solitary confinement for the foreseeable future are important and weighty considerations which should count for something in the sentencing exercise.”

It is expected that in its appeal, the DPP will once again argue that Patterson should never be released.

On Friday, Coalition MP Andrew Hastie resigned from the Shadow Cabinet over a dispute on immigration policy.

Hastie, who was serving as the Shadow Home Affairs Minister, said that he had been told he wouldn’t be responsible for shaping the Coalition’s immigration policy, and as such, he was “not able to continue in this role and remain silent on immigration”.

So, what’s happening with the Coalition? Here’s what you need to know.

Sussan Ley became the leader of the Liberal Party after the Coalition’s loss at the federal election in May, taking over from Peter Dutton. She is the first woman to hold the position in the party’s history.

Ley is also part of the moderate faction of the party, meaning her appointment was seen as a decision by the party to move more to the centre.

However, since Ley became leader, there have been reports of internal disagreements about the party’s ideological direction.

Until Friday, Hastie had been serving as the Shadow Home Affairs Minister. He is from the conservative wing of the Liberal Party.

Over the last month, he had been sharing opinions that differed from the party’s position. He had also been commenting on policies outside his portfolio.

For example, he has suggested that the Liberal Party should reconsider its pre-election policy of achieving net zero by 2050. The Coalition is currently reviewing its policies. Net-zero greenhouse gas emissions refer to balancing the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced and removed from the atmosphere.

In his announcement, Hastie said Ley had “made it clear” that he would not lead the Coalition’s response to immigration matters or develop the Coalition’s immigration strategy. As such, he said: “I made the decision that I was not able to continue in this role and remain silent on immigration.”

Recently, Hastie made public remarks about reducing the number of people migrating to Australia and his belief that Australia needs to manufacture more products domestically. Like energy, the party is yet to reveal its official post-election policies in these areas.

Hastie added in his announcement that he was resigning “out of respect for Sussan [Ley’s] leadership”. In an interview on Saturday, he said: “On the backbench I'll continue to advocate for things that I believe in.”

There had been speculation in recent weeks that Hastie would try to run against Ley for the Liberal Party leadership. When asked if his resignation was to allow him to run against Ley, Hastie confirmed: “There's no challenge to Sussan. I support Sussan, tried to do this in good faith, and here we are.”

He added: “I didn't consult widely, and my objective was not to create any sort of instability for Sussan. I wanted to do this orderly and in a respectful manner, and I think that's what I've done so far.”

Following Hastie’s resignation, Ley issued a statement that said she had issued all members of the Shadow Cabinet with a “charter letter”. She said these letters provided members with “clear direction” on general expectations, policy priorities and performance indicators. Ley claimed these letters were developed in “extensive consultation” with the Shadow Cabinet, including Hastie.

She said Hastie told her on Friday that he would be “unable to comply with this longstanding and well-understood requirement, and on that basis he would be resigning his position”. She added: “Hastie did not raise any matters relating to policy on this call.”

Senator James Patterson will become the acting Shadow Home Affairs Minister until Ley announces a reshuffle.

Protein and Fibre: the breakfast power duo

Leading nutrition scientist, dietitian and Chobani Yogurt health spokesperson Dr Joanna McMillan tells us that combining fibre and protein in the morning helps with blood sugar control, and it triggers the release of an orchestra of hormones and signalling systems involved in appetite management.

Together, this helps to keep you full and satisfied until lunch!

Luna Park Sydney called on the public to nominate a loved one or themselves to be part of the ride, and the overwhelming response culminated in a celebration as the 90-year-olds boarded the Ferris Wheel for the first ride of the day.

Want more good news? Sign up to our weekly Good Newsletter here - we promise it’ll make your week better!

You’ve heard of buried treasure, but what about treasure under the sea? 

A company called Queens Jewels has retrieved more than 1,000 silver coins and five gold coins from a group of ships sunk off the coast of the U.S. state of Florida. 

The ships sank while sailing from Cuba to Spain in July 1715, carrying an estimated $US400m ($AU606m) worth of goods. 

The coins, many of which bear visible date marks, are valued at $US1m (AU$1.5m) and will be displayed to the public at local museums.

Reporting by Anju Dhanushkodi.

Netflix. AGL. Virgin Australia. What do these companies have in common? Well, they generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue each year but paid no company tax in the 2023/24 financial year, according to the Australian Tax Office’s annual corporate tax report released last week. So how can this be? We’ll break it down in today’s podcast.