![\"Joe](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1761703272_327_Eden_Gillespie.png\")
Joe Hinchliffe<\/p>\nQueensland education minister \u2018very unhappy\u2019 about botched history exam preparationJoe Hinchliffe<\/p>\n
Queensland\u2019s education minister has said the 140 high school students across the state who spent their final weeks in high school preparing for an exam on the wrong Caesar will not be asked for what they have not prepared.<\/p>\n
But John-Paul Langbroek could not say what their final exam, worth 25% of their course mark and due to be sat this afternoon, would look like.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe exam that they are doing … is something we\u2019ll be resolving into the future,\u201d Langbroek said in response to a question from the press.<\/p>\n
But I can\u2019t see how anyone would be expected to do an exam, having had two days\u2019 preparation.<\/p>\n
The minister said that the 75% of the course mark for which the students had already been tested would be \u201cscaled up\u201d to make sure they were not disadvantaged and that it was his \u201cpresumption\u201d that if someone had perfect marks to date: \u201cI\u2019d suspect they\u2019d get as close to 100.\u201d<\/p>\n
Langbroek said he wanted affected students to know \u201cit was not the end of the world\u201d but that he was \u201cvery unhappy\u201d about the stress they had been put through.<\/p>\n
For all of us as parents, or students who have been through situations like this, it would be extremely traumatic and I want to reassure those students and their parents and their teachers affected that we will be making every investigation into how this happened.<\/p>\n
The schools affected are both state and private and range from Cairns to Brisbane. They are: Brisbane State High School, Flagstone Community College, Meridan State College, Redcliffe State High School, Yeronga State High School, St Teresa\u2019s Catholic College, West Moreton Anglican College, James Nash State High School and Kuranda District State College.<\/p>\n
Updated at\u00a021.27 EDT<\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n Show key events only<\/p>\n Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/p>\n Application for AVO against Mark Latham \u2018likely to settle\u2019<\/p>\n An application for an apprehended violence order brought against controversial MP Mark Latham by his ex-partner is \u201cvery much likely to settle\u201d, a court has been told.<\/p>\n Nathalie May Matthews, 38, applied for a private AVO against the one-time federal Labor opposition leader after accusing him of years of manipulation and sustained abuse.<\/p>\n Latham, who now sits as an independent in the NSW upper house, denied the allegations and has not been charged with any criminal wrongdoing.<\/p>\n After three months of negotiations, Matthews\u2019 lawyer said the parties were nearing an agreement.<\/p>\n \u201c[We are] very much likely to settle and resolve the matters in their entirety,\u201d Daniel Wakim told Sydney\u2019s Downing Centre local court on Wednesday.<\/p>\n He withdrew an application for an interim AVO, which, if granted, would have lasted until the matter returned to court for a three-day hearing in May 2026.<\/p>\n \u2013 AAP<\/p>\n Mark Latham. Photograph: Dean Lewins\/AAPShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a021.57 EDT<\/p>\n The AFP commissioner, Krissy Barrett, is at the press club today, announcing efforts to crackdown on sadistic online exploitation and \u201ccrimefluencers\u201d.<\/p>\n As we brought you a little earlier, Barrett is warning of the rise of online crime networks of young boys and men who are targeting vulnerable teen and preteen girls.<\/p>\n You can read more from my colleague Sarah Basford Canales (who\u2019s at the press club right now):<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a021.50 EDT<\/p>\n What\u2019s been driving higher inflation this last quarter?<\/p>\n As we have reported, annual inflation has jumped to 3.2% in September, from just 2.1% in June.<\/p>\n The ABS said the main contributor to the sharp rise \u2013 which was higher than the consensus forecast among economists \u2013 was a 24% year-on-year rise in electricity prices.<\/p>\n This was \u201cprimarily related to households in Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania having higher out-of-pocket costs\u201d than during the same period in 2024, the ABS said.<\/p>\n Petrol prices fell but there was plenty of evidence that the cost of living is continuing to bite.<\/p>\n Inflation not dead, just resting<\/a>Inflation not dead, just resting<\/p>\n Grocery items were 3.1% higher in the year to September, including a 15% rise in coffee, tea and cocoa prices thanks to issues with overseas suppliers of coffee beans.<\/p>\n Rents were up 3.8% in the year but that\u2019s at least on an improving trend \u2013 this time last year they were climbing at an annual pace of 6.7%.<\/p>\n Homeowners were stung with a 6.3% jump in property rates in the three months to September \u2013 the biggest quarterly increase in more than a decade \u2013 as councils reset their rates.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a021.26 EDT<\/p>\n Tim Wilson says \u2018nobody apart from the Canberra press gallery\u2019 has brought up PM\u2019s Joy Division T-shirt<\/p>\n Liberal MP Tim Wilson is the latest to not exactly give a full-throated endorsement of Sussan Ley\u2019s criticisms of Anthony Albanese\u2019s Joy Division T-shirt, saying he hadn\u2019t received any community complaints about it.<\/p>\n Wilson and senator Maria Kovacic gave a press conference on questions around the CFMEU construction union and revelations in media reporting about alleged misbehaviour. Wilson and Kovacic have been calling on the industrial relations minister, Amanda Rishworth, to take stronger action, criticising Labor\u2019s actions on the issues.<\/p>\n But Wilson was asked about Ley\u2019s comments after a string of Coalition MPs who did not strongly back her in.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not in the business of engaging in these conversations. We\u2019re focused on the CFMEU specifically,\u201d Wilson said, adding those issues were \u201cfar more distressing to me\u201d.<\/p>\n Asked if he had received any concerns directly – with his Goldstein electorate having a large Jewish community \u2013 Wilson replied: \u201cI\u2019m afraid nobody apart from the Canberra press gallery, that I have seen.\u201d<\/p>\n I haven\u2019t got a chance to read all my emails \u2013 I\u2019ve been focused on issues within the parliament \u2013 have raised this issue with me.<\/p>\n Wilson declined to say whether he would join Ley\u2019s calls for Albanese to apologise, then ended the press conference.<\/p>\n The shadow industrial relations minister, Tim Wilson, and Liberal senator Maria Kovacic. Photograph: Mick Tsikas\/AAPShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a021.21 EDT<\/p>\n Elizabeth Lee and Peter Cain \u2018suspended indefinitely\u2019 from Canberra Liberals party room<\/p>\n Former ACT Liberals leader \u2013 turned backbencher \u2013 Elizabeth Lee and backbencher Peter Cain have been indefinitely suspended after crossing the floor on Tuesday, the ABC is reporting.<\/p>\n Lee reportedly confirmed the suspension at a press conference in Canberra this morning.<\/p>\n Peter and I have been suspended indefinitely \u2013 until further notice \u2026 I still stand by my position that I exercised my right as a Liberal party backbencher.<\/p>\n The two backbenchers crossed the floor over a move to reduce the number of sitting weeks in the parliamentary calendar from 13 weeks to 12 next year.<\/p>\n According to Liberal party policy, Liberal backbenchers are allowed to cross the floor (as we\u2019ve seen many of them do in federal parliament), though ministers and shadow ministers are not.<\/p>\n Lee said it was \u201cimperative\u201d for an opposition to take every opportunity to hold the government to account.<\/p>\n We have a long history of allowing backbenchers to vote differently \u2013 to cross the floor.<\/p>\n For Peter and I to make a call, to exercise our right as Liberal party backbenchers, to cross the floor on that issue and be suspended indefinitely, for that, is unacceptable.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a021.08 EDT<\/p>\n Queensland education minister \u2018very unhappy\u2019 about botched history exam preparation Queensland\u2019s education minister has said the 140 high school students across the state who spent their final weeks in high school preparing for an exam on the wrong Caesar will not be asked for what they have not prepared.<\/p>\n But John-Paul Langbroek could not say what their final exam, worth 25% of their course mark and due to be sat this afternoon, would look like.<\/p>\n \u201cThe exam that they are doing … is something we\u2019ll be resolving into the future,\u201d Langbroek said in response to a question from the press.<\/p>\n But I can\u2019t see how anyone would be expected to do an exam, having had two days\u2019 preparation.<\/p>\n The minister said that the 75% of the course mark for which the students had already been tested would be \u201cscaled up\u201d to make sure they were not disadvantaged and that it was his \u201cpresumption\u201d that if someone had perfect marks to date: \u201cI\u2019d suspect they\u2019d get as close to 100.\u201d<\/p>\n Langbroek said he wanted affected students to know \u201cit was not the end of the world\u201d but that he was \u201cvery unhappy\u201d about the stress they had been put through.<\/p>\n For all of us as parents, or students who have been through situations like this, it would be extremely traumatic and I want to reassure those students and their parents and their teachers affected that we will be making every investigation into how this happened.<\/p>\n The schools affected are both state and private and range from Cairns to Brisbane. They are: Brisbane State High School, Flagstone Community College, Meridan State College, Redcliffe State High School, Yeronga State High School, St Teresa\u2019s Catholic College, West Moreton Anglican College, James Nash State High School and Kuranda District State College.<\/p>\n The Queensland education minister, John-Paul Langbroek. Photograph: Darren England\/AAPShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a021.27 EDT<\/p>\n Inflation jumps to 3.2% in year to September Inflation has jumped to 3.2% in the year to September, from 2.1% in June, as waning government subsidies feed through to higher household power bills.<\/p>\n Any lingering chance of a rate cut next Tuesday was squashed after the new Australian Bureau of Statistics figures also confirmed a troubling rise in underlying inflation.<\/p>\n The Reserve Bank\u2019s preferred trimmed mean measure \u2013 which removes the impact of large, temporary price moves \u2013 climbed by 1% in the three months to September and far ahead of the RBA\u2019s predicted rate of 0.6%.<\/p>\n That left inflation on this trimmed mean measure at 3% in the year, against 2.7% in June.<\/p>\n Read more here:<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a020.37 EDT<\/p>\n Greens call for end of shark nets<\/p>\n The Greens have called upon the environment and water minister, Murray Watt, to remove an exemption in the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act that allows state-controlled shark cull programs after the death of a humpback whale calf that became entangled in a shark net near Wollongong yesterday.<\/p>\n The whale was entangled in the Coledale Beach shark net, which was installed under the New South Wales government\u2019s Shark Meshing Bather Protection Program.<\/p>\n The Greens\u2019 spokesperson for healthy oceans, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, questioned what further proof governments needed that \u201cshark nets do not work\u201d.<\/p>\n It\u2019s time to end the world\u2019s longest marine cull and stop this barbaric government-sanctioned animal cruelty. <\/p>\n The Greens again call on federal environment minister Watt to reject the Queensland government\u2019s plans to expand its shark cull program, and to remove the EPBC exemption to all state-controlled shark cull programs that threaten federally protected marine wildlife.<\/p>\n The humpback whale entangled at Coledale Beach. Photograph: Sarah FrankeShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a020.26 EDT<\/p>\n Sam Strutt<\/p>\n Queensland history exams blunder grows<\/p>\n Queensland\u2019s education minister, John-Paul Langbroek, says the department has now determined that students at nine schools across the state have been taught the wrong topic for their end of year history exams.<\/a><\/p>\n Langbroek has ordered an urgent investigation after students were meant to study Julius Caesar, but were instead taught about his nephew Augustus. He says they will be given special consideration during marking, according to the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority.<\/p>\n During a news conference this morning, the minister said the 140 affected students from schools from the far north to the south-east of the state would not be required to sit today\u2019s exam.<\/p>\n He said the students impacted have already completed 75% of their assessments for this subject and their overall grade will now be scaled to make sure no one is disadvantaged by this unacceptable error.<\/p>\n \u201cI have directed the director general of the Department of Education to urgently investigate how the QCAA communicates with schools to implement syllabus changes,\u201d Langbroek said.<\/p>\n He said the department did not know at this stage what had caused the error.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a020.07 EDT<\/p>\n Greens welcome audit of housing Australia future fund, saying it has failed to deliver<\/p>\n The Greens have also welcomed an audit of the governments $10bn housing Australia future fund (HAFF), saying it\u2019s failed to deliver on its promise of more social and affordable housing.<\/p>\n The fund is supposed to build 40,000 social and affordable homes by mid 2029.<\/p>\n The Greens senator Barbara Pocock says the HAFF is \u201ctoo complex and too slow\u201d.<\/p>\n Australians deserve to know why Treasury designed such a convoluted scheme that even developers say they can\u2019t make money off. Hundreds of millions have been allocated but it appears very little of it has been spent on building homes. That\u2019s unacceptable in the middle of a housing crisis.<\/p>\n This is a billion-dollar fund with little to show for it. The HAFF is a slow, clumsy and cost-ineffective way to fund housing and it\u2019s opening the door for private developers to profit while people can\u2019t find a home.<\/p>\n Senator Barbara Pocock. Photograph: Hilary Wardhaugh\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a020.07 EDT<\/p>\n Australian Conservation Foundation launches fresh legal action against Murray Watt The Australian Conservation Foundation has launched a new legal challenge against the federal environment minister, Murray Watt, over his approval of Woodside\u2019s North West Shelf extension, one of the world\u2019s biggest liquified natural gas projects.<\/p>\n It is the second case the advocacy group has brought against the minister this month, after they commenced federal court proceedings on 13 October<\/a> in a bid to overturn the approval, which extends the life of the NWS gas processing plant from 2030 to 2070.<\/p>\n In the new challenge, the ACF will argue Watt was not permitted to exclude the climate impacts of the project when deciding whether and how to assess it under Australia\u2019s national environment law, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.<\/p>\n The ACF\u2019s legal counsel Adam Beeson said:<\/p>\n We wouldn\u2019t have to take this route if Australia had strong nature laws to begin with, which made the government\u2019s responsibility to deal with climate pollution crystal clear.<\/p>\n But because our current nature laws are shockingly broken and favour polluting industries over the nature they claim to protect, litigation is necessary to argue that the minister was required to deal with climate pollution.<\/p>\n This case brings home why it\u2019s so important Labor gets on with the task this week of making our national environment law actually work for nature.<\/p>\n The government plans to introduce its proposed changes to the EPBC Act to parliament in the coming days.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.45 EDT<\/p>\n Jewish groups not offended by Albanese\u2019s Joy Division T-shirt<\/p>\n Sussan Ley again finds herself taking an unconventional policy position and not exactly being swamped with support by her own team, with Liberal and National politicians not quite rushing to back up her criticisms of Anthony Albanese\u2019s Joy Division T-shirt.<\/p>\n The opposition leader on Tuesday accused him<\/a> of a \u201cprofound failure of judgment\u201d. She claimed the seminal British punk band was named after \u201ca wing of a Nazi concentration camp where Jewish women were forced into sexual slavery\u201d.<\/p>\n Naturally, numerous Coalition politicians have been asked about the issue today, and there\u2019s been mixed opinions.<\/p>\n Liberal senator Jane Hume, who last week branded Ley\u2019s criticisms of Kevin Rudd as \u201cchurlish\u201d, was equivocal on Sky News. She said: \u201cI don\u2019t like to tell people what it is that they should and shouldn\u2019t wear\u201d but added that Albanese should apologise \u201cif people are offended\u201d.<\/p>\n Guardian Australia spoke to several major Jewish community organisations; none chose to back Ley in or complain about Albanese\u2019s sartorial choices. A senior source from one of the most-respected Jewish groups, which has had no problem criticising the Labor government on occasion, was bemused by Ley\u2019s claims.<\/p>\n Opposition leader Sussan Ley during question time on Tuesday. Photograph: Lukas Coch\/AAP<\/p>\n To recap all the other Coalition commentary this morning, Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie told Sunrise:<\/p>\n There\u2019s a lot to legitimately criticise the prime minister about; trillion-dollar debt, skyrocketing house prices, and job losses in our heavy industrial sector. Wearing a T-shirt isn\u2019t one of them. I\u2019m part of the troubled and forgotten X generation that came of age listening and dancing to Joy Division and New Order.\u201d<\/p>\n Liberal senator Andrew Bragg told the ABC that the prime minister should \u201ctake great care in whatever he wears. Now, some Jewish Australians have been offended by the wearing of this T-shirt, and I think it\u2019s something that the prime minister should consider very carefully.\u201d<\/p>\n While Nationals senator Matt Canavan told Nine\u2019s Today: \u201cI don\u2019t really care what T-shirt he wears, I do care how he\u2019s doing for the country, and I don\u2019t think a lot of joy is being felt by Australians right now.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.33 EDT<\/p>\n Labor votes against Pocock\u2019s climate duty of care bill and Liberal senator crosses the floor<\/p>\n Labor have been put into a slightly uncomfortable position in the Senate, on David Pocock\u2019s bill that would insert a duty of care to young people and future children into the Climate Change Act.<\/p>\n The legislation would force decision-makers to consider the risk of future harm to children when considering the approval of facilities that would increase greenhouse gas emissions.<\/p>\n Liberal senator Andrew McLachlan, who has recently started speaking up strongly for climate action and net zero, is supporting the bill, calling it a \u201cnoble ambition\u201d, and taking a swipe at his party.<\/p>\n I support the bill and commend senator Pocock for bringing it to the chamber for consideration \u2026 It\u2019s very conservative, it\u2019s actually more conservative than a liberal progressive position to care for the environment.<\/p>\n The Coalition initially sided with the crossbench and Greens to force a vote on the bill (initially it was just slated for debate). Labor has been outvoted a few times now in the Senate, where it doesn\u2019t hold a majority.<\/p>\n But on the actual vote, Labor and the Coalition voted against the duty, while McLachlan crossed the floor to vote with the crossbench.<\/p>\n Liberal senator Andrew McLachlan. Photograph: Lukas Coch\/AAPShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a021.27 EDT<\/p>\n NT land councils \u2018dismayed\u2019 at lack of consultation on environment law reforms The four land councils that represent traditional owners in the Northern Territory say they are \u201cdismayed\u201d they have not been consulted on proposed reforms to Australia\u2019s environment laws.<\/p>\n The Northern, Central, Tiwi and Anindilyakwa land councils are demanding the environment minister, Murray Watt, include them in discussions on the reforms, which are expected to be tabled in parliament tomorrow.<\/p>\n The Anindilyakwa council represents people in the Groote archipelago in the Gulf of Carpentaria.<\/p>\n The four organisations want to see all projects with significant impacts on ground and surface water included in environment assessments, and for projects with major greenhouse gas emissions to be assessed for climate risk \u2013 a step Watt has said won\u2019t be included in reforms.<\/p>\n Dr Josie Douglas, of the Central Land Council, said the debate on the reforms had been run \u201cas a closed shop between large environment groups and industry\u201d. She said:<\/p>\n The very survival of our people on country is at stake. We are living the impacts of climate change and water insecurity now, and the forecasts for the north are devastating.<\/p>\n The Northern Land Council chair, Matthew Ryan, said:<\/p>\n Aboriginal people have legal rights and interest in 98% of the land in the NT. We must be part of the conversation.<\/p>\n Groote Eylandt in the Northern Territory. Photograph: Stephanie Flack\/AAPShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.23 EDT<\/p>\n \u2018No connectivity means no net zero,\u2019 says Nationals MP<\/p>\n Net zero is certainly front of mind for those in the Coalition, evidenced by one Nationals MP\u2019s slip-up in the chamber, while seconding a motion to suspend standing orders.<\/p>\n The opposition is trying to suspend standing orders on the Optus triple-zero outage, noting the Coalition and Greens in the Senate last night established an inquiry into the telco outage, and calling on Anika Wells to appear before the committee and \u201cfully cooperate with the inquiry\u201d.<\/p>\n Nationals MP Anne Webster got up to support the suspension, warning about the impact shutdowns have on regional communities, particularly after the telcos shut down the 3G network \u201cunder this government\u2019s watch\u201d.<\/p>\n Then she said this.<\/p>\n No connectivity means no net zero \u2013 sorry! No triple zero, full stop.<\/p>\n From the Coalition backbench, someone shouted, \u201cIt\u2019s on the mind!\u201d<\/p>\n As both the Liberals and Nationals edge closer to a policy position on net zero, it\u2019s on the mind indeed!<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/5407.jpg\")
The Queensland education minister, John-Paul Langbroek. Photograph: Darren England\/AAPShare<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Patrick](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1761703273_74_Patrick_Commins.png\")
Patrick Commins<\/p>\n![\"Josh](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1761703273_6_Josh_Butler.png\")
Josh Butler<\/p>\nJoe Hinchliffe<\/p>\nPatrick Commins<\/p>\n![\"Donna](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1761703273_393_Donna_Lu.png\")
Donna Lu<\/p>\nJosh Butler<\/p>\n![\"Graham](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1761703274_235_Graham_Redfearn.png\")
Graham Readfearn<\/p>\n
![\"Benita](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1761703274_593_Benita_Kolovos.png\")
Benita Kolovos<\/p>\n