Your morning Briefing: Coal boom looms after Adani start

Your 2-minute digest of the day’s top stories and must-reads.

Hello readers. Adani argy-bargy fades as coal boom looms, and it’s gloves off for a Senate Aunty hearing barney, featuring Guthrie v Milne.

Mackay, 29 Nov 18, Mackay Mining Service Industries benefit from Adani Mining Go Ahead.Adam Hawes, Workshop Supervisor at SEW Eurodrive, working on their drive system Balancer.Photo : Daryl Wright.

Adani for Christmas

Australia is on the brink of opening up a massive, untapped coal province after Adani committed to begin construction of its ­controversial Carmichael mine project in central Queensland befor­e Christmas. After almost a decade of ­delays, legal challenges and protest­s, the Indian conglomerate is planning to begin exporting high-quality thermal coal from the Galilee Basin, west of Mackay, by the end of 2020.

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A composite screenshot obtained Monday, November 12, 2018 of former ABC chairman Justin Milne (left) and former ABC managing director Michelle Guthrie during interviews with Four Corners journalist Sarah Ferguson. Guthrie and Milne have given their behind-the-scenes take on her controversial sacking from the national broadcaster. (AAP Image/ABC, Four Corners) NO ARCHIVING, NO ARCHIVING AAP IMAGE BEYOND 48 HOUR NEWS USAGE

Senate showdown

Former ABC chairman Justin Milne has given detailed reasons for the sacking of managing director Michelle Guthrie in September, as the pair preprare to front a Senate inquiry this morning. Stephen Brook reports that in his submission to the inquiry, Mr Milne, who resigned three days after Ms Guthrie was sacked after alle­gations of his interference leaked, said the termination was due to very poor results in a 360 leadership review, including that Ms Guthrie’s score for integrity was in the fourth percentile, meaning 96 per cent of people scored above her, while her score for ­autocracy, arrogance, criticism and distance was in the 90th percentile, meaning only 10 per cent of people scored above her.

“Ms Guthrie was terminated due to poor leadership skills leading to a loss of confidence and trust in her by the board of the ABC and many of its employees.”

Justin Milne

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Attorney-General Christian Porter during Question Time in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra, Thursday, November 29, 2018. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas) NO ARCHIVING

Faith no more

Australia risks falling into an epic change that would gravely jeopardise the ability of religious schools to pursue their mission and uphold their faith, the Morrison government warned yesterday. Paul Kelly has the story.

“Labor’s bill represents radical change because it provides no legislative ability for schools to act in accordance with their beliefs and the tenets of their faith.”

Christian Porter

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Murder suspect Chris Dawson (Green shirt) and his twin brother Paul Dawson (Pink shirt) discussing their extraordinarily close bond when they were Queensland teachers.The Dawsons were featured on a TV current affairs segment about the 19 sets of twins among students and staff at the Gold Coast’s Coombabah high school. Supplied

‘Stay away from her’

New witnesses have told of seeing murder suspect Chris Dawson’s explosive temper, physically threatening behaviour and possessiv­eness of the teenage schoolgirl he was grooming, Joanne Curtis. Peter Schubert worked part-time with Ms Curtis at a Coles supermarket on Sydney’s northern beaches in the early 1980s. He developed a crush on her, asking her out several times. He remembers being stunned when Mr Dawson — who was Ms Curtis’s high school sports teacher — ­approached him in the car park at work and pinned him to the wall.

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Kudelka’s view

Jon Kudelka Letters cartoon for 30-11-18Version: Letters Cartoon (1280x720 - Aspect ratio preserved, Canvas added)COPYRIGHT: The Australian's artists each have different copyright agreements in place regarding re-use of their work in other publications.Please seek advice from the artists themselves or the Managing Editor of The Australian regarding re-use.