Your morning Briefing: PM faces battle over integrity body

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

Hello readers. ScoMo has a battle on his hands in his push for an integrity commission, while Bill Shorten has multicultural communities wondering how they’re going to keep the faith.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Attorney general Christian Porter (left) address media in Sydney, Thursday, December 13, 2018. The Prime Minister says Australia needs a dedicated new law that makes religious discrimination illegal, in order to protect freedom. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts) NO ARCHIVING

Integrity body battle

Scott Morrison’s push to establish a national integrity commission before the election is unlikely to pass through parliament.

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13/12/2018 Zoe Goodhardt, 32 with her children Ezra, 6, Jasmine 1 and Rami, 4 at their home in Caulfield.Picture : David Geraghty / The Australian.

Worlds collide

Bill Shorten is on a ‘collision course’ with multicultural communities unless he embraces stronger faith-based protections. Zoe Goodhardt is among those who have rushed to support Scott Morrison’s pledge to protect religious freedom. Paul Kelly suggests the PM is right to test the Opposition Leader on equality for religion in Australia.

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Front Pages of UK papers on December 13, 2018, Theresa May.

May lives (just)

Theresa May’s prime ministership has come to resemble an episode of Fear the Walking Dead as Brits look forward to lame duck for Christmas, writes Greg Sheridan.

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(COMBO) This combination of pictures created on April 11, 2018 shows Michael Cohen (L), President Trump's personal lawyer and US President Donald Trump. - Trump on December 13, 2018, denied directing Cohen to break the law after the US president's longtime close ally was sentenced to three years for campaign finance violations and other crimes. "I never directed Michael Cohen to break the law. He was a lawyer and he is supposed to know the law," Trump tweeted. (Photos by MARK WILSON and NICHOLAS KAMM / various sources / AFP)

Trump hits back

Donald Trump claims he never ordered his former lawyer Michael Cohen to break the law in making hush money payments to two women.

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Australian batsman Aaron Finch (left) is spoken to by former captain Ricky Ponting during the Australian cricket team training session at Perth Stadium in Perth, Thursday, December 13, 2018. Australia are preparing for the second Test match against India at Perth Stadium on Friday. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

Ponting pitches in

A green pitch in Perth will offer little respite for Australia’s struggling top order, as Ricky Ponting jets in to work with Justin Langer with Aaron Finch ahead of this morning’s second Test. Adam Gilchrist writes that Test captain Tim Paine has an enormous workload but the talent to manage it.

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Kudelka’s view

Jon Kudelka Letters Cartoon for 14-12-2018. Version: 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.