Your morning Briefing: Top cops blasted over no arrest policy

Welcome to your 2-minute briefing on the day’s top stories and must-reads.

Hello readers. Here is your 2-minute digest of what’s making news today.

Screengrab showing a man injured during a brawl on Collingwood Street, Collingwood, Melbourne. 7News

Top cops blasted

Victoria Police top brass are reeling from deepening criticism that their no-arrest policy is failing to tame teen gangs following a violent street brawl that involved more than 200 ­African-Australian and Pacific ­Islander youths and ended in a terrifying car ­attack. An 18-year-old man was in hospital in a critical condition last night with leg injuries after being hit by a car at the end of a huge fight that broke out at a ­record label launch early yesterday morning. Five other youths were hospitalised with injuries suffered during a fight in the street.

“I am losing hope this will be solved under the current leadership of Victoria Police. If you don’t make arrests on the spot, these kids will just continue to act the way they do.”

Kel Glare, former Victoria Police chief commissioner

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Treasurer Josh Frydenberg (left) meets with Reserve Bank Governor Philip Lowe, at the RBA offices in Sydney, Wednesday, August 29, 2018. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts) NO ARCHIVING

Reef fund ‘heroes’

A grant of almost half a billion dollars to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation was more than double the recommended amount and handed over as a single payment against the advice of the Department of Finance. A cautious Finance Department recommended the budget allocation to help protect the Great Barrier Reef be set at $200m over six years, but according to senior government sources, the decision to shovel $443.4m out the door immediately and give it to a non-government organisation as a tied grant was taken because it allowed the administration to “look like heroes” without making the budget look worse.

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02 SEPTEMBER 2018 SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA WWW.MATRIXNEWS.COM.AU NON EXCLUSIVE PICTURES Former PM Malcolm Turnbull and wife Lucy are seen leaving Australia at Sydney Airport today. Note: All editorial images subject to the following: For editorial use only. Additional clearance required for commercial, wireless, internet or promotional use.Images may not be altered or modified. Matrix makes no representations or warranties regarding names, trademarks or logos appearing in the images.

Election plan leaked

Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull personally approved a $7.6 billion roads and rail package aimed at saving marginal seats across the country as part of his ­re-election blueprint, a leak has ­revealed. The package was one of 10 major projects fully funded and listed in the May federal budget under “decisions taken but not yet announced”, according to the ­Herald Sun.

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15/08/2018 Peter Haysey from Catholic Superleaves the Banking Royal Commission in Melbourne.Picture : David Geraghty / The Australian.

Inside Story: How Catholic super merger failed

After tortuous negotiations that lasted for the best part of 2017, a perfunctory exchange of emails late last year sounded the death-knell for a $16 billion-plus, faith-based merger between Catholic Super Fund and its Sydney-based rival Australian Catholic Superannuation Retirement Fund. Richard Gluyas examines why.

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SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 01: Cooper Cronk of the Roosters mixes with fans following victory in the round 25 NRL match between the Parramatta Eels and the Sydney Roosters at ANZ Stadium on September 1, 2018 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

Crunch time for two codes

We’ve repeatedly said we know nothing about either the AFL or the NRL until September. Well, here it is. September, writes Will Swanton.

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Kudelka’s view

Jon Kudelka Letters page cartoon for 03-09-2018Version: 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.