Your morning Briefing

Welcome to your morning roundup of what’s making news and the must-reads for today.

Good morning readers. Here is your two-minute digest of today’s top stories and analysis.

PM picks sides on SSM as all eyes turn to Canberra for today’s big announcement

Great divide: At 10am this morning, we will know if it’s Yes or No.

All eyes are on Canberra with the same-sex marriage postal survey result to be announced at 10am (AEDT) and the issue will dominate proceedings today. Don’t miss our real time coverage as events unfold in our live blog, PoliticsNow. Malcolm Turnbull, meantime, has set up a showdown with conservative MPs over SSM after ­endorsing a bill co-signed by Labor and the Greens and leaving ­religious protections to the mercy of the Senate. Janet Albrechtsen weighs in, reminding us that free speech is a birthright as she marks the plebiscite down as a failure of the Turnbull government.

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Dragon roars: Illustration: Eric Lobbecke

China’s rise a threat to our security

Australia needs a new defence strategy to deter, and if necessary, defend itself against an increasingly powerful, aggressive China, two of the nation’s most experienced strategists have warned.Former senior Defence officials Paul Dibb and Richard ­Brabin-Smith say the nation faces an increased prospect of a threat from a major power for the first time since World War II. Greg Sheridan suggests Dibb and Brabin-Smith have done Australia a service by speaking so bluntly about the need to beef up defence.

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Victoria’s grand battery plan goes flat

Plans for two large-scale batteries to help secure Victoria’s power supplies this summer are in disarray, with a $25 million proposal by the Andrews government still in the planning stage months after construction was due to start. Touted as a “game-changer” by Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio when she and Premier Daniel ­Andrews announced the investment in March, no successful bidder has been announced for the storage initiative.

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Kelly O'Dywer says the 30 per cent rule would improve governance. Picture: Hollie Adams.

How banks, super funds stiffed punters for billions

The corporate watchdog has launched an investigation into the big four banks and large wealth managers, examining disclosure practices during their tardy approach to move superannuation assets out of high-fee legacy products into low-fee accounts. Super funds were required by July this year to transfer member savings out of high-fee legacy products and into low-fee My­Super accounts, in line with reforms passed by the Gillard government in 2012.

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Bulls hit: Felipe Massa of Brazil holds off the Red Bull of Daniel Ricciardo at the Brazil Formula One Grand Prix. Picture: Getty Images

Day of reckoning arrives for Socceroos

The disaster of 1997 was the darkest day in Australian soccer history and it hasn’t been lost on Ange Postecoglou as the Socceroos prepare for a game that could come to reflect that shocking night against Iran, or book our spot in next year’s World Cup. The crippling burden of expectation will weigh heavily on the national team when they play Honduras in the second leg Intercontinental World Cup playoff at ANZ Stadium tonight.

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Jon Kudelka’s view

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