Your noon Briefing: Albo ‘knew of Husar probe weeks ago’

Welcome to your noon digest of what’s been making news and what to watch for.

Hello readers. Here is your noon roundup of today’s top stories and a long read for lunchtime.

emma Husar - Bill Shorten - Cambridge Park - Housing Affordability april 15

Albo knew

Anthony Albanese says he found out about an inquiry into issues in Emma Husar’s office weeks ago, underminding Bill Shorten’s claims. Malcolm Turnbull, meantime, says Bill Shorten’s claims that he was not aware of bullying and misuse of staff allegations against NSW Labor MP Emma Husar until last week “stretch credulity”. Ms Husar is facing an internal NSW Labor inquiry, run by barrister Jack Whelan, involving statements from 20 people formerly in her employ, including complaints that staff were forced to pick up dog excrement, perform household chores, that she gave her nanny a job in her office and has a staffer, Vanessa Song, living with her performing domestic duties. Mr Shorten has repeatedly said he first learnt of the claims last Wednesday, despite the investigation having begun in March.

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Nine will merge with Fairfax in a new mega media company.

Nine, Fairfax merge

Nine and Fairfax have agreed to a historic merger in a cash-and-stock deal to create a $4.2 billion company that would reshape Australia’s media landscape. The combined company, called Nine, will be headed by Nine CEO Hugh Marks. The venerable 177-year-old Fairfax corporate name looks set to disappear. Nine shareholders will retain 51.1 per cent of the combined entity; Fairfax shareholders will keep the rest. Fairfax journalists reacted angrily to news the 177-year-old media brand will likely vanish under its proposed merger.

“So after 150-plus years this is all we get: ‘I would like to thank everyone for their contribution to Fairfax’.”

Kate McClymont

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Cr Catherine Marriott, Shire of Broome and WA Project Manager, CRC forDeveloping Northern Australia, speaking at the CEDA State of the Nation Conference 2018 in Canberra.

‘Release Joyce probe’

The woman who accused Barnaby Joyce of sexual harassment has demanded the National Party release the findings of its investigation into her claim, saying she is “extremely frustrated” with the long delay in resolving the matter. Catherine Marriott, a former West Australian rural woman of the year who lodged a complaint against Mr Joyce in February, said in a statement through her lawyer today that she deserved “closure”.

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TWAM-20180519 EMBARGO FOR TWAM 19 MAY 2018Entrepreneur Dick Smith tips his hat on Melbourne Cup day at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne.2011 Pic : News

‘Aldi killed us’

Entrepreneur Dick Smith has today shocked the retail industry by announcing he will close his eponymous Dick Smith Foods business, claiming that the rise and rise of German discount supermarket chain Aldi in Australia has “basically destroyed us”. Mr Smith said he had no choice but to close the Australian-sourced products business which he started nearly two decades ago, which has donated all of its $10 million-plus in profits to charity.

“We’re now at a point where the only way we can get sales is make a loss. Right now, we’re making a profit which we give away. But I can say within two years, we’ll go broke. It’s very, very sad. I’m depressed about the whole thing. Aldi have basically destroyed us.”

Dick Smith

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An aerial view shows burnt houses following a wildfire in the village of Mati, near Athens, on July 24, 2018. Raging wildfires killed 60 people in Greece, devouring homes and forests as terrified residents fled to the sea to escape the flames, authorities said on July 24, 2018. Orange flames engulfed pine forests, turning them to ash and leaving lines of charred cars in the smoke-filled streets of seaside towns near Athens. / AFP PHOTO / SAVVAS KARMANIOLAS

The long read: Greek tragedy

Thodoris stands in ash that is still smoking beside the charred, blackened shell of what was his small grocery store in Mati, Greece. He tells his friend Stratos, a visitor since childhood to the small seaside town, that he had no idea the fire was upon him until “ash from the burned pine trees started to drop like snow”. The speed of Monday evening’s wildfire just 45 minutes north of Athens, its ferocity and intense heat, caught nearly everyone off-guard and turned two small seaside towns into a blazing hell, writes Jacquelin Magnay.

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Comment of the day

“I’m getting sick to death of reading about this raving insanity. China, India the US and the rest of the bloody world for that matter are doing nothing about global warming (a total myth anyway) while we here in Australia are, as some of the commentariat are saying, are committing economic suicide.”

Russell, in response to ‘Federal Labor blasts ‘pathetic’ NEG targets’.