Your noon Briefing: OK to be white blunder not my fault: A-G

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

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

One Nation party leader Pauline Hanson reacts after Australian Communications Minister Mitch Fifield made a statement to the Senate in the Senate chamber at Parliament House in Canberra, Monday, October 15, 2018. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch) NO ARCHIVING

‘Not my fault’

Attorney-General Christian Porter says he had no knowledge that a staffer from his office advised Coalition senators to vote in favour of a Pauline Hanson motion that it is “okay to be white”. With the Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Senate leader Mathias Cormann expressing regret for the blunder, Senator Hanson attacked the government for withdrawing its support for her motion.

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Prime Minister Scott Morrison during Question Time in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra, Monday, October 15, 2018. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas) NO ARCHIVING

Emergency meeting call

The head of the Palestinian diplomatic delegation to Australia, Izzat Salah Abdulhadi, has said the 15 Middle Eastern embassies in Canberra are likely to hold an emergency meeting today to discuss Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s comments on Jerusalem. Mr Morrison said he was open to following the US decision on moving its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and would consider moving Australia’s embassy to Jerusalem based on a number of conditions ahead of the Wentworth by-election. Keep up with the latest from parliament in our live blog, PoliticsNow.

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Senior farmer looking over the drought stricken land, during summer and fire season.

Migrant workers needed in bush

Many believe one of the problems with plans to decentralise our population is too few jobs in rural and regional Australia. Not true, writes Jack Archer. Permanent skilled and unskilled migrants are needed in many areas. And simple reforms to immigration policy with support from rural communities to settle new permanent migrants will help take pressure off major cities.

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Prince Harry and wife Meghan.

My royal baby bump, check it out

The world got its first glimpse of soon-to-be parents Prince Harry and wife Meghan since their announcement last night she is pregnant this morning at Admiralty House in Sydney.

Meghan wore a form-fitting white dress by Australian designer Karen Gee as Harry clasped her hand while they greeted guests and officials.

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Portrait of Stephanie Copus-Campbell and her husband Angus Campbell (Chief of Defence Force) at their home in Canberra. Stephanie and Angus are working together to promote innovative leadership solutions to tackle Papua New Guinea's inherent problem of domestic violence. Portrait by Sean Davey.

The long read: On the frontline in PNG

With an estimated two-thirds of women in Papua New Guinea subjected to domestic violence, business, civic and military leaders are working with a formidable Australian couple to deal with a practice that’s devastating the social fabric of a key nation on Australia’s doorstep, writes Brendan Nicholson.

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Comment of the day

“Not supporting a Senate motion that it’s okay to be white doesn’t necessarily mean that you think it’s not okay to be white. You may remember in the famous Catch 22 novel, where an officer had the personnel constantly signing declarations of loyalty, and not to have signed one indicated that you were disloyal.”

Murray, in response to ‘Mathias Cormann apologises for Coalition senators backing Pauline Hanson ‘it’s OK to be white’ motion’.