Your noon Briefing: Shorten’s ‘two-fingered salute’ to retirees

Your 2-minute digest of today’s top stories and a long read for lunchtime.

Hello readers. ScoMo slams Bill Shorten’s ‘two-fingered salute’ to retirees, and Clementine “I bathe in male tears” Ford resigns from Nine newspapers.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten on a visit to Tathra with the Member for Eden Monaro, Mike Kelly, to discuss LaborÕs plans to invest in cleaner, cheaper renewable energy. Lawrence Park Community and Sports Club Building in Tathra in NSW. Picture Kym Smith

Two-fingered salute

Scott Morrison has leapt on Chris Bowen’s “vote against us” taunt to retirees to slam Bill Shorten’s crackdown on franking credits. Robert Gottliebsen writes that Bowen has been caught fibbing on franking after an on-air gamble.

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General photo of an Optus store in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, June 19, 2018. (AAP Image/Luis Ascui) NO ARCHIVING

First 5G plan

Optus has unveiled Australia’s first 5G home broadband plan, with its unlimited offer set to compete against the NBN by March.

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Lucy Gichuhi to talk about her tell all book 'Behind the Smile' alleging domestic violence against her husband, infidelity including sleeping with her sister. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

Claim rejected

A self-published book by Lucy Gichuhi alleging domestic violence and betrayal has shocked her family.

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Clementine Ford has resigned from Nine.

Ford quits

Clementine Ford has resigned from Nine newspapers after she was “cautioned by management’’ for calling Scott Morrison a “f...ing disgrace”.

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BEIJING, CHINA - JANUARY 29: A pedestrian talks on the phone while walking past a Huawei Technologies Co. store on January 29, 2019 in Beijing, China. The U.S. Justice Department filed a host of criminal charges against Chinese telecoms giant Huawei and its chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, including bank fraud, violating sanctions on Iran, and stealing robotic technology. Huawei denied committing any of the violations and rejected criminal claims against Meng, the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, who was arrested in Canada in December last year. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

The long read: Chinese eyes in your fridge

It may be harder without Huawei but we’ll be better off in the end.

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Comment of the day

“Perhaps the Coalition should tax unions and remove the tax deductibility of union fees. 85pc of workers will be unaffected, so by Labor’s yardstick this would be a fair measure.”

Rob, in response to ‘ALP goads seniors angry over franking credit crackdown: vote against us’.