Your noon Briefing

Hello readers. Here’s the latest on how the day is playing out plus a long read for lunchtime.

Hello readers. In your noon digest, Katy Gallagher’s citizenship case is on its way to the High Court, Labor reckons it’s over the line in Queensland and Cahill quits Melbourne City.

Labor Senator Katy Gallagher leaves after referring herself to the Court of Disputed Returns in the Senate chamber at Parliament House in Canberra, Wednesday, December 6, 2017. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch) NO ARCHIVING

Gallagher gone, Batman in trouble

Labor senator Katy Gallagher has quit her frontbench portfolios and asked for her citizenship case to be referred to the High Court. The Greens, meantime, are ready to swoop on the marginal Labor seat of Batman as the dual citizenship fiasco threatens to bring down sitting federal MP David Feeney. Keep up with events as they unfold in parliament in our live blog, PoliticsNow.

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**RETRANSMISSION CAPTION CORRECTION FOR ID: 20171127001325452642 - CORRECTING SPELLING** Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk speaks during a meeting with the Local Government Association of Queensland in Brisbane, Monday, November 27, 2017. (AAP Image/Bradley Kanaris) NO ARCHIVING

Labor jumps gun on Qld win

Labor has claimed victory in 47 seats, the number it needs to form government in Queensland in its own right — but Annastacia Palaszczuk will not visit the Queensland Governor today. However, there are concerns within the ALP that the party has moved too quickly in declaring victory in some seats, such as Mundingburra in Townsville, where there is still a possibility that One Nation could snatch an unexpected victory.

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Former journalist Ben McCormack, arrives to the Downing Centre court in Sydney, Friday, October 6, 2017. McCormack last week pleaded guilty to two counts of using a carriage service to transmit, publish or promote child pornography after a new agreed statement of facts was presented to a Sydney court. (AAP Image/David Moir) NO ARCHIVING

McCormack spared jail

Disgraced former Nine Network reporter Ben McCormack has been fined $1000 and given a three year good behaviour bond for child pornography offences, exactly eight months after police raids on his home and workplace. McCormack, 43, was suspended in April from his role as a journalist on A Current Affair after he was charged with two counts of using a carriage service to transmit, publish or promote child pornography. He pleaded guilty to the offences in September.

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Illustration: Eric Lobbecke

Dasher has done his dash

The time has come for Sam Dastyari to follow the lead of NSW ALP general secretaries who blazed a trail to the Senate but knew when it was time to fall on their swords, writes Dennis Shanahan. He is now damaging the ALP and its chances of being elected. No single MP should come before the party. All his predecessors have known when to walk away for their own good and for the good of the party.

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Tim Cahill of Melbourne City during the A-League Round 9 match between the Newcastle Jets and Melbourne City FC at McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle, on Saturday, December 2, 2017. (AAP Image/Darren Pateman) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

Cahill goes in search of games

Socceroos striker Tim Cahill will depart A-League club Melbourne City effective immediately as he searches for more game time ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The forward, 37, made his immediate intentions very clear.

“Qualifying for the World Cup has been a great adventure ... that will be my focus in the coming months.”

Tim Cahill

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ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 05: A general view at sunset during day four of the Second Test match during the 2017/18 Ashes Series between Australia and England at Adelaide Oval on December 5, 2017 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images) ***BESTPIX***

T20 fails Test of beauty

As the Second Test of the Ashes heads into a nailbiting final day in Adelaide, Steve James reflects on how the Test series remains the supreme challenge in cricket. There can be no doubt whatsoever that the fourth day of this Adelaide Test will linger long in the memory, especially its final floodlit session. This was Test cricket at its very noblest, full of intrigue and unpredictability as England raged against the widely agreed script,

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PM Malcolm Turnbull in Question Time in the House of Representatives Chamber, at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture Kym Smith

The long read: Turnbull hangs tough

While 2017 has in many respects been a forgettable year for the government, and Malcolm Turnbull in particular, it is ending on a relatively positive note, writes Peter van Onselen. The PM should enjoy his fleeting time in the sun but he needs to brace for storms in 2018 — and they’ll be coming from his right.

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Comment of the day

“Feeney has obviously stashed the documentation in some house he’s forgotten he owns.”

Rob, in response to ‘Shorten ally Feeney in citizenship strife as by-election threat looms’.