Your noon Briefing

Hello readers. Here’s the latest on how this Monday is unfolding plus a long read for lunchtime.

Hello readers. Here’s your digest of how the day has played out so far.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 15: Leader of the Opposition Bill Shorten celebrates in the crowd as the result is announced during the Official Melbourne Postal Survey Result Announcement at the State Library of Victoria on November 15, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. Australians have voted for marriage laws to be changed to allow same-sex marriage, with the Yes vote defeating No. Despite the Yes victory, the outcome of Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey is not binding, and the process to change current laws will move to the Australian Parliament in Canberra. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)

Parliament rescheduled for SSM vote

The Turnbull government has rescheduled parliament to legalise same-sex marriage and deal with the citizenship issue before Christmas. The decision also paves the way for Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce to be present the next time the House of Representatives sits, if he is successful in the by-election for his northern NSW seat of New England on December 2. Government Leader in the House of Representatives Christopher Pyne made the announcement a short time ago, confirming next week will be a Senate only sitting week, with the House of Representatives resuming at 10am on December 4, and not November 27, as previously scheduled.

-

Shorten: Finkel ‘shows we’re right’

Bill Shorten has seized on Alan Finkel’s contradiction of the Turnbull government’s claims that Labor’s 50 per cent renewables target by 2030 is irresponsible, hailing the Chief Scientist’s comments as yet more “scientific and economic evidence” that Labor’s policy is “the right path”. Dr Finkel has issued a major report saying Labor’s target could easily be met without jeopardising reliability, arguing batteries in households with rooftop solar power would be enough to underwrite Australia’s entire energy reliability requirement by 2030. Environment editor Graham Lloyd writes that there are plenty of mixed messages and political pitfalls in today’s report into energy storage.

-

The Queensland election camapign blog.

Pitt says debt will never fall to zero

Queensland Treasurer Curtis Pitt says he will do his “very best” to pay down the state’s nation-leading total debt if Labor is re-elected, but has struggled to articulate a specific debt-reduction plan and says the state will never have zero debt. Mr Pitt joined Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on the campaign trail in Cairns this morning, to visit a building site and spruik Labor’s “Back to Work” employment program. Stay abreast of the latest as we count down to the Queensland election in our live blog, Campaign Trail.

-

My Day on Instagram. Brighton Beach Boxes. Using bright colours in photos is fun and attracts the eye. Having the sun behind me meant the colour of the beach boxes and sky would be really bright. A large depth of field and fast shutter speed means the focal point, beach boxes and children are sharp. Picture: Josie Hayden

The incredible shrinking Aussie dream

New homes are on average the smallest they have been for 20 years as builders focus on apartments rather than detached houses. But detached houses that do get built are the biggest they have been in four years, according to the CommSec Home Size Trends ­Report. The trend to apartment living comes as housing prices have risen sharply on the eastern seaboard — up 74 per cent since early 2012, ­according to CoreLogic — leading some first-time buyers to choose units for affordability. Some empty-nesters have also taken advantage of the rising value of their family homes and downsizes into high-end apartments.

-

Frances Abbott is engaged to Sam Loch according to her recent instagram post. Picture: instagram

Frances Abbott finds her ‘Feyonce’

Bill Shorten has congratulated Tony Abbott’s daughter Frances on her whirlwind engagement to Olympic rower Sam Loch, jokingly suggesting that she should get government frontbencher Christopher Pyne to arrange the wedding and Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese to DJ. The former prime minister’s 26-year-old middle daughter announced her engagement on Instagram yesterday, revealing that she had agreed to marry 34-year-old Mr Loch just a fortnight after meeting him.

-

Body + Soul Cover Image Inflammation iStock-male all joints pain in blue

The Long Read: Workouts for pain-free gains

For every person content to lounge on the sofa, it seems there’s another who is not satisfied with joining a gym and wants to push through the pain barrier of a hellish obstacle course or triathlon. We are a nation with disparate ­fitness goals, but while couch ­potatoes face impending doom in the form of a raised risk of heart disease and diabetes, the aspirationally athletic are encountering their own set of health issues: ­injuries that threaten to cause long-term harm if left untreated.

-

Comment of the week

“The ABC is perfectly balanced ... from the Greens on the left to the far right faction of the ALP.”

Peter, responding to Chris Mitchell’s column calling for an end to ABC bias.