Australia politics live: students told to ‘pause’ Naplan tests amid tech issues; Queensland electorates to be stripped of Aboriginal names

From 8m ago 00.04 GMT Students told to ‘pause’ Naplan tests after widespread tech problem Caitlin Cassidy Primary and secondary students have been told to “pause” Naplan testing after widespread technology issues with its online platform. In a statement on Wednesday morning, the Australian, Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (Acara) said it was “aware of a widespread issue affecting students being able to log on to the online platform to complete their Naplan assessments”. double quotation mark This issue is being urgently investigated by our technology provider, Education Services Australia, who run the platform. Schools have been advised to pause testing while this is being investigated. Acara said schools were being provided with support and advice to minimise impacts on students. About 1.4 million students are expected to complete this year’s Naplan tests, which transitioned online in 2022. Share Updated at 00.11 GMT

3m ago 00.10 GMT Adam Morton ‘Virtually no moderates left in the Liberal party’: Turnbull Malcolm Turnbull also told the Climate Action Week Sydney event that he would be “amazed” if the Liberal party didn’t do a preference deal with One Nation in a bit to hold the seat vacated by former leader Sussan Ley, but it would be “poisonous for Liberal candidates in city electorates” if it did. He said there were “virtually no moderates left in the Liberal party”. Reflecting on the party’s shift to the right since losing its once-safe urban seats in 2022, and the right-wing media’s push for it to move away from the centre, he said: “These guys have got a death wish.” Share

4m ago 00.09 GMT Adam Morton Turnbull says he’d like to see Allegra Spender as treasurer Former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has praised the “teal” independent MPs as “some of the smartest people that have ever gone into the federal parliament” and said her would like to see them as part of a government - and Allegra Spender as treasurer. Speaking at a Sydney Climate Action Week event, Turnbull said of the community independents supported by the Climate 200 fundraising organisation that “there i