Joyce likens US public execution to ‘Roman amphitheatre’ – as it happened

\n The Australian government should block the “barbaric” broadcast or live stream of a US military execution, Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young says. She found a somewhat unlikely ally in Barnaby Joyce who said the execution was like “Roman amphitheatre” and should not be watched. The government was a lot less forthcoming on whether the stream should be banned.

\n Small business minister Anne Aly was in the question time spotlight today, pressed by the opposition on how and when she found out the ATO would ban credit card payments (she says she found out with the rest of the public).

\n Australian engineer Robert Pether has been allowed to leave Iraq after being detained for more than four years in a Baghdad jail cell that his family feared would kill him.

\n David Chau will replace the retiring Alan Kohler as the ABC’s finance presenter on its 7pm news bulletins, the national broadcaster has announced.

\n The NSW government will seek to amend legislation to give One Nation access to the independent Parliamentary Budget Office in a bid to challenge the populist party to cost their promises.

\n The peak body for the oil and gas industry was the only stakeholder the New South Wales government met with before a decision to reopen gas exploration approvals for the first time in more than a decade, documents released under freedom of information laws suggest.

Due to the sensitivity of the evidence, this hearing will be classified and therefore closed to the public to avoid prejudice to national security and the ongoing criminal proceedings relating to the attack.

On the matter of the credit card surcharge or the ban to the credit card surcharge, it was a decision that was made by the RBA. I became aware of it – as did everyone else – when the RBA made that decision and made it public.

People talk about insolvencies – according to Asic data, insolvencies under this government, as a proportion of all companies, has averaged 0.32%. The rate under the Howard government was 0.5%. Average monthly new company registrations are higher under this government than any government on record.

Mr Pether had been imprisoned in Iraq for more than four years and was later subject to travel restrictions that prevented him from leaving the country.

Today’s outcome follows many years of persistent advocacy by the Australian Government, including at the highest levels of government, and sustained consular assistance to Mr Pether and his family.

I thank the Australian officials whose tireless work helped achieve this outcome, as well as the Irish authorities for their close cooperation throughout this process. I wish Mr Pether and his family all the very best as they reunite.