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Hello and welcome back to our live coverage of national and world news this Monday, November 16 . Here’s what is making news today.
London: The British government will discuss plans for a “staggered” age of consent that would stop men of a certain age from having sex with much younger women after the conviction of celebrity Russell Brand for rape.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham and colleagues will consider changing consent laws that allow sex with girls aged over 16, a cabinet minister confirmed, after a judge sentenced Brand to a decade in prison for rape and sexual assault.
The move also follows allegations against Little Britain comedian and children’s book author David Walliams, who is accused of preying on teenagers and young women. He denies the claims and is facing a police investigation.
The cabinet discussion heightens the national debate over predatory conduct after one of Brand’s accusers called for the law to be changed to make it a criminal offence for a man over 30 to have sex with a girl under the age of 18.
Work and Pensions Minister Pat McFadden confirmed that the issue would be discussed in cabinet given the concerns about the treatment of women.
A broad alliance of business chiefs and unions has mounted a last-minute push for the Coalition to pass Labor’s domestic gas-reservation laws, warning that scuttling or delaying the scheme will put hundreds of thousands of industrial jobs at risk and inflate household energy bills.
The Senate is due to vote this week on legislation to compel liquefied natural gas shippers to hold back up 20 per cent of their annual export volumes for the local market from 2028. The Albanese government argues this will head off domestic shortfalls and curb the costs of heating, electricity and manufacturing.
However, the bill faces defeat without major amendments. The Coalition has signalled it would not vote for it in its current form, while the Greens have rejected the legislation, demanding a 25 per cent tax on gas exports instead.
In a major intervention, organisations representing heavy manufacturers, petrochemical firms, aluminium smelters and factory workers have signed a joint letter urging senators to back the bill before federal parliament rises for the year.
Hello and welcome back to our live coverage of national and world news this Monday, November 16 . Here’s what is making news today.
