Australia news live: Hong Kong fire death toll climbs; Senate inquiry to scrutinise ‘corrupt’ Nauru deals

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7.12am

Listen: Ley plans to tackle Labor on industrial reforms

By Paul Sakkal and Jacqueline Maley

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley will release new policies to woo back women voters and reverse years of reluctance to fight Labor on industrial relations as she tries to reset her faltering leadership over summer.

In an interview with this masthead’s Inside Politics podcast, Ley pledged to outline an agenda to boost the paltry 28 per cent vote the Coalition received among women at the election, flagging a promise to overhaul the childcare system to give families more choice.

“I will be looking at [policies for women] very early next year,” Ley said.

“I feel a particular affinity with working mums because when I was in those years of my life, it was chaos, and you went to bed exhausted and you thought, ‘no one’s happy’.

“The prime minister talks about universal childcare as if everyone wants something that looks like this. Well, everyone doesn’t. Some people might. Some people might vary what they want depending on their own personal circumstances … We’re the party of freedom and choice.”

Click here to read more, and listen to the podcast below.

6.50am

‘Corrupt’ Nauru deals, bikie company links under scrutiny

By Nick McKenzie and Natassia Chrysanthos

Persistent allegations of corruption and the presence of bikies in the delivery of the federal government’s multibillion-dollar Nauru deportation scheme will face scrutiny in a Senate inquiry.

On Wednesday, this masthead revealed MA Services Group was at the centre of a secret offshore security deal funded by the Albanese government and involving the Finks bikie gang, the allegedly corrupt Nauruan President David Adeang and a controversial operation to guard the deportees – known as the NZYQ cohort – sent by Australia to the small Pacific island.

The detainee operation involves Australia paying Nauru up to $2.5 billion over 30 years, of which up to $40 million a year will pay for Australian private security contractors on Nauru.

MA Services has faced multiple claims of rorting and exploiting its migrant workforce and allegedly harassing female staff.

Yesterday, Greens senator David Shoebridge successfully proposed an inquiry by the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee to examine offshore processing and resettlement arrangements with Nauru since 2022.

Click here to read the full story from Nick McKenzie and Natassia Chrysanthos.

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6.40am

Hong Kong fire death toll rises to 83

By Tyrone Siu, Joyce Zhou and Jessie Pang

A fire that has ripped through a residential block in Hong Kong and resulted in the deaths of at least 83 people is expected to be extinguished “tonight”, Hong Kong authorities said early this morning.

Rescuers continue to search the buildings in the hope that there are survivors among the hundreds of unaccounted-for residents of the Wang Fuk Court housing complex in the northern district of Tai Po.

Fire services continue rescue efforts at affected buildings in the Tai Po District, Hong Kong.

Most of the victims were found in two high-rise blocks in the eight-tower complex, deputy director of fire services Derek Armstrong Chan said.

He said firefighters found residents who were alive in several of the buildings, but gave no further details. The South China Morning Post reported one survivor was found on the stairwell of one of the buildings.

Rescuers battled intense heat and thick smoke for more than a day as they fought to reach residents feared trapped on the upper floors.

Video showed firefighters with torches searching through the charred remains of the towers on Thursday night, local time. Flames could still be seen from inside several windows, though the whole complex was now largely a blackened ruin.

Click here to read more.

6.35am

What’s making news this morning

By Cassandra Morgan

Good morning and welcome to our national news live blog for Friday, November 28.

My name is Cassandra Morgan, and I’ll be helming our coverage this morning. Here’s what is making headlines today.

A fire that has ripped through a residential block in Hong Kong and resulted in the deaths of at least 83 people is expected to be extinguished “tonight”, while rescuers continue to search buildings in the hope that there are survivors among the hundreds of unaccounted-for residents.
Persistent allegations of corruption and the presence of bikies in the delivery of the federal government’s multibillion-dollar Nauru deportation scheme will face scrutiny in a Senate inquiry.
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley will release new policies to woo back women voters and reverse years of reluctance to fight Labor on industrial relations as she tries to reset her faltering leadership over summer.
And, the man suspected of shooting two National Guard members two blocks from the White House drove across the continental US with a plan to commit his crime, officials say.

Stay with as we continue to bring you the latest live news updates from Australia and beyond.