Australia news as it happened: First sitting fortnight of parliament ends with HECS triumph for Albanese; Wong dodges question on Israeli claims of no starvation; Australian Muslims face Islamophobia surge

Thanks for joining me this afternoon. Here’s a quick recap:

The first sitting of the 48th parliament of Australia wrapped up today, with the government’s legislation to take 20 per cent off university students’ HECS debt – an election promise – passing the Senate.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s team generally used the period to celebrate its post-election parliamentary dominance (94 of 150 seats). Labor’s newest members were given early opportunities to put Dorothy Dixers to the PM after making their maiden speeches.

Reforms to cut funding from childcare centres that fail to meet safety and quality standards also passed the house today. Education Minister Jason Clare thanked the opposition for its support on this and the HECS measure.

A day after Victorian farmers rallied angrily on the steps of state parliament – with one pretending he was in prison for disagreeing with Premier Jacinta Allan – the lower house has passed the legislation they were protesting against.

The National Electricity Amendment Bill will now go to Victoria’s upper house, after state Labor used its massive lower-house majority to wave it through.

Farmers are angry because it includes a clause that will result in fines of $12,000 if they try to stop government officials or contractors coming onto their land to work on renewable energy projects such as transmission lines.

The Victorian government has several such transmission line projects planned for western Victoria, which go across prime farm grazing land, and has faced staunch opposition from farmers and their regional communities.

Muslim Australians and people expressing support for Palestine are facing a surge in abuse, attacks and potential professional exclusion, research shows.

Islamophobic incidents have increased more than sixfold over the past 21 months compared with a similar period before Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

More than 1500 incidents have been reported to the Islamophobic Register Australia in the period since the attack.

“We’ve seen deeply inadequate responses from governments, institutions, civil society,” register co-executive director Sharara Attai said.

A male childcare worker accused of abusing 10 children has been unmasked after The Sydney Morning Herald successfully fought a year-long court order that prevented the public from knowing his name and former employment as a police officer.

The names of all the centres where the alleged paedophile, David James, worked, almost 60 in total, can now be revealed.

James was initially charged by the Australian Federal Police with refusing to grant police access to his phone as part of a dark web investigation known as Operation Arctile, in September last year.

Investigators quickly found alleged evidence that he had filmed and photographed children in his care.

Australia’s foreign minister has commented on Canada’s announcement today that it will join France and the UK in recognising Palestine as a state at a UN General Assembly meeting in September.

Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney announced he would recognise Palestine – as long as the Palestinian Authority that governs the West Bank, but not Gaza, commits to reform and holding elections.

On ABC’s Afternoon Briefing, Penny Wong was asked if Australia would do the same at the September meeting.