Bill Shorten has announced that if the Labour Party wins the next Federal election, $83.7 million worth of funding will be restored to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

The Liberal Party plans to freeze funding indexation to the ABC in 2019, meaning that future funds to the broadcaster will not align with inflation.

Mr Shorten commented that over 930 people have been made redundant from the ABC since the Coalition came into power.

Over 300 people have petitioned the Lord Mayor of Hobart to remove statues of inverted crosses that have been installed on the streets as part of the Dark MOFO arts festival.

The statues have caused a backlash from the Australian Christian Lobby and other religious organisations, which have deemed the inverted crosses as ‘highly offensive.’

The Lord Mayor has responded to the outcry, stating that ‘it is not the role of the council to censor free speech’ and they support the artistic discussion generated by the festival.

A man is suing the Queensland Government for $750,000 in psychological damages. The man, now 23, was restrained in a spit mask as a teenager in the Brisbane Correctional Centre at Wacol.

He has filed a damages claim in the Districts Court of Brisbane against the state for alleged ‘cruel and degrading treatment’ over a five-month period.

A spokesperson for Queensland Corrective Services stated that because the matter was before the court it would not be appropriate to comment.

Claims the XXXX brewery will close its Milton brewery doors have been strongly denied by parent company Lion.

United voice union announced the brewery was due to close its doors, the company had two meetings with United voice in an attempt to alter the terms of an enterprise bargaining agreement to allow labour-hire workers to be employed when required.

United voice coordinator Damien Davie said Lion had notified staff in June the Castlemaine Perkins brewery at Milton would be shut down.

Payroll tax rebates for businesses employing apprentices and trainees will be extended in this year’s State Budget.

Deputy Premier Jackie Trad said next week’s Budget would see an extension of the payroll tax rebate initiative, maintaining it at 50 per cent until 30 June 2019.

Ms Trad said This $26 million initiative will not only continue to provide tax relief for business it will support the employment of more than 26,000 apprentices and trainees over the coming year.

New South Wales is set to follow Victoria’s lead in closing the Eilis defence, which prevents child abuse survivors suing the church.

The defence is named after John Eilis, who decided to take legal action against the Catholic church in 2002, but lost the case on appeal as the court found the church did not legally exist as its assets were held in a trust.

New South Wales attorney general Mark Speakman says institutions have been abject failures at reporting child sexual abuse in the past.