Australia news live: new child detention laws described as Queensland’s ‘darkest hours’

Government's steadfast defence of new laws allowing children to be held in police watch houses continues to draw harsh criticism from the opposition. Follow the day's news live

Australian Labor party president - and former deputy PM - Wayne Swan has attempted to set straight the debate around the electoral commission urging voice referendum voters to write yes" or no" on their voting ballot, as crosses may not be counted.

On the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, saying such a ruling shows favouritism for the yes campaign, Swan told the Today show:

That is complete rubbish. The ruling from the electoral commission is 30 years old; it is what applied in the last set of referendums in the late 80s ... This is just the no case out there using the electoral system to try to discredit the voice. And in doing so, doing what many other right wing parties around the world are doing, discrediting basic electoral arrangements. It is appalling. I'm disgusted by their behaviour.

Violence doesn't discriminate and neither should the law.

That's why these proposed changes are so important - ensuring that workers are not penalised in any way if they disclose that they have been subjected to family and domestic violence.