Welcome to SBS News in Easy English. I'm Biwa Kwan.
Politicians in the federal parliament will face tougher penalties for bad behaviour under new laws to be introduced to parliament.
The legislation will create a new body to investigate alleged breaches of the code of conduct and make recommendations for sanctions.
The new penalties include a 5 per cent cut in salary - and removal from parliamentary committees.
Minister for Women Katy Gallagher says it's an important step in improving standards.
"It's all about improving workplace conduct in this building, and making sure that where there is bad conduct or poor conduct, misconduct, that there's appropriate sanctions and enough deterrent to stop that behavior from happening. We've done a huge amount of work across the parliament with all all representative groups, but, you know, there's a little way to go, but I'm hopeful we've found the right balance."
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The federal government's first annual progress report into the national strategy to end domestic violence by 2032 has been published.
The report calls for men to be a part of every aspect of ending violence.
Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner Micaela Cronin met with more than 300 organisations and individuals this year, as services struggle to keep up with demand - despite government funding.
The Assistant Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence, Justine Elliot, says the report is a reminder of the challenges women face.
"The life of a woman is different. We’ve had to see, think and act differently throughout our entire lives out of fear of violence. Fear of violence should not be a normal nor accepted part of womanhood. Speaker, one death is one death too many. These deaths are not numbers. These were women with lives, families, jobs. These women were part of our community, until a man decided to take that away."
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A former market researcher has alleged that he was instructed to manipulate data for a project commissioned by the Australian Electoral Commission in the lead-up to the Voice to Parliament referendum last year.
The research involved benchmarking, tracking and evaluating AEC advertising about the process of the referendum and how to participate.
The whistleblower, who is being represented by the Human Rights Law Centre, says he was told to submit data from Indigenous people in Sydney as being from South Australia and regional NSW.
Palawa woman Maggie Walter is a professor of sociology at the University of Tasmania and an executive member of the Global Indigenous Data Alliance.
She told NITV, the allegations of data manipulation are extremely disheartening.
An AEC spokesperson says it is very disappointing to hear that this may have occurred - but from the information available, it would seem that the issue only related to a very small number of respondents - as part of a larger research project.
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A report has found many Australians are paying for a subscription they no longer need, simply because they find it too difficult to cancel.
The Consumer Policy Research Centre says the issue affects one in 10 Australians, with one in three finding barriers with exiting.
It surveyed 1,000 Australians and tested the cancellation policies of companies offering services in areas including: news, retail, fitness and photo-editing.
Half of the people surveyed reported spending more time than expected trying to cancel a subscription.
Three quarters said they had a negative experience.
Chandni Gopta, deputy CEO at the centre behind the research, says the tactics used make it hard for consumers to make a fully informed choice.
"Companies are using multiple complex screens. They're using a feature called dark patterns, which basically is features that are added into website and apps for people to navigate their own choice. Often it's steering them into a choice that's profitable for the business but ultimately not in the best interest of the consumer. And what that leads to is that you're not able to implement the choice that you've actually made when you say I want out."
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Athletes on the Refugee Paralympic Team say they want to send a message of hope, as they aim to win a medal at the 2024 Paralympic Games.
Eight Paralympians on the team will compete to earn medals in six sports: para-athletics, para-powerlifting, para-table tennis, para-taekwondo, para-triathlon, and wheelchair fencing.
Among them is Ibrahim Al Hussein, a Syrian athlete who will be competing in para-triathlon.
He says he has big ambitions, but also values being humble.
"I don't consider myself a role model. I've come here to prove that anyone is able to achieve their goal. Despite all the challenges I have faced in my life, despite the fact that I left Syria on a wheelchair, despite the fact that I rebuilt my life from below zero - this is a message of hope to the whole world and a message of hope to everyone around the world, to anyone who is miserable, to anyone who does not have the spirit of perseverance."
I'm Biwa Kwan. This has been SBS News in Easy English.
