Natassia Chrysanthos

Burke’s office uploaded a statement to the Home Affairs website on Friday afternoon, saying Australia had agreed to pay Nauru in exchange for deporting former detainees.

Labor faces first defeat since election over delays hitting 200,000 Australians

The opposition leader’s call for a rational debate was sabotaged by her own side. It was the last thing Ley needed.

The senator’s claims came as a business group in Sydney’s Little India refused to meet Opposition Leader Sussan Ley unless Price apologised or was sacked for her comments on Indian immigration.

Price’s fresh demand will set another test for the opposition leader, who must rein in the senator or risk losing authority over her party room.

The record number was reached in August and has grown by 15,000 in the past year, despite attempts to clamp down on exploitation of the protection visa scheme.

Participants will no longer be asked to submit and pay for reports from external professionals, to make the system simpler and fairer. But the change has some people concerned.

State premiers accused the federal government of shortchanging them tens of billions of dollars, warning hospital services will be jeopardised.

A new report shows healthcare budgets are being severely stretched to care for people stranded in hospitals while they wait to go into nursing homes or disability care.

The sandstone university was the only institution to be knocked back in its bid to host a share of 17,500 extra foreign student places.