Key Points
- Family react after police officer avoids jail time in taser case
- Opposition leader Peter Dutton launches his election campaign
- Novak Djokovic two wins away from 100th career title
TRANSCRIPT
The son of a great-grandmother who was fatally tasered by police has slammed a judge's decision to allow the offending officer to avoid jail time as a "slap on the wrist".
Former senior constable Kristian James Samuel White has walked free from the New South Wales Supreme Court today [[FRI 28th March]], but is now subject to strict conditions after killing 95-year-old Clare Nowland in the southern New South Wales town of Cooma.
White will have to be on good behaviour and perform 425 hours of community service as part of his two-year community corrections order.
In handing down his decision, Justice Ian Harrison called Mr White's crime a "terrible mistake" but says it fell at the lower end of seriousness when compared to other manslaughter cases.
Mrs Nowland's eldest son Michael says her family were incredibly disappointed by the court's decision.
"It was really disappointing for the family because it was a slap on the wrist for someone who's killed our mother - it's very, very hard to process that. That letter of remorse was put to the court two days before the sentencing hearing. So there's no remorse in that."
The 35-year-old officer fired his Taser at the elderly woman after being called to the Yallambee Lodge aged-care home in the early hours of May 17, 2023.
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Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has officially launched his bid to become Australia's next Prime Minister.
At a campaign launch event in Queensland, he says Labor has failed to address the cost-of-living crisis and wasted time and money on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum.
Mr Dutton outlined the Coalition's priorities in his budget reply speech last night including a temporary cut to the fuel excise, increasing domestic gas supply, and cutting what he considers wasteful government spending.
He says people will be better off with a change of government.
"We can't afford three more years like the last three. But there is a better way for our country and my team and I have a practical plan which will deliver cost of living relief and lower power prices into the future."
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The Australian Electoral Commission has confirmed that the electoral roll will close in 10 days’ time.
Almost all Australian citizens over the age of 18 are legally required to vote and must be enrolled within a week the electoral writs being issued, which will happen this coming Monday.
All enrolment details must be finalised by 8pm local time on Monday the 7th of April.
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The ACCC has granted authorisation to Virgin Australia and Qatar Airways to operate under an integrated alliance for five years.
The move will double the frequency of flights between Doha and major Australian airports.
Under the alliance, the two airlines will commence 28 new weekly return services between Doha and the major airports in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.
Virgin Australia will use Qatar Airways’ aircraft and crew to operate the new services.
Virgin has already begun selling tickets to its new flights from June.
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Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says nothing will be off the table when his government announces its response to recent United States tariffs.
The new centre-left Liberal Party leader broke from campaigning for an upcoming general election to meet with premiers and business leaders.
They discussed a coordinated response to US duties on Canada's auto sector, and any further tariffs that U-S President Donald Trump is threatening to impose on April 2.
One option for Canada is to impose countermeasures on oil, the fertilizer, potash, and other commodities.
Mr Carney says the old economic and security relationship between Canada and the United States is over.
“We will respond forcefully. Nothing is off the table to defend our workers and our country. And our response to these latest tariffs is to fight, is to protect and to build. We will fight the US tariffs with retaliatory trade actions of our own that will have maximum impact in the United States and minimum impacts here in Canada."
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In tennis, Novak Djokovic is two wins away from capturing a 100th career title after beating Sebastian Korda 6-3 7-6 in his Miami Open semi-final.
Djokovic let out a triumphant roar after sending down an ace on match point as his former rival and now coach Andy Murray jumped out of his seat to do the same.
The Serbian 24-times Grand Slam champion trailed Korda 5-2 in the second set but broke the American as he served at 5-3 and his precise and powerful serving carried him to the finish.
Meanwhile, American Taylor Fritz has also advanced to the Miami Open semi-finals after outlasting Italian 29th seed Matteo Berrettini 7-5 6-7(7) 7-5.
