Story one of ten today, about five minutes for the lot

Three panelists at table with red Labor backdrop, audience members holding cards in foreground

ACT Labor defends gambling gifts as inquiry weighs donation ban

ACT Labor told a parliamentary inquiry that gambling donations have not shaped policy. They pointed to harm-reduction reforms the industry opposed.

Why it mattersThe inquiry will decide how political donations are regulated in the ACT and whether industry support can shape government policy.

AustraliaACT political donations and lobbying rules may be tightened, affecting how gambling industry can engage with government.

✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 1 d ago

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Indoor ice hockey arena with crowds in stands watching game on white rink.

✓ region.com.auPower & Policy

ACT withdraws $16m ice rink funding promised a decade ago

The ACT Government withdrew $16.265 million promised in 2016 for a Tuggeranong ice rink. The funds went to other sports infrastructure instead.

Why it mattersThe cancellation leaves Canberra ice sports reliant on an old facility. It signals ongoing struggles to deliver major infrastructure projects.

Anthony Albanese. A man wearing black-rimmed glasses and a navy blue suit with a light patterned tie, seated in front of a large window with green foliage and a desk lamp visible in the background.

✓ PerthNowPower & Policy

Albanese defends $560 million grant program after pork-barrelling report

A report found Labor-held seats received almost three-quarters of $560 million. It came from the government's Major and Local Community Infrastructure Program.