A federal labor backbencher is planning voice concerns over the no advantage test for asylum seekers, he shall do that in the party's caucus meeting today. The government announced the principle after the release of the Angus Houston-led expert panel report. Laura Smyth wants to encourage a caucus debate to find a clearer definition of the test.

 

Labor is split over proposed changes to political party funding ahead of the caucus meeting this morning. Under the plan, parties would be paid a dollar a year for every vote they received, it would also see the threshold for disclosing priviate donations lowered to 5,000 dollars.

 

The father of two girls abused by a Catholic priest says that apologies by Cardinal George Pell are meaningless unless they're followed up with reelections. Cardinal Pell gave evidence of the Victorian inquiry into child sex abuse yesterday, admitting there had been a systematic cover up of child abuse. Anthony Foster hopes the inquiry leads to real changes to force the church to look at victims.

 

And at least 50 people have been killed in a series of car bombs in Iraq. The explosions went off in busy markets and shopping areas right across Baghdad.