ABC News Daily

This week, Bruce Lehrmann gave his first TV interview, after the trial over the alleged rape of former political staffer Brittany Higgins was abandoned last year.

In it, Mr Lehrmann, who's never been found guilty of any wrongdoing, maintained his innocence, saying the alleged assault at Parliament House in Canberra simply didn't happen.

It came as an inquiry into the justice system's handling of the case heard its final evidence.

Today, we speak to ABC court reporter, Elizabeth Byrne, who's covered the story from the start. 

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Elizabeth Byrne, ABC court reporter, Canberra 

With the Reserve Bank hitting borrowers with yet another interest rate rise, households will be feeling even greater financial strain. 

The cash rate is now 4.1%, and there's concern that last week's decision to increase the minimum wage could fuel inflation further, pushing interest rates higher still. 

Today, ABC business and economics reporter, Gareth Hutchens, on whether or not the wage increases signal there's more pain to come.  

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Gareth Hutchens, ABC business and economics reporter 

She was once dubbed 'Australia's worst serial killer', after the deaths of her four children. 

But now, Kathleen Folbigg is a free woman, after spending two decades in jail. 

In a miscarriage of justice case reminiscent of the wrongful conviction of Lindy Chamberlain, the NSW Attorney-General has pardoned the 55-year-old after new scientific evidence emerged. 

Today, ABC Background Briefing reporter Rachael Brown on Kathleen Folbigg's freedom and what it says about the judicial system. 

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Rachael Brown, reporter, Background Briefing, ABC Radio National and ABC listen app 

It's financially pretty tough right now. 

But who’s really hurting the most? 

While the Reserve Bank Governor, Philip Lowe, is suggesting younger Australians could find a housemate or live with their parents, many older Australians are holidaying, dining out and hitting the shops.  

Today, ABC business reporter, Stephanie Chalmers, on the growing generational divide. 

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Stephanie Chalmers, ABC business reporter 

Ben Roberts-Smith was a war hero: Australia's most decorated soldier, receiving a Victoria Cross. 

Now, a court has found in a civil defamation case that newspaper reports that he's a war criminal and murderer are true. 

The former SAS soldier had taken defamation action against three newspapers, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and the Canberra Times, after they stated he was involved in the unlawful killing and assault of unarmed prisoners in Afghanistan. 

Today, defamation expert Associate Professor Jason Bosland on the federal court's ruling, and its wider implications. 

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Associate Professor Jason Bosland, Director, Centre for Media and Communications Law, Melbourne Law School 

The federal government pays private consulting firms hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars every year. 

But can we really trust they're acting in our best interests and, if not, why are we outsourcing such a large amount of public sector work to them? 

Today, the host of Radio National's The Money, Richard Aedy, on the expanding PwC scandal, and whether it will change who the government does business with. 

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Richard Aedy, host, The Money, ABC Radio National and ABC listen app 

In recent years, the relationship between China and the West has soured, costing billions of dollars in lost trade. 

But that rift has had an unexpected upside for Australia, with surging demand for some of our raw materials, like lithium. 

Today, the ABC's business editor, Ian Verrender, on the end of the iron ore era, and why Australia's mining luck is set to continue. 

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Ian Verrender, ABC business editor 

When you're halfway through building a new home - or renovating an old one - and the builder goes bust, it's devastating for everyone involved. 

Now, more and more people are finding themselves in exactly that position, with building company insolvencies in Australia at the highest level in almost a decade. 

So what’s going on? 

Today, ABC business reporter, Michael Janda, on what the crisis in the industry says about the wider economy, and where we’re heading next. 

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Michael Janda, ABC business reporter