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Editor-in-chief Lenore Taylor and political editor Karen Middleton speak to Nour Haydar about the budget Labor hopes will bring down inflation, ease cost-of-living pressures and win the next election

In February, the Queensland police service sacked its First Nations advisory body after their refusal to sign a contract with a gag clause. Queensland state correspondent Ben Smee tells Nour Haydar how members of the group had repeatedly raised concerns that the police leadership had stalled on cultural reforms following a damning inquiry in 2022 into police responses to family and domestic violence You can support the Guardian at theguardian.com/fullstorysupport

Earlier this month, Cumberland city council in western Sydney passed a motion banning books about same-sex parenting from its libraries. Nour Haydar speaks to NSW reporter Catie McLeod about the controversial decision and backlash to the ban You can support the Guardian at theguardian.com/fullstorysupport

Federal treasurer Jim Chalmers will next week present his government’s third and possibly final budget of this term. He has said it won’t be one of ‘scorched-earth austerity’ and will take into account hardships caused by the cost-of-living crisis. But the 2024 Australian federal budget is not without its economic and social challenges and the government needs to convince voters that the economy is in safe hands. Bridie Jabour speaks with editor-in-chief Lenore Taylor and deputy editor Patrick Keneally about the Albanese government’s budget narrative You can support the Guardian at theguardian.com/fullstorysupport

Last Tuesday, tents appeared on the lawn of the University of Sydney as students protested against the war in Gaza. The tents have multiplied, with similar student encampments now established at universities in every state in the country. Jane Lee speaks to Daisy Dumas and Caitlin Cassidy about what the protesters want and whether this growing movement could lead to change. You can support the Guardian at theguardian.com/fullstorysupport

India’s mammoth election has kicked off with nearly a billion voters expected to head to the polls over six weeks. Reged Ahmad speaks to south Asia correspondent Hannah Ellis-Petersen about why prime minister Narendra Modi is popular yet divisive – and the international impact of the election You can support the Guardian at theguardian.com/fullstorysupport

In July 2023, Erin Patterson hosted four relatives for lunch in the Victorian town of Leongatha. The guests were served beef wellington – which police allege was laced with a deadly mushroom. Patterson was charged with three counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder and is due to face court today. Courts and justice reporter Nino Bucci tells Nour Haydar about the latest developments in the case and why it has drawn intense media interest You can support the Guardian at theguardian.com/fullstorysupport

The number of disabled students recognised as needing greater learning support has grown to almost 1 million nationally. But these children are increasingly being suspended from schools, including some as young as five years old. Investigative reporter Sarah Martin explains to Jane Lee how Australia’s education system has reached crisis point

In Australia – a multifaith and sometimes agnostic country – what role does faith play in the decision-making of those who run the country? With the upcoming release of his book, Plans For Your Good: A Prime Minister’s Testimony of God’s Faithfulness, Scott Morrison has placed his faith front and centre. But is this something new? Or has religion always been a part of Australia’s political democracy? Bridie Jabour speaks with editor in chief Lenore Taylor and deputy editor Patrick Keneally on the nuanced relationship between faith and politics You can support the Guardian at theguardian.com/fullstorysupport

Rising education, health and rental costs have kept inflation higher than expected this year. Economics correspondent Peter Hannam tells Nour Haydar what the Reserve Bank’s reaction might be – are all hopes of an interest rate cut this year gone? And what does this mean for any cost of living relief the government might be considering?