PM

A company that was accused of underpaying its cleaners by more than $150,000 has agreed to pay back every undercut cleaner in a meeting this morning. Guardian Property Services, which has contracts to clean aged care facilities like Anglicare, had been denying it underpaid any of their employees until this morning. One underpaid cleaner was pleased with the result.

The New South Wales Department of Justice has today launched a six-month pilot program, using therapy dogs in courts. It's hoped the program will help to reduce stress and anxiety levels of those attending court. While the trial is so far limited to Manly District Court, those behind the project hope that, if it's successful, therapy dogs could be used in court rooms right across the state.

There were emotional scenes at the Opera House today, as members of the Stolen Generations shared their stories. Decades after a landmark report revealed their trauma, they say there's still so much unfinished business.

The Queensland Government will be conducting mandatory drug testing of parents whose children have come into departmental care. It comes after new government statistics revealed one third of children in protection have at least one parent who has used or is using ice.

A belated Anzac Day service has been held on a remote and picturesque island in the Indian Ocean. The grave of Able Seaman John Frederick Ellis sits among other Commonwealth casualties at the Diego Suarez War Cemetery in Madagascar. The Australian's World War II service has been honoured in an event attended by the country's President and Prime Minister.

Two Victorian men have been acquitted of creating and selling artist Brett Whiteley paintings after having earlier been found guilty of art fraud. In an unusual ending to an almost three year-long case, the art dealer and art restorer had their convictions quashed this afternoon. And the prosecution ceded that juries don't always get it right.

The Australian Olympic Committee Media Director Mike Tancred has stepped aside while a growing number of bullying complaints against him are investigated. Mike Tancred is a close ally of John Coates, who is facing a strong challenge to his 27-year reign as AOC President on the 6th of May from former Olympian Danni Roche. Amongst the complainants are former AOC chief executive Fiona DeJong who's accused the President John Coates of overseeing a culture of bullying at the organisation.

A report by Queensland's Auditor General has found concerning problems with the collection of crime data in the state. An audit of operations on the Gold Coast has found that a climate of officers wanting to meet crime stat goals was underpinning crime reporting, and leading to as much as 22 per cent of crime data being inaccurate and unreliable. The report suggests that the public and governments should be cautious about relying on the statistics, for an accurate representation of crime and justice.

There are fears a new unit of the New South Wales police force could radicalise the very people it's supposed deal with. A team of detectives and mental health workers will be formed to take on cases that don't meet the threshold for the counter terrorism command. The NSW Council for Civil Liberties is concerned people who haven't committed a crime will come under surveillance. While a Greens' MP warns there's already a deficit of trust between the police and the community and this won't help.

The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons is phasing out its use of live animals as part of severe trauma training. Animal activists have been campaigning for years to end the practice that involved anaesthetising sheep or pigs. One former animal scientist says there is an ethical debate to be had about whether research oversight is adequate.