The World Today

Papua New Guineans are preparing for national elections in April 2017 after a year of political unrest. There may be far fewer candidates in the forthcoming election, as the Government is dramatically increasing the costs of both standing for election and disputing an election result, meaning people will find it more difficult to run for office and complain about breaches of electoral law. The PNG chairman of anti-corruption NGO Transparency International describes the move as 'disgusting'.

The President of Colombia has signed a new peace agreement with the country's largest rebel movement, aiming to end a 52-year civil war that has killed over 200,000 people and displaced millions of others. President Juan Manuel Santos and Rodrigo Londono, leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), signed the accord nearly two months after the original deal was rejected in a referendum. The signing ceremony marks the six-month countdown for the 7,000-strong rebel movement to abandon their weapons and form a political party. The deal still faces domestic opposition amid criticism that it's too soft on the rebels.

After a sustained campaign by unions, the Victorian Government has backflipped and made Christmas Day a public holiday. The Government says the move will be worth about $35 million.

Communities in South Australia's lower mid-north are today remembering the fierce and fatal Pinery bushfire, which ripped through their towns 12 months ago. The blaze killed two people, burnt more than 80,000 hectares of land and destroyed dozens of homes, livestock, and farmland. Over the last year a new sense of community has risen from the ashes as residents, businesses and farmers rebuild their lives.

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has announced that the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority will move from Canberra to the regional New South Wales city of Armidale - a city inside Mr Joyce's electorate. The move, vigorously advocated by Mr Joyce since June, has been criticised by veterinarians and chemical manufacturers, who expressed concern that expert staff will be lost. Labor, meanwhile, has accused Mr Joyce of 'pork barrelling'. The move will cost the taxpayer just over $25 million. Mr Joyce has previously claimed that moving the body to Armidale would contribute about $16 million a year to the local economy and create an additional 175 jobs.

The son of the late Malcolm McLaren says he will burn rare Sex Pistols items that used to belong to his father. Businessman and activist Joe Corré says 'punk is dead' and no longer relevant to the issues facing young people. He describes his planned conflagration as the ultimate protest against 'the establishment', but not all music lovers are convinced.

The Federal Government's proposal for a 19 per cent backpacker tax looks doomed in the Senate, and the debate is getting increasingly hysterical. Labor says the Government is being 'bloody minded' by not accepting the amendment supported by it and the cross bench for a 10.5 per cent tax rate. The Government has accused Labor of 'political bastardry'.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton says the statements he made about descendants of Lebanese migrants being linked to terrorism are based on fact, and has accused Labor of whipping up the issue for political advantage. Meanwhile, Senators in the Upper House debated a bill presented by crossbencher David Leyonhjelm to entirely abolish section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act.

Concerns have been raised about the independence of the New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption after the resignation of commissioner Megan Latham. She stood down after an overhaul of the agency, which would have forced her to reapply for her job. Her predecessor David Ipp says she was effectively forced out and says it's now a misnomer to call the body independent.

The Federal Government's inquiry into the Big Four banks is recommending that banking executives who behave badly should be publically named. The committee's first report says consumers should also know what punishment they receive, while urging the sacking of bankers and financial sector executives who breach public trust. But Labor members on the House Economics Committee have rejected the report, ramping up their calls for a Royal Commission into the banking sector.