Hi there. It's Thursday, April 21 and you're reading The Loop, a quick wrap-up of today's news.
Let's start here
Scott Morrison says he is "deeply sorry" that a comment he made during last night's leaders' debate that he was "blessed" not to have a child with disability caused offence, saying he did not intend it that way.
He said he was trying to convey that he did not have a first-hand understanding of the challenges people who have children with disability faced.
Mr Morrison says he's also apologised directly to Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott, who posted this social media update today:
Earlier, Labor senator Katy Gallagher told Channel Seven that, as the parent of a daughter with autism, Mr Morrison's comment upset her.
"It is something that people who have a disability, children with autism, it is a kind of response they get all the time," she said.
What else is going on
- Federal Labor MP Terri Butler says her staff suffered "quite a shock" when a car ploughed through the office door of her Brisbane electorate office this afternoon. No one was hurt and police are speaking to a woman in her 20s about the crash, but it's not believed to be politically motivated.
- One of Victoria's most recognisable pandemic recovery figures, COVID response commander Jeroen Weimar, is standing down at the end of the month. Mr Weimar will take some time off before returning to a role in the public service.
What Australia has been searching for online
- Queen Elizabeth II. Amid some recent concerns about her health, the Queen has posed with two of her ponies in a photo released to mark her 96th birthday.
- A$AP Rocky. The musician and expecting father with partner Rihanna has reportedly been arrested in Los Angeles in connection to a shooting in November last year.
You're up to date
Thanks for reading.
ABC/wires
