Monday afternoon's news in under 5 minutes.

We’ve rounded up all the latest stories from Australia and around the world – so you don’t have to go searching.

1. Jamie Oliver lobbies world powers for better food education.

One of the world’s most famous chefs, Jamie Oliver, has started a petition to present to members of the G20 to encourage better healthy-eating education.

In preparation for Food Revolution Day, Oliver launched his campaign asking for support to “force governments across the worlds to promise and commit to teach every child how to grow and cook fresh, nutritious food at school.”

Oliver says diet-related illnesses are killing more people than ever before. He adds that kids as young as eight-years-old are being diagnosed with Type-2 diabetes, when this used to be more common for people aged over 40.

Related content: 6 snacks your kids might actually eat that aren’t lollies or chips.

The change.org petition argues for better health and food education as a human right.

“It’s essential that we arm future generations with the life skills they urgently need in order to lead healthier, happier, more productive lives. I passionately believe this is every child’s human right and I hope you agree,” Oliver writes.

The petition also states:

“Obesity is one of the three biggest social burdens created by human beings alongside smoking, and armed violence, war,  and terrorism. Obesity costs $2trillion dollars globally each year. The G20 has a vested interest in addressing this burden and the tools to realise the solutions, making it the ideal target for this petition.”

The G20 — or Group of 20 — is comprised of 20 of the world’s major economic powers, including Australia.

2. Female members of the Victorian Liberal Party “threatened and bullied.”

A report into the engagement of women in the Victorian Liberal Party has found women were bullied and actively dissuaded from running for parliament.

“A number of incidences were brought to the attention of the review panel, during the period of the review, which involved party members in limited areas engaging in intimidatory, threatening and bullying behaviour towards female party members and members of Parliament,” the review stated.

Furthermore, the report revealed sexist questions about work-life balance, which were not asked of male members of the party.

“In particular they noted that women were asked questions about their family and personal life which men were not asked for instance ‘how were they going to balance family and political life’, ‘who would cook the meals’ and questions regarding their marital status,” it said.

According to The Age, there are currently only six female members of the Liberal Party sitting in the state’s lower house.

The report was released at the Liberal Party conference over the weekend, which also revealed the Victorian government will institute laws requiring 50 per cent of government board positions to be held by women, the ABC reports.

3. Tsunami warning for Papua New Guinea following major earthquake.

Papua New Guinea is on “Tsunami watch” after being hit by a 7.7 magnitude earthquake.

The epicentre of the quake was located near the town of Rabaul, in the nation’s north-east.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre stated: “hazardous tsunami waves are possible for coasts located within 1000 km of the earthquake epicentre along the coasts of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands”.

4. Women claim nearly half of Labor seats in NSW election.

Following the state election on the weekend, women will comprise almost half of Labor seats in the NSW lower house.

This is compared to only one in five Liberal MPs, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

Fifteen out of 34 elected Labor candidates are women, whereas 12 of 53 Liberal seats belong to women.

The Labor MPs attribute the success to the party’s quota system — which is reportedly rarely used, but has revolutionised the culture of the party.

Overall, 30 per cent of members of the NSW lower house are women.

5. Labor’s hold on QLD is at risk after the sacking of Labor MP Billy Gordon.

By Nance Haxton, ABC.

Labor’s hold on minority government in Queensland is looking increasingly fragile after sacking first time Labor MP Billy Gordon for a string of previously undeclared criminal offences.

Member for Cook, Mr Gordon, will now have to sit as an independent on the cross benches if he decides to stay on as an MP, despite the Premier and the Speaker both calling for his resignation.

But with the numbers so tightly balanced in Queensland Parliament, if Labor lost a by-election to the LNP in Cook, both parties would have 43 seats and Labor could potentially lose its grip on power.

Read more: QLD Premier expels MP after criminal history revealed.

University of Queensland Professor of Law Graeme Orr said Mr Gordon cannot be forced to resign as an MP, and any inducement or intimidation to do so could be in contempt of Parliament.

“No-one is disqualified for having previous convictions,” Mr Orr said.

“We had a president of the Senate back in the 40s and 50s who had been in Boggo Road Gaol on several occasions.”

Mr Gordon was entitled to not declare his previous offences under the rehabilitation of offenders principles.

The only way Mr Gordon would have to resign would be if he was convicted, for example, of an alleged domestic violence matter and he was sentenced to one year imprisonment and an appeal on the matter was unsuccessful.

Mr Gordon’s ex-partner has accused him of bashing her and Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has referred the accusation to the police.

On social media over the weekend, Mr Gordon revealed a range of offences dating to the 1980s, including break and enters and an apprehended violence order taken out by his mother.

On Sunday Ms Palaszczuk moved to expel Mr Gordon from the Labor Party.

“In the best interests of the party, in the best interests of the Parliament, and in the best interests of Queensland, he should resign as a Member of Parliament,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

Mr Gordon issued a statement last night saying that any attempt to remove him from Parliament and force him to resign was a denial of natural justice.

This article was originally published by the ABC and was republished here with full permission.

6. Woodchopping sisters win hearts at Sydney Royal Easter Show.

Two teenaged sisters have captured the hearts of the crowds at the Royal Easter Show in Sydney as trailblazers in the traditionally macho sport of woodchopping.

Lucy Backhouse, 16, and her sister Kate, 13, are the only two females competing in the Junior Development Program competition at the Easter Show.

The sisters from Moss Vale in the New South Wales Southern Highlands have been a hit with the crowds which have turned out in large numbers to cheer them on.

“It makes us feel really proud to have all those people behind you,” Lucy said.

“It doesn’t matter who comes first, we always get the biggest cheers because no girls do this sport.

“We’d be the only ones in New South Wales.”

Lucy will also compete in the Open Women’s events at the Easter Show, but said she preferred to compete with boys her own age.

“Around the local shows it’s only boys and it’s more competitive,” she said.

But Lucy and Kate have not always been allowed to enter the boys’ Junior Development Program at the Easter Show.

Their mother Wendy Backhouse said it was a battle to earn the right to enter her daughters.

“We went to the Human Rights Commission and after three years she was allowed to compete,” Mrs Backhouse said.

“We then fought for our other daughter Kate so she could compete.

“If we just sat back and did nothing, they wouldn’t have been competing today.”

Lucy and Kate’s three brothers are also woodchoppers and the pair are trained by their father Howard.

“A lot of people don’t consider it a sport. But I like it because it is so different, it’s a challenge and it takes stamina and technique,” Lucy said.

This article was originally published by the ABC and was republished here with full permission.

7. Queensland elects Australia’s first quadriplegic MP.

North Queenslander, Rob Pyne, has become Australia’s first quadriplegic MP after winning the seat of Cairns.

Mr Pyne was sworn in this week as a member of the Labor party, despite vicious attacks from his detractors, who launched a video campaign stating, “Rob Pyne, he’s a good bloke but… he can’t do a complete job”.

“I learnt to develop a thick skin, and if you’re going to break down when people start to criticise you, you’re not going to last long in public life,” Mr Pyne told the ABC.

“Before getting into politics people would always say how wonderful you are, what an inspiration you are, so I was very keen to work in a field where you didn’t get any easy passes.”

Mr Pyne was 23-years-old when he jumped into Cairns Trinity Inlet in 1991, breaking his C5 and C6 vertebrae. The tragedy left him paralysed form the waist down, and with only 50 per cent use of his arms.

8. Thousands of people needing drug and alcohol services to be turned away after funding cuts.

By Sophie Scott, ABC.

Australia’s key health organisations say thousands of people needing vital drug and alcohol services will be turned away unless an urgent funding crisis is resolved.

The Federal Government has slashed almost $200 million from health flexible funds over the next three years, with the cuts to take effect from the end of June.

Public Health Association of Australia spokesman Michael Moore said the organisations affected provide essential services in rural, regional and remote Australia.

He said the organisations worked to close the gap in health outcomes for Indigenous Australians, manage vital responses to communicable diseases, and deliver substance-use treatment services around the country.

Related content: Australia’s ice epidemic is reaching new heights.

A coalition of 11 peak health organisations is calling on the Federal Government to reverse its planned cuts.

“Obviously it’s of great concern to all the services and organisations potentially affected,” he said.

“To cut the best part of $200 million from frontline services in drug and alcohol, frontline services in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and frontline services in rural and remote health is inexcusable.”

Alcohol and Other Drugs Council spokeswoman Rebecca MacBean said alcohol and drug rehabilitation services would be severely impacted by any funding cuts.

It comes at a time when drugs such as methamphetamine or ice are creating serious social problems across Australia, particularly for rural and regional Australia.

“To think that funding for these vital services is currently under threat beggars belief,” Ms MacBean said.

She said the foreshadowed cuts would significantly reduce the capacity of non-government organisations and peak bodies to deliver services across the country.

This article was originally published by the ABC and was republished here with full permission.

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