Australia news live: search continues for pilot who crashed into sea off NT; Nine Entertainment reports earnings lift

The Guardian reports that Angela Jackson, commissioner of Australia's Productivity Commission, is standing by the interim GST report, which found the special deal with Western Australia was a costly mistake that should be reversed. Jackson said the commission welcomes debate and criticism, but that Western Australian premier Roger Cook crossed a line last month when he called critics 'east coast clowns' and warned changes would rip six billion dollars out of the state's economy. She insisted the commission is above politics and that its process will not be influenced by the prime minister's comments.

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