Firefighters battle blazes in Queensland and NSW – as it happened

Five homes lost in Millmerran and Tara with several communities under evacuation orders on Tuesday evening. As it happened

What we learned today, Tuesday 24 October

With that, we will wrap up the blog for the evening. Thanks for joining us for day two of Senate estimates. If you’re in areas affected by fires right now, please stay safe and take care. We’ll be back first thing tomorrow.

Until then, here were today’s major developments:

• Firefighters are continuing to battle blazes in New South Wales and Queensland, with several communities remaining under evacuation orders as of Tuesday evening. QFES has confirmed five homes were lost in the bushfires in Millmerran and Tara. Conditions are likely to continue throughout the week.

• Victoria’s premier, Jacinta Allan, has slammed a cartoon by News Corp cartoonist Mark Knight, saying the Herald Sun should be able to depict women without using “sexualised” imagery.

• The prime minister is continuing his visit in the US, with a White House dinner to take place tomorrow with a performance from the B-52s. Australia’s most recent former US ambassador, Arthur Sinodinos, said the Aukus deal is “looking more positive than [it was] even a week ago”. Speaking to ABC RN, Sinodinos said this is because the US has put another $3bn on the table for a submarine industrial base, meeting the concerns of Republican senators like Roger Wicker.

• And the referendum working group member and key yes campaigner Thomas Mayo has backed suggestions for an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander advisory committee, similar to the voice, which could exist outside legislation.