Midday Report Essentials for Thursday 12 February 2026

New numbers out this morning paint a picture of a strengthening economy, but Labour isn't convinced and says the government is trying to distract from its poor economic performance by playing politics with an inquiry into Reserve Bank monetary policy during the Covid pandemic. Labour's Barbara Edmonds joined us live; It's officially all on for an Aussie leadership spill. The leader of the Liberal party is served notice of a challenge. We crossed to Canberra for the latest on an attempt to roll Liberal leader Sussan Ley; And looking for work? How about working for an AI agent? We talk to our tech expert about the new Rent a Human site where AI agents hire human labour.