Good morning. Today we reveal allegations from an insider at a market research firm who claims he was asked to fabricate data for the Australian Electoral Commission during the voice referendum.

Meanwhile, documents obtained under freedom of information laws show the former NSW Coalition government was alerted in 2021 to the risk to the public from soil fill products made from construction and demolition waste.

And: fresh from winning a clutch of medals for Australia at the Paris Olympics, track cyclist Matt Richardson is taking off the green and gold and will now race for Great Britain.

During the landmark Indigenous voice to parliament campaign, the AEC relied on multiple consultancy firms to survey Indigenous Australians about the referendum process.
Now, an employee for one of those subcontractors, McNair yellowSquares, says he was instructed to fabricate data on interviews he conducted with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in inner-city Sydney to make it appear as though they were from regional areas and suburban Adelaide.
Indigenous leaders have expressed shock at the claims and say they illustrate the risks run by the government agencies when they fail to engage Indigenous communities directly.
McNair says it is taking the claims seriously and an investigation is ongoing.

Emily is dying, so why is she selling off her remaining time to strangers? The 32-year-old Australian has terminal cancer but she is taking part in Time to Live, a daring, moving public art project at Sydney’s Carriageworks to raise money for research – and encourage us to consider how we live. Emily hopes that her remaining time will be seen as “not a clock running out, but a precious gift not to be wasted”. This message hits home, inevitably: are we making the most of it?

Repeated exposure to blasts from their own weapons is putting Australian soldiers at risk of brain injuries and neurological conditions, reports ABC News. Cancer-linked PFAs – “forever chemicals” – have been detected across Sydney’s drinking water catchment area, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. Fed-up nurses and midwives in Tasmania’s public health system are set to ramp up industrial action over “dangerous” conditions, reports the Mercury.

Enjoying the Morning Mail? Then you’ll love our Afternoon Update newsletter. Sign up here to finish your day with a three-minute snapshot of the day’s main news, and complete your daily news roundup.

And check out the full list of our local and international newsletters, including The Stakes, your guide to the twists and turns of the US presidential election.

And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.

If you have a story tip or technical issue viewing this newsletter, please reply to this email.

If you are a Guardian supporter and need assistance with regards to contributions and/or digital subscriptions, please email [email protected]