Leonie Thorne
Melbourne, VIC
Leonie Thorne is a digital journalist with the ABC's Specialist Reporting Team in Melbourne.
She joined the ABC in 2016 and worked in Brisbane, Mount Gambier and Mildura, before moving to Melbourne in 2020.
She was a finalist in the audio journalism category of the 2020 SA Media Awards, and was commended for a radio news story in the Rural Press Club of Victoria's 2020 awards.
Latest by Leonie Thorne
Emma never planned on becoming a 'gaming mum'. It turns out that joining her son's games could have benefits beyond fun
New research shows more than half of young children who play online games wish their parents would game with them — and that joining in can help keep kids safe online.
After years of extreme weather, this couple would 'prefer to deal with Satan' than their insurer
After two years of floods inundating the east coast of Australia, thousands of customers are still waiting for their claims to be finalised.
Optus reveals 10 times more people affected by triple-0 failures than previously known
Optus admits more than 2,500 people tried and failed to call triple-0 from their mobiles during last November's network outage, after previously telling a Senate inquiry just 228 people were affected.
At a discount school supplies store in regional Australia, families are lining up down the street
More parents than ever are turning to charities for assistance to help afford school basics, from the right uniforms and shoes, to extensive textbook and stationery lists.
'Free' public school education projected to cost parents more than $92,000 from prep to year 12
Parents are being squeezed by the cost of sending kids to school, whether their children are attending public or private, according to two new studies.
Dutton wants people to 'boycott Woolworths', but it's not the only company backing away from Australia Day
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton is calling on Australians to "boycott Woolworths" after the retailer announced it is not going to stock Australia Day merchandise this year. But experts say the company's decision is the result of a movement that's been occurring for years.
New COVID variant JN.1 is behind a dramatic rise in cases. Here's what you need to know
Several states have warned of another COVID wave driven by a new variant called JN.1. Why is it so infectious, and what is it doing to case numbers around Australia?
Warnings 'unsustainable' surge in complaints about banks will create delays for consumers
Complaints about scams to Australia's financial dispute resolution scheme nearly double in one year, amid warnings it is putting "unnecessary pressure" on the independent umpire.
TGA issues safety alert after compounding pharmacies use 'loophole' to make Ozempic replicas
Australia's medicines regulator issues a public safety warning over unauthorised replicas of the popular weight loss drug Ozempic, after an ABC investigation revealed hundreds of patients have been ordering off-brand versions online.
Engineered stone will soon be banned in Australia. Here's what happens next, and what alternatives you can use
This week, Australia became the first country in the world to announce a ban on engineered stone. We look at why it's being banned, what alternatives there are, and what it could mean for your next home renovation.
Engineered stone will be banned in Australia in world-first decision
Australia's workplace ministers have agreed to implement a national ban on engineered stone, over concerns its use has led to a surge in silicosis cases among workers.
What you need to know about the new 'Kraken' COVID vaccine in Australia
New COVID booster shots are now available in Australia. So who should get one, and will it protect against the virus in time for Christmas?
'The moment has come': The biggest changes flagged in the NDIS review
The final report from the NDIS review has made 26 recommendations and detailed close to 140 "actions" it says are needed to transform the scheme over the next five years. Here are the biggest takeaways.
Teachers need better training to deal with increasingly disruptive school students, inquiry says
Australia's teachers are not equipped to deal with rising levels of disruption in classrooms, a Senate inquiry has found, while calling for students to be taught how to behave.
How did Australia's COVID strategy compare to other countries? New data paints a striking picture
While it's probably no surprise that governments spent billions of dollars fighting COVID-19, new data analysis shows how much Australians spent during the first three years of the pandemic.
Israel-Gaza ceasefire enters final day, as calls grow for truce and hostage deal to be extended — as it happened
As a ceasefire deadline looms, Israel's prime minister vows to free all hostages and "eliminate Hamas".
In two hours of hearings, Optus's CEO revealed more about last week's outage
Optus CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin spent the morning being grilled in a Senate hearing. Here's a look at the key moments.
When a cancer patient needed to call triple-0, 'the phone was totally dead'. It could be a breach of the law
Optus is facing growing scrutiny after some triple-0 calls failed during its unprecedented outage.
Biden praises 'humanitarian pauses' in Gaza fighting, but Netanyahu declines to confirm 'stoppages' — as it happened
Israel has not yet officially confirmed a daily four-hour humanitarian pause, which the US says it agreed to, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying safe passages for evacuation will be facilitated for "a few hours here or a few hours there".
Did you lose money because of the Optus outage? Here's how to try and get it back
First the hack, then the outage. Many customers want out of Optus, while others want compensation. Here's a look at your consumer rights.
Popular kitchen bench material could be banned after report finds it has led to spike in silicosis
A new report has called for a ban on all engineered stone in Australia, but governments will not make any changes until they decide on a "national response".
Australian murdered by Hamas farewelled as Israel says it aims to end its responsibility for the Gaza Strip — as it happened
Family pay tribute to Galit Carbone, the only Australian to be killed in the October 7 terrorist attack in Israel. Look back on our coverage of the Israel Gaza war.
Jordan and Egypt unwilling to accept Palestinian refugees as organisations call for urgent access to deliver aid to Gaza — as it happened
Look back on the latest updates as King Abdullah II of Jordan says neither Jordan nor Egypt are willing to accept any Palestinian refugees.
'Hamas should be crushed': Netanyahu wants sanctions against any nation who meets with terror group — as it happened
Displaced civilians in Gaza say after mosques and schools were hit by Israeli air strikes, they have nowhere to find safety, while Israel recruits advocates for the country online.
'Combat activity' around Gaza as IDF shuts down wide perimeter — as it happened
Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu will form a unity government with key opposition figure Benny Gantz, as Gaza's only power plant shuts down and aid agencies plead for the establishment of a humanitarian corridor.