What we learned: Friday 29 May
That’s it for today. Thanks for reading. Here are the main stories from today:
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The chief executive of KPMG, Andrew Yates, has resigned after taking responsibility for the top-tier firm’s failure to properly respond to whistleblower allegations around the misuse of client information;
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Tony Abbott says Liberals are in an “existential crisis’ as he is elected party president.
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The Liberals conference in Melbourne also heard from the Victorian and NSW opposition leaders.
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The attorney general, Michelle Rowland, says the National Anti-Corruption Commission could use a “reset” after its commissioner stepped down.
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Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions fell 2% last year as the continuing rise of renewable energy displaced some coal and gas electricity, according to government data.
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Police and council workers have moved in and begun to dismantle a First Nations embassy and cultural camp in the Brisbane’s Victoria Park, for the construction of the 2032 Olympic stadium.
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The opposition leader, Angus Taylor, said his remark yesterday calling Anthony Albanese an “arrogant prick” was unparliamentary, but said he hears “far worse than that” as he travels around the country.
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Broadcaster and musician James Valentine’s fans joined his family, friends, colleagues and the entertainment industry in a moving celebration of his life at the Sydney town hall.
Enjoy your weekend.
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Kellie Sloane says NSW Liberals are ‘match fit and ready to govern’
The NSW opposition leader, Kellie Sloane, has taken the stage at the Liberals conference in Melbourne.
She acknowledges the other leaders in the room “Basil, Mark, Jeremy” and does a special shout-out to her “political sisters, Ashton and Jess”.
For those who may not be able to recall the various Liberals across the country, that would be Basil Zempilas (WA opposition leader), Mark Parton (ACT opposition leader), Jeremy Rockliff (Tasmanian premier), Ashton Hurn (SA opposition leader) and Jess Wilson (Victoria opposition leader).
Sloane says it’s great to be in Victoria, even in its “messy state”.
It’s good to be here to see where all our GST funding is going. I suspect it’s going to machete bins.
Sloane calls out the NSW government for being 40% under its housing target, says Chris Minns has taken billions out of the forward estimates and has promised no new metros .
In NSW, for every dollar of GST, we only get 82c.
She says “no smiles” for those in Victoria, cause “you get $1.06”
We are being dudded in NSW.
Sloane says with that you could build half a dozen hospitals or another metro line.
She accuses Minns of distancing himself from Albanese, saying he will only stand up to complain when the federal government lets NSW down.
It is too late to stand up and complain after the fact. In three short years Labor has taken our premier state from the top to the bottom.
Sloane says the math is simple – they just need to hold all their seats and flip six to win the next election.
We are match fit and we are ready to govern. This election matters because is much is stake.
Our campaign must be bigger than slogans, than anger, than division. We are not here to oppose. We are here to build.
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Athletes and celebrities to banned from gambling sponsorships under Labor's reforms
Athletes, celebrities and social media influencers will be banned from receiving sponsorship from gambling companies, under the federal government’s new wagering reforms.
The exposure draft of the bill was released on Friday afternoon by communications minister Anika Wells, giving more meat on the bones of previous government announcements about restrict gambling ads.
The legislation confirms the plan to restrict wagering advertisements on TV between certain hours and during live sports broadcasts, as well as a ban on online ads unless platforms - like social media or streaming - build settings that allow users to opt-out.
It also includes a clause that “licensed interactive wagering service providers will no longer be permitted to sponsor current or former sports players or athletes, celebrities, or social media influencers to promote their services.” Guardian Australia has been reporting on questions from both the gambling industry and harm reduction advocates about the trend of podcasts and social media pages sponsored by wagering companies, and what the new rules could mean for them.
The government says the definition of an “influencer” will be developed by the Australian Communications and Media Authority, and it’s unclear what exactly that could look like - for instance, whether an “influencer” has to have a certain number of followers or reach online.
“Targeted consultation” has also begun with industry, broadcasters and harm advocates today, with the laws to come into effect from 1 January.
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Abbott: ‘Under new management we are hungry to win, for our country’s sake’
Tony Abbott called out the PM for not standing in front of “one flag” and showing Australia belongs to “all of us equally”.
He goes on:
Angus Taylor is already giving this country policy leadership.
To stop the toxic taxes, to end mass migration and put Australia first and to abolish net zero, and to permanently restrain big government by indexing the tax threshold.
Abbott says the Liberal party needs more members, with the most optimistic figures showing 50,000 members. He compares these numbers to the Conservative party in Canada which has 400,000 members.
We need to mobilise the people of Australia for a good cause … We cherish freedom, we respect tradition but above all else we love our country.
At our best we should be absolutely unbeatable.
Abbott finishes the speech, saying “under new management we are hungry to win, for our country’s sake”.
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Tony Abbott refers to 'existential crisis' for Liberals as he is elected party president
At the Liberal national conference in Melbourne, Tony Abbott has just been elected president of the party.
He starts his speech with:
Nothing I have achieved in my public life would have been possible without the support of hundreds of and thousands of Liberals around the country.
I owe the Liberal party big time and that’s why I regard it as my duty to serve the party in this time of existential crisis.
Abbott says as the last successful leader of the opposition he has the ability to help Angus Taylor be the next successful opposition leader. This goes down well in the room, with lots of applause.
He continues, mentioning the country’s woes – most concerning to him is that “Australia has a spiritual malaise”.
We don’t believe in ourselves any more.
He says because of the current government’s obsession with emissions and unions it does not have the ability to help get us out of that malaise.
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Jess Wilson tells Liberal conference Victoria is ‘one hot mess’
At the Liberal party’s national conference in Melbourne, Victorian opposition leader Jess Wilson has taken the stage.
Speaking to a room of the Liberals top brass, she started her speech with clips of news reports focusing on crime and union issues. When it ended, the words “Victoria is in disrepair” lit up the huge screens.
She said:
I have invited you all into our home before I have had a chance to clean it up.
Roadside grass is overgrown, our roads are littered with potholes, graffiti is out of control.
Wilson said she and her team were ready to clean up the state, calling it “one hot mess”.
Touching briefly on the liberals election woes, she said:
It is a party worth fighting for, worth defending even when times are tough.
There has been an emphasis on tax and crime. She said her team will deliver a cash surplus by 2032, and invest in 3000 more police officers, opening more than 40 new police stations.
Finishing her speech, Wilson tells the room “we can win”.
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Alleged prison escapee recaptured in Bathurst, NSW police say
A man who allegedly escaped from a Bathurst correctional facility has been arrested after a manhunt in western New South Wales, police say.
In a statement, police said they were called to a correctional facility in Bathurst following reports of an escapee about 12pm on Friday.
Officers attached to Chifley Police District were notified and immediately began conducting inquiries to locate the 32-year-old man.
Following extensive investigations, the escapee was arrested outside a home on Stewart Street, Bathurst, about 2.20pm today.
The man was taken to Bathurst police station and inquiries are continuing.
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Max Chandler-Mather on a hopeful progressive populism – Australian Politics podcast
In his new role as director of the Greens’ thinktank, Max Chandler-Mather argues that the major political parties and parts of the media often limit policy debate – which, on issues such as housing and wealth inequality, shuts down real alternatives to the status quo.
The former Greens MP and housing spokesperson speaks to political editor Tom McIlroy about returning to policies that improve the lives of Australians in material ways – and why he thinks political nihilism defines One Nation.
Listen here:
That’s all for me, it’s time to ride off into the sunset. Nino Bucci will wrap up Friday with you. Take care!
Officials and police begin to dismantle camp at Brisbane’s Victoria Park
Police and council workers have moved in and begun to dismantle a First Nations embassy and cultural camp in the Brisbane’s Victoria Park, for the construction of the 2032 Olympic stadium.
Officers entered that encampment about 2.15pm, after one of the First Nations camp leaders, Derek Junior, left the collection of tents to attempt to negotiate with council workers.
Junior had earlier warned authorities not to come with 100m of the camp.
One man was thrown to the ground as police entered the site.
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Celebration of James Valentine’s life ends with jazz funeral procession
James Valentine’s son, Roy, a musician like his dad, wrapped up the celebration of the ABC broadcaster’s life at the Sydney Town Hall with a moving tribute:
Time became this precious necessity that kept running through our hands.
As a family unit we’ve never been closer … we all slept in the same room on the final night.
Musicians Jimmy Barnes and Mahalia Barnes performed You’ve Got A Friend, and earlier Paul Kelly sang Meet Me in the Middle of the Air.
When the Saints Go Marching In was the funeral procession in the New Orleans jazz tradition.
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Erin Patterson appeal dates confirmed
The Victorian court of appeal has confirmed it will hear appeals from triple murderer Erin Patterson and the director of public prosecutions (DPP) in August.
Patterson, 51, is appealing against her conviction for the murders of Don and Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson, and the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson.
Patterson is appealing against her convictions on seven grounds, including the “irregularity” of sequestering the jury in the same hotel as police and media representatives, and that her cross-examination during the trial was “unfair and oppressive”.
The DPP is appealing against Patterson’s sentence of life imprisonment with a non-parole period of 33 years, arguing that it is “manifestly inadequate”.
The appeals will be heard on 19 and 20 August, the court confirmed on Friday.
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Two arrested at Brisbane’s Victoria Park amid protest over Olympic stadium
Queensland police have arrested two people at protests at Brisbane’s Victoria Park. The park is at the heart of the site earmarked for the main stadium of the 2032 Olympic Games.
Officials said a man and a woman were taken into custody over alleged “obstruct and assault police offences”. A spokesperson said:
Queensland Police Service (QPS) officers are at Victoria Park supporting partner agencies as they undertake engagement, offers of support services and compliance action, if necessary, with a focus on maintaining community safety and ensuring the safety of all involved.
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ABC managing director says James Valentine made a difference
The ABC’s managing director, Hugh Marks, paid tribute earlier to James Valentine, saying he was brave, creative and made a difference.
Marks said he came too late to the ABC to know Valentine personally, but he could say Valentine was a “master of the art that was his chosen craft”:
He understood that in those quieter moments you get closer to people, he knew everyone had a story to tell, and that those stories mattered.
Many of us remember the big moments, but James reminded us all of the small moments and how much they mattered.
Now, I like to think of the ABC as a national institution, and as a national institution, it’s really nothing but the sum of its people, of course, all the people who’ve worked at the ABC now, but just as importantly, all of the people who have shaped and influenced the ABC over the years.
We all benefit from that legacy of work of the performers, journalists, executives, and of course presenters like James, who honed and perfected their craft for the ABC and its audiences. It’s the legacy that resides in a national institution that I always will argue passionately is so important to our nation.
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Ancient wasp species named after F1’s Piastri
With nine grands prix victories to his name, Formula One drivers are well aware of the sting McLaren ace Oscar Piastri possesses.
But now, AAP reports, it seems he has impressed more than just his F1 rivals and fans, with the motor-racing world abuzz for a different reason.
Three biologists, obviously followers of Piastri, have named a newly discovered species of wasp, dating back to the middle Cretaceous period, in the time of the dinosaurs, and preserved in Burmese amber, after the Australian.
A research article in the June issue of the academic journal Palaeoworld named the insect found in northern Myanmar ‘Gwesped Piastrii’.
“The specific epithet honours Mr Oscar Piastri for his achievements in Formula One, and because the colour of the amber piece recalled to the first author the iconic McLaren orange,” the article explained.
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Police approach protest camp at Brisbane site earmarked for Olympic stadium
Police have begun to encircle a protest camp in Brisbane’s Victoria Park, a site at the heart of the area earmarked for the 2032 Olympic Games main stadium.
The authority charged with taking ownership of the site – Brisbane’s largest inner-city green space and a place of significance for First Nations people – is expected to begin site works on Monday.
As police officers, Brisbane council officials and others began to gather around the camp on Friday, those inside doubled down on their intent to stay. They have called out warnings to police not to cross into the camp.
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Many notable faces attend James Valentine’s memorial
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James Valentine’s daughter Ruby delivers tribute
Valentine’s daughter, Ruby Rose Valentine, told the memorial that he did not want to be a father originally, but turned out to be a natural:
There are a million moments and reasons I could point to from my life to illustrate exactly what made him such a great dad, but if I think about it, a lot of what it comes back to is the fact that he was just always there.
He was standing in the kitchen with me, wearing plastic Winnie-the-Pooh aprons as we baked a box of piglet cupcakes; he was watching Sleeping Beauty with me, going along with it when the movie ended, and I simply pushed the VHS tape back in and re-wound it to the start to start again, and then going along with it even more when I made him re-enact the entire film with me from start to finish.
He was lying in bed with me every night, introducing me to countless magical worlds, as we read our way through the Magic Faraway Tree, Lemony Snicket, and of course, Harry Potter.
Host Richard Glover said when he spoke to Valentine about writing his obituary, he said to be sure to include how proud he was of Ruby, his son, Roy, and his wife, Joanne Corrigan.
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Governor general remembers ABC’s James Valentine
The governor general, Samantha Mostyn, is speaking about how James Valentine was awarded an Order of Australia shortly before he died.
“We wanted to get that medal into James’s hands and pinned on to his chest,” Mostyn said.
I know that in a beautiful moment on the couch with James in his pyjamas, this citation was read and the insignia pinned to his chest by Roy (Valentine’s son).
Too unwell to attend the investiture at Government House, Valentine’s family picked up the medal and presented it to him on the couch while he was wearing his pyjamas.
Mostyn read the citation aloud:
As a pioneering broadcaster, gifted musician and passionate advocate for the arts, his lifetime of achievement has enriched the public conversation and championed Australian creativity on radio, screen and stage.
James has reminded us that conversation and community matters, and kindness belongs at the heart of public life.
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ABC presenter James Valentine's celebration of life begins
The celebration of ABC presenter James Valentine’s life has begun and is being broadcast live on ABC Radio.
The public memorial of the hugely popular talkback radio star at Sydney’s town hall has kicked off with a tribute from comedian HG Nelson.
Valentine died aged 64 last month using voluntary assisted dying, two years after he was diagnosed with cancer.
He had a 30-year career presenting radio at the ABC, most notably for the Afternoons show on 702 ABC Sydney, where he developed his distinctive approach to talkback.
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Victorian attorney general, chief justice discuss how courts should use AI
More than 130 people have attended a Victorian forum discussing how the courts should use AI, with the attorney general, Sonya Kilkenny, saying the state was at the “vanguard” of the movement.
According to a statement issued by the Law Institute of Victoria, the forum focused on improving access to justice, delivering economic benefits to Victoria and maintaining trust in the legal system
Kilkenny said:
AI is not coming, AI is here … this forum was the beginning of a conversation that government will continue having with courts, practitioners, technologists, universities, and across the justice system.
Chief justice Richard Niall said that the focus should be on using AI to create tangible improvements for court users. He said:
The rise and rise of AI should make us reflect on our role and function so that AI becomes part of, but does not overtake, our professional lives.
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Maximum penalty for breach of button battery provision $50m, ACCC says
Catriona Lowe, the deputy commissioner of the ACCC, is speaking about the federal court proceedings filed against Amazon amid allegations children’s backpacks for sale on its online marketplace failed to comply with mandatory warnings for button batteries.
She said:
Many consumers now shop at online marketplaces and it is important they can have confidence and trust as they do so. That is why it is important for the ACCC to take this action.
She said button batteries can present great danger to young children, becoming stuck in a child’s throat or resulting in lifelong injury or death. Children up to five years of age are at the greatest risk.
Lowe said any penalty is a matter for the court to decide, but she said the ACCC would be seeking a penalty to reflect what the body believes is “very serious” conduct. The maximum penalty for a breach of the relevant provisions is $50m.
Amazon said earlier it was considering the case and that the company remains “focused on providing the best experience for our Australian customers”.
“That includes continuing to work hard to ensure every product available in our store is safe and compliant with our policies and applicable regulations,” a spokesperson said.
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KPMG boss resigns over mishandling of whistleblower claims
The chief executive of KPMG, Andrew Yates, has resigned after taking responsibility for the top-tier firm’s failure to properly respond to whistleblower allegations around the misuse of client information.
“I have been committed to a speak-up culture in our firm, it is clear that in this case we have let ourselves down and I take accountability,” Yates said in a statement this morning.
The head of KPMG’s audit and assurance division, Julian McPherson, will also step down from his role and will leave the company “after an orderly transition of his client responsibilities”.
The firm’s statement said it was continuing to investigate “a matter relating to client documents being inappropriately shared internally” and recognised its internal reviews had “fallen short”.
KPMG Australia confirms its treatment of a whistleblower and investigation into their allegations fell short of the firm’s expectations, those of the whistleblower and the broader community.
The initial internal investigation, that did not substantiate the allegations raised by the whistleblower, was in hindsight not conducted with the necessary rigour required.
Asic this morning at a parliamentary committee hearing said it was conducting “a preliminary investigation into the allegations about the conduct of a number of the registered company auditors at the firm KPMG”.
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Clean Energy Council responds to Greenpeace report
Earlier this week, Greenpeace released a report warning “the frenzied rollout of AI datacentres in Australia is set to derail the renewable energy transition, entrench gas and turbocharge climate pollution”, arguing current datacentre operators in Australia had not proved they were covering their own emissions with new renewable projects.
The Clean Energy Council’s general manager of market operations, Martin Kennedy, told a NSW inquiry into the sector that Greenpeace’s position is “probably correct” if new renewables are not being built to support datacentres.
The research that the Clean Energy Finance Corporation commissioned … shows that if you don’t build the new-build renewables, it does push up prices, does create reliability challenges, and it does threaten emissions targets.
But Kennedy said if datacentre companies are partnering with renewables projects to provide investment as they’re developed, that offsets what demand those centres need that would prevent this scenario. He said:
We view it as a win-win. You have renewable developers who are seeking long-term [investment], and you have datacentre developers who are seeking to contract long-term, cost-effective electricity.
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Angus Taylor says ‘arrogant prick’ remark reflective of concerns in the community
The opposition leader, Angus Taylor, said his remark yesterday calling Anthony Albanese an “arrogant prick” was unparliamentary, but said he hears “far worse than that” as he travels around the country.
Taylor made the quip in question time yesterday while the prime minister was answering a question about changes to the capital gains tax discount. He later withdrew the remark after the leader of the house, Tony Burke, asked him to.
Speaking to the Today show this morning, Taylor didn’t overtly apologise:
I had to withdraw it. It was unparliamentary. But what I am hearing everywhere I go is far worse than that, Karl. The truth is that people who are running small businesses, farmers, are angry at a government that lied to them before the last election, said that these taxes weren’t going to come into place.
He went on to tell FiveAA Breakfast his remarks were a “mild version” of what he hears:
Frankly, I’m channelling the anger that a lot of Australians are feeling at the moment over the fact that this prime minister thinks he can blatantly lie and get away with it. This is the worst kind of arrogance.
Taylor said he was “required” to withdraw the remarks from parliament, but again said they reflected the anger he had heard in the community.
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Government admits error in inflated $443m reef science claim to World Heritage Centre
The government said it made an “administrative error” when it told the World Heritage Centre it spent more than twice as much on a multimillion-dollar Great Barrier Reef science program than it actually had.
In a February report to the World Heritage Centre, the government said it had committed $443m to the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program that is investigating technological approaches such as cloud brightening and coral spawn dispersal to try and help the reef cope with global heating.
But in a Senate estimates hearing this week, the figure was questioned by Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson.
An official from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water said “I think you have picked up an issue there” and revealed the government had only spent $202m on the program at the point when the report was written. Another $30m had been committed in the most recent budget. Whish-Wilson told the Guardian:
After decades of watching Australian governments go to extraordinary lengths to spin and deal their way out of a world heritage in-danger listing for the Great Barrier Reef when it so clearly faces an existential threat from climate change, you would be forgiven for being cynical about this being a ‘mistake’.
Whether this was an accidental reporting discrepancy or something more sinister, the Albanese government must correct the record immediately with Unesco and provide clarity on what led to this oversight.
A department spokesperson told the Guardian the rogue figure was an “administrative error” and the department had “corrected the information in the report”.
The World Heritage Centre and it’s advisers, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, were notified of the change last night, a spokesperson said.
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Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions fall 2%
Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions fell 2% last year as the continuing rise of renewable energy displaced some coal and gas electricity, according to government data.
The latest quarterly update suggests national emissions were 24.5% lower than 2005 levels. Labor has legislated a target of a 43% cut below 2005 levels by 2030.
Most of the cut in pollution is due to changes in estimates of emissions from the land and forests, which have absorbed significant amounts of carbon dioxide. Remove that change – which is mostly not due to climate policy – and emissions from fossil fuels and other polluting industries are down only 4.4% since 2005.
Electricity emissions fell 3.8% last year as renewable energy hit record levels. There was also a 5.2% drop in fugitive emissions from fossil fuel extraction.
Transport emissions, which surged for years, dropped slightly (0.6%) due to a fall in petrol consumption. But domestic aviation and diesel consumption continued to increase.
The climate change minister, Chris Bowen, said it was the second annual fall in transport emissions outside of the Covid-19 pandemic shutdowns, suggesting the government’s clean car policy – the national vehicle efficiency standard – was making a difference and pollution from the industry may have peaked.
EVs have grown from less than 4% of new light vehicle sales in 2022 to more than 20% in the first four months of 2026.
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Datacentre growth a ‘significant challenge and opportunity’, energy companies say
Energy company Ausgrid has told a NSW parliamentary inquiry on the sector that while datacentres currently account for 4% of the operational load today, by 2040, this is expected to be between 17% and 30%
Fatima Bazzi, Ausgrid’s customer group executive, told the hearing on Friday morning that the growth of datacentres is “unlike anything we have seen”:
We hear the real concerns about energy bills and power reliability, and we take that very seriously. But done well, connecting more datacentre customers can deliver very meaningful benefits … Increased demand improves network utilisation.
Bazzi said regulation was not designed for this pace of change.
Colin Crisafulli, Endeavour Energy’s future grid and asset management general manager, said western Sydney – which is covered by the company – was seeing the most datacentre growth in NSW and coordinated planning for these new centres was required:
When large new loads connect efficiently to the system, fixed network costs are spread across more units of electricity demand, which can place downward pressure on electricity bills for existing customers.
But those benefits depend on coordinated planning. Poorer located connections can drive inefficient network augmentation, crowd out future capacity, or reduce broader system value.
The wide 17% to 30% by 2040 figure is reflective of the pipeline of datacentre applications energy companies have received, and the operators acknowledged not all of the applications will proceed – some datacentre companies put in applications for multiple locations to see which ones will proceed.
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Behind the drama holding up NSW parliament
The New South Wales upper house this week suspended the government’s leader in the Legislative Council, Penny Sharpe, for 14 days.
But, like beheading a hydra, two more ministers appeared in her place to answer questions for NSW Labor.
One of them, the deputy leader in the upper house, John Graham, was subsequently expelled on Thursday. If the pattern continues, who could be next?
And what’s this serpentine drama really about?
Read more here:
ACCC opens court proceedings against Amazon over alleged lack of button battery warnings on unicorn backpack
The ACCC has opened federal court proceedings against Amazon amid allegations children’s backpacks for sale on its online marketplace failed to comply with mandatory warnings for button batteries.
The ACCC said it is the first federal court case brought against an online marketplace on allegations of non-compliance with mandatory product safety standards.
The allegedly offending backpacks, which feature a large colourful unicorn, were designed for children and feature a detachable light-up unicorn plush toy containing button batteries. The ACCC claims Amazon held the products in fulfilment centres in 2022, but required warning labels were missing.
“Many Australian consumers now shop on online marketplaces. That’s why it is important that consumers have confidence and trust in digital markets, and for the ACCC to take this action, the first of its kind to come before the federal court,” the ACCC deputy chair, Catriona Lowe, said. She went on:
Button batteries pose a serious hazard for young children. If swallowed or inserted, they can cause severe internal burns and injury, and in some cases death. These mandatory warnings are there to help keep children safe and businesses must get them right.
Amazon responded to the claims in a statement, saying:
We are considering the case filed by the ACCC. Amazon is proud to be a founding signatory of the ACCC’s Online Product Safety Pledge, and we remain focused on providing the best experience for our Australian customers. That includes continuing to work hard to ensure every product available in our store is safe and compliant with our policies and applicable regulations.
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‘Speed and scale of radicalisation’ of young people one of most pressing challenges, AFP says
Young Australians are being moved to violent extremism in a matter of days as the speed and scale of radicalisation accelerate, the Australian federal police warned yesterday.
AAP reports that for years, terrorists and extremists have used the internet to target young people and convince them to plan and carry out violent acts.
But the recent use of social media, gaming platforms, online forums, the dark web and private group chats has allowed bad actors to more quickly and effectively radicalise people. The AFP commissioner, Krissy Barrett, told Senate estimates on Thursday:
We see the speed and scale of radicalisation becoming one of our most significant challenges, especially when it comes to young people.
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Modelling shows 90% of young Australians will be better off under Labor’s tax reforms
Ninety per cent of young Australians will be better off under the Albanese government’s tax proposals, the Treasury claims, as Labor moves to pass its reforms into law.
The government introduced the tax changes to parliament on Thursday before a heated question time. Earlier on Thursday, Treasury secretary Jenny Wilkinson shared the previously unreleased modelling at an Australian Business Economists lunch in Sydney.
Wilkinson said the combined effect of the automatic $1,000 tax deduction, $250 “working Australians tax offset” (Wato) and the capital gains tax and negative gearing reforms would benefit most young people.
“The cumulative impact of the reforms is assessed as benefiting around 90% of young people, before impacts in the housing market are taken into account,” she said.
Had the changes been made decades ago, those under 30 today would be in a better financial position, she said.
Read more:
Taylor’s performance to ‘dominate’ Liberal conference
Angus Taylor’s performance as Liberal leader is expected to dominate discussion when the party’s federal council meets, AAP reports.
Support for the federal Liberal party has plummeted to historic lows amid a turbulent leadership change in which Taylor took the top job in February, and the rise of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation.
The dire state of affairs and the opposition leader’s attack on the Albanese government’s 2026/27 budget will be hot topics when the Liberal Federal Council meets on Friday.
“The big discussions are going to be about how we’re travelling and has Angus turned a corner for us?” political consultant and former Howard government adviser Ian Hanke said. He added:
Yes, he has, but how far have we got to go? A long way. That will dominate a lot of the conversation …
The budget in reply was a test for Angus, and he passed it because Labor is now responding to us for the first time in ages.
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Concert celebrating John Farnham to feature slate of stars, including Tina Arena, Céline Dion and Hugh Jackman
An upcoming concert in Melbourne will celebrate the life and songs of legend John Farnham while raising funds for head and neck cancer research.
The celebration concert will feature a lineup of 120 artists and musicians for a “powerful night of John Farnham’s music”, including Keith Urban, Tina Arena, Jimmy Barnes, Jessica Mauboy, Céline Dion and Hugh Jackman (the latter two will perform via satellite).
Farnham’s longtime musical director will lead the John Farnham band alongside a 38-piece orchestra an choir.
Farnham told the Herald Sun he will not sing or perform in public again after he was diagnosed with oral cancer four years ago. He told the paper:
Because of the surgeries to my mouth and face over the past few years, singing on stage is not something I can consider again. It’s just not possible …
I’m gobsmacked and truly grateful that everyone has said yes. It is truly humbling and I can’t thank them enough for what they will be doing for this cause, which is very special and personal for me.
The show will take place on 20 September at the Rod Laver Arena.
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Who’s leading the fight against Labor’s CGT reform – and what’s in it for them?
People with direct personal financial stakes in Labor’s tax reforms are among the loudest voices opposing the changes.
Labor’s efforts to amend the tax discount awarded for profits on the sale of assets, or capital gains, have attracted criticism from real estate and investment funds.
Some opponents have a history of opposing Labor. One is a long-term Labor insider.
Here’s what you need to know about some of the people leading the charge:
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Minister says any potential changes to capital gains tax discount plans will be minimal
Tim Ayres, the minister of industry and innovation, was asked on RN about changes to the capital gains tax discount after the prime minister warned any potential changes to the plan would be minimal. Critics have urged the Albanese government to alter the plan, arguing small business would be negatively affected.
Ayres said the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, had been firm that the plans would only see minimal changes once they were announced, adding:
The challenge in a lot of the problem for our political opponents is they’ve lost sight of the people who are the subject of these changes. They’re all about the politics of what’s going on. People who will substantially benefit from this are young Australians who have had the property market tilted against them and are finding it very hard to get their first, you know, to get on that first rung of the property ladder …
We’re legislating to deliver the package that was outlined in the budget to give those young Australians security.
Ayres said many in the housing industry with a “vested interest” in any changes are actively campaigning to see them reversed.
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Attorney general says Nacc could use a ‘reset’ after commissioner says he will step down
Rowland also said the National Anti Corruption Commission (Nacc) could get a “reset” after Paul Brereton, the body’s first commissioner, said he would step down from the role in July.
Brereton said this week he felt criticism of him had drawn “attention away” from the Nacc’s purpose, adding he thought “the commission’s success is paramount, and not due to any single person”.
Rowland told RN Breakfast the Nacc needed “public support in terms of perception and in practice”, adding:
I’ve never stated anything but support for the commissioner and confidence in Commissioner Brereton. But this does give us an opportunity with these new appointments to have a reset and I will be engaging across the parliament to make sure that that happens.
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Attorney general says any money from 3M suit would be used to recover ‘significant past and future expenses’
The attorney general, Michelle Rowland, is speaking about the government’s legal action against 3M over Pfas chemical contamination. The government is seeking $2bn in damages, the largest legal claim ever brought by the federal government.
She said if the case is successful, the money will be used for recovering “significant past and future expenses” the government has incurred investigating and managing contamination from the use of “forever chemicals” in firefighting foam. She said:
I acknowledge that this has been a cause of significant distress in many communities around Australia, and we have been focused as a government, and we will continue to be focused on taking really practical steps to assist Australians and communities that have been impacted by PFS.
I want to be clear that this action is about the government recovering its costs, it doesn’t relate to personal injury or any human health effects that have alleged to be impacted by PFAS exposure.
A spokesperson told Guardian Australia yesterday 3M has never manufactured Pfas in Australia and stopped sales of the products “around two decades ago”.
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Good morning, and welcome to the live blog. It’s Nick Visser here to take up the reins. Let’s get through Friday together.
'AFP boss says alleged leaker of Ben Roberts-Smith arrest should 'face consequences'
The federal police commissioner, Krissy Barrett, says she is determined to find out how the media knew of Ben Roberts-Smith’s arrest ahead of time and says the alleged leaker should “face consequences”.
Earlier this week, the federal government’s special investigator for war crimes allegations and the Australian federal police told a Senate estimates hearing they have asked the National Anti-Corruption Commission (Nacc) to investigate media leaks. As of Tuesday, the Nacc had yet to respond to the request.
Arrested at Sydney airport on 7 April, Roberts-Smith faces five charges of war crime murder over allegations he killed unarmed civilians during his service with the Australian SAS in Afghanistan.
The former SAS corporal has vehemently denied the charges, saying “I categorically deny all of these allegations”.
At a Senate estimates hearing last night, the AFP boss said she had no evidence someone in her organisation had shared details of the imminent arrest with journalists but referred it to the Nacc “out of an abundance of caution”.
Barrett said one media outlet was at the airport when Roberts-Smith was arrested and she was “determined to find out how they knew of the arrest”.
Barrett said:
If the date of the individual’s arrest or other sensitive information was disclosed to anyone in the media, this could be an unauthorised disclosure, and in my view, anyone who disclosed that information should face consequences.
Read more:
Full Story wins two Australian Audio awards
Guardian Australia’s Full Story team took home two awards at the inaugural Australian Audio awards held at Carriageworks in Sydney last night.
Full Story won the award for best news and current affairs podcast – major, while Gina: Power, privilege and influence took out the award for best investigative journalism podcast – major.
Full Story is a daily news podcast where Guardian journalists take listeners behind the headlines. Gina: Power, privilege and influence was an investigative series about the life and influence of Australia’s wealthiest person, Gina Rinehart.
The special podcast series Gina won best investigative journalism podacst.
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Flood warnings for parts of NSW and Tasmania
There are flood warnings around after some wild weather and downpours in several states.
This morning the NSW SES issued a warning for parts of the Upper Hunter, forecasting heavy rainfall and possible flash flooding.
And Tasmania SES has issued a flood warning for Royal George, Avoca and surrounding low-lying areas, saying people in low-lying areas should monitor conditions and prepare to move to safety if conditions get worse.
We’ll bring you any updates on the situation as the day unfolds.
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Asio warns MPs, public servants over secrecy in internet-connected cars
Asio has warned politicians and public servants not to discuss sensitive government information in internet-connected cars, due to the risk of electronic eavesdropping.
The country’s top spy agency said discussing classified or sensitive information outside the workplace was always a risk, especially in vehicles which send realtime information back to the manufacturer.
Deputy director general Lisa Alonso Love told a budget estimates hearing last night the warning, communicated to government amid a surge in demand for electric vehicles, was not specific about country of origin or carmaker.
“Obviously, a connected car may have other vectors to gather that information but those conversations should only ever happen in places that are set up for classified conversations,” she said.
“People should be conscious of the things that they are discussing in vehicles, knowing that people may be able to get that information.”
Australia’s spy agency, the Australian Signals Directorate, has already published advice about the risks posed by connected vehicles.
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Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories before we get into the main action.
The federal police commissioner has told Senate estimates she is determined to find out how the media knew of the arrest of Ben Roberts-Smith ahead of time and says the alleged leaker should “face consequences”. More coming up.
Politicians and public servants have been warned by Australia’s spy chiefs not to discuss sensitive government information while they are in internet-connected cars due to the risk that the vehicles could be bugged. More to come.
