What we learned today, Tuesday 21 October
That’s all for today, here are the main events:
Penny Wong said Donald Trump’s “I don’t like you either” comment to Kevin Rudd during his meeting with Anthony Albanese was “clearly tongue-in-cheek”, although the opposition leader, Sussan Ley, said Rudd’s position as ambassador was not “tenable”.
Share prices of critical mineral companies, including one in which by Gina Rinehart has a stake, rocketed after the Australia-US rare earths deal which Albanese and Trump signed.
China claimed an RAAF aircraft “illegally” entered its airspace after a flares incident. The defence industry minister, Pat Conroy, said China’s claims were “factually incorrect”.
Barnaby Joyce said he had a lot of “similar positions” with Pauline Hanson, but is not a member of One Nation.
The New South Wales government will buy back Northern Beaches hospital in a $190m deal.
First Nations ancestors from Kaurna country whose remains were collected and kept by museums and universities have been buried in Adelaide.
Salman Rushdie will return to Australia for the first time since a 2022 US attack.
Both NSW and Queensland recorded new October heat records, with Bourke airport in NSW recording 44.8C and the Queensland outback town of Birdsville hitting 46.1C.
Thanks for tuning in! See you again tomorrow.
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Both NSW and Queensland record new October heat records
Following our earlier post about Birdsville, New South Wales has also recorded its own state-wide October heat record on Tuesday.
Bourke airport recorded 44.8C at 4pm local time, making it the highest maximum October temperature ever recorded for New South Wales, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
The previous NSW record for the month was 43.9C at Brewarrina on 31 October 1919.
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Birdsville hits 46.1C and sets a new October heat record for Queensland
As temperature records continued to tumble on Tuesday, the Queensland outback town of Birdsville hit 46.1C at 2.28pm local time, according to the Bureau of Meteorology, making it the highest temperature ever recorded in the state in October.
Read more:
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Queensland government to give First Nations councils better access to cabinet
Queensland’s First Nations mayors will be able to directly address the state’s cabinet ministers in a new bid to address issues in their communities.
Under a new accord signed by the Crisafulli government and the state’s 17 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander councils on Monday, the mayors will be given the ability to communicate as one group to senior ministers at an annual meeting.
The Palm Island mayor, Alf Lacey, said the agreement gave the councils a “seat at the table” to discuss the specific issues that may not exist elsewhere.
It’s very important that our communities’ particular issues that don’t affect mainstream councils in Queensland terms are addressed.
We’re not rate-based councils, for instance, we’re grant-reliant councils.
It is not about the divide and conquer. It’s about us sitting all on the same bus in the front seat in achieving the outcomes that we will need to achieve.
The minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander partnerships, Fiona Simpson, said the move was “a very practical way for people in very remote areas with huge areas of disadvantage to have direct consultation with government”.
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Nationals senator hopes Barnaby Joyce stays in the party room
The Nationals senator and shadow minister for resources Susan McDonald appears next, welcoming the prime minister’s agreement with the US on rare earths.
Questions on the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing quickly turn to Barnaby Joyce, and his future with the Nationals after the maverick MP announced his intention to quit the party and consider “all options”. McDonald says she hopes Joyce stays in the party room.
Asked if his departure would represent a failure by the Nationals leader, David Littleproud, to make Joyce feel included, McDonald says: “I think that’s what [Joyce] said. I think that’s very clear.”
I won’t speak for Barnaby, I will say though that if anybody in the team doesn’t feel their skills and contributions are recognised, it’s something we should all care about. It’s our workplace as well as our political family and something the National party prides itself on.
Asked again if she believes Joyce’s departure would be a failure for Littleproud, McDonald says:
We are a strong group of individual thinkers and freethinkers and it’s something we have to continue to work on. I’m not saying it’s a failure on anybody’s part, but I am saying I’m optimistic Barnaby will reconsider where he sits for the rest of the term. I hope he stays in the National party room, he has a lot to contribute.
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Defence industry minister says Chinese claims over flares incident ‘factually incorrect’
The defence industry minister, Pat Conroy, follows the treasurer on Afternoon Briefing. He is asked about yesterday’s incident, which saw the acting prime minister, Richard Marles, condemn a Chinese fighter jet for letting off flares “very close” to an Australian surveillance plane on Sunday.
Today, China has hit back, with air force spokesperson Li Jianjian telling Chinese media the Australian aircraft had “illegally” entered its airspace over islands whose sovereignty is disputed between China, Vietnam and Taiwan.
Conroy says:
No, that is factually incorrect. This incident occurred over international waters. We conduct these patrols on a regular basis, always over international waters, and we maintain that what occurred was unsafe and not according to how a professional military should conduct itself and that is why we have called it out. The Chinese military should conduct itself in a safe and professional manner, as should all militaries around the world.
Asked if the Australian aircraft was gathering intelligence on the potential militarisation of the islands, Conroy says:
What we do is we do routine patrols through areas of the Indo-Pacific that are of interest to us. We fly over international waters and that is the right of every nation around the world. These are normal courses of operation you would expect our military to do. It is also a good training exercise for our P-8 crews and that is why we do these sorts of activities.
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Chalmers says Trump ‘accommodating’ on defence spending
The treasurer is challenged on the lack of a tariff deal from the prime minister’s visit. He says Australia’s tariff agreements, under which exports to the US receive a baseline 10% tariff, “are the most accommodating of any country in the world”.
But we have made it clear that Australia’s economic interests are best served by more trade, not more tariffs or trade barriers. We’ve made our view clear for some time and have been able to make progress on a number of other fronts today in this meeting, which was outstanding from our point of view.
Finally, Chalmers is asked about the US president’s comments on Australian defence spending during the visit. Trump praised Australia’s record in building “magnificent holding pads for the submarines”, but said: “I’d always like more.”
Chalmers says:
First of all, I would say that we are spending substantially more on defence, I think that’s recognised, and when you measure our defence spending the same way other parts of the world do, it’s quite substantial, the increase is quite substantial. I thought the comments made by President Trump were accommodating when it comes to Australia’s position.
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Chalmers not worried about trade retaliation from China over rare earths deal
The questions move on to an $8.5bn framework agreement on rare earths between the US and Australia. Of the deal, which is not enforceable or legally binding, Chalmers says:
It will deliver tangible results for workers and businesses, communities, mining communities in particular, whether it comes to mining or refining and processing. So whatever legal status you want to apply, it is an extremely good outcome for Australia and its people and our economy. This is an area where we have extraordinary advantages, and we intend to maximise those advantages, and the framework today which was agreed between the prime minister and the president should be seen in that light.
Asked if he is concerned about potential trade retaliation from China after the agreement, Chalmers says:
I do not believe so. I say the same thing about the Chinese relationship that I said in Washington DC about the US relationship. I think both of those countries understand that Australia engages in good faith with our trading partners, whether they be in Beijing, whether they be in Washington … and we do that consistent with Australia’s national economic interests.
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Chalmers says ‘Kevin handled that quite well actually’
The federal treasurer, Jim Chalmers, is speaking on the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing following Anthony Albanese’s first formal visit with President Donald Trump in Washington DC.
Chalmers heralds the meeting as “an outstanding success … by any measure”. Immediately, he is asked to weigh on in Trump’s “I don’t like you either” exchange with the Australian ambassador, Kevin Rudd. He says:
Kevin handled that quite well actually, and I don’t think anyone who has seen the extraordinary amount of work that Kevin has put into this meeting and our engagement with the US and the administration more broadly would conclude anything other than he has been an important force for good for Australia in Washington DC. I have seen that for myself, I work closely with him on the economic partnership, and as I said I spent time with him last week in Washington DC. The government is grateful for his work and personally I think we very are fortunate to have him there.
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Salman Rushdie returning to Australia for first time since 2022 US attack
The novelist Salman Rushdie will return to Australia next year for the first time since a 2022 attempt on his life.
Rushdie will speak at Melbourne Town Hall on 17 August in a Wheeler Centre event and deliver the opening address the Festival of Dangerous Ideas (Fodi), which he last headlined in 2014, at Sydney Town Hall on 21 August.
The acclaimed author of Midnight’s Children and The Satanic Verses released the memoir Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder in 2024, after an attack during a literary gathering in western New York state in 2022 left him severely wounded. He lost the use of his right eye.
In a statement today, Rushdie said:
The last time I came to Sydney, I spoke at Fodi about the freedom to write – a freedom that is key to every open society. This time, I return to speak about the price we pay for ideas. Because today, the simple act of expressing a thought – in a book, on a stage, online – is no longer just a matter of liberty. It is, too often, an act of courage. And in that courage, we find both the danger and the necessity of continuing to speak.
The man found guilty of Rushdie’s attempted murder was sentenced to 25 years in prison in May.
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Body of a man located after reports of overturned canoe
The body of a man has been located after a search for a missing worker at a dam in western New South Wales this morning.
In a statement, NSW police said about 7.30am today, emergency services were called to Clover Hills, about 42km south of the town of Oberon, following reports a canoe had overturned.
Officers arrived and began searching for two men with assistance from the State Emergency Service. A man believed to be aged in his 30s was able to swim ashore. The body of a 29-year-old man was located in the water about 9.15am.
Police said the incident would be investigated by SafeWork NSW and a report would be for prepared the coroner.
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More than 1,000 guns and parts seized in illicit weapon crackdown
Authorities have seized more than 1,000 firearms and gun parts in a crackdown on the spread of illicit weapons in Australia and New Zealand.
The week-long transnational operation led to more than 180 arrests, according to the Australian Border Force, and the seizure of 281 privately manufactured firearms and parts, including those made by 3D printers.
In New South Wales, police located multiple 3D printers alongside Glock-style pistols, magazines and 3D-printed holsters, among other items.
A Guardian investigation in September tracked the growing challenges posed to Australia’s gun control regime, including the trade of stolen firearms and the emergence of 3D-printed firearms across the country.
NSW police said they arrested 45 people and seized 518 firearms and firearm parts as part of the operation. Multiple individuals were charged with offences including the manufacture of prohibited firearms without a licence, importing prohibited goods and possessing a digital blueprint for manufacture of firearms – a crime in some states.
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Former NSW Coalition government overspent by $1bn on new Blue Mountains trains
A report into the procurement of intercity trains in New South Wales, some of which have only just come into service in the Blue Mountains five years late, has found the government overspent by $1bn because of “foreseeable changes”.
The report by the NSW auditor general, Bola Oyetunji, published today, has found Transport for NSW “did not effectively procure” two new rail fleets in NSW, the New Intercity Fleet (Nif) and the Regional Rail Fleet (RRF).
Originally budgeted at $2.8bn, the Nif’s cost to date is $4.5bn. The report found $1bn of that overspend was due to “foreseeable changes … resultant delays and the cost impacts of avoidable industrial action”.
In one instance, the report found the department decided that seating capacity per carriage on two of the lines could be reduced. But later, amid the risk of potential overcrowding, it procured almost 100 additional carriages at an increased cost of as much as 63%.
The auditor general also found the department did not engage effectively with drivers and guards. After the fleet was initially touted as driver-only operated, the government reached an agreement in November 2022 with the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) to revert to a traditional driver-guard model following a longstanding dispute.
The first Nif or “Mariyung” trains started operating on the Blue Mountains line on Monday last week, following the Central Coast line in December last year. Delays to their introduction in the Blue Mountains were in part due to the need to widen tunnels. The report found the cost of route clearance was $149m, 72% more than initial estimates, even though the department was “fully aware” that the width of the new trains required the work.
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That’s all for me, thanks for sticking with us so far. Penry Buckley will be your shepherd on the blog for the arvo. Take care.
ANZ says all services should be back to normal
ANZ’s online status page says all systems should be operational after a brief service interruption, as we reported earlier this hour.
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China claims RAAF aircraft ‘illegally’ entered its airspace after flares incident
China has hit back at Australia for “illegally” entering its airspace over the South China Sea after the acting prime minister, Richard Marles, condemned a Chinese fighter jet for letting off flares “very close” to an Australian surveillance plane on Sunday.
On Monday, Marles said the Chinese jet’s “unsafe and unprofessional” conduct had been dangerous for the Royal Australian Air Force personnel and their large aircraft, known as a P-8A Poseidon.
The incident is the most recent in a spate of similar encounters over recent years between Australian and Chinese defence forces in strategically important and contested areas.
The PLA Southern Theater’s Air Force spokesperson Li Jianjian told Chinese media the Australian aircraft had “illegally” entered its airspace over the Paracel, or Xisha, islands – an island whose sovereignty is disputed between China, Vietnam and Taiwan.
Li said Australia’s actions “seriously violated” China’s sovereignty and could have “easily triggered maritime and aerial accidents”:
We sternly warn the Australian side to immediately stop such provocative moves. The theatre forces remain on high alert at all times and will resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security, and regional peace and stability.
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ANZ experiencing banking outage on app and internet service
ANZ is experiencing an outage that has locked many customers out of their mobile app and internet banking services.
The bank said it is experiencing an “issue” affecting its payment processing and intra-day reporting systems.
“Technology teams are currently investigating the issue and will provide further updates when available,” the bank said.
The company noted some payments will appear as “in progress”. The bank also said some account details are “not able to be viewed” at this time.
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What did Trump serve for lunch during Albanese’s visit?
If you’re wondering what Donald Trump shouted Anthony Albanese for lunch today at the White House, you’re in the right place.
A keen eye spotted the lunch menu on the table at the cabinet room, where Trump, Albanese and their respective entourages shared a meal after signing the critical minerals deal.
A first course of a “fall green salad” with sunset tomatoes and a White House honey dressing started things off, followed by rosemary roast chicken for the main, with celery root puree, asparagus, collard greens and dijon sauce.
Finishing things off was a pear pavlova with candied ginger ice-cream and berry compote.
We hear the two men also exchanged gifts upon their first formal meeting. We’ll get you that information as soon as we can.
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‘Ready to go’: Trump and Albanese sign multibillion-dollar critical minerals agreement
The US president, Donald Trump, and the Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, signed an agreement on rare earths and critical minerals on Monday at the White House. Albanese said the deal would “take our relationship to that next level”.
Marles praises Rudd, says ambassador deserves ‘share of credit’ for US-Australia relationship
Richard Marles said Kevin Rudd “deserves his share of credit” for a robust relationship between Australia and the US.
He said:
It is a really significant meeting between our two nations and ambassador Rudd was a key part in seeing that meeting. And I can say that first-hand in terms of my engagement with ambassador Rudd, he has done a fantastic job representing Australia and the United States as our ambassador.
We’ve been making this point consistently: if you take a step back and look at the relationship – look at what is happening in a national security sense, look at what is happening in terms of our defence relationship, look at what is happening in terms of our economic relationship and the critical minerals deal that was signed last night, that we have the lowest tariff rate of any country – our relationship with the United States is in a very good place.
And our ambassador to the United States deserves his share of credit for that.
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‘Aukus is happening’: Marles touts submarine deal after PM’s Washington DC meeting
Richard Marles, the defence minister and acting prime minister, just spoke in Adelaide touting Anthony Albanese’s achievements in Washington DC on the Aukus deal.
He said:
The meeting between our prime minister and president Trump was a really important affirmation of the United States and Australia’s commitment to the Aukus program. I want to make the point that we have been consistently saying: that this is a program which is very much in the interest of the United States, as it is in the interests of Australia, as it is in the interests of the United Kingdom.
And Aukus is moving at a pace that, when you meet these workers around here, you can touch, feel and see Aukus occurring. Aukus is happening.
At the end of it, what we will have is the single biggest increase in our military capability since the establishment of a navy more than one century ago. It will be profoundly important for Australia’s national security.
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Malcolm Turnbull writes Albanese and Rudd should be ‘very pleased’ after Trump meeting
The former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull said Albanese and the US ambassador, Kevin Rudd, should be “very pleased” after their meeting with Donald Trump, calling the event in Washington DC “definitely a 10/10 in diplomatic and political terms”.
Turnbull wrote in The Sydney Morning Herald that the agreement on rare-earth minerals was a “very good step forward”, but said there was still “much work to do” to advance the deal. He also praised Rudd’s handling in the lead-up to the meeting, saying while some may be disappointed about tariffs, “so far, so good”.
He wrote:
Albanese has been right in keeping Rudd in Washington, and right in bringing him to the meeting. That showed strength of character – and strength and power are the only things Trump respects.
Trump may not like Rudd, but today’s outcomes, especially on rare earths and critical minerals, are testimony to Rudd’s effectiveness. Bullshit and backslapping are fine, but delivering the goods is what matters.
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Ley says ‘all views are welcome’ on Coalition’s energy policy, including from Barnaby Joyce
Returning to the opposition leader, Sussan Ley says “all views are welcome” – including those of Barnaby Joyce – when it comes to developing the Coalition’s energy policy.
Speaking with reporters in the inner-Sydney suburb of Paddington a short time ago, the leader of the opposition did not comment on whether Joyce was still welcome to attend Coalition joint party meetings:
Barnaby Joyce is a member of the Nationals party, and as leader of the Liberal party, I won’t comment on the arrangements in the Nationals party room. That’s for them. But, what I would say is that as we develop our energy policy going forward, which will be in clear contrast to this government, all views are welcome.
When asked by Guardian Australia whether Joyce’s decision to leave the Nationals will make it easier to win support in teal seats – such as Wentworth – Ley repeated her stance:
Barnaby is a member of the Nationals party room. And decisions about the Nationals party room are best left with them.
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Potato supplies lower due to normal constraints, but 2024 conditions had ‘some impact’ on yields, Woolworths says
Some shoppers have reported limited potato supply on supermarket shelves in recent days. Woolworths says drought conditions late last year has limited some supplies, but said any missing spuds should soon turn up as seasonal transition windows end.
A Woolies spokesperson said:
We still have sufficient supply of potatoes for our customers, but drought conditions from late 2024 and frosts earlier this year have had some impacts on growing yields.
It’s also not unusual to see some supply constraints at this time of the year as we hit seasonal transition windows.
We expect things to return to normal in the coming weeks as we move to new season supply.
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Top US Democrat says Australia remains ‘stalwart ally’ and Aukus is ‘key’ to American security
US senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a key Democrat and the ranking member on the US Senate foreign relations committee, said Australia remains a “stalwart ally of the United States in the Indo-Pacific” and a “key bulwark of our collective security and prosperity”.
Shaheen released a statement saying a strong partnership between the two nations is “vital to deterring aggression by China in the region”, adding:
I was glad to see President Trump voice support for Aukus, which is key to both America’s security and ensuring that the burden of collective defense is shared more broadly among partners and allies.
The U.S. must also continue to deepen its cooperation with Australia on critical minerals to secure resilient supply chains that reduce our dependence on China and strengthen our industrial base …
The Indo-Pacific is watching whether America stands by its word. Congress will continue working with our allies to ensure that Aukus and our broader strategic partnerships deliver on their promise of shared security and prosperity.
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Critical mineral stocks rocket after Australia-US deal
Resources and industrial companies have enjoyed a sharp lift in their share prices in early trading on the ASX as investors weigh up the new Australian-American $US8.5bn critical minerals deal.
Anthony Albanese specifically referred to two “priority projects”, one by Alcoa and the other by Arafura Rare Earths, that will enjoy an injection of capital from the government, as part of a broader list of strategic operations.
Shares in Arafura surged by more than 15% this morning to trade above 55c, while Alcoa was up 8% to $60.
Arafura is planning on producing the light rare earth oxides, neodymium and praseodymium, which are crucial to the production of magnets, used in everything from wind turbines and medical devices to electric motors and ballistic missile guidance systems.
Gina Rinehart has a 10% stake in Arufura.
Alcoa has a proposed gallium plant in Western Australia. Gallium is a strategic metal and essential input in semiconductor manufacturing and the broader defence sector, used in advanced electronic warfare systems.
Australia’s broader critical minerals sector has been rocketing in recent weeks amid the push by the Australian and US governments to break China’s control over the sector.
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First Nations ancestors from Kaurna country to be buried in Adelaide
First Nations ancestors from the southern parts of Kaurna country will be buried in Adelaide today. It is the fourth ceremony of its kind at the Wangayarta memorial park in Smithfield, in the city’s northern suburbs.
Many of the ancestors’ remains were collected and kept by museums and universities last century.
The Kaurna Yerta Aboriginal Corporation chair, Mitzi Nam, said Kaurna were “deeply relieved that our Old People’s spirits can now reunite and rest peacefully”:
We have now reburied ancestors from the north, south, east and west of Kaurna Yerta – but this will not be the last reburial.
There are still ancestors here and overseas who must be brought home and laid to rest.
SA Museum’s Aboriginal heritage and repatriation manager, Anna Russo, said:
Wangayarta is an everlasting legacy created by the Kaurna people who resolved that their ancestors’ stories of being disturbed from their traditional burial sites last century and heartlessly sent to the Adelaide Museum, University and other institutions, should not be reburied with them.
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Joyce says he has a lot of ‘similar positions’ with Pauline Hanson, but is not a member of One Nation
Back to Barnaby Joyce’s presser earlier, where he was asked why he had been linked to One Nation.
He said:
Pauline [Hanson], she has a lot of positions … where I have similar positions. Note in the past Pauline I have fought bitterly against one another, but things move on.
A lot of her causes that I have, you know, there’s a similar wavelength. If you say everything, no, of course not. But that’s – but I’m, I’m not a member of One Nation.
Joyce added that “philosophically” he had a lot of similarities with One Nation’s priorities, including on scrapping net zero.
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Ley stands by call for Kevin Rudd to go, despite reports Trump accepted apology from ambassador
Sussan Ley, the opposition leader, is speaking in Sydney, where she was asked about her earlier call for Kevin Rudd, the ambassador to the US, to lose his job.
Donald Trump reportedly told Rudd “all is forgiven” after the ambassador apologised for calling the US president a “village idiot” four years ago. Ley was asked if that would change her stance on Rudd:
I invite everyone to observe the sharp exchange that took place and make their own conclusions, that many of us have, which is that the president didn’t appear to know the ambassador, and after sledging him in the way he did, then, for the prime minister to actually laugh at that sledge, in front of everyone at that table, shows me that the relationship is not where it needs to be, with respect to all of the hard work.
This isn’t about the individual. This is about the relationship and it’s about Australia’s national interest. And we need everyone kicking goals, every step of the way, to make sure that our businesses and industries are backed in exactly as they should be.
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Joyce says his decision has been ‘pretty traumatic’, won’t ‘flippantly’ rejoin the Nationals
Joyce said he agonised over his decision, but wouldn’t “flippantly” rejoin the Nationals and nothing had changed over the last few days that would make him reconsider his choice.
It’s been a pretty traumatic issue. I’m still basically a member of the National party. I have not joined another party … I’m not going to do this thing where you’re out for 24 hours or 48 hours and then you’re back in. It’s not that.
This is a really hard decision that I made, and I thought of it over a very long period of time as things got sort of worse and worse and worse, to be honest. And now I’ve made it. There’s nothing that’s changed in the last couple of days that would ever, you know … I wouldn’t create this kerfuffle if I was just going to flippantly go in, go out, and put my foot back in.
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Barnaby Joyce says he won’t be part of process that ‘hurts’ the Nationals, but will be involved in policy debate
Barnaby Joyce is holding a press conference in Tamworth, speaking more about his decision to leave the Nationals.
Joyce said:
The relationship in Canberra, I don’t want to throw the plates around, but it had broken down. I think it’s important to say that. Because otherwise people go, “oh, why?” – it just happens in human relationships that they break down …
I want to make this very clear. I love the membership that has been so good to me. And I am not going to be part of any process that I believe hurts the National party membership. OK? I will be involved in the policy debate. I’m entitled to that.
He said his decision was centred on his ability to speak his mind without rubbing up against others in the Nationals.
That’s why I’m resigning from standing for New England. Because I don’t want to hurt the people who’ve basically handed out for me and done all those things for me. So that gives them a chance to move on.
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Albanese to dine with Marco Rubio and meet with US treasury secretary
Anthony Albanese continues his Washington diplomatic tour this evening, scheduled for meetings and dinner with two Trump lieutenants.
The prime minister will meet the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, for dinner, and join the treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, for a working meeting as well.
Albanese’s DC trip finishes up tomorrow, a lightning-quick visit then back to Australia.
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Australians splashing out on online shopping spent a record $20.7bn in last quarter
Australians spent a record $20.7bn online in the quarter stretching from July through September, up 15% from last year, according to new data from Australia Post.
The data shows about 8.1m Aussie households shopped online, a 2.7% year over year increase, with an average cart size a steady $95.
The biggest categories for shoppers are online marketplaces, food and liquor and fashion, with 50% of people setting their sights on Black Friday sales next month.
People in New South Wales shopped the most online, followed by Victoria and Queensland.
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‘I don’t like you either’: Trump chides Australian ambassador Kevin Rudd at the White House
Here’s a snippet of the White House meeting today.
Minns says Northern Beaches hospital buy-back reverses ‘one of the worst decisions’ of any NSW government
Here’s more on what the NSW premier, Chris Minns, had to say about the buy-back of Northern Beaches hospital:
We’ve reversed one of the worst decisions of any NSW government, where a private hospital model was foisted on the people of the Northern Beaches.
Our state’s acute hospital services that provide life-saving care to the people of New South Wales should not be privatised and thanks to this decision, no hospital in NSW will be.
Because of Elouise and Danny [Massa]’s courage and persistence, Joe’s Law now ensures that no future government can repeat the mistakes that led to the Northern Beaches hospital privatisation. Their advocacy will leave a lasting legacy for every patient and every family who relies on our public health system.
The government is still to work out how it will deal with private services at the hospital, which clinicians say are an important part of the service for those with private health cover.
The government has said that all staff will be offered employment with NSW Health.
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Trump told Kevin Rudd ‘all is forgiven’ after White House meeting
Half an hour after a remarkably drama-free and warm meeting between Donald Trump and Anthony Albanese, the Australian ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd, was heard apologising to the president, leaning over the table to say sorry to the man he called a “village idiot” four years ago.
Trump, according to Australian sources in the room, told Rudd “all is forgiven” after the media filed out.
Read more here:
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Sussan Ley says Rudd’s position not ‘tenable’ after White House meeting
The opposition leader, Sussan Ley, has used several media appearances this morning to say Kevin Rudd should no longer be the Australian ambassador to the US.
She told ABC News this morning Trump’s remarks towards Rudd were the “elephant in the room”:
To be rebuked by the president, who didn’t even seem to know the ambassador [from] Australia, and then have your own prime minister laughing along, was a bit unfortunate, and I don’t think the ambassador’s position is tenable now.
She also told Sky News:
When the ambassador is the punchline of the joke and the prime minister is actually laughing at him, I think that tells us all we need to know – it’s probably not reasonable that he continues in the role.
Ley said she wouldn’t call the meeting a success, pointing to a lack in movement in tariffs:
I don’t know that the work has been done to secure, as I said, that commitment to a tariff deal that we really want to see in this country … there are a lot of issues in the relationship. And maybe the critical minerals deal could have been leveraged to get those commitments around tariffs. It doesn’t appear that happened either.
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Wong: Trump’s ‘I don’t like you either’ comment to Kevin Rudd ‘clearly tongue-in-cheek’
The foreign affairs minister was asked about Donald Trump’s remark that he didn’t like the Australian ambassador, Kevin Rudd, and “probably never will” during the White House meeting early this morning.
Trump made the testy remark, telling Rudd “I don’t like you either”, at the White House cabinet room table, prompting uncomfortable laughter. Penny Wong told RN the ambassador had done an “extremely good job” getting the meeting between the US president and Albanese:
Look, I think those comments were clearly tongue-in-cheek. I’m very pleased that the meeting has been such a success. That is a good thing for our country. It’s extremely good to have this critical minerals deal backed in, and it’s extremely positive for the country to have the president so supportive of Aukus and the delivery of the submarines, which is an important capability for us.
Kevin did an extremely good job not only in getting the meeting but doing the work on the critical minerals deal. And the meeting reflects the success of that work.
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NSW government to buy back Northern Beaches hospital in $190m deal
The NSW government will pay $190m to buy back the Northern Beaches hospital and integrate it back into the public hospital system, the premier, Chris Minns, said this morning.
He said the move will ensure 494 beds are available to the public hospital system and the deal should be completed by 2026.
Minns and Labor have been scathing of the public-private hospital arrangement under which the Northen Beaches hospital was built. He said it was different from other private hospitals because it alone was providing public hospital facilities for the 350,000 people who live on the northern beaches.
“Ultimately this is a service we can’t outsource,” Minns said.
The issue of the quality of service at the hospital was brought into sharp focus by the death of 2-year-old Joe Massa in 2024.
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ABC’s John Lyons unable to cover Albanese-Trump meeting after denials from PM’s office
John Lyons, the ABC’s Americas editor, said he couldn’t get in to cover the meeting between Donald Trump and Anthony Albanese in Washington after multiple requests to do so were denied by the prime minister’s office.
Lyons said it was relatively usual for the Washington bureau chief for the ABC to be “part of the team”, adding there was no issue with the White House. Lyons was the subject of Trump’s ire last month after asking the president about his wealth since returning to the Oval Office.
Lyons told RN Breakfast earlier this morning of the meeting:
I couldn’t get in there, Sally, we tried. You know, usually according to convention, the Washington bureau chief for the ABC is usually part of the team. But on this occasion, we made many requests to the prime minister Albanese’s office and we were declined.
This was by prime minister Albanese’s office, who were the ones who said no. …
I don’t think Donald Trump had a problem. It’s the visiting leader who endorses and ticks off and approves the list of who can go in and who can’t. We tried several times through different means, and the prime minister’s office would not give us access.
Another ABC reporter, Canberra-based Jane Norman, was in the meeting.
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Wong says Australia in ‘best position possible’ under Trump’s tariff regime
Wong went on to say Australia was in the “best position possible” under Trump’s tariff regime, but said the country would continue to advocate for a shift in policy.
She told RN:
As the president said, he described our tariffs as low in the meeting overnight with the prime minister. Having said that, obviously we have a different position.
Australia will continue to engage with the United States in relation to the tariffs. … We’re in the best position, relatively, that we could be. Obviously, Australia remains a country that does believe in open, predictable trading markets.
Penny Wong labels meeting between Trump and Albanese a ‘great success’
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, said the meeting between the US president, Donald Trump, and Anthony Albanese was a “great success”.
Wong spoke to RN Breakfast this morning, saying:
The president said he loved Australia. He affirmed Aukus and confirmed that we will get the subs. And of course, prime minister Albanese and the president announced an historic critical minerals deal worth about US$8.5bn. So this was a very good outcome and reaffirms the approach that the government has taken, a calm, mature approach in the national interest.
Wong added Trump could not have been clearer on his support for the Aukus deal.
President Trump could not have been clearer on the submarines. He was very clear about his support for Aukus. He was very clear that Australia will get the subs. He was also very clear that the project was on track and how much work we had done as both governments for this project.
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Good morning
Nick Visser here to take over the blog. Let’s get into it.
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‘The relationship had broken down’: Joyce says of association with Littleproud
Later in the interview, Ferguson referred to a statement from Joyce to his branch members where he said his relationship with the Nationals leader, David Littleproud, had broken down. She asked when the relationship had broken down.
Joyce spoke about him being asked to stay in his electorate of New England because he “didn’t reflect what the National party believed in”.
He was then pressed by Ferguson, who said “these are all things that happened weeks ago”, to answer directly.
Joyce said:
This is sounding a very Trumpian, by you, very Trumpian … You’re going very Trump-Zelenskyy here.
He later said:
I’ve clearly said that is quite apparent to all, that the relationship had broken down. You always hoped that it would reconcile itself, and it wasn’t, right, and therefore you’ve got to, I don’t want to throw the plates around the kitchen. When something breaks down, you want to politely and in a dignified way, remove yourself from the situation. I think a lot of your listeners would understand that, and that’s what I’m doing.
Barnaby Joyce tight-lipped over possible move to One Nation
Barnaby Joyce refused to reveal more information over a possible move to One Nation in a tense interview on Monday night with the ABC.
After being asked on 7.30 by Sarah Ferguson if he would run on the Senate ticket for the far-right party in NSW, Joyce said: “I’m not going to discuss private discussions, Sarah,” referring to conversations had with the One Nation leader, Pauline Hanson.
He then said: “I know I don’t want this descend into sort of Trump-Zelenskyy Oval Office scenario, but I’m just not going to discuss private discussions.”
He was also asked if he would remain with the National party now it appears like it will dump a net zero target before the end of the year. Joyce responded that the move would be a “really good thing”.
But after being pressed on whether it would be enough for him to remain in the party, he said: “I’m not going to go through hypotheticals.”
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Michaelia Cash condemns 'dangerous' Chinese action
The shadow foreign affairs spokesperson, Michaelia Cash, has called reports of a Chinese fighter jet releasing flares in close proximity to a Royal Australian Air Force surveillance aircraft over the South China Sea “plainly unacceptable”.
Cash said the incident was the “third such provocation in less than a year” and called on Anthony Albanese to condemn the “dangerous” action.
Ina statement last night, Cash said:
This pattern of behaviour represents a serious escalation and poses a direct risk to the safety of Australian defence force personnel.
The prime minister must condemn this dangerous action publicly. Australia cannot afford silence or half-measures when the safety of our servicemen and women is at stake.
She added that the prime minister needed to use “his supposed improved relationship” with China to make sure it did not happen again.
Failure to do so would be a “failure to stand up for Australia’s national interests on the international stage”.
Read more here:
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it’ll be Nick Visser with the main action.
And so far today the main action has been at the White House, where the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, met the US president, Donald Trump, signed a big deal, and laughed as his ambassador was told off. We have all the colour and news for you.
Also, the rumours over Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce’s potential defection to One Nation rumble on, but Joyce was tight-lipped in a tense ABC interview.
And Michaelia Cash has gone on the offensive after a Chinese fighter jet released flares close to an Australian surveillance plane over the South China Sea. She says it was a dangerous provocation, a serious escalation, and must be condemned by the prime minister.
