What we learned; Tuesday 13 May
With that, we will wrap the blog for the evening. We’ll be back first thing tomorrow. Until then, here were today’s biggest developments:
Sussan Ley was elected by the Liberal party as the opposition leader, defeating Angus Taylor 29 votes to 25, with Ted O’Brien to join her as deputy. In her first press conference after the ballot, she said Australia was a place to “dream my biggest dreams”.
Taylor commended her for the “milestone” of becoming the party’s first female leader.
Meanwhile at Government House, the PM and his new ministry were sworn in for their second term in government. The start of the 148th federal parliament coincides with the world “entering a period of global dislocation not seen” since the second world war, Jim Chalmers warned.
The UN aviation council has ruled that Russia was responsible for the downing of the Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine in 2014 resulting in the deaths of 298 passengers and crew, including 38 Australian citizens.
And Linda Reynolds is suing the commonwealth for allegedly denying the Liberal senator the ability to defend claims made against her by former staffer Brittany Higgins while the government negotiated her $2.4m settlement.
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Jactina Price says she feels at ‘home’ with the Liberals
Finally, Price said she didn’t regret leaving the Nationals “at all”.
I wanted to become a Liberal Party member when I was very first elected, and there were blocks in the way at that point. I was new to the game, but I absolutely feel like I am in my home.
Asked if the Senate was also her “home”, Price said it was where the biggest battles would be fought under the current government.
I’m geared up for those battles and to support the Coalition from the Senate … the Senate is where I’m focused.
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Jacinta Price says nuclear the ‘cleanest, greenest’ form of energy and some Liberals still back it
Asked whether the vote came down to a contest between conservatives and the moderates, Price said there was “probably an element of that”.
I think there was different approaches to how we would take things, depending on what the leadership was going to be, and I think it’s going to now provide an opportunity for robust debate in the party room, which probably we didn’t have so much of before under Peter [Dutton].
Price thanks Sussan Ley for welcoming her into the party room, while cautioning “she’s got a huge job ahead of her”.
I don’t envy that. It is going to be a huge job to build from there … I will look at what opportunities come or don’t come, but ultimately, it’s about ensuring that we hold Labor to account in the next three years.
On climate and net zero, Price said she expected there would be some “robust debate” around energy and nuclear.
I think there are those of us who are absolutely of the view that we need to stick to nuclear. It’s the cleanest, greenest energy that we have. Obviously we’re now being put many years behind that, but we need to be smart in terms of our energy as well.
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Jacinta Nampijinpa Price speaks after failed Liberal deputy leadership bid
Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has just appeared on Sky News after deciding not to contest as deputy leader for the Liberal party. Price made the decision after the defeat of her running mate, Angus Taylor.
Asked why their ticket failed, she said there were probably “many reasons”.
I guess I can reflect on that, or I can look at the fact that we’ve got to move forward as a party, as a Coalition, in fact, and there’s a lot of work that needs to occur, to rebuild …
I absolutely respect the outcome of what the party room decided. And of course my concern is the state of the country under three more years of Labor, and I think that’s where we can all say we all are on a unity ticket.
Last week Price, a Country Liberal party senator, defected from the Nationals party room to sit with the Liberals, before putting her hat in the ring for the deputy leadership.
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AFL boss defends handling of Rioli case amid call for industry to fight racism
The AFL is appealing for the entire industry to unite and use the fresh Indigenous round as a landmark in the code’s fight against racism.
But AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon says headquarters can’t fix the problem itself as fallout continues from the Willie Rioli case.
The Port Adelaide forward has served a one-game suspension for threatening opponents, with his club directly linking the incidents with racism Rioli has suffered.
“I hope he is going OK,” Dillon told reporters in Darwin on Tuesday at the launch of the AFL’s annual Sir Doug Nicholls Round.
We want to have environments where everyone can be the best that they can be, and we have done a lot of work in this area. It would appear there is still more work to do, and we know that and we acknowledge that.
It’s something that it’s the AFL, it’s our clubs, it’s our players, it’s our coaches – it’s an all-of-industry approach that we are going to need to continue to make our environments the best they can be for all the men and women that play the game.
Read more:
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Australians rejected Coalition’s culture wars, Liberal MP admits
Asked if she was worried about the Liberals going down a more populist route, Price acknowledged when looking at the seats the Coalition lost – “we were not leaking votes to the right, the Labor Party was picking up the votes”.
We need to be really clear eyed about that and have a look at that in great detail. I’m not talking about a review – that will happen in due course – but you just have to look at that.
This sort of populist culture wars, I think Australia said we don’t like you doing that. It is not me saying that, we actually have to look at what the electorate wants and expects from us.
On net zero – Price said Australians had accepted it as policy.
I just don’t think they’re even talking about it. The climate was are over. I mean, the Greens would have you think differently but I think the climate wars are over. People now are very focused on what is what does our energy future look like.
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Price says Ley to lead Liberals from ‘sensible centre’ and lauds ‘historic’ moment
Liberal MP and party whip Melissa Price appeared on the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing earlier to discuss Sussan Ley’s appointment as opposition leader.
She said the party was prepared for eight candidates to stand up but just Ley and Angus Taylor did: “Thank goodness, because that would have meant more work for us.”
Price said she is “very close to Sussan” who is a “great mentor” and for her it was “no competition”.
That is not because it is a woman, let’s make that very clear. We need good men and women in our party … but I am happy to say I supported Sussan.
Price said she considered Ley to be in the “sensible centre”, adding the Liberals had an opportunity going forward to “build a great party”.
We cannot look to the past … we have to look to the future.
It is historic, the first female federal leader of the federal Liberal party. It is exciting and it is exhilarating to think what we will be able to achieve. But it is what we can achieve together. It is not that she is a woman but she has great experience but it is significant. We should not paper over that. It is significant that there will be a photo on that wall of a female and that will be the first time in our party’s history.
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Linda Reynolds sues commonwealth over handling of Brittany Higgins case
Linda Reynolds is suing the commonwealth for allegedly denying the Liberal senator the ability to defend claims made against her by former staffer Brittany Higgins while the government negotiated her $2.4m settlement.
The federal court of Australia released documents on Tuesday afternoon showing Reynolds is taking the matter to court, claiming the commonwealth’s “negligence” has made her suffer, and she is “continuing to suffer, loss and damage”.
The documents show the Western Australian Liberal is trying to recoup “legal costs associated with being obliged to commence proceedings so as to vindicated [sic] and restore her reputation” and “legal costs incurred to date in vindicating the applicant’s reputation”.
In a statement last month, Reynolds claimed the former attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, and commonwealth lawyers had engaged in “egregious conduct” by taking over her defence and settling with Higgins.
The statement said:
The proceedings commenced by me ... have been long foreshadowed and concern the egregious conduct of the Attorney-General and the Commonwealth’s lawyers in taking over my defence of Ms Higgins’ claim without my consent, failing to take any instructions from me, failing to test Ms Higgins’ allegations, denying me an opportunity to attend the mediation, denying me an ability to retain my own legal counsel, settling the claim on my behalf without my consent and failing to provide me with sufficient or accurate information about the terms of the settlement.
The Commonwealth and its lawyers were hopelessly conflicted. The Attorney General and his ministers had been such staunch public supporters of Ms Higgins, politicising her untested, unsubstantiated and untrue allegations against me and it is impossible to reconcile how they considered they could act in my best interests and advocate for me in those circumstances.
The parties are due in a Perth court next month to determine whether the issue can be resolved through mediation or go to trial.
Both Reynolds and Higgins are awaiting a separate ruling from the Western Australian supreme court after the now-retired senator took her former staffer to court alleging she had defamed her.
The five-week defamation trial finished in September 2024 but the judge has yet to deliver his verdict.
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Victorian firefighters and farmers in 11th hour bid to stop levy
Hundreds of volunteer firefighters and farmers in Victoria have banded together in a last-ditch effort to stop the controversial expansion of an emergency services levy, AAP reports.
The Victorian Labor government wants to replace the state’s fire services property levy with a emergency services and volunteers fund from 1 July.
Under the tax change, households across the state are expected to pay an extra $63 a year on average and farmers an extra $678 a year.
The levy is forecast to raise an extra $765m a year by 2027/28 to fund more agencies including the State Emergency Service, Triple Zero Victoria and Emergency Recovery Victoria.
With the legislation scheduled for debate this week, Country Fire Authority volunteers and farmers were among several hundred people to rally outside Victoria’s parliament on Tuesday.
They chanted “scrap the tax” in front of fire trucks and held signs with slogans such as “no farms, no food, no future” and “burn the levy, not our wallets”.
The Victorian treasurer, Jaclyn Symes, who will hand down her first budget on 20 May, hinted relief was in the offing for drought-hit farmers, with “more to say in coming days”.
– via Australian Associated Press
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Greens acknowledge role of Guardian reporting in spurring NSW abortion bill
The Greens NSW member for Newtown, Jenny Leong, has acknowledged the role that Guardian Australia’s reporting played in spurring the Greens to introduce the bill.
Leong referenced Guardian’s reporting last year that “only three of the 220 public hospitals in New South Wales consistently and openly provide abortion services. Rural and regional communities disproportionately bear the brunt of this inconsistency with people in these areas forced to drive hours simply to access their right to choose.”
When reporting from the ABC and the Guardian revealed the scale and prevalence of barriers to abortion access in New South Wales, there was widespread outrage and concern in this place and beyond.
The original bill Amanda Cohn introduced to the upper house had intended to legislate to ensure abortion services are provided across the state within a reasonable distance of residents’ homes, and giving the health minister the power to compel public health services to comply with any directions to offer abortion services. However, that part of the bill has been removed through amendments. Leong said that part of the bill existed because:
We don’t want to be in a situation where we are relying on whistleblowers or traumatic situations experienced by individuals to go to the media about challenges they have facing when another public hospital and then have a government having to intervene in that process.
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NSW lower house begins to debate abortion bill
After passing NSW parliament’s upper house last week, the Greens’ abortion amendment bill has now begun to be debated in the lower house. If passed, it will come into law.
Abortion was decriminalised in the state in 2019. The Greens member for Newtown, Jenny Leong, has begun telling the Legislative Assembly “we are now taking the next and important step in this chapter to ensure the work being done to decriminalise abortion, is followed through by ensuring that all people have access to that critical healthcare”.
After amendments, the bill being passed will expand access by allowing nurse practitioners and endorsed midwives to prescribe medical abortions up to nine weeks gestation.
Leong said:
This will have an immediate major impact on access to reproductive justice, particularly in regional and remote communities, where many struggle to get an appointment with a GP, or indeed cannot access the healthcare that they require.
However, Leong said there had been an “enormous amount of misinformation about this bill”:
This bill is an essential expansion of access for people to healthcare, access to their reproductive rights at a time when we are seeing abortion bans imposed in several states in the US and organised campaigns of harmful, harmful disinformation that has caused considerable stress in our own communities.
You can read more here:
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Ley will be the oldest first-time opposition leader since 1960s
Sussan Ley will be Australia’s oldest first-time opposition leader since the 1960s, after winning the Liberal leadership this morning.
At 63 years and five months old, Ley is just a handful of weeks younger than Arthur Calwell was when he took the Labor leadership in 1960. Calwell went up against Robert Menzies and Harold Holt.
Ley comfortably beats the previous title holder, Anthony Albanese, who was 56 when he became opposition leader.
She’s the third-oldest first-time opposition leader in Australia’s history, behind Calwell and post-second world war Labor leader Ben Chifley, who was 64 when he lost the prime ministership.
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Many thanks to Cait Kelly for guiding us through today’s news. Cait #2 here for the rest of the afternoon.
Two people missing off Streaky Bay in South Australia
Two people are missing off the waters off Streaky Bay, near Back Beach Road, in South Australia.
Emergency services are searching for the two people who were reported missing at about 11:15am.
The search is being conducted by local police, including the water operation unit, and the State Emergency Service (SES).
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Record spending on law and order in NT budget
This from AAP: Record spending of $1.5bn on law and order will deliver for voters who demanded community safety be the top priority for government, a territory treasurer says.
Delivering his Country Liberal party’s first budget for the Northern Territory, treasurer Bill Yan slammed the previous Labor government for years of economic mismanagement and failing to tackle growing crime rates:
Today’s budget puts crime victims first, prioritises law and order and begins the long task of repairing Labor’s mess.
The budget would restore confidence but it was not a time for austerity, Yan said, with the territory needing to play to its strengths in mining, gas, agriculture, tourism and defence.
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Victorian Socialists aiming to expand to run socialist candidates across Australia
Victorian Socialists have said they are going to expand across Australia to run more candidates.
Jordan van den Lamb, who headed the Victorian Socialists Senate ticket in the recent election, said:
Victorian Socialists has, in this state, provided an alternative to pro-capitalist politics of major party politicians, and we want to ensure everyone, no matter where in Australia you live, has the opportunity to vote socialist in future elections.
We want to build branches in every state and territory, and ultimately every city and town in Australia. We won’t win a better, more equal society if our struggles remain isolated and divided. The more of us there are coming together across Australia to fight the rotten status quo of capitalist politics, the more powerful our movement will become.
If we can build socialist parties across Australia on the model of Victorian Socialists, our movement will be impossible to ignore. The long-term decline in the vote share of the major parties shows people want change. We’re announcing ourselves today as people who are determined to deliver that.
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Ley claims PM’s approach to Jewish Australians ‘one of the biggest threats to social cohesion’
Sussan Ley then pivots, unprompted, back to the situation in Gaza. She said:
One of the biggest threats to social cohesion and the country is the prime minister’s approach to Jewish Australians.
Everything that happens overseas, and I have reflected on that, has domestic implications.
We have a foreign minister, Penny Wong, who let down Australia in the UN this year and we have a prime minister who is intent on letting down Jewish Australians on the streets of our cities.
One thing I have heard consistently over the last two years has been the sense of isolation, fear and real concern for our wonderful Jewish Australians. I want to make clear, going forward, we will work very hard to hold this prime minister and government to account because it is not acceptable to see what we have seen on the streets of our cities and in the universities.
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Ley says “there won’t be a climate war” under her leadership.
There will be sound and sensible consultation.
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Ley asked about standing in front of Indigenous flag and welcome to country
Ley has also been asked about standing in front of the Indigenous flag and her views on welcome to country.
We should unite under the one Australian flag. That is my firm view.
Of course, I’m happy to stand in front of the flag and quickly, with respect to welcome to country, it is simple: if it matters, it resonates then it is in the right.
As environment minister and health minister, I listened carefully and participated in welcome to country ceremonies that were all of those things. If it is done in a way that is box-ticking on a Teams meeting, then I don’t think it is relevant. I think it diminishes the value of what it is an important we understand that.
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Ley says her pro-Palestine position changed after visiting Israel
Ley has been asked about previous comments she made in support of Palestine. She said she has changed her position after visiting Israel at the invitation of Liberal MP Julian Leeser.
I wish we had a leadership of the Palestinian people [that was not] letting them down quite so badly. Right now, what we’re seeing is not a party interested peace with Israel, not a party interested in a secure Israel behind secure borders and not a party interested in a just and lasting peace.
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Policy review will include energy, Ley says after more net zero questions
And we are back on net zero with Ley asked if their policy on net zero will be reviewed. She said:
Energy policy is part of our review. As I said, we have to have the right energy policy for the country. We have to start from the position of affordable, reliable baseload power.
And remember that our competitive advantage in manufacturing in this country has always been built on energy. And we need to remember that.
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‘It is safe. It is reliable’: Ley says live sheep exporting should continue
Ley has been asked about live exporting and if she supports it.
My position on the trade is that it should continue. It is safe. It is reliable. And it meets the animal welfare standards that it should. And in discussing the live sheep trade with the West Australians after I became deputy and travelled over, I met individually with farmers, with representatives of the pastoral industry, and WA farmers, and I assured them of my stand.
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Ley praises Jacinta Price and says she welcomed her to party room ‘with a big hug’
Asked about Jacinta Price being in the Liberals now, Ley says she gave her a big hug when she saw her.
I welcomed Jacinta into the party room this morning with a big hug, and many of my colleagues did. Jacinta is a clear and talented communicator.
I want to make it clear, and I have many times, how much we welcome Jacinta into this party room. I will have more to say about the shaping of my shadow cabinet going forward, but I will say this – my shadow cabinet will include people who did support me in this room this morning, and people who did not.
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Sussan Ley says no policies have been ’adopted or walked away from’ when pressed on net zero
Under questions about net zero, Ley has snapped at one of the journalists in the press pack – it sounded like Andrew Probyn – accusing him of putting words in her mouth.
Ley:
There are different views about how we appropriately reduce emissions. Now, we need to reduce emissions in this country, and Australia needs to play its part in reducing emissions. That I absolutely sign up to.
We also know that, if we don’t do energy policy well, we can crash the energy grid. We can cripple Australian manufacturing. We can have a situation where sovereign manufacturing capability in this country is going backwards, or going overseas …
Probyn:
You’re prepared to walk away … from net zero?
Ley:
You’re putting words in my mouth, Andrew. No policies have been adopted or walked away from at this time.
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Ley responds to question on nuclear policy by saying party will ‘work through every single policy issue’
Ley is back up – she says after the questions finish, she will head to her mother in Albury, who is in end-of-life care.
Moving to questions, the first is on nuclear and if the Coalition will hold on to the policy.
Here in this party room only a couple of hours ago, I committed to my colleagues that there would be no captain’s calls from anywhere by me.
I also committed to the discussions that I had with them this week that we would work through every single policy issue and canvass the different views and take the time to get it right. And you might hear me saying ‘take the time to get it right’ quite a lot this morning.
Because that’s really important. Unsurprisingly in our party, there are many different views, and we will listen and we will take the positions that we need to at the appropriate time.
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O’Brien says he is experienced ‘deputy’ to wife Sophia
O’Brien says he is well suited for the job of deputy leader because that is how he is at home.
When it comes to experience serving as a deputy, Sussan, can I say that I’m actually a very experienced deputy leader at home to Sophia, and our three kids.
And if I think of our three children – the oldest of whom is 12 and the youngest is around about 20 months – I think of what sort of Australia they are going to live in when they are my age and older.
Will it be an Australia that is prosperous? That is strong? That is fiercely independent? Or will it be an Australia that has followed the Labor pathway? An Australia which is poor, which is weak, and which is dependent? It is those children and their peers which drives my service, including as the deputy leader of this party.
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Ted O’Brien addresses media as new deputy Liberal leader
The new deputy leader, Ted O’Brien, has also started by introducing himself and giving a little bit of background.
I grew up the youngest of nine kids. Mum and Dad had two girls, seven boys. And so, as the runt of the litter, I came to know, very early, the importance of the broader group – that it’s not just about you, it’s about everybody else.
And, indeed, it’s with that sense of team that I am feeling particularly humbled and honoured to serve as the deputy leader of the Liberal party.
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‘We must learn from’ election mistakes, Sussan Ley says
Ley said she will make sure at the next election there is a “competitive policy offering”.
We stood across polling booths across this country and saw the look on people’s faces as they came in, sadly, not to vote for us – they felt disappointed and let down.
We understand that, and we must learn from that. And we must take the time to get it right. So I’ve committed to doing that. Taking the time to get it right. It is time to step up, regroup, and rebuild for the Australian people.
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Ley reflects on beginnings of political career and ‘what the Liberal party has given me’
Ley said she was able to pursue her dreams as an aerial stock mustering pilot, and worked in shearing sheds.
In my life in Western Queensland, I worked in the shearing sheds. I learned the value of a hard day’s work in the hot sun. I learned the real value of, and the dignity of, manual labour. And I always said there was no better wisdom than the wisdom of the shearers in their singlets sitting at the huts at the end of a hard, hard day.
She became a farmer’s wife and raised three children, she said, before going to study finance in her 30s, getting a master’s in tax reform and entering politics in John Howard’s 2001 government.
I am incredibly grateful for what the Liberal party has given me, and everything that I am as I stand before you today is reflected by the party that has been part of, well, over half of my adult life.
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Sussan Ley says Australia is a place to ‘dream my biggest dreams’ in first press conference as Liberal leader
Sussan Ley says, “I want to talk a little bit about me”:
And I want to talk about my views of the Liberal party, because the Liberal party has shaped the person that I am today.
My story is a migrant story. It’s a small-business story. It’s a rural Australia story. It’s a story about a mum and a family, and it is a modern Australian story.
When I came to this country as a young girl from a cold English boarding school in my teenage years, I stepped out of the aeroplane at Brisbane airport and I looked at this brilliant blue sky and I knew that I’d come to the best country on Earth.
And I knew that Australia was a place where I could dream my biggest dreams – and I have. And I’ve never stopped feeling grateful for this country, for what it has given me.
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Liberal party needs to reflect modern Australia, Ley says
Sussan Ley says she wants to do things differently.
We have to have a Liberal party that respects modern Australia, that reflects modern Australia, and that represents modern Australia. And we have to meet the people where they are. And that’s what I am committed to doing and what I am determined to do.
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Ley acknowledges Angus Taylor and says he will have an ‘integral role’ in party future
Ley says:
Can I say something about Angus Taylor?
Can I acknowledge Angus Taylor for putting his hand up to lead the Liberal party? He would have been a fine leader of the Liberal party at this time. Angus and I have worked collegiately together over many years – in government, and in opposition.
He’s an intelligent, talented contributor to so many ideas, initiatives, and what we need to do as a Liberal party going forward. And he will have an integral role in our party with the next steps going forward.
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New Liberal leader Sussan Ley says party must ‘reflect with humility’ on election loss
Ley said “it’s terrific” to have Ted O’Brien join her as deputy and says the Libs need to reflect on the election result.
And I’ve spent a lot of time this week talking to my colleagues, and I’m optimistic that they have the right ideas. And I’m positive about what lies ahead. But on May the 3rd, we faced a significant defeat. And the scale and the size of that defeat is not lost on any of us. And right now, we have to respect the result and reflect with humility.
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Sussan Ley speaking to media in Canberra
The new opposition leader, Sussan Ley, is speaking in Canberra. She starts:
I am humbled. I am honoured. And I am up for the job.
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Woman charged with murder after fire in Darling Downs that killed three children
Queensland police have charged a woman over a house fire that killed three children at Toowoomba on the Darling Downs.
The blaze last Wednesday claimed the lives of two girls – aged four and seven – and a nine-year-old boy. The 36-year-old woman is facing three counts of murder as well as attempted murder and arson. She remains in a critical condition in hospital.
More to come.
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Albanese thanks new cabinet for loyalty and support
He finishes by congratulating his cabinet and saying it’s important to repay the trust voters have put in them.
Congratulations to all of you, and thank you for the loyalty, for the support that you showed.
After I go to Indonesia, I will have the great honour of representing Australia at the inaugural mass that will take place in St Peter’s in Rome, and that will be, personally for me, a great honour to be able to represent Australia there as well.
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PM says he expects ministers to ‘deliver on’ all election commitments
Albanese said he will now start delivering on their election promises.
We put forward a positive agenda in the election campaign. Our job is to go through every single one of our commitments and deliver on them. And that’s what I expect ministers to do over the coming three years. We have an incredible honour of dealing with representing the best country on Earth.
He said he would be travelling to Indonesia tomorrow to meet the country’s president, Prabowo Subianto.
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PM: Labor focused on ‘issues that were close to people’ such as cost of living
Albanese said the Labor party had put forward a “positive agenda” during the campaign:
We had a clear plan. We set about focusing on the issues that were close to people. We understood that we governed in really difficult global economic times.
And we were focused on cost-of-living relief whilst getting that downward pressure on inflation, whilst continuing to provide better services in health, in education, dealing with the decade of neglect when it comes to climate change and the decade of neglect when it comes to building housing and increasing housing supply.
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Albanese speaking in Canberra
And we are going to Canberra, where the PM is speaking. He said:
It is an incredible honour to be elected as a member of parliament, but it’s an even greater honour to serve in the Executive of a Labor government. And it’s important that we repay the faith and trust that’s been placed in us on 3 May. We are ahead at this point in 94 electorates – there is a possibility of a 95th.
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Sussan Ley to hold press conference at 1.30pm; new cabinet meets
It’s been a busy morning and there will be another busy hour coming up. At about 1.30pm we’ll hear the first remarks from new opposition leader Sussan Ley, who will hold a press conference in Parliament House after her victory in the Liberal leadership ballot earlier today.
No doubt, she’ll get questions on how she plans to bring the party together after their election drubbing, where the Liberals go now, and the future of policies like their nuclear energy push (championed by her new deputy, Ted O’Brien).
But before that, very shortly, we’re expecting to hear from prime minister Anthony Albanese. He’s holding the first meeting of his new cabinet, which was sworn in this morning, and we’ll likely get some remarks from the start of the meeting.
A number of new faces and new roles will be in that meeting, as we’ve reported.
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Bindi Irwin has surgery for ruptured appendix and large hernia
Bindi Irwin has missed her late father Steve Irwin’s annual gala after being rushed to hospital with a ruptured appendix.
Posting a video from the hospital to social media, Irwin said after many months of a “grumbly appendix”, she finally had to seek help the day of the gala.
After consulting with Dr Seckin, we agreed that if I flew to New York, he could also check for endometriosis again. Surgery was a success.
She said she also had a repair to a large hernia and appreciated all the kind messages she had received.
Credit to [her brother] Robert for hosting the evening; he did such an incredible job raising funds and awareness for Wildlife Warriors. And thanks to my family for always being there for me.
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NAB April survey: persistent business pessimism, especially among retailers and wholesalers
Australian businesses grew a little more hopeful as tariff chaos eased in April but remain more pessimistic overall, new data from NAB has found.
Retailers and wholesalers were the least confident, possibly reflecting a slower-than-expected recovery in household spending, after last week’s data came in lower than predicted.
But manufacturers were significantly more optimistic in mid-April than they were the previous month, while construction companies and financial services companies were also slightly more confident, according to NAB’s monthly business survey.
Conditions are still difficult as profits fall and customers cut their forward orders of products, especially from retailers and wholesalers. Companies also cut back on big-ticket capital expenditure on new equipment and technology, sending the measure to its lowest level in nearly a year, in a sign of persistent pessimism about the future.
NAB’s monthly business survey indicated businesses’ existing equipment, tech and workforce were less stretched in April, with the easing pressure signalled by a fall in capacity utilisation to its long-run average level for the first time since mid-2021.
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Angus Taylor: Sussan Ley’s appointment a ‘milestone’ for Liberal party
The federal member for Hume, Angus Taylor, has issued a statement after narrowly losing in a bid to lead the Liberal party.
He congratulated new leader Sussan Ley on her success in the ballot, describing it as a “milestone”.
Sussan has led a remarkable life and becoming the first woman to lead the Liberal Party is a milestone for Sussan and our party.
Taylor said serving as shadow treasurer for the past three years had been “one of the greatest honours of my time in public life”.
Economics is ultimately about people. Over the past three years, Australians have experienced a record collapse in their standard of living – rising prices, falling wages, and a growing sense that hope is becoming a luxury product.
I’m proud that we took to the election strong and practical plans to beat inflation sustainably; repair our housing and energy markets; revive growth by backing small business and investment; deliver targeted, timely tax relief; and restore the budget to protect our nation.
Taylor noted the Liberal Party had suffered an “historic defeat, and we have lost many good people in this election”.
This result shows we must do more to convince Australians that the Coalition is the best party to support aspiration, economic opportunity, and the Australian dream. We must do better and we must unify.
The Liberal Party has a proud history, and I firmly believe in its future. I will contribute the best way I can to help get us back in the fight. It is crucial Australia has a strong and competent opposition to hold this Labor government to account.
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Australian consumers feeling more confident after Labor win, US-China trade talks
Australian consumers are feeling a little more confident about the economy after Labor’s re-election and a partial post-tariff sharemarket recovery, after a month of election campaign uncertainty at home and Donald Trump trade chaos abroad.
A rise in the Westpac-Melbourne Institute consumer sentiment index points shows more Australians think their family finances have improved in the past year, are more likely to splash out on a big item, and have more faith the economy will keep improving.
The index rose 2.2% from early April to May, or a more substantial 6% if compared with consumer sentiment after Trump’s tariff announcement. Household confidence also continued to track upwards on the ANZ-Roy Morgan measure, which reached its highest level since the Reserve Bank’s interest rate cut in February.
Matthew Hassan, Westpac’s head of Australian macro forecasting, said survey respondents who didn’t vote for Peter Dutton were particularly optimistic in the days after the election:
The combined effect of a bounce among ALP and swing voters slightly outweighed the fall among Coalition voters.
Hassan also pointed to greater confidence from older respondents whose superannuation might be benefiting from rebounding sharemarkets and from renters and young people enjoying falling petrol prices, but he warned the index was still 3.9% below its March level.
Consumer sentiment has recovered just over a third of last month’s tariff-related fall … and [is] in ‘firmly pessimistic’ territory overall.
But that measure may improve after the US-China temporary tariff deal, announced yesterday, and another interest rate cut, which the RBA is widely expected to deliver next Tuesday.
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Ted O’Brien: the moderate who is pro Asia and pro nuclear
And who is Ted O’Brien, the new deputy leader of the Liberals?
Well, he loves nuclear. The MP for Fairfax has been the shadow minister for climate change and energy and led an inquiry into the possibility of nuclear energy in Australia.
He also loves the Olympics and played a big role in securing Brisbane 2032. O’Brien is a moderate who, in a pre-parliament life, worked overseas in Taiwan, Hong Kong and China.
He has previously called for a free-trade agreement with Taiwan.
And as one reader pointed out – we would be a miss to not mention O’Brien was also Chair of the Australian Republican Movement from 2005 to 2007.
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Price will work with new leaders to make Coalition ‘formidable opposition’
Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has congratulated new Liberal leader Sussan Ley and deputy leader Ted O’Brien.
In a statement, she said she was “disappointed” Angus Taylor wasn’t elected. She bowed out of the race for deputy after his loss.
She said she was still committed to the Liberal party and the Coalition.
I was contesting the position of deputy leader on a ticket with Angus Taylor, and given the outcome with respect to the position of leader of the Liberal party, I chose not to contest the position of deputy leader.
I will work with Sussan Ley and Ted O’Brien to ensure the Coalition is a formidable opposition to the Albanese Labor government.
Nampijinpa Price defected from the Nationals last week, and announced over the weekend that she would run with Taylor, with the pair releasing a video on social media, publicising the move.
The Nationals said they were “disappointed” by the Country Liberal party senator, who can choose to sit with either side of the Coalition, leaving, and re-elected David Littleproud as their leader in a ballot yesterday.
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Will Liberals and Nationals remain a coalition?
Asked if the Nationals will stay in coalition with the Liberals, Perin Davey said:
Each state will treat things differently. But it will be a conversation that David Littleproud and Sussan Ley will have. We know that the Coalition, a strong Coalition, works well for this nation, and a Coalition has been in government more than any other party. So it is sensible to have a strong and working Coalition if they can come to that agreement. But it will be a matter for the leadership of the two parties.
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Perin Davey: number of frontbench positions held by Nationals needs to be discussed
Davey said there needed to be conversations about how many frontbench positions the Nationals have:
We’re now in a situation where the Nationals hold six lower house seats in New South Wales, and the Liberals hold seven lower house seats in New South Wales.
And yet, the Liberals hold three of the New South Wales Senate positions held by the Coalition, and the Nationals only hold one. So I think that those conversations need to be held, need to be gone through when David and Sussan meet to discuss what future arrangements there will be.
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Nationals’ Perin Davey hopes new Liberal leadership will remember rural Australia
Nationals Senator Perin Davey is on the ABC talking about Ley. She said:
I’m particularly excited about having a leader of the Liberal Party who is from the regions. Hopefully, that will put the regions back in focus, because one of my passions in my time in parliament over the last six years has been making sure that regional Australians are not forgotten.
So I’m quite excited that we’ve got a regional leader, and congratulations to Sussan Ley, being the first female elected as leader of the Liberal Party.
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Australian stock prices rise, investors hopeful about US-China trade talks
Australian shares have surged on the back of Monday’s US-China tariff pause, adding more than $20bn in value, as investors pin their hopes on the world economy recovering from more than a month of tariff chaos.
The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 surpassed 8,300 points for the first time since February, nearly a 1% gain. The market is 13% higher than it was after Donald Trump’s Liberation Day announcement and China’s imposition of retaliatory measures.
The world’s two biggest economies yesterday announced they would temporarily lower those tariffs by 115 basis points each, with levies of 30% on Chinese imports to the US and 10% on US goods entering China for the next 90 days.
Kitchenware producer Breville jumped 8% on the hopes Australian customers may regain optimism and spend more in the wake of the deal. Flight Centre rose 7%, although its value is still a fifth smaller than it was before Trump’s inauguration.
Mineral resources rose 7% and fellow miners BHP and Fortescue gained more than 2% each as lower tariffs suggest better growth prospects and sustained demand for iron and metals. Telix Pharmaceuticals rose nearly 5%, despite the uncertainty created by Trump’s separate executive order yesterday threatening new measures against drugmakers unless they lower their pharmaceutical prices for US customers.
Gold companies were the biggest losers, led by Ora Banda, down 9%, after the safe haven commodity slipped in price as investors optimistically rushed back to riskier assets.
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Sussan Ley: a woman from regional Australia who says she can appeal to many
So, who is Sussan Ley?
In the lead up to the leadership vote, Ley publicly and privately pitched herself as the best candidate to appeal to sections of the electorate that have deserted the Liberals in the past two elections, particularly women.
Ley – who represents the seat of Farrer in regional NSW – was a cabinet minister under Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison, where she held various portfolios including health, sport and environment.
She resigned from Turnbull’s frontbench in 2017 after it was revealed she had used taxpayer funds to travel to New Year’s Eve events hosted by a Queensland businesswoman and party donor.
In January, Ley also courted controversy by comparing the arrival of the First Fleet to Elon Musk’s SpaceX seeking to reach Mars. She said:
In what could be compared to Elon Musk’s SpaceX’s efforts to build a new colony on Mars, men in boats arrived on the edge of the known world to embark on that new experiment. A new experiment and a new society.
You will probably also remember in 2023, she read out the names of the 60 women killed in Australia so far that year, and she once dressed up as Tina Turner in parliament to raise money for cancer care.
To save you Googling it, you can see it here:
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Jacinta Nampijinpa Price yet to comment on abandoned bid for deputy leadership
Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has left the party room without answering questions after her abandoned bid for the deputy leadership.
Price withdrew her nomination for the role after running mate Angus Taylor was defeated in the leadership ballot.
Asked if her defection from the Nationals to the Liberals was worth it, Price said:
“I’ll be making comments in due course.”
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Liberal party needs to understand teals’ popularity, Wallace says
Andrew Wallace has said the party needs to do some soul searching about why voters support the teals.
We have to appoint people on merit. And the party room decided that Sussan was the best person to take us forward. For those seats [where] – like my own on the Sunshine Coast – there was a very strong teal challenge, we need to understand better what was attracting people to vote for a teal.
I’ll be absolutely listening and digging around as to why that happened. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that Sussan is an exceptional parliamentarian. I think she will make a great leader.
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Former speaker praises Sussan Ley: ‘nothing beats experience’
Wallace said Sussan knows “where all the bodies are buried”:
She was the acting leader, the deputy leader, for the last three years. Sussan is a woman with 24 years’ experience in this place, and I think nothing beats experience in this place.
She knows where all the bodies are buried, she knows the tactics, which is very important in this place, and … she’s been here for 24 years. I think that speaks volumes.
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Liberals say Ley’s election proves party is listening to people of Australia
Jane Hume has emerged from the party room, telling media it’s “a new era”.
And this from the former speaker Andrew Wallace:
We’ve gotta demonstrate that the Liberal party is listening to the people of Australia and learning. I’m very pleased to be a part of that, and it’s time to rebuild and get on with it.
Asked if the party can unite, he said:
One thing the Australian people will not cop is a disunified opposition. And we need to now unite and rebuild. We can’t rebuild if we’re not united. And I think everybody in that room understands that, and that is exactly what we will do
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More reactions outside the Liberal party room
Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has also emerged from the party room, remaining tight-lipped as she walked past the media. She did not end up putting her hand up for deputy leader after Angus Taylor lost the leadership ballot.
She said:
I’ll be making comments in due course.
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Liberals herald ‘new beginning’ for party after Sussan Ley and Ted O’Brien take the leadership
Sussan Ley and Ted O’Brien have left the Liberal party room together after being elected leader and deputy leader of the party.
Ley did not speak to the assembled press pack but will hold a media conference later this afternoon.
Liberal senators Hollie Hughes and Linda Reynolds – who both publicly endorsed Ley prior to Tuesday’s ballot – were clearly thrilled with the outcome as they exited the party room. Reynolds said:
“Australians spoke very clearly and we listened”
The NSW senator Andrew Bragg – a prominent moderate – said he was “very happy” with the result, which WA senator Dean Smith said heralded a “new beginning” for the party.
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Jason Wood has also thrown the media a line, saying:
Great for the Liberal party, first female leader.
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Linda Reynolds had a little bit more to say when she was asked if she was happy with the results:
Delighted with the result. Australia spoke very clearly to the Liberal party. We’ve listened and we’ve acted. And we’re united.
Notably, Reynolds was flanked by other female Liberal MPs, who were all smiles.
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Ley all smiles after successful leadership victory
Sussan Ley has emerged from the party room flanked by her new deputy. She was all smiles as she slipped past the media scrum, telling journalists she would hold a press conference later today.
We will of course, bring you that when it is on.
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Going back to Government House for a hot second, where the new Labor ministry is being sworn in: the new home affairs minister, Tony Burke, has again brought his massive family bible.
It’s old and it’s big and it was bought in 1880 by his great-grandfather, who then migrated to Australia. Last time around, he said (on X):
There’s been some interest in the really large old Bible I was sworn in on today as Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and Minister for the Arts. Dad’s grandfather came to Tumut from Ireland after the famine and bought it on 28 March 1880.
Here’s a picture from earlier today:
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Ted O’Brien wins Liberal deputy leadership
And Queensland MP Ted O’Brien has won the deputy-leader position in the Liberals, getting 38 votes against fellow Queenslander Phil Thompson, who won 16.
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We are just waiting to hear about the deputy vote, which is happening now.
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Sussan Ley defeats Angus Taylor for leadership 29 votes to 25
Sussan Ley has become Australia’s first female opposition leader and the first woman to lead the Liberal party, beating Angus Taylor in the race for the Liberal leadership.
She won against Taylor 29 votes to 25.
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Sussan Ley wins vote for Liberal leadership
Sussan Ley has won the leadership of the Liberal party, defeating Angus Taylor. She will be the first female leader in the position.
More to come.
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Liberals voting on new leadership
The Liberal party is voting right now for the leadership – we will bring you the news on the new leader as soon as we have it.
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Liberal doorstop shows MPs still making up their minds on next party leader
Liberal MPs and senators have arrived at parliament this morning to vote for their new leader, but not before journalists tried to bounce them at the doors to get them to reveal who they’d vote for.
Backbencher Alex Hawke said many Liberals would still be deciding who to vote for and said he would have a “few more conversations” with colleagues this morning before the vote:
We’ve got two very good choices ... I think Angus Taylor of course is a great leader, I think he’s been a great treasurer, he’s got a really good chance, and I also think Sussan Ley has got some really good claims as well as our deputy leader.
I’m going to think about it, I’ve got a few more conversations to have with colleagues, I think you’ll find most people are still mulling over the choice ... I think what we’ve lacked in the last few years is a real competitive process.
Dan Tehan, who dealt himself out of the leadership race, wouldn’t say which way he thought the ballot would go, telling journalists to “enjoy our day”.
Conservative MP Garth Hamilton meanwhile said his vote would be going to Angus Taylor, who’s running with Jacinta Price.
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Through the lens: more swearing in
The new ministers have started to arrive with their families for the ceremony. Here we have the aged care minister, Sam Rae:
And we’ve got Mark Butler, the health minister, holding his son:
And here is the deputy PM, Richard Marles, coming through the doors of Government House. You can’t quite see in this pic but his son, 29-year-old Sam Marles – a pro MMA fighter – is coming up the rear.
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Through the lens: the swearing in
And we’ve got some pics of the swearing-in ceremony this morning.
Here is the PM arriving at Government House:
And here he is being sworn in, with his fiancee, Jodie Haydon, and son, Nathan, watching on:
And we’ve got Penny Wong rocking up in Labor red with her daughter to be sworn in:
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Anthony Albanese and his new ministry being sworn in
At Government House, the PM and his new ministry are being sworn in.
The swearing-in ceremony, which started at 9am, is conducted by the governor general Sam Mostyn in Canberra.
The PM took the affirmation as his fiancée, Jodie Haydon, and son, Nathan, watched on.
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McKim touts Greens’ power in Senate despite lower house losses
The Greens’ acting leader, Senator Nick McKim, also said:
We faced enormous David v Goliath campaigns by both major parties this election, funded by big corporations and the fossil fuel lobby.
Yet more people than ever before have backed the Greens’ big solutions for the housing, cost of living, and climate crisis – demanding more than the Band-aid solutions offered by Labor and the Liberals.
The Greens worked to keep Dutton out, and he’s been kicked out. And now we’ll be returning with the incredible Elizabeth Watson-Brown in the House of Representatives, and all 11 of our Senators in the Senate.
The Greens are set to be a powerful force in the next parliament, as part of a strong progressive crossbench and holding the balance of power in the Senate, pushing for more action on the climate, housing and the cost of living crises.
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Greens' MP: ‘No excuse now for Labor to resist reform’ in ‘most progressive Senates we’ve ever had’
After the ABC called the seat of Ryan for the Greens and their candidate Elizabeth Watson-Brown, the party has says they will use their balance of power in the Senate to get Labor to take stronger action on climate, housing and cost-of-living crises.
The Greens member for Ryan, Elizabeth Watson-Brown MP:
I want to thank the people of Ryan for again putting their trust in me to be their strong, independent voice in parliament – and for helping to keep Dutton out.
I am deeply honoured to be your MP and will work hard with you for a brighter future for all of us.
This term we have one of the most progressive Senates we’ve ever had, an opportunity for real progressive reform. There is no excuse now for Labor to resist real reform to help people and nature.
The Greens are ready to push Labor to take stronger action on the climate, housing and cost-of-living crises.
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Victoria to extend $8,000 sign-on bonus for new prison officers
Allan says they will have enough staff to oversee the extra beds, with more than 640 prison officers and 170 youth justice officers joining the corrections system in the past year.
A $8,000 sign-on bonus announced at the start of the year for new recruits at the Western Plains and Hopkins correctional centre will be extended to all adult prisons as part of the funding announcement, for a further 320 new staff in youth justice and 400 in adult corrections.
And the government will be introducing amendments to the Corrections Act to parliament later this morning to crack down on prisoners who assault and injure custodial staff. The changes make it clear any prisoner convicted of assaulting and injuring a corrections worker will get additional time added on top of their existing sentence.
The corrections minister, Enver Erdogan, says:
Unfortunately that wasn’t always a case in the past, there were different interpretations [by the courts] … we’re making the law crystal-clear. The message is if you assault staff you should be doing additional time … speaking to staff, there’s a feeling if people don’t get additional time there’s no real consequences.
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Allan talks up bail laws and says they are already having an impact
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, is holding a press conference at the new Western Plains correctional centre in Lara to announce $727m in the latest budget will be spent to ramp up capacity in the state’s prisons.
Allan says the government will need more prison beds to deal with an increased number of alleged offenders being remanded in custody due to her government’s new bail laws.
She says laws – which were widely criticised by legal, human rights and First Nations groups – have already had an impact since they passed in March. Figures provided by the government show there are 465 more people on remand in Victorian prisons this month compared with April last year, an increase of 22%.
Thirty-nine more young people are on remand this month compared with April last year, an increase of 71%.
Allan says:
We’re expanding the capacity of youth justice and adult facilities … recognising community safety comes first and our tough new bail laws are working.
The funding package will allow for the opening of almost 1,000 additional adult prison beds across the state’s prisons and a further 88 beds at youth justice facilities at Cherry Creek and Parkville.
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Australia records highest number of data breachers after 25% increase since 2023
Australia has recorded the highest number of data breach reports in six years of reporting in 2024, with an increase of 25% in notifications to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner compared to 2023.
According to the latest notifiable data breaches report covering 1 July to 31 December 2024, there were 595 data breaches in the latter half of the year, taking the total number of breaches reported that year to 1,113, up 25% from 893 in 2023.
In the half year, the highest number of reports came from health providers (121) followed by government (100), finance (54), legal and accounting (36), and retail (34).
The report found 69% of the data breaches occurred due to malicious or criminal attack, with phishing – that is, using compromised credentials to access data – being the most common, comprising 34% of breaches. It was followed by ransomware at 24%.
Most reported breaches affected less than 5,000 people each, but two were reported to affect between 500,000 and 1 million people. Most personal information in the breaches was contact information, identity data or financial or health information.
The privacy commissioner, Carly Kind, said:
The trends we are observing suggest the threat of data breaches, especially through the efforts of malicious actors, is unlikely to diminish, and the risks to Australians are only likely to increase.
Businesses and government agencies need to step up privacy and security measures to keep pace.
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Murray-Darling Conservation Alliance welcomes appointment of Murray Watt as environment minister
The Murray-Darling Conservation Alliance has welcomed and congratulated Senator Murray Watt on his appointment as the new minister for environment and water while urging him to continue the reform agenda for the Murray-Darling basin begun by his predecessor.
Craig Wilkins, the national director of the Murray-Darling Conservation Alliance, said:
During the next term of government, the future of Australia’s greatest river system will be decided as the current Murray-Darling basin plan comes to an end and a new one is created.
This is a pivotal appointment at a pivotal time.
Decisions made in the next three years will determine whether the river gets a fighting chance to build resilience in the face of worsening climate impacts, or continue to face a cycle of fish kills, blue green algae outbreaks and deterioration in water quality and volume.
Minister [Tanya] Plibersek brought common sense, conviction and practicality to resolving challenges in the basin. We look forward to Minister Watt continuing the strong reform agenda begun under his predecessor.
The Restoring our Rivers Act was a major step towards a healthy basin following years of poor progress, stalled negotiations and undermining of the basin plan.
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Victorian government adds $700m in prison funding in next state budget
From AAP: The Victorian government will set $700m aside in next week’s state budget to open more prison beds to get ready for the increased demand after the introduction of tougher bail laws.
Almost 1,000 additional adult prison beds will open across the system and an additional 88 beds will open at youth justice centres at Cherry Creek and Parkville. The announcement also includes amendments to the Corrections Act to crack down on prisoners who assault and injure custodial staff.
In a statement, a state government spokesperson said community safety came first in Victoria and there were consequences for breaking the law:
Our tough new bail laws mean more people charged with serious offenders are going to jail. That’s why we need to open more prison beds now.
We have zero tolerance for prisoners who assault our staff. Our new laws make the consequences clear.
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Ryan says she will push for more action on electrification and net zero transition
Asked what real action on climate change looks like, Ryan said the government needs to move more quickly:
Well, they need to move more quickly with the net zero transition and we need to have greater clarity for the regions about how electrification will proceed. Rewiring Australia has been held up, and that’s costing us all.
We need to have greater clarity around how electrification can work in the suburbs and how homes and businesses can be assisted to get off fossil fuels and to electrify in a way that’s quick and effective, which brings down their energy costs quickly but also takes pressure off the grid.
They’re all big-picture issues where government policy will make a big difference, and they are things that I’ll be pushing for in the next three years.
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Ryan outlines her focus for the next parliament
Ryan said she will spend the next three years focusing on housing affordability, tax reform and the climate:
So far since the election, what we’ve seen is both the Liberals and the Nationals kind of turn on each other, and they’re obviously engaged in leadership battles this week. They’ve got some significant issues, I think, to deal with, and one of them is the fact that they didn’t take adequate policy to the federal election.
We need an effective opposition in the House of Representatives. That’s extremely important. And we need the government to be held to account on the things that communities like Kooyong care about, which are tax reform, housing affordability, climate, and the cost-of-living crisis, and so that will be my job, to hold the government to account on those things.
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Ryan speaks after winning re-election in Kooyong
The freshly re-elected teal independent Monique Ryan has just been speaking on RN. She said she won because of her on-the-ground approach in her electorate:
Over the last three years, since I was elected to represent Kooyong I’ve worked very hard to fulfil the contract that I made with my community, which is that I will listen to them and try to represent them as effectively as I can on the things that matter to them.
I have a great team who’ve responded to issues within the electorate really quickly and effectively, and I heard many times when people how grateful they were for help with the sorts of things that they reach out to the team for.
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Penny Wong calls on Russia to 'face up to its responsibility' on the 2014 downing of flight MH17
Penny Wong has also issued a statement in relation to the MH17 decision. She said:
This is a historic moment in the pursuit of truth, justice and accountability for the victims of the downing of flight MH17, and their families and loved ones.
The ICAO council found that Russia breached the prohibition under international law on the use of weapons against civil aircraft in flight and is responsible for the loss of 298 innocent lives, including 38 who called Australia home.
The Australian government welcomes the ICAO council’s decision and urges it to move swiftly to determine remedies for this violation. We call upon Russia to finally face up to its responsibility for this horrific act of violence and make reparations for its egregious conduct, as required under international law.
Our thoughts remain with those who lost their lives as a result of Russia’s actions, their families and loved ones.
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UN rules Russia responsible for 2014 Malaysia Airlines crash over Ukraine
The UN aviation council on Monday ruled that Russia was responsible for the downing of the Malaysian Airlines plane MH17 over Ukraine in 2014 resulting in the deaths of 298 passengers and crew, including 38 Australian citizens, Reuters reports.
In a statement, it said the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organisation would consider what form of reparation was in order in the coming weeks. It is understood Australia will be asking for an order that Russia negotiate over reparations.
The flight departed from Amsterdam for Kuala Lumpur on 17 July 2014, and was shot down over eastern Ukraine as fighting raged between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces.
In November 2022, Dutch judges convicted two Russian men and a Ukrainian man in absentia of murder for their role in the attack. Moscow called the ruling “scandalous” and said it would not extradite its citizens.
The ICAO, which is based in Montreal, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters. The case was launched in 2022 by Australia and the Netherlands.
– With Reuters
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Key event
Australia’s housing market has surged in the immediate aftermath of Labor’s emphatic election victory, preliminary data shows, while analysts say an anticipated string of rate cuts may see the trend continue.
Auction clearance rates rose to 70% in the week following the election, according to preliminary Cotality data, from 60% in the middle of last month. An auction clearance rate of 70% or above typically indicates sellers are in control of the market.
Read the whole story from Luca Ittimani here:
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What does Albanese’s cabinet picks tell us about his next steps?
Anthony Albanese’s reshuffle contains four important elements, according to our chief political correspondent, Tom McIlroy.
First, the big six portfolios remained unchanged, while the major changes come in the second rank – with Michelle Rowland, for example, moving from communications to attorney general.
There’s the introduction of new blood – such as the Yale-educated economist Daniel Mulino appointed as assistant treasurer – and then there’s bigger political shifts, including Tanya Plibersek making way for Murray Watt in the tricky role of environment minister. All of which, Tom argues, shows it’s still safety first for Albanese.
Read his piece here:
Liberals expect to confirm hold on Monash
The Liberals are expected to have fended off a strong challenge from Labor to retain the Victorian seat of Monash, according to the ABC’s projections.
The ABC called Monash for the Liberal party last night, more than a week after the federal election was held.
As of 8pm last night, and with 88.7% of the vote counted, the Liberal candidate, Mary Aldred, was leading Labor’s Tully Fletcher by 8,397 votes.
The seat, which covers part of Victoria’s Gippsland region, had been held by Russell Broadbent for the Liberal party since 2004. Broadbent, who resigned from the Liberal party in 2023 after losing preselection to Aldred, contested the seat as an independent but secured only 10.3% primary votes compared with Aldred’s 32.1%.
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Chalmers says ‘managing global uncertainty is the necessary precondition’ for economic management
As economists and business leaders call for a bolder reform agenda to lift the country’s flagging productivity, the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, also flagged the Albanese government will also have to navigate the reshaping of the global economic order as a result of Trump’s protectionist trade policies and general disregard for longstanding international norms and institutions.
“Managing global uncertainty is the necessary precondition for everything else we want to do to strengthen our economy and make it more productive, competitive and dynamic over time,” he said.
After every election each department prepares two “incoming government briefs”, commonly referred to as the red book (for a Labor government) and the blue book (for a Coalition government).
The International Monetary Fund recently slashed its growth forecasts for the Australian economy in 2025 from 2.1% to 1.6%, citing the impact of Trump’s trade war.
Treasury’s forecasts have not as yet factored in such a large hit to growth – and todays’ news of Trump backing down on his trade war with China adds another twist.
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Brace for global dislocation, Chalmers warns
The start of the 148th federal parliament coincides with the world “entering a period of global dislocation not seen” since the second world war, Jim Chalmers has warned.
The offshore threats to Australia’s economy over the coming three years loomed large in treasury’s post-election briefing to Chalmers, which he said warned of the “damaging” effects of Donald Trump’s trade war.
Chalmers met with the treasury secretary, Steven Kennedy, early on the Sunday morning directly after the Saturday 2 May election which handed an unexpectedly big win to the incumbent Albanese government.
“We know the job isn’t finished and we know we will be faced with more global economic volatility and unpredictability over the next three years, not less,” Chalmers said in a statement last night. “It’s one of the reasons why Australians voted so emphatically for stability in uncertain times.”
Truck driver ambushed and shot in Sydney overnight
A truck driver was ambushed and shot in Sydney’s south west overnight.
About 11.20pm yesterday, emergency services were called to Yennora after reports of a shooting, police said in a statement.
Officers were told a 29-year-old man had been driving a truck on Donald Street when a vehicle stopped in front of him. A man allegedly exited the vehicle and fired several shots at the truck before getting back into the vehicle and leaving the scene.
The truck driver was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics for gunshot wounds to his wrist and abdomen and taken to Liverpool hospital in a stable condition.
Police were investigating a link to two subsequent car fires: a black Lexus sedan alight in South Granville, and a second vehicle alight in Chester Hill.
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Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with some of the top overnight stories and then Cait Kelly will take the controls.
All eyes will be on the Liberal party room in Canberra today as Sussan Ley and Angus Taylor vie for the leadership. We’ll bring you the latest from Canberra as it happens. Whoever wins, it’s going to be a tough task to mount an opposition to Anthony Albanese with a diminished crop of MPs and an electoral mountain to climb in three years.
Our latest polling shows a surge in support for Albanese’s leadership – combined with calls for him to get on with reforms on housing, health and energy. Housing is not getting any easier, though, with new figures showing Labor’s election win has already given a boost to the property market. More coming up.
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has warned Australians to brace for economic turbulence as Donald Trump’s trade tariffs threaten to endanger the nation’s “soft landing” from high inflation. Although the US president offered hope to markets overnight with the prospect of a “total reset” on trade with China, Chalmers said Australia was entering “a period of global dislocation” not seen since the second world war. More on that, too, soon
