What we learned today, Tuesday 24 June
As our live news coverage for the day – another huge one for the Middle East – comes to a close, here’s a quick look at what kept us busy:
Anthony Albanese welcomed Donald Trump’s announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, saying Australia had “consistently called for dialogue, diplomacy and de-escalation”.
Australians woke up to news of flight delays and disruptions after Iran’s strike on a US base in Qatar overnight resulted in several countries closing their airspace. Read our explainer for more.
Andrew Hastie, the shadow minister for home affairs, told the ABC there needs to be more “transparency” around the US military’s increased presence in Australia.
YouTube should be included in the ban on under-16s accessing social media, the nation’s online safety chief said – a move that left the video platform unhappy.
Jim Chalmers will speak with his American counterpart, US treasury secretary Scott Bessent, with tariffs and the impact of the Iran-Israel war expected to be on the agenda.
The shadow treasurer, Ted O’Brien, accepted an invitation to attend Labor’s economic roundtable in August, in a sign the Albanese government is prepared to work with the opposition.
Albanese reduced the Coalition’s staffing numbers in a further blow to the opposition after its thumping election defeat – a move that James McGrath said was “vindictive and nasty”.
A survey found 85% of respondents believe the relationship between Indigenous peoples and Australians is important, with strong support for reconciliation and truth-telling.
Thank you for joining us. We’ll be back with more live news bright and early tomorrow.
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Queensland jails more overcrowded than ever, budget papers reveal
Queensland’s jails are more overcrowded than ever, with the system at 144.5% of capacity.
The figure is contained in service delivery statements released with the state budget.
The system is well above its target facility utilisation target of 90-95% of “built cell capacity”. Many cells contain more prisoners than they were designed to due to double bunking.
It is also above its target for “built bed capacity”, at 96.7%, compared with 95%.
Last year the system was at 140.3% of “built cell” capacity.
Overcrowding has been repeatedly identified as a cause of prison violence and other problems.
Queensland jails have been overcrowded for more than a decade, according to an ombudsman report from 2024.
According to a Guardian investigation, about 10 inmates have hanged themselves at the Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre in Wacol over the past two decades.
Coroners have repeatedly urged the state government to remove known hanging points from the prison, but about 7.1% of the state’s secure cells do not have a safer cell design.
The state has yet to model the effect of its new Adult Crime Adult Time laws, which dramatically increase sentence lengths for child offenders.
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Queensland to rename rail scheme after late Queen Elizabeth II
Queensland’s government is set to rename a multi-billion dollar rail scheme after the late Queen Elizabeth II.
The Cross River Rail project is an underground heavy rail scheme in Brisbane’s central business district. It will add 10.2km of rail line and four new rail stations to the network.
London’s Crossrail line was renamed the Elizabeth Line in 2022. The then Liberal National Party committed to take the same step if elected to government the same year.
Transport minister Brent Mickelburg confirmed in question time that he intended to rename the section of track the “Elizabeth Line” when it opens.
“We will deliver Cross River Rail. It will deliver benefits for Queenslanders when it is finally finished. When it is finally finished, I look forward to standing alongside the deputy premier (Jarrod Bleijie) and renaming Cross River Rail to the Elizabeth line – something we committed to doing,” he said.
Unlike the London project, Brisbane’s is not a separate line. It will carry different services from several different lines.
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McGrath: Cutting opposition staff numbers shows Labor thinks it is beyond transparency and accountability
James McGrath says Anthony Albanese’s move to cut opposition staff numbers is “petty and vindictive”.
“What we’ve seen today is that the prime minister – and it is a personal decision of the prime minister – in a mood that we can only describe as being petty and vindictive, has cut the opposition staff by about 20,” the shadow special minister of state told the ABC.
Regardless of the political colours of your viewers, I think everyone would agree it is important in a parliamentary democracy that the opposition, regardless of their colour, does have sufficient resources in order to hold the government to account.
He said the reduction “will make it harder for the entire Opposition to do their job, because we will have fewer resources … what it shows is the arrogance of this government … they think that they are beyond transparency and beyond accountability”.
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Here’s how the Middle East conflict is disrupting flight paths and travel plans
Passengers are facing flight delays, scheduling changes and cancellations as airlines recalibrate their routes to avoid a large part of Middle Eastern airspace, write Catie McLeod and Nick Visser.
Since Israel launched missiles at Iran on 13 June, airlines have been taking alternative routes to stay away from parts of the region including Iran, Iraq, Syria, Israel and some areas in Jordan.
Here’s how those changes may affect Australian travellers – even as a ceasefire takes effect:
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James McGrath says opposition welcomes Israel-Iran ceasefire, hopes Israel can exist safely
James McGrath says the opposition welcomes the Israel-Iran ceasefire and the peace it might bring.
“Of course, the opposition welcomes the cease fire,” the shadow special minister of state told the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing.
We hope that peace does come to the Middle East, and the opposition hopes Israel can have a safe existence in the Middle East and that Iran can no longer threaten Israel with either ballistic missiles but, in particular, with a nuclear enrichment program.
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Greens’ Sarah Hanson-Young: world is ‘much more unstable’ with Trump as US president
Sarah Hanson-Young says the Israel-Iran ceasefire is welcome – but that truces are historically fragile.
“Any chance of a ceasefire is of course welcome,” the Greens’ communications spokesperson told the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing just now.
Ceasefire is important, but we’ve seen them fall over before. There was a ceasefire, of course, between Israel and the Palestinians in Gaza and Hamas. That hasn’t lasted so these things are very fragile.
I think the world is a much more unstable and insecure place with Donald Trump as US president. He is dangerous … you could say he is a media megalomaniac, all about the attention.
I think his far-right views, his erraticness together with his obsession with attention, makes the world an unsafe place and that is why Australians right across the board are asking the question, what is our relationship with the United States going forward?
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Andrew Leigh: welcomes Iran-Israel ceasefire; says Labor looking at petrol pricing
Andrew Leigh says the breaking news of Israel agreeing to a ceasefire with Iran was “such welcome news, absolutely”.
Speaking with the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing, the assistant minister for productivity, competition and treasury said the truce could put Iran and the region “on a path of peace and prosperity”.
“We want the broader growth of prosperity and trust in that region to be strong. Clearly the situation in Gaza is untenable. Australia signed, along with 19 other countries, a statement calling for international humanitarian relief there – that’s an area where I hope Israel will move to make sure that we have greater peace in the region,” he told Patricia Karvelas.
He said that because the conflict sent oil prices soaring, the government was taking measures to make sure that Australians “aren’t being taken advantage of” by fuel companies.
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Shadow Treasurer O’Brien will attend Labor’s August economic roundtable
The shadow treasurer, Ted O’Brien, has accepted an invitation to attend Labor’s economic roundtable in August, in a sign the Albanese government is prepared to work with the opposition to deliver productivity-boosting reforms.
Jim Chalmers said the invitation had been extended this morning in “good faith”.
“I think it would give us a better chance of making the kind of progress that we desperately need to see on reform and in our economy more broadly,” Chalmers said.
Somewhat dimming the prospect of an outbreak of bipartisanship, O’Brien said in a statement “the Coalition will hold the government to account every step of the way and won’t be there to rubber stamp a talkfest”.
He added that “it’s worth the Treasurer knowing from the outset that I believe rhetoric is no substitute for reform”, before saying that under Labor “Australia is becoming a poorer, weaker and a more dependent nation”.
The economic roundtable will be held for three days from 19 August.
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Victoria public housing demolitions part of a ‘legacy of harm’ inflicted by the state, residents say
Continuing with news from Carlton, Victoria:
Victorian public housing tenant Eyakem says her community is “part of our soul”. Apologising for her English, she made a passionate plea to the inquiry:
Hear our voice … [during] corona[virus] it never been heard, lots of bad things happening. This time we want you to hear us … We want to feel part of Australia, show us our rights, show us our power … Please leave this public housing as it is.
Yehdego also referred to the experience of some people living in public housing towers during the pandemic, when they were prevented from leaving their apartments. She says the current redevelopment plans continue a pattern.
These demolition don’t feel like progress … these demolitions should not be seen in a vacuum. They are part of the legacy of harm, abandonment, violence inflicted by the systems of the state against my community … We are being pressured to accept housing that doesn’t meet our needs, away from our doctors, our schools, our mosques and our community-based support networks. There’s no consistency, no transparency, and it leaves many of us feeling anxious and pressured.
Ceballos described the process as “100% discriminatory” and accused Homes Victoria of being “Willy Wonka” by selling “air-conditioning and efficiency” as if that could compensate for what would be lost.
She said:
I do really believe that they’re ignorant. I do really believe that they’re arrogant, because they came into our community trying to sell us candy. From our perspective, you’re trying to remodelize [sic] Melbourne, kick out the minorities, and remodelize it to your convenience. This is not what Melbourne is like … I know I’m not the only one seeing it. This is not what Victoria, or Australia, is about.
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Victoria public housing tenants express heartache about proposed demolition of their homes
This afternoon, the Victorian parliamentary inquiry into the government’s plans to knock down and redevelop the state’s 44 public housing towers has heard from residents who have condemned the process as disrespectful and lacking in transparency.
Appearing together on a panel were Katherine Ceballos, Ruth Eyakem and Reem Yehdego – who all live in the Carlton towers. Each woman expressed her deep connection to the towers and their community and rejected the claim that the buildings needed to be demolished.
Yehdego said:
The towers have long been seen as an eyesore … but to me … these buildings are home and make Melbourne a place I am proud of. These buildings are places of survival and belonging, especially for people who have always been pushed [to the] margins. Despite decades of government neglect, which was deliberate in order to make these buildings appear unsafe and unrepairable … [and] used as justification for demolition. Community and residents still thrive.
Ceballos echoed this, saying:
My apartment is not a residential address. It is my sanctuary. It is my security. It embodies my identity as an Australian citizen … Now Homes Victoria has violated that. It has violated our rights, our sense of belonging and the years of work that we as a community have built to establish the communities that we have today. They have come with this great idea to demolish old buildings and make them more efficient, they’ve come with a plan to destroy what we and the past people before us have built.
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Greens say NSW government ‘caved’ to powerful clubs lobby on pokies tax
Greens MP Cate Faehrmann says today’s New South Wales budget shows that the state government has “caved to the powerful clubs lobby, once again”.
The Greens’ gambling harm reduction spokesperson said clubs should pay more tax on pokies profits, bringing them in line with hotels.
Clubs don’t pay a cent in tax for their first $1m in pokies profits each year, while hotels start paying tax at $200,000. Some of these clubs, mini-casinos in the suburbs, are raking in millions and paying bugger all tax.
She said tax on gambling profits was the fourth largest category of tax revenue in NSW after stamp duties, payroll tax and land tax, totalling almost $2.3bn in 2023-24 – but that another $1bn could have been collected from clubs.
The government had a chance to fix this and make clubs pay their fair share. Instead, they’ve caved to the powerful clubs lobby, once again.
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Chalmers to talk with US treasury secretary Scott Bessent
Early tomorrow morning, Jim Chalmers will speak with his American counterpart, US treasury secretary Scott Bessent, with tariffs and the impact of the Iran-Israel war expected to be on the agenda.
The treasurer confirmed the phone or video call in a press conference today amid strained relations between the two traditional allies as a result of Donald Trump’s decision in April to slap duties of at least 10% on imports from all countries, including Australia.
In a recent interview with The Conversation Chalmers said “like the whole world right now, people are trying to get a better deal in the aftermath of the announcement of these tariffs; we’re no exception”.
Anthony Albanese was unable to meet the US president at the sidelines of the recent G7 leaders’ summit in Canada, after Trump returned to Washington early after Israel’s missile strikes on Iran.
Chalmers told reporters today:
I expect the conversation to traverse issues like critical minerals … obviously trade and tariffs, but also this global economic uncertainty that we’re seeing around the world in the Middle East but also in eastern Europe.
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Severe weather warning for large parts of Victoria
Let’s turn to a weather update from Victoria. The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for large parts of the state for the remainder of today.
Damaging winds are likely to affect Melbourne, Horsham, Warrnambool, Ballarat, Geelong, Stawell, Hamilton, Portland and Wonthaggi, Victoria’s SES said in a post on X.
Warnings extend into Tasmania, South Australia and parts of New South Wales.
The bureau said the danger may continue on Wednesday, with high tides and large waves also triggering coastal hazard warnings in the country’s south east.
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One loser in the NSW budget? Koalas, conservation group says
The Nature Conservation Council says the protection of koala habitat is among many environmental priorities that failed to recieve adequate investment in the NSW state budget. Jacqui Mumford, the group’s CEO, said a lack of new spending to fund the long-promised great koala national park was disappointment considering subsidies remained for logging operations. Mumford said:
What we’ve been given today is a big zero on new spending on the Great Koala national park, let alone funds to effectively support the implementation of the government’s first nature strategy.
What is still accounted for, however, is subsidies for native forest logging. Over the past four and a half years, the hardwood division has lost $87m at the taxpayer’s expense. We can no longer afford to keep running nature at a deficit.
You can read more from Guardian Australia’s Anne Davies here:
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Thank you, Nick Visser – and, hello readers. Let’s get on with the rest of today’s breaking news.
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That’s all for me today. Daisy Dumas will take the reins from here and guide you through the rest of the day’s news. Have a good one.
Penny-pinching NSW budget lacks vision, offers few solutions to most pressing problems
The Minns Labor government’s third budget is one of consolidation, careful management, penny-pinching and modest spending. This budget will please the ratings agencies and those who value New South Wales’s AAA rating.
But it won’t please people who had hoped to see a bold vision for NSW or big steps to deal with some of the state’s and the nation’s most pressing problems: a cost-of-living crunch, the housing crisis, and the climate emergency and other environmental challenges.
No new large infrastructure projects were announced and fresh measures to help stimulate private investment in housing and increase the number of tradies in the state are modest.
Read more here:
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Singapore Airlines has also cancelled flights for tomorrow between Singapore and Dubai
Flights for some travellers will still be affected tomorrow, with Singapore Airlines confirming it has cancelled flights between Singapore and Dubai at least through to Wednesday. Singapore is a large hub for people travelling from Australia.
The airline said it made the decision during a security assessment of the geopolitical situation in the Middle East. It will contact all affected customers to tell them about the cancellations.
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Gambling activity expected to soar in NSW, budget shows
Surging gambling activity in New South Wales will lift the poker machine tax take to $3bn and is already handing clubs more than $1bn annually in tax breaks, the state’s budget shows.
More than half of the billion-dollar concession goes to a handful of big clubs that make more than $20m in annual profit from the machines, according to the 2025-26 budget released today. Gamblers’ losses on machines generate profit for operators, which the NSW government taxes.
The tax break, which is awarded to some venues if they are classified as clubs, is set to rise further to nearly $1.1bn in the next 12 months, up from $970m in 2023-24, as poker machine use rises. Budget forecasts indicate the state government expects gambling losses to rise. The state’s near-90,000 poker machines generated almost $2.5bn in revenue for the government in 2024-25 and will make more than $3bn annually by mid-2029.
Gambling and wagering is one of the state’s biggest sources of revenue, with the sector’s total tax take expected to surge from $3.6bn to $4.3bn over the same period. Increased revenue corresponds to surging use of gaming machines, the state’s audit office found in a report released last week.
NSW gamblers lose more than gamblers in any other Australian state, measured by profits from gaming machines in clubs and hotels. Operators made $8.2bn in profit in 2022-23, accounting for more than half of all pokie profits in the country, that report found. You can read more from Henry Belot here:
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Homelessness NSW says state budget doesn’t include enough to address housing crisis
Homelessness NSW said the state budget, announced earlier today, had failed to make the investment needed to address the housing and homelessness crisis. The budget includes $20m to expand crisis accommodation, a figure the group’s chief executive, Dominique Rowe, said was not enough:
The modest $20m package to expand crisis and transitional housing will provide some temporary relief but still leaves homelessness services dramatically underfunded. This small investment does not make up for decades of neglect of social housing and homelessness services.
The group called for a dramatic increase in social housing stock from 4.7% to 10% and for a 30% increase in baseline funding for specialist homelessness services. Rowe said:
With over 65,000 households on the social housing waitlist and wait times up to 10 years, we need bold action that matches the scale of this crisis. Every person sleeping rough or struggling to pay the rent deserves better.
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Victoria public housing inquiry: residents feel pressured to move
Diaz was joined by Barry Berih, the lead plaintiff in a class action against the government over the redevelopment. The supreme court dismissed the case in April but Berih’s lawyers at Inner Melbourne Community Legal are appealing the decision.
Asked by Greens MP Aiv Puglielli how the redevelopment had affected his family, who have lived at 33 Alfred Street for more than 25 years, he said:
Mentally … I don’t know when I will be going … It’s discrimination from the government … there’s no words to describe it.
Berih told the inquiry a few weeks ago he received a notice that pre-demolition works were to begin while residents were still living in the buildings.
I think [they are] trying to scare us, mentally and physically. Trying to [make us] straight away sign the papers and try to relocate straight away … trying to force us to leave straight away.
Representatives from Inner Melbourne Community legal have also appeared before the inquiry this morning, while community leaders and residents will appear after the lunch break.
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Inquiry into Victorian public housing tower demolition hears allegations residents targeted due to race
Residents of the 44 high-rise public housing towers set to be demolished by the Victorian government allege they are being targeted due to their race, a parliamentary inquiry into the redevelopment has heard.
The legislative council’s legal and social issues committee is holding a public hearing at the Djerring Flemington Hub, which is just metres from the first three occupied towers slated for demolition: 12 Holland Street in Flemington and 33 Alfred Street and 120 Racecourse Road in North Melbourne. Two unoccupied red brick towers in Carlton are also part of the first stage of the redevelopment.
Among witnesses is Ilo Diaz from the Moonee Valley Legal Service, who was asked by Greens MP Anasina Gray-Barberio whether there were “racial elements” to the redevelopment program. Here’s their exchange:
Gray-Barberio:
In your statement, you quoted [a public housing tower resident] Jamila saying, “I feel like they don’t like us”. Do you interpret racialised aspects of this statement and racial elements in this project?
Diaz:
Broadly, yes, I think it’d be hard to not. When you’re in this community, and I’ve been working closely with this community for over 10 years … it’s hard not to make that link, whether it’s conscious or subconscious, in terms of the government’s actions but this community has been under scrutiny from the state for since the racial discrimination case in 2006.
Diaz is referring to a case involving six young African men who lived in the towers that alleged between 2005 and 2009 Victorian officers breached the Racial Discrimination Act by stopping and searching them for no other reason than their ethnicity. Victoria police settled the case outside of court in 2013.
He also told the inquiry residents were under the impression they only have two offers for relocation “then they will be evicted”. Asked by Gray-Barberio who was telling them this, Diaz replied:
Where are they actually drawing these conclusions from, I’m unsure. In some cases, I think it’s coming from relocation officers themselves. This is from testimonies from residents to me, and I think in some other instances it’s through emails from Homes Victoria.
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eSafety commissioner: We don’t take action unless there’s an Australian experiencing ‘hurt and harm at a considerable level’
The eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, said no bill is perfect and that technology moves far too quickly to cover all possible outcomes. But she said the body was acting to help protect those most vulnerable, telling the National Press Club:
No bill is going to be created that doesn’t have flaws or doesn’t anticipate technology moving 20 times faster. Probably 20 million times faster than any legislation can.
I see what we’re doing as protecting Australian voices online because it is those who are most vulnerable that tend to be targeted online and we don’t take action unless there’s an Australian on the other end that’s experiencing hurt and harm at a considerable level.
She said the eSafety commissioner abided by transparency and accountability requirements, and decisions could be challenged in many avenues.
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Any platform that says they’re absolutely safe is ‘spinning words’: eSafety commissioner:
Julie Inman Grant responded to YouTube’s criticism, reported earlier in the blog, after she urged the Albanese government to rethink its decision to carve out the platform from the new rules for those under 16. She said:
When the decision was made by the previous Albanese government they didn’t have the benefit of our insights, of our youth research, of the insights that we gained through our basic online safety expectations transparent reports, our regulatory insights and reports.
I think any platform that says they’re absolutely safe is absolutely spinning words.
Read more here:
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eSafety commissioner says ban not meant to ‘cut off kids from their digital lifelines’
The eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, has said the under-16s social media ban was not mean to inhibit kids’ abilities to “connect, communicate and explore online”. She told the National Press Club:
Our implementation of this legislation is not designed to cut off kids from their digital lifelines or inhibit their ability to connect, communicate and explore. Far from it. There will be no penalties for those underage children who gain access to an age-restricted social media platform, or their parents or carers who may enable this early access.
The responsibility lies with the platforms themselves and there’s heavy penalties for companies who fail to take reasonable steps to prevent underage account holders on to their services.
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Here are the NSW budget 2025 winners and losers
Property developers are the big winners in the New South Wales government’s 2025 budget, while injured workers’ insurance is in the spotlight as Labor fights to bring down spending.
The premier, Chris Minns, and the treasurer, Daniel Mookhey, have found room for a handful of big-spending items but are leaving much of the state’s cost-of-living support to expire.
Here are the winners and losers from Tuesday’s state budget:
YouTube unhappy after eSafety commissioner calls for it to be included in under-16s social media ban
YouTube is unhappy about the eSafety commissioner calling for the video platform to be included in the under-16s social media ban, claiming its service was about entertainment – not primarily for social interactions.
Rachel Lord, YouTube’s public policy and government relations manager, claimed: “eSafety’s advice ignores Australian families, teachers, broad community sentiment and the government’s own decision.”
As we reported earlier, Julie Inman Grant has recommended the government amend its draft rules to include YouTube – owned by Alphabet – in the ban, which the Albanese government had previously decided against. The commissioner is now speaking at the National Press Club.
In a response, YouTube said it had been a leader in building age-appropriate products and responding to threats, and denied it had ever changed policies to negatively impact younger users.
YouTube said it had removed more than 192,000 videos for violating its hate and abuse policies in the first quarter of 2025 alone. According to YouTube, the service is about video distribution and watching content, not about social interactions. The platform has designed age-appropriate products specifically for young children, which do not allow comments.
Lord said the government should not change course.
“The Social Media Minimum Age Act was considered and agreed to by the Australian parliament under the understanding that YouTube would be exempt, and that young Australians would continue to have access to YouTube,” she said.
eSafety’s advice goes against the government’s own commitment, its own research on community sentiment, independent research and the view of key stakeholders in this debate, including the 36 Months campaign that spurred this legislation.
Today’s position from the eSafety commissioner represents inconsistent and contradictory advice, having previously flagged concerns the ban ‘may limit young people’s access to critical support’. We urge the government to follow through on the public commitment it made to ensure young Australians can continue to access enriching content on YouTube.
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PM says Australia supported US strikes but hasn’t been ‘uncritical of Israel’
The prime minister said Australia supported the US strikes on Iran but said it remained concerned about Israel’s actions in Gaza. Albanese said:
We haven’t been uncritical of Israel. We, for example, continue to call for support for aid to go into Gaza.
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Albanese says Australia wants to see ceasefire implemented
The prime minister is speaking to Sky News after the US president, Donald Trump, claimed there was a ceasefire deal between Israel and Iran. Albanese said:
What we want to see is the ceasefire announced by President Trump implemented. We do want to see dialogue and diplomacy replace any escalation.
The prime minister rejected criticism that the government was slow to respond to the US strikes in Iran, saying he runs a “considered, orderly government”.
We were very clear for some period of time that Iran could not be allowed to have a nuclear weapon. We called for Iran to come to the table to ensure that the United States wouldn’t have to take the action that they did.
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Virgin Australia returns to ASX
Virgin Australia returned to the ASX at midday, five years after it was rescued from administration by private equity giant Bain Capital.
The country’s second-largest airline collapsed early during the Covid pandemic and is marking its relisting with flight deals until Friday.
Bain paid $3.5bn for Virgin, and following the initial public offering, which raised $685m and reduced the firm’s stake in Virgin to 39.4%, from 70%.
Qatar Airways recently bought into Virgin and will keep a 23% share of the company’s stock.
The $2.90 per share IPO gives Virgin Australia a market value of $2.3bn at the time of listing.
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Transport minister says travellers should ‘seek updates from their airlines’ in light of Middle East conflict
Catherine King says Australian travellers should seek advice from their airlines in light of events in the Middle East.
In a statement, the infrastructure and transport minister said:
The Australian government is engaging with Australian airlines and is monitoring the situation closely.
Qantas and Virgin have advised of flight changes on account of airspace closures.
She said the government advised Australian travellers “to seek updates from their airlines”.
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Bob Katter says defence fleet should be moved north ‘unless we are going to be battling the penguins of Antarctica’
Bob Katter has brought penguins into geopolitics, saying that Australia’s defence fleet should be moved to Queensland and needs a hundred armed ships, at a “bare minimum”, to act as a deterrent to threats “in the north”.
The Kennedy MP said that he had last week spoken with the deputy PM, Richard Marles, to push for the new amphibious army fleet to be moved to Cairns, rather than be based in Australia’s south.
“Unless we are going to be battling the penguins of Antarctica, maybe we should cast our eyes north to where the threat is more likely,” Katter said.
He said Australia had a “minuscule” air force and that its navy had “no serious armaments”.
He added:
A hundred ships. That’s your bare minimum. A hundred vessels loaded with serious missile systems and effective delivery mechanisms.
That’s what we need: a missile shield at sea, backed by onshore mobile artillery and a real guerrilla army on land.
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Aukus vital to ‘deter Chinese aggression’, US lawmakers say, as Trump urged to recommit to submarine deal
The Aukus pact is vital to “deter Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific region”, Republican and Democrat lawmakers in the US have told the Pentagon, urging the US to recommit to the nuclear submarine deal with Australia and the UK.
The Trump administration announced this month it would undertake a 30-day review of the Aukus agreement – the deal struck in 2021 that would see US nuclear submarines sold to Australia and new-design nuclear-powered Aukus submarines built in the UK and Australia.
A letter addressed to the defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, signed by five Republican and Democrat lawmakers, urged the Pentagon to back Aukus, despite growing concerns over laggard shipbuilding in both the US and UK. The letter reads in part:
This is a defense alliance that is overwhelmingly in the best interest of all three Aukus nations, as well as the entire Indo-Pacific region.
Read more here:
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Survey also finds uptick in First Nations people experiencing racism
The Australian Reconciliation Barometer also found an increase in First Nations people experiencing racism since the previous survey completed in 2022, with young Indigenous people experiencing the highest levels of racism.
Mundine said that there had been a stark increase in the past decade with 39% reporting experiencing racism in 2014 compared with 54% in 2024, noting:
More than half of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people surveyed reported experiencing racial discrimination in the past six months. Not only has there been rise in these experiences since 2022 but we have seen a significant increase in racism in the last decade.
Of particular concern is that younger Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples experience racism at higher levels than all other age groups, with 68% of First Nations people aged 25-34 years old experiencing at least one form of racial prejudice in the past six months.
This exposure to racism has meant that half of the First Nations people surveyed feel unable to be true to their cultural identity in their community, in their dealings with government departments and in the criminal justice system.
This is a shocking finding and adds weight to calls for governments to fully implement the National Anti-Racism Framework, as a key established mechanism to address systemic racism in Australia.
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Survey finds most believe relationship between Indigenous peoples and Australia important
A new survey finds 85% of respondents believe the relationship between Indigenous peoples and Australians is important, with strong support for reconciliation and truth-telling.
The Australian Reconciliation Barometer is conducted by Reconciliation Australia every two years to measure the attitudes and perceptions First Nations people and non-Indigenous Australians hold about each other and about key issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Reconciliation Australia CEO, Karen Mundine, said it was heartening to see the results after an often bruising campaign during the 2023 referendum debate. Mundine said:
The 2024 ARB results show that most Australians share an enduring optimism in the possibility of a more united Australia and believe that the Federal Government should do more to advance reconciliation.
It gives us hope to report that Australians now largely accept the truths of our history, place importance on our relationships with each other, and are prepared to work together.
The Barometer survey also found that multicultural Australians were more likely than non-culturally and linguistically diverse people to support truth-telling and reconciliation. It found that 81% of multicultural Australians support truth-telling compared to 67% and are more likely to believe the historical injustices must be addressed compared to other Australians with 36 % compared to 24% in favour.
Multicultural Australians believe in the importance of truth-telling at higher levels than Anglo-Australians (81% compared to 67%) and are more than twice as likely to have participated in a local truth-telling activity than Anglo-Australians.
Victoria releases long-promised, but watered down, gas policy
The Victorian Labor government has released a long promised gas policy – its response to how the state will reduce use of the fossil fuel as supplies dwindle and it aims to reach net zero emissions by 2045.
Gas heating and hot water systems will be banned in all new homes and nearly all commercial buildings, with exceptions for agriculture and manufacturing. New constructions will have to use electric systems.
Rental properties including public housing will have to move to electric appliances when existing gas heaters and hot water systems reach the end of their lives. Until then, they are allowed to repair and maintain their existing gas systems.
Owner-occupiers will have to make a similar shift but – in a change from what was previously proposed – only for hot water systems. An earlier proposal that owner-occupiers could not install new gas heaters has been dropped.
Gas cooktops are not covered by the policy.
The changes for new buildings start on 1 January 2027. The changes for existing homes start on 1 March 2027. The government said it would help the state avoid gas shortfalls forecast by the Australian Energy Market Operator from 2029.
The premier, Jacinta Allan, said the policy would help cut energy bills by hundreds of dollars a year as electricity was cheaper than gas and ensure industry would “get the gas it needs”.
Energy and environment groups generally welcomed the policy as a positive shift that will cut bills and emissions, while arguing it could have gone further. The Australian Industry Group welcomed what it called a “pragmatic” policy.
The state Liberal opposition accused the government of engaging in a “war on gas”.
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Coalition calls staffing reduction ‘vindictive and nasty’
Guardian Australian understands Labor has also reduced its overall staffing numbers even after it secured a whopping 94 lower-house seats. Labor sources confirmed there would be a reduction in opposition and government staffing numbers but could not immediately provide specifics when contacted by Guardian Australia.
The shadow special minister for state, James McGrath, said Albanese’s decision was “vindictive and nasty” and an attack on “accountability”. McGrath said:
Given Labor’s historically significant majority, this arrogant decision to diminish opposition resourcing comes at his government’s most powerful electoral moment, which is precisely the time our country needs a strong opposition.
The Australian people deserve an opposition that is resourced appropriately to be able to hold the government to account, especially during such a precarious and challenging time for our country.
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Albanese reduces Coalition’s staffing numbers
Anthony Albanese has reduced the Coalition’s staffing numbers in a further blow to the opposition after its thumping election defeat.
More than seven weeks on from the May election, and with federal parliament to resume on 22 July, the opposition leader, Sussan Ley, received confirmation on Monday night of the Coalition’s staffing allocation for the new term. While the prime minister has discretion over staffing resources, the opposition is typically allocated 21% of the government’s headcount, according to Coalition sources.
The sources claimed Albanese has reduced their allocation to 17% of Labor’s share, resulting in the loss of roughly 20 roles, including 16 senior adviser positions.
The sources said Labor was claiming the cuts were proportional to the Coalition’s representation in parliament, which collapsed from 58 to 43 lower seats after the 3 May election.
The Coalition argues it still has the same sized shadow ministry (30 positions), which has the same workload and reliance on staff as before.
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Drug for rarer types of cystic fibrosis to be listed on PBS, dropping cost from $250,000 a year to $31.60 a script
People living with rarer types of cystic fibrosis will pay a fraction of the price to access life-changing treatment under an expansion of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, AAP reports
The changes will take effect from July and mean the drug Trikafta will be affordable for patients diagnosed with rarer mutations of the disease, thanks to government subsidies.
Without subsidies, the treatment would cost an eye-watering $250,000 a year. People will now pay a maximum of $31.60 per script, or $7.70 if they hold a concession card. Almost 200 Australians every year are expected to benefit from the change to the PBS listing. The health minister, Mark Butler, said:
This expansion to Trikafta’s PBS listing is great news for hundreds of Australians who live with rare mutations of CF, including children, and their families. As a result, these people will be able to lead longer and better-quality lives.
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New observatory releases its first photos of the universe
The first photos from a new telescope on the top of a mountain in Chile, the Vera C Rubin Observatory, were released today. The project, jointly funded by the US National Science Foundation and the US Department of Energy, is meant to usher in a new golden age of astronomy.
It’s named after Vera Rubin, the astronomer who “provided the first convincing evidence for the existence of dark matter”. The telescope is the first of its kind and includes the largest digital camera ever built, which will take detailed images of the southern hemisphere sky for 10 years to create “the largest astronomical movie of all time”. The observatory writes:
With Rubin data we will gain a better understanding of our universe, delve into the mysteries of dark energy and dark matter, and reveal answers to questions we have yet to imagine.
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YouTube should not be exempt from Australia’s under-16s social media ban, eSafety commissioner says
YouTube should be included in the ban on under-16s accessing social media, the nation’s online safety chief has said as she urges the Albanese government to rethink its decision to carve out the video sharing platform from new rules which apply to apps such as TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram.
The eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, also recommended the government update its under-16s social media ban to specifically address features such as stories, streaks and AI chatbots which can disproportionately pose risk to young people.
The under-16s ban will come into effect in December 2025, despite questions over how designated online platforms would verify users’ ages, and the government’s own age assurance trial reporting last week that current technology is not “guaranteed to be effective” and face-scanning tools have given incorrect results.
Read more here:
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Andrew Hastie calls for more transparency on US-Australia military relations
Andrew Hastie, the shadow minister for home affairs, told the ABC there needs to be more “transparency” around the US military’s increased presence in Australia and what role the country could play in any US operations launched from its bases here.
Hastie, who supported the US bombing of nuclear sites in Iran, said as a miliary alliance grows between the US and Australia, “we need to know what freedom of action we have” and “we also need to know what limits there are as well”.
He told the ABC:
When America conducts combat operations, we want to know what our level of involvement will be.
I think if we’re going to have this close friendship going forward, it’s really important to understand exactly what that means.
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‘There are pissed off people everywhere’: dispatch from a traveller in Doha, Qatar
A New Zealand national who lives in Sydney says her flight from Doha was one minute from boarding when Qatar Airways announced the airspace had been closed.
“No one mentioned the missiles. I don’t think people realised how close the rockets were,” the Qatar passenger, who asked for her name to be withheld, told Guardian Australia.
She had travelled from Edinburgh to Doha and was waiting for her connecting flight to Sydney to be rescheduled, saying:
The airspace has reopened but it’s chaotic as about five hours of flights need to be rescheduled.
She said other travellers appeared visibly exhausted.
There are pissed off people everywhere and there are no updates on what’s happening. People are now really upset as they feel uninformed and not supported.
There are no hotels, blankets or updates available, staff are overrun at help desks.
She said the airport’s 24/7 shops and cafes were operating as usual.
Updated
More details on today’s flight disruptions for some international travellers
The Albanese government and airlines are warning passengers in Australia of flight delays and disruptions after Iran’s strike on a US base in Qatar overnight resulted in several countries closing their airspace.
In a post to X on Tuesday morning, the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, said there had been “disruptions to flights with temporary airspace closures in the region”.
“Closure of airspace around transit hubs may impact flights globally, causing delays and cancellations,” she said.
Airlines began resuming their flights this morning, with Qatar reopening its airspace.
Read more below:
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PM welcomes Trump announcement of Iran-Israel ceasefire
Anthony Albanese has welcomed Donald Trump’s announcement earlier of a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, saying Australia had “consistently called for dialogue, diplomacy and de-escalation”.
The prime minister said in a statement:
The safety of Australians in the region is our priority.
We continue to closely monitor the situation in the Middle East and are deeply concerned about keeping Australians safe.
Trump claimed the ceasefire would take place in multiple steps: later today Iran will start the ceasefire, upon which Israel would then start its own ceasefire after Iran complies with the initial period. At the end of the 24th hour, Trump said, the conflict between the two countries would end. The US president said earlier:
On the assumption that everything works as it should, which it will, I would like to congratulate both Countries, Israel and Iran, on having the Stamina, Courage, and Intelligence to end, what should be called, “THE 12 DAY WAR.”
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It’s budget day in Queensland
The Queensland treasurer, David Janetzki, will deliver the Liberal National party’s first budget in a decade. It’s tipped to be a major contrast with Labor’s budget last year, which was packed full of cost-of-living handouts.
But Janetzki and the premier, David Crisafulli, have also been keen to distance themselves from their conservative predecessor Campbell Newman.
Janetzki will table the document in parliament at 2pm.
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Australian share market set to open higher as fears ease over major escalation
The Australian share market is set to open higher this morning after fears Iran would cause a major disruption to oil supplies in the Middle East eased. Wall Street rallied overnight after an Iranian missile attack on a US airbase in Qatar, which disrupted air traffic but which reportedly left no casualties or major damage.
Investors were relieved that Iran has, for now, limited itself to more symbolic strikes rather than targeting key oil infrastructure, leaving the path open for a de-escalation of tensions.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, is down more than 7% to $US71.48 a barrel. Oil pushed above $US80 early Monday morning amid fears Iran would block the strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route.
Futures trading is pointing to a 0.7% lift in the ASX 200 share market index when trade opens this morning, while the dollar is stronger against the greenback, at US64.7 cents.
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Marles won’t say if he expects to meet Trump at Nato summit
The deputy PM, Richard Marles, wouldn’t say whether he expects to meet Donald Trump this week at the Nato summit in the Netherlands, and declined to say whether he believed the US strikes on Iran were legal or what, if any, involvement Australia may have had in them.
Marles was in London overnight on his way to the Nato conference. There had been some reporting that he and other Indo-Pacific leaders may get a chance to meet Trump, but that is not clear at this moment. Asked in a press conference about a potential meeting, Marles responded:
I’m not about to speculate on what meetings I have at Nato. I’m really looking forward to the meetings at Nato. We’ll work up our program of meetings which go alongside the main Nato meetings, and we’ll take it from there.
Anthony Albanese and Penny Wong only briefly addressed the legality of the US strikes yesterday, saying they backed the action in hopes of stopping Iran obtaining nuclear weapons. When asked if Australia provided any support to the strikes, particularly through the Pine Gap communications facility or other material support, Albanese would only repeatedly say they were “unilateral” US strikes.
Marles gave similar answers in London:
We have made very clear our concerns about where Iran was going in terms of its nuclear and ballistic missile program.
The idea of Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon is obviously unacceptable. And we have been committed to the Non-Proliferation Treaty for a long period of time.
Marles said Australia would not comment about intelligence, and said the strikes were “unilateral” US actions. Asked whether Australia should be more transparent about US military movements on Australian soil, Marles argued there was “a high degree of transparency in relation to the United States’ presence in Australia”, adding:
We have long had full knowledge and concurrence arrangements in relation to America’s force posture in Australia, not just in relation to Pine Gap, but in relation to all of its force posture in Australia.
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Trump says Israel and Iran have agreed to a ‘Complete and Total CEASEFIRE’
The US president, Donald Trump, just posted on social media that both Israel and Iran have agreed to a “Complete and Total CEASEFIRE” that should begin in about six hours. He wrote:
On the assumption that everything works as it should, which it will, I would like to congratulate both Countries, Israel and Iran, on having the Stamina, Courage, and Intelligence to end, what should be called, “THE 12 DAY WAR.” This is a War that could have gone on for years, and destroyed the entire Middle East, but it didn’t, and never will! God bless Israel, God bless Iran, God bless the Middle East, God bless the United States of America, and GOD BLESS THE WORLD!
Follow developments in our Middle East live blog.
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Mark Butler says travellers need to communicate with airlines in ‘very volatile situation’
The federal health minister, Mark Butler, was just on RN Breakfast, saying flights were being disrupted “as we speak” across the Middle East. He said:
I encourage all Australians who are thinking of travelling through that region now to monitor the Smart Traveller website and obviously talk to your airlines now as well because this is a very volatile situation at the moment.
Butler added Iran had an opportunity to “return to the table and see this very dangerous situation start to de-escalate”, adding:
But that really is an obligation on them right now.
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Australia ‘shouldn’t be surprised’ by Iran retaliation, Wilkie says
Independent MP Andrew Wilkie said Iran “had to do something” after the US struck three nuclear sites in the country, saying Australians shouldn’t be “particularly surprised” that Iran retaliated overnight. But Wilkie said the onus on de-escalation now lies largely with the US and Israel. He just told RN Breakfast:
After the US strikes, Iran had to do something. It had to respond, and it has now responded. So I don’t know that we should be particularly surprised about what’s unfolded overnight. It is a very powerful reminder, though, of the importance of now de-escalating.
You know, if we continue a tit-for-tat, you know, where does this end up? Probably somewhere very, very bad.
I’m going to put the onus on starting the de-escalation more on Israel and the United States than I’m putting it on Iran. And the reason for that is the Iranian regime, they’re cornered. They’re facing the possibility of collapse. They’re likely to act irrationally in the future.
Wilkie said he hopes the US has the “good sense” not to retaliate once more.
Updated
Qantas and Virgin divert flights after Qatar strikes
Virgin Australia and Qantas have both diverted flights after the Iranian strikes in Qatar. A Qantas flight from Perth to London is currently en route to Singapore instead, according to flight tracking data, and two Virgin Australia flights operated by Qatar Airways from Sydney and Brisbane to Doha have been diverted to India and Oman.
As reported earlier, Qatar has reopened its airspace. Emirates, a major carrier for Australians, said it had rerouted some flights earlier today but not diverted any. Emirates said: “After a thorough and careful risk assessment, Emirates will continue to operate flights as scheduled, using flight paths well distanced from conflict areas”.
Due to the recent regional situation, a number of Emirates flights were rerouted enroute to Dubai on 23 June, but there were no diversions.
— Emirates Support (@EmiratesSupport) June 23, 2025
After a thorough and careful risk assessment, Emirates will continue to operate flights as scheduled, using flight paths well distanced… pic.twitter.com/YDbHVD9uJv
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Penny Wong condemns Qatar strike, says Australia doesn’t want further escalation
The foreign minister, Penny Wong, took to social media to condemn Iran’s strikes in Qatar, saying Australia did not want to see any further escalation. She wrote on X:
A full-scale war in the Middle East would be devastating for the people of the region and the world. Australia continues to call for de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy.
Wong wrote there would be disruptions to flights in the region, with impacts likely felt around the globe, including delays and cancellations.
There have been disruptions to flights with temporary airspace closures in the region. Closure of airspace around transit hubs may impact flights globally, causing delays and cancellations. Australians travelling should seek updates from their airlines and follow @Smartraveller.
— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) June 23, 2025
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Sussan Ley condemns ‘provocative’ Iranian attacks, says Australia should stand ‘firmly with our allies’
The opposition leader, Sussan Ley, condemned Iran’s attack on a US base in Qatar, claiming the “provocative act is a violation of Qatari sovereignty” and again urging Anthony Albanese to make a last-minute trip to the Nato summit this week. Ley said in a statement:
… President Trump has said the United States was provided with prior notice to prevent loss of life and injury. That said, this provocative act is a violation of Qatari sovereignty.
Australia must stand firmly with our allies and partners, including the United States, in the face of such aggression. The Coalition reaffirms its support for the actions taken by the United States to prevent the Iranian regime from acquiring nuclear weapons.
The defence minister, Richard Marles, is representing Australia at Nato in the Netherlands, after Albanese briefly considered – then ultimately declined – to attend himself. The conference begins today. Ley said the events of recent days should encourage Albanese to attend, in the hope of meeting Trump. It is unclear at this stage whether Marles or the Australian delegation will have an opportunity to meet the US president. Ley said:
Now is a time for Australia to stand with the United States and Anthony Albanese should be taking every opportunity to do so.
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Qatar reopens airspace after Iranian strikes
Qatar’s Civil Aviation Authority has reopened the country’s airspace after the Iranian missile attack on a US base. The agency said things would return to “normal” after taking “necessary measures in coordination with relevant authorities”, according to a translation on X. The agency wrote:
The Authority commends the great cooperation shown by all partners and the efforts of all state entities to ensure the safety and security of aviation in Qatari airspace.
Albanese government condemns Iranian strike on US base in Qatar
The federal health minister, Mark Butler, said the Albanese government condemns the Iranian attack on a US base in Qatar, saying the prime minister now expects Iran to return to the negotiating table.
Butler spoke to ABC News this morning:
We made it very clear through the prime minister yesterday that we expect Iran now to return to the table and de-escalate this very volatile, dangerous situation. They’ve not done that. But we urge them to do that after this attack …
This is a really, really dangerous situation. The prime minister said yesterday, echoing the remarks of the US president and so many other leaders around the world, after the strike on the Iranian nuclear facilities, a strike we said we support, it’s time to de-escalate.
Butler encouraged travellers to monitor the Smartraveller website for updates about safety in the region, adding it was a “very fluid” situation that has disrupted plans for many Australians.
Updated
Good morning, Nick Visser here to take over. Thanks to Martin Farrer for getting things rolling on a busy morning.
El Gibbs, chief executive of the Disability Advocacy Network Australia, said:
People with disability are being stripped of their rights under guardianship systems, while housing instability pushes us further to the margins.
This report is a roadmap for policymakers to address these systemic failures and shows how hard independent disability advocacy organisations are working to change the lives of people with disability.
It also reinforces the critical need for the federal government to address ongoing underfunding of systemic and individual advocacy to drive change across the community.
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Advocates say more disabled people being evicted from supported housing
The National Centre for Disability Advocacy has revealed alarming trends in housing insecurity and the suspected overuse of guardianship orders, in its second annual systemic advocacy insight report.
Advocates in Victoria have flagged an increase in notices to vacate being issued to people living in group homes since the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
These notices are often attributed to “behaviours of concern”, but the report says the real reason appears to be that service providers prefer residents who require less support, as they are perceived to be easier and less costly to manage.
The report includes stories where:
● A person with disability while in hospital found out they’d been evicted from their home;
● Another person with disability was left waiting four hours for a wheelchair accessible taxi, missing a funeral they were due to speak at;
● Disability service providers in Queensland and Western Australia are increasingly applying for guardianship orders for people with disability, which gives them control over making decisions for people with disability.
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More details on new preschools expected in NSW budget
The NSW government has already pre-announced spending on new schools – a total of $2.6bn this coming financial year – including new primary schools at Emerald Hills, Grantham Farm, West Dapto and a new high school at Wilton.
New primary schools will include co-located preschools. More details on the progress toward 100 new preschools is expected in the budget.
But the budget will also reveal the impact of two flood events in February and March on the state’s coffers, along with the pressures on the workers’ compensation scheme due to a rise in claims for psychological injury from public sector employees.
However, there is not expected to be any news on the government’s promised overhaul of tolls, which will likely result in lower tolls in Sydney’s west at the expense of users of the Harbour Bridge and tunnel and the Eastern Distributor. The government is still locked in negotiations with Transurban and other concession holders.
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NSW budget to be handed down
The Minns government will boast that it has stabilised the NSW’s post-Covid debt and begin reining it in when it delivers the state budget for 2025-26 at midday.
The state debt will be $9.4bn lower in 2025-26 than had been forecast in the 2023 pre election budget update by Treasury. A similar figure was forecast last budget.
It shows government is still on track to cut debt from $188.2bn of gross debt to $178.8bn by June 2026, resulting in savings on interest expenses of $400m.
NSW treasurer, Daniel Mookhey, will also be looking to burnish the Minns government’s credentials as an economic manager by highlighting an expected cash surplus in recurrent spending.
Most commentators are expecting little new spending on infrastructure, with the any new spending being directed to work to support the governments ambitious housing targets of 377,000 new homes by 2029.
Any infrastructure spending will likely be focused on water, power infrastructure and roads as well as hospitals and schools to support growth areas.
For example, the budget will include $250m to match the federal government funding announced during the federal election campaign for the widening of Mona Vale road. This project had been stalled mid way through due to a cut to funding.
Updated
Former home affairs secretary Mike Pezzullo appeared on 7.30 last night, where he was asked what Australia should be worried about in terms of any potential Iranian retaliation.
He said the home affairs minister, Tony Burke, his secretary and the counter-terrorism coordinator in home affairs would be working overtime with border agencies, investigative agencies and others to ensure that Australia is completely “locked down” and any risk from sleeper cells, sabotage or assassination is “dealt with as best as they can”.
While he warned against sensationalising, he said there was also a risk “dirty bombs” could be constructed. He said:
If any of that enriched uranium at whatever grade of enrichment has been secreted out of those facilities, particularly Fordow … [if that] is made available for the construction of a dirty bomb.
In other words, a radiological dispersal device, that doesn’t explode with nuclear effect but can spread dangerous radiological harm over a wide area, that gives you cancer and you die a slow and painful death – I would be more worried if the regime starts to fracture, and a more militant sub-faction decides we’re not going to accommodate and do something, say, involving a dirty bomb.
Updated
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories before Nick Visser picks up the reins.
Former home affairs boss Mike Pezullo has warned about the risk of Iran using a “dirty bomb” against Australia after the Albanese government backed US strikes on its nuclear facilities. Pezullo also told the ABC’s 7.30 that the home affairs minister, Tony Burke, will be “working overtime” to ensure that Australia is completely “locked down”. We have more from Pezullo coming up, and there’s sure to be more reaction after the Iranian retaliation against the US overnight.
It’s a busy day in state politics, with budgets being handed down in NSW, Queensland and the ACT. In NSW, the Minns government will claim that it has stabilised the state’s post-Covid debt, while in Queensland the Crisafulli government is expected to promise that there will be no austerity despite concerns about the state’s finances. More details shortly.
