What we learned, Tuesday 22 July
It’s official: parliament is open! Thanks for staying with us through a busy day on the blog. Here are today’s major developments:
The 48th parliament is now in session, with a slate of familiar faces returning to key roles. Labor senator Sue Lines has been returned as the Senate president despite a surprise pitch from Pauline Hanson to see David Pocock in the role. And Milton Dick will be the Speaker of the House once more, after he was “dragged” to the chair.
The Coalition will support legislation to cut student debt by 20%, a policy backflip since the federal election campaign.
The Senate is set to hold an inquiry into the devastating SA algal bloom, with the Greens warning the crisis is a sign of things to come for other parts of the nation.
Minutes from the Reserve Bank board meeting confirmed more interest rate cuts are a question of when, not if, with the focus of this month’s meeting on the best timing for doing so.
Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi sparked controversy in parliament today after holding up a sign during the governor general’s speech, reading “Sanction Israel”.
Protests calling for sanctions on Israel continued elsewhere in Canberra today.
New MPs Ali France – who unseated Peter Dutton in Dickson – and Sarah Witty – who unseated Adam Bandt in Melbourne – gave their first speeches to parliament this evening.
We’ll be back tomorrow with another Australia politics live blog bright and early. Take care.
Updated
Senate likely to convene algal bloom inquiry tomorrow
The federal Senate is likely to convene an inquiry into the algal bloom off South Australia’s coastline, with Labor and Coalition senators co-sponsoring a motion expected to be debated tomorrow.
A motion from Labor senator Karen Grogan and Liberal Andrew McLachlan – both South Australians – as well as Nationals senator Ross Cadell, is to be moved tomorrow, seeking to set up a Senate inquiry into the environmental issue.
The motion, posted on the Senate’s website tonight, calls on the Environment and Communications References Committee to report back, by 28 October, on issues relating to water quality, tourism, ecosystem health, Indigenous communities, fishing, and the responses of state and federal governments.
It also calls for investigation of research and monitoring, as well as prevention strategies.
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young, also from SA, also her a separate motion of her own on the notice paper, calling for an inquiry.
The environment minister, Murray Watt, announced $14m to help in the recovery, but Cadell – the shadow minister for fisheries and water – said “this is far more than an environmental event”. Cadell said:
The people of South Australia need more than a promise of funding. They need clear answer on what the money will be used for, and how it will support them.
Updated
Witty ends with call to fix housing system, address climate change and push equality
Witty ended her speech with a rousing call to tackle the biggest issues facing her constituents in Melbourne, and around the nation:
To represent Melbourne in this place is not just an honour, it’s a calling.
I do not pretend that I stand here alone. I bring with me the voices of renters demanding justice, of people demanding climate action, of communities demanding to be heard, not managed. We are building something bigger than one person. We are building a future where no one is forgotten and everyone belongs.
That is the future I will fight for side-by-side with the people of Melbourne, because building our future together is what I’m here to do. It’s our purpose.
Updated
Witty tells parliament how time as foster carer set her on path to Canberra
Witty speaks about her husband, Paul, and their journey to become parents through the foster care system. She says that path was a difficult one, filled with pain and grief:
Becoming parents didn’t follow the well-worn path. When our time came … we weren’t blessed with an easy journey. Over 10 plus years, we endured heartache after heartache, pregnancy after pregnancy, ending in loss. We grieved deeply while we searched for other ways to grow our family …
I stepped into the world of foster care, not out of ease, but out of a deep need to turn my pain into something positive. Paul and I welcomed children into our home and into our hearts. Some days were beautiful. Other days tested every ounce of strength we had.
She said those experiences would influence her time in parliament, noting she will always ask what any child needs to “grow up to be the best person they can be”.
Updated
Sarah Witty delivers first speech as member for Melbourne
Witty says that while her journey to parliament may be more “more recent than most”, in many ways she has been walking that path her whole life. She said:
I’ve waited on tables, crunched numbers in banks. Been a small business owner, and rolled up my sleeves in the charity sector. Always working, always learning. I help to raise money for social and affordable housing, and I’ve given free nappies to families in crisis. I’ve witnessed far too often how systems fail can fail the very people they’re meant to protect.
But I’ve also seen something just as powerful how community and community can rise up, surround someone in need and carry them forward with dignity and care.
Updated
Next up: Sarah Witty, the Labor MP who unseated Adam Bandt
Sarah Witty, the Labor MP who beat Greens leader Adam Bandt in Melbourne during the election, is also delivering her first speech.
Witty, a Richmond local of two decades, is a foster carer with an unusual path to politics.
Read more about her here:
Albanese just walked up to France and gave her a big hug as she wrapped up.
Updated
France thanks PM for ‘unwavering support’
France just delivered a personal thank you to Anthony Albanese and former Queensland premier Steven Miles, saying the pair had “always been in my corner”. She said:
Their support has meant I’ve continued to climb the mountain and succeed, when many others said I should step away.
Prime minister – I remember our first conversation. You were the shadow infrastructure minister in 2018, and you called me out of the blue one morning.
‘Hey, it’s Albo. I’ve just landed in Brisbane, let’s have a coffee.’
What you were really saying was: ‘Hey, you’re one of us.’
I wouldn’t be here without your unwavering support.
Updated
Ali France thanks doctors who helped her recover after accident
France’s speech also thanked those who helped her when an 88-year-old driver lost control of his car and pinned her against another car, later resulting in the loss of her leg in 2011. Prof Martin Wullschleger, the doctor who amputated her leg, saving her life, was in the gallery.
Martin, I am still in awe of your courage, expertise and work ethic – and that of so many other health workers who have got me to this place. Everything they do at work ripples outwards.
She personally thanked the orthopaedic surgeon Dr Munjed al Muderis, a refugee surgeon from Iraq who watched the speech from the gallery, for giving her the ability to walk again.
I am so grateful you stepped outside of the boundaries of what was thought to be medically possible at the time. I literally would not be standing here today without you. Modern Australia is the product of migrants and refugees like Munjed who have come here and worked hard to give back and contribute to their adoptive country.
Updated
France says Labor values have underpinned family life for ‘generations’
Ali France is speaking about her upbringing and the importance of the Labor party throughout her life. France, the daughter of former Queensland Labor MP Peter Lawlor, said she inherited her values of economic and social justice from the party, adding her father and grandparents instilled them in her from an early age. She said:
Labor values of economic and social justice are not just something my family has voted for, they have underpinned our weekends, our work and our friendships for generations.
Those values drive everything I do and fight for in Dickson. … In Dad I watched a masterclass in perseverance and commitment. He first ran for the state seat of Southport in 1992 with a margin of 12%, eventually winning the seat for Labor in 2001 – his fourth attempt.
Updated
Ali France delivering first speech after unseating Peter Dutton
Ali France, the fresh Labor MP who unexpectedly unseated former opposition leader Peter Dutton in the election, is delivering her first speech.
The new member for Dickson’s journey through life is quite an extraordinary one – a former journalist who became a Paralympian after her leg was amputated after a car accident in 2011.
France described her win over Dutton as climbing an “insurmountable mountain”, which took seven years, but she nods to her early life as well.
France said:
My epic journey to this place to represent the people of Dickson was not part of a grand plan, or a lifelong dream, rather it was hundreds of little steps.
Updated
Police detain 17 people in Parliament House amid protests, woman arrested outside in separate incident
ACT police detained 17 people near the Marble Foyer in Parliament House earlier this afternoon for causing what an Australian federal police spokesperson alleged was a “disturbance” amid a broader protest. The group were detained by officers while they confirmed individuals’ identities, before being removed from the building.
The spokesperson said those individuals would be issued formal banning notices at a later date.
Separately, police said a woman was arrested outside Parliament House around 3pm by protective service officers. The AFP spokesperson said the woman is expected to be charged with failing to obey the direction of a protective service officer.
About 400 people were outside Parliament House this morning as part of a protest.
Updated
Independent MPs want the government to do more on higher education reforms
A Coalition of six independent MPs have joined together to call for the federal government to go further on higher education reforms facing young people.
With Labor poised to introduce its bill to cut student debt by 20%, Senator David Pocock, Dr Monique Ryan, Dr Helen Haines, Dr Sophie Scamps, Nicolette Boele and Kate Chaney will front the media on Wednesday urging Labor to do more to address placement poverty, reform the timing of indexation on student debt and fundamentally reform student tertiary degrees, including reversing the widely panned jobs-ready-graduate scheme.
While Labor have implemented a number of reforms to student debt, changing the timing of indexation so students aren’t paying interest on money they’ve already paid could save people with Hecs/Help loans $704m over four years, the Parliamentary Budget Office has estimated.
At the same time, Pocock said Labor’s stipend for mandatory placements should be higher and extended to key professions like psychology and radiography, not just nursing, teaching and midwifery:
Now in its second term, Labor needs to stop going for the quick headline and start going for the hard reform. Wiping 20% of student debt is welcome but it treats the symptom, not the cause, and won’t help people who are studying today and racking up eye-watering levels of student debt.
Updated
Pocock says Australia should call in Israeli ambassador over Gaza aid deaths
David Pocock said he would like to see the government do more after Australia joined 27 other countries condemning Israel for denying humanitarian aid to Palestinians. Pocock said the government should provide more support to Australian medical staff working in the territory, and that the recent deaths of people in Gaza at an aid distribution centre should see Australia call in the Israeli ambassador.
He told Afternoon Briefing:
I think this warrants that. Look what we’re seeing – young people being shot seeking food, starving young people being shot. What is the threshold for more action? I think it’s a great thing they signed on to this, but you can’t tell me there isn’t more that the government can do as a middle power, to say we can do more.
Read more here:
Updated
David Pocock says he didn’t know Pauline Hanson would nominate him for Senate president
Independent senator David Pocock said it was “big surprise” when Pauline Hanson nominated him to be the Senate’s president earlier today, saying he didn’t think “anyone” knew she was planning to call his name. He was asked about the interesting moment earlier on Afternoon Briefing:
I’ll have to talk to Pauline and see what the thinking was, but certainly [I] have no intention of trying to do that job. [I’m] very focused on representing people in the ACT, I’ve been given a second term and I think there’s a lot to do to really push the government to actually deliver on all of the promises they’ve made.
Pocock said he respects that every senator in the chamber was elected by the people of their state or territory, adding “as an independent one of the things I love doing is working across the political spectrum and finding common ground”. He went on:
There’s a whole bunch of stuff I strongly disagree with and I think more and more what I’m hearing from people is they want a Senate, want a parliament that is willing to actually work out ‘these are the things we agree on and we can deliver for the Australian people’, rather than constantly having these divisive debates.
Asked about his ambitions for Senate president in the next parliament, Pocock had this to say:
Maybe next time.
Updated
Shadow environment minister welcomes $14m for SA algal bloom, but says government has been ‘flat-footed’
Angie Bell, the shadow environment minister, said she welcomed the $14m in one-off funding to help support the response to the algal bloom in South Australia, announced by environment minister Murray Watt yesterday. But she said the federal government had been “flat-footed” on addressing the crisis. Bell told Afternoon Briefing:
I welcome the funding, finally, from the federal government who has been flat-footed on this … I think the government has not been listening and they speak the big speak on environment, but they have not been delivering.
Nationals leader David Littleproud also rolled out the “flat-footed” remark yesterday, saying Labor should look into financial support measures for agricultural workers affected by the crisis.
Read more here:
Updated
Tim Ayres hopeful parliament can focus on respect
Ayres was also asked on Afternoon Briefing if he’s hopeful parliament will be able to lean on respect, touted by the governor general in her speech earlier. Ayres said:
I hope so. I listen carefully to what the governor general said and I thought that was a message for the whole parliament and it’s up to each of us to reflect on that ourselves.
I think about my responsibilities as a new cabinet minister … and how I communicate those issues and defend the government’s agenda in the parliament, and I’m sure I will not be perfect, but it was an opportunity, I think, for [us] to have a bit of a think about how we contribute.
Updated
Wong re-ups Aukus pact as a ‘win-win-win’
Penny Wong called the Aukus pact a “win-win-win” for Australia, the US and UK after avoiding questions on whether Australia should heed to some American demands to invest further in defence spending.
The foreign affairs minister told Sky News she didn’t want to get into commentary about the Trump administration, which is currently undertaking a review of the Aukus pact, but said it was “very clearly” a win for the three countries.
Wong said:
Aukus is a win-win-win. Aukus is a win for the United States, which gets more maintenance days and investments into its industrial base now and into the future, and also gets another Indian Ocean port capability. It’s a win for Australia, and it’s a win for the United Kingdom. It’s a win for Australia, because we gain a capability that enables us to contribute to the strategic balance that I’ve talked about.
We do that through deterrence, military deterrence, which is hard deterrence, but we also do that through diplomacy and reassurance, which is also what I’ve spoken about. So I would say, whatever people’s views, I think we believe very clearly it is a win for all three countries involved in the endeavour.
Asked whether Australia should be concerned about its alliance with the US with Trump at the helm, Wong replied:
I said to Australians before and after the election, President Trump envisages a different role for America and the world, and that does involve a change, but we should have confidence in our capacity to navigate that world. We should have confidence in our capacity to navigate our relationship with the United States and all the ways in which we seek to advance Australian power in our region.
Updated
Trump has ‘greatest chance’ of anyone to push Gaza ceasefire: Penny Wong
US president Donald Trump has the “greatest chance of any political leader” to broker a ceasefire deal in Gaza, Penny Wong has said.
In an interview with Sky News on Tuesday afternoon, the foreign affairs minister acknowledged the key role the US, a strong supporter of Israel, plays in reaching peace in Gaza as the catastrophic humanitarian crisis continues.
Overnight, Australia joined with 27 other countries in a statement condemning Israel for denying humanitarian aid to Palestinians. More than 800 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in recent months while seeking aid from distribution centres.
Wong said Australia’s decision to become a signatory to the statement, alongside countries including the UK, Canada, and France, reflected the “concern” and “distress” Australians felt from seeing the images of starving Palestinians in Gaza.
But when asked by Sky News presenter Andrew Clennell who’s responsible for disallowing aid into Gaza, Wong deflects:
I know that people want a political argument. The purpose of what we advocate for internationally – and we’re not the central player, as I always remind people – but we add our voice to the calls from the international community for things to happen. And this is what this statement is, we want aid to enter unimpeded.
Why do we want to do that? Because there are innocent civilians, there are women and children who are not getting enough food to eat. We need to fix that.
Updated
Tim Ayres calls Faruqi’s protest ‘disrespectful to the parliament’
Tim Ayres, the minister for industry and science, was asked on Afternoon Briefing about his thoughts on Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi’s protest during governor general Sam Mostyn’s speech today. Ayres had this to say:
I think it’s disrespectful to the parliament.
Parliamentary institutions, the ceremonies and the way that today has unfolded actually is important for the dignity of the institution.
Host Patricia Karvelas asked Ayres if he believed Faruqi had degraded the institution of parliament. Ayres replied:
I think she has diminished herself …
The institution is pretty robust but we’ve all got a responsibility to think about the way we participate in the institution and in public debate and in civic debate to lift the country up to get more people engaged. I don’t think that’s served that purpose very well and I don’t think it assisted the cause of Palestinians in Gaza one little bit.
Updated
And with that I will leave you in the wonderful hands of Nick Visser to take you through the rest of the afternoon.
Parliament will begin sitting at 5pm, where the some of the new MPs will give their first speeches.
Thanks for joining me today, I’ll be back with you bright and early tomorrow!
Governor general declares parliament open
Mostyn ends her address, calling Australia’s democracy a “golden thread” that unites the country, and declares the 48th parliament open.
As she and the prime minister leave, senator Mehreen Faruqi says to Albanese:
Prime minister, Gaza is starving, will you sanction Israel?
Updated
Near the end of apex of the Senate chamber, Bob Katter, the colourful 80-year-old Kennedy MP, and father of the house, is falling asleep while Sam Mostyn speaks.
He’s sitting next to fellow independent MP, Helen Haines.
Updated
Pictures from the chamber:
Updated
Monique Ryan to introduce amendment to reverse Coalition-era job-ready graduates scheme
The independent MP for Kooyong, Monique Ryan, will introduce an amendment to Labor’s bill on student debt relief, calling for an end to the Coalition-era hikes to the cost of humanities degrees.
Labor’s 20% Hecs cut plan is expected to sail through parliament with support of the Coalition and the Greens, but in the lower house, Ryan will push for a reversal of the job-ready graduates scheme.
The scheme, designed to prompt more take-up of degrees in fields including computing and engineering, increased the costs of humanities degrees.
Ryan said students undertaking mandatory unpaid work placements needed additional financial assistance, including for travel, accommodation, or living expenses.
Labor has long criticised the unfair, inequitable Morrison-era job-ready graduates scheme.
Its reversal is long overdue. This is the time to make that change.
The bill is expected to be the first government legislation of the new parliament and will be introduced on Wednesday.
Updated
Mehreen Faruqi holds up ‘Sanction Israel’ sign in Senate as governor general outlines Labor’s priorities
Sam Mostyn is listing a number of the priorities and promises the government has made since being re-elected.
The government writes the speech for the governor general.
In this, the 48th commonwealth parliament, the government will act to respond to challenges and to secure the opportunities before us. This started delivering lasting cost-of-living relief, helping Australians keep more of what they and, strengthening many can that Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, making education and training more affordable and assisting more people realise their dream of owning a home.
Meanwhile, the Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi is holding a sign that says: “Gaza is starving, words won’t feed them. Sanction Israel”.
Updated
I’m sitting in the Senate chamber, as all the MPs return to the lower house to hear again from the governor-general.
This is the last of the main formalities for the day; after Sam Mostyn speaks, there will be the 19-gun salute, and the chambers will begin sitting at 5pm.
Updated
‘Care for each other’, governor-general reminds MPs in Canberra
The procedure continues!
The governor general, Sam Mostyn, is now at Parliament House, addressing members and senators.
As part of procedure, Milton Dick has just “presented” himself to the GG as the new speaker.
Mostyn talks to the MPs about the importance of care in parliament and in politics.
Care for each other, care for those that do the caring for others, care for our continent and our extraordinary environment…
And if we make the mistake of thinking that care is soft, I always talk to people and remind them and remind myself that in its most powerful form, care is tough. It’s accountable and measurable. Often hard to do consistently and persistently, but always essential to our nation’s future and our cohesion as a modern society.
She says the way she cares for herself is by carrying the constitution with her (that gets a few laughs from the crowd). Mostyn says it’s a copy that was signed by Sir William Deane, who said she should always “act with compassion”.
Updated
Two pieces of legislation at the top of Labor’s agenda this week – Hecs debt cuts and a childcare safety bill – are likely to pass without too much drama.
The Coalition has said they will support both, the Greens have also said they’ll support the childcare bill, but want to end indexation on Hecs debts.
You can read more from my colleague, Tom McIlroy, here:
Updated
Faruqi labels Albanese and Wong 'cowards' at pro-Palestine rally
The Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi has criticised federal politicians for “moral cowardice”, including labelling the prime minister and foreign affairs minister “heartless and gutless cowards” in an impassioned speech at a pro-Palestine rally outside Parliament House.
The outspoken NSW senator took to the small stage on the parliamentary lawns where she chastised the Israeli government, the Albanese government and the special envoy for antisemitism, Jillian Segal.
Faruqi told the audience of a few hundred that Labor politicians used “weasel words” instead of labelling the Israel’s actions in Gaza as an “inhumane, brutal genocide”, “apartheid” and an “occupation”:
To be honest, I have never seen such moral cowardice in my whole life that I see in there, in that Parliament, because nothing has moved. And you’re right, [Anthony] Albanese and [Penny] Wong are gutless. Nothing has moved these heartless and gutless cowards and politicians in that building, week after week, headline after headline, homes flattened, refugee camps bombed, aid convoys attacked. Entire families have been wiped out.
Faruqi used the speech to criticise Segal’s report delivered to the federal government last week. The report had recommended funding for universities and artists be withheld if they fail to act against antisemitism as well as deporting visa holders found to hold antisemitic views. Faruqi said:
This plan… should be outright rejected by the Albanese government and everyone else in there.
Updated
Protests calling for sanctions on Israel continue outside parliament
While the formal proceedings have been taking place inside parliament, hundreds of protesters have gathered outside parliament, calling for sanctions on Israel.
Overnight, the government co-signed a statement calling for an immediate ceasefire and warning “the suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths”.
The Coalition has said it’s “disappointed” the government signed the statement.
Updated
Taxing war of words rolls on after accidental Treasury advice leak
Labor have batted away a few questions this morning on whether they will increase taxes this term.
The questions stem from a Treasury department freedom of information response provided to the ABC, which accidentally contained a small amount of information that was supposed to be redacted.
Subheadings suggesting the government would need to raise taxes and curb spending to make the budget more sustainable were visible. The opposition leader, Sussan Ley, took a swipe at the government on the issue earlier today:
Clearly there is work going on to increase the taxes on hardworking Australians, and we know this because of leaked Treasury advice that demonstrates that there will be a plan coming forward to tax Australians more.
A short time ago, the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, returned serve to the opposition leader with this statement:
Sussan Ley wants Australians to forget the Liberal party just went to an election promising to legislate higher taxes for every Australian taxpayer. Sussan Ley was the one who said they’d ‘absolutely’ roll back our tax cuts.
Every single Australian taxpayer would be paying more tax if Sussan Ley had her way.
Updated
A break until the governor general arrives
We have a pause in proceedings now, until 2pm when the governor general arrives at parliament to address all MPs and senators.
Why is the GG only arriving this afternoon, you ask? Here’s a little trivia for you …
Before the Senate president and House speaker are elected, there is no “appropriate presiding officer” in office to swear in the new and re-elected members. So, the governor general appoints a deputy, usually a justice or chief justice of the high court.
When the GG arrives, the elected president and speaker will meet with her, and then she will address both houses (again from the Senate chamber).
After that, as we mentioned earlier, there will be a 19-gun salute.
Updated
Greens welcome Australia joining letter condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza but push for aid to be sent directly
The Greens have welcomed the Albanese government’s decision to join with more than two dozen countries in condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza but have warned “a strongly worded letter isn’t going to deliver food to the people who are starving”.
At a press conference in Parliament House, the Greens leader, Larissa Waters, said Australia should send aid directly to the area with the assistance of other countries signed on to the letter. Waters said:
We need to do everything we can to address what is this war of starvation and Australia could be sending aid to that area, and they should.
The deputy leader, Mehreen Faruqi, said “Gaza is starving. Letters are not going to feed them. Letters are not going to stop genocide”.
The party’s foreign affairs spokesperson, David Shoebridge, said Anthony Albanese should use his first one-on-one meeting with US president Donald Trump to stand up for Australian values against a genocide.
I believe that Australians want a prime minister with a ticker to stand up to a bully and to call out a genocide, and we expect that in the exchange. Will that be tough and rugged? It may well be, but I’ll tell you one thing about bullies - unless you stand up to it, unless you call out their behaviour, their behaviour escalates.
Read more here:
Updated
Last rate hold decision was made six to three, minutes show
Following from our last post…
For the first time, the decision also came with a voting record, which showed six members in favour of no change, and three in favour of a cut.
Those voting for a cut were more worried than their fellow board members about the risks to the economy from threats overseas and the slow rate of growth at home. The minutes said:
That in turn posed a risk that underlying inflation would moderate somewhat more rapidly than envisaged in the May projections.
The minutes are unlikely to add much to the sum of our knowledge about what the RBA is thinking. It’s worth noting, however, that new figures last week showed some cracks in the resilient jobs market, after unemployment climbed to 4.3% from 4.1%.
Investors are pricing in a rate cut following the next meeting on 12 August, and all eyes have turned to next Wednesday’s crucial quarterly inflation report.
Updated
Reserve bank minutes confirm rate cuts a matter of when, not if
Exiting parliament house for a moment, the Reserve Bank board minutes released this morning confirm that more interest rate cuts are a question of when rather than if, with the “focus” of this month’s meeting on “the appropriate timing and extent of further easing”.
The RBA shocked the market and most economists when they failed to deliver a widely predicted cut, instead choosing to hold the cash rate at 3.85% on 8 July. The minutes stated:
All members agreed that, based on the information currently available, the outlook was for underlying inflation to decline further in year-ended terms, warranting some additional reduction in interest rates over time.
The board said stronger-than-anticipated data across inflation, spending and the jobs market ahead of the most recent meeting “pointed to the benefit of waiting for a little more information to confirm that inflation remains on track to be at 2.5% on a sustainable basis”.
Updated
Milton Dick gets dragged into the speaker’s chair
As we brought you earlier, speaker Milton Dick was “dragged” to the speakers chair just a little earlier.
Why was he dragged? You can read a little more on that here.
And you can see just how that happened today here:
Milton Dick re-elected as speaker, aims to increase civics education across the country
Re-elected speaker Milton Dick has taken his seat, and is addressing the house, thanking his family including brother, Cameron Dick (a Qld Labor MP) and his sister, who he says is the most “important” member of his family as a longtime teacher.
He also gives a shoutout to Nationals MP Michael McCormack, who he says gives him free advice “whether I like to hear it or not”.
Jokes aside, Dick says he wants to make the chamber a more respectful place, and also wants to increase civics education across the country.
This term, I will continue to look for ways to improve standards in this chamber. As I said, more work needs to be done… No role or title elected or otherwise exempts us from our obligation to create and foster a culture of safety, integrity and inclusion.
The parliament will not tolerate disrespectful behaviour.
Dick announces he will visit every electorate to “champion” engagement with young Australians.
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Ley says opposition will remain ‘strong’ and ‘principled’, praises Dick’s election
Opposition leader Sussan Ley is also speaking, wishing Dick well in his role as speaker and saying the Coalition looks forward to working “constructively” under his tenure. Ley said:
Mr Speaker, this new parliament begins after an election where, to be frank, the Coalition would have preferred a different result. That is the nature of democracy. We respect the outcome and we are resolved to do the job that the Australian people have entrusted us with, to be a strong, principled and effective opposition. …
As an opposition we will be constructive where we can and critical when needed.
Albanese praises Milton Dick as ‘custodian’ of 48th parliament
The prime minister is giving his own remarks on Dick’s return as speaker, saying:
During the last term you showed a commitment to integrity, you showed a commitment to fairness and an understanding that this institution is something that we who have just been sworn to office should cherish and should really value. …
You are a steady hand, Mr Speaker. In your re-election this house has shown its gratitude for the work that you have done in your first term as speaker. …
I am pleased that you are our custodian in this 48th parliament. I look forward to your guidance, council and your – mostly – infallible, gracious rulings.
Updated
Colleagues call Milton Dick a speaker for all
Joanne Ryan, the chief government whip, gave a nice speech about her colleague before the dragging, pointing to Dick’s longstanding work to speak for all members of the House. She said:
There is no better to take the chair as speaker than the member for Oxley. Nothing demonstrates his appointment more than the outstanding record.
The member for Oxley was a speaker for all members of the House of Representatives, extending the same opportunities, fairness, and, yes, even leniency, to every member, regardless of political affiliation or position.
Milton Dick dragged into the speaker’s chair
We’ve whipped over to the House of Representatives now, where members have been sworn in, and the chamber is now voting on the Speaker of the House.
Labor MP Milton Dick has been nominated by colleague Joanne Ryan, and his candidacy has been seconded by Nationals MP Michael McCormack. Dick was speaker in the last parliament, and has been roundly praised by politicians of all sides for his fair and unbiased operation of the House.
Dick was been elected unopposed, to a large round of applause from across the chamber.
Ryan made a speech nominating Dick, praising his efforts to champion Australia’s democracy and parliament in more than 100 schools visits during the last term of parliament. McCormack said Dick brought “panache and style” to the role.
Dick’s brother Cameron, the Queensland state MP, is in the chamber watching proceedings. So is the former House speaker Liberal MP Tony Smith. Anthony Albanese’s fiance Jodie Haydon, and his son Nathan, are also in the chamber watching, alongside family members of other politicians too.
Independent MP Bob Katter got up and started making a speech on another topic, but was cut off quickly because the speaker vote was still ongoing.
Dick has now been “dragged” to the chair, as is tradition, by Ryan and McCormack.
Updated
Sue Lines returned as Senate president
Labor senator Sue Lines has, as expected, been returned as the Senate president. She prevailed over Penny Allman-Payne, the Greens’ candidate, in a ballot of senators by a margin of 55-12.
There were also five “informal votes”.
As we mentioned, David Pocock was briefly nominated by Pauline Hanson, in an unexpected move, before he respectfully declined. The Coalition didn’t put up a candidate of their own.
After a pen-and-paper vote, with senators indicating their choice on pink ballots dropped into a wooden box, Lines will stay as president for this term of the Senate. There was a round of applause as Lines was announced the winner.
She walked up to the president’s chair on her own, a contrast to the tradition of the House speaker being “dragged” to the chair upon their election.
A bit of insight on today’s proceedings, and the dozens of extra chairs needed
A short ceremonial gathering of all the MPs and senators now being over, the Senate and House are swearing in new members of the chambers.
It’s relatively rare for both chambers of parliament to officially meet, and custom is that the members of the House trudge over to the Senate. It might be one of the only times we see everyone in the one chamber, and it was a pretty stark illustration of Labor’s big majority. To accommodate an extra 150 people on the Senate floor, dozens of extra chairs were put along the walls – but even with that, and many Labor MPs squeezing onto the normal Senate benches alongside their colleagues, the government members spilled over to the opposite side of the chamber, while there were many empty chairs behind the Liberal side.
New senators taking the oath or affirmation for the first time include Warwick Stacey, Charlotte Walker, Corinne Mulholland and Ellie Whiteaker.
We’re now also getting a look at the new makeup of the Senate for the first time, with the House members having gone back to their normal chamber. Pauline Hanson’s One Nation has doubled its representation, from two to four. There’s also a number of new faces on the Labor benches.
Michaelia Cash and Penny Wong are up at the front table, leading their respective sides.
Pocock ‘flattered’ but declines Hanson’s nomination for Senate president
Staying with the Senate president election, the Greens put forward their senator, Penny Allman-Payne. So it was briefly a three-horse race at that stage: Sue Lines for Labor, Allman-Payne for the Greens, and David Pocock – who had been unexpectedly nominated by Pauline Hanson.
Lines accepted Labor’s nomination, saying she would seek to ensure “every voice is heard, in a respectful way” in the Senate. Allman-Payne said she would bring decades as a teacher to the role.
Pocock said he was “very flattered” by Hanson’s nomination, laughing that he was “surprised” by her support, joking:
Just as surprised as people from NSW were in game three of the State of Origin.
(The former rugby union star from the ACT knew he was making a sensitive gag, after NSW were upset in the rugby league decider a few weeks ago)
But Pocock went on to say that while flattered, he was focusing on his constituents in the ACT, and would respectfully decline Hanson’s nomination.
It’s now a two-horse race between Lines and Allman-Payne. The Senate is now voting on its president.
Updated
Pauline Hanson nominates David Pocock for Senate president
There’s something interesting happening in the Senate right now. The upper house is now deciding on who will be the president of the chamber, keeping it in order for the parliamentary term.
The former president Sue Lines, the Labor senator, has been nominated by her party to run for the Senate. But Pauline Hanson has just nominated the independent David Pocock after the Senate clerk threw open the floor to nominations from anyone.
Pocock appeared surprised by the nomination. Others in the Senate were also surprised. More to come shortly.
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Tony Burke brings back the ‘really large old Bible’ as he entered parliament
Tony Burke, the minister for home affairs, entered parliament toting a very large (some would say giant) Bible for his swearing-in.
Burke previously carried what he described as a “really large old Bible” during his swearing in as minister for employment and workplace relations and minister for the arts in 2022. He said at the time:
Dad’s grandfather came to Tumut from Ireland after the famine and bought it on 28 March 1880.
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.
— Tony Burke (@Tony_Burke) June 1, 2022
Dad’s grandfather came to Tumut from Ireland after the famine and bought it on 28 March 1880. pic.twitter.com/Pysj3J9xj5
As we brought you earlier, prime minister Anthony Albanese and opposition leader Sussan Ley both addressed the great hall after a Welcome to Country by Aunty Violet Sheridan.
You can see some of the prime minister’s address here:
Parliament officially opens
The deputy of the governor general, appointed by the governor general, Sam Mostyn, has officially declared open the parliament for a 48th time.
Now all the MPs file back to the House of Representatives, following the usher of the black rod.
The Senate will shortly elect its president, and the House will elect its speaker (where they’ll be dragged to the chair).
Mostyn will arrive at parliament to address the members and senators herself a little later this afternoon.
Updated
We have some more pics of the Smoking Ceremony outside parliament house this morning.
You can see new MPs including Ali France, who defeated former Liberal leader Peter Dutton, as well as our two tallest MPs (I believe), Matt Smith, the new Labor MP for Leichhardt in Queensland, and Dan Repacholi, the Labor MP for Hunter.
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The bells are ringing!
For the first time in more than 100 days, the bells are ringing in the chambers.
The deputy of the governor general, chief justice of the high court and a justice of the high court are in the Senate.
The usher of the black rod is currently walking over from the Senate to the House to bring all the members over to the lower house (where it’s a tight squeeze to fit everyone).
As I said, lots of pomp and ceremony today.
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Cash says Australian condemnation of Israel ‘disappointing’ and Hamas should be blamed for lack of aid
The shadow foreign minister says it’s “disappointing” that the government supported the statement overnight, with other countries including the UK and France, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Sussan Ley, after the ecumenical service this morning, told reporters the focus should be on Hamas and releasing hostages. Her colleague and shadow frontbencher Jonno Duniam went further on Sky News, criticising the government and calling the statement “alarming”.
The shadow foreign minister, Michaelia Cash, has also released a statement, saying any “moral outrage” should be directed at Hamas.
It is disturbing but not surprising that Hamas has welcomed the statement signed by the Albanese government…
It is important that aid flows into Gaza, but unfortunately Hamas has not a been allowing this aid to flow freely. Proper quantities of food and other aid must be provided to the people of Gaza.
The Albanese government’s decision to blame Israel for Hamas’s disruption of the flow of aid is appalling.
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Labor will have a (literally) sprawling majority in this parliament, and you’ll be able to see it most clearly in the House of Representatives chamber.
The government has released a seating chart showing which MPs will be desk buddies. You can have a little more of a read of that here:
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Security measures at Parliament House remain egalitarian
Security is tighter than usual at Parliament House today, with much of the ceremonial welcome activities closed off to the general public and the main entry doors temporarily shut down due to the politicians filing in and out.
It meant that one main door downstairs was far busier than usual – and even famous faces didn’t get a shortcut. We spotted Julie Bishop, the former Liberal foreign minister and now United Nations special envoy on Myanmar, lining up quietly at the back of a long queue alongside other staffers and entrants to Parliament House this morning.
Bishop appeared to ask security if there was a quicker way in, but a visitor guide indicated it was the only door operating at the time. It’s an egalitarian building. The line moved quickly, and the UN envoy made her way in.
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Coalition to back Hecs debt cuts
The Coalition will support legislation to cut student debt by 20%, the shadow education minister has confirmed, in a policy backflip since the federal election campaign.
Jumping back to his interview on Sky News this morning, Jonno Duniam, said it was “our intention” to back the bill.
It was ... one of the centrepieces of the government’s agenda at the last election and obviously we had a view that was not supported by Australians, so we’ll work with them. We have our concerns, they remain. We’ll talk about those, but I expect them to pass parliament.
The former shadow education minister, senator Sarah Henderson, said last year the policy was “profoundly unfair” and signalled Labor had “given up on the fight against inflation”.
Asked if the Coalition would be less of the “no-alition” this term of parliament, as Anthony Albanese stated yesterday, Duniam said backing education was in the national interest.
When you’ve got all of our metrics – standards in literacy, numeracy, science, history – all heading downward, funding going up, I’m not sure how arguing about stuff around the edges is going to help us deal with issues in the national interest. Education and educational outcomes are in the national interest, and I stand ready to work with Labor on good outcomes there.
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Ceremonies continue with smoking ceremony outside Parliament House
The welcome to country has concluded in Parliament House, but the scent of eucalyptus smoke still hangs heavy in the air in the building’s main foyer.
Parliamentarians and their families are buzzing through the halls this morning, with a number of ceremonial activities to mark the opening of the 48th parliament.
As Krishani has been bringing you this morning, that included a welcome to country and a smoking ceremony on the front forecourt of Parliament House.
Dozens and dozens of MPs and senators filed from the Great Hall outside onto the forecourt, being invited to waft smoke over their bodies from a fire burning in a trough on the cobbled floor.
Many were accompanied at the start of parliament by their spouses, children or even parents, taking happy snaps and introducing their families to colleagues.
The ceremonies will continue through the day, and we’ll bring you more.
Updated
Welcome to Country ceremony: in pictures
We have pics of the Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony this morning at Parliament House.
The usher of the black rod led a procession including the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, his partner, Jodie Haydon, his son Nathan and others from the front of parliament, through the marble foyer and into the Great Hall.
Updated
Greens to introduce climate trigger bill
The Greens say they’ll be introducing the first bill to be debated in the new parliament, to establish a “climate trigger”.
That means when considering whether or not to approve a new project like a coalmine, the government would need to think about the impact it would have on the climate. This isn’t a new idea, but one the government hasn’t committed to as yet.
Larissa Waters, the Greens leader, says it will be introduced in the Senate tomorrow as a private senators’ bill.
Our bill would force the climate impacts of projects to be considered by the minister, and it would also ensure mega-polluting projects can’t get environmental approval at all …
Dirty fossil fuel projects need to be properly assessed for their impacts and rejected, so our kids, and all the precious species we share this beautiful planet with, have a safe climate future.
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Why is the speaker dragged into the chair?
Later this morning, a strange custom will take place in the House of Representatives: the newly elected speaker will get literally dragged into their chair.
It’s a tradition that began in the UK House of Commons, as the old speaker’s function was to communicate the opinions of the common to the monarch.
According to the UK parliamentary website, when the monarch didn’t agree with that opinion, it could result in the … early … death of the speaker, so it’s not really a job that many wanted.
Back then, it was custom for the speaker-elect to struggle and resist all the way to the chair as they were dragged into it.
That tradition continues today, and Milton Dick (who’s very likely to be re-elected speaker) has tended to enjoy that process more!
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Albanese says welcome to countries not controversial – ‘nor should it be’
Going back to Anthony Albanese’s address to the great hall, he said the welcome to country is a “powerful way” to begin a new parliament.
Welcome to country ceremonies were politicised during the election campaign, but the PM says they are not controversial.
This ceremony didn’t take place until 2007 and was controversial in 2007. It is not controversial today. Nor should it be. It is a respectful way of us beginning our deliberations here in Canberra, which of course means meeting place. What a welcome to country does is holds out like a hand warmly and graciously extended. An opportunity for us to embrace and to show a profound love of home and country.
Albanese says Australia is a “beautiful set of contradictions”, being both a “youthful nation” as well as the “world’s oldest continuous culture”.
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Sussan Ley addresses Great Hall after welcome to country
Following the prime minister, the opposition leader, Sussan Ley, makes an address.
She says the work of “listening, acting and striving for better” is at the heart of reconciliation.
Ley says the 48th parliament must work to improve outcomes for Indigenous Australians, to improve access to education, healthcare, and address domestic and family violence.
Let us approach that work with resolve and with a shared commitment to real and lasting progress. That work of listening, of acting and of striving for better is at the heart of reconciliation and our national story. Thank you again Aunty Violet for your welcome for the opening of this new parliament. May it set the tone as we recommit ourselves to the taking of practical action to improve lives and expand opportunities for Indigenous Australians in every part of our great country.
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PM addresses Great Hall after welcome to country
The prime minister is now addressing the great hall – we’ll have some pictures from the welcome to country shortly.
Anthony Albanese pays his respects to Aunty Violet Sheridan, as well as current and former ministers for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy, Linda Burney and Ken Wyatt:
With every step, we feel the echoes through history, the footsteps nearly a century distant from us now of every First Nations person who trekked to the opening of the first Parliament House down the hill. The footsteps of the members of the Stolen Generations who came to this place 17 years ago now to hear the words that they needed to hear – “I’m sorry”…
In the 48th parliament, we write the next chapter. Let us do it with the same sense of grace and courage that First Nations people show us with their leadership.
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Aunty Violet Sheridan delivers parliament's welcome to country
The Ngunnawal elder Aunty Violet Sheridan is giving the welcome to country in the great hall.
She welcomes the prime minister, his fiancee, Jodie Haydon, his son Nathan, the opposition leader, Sussan Ley, the minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy, and others:
I stand here as a proud Ngunnawal woman as I carry my ancestors in spirit. Walking into future teaching the next generations about the oldest culture in the world, my culture, the Ngunnawal Aboriginal culture. This land, its eels and rivers is always was and always will be Ngunnawal land. I honour my Ngunnawal ancestors who walked this country before me and who continue to guide me today.
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Gaza statement ‘alarming’, Coalition MP says
Earlier this morning the Liberal frontbencher Jonno Duniam said the government co-signing a statement condemning Israel for depriving Palestinians of “human dignity”, was an “alarming move”.
Duniam told Sky News the letter “ignores” what Hamas was doing and turned a “blind eye” to how the conflict started:
I think it’s a rather alarming move by the government to have attached itself to this letter … This focus on what Israel is doing and to a degree turning a blind eye to how this conflict started on 7 October those years ago, and the continued holding of hostages, I know it mentions that but there is more to this issue than this letter portrays and I think it is a sad turn of events for our government to have joined with other countries in signing this letter. I think that it is not the right approach for the government to take.
Israel has rejected the joint statement and said it is “disconnected from reality”.
Sussan Ley this morning didn’t go as far as Duniam to criticise the government for signing the statement but also said the focus should be on Hamas and returning hostages.
Updated
The day’s parliamentary agenda
With the ecumenical service done and dusted, we’re getting ready for the parliamentary procedures that will officially open the new parliament.
Here are some of the main events:
At 9am, there will be a Welcome to Country in the parliament’s Great Hall, followed by a smoking ceremony just outside the front doors.
At 10:30am the deputy of the governor general will address all MPs and senators in the Senate chamber to formally open the 48th parliament.
From 10:50am all the new senators and members will be sworn in, and the new House and Senate presidents are elected (it’s all but guaranteed that Queensland MP Milton Dick will be re-elected House speaker and WA senator Sue Lines will be re-elected Senate president).
After a bit of a break between proceedings, the governor general, Sam Mostyn, will arrive at parliament at 2pm. She will receive a royal salute and see the new presiding officers of each house.
At 3pm all the MPs and senators will go back to the Senate chamber, where Mostyn will address the new parliament, and a 19-gun salute to mark the end of her address.
Parliament will begin sitting at 5pm, where the first couple of maiden speeches will commence, including Sarah Witty, the Melbourne MP who defeated former Greens leader Adam Bandt, and Ali France, the Dickson MP who defeated former Liberal leader Peter Dutton.
That means we’ll see the first question time of the new parliament (which I know we’re all super excited for) on Wednesday.
Updated
Ley promises to be ‘constructive’
We’ve already seen a departure by Ley from the political playbook of Peter Dutton, promising to be a more constructive opposition.
We’ll see some of that this week, with the Coalition saying it wants to work with the government to urgently pass reforms to childcare.
That certainly doesn’t mean Labor will be getting a free pass – there will still be plenty of debate, says Ley.
We’re happy to be constructive with the government, but I and my team will be critical where we need to be, and we won’t hesitate to hold the government to account, and that includes for the promises that it has made.
So in the last parliament, you would remember that Australians were promised a $275 cut to their power bill, which never eventuated. Now leading into this parliament, we saw the prime minister make promises about the number of homes that would be built, and in the lead-up to the election, he also promised Australians would pay less tax. But clearly there is work going on to increase the taxes on hard-working Australians, and we know this because of leaked Treasury advice.
That leaked advice – released to the ABC under an FoI request – advised the government to raise taxes and reduce spending to make the budget more sustainable.
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Ley says rescuing the hostages in Gaza the ‘most important’ thing
Outside the church, following the ceremony, the opposition leader, Sussan Ley, is doing a doorstop.
Asked about the joint statement signed by Australia overnight, Ley says the “most important” thing is rescuing the hostages that remain in Gaza.
The government has said this morning it’s the strongest statement Australia has signed since the outbreak of conflict after the 7 October attacks.
Ley says she wants to see aid enter Gaza, but places the blame on Hamas.
There are still hostages hidden in tunnels, and a way to end the situation is for those hostages to be released by the terrorists, Hamas, who control so much of the activity there. Of course, we want to see aid reach those who deserve it, but it is so important that Hamas, that has control often over the flow of that aid, but certainly over the ongoing completely unacceptable detention of those hostages, act in the interests of the people of Gaza.
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Leaders attend ecumenical church service
We’ve got some pictures of politicians of all stripes attending a service at a church in Canberra.
You can see Coalition and Labor members sitting together on the benches – it’s a peaceful time before all the chaos of parliament begins!
Updated
Waters is rejecting calls to intervene in the ousting of Greens co-founder Drew Hutton.
The decision to terminate Hutton’s life membership of the Greens was upheld by delegates of the state branches on Sunday.
Waters says she doesn’t have a role in this party process, and is focused on the climate and housing crises.
What we saw was a party-run process where folks could have a say, and our members drive that process, as they always do, and there was an appeal that was heard and a decision was taken, and the party has now finished that process. So it’s not something that, as the parliamentary leader, I have a role in.
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‘Everything’s negotiable,’ says Waters
Larissa Waters says she “hopes” the government will engage with her differently than they did with her predecessor, Adam Bandt.
Nothing is off the table to negotiate on, says Waters, and points to the reforms the Greens helped get across the line in the last parliament, including the right to disconnect legislation, and $3bn of immediate funding for housing.
Everything’s negotiable. This is a democracy, but we have a climate crisis, a housing crisis and a cost-of-living crisis.
I’m going to give it a good shot. Sally, it remains to be seen. I think this is a real opportunity to tackle the problems that people are facing.
There’s probably still likely to be plenty of tension between the Greens and Labor, particularly on climate policy.
The Greens have been pushing for the government not to open new fossil fuel projects, and will try to negotiate with the government on a new nature positive bill.
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Greens leader says Netanyahu 'isn’t listening to stern words'
The Greens have welcomed the government signing a joint statement calling for an immediate end to conflict in Gaza, but leader Larissa Waters says the Netanyahu government “isn’t listening to stern words”.
The letter, signed by Australia and other countries including the UK and France, has condemned “drip feeding of aid” and said there has been “inhumane killing” of Palestinians.
Waters is up next on RN Breakfast and is calling for Australia to do more to help get aid into Gaza.
It’s great that the government signed on to a letter, but I’m afraid it’s just we need actual help to people on the ground there.
We do believe that, and many other international law experts are also of that view, and this is a crime of starvation. This is innocent civilians who are being sent to an early demise, and hospitals are being bombed, the atrocities are unimaginable to many Australians.
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Four-day work week not on our agenda, says Gallagher
Will Australians get a four-day work week?
Next month, Labor will host a productivity roundtable at parliament. Ahead of it, multiple unions are calling for our work weeks to be cut from five down to four days.
Sara asks if this is something the government is looking at … short answer, no, says Gallagher.
It’s not on our agenda. It’s not something we are working on. But I don’t, certainly don’t discount the right of the union movement to raise issues that are important to their members, just as the business community will be raising issues and ideas on behalf of their members.
Gallagher is also asked about the legacy of Mark Latham, the former Labor leader who will now have a plaque under his portrait in the Labor party room noting that he was kicked out.
Gallagher says she was part of the discussions on whether to take down the portrait or write a note under it.
It’s more about acknowledging, I think, a type of leadership that the party doesn’t want to return to … It also allows us to reflect on the fact that the way you know, behaviour and conduct matters and where it doesn’t align with the modern Labor party, the values of the modern Labor party, we’re going to make a statement to that effect.
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Albanese government has been ‘consistently’ calling for a ceasefire in Gaza – Gallagher
The government has been “consistently” calling for a ceasefire and standing with international partners to support Gaza, says the finance minister, Katy Gallagher.
Joining ABC RN Breakfast, Gallagher says the Australian public wants to see conflict end and hostages released.
Host Sally Sara asks Gallagher whether the government believes a genocide is unfolding in Gaza – she won’t say.
I think our position is very clear in the letter that we co-signed overnight, that we want to see the conflict end. We want an immediate ceasefire. We want to stop seeing innocent people killed, we want to see aid getting through, and we want to see hostages return to their families, who are also suffering and have been suffering horribly through, you know, since the events of 7 October.
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Tax questions continue
Staying on tax, Burke goes to Sunrise where they also prod him on whether anyone is about to get slugged with new taxes. Again he says the “big” tax change has been the new legislated tax cut top-ups.
Why are these questions being asked? Well, last month, the treasury department accidentally released some redacted documents to the ABC under freedom of information laws.
In the documents, the department advised the government after the election that its 1.2 million homes target wouldn’t be met and that taxes “would need to be raised” and spending reduced to make the budget sustainable.
Burke says the government is getting national debt down, and has already delivered two surpluses.
There is action we have been taking, making some really tough spending decisions as well, to start to bring that debt and deficit down. Because ultimately every taxpayer pays the interest on that money, so we need to keep managing that as the economy grows.
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Burke says ‘nothing scheduled’ for Albanese/Trump meeting
Continuing the media rounds, Tony Burke is on Nine News, who says this slightly-less-than-freezing morning for Canberra is “tropical” (personally, I disagree, I’m still in my puffer jacket).
Burke is asked about whether the government will increase taxes in this term of parliament.The home affairs minister says Labor’s tax cuts, legislated at the end of the last parliament, will come into effect this term.
He won’t say whether there will be any new taxes:
There’s minor tweaks and changes here and there.
Burke is also asked when Anthony Albanese will meet with US President Donald Trump.
He says there’s nothing scheduled as yet:
There’s not something scheduled. But, you know, world leaders meet each other. They’ve had conversations, there’s clearly not a problem because there was going to be one scheduled, and for reasons that no one would argue with, it ended up not going ahead.
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Pro-Palestine protest to mark new parliament in Canberra
The first day of the 48th parliament has attracted a number of rallies and vigils urging the Albanese government to do more to address the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Today is the final day of the National Convergence on Canberra, a three-day rally organised by a coalition of pro-Palestinian groups demanding the government impose further sanctions on Israel.
From around 3pm today, Amnesty International and a host of other groups, including Oxfam Australia and Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders (MSF), will hold a 24-hour vigil where speakers will read the names of more than 17,000 Palestinian children killed by Israeli forces during the 22-month-long conflict in Gaza.
The groups are calling on the federal government to apply pressure on Israel for an immediate and permanent ceasefire as well as safe, unimpeded, and sustained access for humanitarian relief in Gaza.
The Greens senator David Shoebridge is also expected to table an open letter to Anthony Albanese from more than 2,500 healthcare workers from across Australia urging stronger action to address the humanitarian crisis in the strip.
A foreign affairs department spokesperson told Guardian Australia last week Australia is a “resolute defender” of international law and had consistently called on Israel to comply with ICJ’s ruling last year.
The ICJ’s ruling, handed down in July 2024, ordered Israel to end its occupation of the Palestinian territories “as rapidly as possible” and make full reparations for its “internationally wrongful acts”.
Dfat’s spokesperson said:
Australia has consistently been part of international calls that all parties must abide by international humanitarian law. Not enough has been done to protect civilians and aid workers.
We have called on Israel to respond substantively to the ICJ’s [International Court of Justice] advisory opinion on the legal consequences arising from Israel’s policies and practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
We have also called on Israel to comply with the binding orders of the ICJ, including to enable the unhindered provision of basic services and humanitarian assistance at scale.
Australia continues to call on all parties to return to a ceasefire and hostage deal.
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Burke says algal bloom not a formal ‘national disaster’ but is an environmental disaster
Burke is speaking outside a church in Canberra ahead of an ecumenical service that will be attended by many politicians to mark the start of the new parliament.
ABC host Bridget Brennan turns to the other big story in the news this morning – the severe algal bloom in South Australia. Why hasn’t the government declared it a “national disaster”, asks Brennan – that’s something the Greens have been calling for. Burke says that wording applies to “very specific events” under current legislation.
There’s a legislated, formalised list of events that this is not in. That doesn’t change the fact that it’s an environmental disaster. It doesn’t change the fact that all eyes of the nation are on it …
Murray Watt, the environment minister, was there on the ground yesterday. The premier made statements as well yesterday. We’re working cooperatively.
This is a new event, we’ve had algal blooms before but not of this particular scale. It’s affected by climate change, it’s something that is a slow-moving, but having a horrific impact.
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Burke says latest condemnation of Israel part of ‘series of strong statements’
Australia’s joint statement overnight with 24 other nations calling for the immediate end of the war in Gaza “would be” the strongest so far, says the home affairs minister, Tony Burke. Burke is up first on ABC News Breakfast, and says it’s the latest of a series of “very strong statements” the country has made.
The foreign minister, Penny Wong, signed the statement along with nations including the UK and New Zealand, condemning Israel for depriving Palestinians of “human dignity”.
Burke says Australia has been calling for a ceasefire since 2023 after the conflict broke out.
There’s been a series of very strong statements that we’ve made… When you can make a statement together with so many other significant powers, then, you know, we’re all hoping that there’ll be something that will break this.
We’ve seen too many images of children being killed, of horrific slaughter, of churches being bombed, the images that we’ve seen have been pretty clear that so much of this is indefensible and as that statement referred to, you know, aid being drip-fed in. None of this changes the fact that the hostages need to be released, of course that needs to happen.
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Good morning from Krishani
Krishani Dhanji here with you and we are back my friends! Thanks to Martin Farrer for getting us started this morning.
It is the first sitting day of the new parliament, and that means there is plenty of pomp and ceremony coming your way.
We know the government is focused on passing bills to cut Hecs debts, crack down on the childcare sector and enshrine penalty rates over this next fortnight.
There are also a LOT of new MPs and senators who are joining this 48th parliament, so we’ll be seeing plenty of first speeches as well.
It’s going to be a busy morning: the home affairs minister, Tony Burke, is in the hot seat doing the media rounds for the government so we’ll bring you all of those interviews (and many more) as they come!
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Albanese on childcare: ‘I’m not concerned about legacy, I’m concerned about safety of kids’
Turning back to domestic matters, Albanese was also asked about what responsibility his own government bears for the current crisis in childcare given they have pushed the sector to grow very quickly, ahead of putting proper standards in place.
“Governments have not done well enough across the board … We need to do better, which is why this week, we’ll be introducing important legislation allowing the commonwealth to use the power that we do have, which is essentially funding power, as well as using increased access to make sure that the commonwealth can play a role there.”
Asked about whether he is concerned by private companies playing too big a role in providing childcare centres, Albanese said:
Quite clearly, we do have a problem that needs to be addressed. Now overwhelmingly childcare centers are good in the way that they function. And we shouldn’t tar the whole sector with what has been serious issues. I mean, it would cause enormous distress, and I understand that, as a parent who’s had a child in childcare, the idea that they’ve been subject to this abuse.
Asked about his legacy, Albanese insisted:
I’m not concerned about legacy. I’m concerned about safety of kids.
We have a story up with Albanese’s comments about Mark Latham on 7.30 last night when he said that he finds some of the former Labor leader’s views “repulsive”.
Here it is:
Albanese says US has not asked about how he would respond over Taiwan
The ABC 7.30 program host, Sarah Ferguson, pressed Albanese on what he would say if the US president, Donald Trump, where to question him on Australia’s response if China were to attack Taiwan.
The questions has emerged as part of Washington’s review of the Aukus pact and the request about Australia’s thinking is understood to have been made by an under secretary of defence, Elbridge Colby.
Ferguson asked what Albanese would say if he was pressed on that question. The PM replied:
I’d say what any Australian prime minister has ever said for a long period of time on a bipartisan basis. We’re a sovereign nation. We make decisions depending upon the circumstances of the day, and it’s up to the government the day will make those decisions.
Ferguson then asked whether it would be a fair question for Australia to make its position clearer given the nature of Aukus. Albanese said Elbridge “hasn’t made that suggestion to me”.
As for the question being posed in the reports, Albanese said:
There’s a range of reports. So one of the things that we’re not going to do is to jump at the different reports of issues in the United States on a daily basis. … And of course, the United States has had a long-term position about strategic ambiguity when it comes to Taiwan, and that’s a position which Australia has held as well.
Albanese was reluctant to go into the details of what his “personal” discussion with Xi Jinping involved, outside their formal bilateral discussion.
In order to understand where people are coming from, you’ve got to know their background, and you’ve got to know some of their views about personal things. And I feel as though we got to know each other much more … he had showed a real sense of humour, and it was a very warm conversation that we had.
Asked about Xi’s father’s last role in the Communist party – which was to try to oversee the reunification of Taiwan, and whether the pair discussed that – Albanese said Taiwan was not discussed in the personal discussion.
Albanese did not answer the question of whether the Chinese leader would take a phone call from him in the event of a crisis blowing up over Taiwan or whether Albanese could try to discourage Xi from invading or blockading Taiwan.
He described his encounter with Xi as a “moment of trust”.
Anything that he has said to me has been fulfilled. There haven’t been any breaches on personal commitments that he has given to me. That doesn’t mean he’s agreed with everything that I’ve put forward, far from it, but I’d rather that than someone on an international level saying, ‘Yep, we can do all that,’ and then doing the opposite.
Albanese promises an 'ambitious government'
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has spoken to ABC’s 7.30 program ahead of the first day of parliament sitting tomorrow following Labor’s resounding electoral victory.
Asked about how he will avoid falling into the trap of excessive caution, Albanese said “with determination making sure we are an ambitious government”.
Albanese flagged the changes announced at the beginning of the month (including increasing the minimum wage, Centrelink payments and parental leave) and said he has an “ambitious agenda” for this coming week with three important pieces of legislation: reduction student debt, the childcare reform to give parents and legislation to protect penalty rates.
But in order to have those medium and longer-term objectives, you need to make sure you’re looking after people’s living standards and making sure you’re making those immediate changes to make people’s lives better.
Australia and 24 other countries have signed a joint statement condemning Israel for depriving Palestinians of “human dignity” and calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza.
In the statement signed by the foreign minister, Penny Wong, the countries called on Israel to “immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid” and to allow aid organisations “to do their life saving work”.
It said:
The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths. The Israeli government’s aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity. We condemn the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food.
It is horrifying that over 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid. The Israeli government’s denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable. Israel must comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law.
The statement added that Israeli proposals to remove the Palestinian population into a “humanitarian city” were “completely unacceptable”.
Permanent forced displacement was a violation of international humanitarian law, the statement said.
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Updated
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live blog of the first day of Australia’s 48th parliament. I’m Martin Farrer with the best of the early stories and then it’ll be Krishani Dhanji to bring you the main action.
Australia has joined 24 other countries, including the UK and New Zealand, in condemning Israel for depriving Palestinians of “human dignity” as they issued a call for an immediate end to the war in Gaza. The foreign minister, Penny Wong, called on Israel to “immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid” and allow aid organisations “to do their life saving work”. More coming up.
Anthony Albanese told ABC’s 7.30 last night that he finds some of Mark Latham’s views “repulsive” after the Labor caucus voted yesterday to add text to a portrait of the former leader at Parliament House condemning his actions since he departed federal politics. More coming up.
It was a busy pre-parliamentary night for the prime minister as he fielded a range of other questions from the ABC host, Sarah Ferguson. These included her pressing him on his relationship with the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, and whether or not he has spoken to US officials about how Australia would respond if China attacked Taiwan. All this and more from Albanese’s interview coming up.
The first day of the parliament will be marked by rallies and vigils urging the Albanese government to do more to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza. This will include the culmination of three days of rolling protests calling for sanctions on Israel and a 24-hour vigil orgainised by Amnesty International for children killed in the conflict. More shortly.
