What we learned, Thursday 5 February
We’ll wrap things up here. Thanks for reading, and have a great night. Until tomorrow, here are the day’s top stories:
West Australian police charged a 31-year-old man with a terrorism offence over the alleged attempted bombing of an Invasion Day protest in Perth, claiming the actions were motivated by “hate and racism”.
In South Australia, police declared the disappearance of Gus Lamont a major crime and said a suspect had been identified.
The foreign minister, Penny Wong, said she understood the “depth of feeling in the community” about Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, but defended his trip.
The New South Wales state coroner, Teresa O’Sullivan, handed down her findings from an inquest into the 2024 Bondi Westfield shopping centre stabbing in a 837-page report. The coroner found it was a “major failing” for Joel Cauchi’s former psychiatrist not to recognise he had relapsed in the lead-up to the attack.
The Greens senator Nick McKim criticised Pauline Hanson for receiving free flights on Gina Rinehart’s private jet, after Guardian Australia revealed that Hanson flew on Rinehart’s jet on a flight from Melbourne to Sydney in October last year, but had not declared the gift.
Sticking with Hanson, she said having One Nation join the Liberals and Nationals in a Coalition would be “the only way to move forward” to form a future government, after weeks of infighting between the two larger conservative parties.
In more federal politics news, the Liberals teamed up with Labor against the Greens and Nationals to block a Senate inquiry into gambling ads.
Updated
Childcare centre forced to shut after breaking ban on personal device use
A Sydney childcare centre has been forced to close immediately and two others will shut down in a month after posing an “unacceptable risk” to children, the regulator has said.
One centre, Fairytales Preschool and Long Day Care Centre, was suspended this week after investigators found it had not complied with the state’s ban on educators using personal devices for images or videos of children in their care.
Fairytales also used CCTV to conduct sleep and rest checks on children and failed to follow policies or make mandatory reports, the New South Wales Early Learning Commission said in a statement. The centre did not respond to request for comment.
Another centre, run by Lycee Condorcet Sydney on the grounds of its International French School in Maroubra, will be forced to close on 6 March. It had been issued seven compliance actions and breached national law 42 times since 2024 and was found to have never met national childcare standards.
Great Western Family Day Care, where small groups of children are supervised by individual educators in their own homes, was found to have “poor overall management and governance” by the ELC. It had breached national law 411 times across all its educators since 2018 and faced 11 compliance actions and will also shut on 6 March.
The ELC said it had contacted families explaining the closures. Its relieving commissioner, Kristian Holz, said:
These are services that have consistently failed to meet National Quality Standards and have repeatedly breached the National Law – I make no apologies for taking this strong action.
Updated
NSW government says it supports more housing at Victoria barracks
The New South Wales government has said it welcomes opportunities for housing if the federal government decides to sell off Victoria Barracks alongside more than 60 defence properties, after initially being caught off guard by the plans yesterday.
Yesterday, the defence minister, Richard Marles, released the audit of the 3 million-hectare defence estate, agreeing to recommendations to sell more than 60 properties including the Paddington barracks.
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, admitted to only finding out about the controversial plans after the announcement, and called for the site’s heritage to be preserved in any redevelopment.
In a statement today, a spokesperson for the Minns government said it alway “welcomes opportunities to deliver more well-located housing” and would work with the federal government following the announcement.
The barracks is currently zoned for defence activities, meaning it would need to be rezoned via the local council, the City of Sydney, and then receive state government approval.
It would then be subject to NSW residential planning rules.
It comes as plans by the Australian Turf Club (ATC) to build up to 3,000 apartments around the site of Royal Randwick racecourse were revealed today, after the ATC’s failed attempt to convince its members to sell Rosehill racecourse last year to the state government to build 25,000 new homes.
An ATC spokesperson confirmed the plans were being considered, but not had yet been put to members before a report today in The Sydney Morning Herald.
Updated
Senior Liberal MP says his party and Nationals should both be willing to compromise
Liberal frontbencher Dan Tehan says his own party and the Nationals must both be willing to compromise if it means reuniting the Coalition.
The Liberal leader, Sussan Ley, and Nationals leader, David Littleproud, are in a stalemate in their negotiations on bringing the two conservative parties back together, but neither party has been prepared to budge on their core demands.
The Guardian reported yesterday that hopes of a reunion with the Nationals were fading and that Ley could bring forward the announcement of a permanent Liberal-only frontbench that cements the Coalition split.
Tehan was interviewed on the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing program a short time ago, where he said “compromise from both the Liberals and the Nationals” was needed.
He said “the real sticking point” would be the “issue around the three senators” and:
That is where we must put our heads together and come up with a solution that will lead us to be able to move on, unite and hold this very bad government [to account].
In January, three Nationals senators defied the shadow cabinet to oppose Labor’s hate speech laws, prompting the Coalition’s implosion.
Under Ley’s offer to the Nationals to reunite the two parties, these senators would be forced to sit on the backbench for six months.
Tehan threw his support behind maintaining the joint party room, where the Nationals and Liberals have traditionally finalised their united policy positions, saying that:
That should be the final decision-making body of the Coalition.
And we saw when we were able to negotiate successfully on net-zero which everybody said it would be impossible to do and keep everyone together, because, ultimately in the end it was the joint party room
Updated
Students for Palestine group criticises new antisemitism report card system as ‘authoritarian’
Students for Palestine has called an antisemitism report card system “authoritarian” after Guardian Australia released documents revealing universities would be graded on how well they “deal with” protests, encampments and the display of flags.
The antisemitism envoy, Jillian Segal, devised the report card system as part of a wide-ranging plan handed down to the federal government last July to combat antisemitism, which also proposed withholding government funding from universities that “facilitate, enable or fail to act against antisemitism”.
A co-convener of Students for Palestine, Bella Beiraghi, said:
Pressuring universities to crack down on peaceful protest and criticism of the state of Israel has nothing to do with combatting hatred, and everything to do with stifling criticism of Israel’s genocide.
This is a Trumpian attack.
The grassroots group was part of pro-Palestine encampments across Australian universities in 2024, which were critiqued by some Jewish groups and the coalition.
Another co-convener, Shovan Bhattarai, said it was “worrying” that the report card made explicit reference to reviewing universities’ response to protests and encampments and that:
Students’ right to political expression and academic freedom has already been under attack by university administrations.
This report card is an explicit attempt to further restrict students’ ability to protest on their own campuses.
Updated
Greens senator claims One Nation the party of ‘billionaires, not battlers’ after Hanson’s free flights on Rinehart jet
The Greens senator Nick McKim has accused Pauline Hanson’s party of being “the party of the billionaires, not the party of the battlers” after receiving free flights on Gina Rinehart’s private jet.
Guardian Australia revealed on Tuesday that Hanson flew on Rinehart’s private jet on a flight from Melbourne to Sydney in October last year, but had not declared the gift.
The failure is in breach of Senate rules that require any gifts over $300 to be declared within 35 days.
When asked if the Greens would consider referring the breach to the Senate privileges committee, McKim said he was a member of the committee and was not aware of the details of the late disclosure.
However, he suggested that Rinehart could be having an influence on One Nation’s position in parliament, pointing to the party no longer supporting a Greens bill to ban price gouging across the economy.
You can read more here:
Updated
Victorian court pauses evictions for residents of three public housing towers
Victoria’s court of appeal has blocked a state government agency from issuing evictions to remaining residents in three public housing towers slated for demolition until an attempted high court challenge is complete.
Lawyers for residents of the three towers in North Melbourne and Flemington won a bid for an injunction to prevent Homes Victoria issuing evictions. The towers are among the first tranche earmarked for demolition as part of a plan to rebuild 44 high-rise public housing towers in Melbourne by 2051.
In December, the court of appeal dismissed an appeal by some residents in the long-running class action to halt the program. But lawyers for the residents are planning to take the case to the high court.
Louisa Bassini, the managing lawyer at Inner Melbourne Community Legal – which is representing the residents – spoke to reporters outside the court today:
It means they can stay in their homes, see this process through, make sure the courts have had a proper opportunity to consider the lawfulness of it.
Updated
Hello, I hope you’ve had a great day so far. I’ll be with you until the evening.
That’s it for me today, thanks so much for following along on the blog!
The lovely Catie McLeod will take you through the rest of the afternoon – there’s plenty more to come. I’ll see you bright and early when the pollies return next week.
Updated
Tl;dr – here’s what happened in question time
It was a much shorter QT today, most likely because the PM has a plane to catch to Indonesia (and all other MPs would be keen to get home before they come back for the next sitting week on Monday).
Anthony Albanese and Tony Burke made statements on the alleged terror incident at the Invasion Day protest in Perth.
The Liberals again focused on inflation, trying to corner the government on its spending, and calling on the treasurer to apologise over some “cherrypicked” quotes.
The government pretty much stuck to its script, as they ran out of jibes for the opposition.
The Nationals traversed old ground, abandoning questions on inflation and pushing the government on its $275 2022 energy bill reduction promise (which went nowhere).
Jason Clare gave an update on the new childcare safety measures, announcing 60 childcare services had been given a warning to improve their safety or face funding cuts.
Updated
After a final dixer to Anthony Albanese on his upcoming visit to Indonesia, the PM ends question time.
After a mammoth QT on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, a Labor backbencher shouts “YES!”
I think everyone’s a bit relieved by the early mark.
Updated
King announces $10m for regional NSW crossing
Staying on the crossbench, the former Nationals MP turned independent Andrew Gee asks if funding has been released for a crossing over the Macquarie River in his electorate of Calare.
The infrastructure and transport minister, Catherine King, says the government has approved $10m of funding to be released for the Dickson Long Point Crossing between Mudgee and Orange in New South Wales.
King says:
It is a project, as you mentioned, with a very, very long history and I am pleased to provide that update.
Updated
Barnaby Joyce questions cost of renewable energy underwriting scheme
One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce asks Jim Chalmers how much the government’s capacity investment scheme has cost the 2025-26 budget.
What is the capacity investment scheme? You can recap here:
Chalmers says that the CIS involves a “number of negotiations” so those numbers aren’t public.
He adds:
The capacity investment scheme is unlocking $73bn in private investment in renewable energy.
Updated
Will Anthony Albanese rule out changes to the capital gains tax discount?
Ted O’Brien tries to pin Anthony Albanese on whether the government is considering hiking up capital gains tax, with speculation heating up around parliament.
Albanese says the issue is being talked about because the Greens teamed up with the Liberals and Nationals (when they were still together) to form a committee inquiry looking at capital gains tax. It has two Liberal senators on it – Andrew Bragg and Dave Sharma.
O’Brien stands up to get Albanese to stay on point – will he or will he not rule it out?
Albanese sidesteps the question:
I will talk about what we are doing, not what we are not doing. What we are doing is the Housing Australia Future Fund, the 5% deposits …
Every budget, what we do is focus on how we deliver for Australians. We are continuing to do that. This upcoming budget will be consistent with budgets number one, two, three and four.
Updated
Over 60 childcare services warned they could have funding cut over standards, education minister says
More than 60 childcare services have been served a warning by the government, with threats of having their funding cut if their quality standards do not improve.
During a dixer, the education minister, Jason Clare, provides an update on the childcare reforms agreed to by education ministers in August last year.
Clare says the CCTV has already begun, and mandatory training and the national educator register will be established at the end of this month:
So far we’ve sent notices to more than 60 services across the country. And for some of those 60 services, that deadline we have set for them is fast approaching, and I will have more to say about that in the next few weeks.
Updated
Energy bill debate continues
We’re back to the well-trodden ground of the government’s 2022 $275 energy bill reduction promise (that didn’t take long).
Nationals MP Darren Chester asks if Chris Bowen and the government will apologise and accept responsibility for increasing energy bills.
Bowen says he does take responsibility (and he too recycles his last answer, attacking Angus Taylor once again for delaying an energy price report ahead of the 2022 election).
A minister takes responsibility and deals with it, does not hide electricity price rises before an election. That is an option available but it is not an option that I have chosen to take.
He says he also takes responsibility for the “more than 1,000” home batteries in Chester’s electorate of Gippsland.
Updated
Tony Burke responds to WA terror charge
Tony Burke addresses the WA terror charge during a dixer, and says it was “fortunate” that the bomb did not detonate, “but be in no doubt it will be alleged in court that the intention was absolutely that the bomb would detonate”.
He says while there may be questions over the time it took to declare the act a terror event, authorities were working quickly, and the joint counter-terrorism team were investigating within 40 minutes of the bomb being allegedly thrown.
Terrorism is not defined simply by the action but also by the motivation. And we need to give police time to do their work to be able to get the strongest case together with respect to motivation. The motivation that will be alleged is a national racially motivated ideological cause.
Burke urges anyone with information they think may constitute a risk to public safety to call the national security hotline on 1800 123 400.
Updated
PM asked if economists are ‘all wrong’ about government spending boosting inflation
Sussan Ley is back at the dispatch box and asks the PM if he believes all the economists who say government spending is increasing inflation are “all wrong”.
Anthony Albanese accuses the opposition of “talking Australia down” and makes the same arguments he and Jim Chalmers have been making since Tuesday – that the OECD and IMF have said positive things about the Australian economy, and that private sector demand has been growing faster than expected.
Albanese says:
The IMF had this to say in November last year: Australia is managing a soft landing amid global uncertainty. The Commonwealth’s fiscal strategy has been effective over the past pandemic period.
Updated
Bowen compared to ‘Duracell sales rep’ over energy bill broken promise
Back to the crossbench, Nationals MP Llew O’Brien asks Chris Bowen when households will get their $275 energy bill discount promised in 2022. (The government was forced to backdown on the promise.)
Bowen says – at lightning speed – that wholesale prices are coming down.
O’Brien quickly stands up to make a point of order and says, “is this guy the Duracell sales rep or is he the energy minister?”
Someone on the opposition benches then shouts, “He’s definitely a bunny!”
Bowen comes back to the dispatch box and then takes a hit at former energy minister Angus Taylor over his decision to delay the energy price report until after the 2022 election.
This is all well-trodden ground, and I’m sure both sides will keep treading along it.
Updated
Jim Chalmers asked if he will apologise over ‘cherrypicked’ quote
Next to get a go is the shadow treasurer, Ted O’Brien, who asks Jim Chalmers if he will apologise for “cherrypicking” quotes from an AMP economist in QT yesterday.
AMP economist Diana Mousina told the AFR today, “It’s likely we’re going to see a lower pace of growth in government spending next financial year [in 2026-27]. But I didn’t say the government was not contributing to inflation. It is playing some role.”
Chalmers defends himself, and says the point went to public demand making a “smaller contribution” to demand in the economy. He then calls the Liberals “desperate”.
I understand that those opposite are so desperate in their current political condition, but they cannot deny the fact that the story of the economy in 2025 was the faster than expected recovery in the private economy.
Updated
Lidia Thorpe responds to terrorism charge after alleged bombing
Shortly before question time began, the independent senator Lidia Thorpe responded to the news a 31-year-old man has been charged with terrorism over the alleged attempted bombing of an Invasion Day protest in Perth.
Speaking before the prime minister issued a statement about the charge in question time on Thursday, Thorpe criticised the lack of public attention on the 26 January incident.
She said:
This person that has been charged with a terrorist act comes from the same element of hate that continues to be perpetrated against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in this country.
We know how silent this country went (after the incident). Everyone went into hiding. The media, you guys, the prime minister.
Updated
75% of homes lost in Victorian fires were in Indi, says Helen Haines
Over to the crossbench, independent MP Helen Haines says 75% of the homes lost in the Victorian fires were in her electorate of Indi.
She asks the emergency management minister, Kristy McBain, what more support the government will offer her electorate, beyond what’s already been announced.
McBain says the government has already announced $158m in support for local communities. She doesn’t have any other specific announcements for support but says the government will “extend support where needed”.
The Albanese government will continue to work really closely with the Allan Labor government, and with local councils and local communities in particular, to understand where supports and assistance is going to be needed into the future. And our government stands ready, willing and able to assist when the support packages come forward.
Updated
It’s question time
The opposition is sticking with inflation today, with Sussan Ley asking whether the government “still believes inflation is under control” after Tuesday’s rate rise – the 13th since the Labor government was elected.
Anthony Albanese says he acknowledges households are still doing it tough.
He defends the government’s budget position then pivots into an attack on the opposition, which leads to the shadow energy minister, Dan Tehan, getting up to make a point of order, but Milton Dick shuts him down quickly saying that Tehan can’t even recall Ley’s question accurately.
Albanese continues to stick the knife in:
They just focus on each other. Liberals focused on other Liberals and Nationals focused on other Nationals, people joining the crossbench and now talk of a three-way coalition with Pauline Hanson.
Updated
Albanese tells First Nations community: ‘We stand with you’
Before question time begins, the prime minister speaks to the house on the terror charge made in WA this afternoon.
A 31-year-old man has now been charged with a terror offence, after allegedly throwing a bomb into a crowd at an Invasion Day rally in Perth on 26 January.
Authorities said that the AFP and Asio were engaged on the same day to begin their investigations.
Anthony Albanese says to the house:
I know that First Nations people around Australia are grappling with that. The combination of disbelief, anger and real fear – and I have met with a number of Indigenous leaders in the last 24 hours about this. As a government, as a parliament and as a nation we see you and we stand with you. We will do everything required to keep you and your loved ones safe.
The prime minister repeats the statement from the AFP commissioner, Krissy Barrett, that the joint counter-terrorism team believes there is no residual risk.
Sussan Ley says the alleged event has “provoked anxiety, shock and concern in our Indigenous communities, as it has across our nation”.
Updated
First Nations people ‘have the right to gather peacefully without fearing for their safety’: Tony Burke
The home affairs minister, Tony Burke, has released a statement responding to the terror charge against a man who allegedly threw a bomb into a Perth Invasion Day rally.
Burke, along with the minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy, and the member for Perth, Patrick Gorman, said First Nations people “have the right to gather peacefully without fearing for their safety”.
They said that within 40 minutes the WA police, AFP and Asio were involved, meaning the “right people, with the right experience” were engaged from the start.
Racism has no place in our society. All Australians have a right to feel safe and protected from violence and bigotry.
Our message to the First Nations community in Perth and all those affected is: we stand with you.
Updated
More on Gus Lamont
Det Supt Darren Fielke said:
The search for Gus was based on him walking off from Oak Park Station and becoming lost. This is one of three investigation options that have been explored by the members attached to Task Force Horizon.
The other two investigation options are focused on Gus being abducted from Oak Park Station or whether someone known to him was involved in his disappearance and suspected death.
I’ll provide you further details on all of those concurrent investigations this afternoon.
As well as that, today I’m also declaring the disappearance of Gus Lamont to be a major crime.
Updated
Disappearance of Gus Lamont declared a major crime
Four-year-old Gus disappeared from his family’s outback home in South Australia more than four months ago, sparking what SA police called “one of the largest, most intensive and most protracted searches” they had ever undertaken.
Police have declared the disappearance a major crime.
The officer in charge of major crime, Det Supt Darren Fielke, said on Thursday the search was unprecedented.
Mounted police, police divers, defence and emergency services personnel, drones and Aboriginal trackers searched the 60,000 hectare Oak Park Station, which is near Yunta, about 300km inland from Adelaide.
Until now, police have insisted there was no evidence of foul play, but they have also said they weren’t ruling anything out.
Updated
Barrett: AFP will ensure hate and violence not used to silence communities
Barrett says to the protesters at the Invasion Day rally in Perth and First Nations Australians: “You have the right to peacefully protest in this country without facing threats of violence.”
The Australian federal police, our security and law enforcement partners will use all our powers, capabilities and resources to ensure hate and violence are not used as weapons to silence communities.
She says the AFP’s national security investigations team is setting up in Western Australia to take proactive action against those who seek to “endanger our social cohesion”.
She says today’s announcement is “as much an update as a warning”.
There are individuals and current and emerging groups across Australia, including in the West, which are eroding the country’s social fabric by advocating hatred, fear and humiliation that is towards violence, and I am here to put these groups and individuals on notice.
Updated
Barrett: No ‘residual risk’ to community
The Australian federal police commissioner, Krissy Barrett, says that the man allegedly threw the device into the crowd at 12.18pm, and at 12.54pm the same day the AFP and Asio were engaged.
The next day, 27 January, the WA joint counter-terrorism team endorsed an investigation, which triggered “elevated Commonwealth powers, capability and resources”.
Since 27 January, the JCTT has accessed the alleged offender’s digital devices and has worked around the clock to determine whether he acted alone and if there was any residual risk to the community. We do not believe there is any residual risk to the community relating to the alleged attack.
Barrett says authorities are still going through a significant amount of digital data and material.
She says there are three key components needed to meet the threshold for a terrorism offence:
Including that the action causes or threatens to cause serious harm to human life, serious damage to property, endangers life, creates a serious risk to public health and safety, or seriously interferes with critical infrastructure, and that the action is done with the intention of advancing a political, religious or ideological cause, and the action is done with the intention of coercing or influencing a government by intimidation or intimidating the public or a section of the public.
Updated
Man who allegedly threw a bomb into Perth Invasion Day rally charged with terrorism
WA police have charged a 31-year-old man with a terrorism offence over the alleged attempted bombing of a Perth Invasion Day protest.
More than 2,500 people, predominantly First Nations people, were at the event in Forrest Place when an object later identified by police as a homemade improvised explosive device was thrown into the crowd.
The charges were announced at a joint press conference with the WA premier, Roger Cook, police minister Reece Whitby, WA police commissioner Col Blanch, Australian federal police commissioner Krissy Barrett, and the federal minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy.
Cook said:
This charge, which has been laid by the joint taskforce, alleges the attack on Aboriginal people and other peaceful protesters was motivated by hateful, racist ideology. This is the first time this charge has been laid in Western Australia.
The man, from the northern Perth suburb of Warwick, has already been charged with one count of committing an unlawful act or omission with intent to harm (endangering life, health or safety of any person), and one count of making or possession of explosives under suspicious circumstances. He has been remanded in custody.
Updated
Senate motion to boot Nationals from Senate committees is delayed
Leader of the opposition in the Senate, Michaelia Cash, had a motion prepared to boot a bunch of Nationals from Senate committees.
Why?
Because committees have quotas around how many government, opposition and crossbench members they can have, and now that the Nationals are on the crossbench, the Liberals would argue they should have the extra spots.
The motion would have kicked the Nationals from 12 Senate committees, with the biggest casualty being Matt Canavan, who sits on seven of them.
The motion, however, has been delayed (due to technical Senate timing rules) and will now only come back when the Senate sits again from 2 March. Next week the senators will all be in town, but they’ll be conducting estimates, which means that sort of parliamentary business can’t be dealt with.
Updated
No capital gains tax changes ‘at the moment’, says housing minister
The housing minister, Clare O’Neil, says there’s nothing to comment on “at the moment” on any possible changes to the capital gains tax discount.
The speculation is growing, and if I had a dollar for every time I’ve written “CGT discount” today (and beyond) I’d be well on my way to buying my own house …
Speaking to Sky News, O’Neil is pushed on those reports, and she says there’s nothing on the table right now:
We haven’t changed our policy, and there’s nothing on the table … for me to comment on at the moment, we haven’t changed our tax policy. We haven’t changed our housing policy. Our big focus is on building more homes.
Updated
Labor and Liberals vote again to block inquiry into gambling ads bill
As we brought you before, one of those divisions saw the Liberals and government team up to block a Senate inquiry into a Greens bill to ban gambling ads.
Another division saw them do almost the same thing again.
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young had a separate motion for an separate inquiry process into the harms of gambling advertising more broadly.
Safe to say, Hanson-Young was pretty livid that Labor and the Liberals again voted together to block it.
That was Labor and Liberal voting for the second time against a gambling inquiry, the second time in less than an hour.
Updated
Steggall, Scamps and Wilkie condemn Herzog invitation
Independent MPs Zali Steggall, Sophie Scamps and Andrew Wilkie have condemned the government’s invitation to Israeli president Isaac Herzog, and warned the visit will inflame community tensions.
In a statement, Wilkie said it was “unacceptable” that Australia would invite the head of state for a country “which the International Court of Justice has found is committing the crime of apartheid”.
In January, the government hastily legislated to stamp down on hate speech in Australia, and here we are in February inviting someone to Australia who has made public statements which have been cited as evidence of genocidal intent.
Herzog has denied this.
Scamps said the invitation would be deeply distressing for many Australians and would risk igniting further division.
Steggall said she stands in solidarity with Jewish Australians but was also “deeply troubled” by the visit.
I appreciate that many in the Jewish community support president Herzog’s visit to Australia in the wake of the shocking Bondi terror attack. However, in the broader interests of community cohesion, president Herzog’s presence is likely to be deeply divisive and will cause further harm to national unity.
Updated
Liberals team up with Labor against Greens and Nationals to block Senate inquiry into gambling ads
Despite the Greens, Nationals and independents voting for an inquiry into gambling advertising in the Senate, it was defeated 19 votes to 29 with Labor and the Liberals teaming up to vote it down.
Updated
Nationals vote with Greens for gambling ads inquiry
In the Senate, the Greens senator, Sarah Hanson-Young is trying to get up an inquiry on legislation to ban gambling ads.
Hanson-Young said she expected both Labor and the Liberals to vote against it, calling out Labor for continuing not to act on the Peta Murphy report on gambling advertising.
However, since the split of the Coalition, Nationals senator Matt Canavan indicated the Nationals would vote for it. He said he thought the Greens were going too far in calling to ban things, but the Nationals supported the scrutiny of parliament.
As the division in the Senate gets under way, the Nationals senators are sitting with the Greens and independent senator David Pocock, while Liberals and Labor sit together to vote against it.
Updated
Trade on essential raw materials are ‘existential question’, German foreign minister says.
The German foreign minister, Johann Wadephul, said in translated comments regarding trade between Australia and Europe that closer cooperation on raw materials, such as rare metals is a question of economic security.
It contributes our prosperity and maintaining security in Europe, and also in the region here. And I think that this is an existential question for the future. We must diversify our supply chains, and we must cooperate closely as possible. We create new international corporations, and have to do so flexibly.
These mechanisms have to be reliable for all parts involved, and of that will require a certain financial investment, because of sourcing these raw materials is related to a significant we know that German industry in particular relies on these raw materials, and so I this is a large field for particularly close cooperation between Australia and Germany.
He said negotiations around the agricultural sector have been challenging but it was not surprising. Germany was committed to free trade, he said.
The Australian foreign minister, Penny Wong, said Australia was hopeful of a conclusion of an EU-Australia free trade agreement in the near future.
On China, she said the country is a very important trading partner, and stabilising the relationship between Australia and China has meant navigating the differences of views and national interests.
We describe it as cooperate where we can, disagree where we must and engage for the national interest, we have approached it, and I wouldn’t propose ever to give Germany advice about how to behave diplomatically.
Updated
The foreign minister, Penny Wong, is holding a press conference with the German foreign minister, Johann Wadephul.
Wong was asked again about the visit of Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, and calls from the former human rights commissioner, Chris Sidoti for Herzog to be arrested. Wong repeated her earlier comments that Herzog is visiting Australia to support the Jewish community in the wake of the Bondi terror attack.
Wadephul said in translated comments that Germany, for historical reasons, has a “consistent responsibility for Germany that we feel beholden to and of course we also feel beholden to international law”.
Updated
Number of young Australians with dementia to soar
More than a million Australians are projected to develop dementia in the next four decades, with the number of early onset cases expected to soar, advocates say.
AAP reports data released on Thursday reveals people living with young onset dementia, when the syndrome is diagnosed before the age of 65, will rise by 40% over the next 30 years.
Dementia Australia chief executive, Tanya Buchanan, said action is needed immediately, which can start by significant intervention.
There is a critical demand for a national program to promote brain health throughout our lives as well as a pressing need to provide quality care and support services for people of all ages living with dementia, their families and carers.
Dementia is the nation’s leading cause of death, accounting for 9.4% of all deaths in 2024.
More than 17,000 people died from dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, during that period, with 62% of dementia-related deaths being women, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
The ABS believes the increase of dementia deaths was likely due to people living longer, which raises the chances of developing dementia towards the end of their lives.
Data released by Dementia Australia shows that about 446,000 people are living with dementia, a figure projected to surpass one million by 2065.
Buchanan said essential investment is needed from the federal government in implementing the 10-year National Dementia Action Plan, which was unveiled in 2024.
Updated
Students for Palestine say no amount of ‘brow beating’ will stop march against Herzog visit
Students for Palestine says “no amount of brow beating” will stop them from marching in opposition to Israeli president, Isaac Herzog’s, visit on Monday.
Responding to foreign minister Penny Wong’s call for the public to remember the context of the visit, in providing support to the Jewish community affected by the Bondi terror attack, the group said the context was much wider.
Jasmine Duff, the national convener of Students for Palestine, said the group will be present at marches in 26 cities and towns across Australia.
Penny Wong has asked us to consider the context. The context for this visit by Israel’s president is an active genocide in Gaza. The context is parents being handed bags of their children’s obliterated bodies based on “approximate weight”. The context is entire family lines erased forever, hospitals and schools deliberately bombed … We will march in 26 cities and towns on Monday evening, and no amount of brow beating will stop us.
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eSafety commissioner fires back over Snap’s attempt to escape under-16s ban
The Australian Financial Review reported that Snap executives last year offered to strip some of the more social aspects of Snapchat for under-16s users in order to escape the under-16s social media ban, but this was rejected by eSafety.
The eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, told Guardian Australia in assessing each platform, there was a significant purpose test and Snapchat was assessed to be a social media app. The company has argued it is primarily a messaging app.
Inman Grant confirmed she was asked if features like Snap maps, Snap streaks, stories and other features could be stripped out, and said she told them “I can’t assess a hypothetical service”.
Inman Grant said she viewed that it would not have been the intent of the parliament to allow young people to be moved over to a new, stripped-down service.
She said:
We had that conversation and I said: ‘if you decide to take that course and develop it, an alternative service, we will assess that separately.’
And then when it came down to the self assessment process, they made some determination, that that wasn’t feasible. And so they just argued that they were messaging platform and I said I don’t agree based on the totality of features.
Snapchat this week announced 415,000 accounts had been locked or disabled since the ban came into effect in December last year, but warned of gaps in the law, including the technology used and other apps available to teens, that potentially undermines the ban.
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Littleproud dismisses ‘hypothetical’ of One Nation joining Coalition
The Nationals leader, David Littleproud, says he won’t engage in “hypotheticals” about a potential mega-coalition with One Nation, as Pauline Hanson has suggested.
Jumping back to that interview on Sky News earlier, Littleproud said One Nation was a “threat” to the National party which they have to take seriously.
The latest Essential poll for the Guardian found 23% of respondents who voted for the Coalition in 2025 now intend to support One Nation.
Littleproud said:
I don’t work in hypotheticals that will be two years down the track … I don’t intend to engage in running commentary on because all it does is add to the mystique and to the hyperbole of Canberra.
Anyone that runs against the National party is a threat to the National party. We take them seriously.
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Pauline Hanson says One Nation would join Liberals and Nationals in coalition
Pauline Hanson says joining the Liberals and Nationals in a Coalition would be “the only way to move forward” to form a future government.
Hanson told Sky News last night she would be open to giving the Coalition “supply” but wouldn’t join either party in their current state.
Of course, that’s the only way to move forward, because I’m not going to be [in] government, and neither is, by the looks of it, the Coalition or the National party … I would work with them to give them supply. Would I join up to the rabble that they are at the moment? No way in the wide world, but I have my strong policies that we need.
She says the Liberal and National parties have been “picking up a lot of my policies”.
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NSW backs six new big batteries in largest energy storage tender
Six new big batteries capable of storing more than 8 hours of energy have been backed by the NSW government’s electricity roadmap.
The tender is the sixth conducted and the largest so far in terms of storage capacity and number of projects.
Successful projects include the 330 megawatt (MW) 10-hour Great Western Battery in the Lithgow region, the 11.5-hour Bannaby project in the southern tablelands, and the 9.7h Bowman’s Creek project in the Hunter, along with others in Armidale, Ebor and Kingswood.
Combined, the six projects represent 1.17 gigawatts (GW), or 11.98GWh of energy storage capacity, enough to secure the roadmap’s minimum objectives for 2GW of long-duration storage by 2030 and 28GW by 2034.
The big batteries are due to be completed by 2030, and are subject to planning approval.
NSW now has the most battery projects in Australia, with over 200 in construction or planning.
The minister for climate change and energy, Penny Sharpe, said:
These six big batteries mean we’re on track to smash our storage targets, harvesting the sun and wind, so we can power NSW around the clock and put downward pressure on prices.
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Greens slam Labor’s response to parliamentary inquiry into consultants
Greens senator Barbara Pocock says the government’s response to a parliamentary inquiry into consultancies “woefully inadequate”
Pocock who alongside Labor senator Deborah O’Neil grilled consultancy executives at an explosive inquiry, says their committee found “discovered a tidal wave of malpractice, poor governance and structural failures.” The inquiry was triggered by allegations PwC Australia used its role as a government adviser to obtain confidential information to help its international clients avoid tax.
The government responded to one of two inquiries into consultancy firms on Monday, and just “noted” all 40 of its recommendations. It accepted none.
The multi-partisan inquiry report recommended slashing partner numbers at the big four consulting firms to 400 equity partners and separate the audit and non-audit practices.
Pocock said:
The government’s response fobs off our report with baby steps that don’t meet the scale of this crisis. So much of the Parliament’s time and resources have been spent uncovering unethical behaviour in the consultancy sector. The government was provided with clear recommendations for cleaning up the sector but instead of agreeing to them, Labor continues to greenlight unethical contractors.
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Hanson returns to the Senate after suspension
Pauline Hanson is back, after serving a seven sitting day suspension over her burqa stunt in the Senate.
The One Nation leader, who missed the two extra sitting days to debate the hate and antisemitism bills in January, returned this morning.
As she and her One Nation colleagues have been doing, they turned their backs on the Senate President as she read out an acknowledgment of country.
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‘I didn’t come to Canberra to roll over and have my tummy tickled’: Littleproud
Despite members of what is now the former Coalition, telling each other to focus on Labor and not talk about themselves, they can’t seem to stop.
The Nationals leader, David Littleproud, is back on the TV today talking to Sky News and again focuses on the sticky issue of shadow cabinet solidarity (that prevents shadow ministers from being able to cross the floor of parliament).
While negotiations continue, Littleproud digs in to say that the joint party room process wasn’t followed during the hate speech laws debate, which led to the former shadow ministers crossing the floor.
I don’t intend to let the National Party become a factional Liberal Party … We’ve used the machinery of the Coalition to be able to debate that in forums within the Coalition, like the joint party room, to be able to get to a final position. And that’s that’s what served us well in the past, and that wasn’t afforded to us in this particular case, and that’s why we had every right to do what we do, to stand up for our belief and to do that, and we were respectful of the Liberal party if they had a different view. But when proper process wasn’t afforded, what were we to do? … I didn’t come to Canberra to roll over and have my tummy tickled.
So, why then, if the Nationals claim they did nothing wrong, did they hand in their resignations. Littleproud says the letters were sent “out of respect” to Ley, but came with a fourth letter that said they didn’t believe they had breached shadow cabinet solidarity and that if Ley accepted the three resignations all the Nationals frontbenchers would leave.
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Continuing from our last post …
The new planning laws create three new planning streams to reduce permit approval times 10 days for stand-alone houses and duplexes, 30 for townhouses and low-rise developments, and 60 for larger developments.
Third-party appeal rights – which allow anyone to object to a planning permit – for homes, duplexes, townhouses and low-rise apartment streams will be scrapped and for higher density apartments, only those who are directly affected – such as neighbours – will be able to appeal.
The government has said this would replace the existing “one-size-fits-all system”, where almost all projects go through the same planning process, regardless of their complexity.
After the bill passed parliament, the planning minister, Sonya Kilkenny, lashed the opposition for not supporting the bill. She said:
Despite [opposition leader] Jess Wilson and the Liberals’ best attempts, today parliament passed the biggest planning overhaul in decades – reforms that will deliver more homes for young people near transport, jobs and services. If Jess Wilson was serious about housing, she would have backed our reforms – just like industry have. Instead, she voted to cut the reforms, cut the homes they’ll deliver, and cut millennials out of the market.
Here’s a story we wrote last month on the Victorian government’s housing revolution:
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Vic planning laws pass with new ‘head of power’ to mandate affordable housing in new developments
The Victorian government’s overhaul of the state’s “old-fashioned nimby” planning act has passed parliament overnight, with the support of the Greens, who successfully amended the laws to mandate affordable house in new developments.
The Greens amendment creates a “head of power” to legally mandate property developers to include a portion of affordable housing in big projects fast-tracked by government.
The Greens spokesperson for planning, upper house MP Sarah Mansfield, says the amendment will mean Labor has “no excuse to give property developers special treatment”:
Private property developers aren’t thinking about affordability, they’re thinking about profit and for too long, Labor’s given them all the power over what gets built. Now the only thing stopping new developments from including public, community and affordable housing is Labor.
The threshold, operation and application of the “head of power” is yet to be determined and will be confirmed after consultation with the property industry, local government and community, the government said.
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Marles dismisses US congressional report on Aukus submarines
Defence minister and deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, has dismissed the findings of a report by the US Congressional Research Service, Congress’s policy research arm, which openly contemplates not selling any nuclear submarines to Australia – as promised under the Aukus agreement – because America wants to retain control of the submarines for a potential conflict with China over Taiwan.
Asked about the report, published by Guardian Australia, Marles says there will be “a whole lot of commentary” on Aukus, and adds that Aukus defence ministers met in Washington in December.
Marles said:
You’re going to hear a whole lot of commentary at the end of the day. We’re working with the US administration, and we’ve heard the United States president make clear the position of the United States in respect of this question, and he has said that we are full steam ahead in respect of this and it includes the transfer of the Virginia [class submarines].
Marles was also asked about a separate Guardian investigation finding Israeli forces have bulldozed part of a Gaza cemetery containing the war graves of dozens of British, Australian and other allied soldiers killed in the first and second world wars.
The deputy prime minister said, “I’m actually not aware of that report”.
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Meet your new opposition leader, shadow minister for water, resources, agriculture and more!
Taking a leaf out of the old Scott Morrison book, Bob Katter, who says he’s sick of watching the Liberals and Nationals “squabble over the deck chairs on the Titanic”, has decided to take matters into his own hands.
Announcing on social media this morning, Katter has declared himself the next opposition leader, and shadow ministers for various portfolios including industry, water, and infrastructure.
The post states:
Given that the Libs and crossbench now have even numbers in the House and everyone else seems preoccupied with the Libs and Nats ‘MAFS’ saga, Bob has taken a leaf out of Morrison’s book and allocated himself the positions of Opposition Leader and all shadow Cabinet portfolios.
Bob said, “I have not taken on this tremendous responsibility lightly, however I can’t just stand there and watch while the Libs and Nats continue to squabble over deck chairs on the Titanic. If you’re not going to do the job then GET OUT!”.
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Man charged after allegedly mimicking shooting people at Bondi beach
A man has been charged after allegedly mimicking firing at people on a bridge that was the site of the Bondi beach terror attack that left 15 people dead, AAP reports.
Police received complaints from the public about the actions of two men on the Campbell Parade Bridge at Bondi beach about 7pm on Saturday.
One man allegedly pretended to fire at people near the bridge and abused bystanders when confronted, causing them to feel fearful and intimidated, police said.
Officers spoke with a 23-year-old man at the scene, while the other man fled the scene.
The footbridge was used by the gunmen during the Bondi terror attack on 14 December, which left 15 people dead and dozens injured at the Chanukah by the Sea event.
The 23-year-old man was arrested about 4.40pm on Wednesday and has been charged with stalking or intimidating, intending to cause fear or physical harm and behaving in an offensive manner near a public place or school.
He is in custody and due to appear in court on Thursday.
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Defence estate sell-off should go to safe and affordable housing, say advocates
The sell off of major defence assets around the country should be harnessed for safe, accessible and affordable housing for people locked out of the market, community organisation Catholic Social Services says.
Federal Labor is talking up the plans to sell land and buildings no longer of strategic use for defence. The more than 60 sites around the country are expected to net about $1.8bn in profits.
Catholic Social Services chief executive, Jerry Nockles, said more than 1.2 million low-income Australians spend more than 30% of their household income on accommodation.
The divestment of defence land presents a unique and timely opportunity for the government to invest in social infrastructure that can deliver meaningful, lasting housing solutions for those at risk.
We would also like to see further identification of land held by the Commonwealth and the states and territories to determine whether parcels are surplus or underultilised and suitable for housing supply outcomes - including social and affordable housing.
Where appropriate, we believe proceeds from such divestments should be directed towards expanding housing supply and social infrastructure to meet urgent community needs.”
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Thorpe calls for First Nations community consultation over defence estate sell off
Independent senator Lidia Thorpe wants Indigenous community leaders consulted about the planned sell off of major defence assets, describing the land as stolen from traditional owners.
Labor plans to raise as much as $1.8bn from the sale of properties including training sites, bases, warehouses and disused land, all deemed to offer no strategic value to Defence.
Among sites set to be sold are the historic Victoria Barracks in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane as well as prime sites on Sydney Harbour and a major munitions site at Maribyrnong, in Melbourne’s west.
Thorpe is angry Indigenous leaders were not involved in the planning of the sales, and said prior and informed consent of traditional owners was required. Thorpe said:
This land doesn’t belong to Defence, it doesn’t belong to the Albanese government – it belongs to First Peoples.
Each traditional owner group has the right to self-determination. This means they get to decide what happens on their country and how benefits flow. What cannot happen is another transfer of wealth from stolen land into government coffers and private corporate profits.
The Albanese government must work with each Traditional Owner group affected by this plan.
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The Nationals are pushing for “guardrails” around shadow cabinet solidarity as they negotiate with the Liberals to potentially reunite the Coalition.
Talks have been ongoing between the two sides, with leaders Sussan Ley and David Littleproud meeting yesterday. The Nationals also confirmed yesterday they had sent correspondence back to the Liberals yesterday following Ley’s initial offer which would have seen the three former Nationals frontbenchers remain on the backbench for six months.
Speaking to Sky News, deputy Nationals leader, Kevin Hogan, says 99% of his party room are Coalitionists:
Shadow cabinet solidarity, or cabinet solidarity, especially when you’re in government, is very important. And we put something back to them [the Liberals] yesterday around the guardrails on that and how that would work, and the processes that would work, and what could override shadow cabinet solidarity, which is the joint party room, and we’re getting clarity and agreement from them on that as well.
Why the mention of the joint party room “overriding” shadow cabinet?
That’s because the Nationals claim that there wasn’t a joint party room to make the final decision over the Coalition’s position on Labor’s hate speech laws, which triggered this whole mess. Littleproud has said that the lack of a joint party room meant that there was no final position, meaning the Nationals who crossed the floor “did nothing wrong.”
But as we know, the Liberals want a water tight agreement on shadow cabinet solidarity.
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Victorian bushfires to be investigated by parliamentary inquiry
Victoria’s devastating January bushfires will be investigated by a parliamentary inquiry, after the opposition successfully passed a motion in the upper house last night.
The inquiry, to be led by the Legislative Council’s environment and planning committee, will examine the preparation, resourcing of emergency services agencies and management of the fires, which tore through more than 400,000 hectares of land, destroyed more than 1,000 structures and claimed the life of cattle farmer, Maxwell Hobson.
The opposition spokesperson for emergency services, Nationals leader Danny O’Brien, says it’s “ironic” the Labor government supported the motion despite the premier saying such matters would be covered by a review being conducted by the Inspector General for Emergency Management. He went on:
Victorians impacted by the bushfires deserve a voice. They deserve to have their experiences heard. This is the best way to get to the bottom of the Allan government’s bushfire preparedness and response and ensure we learn from these fires and strengthen our state’s future strategies.
Paterson says shadow cabinet solidarity ‘essential’
Jumping back to James Paterson on Sky this morning, the shadow finance minister said there can be “reasonable accommodation” for the Coalition to be re-formed, but that key principals like shadow cabinet solidarity must be upheld.
Shadow cabinet solidarity is a big sticking point between the two parties, even since the first Coalition breakup in May last year.
Time is ticking on the Coalition coming back together, with Sussan Ley’s deadline of Monday before she chooses a Liberal-only frontbench.
Paterson says:
I think we should continue to have constructive and good faith dialog to see whether there can be a reasonable accommodation. That doesn’t mean capitulating on important principles. I think the principles of shadow cabinet, solidarity of the Westminster system, are essential for a serious opposition and an effective government, and we should continue to insist on those.
Former Liberal prime minister John Howard re-entered the chat this morning, telling the Australian the two parties should come back together. Howard said the Nationals are “entitled to some concessions”. Paterson says:
John Howard is our greatest living liberal, and we, of course, don’t have to do everything that Mr. Howard recommends, but in my view, we have to have a very good reason if we’re going to depart from his advice.
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Sydney man charged over alleged threat to foreign head of state
A Sydney man has been charged for allegedly making an online threat towards a foreign head of state.
The Australia federal police (AFP) executed a search warrant in the inner-city suburb of Newtown on Wednesday after an alleged threat was made on social media. A man, 19, was allegedly linked to the threat and officials searched a home in the area, seizing a mobile phone and drug paraphernalia.
The charges come just days before the Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, is due to arrive in Australia. Neither the AFP nor the Israeli embassy would confirm whether the Israeli president was the subject of those alleged threats.
The man has been charged with one count of using a carriage service to make a threat to kill. He was refused bail and will appear before court today.
The offence carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment.
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‘I don’t want to see the community re-traumatised’: Leeser
Liberal frontbencher Julian Leeser says he welcomes Isaac Herzog’s visit but discouraged protesters from marching so as to not “re-traumatise” the Jewish community.
Speaking to ABC RN Breakfast, Leeser, who is Jewish, says Herzog is visiting to “comfort the families” of the Bondi terror attack.
The Jewish community has been massively traumatised by these events that occurred in December last year at Bondi. And I don’t want to see the community re-traumatised. It’s why last week I wrote to (NSW) police commissioner Mal Lanyon asking him to extend the no-go zones in relation to Bondi and in relation to places outside Jewish communal buildings. And I’m pleased that the New South Wales government has done that.
Asked about UN commissioner Chris Sidoti’s call for Herzog to be arrested, Leeser said:
Australia has from time to time visitors from a range of different countries which Australians will have different views about the human rights record of those visitors or the foreign policy of that particular country, and we don’t go around arresting people who come as guests of government.
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Australia still considering Trump’s ‘board of peace’ invitation, says Wong
The government is still mulling over Donald Trump’s invitation to join his “board of peace”, says Penny Wong, but downplays the prospect of Australia’s involvement.
Wong says the arrangements for the board are different to the way Australia would normally engage, and that the government is focused on the Quad and Aukus agreements.
New Zealand has recently declined the invitation. Wong says:
The ‘board of peace’ proposal would involve Australia being part of a treaty. Obviously, that is a different kind of arrangement to those which we would generally engage in for these sorts of matters. We are obviously considering, but I would say we continue to work closely with the United States for particularly in the context of the Quad and also Aukus in our shared interests.
Asked when a decision will be made, Wong says it’s still being worked through, and that the government is “seeking to understand more closely what the US is seeking to do through” the board.
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‘Depth of feeling’ in Australian community over Herzog visit: Wong
Wong says she understands there are many different views held over Herzog’s visit with some, including the Palestine Action Group, still planning to protest Herzog’s arrival in Sydney next week.
Asked whether those groups should be allowed to protest, Wong says:
We are a country, a democracy where we know people have differences of views, and I do understand very keenly that people have different views about this visit. There is a depth of feeling in different communities across Australia. We see that, we feel that. What I would ask people to recall is the context and circumstances of this visit and the purpose of it, which is to honour the victims of the antisemitic terror attack.
Ed Husic, a Labor MP who has been a vocal critic of Israel, has said he has “deep concerns” over the visit.
Asked about those comments, Wong says again that she understands the “depth of feeling” in the community but that the government is working to ensure peace in the region.
I really do understand the depth of feeling about this visit, the depth of feeling in the community about what we’ve seen in Gaza, which is why we’ve been so clear about working, we’re pressing for peace with others in the international community for civilians to be protected and for aid to flow.
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Wong defends Herzog visit, says government has considered legal advice
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, says Israel will be judged by the International Court of Justice on its actions in Gaza, but that the visit of Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, is in the context of the aftermath of the Bondi terror attack.
Speaking to RN Breakfast this morning, Wong is asked whether the government has considered any legal advice on Herzog’s arrival.
It follows Chris Sidoti, a member of the UN commission of inquiry on the occupied Palestinian territories, calling for Herzog to be detained because the inquiry had found that he had allegedly incited genocide.
Wong says:
We always consider legal advice in relation to our obligations. I’ve made the point. We have invited him.
I have said previously that Israel will be judged by the International Court of Justice on its compliance with the Genocide Convention. And I’ve also said previously that it must accept its responsibility for the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
But let’s again go back to the context of this visit. We have the Australian Jewish community who have been targeted in an overtly antisemitic terrorist attack. We have had 15 Australians die we have families mourning and this was a request from the Jewish community for President Herzog to visit.
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James Paterson would ‘absolutely’ support Ley in leadership ballot
We haven’t even touched on the drama that is the ex-Coalition, and Sussan Ley’s leadership, this morning – so let’s get into it.
James Paterson, one of the most senior members of the right faction – who was spotted at that meeting last week with Andrew Hastie and Angus Taylor – says he’s not pushing for a leadership spill. He tells Sky News:
I’m advocating against a spill, I’ve consistently advocated against a spill, both publicly and privately, and I’m not anticipating one.
Asked whether he would back Ley in the event of a spill, he says:
Absolutely. I’m a member of the shadow ministry. I’m a member of the leadership group. If I were to support a spill, I would have to resign from the leadership group and from the shadow cabinet, and I haven’t done that … so you can continue to safely assume that I support Sussan’s leadership.
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ACTU calls for capital gains tax reform
There’s plenty of momentum for outside parliament for a change to the capital gains tax discount – including from the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU).
Speaking to ABC News Breakfast this morning, the ACTU secretary, Sally McManus, says she believes the government understands the “deep unfairness” of housing inequality in Australia.
It’s not the first time McManus has pushed for property tax reform – she’s been steadily and publicly pushing the government to act on CGT discounts and the other big property tax elephant in the room: negative gearing.
She says:
When John Howard brought in capital gains tax 26 years ago, the average wage of a worker, it would be six times more, to buy a house. Now, it’s nearly twice that, it’s 11.
It’s 1%, like, 1% of the wealthiest Australians, the ones benefiting from this [CGT discount]. I think it’s not just us, it’s like across the community, people like [independent MP] Allegra Spender, everyone saying that this needs to change and clearly it does. I do think the government is listening to that and we’re going to just keep pushing because it’s the right thing to do.
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What is the capital gains tax discount?
The capital gains tax discount is likely an issue we’ll keep hearing about and talking about, so let’s do a quick revise on what it actually is.
Capital gains tax is a tax on the profit you make when you sell an asset that has increased in value, including property or shares.
Labor introduced CGT in 1985, and then John Howard introduced the discount in 1999.
The result was a big boom in investment in existing housing.
NT town of Daly River evacuated due to flooding
An emergency declaration has forced the evacuation of an entire Northern Territory town as a major flood threatens the region.
About 450 residents of Daly River in the NT are being evacuated after the Bureau of Meteorology issued a major flood warning for the Daly River, which runs through the town of the same name, yesterday.
Supt David Moore told reporters yesterday that an emergency declaration was in place and that water levels were likely to reach more than 14m.
“Evacuations are always our last resort,” he said, adding that safety was his priority.
The residents were being moved to emergency shelter in Darwin, he said.
Moderate flooding was forecast on Wednesday evening, with major flooding likely over the weekend.
As of 11.45am local time on Wednesday, the water level at Daly River police station was 12.74m, according to the bureau.
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Government downplays capital gains tax change reports
It’s time for the rule in, rule out game folks, and this time we’re talking about capital gains tax discounts.
You might remember reporting yesterday from the Financial Review that the government is considering changes. At the same time, a Greens-led inquiry is looking into the current settings around CGT and will hand down its findings and recommendations to the government.
Marles, now speaking to ABC News Breakfast, says, “the tax arrangements around our housing policies haven’t changed”.
Governments love using the line, “our policies have not changed” because all that means is they are currently unchanged, right now, which doesn’t completely shut the door on any future change but also does temper any expectations for future change.
But Marles does acknowledge that there are intergenerational challenges in housing.
So asked point blank whether the government would rule out capital gains tax changes, Marles says:
What I said, and what I’ll continue to say and what other ministers have said when asked this question, is that in respect of housing policy our position is clear and there haven’t been changes to that, including in the tax arrangements, and our strategy in terms of dealing with the intergenerational challenges, our strategy in terms of dealing with housing affordability is very much on the supply side and seeing more houses built.
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Husic says he has ‘deep concerns’ over Herzog visit
One of the most high-profile critics of Herzog’s visit to Australia this week is Labor MP Ed Husic.
Husic, who has been a vocal critic of Israel’s actions in Gaza, told the Full Story podcast yesterday that he holds “deep concerns” over the visit.
It’s really hard for me to reconcile the vision of him signing bombs that went on to be dropped on Palestinian homes … with the notion of social cohesion.
Marles, in his Sky News interview, was asked directly about Husic’s concerns but sidestepped the question and said Herzog’s visit was “important” in the context of the Bondi terror attack.
Chris Sidoti, a commissioner on the UN commission of inquiry on the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel, has also called on the Albanese government to withdraw the invitation.
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Herzog will be a ‘welcome and honoured guest’, deputy prime minister says
The government has defended its invitation to the Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, who will arrive in Australia next week, despite opposition from within Labor’s own rank and file.
Richard Marles is traversing the federal press gallery this morning, charged with the media rounds.
He tells Sky News the president, who has been invited officially by the PM and the governor general, will be a “welcome guest”.
He will be a welcome and honoured guest, and it is in the context of the aftermath of the Bondi massacre. What this will mean for Australia’s Jewish community is very significant to have the president of Israel here in terms of security. Obviously, we will be providing all the necessary security to President Herzog when he visits, as we would do for any visiting dignitary, and I’m very confident about the security arrangements that will be put in place.
In NSW, the state police have extended restrictions on protesting before the visit, but some groups say they will still go ahead with their plans to march against the Israeli president.
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Good morning
Krishani Dhanji here with you for the final sitting day of the week.
The defence minister and deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, is in the hot seat doing the media rounds this morning after he yesterday announced a multibillion-dollar sell-off of defence properties. But this morning he’s being pushed on the upcoming visit of the Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, who will arrive in Australia next week.
And the capital gains tax concession chatter is continuing, we’ll bring you more on that shortly.
Stay with us, it’s going to be another busy one today!
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