What we learned, Monday 11 August
We will wrap up the live blog here for the evening. This is what made the news today:
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, announced Australia will move to recognise Palestinian statehood at the UN in September.
The federal government said the Israeli government was “extinguishing the prospect of a two-state solution” with its actions in Gaza.
Albanese revealed he spoke with his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, last week.
Sussan Ley and the Coalition opposition said they have “serious concerns about the Albanese government’s decision to unilaterally recognise a Palestinian state outside of a proper peace and two-state process”.
Netanyahu said Australia would take similar action If there were a catastrophe like Hamas’ 7 October attack “right next to Melbourne or right next to Sydney”, issuing a forceful defence of the country’s plans to take military control of Gaza City.
Environment minister Murray Watt apologised to South Australians who felt the government was too slow to act on the algal bloom.
Kathleen Folbigg says NSW premier Chris Minns’ suggestions she sue the state for more than the $2m in compensation are a “slap in the face”.
JB Hi-Fi’s CEO, Terry Smart, announced he’ll resign from the company for a second time, after handing down a big payout for investors.
Thanks for following along. Until tomorrow.
Updated
Victorian premier welcomes Australia’s move to recognise Palestinian state
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, has released a statement confirming she supports the federal government’s decision to join with the international community in recognising a Palestinian state at the UN general assembly.
She said:
We have long advocated for a two-state solution to deliver real peace and a secure future for the people of Israel and the people of Palestine. That future is now a step closer. It is a future in which the Hamas terrorist organisation must play no part.
We believe this long and horrific conflict can have a just and enduring end, and that Australia can play a meaningful role in achieving it. The Victorian government’s role is to ensure peace here at home by defending our values of respect and safety for all.
Updated
Pair charged over alleged string of SA hardware store robberies
A 32-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman have been arrested and charged over the alleged thefts of thousands of dollars’ worth of tools from hardware stores in South Australia.
A hardware chain with stores across the suburbs and Fleurieu peninsula reported 21 thefts and attempted thefts since 29 May involving two suspects and a vehicle, with power tools, heaters, electrical and hardware equipment targeted
The suspected vehicle was spotted by police in Hackham in the early hours of Monday morning.
Power tools and other items were located and seized, and the pair were arrested and charged with multiple counts of theft.
They were refused bail and will appear in the magistrates court on Monday.
Police say property is still being searched for.
Updated
Labor Friends of Palestine applaud Albanese government move to recognise statehood
Labor Friends of Palestine have written to all federal Victorian MPs applauding the Albanese government for recognising Palestine but urging more action.
The Victorian Labor state conference recently carried several motions put forward by the group urging the federal government to immediately recognise Palestine, extend existing sanctions against two Israeli ministers to all members of Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet, and to end all direct and indirect military trade with Israel.
While not binding on state or federal Labor MPs, the motions represent one of the most effective ways for rank-and-file members and unions to influence party policy.
The group’s letter said Palestinian recognition was “one of the key asks out of conference and is a significant and symbolic step towards Palestinian self-determination and toward ending the humanitarian crisis in Gaza”
But they urged MPs to act on the other elements of their motions:
This is a critical moment for Labor. We ask that you actively champion these resolutions in caucus, ensure they inform national Labor policy, and press for their swift adoption by the federal government. This is an opportunity for Labor to show principled leadership in line with our values, international law, and the clear will of our members and unions.
Updated
Assistant science minister heads off to US to chase AI investment
While artificial intelligence is going gangbusters globally, assistant minister for science and technology, Andrew Charlton is heading to the US to get a slice of the action, and will meet with executives from tech companies including OpenAI, Google, Nvidia this week.
The aim, he said in a statement, is to get investment for data centres and AI into Australia:
Australia is the natural home for data centre and technology investments in our region because of competitive advantages in political stability, renewable energy, land availability, strong university sector and world-class talent.
We also have local Australian businesses who are leading the world in taking advantage of new technologies.
The Australian government is currently grappling with how to approach AI into the future - to secure productivity gains while protecting the public and vulnerable industries.
Trump can’t be taken seriously on Gaza, Lambie says
Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie said US president Donald Trump cannot be taken seriously, after the Coalition said the move to recognise Palestinian statehood puts Australia at odds with the US.
Lambie told ABC’s Afternoon Briefing the recognition was symbolism, and she didn’t know how it will help starving children in Gaza. She said it was time to let the UN and journalists into Gaza.
She said Israel’s actions were “getting close to genocide”.
On the Coalition’s criticisms of the decision as putting Australia at odds with the US, Lambie recalled Trump’s property development plan for Gaza and said:
If you want to take that bloke seriously, then be my guest … but you can’t.
Updated
Former officer who fatally tasered 95-year-old drops bid to get job back
A former police officer who fatally tasered a 95-year-old aged-care resident while on duty has dropped his bid to be reinstated to the force, AAP reports.
Then-senior constable Kristian White fired his Taser at 95-year-old Clare Nowland after being called to a nursing home in Cooma in southern NSW in May 2023.
White, 35, was found guilty of manslaughter by a jury last year and in March was given a two-year good behaviour bond and ordered to complete community service.
White was initially suspended from his job with pay for about 18 months but was notified after the initial guilty verdict in November 2024 that he would be suspended without pay.
Police Commissioner Karen Webb said later in December she had removed White from the force because she had no confidence in his ability to continue his duties. That prompted him to take action at the Industrial Relations Commission against NSW Police.
But on Monday he dropped his legal challenge, with the supreme court saying the matter was closed.
Husic says increasing sanctions on Israel should be considered
Former minister and Labor backbencher, Ed Husic, said if the Netanyahu government is not prepared to respond to international pressure over Gaza then Australia should consider sanctions to put on more pressure.
He told ABC’s Afternoon Briefing that the Israeli government has “drained so much goodwill through the way it has conducted its operations in Gaza” and Australia should be prepared to increase the sanctions if there is no response to Australia’s criticisms.
I do not have anything concrete in front of me but you can just see the way that things are moving, where countries are absolutely horrified with what has been announced by the Netanyahu government in the last 48 hours … Even Israelis are out in the streets saying the biggest priorities is to get the hostages out … and we do not need to see a further deterioration of what is happening and that is absolutely what we will see if the Netanyahu government does what it says it will.
Updated
Australia should impose similar sanctions on Israel as on Russia, Shoebridge says
Greens senator David Shoebridge said the move to recognise Palestinian statehood is long overdue, but something that fails to meet the moment without a comprehensive sanctions regime.
Shoebridge told ABC’s Afternoon Briefing that it is not an action that will stop the bombing and killing in Gaza. He said a similar sanctions regime to what was put on Russia over the Ukraine invasion was needed.
He also reiterated calls for Australia to cease supplying F-35 parts to Israel, stating it would ground the F-35 fleet over time.
Updated
Anne Aly says decision to recognise Palestinian statehood left her feeling ‘emotional’
Federal minister for multicultural affairs, Anne Aly, said recognising Palestinian statehood will have an impact “because I believe it has come at a time in which it will have the most impact”.
She told ABC’s Afternoon Briefing there needed to be a circuit-breaker.
I think in terms of the kinds of conditions put around it, the way in which we now have those assurances from the Palestinian Authority … recognition is not tokenistic … recognition is actually a pathway to a two-state solution and a pathway, we hope, to lasting peace in the region.
Aly said the argument from the opposition that it puts Australia at odds with the US holds no weight, because Australia is a sovereign nation, and is not acting alone in recognising Palestine.
She said it was “a bit emotional” for her as the sole Muslim member of the cabinet when this decision was made, after former frontbencher Ed Husic was left out of the ministry following the election.
I also don’t want us to take our eye off the fact that there is a really dire humanitarian situation in Gaza as well … Someone once said Palestinian people live between hope and despair, this is giving them hope. But let’s not forget in Gaza they are still living in despair, and we still need to do everything we can to ensure aid get into Gaza, that it is distributed into Gaza, and that the starvation and the killing stops.
Updated
Palestine recognition a ‘political fig leaf’ without sanctions on Israel, Apan says
The president of the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network, Nasser Mashni, has held a press conference in Melbourne to comment on the federal government’s decision to recognise the state of Palestine at the 80th session of the United Nations general assembly in September.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, made the commitment at a press conference this afternoon, joining the United Kingdom, Canada and France.
But Mashni said recognition was being used as a “political fig leaf” by the government and would no nothing to stop the “ongoing genocide in Gaza, which has been live streamed for the entire world for two years”. He went on:
Recognition is completely meaningless while Australia continues to trade, to supply arms, to have diplomatic relations and to diplomatically protect and encourage other states to normalise relations with the very state that is committing these atrocities. Palestinian rights are not to be gifted by western states. They are not dependent on negotiation with or behaviour or approval of their colonial oppressors. Nor are they the crumbs to be thrown to Palestinians by Western states in lieu of taking the real action they are legally bound to take.
Mashni said there are several more urgent actions the government must take, including ceasing “any two way military trade” with Israel, noting that even if “Australia’s only sending door handles, stop sending door handles. It’s really that simple”. He says Australia must also impose country-level sanctions on Israel and extend existing sanctions on two Israeli ministers to all members of Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet.
Asked whether he opposed a two-state solution, Mashni responded:
What I want today is for Palestinians not to be slaughtered. What I want as an Australian is our government not to be complicit in that slaughter ... What happens after that will be upon the Palestinian people when they have their agency to determine their self determination. It’s not my job, or Anthony Albanese’s to determine how Palestinians might seek this opportunity.
When asked whether Hamas had a role in Palestine’s self-determined future, he said it was not up to “other nations to decide”. He said it was up to Palestinians to decide “at the end of the process”.
Updated
Australian media union condemns killing of media workers in Gaza
The union representing journalists, the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA), has condemned the killing of media workers in Gaza, after the deaths of five Al Jazeera staff in an Israeli air strike over the weekend.
The Israel Defense Forces have admitted the strike was a deliberate assassination, claiming reporter Anas al-Sharif had “served as the head of a terrorist cell in the Hamas terrorist organisation and was responsible for advancing rocket attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF forces”.
Al Jazeera rejected that claim and said the attack was “a desperate attempt to silence voices in anticipation of the occupation of Gaza”.
The MEAA said the targeting of journalists is “a blatant attack on press freedom, and it is also a war crime.”
It must stop.
The ban preventing the world’s media from accessing the region and providing unfettered coverage of the worsening humanitarian crisis must stop.
Israel, which does not allow foreign journalists into Gaza and which has targeted local reporters, has killed 237 journalists since the war started on 7 October 2023, according to Gaza’s government media office. The Committee to Protect Journalists said at least 186 journalists have been killed in the Gaza conflict. Israel denies deliberately targeting journalists.
Updated
ECAJ says Palestinian state recognition a solution that ‘has no relationship to the problem’
In a press conference responding to the announcement the Australian government would move to recognise a Palestinian state, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry Alex Ryvchin said the Jewish community in Australia was not surprised by the decision but was still disappointed.
He said:
The government has departed from decades of bipartisan consensus which has envisaged Palestinian statehood and recognition as part of a comprehensive peace agreement between Israel, the Palestinians and the Arab states. Australia is now committed to recognising a state with no agreed borders, no single government in effective control of its territory, and no capacity to live in peace with its neighbours.
He said it would “invigorate the most extreme elements of the anti-Israel movement in this country and they will seek to escalate their activities and harm our social harmony further”.
Ryvchin said the recognition is being framed as a punitive measure against Israel over Gaza, but “the solution has no relationship to the problem”.
He said:
We want to see the war in Gaza end, we want to see unlimited aid flow to the people who need it. We want to see Hamas disarmed and defeated, and the hostages come home. But no one who supports recognition of a Palestinian state has so far made the argument compellingly as to how recognition will achieve these aims.
Updated
Full circle: Melbourne’s beleaguered Star ferris wheel to turn again
After lying dormant for almost four years, the beleaguered Melbourne Star Observation Wheel is expected to turn once more, although one of its new owners admits he’s nervous given “it’s failed so many times before”.
On Monday, it was announced that MB Star Properties Pty Ltd, the owner of the 120-metre structure that went into liquidation in 2021, will be restructured under an $11m takeover.
Under the deal, a new partnership will take control of the wheel, made up of Melbourne-based Skyline Attractions, the operator of several smaller wheels including at the nearby Melbourne Convention Centre; US-based Ray Cammack Shows, which operates wheels at major events including Coachella and the Los Angeles County Fair; and RoBu Group, which bought the wheel in early 2021.
Read more here:
Updated
Australian shares defy expectations of a flat start to the week
Australia’s share market has defied expectations of a flat start to the week to spike a new intraday peak, as hopes grow for a potential interest rate cut, AAP reports.
The top-200 briefly hit 8,852.3, topping last week’s intraday record of 8,848.8, amid high expectations of a Reserve Bank rate cut on Tuesday. The S&P/ASX200 rose 0.33% as the broader All Ordinaries gained 0.34%.
Seven of 11 local sectors were trading higher by lunchtime, with materials showing continued strength, up 1.5%, as iron ore prices rose to four-month highs, lifting large cap miners BHP, Rio Tinto and Fortescue each more than 1% higher.
The Australian dollar is buying 65.20 US cents, trading roughly flat against the greenback, from 65.20 US cents on Friday at 5pm.
Netanyahu government ‘extinguishing the prospect of a two-state solution,’ Albanese and Wong say
Further to the criticism of the Israeli government in their press conference, Anthony Albanese and Penny Wong have released a statement levelling even stronger criticisms of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
In a written statement confirming moves to recognise a Palestinian state, Albanese and Wong claimed Netanyahu’s government was “extinguishing the prospect of a two-state solution” with its actions in threatening to further occupy Gaza and expand West Bank settlements.
They wrote:
Australia is further compelled by the Netanyahu Government’s disregard of the international community’s calls, and its failure to comply with its legal and ethical obligations in Gaza. Israel is required to protect civilians and ensure the provision of food and medical supplies. Permanent forced displacement of civilians is illegal.
Palestinian children deserve a future that looks nothing like their reality today.
Albanese and Wong said the recognition move was predicated on commitments received from the Palestinian Authority, and that the government would “work with the international community to hold the Palestinian Authority to its commitments”.
The commitments by the Palestinian Authority are strengthened by the Arab League’s unprecedented demand for the terrorist organisation Hamas to end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons.
Together these factors mean that this is the best opportunity Australia may ever have to support moderate voices for peace in the region, to undermine extremism and to further isolate Hamas. This is the movement to which Australia and so many countries are seeking to add momentum.
Updated
Israeli ambassador says recognition by Australia ‘undermines Israel’s security’
Israel’s embassy in Australia claims the Labor government’s moves to recognise a Palestinian state “undermines Israel’s security” and “elevates the position of Hamas”.
A statement from ambassador, Amir Maimon, posted on X, reads:
By recognising a Palestinian state while Hamas continues to kill, kidnap and reject peace, Australia undermines Israel’s security, derails hostage negotiations and hands a victory to those who oppose coexistence
Asked about such concerns at his earlier press conference, Anthony Albanese said Australia backed a two-state solution, while Hamas does not. Albanese repeated Australia’s “abhorrence” to the terror group, and said it can have no role in a future Palestinian state. He said Palestinian recognition could be done in a way “that isolates Hamas, disarms it and drives it out of the region once and for all”, and elevates more moderate voices.
In his statement, Maimon said: “This will not change the reality on the ground.”
Rewarding those who use terror as a political tool sends the dangerous message that violence brings political gains.
Ambassador @MaimonAmir’s statement regarding Australia’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state: pic.twitter.com/eyMIGRiTME
— Israel in Australia (@IsraelinOZ) August 11, 2025
Updated
Coalition has ‘serious concerns’ over recognition of Palestinian state
Sussan Ley and the Coalition opposition say they have “serious concerns about the Albanese government’s decision to unilaterally recognise a Palestinian state outside of a proper peace and two-state process”.
In a statement, Ley and the shadow foreign affairs spokesperson, Michaelia Cash, claimed today’s decision “puts Australia at odds with the United States of America, our most important ally, and the most consequential player in the conflict in Gaza”.
Australia’s decision to pledge recognition comes after key allies including the United Kingdom, Canada, France and others made similar commitments, without US backing. Ley and Cash said:
Despite his words today the reality is Anthony Albanese has committed Australia to recognising Palestine while hostages remain in tunnels under Gaza and with Hamas still in control of the population of Gaza. Nothing he has said today changes that fact.
Recognising a Palestinian state prior to a return of the hostages and defeat of Hamas, as the Government has today, risks delivering Hamas one of its strategic objectives of the horrific terrorism of October 7.
As it stands today the decision by the Albanese Government does not appear to make the world a safer place, expedite the end of the conflict, deliver a two-state solution, see the free flow of aid, support the release of hostages or put an end to the terrorist group Hamas.
Updated
New Zealand will carefully weigh recognition of Palestinian state
New Zealand’s government is holding off announcing a position on Palestinian statehood, even as Australia moves forward with the step on Monday.
The country’s foreign minister, Winston Peters, said the issue will be carefully weighed ahead of the UN general assembly. Peters said:
The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is rightly at the forefront of the global agenda.
New Zealand, as a long-standing supporter of the two-state solution and Palestinian self-determination, is an active participant in discussions about how to broker a ceasefire and a political settlement to enable Israelis and Palestinians to live peacefully side-by-side.
While we are a long way away from the Middle East, we will continue to ensure our voice is heard.
Peters raised recognition of a state of Palestine in cabinet on Monday, ahead of a formal consideration of the issue next month.
Some of New Zealand’s close partners have opted to recognise a Palestinian state, and some have not.
New Zealand has been clear for some time that our recognition of a Palestinian state is a matter of when, not if.
Cabinet will take a formal decision in September over whether New Zealand should recognise a state of Palestine at this juncture – and if so, when and how.
PM spoke with Netanyahu last week in ‘civil’ call
During his press conference, Albanese revealed he had spoken with his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, last week.
The timing of the call was not previously made public, despite Albanese having flagged his intention to speak with Netanyahu. The prime minister said:
I have said it publicly and I said it directly to prime minister Netanyahu: the situation in Gaza has gone beyond the world’s worst fears. Far too many innocent lives have been lost.
The PM said the pair had a civil conversation and that the call went longer than many between world leaders. Netanyahu criticised Australia for moving to recognise Palestine on Monday, Australian time. Albanese said:
I was able to say that the arguments that he put to me were very similar to the arguments that he put more than a year ago.
It seems to me very clearly, and I put the argument to him, that we need a political solution – not a military one, because a military response alone has seen the devastation in Gaza.
Updated
Greens says recognition an ‘overdue step’
The Greens foreign affairs spokesperson, David Shoebridge, says Australia’s move to recognise a Palestinian state is an “overdue step”.
He has restated calls for additional sanctions on the government of Israel and a ban on arms trade, including parts for the F-35 fighter jet. Shoebridge said:
The Greens have supported, and will continue to support, freedom and statehood for the Palestinian people as part of a just peace for the conflict. Recognition should have happened decades ago.
What Australia has done today is take a tiny step away from a shrinking and discredited minority of states, centred on the US and Israel, to join the overwhelming majority of nations that already recognise Palestine.
Genocide is not a communications problem, an escalating series of statements will not end it. By contrast, ending the two-way arms trade as part of a comprehensive sanctions regime would have a significant impact.
Updated
Shadow defence minister says recognition ‘premature’
The opposition says the preconditions for recognising Palestinian statehood “have not been met”, and that recognition would be a reward for Hamas.
Speaking to Sky News after the prime minister’s press conference, shadow defence minister Angus Taylor said Hamas would be “very pleased” if the international community does down the path of recognition.
Taylor said recognition would be “premature”:
I don’t think the government has made the case that those preconditions have been met or are going to be met. There’s no satisfaction that hostages will be released. We’ve got no clarity that Hamas will be excluded from a future government or fully demilitarised …
This is a reward to Hamas for what they started on 7 October … If you start going down this path, I think Hamas will be very pleased with their work, and that’s exactly the opposite of what we want to see.
Updated
Wong confirms she spoke with Rubio before making announcement
Penny Wong confirmed in the press conference that she spoke with the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, overnight.
She said:
I spoke to Secretary Rubio ahead of the announcement, and as a matter of diplomatic courtesy, advised him of our intention to announce.
A spokesperson for Rubio said the pair discussed “issues in the Indo-Pacific and the Middle East, along with global efforts to combat antisemitism”.
Updated
Reactions pouring in after Albanese’s announcement
Politicians and advocacy groups have quickly moved to address Albanese’s decision:
Labor Friends of Palestine called the move “historic”, saying it was a “a huge shift and a very significant step from the Australian government”. Peter Moss, one of the group’s co-conveners, said in a statement:
We congratulate the government on today’s announcement, but we also call for Australia to move urgently to build on this with further strong action under international law, including sanctions and an arms embargo. …
This decision is an historic milestone for Australia’s foreign policy and for the cause of justice in Palestine
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry said it was troubled by the decision, saying the government had “departed from decades of bipartisan consensus”. The group’s president, Daniel Aghion, said:
We feel that the course of action announced by the government is a betrayal and abandonment of the Israeli hostages who continue to languish in appalling conditions in Gaza without even access to the Red Cross. This announcement gives them no hope for release. It leaves Hamas armed and in control of territory, and in a position to regroup and rearm, thereby creating the conditions for the next war rather than a comprehensive peace …
Israel will feel wronged and abandoned by a longstanding ally.
Updated
Here are the first moments from Albanese’s remarks this afternoon:
PM says recognition of Palestine a ‘practical contribution towards building momentum’
Albanese was asked if the gesture was a symbolic moment and what it will mean in seeing an end to the conflict in the Middle East. The prime minister said:
This is a practical contribution towards building momentum. This is not Australia acting alone. What we are seeing is a range of countries engaging in detailed dialogue as well behind the scenes. …
This conflict which has gone on for such a long period of time, I think Australians want to see an end to it. And an end to it can only be secured when both Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace and security.
Wong added that Australia had an “opportunity as a nation to contribute to momentum towards two states. And that is the only prospect for peace”.
Penny Wong says recognition will come when it best contributes ‘momentum to peace. September is that time’
The foreign minister, Penny Wong, is speaking now, saying the Labor government had been talking with the Australian people about changing the country’s approach to the war in Gaza since April. She said:
We made clear we would recognise Palestine when it would best contribute momentum to peace.
September is that time.
When the world says this has gone on far too long. When the world says the heartbreak, death and destruction must end …
We have always said that Palestinian civilians cannot be made to pay the price of defeating Hamas. But a whole population has been shattered. So this September, the international community has the chance to forge hope from despair.
Updated
Albanese says recognition of Palestinian state also upholds commitment to the people of Israel
The prime minister said the decision will not undermine Australia’s support for Israel, reiterating his calls for the release of all remaining hostages held by Hamas. Albanese said:
When we recognise the long-held and legitimate aspirations of the people of Palestine, we are also upholding and strengthening our commitment to the people of Israel and their right to live in freedom, security and safety.
Because until Israeli and Palestinian statehood is permanent, peace can only be temporary. Ever since the atrocities perpetrated by Hamas on October 7, 2023, Australia has stood with the people of Israel and our partners and allies around the world in calling for the release of the hostages. For the sake of the loved ones and all who share in their pain, we repeat that call today.
Updated
‘Two-state solution is humanity’s best hope’ to break cycle of violence, PM says
Albanese says the decision will recognise the right of the Palestinian people “to a state of their own predicated on the commitments Australia has received from the Palestinian Authority”. He said:
A two-state solution is humanity’s best hope to break the cycle of violence in the Middle East and to bring an end to the conflict, suffering and starvation in Gaza.
The international community’s vision for a just and lasting peace in the Middle East always encompassed two states – living side-by-side with internationally recognised borders.
Anthony Albanese says Australia will recognise a Palestinian state at UN general assembly
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, says Australia will recognise a Palestinian state.
Albanese is speaking at Parliament House in Canberra after a cabinet meeting earlier today. He said:
Today I can confirm that at the 80th session of the United Nations general assembly in September, Australia will recognise the state of Palestine.
The decision comes after the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, chastised Australia and other European nations considering recognition of Palestine as “shameful”. Netanyahu said any such decisions would not change Israel’s position in Gaza.
Updated
Prime minister Anthony Albanese is expected to speak shortly after a meeting with his cabinet. Follow along for updates.
Universal childcare would raise women’s workforce participation rates, campaign group says
Universal childcare won’t come cheap. In 2024, the Productivity Commission said removing the childcare subsidy and introducing a flat-fee model of $10 a day would cost an extra $8.3bn annually.
The Parenthood’s Georgia Dent pointed to ABS figures which show that of the 180,000 Australians who want a job but aren’t able to start work, 29% cited caring for children as the primary reason.
It was the most common reason for women, with 44% of women citing this as their main reason.
Australia has really high rates of women with tertiary qualifications, but compared to similar countries, women’s workforce participation in Australia drops off around the time they have children and never quite recovers.
The exorbitant cost of early childhood education and care is a huge driver of this. We need to fund early childhood education in a way that is simpler and more affordable for parents.
Updated
Universal childcare access would be a ‘productivity boon’, campaign group says
Campaign group The Parenthood says possible moves by Labor to introduce universal access to childcare would give tens of thousands of parents a pathway back to paid work at the timing of their choice.
Labor has commissioned consulting giant Deloitte to help design a universal childcare system in Australia, launching a two-year study of demand and costs, as Anthony Albanese chases a political legacy to rival Medicare.
The government could redirect billions in spending on the childcare subsidy and introduce a daily flat fee for families.
It will spend $10.4m on the research, with Deloitte required to assess service demands and collect data across the early childhood education system, with a report due before the next federal election.
Parenthood chief executive Georgie Dent said the move would be “a productivity boon”.
Quality early childhood education is so important for giving children the best start in life and giving parents flexibility, but the current profit dominated system makes it too expensive for many.
This robs families of choice, which is not only bad for families but also bad for the economy.
Updated
Coalition frontbencher demands Labor explain Hamas role in Palestinian state
The federal shadow energy minister, Dan Tehan, has called on the prime minister, Anthony Albanese and foreign minister, Penny Wong, to explain what role they see for Hamas in recognising a Palestinian state, following expectations Australia could move to recognise Palestine within days.
Tehan told Sky News:
I hope the prime minister and the foreign minister can clearly articulate what role they see for Hamas in recognising a Palestinian state, and what are they doing to make sure that Hamas will have no role in governing a future Palestinian state, because everything seems to be about a recognition of a Palestinian state. They seem to have forgotten that an internationally listed terrorist organisation, at the moment, is governing parts of Gaza.
In a joint foreign ministers’ statement with eight other nations on Saturday, Wong had reiterated Australia’s position that Hamas cannot play any role:
A political resolution based on a negotiated two-state solution requires the total demilitarisation of Hamas and its complete exclusion from any form of governance in the Gaza Strip, where the Palestinian Authority must have a central role.
Updated
Tasmanian crossbencher says premier’s call to phase out greyhound racing ‘our line in the sand’
Tasmanian crossbencher MP Carlo Di Falco said Liberal premier Jeremy Rockliff’s plan to wind back greyhound racing by mid-2029 in an attempt to woo independents and form a minority government is his “line in the sand”.
Di Falco, a member of Tasmania’s Shooters, Fishers & Farmers Party, would be a key ally as Rockliff’s 14-strong Liberal cohort in parliament seeks the 18 seats necessary to form government. Labor holds 10 seats, the Greens 5 and others 6, leaving the state with a hung parliament.
Rockliff announced the greyhounds decision on Sunday in an attempt to garner support from some of those crossbenchers. But Di Falco said it would not support Rockliff at all if he moves forward with the plan, writing on Facebook:
This is our line in the sand. SFF will not support the premier in forming government unless he announces a full reversal of this decision. No ifs, no buts.
Updated
Large meteor streaks across Victorian sky
Many Victorians reported seeing a large meteor streak across the night sky on Sunday evening.
Dwayne Rollings shared footage with Guardian Australia from his property in Cobden, in southwestern Victoria, taken just after 7.30pm on Sunday. The clip shows a large fireball streaming over a paddock before disappearing in the distance.
Prof Andy Tomkins, who works at Melbourne’s Monash University, said the phenomenon appears to be a meteor and it is likely there is at least one meteorite on the ground:
That was a large meteor that likely ended up with at least one meteorite on the ground. We’re trying to find enough footage today to triangulate the location.
There were dozens of other clips shared in the Facebook group Australian Meteor Reports, with some people describing an extremely bright fireball and a loud sound as the object passed overhead.
Updated
JB Hi-Fi chief to step down in October
JB Hi-Fi’s CEO has announced he’ll resign from the company for a second time, after handing down a big payout for investors.
Terry Smart said this morning he will retire in October and be replaced by Nick Wells, who is currently chief operating officer of the group. Wells will be paid $1.65m annually, plus bonuses.
Smart was COO at JB Hi-Fi from 2000 to 2010 then stepped up as CEO until leaving in 2014. He returned in 2017 to lead group-owned homewares retailer The Good Guys and returned as CEO in 2021.
Smart said the decision to leave was “a difficult one to make” but he was leaving on a high:
I am proud of what we have achieved over the years.
It has been pleasing to see the positive momentum continue in July supported by new product launches and an improved stock position. As always, the retail market remains uncertain, but … our brands remain top of mind with shoppers.
Handing down his final annual report as chief executive, Smart said the business would pay investors final and special dividends of $2.75 and $100 per share, and said the business was committed to pay investors even more, up to 70% or more of net profit after tax in the coming year.
But nearly $400m has been wiped from the company’s market capitalisation this morning as investors digest the company’s results, with share prices slipping 3%.
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Zionist Federation says recognition of Palestinian state will only place ‘more strain’ on longstanding alliance
The Zionist Federation of Australia said this morning reports Australia could soon firm up plans to recognise a Palestinian state would only place “more strain on the longstanding alliance between Australia and Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East”.
Jeremy Leibler, the president of the group, said in a statement:
Following reports the Australian government is set to recognise a Palestinian state today, we are deeply concerned that the timing and substance of this policy reversal will embolden Hamas, further jeopardise the lives of Israeli hostages, prolong the war and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and place more strain on the longstanding alliance between Australia and Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East.
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Nintendo Switch 2 helped overall Australian sales surge by $500m, JB Hi-Fi says
The Nintendo Switch 2 keeps getting credit for the emerging recover in consumer spending, with first the government’s statistics agency and now JB Hi-Fi giving it shout-outs for sales surging in June.
The electronics retailer said games hardware was a key contributor to its overall Australian sales rising nearly $500m annually in 2024-25 compared to the previous financial year: “particularly in [the June quarter] with the launch of Nintendo Switch 2”.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics said two weeks ago the device’s “much-anticipated launch [and] record sales” helped a surge in spending on electrical and household goods which saw retail trade in June rise $500m a month, the biggest jump since lockdowns lifted in late 2021.
Higher consumer spending on mobile phones, small appliances and computers in the year to June also contributed to JB Hi-Fi’s earnings growth, its annual report this morning showed.
The company noted those products once were considered “discretionary” purchases but are now seen as “essential,” making JB less vulnerable to cost-of-living consumer cutbacks.
Enduring customer demand helped JB Hi-Fi Australia record a 7.5% lift in sales, with online sales rocketing up 16.4%, though its gross profit margin was shaved down to 22% as consumers swapped to cheaper goods and retail competition ramped up.
Higher consumer spending on floor care, portable appliances and cooking gear drove sales up last financial year at homewares retailer The Good Guys, also owned by the JB group, after sales fell in 2023-24.
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Netanyahu labels ‘shameful’ reports Australia plans to recognise Palestinian statehood – video
Here’s footage of Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, labelling debate around the possibility of recognising Palestinian statehood as ‘shameful’.
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Kathleen Folbigg says Minns’ suggestion she sue NSW a ‘slap in the face’
Kathleen Folbigg says NSW premier Chris Minns’ suggestions she sue the state for more compensation are a “slap in the face” in a new interview with The Daily Telegraph.
Minns said last week Folbigg was “free to take the NSW government to court” if she wants more than the $2m for the two decades she spent in prison after she was wrongfully convicted of killing her four children. Her name was cleared in 2023 by the appeals court, just months after she was granted an unconditional pardon and released from prison. NSW attorney general Michael Daley granted the ex-gratia payment earlier this month.
Folbigg told the Telegraph the $2m sum was “disappointing” and that the figure would limit her ability to live comfortably “without having a fear that I won’t have superannuation that’s enough to support me or I won’t be able to go to the dentist”.
She added returning to the courtroom to seek more compensation would be traumatising.
It’s pretty much off the cards. For them to turn around and offer what they did … for them to turn around and say you can sue the government like everybody else was quite a slap in the face.
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Watt apologises to South Australia over slow algal bloom response
Environment minister Murray Watt apologised to South Australians who felt the government was too slow to act on the algal bloom. Speaking on ABC News Breakfast this morning, Watt said:
I accept that South Australians think that governments were too slow to respond to this event, and for that, I apologise.
The harmful algal bloom has been devastating the state’s coastline since March, affecting more than 450 marine species. Watt first visited Adelaide on 21 July to pledge $14m to assist the state in dealing with the crisis.
What we were doing, though, in the run-up to that was working very closely with the South Australian government for weeks. First of all, to try to understand this event, because it is unprecedented.
We are in uncharted waters as to how to deal with it and what support is needed.
A Senate inquiry into the bloom has begun accepting submissions.
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Ed Husic says ‘the sooner the better’ on reports of recognition of Palestinian state
Labor MP Ed Husic has welcomed reports the government is poised to imminently announce its plans to recognise a Palestinian state.
In a story on Instagram, Husic shared a post from the Financial Review which said Australia could announce its recognition plans within days. He wrote in a caption alongside the post:
Good. We absolutely should. The sooner the better.
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Watt says ‘no secret’ that government is working with states and territories on EV road user charge
The environment minister, Murray Watt, said it is “no secret” the government is working with states and territories on a road user charge for electric vehicles after The Australian reported this morning the treasurer is advancing discussions on the effort ahead of his productivity roundtable next week.
The high court found a Victorian effort to impose an electric vehicle tax was unconstitutional in 2023 because only the commonwealth had the power to impose such taxes. Watt said this morning the government had been considering ways to do so ever since that ruling:
It’s no secret that we’ve said previously that we’ll work with the states and territories on this matter. … You’d be aware that there was a high court decision which really raised this issue front and centre and ever since then, we’ve been working with the states and territories.
But it’s probably premature to say exactly what will occur.
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Australia set to finalise decision to recognise Palestinian statehood within days
Australia is poised to confirm its position to recognise Palestinian statehood within days, cabinet sources have confirmed to Guardian Australia.
Labor was preparing to recognise Palestine ahead of the upcoming United Nations general assembly in New York next month, but this morning’s cabinet meeting in Canberra looks to be a critical juncture in the decision.
The Sydney Morning Herald and the Age reported the fast-moving decision on Monday morning. Australia will match moves by countries including France, Canada and the UK.
It follows comments by Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, this morning lambasting Australia and European countries considering the recognition of a Palestinian state amid growing disapproval over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
He said other nations were “falling into a rabbit hole”, saying debate around such recognition was “shameful”.
To have European countries and Australia march into that, march into that rabbit hole, just like that, fall right into it. This canard is disappointing, and I think it’s actually shameful. But it’s not going to take, it’s not going to change our position.
The foreign minister, Penny Wong, reportedly told her Israeli counterpart, Gideon Saar, that Labor would move within days on the decision.
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What would a rate cut mean for mortgage holders?
Economists and financial markets are once again convinced the RBA board will cut the official cash rate from 3.85% to 3.6%.
If the RBA does cut rates for the third time this year, then homeowners with a variable mortgage should not be paying interest of more than 5.5%, said Sally Tindall, the data insights director at Canstar, an online comparison site. She said:
In fact, if the majority of banks pass the cut on in full, which they should absolutely do, then there should be over 30 lenders offering at least one variable rate under 5.25%, while CBA and Westpac’s lowest rates could hit 5.34%.
Read more:
RBA rates decision coming tomorrow
Markets are almost certain the Reserve Bank of Australia will cut interest rates at its August meeting despite Australia facing an increasingly uncertain environment, AAP reports.
Benign quarterly inflation figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in July should convince the board to cut the cash rate in a two-day meeting that starts today.
Mortgage holders will be hoping lighting doesn’t strike twice after the central bank’s board voted in a 6-3 decision to leave rates on hold in July, despite markets pricing in a near-certain chance of a cut.
A decision on rates is expected around 2.30pm AEST on Tuesday.
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Dave Sharma says calls to recognise Palestinian state only bolstering Hamas and making ceasefire harder
Liberal senator Dave Sharma, a former ambassador to Israel, said growing calls to recognise a Palestinian state have had the “unfortunate consequence” of bolstering Hamas’s strength. Sharma spoke to RN Breakfast after Netanyahu’s overnight remarks, saying:
I think what has happened as a result of many nations making these moves towards recognition is it’s strengthened Hamas’s international position. It’s made Hamas less likely to reach a ceasefire. It’s made Hamas be able to portray itself as making political progress because of its military actions. And that is actually pushing back the resolution of this conflict, which I think has been a deeply unfortunate consequence.
Sharma went on to say the war had been “tragic” for both Israel and Gaza, but noted Israel needed to do a “better job in ensuring that humanitarian food and medical assistance reaches the civilian population of Gaza”.
I do believe that has not been sufficient and there is significant food insecurity.
Former NZ PM Helen Clark says New Zealand and Australia starting to ‘lag behind’ on Gaza
Helen Clark, the former prime minister of New Zealand, said the recent statement from Australia and her own country condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza do not go far enough.
Clark spoke to RN Breakfast, saying Australia and New Zealand were both starting to “lag behind” other key partners when it came to the recognition of a Palestinian state. She said:
Look, Canada has condemned outright the latest Israeli security cabinet decision to reoccupy Gaza City, which is catastrophic, building on an already terrible situation. The most Australia and New Zealand have been able to stir themselves to do is to strongly reject the decision. …
The time is now. Recognition of the state of Palestine sends a very strong message to Israel that its attempts to dodge away from a two-state solution are simply not acceptable.
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Australia strongly rejected Israel’s plans to expand Gaza campaign last week
For context – this is Australia’s position on Palestinian statehood. The foreign minister, Penny Wong, released a joint statement on Saturday alongside her counterparts in eight countries and that of the EU.
We are united in our commitment to the implementation of a negotiated two-state solution as the only way to guarantee that both Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in peace, security, and dignity.
A political resolution based on a negotiated two-state solution requires the total demilitarisation of Hamas and its complete exclusion from any form of governance in the Gaza Strip, where the Palestinian Authority must have a central role.
The signatories strongly rejected Israel’s plans to occupy Gaza City, saying the effort would only “aggravate the catastrophic humanitarian situation, endanger the lives of the hostages, and further risk the mass displacement of civilians”.
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Netanyahu decries 'shameful' debate over Palestinian state
Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Australia would take similar action If there were a catastrophe like Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack “right next to Melbourne or right next to Sydney”, issuing a forceful defence of the country’s plans to take military control of Gaza City. Netanyahu responded to questions about the upcoming efforts, which he described as a necessary step to end Israel’s war with Hamas:
The real reason that this conflict persists is not because of the absence of a Palestinian state, but the persistent Palestinian refusal to recognise a Jewish state. … I think the solution to this problem is that the Palestinians should have all the powers to govern themselves in the places where they live, and none of the powers to threaten Israel.
Netanyahu went on to lambaste Australia and European countries considering the recognition of a Palestinian state amid growing disapproval over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The Israel leader said other nations were “falling into a rabbit hole”, saying debate around such recognition was “shameful”.
To have European countries and Australia march into that, march into that rabbit hole, just like that, fall right into it. This canard is disappointing, and I think it’s actually shameful. But it’s not going to take, it’s not going to change our position.
He added:
I think we’re actually applying force judiciously, and they know it. They know what they would do if right next to Melbourne or right next to Sydney you had this horrific attacks. I think you would do it, at least what we’re doing, probably maybe not as efficiently and as precisely as we’re doing it.
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Good morning
Hello, and happy Monday. It’s Nick Visser here to take you through the news as we get into another week. Here’s what’s on deck:
The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said it is “shameful” and “disappointing” Australia and countries in Europe were marching into a “rabbit hole” when it came to recognition of a Palestinian state. Netanyahu said international calls to do so were not going to change Israel’s position, adding the country had “no choice but to proceed with its plan” and “finish the job”.
Many Victorians reported seeing a bright meteor light up the sky last night. Residents between Bendigo and Ballarat shared footage of the phenomenon as a fireball streaked across the night sky around 8pm on Sunday.
Stick with us.
