Category Archives: Australian politics

One in three students fail to meet Naplan benchmarks as disadvantaged fall behind

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Results found four in 10 students performed below expectations in grammar and punctuation, indicating they struggled to recognise verbs and pronouns in sentences

One in three students have failed to meet Naplan benchmarks, this year’s test results have showed, as thousands of disadvantaged students continue to fall through the cracks.

This year’s tests were taken in March by 1.3 million students across years 3, 5, 7 and 9 to measure literacy and numeracy proficiency, with results released on Wednesday by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (Acara).

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Children to be banned from having YouTube accounts as Albanese government backflips on exemption

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Labor reverses earlier decision to exempt Google-owned platform from national social media youth ban in move communications minister says will make ‘positive difference’

Children will be banned from having YouTube accounts from December, with the federal government backflipping on an earlier decision to exempt the video platform from the national under-16s social media restrictions.

The decision, to be confirmed by the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and the communications minister, Anika Wells, on Wednesday, is likely to set off a furious reaction from the Google-owned YouTube, which will hold a major event for politicians in Parliament House on Wednesday night.

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Victorian Labor party members to push for ‘immediate’ federal recognition of a Palestinian state

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Exclusive: Labor Friends of Palestine to move three ‘urgency resolutions’ at weekend conference, but PM maintains no immediate plans for the move

Victorian Labor members will use this weekend’s state conference to demand the federal government “immediately” recognise a Palestinian state and impose sanctions on Israel – in what will be their strongest push to date on the issue.

It comes after Anthony Albanese on Sunday described civilian deaths in Gaza as “indefensible” but reiterated he had no immediate plans to recognise a Palestinian state and insisted further steps were needed to reach a two-state solution.

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YouTube makes last-ditch attempt to lobby government against inclusion in under-16s social media ban

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Google to host major event featuring popular YouTubers inside Parliament House as PM downplays tech giant’s legal threat

YouTube is making a last-ditch effort to persuade the government not to include it in the under-16s social media ban, objecting to what it says is an “abrupt policy reversal” and arguing the video service is not a social media platform.

Google, YouTube’s owner, will host a major event featuring popular YouTubers inside Parliament House this week, as a final decision looms on which tech platforms will be off-limits for children.

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Albanese accuses Israel of ‘clearly’ breaching international law but resists push to recognise Palestinian state

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‘Quite clearly it is a breach of international law to stop food being delivered,’ PM tells ABC’s Insiders

Australia has no plans to imminently recognise a Palestinian state, Anthony Albanese says, cautioning further steps must be met for a two-state solution despite growing pressure inside the Labor party for the government to follow through on its long-held commitment.

The prime minister has also accused Israel of a breach of international law in blocking aid into Gaza, saying “you can’t hold innocent people responsible” for the actions of Hamas, and warning that Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is “losing support” internationally.

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Albanese government to lift ban on working with PwC Australia as police investigation continues

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Exclusive: Finance minister to consider feedback from senators before making decision final

The finance department has found consultancy firm PwC Australia is an ethically sound company and recommended the end of a long-term ban on it working with the government, despite an ongoing police investigation into the company.

But the firm, which sold its entire government consulting business for just $1 at the height of a scandal over the misuse of confidential Treasury information, will not be able to tender for government work until at least 2028 due to a non-compete clause with its spin-off, Scyne Advisory.

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Labor and Greens unite to condemn One Nation senators for snubbing acknowledgment of country

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Indigenous affairs minister Malarndirri McCarthy says stunt by Pauline Hanson’s party was ‘incredibly childish’ and disrespectful

Labor and the Greens have united to condemn One Nation senators for turning their back on parliament’s acknowledgement of country statements, describing them as “incredibly childish” and “hurtful” stunts.

One Nation’s leader, Pauline Hanson, stood in the chamber as the Indigenous affairs minister, Malarndirri McCarthy, government Senate leader, Penny Wong, and Greens leader, Larissa Waters, all made statements criticising the rightwing minor party’s “deliberate acts of disrespect”.

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Australia warned it could face legal action over ‘wrongful’ fossil fuel actions after landmark climate ruling from world’s top court

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Vanuatu climate change minister says ICJ opinion gives Pacific island nations ‘much greater leverage’ in dealing with partners such as Australia

Australia could face international legal action over its fossil fuel production and failure to rapidly cut emissions, Vanuatu’s climate minister says, after a potentially watershed declaration by the world’s top court.

An International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory opinion published in The Hague on Wednesday found countries had a legal obligation to take measures to prevent climate change and aim to limit global heating to 1.5C above preindustrial levels, and that high-emitting countries that failed to act could be liable to pay restitution to low-emitting countries.

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Scott Morrison tells US Australia risks going to sleep on China threat after diplomatic ‘charm and flattery’

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Former prime minister warns US House of Representatives committee Australia must do more to resist the security threat posed by China

The Chinese Communist party hopes Western democracies “go to sleep on the threat” it poses to the international order, former prime minister Scott Morrison has told a congressional committee in the US.

In a forthright appearance before the hawkish US House of Representatives select committee on the strategic competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist party, Morrison said China had changed diplomatic tack after he lost the 2022 election to Anthony Albanese.

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Albanese government worse than Morrison era at producing documents for public scrutiny, report finds

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Labor’s first term saw second-worst performance since 1993 in complying with Senate orders for documents, data shows

The Centre for Public Integrity has accused the Albanese government of having a poorer record than the Morrison government for producing documents for public scrutiny, with a leading barrister warning Labor’s landslide win may further entrench secrecy.

The warning comes after the centre assessed the government’s response to freedom-of-information applications, a tool that allows anyone an opportunity to request documents that are not publicly available.

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Australia pays US another $800m for Aukus amid Trump administration review of security pact

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Richard Marles has confirmed payment was made in the second quarter of 2025 to boost US boat-building, bringing total paid to $1.6bn

Australia made a second $800m payment to America’s shipbuilding industry – bringing total payments so far to $1.6bn which was promised before the Trump administration placied the Aukus agreement under review.

As part of the Aukus deal – in which Australia would buy nuclear submarines from the US ahead of its own nuclear submarines being built in Adelaide – Australia has agreed to pay about $4.6bn towards boosting US shipbuilding capacity.

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Labor puts childcare centres on notice after abuse scandal with ‘one strike’ threat to funding

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Legislation will give education department powers to cancel the childcare subsidy if standards fall – and publicise its decision

The prime minister says federal funding and potential cancellation of payments will be used as a threat to “drive the change” for safety in childcare centres, as governments scramble to respond to shocking allegations of abuse in early education centres.

More safety training for childcare workers, CCTV in centres and changes to working with children checks are on the agenda for federal and state authorities. Under new federal legislation revealed on Wednesday, childcare centres could lose federal funding from just one safety breach “strike”.

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Australian Greens leader says she has not read reasons for party’s expelling of co-founder

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Larissa Waters dismisses responsibility for party’s decision to expel Drew Hutton

Greens leader Larissa Waters says she has not read documentation outlining why the party’s co-founder, Drew Hutton, was expelled because she has been busy preparing for parliament.

The decision to terminate Hutton’s life membership of the Greens was upheld by delegates of the state branches on Sunday, over what the party considers his pursuit of debate harmful to trans people but that he has framed as an issue of free speech.

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Labor MP Ali France thanks late son for his belief in her in first speech to parliament after unseating Peter Dutton

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Melbourne member Sarah Witty, who defeated former Greens leader Adam Bandt, also credits profound impact of family life on her politics

The newly minted Labor MP Ali France, who unexpectedly unseated former opposition leader Peter Dutton in the May election, has detailed her “epic journey” to Canberra in a poignant first speech.

France who battled Dutton over seven years for the seat of Dickson, north of Brisbane, was the first of Labor’s fresh faces to introduce themselves to the 48th parliament on Tuesday.

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Small band of independents offer Liberals and Labor a path to power in Tasmania

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Jeremy Rockliff has begun courting crossbench support, while Dean Winter is open to governing with five-seat Greens plus independents

The independents who hold Tasmania’s political future in their hands have indicated they could support a premier from either major party.

The incumbent Liberals claimed 14 seats at Saturday’s snap election, ahead of Labor on nine.

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‘Significant gap’ between Australian companies’ climate commitments and how they actually invest, analysts find

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Experts say the level of ambition in Labor’s upcoming 2035 emissions target will influence the capital decisions of many companies

Investment analysts have uncovered what they say is a “significant gap” between the climate commitments of major Australian companies and how they actually spend their money.

A report from climate consultancy group Pollination included analysis of the public climate disclosures of 12 major Australian companies, looking especially at their decisions on how and where to spend capital.

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Liberal and Labor leaders court crossbench after snap Tasmanian election delivers another hung parliament

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Parties likely to have same number of seats as last parliament, but premier Jeremy Rockliff declares victory after Liberals secure 3% swing from Labor

Tasmania’s premier and opposition leader have both reached out to independent MPs in the hope of forming government, after Labor lost ground in the early election it brought on.

Saturday’s snap poll, 16 months after the last election, returned another hung parliament with the Liberals so far securing 14 seats and Labor nine, as counting continued.

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Minority government the new normal in Tasmania as voters turn away from major parties

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State’s unusual electoral system makes winning a majority difficult at the best of times. Now, facing another hung parliament, Labor is in a sticky situation

Tasmania has just had its second state election in 16 months, the shortest gap between state polls in Australia since Queensland in 1957.

For some voters it was their fifth trip to the ballot box in less than two years.

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Jeremy Rockliff says he expects crossbenchers will allow Liberals to form government – as it happened

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Controversial MP Mark Latham says he has “broken no law” as he publicly responds to a former partner’s allegations of domestic violence.

The former federal Labor leader and NSW One Nation leader has described recent reports involving former partner Nathalie Matthews as “false, reckless and irresponsible”.

I have broken no law. The police did not involve themselves in the AVO matter.

I have breached no standing orders of the Legislative Council. The NSW parliament has stringent processes about inappropriate behaviour, and in my six years there, I’ve never been notified of a complaint against me.

The Marine Rescue Batemans Bay and Bermagui crews said sea conditions were favourable last night, but it was quite dark with little assistance from the moon, and they had to navigate around numerous whales.

They are searching an area offshore from just north of Narooma to south of Bermagui under the direction of Marine Area Command and will continue to do so until otherwise instructed.

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Federal opposition flags more ‘sensitive’ approach to foreign students at Australian universities

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New Coalition education spokesperson Jonathon Duniam says Peter Dutton policy to slash international enrolments not ‘as constructive as it could have been’

The Coalition has walked away from its call for Australia to slash 80,000 international students from higher education institutions, with the opposition’s education spokesperson promising a more “sensitive” approach after the party’s crushing election defeat in May.

During the federal election campaign, the then-opposition leader, Peter Dutton, claimed that cutting foreign student numbers would free up more housing and rental opportunities. Dutton said students were “taking up accommodation that should be occupied by Australian citizens”.

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