Category Archives: Australian politics

Australia indemnifies US and UK ‘against any liability’ from nuclear submarine risks

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New text reveals any party can terminate their collaboration on nuclear-powered boats with just one year’s notice

The United States, the United Kingdom or Australia could terminate their collaboration on nuclear-powered submarines with just one year’s notice, according to the terms of a new treaty designed to make the Aukus security pact a reality.

The Australian government published the text of the new agreement on Monday as it sought to dispel claims it was failing to tell the public about potentially significant political commitments to the US and the UK.

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East coast weather warning – as it happened

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O’Neil decries ‘low-rent politics’ on housing negotiations

Clare O’Neil says she understands there is a “massive housing crisis in this country”.

One of the frustrations I have just coming in fresh to this space, is that there’s a lot of really sort of low-rent politics being played in all this. We don’t want to get political outcomes in the parliament for political reasons.

I want to see more Australians in housing, and that is the big focus of our government.

I can tell you that my focus is not on the politicians here and it’s not on the politics of this. It is about trying to get more homes for Australians.

And I’d say again, there’s a lot of games being played in the parliament. I’m not interested in that. I don’t go to bed at night thinking about politicians and what they might say and what they might do.

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‘Three or four’ countries involved in foreign interference in Australia including ‘friends’, Mike Burgess says

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Asio director general says some of the countries trying to intimidate diaspora communities ‘would surprise you’

Australia’s spy boss, Mike Burgess, has confirmed that Iran is one of “at least three or four” countries involved in foreign interference in Australia’s diaspora communities.

Speaking on ABC’s Insiders on Sunday, the director general of security in charge of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation said he could think of “at least three or four [countries] that are we’ve actually actively found involved in foreign interference in Australia and diaspora communities”.

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Five issues that threaten to derail the Albanese government’s plans before the next election

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The PM wants the focus to be on first-term achievements and cost-of-living relief but question marks remain over religious freedoms and gambling ads

After a five-week break, the spring session of the parliamentary year is about to begin. Early election rumours continue to swirl – the “break in case of emergency” date bandied around the corridors of power remains 7 December. Calmer heads will point out that voters would only hit the polls on that date if the political situation appeared irrevocably difficult for the Albanese government, given that the last months of the year will be dominated by the US election and its outcome.

Either way, there are only nine months until the very last date the next election could be held. That doesn’t leave a lot of time for the Albanese government to complete its first-term agenda, regardless of whether it returns Australians to the polls before May. Albanese wants the focus to be on cost-of-living relief and the reforms the government has already passed through parliament, but stumbling blocks threaten to derail the agenda.

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Penny Wong condemns Israeli minister’s comments suggesting starvation in Gaza ‘might be justified’

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Australian foreign minister joins UK, Germany and France in condemning comments made by Bezalel Smotrich and repeats calls for ceasefire

Deliberately starving civilians is a war crime, foreign affairs minister Penny Wong has said, joining international condemnation of comments made by the Israeli finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich.

On Wednesday, Smotrich suggested that deliberately starving people in Gaza might be “justified and moral”.

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Funds for Palestinian groups in Australia affected by Gaza war given to media outlets instead

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The diverted money was from $25m allocated for Palestinian, Muslim and other communities affected by Israel-Gaza war

Palestinian advocates say it is “incredibly frustrating” to find out that an Australian government department suggested diverting some promised funding for communities affected by the Israel-Gaza war to media organisations for factchecking.

The government announced last October that it would “support Australian communities affected by the Hamas attacks on Israel and ongoing conflict”, including “$25m to the Executive Council of Australian Jewry Inc (ECAJ) and $25m to Australian Palestinian, Muslim and other communities affected by the conflict”.

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Clare O’Neil promises ‘profound and transformative’ investment to ease housing crisis

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As issue becomes major election battleground, housing minister urges Coalition and Greens to ‘be part of the solution’ amid hold-up of bills in parliament

The new housing and homelessness minister, Clare O’Neil, is “intensely concerned” about the plight of renters and has promised “profound and transformative” investment to alleviate the housing crisis.

But with implementation of Labor’s existing $32bn of commitments a priority, O’Neil is offering more continuity than change in her new portfolio, which she inherited from Julie Collins in the July reshuffle.

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Linda Reynolds tells court ‘I wasn’t her counsellor’ as she defends actions following Brittany Higgins’ alleged rape

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Liberal senator is suing former staffer over social media posts she claims damaged her reputation

Linda Reynolds has told a court that she wasn’t Brittany Higgins’ “counsellor” as she defended her actions after her former staffer’s alleged rape in Parliament House.

The Western Australian Liberal senator has also said she would “still do the same thing today” when asked why she had never offered to listen to Higgins’ experience of the night she was allegedly raped.

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Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html

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Linda Reynolds defends actions following Brittany Higgins’ alleged rape – as it happened

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Budgets running on fumes as car costs outpace inflation

High transport costs are fuelling household budget concerns, AAP reports, with research revealing a surge of more than 10% over the course of a year.

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Ex-Labor senator Fatima Payman appoints ‘preference whisperer’ Glenn Druery as chief of staff

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Druery says Payman could become the next Senate powerbroker in the mould of Nick Xenophon or Brian Harradine

Fatima Payman has appointed Glenn Druery as her chief of staff, as the political strategist and so-called “preference whisperer” suggests the newly independent senator could become the next Senate powerbroker.

Druery’s involvement with Payman was revealed in July, between the Western Australian senator crossing the floor to vote for a Greens motion in the Senate to recognise Palestine and her decision to quit Labor to sit on the crossbench.

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Australia news live: Linda Reynolds deleted some text messages with Bruce Lehmann’s barrister during routine ‘cyber hygiene’, defamation trial hears

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The prime minister was asked about criticism that increased public spending is fuelling inflation.

Anthony Albanese pointed to two budget surpluses and said this, plus cost-of-living measures, are applying downward pressure:

Fee-free Tafe, cheaper childcare, energy price relief – all of these measures are aimed at making sure we look after people but do so in a way that’s designed to see inflation continuing to moderate, which is what we want to make sure happens.

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Labor pushing for new powers to ‘clean up’ alleged criminal activity in CFMEU

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In further toughening of stance, government considers calls for joint federal and state police taskforce to investigate unions

The Albanese government will next week push for new powers to appoint an administrator of the construction union, due to a delay in the Fair Work case brought after accusations of criminal misconduct and bikie links.

In a further toughening of Labor’s stance, the workplace relations minister, Murray Watt, signalled the government was considering calls for a joint federal and state police taskforce to investigate alleged criminal conduct in unions.

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Early childhood education workers to receive 15% pay rise – if centres limit fee increases

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Labor hopes forcing childcare centres to limit fee hikes to secure funding for wage rises will save parents from further price shocks

Early childhood education workers will receive a 15% pay increase funded by the government – but only if centres agree to limit fee increases.

The wage boost, first reported by Guardian Australia in April, fulfils a commitment from the Albanese government to better address the wage inequity for workers in the crucial sector.

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Australia news live: Linda Reynolds tells defamation trial she felt like a ‘punching clown on the fairground’ after social media posts by Higgins and Sharaz

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Wong endorses call from Blinken for de-escalation in Middle East

The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, said she endorsed Antony Blinken’s call for de-escalation in the Middle East.

We continue to add our voice to the support for the ceasefire outlined by President Biden and endorsed by the security council.

Thank you for an incredibly productive day.

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Linda Reynolds says she never agreed to keep letters she leaked to columnist from The Australian newspaper secret

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Senator tells defamation trial she considered a letter from Commonwealth lawyers relating to Brittany Higgins’ settlement an attempt to ‘lock her down’

Linda Reynolds says she never agreed to keeping confidential documents relating to Brittany Higgins’ personal injury settlement private and had “no particular concern” about leaking the letters to a columnist at the Australian.

The Western Australian Liberal senator is suing Higgins over a series of social media posts, published in July 2023, which she claims have damaged her reputation.

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US plans more frequent bomber deployments to Australia amid China’s ‘escalatory behaviour’

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Australia-US talks also turn to Middle East conflict as representatives ramp up calls for Gaza ceasefire

The US says it plans “more frequent” deployments of bomber aircraft to Australia amid concerns over China’s “dangerous and escalatory behaviour” in the region.

The announcement after annual talks on Wednesday builds on a long-term trend of increased rotations of American forces to Australia, along with moves to upgrade Australian military bases and pre-position US army equipment in Australia.

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Labor’s attempts to tie gambling harm advocates into ‘ridiculous’ secret agreements rejected

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The government has invited anti-gambling groups to a briefing on proposed reforms to the sector on Friday – but there’s a special condition if they want to attend

A leading anti-gambling advocate has refused to sign a contentious non-disclosure agreement in order to attend a briefing with the government about gambling advertising reforms.

After the government was roundly criticised for consulting with betting companies ahead of gambling harm advocates about the reforms, the Alliance for Gambling Reform was among several organisations that on Monday evening received an invitation to a government briefing.

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Pig-nosed turtle among over a dozen new species added to Australia’s list of endangered species

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The number of species recognised as threatened with extinction in Australia now stands at 2,224

Another 13 animals and plants have been added to Australia’s list of threatened species, sparking renewed calls for the federal government to quickly overhaul the country’s nature laws.

The species newly listed as at risk include the pig-nosed turtle (listed as vulnerable), the Dalhousie catfish (critically endangered), Pugh’s sphagnum frog (endangered) and the Coffs Harbour Fontainea, a rainforest tree (critically endangered). Other species are freshwater fish, lizards, flowering shrubs, a daisy and an orchid species.

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Australia news live: Wong ‘deeply concerned’ about escalation in Middle East; RBA interest rate decision due today

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Reserve bank’s two-day August meeting likely to leave key interest rate unchanged for a sixth straight gathering. Follow the day’s news live

Australia will join the US Global Entry program in 2025, creating an easier pathway for the hundreds of thousands of Australians who visit the country each year.

Eligible Australians who sign up for the program would benefit from streamlined and expedited immigration and customs clearance channels on arrival into the US, a statement from the foreign minister, Penny Wong, says.

Joining the Global Entry program is a mark of the closeness and the strength of the relationship between our two countries.

The foundation of the friendship between Australia and United States is the friendship between our people. This program will deepen these links and make it easier to foster greater commercial ties.

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Labor criticised for meetings with betting companies ahead of decision on gambling ads

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Crossbenchers are furious at reports the government will propose a cap on television ads instead of a total ban

The government has come under fire for consulting betting, sport and media companies ahead of gambling harm advocates, as it prepares to respond to a plan that would ban all gambling ads.

Crossbenchers are furious over reports Labor will propose a cap on television ads instead of a total ban, with the Greens and independents warning anything short of a blanket ban could be amended by a hostile Senate.

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