Category Archives: Liberal party

Labor and Liberals will get double their public funding if ‘biased’ electoral rules are passed, Climate 200 says

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ALP denies reforms rushed into parliament are designed to target Simon Holmes à Court and Clive Palmer

Australia’s two major political parties will more than double their public funding at the 2028 federal election to reap a combined $140m under the government’s proposed changes to electoral laws, according to the organisation which funded successful teal independent candidates at the 2022 election.

Climate 200 has calculated the likely increase in the amount the Labor and Liberal parties could claim in public funding at the 2028 election, after the proposed new system is slated to take effect.

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No consequences likely after Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie failed to disclose flight upgrades

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Independent David Pocock calls for disclosure reform while Liberal James Paterson says many politicians don’t update the log fast enough

Labor is unlikely to pursue formal Senate action against the Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie for not disclosing 16 flight upgrades over her time in parliament, despite parliamentary rules on travel requiring disclosures within 35 days.

The independent senator David Pocock said it highlighted the need for reforming parliamentary transparency rules.

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Australia’s conservatives praise Trump’s ‘self-belief’ as PM welcomes likely US counterpart

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Anthony Albanese, Peter Dutton, Tony Abbott and Scott Morrison offer congratulations as Adam Bandt criticises ‘dangerous demagogue’ and calls on PM to cancel Aukus

The Australian government is bracing for foreign policy turbulence with Donald Trump’s likely election as US president throwing the defence of Ukraine, Taiwan and combatting the climate crisis into doubt.

Although Kamala Harris is yet to concede defeat in the election, several networks have called the key swing state of Pennsylvania for Trump, and world leaders have moved to acknowledge their new counterpart. The Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, released a statement on Wednesday evening local time to congratulate him “on his election victory”.

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2GB’s Ben Fordham pulls out of Liberal event, saying he didn’t realise it was fundraiser for party

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Nine radio star says he speaks to political organisations, Scouts, charities and preschools but draws the line at political promotion

Nine’s 2GB radio host Ben Fordham has pulled out of a Liberal party fundraiser in Kirribilli, saying he did not realise the event was raising money for the political party when he accepted the invitation to speak.

“Kirribilli Branch is honoured to be joined by Ben Fordham, Sydney’s No.1 radio presenter,” the invitation said. “Ben will provide a review of the major stories he has uncovered and covered this year and the very important election year on the horizon.”

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Bill Shorten urges Israel to look after Palestinian civilians after Unrwa banned in Gaza

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Coalition meanwhile says Australia should divert aid funding away from the UN humanitarian assistance body

Bill Shorten has said Palestinians in Gaza should be “prioritised” and urged Israel to look after civilians at risk after Israel’s parliament voted to ban the UN Relief and Works Agency (Unrwa) from Israel and the areas of Gaza, the West Bank and annexed East Jerusalem within 90 days.

Meanwhile, the opposition said the Albanese government should divert the millions of dollars in funding to Unrwa to other more “trusted” humanitarian organisations.

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Crisafulli makes first speech as premier-elect; trucks deliver food aid to western NSW after power outages – as it happened

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The LNP leader again thanked unsuccessful candidates from both sides before declaring he would get to work quickly. This blog has now closed

A look at ‘incredibly expressive and very flirtatious’ Maratus spiders

Australian Maratus spiders, which measure 3-5mm, are known as “peacock spiders” because of the extravagant colourings they display during courtship rituals and combat.

They’re incredibly expressive and very flirtatious. The male wants to get all the attention of the female, like birds of paradise.

That’s not talking about net zero. That’s talking about actual emissions reductions as a total.

So what’s the proposal? Are you intending to wipe out the cattle herd, are you going to reduce traffic by 75%?

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Moira Deeming created ‘extreme’ political problem akin to ‘lobster with a mobster’ incident, defamation trial told

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John Pesutto had to ‘cauterise the damage’ to the Victorian Liberal party caused by MP’s conduct, lawyer argues

John Pesutto’s lawyer has rejected claims the Victorian Liberal leader created a “false narrative” in order to expel Moira Deeming, telling a court he acted to “cauterise the damage” after neo-Nazis gatecrashed a rally the MP helped organise.

Deeming, who now sits on the crossbench after her expulsion from the state parliamentary Liberal party, is suing Pesutto for allegedly falsely portraying her as a Nazi sympathiser after she spoke at the Let Women Speak rally held on 18 March 2023, which was gatecrashed by neo-Nazis. Pesutto has denied the claim.

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Jacinta Allan’s pitch to young voters on housing affordability snags Liberal Nimbys ‘hook, line and sinker’

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In pitting millennials against boomers, the Victorian premier is setting the stage for a 2026 election fought on housing

It’s no coincidence Jacinta Allan chose Brighton – a bayside suburb of Melbourne with a median property price of $3.3m – to unveil her most significant policy to date.

With a reputation as a wealthy, predominately white enclave, and as the centre of a safe Liberal electorate of the same name, it is unlikely the Labor premier had many fans in the area on Sunday, even before she announced her bold plan to seize planning controls around Middle Brighton and North Brighton train stations.

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Teal independent says likely byelection win in Sydney was a ‘race to the top’ with Liberals

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Jacqui Scruby was on track to comfortably take Pittwater and said the results showed voters appreciated a ‘different way of doing politics’

Teal independent Jacqui Scruby, the likely winner of the NSW byelection in Pittwater, says the contest in the blue-ribbon seat has shown how strong candidates can encourage a “race to the top” in politics.

“It was a very competitive byelection,” Scruby said on Sunday.

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Pocock condemns ‘seriously regressive’ elements of Dutton’s $5bn plan to tackle housing crisis

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ACT senator says opposition proposal to freeze national building codes shows ‘climate change denial’, as Labor calls policy a ‘card trick’

David Pocock has called parts of Peter Dutton’s new $5bn housing policy “seriously regressive” as housing experts questioned whether it would saddle families on the fringes of cities with invisible costs.

The opposition unveiled its plans to alleviate the country’s housing crisis on Saturday.

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Teal independent Jacqui Scruby coasts to byelection win in Sydney Liberal heartland

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Scruby was backed by Climate 200 in the fight for the northern beaches seat

A Climate 200-backed independent is on track to secure a comfortable victory in the latest contest between the Liberal party and teal candidates.

The Liberals were defending three heartland seats in northern Sydney byelections on Saturday, and were on track to easily hold two of those as votes were counted on Saturday night.

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Labor retains power in ACT election as swing goes to independents

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ABC election pundit Antony Green calls win for Labor-Greens coalition on Saturday night

Australia’s “for ever government” has lived up to its name, with Labor retaining power to extend its record reign in the ACT beyond a quarter of a century.

The ACT Labor leader, Andrew Barr, already the longest-serving political leader in the country, fended off a negative swing and an independent surge to win his third election as chief minister.

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Flipping out: ACT Liberal leader Elizabeth Lee apologises for giving journalist middle finger on eve of election

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Elizabeth Lee gave one-fingered salute to reporter after leaders’ debate with chief minister Andrew Barr

The ACT Liberal leader, Elizabeth Lee, has apologised for raising her middle finger at a journalist after a heated news conference days out from the territory election, explaining it as a “moment of frustration” on the campaign trail.

The moment, captured by cameras at the news conference as the opposition leader walked off, was branded “extraordinary” by the deputy prime minister, Richard Marles.

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Rio Tinto praised for ‘breaking ranks’ to back revamp of environment laws – as it happened

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Queensland leaders to lock horns again in election debate

After their deputies traded blows, the Queensland premier and opposition leader are set to face off again ahead of the state election, AAP reports.

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Victorian Liberals had been bracing for a leadership spill. Now voters have thrown John Pesutto a lifeline

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Some in the party were concerned the Moira Deeming defamation trial had aired too much dirty laundry – but new polling suggests voters are focused elsewhere

There may have been only one person on Spring Street revelling in the latest polling data: John Pesutto.

Just days ago, the leader of the Victorian Liberal party was bracing for a potential leadership challenge. But the figures published in the Herald Sun on Thursday paint a hopeful picture for him and the Coalition, which has overtaken Labor and is in an election-winning position for the first time in seven years.

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Peta Credlin texted warning about Moira Deeming expulsion to Victorian Liberal leader’s staffer, court hears

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Defamation trial told of message from Sky News host to John Pesutto’s chief of staff while helping to set up office

Sky News host Peta Credlin warned against expelling Moira Deeming from the Victorian Liberal party room in a text message to John Pesutto’s chief of staff, whose office she was then helping to set up, a court has heard.

Deeming, now an independent MP after her expulsion, is suing the Victorian opposition leader for allegedly falsely portraying her as a Nazi sympathiser after she spoke at the Let Women Speak rally held on 18 March 2023, which was gatecrashed by neo-Nazis. Pesutto has rejected the allegation.

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Assange says he is free because he ‘pled guilty to journalism’ – as it happened

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National weather forecasts

Sticking with the weather, here’s a look at the forecasts across Australia’s capital cities today:

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Victorian Liberal leader ‘surprised’ deputy secretly recorded meeting with Moira Deeming, defamation trial hears

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Opposition leader John Pesutto cross-examined in federal court case brought against him by ousted Liberal MP

Victoria’s opposition leader, John Pesutto, says he was “surprised” his deputy had secretly recorded a meeting held between the Liberal party’s leadership team and MP Moira Deeming a day after she spoke at a Melbourne rally in 2023, the federal court has heard.

Pesutto began giving evidence in the defamation trial brought against him in the federal court on Tuesday afternoon.

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NSW nurses and midwives announce strike – as it happened

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Australia’s ‘sex report card’ released

The latest Australian Study of Health and Relationships was revealed at a conference in Sydney this week held by the International Union Against Sexually Transmitted Infections.

Rent assistance went up by $25 and … average rents have gone up by more than $100. What might look like a big percentage increase is, frankly, fuck all, and that’s one of the reasons that this is so upsetting.

When CRA is indexed, the amount of rent that you have to pay before you get any rent assistance increases. So the proportion of your rent, where you qualify for it, reduces if you aren’t receiving the maximum payment.

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Moira Deeming kept ‘Liberal party mentor’ Peta Credlin in the loop ‘at all times’ amid Nazi stoush, court hears

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Trial shown messages between MP and Sky News host discussing defamation action against Victorian Liberal leader John Pesutto

Moira Deeming viewed the Sky News host Peta Credlin as a Liberal party “mentor” when the pair liaised after the MP was ousted by the Victorian party last year, the federal court has heard.

Deeming is suing the Victorian Liberal leader, John Pesutto, for allegedly falsely portraying her as a Nazi sympathiser after she helped organise and spoke at the “Let Women Speak” rally on 18 March 2023 which was gatecrashed by neo-Nazis. She was expelled from the party less than two months later after initially being suspended in the days after the rally.

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