Category Archives: Liberal party

Australia news live: household assistance on energy bills to be detailed in budget, Chalmers says

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Treasurer says volatility in the global economy to have ‘flow-on effect on budget’. Follow the day’s news live

The shadow minister for foreign affairs, Simon Birmingham, is chastising the PM for letting there be any doubt whether he will be attending the Nato security summit.

Bangarra Dance Theatre supports voting ‘Yes’ in voice referendum

For over three decades, Bangarra Dance Theatre has been privileged to be entrusted with sharing the powerful voices of the world’s oldest living cultures – the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures of this nation.

The stories we tell have awakened a national consciousness to the deep scars of our colonial history, and the legacy of unseen trauma left in its wake. We attend to this knowing that by carrying Story, we also carry a responsibility to give insight into our experiences, promote understanding, and effect change. But is this enough?

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NSW Labor will hold off on Hills Shire council inquiry ‘at request of Icac’

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Premier says government will not proceed with public inquiry as it could affect investigation being conducted by commission

The New South Wales state parliament will hold off on conducting further public inquiries into alleged impropriety at Hills Shire council while the state’s anti-corruption commission conducts its own investigation.

A previous upper house inquiry, launched after allegations aired in parliament by NSW Liberal MP Ray Williams about senior members of his own party, became a focal point of the recent election campaign when it sparked a manhunt for one of former premier Dominic Perrottet’s brothers.

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Peter Dutton accused of misrepresenting locals’ views on Indigenous voice to parliament

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Residents of Leonora in country WA say the opposition leader was more interested in discussing the cashless debit card

The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, is being accused of misrepresenting his visit to the Western Australian town of Leonora, with locals claiming he was more interested in their views on the cashless debit card, than canvassing their opinion on the Indigenous voice to parliament.

Dutton said he travelled to communities, including Leonora, about 800km north-east of Perth, seeking grassroots opinions on the voice and this had helped inform the Liberal leader’s decision to oppose the yes vote.

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Simon Birmingham the latest Liberal party frontbencher who will not campaign against Indigenous voice

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Senator’s show of reluctance comes after Julian Leeser resigned as shadow attorney general over referendum stance

The Liberal frontbencher Simon Birmingham says he won’t campaign against the Indigenous voice to parliament, becoming the latest opposition member to show reluctance to support the party’s official position on the referendum.

Former Liberal minister for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt said some of his former colleagues were being “tested” after the party’s policy to campaign against the voice was revealed, as fallout continues from Julian Leeser’s resignation from the opposition frontbench.

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Albanese says yes campaign ‘factored in’ Dutton’s opposition to Indigenous voice to parliament

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Prime minister confirms AFL, NRL and cricket stars are lined up for ad blitz, and he expects businesses and faith groups to add support

Anthony Albanese says the government has “factored in” the prospect of Peter Dutton’s Liberal party campaigning against the Indigenous voice, and it doesn’t mean the referendum will fail.

He has confirmed that the yes campaign will soon feature sports stars from the NRL, AFL and cricket – and he expects the business community and faith groups to add their support.

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NSW Liberals win final lower-house seat of Ryde two weeks after state election

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Ryde becomes most marginal electorate in NSW after Liberal candidate Jordan Lane wins by just 50 votes

Two weeks after New South Wales voters headed to the polls, the final seat in the state election has been called, with the Liberal party to hold the Sydney electorate of Ryde.

The ABC election analyst, Antony Green, called the seat for the Liberal candidate, Jordan Lane, on Saturday with a margin of just 50 votes as check counts of remaining postal votes were completed on Saturday.

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At least three senior Liberals pushed back against Indigenous voice opposition in shadow cabinet meeting

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Exclusive: Simon Birmingham, Marise Payne and Paul Fletcher spoke out against plan as Julian Leeser proposed allowing MPs a free say

At least three leading Liberal moderates – Simon Birmingham, Paul Fletcher and Marise Payne – spoke out in a shadow cabinet meeting against the party’s plan to oppose the Indigenous voice to parliament.

Guardian Australia understands the meeting considered an alternative stance put forward by the shadow attorney general, Julian Leeser, to allow all members a free say on the voice at least until a parliamentary committee could consider calls to amend the constitutional alteration bill.

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Pat Dodson takes leave from Senate – as it happened

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Former Tasmanian Liberal premier condemns party’s opposition to voice

Tasmania is the last Liberal state government left in the country and its former premier has taken to social media this morning to speak out against the federal party’s decision to oppose the voice to parliament.

Should the Liberal party maintain its opposition to the voice it will simply accelerate its increasing irrelevance.

I have asked for Cyber Security NSW to issue advice to NSW government employees, to implement this change as soon as possible.

I will no longer be using TikTok.

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Australia news live: Peter Dutton confirms Liberals will campaign against Indigenous voice to parliament

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Opposition leader continues his narrative of calling the proposal a ‘divisive Canberra voice’. Follow the day’s news

Birmingham calls for end to culture wars on ‘fringe issues’

So Simon Birmigham wants the party to modernise, but keep its Liberal values. So essentially ditch the culture wars and get back to Liberal basics – small government, small business, families (although Birmingham argues for inclusive family support now).

Well, it is, in that it concerns only a relatively small numbers of people, frankly, on either side of the debate. And so having, in the lead-up to the Aston byelection, debate ensuing in the Victorian division of the Liberal party around trans rights, Nazis, all of those sorts of things that were being thrown around, was clearly very, very counterproductive.

And I think that’s acknowledged right across the leadership of the Liberal party. And so trying to make sure that, whilst there has to be space to deal with issues where international sporting organisations are making rules and laws, but we shouldn’t take that into into a realm where suddenly there are public protests supported by Liberal MPs or anything that suggests there is a sense of disrespect other than careful, thoughtful policy consideration.

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Peter Dutton confirms Liberals will oppose Indigenous voice to parliament

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Opposition leader says he will actively campaign against the voice, claiming it ‘won’t deliver outcomes to people on the ground’

Liberal leader Peter Dutton will actively campaign against the Indigenous voice referendum, directing his frontbench to oppose the proposal.

Dutton has instead proposed symbolic recognition in the constitution and a legislated voice, both suggestions which have long been rejected by Indigenous communities and the Uluru statement from the heart.

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Australia news live: seizure of $270m worth of heroin is Queensland’s biggest; RBA interest rates decision due

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Australians will find out at 2.30pm AEST whether the Reserve Bank will pause its interest rates hikes after 10 consecutive rises. Follow the day’s news live

Australia’s new high commissioner to the UK, Stephen Smith, says becoming a republic is “inevitable” even if Australians are proud to have the British monarch as their head of state.

In his first interview since taking up the post, Smith told the Times newspaper that most British people would be “indifferent” to Australia getting rid of the monarchy and it would not damage the countries’ relationship.

There is a lot of affection and respect for the monarchy in Australia.

That affection and respect hasn’t gone away because of Australia contemplating from time to time what it should do about its constitutional arrangements.

My personal view is it’s inevitable. But how that’s progressed is entirely a matter for the Australian government of the day.

Our public-sector workers do a great job serving their fellow Victorians and we’re proud to support them. In addition to wage increases, workers will be able to obtain a sign-on bonus while productivity improvements will bring the potential for further advancement of conditions.

The policy provides fair outcomes for employees while being responsible as we deal with the types of budget challenges faced by families, businesses and governments across the world.

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Former NSW deputy Liberal leader says party has ‘moved too far to the right’ – as it happened

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Prime minister pays tribute to Yunupingu

Prime minister Anthony Albanese has paid tribute to the Yolŋu man Yunupingu, one of the most significant Indigenous figures in history and a former Australian of the year, as “an extraordinary leader”.

He was one of the greatest of Australians.

An extraordinary leader of his people, respected right across Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australia.

I said to him that I was serious, that we would do it.

Today we mourn with deep love and great sadness the passing of our dearly loved father Yunupiŋu.

The holder of our sacred fire, the leader of our clan and the path-maker to our future.

The loss to our family and community is profound. We are hurting, but we honour him and remember with love everything he has done for us.

We remember him for his fierce leadership, and total strength for Yolŋu and for Aboriginal people throughout Australia. He lived by our laws always.

Yunupiŋu lived his entire life on his land, surrounded by the sound of bilma (clapsticks), yidaki (didgeridoo) and the manikay (sacred song) and dhulang (sacred designs) of our people. He was born on our land, he lived all his life on our land and he died on our land secure in the knowledge that his life’s work was secure.

He had friendship and loyalty to so many people, at all levels, from all places.

Our father was driven by a vision for the future of this nation, his people’s place in the nation and the rightful place for Aboriginal people everywhere.

In leaving us, we know that Dad’s loss will be felt in many hearts and minds. We ask you to mourn his passing in your own way, but we as a family encourage you to rejoice in the gift of his life and leadership.

There will never be another like him.

In time we will announce the dates for bäpurru (ceremonies) that will see him returned to his land and to his fathers. These ceremonies will be held in North Eastern Arnhem Land.

We ask the media to respect our grieving space over the coming weeks as we put together ceremonial arrangements to honour Dad.

Instead of flowers, we invite those of you who were touched by Dad’s fire to share with us your personal recollections and memories of his life. This will lift our spirits.

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Peter Dutton urged to differentiate Liberal party after Aston loss prompts identity crisis

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Opposition leader blames state division for result, while Victorian MPs say lack of distinct policy direction hindered candidate

Liberal MPs have urged Peter Dutton to differentiate the party with fresh policies on home ownership and emissions reduction, after the “bitterly disappointing” once-in-a-century byelection loss in Aston.

Despite his poor standing in Victoria and metro seats, Dutton’s leadership is safe for now, with members mostly blaming the Albanese government’s honeymoon period and a threadbare policy agenda for Roshena Campbell’s loss to Labor’s Mary Doyle.

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Liberals suggest major voice referendum changes already rejected by First Nations groups

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Julian Leeser claims key provision of constitutional amendment will be ‘rallying point’ for no campaign

The Liberal party wants the government to remove the Indigenous voice’s power to advise parliament and the executive from its proposed constitutional amendment, suggesting radical changes to the referendum which have already been rejected by First Nations groups.

The Liberal party room will meet on Wednesday to finally decide its position, with several members calling for a conscience vote as the party considers whether to officially oppose the referendum. The shadow Indigenous Australians minister, Julian Leeser, has questioned whether Anthony Albanese should stick with his promise of a referendum by year’s end, and claimed key provisions of the proposed voice would fuel the no campaign.

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Dutton’s leadership safe for now, Liberals say, despite calls for change of direction after historic loss in Aston

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Malcolm Turnbull says the party’s future rests on its ability to move back to the centre

Peter Dutton’s leadership is safe for now as the Liberals have nowhere else to turn, party insiders claim, despite their third major loss since the federal election.

With the loss of the outer east Melbourne electorate of Aston in Saturday’s byelection, the Liberal party now holds just 14 of 79 federal urban seats. It has led to renewed calls for a major overhaul of strategy, and raised questions about Dutton’s leadership.

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Peter Dutton accepts responsibility for historic Aston loss but insists he should stay on as leader

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Federal Liberal leader says ‘we have to learn the lessons and rebuild’ after losing Victorian byelection

Peter Dutton has accepted responsibility for the party’s historic loss in the Aston byelection, but says he has no plans to step down as leader of the Liberal party.

Last month Dutton told ABC radio he was happy for the byelection to be a “verdict” on himself and Anthony Albanese, as well as the campaigns both parties were running.

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Zali Steggall condemns ‘scaremongering’ over voice detail – as it happened

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Dutton is asked a second time whether he failed his own test for the Liberal party leadership. He says that he “accepts responsibility” as leader of the party for the loss.

I was there last night to do that. I agreed to come on to the show this morning knowing that if you win, lose or draw, you need to front up.

Again, by not winning the election, we’ve failed that test, have been set for us by the Victorian people. That’s the reality. Now, the question is how we rebuild from here, the policies that we have, the brand rebuilding that we need to do in Victoria and it is a very significant issue for us.

Obviously the difficulties for us in Victoria haven’t been germinated in Aston over the course of the last five weeks. Even back to 2013, with all of my predecessors, Victoria is the one state that we have never held a majority of seats in and there are huge issues at a state level at well. For almost a quarter of a century, this has been a Labor government here in Victoria. So many lessons, including for me and my party.

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Labor is not going to work with Mark Latham, new NSW premier Chris Minns says

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Minns will call on the next Liberal leader to make the same commitment, as vote counting continues after state election

New South Wales’ Labor government will not work with One Nation leader Mark Latham at all, and will begin a process that could again ban independent MP Gareth Ward from parliament.

With vote counting all but ensuring the new premier, Chris Minns, will rule in minority, attention has turned to how the new NSW parliament will manage the re-elected pair.

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Aston byelection: Labor achieves once-in-a-century victory capturing Liberal heartland seat

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Labor secures first win at a byelection by a government from an opposition since 1920 as senior Liberals play down implications for Peter Dutton’s leadership

The Albanese government has achieved a once-in-100-year victory in a byelection, capturing the Liberal heartland seat of Aston in eastern Melbourne.

Labor’s Mary Doyle won a two-party preferred swing of at least 6%, leading about 54% to 46% over the Liberals’ Roshena Campbell in the count on Saturday evening.

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Labor claims Aston win, throwing Dutton’s Liberal leadership into question – as it happened

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Labor’s Mary Doyle has two-party preferred swing of at least 6% in the count on Saturday evening. This blog is now closed

Dutton says Labor’s road funding cuts in Aston ‘a disaster’

Out of hiding and into the open, opposition leader Peter Dutton has been seen on the campaign trail in Aston today.

[Labor] haven’t explained to the people of Aston why it is that they cut road funding as the first act in government, and it’s quite remarkable.

It’s a disaster for locals and people realise that the first act of the Albanese government was to cut road funding here in Aston … They’ve never apologised for it, they never explained why.

There are a lot of Australian families who have heard Anthony Albanese promise before the last election on 97 occasions that he would reduce your power to $275. That was a promise he made before the election, he’s never mentioned it since, not once.

So cost of living pressures are real for families and the opportunity in the election today is to send a very clear message to Labor that they shouldn’t be cutting local road funding, and they shouldn’t be abandoning this community.

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