Australia news live: Jim Chalmers meeting with US Treasury to discuss Trump’s steel tariffs; one dead after police standoff in Tamworth

The treasurer will continue to lobby US officials for an Australian exemption to steel and aluminium tariffs

Greens want Labor’s new Medicare plan implemented before election

The federal Greens have welcomed the Albanese government’s plan to significantly boost bulk-billing rates, as part of an $8.5bn policy, but claimed its campaigning influenced the decision.

Greens pressure works. In a wealthy country like ours everyone should be able to see a GP, psychologist, dentist or nurse with their Medicare card.

It’s good Labor has adopted part of our plan to help people see the GP for free. Now let’s make it law before the election.

Trade and tariffs will be part of the conversation, but not the whole conversation. That is an ongoing discussion that we’re having with our American counterparts. I don’t expect he will conclude those discussions on steel and aluminium while I’m in DC.

I am not going to pre-empt the outcome of those conversations, nor do I expect those discussions will necessarily be concluded this week, to be upfront with you.

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Three teenagers arrested after alleged break-and-enter and sexual assault in Cairns

The boys are accused of breaking into a home in Cairns and threatening a couple with a knife early on Friday morning, before taking a woman into a separate room

Three teenagers accused of a “horrific” break-and-enter and sexual assault are in custody after police pulled off a dramatic arrest on a busy street.

The teenagers are accused of breaking into a home in Cairns and threatening a couple with a knife early on Friday morning, before taking a woman into a separate room.

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Australia news live: NSW health system ‘catastrophically let down’ toddler’s family, minister admits

Two-year-old waited in emergency department for three hours before suffering a cardiac arrest and dying. Follow today’s news headlines live

Victoria to offer contactless public transport tickets from next year

Victorians will be able to use their phones, bank cards or smartwatches to pay for public transport travel from “early next year in a staged approach”, according to reports.

Following a successful start of a ticketless bus trial in Wangaratta, the Allan Labor Government will begin switching on tap-and-go technology across Victoria’s public transport network from early next year in a staged approach – meaning some passengers will soon be able to use their bank cards, phones and smart watches to travel on full fare tickets.

The new ticketing system will continue to be underpinned by extensive technical testing and will be carefully rolled out starting with rail from the beginning early next year – allowing full fare passengers more ways to pay for their travel.

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LNP release of Queensland corruption watchdog report ‘terrifying and petty’, Jackie Trad says

Former deputy premier criticises government’s use of parliamentary privilege to make public previously suppressed CCC report on her conduct

The former Queensland deputy premier, Jackie Trad, says the new government’s decision to release a previously suppressed Crime and Corruption Commission report into her conduct is “terrifying and petty”.

The CCC investigation report has been the subject of a years-long legal wrangle, and had been blocked from release after a high court ruling in 2023.

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Australia news live: embattled casino operator Star offered $650m lifeline; name of next cyclone changed from Anthony to avoid using PM’s name

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Hume rules out working with teals if Coalition wins 70-72 seats

Jane Hume was asked whether the Coalition was in a position to form any alliances with the crossbench, amid new polling from YouGov showing neither party looks to be coming out with a clear majority.

That would cause chaos, and would cause chaos politically and economically as well.

On average, the teals have voted with the Greens around 78% of the time, with Labor around 75% of the time, and with the Coalition around 18% of the time.

I think it’s really important to look at what people do rather than what people say. We’re planning on going to this election to win the election, because Australians deserve better than what they’ve had for the last three years.

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Queensland council denies ‘trying to make homelessness illegal’ as residents threatened with $8,000 fines

People living in tents at Suttons Beach Park, Redcliffe, forced to move to avoid fines for ‘storing goods on public land’

A Brisbane council has issued compliance notices threatening fines of more than $8,000 while implementing its second homeless clearance in a day.

On Friday, four of the approximately eight homeless residents at Suttons Beach park in Redcliffe were given just two days to vacate the area.

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Australian judge who wrongly jailed man during divorce case won’t face consequences, high court finds

Court finds Salvatore Vasta is immune from a civil suit and that the guards and security officers are not liable

A judge who wrongly jailed a man during routine divorce proceedings should be protected from any personal consequences for his actions, the high court has ruled, despite the episode being described as an “affront to justice” and a “parody”.

The high court’s ruling on Wednesday restores broad-based protections to all federal judges and shields them from being sued for wrong decisions, and overturns a 2023 decision that shook Australia’s legal fraternity and prompted urgent calls for reform.

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K’gari at risk of being ‘destroyed’ by overtourism, world heritage advisory committee warns

Exclusive: The new Queensland government reversed Labor’s decision to set limits on visitor numbers

K’gari’s world heritage advisory committee (KWHAC) has advised the Queensland government the island’s ecology risks being “destroyed” by “overtourism”, putting pressure on the LNP’s promise not to cap visitation to the island.

The recommendation was contained in the body’s world heritage strategic plan released on Friday and contradicts the policy adopted by the new government.

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Towns cut off by Queensland floods warned against panic-buying as premier vows ‘resilient’ rebuild

David Crisafulli says infrastructure to be replaced after floods needs ‘greater ability’ to withstand natural disasters

Queensland’s premier has vowed to rebuild “more resilient” infrastructure after devastating floods in the state’s north, as Queenslanders were warned not to panic-buy while they are cut off.

David Crisafulli said his government was here “for the long haul” of recovery, in an update on the state’s flooding on Sunday.

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Brad Battin says Liberals ousted Greens in Prahran by ‘listening to locals’ – as it happened

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Coalition backs healthcare package

Gallagher welcomed the opposition backing Labor’s package for women’s health this morning. She said on ABC Insiders:

We know Peter Dutton wanders around saying he’s going to cut a whole range of things. He’s clear he sees a lot of our investments in Medicare as wasteful spending. But these are really good investments into women’s health. And it will make a difference for millions of people across the country including women who are going through men who really have felt left behind by the health system and hopefully these new measures will address all of those issues.

It’s come down quite obviously for women across the country, the use of contraception, going through different stages of your life, including menopause, that these are areas that either haven’t been addressed for decades, or haven’t been met appropriately through the Medicare system. So, you know, we have landed the hospital deal, keep investing in the public health system, we have got a lot of initiatives about strengthening Medicare and this builds on that.

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Queensland’s ban on puberty blockers and hormones left Liam devastated. A Victorian doctor stepped in

Children seeking gender dysphoria treatment are finding care interstate after LNP government’s prescriptions pause

A 40-minute video call was all it took to transform 15-year-old Liam’s* mental health.

With the support of his dad, Chris*, the transgender Brisbane teen had finally completed the months-long journey to being prescribed hormone replacement therapy.

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Thousands march at trans youth rallies opposing Queensland puberty blockers ban, organiser says

‘A lot of parents are feeling really angry and frustrated with the government,’ director of Trans Justice Project says

Thousands of people attended rallies across Australia on Saturday to show solidarity with transgender youth and their families, after the Queensland government’s decision to pause essential healthcare for trans minors.

Twenty rallies were held, including a crowd of 5,000 gathering in both Brisbane and Melbourne, 2500 in Sydney and more than 200 in Cairns, lead organiser Jackie Turner said.

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Hot nights expected in southern Australian states as heatwave sweeps east

‘Prolonged period of oppressive heat’ could push temperatures to mid 40C in South Australia, and mid 30C in Melbourne and Hobart

A heatwave marked by high humidity and hot nights will hit southern Australia next week as heat that baked western parts of the country moves east.

The period of intense heat for southern and central Australia is forecast to begin from Monday and last until Thursday, with South Australia, southern parts of the Northern Territory and far western parts of Queensland bearing the brunt.

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More severe weather to hit north Queensland as insurance claims rack up

Monsoon trough and forecast heavy rain is a hammer blow to residents who have begun returning to their inundated homes

Already sodden parts of north Queensland are set for further heavy rainfall following near-record flooding that isolated towns and required defence force assistance.

Totals in excess of 200mm were possible in areas spanning from Tully to Ayr, south of Townsville, before additional rainfall blankets the region through Monday.

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North Queensland floods: Ingham residents without running water and supplies dwindle as town remains cut off

While rain has eased across the region, residents in the small community are also without power and telecommunications

A flood-hit town has been surrounded by water, cutting off power and telecommunications, as residents face a lack of fresh supplies after waking up to the news they have no running water.

Flooding in Queensland’s north-east on Wednesday comes after days of downpours, forcing hundreds to evacuate and claiming two lives.

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Woman’s body found in paddock in second north Queensland floods death

The 82-year-old’s body was found at Bemerside near Ingham on Tuesday morning after flood waters receded

A second person has died in the north Queensland floods after an 82-year-old woman’s body was found in a cane paddock.

The woman’s body was found shortly after 11am on Tuesday morning after flood waters receded at Bemerside near Ingham.

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Teenager dies after being attacked by a shark off south-east Queensland

The teenager was bitten on her upper body while swimming off Bribie Island, north of Brisbane

A teenager has died after being bitten by a shark off south-east Queensland.

Queensland ambulance service confirmed the female teen had sustained injuries to her upper body while swimming off Woorim beach on Bribie Island, north of Brisbane, on Monday afternoon.

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North Queensland floods: hundreds evacuated, dozens rescued as 1.2m of rain dumped in some areas

BoM says weather system weakening, but flood waters continue to rise and Ingham is cut off after bridge at Ollera Creek collapses

Authorities say there is “more significant rain to come” in north Queensland, amid warnings to residents not to return to flooded homes.

Dams and river catchments from Mackay to Cairns remain swollen from a week of heavy rain, which has dumped more than 1.2 metres on some locations.

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Ghost of Campbell Newman haunts early days of Crisafulli government

Dumped commitments, lack of transparency and an absence of accountability are the hallmarks of the Queensland LNP government so far

One hundred days on from the Queensland election, the new Liberal National party has a problem of its own making.

Two strategies won David Crisafulli’s party power in October. The first was to convince the state there was a youth crime crisis, then promise hardline responses.

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One dead in Ingham flood waters as Townsville ‘black zone’ suburbs urged to evacuate

Herbert River predicted to reach record levels as north Queensland seaside town of Rollingstone records 999mm of rain in 48 hours

Hundreds of north Queensland residents have fled their homes as suburbs and towns are inundated by rising flood waters, with authorities warning a near-record deluge could become more severe than “once in a lifetime” storms five years ago.

A woman was killed on Sunday morning during an attempted rescue from flood waters at Ingham north of Townsville.

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