Photograph: Dominic Giannini/AAP
What we learned: Tuesday 18 March
We will wrap up the live blog here for the night. Here’s what made the news today:
Labor would be returned to government with an increased majority if the federal election was held tomorrow, new polling finds.
The Greens say “it’s time” for Labor to consider scrapping negative gearing and capital gains tax discounts ahead of the federal budget next week.
The foreign minister, Penny Wong, said Australia urges “all parties” to “respect the terms of the Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal, and for it to be implemented in full”, following Israeli airstrikes in Gaza.
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has proposed a public debate, and possibly a referendum, on deporting criminals with dual citizenship in a move that was criticised by Anthony Albanese as a “thought bubble” and by former Liberal attorney general George Brandis as “mad”.
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, said controversial hate speech and religious worship bills aimed at curbing antisemitism were rushed through state parliament because “there’d been a summer of racism in NSW”. It followed the NSW Council of Civil Liberties airing radio ads critical of Minns over the passage of the laws.
The trade minister, Don Farrell, has held another conversation with his US counterpart, Jamieson Greer, as the government tries to get out of tariffs placed on Australian steel and aluminium and braces for more tariffs next month.
Until tomorrow, enjoy your evening.
Updated
Early education minister writes to childcare quality authority after Four Corners report
The early childhood education minister, Anne Aly, says she has written to the CEO of the Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority to seek “immediate advice” on what more can be done on child safety and security after revelations about the sector on ABC’s Four Corners program last night.
She told ABC’s Afternoon Briefing the stories were “deeply concerning” and hopes the advice will build on the 2023 report recommendations on improving child safety in early childhood education and care.
All state and territory ministers and the commonwealth government have agreed on those recommendations and we’re making good progress in implementing those recommendations and we’ll continue working with state and territory governments to ensure that child safety and wellbeing are front and centre of the care system.
She said a royal commission would take years, and the current actions and reviews were the best path forward.
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Angus Taylor promotes infrastructure development as way of helping address housing crisis
The shadow treasurer, Angus Taylor, was in Legana in Tasmania today to announce $5m in funding for basketball courts for the area, and tied providing basketball courts to addressing housing supply issues. He said:
One of the things that clearly matters a great deal in this area is the rapid growth it is seeing, and the need to have the supporting infrastructure for that rapid growth. If you want more housing supply, you’ve got to have the infrastructure being built alongside it. Transport infrastructure, community infrastructure, sporting infrastructure, like we’re talking about here today …
We know that if we’re going to see enough housing in this country to ensure that young Australians can hope for the real prospect of being able to buy a home, pay down their mortgage over time, there has to be housing supply, and housing supply only happens if you’ve got the infrastructure going into place. So this is an absolutely wonderful project.
Thanks to Katina Curtis at the West Australian for pointing this out on Bluesky.
Updated
Measles alert issued for Sydney
A measles alert has been issued for Sydney after a confirmed case who was infectious on an international flight and visited several Sydney locations after returning from Vietnam, where there is an ongoing large outbreak.
The flight was Jetstar flight JQ62 from Ho Chi Minh City at 10.40pm on Sunday 9 March, arriving in Sydney at 11 am on 10 March. People who visited the following locations at the following times should be alert for symptoms:
Monday 10 March:
Sydney international airport arrivals terminal and baggage claim from 11am to 1pm
169 Cafe, Alison Road, Randwick from 1:30pm to 2:05pm
Ooshman Maroubra, Pacific Square, 737 Anzac Parade, Maroubra from 8:30pm to 9:30pm
Thursday 13 March:
Matraville medical complex, 492 Bunnerong Road, Matraville from 12:30pm to 1:30pm
HealthSave pharmacy, 496 Bunnerong Road, Matraville from 1pm to 1:35pm
Friday 14 March:
Matraville medical complex, 492 Bunnerong Road, Matraville from 1:55pm to 2:35pm
Saturday 15 March:
Matraville medical complex, 492 Bunnerong Road, Matraville from 9:50am to 10:50am
Princes of Wales hospital emergency department waiting room from 10:15am to 1:30pm
People who visited the above locations at those times should monitor for symptoms, the NSW health department said. Symptoms include fever, runny nose, sore eyes and a cough, usually followed three or four days later by a red, blotchy rash that spreads from the head to the rest of the body.
It can take up to 18 days for symptoms to appear after an exposure. People are advised to call ahead to their GP or emergency department before visiting should they develop symptoms.
Updated
Burns says latest Israeli-Gaza strikes cannot inflame tension here
Labor MP Josh Burns tells ABC’s Afternoon Briefing that he doesn’t want to see an eruption of violence to return in Gaza, with more lives lost, and also doesn’t want to see Israelis continuously taken hostage.
He says the latest conflict cannot inflame further tensions.
We’ve seen over the last 15 months people in politics try to use this conflict for their own political advantage and there is frankly no excuse for targeting Jewish institutions like Adass [Israel synagogue] for however people might feel about what is going on the other side of the world.
We are literally on the other side of the world and we have Jewish communities here in Australia that should be safe and shouldn’t be the target of any angry attack.
There is no justification for that. I want all communities, the Islamic community, the Palestinian community in Australia to be safe as well. I don’t want anyone to feel the sort of wrath or blowback of what people might be feeling about how devastating the Middle East conflict is. There is no excuse for that. I want people in Australia to be safe and that’s our primary focus as leaders of this country.
Asked about polling in his hotly contested seat of Macnamara suggesting he is third behind the Liberals and the Greens, and if he will put Greens last on his how-to-vote card, Burns says there will be lots of polls between now and election day and he’s focused on doing the best for his electorate.
Updated
Greens say pressure must be put on Israeli government after strikes on Gaza
The Greens leader, Adam Bandt, has called on the government to impose sanctions on members of the Israeli government’s war cabinet and cease military trade with the nation following Israel strikes on Gaza on Tuesday.
Bandt told ABC’s Afternoon Briefing there was “no justification” that civilians were paying the price through bombing in Gaza.
It is in breach of international law to collectively punish civilians. We have Amnesty International saying that what is taking place over the last year is a genocide of the people living in Gaza.
He said the Australian government needs to put some pressure on the Israeli government:
It is now time for the governments, including the Australian government, to take action and say a line has been crossed, this is utterly unacceptable and we’re going to start bringing pressure to bear to stop this bombing.
Pressure, he said, would include imposing sanctions, ending the military trade between Australia and Israel, recognising Palestine, and other things that “send a clear signal this is wrong”.
Updated
Lobby group for Murdoch royal commission to be wound up
The lobby group set up by Kevin Rudd five years ago, Australians For A Murdoch Royal Commission, has been wound up, with co-chair Malcolm Turnbull urging supporters to transfer donations to the Australia Institute.
“After today, Australians For A Murdoch Royal Commission will be wound up as an organisation – but the campaign for media reform will be continued by The Australia Institute,” a message to supporters from Turnbull and co-chair Sharan Burrow said.
The lobby group was established after the former Labor prime minister’s petition calling for a royal commission into the Murdoch media reached a historic high of almost half a million signatures in 2020.
Rudd and former Liberal prime minister Turnbull joined forces to launch the group, but the idea of a royal commission was not embraced by either side of politics.
“Murdoch has become a cancer – an arrogant cancer on our democracy,” Rudd, the 26th prime minister, said when he launched the petition. “An inquiry into Murdoch’s dominance in the country would maximise media diversity ownership for the future lifeblood of our democratic system.”
Updated
Proposed NSW inquiry to look into Minns’ knowledge of caravan plot likely to pass
A proposed NSW upper house inquiry to examine what the premier, Chris Minns, and members of his cabinet knew about the investigation into a ‘fake terrorism’ caravan plot ahead of controversial laws being rushed through parliament looks set to pass.
The opposition and Greens have indicated they will support the motion which will be moved by independent MP Rod Roberts and likely debated on Wednesday.
If successful, it would see a select committee established to inquire and report “on the relationship between the Dural caravan incident and parliamentary debates on legislation”.
The legislation it refers to is a suite of laws that were aimed at curbing antisemitism in the wake of a wave of antisemitic incidents over the summer. It includes criminalising people who make racist remarks in public and restricts protests near places of worship, regardless of if they are directed at the place of worship or not. It also makes it an offence to hinder someone from entering or leaving a place or worship.
This inquiry would establish what Minns, the minister for police, Yasmin Catley, and the state attorney general, Michael Daley, knew about the caravan found laden with explosives on the outskirts of Sydney from 19 January up until 20 February, the day before the legislation passed. It would also inquire into briefings given by the NSW police and Australian Federal Police before 20 February.
A little earlier today, the state opposition leader, Mark Speakman, told reporters the party would not support the repeal of the laws as pushed by some members of the crossbench, but would support an inquiry. He said this could see the government compelled to provide documents that shine a light on what was known:
This is a matter of accountability to fellow MPs, accountability to the general public and accountability to the Jewish community.
Minns said earlier during question time, in response to a question from Speakman about when he knew the incident could be a “fake terrorism plot”, said:
As we’ve said many times in the media in the last few weeks, we were briefed early on that this could be something other than terrorism as it’s classically defined, and that no line of inquiry was being ruled out by New South Wales police.
Updated
WA premier announces new cabinet
The WA premier, Roger Cook, has revealed his new-look cabinet with a focus on economic diversification, following Western Australian Labor’s barnstorming third-term election victory, AAP reports.
The cabinet features several new portfolios, including health infrastructure – to boost capacity in the sector – and the preventative health portfolio to reduce long-term hospital demand.
A new aged care and seniors portfolio is designed to work with the federal government to deliver more care places and free up hospital beds.
Cook said a new housing and works portfolio would focus on government building, while the economic diversification and manufacturing portfolios would work to make the WA economy more resilient in “globally uncertain times”.
We are more impacted by shifts in global trade and the dimensions of that than pretty much any other state, so we need to continue to make sure that we do everything we can to ensure that we manage those troubled waters.
A minister will be introduced for each WA region, prioritising local job opportunities and infrastructure needs. Some ministers have been reshuffled and the climate action portfolio has been replaced with climate resilience.
“We need to make sure that everyone is aware that the globe is getting hotter and we’re all going to have to adapt,” Cook said, adding his government was not giving up on the climate and WA would be the first state to end coal-fired power generation.
The deputy premier and treasurer, Rita Saffioti, has lost tourism and picked up sport and recreation.
Paul Papalia will no longer handle the police portfolio, taking on emergency services; Reece Whitby has dropped his environment role and picked up police.
Amber-Jade Sanderson will no longer be the health minister, with Meredith Hammat appointed to the portfolio.
Cook will handle the state development, trade and investment and economic diversification portfolios.
The new government is scheduled to be sworn in on Wednesday as vote counting continues to determine the winners of a handful of seats.
Updated
A jury has been unable to reach a unanimous verdict in the trial of a man accused of murder after a young woman was fatally stabbed on an isolated beach, AAP reports.
Toyah Cordingley, a 24-year-old organic food store worker, was found buried in sand at a beach outside Cairns in far north Queensland on 22 October 2018.
Rajwinder Singh, 40, a former hospital nurse from nearby Innisfail, had pleaded not guilty to murder.
Updated
Cannabis legalisation committee’s Liberal MPs say ‘status quo should be upheld’
Legalise Cannabis MP Rachel Payne was on the committee, which travelled to Canberra to see the ACT reforms first-hand. She said they resulted in a fall in the level of policing for personal use and possession of more than 90%:
If Victoria follows and decriminalises small amounts, it means our police no longer have to waste their time, energy and resources policing personal cannabis possession … it’s time for ‘a different approach’ – stop criminalising people and focus on harm reduction.
However, the three Liberal MPs on the inquiry, including the committee’s chair, Trung Luu, released a minority report, in which they said the “status quo should be upheld” and no reforms should be introduced to legalise cannabis in Victoria.
Their report read:
It is our view that more time should be taken to analyse data, and the health and economic consequences decriminalising cannabis has had, particularly on adolescents and young adults – whereby cannabis has been legalised for a considerable period. This would paint a more holistic picture of the ramifications of this model and what these amendments would do if implemented here in Victoria.
Updated
Victorian parliamentary committee recommends decriminalising cannabis
A parliamentary committee has recommended decriminalising cannabis for personal use in Victoria.
The Legislative Council legal and social issues committee – consisting of three Labor MPs, three Coalition MPs and two crossbenchers – made the recommendation during a review of a bill introduced to parliament by the Legalise Cannabis party.
Their review, tabled in parliament on Tuesday, recommended following the ACT model, which allows the cultivation of up to two cannabis plants per person and the possession of up to 50g of dried cannabis or 150g of harvested cannabis for adults.
It also recommended that any change to the state’s cannabis laws should also be accompanied by expunging of prior convictions for possession.
The committee said any legislation should be progressed as a government bill, rather than a private member’s bill, and should be followed by a review five years after it comes into effect to ensure appropriate monitoring and evaluation.
It found laws that prohibit the cultivation and possession of cannabis for personal use have not reduced demand or associated criminal activity:
Cannabis arrests in Victoria are overwhelmingly for small possession offences and lead to increased and potentially avoidable contact with the criminal justice system and occupy police and taxpayer resources that could be better targeted at more serious criminal activity. A different approach – such as proposed by the bill – could reduce stigma and the consequences of small possession offenders being caught up in the criminal justice system.
Continued in next post.
Updated
Many thanks for joining me on the blog today, I’ll hand over to Josh Taylor to take you through the rest of today’s rolling coverage. Take care.
Wong urges 'all parties' to respect terms of Gaza ceasefire
The foreign minister Penny Wong says Australia urges “all parties” to “respect the terms of the Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal, and for it to be implemented in full”.
In a statement posted to X amid IDF strikes in Gaza that have killed at least 200, Wong wrote that “all civilians must be protected” and “all parties must abide by international humanitarian law”:
Terrorist group Hamas must release all hostages immediately, unconditionally and with dignity.
Palestinian civilians cannot pay the price of defeating Hamas. It has now been two weeks since humanitarian aid last entered Gaza.
We join partners, including the UK, Germany and France, in calling on Israel to abide by its obligations, including to provide basic services and facilitate humanitarian assistance.
Australia supports ongoing international efforts to extend the ceasefire and urges the parties to engage constructively in negotiations toward a permanent end to hostilities.
Updated
Major parties vow to rebuild firebombed synagogue in Victoria
A firebombed synagogue is set to undergo a multimillion-dollar restoration no matter who wins the upcoming federal election, AAP reports, with both major parties pledging funds towards the rebuild.
The Adass Israel synagogue and community centre in Ripponlea, Melbourne, was set alight while people were inside during a pre-dawn attack in December 2024.
Two of the synagogue’s three buildings were gutted in the blaze while Torah scrolls, books and papers were also destroyed.
Labor today vowed to provide $30m towards the rebuild, as well as $1.2m towards security upgrades for existing buildings. Anthony Albanese and the local MP, Josh Burns, said in a statement:
It was an attempt to threaten and silence the Jewish community, in Melbourne and right around Australia. We won’t stand for that. We are committed to ensuring that this community rebuilds.
It comes a day after the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, pledged up to $35m to restore the synagogue and bolster security if the Coalition wins government.
The fire was declared a likely terror attack by Victoria and Australian Federal Police. Those responsible remain on the run, with no official confirmation of who may be responsible.
Updated
Heavy rainfall and flooding forecast in north-east Queensland
The Bureau of Meteorology has shared an update on the heavy rainfall and flooding forecast in north0east Queensland:
Severe Weather Update: Heavy rainfall and flooding developing for the North-East Tropical Queensland coast.
— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) March 18, 2025
Video current: 12:00pm AEST 18 March 2025.
Latest forecasts and warnings: https://t.co/4W35o8iFmh or the BOM Weather app. pic.twitter.com/sOm3tsdv7h
Updated
Protesters interrupt Jim Chalmers’ budget preview in Queensland
Protesters have interrupted the treasurer Jim Chalmers’ federal budget preview to the Queensland Media Club, with anti-coal and gas signs and chants.
Chalmers was only minutes into what was slated as a relatively lengthy speech followed by questions posed from accredited media, opening with the “big new pressure” on the budget posed by ex-tropical Cyclone Alfred, when the first protester slipped on to stage and stood right next to him holding a small sign reading: “no new coal and gas”.
“When will the Labor party stop funding new coal and gas projects?” the man, who had grey, thinning hair, said repeatedly as he was led from the stage.
Chalmers attempted to relaunch his speech when a younger woman appeared beside him on stage with the same slogan and interrupted him once again. She was also escorted from the stage.
Both went peacefully and were only on stage for moments, but peppered the treasurer with questions.
Chalmers briefly laughed nervously before ploughing ahead with his pre-planned speech.
Updated
Chalmers confirms budget will include deficit close to $29.6bn predicted in December
Jim Chalmers has confirmed next Tuesday’s budget will unveil a deficit close to the $26.9bn predicted at the December update, as he flagged windfall tax gains from high commodity prices and a booming jobs market were now a thing of the past.
The government has had to scramble to finalise a fourth Labor budget after ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred nixed plans to call an earlier April election.
But Chalmers, in a speech in Brisbane, welcomed the opportunity to put the economy “front and centre” in the upcoming election campaign. He warned a vote for Peter Dutton risked torpedoing a fragile post-pandemic recovery.
Continue reading the full story below:
Updated
Palestinian advocates condemn Israel’s ‘obliteration of the ceasefire in Gaza’ as at least 100 killed
The Australian Palestine Advocacy Network has condemned Israel’s “obliteration of the ceasefire in Gaza”, where the death toll has risen to at least 100.
In a statement, Apan’s president, Nasser Mashni, said Israel had “shattered any illusion that it ever intended to uphold this ceasefire”, calling on the Australian government to unequivocally condemn the move.
Today it has made very clear that it will continue its genocidal campaign against Palestinians in Gaza, in full view of the world, without consequence.
The question is no longer whether Israel will commit further atrocities. The question is, will the Australian government finally act – or will it continue enabling these atrocities? …
Australia must cut all ties with this rogue state, impose sanctions and an arms embargo, and stop shielding it from accountability.
You can follow updates on our separate live blog, below:
Updated
Welfare recipients and advocates demand jobseeker be lifted to reduce rates of poverty
Thursday will mark five years since the Scott Morrison government raised income support by $275 a week amid pandemic lockdowns, a move that lifted nearly a million people above the poverty line overnight.
This year on Thursday, the Albanese government will increase jobseeker by the indexation rate – $1.55 a week – leaving single jobseeker recipients $220 below the poverty line.
Welfare recipients and advocates will campaign this week at Parliament House, arguing poverty is a policy choice and demanding jobseeker be lifted to reduce rates of poverty.
Avery Howard, vice-president of the Australian Unemployed Workers’ Union and a jobseeker recipient, said:
With the fourth budget from this government being handed down next week, they have shown us time and time again that they are choosing to keep millions of us in poverty.
The supplement made it obvious that they can vastly alleviate poverty in Australia, but they are intentionally keeping us back in some misguided attempt at a “responsible budget”. There’s never anything responsible about trapping people in poverty.
Updated
NSW premier and police minister again refuse to say when they learned caravan plot was likely a hoax
The New South Wales premier and police minister have again refused to directly answer what date they learned of investigators’ belief that the caravan found laden with explosives on the outskirts of Sydney was not a terror event.
During question time, the opposition leader, Mark Speakman, asked the Chris Minns, when he was first briefed the incident “could be a fake terrorism plot”. Minns responded by pointing to comments from police that they ruled out the possibility the incident was terrorism on 21 February.
This is the same day controversial hate speech and religious worship bills aimed at curbing antisemitism that were rushed through state parliament were passed.
Minns said:
As we’ve said many times in the media in the last few weeks, we were briefed early on that this could be something other than terrorism as it’s classically defined, and that no line of inquiry was being ruled out by NSW police.
I want to make it clear, however, that despite it not being terrorism as it’s defined, this did instil terror into members of our community.
The police minister, Yasmin Catley, was also asked during question time when she learned the caravan plot was believed to be fake.
She said:
I have answered this question time and time again in budget estimates and I have said, and I will say, that I will not reveal the contents of confidential police briefings. Over summer, we have experienced abhorrent, abhorrent scenes on our streets of antisemitism.
Updated
Almost half of murders in NSW last year were domestic violence related, data shows
The NSW peak body for domestic violence has said data released today that shows almost half of murders last year were domestic violence-related is “sadly not surprising”.
The data, from the state’s Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (Bocsar), showed NSW recorded the highest number of murders in a calendar year since 2014, reaching 85 last year. In 2014, there were 95 murders.
Bocsar said the high number was “due to an unusually large number of murders involving multiple victims”.
45.9% of the 85 murders were DV-related. One in four of the DV-related murder victims last year were children, an increase of one in 10 in 2023.
Delia Donovan, the chief executive of Domestic Violence NSW, said the data showed “the grim reality”:
These findings are sadly not surprising for us at DVNSW and for those working across the domestic, family and sexual violence sector. Each life lost represents a failure of our systems to protect and support those at risk. It’s completely unacceptable that we’re begging for a baseline funding increase when we are presented with these harrowing figures.
NSW has one of the lowest per-capita spends on domestic and family violence services in the country, with Domestic Violence NSW calling for an immediate 50%, totalling $163m, increase in baseline funding to address the crisis.
Updated
Renters need annual income of $130k to afford average rental, new report shows
Australian renters now need an annual income of $130,000 to afford an average rental, with even six-figure earners facing housing costs exceeding 30% of their income in capital cities and many regional areas, a new report has found.
The 2025 Priced Out report by national housing campaign Everybody’s Home shows a single person needs to earn at least $130,000 per year to comfortably afford the national weekly asking rent for a typical unit. An even higher income is required to afford the average unit rent across capital cities.
The report, which analyses rental affordability for Australians earning between $40,000 and $130,000 per year, found rental stress has extended well beyond low-income earners.
Middle-to-high income Australians are increasingly struggling to find affordable homes. People earning $70,000 per year would have to spend more than half of their income on the national median unit rent.
Even renters earning $100,000 per year – well above the median income of $72,592 – are struggling in locations across Australia.
Everybody’s Home spokesperson Maiy Azize said a $100,000 salary “used to be considered a secure income” but the research shows “people on this wage are struggling in both cities and regional areas because rents are so staggeringly high”.
The situation is even more dire for those on lower incomes, with people earning $40,000 per year facing extreme rental stress nationwide. They are facing rents that are up to 119% of their income, putting a stable home out of their reach.
Everybody’s Home is urging the government to boost social housing and scrap investor tax handouts, such as negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount.
It is unfair to spend billions of dollars propping up investors and pushing up costs while people on low and middle incomes are left behind.
Updated
Former Liberal senator lashes Coalition referendum plan
Former attorney general and high commissioner to the UK George Brandis has lashed the Coalition’s proposed referendum on giving the federal government more powers to deport criminals with dual citizenship.
In an opinion piece published by the Sydney Morning Herald, the former Liberal senator labelled the move “as mad an idea as I have heard in a long time”, and said it should not go ahead:
An unwanted referendum, without bipartisan support, to overturn the high court? It is as mad an idea as I have heard in a long time. If it is indeed under consideration, that consideration should stop right now.
Brandis said the high court made the right call in 2022, when it ruled amendments to the Australian Citizenship Act – enabling the minister to revoke the Australian citizenship of dual nationals – were invalid.
He said three of the judges who decided the case were appointed on his recommendation – and that he only considered those who were “strong upholders of the independence of the judiciary against over-reach by the executive government”.
When [the 2022 ruling] was delivered, I was glad about the result. I also felt quietly vindicated in the legal advice I had given cabinet at the time about the constitutional risk the amendments to the Citizenship Act presented. A referendum to overturn the high court’s decision has no chance of success.
Updated
Body of 23-year-old found after he fell into water at weekend
Queensland police have located the body of a 23-year-old man who fell into the water at Jindalee at the weekend and failed to resurface.
After an extensive search and rescue operation around the Jindalee boat ramp, police today located the body of the man downstream, within the search area.
He was first reported missing shortly before 5.40am on Sunday. A search and rescue operation involving water police, the dive squad, general duties police, the SES, marine rescue and aerial assets was launched.
A report will now be prepared for the coroner, police said in a statement.
Updated
Superfund trustees must pay $10.5m in greenwashing court case brought by corporate watchdog
Trustees of an Australian superannuation fund have been ordered to pay $10.5m plus costs by the federal court in a greenwashing case brought by the corporate watchdog.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission had brought the case against LGSS Pty Ltd, the trustees of Active Super.
The court agreed last year with Asic that Active Super had told its members it had stopped investments in gambling, coalmining, oil tar sands and Russia, after that country’s invasion of Ukraine.
In fact, the court found Active Super’s claims made in various official documents were “false or misleading and liable to mislead the public” because the fund had direct and indirect investments in several companies related to those four issues, including Gazprom, Shell and Whitehaven Coal.
LGSS was also order to email relevant members an “adverse publicity notice” outlining the misleading conduct, which would also have to be published on the Active Super website.
Active Super merged with Vision Super on 1 March this year.
A spokesperson for Vision Super said LGSS “remains responsible for the payment of the penalty” and the company had insurance and reserves set aside to pay the fine.
A spokesperson for LGSS said the company acknowledged the finding and was reviewing the judgment and “considering its options”.
Last year the federal court ordered another superannuation company, Mercer Super Trust, to pay $11.4m after members were wrongly told their investments would exclude companies involved with fossil fuel extraction, gambling and alcohol.
Updated
Bandt labels Dutton referendum call ‘dog-whistling’
In response to the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, calling for a public debate on changing the constitution to allow politicians to deport dual citizens, the Greens leader, Adam Bandt, said Dutton is “dog-whistling to cover up for the fact he has absolutely no plans to make people’s lives better, zero plans to address the housing and rental crisis or the massive cost-of-living crisis pushing people to the brink”.
Instead he just punches – goes out and starts race dog-whistling, trying to find any excuse other than coming up with policies that are actually going to make people’s lives better.
I worry that we’re going to see more of this. We’re going to see more of this dog-whistling as we head towards the election as a cover-up for the fact that he’s got zero answers about how to actually make people’s lives better.
Updated
Greens urge shift away from for-profit early childhood education
The Greens’ early childhood education spokesperson, Steph Hodgkins-May, said in a press conference earlier that funding for early education should go exclusively to high-quality government and not-for-profit centres, and there should be a move away from for-profit businesses in the industry.
Early childhood education is a fundamental right for our kids and should be treated exactly the same at primary and secondary school. We’ll continue to pressure the government to ensure these reforms are seen through and, frankly, only by voting Green are we going to ensure that we keep Peter Dutton out of that place and push the Labor government to go better and stronger on protecting and educating our kids across the country.
After revelations about the industry on ABC’s Four Corners last night, the Greens have suggested it warrants a royal commission but Hodgkins-May said that should not happen at the exclusion of what the government can do now to fund government centres.
Updated
More from Minns on NSW laws aimed at curbing antisemitism
Continuing on from our last post: Chris Minns has also said that the government drafted controversial laws aimed at curbing antisemitism and which restrict protest outside places of worship “with a view to a potential constitutional challenge.”
It comes after the Palestine Action Group yesterday launched a legal challenge against the laws in the NSW supreme court, arguing the laws were invalid because the change “impermissibly burdens the implied [commonwealth] constitutional freedom of communication on government or political matters”. Minns told reporters:
We obviously have confidence, if we introduced the legislation, that it would hold up to scrutiny. We’ll leave it up to the court to make a decision. We introduced legislation believing it’s constitutionally sound, but not just that, we believe that it’s necessary.
There’s a lot of people who have religious faith in NSW of many different kinds and they’ve got every right to practice their religion free of intimidation, free of humiliation to or from that place of worship.
The laws are among a suite passed by the government in February meant to curb antisemitism. The laws cover a number of measures, including displaying a Nazi symbol on or near a synagogue, and create an aggravated offence for graffiti on a place of worship.
But the most controversial changes have been the government’s move to criminalise people making racist remarks in public and restrict protests near places of worship. Both carry a maximum penalty of two years in prison.
The bill that restricts protests near places of worship, make it an offence to block or impede a person leaving or entering a place of worship, and to also intimate or harass a person.
The laws also give police full application of their move-on powers “in or near” places of worship, regardless of what a protest is about and whether it is directed at a religious institution. This means that if someone is obstructing someone “in or near” a place of worship, police can issue a move on order.
Updated
Minns says ‘summer of racism’ justified controversial hate speech laws
The NSW premier Chris Minns has said controversial hate speech and religious worship bills aimed at curbing antisemitism were rushed through state parliament because “there’d been a summer of racism in NSW”.
It comes as Minns and his police minister Yasmin Catley come under fire over when they became aware of the police theory that a caravan found laden with explosives on the outskirts of Sydney was not a terror event but a “con job” by organised crime, and if it was before controversial hate speech and religious worship bills were rushed through state parliament.
The Greens and members of the crossbench have accused the pair of misleading the public and parliament in a bid to rush the laws through. Meanwhile, the NSW opposition has indicated it would support a parliamentary inquiry to “get to the bottom” of the matter.
An ad, sponsored by the NSW Council for Civil Liberties who is calling for an inquiry, began airing on commercial radio station 2GB this morning critical of the premier rushing through the laws when there may have been no terror threat, saying “the people of New South Wales deserve a government that tells the truth”.
Minns told reporters earlier this morning:
I introduced those laws because there’d been a summer of racism in NSW. Separate and aside to the police operation related to [Operation] Kissinger and the caravan out at Dural, it’s just inarguably the case we saw a shameful summer and the hate speech laws we introduced were absolutely necessary to send a message that we won’t tolerate it.
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Australian Monarchist League calls for Irish rap group’s visas to be cancelled
The Australian Monarchists League (AML) has called for Irish rap group Kneecap to have their visas cancelled after the solid bronze severed head of Melbourne’s decapitated King George V statue appeared on stage during one of its performances in Melbourne.
The AML took aim at Anthony Albanese and said there had been “nothing but silence” from him and his ministers on the matter – comparing it to the government’s outage at an American influencer who snatched a baby wombat.
A despicable act indeed, but no less despicable than the onstage attack on Australia by the visiting Irish rap group ‘Kneecap’ … However, there has been nothing but silence from Albanese and his ministers.
The statue in the King’s Domain parklands was beheaded during the King’s birthday weekend in June 2024 – one of a series of anti-colonial acts of sabotage targeting British memorials in Melbourne.
There has been no comments about the incident from Albanese and his ministers.
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Albanese says Australia the envy of other countries when it comes to renewables resources
Taking a final question, Anthony Albanese said Australia needs to be “ambitious” and “optimistic” when it comes to renewables.
Australia is in a unique position of having the best solar resources in the world, amongst the best wind resources in the world … We are the envy of countries like Japan and South Korea who simply are not in a position to have the space to be able to have this investment.
Australia needs to be ambitious. We must be optimistic. We can create more jobs here. We can be a renewable energy superpower for the world and working with the private sector is what we’re doing.
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Albanese labels Dutton's calls for referendum 'thought bubble'
On Peter Dutton’s calls for a referendum to cancel the citizenship of dual citizens convicted of serious crimes – which were shortly afterwards downplayed by the shadow attorney general – Anthony Albanese labelled this “another thought bubble” of Dutton’s.
This morning you had Peter Dutton on one TV channel calling for a referendum and Michaelia Cash on another TV channel ruling it out. This has not been thought through. It is not clear where this has come from.
Albanese accused Dutton of wanting to “talk about anything but cost of living”, and argued this “thought bubble” was “aimed at dividing people”.
It is a second referendum he has called for … Well, if you want to referendum, parliament is sitting this week, he can float it into the parliament, but I suspect it would be like other things like zonal taxation. Remember that in Queensland? … All these thought bubbles are an excuse to not come up with policies … When are they going to come up with serious policy alternatives?
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Albanese says Four Corners allegations about childcare sector ‘of deep concern’
Responding to last night’s Four Corners episode on the ABC, Anthony Albanese said every child who attends an early learning centre should “be treated properly, with respect.”
Last night’s revelations on Four Corners are, of course, of deep concern. There needs to be certainly an investigation and action taken wherever they standards are not met.
He said state governments look after the regulation, and he is confident they would “look at what has been revealed last night”.
The Greens have called for a royal commission in response to the revelations but the PM said “you do not need a royal commission to show that what was shown on TV last night was wrong”.
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Albanese says Labor ‘campaigning really hard’ in lead-up to May election
Anthony Albanese said Labor will be “campaigning really hard” in the “lead-up to the election in May”, taking aim at the opposition:
The contrast cannot be starker between my government that stands up for Australian interests, and Peter Dutton, who last week had an opportunity to actually stand up for Australia and instead chose to back in the Trump administration with their tariffs, rather than standing up for Australian jobs.
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PM addressing media in Queensland
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is speaking to reporters from Gladstone in Queensland.
He is visiting a Rio Tinto facility, saying it plays an “important role” in the aluminium industry, and is touting Labor’s Future Made in Australia policy.
We are going to make Australian steel and aluminium the best in the world and we are doing that by working with companies like Rio Tinto and BlueScope to make sure they can decarbonise, so they are in a competitive position which means there are goods and products will be in demand right throughout the world.
He said next week’s budget would have “a bit more to say about buying Australian.”
Trade minister pleads tariffs case with US counterpart
The trade minister, Don Farrell, has held another conversation with his US counterpart Jamieson Greer, as the government tries to get out of tariffs placed on Australian steel and aluminium, and braces for more tariffs next month.
Guardian Australia understands Farrell expressed disappointment in Australia not receiving an exemption, and discussed the America first trade policy.
The government’s made the point that this time around it’s been much harder to negotiate on tariff exemptions, and that none of the countries who previously got a carve-out have been able to get one again.
The US has its eyes on the agriculture industry as well as pharmaceuticals in its next round of tariffs, both which Australia exports.
Farrell says the US has enjoyed a “healthy trade surplus” in their favour for decades, and he’ll continue pushing the case.
The Albanese government will always stand up for Australia – we don’t take the easy road, we won’t sell out and we don’t back down.
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Greens call for royal commission into childcare sector after Four Corners episode
The Greens are calling on the federal government to establish a royal commission in response to last night’s ABC Four Corner’s program, which highlighted a number of allegations regarding putting profit over care in the childcare sector.
The Greens’ early childhood education spokesperson, Steph Hodgins-May, said it was time for a “serious overhaul” of the sector.
The Greens are urging the government to initiate a royal commission, like was done with the crisis in the aged care system, to make sure that every childcare centre in the country is operating safely for both the kids in care as well as the staff.
The reports we know about are likely just the tip of the iceberg. A royal commission into privatised early childhood education would bring to light the extent of the problem, and help pave the way for reform.
The Victorian senator argued the current system is “riddled with problems after years of neglect and marketisation of policy – it is too expensive, inaccessible and, at times, even harmful”.
Labor’s childcare subsidy encourages for-profit providers to minimise costs, increase fees and make greater returns often at the expense of our kids. It’s a broken system.
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Ad airs on commercial radio critical of Minns amid caravan plot revations
An ad has been playing on commercial radio station 2GB this morning critical of the New South Wales premier after revelations the caravan plot was not a terror threat by saying “the people of NSW deserve a government that tells the truth”.
The ad was sponsored by the NSW Council for Civil Liberties who, with backing from the Greens, is calling for a legislative inquiry into whether the NSW premier, Chris Minns, and his police minister, Yasmin Catley, misled MPs and the public before controversial hate speech and religious worship bills were rushed through state parliament.
Last week, police alleged that the caravan found laden with explosives – which Minns and others had previously labelled terrorism – was not a terror event but a “con job” by organised crime to distract police and influence prosecutions. A wave of antisemitic vandalism and arson attacks were also alleged by police to be part of the same hoax.
The ad, which has already played twice this morning, says:
The people of NSW deserve a government that tells the truth. We have Chris Minns. He banned protests and limited free speech, telling the public these undemocratic laws were needed to combat terrorism, but the police say there was no real terrorist threat. Instead, it was a criminal hoax. Did the Minns government mislead the public to take away your rights? Call your MP and demand a full independent legislative inquiry.
The ad has been aired as the NSW parliament enters its first sitting day today since the revelation, with calls for Minns and Catley to reveal when they knew the caravan plot was not a terror event likely to heat up.
In case you missed it, there’s more on the fallout here:
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Tributes flow amid reports surf icon Shane Herring has died
Tributes are pouring in amid reports that Australian surf icon Shane Herring has died, aged 53.
Beach Grit reports that Herring had fallen down the stairs of his West Tweed apartment early Sunday morning, had some food, went to sleep and never woke up.
Kelly Slater, who Herring famously beat in the Coke Classic final in Sydney in 1992, shared a tribute to Instagram:
He best blended the old school power and pure lines with the new school mentality and speed in the 90’s. In the years we spent traveling and surfing together, I always found Shane to be a kindhearted guy and an extremely talented surfer, but he had his demons that limited his time of greatness.
He loved the purity in surfing and was uncomfortable with the limelight and notoriety and scrutiny it brought him. He made a bigger mark than he might be known for these days and it hurts to know we won’t get to catch up again.
I was really looking forward to seeing and maybe even surfing again in the coming months with Shane, whom I haven’t seen in probably 20+ years. This clip is the first final we each ever made on tour and he won in front of his hometown. Ride on, Shane. We’re thinking of ya.
Herring was born in Manly in 1971, turning pro in 1991 and becoming the world No 4 the following year. By 1994 he had retired from the WCT, aged 23, and battled with alcohol and drug addiction.
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Shadow attorney-general downplays prospect of referendum, despite Dutton's comments
The plot is thickening on Peter Dutton’s proposal for a referendum to cancel the citizenship of dual citizens convicted of serious crimes, with the Coalition’s legal spokesperson, Michaelia Cash, now saying they had “no plans to hold a referendum at this stage”.
Barely hours after the story first broke in the Nine papers, and shortly after Dutton himself talked up the need for such a change in TV interviews this morning, Cash – the shadow attorney-general – has now downplayed the prospect of that coming any time soon. Her spokesperson said in a statement:
The Coalition is prepared to keep all options on the table when it comes to protecting our country and keeping Australians safe. We have no plans to hold a referendum at this stage, and would only look to that option as a last resort.
However, if [it] gets to the point where it is necessary to amend our constitution to keep Australians safe, then we believe that’s a debate our country is mature enough to have.
This is at least the second referendum Dutton has proposed, after earlier calling – then dramatically walking back his pledge – for a referendum on symbolic Indigenous constitutional recognition. After the voice referendum, Dutton claimed in October 2023 that “the Australian public is probably over the referendum process for some time”.
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Jacinta Allan 'won't leave parliament this week' until bail laws are passed
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, her attorney-general, Sonya Kilkenny, and police minister, Anthony Carbines, have held a press conference at parliament this morning to provide further details about the government’s proposed bail changes.
They said the changes, which they announced last week to condemnation from legal, human rights and First Nations groups, would come into effect in two stages.
The first stage, to be introduced to parliament today, will scrap the principle of remand only as a “last resort” for accused youth offenders. In its place, community safety would become the “overarching principle” when deciding bail for children and adults.
The bill also introduces two bail offences – “commit an indictable offence while on bail for indictable offence” and “breach of condition of bail”. The former, the government said, would apply to adults only and be a summary offence for “bail breaches that are more administrative in nature like failing to report or meet curfew”.
Both offences will be punishable by up to three months’ imprisonment on top of any other sentence imposed. The changes will take effect once passed and proclaimed, which the government hopes will be this week.
Allan said she was expecting an “increase” in remand numbers as a result, and would launch a recruitment campaign for more corrections and youth justice officers:
These tough new bail laws include measures that will start immediately, and our justice system has the capacity for these changes when these changes come into place …
I want to make this also clear to the Victorian parliament, we won’t be leaving parliament this week until these tough new bail clauses are passed through the parliament, because they can come into effect immediately once they are passed through the parliament.
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David Warner teases potential move to politics
Former Australian one-day and T20 cricket captain David Warner is seemingly testing the waters for move to politics.
After retiring from international cricket last year, Warner posted on X last night:
I think I need to join and become a member of parliament!! Thoughts???
Responding to one user, he suggested he wanted to lower income tax but raise the GST:
Love the insight, more about what does everyone need and want. Lower income tax, more money in peoples pockets, raise GST. Not sure what the answer is. But we need to protect home first!!! Back Australian products.
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Flood-weary north Queensland faces renewed rainfall threat
Flood-battered northern Queensland is facing the renewed threat of a days-long deluge, AAP reports, leading to still-swollen rivers rising again.
The region is in the firing line for rainfall totals exceeding triple digits through to the end of the week just a month after flood waters subsided.
The Bureau of Meteorology has forecasted rain extending across the tropical coast, inland to central Queensland and south towards Mackay.
Townsville and the coastal range will probably see the heaviest falls on Tuesday through to Thursday. Meteorologist Miriam Bradbury said:
It’s likely that some locations, particularly about the North Tropical Coast, will receive triple digit rainfall totals day after day. This will result in river rises and potentially significant flooding.
The heavy rainfall is expected to ease later in the week but river levels may remain swollen, Bradbury warned.
It follows the region being drenched by heavy rain over the last day around Tully, Innisfail and Townsville. Some of the highest rainfall totals include 248mm at Paradise Lagoon with 75mm of that within an hour on Tuesday morning.
As of last week, insurers had received more than 7,600 claims estimated to cost more than $164m across Townsville, Ingham, Innisfail, Mission Beach and Cardwell.
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Former deputy ombudsman appointed to investigate Four Corners allegations regarding childcare sector
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, has briefly addressed the media in Sydney following last night’s Four Corners episode on the ABC, which he labelled as “troubling.”
The program reported that the childcare industry is increasingly prioritising profits over safety, with a rising number of serious incidents and a troubling culture of secrecy.
Minns said the majority of childcare providers are in the private sector, so “therefore there needs to be very strict and very rigorous regulatory regimes in place.”
I can inform you that there has been 8,600 child care inspections in 2024. That is a massive increase in the compliance rate, however the minister for education has made it clear that she wants to get to the bottom of these allegations, these investigations [and] has appointed the former deputy ombudsman [Chris] Wheeler.
Monarchists label King Charles’s omission from new $5 note ‘republicanism by stealth’
The Australian Monarchist League (AML) argues that as long as Australia is a constitutional monarchy under the crown, the monarch should appear on both paper currency and coinage.
As Sarah Collard reports, Australia’s $5 note – which has borne the face of Queen Elizabeth II since 1992 – will be redesigned to reflect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s connection to country and the overturning of terra nullius – a foundational moment in the fight for land rights.
The AML has responded to the move in a statement this morning:
The decision to remove the King’s image from Australia’s five-dollar note was a part of the Albanese government’s plan for a republic thwarted only by their devastating defeat over the Voice referendum which we always knew was a precursor to a referendum on a republic.
The continuation of the Albanese government’s republicanism by stealth is an indication that we could well face a move towards a republic if the public allows Albanese a second term, especially in partnership with the Greens.
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Mystery yellow foam washes up on South Australian beach
Here are some photos of the mystery foam that has washed ashore South Australia’s Waitpinga beach, with surfers becoming ill and an investigation into fish deaths under way.
The photos were taken by local surfer Anthony Rowland:
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Man charged with murder after body found in Sydney
A man will face court today, charged after the body of a man was found in Sydney’s southwest last weekend.
Police found the body of a 34-year-old man inside a home at Belmore on Saturday night, following reports of a concern for welfare.
Initial inquiries revealed the body allegedly sustained a number of stab wounds.
Detectives commenced an investigation, assisted by the State Crime Commands homicide squad. A crime scene was established, and a number of items seized.
Yesterday, detectives arrested a 21-year-old man at Bankstown police station. He was charged with murder and refused bail to appear before Bankstown local court today.
Liberal leader denies misleading reporters by saying he was visiting cyclone-hit family before taking cruise
Brad Battin denied he misled reporters with his comments on Saturday, as he did see his parents during the trip:
I wasn’t asked what I did up there. I did say that I would visit my family as well. But no, as I said, I wasn’t trying to be evasive but I should have been more upfront with what I did. I’ll take that as a lesson moving forward. What I need to focus on now is what I’m doing back here in parliament.
He said it was “ridiculous” to compare his trip to the infamous Hawaii holiday former prime minister Scott Morrison took during the black summer bushfires:
That’s a ridiculous comparison. As said, I went away for the four days. The only comparison here is, as I said, I wasn’t trying to be evasive, wasn’t upfront, but my focus right now is getting back to the job that I have to do and ensuring that I can hold the government to account.
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Victorian Liberal leader says he ‘should have been more upfront’ about missing parliament on cruise
The Victorian opposition leader, Brad Battin, was grilled at parliament this morning over his decision to tell media he was visiting cyclone-affected family in Queensland, when he actually took a four-night cruise.
Battin was noticeably absent last Wednesday as the government announced its planned changes to the Bail Act – action he had been calling for for months.
His office later told reporters he was on four days of planned leave, postponed from January. Then on Saturday, Battin said he was in Queensland to visit his parents who had been affected by Cyclone Alfred.
But the Herald Sun this morning revealed he spent several days on a cruise from Brisbane.
Speaking to reporters outside parliament this morning, Battin said he should have been more upfront about the trip:
I took four nights away up in Queensland. I did take a cruise. I wasn’t trying to be evasive. [Had I] been more upfront with it, it wouldn’t have been a bigger story as it is today. I have to take a lesson from that.
But was it poor judgment? I wasn’t aware that the Allan Labor government were going to be introducing laws last week, or introducing a bill last week, or any policy last week. This is a government that’s had 12 months to do this and have failed to do so, and now, all of a sudden, it announced it in a week I was away – I couldn’t help that.
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More details on Coalition’s proposed referendum
AAP has more details on the Coalition’s proposed referendum to decide whether ministers should have the power to strip dual nationals of their citizenship if they have committed a serious crime.
Laws that Peter Dutton put in place when he was immigration minister under Tony Abbott were struck out after the court ruled it was unconstitutional that politicians could impose criminal punishment rather than the judiciary.
The commonwealth can already apply to a court to strip a dual national of citizenship if they have committed a serious offence and been sentenced to more than three years in prison.
The conduct has to be so serious it demonstrates they “repudiated their allegiance to Australia”, according to the Home Affairs Department’s explanation of citizenship cessation laws.
While the specifics of any referendum policy haven’t been revealed, a constitutional change giving the minister the power to strip citizenships would centralise power in the hands of the minister, effectively bypassing the courts.
The Coalition has been critical of Labor spending $450m on the voice referendum, saying it divided the country when the money would have been better spent helping struggling Australians.
But, as we flagged earlier, Dutton defended potentially spending hundreds of millions more during a cost-of-living crisis. You can also read the treasurer, Jim Chalmers’, response earlier in the blog here.
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Authorities investigating potential mass fish kill at Waitpinga beach
Earlier, we reported that mysterious foam had washed up on South Australia’s Waitpinga beach, with surfers becoming ill and apparent fish deaths.
The SA Department of Primary Industries and Regions (Pirsa) said in a statement it is investigating reports of a fish mortality event, along with the EPA and SA Health.
PIRSA’s role in this type of incident is to investigate the cause of the fish kill [and] to rule out infectious and notifiable animal diseases, establish the cause and coordinate a response where necessary.
Fish kill events can be brought on by a variety of causes including environmental factors such as temperature, rainfall (or lack of) and water quality including salinity or oxygen levels, or by disease or pollutants.
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McKenzie floats constitutional convention alongside dual-citizen referendum proposal
Just circling back to Bridget McKenzie’s earlier comments, about the Coalition’s proposed referendum to change the constitution to allow the government to deport dual citizens convicted of serious crimes.
Speaking on Sunrise, the shadow minister not only backed a referendum, but suggested Australia should have a constitutional convention as well, to debate the issue ahead of the national vote. This was her quote in full:
I think it’s one of the great institutions of our constitution, that we hold a referendum if you want to change our founding document, that we ask every single Australian their opinion on the change. I think that’s very, very democratic. Ideally and usually, that takes place with a constitutional convention where both sides get to publicly debate each other, and Australians get to hear the detail of the yes case on the question, and the no case.
And I think that that would be an absolutely appropriate thing to amend our constitution so that we can keep Australians safe. And I think our country is mature enough to have that debate.
There have only been three constitutional conventions in the past 100 years – the last one taking place in 1998 in the lead-up to the republic referendum.
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Doubling housing supply incentive could help renters
Renters could save $90 a week if Australia meets its housing targets, AAP reports, but more incentives are needed to address shortfalls.
The federal government has vowed to build 1.2m well located homes by 2029, but is expected to fall short by 462,000 homes, a Mandala Partners report commissioned by the Property Council of Australia has found. Its chief executive Mike Zorbas said:
Missing the target … would set off a housing affordability timebomb.
NSW is 185,000 homes short, Queensland needs another 96,000, Victoria 71,000 and SA and WA tens of thousands.
But if Australia doubles and improves its New Home Bonus program, housing targets could be met and renters could save between $50 and $130 a week, the report says.
States and territories could undertake longer-term reforms if the scheme’s duration was extended to seven years and payments were brought forward.
The Property Council of Australia recommended increasing the fund to $6bn to meet the scale of the housing challenge and allocating any unspent money to future housing supply initiatives.
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McKenzie backs Dutton’s referendum proposal
Bridget McKenzie was also up on ABC RN this morning, asked about the Coalition’s proposed referendum to change the constitution to allow the government to deport dual citizens convicted of serious crimes.
Asked if Australia can actually afford this, both politically and financially, she argued that “our country is mature enough to have that debate”.
I think it’s one of the great institutions of our constitution, that we hold a referendum if you want to change our founding document … I think that that would be an absolutely appropriate thing to amend our constitution so that we can keep Australians safe, and I think our country is mature enough to have that debate.
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McKenzie touts ‘pay on delay’ airline compensation legislation
The shadow transport minister, Bridget McKenzie, was also on Sunrise this morning to discuss the Coalition’s “pay on delay” bill currently being looked at by a Senate inquiry, which would make carriers pay delayed customers compensation.
She claimed nearly 50,000 flights had been cancelled at airports across the country under Labor and “the level of frustration is high”.
That’s why we have a bill before the Senate which actually will put in place consumer protection that is available to travellers in Europe, in North America, in Canada, the UK and the like.
Minimum standards … would see you not have to be a lawyer to get a refund – which is actually what so many people are experiencing as they try and get their own money back from Qantas, from Virgin here in Australia.
She also argued that “flights are cheaper in the countries that have this type of arrangement”.
Here is our article from last year, when the bill was first put forward:
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Dutton defends cost of referendum proposal
Continuing from our last post:
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, was up on Sunrise earlier this morning to defend his referendum proposal – despite his ongoing criticism of the voice referendum as being too expensive.
Dutton said his argument is “if you betray your allegiance to our country in that way you should expect to lose your citizenship”.
The voice … was the wrong issue for the government to put to the people. It could have been dealt with by legislation. The prime minister wouldn’t explain the logic, rationale and impact of the voice. That’s why it went down. What we’re proposing here is a discussion about whether we have adequate laws … whether the constitution is restrictive …
The Sunrise host noted that Australians’ top concern right now is cost-of-living pressures – can the nation afford another referendum? Dutton responded, “absolutely.”
The first issue is to try to keep people safe … In terms of cost of living, of course, that’s our priority economically … If we believe that we want to keep people safe, if you want to keep your kids safe and we want to keep kids safe in our community, I don’t think you can put a price on that.
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Chalmers on Dutton’s referendum proposal to deport dual citizens convicted of serious crimes
Wrapping up the interview, Jim Chalmers was asked about reports the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, was considering proposing a referendum to change the constitution to allow the government to deport dual citizens convicted of serious crimes.
The treasurer said these were “important issues”, but argued Dutton would do “absolutely anything to avoid coming clean on his cuts or on any economic policies, and that’s what we see from an almost daily basis”.
Last time he tried to impose these laws, the high court threw them out. Now [he wants a] referendum to fix his mistakes.
We’ve taken a different approach. We rewrote his broken laws to create a more robust system to keep our community safe …
He’s quite bizarre. He wants another referendum. I don’t think this idea will last long, just like a lot of the other things that he said in an effort to try and avoid talking about the economy and his cuts.
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Chalmers responds to latest OECD outlook
As flagged earlier, the OECD’s economists have slashed their estimates for Australian real GDP growth from 2.5% in 2026 to 1.8% and well below the Reserve Bank’s forecast of 2.3%.
Responding to this, Jim Chalmers said Treasury would provide its own forecasts in the budget this time next week for growth and inflation:
But we’ve had some very heartening news on both of those fronts. In recent times, growth has rebounded solidly in the Australian economy. The private sector has started to take its rightful place as the key driver of growth in our economy, at the same time as we’ve got inflation down from higher than 6% and rising when we came to office, to now in the bottom half of the Reserve Bank’s target band.
The treasurer said Australia had made “a lot of progress” and amid global economic uncertainty “we don’t want to put that progress at risk”.
And that’s why this will be a responsible budget. It will be all about making our economy more resilient in uncertain times. It will be about cost-of-living help, and building Australia’s future, and continuing to clean up the mess that we inherited a few years ago.
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Chalmers says Australia 'deserves better as long-term partner and ally' from US
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, is speaking with ABC RN ahead of a major economic address in Brisbane later today.
He will outline that Treasury estimates show the indirect impact of US steel and aluminium tariffs would be 0.1% of GDP by the end of the decade. But how much worse could it be if the US imposes its next round of tariffs?
Chalmers responded that the “direct impacts are concerning, but manageable”.
It’s the broader, indirect impacts that come from this serious escalation of trade tensions around the world which is much more concerning to us.
This is a new world of uncertainty and the pace of change in the world, when it comes to rewriting the rules of global economic engagement, has quickened since the new administration took office in the US. And so some of these developments, they’re not surprising, but they are seismic.
The treasurer said the budget strategy was “not to go for retaliation, but … to make our economy more resilient at a time of very serious global economic uncertainty.”
He added that the imposition of additional tariffs would be “very concerning”.
We’re not uniquely disadvantaged by the sorts of tariffs coming out of DC, but we deserve better as a long-term partner and ally. These sorts of tariffs are self-defeating, they’re self-sabotaging, they’re a recipe for less growth and higher inflation – not just in the US, but around the world.
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Reports of sick surfers after mysterious foam washes up on South Australian beach
Reports have emerged of mysterious foam washing up on a South Australian beach, with surfers becoming ill and apparent fish deaths.
Local surfer Anthony Rowland wrote on the Victor Harbor Facebook community group that on Saturday, more than 100 surfers were infected at Waitpinga beach.
We all experienced a sore throat, dry cough and irritated eyes. Some even reported blurred vision. It lasted 24 hours or so.
He said that in the following hours and days, there was “visible evidence” that “something weird is in the water.”
[There was a] lot of yellow foam and dark green tidelines on the beach and then on Sunday, while collecting water samples, I noticed a lot of different species of fish dead on the beach including a handful of leafy sea dragons.
It has been reported that the Department of Primary Industries and Regions is investigating whether a fish mortality event occurred – we have contacted them for a statement, and will bring you the latest when we can.
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Labour-hire flight attendants to get pay boost
More than 750 domestic flight attendants funnelled to Qantas by labour-hire firms will get a hefty pay boost, AAP reports, in what is being hailed as a victory for “same job, same pay” laws.
The win for the flight attendants comes after an agreement between the carrier and the Flight Attendants’ Association of Australia, and means they will earn the same pay as colleagues employed directly by Qantas.
Their base pay will rise by up to $20,00 a year, in some cases amounting to a 42% rise, excluding allowances, from April. Union secretary Teri O’Toole said:
Some of these crew will no longer need three jobs to make ends meet and put a roof over the heads of their families.
The agreement has been hailed a victory for the federal Labor government’s same job, same pay laws, which closed the loophole that allowed labour hire workers to be paid less than direct employees of a business. The employment minister, Murray Watt, said:
These are workers who wear the same uniform, do the same work, work the same rosters but have been paid significantly less than their colleagues. They do the same job and they deserve the same pay.
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Two shops damaged in Melbourne shopping centre fire
Victoria police are investigating after two shops were significantly damaged in a shopping centre fire overnight.
Emergency services responded to reports of the two shops on fire at an Endeavour Hills shopping centre about 12.45am.
Police said no one was inside either of the shops at the time of the fire, and that the fire caused “significant damage” to the two shops.
A crime scene has been established and an arson chemist will attend the scene [this] morning. The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fire remains ongoing.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
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Lambie backs Turnbull Aukus criticism
Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie was also on the Today show, and responded to those comments from Malcolm Turnbull that Trump would be wondering “who are these dumb guys who agreed to this deal” – regarding Australia’s involvement in Aukus.
Lambie backed his comments, and said:
Of course [the US are] laughing … and it’s only going to be a matter of time before he asks for more money … I think this is really highly embarrassing the way this deal has gone down, and I would never have given him that cheque.
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‘Tariffs are a self-imposed own goal on Americans’, Rishworth says
Over the weekend, the trade minister, Don Farrell, told Sky News he was going to make Donald Trump “an offer he can’t refuse” in response to the US tariffs on steel and aluminium. He said at the time:
I find that discussion is the best way to resolve these issues. Not retaliatory tariffs, but discussion. What we need to do … is find out what it is that the Americans want in terms of this relationship between Australia and the United States and then make President Trump an offer he can’t refuse.
The social services minister, Amanda Rishworth, was on the Today show this morning, and was asked what this offer is. She didn’t answer directly, but said:
Don is a great negotiator [who] managed to get some of those very difficult tariffs off our goods we import to China. But when it comes to the US, we’re making our position very clear that we want to see free and fair trade and that the tariffs that have been imposed on our steel and aluminium are unjustified.
She added that “tariffs are a self-imposed own goal on Americans”.
This is something that we are pursuing relentlessly to make sure that our producers are supported and that we do get exemptions …
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Good morning
And happy Tuesday – Emily Wind here, signing on for blogging duties. I’ll be bringing you our rolling coverage for most of today.
As always, you can reach out with any tips or questions via email: emily.wind@theguardian.com. Let’s go.
Greens call to scrap negative gearing and capital gains tax ahead of budget
The Greens say “it’s time” for Labor to consider scrapping negative gearing and capital gains tax discounts ahead of the federal budget next week.
The minor party’s housing spokesperson, Max Chandler-Mather, and economic spokesperson, Nick McKim, wrote to the treasurer yesterday asking him to consider winding back the Howard-era changes that give property investors tax break incentives to accumulate more real estate.
Jim Chalmers conceded last year he had asked the Treasury department to get advice on the tax changes but insisted it was not part of Labor’s agenda.
Chandler-Mather and McKim described the tax breaks as “deeply unfair”, adding it was tilting the playing field in favour of “wealthy property investors” and making it harder for first-time homebuyers.
The Greens have proposed phasing out both negative gearing and the CGT discount, but grandfathering access to negative gearing for people with one existing investment property.
A Parliamentary Budget Office analysis, requested by the Greens last year, showed tax revenue forgone due to the federal government’s policies of negative gearing and capital gains tax discounts will total about $165.58bn between 2024-25 and 2033-24. The letter said:
It’s time for your party to make a choice – do you represent the property investor who owns 100 houses or do you stand with the young teacher or nurse who has given up on owning a home because negative gearing and capital gains discounts have stacked the deck in favour of the wealthy?
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Latest polling puts Labor up ahead of the Coalition
Labor would be returned to government with an increased majority if the federal election was held tomorrow, the latest Roy Morgan survey finds today.
The poll puts Labor on 54.5% (up 3%) ahead of the Coalition on 45.5% (down 3%) on a two-party preferred basis.
It is the ALP’s largest lead in the Roy Morgan survey for more than 18 months since August 2023, tallying with our Essential poll out today that shows Anthony Albanese’s approval rating in positive territory for the first time since the voice referendum.
The Roy Morgan government confidence rating increased three points to 84.5, with 35% of Australians saying the country is “going in the right direction” (up 2%) compared with 50.5% (down 1%) who say the country is “going in the wrong direction”.
The Coalition primary vote lead was significantly reduced this week with support down 3% to 34%, while ALP support increased 2.5% to 32.5% and support for the Greens was unchanged at 13.5%, Roy Morgan said.
Support for One Nation was stable at 5% and support for independents was unchanged at 10.5%. Michele Levine, boss of Roy Morgan, says:
The latest Roy Morgan survey shows the Albanese Government gaining ground for a second straight week. Cyclone Alfred caused extensive disruption to millions of Australians in the last two weeks, but it has not hurt the Government’s standing – which has improved during this period.
For the first time in over nine months the Albanese Government has a two-party preferred lead that would deliver the party a clear majority in Parliament – if this support holds up until the election.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton made a rare misstep two weeks ago when the Coalition asserted an L-NP Government would end working from home arrangements and force public servants to return to the office five days a week. Although the Opposition Leader has walked this pledge back in recent days, it appears to have done significant damage to the Coalition’s broader support.
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More on the OECD outlook
For more on the OECD’s gloomy outlook, you can see our global story.
In short: The Paris-based boffins have downgraded the prospects for global growth this year and next, including a sharp hit to activity in the US, Canada and Mexico. The OECD said in its interim economic outlook report:
Significant risks remain. Further fragmentation of the global economy is a key concern. Higher and broader increases in trade barriers would hit growth around the world and add to inflation.
A broad-based further increase in trade restrictions would have significant negative impacts on living standards.
Read more:
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OECD economists slash growth estimates and warn trade wars may push prices up
The Paris-based OECD – a 38-member grouping of rich countries, including Australia – on Monday evening issued a more downbeat assessment of the global economy, laying the blame on Donald Trump’s tariffs.
The OECD’s economists slashed their estimates for Australian real GDP growth from 2.5% in 2026 to 1.8% and well below the Reserve Bank’s forecast of 2.3%.
The same report warned the rise in protectionism would push consumer prices higher and could force central banks to start lifting interest rates to contain any inflationary resurgence – although the inflation outlook for Australia remained largely unchanged and even lower in 2026 as slower growth bites.
Jim Chalmers will warn Australia must focus on resilience over retaliation as the Trump administration overturns the rules that have governed the global economic order for the past four decades.
The treasurer will deliver a major economic address in Brisbane at lunchtime today, and we’ll bring that to you live. Read more:
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Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the best overnight stories and then it’ll be Emily Wind to take the reins.
Our top story this morning is that our latest Essential poll shows more Australians approve of Anthony Albanese as the country’s leader than disapprove of him. That’s the first time he’s been in positive territory since the voice referendum 18 months ago stalled his government’s momentum. On a two-party preferred basis, the major parties are neck-and-neck at 47% each, with 6% undecided. A separate Roy Morgan poll today puts Labor ahead of the Coalition by 54.5% to 45.5% on a two-party preferred basis.
Jim Chalmers will warn Australians today that the country must focus on resilience over retaliation as the Trump administration overturns the rules that have governed the global economic order for the past four decades. As the OECD downgraded the prospects for global growth this year and next, Chalmers will say that Donald Trump’s tariffs are “self-defeating and self-sabotaging”, but Australia will not “race to the bottom” in its reaction.
There’s also a report this morning that will shock many Australians because it shows that swimming standards are falling. Research by Royal Life Saving Australia says nearly half of all year 6 students can’t perform the basic benchmarks of swimming 50m and treading water for two minutes – and they’re not improving in high school.
