What we learned today, Monday 22 June
We’re going to close the blog now, thanks for joining us. Here are today’s top headlines:
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Poultry farms in Western Australia have gone into lockdown after the deadly H5N1 bird flu arrived on the country’s mainland, with tests confirming a second bird also carried the disease.
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Zali Steggall is poised to launch a new political venture as soon as this week after months of secret talks about the future of the teal movement.
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Police claim to have made Australia’s biggest ever cocaine bust after finding $800m worth of the drug buried under false flooring on a semi-rural property.
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Clearance rates in Australia’s capital cities have fallen to a six-year low, with fewer than half of homes at auction finding buyers.
We’ll be back again tomorrow morning. Have a lovely evening.
Updated
Measles alert for Potts Point, Darlinghurst and Sydney CBD
A measles warning has been issued for people in Potts Point, Darlinghurst and the Sydney CBD.
NSW Health was notified about a confirmed case who visited several locations while unknowingly infectious. A full list of locations is available on the NSW Health website, which includes a healthcare facility and a backpacker’s hostel.
Public health physician Dr Anthea Katelaris said people should monitor for symptoms of measles, particularly if they have visited any of the exposure locations at the listed time.
If symptoms develop and you’ve been at one of the locations at the time listed on the website, see your doctor or health service, including an emergency department.
Call ahead to let them know that you may have come into contact with measles …
Symptoms to watch out for include fever, sore eyes, runny nose and a cough, usually followed three or four days later by a red, blotchy rash that spreads from the head and face to the rest of the body.
There have been 51 cases of measles confirmed in NSW since 1 January 2026.
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Duniam says One Nation policy ‘untested’ and ‘untried’
Asked whether he thought One Nation was a better option than Labor, Duniam said:
The problem with One Nation is they’re untested, they’re untried … I know where Labor stand on a lot of things.
Sadly, of course, they do say one thing before an election and perhaps go a different way, but I know what their basic values framework is. I know what their policy sets are.
Whereas One Nation, there is a lot to learn.
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Jonno Duniam says Pauline Hanson’s call for Australian monoculture is ‘bizarre’
Liberal frontbencher Jonno Duniam has called One Nation a party that offers “no solutions”. Duniam labelled their claims that the government has lost control of migration as “kind of weird” and called leader Pauline Hanson’s push for a monoculture “bizarre”.
Asked on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing program whether he thinks Angus Taylor is being “outfoxed” by Hanson, Duniam said:
Pauline Hanson is capitalising on a sentiment in the community that people have had enough of the major parties …
So far, they haven’t really been able to provide the detailed and substantial answers that are required of shadow ministers, of leaders of parties, and I think that’s where the wheels will start to come off.
Duniam, who announced last we he would quit politics by the end of the year, said he found Hanson’s call for Australian “monoculture” to be a “bizarre concept”.
I don’t even really know what it means, but we all must dress the same, believe the same religion. Look, it’s a bizarre concept.
Because, frankly, at the end of the day, and the success of multiculturalism has depended on our capacity for people to accept their differences and park them and look at what unites them.
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Agriculture minister says CSIRO working on H5N1 bird flu vaccines for animals
The agriculture minister, Julie Collins, says the CSIRO has been working on vaccinations to protect animals from the H5N1 bird flu strain.
With two confirmed cases discovered in WA, Collins was asked on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing program if Australia had been vaccinating animals against the deadly strain. The minister said:
The CSIRO have been doing work on the vaccinations, the vaccinations, would primarily be in wildlife threatened species in terms of particularly bird populations …
Obviously, what we don’t want to do is to put those vaccinations into wildlife, where we haven’t tested it, and we don’t know whether or not it would actually work, but that can only obviously happen on a small scale for threatened and endangered species.
That’s not something we can do on a wholesale scale.
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MPs call for more NACC hearings to be made public
Transparency advocates in parliament want the new NACC commissioner to help usher in a new era of public corruption hearings, with calls for the threshold to be lowered for the commission to hold open hearings.
The attorney general, Michelle Rowland, has said the appointment of a new commissioner and deputy, with applications opening today, should be an opportunity for a “reset and refresh” of the anti-corruption commission. Rowland was asked on Radio National this morning whether the NACC should hold more hearings in public. Labor’s legislation states that such hearings can only be held in “exceptional circumstances” – a threshold higher than some state-based corruption commissions.
Rowland said the NACC was independent and wouldn’t interfere with its operations. However Guardian Australia later asked whether she thought the threshold for public hearings should be lowered. Rowland pointed to a statutory review of the NACC, due by end of 2027, which would examine that issue, and also said the new NACC executive may have different views on how to interpret that provision.
“I don’t think that we should pre-empt how those provisions will be interpreted under a new commissioner and deputy commissioner, which is why I think this is a really important opportunity for that refresh,” she said.
Crossbench MPs have previously raised anger at the “exceptional circumstances” provision, saying it would mean most work is done in private. Helen Haines has said she will consider a private member’s bill by end of year if the government doesn’t change the legislation itself.
Greens senator David Shoebridge claimed on Monday the NACC had been “defanged” with an “impossibly high threshold for public hearings” and said Labor needed to fix that issue.
Independent senator David Pocock also called on the government to act, calling to remove the “exceptional” threshold.
“The appointment of a new commissioner is an opportunity to rebuild trust in the NACC that we can’t afford to waste and lowering the threshold for public hearings is integral to that,” he said.
Updated
Giant petrel that tested positive for deadly bird flu strain has died
We heard earlier today that a second bird – a giant petrel – had tested positive for the deadly H5N1 bird flu strain in Australia, after confirmation at the weekend that a brown skua had delivered a positive test.
Western Australia’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development has confirmed to the Guardian the petrel has died. It had already been confirmed the skua had died.
The H5N1 strain had breached every continent except Australia until the confirmed tests.
Governments and experts have said today there was no evidence yet that the two infections had led to any further outbreaks, but tests and surveillance was ongoing.
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Ingham’s shares fall after ‘complete lockdown’ over bird flu fears
Shares in Ingham’s Group fell sharply today after Australia’s largest poultry producer locked down its farms in Western Australia after the deadly H5N1 bird flu was detected in the state.
The share price fell by as much as 14% early in the day, before retracing some of the losses to close down by almost 5% at $2 a share.
Ingham’s said in an ASX announcement that its breeder farms and grower networks are mostly located north of Perth, several hundred kilometres from where the positive cases have been found in the Esperance region.
The company said it had implemented a “complete lock-down, preventing all non-essential access” across its WA farms.
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Go slow on tax time, ATO warns
The Australian Taxation Office has issued its annual warning to taxpayers about not rushing to file tax returns immediately after 1 July, reminding them early filing can cause delays and changes.
Taxpayers who lodge as soon as the financial year ticks over risk submitting incomplete and inaccurate returns, which can trigger processing delays and follow up contact from the ATO.
The ATO corrected more than 140,000 individual tax returns last year, where discrepancies appeared in employment income, interest, dividends, welfare payments, Medicare levy exemptions and private health insurance.
By late July, most of the pre-filled information submitted by banks, government departments and insurers is already in ATO systems, making it easier for taxpayers.
“Many taxpayers assume getting in first means getting a faster refund, but that is not always the case,” ATO assistant commissioner Anita Challen said.
Early lodgment increases the likelihood of missing information and mistakes being made, which can delay processing and require amendments.
Shark attack victim remains in critical but stable condition
The family of Leah Stewart, who was critically injured in a horrific shark attack at Coogee beach, say she remains in a “critical but stable condition”.
In a statement released today via St Vincent’s hospital, the family said her condition will remain the same for some time.
There is a long road ahead for her and her family. We appreciate the media’s interest in Leah’s wellbeing but we will not be giving any interviews at this time although we may post updates on her progress to her GoFundMe page as appropriate.
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Bells Beach closed due to whale carcass
Bells Beach in Victoria has been temporarily closed after a whale carcass washed ashore on Sunday.
VicEmergency issued its most recent alert for the iconic surf spot at 2pm, confirming Bells Beach and nearby Winkipop remain closed:
A whale carcass can attract sharks to the area and mean they are closer to the shore than normal.
While it is not uncommon for sharks to be present off the Victorian coast, you should exercise additional caution in the area.
The Victorian Fisheries Authority will continue to monitor the Bells Beach area for shark sightings.
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Gambling reforms likely to face Senate inquiry amid crossbench anger
The government’s gambling ad reforms are likely to face a Senate inquiry, with crossbench MPs speaking of their “heartbreak” and “frustration” as they claim Labor’s changes don’t go far enough.
Consultation continues on the proposal to curtail wagering ads on TV, online and radio. The legislation hasn’t yet been introduced to parliament, but Senate sources said they expected the bill would be referred to an inquiry when it does arrive.
Crossbench and Greens members are calling on the Coalition to oppose the bill, which would see the reforms voted down. The Coalition has not yet declared its hand. The shadow communications minister, Sarah Henderson, was contacted for comment.
Independent MP Monique Ryan claimed Australians were “sick of it” when it came to gambling ads.
“You can probably tell that there’s a significant degree of frustration, but there’s also a significant degree of heartbreak, because we hear the stories that the government is not listening to about the harm that this toxic and harmful industry is doing to the young people that we represent,” she told a press conference.
Fellow independent Andrew Wilkie became visibly emotional, claiming people experiencing gambling harm were being “left out”.
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said she was seeking discussions with Coalition colleagues about gambling, saying “the Coalition have an opportunity here to deliver protections that will actually help people, will stop the harm to families, will stop the harm to young people”.
“We will work across the political divide to deliver genuine protection, real protection, and some relief for Australian families,” she said.
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Carers who break from paid work losing $45,000 in super by retirement, research shows
New research from the Super Members Council shows super exclusion is leaving Australians who take time out of the workforce to care for loved ones $45,000 worse off by retirement.
The report found more than a million Australians still miss out on super, including workers under the age of 18, domestic workers employed in private homes (cleaners, nannies and housekeepers) who work less than 30 hours a week and people who take time out of paid work to care for loved ones. Women are disproportionately affected by these exclusions.
Paying super on the carer payment by adding the 12% super guarantee would add an average $3,072 a year in super to 334,000 unpaid carers in the years they are caring. For a typical 45-year-old carer, this could lift their super by $45,000 or more by retirement and mean less pressure for taxpayers on the age pension, the report said.
It highlights gaps for gig economy workers. Creating a pathway for super in gig work would mean about 184,000 gig workers would receive an average of $2,220 a year in super – supporting a typical young gig worker to retire with about $38,000 more in super.
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Thank you all for following along on the blog today.
I’ll leave you with the wonderful Ima Caldwell, and see you here bright and early tomorrow!
Tl;dr here’s what happened in question time
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A slightly more subdued affair for the start of the final sitting fortnight before the winter break, with the Coalition testing the government on its tax changes.
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Arguably the funniest moment was the insertion of multi-million dollar hairdressers into the Hansard, and Angus Taylor theatrically finger-combing his hair.
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Independent MP Helen Haines asked when the government would take more action on regional bank closures.
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Liberal MP Ben Small was kicked out of the chamber after asking a particularly spicy question.
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And independent Dai Le asked whether anyone in the government had gained undue financial advantage using insider knowledge of the CGT and negative gearing changes – the government denied it.
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ABS says 12.3bn hours spent on unpaid care in September 2025 quarter
Australians spent 12.3bn hours on unpaid care activities in the September quarter 2025, continuing a steady increase since 2006, when people devoted 8.2bn hours to unpaid care, the latest data from the ABS has shown.
Using the individual replacement cost method – which applies the wage for the equivalent occupation for each caring activity for the relevant demographic at the time care activities were provided – the total value of unpaid care was $461.1bn.
In comparison, the minimum wage rate method was valued at $306bn in the September quarter 2025.
The data, released late last week, also showed carers who were also employed in paid work accounted for 66% of all unpaid care hours. By comparison, 4% of unpaid care hours were taken on by unemployed carers, while 30% were taken on by carers not in the labour force.
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After a final dixer to the education minister, Jason Clare, the PM calls time on QT.
Dai Le queries if MPs used knowledge of CGT changes ‘for private financial benefit’
Independent MP Dai Le asks the government to confirm that no government member or their close relations used prior knowledge of the CGT or negative gearing “for private financial benefit before they are made public”.
Milton Dick takes umbrage with the question and says he’s concerned that it has imputations or raises allegations against certain parliamentarians.
Le says she’s not making any allegations against MPs.
She rephrases the question but again asks the PM to confirm that none of the information was used for private financial benefit, which Dick tells the PM to ignore.
There’s some more back and forth and some shouting across the chamber, before Albanese says:
We were very careful … I’m sure, as has always occurred, for as long as I’ve been here across the board, whoever has been the treasurer, and [we’ve] gone through our ERC processes, that is something that we have in this country that we should cherish, and we should honour, not denigrate, to try to score a cheap point.
The ERC is the expenditure review committee, a small committee of senior cabinet ministers who review budget and financial proposals.
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Liberal MP Ben Small kicked out
Will the prime minister admit he’s a “Labor liar on taxes”, asks Liberal MP Ben Small.
He’s immediately asked to withdraw, which he does, before he’s sent out of the chamber under 94a.
Milton Dick then rules that QT will move on, which means that the government essentially skips a whole opposition question.
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Chalmers promises action on regional bank closures
Back to the crossbench, regional Victorian MP Helen Haines asks the government when it will formally respond to a report into bank closures in regional Australia, which recommended that access to financial services should be recognised as an essential service.
She says that “596 regional towns that once had one or more bank, now have no form of bank at all”.
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, says the rate of regional bank closures has “plummeted” under the Labor government, but concedes that there’s more work to be done.
He says that the government hasn’t waited to respond to the report to act on the issue.
We do have more work to do there. We’ve been upfront about that. I acknowledge (Australian Banking Association chief executive) Simon Birmingham and others who have been working very closely on that, and we hope to make some more progress before long. We’ve also been working with the regulators and with communities to try and find sustainable solutions here. So, we do recognise how important regional banks are to regional communities like the Honourable member’s.
Taylor takes a haircut as Chalmers quips back over CGT attack lines
Nationals MP, Llew O’Brien asks the PM if “a bricklayer who comes up with a faster way to lay bricks, a farmer who comes up with a more efficient way to harvest his crops, or a hairdresser who comes up with a new hairstyle will be eligible for the innovative business CGT concession”.
Jim Chalmers takes the question and says that in almost every case, those businesses would come under the higher turnover threshold which has increased from $2m to $10m.
Angus Taylor asks over the despatch box about the hairdresser. Chalmers quips:
The hairdresser is going to be turning over more than 10m bucks, is it, mate? Yeah, it might be where you get your haircut.
It gets a good few chuckles and Taylor starts theatrically combing out his hair with his fingers. The opposition then makes a point of order saying that the question was to do with the innovative business concession.
Chalmers continues:
When it comes to farmers, as a consequence of the implementation details that we announced on Thursday, something like 99% of all agricultural businesses will be eligible for the updated 50% active asset reduction, Mr Speaker … this might be why the National Farmers Federation has described this, and I’m quoting, as “one of the most consequential wins for the NFF and its members, following sustained advocacy on behalf of farmers”.
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Wilson ‘weaponising a scare campaign’ on CGT changes he called for, Chalmers says
Jim Chalmers says Tim Wilson is “a bit slow on the uptake” after the shadow treasurer asks the PM to confirm that businesses of all sizes will lose the existing 50% capital gains tax discount across all assets.
Chalmers takes the question for Anthony Albanese and says following the changes announced last week, 98% of businesses and all small businesses will now get access to carve outs from the capital gains tax reforms.
100% of small businesses, active small businesses get access to the higher turnover threshold, and that means 98% of active businesses get access to carve-outs and concessions.
I think it says everything about the Shadow treasurer that he is trying to weaponise a scare campaign against the types of changes that he called for in this parliament and in his book.
The book Chalmers is referring to has been well referenced in QT recently, but generally with a fair bit more fanfare (and sarcasm), as Wilson’s book said that the existing CGT discounts have “no intergenerational justice”.
Updated
Coalition continues attack over tax
Nationals MP Kevin Hogan is up next and asks the prime minister to confirm if his government is the highest taxing government in Australian history, despite the “budget backflip”.
Anthony Albanese says it was the Howard government that was the highest taxing, and then points out that the opposition, under Peter Dutton, had proposed higher taxes at the last election (because they had voted against Labor’s tax cuts), which sends the chamber into an uproar.
Milton Dick tells everyone to pipe down and respect the dignity of the House.
Albanese continues:
They wanted $14bn of higher taxes on the resources of manufacturing sectors by abolishing production tax credits. They want higher taxes on motorists by abolishing the EV concession.
The opposition tries to raise a point of order, but Dick isn’t having it and says that the PM answered the question within the first few seconds, and is allowed to make some comparisons.
There’s some more back and forth over parliamentary semantics, then Albanese finishes his answer:
We, on this side, have put forward no less than five tax cuts, Five tax cuts, one of which, of course, kicks in next week for 14 million Australians.
And if the leader of the opposition had been the treasurer, rather than the worst shadow treasurer Australia’s ever seen, what we would have seen is higher taxes.
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Independent MP calls for local veterans wellbeing hub
Over to the crossbench, independent MP for Calare in regional NSW, Andrew Gee, asks the government if they will provide funding support to the Bathurst RSL for a veterans and families wellbeing hub.
Minister for veterans’ affairs, Matt Keogh, doesn’t provide a direct answer to Gee and whether his local RSL will get his funding.
He says broadly that a new veteran and family wellbeing agency will be stood up from 1 July, based on a recommendation from the royal commission into defence and veteran suicides.
But he won’t says whether that body will provide funding to Bathurst.
It is going to coordinate across those veterans and families hubs that we already have up and running …
I’ve looked at the business case that’s been provided by the member, I very much appreciate it and look forward to trying to work through that after we’ve stood up the wellbeing agency from one July this year.
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Labor and Coalition trade barbs over capital gains tax
Angus Taylor has another go at asking the same question with a more direct “can the prime minister confirm that Australia will have the highest tax rate on real capital gains in the world?”
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, takes the question, but before he can get into it, Nationals MP Kevin Hogan makes an unparliamentary remark (that I couldn’t hear from the benches), and is forced to withdraw. As soon as he does, Chalmers makes an unparliamentary remark in response, which he’s also told to withdraw.
Chalmers calls the opposition “deliberately disingenuous” for comparing tax rates on real and nominal gains.
What they don’t understand, or don’t concede, Mr Speaker, is that there will still be a discount for capital gains, but it will be a fair reflection of inflation rather than the Howard approach.
The opposition again makes a point of order on relevance, asking for international comparisons.
Then Chalmers brings out the numbers:
On reasonable assumptions, [at a] 5.1% rate of return, S&P ASX 200, the tax rate is 21.4% for example. That is lower than the UK at 24%, it’s lower than Germany, 26 to 28%, it’s lower than France, 34 to 35%, it’s lower than Ireland, 33%, it’s lower than the Netherlands, 36%, it’s lower than Denmark, 42%.
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It’s question time!
Angus Taylor begins and asks the prime minister can he name a country that will have a higher tax rate on real capital gains than Australia, after an “Olympic level backflip” on his budget announcement.
Anthony Albanese says the government had foreshadowed in the budget there would be changes and that those “hyperventilating” over the policy hadn’t seen that detail.
Taylor makes a point of order, saying the PM hasn’t named a country yet, to which Milton Dick says he can’t compel Albanese to give him the answer he wants.
Albanese says:
What we’ve done is what we said we’d do on budget night: consult widely, back small business to succeed and grow, make the tax system fairer and make sure that young Australians get a fair crack.
He doesn’t name any other countries.
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Bird flu ‘very difficult to eradicate’, Watt says
The environment minister, Murray Watt, says that overseas the bird flu has been very difficult to eradicate, particularly if it spreads into agricultural production.
The first bird that was confirmed to be infected with bird flu was a brown skua found in Western Australia, and the second was a northern giant petrel, found in the same region.
The government says it’s been working with the poultry sector to stop it from spreading into the agriculture system.
Watt says:
What we have seen globally is that it is very difficult to eradicate. We have been successful in eradicating the H7 virus twice in the last five years, but we do know that the H5 virus is much harder to eradicate if it gets into our agricultural system.
The chief veterinary officer, Dr Beth Cookson, says that there are other cases currently being tested but only two cases have been confirmed.
She tells the press conference that they’re monitoring levels for a “baseline” level of deaths among birds against any higher levels that could be linked to bird flu.
That there are no indications of mass mortality, so I can’t say that there’s a high level of suspicion of any of those reports at this stage. We would expect a baseline level of deaths in wild populations at any time, and what we’re trying to do now in the early days of the investigation is to understand what’s being reported through the public hotline is associated with that normal baseline, or whether there has been any indication of spread.
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Until now Australia only continent not to have bird flu, minister says
The environment minister, Murray Watt, is also at the press conference and says that, until now, Australia was the only continent in the world not to have a H5N1 bird flu case, so authorities have had time to prepare.
Watt encourages the public to call the emergency hotline and remain vigilant.
It’s important to remember that at this point in time we only have two confirmed cases, but we don’t underplay the threat that this poses to wildlife and our agriculture sector in Australia should this become a wider outbreak.
And that’s why, since those detections late last week, all of the relevant plans to deal with this incident, all of the relevant committees have met, everything has been enacted, because we’ve done the work with states and territories, with industry, with environment groups to make sure that we’re ready for when Australia did have its first detection of this strain.
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Two birds infected by H5N1 bird flu in Australia, government confirms
Two birds have now been declared infected by the H5N1 bird flu strain, after testing by authorities.
The agriculture minister, Julie Collins, is providing an update on the situation with Roger Cook – the premier of WA, where the birds were found.
Collins says the response to the outbreak is being coordinated at the national level.
We are working to determine whether or not the … bird flu has established in the wildlife, or established in Australia, other than these two isolated birds.
Cook says that work has been done in preparation for any bird flu outbreak, and says there is a hotline for the public.
We are working together, hoping for the best, preparing for the worst, and being over-prepared.
We want people to be vigilant. This is obviously a very concerning situation, but it’s one that we’re prepared for.
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In pictures: Australia and Canada sign export agreement
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Greens’ motion on NDIS fails in Senate
Debate has wrapped up in the Senate over the Greens motion on the government’s NDIS bill, calling for it to be withdrawn.
Greens senator, Nick McKim, was the last to speak on the motion, which was debated for two and a half hours:
These cuts will be the difference between a disabled person being able to leave their house or not being able to leave their house. These cuts will be the difference between a disabled person being able to have a shower or not being able to have a shower.
These cuts will be the difference between a disabled person being able to improve their verbal communication skills or to remain nonverbal, and unable to communicate verbally.
While the Coalition supported the Greens to bring on the debate, on the actual motion most of the Coalition abstained, with just a handful of opposition senators voting alongside the government.
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Miners and farmers launch campaign to protect fuel tax credit scheme
The peak bodies for miners and farmers are leading a campaign to safeguard the fuel tax credits scheme amid growing pressure on the Albanese government to wind it back.
The Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) and National Farmers Federation (NFF) launched the “Hands off our Fuel” campaign on Monday to counter the “noisy activists” advocating for an overhaul of the rebates.
More than 300 Labor branches have joined unions, climate campaigners and mining billionaire Andrew Forrest in calling on the government to cap the scheme, which refunds miners, farmers and other industries the 52.6c a litre excise applied to petrol and diesel.
The MCA chief executive, Tania Constable, said the industry was fed up with the critics, who she claimed wanted to “diminish industries” such as mining. She said:
We’ve had enough over the last few months. A number of noisy activists have sought to either reduce, cap or remove the fuel tax credit from our businesses. Over 200,000 businesses across regional Australia rely on the field tax credit. They’re the farmers, the fishers. They are the construction industry, the freight industry.
Treasury last month forecast the scheme would cost the budget $47bn over the next four years, rising from $10bn in 2026-27 to $12.8bn in 2029-2030. More than $1bn a year goes to coalmine operators.
Guardian Australia reported coal companies could receive an extra $6.2bn in taxpayer refunds for the diesel they use if the Albanese government greenlights just half the mine developments up for approval.
Asked if miners believed that the scheme should remain uncapped, Constable rejected the characterisation of the rebate as a subsidy.
It is not a cost to the budget. It has never has been a cost to the budget. It was never intended to be a cost to the budget. It was purely an administrative way to collect excess and then rebate the industries that should not be paying a road tax because they are not using roads.
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Monique Ryan moves to debate '1,000 days of inaction' on gambling reform
Over in the House, independent MP Monique Ryan has moved to suspend standing orders to debate gambling reform.
She, backed by fellow crossbencher Kate Chaney, notes that gambling advertising causes “significant health and financial harm to more than 3 million Australians”, and has criticised the government’s lack of public consultation on the draft gambling reform bill.
Her motion also notes the open letters from the crossbench and Liberal party members including former prime minister, John Howard, who have said the proposed bill doesn’t go far enough.
Speaking to the House, Ryan says that the public should “not be expected to accept opaque lawmaking and inadequate public and expert consultation”.
A thousand days of harm, a thousand days of inaction. After years of campaigning, from the crossbench and the opposition, the prime minister decided to take out the trash on the government’s gambling reform, right before the Easter long weekend. As journalists were heading out the door and as the public headed out on a well-earned break. That was a strategic play from the prime minister, he wanted to minimise media coverage, and he wanted to avoid public scrutiny and accountability.
Then, weeks later, while all the journalists and every MP in Canberra was cordoned off in the budget lockup, the prime minister tabled his government’s formal response to the Murphy review.
While the Greens had the support of the Coalition to move its suspension of standing orders in the Senate, the government has the numbers in the House and will very likely vote against Ryan’s motion.
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Is the $2.5bn export deal with Canada all in response to Donald Trump’s America?
Marles is with Canada’s secretary of state, Stephen Fuhr, who says that his country will continue to work with the US, but that all its defence eggs should never lay in the one basket.
He says that the world has changed and Canada has to respond to its “new realities” which is why it’s come across the Pacific to engage in defence industry procurement.
Marles says that historically there hasn’t been a significant strategic dimension to the relationship between the two countries but “that is really changing and it changed with Prime Minister Carney’s visit here in March”.
You might remember during Mark Carney’s visit the Canadian PM said it was up to middle powers like Canada and Australia to stand up and push back against dominant super powers.
They won’t explicitly say that it’s due to Donald Trump’s leadership, but Fuhr says Canada will “build relationships more broadly to make sure that we aren’t shocked by any particular partner doing any particular thing.”
Fuhr says:
We’ll continue to work with the Americans, that’s not going to change, but the relationship’s different and we have great partners in other places in the world, this being a very good example of it.
It would make no sense that we put all our resources into any one place, regardless where it is, so we are reacting to our new realities and rewiring ourselves to meet the moment
Marles says:
It is actually a time to double down with friends and it’s what we’re doing with Canada, but you see it in terms of the relationships that we’re building with other countries.
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Marles lauds ‘biggest defence export in Australia’s history’
The deputy prime minister and defence minister, Richard Marles, has announced a $2.5bn deal with Canada to export a long-range radar.
Speaking with his Canadian counterpart at Parliament House, Marles says it’s a “historic moment for Australia’s defence industry”.
Marles says Canada will use the export to “engage in surveillance over the Arctic”.
This is a $2.5bn deal, and it is far and away the largest defence export we have ever done. The over-the-horizon radar began its life actually under the [Bob] Hawke government back in 1986 … since then it has formed the backbone of Australia’s long-range northern surveillance. And it is far and away the most advanced long-range radar in the world.
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Business groups warn Greens against ‘rush’ to pass tax changes
Business groups are making a final plea for the Greens to vote down Labor’s capital gains and negative gearing changes, urging the minor party not to “conform to the government’s timetable” on passing the tax reforms this week.
There are growing expectations that the Greens will agree to a deal on the tax changes this week, potentially in exchange for a longer inquiry on the NDIS changes. We’re told that, at this stage, those discussions are ongoing.
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), which represents employers and business groups, is writing to all MPs and senators asking them to oppose the changes and warning of what CEO Andrew McKellar said would “damage business investment, damage the Australian economy”.
“You can oppose this bill. You can decline to give it passage. At the very least, you can make significant amendments to ensure that it does not cause damage to the Australian economy in the years ahead,” he said at a press conference today in Parliament House.
“We are urging the Senate to go through that process, we are still very concerned that the changes that the government has foreshadowed last week don’t go far enough.”
McKellar, asked about the likelihood of a deal with the Greens, said he had been seeking to convince the minor party against backing the government.
“Take the time, you don’t have to conform to the government’s timetable on this. Take the time, get it right … we would urge them to take account of that,” he said.
McKellar said senators should not “rush this through”, raising concern that “there hasn’t been proper scrutiny of this legislation.”
“Everybody knows the Senate inquiry process was a whitewash. It hasn’t been handled in the manner that you would expect,” he claimed.
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Listen: Greg Jericho on the economic forces pushing Australia towards populism – Full Story podcast
Last week, the Reserve Bank kept interest rates on hold but the decision was followed by a warning that a future rate rise was on the table because prices are still rising too fast. It came as the US and Iran signed an initial agreement to end more than three months of war, which had sent global supply chains into chaos. Meanwhile, Australians are feeling the pinch and deepening economic disaffection has coincided with rising support for Pauline Hanson’s rightwing One Nation party.
Nour Haydar speaks with Greg Jericho about why so many Australians are feeling pessimistic about the economy.
Poll shows Coalition support at lowest level since 2025 election
A new DemosAU poll out this morning shows the Coalition’s public support has collapsed to its lowest level since the 2025 election, the worst result for either Angus Taylor or former leader Sussan Ley.
Published in Capital Brief this morning, the results leave the opposition closer to the Greens than One Nation. Pauline Hanson’s party is on track to become the official opposition on these new numbers, winning between 54 and 63 seats if an election were held today.
The Coalition’s primary vote has slumped five percentage points in just a month to 18%. Labor’s primary moved up a point to 27%, while One Nation’s moved to 30%.
Based on the results, Labor would win between 71 and 81 seats, with the Coalition winning between 4 and 11, and the Greens 0 to 4 seats.
“On these numbers, One Nation would likely fall short of forming government, even with Coalition support, but a further improvement in support, or a further drop for Labor, could change the equation,” DemosAU head of research George Hasanakos said.
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PM convenes national cabinet meeting on fuel security
Anthony Albanese has convened a virtual national cabinet meeting this morning, but one premier is joining the PM in Canberra.
Albanese has been spotted by our eagle eyed press gallery photographers with WA premier Roger Cook ahead of the meeting.
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Queensland government announces ‘metro bus’ project to replace Gold Coast light rail extension
A bus will replace the cancelled fourth stage of the Gold Coast’s light rail line, ending a 30-year dream on the “glitter strip”.
First proposed in 1996, the Gold Coast light rail line project was designed to link the entire city in a single system, travelling about 40 kilometres from Helensvale train station in the north to the airport in the south.
The first two stages were finished in 2014 and 2017, with the third currently being tested and commissioned.
The LNP government killed Stage 4 in September 2025, after opposition by some residents of the southern Gold Coast.
The premier, David Crisafulli, announced on Monday that the project will be replaced by a bus route branded “the Surfer”, using larger tram-sized vehicles similar to Brisbane’s “metro” bus service.
It’s not clear whether it will get its own lane, segregated from traffic, as the light rail line does.
The announcement means that riders will need to transfer to travel from one end of the glitter strip to the other. It will operate every 10 minutes, compared with the light rail’s 7.5 minutes.
Crisafulli said they will build a small spur line from the northern section of the existing system to connect to a shopping centre.
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‘It’s a silly question’: Wilson won’t weigh in on whether house prices should go up or down
Tim Wilson doesn’t want to say whether house prices should rise or fall, and calls it a “silly question”.
The shadow treasurer tells Sky News the conversation around prices going up and down is “misleading” and that we do still want to see Australians invest in housing, and building more housing.
It’s really a silly question, I mean everybody wants house prices to go down until they’ve bought their first home and then they want them to go up.
What we have at the moment, is a lack of confidence, we have a lack of confidence where the govt is actively undermining incomes, wages, and of course house prices through Jim Chalmers’ active inflation agenda.
There’s a few chunks of data out this morning – we’ve seen auction clearance rates dropping now below 50% across the country, and at the same time polling in Nine newspapers shows 54% of Australians support lower house prices.
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Greens suspend Senate standing orders on NDIS bill with Coalition support
Over in the Senate this morning, the sitting fortnight has started strong with the Greens moving to suspend standing orders to move a motion calling the NDIS bill “completely friendless”, that it will “have a devastating impact” on disabled people, their families and carers, and for it to be withdrawn by the government.
The Greens disability spokesperson, Jordon Steele-John, has moved the motion and tells the Senate:
Shame on you all. This bill is a disgrace. The fact that the disability community have had to work and expend our time and effort and energy to try and explain to this Labor government why cutting nearly $40bn out of the NDIS is a bad idea – that’s a joke.
Steele-John says the bill will “cost too many lives”.
The Greens have the support of the Coalition to suspend standing orders – which means Labor has lost that vote.
The government is negotiating with the Coalition on the NDIS bill, because the Greens have said they will not support it. But Labor has offered the Greens an extension on the NDIS bill inquiry process to get them over the line on the CGT and negative gearing changes.
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Taylor doubles down on decision to oppose tax changes
The Liberal party has promised it won’t negotiate with Labor on its capital gains tax and negative gearing changes (despite the package also containing tax cuts for working Australians), and Angus Taylor has doubled down again today.
Taylor once again uses his “axe the tax” line, while speaking to reporters in Canberra (outside parliament), and accuses Labor of shifting to the “crazy left” by negotiating with the Greens.
We don’t need a carve out. We need an axe, and we’ve said that from the start. Now, it’s true that Labour appears to be doing a dirty deal with the Greens, and you should always be very worried when Labour does a dirty deal with the greens.
He also perhaps momentarily forgets he’s on live TV, saying that Labor “love an excuse” to venture to the left, but realising the line wasn’t delivered as smoothly as it could have, tries again:
Sorry, bump that … They’ve clearly found the excuse to do that here.
As well as “axe the tax”, it seems Taylor has a new tagline for Labor which is “drop the flops”.
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Taylor wants ‘more affordable’ housing – does that mean he wants to see prices go up or down?
The opposition leader, Angus Taylor, says he wants to see house prices “being more affordable”, when asked whether house prices should go up or down.
New data shows the auction clearance rate is falling.
Taylor won’t clarify whether affordability means prices actually going down or just rising more slowly (the later is what the Treasury department has modelled in the budget).
Taylor is continuing his tour around the nation’s capital, doing another press conference in the ‘burbs today (last sitting fortnight he held a few pressers around Canberra, outside Parliament House).
He says:
I want to see house prices being more affordable, I want to see housing being more affordable, and you know how you do that, you have lower interest rates, lower inflation and higher real incomes, higher purchasing power of your pay packet … this government has completely failed on affordability
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‘I don’t think KPMG fully understands the problems that they have generated’: Labor senator
Labor senator Deborah O’Neill says the federal government’s powers in regulating the big four accounting firms are “quite limited”, and told RN Breakfast this morning she doesn’t think that KPMG “fully understands the problems they have generated” following alleged misuse of client data.
Internal leaks from a whistleblower first became public when O’Neill shared the their testimony under parliamentary privilege in a speech on 24 March.
KPMG executives were called into parliament on Friday for a parliamentary inquiry into the scandal, which O’Neill called an “extraordinary day” of evidence.
What struck me on reflection was how much we were actually helping KPMG understand exactly how bad this is … I don’t think KPMG fully understands the problems that they have generated. And I don’t know that the team to clean up this mess is there.
So the federal powers at this point are quite limited and Asic can only go after … company auditors. So the problem is that there’s a gap between state and federal for starters. But I think that the finance minister is well across the reality of concerns that were raised after PWC. And I know that the finance minister is going to have a look at what happened with this particular set of bids from KPMG for government work.
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Commonwealth waiting for confirmation on second bird flu case
The environment minister, Murray Watt, says there is one case of bird flu in Australia (which the government announced on Friday), but a second is awaiting confirmation.
The first case was detected in WA. The minister said this morning that the main concern is a threat to Australian wildlife, but that the country is “as well prepared as we possibly could be” to deal with it.
Speaking to reporters in the press gallery corridor this morning, Watt said that he’ll convene a meeting with state and territory environment ministers today to discuss the outbreak, and will receive briefings from the chief veterinary officer and threatened species commissioner.
We’ve been working very hard with states, industry, environment groups, scientists over the last couple of years to make sure that we are as well prepared as we possibly could be. As a government, we’ve invested $113m including $11m in the most recent budget in those preparedness efforts. So I feel confident that we’ve got the systems in place, and that we’re working cooperatively with states, territories and others to make sure that we can manage this outbreak if it does get more serious.
Steggall to reintroduce truth in political advertising legislation
Independent MP Zali Steggall will reintroduce her bill to crack down on AI-generated political deepfakes and misleading campaigns this morning.
Mondays are the day private members’ bills are introduced in the lower house, and Steggall will use her slot for fresh truth in political advertising laws.
The government has previously promised to act on truth in political advertising, and even had a bill ready to go in the last parliament – but it never got anywhere.
Parts of One Nation’s “fire the liar” campaign blitz could fall foul of the proposed laws, which would face a fine up to $300,000.
Australians expect honesty from the people asking for their vote, yet in 2026, politicians can still publish misleading advertisements, fake endorsements and AI-generated content designed to deceive voters, without being held accountable.
As artificial intelligence becomes more powerful and accessible, the risks to our democracy are growing … Our electoral laws must keep pace.
Under the bill, political ads would have to be truthful, accurate and supported by evidence, and all AI-generated content should be identified.
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Auction clearance rates continue to fall
Auction clearance rates continue to fall and now sit at just 47.4% across the combined capitals, according to the latest data from Cotality.
The figures come just a few days after the RBA decided to keep rates on hold at 4.35% after three consecutive rate hikes earlier in the year.
In Sydney, the clearance rate was 47.4%, in Melbourne 50.6%, but in Brisbane the rate was just 33.3%. Sydney also saw 166 homes withdrawn from auction.
The price of homes is sure to play centre stage in parliament this week as the government debates its changes to the capital gains tax discount and negative gearing, which almost immediately banished property investors from auctions nationwide.
Read more here:
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Ryan has ‘no intention’ of joining any ‘teal party’
Independent MP Monique Ryan has ruled herself out (again) of joining any party, with chatter of a new “teal party” recommencing in parliament this week.
The Australian Financial Review is reporting a new group of teal independents could launch as early as this week as a “community” party, countering donation laws that favour the major parties and push back against One Nation – a plan the paper says is being pushed by Zali Steggall.
The idea was first publicly floated last month, with Steggall confirming at the time that discussions between teal independents were taking place – but nothing could yet be announced. Several MPs quickly distanced themselves from the move.
Ryan told the Today show this morning that Australians were fed up with political parties, but she wouldn’t be joining one.
I don’t have any intention of joining a party. I’m very, very happy as an independent.
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Women’s groups come out in opposition to bill to add ‘biological and binary’ definitions to Sex Discrimination Act
A coalition of women’s organisations, feminists and community groups have voiced opposition to a push by the Coalition to change the Sex Discrimination Act, in part to create legal definitions around women and men.
Nationals MP Alison Penfold has introduced a private member’s bill to parliament which seeks to restore sex-based language to the act and add definitions described as “biological and binary”.
Penfold’s plan has the support of senior Coalition figures including the Nationals leader, Matt Canavan, and Liberal leader, Angus Taylor.
But on Sunday, a group of 20 organisations, including the National Foundation for Australian Women, the Women’s Electoral Lobby, Women’s Legal Services Australia and Working with Women Alliance issued a statement opposing the plan.
“For generations, feminists have been fighting for recognition of the complexity of our lives,” Sally Moyle, chair of the National Foundation for Australian Women, said.
This bill strikes at the core of gender equality by narrowly defining women. It risks taking us back to a time when an idealised definition of ‘the woman’ only allowed us to be caregivers defined by our reproductive function, who should not own property and were not suited to leadership, capable of rational thought or physically strong.
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Hume says extension to fuel excise tax cut ‘makes sense’, pushes back on Hanson’s claims about languages spoken at home
Hume said a temporary extension to the cut to the fuel excise tax “makes sense”, especially around the uncertainty over the strait of Hormuz and its effect on fuel prices. But she said Labor needed to find offsets in the budget to ensure the changes are not “inflationary”. She told RN Breakfast:
We think that a reduced temporary extension is a practical step and that makes sense, particularly with renewed uncertainty around the reopening of the strait of Hormuz.
The budget is already in tatters just one month after it was delivered, and Australians can’t afford a budget that keeps borrowing from the future to pay for today’s politics.
Hume was also asked about her fellow senator Pauline Hanson’s address to the National Press Club last week. Hume was asked about Hanson’s claim that too many people in Australia speak a language other than English at home.
She had this to say:
Look, my partner is Greek. My partner’s mother speaks Greek at home. His family spoke Greek at home. I don’t think it’s affected their social cohesion one little bit. That said, English is our national language and we expect people to be able to speak it proficiently for them to enable to fully participate economically as well as socially.
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Hume has no problem with more debate on NDIS changes, but criticises ‘horse trading’ between Labor and the Greens
Jane Hume is speaking to RN Breakfast now, saying the Coalition has no problem with increased scrutiny over changes to the NDIS should the Greens negotiate a longer inquiry into the scheme the week.
Hume said:
I suppose one of our concerns is that perhaps the changes don’t go far enough in addressing the rorts and the criminal behaviour that we’ve seen embedded in the NDIS system now. We want to make sure that they are appropriately addressed.
And we also want to make sure that Australia’s most vulnerable are well cared for. And there does seem to be some oversights in there. So I have no problems with scrutiny of legislation.
But she’s critical of the “horse trading” by the Greens and Coalition – with the Greens more likely to make a deal over the tax changes.
It’s no surprise that the Greens have got into horse trading with Labor over this. We know exactly what it is that they do. This is their modus operandi.
Hume went on to say there was an irony in that scrutiny for changes to the NDIS, which affect “hundreds of thousands”, would be longer than that for the tax changes, that affect millions.
I think that speaks volumes of this Labor government’s priorities.
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‘Obligation’ on the states to implement firearms reform, Rowland says
Michelle Rowland says the states should get on board and prioritise firearms reforms, which were promised by the federal government in the wake of the Bondi terror attack.
The government is facing resistance from some states over the buyback, including Queensland which last month rejected key recommendations from the Bondi royal commission’s interim report.
Rowland tells RN Breakfast says Australians would be “stunned” to know there are more guns in the country today than there were 30 years ago, before the Port Arthur massacre.
We’ve had the interim report of the royal commission. Two recommendations out of 14 went to the states and territories on the issue of prioritising firearms reform and the buyback scheme … So the obligation there is on the states to work with the commonwealth to deliver these vital reforms.
My message is twofold. First, firearms reform has the overwhelming majority of Australian citizens. And secondly, as we saw with the horrific events in Bondi, that occurred because the perpetrators had hate in their hearts but also guns in their hands.
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Search for new Nacc commissioners an opportunity to ‘reset’, says attorney general
Michelle Rowland says she understands the importance of transparency in looking for a new commissioner of the National Anti-Corruption Commission.
As my colleague Tom McIlroy brought you earlier, the search is beginning for a new commissioner after the inaugural head, Paul Brereton, resigned.
Speaking to the ABC’s RN Breakfast, Rowland says
This is an opportunity for a reset and a refresh … we recognise the importance of transparency in this process. It’s why we have consulted with the parliamentary committee that has oversight for the Nacc. We’ve also consulted with key integrity bodies about how this should look.
Asked whether the body should hold public hearings or publish more findings, Rowland says the it has the ability to hold public hearings if its in the public interest, but she “would never interfere in its independence.”
I think people are sometimes surprised … about the sheer amount of work that the Nacc does. It’s had some 7,500 referrals, it’s finalised the vast majority of them. There have been 34 investigations completed and about the same number that are on foot and 11 convictions arising from its work. So whilst I don’t seek to direct the Nacc in any way, I do point out that there are some of the pieces of work that have been done that many people might not know about and indeed the opportunity for a refresh and a reset with new commissioners I think is opportune.
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Jane Hume says effort to roll back negative gearing incentives ‘hypocrisy’ from politicians who probably benefited from it themselves
Jane Hume, the deputy Liberal leader, had sharp criticism for the government over the proposed tax changes, calling them “entirely unfair” and accusing lawmakers of pulling the ladder up behind them after “plenty of politicians” had used negative gearing to create wealth.
The Coalition has said it won’t support the government’s negative gearing and capital gains tax changes, which it’s called an “assault on aspiration”.
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, announced “generous” exemptions for small businesses last week amid backlash to the budget, saying approximately 2.7m entities would benefit from the carve-out. Labor will be appealing to the Greens to get those changes across the line in parliament this week.
Hume told Sky News:
Negative gearing has been a way for people to create wealth for generations, and that includes plenty of politicians, particularly from Labor and from the Greens. And I think people should be asking … politicians whether they have ever used negative gearing to build wealth and to get ahead, because I’ll lay you odds that they have.
What extraordinary hypocrisy that they are now trying to deny that ability from the next generation.
Hume went on to say the Senate had a job to scrutinise legislation, but only had a few days to do so for a change that would affect “millions” of Australians.
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Allowing existing properties to remain negatively geared a ‘missed opportunity’, say Greens
Larissa Waters says the Greens are pleased the government has tackled some of its concerns with the tax changes – including winding back ministerial discretion powers.
But, she says, the party is unhappy that existing property owners can keep negatively gearing their properties. (The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has argued that most property owners negatively gear their properties for between five and 10 years at the maximum, so the tax incentive will phase itself out).
Waters tells AM:
Grandfathering in those negative gearing and capital gains tax perks that have seen homes become so ridiculously unaffordable in this country is just condemning whole generations of people to never being able to afford their own home.
Asked if it’s a deal breaker, and if the Greens are prepared to walk away if the government keeps the incentives for existing owners, Waters says, “We will have a look at the final shape of the package. They’re still making changes as late as last week.”
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Greens mull offer on NDIS and property tax legislation from Labor
There are two very big pieces of legislation right now that the government wants to get through: its changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax, that it wants the Greens to pass, and reforms to the NDIS which it needs the Coalition’s support for.
Both bills have just gone through very short Senate inquiries – which neither the Greens nor Coalition were particularly happy with.
The Greens leader, Larissa Waters, is asked by the ABC’s AM program whether her party would pass the tax changes in exchange for a longer inquiry into the national disability insurance scheme.
Waters says:
We take these issues on their merits, Mel [Clarke], and we’ll have a chance to talk about how these tax reforms we don’t think are actually going to fix the housing crisis. They could have, they could have been designed to do so.
We are doing everything we can to try to stop this cruel NDIS bill that will see more than 340,000 people left without the ability to have a shower or even leave the house in some cases. So we are having those discussions, but we are using everything we’ve got to make sure that these cuts actually are stopped completely, but at the very least inquired into even further. We saw through the inquiry last week the scale of the depravity of these cuts and the real human impacts that they would have.
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Labor faces heat over cooling house prices
Labor MPs are facing a slate of questions over falling house prices in some capital cities – which means they’re walking a bit of a messaging tightrope between wanting younger people to get into housing, and ensuring that people who already own housing don’t go way backwards.
(Although a Resolve poll in the Nine papers this morning shows that of a poll of 1800 people, 54% supported lower house prices, while 11% said they were opposed).
Murray Watt says it’s a good thing if a bit of cooling in the auction market makes it easier for young Australians to buy a first home.
He also points out that Treasury modelling showed price growth would slow.
Allowing young Australians, in particular, to get into the housing market for the first time, was the central focus of our budget, and that’s why we put forward those changes around both negative gearing and capital gains tax.
We’re not surprised to see some level of cooling in auction markets. And if that makes it more possible for Australians to get into the housing market for the first time, that’s a good thing.
So our modelling from Treasury did suggest that there may well be a short-term impact in housing prices, but that they would continue to grow over time.
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Australia ‘as well prepared as we possibly could be’ for arrival of H5N1 bird flu, environment minister says
The environment minister, Murray Watt, says a widespread outbreak of bird flu in Australia could severely impact wildlife, but that Australia is well prepared.
So far, he says an outbreak in Western Australia is also nowhere near a poultry farm, but the government is working closely with the industry.
The government confirmed on Friday that a wild migratory bird had been found in WA and died from the H5N1 virus.
Watt tells ABC News Breakfast:
There’s no doubt, James [Glenday], that if we were to have a widespread outbreak of this deadly strain that would have a very significant impact on wildlife in Australia.
There’s no evidence at all, that this has affected poultry stocks in Australia. It’s a wildlife matter at this point in time. In terms of the species, As I say, we know that bird flu can not only impact on birds, but also mammals as well …
We are as well prepared as we possibly could be for this, but it is a risk that we need to take seriously.
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Search begins for new Nacc commissioners
The attorney general, Michelle Rowland, has opened applications for the new leaders of the National Anti-corruption commission, following the resignation of Paul Brereton.
Rowland said a new commissioner and deputy commissioner would be appointed through an open, competitive and merit-based selection process.
Applications will be assessed by an eminent panel, charged with preparing a shortlist of suitable candidates for the attorney-general’s consideration.
Rowland will then ask the Parliamentary Joint Committee on the National Anti‑Corruption Commission to approve her preferred candidates for each role, before recommending them to the governor general for appointment. Applications close on 13 July.
Rowland said:
The government is committed to strengthening the Nacc, including by continuing to make appointments through an open, competitive and merit-based selection process.
This is an opportunity for the Nacc to refresh and reset, and I look forward to working across the Parliament to appoint the best possible candidates for these roles.
Brereton quit in May, saying criticism of him was “drawing attention away” from the commission’s work.
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Welcome
Good morning, Krishani Dhanji here with you for the final sitting fortnight before the winter break.
With just days before the end of the financial year and some key legislation Labor is desperate to get through, expect some drama in the house and plenty of deal-making behind the scenes.
Last week the government announced significant concessions on its capital gains tax legislation, the question is, will it be enough to get the Greens over the line. Those talks will be happening over coming days – with the Coalition promising to repeal the legislation if it gets into power.
And this morning the prime minister is convening a national cabinet meeting on fuel security, days after promising to extend the fuel excise cut (albeit at a lower rate). Overseas, Iranian negotiators have suspended talks with the US in Switzerland.
I’m here with our news blogger Nick Visser, who’s making a cameo appearance in the national capital this week – so stick with us!
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