What we learned today, Monday 30 March
That’s all for the blog today. Here is a recap of the top headlines:
Fugitive Dezi Freeman, the man accused of killing two officers at Porepunkah, has been shot dead after a seven-month manhunt in rural Victoria. Follow our separate live blog for updates.
Anthony Albanese has halved the fuel excise in a move that will save motorists 26 cents a litre for three months from 1 April.
Angus Taylor has shut down Andrew Hastie’s push for the Liberals to be “open-minded” to increasing taxes on gas companies and winding back concessions for property investors, exposing a clash of philosophies between the opposition leader and his most likely future rival.
The prime minister also shifted his language on the US-Israel war on Iran, saying he wanted to see a de-escalation and “more certainty” around Donald Trump’s objectives.
The Victorian Liberal leader, Jess Wilson, says the man who defeated Moira Deeming for the top spot on the party’s upper house ballot is “not welcome” on her team, after it was revealed he wrote a court character reference for a friend convicted of grooming a 15-year-old girl.
And Labor has supported a parliamentary inquiry into the tax regime for oil and gas companies in a further sign the prime minister is open to pursuing changes ahead of the May budget.
Thank you for tuning in.
Updated
Second man charged with manslaughter after frog toxin death
A second man has been charged with manslaughter over a man’s death at a ceremonial ritual allegedly involving ayahuasca and the frog toxin “kambo” in the northern rivers of New South Wales.
Cameron Kite, 41, appeared at Lismore court this morning alongside Soulore Solaris, 52, after they were both charged with the manslaughter of Jarrad Antonovich, who was 45 when he died in October 2021 at a retreat at Collins Creek near Kyogle, about 60km from Byron Bay. Police confirmed Kite’s charge today.
Police will allege Solaris supplied Antonovich with ayahuasca while hosting a retreat at the property and delayed seeking medical treatment when the man’s health deteriorated.
Solaris was arrested on 3 March and charged with manslaughter before being released on bail. Kite was charged on 17 March, also with manslaughter.
The first committal appearances were over within minutes, with the date of 25 May set for prosecutors to submit a brief of evidence and 10 June for a pre-service mention.
An earlier police statement said officers and emergency services attended a property on Gonpa Road, Collins Creek, after reports a man had collapsed at about 12.40am on Sunday 17 October 2021.
He could not be revived by paramedics.
Neither Solaris nor Kite was required to submit a plea and both will be excused from appearing at the next hearing.
Updated
Union has ‘constructive’ talks with ABC boss at Fair Work Commission
The journalists’ union says a Fair Work Commission meeting with the ABC managing director, Hugh Marks, was constructive and positive but no outcome had been reached.
“The commissioner facilitated really constructive discussions and we’re continuing to work through it,” the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance director Cassie Derrick told AAP.
It’s been really positive today. The next step is to go back to our membership.
On Thursday more than 2,000 ABC staff around Australia walked off the job for a 24-hour strike after negotiations over a pay rise broke down, and Marks asked the Fair Work Commission to facilitate talks between the two parties.
Staff rejected the offer of a 10% total pay rise over three years – 3.5% in the first year and 3.25% in the second and third years. They said it was too low and failed to address concerns about the staff appraisal process, career progression, night shift penalty rates and reproductive health leave.
In January, Australia’s annual inflation rate was 3.8%.
Updated
Three weeks of Brisbane rail disruption to begin on Friday
Three weeks of disruption of the South East Queensland rail system will begin this week, with upgrade works planned on several lines.
Track closures will begin on Friday 3 April, affecting the Sunshine Coast, Caboolture, Redcliffe, Doomben, Shorncliffe, Airport, Gold Coast and Beenleigh lines until 11 April.
Closures will continue on the Beenleigh, Doomben and Gold Coast lines from 12 April until Anzac Day, 25 April, with minor service alterations on other lines.
The 23 days of rolling track closures had been scheduled for the school holidays, the acting Translink head, Dean Helm, said.
“If you are travelling during this period, I encourage you to plan ahead, consider your transport options, and allow plenty of travel time,” he said.
Helm said there would be “plenty of rail replacement bus services” during the closures.
The closures would allow work on a range of transport projects, including Cross River rail supporting works, Logan and Gold Coast faster rail and general track maintenance, according to the Department of Transport and Main Roads.
Updated
Queensland man charged over alleged online death threat to federal parliamentarian
Queensland police say a 47-year-old Logan man has been charged with sending an alleged threatening message online to a federal parliamentarian.
Investigations began on 25 March after the AFP received a report of online threats, including a threat to kill a parliamentarian. AFP National Security Investigations (NSI) officers linked the man to the alleged threats.
Police subsequently executed a search warrant on the man in Logan on Friday 27 March and seized electronic devices.
The man has been charged with one count of using a carriage service to make a threat to kill. The offence carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment.
He is expected to face Beenleigh magistrates court on 1 May.
Det Supt Bill Freeman of the AFP said:
Public officials, like anyone else in Australia, have the right to conduct their duties without receiving threats or abusive messages.
The AFP commissioner, Krissy Barrett, announced the establishment of NSI teams in October 2025 to target groups and individuals causing high levels of harm to Australia’s social cohesion, including targeting federal parliamentarians.
Updated
Jacinta Allan said the government would also introduce legislation to parliament this week to strengthen fuel security arrangements in Victoria. Similar laws were introduced in Tasmania last week.
Allan said:
We will be bringing legislation to the parliament this week to strengthen the fuel security arrangements here in Victoria. This will be done by requiring fuel suppliers to provide data about supply and distribution of fuel, providing Victorians with more information and more transparency.
The energy minister, Lily D’Ambrosio, said the legislation would amend the existing Fuel Emergency Act:
This is an act of parliament that exists now for a number of decades. And as part of our continuing improvement and continuing contingency planning around the fuel crisis that we are seeing globally, and of course here in Australia, it is important that we ensure all the laws and regulations that we have available to us as a state jurisdiction are up-to-date, they are modern and ready to go if we ever need to use them …
The legislation will be making it absolutely clear in legislation that outside of an emergency declaration, that where a government requires data be provided by the liquid fuel supplies in our state, that we can require them to actually provide that information. This is about not just understanding what this level of fuel available is to our state but where that fuel is also going … across the state.
Updated
Fuel excise cut complements Victoria’s free public transport, Allan says
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, is holding a press conference after the national cabinet meeting this morning.
She says she welcomes the federal government’s decision to cut the fuel excise and reduce the heavy road vehicle user charge, which she says complements the state’s decision to make public transport free for the month of April:
This is going to provide meaningful support for households. It’s going to save them money when they go to fill up at their local service station – that’s money that can go back into the household budget to pay for those other bills that sit on the kitchen table, the mortgage, the rent, the grocery bills that are putting real pressure on households.
Updated
Labor backs Greens inquiry into gas tax
Labor has supported a parliamentary inquiry into the tax regime for oil and gas companies in a further sign Anthony Albanese is open to pursuing changes ahead of the May budget.
The government backed a Greens motion in the Senate on Monday afternoon to establish a select committee to examine the tax settings for Australia’s oil and gas resources, including “any proposals for changes to the tax treatment of gas production and export”.
Supporters of a new gas export tax have been energised by revelations the Treasury was modelling options for a new levy to capture windfall profits from gas and thermal coal companies, as well as potential changes to the petroleum resource rent tax (PRRT).
The Greens are part of a growing campaign pushing for a 25% gas export levy, which Australia Institute research estimates could raise $17bn a year.
The select committee, which will be chaired by the Greens’ Steph Hodgins-May, is scheduled to hand down its findings five days before the 12 May budget.
In a statement, Hodgins-May said:
This inquiry into a gas tax comes at a crunch moment. The gas cartel is poised to cash in on global conflict while Australians are being smashed with rising bills at home.
Updated
AFP charges six men over alleged multinational cocaine-importation scheme
Six members of a merchant vessel intercepted by the French navy in French Polynesia have been charged by Australian federal police over an alleged multinational cocaine-importation scheme.
The six men – from Honduras and Ecuador – were detained in French Polynesia sailing a modified 40-metre vessel that had three specially constructed smuggling hides.
The hides, police allege, were built in Central America to secret drugs being smuggled across oceans. The vessel, the MV Raider, was first intercepted in international waters in January this year. The French navy found, seized and destroyed 4.8 tonnes of cocaine before the Raider and its crew were released in accordance with the laws of French Polynesia.
But police suspected an Australia-based crew operating on behalf of a larger criminal syndicate was looking to rendezvous with the MV Raider to conduct an at-sea transfer within Australia’s economic exclusion zone.
The Raider was intercepted 180 nautical miles off the NSW coast in late February and Australian Border Force officials and NSW police marine area command interviewed the ship’s crew, telling them they would not be permitted to enter any Australian port.
On 12 March 2026, the Raider placed a distress call to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, reporting mechanical issues and critically low supplies. The vessel was escorted into Sydney Harbour by NSW police the next day. The crew was taken to Villawood immigration detention centre.
A sweep of the crew’s electronic devices found evidence more drugs were stored onboard. AFP investigators, assisted by ABF Maritime Operations NSW, executed a search warrant on the ship in Snails Bay, in Sydney Harbour, last week.
The AFP seized documents and electronic devices, including a satellite phone, allegedly used by the crew to coordinate the distribution of cocaine within Australian waters.
The boat is believed to have held up to six tonnes of cocaine.
Commander Brett James said the AFP was alert to organised criminal syndicates attempting to import drugs into Australia in custom-built motherships.
James said:
We know that criminals go to extreme lengths, and often risk their own lives, to smuggle drugs into Australia with no regard to the harm they cause.
Multiple people have been rescued from the ocean in recent years after hitting trouble while allegedly trying to collect cocaine consignments.
Investigations into the origin of the drugs and who has collected them remain ongoing, and we will work with our international and domestic law enforcement partners to identify the criminal syndicates – and anyone else – involved in facilitating this alleged cocaine import.
Updated
Brisbane’s Star casino turns to private credit for refinancing deal
Brisbane’s long-struggling Star casino has executed a $550m refinancing deal with a private American credit provider.
The enormous inner-city casino – which is partway through construction – has been struggling to stave off administration for years. The company was found to be unsuitable to hold a casino licence in 2022 and was issued $100m in fines, after an inquiry by the former judge Robert Gotterson.
Its board repeatedly appealed for tax relief in 2024 and 2025 from the state government.
The company announced to the ASX on Monday that it had entered a binding commitment to refinance its debt with private credit investment manager WhiteHawk Capital Partners, based in California.
Private credit is a way to access secure financing outside the traditional banking system or from shareholders.
The three-year deal, worth about $550m Australian, will be used to “facilitate the turnaround plan being implemented by the new Star management team”, according to a February ASX announcement. It is subject to terms imposed by the lender, including documentation requirements.
Updated
Australia is party to the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty – the Treaty of Rarotonga – which prohibits the stationing and deployment of nuclear weapons in party states.
But the Australian government has said there is “no impediment” to US submarines or aircraft armed with nuclear weapons visiting Australia, insisting that any such visit would not breach Australian or international law.
The US maintains a policy of “strategic ambiguity” around its nuclear deployment and it refuses to confirm or deny whether aircraft or seagoing vessels capable of carrying nuclear weapons are, in fact, carrying a nuclear warhead.
That ambiguity would apply to US submarines docking at Australian ports, and to nuclear-capable B-52 bomber aircraft landing at RAAF Base Tindal in the Northern Territory.
“We respect the United States position of neither confirming nor denying,” the Australian defence department secretary, Greg Moriarty, told the Senate in December.
The declaration calls for Australia to:
Sign and ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
Reject nuclear ambiguity and prohibit the entry, transit or presence of nuclear weapons in Australian territory, waters and airspace.
End all forms of assistance to nuclear weapons activities, including targeting, command, control, planning or enabling operations that support the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons.
The co-chairs of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, Marianne Hanson and Tara Gutman, told the Guardian:
The only way to avoid nuclear catastrophe and to discourage more states from seeking their own nuclear weapons, is to uphold and vigorously defend international law and to implement the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons – a treaty which seeks to ban nuclear weapons for all states.
In moments of crisis such as these, the temptation is to close ranks. The responsibility of middle powers like Australia, however, is in fact the opposite: to insist that the rules matter most when they are most inconvenient.”
Updated
No Nuclear Weapons in Australia declaration signed
More than 150 civil society and advocacy groups from across Australia, Asia and the Pacific have signed a No Nuclear Weapons in Australia declaration, arguing that Australia’s expanding military integration with nuclear-armed allies – in particular the US – will see Australia hosting aircraft and ships carrying nuclear weapons, as well as playing a significant role in nuclear weapons planning, control, targeting and threats.
The declaration states:
Today, escalating global tensions, renewed nuclear threats, expanding nuclear arsenals and the end of arms-control and disarmament agreements have pushed the risk of nuclear use, by accident or by intent, to its highest level in decades.
No health service in the world would be capable of responding to the devastation even a single nuclear weapon could inflict on a city’s people, and even a “limited” nuclear war in one region would cause abrupt climate disruption and starvation worldwide.
As civil society organisations committed to peace, justice, human dignity and a living planet, we raise deep concern about Australia’s current trajectory towards increasing involvement in the command, control, targeting, hosting and possible launch of nuclear weapons from Australia.
Updated
That’s it from me today, thank you for joining me on the blog!
I’ll leave you with the wonderful Ima Caldwell for the rest of the afternoon, and see you back here bright and early tomorrow.
Westpac predicts three more rate hikes and rising unemployment
Westpac believes the Reserve Bank of Australia will be forced to deliver three more rate hikes over coming months to combat an inflationary surge linked to the spike in fuel prices.
The RBA has already lifted its cash rate twice this year, and Luci Ellis, Westpac’s chief economist, predicted hikes in May, June and August would drag heavily on the economy.
Under the revised outlook, unemployment would lift from 4.3% to about 5%, as higher borrowing costs weigh on activity and hiring.
Ellis said:
The halving of fuel excise, announced by national cabinet today, reduces the near-term outlook for headline CPI inflation, but a peak of 5.4% in the [year to the] June quarter remains likely.
Westpac analysts had thought the most likely scenario was that the strait of Hormuz would stay closed for eight weeks.
But Ellis said the more pessimistic set of forecasts “reflects the longer disruption to, and slower recovery in, fuel supply”.
It also reflects the surprisingly rapid pass-through of higher fuel and other oil-derived product prices into other prices in Australia.
Three more rate hikes would leave the RBA’s cash rate at 4.85%, the highest since late 2008.
A Commonwealth Bank analyst this morning said the Middle East conflict would extend into June and potentially beyond.
Updated
Tl;dr here's what happened in question time
After the government announced it would halve the fuel excise, the Coalition tried to hammer Labor over service station closures and impacted industries.
The government tried to stay on message, listing all its actions and measures taken so far, but unlike last week, Chris Bowen didn’t give us a state by state breakdown of service stations that have run out of fuel.
The independent MP Sophie Scamps asked the treasurer about housing tax reform, which he didn’t completely shut down, but deferred to cabinet procedure.
The independent MP Rebekha Sharkie asked the aged care minister about the home care assessment system (it’s been controversial to say the least, and you can read more about that here).
Honestly, it was pretty tame today, there were fewer interjections than normal and no one got kicked out (and there was a noted absence of zingers).
Updated
Question time ends
After a final dixer to Michelle Rowland, the PM calls time on QT for the day – just two to go this week.
PM evades question about number of petrol stations out of fuel
Liberal MP Tom Venning is up next and says farmer Josh in his electorate says he’s waiting on fuel and if he can’t get some in the next 10 days – with growing season approaching – it will “cost our business in the long run”. Venning asks the PM how many service stations are out of fuel.
Anthony Albanese tells Venning to give him farmer Josh’s phone number: “I’m happy to personally have a discussion with him and do what I can to help him.”
Things get a little icy for a moment, as Angus Taylor shouts across the table “they’ve suffered enough”.
Albanese replies:
Your current leader says they have suffered enough. Well, you either want to help this guy or not? If you want, give us the info, we will follow it up and do what we can.
Dan Tehan gets up to make a point of order, saying Albanese isn’t answering the question, which was how many service stations have run out of fuel. Milton Dick says he can’t compel a number out of the PM.
Updated
Independent MP questions minister on support-at-home aged care
Independent MP Rebekha Sharkie puts the pressure on aged care minister, Sam Rae, today, over the government’s support-at-home package.
She says that over a seven-week period to 23 January, 414 older Australians appealed their support-at-home package, but just two of those appeals were reviewed.
She asks: “Does the minister think just two reviews is acceptable?”
Rae defends the system and says that since November, 180,000 home support package assessments have been completed.
The government has faced criticism over a controversial assessment tool for home care support which assessors have been unable to override.
But Rae says the assessments completed under this integrated assessment tool are “completed by qualified human assessors”.
[They] are completed by qualified human assessors with clinical input documented from start to finish, making sure we have an assessment process efficient, accurate and fair …
Again, at every turn, we sought to implement a system that is fairer for older people, that is accurate and efficient, and will continue to do so.
Updated
Labor pressed on the impact of the fuel crisis on the aged
Liberal MP Mary Aldred is up next and raises concerns about the impact of the fuel crisis on aged care. The CEO of Ageing Australia, Tom Symondson, Aldred says, has warned that due the national fuel crisis, “we are seeing an increase in workers not taking up shifts.”
Anthony Albanese lists the government’s measures – from convening national cabinet to introducing legislation to underwrite fuel shipments, which he calls an “unprecedented action”.
He doesn’t directly mention the impact on the aged care sector.
He says:
You can’t wish away the impact of a war in the Middle East that saw global fuel supplies be reduced. We’ve continued to act each and every day.
Had we not had the largest fuel reserves in 15 years, had we continued to have our fuel reserves in the US rather than here, the predicament would have been far worse.
Updated
Jim Chalmers is asked about the need for further housing reform
Will the government reform housing tax concessions, asks independent MP Sophie Scamps, who says that YouGov polling from her electorate, released today, shows 62% support reform.
Jim Chalmers says the government has “not changed its position on the policies” (no surprises there) but he does acknowledge the “intergenerational issues” in the economy, the housing market and the tax system.
He points to tax cuts and the 5% deposit scheme as mechanisms to help young people.
He does leave the door open for more, but says any changes are a matter for cabinet.
We are working to address some of the intergenerational issues in the budget, in the economy, and in our society more broadly.
I agree with the honourable member, who identifies housing and tax as two of the most important areas where the intergenerational issues are most easily observed.
When it comes to further steps, in tax policy or housing, the budget is still a little ways away yet and any further changes would be a matter for cabinet in the usual way.
Updated
Minns confirms 75 NSW service stations have run dry
Returning to the NSW premier, Chris Minns says 75 fuel stations in the state are out of all types of fuel as of 9am this morning, and 392 of the 2,414 service stations registered in the FuelCheck compliance platform, or just under one in six, are out of stock of at least one fuel type. And 242 stations are out of diesel or premium diesel.
All of those numbers are up since Friday, when 59 stations were out of all types of fuel, 347 were out of stock of one fuel type, and 207 stations were out of diesel.
Asked if he is concerned about potential negative impacts of reducing the fuel excise, which economists have warned could worsen shortages, Minns says:
I’m not taking away anything away from anything, [reducing the excise] is really going to help families, particularly those who have to buy petrol and can’t afford it. We’re already well in advance of the average annual cost of a litre of petrol, but you make a good point, and that is, petrol is expected to drop in the coming days, and we want consumers to act responsibly.
Minns is asked again about NSW’s refusal to follow Victoria in offering a month’s free public transport, which the NSW Treasury has estimated would cost $140m a month in foregone Opal revenue. He says:
The Victorian plan is for 30 days of free public transport. I’m not seeing any indication out of the Middle East that this will be solved in the next 30 days, and I want to make sure that we’ve got enough resources and money available to help NSW families if we’re in a prolonged situation.
Updated
NSW premier says final stages of national fuel plan ‘still under consideration’
Jumping out of QT for a moment, the NSW premier, Chris Minns, says measures such as fuel rationing or encouraging working from home are “still under consideration” under the final two stages of the commonwealth’s emergency fuel plan.
At a press conference earlier following national cabinet, Minns has been asked if stage three and four of the plan, “Taking targeted action” and “Protecting critical services for all Australians”, include measures called for by the International Energy Agency such as encouraging working from home, cutting highway speeds and fuel rationing.
“The short answer is, we’re considering some of those measures as part of the phases,” he says. Asked which specific measures were being considered under stages three and four, Minns says:
Level three and level four, because we’re not in that phase yet, are still under consideration. But there was a view at national cabinet that the thinking behind them and the thresholds that will trigger it should be released now. And I think that, you know, that’s a balancing act between releasing as much information as possible to the public so that they know what’s coming down the line, whilst being flexible enough to say, well, the circumstances are changing ... I think it makes sense in a dynamic situation.
Updated
Darren Chester wants more clarity on how fuel will be prioritised if crisis gets worse
Deputy Nationals leader, Darren Chester, quotes the National Farmers Federation which has said “today’s announcements contain no clarity on how fuel will be prioritised if the crisis deepens”.
Anthony Albanese says that 20% of Australia’s reserves have already been released and prioritised to regional areas but doesn’t clarify how the fuel will be prioritised if the situation worsens.
He says that at the moment, Australia remains at “stage two”, which means fuel is still coming in but some areas are facing supply issues.
That doesn’t mean you don’t plan for contingencies and that you don’t be over-prepared for what may occur in the future.
The decision we made on Saturday, will allow for the purchase of additional fuels and included in that as well, in addition to that, allows for the purchase potentially of fertiliser should it be available anywhere, and making sure that private sector operators can invest over the odds, effectively, of what they would have before this war began, on the international market.
Updated
Liberals continue to push Labor on fuel crisis
Liberal MP for Dawson, Andrew Wilcox, is next and says the Kidney Support Network in Mackay says volunteer drivers are being forced off the road by the national fuel crisis, putting renal patients at risk of missing diagnoses.
Anthony Albanese says he acknowledges the pressure people are under in dealing with the fuel crisis.
He says the government has been “acting quickly” to implement arrangements, including:
Standing up the national coordination mechanism, meeting of the national oil suppliers emergency committee, starting the national cabinet process, the appointment of Anthea Harris as the fuel supply taskforce coordinator, changes to fuel standards, release of reserves …
If you go to a petrol station and can’t fill up, it makes you anxious and we rely upon, in a country like ours, so much, our motor vehicles to get around, which is why we are saying in the fuel security plan, for example, if you can get to work on a train or bus and that is convenient and leave more fuel around, then that is a good thing.
Updated
PM acknowledges supply issues at some petrol stations
Liberal MP Simon Kennedy asks the prime minister to confirm that 10% of service stations in NSW have no diesel, and how many service stations have no fuel.
The PM acknowledges that there are supply issues for “select petrol stations around Australia” but won’t confirm how many are out of fuel.
He says the government’s measures to underwrite fuel shipments are getting more fuel into the country:
There are some that have recognised that there is a war going on and that is an impact of the war, as most Australians understand.
He then tries to quote Andrew Hastie, who told Insiders that the move to underwrite shipments made sense in principle. Dan Tehan immediately tries to stop the quoting, but he gets overruled and Anthony Albanese continues:
I know that the manager of opposition business might object to me quoting positively the deputy Liberal leader [Hastie], but I will.
He [Hastie] went on to say yes, “I think we need to be doing whatever we can to make sure we have sufficient supply in this country”.
Updated
Monique Ryan asks treasurer about fuel price gouging
Independent MP Monique Ryan asks the treasurer how drivers can be sure that retailers will cut prices when the government cuts the fuel excise. She says that despite the government directing the ACCC to crack down on fuel price gouging, price gouging is not actually illegal in Australia.
She’s not wrong, price gouging is technically not illegal in Australia. According to the ACCC website, businesses can set their own prices and the watchdog can “investigate and take action where businesses mislead consumers about pricing. This includes on the reasons for a price increase”– ie when businesses lie about why they have increased prices. The ACCC can also investigate businesses involved in “price fixing and other anticompetitive behaviour”.
Jim Chalmers says that the government has increased the powers and penalties of the ACCC, so “they can come down like a tonne of bricks on anyone who is doing the wrong thing”.
We are coming after sources of some of that gouging that the member is right to be concerned about and so when we came to office we increased penalties, allowed the ACCC to issue on-the-spot fines.
Updated
Chris Bowen says there are 39 days of petrol supply in Australia’s reserve
During a dixer, Chris Bowen has given an update on Australia’s minimum stock obligation.
He says there are:
39 days’ worth of petrol or 6bn litres
30 days’ worth of diesel; and
30 days’ worth of jet fuel or 800m litres.
He says refiners and importers are delivering fuel to regional Australia at “record levels”.
Viva, for example, which is the refinery in Geelong, has advised me that their deliveries to regional Australia in the last week are 55% higher than normal.
Updated
Tim Wilson says Labor ‘followed’ the Coalition’s call for an excise cut
Shadow treasurer, Tim Wilson, is at the dispatch box next and says the government “followed” the Coalition’s call for a fuel excise cut – which gets a big laugh from the Labor benches (but to be fair Labor did make the decision after the opposition and members of the crossbench were pushing the government on it).
Wilson asks the treasurer to confirm that “unlike the Coalition’s plan, there are no inflationary offsets to the government’s excise cut?”
Jim Chalmers says he would have thought the opposition could have come up with a “better question”, and says the main difference is “we didn’t forget the heavy vehicle users like those opposite did”.
So those opposite called for $1.5bn change, which completely ignored the fact that heavy vehicles were paying 34 cents a litre [for the heavy vehicle road user charge] and that is how they came up with the costing of $1.5[bn] when [it] is more like $2.5bn.
Dan Tehan makes a point of order and says Chalmers isn’t answering the question, and isn’t saying what the inflationary offsets are. But Tony Burke rubbishes the criticism and says the opposition was literally asking for a comparison.
Updated
It’s question time and Angus Taylor accuses Labor of being slow to cut fuel excise
The politics is politicking today – Angus Taylor starts question time and after a long preamble criticising the delay to agree to a fuel excise cut, the opposition leader asks, “why is the prime minister always the last to lead in a national crisis?”
In response, Anthony Albanese thanks “the latest leader of the opposition for his question.”
Albanese tries to return serve at Taylor, and says the government has been “responding in a coherent, strategic, orderly way.”
I mean, it’s just beyond comprehension, [this] from the same group that came in here and asked the question one day ‘when will the war end’?
They thought that through in tactics and they now pretend that somehow we on this side didn’t acknowledge that there was a war and that it would have an impact which it is right around the world.
Despite the snarky start, the rest of Albanese’s answer is given without too much drama, and so far no one is kicked out.
Updated
Fuel excise cut expected to reduce inflation, Chalmers says
Jumping back into the prime minister’s press conference, Jim Chalmers said it’s expected that headline inflation will be reduced by about half a percent due to the fuel excise cut.
The excise will be cut in half to 26.3 cents per litre for three months.
Chalmers said that modelling will be considered in the budget – which will be handed down on 12 May.
The expected impact of what we’re announcing today is to reduce headline inflation by about half of a percentage point through the year to the June quarter of 2026. More broadly, obviously, there is still a price signal in the market. Prices are higher than we would like, when it comes to petrol and diesel.
The global oil price has almost doubled since the beginning of the year. It was trading at $116 a barrel last time I looked, [and] it was about $60 at the start of the year. So all of that flows through not just to our scenario planning and our modelling but also obviously our forecast for the budget.
Updated
Farrell not giving up on increasing parliament’s size
Don Farrell says great Labor leaders have historically increased the size of parliament in Australia, suggesting the Albanese government is still open to expanding the number of federal politicians in Canberra.
In an answer to whether Labor was considering increasing representation in parliament, Farrell noted the last time it was increased was under former prime minister Bob Hawke, and before that Ben Chifley. Farrell said:
Increasing the size of parliament is what great Labor leaders do.
But pressed on whether the minister would pursue changes to add more upper house seats for the territories, Farrell said the proposal didn’t have broad support but he wouldn’t give up just yet.
I’ve had plenty of disappointments in my life in politics. You get used to disappointments. But look, last time round, when we did the donations reforms, I was told, ‘Look, you’ll never get this through. You know, you haven’t got the support in the parliament to get it through’, and on the last day of the last parliament, we did ...
I’m not going to anticipate where it’s going to get to, but I certainly haven’t given up.
Updated
Don Farrell fears US’s global tariffs could outlast Trump presidency
Trade minister Don Farrell fears Donald Trump’s global tariffs could outlive his administration if Democrats decide the trillions in import taxes the US now receives outweighs the increased cost-of-living burden to American consumers.
It’s a busy Monday morning in Canberra. While the prime minister and treasurer announced changes following national cabinet this morning, the trade minister addressed the National Press Club to celebrate last week’s green-lighting of a free trade agreement with the European Union.
In a question about whether the US president’s “fixation” with raising global tariffs against imports into the US will outlast his time in the White House, Farrell said “the Americans realise that their decision to reimpose tariffs will ultimately cost the American consumers”.
But the trade minister said he still held concerns the tariffs could ultimately prove too lucrative for successive administrations after Trump’s term ends in 2029.
Farrell said:
I think it will eventually dawn on the Americans that this is the wrong path. Unfortunately, I fear that if they don’t reverse the positions and there’s a change of administration at the next election… The amount of money that these tariffs are raising – bear in mind, Australian companies don’t pay this, this is by and large paid by the importers – my fear is that the Democrats might very well say ‘Look, you know, we can’t give up this’. You know, trillions of dollars [in import taxes].
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Australia is at stage two, not stage three, of plan, Bowen says
Chris Bowen clarifies that Australia is currently at stage two of the plan, which is “keep Australia moving”, and says the country is not yet at stage three.
Stage two means that supply is coming in as it should, but that there are localised supply disruptions around the country. Stage three means there is stronger targeted action to get fuel where it needs to be which the PM said earlier, “we hope to avoid”.
Bowen says:
As the PM has said, we’re at stage two. We hopefully expect to stay at stage two. We certainly don’t expect to move off there for quite a while, because stage three is about when supply is disrupted. And, at this point there’s been no disruption to international supply to Australia.
A reporter tries to clarify whether stage three means fuel rationing, but Albanese won’t answer and says to read the plan.
He says again that the government is trying to avoid a Covid-style situation.
We want the country to not go through what it went through in Covid. What we’re talking about here is responsible action, putting forward a plan and working with Australians, working with different levels of government, working with each other.
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Albanese pushes for ‘more certainty’ on objectives and de-escalation of war against Iran
Albanese says he wants the de-escalation of war and more certainty over the US’ objectives over the war against Iran.
About the way Donald Trump is prosecuting this war, I want to see more certainty in what the objectives of the war are, and I want to see a de-escalation.
At the beginning of the conflict, the objectives were outlined as one, stopping Iran getting a nuclear weapon – agreed and clearly has been achieved; secondly, degrading the opportunity that Iran has for engaging in military action, either overt or through its proxies in Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis – clearly there has been substantial degrading of Iran’s position. The third was regime change, and I think that, very clearly, history tells us that regime change imposed from outside is very difficult.
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‘Shiploads of fuel’ are arriving, Albanese says
Albanese says in March, every single ship that was due to arrive has arrived.
For April, there were six ships that were cancelled, but the PM says they have been “more than replaced”, with nine additional ships coming into the country next month.
He says there is “more fuel than anticipated”, with even more to come when the additional powers to underwrite fuel shipments, or buying fuel, come into effect. (Those bills were introduced to parliament a short time ago.)
We have the legislation that we announced on Saturday and that was introduced today, which is about us procuring, literally, shiploads of fuel. Got to be careful how I say that! – shiploads of fuel arriving.
We hope we’re empowering the private sector by making sure that they get the backup, if you like, mitigating the risk which is there is what we’re doing. So the range of measures, as well as the changes that we’ve made to standards of both petrol and diesel.
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People should ‘enjoy their Easter’ says PM
With the long weekend around the corner, we’ve heard from tourism operators and caravan parks that families are cancelling their plans due to soaring fuel prices.
Albanese says everyone should continue on their Easter plans, and that part of the national plan is to “keep Australia moving”.
He says:
People should enjoy their Easter, and it’s important as well that we keep the economy going. Easter is an important time for tourism destinations, for jobs, they rely upon that. And I wish those people of faith as well a holy Easter. It’s an important time.
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PM announces four phases of national plan
The PM says there are four stages that were agreed to by national cabinet today – they include:
Plan and prepare
Keeping Australia moving
Taking targeted action
Protecting critical services for all Australians
So what exactly do those mean?
Albanese says plan and prepare means monitoring impacts of global factors, the second phase is “where we’re at at the moment”, which is that fuel supply continues to operate but there have been some supply disruptions.
The third phase, which the prime minister says “we hope to avoid, but planning for it”, is targeted action, to ensure fuel goes to where its needed most, and potentially adopting voluntary measures to limit fuel use.
The fourth phase, Albanese says, is “protecting critical services for all Australians”, which will require government action to “ensure critical users are protected and the economy remains open and operating”.
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‘Pleased with progress’ on fuel, Bowen says
The energy minister, Chris Bowen says he’s pleased with the progress made to secure fuel supplies to Australia.
The government has just introduced legislation to the House that will allow the government to underwrite fuel imports.
Australians want to know what’s being done to secure our international supply of fuel and oil, and we’re very pleased with the progress that we’ve made.
It’s about pre-empting increasing risk in the market and ensuring that Australian firms are able to go out and compete with firms around the world to get that fuel for us.
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Heavy vehicle road user charge to be cut as Chalmers says measures are ‘timely’ and ‘targeted’
Alongside the fuel excise, the government has also announced it will reduce the heavy vehicle road user charge to zero for three months.
Albanese says the measure will “help truckies continue their vital work for our nation”. The next scheduled increase in the heavy vehicle road user charge will also be delayed six months.
Albanese says:
For many trucking companies that are small, they rely upon a cash flow which is under pressure, because they pay for their fuel and then they get paid down the track in 30, 60, or 90 days, depending upon the contractual arrangements that they have. This is about taking pressure off them.
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, standing alongside the PM, says the measures announced today are “timely” and “targeted”.
He says the measures will cost $2.55bn – depending on the demand on the system – while the revenue forgone from delaying the heavy vehicle road user charge increase will be $53m.
The steps that we are announcing today are all about taking some of the sting out of these higher petrol and diesel prices for people who are under pressure. This is timely. This is targeted. This is responsible, cost-of-living relief to help people get through a difficult period.
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Fuel excise to be halved for three months
In a turnaround for Labor, the prime minister has announced the government will halve the fuel excise to 26 cents per litre for three months.
Just five days ago, the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, said cutting the fuel excise was not a measure being considered by the government.
Albanese says the government understands that people are under serious pressure as prices rise, but also encourages households to take public transport instead.
Halving the fuel excise will reduce the cost of fuel by 26.3 cents per litre. Importantly, in addition, states and territories have agreed and are finalising a proposal to ensure they won’t benefit from the elevated prices that are occurring because of the GST. This is a reason for why we did this through the national cabinet process, rather than just going out there and making announcements without that necessarily being thought through appropriately.
The less fuel we use in the cities, obviously, the more we can direct to regional areas that are under pressure.
Albanese had been under pressure from the Coalition and independents, who were calling for the excise to be cut.
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PM announces national plan to deal with fuel crisis
Anthony Albanese says the government is “acting now” to be over-prepared as the situation overseas worsens, announcing that a national plan has been created.
The prime minister is addressing the media after convening a national security meeting, cabinet meeting and national cabinet meeting – with state and territory leaders.
Albanese says the plan has been adopted and agreed to by all state and territory leaders.
The government understands that people are really worried, but we have a plan to get through this.
One of the things that we want to ensure as that it is one plan, not nine, across eight state and territory jurisdictions and from the commonwealth.
The plan outlines how governments will work together to keep Australia open and to keep our economy going early, voluntary action, coupled with new supply measures, will make a difference and make sure that fuel continues to get to those who need it most.
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PM to speak shortly
National cabinet has wrapped up and the prime minister is due to speak to the media from parliament momentarily.
We’ll bring that to you as it comes in.
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Treasurer introduces bill for new fuel purchasing powers
The government has suspended standing orders in the House to introduce the bill my colleague Tom McIlroy brought to you a few moments ago (see below).
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, is introducing three bills in the House, one that will give the finance minister access to funding to buy fuel without a sign off from parliament.
He says the legal power – known as an advance – can be used for fuel security measures that are “urgent, unforseen and unable to be funded through existing funding”.
The bills I’m introducing today are about giving the government the flexibility to continue addressing these challenges in a timely way in the coming months.
Chalmers says it’s not new expenditure but a “safety net” to deal with fuel security challenges.
One of the other bills being introduced this morning was announced on the weekend, which will give the government the power to underwrite the purchase of fuel by the private sector. This morning, the energy minister, Chris Bowen, said that would help fuel importers to continue bringing in fuel as risk and volatility grows.
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Acma finds ABC Four Corners episode breached its own accuracy and impartiality provisions
The Australian Communications and Media Authority has found a 2024 episode of Four Corners about water usage in the Northern Territory breached the broadcaster’s own accuracy and impartiality provisions.
In response the ABC partially rejected the finding, saying it does not accept the finding of inaccuracy.
The broadcasting watchdog found that Water Grab, reported by Angus Grigg, “inaccurately conveyed that a Northern Territory pastoral station had illegally used a fire to clear land for cotton production without approval to do so”.
It’s not the first time the ABC has pushed back on a communications authority finding regarding accuracy in a Four Corners program. In 2022 a program about Fox News, Fox and the Big Lie, was also found in breach.
But the ABC rejected the finding, saying it had “negative consequences for public interest journalism”.
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More on the emergency fuel powers
The finance minister, Katy Gallagher, says the new advance powers for emergency fuel purchases will only be used if required.
The introduction of these bills is a prudent step to ensure the government has the capacity to respond swiftly to any urgent fuel security challenges that may arise before the end of the financial year.
This legislation was about preparedness and responsible fiscal management. They do not commit new spending, but they do make sure that if action is needed at short notice, the funding framework is in place and subject to strong safeguards.
Labor to rush through new fuel purchasing powers
As the international energy crisis grows, the federal government is preparing to rush through new laws to speed up fuel purchases worth as much as $2bn, using a legal power called an advance to the finance minister.
Commonly used during the Covid-19 crisis, the advance powers will allow the government to urgently spend money to buy fuel, without the need for sign-off from parliament.
The new powers will be in place initially until 30 June this year.
The finance minister, Katy Gallagher, is responsible for using the power. Funding will only be drawn as necessary and only for fuel security response measures. Labor says it will consult the opposition for any spending above $1bn.
An advance can be used where there is urgent need for expenditure that is either not provided for, or has been insufficiently provided for, under existing laws.
For example, in the early stages of the pandemic, $780m in emergency funding was released to the Department of Health to procure masks and medical equipment needed around the country.
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Bill to ban online gambling ads introduced to parliament
Independent MP Kate Chaney has tabled her own bill to ban advertising of online gambling, to codify the recommendations of late Labor MP Peta Murphy’s landmark parliamentary report.
The bill is unlikely to pass the House, unless the Labor government decides to support it. Chaney, who was a member of the Murphy-led committee which in 2023 called for a phased-in ban of gambling ads, introduced the bill this morning.
The bill’s explanatory memorandum states:
At the time this bill is introduced, over 1,000 days have elapsed since the Murphy Report was tabled, and the Australian government has not responded to the report, nor implemented the central recommendation for a comprehensive ban on online gambling advertising. During this period, gambling advertising has continued to be pervasive across broadcast, digital and social media, and community concern about its impacts has remained high.
Chaney’s bill would have a phased implementation over three years, “progressively strengthening restrictions before culminating in a comprehensive prohibition, subject to limited and clearly defined exemptions”.
In the first year, wagering advertisements would be moderately limited on TV and radio; in the second year, wagering ads would be banned during live coverage of a sporting event, with gambling odds advertising banned one hour before and after the coverage, while ads in stadiums or on player jerseys would also be limited; and in the third year, wagering ads would be prohibited between 6am and 10pm.
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Parliamentary friends of EVs bring electric trucks to Parliament
There were some big electric trucks out the front of parliament house this morning, courtesy of the parliamentary friends of EV’s group – chaired by Labor’s Michelle Ananda Rajah and independent MP, Monique Ryan.
It’s certainly an interesting time to be talking about EV trucks, as farms and freight companies raise concerns around getting enough fuel.
We’ve also seen a increase in the take up of electric vehicles among households.
The cameras spotted Greens senators, Larissa Waters and Sarah Hanson-Young having a sit in the vehicles.
Physical violence against Australia’s school principals has become ‘disturbingly normalised’, study finds
Almost half of school principals experienced physical violence in the past year and more than half were threatened with it, an Australian Catholic University (ACU) study has found.
The latest health, safety and wellbeing survey of 2,000 school leaders showed violence against principals had almost doubled in the 15 years since the research began, pointing to a growing threat of stress and burnout.
Lead investigator and school wellbeing expert Prof Theresa Dicke said:
If nearly half of principals are experiencing physical violence and more than half are facing threats, we must ask ourselves in what other profession would this be tolerated as business as usual? Exposure to aggression has become disturbingly normalised.
Anxiety and depression rates among school leaders are high, with 10% recording severe anxiety scores. Physical violence surged from 27% in 2011 to 48% in 2025, while threats increased from 38% to 54% in the same time period.
The report calls for coordinated action to reduce workload, improve mental health support, better workplace safety, career sustainability and professional autonomy of school leaders.
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Victoria police speak on death of Dezi Freeman
Police have begun speaking on the death of fugitive Dezi Freeman, on the run for seven months since allegedly shooting dead two police officers in Porepunkah, Victoria.
The Guardian’s report is here:
Our liveblog is covering developments here:
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Dezi Freeman shot dead – live updates
For the latest news on the death of Dezi Freeman, my colleague Steph Convery has another live blog going with all the updates.
Police are due to speak shortly, you can follow it all here:
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One Nation projected to win third seat in SA
Pauline Hanson’s One Nation is projected to pick up a third seat in South Australia, the ABC says. Counting is continuing after the 21 March election, where One Nation’s primary vote is at 22.5%, ahead of the Liberal party’s 19.3%. Labor won an increased majority, with 34 seats.
The result was the first proof that the party could translate its surge in polling figures into votes, which has shaken up the major parties.
One Nation’s Jason Virgo has now been projected picked up the seat of MacKillop from the Liberal party.
The Liberal candidate in the seat, Rebekah Rosser, conceded defeat this morning. In a post on social media, she said she phoned Virgo and congratulated him on the outcome.
The anti-immigration party is ahead in one more seat, Narungga.
On current projections, the Liberal party will maintain its official opposition status, with five seats.
Former federal Liberal senator Cory Bernardi will lead the party in SA’s upper house, where it is projected to pick up three seats.
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Death of Freeman will be ‘a relief to the whole community’: Haines
Helen Haines, the MP representing the Porepunkah area, says the death of Freeman will bring relief to her community, which has had a dark cloud hanging over it for the past six months.
In a statement, the member for Indi in Victoria, thanked state police and all those involved in the search “for their determination and service”.
Over the past six months, a dark cloud has hung over the Porepunkah community. News this morning of the death of Mr Freeman draws this prolonged and devastating incident to a close.
This will come as a relief to the whole community – especially to the families of Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart, and their colleagues.
Coalition moves to suspend standing orders in the Senate
The Coalition has moved to suspend standing orders in the Senate to move a motion on the war in Iran.
The motion condemns the government’s “failure to provide urgent relief to Australians facing surging fuel prices”, says the government has “no plan” to deal with rising costs and fuel supply pressures, and calls on the government to halve the fuel excise for three months and reduce the heavy vehicle road user charge.
Leader of the opposition in the Senate, Michaelia Cash, says “I don’t know how much more urgent it can actually get”.
She pulls the example of the waste industry who are concerned the fuel crisis will impact bin trucks from being able to pick up rubbish, which could become “catastrophic”.
They made it very clear to the Albanese government, “guess what, we’re actually important”, if the bins don’t get emptied, do you know what happens within 48 hours across the aged care industry and health care industry? Disease runs rampant. They actually said, this is potentially catastrophic.
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NSW treasurer digs in on opposition to free public transport
The NSW treasurer, Daniel Mookhey, says making public transport free amid spiralling fuel costs is “not sustainble”, despite mounting pressure after other states announced the measure.
Speaking to ABC Radio Sydney this morning, Mookhey was asked why his government would not commit to implementing long-term fare relief following Victoria and Tasmania’s example. He said:
The short answer as to why ... is because I can’t tell your listeners when this conflict is going to end. I can definitely tell them that even if the conflict was to end, that’s not going to result in an immediate normalisation of the fuel supply chain. So we have to prepare for a scenario that runs for a couple of months. And we’ve got to keep our powder dry.”
Mookhey said the government had modelled the impact of making public transport free on fuel supply, but said it would not make a “dramatic impact”, and would would not greatly benefit the regions where fuel shortages were more acute. He did not close the door on using the measure “for a short period of time”.
It’s not sustainable, I can definitely tell you that. Like, it would only be there for a short period of time. So we think that if we have to pull that trigger, we’ve got to pull that trigger at the right time.
Local business owner relieved Freeman located
Scott Brandon, owner of the Bright Brewery, a few kilometres away from Porepunkah, has just told ABC Radio Melbourne that locals feel a “big relief” after the discovery of Dezi Freeman.
He told host Raf Epstein:
I think it’s a big relief for us to have this chapter resolved, if this news is correct. It’s certainly something that’s been weighing on our minds for several months now.
Brandon said when initial search operations were under way there was a “big impact” on tourism in the area and it “caused a lot fear in the community”:
Since then everything has pretty much returned to normal … but it’s certainly something that still gets discussed from time to time. When you’ve got an unresolved event like that where somebody’s clearly still being searched for, it’s going to keep coming up. And so, you know, I think it’s a relief just to have an end to all of that.
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Iran war to last into June, CBA analyst says
CBA’s top geopolitical strategist has warned the Middle East conflict is likely to last “at least into June”, saying Donald Trump will not be able to unilaterally extract himself from his war on Iran.
Madison Cartright said we shouldn’t hope for a repeat of the Taco trade (or “Trump Always Chickens Out”) that had been a feature of his coercive trade policies.
Tariff policy was the prerogative of the president. But he cannot unilaterally decide when to end the war with Iran.
As National Cabinet sits down to develop a united strategy to deal with the fuel crisis, Cartwright laid out why federal and state leaders should be planning for a longer conflict that stretches our limited fuel reserves.
Any lasting agreement to end the war must include Israel and Iran.
There is no common ground between Iranian demands and US demands at present. There is also a schism between the US and Israel. If the US were to end its participation in the war before meeting its objectives, Israel will likely continue the war.
There is also no guarantee that Iran will open the strait of Hormuz if the US were to abruptly exit the war without negotiating an agreement favourable to Iran first.
Selling pressure intensifies on ASX due to Iran war escalation
The Australian share market has opened sharply lower this morning, as fears of a prolonged Middle East conflict ignite oil prices and trigger a bout of global inflation.
Australia’s benchmark S&P/ASX 200 dropped 1% in early trading to hover near the 8,430 point mark. The index is down more than 8% from levels reached late last month, shortly before the conflict erupted.
Market strategy consultant Greg Boland, from trading platform Moomoo says selling pressure has intensified as the Iran war outlook worsens.
He says:
The combination of rising volatility, persistent inflation concerns, and ongoing geopolitical uncertainty is keeping investors on the defensive, with markets increasingly pricing a higher-for-longer interest rate environment.
The ASX has been pulled around by sharp moves in the oil price, with rising energy prices fuelling global inflation, which drags down equity markets.
While investors largely ignored the initial strikes against Iran, sentiment has soured due to concerns the US does not have a clean exit strategy that can guarantee a stable resumption of the oil trade, and other freight, through the crucial strait of Hormuz.
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The Victorian attorney general, Sonya Kilkenny, was holding a press conference in Melbourne as the news emerged of the police shooting of Dezi Freeman. She said:
It is a developing situation and of course understand Victoria police has put out a statement a few moments ago. I think the main thing is our thoughts, our concerns and our support are with the Porepunkah community and the families of the two police officers who were killed in that tragic incident nearly six months ago.
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Reopening strait of Hormuz will ‘bring down price of fuel at the bowser’, Taylor says
Angus Taylor says he wants the strait of Hormuz opened up, when pressed on whether he supports Donald Trump’s war on Iran.
Taylor is asked twice whether he supports the war in Iran and whether he “100% supports” the tactics of Trump.
Both times the opposition leader skirts around the question and says the idea of bringing down fuel prices by reopening the waterway isn’t unpopular.
We absolutely want to see the strait of Hormuz opened up. We want to see that happen straight away. Because that will bring down the price of fuel at the bowser. So we want America to succeed in those endeavours. We want it to happen as quickly as possible.
I don’t think the idea of bringing down fuel prices by opening up the strait of Hormuz is unpopular at all.
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‘Let’s not tax it more’: Taylor rejects Hastie's suggestion of gas export tax
Appearing to stand in direct contrast to his colleague Andrew Hastie, Angus Taylor says shuts down the idea of implementing a gas export tax.
This perhaps creates a bit of tension between the two, after Hastie said he was open to a 25% export windfall tax last week.
Even Anne Ruston this morning – despite not directly endorsing a gas tax – said there should be a more open and transparent conversation around tax in the Liberal party.
Taylor shut that conversation down.
I don’t think anything has changed about whether we need more houses, whether we need more gas, or whether we need more oil, we need all of those things, and you don’t get more of those things by raising taxes, so it’s pretty straightforward for me.
If we want more of something, let’s not tax it more. And we do want more gas, we want more crude oil.
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Four tests for national cabinet, says Angus Taylor
Heading back to Canberra, the opposition leader, Angus Taylor is speaking to reporters and says there are four clear tests for the government out of national cabinet today.
Taylor says the fuel needs to be transported to where it’s needed, the fuel excise should be cut in half, there should be transparency in the fuel supply chain and the national cabinet needs to tell Australians “what comes next”.
The message is similar to what the opposition was pushing last week, pressuring the government during question time to explain why fuel wasn’t getting to areas – particularly regional areas – facing shortages.
Taylor says:
We have heard and seen last week a whole series of plans being bandied around, around rationing, around limits to the amount that families can take at the Bowser, look, we just need transparency.
This government keeps telling us there’s more than enough stocks. They’ve told us that time and time again, the stock levels are up at a higher level than they were before the crisis. And so what we need is the stocks move to the companies.
Police association says Dezi Freeman shot dead by police
Wayne Gatt, secretary of the Police Association Victoria, has just issued a statement saying the man fatally shot was Dezi Freeman.
He said:
Our members said they would find him. They did.
Closure isn’t the right word. This represents a step forward for our members, for the families of our fallen members and for the community. It doesn’t lessen the trauma, give back the futures that were callously stolen or lessen the collective fear and grief that this tragic event has instilled in police and the wider public.
Gatt said police officers “won’t reflect on the loss of a coward”. Instead, he said they will spend the day remembering “the courage and bravery of our fallen members and every officer that has doggedly pursued this outcome for the community”.
Gatt’s statement went on:
They have worked tirelessly. During the emergency, in the operation that followed and the months thereafter, members across the state have devoted themselves to this singular pursuit. Days like today offer a sobering reminder that policing happens while you sleep, when the media spotlight on an investigation dims and when everything seems lost and forgotten. RIP Vadim and Neal. Today, we remember you.
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Freeman is accused of shooting dead two officers, Det Sen Const Neal Thompson and Sen Const Vadim de Waart-Hottart, and injuring a third in the town of Porepunkah on 26 August.
Freeman was home with his family when police attended the property to serve a warrant in relation to alleged historical sexual offending.
He fled the scene immediately after the shooting in the direction of Mount Buffalo national park.
Less than two hours later, police said a single gunshot was heard coming from the bushland – a report that was later corroborated by investigators.
In February, police conducted another extensive search of the park and told reporters they were exploring three scenarios in relation to Freeman: he died near Mount Buffalo by self-harm or misadventure; he escaped the area and was being harboured; or that he has escaped the area and has survived without help.
Here’s what we reported at the time:
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Victoria police fatally shoot man in search for Dezi Freeman
In some breaking news, police have fatally shot a man in their search for Dezi Freeman, the man accused of killing two officers in Porepunkah last year.
In a statement this morning, police said the fatal shooting occurred at a property in north-east Victoria shortly after 8.30am.
No police officers were injured during the incident.
They said the state coroner will attend the scene and the investigation will be overseen by professional standards command, which is standard process for a police shooting.
A press conference will be held at 11am.
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‘Damning indictment’: crossbench and Coalition unite to push Labor on home care support
As we brought you a little earlier, members of the crossbench, Greens and the Coalition have come together to push the government to reform its aged care home care program.
David Pocock said he’d heard stories of older Australians being charged $200 for a shower, and many were going without basic care.
The Coalition’s shadow health and aged care minister, Anne Ruston says “it speaks volumes” that parliamentarians across the political spectrum have come together on the issue.
This is a damning indictment of the government’s failed Support at Home rollout and the real harm it is causing vulnerable older Australians.
It is unacceptable that Labor is allowing a flawed algorithm to determine what care an older Australian can receive … The Government is relying on an automated system that clearly doesn’t work, while ignoring the expertise of doctors and nurses.
The same pollies banded together last year to force the government to bring extra home care places online, as wait lists sky rocketed.
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NSW treasurer calls for national framework with ‘triggers’
The New South Wales treasurer, Daniel Mookhey, says he wants to see a national framework put in place with planned interventions and triggers for those interventions.
Ahead of the national cabinet meeting today, Mookhey spoke with ABC RN Breakfast, and said while everyone has been talking about all the states and commonwealth working together that needs to be translated “from a principle into practice”, with the development of a framework.
Those interventions should be staged, they should be escalating, and they should be commensurate to the challenges that we’re facing in the market. I think that’s pretty common sense. People would expect us to have pretty clear, or at least as clear as we can, triggers for actions.
People would expect us to have pretty clear, or at least as clear as we can, triggers for actions. And then people are entitled to know what exactly, the actions are.
A couple of states including Victoria and Tasmania have pledge free public transport to combat the rising fuel cost for consumers.
Mookhey says that’s a decision for individual states, and doesn’t have to be a nationally coordinated approach.
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Trade minister to speak at National Press Club after signing of EU free trade deal
Don Farrell, the trade and tourism minister, will speak to journalists at the National Press Club in Canberra today, talking up the government’s new free trade agreement with the European Union.
Anthony Albanese and the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, signed the deal in Canberra last week, marking the culmination of more than eight years of negotiations.
Farrell is expected to reveal how deal was finally secured and how the government is navigating the shifting nature of global trade.
The free trade agreement will see nearly 98% of Australia’s goods enter the EU duty-free. Producers will gain increased access to about 450 million consumers.
A carve-out on geographic indicator rules will allow Australian wine and cheese makers to continue to use European product names, such as prosecco and feta.
Farmers will get preferential access for beef and lamb, with tariffs eliminated on dairy, horticulture and manufactured goods.
European champagne, wine, spirits, biscuits, pasta and chocolates are expected to be less expensive in Australia, as well as auto parts, machinery and equipment.
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Ruston welcomes ‘open’ conversations on tax after Hastie considers gas export levy
Andrew Hastie has opened up a can of worms for Angus Taylor and the Liberal party after saying he was open to a new 25% tax on soaring gas profits as part of a Scandinavian-style sovereign wealth fund.
After speaking to Guardian Australia last week, he doubled down on Sunday on Insiders, saying: “One of the things we’ve got going for us is our abundance of gas – is introducing a new tax right at this time, going to help our situation? Before 28 February this conversation looked very different. We’re in a different period now.”
Anne Ruston is also open for business, and while not directly endorsing Hastie’s position, told RN Breakfast she supports the Liberal party “having a conversation about anything that is going to improve the lot of Australians”.
We haven’t had an honest conversation in this country about issues around taxation for a very long time, because the conversation always gets shut down. So I absolutely support us having honest conversations as Australians about what we should be doing into the future that’s in the best interest of our nation.
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‘Everything should be on the table’ at national cabinet, Ruston says
Put everything on the table at national cabinet today, says shadow health and aged care minister, Anne Ruston.
Speaking to ABC RN Breakfast this morning, Ruston says the government hasn’t provided enough confidence to the public, or come up with a concrete plan.
I think the thing that I would be most critical of the government to date has been that they really haven’t been upfront with Australians about what’s going on and they haven’t provided Australians with the certainty that they have a plan going into the future. So I think everything should be on the table.
Ruston says she’s particularly concerned about the impact the fuel crisis is having on older people.
She says organisations like Meals on Wheels are really struggling to serve regional and rural communities “because of the impact not just of the cost of fuel, but in some instances, their ability for their people to be able to get access to fuel”.
We’re very, very worried that older Australians may well be going without the services they need.
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Older people ‘being charged $200 to shower’ under current aged care settings, Pocock claims
David Pocock, the Coalition, Greens and crossbench will push the government today for urgent reforms to the aged care home support program, which the group says is leaving older Australians worse off.
Two-thirds of the Senate signed a letter to Labor to for reforms, including restoring human oversight to aged care assessments, and recategorising showering, dressing and continence as clinical care to stop older Australians paying “excessive costs for basic hygiene”.
Speaking to Sky News, Pocock says that since the government implemented a “no worse off” principle when passing aged care reforms in 2024, older Australians are being price gouged and some are going without essential supports.
I’m hearing stories of people being charged $200 to have a shower, and so older Australians simply aren’t showering, or they’re not getting the help that they need. They were promised that they would be no worse off. That clearly isn’t the case.
We need far more transparency around pricing to try and avoid some of the price gouging that we’re hearing about. A pack of smoothies that you can buy online for $20, older Australians are being charged $120 for. We cannot go down the path of some of the things that we’re seeing in the NDIS. The government needs to get on to this now.
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Economy to take a ‘sizeable hit’ but recession not expected, Chalmers says
Staying on his interview with Sky, Jim Chalmers says that the expectation is the economy will avoid a recession.
But the economic picture is looking grim, to say the least, with inflation expected to grow.
Just a fortnight ago the government forecast that inflation could hit 5%, but the treasurer says even those estimates are now looking “conservative”.
That’s our expectation that the economy will continue to grow, but it will take quite a sizeable hit from what’s happening in the Middle East.
It depends how long this war drags out for and then how long it takes to get the show back on the road and the global economy after that … we released some modelling which said that instead of inflation peaking in the high threes, it might be more like the high fours or the low fives. That does look conservative now.
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Chalmers softens language on fuel excise cut
The government has very slightly softened its language around a fuel excise cut, as the Coalition and independents all push for more relief at the bowser. The Coalition called for the excise to be cut in half (to 26 cents a litre) last week.
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, is continuing his traverse through the press gallery, speaking to Sky News, where he’s asked about whether the government is open to the change.
Chalmers says the government is focused on supply, getting fuel to the regions and cost of living relief.
We have a range of contingencies and fall backs that we keep under more or less constant review. And as you know, Pete, our government is always looking for ways, responsible ways to help people with the cost of living, to try and alleviate some of this pressure, which is coming at people in the most recent iteration from a war in the Middle East.
While he didn’t say the government was considering the change, he didn’t flat out reject the suggestion.
It’s a little different to his words justlast week, where he said this on 25 March when asked whether the government would cut the fuel excise:
I think as I said as recently as yesterday, that change is not something that we have been considering.
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Fuel rationing not inevitable, says Bowen
Bowen says the government has learned lessons from the Covid pandemic, and won’t be doing 9am press conferences every day “saying what you can and can’t do tomorrow”.
On today’s national cabinet meeting, he says it’s all about coordination, as opposed to the pandemic where he said governments were all “scrambling”.
Melissa Clarke asks Bowen if fuel rationing is “inevitable”, but he says:
No, I don’t think so, Mel – but of course, governments are meeting, including today, on prudent planning.
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How will the government’s legislation to underwrite fuel shipments work?
The energy and climate change minister, Chris Bowen, says the government’s legislation will help fuel importing firms “hedge their risk” to continue importing the product into Australia.
Speaking with the ABC’s AM program this morning, Bowen says importers have told him that as the market gets increasingly expensive and more volatile, it’s riskier and more difficult to buy cargo.
Host Melissa Clark asks whether the issue is more that importers can’t borrow enough to make the purchase, and are worried they might not be able to sell it for enough to make up for the cost.
Bowen says it’s a bit of both:
The market’s getting a lot more expensive and a lot more volatile and a lot riskier. And for them, it’s very difficult to buy cargoes, which are maybe $25m or more, more expensive than they were a few weeks ago in such a volatile environment with the price of oil moving around.
Smaller players, independent distributors who do import, they obviously don’t have the same cashflow and balance strength that some of the really big players have. So they just find it impossible in this market to, with confidence, buy very expensive tankers … then you’ve got larger players who say they’re doing it at the moment, but there’ll come a point if the price keeps going up or it gets more volatile where they simply won’t be able to do it.
Bowen says it’s a step “ahead of the curve”, that hasn’t been required yet but says it will be “vital” to have.
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Government ‘trying to avoid’ Covid-style mandates, Chalmers says
Working from home “makes a lot of sense” right now, the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, says, but he says the government won’t be enforcing Covid-style mandates on households.
Ahead of the national cabinet meeting today, Chalmers tells ABC News Breakfast the states and territories and commonwealth will need to work together to avoid “harsher” measures as the crisis deepens.
He says that Australians shouldn’t cancel their Easter weekend road trips but should use fuel responsibly.
The best way to get through this is to get through it together, to work through these issues, in a coordinated and ideally consistent way around the country. And the best way to avoid the kind of harsher Covid style measures is to do that work. And the better we do at the front end of this challenge that we have in our economy, the more likely we are to avoid some of those kind of harsher measures and restrictions down the track.
We’re trying to avoid those kind of a heavier-handed Covid [style] interventions. But work from home in a number of instances makes a lot of sense. The prime minister has indicated more of a willingness to go down the voluntary path than the compulsory path.
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Good morning
Good morning, Krishani Dhanji with you here for the final sitting week of the month, and the final sitting week before the budget.
The prime minister will convene the national cabinet again today, the second since the US and Israeli strikes on Iran. And this morning the government will introduce legislation to underwrite fuel supplies into Australia.
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has been chosen for the hot seat today – he will be up and about doing the media rounds.
Meanwhile Anthony Albanese faces pressure not only in parliament but from the public, with two polls released this morning showing the prime minister’s faced a minor hit to his popularity, while One Nation’s primary vote is once again beating the Coalition.
I’ve got my coffee, I hope you’ve got yours – let’s get into it!
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