And with that, we are going to put the blog to bed. Before we go, let’s recap the big headlines:
The Australian Medical Association said it is concerned about harm suffered by Australians from gambling and is urging the federal government to immediately respond to the report from late Labor MP Peta Murphy, calling for a wagering ad ban.
Labor backbencher Ed Husic called for national laws to manage the risks of artificial intelligence, after thousands of tech workers lost their jobs to the technology. The move placed him at odds with the Albanese government’s approach, which recently scrapped plans for stand-alone AI laws.
The government announced it will fine tech companies up to $49.5m if their AI chatbots are not age-appropriate, following concerns from the eSafety commissioner that AI bots and companions are manipulating and exploiting young users.
The government announced measures this morning to protect truck drivers from fuel price spikes by removing the six-month wait time for contract chain orders.
Anthony Albanese and European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, announced negotiations had concluded on the free trade agreement between Australia and the EU. In a statement, the pair said the agreement will “strengthen bilateral trade and investment, support economic growth, and reinforce the shared commitment of Australia and the European Union to open and rules-based trade”.
Thousands of public school teachers, support staff and principals have descended upon Victorian Trades Hall as they strike for better pay. The union says there are 15,000 people at the rally.
Thank you for spending part of your day with us. We will be back tomorrow to do it all again.
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AI technology to monitor crocodile-infested waters in Queensland
An AI detection system is hoped to make a splash by dramatically improving safety at swimming spots and boat ramps across Australia’s crocodile-infested northern waterways.
But its creators warn it can only identify crocodiles above the waterline and not those that could be lurking beneath.
The smart camera system continuously monitors the surface of a waterway and when a crocodile is detected by the AI technology, automatically alerting authorities to take action.
The technology could act as a crucial early warning system, James Cook University senior lecturer and project lead, Tao Huang, told AAP on Tuesday.
“Crocodiles are a part of the environment in far north Queensland but many residents and visitors may not be aware of the risks,” he said.
- Australian Associated Press
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Telstra announces price increases in ‘slap in the face’ for mobile customers
Telstra have announced price increases across a variety of mobile services, including its Belong brand, today.
CEO of Australian Communications Consumer Action Network, Carol Bennett, said:
Today’s announcement is a slap in the face for millions of customers, with prices on a Telstra Basic plan, as best we can tell, now up nearly 14% over the last year.
Only weeks ago Telstra announced record profits and increased returns to shareholders. Regular customers are now left paying higher prices for services which they increasingly say no longer represents value for money. Before this announcement – 28% of people reported they were unhappy with the cost of their mobile plan.
As cost of living bites, Telstra mobile customers should not be asked to shoulder price increases that outpace both inflation and community expectations.
We encourage consumers to shop around and look for cost-effective mobile phone plans that don’t come with a premium price tag.
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Australian share market bounce fizzles out
The Australian sharemarket enjoyed a brief bounce this morning but then fizzled out in the afternoon after Iran dismissed Donald Trump’s claims of talks to end his war.
The benchmark S&P/ASX200 picked up $30bn in value then lost it all again. From yesterday’s 8,365 point close, it surpassed 8,500 points then eased back to 8,379. It’s down nearly 9% from its 9,200 close at the war’s start.
Trump overnight said the US and Iran were having “very strong talks”, stepping back from his threat to destroy Iran’s energy infrastructure. But Iran said the talks were “fake news”.
Oil prices fell and the US Nasdaq rebounded. Japan’s Nikkei and the ASX followed at first, but pared their gains as missile strikes continued on Tuesday.
Commonwealth Bank, Westpac and NAB slipped, while ANZ and Macquarie picked up, as did the major miners. Qantas’ share price rose 2.3% but the airline is still worth $2bn less than it was before the war broke out.
Coal and gas companies, meanwhile, have slipped as expectations of surging energy prices ease, while financial and tech stocks struggled as the prospects for economic growth and investment grow bleaker the longer war stretches on.
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Victorian energy minister calls for ‘national approach’ to managing fuel supply
The Victorian energy minister, Lily D’Ambrosio, held a press conference this afternoon to provide an update on fuel availability. She said that as of midday, about 83 petrol stations in Victoria were without petrol, while 97 were without diesel.
D’Ambrosio continued:
We need to understand that these numbers can jump around because these outages are very localised outages, but they are also temporary, short term. We see that even during the course of the day, refuelling can occur, so that those stations that were reported as being without liquid fuel in the morning can very well be back in operation, and new ones could actually come in and be out of fuel. So that’s the nature of this cycle … and the circumstances that we’re in.
She said demand in some parts of the state had increased “anywhere between 300% and 400%”:
There’s plenty of fuel coming into the country. What has happened is that there has been this massive spike in demand in some parts of the state, and indeed across the country, as people worry about fuel supplies over the coming weeks. And that’s also led to a massive increase in the price of those liquid fuels.
D’Ambrosio wouldn’t say whether the government would heed the state opposition leader’s call to urge the federal government to cut the fuel excise, but said there needed to be a “national conversation” on managing supply:
All of the views that I’ve heard from all of the states have been very much that we do need a national approach to this.
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Gambling ad reform delay ‘a shocking indictment’ on PM, shadow communications minister says
The new shadow communications minister, Sarah Henderson, has taken a swipe at the government for not moving faster on gambling ads.
Today marks 1,000 days since late Labor MP Peta Murphy’s report calling for online gambling ads to be banned entirely. While the government remains in consultation on further gambling restrictions – with sporting groups, wagering companies, media, harm reduction advocates and more – there still has been no formal government response to the report.
“The Albanese government’s refusal to take any action on gambling advertising reform is untenable. Australian families’ lives are being torn apart by gambling addiction,” Henderson said.
She noted that the Coalition, under Peter Dutton in the previous parliament, had a push to ban gambling ads one hour before and after sporting broadcasts, which the government didn’t support.
Henderson claimed the delay was “a shocking indictment” on prime minister Anthony Albanese and the communications minister, Anika Wells.
Updated
The Victorian opposition leader, Jess Wilson, has written to the premier, Jacinta Allan, urging her to ask the federal government to temporarily cut the fuel excise.
Speaking at a press conference in Malvern earlier today, Wilson said some Victorians were being forced to choose between buying groceries or filling their tanks with petrol.
She said:
We have a premier who is failing to take the action Victorians deserve. I say to the premier, like I did when I wrote to her this morning, pick up the phone to the prime minister and ask the prime minister to provide that immediate cost of living relief by putting a temporary pause on the excise on every litre of petrol in Australia.
Wilson said 50 petrol stations in Victoria lacked adequate diesel supplies on Monday.
That is affecting, in particular, our regional communities and our farmers, so I say to the premier, you need to take leadership. You need to take action. You are a Labor premier. You need to pick up the phone to a Labor prime minister and do all that you can to secure supplies for Victorians.
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Australia Post hikes delivery companies’ fuel surcharge to 12%
Australia Post has hiked its fuel surcharge early, to nearly triple its previous rate, adding to costs for big delivery companies.
The national postal service sets its fuel surcharges for a given month six weeks in advance. Two weeks before the US went to war with Iran, it set the fuel surcharge for April at 4.8%, the lowest level since May 2022.
Australia Post has now set a 12% surcharge for May, which will unusually kick in a week early, on 23 April. The surcharge hit a similar level amid the oil and petrol price spike of 2022. The StarTrack express and premium charges will rise from 15.5% to 22.7%.
A spokesperson said the increase would “help recover the recent significant rise in fuel costs”, adding:
We carefully consider any pricing changes and the impact on our customers, however, like for many other Australian businesses, this is a necessary change to help manage cost in a challenging environment.
The domestic parcel charge affects Australia Post’s 30,000 contract customers, typically bigger businesses and delivery companies, which could now pass on the higher costs to online shoppers and businesses.
The surcharge will not directly affect parcel costs for households or MyPost Business customers (of which there are about 250,000), the spokesperson said.
Updated
That’s all from me today, thanks so much for following along on the blog.
I’ll leave you with the brilliant Cait Kelly and see you here bright and early again tomorrow.
Pocock claims PM holding back government response to gambling ad review
Over in Senate question time David Pocock says that the department of prime minister and cabinet has a response ready to go to Peta Murphy’s gambling review but that “it’s being held back” by Anthony Albanese – why? He asks.
Penny Wong accuses Pocock of being “unnecessarily personal” for saying that Murphy “did something rare in this place – she brought together members of that committee to make a unanimous recommendation.”
Like every other minister, Wong lists a bunch of things the government has done, and like every frustrated crossbencher, Pocock counters and says those actions were not actually in response to the Murphy report, and were based on work undertaken by the previous Coalition government.
Wong says:
I don’t know that your assertions are correct, to suggest that the government has not done anything. I don’t think that is correct at all.
It gets a bit messy as Pocock and members of the Coalition (who are also criticising the government for not doing anything on gambling ads) try to interject.
Updated
Tl;dr here’s what happened in question time
The Coalition started on the free trade agreement (which it’s not a fan of) before quickly pivoting to fuel shortages.
Chris Bowen announced that diesel standards will be dropped to allow more of the fuel to be imported into the country.
Bowen gave a state by state breakdown of service stations that are closed or have run out of fuel across the country.
Independent MPs Rebekha Sharkie and Dai Le called on the government to cut the fuel excise – but Jim Chalmers said it wasn’t on the government’s agenda.
Kate Chaney asked the government when it will finally respond to Peta Murphy’s gambling report (today marks 1,000 days since it was handed down)
Liberal frontbencher Tony Pasin got kicked out of the chamber under 94a for three whole hours.
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AFP promises to ‘act quicker’ to disrupt and frustrate criminals
Krissy Barrett warns Australia’s security environment will remain “volatile and unpredictable for some time”, but assures the public that her agency and Asio are “up to this challenge”.
She also says that though arrest and charging have traditionally been one of the AFP’s most powerful levers, the modern security environment means its approach to tackling crime will look different.
In our complex and complicated operating environment, one of the fastest, safest and most efficient ways to protect Australia against some crimes will be to disrupt and frustrate criminals.
That means acting quicker even if it means we can’t arrest, intervening on lower-level crimes before they become more serious and using civil action such as our legislation to target unlawful, criminal profits.
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State actors ‘capitalising’ on organised crime actors, says AFP commissioner
The Australian federal police commissioner, Krissy Barrett, says we are seeing a “collision and collusion” between state actors and organised crime gangs, who are now at times working together.
Speaking to the Australian National University’s “Securing our future” summit, Barrett says law enforcement agencies around the world are uncovering examples where “state actors have turned traditional organised crime networks to grey zone offending.
Like many other industries, Barrett says the criminal business model has been “disrupted by the gig economy” which she says has created criminal amoebas that change shape, split and merge with other criminal networks.
Increasingly in Europe and Five Eyes countries including Australia, persons of interest in organised crime matters are being linked to state actors or their proxies.
In effect, state actors are increasingly capitalising on existing criminal underworld connections, especially with those who share ethnicity or ideology, to carry out offences such as foreign interference, sabotage or terrorism.
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Bowen makes a correction to the chamber
Following question time, Chris Bowen makes a quick correction to the chamber, off Melissa McIntosh’s earlier question.
He says that like federal parliament, NSW parliament has Hansard (which transcribes everything that happens in the chamber).
According to Bowen, the Hansard says Minns actually said: “IF demand measures are required that might be rationing, that might be work from home.”
He accuses the opposition again of “seeking political point-scoring”.
Updated
With a final dixer to Anne Aly, the PM calls time on question time for another day!
Dai Le asks if Labor will halve the fuel excise
Will the government halve the fuel excise, asks the independent MP Dai Le, and says the government failed to listen to her previous calls to take the cost-of-living action.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers refers Le to his previous answer – when Rebekha Sharkie asked if the excise would be paused for 60 days.
The earlier answer was that it wasn’t being considered by the government.
Chalmers says there are other cost-of-living measures like tax cuts that come into effect in July that the government is focused on.
Updated
‘You are not serious people’, says Bowen
Liberal frontbencher Melissa McIntosh is up next and says that the NSW premier, Chris Minns, has said “demand management procedures are required. That might be rationing, it should be a nationally consistent approach.” She asks whether Chris Bowen agrees that there should be a nationally consistent approach.
Bowen says the ministers – at their Friday meeting – agreed “to work together on coordination measures over coming weeks and months”.
Bowen accuses the opposition of “fear mongering and disinformation”.
The opposition makes a point of order, and Milton Dick tells Bowen to stop talking about the opposition.
Bowen continues:
This government will continue to work constructively with state governments … because that is what sensible adult governments do. That is what serious people do. Non-serious people play politics amid international crisis.
“You are not serious people,” Bowen shouts as he sits down (Dick gives him a warning).
Updated
Kate Chaney asks when Labor will actually respond to the Murphy report
Why won’t you respond to Peta Murphy’s report, asks Kate Chaney, saying the government has not addressed any of the recommendations after the report was handed down 1,000 days ago.
Chaney says:
You claim to done more than any other government but none of your actions were in response to the inquiry’s recommendations and Australians still lose more through gambling than any other country.
Anthony Albanese defends the government’s response and lists some of the measures that the government has undertaken (again, none of these are based on the recommendations of the late Labor MP’s report).
Albanese says:
We certainly recognise this is a real issue but it is extraordinary [to] argue that the measures the government put in place have not been in response to the Murphy report. That is just not true. That is factually wrong.
He fails to provide an answer on when the government will actually respond to the report and its recommendations.
He says he and his ministers will “continue to engage across the community” on the issue.
Updated
The LNP MP Leon Rebello tries again to ask Chris Bowen to reveal if any states and territories have asked the federal government to prepare a fuel rationing plan.
Bowen gives another short answer, telling Rebello to “refer to my previous answer”.
Updated
Bowen asked about minimum stockholding obligations for bunker fuel, crucial for the shipping industry
The independent MP Andrew Wilkie asks the government if it will introduce a minimum stockholding obligation for bunker fuel, a specialised marine fuel oil used by the shipping industry, critical for trade, and particularly for Tasmania.
Chris Bowen says the government is engaging with the maritime sector, and that part of the release of the minimum stock obligation did include the release of some bunker fuel.
Although the member is right, bunker fuel is not in the minimum stock obligation, nevertheless we were able to make a condition of the release of some of the minimum stock obligation prioritising maritime oil supply for cargo and passenger vessels to Tasmania, ports, fisheries and forestry.
Bowen says that the Liquid Fuel Emergency Act has a very high bar to be invoked, and has not been invoked over the last 40 years.
The test for invoking that act is very high, quite rightly it has never been invoked in the last 40 years – not through the two Gulf crises, not through Covid, not at any other time. Of course, it is there to be invoked if necessary but I am not envisaging at this point requiring that and indeed the measures I refer to show what can be done without invoking that.
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Bowen says fuel security communique with states is ‘not a secret document’
Liberal MP Tom Venning asks Chris Bowen if any state or territory ministers have asked the federal government to prepare a fuel rationing plan.
Bowen says that the energy ministers met on Friday and issued a communique, which “is not a secret document”.
He says the ministers agreed to maintain fuel security “by anticipating risks and enabling timely, coordinated responses”.
There’s some back and forth between Dan Tehan, who tries to make a point of order against Bowen’s answer, and Milton Dick who’s not biting.
Bowen continues, and says that when Labor was in opposition during the Covid pandemic, Labor was constructive.
Commonwealth and states are working together on the framework of the national liquid fuel emergency response plan, a document that has existed under governments of all persuasions the last 20 years, just as in Covid where the Morrison government worked with states, the Albanese government is working with states on contingency planning on all measures.
The opposition sees an international crisis as a political point-scoring opportunity, not an opportunity to be an adult in the room, and I suspect the Australian people will have views about that performance.
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‘Plenty of sledging but no solutions’: Bowen takes aim at opposition
Nationals MP Michael McCormack gets the next question and asks Chris Bowen what his plan is to get fuel to the more than 400 service station that have no fuel.
Bowen says he’s released 20% of Australia’s minimum stock obligation and announced a temporary relaxation on the rules of sulphur for petrol “which will see an extra 100m litres of fuel be supplied to the system each month”.
The opposition tries to make a point of order but again gets shut down by the speaker.
Bowen then uses the opportunity to try to land some blows against the opposition
There has been plenty of sledging but no solutions. Plenty of insults but no ideas.
The leadership of the Liberal party has showed partisanship not patriotism, and they should hang their heads in shame.
Updated
Bowen lists service stations across the country without fuel
Liberal MP Rick Wilson is up next and asks Chris Bowen for an update on how many petrol stations are closed and how many bowsers are empty.
Bowen gives us a state-by-state breakdown, with 600 service stations without at least one grade of fuel.
In New South Wales, out of 2,417 service stations:
164 without diesel
289 without at least one type of fuel
In Queensland, out of 1,800 service stations:
55 with no diesel
35 with no regular unleaded
In Victoria, out of 1,627 service stations:
162 service stations with one or more fuel types unavailable
In South Australia, out of 700 service stations:
46 service stations without one or more grades of fuel
In Western Australia, out of 771 service stations:
Six service stations without stock
In Tasmania, out of 257 stations:
One with no diesel
Six with no unleaded
The Northern Territory and the ACT have no outages.
Updated
Tony Pasin kicked out of the chamber for three hours
Milton Dick is not having it today with MPs making lots of noise in the chamber, and has made an example of Tony Pasin, who becomes the second Coalition MP to be kicked out today.
Pasin gets yeeted out for three hours – a result of new rules the government put in place at the beginning of the year.
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Government not considering pausing fuel excise
Over to the crossbench, independent MP Rebekha Sharkie asks the treasurer whether the government will suspend the fuel excise for 60 days.
Currently, the fuel excise adds just over 52 cents per litre to the price of petrol – it doesn’t increase or decrease when the price changes.
Jim Chalmers says a pause is not something the government is considering.
When it comes to the excise, when it comes to the proposal the member for Mayo has, it is not something we have been considering.
We have been working very hard to provide cost-of-living relief in the most responsible way we can, and tax cuts which are coming, in rounds two and three, are an important part of that.
Updated
Government to increase penalties to crack down on fuel companies exploiting shortages
The manager of opposition business, Dan Tehan, is up next and asks Chris Bowen when the government will introduce legislation that will allow the consumer watchdog – the ACCC – to increase penalties to stop fuel price gouging.
Bowen says: “Tomorrow.”
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Labor lowers diesel standards amid growing fuel crisis
The energy minister, Chris Bowen, has told parliament the federal government is adjusting diesel standards, its latest move to deal with the growing fuel crisis.
This six-month adjustment will lower the technical threshold for the fuel, known as the flashpoint for diesel, increasing diesel supply options from refiners and international sources.
The flashpoint will be lowered from 61.5 degrees Celsius to 60.5 degrees Celsius.
The move is expected to help suppliers bring more fuel into the domestic market for farmers, truckers and regional communities.
It will give companies more flexibility and more options to adjust supply chains to manage disruption from the Middle East. It is not expected to affect engines or emissions.
Labor is throwing everything at trying to plug gaps in the fuel market, in part being driven by the closure of the strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway being targeted by Iran.
The strait usually carries about 20% of all global supplies.
Updated
Question time begins
The deputy nationals leader, Darren Chester, is first up today for a slight change in pace, and asks the government about the free trade agreement, which he says the National Farmers’ Federation is very disappointed by.
He asks, “do you really believe this is a good deal for Australian farmers?”
The agriculture minister, Julie Collins, says Labor are “strong advocates” farmers and producers. She doesn’t get a sentence in before the speaker, Milton Dick, tells the opposition to pipe down.
The Albanese Labor government has worked day and night to rebuild our relations we inherited from those opposite when they left office, leaving us with trade impediments, and the Australia-EU free trade agreement further supports the diversification of agricultural products and exports.
The opposition tries to make a point of order because Collins isn’t providing a yes or no answer but Dick shuts them down.
He then throws out former Nationals leader, David Littleproud, for making too much noise.
Collins says other agriculture bodies have said the deal will benefit exporters of onions and other vegetable crops.
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Calls for government to suspend mutual obligations
Welfare advocates are calling on the government to suspend mutual obligations, including meeting with job providers, due to the soaring price of fuel.
In a statement, the Antipoverty Centre said “making people in poverty spend even more of the little money they have on fuel or taxis” to attend appointments with job providers was “unacceptable”.
Spokesperson Jay Coonan said:
Privatised welfare compliance should not have the power or discretion to force people to travel. Minister [Amanda] Rishworth must step in and stop all penalties to ensure the abuse is not compounded by fuel costs that are increasingly unbearable for people in poverty.
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Shadow treasurer Wilson blames Chalmers for low consumer confidence
The shadow treasurer, Tim Wilson, says rock-bottom consumer confidence is due to fears of Jim Chalmers’ “active inflation agenda”.
The ANZ-Roy Morgan weekly consumer confidence survey revealed the lowest reading in a series stretching back to the early 70s, even lower than during the national Covid lockdown in 2020.
Wilson says the “last thing” households need is for the treasurer to use “international events as a smokescreen for his own inflationary decisions”.
On what he thinks the government should do instead, Wilson says the government should get spending under control and restore “respect for taxpayers”.
Australians are living in fear of Jim Chalmers’ active inflation agenda as consumer confidence crashes to an all time low while expectations of inflation will spike to a record 6.9%.
These conditions have been driven by the treasurer pouring debt petrol on the inflation fire through excessive spending.
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Australia signs up to €170bn European research and innovation program as part of free trade pact
Universities have applauded the federal government for moving to fast-track its association with the world’s largest research and innovation program as part of a historic free trade pact with the EU.
On Tuesday, the prime minister and European Commission president announced Australia would join Horizon Europe from 2027, providing access to the €170bn funding pool for an association fee, which is typically around €20m over five years.
The Group of Eight and Universities Australia have lobbied successive governments for more than a decade to join the program.
UA’s chief executive officer, Luke Sheehy, said it was a “big moment” for Australia’s universities, researchers and industries.
In a more uncertain and competitive global environment, strong international partnerships are more important than ever to protect Australia’s interests and keep us at the forefront of discovery. We’ve been clear: if Australia wants to lift productivity and stay competitive, we need a seat at the table.
The vice-chancellor of the University of Sydney, Prof Mark Scott, said his institution as part of the Go8 would contribute towards the program’s association fee:
The decision to join Horizon Europe will reap benefits for Australians, and the world, for decades to come.
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Matt Canavan calls EU FTA ‘worst trade deal ever’
The Nationals leader, Matt Canavan, says he’s been speaking to farmers today, and has called the free trade agreement with the EU the “worst trade deal ever”.
He says the deal has led to no “meaningful increase” of market access for farmers, who he says were pushing for more Australian product to be exported to the EU.
Speaking to reporters in Parliament House, he is deeply critical of the government, and says the government has conceded too much.
They [Labor] made a promise to Australian farmers that they would only sign a good deal, not any deal. Well today the government has broken that promise with [Australian] farmers because clearly they have signed “any deal”.
He says the Coalition has always “held out” and refused subpar deals when negotiating on previous agreements.
This government has thrown out that history today by just signing any deal and on that measure, in our history, this deal must go down as the worst trade deal ever.
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TGA dismisses concerns of drug shortages in Australia due to fuel crisis
Australia’s drugs regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), says there are no concerns about drug shortages in the midst of the war in the Middle East and the fuel crisis.
There have been concerns that because of disruptions to critical trade routes, and because many medical products use petroleum derivatives, pharmaceutical products and supplies could be affected.
A department of health spokesperson said the Australian government introduced measures in 2023 to safeguard against impacts of global medicine shortages by strengthening buffer stock.
Minimum stockholding requirements legally mandate that suppliers of PBS medicines maintain up to six months’ supply of certain drugs. Suppliers are also required to alert the government if they cannot meet those stock obligations.
The TGA is monitoring medicine supply in light of the war to identify any supply issues as early as possible, the spokesperson said.
Liz de Somer, the CEO of Medicines Australia, said: “At this stage, we are not aware of any imminent concerns regarding medicine shortages in Australia arising from the Middle East conflict.” She said patients do not need to stockpile medicines.
“Companies have contingency plans in place and have already made adjustments where needed, including rerouting shipments, shifting from sea freight to air freight, and identifying alternative logistics pathways to ensure medicines continue to reach Australia,” she said.
She added that PBS medicines are patient cost protected. The price patients pay is determined by the government co-payment and does not fluctuate based on changes to supply chain or manufacturing costs.
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Minns calls for ‘nationally consistent approach’ for potential fuel rationing as shortages grow
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, has called for a “nationally consistent approach” to potential fuel rationing or work from orders, as fuel shortages grow in the state.
Speaking during question time a short while ago, Minns said there were currently 51 fuel stations NSW without any fuel, while 164 did not have any diesel, a significant increase on yesterday’s numbers, when the premier said 105 stations were without diesel.
Today, Minns said while the federal government’s release of reserves and relaxation of sulphur standards meant there was more fuel in the market now than in January, there were ongoing in regional areas. He said NSW government has been corresponding with major fuel companies to establish why independent stations were unable to find fuel at the spot market price, “and we expect answers from it”.
The NSW government has, as does every state and the commonwealth, extraordinary powers to intervene in the marketplace, if we believe that there’s some kind of market failure or there is evidence of cartel behaviour and price fixing as we desperately try to get, particularly diesel to regional communities.
When it comes to potential rationing or work-from-home orders, Minns said the NSW government will be lobbying the federal and other state governments for a “nationally consistent approach”.
Now, whether that’s organised by the states, but the same across jurisdictions, it’s hugely important. We share borders with the ACT, Queensland and Victoria. Many of our residents and their residents can cross borders in order to purchase fuel. We need a nationally consistent approach if and when the time comes when we need to introduce those demand management changes.
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Negotiating FTA has been ‘hard yakka’, says president
Ending her address, Ursula von der Leyen says it’s been “hard yakka” getting the deal done, but that it’s now “good to go”.
The Australian slang gets some approval from the benches.
It has been hard yakka, but we finally got there today. We finally conclude our trade deal … I’m so proud that we got this done because it’s a fair deal, and one that delivers for your businesses and one that delivers for our businesses. I think you call that ‘hitting it for six’.
A little earlier, von der Leyen also made the chamber chuckle as she said she was excited to taste her first Australian flat white, and a slice of pavlova.
Playing on our rivalry with our Pacific neighbour, she said with a smile:
I’m also looking forward to sampling pavlova. Or do I have to wait to visit New Zealand to try that?
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‘Getting China right is a strategic imperative’
It’s not just energy sovereignty and independence Von der Leyen has been pushing for, but warns we have to separate ourselves from China’s “export-led growth model and its industrial overcapacity”.
She says that last year, for the first time, every single EU member country ran a trade deficit with China.
The agreement, which includes critical minerals, helps to counter dependence on one singular supplier, Von der Leyen says:
Europe, too has been challenged by its dependencies, not just on Russian energy, but also for our reliance on imports from a singular supplier, we cannot and will not absorb China’s export-led growth model and its industrial overcapacity …
Both the threat to our supply chain security and the shock to our industrial base need urgent responses, and these are responses we can only devise together for both Europe and Australia.
Getting China right is a strategic imperative, and this is why bringing to life our critical minerals partnership will be crucial to our success.
We cannot be over-dependent on any supplier for such crucial ingredients, and that is precisely why we need each other.
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Europe and Australia battle ‘foreign malign interference’
Von der Leyen says today’s defence and security agreement creates a new defence industrial base to protect citizens against foreign interference.
She says it’s an issue both regions have been battling, as foreign actors attempt to “undermine our democratic societies”.
Foreign malign interference is just another example of the threats we face converging as our adversaries adapt to cooperate together, we too must respond together, because when we stand side by side, we are stronger, and this is why I am so pleased you have accepted our offer of a security and defence partnership.
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Von der Leyen says Europe would no longer be the ‘custodian of the old world order’
Von der Leyen, like other world leaders including Mark Carney, says the international world order as we know it is changing.
She says she recently said that “Europe could no longer be custodian of the old world order”, but that doesn’t mean the region, and other countries like Australia should give up on their values.
This just reflects the reality of our changing environment, but this does not mean giving up on who we are, on our values. That matters. Whether you are Europe or a regional power like Australia, accepting the world as it is simply means making choices sooner and smarter, both as governments and institutions.
In a globalised world, she also highlights that what impacts “Paris” can also impact “Perth, and “what happens in Ukraine matters in Unley”.
In that context, she says we all should build resilience – particularly through clean energy.
Pain at the pump is hard for our citizens, and just another reminder that building our resilience is today’s job. We in Europe have been reckoning with our dependencies, particularly with Russian gas.
Diversification was and remains a necessity, and this is why I am proud that we have made decarbonisation a defining pillar of our Free Trade Agreement. It is hard-headed common sense.
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‘Europe is in a dangerous moment’: Von der Leyen
The European Commission president offers sober words on the state of the global reality.
Europe has faced more than four years of conflict in Ukraine, since Russian’s invasion, along with the new threat of war in the Middle East.
Ursula von der Leyen, who earlier told us that Europe offers stability in an increasingly uncertain world, says that stability is changing.
Countries that built economic models on the very premise of the stability and safety they provide are facing a new reality. The world we live in is brutal, harsh and unforgiving. It feels upside down. What we knew as certainties are in question. The comfort blanket of yesterday is ripped away. It is confronting … Europe is changed.
She says to Australia, historically separated by geography, that “distance is no longer a protection or a luxury”.
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PM says security deal with EU a safeguard against uncertainty
Albanese says the defence and security deal, also agreed to by the two world leaders today, is a safeguard against uncertainty and volatility.
He says the deal also seats the foundation “for our future prosperity, resilience, security and stability”.
Right now, we’re all dealing with the challenges thrown up by the conflict in the Middle East and Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine which has brought war to the very edge of the European Union.
Every global shock underscores the importance of the second milestone moment in your visit, the signing of the new Australia-EU security and defence partnership.
Following the prime minister, the opposition leader, Angus Taylor welcomes Von der Leyen, saying Australia is “an heir to the European achievement”.
He says Australia is the beneficiary of “Christianity’s influence” on values and “science’s influence on reason”.
We, too, are the beneficiaries of the great changes that arose from the revolution in France and from the industrial revolution in Great Britain. And we, too, are the beneficiaries of the imagination of European builders and painters and the inspiration of European composers and writers.
When Europeans set sail on treacherous seas to discover and settle unknown lands, they brought legacy with them, some good, some not so good, but Australia has been gifted with the institutions and ideas of an enlightened Europe.
He seems to gloss over colonisation and its continued devastating impact on First Nations people today.
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Von der Leyen to address parliament
The House of Representatives is full to the brim with members and senators crowding in to hear Ursula von der Leyen’s address.
Before she begins, the prime minister, Anthony Albanese welcomes her as the first international female leader to address the parliament.
He heralds the free trade agreement finally greenlit after eight long years of negotiation:
The Australia-European free trade agreement will be a once-in-a-generation achievement that will create jobs and prosperity for generations to come. This was a logical step for two natural partners but, as we know, it was not inevitable.
Through generations of hard work, aspiration and a deep love of this country, European immigrants and their descendants have enriched and shaped modern Australia and, in so many ways, they are a living link between our continents.
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Coalition hopeful of byelection ‘circuit breaker’
The opposition is hopeful the upcoming byelection in Farrer for Sussan Ley’s old seat will be a “circuit breaker” for its poor momentum over the past 12 months.
In its usual party room meeting this morning, the Coalition heard from its revamped leadership, Liberal leader, Angus Taylor, and Nationals leader, Matt Canavan, on the fuel crisis and upcoming existential challenges for the parties.
Chief among those is reclaiming support from former Coalition voters who have deserted them for Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party. It’s understood Taylor said the Liberals want to win the voters back and are focusing on core issues they’re passionate about, including energy security, national security and family policy.
Canavan said he saw the Farrer byelection on 9 May as a circuit breaker while adding the opposition needed to be winning seats everywhere, including in the cities.
That last point is interesting because voters have all but abandoned the Coalition in metropolitan areas federally.
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Meat exporters decry ‘profoundly’ disappointing EU trade deal
It hasn’t taken long for the meat industry to brand the minutes-old free trade agreement with Europe as “the worst ever”, saying the sector has been “profoundly let down”.
In the middle of a press conference by Anthony Albanese and Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, Meat and Livestock issued a statement saying the newly minted agreement had not delivered the level of access the government had committed to achieving during the long, drawn-out negotiations.
Andrew McDonald, chair of the Australia–EU Red Meat Market Access Taskforce, accused the prime minister of badly disappointing meat exporters.
The agreement is a long way from anything resembling ‘free and fair trade’, particularly given Australia already provides the EU with quota‑and tariff‑free access for meat products like pork, while the A‑EU FTA locks in perpetual volume constraints on Australian red meat entering the EU.
This outcome also sits uneasily beside the EU’s rhetoric of providing ‘a level playing field for all’ and its claims that Australia is a ‘like‑minded’ partner. In practice, this agreement delivers neither fairness nor reciprocity.
McDonald said New Zealand’s access to the EU market remained far ahead of Australia’s.
To land a deal so far below what other suppliers have secured is genuinely bewildering.
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Parmesan and prosecco safe for Australian producers, feta and gruyere names to go
After many years of negotiations, including three with the current government, the two parties have signed what they’ve called a “win-win” deal.
But what’s actually in this new agreement?
On the big sticking point of naming rights, Australian producers will get to keep calling their products parmesan and kranskies, and Australian winemakers will be able to make and sell prosecco domestically.
BUT there will be a “grandfathering and lengthy phaseout” of naming rights for feta, gruyere and romano.
For everyone else at home, the removal of Australian tariffs on imports from the EU will make things like European wine, spirits, biscuits, chocolates and pasta cheaper.
Albanese said:
One of the things about Australia is that, with the exception of First Nations, people, were all either migrants or descendants of migrants, and many of those have come from Europe, and that’s why, whether it’s Greeks coming here and creating feta, or Italians coming and doing parmesan, or people from eastern Europe doing kransky sausages, those things. It’s a connection with Europe. Part of our strength is our people to people relations as well. I think all of that understanding and engagement has assisted.
(As mentioned above, those communities will eventually lose the naming rights for feta and a few other products.)
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Von der Leyen says ‘time to go to the negotiation table’ to end war in Middle East
The European Commission president says negotiations with Iran should take place to end the conflict.
The situation is critical for the energy supply allies worldwide.
We all feel the knock-on effects on gas and oil prices, our businesses and our societies, but it is of utmost importance that we come to a solution that is negotiated, and this puts an end to the hostilities that we see in the Middle East.
Asked what role European nations will have in the strait of Hormuz, including after it opens, von der Leyen says that EU leaders have said they could engage in an operation once hostilities end.
So the leaders in the European Union have been very clear that at the when the hostilities end, they could envisage an operation, a mission. But of course, it is not for me to judge on their decision to provide the necessary capabilities in the strait of Hormuz.
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European union offers ‘stability and predictability’: Von der Leyen
The first question from journalists comes from Finn McHugh who asks Von der Leyen whether Donald Trump’s tariffs have forced the EU to compromise more, after spending years in negotiations with India, Latin America and Australia.
She doesn’t explicitly name Donald Trump, but does say that in an unpredictable world, Europe is offering stability.
She says free trade agreements benefit both sides and that “rules-based trade is the right way to go”.
With a growing unpredictability and uncertainty worldwide … countries are longing for stability and predictability, and this is what Europe, the European Union, is offering. And therefore it was basically an open door on both sides where we started our negotiations, knowing that we want a situation where a free trade agreement leads to a win-win situation for both sides.
Albanese adds that Australia stands for free and fair trade.
At a time where that is under some pressure globally as well, I think this agreement sends a message … to the world that it is possible to stick to the rules, to engage in a way that benefits both of our nations.
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‘Trust matters more than transactions’: Von der Leyen
Von der Leyen also calls the deal a win for both parties, and is the latest of the EU’s attempts to sign free trade agreements with other nations. It has recently signed deals with India and Latin America.
The government says the trade agreement will result in 98% of the current value of Australia’s exports entering the European Union duty free.
She says the deal is part of a move towards “collective resilience”.
Today, we are telling an important story to a world that is deeply changing, a world where great powers are using tariffs as a leverage and supply chains as vulnerabilities to be exploited.
In our story, open rules-based trade delivers positive sum outcomes. Trust matters more than transactions. It is a story of building strength at home and diversifying abroad through a reliable network of agreements that we respect and uphold.
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Iran’s attacks on commercial vessels in Gulf ‘must be condemned’: Von der Leyen
Ursula von der Leyen, standing beside Anthony Albanese, begins her address to the media with her concerns on Iran’s threats over the strait of Hormuz.
She says Iran’s attempts to block vessels in the strait and its attacks on unarmed commercial vessels in the Gulf must be condemned.
The recent attacks by Iran on unarmed commercial vessels in the Gulf, attacks on civilian infrastructure, including oil and gas installations, and the de facto closure of the strait of Hormuz by Iranian forces is unacceptable and must be condemned.
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Today a ‘defining moment’ in relationship between Australia and EU: Albanese
Speaking to the media after signing a landmark agreement, green lighting the free trade agreement, Anthony Albanese says today is a “defining moment” in the relationship between the two parties.
Albanese says:
Today, we can announce it after eight years of negotiations, Australia and the European Union have signed a landmark trade deal.
Albanese says the deal will be worth $10bn to the Australian economy each year and open up free trade to 450 million consumers in the EU.
He says it will benefit Australian consumers:
[It] will reduce costs for Australian consumers and open new markets to Australian producers. It is a win win. It eliminates tariffs on key Australian exports, including wine, seafood and horticulture, and it means our high quality Australian produce, including beef, sheep meat, dairy, rice and sugar, will have access to consumers in the European market.
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Albanese and Von der Leyen greenlight free trade agreement and defence pact
It’s official, negotiations have concluded on the free trade agreement between the EU and Australia, with the deal soon to be officially signed.
In a joint statement released moments ago, Anthony Albanese and Urusula von der Leyen welcomed the conclusion of negotiations and said the agreement will “strengthen bilateral trade and investment, support economic growth, and reinforce the shared commitment of Australia and the European Union to open and rules-based trade”.
The two sides will “now take forward their respective domestic processes required for signature and entry into force”.
The statement says the defence and security agreement will include “defence industry cooperation, cyber and economic security, and counterterrorism”.
These pillars of cooperation recognise the value of a strong Australia-European Union partnership in addressing shared global challenges and supporting prosperity and security and allow for deepened engagement between Australia and the European Union.
The pair will shortly speak to the media, before the European Commission president addresses parliament.
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We’ve spoken to some more people at the teacher strike in Victoria today.
Helen Bull, a parent from Brunswick East primary school, has come with her children to show support to their teachers. She says:
We’ve got some signs that say we love teachers. They’re the best. We love our teachers … We just want to show our support, really to all the education staff. I mean, look around … There aren’t many families who don’t have a teacher within family or someone in education. Also education support staff. I’m work in disability and inclusion and our education support staff are also paid so poorly.
Briley Stokes the vice-president of the Australian Education Union (AEU) Victoria branch says:
Government likes to say all schools are open. We say, how can they be? Look around you. How can they be? 32,000 people stopping work means that every single school is impacted today, and the only reason why you’re doing it is because government isn’t listening. Congratulations to all of you for the effort it’s taken to get here today.
She has given a shout out to particular schools, including Footscray West Primary school, which have all 57 members of staff and their leadership team protesting today.
So are Fairhills primary school, Newmerella primary school, MacArthur primary school and the Reservoir teaching unit.
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Thousands of Victorian teachers gather at Trades Hall
Thousands of public school teachers, support staff and principals have descended upon Victorian Trades Hall as they strike for better pay.
The mood is jubilant with the teachers all clad in red, the colour of the Australian Education Union, and plenty of dancing, chanting and witty signs.
The union says there are 15,000 people here, with Victoria Street closed, and Queensbury Street and Russell Street packed.
They include Ed Arthur, the primary leader at the Victorian School for the Deaf, who says teachers in the state are more stretched than ever before:
The main driver for that is that there’s not enough teachers, and we feel like teachers are moving interstate because there’s higher pay. What’s the of staying here if it’s so low?
He says his specialist school has seen teachers leave in recent years:
We have less teachers who know Auslan. So we’re at a disadvantage already.
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Queensland government to ban ebikes for under 16s and people who can’t drive
Queensland will ban ebikes and e-scooters for under-16s and those medically unable to drive.
The transport minister, Brent Mickelberg, told media this morning that he will introduce this week to crack down on the transport mode.
E-mobility device riders will need to be 16 years of age. They’ll be required to hold at least a learner’s licence, and they will be required to be medically fit to drive.
This is an important recommendation that will ensure that those who use these devices have the capacity to be able to use them safely.
The legislation will also create new fines for e-mobility companies and the parents of children who ride, with fines based on a “like offence” for driving a car.
There will be a six-month amnesty for devices that are legal now which would be made non-compliant by the legislation, Mickelberg said. The laws, if passed, would take effect on 1 July, he said.
A total of 307 lives were lost in 284 crashes in Queensland in 2025, the highest road toll in the state in 16 years. All but a handful of them were motor vehicle crashes, with ebikes and e-scooters causing the least and second least of any transport mode. This year’s road toll is 30.6% higher than at the same time last year, according to the Department for Transport and Main Roads.
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ACTU pushes for 5% minimum wage rise
It’s that time of the year again, where the Fair Work Commission receives submissions ahead of considering how much to increase the minimum wage for the next financial year.
This year, the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) is pushing for a 5% increase.
Inflation was 3.8% in the year to January, but the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has warned inflation could reach 5% later this year as war in the Middle East escalates.
The ACTU secretary, Sally McManus, says workers on the minimum wage have borne the brunt of the cost-of-living crisis.
We will not accept the lowest-paid workers in Australia going backwards because of the Reserve Bank and Donald Trump. Workers were the ones who felt it the most last time inflation spiked; we cannot let this happen again.
Energy companies, the banks and the supermarkets continue to deliver their mega-profits. Hard-working Australians must not be left behind.
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Consumer confidence craters amid global energy shock
Consumer pessimism has deepened to its worst on record, as households wilt under the twin pressures of soaring fuel prices and rising interest rates.
The ANZ-Roy Morgan weekly consumer confidence survey revealed the lowest reading in a series stretching back to the early 70s, as respondents’ inflation expectations pushed towards 7% amid an intensifying petrol supply scare associated with the Middle East energy shock.
Confidence is even lower than during the national Covid lockdown in 2020, with households coming into the latest crisis feeling much gloomier than leading into the pandemic.
Consumer price figures released tomorrow are expected to show inflation held at 3.8% in the year to February, ahead of an acceleration to closer to 5% by the middle of the year as higher energy costs feed through.
Financial markets are pricing in a lower than 50% chance of a rate hike at the next Reserve Bank board meeting on 5 May, and have locked in a move higher by the following meeting in mid-June.
As higher fuel costs add to households’ financial burdens, the ACTU this morning said it would argue for a 5% increase to the minimum wage this year.
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In pictures: Albanese and Von der Leyen meet
It was all smiles from Anthony Albanese and European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen have met this morning in the prime minister’s courtyard this morning.
The pair are widely anticipated to sign the EU free trade agreement later today, and Von der Leyen will address parliament at midday. After that she and the PM will sit down for a formal lunch.
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Why is question time late today?
For those of you following along on the blog this morning, you might have seen that question time has been delayed an hour today and will start at 3pm instead of 2pm.
The change is due to European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen’s, visit.
But why has QT been moved, when it began as normal after Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, addressed the parliament at the same time just a few weeks ago?
Well, we understand that it’s because Von der Leyen will be meeting for a formal lunch with our prime minister after her address, whereas Carney and Anthony Albanese had a formal dinner.
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NSW opposition calls 24-hour fuel cap and free Easter public transport
The NSW opposition will introduce legislation today to require retailers to set an upper limit on fuel prices every 24 hours amid concerns about price gouging and fuel shortages in the state.
The opposition leader, Kellie Sloane, is calling for a system similar to those in Victoria and Western Australia, under which retailers have until 2pm local time each day to set their fuel price for the following day.
She told 2GB this morning:
There’s that uncertainty. You turn up at the bowser, you don’t know what you’re going to be hit with some days. So, at least with that certainty, you can check out the fuel price the night before and know the next day you can fill up either on the way to work or home and that’s a locked-in price.
Last week, the NSW energy minister, Penny Sharpe, said the opposition’s policy was “basically what already happens in terms of FuelCheck”. Under the current system, retailers have to update their prices in real time online, with penalties for non-compliance, but they do not have to fix prices.
Sloane has also called for public transport to be made free over the Easter long weekend, after the NSW Rail, Tram & Bus Union called for public transport fares to be slashed as long as fuel shortages continue. The premier, Chris Minns, told ABC radio yesterday he did not support free public transport, arguing transport was already heavily subsidised by the government.
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Listen: Inside One Nation’s orange wave in SA and what it means for Australia
Pauline Hanson’s One Nation surged ahead of the Liberal party and secured seats in both sides of the South Australian parliament in the recent state election.
It’s the first time the rightwing anti-immigration party has won a lower house seat outside Queensland, leaving many asking whether the fringe party has gone mainstream and whether the weekend’s election result will be replicated in other states.
Tune in to the latest episode of Full Story as Tory Shepherd and Dan Jervis-Bardy talk to Nour Haydar about whether the SA result will lead to more culture wars and anti-migrant rhetoric nationally.
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What’s happening today?
Things are a little different today with the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen in the House.
So, being a Tuesday, means that the party room meetings will be taking place shortly, and we’ll bring you anything we hear from that.
Parliament will begin sitting at midday, which is when Von der Leyen will address parliament. She’ll be the first female foreign political leader to do so.
The rest of the regular parliamentary business will take place after, BUT question time will begin a bit later, at 3pm instead of 2pm. (I’m not sure why – inquiries have been made!)
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Fines for AI chatbots to ensure age appropriate content
The government will fine tech companies up to $49.5m if their AI chat bots are not age appropriate following concerns from the eSafety commissioner that AI bots and companions are manipulating and exploiting young users.
A report from the eSafety commission found the AI services are failing to protect children from exposure to sexually explicit content.
Speaking to ABC News Breakfast earlier this morning, the communications minister, Anika Wells, said the threat of fines has been in effect since 1 March this year, and that tech companies were notified ahead of time.
They’re not there to look after the health and wellbeing of your child. And we know there are instances where they have led them towards things like suicide ideation or content that I probably don’t want to be too explicit about.
7,863 Australians have now returned home on 72 flights from the Middle East since 4 March.
The government has provided an update this morning on the number of Australians who have left the region, as another two flights arrived this morning from Dubai.
Two additional flights – one from Abu Dhabi to Sydney, and the other from Dubai to Perth – are scheduled to arrive later today.
The latest advise from Smartraveller is do not travel to Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, UAE or Yemen. Reconsider your need to travel to Jordan, Oman and Saudi Arabia.
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Canavan concerned major fuel companies ‘seem to be hoarding fuel here’
Moving on to the fuel crisis hitting Australia, the Nationals leader, Matt Canavan, says he’s concerned that a two-tier system has formed in Australia for companies with access to the four major fuel importers, versus the companies that are contracted to independent suppliers.
And he says he’s concerned companies are “hoarding” fuel here.
I do fear that the majors seem to be hoarding fuel here, not supplying spot market. I’ve also heard reports now that the majors are running around trying to clean up all their competitors’ markets.
That kind of predatory conduct during a crisis is not only completely immoral, it should be unconscionable. And I don’t think the government seems to have pushed and prodded the ACCC here strongly enough to take the quick action necessary to deter this kind of predatory conduct during a crisis.
Canavan says the government has significant powers under the Petroleum Act to get “fuel flowing” but that a threat should be enough to force fuel companies into action.
He says he doesn’t know “how much longer this [crisis] can go on without major, major pain”.
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Government can’t guarantee households will be saved from fuel crisis
The government is working to pull a bunch of levers it has in its power to help ease the fuel situation around Australia, but unsurprisingly it can’t guarantee people won’t be affected by price spikes or disruptions.
Speaking to Sky News earlier, the assistant treasurer, Daniel Mulino, said the government has been doing everything to secure supply, and “so far that has occurred”.
But to say that we can guarantee that it’s not going to have an impact on price or that there won’t be any disruptions in local areas I think is unrealistic.
On the Today show, Amanda Rishworth was asked point-blank if the government could guarantee supply would continue to come from Asia. She said the country is facing an “uncertain time” but that the government was working to ensure supply continues.
We don’t know how long this war is going to go on for. We don’t know what assets might be attacked in any one day. What I can reassure people is that we are working every single day. At the moment, we still have fuel coming to this country. We’re working with states and territories to make sure that the distribution gets the fuel to where it needs to go.
The government revealed yesterday there are hundreds of bowsers across the country running empty (out of tens of thousands).
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Are Australia’s beef exports to the UK ‘unlimited’?
A moment ago, the Nationals leader, Matt Canavan, told the ABC’s RN Breakfast that when Coalition signed a free trade agreement with the UK, it negotiated for unlimited red meat exports.
Is that correct?
The answer is … basically, yes.
So, there are technically quotas in place for the amount of red meat Australia can export to the UK. For 2026 that quota for beef meat is 60,000 tonnes, and just over 41,000 tonnes for sheep meat.
But the amount that Australia actually exports to the UK is far less than the quota.
As at 10 March 2026, Australia has used up about 10% of its beef meat quota
(6,069 tonnes) and 7% of its sheep meet quota (2,965 tonnes).
In contrast, as at 16 March 2026, Australia exported 3181 tonnes of total red meat (including beef, lamb and mutton) to the EU.
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Canavan ‘concerned’ over looming EU Australia free trade agreement
The Nationals leader, Matt Canavan, says he’s concerned about elements of the free trade agreement to be signed with the EU – possibly this morning.
Negotiations have been ongoing for eight years, set back by key sticking points such as naming rights to products including feta and prosecco ironed out. One of Australia’s biggest hurdles has been to increase how much beef and lamb would be allowed into the EU.
Canavan tells RN Breakfast he’s concerned the government has “rolled over” and compromised Australia’s national sovereignty if there is a limit on beef and lamb exports.
He says when the Coalition was in government, it negotiated unlimited red meat exports to the UK under a free trade agreement signed between those two nations.
It certainly shouldn’t be seen as some kind of “reprieve” because we get to maintain those [naming] rights. So, I mean, it doesn’t sound all that attractive right now … I mean, when the Coalition were in government, we signed a deal with the UK. We have, under that deal, eventually unlimited exports of beef … And the early reports indicate that the best we could perhaps hope for is a few 10,000 tonnes more of red meat access to a much larger market, EU, much larger than the UK, of course. So it certainly doesn’t seem to meet the hurdle of being described as a free trade deal, that’s for sure.
I want to see a good deal. I want to see improved market access for Australian exporters, farmers and the like. But I’m not in the interest of selling out Australia’s sovereignty.
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AI bots exploiting vulnerability of children, says eSafety commissioner
Australia’s eSafety commissioner is deeply concerned about the impact AI chatbots and companions are having on children, releasing a recent survey which found 97% of children aged 10 to 17 had either used an AI companion or AI assistant.
Eight per cent, or around 200,000 children have used an AI companion, which Julie Inman Grant believes is just the “tip of the iceberg”.
Speaking to ABC’s RN Breakfast earlier this morning, Inman Grant warned AI companions exploit developmental vulnerability and they don’t have proper safety guardrails.
They can be your romantic partner, your therapist and your friend all at once. And they’re developed with emotional manipulation in mind. So they exploit developmental vulnerability. They’re what we call sycophantic. So they’re always affirming and they don’t question. And they, you know, they don’t have adequate guardrails.
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Kate Chaney implores government to do something on gambling ads
Independent Kate Chaney says she feels so sad today, as we mark 1,000 days since the Peta Murphy-led parliamentary committee handed its report to the government calling for a gambling ad ban and action to minimise gambling harms.
As my colleague Josh Butler brought you earlier, Chaney will soon introduce her own bill to ban gambling advertising.
Speaking to ABC’s RN Breakfast this morning, Chaney pushes back against the government’s claims, when asked why it has not acted on the Murphy report, that it’s done more than any other government in Australia.
She says the government can “jump up and down as much as it likes” but it hasn’t implemented any of the recommendations of an inquiry it commissioned.
Ongoing gambling ads normalise the issue, she says, and the government needs to do something to tackle the impact it’s having on young people.
I feel sad for all the people who gave evidence and told their heartbreaking stories during that inquiry we did. I feel sad for Peta Murphy, who was so passionate about reform in this area and has passed away since. I feel really sad that we’re normalising sports [betting] for a generation of kids.
We remain the biggest losers in the world.
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Striking teachers take pay fight to state parliament
Tens of thousands of Victorian teachers will down tools after a last-ditch call to avoid school strike chaos fell on deaf ears, AAP reports.
Victorian public school teachers, principals and other education staff will not show up for work on Tuesday over a pay dispute, while teachers in Tasmania will also strike.
About a third of the 30,000-strong unionised workforce are expected to march from Victorian Trades Hall to state parliament for a rally on the front steps.
Schools will remain open across the state, but many parents have been told classes won’t run and to keep their children home if possible.
The Department of Education did not provide details on how many schools would operate at reduced capacity on Tuesday, but confirmed it was working to limit disruption. It said:
Whilst all schools are expected to be open ... many schools will only be able to provide supervision for a limited number of students.
Schools will communicate any changes to school programs directly to parents and carers.
The 24-hour teachers strike is Victoria’s first in more than 13 years and comes eight months out from the state election.
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Government announces support for truckies facing fuel price spikes
The government has announced measures this morning to protect truck drivers from fuel price spikes by removing the six-month wait time for contract chain orders.
Labor says shortening the contract negotiation times between trucking companies and major retailers will help ensure retailers, mining companies and manufacturers offer fair contract terms.
It’ll also help ensure truck drivers are paid enough to cover the cost of fuel.
Speaking to the Today show this morning, the minister in charge, Amanda Rishworth, said:
I will be announcing some measures to support truckies, in particular, to make sure that they get a fair go and that some of the costs we’re seeing are fairly shared across the supply chain.
The legislation is still on its way so there’s a question mark over when it will be introduced.
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Continuing from our last post …
The eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, said in a statement this morning that Australia was “riding a new wave of AI companion chatbots that are entrapping and entrancing impressionable young minds”:
We’re also starting to see the lines begin to blur between AI chatbots and companions in terms of their features and functionality.
While AI companions can feel personal and supportive, they really are not designed for children and they are not mental health experts either, which is why I’m concerned that most of the chatbots services we asked questions of did not automatically refer users to appropriate support when self-harm or suicide were detected in chats.
It’s also extremely troubling to discover that a number of these chatbot services were not checking all the AI models they used to provide their service for inputs (or prompts) relating to child sexual exploitation and abuse material.
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AI companion chatbots failing to provide safeguards for children, says online safety regulator
AI companion services are failing to provide basic safeguards for children, such as robust age assurance processes or directing users to support services when self-harm was detected in prompts, Australia’s online safety regulator has warned.
In October, according to its latest transparency report, eSafety sent notices requesting information on child safety guardrails to four companies providing AI companion services, or chatbots specifically designed for emotional intimacy: Chai, Character.AI, Chub AI and Nomi.
The regulator found that none of these services had age assurances in place that prevented children from being able to access adult features, such as pornography or sexually explicit chat exchanges. Chai, Chub AI and Nomi also had no structured support for possible self-harm, such as diverting users to crisis support services.
Nomi and Chub AI had no dedicated moderation or safety staff. Chai and Nomi did not report child sexual exploitation and abuse material to an enforcement authority.
A recent survey of 1,950 Australian children aged 10 to 17 conducted by eSafety found that 79% of respondents (1,540) said they had used AI assistants, 8% of them (123) had used an AI companion. If this figure were extrapolated nationally, it would indicate around 200,000 children in Australia may be using AI companions. The survey results have not yet been published in full.
After engaging with eSafety, Character.AI introduced age assurance measures for Australian users and removed the chat function for under-18s. Chub AI geoblocked its service from Australia. Chai restricted access to companion chats to paid subscribers. Nomi has committed to “implementing further age assurance functionality”.
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Good morning, Krishani Dhanji here with you, thanks to Martin Farrer for getting us started.
It’s going to be another busy sitting day today with fuel supplies and war in the Middle East topping the agenda. The government is under pressure to do more to secure fuel supplies – which have a question mark over them after mid-April – and get that fuel to areas facing shortages, particularly in regional areas.
And the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, will be meeting with the prime minister and speaking to the Parliament today as Australia and the EU have been slowly inching towards inking a free trade deal (could today be that day?!)
I’ve got my coffee, I hope you’ve got yours – let’s get cracking.
Ed Husic calls for national AI act to manage risks
Labor backbencher Ed Husic has called for national laws to manage the risks of artificial intelligence, after thousands of tech workers lost their jobs to the technology.
The move placed him at odds with the Albanese government’s approach, which recently scrapped plans for stand-alone AI laws.
Husic, who was Labor’s science minister from 2022 to 2025, said:
Governments can’t just be cheerleaders for novel uses of AI, they must prepare and dilute the associated risks.
We need a comprehensive, economy-wide national AI act that identifies risks and sets out our expectations for how to manage them and build sorely needed confidence in AI.
We can’t have a hands off, laissez-faire approach to AI, or just respond in a knee-jerk, spasmodic way to the AI risks that only threaten the loudest, or most powerful, voices in society.
Husic’s comments followed the release of a set of “national data centre expectations”, a set of voluntary measures for industry players seeking priority assessment by the federal government.
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AMA says online gambling causing ‘immeasurable harm’
The Australian Medical Association says it is concerned about harm suffered by Australians from gambling and is urging the federal government to immediately respond to the report from late Labor MP Peta Murphy calling for a wagering ad ban.
As detailed above, today marks 1,000 days since Murphy’s report was handed down in June 2023. But while Anika Wells remains in consultations with affected industries and stakeholders about further action on gambling, the government has still not responded to the report formally.
The AMA president, Dr Danielle McMullen, said online gambling was causing “immeasurable harm to Australian families”. She said a partial ban on wagering ads wouldn’t work and called for strong government action, citing Australians being among the highest amounts of gambling losses in the world, and expressing concern about vulnerable audiences – including children – being exposed to gambling ads.
The AMA demanded an immediate response to all 31 recommendations, including total advertising bans, an independent regulator and child protection.
McMullen said:
One thousand days of inaction while online gambling companies flood sports broadcasts with predatory advertising is unacceptable.
Every day of delay means more Australians fall victim to an industry that profits from harm and despair.
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1,000 days since Murphy report on gambling ad bans
Today marks 1,000 days since Peta Murphy’s landmark report calling for a banning of gambling advertisements. Independent MP Kate Chaney will soon seek to introduce her own private member’s bill to legislate a gambling ad ban, frustrated with the government’s drawn-out process to respond to the report.
Chaney said:
This is a deeply disappointing milestone to be marking – 1,000 days of delay and inaction on reforms widely supported by Australians.
I’m doing the work, even if the government is not. My private member’s bill to end online gambling ads is needed to stop children and young people being groomed to gamble as they watch their favourite sports.
The government has still not responded to the report from Murphy, the late Labor MP who died in 2023 after a battle with cancer. The communications minister, Anika Wells, is consulting with sporting organisations, harm reduction advocates, media organisations and the wagering industry about further restrictions on gambling ads.
Chaney’s bill, which will be introduced next week in parliament, would seek to phase in a complete ban on advertising for online gambling ads over three years, including on TV, streaming services, social media and at sporting grounds.
I’ve been fighting for gambling reform for 1,000 days and I’ll continue to keep the pressure on for as long as it takes the Albanese government to enact meaningful gambling reform.
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NSW introduces legislation to seize and crush illegal ebikes
The NSW government will introduce legislation to give authorities powers to crush “throttle-only, high-powered e-motorbikes” to parliament today.
The laws, which were flagged last month, will give police and Transport for NSW officers the power to seize bikes operating at speeds more than 25km/h, before sending them to be crushed, even if bought in error. Officers will be able to use new roadside “dyno units” to test a bike’s speed.
The government says the changes are part of a safety crackdown amid a surge in injuries and an incident in which 40 or so e-bikes swarmed the Sydney Harbour Bridge last month. It will also introduce a minimum age to ride an ebike of between 12 and 16, which it has yet to decide. A two-day safety blitz last week saw 170 fines issued for illegal ebikes.
The transport minister, John Graham, says:
We don’t want to discourage safe and healthy ebike use but we do want to discourage dangerous and illegal e-motorbike use – and these powers will do exactly that.
If it behaves like a motorbike, it’s probably illegal and could end up in the crusher. So the message is simple: don’t buy an illegal ebike.
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Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live politics blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it will be Krishani Dhanji with the main action.
International Energy Agency chief Fatih Birol told 7.30 last night that the “world is facing the greatest global energy security threat in its history” and Australians are feeling the pain at the petrol pump. We’ll have more coming up.
It has been 1,000 days since the late Peta Murphy’s landmark report calling for a ban on gambling advertisements but ministers are yet to act. Independent MP Kate Chaney is planning her own bill to put that right. More coming up.
And New South Wales is following up on its promise to take illegal ebikes off the road. We’ll get a look at the legislation today as it’s due to be introduced in parliament.
