Australia politics live: Angus Taylor expected to quit shadow cabinet and launch leadership challenge against Sussan Ley tonight

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Taylor is asked what he’d do differently to Ley, if there will be substantial policy shifts.

He says the first two priorities “should be protecting our way of life and restoring our standard of living”.

“What we need right now is strong leadership, clear direction and a courageous focus on our values,” he says.

He ducks a question about when the vote will be.

Taylor says he doesn’t believe Ley is “in a position to be able to lead the party, as it needs to be led from here”.

He says Australians want better from the Liberal party:

We can’t mince with words. The Liberal Party is in the worst position it has been in since 1944, when the party was formed. That is a confronting reality and we cannot ignore it.

It’s on!

Liberal leadership aspirant Angus Taylor is speaking to reporters in Canberra. He’s quit shadow cabinet, the step before a spill. He says:

I’ve tendered my resignation, as a member of the shadow cabinet since the election in May last year. I’ve sought to be a constructive member of the leadership team, supported Sussan Ley’s leadership in a difficult time when we needed a rebuild of the party.

Thanks, Josh Taylor, for everything you do. Tory Shepherd here playing the waiting game. I covered Canberra in the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd years and I know there’s not usually a lot of sympathy for journos, but the hurry up and wait game is both tedious and stressful.

Stay tuned!

PM offers condolences over Canadian attack

Nine people were killed and dozens injured after an assailant opened fire at a school in western Canada, in one of the deadliest mass shootings in the country’s history. The suspect was later found dead from what appeared to be a self-inflicted injury.

In a post on X, the Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said:

I am deeply shocked and saddened to hear about the tragic attack in Tumbler Ridge secondary school.

I send my sincere condolences to all Canadians impacted by this horrific event.

Australian hearts go out to the families and friends of the victims and we are all thinking of those injured.

Albanese releases statement following Herzog visit

Anthony Albanese has released a statement after his meeting with Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, at Parliament House this afternoon.

The pair flew from Sydney to Canberra together earlier in the day.

“President Herzog and prime minister Albanese discussed the importance of the president’s visit to Australia to comfort and strengthen the Australian Jewish community in the aftermath of the Bondi terror attack in December,” the statement says.

“They also discussed a range of other issues, including combating antisemitism, bilateral relations between Israel and Australia, international efforts to bring about peace and security in Israel, Gaza, and the Middle East, including humanitarian efforts for the Palestinian people, and the global threats posed by the Iranian regime.”

Ley hits out at protesters demonstrating Herzog visit

The opposition leader, Sussan Ley, has hit out at protesters demonstrating against this week’s visit to Australia by Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog.

Ley met with Herzog at Parliament House in Canberra earlier this afternoon. The pair discussed how they could work to strengthen ties between Australia and Israel.

In a statement, Ley said Herzog’s visit to Australia was an important opportunity “to reset and strengthen a strained bilateral relationship”.

At moments like this, mature leadership calls for cooperation, respect and a reaffirmation of shared democratic values. This visit provides a constructive platform to rebuild trust and deepen engagement.

It is deeply disappointing to see protests surrounding this visit in the aftermath of a national tragedy. While peaceful protest is a democratic right, the timing and tone of these demonstrations risk compounding division at a moment that calls for unity and reflection.

She called for a renewed focus on support for the families of victims of the Bondi terror attack, for a rejection of antisemitism “and reinforcing the social cohesion that underpins our nation”.

Taylor expected to quit shadow cabinet and launch leadership challenge tonight

Angus Taylor is still planning to announce his resignation from the shadow cabinet to challenge Sussan Ley for the Liberal party leadership tonight, Guardian Australia understands.

Taylor was widely expected to announce his intentions after question time wrapped up about 3pm.

But a few things have complicated the timing, including Ley’s meeting with the Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, in Parliament House.

Another factor is the possibility that Ley responds to an announcement by calling a snap leadership spill – possibly as early as tonight or for tomorrow.

Why would that be a problem? Well, at least one likely Taylor supporter – the South Australian senator Leah Blyth – is interstate and not due back in Canberra until tomorrow.

Given the numbers are extremely tight, every vote counts.

The preference for Taylor’s supporters is that a special party room meeting is called for Friday, when Senate estimates hearings have concluded and all MPs could attend.

That would also give the shadow defence minister extra time to attempt to win over undecided MPs.

Liberal leadership waiting game continues

The waiting game continues in the corridor between Angus Taylor and Sussan Ley’s offices, with a pack of press gallery journalists expecting the challenger to walk to the leader’s office.

It’s unclear when, though – media have been waiting since after question time finished at 3.15pm. We haven’t seen Taylor since he walked back to his office about an hour ago.

In the interim, various MPs have offered snacks to the waiting press, after coming across the media pack loitering in the corridors. As we brought you earlier, Ley’s staff dropped off some chips to begin with. The Liberal MP Melissa McIntosh came by with a family pack of crisps (only slightly past its expiry date). Fellow Liberal Aaron Violi’s staff offered up a box of assorted mini chocolate bars. The Labor MP Emma Comer shared a large pack of salt and vinegar chips.

Various MPs have declined to comment as they walk past the media pack, with staff and politicians tight-lipped on any discussions they may or may not have been a part of.

Queensland rolls back ban on developer donations

Queensland’s parliament has passed new laws rolling back a ban on developer donations and quadrupling the state’s donations threshold.

The state now caps donations at $12,000 per person or entity per year, rather than applying the cap for each four-year term. The government had the bill dealt with urgently – allowing it to pass more rapidly – after a parliamentary committee inquiry over the Christmas holidays.

The attorney general, Deb Frecklington, said the bill would make elections more fair. She said the developer ban implemented under Labor had created a “financial gerrymander”, because it didn’t apply to trade unions, which typically donate to Labor.

We want developers to give us more houses in Queensland, because we believe they are honest, they do a good job and they should be unrestricted in terms of putting the party in that they want to put in – and hopefully it is us.

The Labor shadow attorney general, Meaghan Scanlon, said the state’s Crime and Corruption Commission had “raised concerns that removing the ban on developer donations may increase corruption risk”.

Queenslanders deserve and expect that their political leaders operate within an environment that is free from political interference or influence, and it is clear from the CCC’s submissions that the changes in this bill will increase corruption risk and go against what Queenslanders want, which is to have a government that makes decisions fairly, impartially and free from influence.

The CEO of Transparency Australia, Clancy Moore, said the decision “will give a green light to property developers and other commercial interests to take out the cheque book” to influence the government’s response to billions in new projects for the Olympics.

Treasury confirms $54bn budget blowout over next decade

A Treasury official has confirmed that budget deficits over the next decade will be cumulatively $54bn bigger than predicted in the pre-election fiscal outlook.

The Australian Financial Review wrote a couple of weeks back about this “shock” deterioration revealed in December’s mid-year federal budget.

Treasury expresses these “medium-term” budget forecasts as a share of GDP, so the AFR’s John Kehoe did some calculations and came up with the ballpark figure of $57bn.

James Paterson, a Liberal senator, interrogated Treasury officials today, including the secretary, Jenny Wilkinson, who eventually coughed up the actual number.

Damien White, a deputy secretary at Treasury, said larger than expected payments (versus lower receipts) accounted for “a bit over” half of the $54bn hole.

The biggest divergence between the pre-election outlook and the mid-year budget estimates is in the 2029-30 financial year.

White said that was mostly explained by an “increased contribution to the health and disability deal” with the states, and the government’s $12bn commitment to developing the Aukus-related Henderson defence precinct in Western Australia.

Emergency warning issued for grassfire in Clarkefield, Victoria

An emergency warning has been issued for Clarkefield and Wildwood, north of Melbourne, for a grassfire that is not under control.

The grassfire is travelling from Konagaderra Road a northerly direction towards Heaths Lane.

A wind change has come through, causing the fire to change direction.

People in the Donnybrook Road, Mickleham and Mandalay Estate, Beveridge areas are now able to resume normal activities.

It is safe to return for people who live in Craigieburn, Kalkallo, Oaklands Junction, Sunbury, Wallan, Wildwood and Yuroke.

Queensland police commissioner to retire

The Queensland police commissioner, Steve Gollschewski, will retire later this month.

Gollschewski is the state’s most experienced police officer, serving 46 years in the uniform. He was promoted to commissioner in April 2024 by the former Labor premier Steven Miles.

He stepped down in February 2025 after being diagnosed with stage four lung cancer but made an unexpected return to the job just seven months later. Gollschewski announced this morning that he would step down for good on 20 February.

Gollschewski said it was the “right time” for professional, personal and health reasons, and he would have stepped aside even without the illness.

I returned as commissioner last year to continue the reform work and get the point to where the organisation was ready for the next phase. That is now. We have reached that point.

Gollschewski was asked about the progress of reform to the service response to domestic violence.

That remains a big challenge for us. We’re tweaking that in terms of how we deliver our services. Obviously, the domestic and family violence inquiry was quite critical of us, which I think is unfair. I don’t think it recognised the hard work done by a lot of police … but clearly we got some things wrong, and that’s unforgivable.

The 2022 Richards commission of inquiry found evidence of attitudes of misogyny, sexism and racism within the QPS. Several of its recommendations, including that the state government establish a civilian-led police integrity unit by 2024, have not been implemented.

“There was a very biased view of the QPS. I’m not blaming the commission of inquiry; I’m blaming us, we didn’t defend our people, our people weren’t defended well enough,” Gollschewski said.

Media pack wait in corridor between Ley and Taylor offices

A large group of journalists are waiting in the corridor between the offices of Angus Taylor and Sussan Ley, awaiting a potential move where the challenger walks to the opposition leader’s office to resign.

We just saw Taylor walk down the corridor … but only back to his office, from the House of Representatives chamber. He didn’t stop at Ley’s door on the way.

In a funny turn of events, in the way these things go, some of Ley’s staffers came out of their office to offer bags of chips to the waiting press pack. It’s unclear how long of a night this will be.

He says:

It’s important this distraction is put to bed one way or the other. I’m conscious that we’re not doing the job we should as elected representatives here to represent communities, or as an opposition in holding the government to account. It’s difficult to do that when [all] anyone is interested in and all the media is interested in from us is, you know, who is up and who is down and what are the odds.

He says he does not blame the media for that:

I don’t blame them. It’s natural the media should be interested and we’re helping to create the story. It’s a problem, I agree.

Search for missing man in Tasmanian bushland continues

Tasmania police say the search for a man missing in bushland in Mt Barrow near Nunamara in the state’s north is continuing.

The 32-year-old Longford man, Corey, had been in bushland at Mt Barrow with a friend when they became separated on Sunday, and he was last seen in the area on Sunday evening.

Police search and rescue, SES volunteers, Tasmania mounted search and rescue, ATVs, helicopters and drones were deployed in the area on Wednesday for a search that will continue into Wednesday evening.

Insp Aleena Crack said:

We have deployed significant resources to the area again today, however, sadly, Corey remains missing.

There are serious concerns for his welfare. He has now been missing for several days and we understand he did not have any food, water or safety equipment with him.

Our searchers will continue this evening and are likely to resume in the morning.

Government probed on Workforce Australia target figures

Speaking in Senate estimates, the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations has been asked why only 11.7% of Workforce Australia participants achieved a 26-week employment outcome against a 15% target.

First assistant secretary, Bronwyn Field, said they had introduced more services other than helping jobseekers into work.

Provider performance is absolutely one key part of the system around improving job outcomes, but we have a range of other incentives and programs that we’ve put into the workforce Australia system to really try and drive up those job outcome figures.

In 2025, 10 of the 176 employment providers did not have their licences renewed because of issues with performance, with 16 licences extended with conditions.