2 hours ago
Opposition ‘pining for a time which has never existed’: Albanese
It feels like every answer from the government today is going to include a swipe at the opposition leader over his language on monoculturalism.
s MP Sam Birrell asks the prime minister if he will rule out agreeing to the Greens demand to abolish the diesel fuel rebate, after his “dangerous deal” with the minor party on the tax changes.
Anthony Albanese repeats previous lines, saying that he finds it strange the opposition say the legislation “is so terrible that they had to rule out any support for it before they’d even seen it”.
Albanese then points to Taylor and calls him the “chief yapper”.
My job isn’t to give advice to this bloke, but my advice is how about you stand up to One Nation on something? How about you prepare to follow this bloke’s leadership and not bend the knee when asked questions like, “Do you support monoculturalism for Australia?” Not a complex question, because we’ve never been a monoculture …
This is pining for a time that has never existed in this country.
At the end of the answer, Liberal frontbencher Tony Pasin gets the boot from the speaker for interjecting too many times.
Key events
Ben Roberts-Smith no longer attending war memorial event in Canberra
Jordyn Beazley
Alleged war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith will no longer attend the opening of the revamped Australian War Memorial tonight due to an illness, a court has heard.
The former SAS soldier last week successfully varied two of his bail conditions so he could attend the ceremony at the Anzac Hall galleries after he was invited as a Victoria Cross recipient.
His barrister, Slade Howell, told Downing Centre local court today that Roberts-Smith would no longer be attending after he “fell ill”.
“As a result has not travelled to Canberra to attend the official opening at the war memorial,” Howell told the court.
Further arguments to vary his bail were expected before the court today after Roberts-Smith also applied to move his home address in south-east Queensland, in part because he wanted to be closer to family.
Last Tuesday, prosecutor Simon Buchen SC urged the court to force the 47-year-old to still attend a police station in NSW as part of his bail condition to report to police three times a week. Buchen said that only an officer of the NSW police force had the power to enforce the bail conditions imposed.
However, on Tuesday, the court heard that a compromise had been made with prosecutors and Roberts-Smith would report to a NSW police station once a week and a Queensland police station twice a week.
Howell told the court the variation to change Roberts-Smith’s address with the court was withdrawn and would go before the court again once an address had been identified.
Judge Susan Horan said the compromise was “sensible” and permitted Roberts-Smith to live in Queensland subject to an address being provided to the court.
Roberts-Smith, 47, was arrested in April and charged with murdering or ordering the murders of five unarmed detainees while deployed in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012.
In a statement in April, Roberts-Smith said he categorically denied all allegations against him and that he had “always acted within my values, within my training and within the rules of engagement”.
Question time ends
After a final dixer to the education minister, Jason Clare, the PM ends question time. We’re halfway through the sitting week!
Independent pushes Labor over aged care integrated assessment tool
At the end of the previous dixer, Liberal MP Henry Pike also gets yeeted out of the chamber – the 94a casualty list is sizeable today.
Back to the crossbench, independent MP Monique Ryan asks why a man in her electorate, Graham Crossan, an 80-year-old with motor neuron disease who is ventilator-dependent and needs 24–hour care has not qualified for the highest level of support under the government’s integrated assessment tool. She asks how the government can justify the tool that has been controversial to say the least.
The aged care minister, Sam Rae, says he won’t go into specific details of Crossan’s case out of respect for his family’s privacy.
Rae says:
Because of the speed at which the condition of people with MND can change, the government has amended the aged care rules to recognise MND as a discrete, specific condition warranting urgent priority under our aged care system and specifically under support at home.
That change occurred following representations from independent MP Rebekha Sharkie during question time earlier this year.
Taylor threatened with suspension from the house
Angus Taylor is back at the despatch box and asks Anthony Albanese, “When will you stop lying?”
Milton Dick is livid and threatens to “name” Taylor for the question which would result in a suspension from the house for 24 hours.
Dick has been on a bit of a war path over the use of “liar” as a descriptor in questions and answers, ie trying to call the prime minister a liar or accusing him of lying.
It’s a tense moment in the chamber with Taylor and Dick going back and forth over the language, and Dick telling the opposition leader to respect the traditions of the House.
Dick says:
You’re not gonna be able to rephrase or withdraw. I’ve made it crystal–clear, yesterday and this time before. You are demeaning the dignity of this house. For 125 years, those sorts of descriptives have not been used. Traditions and conventions are important in this House of Representatives.
Out of respect for the leader of the opposition, he’s not being named. But if this continues, I will be left with no other choice.
Dick skips the entire question from the opposition.
Nick Visser
New One Nation MP asks about water security
One Nation MP David Farley from Farrer just asked a relatively practical question about Australia’s irrigated water capacity, asking if it’s “strong enough to secure Australia’s food supply” for both humans and stock operations in the event of the next prolonged drought.
The question was directed to the minister for emergency management, Kristy McBain, but she passed the baton to Tony Burke.
Burke pointed to the Murray–Darling Basin plan, saying Farley would be “more aware than most people in the chamber” that different regions had different water security concerns.
For example, in the southern areas of his electorate, there are areas which have very low water security. Whereas the licences in a place like Griffith on the Murrumbidgee tend to have very high water security.
PM grilled by s MP on ‘Greens’ demand’ on tax
There’s lots of ruling in and ruling out questions from the Coalition today, but there’s no ruling in or ruling out answers from Labor.
s MP Jamie Chaffey is next and asks Anthony Albanese if he will rule out “agreeing to the Greens’ demand to impose a tax on the family home?”
This time Albanese goes straight to the attack lines against Taylor’s answers on monoculturalism (how many times can I write monocultural in one day?).
The PM says:
I suspect that there might have been a change of mind from those opposite. Because earlier on, when the leader of the opposition gave a press conference and was asked at least six occasions about monoculturalism and whether he supported it or not, he was saying that he was opposed and they were going to reverse the legislation that’s before the Senate.
But what they’ve done is come into question time and they don’t seem to oppose anything that is going through the Senate, because what they’re doing is talking about everything but.
Chaffey tries to make a point of order on relevance because Albanese isn’t ruling in or ruling out a tax on the family home.
The speaker, Milton Dick, says the PM doesn’t have to give a yes or no answer.
Albanese spends the remainder of his time spruiking Labor’s housing policies.
Opposition ‘pining for a time which has never existed’: Albanese
It feels like every answer from the government today is going to include a swipe at the opposition leader over his language on monoculturalism.
s MP Sam Birrell asks the prime minister if he will rule out agreeing to the Greens demand to abolish the diesel fuel rebate, after his “dangerous deal” with the minor party on the tax changes.
Anthony Albanese repeats previous lines, saying that he finds it strange the opposition say the legislation “is so terrible that they had to rule out any support for it before they’d even seen it”.
Albanese then points to Taylor and calls him the “chief yapper”.
My job isn’t to give advice to this bloke, but my advice is how about you stand up to One Nation on something? How about you prepare to follow this bloke’s leadership and not bend the knee when asked questions like, “Do you support monoculturalism for Australia?” Not a complex question, because we’ve never been a monoculture …
This is pining for a time that has never existed in this country.
At the end of the answer, Liberal frontbencher Tony Pasin gets the boot from the speaker for interjecting too many times.
Nick Visser
‘One Nation tail wagging the Liberal and party dog,’ says Albanese
The claws are well and truly out today; the government is not holding back on its attacks against the Coalition and Angus Taylor’s comments (or lack thereof) on multiculturalism.
Now before Liberal MP Melissa McIntosh can even start her question, Alison Penfold, the s MP for Lyne, gets kicked out for interjecting too much.
McIntosh is asking a question now about Labor’s deal with the Greens, asking if the prime minister will rule out a demand from the party to “remove grandfathering on negative gearing”.
Albanese responds with criticism for the Coalition, pointing to the Liberal party’s pledges to repeal any tax changes should they be elected to leadership. The prime minister said:
What they chose to do was do what they consistently do, which was to just say no before they’ve seen any detail, before they’ve seen the legislation. And then now they’ve promised to repeal it.
He then goes hard on Taylor:
Unlike this leader of the opposition, who allows the One Nation tail to wag the Liberal and party dog, what we do is we stand up for our values, and our values is to make sure, make sure that grandfathering is there in negative gearing and in the changes that we’ve made.
Opposition ‘playing footsie with monoculture language’, says Chalmers
Over to the crossbench, Bob Katter asks the treasurer about the number of international students in Australia and asks how the government will handle “the financial situation arising from these appalling numbers?”
Jim Chalmers says migration numbers have dropped 45% from their peak in the aftermath of the Covid pandemic restrictions.
Then he turns his attention to the Coalition – and Angus Taylor’s attempt to “out-One Nation, One Nation” by failing to back multiculturalism in his press conference just before QT.
Taylor’s copping a bunch of flack for the answers (he was pushed by reporters more than four times but kept trying to dodge questions). Chalmers says:
If you have a look at the quite ridiculous answer, for example, that the leader of the opposition gave to a very simple question about the monoculture today, you can see that what’s going on over there.
One of the reasons why the Liberal party is dying in his arms, Mr Speaker, is because his efforts to out–One Nation One Nation are becoming increasingly pathetic.
The opposition tries to make a point of order on relevance, but because Katter is Katter, he naturally asked a question with a lot of preamble so Milton Dick says: “If you asked a question with a lot in it, you’ll get an answer with a lot.”
Chalmers then continues to stick the knife in.
This side of the house recognises in Australian values, the vast and important contribution made by multicultural Australia, Mr Speaker. Not for this side of the House, this rubbish, playing footsie with the monoculture language, being pushed around by the One Nation party.
Wilson and Chalmers clash over super funds
Tim Wilson takes to the despatch box next, asking whether Australians can ever trust the treasurer again, because he previously said that Labor had no intention of stopping self-managed super funds from being able to borrow money to buy residential properties.
Here’s what Jim Chalmers said on 20 May 2025 when asked whether Labor would support banning those limited recourse borrowing arrangements by SMSFs as part of its negotiations with the Greens.
That’s not something that we’ve been considering … no doubt there’ll be discussions in the Senate about the superannuation changes but those discussions haven’t begun.
Chalmers says the changes will be grandfathered, and then takes a swipe at Wilson:
We know the member for Goldstein doesn’t want to make it easier for first–home buyers. We know he doesn’t support our efforts to cut taxes for workers, he doesn’t support our efforts to make the tax system fairer.
David Murray was appointed by those opposite to look at these arrangements, and he said that direct borrowing by super funds is inconsistent with the objectives of superannuation to be a savings vehicle for retirement income. The Murray inquiry said a prohibition would preserve the strengths and benefits of the super system.
The opposition tries to make a point of order on relevance, saying the question was very specific (it wasn’t) which Milton Dick swats away.
Chalmers somehow ends his answer talking about petrol prices.
Albanese criticises Taylor’s response on monoculturalism as Labor MP booted from question time
Angus Taylor, having raced over from his press conference, says the prime minister has done a “dodgy” deal with the Greens to pass CGT and negative gearing changes, and asks whether Australians with a self–managed super fund will now face higher tax bills.
Anthony Albanese says the proposals are grandfathered and “consistent with other measures we’ve put forward”.
He then gets absolutely stuck into the opposition leader:
The member for Canning [Andrew Hastie] has said in his party room that he wouldn’t bend the knee to One Nation. A real contrast with the bloke, the current leader of the opposition, who – when asked a question about monoculturalism, four times – couldn’t give an answer, Mr Speaker.
The manager of opposition business, Dan Tehan, doesn’t like what he’s hearing, because the PM isn’t answering Taylor’s question, and gets up to make a point of order on relevance. Before he can even make the point, the speaker, Milton Dick, kicks out Labor backbencher Jerome Laxale for interjecting too many times.
The PM continues to dig into the Coalition:
Those opposite move a point of order about relevance when they make themselves irrelevant. Because what they do, before they even see legislation, before they see proposals, they’re against them.
Well after a pretty flat question time yesterday – a feeling shared by journalists, Labor and Liberal MPs alike – it feels a little more fiery today … at least for now.
Taylor says he can’t define multiculturalism
Angus Taylor is asked about Pauline Hanson’s comments that multiculturalism has failed and that Australia should be “monocultural”, but he says that they’re all “vague words”.
The opposition leader is tested several times by reporters at his press conference on whether the Coalition still supports multiculturalism, and whether he agrees with Hanson’s claims.
He gives a somewhat vague answer himself.
You explain to me what you mean by these – so there’s all these vague words running around, but I tell you what, the one thing I want all of us to share is those core Australian values …
We can have people from all over the world, of all races and religions in this country, but they must share those core values. I don’t know how much simpler it can be than that.
He’s not exactly separating himself from Hanson’s words. Taylor’s immigration policy includes enforcing Australia’s values statement that visa holders sign.
‘Dodgy, dishonest and dangerous deal’ between Greens and Labor, says Tim Wilson
Tim Wilson’s gone into alliteration mode in criticising the government’s deal with the Greens to pass on the contentious changes to the capital gains tax and negative gearing, calling it “dodgy, dishonest and dangerous”.
Wilson, the shadow treasurer, says he’s concerned about the details of the amended legislation.
It was a dodgy, dishonest and dangerous deal with the Greens, because what we know is that with the Greens, while they may make announcements initially, there is often a long tail of the detail that is not being revealed to the Australian people.
The Liberal leader, Angus Taylor, adds that the government over the five weeks since the budget was first handed down has “flipped and flopped” and will result in “less savings, less investment, less small businesses, less houses”.
In pictures: a look at Canberra’s corridors and courtyards of power
Catie McLeod
Following on from previous post …
The scandal began on 24 March when senator Deborah O’Neill, under parliamentary privilege, shared a whistleblower’s testimony that the consulting firm had repeatedly leaked client information internally to win lucrative contracts for audits.
Top KPMG partners Eileen Hoggett and Paul Rogers, whose resignations have been announced today, were named in parliament as having allegedly shared confidential information from a long-term audit client, Lendlease.
The whistleblower also alleged inappropriate handling of documents from Macquarie Group, Westpac and Dexus dating back to 2023, O’Neill said
KPMG initially said the allegations had not been substantiated, but in subsequent weeks determined partners had leaked Lendlease’s confidential information and another partner had made an inappropriate remark suggesting colleagues look at Dexus’ confidential information.
You can read more here:
Catie McLeod
KPMG’s interim CEO promises ‘necessary and immediate’ governance changes amid alleged leaks scandal
Back to KPMG’s alleged leaks scandal, here’s some more on the changes the consultancy firm has promised.
Today, KPMG Australia’s interim chief executive, Stan Stavros, announced the firm would undergo:
- A major governance restructure, including the appointment of its first independent chair, and additional independent directors.
- An immediate external “lessons-learned review” into the whistleblower matter and related failings
- A comprehensive action plan focused on governance, culture and ethics, and controls
He said these measures were in addition to the independent review previously announced by the commonwealth finance department, which KPMG welcomed and would cooperate with fully.
Stavros said:
The decisions announced today are necessary and immediate. We did not meet the standards expected of us, and we recognise the impact this has had on the whistleblower, our people, our clients and the community.
While these issues are serious and require decisive action, they do not define the vast majority of our Partners and people. Every day, our people act with integrity, do the right thing and deliver high-quality work for clients, communities and the public interest.
Our responsibility now is to ensure stronger systems, clearer accountability and better leadership. We will keep clients, people and stakeholders updated on our progress and hold ourselves accountable as we drive meaningful, lasting change.
Penry Buckley
NSW treasurer addresses parliament as budget handed down
The NSW treasurer, Daniel Mookhey, is speaking to parliament as he hands down this year’s state budget.
Mookhey says this year’s budget has been “driven by our people’s concerns”:
The concerns of our families who today pay more for their mortgages; more for their groceries; more for their fuel; and more every time a bill arrives.
The cares of our workers and businesses, who have seen a war on the other side of the world push up the price of oil; and the price of oil push up the price of nearly everything else”.
As part of this year’s budget, which will see the state deliver a deficit of $2.3bn in 2026-27, amid the global oil shock and rising interest rates, the government has introduced modest cost-of-living measures, including a freeze on public transport fares over 12 months.
You can read the full story here:
Over in the Senate, standing orders were suspended earlier to move a motion to delay the response to the NDIS inquiry.
As part of negotiations with Labor to support the negative gearing and capital gains tax changes, the Greens secured an eight-week extension to a Senate inquiry into the NDIS changes and several amendments.
Greens senator Jordon Steele-John moved the motion to push back the inquiry’s due date to 14 August.
Fuel excise extension and NDIS delays will cost budget ‘a few hundred million dollars’
Before the press conference wraps up, the treasurer is asked how much money the fuel excise cut extension (announced last week) and the delay to the NDIS reforms will cost the budget.
The answer: the fuel excise extension will cost around $400m – which Jim Chalmers says the states and territories will chip in for.
On the NDIS changes, Chalmers doesn’t have an exact number, but it’s certainly not chump change.
The NDIS minister, Mark Butler, has indicated the NDIS cost is in the order of a few hundred million dollars.
