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Canavan says ‘humbling’ to be elected s leader
Matt Canavan is addressing reporters, having just been elected the leader of the s after a ballot this morning.
The Queensland senator is flanked by his entire party room, and thanks David Littleproud for his service to the party.
Canavan gives us a bit of a forward sizzle on his priorities.
It’s extremely humbling to be elected the leader of this great party … It’s been a tough time, and I know more than anyone else how tough it can be in this game. But David has left everything out on the paddock.
We need to have more Australian everything … We need more Australian babies. We need more Australian humour, more Australian jokes. We need more Australian barbecues, sometimes often fuelled by fossil fuels. We need more Australian everything. We don’t need to look overseas for our solutions.
He thanks his new deputy leader, Darren Chester and says Bridget McKenzie, who also put her hat in the ring, will remain leader of the party in the Senate.
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Penry Buckley
NSW attorney general won’t say if cabinet ignored own advice about protest policing
The NSW attorney general, Michael Daley, has refused to say if the government ignored the advice of its own national security expert before passing controversial laws restricting protests following the Bondi Beach terror attack.
Leaked documents have revealed the NSW cabinet office national security executive director, Alexandra Caples, provided advice the week after the Bondi attack on tackling incitement to violence and hatred, warning that heavy-handed policing might alienate communities and could even “increase the risk of radicalisation”.
Following the attack, the government rushed through controversial public assembly restriction declaration laws giving the police power to drastically limit protests, now subject to a constitutional challenge,. The laws were in place during last month’s protest against the visit by Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, which saw several protesters charged with public order offences, and has prompted an independent investigation into alleged police brutality.
In a heated exchange at NSW budget estimates this morning, Daley was asked by Greens justice spokesperson Sue Higginson about the advice provided to cabinet. He says he won’t publicly discuss “what advice may or may not have been given to cabinet”, but goes on to say:
I can’t, for the life of me, see how the premier’s saying to the people of NSW, I want this summer to be a summer of peace and not a summer of protest, please turn down the temperature, please be respectful, please don’t come into the city or to Bondi in big numbers and congregate and protest ... I can’t see how anyone in passing laws that mirror those objectives and sentiments ... someone would say that’s going to contribute to radicalisation.
‘I’ve got a different job to do as leader’: Canavan
Matt Canavan is a senator who has crossed the floor against the Coalition multiple times from the backbench, and spoken out – a freedom he won’t be afforded as s leader.
A reporter asks how he’ll balance being outspoken with his leadership role.
Canavan says he now has a different job, and backs his previous actions.
I’ve got a different job to do as leader, and I’ll commit myself to do that. Number one, though, the party has been back for months now, we, a few months ago, resolved to dump this crazy idea that we get to net zero emissions by 2050 and look here. So I stood against that. I stood by my convictions. But we are back now fighting for the use of Australian resources, fighting for a lower cost of living for Australians.
On that campaign against net zero, Canavan is asked about the people particularly in cities who are concerned about climate change and the environment.
Canavan says the focus should be on lowering energy prices, and points out that he too has solar panels, as my excellent colleague Sarah Martin reported on this week.
Did you see the news? Greg, I have solar panels. Who’s from the Guardian here? They’ve reported that the other day.
I will focus on and fight for what is right in terms of the substance of your question. All I stood for, all I’ve argued for which we’re all doing right now as a s and Liberal team is that we use all of our god given resources for the benefit of the Australian people.
Canavan says ‘humbling’ to be elected s leader
Matt Canavan is addressing reporters, having just been elected the leader of the s after a ballot this morning.
The Queensland senator is flanked by his entire party room, and thanks David Littleproud for his service to the party.
Canavan gives us a bit of a forward sizzle on his priorities.
It’s extremely humbling to be elected the leader of this great party … It’s been a tough time, and I know more than anyone else how tough it can be in this game. But David has left everything out on the paddock.
We need to have more Australian everything … We need more Australian babies. We need more Australian humour, more Australian jokes. We need more Australian barbecues, sometimes often fuelled by fossil fuels. We need more Australian everything. We don’t need to look overseas for our solutions.
He thanks his new deputy leader, Darren Chester and says Bridget McKenzie, who also put her hat in the ring, will remain leader of the party in the Senate.
Catie McLeod
Popstar Katy Perry loses trademark battle with Australian designer Katie Perry
Leaving federal politics for a moment, US popstar Katy Perry, born Katheryn Hudson, lost her legal battle to trademark merchandise sold in Australia under her stage name.
A High Court decision today concludes a long-running dispute that escalated when Sydney designer Katie Taylor, who was born Katie Perry and sold clothes under her birth name, sued the singer in October 2019.
In a majority decision, the High Court today found the designer’s mark - registered in 2008 - was not likely to cause confusion regardless of the singer’s reputation at the time, and was not in breach of the trademark laws.
The designer won in the first instance in 2023, with the federal court finding the singer’s label, Kitty Purry, had engaged in trademark infringement during her 2014 Australian tour.
Hudson had applied - by way of a cross-claim - for the designer’s trademark to be cancelled, alleging that she’d already had a big enough reputation in Australia in 2008 that meant Taylor’s label would be “likely to deceive or cause confusion”.
However, the designer lost on appeal in 2024, when three appeal judges unanimously overturned the original findings and upheld Hudson’s cross-claim, ordering that Taylor’s trademark be deregistered.
Today, the High Court overturned the appeal judges’ decision and awarded costs to Taylor.
Government’s migration bill passes the House
The government has quickly gotten it’s migration bill through the House this morning with the support of the Coalition.
Crossbenchers tried to move amendments to the bill, but they weren’t supported by the government or opposition.
The migration bill will now go to the Senate where it will also be able to pass through fairly quickly with Coalition numbers.
Adam Morton
‘Virtually no moderates left in the Liberal party’: Turnbull
Malcolm Turnbull also told the Climate Action Week Sydney event that he would be “amazed” if the Liberal party didn’t do a preference deal with Pauline Hanson’s One Nation in a bid to hold the seat vacated by former leader Sussan Ley, but it would be “poisonous for Liberal candidates in city electorates” if it did.
He said there were “virtually no moderates left in the Liberal party”.
Reflecting on the party’s shift to the right since losing its once-safe urban seats in 2022, and the right-wing media’s push for it to move away from the centre, he said: “These guys have got a death wish.”
Turnbull says he’d like to see Allegra Spender as treasurer
Adam Morton
Former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has praised the teal independent MPs as “some of the smartest people that have ever gone into the federal parliament” and said her would like to see them as part of a government – and Allegra Spender as treasurer.
Speaking at a Climate Action Week Sydney event, Turnbull said of the community independents supported by the Climate 200 fundraising organisation that “there isn’t one of them whose inclusion into any cabinet I have been a member of would not materially increase the average intellect of the room”.
Here’s my concern: I want to see Monique Ryan, Allegra Spender … Kate Chaney, any and all of them, I want to see them on the frontbench. I want to see Allegra Spender talking about tax as the treasurer of Australia, not simply as a brilliant independent …
That’s the challenge that awaits us. How does the community independent movement, how does the great centrist, progressive sort of political movement that you’ve got, how does that form an alternative and then, ultimately, a government?
Turnbull said he was not saying the independents “must form a party, or something like that”.
I’m just saying to you [that you are] ultimately putting some of the smartest people that have ever gone into the federal parliament into the federal parliament. And I would love to see them on the frontbench.
Students told to ‘pause’ Naplan tests after widespread tech problem
Caitlin Cassidy
Primary and secondary students have been told to “pause” Naplan testing after widespread technology issues with its online platform.
In a statement on Wednesday morning, the Australian, Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (Acara) said it was “aware of a widespread issue affecting students being able to log on to the online platform to complete their Naplan assessments”.
This issue is being urgently investigated by our technology provider, Education Services Australia, who run the platform. Schools have been advised to pause testing while this is being investigated.
Acara said schools were being provided with support and advice to minimise impacts on students. About 1.4 million students are expected to complete this year’s Naplan tests, which transitioned online in 2022.
s elect Matt Canavan to replace Littleproud as leader
Matt Canavan will be the new leader of the s, following David Littleproud’s decision to resign yesterday afternoon.
s MP for Gippsland Darren Chester is elected the deputy.
s whip Michelle Landry announced the results – but doesn’t tell us the vote numbers.
She says:
I think it’s important we’ve got strong leadership in our party and we thank David Littleproud for the amazing job that he’s done. A mighty battle coming up ahead of us, we’ve got two years to get ourselves up in the polls.
Patrick Commins
Spender says tax capital more, workers less
Independent MP Allegra Spender says our tax system is “no longer fit for purpose”, as she releases a reform plan that would tax the owners of capital more and deliver tax relief for working Australians.
Spender’s plan would cut the lowest marginal tax rate from 16% to 13%, and chop 2.5 percentage points of the other marginal rates.
To pay for the tax breaks: the capital gains tax discount would be cut from 50% to 30%; negative gearing would be offset against other investment earnings rather than wages income; there would be a minimum 27.5% tax rate on all investment income; and super earnings thresholds would be linked more closely with income tax thresholds.
“The current tax system is exacerbating intergenerational inequity,” Spender said.
The teal MP will use a Press Club address today to highlight the inequities of a system using a full-time worker on the median salary of $100,000 a year.
Earned as a salary you pay $23,000 in tax, split through a family trust you pay $13,000, earn it as capital gain you pay $7,000, and earn it from your super balance in retirement, you pay no tax at all.
Does it really make sense that the tax burden falls most heavily on younger people struggling to get established – who are likely also paying rent, saving for a deposit, raising children, and paying down HELP debts?
Scott Morrison cleared of serious corrupt conduct over robodebt scandal
Sarah Basford Canales
Former prime minister, Scott Morrison, was one of the six people robodebt royal commissioner, Catherine Holmes, referred to the Anti-Corruption Commission.
The final report, released this morning, found two officials – Mark Withnell and Serena Wilson – had engaged in serious corrupt conduct.
The report found the other four, however, did not. The other four names referred to the Nacc included Morrison, Kathryn Campbell, Annette Musolino and Catherine Halbert.
Morrison’s failure to realise the bureaucratic advice was misleading, the report found, was due to both the social services and human services departments failing to advise him and other ministers that new laws were needed.
Campbell was one of two named by the Australia Public Service Commission in 2024 after it found 12 public servants, including Campbell and former department head Renée Leon, breached the code of conduct 97 times during their involvement in the robodebt program.
Government promises to release sealed chapter of robodebt royal commission report
The government has acknowledged the release of the Anti-Corruption Commission’s findings and has promised to release the sealed chapter of the robodebt royal commission final report.
When presenting the final report, the commissioner Catherine Holmes had recommended an additional chapter “remain sealed and not be tabled with the rest of the report so as not to prejudice the conduct of any future civil action or criminal prosecution”.
In a statement, the government has said now that the anti-corruption commission’s investigation is complete, along with other investigation processes following the royal commission, the government will table the sealed chapter.
The attorney general, Michelle Rowland, thanked the Nacc for undertaking the work:
The illegal robodebt scheme was a betrayal of everyday Australians, resulting in human tragedy and untold misery.
The royal commission was clear in its findings, and we must work to ensure this can never occur again.
Nacc publishes report on robodebt, finds two individuals engaged in serious corrupt conduct
Sarah Basford Canales
Two of the robodebt six have been found to have engaged in serious corrupt conduct, while the other four did not engage in corrupt conduct, an independent Anti-Corruption Commission report has found.
The findings relate to the development, approval and implementation of the robodebt scheme in 2015, 2017 and 2018.
The commission named former human services department official Mark Withnell had intentionally misled Department of Social Services officers during the preparation of a cabinet submission in 2015.
The former social services deputy secretary Serena Wilson was found to have engaged in serious corrupt conduct by intentionally misleading the Commonwealth Ombudsman during an investigation in 2017.
The Nacc’s deputy commissioner, Kylie Kilgour, said publishing the report “provides transparency as to how those conclusions were reached”.
In pictures: the s walk into party room for leadership vote
Sarah Basford Canales
Greens attempt to suspend standing order in Senate
Over in the Senate, Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi attempted to suspend the standing orders over a motion to note the “dangerous normalisation and escalation of anti-Muslim hate in political rhetoric, media commentary and public discourse”.
The motion comes as we near the seventh anniversary of the Christchurch mosque massacre, which is also recognised as the Day to Combat Islamophobia.
Faruqi said:
The use of language and rhetoric to distort, diminish, dehumanise and demonise us has only escalated. The prime minister will happily turn up at Ramadan festivals and markets and use us as video props for his performative solidarity. But ... when it comes to standing unequivocally against Islamophobia, taking action to protect Muslims, acting in urgency, there is absolutely no movement.
The Labor senator, Murray Watt, stood up afterwards to say:
Well, yet again, we see the Greens political party focus on launching political attacks over their political enemies over social cohesion. This motion that has been tabled by senator Faruqi was first circulated minutes before we began today, demonstrating that the Greens political party had no intention of working with anyone else in this chamber to seek agreement. This government strongly resists and opposes Islamophobia, and I encourage anyone to look at the government’s record to see the evidence of that ... If the Greens political party want, in future, to seek to work with us, rather than dump a motion on us just before we begin, we’d be happy to discuss with them.
The motion was ultimately voted down by the major parties and the Senate moved on.
s meet to vote on new leader
The s are walking into their party room to decide on a new leader.
So far, deputy leader Kevin Hogan, and senators Bridget McKenzie and Matt Canavan have put their hat in the ring.
David Littleproud, who resigned as leader yesterday saying he was “buggered”, walks into the room alone. As does McKenzie.
The meeting starts at 10am.
House of Representatives begins voting on migration bill amendments
Over in the House this morning, the crossbench are moving multiple amendments to the government’s migration bill.
So far they don’t have the support of the government or the Coalition.
The Coalition met with the government to discuss the bill this morning, and will support it.
Tony Burke was asked this morning why the government is moving so quickly to get this legislation through, after introducing it yesterday and calling a snap Senate inquiry hearing. He said:
The moment you announce this sort of legislation is there, you get a potential behavioural change, you get a potential window where people say, well, if I was going to come for a permanent reason, better get in there quickly. And so you can actually create the opposite problem if legislation goes slowly, and I’ve been grateful to the opposition for the conversations quietly we’ve been able to have while we made a decision.
Iranian women’s football team arrives in Kuala Lumpur
After their departure from Sydney airport, the Iranian women’s football team have been spotted at Kuala Lumpur airport on their way back to Iran.
Queensland electorates to be stripped of Aboriginal names in draft redistribution
Andrew Messenger
Two Queensland electorates would be abolished, and 19 renamed under a draft redistribution plan released by the state’s independent commission yesterday.
Several electorates would be stripped of Aboriginal names, including Maiwar (to become Indooroopilly) and Oodgeroo (to become Cleveland). The electorate of Cook, named after Capt James Cook, will retain the name.
The Queensland redistribution commission said it would “resume the longstanding practice of naming electorates after geographical places”, and “rename electorates which were named after persons or have geographical place names that lack voter recognition or are no longer suitable”.
Bancroft would become Deception Bay, Miller Annerley, Bonney Labrador, Nicklin Nambour, Bundamba Redbank, Ninderry Coolum, Chatsworth Carindale, Oodgeroo Cleveland, Coomera Pimpama, Scenic Rim Beaudesert, Cooper Ashgrove, Theodore Oxenford, Jordan Greenbank, Toohey Eight Mile Plains, Macalister Beenleigh, Traeger Flinders, Maiwar Indooroopilly, Waterford Marsden and McConnel would become Brisbane Central
New electorates are proposed to be created; Caboolture north of Brisbane and Springfield in the city’s south.
The north Queensland electorate of Hill, held by the Katters’ Australian Party, would be abolished, absorbed into three neighbouring electorates, and the Labor-held southern Brisbane seat of Stretton would be amalgamated into Algester and Eight Mile Plains.
