‘Dismal': Coalition polls at historic lows while Labor faces controversy over tax reforms
'The rather dismal business of our own national political scene as politicians return to Canberra, ready for the first parliamentary sitting period of the second term of the Albanese Labor government,' Mr Kenny said.
The Coalition is vowing to be a strong Opposition amid fears of rising taxes.
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Sydney Morning Herald
14 minutes ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
The Albanese government wants the Gaza war to end now. So do most Israelis
The Albanese government wants the war in Gaza to end immediately. So do the vast majority of Israelis, not that you'd necessarily know that from Australia's tribal and often frustratingly simplistic domestic political debate. Australia and 27 other countries this week signed a joint statement arguing that 'the war in Gaza must end now' and condemning the Netanyahu government's aid delivery model. Israel's foreign ministry and ambassador to Australia criticised the statement, as did the Coalition and local pro-Israel groups. 'All statements and all claims should be directed at the only party responsible for the lack of a deal for the release of hostages and a ceasefire: Hamas, which started this war and is prolonging it,' the Israeli foreign ministry said. In Israel itself, however, the idea that the war has gone on for far too long is utterly mainstream. As is the idea that the Netanyahu government bears at least partial responsibility for the failure to bring it to an end. A poll last week released this month by Israel's highest-rating television network, Channel 12, found that three quarters of Israelis want the war to end in exchange for a deal that would release all the remaining hostages at once. This included 60 per cent of people who voted for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's conservative coalition. A majority of Israeli voters said that Netanyahu's handling of the war has been bad, and 49 per cent believe he is resisting a comprehensive ceasefire and hostage release deal for political reasons. These findings reflect repeated polls over many months showing most Israelis are fed up with the war in Gaza. Similarly, during a reporting trip to Israel last month, photographer Kate Geraghty and I found a pervasive fatigue with the war and an overwhelming desire to secure a hostage release deal. 'Finish it, it's enough,' car salesman and passionate Netanyahu supporter Ronen Sha'a Shua told us, reflecting a common sentiment. 'We can't move on until our hostages come back.' Loading Asked about the joint statement signed by Australia, Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said the 'most important' thing was rescuing the 50 hostages that remain in Gaza, of whom around 20 are believed to be alive. Most Israelis agree. Crucially, though, they believe that the war is hindering rather than helping secure the release of the hostages. The most passionate Israeli advocates for ending the war are the family members of the remaining hostages in Gaza. Many of these relatives are also fierce critics of Netanyahu, whom they believe has made the release of their loved ones a low priority and has continued the war to placate the far-right members of his governing coalition. Convinced that lobbying the Netanyahu government is an almost futile effort, many have turned to pleading with US President Donald Trump to secure the release of the hostages.
The Age
14 minutes ago
- The Age
The Albanese government wants the Gaza war to end now. So do most Israelis
The Albanese government wants the war in Gaza to end immediately. So do the vast majority of Israelis, not that you'd necessarily know that from Australia's tribal and often frustratingly simplistic domestic political debate. Australia and 27 other countries this week signed a joint statement arguing that 'the war in Gaza must end now' and condemning the Netanyahu government's aid delivery model. Israel's foreign ministry and ambassador to Australia criticised the statement, as did the Coalition and local pro-Israel groups. 'All statements and all claims should be directed at the only party responsible for the lack of a deal for the release of hostages and a ceasefire: Hamas, which started this war and is prolonging it,' the Israeli foreign ministry said. In Israel itself, however, the idea that the war has gone on for far too long is utterly mainstream. As is the idea that the Netanyahu government bears at least partial responsibility for the failure to bring it to an end. A poll last week released this month by Israel's highest-rating television network, Channel 12, found that three quarters of Israelis want the war to end in exchange for a deal that would release all the remaining hostages at once. This included 60 per cent of people who voted for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's conservative coalition. A majority of Israeli voters said that Netanyahu's handling of the war has been bad, and 49 per cent believe he is resisting a comprehensive ceasefire and hostage release deal for political reasons. These findings reflect repeated polls over many months showing most Israelis are fed up with the war in Gaza. Similarly, during a reporting trip to Israel last month, photographer Kate Geraghty and I found a pervasive fatigue with the war and an overwhelming desire to secure a hostage release deal. 'Finish it, it's enough,' car salesman and passionate Netanyahu supporter Ronen Sha'a Shua told us, reflecting a common sentiment. 'We can't move on until our hostages come back.' Loading Asked about the joint statement signed by Australia, Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said the 'most important' thing was rescuing the 50 hostages that remain in Gaza, of whom around 20 are believed to be alive. Most Israelis agree. Crucially, though, they believe that the war is hindering rather than helping secure the release of the hostages. The most passionate Israeli advocates for ending the war are the family members of the remaining hostages in Gaza. Many of these relatives are also fierce critics of Netanyahu, whom they believe has made the release of their loved ones a low priority and has continued the war to placate the far-right members of his governing coalition. Convinced that lobbying the Netanyahu government is an almost futile effort, many have turned to pleading with US President Donald Trump to secure the release of the hostages.
ABC News
14 minutes ago
- ABC News
How Labor's new bill to strip unsafe childcare centres of funding would work
A proposal to strip childcare centres of federal funding has been introduced to parliament. It is one of the re-elected Albanese government's first items of legislation, accelerated in the wake of the shocking allegations against former childcare worker Joshua Brown. It could lead to the effective forced closure of childcare centres that cannot guarantee child safety. Here's how that would work. Like many sectors in Australia, responsibility for child care is split between federal and state governments. States are largely responsible for monitoring the quality and safety of centres, which are mostly run by for-profit companies and not-for-profit organisations. But the federal government provides the money via parents, in the form of the Child Care Subsidy — effectively a "voucher" parents can use on accredited providers. This bill does not propose a federal takeover of quality or safety regulation — that will continue to be done by state auditors in line with their own existing rules. But it does give the secretary of the Department of Education broad discretion to deny or revoke subsidy eligibility from providers if they fall short. Given the centres' business model relies on receiving the subsidy, that would effectively force them to close. For large providers, it could also prevent them from adding new centres. In making such a decision, the legislation would allow the secretary to consider past and present assessments from the states, including whether they meet national quality standards or are graded as "working towards" them. The secretary can also consider any serious incidents or allegations, complaints, or anything else deemed relevant. The legislation sets out a process involving warnings and infringement notices, leading up to suspension of funding. A similar process already exists to strip funding from centres for reasons like fraud, but not for quality and safety — although state regulators can currently shut centres when there are serious threats. The bill leaves significant room for discretion and does not detail the thresholds the secretary must use to make a decision or directly define circumstances where funding must be revoked. It does not specify whether multiple breaches or just one breach are required, and in fact leaves open the possibility a centre could be denied funding on the basis of potential harms rather than past breaches. Education Minister Jason Clare told the ABC's News Breakfast his intention was to focus on centres "that are repeatedly failing to meet [the] minimum standards" and that withholding funding would have significant consequences for non-compliant centres, but also said an action "could be as simple as one" breach. "It is the biggest weapon that we have got to wield here," he said. "Taxpayers provide about $16 billion to childcare centres every year. That represents about 70 per cent of the funding to run a centre … They cannot operate without [subsidies]." The bill also gives the secretary of education greater powers to order spot checks and unscheduled visits to childcare centres. Consistent with their current role, federal auditors visiting sites will focus on fraud rather than quality or safety, which remains the purview of state regulators, but the federal auditors will be able to pass on to the states any safety concerns they observe. Mr Clare said Labor had been working "really professionally and constructively" with the opposition and had also briefed the Greens, signalling hope for broad co-operation to pass the legislation.
