Australia news LIVE: Albanese to embark on new agenda as parliament returns; Australia and allies condemn Israel over Gaza deaths; Labor grilled on Xi meeting
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6.46am
Voters wary of surprise reform in Albanese's second term
By Shane Wright
Voters are lukewarm to any surprise reforms from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, clearly oppose change to the GST and want the Coalition to work more closely with the government to reach consensus on new policies rather than oppose them outright.
The exclusive survey of more than 2300 people also shows Australians want the government to address issues around health and housing, with two-in-five prepared to make some sort of personal sacrifice to improve the nation.
The poll, conducted by Resolve Strategic for this masthead, shows 36 per cent of those polled believe the government should use its record majority in the House of Representatives to undertake 'major reforms'. But 32 per cent are opposed to such a move and believe it should stick to its mandate while 32 per cent are unsure.
Albanese dismisses suggestion that Xi meeting should be explained to Trump
By Paul Sakkal
Anthony Albanese has dismissed a suggestion that his ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd, should explain to the Trump administration the prime minister's intimate meeting with Xi Jinping, details of which were revealed in this masthead.
Host of the ABC's 7.30 program Sarah Ferguson spent the first portion of her interview with Albanese on Monday night asking about last week's lunch in Beijing.
This masthead reported on Monday that the pair discussed their upbringing and global outlook in a humour-filled discussion that Albanese said had fostered 'an element of trust'.
Asked if US officials had raised any questions about closer relations between Albanese and China's paramount leader, Albanese said 'No'.
Here's a section of the exchange:
Ferguson: 'Can I come back to that question of trust? Because I do think it's an unusual word that you've used and I want to know what you think that that word means, apart from having a slightly advanced, developed relationship with him. Would he, for example, take a phone call from you in the event of a crisis blowing up over Taiwan to discourage him from invading or blockading Taiwan?'
Albanese: 'Well, that's a hypothetical which I'm not going to go into. But I have said before that anything that he has said to me has been fulfilled. There hasn't been any breaches of personal commitments that he has given to me. That doesn't mean he's agreed with everything that I've put forward - far from it. But I'd rather that than someone on an international level saying, 'Yep, we can do all that', and then doing the opposite.'
Ferguson: 'So you trust him that, when he says something, he's going to keep his word?'
Albanese: 'I have no reason to point to any breach that has occurred up to this point.'
Ferguson: 'That's about the past, what about the future?'
Albanese: 'Well, all I can do is talk about the past. I can just talk about facts rather than going forward - we don't know what it will bring. We know there are significant differences. China and Australia have different political systems. We have different values. We have our alliance with the United States which is very important.'
6.35am
What's making news today
By Daniel Lo Surdo
Hello and welcome to the national news live blog. My name is Daniel Lo Surdo, and I'll be helming our live coverage this morning.
Here's what is making news today:
Federal parliament will sit for the first time since Labor's thumping election victory in May. First speeches by new MPs and other ceremonial pomp is expected to dominate proceedings on Tuesday, while childcare reform and student debt cuts remain atop the government agenda for the first sitting week. It comes as Anthony Albanese warned his new caucus to maintain the same level of discipline it displayed in the previous parliamentary term amid concerns of hubris.
Australia has joined 24 other nations to condemn Israel over the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians seeking aid, calling on it to lift restrictions to food and medical supplies and urging an immediate end to the conflict. The joint statement, signed by Foreign Minister Penny Wong, accused Israel of an 'unacceptable' denial of humanitarian aid and warned they were prepared to take action to help bring about a ceasefire.
A Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft crashed into a school in the capital Dhaka shortly after takeoff on Monday afternoon, catching fire and killing the pilot and at least 19 other people, most of whom were students, officials said. Another 171 students were rescued after sustaining injuries from the crash, with some whisked away by helicopters and motorised rickshaws.
The Australian sharemarket is expected to rise on Tuesday after finishing 1 per cent lower on Monday. It comes as Wall Street grew ahead of a week full of profit updates which are expected to be positive despite pressure from President Donald Trump's tariff agenda. The ASX's financial sector lost 2.4 per cent on Monday, with Westpac, ANZ and Commonwealth Bank among the biggest losers.
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7NEWS
2 minutes ago
- 7NEWS
HECS and childcare Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's first order of business as parliament returns
Through church services, smoking ceremonies and ceremonial dragging of MPs, the 48th federal parliament has been opened in a flurry of pomp and ceremony. Veteran MPs and fresh-faced senators gathered in Canberra on Tuesday for the formal opening of parliament before official business could get under way. The day began with an ecumenical service at a Wesley Uniting Church, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promising to get down to business quickly. 'Every day is an opportunity to deliver for Australians and this week we will have legislation to do that,' he told reporters outside the church. 'We'll continue to work hard each and every day in the interest of Australians.' Albanese will command a large majority in his second term as leader, with Labor holding 94 of the 150 seats in the House of Representatives. The size of the majority was on display on the floor of parliament for the first time since the election, with Labor MPs now sitting on both sides of the aisle in the lower house. Across the chamber, Opposition Leader Sussan Ley will preside over just 43 lower-house MPs after an election wipeout for the coalition. 'We got smashed at the last election and the number of seats that we now hold is a demonstration that we are at a low point,' Ley said. 'But we're here to work hard, we're here to put the interests of the Australian people that we come here to represent front and centre. 'And we know that aspiration connects every single threat of Australian society.' After a ceremonial Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony on the forecourt of Parliament House, MPs and senators were one-by-one sworn in at their respective chambers. Business soon turned to the election of a speaker for the House of Representatives. Labor MP Milton Dick was re-elected to the role with bipartisan support before he was ceremonially dragged to the speaker's chair by MPs. The prime minister said Dick would continue to conduct the role with 'fairness, with humour and with intellect'. The returning speaker said it was a 'profound honour' to carry on in the position. 'My view is the role of speaker is not one of partisanship, but of stewardship, and it's my solemn responsibility to ensure that democracy is not only practiced here, but it's strengthened here,' Dick said. In the Senate, Sue Lines was re-elected as president of the chamber, but not before One Nation leader Pauline Hanson's surprise nomination of political rival David Pocock for the position. The independent ACT senator declined the nomination. Later, Governor-General Sam Mostyn will deliver a speech in the Senate outlining the priorities of the term, followed by a ceremonial 19-gun salute. Legislation due to be introduced in the first week of parliament includes a 20 per cent reduction in HECS debt for university students, penalty rate protections and increased safety measures at childcare centres. The coalition is still reviewing many of the policies it took to the election, but the opposition has flagged it is likely to support the student debt reduction measures, along with childcare protection laws. The Greens, who hold the balance of power in the upper house, are set to introduce a private senators bill to reform Australia's main environment laws. Labor's main policies The Albanese government will look to implement a long list of promises it made at the election when parliament resumes. COST OF LIVING: $1,000 tax deductions from 2026-27 for work-related expenses. Cap prescription medication at $25 and $7.70 for concession cardholders. HOUSING: Five per cent deposits and 100,000 new homes for first-home buyers. Electricity bill rebates of $75 per household for the final quarters of 2025. HEALTH: $8.5 billion over four years for Medicare to expand bulk-billing and create 50 extra urgent care clinics. Free mental health services, new training facilities for professionals, upgrading mental health centres and improvements to mental health organisation Headspace. GENDER: $573 million in funding for women's health, including spending on long-term contraceptives and expanding endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics. Men's mental health support measures, which will include training for primary health care workers and support programs. CHILDCARE: Three days of subsidised child care for every family. A $1 billion fund to build new childcare centres. EDUCATION: 20 per cent off HECS debt for university students and graduates. 100,000 fee-free TAFE placements. DEFENCE: Grow defence spending by $50.3 billion over the next decade, expanding spending from 2 per cent of GDP to 2.33 per cent by 2033/34.
Perth Now
2 minutes ago
- Perth Now
Solemn reflection as welcome ceremony spurs unity call
Australia's Indigenous history has been celebrated on the first day of parliament with traditional ceremonies sparking pledges to progress reconciliation. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Sussan Ley sat side-by-side while Ngunnawal elder Serena Williams led a traditional dance in parliament's Great Hall. Aunty Violet Sheridan said her's was "a culture of strength, of resilience and of deep wisdom" as she delivered the welcome to country ahead of the official start of the 48th parliament following Labor's re-election in May. "In keeping in the spirit of friendship and reconciliation, it gives me great pleasure to welcome you all here once again to Ngunnawal country," she said on Tuesday. The prime minister, flanked by son Nathan and fiancee Jodie, and Ms Ley were then escorted to the Parliament House forecourt for the official smoking ceremony performed by Ngunnawal elder Warren Daley. Uncle Warren lauded the show of unity and said it was important to have such ceremonies to start parliament every year. "It would be a good thing, they all come together which is a good thing," he told AAP after the ceremony. The ceremony was also important for his community as it made them "damn proud as Ngunnawal people", he said. Mr Albanese said the welcome to country ceremony was a powerful way to begin the new parliament and an opportunity to reflect on Australia's history. "With every step, we feel the echoes through history, the footsteps nearly a century distant from us now of every First Nations person who trekked to the opening of the first Parliament House down the hill," he said. Mr Albanese also issued a veiled swipe at the stance of former opposition leader Peter Dutton and some coalition MPs who branded welcome to country and acknowledgement of country proclamations as divisive and overdone. "Like a lot of the more positive things about our nation, we shouldn't take it for granted," Mr Albanese said, adding the ceremony was not controversial and "nor should it be". Ms Ley said the ceremony opening the new parliament should "set the tone as we re-commit ourselves to the taking of practical action to improve lives and expand opportunity for Indigenous Australians in every part of our great country". The story of Indigenous Australians was one "unlike any other with an ancient culture" and the new parliament had a chance to add to it through lasting change, she said. "Let us approach that work with resolve and with a shared commitment to real and lasting progress," Ms Ley said. "That work of listening, of acting and of striving for better is at the heart of reconciliation and our national story."
The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
'Unusual': the traditions behind parliament's opening
Dragging MPs, knocking on doors with giant rods and senators in the wrong chamber doesn't sound like a usual day at Parliament House. But on the opening day, traditions dating back hundreds of years defined the procedures. The House of Representatives and Senate met on Tuesday for the first time since Labor's election win, but before any debate on legislation took place, parliamentary rituals had to be taken care of first. Parliament was opened up by High Court Chief Justice Stephen Gageler, with all MPs and senators packed into the upper house for the occasion, before returning their respective chambers to be sworn in. Business then turned to electing a Speaker of the House of Representatives and a Senate president. Traditionally, once a Speaker is elected, they are dragged to the speaker's chair by other MPs. The dragging tradition dates back to the early days of the British parliament, when people were reluctantly elected to the role due to predecessors being executed or imprisoned due to the monarch not agreeing with the British parliament's outcome. House of Representatives Speaker Milton Dick took part in the ceremonial dragging when he was appointed to the role in 2022, and retained his prominent role in parliament. "When (the traditions) occur for the first time, people see them and they may seem a little unusual," he told AAP. "This is what our democracy has been built on. They signify some of the foundations of our parliament." Later in the day, the Usher of the Black Rod, will knock on the door of the House of Representatives three times to invite MPs to the Senate for a speech by Governor-General Sam Mostyn. The address will outline the priorities of the government during the upcoming three-year term. The speech can't happen in the House of Representatives due to a convention dating back to 1642, when King Charles I went into British parliament and tried to arrest five people but was unsuccessful. Since then, any figure related to the crown such as the Governor General is not allowed in the lower house. Despite the British traditions on display on parliament's opening day, Australian customs were also part of the mix. The day began with a welcome to country and Indigenous smoking ceremony. Senate president Sue Lines said the Indigenous elements of the day were an important part of parliament's opening. "It's important for me and very symbolic that we back our own traditions and acknowledge First Nations (people), and we also have the quirky bits of the Westminster system," Senator Lines told AAP. "These traditions also reinforce the different roles that the House of Representatives and the Senate has, and sometimes that's a bit lost because we get into the argument and debate." Official business will get under way later on Tuesday with maiden speeches by MPs before proposed laws are debated on Wednesday. Dragging MPs, knocking on doors with giant rods and senators in the wrong chamber doesn't sound like a usual day at Parliament House. But on the opening day, traditions dating back hundreds of years defined the procedures. The House of Representatives and Senate met on Tuesday for the first time since Labor's election win, but before any debate on legislation took place, parliamentary rituals had to be taken care of first. Parliament was opened up by High Court Chief Justice Stephen Gageler, with all MPs and senators packed into the upper house for the occasion, before returning their respective chambers to be sworn in. Business then turned to electing a Speaker of the House of Representatives and a Senate president. Traditionally, once a Speaker is elected, they are dragged to the speaker's chair by other MPs. The dragging tradition dates back to the early days of the British parliament, when people were reluctantly elected to the role due to predecessors being executed or imprisoned due to the monarch not agreeing with the British parliament's outcome. House of Representatives Speaker Milton Dick took part in the ceremonial dragging when he was appointed to the role in 2022, and retained his prominent role in parliament. "When (the traditions) occur for the first time, people see them and they may seem a little unusual," he told AAP. "This is what our democracy has been built on. They signify some of the foundations of our parliament." Later in the day, the Usher of the Black Rod, will knock on the door of the House of Representatives three times to invite MPs to the Senate for a speech by Governor-General Sam Mostyn. The address will outline the priorities of the government during the upcoming three-year term. The speech can't happen in the House of Representatives due to a convention dating back to 1642, when King Charles I went into British parliament and tried to arrest five people but was unsuccessful. Since then, any figure related to the crown such as the Governor General is not allowed in the lower house. Despite the British traditions on display on parliament's opening day, Australian customs were also part of the mix. The day began with a welcome to country and Indigenous smoking ceremony. Senate president Sue Lines said the Indigenous elements of the day were an important part of parliament's opening. "It's important for me and very symbolic that we back our own traditions and acknowledge First Nations (people), and we also have the quirky bits of the Westminster system," Senator Lines told AAP. "These traditions also reinforce the different roles that the House of Representatives and the Senate has, and sometimes that's a bit lost because we get into the argument and debate." Official business will get under way later on Tuesday with maiden speeches by MPs before proposed laws are debated on Wednesday. Dragging MPs, knocking on doors with giant rods and senators in the wrong chamber doesn't sound like a usual day at Parliament House. But on the opening day, traditions dating back hundreds of years defined the procedures. The House of Representatives and Senate met on Tuesday for the first time since Labor's election win, but before any debate on legislation took place, parliamentary rituals had to be taken care of first. Parliament was opened up by High Court Chief Justice Stephen Gageler, with all MPs and senators packed into the upper house for the occasion, before returning their respective chambers to be sworn in. Business then turned to electing a Speaker of the House of Representatives and a Senate president. Traditionally, once a Speaker is elected, they are dragged to the speaker's chair by other MPs. The dragging tradition dates back to the early days of the British parliament, when people were reluctantly elected to the role due to predecessors being executed or imprisoned due to the monarch not agreeing with the British parliament's outcome. House of Representatives Speaker Milton Dick took part in the ceremonial dragging when he was appointed to the role in 2022, and retained his prominent role in parliament. "When (the traditions) occur for the first time, people see them and they may seem a little unusual," he told AAP. "This is what our democracy has been built on. They signify some of the foundations of our parliament." Later in the day, the Usher of the Black Rod, will knock on the door of the House of Representatives three times to invite MPs to the Senate for a speech by Governor-General Sam Mostyn. The address will outline the priorities of the government during the upcoming three-year term. The speech can't happen in the House of Representatives due to a convention dating back to 1642, when King Charles I went into British parliament and tried to arrest five people but was unsuccessful. Since then, any figure related to the crown such as the Governor General is not allowed in the lower house. Despite the British traditions on display on parliament's opening day, Australian customs were also part of the mix. The day began with a welcome to country and Indigenous smoking ceremony. Senate president Sue Lines said the Indigenous elements of the day were an important part of parliament's opening. "It's important for me and very symbolic that we back our own traditions and acknowledge First Nations (people), and we also have the quirky bits of the Westminster system," Senator Lines told AAP. "These traditions also reinforce the different roles that the House of Representatives and the Senate has, and sometimes that's a bit lost because we get into the argument and debate." Official business will get under way later on Tuesday with maiden speeches by MPs before proposed laws are debated on Wednesday. Dragging MPs, knocking on doors with giant rods and senators in the wrong chamber doesn't sound like a usual day at Parliament House. But on the opening day, traditions dating back hundreds of years defined the procedures. The House of Representatives and Senate met on Tuesday for the first time since Labor's election win, but before any debate on legislation took place, parliamentary rituals had to be taken care of first. Parliament was opened up by High Court Chief Justice Stephen Gageler, with all MPs and senators packed into the upper house for the occasion, before returning their respective chambers to be sworn in. Business then turned to electing a Speaker of the House of Representatives and a Senate president. Traditionally, once a Speaker is elected, they are dragged to the speaker's chair by other MPs. The dragging tradition dates back to the early days of the British parliament, when people were reluctantly elected to the role due to predecessors being executed or imprisoned due to the monarch not agreeing with the British parliament's outcome. House of Representatives Speaker Milton Dick took part in the ceremonial dragging when he was appointed to the role in 2022, and retained his prominent role in parliament. "When (the traditions) occur for the first time, people see them and they may seem a little unusual," he told AAP. "This is what our democracy has been built on. They signify some of the foundations of our parliament." Later in the day, the Usher of the Black Rod, will knock on the door of the House of Representatives three times to invite MPs to the Senate for a speech by Governor-General Sam Mostyn. The address will outline the priorities of the government during the upcoming three-year term. The speech can't happen in the House of Representatives due to a convention dating back to 1642, when King Charles I went into British parliament and tried to arrest five people but was unsuccessful. Since then, any figure related to the crown such as the Governor General is not allowed in the lower house. Despite the British traditions on display on parliament's opening day, Australian customs were also part of the mix. The day began with a welcome to country and Indigenous smoking ceremony. Senate president Sue Lines said the Indigenous elements of the day were an important part of parliament's opening. "It's important for me and very symbolic that we back our own traditions and acknowledge First Nations (people), and we also have the quirky bits of the Westminster system," Senator Lines told AAP. "These traditions also reinforce the different roles that the House of Representatives and the Senate has, and sometimes that's a bit lost because we get into the argument and debate." Official business will get under way later on Tuesday with maiden speeches by MPs before proposed laws are debated on Wednesday.
