Federal politics live: Environment minister heads to SA to inspect toxic algal bloom
Meanwhile, politicians are making their return to Canberra ahead of the first sitting fortnight of the new parliament.
Follow all the updates in our live blog.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
9 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Pro-Palestine protesters gather at Parliament House as pollies return
A crowd protesting the killing of children in Gaza has gathered outside Parliament House as MPs and senators return for the first sitting fortnight since the federal election. The protesters are holding what appear to be shrouded baby dolls as they wave Palestinian flags and placards calling on the Albanese government to 'sanction Israel now'. '28 children killed daily in Gaza,' another placard read. The demonstration is at the back entrance to Parliament House, where Anthony Albanese and his son, Nathan, had walked up just a day earlier. The Prime Minister will also need to pass them on his way in to open parliament. Tuesday's protest comes after Australia joined 25 other countries in calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza, lashing Israel for 'the drip-feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians'. Foreign journalists are not allowed into the war-torn Palestinian territory, leaving media to rely on death toll figures put out by the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry. According to figures from the ministry, more than 55,000 Palestinians have been killed in the 21-month conflict – a count that stacks up with independent monitors and international aid workers, who have said children are suffering the most. In a joint statement issued overnight, Australia stood with the likes of Canada, New Zealand and the UK demanding that 'the war in Gaza must end now'. 'The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths,' the statement said. 'The Israeli government's aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity. 'We condemn the drip-feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food. 'It is horrifying that over 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid.' The countries went on to say Israel's 'denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable'. 'Israel must comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law,' the statement said. The Israeli government, which launched its campaign in Gaza following Hamas' brutal October 7 terrorist attack in 2023, has rejected the statement, calling it 'disconnected from reality and sends the wrong message to Hamas'. '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. 'Instead of agreeing to a ceasefire, Hamas is busy running a campaign to spread lies about Israel. 'At the same time, Hamas is deliberately acting to increase friction and harm to civilians who come to receive humanitarian aid.' Hamas militants killed more than 1200 people in the October 7 assault and took hundreds more hostage, including children. It was the single worst mass killing of Jews since the Holocaust. Many hostages have been released and rescued, while others have died in Hamas' hands. At least 50 remain in captivity. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar took aim at the countries that issued the statement, saying the fact Hamas embraced their words 'is the best proof' they made a mistake. 'If Hamas embraces you – you are in the wrong place,' he posted on social media. 'Hamas's praise for the statement by the group of countries is the best proof of the mistake they made – part of them out of good intentions and part of them out of an obsession against Israel. 'We are at a very sensitive moment in the negotiations for the release of hostages and a ceasefire.'
SBS Australia
27 minutes ago
- SBS Australia
Anthony Albanese warns rivals ahead of Parliament's return
TRANSCRIPT Anthony Albanese warns rivals ahead of Parliament's return At least 19 people killed in Bangladeshi air force plane crash Mitch Owen blasts fifty as Aussies down Windies in T-20 opener Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has issued a warning to his political opponents ahead of Parliament's first sitting day today. After the federal election, Labor's ranks in the new House of Representatives will be double that of the Coalition in the new Parliament. Mr Albanese says he wants this large mandate to be respected by the Coalition and The Greens. "The holding up of legislation, like our housing legislation last time, I think hurt the no-alition. What I want to see is a positive agenda going forward but we'll see how we go." Opposition leader Sussan Ley says it's their duty to represent their voters and to scrutinise Labor's policies. "Now Mr Albanese is giving interviews and he's suggesting we should just get out of the way, well we won't get out of the way. Our job is to be the strongest, best opposition that we can be and we will be." Meanwhile, Greens Senator Nick McKim tells Channel Nine his party is there to hold Labor to account for the promises they've made to Australians and work constructively on legislation. "Well, we're here to work constructively and cooperatively with Labor. We hope that they would take the same approach to us. The Human Rights Law Centre is calling for the government to establish an Australian Human Rights Act to protect against what they see as a crackdown on civil liberties. They've joined more than 150 organisations in warning the United Nations Human Rights Council about an increasing threat to fundamental rights in Australia, ahead of a major UN review. The coalition includes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, human rights, legal, disability, refugee, LGBTIQ+ and climate groups. Caitlin Reiger, CEO of the Human Rights Law Centre says a Human Rights Act must be introduced, to enshrine clear minimum human rights protections that must be considered by governments when designing policies and delivering services. "We are ready, the time is now, and this is just about codifying our basic shared values of equality, dignity, and fairness for everyone, and putting that into the heart of all of our laws so that all public decision making is really putting people and planet, in terms of the right to a healthy environment being an important human rights issue as we see the climate crisis really impact Australia. That's an immediate first step. " There's been several inquiries and consultations into establishing a Human Rights Act and last year the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights recommended its introduction after an inquiry. The grandfather of a 24-year-old man who died in Northern Territory police custody says his community won't feel safe in public until they get justice. The death of Warlpiri man Kumanjayi White in Alice Springs in May sparked vigils around the country, putting deaths in custody back into the national spotlight. His grandfather, Ned Jampijinpa Hargraves spoke to SBS' Indigenous current affairs program, Living Black. "We want the Prime Minister to say something, to stop this madness. We cannot live like this in our own country." Two weeks ago, Northern Territory Coroner Elisabeth Armitage found the former police officer who fatally shot 19-year-old Kumanjayi Walker in 2019 in a remote community of Yuendumu, was racist. At least 19 people have been killed and more than 160 others injured after a Bangladeshi air force plane crashed into a college campus. A training aircraft belonging to the Bangladesh Air Force crashed in the capital, Dhaka. It's understood students were taking exams and attending regular classes at the time. Dozens of those injured have been taken to nearby hospitals. According to military officials, the jet took off but crashed soon after, before it caught fire. Bangladesh's leader, Muhammad Younis says support will be provide to determine the cause of the incident. In cricket, Australian T-20 debutant Mitch Owen has joined rare company by cracking a game-breaking half-century in a three-wicket triumph over the West Indies. In reply to the West Indies' 8-189, Australia reached 7-190 to win game one of the five-match series in Jamaica with seven balls to spare. Owen smacked six sixes in his stunning 50 from 27 balls, joining Ricky Ponting and David Warner as the only Australians to make a half-century on his T-20 international debut. Captain Mitch Marsh says it's great to see such an impressive performance from the debutant. "Fantastic. I think any time you get a young kid that comes in and performs like that for his first game for Australia it's always really exciting. I'm sure there will have been lots of people who would have watched that and will be really excited. So we're pumped for him. We want him to come in here and be as relaxed as possible. We understand he's going to be nervous playing for Australia but we want to create an environment where he can hopefully keep doing that for us." The series continues on Wednesday in Kingston before three games in St Kitts over the weekend and next Tuesday.
West Australian
39 minutes ago
- West Australian
Australian news and politics live: Tony Burke calls Australia's Gaza condemnation the strongest statement yet
Scroll down for the latest news and updates. Australia's latest joint statement with 24 other nations calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza represents 'the strongest so far,' according to Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke. Mr Burke said this statement is just the latest in a 'series of very strong statements' the government has issued on the crisis. The statement, signed by Foreign Minister Penny Wong and counterparts from countries including the UK and New Zealand, condemns Israel for depriving Palestinians of 'human dignity.' Mr Burke reiterated that Australia has called for a ceasefire since 2023, following the outbreak of the conflict. 'There's been a series of very strong statements that we've made… When you can make a statement together with so many other significant powers, then, you know, we're all hoping that there'll be something that will break this,' Mr Burke told ABC News Breakfast. He continued, 'We've seen too many images of children being killed, of horrific slaughter, of churches being bombed, the images that we've seen have been pretty clear that so much of this is indefensible and as that statement referred to, you know, aid being drip-fed in. None of this changes the fact that the hostages need to be released, of course that needs to happen.' Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition leader Sussan Ley has arrived at a church service in Canberra in a tradition to start the new Parliamentary term. The service is a chance for both sides of politics to come together before the 48th Parliament sits on Tuesday. Accompanied by fiancée Jodie Haydon, the PM smiled when asked whether he was excited for day one of the new parliament: 'Indeed, it will be a good day'. In a sign of solidarity, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke and Liberal Angus Taylor walked in side-by-side. Among attendees was Governor-General Sam Mostyn, Nationals leader David Littleproud and his colleague Michael McCormack. Australia has joined the United Kingdom, France, and more than 20 other countries in demanding an immediate end to the war in Gaza and for Israel to lift all restrictions on aid. Foreign Minister Penny Wong signed the joined statement on Australia's behalf, with the signatories condemning the mounting toll on civilians and highlighting that over 800 Palestinians have been killed while trying to access food and water. 'The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths. The Israeli government's aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity,' the statement declared. The majority of those killed were in the vicinity of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) sites, which the United States and Israel backed to take over aid distribution in the Gaza Strip from a network led by the United Nations. 'We condemn the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic need of water and food,' the statement continued. Read more. offered clarity on possible superannuation tax changes, attempting to reassure most Australians: 'This is not for ordinary superannuation accounts. Superannuation is there for people's retirement. There is proposal already in the budget but hasn't been legislated yet, which is to deal with people where they will still get tax concessions… but it is where your superannuation balance is more than $3 million,' he told Sunrise on Tuesday morning. 'I reckon there is not a lot of viewers at home watching this morning who are saying more than $3 million is their super balance.' Mr Burke also addressed broader challenges: 'When we first came to office three years ago now, we were left with a trillion dollars of Liberal debt when you looked across the forward estimates, and what was projected. So, we have needed to get debt down. We had two surplus budgets, the first surplus budgets in political terms in a generation.'
