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Australia news LIVE: Albanese to set out agenda as parliament returns; Coalition support falls to near-record low

Australia news LIVE: Albanese to set out agenda as parliament returns; Coalition support falls to near-record low

The Age4 days ago
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6.53am
Inside Xi and Albanese's warm, funny lunch in Beijing
Paul Sakkal
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has feted a rare intimate lunch with Chinese President Xi Jinping as a moment of 'trust' in an ambitious new phase in relations, after years of Australia pursuing a more limited policy of stabilisation.
Revealing details of the event for the first time, the prime minister also used an interview to shift his gaze to the domestic agenda, with Labor to pursue pre-election pledges to wipe 20 per cent off student debt and enshrine penalty rates in law, and rush through new laws to boost childcare centre safety after shock allegations of child abuse in Melbourne and Sydney.
In an interview on his flight back to Australia, the prime minister provided details about a private banquet that Xi organised after the pair's formal bilateral talks.
6.48am
Monthly inflation report to be produced from November
By Shane Wright
The Reserve Bank will finally get a monthly insight into the inflation pressures facing the country from November, potentially ending delays in key interest rate decisions that could hurt the economy and lead to higher unemployment.
This masthead can reveal the Australian Bureau of Statistics will release a fully-formed monthly inflation report from November 26, bringing Australia into line with all but one OECD nation.
It marks the start of winding-down the quarterly inflation report that has guided the Reserve Bank since it adopted its 2-3 per cent inflation target in the early 1990s.
6.44am
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:
Childcare reform and student debt cuts will be among the key agenda items for the federal government as the 48th parliament sits for the first time since the May 3 election this week. It comes as fresh polling found support for the Coalition falling to a near-record low.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has revealed new details about his expansive meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing last week, saying the conversation traversed personal topics and included humour. The prime minister's office described the Xi meeting as the 'centrepiece' of Albanese's week-long China trip, which included conversations with other high-ranking officials and a visit to the Great Wall.
Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff will seek to re-form government with an increased primary vote to the Liberal Party following Saturday's state election, though it's unlikely to lead a majority, and it remains possible for Labor to form minority government.
The Australian sharemarket is expected to retreat on Monday morning, after Wall Street dipped on Friday after media reports indicated that US President Donald Trump was pushing for steep new tariffs on European Union products.
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Thousands of Aussies to lose bank service
Thousands of Aussies to lose bank service

Perth Now

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  • Perth Now

Thousands of Aussies to lose bank service

Dozens of regional communities will be left without a bank after Bendigo Bank announced it was axing its agency model, saying the current system can no longer be supported. A total of 28 agencies across NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia stop operating from October, while 10 branches in Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania will shut their doors from August. The agency model, established more than 30 years ago, allowed Bendigo to offer 'limited banking services via third parties in areas where there was not enough customer demand to sustain a branch'. 'Following a review, Bendigo Bank has concluded that its agency model can no longer be supported due to decreasing customer use and other relevant factors and will be retired from October 2025,' the bank said in a statement. Bendigo Bank announced 28 of their agencies would be closing in October. NewsWire / Paul Jeffers Credit: NewsWire 'The bank apologises to customers that use these agencies for any inconvenience.' Bendigo Bank's chief customer officer consumer, Taso Corolis, said the decision had been informed by 'limited use of these services' and 'an increase in costs and compliance obligations'. 'Bendigo Bank operates more branches per customer than any other Australian bank and Australia's second largest regional branch network,' he said 'We are proud of our regional heritage and are committed to providing face-to-face banking services for our customers. 'To preserve what makes our bank unique, we must prioritise our investments across both physical and digital channels to continue meeting the changing needs and growing expectations of our 2.7 million customers.' Bendigo Bank has told customers they will be closing 28 of its agencies across the country. NewsWire / Roy VanDerVegt Credit: News Corp Australia He said the bank would help customers adjust to the change. 'This may be in the form of connecting them with their closest alternate service, including nearest branch or Bank@Post locations, and walking them through e-banking services available, when required,' he said. The move is sparking outrage in regional communities, who may now long drives if they wish to attend a branch in person. One such affected community is Queenstown on the west coast of Tasmania. The Bendigo Bank is the last dedicated physical bank branch in town and residents now face a two and half-hour drive to the closest bank. Speaking in the Senate on Wednesday night, Queensland and One Nation Senator Malcolm Roberts warned of the impact the closure of that branch would have. One Nation Senator Malcolm Roberts has raised the closure of Bendigo Bank services in the Senate. NewsWire / Martin Ollman Credit: NewsWire 'This is not only the last bank in town. It's the last bank on the entire West Coast of Tasmania,' Roberts said. 'The locals will have no choice and will be forced to drive two and a half hours over icy mountain roads to the next closest bank in Burnie.' Senator Roberts said he was 'having to raise' it because Tasmania's senators had 'ignored' the issue. He accused the Albanese government of ignoring the senate inquiry into regional banking, which had made a number of recommendations, 'The government was supposed to respond within 90 days. It's been 14 months and the government has simply ignored it,' Senator Roberts said.

‘Fiscal responsibility': Albanese's HECS promise labelled a ‘vote-buying exercise'
‘Fiscal responsibility': Albanese's HECS promise labelled a ‘vote-buying exercise'

Sky News AU

timean hour ago

  • Sky News AU

‘Fiscal responsibility': Albanese's HECS promise labelled a ‘vote-buying exercise'

Sky News host James Macpherson comments on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's vow to cut HECS debt by 20 per cent. 'Labor politicians have made a huge song and dance about cutting student debt by 20 percent,' Mr Macpherson said. ''The Albanese government's $16 billion student loan handout was nothing more than a vote-buying exercise - an irresponsible bribe paid for with borrowed money on the national credit card.' 'The irony is that tradies – many of whom never attended university - will be among those forced to pay down the debt of people with degrees. 'Except 'students' needs an apostrophe - which is ironic, considering we're now bankrolling degrees in English.'

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