Latest news with #TanyaPlibersek
ABC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks out against 'repulsive' Mark Latham, opens up on meeting with Xi Jinping
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he regrets Mark Latham ever having led the Labor Party and described the former leader's views as "repulsive". The comments came during a wide-ranging interview with 7.30 in which Mr Albanese spoke on his trip to China, his relationship with President Xi Jinping and whether he felt the US would be concerned by their meeting. While Mr Albanese was in China, Mr Latham — now an independent NSW MP — faced mounting pressure to resign following allegations he participated in a consensual sex video in his parliamentary office, an allegation that arose as part of a wide-ranging complaint of emotional and physical abuse by his ex-partner Nathalie Matthews. Mr Latham has denied breaking any laws or breaching legislative standing orders and as a former Labor leader his portrait still hangs in the Labor caucus room in Parliament House. Federal Labor decided on Monday that the portrait will remain hanging and new text will be added, reading: "In 2017, Mark Latham was expelled from the Australian Labor Party and banned for life. His actions do not accord with Labor values and fail to meet the standards we expect and demand". Tanya Plibersek previously told the ABC that Mr Latham's election to the party leadership was the only thing that made her cry during a long political career. Mr Albanese was asked if he wanted to take the picture down and, while he stopped short, he did comment on Mr Latham's leadership. "I didn't want Mark Latham to be the leader of the Labor Party, and was very clear about that at the time," Mr Albanese told 7.30 before speaking about the decision to keep the portrait hanging. "It's a historical fact. It's a bit like statues and a range of things, history is there. The way to deal with that is to point out the changes that have occurred. Mr Latham was elected to the leadership of federal Labor in December 2003 when he defeated Kim Beazley. He would go on to lose the 2004 federal election to Coalition prime minister John Howard, dropping five extra seats in a landslide defeat. Mr Albanese told 7.30 it was lamentable Mr Latham was ever in that position. "That's something I fought very hard on when I was one of the people doing the numbers for Kim Beazley in that ballot. "I think that history has proven that judgement to be correct." Mr Albanese expanded on his private lunch appointment with Xi Jinping, which he told Nine newspapers involved personal exchanges between the two leaders. The meeting came in a week where the federal opposition's defence spokesperson Angus Taylor called for Australia to take a stronger stance on any potential Chinese action taken against Taiwan. The prime minister said he would not break Mr Xi's trust by releasing the details of their conversation but said it related to of their personal histories. "It wasn't so much discussing the affairs of state that we did in our formal bilateral meeting as President of China and Prime Minister of Australia, it was more talking about personal issues, our history, our backgrounds," he told 7.30. "I learned a fair bit ... he I think is quite a private person and its important that you're able to have those conversations ... and I feel as though we got to know each other much more." Pressed as to whether the pair discussed Taiwan given that Mr Xi's father's final role in the Chinese Communist Party was to pursue the reunification of Taiwan, Mr Albanese said not. "We support the status quo when it comes to the Taiwan Straits." Mr Albanese said he had no reason not to trust his Chinese counterpart. "I have said before that anything that he has said to me has been fulfilled," the prime minister said. "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." While Mr Albanese has been criticised by the Coalition for not meeting with Donald Trump since the US president took office for his second term, the prime minister looked to dispel any concerns about the optics of spending days in China and personal time with Mr Xi. Those included whether Australia's Ambassador to the United States, Kevin Rudd, had to do any damage control on the government's behalf. It was a notion the PM rebuffed. "I would've thought that Australia engaging with our major trading partner is something that's very sensible. "I visited the United States five times since I've been prime minister, I've visited China twice. "China is our major trading partner. One in four of Australia's jobs, depends upon trade and China is larger. The export, our export trade with China is worth more than the next four countries combined." With parliament set to return, one major issue facing the government is the crisis in Australia's childcare sector. Recent ABC reports have revealed several issues within the sector and that came before alleged paedophile Joshua Dale Brown was charged with 70 offences relating to eight children between October 2021 and February 2024, including sexual assault and producing child abuse material. "We need to do better," Mr Albanese said of improving the childcare sector. "Which is why this week we'll be introducing important legislation, allowing the Commonwealth to use the power that we do have, which is essentially funding power, as well as using increased access to make sure that the Commonwealth can play a role there." Mr Albanese said he could understand the concerns of parents and that he was not focused on his own legacy, rather the safety of children. "Overwhelmingly, childcare centres are good in the way that they function and we shouldn't tar the whole sector with what has been serious issues," he said. "It would cause enormous distress and I understand that as a parent who's had a child in childcare. Watch 7.30, Mondays to Thursdays 7:30pm on ABC iview and ABC TV
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Politics
- News.com.au
Labor will keep Mark Latham's portrait in the Parliament House party room with one major change
Labor will keep the portrait of disgraced former leader Mark Latham in their Parliament House party room. However, it will have a an additional plaque which notes Mr Latham was 'banned of life' in 2017 and failed to 'meet the standards we expect and demand'. The decision was reached following public condemnation of the portrait from high-profile ministers including Sydney MP Tanya Plibersek, after it was revealed Mr Latham was subjected to a AVO application from his ex-partner Nathalie Matthews. Mr Latham, who is now serving in the NSW upper house, has denied the claims and no police action has been taken. While the portrait will remain in the caucus room, it will now be accompanied by a sign which reads: 'In 2017 Mark Latham was expelled from the Australian Labor Party and banned for life his actions do not accord with Labor values and fail to meet the standards we expect and demand'. The decision was made after multiple Labor members raised the issue of Mr Latham's photo, with the Labor caucus adopting a 'unanimous consensus position,' on the wording of the plaque. Since leaving federal politics after losing the 2004 election to John Howard, Mr Latham became the NSW One Nation leader before explosively resigning from the party in March 2023. He is set to remain in the NSW parliament as an independent upper house councillor until his term expires in 2031.
Perth Now
3 days ago
- Business
- Perth Now
Aussies could soon have a four-day working week and more holidays
The Coalition reported its lowest Newspoll primary vote in 40 years. Australians could soon enjoy a four-day working week, as unions make a fresh push for shorter working weeks and more holidays over tax cuts to help improve Australia's productivity. The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union and the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation launched the push in response to the Productivity Commission, which will set the agenda for next month's economic reform roundtable. AMWU national secretary Steve Murphy told The Australian last week there needed to be a discussion about cutting hours in response to increased productivity, which will benefit Aussie workers. Murphy has argued there is a variety of ways to reduce working hours without cuts to pay, which included four-day week, nine-day working fortnights, or a 35-hour week. Murphy argued that work-life balance was more important to employees than a cut in income tax or company tax, arguing most working Aussies were fine paying taxes to fund government services or infrastructure. Minister for Social Services Tanya Plibersek (left) joined Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce (right) and Monique Wright on Sunrise to discuss the four-day week. Credit: Seven 'We're not one of the advocates that says we should pay less tax,' Murphy told the publication. 'One of the ways that we can share in productivity, if we're more productive over the course of the week, is to work less hours. That would be a great outcome from a productivity discussion. 'Or (if) we were able to have more annual leave to spend our time with the people that we love and care about.' On Monday, Minister for Social Services Tanya Plibersek joined a Sunrise panel the government was open to ideas. 'We'll listen to all views respectfully (at the roundtable),' Plibersek said. 'The Treasurer's roundtable on productivity, I think, is a great way of bringing unions and business and other groups together to discuss how we make our economy stronger and more productive. 'What we won't be doing to improve productivity is ask people to work longer for less. 'That was the policy of the previous government. 'We want to invest in our people, boost training, invest in technologies and new ways of working, make sure that we're playing to our competitive advantages as a nation. 'That's how we boost productivity.' Previously, Skills Minister Andrew Giles said key trades to boost productivity in the country will be electricians to help build homes, as well as more people to work in aged care, childcare, health and disability sectors. Parliament will resume on Tuesday. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is set to introduce legislation to cut student debt by 20 per cent, end subsidies for childcare centres that fail to meet safety requirements, and prevent penalty rates from being lowered by the Fair Work Commission.
West Australian
3 days ago
- Politics
- West Australian
Australian news and politics live: Plibersek rejects longer work hours, advocates tech for productivity growth
LIVE UPDATES: As unions demand shorter work weeks amid rising strike action, Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek has revealed Labor's stance on a four-day work week. Despite Labor's soaring Newspoll numbers and a commanding majority, Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek says the government's focus is on keeping promises, without slipping into overconfidence. 'Well, the Prime Minister's made it very clear that we are there to deliver what we promised the Australian people, and that's our 100 per cent focus… Our first pieces of legislation will be reducing student debt, making sure childcare centres have higher standards and protecting penalty rates,' she said on Sunrise. Ms Plibersek pushed back on Mr Joyce's suggestion that politics should be more combative, arguing, 'I think the Australian people are a bit tired of that sort of fighting politics… Actually getting on board and working together for the Australian people is what is important.' Australia's new Parliament opens as Labor celebrates a super-sized majority, but the Coalition confronts its lowest primary vote in four decades, according to today's Newspoll. Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce didn't downplay the challenge: 'They are brutal numbers. I think the first thing you do is you be honest about them… Any person in a lower House seat, wherever it is, Watson, Farrer, New England. If you had a 3 in front of your primary vote, you would be very, very worried,' he said while speaking on Sunrise on Monday morning. With Labor enjoying a strong majority, Mr Joyce called for the Coalition to 'find issues which are binary, which you are fully for, and the Labor Party is fully against,' warning that blurry lines and 'nuances' won't revive their fortunes. Unions representing workers in manufacturing, nursing, and midwifery are urging the Prime Minister to focus on implementing shorter working weeks and increased leave, arguing that reduced hours are essential for improving work-life balance. Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek has been asked if the government will consider a four-day work week. 'We'll listen to all respectfully. And the Treasurer's round table on productivity I think is a great way of bringing unions and business and other groups together to discuss how we make our economy stronger and more productive,' she told Sunrise. 'What we won't be doing to improve productivity is ask people to work longer for less. That was the policy of the previous government. 'We want to invest in our people, boost training, invest in technologies and new ways of working, make sure that we're playing to our competitive advantages as a nation. That's how we boost productivity.'
ABC News
6 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Tanya Plibersek says she cried the day Mark Latham became federal Labor leader
Veteran federal minister Tanya Plibersek says the only time she recalls crying after work as an MP during her almost three-decade political career was the day Mark Latham was elected as the party's leader. The social services minister said discussions were underway to remove Mr Latham's portrait from Labor's caucus room as the one-time party leader faced days of allegations of inappropriate behaviour. Pressure is mounting on the now independent NSW upper house MP following media reports alleging he took photos of female colleagues speaking in parliament and made disparaging comments about them in private messages. The Sydney Morning Herald also reported allegations a sex video was recorded in his parliamentary office. Mr Latham declined an interview with the ABC and has not confirmed or denied the existence of such a video or sending the alleged messages, although one MP referenced in the messages said he has called her and apologised. In a post on social media about the alleged video, Mr Latham said: "No suggestion of any law or rule broken." The 64-year-old also this week denied allegations of a "sustained pattern" of domestic abuse and pressuring his former partner Nathalie Matthews to engage in "degrading sex acts" which were made in an apprehended violence order (AVO) application filed in a NSW court. Ms Plibersek, who was elected in 1998 and was in the Labor caucus with him until he left federal politics in 2005, said she had no evidence of behaviour similar to what has been alleged about him this week at the time but harboured "doubts about him as a political figure". "Do you know I've been a Member of Parliament for a long time, and the only time I remember going home and having a little cry after work was the day that Mark Latham was elected as leader of the Australian Labor Party?" she said on Friday. "I always had my doubts about him as a political figure, and I think those doubts have only increased in recent decades as his behaviour has become worse and more extreme." Ms Plibersek said she was baffled as to why his portrait remained among other leaders of the federal Labor party. "Over the last couple of decades looking at that photo on that wall, I've scratched my head at times thinking this guy doesn't represent the Labor party; he doesn't represent what we stand for; I don't think he represents mainstream Australia," she told ABC News Breakfast. Ms Plibersek, who was a colleague of Mr Latham's in Canberra between 1998 and his departure from federal politics in 2005, said he would have been sacked in any other workplace. "The New South Wales parliament — it's only the people of New South Wales that can effectively sack Mark Latham, but he's with a very poor history, particularly when it comes to women," she said. "He said of Rosie Batty, who was Australian of the Year who lost her son, Luke, in domestic violence circumstances, that she was waging a war on men. "The guy who said that men hit women as a coping mechanism. "The people of New South Wales, I think, would be looking at the reports of his behaviour in the New South Wales Parliament and just scratching their heads about why anybody would think that taking a taxpayer's dollar to do a job would be behaving in the way that he is in his workplace, it's just a mystery that anyone would think appropriate." Even before this week's allegations, the NSW Labor Party had signalled an intention to put forward a censure motion against Mr Latham when parliament next convenes. The motion was in response to him allegedly "disclosing authorised information" under parliamentary privilege, by referencing confidential information from a psychologist's report prepared for NCAT in proceedings brought by MP Alex Greenwich. Premier Chris Minns said on Thursday the privileges committee should investigate Mr Latham's behaviour in parliament.
