Tim Wilson accuses Labor of ‘deceit and betrayal’ on tax
Tim Wilson is trying to pin the government down on breaking its promises not to touch negative gearing and capital gains tax discounts, accusing Anthony Albanese of “deceit and betrayal” of voters.
He says the budget is in “disarray” from the broken promises, and the series of leaks that have come out ahead of tomorrow.
Speaking to the press at Parliament House, Wilson says the changes would be “new taxes on the self-starters of this nation”.
The prime minister was red hot with rage before the last election saying 50 times over in his own words that he wasn’t going to touch negative gearing, capital gains tax or family trusts, but he seems set to breach all those promises tomorrow night.
Wilson also tries to drive a wedge between the PM and his treasurer, Jim Chalmers – who has been eager to see the government drive major reforms.
For (Albanese) to have to continue to have to eat so many humble pies while he is in the process of not even delivering his budget yet, shows the budget is in disarray.
Penry Buckley
Minns says Labor will be under pressure in some seats from One Nation
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, says Labor will be under pressure in some seats from One Nation at the March 2027 state election, following the party’s historic victory in the federal by-election in Farrer.
At the opening of a pre-public school in western Sydney this morning, the premier said David Farley’s victory in the NSW electorate marked “a seismic change when it comes to politics in Australia”.
We will be under pressure in some of our seats and there’ll be some Labor voters that don’t want to vote Labor and are prepared to vote for Pauline Hanson. We’ve got nine months to try and get them back.
Minns again took aim at the state opposition for not ruling out a preference or coalition deal with One Nation. Asked what his message was for western Sydney voters following Barnaby Joyce’s comments that One Nation will move onto targeting the region, he said:
I don’t think it’s enough to say we’re coming. You’ve got to deliver the policies and you have to explain to the public in western Sydney how you’re going to make life better and not have us all just ripping each other apart in a divisive political campaign.
Cait Kelly
Priority social housing waitlist more than doubles in four years
The number of NSW households on the priority social housing waitlist has more than doubled in four years, with some communities recording increases up to 500%, a new report by Homelessness NSW has revealed.
The report found 12,478 households are on the priority waitlist in NSW, up 115% from 5,800 in June 2021.
Homelessness NSW CEO Dominique Rowe said:
People who are extremely vulnerable are being forced into desperate circumstances including homelessness due to the severe lack of social housing in our state.
Rowe said the chronic shortage of social housing was the result of decades of neglect by successive governments:
We are calling on the state government to adopt a target of 10% of all homes being social housing, and to commit continued investment into growing our social housing stock until we get there.
Wagga Wagga, where a newborn infant recently died in homelessness, recorded the highest increase, with a 500% rise since 2021. Over the same period, median rents in Wagga rose 41%. The priority list rose 450% in Griffith and 330% in Tamworth, which both suffered rent increases of 31%.
Nino Bucci
Australian women charged with slavery offences over time in Islamic State face court
Two Australian women charged with slavery offences that allegedly occurred while they lived under Islamic State rule in Syria have faced a Melbourne court.
Kawsar Ahmad, 53, also known as Abbas, and her daughter Zeinab Ahmad, 31, were arrested by officers from the Victorian joint counter-terrorism team at Melbourne airport on Thursday.
Police allege the pair travelled to Syria in 2014 with their family and knowingly kept an enslaved woman in their home, and that Kawsar was complicit in the purchase of an enslaved woman for US$10,000.
The pair appeared before the chief magistrate, Lisa Hannan, on Monday.
But the Melbourne magistrates court heard that they would not be applying for bail, as had been foreshadowed on Friday.
Zeinab is expected to apply for bail at a hearing on 4 June, with Kawsar’s application expected on 16 June.
Neither woman was required to speak or enter a plea during the short hearing, before they were remanded in custody.
The AFP will allege the offences were terrorism-related and are expected to oppose bail.
Court documents released to the media on Friday show Kawsar is accused of intentionally exercising “any or all of the powers attaching to the right of ownership” over a person, in circumstances “where the conduct was committed intentionally or knowingly as part of a widespread or systemic attack directed against a civilian population”.
She is also accused of “intentionally exercising” the “powers attaching to right of ownership” regarding the use and possession of a slave. Zeinab faces the same two charges.
The offences allegedly occurred between 1 June 2017 and 1 November 2018 at Mayadin, Hajim, Gharanij, Bahra, Abu Hamam, Walaa and other places in Deir ez-Zur province, in eastern Syria.
On or about 1 June 2017 in Mayadin or elsewhere in the same province, Kawsar Ahmad is also accused of intentionally engaging in slave trading.
Ben Doherty
Royal commission hears criticism of Israel not inherently antisemitic
Julie Nathan, appearing before the commission in her capacity as research director for the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said criticism of Israel was not inherently antisemitic, “even though a lot of it is incredibly offensive”.
But Nathan argued criticism that invoked Nazi Germany or anti-Jewish tropes should be considered antisemitic.
For example, if it uses older anti-Jewish tropes, you know, such as the blood libel, or Jews are Satanic … they might say ‘Israel is satanic’. So then that kind of feeds into that.
She said “no other country in the world is compared to Nazi Germany, only Israel”.
Nathan said pro-Palestinian protest material, such as posters and stickers, were not inherently antisemitic but could be considered examples of Jew-hatred dependent on context.
We don’t count anything pro-Palestinian as anti-Jewish unless, for example, if there’s a ‘free Palestine’ sticker and it’s stuck on a synagogue or outside a Jewish school.
If they’re using pro-Palestine material to target Jews, that in itself then becomes antisemitic.
Nationals launch petition to build inland rail
The Nationals have launched a “rescue our rail” petition today to save the northern half of the inland rail project, scrapped by the Albanese government last week, after its pricetag skyrocketed (once again) to a hefty $45bn.
Matt Canavan donned a flannel shirt today, a hangover perhaps from his visit to Farrer where he stayed overnight in a swag (which he has brought with him to parliament today), and looks a little different to his suited up colleagues.
On the byelection, Canavan says he showed up and spent time on the ground across the electorate “to take our medicine to hear the views of everyday Australians who clearly want change”. Moving on to the inland rail, he says:
This broken promise on the inland rail is one that cuts very very deeply for lots of the businesses and communities that have invested so much on the promise of multiple governments that we would finally build a proper rail line between Brisbane and Melbourne and open up the inland of this country.
The shadow infrastructure minister, Bridget McKenzie, accuses the government of cancelling the project to instead spend it on Victoria’s contentious suburban rail loop.
If you wanted any other indication of what Anthony Albanese and the Labor party thinks about the 9 million of us that don’t live in capital cities, you didn’t need to go to Farrer to work that out.
The prime minister has decided to give (Victorian premier) Jacinta Allen, his factional mate in the ALP, a couple of extra lazy billion dollars.
Wilson walks back comments suggesting Liberals open to forming coalition with One Nation
Jumping back to Tim Wilson’s doorstop a bit earlier: the shadow treasurer changed his tune slightly on whether the opposition would form a coalition with One Nation.
So far some in the Liberal party – including shadow cabinet minister Ted O’Brien – as well as One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce and leader, Pauline Hanson, have said there would be no joining of the parties.
Yesterday, Wilson was asked on the ABC’s Insiders whether there could be a coalition between the three parties, and he said “we traditionally form a coalition with the National party, but it’s up to the Australian people to decide who they want to vote for”.
But today, he took a little step back and slammed that door shut.
I have never, ever, ever – and never, ever, ever will – make such a statement in favour of such an alliance. The reality is the leader of that party has already declared that she won’t form a coalition with us, and I have no interest in forming a coalition with them.
How Farrer swung towards One Nation – in maps
Here’s a look at how the swing was on for One Nation across the booths in Farrer on Saturday, by my colleagues Josh Nicholas, Nick Evershed, and Andy Ball.
Disability charity warns people with complex needs risk going without adequate support under NDIS changes
One of Australia’s largest disability charities has warned the national disability insurance scheme already does not adequately fund services for some people with complex needs, and changes to the scheme risk continuing that gap.
The Endeavour Foundation, a charity supporting more than 6,500 clients with disabilities, says if people with complex needs continue to have inadequate funding, charities like theirs risk becoming unsustainable.
The chief executive, Andrew Chesterman, says the announcement of a new commissioning model to support independent living “sounds promising”, but there is an urgent need to provide funding to NDIS participants that have inadequate plans.
He says:
We feel we cannot abandon our clients with the greatest needs, who need the most support, just because their NDIS plans are inadequate. We will continue to do our best for all our clients, but these challenges are exactly why so many charities are going broke. People with complex disabilities need complex support.
Haines welcomes Labor’s funding for housing infrastructure, following her advocacy
Independent MP Helen Haines has welcomed the government’s budget funding for housing infrastructure this morning, saying that Labor took a little peak at her homework to build the policy.
The regional Victorian MP says she has been calling on the government to invest in critical infrastructure such as water, sewerage and power for years to get more homes built – particularly in regional Australia.
She says:
I’ve been building the case for targeted investment in this infrastructure, because without it, we simply cannot build the homes our communities need.
This is exactly the kind of practical, targeted policy regional communities have been crying out for – and it’s encouraging to see the government has listened and adopting this approach.
Australia Post fuel surcharge skyrockets
Rising fuel prices have hit Australia Post, with the service setting a 19.5% surcharge for the month of June.
Australia Post changes the surcharge every month, or sometimes not apply it at all depending on the cost. It says the surcharge is “based on an estimation of Australia Post’s direct costs and indirect fuel costs that relies on existing fuel prices to predict fuel costs on a forward-looking basis”.
The first three weeks of April saw a fuel surcharge of just 4.8%, while the final week of April and month of May saw the surcharge rise to 12%.
Next month it’ll hit 19.5%.
Tim Wilson accuses Labor of ‘deceit and betrayal’ on tax
Tim Wilson is trying to pin the government down on breaking its promises not to touch negative gearing and capital gains tax discounts, accusing Anthony Albanese of “deceit and betrayal” of voters.
He says the budget is in “disarray” from the broken promises, and the series of leaks that have come out ahead of tomorrow.
Speaking to the press at Parliament House, Wilson says the changes would be “new taxes on the self-starters of this nation”.
The prime minister was red hot with rage before the last election saying 50 times over in his own words that he wasn’t going to touch negative gearing, capital gains tax or family trusts, but he seems set to breach all those promises tomorrow night.
Wilson also tries to drive a wedge between the PM and his treasurer, Jim Chalmers – who has been eager to see the government drive major reforms.
For (Albanese) to have to continue to have to eat so many humble pies while he is in the process of not even delivering his budget yet, shows the budget is in disarray.
Nick Visser
NSW preparing for arrival of passengers aboard MV Hondius
NSW Health is working with the federal government and other states to receive, transport and provide care to passengers from the MV Hondius when they return from the Canary Islands later this week.
Four Australian citizens, one permanent resident and a New Zealand citizen will be aboard a charter flight from Tenerife scheduled to leave around 5pm local time on Monday, en route to Perth. They will then travel to their home states or country: in Australia, the five residents live in New South Wales and Queensland.
NSW Health said on arrival the passengers will immediately be transported by ambulance to the NSW biocontainment centre at Westmead hospital in Sydney, where they will undergo clinical assessment. Health officials will then assess “suitable quarantine arrangements”, a spokesperson said this morning.
The spokesperson added:
These passengers will be closely monitored, and should any develop symptoms they will be assessed by an infectious diseases physician and be provided appropriate care.
The risk to the public is low. Hantavirus is only rarely transmitted from person to person, and transmission requires close contact. People with hantavirus infection are not infectious before their symptoms begin. The time from exposure to hantavirus to the onset of symptoms (incubation period) can be up to six weeks.
The Guardian has reached out to Queensland Health for comment.
Ben Doherty
Antisemitism royal commission resumes public hearings
The royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion resumes public hearings this morning: the second week of a fortnight block of hearings focused on defining antisemitism, its historical and contemporary manifestations and its current impact on Jewish Australians.
Nine witnesses are scheduled to appear before commissioner Virginia Bell, including Tahli Blicblau, chief executive of The Dor Foundation, and Julie Nathan, research director at the Executive Council of Australian Jewry.
Rabbi Menachem Dadon, whose daughter was shot in the Bondi terror attack, but survived, will give evidence, as will Rabbi Daniel Rabin from Caulfield Shule and musician Deborah Conway. Other witnesses will be pseudonymised.
The prime minister was on radio this morning, arguing social cohesion remained a major concern in Australia, after a mother in Sydney was charged by police for allegedly abusing a Jewish children’s netball team using antisemitic slurs. Anthony Albanese told RN Breakfast:
I understand there are charges here so I won’t go into the specifics, but the idea that anyone would go to a children’s sporting event and say anything that is hateful, let alone anything which is hateful on the basis of race or faith, is just beyond belief, frankly.
We as a society need to come to terms with that. We need to be better.
‘You split ours, we didn’t split yours,’ says Joyce
The media-loving Barnaby Joyce is still doing his rounds across the press gallery this morning, talking about the dominance of One Nation over the weekend in Farrer.
It’s the first federal lower house seat the party has ever won, and will give Joyce a colleague on the crossbench.
But Joyce, speaking to Sky News, says he isn’t getting ahead of himself when talking about being a party of government (they would have to take 74 seats from Labor and the Coalition to be able to claim a majority).
He says the narrative needs to change that One Nation is “splitting” the vote from the Coalition – and it’s actually the opposite.
It’s so conceited, ‘One Nation is splitting our vote’, mate, you got 12% you split it. You split ours, we didn’t split yours. You don’t own votes, you earn votes.
Albanese wasn’t ‘that surprised’ by Farrer result
Anthony Albanese is continuing to stick the knife into the Liberal party after it lost its seat of Farrer to One Nation, saying he wasn’t that surprised the minor party won.
Former Liberal leader Sussan Ley resigned from parliament earlier this year after she was ousted by Angus Taylor, sparking the byelection.
Speaking to 4CA radio Cairns, Albanese says the Liberals and Nationals “don’t really stand for anything any more”.
But Albanese doesn’t believe that One Nation’s win will spread any further across the country – despite Barnaby Joyce saying this morning that his party was coming for western Sydney.
I wasn’t really that surprised … If the Liberal party just tried to be One Nation lite, then they shouldn’t be surprised that people will vote for the real thing, rather than the lighter version of it.
I’m not sure that One Nation’s appeal will go beyond the sort of seat that we’ve seen and where they traditionally have done OK. I think the problem for them is that they really focus on grievance rather than solutions. They’re not really a party of government.
‘No plans’ for a Liberal coalition with One Nation, says Ted O’Brien
Ted O’Brien, the shadow foreign minister and former deputy leader under Sussan Ley, says the Liberal party will learn the lessons of Saturday’s byelection loss – but that won’t involve looking towards a coalition with One Nation.
Speaking to RN Breakfast earlier this morning, he said the loss wasn’t all about the leadership changes within the Liberal and National parties. He adds that One Nation is a “broad movement” and that it’s “doing a good job of amplifying the problems”.
We have no plans for going into a coalition with One Nation. Again, if we focus on the Australian people, if we focus on developing substantive policy. If we focus on removing this very poor Albanese government, that puts us in good stead. So, you know, I’m personally not looking around at any major structural change, trying to engage with One Nation under some formal coalition.
One Nation has already claimed credit for several Coalition policies, and for Angus Taylor on taking a hardline stance on immigration – something we know Pauline Hanson has campaigned on from day one.
Australians on board hantavirus ship in a ‘terrible situation’, says Watt
As my colleague, Josh Butler, brought you earlier, the government is repatriating six people – four Australian citizens, one permanent resident and one New Zealand resident – from Tenerife today, who were on board the MV Hondius.
That flight is expected to land in Perth tomorrow.
Cabinet minister Murray Watt spoke to ABC News Breakfast earlier and the government is ensuring the group “receive the care that they need”:
It’s obviously a terrible situation that these people are in, going on a cruise, expecting to have a nice holiday, and finding themselves in this situation. We have agreed to repatriate a small number of Australians … Arrangements are being made with the states and territories around the quarantining of those people, but all of that work is now under way.
‘Revolving door of leaders does not lead to stability’: Albanese backs Starmer
Jumping back to the prime minister’s interview on RN, Anthony Albanese staunchly defended his UK counterpart, Keir Starmer, after UK Labour faced a heavy loss in last weekend’s local elections.
Already, leadership challengers are beginning to circle, with more than 40 MPs calling on Starmer to quit:
But Albanese says he hopes Starmer will stay on.
I hope that Keir Starmer continues to serve as prime minister of the United Kingdom. He was elected a relatively short period of time. I’ve dealt with four prime ministers of Great Britain since I was elected as prime minister and the revolving door of leaders does not lead to stability.
Joyce says One Nation ‘not an open door’ to disgruntled Coalition MPs
With One Nation’s byelection win has come rumours of more defections from the Coalition to join Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce’s ranks.
In fact, my colleague Sarah Martin spoke to Queensland Nationals MP Colin Boyce, who said “I consider a lot of things” in response to whether he was considering a shift to the minor rightwing party.
But Joyce isn’t welcoming all potential defectors with open arms:
It’s not just because you jump doesn’t mean we catch you. What does that mean? Well, it’s not an open door that anybody who wishes, just walks into One Nation …
I mean, obviously, the Liberal party really do have to do some soul-searching after the weekend because that was catastrophic. That is almost a signal that things might be over.
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