Australia news live: PM defends stage-three tax shake-up, saying he ‘listened to people’ on cost of living; near-40C forecast for country’s south-east | Australia news
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‘I’ve listened to people’ on cost of living: PM
Albanese is asked whether his word is still his bond.
His answer:
I’m an honest person. I am upfront. What I have done, what I have done here is be very, very clear. I’ve listened to people who are all saying, who are all saying, to me – ‘Well, what are you doing about cost of living? What are the measures that you can put in place?’
Key events
‘We need to de-escalate’: PM on Middle East
Just to go back to the prime minister’s comments during his ABC Insiders appearance regarding the creation of a demilitarised Palestinian state.
Anthony Albanese suggested Australian support of a Palestinian state could be based on it being “demilitarised”:
We need to de-escalate. Part of that might mean, for example, any existence of a Palestinian state would be one that was a demilitarised state as well. Those are the sort of issues that need to be on the table.
Albanese did not provide additional detail.
In late January, the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said that Gaza “must be demilitarised, under Israel’s full security control” once its military campaign had ended. He then went much further by stating that he would “not compromise on full Israeli security control of all territory west of the Jordan River”.
For more, read this Guardian Australia report from the time:
Greens reiterate opposition to Australia’s support for Israel
The Greens leader, Adam Bandt, has reiterated his party’s opposition to Australia’s support for Israel’s military campaign in Gaza ahead of an appearance by the party leader at a pro-Palestine rally on Sunday.
Labor must stop backing the invasion. With 26,000 people dead, a humanitarian catastrophe unfolding and the International Court of Justice intervening, Labor must withdraw its support for the invasion when parliament resumes.
Since the parliament tragically declared its support for Israel’s invasion, over 26,000 Palestinians have died, many of them children. Israel’s government has cut off food and humanitarian aid, pushing Gaza into a humanitarian crisis.
Labor must stop backing the invasion and join the community in pushing for a permanent ceasefire, the release of the hostages and an end to the occupation of Palestine.
Current pro-Palestine rallies have been planned in Sydney and Melbourne:
Asked whether he will consider calling an election before the end of the year, Albanese says “I think three-year terms are too short”, suggesting that the next election will take place in 2025.
I’m looking at 2025 in the normal pattern of things. We will make a decision. That ease as prime minister in consultation. I think governments as a general rule should serve the full term and that means an election in 2025.
And then that’s a wrap.
PM on inflation
There is a long discussion about tax arrangements, before the prime minister is asked about inflation.
Albanese is quick to claim this as a win:
Not by accident. Inflation is coming down because of the responsible policies my government has put in place and in contrast with – you spoke about what happened before the last election – yes, inflation peaked in the March 2022 quarter before we came to office at 2.1%, and the response of the former government under Scott Morrison, and Josh Frydenberg and Peter Dutton all sitting there as part of the ERC, was to pour money into the economy which made inflation worse. We’ve been dealing with that.
‘I’ve listened to people’ on cost of living: PM
Albanese is asked whether his word is still his bond.
His answer:
I’m an honest person. I am upfront. What I have done, what I have done here is be very, very clear. I’ve listened to people who are all saying, who are all saying, to me – ‘Well, what are you doing about cost of living? What are the measures that you can put in place?’
Labor attempted to amend stage-three tax cuts: PM
Albanese says Labor attempted to amend the stage-three tax cuts but their proposal failed by a single vote.
What we did in the parliament in 2019, is two things. One, we tried to amend our the stage 3 tax cuts. We weren’t successful. We failed by just one vote. When that occurred, we thought that we weren’t prepared to stand in the way of all of the government to say they knew what the economy would look like in five years’ time.
On whether he has broken a promise:
One of the things David. I have done is go to the National Press Club – and say we have changed our position. Why? We listened to people and particularly low- and middle-income Australians are under financial pressure.
What I can’t do as prime minister of Australia is to wring my hands and say, “If only there was something I co-do about it”. What we needed to do was to look at what is the best way we can take pressure off cost of living without putting pressure on inflation.
‘Circumstances have changed. We’ve responded’: PM on stage-three tax cuts
The prime minister says his government will make legislation on the changes to stage-three tax cuts available “later today” and that the bill will be introduced to parliament on Tuesday.
We want it to be passed as soon as possible. Certainly, it needs to be passed during this existing session, so as to provide that easy transition for employers, the tax office, for others as well.
Asked why Labor supported the stage-three tax cuts and didn’t take a better proposal to the election, Albanese says:
Circumstances have changed. We’ve responded.
Australia urged to reconsider support for Israel after ICJ ruling
Albanese says his government is “examining” allegations by Israel that 12 UN employees were involved in the 7 October attacks by Hamas.
The issue here is one of deep concern, that this occurred, that there were some involvement and those allegations need to be fully examined to ensure that every single dollar of aid is go going to just that, aid.
Asked whether he believes there are links, the prime minister says Australia is following “the processes, along with our like-minded allies”.
All of us want to see the support for kids in – kids in Gaza can’t be in a situation where people with literally starving and the only organisation that can provide that support there is UNWRA. They are providing shelter for hundreds of thousands of people there. So it’s an organisation that has had bipartisan support – funded by Australia for a long time and funded by our like-minded allies as well, but we want to make sure that the organisation has every single dollar going to the purpose for which it is given.
Australia cut funding to the agency after the announcement of an investigation into the allegations by the UN. The decision came days after the International Court of Justice refused to throw out a case allegation Israel was engaging in acts of genocide.
Any Palestinian state could need to be ‘demilitarised’, PM suggests
Asked whether Australia may follow the example of the UK and flag support for the creation of a Palestinian state, Albanese has reiterated his support for a two-state solution.
We support the right of Israel to exist within safe and secure borders but also support justice for Palestinians. We support a political solution in the region. It’s important that the international community play a role.
The prime minister suggested any Palestinian state could need to be “demilitarised”.
We need to de-escalate. Part of that might mean, for example, any existence of a Palestinian state would be one that was a demilitarised state as well. Those are the sort of issues that need to be on the table.
The prime minister says Australia has not been asked to contribute additional “support” and says his government’s focus is on the Indo-Pacific.
That’s something that the United States and our allies certainly understand.
Anthony Albanese says Australia supports the actions of the US in striking military targets across the Middle East, calling them “proportionate” and “retaliatory”.
The prime minister says:
We support the actions of the United States. These are proportionate, retaliatory for the actions of Iran-backed organisations and they are not an escalation. We think that the United States has got it right. It’s important that, given the attacks that have occurred by groups backed by Iran, there be a response.
Albanese says the actions don’t escalate tensions in the region and reiterated his belief that the US “has played a responsible role in the region.”
I think that the United States has played a responsible role in the region. You can’t have the sort of attacks that we’ve seen and see no response. That’s whether it be the actions of the Houthis in targeting our trade, whether it be the attacks that occurred on Americans in Jordan. So you will have seen a response. We want to see the area settled down.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is expected to appear on ABC Insiders this morning as parliament returns for another year.
We will bring you all the latest as it happens.
Heatwave settles over south-east Australia
People have been urged to seek shelter while avoiding sunburn and other illnesses as the weekend heat increases in Australia’s south-east.
Parts of the ACT, NSW, South Australia and Victoria are on Sunday set for 40C maximums that many Western Australians endured last week.
Among the capital cities, Sydney is likely to face the toughest test with temperatures in western suburbs such as Parramatta and Penrith expected to reach 39C.
Melburnians will feel a top of 37C, while people in Adelaide are readying themselves for 36C.
People in regional Australia will experience the highest temperatures on Sunday.
Renmark in South Australia’s east is set for 44C, while Mildura in Victoria’s west is due for 43C.
While lower temperatures are forecast for much of South Australia and Victoria on Monday, people in western Sydney have no such luck.
Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Angus Hines said people in suburbs such as Penrith and Richmond could expect temperatures of about 39C.
Many people on Australia’s west coast have enjoyed some relief this weekend following heatwave conditions last week.
People in Perth have a forecast maximum of 27C on Sunday. There were two days of extreme temperatures last week, including a record 45.1C in the Swan Valley in Perth on Thursday.
Conditions will remain hot in the north of Western Australia.
– AAP
Police have launched a homicide investigation after a 70-year-old woman was stabbed to death in a shopping centre car park in Ipswich, near Brisbane.
Emergency services were called to the Redbank Plains car park about 6.10pm on Saturday following reports of the stabbing.
The woman had sustained life-threatening injuries and died at the scene a short time later after attempts to revive her failed.
A six-year-old girl known to the woman was also assessed at the scene, but was not injured.
A crime scene has been declared and investigations are continuing, with police asking for witnesses to get in contact.
– AAP
Good morning
And welcome to another Sunday morning Guardian live blog.
Residents of the ACT, New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria have been told to prepare as temperatures are expected to rise close to 40c on Sunday, a week after Western Australians sweltered through similar temperatures last week.
Parts of Sydney are expected to reach 39C, with Melbourne topping 37C and Adelaide rising as high as 36C, with temperatures climbing higher in regional areas.
Queensland police have launched a murder investigation after an elderly woman was killed in a carpark in Ipswich, near Brisbane. The woman died at the scene after she was stabbed and attempts to resuscitate her failed. A six-year-old girl who accompanied her was not physically injured.
I’m Royce Kurmelovs and I’ll be taking the blog through the day.
With that, let’s get started …
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