Key events
Well is Anthony Albanese happy to hear that Trump was favourable to Aukus (there are concerns within the government that a Trump presidency will put an end to the Aukus agreement)
I assume that anyone who looks at it the Aukus arrangements will say that the arrangements that we have put in place are very sound and are in the interests of all those who support a more secure and peaceful region and world.
So is the government using Scott Morrison in a soft diplomacy pincer move with Donald Trump? Did Albanese speak with Morrison?
I have not had a discussion with with Scott Morrison in recent times
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But could Morrison be a useful diplomatic tool in a Trump presidency?
Albanese:
I will leave at diplomacy, funnily enough to diplomatic endeavours. I won’t be discussing them on RN. But we use our former prime ministers from time to time – I was very pleased to travel with former Prime Minister’s Abbott, Howard and Turnbull, for example, to to the Abe funeral in Japan and that was appropriate because of the relationships that they had.
How does Albanese feel about Scott Morrison’s meeting with Trump?
Anthony Albanese says he won’t weigh in on Scott Morrison referring to Donald Trump’s criminal charges as a “pile on”.
I leave matters that are before the courts here in Australia. I play it straight back to them. I certainly am not about to intervene in matters that are before courts in the United States.
Is Albanese happy that Morrison raised Aukus with Trump?
Look Scott Morrison is a former prime minister of Australia. I respect the office of prime minister. Scott Morrison, I know was meeting with the US ambassador to the US while he was in Washington, Kevin Rudd and that’s entirely appropriate.
Government could always do more for domestic and family violence, Albanese says
On criticisms that the government has not spent enough on domestic and family violence, Anthony Albanese says:
Patricia, you’ve been around a while and you know that every single group you could claim any group health education. Any group will always say we need to do more. And we recognise we need to do more in this area. This is a national crisis. But we are doing across the board.
He goes through the measures which were announced, which included measures previously announced, but says it remains a priority of his government.
Patricia, we’ve produced a budget that is producing substantial investment in this area. Could we always do more in this area? Of course that’s the case.
Anthony Albanese is speaking to Patricia Karvelas from the Lodge – and you can hear his dog Toto barking in the background.
Could concentration of solar panel and batteries’ supply chains leave Australia vulnerable?
Has the government ignored Treasury advice by moving forward with its build solar panel and batteries in Australia, after Treasury advised given the concentration of the supply chains in those areas, it could leave Australia vulnerable.
Albanese:
What is a good use of money is recognising that there are not just industry policy objectives, that it’s also a national interest test. And when you have more than 90% of the world’s solar panels that will help to power the global economy produced in one country, then that leaves us vulnerable.
… What I’m saying is we need to be more resilient as an economy. We need to recognise that trade disruptions can have an enormous impact. We need to make more things that aren’t necessarily here just for the same reason.
‘Every single senator should back it’: Albanese on Future Made in Australia
Anthony Albanese is speaking to ABC radio RN Breakfast, where he is asked about the Future Made in Australia plan.
More specifically, the tax credits and whether or not Labor will negotiate with the Greens, which they will probably need to do, given the Coalition is leaning towards a big no.
Albanese says:
This is about whether we want to make things here. This is about Australian jobs. This is about whether we will take up the opportunity that we have to seize it, of the changes in the global economy where we are positioned with an enormous advantage. We can have the best green hydrogen industry in the world because we have the space to do it.
So will the government negotiate? (The Greens are looking at the gas strategy as being part of the package and want the government to shift on that, which the government so far as said no way to)
We’ll introduce the bill and we will argue the case and every single senator should back it because if they don’t back it, they’re not backing Australian jobs and they’re not backing Australian industry.
Angus Taylor is ‘a big believer in freedom of speech’ when asked about Gina Rinehart portrait
Angus Taylor is then asked about the complaints the National Gallery of Australia has received from THE Gina from Noosa, better known as Gina Rinehart, over a portrait of her in award-winning artist Vincent Namatjira’s exhibition.
What does Taylor think about artistic freedom?
You know, this is the first time I think I have ever been asked for advice on art. My wife doesn’t ever ask me for advice on art. It’s not my area.
Ok, but what about artistic freedom?
Taylor says he believes in that.
I do. I’m a big believer in freedom of speech and allowing people to have their say and I don’t always agree – I often don’t agree with some of the things people say, but I am a believer in freedom of speech. But when it comes to critiquing art, I’m not the guy to go to.
‘We don’t think production tax credits is way to go’: Angus Taylor on Future Made in Australia
Is the Coalition going to vote against the Future Made in Australia policy, which was fleshed out in the budget and includes tax credits (in 2028) for things like critical minerals mining and green hydrogen?
Angus Taylor told the ABC:
We haven’t seen the act. We don’t think production tax credits is the way to go in order to have a strong manufacturing sector.
It’s about getting those fundamentals right whether it be approvals, whether it be getting rid of red tape or making sure the construction costs are competitive with the rest of the world.
This is a massive issue for Australia. Our costs of construction of anything of hydrogen electrolisers right through to nickel processing, our costs of construction are way, way over our competitive countries.
We got to get productivity back into those sectors, making sure we got sensible industrial relations that’s good for employees and good for employers, all of these are the issues that you need to get right if you’re to have a successful manufacturing and resources sector in this country.
So that is a maybe.
‘Why do millionaires with multiple homes get this rebate for each property they own?’: Michaelia Cash
Liberal senator Michaelia Cash also had views on that topic and it goes on a journey:
Oh, but it’s also a drop in the ocean, you know. What are we saying? It’s a Band-Aid on a bullet wound compared to the pain that mum and dads in Australia are actually feeling.
I can tell you, they’ve paid a lot more than $300 under Mr. Albanese for their electricity. For the life of me, though, what it does show is Mr Albanese, [and the government] they’ve got their priorities all wrong.
Why do millionaires and billionaires with multiple homes get this rebate for each property that they own?
It is beyond me. But as for the $300, Karl, a drop in the ocean. You know, really sad Band-Aid on a bullet wound, considering the pain that Australians are feeling because of the electricity price hikes under this government.
Billionaires who don’t want $300 energy rebate ‘please pass on to neighbour’, Labor senator says
Labor senator Malarndirri McCarthy was speaking to the Nine network where the topic is still “billionaires” receiving the $300 in energy relief that was contained in the budget.
Yesterday the host attempted a gotcha-moment by asking Anthony Albanese about “Gina from Noosa” receiving the money, which he followed with a (paraphrasing here) “what if I told you ‘Gina’ was GINA RINEHART” but it didn’t quite land. So he’s having another go today.
McCarthy is told “not even the billionaires” want the $300 (Clive Palmer complained about it yesterday) and asked why isn’t it means tested.
McCarthy says:
Well, the billionaires can certainly hand it back, if that’s the case. Or they can give it to their neighbour, to someone in need, this is about, as the treasurer said the other night, an opportunity for all Australians to receive this.
And most Australians who desperately need this will get this, and clearly, if there are billionaires out there who don’t want that, well please pass it on to your neighbour.
‘Australians who love their sport’ shouldn’t have to pay to watch it, Greens senator says
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young spoke to the Seven network this morning about the anti-siphoning issue. It’s all over free-to-air sport and the increasing lack of access to it.
Hanson-Young has been on this issue for some time and says it is time the government acts:
What I want to do is fix it. I want to make sure the millions of Australians who love their sport, whether it’s football, cricket, watching the beloved Matildas, are able to watch those games for free. We’re in a cost-of-living crisis.
You shouldn’t have to get out your credit card and sign up to a subscription for pay television or a streaming service like Kayo just to be able to watch the cricket or the footy.
Yet that is what this current legislation will do. So I’m hoping that we can negotiate with the Government over this. I don’t think it’s fair, at all, that if you’ve got an old-school television with an aerial, you get to watch the cricket for free.
But if you’re one of those [in a] couple of years it is going to be half of all households who don’t have an aerial, want to watch the football on their smart TV through the internet or on their iPad or phone, they should be able to do that for free as well. It is just not cricket.
Morrison calls Trump’s indictments a ‘pile on’ after meeting with former president
It’s always nice to start the morning with a little bit of a lol.
In this instance, it is brought to you by former prime minister Scott Morrison, who is in the US and caught up with former president and current Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in New York referring to the four indictments amounting to 86 felony charges Trump is facing as a “pile on”.
Was pleased to meet with former President Donald Trump on Tuesday night at his private residence in NY. It was nice to catch up again, especially given the pile on he is currently dealing with in the US. Was also a good opportunity to discuss AUKUS, which received a warm reception. We also discussed the continuing assertions of China in the Indo-Pacific and the threats against Taiwan. These were issues we discussed regularly when we were both in office. Once again, the former President showed his true appreciation of the value he places on the Australia-US alliance and the shared role of supporting what our friend, Shinzo Abe, called a free and open Indo-Pacific. Good to see you DJT and thanks for the invitation to stay in touch. All the best.
Was pleased to meet with former President Donald Trump on Tuesday night at his private residence in NY. It was nice to catch up again, especially given the pile on he is currently dealing with in the US. Was also a good opportunity to discuss AUKUS, which received a warm… pic.twitter.com/3FUTrwJVnC
— Scott Morrison (@ScoMo30) May 15, 2024
Good morning
We have made it to the last day of the budget session.
Huzzah.
Thank you to Martin for starting us off this morning – you have Amy Remeikis with you for most of the day now – I’ll take you through to after question time, and then swing by again to take you through Peter Dutton’s budget-in-reply speech, which will be delivered this evening.
Ready?
Let’s get into it (and by it, I mean the fourth coffee of the morning).
‘Anger’ and ‘resentment’ over lack of responsibility for Afghanistan war crimes
A lack of acceptance for responsibility by senior military leaders for war crimes in Afghanistan has caused “ongoing anger and bitter resentment” among troops and veterans that will last for years to come, a panel warns (and Australian Associated Press reports).
In its final report to defence minister Richard Marles, the Afghanistan inquiry implementation oversight panel says it did not agree with the Brereton inquiry’s finding that most senior military officers shouldn’t be held accountable for the murders of up to 39 Afghans by special forces soldiers.
The 2020 Brereton report found “credible” evidence elite Australian soldiers committed war crimes in Afghanistan between 2005 and 2016.
But it failed to sanction senior commanders, frustrating former and current serving personnel.
The independent panel overseeing the defence response to the inquiry, said there was an “unmet need for defence senior leadership to communicate to the serving and ex-serving ranks of the ADF that they collectively accept organisational responsibility and accountability for part of what when wrong in Afghanistan”.
The panel says:
There is ongoing anger and bitter resentment amongst present and former members of the special forces, many of whom served with distinction in Afghanistan, that their senior officers have not publicly accepted some responsibility for policies or decisions that contributed to the misconduct such as the overuse of special forces.
The report, which is expected to be tabled in the Senate this week, says the resentment will “likely last for a long time”.
The panel says commanders needed to accept accountability to “prevent or mitigate any recurrence” of unlawful conduct. It suggested the issue be further considered.
NRL bans two spectators
The NRL has issued indefinite bans to two spectators alleged to have racially abused South Sydney Indigenous players Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker at a match at Kogarah Oval on Saturday.
The NRL chief executive, Andrew Abdo, said abusive behaviour directed at players “will not be tolerated” and thanked other fans for bringing the matter to the league’s attention.
The Rabbitohs CEO, Blake Solly, said he welcomed the NRL’s response and offered support to the players’ families.
“Racism is archaic, disgusting and will not be tolerated,” he said.
The two fans have five business days to respond to the banning notices, issued under the NRL’s spectator code of conduct.
Mitchell and Walker have called out racist abuse in the past. Last year, a fan in Penrith was banned from attending NRL games after racially abusing Mitchell.
Nine in 10 NSW principals report teacher shortages
Caitlin Cassidy
Nine in 10 New South Wales principals reported teacher shortages at their school in the past year-and-a-half, a new survey has revealed.
The State of Our Schools survey, released by the Australian Education Union today, surveyed 6,794 NSW public school principals and teachers in March and April.
It found more than half of principals were merging classes regularly due to ongoing teacher shortages and just 12% described their school as well resourced.
The AEU federal president, Correna Haythorpe, urged governments to reach an agreement funding to the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) – the minimum benchmark required to meet the needs of students.
“The challenges are too great and the cost of inaction too high for governments to continue to fail on funding. Teacher shortages are having a detrimental impact on teaching and learning with schools forced to merge classes, run classes without a teacher and reduce the range of specialist classes offered.”
The NSW Teachers Federation president, Henry Rajendra said NSW public schools were grappling with a $1.9bn funding shortfall this year alone.
“It’s time for the prime minister to step up and lift the federal SRS share from the current 20% to 25% by 2028.”
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our rolling news coverage. I’m Martin Farrer and I’m going to run through a few of the best breaking overnight stories before my colleague Amy Remeikis cranks up the computer.
Australia’s murky involvement in Timor-Leste is dragged into the daylight again today by our exclusive lead story, which reveals how the government is trying to “censor” an official history in case its embarrasses officials or diplomats. “What we’re talking about here is issues that amount to censorship,” says one leading historian of the Department of Foreign Affairs’ refusal to sanction part of an official history of military operations in Timor. Despite being cleared by other government agencies, Dfat wants no mention of Asis spies having bugged the Timorese cabinet room during negotiations over Timor Gap oil resources in 2004 – the same revelation that led to the criminal prosecution of a former Asis operative known as Witness K, and his lawyer, Bernard Collaery.
Jim Chalmers has said the projected halving of net migration will contribute to Australia’s inflation fight ahead of Peter Dutton’s budget reply, which is expected to attack Labor over the post-pandemic spike in arrivals.The federal government’s decision not to further increase funding for jobseeker, housing and domestic violence is a “gaping hole in the heart of the budget”, advocates have warned, with critics also dismayed there was not more cost of living support or environmental measures in the package. The lack of jobseeker increase means Centrelink payment remains below the poverty line, our data experts report. The Albanese government will relax some of the requirements imposed on people under the jobseeker program as a condition for their income support, with changes expected to prevent around 1m welfare payment suspensions every year.
A ban on same-sex parenting books at libraries in part of western Sydney has been overturned at a marathon late-night meeting after large crowds of protesters clashed outside the council chambers. A vote on the issue went 13-2 in favour of overturning the ban, which was introduced after a much tighter vote earlier this month. The Cumberland mayor, Lisa Lake, was forced to evict unruly attendees after repeatedly warning them to let speakers to continue without interruption.
And a news survey has found nine in 10 New South Wales principals reported teacher shortages at their school in the past year. More on that soon.
