Australian politics live: Hanson dismisses ‘shamed and stoned’ remark as ‘heat of moment’; PM extends ‘thoughts and prayers’ to pope

Key events

Australia and Jordan sign joint statement on defence and security

Anthony Albanese and Jordan’s King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein have met at Parliament House this morning, and committed to strengthening bilateral ties in defence and security.

In a lengthy joint statement, the two countries have agreed to more defence cooperation, stronger trade and investment, and condemned terrorism and violent extremism.

They also signed a memorandum of understanding on mental health cooperation.

Australia condemned the Iranian attacks targeting Jordan, and the two nations called for peace and security in the Middle East, also condemning the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

Victoria’s firefighting fleet needs funding, auditor general report finds

Victoria’s auditor general has found the state’s fire authorities need $1.5bn over the next decade to replace and upgrade their firefighting fleets, but have received only a quarter of the funding required.

The report, tabled in parliament this morning, found that the Country Fire Authority, Fire Rescue Victoria and the department’s firefighting fleet - which operates through Forest Fire Management Victoria - collectively need $1.5bn to “make sure their fire trucks are fit for purpose, reliable and safe,” but have only received $390.4m in current funding and future grants.

It said the CFA needed the majority of the funds - $962.5m – to replace 1,657 fire trucks that are “beyond their estimated useful life”, while FRV needed $297.3m to replace 153 fire trucks that are more than 15 years old.

But the auditor general said neither the CFA or FRV requested the full amount of funding they needed ahead of the most recent budget. The report said this was “due to instruction from the treasurer to all ministers that agencies should limit funding requests for new initiatives in line with the government’s fiscal strategy”.

It said the FRV in particular only submitted a budget bid of $20.7m – just 7.5% of what it needs over the decade.

The report also found none of the agencies were completing all its scheduled maintenance, which may lead to more breakdowns:

Together, these issues increase the risk that fire authorities will not have enough fit-for-purpose fire trucks to respond to fires and other emergencies.

Coalition bid to send trust tax bill to inquiry fails … for now

Labor has voted against the Coalition’s attempt to send the bill imposing a minimum 30% tax on discretionary trusts to a committee.

But while it has the numbers in the house, it’s a very different story in the Senate.

The Greens have said they want to punt this bill to an inquiry too – and between the minor party and the Coalition, they have the numbers to force the government’s hand.

Yesterday the Greens said the government was watering down what appeared to be a “mildly positive” bill:

We want to know exactly what the impacts are of Labor once again collapsing under pressure from vested interests.

This morning, Angus Taylor was asked if the Coalition would support the Green’s push for an inquiry. He said yes, but couched it saying the two parties were coming at the legislation from two very different positions:

We will go to the election with a policy of axing the tax. But I’ll tell you, it would be even better to not let it get into place in the first place. Now, I fear the Greens will just want more tax. They generally do. But if they are prepared to be reasonable in an inquiry to look at how the hell we got to this place, how is it that Labor could have made this decision – of course, we’ll support that.

Chalmers denies being rolled by PM on ATO card ban

Jim Chalmers has denied the prime minister went over his head to intervene on the ATO’s decision to ban credit card payments.

Anthony Albanese said yesterday that Andrew McKellar, chief executive of the Australian chamber of commerce and industry (ACCI) texted him on Thursday morning, and 24 hours later the ban was delayed.

The treasurer says the PM didn’t cut his grass and that he was definitely involved in the discussions too.

Journalist: Were you rolled by the PM?

Chalmers: No, not at all. It is true that there were discussions with ACCI on Thursday, we were involved in some of those discussions at office level. They were engaging with my team on...

Journalist: Were you overlooked?

Chalmers: If you just let me set it out for you,the prime minister and I were in discussions on Wednesday of last week. He had a view and I agree with it, that we needed to step in to provide this longer transition period to allow the ATO the time to get it right. We had the same view.

Liberal and shadow treasurer Tim Wilson wants to punt Labor’s trust tax bill to inquiry

The Coalition – who are very much not supportive of the legislation to impose a minimum 30% tax on discretionary trusts – are pushing for it to be punted to a parliamentary inquiry.

The shadow treasurer, Tim Wilson, claims in the House that Labor MPs don’t even get how their own legislation works.

I do understand that members of the Labor party do not understand the consequences of the legislation that the treasurer has just introduced.

For your benefit, I am saying to you very clearly it is in the Labor member’s interest that this go to an inquiry.

Chalmers introduces trusts tax legislation to the House

Jim Chalmers is introducing his bill to implement a minimum 30% tax on discretionary trusts.

He says it’s a loophole some wealthy Australians have been using to avoid tax, that has been called for for decades over multiple tax reviews. He tells the house:

This is all about better aligning the tax treatment of income from assets and the income from work and it’s also about funding the income tax cuts for workers that we are delivering again and again.

The flexibility provided by discretionary trusts allows some people to plan their tax affairs in ways that aren’t available to most workers and families.

The opposition doesn’t want this passed and won’t support it. That leaves the Greens as the only pathway.

The Greens have said there’s a few hurdles to get their support, including to stop parents being able to use trust tax exemptions to pay for private school fees. The Greens told the ABC the legislation has payment exemptions for not-for-profits, charities and other tax-exempt entities, including private schools.

In pictures: Palau president visits Australia

Surangel Whipps Jr, the president of Palau, the pacific nation home to around 18,000, has visited Australia this week to strengthen diplomatic and security ties and open an embassy in Canberra.

This morning he met the prime minister and Jodie Haydon at the lodge.

Albanese says ‘thoughts and prayers’ with Pope Leo XIV following cancer diagnosis

Anthony Albanese has released a statement after the Vatican revealed Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung cancer.

Albanese says his thoughts and prayers are with the Pope.

Pope Leo XIV is a source of inspiration to Catholics right around the world – and here in Australia. He is a voice for peace, humanity and reason in our modern world.

My thoughts and prayers are with him as he recovers from his recent surgery. We hope and pray for a quick recovery.

Bell’s comments said ‘in the heat of the moment’ says Hanson

One Nation leader, Pauline Hanson, has told everyone to “calm down” over Angie Bell’s comments calling for Anthony Albanese and the small business minister, Anne Aly to be “shamed and stoned”.

Bell made the comments to the House yesterday, and was later forced to withdraw them. Hanson told reporters on her way into Parliament:

[It was] said in the heat of the moment, I think everyone just calm down all right? I’ve been dealing with this for many, many years. Just calm down.

Labor MP says Bell’s comment ‘reprehensible’ as Taylor dismisses concerns

Labor MP, Julian Hill has called Angie Bell’s comments “reprehensible” after she said the prime minister and the small business minister, Anne Aly, should be “shamed and stoned” over the ATO’s now-delayed ban on credit card payments.

Speaking to News24 this morning, Hill said Bell a Liberal frontbencher should be held to a higher standard “for the words that we utter”:

I think those comments are reprehensible, particularly against a Muslim woman. But you know, she withdrew. We need to lower the temperature, and you can’t just dismiss this stuff. It needs to be aired, it needs to be put in context and stopped.

The opposition leader, Angus Taylor, though, said the reaction to the comments were being used as a distraction. He told reporters on his way into Parliament:

She’s [Bell] withdrawn. She’s withdrawn the comments. Can I say, the small business minister shouldn’t distract from her failures. And she has failed.

‘Greedy’: Taylor condemns trust tax changes

The opposition has made it clear it will not be supporting the government’s changes to impost a minimum 30% tax on discretionary trusts.

Angus Taylor, speaking to journalists at the entrance of parliament, says the government is trying to implement the changes because it loves to spend money.

Small businesses are going to see over $13bn of restructuring costs here, as we’ve seen reporting in the last couple of days, $13bn they’re going to have to wear. The government didn’t think about any of this. They didn’t think about the stamp duty implications of their tax changes, they didn’t think about the restructuring costs. In the end, they’re greedy for the money. They need the money because they love to spend it.

On RN Breakfast, s MP Kevin Hogan said that while small businesses will be able to change their settings to avoid some of the additional tax (and they’ll have until mid 2028 to do it), their compliance costs will be high.

I think the compliance costs are estimated to be more than what the government’s going to collect in revenue from this as well. So again, makes us a less productive country.

s MP defends Bell’s ‘shamed and stoned’ comments

We all make heat of the moment comments, says s MP Kevin Hogan, defending his colleague Angie Bell, who yesterday said the prime minister and minister for small business, Anne Aly, should be “shamed and stoned” over the ATO credit card ban.

Aly revealed on social media later that day that she had recently received 19 death threats, and called the comments “racist” and “misogynistic”.

Speaking to RN Breakfast this morning, Hogan disagrees that they were racist and misogynistic.

We all make comments and I’ve been guilty too in the heat of the moment to use terms or phrases that shouldn’t be used and Angie quite rightly got up and withdrew it straight away and apologised … No, I don’t think they were racist or misogynistic.

A small fact check here: It took about eight minutes for Bell to withdraw, after she was asked to do so by leader of the House, Tony Burke.

‘None of us is beyond criticism’: Chalmers on governing through murky waters

Jim Chalmers does find himself in pretty rough economic seas to sail through – with high inflation, rising interest rates, and people angry with the increasing cost of living.

At the halfway point of the term, and with One Nation’s rise in the polls, the government has around 18 months to turn things around and convince voters they’re still solid economic managers.

In a speech last night, Chalmers said the government should genuinely acknowledge the pressures people are under, and that the economy would get better.

This morning, he’s asked if the government is struggling to sell its economic message to voters. He says:

There are always a range of views. When you do a senior job in a government which is governing in difficult times, there will always be a range of views. And I’ve tried to always take the approach that none of us is beyond criticism.

Some people would like us to do more, some people would like us to do less. That’s just the reality of a senior job in a government in difficult times. And so I accept that. I try and take all of the feedback that I get, good, bad, or indifferent, on board.

‘More than 95% of people don’t get trust income’, Chalmers defends tax changes

Jim Chalmers says the government is right to hit trusts which are being used as tax loopholes, and that the majority of regular people don’t use them and don’t receive any benefit from them.

The Coalition is dead opposed to the changes and says small businesses will be hit hard.

Chalmers says around 10% of small businesses will be impacted, and the changes have been urged for decades.

There are legitimate reasons for trusts, but they also allow a small proportion of people to manage their tax in ways that’s not available to most working Australians. And that’s why there’s been 50 years of reviews now recommending that they be reformed.

The use of these trusts, discretionary trusts, has doubled in the last 20 years, but still more than 95% of people don’t get trust income, and still less than 10% of small businesses would be affected by the changes that we’re proposing today doesn’t come until the middle of 2028.

The Greens have told the ABC this morning that the government should ensure that trust loopholes can’t be used by parents to pay for private school fees.

Chalmers says that issue hasn’t yet been raised with him, and that the legislation has “reasonable arrangements for charities, for not-for-profits” – which private schools could be included in.

Chalmers says intervention on credit card tax payments was a joint decision with the PM

I have an open door too, says Jim Chalmers, after the PM yesterday seemed to take credit for delaying a ban by the ATO on credit card payments.

Anthony Albanese says he received a text from Australian chamber of commerce and industry boss Andrew McKellar on Thursday morning and by Friday morning the problem was address.

Chalmers, not wanting to be seen to be left out of this, says he was in the conversation with ACCI too – and that it was a joint decision with the prime minister to intervene.

He tells RN Breakfast:

I have an open door. I’ve met with ACCI in recent weeks, in fact, and we were engaging on these issues as well …

Last week on the Wednesday, I had discussions with the prime minister. We agreed that it would be appropriate to find a better way through for small business. We engaged with the business community on the Thursday, as we do frequently, on these sorts of issues.

Then [the assistant treasurer] Daniel Mulino and I took a proposal to ministers on the Friday morning after I discussed with the tax commissioner very early on Friday morning. And by late Friday morning, we had stepped in.