6 hours ago
Minister says Australia preparing to evacuate ‘fair number’ from Iran, but ‘it’s going to be challenging’
Pat Conroy, the minister for the defence industry, said the government is still preparing to evacuate a number of Australians from Iran following Israel’s ongoing strikes on the country. Conroy, speaking to RN Breakfast, said he expected a “fair number” of people would seek to board repatriation flights, but noted there were likely a lot of dual citizens who would stay in Iran. He said:
The air zones are closed at the moment, so planes can’t get in and out, but we’re preparing plans to evacuate Australians or assist in them getting on to commercial flights when those zones do open again.
It’s going to be challenging. There’ll be a lot of people probably wanting to exit. So we have to be careful, but we’re in contact with as many people as possible.
Conroy urged Australians in conflict zones to register with Dfat.
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Tom McIlroy
Nato secretary-general praises Australia’s leadership on Ukraine
The secretary-general of Nato praised Australia’s role responding to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, telling Anthony Albanese that Europe, the Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific are “interconnected” because of the conflict. Albanese met Mark Rutte, the former prime minister of the Netherlands, in Calgary, as G7 leaders gather for tomorrow’s summit in the Rocky Mountains resort town Kananaskis.
Rutte warned China was acting in cahoots with Russia, North Korea and Iran to prolong the bloody war. He said:
It is Russia with North Korea, with China, even Iran supporting the war effort, so this is all getting more and more interconnected. I want to thank you for your leadership on Ukraine. It’s really important that [Australia is] so far away and still so close and willing to really be helpful here.
Rutte said Nato and Australia could do more on defence industrial production and congratulated Albanese on his 3 May election win. Albanese called Russia’s actions immoral and illegal and restated a promise from Australia to commit troops to a peace keeping force, if a ceasefire can be achieved. The prime minister said:
I think the democratic world needs to defend our values, and we’re seeing that play out.
Triple J announces birthday edition for Hottest 100 Australian Songs vote
Triple J just announced a special, mid-year Hottest 100 of Australian Songs to celebrate the station’s 50th birthday. Voting starts today and runs for the next month. Triple J said:
It’s a big year for the triple j family, so what better way to toast our deep history than by doing our favourite thing: wringing our hands over trying to pick only 10 of our favourite songs released by Australian artists and bands. Nah, it’ll be a breeze, right? …
They’ve been the playlist to our lives, defined the sound of the nation and echoed across generations, and now we get to champion all the tracks that have lasted a lifetime (or more).
Tom McIlroy
South Korean president tells Albanese he looks ‘much younger and good looking’ than he imagined from phone call
Prime minister Anthony Albanese met with South Korea’s newly elected president, Lee Jae-myung, on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Alberta, Canada. The pair had spoken on the phone in the past few days, after the presidential election and the resolution of South Korea’s constitutional crisis.
In a tiny hotel room in downtown Calgary in the past few minutes, Albanese showed the pair had clear rapport already. He received an unlikely compliment from the South Korean leader, who told him:
We had a phone call just a few days ago, and you look much younger and good looking than I imagined from your voice.
“You are very kind,” Albanese responded. “I think winning an election takes a few years off your appearance.”
The pair talked about Australia’s service during the Korean war, as well as the upcoming Asia-Pacific economic cooperation summit in South Korea in October. The South Korean president said he looked forward to visiting Australia again, saying he had been impressed by the country’s natural beauty the first time he travelled in the country.
Albanese will meet Nato’s secretary general, Mark Rutte, next up today.
Chris Minns calls gangland attacks ‘vicious, disgusting behaviour’ after lunchtime shooting
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, said the shooting at a restaurant in the Sydney suburb of Auburn yesterday was “vicious, disgusting behaviour from complete animals”.
Minns spoke to 2GB after the brazen attack, where three people were wounded at a kebab shop after a gunman allegedly opened fire inside. He said:
The disregard for human life for people who are innocent bystanders is appalling. Obviously I think it just churns your stomach to believe there are people out there who would pursue this kind of crime and have such disregard for members of the public.
Minns reiterated his pledge that NSW police would see those charged with such crimes “spend a long time, decades, in tiny prison cells”. Read more here:
Shadow finance minister calls on PM to raise defence spending to 3% of GDP so ‘it’s not a partisan issue’
James Paterson, the shadow finance minister, said the Coalition again called on the Albanese government to raise defence spending to 3% as a proportion of GDP, saying those calls are a task “we will happily take on over this term of parliament”. Paterson told RN Breakfast:
We are almost three years away from the next election, but before the next election, we’ll outline any savings that are necessary to make sure that is possible. … Frankly, it’s my hope that the Albanese government does that in this term of parliament so it is not a partisan issue by the next election.
RN host Sally Sara pressed Paterson on how the Coalition would pay for that proposal, which would amount to billions more in spending per year. Paterson said he couldn’t “outline exactly the dollars and cents”:
There will be three budgets and three mid-year economic and fiscal outlooks between now and the next election. And this government will make decisions on defence spending and many other things that will have implications for whatever provision we need to make for these things.
So it’s not possible to give you the exact numbers today, but I can give you a commitment that will be upfront and transparent and honest about it.
Pat Conroy says government will always put Australian safety first in global conflicts
Conroy was asked if there is a greater threat Australia could be drawn into a hypothetical conflict between the US and China after defence minister Richard Marles said yesterday Australia’s military contingent was “more relevant to [the] great power contest now than its ever been before”. Conroy told RN Breakfast:
I’m always careful about engaging in hypotheticals and our sovereignty remains paramount. The elected Australian government of the day will always decide whether we’ll be involved in a conflict or we will allow our continent to be used for operations, and that’s a really important principle.
But we live in a period of huge strategic uncertainty. That’s why we’re significantly increasing the defence budget. And we will continue to make decisions in the national interest to put the safety of Australians first.
Minister says Australia preparing to evacuate ‘fair number’ from Iran, but ‘it’s going to be challenging’
Pat Conroy, the minister for the defence industry, said the government is still preparing to evacuate a number of Australians from Iran following Israel’s ongoing strikes on the country. Conroy, speaking to RN Breakfast, said he expected a “fair number” of people would seek to board repatriation flights, but noted there were likely a lot of dual citizens who would stay in Iran. He said:
The air zones are closed at the moment, so planes can’t get in and out, but we’re preparing plans to evacuate Australians or assist in them getting on to commercial flights when those zones do open again.
It’s going to be challenging. There’ll be a lot of people probably wanting to exit. So we have to be careful, but we’re in contact with as many people as possible.
Conroy urged Australians in conflict zones to register with Dfat.
Man charged with murder after woman found dead in bushland in Sydney
A man was charged with murder last night after a woman’s body was found in Sydney’s west. Officers responded to the suburb of Werrington on Sunday around 1.15pm after a passer-by reported a body found in bushland in the area.
NSW Police established a crime scene and undertook extensive enquires into the 47-year-old woman’s death. A man, also 47, was arrested on Monday evening in Hobartville and charged on allegations of murder.
He was refused bail and will appear later today before Penrith local court.
South Australia says support for Santos takeover bid will be contingent on ‘the state’s best interest’
Santos, Australia’s second-largest gas producer, has early backing from its board for a $30bn takeover bid by a consortium led by the Abu Dhabi Oil Company. Shares in the oil and gas giant have soared on the news, but the deal may depend on winning over a state government, AAP reports.
Any transfer of licence holders under the South Australian Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Act must be signed off by the state’s energy minister. SA’s premier, Peter Malinauskas, says the “state government’s priority at all times is to ensure that South Australian jobs remain in South Australia, and to maintain Santos’ headquarters in Adelaide”, adding:
Any judgments we make regarding this process will be made in the state’s best interests.
Abu Dhabi Oil has expressed interest in acquiring Santos since July 2024, after negotiations of a potential merger between Santos and local competitor Woodside wound up in February 2024.
Benita Kolovos
Victorian Greens push bill to enshrine housing as a human right
The Victorian Greens will introduce a bill to state parliament today to enshrine housing as a human right and have written to the premier, Jacinta Allan, calling on her support.
Under the bill, the right to housing would be added to the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities. This would mean government departments, the police and the courts would all need to comply with and uphold the right to adequate housing. Any future laws and regulations would also have to comply with the charter.
The bill also specifies that housing should be structurally sound and located to appropriate public services and employment. The Greens’ housing spokesperson, Richmond MP Gabrielle de Vietri, said the bill would “fundamentally change the way we think about housing”. She said:
Today we are offering something all MPs across the political spectrum can agree on – that everyone has a right to a safe and affordable home. Anyone who votes down this bill will need a bloody good explanation for the more than one million Victorians in housing stress.
De Vietri also wrote to Allan urging Labor to support the bill, which will be introduced on Tuesday then second read on Wednesday. However, that is unlikely as the party generally doesn’t support non-government bills.
It follows a similar push made in federal parliament last year by independents David Pocock and Kylea Tink. It was supported by the Australian Human Rights Commission.
Good morning, Nick Visser here to take you through the day’s news. Thanks to Martin Farrer for getting things started.
Andrew Messenger
Renewables push in Queensland for cooperation between state and federal governments
The Queensland state government is being urged to do a deal with the commonwealth for national support to build more local renewable energy and storage projects.
The federal government has made renewable energy transformation agreements with every other state, meaning billions of dollars of Commonwealth funding become available for green power projects like batteries and solar.
Stephanie Gray, a campaigner with the Queensland Conservation Council, said regional communities deserve their fair share of federal funding.
We’re concerned recent moves by the Queensland government indicate they’re opposed to new clean energy investment, which if true, is bad news for regional economies, power bills and climate action.
The Queensland government has recently cancelled a windfarm they previously approved and moved to implement controversial legislation changes that will make it very challenging to get a large-scale renewable project approved.
Gray said Queensland’s coal-fired power stations had broken down “a staggering 78 times over the last summer period”.
As our ageing coal fleet heads towards retirement, it’s only practical to make sure that new renewable energy supply is coming online to keep the lights on, manage power bills and reduce emissions in our most polluting sector …
We simply cannot depend on our coal clunkers any more, and their unreliability is driving up wholesale power prices.
Investigation launched after NSW plane crash
An investigation has been launched after a pilot died when his recreational aircraft crashed in NSW’s central west yesterday afternoon.
Officers were called to Meadowview Road near Tottenham, about 140km north-west of Parkes, at around 3.40pm when the aircraft was found crashed in a paddock.
The 48-year-old pilot, a local man, died in the crash. A report will be prepared for the coroner while an investigation into the crash is being conducted by Recreational Aircraft Australia.
Poll support for super tax reforms
Krishani Dhanji
More than half of Australians support or strongly support reducing tax concessions for super balances over $3m, according to YouGov polling commissioned by the Australia Institute.
The polling found 52% backed the idea, while 26% of people oppose or strongly oppose the changes and 22% are undecided.
YouGov surveyed 1,535 voters finding those between 25 and 34 years and 35 and 49 years supported the proposed tax change the most. Those over 50 supported it the least.
The most supportive also happened to be those who voted independent, followed by Labor and Greens voters.
The Australia Institute’s executive director, Richard Denniss, said it should come “as no surprise” that many Australians don’t “share the hysteria” about the proposed policy change.
“Given that most Australians have less than $200,000 in super, it should come as no surprise that the vast majority of ordinary Australians don’t share the hysteria about this small change expressed by some very vocal critics ...”
“One of the most interesting results is that independent voters, the voters who have cost the Liberal party so many of their once safest seats, are the most supportive of Labor’s proposed changes.”
Tom McIlroy
Trump says G7 ‘wrong’ to kick out Russia and advocates for Chinese membership
As Albanese lines up meetings, the main G7 action is in full swing. Donald Trump has met the Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, and other world leaders here in Canada overnight.
Trump said the G7 was wrong to kick out Russia, and that he would like the group of economic powers to be restored to the G8.
Trump and Carney talked about tariffs and international trade, similar themes to what is expected when the US president sits down with Anthony Albanese on Tuesday.
“I’m a tariff person. I’ve always been a tariff person,” Trump said in his press conference. “I think Mark has a more complex idea, but also very good. We’re going to take a look at both.”
Trump also advocated for China to join the grouping.
Albanese is having private meetings this morning, Canadian time, ahead of his formal talks with the leaders of Nato and South Korea.
Tom McIlroy
What’s on Albanese’s agenda at the G7 summit?
Anthony Albanese is in Calgary again today, meeting world leaders ahead of tomorrow’s G7 summit in nearly Ananaskis.
On the agenda for the PM today are bilateral talks with South Korea’s new president, Lee Jae-myung, and Nato’s secretary general, Mark Rutte. Both talks are expected to focus on defence and security, including the possibility of South Korea building new frigates for the Australian Defence Force.
In talks with Rutte, Albanese is expected to discuss Australia’s ongoing commitment to supporting Ukraine in its war with Russia.
Later in the day, Albanese is due to attend a welcome reception for G7 outreach leaders hosted by Alberta’s premier, Danielle Smith, ahead of a welcome dinner hosted by the governor general of Canada, Mary Simon.
All eyes are on Albanese’s meeting with Donald Trump on Tuesday local time (Wednesday here), the first time the two leaders will meet face to face.
As mentioned earlier, our chief political correspondent, Tom McIlroy, is in Canada and he has sent an analysis of how the prime minister might be trying to approach this week’s summit.
Tom argues that Anthony Albanese will be treading a delicate path in Alberta as he tries to pivot gently towards building more alliances while trying to avoid controversy with Donald Trump. Read his piece here:
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it’ll be Nick Visser to guide you through what may well be another very busy news day.
Our chief political correspondent, Tom McIlroy, is in Canada at the G7 summit in Canada, where Anthony Albanese is lining up meetings with leaders and trying to navigate the currents of geopolitical crisis. We’ll have blow-by-blow coverage and analysis for you here soon.
On the domestic political front it’s a big day with the fate of the New South Wales Liberal party to be decided. The party’s federal executive will weigh up whether to end or extend its control over the division at a crunch meeting. The Victorian Liberals may also cast off the party elders conducting a review of that state divison. We’ll have the news as it happens.
A poll by YouGov has found that more than half of voters support or strongly support reducing tax concessions for super balances over $3m. The survey, commissioned by the Australia Institute, found 26% of people oppose or strongly oppose the changes and 22% are undecided. More coming up.
