Australia politics live: Labor MP Ali France defends having vacant block as registered address; employment minister outlines jobseeker changes

No ‘one size fits all’ approach to mutual obligations

The government will keep mutual obligations in place for job seekers, but Amanda Rishworth says that it will take different forms for different people in the system.

It will depend on “how far someone is from the labor market”.

She tells the press club that for someone who does not have the work ready skills and is far from the labour market, “there is no point in that participant putting in endless applications before they have got those work ready skills.”

We need to actually stop thinking of this one size fits all approach to mutual obligations and recognise that mutual obligations will be different depending how far someone is from the labor market and what steps they need to take, so the type of examples you’ve said will vary across the different service streams

Rishworth is also asked about how some providers ignore top-up payments to help get longer-term unemployed Australians into jobs and focus instead on “easy wins” people that are much more employable – so how will the government be able to turn that around?

She says that the government will overhaul the way that employment services are funded to get better outcomes for everyone.

We’ll be designing how we get that those payments correct, but it will not just be a top up of the current system that currently exists. It will be a different funding model to make sure we’re getting the outcomes we want

Rishworth asked whether Labor considering free government-funded employment service

Rishworth is being asked whether she considered bringing back a free government-run employment service, given there had been a concentration of third-party job service providers (down to only about 40) across the country since the Commonwealth Employment Service was phased out in the late 1990s.

She dodges the direct question about whether renationalising the system was part of her thinking, but said she does want “the best people for the job”.

Back to the National Press Club, where the employment and workplace relations minister, Amanda Rishworth’s speech continues.

She has mostly kept to the comments outlined in the story below, but has said the reforms mark the biggest change to employment services in 30 years.

Labor has rejected claims from Liberal senator James McGrath that government MP Ali France has a case to answer about her enrolment details, saying she is living away from her registered address while her home is being rebuilt to better suit her disability needs.

McGrath, a LNP senator from Queensland, said he had raised concerns with the Australian Electoral Commission that France’s current registered enrolment address was a vacant block of land. France is the member for Dickson, having unseated Peter Dutton at the 2025 election.

In a statement, France said she has lived at that address for five years, and that the block is currently vacant because her house was demolished in February “to build a new home that is more suited to my needs as a disabled woman”.

It should be completed by the end of the year and my son and I are very much looking forward to moving back when construction is complete. I have lived at the address for five years and will continue to live at the address into future.

The AEC’s website states: “If you are absent from your enrolled address for a period of time but have an intention to return to that address to live, you do not need to update your enrolment. This includes if you intend to rebuild your house in the event of a disaster.”

Guardian Australia has been told France lived at the property until its demolition in February.

McGrath claimed in a statement: “A Labor MP being enrolled at a vacant block of land is as dodgy as they come.”

He requested the AEC investigate the issue “with the upmost seriousness and in a timely manner.”

Amanda Rishworth is speaking at the National Press Club.

The employment minister is expected to outline plans to ease Centrelink’s much-maligned mutual obligations regime.

We published this earlier about her address:

Opinion: News Corp noise and AI memes prove Labor is doing something meaningful. The battle lies in selling it

The annual tabling of the budget and the budget reply may have been presented as a dusty ritual, but the secret to understanding how it has landed is to recognise that the world is changing, perhaps irrevocably.

We are in a new asymmetric political contest in which a dominant party is imposing its agenda on a fragmented polity as a wounded opposition staves off a rising populist wave and a growing band of independents look to formalise their own coalition.

To the extent the government has taken a post-budget hit, it has mainly been from propagating incendiary memes that place virality over veracity.

You can read the rest of this piece here:

Chalmers says CGT changes shouldn’t ‘introduce another layer of distortions’

Chalmers says there are already four existing carve-outs from the CGT changes for small businesses, but warns that the government shouldn’t create new distortions into the system as it consults with the startup and tech sector.

Chalmers gives my colleague Tom McIlroy’s exclusive story on comments from Paul Keating a plug. Keating has urged Labor to stick to its guns on controversial changes to capital gains tax, warning that exempting commercial assets from the changes would further “distort” the economy.

You can read that piece here:

Chalmers says:

There’s a legitimate conversation going on with the small business sector, for example, but it’s important that we apply this change broadly, so that we don’t introduce another layer of distortions.

Any government of both political persuasions consults on big, broad, ambitious tax reform packages. It would be stranger if we didn’t, and so we’re engaged in that consultation, and in order for that to be meaningful, we’re not pre-empting the outcomes.

‘You don’t have a consultation process if you already know the outcomes’: Chalmers

Will they or won’t they give startups a carve out from capital gains tax changes – is the question on everyone’s lips, with the government to introduce legislation for the measures tomorrow.

Chalmers says it has been the government’s intention to consult on the changes with the tech sector as well as other peak organisations to get the details right.

The treasurer suggests that the government will introduce the broad reforms first, and then introduce further legislation with more of the details:

You don’t have a consultation process if you already know the outcomes …

We would like to legislate the core elements as soon as possible, we will. In order for the consultation on implementation details to be meaningful, we’ll take as much time as is necessary after that to do that, but ideally we’re talking about weeks and months rather than months and years to bed down some of these other pieces.

Government still ‘not anticipating’ extension of fuel excise cut

Despite the impact of the 26-cent cut to the fuel excise tempering headline inflation, the treasurer, Jim Chalmers says he’s still not expecting to extend the measure.

He tells reporters that the government still expects the cut to be reversed at the end of June, but it is always being looked at:

We keep that under review, but it’s not our, we’re not anticipating extending that or expecting to extend it, but we keep it under review really from week to week.

The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, is perhaps breathing a small sigh of relief with slightly better than expected inflation numbers just released by the bureau of statistics.

Speaking to reporters in Parliament House, he says there are some “encouraging” signs but the war in the Middle East is having a big impact on the economy.

One of the biggest impacts to the numbers was the cut of the fuel excise by 26 cents per litre, which Chalmers said reduced headline inflation by half a percentage point.

Inflation came down more than expected in April, and that’s a good thing, but we know that inflation’s still too high in our economy.

We’ve had an inflation challenge in our economy, which is made worse by the war in the Middle East, and what we see in these numbers is some encouraging numbers, but also we understand that inflation is too high in these numbers, and that’s why it’s a big focus of the government. The moderation in the figures, as I said, was much better than the median expectation of the market.

He adds that the cut to the fuel excise isn’t “the whole story” with a “welcome moderation in food and in rents as well”.

Lovett completes 500km walk for truth to Parliament House

Travis Lovett, the former Yoorrook justice commissioner, which is the country’s first formal, Indigenous-led truth-telling inquiry, has arrived at Parliament House in Canberra to push the government on its promise for a formal truth-telling commission.

Lovett has walked 500km from Victoria with a kangaroo skin cloak that bears the words, “Truth is not about blame, it’s about healing”.

Outside the front of parliament, Lovett speaks to the prime minister, minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy, and Senate president, Sue Lines.

Lovett, addressing the crowds outside parliament, says:

This is the moment that has come to meet you, this walk has reached the steps of parliament, but it must not be allowed to end at the stone and glass of this place.

Let this be where the country turns its face towards the truth, let this be where the delay ends … I ask this country to walk the next part with us.

Inflation has dropped to 4.2% in the year to April, from 4.6%, after petrol prices fell from their March peaks thanks to the government’s 26-cent cut to the fuel excise.

The fall is bigger than economists’ forecasts leading into the data release, but still well up on the 3.7% rate leading into the global oil shock.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics figures showed an underlying inflation measure, which removes large price swings, ticking up to 3.4%, from 3.3%.

Financial markets before this morning’s inflation put a near-zero chance of a rate hike on 16 June, rising to about 50% by the following RBA decision on 11 August.

Westpac has been fined $26m for grossly negligent conduct after failing to respond to customers in financial hardship, AAP reports.

Federal court judge Tim McEvoy on Tuesday found that while the bank’s conduct was not deliberate, it occurred over a relatively lengthy period, from 2017 to 2023.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission pursued Westpac in 2023 after it was found the bank had failed to respond to more than 200 online hardship requests from its customers over the six-year period.

Justice McEvoy found the requests were made by customers of Westpac and its subsidiaries St George Bank, Bank SA and Bank of Melbourne.

The customers were struggling to keep up with repayments on home loans, credit cards, personal loans, car loans and other responsibilities, justice McEvoy said:

I accept that Westpac’s contraventions in this case were very serious.

They impacted many vulnerable customers and continued over an extended period. It may in fact be said that the circumstances faced by the affected customers means that their financial vulnerability cannot be overstated.

While the contraventions were not suggested to be deliberate and arose instead from inadequate systems and operational failures, I have accepted that they were grossly negligent.

Live read sponsorships on podcasts would be included in proposed online advertising restrictions to gambling ads, communications department officials confirmed in Senate estimates, which independent senator David Pocock said would be a “bonkers” situation requiring podcasters to upload multiple versions of a podcast.

Under the proposed restrictions, streaming platforms can only have gambling ads for users who are over 18 and have logged in, and must allow users to opt out of seeing or hearing such advertisements, in order to prevent children hearing those ads.

Department officials confirmed if a podcast host has a live read, such as “we’d like to thank our sponsors”, this would be considered advertising, and if a user has opted out, they should not be able to hear it.

Pocock asked:

So then you can’t hear an entire episode?

Officials said that was a matter for the platform hosting the content.

Pocock said that is a “totally unworkable system” and continued:

Like, that is bonkers that you would be saying you can be a podcast, can be sponsored by a gambling company, you can have it in the intro, but you can’t play that to someone if they’ve opted out.

So the podcast hosts now are going to have to have two different versions of their podcast that they upload, and Spotify is somehow going to decide which one they’re going to play, to which person.

The hearing then moved on.

Police were outgunned at the Bondi massacre on 14 December, armed with 9mm Glock pistols in a gun battle against rifles carried by Islamic State-inspired gunmen, the royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion has heard.

NSW police assistant commissioner David Hudson gave evidence to the commission that police officers put themselves in danger to shoot and neutralise the attackers.

Obviously, on the 14th of December, our police officers were placed at significant risk being in a gunfight armed with 9mm Glocks against long arms.

A plan to establish an armed response command – of 210 officers carrying long-arm weapons – has been “escalated”, but will still take at least another 12 months to be fully staffed, Hudson told the commission.

Anthony Albanese’s latest declarations to his register of interests reveal he accepted free tickets to a concert and opera, as well as official gifts from other world leaders. We keep a close eye on the register, where politicians have to declare gifts and changes to their personal information.

Prime minister Albanese this week updated his register to disclose receiving an “Art Vinyl Record Storage Cabinet from Her Excellency Ms Sanae Takaichi, Prime Minister of Japan”.

He also noted receiving a “Celapa 4-Segi in Silver” from His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni AI-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali, the Sultan of Brunei, which he says was surrendered, which we understand is an ornamental metal box, that the PM said would be “donated to charity or non-for profit organisation”.

He also declared a “Framed Moon Kite” from YAB Dato’ Seri Anwar Bin Ibrahim, the prime minister of Malaysia, which has been “surrendered [to be donated to National Collections]”.

Albanese also noted he’d accepted “sponsored travel or hospitality” including tickets to Mumford & Sons in Sydney last month, from Live Nation; as well as tickets to Phantom of the Opera on Sydney Harbour from Opera Australia.

Albanese said in a radio interview a few weeks ago that he’d gone to Mumford & Sons with wife Jodie Haydon, telling Nova:

That was fantastic because we were in the dark so no one could see us, and no one hassled us. No one knew we were there … Fantastic gig.

No date set for social media ban court cases

Two high court challenges to Australia’s under-16s social media ban do not have a hearing date set yet, department officials have told Senate estimates.

Reddit, and the Digital Freedom Project – a group helmed by libertarian NSW MP John Ruddick – have sought to challenge the ban in the high court on implied freedom of political communications grounds. But communications department officials could not say when the cases were likely to be heard.

Christine McClure, first assistant secretary, legal and integrity division of the department, said the next directions hearing will come on or after 25 June but would not say whether the cases would be heard this year, stating it was a “matter for the court” to set a hearing date.

The department also declined to state what the government’s position on the litigation was, aside from that the government was defending its position.

Earlier in the hearing, Liberal senator Sarah Henderson sought to challenge the government’s claim that 5 million accounts have been deactivated or restricted on the 10 platforms given two-thirds of teens under 16 have remained on social media since the ban came into effect in January.

The department referred questions on these figures – and enforcement plans against platforms – to the eSafety commissioner, who is appearing this afternoon.

NSW police front royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion

The royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion is hearing from senior NSW police officers again, in its second block of public hearings, on Wednesday morning.

Today is likely to be the last day of public hearings this week, before the commission takes further evidence in camera.

The commission will hear from NSW police deputy commissioner, David Hudson, who holds responsibility for investigations and counter-terrorism, and assistant commissioner Kirsty Heyward, who is the commander of police prosecutions and licensing enforcement command.

Advocates want employment overhaul to go even further

Welfare and employment groups say the government should be doing more to overhaul the mutual obligations system, ahead of Amanda Rishworth’s address to the National Press Club today.

The Community and Public Sector Union says the changes are welcome, but is “disappointed it has not gone further to overhaul the privatised model that has failed job seekers, employers and the government.”

National secretary Melissa Donnelly says Rishworth’s changes are a step in the right direction, but worries they don’t go far enough.

Australian job seekers are sick of being lectured by flashy ‘entrepreneurs’ who are milking the government for hundreds of millions of dollars and providing a broken, profit-driven service in return.

This privatisation fantasy has caused untold damage, and while today’s announcement is very welcome, progress must not stop here.

The Antipoverty Centre, which advocates for unemployed Australians and those in the welfare system, has again called for the mutual obligations system to be fully changed. Its spokesperson Jay Coonan said the “punishment” of penalties for compliance activities should be totally overhauled.

You can’t punish people into employment in an economy designed to keep at least 4% of us unemployed, especially with the RBA aggressively pursuing higher unemployment.

There are about 2.7 million payment suspension notices issued each year and a huge percentage of them are ultimately reversed because they were incorrect, at enormous personal cost to the people subjected to these penalties. If the use of suspensions is not paused immediately, any promises of a better system will ring hollow in the ears of unemployed people.