That’s all for today
Thanks for reading the national news blog for today, Monday, May 25. This is where we will end our coverage.
Here’s a recap of some of the main headlines:
- National Anti-Corruption Commission boss Paul Brereton announced his resignation, to take effect from July. Brereton took office as the inaugural commissioner in July 2023, and will have served three years in the office when his resignation takes effect. His position has been recently mired in controversy after the deputy commissioners of the federal integrity watchdog publicly rejected his assertion that his recusal from all defence corruption referrals was “unnecessary”, arguing the step was essential to restoring public confidence.
- Labor will attempt to pass its tax changes through parliament on Thursday without any carve-outs, the prime minister said. A second, more detailed set of legislation would be introduced after a period of Treasury consultation with business stakeholders, he said. Thursday’s legislation will have four parts. The first will establish the tax cuts and the second will concern the $1000 instant tax deduction announced earlier in the year.
- The teals have responded to this masthead’s story on Monday about how the independent MPs had held talks to form a political party in response to new donation laws. Bradfield MP Nicolette Boele and Mackellar MP Sophie Scamps have said they will consult their community about their next steps, while Wentworth MP Allegra Spender and Warringah MP Zali Steggall said this morning that there was space for a centrist alliance that could challenge Labor and the Coalition’s models. Kooyong MP Monique Ryan and Curtin MP Kate Chaney have ruled out running as anything but an independent.
- One-time ASX darling Guzman y Gomez is facing a class action claim in the US for allegedly failing to give workers enough notice when it abruptly shut down its American operations and pulled the pin on its dreams of conquering the world’s biggest fast-food market.
Thanks again for reading.
Prime Minister pays tribute to Neale Daniher
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has spoken in the House of Representatives, honouring the life of Aussie rules champion and motor neurone disease campaigner Neale Daniher, who has died after a long battle with the disease.
“In 2013 after an extraordinary and decorated VFL, AFL career as both player and then coach, Neale Daniher was diagnosed with motor neurone disease. At that point, the average life expectancy was just 27 months. Instead, through 13 years, Neil fought what he called the beast with the courage, optimism and passion that brought hope and inspiration into the lives of everyone affected by MND,” Albanese said.
“The devastating impacts of motor neurone disease stole so much from Neale, but he held on to everything that people loved and admired about him, his selflessness, his bravery, his humour, his ability to look on the bright side, and his fierce determination to make a difference for others,” the prime minister said.
“It was a profound honour for me to present Neale Daniher the Australian of the Year Award in 2025. I think it is safe to say that there has never been an award so unanimously agreed to by every single Australian on that night.”
Albanese said the difference Daniher made could be measured through the awareness he raised of the disease, and the tens of millions of dollars raised to help tackle it.
“Above all, it will be carried in the hearts of everyone who found new strength and yes, new hope in their fight, because of the extraordinary example that Neale set. May this wonderful Australian rest in peace.”
More than 900 suspected Ebola cases now identified
Suspected Ebola cases have now passed 900 in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congolese authorities said.
There are concerns the disease might spread to the large displacement camps near the city of Bunia, where the first cases were reported.
The Ministry of Communication said on Sunday (Congo time) that there were now 904 suspected cases of Ebola – a significant jump from the previously announced 700. They are mostly in Ituri Province.
World Health Organisation chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said 101 of those cases were now confirmed as Ebola.
Greens want to see legislation before making tax call
Greens leader Larissa Waters has not said whether her party will support the government’s changes to the capital gains tax discount and negative gearing, as her party waits to view the legislation before coming to a position.
“As you can appreciate, it’s a bit hard to know what’s in it until we have, in fact, seen it, but from all we’ve read and heard so far, this is a massive missed opportunity to actually address the unfairness that those property investor tax perks have baked into our system for almost 30 years now, that has turbocharged the housing crisis,” Waters told the ABC this afternoon.
“The government has felt that pressure from the Greens, from the community, and it’s come to the table, but it now looks as if they’ve totally squibbed it, and they’ve kept the benefit of 95 per cent of those unfair tax perks in the pockets of very wealthy professional property investors,” she said.
“Meanwhile, young people are still struggling to own a home to pay the rent to just get by. They could have done so much more.”
The Coalition has vowed to vote against the changes announced in the budget earlier this month, meaning the government is reliant on the Greens’ support in the Senate to pass its legislation.
Waters said the government should have used the federal budget to raise taxes on the country’s wealthiest 1 per cent, which she said should have paid for income tax cuts for other taxpayers.
Teal independent Boele to consult community before making party decision
Teal independent Nicolette Boele has said she intends to contest the next election as an independent but is not opposed to being part of a “formal alliance of community independents”.
Boele, the member for Bradfield in NSW, made the comments in response to this masthead’s story on Monday that a group of teals were in advanced talks to create a new party.
“Over the last 48 hours, there has been media speculation about a new party being formed by members of the crossbench. I will contest the next election as a community independent – that has never been up for debate,” Boele said in a statement.
“Even before I was elected in 2025, there were live conversations about how community independents could weather the changes from the major party duopoly’s new laws on election campaign finance aimed at reducing competition and further entrenching their power,” she said.
Liberal frontbencher suspended for 24 hours
Earlier during question time, the House was left momentarily stunned after Liberal frontbencher Phillip Thompson repeatedly refused to withdraw an accusation of lies hurled at the government.
Thompson was asking a question about a lack of healthcare support for veterans when he said: “Veterans deserve better than this Albanese Labor government’s lies. These are lies that you are peddling.”
Speaker Milton Dick ordered Thompson, himself a veteran, to withdraw the comment, but he refused. Dick tried again, but Thompson said he would not withdraw.
The House speaker is a respected position in the chamber, and MPs almost always comply with their orders.
National Anti-Corruption Commission boss Paul Brereton resigns
National Anti-Corruption Commission boss Paul Brereton has resigned, to take effect from July.
Brereton took office as the inaugural commissioner in July 2023, and will have served three years in the office when his resignation takes effect. He announced his departure in a statement.
Brereton’s position has been recently mired in controversy after the deputy commissioners of the federal integrity watchdog publicly rejected his assertion that his recusal from all defence corruption referrals was “unnecessary”, arguing the step was essential to restoring public confidence.
Brereton had continued to advise the Afghanistan war crimes inquiry, despite assurances he had stepped away.
“The ongoing focus on matters relating to me personally rather than the Commission’s work is drawing attention away from the Commission’s core purpose of strengthening integrity in the Commonwealth public sector, which has always been my primary focus as Commissioner,” he said.
‘Time to be honest’: Wilson’s book enters tax debate
Manager of opposition business Dan Tehan has twice now tried to intervene to stop Labor from quoting from shadow treasurer Tim Wilson’s book, in which Wilson argues existing tax systems are inequitable.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers referenced Wilson’s 2020 book, and said he endorsed the message that generational inequality was being entrenched. But Chalmers couldn’t resist taking a swipe by suggesting he was the only person to have read the book.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese picked up the mantle in a subsequent question.
“The treasurer isn’t the only one who’s read the book of the shadow treasurer – it is in fact, it’s good reading. It’s good reading because it puts the case for reform on capital gains tax and negative gearing very eloquently,” he said.
‘Scaring vulnerable people’: Albanese slams tax attack
Undeterred by Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ sledging, Tim Wilson has persisted in presenting scenarios to the chamber.
Wilson asked the prime minister how changes to taxes on trusts would impact those caring for family members with disabilities, using the example of Janet from Queensland who has a child with Down syndrome.
Anthony Albanese said vulnerable Australians were exempt from changes to the taxing of trusts and accused the opposition of fearmongering.
“What the constituent from Brisbane shouldn’t have to put up with is people promoting something in order to try to secure political advantage, most by scaring people, by scaring vulnerable people,” he said.
Wilson cites Labor MP’s start-up in small business jab
Treasurer Jim Chalmers and shadow treasurer Tim Wilson have gone toe to toe over the contentious tax changes Labor wants to pass this week.
Wilson scored a laugh from the Coalition benches when he began his question to the treasurer with a scenario that referenced cabinet secretary Andrew Charlton and his business.
“Andrew from Parramatta founded a start-up. He started his business in 2015 and sold it in 2020 for $35.8 million. Andrew, like so many Australians, said that the new capital gains tax regime, quote, doesn’t interact well with small businesses,” Wilson said, and asked Chalmers if he endorsed the comments.
Chalmers retorted that he was reminded of the last time the shadow treasurer cited a small business owner during his speech at the National Press Club.
“It turned out the person that he had based his entire speech around was more than likely exempt or able to access very considerable concessions and carve-outs,” Chalmers said.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.smh.com.au
