What’s making news today
Hello and welcome to our national news live blog for Friday, June 5. My name is Emily Kaine, and I’ll be helming our coverage for the first part of the day. Here’s what is making news.
- The first tranche of the government’s budget tax legislation passed the lower-house yesterday unamended. The package combines into one bill the $250 income tax offset and $1000 instant deduction for workers, as well as curbs on negative gearing and capital gains tax concessions. The legislation will now progress to the Senate, where Labor is in minority and reliant on either the Coalition or the Greens to pass the reforms.
- A US plan to hit 60 countries, including Australia, with new tariffs has been widely condemned by the government and opposition. Trump’s plan would subject Australian goods to a 12.5 per cent levy – a 2.5 per cent increase on the 10 per cent tariff currently in force. Trump claims the tariffs are a response to anti-slavery violations.
- One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce was caught short on Sky News last night when Andrew Bolt pressed him for details of the party’s call to outlaw foreign ownership of housing in Australia. Bolt revealed that Joyce made calls after the interview to check the housing policy and then asked to re-record his answer.
- There are no signs a new ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon will hold. Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah has rejected a peace agreement with Israel and demanded a complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. Israel said it would not withdraw troops from the country. With Iran making a ceasefire in Lebanon a condition for any peace deal with the US, the prospect of an end to the war still seems unlikely.
Largest ever seizure of illegal cockroaches in Australia
Up to $200,000 worth of exotic cockroaches will be euthanised after the largest ever seizure of illegal invertebrates in Australia.
The raid of a commercial breeder in Bathurst in the NSW Central West led to the seizure of more than 100,000 insects, the federal government said.
That included dubia cockroaches, usually bred as feedstock for reptiles, amphibians and tarantulas, and Madagascar hissing cockroaches, which are often kept as pets.
The Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water said exotic cockroaches cannot be legally imported into Australia, kept, bred or sold because they might spread disease and harm native wildlife and agriculture.
The NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development will manage the euthanasia and disposal of the insects.
Starmer tells Musk to stop interfering in UK politics after Nowak death X posts
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Elon Musk should stop interfering in British politics, after the billionaire X owner posted on his platform about a murder that has triggered a public outcry and protests in Southampton, England.
Last year, 18-year-old Henry Nowak was handcuffed by British police as he lay dying from stab wounds after his killer falsely alleged a racist attack. The killer, a Sikh man, was sentenced on Monday.
Video footage released after the sentencing showed officers ignoring the pleas of a dying, innocent man and has sparked anger and a political storm about how police treat different ethnicities.
‘This is turning into a train wreck, mate’: Bell has 2GB interview cut short
One Nation senator Sean Bell has attempted to clarify – for the second time this morning – his party’s policy to outlaw foreign ownership of property in Australia.
In an interview with 2GB, Bell doubled down on his earlier claims that the party’s policy would give foreign owners two years to sell their properties in Australia, echoing party leader Pauline Hanson.
Pressed on what would happen when those two years were up, the senator would not answer.
Host Mark Levy asked: “What happens after two years if they do not divest that property? Do you kick them out of the house?”
‘I’m not sure what their policy is’: Hume responds to One Nation housing confusion
Deputy Liberal leader Jane Hume says she has no idea what One Nation’s policy on foreign ownership of housing in Australia actually is, following Joyce’s mix-up about the party’s stance on Sky News last night.
Joyce was caught short when Andrew Bolt pressed him for details on the party’s call to outlaw foreign ownership of housing in Australia. Bolt revealed Joyce made calls after the interview to check the housing policy and then asked to re-record his answer.
Asked this morning by Sky News host Laura Jayes what One Nation’s policy was, Hume responded: “Wow, that’s a very good question, Laura.
“I’m not entirely sure even One Nation knows what their policy is here, but if their policy is to kick people out of their homes, I think that that should set off alarm bells for … Australians, because that is a very new development,” she said.
Earlier this morning, we reported that One Nation senator Sean Bell attempted to clarify the policy during a panel with Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie.
New police operation launched ahead of ski season
NSW Police will redeploy officers to the state’s southern alpine region from today under a high-visibility safety and law enforcement operation to be announced by a Winter Olympian in a matter of hours.
Operation Snow Safe will be launched on the slopes at Thredbo by snowboard cross gold medallist and Jindabyne local Josie Baff, alongside representatives from the police, national parks and wildlife service, and state emergency service today. The Australian ski season officially kicks off tomorrow.
It follows an operation of the same name during last year’s ski season, where police were credited with reducing major collisions in the snow by 20 per cent while responding to more than 20 search and rescue operations.
The 2026 operation will target dangerous behaviour on the slopes, but also focus on anti-social behaviour in licensed venues and dangerous driving on roads to the snow. Millions of tourists are expected to visit the Snowy Mountains in southern NSW over the winter months, including the popular Thredbo and Perisher ski resorts.
Snow fell across the NSW and Victorian alpine regions earlier this week. There is further chance of snow today in the Snowy Mountains, which have faced strong winds and blizzard conditions in the past three days.
Hume ‘very pleased’ with Abbott’s return to party leadership
Deputy Liberal leader Jane Hume has welcomed former prime minister Tony Abbott’s ascension to head of the party’s federal executive, amid rumours he may run for pre-selection on the NSW Central Coast.
Asked about the speculation Abbott would run in the Labor held seat of Shortland, Hume said: “I have heard nothing about that. I am very pleased, though, that Tony Abbott has stepped up in a voluntary capacity to be the federal president of our party.”
“Let’s remind ourselves that Tony Abbott was the last successful opposition leader to bring a coalition back into government after years in the wilderness of a bad Labor government. You can see why it’s so important to have somebody with his experience and expertise and stature leading the organisational wing of the party,” Hume told journalists at Parliament House in Canberra.
Despite her praise for Abbott, Hume reiterated that the party’s leader was Opposition Leader Angus Taylor, and that he was responsible for policy direction and producing a “compelling” campaign at the next election.
Hume slams ‘sneaky’ government, leaves door open for longer inquiries
Deputy Liberal leader Jane Hume has accused the government of being “sneaky” in its passage of tax legislation, and left the door open for a deal with the Greens to extend inquiries into budget legislation.
“Two days [of inquiry] is nothing like enough, apparently. These are generational reforms. If they’re generational reforms, well, surely they should have been taken to an election, so that the Australian people could decide that’s when you get the appropriate scrutiny. But they haven’t been,” Hume told ABC radio this morning.
“So it’s up to us in the Senate to get this done. Two days simply is not enough. There is no need to rush these changes through because they don’t kick in until 2028. So, if that’s the case, why on earth the government is trying to hide from scrutiny is beyond me. And quite frankly, I think it demonstrates just how sneaky they’ve been about these tax changes.”
Asked whether the Coalition was willing to trade a longer tax inquiry for a deeper dive into changes to the NDIS, Hume indicated a deal could be on the table.
“The Coalition have made it very clear that we support change to the NDIS. It’s been a program that’s run well out of control, and it does need integrity measures put around it to make sure that it’s sustainable into the future,” she said.
“That said, we shouldn’t hide from scrutiny. I think it’s well worth having a look at, if that’s what the Greens would like in exchange for a longer inquiry into tax measures that they support. I think that’s perfectly fair.”
The rules of foreign ownership of residential property
As One Nation MPs Barnaby Joyce and Sean Bell spruik the party’s plan to ban foreign ownership of Australian property, it’s probably a good idea to get some context on the current rules.
Temporary residents and foreign persons are banned from purchasing established dwellings in Australia, with a few exceptions, according to the Australian Taxation Office.
These restrictions on property ownership do not apply to citizens and permanent residents.
According to the ATO, temporary residents and foreign persons can purchase the following types of residential properties:
- New or near-new dwellings – this includes dwellings that have had less than 12 months of occupancy.
- An established dwelling with the intention of redevelopment.
- An off-the-plan property.
- Vacant residential land.
There is also a carve-out for those involved in the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility program. The program facilitates Pacific Islanders and people from Timor-Leste working in unskilled, low-skilled or semi-skilled positions in Australia when there are not enough local workers available to fill the roles.
These rules are in place until at least the end of the 2028-29 financial year.
The fine detail of One Nation’s policy has not been released, but based on comments from Joyce and Bell it appears the party would abolish rules channelling foreign ownership into only new housing stock and replace them with a blanket ban.
One Nation senator attempts to clarify Joyce’s mix-up
In one of his first major media appearances, One Nation senator Sean Bell has attempted to explain his party’s position to foreign ownership of housing in Australia after MP Barnaby Joyce’s mix-up on the policy during a Sky News interview last night.
We reported earlier this morning that Joyce was caught short when Andrew Bolt pressed him for details of the party’s call to outlaw foreign ownership of housing in Australia.
Asked on Sky this morning whether the party’s policy meant foreigners with properties in Australia would be forced to sell their homes, Bell said: “So it’s going to depend on the type of visa they’re on”.
“We need to look at making sure those, you become Australian citizens, or they are required to make sure those homes become available for Australia. We believe that homes should benefit Australians first.”
Government defends reforms amid accusations it ‘rammed through’ legislation
The government has defended its passage of tax reforms through the House of Representatives, after the opposition and crossbench accused Labor of ramming the legislation through.
Speaking on ABC Radio National this morning, Assistant Treasurer Daniel Mulino said the government had allowed 17 hours of “exhaustive” debate in the chamber, and said a two-day inquiry into the package would be sufficient.
“They’re really important once-in-a-generation changes. They involve two tax cuts for millions of Australians, the working australian tax offset, and the instant tax deduction,” Mulino said.
“They also, of course, involve really important measures to make it easier for first home buyers and younger Australians to get into the housing market, dealing with issues such as negative gearing and capital gains tax changes supported by the Howard government that have long needed attention.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.smh.com.au
