26m agoWed 27 Aug 2025 at 11:20pm

US treating Australia with ‘contempt’, Shoebridge says

David Shoebridge says Richard Marles’s “happenstance encounter” with JD Vance and Pete Hegseth in Washington was a clear demonstration of how the US treats Australia under AUKUS.

“Our defence minister flies to Washington and can’t even get a meeting in the middle of the US review. That is the clearest indication of how Washington treats Australia under AUKUS,” Shoebridge says.

“We are a source of funds, we are a source of bases for the United States, and they are treating us with contempt,” he says.

Shoebridge says the government should end AUKUS and create an independent foreign and defence policy.

He says the encounter in Washington was “embarrassing” for Marles.

36m agoWed 27 Aug 2025 at 11:10pm

Greens say government must act on finding of famine in Gaza(ABC News: Callum Flinn)

Greens senator David Shoebridge says Foreign Minister Penny Wong must act on the confirmation that nearly a quarter of Gazans are experiencing famine.

All UN Security Council members, except the US, say the famine in Gaza is a “man-made crisis” and warn the use of starvation as a weapon of war is banned under international law.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification system says nearly a quarter of Palestinians in Gaza are experiencing famine.

He says countries need to stop providing Israel with weapons and weapons parts, and apply the same sanctions on Israel as the world has on Russia.

“If Penny Wong responds to this latest statement from the UN with a tweet or a statement or a joint statement, well then they’ll fail to meet the moment,” Shoebridge says.

1h agoWed 27 Aug 2025 at 10:39pmPentagon denies Marles had a meeting with Hegseth

The Pentagon has denied that Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles had a meeting with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

The federal government said Marles had a “number of engagements” at the White House with Vice-President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Hegseth and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller.

Marles posted a photo on social media yesterday with Hegseth and Vance, saying he “reaffirmed” Australia’s commitment to building on the US relationship.

But in a statement on Wednesday morning, local time, a defence official said a meeting did not take place, and that it was a “happenstance encounter”.

“We can confirm there was not a meeting. It was a happenstance encounter,” the US defence official said.

1h agoWed 27 Aug 2025 at 10:25pm

Next Coalition gas policy will be different to the policy taken to the last election: Paterson

James Paterson says the Coalition will announce a new gas policy in due course that will be different to the policy it took to the last election.

He says the Coalition’s next policy will ensure ample gas supply in Australia.

“In the Coalition, we are pro-gas … it is a critical fuel not just for electricity generation but for industry,” Paterson says.

1h agoWed 27 Aug 2025 at 10:21pm

Paterson concerned inflation will increase further once electricity subsidies end

James Paterson, the shadow finance minister, has been asked about yesterday’s inflation data.

Consumer prices rose 2.8 per cent over the year to July, a larger-than-expected increase from June, according to monthly figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Paterson says it’s “unwelcome and unexpected” and that he’s concerned about the drivers of the increase in the inflation number.

He’s pointed to the electricity prices being behind the increase in the inflation number because some subsidies weren’t paid, and says that’s a taste of what’s to come.

Paterson says the government has been masking a rise in electricity prices with subsidies.

“Presumably the government doesn’t intend to pay Australians’ electricity bills forever, so at some point there’s going to be a shocking moment of reality when Australians realise just how badly they [the government] have presided over the energy system,” Paterson.

1h agoWed 27 Aug 2025 at 10:10pm

Paterson not phased by ‘happenstance encounter’ with Pete Hegseth

Nine News is reporting the Pentagon has denied Defence Minister Richard Marles met with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on his visit to Washington, and that it was a “happenstance encounter”. 

James Paterson says he thinks it’s a good thing the defence minister met with his US counterpart.

“That’s the kind of relationship that we aspire to have and want to have with the United States,” Paterson says.

He’s called on the prime minister to meet with US President Donald Trump.

Asked if he cares if it was a “happenstance encounter”, Paterson says Marles has had extensive dealings with Hegseth in the past. He says they are substantial meetings.

1h agoWed 27 Aug 2025 at 10:00pm

Breakdown in Australia-Israel intelligence relationship would be ‘disastrous’: Paterson

James Paterson says he hopes that despite the “deep troubles” in the Australia-Israel relationship, that the intelligence relationship still remains healthy.

He says any impact on the security and intelligence relationship with Israel would be “disastrous”.

“I do think if you allow the political and diplomatic relationship to continue to fester as badly as it has over the past two years, inevitably over the time it will impact on our security and intelligence relationship,” Paterson says.

“It’s one of the many reasons why we need a concerted effort to restore the relationship with Israel and on that political and diplomatic level,” he says.

1h agoWed 27 Aug 2025 at 9:51pmPaterson says Coalition offered govt bipartisan support to list IRGC as terrorist group(ABC News: Matt Roberts)

Shadow Finance Minister James Paterson says Australia would have a “serious domestic security crisis” if it were found that Iran was targeting the homes of Australian Jewish leaders.

The Australian reports ASIO is investigating whether Iran was behind the attack on the former home of Sydney Jewish leader Alex Ryvchin.

Speaking to Sky News, Paterson says there should be further action taken against Iran if ASIO determines it is behind the targeting of homes.

“It would have to demand even further action from the Albanese government than what they have done already, which we’ve welcomed, in kicking out the ambassador and listing the IRGC as a terrorist organisation,” Paterson says.

Paterson has been questioned about whether Australia’s laws have prevented the government from listing the IRGC as a terrorist organisation.

The former shadow minister for home affairs says he offered bipartisan support to former home affairs minister Clare O’Neil to change the laws to allow a terror listing.

But he says the government didn’t take up the opposition’s offer.

He says the former Coalition government wasn’t deterred from listing Hezbollah and Hamas as terrorist organisations.

2h agoWed 27 Aug 2025 at 9:29pmCoalition’s listing of Hezbollah, Hamas as terrorist groups came down to evidence: Wilson

The shadow industrial relations minister says he is “deeply concerned” about revelations Iran was behind an attack on a synagogue near his electorate in Melbourne.

Tim Wilson says the Coalition has warned about the risk of interference from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and has consistently called on the government to list it as a terrorist organisation.

“Now we’re in a situation where the government has finally done so on the advice of ASIO. We only wish they had done it earlier,” Wilson says.

Asked why the Coalition didn’t list the IRGC as a terrorist organisation while they were in government, Wilson says the Coalition listed Hezbollah and Hamas as terrorist organisations.

He says those listings were based on the accumulation of evidence on those groups at the time.

“Obviously, these things come down to the advice at different times to make sure that we accumulate the evidence to do so,” he says.

“But when it comes down to it, of course, we always welcome the decision of the government to have taken this step at this time,” he says.

He says Iran’s involvement in the actions of October 7 was a turning point in the conversation about whether the IRGC should be listed as a terrorist organisation.

2h agoWed 27 Aug 2025 at 9:25pm

Employment minister engaged in ‘hyperventilation’ on right to disconnect

Tim Wilson says the employment minister is engaged in “hyperventilation” about right to disconnect laws.

Amanda Rishworth says the sky hasn’t fallen a year on from the passage of the laws, which the Coalition promised to repeal at the last election.

Wilson says no-one has ever argued that the sky was going to fall following the passage of the laws, and says the minister is blowing “hot air” into the debate.

“You have small businesses on the ground, you have workers on the ground, and the only solution the government has is to get in between those relationships with Australians and insert themselves, thinking they’re the answer,” Wilson says.

“What we want is harmony and practical working relationships between Australians to get the best outcomes, to improve economic outcomes, human relationships and harmony in the workplace,” he says.

2h agoWed 27 Aug 2025 at 9:20pmTim Wilson questions whether govt’s penalty rates legislation will have retrospective impact(ABC News: Brendan Esposito)

Shadow Industrial Relations Minister Tim Wilson says the federal government is trying to gaslight Australians by legislating penalty rates in legislation.

The legislation, which the government promised to implement at the last election, is expected to pass the Senate today.

Wilson has questioned the impact on small businesses and the unintended consequences of the legislation.

He says the Employment Minister Amanda Rishworth and the minister representing Rishworth in the Senate have provided different answers as to whether there will be retrospective change to the existing award arrangements.

“We have one minister saying one thing in the House, another minister saying something different in the Senate. We have no idea anymore what the government’s position is. And now it’s increasingly in question whether the minister responsible has misled the House of Representatives,” Wilson says.

“So that’s the question, what’s the impact on small business and, in particular, is there a retrospective element to this legislation?”

2h agoWed 27 Aug 2025 at 9:16pm

Politicians dazzle for the annual Canberra Midwinter Ball

Politicians and press gallery journalists have dressed in their best for the annual Midwinter Ball at Parliament House last night.

The event, which is usually held in June or July, was delayed this year because of the May 3 federal election.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s fiancée Jodie Haydon was spotted in a Carla Zampatti dress.

(AAP: Lukas Coch)

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley wore a white off the shoulder gown from Australian designer Rebecca Vallance, paired with metallic silver pumps.

(AAP: Lukas Coch)

The Greens senator Steph Hodgins-May and Greens leader Larissa Waters wore earrings protesting oil giant Woodside and the war in Gaza.

(AAP: Mick Tsikas)2h agoWed 27 Aug 2025 at 9:07pmGood morning 👋

Welcome to another day of our federal politics live blog!

I’m Josh Boscaini joining you live from Parliament House in Canberra here to bring you all of today’s updates in federal politics.

A government jobs and skills commission says Australia’s transition to net zero could be undermined by a shortfall of 42,000 workers. We’re likely to hear more about that story today.

And politicians and journalists dazzled the building last night for this year’s annual Midwinter Ball (which wasn’t quite held in midwinter this year).

The event was delayed from its usual June or July time slot because of the federal election. We’ll bring you some pics right here on the blog.

Let’s get this show on the road!

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