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What we learned: Friday 13 February
We will wrap up the live blog here for the evening.
This is what made the news:
Angus Taylor has been elected the new leader of the Liberal party, defeating Sussan Ley in a partyroom ballot.
Jane Hume was elected deputy, defeating incumbent deputy Ted O’Brien.
Ley announced she would retire from politics, triggering a by-election in her seat of Farrer.
It will likely be a hotly-contested byelection, with One Nation, the independent from the last election, and Nats all likely to run against the Liberals.
In his first speech as leader, Taylor signalled the Liberal party would focus on lowering the rate of immigration and said if “someone doesn’t subscribe to our core beliefs, the door must be shut”.
Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull said people describe Taylor as “the best-qualified idiot they’ve ever met”.
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, said of the leadership change that it was the “different jockey, same dead horse.”
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said there is no room for complacency on closing the gap.
NSW’s independent police oversight body says it will conduct an investigation into the operation at a protest against Isaac Herzog’s Australian visit at Sydney town hall on Monday, including “alleged misconduct”.
The destruction of Australian war graves by Israeli Defense Force bulldozers in Gaza will be investigated by the Israeli government, the country’s president has promised.
New South Wales police charged a 45-year-old man for allegedly following Herzog across Sydney this week.
Five reptiles, one marsupial, a fish, an insect, a mollusc and twenty-five plants (including a seaweed) have been added to Australia’s threatened species list.
Until next time.
Updated at 00.57 EST
Taylor has a mandate, Liberal MP says
Liberal MP Andrew Wallace is next up on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing. He was a Sussan Ley supporter, but said he hopes the party can draw a line under the leadership now.
As a result of today, the results were an emphatic outcome, a very supportive outcome and Jane Hume and [Angus Taylor] now have a mandate. He has a licence to put his stamp of approval on new policies to take us forward and I look to being part of that team.
Wallace said he walked in with Ley as he is a loyal person, and wore his heart on his sleeve. He said he believes Ley is the best person for the job and wanted to demonstrate that.
The party room has spoken and, you know, I support the leader.
He said he hasn’t spoken to Taylor about keeping the shadow attorney general role, and said it was up to Taylor.
He’s got bigger fish to fry at the moment, Olivia. I’ll give him space and if Angus sees a future for in whatever he sees appropriate then, you know, I’ll accept that. But that’s a matter entirely for Angus and I respect the outcome.
Updated at 00.39 EST
Hogan says potential Nationals candidate in Farrer ‘not unhealthy’
Hogan says a decision on whether the Nationals will run a candidate in Farrer against the Liberals is a decision to be made by the NSW Nationals, but he said it would be a healthy contest if they do.
I don’t think it’s unhealthy that we run three-cornered candidates where we run both Nationals and Liberals candidates.
[Ley’s retirement] means the seat is open for both parties to run. We obviously preference each other and that, in some cases can be helpful. I’ll for the New South Wales state division to make that decision [that] wouldn’t rule out a three-cornered contest and in some cases, that can be helpful.
Updated at 00.32 EST
Smoother relationship for Coalition, Nats deputy says
The National’s deputy leader, Kevin Hogan, said the Nationals are looking forward to working with new Liberal leader Angus Taylor and deputy Jane Hume. He told ABC’s Afternoon Briefing:
I know Angus, [a] very exceptionally impressive work history before politics. He’s a very smart guy, has a lot of capacity. We are looking forward to work[ing with] Angus …
As a Nat, I’ve learned a long time ago, I do not comment [on] the Liberal party’s choices about who is the best candidate in leadership. We respect [their] decision. We respect their decision today and [look forward] very much to working with both Angus and with Jane.
Kevin Hogan, the Nationals deputy leader, earlier this month. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP
He said it will be a smoother ride from here for the Coalition, following codifying issues around legislation following the hate speech laws.
The relationship, I think, is going to be much smoother going forward, albeit we are two distinct parties and there will always times and issues and things that are problematic for us to deal with. We have codified the process which means the relationship will be smooth going forward, I believe.
Updated at 00.33 EST
Joyce on potential One Nation addition to Coalition: it would depend on policy
Joyce says One Nation has many who are asking to be put up as candidates. He said Pauline Hanson will work with the local branch members for candidates.
Joyce asked about Angus Taylor’s comments on immigration, he said Taylor did not quantify how much immigration should be reduced, and what standards should be put on immigration.
Asked whether One Nation could be in Coalition with the Liberal party, it will come down to a discussion on policy, focusing on One Nation voters and members.
He said Peter Dutton’s style of politics failed at the last election because he appeared amorphous, which seemed similar to Labor:
We don’t set out for them to not like us but people have a strong opinion about One Nation because they know exactly what we stand for and that’s why the vote is growing. And because people want you to be electorally honest with them as to exactly who you are. That’s what One Nation does.
Updated at 00.31 EST
Liberal change a reaction to One Nation, Joyce says
One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce says the change in leadership of the Liberal party is a reaction to One Nation’s rise in the polls. He tells ABC’s Afternoon Briefing that there has been a rise in One Nation support due to “One Nation’s clarity, its unity”.
He congratulated Angus Taylor and wished Sussan Ley the best, noting she had been given a poisoned chalice in being leader after the election loss.
On Taylor’s speech, he said Taylor did not define what the values and principles of the party are, and said Taylor should define “what is a wrong immigrant”. He said there were “motherhood statements”.
I understand they don’t want to make a mistake on the presser but they’re going to judged by the details of the policy, not the overarching placat[ing of] people’s feelings, because people aren’t that stupid. They’re going to look down at the details.
He said the Farrer byelection would be interesting for any implications for the Murray-Darling plan, and noted it would coincide with the SA election. He said it will also mean policies on the plan from both the Nationals and the Liberals.
Updated at 00.30 EST
Watt rejects calls to declare Maugean skate critically endangered
Lisa Cox
The environment minister, Murray Watt, has rejected calls for the conservation status of the Maugean skate to be upgraded to critically endangered and said the skate would retain its existing endangered listing.
The skate is an ancient ray-like species found only in Tasmania’s Macquarie Harbour, where salmon farming is the main threat to its survival.
Watt announced the decision on Friday as political attention in Canberra was focused on the Coalition’s leadership change.
The Maugean skate, an endangered species. Photograph: Dave Moreno
Watt said his decision was informed by advice from the independent Threatened Species Scientific Committee, which advises the government on listings decisions. The reassessment followed a public nomination for the species to be uplisted.
Watt said the International Union for the Conservation of Nature had used similar assessment criteria for its international red list of species and late last year also determined the skate should retain a listing of endangered:
The Australian government remains steadfast in its commitment to ensure the Maugean skate does not go extinct on our watch.
This decision does not change the need to undertake critical actions for the Maugean skate and its home in Macquarie Harbour.
Watt’s decision sits against a backdrop of criticism of salmon farming in Macquarie Harbour and a legal challenge to legislation passed last year that prevented the impact of salmon farming on the skate from being assessed under national environmental laws.
Updated at 00.04 EST
Here’s the video of the outgoing opposition leader, Sussan Ley, speaking earlier today.
Outgoing opposition leader Sussan Ley speaks after losing the Liberal leadership vote – videoShare
Updated at 23.57 EST
Independent who lost to Ley to contest seat of Farrer
Michelle Milthorpe, who ran against Sussan Ley at the last election recording a two-party preferred vote of just over 43%, has said she will stand as an independent candidate in the byelection triggered by Ley’s resignation from politics.
She said:
For too long, the people of Farrer have been left wanting.
Party politics too often gets in the way of practical outcomes. Our communities deserve a reliable and relatable representative; someone who listens, understands our regional context, and is prepared to do the work in Canberra to make policy better reflect life in rural and regional Australia.
She acknowledged Ley’s contribution to public life, but said the undermining of Ley’s leadership meant the Coalition had sidelined regional communities while focusing on itself.
As a rural, remote and regional electorate, we feel the burden of floods, fires and droughts first – and hardest. We live with the consequences of water mismanagement and infrastructure neglect.
We need strong, principled leadership that advocates fiercely for practical solutions that reflect the needs of regional and rural communities, and delivers outcomes that make a real difference in people’s lives. I am that person.
Updated at 00.33 EST
Israel promises to investigate destruction of Australian war graves in Gaza
Ben Doherty
The destruction of Australian war graves by Israeli Defense Force bulldozers in Gaza will be investigated by the Israeli government, the country’s president has promised, after Australia’s prime minister raised the issue with him in meetings.
The Guardian last week reported that most of the graves destroyed by Israeli military earthmoving in the middle of the last year were those holding the remains of Australian soldiers killed during WWII.
The Gaza Commonwealth War Cemetery, in the Tuffah area of Gaza city, has been extensively damaged by shelling, but also by Israeli forces bulldozing headstones, and building an earthen berm through the middle of the cemetery.
Descendants of Australian diggers buried there said they were outraged by the desecration and the government inaction in protecting Australia’s war dead.
Updated at 23.31 EST