Australia to join UK, France at summit on Strait of Hormuz — as it happened

11h agoTue 14 Apr 2026 at 4:50am

That’s the end of the blog!

That’s the end of our federal politics live blog for today. Courtney Gould will be back tomorrow morning to guide you through all things politics.

Until then you can look back on today’s developments below, or download the ABC News app and subscribe to our range of news alerts for the latest updates.

Thanks for reading!

11h agoTue 14 Apr 2026 at 4:49am

Energy executives invited to front parliamentary inquiry probing tax regime for oil and gas companies

The chair of a parliamentary inquiry examining the tax regime for oil and gas producers has invited energy company executives to appear.

The CEOs of Santos, Woodside, Chevron and Shell are among those who have received the invitation.

Greens Senator and inquiry chair Steph Hodgins-May says gas exporters are making record profits but barely pay anything in tax and should front up.

“These gas corporations have been making record profits and are set to make wartime profits for years to come,” Hodgins-May says

“Our message is that the ride’s over.

“A minimum 25 per cent gas export tax could raise $17 billion per year to go to really important things like addressing cost of living and transitioning us to a clean, renewable-powered economy.”

The ABC initially revealed the prime minister’s office requested Treasury modelling on options to impose a new levy on gas companies.

If the CEOs do not voluntarily give evidence they could be compelled to do so under Senate rules.

12h agoTue 14 Apr 2026 at 3:27am

Human rights commissioner ‘disappointed’ by Coalition’s rhetoric

The Australian Human Rights Commission’s race discrimination commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman says he is “disappointed” by Angus Taylor’s migration proposal, which he describes as “unfair, discriminatory and not actually tackling the real sources of inequity within our society”.

“There are real-world consequences for the word that politicians use,” Sivaraman told the ABC, expressing concern that anti-immigrant rhetoric could see a rise in racism.

He says migrant communities are “a bit sick of being blamed for all of the problems that are occurring now” from fuel prices to traffic.

The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre has also weighed in, saying the Coalition’s approach “does nothing to strengthen our country”.

“These policies being promoted risk placing Australia in breach of international law and our obligations to protect people seeking safety,” chief executive Elijah Buol says.

“People who seek safety from unimaginable danger, who come here to rebuild their lives in safety and contribute to their communities, will be the ones who suffer.”

In his address this morning, Taylor vowed to create a “safe countries list” in a bid to end what he called “frivolous protection claims”. If someone from the listed countries applies for asylum, he says it will be inadmissible under the policy.

“To those who say that we will be in breach of the refugee convention, we will decide who deserves protection and the circumstances in which that protection is granted,” he told the crowd.

12h agoTue 14 Apr 2026 at 3:11am

Labor questions Taylor’s English language vow

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has responded to Angus Taylor’s earlier speech, in which he accused the government of failing to curb unsustainable and dangerous migration.

“Not one line in the speech would deliver an extra job, create an extra house or keep anyone safer,” Burke says.

“Mr Taylor’s diatribe has nothing to do with the national interest and is entirely about sending a vibe to One Nation.”

In a statement, Burke also questioned the Coalition’s vow to make learning English “an obligation, not an option” for permanent visa holders.

“Millions of Australians will be asking why do the Liberals have a problem with their parents, who don’t speak great English but are great Australians,” he says.

13h agoTue 14 Apr 2026 at 2:45am

Social media ban ‘imperfect but important’: Wells

A short time ago, Anika Wells spoke to journalists following the Roblox announcement and took questions on the social media ban for under 16s, which has now been in place for about four months.

Two weeks ago, the eSafety commissioner revealed it was investigating five platforms — Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube — for potential non-compliance with the world-leading laws.

“We’ve always said cultural change takes time and we will not get a 100 per cent strike rate, or anything like it, for any amount of time shortly after the ban comes in,” Wells says.

While young people have continued to get around age verification technology deployed by the platforms, the communications minister says that’s no surprise.

“There isn’t 100 per cent effectiveness for the law against murdering people in this country, people still murder … no one is making an argument that we shouldn’t have a law against murdering people in this country,” she says.

“The law is important because it sets a cultural standard.

“And that is why we will defend this law and we will seek to improve it, absolutely, … and we will never apologise for having something that is imperfect but important.”

13h agoTue 14 Apr 2026 at 2:22am

‘We will watch closely’: Wells welcomes Roblox kids accounts

Communications Minister Anika Wells has welcomed the announcement that Roblox, a gaming site popular with children, will introduce restricted accounts for young people.

Roblox Kids users will only be able to access games with maturity ratings of “minimal” or “mild”, with the chat function turned off by default.

Wells has previously met with the platform and flagged concerns over graphic content posted to the site and reports of grooming.

“We made it clear to Roblox that something had to be done — and I welcome these steps towards stronger safety measures on their platform for under-16s, not just in Australia, but globally,” she says.

“Kids should be able to play their favourite games without being exposed to harmful content.

“We will closely watch the rollout of Roblox’s changes to make sure they create a meaningful difference to the experience of young Australians on their platforms.”

Roblox is currently not covered by Australia’s social media ban for teens and children under 16.

You can read more about the changes below.

14h agoTue 14 Apr 2026 at 2:01am

Detail on migration targets to come later, Taylor says

Today’s speech was just the first “values” part of the Coalition’s migration policy, with Angus Taylor flagging that he’ll have “more to say about the numbers and make-up of that immigration” over the coming months.

“If we’re going to restore our standard of living, protect our way of life, we’ve got to get our immigration back to being focused on Australians first,” he says.

National overseas migration (NOM) has dropped from 429,000 in 2023-24 to about 306,000 for 2024-25, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics December data.

Labor has an annual NOM target of 225,000 people over the next three years.

You can read more about the Coalition’s proposal below.

14h agoTue 14 Apr 2026 at 1:52am

How will you balance international students?

The next question focuses on international students, who make up the biggest slice of temporary migrants. The moderator notes that some universities rely heavily on such students, who pay high out-of-pocket fees.

How will the Coalition balance that with the need to cut migration?

Angus Taylor says he’ll have more to say on that soon.

“If you want to get immigration back to a sustainable level, and there’s no question that one of the key categories that’s driving that has been international students,” he says.

Labor previously tried to cap the number of international students able to come to Australia, but was foiled when the Coalition refused to support the bill.

Months later, in the lead-up to last year’s election, former Liberal leader Peter Dutton unveiled his own plan to limit enrolments to 115,000 international students per university, per year.

The total cap was slightly less than the figure Labor had proposed.

“If the experience of domestic students at these universities is not what it should be, then it needs to be fixed,” Taylor says.

“And so, as I say, we’ll have more to say about the make-up of the various categories down the track. But it is an area of focus.”

14h agoTue 14 Apr 2026 at 1:42am

Taylor taking questions

The opposition leader is now answering questions from a moderator.

Asked what he thinks is driving division in Australia, he says, “we stopped celebrating our great nation”.

“The fact that it’s become controversial to stand only in front of Australian flags is just extraordinary,” Angus Taylor says.

“We’ve got to get back to celebrating our country.”

He’s also asked how the Coalition, if in power, will “discriminate on values” when it comes to migrants, as he’s pitched.

Taylor once again lists belief in democracy, rule of law and basic freedoms and says “I don’t think that these are high bars”.

“I think these are the sorts of thresholds most Australians would say — that’s pretty reasonable. I certainly think so,” he says.

14h agoTue 14 Apr 2026 at 1:32am

English language to become an ‘obligation’

We’re now getting into the Coalition’s policy proposal.

As previously flagged, the opposition wants to introduce a “legally-binding” Australian values statement for all migrants that will be enforceable.

This will include an “obligation” for permanent residents to learn the English language, Taylor reveals.

“English is necessary to live and work and immigrate into Australian society,” he says.

It is unclear how adherence to the values system will be policed.

“The Coalition will make the Australian values system a legally binding and enforceable … condition for all temporary and permanent visa holders,” the opposition leader says.

“With this stronger rule book and will be no more ambiguity for courts and tribunals.”

14h agoTue 14 Apr 2026 at 1:24am

Australians fed up with ‘politically correct preaching’ on migration: Taylor

The opposition leader has now moved into the meat of his address: migration policy and what the Coalition thinks needs to change.

He says migration is “an issue of deep and growing concern to Australians” and that it’s time for the number of people arriving in the country to be slashed.

“Immigration numbers are too high, and consequently, Australians can see the country they love changing for the worse,” he says.

“When a country brings in too many people and the people with the wrong motivations, it is inevitable that the character of the country changes.”

Specifically, Angus Taylor calls out what he calls “migrants of subversive intent”, who “reject our way of life, who do not want to change for Australia, and who want Australia to change for them”.

Examples, he says, include people who don’t agree with equal rights for men and women, don’t believe in the rule of law or freedom of speech, freedom of religion and want to establish “parallel legal systems”.

“Australians are fed up with politically correct preaching on immigration,” he says.

14h agoTue 14 Apr 2026 at 1:12am

Taylor’s five observations

Opposition Leader Angus Taylor is now speaking at the Menzies Research Centre, a Liberal-aligned think tank in Sydney.

He starts by telling the crowd, which includes former prime minister John Howard, that he will use the speech to announce the “first part” of the opposition’s migration plan.

But first, he says, he’ll make five observations from the past that have shaped his plan. They are:

Past governments welcomed the benefits of globalisation, but they were less attuned to the risks. Past governments rested comfortably behind the security of “conferred American predominance”.Past governments blindly repeated mantras about Australia being the world’s most successful multicultural democracy and “diversity being our strength”.Past governments moved away from energy magnetism and embraced energy ideology.The pandemic required a national response, but National Cabinet became a way for some statements to normalise heavy–handed intervention.

“I make these observations not to criticise past governments of either colour, including past coalition governments. After all, governments are a product of their times,” Taylor says.

“In the main they delivered prosperity for Australians. They did not get everything right and the frustration of many Australians today about past decisions is both understandable and reasonable.”

15h agoTue 14 Apr 2026 at 12:48am

First home buyer scheme restricted to Australian citizens under Taylor’s plan

As we flagged earlier, Opposition Leader Angus Taylor will be getting up soon to deliver a major speech on the Coalition’s migration policy.

Earlier this morning, he shared some extra details about what that plan will include in an interview with 2GB — including that the 5 per cent deposit first home buyer scheme will be limited to Australian citizens under a Coalition government.

Currently, both citizens and permanent residents are eligible for the scheme, which is designed to help people struggling to get on the property ladder.

“This is a scheme designed for Australians to get into a home,” Taylor says. “Young Aussie citizens.”

Asked whether his proposed migration crackdown taskforce would look like the ICE agents who patrol the streets of the United States, Taylor says he’s “talking about a very different thing”.

“But it is absolutely right that if someone has exhausted all legal avenues for protection, that they’ve lost their visa, that they’re no longer a legal resident in this country, they should go,” he says.

“And we should enforce that and we should use whatever resources we have to make sure they leave the country.”

15h agoTue 14 Apr 2026 at 12:33am

‘Working their guts out’: ACTU Secretary on government response to fuel crisis

The secretary of Australia’s peak body for unions has praised the federal government for its handling of the fuel crisis so far.

Sally McManus spoke with ABC’s AM as the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) pushes to increase the vehicle allowances as prices at the pump remain high.

During our chat, I ask how she would describe the government’s efforts, as the impacts of the Middle East war continue to reverberate across the globe.

“I think they’re working their guts out,” McManus replies.

“Like you can see what’s happening with all of the ministers, the fact that the prime minister’s, you know, on planes… calling in every relationship in our region to try and secure fuel.

“I don’t think you can ask for more in terms of that.”

The union secretary also gives props to Energy Minister Chris Bowen who she says “is doing what’s needed”.

“There’s some things are out of our control, obviously, with… decisions made by people that really don’t care about Australia and the impact on us alone other people, but you’ve got to work as hard as you possibly can on the things you can control and that’s what I see them doing.”

16h agoMon 13 Apr 2026 at 11:39pmGovernment eyes NDIS changes as chance to bolster budget

Health and National Disability Insurance Scheme Minister Mark Butler is set to use a major speech to unveil Labor’s plans to rein in burgeoning growth of the NDIS, as the federal government seeks to bolster its coffers ahead of next month’s budget.

The government has been eyeing changes to the $50 billion a year NDIS as a way to save money in the May budget, as it tries to shield households from global uncertainty and inflationary pressures.

Butler is due to address the National Press Club in Canberra next week where he will outline Labor’s plans for the future of the NDIS, which include slashing the scheme’s current 10 per cent annual growth rate to under six per cent.

He’s consistently said getting the NDIS “back on track” was important for the overall budget and for the “social licence” of the scheme, arguing it needs to be sustainable and fit for purpose.

Advocates argue uncertainty around changes to the scheme are negatively impacting members of the disability community.

16h agoMon 13 Apr 2026 at 11:18pm

How many people would the Coalition’s migration plan apply to?(ABC News: Matt Roberts )

We’ve been reporting this morning on the release of the first phase of the Coalition’s migration plan.

Under the plan, visas could be cancelled for those who fail to adhere to a legally binding set of Australian values.

Liberal frontbencher Melissa McIntosh was asked on ABC’s Radio National Breakfast just how many people would be captured by the proposal. She didn’t put a figure on it.

“Do you want … is it a number figure? That’s the issue that we’re seeing right now. There are people here in this nation that shouldn’t be here,” she said.

“That will be a hallmark of Angus’s speech, I believe, as well. Ensuring that people that have been rejected from this nation will be returned to their country and that the people that we have here … share our values, Australian values.”

17h agoMon 13 Apr 2026 at 10:40pmLabor slams ‘despicable and disgraceful’ commentary about first woman army chief

Lieutenant General Susan Coyle will become the first woman to lead the Australian Army when she takes up the job as chief later in the year.

Her appointment was confirmed by the government yesterday, with some online criticising Labor for the pick.

Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy was asked what he thought about some of the offensive online remarks about her. 

“It’s despicable and disgraceful … [Coyle] was the best-qualified candidate to be the Chief of Army and she will be the first service chief who is female,” he told ABC’s Radio National Breakfast. 

“But she wasn’t selected because of that … anyone who’s worked with General Coyle knows what a great professional she is.

“So those people need to have a good, hard look at themselves.”

17h agoMon 13 Apr 2026 at 10:25pm

So who will Australia send to the Strait of Hormuz talks?

Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy says that’s still being considered.

“Typically in these things we send a military officer but it could be a diplomatic representative,” he told ABC’s Radio National Breakfast. 

“But the key thing is, there is a coalition of nations that are really keen to see a diplomatic resolution of the conflict and for the strait to be reopened via diplomatic means so that we can get ships moving through this vital waterway.”

So does the US’s blockade get in the way of plans?

“The summit, from the UK and France, is obviously focused on how do we ensure safe passage for vessels. But we need peace first and we’ve been very clear about that,” he said.

“That’s why we need Iran and the United States to continue the ceasefire, return to negotiations so that the strait can be reopened.”

Asked if Australia would be prepared to send assets should a mission be deployed, Conroy says he doesn’t want to engage in hypotheticals.

17h agoMon 13 Apr 2026 at 10:13pmPermanent ceasefire needed for Australia to contribute in Hormuz: Marles

Defence Minister Richard Marles has reiterated Australia would only contribute to efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if a ceasefire becomes permanent.

The US began its naval blockade of Iranian ports overnight. Marles told ABC’s AM the government was “deeply invested” in having the strait open and global fuel supply chains “returning to normal”.

Australia will join a summit hosted by UK and France later this week to discuss safeguarding shipping in the strait.

“We are working with all of our partners around efforts that are being taken forward in respect of the Strait of Hormuz and how Australia can best contribute,” Marles said.

“All of those efforts are predicated on when … conditions allow that to occur. And right now, that is very uncertain. We really need to see what plays out throughout the remainder of the ceasefire and as to what the circumstances are in the Strait of Hormuz, which would allow some effort to begin.”

18h agoMon 13 Apr 2026 at 10:01pmConfusion over Coalition’s plan to vet visa applicants’ social media(ABC News: Callum Flinn)

OK, so there is a bit of confusion this morning after Opposition Leader Angus Taylor’s interview on AM.

The Coalition had indicated it wanted social media checks as “a standard feature of vetting” rather than a step taken only as needed.

But this morning Taylor told the ABC the screenings would be “risk-weighted”.

“You have to look at where someone’s coming from and any signs that there’s some risk,” he said.

Pressed if agencies already had the power to check people’s social media if they had concerns, Taylor said what they didn’t have was a “legally binding and enforceable values test”.

“We don’t have a cross-agency task force set up this way, which would receive extra funding, so that is a big step forward,” he said.

The Coalition’s plan outlines the establishment of a cross-agency taskforce to bring in ASIO, the AFP and the Border Force to screen visa applicants.