Updated at\u00a018.03 EDT<\/p>\n
Key events<\/p>\n
Pauline Hanson on paid parental leave \u2013 what\u2019s changed?<\/p>\n
The One Nation<\/a> leader has walked back comments on paid parental leave, clarifying that taxpayer-funded leave should continue, but that small businesses shouldn\u2019t have to pay the entitlement.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what she said on Wednesday at the National Press Club:<\/p>\n double quotation markIf women take time off and they are not paid their wages because they\u2019re not working, fair enough. Why should business pay? But they\u2019re not at work. That\u2019s the difference. That\u2019s why the pay gap is there.<\/p>\n Economists had raised concerns over those comments, warning that kind of policy could wind back the clock by decades<\/a> for working mothers, damage productivity and worsen gender inequality.<\/p>\n So, to get to the point, what\u2019s changed?<\/p>\n Today Hanson said her comments had been \u201ctaken out of context\u201d and that she definitely still supports taxpayer-funded parental leave.<\/p>\n But the difference is that instead of questioning why any business should pay an employee while they\u2019re off work caring for a newborn, she said it\u2019s just tough for small businesses, and that they should get a pass. She said:<\/p>\n double quotation markIt\u2019s up to companies if they want to have it in their policy to give it to their workers. So there\u2019s no way, shape or form that I am actually saying to get rid of it \u2026 There are businesses that cannot afford it. It\u2019s OK for government, taxpayers pay for it. You put another pressure on the small businesses, pay for maternity leave, they\u2019ll actually fold.<\/p>\n To note here \u2013 it is not compulsory for employers to offer paid parental leave, but all employees are entitled to 12 months of unpaid leave. The government\u2019s paid parental leave scheme coming into effect from 1 July will offer parents 26 weeks\u2019 at the national minimum wage, funded by taxpayers.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.32 EDT<\/p>\n Matt Canavan doesn\u2019t plan to meet Roberts-Smith tonight, but doesn\u2019t want to be \u2018judge or jury or executioner\u2019 as case moves ahead<\/p>\n The Nationals leader, Matt Canavan, says he has no plans to speak to Ben Roberts-Smith at the event at the Australian War Memorial, but said he doesn\u2019t want to be \u201cjudge or jury or executioner\u201d and would rather let the courts move forward.<\/p>\n Canavan told reporters he would consider meeting with the former soldier if asked, but said he believes it\u2019s \u201cextremely important that we protect the principle that people are innocent until proven guilty, and Ben Roberts-Smith has not been proven guilty of any crime in the criminal issue\u201d.<\/p>\n He went on:<\/p>\n double quotation markI would say regardless of the case here \u2026 the conduct for which Ben Roberts-Smith was awarded a Victoria Cross for [will] live on \u2026 I try not to put myself in as a judge or jury or executioner for people who do put themselves at that kind of risk because I have never myself done it.<\/p>\n Matt Canavan. Photograph: Mick Tsikas\/AAPShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.14 EDT<\/p>\n Hanson plans to \u2018catch up\u2019 with Roberts-Smith at war memorial event tonight Pauline Hanson says she wants to \u201ccatch up\u201d with Ben Roberts-Smith at an event at the Australian War Memorial tonight, and give him her support.<\/p>\n Roberts-Smith, Australia\u2019s most decorated living soldier, is facing charges of war crimes related to his service in Afghanistan. He denies the charges and says he will fight the allegations in court.<\/p>\n The former SAS soldier last week successfully varied his bail to attend the opening of the Anzac Hall at the Australian War Memorial<\/a> in Canberra tonight. Roberts-Smith had been invited along with all other living Victoria Cross recipients.<\/p>\n Hanson, who recently spoke at a rally for Roberts-Smith and whose party has published public signs backing him, was asked at a doorstop this morning in Parliament House whether it was appropriate for him to attend the visit, considering the charges against him.<\/p>\n double quotation markWhy shouldn\u2019t he? He hasn\u2019t been convicted. He may have been charged. He\u2019s still innocent until he\u2019s been proven guilty.<\/p>\n I\u2019ll be going [to the launch], and I\u2019m hoping to actually catch up and say hello to him and give him my support.<\/p>\n Parliament will end earlier than usual tonight, so that politicians can attend the event.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.09 EDT<\/p>\n Starmer failed on energy, immigration and social cohesion, says Hastie<\/p>\n Liberal MP Andrew Hastie says it was a \u201ctough watch\u201d seeing Keir Starmer resign from Downing Street, but that the former UK prime minister failed to address issues around energy, immigration and social cohesion.<\/p>\n He told Sky News:<\/p>\n double quotation markIt was tough to watch a UK prime minister torn down by his own party, so soon after a massive landslide victory back in 2024 but I do think that Keir Starmer failed to address some of the big issues facing the United Kingdom, immigration, energy, and also the challenge of social cohesion, which is a big issue for a lot of people in the UK, so a tough day for him.<\/p>\n Asked whether the Australian Labor government is facing same issues here, Hastie rails off against the net zero emissions policy (something he\u2019s been crusading against for a while), and says immigration remains a \u201cred hot issue\u201d.<\/p>\n Labor and the Liberal party<\/a> both have now been eclipsed in the polls by One Nation, which has a higher primary vote.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.03 EDT<\/p>\n Hanson says small businesses forced to pay parental leave will \u2018fold\u2019<\/p>\n Pauline Hanson has clarified (slightly) her remarks from the National Press Club last week on paid parental leave.<\/p>\n There, she seemed to suggest women should not get paid by their employers while on maternity leave.<\/p>\n Today, the One Nation<\/a> leader said again that small businesses shouldn\u2019t have to pay for maternity leave, but that the government could continue to do so.<\/p>\n From 1 July, parents are entitled to 26 weeks of government funded paid parental leave at the minimum wage. It\u2019s not compulsory for businesses to pay parental leave (though many do in order to attract staff), but they have to allow 12 months of unpaid leave.<\/p>\n Hanson told Sunrise:<\/p>\n double quotation markIt\u2019s up to companies if they want to have it in their policy to give it to their workers. So there\u2019s no way, shape or form that I am actually saying to get rid of it. I think it\u2019s been very beneficial to women to get back into the workforce. So that was totally taken completely out of context.<\/p>\n There are businesses that cannot afford it. It\u2019s OK for government, taxpayers pay for it. You put another pressure on the small businesses, pay for maternity leave, they\u2019ll actually fold.<\/p>\n Pauline Hanson speaks at the National Press Club. Photograph: Hollie Adams\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.47 EDT<\/p>\n People looking for \u2018easy answers\u2019 to cost of living crisis, says Labor minister<\/p>\n The minister for aged care, Sam Rae, has also sought to distance Australia from the political turmoil in the UK, but has acknowledged some similarities between the rise of Reform UK and Pauline Hanson\u2019s One Nation<\/a>.<\/p>\n Rae says that people are looking for \u201ceasy answers\u201d to the cost of living crisis both in Australia and around the world. But he says that the focus should be on delivering solutions, not \u201cdriving division within our communities\u201d.<\/p>\n double quotation markWe\u2019ve seen inflation pressures across communities all around the world, and those cost-of-living pressures come to bite and people have been looking for some easy answers, and we see that at home \u2026 We have seen a rise in support for these populist rightwing parties around the world.<\/p>\n Rae also pays tribute to Keir Starmer, following his resignation as the UK prime minister, and says he made an \u201cextraordinary public contribution\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.49 EDT<\/p>\n David Pocock won\u2019t be joining a teal party<\/p>\n David Pocock, the independent ACT senator, says joining a party is not for him, after chatter resurfaced yesterday that some of the so-called teal MPs could form an alliance.<\/p>\n A few like Monique Ryan have already ruled themselves out, and we know the Warringah MP Zali Steggall is leading the charge.<\/p>\n Pocock tells RN Breakfast there\u2019s a lot of frustration and anger among the public and people are \u201clooking for alternatives\u201d.<\/p>\n double quotation markAt this stage, I just don\u2019t think it\u2019s for me. I\u2019m an independent senator for the ACT, and anything I do would come from the community here. There\u2019s plenty of people who\u2019ve asked me to do something bigger, but at this stage, I just don\u2019t think it\u2019s for me. And I\u2019m really interested to see how it goes for the independents that are working on that.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.31 EDT<\/p>\n CGT Senate inquiry process \u2018farcical\u2019, David Pocock says<\/p>\n David Pocock says he\u2019s long been a supporter of changes to the capital gains tax discount for investment properties, but the government\u2019s reforms came as a surprise.<\/p>\n He has some particularly choice words for the very short Senate inquiry process into the changes.<\/p>\n Speaking to ABC RN Breakfast, Pocock says he wants to see further changes for small businesses, and ensure that loopholes for wealthier people are actually closed.<\/p>\n double quotation markThe Senate inquiry was a bit farcical, you know, two days for such broad changes. I really support the intent of it, but clearly with these sorts of changes, there\u2019s a lot of finer details that need to be looked at.<\/p>\n If the intent is to close the loopholes for things like trust, where we have wealthier Australians essentially not paying tax because they can use the trust system, we have to make sure that we\u2019re actually closing them down but not creating a burden for people who aren\u2019t rorting the system.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.03 EDT<\/p>\n Albanese pays tribute to \u2018friend\u2019 Keir Starmer<\/p>\n Anthony Albanese has paid tribute his \u201cfriend\u201d Keir Starmer after the British prime minister announced he would step down from the top job under pressure from his own Labour party MPs.<\/p>\n Albanese said Starmer, who has struggled to impose his authority despite winning power with a huge majority in 2024, should be proud of the contribution he had made to Britain and expressed gratitude for Starmer\u2019s support on the Aukus talks.<\/p>\n Albanese said:<\/p>\n double quotation markI consider Keir Starmer a friend and I\u2019m thinking of him on what must be a very tough day.<\/p>\n Serving in public life is a tremendous privilege but politics can also be a harsh business. <\/p>\n When the time comes for Keir to leave Downing Street, he can be proud of the contribution he has made to the country he loves and to the Labour Party that he led back to government in 2024.<\/p>\n I\u2019m grateful for the opportunities we had to work together to strengthen our AUKUS defence and security partnership, support the brave people of Ukraine and keep children safe from the damage that social media can do. <\/p>\n I wish Keir, Victoria and their children well with everything the future holds.<\/p>\n Keir Starmer (left) with Anthony Albanese at the G7 summit in Canada last year. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.10 EDT<\/p>\n As we just reported, Ben Roberts-Smith is set to attend the official opening of the centrepiece of the revamped Australian War Memorial.<\/p>\n New arguments to further vary his bail are expected before court this morning after Roberts-Smith also applied to move his home address in south-east Queensland<\/a>, in part because he wanted to be closer to family.<\/p>\n The federal parliament will adjourn early on tonight to allow MPs to attend the Anzac Hall opening.<\/p>\n In a speech to the event, Albanese will describe the galleries as a \u201csublime and powerful\u201d addition to the war memorial.<\/p>\n double quotation markIt amounts to an act of profound respect from the nation to all who have served in our name, and all who serve now. The fighters for peace, the keepers of peace. It honours all who went and all who fell. It honours those who came home, including the many whose hearts never knew peace again. It is an act of remembrance that also acknowledges that not every conflict has been supported \u2013 and that, too, is part of our hard-won freedom.<\/p>\n![\"Nick](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1782171441_448_Nick_Visser.png\")
Nick Visser<\/p>\n![\"Josh](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1782171442_200_Josh_Butler.png\")
Josh Butler<\/p>\n![\"Dan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1782171442_359_Dan_Jarvis-Bardy.png\")
Dan Jervis-Bardy<\/p>\n