Australian news and politics March 18 recap: Wong pleads with Israel, Hamas to honour crumbling Gaza deal

The Nightly’s Matt Shrivell reports that shocking statistics on swimming competency have thrown the future of the school swimming carnival into question:

Rising costs of swimming lessons, a lengthy ban on people attending public swimming areas during the COVID period and time-poor parents is contributing to a generation of children and adults who can not swim to a level that would enable them to stay afloat in a dangerous water environment.

Primary and high schools across the nation are experiencing such a drop in water-based sport participation rates that school swimming carnivals are being downgraded or even abandoned.

Read the full story here.

Nationals leader David Littleproud has called the Labor Government “flat-footed” and “asleep at the wheel” on US relations after Australia was unable to secure an exemption to American tariffs on steel and aluminium exports.

“The reality is, we’ve got a government that’s been flat-footed and asleep at the wheel,” he told Sky News on Tuesday.

“They haven’t leveraged, not just the relationship we’ve had for generations, but the fact that we have a compelling case.”

Mr Littleproud said he was concerned President Donald Trump’s expanding tariff agenda could lead to Australia’s beef exports.

“Unless you’re going to show leadership and be able to get in the front door, then unfortunately, we’re going to go out the back door,” he said.

“That’s what’s going to happen to our beef producers. It’s happening to our aluminium steel producers here already.”

The US slapped 25 per cent tariffs on the metals exports from March 12 despite being in a trade surplus with Australia and intense lobbying to be carved out.

The chair of the financial services regulator APRA has warned that Australian business and political leaders face a “geopolitical maelstrom brewing overseas”, and said that “international upheaval is the number one topic” he is asked about by CEOs and board members.

Speaking at a Sydney business event, APRA chair John Lonsdale said the financial services sector - representing around $9 trillion in assets - faced rising uncertainty, including the risk of a global trade war, ongoing military conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, territorial disputes in the Asia-Pacific, and weakening international financial regulation post-Global Financial Crisis.

He told the the AFR business summit that while the new US administration had an agenda to cut red tape, increase trade barriers and rethink multi-national frameworks, APRA was “reluctant to lower the regulatory standards that keep Australia’s financial system resilient and our economy strong.”

Australia must make its economy more resilient at a time of “very serious global economic uncertainty” and “seismic” change, the Treasurer said on Tuesday.

Dr Jim Chalmers made his comments on ABC Radio ahead of a pre-Budget speech in Queensland which will outline the potential impact of global events, including US President Donald Trump’s unpredictable tariff regime, on Australia’s economic outlook.

Canberra is lobbying for an exemption from the next round of US tariffs in April, which could impact the beef, lamb and pharmaceuticals sectors on top of levies already being imposed on aluminium and steel.

“The direct impacts are concerning but manageable. It’s the broader indirect impacts that come from this serious escalation of trade tensions around the world, which is much more concerning to us,” Dr Chalmers said.

“This is a new world of uncertainty, and the pace of change in the world when it comes to rewriting the rules of global economic engagement has quickened since the new administration took office in the US.”

US tariffs, which have been slapped without exemption on countries around the world were “self-sabotaging” and “we deserve better as a long-term partner and ally,” he said.

“They’re a recipe for less growth and higher inflation, not just in the US, but around the world.”

But despite the global economic uncertainty, the domestic economy was performing quite well, he insisted. “The Australian economy has turned a corner.”

Read the full story here.

Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie says a referendum to give Australia the ability to deport dual citizens guilty of crimes such as terrorism could be “toxic” and shouldn’t be held because it would “cost millions”.

It comes after Peter Dutton revealed a proposal to make a referendum on the issue one of his first priorities if he were to become prime minister after the next Federal Election.

Speaking on Sky News on Tuesday, Senator Lambie said rather than slugging the Australian taxpayer with the cost of another referendum, a legislative fix should be considered.

She said there was “no doubt” deporting guilty dual citizens was in Australia’s best interest and likely a popular consensus but warned the method needed further consideration.

“I just don’t know why we need to go to a referendum, which is by the way, going to cost millions and would become toxic,” she said.

“Has he got nothing else to sell for the election, mate? Because honestly, (if) this is the best thing he’s got to sell with six or seven weeks out from an election, then blow me over.”

She said the proposal was unlikely to win votes in a cost-of-living crisis.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton says if elected he might take Australia to a referendum in a move to get dual citizens deported if they are terrorists, paedophiles or enemies of our nation.

“I want to keep our country safe that’s the first priority and it’s the first responsibility of any prime minister,” Mr Dutton told Sunrise.

“At the moment, we’ve got people in our country who hate our country, who want to cause terrorist attacks.

“My argument is if you betray your allegiance to our country in that way, you should expect to lose your citizenship.

“We would never grant somebody citizenship if we knew they were going to plan a terrorist attack, if someone pledges allegiance to our country and breaks it, or is involved in child paedophilia.”

Mr Dutton said the constitution is “the rule book” and if elected, will have a conversation on whether it is strong enough to keep Australia safe or if a referendum is needed so amendments can be made.