Australian news and politics live: Jacinta Price offered chance to run as Liberal in 2025 Federal election

Nationals Leader David Littleproud has signalled a Coalition deal could be soon struck after “very encouraging” discussions with new Liberal leader Sussan Ley.

Ms Ley had presented Mr Littleproud with their response to the National’s ley policy demands when the pair met on Monday afternoon.

It followed a tumultuous week after Mr Littleproud walked away from the partnership on Tuesday over a lack of guarantee on the policies before returning to the negotiation table on Thursday.

Ms Ley agreed to take the policies to her party room despite an earlier blanket commitment not to endorse any until after a post-election review but only after Mr Littleproud’s concession to honour Shadow Cabinet solidarity.

Mr Littleproud on Tuesday told Sky News he would take the Liberal party’s response to his party room but was ultimately “ fairly comfortable” with the direction of negotiations.

“We’ve got a set of words back that I’ll present to our partyroom,” he said.

“I’m fairly comfortable. The rest of it around the positions in Cabinet are all pretty well, dictated time by arithmetic.

“Sussan and I had discussions yesterday afternoon which were very encouraging and I think we’ll get into a position.”

Mr Littleproud rejected suggestions his party had “flip-flopped” on its split with the Liberals.

Read the full story here.

Anthony Albanese will get a better trade deal from Donald Trump by taking Woodside Energy, Rio Tinto and BHP to the meeting and spruiking Australian investment into the US, former ambassador Joe Hockey has declared.

The Prime Minister will be readying for a tough negotiation with the US President after the White House ramped up taxes on trading partners.

Beef sales and even the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme are expected to be in America’s sights.

But Mr Hockey told the Australian Energy Producers conference in Brisbane on Tuesday that Australia could leverage off the resources industry in talks.

Perth-based Woodside pressed go on the $27 billion Louisiana LNG project in April, marking a huge push into North America by the company.

ASX-listed Rio Tinto and BHP want to build the Resolution Copper project in Arizona, which would boost supply of a key mineral for the energy transition.

Asked whether Mr Albanese should take Woodside boss Meg O’Neill to the meeting, Mr Hockey said “absolutely”.

He said Mr Trump would “love” the cash being spent on the project — and added that mining giants BHP and Rio should also head to the White House.

Read Matt McKenzie’s full story here.

As Sydney reels from another gangland shooting in Parramatta, the NSW Police force have announced a new initiative to try and curb the violence.

A new taskforce has been established to investigate and try to suppress violent crime in the Sydney metropolitan area.

Taskforce Falcon will be led by the State Crime Command, in conjunction with the NSW Crime Commission, and will oversee investigations into public place shootings, arson attacks and kidnappings, dating back to December 2024.

In total, the taskforce will oversee and coordinate 13 strike forces.

Taskforce Falcon will be responsible for suppressing and disrupting those groups and individuals believed to be involved.

More than 150 officers will make up the taskforce, as well as an additional 90 staff to bolster investigative efforts and make up the proactive arm of the operation.

NSW Police and Counter-terrorism Minister, Yasmin Catley said the taskforce will target those responsible for recent violent attacks.

“The recent violence on our streets is horrific. We won’t tolerate these lawless thugs playing out their vendettas in our communities. When innocent people get caught up in them and are made to suffer, it’s sickening and barbaric.

“Public safety is the number one priority of the NSW Government and our police. We all have the right to live our lives in our communities safe from these brazen criminals.

“Today we announce NSWPF are standing up Taskforce Falcon to deal with these murderous swine. The message is crystal clear. To those contemplating taking part in this vicious criminality, our police are coming to get you.

“You can look forward to spending a large chunk of your life in a small cell.”

Read the full story here.

A US private equity firm with strong ties to the Trump administration is poised to make an offer to buy the Port of Darwin from its Chinese owner, in a test of ­Anthony Albanese’s resolve to bring the port back under ­Western control.

​The Australian​ is reporting the New York-based Cerberus Capital Management is preparing a formal proposal to buy the port from Landbridge Group’s billionaire owner Ye Cheng, who is a close confidant of senior Chinese ­Communist Party figures.

It’s understood the investment firm’s offer will be slightly above the $506m that Landbridge paid 10 years ago for its 99-year lease over the facility. The company says the facility is not for sale, but one source said the port operator was open to offers of about $1bn.

The Prime Minister warned in the midst of the election campaign that Landbridge must either sell the port voluntarily or it would be forcibly acquired by the government.

The US has had longstanding concerns over the port’s ­Chinese ownership, but Mr Albanese has been facing pressure from Beijing to back down on his pre-election pledge to strip Landbridge of the lease.

Dumped cabinet minister Ed Husic has called for the Government to haul in the Israeli ambassador over the ongoing humanitarian aid blockade in Gaza.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday strengthened his language, condemning Israel’s actions as “outrageous” and dismissing “excuses and explanations” that are “not credible”.

Mr Husic, who was relegated to the backbench in a factional bloodletting earlier this month, says the remarks are “a very important intervention” but that Australia must follow the UK, Canada and France’s lead and threaten to impose sanctions.

“I think we should be calling in the Israeli ambassador to stress that Australia, as a member of the international community, expects that humanitarian aid, particularly medical supplies, be delivered, that we ramp up our aid as well,” he told ABC Radio.

“I think we should be actively considering, and I suspect it’s probably under active consideration, drawing up a list of targeted sanctions where we can join with others.

“It’s clear that from the statement issued by the UK, Canada and France that is obviously in their sphere of thought.

“We should be ready to move when others move as well to be able to exert maximum international pressure to stop this blockade and to help people in Gaza.”

Read the full story here.

Amanda Rishworth has defended Labor’s proposal to roll back concessions on ultra-high super balances amid reporting federal parliamentarians may be able to defer payments.

Only half a per cent of Australians — some 80,000 — have super balances north of $3m.

Under the Albanese government’s plan, super accounts above that would be slugged with an extra 15 per cent on earnings, pumping $2.7bn into Commonwealth coffers annually, according to Treasury estimates.

But federal politicians enrolled in defined benefit pension schemes might not need to pay until after they retire, the Australian Financial Review has reported.

Appearing on morning TV, the newly appointed Workplace Relations Minister was asked: “Is it fair?”

“I have to be clear that both past and future federal politicians — if they have a super balance of over $3m — they’ll be have to pay tax under this measure as well,” Ms Rishworth told Nine.

“But what we’re talking about is a slightly less generous concession for people with balances over $3m.”

Read the full story here.

Emergency Services Minister Kristy McBain has appeared on the ABC to outline the PM’s visit to flood ravaged regions of NSW today.

“The focus today is speaking to primary producers, small businesses and community members that have been directly impacted,” Ms McBain said.

“We’ve enacted a range of support as requested by the New South Wales Government, including ADF with search-and-rescue capability and a range of disaster recovery funding arrangements within NSW to 19 local government areas.

“We’ve enacted the Disaster Recovery Allowance, which is income support for people whose employment has been directly impacted.

“That’s for four local government areas and we’ve now got ADF personnel and disaster relief Australia personnel that will be on the ground ramping up to over 170 people by the end of the week to assist with clean-up, route clearance, welfare checks, those types of things to assist community as the days go by.”

The Nightly’s Cameron Milner reports that a JWS poll says the number of Australians wanting serious structural reform to our taxation system and balancing the Budget has more than doubled since people were asked the question six months ago.

The RBA is cutting rates, inflation has a 2 in front of it, and Labor has an unassailable majority in the Federal Parliament.

Milner poses the question: Labor members and MPs can rightly ask — if not now, when, for Labor’s Big New Tax?

The Liberals and Nationals couldn’t even organise a decent scare campaign on unrealised capital gains tax before the election, and now look to be locked into permanent couples therapy for the foreseeable future.

Labor has one of the finest treasurers ever in Jim Chalmers. He’s smart, and we know he agitated for and won the argument for stage three tax cut changes despite Anthony Albanese’s feet of clay.

Read Cameron Milner’s full column here.

Police are pouring resources into Australia’s flood-ravaged towns to prevent a breakdown in law and order after two men were arrested for alleged looting.

NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Peter Thurtell said extra officers were on the beat in NSW’s mid-north coast and Hunter regions after the men, both aged 20, were arrested for allegedly stealing property amid flood clean up.

“If we find anyone taking advantage of this community we’ll throw the book at them,” Deputy Commissioner Peter Thurtell said in a statement on Monday.

“The impact of this weather event has been unimaginable and to think they now have to be concerned about hanging on to whatever property they have left is a disgrace.

“Stealing from people vulnerable during hard times like these is un-Australian.”

The warning comes as military personnel descend on regions hit by the natural disaster that has cost five lives and kept about 12,000 people isolated.

​Read the full story here.​

The Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is heading to the mid north coast of NSW today to survey the massive flood disaster zone and engage with local authorities as the cleanup begins.

Mr Albanese will arrive in the area as military personnel and police move in to coordinate the operation, with many properties still isolated.

The damage bill for the government is expected to significant and insurance companies are scrambling to assist property owners, after hundreds of homes were engulfed by the flood waters.

The PM is expected to conduct the tour with Emergency Management Minister Kristy McBain.