Australia news and politics live: Iran’s Ambassador expelled over ‘orchestrated’ synagogue attacks

Sussan Ley has addressed the infighting about net zero targets which has been reported out of her party room on Tuesday.

The Opposition leader reminded reporters at a Canberra press conference that the Coalition policies were still under post-election review and a working group was still pondering energy policy.

She said it was important to “bring together the party room” to “discuss issues that are incredibly important to Australians” but refused to disclose how many members raised their rejections to the emissions targets.

“As a matter of course I do not talk about what happens in my party room but I can 100 per cent guarantee that was a collegiate discussion that members did speak up and have their say,” she said.

“Energy policy discussion is always a good discussion.”

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has been scathing of the Economic Reform Roundtable last week, labelling it “a complete flop”.

“The productivity Roundtable… was a complete flop,” she started.

“I hear every which way that the plans that are coming out of this exercise are just about one thing: Raising your taxes.”

Ms Ley also accused the Albanese Government of wanting to “metre on people’s mattresses” with new taxes on people who have vacant bedrooms in their homes.

“More taxes on your super, more taxes on your savings, more taxes on your home,” she said.

“And now attacks on your spare bedroom? Are you serious, Prime Minister?

“Put a metre on people’s mattresses? For having the nerve to have an empty bedroom? Come on.”

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley claims Labor have been “rushed, secretive and chaotic” in introducing a home affairs bill on Tuesday.

Addressing a press conference in Canberra, she said Shadow Attorney-General Julian Leeser and Shadow Home Affairs Minister Andrew Hastie were in a briefing on the last-minute bill.

“Right now my Shadow Minister for Home Affairs and Shadow Attorney-General are receiving their appropriate briefing that almost simultaneously the legislation is being introduced into the Parliament,” she said.

“What it certainly tells me is that they have not got it right, they are not going to get it right unless they actually consult us and do this properly.

“Rushed, secretive and chaotic.”

Melissa McIntosh says Australia Post’s suspension of parcel services to the US is the latest fallout from Anthony Albanese’s failure to arrange a meeting with Donald Trump.

The shadow communications minister warned the ongoing tariff dispute could impact other areas of the Australian economy if the Prime Minister allowed the alliance to weaken.

On Tuesday, Australia Post “temporarily” suspended most parcel deliveries to the US and Puerto Rico due to new US import rules, including the removal of the duty-free exemption.

“Australia Post is our national postage service, and the Albanese Labor Government should front the media for questions on behalf of the Australian public immediately, but it seems like they don’t know what’s going on,” the Liberal Lindsay MP said.

“It begs the question: why hasn’t the Prime Minister met with the United States President Donald Trump to discuss the tariff dispute, which continues to have more direct impacts on Australia’s economy?”

Labor has been watching on with glee as the Coalition continues to fight internally over the net zero commitment.

It believes that voters in May comprehensively showed they backed action on climate change and the Government’s approach to rolling out renewables and bringing down emissions.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told his caucus colleagues during their (considerably shorter) meeting on Tuesday morning that “you only reject net zero if you think climate change isn’t real”.

“We will always be focused on the Australian people, never on ourselves, and that could involve difficult national interest decisions,” he said.

Coalition MPs spoke up on net zero during a lengthy joint party meeting in Canberra on Tuesday morning.

The discussion comes on the heels of the LNP conference in Queensland over the weekend voting overwhelmingly to call on the party to dump the emissions reduction target.

The WA Liberals conference took the same position a month ago, as did the South Australian branch.

Nationals senator Matt Canavan, who has long opposed net zero and it leading his party’s review of the policy, told the room that the comprehensive vote against net zero at the LNP convention over the weekend should point to the way forward.

He said he couldn’t see how the party could be an “election-winning machine” if it took a position diametrically opposed to its grass roots membership.

Shadow energy minister Dan Tehan later told Sky News there was a process underway for deciding the party’s policy.

The Greens have called for the AFL to dump American rapper Snoop Dogg from the grand final show — branding him a “slur merchant” — and for an Aussie act to replace him.

It comes after he made controversial comments about the depiction of same-sex parents in children’s movies on the same day Adelaide’s suspended star Izak Rankine was slapped with a four-week ban for making a homophobic slur.

Senator Sarah Hanson-Young raised the matter in the Greens Party Room on Tuesday, saying the League looked hypocritical if it retained Snoop Dogg for their match entertainment.

Senator Hanson-Young’s call adds to other high profile voices calling for the AFL to have a rethink, including former footy star Brendan Fevola.

Fevola had told the FOX FM breakfast show on Monday he was adamant he’d be dumped, saying: “I might have some goss about that. They’re going to axe him”.

After the AFL also paid US star Katy Perry last year’s Grand Final, Senator Hanson-Young has called for an Australian artist to be the headline act — suggesting Baker Boy, Amyl and the Sniffers, or Sia.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong has urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “heed the call of the world” and stop the war after a deadly twin strike on Gaza’s Nasser Hospital.

The attack killed at least 20 people, including five journalists working for international media, and injured about 50 people who were receiving care.

Senator Wong said the overnight attack was “horrific” and urged Mr Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire.

“What we would say to Prime Minister Netanyahu is you should heed the call of the world and agree to a ceasefire,” she said.

“You should take the advice of your own military and agree to a ceasefire. This war must stop.”

The top business and resources lobby groups have welcomed Murray Watt’s public announcement this morning of the accelerated timetable for bringing in the new Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation laws.

The Environment Minister has been telling stakeholders for the past fortnight that he now aims to get the legislation before Parliament by the final sitting week of the year in late November, and he confirmed it this morning after the consensus view from last week’s economic roundtable that reform was urgent.

Business Council of Australia boss Bran Black said creating a faster and more efficient EPBC system was critical if the nation was serious about the energy transition, boosting housing supply and unlocking critical minerals.

“Right now, the status quo is working against Australia, deterring investment and making us a less competitive place to do business – accelerating these reforms in the right way will help shift the dial,” he said.

The Minerals Council of Australia backed the key principles by saying, “the MCA will continue to work closely with Minister Murray Watt to ensure these reforms are developed within a reasonable timeframe and deliver practical, workable outcomes,” chief executive Tania Constable said.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has announced the details of new legislation set to be introduced to Parliament, aimed at keeping children safe across the state.

Ms Allan said the Victorian Government is “acting with urgency” to overhaul the current system and advocate for changes that “must be made” at a national level.

Under the new changes, jurisdictions across Australia will be required to recognise the suspension of a person’s check.

“If you are suspended in one jurisdiction and have your Working with Children’s Check (WWCC) removed… all jurisdictions will recognise that suspension,” Ms Allan explained.

The legislation will also introduce automatic suspensions on WWCC without exception for individuals who are under reassessment. Additionally, there will be tougher penalties and strengthened oversight for individuals who attempt to gain or retain a WWCC by providing false or misleading information.

Read more.