Australian news and politics: Nab drops interest rates, Antoinette Lattouf court case, US tariff reaction
Donald Trump is on a worldwide offensive, Albanese and Dutton continue to square off and Australia is battling a natural disaster.
Stay up to date with all the news in our live blog below.
Key Events
‘Someone will lose their life’ warns Opposition Leader
Peter Dutton has issued a grim warning on anti-Semitism in Australia, saying somebody “is going to lose their life at some point if these people are not stopped”.
He made the comments on Melbourne’s 3AW radio this morning, demanding Federal Parliament and the courts do more to crack down on the spate of attacks.
He said mandatory penalties should be introduced for those convicted of anti-Semitic attacks.
“It escalates because it starts with the graffiti, and then the fire bombings come, and then the attempted terrorist attacks take place, and it’s unacceptable,” he said.
“I think we need to act as a parliament. The Prime Minister would say; ‘Oh, well the penalties are already there in place’, but somebody who’s charged with graffiti, or charged with wilful damage on a motor vehicle, with sign writing or messages of hate, whatever it might be, the reality is, if they front a magistrate in a local court tomorrow in greater Melbourne, they’re going to get a slap on the wrist.
“The courts need to hear what the community sentiment is, and the community is that there is zero tolerance for this sort of behaviour, and the parliament should reflect that and direct that to the courts.
“Somebody is going to lose their life at some point if these people are not stopped.”
Is Donald Trump picking the wrong fight with tariff war?
The Nightly’s writer-at-large Latika M Bourke has penned a column asking whether Trump’s tariff tactics risk “undermining American greatness”.
“Donald Trump isn’t afraid to wield US power and junk international norms to shore up American supremacy,” she writes.
“But the US President, in attacking allies before his foes, risks undermining American greatness to China’s advantage.
“So far, and it should be stressed, that it’s only three weeks into his second four-year term, Trump has shown himself to be far more eager to use the blunt force of American economic might against smaller, weaker friends, such as Canada and Mexico, which were hit with 25 per cent tariffs compared to America’s superpower rival China which got off lightly, with 10 per cent tariffs.”
Anti-Semitism ‘priority’ issue for Coalition as parliament returns
Shadow Finance Minister Jane Hume has said the nation’s anti-Semitism crisis will be a “priority issue” as parliament returns for what may be the last sitting before the Federal election.
Antisemitic attacks were designed to “intimidate, threaten and to terrorise the Jewish community and to break up social cohesion in Australia,” she told Sky News.
The Coalition is expected this week to go on the attack against the Labor Government about its record in handling a spike in anti-Semitic crimes in recent months, including the firebombing of a synagogue, childcare centre and the discovery of a caravan laden with explosives and containing anti-Jewish messages.
“We’ve been very concerned to hear about more attacks over the weekend in Perth and, again, in Melbourne,” Ms Hume said on Monday morning.
“It’s about time that the Albanese government took a leadership role and stamped out anti-Semitism in this country,” she added.
“So we’ll be making sure that we hold them to account and that we push them towards stronger laws, stronger sanctions, stronger sentencing, to make sure that those that are committing those terrible offenses are punished appropriately.
A bill to criminalise hate speech is expected to be a political flashpoint this week.
The Government has flagged the bill as one of multiple steps taken to stamp out anti-Semitism and it is expected to pass.
But the Coalition has signalled its intention to include mandatory minimum sentences for terrorism and explicitly mentioning threats of violence towards places of worship to the list of hate crimes.
Extraordinary ABC emails revealed in court
To the Federal Court in Sydney, and some extraordinary email exchanges have been aired in court as sacked journalist Antoinette Lattouf sues the ABC for wrongful dismissal. Lattouff was sacked after a barrage of complaints were sent to the ABC regarding past anti-Israel comments.
It was also alleged that she made anti-Semitic chants at rallies in Sydney.
AAP reports that her barrister Oshie Fagir told a hearing on Monday that former chair Ita Buttrose, then-ABC managing director David Anderson and chief content officer Chris Oliver-Taylor discussed how to get rid of her.
“Has Antoinette been replaced? I’m over getting emails about her,” Ms Buttrose wrote in one email.
“Why can’t she come down with flu or COVID or a stomach upset? We owe her nothing.”
Canadian fans boo US anthem at hockey match in wake of tariffs
Local fans at an ice hockey match in Ottawa have left little doubt as to where their allegiances lie after booing the US anthem - then uniting to belt out a rousing rendition of their own.
The below footage, captured during an Ottawa Senators game against the visiting Minnesota Wild, was reportedly also replicated at an NBA game on Sunday, according to the BBC.
‘Deeply sorry’: Qld Premier speaks on flood disaster
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has offered his condolences to the tight-knit community of Ingham after one of its residents died in flooding caused by torrential rain.
The 64-year-old died after an SES boat with five others aboard capsized.
“To that community, we are deeply sorry for their loss and it is no doubt a very sad time and it’s a small community.”
“To see the level of devastation in our community is very difficult. We’re talking about people’s homes, their businesses. There will be immense damage to the agricultural sector there, and that is a very strong and a resilient community, but this is a flood the likes of which is only seen a handful of times, and that community is certainly in our thoughts today.
“Like-wise in Cardwell, where there have been reports of a number of dwellings that have been inundated.”
People in Cardwell, Innisfail, Tully have all been urged to remain vigilant as the threat from flooding continues.
Mr Crisafulli confirmed there had been 11 swift water rescues overnight, with 480 requests for assistance from the SES in the past 24 hours alone.
Scores of schools and childcare centres remain closed.
“Today - I’m letting communities know that we are confident about the preparation for this stage of the disaster event and, indeed, the future.
“We’re just asking Queenslanders to do the same and your preparation involves continuing to stay safe and putting your safety ahead of any form of property safety.
“If Queenslanders do that, we are confident that the situation can maintain and we can get through the worst of this.”
Major bank cuts mortgage rate in good sign for borrowers
NAB has announced it has cut its fixed rate mortgages across all loan terms.
The bank is the first of the big four banks to cut its fixed rates in 2025, two weeks out from the RBA’s first meeting when it is tipped to cut the cash rate.
“NAB is the first of the big four banks to cut fixed rates in 2025, with other banks likely to follow,” Canstar data insights director Sally Tindall said.
“The cost of wholesale fixed rate funding has started to ease slightly. This, combined with a prospective cash rate cut, should push other banks into moving on fixed rates.”
The last fixed rate cuts from the big four was recorded on October 28, 2024 from ANZ.
BREAKING: Aussie share market freefall after Trump tariff announcements
The Aussie share market has started the week deep in the red, plunging almost 2 per cent as investors weigh the impact of US President Donald Trump’s savage wave of tariffs imposed on Mexico, Canada and China.
The ASX200 dived 1.8 per cent in the first 30 minutes of trade, coming off last week’s record highs, to sit at 8378.10 points at 7.30am.
Not one sector was spared in the sell-off, with real estate, banking, health care, consumer and discretionary and miners taking the full brunt of Investor jitters.
Police arrest after another weekend of anti-Semitic abuse
After yet another wekeend of ant-Semitic behaviour, police have moved quickly and made an arrest in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
A man will face court on Monday charged with intimidation following and alleged antisemitic abuse in Bondi.
Officers attached to Strike Force Pearl were patrolling the Bondi area at about 7.40am on Saturday, when they were flagged down by a woman reporting antisemitic abuse by a man allegedly seen in the yard of private premises.
Following inquiries, a 21-year-old man was arrested at a unit on Bondi Road, Bondi at on Sunday and adds to a bulging list of offenders facing charges for offences in recent months.
BREAKING: Labor outstrips Libs as biggest political donors revealed
Ellen Ransley is repohave rting that political parties and candidates received a share of hundreds of millions of dollars in political donations in the last financial year.
The figures, released by the Australian Electoral Commission, show teal backer Robert Keldoulis and his investment firm Keldoulis Investments Pty Limited were among the biggest donors of 2023-24 — giving Climate 200 a combined $1.1 million of its total $5.99 million in 2023-24.
Visy chairman Anthony Pratt was also a prolific donor, handing Labor $1 million through Pratt Holdings Pty Ltd.
Clive Palmer, a notable presence on the last few annual returns, was absent on this year’s list after his political party was de-registered.
The two major parties, meanwhile, received a share of at least $130 million in donations.
