Australian news and politics live: Australian Jewry calls for Netanyahu-Albanese ‘spat’ to end

Anthony Albanese has dismissed Benjamin Netanyahu’s attack on his leadership, saying he doesn’t take such comments “personally” and stressing his focus is on diplomacy and peace.

“Israel, of course, increasingly there is global concern … because people want to see an end to the cycle of violence,” he said, adding that Australians share that view.

Pressed on whether Israel was breaching international law, Mr Albanese said his position was clear: Hamas’s October 7 attacks were “unequivocally” condemned by parliament, Israel had a right to defend itself, but “too many innocent lives have been lost.”

He noted global frustration over Israeli restrictions on aid and the mounting civilian toll, insisting Australians “look at what is happening … and they think that something needs to change, the cycle of violence needs to change.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was forced to defend his record on supporting South Australian issues after reporters on Wednesday questioned why he has been late to the party on visiting communities impacted by the algal bloom.

“Absolute nonsense. Absolute nonsense,” he said, when asked while in Adelaide if he’s acted too slowly.

“I have been to South Australia six times this year. I was here for the drought just a little while ago, I have been to South Australia, I reckon more than any prime minister,” he said.

“I am here. I have been here six times… six times this year. And have been to South Australia now on most 30 times in three and a bit years.

“We have made immediate announcements, we have provided everything we have been asked to provide, it has been done.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has joined South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas in announcing a new funding package, which would support a new national algae testing laboratory.

The governments have engaged local SA company Agilex Biolabs to develop the methodology to allow the testing for brevetoxins in shellfish to be carried out at its Thebarton laboratory.

Whilst the vast majority of South Australia’s oyster industry is open and trading as usual, brevetoxins have been detected in shellfish in Australian waters for the first time, forcing the temporary closure of some harvesting areas.

Currently, the testing performed by the South Australian Quality Assurance Program (SASQAP) results in samples to be sent to New Zealand for analysis, resulting in delays of up to a week.

The PM said the support would help reduce the delay and allow businesses to return to normal quicker once brevetoxins reduce to safe levels.

“What we have seen is events that are changing, increasingly, increasingly, governments having to respond to that, we are responding to this event with the creation of a very specific program going forward,” the PM told reporters on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he’s “very concerned” by the algal bloom in South Australia, as he visits impacted businesses and communities.

Speaking in Adelaide after spending time on Kangaroo Island, the PM said despite only visiting for the first time on Wednesday had been engaging and getting updates on the issue from the SA Premier.

“I want to say to South Australians that the Federal Government stands side-by-side with you,” he said.

“We will continue to work constructively and continue to provide support as requested, and today, we have some immediate measures as well.

“It is very clear that slow onset events like marine heatwaves and algal blooms will continue to impact our natural environment, communities and businesses.

“I know from speaking to the people on (Kangaroo Island) this morning that that is an ongoing concern, but it is important that we work hand-in-hand with the South Australian government.”

Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry head Andrew McKellar said the talks Wednesday morning at the roundtable in Canberra were “where the rubber really hits the road” on boosting productivity.

“Well, I think it’s about, how do you get a process underway to reform that (construction) code, to make it simpler?” he said.

“I think there’s a recognition that it’s incredibly complex, that it overreaches at the moment and makes the process unwieldy.”

The economic roundtable in Canberra is focusing this morning on red tape and approvals, with discussion centred on housing construction.

After a brief morning tea break they are back at it discussing environmental law in greater detail.

The word filtering out is there is growing consensus around freezing the construction code, with some in the room pushing to re-write it entirely.

The mammoth list of rules builders have to comply with is due for an update next year anyway, but there has been chatter that further changes, other than those dealing with urgent defects or safety issues, could be put on ice.

Disgraced ex-MP Daryl Maguire has been jailed after he was found guilty of giving misleading evidence to ICAC.

Maguire, 66, appeared at Sydney Central District Court on Wednesday, dressed neatly in a suit and tie, after he was found guilty by a magistrate in June of one count of giving false or misleading evidence at a public inquiry.

The former Wagga Wagga MP had pleaded not guilty to the charge, which related to his evidence before the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) in July 2018.

On Wednesday, Magistrate Clare Farnan sentenced him to a 10-month jail term before he was placed in handcuffs and taken into custody.

Read the full story here.

Sussan Ley says it’s clear the relationship between Australia and Israel has deteriorated after a “regrettable” series of events.

She points out it’s a long relationship, dating back to Australia backing the creation of the state of Israel in 1947.

“Along the way, there have been disagreements and there have been a robust conversations. That is normal. But what we are seeing now is something different. We are seeing a relationship that has deteriorated,” she said.

Ms Ley says she hasn’t seen the reported letter from Benjamin Netanyahu to Anthony Albanese criticising Australia’s position to recognise Palestine.

She says whoever the Australian prime minister is, they should be respected, but Mr Albanese “needs to explain how he is going to get this relationship that he has so badly mismanaged back on track”.

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley is visiting a home construction site in Anthony Albanese’s electorate in Sydney this morning.

“I’m here with the builders. The Treasurer is behind closed doors in Canberra with his bureaucrats,” she declares (yesterday she was at an earth-moving business and said she was there ‘with the boots while the PM was in Canberra with the suits’).

The Wednesday agenda for discussion has turned to red tape, housing and environmental approvals.

Ms Ley says she’s open to backing a freeze in the national construction code where it is unhelpful.

The Coalition took a policy to the election to freeze the construction code for a decade, but the proposal expected to come out of the roundtable isn’t expected to be as long or as blunt as that.

“This government must do much more than just pause the national construction code in order to get housing supply back on track in this country,” Ms Ley said.

Better living standards for Australians are the “holy grail” for everyone attending the economic roundtable, Jim Chalmers has declared at the opening of the second day of talks.

The Treasurer said he was pleased with the constructive engagement around the Cabinet table on Tuesday, having counted about 100 contributions from those present, and urged them to build on the momentum.

“We need to keep front of mind what all of this is about – it is about creating more opportunities for more people in every part of our country, lifting living standards by making our economy more productive,” he said.

“That is the holy grail for us, and that’s the focus of today. But not just today, all of the work that happens after here as well.”

The discussions on Wednesday will focus on red tape, environmental approvals, housing, the federation, and AI.