Australian news and politics live: Senator Mehreen Faruqi stages silent protest during G-G Sam Mostyn’s speech

Queensland Labor MP Milton Dick has been re-elected as the house speaker, which was warmly welcomed by both sides of politics.

Leaders Anthony Albanese and Sussan Ley congratulated him for his commitment and integrity in the role.

“This chamber has a long tradition of strong… speakers, those who have carried out this role with dignity, impartiality and a deep respect for the Parliament. You continue in that tradition,” the Opposition leader said.

“Beyond this chamber, as has been noted, you have also worked to open up Parliament, to make it more accessible and understandable to Australians, especially young Australians.”

The PM said he had been “rightly re-elected”, adding “we knew full well that you would do the job with fairness, with humour, with intellect and indeed you did so”.

Ahead of the Government’s productivity roundtable, the RBA also pondered whether Australia’s poor productivity was consistent with with low GDP growth, according to minutes released on Tuesday.

Without a clear barometer, the Bank determined it needed more information, particularly given recent cuts.

“Lowering the cash rate a third time within the space of four meetings would be unlikely to be consistent with the strategy of easing monetary policy in a cautious and gradual manner to achieve the Board’s inflation and full employment objectives,” the Bank said.

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The Reserve Bank has released the minutes of its last meeting to determine interest rates.

On 8 July, the RBA Board voted six to three to keep rates on hold at 3.85 per cent, surprising the market which had priced in a 0.25 per cent cut.

The minutes revealed the Bank agonised over the economic picture in Australia, noting subdued GDP growth, benign wage and services inflation and “a loss of momentum in activity.”

But the Bank was also presented with data that suggested that inflation was taking longer to fall into the 2-3 per cent range than forecast, employment remained tight and “private demand in the March quarter had been a little stronger than expected.”

Also clouding the decision to cut was the absence of a strong global market reaction to the impact of US tariffs. The relatively positive outcome in bond and equity markets suggested the global fallout might not be as destabilising as predicted.

“The reduced likelihood of the most severe scenarios materialising for the world economy meant that more weight could be placed on the baseline forecasts, and less on the downside scenario,” the minutes said.

Labor’s chief whip Jo Ryan is now nominating Milton Dick to be speaker again.

She jokes that there are “many stories I could share and, I dare say, some I should not” to prove why he was best for the job.

She also notes that during the previous parliament, there was a steady stream of Coalition, crossbench and Greens MPs heading into his office, such was his broad comfort and warmth, and says his dubious opinions about pineapple on pizza shouldn’t de a disqualifying factor.

Veteran Nationals MP Michael McCormack seconds the nomination, in an unusual display of bipartisanship.

He says Mr Dick has brought his own “panache and style” to the role.

“I rate him highly, and I am not alone,” he says.

On a more serious note, both commend Mr Dick’s commitment to civics education and bringing parliamentary education to schools around the country.

Mr Dick is re-elected unanimously, to applause across the chamber.

Labor Senator Sue Lines has be re-elected as the Senate President during the first sitting of the 48th Parliament.

In her acceptance speech, Senator Lines said that it was an honour and vowed to be a “steady and firm hand” after winning 55 to Penny Allman-Payne’s 12 and five informal ballots.

In a surprising move, Pauline Hansen nominated David Pocock for the gig, which he “respectfully” declined.

Senate leader’s Penny Wong and Michaelia Cash congratulated Senator Lines on the role and commended her passion and commitment.

The House of Representatives members are now being sworn in, starting with the ministers then the shadow frontbench.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese chooses to make an affirmation rather than swearing an oath on a religious text, as do roughly half the frontbenchers.

The public galleries are full of families and other distinguished guests, including the Prime Minister’s partner Jodie Haydon and son Nathan.

Julie Bishop is in the front row of the public galleries and former Liberal speaker Tony Smith is in the guest chairs on the floor of the chamber.

It’s the first time all the MPs have been in the chamber together since the election.

A handful of Labor’s assistant ministers are seated across the aisle from the rest of the government, where the Greens sat in the previous term, because there’s no space for them with their colleagues.

Israel’s Ambassador to Australia Amir Maimon has rejected an international statement demanding an immediate end to the Gaza war as “disconnected from reality.”

Australia is one of 28 countries to issue a joint message overnight condemning Israel’s denial of aid to Gaza and the killing of civilians seeking food and water.

Mr Maimon on Tuesday reposted the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s rebuttal of the joint statement as failing to focus pressure on Hamas and recognise the terrorist organisation’s role and responsibility for the situation.

“Israel rejects the joint statement published by a group of countries, including Australia, as it is disconnected from reality and sends the wrong message to Hamas,” the Ambassador wrote on X.

Terrorist organisation Hamas has welcomed the joint statement from 25 countries, including Australia, calling for an end to the conflict in Gaza, according to the Yemeni state news agency.

“In a press release, Hamas praised the statement’s emphasis on allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza through the United Nations and humanitarian organizations, and its condemnation of the starvation policy pursued by the Israeli occupation, which it said constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law,” the Yemeni state news agency said.

“Hamas noted that the condemnation of the killing of over 800 Palestinian civilians at aid distribution points controlled by US-Israeli mechanisms underscores the brutality of this system and its criminal goal of killing and humiliating Palestinians. It called for dismantling the mechanism and holding those responsible accountable.

“The movement considered the joint statement ‘further international recognition of the wide-scale violations committed by the fascist occupation government against innocent civilians,’ including the deliberate starvation policy that has already claimed the lives of over 70 children and threatens a mass-death catastrophe due to famine.”

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley also speaks after the Welcome to Country, saying that it is a reminder that “this parliament doesn’t begin in isolation” but is a continuation of the story of a land with an ancient culture.

“It’s a story still being written, and this 48th Parliament offers another opportunity to write it well through practical, lasting change,” she says.

“That work of listening, of acting and of striving for better is at the heart of reconciliation and our national story.

“Thank you again, Aunty Violet, for your Welcome for the opening of this new parliament. May it set the tone as we recommit ourselves to the taking of practical action to improve lives and expand opportunity for Indigenous Australians in every part of our great country.”

It’s a polite but pointed response that sends a message again to Liberals that Ms Ley does not want to indulge the culture wars that were a feature of Peter Dutton’s leadership over the past three years.

Opposition frontbencher Jonno Duniam has criticised the Albanese government’s decision to join 24 other countries in calling for an end to the war in Gaza, describing it as “not the right approach.”

“It’s a rather alarming move by the government to have attached itself to this letter,” Senator Duniam told Sky News on Tuesday.

“Some of the things this letter and the government ignores … what Hamas is doing when it comes to the provision of aid to Gaza.

“This focus on what Israel is doing and to a degree turning a blind eye to how this conflict started on October 7 those years ago, and the continued holding of hostages, I know it mentions that but there is more to this issue than this letter portrays and I think it is a sad turn of events for our government to have joined with other countries in signing this letter.

“I think that it is not the right approach for the government to take.”