Australian news and politics live: Murray Watt says environment reform talks were very ‘Nature Positive’

Jim Chalmers said the Prime Minister will make a call on attending the coming NATO summit for a chance to meet with Donald Trump “before long”.

Speaking on ABC AM, the Treasurer also noted a face-toface meeting was “not the only way” to advance Australia’s interests.

“No doubt he’ll come to a decision on (attending NATO) before long,” Mr Chalmers said.

“It’s not the only way to advance our engagement with the Americans.

He said ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd was doing a “terrific job” of engaging with the Americans.

“And so we’ve made it clear it would be good to sit down for Prime Minister Albanese to sit down with President Trump for understandable reasons that wasn’t possible in Canada.

“We’ll look for opportunities, but it’s not the only opportunity for us to engage with our American counterparts on this issue. It’s a relationship of mutual economic benefit.”

Chris Bowen has announced a raft of proposed reforms designed to save Australian households from soaring power prices.

Speaking at Australian Energy Week in Melbourne on Wednesday, Mr Bowen said reform to the way the energy price cap mechanism worked outside of Victoria was needed in order to make price caps effective.

Mr Bowen said the vast majority of bill payers, “some 80 per cent”, could be getting a better deal.

“It’s difficult to defend the DMO when the customer is required to do the deal hunting,” he said.

“We know it could be so much simpler.”

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Australia’s jobless rate is tipped to remain low, while those seeking new work are in line for a boost to their pay packets.

Labour force figures for May, to be released today, are tipped to show the unemployment rate hold steady at 4.1 per cent.

Economists predict about 20,000 new jobs will be added to the economy for the month, following a bumper increase of 89,000 in April.

Anthony Albanese returns to Australia today without clear progress towards a trade resolution with the US but he could get a second chance at a meeting with Donald Trump within days.

With his first in-person meeting with Mr Trump thrown into chaos at the G7 due to the escalating tensions in the Middle East, the PM is considering attending a summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, where the US president is expected to appear.

Australia’s exports to the US continue to be hit with a baseline 10 per cent tariff and its steel and aluminium products incur a 50 per cent levy.

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