Australian politics latest: Tasmanian Parliament passes vote of no confidence in Premier Jeremy Rockliff

Australia’s brief trade surplus with the United States has ended, potentially strengthening Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s hand as he prepares to push back against US President Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs.

New data shows that in April, Australia exported $2.29 billion in goods to the US while importing $3.99 billion — flipping the trade balance back to its long-running deficit after three months of surplus.

Mr Albanese is expected to meet Mr Trump on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Canada later this month. He has already opposed the baseline tariff and existing duties on Australian steel and aluminium, arguing they unfairly penalise close allies.

With the trade figures now back in deficit territory, Australian officials hope the numbers will undercut Trump’s rationale — and give the Prime Minister firmer ground in the looming tariff standoff.

Jim Chalmers is claiming the Opposition is flip-flopping on super tax talks as the mudslinging over the controversial proposal intensifies.

The Treasurer has accused the Coalition of shutting the door on negotiations to pass a version of the reforms through the Senate when parliament resumes in August.

His Opposition counterpart, Ted O’Brien, has accused him of doing the same and choosing to deal with the Greens instead.

Mr Chalmers said on Thursday there was “a lot of disunity in the Coalition” on the tax.

“First of all, on my opposite number, one day he said he wanted to have a discussion about it, the next day he said that he didn’t,” he told the ABC.

“There’s a lot of disunity in the Coalition over this.

“They seem to have different views amongst them and different views from day to day.”

Mr Chalmers also said the Albanese government had “been very clear from the beginning we don’t have the numbers in the Senate to pass our legislation on our own”.

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Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff says he will seek to dissolve parliament and call an early election, as Labor prepares to test his majority in a no-confidence vote.

The Liberal leader announced the move ahead of a showdown in parliament this morning, where Opposition Leader Dean Winter is expected to bring the motion to a vote.

Mr Rockliff said he would advise the Governor to trigger an election unless Mr Winter can form Government with the Greens.

“This will be an election that Tasmanians don’t want and Tasmania cannot afford,” he said.

The world delivered a message to old male politicians this week: give up the sexist jokes.

After one of the men appointed to run the NSW Liberal Party, Alan Stockdale, quipped that male candidates might require protection, he was verbally pummelled by women and men from the left and right.

“Women are sufficiently assertive now,” the former Victorian treasurer told an online meeting of Liberal women, “that we should be giving some thought to whether we need to protect men’s involvement.”

Stockdale apologised after the comment was leaked, and it became obvious his opponents’ plan to use them to argue he and two other federally appointed administrators should stand down at the end of this month.

“I encourage assertive women to join the Liberal Party,” federal leader Sussan Ley said.

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has reiterated that bullying allegations against former Greens Senator Dorinda Cox, who recently defected to Labor, have already been addressed through an independent process.

Albanese was responding to questions about claims made by senator Lidia Thorpe, who has criticised the handling of the complaints as “far from satisfactory.”

“I have answered those questions, but they were dealt with. There is an independent process for those things to be dealt with,” Albanese said.

“It is not surprising that the Greens political party will put forward some opposition to what has occurred, but Senator Cox has made a decision, and she has decided that the way that she will advance her values is through a party of government.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has signaled he is open to input from both the Greens and the Coalition on Labor’s proposed superannuation tax for balances above $3 million, despite ongoing political tensions over the policy.

While Treasurer Jim Chalmers has prioritised negotiations with the Greens, Albanese indicated the government would consider suggestions from all parties as the legislation returns to the Senate.

“The Greens usually do not have good points and I will allow them to put forward whatever they want to do, as the Liberal Party will, as will other senators, no doubt,” Mr Albanese said.

“We have put forward our position. That was before the Senate for some time. It did not receive support prior to the election, but then again, the Greens and the Liberals joined to form the ‘No-alition’, and to vote against public housing, to vote against a whole range of projects. We will wait and see.”

As he faces a vote of no-confidence, Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff has defended his record, highlighting investments in health, education, and community safety, and Tasmania’s record-low unemployment.

“I have a lot more fight in me. We have built a better Tasmania, we have invested in health, we have invested to keep children safe, we have invested in our schools, in community safety, and we have created an economy that is leading the nation with record-low unemployment,” he said.

“I cannot let Mr Winter’s selfish grab for power destroy what we have built over the course of the last decade.

“The only job Mr Winter is interested in is mine. And I’m not going anywhere.”

Tasmania’s Premier Jeremy Rockliff faces a likely defeat today as parliament resumes debate on a no-confidence motion backed by Labor, the Greens, and crossbenchers.

Rockliff has warned that if the motion passes, he will ask the Lieutenant Governor to dissolve parliament and trigger Tasmania’s fourth state election in seven years.

“Today is a big day. Today, if Mr Winter’s divisive and destructive motion is passed, I will be going to the Lieutenant Governor and seeking an election,” Rockliff said.

“This will be an election that Tasmanians don’t want and Tasmania cannot afford. Be that on Mr Winter’s head. This has been a selfish grab for power of which Tasmanians will look upon very poorly indeed.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has sharply criticised former Liberal Party President Alan Stockdale’s comments about “assertive” women in the party, calling on the Liberals to examine their internal culture and structures.

“The statements by Mr Stockdale to the Liberal Women’s Group, of all people to make those statements to, that somehow you might need to actually have discrimination in favour of men because women were too assertive in the Liberal Party, has been met with derision by members of the Liberal Party,” he said.

Albanese argued the incident highlights deeper issues within the opposition’s approach to gender representation.

“I think that the Liberal Party need to have a good look at themselves and their structures and it will be interesting to watch what goes on with this restructuring of the New South Wales branch,” he added.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has made it clear that Australia will not sign a free trade agreement with the European Union unless it delivers tangible benefits for the nation.

Trade Minister Don Farrell is currently in Europe to restart negotiations after talks broke down in 2023, largely over agricultural market access, a key sticking point that remains unresolved.

Albanese said the government supports free and fair trade but will only agree to a deal that serves Australia’s interests.

“We will seek a deal that is good enough for Australia. If it benefits us, we will be in it. If it doesn’t, we will continue to not sign up to something that is not in our national interest,” he said.