Australian news and politics live updates: Reactions from Donald Trump’s plan to ‘take over’ Gaza
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Key Events
Is the money tied to NDIS reform?
When grilled over whether the exta money is tied to States signing up to NDIS reform the Health Minister Mark Butler said: “the Commonwealth’s very satisfied with progress on NDIS rule reform and also the development of foundational supports.
“But states and territories understand that the conclusion of a 5-year deal - which is what they’re after and what was committed by the Prime Minister at the National Cabinet meeting in December 2023 - remains tied to that NDIS reform process continuing as it would.
“This is a one-year rollover. It does not deliver exactly what the states would have got in the first year of a 5-year agreement. The negotiation of the 5-year agreement continues.”
Double digit increase in contributions across Australia
“Under this new agreement, the Commonwealth contribution to State-run hospitals will increase by 12 per cent to a record almost $34 billionin 2025-26,” Mr Albanese said.
“To give you some idea ofwhat that means - in the Northern Territory, it gets the largest increase - a 30 per cent increase as aresult of the fact that they need this investment.
“Right across every State and Territory, this means a double-digit increase in Commonwealth funding for their public hospitals.”
Hospital announcement ‘builds on move to strengthen Medicare’
“This builds on what we’re doing to strengthen Medicare - whether it be this additional support for our hospital system or, of course, our support for primary healthcare.
“Our tripling of the bulk-billing incentive. Making medicines cheaper. The delivery of 87 Urgent Care clinics providing the healthcare that people need when they need it in 87 different locations aroundAustralia - more than a million Australians - one-third of whom are under the age of 15 have received the help that they need and all they’ve needed is their Medicare card, not their credit card.
“We know that there’s more to do, but we know that this is absolutely central.”
Anthony Albanese commits $1.7b for public hospitals
The Prime Minister has announced an additional $1.7 billion to public hospitals and health services next year.
“This funding will be delivered to states and territories to help cut waiting lists, to reduce waiting times in emergency rooms, and to manage ramping.
“This matters to people, and this decision today will help save lives and lead to better outcomesfor our nation’s hospitals.”
Anthony Albanese to address media shortly
The Prime Minister is expected to address media shortly to make an announcement. Stay with us for full coverage.
Tump’s pick for A-G confirmed
The US Senate has confirmed Pam Bondi as the new US attorney general, propelling one of President Donald Trump’s staunchest political allies to the top perch of American law enforcement.
The 54-46 vote to confirm of the former Florida state attorney general will help Trump solidify his control over the US Justice Department, which has recently seen sweeping cuts targeting prosecutors and FBI agents who investigated the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol by the president’s supporters.
Democratic Senator John Fetterman joined all 53 Republicans in voting for Bondi.
- AAP
Palestine reacts to Trump’s Gaza relocation call
Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations Riyad Mansour has responded to Donald Trump’s call to move Palestinians out of Gaza.
“Our country and our home is the Gaza Strip. It’s part of Palestine. We have no home.
“For those who want to send them to a happy, nice place, let them go back to their original homes inside Israel. There are nice places there, and they will be happy to return to these places.
“But in the meantime, our homeland is our homeland. If part of it is destroyed - the Gaza Strip - the Palestinian people selected the choice to return to it.
Ministers’ free private trips to escape extra scrutiny
Hope of further scrutiny of taxpayer-funded, chauffeur-driven car trips has been dashed after NSW Premier Chris Minns dismissed the need for an audit.
It comes after his Transport Minister Jo Haylen fell on her sword on Tuesday after she was revealed to have used her ministerial driver to travel from her holiday home to a winery lunch and to ferry her kids 130km to Saturday sport.
Mr Minns dismissed the merit of a wide-scale audit, instead taking ministers at their word their use of drivers had not been egregious.
“The existing rules that are in place are so liberal that an audit would find that it was all within the rules,” Mr Minns said.
Besides losing a key minister, the Haylen scandal forced the premier to rewrite - in “bright red lines” - rules that allowed the use of ministerial drivers for exclusively private purposes.
Private use is now only permitted if the use is incidental to the discharge of a minister’s official duties.
- AAP
Biggest takeaways from Trump and Netanyahu’s meeting
Mr Trump has created waves after proposing a complete shake-up of relations in the Middle East - with the centrepiece the relocation of Palestinians out of Gaza and the US taking over and “owning” it.
His vision is to turn one of the most contested pieces of land into a “Riviera of the Middle East” where Palestians but also poeople from around the world would live.
“The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it, too. We will own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site, level the site and get rid of, the destroyed buildings.”
Gaza to become ‘Riviera of the Middle East’
Trump’s vision for Gaza is for it to become the “Riviera of the Middle East” after the US takes over the area, demolishing buildings and rebuilding.
“I think the entire world, representatives from all over the world, will be (living) there and they will let the Palestinians - Palestinians will live there, many people live there.
“They tried it for decades and decades and decades, it will not work, it did not work, it will never work, and you have to learn from history, history just cannot let it keep repeating itself.
“We have an opportunity to do something that could be phenomenal and I don’t want to be cute, I don’t want to be a wise guy, but the Riviera of the Middle East - this could be something that could be so magnificent.
“More importantly than that is the people that have been absolutely destroyed that live there now (find) peace in a much better situation because they are living in hell and those people will now be able to live in peace.
“We will make sure it is done world-class, it will be for the people.”
