News and politics live updates: Labor confirms gambling reform talks, Coalition pushes urgent ‘widows tax’ fix

Australia is unlikely ever to have a true partnership with China due to a mismatch of worldviews, rendering it pointless to pursue that goal, the nation’s former top diplomat to Beijing says.

But in an analysis for the Lowy Institute, Australia’s former ambassador to China Graham Fletcher noted several wildcards - such as Chinese military action in Taiwan - could still disrupt the “modest new normal” of the relationship.

The change in government at the 2022 federal election acted as a circuit-breaker in increasingly fraught dealings between the nations, although they had still been marred by intimidatory military encounters involving Chinese forces, he said.

Beijing sparked widespread international condemnation over its launch of a ballistic missile into the South Pacific in July following the signing of a landmark mutual defence alliance between Australia and Fiji.

The Albanese government sought to stabilise relations with China after diplomatic tensions peaked during the COVID-19 pandemic under then-prime minister Scott Morrison’s leadership.

Beijing slapped $20 billion in trade sanctions on Australian exports, measures that have slowly been wound back.

China is Australia’s largest trading partner and is the destination for about a third of the nation’s exports.

Mr Fletcher said Beijing had not given up hope of drawing Australia closer into its orbit, while Canberra was more focused on consolidating its current relationship.

“But this relationship is unlikely ever to become genuinely close - like the relaxed, intimate fellowship Australia enjoys with like-minded partners elsewhere in its region and beyond,” he said.

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The federal government will push tens of thousands of women into crisis if it achieves its goal of slashing funding to the NDIS, a peak body has warned.

The government wants to cut $37.8 billion over four years and kick 160,000 people off the scheme to stop it growing at an unsustainable pace and to crack down on fraudulent activity.

The changes are yet to be legislated and disability advocates are rallying to change minds before parliament votes in coming weeks.

The head of Women With Disabilities Australia, Sophie Cusworth, is one of these advocates.

She will speak at the National Press Club in Canberra on Monday and tell of the reality woman will face if the amendments are made, including the proposed cuts to community participation spending used by disabled people to access medical appointments, social activities and work.

“The government says this won’t affect participants’ health and safety. But for women with disability, that simply is not true,” Ms Cusworth will say.

“More than half have experienced physical or sexual violence since the age of 15... for us, social and community participation is a safeguard”.

Bulk-billing rates are continuing to climb across Australia following the Federal Government’s expansion of GP subsidies, with new figures showing the national rate rose from 81.9 per cent to 84.1 per cent in the June quarter.

Labor committed $8.5 billion at the May election to boost bulk billing, with a target of making nine in 10 GP visits free for patients by 2030.

The Northern Territory recorded the biggest annual increase, jumping 13 per cent to 90.8 per cent. NSW and Victoria recorded rates of 87.5 per cent and 85.7 per cent respectively, while the ACT continues to lag well behind the rest of the country at just 59.3 per cent.

Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek and One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce have traded blows in a fiery live television clash after a devastating new poll showed Labor’s primary support had plunged to its lowest level in more than a decade.

Appearing on Sunrise on Monday morning, Ms Plibersek was grilled over the latest Newspoll, which showed Labor’s primary vote had fallen four points since June to 29 per cent.

It is the party’s lowest result since June 2013, just days before Kevin Rudd replaced Julia Gillard as Prime Minister.

One Nation also slipped one point but remains level with Labor on 29 per cent, while the Coalition fell to 18 per cent.

Asked whether Labor was concerned about the dramatic shift in support, Ms Plibersek conceded the result represented a significant change.

“Well, it’s certainly a change, and we’ve got a bit of time between now and the next election to right that, and that’s why we are absolutely focused every day on making a real difference in people’s lives,” she said.

Ms Plibersek then rattled off a series of government measures, repeatedly pointing to their impact in Mr Joyce’s electorate, including tax cuts, housing assistance, the home battery program, bulk-billing and cheaper medicines.

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is facing fresh criticism over comments about Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s “melons”, with former ambassador to Japan Murray McLean reportedly accusing the Australian leader of casually mocking one of the country’s most important partners.

The controversy stems from Mr Albanese’s recent appearance on comedian Nikki Osborne’s podcast, where a discussion turned to melons gifted by Ms Takaichi.

“The Japanese Prime Minister brought a melon here,” Mr Albanese said.

When Osborne questioned how the fruit had made it through customs and asked whether the Japanese leader had “smuggled it”, Mr Albanese corrected her to point out Ms Takaichi was a woman.

Osborne then joked, “Oh, I’m expecting... a couple of melons.”

“She brought two,” Mr Albanese replied, before Osborne added, “She just came in looking like Pamela Anderson.”

“She brought two,” Mr Albanese repeated.

“Yes, and they’re beautiful,” he said.

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Liberal deputy leader Jane Hume has confirmed the Coalition is in “good faith” negotiations with the government over its stalled gambling reforms, as she declared fixing the so-called “widows tax” would also be a priority when Parliament returns this week.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers released draft legislation addressing the treatment of testamentary trusts last week, but Senator Hume accused Labor of dragging its feet.

“Labor could have fixed this six weeks ago. They could fix it tomorrow. It would be very easy to just simply put in a piece of legislation that we all agree on, because we all could enter the Parliament tomorrow and fix this problem,” she told News24.

Senator Hume said the Coalition could back Labor’s gambling legislation if it “got the balance right”, confirming negotiations were continuing ahead of Parliament’s return on Tuesday.

“I’m not going to go into what those negotiations are, because they’re going on between the coalition and the government as we speak. But the most important thing is that we get the balance right,” she said.

“Those negotiations are taking place and in good faith, I’m absolutely certain that there will be a pathway that is forged on the way through. But we want to make sure that we get this right, because it protects vulnerable Australians, but also makes sure that we have a viable industry.”