Category: Australian News

The Albanese Government has announced the nation’s largest ever defence export, with the signing of a government-to-government arrangement with Canada to export an Australian Over the Horizon Radar (OTHR) system.

This $2.5 billion agreement marks the first international sale of Australia’s world-leading OTHR technology, building on the proven success of the Jindalee Operational Radar Network (JORN) while supporting hundreds of Australian industry jobs.

Australia’s Department of Defence has worked with the Canadian Department of National Defence to develop requirements for Canada’s Artic-Over the Horizon Radar (A-OTHR) capability, with the commitment to collaborate on this technology reaffirmed by Prime Minister Albanese and Prime Minister Carney in March 2026.

The agreement signed today reflects our shared strategic interests, combining Australia’s globally recognised expertise in OTHR with Canada’s leadership in Arctic defence and long-range domain awareness.

It will further strengthen interoperability between trusted partners while driving industrial growth and innovation in both nations. It also establishes a framework for joint research and development to advance OTHR capabilities for mutual benefit.

Working together on OTHR systems will support the delivery of early warning and surveillance capabilities in the Indo-Pacific and North Atlantic, contributing to our collective security in an increasingly complex strategic environment.

The project will support approximately 300 high-value technical jobs in Australia, with industry partner BAE Systems Australia set to commence delivery of Canada’s A‑OTHR capability on 1 July 2026.

This announcement marks the first stage of a broader Australia–Canada collaboration on A-OTHR. Both nations are committed to exploring further opportunities for joint development, deepening defence industrial ties, and building an enduring partnership that strengthens capability and security outcomes for both countries.

Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese

“Australia is a world leader in Over the Horizon Radar technology, and this agreement showcases Australian innovation.

“As close friends and valued partners, Australia and Canada’s relationship is grounded in decades of operational cooperation, shared strategic interests, and deep collaboration through the Five Eyes partnership.

“Today’s agreement marks a significant milestone in Australian defence trade and lays the foundation for deeper and mutually beneficial defence industry collaboration with Canada.”

Deputy Prime Minister, Richard Marles

“This is the biggest defence export agreement in Australia’s history, which reflects our close and long-standing friendship with Canada.

“In an increasingly complex strategic environment, Australia and Canada are committed to working together to grow our defence relationship and this initiative is a clear demonstration of that enduring partnership in action.

“This arrangement demonstrates Australia’s ability to export advanced, high-technology defence systems while safeguarding our national security, and enabling trusted partners to benefit from Australian innovation.”

Minister for Defence Industry, Pat Conroy

“The Jindalee Operational Radar Network is a great Aussie success story – world-leading technology that has led to the biggest defence export agreement in Australia’s history.

“The arrangement represents a powerful example of how defence exports support economic growth, build high-technology capability, and strengthen national resilience.

“BAE Systems Australia, as the key industry partner, plays a central role in reinforcing Australia’s position as a global leader in OTHR technology. Today’s agreement directly supports the ongoing evolution and resilience of the Jindalee Operational Radar Network (JORN).”

Today the Prime Minister convened National Cabinet for the sixth time since the conflict in the Middle East began.

At today’s meeting Energy Minister Chris Bowen and Fuel Supply Taskforce Coordinator Anthea Harris provided an update on Australia’s fuel security.

Australia’s fuel supply outlook remains secure in the near term, however we are working hard to prepare for contingencies in the event of supply disruptions in fuel and fertiliser.

At National Cabinet the Prime Minister outlined the Commonwealth’s one month extension to the fuel excise cut and reached agreement with First Ministers on continuing their contribution, on the same basis as the previous measure.

This is more temporary support that will help take the sting out of petrol prices and help Australians with the cost of living.

In addition, the Albanese Government will reduce the Heavy Vehicle Road User Charge by 16 cents for the same period to help truckies keep Australia moving.

The Prime Minister also updated National Cabinet on the discovery of H5 avian flu and the national response the Commonwealth is working on with states and territories.

The Government has already invested $113 million to strengthen preparedness for H5 avian flu, including an additional $11.2 million in our most recent Budget.

I consider Keir Starmer a friend and I’m thinking of him on what must be a very tough day.

Serving in public life is a tremendous privilege but politics can also be a harsh business. 

When the time comes for Keir to leave Downing Street, he can be proud of the contribution he has made to the country he loves and to the Labour Party that he led back to Government in 2024.

I’m grateful for the opportunities we had to work together to strengthen our AUKUS defence and security partnership, support the brave people of Ukraine and keep children safe from the damage that social media can do.  

I wish Keir, Victoria and their children well with everything the future holds.

The Albanese Government is another step closer to delivering its tax reforms for workers, home buyers, and businesses. 

These reforms will make it easier for Australians to buy their first home, cut taxes for over 13 million workers, and better align the tax treatment of labour and asset income.

Today the Greens have confirmed they will support passage of the first tranche of tax reform legislation.

It is now a question for the rest of the Parliament whether they will get on board with tax cuts for workers and a fairer tax system for first home buyers.

The three right wing parties voted against these tax cuts and in favour of big tax breaks for property investors in the House, and now they’re planning to vote the same way in the Senate which will mean voting against tax concessions for small businesses as well.

Government amendments to the legislation will mean all 2.7 million active small businesses and 98 per cent of all active businesses will be eligible for generous Capital Gains Tax (CGT) concessions.

The Government will make a number of additional amendments, in line with our announcement on 18 June, to provide as much certainty on the implementation details as possible.

The Government will also support amendments to the NDIS legislation to clarify the implementation of the reforms. 

In addition, the Government has agreed to support an amendment that will be moved by the Greens to ban future limited recourse borrowing arrangements (LRBAs) for residential property by superannuation funds. 

Superannuation funds are generally prohibited from borrowing money to invest, with the exception of LRBAs that are used by SMSFs. 

Multiple inquiries have raised concerns that these arrangements raise risks for superannuation investors, including the 2014 Murray Financial System Inquiry conducted for the Coalition, and limiting new arrangements going forward will help protect people’s savings.

These arrangements constitute less than 1 per cent of total residential property borrowing and less than half a per cent of new residential borrowing each year.

These changes don’t in any way change the tax arrangements for superannuation, don’t impact any existing SMSF borrowing arrangements and provide time to finalise arrangements that are in train.

Labor built superannuation and we’ll always look to make it stronger and fairer, and agreeing to these changes will reduce the risks to retirement savings while also securing passage of these important reforms to make the tax system fairer.

Passage of this important legislation this fortnight will provide workers, businesses and investors certainty about the core tax settings that will apply from 1 July 2027.

The Government will continue to develop further tranches of legislation to implement the Budget tax reform package, consistent with the process for legislating other large tax reform packages in the past.

Senator Sarah Hanson-Young is backing calls from leading conservation organisations, including BirdLife Australia and the Invasive Species Council, for the Federal Government to establish a $200 million emergency response fund to combat the growing threat posed by the H5N1 avian influenza outbreak.

The call comes after Senator Hanson-Young warned the Federal Government about the risk of an outbreak nearly two years ago, writing to the Environment and Agriculture Ministers in September 2024 urging immediate action to strengthen Australia’s preparedness.

Sarah Hanson-Young, Senator for SA and spokesperson for Environment and Water: 

“Australia is staring down one of the biggest domestic crises since Covid, and the Government has had almost two years to prepare for it.

”The Government must urgently boost funding to help save our Australian native wildlife from this deadly virus. 

“The experience around the world shows that this strain of bird flu will be devastating to Australian wildlife and could push iconic species like Tassie Devils, black swans and sea lions to the brink of extinction.

“If the Albanese Government are serious about protecting wildlife then they must urgently scale up the funding to build wildlife population resilience.

“The Government has known this threat was coming for nearly two years. Australians deserve to know whether Labor spent that time preparing for the outbreak or simply hoping it wouldn’t happen.

“The Government has been well aware of the risks. The question now is whether it has done enough to prepare.

“If H5N1 becomes established in Australia, the consequences for our native birds, marine life and unique ecosystems could be devastating. We cannot afford to be caught flat-footed.

“Australia is home to some of the most unique wildlife on Earth, and many of our most iconic species could be placed at risk if this virus becomes established in wild populations.

“Now that this crisis is at our doorstep, the Government must show it has done the work and provide the resources needed to protect Australia’s wildlife, environment and agricultural industries.

“A $200 million emergency response fund is the minimum required to ensure wildlife carers, conservation organisations, scientists and governments have the resources they need to respond rapidly and effectively.

“Protecting Australia’s biodiversity requires more than thoughts and prayers. It requires a well-funded, coordinated national response, and it requires it now.

The Albanese Government will extend fuel excise relief for another month, making petrol and diesel 16 cents per litre cheaper versus normal prices for July, saving Australians around $11 per tank.
 
This is more temporary support that will help take the sting out of petrol prices and help Australians with the cost of living.
 
In addition, the Albanese Government will reduce the Heavy Vehicle Road User Charge by 16 cents for the same period to help truckies keep Australia moving.
 
We acknowledge the contribution of the States and Territories to use their GST revenue to fund a 5.7% portion of the fuel excise cut over the last three months and will seek support from the states for July at National Cabinet on Monday.
 
We welcome the agreement this week by the United States and Iran, including reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
 
The extension to the fuel excise cut we’ve announced today recognises that economic and fuel stability recovery will take time, and our action provides a graduated return to normal settings for the fuel excise.
 
We’ll continue to do what we can to shield Australians from the worst impacts of this conflict including securing additional fuel from our partners.
 
Despite the welcome and substantial drop in the price of petrol recently, we recognise people are still under pressure.
 
This extra month of fuel discount will help Australian motorists and businesses with the cost of living as this support tapers off.
 
We announced a three-month cut to the fuel excise of 32 cents per litre back in March alongside reducing the Heavy Vehicle Road User Charge to zero and deferring the next scheduled increase by six months.
 
The 16 cents a litre extension to the fuel tax cut that we’ve announced today will reduce the cost of a 65L tank of fuel by around $11.
 
On top of our other cost of living help including more tax cuts for every taxpayer, this will make a meaningful difference when it comes to helping Australians make ends meet.
This cut will commence from 1 July and run to 2 August.
 
That means that from next month, we’ll have more temporary help with the cost of living in an extension to the fuel tax cut, and more permanent help with the cost of living in another round of tax cuts for every taxpayer, both beginning on July 1.
 
By tapering off the fuel tax cut, this will also help to manage demand at service stations towards the end of the month.
 
The cost of the extension to the fuel excise cut and the reduction in the Heavy Vehicle Road User Charge will be around $400 million.
 
We’re slashing the fuel excise and the road user charge for truckies and we expect the savings to be passed on to Australians.
 
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is continuing to monitor fuel prices to help ensure that the lower excise rate is fully passed on at the bowser, backed by stronger penalties and additional enforcement resourcing.
 
In addition to today’s announcement, since the conflict in the Middle East began in February, the Albanese Government has taken swift action on fuel including:

• Allocating $2.9 billion to more than halve the fuel excise and reduce the heavy vehicle road user charge to zero for three months from 1 April to 30 June.
• Creating the $7.5 billion Fuel and Fertiliser Security Facility supporting additional supply and storage
• Boosting the Minimum Stockholding Obligation for all fuel types
• Providing $3.2 billion to establish the Australian Fuel Security Reserve and bring our total stocks of diesel and jet fuel to 50 days
• Securing nearly 800 million litres of diesel and 150 million litres of jet fuel through Export Finance Australia
• Legislating new ACCC powers to enable faster, coordinated industry responses during exceptional circumstances
• Releasing $1.1 billion in support for domestic production of low carbon liquid fuels
• Providing over $80 million to roll out more kerbside and regional EV chargers and electrify Australia Post’s delivery fleet
• Fair Work Commission Fuel Cost Recovery Chain Order, which came into effect on 21 April 2026, facilitating the ability of road transport businesses to pass on increased fuel costs through the contractual chain
• $1 billion Economic Resilience Program under the National Reconstruction Fund, providing zero‑interest loans to eligible SMEs, including heavy vehicle operators
• ATO support measures, including extended debt repayment arrangements for businesses facing fuel‑related financial pressures

Since the end of March, petrol prices in most capital cities are around 90 cents per litre lower and diesel prices in most capital cities are around $1 per litre lower. Since the conflict started at the end of February, petrol prices are lower in almost all capital cities and diesel prices are on average around 20 cents per litre higher.
 
Today’s decision recognises that although fuel prices have moderated significantly from their peaks, people remain under cost-of-living pressure.
 
Whether it’s slashing the fuel tax, slashing the road user charge for truckies or tax cuts for every taxpayer, we’re taking action to ease pressure on Australians.
 
Our economic plan is all about helping Australians with the cost of living, addressing inflation and making our economy more productive and extending the fuel excise is an important part of that plan.

The Albanese Government will provide an additional $100 million in assistance to Ukraine for critical military equipment, as the country continues its fight against Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked invasion. 

Following a commitment of $50 million to the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) in December last year, Australia will make two additional $50 million contributions over the next 12 months.

In partnership with NATO, Australia is supporting Ukraine to secure the critical military equipment and capabilities it needs to defend itself, including air defence capabilities and munitions.

This lasting commitment brings Australia’s overall support for Ukraine to over $1.8 billion, including more than $1.6 billion in military assistance since the start of the conflict. 

Australia continues to participate in the Coalition of the Willing, a group of more than 35 countries strengthening support for Ukraine to see a just and lasting peace on its terms. 

The Australian Defence Force also continues to train Armed Forces of Ukraine personnel under Operation Kudu, with training now being conducted in Poland under the Norwegian‑led multinational Operation Legio.

Australia remains steadfast in its support for Ukraine as it defends itself against Russian aggression.

Deputy Prime Minister, Richard Marles:

“What happens in Ukraine matters here in the Indo-Pacific, which is why it is so important for Australia to stay the course and continue to stand with Ukraine until they find peace on their terms.

“Australia was proud to be the first non-NATO contributor to the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List, alongside New Zealand.

“Our ongoing contribution ensures that Ukraine is receiving the support it needs to make a tangible difference in its defence against Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked aggression”.

The Greens are continuing discussions with the government on its tax package.

“We are pleased that Labor will amend the sweeping ministerial powers after we raised them in discussions,” Greens Economic Justice spokesperson Senator Nick McKim said.

“But the absurdly generous grandfathering provisions make this legislation a major missed opportunity.”

“There is $33 billion a year just in negative gearing handouts for people with two or more properties – this is money that could directly fund cost of living relief for renters and mortgage holders.”

“We are yet to see Labor’s amendments, but we are continuing discussions and look forward to seeing them soon.”

“Despite the changes, Labor’s lack of ambition means the housing crisis will remain more harmful and long lasting than it needs to be.”

“My vision for Australia is that we’re all Australians. Remember, regardless of race, colour, creed, or where you are from, we’re all treated as Australians equally on an individual needs basis, not based on race.”

A very clear position by Pauline at this week’s news conference on why she wants to abolish the National Indigenous Australians Agency. This agency is responsible for a budget of approximately $4.5 billion. Despite this, Liberal leader Angus Taylor has attacked Pauline, making the following comments: “If she wants to judge people based on the colour of their skin or their race, One Nation needs to explain that. But our position on this is clear.”

This goes further than being a misrepresentation; it is an outright lie. The Liberals are desperate. These are the tactics they’re now resorting to. Their record of failure on immigration and integration speaks for itself. They should not be trusted.

The Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team (JCTT) has charged a third man over the alleged Adass Israel Synagogue arson attack in December 2024.

The Airport West man, 20, has been charged with criminal damage by fire (Arson), contrary to section 197 of the Crimes Act 1958 (Vic), conduct endangering life under section 22 of the Crimes Act 1958 (Vic) and theft of motor vehicle under section 74 of the Crimes Act 1958 (Vic).

The offence of arson carries a maximum penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment, while the offence of theft of motor vehicle and conduct endangering life both carry a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment.

The Airport West man was charged by JCTT investigators today (Friday, 19 June, 2026) at the Metropolitan Remand Centre, where he is in custody for unrelated offences.

He is expected to appear in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court next Tuesday (23 June, 2026).

It will be alleged the Airport West man is one of three individuals who broke into the Ripponlea synagogue and deliberately set the fire. Under Operation Hilfield, the JCTT has now charged all three alleged offenders accused of directly setting the synagogue on fire.

On 30 July, 2025, the JCTT charged a Werribee man 21, for his alleged role as one of the three individuals who allegedly broke into the synagogue and set the fire.  

On 21 August, 2025, the JCTT charged a Meadow Heights man, 20, for his alleged role as one of the three individuals who broke into the synagogue and set the fire.

The JCTT also charged a Melton South man, 20, on 16 July, 2025, for allegedly stealing a communal crime car, which is alleged to have been used to drive to the synagogue on 6 December, 2024.

AFP Assistant Commissioner Peter Crozier said that the AFP, together with Victoria Police and ASIO, had remained laser focused on identifying those responsible for the attack on the Jewish community and to prosecute those responsible.

“Today, the Victoria JCTT is able to confirm that we have identified and charged those we allege attended the synagogue and carried out this deplorable attack,” Assistant Commissioner Crozier said.  

“There is no understating the fear and genuine sense of unease this crime created in our society.  

“Operation Hilfield reached this point today thanks to significant assistance from the community. Now, we again, ask the community for their help.  

“We can reveal that we believe some individuals have actively lied to the JCTT, likely in an attempt to hinder our investigation.    

“Let me be very clear. You will not obstruct justice. Now is the time for you to come forward and do the right thing.

Victoria Police Acting Assistant Commissioner Paul O’Halloran said that identifying those who are involved in anti-semitic attacks of any nature remains a priority for Victoria Police.

“While over 18 months have passed since the fire at the Adass synagogue, we have remained firmly focused on ensuring those who bring harm to our community are put before the court.

“It doesn’t matter what role someone may play, if you are involved in an incident such as this then I can assure you police and our partner agencies will do everything we can to fully investigate and hold you to account for your actions.

“It’s clear these incidents are designed to create fear and distress, when people of all faiths and backgrounds deserve to feel safe in our state.

“We’ve also seen first-hand here in the past few years how dangerous and unpredictable fire can be, and arson attacks like this can easily end in death or serious injury.

“I want to reassure the public again that these investigations remain a priority for Victoria Police and to thank the Jewish community for their assistance and support thus far.”

Information can be provided by contacting Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or online at the Crime Stoppers Victoria website. A confidential report can also be made to the National Security Hotline on 1800 123 400.