Category: Australian News

Chair of the Select Committee into the taxation of Australia’s gas resources, Australian Greens Senator Steph Hodgins-May, has confronted Woodside CEO Liz Westcott at the company’s AGM in Perth over her decision not to appear at tomorrow’s Senate inquiry into gas taxation. 

Westcott has been invited to give evidence at the final hearing but will not appear, with other company representatives scheduled instead. 

Speaking from inside the Woodside AGM, Senator Hodgins-May questioned Westcott directly on her absence and the taxation of gas exports. Ms Westcott would not commit to attending the inquiry hearing. 

Executives from Woodside, INPEX, Chevron and Santos are scheduled to appear at the final hearing at the Mercure Hotel in Perth. Media will be permitted, with audio broadcast only via APH.

Senator Hodgins-May: 

“It says everything that the CEO of one of Australia’s biggest gas exporters has time to address shareholders, but not to front a public inquiry into whether other Australians are getting a fair return on their resources.

“CEO’s shouldn’t just be focussed on the boardroom and senior government ministers, they need to front parliament when called and address critical matters of public interest. 

“Tomorrow’s hearing will test the claims the gas industry has repeated every time reform is on the table. 

“We’ve heard the same scare campaign every time, that now is not the time. Somehow it’s never the time to be sharing their obscene profits with those who own the resources – the Australian people. Australians simply aren’t buying it anymore. 

“A minimum 25 per cent tax on gas exports would raise at least $17 billion a year. There would be no need to slash the NDIS, and we’d have money to fund cost of living relief and a rapid transition to a clean energy future.

“The Prime Minister and Premier Cook need to remember we don’t live in a petrostate, where our political system is captured by greedy, profit seeking corporations.   

“The political risk if Labor doesn’t act is growing by the day. The consensus is clear that Australians are demanding a fair return on their resources.”

The Minns Labor Government’s landmark ADHD reforms have helped New South Wales families save roughly $10 million each year in out-of-pocket fees to access scripts for ADHD medication, according to analysis by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RACGP).

Nearly 10,000 people have avoided long wait times and expensive specialist fees, providing real cost of living relief thanks to the Minns Government’s life-changing reforms.

Under the reforms, people can access a repeat prescription for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication from their general practitioner (GP) rather than a psychiatrist, saving families anywhere between $250 to $670 per visit.

These changes have also eased pressure on the specialist system, with nearly 10,000 fewer people needing to see specialists for routine care — freeing up appointments for those with more complex needs.

Savings are expected to grow as more GPs join a growing cohort of continuation prescribers.

There are now more than 1,100 GPs across NSW able to prescribe repeat ADHD psychostimulant scripts, giving people, especially children and young people, improved and more affordable access to their medication.

The reform has also expanded access for people living in rural and regional areas of NSW, with 44 per cent of those GPs located outside of metropolitan Sydney.

As part of the Minns Government’s reforms, 311 GPs have commenced training to be able to diagnose and treat ADHD which will give even more people access to life-changing treatment.

The 311 GPs currently undergoing training are located across the state including on the Central Coast, Far West NSW, the Hunter, the Illawarra, the Mid North Coast, the Nepean and Sydney.

Applications for GPs wishing to express their interest in future training rounds remain open and GPs can apply to become a continuation prescriber at any time.

Patients looking to find an ADHD medication continuation prescriber can search here.

NSW Premier Chris Minns:

“Our landmark ADHD reforms are helping NSW families right when they need it. As cost-of-living pressures eat into household budgets, this reform is putting money back in people’s pockets.

“These reforms make sense, we’re making it easier for people to access healthcare.

“Importantly, the reforms improving access for our regional areas too, access to essential healthcare should be available to everyone, regardless of where they live.”

Minister for Health Ryan Park:

“The health system’s capacity to support people with ADHD continues to go from strength to strength, as more GPs come on board as part of our reforms.            

“We know that more than 9,800 people have now avoided the long waits, high costs, and stress associated with accessing a specialist to get their scripts filled.

“This is a win for everyone, and I am so pleased to see our rural and regional GPs embracing these reforms.  We heard people in those areas loud and clear when they said they needed another option and we have delivered.”

Minister for Mental Health Rose Jackson:

“We’re changing the way people access ADHD care—more than 37,900 prescriptions already issued by GPs, getting people the care they need, faster.

“That is literally millions of dollars back in the pockets of hardworking families, who can now access scripts from their family GP for a fraction of the cost.

“We’ve been told that these reforms are life-changing and this is why. This reform is improving options for people, saving families time, money, and heartache.

“It’s also freeing up waiting rooms so that the people who actually need to see those specialists can get a spot. This is exactly the kind of common sense reform that Labor is delivering to improve access to healthcare in our state.”

RACGP NSW Chair Dr Rebekah Hoffman:

“These reforms show what’s possible when governments trust GPs to deliver ongoing, high‑quality care within a safe and structured framework.

“Allowing appropriately trained GPs to prescribe ADHD medication has reduced costs for families, cut wait times, and improved access to care, particularly for children and young people.

“GPs are the right place for ongoing ADHD care for many patients. This reform has eased pressure on an overstretched specialist system while ensuring care remains coordinated, evidence‑based and centred around the patient.

“We’re particularly encouraged to see the strong uptake in rural and regional NSW. For families outside metropolitan areas, these changes are genuinely life‑changing, removing expensive travel, long waits and unnecessary barriers to care.

“The RACGP supports reforms that improve access while maintaining patient safety. Continued investment in GP training and clear clinical pathways will be essential to ensure these reforms remain sustainable and deliver long‑term benefits for patients and the health system.”

The Albanese Government will more than double investment in counter drones for the Australian Defence Force (ADF) with up to $7 billion allocated under the Integrated Investment Program (IIP) over the next decade.

As part of the major boost in investment, the Albanese Government today announced two initial contracts for Aussie made next-generation counter‑drone platforms.

The investment is part of the Government’s plan to spend billions more on drone and counter drone platforms over the decade, in line with the recently‑released 2026 National Defence Strategy and Integrated Investment Program.

With the war in Ukraine and conflicts in the Middle East showing how uncrewed aerial systems are increasingly being employed in conflict, the development of sovereign counter-drone solutions is essential to ensure the ADF can detect, assess and respond to these threats.

The initial investments of $21.3 million in AIM Defence and $10.4 million in SYPAQ Systems has been awarded through the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator’s (ASCA) Mission Syracuse.

This will enable AIM Defence to further enhance the capability and combat readiness of its high-powered counter-drone laser system, Fractl, to counter individual and swarms of drones. This portable high energy laser system is capable of tracking objects as small as a 10-cent piece at more than 100kph and powerful enough to burn through steel.

SYPAQ Systems will build on their expertise in affordable, high performance uncrewed air vehicles to develop the Corvo Strike, an interceptor drone designed to track, target and destroy larger drones now commonly employed on battlefields.

ASCA will also facilitate the integration of these systems into the ADF’s existing control system being delivered under LAND156.

While Australia’s unique geography has driven a focus on larger drones, the Government’s efforts under Mission Syracuse will accelerate the deployment of advanced capabilities designed to counter medium‑sized drones and swarms of small drones that our personnel could encounter in complex operational environments abroad or while protecting people and infrastructure domestically.

The Albanese Government has allocated up to $22 billion for drone, counter-drone and autonomous system technologies over the decade in the 2026 Integrated Investment Program.

Minister for Defence Industry, Pat Conroy:

“The Albanese Government is building a stronger and more resilient defence industry through investing in Australian innovation, skills and disruptive technologies that will keep Australians safe.

“The Government’s record investment in defence through the 2026 Integrated Investment Program includes record investment in drone and counter-drone capabilities – ensuring Australia can respond to threats to Australia’s security.

“With the war in Ukraine and conflicts in the Middle East showing how uncrewed aerial systems are increasingly being employed in conflict, the development of sovereign counter-drone solutions is essential to ensure the Australian Defence Force can detect, assess and respond to these threats.”

Head Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator, Major General Hugh Meggitt:

“Mission Syracuse will exploit Australian industry’s world leading expertise in kinetic and directed energy to find, fix, track, target and engage Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). It will significantly enhance the ADF’s ability to counter the threat posed by UAVs employed by malicious actors; domestically and abroad.”

Labor Premier Chris Minns has taken the extraordinary step of rebuking the Supreme Court’s finding that social cohesion is not a legitimate reason to restrict the right to protest, and accused a peaceful community opposed to genocide of being violent offenders.

Premier Minns has also restated his commitment to more likely unconstitutional laws to prohibit certain phrases that he disagrees with.

Greens MP, Solicitor and spokesperson for Justice Sue Higginson said:

“The Premier has launched an extraordinary attack on our independent judiciary today, showing complete contempt for the Constitution, and our right to political expression – all in an attempt to violently subdue our democratic rights. He is walking a dangerous line and I don’t think it will end well for him,”

“Hundreds of witnesses have provided evidence about the unprovoked assault by Police against the community on the night of 9 February. The Premier is gaslighting our state by suggesting the community is to blame for the violence they experienced,”

“Even Members of his own Labor Party witnessed unprovoked violence committed by the Police that night. The Premier should be reminded that people speaking in public is no justification for violent assault and control,”

“The actions by the Premier and the Police caused serious harm and the Police relied on powers that were unlawful. For the Premier and the Police Commissioner to double down in the face of this failure and say ‘oh well we had the Major Event Declaration as back up’, likely won’t cut it in the Courts,”

“I have no doubt the Major Events Declaration will now also be challenged in the current context. The Premier and Police Commissioner need to stand down and do the right thing. They need to accept that they got it wrong and stop these bad prosecutions against the community. The Premier should not squander this opportunity to de-escalate and do the right thing,”

“That night, a peaceful crowd of several thousand people declared a desire to march through the city to Parliament House, as is their right. In response to the Premier’s orders, the Police kettled the crowd into a tight area and then proceeded to deploy chemical weapons and force against families, elderly people, and a community that has rallied peacefully for more than two years,”

“Chris Minns is not above the law. He needs to stop undermining our democracy. First protest, now the courts, I am worried about just how far he will go to punish people that disagree with his vision for society,” Ms Higginson said.

Amid reports that Labor may exclude people with a psychosocial disability from the NDIS, and cut help from others to eat, bathe and shower;  the Greens say they will not support cuts to the NDIS.

Labor is reportedly considering changes to Supported In-home Living (SIL) and excluding participants with a psychosocial disability.

In making these cuts, Labor would be leaving many disabled people unable to eat, bathe, and go to work, and booting people who have no other affordable services available to them off the NDIS entirely.

These cuts to the NDIS are in a context where governments have failed disabled people for years, through lack of investment in publicly available supports, things like high-quality accessible public housing with shared supports, and mental health in Medicare, and the low rate of the Disability Support Pension.

The Greens say they will not back NDIS cuts that look set to leave vulnerable people without any other options.

Senator Jordon Steele-John, Greens Disability spokesperson said:

“The Greens will not support more cuts to the NDIS or Labor’s attempts to balance the budget off the back of disabled people.

“Labor are spending their days before the budget trying to pick which group is least deserving of having the support they need to live a decent life.

“These Labor cuts would leave disabled people unable to bathe or eat, and push people with psychosocial disability out of the only supports they get.

“The community are telling me they’re scared. Yet again, the government are talking about massive cuts to the NDIS without clarity and with nowhere to turn to, it’s leaving everyone on edge.

“Labor’s trying to choose a group in the disabled community they think is the weakest target – but disabled people are used to fighting for their basic rights, and the Greens will back them the entire way.

“The government must not cut critical disability supports to balance their budget, while allowing big corporations to avoid paying their fair share of tax and letting fossil fuel subsidies soar.”

“Twenty years on from ‘Debt free day’ marking the Coalition paying off Labor’s debt, the Coalition has had to launch a digital debt clock as Federal debt teeters near $1 trillion, with Labor’s only plan to double-down and borrow further”, said Shadow Treasurer, Tim Wilson.

“Labor claims higher taxes are good for young Australians, but the truth is the opposite. Every dollar of debt Labor accumulates today is a tax on a young Australian tomorrow. That is not intergenerational equity it is intergenerational theft. Only by getting spending under control and paying down debt can we restore fairness for the next generation”, said Shadow Minister for Finance Senator Claire Chandler.

Mr Wilson and Senator Chandler’s comments follow the release of the debt clock. The debt clock, publicly accessible at https://debtclock.au, tracks the total Australian Government Securities on issue. Following the maturity of $40 billion in debt today, the total stands at $957 billion. The clock also tracks the cumulative interest bill under Labor already over $80 billion in just four years in government.

“The Federal debt is now equivalent to ten credit cards per Australian, and with every dollar of debt it is just more petrol on the inflation fire”, Mr Wilson said.

“The greatest intergenerational policy is to let the next generation of Australians decide their own destiny with opportunity, not be born into debt servicing servitude and a zero sum race to the redistribution bottom”.

“Jim Chalmers’ active inflation agenda depends on continuing to borrow, and young Australians are hit three times over: painful inflation, debt servicing, and then repayment through higher taxes”.

“In the economy Labor built for them, small and family businesses and the self-employed are punished today, and young Australians pay in perpetuity”.

“At $25 billion a year in debt servicing, and rising, Labor’s interest bill could fund 200,000 additional nurses, or 400,000 aged care home packages, or one thousand kilometres of major regional highway upgrades, or a tax cut worth $1,600 a year for every taxpayer. Instead it is going to debt servicing because Labor cannot stop spending”, Mr Wilson said.

Alongside falling real wages, higher tax bills, and surging interest rates, this is the genuine cost of Labor’s out-of-control spending, which is now at its highest level in 40 years outside the pandemic.

Under the budget settings the Coalition left Labor in 2022, the budget would have been in surplus in every one of the last four years. We would have been paying down the debt rather than growing it. Instead, Labor has no plan to return the budget to surplus at any point in the next decade. National debt is on track to hit $1.2 trillion in three years and $1.5 trillion within a decade.

“The Howard-Costello government inherited 18.1 per cent of GDP in net debt from Labor in 1996. Through a decade of disciplined management they brought it to zero. That strong foundation prepared Australia for the Global Financial Crisis. The Coalition that followed the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd years did the same, bringing discipline back to the budget and preparing us for the COVID-19 pandemic”, Senator Chandler said.

After just four years of the Albanese Labor government, net debt is already at 20.1 per cent of GDP more than Labor left the Coalition in 1996. Even before the Iran crisis it was set to reach 22.6 per cent of GDP within three years. Labor’s recklessness has left us exposed at exactly the moment when we need fiscal strength.

“Only a Coalition government can restore the fiscal discipline needed to bring debt under control and stop the never-ending burden being placed on Australians. Our mission is to restore living standards, cut the cost of living, and protect the Australian way of life and none of that is possible while Labor keeps spending money Australians do not have”, Mr Wilson said.

The Greens say that Labor must not capitulate to the interests of greedy gas corporations and ultra-rich property investors by tinkering on what should be significant and generational reforms on gas tax and the capital gains tax discount. 

With the war economic crisis looming, this budget is critically timed.  Gas corporations are poised to make huge windfall gains off exports, while investors may be driven towards property as a ‘safe’ investment – further locking out renters and first homebuyers.

Momentum is growing for significant tax reform in the May budget, with dozens of groups coming out today calling for a tax on gas exports of at least 25%  to be included in the May budget. This Greens-led Senate inquiry into gas taxation has its first hearing tomorrow. 

With Labor leaks signalling attempts from within the party to water down or prevent reform, the Greens say that this budget is critical for action to help with people, not corporate profits. 

Greens Leader Senator Larissa Waters said:

“The war is pushing up the cost of living for everyone – but corporations and billionaires are making massive profits off it.

“People are demanding big changes in this budget – and Labor can’t fumble this historic opportunity to tax greedy gas corporations fairly and help first homebuyers get a roof over their heads.

“Labor keeps trying to weaken changes that would tax big gas corporations and wealthy property investors, capitulating to them at the expense of the rest of us.

“If Labor doesn’t act in this budget, gas corporations will make massive export profits off people’s cost of living pain and ultra-wealthy property investors will keep more Australians out of a home. 

“A tax on gas exports could raise at least $17 billion – helping deliver cost of living support for everyone. 

“Labor shouldn’t be cutting support for disabled people to balance the budget – they should tax the gas corporations making windfall profits instead.”

Greens Treasury spokesperson Senator Nick McKim said:

“Labor cannot keep handing out billions in tax breaks to wealthy property investors, then turn around and claim there is no money to help renters or relieve cost-of-living pressures.

“Winding back the CGT discount would help renters, first home buyers and the budget. The evidence given to the Greens-led Senate inquiry has made the case for change overwhelming.

“We want to make the tax system fairer for young people and for working people, and make people who have accumulated large amounts of wealth pay their fair share.

“This is a once in a generation opportunity for genuinely progressive tax reform and to fix the housing crisis.

“The Greens are demanding that Labor meet this moment with high ambition. Tinkering around the edges is not going to cut it.”

Greens Resources spokesperson Steph Hodgins-May said:

“People are fed up with governments putting gas company profits ahead of them.

“The Greens have committed to backing a gas export tax of at least 25%. But if Labor tries to wave through a bill written by Woodside Energy, they shouldn’t expect our support.

“The gas cartel has been writing the rules for too long. When nurses and teachers are paying more tax on their incomes than gas giants pay on exports, the system is broken.

“These companies are raking in record war-time profits while families are doing it tough.

“Labor has a choice to stand with the gas lobby, or stand with everyday Australians.”

National parks across the North Coast continue to attract millions of visitors each year, supporting tourism and regional communities. In 2024/25, there were 6.81 million visits to North Coast parks, up from 6.19 million in 2022.

The most visited parks were Coffs Coast Regional Park, Cape Byron State Conservation Area, Crowdy Bay, Arakoon and Bundjalung national parks, which each attracted over half a million visits.

These figures come from the most recent National Parks visitation survey that found more people than ever are choosing to experience the natural beauty of NSW, with a record 65.6 million visits to national parks in FY24/25.

This positions the state’s parks network as a major driver of economic activity, regional development and affordable outdoor recreation.

Visitation has grown strongly in recent years, up 24 per cent since 2022 statewide.

The Minns Labor Government has invested more than $49 million in the North Coast to support growing visitation and protect these iconic destinations.

This includes the new Gidjuum Gulganyi Walk in Tweed-Byron and upgrades to popular Trial Bay and Point Plomer campgrounds.

Planning is well underway for the redevelopment of the Dorrigo Rainforest Centre and creation of the Dorrigo Escarpment multi-day walk.

Alongside the iconic Great Koala National Park, these improvements support families, hikers and those seeking world class nature experiences and are making the North Coast a must-see visitor destination on the Australian East Coast.

From coastal reserves to hinterland rainforests, the region offers some of the most diverse nature-based experiences in NSW.

Minister for the North Coast, Janelle Saffin said:

“The North Coast is such a special part of the world, and it’s no surprise that so many people, both locals and visitors, are drawn to our incredible beaches and rainforests.

“Seeing 6.8 million visits to our local parks is a reflection of how much we value our natural backyard and how vital these spaces are for our regional economy.

“By investing more than $49 million into our parks, we are making sure that iconic spots like Cape Byron and the Coffs Coast are well maintained for our community to enjoy.

“It’s about protecting what we love so that our kids and grandkids can experience the same North Coast magic we do today.”

The Albanese Government has taken a major step towards delivering a larger and more lethal surface combatant fleet with contracts now signed for Australia’s first three general purpose frigates.

Built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), the ships will be of the upgraded Japanese Mogami class frigate design, with the first scheduled to be delivered to the Royal Australian Navy in 2029.

The Albanese Government is working closely with the Japanese Government and industry with future ships to be constructed in Western Australia, subject to consolidation of the Henderson Defence Precinct, in line with the Government’s commitment to continuous naval shipbuilding.

Defence is also working with Japanese industry and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force to develop an initial capability to sustain and operate the upgraded Mogami class frigates in Australia, supported by Australian industry and workers.

The upgraded Mogami class frigate has a range of up to 10,000 nautical miles and a 32-cell Vertical Launch System. It will be equipped with surface-to-air and anti-ship missiles, crewed by 92 Royal Australian Navy sailors and officers, and capable of operating Navy’s MH-60R Seahawk maritime combat helicopter.

The decision to acquire upgraded Japanese Mogami class frigates accords with the Albanese Government’s commitment to more than double the size of Navy’s surface combatant fleet, following the 2024 independent analysis of Navy’s surface combatant fleet. In the 2026 Integrated Investment Program released this week, the Government committed to the investment of up to $20 billion over the decade into general purpose frigates.

The contract-signing was marked by the Deputy Prime Minister and his counterpart, the Japanese Minister of Defense, Koizumi Shinjirō signing the ‘Mogami Memorandum’, reaffirming the Australian and Japanese Governments’ shared commitment to the successful delivery of Australia’s general purpose frigates and deeper defence industry cooperation.

Royal Australian Navy personnel trained with the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force aboard the Mogami class frigate Japan Ship Kumano during its transit to Australia for Exercise Kakadu, further strengthening interoperability and the longstanding defence relationship between Australia and Japan.

The next two decades will see tens of billions of dollars invested in defence capabilities in Western Australia, including the build of future upgraded Mogami class frigates at the Henderson Defence Precinct, supporting around 10,000 high-skilled jobs.

Deputy Prime Minister, Richard Marles:

“Acquiring upgraded-Mogami class frigates demonstrates the Albanese Government’s focus on investing in the capabilities we need to keep Australians safe.

“Our surface fleet is more important than at any time in decades. These general purpose frigates will help secure our maritime trade routes and northern approaches as part of a larger and more lethal surface combatant fleet.”

Minister for Defence Industry, Pat Conroy:

“This is the fastest acquisition for the Royal Australian Navy in peacetime. We are working closely with Japanese and Australian industry partners as we acquire one of the most, if not the most, advanced general-purpose frigate in the world.

“We are delivering these commitments at pace, supporting and creating jobs for Australians, and deepening Australia’s industrial base. The first three frigates will be built offshore in Japan. We will then transition to an onshore build in line with the Government’s commitment to continuous naval shipbuilding and a future made in Australia.”

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles will tomorrow welcome Japan’s Minister of Defense, Koizumi Shinjiro, to Australia. 

The Ministers will convene in Melbourne for an Australia-Japan Defence Ministers’ Meeting and a tour of JS Kumano, a Mogami class frigate of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. 

Japan is an indispensable partner to Australia. As Special Strategic Partners, we have one of the closest and most enduring partnerships in the Indo-Pacific, underpinned by deep mutual trust, shared values and a high level of strategic alignment built over decades of cooperation. 

Defence engagement is a central pillar of the Australia-Japan partnership, reflecting our shared commitment to regional stability and the deep practical cooperation between our defence forces. The selection of the upgraded Mogami class frigate as Australia’s future general purpose frigate will see our two countries working more closely than ever before. 

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles:

“This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Basic Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between Australia and Japan, and our partnership continues to go from strength to strength. 

“I look forward to meeting with my good friend Minister Koizumi today to discuss opportunities to deepen Australia and Japan’s defence partnership, including by increasing collaboration between our defence industrial bases through Australia’s general purpose frigate program.”