Category: Australian News

The first of four MC-55A Peregrine – Australia’s inaugural airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Electronic Warfare (ISREW) aircraft – has arrived, marking a major milestone in strengthening the nation’s sovereign defence capability.

The Albanese Government is pleased to announce the first MC-55A arrived at RAAF Base Edinburgh, South Australia, late last week. Modelled on the Gulfstream G550 airframe and extensively enhanced by L3Harris Technologies, the MC-55A is a long-range, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft designed to deliver multiple sources of intelligence in support of Defence operations.

This advanced capability reinforces Australia’s national defence posture and contributes to deterrence. Integrated within a focused and agile force, the MC-55A ensures the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is ready to detect, disrupt, deter, and if necessary defeat threats – underpinning the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) commitment to readiness and resilience.

The MC-55A will be a key component of Australia’s broader ISR enterprise, complementing platforms such as the P-8A Poseidon and MQ-4C Triton, and forming a critical link in the nation’s sovereign network of surveillance and electronic warfare assets.

Operated by Number 10 Squadron, the MC-55A Peregrine will be based at RAAF Base Edinburgh, South Australia.

the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, the Hon. Richard Marles MP:

“The introduction of the MC-55A Peregrine represents a significant step forward in strengthening Australia’s ability to monitor and protect its strategic interests, including key maritime approaches.

“This capability will integrate seamlessly with allied and partner systems, enabling the Air Force and ADF to share intelligence with security partners like the United Kingdom and United States – reinforcing our collective security and enhancing regional stability.”

Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon. Pat Conroy MP:

“This investment strengthens Australia’s sovereign intelligence, surveillance, and electronic warfare capability and ensures our Defence Force is prepared for the challenges of tomorrow.”

the Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Stephen Chappell DSC, CSC, OAM: 

“The introduction of the MC-55A to Air Force’s fleet will ensure we have a critical enabler for advanced ADF capabilities and, as identified in the 2024 Integrated Investment Program, provide important intelligence information to support ADF missions.  

“The MC-55A Peregrine is more than an aircraft—it is a strategic capability that reinforces our ability to protect national interests in an increasingly complex security environment.”

More than $17 million has been allocated to 44 Australian businesses in the latest rounds of the Defence Industry Development Grants (DIDG) program.

This new round brings the current total grant allocation to more than $51 million awarded through the program to date across four delivery streams: Exports, Skilling, Security and Sovereign Industrial Priorities.

The DIDG program represents a total investment of $170 million. This demonstrates Australia’s commitment to expanding and modernising our sovereign defence industrial base – a key priority of the Defence Industry Development Strategy and National Defence Strategy.

Through the program, defence industry businesses across the country will expand export opportunities and improve global competitiveness. They will strengthen cyber, physical and personnel security to meet Defence standards and deliver technical training to grow Australia’s skilled defence workforce.  

This latest round of grants will also continue to drive investment in advanced manufacturing; aligned with sovereign defence priorities such as submarines, aerospace, guided weapons, explosive ordnance and advanced technologies.

The grants include eight projects funded by the Australian Submarine Agency, totalling $2.9 million; to support the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine program. This will help build a strong, sovereign submarine enterprise, critical for Australia’s National Defence in the decades to come.

The DIDG program continues to provide matching grants of up to 50 per cent to eligible Australian defence suppliers, with applications open year-round until 2028.

For more information visit: Defence Industry Development Grants Program | Business & Industry | Defence

Quotes attributable to Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon Pat Conroy MP:

“We’re backing Australian businesses, Australian workers and Australian innovation to deliver the capabilities the Australian Defence Force (ADF) needs.

“These new grants will help local companies scale up, modernise and grow, ensuring our nation has the industrial strength and skills base to meet future challenges.

“Every one of these projects contributes to a stronger, more resilient and sovereign defence industry – creating jobs, driving innovation, and building a future made in Australia.”

The latest grant recipients (by stream) include: 

Sovereign Industrial Priorities Stream

·        Australian Textile Group (Vic) will receive $1,000,000 to acquire a high-performance stenter for precision textile finishing of fabrics used in ADF combat uniforms and personal protective equipment.

·        Catten Industries (Vic) will receive $1,000,000 to procure automated laser cutting machine and fibre laser welding systems to enhance the supply into armoured vehicle and naval defence programs, particularly the Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle and components for naval valve systems to be delivered under the AUKUS program.

·        DVR Engineering (Vic) will receive $1,000,000 to procure a 5-axis computer numerical control (CNC) machining centre to enhance the supply into AS9 Huntsman SPH and AS21 Redback IFV vehicles.

·        Franmarine (WA) will receive $1,000,000 to commission a mobile underwater sustainment system to enable critical underwater submarine maintenance and sustainment.

·        GPC Electronics (NSW) will receive $1,000,000 to acquire an electronic component testing capability to support the production of printed circuit assemblies (PCAs) for the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile program and other Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) subassembly supply chains.

·        Prestige Precision Tools (Qld) will receive $1,000,000 to establish the manufacturing capability for high-precision carbide tooling inserts, delivering tooling solutions that meet the stringent requirements of platforms such as the Joint Strike Fighter and other advanced weapons systems.

·        Van Munster Boats (NSW) will receive $969,084 to procure specialised composites manufacturing equipment to support the production of Bluebottle uncrewed surface vessels for autonomous maritime surveillance. 

·        Rivierra (Vic) will receive $998,568 to procure a CNC vertical machining centre and a multitasking CNC lathe to enhance the manufacture of entrenching tools.

·        Rosebank Engineering (Vic) will receive $781,739 to establish a state-of-the-art cold spray facility supported by advanced robotic control and precision part manipulation to support surface and sub-surface vessels and future AUKUS class submarines.

·        Levett Engineering (SA) will receive $766,551 to procure a 5-axis CNC machine to enhance the fabrication of complex aluminium components for guided weapons, explosive ordnance and munitions.

·        Stella Engineering (NSW) will receive $650,158 to acquire capital equipment to commission advanced anodising capability for multiple high-value suppliers within the defence sector.

·        Airspeed (SA) will receive $599,118 to procure a 5-axis CNC machine to enhance manufacturing processes and achieve a higher production rate for the skirts of carbon fibre solid rocket motor cases in support of the GWEO program. 

·        Benelec (NSW) will receive $503,222 to establish an RF antenna testing laboratory to enable development and verification of advanced mesh radio systems, uncrewed systems, counter-uncrewed systems, and electronic warfare antennas. 

·        Alsop Engineering (NSW) will receive $502,774 to procure a CNC turning centre and a 5-axis vertical machining centre to increase production capacity, precision, and supply chain responsiveness across key Defence programs, particularly Ghost Shark and the Young Endeavour reconstruction. 

·        Advanced Navigation (NSW) will receive $499,129 to acquire and integrate a new dual-axis inertial sensor calibration system to enable next-generation Defence solutions for long range autonomous navigation platforms and precision guided munitions. 

·        Australian Steel (Vic) will receive $472,449 to procure a CNC cutting machine and robotic handling systems to enhance the manufacturing capability of critical specialised steels for multiple platforms, principally the Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle the Hunter class frigate. 

·        MCHND (SA) will receive $400,000 to procure a CNC 5-axis machine to enhance the manufacturing of faceplates for Redback Infantry Fighting Vehicles and components for Defence’s passive radar systems. 

·        Craig International Ballistic (Qld) will receive $263,663 to acquire an automated polyurea coating system for defence armour and vehicle protection, and for future applications in the naval and land ballistic composite panel manufacture. 

·        Applied Measurements Australia (Vic) will receive $250,196 to procure a laser welding table and testing and calibration instrumentation for the manufacture of pressure transducers to support the Collins Class life of type extension and future AUKUS submarines.

·        Global Welding Technologies Group (SA) will receive $226,471 to establish an advanced welding manufacturing and training centre designed for industrial-grade manual and robotic welding applications, to support shipbuilding capabilities including the Hunter-class frigates and future AUKUS submarines.

·        Jack Thompson Engineering (Vic) will receive $154,841 to procure a coordinate-measuring machine and supporting equipment to establish a precision quality assurance and certifying capability of steel plate for the AUKUS program.

·        Ballistic and Mechanical Testing (Vic) will receive $50,519 to acquire and commission an advanced optical system to enhance its ballistic testing capabilities for armour solutions.

Exports stream

·        Cowan Manufacturing (NSW) will receive $250,000 to procure a fiber laser cutter to modernise the manufacture of recompression chambers used in diving and undersea operations.

·        HTA (Vic) will receive $250,000 to acquire and install a drop-bottom furnace to support heat treatment processes for land, air, and sea components that must meet stringent defence and aerospace standards.

·        Levett Engineering (SA) will receive $250,000 to procure a DMC75 monoBLOCK 3 pallet milling machine to manufacture precision components for export opportunities to the US and UK in several defence capability areas including the SSN AUKUS nuclear powered submarine program and repair and overhaul of components for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

·        Nu Metric Manufacturing (SA) will receive $250,000 to acquire precision assembly equipment, including collaborative robotics and a high-precision portable measuring arm equipped with a laser scanner, for the assembly, automated inspection, and validation of aircraft components.

·        Thrust Maritime (Vic) will receive $167,831 to procure a 32 tonne gantry crane for manufacturing operations that involve the fabrication, assembly and testing of heavy components and systems used in submarine rescue and subsea infrastructure operations. 

·        Defendtex Research Labs (Vic) will receive $135,503 to acquire a selective laser sintering 3D printer for prototyping and producing military grade components used in autonomous vehicles, guided weapons and explosive ordnance munitions deployed by allied defence forces.

Skilling stream 

·        Quality Maritime Surveyors (SA) will receive $239,404 to upskill workforce in non-destructive testing to support critical requirements in submarine and ship sustainment activities.

·        Eptec Marine (NSW) will receive $140,600 to upskill its technicians in industrial coating application and inspection in line with defence standards recently adopted by US. 

·        Rosebank Engineering (Vic) will receive $67,891 to upskill its workforce in non-destructive testing, CAD/CAM programming, robotics, quality assurance, materials technology, explosives handling, IT proficiency.

·        Ocius Technology (NSW) will receive $48,667 to upskill technicians in systems engineering and maritime autonomy to sustain the Bluebottle uncrewed surface vehicle capability.

·        K39 Consulting (Qld) will receive $24,601 to upskill its workforce in specialist areas of explosive ordnance safety, sustainment logistics, and defence project delivery. 

·        Asset Reliability Inspections (WA) will receive $22,920 to develop its workforce in high-quality inspection services to support critical defence infrastructure. 

·        International Centre for Complex Project Management (ACT) will receive $22,896 to deliver a complex project leadership training course for Australian defence businesses.

·        Fusion Engineering Consulting Services (Vic) will receive $20,767 to enhance competencies of its technicians in the acceptance of printed boards, cables and harness assemblies.

·        C4I (Vic) will receive $5,845 to enhance critical workforce skills, ensuring voice communication solutions meet the evolving needs, operational environment, and mission requirements of the ADF.

·        JVAT Solutions (Vic) will receive $5,498 to develop key staff on systems engineering, hypersonic flight vehicle design, performance analysis and professional project management.

·        Shoal Group (SA) will receive $5,139 to develop workforce capability in formal project management, strengthening business performance and ensuring alignment with Sovereign Defence Industrial Priorities.

Security stream 

·        Luminact (Vic) will receive $100,000 to uplift cybersecurity controls and enhance physical security to meet Defence security requirements.

·        Secure State Consultants (SA) will receive $100,000 to uplift cybersecurity controls to meet Defence security requirements. 

·        Stahl Metal (Vic) will receive $73,700 to uplift governance, physical and cybersecurity posture to meet Defence security requirements.

·        Danger Solutions (NSW) will receive $51,178 to uplift cybersecurity controls and enhance physical security to meet Defence security requirements.

·        Falcon (Vic) will receive $20,840 to uplift governance, physical and personnel security posture to meet Defence security requirements.

The Albanese Government is providing a further $10 million to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund to help keep lights on, homes heated and essential services operating as Russia continues systematic strikes on civilian areas and critical energy infrastructure.

Across Ukraine, families are enduring prolonged blackouts, freezing temperatures and major disruptions to basic services including hospitals as Russia intensifies attacks during one of Ukraine’s harshest winters.

Australia has stood firmly with Ukraine since Russia’s illegal and full-scale invasion.

Since February 2022, we have provided more than $1.7 billion in important military, humanitarian, economic and energy assistance.

Today’s announcement brings Australia’s total contribution to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund to $40 million.

The Ukraine Energy Support Fund enables Ukraine’s energy sector to undertake urgent repairs and replacement of damaged equipment, helping restore electricity supply and maintain critical infrastructure.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong:

“Russia is weaponising winter against the people of Ukraine.

“Russia’s continued strikes on homes and critical infrastructure shows it is not serious about ending the war, despite ongoing efforts by the United States and Coalition of the Willing partners to secure a just and lasting peace.

“We reiterate our call on Russia to immediately end its illegal war and adhere to its obligations under international law.”

International Development Minister Anne Aly:

“Ukrainian people continue to suffer at the hands of Russia’s illegal invasion.

“Australia’s additional support will provide power for Ukrainian families during the harshest winter since the invasion began – keeping the lights on, houses warm and basic services open.

“We continue to stand with Ukraine as it defends its sovereignty.”

Australia’s most unfair tax break is finally getting the scrutiny it deserves.

Across the country, people are working harder than ever and still falling behind. Rents keep rising, first-home buyers are locked out, and the cost of living eats away at any chance to get ahead. Meanwhile, big corporations and wealthy investors continue to do extraordinarily well, protected by tax settings that reward wealth over work.

Over the next month, a Greens-led Senate inquiry will hear evidence on the capital gains tax discount. For a Government that says it wants a fair go for working people and to tackle intergenerational inequality, this inquiry offers something rare in politics: a clear, responsible pathway to act.

The question is no longer whether the CGT discount is a problem, it’s whether the government chooses to do anything about it.

The discount is a textbook example of a system tilted toward the ultra-wealthy. It rewards speculation over work, and entrenches advantage for those who already own assets.

A worker earning their income through wages can pay roughly twice the tax of someone making the same amount through capital gains. Younger Australians face higher housing costs and heavier tax burdens, while wealth continues to accumulate at the top.
That outcome runs directly counter to Labor’s stated values.

The government’s own data shows how the benefits overwhelmingly favour older and wealthier Australians. An eye-watering 54% of the benefit flows to the top one per cent of income earners, and 75% of the benefit goes to people over 50. In the last year alone, $12.7 billion was handed to those already at the top. This is not a tax break that supports everyday Australians. It overwhelmingly favours the wealthiest and the oldest, while younger and poorer Australians receive next to nothing.

Labor cannot credibly say there is no money to help renters, ease cost-of-living pressures or invest in essential services, while continuing to hand out billions each year in tax breaks to wealthy property investors. Those two positions cannot sit together. 

Housing is where the damage is most visible. The capital gains tax discount pushes investor demand into existing homes, driving up prices and crowding out first home buyers. Around 92% of investor lending goes to existing housing rather than new supply. Winding back this concession would ease speculative pressure and give renters and first home buyers a fairer chance, without removing a single home from the market.

This issue goes to the heart of who the economy is designed to serve. 

Right now, the system makes it easier to buy a fifth property than a first. Renters are expected to absorb unlimited rent increases while property speculators receive generous tax concessions. That imbalance is not inevitable. It is the result of political choices.

Importantly, this is not uncharted territory. 

Reforming the capital gains tax discount is not untested or extreme. 

Economists from across the spectrum, former treasurers, banks and unions have all argued the current settings are too generous. Some support a return to inflation-adjusted capital gains. Others back a reduced discount. The common ground is clear. It’s time for change.

That is why this inquiry matters. We will use it to build the pressure needed to move Labor’s position. As the hearings unfold, the path forward will become increasingly obvious.

If Labor is serious about fairness, intergenerational equity and fixing the housing crisis, reforming the capital gains tax discount is not a radical shift.

This inquiry exists to put the evidence on the record and force an honest reckoning with the most unfair tax break in the country.

Today the focus must be on Jewish Australians, indeed all Australians, as we mourn the victims of the Bondi terrorist attack.

This is a National Day of Mourning and my responsibility as Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Liberal Party is to Australians in mourning.

I have grieved with the Bondi Chabad community and stood with them in their synagogues, their homes and at many funerals. I will again stand with them tonight at the Opera House, as we make clear that ‘Light Will Win’.

Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon has issued a 14-day extension of the Public Assembly Restriction Declaration (PARD) but committed to ensuring Invasion Day rallies on 26 January can proceed.

Greens MP Sue Higginson had written to the Police Commissioner urging him to facilitate a peaceful march through central Sydney on 26 January despite the inability for a form 1 protest authorisation.

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

“Street marches are an accepted and anticipated part of Invasion Day rallies which have taken place on 26 January for nearly a century. It’s clear the Commissioner has recognised this and rightly bent to the will of the people,

“Last Sunday I attended the rally against Blak Deaths in Custody which occurred under these restrictions in Hyde Park and I was utterly astounded at the wasteful number of police in attendance. The number of police required to prevent a peaceful street march on Sunday far exceeded the number of police that would be required to facilitate a peaceful march through the streets, I certainly hope police have woken up to the absurdity of these broken laws,

“At Sunday’s rally hundreds of people declared that they will march on Invasion Day, restrictions or not. It’s frankly a relief to see the police have chosen to accept that the people have the right to assemble and the absolute will to march for First Nations justice,”

“Australians care deeply about First Nations justice, gathering and marching this Invasion Day has never been more urgent. 2025 saw record rates of First Nations Deaths in Custody and more First Nations kids locked up than ever before. The fact is we are not closing the gap, under the Minns Labor Government the gap is widening,

“We still need to question why these restrictions are in place, it seems fairly obvious they have been extended to try to continue to capture the pro Palestine protest movement and in particular any protest against the Israeli President’s apparent visit in early February,

“It’s downright frightening that Labor Premier Chris Minns, who is shamelessly pro-Israel, has given himself the tools to try and silence dissent against the Israeli Government. That is how authoritarian regimes operate, not democracies,” Ms Higginson said.

In a week dominated by controversial hate speech laws there’s been one piece of genuinely good news that deserves to be celebrated: the Greens working with gun safety advocates have secured a commitment from the Government to establish a National Firearms Safety Council. This is an historic win for evidence-based firearms policy that might otherwise have been lost in the headlines.

The commitment was communicated by Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke to the Leader of the Australian Greens Senator Larissa Waters. The Greens will work with the Government to ensure the composition of the board meets community expectations. 

We thank the Australian Gun Safety Alliance, the Alannah and Madeline Foundation, Gun Control Australia and the Public Health Association of Australia for their continued advocacy and work calling for a National Firearms Safety Council. 

Greens Senator and Justice Spokesperson David Shoebridge said: 

“The passage of the new firearms laws this week includes several crucial gun safety measures that advocates have campaigned for over many years, and we have now also secured a commitment from the Government for a National Firearms Safety Council. 

“The Council will provide evidence-based oversight to ensure firearm laws consistently prioritise public safety across Australia which is exactly what the Greens and advocates have been calling for. 

“A Firearms Safety Council is an important future-proofing of our new gun laws against politically motivated deals struck by politicians to weaken laws and harm community safety. 

“We also know that as technology advances and data is more deeply understood, that there will be future changes to gun laws we can and should make and having a body focused on public safety advising the government on this will be critical. 

“This is in addition to the National Gun Buyback which we know from the 1996 National Firearms Agreement is an important way to reduce the number of high risk firearms in circulation. 

“Likewise these new laws have strengthened background checks based on strong intelligence sharing and will meaningfully contribute to community safety.  

“This achievement came from listening to gun control advocates, survivor groups, and our community who care deeply about community safety.

“The Bondi massacre exposed dangerous flaws in our national firearms laws that the Greens have been highlighting for many years including the proliferation of private arsenals in suburban homes. (See our website www.toomanyguns.org) 

“We’re not America and in Australia there is no right to have a gun, owning a gun is a privilege not a right, and the community expects our laws to be based on careful regulation for public safety. 

“Now we need state and territory governments to follow through with restrictions on firearms capable of mass shootings through a new National Firearms Agreement and take steps to do their part on gun buybacks. 

“We have worked with gun control advocates including survivors of gun violence for many years and this is a much deserved win for them and the community.” 

The Central West Greens were joined by Greens NSW MP and spokesperson for Animal Welfare, Abigail Boyd, to add the Greens’ endorsement and support to the community campaign opposing the proposed Orange greyhound racing complex, and explain the Greens’ statewide plan to phase out greyhound racing across NSW.

The Greens spoke to media following a community workshop organised by a coalition of concerned residents and advocates regarding the details of the Development Application (DA) for a greyhound racing complex to be located at 32 Perc Griffith Way, Orange. The DA is currently being considered by Orange City Council and proposes to reconfigure the old unused harness racing track into a greyhound racing track, clubhouse, over a hundred greyhound kennels and a 123 space car park and 16 space car-and-trailer parking area.

Greens NSW MP and Spokesperson for Animal Welfare Abigail Boyd:

“The community here in Orange has made it clear they don’t want this socially irresponsible development of a proposed greyhound track, whose plans and community impacts keep morphing and changing but stubbornly refuse to stack up.

“Since GBOTA first announced plans to build a new mega greyhound facility in Orange – at the time touted as a so-called “Centre of Excellence” – the Orange community has loudly and consistently voiced objection to this misuse of public land which has already been earmarked as an ideal area for housing and residential growth.

“The Greens oppose the expansion of the greyhound racing industry in NSW. The people in Orange and surrounding areas deserve so much better than being lumped with a track that will be used to exploit greyhounds, welcome increased gambling and its associated social harms into the local community, and prop up an industry that should have been shut down years ago.

“In the decade since it was almost shut down, the greyhound racing industry has shown that it is incapable of reform, with dog injury and death rates higher than ever. The recent report from Commissioner Drake was scathing, and yet here we are with the greyhound racing industry continuing as if it hadn’t lost its social licence years ago.

“For so long as this cruel gambling-fuelled industry is allowed to continue, where the objective of making money overrides all concerns for animal welfare, we will continue to see unacceptable animal abuse.

“Greyhound racing has had its second chance. Despite the hundreds of millions of dollars in public money it has been handed, dogs are still dying at the hands of this industry. It’s time to shut greyhound racing down for good, not continue to open more unwelcome tracks.”

Greens Orange City Councillor David Mallard:

“The proposal to bring greyhound racing to Orange should be rejected by our community and by Orange City Council. The site proposed for the greyhound track was identified in our 2022 Local Housing Strategy as a potential residential growth area. With the upcoming Redleaf development on Council land nearby the land has a much greater value to our community as a future stage in delivering new homes, including affordable housing.

“Now that concrete plans for the proposed development have been submitted, it’s clear that the claimed social and economic benefits of the track to the community and region were massively overblown. And the proposed track won’t deliver a so-called ‘Centre of Excellence’ that prevents the harms and risks associated with the existing greyhound industry – in fact, it would barely meet the minimum standards set for the industry.

“I’ve argued from the outset that the proposal to hand this site over to greyhound racing is against our community’s interest and that the arguments for bringing a track to Orange don’t stack up. Now that the Development Application is under consideration, I encourage community members to engage with the proposal and voice their concerns about the problems with the plans to give the greyhound industry a track in our city.”

A new generation, Gen X, has taken over as Australia’s richest property owners, thanks to boomers downsizing and ‘passing on the baton’. Meanwhile, house prices in all capital cities, apart from Canberra, are now at their highest-ever levels according to new data, with six capitals now in the ‘million-dollar club’.

The Greens say this is yet further proof of a housing crisis that’s spiralling out of control.  Labor must wind back tax breaks for property investors, or younger first home buyers will continue to be locked out as housing inequality worsens. 

Australian Greens spokesperson for finance, housing and homelessness Senator Barbara Pocock:

“We don’t have a functioning housing system in Australia; we have a generational lottery, where young people are faced with a lifetime of renting, precarious leases, and a housing market rigged against them. Housing should not be an intergenerational tug-of-war.

“Australia’s housing system is rigged for the wealthy; it’s a system designed to drive up the cost of housing, generating enormous wealth for the few while increasing rents for the many who haven’t won the generational lottery. Instead of everyone having a roof over their head, houses have become an investment asset class – which fuels intergenerational inequality. 

“Massive tax breaks for wealthy property investors are cooking our housing system. Negative gearing and capital gains tax discounts let cashed-up investors outbid everyday Australians — and young people, single people, low income workers are the ones paying the price.

“This is why the Greens have secured a Senate inquiry into intergenerational housing inequality. The Greens’ inquiry will interrogate the full scope of Australia’s intergenerational housing inequality, including the $181b tax breaks for wealthy investors that are locking out first home buyers, as well as the political barriers to reform. 

“We know tax breaks for wealthy property investors are a key driver of the housing crisis and intergenerational inequality but Labor refuses to act. This government has an opportunity to fix the housing crisis — but if they keep dodging real reform, they’ll lock a whole generation out of ever owning a home.”

Australians deserve moral clarity when confronting antisemitism, hate and extremism, and the Albanese Government has failed to provide it. Instead of careful, considered lawmaking, it put forward deeply flawed legislation.

The Coalition engaged constructively and in good faith. The Shadow Cabinet met on Sunday night, examined the legislation, and unanimously agreed on a clear path forward in the national interest.

The unanimous Shadow Cabinet decision was to negotiate specific fixes with the government and having secured those amendments, members of the Shadow Cabinet were bound not to vote against the legislation. 

Those fixes narrowed the scope of the bill, to ensure Islamist extremists could be more easily deported and neo Nazi groups readily disbanded.

I acknowledge this was a difficult issue for the Nationals’ party room and that they had three different positions across both houses of the Parliament. Some members voted against the legislation, another voted for it and several took a deliberate decision to abstain.

When the Coalition reformed in May last year, the foundational principle underpinning that agreement was a commitment to Shadow Cabinet solidarity.

Yesterday, in several conversations, I made it clear to David Littleproud that members of the Shadow Cabinet could not vote against the Shadow Cabinet position. The Shadow Cabinet was unanimous in its endorsement to support this Bill subject to several amendments that we did then secure. This has been acknowledged by Nationals’ Senators this morning.

Last night, three Nationals senators were unable to maintain that Shadow Cabinet solidarity. This is an unfortunate circumstance and one that requires action. I thank David for understanding this.

Senator Bridget McKenzie, Senator Susan McDonald and Senator Ross Cadell have each offered their resignations from the Shadow Cabinet, as is appropriate, and I have accepted them.

All three Senators have written to me confirming that they “remain ready to continue serving the Coalition in whatever capacity you consider appropriate…”

I have asked each to continue serving in our Coalition team, across their various parliamentary and committee duties, but from outside the Shadow Cabinet.

I have also asked the Leader of the Nationals to provide three new nominees for appointment to the Shadow Cabinet and I await his advice.

Maintaining a strong and functioning Coalition is in the national interest. The Coalition exists to serve the Australian people. But Shadow Cabinet solidarity is not optional. It is the foundation of serious opposition and credible government.

I am proud of the Liberal Party I lead and my Shadow Cabinet team. We took a decision, in the national interest, to step up and fix legislation that the Albanese Government badly mishandled.

The Liberal Party will always strongly defend freedom of thought, freedom of worship and freedom of speech.