Category: Australian News

This week, the Australian Government welcomed the historic visit of the President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), H.E. Dr Hilda Heine and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Hon Kalani Kaneko.

The visit marks the first official bilateral visit to Australia by an RMI President in more than three decades. President Heine and Minister Kaneko engaged in fruitful discussions with Australia’s Governor General, Prime Minister and key cabinet ministers that underlined the strong ties and strategic alignment between Australia and RMI, committed to working together on shared priorities.

During the visit, President Heine witnessed Foreign Ministers Wong and Kaneko sign a letter of intent for Australia’s support for RMI’s new Resilience and Adaptation Trust Fund. The Fund will provide long-term financing for RMI to strengthen its climate change resilience, adaptation and mitigation.

The Australian Government, in partnership with UNICEF Australia, will also deliver clean solar and battery energy systems for 19 remote primary schools across RMI where teachers and students currently lack access to basic electricity in classrooms. This will be RMI’s first project with the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific.

The Australian Government will also support Women United Together Marshall Islands, a women’s rights organisation that supports the empowerment, advancement and protection of women and their families.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong:

“The visit of President Heine and Foreign Minister Kaneka demonstrates the deepening ties between the Republic of the Marshall Islands and Australia, building upon our longstanding cooperation in climate and oceans, development and security.

“Pacific nations, including the Republic of the Marshall Islands, are at the front line of the effects of climate change, but have contributed the least to it.

“Our region is stronger together – Australia and the Marshall Islands have a joint commitment to a peaceful, stable and prosperous region.”

Minister for Pacific Island Affairs Pat Conroy:

“Australia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands share a deep connection – Australia was the second country to recognise the Marshall Islands, almost 40 years ago.

“Together, with the Pacific family, we are committed to a stronger region where we can make our own decisions as strong, sovereign nations.”

Today’s interest rate rise means millions of Australians will be punished to clean up Labor’s inflation mess, driven by an overheated housing market the government refuses to fix, the Greens say.

“Renters and mortgage holders are getting smashed by the RBA, but it’s Labor’s failure on inflation that is responsible,” Greens Economic Justice spokesperson Senator Nick McKim said.

“Today’s interest rate rise is pure profit for the big banks, while mortgage holders and renters are being pushed deeper into pain.”

“Labor has chosen to protect billions in tax handouts for property speculators instead of helping renters and first home buyers.”

“Those settings drive up house prices, push up rents, and keep inflation high.”

“As a result of today’s rate rise, more of people’s pay packets will now flow straight into bank profits and landlord pockets.”

“This outcome was avoidable if Labor had acted to rein in investor tax breaks, including the capital gains tax discount.

“Australians should not be paying more every month because the government keeps siding with banks and big investors.”

Millions of Australian mortgage holders have been hit with another crushing blow today, as the Reserve Bank raised interest rates for the thirteenth time under Labor’s cost-of-living crisis.

For families already stretched to breaking point, this rate rise is devastating news delivered straight to their mortgage statement. The average mortgage holder is now paying more than $23,000 a year in interest than when Labor was elected.

This comes on top of soaring grocery bills, higher power prices, rising insurance premiums and rents that keep climbing.

This rate rise is not an accident. It is the direct consequence of Labor’s addiction to spending, which has kept inflation higher for longer and left the RBA with no choice but to keep tightening.

That assessment is backed by Australia’s leading economists.

AMP’s chief economist Shane Oliver has been clear: “The best thing that Australian governments can do to help bring down inflation would be to cut government spending back to more normal levels.”

IFM Investors’ chief economist Alex Joiner has warned that “the fiscal guard rails have come off”.

In the current financial year alone, Labor has added an additional $50 billion of new spending decisions – almost the value of the entire national defence budget.

Australians are now paying the price for Labor’s choices. In higher mortgage rates, but also lower real wages and rising tax bills.

Australian mortgage holders are being punished because the Government won’t show the discipline that families themselves have been forced to show.

When the RBA raises rates, it pulls money out of the economy to slow inflation. When the Government ramps up spending, it pushes money back in, forcing rates higher for longer.

In a stark indictment of the Government’s economic mismanagement, the decision to raise rates was unanimous. The entire RBA Monetary Policy Board has voted to hit the brakes, while the Treasurer keeps his foot flat on the accelerator with his reckless spending.

As part of its decision today the RBA also significantly upgraded its inflation forecasts and now expects inflation to remain above its target for at least another two and a half years.

It also expects that real wages will continue to fall for the remainder of the year, and that even slower economic growth and higher unemployment will result from rising interest rates.

This is Labor’s cost of living crisis. When Labor spends, Australians pay.

The Australian Government is today imposing further targeted financial sanctions on Iran in response to the regime’s horrific use of violence against its own people.

Since 28 December 2025, the regime has massacred thousands of Iranians while attacking and arresting many thousands more for participating in peaceful protest.

The regime has imposed nationwide internet and telecommunications blackouts in an attempt to conceal the scale of its brutality.

The 20 individuals and 3 entities sanctioned today include senior officials and entities of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) who are complicit in oppressing the Iranian people, violently suppressing domestic protests, and threatening lives both inside and outside Iran.

This announcement builds on the Australian Government’s listing of the IRGC as a state sponsor of terrorism and our comprehensive framework of sanctions against Iran.

Today’s action underscores our commitment to standing with the people of Iran alongside international partners against the Iranian regime’s egregious campaign of oppression and destabilisation.

The Albanese Government has now sanctioned more than 200 Iranian individuals and entities and more than 100 IRGC-linked individuals and entities.

For further information on Australia’s sanctions settings, please visit the Australia and sanctions page on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website.

Today I announce the recipients of the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations 2025-26 grants round and new appointments to the Foundation’s Advisory Board.

This year, the Foundation will provide grants that support cooperation and engagement between the people of Australia and China. These projects contribute to the ongoing stabilisation of our bilateral relationship. They will support risk-informed engagement with China while strengthening our China capability at home and building meaningful engagement with Chinese-Australian communities.

The funded initiatives span a range of priorities, including:

• Advancing cooperation with China in the priority areas of climate change, steel decarbonisation and sustainable agriculture
• Expanding the scope and depth of dialogues by supporting new initiatives focused on foreign, economic and trade policy
• Building Australia’s long-term China capabilities, through programs that invest in China literacy, research and expertise
• Empowering Chinese-Australian communities, including through programs that foster civic understanding and leadership
• Supporting Chinese international students, recognising their importance to Australia’s education sector and long-term people-to-people ties
• Drawing on arts, culture and sport to build mutual understanding, promote Australia in China, and strengthen people-to-people ties.

There are three new appointments to the Advisory Board of the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations.

I am pleased to appoint the Hon Mr Simon Birmingham, CEO of the Australian Banking Association; Mr Clinton Dines, Non-Executive Director and Adjunct Professor at Griffith University Asia Institute; and Dr Darren Lim, Senior Lecturer at the Australian National University, to the Advisory Board.

Together, they bring deep expertise spanning trade and foreign policy, business and research.

The Advisory Board helps guide the Foundation in its work to promote and coordinate enhanced cooperation between Australia and China, in support of Australia’s national interest.

I thank outgoing Advisory Board members Mr Douglas Gautier AM, Dr Wesa Chau and Mr Rowan Callick OBE for their valuable service and contributions.

Through these grants and appointments, the Foundation will continue to strengthen engagement with China in Australia’s interest. More information is available at: National Foundation for Australia-China Relations website.

On 20 January, Israel demolished the East Jerusalem headquarters of UNRWA, and 11 countries including UK, Canada and France have signed a joint statement condemning Israel for this action. The Albanese government has declined to sign up to this international statement.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Deputy Leader of the Greens and spokesperson for International Aid and Global Justice: 

“Labor’s refusal to join even Canada, the UK and France to condemn Israel for demolishing UNRWA headquarters in East Jerusalem shows Minister Wong has completely given up the pretense of caring about aid to Palestinians.

“Silence on Israel’s bulldozing of UNRWA headquarters was bad enough, but not even having the moral fortitude to join like-minded nations to condemn them is yet another low for the Albanese Labor government. Though, what else can you expect from a divisive government who is laying out a welcome mat for the president of a state committing genocide and who still hasn’t torn up Trump’s invitation to join the farcical and imperial so-called ‘board of peace’?

“At a time where UNWRA and aid is needed the most, this is just going to further fast-track Israel’s genocide and erasure of Palestinians who are already facing starvation, bombing and murder even during a ceasefi

Australians are bracing for another interest rate rise because Labor has turbo-charged the housing crisis and refused to tackle corporate price gouging, the Greens say.

With the RBA likely to raise rates this week, the Greens argue that millions of people will face an interest rate rise because the government has not tackled two major causes of inflation, spiraling housing costs and corporate profiteering.

Sen. Larissa Waters, Leader of the Australian Greens said:

“If you’re a mortgage holder or a renter, you face being hit by the RBA to “fix” the government’s “inflation problem”.

“Anyone with a mortgage will be giving more per month to the big banks. Renters are going to cop it as it will trickle down into unfair rent rises. That leaves you with less money to spend on food, or the things you enjoy.

“It’s hard enough right now to get ahead, you shouldn’t be doing it harder. It shouldn’t be on you.

“This is about choices. The government’s priorities mean that you are copping the pain while banks, energy companies and property investors keep winning.

“If they’d taken them on, you wouldn’t be getting a rate rise.”

Sen. Nick McKim, Greens Economic Justice spokesperson said:

“Labor has chosen to leave inflation to the Reserve Bank instead of tackling some of the causes of rising prices – skyrocketing housing costs and corporate price gouging.

“If the Reserve Bank increases interest rates the Treasurer will wring his hands and pretend he shares peoples’ pain when in reality he is responsible for increasing pressure on the RBA to raise.

“If you have a mortgage you are going to feel the pain, while the big banks keep winning. If you’re renting, higher interest rates will flow straight into rent increases.

“Labor pretends this is out of their control. It isn’t. This is about political choices, and Labor has chosen to protect corporate profits while ordinary people wear the pain.

“Big corporations are driving up prices and making massive profits, and Labor refuses to make price gouging illegal across the economy.

“At the same time, Labor is handing out around $180 billion in investor tax breaks that push up house prices and rents.

“The big winners from rising interest rates are the big banks, which already make around $200,000 in profit on the average mortgage.

“Energy giants like AGL and Origin are also cashing in, with around a third of people’s power bills going straight to profit.

“We need to make corporate price gouging illegal, and we need to end tax breaks that help wealthy investors hoard housing.

“People deserve a government that fights for them, not one that leaves inflation to the RBA while protecting big banks and corporations.”

Sen. Barbara Pocock, Greens Finance, Housing and Homelessness spokesperson said:

“In the midst of a housing crisis, families across Australia are holding their breath in anticipation of another interest rate rise. Millions of people are already in mortgage stress, already hurting in a cost of living crisis.

“Australia’s inflation problem is being driven largely by rising house prices, caused by Labor’s failed housing policies.

“$181 billion worth of investor tax handouts are driving up the cost of housing. Investor lending is running hot and now economy wide inflation is in resurgence.

“Labor’s 5% deposit scheme, combined with their massive subsidies for property investors are spiking housing costs, which is the biggest driver of inflation.

“It’s clear that Labor cares more about investors with dozens of properties than it does about renters, first home buyers and homeless people.

‘The Albanese government must urgently slow housing inflation. Labor needs to stop treating housing like a game of monopoly. It needs to scrap the tax breaks for wealthy property investors and directly build social and affordable houses.”

The latest update to the Australian Electoral Commission’s transparency register confirms that the major parties continue to take handouts from the same big corporations and dirty industries in exchange for access and influence.

Fossil fuel companies, gambling interests, pharmaceutical companies and the major banks and supermarkets continue to write cheques to Labor and the Liberals – while Australians pay the price with weak climate laws, stalled gambling reform, and rising cost of living pressures.

With analysis ongoing, some of the largest sources of funds for Labor from the 2024/25 data includes donations of $100,000 each from the Australian Hotels Association and the Pharmacy Guild, $82,000 from the Minerals Council of Australia, one of the country’s largest fossil fuel lobbies, $130,000 combined from gambling companies Sportsbet and Tabcorp, and hundreds of thousands from major fossil fuel companies like Santos, Chevron, Inpex and Woodside, and the peaks that represent them.  

Many of these payments are classified as “other receipts,” a vague category that can allow corporations to buy access to events and forums where they can directly influence politicians.

This week, the Greens intend to reintroduce legislation to ban donations from industries that profit at the expense of the public good.

Greens Democracy Spokesperson, Senator Steph Hodgins-May:

“Once again, we see Labor getting cosy with the big corporations that are ripping off everyday Australians.

“While households struggle with groceries and rent, Labor continues to take hundreds of thousands of dollars in dirty donations from the very companies causing the cost of living crisis. 

“Fossil fuel giants have bought their way into the heart of our government. It’s why Labor’s new nature laws ignore climate change — they’re protecting the billions they hand out to big polluters instead of protecting our planet.

“There’s massive public support for real gambling reform but instead of listening to the families being ripped apart by gambling harm, it spends its time banking cheques from multinationals like Sportsbet and Tabcorp.

“If there was any doubt that Labor answers to big corporations, this is the latest receipt. It shows they prioritise the interests of Woolworths, Woodside and Westpac over the needs of everyday families.

“We welcome better donation disclosure, but sunlight alone won’t stop these dirty deals. If we want a democracy that works for the people, we have to ban dirty donations altogether.

The Liberal Party today announced a comprehensive deregulation agenda to get Australia’s economy moving again, lift productivity, and reverse the decline in living standards under Labor.

At the heart of this agenda we will cut red tape so tradies, farmers and businesses can spend less time dealing with government and more time doing their job, saving time and saving money.

This will help small business and large businesses reduce compliance, and get government out of the way of enterprise by:

• Establishing a clear target to reduce the overall red tape burden
• Conducting the first comprehensive regulatory stocktake since 2014
• Cutting the existing stock of unnecessary and duplicative regulation
• Stopping the flow of new red tape through stronger regulatory discipline
• Introducing a national red tape tracker to improve transparency and accountability
• Using technology and AI to simplify compliance and reduce regulatory burden

After nearly four years of the Albanese Government, Australians are working harder but getting ahead less. 

Australia has experienced the largest decline in living standards in the developed world, while economic growth and productivity have stalled.

Since Labor came to office, GDP per capita has been flat or falling in 10 of the past 13 quarters, including no growth at all in the most recent quarter.

Productivity has gone backwards, falling by 0.8 per cent over the last year, undermining wages growth, business investment and long-term prosperity.

The Leader of the Opposition Sussan Ley said Australia is being weighed down by a growing web of red and green tape that is choking enterprise, investment and innovation.

“Australia cannot grow its way to higher wages and better living standards if productivity continues to fall,” the Leader of the Opposition said.

“Right now, our economy is being smothered by regulation with businesses spending more time filling out forms than investing, employing and growing.

“Labor’s answer to every problem is another rule, another process, another layer of bureaucracy and that approach is failing.”

Research shows the cost of complying with federal regulation has risen to around $160 billion, equivalent to 5.8 per cent of GDP, up sharply over the past decade. 

Since coming to office, Labor has introduced thousands of new regulations and hundreds of new laws, adding billions of dollars in compliance costs to the economy 

Under Labor, Australia’s global competitiveness has slipped, productivity growth has declined, and living standards have gone backwards. 

Small businesses, farmers, tradies and manufacturers are on the front line of this failure.

The Liberal Party’s deregulation agenda is focused on one clear goal: getting the economy moving again by lifting productivity and restoring confidence to invest and grow.

Today, the Liberal Party is releasing a discussion paper outlining a practical plan to cut red tape and reboot Australian enterprise.

Shadow Minister for Productivity and Deregulation Senator Andrew Bragg said deregulation is not about lowering standards, but about ensuring rules are fit for purpose and work for Australians.

“Good regulation protects the public interest while bad regulation crushes initiative and holds the country back,” Senator Bragg said.

“Australia’s economic recovery will not come from Canberra writing more rules. 

“It will come from backing Australians to take risks, start businesses, build homes and create jobs.

“We cannot lift wages, restore living standards or strengthen the budget unless we fix productivity and we cannot fix productivity unless we cut red tape.”

The Liberal Party is inviting businesses, industry groups and the broader community to make submissions on where red tape is doing the most damage and how it can be cut, streamlined or modernised 

The Liberal Party’s door is open to businesses, industry groups and the broader community to contribute practical ideas and real-world examples from those who deal with regulation every day and understand where the system is broken.

This agenda is about restoring economic momentum, rebuilding confidence and getting Australia moving again.

Today marks five years since the Myanmar military overthrew the democratically elected government. Since 1 February 2021, the people of Myanmar have endured escalating violence, widespread human rights violations and severe humanitarian suffering.

This crisis, caused by the coup, continues unabated. In 2026, an estimated 16.2 million people will require lifesaving humanitarian assistance, and over 3.6 million people are internally displaced due to ongoing conflict. The economy has contracted significantly, and transnational and serious organised crime has flourished, threatening regional stability.

Recent regime elections were held amid ongoing violence and repression, and without meaningful participation from opposition parties. They did not meet the conditions for free, fair and inclusive elections.

Australia has consistently condemned the regime’s brutal and ongoing atrocities against the people of Myanmar, and we will continue to judge the Myanmar military by its actions. We continue to support ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus as the framework for addressing the situation in Myanmar and urge for its full implementation.

We look to the incoming Myanmar authorities to put in place measures that reflect the Five-Point Consensus, including the cessation of violence against civilians; safe and unhindered access to humanitarian support, without discrimination, for all those in need; and a commitment to genuine and inclusive dialogue amongst all stakeholders. We continue to call for the release of all those unjustly detained.

Australia is ready to support genuine efforts to alleviate humanitarian suffering, improve economic and social conditions and advance a sustainable resolution to the ongoing crisis.

We stand with the people of Myanmar, and share their ambitions for a better future.