Albanese trashes Taylor’s Midwinter Ball speech, saying ‘I wouldn’t mention last night’
The Liberal MP Ben Small is next and asks the most broad question he possibly can, about “Aussie legend” Joseph Dowd, who has spent more than $17,000 on billboards critical of the tax changes, and is spending another $16,000 to play the prime minister in a tennis match (an auction item from last night’s midwinter ball).
Small asks:
So when Joseph gets to the lodge, will the prime minister tell him why his word on negative gearing and capital gains taxes was broken, or will Joseph be served up, another Labor tax hike?
Anthony Albanese laughs as Milton Dick calls it a “very, very, very broad question” which is going to get a very broad answer. And a broad answer we get indeed.
The PM takes a stab at Angus Taylor’s speech from last night, which was meant to be off the record, but was reported – by others – to have not received many laughs.
If I was someone on that side, led by this leader of the opposition, I wouldn’t be mentioning last night. I would pretend it was all a bad dream!
I’m sure you were there, and many were, and we’re not supposed to talk about it, in spite of the fact he just came in and asked a question about it!
“You’re a bad dream mate,” quips Taylor in response.
The PM continues:
The leader of the opposition mentioned him in his speech, and he’s obviously a mate, and they think it’s very clever to do all this … But let me make this point as well – if it’s a choice between someone who’s in the sector somewhere and who’s got enough money to buy billboards and spend all this, or first–home buyers struggling to get into a home, I’m for the first–home buyers!
And let me tell you this – the more they go down this road, the more aces we will serve up.
“Game, set, match!” shouts a Labor MP.
Key events
What we learned today – Thursday 2 July
And with that, we’ll close the blog. As always, thanks for reading. We’ll be back tomorrow morning. Until then, here were today’s top stories:
Second man charged in relation to alleged failed people smuggling venture
The Australian federal police (AFP), the Queensland police service (QPS) and Australian Border Force (ABF) say they have jointly charged a second man in relation to a alleged failed people smuggling venture into Australia.
In a joint media release, the agencies said officers spoke with the 30-year-old Chinese man in a supermarket carpark in Weipa in far north Queensland on Thursday, following a report from the community about suspicious activity in the area.
They said they initially detained the man under the Migration Act and, meanwhile, arrested and charged a 34-year-old Taiwanese man over his alleged role in the venture, who remains before the courts.
After further inquiries, the agencies said they arrested the 30-year-old man today and charged him with one count of aggravated offence of people smuggling (involving at least five persons), contrary to section 233C(1) of the Migration Act 1958.
The maximum penalty for this offence is 20 years’ imprisonment.
The man is expected to appear before Cairns magistrates court on Friday.
The agencies say their investigation is ongoing ongoing.
KPMG Sydney office lockdown caused by threat from staff member, company says
Luca Ittimani
KPMG’s Sydney office was forced into lockdown yesterday after an employee made a threat and police were called in.
A KPMG spokesperson said the firm was told late Wednesday morning a staff member had made a threat and emergency response procedures were immediately implemented. They added:
We were advised around midday that the individual was under police care and updated staff that the potential threat had been resolved.
The incident, first reported by Instagram page the Aussie Corporate, saw KPMG staff alerted to an “external threat”, believed to be directed at the firm’s offices at International Towers, Barangaroo.
Guardian Australia understands the threat is not ongoing and the staff member was not in the office on Wednesday and has not returned. New South Wales police said officers attended a home at 11am yesterday after reports of concern for welfare and NSW Ambulance paramedics took a man to hospital for assessment.
Penry Buckley
Liberals suspended during ‘damaging’ NSW Icac investigation
Members of the NSW Liberal party named in allegations by the state’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) have been suspended during a public inquiry into allegations of corruption, the party has confirmed.
Yesterday, the NSW Liberal leader, Kellie Sloane, said the “serious allegations” should be thoroughly investigated, but wouldn’t comment further.
Sloane has confirmed she asked the NSW Liberal party to suspend members named in Icac’s allegations, and today the party confirmed that these suspensions had taken place in line with its processes.
The state opposition leader held a press conference today to respond to the allegations, conceding they were “a massive distraction and an incredible disappointment” in the lead-up to an election. She said:
I really don’t want to be standing here today dealing with it, but it’s important that I do, that I tell people what my values are, the values of my team are, and that is integrity, accountability.
Sloane said she did not know if current members of the state opposition would be adversely implicated in Icac’s hearings, but said she would request any further Liberal party members named in allegations by the watchdog be suspended.
She added:
I can only deal with what’s in front of me, and yesterday it was the individuals that were named in the press release from Icac, and I, honestly, have no more information other than that.
Catholic Schools NSW CEO steps aside following Icac allegations
Penry Buckley
The chief executive of the governing body for NSW’s 600 Catholic schools has stood aside following his naming in the announcement of a watchdog investigation into allegations of corruption in the state Liberal party.
As we reported yesterday, the Independent Commission against Corruption (Icac) has announced it will hold a wide-ranging public inquiry from 27 July into allegations, including that Liberal figures “solicited or accepted” illegal donations to recruit or renew members to the party – known as branch stacking.
As part of this Icac is investigating donations made by Catholic Schools NSW, allegedly arranged and approved by its CEO, Dallas McInerney.
On Thursday, Catholic Schools NSW confirmed McInerney would stand aside during hearings. It said:
The board has approved interim governance arrangements while this process is underway. As part of those arrangements, Mr Dallas McInerney will temporarily step aside from the exercise of his day-to-day responsibilities as Chief Executive Officer.
In a statement reported by the Sydney Morning Herald, McInerney said he had offered to stand aside “to allow the work of Catholic Schools NSW to continue its important mission” and that:
I was keen to privilege the work of Catholic Schools NSW before my own standing.
McInerney, a former member of the Liberal state executive, is a factional ally of the federal opposition leader, Angus Taylor, who is not accused of any wrongdoing. Yesterday, McInerney resigned from the board of the NSW Education Standards Authority. He has been contacted for comment.
Krishani Dhanji
That’s it from me for the fortnight, thanks so much for following along on the blog – there’s been plenty of action!
It might be a little quieter in Canberra (famous last words) for the next five weeks due to the winter break.
I’ll leave you with the wonderful Catie McLeod for the rest of the day’s news – take care.
Labor shuts down Coalition’s attempt to censure minister over Menzies comments
There was a bit of a scuffle in the house after question time, where Dan Tehan tried to suspend standing orders and censure the defence industry minister, Pat Conroy, over a quote at the National Press Club.
Tehan was visibly angry and called for Conroy to be censured for calling former prime minister Robert Menzies “a Nazi appeaser”.
This is an utter, utter disgrace.
Leader of the house, Tony Burke, immediately moved that Tehan “no longer be heard”, and to shut down Tehan’s motion.
Labor’s majority in the house means that the whole thing is dismissed.
TLDR: here’s what happened in question time
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There was a wider array of questions from the opposition today, starting with the government’s controversial aged care algorithm tool, to border control, to private health insurance.
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The final question from the opposition brought out a prime ministerial slap down of Angus Taylor’s Midwinter Ball speech, which was reported to be not very good (I couldn’t possibly comment).
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The Liberal MP Simon Kennedy was kicked out of the chamber for asking the PM whether he cares about the “suicide victims of problem gambling” in the middle of a dixer.
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Speaking of gambling, the independent MP Sophie Scamps asked the PM why he wasn’t going further on gambling reforms, accusing him of protecting gambling company profits.
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And the independent MP Monique Ryan asked the education minister if he would do something to fix job-ready graduates before 2028 – he called the scheme a “failure” but didn’t make any commitments for immediate action.
Sarah Basford Canales
APS pay bargaining period begins
Bargaining for common pay and conditions across the federal public service begins today more than three years after bureaucrats achieved an 11.2% pay rise offer over three years.
In a briefing earlier today, the government’s chief negotiator, Alison Stott, said she and her team expected a “large bargaining room, lots of unions, lots of employees, and lots of claims to consider” but did not yet reveal any starting position or offer.
Last time around, sector-wide bargaining was split into two broad categories to deal with the varying arrangements and roles across nearly 200,000 public servants over more than 100 departments and agencies. Part A of bargaining rounds deals with the common pay and conditions while part B deals with agency-specific offers.
The existing agreements are set to expire by the end of next February.
The public service minister, Katy Gallagher, said the process was about “delivering fair, consistent conditions for public servants while supporting a strong, capable and modern public service”.
This next round of bargaining is another opportunity to build on the progress already made, continue improving commonality in pay and conditions, and support the APS to be the model employer it should be.
Public servants do important work every day for the Australian community. The Albanese government will continue to engage constructively to support fair, practical and sustainable outcomes across the APS.
After a final dixer to the prime minister, Anthony Albanese calls time on the last QT of the fortnight.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2026/jul/02/australia-politics-live-defence-aukus-conroy-national-press-club-anthony-albanese-labor-question-time-angus-taylor-coalition-tax-reform-one-nation-pauline-hanson-ntwnfb
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