PM: Australia’s place on Gaza unchanged in wake of Trump feedback
We’ve moved away from well being, and Anthony Albanese is instantly requested about Donald Trump’s assertion that the US would take over and personal the Gaza Strip.
Albanese says he doesn’t do “working commentary” and continues to assist a two-state resolution within the Center East.
Australia’s place is identical because it was this morning, because it was final yr and it was 10 years in the past and it was below the Howard authorities.
One other reporter tries to attract him out additional on Trump’s feedback however Albanese doesn’t need to chunk.
He additionally asks whether or not the federal government is contemplating obligatory minimal sentences for terrorism offences. Albanese says:
On the problem of antisemitism, we now have a really clear place. I need to see people who find themselves perpetrators of … [these] crimes hunted down, put within the clink and handled. We’ll present the authorities the entire sources to take action.
Key occasions
Tributes paid to former Liberal politician Anthony Messner
Earlier than questions start, the leaders are paying tribute to former Liberal Senator Anthony Messner, who handed away on 11 October final yr.
Anthony Albanese says Messner was revered by “all in the home”.
From the second he was elected as a Senator for South Australia within the double dissolution election of 1975, Tony Messner was considered an individual of conviction.
We honour his contribution to our parliament and to our nation and we provide our sympathies to his family members, buddies and colleagues. Might he relaxation in peace.
Peter Dutton stands up subsequent and says Messner “championed” small enterprise.
Not solely did the previous banker and chartered accountant perceive small enterprise however the brand new senator noticed it as his responsibility to champion small enterprise.
The politicians are rapidly strolling into the home and Senate now for query time. Let’s see what number of occasions lunch is talked about at the moment.
Queensland authorities working to safe provides for flood-hit areas – minister
Emergency administration minister Jenny McAllister did a press convention a little bit earlier from north Queensland with an replace on the floods.
She mentioned she was working with the state, emergency companies and volunteers supporting the area.
The federal government has introduced monetary assist for households in impacted areas, however there are additionally issues round guaranteeing residents caught in flood waters or round them are capable of get entry to meals and important provides. McAllister mentioned:
At the moment our authorities is convening a gathering of the important thing personal sector within the meals provide chain so we are able to begin exploring with them steps that must be taken to safe provides into Queensland and much north Queensland.
Australia ‘shall be constant’ on Gaza – PM
Albanese is requested once more on Trump’s feedback, and whether or not Australia can be ready to ship Australian defence personnel into Gaza.
The prime minister reiterates Australia’s diplomatic place hasn’t modified.
In the case of our place, we now have not acquired any request relating to the rebuilding of Gaza. What we now have mentioned, although – clearly, we’ve supported a ceasefire. We’ve supported hostages being launched. And we’ve supported help stepping into Gaza. There’s a want to try this, and Australia is prepared to help getting help into Gaza to offer that assist. Now we have achieved so. That’s per what Australian governments have at all times achieved, which is to offer assist.
There are extra questions right here on whether or not the federal government needs to be calling out Trump’s assertion. Albanese says the federal government shall be constant.
We shall be constant, as we’re. I’ve additionally mentioned that I’m not going to, as Australia’s prime minister, give a every day commentary on statements by the US president. My job is to assist Australia’s place.
PM: Australia’s place on Gaza unchanged in wake of Trump feedback
We’ve moved away from well being, and Anthony Albanese is instantly requested about Donald Trump’s assertion that the US would take over and personal the Gaza Strip.
Albanese says he doesn’t do “working commentary” and continues to assist a two-state resolution within the Center East.
Australia’s place is identical because it was this morning, because it was final yr and it was 10 years in the past and it was below the Howard authorities.
One other reporter tries to attract him out additional on Trump’s feedback however Albanese doesn’t need to chunk.
He additionally asks whether or not the federal government is contemplating obligatory minimal sentences for terrorism offences. Albanese says:
On the problem of antisemitism, we now have a really clear place. I need to see people who find themselves perpetrators of … [these] crimes hunted down, put within the clink and handled. We’ll present the authorities the entire sources to take action.
Federal funding progress caps ‘encourage environment friendly supply’ of hospital companies: Butler
NSW has additionally been coping with resignations of its psychiatrists in public hospitals. Butler reiterates his issues {that a} mass resignation can be “catastrophic”.
Encouraging all events to get again to the desk and attempt to resolve this – but additionally, on the identical time, voicing my huge admiration for the work of public psychiatrists. This is among the hardest jobs within the well being system that we now have.
He’s then requested whether or not there’s a danger the federal authorities must entrance up extra cash, as credit score rankings businesses threaten to downgrade states.
A tenet of our hospital funding agreements, going again to the settlement struck by prime minister [Julia] Gillard, has been funding progress caps that the commonwealth insists on. So that offers us management by way of our fiscal publicity, but additionally ensures that there’s a lever there to encourage environment friendly supply of public hospital companies by states.
‘Constructive engagement’ from states and territories on incapacity companies
Requested in regards to the disability services known as foundational supports which the commonwealth has been engaged on with the states and territories, Anthony Albanese says there was “actually constructive engagement” on the reforms.
This settlement – to place it in actual greenback phrases of what it means – commonwealth funding, the present monetary yr, is $30.19bn to the states. Subsequent yr, it will likely be $33.91bn.
Albanese emphasises all jurisdictions are engaged on the foundational helps.
Mark Butler provides to his reply:
The commonwealth’s very happy with progress on NDIS reform and likewise the event of foundational helps. However states and territories perceive that the conclusion of a five-year deal – which is what they’re after and what was dedicated by the prime minister on the nationwide cupboard assembly in December 2023 – stays tied to that NDIS reform course of persevering with as it could.
Demand and strain on hospital system growing, well being minister says
The well being minister, Mark Butler, says it is a “landmark” deal between the commonwealth, states and territories.
He mentioned the hospital system was below very critical strain across the nation, notably because the inhabitants bought older.
Due to will increase in exercise and demand for public hospitals and really large will increase within the costs – largely resulting from wage strain within the public hospital system – below present preparations, the commonwealth share of public hospital funding is dropping, and with out intervention, would drop considerably beneath 40% of the full hospital finances of our system.
He added the PM had dedicated to reaching a five-year deal for hospital funding with the states and territories, however wasn’t capable of conclude the deal in time:
Partially, as a result of I believe the WA authorities has now gone into caretaker [mode] and, in contrast to colleges funding preparations, we aren’t legislatively capable of do separate hospital funding agreements with separate jurisdictions. It’s an all-in association.
PM says $1.7bn Medicare enhance will enhance federal funding for hospitals by 12%
States have been calling on the commonwealth to extend their share of public hospital funding.
That’s additionally come below strain extra lately, after the federal authorities negotiated to place foundational helps on to the states to scale back a few of the federal funding burden on the NDIS.
Albanese says the brand new settlement means a “double digit enhance in commonwealth funding” for public hospitals.
Beneath this new settlement, the commonwealth contribution to state-run hospitals will enhance by 12% to a document virtually $34bn in 2025-26. To provide you some thought of what which means, within the Northern Territory, it will get the biggest enhance – a 30% enhance on account of the truth that they want this funding.
Anthony Albanese declares a further $1.7bn in funding for public hospitals and well being companies.
This funding shall be delivered to states and territories to assist minimize ready lists, to scale back ready occasions in emergency rooms, and to handle ramping.
PM presents condolences to household and buddies of girl who died in Queensland floods
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is up, and begins providing his condolences on the 2 individuals who have died within the Queensland floods.
Honest condolences for the household and buddies of a lady who was discovered outdoors Ingham, 82 years of age. That is the second lack of life that we’ve seen within the Queensland floods. The Australian authorities continues to offer each assist potential.
The prime minister shall be standing up shortly in Canberra with the well being minister, Mark Butler.
We’ll have extra particulars on that quickly, earlier than we enter the slide down into query time.
Voters have decisions outdoors ‘uninspiring purple tie, blue tie’ system, Zoe Daniel says
The impartial MP Zoe Daniel is talking on the Nationwide Press Membership at the moment, on the position the rising crossbench has performed on this parliament.
Daniel says to voters there’s now a “alternative” that goes past the “uninspiring purple tie, blue tie” two-party system.
She says the crossbench have been instrumental in pushing the federal government to behave extra on local weather, playing, antisemitism and social media restrictions.
The group independents on the crossbench have turn out to be the literal and figurative backbone of the home. Now we have not been cowed by name-calling and mansplaining, by these heckling like schoolyard bullies in Query Time, nor by the outsized soiled techniques outdoors it. Now we have caught to our guarantees to our voters that we might hearken to our communities and do what was of their finest pursuits primarily based on the proof and one of the best outcomes for most individuals.
… Anybody who says what have you ever achieved, properly, how lengthy have you ever bought?
‘Not a coverage we’ve put ahead’: Leeser responds to Trump’s Gaza feedback

Sarah Basford Canales
Julian Leeser, the opposition’s assistant overseas affairs spokesperson, says the social gathering’s coverage on Gaza hasn’t modified after US president Donald Trump announced the US will “take over” the Gaza Strip and “stage” it.
Showing on Sky Information on Wednesday, Leeser mentioned the opposition’s coverage nonetheless finally backs a two-state resolution for Israelis and Palestinians however solely after hostages are returned and Palestinian authorities recognise Israel’s proper to exist.
When pressed on whether or not Leeser believed that place was now redundant if the US takes management of the strip, he mentioned:
Our coverage is – we observe that the president’s put this coverage ahead, nevertheless it’s not a coverage we’ve put ahead.
In a joint press conference with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump mentioned the “US will take over the Gaza Strip” and relocate Palestinians dwelling there to a “lovely space with properties and security … in order that they’ll stay out their lives in peace and concord”.

Jonathan Barrett
Mortgaged households document steepest dwelling price will increase
Employees skilled the steepest dwelling price will increase over the previous 12 months, whereas self-funded retirees recorded the smallest rises, in line with new inflation knowledge launched by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
The annualised knowledge for the December quarter is much like the ABS’s benchmark client value index, though it additionally calculates the price of mortgages on a family.
Given staff usually tend to have mortgages than different cohorts, their dwelling price will increase have been extra excessive in the course of the extended interval of elevated charges.
Employee households recorded a 4% enhance final yr, in line with the ABS’ chosen dwelling price indexes, launched at the moment.
“Essentially the most vital contributor to will increase in worker households’ dwelling prices was mortgage curiosity prices,” the ABS mentioned.
Mortgage curiosity prices rose resulting from increased mortgage debt ranges and the continued rollover of expired mounted charge to increased variable charge mortgages.
The official CPI was 2.5% for a similar interval.
Self-funded retiree households noticed prices rise by 2.5% in 2024, according to the benchmark CPI, with the will increase linked to cost rises for recreation and cultural actions.
Authorities-funded power rebates helped hold a lid on dwelling price will increase, with the cohort consisting of pensioners and authorities fee recipients recording a 2.8% rise.