Albanese announces new ministry and Littleproud remains Nationals leader — as it happened
3h agoMon 12 May 2025 at 7:17am
We are ending our live coverage
3h agoMon 12 May 2025 at 7:07am
📹: This was a ‘bigger than expected reshuffle’ of the ministry
ABC’s national affairs correspondent Jane Norman says this was “probably a bigger than expected reshuffle from the prime minister”.
She broke down the PM’s ministry announcement earlier on News Channel.
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3h agoMon 12 May 2025 at 6:52am
Amelia Hamer concedes Kooyong
Liberal candidate for Kooyong Amelia Hamer has confirmed she has conceded to Monique Ryan.
In a post on Instagram, Hamer wrote: “This afternoon, I phoned Dr Monique Ryan to congratulate her on her reelection as the Member for Kooyong.”
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Earlier today, ABC’s chief elections analyst Antony Green said with at most 4,300 votes to be counted, Hamer will not be able to catch her, and projected the seat to Dr Ryan.
3h agoMon 12 May 2025 at 6:47am
Senator Dave Sharma remains tight-lipped on next Liberal leader
Liberal senator Dave Sharma has kept his cards close to his chest on who may lead the party.
Speaking to Afternoon Briefing, Sharma said: “It is a decision for the party room and I won’t indicate my preference one way or the other on this show, I’m afraid.”
He was asked about the contenders for leadership, and specifically how Tim Wilson and Jacinta Nampijinpa Price haven’t been in the party room for long.
“I think it suggests we run an open and competitive process,” he said.
“If you are a member of the Liberal party room, you are entitled to put your hand forward for leadership positions.
“The party room will make an assessment about the merits of respective candidates and make a choice and I expect we will respect that choice and move on from there.”
3h agoMon 12 May 2025 at 6:32am
Chester ‘happy’ to see Littleproud continue as Nationals leader
Speaking on Afternoon Briefing, Nationals MP Darren Chester said he is “happy” with the selection of David Littleproud as party leader.
“It was a vote for certainty and continuity and a recognition that the Nationals in this last campaign, although we were part of a disappointing result for the Coalition, but the Nationals performed quite well,” he said.
“We were spoiled for choice,” he says in response to the challenge of Matt Canavan.
“On the basis that there was no case for change, given the election result and given David’s performance in the past three years, I am happy for David to continue in his role and I am happy to see that Matt will play an important role in our party.”
4h agoMon 12 May 2025 at 6:21am
📹: David Littleproud speaks after being re-elected Nationals leader
After winning a private vote in the National party room, David Littleproud addressed the media.
He said he was proud of the result and will now work towards upholding the fundamentals of the party.
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4h agoMon 12 May 2025 at 6:18am
Littleproud ‘disappointed’ but wishes Jacinta Nampijinpa Price well going forward
David Littleproud is asked on how he felt and dealt with Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s deflection to the Liberals.
He said she “has greater ambitions than what the National party room can offer”.
He added that “we are disappointed” but said he and the party will be focusing on getting on with the job at hand.
That being said, he said the Nationals were “very supportive of her when no-one else would”.
“The National Party’s been nothing but supportive, so I wish her well. Her ambition exceeds what the National Party can offer, and I wish her well.”
4h agoMon 12 May 2025 at 6:11am
Littleproud won’t give Nationals current standing on net zero
A reporter asks David Littleproud to provide a clear line on the Nationals view on net zero.
He doesn’t.
“We’re going to have those conversations within our party room. I’m going to respect the party room,” he says.
“I’m not going to have public conversations when it’s a discussion, along with many other policies that our party room will have.”
4h agoMon 12 May 2025 at 6:05am
Canavan still has a role to play despite leadership challenge defeat
Matt Canavan challenged David Littleproud for the Nationals leadership.
Littleproud is asked if he has learned any lessons from the challenge within the party.
“I think it’s a great thing that leadership positions are challenged in our great party,” he says.
“That is healthy for our democracy.
“I don’t take anything for granted at any day or any week. I’m not going to play in Canberra bubbles about what it might look like in the future.
“What I want to leave is a legacy, a legacy for the people I represent.”
(ABC News: Matt Roberts)
He’s asked will Canavan have a role to play in the party going forward.
“Every one of us have a role to play,” he said.
4h agoMon 12 May 2025 at 6:01am
Littleproud asked will the Nationals change stance on nuclear
Littleproud is asked if the Liberals dump nuclear power, how would he and the Nationals respond.
“We’ll work through the whole process, but the fundamentals haven’t changed,” he said.
“You cannot run an economy of the industrial scale, the size of Australia on a renewables approach.
“The reality is, even Anthony Albanese is saying your energy bill is going to go up, not down.
“What we’ll do is calmly and methodically work through our policy settings and what that means to make sure that we have a position that addresses the cost of living crisis, because energy is the economy.”
4h agoMon 12 May 2025 at 5:57am
McKenzie says the Nationals will stick with the Coalition
Bridget McKenzie has promised that the Nationals will stick with the Liberal Party and the Coalition despite the big loss at the election.
“The coalition was handed a significant defeat, and we need to listen to the Australian people with humility,” she said.
“We need to have a deep, honest look at what went wrong.
“But, the Nationals party provides stability and strength to the Coalition over a long period of time and when the Liberal party has had difficult periods in the past it has been the Nationals and the Country Party before it that’s been able to provide it with the ballast that our side of politics needs.
“We will again be looking forward to providing that.”
4h agoMon 12 May 2025 at 5:53am
Hogan says Nationals will put ‘regional Australians before everyone else’
Deputy leader of the Nationals Kevin Hogan said he was humbled to be given the role.
“We are a very important political body, and we’ll continue to be so,” he said.
“We have to do a lot more work too as Nats, but we have not lost a federal parliamentary seat since 2007.
‘We’re not lazy, we’re not complacent. We will continue to always put regional Australians before everyone else.”
4h agoMon 12 May 2025 at 5:50am
Nationals to stick to ‘fundamentals’, says Littleproud
Littleproud says the Nationals will continue on the same way they have done the past three years.
(ABC News: Matt Roberts)
“I’m proud to have both Kevin and Bridget again with me to make sure that we lead a team to the next election that can be won,” he says.
“Make no mistake, the fundamentals haven’t changed.
“The cost of living is going nowhere, and an all-renewables won’t work.
“Your energy bills are going to go up.
“Someone’s going to have the courage to face up to it at some point, and it’ll be the Nationals that will continue to be there.”
4h agoMon 12 May 2025 at 5:47am
Littleproud says it’s a ‘great honour to lead’ Nationals
Speaking in Canberra after holding onto leadership of the Nationals, David Littleproud said he is “proud”.
“It’s a great honour to lead our great party,” he said.
“I’m proud of our achievements over the last three years, the last three years where I think we set the policy agenda.
“I’m proud to say that our party room now will consider further policy moves as we go to the next phase.”
4h agoMon 12 May 2025 at 5:42am
David Littleproud elected leader of the Nationals
David Littleproud has been elected as leader of the Nationals after a private vote in Canberra.
Kevin Hogan has been elected as deputy leader and Bridget McKenzie has been elected as leader of the Nationals in the Senate.
(ABC News: Matt Roberts)
A party spokesperson made the announcement outside the meeting room in Canberra. They said Littleproud would speak to the press shortly.
4h agoMon 12 May 2025 at 5:37am
New attorney-general among many changes in the ministry
Anthony Albanese’s leadership team will include former communications minister Michelle Rowland as attorney-general, after Mark Dreyfus was dumped from the frontbench last week.
That is just one of the many changes in the new cabinet.
ABC political reporter Maani Truu has explored all the changes, and all the continuances within the ministry following the announcement.
You can read more here:
5h agoMon 12 May 2025 at 5:13am
Nationals party meeting to select new leader underway
The Nationals party room of 20 is currently gathered behind closed doors to elect their new leader.
Process dictates after every election, the leadership positions are spilled.
David Littleproud, who has been leader since 2022, will face a challenge from Queensland senator Matt Canavan.
We expect an announcement confirming the leader shortly after the meeting concludes.
5h agoMon 12 May 2025 at 5:01am
📹: PM announces new ministry
In case you missed it earlier, here’s the PM announcing his new ministry.
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5h agoMon 12 May 2025 at 4:52am
Let take a recap of the prime minister’s press conference
5h agoMon 12 May 2025 at 4:43am
PM to discuss a potential free trade agreement with Europe
The PM said while he is in Rome and The Vatican, there will be an opportunity to explore a free trade agreement with the EU once again.
“There is discussions about trade and tariff issues with Europe,” Albanese said.
“We tried to have a free trade agreement with Europe and it will be good to have a discussion further about whether that can be advanced.”
Initially Australia chose not to pursue it further, but Albanese said in an uncertain world with “tariffs and trade issues”, an agreement with the EU could now be a good opportunity.
