Federal politics: Coalition formally agrees to oppose Labor’s super tax changes ‘every step of the way’ — as it happened
4h agoThu 5 Jun 2025 at 7:29am
That’s the end of our live coverage
That’s where we’ll leave our live coverage for today. Thanks for joining us!
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We’ll see you again tomorrow for another day in politics news.
4h agoThu 5 Jun 2025 at 7:11am
Burns says he welcomes Dorinda Cox to Labor after defection from the Greens
The discussion has moved onto the topic of Senator Dorinda Cox’s defection from the Greens to Labor on Monday.
The Greens have argued that Cox should resign from parliament after he defection since she ran as a Greens candidate in 2022.
Labor MP Josh Burns says while people join political parties to help shape them, people can change their minds.
“We are not robots, we are people, and people do not elect robots, they elect people who have thoughts and values and care about different things and we are not just a sort of automatic machine,” Burns says.
“Obviously, the Greens did not fit Dorinda Cox anymore … I welcome her into the party I’m sure she will make a strong contribution.”
Asked if his remarks could also be relevant for Senator Fatima Payman, who left Labor over the government’s stance on the war in Gaza, Burns says “we are all people”.
“If you look back at my comments around Fatima Payman, I knew how much pressure she was under at the time and I felt for her in terms of how difficult some of the politics that both her and I had to navigate,” he says.
And that’s where we’ll leave Afternoon Briefing for now.
4h agoThu 5 Jun 2025 at 7:04am
Are the Liberals likely to contest Bradfield result in the courts?
Patricia Karvelas has asked Liberal senator Maria Kovacic if her party will challenge the result in Bradfield in the courts.
Independent Nicolette Boele won the Sydney North Shore seat from the Liberals by 26 votes.
Kovacic says she can’t comment on what will happen next, but says the result should be examined.
“The result is very close, the additional count was won by Gisele [Kapterian], the subsequent count has been one by Nicolette Boele, so there are differences there that will be addressed by the appropriate people,” she says.
5h agoThu 5 Jun 2025 at 6:58am
Josh Burns and Maria Kovacic join Afternoon Briefing panel
Labor MP Josh Burns and Liberal senator Maria Kovacic have joined the Afternoon Briefing political panel.
Maria Kovacic has been asked about comments from former Victorian Liberal treasurer Alan Stockdale’s about women in the Liberal Party.
Stockdale suggested Liberal women were “sufficiently assertive” and the party may have to “protect men’s involvement”.
Kovacic says his comments are not helpful and that the Liberal Party welcomes assertive women.
“I will not speak to the intent but what I will say is the best way for any organisation politically to change and shift and move is to have more people involved at a grassroots level and that is what we want,” Kovacic says.
Burns has weighed into the discussion and says it is extraordinary that women make up about 25 per cent of Coalition members in the lower house.
“We [Labor] set in policies and structures within the party that enable people to be promoted, the contest in winnable seats and that is why I sit in a caucus with over 50 per cent of the caucus as women,” he says.
5h agoThu 5 Jun 2025 at 6:50am
Lidia Thorpe open to conciliation with Dorinda Cox over complaint
Lidia Thorpe says she’s disappointed to see Dorinda Cox to defect to Labor and the Greens now have no Aboriginal representation at a federal level.
Thorpe has been asked about a complaint she made about Cox and why she thought the outcome wasn’t satisfactory.
The Victorian senator hasn’t answered the question, but says she can’t force people to mediate, and is open to a conversation.
“You cannot force people to mediate so I am always open to a conversation and conciliation so until that happens, it is still open, yes,” she says.
Asked if she will return to the Greens, Thorpe says “no, absolutely not a chance”.
She says she thinks there’s more power in being an independent because she’s not bound by a political party.
5h agoThu 5 Jun 2025 at 6:42am
Lidia Thorpe says there should be an independent investigation into Aboriginal death in custody in Alice Springs
Independent senator Lidia Thorpe has joined Afternoon Briefing and she’s been asked about the death of an Aboriginal man in custody in Alice Springs.
Thorpe says there should be an independent investigation into the death in custody which shouldn’t involve police.
She says all recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody from 1991 should be implemented.
“It is very clear that we have had so many deaths in custody almost 600 deaths in custody and nobody ever is held accountable for any of those deaths,” Thorpe says.
She says the federal government has the responsibility to call on the states to implement the findings of the 1991 royal commission.
“We know that the federal government calls together the state and territories when they so choose, and we see that with vaping and we saw that with kids on social media and we saw it with COVID. Why can’t we call the state and territories together on stopping Aboriginal deaths in custody?” Thorpe says.
5h agoThu 5 Jun 2025 at 6:36am
Don Farrell pressed US trade representative for removal of all tariffs on goods
Trade Minister Don Farrell says he pressed the US trade representative for the removal of all tariffs on Australian goods.
Farrell met with US trade representative Jamieson Greer on the sidelines of the OECD summit in Paris.
Farrell has told Afternoon Briefing that the government wants the US to honour the free trade agreement, and lobbied the US representative to remove all tariffs.
“What we would like, Patricia, is for the United States to honour the free trade agreement that has been in place now for 20 years, which says all of these products should be going into the United States tariff free. That is our position,” Farrell says.
Asked what reception he received when he raised that, Farrell says Greer agreed the trade relationship between Australia and the US, is in America’s favour.
“What the Americans have done is tear up 80 post-war years of trade agreements and said they want to rewrite those trade agreements in the space of 90 days. We are already 60 days into that 90 days and only one agreement has been reached,” he says.
5h agoThu 5 Jun 2025 at 6:29am
Any EU trade agreement must benefit Australian workers, businesses, Farrell says
Patricia Karvelas has pointed out the EU’s sticking points over the naming rights of certain products, such as feta or prosecco, that led to the breakdown in negotiations last time.
Asked if he thinks the Europeans have changed their tone on those matters, Farrell says it’s early days.
“I am hoping that with some goodwill and some tough bargaining, there will still be plenty of tough bargaining that will go on, that we can resolve all the outstanding issues that were the impediments to getting an agreement last time,” Farrell says.
He says Australia has to be prepared to compromise if it wants to get a deal with the EU.
The EU wants greater access to Australia’s skilled migration scheme as part of any trade deal. Farrell says he’ll work through those issues.
He says any trade agreement must improve the prosperity of Australian businesses and workers.
5h agoThu 5 Jun 2025 at 6:22am
Don Farrell says he had a ‘very warm’ meeting with EU’s trade commissioner
Trade Minister Don Farrell has joined Afternoon Briefing from Paris where he’s attended an OECD summit.
Farrell met with the European Commissioner for Trade Maroš Šefčovič on the sidelines of the summit, as Australia and the EU look to negotiate a trade deal after discussions broke down last year.
The trade minister says he’s had discussions with more countries in the space of two days than he has ever had in the past.
“Those countries that are interested in free and fair trade want to do more,” Farrell says.
Farrell says he’s had a “very good” meeting with Šefčovič who indicated that all 27 EU countries were keen on having another try at coming to a trade agreement with Australia.
But he was reluctant to put a time frame on any negotiations.
“It was a very positive meeting, there was a lot of warmth in the room, we’ve sent our officials off today to Brussels to see if we can nut out the bones of an agreement and, if we can, we will move very quickly on that one,” he says.
6h agoThu 5 Jun 2025 at 6:00am
Afternoon Briefing has started!
Afternoon Briefing with Patricia Karvelas has started on ABC News.
Join us as we take you through all the main developments here live.
6h agoThu 5 Jun 2025 at 5:08am
Hanson-Young says ‘honourable’ move is for Dorinda Cox to quit after defection
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young says it would be “honourable” for her former colleague Dorinda Cox to leave federal parliament after moving parties.
Cox left the Greens this week, arguing her values were more aligned with the government’s.
Hanson-Young said when a MP switched parties it was unfair on both Australian voters and the political parties involved and they should re-evaluate their position.
“If somebody is elected as one party and then jump ships later on, I do think the honourable thing is to resign from the parliament,” she said.
“But that’s not the rules, so we’re left where we are.”
She went on to accuse Labor of “hypocrisy” after government MPs criticised their former colleague Fatima Payman when she left to become an independent because the senator did not vote with the government on a motion about Palestinian statehood.
Read the full story from Evelyn Manfield below.
8h agoThu 5 Jun 2025 at 4:01am
O’Brien says Coalition will oppose Labor’s super changes ‘every step of the way’
Deputy Liberal leader Ted O’Brien says the Coalition will oppose Labor’s superannuation tax changes “every step of the way” and not compromise with the government following a shadow cabinet meeting this morning.
The Albanese government wants to double the tax on super balances above $3 million from 15 to 30 per cent.
O’Brien was quoted in The Australian on Sunday saying the Coalition was open to a deal with Labor if it dropped the proposal to tax unrealised capital gains.
But Treasurer Jim Chalmers has rejected that proposal.
The deputy Liberal leader has confirmed on Sky News the shadow cabinet agreed this morning to oppose the changes.
“Labor’s super tax — it’s super big, it’s super bad. It flies in the face of what we believe as a Coalition,” O’Brien says.
“We will definitely, as a Coalition, oppose this unfair super tax of Labor’s every step of way. Every step of the way. This is grossly unfair and it flies in the face of everything we believe in as a Coalition,” he says.
8h agoThu 5 Jun 2025 at 3:06am
Liberal leaders hit back at party figure’s ‘bizarre’ comments about women
Senior Liberal Party figures have moved to distance themselves from comments by the interim head of the NSW division suggesting women were “sufficiently assertive” and the party may have to “protect men’s involvement”.
Former Victorian treasurer Alan Stockdale, who was brought in as an external administrator to run the troubled NSW division, made the remarks during a discussion about female representation and gender quotas at a meeting of the NSW Liberal Women’s Council on Tuesday.
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley, the first female leader of the federal parliamentary party, rejected the comments.
“There is nothing wrong with being an assertive woman. In fact, I encourage assertive women to join the Liberal Party,” she said in a statement.
Read the full story below.
9h agoThu 5 Jun 2025 at 2:23am
Chalmers speaks with Canadian counterpart about US trade tariffs
Treasurer Jim Chalmers spoke with his Canadian counterpart François-Philippe Champagne this morning.
The pair shared their concerns about the US government’s decision to double tariffs on steel and aluminium imports.
The ministers discussed escalating trade tensions, the fragile global economic outlook and commitment to free and fair trade.
Champagne also briefed Chalmers on the discussions at the recent G7 finance ministers meeting in Banff.
In a statement, Chalmers said it was important for Australia to strengthen economic relationships with friends and allies as the world became more volatile.
“My first meeting with Minister Champagne was an opportunity to forge even closer ties between Australia and Canada as we weather the heightened uncertainty in the global economy,” Chalmers says.
“We’re united in our belief that economic resilience depends on cooperation, not confrontation.
“This meeting reaffirmed that we share not just values, but a vision for a more stable and more secure global economy.”
Trade between Australia and Canada amounted to $10.7 billion in 2023.
Canada is the fifth-most-popular destination for Australia’s outwards investment and Canada is Australia’s eighth-largest source of investment.
10h agoThu 5 Jun 2025 at 1:48am
Learn the alphabet with Anthony Albanese
I spy with my little eye something beginning with “A”.
It’s the favourite fact of the PM, who himself is an “A” man.
Maybe that’s why he noticed that in the House of Reps there are now more Labor women whose names start with that letter than there are Coalition women, full stop.
We heard it reeled out for the second time today, and while he couldn’t quite rattle them all off, I took it upon myself to fact check and … well, it’s true!
But it’s not just that. If you focus just on Liberal women, there are four letters the PM could choose from.
And as for the Nationals? There are more Labor women in the reps whose names start with “Ali”.
It should be noted this all breaks down in the Senate, where the Coalition’s slate is a little more gender balanced.
But for the sake of completeness, I present: parliamentary A-B-Cs.
10h agoThu 5 Jun 2025 at 1:13am
PM brushes off Greens suggestions to change Labor’s super tax proposal
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has brushed off the Greens’ proposals to change Labor’s super policy, saying the minor party “usually do not have good points”.
Labor’s super policy involves doubling the tax super balances over $3 million from 15 to 30 per cent.
The Greens have suggested lowering the threshold to $2 million, but indexing it.
Labor needs the support of either the Greens or Coalition to pass the changes through the Senate.
“Well, we have a policy — it is out there for all to see. We have a Senate. The Labor Party has 29 votes in the Senate,” the PM says.
Asked whether the Greens have made reasonable requests, Albanese says the Greens usually don’t have good suggestions.
“I will allow them to put forward whatever they want to do, as the Liberal Party will, as will other senators, no doubt,” he says.
11h agoThu 5 Jun 2025 at 1:01am
PM deflects question on defection of Dorinda Cox to Labor
The prime minister has been asked a question about Greens-turned-Labor senator Dorinda Cox.
If you’re a regular to our blog, you might remember that WA senator defected from the Greens to Labor on Monday.
Cox has been accused of bullying by office staff — claims she’s denied and criticised as “missing context”.
But the PM has largely sidestepped the question about Cox.
He’s used the opportunity to hit out at the Greens, which he says have “lost its way”.
Albanese has also taken aim at the representation of women in the Liberal Party.
“There are more women in the Labor caucus in the House of Representatives whose first name begins in A, literally, than there are Liberals and National women on the floor of the House of Representatives,” he says.
Pressed on the allegations against Cox, the PM says they have been “dealt with”.
“We have an independent system. That is appropriate. It is an independent system which was established for these issues to avoid exactly that — to avoid political interference,” he says.
11h agoThu 5 Jun 2025 at 12:47am
PM says he won’t sign EU trade deal if it doesn’t benefit Australia
Anthony Albanese says the federal government will not sign a free trade deal with the European Union if it’s not in Australia’s interests.
Trade minister, Don Farrell, met with the European Commissioner for Trade Maroš Šefčovič on the sidelines of the OECD summit in Paris.
Albanese says the changes in the global trade environment (hinting to the US’s tariffs) has forced the two parties back to the table.
The PM says while he supports free and fair trade, he won’t do a deal if it’s not good for Australia.
“I met with [European Commission President] Ursula von der Leyen on the sidelines at the recent meetings that were held with the papal inauguration in Rome,” Albanese says.
“We will seek a deal that is good enough for Australia. If it benefits us, we will be in it. If it doesn’t, we will continue to not sign up to something that is not in our national interest.”
11h agoThu 5 Jun 2025 at 12:40am
Labor committed to making super balances fair, PM says
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he’s committed to making sure Australia’s superannuation system is fair when asked about Labor’s plan to apply a higher tax rate to super balances over $3 million.
Labor’s proposal, will double the tax rate on super balances over $3 million from 15 to 30 per cent.
Asked if the proposal is unfair for farmers who have put their farms in self managed super funds, the PM has sidestepped the question and says the proposal has been on the the table for two years.
“There is not anything new here. This has been before the parliament for about two years,” Albanese says.
“What we need to do is make sure that our superannuation system is fair. That is what we are setting about to do.”
11h agoThu 5 Jun 2025 at 12:35am
Anthony Albanese steps up to speak in Melbourne
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is speaking in Melbourne and says Australia needs to address sluggish productivity growth.
He says the North East Line Project will help tackle Australia’s slow productivity growth and improve connectivity in Melbourne.
It’s a project that has been jointly funded by the Victorian and federal governments.
“This is about breaking down traffic congestion and making it easier for people to get around this great city of Melbourne, whether that be for work, whether it be recreational activities, or whether it be associated with business activity as well,” Albanese says.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has stepped up to speak alongside the PM and says the project will have “productive benefits” that will take 15,000 trucks off local roads.
