TRANSCRIPT
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he doesn't take things personally, in response to a personal attack from Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
Mr Netanyahu took to social media to personally attack Mr Albanese, describing him as a weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia’s Jews, in an escalation of the diplomatic stoush over Australia's planned recognition of a Palestinian state, and the rejection of a visa application for a controversial Israeli politician.
Mr Albanese has re-iterated spoke directly to Mr Netanyahu about the planned recognition.
"I treat leaders from other countries with respect, I engage with them in a diplomatic way. I contacted Prime Minister Netanyahu and met him over the phone. We had a long discussion prior to the cabinet meeting which was held last Monday morning. At that time I gave Prime Minister Netanyahu a clear indication of my view and Australia's view."
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Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers says participants at the economic roundtable hope to come up with better regulation around home construction, on the second day of the forum in Canberra.
The federal government has committed to building 1.2 million homes over five years.
According to the Productivity Commission, one key issue affecting Australia's productivity was the regulatory burden in the National Construction Code.
Dr Chalmers says regulation around building has to become more efficient without compromising standards.
"Better regulation, making sure regulation is serving a useful purpose. Making sure approvals can be quicker without ignoring our responsibility to our communities or to the environment, how can we quicken the pace of the approval so that we can build more of the stuff that we want to see in the economy."
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Defence Minister Richard Marles says autonomous warfare, and drones in any respect, including undersea, is a focus of innovation efforts across the defence force.
He says one important step taken with the defence strategic review is to update the national defence strategy every two years.
"We have seen the nature of warfare change dramatically in Ukraine. And we are really mindful of that and we are learning the lessons from that and we are learning the lessons from that and it is very much informing the way in which we are thinking of what capabilities we need to acquire in this space."
He says that will enable Australia to adjust its strategic settings and acquisitions as the world is changing.
Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy says the government has allocated over $10 billion to expenditure on drones, counterdrone technology and autonomous systems in the maritime environment.
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South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas says the state is currently four to six weeks away from fast-tracking results for small businesses affected by South Australia’s algal bloom.
Mr Malinauskas says they will ensure test results can be turned around more quickly, meaning shellfish businesses which endure temporary closure can be back in business sooner when brevetoxin levels drop.
"Currently when we are testing within our shellfish particularly oysters for the brevetoxins which is a product of only some form of the algae those testing has to take place in New Zealand that cost time and of course time cost money in any industry. Agriculture is no different, that testing has to take place in New Zealand. That cost time and of course time is money in any industry and agriculture is no different. Through this funding that the Prime Minister has made available we are now standing up an Australian first a brevitoxin testing regime right here in Adelaide."
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Children with autism will be moved off the National Disability Insurance Scheme [[NDIS]] and into a new program, following a surge in the number of young people on the scheme.
Disability Minister Mark Butler's announced that the NDIS is not the right fit for children on the autism spectrum or with development delays.
In his speech at the National Press Club he says he knows it might be hard for some parents to hear.
He says a separate program called Thriving Kids that will begin from July 2026 and fully implemented by July 2027 will instead be set up to focus on these children previously covered by the NDIS.
"Standing up a robust program for Thriving Kids is what these children and their parents need sooner rather than later. They need the Commonwealth and the states to work together and to commit on an ongoing basis to funding it together. And I make that commitment on behalf of the Commonwealth today."
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Reports have emerged that a former special forces trooper will be the first Australian soldier to stand trial for a war crimes charge.
According to ABC News, local court Magistrate Greg Grogin has committed the former SAS trooper Oliver Schulz to stand trial in the New South Wales Supreme Court.
It comes more than 13 years after he shot dead a villager in an Afghanistan field.
The 43-year-old was charged in 2023 with the war crime of murder following footage on ABC's Four Corners that was aired showing him in 2012 shooting Afghan man Dad Mohammad.
Mr Schulz is expected to face the Supreme Court in October for arraignment.
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The second annual First Nations netball tournament gets underway today in Melbourne - bringing together the nation's best Indigenous playing, coaching, and umpiring talent.
Northern Territory player Courtney Jones is making her debut in the tournament, after a year off from the game on maternity leave.
She's told NITV it is great to see the increase in higher quality players over the years - and the competition has a role in supporting that.
"It's huge. I wish that I had this when I was younger coming through. But being a part of it still is incredible. Just to see all of that talent around the country, that we weren't able to see 5 or 6 years ago, 10 years ago - many years ago. It is just so exciting to see such amazing players. And see that amazing sisterhood that is going to be all week for us (laughs)."
The tournament runs at Frankston's Jubilee Park Stadium from today ((Wed)) until Sunday.
