TRANSCRIPT
In this bulletin;
- Peter Dutton delivers the Opposition's budget reply speech;
- A suspect charged with the attempted murder of Slovakia's Prime Minister;
- And in sport, New South Wales defeat Queensland in the Women's State of Origin.
Reduced bureaucracy, a simplified budget, and a decrease in migration are at the heart of the Coalition's plan for Australia.
In the opposition's annual budget reply speech, Peter Dutton says the amount of spending in this year's government budget would drive up inflation and worsen the cost of living crisis.
The Coalition has pledged to explore nuclear power options if elected, saying Labor's energy plan isn't fit for Australia.
Mr Dutton says big ticket items in this year's budget are unnecessary.
"To get our economy back on track, we need a 'back to basics' economic plan and that's what a Coalition government will deliver. First, we will rein in inflationary spending to take the pressure off inflation. As a start, we will not spend $13.7 billion on corporate welfare for green hydrogen and critical minerals. These projects should stand up on their own, without the need for taxpayers' money, if they're worth the investment."
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Mr Dutton says Australia's high migration rate has contributed to the housing crisis.
In his budget reply speech, Mr Dutton says the Coalition would cut the annual permanent migration rate to 140,000 annually if elected.
Australia's permanent migration rate last year was 190,000, which the government plans to cut by 5,000 places this year.
Mr Dutton says Australians are struggling to find homes to rent and buy, and it's not always due to a lack of money.
"Amidst this housing crisis, Labor is bringing in 1.67 million migrants over five years - more than the population of Adelaide. In five years. We celebrate the contributions of migrants over many decades. We're a great country because of what they've helped to build and the great Australian achievement of modern Australia is something that we celebrate every day. But by getting the migration policy settings right, the coalition can free up more houses for Australians."
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A suspect has been charged with the attempted murder of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.
Slovakia's interior minister, who made the announcement regarding the suspect, has not confirmed their identity.
But Slovak media is widely reporting the alleged assailant is a 71-year-old poet and former security guard.
Mr Fico was shot in the stomach while he was greeting people in the small town of Handlova.
He has since undergone life-saving surgery, and hospital authorities say his condition has stabilised but remains serious.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has joined leaders from across the world in condemning the shooting, which Mr Fico's allies believe was politically motivated.
"We are shocked and appalled by the shooting. It violates every idea of a democracy. In democracies we can disagree, we can have different opinions but violence is absolutely unacceptable. So our thoughts are with the Prime Minister Robert Fico, his family and the people of Slovakia."
It's being reported the suspect could face up to life in prison.
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Labor have supported a Coalition motion in the Senate condemning the use of the pro-Palestinian phrase "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free."
Yesterday, Labor senator Fatima Payman broke ranks, describing what is happening in Gaza as a genocide, and using the phrase.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has condemned the use of the language.
Senator Payman was not present for the motion.
Liberal senator Simon Birmingham, who brought the motion, says the phrase is antisemitic.
"The slogan 'from the river to the sea Palestine will be free' opposes Israel's right to exist, and is frequently used by those who seek to intimidate Jewish Australians by acts of antisemitism. This motion also welcomes Prime Minister Albanese agreeing with comments from former defence department secretary Dennis Richardson calling the slogan 'a very violent statement' which could easily flow into actions of violence against communities in our country."
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The New South Wales Sky Blues have defeated Queensland by 10 points in the first Women's State of Origin game of 2024.
A record-breaking 25,500 people attended the series opener at Lang Park in Brisbane, beating the previous attendance record for a women's rugby league game by 40 per cent.
This is the first year there has been a three-game series for women's origin, with the previous two-game series criticised due to lack of a clear winner.
Speaking after the match, Blues coach Yasmin Clydesdale told the Nine Network of her excitement.
"It's amazing. I'm super stoked that there's three games though, it's my favourite game of the year and to do it three times is pretty amazing. I feel like we're creating a legacy here, being the first initial first game of the three series, so super important moving forward that we're always going to have the three game."
