Australian news and politics live updates: Taylor fires at Albanese over tax reform

Anthony Albanese has downplayed reports Opposition Leader Angus Taylor used unparliamentary language in the House, saying the incident reflects broader frustration within the Coalition.

When asked about the alleged remark, he told the ABC: “Of course I did. What was it? I’m not about to do it on you.”

He added, “people swearing across the chamber isn’t appropriate.” Mr Albanese said the matter was “withdrawn, and the matter is closed.”

He went on to accuse the Coalition of “very desperate” behaviour and said they were “not engaged in serious policy development.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has defended the government’s handling of the return of women and children linked to ISIS.

Pressed on whether Australians should be concerned about the resettlement program, Mr Albanese declined to give operational detail but emphasised cooperation with authorities and state governments.

“I won’t discuss issues related to national security on your program, frankly,” he told the ABC.

He added that responsibility for managing the cohort sits across multiple levels of government.

“And they will take place between the authorities, and I have every faith in the authorities doing the work that they need to do, and they’ll do it in cooperation,” he said.

As questions turned to whether the Commonwealth would provide additional funding to support monitoring and resettlement, including requests from the New South Wales government, Mr Albanese pushed back on the framing.

“Every state government wants more money for everything,” he said.

However, he maintained the government would continue to engage with the issue in good faith.

“Look, we’ll engage in good faith with these issues,” he said.

When asked directly about public concern over the group’s return, the Prime Minister said safety was the overriding consideration.

“Public safety is absolutely the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth priority,” he said.

Mr Albanese also referenced previous administrations, arguing Australia has long dealt with security risks linked to returning fighters.

“We must remember that in excess of 40 ISIS fighters came here over during the life of the former government, and that they left Australia to fight while they were in office as well,” he said.

He said the government’s focus remained on security and institutional processes.

“What we do is make sure that Australia’s interests are looked after, and that safety is absolutely our prime responsibility and our first concern,” he said.

AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett has indicated in Senate Estimates on Thursday afternoon that authorities initially didn’t have enough evidence to charge a 34-year-old woman when she landed in Australia from Syria in September.

However, they were able to collate more evidence to arrest the woman throughout her resettlement and after the return of two new cohorts of ISIS-linked families.

“On their return the Common Director of Public Prosecution determined there was insufficient evidence to charge the two women.

Off the back of that advice, the Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism team, which includes Victoria Police, the AFP and ASIO, continued operation Howth while the returnees resettled in Australia.

“That domestic eight-month investigation plus the return of four women and their children from Syria three weeks ago has collected new relevant evidence for operation Howth.

“That new evidence has enabled a number of search warrants to be executed today.”

She appeared in a Melbourne court today on terror-related offences and was remanded in custody to appear on a later date.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has indicated there will be no major change in the government’s capital gains tax overhaul, despite growing concern from WA leaders and the resources sector about potential impacts on investment.

Mr Albanese was pressed on whether pressure from industry and state leaders, including WA Premier Roger Cook, could force adjustments to the proposed changes, particularly around small business thresholds and investment settings.

He told the ABC the government was focused on consultation, but not wholesale revision of the policy.

“We’ll engage in good faith,” he said, when asked about concerns from business and state leaders.

Pressed on whether the reforms risked discouraging investment in sectors such as mining, a concern raised in Western Australia, the Prime Minister maintained the policy settings would remain largely intact.

“We’re going to engage in good faith, even on that issue,” he said.

“Look, people will put forward ideas, but the fundamentals will stay there.”

The government is continuing to work through submissions as the legislation moves through Parliament and a Senate inquiry, with further consultation expected before the mid-winter sitting break.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has signalled there will be limited changes to the government’s proposed capital gains tax (CGT) reforms, as Labor continues to favour targeted concessions rather than a broader overhaul.

Mr Albanese said “people shouldn’t expect big changes” to the policy, while senior government sources indicated the preferred approach remains narrow carveouts, particularly for tech startups.

The Prime Minister also confirmed that small businesses would still be able to access existing concessions under the current CGT framework. This comes amid growing pressure from corporate Australia to expand eligibility for relief to businesses with annual revenues of up to $10 million.

Although the policy has not yet been finalised, multiple senior sources have suggested this week that both Mr Albanese and Treasurer Jim Chalmers are leaning towards a more restrained model focused on specific sectors.

“The integrity of the system will stay there, and what we don’t want to do is to shut down some loopholes and create others, that’s the whole point here,” Mr Albanese told the ABC on Thursday afternoon.

“What we’re doing as part of tax reform is increasing the integrity of the system, so people shouldn’t expect big changes.”

Opposition Leader Angus Taylor is now attempting to suspend Question Time so he can move a motion condemning the government and its tax agenda.

He wants the House to condemned the government for “arrogantly misleading Australians about its toxic taxes”, “not having the courage to take the toxic taxes to the Australian people” taxing more than any other government in history, and “hurting Australians without any understanding” of the extent of that.

However, he doesn’t get a chance to make a speech to that effect, because he and deputy Liberal leader in the House of Representatives Andrew Hastie get their procedure wrong and accidentally curtail their chance to speak.

Anthony Albanese and Tony Burke, both of whom are masters of and sticklers for parliamentary procedure, have a bit of a giggle then get on with government questions.

Someone gave Milton Dick a heads up about the Coalition stunt and he’s warned the MPs Henry Pike, Leon Rebello, Tom Venning and Garth Hamilton they are not to hold up their L,I,E and S signs.

All four shake their heads vigorously when the Speaker asks if they were planning to do so.

“I will not have signs held up like that for the dignity of this house,” Mr Dick says.

“I’m giving you fair warning that we are not having the Parliament of Australia denigrated into that.”

The Speaker then rebukes fellow Queensland MP Bob Katter, who inexplicably stands up wearing a NSW Blues scarf, to no apparent purpose.

“You’re on thin ice too, member for Kennedy, wearing that,” Mr Dick says, clearly still smarting from last night’s NSW Origin victory.

Speaker Milton Dick starts Question Time with a warning across the board that he’s not going to tolerate any more people calling each other liars in the chamber.

“I intend to treat any accusations of lying as out of order. I am following all speakers before me for the last 40 years,” he says, after Opposition Leader Angus Taylor asked a question about the capital gains tax changes that accused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of having campaigned on a lie.

“Why doesn’t the Prime Minister have the courage to take his toxic taxes to the next election?” Mr Taylor asked.

Mr Dick’s patience might soon be tested: reporters and photographers perched up high in the chamber’s press gallery can see that nine Coalition backbenchers each have a piece of paper with a large printed letter sitting on their desk.

What will it spell if they hold them up? “Labor lies”

Australian passengers who recently returned home from the deadly hantavirus-stricken MV Hondius cruise ship have been told they will be forced to remain in quarantine for another three weeks.

Earlier this month the travellers were taken to a special facility in Western Australia’s Bullsbrook, for an initial isolation period of three weeks, but health officials have recommended they now remain there for the entire 42-day incubation period.

“As a result, on the basis of accepting that advice, it’s likely an order will be made to extend that quarantine period to the 23

of June,” Health Minister Mark Butler told reporters.

“The passengers have been informed about the advice and the decision of government.”

“I’m happy to say they remain well, they have only been tested again in the last 24 or 36 hours or so and all six have again tested negative, but the cases overseas and the advice not just of our public health officials but of the World Health Organisation indicate that does not mean that the risk of testing positive sometime into the future during that 42 day incubation period has completely passed.”

The Greens have finally made comments about what they’ll do with their Senate balance of power when it comes to the Government’s tax bill: send it to a committee, but don’t give the Liberals the lengthy roadshow they want.

Even though the Senate isn’t sitting this week, the legislation just introduced to the lower house this morning will be sent off for examination by one of its committees.

But the reporting date for the inquiry is June 22, just three weeks away and at the start of the next sitting fortnight.

The minor party isn’t closing the door to getting this passed before politicians flee Canberra for the winter break. But it won’t be waving it through either.

Economics spokesman Nick McKim said the bill was a missed opportunity and that the “extremely generous grandparenting provisions” left a lot of money on the table.

“We will use this inquiry to examine how and why Labor decided to leave in place the vast majority of tax handouts for the ultra wealthy,” he said.