News and politics live updates: Anthony Albanese under fire as Angus Taylor blasts Labor over housing crisis

Barnaby Joyce has distanced himself from conspiracy theories and anti-Semitic tropes peddled by his One Nation colleague Malcolm Roberts.

Asked about historic statements by Senator Roberts praising American conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, who spread the claim that the Sandy Hook massacre was staged by the US government as a pretence for stricter gun control, Mr Joyce said the issue was black and white.

“Sandy Hook was an outrageous murder of innocent people. It was no false flag event. Neither was 9/11,” he told ABC Radio National on Thursday, referencing another conspiracy theory pushed by Jones.

As One Nation’s rise in the polls sees them courting a more mainstream demographic, the party’s associations with figures such as Jones and UK anti-immigration activist Tommy Robinson have come under greater scrutiny.

Read the full story here.

Artificial intelligence is not just a question of productivity or national competitiveness. It is a question of people. If Australia is to shape AI in the national interest, human rights must be at the centre of that task.

AI is already transforming how we work, learn, communicate, and make decisions. It will shape Australia for decades to come. The Prime Minister is right to recognise that this moment requires national leadership, clear rules and a framework that reflects Australian values.

The Prime Minister’s announcement yesterday that the Government will introduce an artificial intelligence framework — including the establishment of an Office of AI within the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and the development of Australian Standards for AI — is a welcome step towards ensuring Australia “can capture the opportunity, share the benefits and keep Australians safe”.

But there is still an important element missing.

Read Lorraine Finlay’s full opinion piece here.

China’s Wang Huning, a Communist Party Politburo Standing Committee member, has held talks in Pyongyang with Jo Yong-won, a top official of North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party.

The Chinese delegation led by Mr Wang arrived in Pyongyang on Wednesday at the invitation of North Korea, state media KCNA reported on Thursday.

At the meeting, Mr Wang affirmed “the will of the Chinese party and the government” to implement the agreement reached between Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during Xi’s visit to Pyongyang, KCNA said.

He also referred to the 65th anniversary of friendship ties between the two countries, it added.

Jo told Wang that North Korea seeks to develop strategic communication and tactical cooperation with Beijing.

- Reuters

The Australian stockmarket fell because of slump in miners and other commodity-based companies.

Australia’s benchmark index S&P/ASX200 dropped 0.3 per cent around noon on Thursday to 8812, while the broader All Ordinaries slid 0.3 per cent to 9009.5.

BHP declined over 3 per cent to $58.70 after the company’s copper production forecast for 2027 came in weaker than expected.

Gold stocks also fell after the precious metal fell to just over USS$4000 an ounce. Rare earth stocks also fell, following the raw materials index lower.

In energy, Ampol was flat, while Viva Energy declined.

The Australian dollar was buying 69.92 US cents, up from 69.86 US cents on Wednesday at 5pm.

Ask AI whether governments will be able to protect their citizens against the risks posed by AI and the answer is maybe.

Google Gemini says: “It is an open question.”

It suggests success is possible, “but requires an urgent and delicate balancing act”.

It is an act Anthony Albanese is now trying to perform as he sets out to deliver a uniform set of standards to govern the production and application of AI technologies across Australia.

In setting down policy markers for dealing with the artificial intelligence challenge in a speech on Wednesday, Albanese agreed with Gemini that it was indeed an issue demanding urgency.

Read Mark Riley’s full opinion piece here.

A senior professor at Australian National University says that the targeting of Jewish students with taunts like “baby killer” and “genocide supporter” as inappropriate, “anti-Semitic” and “harassment”.

Giving testimony at the Royal Commission into Anti-Semitism and Social Cohesion in Melbourne on Thursday morning, Acting Provost and Senior Vice-President Professor Joan Leach said she was disappointed by some of the incidents which had played out on campus.

She spoke about the evidence an ANU student, known only as Liat, had provided to the commission this week about the heckling she experienced while walking past an encampment on campus.

The ‘Gaza solidarity’ encampment had been the longest-running in Australia on a university campus following the October 7, 2023 Hamas terror attack.

“Students should be able to walk through campus without that kind of, what I would refer to as, harassment.

“In the context in which it was shouted, as the student had mentioned earlier in her testimony, I think I would consider that anti-Semitic.

“It was asking her, as a member of the Jewish community, to take responsibility for something for something very many miles away.”

Prof Leach also spoke about the difficulty the uni had with removing the encampment, despite multiple notices, safety warnings and cutting the camp’s power.

She said multiple conversations were had with the advocacy group behind it to ask them to leave as it was centrally located, disrupting students and also encroaching on the university’s emergency evacuation area.

The students had initially refused to comply with a safety notification to leave before eventually packing up to another location after the ANU issued subsequent notices.

Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has sought to draw a sharp distinction between the Coalition and One Nation, arguing his party has the experience and leadership needed to govern while questioning One Nation’s ability to deliver.

“Frankly, the problem with One Nation is they don’t have that strong team and that strong plan to turn this country around,” Mr Taylor said.

“That is what we have... the strong plan and strong team. That is what this country needs.”

Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has accused the Albanese Government of making Australia’s housing crisis worse, arguing young Australians are being locked out of the market because there are not enough homes being built.

He said Labor’s policies had damaged confidence while failing to improve affordability.

“What we are seeing is less young first home buyers entering the market. That is because there are less homes and the government’s own plan is to impose taxes, or they have imposed taxes that will mean less homes,” Mr Taylor said.

“This government has completely failed young Australians and so their solution is to trash the housing market, destroy confidence in the housing market. That is not a solution thanks is making a bad situation worse.”

Liberal leader Angus Taylor has declared he has never supported introducing gender quotas for the party as members are asked for feedback ahead of the next election.

A discussion paper from an internal commission established by former leader Sussan Ley, has canvassed several ideas including US-style primaries to turn the party into a “fit-for-purpose political machine in the 21st century”.

“I’ve never supported any quotas at all,” Mr Taylor told reporters when asked about the proposals in Melbourne.

“What I do support, is more great people joining the Liberal Party and more great people, women and from all sorts of backgrounds. We’ve got brilliant Chinese Australians running here in Victoria”.

Queensland’s Olympics minister is back at the starting line, reclaiming the Games portfolio just weeks after stepping aside over a federal electoral enrolment probe.

Tim Mander stood down while the Australian Federal Police considered an Australian Electoral Commission referral over his decision to enrol to vote at a staffer’s home amid the breakdown of his 40‑plus year marriage.

Premier David Crisafulli has confirmed Mr Mander has been cleared by Australian Federal Police.

‘’Last night, when I arrived in Far North Queensland, I got an update from Minister Tim Mander to advise that the AFP investigation has run its course and found that the allegations against him are false,” Mr Crisafulli said on Thursday.

Read the full story here.