Federal politics: Albanese won't set defence spending targets despite pressure from Trump — as it happened
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Australia will not set defence expenditure targets, but will rather focus on investing in the defence capability the country needs.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Penny Wong will head to Washington this week for talks with her US counterpart Marco Rubio, as well as other ministers of the Quad.
Take a look back at the day's coverage.
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Sky News AU
an hour ago
- Sky News AU
‘World of trouble': Failed meetings with Trump setting Australia back
Sky News host Paul Murray discusses Prime Minister Anthony Albanese dancing around the failed meetings with United States President Donald Trump. 'Remember he was part of the B-team, the reserve team, the bench of global leaders at the G7,' Mr Murray said. 'Every country outside of the seven, they were not allowed to even dine with the seven that of course included, among others, the United States.'
West Australian
2 hours ago
- West Australian
EDITORIAL: Penny Wong the wrong person to win American's favour
Australian steel and aluminium exports to the US face punishing 50 per cent tariffs. From July 9 every single other item sent to our third largest trading partner will be subject to levies of 10 per cent. AUKUS, once touted as the 'once-in-a-generation' opportunity to foster international co-operation and boost peace and stability in the Pacific, is at risk with the Americans undertaking a 30-day review of the submarine deal — seemingly in retaliation for Australia's military budget intransigence. And US President Donald Trump has made it clear where Australia stands in his list of priorities, standing Anthony Albanese up and making no effort to schedule a make-up session. Australia's relationship with its No.1 security ally is at its lowest ebb in memory. And into this fray we are sending . . . Penny Wong. The Foreign Minister is off to Washington to meet with her counterparts in the Quad strategic partnership, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The fact that it is Ms Wong, whose procrastination in backing the US's recent strike action against Iran and repeated conflation of Israel with Hamas's terrorist leadership has won her few friends in the Republican administration, who is being deployed at this critical juncture is deeply worrying. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister is seemingly no closer to securing a long awaited meeting with Mr Trump. The earliest opportunity for a sit-down is believed to be in September, when Mr Albanese is scheduled to travel to the US to address the United Nations. That would make it 10 months since Mr Trump's election, and eight since his inauguration, that the Prime Minister and the President have gone with just a handful of phone calls between them. All the while tensions continue to simmer — over AUKUS, over tariffs and over whether Australia is pulling its weight in our military alliance. It's a worrisome situation and one Mr Albanese appears content to play out, unwilling to risk further damage to his ego after Mr Trump blew him off having left the G7 summit in Canada early to deal with the conflict in the Middle East. Mr Albanese says Australia is continuing to lobby for an exemption to Mr Trump's so-called reciprocal tariffs, with diplomats working behind the scenes on making the nation's case. No doubt that's true. But it's clear that those efforts have so far entirely failed to secure any traction. This is not a problem that will be resolved through diplomats — particularly if those diplomats are Kevin Rudd, who Mr Trump has a public, personal dislike for. Nor is it likely that Ms Wong will secure any meaningful wins. Australia's best chance of repairing our relationship with our most important ally comes will come at the highest level. That means Mr Albanese needs to get to DC sooner rather than later to meet with Mr Trump. And when he does so, he needs to be armed with arguments stronger than those already tried and failed.
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson ‘disgusted' by Sussan Ley's Acknowledged of Country speech
A 'disgusted' Pauline Hanson has hit out at Sussan Ley after she acknowledged traditional owners during a major speech to national media last week. The One Nation leader has accused Ms Ley of double standards after the opposition leader performed an Acknowledgment to Country during her first major speech at National Press Club on Wednesday. 'I was disgusted. Absolutely disgusted with it,' Senator Hanson said. 'Because the Liberals, they were the ones that actually opposed the Voice to parliament. 'It wasn't just the Liberals that opposed it. It was a lot of people like myself, like Gary Johns, and then you had Barnaby Joyce and you had Jacinta Price. 'Once the public were informed about what it meant and changed in the Constitution, people were better informed and made their decisions about it.' The senator told Sky News' Danica and James that Ms Ley wasn't the right person for the Liberal Party's top job, adding a 'true conservative' needs to replace her. 'It's going to be very interesting what happens the next three years under Sussan Ley,' she said. 'I think she will be overthrown before the next election.' It comes after Ms Ley announced there is a 'time and place' for the declaration while her acknowledgment a stood as a far cry from the staunch stance held by her predecessor Peter Dutton. Under Mr Dutton, acknowledgement of country addresses were missing from a number of major Liberal Party events and speeches. Ms Ley perviously told ABC Radio it wasn't a 'boxing ticking' exercise. 'Look I think Acknowledgements of Country have their place, but in significant moments like yesterday was one of those places,' the Opposition Leader said. 'And as Environment Minister and Health Minister, I listened carefully and I participated in what I would describe as meaningful Welcome to Country ceremonies that involved the circumstances of Indigenous Australians with respect to our natural environment and their own health that were relevant and important. 'I don't think it should be at every work meeting, because I think that actually diminishes the value of what it is. 'So there is a time and a place, and it's about striking the right balance.' A survey of 1005 Australians conducted by independent marketing research firm Dynata on behalf of the conservative Institute of Public Affairs last month found that more than half (56 per cent) of participants agreed Welcome to Country ceremonies have 'become divisive'. IPA deputy executive director Daniel Wild said the survey results were proof 'Australians have had an absolute gutful' of the 'divisive and pointless' tradition. Mr Wild argued Ms Ley's stance at the National Press Club was also 'at odds with modern Australia', and accused her of '[failing] to state who the purported traditional owners of the National Press Club are'. Only 17 per cent disagreed with the statement, while 27 per cent said they were unsure. Surprisingly, 48 per cent of those aged 18 to 24 — a demographic often thought to be more progressive than generations past — did not believe the ritual to be a unifying one. Sentiment around the performance of Welcome to Country before major events like Anzac Day or sporting matches was more mixed — 46 per cent and 49 per cent respectively said they should no longer be performed before either event, versus 34 per cent and 30 per cent who said they should continue.
