Australia news live: Watt predicts ‘easier' time in Senate; Liberals need ‘timeless values', says NSW leader
Labor to deliver more on housing in second term, Murray Watt says
Labor will be 'able to deliver' action it has promised on housing in its second term, the minister for employment and workplace relations, Murray Watt, has flagged.
The Labor senator told ABC's 7.30 on Monday evening that Labor's agenda in its first term was 'more ambitious' than it is credited for, particularly on housing.
I think this term … we'll actually now be able to deliver a lot of the things that we have promised in housing.
Pressed on whether Labor would make tax changes in its second term, including to negative gearing, he said the party had been 'very clear' that it wasn't proposing to change its policy and wouldn't 'start scrapping policies' either.
We think that we can meet the needs of younger Australians through the policy platform that we took to the election. Of course, the commitment to reduce Hecs debts by 20% was very popular among younger people. The commitments we've made to build more homes for first home-buyers. The 5% deposit scheme backed in by the government was very popular among young voters. Labor MP Murray Watt. Photograph: Jono Searle/AAP Share
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I'm Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories before the main action kicks off.
Labor have not been given enough credit for policies to ease the housing crisis, Murray Watt said last night, as the Labor senator promised that the new Albanese government 'will be able' to deliver more to help in its second term, expecting things to be a little easier for Labor's policy agenda in the new Senate.
It came as the prime minister warned crossbenchers last night to 'get out of the way' and allow the private sector to get on with building more homes. More coming up.
It's an altogether different outlook for the Liberals who are well on their way to a full-blown existential crisis. Gina Rinehart has suggested the party needs to become more Trumpian while others, especially former senior women MPs and senators such as Linda Reynolds say the party has to reform and get more women into parliament. In New South Wales, the Liberal leader says the party needs to revert to 'timeless values' after the drubbing. More on that in a few minutes. Share
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