Australia news LIVE: Coalition, division, PM heads to Rome, Roberts-Smith back in court
7.00am
Underworld links in big building projects secretly mapped
By Nick McKenzie
Victoria's Allan government is secretly mapping the infiltration of Victoria's biggest infrastructure projects by firms with suspected links to the underworld while warning its key contractors to purge gangland figures from their supply chains.
The moves are detailed in confidential documents from the state's peak infrastructure agency that reveal the government's concern about the reach of figures such as Mick Gatto and bikie enforcers into its sprawling multibillion-dollar Big Build program.
One file includes a list of firms that officials suspect may be both gangland-linked and profiting – directly or indirectly – from taxpayer projects.
They include Gatto and his construction industry consulting businesses along with the Gatto-linked traffic management firm Jarrah Resource Management – whose shareholders previously included Gatto's daughter and which has won work on Big Build road and rail upgrades.
Read the exclusive story here.
7.00am
Pope-bound PM affirms stance on religion
By David Crowe and Paul Sakkal
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has cited his Catholic childhood as a key influence on his approach to government as he heads to Rome for the inaugural mass of Pope Leo XIV amid heightened attention on his faith.
Albanese, whose mother was a devout Catholic, said that church teachings on helping the vulnerable had shaped his politics – and he revealed that they triggered a key moment in the election campaign.
Speaking to this masthead on the Inside Politics podcast, the prime minister said the separation of church and state was one reason he was sworn into office with an affirmation rather than with a Bible.
But he added that his 'no one left behind' mantra was underpinned by a moral imperative to use the tools of government to lift people up.
Here's the full story.
7.00am
Momentum builds for Liberal inquiry
By Paul Sakkal
Momentum is building within the Liberal Party to launch a special inquiry into its future as Coalition leaders Sussan Ley and David Littleproud jostle over the role of nuclear energy, risking a formal split of the parties.
Littleproud travelled from Canberra to Albury to meet with Ley – who is in her hometown to be with her dying mother – about the future of the Coalition pact that allows them to create a joint shadow cabinet.
Debate continues about whether the Coalition should retain its polarising plan to build nuclear reactors, a key line of attack for Labor during the campaign.
Littleproud, whose party lobbied for the energy overhaul last term, is under pressure from his MPs to secure a guarantee to enshrine the nuclear policy in any agreement signed with Ley.
7.00am
What you need to know
Good morning, and welcome to our live coverage of today's national news stories. I'm Ben Cubby, and I'll be with you for the morning.
It's Friday, May 16.
Here's what's making news.
Momentum is building in the Liberal Party to launch a special inquiry into its future, as Coalition leaders Sussan Ley and David Littleproud jostle over nuclear energy, risking a formal split.
Ben Roberts-Smith will find out this morning if he has won his court bid to overturn a devastating defamation loss.
Prime minister Anthony Albanese has spoken about his views on religious faith as he prepares to travel to Rome for the inaugural mass of Pope Leo XIV and hold meetings with world leaders.
The vote count continues today, as Liberal Tim Wilson's lead over independent Zoe Daniel in the Melbourne seat of Goldstein narrows further.
In Victoria, the state government is secretly mapping the infiltration of big infrastructure projects by firms with suspected underworld links and warning key contractors to cut ties with gangland figures.
In NSW, the state's healthcare system risks being overwhelmed by an avalanche of ageing and chronically ill patients, a special commission report has found.
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Perth Now
10 minutes ago
- Perth Now
‘On notice': Trump's new beef demand
US President Donald Trump has issued a scorching demand for any global bans on US beef to be lifted, following the relaxation of importation rules in Australia. In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Mr Trump said 'After many years Australia has agreed to accept American Beef'. 'For a long time, and even though we are great friends, they actually banned our Beef.' He insisted that the US would now sell 'so much to Australia'. 'This is undeniable and irrefutable Proof that U.S. Beef is the Safest and Best in the entire World. 'The other Countries that refuse our magnificent Beef are ON NOTICE. 'All of our Nation's Ranchers, who are some of the hardest working and most wonderful people, are smiling today, which means I am smiling too. He ended the post with a call to 'keep the Hot Streak going'. It comes after the Albanese government's decision to lift restrictions on US beef imports, which came after a lengthy science-based review. The relaxation of the rules has however faced criticism from the Coalition for its 'exquisite' timing as Labor enters trade negotiations with the US. The Trump Administration claimed credit for the change in a Department of Agriculture press release titled 'Make Agriculture Great Again Trade Wins: President Trump Secures Greater Ag Market Access to Australia for American Beef'. The US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said the change removed 'non-scientific trade barriers'. 'Gone are the days of putting American farmers on the sidelines,' Ms Rollins said. 'This is yet another example of the kind of market access the President negotiates to bring America into a new golden age of prosperity, with American agriculture leading the way.' The Albanese government has insisted that there are no biosecurity risks in lifting the restrictions. NewsWire / Martin Ollman Credit: News Corp Australia The change was also praised by US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in a statement on Thursday that singled out US President Donald Trump's 'leadership' for the change. 'Yesterday's decision by Australia marks a major milestone in lowering trade barriers and securing market access for US farmers and ranchers,' he said. 'President Trump is taking decisive action to confront unfair trading practices, and Australia's decision to unlock market access for US beef is a direct result of his leadership.' US beef was first banned in Australia in 2003 following an outbreak of mad cow disease. It was a total ban until 2019, when it was lifted, albeit restrictions remained on US exports that originated in Canada or Mexico. Australia had maintained the ban under the banner of biosecurity, but Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said that the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry was 'satisfied' with the 'strengthened control measures' put in place by the US. Local Australian beef producers have said the expect the new import rules to have minimal effect, citing high demand in the US and Australian's preference for homegrown meat. 'The potential for US beef to be imported into Australia in large volumes is minimal, given the high demand for beef in the US, the low US cattle herd, the strength of the Australian dollar, our competitive domestic supply, and most importantly Australians' strong preference for high-quality, tasty and nutritious Australian beef,' Meat and Livestock Australia said in a statement.

Sydney Morning Herald
40 minutes ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Acting like a medieval king': PM faces multiparty push on staffing
Every MP is also allocated five electoral staff, who typically deal with constituency matters, media and stakeholders rather than legislation. The government gave every MP an extra electoral staffer in the previous parliament. The Coalition joined the outcry over staffing allocation independence – long made by others in the parliament, including crossbenchers Lidia Thorpe, David Pocock and Jacqui Lambie, who avoided cuts this time – when its own allocations were slashed last month. A government spokesperson said Labor had also had its staff reduced this term, though they did not say by how many. 'At the start of this parliamentary term, personal staffing allocations have been reduced for the government, opposition and the Greens,' they said. The government has previously said the opposition has little right to criticise Albanese's decision to cut its staff because it had planned to cut public service jobs if it won. Staffing for the opposition is typically set relative to the government, which would have given it more staff between fewer MPs because Labor won so many seats at the election. Australia's Voice senator Fatima Payman, who defected from Labor last term, said she was the only senator without personal staff, despite repeated requests to the prime minister for more resources. Payman attempted to establish an inquiry into staffing on Thursday – a move she said had broad support including through 'a very unlikely alliance' with One Nation, whose staff remained the same despite adding two more senators – into how the prime minister decided to allocate staff, but it failed at the last moment, 34 votes to 29. 'An hour before I got onto my feet, my team received notice that the Greens won't be backing it,' she said. 'Now it begs the question, what kind of dirty deal was made that they pulled out last minute? '[The Greens] talk a big game on transparency and integrity, and this is when it mattered most because we would have been able to investigate what's really going on, and you back down. Why?' Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said her party was waiting for an independent review of MP staffing from the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service before considering alternative interventions. The review will examine parliamentary workloads and make recommendations on broad resourcing allocations and support services for offices. 'Australians want politicians to focus on the issues impacting the community, not on ourselves or the trimmings of elected office,' Hanson-Young said. The 2021 Jenkins review into parliament's toxic culture found stressed and overworked employees were a risk factor for inappropriate behaviour and a negative work environment. Payman said she did not have the resources to represent such a large state on every issue, her staff were working 15- to 16-hour days, and they weren't paid appropriately.

The Age
40 minutes ago
- The Age
‘Acting like a medieval king': PM faces multiparty push on staffing
Every MP is also allocated five electoral staff, who typically deal with constituency matters, media and stakeholders rather than legislation. The government gave every MP an extra electoral staffer in the previous parliament. The Coalition joined the outcry over staffing allocation independence – long made by others in the parliament, including crossbenchers Lidia Thorpe, David Pocock and Jacqui Lambie, who avoided cuts this time – when its own allocations were slashed last month. A government spokesperson said Labor had also had its staff reduced this term, though they did not say by how many. 'At the start of this parliamentary term, personal staffing allocations have been reduced for the government, opposition and the Greens,' they said. The government has previously said the opposition has little right to criticise Albanese's decision to cut its staff because it had planned to cut public service jobs if it won. Staffing for the opposition is typically set relative to the government, which would have given it more staff between fewer MPs because Labor won so many seats at the election. Australia's Voice senator Fatima Payman, who defected from Labor last term, said she was the only senator without personal staff, despite repeated requests to the prime minister for more resources. Payman attempted to establish an inquiry into staffing on Thursday – a move she said had broad support including through 'a very unlikely alliance' with One Nation, whose staff remained the same despite adding two more senators – into how the prime minister decided to allocate staff, but it failed at the last moment, 34 votes to 29. 'An hour before I got onto my feet, my team received notice that the Greens won't be backing it,' she said. 'Now it begs the question, what kind of dirty deal was made that they pulled out last minute? '[The Greens] talk a big game on transparency and integrity, and this is when it mattered most because we would have been able to investigate what's really going on, and you back down. Why?' Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said her party was waiting for an independent review of MP staffing from the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service before considering alternative interventions. The review will examine parliamentary workloads and make recommendations on broad resourcing allocations and support services for offices. 'Australians want politicians to focus on the issues impacting the community, not on ourselves or the trimmings of elected office,' Hanson-Young said. The 2021 Jenkins review into parliament's toxic culture found stressed and overworked employees were a risk factor for inappropriate behaviour and a negative work environment. Payman said she did not have the resources to represent such a large state on every issue, her staff were working 15- to 16-hour days, and they weren't paid appropriately.