logo
Albanese government knew the US would strike Iran but not when

Albanese government knew the US would strike Iran but not when

Sky News AU21 hours ago

Sky News Political Editor Andrew Clennell has revealed that the Albanese government knew the US was planning to strike Iran but wasn't aware of when they would occur.
'I understand the National Security Committee of Cabinet met on this last Monday morning before the PM made his statements on it,' he said.
'The government knew the US was planning the strikes, but weren't aware when they would occur, is my understanding.'

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Security expert brands Anthony Albanese's handling of US strikes on Iran 'disturbing' following revelation Prime Minister had advanced knowledge of attack
Security expert brands Anthony Albanese's handling of US strikes on Iran 'disturbing' following revelation Prime Minister had advanced knowledge of attack

Sky News AU

timean hour ago

  • Sky News AU

Security expert brands Anthony Albanese's handling of US strikes on Iran 'disturbing' following revelation Prime Minister had advanced knowledge of attack

Strategic Analysis Australia director Michael Shoebridge has argued Anthony Albanese's response to United States strikes on Iran was made "even more disturbing" by revelations the Prime Minister had advanced knowledge of the attacks. Mr Albanese came under intense scrutiny over his and the government's reaction to news the US had bombed three of Iran's key nuclear facilities. The government initially put out a statement attributed only to a spokesperson which failed to explicitly support the attacks before the Prime Minister later held a press conference to give direct backing. Critics of Labor and Mr Albanese claimed the response showed the government was out of step with the Trump Administration and had been caught flat-footed by the US. However, on Sunday Sky News Australia revealed the Prime Minister did have advanced knowledge the US planned to attack Iran's nuclear sites, although not the exact timing on when the strikes would occur. According to Mr Shoebridge, the revelation is likely to prompt further questions about Mr Albanese's handling of the issue. "I think it's good that our government knew about this beforehand, but the fact that the government knew before it happened, that the US was going to bomb Iran, makes the Prime Minister's performance even more disturbing," he told Sky News. "Let's remember, the strikes happened on a Sunday. Almost every other world leader reacted that day. It wasn't until Monday that we got a stilted press conference from the Prime Minister and he still sounded clueless and flat-footed. "That made sense when we thought the whole thing had come as a surprise to him, but knowing he had pre-warning makes his performance quite bizarre." Shadow defence minister Angus Taylor last week claimed Mr Albanese had expressed "anti-US alliance' sentiments by failing to quickly back in the strikes and it is possible that criticism will be renewed following the revelation Labor had advanced warning. The back and forth over the government's response comes as the relationship between Australia and the US continues to experience increasing scrutiny after the re-election of President Donald Trump. Critics of the government have highlighted past comments from senior Labor figures about the US President to suggest there is a disconnect between the leadership of both countries. Australia has also come under pressure over its approach to defence spending, with Trump Administration officials pushing for Labor to lift its outlay. Mr Albanese and Defence Minister Richard Marles have both stuck by existing plans to increase spending to 2.3 per cent of GDP, despite pressure to reach 3.5 per cent from US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. "We have increased our defence investment,' the Prime Minister said on Friday. 'What we're doing is making sure that Australia has the capability that we need - that's what we're investing in.'

Pay penalties to be saved as workers score wage win
Pay penalties to be saved as workers score wage win

Perth Now

time4 hours ago

  • Perth Now

Pay penalties to be saved as workers score wage win

Workers on the minimum wage will get more money in a matter of days, as the employment minister pledges to enshrine workplace conditions. From the start of the financial year on Tuesday, workers on the minimum wage will get a 3.5 per cent pay lift, which will mean they take home $24.95 per hour, or $948 per week. The 3.5 per cent rise will also apply to award wages. The increase, which came in above inflation, would help workers keep up with the cost of living, Employment Minister Amanda Rishworth said. "For someone on ordinary hours on the minimum wage, that will be an extra $1700. This is ensuring that these workers get the pay that they deserve," she told reporters in Adelaide on Sunday. "We made it very clear that we thought that these workers deserved a real wage increase, particularly to ensure that they don't fall behind, but they can also actually get ahead." Changes from Tuesday mean the amount of superannuation paid into workers' accounts will increase from 11.5 per cent to 12 per cent and be expanded to include parents taking leave to care for their newborns. A mother-of-two's retirement savings will get a boost of about $14,800, with about 200,000 mums benefiting from the change annually. Parents will gain an additional 10 days, totalling 120 days, of parental leave for babies born after Tuesday. Ms Rishworth said the rise in the minimum wage would complement upcoming laws to federal parliament that would protect penalty rates for workers. But she did not say whether the Albanese government would legislate working from home in the upcoming parliamentary term. "We plan to legislate penalty rates in awards to protect them from being eroded," she said. "Our focus is legislating on what we took to the election. Any other ideas ... we will consider that in the normal course of events." For 2.4 million people on social security payments, the new financial year brings a 2.4 per cent increase to some payments because of indexation. Families on the Family Tax Benefit Part A, will receive $227.36 a fortnight for children aged under 13 and $295.82 for children aged 13 or over. Those on Family Tax Benefit Part B have their payments increase to $193.34 and those with a youngest child aged five or over, the rate will increase to $134.96 a fortnight. While aged pension rates aren't increasing, the threshold for the income and assets a pensioner must earn under to receive a full pension will lift by 2.4 per cent. Four new Medicare items will support longer consultation times and higher rebates for specialised gynaecological care from Tuesday. They apply to initial and follow-up consultations which last a minimum of 45 minutes, either in person or via video, while new menopause and perimenopause health assessments will also be made available. Energy bill support will continue from the government, bringing down pressure on households and small businesses with a $150 rebate automatically applied to bills in two quarterly instalments. But some households could be in for a power bill shock as new benchmark prices take effect, with NSW customers on standing offers facing increases of between 8.3 per cent to 9.7 per cent. Southeast Queensland customers on default plans can expect hikes of between 0.5 per cent and 3.7 per cent, while people in South Australia face rises of 2.3 per cent to 3.2 per cent. Victorian households can expect an average one per cent bump, with some distribution zones actually set for small price drops.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store