Australia news LIVE: Albanese to set out agenda as parliament returns; Coalition support falls to near-record low
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6.53am
Inside Xi and Albanese's warm, funny lunch in Beijing
Paul Sakkal
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has feted a rare intimate lunch with Chinese President Xi Jinping as a moment of 'trust' in an ambitious new phase in relations, after years of Australia pursuing a more limited policy of stabilisation.
Revealing details of the event for the first time, the prime minister also used an interview to shift his gaze to the domestic agenda, with Labor to pursue pre-election pledges to wipe 20 per cent off student debt and enshrine penalty rates in law, and rush through new laws to boost childcare centre safety after shock allegations of child abuse in Melbourne and Sydney.
In an interview on his flight back to Australia, the prime minister provided details about a private banquet that Xi organised after the pair's formal bilateral talks.
6.48am
Monthly inflation report to be produced from November
By Shane Wright
The Reserve Bank will finally get a monthly insight into the inflation pressures facing the country from November, potentially ending delays in key interest rate decisions that could hurt the economy and lead to higher unemployment.
This masthead can reveal the Australian Bureau of Statistics will release a fully-formed monthly inflation report from November 26, bringing Australia into line with all but one OECD nation.
It marks the start of winding-down the quarterly inflation report that has guided the Reserve Bank since it adopted its 2-3 per cent inflation target in the early 1990s.
6.44am
What's making news today
By Daniel Lo Surdo
Hello and welcome to the national news live blog. My name is Daniel Lo Surdo, and I'll be helming our live coverage this morning.
Here's what is making news today:
Childcare reform and student debt cuts will be among the key agenda items for the federal government as the 48th parliament sits for the first time since the May 3 election this week. It comes as fresh polling found support for the Coalition falling to a near-record low.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has revealed new details about his expansive meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing last week, saying the conversation traversed personal topics and included humour. The prime minister's office described the Xi meeting as the 'centrepiece' of Albanese's week-long China trip, which included conversations with other high-ranking officials and a visit to the Great Wall.
Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff will seek to re-form government with an increased primary vote to the Liberal Party following Saturday's state election, though it's unlikely to lead a majority, and it remains possible for Labor to form minority government.
The Australian sharemarket is expected to retreat on Monday morning, after Wall Street dipped on Friday after media reports indicated that US President Donald Trump was pushing for steep new tariffs on European Union products.
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PM ready to walk the talk as MPs return to parliament
Like many workers on Monday morning, the start of the work week for Anthony Albanese began with a commute from home to the office. As MPs and senators gather in Canberra ahead of the first sitting week of the new parliament, the prime minister braved a chilly winter morning to walk from The Lodge to Parliament House, ahead of official proceedings kicking off. Arriving alongside his son Nathan, the prime minister is set to start his second term in office implementing a lengthy agenda taken to voters at May's election. Labor's ranks have expanded in the 48th parliament to include 94 of the 150 seats in the House of Representatives, being the first government in nearly 60 years to not lose a single seat at a federal poll. The prime minister will address the significantly increased Labor caucus later on Monday, before parliament is officially opened on Tuesday. Earlier, Opposition Leader Sussan Ley addressed her joint party room for the first time since the coalition's landslide loss at the election, which has seen their numbers reduced to just 43 seats. She said the real work of opposition would begin with the start of parliament, but was ready for the challenge. "On behalf of struggling Australians, we are here for them. We are here to take the fight up to (the government)," she told the party room meeting. "That's what people expect. They want a parliament that understands their lives, what their lives are like, and a government that gets out of the way. "Our policies are up for review, but our values are not." Among the laws set to be introduced in the first week of parliament are a 20 per cent reduction for HECS debts for students, expanded protection for penalty rates and increased safety measures for children in childcare centres. Ms Ley said the opposition would be willing to work with the government to get the childcare laws passed as soon as possible. "If the prime minister and his team brings forward constructive policies that are in the national interest, then we'll support them, and we'll work with them," she said. Nationals leader David Littleproud said the coalition is prepared for a tough path back to forming government. "We have to be humble for what has happened to us. But we can do one of two things: we can sit in the corner in the fetal position and give up, or we can come out swinging," he said. "And I can tell you what we will do is come out swinging."
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