Latest news with #Boele
West Australian
13 hours ago
- Business
- West Australian
Australian news and politics live: Ted O'Brien accuses Labor of tax grab as superannuation negotiations break
Scroll down for the latest news and updates. Independent Nicolette Boele says she is 'very confident' in the outcome of the Bradfield recount, which saw her narrowly defeat Liberal candidate Gisele Kapterian by 26 votes after weeks of intense counting and scrutiny. 'I think I'm very confident with the process that's been run by the AEC and the outcome that we have here. So I'm keen to get on with the job, but I can understand you might need to ask that question to Giselle Kapterian,' Ms Boele told ABC RN Breakfast. Boele described the Australian Electoral Commission's process as 'one of the most impressive and comprehensive' she had seen, and praised her opponent as a 'formidable candidate.' The AEC confirmed the recount was conducted transparently and thoroughly, with scrutineers from both sides present throughout the process. Treasurer Jim Chalmers says the government is prepared to work with the crossbench to secure passage of Labor's superannuation tax changes. Asked whether the government was offering a 'take-it-or-leave-it' deal and if concessions had been ruled out with the Greens, Chalmers said: 'We don't have the numbers in the Senate to pass our legislation on our own. We need to engage with the crossbench, in particular, in this instance. And I intend to do that,' while speaking to ABC RN Breakfast. He added, 'But our intention, our preference, is to legislate the plan that we announced almost two-and-a-half years ago now.' Australian and European Union trade negotiators will spend two days thrashing out the details of a potential new agreement after a breakthrough meeting between Australia's Trade Minister and his EU counterpart in Paris. The trade talks collapsed in 2023 over the EU's refusal to allow more Australian beef into the single market. But as a result of US President Donald Trump imposing tariffs on the EU and Australia, and most recently increasing duties on steel to 50 per cent, both sides want to see if they can try again. The Nightly revealed that during the election campaign , Senator Farrell held a virtual call with his new EU counterpart, the Trade and Economic Security Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, for a preliminary meeting. That meeting made progress. And in a positive sign, both sides cleared their diaries for their top trade negotiators to meet in Brussels as soon as this week for two days. Senator Farrell told The Nightly that Mr Secovic was 'warm and engaging'. 'We had a good meeting and discussed how we can strike while the iron is hot,' he said in an interview by phone from Paris. Read the full story here. Australia's economy recorded just 0.2 per cent growth in the March quarter, sparking questions about the nation's resilience. Despite the modest figure, Treasurer Jim Chalmers insists the economy is holding up well, citing improvements in inflation, wages, and interest rates. 'The Australian economic story is a very compelling one. The economy continues to grow, we've got inflation lower, real wages and incomes are growing, interest rates have started to come down, we've got the debt down in the budget. And so, overwhelmingly, Australia's economy is performing relatively well compared with the rest of the world,' Dr Chalmers told RN Breakfast on Thursday morning. 'Even modest growth in these global circumstances is welcome. We do have a global economy which is characterised by uncertainty and volatility and unpredictability,' he said. Ted O'Brien expressed his disappointment after the Liberal Party lost the traditionally safe seat of Bradfield to independent candidate Nicolette Boele following a recount. The Australian Electoral Commission confirmed on Wednesday that Boele won by a narrow margin of 26 votes after a full recount. The contest had been closely fought for weeks, with Liberal candidate Gisele Kapterian and Boele exchanging leads. 'I'm sad to see those results,' O'Brien told ABC News Breakfast. 'Of course, the party at the level of New South Wales, the division, will be reviewing those results as will Giselle who is the candidate there. So let's wait to see how that review goes but I was sad and it does hurt to see that.' The loss ends the Liberal Party's 76-year hold on the Sydney North Shore seat. The recount process included a thorough review of all votes, with the AEC finding two instances of inadvertent double voting but no deliberate fraud. Ms Kapterian has thanked the AEC for their work and said she will carefully review the two counts. The result does not affect the overall balance of power, with Labor holding 94 seats and the Coalition 43. Any chance of a deal between the Coalition and the Government on superannuation reforms appears to have collapsed, after Treasurer Jim Chalmers accused the opposition of not being 'fair dinkum' in negotiations. But Shadow Treasurer Ted O'Brien has pushed back on ABC News Breakfast, blaming Labor for the standoff. 'Well, I have already outlined our concerns and the Treasurer is saying he's proceeding anyway and he's running to the warm embrace of the Greens in the hope of just jacking up taxes,' Mr O'Brien said. 'So we're clear with our principles. Lower taxes, simpler taxes, fairer taxes, and so that's where we stand on it. And clearly what the Treasurer is saying is he's not interested in lower taxes, simpler or fairer ones and that's for him to make that decision. 'If he wants to hurt Australians with higher taxes at this stage, well, that's on him.' The standoff comes as the government prepares to lift the Superannuation Guarantee rate from 11.5 per cent to 12 per cent from July 2025, and to introduce a higher 30 per cent tax rate on super balances above $3 million, changes the Coalition has strongly opposed. A Liberal state minority government is in political turmoil with a premier set to be dumped by parliament and a snap election looming. Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff faced a no-confidence motion on Wednesday, with a marathon debate expected to continue when sittings resume on Thursday morning. The motion, put forward by the Labor opposition, appears all but certain to pass with support of the Greens and three crossbench MPs. Mr Rockliff has conceded the numbers are against him but has vowed to 'fight to his last breath' and not resign. This stance could end up triggering an election, some 15 months after the Liberals were returned to power, governing in minority with just 14 of 35 seats in the lower house. Labor and some of the crossbench have lashed Mr Rockliff for budget 'mismanagement' and delays and cost blowouts to the delivery of two new Bass Strait ferries.
7NEWS
a day ago
- General
- 7NEWS
Federal election: Teal indpendent Nicole Boele wins Bradfield by 27 votes
Independent Nicolette Boele has claimed the last remaining seat of the federal election after winning a closely fought recount for the Sydney electorate of Bradfield. The recount saw the teal independent finish just 27 votes ahead of Liberal candidate Gisele Kapterian. Ms Kapterian led by eight votes after the first count of the seat was carried out, which triggered an automatic recount by the Australian Electoral Commission as the result was under 100 votes. Ms Boele then regained a narrow lead during the recount, holding on to claim victory. The independent won the seat on Sydney's north shore on her second attempt, winning what was one of the Liberal Party's safest seats in parliament. After some media outlets declared the seat for Ms Kapterian during the initial count, she was allowed to take part in a Liberal party room vote for a new leader in May. The Liberal candidate was assigned a portfolio in Opposition Leader Sussan Ley's shadow cabinet, contingent on the final outcome in Bradfield. The margin in Bradfield following the recount is one of the closest at a federal election in history. It is not clear whether the Liberals will consider a legal challenge to the election result in the Court of Disputed Returns. Ms Boele's victory means there will be 13 MPs on the crossbench in the lower house, while the coalition will have 43 seats against Labor with 94 seats in the new parliament.
West Australian
a day ago
- General
- West Australian
Final seat in federal election decided on just 27 votes
Independent Nicolette Boele has claimed the last remaining seat of the federal election after winning a closely fought recount for the Sydney electorate of Bradfield. The recount saw the teal independent finish just 27 votes ahead of Liberal candidate Gisele Kapterian. Ms Kapterian led by eight votes after the first count of the seat was carried out, which triggered an automatic recount by the Australian Electoral Commission as the result was under 100 votes. Ms Boele then regained a narrow lead during the recount, holding on to claim victory. The independent won the seat on Sydney's north shore on her second attempt, winning what was one of the Liberal Party's safest seats in parliament. After some media outlets declared the seat for Ms Kapterian during the initial count, she was allowed to take part in a Liberal party room vote for a new leader in May. The Liberal candidate was assigned a portfolio in Opposition Leader Sussan Ley's shadow cabinet, contingent on the final outcome in Bradfield. The margin in Bradfield following the recount is one of the closest at a federal election in history. It is not clear whether the Liberals will consider a legal challenge to the election result in the Court of Disputed Returns. Ms Boele's victory means there will be 13 MPs on the crossbench in the lower house, while the coalition will have 43 seats against Labor with 94 seats in the new parliament.
AU Financial Review
a day ago
- General
- AU Financial Review
Teal Boele set to defeat Liberal in Bradfield recount
Teal independent Nicolette Boele is poised to win the seat of Bradfield after a full recount but could face a legal challenge from Liberals seeking a fresh election. Sources familiar with the progress of the count said on Wednesday that Boele's lead – currently 27 votes – was holding with just a handful of remaining challenges to ballots to be decided before the result is announced by the Australian Electoral Commission.
Perth Now
a day ago
- General
- Perth Now
Final seat in federal election decided on just 27 votes
Independent Nicolette Boele has claimed the last remaining seat of the federal election after winning a closely fought recount for the Sydney electorate of Bradfield. The recount saw the teal independent finish just 27 votes ahead of Liberal candidate Gisele Kapterian. Ms Kapterian led by eight votes after the first count of the seat was carried out, which triggered an automatic recount by the Australian Electoral Commission as the result was under 100 votes. Ms Boele then regained a narrow lead during the recount, holding on to claim victory. The independent won the seat on Sydney's north shore on her second attempt, winning what was one of the Liberal Party's safest seats in parliament. After some media outlets declared the seat for Ms Kapterian during the initial count, she was allowed to take part in a Liberal party room vote for a new leader in May. The Liberal candidate was assigned a portfolio in Opposition Leader Sussan Ley's shadow cabinet, contingent on the final outcome in Bradfield. The margin in Bradfield following the recount is one of the closest at a federal election in history. It is not clear whether the Liberals will consider a legal challenge to the election result in the Court of Disputed Returns. Ms Boele's victory means there will be 13 MPs on the crossbench in the lower house, while the coalition will have 43 seats against Labor with 94 seats in the new parliament.
