Australia news LIVE: Tax cuts worth nearly $1900 in federal budget; Home Affairs botched sex-trafficking investigation

In state news, the NSW premier has called a western Sydney council’s decision to ban same-sex parenting books a “joke” as he called on them to immediately repeal the decision.

Cumberland City Council voted in favour of banning the books after councillor Steve Christou claimed parents had complained about a book titled Same Sex Parents.

The motion put forward by Christou declared “that council take immediate action to rid same-sex parents books/materials in council’s library service”.

NSW Premier Chris Minns lashed a Sydney council’s decision to ban a book from its libraries.Credit: Steven Siewert

Premier Chris Minns said the LGBT community was being used by councillors as a political football.

“I just think the whole thing is ridiculous. I mean it’s a library you can choose to read a book or not, it seems to me to be engineered by one of these councillors because there’s an election coming up, but what a joke,” Minns said.

“[Christou] should trust his own citizens enough to walk into a library and read whatever the hell they want.”

Christou said he hadn’t actually read the book, but said he brought forward the ban to protect children from being sexualised.

A motion to rescind the ban will be tabled at the next council meeting after LGBT groups questioned if such a ban was lawful.

A petition supported by Equality Australia to repeal the ban has amassed over 23,000 signatures.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stands by his criticism of China and condemns the superpower for setting off flares near an Australian helicopter.

This week, China and Australia have blamed each other for being provocative after a Chinese fighter jet set off flares near an Australian navy helicopter on Saturday night, forcing the helicopter pilot to take evasive action.

An MH-60R Seahawk Helicopter had flares dropped in front of it by a Chinese fighter jet.Credit: Department of Defence

“I stand by what we have said when it comes to the incident that occurred in North Asia in recent days. Australian Defence Force personnel were engaged in international waters in international skies and engaged in international work consistent with the United Nations sanctions being imposed on North Korea,” Albanese said at his press conference.

“It was legitimate, peaceful activity, which should be respected and which I’m proud of the role that Australian Defence Force personnel play in upholding international law and international sanctions.

“This action by China was unprofessional and unacceptable. We’ve made that very, very clear going forward.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says his government supports freedom of expression but believes people should think through what they say.

Pro-Palestine protests have been growing in universities across the country, as Coalition members including Opposition Leader Peter Dutton argue the chant “from the river to the sea” is antisemitic.

Asked about the government’s position on Israel invading Rafa, Albanese said they have made their position clear over the last 24 hours to the Israeli government

“What we have done again is to communicate to Israel our opposition for a ground invasion to Rafa because we’re concerned about the civilian population that they were told to move from the northern part of Gaza, they were told to move south, you then have a very crowded population,” he said.

“You also have a crowded population that is not clear where they are supposed to go, given the destruction that’s occurred to housing in other parts of Gaza, so we are very concerned about that.”

The prime minister says he is committed to a net-zero future after the gas strategy released by Resources Minister Madeleine King says gas supplies are fundamental to the economic transition.

The federal government will back the case for new gas fields and import terminals to secure the supplies.

The Albanese government says new gas supply is crucial to transition to net zero emissions.Credit: AP

Asked about how this aligns with the government’s net-zero commitments, Albanese said the announcement is positive and makes clear that the strategy is consistent with achieving net-zero by 2050.

“It is consistent with the long position that we have held, my government is committed to a net-zero future. Gas power generation is something that firms renewables,” he said.

He said having gas as an affirming capacity would assist with the transition.

“I think it’s a very positive announcement that we’ve made today, it makes it clear that our future gas strategy is consistent with achieving net-zero by 2050 and indeed it’s a necessary component of achieving net-zero by 2050 as well.”

Anthony Albanese says Victoria was shortchanged by the Coalition government when it came to funding infrastructure projects.

Asked why the prime minister was prioritising the North East link over an airport train, the prime minister said this project on its merits was vital for the missing links in Melbourne.

“This project is here, it’s real and it’s now. We want to support this project, Victoria was being shortchanged on this project,” he said.

Here’s what else he said about infrastructure spending in the state:

Victoria’s share of infrastructure investment fell to just a bit over 8 per cent of the national budget. Victoria is a growing state, Melbourne is a growing city, this is a great project, and we’re proud to contribute to it.

This is a great project, this is a vital piece of the missing links that are here in Melbourne as the Premier [Jacinta Allan] said, it’s not just about where we are now and the magnificent tunnels that will be built here, it’s about the other upgrades that will occur.”

On the delayed Melbourne Airport rail link, he said the airport should “get serious about actually getting things done”.

“There isn’t an agreement with the airport … they [the airport] think they operate in a way that forgets about their social licence,” he said.

Victoria’s Treasurer Tim Pallas said the government expected the Melbourne Airport Rail to be four years behind schedule, despite a mediator recently being appointed to negotiate a dispute over the project.

The airport wants a station at Tullamarine built underground, but the state government is refusing because it says it will be too expensive.

Victoria and the Commonwealth have committed $5 billion each to the project.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced the federal government will commit an extra $3.25 billion to developing the North East Link, an infrastructure project linking major arterial roads in Melbourne.

The boost from the Commonwealth will bring its total contribution to $5 billion for the project, which last year blew out by more than $10 billion from its original cost.

Albanese said this funding will boost economic productivity and be good for locals as well as greater Melbourne.

Anthony Albanese announced more money for a key infrastructure project in Melbourne.Credit: Trevor Collens

“This project here, which is really fitting in a missing link in the Victorian road network to make sure that people can get to where they want to go sooner, in a more safe fashion, and in a way that boosts economic productivity as well,” he said.

“It’s just one of the announcements that we will have in next Tuesday’s budget when it comes to infrastructure.”

Premier Jacinta Allan said the project had been talked about for decades, and the transport project would provide important benefits to the local community.

As we reported earlier, Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said the “missing link” would improve traffic flow across Melbourne.

Fiji’s former long-serving prime minister Frank Bainimarama has been sentenced to a year in prison for perverting the course of justice, local media reported.

Bainimarama was initially spared jail in the case during sentencing last month, before an appeal by the country’s director for public prosecutions.

Former Fiji prime minister Frank Bainimarama in 2022.Credit: Fijian government

A former military chief, Bainimarama came to power in a 2006 coup and later won democratic elections in 2014 and 2018.

He was found guilty this month by the High Court of attempting to pervert the course of justice while he was prime minister by telling a senior police official to stay away from an investigation into the University of South Pacific, court documents show.

Bainimarama led the Pacific island nation for 16 years until narrowly losing an election in December 2022 to a coalition of parties led by current prime minister, Sitiveni Rabuka.

Reuters

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Infrastructure Minister Catherine King were in Melbourne today, where they made an announcement alongside Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan about a key road link.

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