Australia politics live: five Coalition backbenchers urge Liberals and Nationals to push Labor harder on gambling reform: RBA interest rates decision due today
Deal between Labor and the Coalition is expected within days. Follow today’s news live
A closed-door Coalition meeting on Tuesday heard concerns about ‘perceived behaviour of gambling preying on the vulnerable’. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
A closed-door Coalition meeting on Tuesday heard concerns about ‘perceived behaviour of gambling preying on the vulnerable’. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
Liberal and Nationals MPs have had their weekly catch up at Parliament House, with the meeting including interesting discussions about the government’s plans to limit online gambling advertising.
We’re told nine MPs raised gambling in the closed-door meeting, with five backbenchers urging the Coalition to go further and strengthen Labor’s plans. Another four MPs warned about the need to get the balance right and not go too far in limiting advertising.
The opposition leader, Angus Taylor, told the meeting he would continue to discuss the matter with the prime minister, Anthony Albanese. A deal between Labor and the Coalition is expected within days. Separately, the shadow communications minister, Sarah Henderson, is speaking with the minister, Anika Wells, about a possible agreement.
Whatever deal is struck will be subject to the usual Coalition process, which would involve approval from the partyroom. That could happen in next week’s partyroom meeting.
Moves to ban inducements or to move to an opt-in system for gambling advertising were discussed in the meeting but the talks were not at that level of detail.
The meeting heard concerns about “perceived behaviour of gambling preying on the vulnerable”.
The matter remains “a moving feast” according to Liberal MPs.
Gambling negotiations ongoing, no breakthrough yet
A Labor-Coalition deal on gambling may still be a little way off, despite Anthony Albanese’s proclamations yesterday and the feeling that an agreement was imminent.
But Guardian Australia understands some small tweaks to the timing of TV advertising, specifically to lessen the impact on children, could be among the things being considered.
Albanese and Angus Taylor are meeting now, with discussions also ongoing between communications minister Anika Wells and her counterparts Sarah Hanson-Young and Sarah Henderson. The Greens are still talking with the government, which signals a deal with the Coalition is not yet done, but Labor sources say they are still confident Taylor is coming onboard.
It’s understood the Greens haven’t yet seen any potential amendments to the gambling bill, after Albanese yesterday said changes to inducements and targeted advertising were in the works. But it’s understood that small tweaks to the rules around TV ads are being considered.
Labor’s proposed changes would see gambling ads restricted to three per hour on broadcast TV between 6am and 8.30pm. But further tweaks to that may be part of the discussions. Other reforms potentially in the frame could be around the discrepancy in ad rules on broadcast TV versus streaming services.
The Greens have further concerns that not enough is being done to restrict online advertising, particularly on social media and platforms like Google ads, as well as on streaming services.
The Senate inquiry into the gambling reforms will report back on Friday, so the bill won’t be in the Senate this week. But the government is expected to make amendments to the bill in the lower house, with that bill scheduled for debate tomorrow.
Liberal and Nationals MPs have had their weekly catch up at Parliament House, with the meeting including interesting discussions about the government’s plans to limit online gambling advertising.
We’re told nine MPs raised gambling in the closed-door meeting, with five backbenchers urging the Coalition to go further and strengthen Labor’s plans. Another four MPs warned about the need to get the balance right and not go too far in limiting advertising.
The opposition leader, Angus Taylor, told the meeting he would continue to discuss the matter with the prime minister, Anthony Albanese. A deal between Labor and the Coalition is expected within days. Separately, the shadow communications minister, Sarah Henderson, is speaking with the minister, Anika Wells, about a possible agreement.
Whatever deal is struck will be subject to the usual Coalition process, which would involve approval from the partyroom. That could happen in next week’s partyroom meeting.
Moves to ban inducements or to move to an opt-in system for gambling advertising were discussed in the meeting but the talks were not at that level of detail.
The meeting heard concerns about “perceived behaviour of gambling preying on the vulnerable”.
The matter remains “a moving feast” according to Liberal MPs.
Victorian chamber of commerce welcomes Carroll’s delay towork from home laws
The Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has welcomed premier Ben Carroll’s decision to delay the start of the government’s Australian-first legislation giving workers the right to work from home two days a week until after the state election.
Carroll also said debate on the bill – which was expected to pass the upper house later this week – would be delayed.
The Victorian chamber’s chief executive, Sally Curtain, reiterated the organisation’s call for the government to abandon the bill entirely, saying it hoped to persuade Carroll “to abandon this destructive course”. Curtain said:
The Victorian chamber maintains that the bill must be scrapped as it is completely unnecessary, costly and burdensome for Victorian businesses.
As it stands, this legislation remains a profound risk to our state’s economy.
Albanese and Lâm announce strengthening of Australia-Vietnam partnership
Anthony Albanese says Australia and Vietnam are close friends and trusted strategic partners as he and Tô Lâm announce a stronger economic partnership.
The pair are addressing the media, and Albanese says they have agreed to “stronger cooperation across defence, maritime and border security, the digital economy, agriculture, energy, minerals, science and innovation”.
As part of the talks, Vietnam has also agreed to open market access to Australian kangaroo and deer meat.
Of course, the PM also mentions the importance of the relationship in the face of global instability.
We also spoke about the strategic challenges which face our region. Australia and Vietnam both want an Indo-Pacific that is peaceful, stable and prosperous … And I look forward to working closely with Vietnam at this year’s Asean meetings and the east Asia summit, and then afterwards at the Apec summit.
Lâm says he and Albanese have held “open and candid and substantive bilateral talks”, and welcomes the outcomes.
He adds that the two countries will “seek new breakthroughs” in economic trade and investment and “enhance corporation in AI, semiconductor, digital technology, cybersecurity, green technology and emerging technology”.
We also agree to bolster cooperation in defence and security on the basis of international law and respect for each other’s independent sovereignty and legitimate interest.
We agree to seek new breakthroughs in economic trade and investment corporation in line with our [comprehensive strategic partnership], advanced inclusive, substantive and effective collaboration to address disruptions to supply chains, and we remain determined to further increase our two-way trade and investment turnover.
Anthony Albanese and the Vietnamese president, Tô Lâm, exchange documents after a bilateral meeting in Canberra. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP
Albanese and Lâm take veiled swipe at Trump and China in joint statement
Anthony Albanese and Tô Lâm have released a joint statement following their meeting – ahead of some public remarks.
The pair have agreed to deeper cooperation under the comprehensive strategic partnership established last year.
The statement talks about the importance of economic resilience “foundational to national security and prosperity”.
Within the statement, the pair say:
Both sides expressed their concern over policies and practices that disrupt global supply chains or unnecessarily restrict trade. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to promoting a fair, transparent, open and rules-based multilateral trading system.
This, while not naming names, seems to heavily hint at Donald Trump’s trade tariffs and China.
Housing slowdown caused by interest rates not tax reforms, says Westpac
Slumping home loans are a consequence of the Reserve Bank’s interest rate rises this year, as much or more than the investment tax changes in the federal budget, according to Westpac.
Yesterday the bank reported owner-occupier loans were down 18%, comparing the first three months of 2026 to the period 15 May to 31 July, after three rate hikes. Investor loans had fallen 26%, reflecting the budget’s tax reforms.
The bank’s chief financial officer, Nathan Goonan, told analysts on a call:
The rate impact is probably equal or potentially a bigger impact than anything that happened in the budget.
Goonan also reported applications for refinancing had been more resilient than for new home loans.
Credit bureau Equifax reported overall mortgage demand was down 16.4% in July, compared to the same month last year. First home buyer demand has fallen further, at 19.1%.
The slump in home lending and house prices has caught the RBA by surprise and is one reason it is unlikely to hike rates again today, as you can read here:
Bird flu ‘not in our agriculture system’ at this time: Collins
Julie Collins tells the press conference that at this stage, there is no evidence bird flu has infiltrated the poultry and agriculture sector.
She says the government has learned a lot of lessons from previous incursions of bird flu, which Australia was able to eradicate.
Collins says the government has secured $2m worth of vaccinations which translates to about 1,500 vials.
We continue to work really closely particularly with the chicken meat and egg industry in relation to keeping it out of our system … overseas we have seen it spread over into agriculture, so we’re doing everything we can to keep it out of our agriculture system, and at this time it’s not in our agriculture system.
The chief veterinary officer, Beth Cookson, says vaccines will help but there will be variations in the level of immunity that the vaccines can bring to the bird populations.
That’s why it is a complementary tool and enhanced biosecurity will always be the first line of defence … no influenza vaccine is 100% protective.
‘We are going to see more mass mortalities of birds’: Watt
The environment minister, Murray Watt, says the government has been doing targeted trials of vaccines, which will now be broadened out to protect native species and birds in captivity.
Watt says that part of the government’s $113m bird flu preparedness plan has involved sealing off enclosures in zoos to stop wild birds coming in, and increasing captive breeding populations in zoos, “to make sure we do have viable populations of our most endangered species”.
Where it is possible to vaccinate wild birds we will do so, but the priority is to vaccinate birds that are in captivity and in zoos and other institutions we have been taking steps to ensure we do have populations of our most vulnerable bird species and they are going to be the priority when it comes to vaccination.
Julie Collins says state, territory and federal governments have all been testing to see which species respond effectively to the vaccine.
Asked which species will be vaccinated first and where, Collins says that’ll be up to the states and territories to announce.
The agriculture minister, Julie Collins, and environment minister, Murray Watt. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP
First vaccines for bird flu to begin rolling out in ‘coming days and weeks’
The agriculture minister, Julie Collins, says priority species of birds in captivity will be the first to be vaccinated, with the rollout to begin soon.
Speaking at a press conference in parliament, Collins says the government can’t stop the spread in wild birds, but can protect some native species.
I can announce that the first vaccines are expected to roll out in coming days and weeks based on an agreed national approach to the targeted vaccination of priority native bird species.
This approach will mean that the states and territories are able to commence vaccination activities, initially focusing on priority species in captivity identified by those states and territories.
We’ve been very clear that we cannot stop the H5 bird flu from spreading amongst wild birds … Australians should expect to see more spread and larger numbers, particularly of dead birds and mass mortalities around the country from the H5 bird flu. We have been very clear that this will continue to spread across the country.