Australia politics live: PM says welcome to country a ‘powerful way’ to begin new parliament; Greens to push for climate trigger law

Albanese says welcome to countries not controversial – ‘nor should it be’

Going back to Anthony Albanese’s address to the great hall, he said the welcome to country is a “powerful way” to begin a new parliament.

Welcome to country ceremonies were politicised during the election campaign, but the PM says they are not controversial.

This ceremony didn’t take place until 2007 and was controversial in 2007. It is not controversial today. Nor should it be. It is a respectful way of us beginning our deliberations here in Canberra, which of course means meeting place. What a welcome to country does is holds out like a hand warmly and graciously extended. An opportunity for us to embrace and to show a profound love of home and country.

Albanese says Australia is a “beautiful set of contradictions”, being both a “youthful nation” as well as the “world’s oldest continuous culture”.

Updated at 01.55 CEST

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Greens to introduce climate trigger bill

The Greens say they’ll be introducing the first bill to be debated in the new parliament, to establish a “climate trigger”.

That means when considering whether or not to approve a new project like a coalmine, the government would need to think about the impact it would have on the climate. This isn’t a new idea, but one the government hasn’t committed to as yet.

Larissa Waters, the Greens leader, says it will be introduced in the Senate tomorrow as a private senators’ bill.

Our bill would force the climate impacts of projects to be considered by the minister, and it would also ensure mega-polluting projects can’t get environmental approval at all …

Dirty fossil fuel projects need to be properly assessed for their impacts and rejected, so our kids, and all the precious species we share this beautiful planet with, have a safe climate future.

Updated at 01.55 CEST

Why is the speaker dragged into the chair?

Later this morning, a strange custom will take place in the House of Representatives: the newly elected speaker will get literally dragged into their chair.

It’s a tradition that began in the UK House of Commons, as the old speaker’s function was to communicate the opinions of the common to the monarch.

According to the UK parliamentary website, when the monarch didn’t agree with that opinion, it could result in the … early … death of the speaker, so it’s not really a job that many wanted.

Back then, it was custom for the speaker-elect to struggle and resist all the way to the chair as they were dragged into it.

That tradition continues today, and Milton Dick (who’s very likely to be re-elected speaker) has tended to enjoy that process more!

Updated at 01.49 CEST

Albanese says welcome to countries not controversial – ‘nor should it be’

Going back to Anthony Albanese’s address to the great hall, he said the welcome to country is a “powerful way” to begin a new parliament.

Welcome to country ceremonies were politicised during the election campaign, but the PM says they are not controversial.

Albanese says Australia is a “beautiful set of contradictions”, being both a “youthful nation” as well as the “world’s oldest continuous culture”.

Updated at 01.55 CEST

Sussan Ley addresses Great Hall after welcome to country

Following the prime minister, the opposition leader, Sussan Ley, makes an address.

She says the work of “listening, acting and striving for better” is at the heart of reconciliation.

Ley says the 48th parliament must work to improve outcomes for Indigenous Australians, to improve access to education, healthcare, and address domestic and family violence.

Let us approach that work with resolve and with a shared commitment to real and lasting progress. That work of listening, of acting and of striving for better is at the heart of reconciliation and our national story. Thank you again Aunty Violet for your welcome for the opening of this new parliament. May it set the tone as we recommit ourselves to the taking of practical action to improve lives and expand opportunities for Indigenous Australians in every part of our great country.

Updated at 01.32 CEST

PM addresses Great Hall after welcome to country

The prime minister is now addressing the great hall – we’ll have some pictures from the welcome to country shortly.

Anthony Albanese pays his respects to Aunty Violet Sheridan, as well as current and former ministers for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy, Linda Burney and Ken Wyatt:

With every step, we feel the echoes through history, the footsteps nearly a century distant from us now of every First Nations person who trekked to the opening of the first Parliament House down the hill. The footsteps of the members of the Stolen Generations who came to this place 17 years ago now to hear the words that they needed to hear – “I’m sorry”…

In the 48th parliament, we write the next chapter. Let us do it with the same sense of grace and courage that First Nations people show us with their leadership.

Updated at 01.32 CEST

Aunty Violet Sheridan delivers parliament’s welcome to country

The Ngunnawal elder Aunty Violet Sheridan is giving the welcome to country in the great hall.

She welcomes the prime minister, his fiancee, Jodie Haydon, his son Nathan, the opposition leader, Sussan Ley, the minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy, and others:

I stand here as a proud Ngunnawal woman as I carry my ancestors in spirit. Walking into future teaching the next generations about the oldest culture in the world, my culture, the Ngunnawal Aboriginal culture. This land, its eels and rivers is always was and always will be Ngunnawal land. I honour my Ngunnawal ancestors who walked this country before me and who continue to guide me today.

Updated at 01.33 CEST

Gaza statement ‘alarming’, Coalition MP says

Earlier this morning the Liberal frontbencher Jonno Duniam said the government co-signing a statement condemning Israel for depriving Palestinians of “human dignity”, was an “alarming move”.

Duniam told Sky News the letter “ignores” what Hamas was doing and turned a “blind eye” to how the conflict started:

I think it’s a rather alarming move by the government to have attached itself to this letter … This focus on what Israel is doing and to a degree turning a blind eye to how this conflict started on 7 October those years ago, and the continued holding of hostages, I know it mentions that but there is more to this issue than this letter portrays and I think it is a sad turn of events for our government to have joined with other countries in signing this letter. I think that it is not the right approach for the government to take.

Israel has rejected the joint statement and said it is “disconnected from reality”.

Sussan Ley this morning didn’t go as far as Duniam to criticise the government for signing the statement but also said the focus should be on Hamas and returning hostages.

Updated at 01.01 CEST

The day’s parliamentary agenda

With the ecumenical service done and dusted, we’re getting ready for the parliamentary procedures that will officially open the new parliament.

Here are some of the main events:

At 9am, there will be a Welcome to Country in the parliament’s Great Hall, followed by a smoking ceremony just outside the front doors.

At 10:30am the deputy of the governor general will address all MPs and senators in the Senate chamber to formally open the 48th parliament.

From 10:50am all the new senators and members will be sworn in, and the new House and Senate presidents are elected (it’s all but guaranteed that Queensland MP Milton Dick will be re-elected House speaker and WA senator Sue Lines will be re-elected Senate president).

After a bit of a break between proceedings, the governor general, Sam Mostyn, will arrive at parliament at 2pm. She will receive a royal salute and see the new presiding officers of each house.

At 3pm all the MPs and senators will go back to the Senate chamber, where Mostyn will address the new parliament, and a 19-gun salute to mark the end of her address.

Parliament will begin sitting at 5pm, where the first couple of maiden speeches will commence, including Sarah Witty, the Melbourne MP who defeated former Greens leader Adam Bandt, and Ali France, the Dickson MP who defeated former Liberal leader Peter Dutton.

That means we’ll see the first question time of the new parliament (which I know we’re all super excited for) on Wednesday.

Labor’s new Melbourne MP, Sarah Witty. Photograph: Michelle Grace HunderShare

Updated at 01.22 CEST

Ley promises to be ‘constructive’

We’ve already seen a departure by Ley from the political playbook of Peter Dutton, promising to be a more constructive opposition.

We’ll see some of that this week, with the Coalition saying it wants to work with the government to urgently pass reforms to childcare.

That certainly doesn’t mean Labor will be getting a free pass – there will still be plenty of debate, says Ley.

We’re happy to be constructive with the government, but I and my team will be critical where we need to be, and we won’t hesitate to hold the government to account, and that includes for the promises that it has made.

So in the last parliament, you would remember that Australians were promised a $275 cut to their power bill, which never eventuated. Now leading into this parliament, we saw the prime minister make promises about the number of homes that would be built, and in the lead-up to the election, he also promised Australians would pay less tax. But clearly there is work going on to increase the taxes on hard-working Australians, and we know this because of leaked Treasury advice.

That leaked advice – released to the ABC under an FoI request – advised the government to raise taxes and reduce spending to make the budget more sustainable.

Updated at 00.39 CEST

Ley says rescuing the hostages in Gaza the ‘most important’ thing

Outside the church, following the ceremony, the opposition leader, Sussan Ley, is doing a doorstop.

Asked about the joint statement signed by Australia overnight, Ley says the “most important” thing is rescuing the hostages that remain in Gaza.

The government has said this morning it’s the strongest statement Australia has signed since the outbreak of conflict after the 7 October attacks.

Ley says she wants to see aid enter Gaza, but places the blame on Hamas.

There are still hostages hidden in tunnels, and a way to end the situation is for those hostages to be released by the terrorists, Hamas, who control so much of the activity there. Of course, we want to see aid reach those who deserve it, but it is so important that Hamas, that has control often over the flow of that aid, but certainly over the ongoing completely unacceptable detention of those hostages, act in the interests of the people of Gaza.

The opposition leader, Sussan Ley, delivers a reading on Monday morning during a church service to mark the opening of the parliamentary year in Canberra. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAPShare

Updated at 00.37 CEST

Leaders attend ecumenical church service

We’ve got some pictures of politicians of all stripes attending a service at a church in Canberra.

You can see Coalition and Labor members sitting together on the benches – it’s a peaceful time before all the chaos of parliament begins!

(Front row L-R) Opposition leader Sussan Ley; member for Oxley, Milton Dick; Jodie Haydon and Anthony Albanese attend a parliamentary church service. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAPAlbanese delivers a reading during a church service to mark the opening of the parliamentary year. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAPLey delivers a reading. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAPShare

Updated at 00.22 CEST

Waters is rejecting calls to intervene in the ousting of Greens co-founder Drew Hutton.

The decision to terminate Hutton’s life membership of the Greens was upheld by delegates of the state branches on Sunday.

Waters says she doesn’t have a role in this party process, and is focused on the climate and housing crises.

What we saw was a party-run process where folks could have a say, and our members drive that process, as they always do, and there was an appeal that was heard and a decision was taken, and the party has now finished that process. So it’s not something that, as the parliamentary leader, I have a role in.

Drew Hutton has been expelled from the Greens over what the party considers his pursuit of debate harmful to trans people but that he frames as an issue of free speech. Photograph: Krystle Wright/The GuardianShare

Updated at 01.22 CEST

‘Everything’s negotiable,’ says Waters

Larissa Waters says she “hopes” the government will engage with her differently than they did with her predecessor, Adam Bandt.

Nothing is off the table to negotiate on, says Waters, and points to the reforms the Greens helped get across the line in the last parliament, including the right to disconnect legislation, and $3bn of immediate funding for housing.

Everything’s negotiable. This is a democracy, but we have a climate crisis, a housing crisis and a cost-of-living crisis.

I’m going to give it a good shot. Sally, it remains to be seen. I think this is a real opportunity to tackle the problems that people are facing.

There’s probably still likely to be plenty of tension between the Greens and Labor, particularly on climate policy.

The Greens have been pushing for the government not to open new fossil fuel projects, and will try to negotiate with the government on a new nature positive bill.

Federal Greens leader Larissa Waters. Photograph: Jono Searle/AAPShare

Updated at 00.08 CEST

Greens leader says Netanyahu ‘isn’t listening to stern words’

The Greens have welcomed the government signing a joint statement calling for an immediate end to conflict in Gaza, but leader Larissa Waters says the Netanyahu government “isn’t listening to stern words”.

The letter, signed by Australia and other countries including the UK and France, has condemned “drip feeding of aid” and said there has been “inhumane killing” of Palestinians.

Waters is up next on RN Breakfast and is calling for Australia to do more to help get aid into Gaza.

It’s great that the government signed on to a letter, but I’m afraid it’s just we need actual help to people on the ground there.

We do believe that, and many other international law experts are also of that view, and this is a crime of starvation. This is innocent civilians who are being sent to an early demise, and hospitals are being bombed, the atrocities are unimaginable to many Australians.

Palestinians wait to receive food in the al-Rimal neighbourhood of Gaza City on 20 July. Photograph: Xinhua/ShutterstockShare

Updated at 00.10 CEST

Four-day work week not on our agenda, says Gallagher

Will Australians get a four-day work week?

Next month, Labor will host a productivity roundtable at parliament. Ahead of it, multiple unions are calling for our work weeks to be cut from five down to four days.

Sara asks if this is something the government is looking at … short answer, no, says Gallagher.

It’s not on our agenda. It’s not something we are working on. But I don’t, certainly don’t discount the right of the union movement to raise issues that are important to their members, just as the business community will be raising issues and ideas on behalf of their members.

Gallagher is also asked about the legacy of Mark Latham, the former Labor leader who will now have a plaque under his portrait in the Labor party room noting that he was kicked out.

Gallagher says she was part of the discussions on whether to take down the portrait or write a note under it.

It’s more about acknowledging, I think, a type of leadership that the party doesn’t want to return to … It also allows us to reflect on the fact that the way you know, behaviour and conduct matters and where it doesn’t align with the modern Labor party, the values of the modern Labor party, we’re going to make a statement to that effect.

Portraits of former federal Labor leaders John Curtin, Frank Forde, Ben Chifley, Kim Beazley, Simon Crean and Mark Latham. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAPShare

Updated at 01.01 CEST

Albanese government has been ‘consistently’ calling for a ceasefire in Gaza – Gallagher

The government has been “consistently” calling for a ceasefire and standing with international partners to support Gaza, says the finance minister, Katy Gallagher.

Joining ABC RN Breakfast, Gallagher says the Australian public wants to see conflict end and hostages released.

Host Sally Sara asks Gallagher whether the government believes a genocide is unfolding in Gaza – she won’t say.

I think our position is very clear in the letter that we co-signed overnight, that we want to see the conflict end. We want an immediate ceasefire. We want to stop seeing innocent people killed, we want to see aid getting through, and we want to see hostages return to their families, who are also suffering and have been suffering horribly through, you know, since the events of 7 October.

A funeral ceremony is held for Palestinian journalist Tamir al-Zanin in front of Nasser hospital, following his death in Rafah, Gaza on 21 July. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty ImagesShare

Updated at 23.51 CEST

Tax questions continue

Staying on tax, Burke goes to Sunrise where they also prod him on whether anyone is about to get slugged with new taxes. Again he says the “big” tax change has been the new legislated tax cut top-ups.

Why are these questions being asked? Well, last month, the treasury department accidentally released some redacted documents to the ABC under freedom of information laws.

In the documents, the department advised the government after the election that its 1.2 million homes target wouldn’t be met and that taxes “would need to be raised” and spending reduced to make the budget sustainable.

Burke says the government is getting national debt down, and has already delivered two surpluses.

There is action we have been taking, making some really tough spending decisions as well, to start to bring that debt and deficit down. Because ultimately every taxpayer pays the interest on that money, so we need to keep managing that as the economy grows.

Updated at 23.36 CEST

Burke says ‘nothing scheduled’ for Albanese/Trump meeting

Continuing the media rounds, Tony Burke is on Nine News, who says this slightly-less-than-freezing morning for Canberra is “tropical” (personally, I disagree, I’m still in my puffer jacket).

Burke is asked about whether the government will increase taxes in this term of parliament.The home affairs minister says Labor’s tax cuts, legislated at the end of the last parliament, will come into effect this term.

He won’t say whether there will be any new taxes:

There’s minor tweaks and changes here and there.

Burke is also asked when Anthony Albanese will meet with US President Donald Trump.

He says there’s nothing scheduled as yet:

There’s not something scheduled. But, you know, world leaders meet each other. They’ve had conversations, there’s clearly not a problem because there was going to be one scheduled, and for reasons that no one would argue with, it ended up not going ahead.

Updated at 23.35 CEST

Pro-Palestine protest to mark new parliament in Canberra

Sarah Basford Canales

The first day of the 48th parliament has attracted a number of rallies and vigils urging the Albanese government to do more to address the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Today is the final day of the National Convergence on Canberra, a three-day rally organised by a coalition of pro-Palestinian groups demanding the government impose further sanctions on Israel.

Protesters outside Parliament House on Sunday. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

From around 3pm today, Amnesty International and a host of other groups, including Oxfam Australia and Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders (MSF), will hold a 24-hour vigil where speakers will read the names of more than 17,000 Palestinian children killed by Israeli forces during the 22-month-long conflict in Gaza.

The groups are calling on the federal government to apply pressure on Israel for an immediate and permanent ceasefire as well as safe, unimpeded, and sustained access for humanitarian relief in Gaza.

The Greens senator David Shoebridge is also expected to table an open letter to Anthony Albanese from more than 2,500 healthcare workers from across Australia urging stronger action to address the humanitarian crisis in the strip.

A foreign affairs department spokesperson told Guardian Australia last week Australia is a “resolute defender” of international law and had consistently called on Israel to comply with ICJ’s ruling last year.

The ICJ’s ruling, handed down in July 2024, ordered Israel to end its occupation of the Palestinian territories “as rapidly as possible” and make full reparations for its “internationally wrongful acts”.

Dfat’s spokesperson said:

Australia has consistently been part of international calls that all parties must abide by international humanitarian law. Not enough has been done to protect civilians and aid workers.

We have called on Israel to respond substantively to the ICJ’s [International Court of Justice] advisory opinion on the legal consequences arising from Israel’s policies and practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

We have also called on Israel to comply with the binding orders of the ICJ, including to enable the unhindered provision of basic services and humanitarian assistance at scale.

Australia continues to call on all parties to return to a ceasefire and hostage deal.

Updated at 23.23 CEST

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