Senator calls out ‘incredibly childish stunts’ – as it happened

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What we learned, Thursday 24 July

Parliament was all about the beef today, and a bit about beer. You’ve made it through the first sitting week, and so have we. Here were today’s major updates:

Australia will lift longstanding restrictions on the import of US beef, removing a key reason from the Trump administration to place tariffs on Australian agriculture. The agriculture minister said the department is satisfied the US has strengthened biosecurity measures, adding Australia would “never compromise” on them.

The Coalition is demanding assurances after the deal, with Nationals leader David Littleproud saying he’s “suspicious” about the speed of the decision. Labor has denied it was made to appease Donald Trump, noting it’s the result of a five-year process.

Labor and the Greens condemned One Nation senators for turning their backs on acknowledgments of country in parliament this week. Malarndirri McCarthy called the acts “incredibly childish stunts”.

Richard Marles said Australia is “not making weapons for Israel” after a question from independent MP Helen Haines. “It’s as clear as that”, he said.

RBA governor Michele Bullock said there wouldn’t have been an interest rate cut this month even if the central bank knew the unemployment rate was set to jump.

Barnaby Joyce says he is no chaos agent on net zero, saying he would not challenge Littleproud for the leadership of the Nationals.

The government introduced a proposal to pause the beer tax indexation for two years, a Labor promise from earlier this year. Anthony Albanese has previously called the plan a “win for beer drinkers” and brewers, but a 48-litre keg of mid-strength beer would only see a saving of roughly 18 cents.

See you tomorrow.

Updated at 09.48 CEST

Malarndirri McCarthy criticises One Nation ‘stunts’ in acknowledgment of country debate – video

Malarndirri McCarthy criticises One Nation ‘stunts’ in acknowledgment of country debate – videoSharePatrick Commins

Federal budget deficit to come in at less than half the forecast level, Chalmers says

The federal deficit for the most recent financial year will be less than half the $27.6bn predicted in the March budget papers, after Jim Chalmers in parliament today said the figure “is now expected to be in the low double digits”.

Major budget upgrades were a feature of Labor’s first term, as high commodity prices, powerful jobs growth and spending restraint delivered back-to-back surpluses in 2022-23 and 2023-24.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

The department of finance will release the final budget outcome for 2024-25 in September, and the treasurer in parliamentary question time said “the latest advice” was that “the deficit for the year just finished is much smaller”.

Chalmers went on:

This is another demonstration of our responsible economic management. Inflation is down, real wages are up, unemployment is low, interest rates are coming down.

But we also know there is more work to do because people are still under pressure. The global environment is very uncertain. And we’ve got some big, longstanding structural issues in our economy to deal with as well. We’re upfront about that.

The March budget forecast the deficit to blow out to $42.1bn in 2025-26, but a lower starting point and ongoing high prices for key exports such as iron ore hold out the promise of further improvements in the deficit for this financial year.

Updated at 09.22 CEST

McCarthy says One Nation acknowledgment of country response ‘unacceptable’, ‘rude’ and ‘disrespectful’

Malarndirri McCarthy, the minister for Indigenous Australians, just spoke about the One Nation senators who turned their back to the acknowledgment of country this week in parliament. Earlier today McCarthy criticised the actions as “incredibly childish stunts”. She told Afternoon Briefing of her criticism:

What I was calling on, especially to the new senators and the One Nation team, is remember that you represent millions of Australians and that includes First Nations people and the behaviour in here is unacceptable.

It is rude and disrespectful and that’s not how the Senate works.

Malarndirri McCarthy in the Senate. Photograph: ParlViewShare

Updated at 09.12 CEST

Anne Aly says Australia ‘not averse’ to more sanctions on Israel after receiving Doctors Without Borders petition

Anne Aly, the small business minister, was among a small group of Labor caucus MPs to officially receive a petition from Doctors Without Borders this morning calling for the protection of Palestinians in Gaza. Aly was asked about a tenet of the petition, which calls for the sanctioning of Israel and its leaders. Aly said she was not averse to further sanctions on the country.

We are not averse to sanctioning Israel … We have very clearly said in a letter, I think with 29 other countries, that we are prepared to go further.

Aly stressed the letter signed this week pointed to the power of countries linking together to call for the protection of Palestinians in Gaza.

Sanctions are part of the … tools that we have. They are most effective when they are not done unilaterally, when they’re in consult with and in concert with other countries. That is where I want to see us doing sanctions … We aren’t averse to doing more. We have clearly stated that.

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Israel is facing intensifying international condemnation for its killing of starving Palestinian civilians in Gaza, and its attacks on humanitarian efforts.

According to UN officials on Tuesday, more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the end of May trying to reach food distributions run by the controversial US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

Updated at 09.01 CEST

Greens leader knew Faruqi was going to hold up protest sign during governor general’s speech

The Greens leader, Larissa Waters, was asked about her colleague Mehreen Faruqi’s decision to protest during the governor general’s address to parliament by holding a Gaza protest sign reading, in part, “Sanction Israel”. Faruqi was sanctioned for the move by the Senate yesterday.

Waters told Afternoon Briefing today:

I knew Mehreen was going to hold up a piece of paper and she did so quietly, respectfully, and bringing everyone’s attention to the fact that while we were going to be able to have scones outside after that address, children and women and people in Gaza literally are starving to death.

I think it is really disappointing to see that the conduct – the treatment of that conduct is quite different when you look at, say, One Nation turning their backs on the welcome to country this morning.

That move by One Nation has prompted condemnation from Labor and the Greens today.

Updated at 08.39 CEST

Sarah Basford Canales

Cash responds, tells Wong not to ‘pontificate to us’

While Penny Wong said she didn’t intend to give anyone else leave on the acknowledgment of country matter in the Senate, Michaelia Cash took an issue and was given the chance to respond.

The opposition Senate leader started off calm but it appeared she took issue with Wong’s brief statement after Malarndirri McCarthy, Pauline Hanson and Jacinta Nampijinpa Price had spoken. Cash said:

Their tone respected the chamber. Their words did not seek to diminish anybody else. Their opinions were heartfelt and they were their opinions.

Senator Michaelia Cash. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

The Western Australian is known for her animated deliveries and today was no different. Cash quickly launched into a defence of Price, accusing Wong of pontificating on the issue. Cash said:

When I first came to this place, it was prayers. It was not a welcome to country. But I can tell you, do not ever demean anybody. Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, her mother’s story, Bess Price, I suggest you all read it. A woman walking through the desert was her mother, who had her baby between her legs under a tree. She picked up that baby, she cut the umbilical cord and she kept walking.

I suggest you read the story of Bess Price before you ever come here and cast aspersions or tell us, Senator Wong, to respect other words. I will stand by and respect Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, who, every day, has lived and breathed reconciliation in this country. Her father is white, her mother is black, so please don’t ever come into this place again and pontificate to us like you’ve just done.

Updated at 08.33 CEST

Sarah Basford Canales

Penny Wong: ‘decency and respect cost us nothing’

Returning to what happened earlier in the Senate after question time – Penny Wong stood up following Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s speech.

Wong started off by addressing Pauline Hanson.

Senator Hanson speaks of division, but it is she who peddles in division. Senator Hanson speaks of respect, but it is she who peddles disrespect.

Penny Wong. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Wong pointed out the opposition leader, Sussan Ley, had attended a welcome to country ceremony earlier in the week, describing it as a reminder that “parliament doesn’t begin in isolation”.

Wong added:

May it set the tone as we commit – recommit – ourselves to the taking of practical action to improve lives and expand opportunity for Indigenous Australians in every part of our great country. I would hope that would be – that the opposition would reflect on the words of their own leader in relation to welcomes to country.

I would just end on this: decency and respect cost us nothing, but it goes a long way to building a sense of unity. And if you want to see what grace and respect look like, perhaps remember what Senator [Malarndirri] McCarthy said just a few moments ago.

Updated at 08.27 CEST

Shadow trade minister wants review of US beef decision

Kevin Hogan, the shadow minister for trade, said the Coalition has “suspicions” the deal to lift restrictions on imports of US beef was “very rushed” at the end, but just said on Afternoon Briefing he has not yet read the full report.

Hogan spoke on the ABC’s program amid criticism from the opposition, including claims by Nationals leader David Littleproud that it “looks as though it’s been traded away to appease Donald Trump”. The Labor government has denied those claims and stressed it takes biosecurity seriously. Hogan, however, said on Afternoon Briefing:

We have suspicions that this was a very rushed deal at the end. … There’s no evidence, but at the moment there is some suspicions.

Our biosecurity rules as we know are very important. We don’t want to trade them away or compromise in any way. I think it is legitimate for us in the industry to answer a question.

Host Patricia Karvelas asked Hogan if he had read the report. He said he was familiar with the draft, but, “No, I haven’t read it.

Not the one released today, but I’m aware of the issues.

RBA governor makes rare dig at Trump

Luca Ittimani

Michele Bullock made a rare mention of Donald Trump in her speech in Sydney this afternoon, backing her American central banking counterpart in the face of persistent presidential pressure.

Trump has been heaping pressure on Jerome Powell, the Federal Reserve chair, to cut interest rates, calling Powell a “numbskull” and criticising him for a $2.5bn renovation of the Fed’s building.

The US president’s conduct has even attracted questions he could fire the Fed chair, which Trump has said was “highly unlikely, unless he has to leave for fraud,” raising concerns about the US central bank’s ability to make independent policy decisions.

Jerome Powell. Photograph: Ken Cedeno/Reuters

Bullock was speaking at the Australian Business Economists’ lunch for the Anika Foundation and was asked whether Trump’s pressure would have consequences for the Fed’s independence. She said:

Central bank independence is very important. Certainly, what’s going on in the United States is challenging that. …

[But] the Fed is doing what it’s supposed to be doing, which is focusing on the economy … not getting drawn into the debate, and so at this stage, I would say that they’re preserving their independence.

I can’t speak for what goes through Mr Trump’s mind. I’m not sure anyone can.

That line drew laughter from the audience of economists in the room in Sydney.

Bullock has previously avoided mentioning Trump by name or reflecting directly on the president’s decisions in her public remarks, preferring to speak about the administration and its policies in general.

Updated at 09.20 CEST

Luca Ittimani

No rate cut in July even if RBA had known about jobless jump, Michelle Bullock says

The Reserve Bank wouldn’t have cut interest rates this month even if it knew the unemployment rate was going to jump, the RBA governor has said.

The central bank’s policy board left interest rates on hold in early July, citing Australia’s strong jobs market as a factor against a third cut for 2025. June data released just over a week later showed the jobs market was weakening and an extra 33,600 people had become unemployed.

The RBA governor, Michele Bullock, told the Australian Business Economists lunch the board would not have done anything differently and the central bank had expected the jobless rate to pick up over 2025.

RBA governor Michele Bullock. Photograph: Jane Dempster/AAP

The June data’s lift from 4.1% to 4.3% surprised markets and economists and exceeded the RBA’s forecast for a 4.2% rate by June.

Bullock instead framed the lift as being in line with the bank’s forecast over the three months to June while downplaying the importance of slight decimal point increases. She told reporters:

If you go back a year, I think in July [2024] the monthly number popped up from 4.1% … to 4.2% and everyone went [gasps theatrically]. And then it settled around 4.1%, so monthly numbers jump around.

Michele Bullock was animated at times while taking questions. Photograph: Reserve bank of Australia

In her speech preceding the comments, Bullock said the RBA still thought the jobs market was a little too strong, which would risk resurgent inflation, but expected it to ease back without much more of a lift in unemployment.

You can read about the whole speech here:

Updated at 09.22 CEST

Patrick Commins

Chris Bowen to host climate and energy round tables

Chris Bowen says he will host climate and energy round tables to feed into the main economic reform summit in late August.

The climate change and energy minister said he was “confident” the country was on track to achieve the 43% emissions reduction goal by 2030, and that the government was working towards announcing the 2035 target by September.

Bowen, in an interview with The Conversation’s Michelle Grattan, called the shift to green energy “the biggest economic transition our country has undertaken”. He gave an 8 August date, adding:

I’ll be holding two round tables, one on electricity and one on climate adaptation, which is going to be an increasing focus of this government and future governments.

Energy minister Chris Bowen. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

Bowen also slammed calls this week by Nationals MPs Barnaby Joyce and Michael McCormack to scrap Australia’s net zero targets. He said a net zero target was “a basic bare minimum of action” in order to “avoid the catastrophic impacts of climate change”, noting:

To be debating net zero 2050 in Australia this year is like debating whether the sun should come up. It’s the most basic framework.

The minister said a decision on whether Adelaide would host the 2026 UN climate change conference (or Cop) would likely happen in November at the next conference, but that Australia had more votes than the other contender, Turkey.

Updated at 08.01 CEST

Thanks to Krishani for her blog stewardship today! Nick Visser here to take you through Afternoon Briefing, and all things beef.

ShareKrishani Dhanji

Thank you for joining me on the blog today, I will leave you with the wonderful Nick Visser for the rest of the day’s news.

TLDR: here’s what happened in question time today

Wrapping up today’s question time:

The opposition started its line of questioning on why the PM hasn’t met with Donald Trump. They then, like yesterday, went on the attack over the government’s super tax bill.

The deputy PM and defence minister, Richard Marles, denied Australia is supplying Israel with weapons, in answer to a question from the independent MP Helen Haines.

The government’s dixers were heavily wage focused, given they introduced legislation to enshrine penalty rates.

And Liberal MP Scott Buchholz was the first member to be booted out of question time in the new parliament.

Updated at 08.41 CEST

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