News and politics: Angus Taylor intensifies attack on tax reforms, backs calls for early election

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Alexander Downer, the nation’s longest-serving foreign minister, has also joined the party’s federal executive as a vice-president.

He uses his thankyou speech to urge Liberal MPs to “become media tarts” and sell their messages day in and day out.

“We have to define ourselves, and we have to sell our ideas in that battle of ideas, and we have to be prepared to resist and fight against those who disagree with us and fight against, in particular the progressive left,” he says.

“We need to adopt the best system in the world to sell our messages… We must get more activists out there on the ground, selling our arguments and arguing with our opponents, and we have ultimately to make sure we have a team of first-class candidates ready and ready in plenty of time for the next election.”

Former prime minister Tony Abbott is speaking at the Liberal Party’s federal council after being elected unopposed as its new president.

He says nothing he’s achieved in his public life would have been possible without the party – “I owe the Liberal Party big time” – and that’s why he wanted to step back into the fray.

“I do believe that I have the ability to help Angus Taylor to be the next successful federal Leader of the Opposition and to become our 32nd prime minister,” he says.

“My fellow Liberals, our challenge is to persuade a sceptical public that we remain the most credible alternative party of government in this country, and to persuade people what I absolutely believe in the marrow of my being, that we remain the best hope of better government in this country.”

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One of Australia’s major four banks has lifted its fixed rate offering in a sign there could be further interest rate hikes in the months to come.

National Australia Bank has become the first of the major banks to lift rates in the weeks after May’s official cash rate hike.

NAB has lifted fixed rates for its one and two-year mortgages by 15 basis points. Its lowest fixed rate mortgage is now 6.49 per cent.

Canstar data insights director Sally Tindall said fixed rates were often a window into what banks thought was coming next.

“NAB’s decision to lift its short-term fixed rates suggests it’s not ready to rule out further rate rises, even though the RBA will almost certainly hit pause next month,” she said.

NAB forecasts interest rates will rise by a further 25 basis points but has pushed out the timing slightly from June to August.

The RBA has lifted the official cash rate three times in its first three meetings of the year, bringing interest rates from 3.60 to 4.35 per cent.

- with NCA Newswire

Donald Trump’s former Defence Secretary says it is expected Australia would fight China over Taiwan alongside the United States, saying the likelihood has been discussed between the two allies for years.

Mark Esper also urged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and other Indo-Pacific leaders to declare now that they will fight to defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack.

In an exclusive interview, Mr Esper, who served as Secretary of Defence between 2019 and 2020 said he expected that if Chinese President Xi Jinping attacked the democratically-governed island of Taiwan, Australia would be fighting alongside the United States.

“With regard to a conflict with China, yeah, I do expect there would be a role, and we’ve already been talking about this for years,” he said in an interview with the Latika Takes podcast in Prague at the GLOBSEC forum.

He said it was why the US had begun marine rotations through the Northern Territory, which began under former Labor prime minister Julia Gillard and president Barack Obama.

Praising a continuing and warm personal relationship with Defence Minister Richard Marles, who has flagged greater US basing in Australia, Mr Esper said he was “doing a good job” and said the US would defend and protect Australian bases under any Chinese attack in the event of conflict.

Read Latika M Bourke’s exclusive story in full.

Anthony Albanese’s promise to give full cooperation to inquiries into the Bondi Beach terror attack is in question after accusations Labor has used Cabinet confidentiality to hide key information.

The Prime Minister had called a Royal Commission into Anti-Semitism and Social Cohesion in January after sustained pressure in the wake of the December 14 massacre of 15 people at a Hanukkah event.

He had vowed the Government would “fully cooperate” with the investigative process, however, it was revealed this week that Labor had asserted public interest immunity over critical information.

The claim to keep details confidential could prevent Royal Commissioner Virginia Bell from examining whether Cabinet directed Australia’s spy agency to put fewer resources into counterterrorism in the lead up to the attack.

Shadow Home Affairs Minister Jonno Duniam on Friday accused the Government of using Cabinet-in-confidence to “shield” from embarrassment

“We are dealing with the largest terrorist event in our country’s history - the Government made decisions and we need to know exactly what those decisions were,” Senator Duniam told Sky News.

​Read the full story.​

Liberal Senator Jonathon Duniam says the Coalition is prepared for an early election showdown as pressure mounts on Anthony Albanese over Labor’s Budget tax reforms.

The comments follow calls from Opposition leader Angus Taylor and Nationals leader Matt Canavan for Australians to be given a chance to vote on the proposed changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax concessions.

Speaking to Sky News on Friday, Senator Duniam brushed off concerns over recent polling showing the Coalition were losing ground while support for Pauline Hanson’s One Nation grows.

“We’re always ready,” Mr Duniam told the program, before taking aim at Labor’s planned tax changes.

“If the government really believes this is in the nation’s best interest, they can go and make an argument to the Australian people about why they want to tax people more at an election.”

Australia’s top spy agency has warned public servants and politicians not to discuss classified information in vehicles, especially those connected to the internet amid fears of electronic eavesdropping.

Connected cars most commonly pair to a smartphone or contain in-built SIMs to connect to the internet. This allows the vehicle to communicate with other devices.

Common features of these types of cars include remote access or control, over-the-air software upgrades, and infotainment screens.

Fronting a Senate estimates hearing on Thursday night, ASIO deputy general Lisa Alonso Love was asked if MPs should avoid driving in Chinese-made vehicles.

Ms Alonso Love said discussing classified information outside “places that are set up” for those kinds of conversations would always pose a risk, including in vehicles.

“In relation to any vehicle, whether it’s connected or not, we would suggest that members of parliament or public servants do not have conversations that contain sensitive or classified information,” she said.

“Obviously, a connected car may have other vectors to gather that information, but those conversations should only ever happen in places that are set up for classified conversations.”

- with NCA Newswire

Opposition leader Angus Taylor has intensified pressure on the Albanese government over its tax reforms, backing calls from Nationals leader Matt Canavan for Australians to vote on the changes at an early election.

The Coalition is ramping up its attack on Labor’s changes to negative gearing, capital gains tax and trust arrangements, with Mr Taylor saying the opposition will continue to fight the measures at every opportunity.

“This is a war on aspiration in this country,” he told ABC News Breakfast after being asked if he supported Canavan’s calls .

“We need to make sure people who are having a real crack, risking their families’ livelihoods, working 24/7 every day, get a fair go, and they’re not getting a fair go under this government,” he added.

“Small business owners were in pain before the government went down this track. It’s getting a whole lot worse now. So, we will fight for them every day and do whatever it takes.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has attempted to break down his government’s contentious housing tax reforms in a Q&A style video on social media.

Mr Albanese was forced to defend the Budget in his responses to a series of questions sent in to the PM about negative gearing and capital gains tax changes.

“Here’s what you need to know,” Mr Albanese captioned the video posted on his X account.

In response to a question asking how Labor is changing the housing tax system, The PM said “If you already own a property, you can still negatively gear. But going forward, new investors will only be able to negatively gear new builds.

“What that means is that your investment will continue to help you build your assets and wealth, but importantly aswell, it will build the assets and wealth of the nation.”

When pressed on how Labor’s Budget will help first homebuyers, the Prime Minister said changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax will create “less competition” for those trying to get on the property ladder.

The PM conceded more needs to be done than just chaning housing tax breaks but doubled down on the government’s approach, saying if Aussies just “work hard and save” home ownership is possible.

“That’s why we’re building more homes as part of our $47b Home of Australia plan,” he added.

“We are helping first homebuers get their foot in the door through 5 per cent deposits.

“We’re building 100,000 homes set aside just for first homebuyers right across the country.”