Australia news live: PM dismisses ‘strange’ Clive Palmer political ads; watchdog finds Network Ten breached gambling ad rules
PM dismisses ‘strange’ Clive Palmer ads as billionaire to launch new political venture
The prime minister was asked about news this morning that billionaire Clive Palmer will launch his new political venture, Trumpet of Patriots, today (see earlier post).
Anthony Albanese said people were “entitled to run” but that it was “a distortion of democracy when you have an individual spending $100m on a campaign right around the country”.
I’ve seen these strange ads have been appearing for months now. I’m not sure what the objective of them is, but people are entitled to put themselves forward in an election. But if you’re a serious political party, then you have to have serious policies. At the moment, there’s only one political party in Australia that has serious policies.
The PM said the alternative government in Australia was not Palmer but “a mob that have, after three years, produced three policies”.
A $600 billion nuclear energy plan which is not supported by any of the state or territory governments, including David Crisafulli or the Northern Territory government.
Albanese said their second policy was cuts, and their third was “free lunch for some that everyone has to pay for”.
They’re the only three policies they’ve come up with. Labor is the only political party that has a coherent economic social and environmental policy in 2025.
Key events
Rafqa Touma
Police update after nurses’ alleged anti-Israel threats
NSW police said the matter of two hospital workers allegedly making anti-Israel threats to an Israeli influencer over video chat last week is still under investigation. They are speaking to press live:
As you can understand, there are some complexities around obtaining the evidence. We need to make sure we comply with all those foreign rules that are there and making sure that we can get a admissible statement that can be used in accord in New South Wales.
Police said the influencer Max Veifer has cooperated “from the very outset”.
We’re speaking to him on a daily basis at this point in time. I don’t want to give a timeframe exactly when that evidence will come to us, or how it will come to us, but certainly it is being undertaken right this minute.
Network Ten breached gambling ad rules, watchdog finds
Amanda Meade
Network Ten has breached gambling advertising rules by airing four gambling ads during the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix, the broadcasting watchdog has found.
An investigation by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (Acma) found the commercials were aired at prohibited times in March last year.
A separate investigation found that streaming service 10 Play also breached online gambling advertising rules during two live-streamed sports events.
Acma rules say broadcasters are restricted from airing ads during broadcasts of sporting events between 5am and 8.30pm, including the five minutes before and after the event, to protect the community from gambling related harms.
Acma member Carolyn Lidgerwood said:
Broadcasters should have strict controls in place to ensure compliance with the restrictions on gambling ads during sporting events.
Ten has agreed to review its processes to introduce additional quality controls.
Benita Kolovos
Jewish leaders call for Victorian opposition to support anti-vilification bill
Rabbi Gabi Kaltmann, a prominent member of Melbourne’s Jewish community, has urged the state opposition to support the Victorian government’s anti-vilification legislation. He said in a statement this morning:
The government has now amended the legislation after hearing concerns about the political carve-out. The much-anticipated anti-vilification legislation is not just about protecting the Jewish community from rising antisemitism; it safeguards all minority and faith groups from racism and intolerance. It is imperative that this bill receives bipartisan support from the major parties. A strong, united commitment to this bill is essential.
Kaltmann said the government may have to weaken the bill in order to get crossbench support:
Relying on crossbench negotiations to secure its passage would be a missed opportunity for bipartisan support on such an important issue and lead to worse outcomes for all minority groups.
It comes after the Zionist Federation of Australia, Zionism Victoria, the Jewish Community Council of Victoria and the Executive Council of Australian Jewry issued a joint statement on Tuesday night also urging the opposition to shift its stance. The statement read:
We have observed reports that, notwithstanding these amendments by the government, the Victorian opposition is proposing to vote against the bill. We recognise that the opposition has. over a long time, taken consistently strong positions against antisemitism and hatred in Victoria. However, we are deeply disappointed by these reports.
Henry Belot
Greens criticise ‘pay to play’ private dinners with senior politicians
Greens senator Larissa Waters has accused Labor and the Coalition of using fundraising dinners with party donors to “maintain cozy relationships with big corporations”.
Guardian Australia has revealed that the prime minister, the opposition leader, senior cabinet ministers and Coalition figures will all rub shoulders with party donors in coming weeks, ahead of the election.
One invite shows a Labor fundraising forum has sent personal invitations for an exclusive, intimate dinner with Anthony Albanese at an undisclosed Sydney venue on 12 March. The dinner is capped at 10 people, and the cost is not disclosed. The evening has been described as a special opportunity to build a relationship with Albanese.
To attend these dinners, guests must be members of the party’s business forum, which can cost up to $110,000. Additional attendance fees may also be charged.
Waters, who is the Greens’ spokesperson for democracy, said the private paid dinners were not in the public interest.
Australian voters live in stark reality: struggling to put food on the table as so-called ‘business leaders’ pay up to $110,000 for access to senior politicians in the major parties … As the Greens have long pointed out, these ‘pay-to-play’ events ensure that those with the deepest pockets get a seat at the table, while ordinary voters are left behind.
Amanda Meade
‘Looking out’: ABC studio in western Sydney officially opens
The ABC’s Parramatta studio in western Sydney has been officially opened by the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, who sat down with Joe O’Brien for the first live, on-set TV interview from the new newsroom.
The prime minister said:
This is Sydney’s heartland here. And what we’re seeing is that Sydney is now looking out rather than just in. And that’s really important for this great global city.
ABC chair Kim Williams hosted the event, which was also attended by NSW premier Chris Minns, federal minister for communications Michelle Rowland and ABC managing director David Anderson.
The promenade level, which includes a 220-square-metre video studio with 100 square metres of LED screens, is equipped with augmented reality capabilities, and live radio and audio studios.
ABC Radio Sydney has been working from ABC Parramatta since May 2024 and the NSW 7PM News moved there in December. The ABC NEWS channel did its first transmission from the new Studio 91 on Monday.
Albanese weighs in on Nacc investigation of six robodebt referrals
Taking a final question, Anthony Albanese was asked about news that the National Anti-Corruption Commission will investigate six referrals made by the robodebt royal commission.
Is that the right call, and would he like to see the sealed portion of the report made public? Albanese said the Nacc “engages in its activities at arm’s length from politics and at arm’s length from the government”.
It was one of the core commitments that we made at the election – an independent anti-corruption commission. We’ve delivered it, and that stands in stark contrast to the former government that used to promise a lot and never deliver.
Scott Morrison presided over commitments at the 2019 election that they would deal with an anti-corruption commission and, indeed, there was legislation that was never even moved in the parliament about that.
At the last election, a range of people walked away from the Coalition because they hadn’t delivered on climate change, they regarded gender equality as something to talk about but not actually do, and they didn’t act on the anti-corruption commission. We’ve delivered that. They should be allowed to do their work at arm’s length from the government.
PM on the investigation into caravan with explosives found in Dural
Asked if he had heard anything further about the caravan containing explosives in Dural, NSW, and if he was confident police would make arrests, the PM said he would leave it to the police to do their job.
There have been statements made in the media that make it clear that all is not what it seems from the first reporting of that, but the police have to be allowed to do their job.
We know that there are criminal elements that have been involved in some of these antisemitic attacks, and that is why some of the pre-empting of this is not appropriate.
I support all of the law enforcement authorities, whether that be the AFP or the NSW police going about their job.
PM says government seeking to verify two videos of Oscar Jenkins
On his reaction to the footage released of Oscar Jenkins in recent days, the PM said the government was seeking verification of two videos.
We continue to say to Russia that Mr Jenkins, as a prisoner of war, is entitled to the law being observed, and we will hold them to account for that.
But we’ve also called for Russia to release Mr Jenkins so that he may return home to his family. I raised this issue, as well, directly with President Zelenskyy when I spoke to him a fortnight ago.
PM says no federal intervention in NSW rail dispute
The prime minister also shot down suggestions the federal government should intervene in the ongoing dispute between the NSW government and the rail unions.
This is a dispute that is there between the rail union and the NSW government. They were very close to an agreement, and some thought there was an agreement reached on the weekend.
I call upon the union to recognise that they will not have public support if they are disrupting people going about their business, going to work, engaging in rail activity that they need to get about this vast city.
Anthony Albanese continued, and said “we want this dispute to be settled.”
PM responds to Khawaja claims of media bias
Just on our last post, the prime minister also responded to a post from Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja, who wrote on social media that the media “has never treated attacks against the Islamic community or any other community the same as [antisemitic] attacks”.
Khawaja wrote:
They are all deplorable. But there is no way that [antisemitism] is any less or more then [Islamophobia] and vice versa. They both deserve the same weight as they are both relevant. But the media will never treat them the same. And as a result people will always think that one is more prevalent than the other. But that is not true.
Asked for a response, Anthony Albanese said he respected Khawaja as a “great Australian” but his view was that “any attack on people on the basis of their faith or who they are is reprehensible”.
I certainly hope that the [alleged] perpetrators get tracked down and face the full force of the law. People should be allowed to go about their business in a peaceful and harmonious way. That’s overwhelmingly what occurs.
Where we are here in Dulwich Hill, in my electorate, I know that my neighbours and the community that I’ve been a part of my whole life respect each other, revel in the diversity and celebrate our diversity. And there’s no place for these attacks.
PM asked if he takes Islamophobia seriously after alleged assaults
The prime minister also responded to the alleged attack of two Muslim women in Melbourne last week – as he did on the radio earlier.
Anthony Albanese was asked to respond to comments from Muslim community leaders that he doesn’t take Islamophobia seriously, and said:
I take all attacks on the basis of people’s faiths seriously, and they should all face the full force of the law. We’ve appointed a special envoy on Islamophobia – that’s an important step forward – and I’m someone who celebrates our diversity and who respects people regardless of their faith.
PM dismisses ‘strange’ Clive Palmer ads as billionaire to launch new political venture
The prime minister was asked about news this morning that billionaire Clive Palmer will launch his new political venture, Trumpet of Patriots, today (see earlier post).
Anthony Albanese said people were “entitled to run” but that it was “a distortion of democracy when you have an individual spending $100m on a campaign right around the country”.
I’ve seen these strange ads have been appearing for months now. I’m not sure what the objective of them is, but people are entitled to put themselves forward in an election. But if you’re a serious political party, then you have to have serious policies. At the moment, there’s only one political party in Australia that has serious policies.
The PM said the alternative government in Australia was not Palmer but “a mob that have, after three years, produced three policies”.
A $600 billion nuclear energy plan which is not supported by any of the state or territory governments, including David Crisafulli or the Northern Territory government.
Albanese said their second policy was cuts, and their third was “free lunch for some that everyone has to pay for”.
They’re the only three policies they’ve come up with. Labor is the only political party that has a coherent economic social and environmental policy in 2025.
