Clive Palmer claims thousands joined his Trumpet of Patriots party on first day
Billionaire Clive Palmer was up on the Today Show earlier, after yesterday launching a rebranded Trumpet of Patriots party to contest the upcoming election.
This came a week after he lost a high court bid to re-register the United Australia party ahead of the poll.
Palmer said that preferences would be decided by the party, and that 10,000 new members had joined up yesterday. He said:
Australians do want policies of Donald Trump, common sense policies, and I think you’ll see a big change. We don’t plan on having our preferences distributed. We plan to win seats.
You can read analysis on Palmer’s new political venture from Dan Jervis-Bardy below:
Key events
PNG defence minister on negotiations towards new defence treaty
Billy Joseph, the PNG’s defence minister, has also been speaking to reporters, welcoming negotiations on a new defence treaty.
It is the first time in our history [that] my country that a treaty has been signed between another foreign country, and it is fitting that the country is Australia – because we got independence from Australia and at the same time we are very close to each other.
He said the move was “really important with the geopolitics and all the different contests that are going on.”
We have consciously made a decision to choose who should be our friends in the security concern. And we have many friends … but with Australia … we are tied to the hips, we are very close.
Marles addressing media in Brisbane
The defence minister and deputy PM, Richard Marles, is speaking to reporters alongside his PNG counterpart Billy Joseph.
As we flagged earlier, Australia and Papua New Guinea are announcing negotiations will begin on a new defence treaty between the two nations.
Marles said this would “help our two defence forces work more closely together.”
This will enable our two defence forces to walk down a pathway of increasing integration and increasing interoperability.
He said there is a Status of Forces Agreements between the two countries that dates back to 1977, and the new agreement would “very much enhance the effect of that”.
Now, we live in a world which is increasingly strategically complex. It is increasingly important that we work with our closest friends, but in this case, we’re working with family – that is very much we see our relationship with Papua New Guinea.
Benita Kolovos
Victorian government to lift gag clause on practitioners for voluntary assisted dying
At the press conference, Mary-Anne Thomas confirmed government is going to lift the gag clause on practitioners.
She said removing this would “keep us in step with other states and ensure that this important end-of-life care choice can be discussed between people who have a life limiting condition and their medical practitioners.”
She said the state government would also look to expand the prognosis period from six months to 12 months “for all conditions” – particularly for those “suffering from a neurodegenerative disease like MND, we will remove the requirement for there to be a third medical opinion.”
There are other changes that we propose, including reducing the time between the first request and second request to access voluntary assisted dying from nine days to five days, because we’ve heard that this can limit people’s access to die free of pain. So this is a significant day. We will now commence targeted consultation with stakeholders.
Benita Kolovos
Victorian health minister holds press conference after VAD review released
The Victorian health minister, Mary-Anne Thomas, and Pakenham MP, Emma Vulin, are holding a press conference after the release of a review into voluntary assisted dying (VAD).
The government has previously flagged making changes to the scheme to bring it into line with other states.
Thomas said the state was “at the forefront”, being the first to implement voluntary assisted dying.
Since then, other states and territories with the exception of the Northern Territory have now implemented voluntary assisted dying regime into their states. So the opportunity now presents itself for us to learn from those states who have taken the experiences that they’ve seen here in Victoria and built upon it.
Palmer party gets Latin wrong in new logo
Rafqa Touma
It looks like Clive Palmer’s new Trumpet of Patriots party has technically got its Latin wrong.
The party logo – a golden lion blowing into a trumpet against the backdrop of the Australia flag – is framed by a ribbon showing the Latin words “honor omnia”, which the logo translates beneath as “honour above all”.
We have consulted professor of Latin Paul Roche, from the University of Sydney, who says “honor omnia” are actually the two separate Latin words for “honour” and “everything”.
“One way of saying ‘honour above all’ would be ‘honor ante omnia’,” Roche corrects.
Sarah Basford Canales
Zoe Daniel responds to Nacc findings
Continuing from our last post: Zoe Daniel has welcomed the National Anti-Corruption Commission’s findings following its investigation into a complaint made about a former staffer.
The independent Goldstein MP said the Nacc’s time and resources shouldn’t be wasted by “vexatious or politically motivated referral” and she strongly encouraged the Nacc to call those out.
Sarah Basford Canales
Nacc finalises investigation into allegations former staffer inappropriately lobbied journalist
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (Nacc) has finalised its investigation into allegations that a former staffer for Goldstein MP, Zoe Daniel, had inappropriately lobbied a journalist from the Australian Financial Review (AFR) against publishing an article about her key donor.
The complaint, referred to the Nacc by former Liberal MP Jason Falinski, alleged a staffer for Daniel had called the outlet to request the removal of Climate 200 convener, Simon Holmes à Court, from a covert power list it planned to publish.
Holmes à Court’s fundraising body helped Daniel along with a number of independents clinch electoral success at the last federal election, including from Falinski’s former seat in Sydney’s northern beaches. Daniel denied any involvement in October 2024, describing a characterisation that her donor held a position of male power over the independent female crossbenchers as a “sexist trope”.
The Nacc has today said it had ruled out any corrupt conduct after its investigation found the staffer had stopped being a Commonwealth-funded staffer the week prior, on 5 August 2024, and was instead a temporary part-time consultant employed by Daniel’s private not-for-profit company by the time of the approach to AFR a week later.
The Nacc also found Daniel did not ask her employee to make the request, and was unaware it had been made. The Nacc said in a statement:
It should be noted that the consultant disputes the accuracy of the AFR report of the substance of their representations, but it is unnecessary for present purposes to resolve that dispute as the outcome is the same, whichever version is correct.
PM announces $2.4bn for Whyalla steelworks
The prime minister told the workforce he knows “it’s been a difficult time for you.”
What we have done is to combine dollar for dollar on administration, to make sure that while the transition is going to make sure that the steelworks keep operating, you keep being paid, the people who are owed debts – some of those small businesses here in Whyalla – get paid.
In addition, the two governments would invest $2.4bn to “make sure that this transition occurs”, he said.
We regard that as an investment in our nation, we don’t regard it as a cost. Because when you invest in the nation, you get a return.
Albanese promises Whyalla workers ‘you will have a job, your kids will have a job’
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is speaking to the workforce at Whyalla steelworks in South Australia. Speaking with a handheld microphone, he said:
Our greatest resource is the people I see before me today – it is our workforce, our skilled workforce with the capacity that we have.
And that’s why, when the premier of South Australia and I have been discussing this for a while – together with our respective cabinets of how we make sure that we give you certainty – that we say, not only will you have a job, your kids will have a job in the future right here in Whyalla.
Andrew Messenger
Former Queensland prisons minister jailed for corruption to get parliamentary tribute
A former Queensland prisons minister, who was later jailed for misappropriating funds, will get an official valedictory in parliament today.
Geoff Muntz won the seat of Whitsunday in 1980, representing the National party, before losing office in 1989. He spent six years in cabinet under premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen, serving in a variety of ministries including welfare services, tourism, national parks and sport, and corrective services, administration services and valuation.
Muntz was one of six members of cabinet charged with offences after the collapse of the government in the aftermath of the Fitzgerald inquiry. The transport minister Don Lane was jailed for corruption, and Bjelkie-Petersen was unsuccessfully charged with perjury.
In 1991 Muntz was sentenced to 12 months behind bars for misappropriating $4,891.83 of ministerial expenses. Police commissioner Terry Lewis was also jailed and de-knighted for corruption, and “minister for everything” Russ Hinze never saw court on multiple corruption charges, dying of bowel cancer.
The parliament will hear a condolence motion for the former MP in parliament this morning. A spokesperson for the office of the speaker, Pat Weir, said:
Condolence motions are moved as a mark of respect following the death of a member or former member of parliament. The speaker does not have a role in approving who condolence motions are provided for. They are provided for all current of former members on their passing.
Muntz died in August last year.
More details on Chinese warships off coast of Sydney
Earlier, we reported that Australia would “watch every move” of three Chinese warships which have been detected 150 nautical miles off Sydney.
Here’s the full story with more details, from Ben Doherty:
On-street share bike parking bay opened in Sydney, in first for NSW
The City of Sydney has opened the state’s first on-street share bike parking bay in Haymarket.
In a statement, it said this would help reduce clutter on the streets while supporting an increasingly popular mode of transport.
The parking bay can accommodate up to 14 bikes and is located near Paddy’s markets on Ultimo Road, close to public transport. The lord mayor, Clover Moore, said:
Share bikes have the potential to play an important role in our transport mix, but we know the way they’re currently parked can cause clutter and frustration and pose a safety risk for people walking.
Dedicated parking bays for share bikes shows how this active and practical way of getting around can work for everybody.
Moore said the council is continuing to call on the NSW government to regulate share bikes across metropolitan Sydney “to provide consistency for all councils.” She wants to see a cap on the number of operators, and a limit on the number of bikes deployed.
Josh Taylor
More than 80% of children aged 8-12 using social media despite minimum age requirement
A new report from the eSafety commissioner stated more than 80% of children aged between eight and 12 are accessing social media, despite the current minimum age requirement being 13.
However, this figure is largely skewed by children accessing YouTube, either by watching while logged out, or using a parent or carer’s account. When YouTube is excluded, the figure is closer to 44%.
TikTok and Snapchat are second and third behind YouTube (68%) on 31% and 19%, respectively.
TikTok said in a statement the report raises questions about the government’s decision to exclude YouTube from the under-16s ban, to come into effect at the end of this year. A spokesperson said:
This report again shines a spotlight on the government’s decision to give an exclusive carve out to the most popular social media platform for young Australians from the under-16 ban. Australian parents and guardians have a right to know what evidence, if any, supports the government’s decision, so they can have confidence their children are safe on any exempted platforms.
North Korea criticises US over Aukus nuclear submarine deal
Reuters is reporting that North Korean state media has criticised the United States for its nuclear submarine deal with Australia under Aukus, calling it a “threat to regional peace.”
Commentary carried by KCNA said Washington should be wary of consequences for what it said were nuclear alliances, naming Aukus and the trilateral cooperation it has with South Korea and Japan.
Australia just made its first $800m (US$500m) payment to the US under the Aukus nuclear submarine deal. Under the pact, Australia will pay the United States $4.78bn (US$3bn) to boost the capacity of the US submarine industry, and Washington will sell several Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines to Australia in the early 2030s.
It also argued the US sees North Korea as an obstacle to its establishment of hegemony in the region and said nuclear states will not sit idly by, referring to itself.
North Korea has been criticising the trilateral military cooperation between South Korea, Japan and the US and has called the relationship “the Asian version of Nato”.
