Australia news live: Jim Chalmers meeting with US Treasury to discuss Trump’s steel tariffs; one dead after police standoff in Tamworth

Total fire bans declared as out-of-control blazes continue to burn in Victoria and Tasmania

Increased fire danger is building across Australia’s south-east as wild winds and warm conditions keep crews on alert, AAP reports.

Total fire bans have been declared across Tasmania and parts of Victoria as conditions challenge firefighters in two states.

More than 150 firefighters, 14 aircraft, eight bulldozers and scores of interstate and international teams have been battling fires in Tasmania sparked by dry lightning earlier in February.

The blazes have scorched at least 94,500 hectares of Tasmanian wilderness and world heritage forest.

In Victoria, total fire bans have been declared in the Central and North Central regions with hot, dry and windy conditions expected to elevate risks before a west-to-south-west change. Temperatures of up to 36C are expected in the state’s north, along with wind gusts up to 100km/h before a late change.

Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Angus Hines said elevated fire danger was expected to continue on Sunday morning across Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia.

‘President Voldomyyr Zelenskyy is the elected leader of a courageous country’

Jim Chalmers has also bluntly contradicted the US president’s comments about Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the ongoing war with Russia.

Donald Trump shocked many western partners by calling Ukraine’s president “a dictator” and warning that he “better move fast” or he “won’t have a country left”. The US president also claimed Ukraine started the war.

Chalmers told ABC Insiders the Australian government’s position was clear:

We say the same things privately as we say publicly when it comes to Ukraine. The Australian position is very clear. It’s been really consistent.

The war started because of Russian aggression. President Voldomyyr Zelenskyy is the elected leader of a courageous country.

Our support for Ukraine has been unwavering and that will continue.

Decision on Qatar Airways’ Virgin Australia bid to come this week

Jim Chalmers says he will make a decision on Qatar Airways’ bid to buy 25% of Virgin Australia from its private equity owner as early as this week.

Here’s what he told the ABC:

I received advice from the Foreign Investment Review Board this weekend. I will weigh up that advice. I hope to make a decision pretty swiftly. Ideally, this week, if I can.

I will weigh up all of the considerations in the Foreign Investment Review Board’s advice. I will make a decision which is consistent with our national economic interest.

Earlier this month, the competition watchdog said it was proposing to grant authorisation for the airlines to enter into an alliance, which would see the two carriers operate an additional 28 weekly flights from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth to Doha.

Coalition will ‘not get in the way’ of Labor’s Medicare changes

Greens want Labor’s new Medicare plan implemented before election

The federal Greens have welcomed the Albanese government’s plan to significantly boost bulk-billing rates, as part of an $8.5bn policy, but claimed its campaigning influenced the decision.

Greens leader, Adam Bandt, said the policy would make a huge difference to people struggling to pay for healthcare, but he’s called for parliament to be recalled next week to pass the bill.

Greens pressure works. In a wealthy country like ours everyone should be able to see a GP, psychologist, dentist or nurse with their Medicare card.

It’s good Labor has adopted part of our plan to help people see the GP for free. Now let’s make it law before the election.

Chalmers meeting with US Treasury to discuss Trump’s steel tariffs

Treasurer says government wants private buyer for Whyalla steelworks

Chalmers has made it clear the government’s preference is not to own the Whyalla steelworks.

The federal and South Australian governments have announced a $2.4bn support package to ensure the steelworks keeps operating and its staff and creditors are paid.

Chalmers says “our preference and objective for both is for a private sector buyer. We are prepared to play a role”:

We believe that Australia’s golden opportunity in this world of churn and change is at the intersection of our resources base, our industry base, our skills and the energy transformation and the investments we are making enthusiastically with the South Australian government in Whyalla are a reflection of that.

Treasurer spruiks Medicare funding boost on ABC

The federal treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has been asked where a Labor government would find $8.5bn for its plan to significantly boost bulk-billing rates if it wins government.

Here’s what he told ABC Insiders host David Speers:

Around $5.4bn of the $8.5bn we are announcing we already provisioned for in the mid-year budget update. This shows what is possible, when you help engineer a $2bn improvement in the budget, knock out two surpluses to pay down Liberal debt and this is possible.

You make room for what matters to communities and particularly household budgets. It’s hard to think of a more important investment.

Speers asked Chalmers whether this policy would require borrowed money, or budget cuts:

Well, we will have the best combination of budget improvements and investments like this. What we have demonstrated in our first three budgets and we will demonstrate in the fourth, is to strike the right balance.

Firefighters at the ready as hot winds heighten risk

Increased fire danger is building across Australia’s south-east as wild winds and warm conditions keep crews on alert, AAP reports.

Total fire bans have been declared across Tasmania and parts of Victoria as conditions challenge firefighters in two states.

No fires can be lit in Tasmania on Sunday, including incinerators, burn-offs, campfires, fire pits and wood-fuelled barbecues.

More than 150 firefighters, 14 aircraft, eight bulldozers and scores of interstate and international teams have been battling fires sparked by dry lightning earlier in February.

The blazes have scorched at least 94,500 hectares of Tasmanian wilderness and world heritage forest.

Tasmania’s fire commander, Matt Lowe:

We have strike teams pre-positioned at strategic locations across the state ready for a rapid response if required.

GPs welcome Labor’s Medicare plan but flag not everyone will be bulk-billed

The Royal Australian College of GPs has applauded the government’s workforce commitment to train 2,000 new GPs every year by 2028 and incentivise more junior doctors to become specialist GPs, as part of the package.

But RACGP president, Michael Wright, flagged the proposal for a universal bulk-billing scheme wouldn’t necessarily mean everyone can access free medical care:

Extending bulk-billing incentives to everyone won’t necessarily mean everyone gets bulk-billed, because patient rebates are still too low to cover the cost of care.

Australia’s bulk-billing rate plummeted to 20.7% at the start of 2025, down from 35.7% two years earlier, according to data released by health care directory Cleanbill in January.

The proposed cash injection would be the biggest investment in Medicare since its creation 40 years ago, the government said.

– AAP

Real or fake? AI tech sparks election deception fears

The possibility Australians could fall prey to fake political videos and audio grabs in the lead-up to the federal election has sparked concerns around electoral interference.

To test the likelihood, MPs from across the political spectrum were approached by AAP and shown a series of deepfakes, or digitally altered videos, of their leaders announcing false policies.

While able to spot the ruse themselves, they expressed unanimous concern that members of the public would be taken in by the deception.

Labor MP Graham Perrett picked the anomaly in a clip of the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, but admitted it was because he knew him too well to be duped.

But a significant number of people would believe it’s real, especially if you didn’t have ongoing interaction with the Australian political process.

So it could be two, three, four out of 10 that would actually think that’s a fair dinkum message from a politician.”

One man dead and another under police guard after Tamworth hospital standoff

Good morning

One man dead and another police guard in Tamworth hospital standoff

A 47-year-old man has died and a 55-year-old man is under police guard in a Tamworth hospital, after a standoff with police last night.

NSW Police say they were called to a unit about 4.30pm on Saturday, where they discovered the 47-year-old with critical head injuries.

He was taken to Tamworth Base hospital where he was declared dead.

Police say the other man, who was allegedly armed with a knife, locked himself inside a bedroom before climbing on to the roof of the unit.

Tactical officers and negotiators spoke with the man before he allegedly fell from the roof.

He was treated for stab wounds before being taken to hospital, where he remains under police guard.