News and politics recap: Barnaby Joyce makes embarrassing on-air backflip on One Nation migration policy

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The Chinese Foreign Ministry has attacked “ironic” claims from Australia and its Five Eyes intelligence partners, that it is using professional networking sites to steal western military secrets.

This week ASIO, and intelligence agencies in the UK, the US, Canada, and New Zealand claimed Beijing was increasingly using sites such as LinkedIn to gain access to classified information.

“As the world’s largest intelligence cooperation network, the “Five Eyes” has long engaged in massive systemic espionage all over the world,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in response.

“It is ironic that such an organization is accusing China of ‘spy threat’.”

Australian trade officials have warned further US tariffs on pharmaceutical and digital services as well as other sectors could be on the horizon in the wake of America’s recent “slave labour” levy.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced the sweeping proposal to slap a new impost — known as “section 301” tariffs — on 60 major trading partners on Tuesday, following an investigation into forced labour and modern slavery practice.

The 92-page report alleges that nations — including Australia, Canada, Mexico, Britain and the European Union — are importing goods into the country made with forced labour.

The Trump administration claims the tariffs of between 10 and 12.5 per cent could prevent the practice which “burdens or restricts US commerce” but the timing of the tariffs has been questioned.

It has been widely seen as a response to the US Supreme Court ruling in February that Donald Trump’s Liberation Day tariffs were illegal.

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s George Mina revealed in Senate Estimates on Friday that Australian officials were aware new tariffs could be on the way almost immediately after the court outcome.

Read the full story here.

Anthony Albanese has rejected claims he owes voters an apology for breaking election promises on negative gearing and capital gains tax, while declaring anyone who believes Australia’s housing market is working in its current state is “bonkers”.

Questioned during a Sky News forum about continuing criticism of the budget’s controversial tax changes, thee Prime Minister said neither he, nor voters, were “interested in word games” when asked if he should say sorry.

“They will make a judgment. Part of the judgment will be, of course, about when governments change positions, but on the merits of what we are doing, and it strikes me that if anyone out there thinks that the housing market is working, then they’re bonkers.”

“It’s not the easy choice. It’s not the easy option, but you can’t have people in the media say for year after year after year governments need to move to … more equally taxing income from work with income from assets,” Mr Albanese said.

Anthony Albanese has expressed concern over “populism and opportunism without answers” during a live Q&A at the annual Australia’s Economic Outlook forum.

It comes just hours after One Nation’s housing policy positions have begun to unravel during “train-wreck” interviews by Senator Sean Bell and Barnaby Joyce overnight.

Senator Bell had insisted permanent residents would have to divest properties but couldn’t answer what would happen if they didn’t.

“I tell you, what’s not ideal, it’s to see the rise of populism, whether of the right or the left, populism and opportunism without answers,” Mr Albanese said.

“Whether it be One Nation and the increasing blurring of the lines between the Liberal Party and One Nation.”

Anthony Albanese has declared Australians deserve “practical solutions, not slogans” in a thinly veiled reference to One Nation’s popularity surge as his government continues to defend last month’s controversial Budget of broken promises.

Delivering a keynote address at an economic forum, the Prime Minister says his government has “no intention of standing around and wringing our hands about the consequences of a system that isn’t working for people.”

“If you look around the world, you can see what happens to countries and economies when people make up their minds that the system is broken beyond repair,” Mr Albanese told the audience in Sydney.

“The decision for Australia is clear. We can choose whether the social and economic dislocation we see overseas is a warning that we act on or a preview of what is to come. Our government has no intention of standing around and wringing our hands about the consequences of a system that isn’t working for people. Instead, we are acting to fix it.”

The Prime Minsiter has begun an economic speech in Sydney by declaring “hard decisions cannot be put on hold for easier times”.

In an address to the summit, Mr Albanese was forced to defend last month’s Budget of broken promises on taxation.

“The challenges confronting Australia are too urgent to hang back, and the opportunities ahead of us are all too important to miss,” Mr Albanese said.

He also noted the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has caused the biggest spike in petrol and diesel prices in history.

The Nightly’s Stephen Johnson writes that Labor’s tax changes will cause rents to surge without actually helping first homebuyers into the market:

Treasury secretary Jenny Wilkinson claimed the Budget changes would see more property newcomers enter in the housing market as they faced less competition from prospective investor landlords, under friendly questioning from 22-year-old Labor senator Charlotte Walker.

But Cameron Kusher, the chief economist with property valuer Herron Todd White, said it was misleading to claim first homebuyers would simply just enter the market as fewer investors took an interest in existing properties, which won’t be able to be negatively geared from July 2027 if they weren’t purchased before Budget night.

“I think that we will see more first homebuyers but it’s not going to be a one-for-one substitute between an investor sells, there’s necessarily going to be a first homebuyer replacing that,” he told The Nightly.

Read the full article here.

A One Nation senator has been kicked off live radio and told to sort out his policy position after failing to answer simple questions around the minor party’s views on foreign ownership of residential property.

Senator Sean Bell was labelled a “train wreck” after back to back interviews on Sky News and radio station 2GB on Friday.

The first-term senator and party whip had claimed it was “perfectly reasonable” for Australian homes to be quarantined for Aussie citizens only but wouldn’t explain what One Nation proposed if people permanent residents refused to give up their properties.

“What we’re saying… is… it’s perfectly reasonable to expect that homes in Australia go to Australian citizens,” Senator Bell told 2GB host Mark Levy.

“We believe that people need to be given the opportunity to divest. And here’s the thing, Mark, temporary residents are not here to reside permanently in Australia.

“It’s very simple.”

Senator Bell, however, stumbled when pressed by Levy on what that policy would mean for people who are already residing in homes.

Read the full story.

Jane Hume has accused One Nation of creating confusion over its housing policy, claiming the party appears to be advocating for people to be removed from homes they already own.

The Deputy Liberal Leader’s criticism comes hot on the heels of Banaby Joyce’s embarassing backflip on live TV on Thursday night, where he suggested the paty’s proposed housing restrictions could require permanent residents to sell their properties, before later retracting those remarks.

More questions emerged when NSW Senator Sean Bell said on Friday the policy would instead apply to temporary visa holders who own property.

Speaking to Sky News on Friday, Ms Hume said the conflicting explanations raised serious concerns about what One Nation was actually proposing.

“I’m not entirely sure even One Nation knows their policy here, but if their policy is to kick people out of their homes, I think that that should set off alarm bells for millions of Australians, because that is a very new development,” she said.

“Even Barnaby Joyce said, well, this policy is formative. What does that mean? It’s a slogan, it’s not a policy, it’s got no substance behind it.”