News and politics live updates: Jane Hume rules out One Nation alliance, leaves door open for preferences

Liberal frontbencher Andrew Hastie says he is unfazed by One Nation opening a branch in his West Australian seat of Canning, calling the move “expected”.

The minor party has planned to launch the branch in Mandurah, south of Perth, on Saturday in what will be the first non-Labor West Australian seat in its crosshairs.

Mr Hastie said on Tuesday he was “not worried” and noted One Nation had opened branches in all of his neighbouring electorates.

“Everyone who comes in this job has to have a sense of their political mortality, and if this is the end, this is the end,” he told News24.

“You do your best, and it’s up to the Australian people.

“We’re also a democracy, so I don’t have a problem with any political party starting a branch.”

with NCA Newswire

There are fears hundreds of Qantas jobs in Australia could be moved offshore after the national carrier revealed it was in talks with digital technology and management consulting firm Accenture about outsourcing back office roles.

It is believed the jobs could be sent to India as Qantas chief technology, AI and transformation officer Rachel Yangoyan launches Project iQ to cut costs and bring more AI technology into the airline.

It is understood roles across its finance, marketing, human resources and other administrative jobs have already been identified as possibly suited to outsourcing.

A Qantas spokesman said talks were only in an early stage, no formal agreement was in place and no decisions have been made.

“Like all organisations, Qantas has been looking at ways to accelerate the use of technology and AI to help us modernise the way we work and deliver better outcomes for our customers and our people,” he said.

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Federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins says Australia “cannot stop this from spreading” as the H5 bird flu crisis grows across the country.

Speaking to ABC News Breakfast on Tuesday, Ms Collins said the concerning update that Australia had recorded its first mass mortality event in South Australia meant that the virus was now past the point of no return.

“We have been very upfront with the Australian public that we cannot stop this from spreading,” she said.

“What we can do is be as prepared as we possibly can.

“We do know that it is highly contagious and highly virulent.

“This could be a long period of time and a very long journey.

“We have seen other countries have been dealing with this since 2022.”

Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles has signaled that a second tranche of legislation will target the so-called “widow tax” arising from Jim Chalmer’s May Federal Budget.

It will address policy gaps in their announced reforms, which left individuals facing a financial cliff of losing a grandfathered family negative gearing and Capital Gains Tax (CGT) tax advantages after a divorce or the death of a spouse.

Mr Marles said a raft of consultation had been undertaken in the area post-Budget and the public should expect further legislation to close the loophole as it was an issue “in the forefront of our minds”.

“We’ve done consultation on all of this since the budget. We’ve made clear that there’ll be a second tranche of legislation which deals with issues such as this” he said.

“This is an issue that has been (and) is very much on our radar, and we’re consulting about, and you’ll see more work from the government in respect of that.”

Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles has downplayed reports today that up to 34,000 home buyers are at risk of falling into negative equity as housing prices drop in capital cities.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, he said that Labor’s housing measures were to make the system fair for all generations.

“We want to see more first home buyers owning a home - that’s what we’re doing,” he said. “What there’ll be is sustainable growth, and that will enable not just somebody of my age, but our kids to have the opportunity to pursue the dream of owning a home.

“And what we want to see is more first home buyers in in the market.

“The 5 per cent deposit scheme is a means by which we’ve been able to achieve that.”

“But so too are the reforms we put through in the last budget, which does provide some intergenerational equity in respect of housing prices.”

Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles says the ABC’s decision to air a short film that fantasises about the violent assault of Gina Rinehart was “unacceptable”.

“To me, that video is completely unacceptable, and it surprises me that it’s still there,” Mr Marles told 2GB.

The four-minute video titled “A Very Relaxing Video”, was aired in a July 12 episode on the broadcaster’s program Race Around The World and featured a character described as a “Scottish forest warrior ninja”.

The character was portrayed by program contestant Kate Guinness acted out relaxation exercises and nature-based activities before ending with a violent reference to Mrs Rinehart.

Mr Marles backed the public broadcaster’s decision to refer it to an internal review by the ombudsman.

“I think it is appropriate that it has been referred to the ombudsman but I just think videos of this kind are completely unacceptable,” he said.

Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Amanda Rishworth says she hasn’t seen the segment.

Despite being asked about the segment at the Labor conference last month about the segment, Minister Rishworth also said she still hasn’t watched it.

“I have not seen it. It’s also only been described. I just echo the words of the acting prime minister that, from what’s been described to me, it is unacceptable,” she said.

“I think we do need to demonstrate respect for women, and that goes across the board.

“That goes across the board, no matter what your political persuasion.

“We need to have more respect, and I would encourage everyone to abide by that.”

Donald Trump has unleashed on US oil comapnies Chevron and ExxonMobil, saying the corporations are “making too much money”.

The US President said he was frustarted by the oil industry’s profits and that the companies should return some of those gains back to the public.

“When you look at one company where they made 12 times what they made the year before, they ought to give some of that back to the public,” Mr Trump said at the Oval Office on Monday.

“And they better cut the retail price, the consumer price.

“You’re surprised I’m saying it. I’ll say it loud and clear. I’m not happy about it.”

The president predicted that prices would drop when the war with Iran ends.

Environment Minister Murray Watt says more bird deaths are expected following the confirmation of a local transmission of the H5 bird flu strain in Australia.

His comments come after authorities decalred a mass mortality event on an island off South Australia’s south-east coast involving greater crested terns.

“The reality is that we are going to see increased numbers of birds die as a result of this virus. And of course, it can potentially get into mammals as well. So grim news ahead,” he told Radio National.

“Australia is the last continent on earth to have this strain of bird flu come to our shores. It was inevitable that it would come here at some point, but the fact that it has taken a bit of time means that we are well prepared as a country.”

Mr Watt warned the virus was also likely to spread to mammals, including quolls and Tasmanian devils, as the outbreak evolves.

He said the Federal government had been working to removed feral animals from habitats supporting threatened native species to improve their chances of surviving future disease outbreaks.

“If we can be removing those feral animals and undertaking other activities that build up the resilience of those populations, it means that even if we do lose some of those species to bird flu, we still have a viable population left to rebuild into the future,” he said.

Jane Hume has ruled out any prospect of the Coalition governing alongside One Nation after the next Federal election, while leaving open the possibility of preference arrangements during the campaign.

After categorically rejecting the idea of a coalition with Pauline Hanson’s party on Sunday, the acting Opposition leader reiterated her position when questioned again.

“Not on my watch,” she told Channel Nine.

“Never under my watch will there be a coalition between the Liberal Party and One Nation.

“We are not forming a coalition with One Nation. I can guarantee you of that.”

Ms Hume was less definitive when asked whether the Liberal party would direct preferences to One Nation at the next election, saying those decision would be made clsoer to polling day.

“Preferences are always a discussion that occurs just before an election, once we know who the candidates are, once we know what their policies are,” she said.

Wall Street’s main indices have opened higher on the first trading day of August as signs of de-escalating tensions in the Middle East dragged down crude prices while investors prepared for another week packed with earnings and economic data.

US President Donald Trump on Sunday said talks with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz would take place sometime on Monday although Iran contradicted him.

Brent crude prices slid more than 5.5 per cent while the yield on the two-year Treasury note dipped 3.9 basis points.

Most megacap and growth stocks rose in early trading.

Amazon.com gained 4.8 per cent to reach $US3 trillion ($A4.3 trillion) in market value for the first time.

Traders also weighed a potential consolidation in the healthcare sector after a report said Bristol Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca held preliminary merger talks.

with Reuters

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