TRANSCRIPT
- Labor critical of Coalition's gas policy as details released...
- A fiery US senate exchange over tariffs on Australia...
- Rugby Australia renew broadcast deal with Channel Nine for another 5 years.
The Coalition have released further details on their gas policy, after the leaders of the two major parties debated their election policies on Sky News last night.
A key element of the Opposition's gas policy is establishing an east coast reservation that ensures the reservation of a volume of gas for the domestic market.
Opposition finance minister Jane Hume told Sunrise the Coalition estimates their plan will drop wholesale gas prices by 23 per cent, as reported by Frontier Economics.
"That will feed through to industrial gas, to retail gas, and also to electricity prices. You'll recall at the last election, Anthony Albanese promised $275 off power bills. Well, that never came to pass."
But Minister for Housing Clare O'Neil says there are significant flaws in the Coalition's policy, criticising what she describes as the Opposition's lack of commitment to the government's cost of living relief measures.
"We've been waiting months for the coalition to bring forward detail on what they promised would be meaningful cost of living support for Australian households on energy, and we wake up this morning to find that they're talking about maybe a $60 a year reduction on energy bills for people in two years time."
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese did not confirm whether his party would consider a deal with the Greens on rental caps and negative gearing, but insists his government is looking to win a majority at the election.
Greens leader Adam Bandt is set to reiterate calls to scrap negative gearing and discounts to capital gains taxes for investors, as well as put a freeze on rent, at National Press Club today [[9/4]].
Speaking at the opening of Hay St Market at Sydney's renowned Paddy Markets, Mr Albanese says the Greens are looking for media attention.
"We been, there's nothing new about the greens talking themselves up, because sometimes the media follow that up for whatever reason. It makes things a bit more interesting. But the truth is that our objective is to hold onto the 78 seats that we currently hold and build on it."
Education Minister Jason Clare ruled out supporting the Greens policy to scrap negative gearing and discounts to capital gains taxes for housing investors on Sky News today.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers is meeting with heads of the central bank and the banking, business and consumer regulators to construct a plan to mitigate the economic damage caused by tariffs.
This comes as a US Democratic Senator condemned President Donald Trump's decision to impose a baseline 10 per cent tariff on Australian goods.
The fiery exchange between Mark Warner and US trade representative Jamieson Greer took place during a US Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday.
Mr Greer responded to Mr Warner's question about why Australia was hit with a 10 per cent tariff before the Democratic Senator interrupted his reply.
GREER: "Senator, Australia has the lowest rate available under the new program. They -"
WARNER: "We already have a free trade agreement, we have a trade surplus. So getting the least bad - why did they get whacked in the first place?"
At least 58 people are confirmed dead after the collapse of the roof of a nightclub in the Dominican Republic capital on Monday.
Officials said 146 people were injured and emergency crews are still working to pull survivors from the rubble as families of the victims gathered at the site searching for their loved ones.
The disaster struck during a concert attended by politicians, athletes and other prominent figures, while the cause of the collapse remains under investigation.
North Korean state media reports the country's status as a nuclear weapons state can never be reversed, despite the demands of the United States and its Asian allies.
The comments on Wednesday were likely a response to a joint statement by the foreign ministers of South Korea, Japan and the US made on the sidelines of a NATO meeting last week.
The three foreign ministers in a joint statement reaffirmed the "commitment to the complete denuclearisation" of North Korea.
But sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Kim Yo-jong, says the position of North Korea's nuclear weapons state is a result of outside hostile threats, with not changes to planned.
North Korea has pursued nuclear weapons despite sanctions by the United Nations Security Council since it first conducted an underground nuclear detonation test in 2006.
And in sport,
Rugby Australia has confirmed the renewal of its landmark broadcast partnership with Nine through to 2030.
Rugby Australia said the new deal spanning 2026-2030, valued at up to $240 million, represents a significant uplift on their current broadcast agreement and follows a successful organisational reset in 2024.
Nine media reports Super Rugby games will no longer be shown on free-to-air television under the terms of the new agreement, which will be officially announced by Rugby Australia and Nine Entertainment.
