TRANSCRIPT
U-S President Donald Trump says he is considering granting Australia an exemption from tariffs on steel and aluminium, despite signing off on measures for every country without exemptions.
Following a phone call with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Mr Trump enacted executive orders imposing a 25 per cent tariff.
Despite the order applying to all countries, Mr Trump has described Mr Albanese as a 'very fine man', adding that exemptions will be considered.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has voiced opposition to tariff measures, stressing bipartisanship on the need for an exemption.
Federal Greens leader Adam Bandt says the move raises serious concerns about AUKUS.
"It's all one way. The money is flowing from the Australian public purse to the United States for submarines we may never get, and it seems that even even with all of that money going for a very bad AUKUS deal, it turns out that Donald Trump doesn't care and is prepared to sign a tariff order that includes Australia, and then only consider an exemption later. "
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Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says premature rate cuts could see inflation pressures resurface amid fears flooding in Queensland will increase grocery costs.
Mr Dutton says while rate cuts are welcome, they should not be done too early.
"On interest rate cuts, I hope, for the sake of families and small businesses that there is an interest rate cut but that's a decision for the Reserve Bank Governor and she shouldn't feel pressured one way or the other, because you can cut rates, and then find that they've been cut too early, and then the Reserve Bank will have to increase rates later on. "
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Religious leaders in New South Wales are warning that proposed extra restrictions on protests near places of worship will lead to the overpolicing of peaceful protests.
The proposed changes, being introduced to state parliament today [[11/02]], follow increasing antisemitic attacks across Sydney and Melbourne and will allow police to move on protesters near places of worship.
In an open letter, religious leaders are urging the government to reconsider the restrictions which they warn will unintentionally prevent faith communities from speaking out about wrongdoings.
Among the signatories of the letter are Rabbi Jonathan Keren-Black and Edmund Rice Centre director 'Alopi Latukefu.
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The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners is urging all political parties to support plans ensuring all Australians have accessible G-P care.
The peak G-P group has released a plan it says will halve out of pocket costs, deliver 6.2 million more bulk-billed consults per year, and see more specialist G-Ps training across Australia.
Data from online healthcare directory Cleanbill shows that an adult without concessions would not be able to find a bulk billing GP in 10 per cent of electorates.
R-A-C-G-P President Michael Wright says healthcare should be a key election issue.
"For too long, Medicare rebates have been underfunded, and there was a Medicare freeze for nearly ten years, and what that means is that the costs of providing care haven't kept pace with what the Medicare rebate has provided, and that's been it's been harder for GPs to bulk bill, and more patients are facing out of pocket costs, and this has worsened during our cost of living crisis. "
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New polling suggests expanding low-cost rentals will be a vote-changing political issue at the upcoming federal election.
The research, conducted for the Community Housing Industry As sociation [[C-H-I-A]], also found that 84 per cent believe safe and stable housing is a core government responsibility, while 76 per cent agree more social housing is needed.
C-H-I-A Chief Executive Officer Wendy Hayhurst says the government should commit to more affordable housing.
"Our sector is already stepping up and using the Housing Australia Future Fund to build more housing for people escaping domestic and family violence, those low wage people who can't live anywhere near where they're working and working shift. this is a really important issue. We're really pleased to be going, but we don't want to stop we want to keep on building that housing, Australia, so desperately needs. "
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U-S President Donald Trump says the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas should be cancelled if Hamas does not release all the remaining Israeli hostages by the weekend.
The call comes in response to Hamas stating it will delay the release if Israel continues to violate the three-week-old ceasefire.
Palestinian health authorities say Israeli troops have killed multiple people in Gaza since the ceasefire commenced, with another shot dead on Monday after four people were killed over the weekend.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz says Hamas is violating the ceasefire agreement with its announcement and that he had instructed the military to prepare in the Gaza Strip.
Mr Trump says the deadline is 12pm (AEDT) on Saturday.
"And after that, I would say all hell is going to break out. And I don't think they're going to do it. I think a lot of them are dead. I think a lot of the hostages are dead. I think it's a great, it's a great human tragedy what's happened, how people can be that mean to do."
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Sydney F-C's head coach Ufuk Talay says A-League clubs must embrace Asian competition, warning that years of neglect could come back to cost Australia a place in the Asian Champions League Elite next season.
Talay was keen to underline the importance of Sydney F-C's round-of-16 Asian Champions League 2 clash with Bangkok United on Wednesday, not just for Sydney, but for the Australian game as a whole.
Despite success from the Western Sydney Wanderers in 2014 and Central Coast Mariners' victory last year, Australian clubs have struggled to make an impact in Asia.
Those years of underperformance mean Australia's co-efficient has dropped below nations such as Jordan and Uzbekistan.
