Australian news and politics live: Labor secure support from Greens on tax changes after deal struck

We are wrapping up the live blog for the day.

We will be back tomorrow with more Australian news and politics.

In the meantime, read the latest edition of The Nightly.

NSW Labor has done its best to distance itself from Anthony Albanese as it delivered its last State Budget before it faces voters early next year.

Six weeks after Federal Labor delivered a Budget of broken election promises, State Treasurer Daniel Mookhey took a swipe at the Prime Minister, a NSW native, and his Commonwealth counterpart Jim Chalmers.

“We like to be predictable and provide as much certainty as we can, regardless of whatever wider dynamic there is in the community and whatever wider dynamic there is in Federal Parliament,” Mr Mookhey told reporters on Tuesday.

Federal Labor’s plans to restrict negative gearing to new properties from July 2027, and replace the 50 per cent capital gains tax discount with a minimum 30 per cent tax on inflation-adjusted gains isn’t just unpopular with many property investors.

It’s also infuriating the State Labor Government, which is particularly reliant on property stamp duty revenue.

Falling house prices in Sydney, Australia’s most expensive property market, are bad for the State’s tax collectors.

NSW is set to reap $5.4 billion less from stamp duty over the coming four financial years, meaning a bigger deficit for the upcoming financial year.

Stamp duty is forecast to contribute $12.6 billion to NSW coffers in 2026-27 — or 24 per cent of the $52.1b in overall tax collection.

Read the full story here.

The Albanese Government’s proposal to extend the fuel price cuts for Aussie drivers has passed the House of Representatives.

The extension for another month beyond the original June 30 deadline will help cushion motorists at the bowser from ongoing global fuel price volatility after the Iran war.

However, under the Treasury Laws Amendment (Fuel Excise Relief No. 2) Bill 2026, the 16¢-a-litre discount from July 1 will only be worth half as much as it has been since April’s 32¢-a-litre excise cut.

Angus Taylor and Jane Hume have urged Liberal MPs to take part in a social media blitz talking up their party’s governance credentials as they work to combat the existential threat posed to their party by One Nation.

The Opposition Leader and his deputy acknowledged for the first time in a party room meeting on Tuesday that Pauline Hanson’s remarkable surge in support came at the expense of their own.

The duo instructed their team to take to social media to promote their party’s strengths and policies to position themselves as an “election-winning” party.

Meanwhile Liberal WA MP Andrew Hastie reportedly vowed to “never surrender” as he disclosed that his home and electorate office south of Perth had been identified for security upgrades.

Read the full story.

Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith will no longer attend Tuesday night’s official opening for the newly renovated Australian War Memorial building in Canberra.

The Nightly has confirmed the decorated soldier, who is charged with war crimes, has pulled out of the event after being invited along with the nation’s three other living VC recipients.

Last week the former SAS corporal had his bail conditions varied so he could attend the AWM opening after prosecutors conceded it was “highly unlikely” that a certain potential Crown witness would be present.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has backpedalled on her controversial National Press Club remarks against paid parental leave.

The Queensland Senator appeared to suggest women should not be paid by employers while on maternity leave, which would wind back the clock by decades for working mothers.

“If women take time off and they are not paid their wages because they’re not working, fair enough. Why should business pay? But they’re not at work,” Senator Hanson had said in response to a question at the press club.

“That’s the difference. That’s why the pay gap is there.”

The minor party leader’s remarks had been condemned across the political spectrum, by unions and experts.

Senator Hanson sought to clarify the statement while speaking on Sunrise on Tuesday morning and insisted the comments had been “taken out of context” after the address last week.

“There’s no way, shape or form that I am actually saying to get rid of it,” she said.

“I think it’s been very beneficial to women to get back into the workforce.

“So that was totally taken completely out of context.

“It’s up to companies if they want to have it in their policy to give it to their workers.

“There are businesses that cannot afford it. It’s OK for government, taxpayers pay for it.

“You put another pressure on the small businesses, pay for maternity leave, they’ll actually fold.”

From 1 July, parents can access 26 weeks of government-funded paid parental leave at the minimum wage.

While businesses aren’t forced to top this up with their own paid leave — though many do to stay competitive — they absolutely must give staff up to 12 months of unpaid leave.

Senator Hanson has also proposed a family income-splitting policy aimed at encouraging parents to stay home or homeschool by lowering their combined tax burden. A model that could reduce government childcare costs.

Federal Parliament will rise earlier on Tuesday to allow members to attend the official opening of a new exhibit at the Australian War Memorial.

Leader of the House Tony Burke passed a rare resolution, which usually only happens when a Prime Minister needs to see the Governor-General, in the House of Representatives to rise at 5.30pm.

The opening will be held for the new Afghanistan conflict gallery as part of the War Memorial’s $550 million redevelopment.

Alongside parliamentarians, Victoria Cross recipient and accused war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith has also been invited.

Labor expects their Treasury Laws Amendment (Fuel Excise Relief No.2) Bill 2026 to go through all stages on Tuesday with divisions at 5pm.

It might include voting on a second reading amendment but the House plans to wrap up and adjourn by 5.30pm.

Debate and final votes on the Workplace Relations Bill have been locked in for Wednesday and are expected to be wrapped up by 6.30pm.

Parliament is also likely to sit beyond 5pm on Thursday, meaning some Federal politicians may have to alter their plans to fly back to their electorates for a non-sitting day on Friday.

Angus Taylor brushed aside questions about the Coalition’s declining primary vote, instead launching a blistering attack on Labor’s tax reforms, which he described as an “assault on aspiration, ambition and everything I believe in”.

The Opposition Leader said Australians were angry with the government and argued the only way to remove Labor from office was to vote for the Coalition.

He vowed not to support what he described as “dangerous deals” or a “rotten Budget”, before branding Labor a “stinking rotten government” that had “flip-flopped all the way since the Budget” because it had failed.

Angus Taylor has branded Labor’s negative gearing and capital gains tax reforms “dangerous”, warning the changes would leave Australians paying more tax and saving less.

The Opposition Leader said the Coalition would scrap what he described as Labor’s “toxic taxes”, arguing the measures would hurt workers, investors, small businesses and people trying to build wealth.

“They must go,” Mr Taylor said, claiming abolishing the reforms would mean “lower taxes on people saving away on nest eggs, lower taxes on investment, lower taxes on houses and lower taxes on small business.”

One Nation’s rise to the mainstream has prompted the Coalition to front up to the right populist threat with an internal drive to boost social media and get the “whole team” involved.

A week after Pauline Hanson delivered her first-ever National Press Club address, Angus Taylor and his team will seek greater exposure as they work to present a contrasting suite of policies.

At a joint-party room meeting in Canberra on Tuesday, the Opposition leader and his deputy, Jane Hume, discussed the minor party’s growing influence for the first time since taking the helm.

The leaders will look to highlight their “good team of people” on social media as they seek to showcase their party’s strengths and policy suite, positioning themselves as an election-winning party.

Despite noting their need to be more championing of their “wonderful team”, there was no formal acknowledgement of shadow cabinet standout Jonno Duniam at the Coalition meeting.

Despite persistent questioning after previous party room meetings, only today did the Coalition acknowledge any mention of One Nation.