Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has rejected assertions that Australia's proposed digital duty of care legislation represents government overreach, defending the framework ahead of bilateral discussions with US President Donald Trump at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.
The White House had previously cautioned that the reforms risked becoming
viewpoint-based censorship, urging exemptions for American technology companies. Albanese responded by emphasising his commitment to national interests, stating:
The digital duty of care is something that we have foreshadowed for some period of time. It is not about giving government control, it's about giving people back control over what they received on their devices. Which is why it is framed in that way.
According to reporting on the US position, the draft legislation would mandate that platforms notify users and permit them to switch from algorithm-recommended feeds to posts exclusively from accounts they actively choose to follow. The Australian government continues to seek input from digital platforms, industry bodies, civil society groups and advocates, with the bill anticipated to be introduced to parliament this year.
The proposed framework would also require platforms to shield children from harmful material including eating disorders, misogyny, pornography, glorification of crime, abuse and cyberbullying.
Speaking to reporters following the assembly session, Albanese indicated his willingness to engage constructively:
We listened and we participate respectfully and I look forward to immediately after this in a few minutes going to the reception held by president Trump, I look forward to engaging with him there.
The US intervention is likely to strengthen the Coalition's opposition to the duty of care laws, which the opposition has criticised on grounds that they would grant excessive regulatory authority to government over online content.
What is Australia's position on artificial intelligence?
Albanese has emerged as a vocal advocate for international guardrails on artificial intelligence development. During the UN General Assembly week, he pressed world leaders to support global AI safeguards, including through discussions with Trump at the gala reception in New York. According to reporting on his advocacy efforts, the Prime Minister has made the case for global rules on artificial intelligence, including during a visit to Apple's headquarters in Cupertino before travelling to New York.
When asked whether he was disappointed that Trump had
forcefully rejected the need for international safeguards on AI, Albanese responded:
We will wait and see what comes out of the meeting between president Trump and the Chinese president, it is good they are meeting and it is on the agenda.
Albanese joined more than 20 countries in signing a statement calling to bring the rapid growth of artificial intelligence under control.
What did Foreign Minister Wong say about nuclear testing?
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has warned that the global norm against nuclear testing faces
serious strain, delivering her remarks at a UN meeting commemorating three decades of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT).
Wong condemned Russia's decision to withdraw from the test ban treaty, stating:
Any nuclear explosion – of any yield – could have irrevocable consequences. In this context, we must make it clear that Australia strongly opposes Russia's revocation of its ratification of the CTBT. That Russia would even countenance a return to nuclear tests is an affront to all who want a world without nuclear weapons. Australia and partners continue to call on Russia to reverse this course of action.
Wong welcomed Tonga's recent ratification of the agreement, which now provides full treaty coverage across the Pacific region.
What is the status of Coalition-One Nation power-sharing discussions?
Liberal Senator Jane Hume has rejected claims by One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce that he has been conducting negotiations with senior Coalition figures regarding a potential power-sharing arrangement. Appearing on a national broadcaster this morning, Hume stated she had no knowledge of such discussions:
No, I'm afraid I don't.
Hume suggested that other senior Coalition members were similarly unaware, saying:
Pretty sure that I guess [Angus] Taylor doesn't. Pretty sure that Matt Canavan doesn't either, but Barnaby may persist and we'll see what happens. But yeah, I think we're probably closer to Tim Wilson's version of events than Barnaby's at this point in time.
Joyce had previously claimed he had been in talks with
very, very senior Liberalsover a power-sharing arrangement should One Nation win sufficient seats at the next federal election. Speaking to a news outlet yesterday afternoon, Joyce stated there would be an expectation that the Coalition and the minor party would cooperate if they possessed the numbers to defeat the Albanese government at the polls.
Joyce elaborated on the proposed arrangement:
I think we've been pretty clear on this. We've said our job is to get rid of the socialists. So either we would offer supply and confidence to the Coalition … on the premise of solid policy outcomes that we would want for that to happen, and we would want there to be clear acknowledgment that they are our policy outcomes, and we'd have a regime then of looking at legislation that came forward … we'd expect the same deal if we had greater numbers than the Coalition.
Joyce claimed he had held discussions with senior Coalition members as recently as Tuesday morning regarding a possible arrangement, adding that
we're now cutting dice, and we'll find out where we end up.
Liberal MP Tim Wilson has characterised Joyce's claims as a
figment of Barnaby's imagination, pointing to Joyce's previous broken commitments to his electorate and his former party. Wilson stated:
This is a man who has previously gone to his electorate and said that he's going to be a Nationals MP throughout the life of this term. He broke that promise to his electorate. He said he'd support his leader. He broke that promise. He said he'd support his party. He broke that promise. I understand Barnaby has regrets about jumping over to a new political party where he doesn't pull the strings and is now just operated by others. I think it's a figment of his imagination.
In response, Joyce branded Wilson a
clown, sarcastically remarking:
I just made it up, I get bored, mate … clown. Of course we're having conversations.Joyce stated there was
no prospecteither the Coalition or One Nation could form government based on current polling, but ruled out any formal coalition between the two parties, saying:
We do not want to be in a coalition with Tim [Wilson] to be quite frank. He's supposed to be the [shadow] treasurer it's a shame he can't count … how are you supposed to get supply and confidence Tim, if you don't have the numbers?
Joyce declined to identify which senior Coalition figures he claimed to have spoken with.
What did Albanese and Trump discuss?
Anthony Albanese posed for a photograph with Donald Trump at the UN assembly in New York, with the image subsequently shared to Albanese's social media account and captioned
Always good to catch up with @potus.
What is Victoria's Big Build royal commission investigating?
The royal commission into allegations of corruption on Victorian government construction sites has commenced its first public hearing, with Commissioner Chris Kourakis formally opening proceedings. Officially designated the Royal Commission into the Integrity of Major Public and Civil Infrastructure Construction Projects in Victoria, the inquiry will examine allegations of corruption, criminal conduct and serious misconduct by the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU), construction companies, subcontractors, labour hire firms and others involved in the Big Build – the Victorian government's pipeline of more than 180 major road and rail projects.
Kourakis explained the significance of the formal reading of the letters patent, which constitute the commission's authority:
It is the document which constitutes this commission. By having it read, all who hear it will appreciate, and I and the staff of the commission will be reminded of the breadth and depth and importance of the inquiry we have been charged to conduct. It may also prompt members of the public who may have helpful information for the commission to come forward and provide that to us.
The commissioner outlined the commission's mandate to bring those responsible for delivering the Big Build
to account publicly, stating:
It's also the job of this commission to pursue every person who is reasonably suspected of being complicit in the abuse of entrusted power for private gain and to expose and to refer for prosecution whoever is implicated by the evidence the commission receives. The commission will do so from those who carried the highest level of responsibility down and without exception.
Kourakis issued a warning to those involved in wrongdoing, declaring the commission would leave
no stone unturned in search for whatever is hid or whomever lurks underneath it, and advised:
Anyone who has an ambition to remain in the industry will be better served by early voluntary disclosures to the commission than by waiting to be found out.
Counsel assisting the commission, Chris Young KC, emphasised that corruption is not a victimless crime, citing examples of workers and small business operators who suffered harm. Young described the case of an Indigenous-owned labour hire business whose directors were
threatened with violence and bannedfrom a state government project after writing to the minister and premier in April 2022 seeking assistance. He noted:
They said they had recordings. They asked for help … They got a reply a year later, which referred them elsewhere. By then, their business was all but finished, and it was closed a few months after.
Young recounted another incident involving a woman working in traffic management on a public hospital project who was
locked in a storeroom by a man recently released from prison for stalking and threatening to kill a womanwho
smoked ice and blew the smoke in her face. He stated:
She reported it. She says that what happened next was that she lost her job.
Young detailed additional cases of harm:
Workers were reportedly told they no longer had jobs on a state tunnel project because they belonged to the wrong union. Some subcontractors say they lost work because they would not pay. Some people were seriously injured. Others had their property destroyed.
Young indicated the commission would pursue investigations into
wastage, misdirected funds, and inflated costson the Big Build, emphasising:
Every wasted, misdirected, or inflated dollar is $1 that could have been used to fund a hospital bed, a classroom, or another vital state service.
Young confirmed that all individuals named in the commission will receive
a fair opportunity to respond to the evidenceand that no adverse finding would be made
unless they've first been told of it and given a proper opportunity to answer. Where evidence warrants it, the commission will refer matters to the special prosecutor, Victoria Police, the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC), and relevant regulatory and licensing authorities, with Young noting that
any decision about charges is for them.
Young stated:
It is too soon to say what the commission will recommend. We must first examine what happened and why.
Kourakis disclosed that prior to this first public hearing, the commission had already conducted closed hearings, explaining:
They were closed because their purpose was to obtain sensitive information to guide the commission's investigations. Early disclosure of that information would have compromised the commission's ongoing investigations.He confirmed the commission would continue to hold closed hearings when necessary, while committing to
deliver on the just expectation of the Victorian public that there will be full disclosure of all matters touching on the integrity of the infrastructure projects the commission is charged to investigate.
Kourakis confirmed that Victoria Police Detective Superintendent Daniel Ryan has been appointed to lead the commission's investigation team. Prior to joining the commission, Ryan worked in professional standards at Victoria Police and had previously served in the homicide squad, the joint organised crime taskforce, and the criminal proceeds squad.
What are Qantas's Project Sunrise plans?
Qantas has confirmed that its ultra long-haul direct flights from Sydney to New York will commence in mid-2028, with the airline projecting the service will reduce travel time between the two cities by three hours. The Sydney-New York route will follow the launch of Sydney-London direct flights scheduled for October 2027.
The airline has ordered 12 specially designed Airbus A350-1000ULRs equipped with extra fuel tanks as part of Project Sunrise. The first aircraft is expected to arrive in Australia in April 2027. These aircraft have been engineered to fly up to 22 hours nonstop for Qantas operations, enabling some of the longest commercial flights globally. Qantas stated that a test model completed a 24-hour, 24-minute flight from Melbourne to Airbus's manufacturing facility in Toulouse, France, believed to represent the longest-ever commercial flight.
Tickets are scheduled to go on sale in August 2027, according to Qantas. Chief Executive Vanessa Hudson remarked:
Conquering the tyranny of distance has been part of who Qantas is from the very beginning. Reaching New York non-stop completes a vision we set out many years ago, and it's a moment of enormous pride for the thousands of our people who have been working hard to make Project Sunrise a reality.
What did Coalition figures say about social media regulation?
Shadow Treasurer Tim Wilson has stated he agrees with the Trump administration's concerns regarding potential censorship risks in Labor's social media crackdown. Wilson remarked:
There is a risk of bestowing too much power on to unelected bureaucrats. And I think there is a risk of too much regulation, which may not actually have any great impact on our economy or our society. So I have to say, I share some of the concerns, but obviously Australia will make its own judgments on these things.
Wilson indicated he considered it appropriate for the US embassy to weigh in on the proposed legislation, stating:
I mean, we live in a free society, or at least we used to, and people are allowed to express a view. Maybe they'll be censored by the new laws, but look, I think it's OK for us to hear from our colleagues in other countries. That's often the case when law reform is being undertaken.
Liberal MP Andrew Bragg has similarly expressed concerns about the reforms, arguing there exists
a risk of too much regulation, which may not actually have any great impact on our economy or our society. Bragg stated:
There is a risk of bestowing too much power on to unelected bureaucrats.
