McIntosh doubles down on call for Liberal ‘rebrand’. Follow today’s news live
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42m agoQantas customers told to start compensation claim
1h agoLawyer investigating CFMEU says call to pause Victorian big build projects is ‘silly’
1h agoACCC sues Amazon over charging Prime users extra for no ads
2h agoWong extends deepest sympathies to family of teenager killed in Thailand
3h ago‘I want us to have more cut-through’: McIntosh doubles down on rebrand call
3h agoFuel prices increase (slightly) tomorrow
4h ago‘Paul Hogan nailed it,’ Albanese says in praise of the actor’s One Nation critique
4h agoHousing reforms are about making system ‘fairer’ for young people, Albanese says
Geoffrey Watson, the barrister who was appointed by the CFMEU administrator to investigate allegations of corruption and criminal offences within the union, said it would be counterproductive to pause Victoria’s big build projects while corruption in the sector is rooted out.
That call was made by deputy Liberal leader, Jane Hume, yesterday after reports by Nine newspapers that CFMEU officials appointed criminals to major roles within big-build firms and the state government knew the union’s takeover of construction sites was driving up costs and blowing out timelines.
Watson told RN Breakfast earlier this morning it was concerning. Watson has called for a royal commission to investigate how organised crime within the building sector “has infiltrated and really wrecked a major part of the economy”.
This is really into a criminal investigation … It happens to be the building industry, but it’s not like the other [construction sector] inquiries. It’s into crime. Now, why do I think we need it? It’s because the police, and they’ve made a statement today, they don’t have the relevant powers. They’ve been doing a great job, but they don’t have the relevant powers to investigate.
But asked whether federal funding for the big builds should be paused while the issue is investigated, Watson says that would be silly.
It’s silly. It’s counterproductive again, you want the projects now that they’ve started to get on and get finished … But if you said, as I heard suggested yesterday by somebody, that the site should be shut down, well, all you’re going to do is enable the people to be paid for not working. You’re going to drive a whole lot of innocent contractors out of business.
Following on from our previous post …
The parties’ confidential settlement involved Cairo Takeaway, Birenbaum and the Daily Telegraph releasing a joint statement in which the Daily Telegraph apologised to Cairo Takeaway for “causing distress”. Cairo also apologised unreservedly to Birenbaum.
But just hours after the agreed joint statement was published, the dispute was reignited when Birenbaum posted an additional “personal statement” to his Instagram and X accounts claiming he was “vindicated”. He posted the personal statement to the X account three hours before he posted the joint statement.
His lawyer, Rebekah Giles, also sent statements to media in which she labelled the settlement “an important win for Ofir Birenbaum and the Australian Jewish community”, the court heard.
In May, during a hearing over allegations Birenbaum breached parts of the settlement, lawyers for Cairo Takeaway alleged the statements by Birenbaum and Giles were a “coordinated effort” to discredit the settlement and “control the narrative” in the media.
Birenbaum’s lawyer, Kieran Smark SC, denied the comments were inconsistent with the official joint statement. He also suggested Birenbaum was vindicated because the restaurant had made a public apology.
Ofir Birenbaum breached settlement with Cairo Takeaway, court finds
A pro-Israel activist breached parts of a legal settlement with Sydney restaurant Cairo Takeaway, a court has found.
Justice Robert Bromwich handed down his decision in the federal court of Australia on Tuesday in the latest chapter of the long-running feud after Ofir Birenbaum went to Cairo Takeaway wearing a Star of David cap and necklace with reporters from the Daily Telegraph in February 2025.
The operation, later revealed to have been dubbed “undercover Jew” internally by the newspaper, made international headlines after it backfired.
In August, Birenbaum launched defamation proceedings against the restaurant’s owner Hesham El Masry and staff member Talaat Yehia for statements made in a series of social media posts.
The case settled in March, but was reopened after the restaurant alleged Birenbaum had breached parts of the settlement the parties had agreed by claiming he was “completely vindicated”.
‘I honestly don’t think rebranding is going to help us get there’: Duniam
Jonno Duniam, who has announced he will retire from the Senate some time this year, disputes the call for a Liberal rebrand and says the focus should be on developing a suite of policies.
He tackles the suggestion from Melissa McIntosh a little stronger than some of his colleagues and says that talking about the Liberal party and its brand probably won’t help the Coalition win the next election.
I think people are less concerned about the packaging or the box and what it looks like on the outside and more worried about what is on the inside, which is, frankly, where we’ve got to be focused. We’ve got to actually get our policy work done … That’s when we’ll start seeing the dial shift, or people return to us, having abandoned us. I don’t think talking about ourselves and our brand is going to help us win the next election. I honestly don’t think rebranding is going to help us get there.
I think people are less concerned about the packaging or the box and what it looks like on the outside and more worried about what is on the inside, which is, frankly, where we’ve got to be focused. We’ve got to actually get our policy work done … That’s when we’ll start seeing the dial shift, or people return to us, having abandoned us.
I don’t think talking about ourselves and our brand is going to help us win the next election. I honestly don’t think rebranding is going to help us get there.
He also trashes any talk of preference deals, saying, “I think it is ridiculous for us in 2026 to be talking about preferences for a 2028 election.”
Duniam says ‘bet your bottom dollar’ Labor will legislate super for under-18s
Shadow frontbencher, Jono Duniam, says you can bet your bottom dollar Labor will mandate superannuation payments for under-18s.
Right now an employer only has to pay super to a worker aged under 18 if they work more than 30 hours a week.
Jim Chalmers this morning said the government was engaging with young people on the issue, but said the priority for the moment was payday super (requiring employers to pay super at the same time as a paycheque).
Duniam told Sky News the government should understand what the changes will do before “rushing into another dodgy dirty deal”.
On whether the government, the people who control whether this happens or not, are going to do it, I think you can bet your bottom dollar they will … Obviously, there are implications for employers, and we want to understand all of this. You can’t just do these things on the fly. There are costs to employers, particularly when you’ve got a huge casual and young workforce. Let’s understand what impact that would have on the economy before we rush off into another dirty dodgy deal with the Greens.
On whether the government, the people who control whether this happens or not, are going to do it, I think you can bet your bottom dollar they will …
Obviously, there are implications for employers, and we want to understand all of this. You can’t just do these things on the fly. There are costs to employers, particularly when you’ve got a huge casual and young workforce. Let’s understand what impact that would have on the economy before we rush off into another dirty dodgy deal with the Greens.
Qantas customers who were refused refunds for flights cancelled during the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions can start their compensation claims as part of a class action settlement.
Echo Law began contacting affected customers on Monday as part of a $105m settlement reached in March, in which Qantas agreed to resolve claims regarding its refund policies.
The court-approved letter sent to customers says that “even persons who have used their Qantas flight credit or were ultimately refunded for their flight are eligible for a settlement payment”.
The minimum compensation payment is $50, although some customers will receive “significantly more”, according to the letter.
The lawsuit alleged that affected customers were contractually entitled to cash refunds when their flights were cancelled, but were instead issued travel credits, often with restrictions and expiries.
Qantas settled the claim but did not admit fault.
Leeser won’t back calls for a Liberal rebrand
Like every other Liberal facing the media this morning, Julian Leeser is asked whether he wants to – like Melissa McIntosh – see a rebrand of the Liberal party.
He doesn’t say yes or no, but the underlying vibe is – not really.
He sticks to the messages that the Coalition has been trumpeting – lower taxes and stronger borders – and says that’s been going down well among his constituents in Sydney.
When I go around my electorate, I’ve been talking to them about our tax-back policy, which is going over very well in the community because we are going to let people keep more of the money they earn. When you go into a new tax bracket because you’ve had a wage drives, you deserve to keep that money.
When I go around my electorate, I’ve been talking to them about our tax-back policy, which is going over very well in the community because we are going to let people keep more of the money they earn.
When you go into a new tax bracket because you’ve had a wage drives, you deserve to keep that money.
Asked whether he supports Andrew Hastie’s strategy of fighting One Nation head on or Angus Taylor’s approach, Leeser again doesn’t want to engage, and says:
I’m focused on selling our policies to people in my electorate.
Leeser describes antisemitic abuse post Bondi terror attack
Julian Leeser, a Liberal frontbencher and Jewish MP, says online abuse has “gone to a whole new level” since the Bondi terror attack in December, and has called on social media platforms to step up.
Yesterday we reported that the royal commission into antisemitism had received a mixed response from platforms, some which had provided little or no response.
Every time I post anything on my social media, I’m called a traitor and a Mossad agent, and there are graphic, violent and sexual comments that are made that I will not repeat on your program. That’s what Jewish Australians are copping today. I’m a member of parliament. You expect some level of abuse as a member of parliament, but no one should expect that level of abuse, and I don’t want an Australia for my children, or for anyone’s children, where people are judged on the basis of their race or religion.
Every time I post anything on my social media, I’m called a traitor and a Mossad agent, and there are graphic, violent and sexual comments that are made that I will not repeat on your program. That’s what Jewish Australians are copping today.
I’m a member of parliament. You expect some level of abuse as a member of parliament, but no one should expect that level of abuse, and I don’t want an Australia for my children, or for anyone’s children, where people are judged on the basis of their race or religion.
Amazon responds to ACCC case
Just in response to the earlier news that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is taking Amazon to court over alleged unfair contract terms that allowed the company to charge Prime users extra for Prime Video free of ads, the company’s spokesperson has sent the following response:
We are reviewing the case filed by the ACCC in detail. We have cooperated with the ACCC throughout its investigation and remain focused on providing the best experience for our Australian customers.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has taken Amazon to the federal court alleging the company breached consumer law by introducing advertising for Prime Video users, and charging customers extra to opt out.
Amazon customers who pay a Prime prescription of $79 per year, or $9.99 per month, previously had access to the company’s streaming video platform as part of the overall subscription package at no extra charge.
In 2024, Amazon introduced advertising to the platform, and users who wanted to keep the streamer ad free would need to pay $2.99 extra per month.
In the federal court case launched by the ACCC on Tuesday, the watchdog has alleged that Amazon’s Australian Prime contracts with over 1 million annual subscribers between November 2023 and August 2025 contained five unfair contract terms to allow the changes without offering subscribers a remedy.
The ACCC chair, Gina Cass-Gottlieb, said:
We allege that Amazon AU included multiple unfair terms in its contracts with Australian annual Prime subscribers, and it then relied on some of these terms to bring ads on to Amazon Prime Video. Consumers who wanted to avoid ads were left with no choice but to pay more to maintain the service they’d initially signed up for.
We allege that Amazon AU included multiple unfair terms in its contracts with Australian annual Prime subscribers, and it then relied on some of these terms to bring ads on to Amazon Prime Video.
Consumers who wanted to avoid ads were left with no choice but to pay more to maintain the service they’d initially signed up for.
The ACCC also alleges that Amazon’s US parent company was involved in the drafting of the Australian contracts.
The ACCC is seeking declarations, penalties, consumer redress, costs and other orders.
Amazon was approached for comment.
It’s the second case against Amazon launched by the ACCC this year, following court action in May over kids products sold on Amazon’s marketplace that allegedly failed to comply with mandatory button battery warning requirements.
‘We just have to keep on those messages,’ says O’Brien
Ted O’Brien has moved down the press gallery corridor into the Sky News studio, where he’s once again asked whether the Liberals need a rebrand – he says he’s not proposing one but concedes communication by the party should be better.
He basically says that the current message is right – it just needs to be said louder and heard by more Australians.
While I’m not proposing a rebranding for the Liberal party, I can see where Melissa [McIntosh] is going with this because we do need to communicate more with the Australian public about the fact that it’s only the Liberal party that we’ll look after Australian families. I think we just have to keep on those messages.
While I’m not proposing a rebranding for the Liberal party, I can see where Melissa [McIntosh] is going with this because we do need to communicate more with the Australian public about the fact that it’s only the Liberal party that we’ll look after Australian families.
I think we just have to keep on those messages.
Asked about whether the Coalition is hoping for One Nation’s preferences, O’Brien says he wants as many first preferences for the Liberals and Nationals as possible, but is open to it.
I’m hoping that we can garner as many primary votes as we can. Do we want preferences? Yes, from her [Pauline Hanson] from everybody, I’m talking about citizens who vote, we want their preferences. As for preference deals being done, well that’s a different story. Firstly, that’s up to the organisational wing, but putting that to the side, now’s not the time to be doing preference deals. You do that in the usual way in the political cycle, which is right at the end.
I’m hoping that we can garner as many primary votes as we can.
Do we want preferences? Yes, from her [Pauline Hanson] from everybody, I’m talking about citizens who vote, we want their preferences.
As for preference deals being done, well that’s a different story. Firstly, that’s up to the organisational wing, but putting that to the side, now’s not the time to be doing preference deals. You do that in the usual way in the political cycle, which is right at the end.
Wilson rejects push for Liberal rebrand
While Melissa McIntosh might be calling for a rebrand, Tim Wilson seems eager to stay on the same message and talk about how the “best word we have is ‘liberal’”.
Why then, asks a journalist, do only 17% of voters want to put a “1” next to the name?
Liberalism is not just an end in itself; it’s an enlivening of how people can live out their best lives.
A journalist pushes back again, asking why that message isn’t cutting through, which Wilson then replies, “I’ve said consistently there’s a lot more work to do.”
He’s then asked whether the messaging needs to change to get the ideas through to the public.
Again, Wilson doesn’t really want to engage with the calls for a rebrand, and answers:
It’s not just about identifying the problem; it’s also about pointing out what the clear solutions are. What do we want? We want an Australia where hard work pays off, Australians feel in control of their own lives, and of course, that they feel a basic sense of respect.
Liberal rebrand ‘not my proposal’, says O’Brien
Ted O’Brien says he agrees with his colleague Melissa McIntosh that the Liberals need to better communicate with the public, but doesn’t join her call for a full rebrand.
He also rebukes questions on whether the leadership should be replaced if Angus Taylor’s message isn’t cutting through to the public.
O’Brien clearly doesn’t want to engage and tries to quickly switch the narrative to how the public are getting poorer.
While that’s not my proposal, I think what Melissa is getting at is right in that we need to communicate our plan. And Mel [Clarke], that’s why, with all respect, I’m pushing back on some of these questions about wanting to talk polling and leadership. Right now, the Australian people are poorer. They’re poorer than they were years ago … Now, what’s the plan to get out of that? The plan is the biggest, most consequential tax reform by the Taylor government.
Pacific regional security pact ‘the next step’, says O’Brien
Following Pat Conroy in the RN Breakfast hot seat is shadow foreign affairs minister, Ted O’Brien, who says Australia should support and be a part of a regional security pact.
It’s an idea the Coalition has committed to, and one Solomon Islands have recently floated.
O’Brien says a pact should be negotiated through the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF).
I think a regional security pact here – we are talking about partners within the region, again, Australia is a part of that region and I think it is the next step. I do believe over the years there have been bilateral agreements put in place, there have been some multilateral agreements, but now is the time for us to step up even further in the Pacific and ensure that the stability of the region is secured. I continue to push this from the Coalition’s perspective. But it has to be owned by the region. It has to be co-designed by the region. And it shouldn’t just deal with issues of military security, but maritime security.
I think a regional security pact here – we are talking about partners within the region, again, Australia is a part of that region and I think it is the next step.
I do believe over the years there have been bilateral agreements put in place, there have been some multilateral agreements, but now is the time for us to step up even further in the Pacific and ensure that the stability of the region is secured.
I continue to push this from the Coalition’s perspective. But it has to be owned by the region. It has to be co-designed by the region. And it shouldn’t just deal with issues of military security, but maritime security.
Conroy was also asked about the idea of a regional security pact earlier and said “We’re open to it. We’re always driven by what the Pacific sets as its priorities.”
Conroy says government ‘hopeful’ of concluding treaty with Fiji
Off the back of inking the deal with Vanuatu, the prime minister announced yesterday he’ll shortly be visiting Fiji where there’s another agreement in negotiation.
Pat Conroy tells RN Breakfast that he won’t get ahead of Anthony Albanese but he’s feeling pretty good about that agreement – known as the Vuvale Union – being resolved.
We’re still negotiating the Vuvale treaty and we’re hopeful of concluding it, but I’m not going to get ahead of the prime minister, but I’m very confident in our relationship that Prime Minister Rabuka has pioneered through the Pacific Island Forum, and I’m hopeful that our relationship will get even closer very shortly.
Albanese will also be visiting Solomon Islands.
Jumping back into her interview on ABC News Breakfast, Wong is asked what consular assistance has been provided to the Australian man suspected of killing a 17-year old girl in Thailand.
The foreign affairs minister, says first that she extends her deepest sympathies to the girls’ friends and family, and that she has been horrified by what’s been reported.
She won’t provide any details of what consular assistance has been offered. She also says she has not yet spoken to her counterpart in Thailand, but there has been some engagement on the issue at the “official level”.
I want to start by saying this is horrific and I think we’ve all been horrified by what has been reported and extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends who have lost someone they love dearly. We provide consular assistance to people. I’m not able to provide details about because I’m bound by privacy requirements but all Australians have access to consular support around the world when necessary. I know there has been engagement at the official level and I will be obviously going to be Asean meeting, so I no doubt will have the opportunity to speak with my foreign minister counterpart there.
I want to start by saying this is horrific and I think we’ve all been horrified by what has been reported and extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends who have lost someone they love dearly.
We provide consular assistance to people. I’m not able to provide details about because I’m bound by privacy requirements but all Australians have access to consular support around the world when necessary.
I know there has been engagement at the official level and I will be obviously going to be Asean meeting, so I no doubt will have the opportunity to speak with my foreign minister counterpart there.
Vanuatu promises to ‘consult’ with Australia on third-party investment in critical infrastructure
The minister for defence industry and the Pacific, Pat Conroy, is celebrating the treaty signed by Vanuatu and Australia yesterday, and is asked to explain what consultation will look like on third-party investment in critical infrastructure under that agreement.
The minister tells ABC RN Breakfast that the consultation process will allow Australia to help assess countries understand “what they’re getting, understand both the opportunities and also the risks that that poses”.
Asked whether he believes that consultation process will be honoured under future governments, Conroy says “any issues around implementation of the treaty will be gone through the Nakamal Committee to resolve”.
Our requirement to consult is merely talking to us about what they’re planning and also us providing planning and technical assistance around that infrastructure. These clauses are obviously constructed so that if there’s infrastructure that could be potentially militarised, there’s an opportunity through the Nakamal Committee, which is implementation committee of the treaty, because that’s really important in our region. We’re in the middle of a great power contest in our region. It’s really important that we don’t have foreign military bases in the Pacific.
Our requirement to consult is merely talking to us about what they’re planning and also us providing planning and technical assistance around that infrastructure.
These clauses are obviously constructed so that if there’s infrastructure that could be potentially militarised, there’s an opportunity through the Nakamal Committee, which is implementation committee of the treaty, because that’s really important in our region. We’re in the middle of a great power contest in our region. It’s really important that we don’t have foreign military bases in the Pacific.
Australia providing consular assistance to seven people after Venezuela earthquakes
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, says the government is providing consular assistance to seven individuals affected by the earthquakes in Venezuela.
Speaking to ABC News Breakfast this morning, she won’t reveal more details, but says the quakes were “utterly devastating”.
It has been utterly devastating and more parties are working through the scale of those who were lost and those who are still trapped. This is very distressing situation for all and we extend our deepest sympathies to the people of Venezuelan. We are providing some consular assistance to some seven individuals. We obviously will continue to engage with authorities to determine if any Australians need further assistance.
It has been utterly devastating and more parties are working through the scale of those who were lost and those who are still trapped. This is very distressing situation for all and we extend our deepest sympathies to the people of Venezuelan.
We are providing some consular assistance to some seven individuals. We obviously will continue to engage with authorities to determine if any Australians need further assistance.
Asked to confirm whether the seven are Australian citizens, Wong won’t say and repeats that the government is providing assistance to “seven individuals”.
Australian politics live with Krishani Dhanji
