Australia news live: Albanese rules out reciprocal tariffs on US in retaliation against Trump; the Age publishes Palmer ad despite staff protest

Anthony Albanese says Trump’s tariff on steel and aluminium imports from US trading partners (including Australia) is “entirely unjustified”.

He said the decision is “against the spirit of our two nations’ enduring friendship”.

Albanese is speaking live:

Such a decision by the Trump Administration is entirely unjustified. This is against the spirit of our two nations’ enduring friendship and fundamentally at odds with the benefit of our economic partnership that has delivered over more than 70 years. Australia has no tariffs on goods from the United States and, of course, we have a agreement with the United States. Our government will continue to put forward a very strong case for an exemption, noting that the last time this occurred it took months for that exemption to be granted. We will advocate for Australian trade with United States at every level through every channel. Australia will work hard for different out come and discussions with the Trump Administration are ongoing.

Police chief questioned on Dural caravan plot briefings

The police had suspicions about whether or not the Dural caravan plot was a terrorist threat from the “very early stages of the investigation”, a senior police commissioner has confirmed, as questioning over who knew what when continues to dominate budget estimates.

Deputy police commissioner David Hudson told a parliamentary committee just now under questioning from Liberal MP Susan Carter that police briefings to the government would have not “categorically” said if the plot was a terrorist threat or criminal plot, but that it was being “treated at its highest” and both lines on inquiry were being investigated.

The questioning comes after police minister Yasmin Catley refused to answer when she was informed the caravan plot was not a terror threat, and why the public was not informed sooner.

Asked if the NSW premier Chris Minns was briefed by police “that this caravan was a terrorist event”, Hudson responded:

The premier was told that we were treating it as a terrorist event.

Asked if the premier was also told that it could be a criminal conspiracy, Hudson said the details of that were complicated by “external reporting” that entered the investigation, and “until that was discredited, we treated it as a terrorist incident”.

Jordyn Beazley

Catley stands her ground in grilling on caravan plot

The NSW police minister has again refused to answer in budget estimates when she knew the caravan plot was not a terror threat but a con job by organised crime figures, saying she does not disclose confidential police briefings.

Liberal MP Susan Carter, the shadow assistant minister for the attorney general, pointed out to the minister, Yasmin Catley, that these details were no longer confidential and as of Monday were now in the public domain.

In response to this, Catley maintained that it was her duty as police minister to not disclose confidential briefings.

Carter said:

I am not asking you for confidential details. I’m asking you for details that are no longer confidential.

Catley responded:

Well they were confidential and I’m not sharing them with you.

Carter, after pointing out that Catley had said “were confidential”, responded:

Minister, this is no longer confidential, and I find your recalcitrance to actually provide details to this committee distressing.

Jordyn Beazley

Continued from last post: Higginson later asked Caltey why she allowed the parliament to be “bombarded” with legislation by the Minns government drafted to respond to a wave of antisemitic attacks up until 11 February “on the false basis” of the caravan plot being a terrorist event.

Catley responded that the legislation did not specifically relate to that event and was drafted to respond to “hateful crimes” that had occurred for months in Sydney, with the Jewish community increasingly feeling terrorised.

Higginson then asked:

At no point did you, before imposing on the parliament these laws, go to the public and disclose the truth of the matter that this was not a terrorist event? Why did you not do that?

Catley responded:

I will remind you Mrs Higginson that from July 2023 until January 2025 there have been more than 700 antisemitic events and incidents.

Higginson then asked:

There has been 14 people arrested as part of Strike Force Pearl, and not one of them was motivated by ideological, religious or hatred … Why did you not tell the public that the Dural event was not motivated by ideology, politics or religion?

Catley responded:

Well, that has now been.

Jordyn Beazley

NSW police minister in fiery exchange with Greens MP over Dural caravan plot

Yasmin Catley has refused to answer when she was told the Dural caravan plot was not a terrorist threat or attack, arguing she does not share her high-level police briefings with police with “anybody”.

The NSW police minister is before budget estimates today, where questioning over the caravan plot – which police revealed on Monday was a “con job” by organised crime figures and not ideologically motivated – has so far dominated the line of questioning.

The Greens’ spokesperson for justice, Sue Hugginson, repeatedly asked in a fiery exchange over when Catley – who said she’d had daily briefings on the investigation since the end of January – knew the plot was not a terrorist attack, and why the public was not informed sooner.

Higginson asked:

You came out and said this is a terror event. The premier said it is a terror event. Could you please tell this committee so that we can do our job as an oversight committee and an accountability body on behalf of New South Wales: did you become aware that it was not a terrorist event before the 13th of February?

Catley responded:

I’m not going to divulge conversations I had with [deputy police commissioner] David Hudson.

More to come in the next post.

Benita Kolovos

Allan says the ban of machetes announced today will be dealt with in seperate legislation to the bail laws:

Today, my focus is on bail and talking through the detail of the bail changes. On the implementation of a ban on machetes, what is legitimate use? We’ll have more to say very soon, on the details of banning machetes – we will be the first state in the nation to do so.

There is work to be done to work through implementation with Victoria police … there will be work with retailers. We need to crack down on these dangerous and deadly weapons and there is no place for them being carried on Victorian streets.

Benita Kolovos

‘We got it wrong’, Allan says of Victorian government’s 2023 law changes

Back to the Victorian premier’s presser.

Allan says the changes the government introduced in the wake of the coronial inquest into the death in custody of Aboriginal woman Veronica Nelson were “wrong”.

So in terms of the 2023 changes I do acknowledge we got it wrong, and I’m standing here as the premier today having listened to the Victorian community – it’s clear to me, it’s clear to everyone in the Victorian community. But the current laws do not reflect community expectations.

She says she doesn’t expect people who have committed low-level offending will be caught up in the latest changes she’s announcing today.

What occurred with Veronica Nelson was an absolute tragedy, an absolute tragedy, and some of those safeguards that were put in place in the changes that were made in 2023 remain in place as part of this package … the target here is on the serious, the worst of offences, bringing in higher tests for the worst of offences, whilst also understanding that we have a responsibility to keep some of those safeguards in place from 2023 to support some of the more vulnerable members of our community.

Turning away from the Victorian premier’s presser to the Australian share market for a moment – which has seen a drop of more than 1% in the 15 minutes since it opened today.

ASX200 shed 84.4 points, dropping from 7,880 to 7,805.7 – a quick plunge in just over 15 minutes since it opened at 10am.

Benita Kolovos

Allan says more set to be in custody after bail laws tightened

Allan says she expects to see more people on remand as a result of the changes:

These changes will see more people on remand. These changes will tackle the heart of the issue, which is this repeat offending that is.

The premier says the new laws will come into effect as soon as they are passed:

We’ll be putting these tough new bail laws to the parliament at the earliest opportunity, which is next Tuesday … These laws can be in place by the end of next week, should the parliament choose to act with the same urgency that the government have and that the community are demanding.