As it happened: Brisbane on Monday, May 12

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has unveiled his new cabinet in Canberra this afternoon, with about half a dozen key changes.

With Mark Dreyfus dropped from cabinet last week, Michelle Rowland, a lawyer known for her diligence, will shift into the attorney-general portfolio from her communications role.

Up and comer Anika Wells, the MP for the Brisbane seat of Lilley, will take communications from Rowland, and continues as the minister for sport.

Anika Wells on the campaign trail in April.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

“The Commonwealth major responsibility for sport is essentially infrastructure,” Albanese told reporters. “It will go in the department that includes infrastructure, includes communications and will include sport.

“It was a natural fit to have Anika Wells. There is this thing happening in 2032 in Brisbane and that will be a big focus of sporting activity leading up to then and Anika has played a really important role as a Queenslander … I thought it was important that there be a period of continuity there.”

Tanya Plibersek will shift sideward from environment to social services. Murray Watt, a left faction fixer and senator for Queensland, will take control of the government’s stalled environmental protection laws.

Read more in our national live blog.

Thanks for joining us for live coverage of the news today. We’ll be back tomorrow morning. If you’re just catching up, here are some of the stories that made headlines today:

Michelle Rowland has been appointed attorney-general and Tanya Plibersek has been shifted from the environment portfolio in Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s shakeup of the ministry for his second term.

Tim Wilson is considering a tilt at leading the Liberal Party as the Coalition braces for a cut-throat battle to lead the Nationals in a vote that threatens to reshape the relationship between the two parties.

Brisbane’s turnover of arts chiefs continues with the departure of Genevieve Trace as executive director of Metro Arts.

A luxury home on one of the most sought-after streets in the riverside suburb of Hawthorne netted almost half a million dollars in profit for the vendors when they sold on the weekend.

The Trump administration intends to accept a Boeing 747-8 jumbo – valued at more than $US400 million ($620 million) and described as “a flying palace” – from the Qatari royal family that would be outfitted to serve as Air Force One.

And Elizabeth Holmes is in prison for defrauding investors through her blood-testing company, Theranos. Meanwhile, her partner is starting one of his own.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has unveiled his new cabinet in Canberra this afternoon, with about half a dozen key changes.

With Mark Dreyfus dropped from cabinet last week, Michelle Rowland, a lawyer known for her diligence, will shift into the attorney-general portfolio from her communications role.

Up and comer Anika Wells, the MP for the Brisbane seat of Lilley, will take communications from Rowland, and continues as the minister for sport.

Anika Wells on the campaign trail in April.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

“The Commonwealth major responsibility for sport is essentially infrastructure,” Albanese told reporters. “It will go in the department that includes infrastructure, includes communications and will include sport.

“It was a natural fit to have Anika Wells. There is this thing happening in 2032 in Brisbane and that will be a big focus of sporting activity leading up to then and Anika has played a really important role as a Queenslander … I thought it was important that there be a period of continuity there.”

Tanya Plibersek will shift sideward from environment to social services. Murray Watt, a left faction fixer and senator for Queensland, will take control of the government’s stalled environmental protection laws.

Read more in our national live blog.

A valuable designer bracelet bought from Brisbane has been recovered by police in its original packaging and with a personalised message.

The Cartier accessory likely cost more than $8000, and depending on the variant could be worth more than $20,000.

Police said the bracelet was found on the Gold Coast after being bought in Brisbane.Credit: Queensland Police

It was found on the Gold Coast after being bought at the Brisbane store on Edward Street.

It’s unclear how the bracelet was recovered, but photos supplied by police have the file name “suspected stolen Cartier bracelet.”

A personalised message was attached. Its contents are being withheld to help police verify its owner.

Anyone with information or who believes they are the owner is urged to call 5571 4265.

A luxury home on one of the most sought-after streets in the riverside suburb of Hawthorne netted almost half a million dollars in profit for the vendors when they sold on the weekend.

The four-bedroom, three-bathroom home at 87 Gordon Street fetched $2.783 million under the hammer on Saturday.

Inside 87 Gordon Street, Hawthorne.Credit: Ray White Bulimba

The result reflected an almost $500,000 profit for the vendors, who paid $2.3 million just two years ago.

“I think if you asked anyone who lives in Hawthorne what their top three streets would be, Gordon would be unanimously in that list,” said selling agent Brandon Wortley, of Ray White Bulimba.

Read more in our wrap of weekend auctions across Brisbane.

After some weekend adjustments and early vote counting today, we’re calling an outcome in three key seats.

Myself and fellow caller Matt Wade now believe Labor’s David Smith will be returned in the southern Canberra seat of Bean after a huge scare from independent Jessie Price.

In Sydney, it now looks like independent Nicolette Boelle will fall short in trying to win the seat of Bradfield, with Liberal Gisele Kapterian on track to claim the seat.

Kapterian is just 228 votes ahead of Boelle but the independent is simply not making up ground in the outstanding absent votes.

Incumbent MP Andrew Wallace has headed off teal and Labor challengers for his Sunshine Coast seat.Credit: Dan Peled

In Queensland, we believe Andrew Wallace will be returned in the seat of Fisher. This has been one of numerous seats where there have been three people in the fight for victory.

Wallace suffered a 6.6 per cent drop in his primary vote which now sits at 37.6 per cent. That will be enough to head off independent Keryn Jones and Labor’s Morrison Lakey.

This leaves six seats on our undecided list. That includes Kooyong where Monique Ryan is still in front of Liberal Amelia Hamer.

Also still in play is the Queensland seat of Longman where sitting LNP member Terry Young is 219 votes ahead of Labor’s Rhiannyn Douglas.

Unlike Bradfield, Douglas is making ground in the absent vote count of which there are still almost 2500 votes to process.

Green Elizabeth Watson-Brown still looks the most likely candidate to hold Ryan, Liberal candidates are ahead in Monash and Flinders while the final outcome in Calwell could be weeks away.

It may not be widely known, but Queensland has a birthday.

June 6 marks the anniversary of Queen Victoria granting Queensland independence from the colony of New South Wales, and the state constitution being created.

This year, to celebrate, the state government is asking for public help to come up with a list of the best the state can offer.

The 15 categories span from local haunts, such as beaches, pubs, and cafes, to classic and widely-loved food and drinks, including parmis, beers, fish and chips, and banh mis.

“Queenslanders know what makes our state so special,” Premier David Crisafulli said.

Submissions can be lodged through the state government’s Queensland Day website, with announcements for winners to come on June 6.

Brisbane’s turnover of arts chiefs continues with the departure of Genevieve Trace as executive director of Metro Arts.

Her quiet exit in March came 15 months after the organisation lost its Creative Australia four-year funding, having been successful on two previous occasions.

Genevieve Trace, who quietly left Metro Arts earlier this year.

Metro Arts chair Tara Hastings said Trace’s departure enabled the 44-year-old organisation to revise the way it approached its leadership.

The past six months have seen several leaders move on from Brisbane’s arts venues and festivals in a major industry shake-up.

Read more.

Construction has finished at the Buranda busway station in Woolloongabba, with part of O’Keefe street reopening this morning.

The platform at the bus station has been extended by 30 metres to accommodate the new extra-long, electric buses that are part of the Metro route services, and the bus tunnel has been widened.

As we reported earlier, the council is today spruiking the reopening of the Metro 1 bus route on June 30.

Meanwhile, work is continuing on the bus tunnel beneath Adelaide Street in the CBD.

The excavation of the tunnel was completed in late 2024, although it is not expected to open until the end of this year.

“As works gear up to open the Adelaide Street tunnel in the third quarter of this year, the King George Square, Queen Street and Roma Street bus stations will be temporarily closed during six consecutive super weekends of works from 21 June 2025 to 25 July 2025,” the council said.

Fifteen new electric passenger information displays will be installed along Adelaide Street, as well as six new bus shelters, later this month.

The world-famous Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is coming to Brisbane next year after the Queensland government pursued the hosting rights for the stadium spectacular.

Brisbane will host the Australian leg of the Tattoo’s 75th anniversary tour at Suncorp Stadium from February 12 to 15.

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo will perform exclusively at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane in February 2026.Credit: Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo

The performances are expected to generate $39 million in economic benefits for the state, according to Queensland Tourism Minister Andrew Powell.

He said the state had “pursued” hosting the event, but would not be drawn on the specific funding arrangements.

The Tattoo’s creative director Alan Lane told ABC Radio this morning the event was “working with our Australian partners to make sure that we honour the right people and we honour the right cultures” for its Brisbane shows.

“Some of the best pipers and dancers that we have in our show come from Australia and come from Brisbane and Queensland,” he said.

The event is held annually in Scotland’s Edinburgh castle and is famous for its mass bagpipe players, marching bands, Highland dancers, and military displays.

It is the first time the Tattoo, which has grown over seven decades to become a stadium spectacular, has come to Australia since 2019.

Tickets for the shows will go on sale on May 21.

Liberal frontbencher Angus Taylor rejected damaging claims from factional opponent Hollie Hughes that suggested Taylor was plotting for the leadership before Peter Dutton and his party lost the last election.

Hughes made the claim on Sky News this morning without citing evidence to back her arguments.
Taylor’s spokeswoman said: “These claims are false and frankly low.”

A spokesperson for Liberal frontbencher Angus Taylor has described a claim that he tried to oust former leader Peter Dutton as “frankly low”.Credit: Joe Armao

Hughes is backing frontbencher Sussan Ley in Tuesday’s leadership contest against Taylor, who has formed a leadership ticket with Nationals defector Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price ahead of the party room vote.

Taylor is being backed by the right faction, while Ley is largely supported by party moderates. Both contenders have about 20 guaranteed votes from a party room of about 55 members.

The contest between Ley and Taylor became acrimonious last week as both sides released files of compromising information about the other candidate. As this masthead reported, Ley had been offering portfolios to secure votes.