As it happened: House votes to condemn antisemitism; Treasurer accused of politicising public service to attack Coalition

Thanks for reading the national news blog. That concludes our coverage for today.

Here’s a look back at some of the biggest stories we have covered today:

• Federal MPs have voted for a motion to condemn antisemitism following more than an hour of debate after independent MP Allegra Spender, the member for Wentworth, put the motion shortly after noon. It was passed unanimously in the House of Representatives at 1.25pm “on the voices” without MPs being counted for or against.
• NSW Premier Chris Minns will be forced into his first major cabinet reshuffle after Transport Minister Jo Haylen resigned over a taxpayer-funded driver scandal which has triggered a new ban on ministerial vehicles being used exclusively for private purposes. Haylen, a close ally and factional heavyweight who helped secure Minns the Labor leadership in 2021, quit following fresh revelations she used a ministerial driver for a 13-hour, 446-kilometre Hunter Valley wine tour with her husband.
• Greens leader Adam Bandt has said the minor party are in discussion with Labor, as they offer a compromise to legislate a watered-down ban on gambling ads. The Greens’ proposal is to ban gambling ads an hour before and an hour after a sports broadcast and limit the number of ad slots during any other time on TV.
• Antoinette Lattouf has hit out against ABC chair Kim Williams, telling the Federal Court during the second day of her unfair dismissal hearing that he “took swipes” at her and derided her on live television at the National Press Club. During the proceedings, Lattouf was brought to tears on multiple occasions during the second day of tense cross-examination, admitting she had sometimes drank until she passed out, relied on sleeping aids, and at points suffered from paranoia.
• China has slapped tariffs on U.S. imports in a rapid response to new U.S. duties on Chinese goods, renewing a trade war between the world’s top two economies as President Donald Trump sought to punish China for not halting the flow of illicit drugs.
• The Coalition has dismissed Labor’s criticism of its promise to allow small businesses to claim tax deductions for business lunches. The policy attracted plenty of attacks from Labor during question time today, who claim it could cost the budget $10 billion a year. The cost of the policy has yet to be revealed, but it is understood a preliminary costing has been done by the independent Parliamentary Budget Office.

Thanks for your company and I hope you enjoy your evening.

Antoinette Lattouf has hit out against ABC chair Kim Williams, telling the Federal Court during the second day of her unfair dismissal hearing that he “took swipes” at her and derided her on live television at the National Press Club.

Williams spoke with “derision in his voice towards me” Lattouf told the court on Tuesday, when questioned by her barrister, adding that she had been continually lied about, defamed and derided by Williams and that the “Murdoch press” published the most “horrible mischaracterisations” about her.

Former ABC radio presenter Antoinette Lattouf exits the Federal Court today. Credit: Rhett Wyman

Lattouf also pushed back against the arguments made by ABC’s barrister, Ian Neil, SC, that she had benefited from the fallout from her sacking by the ABC, who asked her if she characterised herself as the “poster girl for justice or humanity or a free and fair press”, referring to a social media video she had posted after her dismissal.

Neil contended Lattouf had “accrued” a number of benefits because of the way she “courted media attention”, including increased online followers, speaking gigs, awards, and the launch of her own new podcast, The Antoinettes.

However, Lattouf rejected the statement, and was brought to tears on multiple occasions during the second day of tense cross-examination, part of her explosive unlawful termination case against the public broadcaster, admitting she had sometimes drank until she passed out, relied on sleeping aids, and at points suffered from paranoia.

Read the full story here.

The Australian sharemarket seesawed on Tuesday, climbing and then falling into the red, as China slapped tariffs on US imports in a rapid response to new US duties on Chinese goods, even as President Donald Trump announced a one-month pause on imposing tariffs on trade partners Mexico and Canada.

The relief for the local sharemarket fizzled out after US tariffs took effect on China, in what Trump described as an “opening salvo” against Australia’s biggest trading partner. In swift retaliation to the US tariffs coming into effect, China said it would impose tariffs on some products imported from the US including oil and liquefied natural gas and a 15 per cent tariff on coal.

Citi analysts’ best stock picks among ASX-listed small caps includes miners, a retailer and a technology company.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer

The S&P/ASX200 slipped 5.4 points or less than 0.1 per cent, to 8374 points, with two out of 11 industry sectors trading in the green. The ASX posted its biggest loss in four months on Monday after Trump announced sweeping tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China.

The Australian dollar advanced early Tuesday but later retreated and was fetching 61.82 US¢ at 4.26pm AEDT.

Read our full market wrap here.

With AAP, Reuters and AP

China has slapped tariffs on U.S. imports in a rapid response to new U.S. duties on Chinese goods, renewing a trade war between the world’s top two economies as President Donald Trump sought to punish China for not halting the flow of illicit drugs.

Trump’s additional 10 per cent tariff across all Chinese imports into the U.S. came into effect at 12:01 a.m. ET on Tuesday.

Within minutes, China’s Finance Ministry said it would impose levies of 15 per cent for U.S. coal and LNG and 10 per cent for crude oil, farm equipment and some autos. The new tariffs on U.S. exports will start on February 10, the ministry said.

A trade war has ensued after Donald Trump announced tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China. Credit: AP

Separately, China’s Commerce Ministry and its Customs Administration said the country is imposing export controls on tungsten, tellurium, ruthenium, molybdenum and ruthenium-related items to “safeguard national security interests”.

Trump on Monday suspended his threat of 25 per cent tariffs on Mexico and Canada at the last minute, agreeing to a 30-day pause in return for concessions on border and crime enforcement with the two neighbouring countries.

But there was no such reprieve for China, and a White House spokesperson said Trump would not be speaking with Chinese President Xi Jinping until later in the week.

Reuters

The Coalition has dismissed Labor’s criticism of its promise to allow small businesses to claim tax deductions for business lunches.

The policy attracted plenty of attacks from Labor during question time today, who claim it could cost the budget $10 billion a year.

Last month, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said if elected the Coalition would allow businesses to deduct for tax purposes up to $20,000 for business-related meal and entertainment expenses without incurring fringe benefits tax.

Liberal MP James Stevens in parliament in 2022. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

But the full cost of the policy has yet to be revealed, however it is understood a preliminary costing has been done by the independent Parliamentary Budget Office.

Shadow Assistant Minister for Government Waste Reduction James Stevens told ABC Afternoon Briefing the cost would be revealed in due course.

“We’ll be releasing our costings in our timeline before the next election,” said Stevens.

“[That goes for] all the policies that we are releasing through the campaign, which is absolutely standard practice for both sides of politics, there’s nothing remarkable about that and as I say, we don’t need any lectures from Labor on costings.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has succeeded in renting out his $4.3 million clifftop home on the NSW Central Coast after lowering the price, likely bringing in thousands a month for the four-bedroom property.

The latest register of interests reveals Albanese has listed the four-bedroom and three-bathroom property in Copacabana, called “clifftop perfection” by the real estate agent who sold it, as an investment property generating rental income.

Similar properties are currently on the rental market for about $1200 a week. Albanese and his fiancée Jodie Haydon initially attempted to rent the property for $1900 a week but reportedly dropped the asking price to $1500.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s $4.3 million Copacabana house.

The rental was first listed in early November for $1500 per week, according to TenantApp. If rented at this price, Albanese would make $78,000 a year from the rental before tax.

The prime minister has not disclosed his actual rental income from the home, which would come on top of his $607,500 salary, but could go towards a mortgage with Commonwealth Bank that he has declared on the property.

The prime minister’s office declined to answer a question on whether the prime minister was negatively gearing the property.

“As always everything has been appropriately declared,” a spokesperson said.

Albanese’s decision to rent the property, which was disclosed in December and first reported by news.com.au, will put attention back on the prime minister’s judgment after his purchase concerned Labor MPs amid a cost-of-living crisis.

Question time ended with an angry clash between Labor and the Coalition over migration policy when the government chose to attack Opposition Leader Peter Dutton over his plans to review the “golden ticket” visa that allows investors to come to Australia if they commit to invest $5 million here.

In one of the last questions of the day, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke arranged a question from Labor MP Shayne Neumann about the visa, which Labor scrapped last year.

Dutton was visibly angry when Burke used his answer to deride the Opposition Leader for suggesting the visa could be reinstated.

The exchange turned on the reports last weekend, including in this masthead, about Dutton’s private remarks to a migration agent at a Liberal Party fundraiser when she asked if he would restore the Significant Investment Visa.

He said: “I’ll think we’ll bring it back.”

Burke said that would be a security risk because of the misuse of the visa scheme over the years, saying Labor had stopped the visa because it was not in the national interest – and he pointed to remarks by global corruption fighter Sir Bill Browder to prove this point.

Browder told The Australian on Tuesday that restoring the visa was a bad idea.

“Australia is not such a poor country that it needs to prostitute itself to Chinese and Russian criminals,” he said.

Dutton remonstrated with Anthony Albanese about the attack and shouted about the government’s decision to allow refugees from Gaza into the country, suggesting Labor was weak on migration. Burke kept up his attack, but he ended his remarks by calling the visa a “cash for visas” policy.

That started several minutes of argument about whether the remarks were a personal reflection on Dutton. Burke argued his remark was about the policy, not the person, and it looked like the argument would never end.

The Speaker, Milton Dick, sought to keep a kind of token peace in the chamber on the first day back for the year. He asked Burke to withdraw his remark, and Burke agreed to do so.

But the fight over the “golden ticket” visa will continue.

Greens leader Adam Bandt has said the minor party are in discussion with Labor, as they offer a compromise to legislate a watered-down ban on gambling ads.

Their proposal is to ban gambling ads an hour before and an hour after a sports broadcast and limit the number of ad slots during any other time on TV.

Greens leader Adam Bandt.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

“There are discussions underway, and so far, they [the government] haven’t said yes,” Bandt told ABC Afternoon Briefing.

“When Australians lose more from gambling than any other country in the world [on a] per-person basis. We need to change. I think people are sick of seeing those ads.”

Paul Kelly, Tim Minchin, composer Paul Grabowsky, conductor Simone Young and ballet dancer David Hallberg are among 700 leading musicians and artists who have signed an open letter to be read in parliament this morning, calling for funding to repair the dilapidated home of the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM).

The academy, one of Australia’s leading cultural training and performance organisations, was housed in the South Melbourne Town Hall in the federal seat of Macnamara before the roof collapsed in 2018, the letter said.

Nine of the academy’s musicians performed in Parliament House’s Marble Hall today, and between sets read out the letter that said more funding was needed to complete the restoration of the building designed by architect Peter Elliot.

“We urge the Australian government to commit to provide the necessary $12.5M funding over three years – adding to ANAM’s already secured $28M – that will facilitate the realisation of Peter Elliott’s elegant vision for this beautiful but broken building,” the letter said.

Signatories come from across the Australian and international arts sector including leading performance company directors, arts training organisations, composers, chief conductors and symphony orchestra members.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has refused to say what date he was first advised of the caravan filled with explosives in outer Sydney, warning the opposition against politicising the issue.

The Coalition have been demanding more detail on when Albanese was notified of the potential caravan explosives attack which he has continuously refused, citing national security concerns.

The Prime Minister still won’t be drawn on when he first learnt of the explosive-filled caravan. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

“The first priority is, of course, keeping the public safe,” Albanese said in response to a question from Coalition spokesman for NDIS Michael Sukkar.

“The second and related principle is that we engage with the Australian Federal Police and the national intelligence agencies [and] we don’t go out there and brief about national security committee meetings.”

Albanese was critical of Opposition Leader Peter Dutton for creating a “hyper-partisan brawling over national security”.

“The leader of the opposition is always made available briefings when they’re requested. He’s not requested a briefing ... at this time. He has ... said on Sunday, that he had text messages with the ASIO Director-General, when asked by David Speers [on ABC Insiders] what was in those text messages, he quite rightly refused to say because that’s how you deal with these things,” he said.

“This isn’t some game and it should not be about politics.”