As it happened: PM’s China visit continues; Antisemitism envoy scrutinised over husband’s donation to right-wing group

Thanks for reading today’s national news blog. This is where we’ll end today’s coverage. We’ll be back tomorrow with more live coverage.

To conclude, here’s a look back at the major stories:

• Prime Minister Anthony Albanese continued to tour China, walking a trade-security tightrope at several business events in Shanghai today before his meeting with Xi Jinping in Beijing tomorrow.
• Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has defended antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal after it emerged her husband’s family trust gave $50,000 to right-wing lobby group Advance.
• Treasurer Jim Chalmers has opened the government’s economic roundtable to a tax grand bargain that would offset cuts with extra revenue while signalling to the states that any plan to increase the rate or breadth of the GST is unlikely to win favour.
• In NSW, a former transport official, who is alleged to have received $11.5 million in kickbacks from contractors for work on the state’s roads, is on the run, sparking a manhunt.
• In Victoria, the investigation into an arson attack on an Israeli-linked military parts manufacturer in Melbourne’s north-east has been escalated after further action was threatened on a video online.
• In Queensland, Premier David Crisafulli has claimed the actions of the CFMEU at Brisbane’s Centenary Bridge Upgrade job site added $22 million to the project.
• In Western Australia, German backpacker Carolina Wilga has broken her silence after being rescued from a 12-day ordeal lost in the state’s outback.
• In business news, childcare provider G8 Education told the ASX today that it did not believe that allegations of child sexual abuse at one of its centres would affect its stock price.

• In world news, at least eight Palestinians – mostly children – were killed, and more than a dozen were wounded in central Gaza when they went to collect water after an Israeli strike which the military said missed its target.

Thanks for your company. Have a good night.

In news just in, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has slammed conservative campaigning group Advance and its donors after it emerged that antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal’s husband’s family trust gave $50,000 to the controversial organisation.

But Burke defended Segal, a lawyer and businesswoman with a long career of high-profile roles, saying that claims she should be held responsible for her husband’s actions were outdated and misogynistic.

Immigration Minister Tony Burke with antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last week.Credit: Dylan Coker

“Advance is an appalling organisation, and those who fund it are not acting in the cause of social cohesion,” Burke said.

“But another of the forms of bigotry that we are fighting is misogyny, and there is no way I am going back to the 1950s and blaming a woman for the actions of her husband.”

Read more of this exclusive story here.

Andrew Hastie has backed a terrorist listing for those behind a threatening video that claimed responsibility for attacking an Israeli-linked military parts manufacturer in Melbourne, despite the identities of the filmmakers being unknown.

Five hooded offenders were filmed setting cars alight and spray-painting graffiti at Lovitt Technologies Australia in Greensborough on July 5.

Andrew Hastie and former opposition leader Peter Dutton.Credit: James Brickwood

Victoria Police revealed today that the investigation had escalated to counterterrorism detectives after a four-minute video emerged on social media.

It showed a masked person standing in front a Palestine flag and claiming responsibility for the attack on the company, which has produced titanium longeron keels for the F-35 fighter jet – a plane Israel and other countries use.

The video, on behalf of an “anonymous cell”, goes on to threaten further attacks, noting “we have your addresses” in what appears to be a threat towards workers at the company.

This masthead has also not been able to independently identify the original source of the video, which has been shared on social media by supporters of the vandalism.

Asked for his response on the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing today, the shadow home affairs minister said it was very troubling. He continued:

I looked up the definition of terrorism on the Attorney-General department website, and it meet the threshold.

There was a threat of violence for political end, or ideology. And they are threatening the safety of Australians and infrastructure as well.

If Tony Burke, the home affairs minister, wants to declare this a terrorist group, the Coalition is ready to work with him on that one.

Asked if he was suggesting graffiti amounted to terrorism, Hastie pointed to the video instead:

If you watch the full three minutes, as I did, they threaten violence, they demonstrate how to make a firebomb to light under a car, they threaten employees of several businesses – they say we know your addresses, this is a warning, we’ll come for you next.

That sounds like terrorism to me.

There is investigation under way, but I hope the authorities are working quickly to uncover these people and work out how we can prevent any more of these acts being committed against Jewish Australians and those people affiliated with those defence businesses that they cite in their video.

Shadow home affairs minister Andrew Hastie says Australia is not obligated to clarify with the United States how it would respond to a conflict over Taiwan.

Hastie, a former assistant minister for defence and ex-SASR officer, was asked on the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing today about reports the Pentagon was pressing Australia and Japan to confirm how it would act in a hypothetical war.

Opposition home affairs spokesman Andrew Hastie.Credit: James Brickwood

Asked whether Australia was obligated to clarify its stance, Hastie responded: “I don’t think we are.”

He continued: “I think the US is ambiguous in its position with Taiwan. If that’s the case they can’t expect their allies to be declaring their position hypothetically.”

Hastie was also asked if the US could demand that Australia deploy submarines acquired under AUKUS in the future, to which he said:

That is a good question to ask. And this is why I have called for transparency on our operational arrangements with the United States.

We have the marine expeditionary force up in Darwin. We have Pine Gap. We have the naval communications facility on the north-west coast. And we are going to have Submarine Rotational Force West – which is essentially a US base – from around 2027 and 2028.

It is important if a conflict arises we have an understanding with the US on our role, and what that means for our sovereignty and national interest.

And these are the sort of things the prime minister needs to be talking about with President Trump.

Environment Minister Murray Watt has remained coy on whether Labor’s proposed new federal Environmental Protection Authority would have the power to reject major resource projects, as the Albanese government prepares to introduce major reforms.

On the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing, Watt was quizzed on how the draft legislation was progressing after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese intervened last year to scupper a deal with the Greens to strengthen environmental protections, fearing it could be weaponised by the Coalition and resources sector at the federal election.

Environment Minister Murray Watt.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

The Queensland senator now tasked with the environment portfolio said he had been in touch with the opposition’s new environment spokesperson, Angie Bell, and would meet her in person soon. He said he would also meet with the Greens.

“I have said consistently that we are open to passing legislation with the support of either, or both, the opposition or the Greens,” Watt said.

The minister said he wanted to pass a bill that was broader and more comprehensive than the one proposed last term.

But pressed on details, such as whether a new EPA would be able to enforce new environmental standards, Watt said the government’s proposal was not finalised.

He was asked: “Should a future EPA have the power to approve major resources projects instead of the minister?”

Watt replied: “This is one of the key issues discussed at the moment, and it is a little early for me to have reached a position on that.”

Minister Murray Watt has argued that Australia can deepen trade in China without becoming overly reliant or sacrificing security concerns.

Speaking on the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing in the past hour, Watt played down the risk of Australian exports being too concentrated on the massive Chinese economy after sanctions during the pandemic era hurt key industries.

Environment Minister Murray Watt.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

“It’s middle class is continuing to grow each and every year. So there is opportunity for more trade to go into China, at the same time as we are diversifying our markets and searching [for] new opportunities as well,” he said.

The Queensland senator added that “it is a fact there are security tensions with China”, but pointed to South Korea and Japan as evidence Australia’s Chinese relationship was not unique and could become healthy economically without relenting on its concerns.

“It is not exactly a secret that, from time to time, there are security tensions with China,” Watt said.

“But by having that mature relationship that we have been able to develop, it allows the opportunity to talk about this issue sensibly, rather than the style of discussion we saw before.”

Watt did not want to comment on what Anthony Albanese would discuss with Xi Jinping tomorrow. But he added: “[The prime minister] has also said he will be raising security matters, trade matters, human rights matters.”

Greens deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi has moved closer to calling antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal’s position untenable after it was revealed that her husband’s family trust had donated to controversial right-wing lobby group Advance.

Faruqi, an outspoken supporter of the Palestinian cause, suggested the news undermined Segal’s antisemitism report released last week.

Greens deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi with former leader Adam Bandt last year.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

“These revelations just add to the problems of an antisemitism report that does more to stifle free speech than to protect minority groups,” the senator said in a statement sent out in the past hour.

“Ms Segal’s position is fast becoming untenable, and the whole system of ‘envoys’ is redundant when we already have a Race Discrimination Commissioner empowered to combat all forms of racism.”

German backpacker Carolina Wilga has released a statement from her hospital bed after 12 days missing in the West Australian outback.

Carolina Wilga in hospital.

The message, sent out via WA Police, said:

First and foremost, I want to express a huge thank-you from the bottom of my heart – a thank-you that truly comes from the depth of my soul! For all the incredible supports during the search for me.

Previously, I didn’t know where my place was in a culture on the other side of the world to my own, but now, I feel a part of it. I am deeply impressed by the courage, helpfulness and warmth that has been shown to me here. Western Australia has taught me what it really means to be part of a true community. Here, humanity, solidarity, and care for one another are what truly matter – and in the end, that’s what counts most.

I am certain that I survived only thanks to this incredible outpouring of support. The thought of all the people who believed in me, searched for me, and kept hoping for me gave me the strength to carry on during my darkest moments. For this, I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Especially to the police investigators, searchers, the German consulate, the medical staff and the wonderful nurses who took care of me with so much compassion. My deepest thanks also go to every single person who simply thought of me – and of course, to my rescuer and angel, Tania!

Some people might wonder why I even left my car, even though I had water, food, and clothing there. The answer is: I lost control of the car and rolled down a slope. In the crash, I hit my head significantly. As a result of the accident, I left my car in a state of confusion and got lost.

I am simply beyond grateful to have survived.

Thank you Australia – you are amazing.

Follow our coverage from WA here.

And finally, the prime minister rounded off his remarks at a lunch in China today with a call for continued dialogue in the aftermath of Chinese trade barriers on Australian exports.

Anthony Albanese said the resumption of trade after the final block of pandemic-era sanctions was lifted last October had benefited both countries.

Anthony Albanese speaks in Shanghai.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer

“It was gratifying earlier this year to know that Australian produce was part of the enjoyment of Chinese New Year celebrations,” he said.

“There were families in Shanghai and Beijing and beyond enjoying Australian beef together, friends exchanging gifts of Australian cherries, and toasting the Year of the Snake with the best wine in the world.”

The PM also rattled off several facts and figures:

• “China is Australia’s largest market by spend, and second-largest inbound tourism market by visitor numbers.”
• “In terms of two-way goods, Shanghai would be our fifth-largest trading partner – just behind South Korea and ahead of India.”
• “In the 12 months to March 2025, there were 860,000 trips to Australia by visitors from China, with a total spend in Australia of $9.2 billion.”

Albanese added: “And every Chinese traveller who visits our shores goes home with a better picture of who we are. We shouldn’t underestimate how much that matters in what we are building together.”

The prime minister’s speech in Shanghai this afternoon also repeated the federal government’s commitment to stabilising the Australia-China relationship after it reached a nadir under the last Coalition government.

Much like his roundtable appearance with Andrew Forrest earlier today, Anthony Albanese cited decarbonisation in pursuit of Paris Agreement goals to curb climate change as an area of potential co-operation between the two countries.

Anthony Albanese and Jodie Haydon at the Shanghai business lunch.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer

“Australia has a long and proud story of providing energy to our region and the world. Now is our chance to continue that story with a new chapter, one in which our country takes its place as a renewable energy superpower,” he said.

“I look forward to further discussions on these issues with China’s leaders tomorrow in Beijing.”

Read more about the trade-security tightrope that Albanese is walking here.