Australian news and politics live: Murray Watt says environment reform talks were very ‘Nature Positive’

On the brink of a Middle East conflagration that could jeopardise up to a quarter of the world’s energy supply, Donald Trump appears to have taken his eye off another cataclysmic economic event — his attempt to completely remake the global trading system.

The world cannot expect to receive any updraft from the US economy anytime soon, which, for Australia, means it will have to generate its own momentum. Unfortunately, there is little in the way of lift.

Fortunately, NAB chief economist Sally Auld says the Reserve Bank of Australia is in a “very different camp” to the Fed, with far fewer constraints.

Inflation is within the target band, unemployment is steady, and the labour market is broadly balanced. “They’re free to move policy back to neutral,” she said.

Still, the broader economy has underwhelmed. Ms Auld sees the domestic recovery as “more tortoise than hare” — a slow and uneven return to momentum.

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Iran has targeted southern Israel’s largest hospital in missile strikes, having warned of a “punishment operation”, as conflict between the two countries enters its seventh day.

The Soroka Medical Centre is the main hospital in Israel’s south. Israel’s military said Israelis ran for shelter Thursday as sirens were blaring to alert them to a missile launch by Iran.

“Several hits were identified as a result of the missile barrage — one of them hitting the largest hospital in southern Israel,” the IDF said in a statement.

A spokesperson for the Soroka Medical Centre in Beer Sheba said the hospital suffered “extensive damage” in different areas and people had been wounded in the attack. The hospital has requested that people not come for treatment.

The the medical centre has over 1000 beds and provides services to the approximately 1 million residents of Israel’s south, according to the hospital’s website.

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An urgent warning has been issued for Australians headed to a Middle Eastern country widely used as a stop-over point for travel around the world.

Smartraveller has upgraded its advice level for Qatar, including capital Doha, urging people to exercise a high degree of caution.

It comes amid ongoing hostilities between Israel and Iran and the looming threat of an all out war that could draw in the entire region and, possibly, the US.

“Conflicts in the Middle East could lead to an increase in tensions elsewhere in the region and may result in airspace closures, flight cancellations and other travel disruptions,” Smartraveller warns in its latest advice.

“Demonstrations and protest activity may also occur, and local security situations could deteriorate with little notice. Avoid all demonstrations and protests.”

Qatar has now moved from Level One advice to Level Two.

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Lawyers acting for alleged mushroom poisoner Erin Patterson have suggested her decision to leave hospital after five minutes has “only one reasonable explanation”.

Continuing his closing address to the jury, defence barrister Colin Mandy SC took the jury to Ms Patterson’s presentation at Leongatha Hospital two days after the lunch on July 31, 2023.

He told the court Ms Patterson attended thinking she had gastro and needed a bag of saline, remarking she was “not prepared for what she walked into”.

Mr Mandy said there was immediately a “laser focus” on death cap mushrooms by hospital staff.

“It was an extremely intense five-minute interaction where she was told she’d be admitted and transferred to a hospital in Melbourne,” he said.

“She was not refusing treatment, she was saying there were things she needed to do... her brain was stuck on that.”

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Commonwealth Bank has signed a historic six-year partnership with Football Australia, becoming the largest backer of the country’s most played team sport in a deal worth more than $10 million a year.

The agreement, which will run through 2031, builds on CommBank’s existing support of the Matildas and extends naming rights to nearly every national team — including the Socceroos, Pararoos, Olyroos and all youth championships — in what amounts to the deepest corporate partnership in Australian football history.

CommBank chief executive Matt Comyn said the deal was a long-term commitment to a sport with growing reach and cultural resonance.

“This is about a long-term partnership with the most active team sport Australia with more than 2 million (people) playing,” he said.

Mr Comyn said the investment recognised the changing face of Australia.

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South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas is no stranger to the national spotlight, and while the popular leader says his sights are set on securing a second term for Labor in 2026 — insiders suggest Malinauskas’ talent could take him all the way to the Lodge.

The 44-year-old father of four has already proven he can take the lead on national issues.

His firm stance on the pervasive impact of social media on children’s lives put him at the heart of a fierce countrywide debate. His State’s ban on teenage access led to pressure which caused Anthony Albanese to pass laws banning social media for under-16s.

“I saw an opportunity there, because it wasn’t really being talked about much nationally, and I just got the sense that this is something that every parent across the country is really worried about,” Malinauskas told Dylan Caporn in an exlusive interview.

The “football nuffie” whose first step towards leadership was collecting Woolies trolleys has featured in an in depth conversation for The Nightly On Influence.

Environment Minister Murray Watt has just wrapped up a “productive” first meeting with a broad range of stakeholders - from climate advocates to mining heavyweights, First Nations groups and business leaders - about reforming Australia’s environment laws.

The Government tried in the last term of Parliament to get the so called “Nature Positive” laws through the Senate, but the deal struck between former minister Tanya Plibersek and the Greens was scuppered at the last minute after WA Premier Roger Cook directly intervened.

Senator Watt - who wants laws passed in the first half of this term - said he was not about to start from the beginning, but that all stakeholders were acutely aware the country’s laws were out of date and not working.

“I thought the meeting was conducted in a very healthy, respectful spirit, with people being really open to listening to different perspectives and considering that in terms of forming their own positions,” he said, noting there was broad agreement across the three pillars to the reform process.

The minister said it was unlikely everyone would be completely happy with where the legislation finally landed, but he was serious about working with all stakeholders to make the laws as good and strong as possible.

“The more agreement we can have around these laws, then the more likely they are to stand the test of time,” he said.

Australia’s unemployment rate held steady in May despite a surprise dip in the number of jobs and a marginal fall in the participation rate.

The release on Thursday of labour force figures for May by the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed 2500 jobs were lost last month but the unemployment rate is still stuck at a seasonally adjusted 4.1 per cent.

ABS head of labour statistics Sean Crick said employment was still up 2.3 per cent compared to the same time last year, which was stronger than pre-pandemic figures, leading to a 10-year average annual growth rate of 1.7 per cent

“This fall in employment, combined with a drop in unemployment of 3000 people, meant that the unemployment rate remained steady at 4.1 per cent for May,” Mr Crick said.

The unemployment rate has stuck at roughly the same level since November last year, which has been enough to give the Reserve Bank confidence to make two cuts to official interest rates so far this year as it tries to keep inflation in check while also maintaining a healthy jobs market.

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Australia has been stuck in lengthy negotiations with Turkey over which country will host the UN climate summit COP next year.

The process is usually decided by consensus rather than a vote but Turkey is refusing to drop out of the running despite Australia being confident it has majority support.

Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen said this morning it was “way beyond time that the COP comes to the southern hemisphere”.

“It’s time to come to the Pacific to put the Pacific’s issues on the world’s table, on the world’s agenda, (for the) countries whose very existence – it’s an existential matter – is up for debate,” he told ABC radio.

“We have, I don’t mind saying, the majority of the support in our group, which is the constituency which decides it, but there is a process which is meant to work on consensus and agreement between Australia and Turkey.

“I’ve spent a lot of time working on that. It’s not resolved yet, but we’ll continue to do so.”

Murray Watt told those gathered for the EPBC Act consultations that he had deliberately mixed up the seating around the large table in one of Parliament House’s committee rooms so that “we don’t have an industry corner and an environment corner” in order to better encourage people to work together.

He was flanked at the table by Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA head Rebecca Tomkinson and Australian Conservation Foundation chief executive Kelly O’Shanassy.

Other participants included Rio Tinto’s Declan Doherty, Australian Energy Producers chief executive Smaantha McCulloch, Mike Zorbas from the Property Council, Australian Forest Products Association boss Diana Hallan, Climate Council chief executive Amanda McKenzie, and Warwick Ragg for the National Farmers Federation.

Senator Watt thanked those who had travelled across the country and promised not every meeting during the consultations would be held on the east coast.