Australian news and politics live: PM denies he’s been snubbed but still vague about Trump meet

Federal Education Minister Jason Clare has addressed the allegations of sexual assault by a childcare worker in Victorian centres, calling it extremely serious.

Safety and standards in childcare was at the top of an education ministerial meeting last Friday.

“There is nothing more serious than this,” Mr Clare said.

“It’s one of the reasons why we’ve banned the use of personal mobile phones in childcare centres. It’s one of the reasons why we’ve made mandatory reporting of physical and sexual assaults in childcare centres a requirement within 24 hours rather than seven days.”

He has spoken today to Victorian minister Lizzie Blandthorn and the local federal MP Tim Watts about the case.

Mr Clare also intends to bring legislation within months that will “cut off funding to childcare centres that aren’t up to scratch”.

The NSW government is bringing back physical parking tickets in a bid to restore fairness and transparency to the state’s fine system.

The Minns Labor government is scrapping the controversial ticketless scheme introduced in 2020, which often left drivers unaware they’d been fined until weeks later.

Under the new reforms, parking officers will be required to place a paper ticket or notification directly on the vehicle and notify the driver of the offence within seven days.

The move has been widely welcomed, with Finance Minister Courtney Houssos saying motorists “will once again benefit from on-the-spot notifications,” and that the changes will include photographic evidence to assist with appeals.

The NRMA’s Peter Khoury called the decision a “great day for NSW motorists,” saying the government had “consulted widely” and come to a “commonsense” solution.

Five Australians have been evacuated from Iran on a commercial flight departing from Mashhad in the country’s east to Dubai.

The Australians left from Mashhad, where air travel is gradually resuming and limited departure options are becoming available. Iranian airspace had been closed following Israel’s strike on the country’s nuclear facilities, triggering a 12-day conflict that also involved the US.

The Australian government is working to secure seats on commercial flights for citizens registered to leave, despite the ongoing transport constraints.

More than 50 Australians have already exited Iran via the land border with Azerbaijan, while another 150 have been issued codes to cross the border.

Smartraveller continues to advise Australians against travel to Iran.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong has arrived in Washington, DC, ahead of the Quad foreign ministers’ summit, where she says she will discuss regional stability with her US counterpart.

“Looking forward to discussing how we continue to support a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” she wrote on X, alongside a photo with Ambassador Kevin Rudd.

Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan says she is “sickened” by allegations against childcare worker Joshua Dale Brown, who has been charged with more than 70 offences over the alleged sexual abuse of eight children.

The premier said the state’s early childhood regulator will launch an immediate investigation into the conduct of the education providers where Mr Brown was employed.

“They are shocking and distressing, and my heart just breaks for the families who are living every parent’s worst nightmare,” she said.

Ms Allan acknowledged the wider impact on the early childhood sector and said the actions of one individual should not reflect on the broader workforce.

“I want to make it clear to our early childhood education workforce that I know the alleged actions and allegations of a single individual do not reflect the many dedicated and professional childcare educators and carers, and staff who go above and beyond every day to teach and care for our children,” she said.

Australian citizens are beginning to be flown out of Iran, but escape options remain limited amid fears of more Israeli attacks.

Five Australians have left Iran on a commercial flight from Mashhad, in the nation’s north-east, for Dubai with Australian government assistance.

In the week since the fragile truce between Israel and Iran began, airports in Iran’s capital, Tehran, remain closed.

Limited flights out of eastern Iran are opening up, with the Department of Foreign Affairs contacting hundreds of registered travellers to alert them about seats as they become available.

More than 3000 Australians wanting to leave Iran have registered with the department for assistance, and family members in Australia are concerned that options to cross the border into Azerbaijan are unfeasible for vulnerable people.

Read more.

Latika M Bourke writes:

It is obvious Prime Minister Anthony Albanese sees no need for improvement. Instead, he has taken his election win as a gold star endorsement to remain mediocre.

He won a landslide because Peter Dutton was a dud of a political leader and because Donald Trump is liked only above Xi Jinping, Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin, and the ousted opposition leader spent a bit too much time leaning into MAGAism.

Instead of vowing to do better with his reprieve, which, six or seven months ago, was no guarantee, the Prime Minister seems intent on reverting to type, especially when it comes to making key decisions on national security.

This might have been tolerated in ordinary times, such as when former US President Joe Biden was in the White House, but with the world order being junked and re-ordered by our security ally, a no longer benign but radical United States — and our economic partner — authoritarian China, Mr Albanese’s stubborn complacency is becoming dangerous.

Read Latika M Bourke’s opinion piece.

Anthony Albanese says proposed changes to superannuation that would increase earnings tax on balances over $3m are “very modest”.

His comment comes after criticism from former Labor prime minister Paul Keating, the architect of Australia’s superannuation scheme, opposed the plans.

Mr Keating says younger generations on average earnings could reach the $3m mark by the 2050s.

Mr Albanese noted Mr Keating’s support for supeerannuation more broadly.

“Our superannuation guarantee being lifted to 12 per cent is a very good outcome, as is for the first time ever, superannuation being paid on paid parental leave, will make an enormous difference to the retirement incomes of women, in particular,” Mr Albanese said on Sky News.

“That’s been something that’s been a gap in the system: women retire with incomes far less than men as across the board, and that delivers unfairness in the system, and that’s why delivering superannuation on paid parental leave is a productivity outcome.”

The Prime Minister has dismissed suggestions he’s prioritising Australia’s relationship with China over the United States.

Anthony Albanese is slated to travel to China later this month if a meeting with Xi Jinping can be locked in.

Challenged on why he had met the Chinese President more times than he had met US President Donald Trump, Mr Albanese took umbrage.

“Well, Xi Jinping has been in office for some time and the person who had Xi Jinping address our national parliament here was Tony Abbott, just for the record,” Mr Albanese said.

“I’ve met with the US President more than I have met with the President of China since I’ve been the Prime Minister and I’ve travelled five times to the United States and one time to China.”

Read the story.

Continuing his rounds on brekkie TV, the Prime Minister appeared on ABC to spruik a raft of measures that should ease the financial burden on millions of Aussies.

Among them was a 3.5 per cent pay increase for three million people.

“They are people on the minimum wage or on award wages, some of the lowest paid people. That will make a difference. We know people are doing it tough,” Mr Albanese said.

“In addition to that, for people who are thinking about starting a family, the additional two weeks paid parental leave, lifting it up to 24 weeks, 26 weeks will be in the full six months next year will make a difference.

“In addition to that, we are paying superannuation for the first time on paid parental leave.”

For all the July 1 cost-of-livign measures read Nicola Smith’s story.