News and politics live updates: Albanese signs ‘landmark’ and ‘balanced’ treaty with Vanuatu PM Jotham Napat

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Australia has accused big tech companies of “dirty tricks” and “deliberately failing” to comply with a social media ban for under-16s at least 20 countries are trying to emulate.

Communications Minister Anika Wells issued a warning to social media giants that Australia is “not here to play games” as she tabled amendments to the laws in Parliament on Monday.

The changes will beef up the enforcement powers of the eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, ratcheting up fines for breaches to $99 million and allowing her to demand more data.

Since the ban launched, Ms Inman Grant has faced several legal battles including disputes with tech giants like X — and looming cases in the High Court.

The strengthening of the Online Safety Bill comes despite the internet regulator failing to issue a single fine, even after multiple warnings were handed out.

Ms Wells said the government was trying to ensure Ms Inman Grant had “as strong as possible” foundations to “to form the strongest possible case” against those defying the ban.

“This means that she has to take these companies to the Federal Court and ultimately a judge will make a decision about whether they are fined,” she said.

“My job as the Minister is to make sure that the laws she can use and emboldening her with the ability to compel documents.”

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Housing Minister Clare O’Neil has been forced to defend the government’s housing agenda, arguing Labor is acting to support first home buyers amid a “broken system”.

She was asked multiple times in Question Time: “Does the Minister know how many first home buyers now owe more money than their home is worth?”

She did not provide any data but clashed with the opposition over housing affordability, warning that home ownership is continuing to decline sharply in Australia.

“This is a variation on a question that I’ve now been asked multiple times, and I’m not changing my answer. The question is about house prices and the effect of the government’s legislation that passed the parliament on Thursday, a piece of legislation where our side of the chamber was proud to stand up for first home buyers in our country,” Ms O’Neil said.

“This is part of a massive housing agenda that our government is implementing to try to fix a broken system.”

Later in the exchange, Ms O’Neil broadened her attack on the opposition and pointed to declining home ownership rates among young Australians.

“We have got home ownership rates in our country falling through the floor. A low-income young couple in our country is half as likely to own their own home than they were in the year that I was born, and I would really like to understand how home ownership rates have to fall in this country for those opposite to see that we have a broken housing system in Australia.”

The prime minister has taken advantage of the opening exchanges in question time to spotlight comments from Liberal frontbencher Melissa McIntosh, who recently suggested the opposition should consider a rebrand.

The exchange came after Opposition Leader Angus Taylor pressed Anthony Albanese on whether widows and victims of domestic violence would face higher taxes under the government’s proposed changes.

“They won’t. We’ve made that very clear,” Anthony Albanese replied, before veering into McIntosh’s Sky News interview earlier today.

In that interview, McIntosh pointed to the broadcaster’s own rebrand, where Sky News will change its name to News24, as inspiration, arguing polling data showed the Liberal Party needed to rethink how it presents itself to voters.

Manager of opposition business Dan Tehan attempted to intervene, arguing the prime minister was straying from the question at hand, but Albanese still managed to land a final remark:

“We have a Liberal Party that isn’t liberal, a National party that isn’t national and a One Nation party that wants to divide the nation,” he said.

Communications Minister Anika Wells has conceded that teenagers are still accessing banned social media platforms without proper age verification, as the Federal Government moves to strengthen its crackdown on tech companies.

Speaking at a press conference in Canberra, Ms Wells said some companies were “taking the mickey” when it came to complying with the laws, with children able to sign up to platforms without even having their ages checked.

The government on Monday introduced amendments to toughen the legislation, giving the eSafety Commissioner greater powers to investigate and enforce compliance.

“Being able to compel documents means that she can require, like with a police investigation, maybe minutes, emails, evidence between third-party providers and the big tech companies,” Ms Wells said.

“An example... Age assurance companies that are doing this work for people like Meta will also be compelled to provide documents.”

She said the laws had not yet been enforced because the eSafety Commissioner previously lacked the powers needed to build a strong enough case to stand up in the Federal Court.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also addressed the issue, announcing further measures to ensure social media companies are doing more to prevent underage users from accessing their platforms.

“Today, we’ll introduce legislation ... that goes further to ensure social media companies are doing everything within their power to stop children under 16 being on their platforms. We’re doubling the fines, we’re giving the eSafety Commissioner world-leading powers to compel them to comply,” he said.

Tennis with Anthony Albanese, dinner on Angus Taylor’s farm, or sauna time with independent senator David Pocock – the annual Midwinter Ball charity auction is heating up a chilly Canberra.

The nation’s political leaders have again donated their time to be auctioned off to coincide with the charity ball organised by the Federal Parliamentary Press Gallery.

For those less politically inclined, there are also tickets to the AFL grand final (which might prove the surest way to see the Dockers?) or return Qantas business class tickets to London or Los Angeles.

“We are incredibly fortunate that Australia’s political leaders, and corporate giants, continue to support the Midwinter Ball and generously donate these prizes, and their time, to support a range of worthy charities,” Press Gallery president Jane Norman said.

The ball has raised $5.8 million since it began in 2000.

Bids can be made at ​galabid.com/midwinterball​ and the auction closes at 5pm AEST on Wednesday, July 1.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Australia has been given certainty that there will be no foreign military bases established in Vanuatu following the signing of a long-awaited security agreement between the two nations.

Mr Albanese has welcomed his counterpart, Jotham Napat, to Parliament House for the formal signing of the Nakamal Agreement, ending months of tense negotiations following concerns in Vanuatu over sovereignty.

He said the deal advanced the two nations’ “shared responsibility” for security, confirming Vanuatu would not allow its territory to be used for “any foreign military base or infrastructure”.

“We respect the right of all nations to make sovereign decisions about their engagement with other countries, but what this does do is to provide certainty for Australia, that there will be no foreign military base,” he told reporters.

​Read more.​

Multiple social media platforms including X have refused to engage with the hate inquiry established after the Bondi attacks.

The Royal Commission on anti-Semitism and Social Cohesion resumed on Monday for its third block of hearings after receiving more than 20,000 submissions.

The commission recommenced in Sydney following hearings in May and heard information regarding the policing and intelligence gathering processes before the Bondi Beach terrorist attack in December 2025.

Much of the previous hearing block was held in secret, with concerns for national security.

AFP Assistant Commissioner Stephen Nutt told the commission in May there was “no doubt” Australia had seen an “escalation” in anti-Semitism, with the law enforcement organisation receiving about 166 reports of alleged crimes since December 2024.

- NewsWire

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Anthony Albanese has welcomed the signing of a “landmark” and “balanced” treaty with Vanuatu Prime Minister Jotham Napat in Canberra today.

“This agreement advances a consensus that security is a shared responsibility of the Pacific family,” the PM said at a press conference following the official signing.

“We have concluded a balanced agreement that will protect our collective and individual security and our sovereignty, and it will support our interest in a stable, prosperous, and secure region that we both call home.”

Mr Napat said the signing after a 10-month delay “marked a significant step” between the “trusted partners” and “friends”.

“Today marks a significant step in the Vanuatu-Australia relationship… with the signing of the long-awaited Nakamal Agreement. Australia and Vanuatu are close neighbours, trusted partners, and ensuring friends,” he said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has welcomed Vanuatu Prime Minister Jotham Napat to Parliament House in Canberra ahead of the formal signing of a landmark security and cooperation agreement between the two nations.

The long-awaited Nakamal Agreement is expected to be signed later today, ending months of tense negotiations that delayed the pact after Vanuatu raised concerns about sovereignty.