News and politics live updates: Labor slams Trump’s 12.5pc tariff on Australian exports as ‘unjustified’

Day two of Labor’s 50th National Conference has kicked off in Adelaide, picking up where it left off on chapter three “Protecting Australia’s Climate, Environment and Energy Security”.

The chapter covers climate resilience, local government funding, the Great Barrier Reef, Murray Darling Basin, food waste, renewable energy, EVs and noise pollution.

Labor has moved to continue to support the uptake of EVs and initiatives and local manufacturing, including through new vehicle efficiency standards.

It also edited wording to be stronger in “commiting” rather than just “encouraging” to work with state, territory and local governments to “rapidly expand” a nationally integrated electric vehicle charging network across metropolitan, regional and rural Australia.

The session has also begun discussing the construction and operation of data centres in Australia for the growing use of AI.

Senior Minister Don Farrell has repeatedly dodged questions over political donations during this week’s Labor national conferencing insisting it’s a matter for the party’s administration.

Business leaders and lobbyists are being charged $12,000 per ticket to attend the Federal Labor Business Exchange on the sidelines of this week’s conference in Adelaide.

During a press conference on Friday morning at the ALP Conference Senator Farrell repeatedly declined to answer questions about the expensive tickets being sold to attend the political event.

“Look fundraising is a matter for the for the party administration,” he told reporters.

“All of the issues relating to donations are matters that are held and dealt with by the party administration.”

US forces have fired off a 13th consecutive round of strikes against Iran.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the latest attack in a social media post.

“US forces started another night of strikes against Iranian military targets at 6.45pm ET today,” CENTCOM wrote on X.

“This is the 13th consecutive night of strikes aimed to hold Iran accountable and diminish threats from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to commercial shipping.”

Trade Minister Don Farrell has brushed off several questions about Anthony Albanese attending an exclusive dinner hosted by a 25-year-old whose billionaire father was accused by the Tax Office of repeatedly deceiving authorities.

The frontbencher told reporters that whether Labor accepted the donations from the Lee family was a matter for Labor’s administration, telling them to “ask the party” rather than him.

“Fundraising is a matter for the party administration,” he told reporters in Adelaide on Friday.

“All of the issues in relation to donation and matters that are dealt with by the party administration.

“You’d have to ask the party administration about those donations.”

The dinner, which was first reported by The Australian Financial Review, allegedly included a $1 million donation and was held at the family’s Point Piper mansion, Mandalay.

Labor has also used their three-day conference in Adelaide this week as a way to prop up their piggy bank, with the Prime Minister attending at least three fundraisers on Thursday evening.

Several Labor MPs, led by Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, had also charged supporters $1000 to attend their amateur pub gig on Wednesday night.

The “Left Right Out” band had listed the cost as a “supporting partner” price but prompted that drinks were included.

The gig was hosted at an undisclosed location by Labor’s Louise Miller-Frost MP and Claire Clutterham MP.

Businesses have warned the Albanese Government against moves to stack its new Fair Work Court, saying judges must be independent and appointed on merit to ensure its integrity.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese unveiled plans for the return of the court at Labor’s national conference in Adelaide on Thursday, saying it would operate alongside the Fair Work Commission and be headed by expert judges in the field.

“It will resolve disputes faster and at lower costs for both workers and employers,” Mr Albanese told the conference.

“Good for workers, good for businesses, good for the country and we’re going to do that.”

It will be the first Federal industrial relations court since a previous one was abolished by the Howard government in 1997.

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Labor delegates, parliamentarians and supporters have been met with pro-Palestine chants as they enter the National Conference on Friday.

A mixed rally at the front of the Adelaide convention centre has included protests over the Israel Palestine conflict, West Papua, AUKUS and nuclear energy.

A group against AUKUS arrived wearing nuclear waste suits and carried a giant green blow-up submarine, banners and fake coffins.

The protestors have been monitored with a large police presence and airport level security to get into the building.

Donald Trump’s new 12.5 per cent tariff on Australian exports has been slammed by the Albanese government.

Trade Minister Don Farrell called for the immediate withdrawal of the “unjustified” move.

“These tariffs are unjustified, inconsistent with our free trade agreement, and should be removed,” he said.

“Australia’s measures to combat forced labour and modern slavery are among the strongest in the world, and we are recognised globally, including in the US, for our leadership.”

Richard Marles has criticised the United States’ decision to impose tariffs on Australian goods, arguing the move is unjustified given Australia’s strict laws targeting forced labour.

Speaking after the annoncement, The Deputy Prime Minister said Australia remained committed to free trade and would continue making its case to Washington.

“We obviously are supportive of an open global trading system. That’s actually what has seen an enormous rise in productivity and prosperity around the world,” he told ABC Radio National.

“In relation to our trading relationship with the United States, the US Australia-US Free Trade Agreement has been really important in terms of promoting jobs in both countries and providing for freer trade and lower prices between both countries.”

The Albanese government has repeatedly condemned the Trump administration’s tariffs as unwanted and, in a formal submission lodged earlier this month, argued Australia already had some of the toughest laws in the world to prevent goods made with forced labour from entering supply chains.

Queensland has recorded its first suspected positive case of H5 high pathogenicity avian influenza (bird flu) after a deceased petrel washed up on Moreton Island tested positive during an initial screening.

The sample is now undergoing confirmatory testing at the CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness, with the Federal Government expected to announce the final results. Authorities say there have been no detections of H5 bird flu in Queensland’s native birds or poultry, and no evidence of widespread animal deaths.

The State Government said the risk to human health remains unchanged and urged Queenslanders to continue buying and eating chicken and eggs as normal.

Residents are advised to avoid contact with sick or dead birds and report them to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.

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The Coalition has accused Labor of refusing to strengthen the country’s counter-terrorism laws, renewing calls for legislation aimed at preventing third parties from helping Australians who joined Islamic State to return home.

The political clash comes after One Nation urged Opposition leader Angus Taylor to support tougher measures to stop ISIS fighters and sympathisers from returning to Australia.

But Deputy Liberal leader Jane Hume told Sunrise the Coalition’s proposal could not become law without Labor’s backing, dismissing suggestions Pauline Hanson’s party held the balance of power.

“The problem here, of course, is that it’s not One Nation’s votes that we need to pass this legislation. And Pauline should know that after 30 years in politics, we simply don’t have the numbers even with One Nation,” Ms Hume told host Natalie Barr.

“It’s Labor’s votes that we need to make sure that we can shut the door on ISIS terrorists, sympathisers coming back to our shores.

“So it’s up to Mark to tell us why we can’t get this done, because the legislation is there. We don’t need One Nation. We need Labor. Otherwise we simply don’t have the numbers.”

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