News and politics recap: Taylor urges PM to ‘man up’ and apologise to Japan PM over ‘royal melons’

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Japan has become arguably Australia’s most important security partner, second only to the United States, as strategic tensions continue to rise in the Indo-Pacific.

The growth of the military and economic relationship between the former World War II enemies has been truly remarkable, which makes Anthony Albanese’s clumsy and ill-advised comments about the country’s female leader so baffling.

As the Prime Minister continued to resist calls to apologise to his Japanese counterpart for the crass jokes he made about Sanae Takaichi’s gift, he has instead pivoted to highlight the importance of bilateral ties, seeming determined to ride out the controversy with an air of political hubris.

“Our relationship between Australia and Japan has never been stronger. We have never been more strategically aligned than we are today,” Mr Albanese told Parliament on Wednesday.

The PM singled out his Government’s “significant” decision last year to select the Japanese-designed Mogami general-purpose frigates to replace the Royal Australian Navy’s ageing Anzac-class fleet.

Read the full analysis here

Independent Tasmanian MP Andrew Wilkie has accused the Federal Government of being influenced by individuals in the “private sector”.

Mr Wilkie revealed he had referred “individuals in the Federal Government” who he claims have been “improperly influenced” when formulating gambling policy.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese responded, saying Mr Wilkie was “undermining” public discussion about gambling reform.

“People come to these issues with a genuine perspective, and we have genuine differences as well on some of these issues,” Mr Albanese said.

“But to question people’s motives is, I think, undermining the civil debate that is required on these issue.

“We’ll continue to promote the legislation that is before the parliament today. It hasn’t been influenced – certainly from my position it has not been influenced in the way that is suggested.

“We will have a debate on our legislation. Constructive discussions are continuing. I expect there will be amendments to the legislation that I hope receive the support of the entire parliament.”

Jim Chalmers and the Reserve Bank are engaged in a tit-for-tat Punch and Judy show over who’s more culpable for this year’s housing market downturn.

A day after the RBA blamed the Budget for weighing down home prices, the Treasurer hit back saying the Reserve Bank was to blame too.

“My view is you shouldn’t judge the housing market by volatility over a period of a few months,” he told ABC Radio National on Wednesday.

“Often what happens with house prices is a consequence of a range of factors, including movements in interest rates.

“What we’re seeing in the housing market is a consequence of a whole range of factors – economic conditions, interest rates, policy changes – not any one factor on their own.”

​Read the full story here.​

Australia has rushed to assure Japan that Anthony Albanese’s controversial comments about their female leader’s melons were not offensive “in the way that has been reported”.

As the scandal over the Prime Minister’s controversial comments on the Bush Deep podcast intensifies, Japan’s ambassador to Canberra has revealed that the Albanese Government has formally briefed Tokyo over the incident.

“We are aware of the reporting in the media,” Ambassador Suzuki Kazuhiro said in a brief statement released on Wednesday.

“We have been informed by the Australian side that Prime Minister Albanese did not make the comments in the way that has been reported.”

“In any case, the dinner hosted by Prime Minister Albanese during the Prime Minister’s visit to Australia this May was held in a very relaxed atmosphere, and we believe it helped build a personal trust relationship between the two leaders.”

Read the full story.

Australia has rushed to assure Japan that Anthony Albanese’s controversial comments about their female leader’s melons were not offensive “in the way that has been reported”.

As the scandal over the Prime Minister’s controversial appearanec on the “Deep Bush” podcast intensifies, Japan’s ambassador to Canberra has also moved to quell the diplomatic fallout.

“We are aware of the reporting in the media,” Ambassador Suzuki Kazuhiro said in a brief statement released on Wednesday.

“We have been informed by the Australian side that Prime Minister Albanese did not make the comments in the way that has been reported.”

“In any case, the dinner hosted by Prime Minister Albanese during the Prime Minister’s visit to Australia this May was held in a very relaxed atmosphere, and we believe it helped build a personal trust relationship between the two leaders.”

The Coalition is proposing to scrap energy efficiency rules and bring in more migrant builders and fewer baristas as part of its plan to solve Australia’s housing crisis.

Shadow housing minister Andrew Bragg said building more basic homes would do more to solve the housing shortage and has proposed slashing the National Construction Code to just 80 pages down from 2000 pages now, with a basic Australian standard covering fire safety, structural integrity and health standards.

“It’s a house that won’t fall down, is secure, it won’t burn down but it doesn’t have anything else in it,” he told the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday.

“It’s a very simple house. It’s a basic amenity. You’ve got to have a window and a roof for example, it’s got to have that.

“Mandatory ramps, flattened shower flooring or reinforced walls would be optional extras.

Read the full story here.

Pauline Hanson has backed WA’s share of the GST and called on other States to work harder, reopen their economies and stop relying on handouts from the west.

The One Nation leader described WA as a “progressive State” and insisted it should not be punished while jurisdictions such as Victoria and Tasmania were “shutting down” industries rather than contributing.

Her firm endorsement of WA’s GST position comes as the Productivity Commission prepares to release an interim report into the Morrison-era top-up payment scheme on Friday.

The former Liberal government’s move to implement a 75 cent floor guaranteed that WA got a fairer share back after falling to a low of 30 cents for every dollar.

Read the full story here.

Attorney General Michelle Rowland has issued a stern warning to people using smart glasses for “nefarious purposes” as concern over privacy grows in Australia.

She said that the Albanese government was assessing the use of the tech in Australia and would “progress work on a second tranche of legislative reforms to ensure our privacy laws are fit for the digital age”.

“Last week, I asked the Privacy Commissioner to prioritise consideration of the privacy implications associated with this technology, the potential for these devices to be used to covertly record, track, stalk, and harass requires prompt and careful consideration,” she said.

“Their discrete design can make it difficult for people to know when they are being filmed, increasing the risk of unwanted surveillance and undermining Australians’ ability to control how their personal information and images are collected.

“The increasing availability of this technology could have significant declarations, particularly for women and children, who may be disproportionately exposed to inappropriate recording, harassment, intimidation, or other harmful conduct.”

She said while State and Territory laws already restrict the use of recording devices in some circumstances, the commissioner’s expertise would be “critical” in identifying emerging risks and “appropriate safeguards”.

Federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins has given an update on Australia’s response to the growing bird flu crisis which has prompted the government to roll out vaccinations for species in captivity.

She told the Parliament during Question Time that after asking States and Territories earlier this week to identify species which could be jabbed the Victorian government has been the first to respond.

“The Victorian government has actually announced today that their state will begin vaccinating penguins, little penguins, and that vaccines from the Commonwealth have now arrived at Phillip Island,” she said.

Ms Collins said vaccinations on the birds would likely start as early as next week.

“I look forward to hearing from other states and territories as they work on those vaccination programs. But it is terrific news that we’re going to start vaccinating little penguins in Victoria,” she said.