Source: New South Wales – News
Police are at the scene of a serious crash at Kangaroo Flat.
About 7.15pm today (Tuesday 6 May), emergency services were called to Haydon Road after reports that a car had crash.
The driver and sole occupant suffered serious injuries.
Major Crash officers are attending the scene.
Please avoid the area if possible.
Source: Australia’s climate in 2024: 2nd warmest and 8th wettest year on record
PETER STEFANOVIC, HOST: Joining us live is the Foreign Minister, Penny Wong. Minister, good to see you this morning. Thank you for your time. Before we get into the post-mortem of the election, I’d just like to ask you about this. It’s all about getting the remaining hostages that Hamas still has. What’s your response to this move?
PENNY WONG, FOREIGN MINISTER: Well, first, my principled response is Australia continues to call for a ceasefire. We want to see the hostages returned and we want to see humanitarian aid delivered. The humanitarian situation in Gaza is catastrophic. No aid has gone in for weeks. So, we will continue to call on all parties – ceasefire, hostage returns and humanitarian aid to be delivered.
STEFANOVIC: Do you think the election result justified your stance on Israel and Gaza?
FOREIGN MINISTER: Look, I don’t think that was a central issue in the campaign. I think that Australians were very focused on cost of living, were very focused on issues that were relevant to their lives. And I want to say how humbled and grateful we are for the privilege that’s been given to us. We really understand it’s a privilege and a responsibility. And what you will see, Pete, is us working every day for the Australian people, knowing the responsibility we’ve been given.
STEFANOVIC: On trade, a few items of note from firstly, the US and also the EU today. So, the Prime Minister will reportedly scrap the luxury car tax if the EU opens up its market for our ag exports. Is that a fair trade if it’s true?
FOREIGN MINISTER: I wanted to say broadly, when we announced our response to tariffs, you will recall, we laid out a set of principles and a set of responses that we would put in place, and one of them was continued trade diversification. Now, we’ve done a lot of work on that. You would have heard me, in the context of having some impediments and some $20 billion worth of trade into China lifted during our term of government, I always say to people, we need to diversify, we need to continue to diversify. That’s part of our economic resilience. And we had another Free Trade Agreement with the United Arab Emirates. We’ve had a lot more engagement economically with Southeast Asia on both investment and trade. But obviously, the EU Free Trade Agreement would be an important part of that trade diversification. So, we will keep working on that because we’re a trading nation. We don’t want to be part of trade barriers because it’s not good for us. It’s an act of economic self-harm. So, of course we’ll engage with the European Union and others.
STEFANOVIC: And on the US how concerned are you about Donald Trump’s tariffs on foreign-made films hurting our industry here?
FOREIGN MINISTER: I was just asked this by Karl, in fact, and the point I’d make is we have a lot of collaboration between our film industries. You get Aussie actors in US films. You get US films made here or filmed here. There’s a lot of collaboration in the creative area. So, we hope that President Trump, in the context of his discussions with the studio, will come to see the extent to which Australian and American film industries do work together to the benefit of both countries.
STEFANOVIC: Ok, let’s get to your thoughts on how the election turned out. Are you expecting many, if at all, frontbench changes?
FOREIGN MINISTER: Well, that’s a matter for, first, the caucus and the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister has made clear his view about some of the senior leadership and us staying in our roles. But beyond that, the decision will be for caucus and for the Prime Minister about which portfolios he allocates. But my thoughts on the election really are summed up in this: the Liberal Party does not represent middle Australia. We see that in the seat results in the suburbs and cities of this country. Families looked at the Liberal Party and thought, you don’t represent my hopes, my aspirations or reflect my concerns.
STEFANOVIC: Did Liberal preferences help you win seats from the Greens?
FOREIGN MINISTER: Well, I have looked at a few seats and, for example, I think Renee Coffey in the seat of Griffiths was ahead of Max Chandler-Mather on primaries. So, we live in a preferential system. But I would say the Labor primary vote was obviously very strong and we really respect and are grateful for the opportunity – the choice of Australians and the opportunity we’ve been given.
STEFANOVIC: But I suppose when it comes to the Liberal Party and its preferences, you were above the Greens. So, might you have Peter Dutton to thank for that by flipping some of those seats?
FOREIGN MINISTER: Well, Pete, that’s an interesting take. I think that the majority of the contests in the 150 plus seats around the country, as you know, were between us and the Liberal Party. And out of that, I think out of 88 metropolitan seats they hold, I think it’s nine or 10. And there’s obviously some outstanding. But that really says something about the extent to which the Coalition were rejected by middle Australia. That’s the key issue, not the Greens.
STEFANOVIC: Ok, just a final note. I mean, there was some scuttlebutt back before the election and you are a young person, but there was still rumour that you might be heading for retirement. Given the size of the win, how does that change your calculations with how much time you want to spend?
FOREIGN MINISTER: That’s a very good question. Obviously, I made a commitment to serve the whole of this term. But yes, the size of the win, we can genuinely do the work for the Australian people and set the country up for a long-term stable Labor Government. And I’m really privileged to be part of that.
STEFANOVIC: So at least one term, Penny, then we’ll see.
FOREIGN MINISTER: At least one term. At least one term.
STEFANOVIC: Can I also ask, I mean, your comments on potentially resurrecting the Voice, that was seized upon by your opponents, but did you fear that that could derail the Labor campaign?
FOREIGN MINISTER: Yeah, so, and I know, Sky ran on this a lot and obviously, you never want to give people the opportunity to dial up the conflict during a campaign. But you know what I think it demonstrated? It demonstrated a reflex to have a go on these culture war issues, rather than talk about the issues that really mattered to Australians, which were cost of living, Medicare, health, education. Rather than talk about how we maintain steady leadership in a time of great uncertainty. Most Australians were not where the Liberal Party were on those issues. It was a beat-up. We’ve made clear the Voice is gone. I’ve said that many times. But what’s more important is, I think what is said to Australians is you keep talking about issues and getting aggro and playing the politics of conflict. Actually, I’m worried about, are you going to give me tax cuts? Are you going to make it easy to see a doctor? Are you going to make sure my school is funded? Are you going to make sure you build more houses? I want the 20 per cent reduction in HECS debt and I want fee-free TAFE. That’s where people were, that’s where Australians were, it’s not where the Liberal Party was.
STEFANOVIC: Ok, I know you’ve got another interview to get to, but thank you so much for your time.
Source: Australian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry
Stephen Cenatiempo:
The Member for Fenner, Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury, Dr Andrew Leigh. Good morning Andrew.
Andrew Leigh:
Good morning Stephen, good to be with you.
Cenatiempo:
The factional situation in the Labor Party is a lot more formalised and a lot more disciplined, but you fall outside of that. How do you negotiate that?
Leigh:
Well, the ACT has always had a tradition of having non‑factional members, going back to people like Bob McMullan. Alicia Payne and I are outside the factional system, and it just means you need to have more friends, hang out with more people and get to know a broad cross section of the party. Now, I’ve got a lot of respect for many people within the left and the right, but the pre‑selectors that chose me wanted someone who’s non‑aligned, and that’s the way I chose.
Cenatiempo:
From the perspective of Cabinet – because there’s reports around this morning suggesting that the left faction have now got more members in the Caucus than they previously had, so that will entitle them to more seats at the Cabinet table, and I understand that system but if you’re non‑factional how do you get to the Cabinet table?
Leigh:
Well, it’s a matter of engaging with a range of different colleagues. But you know, I’m really very happy doing what I’m doing working as part of the economics team. I’m pretty proud of the competition reforms last time around that Jim Chalmers was able to get through parliament. Being a part of reform really matters. I would always rather be an assistant minister in government than a shadow cabinet member.
Cenatiempo:
That’s right. It’s certainly a lot easier, that’s for sure. So what are your priorities for this next term?
Leigh:
We talked a lot about bulk‑billing during the campaign. I think getting those bulk‑billing rates up is going to be very important to Canberra. The next piece of the energy transition, that’ll now continue apace. I think there’s a lot of work to be done around productivity. The Treasurer spoke on Sunday about how in the first term it was inflation first, and then a focus on productivity. Now it’ll be around focusing on productivity, but also keeping an eye on inflation. So that means a lot to do around evidence‑based policy, competition reform. We’ve got the non‑compete reforms going through the parliament hopefully. All of that is aiming to see a more dynamic and competitive economy.
Cenatiempo:
I want to talk about the bulk‑billing thing, because the promise of 9 out of 10 GP visits being bulk‑billed, it’s just simply not possible – certainly not the ACT anyway. So how do you manage the expectation, given that that was one of the tent poles of the election campaign?
Leigh:
Well, I’m not as pessimistic as you Stephen, but I acknowledge it’s a hard task. One of the things we’re doing is making bulk‑billing stack up for the pure bulk‑billing practices. Our calculations were that previously, a pure bulk‑billing practice would have doctors earning around $260,000. Now with our reforms, doctors in those practices will be able to earn $400,000. So that makes it significantly more financially attractive to be part of a bulk‑billing practice, and it means critically, that you’re not relying in setting up your bulk‑billing practice on the altruism of doctors. In those bulk‑billing practices doctors can now earn what their counterparts earn in other parts of the sector.
Cenatiempo:
The difficulty you’ve got here in Canberra though, is the cost of doing business. Because every GP clinic is a small business, and we know that small businesses here in Canberra struggle, and that’s really out of the hands of the federal government.
Leigh:
Certainly, some of the ACT government settings make a difference and we need to be looking at those as well. But there’s a lot we’ve done at the federal level. The fact that Katy Gallagher has come from the ACT to the federal level, that she’s got that experience as ACT Health Minister which means that she’s acutely aware of those issues, as of course Dave, Alicia and I are.
Cenatiempo:
But communication with the ACT government, and you know, in the lead up to the last ACT election as well, you know, we can deal with a Labor government better than we can with a Coalition government. But the results haven’t gone out that way because of a level of belligerence here locally that the federal government doesn’t seem to be able to break through regardless of what Labor it is.
Leigh:
Well look, I wouldn’t use that term Stephen. Certainly, we engage frequently with the ACT government. We recognise they’ve got different pressures and different opportunities. Having that constructive working relationship is important, and certainly the ACT government recognises as much as the federal level, the need to get bulk‑billing rates up in Canberra. They’re well below any other jurisdiction, and that makes it hard for middle income Canberrans to go and see a doctor.
Cenatiempo:
Yeah. The elephant in the room. Yourself and Alicia both increased your margins which, you know, I don’t think anybody is surprised by. But David Smith seems to be in the fight for his life for his seat. What’s different about the southern part of Canberra?
Leigh:
Well, the southern part of Canberra is the part of Canberra that once elected a Liberal member in Brendan Smyth in 1995. So it has been swingier than the rest of the city. We’ll find out how much money went into the independent campaign down there, but I would have a guess that it was more than David Smith spent.
Cenatiempo:
I think that’s a lay down misère, yeah.
Leigh:
Yeah, I also wouldn’t take for granted the results up in the north. We do see now, the ACT Liberal Party moving quite out of step from Canberrans. Far be it from me to be giving advice to my opponents, but I think the ACT Liberal party would benefit from coming back to that kind of Kate Carnell or Gary Humphries philosophy. You know, something epitomised by your 2CC predecessor, Mark Parton.
Cenatiempo:
Yeah look, I don’t know if that’s necessarily true. My argument has always been in my 5 years here is that local politics shouldn’t be about ideology at all. We focus too much on ideology here in Canberra rather than service delivery which I think is the biggest problem, but that’s not an issue for federal politics although we could probably have a conversation about this over a beer one day. But personally, what do you see as your priorities in Fenner?
Leigh:
I’m really keen to continue engaging with the electorate. I think we need to constantly be innovating around democratic engagements, whether that’s telephone town halls, whether it’s looking at more opportunities to do things online. Democratic disengagement is a real risk to the political system and we now have a mandate in order to do a lot of things, but that’s also a mandate in order to engage very deeply with the community. Then in terms of the economic reforms, there’s an awful lot that needs to be done around evidence‑based policy, competition policy, productivity – you know, that’s my sweet spot as a former economics professor. So I’m really looking forward to working on the productivity challenge that Australia faces.
Cenatiempo:
Let’s talk about it broader level at the moment. In the Lower House you’ve got an absolute majority, so it’s not going to be a problem getting legislation passed through the House. But in the Senate it appears – I know counting is still going, but it appears you’re not going to have that. Given that the Prime Minister was adamant there would be no deals with the Greens, it looks like you’re going to need Greens support to get things through the Senate. Do you bypass them all together and go to the rest of the crossbench and I guess, hold up that promise so to speak?
Leigh:
Well, there will be a number of configurations for any bit of legislation, and you would have seen at the end of last year that there were a whole suite of bills that went through with different configurations. So, for example the merger reforms went through with broad support across the parliament. The campaign finance reform – putting ACT style expenditure caps in place – went through with the support of the Coalition. Other bits of legislation went through with support of the crossbench, so that’ll be case by case. We’ll be making our argument to everyone, and of course every bit of legislation we bring to the parliament will be a bit of legislation we reckon everyone should vote for.
Cenatiempo:
Well, yeah it stands to reason you would think. Look, let’s hope that you know. I mean John Howard’s Opposition leading up to the 1996 election – his policy was ‘well look if it’s sensible policy that we can all agree on let’s just pass it through and not be obstructionist’. Let’s hope that the Opposition makes that decision moving forward. Andrew, good to talk to you. We’ll catch up in a couple of weeks’ time.
Leigh:
Look forward to it Stephen, thank you.
Cenatiempo:
Andrew Leigh, the Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury and the re‑elected member for Fenner.
Source:
Several foreign nationals, including Australians, were victims of methanol poisoning through consuming alcoholic drinks in 2024. Be alert to the potential risks, particularly with spirit-based drinks, including cocktails. For further advice on the risks around methanol poisoning as well as drink spiking (see ‘Safety’). Lao authorities issued an order prohibiting the sale and consumption of Tiger Vodka and Tiger Whisky due to their concerns about these products being a health risk. Australians should avoid consuming these products due to these serious safety concerns.
Transport and tour operators don’t always follow safety and maintenance standards. This includes activities such as river tubing, zip lining, bungee jumping and riding in fast boats (see ‘Safety’).
Dengue fever is endemic throughout the country year-round, and outbreaks are common during the rainy season (see ‘Health’).
Source: Australian Attorney General’s Agencies
The Albanese Labor Government is investing $24.2 million dollars to deliver additional border services at airports, including a major boost to Perth airport to help cement the city as a world class tourist hub.
The investment in additional staffing and equipment at Perth Airport will increase border and biosecurity capacity and in turn allow the airport to host more international flights.
We are pleased that as a result of this investment, Qantas has today announced that it will recommence flights to Johannesburg, South Africa and Auckland New Zealand.
Demand for services at Perth airport is rapidly growing. In January 2025, Perth airport saw 515,581 international passengers, breaking the record high set just the previous month in December 2024.
The Government’s investment will allow Australian Border Force and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, to ensure smooth operation for trade and tourism, while protecting our border from threats to Australia’s safety and security.
This investment and the growth in flights is expected to support hundreds of new jobs in WA and enable the airport to continue processing record breaking numbers of passengers.
Quotes attributable to the Minister for Trade and Tourism, Don Farrell:
“More international flights into Perth is an outstanding outcome for our tourism industry.
“This will deliver more tourists into Perth, additional connections for expat communities and another opportunity to showcase our country to the world.
“The Albanese Labor Government has been working hard to see our tourism industries continue to grow and increasing international connectivity is an important part of that.”
Quotes attributable to the Minister for Home Affairs and Immigration, Tony Burke:
“This funding allows the capabilities of the Australian Border Force to grow in line with the sustained growth in passenger numbers at Perth Airport.
“Investment in travel supports local businesses through attracting international tourism, and provides West Australians more job opportunities and more choices for their holidays.”
Quotes attributable to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Julie Collins:
“Every year millions of travellers come to Australia, and every year our frontline staff intercept biosecurity risks to our farmland and environment.
“This funding will mean we can maintain our biosecurity standards at these airports and seaports, which is critical to protecting Australia from exotic pests or disease outbreaks.
“It builds on the more than $1 billion in funding that the Albanese Labor Government has invested in Australia’s biosecurity system since 2022, cleaning up the mess the Liberals and Nationals left it in.”
Source: New South Wales Ministerial News
Get ready to step into a world of wonder as Electric Wonderland transforms Rosalind Park into a glowing playground of light, colour, and imagination during the winter school holidays from July 4 to July 20, 2025.
This year’s event promises even more awe-inspiring installations and hands-on experiences. Look forward to flowers that fall and bloom from the sky, giant pin-boards for creative expression, a dazzling mirror ball laser alley to explore, and dance walls where visitors can get their groove on.
In addition to these new attractions, some of our most popular installations will return, including Sacred Heart, a giant cathedral structure covered in thousands of heart-shaped fairy lights, and Pixelmatrix, a sound and light show featuring a cube of hundreds of bright pixel lights.
Designed as a ‘journey-style event’, Electric Wonderland invites visitors to play, explore, and capture unforgettable memories.
“We’re thrilled to warm up Rosalind Park with Electric Wonderland for a third consecutive winter,” said Power AV Event and Creative Manager Alicia Villiers.
“Each year the show evolves to surprise and delight audiences. Once again, our focus is on interaction, the wow-factor, and amazing photo opportunities.
“Whether you are marvelling at giant glowing sculptures, wandering through tunnels of twinkling lights, or snapping the perfect photo, this year’s light show is set to be a highlight of the winter holidays for people of all ages to enjoy.”
Electric Wonderland will run from July 4 to July 20, 2025.
Source: Australia’s climate in 2024: 2nd warmest and 8th wettest year on record
Sally Sara, Host: Well, Anthony Albanese has started his second term with a flurry of phone calls from world leaders, including what he described as a warm and positive conversation with US President Donald Trump. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Penny Wong, is my guest this morning. Minister, welcome back to Breakfast.
Penny Wong, Foreign Minister: G’day, Sally. Good to be with you.
Sara: Do you want to stay on as Foreign Minister?
Foreign Minister: I will be staying on as Foreign Minister and I’m looking forward to be part of a third-term Labor Government as well, but look what I want to say first is just to thank your listeners. We were given an enormous opportunity, a great privilege on Saturday. We’re very conscious of the weight of that, the responsibility of that and the privilege of that. And we will work every day to repay the trust Australians have shown in us.
Sara: How do you guard against hubris or the party letting standards drop with such an emphatic result going into a second term?
Foreign Minister: I think the culture in the Albanese Labor government, set by the Prime Minister, but by all of us in the leadership group, in the cabinet, in the caucus is we never take the position we have for granted. We never take the Australian people for granted, we serve ultimately at their pleasure and they have – Australians are always our focus. So, I think when the Prime Minister talks about humility, about recognising the weight of responsibility, that is what we have, the sense we have across our caucus.
Sara: What was it in the results on Saturday that surprised you?
Foreign Minister: The extent to which the Coalition are not the party of middle Australia. Now, I had a look at the AEC’s current count of metropolitan seats, so they have an inner and outer metropolitan seats at this stage, on current numbers, the Coalition are down to seven out of 88 seats in metropolitan areas. You know what that says, Sally? That says that in the cities and suburbs, the Coalition does not represent middle Australia. It doesn’t represent the hopes, aspirations and struggles of people, of Australians and their families living in our cities and suburbs. That really was a profound message from the electorate.
Sara: Let’s have a look at your portfolio. The Prime Minister had the chance to speak directly with Donald Trump yesterday. What was discussed and what sort of value do you think there was in having that call yesterday?
Foreign Minister: It was very important to reach out after an election to key leaders. And obviously, the US is so important to Australia. And the Prime Minister also has spoken to a number of other leaders in the region and beyond. He spoke about that yesterday in his press conference. There’s obviously a lot to discuss with the United States, we know we have a difference of views on tariffs and we will continue to press our view to them as well as getting on with the job that we said, which was to continue to diversify Australia’s exports as a consequence, not only of this US tariff decision, but to make sure we are more economically resilient in a world that is changing.
Sara: Has there been any significant progress or developments in Australia’s push to secure an exemption from the Trump tariffs?
Foreign Minister: Well, we’ve been in caretaker, which is what you’re in when you’re in the election. So, obviously the business of government becomes much, much more constrained because of the political campaign. We will continue to engage with the US administration, whether it’s on steel or more broadly. We know that President Trump and his administration have a different view on tariffs, a much tougher view than the first Trump administration. We know that these tariffs have been imposed on countries across the world and that no country has been in a better position than Australia. But equally, we believe that tariffs are unjustified and unwarranted. You would know that we have very few, the US is less than five per cent of our exports. What we need to do, apart from what we’ve done, which is to open up trade with China, where we’ve seen $20 billion worth of trade impediments taken off in our first term of government. But we need to do what we were doing in the first term, we need to continue to do that, which is to diversify our export markets.
Sara: What sort of effect could it have on Australia if Donald Trump goes forward with this proposed 100 per cent tariff on foreign-made films? And is it even possible given that now it’s not a physical entity, films are a service rather than a good.
Foreign Minister: And films are a lot of collaboration in films between countries and certainly Australia and America, we’ve worked so closely on so many great movies and our movie and entertainment industries are really very interlinked and very collaborative. And you see Australian actors working in the US, you see American films being filmed here in Australia. You see such collaboration through the whole creative process. And I think that’s to the benefit of both our countries. So, what we would say to the Trump administration is, it’s a great thing that we’re collaborating on films. So, let’s keep working together because that’s what viewers want to see, the audience wants to see. I heard the President as I was driving into the office early this morning, I think actually on one of the news clips that you ran, saying that he will talk to the studios, and that’s a good thing. And I think what he’d hear from them is that this collaboration, the involvement of Australian artists, Australian actors, as well as filming in Australia, is a good thing for the US industry.
Sara: As you’re saying, we’re coming out of caretaker mode. On the question of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, would your government allow the arrest of Benjamin Netanyahu if he were ever to visit Australia?
Foreign Minister: I’m surprised you asked me that, Sally, because I’ve answered that multiple times, as has the Attorney-General, Mr Dreyfus, and we don’t speculate on hypotheticals. I know that this was something I think Senator Cash pressed me on quite obviously in Senate Estimates, and I gave her the same answer. One of the things I would say about this election, though, the Middle East conflict has been so deeply distressing for so many people and it has been polarising in the Australian community because people do have very strongly held, different views. We have always said, let’s not bring the conflict here. And I think the result on Saturday demonstrates that Australians also don’t think we should bring that kind of anger and conflict into our society. We will continue to advocate for a ceasefire, for the return of hostages and for humanitarian aid to flow.
Sara: How concerned is Australia about the political instability in the Solomon Islands right now, and particularly today’s expected no confidence motion against the Prime Minister?
Foreign Minister: These are matters for the people and the Parliament of the Solomon Islands. It’s a sovereign country and you know, I’m not going to comment on it. That’s a matter for, as I said, the people and the representatives of Solomon Islands.
Sara: Penny Wong, we’ll need to leave it there. Thank you for your time this morning on Breakfast.
Foreign Minister: Great to speak with you.
Sara: That’s Senator Penny Wong, the Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Source: Australia’s climate in 2024: 2nd warmest and 8th wettest year on record
Karl Stefanovic, Host: Well, back to work for the Labor Government this week after partying like it was 1983. Well, we all like a party, don’t we? Or is it just me? Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong joins us now live from Adelaide to discuss. Penny, good morning to you. How was it?
Penny Wong, Foreign Minister: Good morning, Karl. Look, it’s you know we feel humbled, and grateful, and really conscious of the responsibility and privilege Australians have given us, and we will work every day to repay that trust.
Stefanovic: Was there a specific moment on the night when you knew you’d won, when you turned to someone and said, this is ours.
Foreign Minister: Well, I think I was with the Prime Minister and obviously we were looking at a lot of the results and frankly, the result became much clearer, much quicker than I thought it would. Because what we saw, really, is that the Liberal Party is not the party of middle Australia. The cities and the suburbs of Australia looked at Peter Dutton, looked at the Liberal Party, and said, look, you’re not in touch with the life I’m living. You’re not in touch with the things that are hard for me, the things that I want. You’re not in touch with my values. And very comprehensively across the country, we saw, particularly our cities and our suburbs, the Liberals hold such a small fraction of the seats within metropolitan Australia. They just don’t represent middle Australia.
Stefanovic: What did you say to each other when you knew you’d won?
Foreign Minister: I think I gave him a hug.
Stefanovic: Pretty emotional?
Foreign Minister: It’s always emotional. It’s a big thing isn’t it? I mean, it’s a big thing to form government. It’s a big thing to be given that responsibility and the honour of forming government by the Australian people. It’s a humbling moment, and we carry that with us. And as the Prime Minister said, we’re back to work and we will work every day to repay this trust.
Stefanovic: Okay, let’s get on with it. A couple of quick-fire election questions for you. Is Tanya still on the front bench after that air kiss?
Foreign Minister: Tanya, as the PM has said, will be a senior cabinet minister, he’s made that clear.
Stefanovic: Does Chris Bowen need some time off the bench?
Foreign Minister: I think Chris is, remember, Chris when we first came to government, had to deal with a gas crisis, an energy crisis, where as a result of where we’d been, we had real reliability and supply problems. He’s doing, and has done, an excellent job. What happens to people’s portfolios is at the privilege of the Prime Minister. He’s made some indication about a number of us in the leadership group and in senior portfolios, who will continue in our current jobs but the rest is up to him.
Stefanovic: Will you stay a full term?
Foreign Minister: Yes, I will. And in fact, the size of this victory and the prospect of a third-term Labor Government, it looks pretty good.
Stefanovic: You’ll stay in that portfolio?
Foreign Minister: I want to. And the Prime Minister’s indicated that me, Richard, Don Farrell, Katy and Jim will stay where we are. And we’re really appreciative, all of us, of the opportunity and the trust he’s shown in us.
Stefanovic: Will the PM stay a full term?
Foreign Minister: He’s said so. And I think –
Stefanovic: And then some?
Foreign Minister: It’s a pretty funny thing to ask. Yeah exactly, and then some. I think it’s a pretty funny thing to ask given what we saw on Saturday.
Stefanovic: I mean, everyone’s happy with that? Jim’s alright with that?
Foreign Minister: I think Jim’s answered this very clearly. He’s made the point, what an honour it is for all of us to serve as senior ministers in a Labor Government. And the Prime Minister leads this Government, and this opportunity that we all have is as much down to him as it is to the Australian people.
Stefanovic: Alright, more importantly, Trump’s tariffs loom pretty large, as you would know. Will you help sandbag the Australian film industry? If so, what might that look like? Because there’s a great deal of understandable nervousness inside that industry.
Foreign Minister: Absolutely. And I think that there’s also the reality, isn’t there, which is we do a lot of work with the American film industry. And there’s a lot of films, Australian actors in American films, Australian crews working on US films, films filmed here in Australia, which are collaborations between American studios and Australian companies. So, these tariffs really don’t reflect the reality of the cooperation and collaboration between our countries. So, we’ll obviously be putting that view to the US administration. I did hear as I was driving in this morning, President Trump on the radio saying that he was going to have a discussion with the studios, and we think that’s a good thing.
Stefanovic: Okay, meantime, the Greens here say they’re still carrying a stick in the Senate. You’ll still need to listen to them. It’s more like a toothpick with a cocktail onion now, don’t you think?
Foreign Minister: I wonder if I can use that line. Do you think I can use that line in the Senate with them? Karl, what do you reckon?
Stefanovic: You can quote me anytime you want.
Foreign Minister: ‘As Karl said’. See how that goes down? It might work, might not. Look, one of the things about Saturday, Karl, is I think Australians rejected the politics of conflict and the politics of grievance. And, unfortunately, Adam Bandt in some ways is quite like Peter Dutton. It’s the same conflict, it’s the same, frankly, sometimes quite aggressive, and the same politics of protest and grievance. And I think Australians have comprehensively rejected that. And my suggestion to Adam Bandt is perhaps he should consider what message Australians sent to all of us in the Parliament.
Stefanovic: He may not be there. Look, you mentioned the Voice during the campaign as well, Penny. I listened to it and you clearly weren’t saying you were going to go back to it, but it was seized upon, as you know. Did you worry at any point that you’d made a mistake to the party?
Foreign Minister: You know me, Karl, I’m always hard on myself, aren’t I? And, of course, you always worry about giving your opponent the opportunity to have a go. But can I say, I think what it demonstrated was what I said at the start – Peter Dutton’s reflexes, the Liberal Party’s desire to get into the culture wars, is part of them not being where middle Australia is at. People were concerned about Medicare, people were concerned about cost of living, people were concerned about tax cuts. People were concerned about schools and hospitals and bulk billing, fee-free TAFE. People were concerned about making sure, in an uncertain world, where we see a lot of change globally, that steady leadership would be required. That’s what Australians wanted to see. They weren’t interested in the Peter Dutton Liberal Party culture wars.
Stefanovic: That’s definitely a no, then? You’re not going to be pursuing that?
Foreign Minister: We’ve made that clear, the Australian people have made that clear, the Voice is gone.
Stefanovic: Okay, I suppose you don’t care about the Liberal leadership, why would you? But Gina Rinehart is saying the country needs to move to the right, more Trump-like. How do you respond?
Foreign Minister: Ms Rinehart has been very public about those views for some time but I think Australians spoke on Saturday.
Stefanovic: Penny, always good to talk to you. Thank you so much, and best of luck with the job ahead.
Foreign Minister: Great to speak with you. I’ll try the cocktail line.
Source: New South Wales Government 2
6 May 2025
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Source: Australian Capital Territory Policing
Victorians are being reminded to be vigilant, with poisonous mushrooms becoming present in the community during autumn as the weather becomes wetter and cooler.
Victorian Chief Health Officer Dr Christian McGrath is encouraging Victorians to be on the lookout for wild mushrooms growing in home gardens and publicly accessible areas.
Poisonous mushrooms including death cap mushrooms and yellow-staining mushrooms become more evident in Victoria at this time of year, and initial symptoms of poisoning can include stomach pains, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Dr McGrath said it was important to remove any wild mushrooms growing in home gardens to avoid young children and pets coming into any contact with them.
“Adults and children should not touch wild mushrooms with their bare hands, let alone eat them, and animals should be kept well away from them,” Dr McGrath said.
“Anyone who collects and consumes wild mushrooms of unknown species is putting themselves at risk of potential poisoning and serious illness. Consuming a death cap mushroom can be fatal.”
With no home test available to distinguish safe and edible mushrooms from poisonous mushrooms, it is recommended to only eat mushrooms bought from the supermarket, greengrocer or another reputable source.
“Unless you are an expert, do not pick and eat wild mushrooms.” Dr Christian McGrath said.
Wild mushrooms growing in home gardens should only be removed by wearing gloves, carefully placing them in a bag and disposing of them in a closed general waste (landfill) rubbish bin.
If you or anyone in your care may have eaten a poisonous mushroom, do not wait for symptoms to occur. Call the Victorian Poisons Information Centre immediately on 13 11 26 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) for appropriate advice.
If a person has trouble breathing, collapsed, is having a fit or is suffering an anaphylactic reaction, immediately call 000 for an ambulance. Do not call the Victorian Poisons Information Centre in an emergency.
If your pet has ingested a wild mushroom, contact the Animal Poisons Helpline on 1300 869 738 for advice.
More information on poisonous mushrooms is available on Better Health .