Australia politics live: Bowen hits back at Tehan in row over climate negotiations travel bill; warning over integrity bodies |

‘Mr Tehan is the biggest hypocrite in the federal parliament’: Bowen

Bowen is going over the opposition’s criticism of his role as the Cop climate summit president of negotiations, and says there’s been a bunch of misinformation floating around.

There are 30 – not 100 – staff linked to the role, he says, and criticises the shadow energy minister, Dan Tehan, for spending thousands of dollars on international travel during the Morrison government.

A quick note here – Tehan was trade and tourism minister at the time, so some travel does come with the job.

Bowen says Tehan went to the Maldives twice on the VIP Royal Australian air force plane at the cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars, while he went to Europe last week via a commercial airline.

double quotation markMr Tehan is the biggest hypocrite in the federal parliament. When he was the last minister in his last year as minister, he went to France, Singapore, Vietnam, Korea, Japan, United States, Indonesia, India, United Arab Emirates, France, again Italy, Belgium, United Kingdom, and the Maldives twice at taxpayer expense.

Now, if Mr Tehan is going to criticise me for federal travel, for ministerial travel, he needs to justify why was he in all those countries at taxpayer expense in his last year as minister.

He wants to criticise me for international travel? All right, Dan, let’s have the debate.

Updated at 02.14 CEST

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Dan Jervis-Bardy

Alex Antic to nominate for SA Liberal presidency, inspired by Taylor-Canavan-Abbott “dream team”

The hard-right Liberal senator, Alex Antic, will nominate to become the party’s South Australian state president, drawing inspiration from the “dream team” leading the federal team.

After years building and exerting influence in the party’s rank-and-file, Antic confirmed his candidacy for the president’s position in a message to supporters.

The message, seen by Guardian Australia, reads:

double quotation markIn recent months, we have seen encouraging green shoots at the federal level with the emergence of a strong leadership team featuring Angus Taylor and Senator Matt Canavan, further bolstered by the election of former Prime Minister Tony Abbott as President of the Federal Liberal Division.

This is, without doubt, a dream team – and it has inspired me to announce my candidacy for President of the South Australian Division.

The tilt at the state Liberal presidency would seemingly end speculation that Antic could defect to Pauline Hanson’s One Nation.

Antic talked up his record in Canberra fighting against “Labor’s economic failures, cultural radicalism, and assaults on our freedom”.

He said the results of the March South Australia election – where the Liberals were reduced to just five lower house seats – showed the party must return to Menzies tradition of “liberty and resolute opposition to socialism, or risk continued decline”.

Antic urged supporters to turn out to local branch AGMs (annual general meetings) to ensure he had the numbers to secure the presidency at the party’s state council.

He also encouraged backers to join the Liberal women’s council to help thwart a “serious challenge” from the party’s moderate wing.

double quotation markOver recent years, the LWC (Liberal Women’s Council) has been a courageous and vital choice for Liberal women, fearlessly championing pro-life issues, fairness for women in sport, and many other critical matters affecting Australians.

Hastie brushes off One Nation threat in his seat: ‘I don’t live in fear’

Liberal shadow cabinet minister Andrew Hastie says polls “keep you sharp” but he’s only focused on defeating Labor, not the rising popularity of One Nation.

Jumping back to the frontbencher talking to Sky News earlier, Hastie said he did not know why Pauline Hanson would want One Nation to challenge his seat of Canning in WA at the next election if she “wants to defeat Labor”.

Recent polling over the weekend showed One Nation could decimate the Coalition at the next election and even claim Hastie’s electorate.

Hastie said:

double quotation markI don’t live in fear. I mean, my mission is clear – it’s to defeat Labor. One Nation, their mission is less clear. Pauline Hanson came out on the weekend and said she’s targeting Canning. Well, if she wants to defeat Labor, I’m not sure why she’d be targeting people like me on the centre-right. So we crack on and two years is a long time.

Updated at 03.01 CEST

Ben Doherty

Jewish witnesses before royal commission targeted with harassment and intimidation

Jewish witnesses before the royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion have been targeted with online hate speech and harassment after giving evidence to the commission.

Before starting hearings on Tuesday morning, Commissioner Virginia Bell said at least one instance of online harassment and intimidation had been referred to the Australian federal police.

double quotation markWe have received reports from a number of witnesses concerning a dramatic increase in online hate messages after they have given evidence.

She described the online abuse – which the commission continues to monitor – as an “undiluted level of hatred and bigotry directed towards members of the Jewish community”.

Updated at 03.02 CEST

Bridget McKenzie’s travel expenses under scrutiny

Victorian Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie has denied misusing taxpayer funds to attend her son’s wedding and engagement party, insisting her travel to Tasmania in 2022 and 2023 coincided with official business.

The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald reported on Tuesday McKenzie claimed taxpayer-funded flights to Tasmania on the weekend of the engagement party, when she was a minister in the Morrison government, and 10 months later, at the time of the wedding.

Total costs for the travel are unclear. Records from the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority show on 29 April 20220 McKenzie’s flew from Melbourne to Devonport, where her son lives. No cost has been disclosed. On 1 May, she billed taxpayers $259.40 for a flight from Devonport to Melbourne.

Victorian Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Her office said McKenzie undertook “a series of high-profile formal ministerial appointments” in Tasmania over the weekend of the engagement party.

“Senator McKenzie undertook legitimate activities while working in Tasmania, when she was a senior government minister,” a spokesperson told the Nine newspapers.

On the weekend of her son’s wedding, in February 2023, taxpayers paid $853.52 for McKenzie’s travel. Her official duties that weekend included a press conference on budget cuts for local infrastructure.

The Nationals leader, Matt Canavan, said he was “absolutely” confident McKenzie had followed the rules. He said on Monday she had paid for personal elements of the trip.

Updated at 02.39 CEST

Why was Bowen having a go at Dan Tehan this morning?

It wasn’t exactly out of the blue – but because Tehan released details from documents obtained by the opposition under FOI laws, that that Chris Bowen’s department has spent nearly half a million dollars in the first quarter of this year on trips to Turkey, Fiji, Germany and Korea.

Tehan says that department officials revealed in estimates last night that the trip to Fiji included a visit to the resort island of Denarau, where officials visited the Sheraton Hotel, which could be the venue hosting the so-called pre-COP climate conference.

He also says the documents also show that more than 100 people in Bowen’s department have been pulled into the ‘International climate negotiations’ section.

Bowen directly refuted that this morning during his press conference, saying that 30 officials are working on COP – and that they were already “were engaged on climate discussions anyway”.

ShareLisa Cox

UN special rapporteur to make submissions in North West Shelf court challenges

The federal court will allow a United Nations special rapporteur to make submissions in two legal challenges to the Albanese government’s approval of Woodside’s North West Shelf extension.

Friends of Australian Rock Art and the Australian Conservation Foundation have challenged environment minister Murray Watt’s controversial decision last year to approve an extension of the life of the gas processing plant in Western Australia from 2030 to 2070.

The cases are separate and made on different grounds but are expected to be heard consecutively in July.

On Monday, the court approved an application from the UN special rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, Astrid Puentes Riaño, to join the legal challenges as amicus curiae (“friend of the court”).

ACF climate campaigner Piper Rollins said:

double quotation markWe understand this means international law, including the ICJ’s (International Court of Justice) advisory opinion on states’ obligations on climate change, is relevant to the legality of the minister’s decisions about the North West Shelf extension.

It is the first time a special rapporteur has joined an Australian climate case. Puentes Riaño will provide information for the court, including on Australia’s international legal obligations.

Susan Swain, co-convenor of Friends of Australian Rock Art, said:

double quotation markWe always felt that this case was internationally significant for a number of reasons so we are pleased that the Amicus intervention by the UN special rapporteur has been allowed by the court.

Woodside’s North West Shelf liquefied natural gas project in Western Australia. Photograph: Krystle Wright/The GuardianShare

Updated at 02.33 CEST

Josh Taylor

Nudify app-ban legislation ‘complex’ as government seeks to exclude ‘general purpose AI like Grok’

The federal government has said it will be “complex” for legislation to seek to ban deepfake AI nudify apps without catching general purpose apps such as Elon Musk’s Grok, freedom of information documents for estimates briefings for the communications department have revealed.

The Albanese government announced in September last year its intention to ban nudify apps that allow users to use AI to create deepfakes nudes of people whose images they upload.

The announcement was made before Grok users on the X platform began using the AI chatbot to create deepfake images of women and children with their clothes removed at the start of this year, drawing widespread outrage and a number of investigations across the globe – including Australia.

The legislation has yet to be introduced into parliament but, according to briefing documents prepared for the February 2026 estimates hearings, the department noted the Grok incident illustrated “the real harms posed by readily available nudification tools” and the need for action.

The department said the government is seeking to restrict the ability of anyone in Australia to access technology to create non-consensual, sexually explicit deepfakes, but noted it would be complex legislation to cover “general purpose AI like Grok”.

double quotation markThe way to achieve this in legislation will be complex as we want to retain the ability for Australians to continue to access AI services that are useful while restricting access to the elements of the technology that cause harm.

The department stated it was engaging with stakeholders on the matter and any app not captured by the new nudify laws would still be subject to other eSafety powers.

The eSafety commissioner has yet to announce the outcome of the Grok investigation, before a Senate estimates appearance on Wednesday afternoon.

Musk has previously denied Grok was used to generate child abuse material, or illegal images, and immediately after the scandal X restricted the types of images people could generate using Grok on the platform.

Updated at 02.23 CEST

It’s past 10am, which means that it’s party room time – but this fortnight that’s only for MPs, because senators are still locked away in estimates grilling public servants (and each other).

Party room is where leaders will give their MPs a pep talk and discuss what legislation they’re going to support or reject.

It’s sometimes also an opportunity for MPs to voice their concerns or ask questions on particular issues (which often gets leaked out to us in the media). We’ll keep our eyes and ears peeled.

Then the House will resume sitting at midday.

Updated at 03.03 CEST

Royal commission hears from NSW police in second block of public hearings

Ben Doherty

The royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion will continue its second block of public hearings, with appearances from NSW police officers.

Three witnesses are scheduled to give evidence on Tuesday, an anonymised superintendent from the eastern suburbs police area command, as well as two assistant commissioners, Peter McKenna and Scott Cook.

The commission is expected to go into closed door hearings later this week to hear sensitive testimony about what information security agencies held about the two Bondi shooters before the December attack on the Chanukah by the Sea event.

Public hearings can be seen here.

Updated at 02.15 CEST

Penry Buckley

Minns insists state and federal intelligence agencies do communicate amid ‘intelligence failure’

The NSW premier, Chris Minns, has insisted that state and federal police and intelligence agencies do communicate, amid reports claiming that earlier warnings about the alleged Bondi gunmen went unheeded.

The premier was asked on 2GB radio earlier this morning if reports showed state and federal agencies did not communicate. He said:

double quotation markIf the question you’re asking is, do they communicate? They do. They’ve got the joint counter-terrorism taskforce. It’s a committee that comprises senior NSW police, the AFP and intelligence agencies. And I’m not suggesting that it’s perfect, and I’m definitely not suggesting that we can’t make it better, but I know that they’ve been credited with thwarting or stopping … terrorism events in NSW since the committee was established. So, again, this doesn’t mean that it’s running perfectly. We’ve clearly had a giant law enforcement and intelligence failure in December of last year that we need to correct and make better but I also don’t want the public believing that no one talks to each other.

The interim report of the royal commission into antisemitism recommended a review of joint counter-terrorism agencies, with “consideration of leadership structures, team integration, systems access and information sharing arrangements”. It called for a particular focus on the Joint Counter-Terrorism Team NSW.

The commission’s second block of hearings, focusing on intelligence, security and law enforcement agencies, continues today.

Updated at 01.51 CEST

Warning call issued for integrity agencies

Tom McIlroy

The Centre for Public Integrity has launched a new report at Parliament House this morning calling for Australia’s core integrity agencies to be independent and accountable.

Along with crossbench MPs including Helen Haines, David Pocock and David Shoebridge, the centre has called for budget funding for agencies including the Australian National Audit Office to be provided through a process separate from government, and for limited terms of appointments be made for office holders.

Independents Helen Haines and David Pocock. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

The new report – Beyond Labels: Securing Functional Independence for Core Integrity Agencies – also calls for non-government led parliamentary committees to provide oversight for core integrity agencies.

Its release comes before departing National Anti-Corruption Commission boss Paul Brereton faces Senate estimates this afternoon.

Prof Gabrielle Appleby, CPI’s research director, warned the auditor general’s budget allocation meant it might not be able to fulfil its core functions of scrutinising government.

double quotation markIn this report, we address that lever of funding that government can pull against integrity agencies, and we call for greater transparency in relation to how governments fund integrity agencies with separate appropriations bill and greater accountability.

It’s unfortunate we are seeing these pressures on our integrity agencies but there are design solutions that we have in this report and we urge the government at this point to pick those up.

Updated at 01.53 CEST