Australia news live: PM to recommend defence department boss as next US ambassador; says Trump’s Afghanistan comments ‘completely unacceptable’

Meanwhile smoke hangs over Victoria as out-of-control fire at Carlisle River near Gellibrand in state’s south-west continues. Follow updates live Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Albanese says cost of living is 2026 focus Just rounding out the rest of the prime minister’s jam-packed Insiders interview, Albanese reiterated that Australia would give “further consideration” to US president Donald Trump ’s invitation to join the Board of Peace but said it was unclear what the objectives of the board are. So we’ve had the 5% housing deposit rolling out, being taken advantage of. Three days of guaranteed childcare subsidy began on January 6. Cheaper medicines, $25, came in on January 1. 1800 Medicare has been accessed by tens of thousands of Australians. The bulk billing incentive has led to a massive spike in the number of free doctor visits. What we have been focused on is dealing with the immediate but dealing with all of those issues that are so important for Australians as well. And as we go back, school goes back this fortnight, and what that will mean is that the increased fair funding for every school that begins to kick in as well. So you can walk and chew gum at the same time as the saying goes, and we’ve been determined to do just that. We’re seeing them adopt One Nation policies and shift to the right. And the problem here is that what that is doing is legitimising the hard right policies that One Nation advocate for. You can’t fight One Nation by being a lighter version of them. Now people like the late Senator Ron Boswell understood that. John Howard understood that when he put One Nation last on how to votes. What we saw at the last election was a preference deal between One Nation and the Coalition. We’ve seen them become closer and closer as the Coalition have shifted to the right. What that does, it legitimises some of the hard right policies One Nation has. The politics of just identifying grievance and not coming up with solutions is a cul de sac that doesn’t the country anywhere. Continue reading...