Australia politics live: Liberals joke they need ‘divine intervention’ as parliament returns; Labor announces discount loans for EVs

From 3h agoLiberals need ‘divine intervention’ as MPs attend church serviceJosh ButlerLiberal politicians have joked they need “divine intervention” at a church service before parliament resumes today.Federal parliamentarians are attending the ecumenical service, before sitting begins later. Media doorstopped most of the MPs on their way in, with reporters asking what they were praying for, whether they needed “forgiveness”, and whether they prayed for a Coalition reunion.Liberal MP and shadow minister Scott Buchholz, pointing at the church, joked: “that’s where we need divine intervention”.Other Coalition MPs laughed and shrugged off similar questions when asked. Nationals MP Anne Webster, asked if she’d pray for the Coalition reuniting, said “absolutely”.Liberal MP and shadow minister Andrew Wallace, asked about leadership issues, said: “Sussan Ley has the support of the party room, and she absolutely has my support.”Journalists also fired questions at Ley on her way in but she replied “can’t be late for church”.We’ll expect to hear from Ley and Anthony Albanese on their way out of the church later.The shadow treasurer, Ted O’Brien, and the opposition leader, Sussan Ley, at St Paul’s Anglican Church in Canberra. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAPKey events53m agoVictorian government to announce plan to allow GPs to diagnose ADHD and prescribe medication1h agoAustralia’s Stem sector ‘under unsustainable strain’, peak body warns2h agoLidia Thorpe to move motion condemning alleged Invasion Day bombing attempt2h agoLittleproud says Nationals will be ‘adults’ as they consider possible return to coalition2h agoLabor announces cheaper loans for electric vehicles3h agoLiberals need ‘divine intervention’ as MPs attend church service3h agoLiberals to get fewer questions in question time after split with Nationals3h agoLey expected to avoid snap challenge at Tuesday meeting3h agoGood morningShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this featureThe government has released the ‘Thriving Kids’ Advisory Group report, which has proposed a model of care for the program, which will aim to move children with low to moderate support needs across from the ballooning NDIS.After agreement at national cabinet, the government has promised to commit $2bn with the states and territories to also commit $2bn. The program will be aimed at children under the age of nine with developmental delay and/or autism, with low to moderate support needs.The advisory group’s proposed model will have key principles which will aim to identify children with developmental delay as early as possible, connect children and families with supports, offer evidence based supports that are child and family centred, deliver supports across ‘everyday settings’, ensure supports are empowering and acknowledge that children’s needs can change over time.The health minister, Mark Butler, is speaking to reporters in Parliament: The thing people have complained most about the operation of the NDIS for this cohort is the time it takes to get a diagnosis, the need for a formal diagnosis, which can take years to access, and cost thousands of dollars before parents are given any support for their children. This will be easy to access. It won’t require a formal diagnosis and those supports importantly, will be child and family centred, they will be available where children and their parents live and learn, and play. Butler says the commonwealth will negotiate bilateral agreements with the states and territories and will aim to see the money flow to them from 20 February.Benita KolovosImmunotherapy is a “wild ride” says retiring Greens MPVictorian Greens MP, Tim Read, who last week has announced will retire from politics at the November election after being diagnosed with metastatic cancer, has told reporters his immunotherapy is a “wild ride”.He says: I’m actually feeling much better. Immunotherapy is a wild ride. It seems to be working ... I’ve got widespread cancer but I’ve got about half what I had. So I’m actually feeling increasingly hopeful. I will be missing lots of parliament for appointments and things like that but I’m really optimistic and hoping that I’ll get to the end of the year. Read ended his doorstop by telling reports “I’m not dead yet”.His seat of Brunswick is a safe Greens street - held on a 13.5% margin over Labor.Josh ButlerDavid Littleproud says there will be ‘no unilateral decisions’ on CoalitionGoing back to the church service this morning, the Nationals leader, David Littleproud, was giving little away on negotiations to reunite the Coalition.He remained coy on talks with Sussan Ley, saying there would be “no unilateral decisions”, and he’d keep talking to his team, but was standing by the Nationals’ original decision to vote against the hate speech laws which led to the Coalition splitting.“We couldn’t stand by and be sacked for voting against hate speech laws that would take away freedom of speech for Australians,” he said. The National party did what they believed was the right thing to do. Asked if the Coalition would be back together this week, Littleproud said he would not “pre-empt” discussions with Ley but said talks had been “constructive” already.David Littleproud arrives for the parliamentary church service. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAPWe’ve heard the church bells this morning, but we’re still waiting for those chamber bells to ring – which will happen at midday today.The late start is normal for a Tuesday and allows all the party rooms to meet to give each other a gee up and discuss what party positions they’ll be taking over the week (which they’re doing right now).But in the meantime, we have some more pictures from the ecumenical service in Canberra this morning.Anthony Albanese speaks to the children’s choir after the parliament ecumenical service at St Paul’s Anglican church in Canberra. Photograph: Hilary Wardhaugh/Getty ImagesSussan Ley with Andrew Wallace (middle), Ted O’Brien (left) and Scott Buccholz (right) with the children’s choir after the ecumenical service. Photograph: Hilary Wardhaugh/Getty ImagesBenita KolovosVictorian premier accuses Jess Wilson of standing ‘with One Nation and Barnaby Joyce’The premier, Jacinta Allan, has responded to the opposition leader, Jess Wilson, pulling out of an event headlined by One Nation recruit Barnaby Joyce.As we reported yesterday, Wilson’s office confirmed she would no longer be speaking at the Across Victoria Alliance conference in Horsham on 9 February due to an “unavoidable scheduling conflict”.Wilson had been under pressure from Allan to withdraw from the event after Joyce’s appearance was announced in January, weeks after he defected from the Nationals to join One Nation. His speech on Sunday will push back against the state government’s removal of third-party objection rights for renewable energy projects and expanded powers for VicGrid to access private land without consent.Allan says: The Liberal leader has made it clear that it’s a scheduling conflict. Clearly, she still wants to go to the misinformation convention, if time allowed her to. This is the instinct of the Liberal leader and the Liberal party – not look at what needs to be done to get more renewable energy on board. First instinct is to rush to the extremes, to stand with One Nation and Barnaby Joyce at this misinformation convention, it tells Victorians everything you need to know about this Liberal leader and this Liberal outfit. You cannot take them seriously and they’re being pushed further and further to the extremes. Victorian government to announce plan to allow GPs to diagnose ADHD and prescribe medicationBenita KolovosAs we flagged earlier this morning, the Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, is holding a press conference at parliament this morning to announce a plan to allow GPs to diagnose and prescribe medication for ADHD.She says the announcement forms part of her determination to find “new ways to support families”.It follows a speech to Labor MPs yesterday, in which Allan tested out a new pre-election slogan around “new solutions” to the pressures of modern family life.The premier told reporters this morning: This will save families time and money – and, in today’s world, time and money is precious for families, particularly when the cost-of-living pressures that are really real. We’re always looking at ways to support families. She is joined by Aadhil Aziz, the co-deputy chair of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, who welcomes the move. As does Simon Stafrace from the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists: We know that there is such a thing as over-diagnosis, there are risks associated with medication, but we also believe that’s not a reason to withhold services and so we have to find the right balance. That’s what we’re trying to do here. This is a correction that needs to take place and we believe that in working together and collaborating, both at the training level but also at the service delivery level, ensuring patients get access to specialist care when they need it. Jacinta Allan. Photograph: Con Chronis/AAPReunification the ‘objective’ of talks between Liberals and Nationals: WilsonLiberal MP Tim Wilson says the objective of talks between the two ex-Coalition parties is to reunite because they and the Australian public want “to make sure that we are fighting for them, not each other”.Wilson tells Sky News the two parties should be focused on inflation and bringing government debt down. Does he want that focus to be “under the umbrella of a Coalition” asks host Peter Stefanovic? Wilson says: Well, I’m going to be doing it regardless of whether a Liberal party or part of a Coalition. It’s not a ringing endorsement for a reunification of the Coalition. Wilson earlier told RN Breakfast that, if there was to be a reformed Coalition, the Nationals would have to obey shadow cabinet solidarity.Australia’s Stem sector ‘under unsustainable strain’, peak body warnsDonna LuAustralia’s Stem sector is facing a severe funding crisis and is “under unsustainable strain”, a peak body has warned the federal government in a pre-budget submission. It comes amid new survey data suggesting one in three scientists are planning to leave the sector entirely.New analysis conducted by Science and Technology Australia, which represents more than 235,000 scientists and technologists, and Professionals Australia, has found that 47% of Stem professionals are considering leaving their current roles, amid workforce instability and low grant funding success rates.STA’s submission says commonwealth funding for Stem research has flatlined in real terms in recent years and it calls for “immediate funding stabilisation through CPI-indexed increases to research grant programs and agencies”. The STA president, Jas Chambers, said: Stem research must stop being viewed as a cost to the public purse and instead as an investment in Australia’s future economic security and resilience. Every dollar invested in R&D returns $3-5 to the economy. Ley and Littleproud ‘agree to keep talking’As she speaks to the media outside the church, Ley is asked for the latest on the Coalition split.Like everyone else, Ley says her talk with Littleproud last night was “constructive”, but she won’t say whether she will accept the National’s demand to reinstate the three senators who crossed the floor to the frontbench. We had constructive conversations with the National party last night and I want to make the point that they were friendly. They were constructive. We agreed to keep talking because we are both parties on the non-Labor side of politics and we both have a lot in common. While the Coalition talks continue, Ley is still facing a potential leadership challenge from Angus Taylor in coming weeks. Ley says she is confident she will remain leader until the budget. Very confident of delivering a strong budget in reply speech in May. Lots of work between now and May, because we have a big agenda to prosecute. PM and Ley trade criticisms after church serviceWell that didn’t last long … almost as soon as the pollies left church, the politicking has quickly begun.As the PM left, he described the service as “beautiful” and said a real highlight was the “absolutely delightful” junior choir. Whenever I’m with young people, where it’s from an early learning situation of childcare, or in a primary school in particular, what you see is hope for Australia. But then he quickly took a jab at the Liberals and Nationals, accusing them of continuing “to focus on each other”.Meanwhile, Sussan Ley is trying hard this morning to not do that, and is focusing her attention on the economy, blaming the government and Jim Chalmers for rising inflation. The Albanese government is a government that failed to keep Australians safe over summer and has failed on the economy because we heard from the prime minister that the interest rate rises of the past were all in the past … But that is not the case. Unfortunately, right now, Australians are struggling even more with the cost of living crisis. This is Labor’s cost of living crisis.