Key events
Natasha May
Australia has not received any explicit assurance from president-elect Donald Trump that Australia will not suffer any adverse tariff actions ahead of the inauguration, but Albanese is “confident” the two countries can work through economic issues.
Albanese:
I had a very constructive discussion with the incoming President when I wished him well on his election. I made the point to President Trump that the United States has enjoyed a trade surplus with Australia since the Truman presidency.
It’s been there for a long time, and the United States is, of course, a major investor here in Australia, and the relationship between our two economies is so important. So I’m very confident that we will work these issues through because they’re in the interests of both Australia and the United States.
Laura Tingle:
But no explicit assurance at this stage. By the sounds of things?
Albanese:
Well, to be fair, he hasn’t been through the inauguration yet, but very clearly it was a positive discussion that we had. He said that we will have a perfect relationship, and I expect that the relationship between Australia and the United States will remain strong.
Albanese welcomes hostage release
Natasha May
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has welcomed the release of Israeli hostages, and wants to see more aid into Gaza “as quickly as possible”.
Speaking to ABC’s 7.30 program Monday evening, Albanese said “this is a fragile situation, but it is a step forward.”
The government continue to be concerned about the escalation of anti semitism here in Australia, he said, especially the serious attacks of the fire that was deliberately lit at the Adass synagogue in Melbourne and the attempted fire at the synagogue in Newtown.
Asked why a national cabinet meeting about the rise in anti-Semitism, Albanese said:
“The important discussions that are taking place, the ones between the security and police agencies every day, and we’re also speaking with the premiers and chief ministers right around the country. We had a coordinated report through with the New South Wales acting Premier and the Victorian Premier, along with the AFP Commissioner, because that is where the events, these incidents of violence and of criminal activity, have been concentrated.”
Asked about Peter Dutton proposal for tougher anti terror laws in response, including mandatory jail time of six years for anyone who attacks a place of worship, Albanese said had the potential to be counterproductive.
Welcome
Martin Farrer
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it’ll be Emily Wind with the main action.
Rupert Murdoch was among the parade of tech billionaires and influential businessmen in Washington DC to mark the inauguration of Donald Trump. The media tycoon was spotted at a church service on the morning of the event – as well as Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Apple’s Tim Cook, Google’s Sundar Pichai and Fifa’s Gianni Infantino – and in the select audience at the inauguration itself.
Hours before Trump was sworn in, Anthony Albanese told 7.30 that he had not received any explicit assurance from his camp that Australia will not suffer any adverse tariff actions. But Albanese said he was “confident” the two countries can work through economic issues. More coming up.
Australians are feeling more optimistic in 2025 about the fortunes of the economy and their families, our latest Essential poll shows, delivering Anthony Albanese a welcome boost. The prime minister’s approval was strongest among young voters, with 54% of those aged 18-34 giving the prime minister a positive rating, compared to only 36% of those over 55.
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