Australian news and politics live: Albanese told Australia is ‘broken’ in tense anti-Semitism public grilling
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has faced a thorny interaction over his actions to protect the Jewish community amid a spike in anti-Semitic attacks.
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‘Nonsense’ Payman slammed for ‘incredible’ Iran remarks
Fatima Payman has drawn strident criticism from an Australian academic who was imprisoned in Iran after the renegade senator told Iranian state-owned TV the country was an “incredible place” for women.
Kylie Moore-Gilbert, who spent two years imprisoned in Iran on espionage charges, said the senator’s comments were “nonsense”.
Senator Payman was interviewed by a reporter for Iran’s PressTV after speaking at a Sydney event focused on “the reality of Iranian people”.
The news report broadcast last week shows Senator Payman in what appears to be a partial quote describing the “incredible place that Iran is, allowing for women to participate in the workforce, to ensure that they have a voice and their voices are heard”.
She goes on to say, “They’re involved in the democratic process – realities that we’re not privy to living here and listening to the propaganda that we receive from very single-sided organisations with a specific agenda.”
‘There is no opposition health policy’
Talking up Labor’s investment in Urgent Care Clinics and bolstering public hospitals, Mr Albanese says Labor has shown it has “competency”.
“All of this is under threat if we are not successful in the election,” he said.
He went on to say this election will “be about two different views of Australia and our health system”.
The Coalition immediatley matched Labor’s $8.5 billion pledge, but Mr Albanese says Opposition Leader Peter Dutton “cannot be trusted”.
“There is no opposition health policy,” Mr Albanese said.
“They just said on Saturday, in something that was sincere as a fake tan, said that he’d match it.
“Well, it’ll fade away … and when they come into office, you can rest assured, the cuts will be back, because he needs to make cuts.”
Healthcare ‘under threat if we’re unsuccessful’: PM
Anthony Albanese is back on the quasi-campaign hustings today, in the seat of Bennelong with local Labor MP Jerome Laxale.
(Thanks to the AEC’s redistribution, the seat once held by former PM John Howard is now notionally Liberal held by 0.04 per cent.)
The Prime Minister is again spruiking Labor’s $8.5 billion Medicare package, saying investing in it is crucial to prevent the “Americanisation” of healthcare, and warning a Coalition Government would be detrimental to the country’s health system.
“We do not need an Americanisation of the health system. What we need is for Australians to be able to rely upon the fact that when they need it, they will get the care that they need – and primary healthcare through our GPs is so important,” he said.
Albanese red-faced over Red Nose funding cut
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has admitted the bureaucracy got it wrong and promised to immediately reverse a decision to cut funding from Red Nose Australia.
After media reports circulated early on Tuesday that the national charity which provide assistance to families grieving the loss of a child would have its funding cut, a wave of protest flooded talkback radio.
The PM was forced to jump on a call from Melbourne Airport with 2GB’s Ben Fordham and admit he knew nothing about the decision stating “it will not happen on my watch”.
“Red Nose is a unique charity and the funding will absolutely continue,” Mr Albanese said.
“I knew nothing about this and occasionally, frankly, the bureaucracy get it wrong and on this occasion they got it completely wrong.”
Red Nose CEO Amy Cooper thanked the PM for the assurance live on air saying “it was a big relief”.
‘Nothing was done’: PM held to account over anti-Semitism response
Anthony Albanese has faced a public grilling, fronting an at times hostile TV audience as he battles dismal polling.
Fronting the ABC’s Q+A program, the prime minister had a thorny interaction over his actions to protect the Jewish community amid a spike in anti-Semitic attacks.
A Jewish mother of four asked when she could safely identify her religion in public.
“It is frankly completely unacceptable that a young Jewish person feels like they can’t identify openly or wear their school uniform on public transport around,” Mr Albanese said.
“It’s something that I think is a source of enormous regret.”
But the audience member wasn’t satisfied with his answer, chastising him for not going harder.
“You have to understand we’re a broken community now, we are hurting - you’re our prime minister, you’re our leader, there was hate speech and nothing was done,” she said.
“We’ve suffered because nothing was done.”
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