Victorian Liberals share thoughts on Battin’s future before party room meeting this morning
Henry Belot
Deputy leader of the Victorian Liberals, Sam Groth, says he’s confident Brad Battin will remain leader of the Victorian Liberals after a party room meeting this morning.
Battin is expected to face a leadership challenge after a cross-faction group of MPs informed him he no longer had their support.
Shadow treasurer Jess Wilson is expected to challenge Battin after being urged to do so by several of her colleagues.
Any full spill of positions may also impact Groth’s position as deputy leader. He made a few remarks on his way into parliament:
(Brad) will come out this remaining leader of the Liberal party and we will continue to put pressure on the Allan government.
Victorian Liberal Kim Wells says he’s confident a majority of colleagues will approve a spill of leadership positions in coming hours.
On this way into parliament this morning, Wells was critical of the party’s direction in recent months:
I think there has been a lot of unfortunate mistakes place over the last few months and that’s how we’ve got to this situation.
Wells did not specify which mistakes he was referring to.
Liberal MP Moira Deeming repeatedly but politely refused to answer questions from journalists while entering parliament.
Key events
Henry Belot
John Pesutto: ‘We need to resolve this today’
Former leader of the Victorian Liberals, John Pesutto, says the party needs to resolve the issue of its leadership this morning.
Pesutto was replaced by Brad Battin as opposition leader in late December, when his leadership of the party became untenable after losing a defamation case against upper-house colleague Moira Deeming.
If Battin is replaced as leader this morning, the state Liberal party would have had three leaders in less than a year.
Pesutto made a couple of comments on his way into Parliament:
I just want to see a collective decision today as we move to the next election. At the end of the day, this is all about the Victoria people.
These are challenging days for a leader and I think it’s important to remember that behind the leaders are families. I think the process needs to be very respectful and we will do that and we will come out with a decision.
We’ve obviously got to resolve this matter today and focus on the Victorian people.
Victorian Liberals share thoughts on Battin’s future before party room meeting this morning
Henry Belot
Deputy leader of the Victorian Liberals, Sam Groth, says he’s confident Brad Battin will remain leader of the Victorian Liberals after a party room meeting this morning.
Battin is expected to face a leadership challenge after a cross-faction group of MPs informed him he no longer had their support.
Shadow treasurer Jess Wilson is expected to challenge Battin after being urged to do so by several of her colleagues.
Any full spill of positions may also impact Groth’s position as deputy leader. He made a few remarks on his way into parliament:
(Brad) will come out this remaining leader of the Liberal party and we will continue to put pressure on the Allan government.
Victorian Liberal Kim Wells says he’s confident a majority of colleagues will approve a spill of leadership positions in coming hours.
On this way into parliament this morning, Wells was critical of the party’s direction in recent months:
I think there has been a lot of unfortunate mistakes place over the last few months and that’s how we’ve got to this situation.
Wells did not specify which mistakes he was referring to.
Liberal MP Moira Deeming repeatedly but politely refused to answer questions from journalists while entering parliament.
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Business council calls for ‘sensible amendments’ on environmental protections
The groups also want to ensure that “stop-work orders” issued by the new environment protection agency are subject to appeal, as well as an assurance that the disclosure of projected greenhouse gas emissions won’t be considered as part of the assessment process.
The alliance of industry groups include the Business Council of Australia, the Minerals Council of Australia, Property Council of Australia and National Farmers’ Federation.
The Business Council of Australia’s chief executive, Bran Black, said:
With the sensible amendments we’ve proposed, these laws can deliver strong environmental protections and greater certainty and efficiency for business that we need to get urgent projects like housing and energy happening.
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Industry groups urge Labor and Coalition to negotiate deal on nature laws
Business groups are ramping up pressure on Labor and the Coalition to negotiate a deal on new nature laws, sidelining the Greens and their push for stronger environmental protections.
A group of 26 industry groups has written to the environment minister, Murray Watt, and the shadow environment minister, Angie Bell, urging the major parties to agree to several “sensible amendments” and then pass the laws when parliament returns next week for its final sitting of 2025.
The long-awaited overhaul of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act passed the lower house earlier this month and Anthony Albanese wants them through the Senate before parliament rises on 27 November.
But the government must first land a deal with either the Coalition or the Greens – neither of whom back the laws in their current form.
In their letter to Watt and Bell, supplied to Guardian Australia, the groups request seven “essential changes” to the bill.
The list includes amending the definition of “unacceptable impact” on the environment, which the groups claim is too vague and open to interpretation.
NSW premier says $60 toll cap will be extended ‘permanently’, considering two-way tolling on Harbour Bridge to fund it
Penry Buckley
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, says a $60 toll cap for Sydney’s roads will be extended beyond its expiry date at the end of this year, and the government is considering two-way tolling on the Harbour Bridge to fund the cap permanently.
The cap, under which drivers claim up to $340 a week back from the government after spending $60 for each registered vehicle, was put in place at the start of 2024, and was due to expire on New Year’s Day, 2026.
Minns has told 2GB the government will now extend it beyond that date, and wants to continue it “permanently”.
We’re going to keep it. We can’t get rid of it. It’s a massive cost-of-living relief measure for literally hundreds of thousands of people who live in western Sydney, and without a $60 a week toll cap, they’ll be paying full market rates to use toll roads in Sydney. It’s hugely, hugely onerous for them.
Minns says the government is considering two-way tolling on state-owned tolling assets, the Harbour Bridge and tunnel and the not yet completed Western Harbour Tunnel and M6 Motorway, to fund making the cap permanent. Minns says it is costing the government about $200m a year.
The government’s negotiations with tolling goliath Transurban to unify all tolling under the NSW Motorways agency continue. The transport minister, John Graham, has previously said an update on negotiations will be given before the end of this year.
The Harbour Bridge was tolled in both directions – originally to fund its construction – until northbound tolling ended in 1970.
Pauline Hanson says Liberal dumping of net zero targets doesn’t go far enough
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson is on Radio National Breakfast this morning, where she says the Liberal party’s decision to dump its net zero targets do not go far enough.
Hanson said the opposition “should be getting out of the Paris Agreement” as well, “because you can’t have one without the other”, referencing the landmark climate deal forged at the UN Climate summit in 2015.
Hanson said:
The general public are fed up where the country is going. They say we want our country back. They want the politicians to run the country, not elitists and not the UN telling us how to run our country.
Many of her claims on net zero are groundless, including an assertion that’s growing more popular among some that a transition to net zero will cost taxpayers $9tn. That’s false. Guardian Australia’s Adam Morton has more on the reality of the targets here:
What’s the latest on the coloured sand clean-up?
25 schools in the ACT will remain closed today, as will nine Tasmanian Catholic schools amid ongoing concern over children’s play sand products that may contain asbestos.
Dozens of schools are undergoing cleaning in the NT, although none are closed as students have been moved to other classrooms or alternative learning programs. And in South Australia, more than 300 sites have contacted the Department of Education for advice or to report sand products.
Here’s more on what you need to know:
Jonathan Barrett
ACCC has found wide lack of compliance over button batteries in the past
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has previously found a widespread lack of compliance with safety standards of button batteries, which can be deadly when ingested.
When a battery is swallowed, a chemical reaction occurs that burns through tissue and seriously injures vital organs, according to the regulator.
The products that failed the Choice test include an electronic writing pad, toy watch, video game and plastic piece, all purchased from AliExpress.
Shein’s failed products include slatted glasses, lighted jelly rings, satin scrunchie, spin top and keyboard button chain.
Amazon had three items, including bath toys, bendy tubes and a keychain, while an eBay-purchased fidget spinner, gloves, toy torch, glowing mouthguard and shoes breached regulations, according to Choice.
Good morning, Nick Visser here to pick up the blog. Let’s see what the morning has in store.
Multiple children’s toys breach button safety standards
Jonathan Barrett
Seventeen out of 24 children’s toys purchased from major online retailers as part of a consumer shopping test by Choice failed Australia’s mandatory button battery standards, putting kids at risk of serious harm.
Choice said the failures included batteries that could be accessed without the use of a tool, absence of safety alerts or warnings, and removable screws.
The Choice director of campaigns, Rosie Thomas, said Australia urgently needed stronger product safety laws to make it illegal for all companies to sell unsafe products.
Time and time again we see online marketplaces failing to ensure the products they sell are safe and compliant with the relevant safety standards — this is simply not good enough.
The marketplaces profit from selling products in Australia but face no clear legal obligation to ensure they are safe.
The products were purchased from Shein, AliExpress, eBay and Amazon. Guardian Australia contacted the four companies for comment.
Choice, which has passed on its results to the consumer regulator, said Amazon and eBay removed the items in response to the findings.
AliExpress rejected the findings and Shein didn’t respond, Choice said.
Permanent battle to maintain security in Asia Pacific, says Wong
Tom McIlroy
Australia faces a permanent contest to maintain security and prosperity in the Asia Pacific, the foreign minister, Penny Wong, says.
In a speech in Canberra on Monday night, Wong named China, Russia, Iran and North Korea as countries trying to dominate and destabilise the region.
She talked up Labor’s record in securing the most comprehensive security architecture in the country’s history, but said there was an enduring shift in the power balance among our close neighbours, describing a permanent state of disruption.
What we want is a relationship that allows us to cooperate and engage with China, while prosecuting our national interests and building security and prosperity in our region.
Because we know that China will continue to be a major influence on our region, as well as on the multilateral system, which matters so much to Australia.
Wong told the Australian Institute of International Relations event that China will continue trying to reshape the region according to its own interests.
Russia, Iran and North Korea will continue to sabotage and destabilise.
With so much activity and contest, things may not go Australia’s way every time. But we will keep pressing our national interest in the contest every day.
Sussan Ley says Australian public ‘marks down’ political infighting
Caitlin Cassidy
Sussan Ley has declared she will “absolutely” lead the Liberal party to the next election while conceding the Australian public “mark us down” when descending into infighting.
Speaking on ABC’s 7.30 program on Monday evening, the opposition leader said she knew there was “speculation” as to the future of her leadership.
But she said she could “absolutely” guarantee that she would remain leader of the Liberal party after speculation that members of the faction could withdraw support for her struggling leadership in the fallout to the decision to dump a net zero emissions target.
I know there’s speculation about the commentary and opinions. You have to ask these questions. I am not going to lose focus for a single second on the thing that matters today, which is our affordable energy plan. Because … Australians deserve affordable energy …
We are here in the interests of the Australian people. I acknowledge, when it appears we’re talking about ourselves, people do mark us down. I accept that.
Victorian Liberal leader Brad Battin faces leadership challenge
Henry Belot
Victorian Liberal leader Brad Battin will face a leadership challenge this morning from shadow treasurer and first term MP Jess Wilson, less than a year before the state election.
A handful of Liberal MPs from different factions informed Battin on Monday afternoon that he no longer had the confidence of his colleagues as leader.
Multiple Liberal sources said Battin had lost support from the majority of the party room with some concerned he had become a “one trick pony” on crime.
The party has been bitterly divided by several scandals this year and those supporting Jess believe she is their best hope at unifying before an election in November 2026.
The 35-year-old is a former adviser to federal treasurer Josh Frydenberg and the daughter of former Liberal MP Ron Wilson.
She was elected at the 2022 state election to represent the affluent seat of Kew in Melbourne’s inner eastern suburbs.
Wilson is also former president of the Victorian Young Liberals and a former policy director with the Business Council of Australia.
If she succeeds in replacing Battin, as several party sources expect, she would become the first woman to lead the Victorian Liberal party and its third leader in less than a year.
Read more here:
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then Nick Visser will pick up the action.
We’re off to a busy start today with Victorian Liberal leader Brad Battin facing a leadership challenge at a party room meeting at 8.30 this morning from shadow treasurer and first term MP Jess Wilson. MPs from different factions told Battin yesterday they had lost confidence in his leadership. More coming in a moment.
Battin is not alone as a Liberal leader facing questions about leadership with federal leader Sussan Ley continuing to be obliged to answer questions about her own position. Speaking on ABC’s 7.30 last night, she said she could “absolutely” guarantee that she would lead the party at the next election. More coming up.
And Penny Wong has delivered a major speech where she describes how Australia can, and in her mind should, navigate our relationship with China. More on that, too, soon.
