16 News

The Victorian Greens stand with the Muslim community in Kilmore after a local church that was being converted into a mosque was set alight on Tuesday. The fire is being treated as suspicious and is currently under investigation by Victoria Police. 

The day before an Iraqi owned business in Kilmore was the victim of an arson attack. 

Victorian Greens Multicultural and Anti-Racism spokesperson, Anasina Gray-Barberio met with community leaders after the fire and said leaders were shaken and fearful for their community’s safety. 

 Despite this string of attacks, community leaders have not heard from the government’s Anti-Hate Taskforce and say the government should be doing more to ensure their community is safe. 

These two fires are just the latest in a number of anti-muslim attacks including the storming of an Iftar event in Ballarat, and hateful vandalism on the Virgin Mary Mosque late last year. 

Victorian Greens Multicultural and Anti-Racism spokesperson, Anasina Gray-Barberio:

“Enough is enough, what more does this community have to endure before Jacinta Allan’s Labor government take the rise of anti-muslim hate seriously. The Muslim community is rightly terrified and hurting right now.”

“What’s the point of the government’s Anti-Hate taskforce, when they don’t even show when it couldn’t be clearer that the Muslim community is being targeted.” 

Yesterday, documents released by the ACT Government exposed the true cost of Canberra’s historic housing debt, and it’s staggering. Since the year 2000, nearly $202 million in interest payments have been paid on the loan.

Leader of the ACT Greens and Greens Spokesperson for Housing, Shane Rattenbury, said the figures lay bare a system that is actively holding back progress on public housing, and the Federal Government is enabling it.

“This isn’t just bad debt, it’s a complete failure of priorities. The territory has effectively paid back almost the entire original debt in interest alone, without that money building a single new home for people who need it.

“At a time when we are in a worsening housing crisis, governments should be working together to build more public housing. This historic debt is stymieing that progress.

“While the Federal Government is giving more money to public housing with one hand, they are taking it back with the other via this debt mechanism.

“Let’s be clear: this isn’t a loan from a bank like Commonwealth Bank or ANZ. This is the Federal Government charging the ACT for historic investment in housing, and it’s a drop in the ocean compared to the scale of the federal budget.

“Every dollar spent servicing this debt is a dollar that could have gone into building homes, reducing waiting lists, and supporting people doing it tough.

“Instead, it’s disappearing into a financial black hole while thousands of Canberrans are locked out of secure housing.

“The Federal Government needs to wipe this debt and stop pretending this is a normal arrangement. If we are serious about tackling the housing crisis, we cannot keep punishing the very governments tasked with the job of fixing it

Australia and the European Union are strengthening cooperation through a new Security and Defence Partnership.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen announced the Australia‑European Union Security and Defence Partnership in Canberra today which, together with the Australia-EU Free Trade Agreement, is a key aspect of our growing strategic relationship.

The partnership was signed by Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and the European Union High Representative and Vice President Kaja Kallas.

The wide-ranging partnership will boost cooperation across defence industry, cyber, economic security, counter-terrorism, combatting all forms of hatred, and countering hybrid threats.

Under the partnership, Australia and the European Union will: 

• Increase information sharing to counter global threats; 
• Build the capacity to manage, and the resilience to withstand, complex security threats in our respective regions; 
• Deepen cooperation to combat online radicalisation and terrorism financing; and
• Establish a new space security dialogue. 

Building on our already strong defence industry ties, the partnership will also create new defence procurement opportunities for Australian and European businesses. 

The Security and Defence Partnership is now in effect.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

“I am pleased to announce the new Australia–European Union Security and Defence Partnership.

“This partnership is a clear demonstration of how Australia and the European Union are working together to tackle global challenges.

“Our new partnership reflects that despite being geographically separated, we are likeminded in our shared commitment to supporting global peace and security.”

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles

“The Australia–European Union Security and Defence Partnership is a significant milestone which sets up the framework for cooperation with European partners.

“For Australian businesses at the forefront of defence technology and innovation, this partnership will deepen our relationships and lay the groundwork for new opportunities that will further support Australia’s industry and workforce.”

Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong

“In these uncertain times, Australia is pursuing new alignments and maximising how we work with others, to better promote and protect our national interests. 

“The new Australia–European Union Security and Defence Partnership reflects our commitment to work with partners such as the European Union and to make Australia more secure in a less predictable world.”

Today’s latest Gas Statement of Opportunity Outlook from the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) paints a sobering picture about the urgent need to invest in gas in the country, while the Middle East conflict continues to put pressure on global energy supply.

The Outlook notes the critical and ongoing role for gas generation and specifically mentions “…gas production from legacy fields in southern states are forecast to decline by 46% over the next five years. This will require new investments to address emerging supply gaps from 2030 under most weather conditions.”

But despite the urgency noted by the regulator in progressing significant projects, it is unclear what Labor is doing to develop new gas – particularly in the southern states like Victoria – where the problem is increasingly acute.

Under the Albanese Government, there’s been no planning for new pipeline gas infrastructure, essential storage, or faster approvals processes for existing exploration projects to get them off the ground quicker for Australian families and businesses.

Shadow Resources Minister Susan McDonald urged the need to drill baby, drill to drive more energy security at the national level – while boosting jobs and economic growth.

“Labor has had years to increase supply and bolster domestic infrastructure but there remains a looming shortfall, when we have an abundance of gas in Australia.”

“Even AEMO’s advice notes the looming gas shortfall would be sooner if not for the extension of existing coal generation, underscoring how important both new gas supply and existing reliable generation is to Australia.”

“Australia needs policies that signal confidence to investors, and we don’t see that under Labor – instead businesses look to places like Alaska because of attractive policy settings.”

“In the last four years, the Labor government have delayed and deferred release of offshore acreage, and conditions have been slapped on what has been released – such as no seismic.”

Since 2022, Labor has released only one new acreage for gas exploration in December 2025, despite both AEMO and the ACCC warning of gas shortfalls for the duration that Labor has been in government.

When the Coalition was in government, we released new gas acreage on an annual basis, because we understand the criticality of gas to Australia’s energy security.

Labor’s only solution is looking at import terminals – a catastrophic idea that would make Australia even more dependent on international supply chains.

Shadow Energy Minister Dan Tehan said the Outlook shockingly suggested if gas runs out, Australia would be required to rely on fuels, ‘in extreme gas shortfall conditions, prudent use of secondary fuels to operate gas power generation… may reduce peak day gas shortfall risks without increasing risks to electricity reliability.’

“The AEMO report pushes out the east coast gas shortfall by 12 months because of the decisions of the New South Wales and Queensland governments to extend coal generated electricity in their states.”

“New investment in supply and infrastructure must be locked in before the projected gas shortfall or the eastern states risk an earlier supply gap.

“The Middle East conflict tells us we need energy sovereignty and less reliance on global supply chains and we’re already seeing what fuel dependence looks like as petrol stations run dry across the country.

“Instead of progress on critical gas infrastructure, under Labor Australian businesses and investors have seen the introduction of changes and uncertainty around consultation standards under the EPBC legislation.”

The Coalition is calling on the Albanese Government to immediately halve the fuel tax for three months to provide urgent cost of living relief to Australian households and small businesses facing a deepening national fuel crisis.

This is a practical, immediate step the Government can take today to ease pressure on families already stretched by the Government’s cost of living crisis who are now being hit by surging fuel prices.

The tax cut would reduce fuel prices by around 25 cents per litre for three months.

A corresponding reduction in the Heavy Vehicle Road User Charge should also be provided.

Leader of the Opposition Angus Taylor said Australians were being hit by a perfect storm of Labor’s home-grown inflation crisis and escalating global fuel pressures driven by conflict in the Middle East.

“Inflation has already beaten this Government, and now a national fuel crisis is making it worse,” Mr Taylor said.

“Anthony Albanese is asleep at the wheel.  He needs to stop watching and start acting.  Australians are hurting.

“Families across the country are seeing their standard of living collapse, yet Labor does nothing.

“Right now, what we need is an immediate tax cut at the bowser and a government that gets fuel to where it is needed.”

Leader of the Nationals Matt Canavan said the situation on the ground showed a clear failure of government.

“The budgets of Australian families were already stretched before the Iran conflict. Now thanks to Labor’s war on fossil fuels Australians are at breaking point,” Senator Canavan said.

“Our proposal to halve the fuel excise is an affordable response to provide Australian families with some ‘breathing space’.

“Around 500 petrol stations are dry or without at least one type of fuel.

“The Government says there is enough fuel in the system, but if that is true, then this is a failure to get fuel where it is needed.”

Despite the Government likely being gifted windfall gains in the budget because of the crisis in the Middle East, the Coalition is also putting forward sensible options to fund this relief, ensuring it is delivered without adding to inflationary pressure.

This relief can and should be offset through sensible reprioritisation, including:

• Ending the Electric Car Discount. 
• Reversing the Government’s green hydrogen subsidies and tax credits.
• Pausing and strengthening integrity controls around the Home Battery Scheme. 

These measures will fully fund the approximate $1.5 billion temporary tax cut for Australian motorists while also easing the broader demand pressures that are driving inflation.

The Coalition is ready to work constructively with the Government to deliver targeted, fully funded relief – driven by sensible savings, not new higher taxes.

This will ensure Australians aren’t forced to pay the price of a global fuel shock on top of a cost-of-living crisis caused by record government spending.