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The White House has nominated David Brat, a former Republican member of the US House of Representatives, to be the next ambassador to Australia.

Brat represented Virginia in Congress and served two terms before he was defeated by a Democrat in 2018 in a close race. He is currently a vice-president of business relations at Virginia’s Liberty University.

It wouldn’t fund the entire amount of that extra storage, but it would help make a contribution …

Obviously, this comes at a cost … But given what we’re facing right now, we think it’s a reasonable insurance premium to improve the security of all Australians.

It was sensible to do a few years ago to get to 30 days. It’s helping us now. Given the high risks, it’s even more sensible to go to 60 days.

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Firefighters say two missing in Blue Mountains house fire are children

Back to that house fire in the Blue Mountains we reported earlier:

Firefighters are moving into the home with hose lines to gain access to the areas where they can search for the unaccounted for people.

When I thought about it a bit more as the … day rolled on, I couldn’t help but feel a bit angry about it as well, which I think is a human response to a tragic set of circumstances.

I don’t want to exaggerate it, but nor do I want to dismiss it. I think there was a couple of people that partook in the activity. And the reason for the anger is it’s just so self-indulgent.

Any act of self-indulgence or any attempts to commandeer Anzac Day away from the cause that it actually represents, I think should be responded to with a full-hearted response by leaders around the country just about how outrageous it is.

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The health and NDIS minister, Mark Butler, says Queensland will be “answerable to their community” if they don’t sign on to NDIS reforms, with billions of dollars of hospital funding on the line.

Every state and territory except for the sunshine state has signed a bilateral agreement with the government for the Thriving Kids program, which is designed to take children under nine with developmental delays or low to moderate autism off the NDIS.

Now every state and territory has signed a bilateral agreement with us that details the broad details of the Thriving Kids program … The only state that hasn’t signed yet is Queensland.

I tried to make clear again last week that is part of the deal that sees them get additional hospital funding and, frankly, they are answerable to their community if they don’t put the additional supports.

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Allegra Spender says 25% gas export tax would help fix ‘faulty’ system

Independent MP Allegra Spender said a 25% tax on gas exports would help rectify what she sees as “faulty” taxation arrangements that have seen an Australian resource sent overseas with minimal benefit to the country.

The gas industry is a very profitable industry and pays income tax. And every company in Australia, frankly, should pay income tax on its profits and should pay the proper rate. But the gas companies are different because they also sell an Australian resource which they extract, which we can’t get back once it is sold.

I think Australians rightly believe they should share more of that revenue.

We’re back here again and they should fix it.

We are lucky to be an energy exporter at a time where the world needs energy. We are a great partner in this. But it is a reasonable thing for Australians to get a fair return on that. And, at the moment, we just aren’t.

We can’t and I think we need to be really honest about that. If there’s going to be changes to the NDIS – and I’m not a state leader who’s knocking the federal government’s right and probably responsibility to reform the NDIS, it’s cost too much money – but we have to be really frank with people.

We can’t offer at the state level the kinds of services that are being rolled out at the NDIS.

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• Australians ‘uneasy’ about NDIS cuts amid $53bn in new defence spending, Mark Butler concedes

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James Valentine’s family has released a statement after his death. Here’s what they had to say:

James passed peacefully at home surrounded by his family, who adored him.

Throughout his illness, James did it his way, which lasted all the way until the end when he made the choice to do Voluntary Assisted Dying.

Both he and his family are grateful he was given the option to go out on his own terms. He was calm, dignified as always and somehow still making us laugh.

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• Gas companies spending millions on Australian advertising blitz to fight export tax, inquiry told

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Farmers promised more fertiliser imports

Australian farmers are being promised more fertiliser imports under a deal struck between the federal government and two major companies, aimed at securing supplies in response to a global bottleneck, AAP reports.

We’ve always said through this generational reform process that we’d listen to older people and we’d respond to their experiences. … What they’ve made clear is that they want showering and dressing.

We’ve got a $40bn aged care system … and it needs to be sustainable for generations to come. And that’s what this reform process has been about. … We can’t be in a situation where we’re making a promise to the people of Australia about the dignity that they’ll receive through the aged care system if we can’t deliver on it and we can’t keep it sustainable.

Police allege educators, two men and two women, attacked boys at school between August 2024 and June 2025

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Four teachers, including the principal of a regional New South Wales school, have pleaded not guilty to assaulting two students.

NSW police allege the teachers assaulted the boys at school between August 2024 and June 2025.

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NSW commission proposes heat-safe rentals to help tackle extreme temperature

Heat-safe rentals and tougher workplace safety rules for outdoor workers on scorching hot days have been proposed by a state climate policy advisory body, AAP reports.

Head of newly formed institution questions whether naming is ‘reflective of our current reality’ amid criticism of ‘shameful’ fossil fuel company promotion

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The newly formed Adelaide University is considering removing gas company Santos’s name from one of its buildings.

On Saturday, students and conservationists rallied outside the Santos Petroleum Engineering building, calling on the university to dump the name because of the company’s new gas projects.

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Treasurer says capital gains changes and other tax reform still under consideration

Sticking with the budget, Chalmers said the government hasn’t made any decisions on capital gains tax reform.

We haven’t taken any decisions on those policies, whether the specific ones you mentioned [or others].

There’s more work to do on our options for tax reform in this budget.

The savings package won’t be exactly the same as what we would have been contemplating over the summer, but it will be a substantial savings package.

When we came to office the NDIS was out of control and it had strayed a long way from its original intended purpose.

It was growing around 22% when we got to office.

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Defence Minister Richard Marles says the success of Australia’s alliance with the United States should not be measured against a single president or federal government in Canberra, insisting the longstanding ties will endure.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticised Australia for not assisting with the war in Iran, while federal Labor, including Marles and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, say the White House has not made any specific request for assistance.

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Australia secures extra fertilizer and 100m extra litres of fuel, PM says

Albanese has also provided an update on Australia’s talks with its allies in Asia to shore up imports of fuel and other goods affected by the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The advice that we have received today is that 80% of diesel production is continuing, 80% of aviation fuel is continuing, ongoing.

It has been slowed down just slightly because of the circumstances which are there, but 60% of petrol production [is] proceeding today as well.