Australia news LIVE: Heartbreak for Matildas after loss; PM strikes deal with state, territory leaders over housing target

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is the second speaker on the conference floor today and, like party president and fellow Queenslander Wayne Swan, she pays tribute to the Matildas following their heartbreaking loss and highlights Labor origins in the state at Barcaldine.

Palaszczuk, who faces voters in October next year, begins by highlighting her agenda for Queensland, including 70 per cent of the state’s energy to be renewable by 2030.

The premier also mentions cost of living assistance for households and seniors before pivoting to the Albanese government’s record.

“With the exception of three nights a year during [State of] Origin, he’s always on Queensland’s side,” Palaszczuk said.

“Our Labor government has seen all three LNP prime ministers who took every chance they could to fight us, ignore us and talk us down. But now we have a prime minister, a Labor prime minister, who understands Queensland.”

Labor’s 49th national conference, the first in Queensland for 50 years, began this morning with a speech from party president Wayne Swan.

The former federal treasurer began with a feel-good speech for the assembled comrades, listing the party’s achievements including the introduction of Medicare, minimum wages, stronger safety net and compulsory superannuation.

“We all come from the same place and ultimately, we all seek the same objective - greater progress and fairness for all the people of Australia,” Swan said.

“We are the only party that does this, who has the courage and the intellectual self-confidence to have our debates in public. The Greens political party conducts theirs in secret.”

“We’re in government again now under Anthony Albanese, following nearly a decade of Liberal mismanagement and leadership instability, so delegates, we’ve got to savour this moment.”

This is the first Labor Party conference in person since 2018, and the first held with Labor in power federally since 2011.

Earlier, as the 403 delegates filed into the Brisbane Convention Centre, about 1000 Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMMEU) members rallied outside to demand the introduction of a super profits tax to tackle the housing crisis and for action to crack down on the use of crystalline silica in artificial stone benchtops, which can cause fatal long-term lung disease.

The CFMMEU’s national secretary, Zach Smith – who is pushing for a super profits tax to expand the supply of housing – said millions of Australians “woke up this morning in mortgage and rental stress and another 150,000 people actually woke up experiencing homelessness”.

“Our union’s demand is quite clear. Introduce a super profits tax. Make the big end of town pay for social and affordable housing.”

A nearby rally about 100 people, critical of Labor over climate change, the treatment of Julian Assange and the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal, were drowned out by the show of union might.

And in Melbourne, a rowdy crowd broke through metal barricades and lit dozens of flares at Federation Square during the Matildas’ do-or-die World Cup semi-final against England.

Thousands of spectators queued to reserve their spots hours in advance yesterday, as an estimated 12,000 fans flocked to the popular World Cup viewing site.

Federation Square reached capacity an hour before the match’s 8pm kick-off in Sydney. Authorities urged crowds to instead watch the game at AAMI Park.

Victoria Police expressed disappointment in the crowd’s behaviour, singling out a large group of “mainly male youths” and saying it was a “challenging night”.

Read more about what happened in Melbourne here. 

NSW Premier Chris Minns says the government needs to consider the safety of the city’s rail network.

With NSW Police still uncertain about the motivation of the two perpetrators who brought down the rail network, Minns described their conduct as a “violent act of vandalism”.

The delays left tens of thousands of Matildas fans stranded at train stations, after the semi-final loss to England.

Two men, a 47-year-old and 33-year-old, were charged with five offences this morning after they broke into rail infrastructure near Ashfield.

“Clearly, the government has to look at security of the transport network, particularly in relation to critical infrastructure that’s dependent on the good order and management the transport system in the state,” Minns said.

“There are reasons for it, but there’s no excuse for it. We’ve got to make sure that it doesn’t happen again.”

NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen has apologised to thousands of Matildas fans who were left stranded by major train delays last night.

After two men were charged with damaging rail infrastructure that led to the delay, Haylen said the rail network was deliberately corrupted by criminal acts.

“I want to make very clear that this is not some minor act of vandalism by teenagers,” she said.

“This is a deliberate act by fully grown adults who have significantly damaged critical rail infrastructure.

“It is unbelievable that two individuals undertook this act. It really beggars belief in risks, the safety of our network, and it is not acceptable.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Defence Minister Richard Marles are seeking formal endorsement for the AUKUS deal from the Labor Party faithful, as delegates air concerns about alleged attempts to tamp down dissent on the floor of the conference.

Jostling over the landmark security pact caused tension yesterday after an internal Left faction memo indicated that delegates only – rather than proxy delegates and conference observers – would be permitted to attend Left caucus meetings, prompting concern from two party figures who challenged the party’s leadership.

The internal memo, obtained by this masthead, also included an expressionof-interest form for those who wanted to debate policies on the conference floor.

NSW Left MP Anthony D’Adam said he had never seen rules excluding proxies, such as himself, and observers at previous party conferences. The leading anti-AUKUS campaigner said it was crucial for his faction to be brave and push for ambitious policies to counter the growing threat posed by the Greens.

Keep reading about the issue here.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says while the deal struck at national cabinet to build 1.2 million homes sounds good, the homes may not get built.

Dutton spoke this morning at Penrith Community Kitchen in western Sydney about the target, which was announced yesterday.

“Increasing it to 1.2 million might sound good, and the prime minister might be talking a big game, but the prime minister never delivers,” he told reporters.

Dutton said Labor had claimed in October 2022 it wanted to build 1 million homes initially, but that target wasn’t going to be reached.

“The trouble is that figures don’t mean anything under this prime minister,” he said.

“And as we’ve seen in relation to other issues, he just doesn’t get across the detail. He makes the announcement, but there’s no delivery.”

Dutton said investors were considering whether investing in housing remained safe.