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1 week ago | 
skynews.com.au | Andrew Clennell |Oscar Godsell
Sky News Sunday Agenda understands Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will not bow to US pressure to raise Australia’s defence spending to three per cent of GDP. The move comes despite renewed calls from Washington and an upcoming high stakes meeting with US President Donald Trump. Instead, sources have said that Mr Albanese will stick with Labor’s existing policy of increasing defence funding to 2.33 per cent of GDP by 2033.
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1 week ago | 
skynews.com.au | Andrew Clennell |Oscar Godsell
The Albanese government will not support the Greens’ proposal to insert a climate trigger into national environment laws, according to sources. The position has come into focus following Environment Minister Murray Watt’s decision to approve Woodside’s North West Shelf gas project extension until 2070. Mr Watt confirmed the approval on Wednesday, allowing one of the country’s largest LNG operations to continue well beyond the government’s goal of net zero emissions by 2050.
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1 week ago | 
skynews.com.au | Andrew Clennell |Oscar Godsell
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has finalised her new shadow cabinet, delivering a frontbench reshuffle following internal tensions in the Coalition joint party room. Sky News understands deputy leader Ted O’Brien has been confirmed as shadow treasurer, replacing Angus Taylor in the high-profile economic portfolio. Mr Taylor, who lost the leadership ballot to Ms Ley by four votes, has been appointed shadow defence minister.
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1 week ago | 
skynews.com.au | Andrew Clennell |Oscar Godsell
Liberal Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price was offered the chance to contest a lower house seat by the Liberal Party during the last parliamentary term, Sky News has revealed. The revelation has shed new light on her recent defection from the Nationals and the internal turmoil it sparked within the Coalition. Former opposition leader Peter Dutton discussed with her around 18 months ago running for either the seat of Lingiari or Solomon.
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2 weeks ago | 
skynews.com.au | Andrew Clennell |Oscar Godsell
The Liberal Party has formally endorsed a suite of policy concessions demanded by the Nationals in a dramatic attempt to repair the fractured Coalition. Sky News has obtained the document, presented to and agreed to “in principle” by Opposition Leader Sussan Ley and the Liberal Party. These include lifting the nuclear energy moratorium, supermarkets divestiture powers, universal service obligations for regional telecommunications, and a $20 billion regional future fund.
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2 weeks ago | 
skynews.com.au | Andrew Clennell |Oscar Godsell
Senior Liberal Party senators have raised internal alarms over the influence the National Party wielded in shaping key Coalition policy without going through the shadow cabinet. The revelations come as details have emerged from a policy agreement that secured the Nationals’ return to the conservative fold. These include lifting the moratorium on nuclear energy, introducing supermarket divestiture powers, and establishing a $20 billion regional future fund.
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2 weeks ago | 
skynews.com.au | Andrew Clennell |Oscar Godsell
The Albanese government is not expected to announce Australia’s 2035 climate target until closer to September, Sky News can reveal. The new climate target could be put as high as a 75 per cent emissions reduction by 2035 from 2005 levels as internal deliberations and departmental advice continue. Sources have told Sky News that a 65 per cent cut is currently more likely, in line with the 65-75 range floated by the Climate Change Authority in a public consultation paper.
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2 weeks ago | 
skynews.com.au | Trudy McIntosh |Oscar Godsell
Sky News has confirmed Opposition Leader Sussan Ley and Nationals leader David Littleproud have held last minute talks in Canberra as part of an effort to reunite the Coalition. Ms Ley has also been speaking with Nationals MPs including Barnaby Joyce, Michael McCormack, and Darren Chester—who opposed the Coalition split. The developments come after Nationals deputy leader Kevin Hogan revealed to Sky News that the decision to end the Coalition agreement was not unanimous.
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2 weeks ago | 
skynews.com.au | Andrew Clennell |Oscar Godsell
Ted O’Brien, Angus Taylor and Tim Wilson have emerged as frontrunners for the position of shadow treasurer as Opposition Leader Sussan Ley prepares to announces her shadow cabinet. It comes after the National Party quit the Coalition, leaving the Liberals with additional frontbench positions to offer as the former junior party will move to the backbench. Sky News understands that deputy Liberal leader Ted O’Brien will be offered the shadow treasurer position.
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2 weeks ago | 
skynews.com.au | Oscar Godsell |Andrew Clennell
The Albanese government has declared its controversial superannuation tax is a matter of “fairness”, despite some state politicians being exempted from the policy. Sky News Sunday Agenda revealed that former state premiers and state parliamentarians on the old pension scheme will be exempt from the 30 per cent tax. Labor MPs have since told Sky News they have been receiving emails from constituents about the perceived unfairness in the tax.
