Russia cannot be rewarded for Ukraine invasion, Albanese says
Josh Butler
Anthony Albanese says Australia wants a ceasefire in Ukraine, and says Russia cannot be rewarded for its invasion, but says Donald Trump rolling out a literal red carpet for Vladimir Putin in Alaska is “a matter for the US administration”.
The prime minister was speaking in Perth a short while ago. Most of the discussion was about this week’s economic reform summit, and the prime minister’s comments were very similar to those of the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, earlier. Asked about the meeting between presidents Trump and Putin, where Trump came away talking about a lasting peace agreement rather than the immediate ceasefire European leaders have been pleading for, Albanese said: “We want to see a ceasefire.”
We want to see the sovereignty of Ukraine protected. It is a good thing that President Trump is an advocate for peace. What we want to see is that the sovereignty of Ukraine be protected and that the illegal and immoral invasion conducted by Mr Putin and Russia are not rewarded.
Asked about the red carpet that Trump and Putin walked on when arriving at the meeting, Albanese declined to comment, saying it was “a matter for President Trump and the US administration”.
Albanese continued:
It’s a good thing that people have dialogue. What we want to see is a ceasefire. What we want to see is an end to the illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine, a sovereign state, because it’s important as well for the international rule of law.
It’s also important because of the precedent that Russia’s invasion sets, of a powerful nation invading a much smaller nation and engaging in brutality, which we have seen at great cost to the Ukrainian people, but also at a great cost to Russian soldiers who’ve lost their lives as well.
Key events
What we learned, 17 August 2025
With that, we’re wrapping up the blog. Before we go, here are the major stories from today:
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Four arrests have been made after clashes between people attending a Women Will Speak rally and those who took part in a counter demonstration supporting transgender rights in the Melbourne CBD on Saturday;
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An earthquake has struck the Indonesia island of Sulawesi;
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The Sydney fish market roof will light up future events with its roof lighting system being taken for a test drive;
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Discussions are under way about when a EV user road charge may be introduced by the federal government;
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Coalition’s Tim Wilson has reiterated his party’s support for Ukraine to be involved in any decision about its future;
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Prime minister Anthony Albanese says Russia cannot be rewarded for its war of aggression in Ukraine.
We’ll pick things up again tomorrow.
Housing auction market performing strongly
Auction activity is warming up with 1,972 auctions to be held, this weekend.
That’s more than the 1,587 auctions held last week but less than the 2,065 held this time last year.
Based on results collected so far, Cotality’s summary found that the preliminary clearance rate was 75% across the country, compared with a 71.7% preliminary rate recorded last week but above the 68.7% actual rate on final numbers and the 64.8% at the same time last year.
Across the capital cities:
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Sydney: 548 of 720 auctions with a preliminary clearance rate of 75%
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Melbourne: 728 of 961 auctions with a preliminary clearance rate of 75.5%
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Brisbane: 92 0f 137 auctions with a preliminary clearance rate of 69.6%
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Adelaide: 50 of 90 auctions with a preliminary clearance rate of 78%
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Canberra: 36 of 52 auctions with a preliminary clearance rate of 80.6%
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Tasmania: One auction to be held.
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Perth: Six of eleven auctions held.
Productivity to dominate agenda as economic symposium begins
After weeks of build up, one of the biggest events on Australia’s economic calendar is about to begin as the government seeks answers to the country’s weak productivity.
On Tuesday, Treasurer Jim Chalmers will finally convene his economic reform roundtable.
Heavyweights in the field, such as former Treasury secretary Ken Henry, consumer watchdog chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb, Australian Council of Trade Unions secretary Sally McManus and Business Council of Australia chief executive Bran Blackwill meet in Canberra for three days to discuss ways to lift Australia’s living standards.
Productivity will be the primary focus but the forum will also discuss ways to build resilience and strengthen the budget. The federal government has been promoting the event for weeks as stakeholders submitted ideas to reinvigorate the economy.
Ideas from property investor tax break cuts to AI and environmental law reform have been floated but Chalmers has reined in expectations of animmediate shake-up of the economy.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, says his government is “unashamedly open” to ideas, but major changes in some areas such as tax policy have already been ruled out.
– AAP
Salmon industry investigation ordered amid disease concerns
The Tasmanian Liberal party has promised to pause salmon farm expansion and instigate an independent review of the industry as it attempts to win support from crossbench MPs and survive a no-confidence motion in the state parliament this week.
In a concession to independent MPs critical of salmon farms operating in public waterways, the premier, Jeremy Rockliff, today said he supported the industry but said it was “on notice” after a mass mortality event last summer. He said it must “operate transparently and responsibly and meet its obligations to the community”.
Rockliff said also the government would respond by introducing a marine environment act to strengthen regulation of the industry and order a study by an “off-island specialist organisation”. The industry can’t expand until that study is done, he said.
We know how important transparency is to the industry so we expect them to fully participate in the study. Our government would want to see from this study practical reforms and smarter regulations that protect our environment, but also investment certainty for industry.
For more on this story read the full report by Guardian Australia’s Adam Morton:
Islamophobia on the rise in Australia, most incidents not reported, report says
The Islamic Council of Victoria has reported an increase in Islamophobia, warning that the number of victims is likely far higher than reported.
On Saturday, the council held its first conference on Islamophobia, with politicians, police, religious leaders and academics among attending the event in Melbourne.
More than 85% of Islamophobia incidents are not reported, according to a report released to coincide with the conference.
The council received 96 individual case reports from people affected by Islamophobia since 2021, but 26 of these had come in a six month period, from January to July this year, the council said.
Most of the reports related to verbal abuse or mockery, followed by workplace discrimination.
For more on this story, read the full report by Guardian Australia’s Nino Bucci:
Man, child seriously hurt after being hit by a car in Logan, Queensland
A man and a child are in a life-threatening condition after being hit by a car in Logan, Queensland this morning.
Police are investigating after the car struck two pedestrians just after 11am.
Multiple paramedic crews attended the scene, with a man in his 30s and a primary school-age boy rushed to hospital.
The Forensic Crash Unit is investigating.
Queensland Police and the Queensland ambulance service could not provide any more information at this time.
‘Mini hearts’ to save cancer survivors from heart disease
Lab-grown “mini hearts” are being used to test new drugs researchers hope will protect breast cancer patients from heart failure.
A team of scientists at the Heart Research Institute are using lab-grown “mini hearts” – the size of a grain of sand created from patient blood samples – to test drugs that could one day be given with chemotherapy.
“We currently have limited knowledge on why cardiotoxicity occurs and which women will be most impacted,” lead researcher Prof Julie McMullen said.
This research has the opportunity to identify women at risk of cardiotoxicity before symptoms are present, so we can develop drugs to protect the heart during and after cancer treatment.
While the research project is still in the pre-clinical stage, its potential is significant.
The microscopic 3D “mini heart” models mimic aspects of how the human heart functions.
The next step in the project will be to use breast cancer patient blood samples to generate personalised mini hearts.
– AAP
Russia cannot be rewarded for Ukraine invasion, Albanese says
Josh Butler
Anthony Albanese says Australia wants a ceasefire in Ukraine, and says Russia cannot be rewarded for its invasion, but says Donald Trump rolling out a literal red carpet for Vladimir Putin in Alaska is “a matter for the US administration”.
The prime minister was speaking in Perth a short while ago. Most of the discussion was about this week’s economic reform summit, and the prime minister’s comments were very similar to those of the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, earlier. Asked about the meeting between presidents Trump and Putin, where Trump came away talking about a lasting peace agreement rather than the immediate ceasefire European leaders have been pleading for, Albanese said: “We want to see a ceasefire.”
We want to see the sovereignty of Ukraine protected. It is a good thing that President Trump is an advocate for peace. What we want to see is that the sovereignty of Ukraine be protected and that the illegal and immoral invasion conducted by Mr Putin and Russia are not rewarded.
Asked about the red carpet that Trump and Putin walked on when arriving at the meeting, Albanese declined to comment, saying it was “a matter for President Trump and the US administration”.
Albanese continued:
It’s a good thing that people have dialogue. What we want to see is a ceasefire. What we want to see is an end to the illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine, a sovereign state, because it’s important as well for the international rule of law.
It’s also important because of the precedent that Russia’s invasion sets, of a powerful nation invading a much smaller nation and engaging in brutality, which we have seen at great cost to the Ukrainian people, but also at a great cost to Russian soldiers who’ve lost their lives as well.
‘Dump it, or we’ll dump you’: secretive consultancy group sends Liberal MPs barrage of emails over net zero policy
Liberal MPs have been sent a barrage of emails demanding they drop net zero targets or “risk losing our support” by a group connected to conservative rightwing lobby group Advance.
The mass emails, seen by Guardian Australia, have been sent to multiple Liberals by Whitestone Strategic, a secretive political consultancy group and come as the Coalition reviews its energy policy.
Coalition MPs began receiving the emails – which one described as looking like they were sent by AI bots – on Monday night. Some MPs received more than 100 within 48 hours from the same address.
One of the emails reads:
A message to the Liberal Party and Nationals: Net Zero is causing irreversible damage to our nation. Our economic health is declining … immediate action is required. Dump Net Zero policies now, or we will stop supporting your agenda.
Another reads: “Net Zero is a dangerous joke. It’s time to dump it, or we’ll dump you.”
For more on this story, read the full report by Guardian Australia’s Krishani Dhanji and Josh Butler
Ben Smee
Support groups call for adequate housing instead of ‘punitive’ measures against rough sleepers
Community groups say Queensland councils must end “punitive policies” about rough sleeping after a court made a temporary order stopping the eviction of 11 homeless people from a Moreton Bay park.
Guardian Australia reported that the supreme court issued an injunction on Friday preventing the Moreton Bay city council from demolishing a homeless camp in Goodfellows Road, a park in the suburb of Kallangur.
The council changed its local laws to ban homelessness in February. In April, it started evicting residents of several homeless shelters, using police, council rangers, a bulldozer and an excavator to enforce the law.
The injunction will prevent the removal of anyone from Goodfellows Road as a court challenge against the council’s homelessness policies proceeds.
Northwest Community Group and Nourish Street, both groups who provide support to homeless people, said they welcomed the decision and said it confirmed that punitive policies were “unlawful, unsafe and unsustainable”.
“This ruling shows that people’s basic human rights come first,” said Northwest Community Group president Paul Slater.
For too long, councils have been destroying homes and belongings instead of working with community to find real solutions.
In the last two and a half years, I have personally put up more than 1,000 tents for people who had nowhere else to go. We don’t want to see people living in temporary shelters either – but until there is adequate housing and support, we refuse to let people be forced into the gutter.
Josh Butler
Chalmers says economic roundtable already focusing minds on productivity
Treasurer Jim Chalmers is already claiming success from the economic roundtable, which hasn’t even been held yet, saying all the discussion and debate in the lead-up to the three-day event was an outcome in itself.
It comes as the government faces questions and criticism about what will actually come from the much-vaunted reform summit, and whether outcomes have already been pre-ordained.
In a press conference today, Chalmers hit back at critics, claiming naysayers were “really arguing for us to involve people less, which is not how this government rolls”.
From the prime minister down, this government is about working through issues in a considered and a consultative way, a methodical way, and that’s what the economic reform roundtable is all about.
Chalmers said he was “confident” that progress would come from the meeting.
I’m confident that the effort put into this … is already worth it. We’ve focused the country on the productivity challenge. We’ve gotten people accustomed to dealing with the economic and fiscal trade‑offs that governments deal with every day.
We’ve made progress with the regulators already, hundreds of ideas from the regulators when it comes to better regulation, cutting red tape, getting our economy moving more efficiently and effectively, cutting approval times. And these will be key considerations in the coming week as well.
Queensland premier’s fresh comments on chief health officer decision leave much unanswered
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has refused to discuss his decision to veto the appointment of a new chief health officer despite a merit-based process having settled on the candidate.
Dr Krispin Hajkowicz had been chosen through a merit-based process run by an external recruitment agency to take over the role.
The Brisbane Times reports Crisafulli spoke in Townsville on Saturday where he publicly commented on the decision but refused to answer a question about whether he had spoken to Hajkowicz personally.
Dr Hajkowicz was previously nominated for the position in 2021 by the former Labor government but chose not to take the job days before the official start date for personal reasons.