Australian news and politics live: Murray Watt says environment reform talks were very ‘Nature Positive’

Commonwealth Bank has signed a historic six-year partnership with Football Australia, becoming the largest backer of the country’s most played team sport in a deal worth more than $10 million a year.

The agreement, which will run through 2031, builds on CommBank’s existing support of the Matildas and extends naming rights to nearly every national team — including the Socceroos, Pararoos, Olyroos and all youth championships — in what amounts to the deepest corporate partnership in Australian football history.

CommBank chief executive Matt Comyn said the deal was a long-term commitment to a sport with growing reach and cultural resonance.

“This is about a long-term partnership with the most active team sport Australia with more than 2 million (people) playing,” he said.

Mr Comyn said the investment recognised the changing face of Australia.

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South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas is no stranger to the national spotlight, and while the popular leader says his sights are set on securing a second term for Labor in 2026 — insiders suggest Malinauskas’ talent could take him all the way to the Lodge.

The 44-year-old father of four has already proven he can take the lead on national issues.

His firm stance on the pervasive impact of social media on children’s lives put him at the heart of a fierce countrywide debate. His State’s ban on teenage access led to pressure which caused Anthony Albanese to pass laws banning social media for under-16s.

“I saw an opportunity there, because it wasn’t really being talked about much nationally, and I just got the sense that this is something that every parent across the country is really worried about,” Malinauskas told Dylan Caporn in an exlusive interview.

The “football nuffie” whose first step towards leadership was collecting Woolies trolleys has featured in an in depth conversation for The Nightly On Influence.

Environment Minister Murray Watt has just wrapped up a “productive” first meeting with a broad range of stakeholders - from climate advocates to mining heavyweights, First Nations groups and business leaders - about reforming Australia’s environment laws.

The Government tried in the last term of Parliament to get the so called “Nature Positive” laws through the Senate, but the deal struck between former minister Tanya Plibersek and the Greens was scuppered at the last minute after WA Premier Roger Cook directly intervened.

Senator Watt - who wants laws passed in the first half of this term - said he was not about to start from the beginning, but that all stakeholders were acutely aware the country’s laws were out of date and not working.

“I thought the meeting was conducted in a very healthy, respectful spirit, with people being really open to listening to different perspectives and considering that in terms of forming their own positions,” he said, noting there was broad agreement across the three pillars to the reform process.

The minister said it was unlikely everyone would be completely happy with where the legislation finally landed, but he was serious about working with all stakeholders to make the laws as good and strong as possible.

“The more agreement we can have around these laws, then the more likely they are to stand the test of time,” he said.

Australia’s unemployment rate held steady in May despite a surprise dip in the number of jobs and a marginal fall in the participation rate.

The release on Thursday of labour force figures for May by the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed 2500 jobs were lost last month but the unemployment rate is still stuck at a seasonally adjusted 4.1 per cent.

ABS head of labour statistics Sean Crick said employment was still up 2.3 per cent compared to the same time last year, which was stronger than pre-pandemic figures, leading to a 10-year average annual growth rate of 1.7 per cent

“This fall in employment, combined with a drop in unemployment of 3000 people, meant that the unemployment rate remained steady at 4.1 per cent for May,” Mr Crick said.

The unemployment rate has stuck at roughly the same level since November last year, which has been enough to give the Reserve Bank confidence to make two cuts to official interest rates so far this year as it tries to keep inflation in check while also maintaining a healthy jobs market.

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Australia has been stuck in lengthy negotiations with Turkey over which country will host the UN climate summit COP next year.

The process is usually decided by consensus rather than a vote but Turkey is refusing to drop out of the running despite Australia being confident it has majority support.

Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen said this morning it was “way beyond time that the COP comes to the southern hemisphere”.

“It’s time to come to the Pacific to put the Pacific’s issues on the world’s table, on the world’s agenda, (for the) countries whose very existence – it’s an existential matter – is up for debate,” he told ABC radio.

“We have, I don’t mind saying, the majority of the support in our group, which is the constituency which decides it, but there is a process which is meant to work on consensus and agreement between Australia and Turkey.

“I’ve spent a lot of time working on that. It’s not resolved yet, but we’ll continue to do so.”

Murray Watt told those gathered for the EPBC Act consultations that he had deliberately mixed up the seating around the large table in one of Parliament House’s committee rooms so that “we don’t have an industry corner and an environment corner” in order to better encourage people to work together.

He was flanked at the table by Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA head Rebecca Tomkinson and Australian Conservation Foundation chief executive Kelly O’Shanassy.

Other participants included Rio Tinto’s Declan Doherty, Australian Energy Producers chief executive Smaantha McCulloch, Mike Zorbas from the Property Council, Australian Forest Products Association boss Diana Hallan, Climate Council chief executive Amanda McKenzie, and Warwick Ragg for the National Farmers Federation.

Senator Watt thanked those who had travelled across the country and promised not every meeting during the consultations would be held on the east coast.

Environment Minister Murray Watt has opened talks on a revamped version of the 25-year-old environmental laws with 14 stakeholders in a meeting room in Canberra and another 15 joining from online.

The minister noted there was widespread agreement that the current laws weren’t working for business or the environment and said his early talks with people revealed goodwill about achieving change.

The laws were reviewed five years ago but Graeme Samuel’s recommendations are yet to be acted on. Senator Watt pointed out the next review was due in five years’ time, uringing everyone to work together to get the reforms in place well before then.

“Clearly, not everything has been solved. Clearly, there are still areas of disagreement that we’ll need to work through,” he said.

“But having spoken to many of you, what really strikes me is that there is also quite a lot of common ground.

“No one yet has told me they don’t support the notion of national environmental standards. No one is saying that they want approvals to take as long as they are now, or even longer.

“Of course, it’s when you get into the detail that it becomes a bit harder to solve.”

The Foriegn Minister was also asked this morning whether she would support the assassination of Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, after US President Donald Trump labelled the Supreme Leader an “easy target” that could be taken out at any time.

“I’m not going to get into commentary on that,” she told Channel 9 when asked if she would support it.

The Opposition says it is open to working with Labor on tax reforms but is warning against putting further pressure on Australians.

Shadow finance spokesman James Paterson welcomed “the government’s recognition that we have a productivity crisis” and said a planned roundtable was a good “first step”.

“But we need more than just a meeting. We need a plan of action to come out of it,” Senator Paterson told Sky News.

Mr Chalmers has flagged reform that would open opportunities for tax breaks for some but warned there would be “trade-offs” that could leave some paying more.

“I am concerned that the Treasurer is possibly preparing the ground here for higher taxes and in the middle of a productivity crisis, and particularly in the middle of a business investment crisis, which is at decade lows, the last thing the Australian economy needs right now is higher taxes,” Senator Paterson said.

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The pay gap between Australia’s top company bosses and their workers has blown out again, according to closely-watched data that also reveals the 10 best-paid ASX chief executives take home a combined $235 million.

The annual study by the Australian Council of Superannuation Investors shows average ASX 100 CEO realised pay in the 2024 financial year jumped to 55 times average adult earnings as bosses took home an increased average of $5.7 million, up 14 per cent on the year earlier.

That’s up from 50 times in 2023 but still well off the hefty multiples in the likes of the US where bosses can pocket eye-watering amounts often running into the hundreds of millions of dollars.

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