Australia news live: Albanese talks fuel crisis with Chinese premier; Ben Roberts-Smith to front court

Albanese and Chinese premier discuss energy security over call

Krishani Dhanji

The prime minister has spoken to Chinese premier, Li Qiang, over the phone to discuss energy security, as the government moves to secure fuel supplies with nations across Asia.

Anthony Albanese confirmed on Tuesday he would be flying to Singapore this week to lock in fuel imports.

The PM’s office said the two leaders spoke on Tuesday and agreed to increase communication and ensure Australia and China are “both working in support of regional energy security”. China is a key exporter of jet fuel to Australia.

The government says engagement with china are “central to a mature, stable and constructive relationship”.

Key events

Good morning, Nick Visser here to take over the blog. Let’s get to it.

Canavan calls for tariff-led ‘manufacturing renaissance’

Tom McIlroy

The new Nationals leader, Matt Canavan, is speaking at the National Press Club in Canberra today. He will outline what he calls “a Patriot Agenda for an Australian Economic Revival”.

The plan involves five areas of focus, including an Australian “manufacturing renaissance”.

Canavan says that would be delivered “through the protection of key industries against unfair competition” and calls for all available tools be used, including the reintroduction of tariffs.

He says Australia’s border should be closed to “mass migration”, net zero by 2050 policies for carbon emissions scrapped, for a new national works program to be set up, construction of new cities and for a new baby boom.

“I don’t agree with Donald Trump that “tariff” is the most beautiful word in the English language, but it’s not a dirty word either,” Canavan will say.

“A tariff is just a tool – a tool we already use when we apply anti-dumping actions, albeit in an ad hoc way.

“Other countries are trying to steal our jobs and our industries. We must respond with a more permanent approach to protecting the industries that are crucial to our sovereign capability.”

Albanese and Chinese premier discuss energy security over call

Krishani Dhanji

The prime minister has spoken to Chinese premier, Li Qiang, over the phone to discuss energy security, as the government moves to secure fuel supplies with nations across Asia.

Anthony Albanese confirmed on Tuesday he would be flying to Singapore this week to lock in fuel imports.

The government says engagement with china are “central to a mature, stable and constructive relationship”.

Ben Roberts-Smith to appear in court this morning

Kelly Burke

Australia’s most decorated living soldier will appear in a Sydney local court today.

The former SAS corporal and Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith was arrested by the Australian federal police on Tuesday. He has been charged with unlawful killings during Australia’s military campaign in Afghanistan.

He was held at Silverwater correctional centre overnight and designated as a high-profile detainee, so was allotted a single cell, although he was technically not in solitary confinement.

He is expected to apply for bail at the hearing. Roberts-Smith has always denied any wrongdoing in Afghanistan.

The charges against Roberts-Smith, 47, comes after a landmark civil ruling in 2023.

In that defamation case, which Roberts-Smith himself initiated against the Sydney Morning Herald, the Age, and the Canberra Times, a federal court judge found to the civil standard of substantial truth that the soldier had been involved in four murders while deployed in Afghanistan.

However, that defamation trial is irrelevant to the criminal proceedings. The standard of proof required for a criminal conviction (beyond reasonable doubt) is far higher than that needed in a civil case (balance of probabilities).

Those findings included the 2009 killing of a handicapped man at a compound known as Whiskey 108 and the 2012 kicking of a handcuffed prisoner, Ali Jan, off a cliff in Darwan.