News live: Australia mourns ‘treasured icon’ Barry Humphries; Albanese to meet NZ PM Chris Hipkins | Australia news

A few tributes from Australian state leaders – and former state leaders.

King Charles in Barry Humphries tribute

King Charles III will privately write to the family of Barry Humphries to convey his remorse at the passing of the comic legend.

A palace spokesperson told The Sydney Morning Herald that King Charles had been “saddened” by news of his passing.

Charles was a personal friend of Humphries who performed at several significant concerts and royal events over the years.

Queensland political leaders court NZ prime minister Chris Hipkins

New Zealand Chris Hipkins was the guest of honour at a dinner on Saturday night attended Queensland’s most powerful politicians.

The Kiwi PM Hipkins arrived in the Queensland capital on Saturday with a business delegation in tow.

He was guest of honour last night at an event attended by Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, federal treasurer Jim Chalmers and lord mayor Adrian Schrinner.

Dr Chalmers, an architect of the citizenship deal, said there was a “Kiwi caucus in the parliamentary Labour party” pulling for Kiwis to have more rights.

It is a sign of respect that we consider balance when it comes to the flow of people to be a really important thing.

Dr Chalmers’ electorate of Rankin – like many in Queensland – has thousands of New Zealand-born residents that will now be eligible for citizenship under the policy tweak.

Hipkins said he wanted a renewed focus on eliminating regulatory differences between the two countries.

One of the features of CER that’s incredibly important to us is successfully arranging the alignment of our regulatory systems … so doing business in New Zealand, doing business in Australia isn’t seen as different, it’s something that’s utterly compatible.

The Australian and New Zealand leaders are scheduled to meet again later this year in New Zealand.

– AAP

NZ PM Hipkins to meet Albanese in Brisbane

Tributes flow for Barry Humphries

The death of Australian entertainer Barry Humphries has sparked an outpouring of tributes for the treasured national icon at home and around the globe.

Humphries died on Saturday, aged 89, at St Vincents hospital in Sydney where he was being treated for complications stemming from hip surgery earlier this year.

He was surrounded by his immediate family, including his wife of 30 years Lizzie Spender, his children Tessa, Emily, Oscar and Rupert, and 10 grandchildren.

Humphries, who has lived in London for decades, came back to Sydney in December for Christmas. He subsequently suffered a fall that led to his hip replacement surgery.

In a statement his family said he was “completely himself until the very end, never losing his brilliant mind, his unique wit and generosity of spirit”.

Humphries spent more than 70 years on the stage and was “an entertainer to his core” who loved his audiences and never took them for granted.

But he was also a painter, author, poet and collector of art.

He was also a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, and a friend and confidant to many. His passing leaves a void in so many lives.

The characters he created, which brought laughter to millions, will live on.

Humphries, who continued touring up until the last year of his life, was a man of many faces led by his comedic alter egos, self-described housewife “gigastar” Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson.

John Barry Humphries was born on February 17, 1934.

– AAP

Opposition leader Peter Dutton says Australia has lost its “finest cultural raconteur”.

Gallagher on the NDIS and RBA appointments

On the NDIS, Gallagher refers to a speech given by Bill Shorten at the Press Club last week on the future of the scheme.

I think the challenge in the NDIS is actually about making sure that every dollar going in there – and it’s a substantial amount of dollars now, is actually delivering the outcomes we want in supporting people with a disability to live a dignified life, and, you know, some of that might involve changes within the scheme.

On a final note, Gallagher is asked about two recent appointments made to the board of the Reserve Bank of Australia.

Gallagher says the two appointments are “first-rate candidates” that were selected after an “expression-of-interest process”.

The [RBA] governor and Treasury were involved in that. That’s the first time that’s happened. I note the governor in his press conference welcomed those appointments to the board. From our point of view, apart from them having incredible careers of substance, both of those appointees, we absolutely think that people with experience about working people’s lives and about wages and wages’ role in the economy is absolutely important to reflect on the board.

Government has not finalised view on changes to gas tax: Gallagher

Gallagher says the government has not yet finalised a view on whether gas producers are paying enough tax under the PRRT – but:

I think from other point of view, we want to make sure, that you know, taxpayers are getting the right sort of return through that measure. And, you know, that’s the work that Treasury has done. They think there are some changes that could be made. There are a number of different recommendations, or views, put through that, and we’ll conclude our discussions on that in the short term.

The government is also considering budget savings members in the upcoming budget, particularly as it is looking at the various “booby traps” left by the Coalition.

We’re actually having to deal with that. And you’ll see a reasonable part of the budget is actually addressing these terminating measures, which is essentially the dishonesty of the previous government about the state the budget was in.

Gallagher on new taxes in upcoming budget

There are difficult decisions. I don’t want to pretend to anybody that these are easy decisions. They are difficult. But how do we get that balance right? How do we address disadvantage? How do we support those that are most vulnerable? How do we provide cost-of-living relief within the context of the environment we’re in?

Gallagher is asked whether there will be new taxes in the upcoming budget. She says that the government has been considering multinational tax avoidance so “in that sense, yes, you will see that reflected in the budget”.

On the petroleum resource rent tax, Gallagher says the government has “received advice from Treasury” but has not yet “formed a concluded view on that”.

That was work commissioned by the former government. It’s been going for the last few years. And, you know, Treasury’s view is that they think that there are improvements that could be made to the PRRT. We’re considering those. We haven’t formed a view about whether it’s this budget or this year. I think the industry is sort of well across what those modest changes might be, because they’ve been involved in those consultations, but we haven’t finalised a view on that.

Budget is about ‘balancing different pressures’: Gallagher

Gallagher is asked about the difference between the $34bn cost of raising the base rate of social security and other payments compared to the cost of the stage-three tax cuts.

The finance minister says “those will be updated in the budget”.

The stage-three tax cuts are legislated. They are due to come in July next year. You know, we haven’t changed our position on those. And the challenge for us is looking across the budget as a whole, where we can make additional spending, where we can make additional savings, and how we make those decisions. And it’s a balancing act. There’s no doubt about it. We have to balance all of these different pressures, whether it’s defence, health, you know, all the investments in Medicare that have a cost-of-living focus, how we balance all of those …

Finance minister acknowledges ‘it’s hard to live on jobseeker’

Gallagher hints at lifting rent assistance in upcoming budget

Gallagher is now asked about recommendations saying the government should urgently lift rent assistance that have left women in a vulnerable situations.

She hints that there may be assistance in the upcoming budget.

The women’s economic equality taskforce makes this point. You know, we earn less. We retire with less. We have less assets, less wealth. We earn less in lower-paid jobs.

This is the reality of 2023 for Australia’s women. And this is the work that we have started in the budget. It’s the work we’re going to continue in this budget.

Government ‘deadly serious’ about addressing women’s inequality: Gallagher

Katy Gallagher says the government will “send the signal that we are deadly serious about addressing women’s inequality across the economy more broadly”.

However Gallagher said the government is “having a look” at arrangements that will force single mothers on to jobseeker when their child turns eight and results in them losing $100 a week.

We are having a look at it. You know, we don’t set up these task forces to then not seriously consider the recommendations that they come forward with. The budget will look to do as much as it can within, you know, the responsible fiscal environment that we are in, to deal with addressing disadvantage and inequality where we can.

Prime minister Anthony Albanese has paid tribute to Humphries as “one of a kind”.

Federal treasurer Jim Chalmers has appeared on Sky News this morning and finance minister Katy Gallagher is being interviewed on ABC Insiders this morning, where she is expected to discuss the upcoming budget and the government’s reluctance to lift social security payments.

We’ll bring you all the latest as it comes.

Good morning