Afternoon Update: PM refuses to rule out double dissolution; White House blasts Musk; and a koala’s supermarket visit

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Welcome, readers, to Afternoon Update.

Tensions rose in the Senate today as the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, twice refused to rule out a double dissolution after Labor’s housing and environmental bills were met with resistance by both the Greens and the Coalition. “We’ll wait and see,” he said.

Deeming defamation trial continues | A court has heard that the ousted Victorian Liberal MP Moira Deeming denied allegations she was a Nazi after speaking at a rally that was gatecrashed by neo-Nazis. Deeming said she had only became aware that group of men were Nazis when police escorted them from the steps of parliament.

Australia announces trade deal with UAE | The agreement provides a gateway for Australian exporters to diversify into the Middle East, a market of about 58 million consumers. It is also Australia’s first trade agreement with a dedicated chapter covering First Nations trade.

Former foreign affairs minister’s Aukus warning | Gareth Evans, Labor’s longest serving foreign affairs minister (1988-1996), has dismissed the Australian government’s argument that it will have full sovereign control of the nuclear-powered submarines as “frankly a joke in bad taste”. Continue reading...


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