As it happened: Netanyahu compares Palestine recognition to appeasing Hitler in Australian interview; AI, tariffs, removing red tape among Chalmers’ 10 priorities

The treasurer has now moved on to a list of areas in which various ministers can “act with some urgency” – including accelerating EPBC (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation) legislation – as the government seeks to capitalise on the momentum of the roundtable.

This list included abolishing hundreds of nuisance tariffs; reduce complexity and red tape in the National Construction Code; accelerate the EPBC legislation; seeking specific ideas on deregulation from major regulators and introduce a regulatory reform bill.

Chalmers said he would also work with state and territory treasurers to work on road user charges.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers said there were 327 “different contributions” from attendees across the 29 hours of discussion.

He said there was more consensus than he anticipated, despite the “breadth and depth of the views people shared”.

He said there were 10 reform directions that emerged in the roundtable, that he believed the government could quickly move on:

1. Progress towards a single national market to modernise the federation
2. Simplifying trade and reforming tariffs
3. Better regulation and cutting clutter
4. Speeding up approvals in national priority areas
5. Building more homes more quickly
6. Deciding how to make AI a national priority
7. Attracting capital and deploying investment
8. Building a skilled and adaptable workforce
9. Creating a better tax system
10. Modernising government services.

The Australian sharemarket extended its gains at lunchtime, rallying past the 9000-mark to an all-time high after a string of solid results buoyed investor demand on one of the busiest days of reporting season.

At Thursday’s close, the S&P/ASX 200 was up 94.2 points, or 1.1 per cent, to 9012.2, as the broader All Ordinaries also rose 100.2 points, or 1.09 per cent, to 9277.4. Ten of 11 sectors on the ASX finished the day in the green, with industrials posting a market-leading 3.2 per cent increase, with only the property sector experiencing a fall.

The Australian dollar was buying US64.25¢, down from US64.46¢ on Wednesday at 5pm.

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Treasurer Jim Chalmers is speaking after the final day of the government’s economic roundtable that has been held at Parliament House.

He began his speech with the following comments:

“At the front of all of our minds around that cabinet room table, not just over the last three days, but every day, is really the magnitude of the opportunity that we have to turn our recent momentum in the economy into lasting and enduring progress,” Chalmers said.

“The best way to sustain and grow living standards over time is to make our economy more productive to make it more resilient and also to make sure that our budget is more sustainable.

“In every part of every session, the working people of this country, the community, more broadly, was front and centre, because we know that the whole purpose of economic reform is to deliver for the people who send us here to work so hard on their behalf.”

Opposition spokesperson for citizenship Paul Scarr has said Health and Disability Minister Mark Butler’s NDIS reform announcement yesterday “blindsided” state and territory ministers, many of whom have said they were not aware of the changes before they were made public.

“We have the situation where the state ministers have been blindsided by the federal minister. I don’t think that’s a good start to this process,” Scarr told ABC’s Afternoon Briefing.

“I don’t understand why the federal minister was not consulting and giving a heads-up to the state ministers.”

When asked about the flare-up between Treasurer Jim Chalmers and his opposition counterpart, Ted O’Brien, during today’s final sitting of the government’s economic roundtable, Scarr said: “I don’t think you can invite someone and expect them just to sit there mutely and not contribute to the debate.

“There should be a rigorous and vigorous exchange of ideas around any roundtable that’s discussing matters such as this.”

Earlier today, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan and Western Australia’s Disability Services Minister Hannah Beazley both said they had not been made aware of the changes before Butler announced them on Wednesday.

Housing Minister Clare O’Neil has signalled a cut to the sheer size of the national construction code and making it easier for small builders to understand it.

Speaking near the end of the economic roundtable, O’Neil has told the ABC that although she wouldn’t put a number on it, the 3000-page construction code had to be reduced.

She said one issue is that there are state and territory variations to the code.

“That is a real complication for builders around the country,” she said. “Building is dominated by small businesses who don’t have a regulation department that has 50 people interpreting the rules for them.

“I’m confident that in that 3000-page document, we will find things that we can simplify and perhaps take out.”

Continuing with the shadow treasurer’s press conference on the sidelines of the government’s economic roundtable, O’Brien said the most eye-opening aspect of the roundtable were the conversations about artificial intelligence.

“I think that is an area where all of us are grappling with to work out what is going to be the potential impact on Australia. How can we best leverage this technology so it works to our benefit as Australians,” O’Brien said.

O’Brien said he was glad he could attend the roundtable to represent the opposition, and the “the 27 million Australians who were not in the room”.

“I am an eternal optimist. I have an enormous amount of faith in our country, in our people, and I think most Australians really understand the need for there to be change,” O’Brien said.

O’Brien said reform was now in the hands of the government, and the opposition would be constructive when possible.

A planned pro-Palestine protest across the Story Bridge has been knocked back by a Brisbane court.

About 20 organisers stayed largely quiet but appeared frustrated as the decision was handed down just after 4.15pm.

“There is a significant risk to public safety, as indicated by the experts in this matter,” Judge Janelle Brassington said in her finding.

Group Justice for Palestine Magan-djin had announced plans to march across the bridge on Sunday, starting at Raymond Park in Kangaroo Point and ending at Centenary Park in Fortitude Valley from 1pm.

Police representatives told Brassington the protest would be unsafe and cause unreasonable disruptions to the city, citing affidavits filed by Brisbane City Council.

Organisers argued similar events had taken place before without incident, and police were given ample notice to prepare.

Organiser Remah Naji said the group would consider an appeal of the decision.

Up to 10,000 people had been expected to attend the Brisbane rally.

The Brisbane protest was due to be part of a nationwide series of 13 marches for Palestine on Sunday, including at the Archibald Fountain in Sydney’s Hyde Park and the State Library of Victoria in Melbourne.

Sunday has been billed as the largest pro-Palestine demonstration in Australia’s history.

It follows at least 90,000 people marching across the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Sunday, August 3, after the NSW Supreme Court gave that protest the green light to go ahead.

NSW Premier Chris Minns on Thursday said he would consider introducing legislation to stop the Harbour Bridge being used for protests.

“I’m not ruling it out,” he said. “The government has to balance the public’s right to protest against the public’s right to enjoy a big city like Sydney.”

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With AAP