Read the national news blog for rolling updates on today’s top stories.
Read the national news blog for rolling updates on today’s top stories.
For just a taste of what’s happening over on our live blog of US President Trump’s Congress address:
At the beginning of Trump’s address, Congressman Al Green stood up and heckled the president.
He was warned to take his seat but continued.
Speaker Mike Johnson then ordered the removal of Green, a Democrat who has represented Texas for 20 years, from the chamber.
Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, who heckled Joe Biden at multiple State of the Union addresses, cheers as Green was escorted out of the chamber for his protest.
Trump says he has achieved more in his time in office than any previous administration.
“We are just getting started,” he says.
“The American dream is surging bigger and better than ever before. The American dream is unstoppable and our country is on the verge of a comeback.”
Watch the address live over on our dedicated blog.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says if Queensland and Northern NSW get hit badly by Cyclone Alfred, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese would have a “tin ear” to call the election this weekend.
Speaking on 4BC, Dutton said while he hopes predictions about the cyclone are overstated, if they are not, it would be foolish for Albanese to call the election.
“I’d be surprised if he calls it this Sunday or Monday for the 12th of April,” Dutton said.
“[If the cyclone is extreme] there will be people waiting for waters to recede, there will be swift water rescues, there will be people cleaning out their houses or their businesses and some people will have lost everything. That’s the reality of these weather events, and to go to [an] election at this stage, at that time, I think the prime minister would have a tin ear to do that.
“I think people probably want from their prime minister governing, not campaigning, at a time like this.”
Good afternoon readers, I’m Rachael Dexter and I’ll be running the national news blog until the end of the day. Thanks to my colleague Josefine Ganko who brought you all the news so far today.
Right now, US President Donald Trump is addressing Congress for the first time since his return to power in extraordinary fashion. My colleague Stephanie Peatling is reporting on that major event live over in a dedicated blog here. And in Queensland my colleague Marissa Calligeros is bringing readers live updates on the incoming Cyclone Alfred.
I’ll keep readers here abreast of major updates from around the country, but we will touch on the events in the US from time to time.
On home soil the biggest stories so far today are:
- The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is now engaged to provide support for the incoming Cyclone Alfred heading towards south-east Queensland and northern NSW. The cyclone is expected to hit the coast early on Friday morning.
- The economy has emerged from an almost two-year-long per capita recession, figures released this morning from the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ show.
- Defence Minister Richard Marles has defended the government’s defence priorities after the prime minister opened the door to sending peacekeepers to Ukraine yesterday as a Chinese flotilla circumnavigates the country.
US President Donald Trump is addressing Congress at 1pm (AEDT), a key moment after a dramatic start to his second presidential term, that saw his administration race through major changes to both foreign and domestic policy in the weeks since his inauguration.
Trump’s speech is the first time he has addressed a joint session of Congress since being sworn in as the 47th president.
Fox News is reporting that the theme of Trump’s remarks will be ‘Renewal of the American Dream’, with main themes including the administration’s achievements at home and abroad thus far, the economy and border security.
His allies and family will gather to watch the speech, while some congressional Democrats will use Trump’s address as a form of protest. Some are skipping the event altogether while others are wearing items with slogans or bringing guests who have been affected by the acts of the Trump administration.
We have live coverage of the address in a dedicated blog here.
We just saw Treasurer Jim Chalmers stand up in Brisbane to respond to the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ national accounts figures, which show the economy has emerged from an almost two-year-long per capita recession.
The final quarter of 2024 was the fastest quarter of growth in two years, with Chalmers remarking that the results are looking “more and more like the soft landing we’ve been planning for”.
Chalmers said the numbers “reflect the substantial and very encouraging progress Australians are making together in our economy”.
“This pick-up in quarterly growth is an early and encouraging sign that momentum is building in the economy,” he said.
“Resilient and rebounding growth is particularly important in the face of heightened uncertainty at home and abroad, as we brace for Tropical Cyclone Alfred and confront rising global trade tensions.”
The PM continues to shut down questions about the timing of the election, as pundits question if he would set the date for the poll in the midst of a natural disaster.
With Cyclone Alfred expected to hit the coast early on Friday morning, Anthony Albanese said his focus was on governing and not on speculation that he will call the election this coming Sunday or Monday.
“There are no political parties here, there are no borders between NSW and Queensland, just Australians working together,” he said.
“We are working out whether I can go to northern NSW after this, but I arrived yesterday afternoon, I am due to go back to NSW later today.”
Treasurer Jim Chalmers held a press conference as the latest national account figures reveal the economy has lifted out of per-capita recession.
Watch the press conference here:
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed the Australian Defence Force is now engaged to provide support for the incoming Cyclone Alfred.
Speaking at a press conference in Brisbane, Albanese said both Queensland and NSW have to be ready for the intensity of the weather.
“Prepare, take this seriously, this is a rare event,” he said.
“I said yesterday that we would put the ADF on standby and we have now received a formal request and the ADF is now engaged as of right now.”
Albanese listed the national supports in place, noting 125,000 additional sandbags have been delivered, on top of 80,000 that arrived yesterday, as well as the pre-positioning of heavy-lift helicopters from the national aerial firefighting fleet.
“A Sikorsky S-61 has been deployed to Coffs Harbour. The UH-60 Black Hawk will be pre-positioned in Bundaberg,” he said.
The Australian economy gathered some momentum through the end of 2024 with a near-two-year-long GDP-per-capita recession finally over.
Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics released this morning showed the economy expanded by 0.6 per cent in the December quarter, lifting annual growth to 1.3 per cent. It had slumped to just 0.8 per cent at the end of the September quarter.
GDP per capita, which takes into account the size of the population, grew by 0.1 per cent. That ends seven consecutive falls in this key indicator, the worst run since the depths of the Great Depression in the 1930s.
The bureau’s head of national accounts, Katherine Keenan, said there had been growth across most of the economy.
“Modest growth was seen broadly across the economy this quarter. Both public and private spending contributed to the growth, supported by a rise in exports of goods and services,” she said.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the figures showed a solid rebound in growth.
“Consumption was a major contributor to the overall result this quarter and the key reason why private final demand picked up,” he said.
“Consumption had stalled in the middle of last year due to higher interest rates, global economic uncertainty and cost-of-living pressures, and now it’s beginning to bounce back.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Queensland Premier David Crisafulli held a press conference from the state disaster coordination centre in Brisbane.
They gave an update on Cyclone Alfred, as it approaches south-east Queensland and northern NSW.
Watch them address the media here: