Australian news and politics live: Jason Clare announces national childcare overhaul for kids’ safety

Peter Dutton has said he will not return to politics because of his age.

The former federal opposition leader attended a LNP convention in Brisbane today where he spoke to media.

He said that Liberal Party leader Sussan Ley and Nationals leader David Littleproud are doing a “great job”.

“I think you saw in Sussan’s speech today a commitment to the principles which are important to families,” he said.

When asked if he would ever return to politics, he said he would not because he is “too old for that”.

Disability Minister Mark Butler has denied claims that he failed to consult states and territories about the overhaul of the NDIS.

Some state leaders including Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said they were caught off gaurd by the decision to move children with autism and developmental delays off the disability scheme and into a seperate $2 billion program called Thriving Kids.

Mr Butler told Seven’s Sunrise program that talks about the change have been happeneing for two years.

“The job for all of us is to get to work and start to build the system to help parents ensure their kids thrive. That’s what I’ve doing with the states, but also with the community and parents as well,” he said.

“This is going to roll out over the next couple of years. It’s going to take a while to design.”

Thriving Kids will be rolled out from July 2026 and be fully implemented by July 2027.

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Education Minister Jason Clare also announced that parents will soon receive more detailed information about the conditions of the childcare centres their children attend, as part of a $189 million package of childcare safety reforms.

A major component of the reforms will be enhanced regulation, including an additional 1600 surprise inspections by the Federal Department of Education.

While the primary aim of these spot checks will be to crack down on fraud, Mr Clare said they will also play a critical role in identifying safety concerns across different centres.

“Is it everything we need to do? No, of course not. But it is the next step, and one we’ve agreed to take today. I want to sincerely thank all of my state and territory colleagues for their support,” he said.

The announcement follows disturbing allegations of child abuse at childcare centres, which Mr Clare said had left Australians “shocked and sickened.”

Education Minister Jason Clare has unveiled a suite of major childcare safety reforms following a pivotal meeting with state and territory ministers.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Clare confirmed that all ministers have agreed to implement mandatory national child safety training for childcare workers, along with the creation of a national register to track staff across the sector.

“On the national register, work on that will begin immediately...it will require changes to the national law and legislation and we will pilot that in December of this year with it rolling up from February of next year,” Mr Clare said.

The child safety training will also begin rolling out in 2026.

In addition, Mr Clare announced a nationwide ban on mobile phones in childcare centres from September, and a trial of CCTV cameras in 300 centres from October.

“We have all got to step up here if we are serious about keeping our kids safe, that means the Australian Government stepping up, states and territories stepping up and regulators stepping up, and it means the people who run our centres stepping up as well,” he said.

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Opposition Leader Sussan Ley says the Liberal Party must modernise and broaden its appeal if it wants a path back to government, declaring Queensland the centrepiece of its strategy.

“Friends, we cannot win government unless we win Queensland; this state is not only our heartland, it’s also our launchpad,” she told the LNP state convention in Queensland on Friday

“Peter Dutton’s work built a legacy of strength. Our task is to honour that legacy not by looking backward, but by winning back Dickson and every other seat we lost,” she said.

“Too many voters, particularly in our urban centres, could not see themselves in today’s Liberal Party. That must change. We must modernise.”

She also backed lifting the nuclear energy prohibition while taking aim at Labor’s tax record.

“When Labor talks, Australians pay, and when they run out of money, they come after yours,” she said.

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has launched her strongest attack yet on Anthony Albanese’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state, calling it one of the “most reckless foreign policy calls in living memory.”

Speaking at the LNP state convention in Queensland, Ms Ley accused the government of undermining Australia’s alliance with the United States and “inviting praise from a listed terrorist organisation.”

“When terrorists are cheering your foreign policy, you know you’ve got it wrong,” she said.

“We all want the war to end, we all want Israeli hostages released, and we all want food and aid to reach those in need.

“But the path to that is through negotiation, security, and a genuine two-state process, not through unilateral gestures that make peace less likely.”

Liberal Senator Jane Hume has indicated the Coalition will likely support Labor’s planned overhaul of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, arguing reform is needed to keep the program sustainable.

Appearing alongside Health Minister Mark Butler, Senator Hume said Butler was “right” to explore ways of reducing pressure on the $46 billion scheme, including shifting children with mild to moderate developmental delay or autism into new community‑based programs.

“Even though there is bipartisan support for the NDIS, that it’s a system that we should be really proud of in Australia, it has run out of control,” Hume told Sunrise on Friday morning.

“I’m thrilled that Mark has stepped up here because something has to be done … at first blush, this is something that I think that we should be able to support. I’m happy to talk about this in my party room to make sure Mark gets the support he needs.”

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has not ruled out further changes to the tax system, saying that any potential reforms would ultimately be decided in consultation with his cabinet colleagues.

His comments come as the government begins work on introducing a road user charge for electric vehicles.

“Well, I think again, that’s that’s a matter for the cabinet,” Dr Chalmers told ABC AM when asked if Australians could expect changes to the tax system not already proposed by Labor.

“I want to be respectful to the views raised in the room at the economic reform roundtable, but at the end of the day, as I said, before the timing of any other tax changes, it would be a matter for me to determine with my cabinet colleagues.”

Dr Chalmers repeated that the government’s income tax cuts remain Labor’s “highest priority” while also pointing to the importance of the EV road user charge.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers says this week’s economic roundtable has laid the groundwork for lifting Australia’s slowing productivity, stressing that the progress made will pay off in the long term.

“I think we’re just being upfront with people and saying, this is a problem in our economy,” Dr Chalmers told ABC AM radio.

“It will take time to turn around, but the progress and momentum and the consensus that was built over the course of the last few days will help.”

Chalmers said the consensus reached at the summit would “absolutely” improve productivity, though he did not nominate a timeline for major reforms.

Sydney commuters are being warned to take extreme caution on the roads on Friday morning as a thick blanket of fog covers the city.

On Friday morning, the Bureau of Meteorology issued a warning to residents in Sydney of reduced visibility as heavy fog envelopes the Greater Sydney area.

“Reduced visibility in fog will make road conditions dangerous during Friday morning in the Greater Sydney area,” the warning read.

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