The ex-boyfriend of former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian faces ongoing court proceedings, charged with lying to the state’s corruption watchdog over his business dealings. Former Wagga Wagga MP Daryl Maguire did not enter a plea when the matter was mentioned at Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court on Monday. He is charged with giving false or misleading evidence at a public inquiry, …

Australia’s status in the world has risen as the government invests in both defence and strategic relationships, Anthony Albanese says. Speaking after the ALP national conference, the Prime Minister reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring the nation acquired nuclear-powered submarines under a security pact with the US and UK. “I’m absolutely convinced that nuclear-powered conventional submarines are the way to go …

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the premiers are promising to build 1.2 million houses in Australia over five years, up from one million 10 months ago, starting next year. Or rather, they won’t build them – they’ll aspire to have them built and take credit for them if they are, and hope we forget about it if they’re not, which …

A major energy company has joined top women in wind power and a global contractor in a bid to build an offshore wind farm off the coast of Victoria’s Gippsland region. EnergyAustralia and Dutch offshore specialist Boskalis are part of a consortium led by Elanora Offshore that is seeking to be one of the first to build offshore wind in Australia. …

Independent senator Lidia Thorpe has accused the Greens of racism, and will lodge a case with the Australian Human Rights Commission. Senator Thorpe, who quit the Greens earlier this year, revealed she would take up her dispute with the party to the commission after receiving legal advice there was “enough ground”. “I’ve experienced racism all my life in every workplace, …

US President Joe Biden will address the Australian parliament when he visits Canberra and Sydney for security talks. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will host the president alongside Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and Indian President Narendra Modi for the Quad summit next week. It will be the first visit by a US president in almost a decade and marks the fifth time …

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says a proposal to lift the working hours threshold for those on JobSeeker would allow them to earn more while putting less strain on the budget’s bottom line. The coalition has called for an increase of five to 10 hours to the time people on JobSeeker can work before their payment benefits are removed. Mr Dutton …

Federal Housing Minister Julie Collins has warned opponents of the government’s multibillion-dollar fund to build more homes to “get out of the way” as negotiations stall on the issue. The $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund remains stuck in parliament, with both the Coalition and the Greens not backing the proposal. The fund would allow 30,000 social and affordable homes …

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is confident “positive” talks between Australian and Chinese ministers on removing trade sanctions will lead to progress. Trade Minister Don Farrell recently returned from Beijing where he held talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Wentao on a possible end to restrictions on billions of dollars of Australian export products such as barley, wine and lobster. While …

Sydney is on the way up, with the New South Wales Premier calling for an end to the urban sprawl and a shift to more medium and high-rise housing. In the face of rising anti-development sentiment in the inner suburbs, Premier Chris Minns says the city of 5.2 million people must rebalance where it builds new homes. That means more …