Australia has lowered its travel advice warnings for several Middle Eastern countries following the signing of a ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran this week.
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Wed 17 Jun 2026 at 9:25am
Wed 17 Jun 2026 at 9:25am
Health minister opens final promised urgent care clinic
By Joshua Boscaini
Health Minister Mark Butler has opened the federal government's final promised urgent care clinic in Caloundra on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.
The federal government has opened all 137 bulk-billing Medicare urgent care clinics Labor promised at the last election.
The health minister says the government projects about 2 million people will visit an urgent care clinic each year.
"About 3 million Australians have already seen an urgent care doctor and nurse at one of our clinics," Butler says.
"This is a really important part of our broader agenda of strengthening Medicare, delivering more doctors to the system."
Wed 17 Jun 2026 at 9:08am
Wed 17 Jun 2026 at 9:08am
Barnaby Joyce confirms he'll become One Nation's treasury spokesperson
By Joshua Boscaini
One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce has confirmed he'll be the treasury spokesperson for the right-wing party.
Joyce has told Sky News his background as an accountant, businesses owner and associations with business people make him qualified.
"Within One Nation, we are obviously having to make sure that we have a focus on portfolios. We can't have Pauline [Hanson] try and cover everything," Joyce says.
"I am focusing on treasury. I don't think that's unreasonable."
Wed 17 Jun 2026 at 9:03am
Wed 17 Jun 2026 at 9:03am
Shadow Treasurer Tim Wilson holds undisclosed shares in climate advisory firm through family trust
By Joshua Boscaini
Shadow Treasurer Tim Wilson holds undisclosed shares in a climate advisory firm through his family investment trust, ASIC records show.
While Wilson has disclosed his directorship of two trusts — an investment trust with his partner Ryan Bolger and a holding company named Dynamic Sunrise — shares held in those trusts were not disclosed on his parliamentary register.
MPs are required to notify interests in any shares, including those held indirectly through a trust or self-managed superannuation fund.
Wilson's investment trust holds 15,000 shares in a small company called Gondwana Carbon, which helps companies to develop emissions reduction projects, earn carbon credits and then trade them.
Read the full exclusive story from senior political correspondent Jake Evans in the link below.
Wed 17 Jun 2026 at 8:52am
Wed 17 Jun 2026 at 8:52am
Education Minister Jason Clare says he takes rise of One Nation seriously
By Joshua Boscaini
Education Minister Jason Clare has weighed in on Pauline Hanson's upcoming appearance at the National Press Club (NPC) today.
The One Nation leader will address the gathering in Canberra for the first time since entering politics in 1996.
Speaking to ABC News Breakfast , Clare says One Nation is the "Liberal Party with a different logo" because it supports similar policies.
"They don't support increases in the minimum wage, they wouldn't support pay rises for the sort of workers we're talking about today, they want to make it easier to sack people," Clare says.
"I take them seriously because a lot of Australians are doing it very tough at the moment, and when Australians are doing it tough, they look to parties like this for answers."
Wed 17 Jun 2026 at 8:30am
Wed 17 Jun 2026 at 8:30am
Bridget McKenzie won't say if Coalition supports extending fuel excise cut
By Joshua Boscaini
Nationals frontbencher Bridget McKenzie has suggested the Coalition could support extending a cut to the heavy vehicle road user charge.
Labor halved the fuel excise and reduced the heavy vehicle charge to zero for six months after the outbreak of war in the Middle East.
But that is set to expire at the end of June, with the government considering whether to extend that in light of the US-Iran ceasefire deal.
Speaking to Channel Seven , McKenzie has suggested the government keep the cut in the heavy vehicle charge, but hasn't said whether the Coalition would support extending the fuel excise cut.
"The trucking industry has put a sensible suggestion on the table, and the government should look at it," McKenzie says.
Key Event
Wed 17 Jun 2026 at 8:25am
Wed 17 Jun 2026 at 8:25am
Australia lowers travel advice warnings for Middle East nations
By Nicholas McElroy
Australia has lowered its travel advice warnings for several Middle Eastern countries following the signing of a ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran this week.
Travel advice for Bahrain , Israel , Kuwait , Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been downgraded from "Do Not Travel" (Level 4) to "Reconsider your need to travel" (Level 3).
Basically, the advice has been downgraded from the highest to the second-highest warning level.
Some areas in Israel remain at "Do Not Trave…
Read the full article at ABC News (Australia) →
Australia