Australian news and politics live: Israeli President Isaac Herzog welcomed to Canberra

Isaac Herzog, Sam Mostyn and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles posed for photos in the drawing room of Government House, where Mr Herzog signed the welcome book.

Anthony Albanese did not attend the talks; it’s understood this is because he is slated to meet the Israeli President later this afternoon.

Ms Mostyn said she was delighted to welcome Mr Herzog and his wife to Government House and presented a photo of Mr Herzog’s father, Chaim Herzog, during his trip to Australia in 1986.

Mr Herzog said he was “honoured to see his father’s photo here”.

Ms Mostyn described Government House as a “place of peace where all are welcome”.

“I think it’s terribly important your visit stands with those who are grieving,” she said.

Mr Herzog said both Australia and Israel “share the need to fight anti-Semitism with no doubts… so we uproot this phenomenon,” adding that he shares “the hope that we can bring the relations between our nations on a renewed path”.

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Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi has joined protesters in front of Parliament House, denouncing Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit.

The senator has accused him of being a war criminal, condemned Anthony Albanese for inviting and hosting him, and labelled Labor MPs as “cowardly politicians” who are trying to “gaslight” the Australian public.

“The Prime Minister is going to warmly welcome and shake the hand of a war criminal in here today who has signed… and autographed bombs which will kill Palestinians,” she told the crowd of hundreds.

“I have long lost respect for the Albanese Government, but never in even my wildest dreams could I have imagined that they could reach such a low…. and then to turn around and lecture us about ‘social cohesion’. Labor has shown exactly who they are.”

“The cowardly politicians in that building behind us gaslight us. They don’t want us to believe our own eyes, but they will never stop us. They will never stop us from telling the truth.”

While Isaac Herzog poses for photos with Governor-General Sam Mostyn, at nearby Parliament House a couple of hundred protesters have gathered out the front.

Greens MPs attended the rally, as did independent senator David Pocock, who earlier today said the Government should “admit this was a mistake” given the Israeli President’s visit had further fractured social cohesion.

Speakers at the rally say a representative of a “genocidal maniac state” shouldn’t have the “red carpet rolled out” by the Albanese Government.

Mr Herzog’s arrival, who was accompanied by his wife Michal, was welcomed by a ceremonial 21-gun salute by the Federation Guard and followed an inspection of the guard.

Mr Herzog will attend multiple events in Canberra, including meetings with Mr Albanese and Opposition Leader Sussan Ley.

Arrivals were closely monitored and only pre-approved people were allowed into Government House ahead of Mr Herzog’s arrival.

Protesters positioned at the Government House lookout could be heard yelling in the background.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has arrived at Government House, the first of multiple engagements with senior Australian officials, including Anthony Albanese.

Senior politicians including Speaker Milton Dick, Opposition Leader Sussan Ley were in attendance, as well as Jewish MP Mark Dreyfus, Australia’s special envoy to combat anti-Semitism Jillian Segal and Governor General Sam Mostyn.

Israel’s outgoing ambassador to Australia Amir Maimon also attended the event, as well as senior bureaucrats including the secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet Steven Kennedy, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps Betty Pavelich and Paul Kenny, Special Operation Command, who represented the Defence Force Chief.

Pictures are coming in now of Isaac Herzog travelling to Government House in Yarralumla, Canberra, to meet Governor-General Sam Mostyn.

Israel’s ambassador to Australia Amir Maimon is in the party for the ceremonial welcome, as are Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Sussan Ley.

The tri-service Federal Guard will perform a military welcome.

After the ceremonial business, Ms Mostyn will host a state luncheon for Mr Herzog.

Liberal Senator Maria Kovacic has declared “enough is enough” with the leadership chatter from her party room colleagues.

“If you want to call a spill, put your name to it and call it,” she told reporters.

Yesterday, the Senator, a close ally of Sussan Ley and her shadow assistant minister, publicly backed calls for those who wanted a party room called to deal with a spill motion to sign a petition backing it.

The delaying tactic was used by former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull in 2018 when Peter Dutton challenged him in the leadership contest that ultimately led to the ascension of Scott Morrison.

Bulk billing rates in Australia’s capital territory have continued to remain the worst in the country, according to updated data.

Health Minister Mark Butler told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday that it should be celebrated that the national rate had climbed to 81.4 per cent in the three months to January 31.

It comes after Labor launched its incentive scheme on November 1, which had been a key election promise in the lead-up to the May 3 poll.

The ACT’s rate only rose 1.3pc to 53.8pc, while WA was the second worst at 73.5pc - up 3.8pc.

It was followed by Tasmania at 77.4pc, Queensland at 78.9pc, South Australia at 79.9pc, Victoria at 83.2pc, and New South Wales at 85.3pc.

The Northern Territory experienced the largest jump, with a 13.2pc rise to 89.4pc.

A senior official overseeing the $3 billion dollar divestment of the Defence Department’s estate has been questioned about whether foreign powers, including China, will be able to purchase sites near sensitive military facilities.

During a Senate estimates hearing, Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson raised concerns about the proposed sale of a golf course next to the Swan Island training facility, which is used by ASIS spies and special forces soldiers.

“How is the Swan Island facility going to be appropriately protected when you are proposing to sell off land adjacent to that facility? You haven’t even made it clear that this won’t go to foreign interests”, Senator Henderson said.

“The point I’d make as a headline is it’s already a publicly accessible golf course,” Defence’s Deputy Secretary Security and Estate Celia Perkins said in response to the opposition senator.

“Where there are sites on the divestment list where there may be a security requirement to understand, that there is a capacity to build that into the conditions of sale, that would certainly be our intention at a number of sites”.

Treasury Secretary Jenny Wilkinson has confirmed the Federal Government is modelling potential changes to the capital gains tax discount.

“We provide advice on all aspects of the tax system,” she told the Senate economics committee on Wednesday morning in response to Liberal Senator Jane Hume.

“Most of the academic advice is around the likely impacts.”

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher has declined to rule out changes to the capital gains tax discount.

“Who knows? The media work in very mysterious ways in this building.”

Since September 1999, those selling an investment property after 12 months only have to declare 50 per cent of the gain on their tax.

But Treasurer Jim Chalmers last week hinted at revisiting the 50 per cent capital gains tax discount in the upcoming May Budget to address Intergenerational inequality.