News and politics live updates: Liberal Dan Tehan joins government’s rejection of Donald Trump’s Hormuz levy

Brief hopes that the Middle East war had been paused helped spark a rebound in confidence for Australian businesses and consumers.

NAB’s business confidence index lifted nine points in the month, the third consecutive increase.

Yet the overall mood was still sour at a net negative 5 — meaning a marginally higher number of firms were pessimistic than optimistic.

The improvement will be at risk thanks to news overnight that Iran had again closed crucial oil supply route the Strait of Hormuz and US President Donald Trump pledged to impose a 20 per cent shipping levy through the region.

Both surveys caught a brief lull in fears over the war and energy prices.

The outlook for households was modestly improved with the Westpac–Melbourne Institute Consumer Sentiment Index rising from 80.6 points in June to be 83.9 in July.

But Westpac’s head of forecasting Matthew Hassan warned the overall mood was still very bleak.

“Despite the gain, sentiment remains deeply pessimistic,” he said.

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China’s export growth has topped forecasts in June as strong demand for semiconductors and a rush by manufacturers to ship goods to the US ahead of potential new tariffs countered broader concerns about the Iran war and weakening global demand.

The stronger-than-expected trade performance suggests Chinese manufacturers continued to sustain sales despite slowing growth in major economies and uncertainty over trade relations with Washington.

Strong demand for AI-related technology products, front-loading of US-bound shipments and aggressive pricing by Chinese exporters helped support overseas sales.

Exports rose 27 per cent from a year ago in US dollar value terms, customs data showed on Tuesday, their best performance in four months, outpacing the 19.4 per cent gain in April and an 18.2 per cent rise that economists’ expected.

Imports jumped 36 per cent, compared with a 27.4 per cent gain a month prior, a five-year high. Economists had forecast growth of 24 per cent for June.

China will publish its GDP figure for the second quarter on Wednesday.

China’s trade surplus came in at $US125.6 billion ($A181.6 billion) in June, up from $US105.4 billion in the previous month.

-AAP

The Albanese government is leaving the door open to further extending the fuel excise discount as the Middle East spirals further into conflict.

Crude saw its biggest single-day price jump since 2020 after US President Donald Trump announced overnight he was reinstating the blockade on Iran, with Brent surging 9.6 per cent to $US83.30 a barrel.

The spike comes two weeks before the fuel tax is set to revert to 52.6 cent per litre after a temporary discount introduced in March.

“I think the Treasurer has been pretty clear that we’ll continue to monitor the situation,” Emergency Management Minister Kristy McBain told ABC’s Radio National.

“We’ve extended that obviously until the end of this month and we’ll monitor the situation and see what else needs to be done.”

- with NCA Newswire

Sports Minister Anika Wells said she can’t confirm whether she’ll attend the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

The games, which were originally supposed to be held in Victoria before the State withdrew its hosting bid citing cost concerns, will run from July 23 to August 2 2026.

When asked on Tuesday if she’ll attend, Ms Wells said she would have to “carefully calibrate” her schedule amid issues in her dual communications portfolio after a major Telstra outage.

It comes after the Labor frontbencher copped criticism for her travel expenses on various trips in her portfolios, including at AFL Grand Finals, 2024 Summer Olympics, Australian Grand Prix and the Boxing Day Test.

“I think it’s important that Australia is represented at the Commonwealth Games,” she said.

“I think the athletes and everybody that works so hard to get our Australian athletes to the Commonwealth Games would like to see that support.

“But last week is a great example of how our ministerial schedule changes, even by the hour.

“So we’re still looking at whether it’ll be possible.

“I love that part of my job, and I love the relationship that I get to have with our athletes, from grassroots through to high-performance athletes that we know will be over there competing.

“But as always, I have to carefully calibrate my duties in the communications portfolio alongside the sport portfolio.”

The rise of brent crude prices by over 12 per cent since Friday, sent Australian energy stocks more than 3 per cent higher in the first two sessions this week.

Woodside shares jumped 3.4 per cent by midday, while refinery operators Ampol and Viva each gained more than 2.2 per cent.

Utilities stocks also made gains, as Origin, APA Group and AGL made inroads for the traditionally defensive sector.

Meanwhile, BHP and Rio Tinto notched modest losses as copper and iron ore futures edged higher.

The overall benchmark S&P/ASX200 index is lower in afternoon trading on Tuesday, down 35.3 points to 8774.3, as the broader All Ordinaries dipped by 36.7 points, or 0.41 per cent, to 8966.3.

-with AAP

Labor frontbencher Anika Wells has issued scathing criticism of the Coalition’s response to tech initiatives by the Albanese Government.

The Communications Minister said the Coalition had left the Australian government to fight international tech giants “with one hand tied behind our backs” in their efforts to keep people safe online.

Her criticisms come after the Coalition, Greens and crossbench sent amendments to their social media ban, which would strengthen it and give the eSafety commissioner more powers, to an eight-week parliamentary inquiry.

Speaking in Brisbane on Tuesday she urged them to get behind the upcoming Digital Duty of Care which would seek to push the onus back onto tech companies to make all online spaces safe.

“This is beyond politics,” she said.

“This is about protecting our future, Australian children and Australian young people.

“Yet we’ve already seen the Coalition put politics before kids’ safety online with their decision to stall laws that would strengthen eSafety’s powers.

“They are leaving us all to fight with one hand tied behind our backs.

“The Albanese government won’t let that happen because big tech is looking for shortcuts.

“We will do everything in our powers to stop that from happening.

“Angus Taylor and the coalition should be doing that as well.

“We will back Australians over billion-dollar companies every single time.”

Communication Minister Anika Wells urged big tech companies to use all tools possible to stop Australia’s being sexually extorted online after a new eSafety report showed it’s a growing issue.

Speaking in Queensland on Tuesday, Ms Wells said that tech companies behind popular social media, messaging and live streaming platforms had “no excuses” and needed to work harder or risk facing large fines.

“This is some of the most heinous content and conduct that we see online, and yet the report has found that big tech is simply not doing enough,” she said.

“They have the tools, they have the resources, and yet they are choosing not to use them with full effect.

“My message for big tech is this: there are no excuses here.

“Big tech is required under Australian law to protect Australians online from illegal material or face fines of up to $54.6 million.”

Communication Minister Anika Wells says Telstra has disappointed customers and has an “awful lot of work to do” to regain Australia’s trust after a major outage.

The major nationwide Telstra outage last Wednesday caused by a software defect in its time-synchronisation systems left millions of Australians without mobile calls or internet data.

It severely disrupted public transport, payment systems, and some emergency Triple Zero calls before being resolved that afternoon.

“Telstra has an awful lot of work to do here to make it up to its customers and to Australians, and that will take a lot of time and it will take a lot of effort for Telstra to do that,” she said in Brisbane on Tuesday.

“I’m in regular contact with Telstra. I met with the triple zero custodian yesterday.

“I think one of the differences in the Telstra adage last week compared to the Optus outage in September, is that in September, many of those welfare checks took 13 hours to commence from the time that the triple zero call was dropped.

“Whereas last week calls to do welfare checks were taking place often within minutes of the call being dropped.”

US President Donald Trump said that a deal with Iran was “possible”.

The President made the comments while speaking at the White House after signing a number of executive orders.

“Yeah I think a deal is possible,” he said. “I do.”

The US military has struck Iran for a third straight night as tensions between the two countries reignite.

The Australian sharemarket dropped as US and Iran tensions in the Strait of Hormuz lifted oil prices to the highest level since June.

The S&P/ASX200 index fell 37.3 points, or 0.4 per cent, to 8,771.20 at 11.39am (AEST) on Tuesday.

US President Donald Trump placed a blockade against Iran over the Strait of Hormuz and announced plans for a 20 per cent shipping toll.