News and politics live updates: Cash slams Labor’s ‘toxic’ taxes, accuses O’Neil of ‘gaslighting’ renters

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is meeting with his Thai counterpart to strengthen law enforcement and trade between the two countries.

The three-day visit to Australia is the first by Anutin Charnvirakul since he became Thailand’s prime minister in late 2025.

The two nations are widely expected to increase bilateral deals during talks on Wednesday that crack down on illegal Thai-based scam centres, which siphon millions of dollars from Australian pockets each year.

Thailand is a hotspot for grey money - illicit capital that crosses borders - and is an international hub for online scam work.

Vulnerable Thai locals are often imprisoned by criminal syndicates on the outskirts of Bangkok to run the centres.

On trade, a warm reception for Mr Anutin would be key to ensuring Australia is seen as a welcoming country with which he could strengthen economic relations, Australian National University associate professor Greg Raymond said.

“This is a country wanting to diversify its trade. Australia is seen as a desirable partner that’s not the United States and not China. It helps create other options for trade,” he said.

with AAP

Mark Butler has defended Treasury’s forecasts that Labor’s housing tax changes will have little impact on rent prices.

“We’re very confident in our forecast. As Jim Chalmers has said, it’s important to give these sorts of changes some time to settle down,” Mr Butler told the ABC.

His comment referred to Jim Chalmers claims on Tuesday that housing tax changes were expected to increase rents by just $2 a week despite NAB warning of a 30 per cent hike.

Mr Butler argued that millions of existing privately owned rental properties would remain under current negative gearing arrangement if they were already owners at Budget night.

“We’re seeing investors move to new builds which is something we really wanted to see happen, to add to the productive capacity of the country. They’ll be entitled to negative gearing arrangements as well,” he said.

“There should be no impact on rents there.”

Housing Minister Clare O’Neil and Michaelia Cash have butted heads over claims the government’s changes to negative gearing could push rents higher, with Ms Cash accusing Labor of failing to take responsibility for its housing policies.

Ms Cash argued investors affected by the changes would need to recover their costs, potentially putting further pressure on renters already facing steep increases.

“I think that Clare sadly needs to start taking a bit of responsibility for her housing policy,” Senator Cash told Sunrise.

“But also, Clare, stop gaslighting Australians, stop ...gaslighting the mum and dads who are currently watching this show and feeling the impact of your toxic housing taxes.

“But more than that, stop gaslighting renters.”

Ms Cash pointed to reported rent increases of 25, 27 and 29 per cent, asking how much more evidence the government needed that its policies were affecting the housing market.

But Ms O’Neil rejected these claims, saying Treasury analysis showed the changes would have only a small impact on rent prices.

“The impact of the Budget is not going to be significant on rents, and we know that because the Budget’s only going to increase it by $2,” she said.

“It’s about building more homes, because the fundamental problem facing renters is actually that we don’t have enough rental supply.”

Ms O’Neil also disputed claims that NAB had predicted a 30 per cent rise in rents by saying the bank had clarified that its figures were not a rental prediction.

“They issued a clarification yesterday saying that that was not a rental prediction and that the National Australia Bank does not predict rents,” she added.

Hawkers who use social media to lure people into putting retirement savings into risky investments will be put on notice under reforms drafted after several investment schemes collapsed.

Assistant Treasurer Daniel Mulino will unveil the long-awaited consumer protection reforms, which follow the collapse of First Guardian and Shield Master Funds, in an address to the National Press Club on Wednesday.

Among the measures is a crackdown on lead generators, who used social media, online ads and cold calls to lure people into putting their retirement savings into risky investments such as the Shield and First Guardian managed investment schemes.

Unlicensed real time communication about superannuation will be banned while licensees will be required to take reasonable steps to ensure lead generation activities comply with legal requirements.

The anti‑hawking regime will also be bolstered, with stronger consent requirements, limiting the exemption for financial advisors to existing clients and harsher penalties for breaches.

“These reforms are designed to disrupt some of the most damaging business models operating in the system today,” Dr Mulino said.

“They target the point at which consumers are first exposed to harm and reduce the ability of bad actors to gain access to consumers in the first place.”

​with AAP​