Australia news live: Turnbull says Dutton’s nuclear power policy will alienate voters; Queensland budget to bring cost-of-living help | Australia news

Palestine’s football side is refusing to be distracted from their World Cup qualifier against the Socceroos this evening.

Already dealing with the shadow cast by the Israel-Gaza war, another diversion was thrust upon the squad on Saturday when 7 News reported that Palestine Football Association president Jibril Rajoub had been denied entry into Perth over a “technicality” in his visa application.

Prime minister Antony Albanese distanced himself from the decision on Monday, saying: “These decisions are made at arm’s length by the bodies, by the immigration department.”

In their official pre-match press conference on Monday, the team was steadfast in their desire to keep their focus on their efforts to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and bring “joy” to the Palestinian people.

“The things that are happening always have [happened],” midfielder Mohammed Rashid said. “Even if there was no war, there are certain things that happen around each player’s houses or families around Palestine that affect [them].

“What’s happening right now it’s affecting all of us. Because it’s really hard to see… when you see any innocent person get hurt for no reason, you can’t you can’t help but get affected by it.

“But when it comes to football, you try to, at least for the game, just get your head out of it and on your performance. Because if you’re performing well, you’re doing what you know your country deserves.”

Read a full report on the buildup:

Turnbull also spoke about how Australian leaders might deal with the “very different world” posed by a second presidential term of Donald Trump.

Speaking about his own experiences of dealing with Trump, Turnbull recalled the “big row … quite a heated one in fact” they had over the refugee resettlement deal he’d made with Barack Obama.

“Trump is a bully, obviously, a big domineering personality. And, most people’s instinct dealing with him is to suck up to him and be deferential and tell him what he wants to hear,” he told ABC 7:30’s Laura Tingle on Monday. “The only thing you get from a bully, if you give into them, is more bullying.”

“I had a very good relationship with Trump even though we’re very different politics … because I stood up to him, and he respected me for it,” he said.

Should Trump be elected, he said, “we will be dealing with a very different America … We have to deal with the hand of cards that we are dealt.”

Turnbull sounds warning over nuclear energy plan

Daisy Dumas

Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has taken aim at Liberal leader Peter Dutton’s nuclear energy policy, warning that it may alienate those whose votes were lost in 2022.

He told the ABC on Monday evening:

The cheapest form of new generation is solar. Renewables are not more expensive and this is the problem Peter Dutton has because he is out there saying renewables are more expensive and they’re putting prices up.

A second term of Donald Trump in the White House would not be good for the climate globally, while Australia’s rejection of the 2030 climate targets under Dutton would be a “big negative” for investment into renewables, Turnbull said on 7.30.

We need to maintain that continued momentum. The curious thing from an election point of view is why Dutton is doing it.

Because, you know, nuclear power is not going to deliver cheaper electricity that’s perfectly clear, and is not going to deliver electricity any time soon. It will take decades to establish nuclear power plants and we don’t have an abundance of time.

And, so it seems to me and many other people in the Liberal party, that it’s an approach that’s going to further alienate the very people whose votes will last in 2022. And I don’t see how it’s going to assist Peter Dutton in winning government.

Welcome

Martin Farrer

Good morning and welcome to our rolling news coverage. I’m Martin Farrer and I’ll be bringing you the top stories before my colleague Emily Wind comes along to take the controls.

Australia’s commitment to global climate goals is once again being questioned by the Coalition’s leadership and MPs. Former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce and Morrison cabinet colleague Keith Pitt have called for the Coalition to abandon the Paris global climate change agreement and related emissions reduction targets, claiming politicians risked getting “voted out” by backing the targets. The prime minister Anthony Albanese has accused Peter Dutton of walking away from climate action.

And it’s not just the current prime minister. Malcolm Turnbull told the ABC’s 7.30 last night that Dutton’s advocacy of nuclear power risks alienating the same voters who deserted the Coalition in 2022 and allowed independents to steal normally traditional conservative inner-city seats. Turnbull, who was ousted from the Lodge in large part thanks to Dutton, said nuclear power was too expensive and he could not see how it would help the opposition win power. Business leaders, meanwhile, have urged the Coalition not to go back to the “climate wars”, according to today’s Fin Review.

Palestine’s footballers have tried to brush off controversy before their World Cup qualifier in Perth against the Socceroos tonight by downplaying reports that the president of their FA was denied entry to Australia because of “technical” visa issue. With emotions running high in Australia about the Israel-Gaza war, the team’s midfielder Mohammed Rashid said the players just wanted to “bring joy” to people back home. More coming up.

As the Queensland government presents its budget today, the focus is on cost-of-living help. But we have an exclusive story that the Miles government will also pour $56m into establishing a forensic examination service for victims of sexual violence in public hospitals across the state. It comes after the Guardian reported last October that an alleged teenage rape victim was made to wait three hours for care because her treating doctor had no training in the field. More coming up on the Queensland budget and what to look out for.