Yesterday the Coalition held a virtual meeting with Reza Pahlavi to discuss the situation in Iran. We believe it is important to engage with influential voices advocating for change in Iran, and we wish to see an Iran that is peaceful, pluralistic and democratic. The future government of Iran and its leaders is for the people of Iran to decide. Iran today is an exporter of terror and instability whilst domestically it is characterised by brutality and repression.

This is a hard-fought win for our veterans’ community. But they should never have had to fight so hard to reverse this great injustice done to them. We owe our veterans a debt of gratitude for their service. Labor’s cap, seeking to short-change them, was cruel and crude.

BREAKING NEWS: You did it! The Government has taken the proposed $5,000 allied health cap off the table. A huge win for veterans, their families and everyone who stood with them. To everyone who shared their story, called, wrote to or visited their MP, or came to Canberra: thank you. You made sure veterans could not be ignored. They never should have been. We acknowledge the Government for listening and changing course. We also thank the Nationals, Liberals, One Nation, Greens and crossbench independents who backed veterans and led the charge in Parliament. You listened, stood with us and gave this fight tremendous support. We welcome this decision. Now veterans and providers must be heard in shaping what comes next. The fight for fair care continues. We have won on scrapping the cap. Now it’s time to end the low-balling and fix the system.

Even Labor MPs realise how bad the economy is 👇🏽 “Albanese government MPs are voicing unease over the prospect of interest rate hikes and stalling living standards” smh.com.au/politics/federal/…

Kelty said: “The PM is telling the country with glee that the price of property is falling, yet the unaffordability rate is increasing.” “Because interest rates are rising and real wages are falling,” he said. He’s right 👆🏼 smh.com.au/politics/federal/…

$34.1 billion — the amount erased from Australia’s residential dwelling stock in the June quarter. That’s the equivalent of Coles vanishing entirely from the ASX. Labor’s new taxes are driving out investment, driving up rent and destroying asset values. Worse to come in Sep Q.

Yesterday’s national accounts reveal a dismal productivity picture. Overall labour productivity declined 0.2% over the year. So 1 year after Labor’s economic Roundtable, where we were promised productivity would be the focus, things have gotten worse. The Hawke/Keating government understood the only way to sustainable increases in real wages for workers was via productivity growth. That is why they introduced competitive tax rates, for companies and workers; why they shifted our industrial relations system away from centralised wage fixing and towards enterprise and individual bargaining; and they they worked with the unions to ensure wage claims were supported by productivity, via the Accords. This Labor government has discarded all that wisdom. The result is that there is no productivity growth in Australia, and so no growth in living standards. And this Labor government is in complete denial about the problem.

Palau’s president on improper attempts to frustrate Pacific Islands Forum & dictate who can attend 👇🏽 “Our partners are welcome to sail with us, but they do not choose our destination. The Pacific agenda must be driven by us, for us.” No need to dodge — Aus should just support.

Australia’s economy is stagnant. ABS data shows the economy grew 0.4% in June quarter. Over the same period, the Australian population increased by 0.4%. So — in per person terms — the economy is not growing. This is the 2nd consecutive Q of -ve/flat real GDP per capita.

Labor’s housing policy is a potent mix: 1. Crash the market. 2. Collapse confidence. 3. Drive up rents. 4. Drive out investors. 5. Discourage new builds.

Labor has increased the size of the federal public service by 44,000 people. Adding $8.5 billion annually to the wage bill, paid by taxpayers. What do you think: have federal public services improved as a result?

The price of everything is increasing under Labor.

Flash flooding in Nepal has caused a devastating loss of life. Thoughts are with the people of Nepal and the many impacted by this terrible disaster, including many Australians. Families of affected Australians please follow @Smartraveller for updates.