PM says Australia ‘volunteered’ support to remove former prince Andrew from line of succession
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated he had communicated with his UK counterpart, Keir Starmer, expressing support for the removal of former Prince Andrew from the line of succession.
When asked on RN Breakfast if he believes Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor should be removed from the succession line, Albanese responded:
"I certainly do. And I think that Australians will as well. These are very serious allegations. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor will face the full force of the law.
I’ve written to Prime Minister Keir Starmer and I’ve engaged with him as well directly overnight to confirm that my government would agree to any proposal to remove him from the line of royal commitment secession.
Albanese clarified that he was not requested to provide his position to the UK but had "volunteered" it. Regarding his conversation with Starmer, he said:
"We engaged, and he thanked me for our position."
Albanese also indicated plans to write to other Commonwealth nations to inform them of Australia’s stance. He noted Australia was the first to communicate with Starmer, telling RN:
"We have initiated it. Australia likes being first, and we have made sure that everyone knows what our position is. And we’ll be writing today to the other realm countries as well, informing them of our position."
He added that the government has no plans to hold a referendum on becoming a republic, although he personally remains a republican.
"I’m a republican. His Majesty King Charles is very aware of that as well."
Albanese highlights benefits of new high-speed rail line
Albanese stated that a new high-speed rail line would unlock housing, create thousands of jobs, and generate billions in new economic activity along the Sydney to Newcastle corridor.
"It would be a game-changer for economic growth and productivity," he told RN.
PM sympathises with children stuck in Syria, but attributes blame to parents
Albanese addressed the situation of women and children linked to Islamic State fighters remaining in Syria. The prime minister reiterated that the government “is not and will not repatriate” this group of Australian citizens.
When asked if their return to Australia was inevitable, he said:
"They will have decisions to make. And for those people who potentially are facing charges, should they return to Australia, they’ll be considering that issue as well. But we are not repatriating them."
He acknowledged Australian citizens have rights but emphasized that any return would not be supported by the government.
"Australian citizens do have rights, of course, and we’ve said that as well. But if any do return, it won’t be with Australian government support."
Albanese expressed sympathy for the children in Syria but stated they were "put in that position by their parents."
"That is something that the Australian government didn’t do. We, of course, had very clear warnings. …
They made that decision. There are consequences for it. And those consequences are that the Australian government’s position is that we are not going to provide support for them to be repatriated, and that if they do return, then they will face the full consequences of their action to the full force of the law."
Peter Malinauskas says economic inequality driving One Nation support
The South Australian premier, Peter Malinauskas, suggested that economic inequality, rather than racism, is the primary factor attracting voters to the One Nation party.
Speaking on ABC’s 7.30 program on Monday evening, Malinauskas was asked about polling in South Australia showing One Nation is no longer a fringe option. Despite the surge, polling consistently indicates Labor is headed for a significant win.
Malinauskas identified the housing shortage as the most “profound” issue driving interest in One Nation, stating:
"There are legitimate grievances. I think much of them arrive from a sense of economic inequality, a sense of economic opportunity being at risk for future generations, and genuine concerns about that, which is why the best thing parties of government can do, and obviously I count Labor as one of those, is to focus on the policy that will make a difference and seek to prosecute the argument for those policies."
When asked if he believes there is racism against Muslims in Australia that One Nation leader Pauline Hanson is tapping into, he responded:
"While there might be people on the fringes who share a different view, the vast majority of Australians don’t share those views."
Southern Austereo CEO Jeff Howard resigns after two months
Jeff Howard has resigned as chief executive of the merged Seven West Media and Southern Cross entity Southern Austereo after only two months in the position.
Howard was appointed as the head of the new company but stepped down just before new financial results were due to be published. A statement indicated his resignation was effective immediately.
Heath Mackay-Cruise became chairman on Friday following the departure of Seven’s founder, Kerry Stokes, who served as interim chair of the merged entity.
In a statement, Mackay-Cruise said:
"On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Jeff for his efforts across the period of transition, with the successful implementation of the scheme of arrangement [for the merger] and creation of a market-leading, multi-platform media company now complete.
The board is confident in our team’s capability to apply the financial discipline and industry leading expertise to drive scale and performance for Southern Cross Media Group going forward."
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to visit Australia in March
Canada’s Prime Minister, Mark Carney, will visit Australia from 3 to 6 March and deliver a major address to the federal parliament.
Anthony Albanese confirmed Carney’s visit will include discussions on closer economic and security cooperation. Carney will visit Sydney and Canberra during his trip.
Topics to be discussed include cooperation on investment, economic security, critical minerals, and defence, as well as strengthening ties between key institutions in Canada and Australia.
Albanese stated:
"Canada is one of Australia’s closest friends, built on generations of trust, with a shared commitment to supporting stability across the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
As our countries face new challenges and opportunities, we must deepen our cooperation with partners to promote our national interests.
I look forward to discussing ways to build on our existing cooperation with Canada to shape the next stage of this key relationship."
Poll shows One Nation surge
The latest Capital Brief/DemosAU federal poll indicates a continued surge in support for One Nation.
The poll of 1,551 respondents was conducted between 16 February and 20 February, shortly after Angus Taylor replaced Sussan Ley as leader of the opposition.
There was no immediate noticeable impact from the leadership change. The poll results showed Labor at 29% (down 1% from January), One Nation at 28% (up 4%), and the Coalition at 21% (unchanged). The Greens and “others” declined.
On the preferred prime minister leaderboard, Anthony Albanese leads with 37% (down 2), followed by Pauline Hanson at 25% (down 1), and Angus Taylor at 19% (up 3 from Ley’s final poll).
Albanese has a net positive rating of -17%, with 29% of voters holding a positive view and 46% a negative view. Hanson’s rating is -1% (37% positive, 38% negative), and Taylor’s is -4% (24% positive, 28% negative). Ley’s last approval rating was -18%.
DemosAU’s rough seat projection based on the data suggests a strong Labor majority and a significant defeat for the Coalition, which could secure as few as nine to 20 seats. One Nation is projected to become the new opposition with 43-54 seats, compared to Labor’s 76-85.
Additional news
Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney will travel to Australia early next month as part of an Asia-Pacific tour aimed at diversifying trade links amid ongoing tariff tensions with the US Trump administration.
The first public hearing of the royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion is scheduled to start today, with commissioner and former High Court judge Virginia Bell outlining her approach to the inquiry.
A new federal poll shows One Nation just one point behind Labor and seven points ahead of the Coalition, indicating the party is experiencing an electoral upswing.
