As it happened: Teals in talks to form new political party; Flotilla activists demand Albanese condemn Israel as they detail abuse; Antisemitism royal commission resumes

Thanks for reading the national news blog for today, Monday, May 25. This is where we will end our coverage.

Here’s a recap of some of the main headlines:

• National Anti-Corruption Commission boss Paul Brereton announced his resignation, to take effect from July. Brereton took office as the inaugural commissioner in July 2023, and will have served three years in the office when his resignation takes effect. His position has been recently mired in controversy after the deputy commissioners of the federal integrity watchdog publicly rejected his assertion that his recusal from all defence corruption referrals was “unnecessary”, arguing the step was essential to restoring public confidence.
• Labor will attempt to pass its tax changes through parliament on Thursday without any carve-outs, the prime minister said. A second, more detailed set of legislation would be introduced after a period of Treasury consultation with business stakeholders, he said. Thursday’s legislation will have four parts. The first will establish the tax cuts and the second will concern the $1000 instant tax deduction announced earlier in the year.
• The teals have responded to this masthead’s story on Monday about how the independent MPs had held talks to form a political party in response to new donation laws. Bradfield MP Nicolette Boele and Mackellar MP Sophie Scamps have said they will consult their community about their next steps, while Wentworth MP Allegra Spender and Warringah MP Zali Steggall said this morning that there was space for a centrist alliance that could challenge Labor and the Coalition’s models. Kooyong MP Monique Ryan and Curtin MP Kate Chaney have ruled out running as anything but an independent.
• One-time ASX darling Guzman y Gomez is facing a class action claim in the US for allegedly failing to give workers enough notice when it abruptly shut down its American operations and pulled the pin on its dreams of conquering the world’s biggest fast-food market.

Thanks again for reading.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has spoken in the House of Representatives, honouring the life of Aussie rules champion and motor neurone disease campaigner Neale Daniher, who has died after a long battle with the disease.

“In 2013 after an extraordinary and decorated VFL, AFL career as both player and then coach, Neale Daniher was diagnosed with motor neurone disease. At that point, the average life expectancy was just 27 months. Instead, through 13 years, Neil fought what he called the beast with the courage, optimism and passion that brought hope and inspiration into the lives of everyone affected by MND,” Albanese said.

“The devastating impacts of motor neurone disease stole so much from Neale, but he held on to everything that people loved and admired about him, his selflessness, his bravery, his humour, his ability to look on the bright side, and his fierce determination to make a difference for others,” the prime minister said.

“It was a profound honour for me to present Neale Daniher the Australian of the Year Award in 2025. I think it is safe to say that there has never been an award so unanimously agreed to by every single Australian on that night.”

Albanese said the difference Daniher made could be measured through the awareness he raised of the disease, and the tens of millions of dollars raised to help tackle it.

“Above all, it will be carried in the hearts of everyone who found new strength and yes, new hope in their fight, because of the extraordinary example that Neale set. May this wonderful Australian rest in peace.”

Greens leader Larissa Waters has not said whether her party will support the government’s changes to the capital gains tax discount and negative gearing, as her party waits to view the legislation before coming to a position.

“As you can appreciate, it’s a bit hard to know what’s in it until we have, in fact, seen it, but from all we’ve read and heard so far, this is a massive missed opportunity to actually address the unfairness that those property investor tax perks have baked into our system for almost 30 years now, that has turbocharged the housing crisis,” Waters told the ABC this afternoon.

“The government has felt that pressure from the Greens, from the community, and it’s come to the table, but it now looks as if they’ve totally squibbed it, and they’ve kept the benefit of 95 per cent of those unfair tax perks in the pockets of very wealthy professional property investors,” she said.

“Meanwhile, young people are still struggling to own a home to pay the rent to just get by. They could have done so much more.”

The Coalition has vowed to vote against the changes announced in the budget earlier this month, meaning the government is reliant on the Greens’ support in the Senate to pass its legislation.

Waters said the government should have used the federal budget to raise taxes on the country’s wealthiest 1 per cent, which she said should have paid for income tax cuts for other taxpayers.

National Anti-Corruption Commission boss Paul Brereton has resigned, to take effect from July.

Brereton took office as the inaugural commissioner in July 2023, and will have served three years in the office when his resignation takes effect. He announced his departure in a statement.

Brereton’s position has been recently mired in controversy after the deputy commissioners of the federal integrity watchdog publicly rejected his assertion that his recusal from all defence corruption referrals was “unnecessary”, arguing the step was essential to restoring public confidence.

Brereton had continued to advise the Afghanistan war crimes inquiry, despite assurances he had stepped away.

“The ongoing focus on matters relating to me personally rather than the Commission’s work is drawing attention away from the Commission’s core purpose of strengthening integrity in the Commonwealth public sector, which has always been my primary focus as Commissioner,” he said.