Australia politics news live updates: Frydenberg asked about possible axing of low-income tax offset; parliament returns for final week

Speaking of Boothby (held by retiring MP Nicolle Flint), independent candidate Jo Dyer writes this morning:

As disillusionment with the Morrison government grows in Coalition-held seats across the country, a new generation of independents is emerging.

Prime minister Scott Morrison was in South Australia yesterday, shoring up support in the marginal seat of Boothby.

Footage from a press conference shows him accidentally referring to Adelaide as a “shitty city”, but the official transcript this morning (on the announcement of the next leg of a transport corridor) reads:

This brings to completion the full financial commitment of the commonwealth government to this shcity [sic] city shaping. Got to be careful with that, this city shaping, I’m sure that’ll get a run.

More from that Frydenberg interview earlier:

NSW treasurer Matt Kean is talking about the weekend’s byelection results. He says:

This wasn’t a referendum on the government … these were four byelections that had unique issues in each of the seats.

He does concede that there are “huge threats” from independent candidates.

And he thinks the federal government should abandon its religious anti-discrimination legislation.

Calls for the Morrison government to make rapid antigen tests free for everyone have not subsided, Elias Visontay reports:

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is certainly doing the rounds this morning.

He’s on ABC television, where he’s again asked about the possible axing of the low-income tax offset. He’s asked if he realises it’s effectively a tax increase. He doesn’t “accept that characterisation”. He said:

The low- and middle-income tax off-set is not a permanent feature of the tax system. We’ve introduced it due to the particular economic circumstances of the time.

Here are the details on that ANU survey I mentioned earlier. Paul Karp writes:

The ANU’s Centre for Social Research and Methods found 34.5% of adult Australians had confidence or were “very confident” in the federal government, down from a peak of 60.6% in May 2020.

The result is only slightly higher than the low of 27.3% recorded during the 2019-20 bushfires.

Opposition leader Anthony Albanese has been on ABC radio this morning. Host Sabra Lane asked him about reports he was “a bit vanilla” (as far as I know, this is unrelated to the bread and milk questions that came up last week).

Albanese says he’s “very confident that our positive messages that we will put forward of a better future” and frustration at the current government will be voters’ focus.

He also has a push back at government attempts to portray him as a friend of China (Asio chief Mike Burgess will be up in Senate estimates this week, which will be interesting).

Did you watch the 60 Minutes episode on the Morrison family last night? Katharine Murphy did.

The teasers released last week sparked ridicule, but I’m sure a decent-sized audience would have tuned in to watch Karl Stefanovic chum up to the prime minister. Katharine Murphy isn’t convinced the show will solve prime minister Scott Morrison’s problems:

If you missed it over the weekend, there’s speculation beer taxes will be cut. Some have pointed out that’s quite blokey, as far more men enjoy beer than women. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg declines to blow the froth off that one.

Frydenberg says the Morrison government is getting the “big things” right. He points to the low unemployment rate and high vaccination rate as proof. He says there was “an understanding” the government would have more support on the floor of the house for the religious discrimination vote.

(That’s in the context of five Liberal MPs crossing the floor.)

On the NSW byelections, he says the situation “could be very different” by the time we get to the federal election. He cites international tensions, such as a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Straight to the national security button.)

On that tax offset mentioned below, he refuses to pre-empt the budget. But he does say that the situation has changed, that the government has brought forward other tax reform.

“We haven’t made a decision,” he says. Young women (24 and under) have been paying less tax, he says.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is talking up tax cuts for women this morning, but there are also reports the government will axe a low-income tax offset for those who earn less than $126,000. (Those at the lower end save $1,080 on their tax bills.)

He’s on the ABC’s Radio National also talking about those weekend byelections and the latest Newspoll.

What will be revealed in Senate estimates this week? Will Canberra see its own version of the Capitol invasion? Is Russia about to invade Ukraine? What do the NSW byelections mean for the federal election?

Will ukuleles, curries and his wife Jenny ensure prime minister Scott Morrison’s second coming?

So many questions as parliament resumes this week, just the second week for 2022 and the last before the pre-election budget.

And while there’s sure to be more talk about the religious discrimination bill, which floundered so spectacularly last week, the Senate isn’t sitting so it’s not going anywhere for now.

The results of the New South Wales weekend byelection are still being counted and will be seen either as a reflection of the federal government’s actions or an indication of the trouble stirring for all incumbent governments.

Today’s Newspoll shows very little shift for either major party, despite the Coalition’s turbulent week last week. But the Coalition was already in pretty poor shape, with a primary vote of 34%, and a two-party-preferred of 45% to Labor’s 55%.

The news for the government in the latest Australian National University survey is less reassuring – only about one in three Australians have confidence in the Morrison government.

That’s the lowest approval since the bushfires a year ago.

More scenes from the “freedom” motley crew over the weekend. Morrison said he “understood” the protestors in Canberra, who continue to camp out and threaten chaos, while there are various reports of illnesses spreading through the group.

And shortly we’ll hear from treasurer Josh Frydenberg – newspapers this morning are reporting that the federal government might axe the low-income tax offset as it tries to claw back budget deficits.

Katharine Murphy, Sarah Martin, Josh Butler, Daniel Hurst and Paul Karp will be your guides this week. Mike Bowers will be out there, snapping all the action.