Australia politics live: Vanuatu PM in Canberra as hopes rise over treaty; fossil fuel companies accused of marketing to children

Environment Minister Murray Watt reported that four cases of bird flu have been detected in Western Australia and South Australia, all involving migratory birds. He assured the public that preparedness plans are in place and urged people to avoid contact with sick or dead birds. "There’s no evidence at this point in time there’s been any transmission from those migratory birds to the broader Australian wildlife population," Watt said, while acknowledging the possibility of more cases emerging.

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There’s no evidence at this point in time there’s been any transmission from those migratory birds to the broader Australian wildlife population. That’s obviously a good thing. That’s something we won’t want to see happen.

Watt also commented on the dip in One Nation's popularity, suggesting Pauline Hanson's recent press club speech acted as a "reality check" for Australians. He believes the speech highlighted potential negative consequences of One Nation's proposed policies, such as budget cuts, which may have deterred some voters. "We have seen a bit of a change in the public mood towards One Nation since Pauline Hanson’s Press Club speech," Watt stated.

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We have seen a bit of a change in the public mood towards One Nation since Pauline Hanson’s Press Club speech. I think that speech was a bit of a reality check for a lot of Australians who were thinking about voting for One Nation, because they got to see that as much as people are under pressure at the moment, things could get worse under One Nation with all the cuts they were talking about imposing.

Meanwhile, Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek noted a slight improvement in the government's standing in recent polls, with Newspoll showing Labor regaining a lead. She described the change as a "modest improvement" but welcomed it, emphasizing the need to continue providing "real answers and real change" for the public. This comes after the government passed a controversial capital gains tax and negative gearing bill, though further amendments are expected.

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Yes, of course, any improvement is welcome. But we know that we to provide real answers and real change to