Live: Bridget McKenzie says 'widow tax' fix amounts to 'backflip'

ACT Senator David Pocock has accused the prime minister of adopting policies influenced by the gambling lobby, criticizing the government's approach to gambling advertising laws. Pocock stated that the prime minister is "taking policy from the gambling lobby and selling it as getting the balance right," suggesting Australians see through this maneuver. He believes the current laws will not effectively curb the normalization of gambling among young people and sees an opportunity for the Senate and crossbench to amend the legislation to better protect young Australians.

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The PM is basically taking policy from the gambling lobby and selling it as getting the balance right and Australians see straight through it.

Meanwhile, Nationals frontbencher Bridget McKenzie has labeled the release of draft legislation aimed at fixing unintended consequences of Labor's budget measures as a "backflip." The draft legislation addresses potential negative tax treatments for widowers, divorcees, and domestic violence victims concerning investment properties previously shared with a partner. Under the proposed changes, those inheriting a stake in an investment property from a spouse would retain the negative gearing treatment that was in place before the partner's death.

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It's no surprise you're not seeing much posting on social media from Labor members. They're not proud of this.

In a separate development, Environment and Water Minister Murray Watt confirmed that an independent review is underway into the Bureau of Meteorology. Commissioned by the Bureau's CEO Stuart Minchin in consultation with Watt, the review aims to assess how the Bureau can best serve the needs of Australians. Watt emphasized the importance of government agencies regularly evaluating their performance and services, noting the Bureau's respected status among the public. The review's findings are expected to guide the Bureau's future strategy, particularly after a significant feedback period following a $96 million website upgrade last year.

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This is a real opportunity for the Senate, for the Coalition, for the crossbench, to say to the government: we're going to actually protect young Australians, and we're going to amend your weak laws to ensure that they do something.