Australia news as it happened: Sussan Ley’s leadership expected to be challenged within days; Anti-Herzog protests turn violent in Sydney’s CBD

Thanks for reading the national news blog. This is where we’ll end today’s coverage. We will be back tomorrow with the latest news.

To conclude, here’s a look back at some of the day’s major stories:

• Pro-Palestine demonstrators gathered in major cities around the country last night to protest Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit to Australia. A demonstration in Sydney ended in violent clashes between police and protesters. NSW Greens MP Abigail Boyd alleges she was a victim of police brutality at the demonstration.
• Crossbench independents called out Nationals backbencher Colin Boyce in question time for saying “rip her apart” after Greens MP Elizabeth Watson-Brown asked a question about the prime minister’s invitation to the Israeli president.
• Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the government planned to deal with the rise in inflation with responsible cost-of-living relief, “primarily through the tax system”. He said budget repair and boosting productivity were also a priority.

• A neo-Nazi leader accused of leading an attack on an Aboriginal protest site has flagged a possible plea but still claims he was provoked. Thomas Sewell, 32, and more than a dozen other men faced Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday after being charged over the Camp Sovereignty incident last August.

• And overseas, Chappell Roan has become the highest-profile artist to sever ties with Casey Wasserman, the leading talent agent whose name appears in the recently released Epstein files.

Thanks again for joining us. This is Isabel McMillan signing off.

Chappell Roan has become the highest-profile artist to sever ties with Casey Wasserman, the leading talent agent whose name appears in the recently released Epstein files.

The US star, who is currently in Australia headlining the Laneway Festival tour, on Tuesday (AEDT) posted a statement to her Instagram Stories saying she was “as of today, no longer represented by Wasserman, the talent agency led by Casey Wasserman”.

“I hold my team to the highest standards and have a duty to protect them as well,” she continued. “No artist, agent or employee should ever be expected to defend or overlook actions that conflict so deeply with our own moral values.”

Wasserman was founded in 2002 as a sports marketing and entertainment agency, and has hundreds of music clients, including superstars Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Imagine Dragons, Kasey Musgraves, Lorde, Pharrell and Tyler, the Creator.

But the firm has been in crisis mode since January 30, when messages sent in 2003 by Wasserman to Ghislaine Maxwell, the former girlfriend and close associate of the late convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, emerged among the millions of files released by the US Justice Department.

Read the full story here.

A Liberal-National MP has defied Premier David Crisafulli’s ploy to control far-right figures in the government’s party room by crossing the floor during a bid to reverse a gag on debate relating to the termination of pregnancy.

In the weeks following the 2024 state election, Crisafulli stunned parliament with a motion banning any bills or debate on abortion laws after the issue had threatened to derail his party’s campaign.

The motion, which was passed at the time with his party’s support, banned any bill or amendment to the Termination of Pregnancy Act as well as any motion or amendment “seeking to have this house express its views” on the laws.

On Tuesday, crossbench MP Robbie Katter, the state leader of Katter’s Australian Party and vocal advocate to tighten access to abortion, sought parliament’s approval to move a motion he had flagged would reverse Crisafulli’s gag on the debate.

The vote was supported by the crossbench as well as the Labor opposition but rejected by most of the LNP members, except for the member for Mackay, Nigel Dalton, who crossed the floor.

Read the full story here.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has warned the opposition off trying to score political points amid violent clashes between police and protesters during the Israeli president’s visit to Australia.

Opposition communications spokeswoman Melissa McIntosh called on Albanese to condemn former Australian of the Year Grace Tame, who was filmed at Sydney’s protest last night saying “from Gadigal to Gaza globalise the intifada”.

“We need to not continually look for political opportunities from what is a devastating situation. We need to turn the temperature down,” Albanese said, and referred to his earlier remarks in which he called for Isaac Herzog’s visit to be respected.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the government planned to deal with the up-tick in inflation with responsible cost-of-living relief, “primarily through the tax system”.

He said budget repair and boosting productivity were also a priority.

“We do acknowledge and understand that this inflation is putting extra pressure on people in the community,” Chalmers said.

“This inflation is higher than anyone would like. The interest rate decision which accompanied it puts extra pressure on millions of people with a mortgage. We take our responsibilities to every Australian seriously, and we know right now, when they are under pressure, we need to do more than acknowledge that and act.”