CANBERRA, ACT, Feb. 5 -- The Treasurer of Australia issued the following media release: The Albanese Government welcomes the very strong returns achieved by the Future Fund which saw our sovereign wealth fund grow by almost $30billion last year. This is a great result for the Future Fund and a great result for our country. In the 2025 calendar year, the Future Fund made a return of 12.4percent, up from 12.2percent in 2024 and 8.0percent in 2023. The Fund has also achieved a 10‑year ret...
CANBERRA, ACT, Feb. 5 -- The Prime Minister of Australia issued the following media release: I can inform the House that the Western Australian Government has confirmed the Western Australia Joint Counter Terrorism Team - comprising WA Police, the Australian Federal Police and ASIO - has charged one man yesterday, a 31-year-old male, with engaging in a terrorist act. That offence carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. I was briefed yesterday in person by the Australian Federal Police C...
CANBERRA, ACT, Feb. 4 -- The Treasurer of Australia issued the following transcript: Note Subjects: inflation, interest rates, tax, splintering of the right‑wing parties Rafael Epstein: Jim Chalmers joins you, he is the federal Treasurer. Good morning. Jim Chalmers: Good morning, Raf. How are you? Epstein: I'm okay. Thank you for joining us. When someone does go to the supermarket any time this year the same stuff is going to end up costing them more and more. Isn't that your fault...
CANBERRA, ACT, Feb. 4 -- The Treasurer of Australia issued the following transcript: Note Subjects: RBA rate rise, inflation figures, price of average mortgage Steve Austin: But as you know, inflation is likely to remain above target for some time, according to the Governor of the Reserve Bank. Treasurer- federal Treasurer, Jim Chalmers, says it was private demand, not government spending, that was the catalyst for the higher inflation. This means that what you pay, sometimes called the Cons...
CANBERRA, ACT, Feb. 4 -- The Treasurer of Australia issued the following transcript: Note Subjects: interest rates, NDIS growth, energy prices Tom Elliott: Joining us on the line, earlier than promised, which is welcome news, the federal Treasurer, Jim Chalmers. Good morning. Jim Chalmers: Good morning, Tom, how are you? Elliott: Good. So, at least 6 articles I've read this morning say that very high federal government spending, now approaching 27percent of the economy, or GDP, is largel...
CANBERRA, ACT, Feb. 4 -- Australian Federal Police issued the following media release: A man who allegedly abused AFP officers and workers at Perth Airport is expected to appear in Perth Magistrates Court today (4 February, 2026) charged with disorderly conduct. The AFP charged the Perth man, 44, over an incident on 6 January, 2026, when he allegedly became aggressive after being told he was too intoxicated to travel. He first came to the attention of workers in the T1 international terminal...
CANBERRA, ACT, Feb. 4 -- Australian Federal Police issued the following media release: A West Australian man was sentenced by the Perth Magistrates' Court yesterday (3 February, 2026) to 15 months' imprisonment for transmitting child abuse material. He was ordered to serve six months in custody and will then be released on a recognisance order to be of good behaviour for 12 months. The Wanneroo man, 38, previously pleaded guilty to one count of using a carriage service to transmit child abuse...
Belconnen, ACT, Feb. 4 -- ACT Policing issued the following media release: A54-year-old man has faced court after allegedly installing a hidden camera ina public bathroom at a Canberra hospital. Police will allege on 7 January (2026), the man entered a public bathroom in the North Canberra Hospitaland installed a small camera underneath the sink. The camera waslocatedby cleaners two weekslaterand theincident was reported to police. Officers fromBelconnen Police Stationidentifiedthe man from ...
CANBERRA, ACT, Feb. 3 -- The Treasurer of Australia issued the following transcript: Note Subjects: interest rates, inflation, cost-of-living relief, Coalition chaos Sarah Ferguson: The Treasurer, Jim Chalmers, joins me now from Canberra. Treasurer, welcome. Jim Chalmers: Thanks, Sarah. Ferguson: You were so confident in your ability to manage the economy in a way to keep interest rates down. What went wrong? Chalmers: Well, what we've seen in recent inflation data is that it's come in...
Belconnen, ACT, Feb. 3 -- ACT Policing issued the following media release: ACT Policing is seeking informationand witnessesaftertelecommunicationsfibreopticcables were damagedmid-lastmonth. Between 1am and 3am on Tuesday13January(2026),fibreoptic cables intwotelecommunicationspitslocatedoffAthllonDrive inWanniassawere damaged, causing disruption to internet services. Police are urging anyone who witnessed any suspicious activityonAthllonDrivebetween Atkins Street and FinchamCrescenton January...