Josh Butler
joshbutler.bsky.social
Josh Butler
@joshbutler.bsky.social
Political reporter & COS, Guardian Australia - Canberra. I am once again asking for you to send memes & tips.

https://www.theguardian.com/profile/josh-butler
Pinned
Planning to use this a bit more from now on. You can also find me via the following for work stuff:
- my DMs are open
- email: Josh.butler@theguardian.com
- Signal: joshbutler.01
New: the Liberal party ran as “Nationals-lite” last election and would be “rewarding standover tactics” if it caves to dropping net zero, says former party president & MP Jason Falinski

Shadow minister Andrew Bragg says it's “not leadership” to drop it
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
‘Nationals-lite’: former Liberal president says party would be ‘rewarding standover tactics’ if net zero dumped
Exclusive: Jason Falinski says cutting net zero would tell young Australians ‘we have given up’ and could have negative impact at next election
www.theguardian.com
November 5, 2025 at 10:20 PM
The National Anti Corruption Commission says it has prepared an investigation report on a matter which “relates to a grants scheme” relating to a commonwealth official

40 corruption investigations on foot - 7 related to current or former politicians
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
November 4, 2025 at 6:56 AM
Nats MP Michael McCormack has once again done his "Melbourne Cup of Politics" mock horse race call in the parliament

"Canning [Andrew Hastie] has gone hard and fast, maybe a bit too Hastie"

"New England [Barnaby Joyce], maybe changing stables"
November 4, 2025 at 3:13 AM
The Bureau of Meteorology has apologised for unpopular changes to its website and said “adjustments” will be made, following negative public feedback to its redesign

www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Bureau of Meteorology apologises for new website and promises changes after ‘flawed’ update
BoM’s statement comes after federal environment minister says site refresh ‘not meeting many users’ expectations’
www.theguardian.com
October 29, 2025 at 4:46 AM
Liberal voters want the party to pursue more progressive policies and not spiral further into rightwing positions, according to a new poll that shows far more Australians back a net zero climate target than oppose it

Our latest Essential poll:
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Guardian Essential poll: Liberal voters want more progressive Coalition as most Australians back net zero
Voters also unconvinced by Albanese’s Aukus and critical minerals deal with Trump
www.theguardian.com
October 29, 2025 at 2:08 AM
Australian Jewish groups weren’t lining up to endorse Ley’s Joy Division criticisms on Tuesday. Contacted for comment, none of the major community organisations chose to back her criticisms of Albanese’s T-shirt

It featured an album released 46 years ago
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Sussan Ley goes after Anthony Albanese’s Joy Division T-shirt as the Coalition tears itself apart, again
While the opposition leader criticised the prime minister’s clothing as a ‘profound failure of judgment’, Albanese posted he was ‘getting things done’
www.theguardian.com
October 28, 2025 at 10:13 AM
Outside the White House cabinet room hangs a fan-fiction painting of Donald Trump flanked by Abraham Lincoln & Ronald Reagan, proudly displayed amid a gallery of other Trump tributes

Some colour from a few hours inside Trump's gaudy and gilded White House
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Albanese has worked out a way to deal with Trump – even if there are areas where they don’t see eye to eye
The warmness shown by the US president was held up as vindication of the PM’s foreign policy acumen, and the nerve he had shown in not begging for an earlier meeting
www.theguardian.com
October 22, 2025 at 11:25 PM
Asked if Trump’s govt had told him about changes they wanted, Albanese replied: "Yes, but we don’t make announcements about AUKUS and structures at a press conference like this"

Comes after US naval secretary "clarify some of the ambiguity" in AUKUS
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Albanese hints US could still seek changes to Aukus agreement amid review
Speaking in Washington, the prime minister downplayed US comments about ‘ambiguity’ but conceded he knows that the Pentagon want some updates
www.theguardian.com
October 22, 2025 at 4:38 AM
Trump meeting:
- endorses Aukus
- praises Albanese as a "great" PM
- signs multi-billion critical minerals deal
- tells Rudd "I don't like you" (but appears to have forgotten past criticisms)

Big morning in Washington DC, hello Australia
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Albanese at the White House: Trump endorses Aukus, signs $8.5bn rare earths deal and calls PM ‘great leader’
President says US has no better friend than Australia but tells ambassador Kevin Rudd “I don’t like you’
www.theguardian.com
October 20, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Labor government announces major changes to superannuation tax proposal, in a big backdown

$3 million super threshold to now be indexed up to $10m

Also increasing the low-income super tax offset - says changes will "better target superannuation concessions for large balances"
October 13, 2025 at 2:09 AM
The major theme from a lineup of Liberal rightwingers boiled down to: please don’t abandon the Coalition, especially for One Nation, or start a new party

My report from conservative political conference CPAC in Brisbane, and what it means for the opposition

www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Sussan Ley fights for conservative airtime as she struggles to hold together a fractured opposition | Josh Butler
Strip away the pinball machines and photo booth props at Cpac, and the scale of Ley’s challenge in simply keeping the Coalition alive, let alone making it competitive again, becomes clear
www.theguardian.com
September 22, 2025 at 8:00 AM
Tony Abbott asks CPAC conference to give Liberals "one last chance" - urging against UK Reform-style new conservative party

Abbott calls for “reform” of Liberals & “factional warlords”

Other Coalition MPs urge against shift to right-wing minor parties

www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Tony Abbott implores Cpac to give Liberals ‘one last chance’ and condemned party’s ‘factional warlords’
Former PM, Jacinta Nampijinpa Price and conference chair Warren Mundine among speakers urging conservative voters to unite
www.theguardian.com
September 20, 2025 at 5:59 AM
Reposted by Josh Butler
“It’s very simple Brian. The Coalition believes in targets. We believe we have a target of having coming up with a target if we ever get back to running the government. Which of course is in of itself another target, which we have targeted to achieve sometime after 2050.”
September 19, 2025 at 8:20 AM
Sussan Ley indicates Coalition won’t set 2030 / 2035 climate target unless they return to Govt

Comes after a gaffe (since walked back) that Coalition "don’t believe in setting targets at all"

PM Albanese says Oppn “changes its policies from hour to hour”
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Sussan Ley says she ‘misspoke’ after comments that Coalition doesn’t believe in setting climate targets
Liberal leader later clarifies she doesn’t support setting targets while in opposition
www.theguardian.com
September 19, 2025 at 8:09 AM
🚨PM Albanese confirms Australia's 2035 emissions reduction target is a range of 62-70%

Calls it "a responsible target supported by science and a practical plan to get there and built on proven technology"

Calls it right for environment, jobs and national interest
September 18, 2025 at 2:07 AM
great moments in press conference transcript history:
August 27, 2025 at 3:51 AM
Breaking: PM Albanese says ASIO has evidence the Iranian government "directed at least two" anti-Semitic attacks in Australia

Government expelling Iranian ambassador - and will list IRGC as a terror organisation
August 26, 2025 at 3:11 AM
🚨breaking: PM Albanese says Australia will recognise a Palestinian state at the UN general assembly next month
August 11, 2025 at 3:09 AM
former Labor foreign minister Bob Carr says Australia should sanction Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu and move quickly to recognise Palestinian statehood, saying it would send “a message that we are turned inside out with disgust" over Gaza
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...
‘Turned inside out with disgust’: Australia must sanction Benjamin Netanyahu, Bob Carr urges
Former Labor foreign minister says Canberra must seek to be a world leader – not wait for the US or UK – and recognise a Palestinian state
www.theguardian.com
July 25, 2025 at 7:27 AM
major statement from PM Albanese on Gaza, Australia's strongest condemnation yet:

"The situation has gone beyond the world’s worst fears"

"Israel’s denial of aid and the killing of civilians, including children, seeking access to water and food cannot be defended or ignored"
July 25, 2025 at 2:43 AM
"It is horrifying that over 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid. The Israeli Government’s denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable.”

www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Australia condemns Israel for ‘indefensible’ Gaza deaths as it joins coalition of countries denouncing Israel
Australia and 27 other countries said it was ‘horrifying’ that over 800 Palestinians were killed while seeking aid
www.theguardian.com
July 22, 2025 at 12:13 AM
New: A “groundswell” of Labor members are urging the government to reject key recommendations from the federal antisemitism envoy

Labor MPs & members say they're concerned over wider adoption of IHRA definition of antisemitism
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
‘Gross overreach’: Labor group urges Albanese to reject key parts of antisemitism envoy plan
Exclusive: Labor Friends of Palestine concerned by Jillian Segal’s recommendation government adopt IHRA’s contested definition of antisemitism
www.theguardian.com
July 14, 2025 at 4:20 AM
Jillian Segal's plan to Labor Govt on anti-semitism (yet to be adopted) suggests:

- cancelling visas
- “report card” on uni campuses
- tearing up grants to academics & arts orgs
- “monitor" media outlets "to avoid accepting false or distorted narratives"
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Universities and artists face funding threat under antisemitism plan being considered by Australian government
Antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal also urges Labor government to bolster education and seek new powers to deport visitors
www.theguardian.com
July 10, 2025 at 4:25 AM