Australia news live: Chalmers says budget will pay down more debt; families of Bondi shooting victims to take stand at royal commission

Treasurer says next week’s budget will save more than it spends. Follow today’s news live Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The Australian government is continuing to engage with the United Kingdom, France and the United States on diplomatic efforts to open the Strait of Hormuz, foreign minister Penny Wong has said. Speaking to ABC News this morning, Wong would not be drawn on US President Donald Trump’s comments that the US would be escorting some stranded ships out of the Strait of Hormuz as a “humanitarian gesture”. We all want the straight opened. That’s what global energy markets need, that’s what the Australian consumer needs so we do want the strait opened and oil to flow through the strait as it was prior to the conflict. However, what I’d say on this. Obviously the US has made its intentions clear.

We are engaging with the United Kingdom, France and the US on keeping the strait open or making sure the strait is opened. Those diplomatic efforts continue. What I would say is that we all have an interest in this being resolved. We’ve taken some very substantial steps already when it comes to the reform of early childhood education and care, probably more than any other government when it comes to affordability and access, and recognising that early childhood education and care is more than child care, it’s more than babysitting. And so we have substantially reoriented the way that this country thinks about early education. We’re very proud of that. And from the Prime Minister right down, there is an appetite to do more in that regard when we can afford to do so. Continue reading...