Australia news live: former Murdoch executive named New York consul general; Albanese launches bid for UN security council seat

According to a report by The Guardian… Follow the day’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFinance minister says Coalition proposal to cut fuel excise during periods of high oil prices not a good ideaKaty Gallagher, the federal finance minister, said the government doesn’t think a Coalition plan to halve the fuel excise whenever oil prices skyrocket is a “good idea”, saying it is an “unfunded, uncounted promise” from Angus Taylor.Obviously, we’ve helped when the war started with some changes to the fuel excise, but we’ve shifted and [are] including in the budget to providing more permanent cost of living arrangements, including through the tax system, to make sure that that ongoing cost of living help is there permanently, not just in these one-off arrangements, which, when we’ve got higher inflation, could be difficult in the economy.Our decisions have been built and baked into the budget to make sure that that cost of living help is permanent. You know, the sooner this war in the Middle East stops, the better.Australia’s diplomatic network enables us to promote our interests in peace, security, trade, investment and other areas of cooperation.Australia takes the world as it is and seeks to shape it for the better – these diplomatic appointments will deepen Australia’s connections abroad and increase our ability to influence where it matters. Continue reading… complete report is on link below. Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2026/sep/21/anthony-albanese-new-york-jim-chalmers-intergenerational-report-coalition-one-nation-ntwnfb