{"id":2221,"date":"2026-02-12T20:04:50","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T20:04:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=2221"},"modified":"2026-02-12T20:04:50","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T20:04:50","slug":"australia-politics-live-liberals-prepare-for-leadership-vote-albanese-to-mark-18th-anniversary-of-national-apology-australia-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=2221","title":{"rendered":"Australia politics live: Liberals prepare for leadership vote; Albanese to mark 18th anniversary of national apology | Australia news"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"liveblog-body\"><span class=\"dcr-90inr0\"><gu-island name=\"KeyEventsCarousel\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;keyEvents&quot;:[{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;679b43ab8f08d7cb6f3007fa&quot;,&quot;elements&quot;:[{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I\u2019m &lt;strong&gt;Martin Farrer&lt;\/strong&gt; with the top overnight stories and then &lt;strong&gt;Krishani Dhanji&lt;\/strong&gt; will take the reins.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;21b424fc-b7c5-4e08-8ad5-f3e3062f24bd&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;It might be a bit early in the day for popcorn but there is great political theatre to enjoy this morning as the Liberal leadership vote starts at 9am with &lt;strong&gt;Angus Taylor&lt;\/strong&gt; reportedly on track to oust &lt;strong&gt;Sussan Ley&lt;\/strong&gt; after only nine months in the job. We will be building up to the vote before then and will bring the best coverage as soon as it happens.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;eed44863-6108-4596-8634-64f26361d539&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;Meanwhile, it\u2019s the 18th anniversary of the national apology to the Stolen Generations and there will be speeches to mark it, with the PM expected to give an address.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;27a28136-e640-4142-a87b-f4aa221983b2&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;The Israeli president, &lt;strong&gt;Isaac Herzog&lt;\/strong&gt;, is preparing to leave Australia after thousands took to the streets of Melbourne in a final wave of protests marking the end of a controversial week. Herzog had been wrapping up his visit by meeting Jewish groups in the city but \u2013 in contrast to the scenes in Sydney earlier this week \u2013 the protests remained largely peaceful. More coming up.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;c57d000b-1cf2-4a0a-b342-08eb823c5d8e&quot;}],&quot;attributes&quot;:{&quot;pinned&quot;:false,&quot;keyEvent&quot;:true,&quot;summary&quot;:false},&quot;blockCreatedOn&quot;:1770924622000,&quot;blockCreatedOnDisplay&quot;:&quot;14.30\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockLastUpdated&quot;:1770924887000,&quot;blockLastUpdatedDisplay&quot;:&quot;14.34\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockFirstPublished&quot;:1770924622000,&quot;blockFirstPublishedDisplay&quot;:&quot;14.30\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone&quot;:&quot;14.30&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Welcome&quot;,&quot;contributors&quot;:[],&quot;primaryDateLine&quot;:&quot;Thu 12 Feb 2026 15.03 EST&quot;,&quot;secondaryDateLine&quot;:&quot;First published on Thu 12 Feb 2026 14.30 EST&quot;}],&quot;filterKeyEvents&quot;:false,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;key-events-carousel-mobile&quot;,&quot;renderingTarget&quot;:&quot;Web&quot;,&quot;serverTime&quot;:1770926690015}\"><span id=\"key-events-carousel-mobile\"\/><span class=\"dcr-90inr0\"><\/p>\n<p>Key events<\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/gu-island><gu-island name=\"FilterKeyEventsToggle\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;filterKeyEvents&quot;:false,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;filter-toggle-mobile&quot;}\"><span id=\"filter-toggle-mobile\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-alru3r\"><label id=\"filter-toggle-mobile-switch_description\" data-component=\"filter-key-events\" data-link-name=\"filter-key-events-on\" class=\"dcr-rrspei\"><button id=\"filter-toggle-mobile-switch\" role=\"switch\" aria-checked=\"false\" aria-labelledby=\"filter-toggle-mobile-switch_description\" class=\"dcr-dh5oqp\"\/>Show key events only<\/p>\n<p><span>Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/label><\/div>\n<p><\/gu-island><\/span><\/p>\n<article id=\"block-698dc55a8f088bd5978fcb4e\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\">\n<div class=\"dcr-dzkvsd\">\n<div class=\"dcr-uae6pk\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/uploads\/2025\/03\/14\/Patrick_Commins.png?width=300&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=24331ece1fedaf86ba7048e2c86b8cd2\" alt=\"Patrick Commins\" class=\"dcr-lysqes\"\/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-sa35sa\">Patrick Commins<\/span><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">UNSW economics professor <strong>Bruce Preston<\/strong> has been appointed to the Reserve Bank\u2019s interest-rate setting board, starting his five-year term in March.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Preston will replace <strong>Alison Watkins<\/strong>, a former boss of Coca-Cola Amatil who also sits on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/business-australia\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Business<\/a> Council of Australia\u2019s board.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Watkins has been an RBA board member since December 2020.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Jim Chalmers announced the appointment to the nine-member monetary policy board on Thursday evening, saying Preston \u201cis one of the most highly respected and experienced macroeconomists and he will do an excellent job\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In addition to a couple of decades in academia, Preston has worked in the Reserve Bank and later as a senior advisor at the central bank and at Treasury.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Preston is seen as an uncontroversial appointment, especially after the sweeping review of the RBA\u2019s operations and governance recommended more technical expertise on the monetary policy board.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">He will get his first chance to cast his interest rate vote during the bank\u2019s next two-day meeting from March 16.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">For the record, financial markets are pricing in only a 16% rate hike in March, but that jumps to over 80% by the May meeting.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><gu-island name=\"ShareButton\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;size&quot;:&quot;xsmall&quot;,&quot;pageId&quot;:&quot;australia-news\/live\/2026\/feb\/13\/australia-politics-live-liberals-leadership-spill-vote-angus-taylor-sussan-ley-libspill-anthony-albanese-indigenous-apology-anniversary-ntwnfb&quot;,&quot;hash&quot;:&quot;block-698dc55a8f088bd5978fcb4e&quot;,&quot;queryParams&quot;:{&quot;page&quot;:&quot;with:block-698dc55a8f088bd5978fcb4e&quot;},&quot;webTitle&quot;:&quot;Australia politics live: Liberals prepare for leadership vote; Albanese to mark 18th anniversary of national apology&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:11,&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0},&quot;context&quot;:&quot;LiveBlock&quot;}\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Australia politics live: Liberals prepare for leadership vote; Albanese to mark 18th anniversary of national apology&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/live\/2026\/feb\/13\/australia-politics-live-liberals-leadership-spill-vote-angus-taylor-sussan-ley-libspill-anthony-albanese-indigenous-apology-anniversary-ntwnfb?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-698dc55a8f088bd5978fcb4e#block-698dc55a8f088bd5978fcb4e\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"-3 -3 30 30\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M19 16c1.675 0 3 1.35 3 3 0 1.675-1.325 3-3 3a2.97 2.97 0 0 1-2.975-3c0-.125 0-.275.025-.375L7.1 14.15a2.9 2.9 0 0 1-2.075.825C3.325 14.975 2 13.65 2 12a3.004 3.004 0 0 1 3.025-3.025c.775 0 1.5.35 2.075.875l8.95-4.475c-.025-.1-.025-.225-.025-.4A2.966 2.966 0 0 1 19 2c1.675 0 3 1.325 3 2.975C22 6.65 20.675 8 19 8c-.8 0-1.475-.325-2.05-.825l-8.975 4.45C8 11.7 8 11.825 8 12s0 .3-.025.375l8.975 4.45c.575-.5 1.25-.825 2.05-.825m0-12.8c-.975 0-1.8.775-1.8 1.775S18.025 6.8 19 6.8c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.825S20 3.2 19 3.2m0 17.6c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.8 0-1-.825-1.8-1.825-1.8-.975 0-1.8.8-1.8 1.8 0 .975.825 1.8 1.8 1.8\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/gu-island><\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<aside data-ad-slot=\"true\" class=\"ad-slot-container ad-slot-desktop dcr-jko40v\"\/>\n<aside data-ad-slot=\"true\" class=\"ad-slot-container dcr-jko40v\"\/>\n<article id=\"block-698ded108f088bd5978fcd31\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\"\/>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Isaac Herzog to leave Australia<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, is preparing to leave Australia after thousands took to the streets in a final wave of protests marking the end of a controversial week, AAP reports.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Herzog concluded his final closely guarded four-day visit in Melbourne yesterday where he met senior politicians and community leaders.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Despite the president declaring there was \u201chope in the air\u201d in his final speech, about 10,000 people gathered on the steps of Flinders Street Station in defiance, saying he was not welcome.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"b1b492c3-fb74-4c73-a24a-22caacfb10c5\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-fd61eq\"><span class=\"dcr-1inf02i\"><svg width=\"18\" height=\"13\" viewbox=\"0 0 18 13\"><path d=\"M18 3.5v8l-1.5 1.5h-15l-1.5-1.5v-8l1.5-1.5h3.5l2-2h4l2 2h3.5l1.5 1.5zm-9 7.5c1.9 0 3.5-1.6 3.5-3.5s-1.6-3.5-3.5-3.5-3.5 1.6-3.5 3.5 1.6 3.5 3.5 3.5z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">People gather outside Flinders Street Station to protest against a visit to Melbourne by the Israeli president, Isaac Herzog.<\/span> Photograph: Anadolu\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The demonstrators remained largely peaceful, despite a small scuffle breaking out as Palestinian organiser Tasnim Sammak addressed the crowd.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Victoria police said special powers granted for the event were not used.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Among the speakers was Palestinian activist Muayad Ali, who criticised the prime minister\u2019s decision to host the president in Australia.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cI never swear, but this is not diplomacy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The protest was a far cry from the scenes witnessed in Sydney, where at least nine people were charged and 27 arrested after protesters were punched and pushed by police when an anti-Herzog rally turned violent.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Herzog said his visit to Melbourne had ignited a renewed sense of hope.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cI must tell you that we return to Israel feeling empowered because we have seen first-hand the beauty and resilience of this community,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Herzog said discussions with the Australian leadership to address \u201cvile rhetoric, misinformation and shameful antisemitism\u201d were conducted with candour, open-mindedness and a great deal of mutual respect.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><gu-island name=\"ShareButton\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;size&quot;:&quot;xsmall&quot;,&quot;pageId&quot;:&quot;australia-news\/live\/2026\/feb\/13\/australia-politics-live-liberals-leadership-spill-vote-angus-taylor-sussan-ley-libspill-anthony-albanese-indigenous-apology-anniversary-ntwnfb&quot;,&quot;hash&quot;:&quot;block-698ded108f088bd5978fcd31&quot;,&quot;queryParams&quot;:{&quot;page&quot;:&quot;with:block-698ded108f088bd5978fcd31&quot;},&quot;webTitle&quot;:&quot;Australia politics live: Liberals prepare for leadership vote; Albanese to mark 18th anniversary of national apology&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:11,&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0},&quot;context&quot;:&quot;LiveBlock&quot;}\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Australia politics live: Liberals prepare for leadership vote; Albanese to mark 18th anniversary of national apology&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/live\/2026\/feb\/13\/australia-politics-live-liberals-leadership-spill-vote-angus-taylor-sussan-ley-libspill-anthony-albanese-indigenous-apology-anniversary-ntwnfb?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-698ded108f088bd5978fcd31#block-698ded108f088bd5978fcd31\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"-3 -3 30 30\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M19 16c1.675 0 3 1.35 3 3 0 1.675-1.325 3-3 3a2.97 2.97 0 0 1-2.975-3c0-.125 0-.275.025-.375L7.1 14.15a2.9 2.9 0 0 1-2.075.825C3.325 14.975 2 13.65 2 12a3.004 3.004 0 0 1 3.025-3.025c.775 0 1.5.35 2.075.875l8.95-4.475c-.025-.1-.025-.225-.025-.4A2.966 2.966 0 0 1 19 2c1.675 0 3 1.325 3 2.975C22 6.65 20.675 8 19 8c-.8 0-1.475-.325-2.05-.825l-8.975 4.45C8 11.7 8 11.825 8 12s0 .3-.025.375l8.975 4.45c.575-.5 1.25-.825 2.05-.825m0-12.8c-.975 0-1.8.775-1.8 1.775S18.025 6.8 19 6.8c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.825S20 3.2 19 3.2m0 17.6c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.8 0-1-.825-1.8-1.825-1.8-.975 0-1.8.8-1.8 1.8 0 .975.825 1.8 1.8 1.8\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/gu-island><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a0<time datetime=\"2026-02-12T19:52:48.000Z\" data-locale=\"en-us\" title=\"Thursday, February 12, 2026 at 02:52 PM Eastern Standard Time\">14.52 EST<\/time><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<aside data-ad-slot=\"true\" class=\"ad-slot-container dcr-jko40v\"\/>\n<article id=\"block-698dc5568f08e10ef9391141\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\"\/>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The leadership spill is the culmination of a string of disasters in the recent weeks, writes Josh Butler this morning, which revealed fundamental disunity in Coaltion ranks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">These included the Nationals splitting from the Coalition (again) on the Bondi day of mourning, Ley\u2019s critics were seen meeting in Melbourne on the day of Liberal MP Katie Allen\u2019s funeral, Taylor\u2019s resignation overshadowed the visit of Israeli president Isaac Herzog, and rolling resignations came as the political classes were supposed to be showing solidarity on the day of the annual Closing The Gap statement.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">As the spill was set for today, Josh writes:<\/p>\n<blockquote data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-154zxly\">\n<p><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 14\" style=\"fill:var(--block-quote-fill)\" class=\"dcr-scql1j\"><path d=\"M5.255 0h4.75c-.572 4.53-1.077 8.972-1.297 13.941H0C.792 9.104 2.44 4.53 5.255 0Zm11.061 0H21c-.506 4.53-1.077 8.972-1.297 13.941h-8.686c.902-4.837 2.485-9.411 5.3-13.941Z\"\/><\/svg>The oposition as a whole looked more despondent, distracted and dishevelled than usual. Frontbenchers gazed around the room, texted on their phones; we saw one person whose name had been mentioned as a potential deputy leadership candidate (we won\u2019t rumble who) literally twiddling their thumbs. Ley was quiet.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Read the whole piece here:<\/p>\n<figure id=\"a12280d1-1a6c-4711-860d-7467f9aa9f54\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\"><gu-island name=\"RichLinkComponent\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"idle\" props=\"{&quot;richLinkIndex&quot;:5,&quot;element&quot;:{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement&quot;,&quot;prefix&quot;:&quot;Related: &quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;On Sussan Ley\u2019s possible final day of leadership, Angus Taylor was all smiles \u2013 even through a 75-minute roasting | Josh Butler&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;a12280d1-1a6c-4711-860d-7467f9aa9f54&quot;,&quot;role&quot;:&quot;inline&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/2026\/feb\/12\/on-sussan-leys-likely-final-day-of-leadership-angus-taylor-was-all-smiles-even-through-a-75-minute-roasting&quot;},&quot;ajaxUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/api.nextgen.guardianapps.co.uk&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:11,&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0}}\"\/><\/figure>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><gu-island name=\"ShareButton\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;size&quot;:&quot;xsmall&quot;,&quot;pageId&quot;:&quot;australia-news\/live\/2026\/feb\/13\/australia-politics-live-liberals-leadership-spill-vote-angus-taylor-sussan-ley-libspill-anthony-albanese-indigenous-apology-anniversary-ntwnfb&quot;,&quot;hash&quot;:&quot;block-698dc5568f08e10ef9391141&quot;,&quot;queryParams&quot;:{&quot;page&quot;:&quot;with:block-698dc5568f08e10ef9391141&quot;},&quot;webTitle&quot;:&quot;Australia politics live: Liberals prepare for leadership vote; Albanese to mark 18th anniversary of national apology&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:11,&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0},&quot;context&quot;:&quot;LiveBlock&quot;}\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Australia politics live: Liberals prepare for leadership vote; Albanese to mark 18th anniversary of national apology&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/live\/2026\/feb\/13\/australia-politics-live-liberals-leadership-spill-vote-angus-taylor-sussan-ley-libspill-anthony-albanese-indigenous-apology-anniversary-ntwnfb?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-698dc5568f08e10ef9391141#block-698dc5568f08e10ef9391141\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"-3 -3 30 30\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M19 16c1.675 0 3 1.35 3 3 0 1.675-1.325 3-3 3a2.97 2.97 0 0 1-2.975-3c0-.125 0-.275.025-.375L7.1 14.15a2.9 2.9 0 0 1-2.075.825C3.325 14.975 2 13.65 2 12a3.004 3.004 0 0 1 3.025-3.025c.775 0 1.5.35 2.075.875l8.95-4.475c-.025-.1-.025-.225-.025-.4A2.966 2.966 0 0 1 19 2c1.675 0 3 1.325 3 2.975C22 6.65 20.675 8 19 8c-.8 0-1.475-.325-2.05-.825l-8.975 4.45C8 11.7 8 11.825 8 12s0 .3-.025.375l8.975 4.45c.575-.5 1.25-.825 2.05-.825m0-12.8c-.975 0-1.8.775-1.8 1.775S18.025 6.8 19 6.8c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.825S20 3.2 19 3.2m0 17.6c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.8 0-1-.825-1.8-1.825-1.8-.975 0-1.8.8-1.8 1.8 0 .975.825 1.8 1.8 1.8\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/gu-island><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a0<time datetime=\"2026-02-12T19:51:42.000Z\" data-locale=\"en-us\" title=\"Thursday, February 12, 2026 at 02:51 PM Eastern Standard Time\">14.51 EST<\/time><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<aside data-ad-slot=\"true\" class=\"ad-slot-container ad-slot-desktop dcr-jko40v\"\/>\n<article id=\"block-698dc5538f088bd5978fcb4d\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\"\/>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Liberal leadership ballot to start at 9am<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">All eyes will be on the Liberal party room this morning with the leadership ballot set to begin at 9am.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">After a string of frontbenchers announced they would be backing him, <strong>Angus Taylor<\/strong>\u2019s backers are confident he has the numbers to unseat <strong>Sussan Ley<\/strong> after only nine months in post.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Here\u2019s our latest news story so you can get up to speed:<\/p>\n<figure id=\"e46871a9-32c7-4b79-92a3-9730e3fc2340\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\"><gu-island name=\"RichLinkComponent\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"idle\" props=\"{&quot;richLinkIndex&quot;:4,&quot;element&quot;:{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement&quot;,&quot;prefix&quot;:&quot;Related: &quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Liberal party on brink of dumping first female leader with Taylor\u2019s backers confident of defeating Ley&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;e46871a9-32c7-4b79-92a3-9730e3fc2340&quot;,&quot;role&quot;:&quot;inline&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/2026\/feb\/12\/liberal-party-on-brink-of-dumping-first-female-leader-with-taylors-backers-confident-of-defeating-ley&quot;},&quot;ajaxUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/api.nextgen.guardianapps.co.uk&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:11,&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0}}\"\/><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">And there\u2019s also the crucial question of who would be Taylor\u2019s deputy as he tries to bring the more moderate wing of the party into his tent.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"fc1347a4-0749-414c-8c40-013359a062d4\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\"><gu-island name=\"RichLinkComponent\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"idle\" props=\"{&quot;richLinkIndex&quot;:6,&quot;element&quot;:{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement&quot;,&quot;prefix&quot;:&quot;Related: &quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Angus Taylor will challenge for the Liberal leadership \u2013 but who will be the deputy?&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;fc1347a4-0749-414c-8c40-013359a062d4&quot;,&quot;role&quot;:&quot;inline&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/2026\/feb\/12\/angus-taylor-will-challenge-for-the-liberal-leadership-but-who-will-be-the-deputy&quot;},&quot;ajaxUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/api.nextgen.guardianapps.co.uk&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:11,&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0}}\"\/><\/figure>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><gu-island name=\"ShareButton\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;size&quot;:&quot;xsmall&quot;,&quot;pageId&quot;:&quot;australia-news\/live\/2026\/feb\/13\/australia-politics-live-liberals-leadership-spill-vote-angus-taylor-sussan-ley-libspill-anthony-albanese-indigenous-apology-anniversary-ntwnfb&quot;,&quot;hash&quot;:&quot;block-698dc5538f088bd5978fcb4d&quot;,&quot;queryParams&quot;:{&quot;page&quot;:&quot;with:block-698dc5538f088bd5978fcb4d&quot;},&quot;webTitle&quot;:&quot;Australia politics live: Liberals prepare for leadership vote; Albanese to mark 18th anniversary of national apology&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:11,&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0},&quot;context&quot;:&quot;LiveBlock&quot;}\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Australia politics live: Liberals prepare for leadership vote; Albanese to mark 18th anniversary of national apology&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/live\/2026\/feb\/13\/australia-politics-live-liberals-leadership-spill-vote-angus-taylor-sussan-ley-libspill-anthony-albanese-indigenous-apology-anniversary-ntwnfb?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-698dc5538f088bd5978fcb4d#block-698dc5538f088bd5978fcb4d\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"-3 -3 30 30\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M19 16c1.675 0 3 1.35 3 3 0 1.675-1.325 3-3 3a2.97 2.97 0 0 1-2.975-3c0-.125 0-.275.025-.375L7.1 14.15a2.9 2.9 0 0 1-2.075.825C3.325 14.975 2 13.65 2 12a3.004 3.004 0 0 1 3.025-3.025c.775 0 1.5.35 2.075.875l8.95-4.475c-.025-.1-.025-.225-.025-.4A2.966 2.966 0 0 1 19 2c1.675 0 3 1.325 3 2.975C22 6.65 20.675 8 19 8c-.8 0-1.475-.325-2.05-.825l-8.975 4.45C8 11.7 8 11.825 8 12s0 .3-.025.375l8.975 4.45c.575-.5 1.25-.825 2.05-.825m0-12.8c-.975 0-1.8.775-1.8 1.775S18.025 6.8 19 6.8c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.825S20 3.2 19 3.2m0 17.6c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.8 0-1-.825-1.8-1.825-1.8-.975 0-1.8.8-1.8 1.8 0 .975.825 1.8 1.8 1.8\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/gu-island><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a0<time datetime=\"2026-02-12T20:03:12.000Z\" data-locale=\"en-us\" title=\"Thursday, February 12, 2026 at 03:03 PM Eastern Standard Time\">15.03 EST<\/time><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<aside data-ad-slot=\"true\" class=\"ad-slot-container dcr-jko40v\"\/>\n<article id=\"block-679b43ab8f08d7cb6f3007fa\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\">\n<h2 class=\"dcr-1wl2b6o\">Welcome<\/h2>\n<\/header>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I\u2019m <strong>Martin Farrer<\/strong> with the top overnight stories and then <strong>Krishani Dhanji<\/strong> will take the reins.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">It might be a bit early in the day for popcorn but there is great political theatre to enjoy this morning as the Liberal leadership vote starts at 9am with <strong>Angus Taylor<\/strong> reportedly on track to oust <strong>Sussan Ley<\/strong> after only nine months in the job. We will be building up to the vote before then and will bring the best coverage as soon as it happens.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Meanwhile, it\u2019s the 18th anniversary of the national apology to the Stolen Generations and there will be speeches to mark it, with the PM expected to give an address.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The Israeli president, <strong>Isaac Herzog<\/strong>, is preparing to leave Australia after thousands took to the streets of Melbourne in a final wave of protests marking the end of a controversial week. Herzog had been wrapping up his visit by meeting Jewish groups in the city but \u2013 in contrast to the scenes in Sydney earlier this week \u2013 the protests remained largely peaceful. More coming up.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><gu-island name=\"ShareButton\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;size&quot;:&quot;xsmall&quot;,&quot;pageId&quot;:&quot;australia-news\/live\/2026\/feb\/13\/australia-politics-live-liberals-leadership-spill-vote-angus-taylor-sussan-ley-libspill-anthony-albanese-indigenous-apology-anniversary-ntwnfb&quot;,&quot;hash&quot;:&quot;block-679b43ab8f08d7cb6f3007fa&quot;,&quot;queryParams&quot;:{&quot;page&quot;:&quot;with:block-679b43ab8f08d7cb6f3007fa&quot;},&quot;webTitle&quot;:&quot;Australia politics live: Liberals prepare for leadership vote; Albanese to mark 18th anniversary of national apology&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:11,&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0},&quot;context&quot;:&quot;LiveBlock&quot;}\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Australia politics live: Liberals prepare for leadership vote; Albanese to mark 18th anniversary of national apology&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/live\/2026\/feb\/13\/australia-politics-live-liberals-leadership-spill-vote-angus-taylor-sussan-ley-libspill-anthony-albanese-indigenous-apology-anniversary-ntwnfb?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-679b43ab8f08d7cb6f3007fa#block-679b43ab8f08d7cb6f3007fa\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"-3 -3 30 30\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M19 16c1.675 0 3 1.35 3 3 0 1.675-1.325 3-3 3a2.97 2.97 0 0 1-2.975-3c0-.125 0-.275.025-.375L7.1 14.15a2.9 2.9 0 0 1-2.075.825C3.325 14.975 2 13.65 2 12a3.004 3.004 0 0 1 3.025-3.025c.775 0 1.5.35 2.075.875l8.95-4.475c-.025-.1-.025-.225-.025-.4A2.966 2.966 0 0 1 19 2c1.675 0 3 1.325 3 2.975C22 6.65 20.675 8 19 8c-.8 0-1.475-.325-2.05-.825l-8.975 4.45C8 11.7 8 11.825 8 12s0 .3-.025.375l8.975 4.45c.575-.5 1.25-.825 2.05-.825m0-12.8c-.975 0-1.8.775-1.8 1.775S18.025 6.8 19 6.8c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.825S20 3.2 19 3.2m0 17.6c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.8 0-1-.825-1.8-1.825-1.8-.975 0-1.8.8-1.8 1.8 0 .975.825 1.8 1.8 1.8\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/gu-island><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a0<time datetime=\"2026-02-12T19:34:47.000Z\" data-locale=\"en-us\" title=\"Thursday, February 12, 2026 at 02:34 PM Eastern Standard Time\">14.34 EST<\/time><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<p><gu-island name=\"LiveBlogEpic\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"idle\" props=\"{&quot;sectionId&quot;:&quot;australia-news&quot;,&quot;shouldHideReaderRevenue&quot;:false,&quot;tags&quot;:[{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;australia-news\/australia-news&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;Keyword&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Australia news&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;australia-news\/australian-politics&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;Keyword&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Australian politics&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;campaign\/email\/afternoon-update&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;Campaign&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Afternoon Update AUS&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;business\/australia-economy&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;Keyword&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Australian economy&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;australia-news\/business-australia&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;Keyword&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Business&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;australia-news\/health&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;Keyword&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Health&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;australia-news\/australian-education&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;Keyword&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Australian education&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;australia-news\/australian-immigration-and-asylum&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;Keyword&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Australian immigration and asylum&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;australia-news\/australian-foreign-policy&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;Keyword&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Australian foreign policy&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;australia-news\/series\/australian-politics-live-with-krishani-dhanji&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;Series&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Australian politics live with Krishani Dhanji&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;type\/article&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;Type&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Article&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;tone\/minutebyminute&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;Tone&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Minute by minute&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;tone\/news&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;Tone&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;News&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;profile\/martinfarrer&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;Contributor&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Martin 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Commins&quot;,&quot;bylineImageUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/uploads\/2025\/03\/14\/Patrick_Commins.jpg?width=300&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=15cfd26c2f8ea7f6c5da774efce8caf5&quot;,&quot;bylineLargeImageUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/uploads\/2025\/03\/14\/Patrick_Commins.png?width=300&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=24331ece1fedaf86ba7048e2c86b8cd2&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;tracking\/commissioningdesk\/australia-news&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;Tracking&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Australia News&quot;}],&quot;isPaidContent&quot;:false,&quot;contributionsServiceUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/contributions.guardianapis.com&quot;,&quot;pageId&quot;:&quot;australia-news\/live\/2026\/feb\/13\/australia-politics-live-liberals-leadership-spill-vote-angus-taylor-sussan-ley-libspill-anthony-albanese-indigenous-apology-anniversary-ntwnfb&quot;,&quot;keywordIds&quot;:&quot;australia-news\/australia-news,australia-news\/australian-politics,business\/australia-economy,australia-news\/business-australia,australia-news\/health,australia-news\/australian-education,australia-news\/australian-immigration-and-asylum,australia-news\/australian-foreign-policy&quot;,&quot;renderingTarget&quot;:&quot;Web&quot;}\"\/><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/live\/2026\/feb\/13\/australia-politics-live-liberals-leadership-spill-vote-angus-taylor-sussan-ley-libspill-anthony-albanese-indigenous-apology-anniversary-ntwnfb\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key events Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature Patrick Commins UNSW economics professor Bruce Preston has been appointed to the&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2222,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2221","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2221","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2221"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2221\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2222"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2221"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2221"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2221"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}