Sorry about the break in transmission there – my computer decided it just was going to NOT and obviously while we all have sympathy for that attitude, we must endure.

Back with normal transmission now.

Here is that statement:

We, Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Andorra, Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Slovenia and Spain,

Condemn the heinous and antisemitic terrorist attack of October 7th, 2023;

Demand an immediate ceasefire, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages of Hamas, including the remains, as well as ensuring unhindered humanitarian access;

Reiterate our unwavering commitment to the vision of the two-State solution where two democratic States, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace within secure and recognized borders, consistent with international law and relevant UN resolutions, and in this regard stress the importance of unifying the Gaza Strip with the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority;

Express grave concern over the high number of civilian casualties and humanitarian situation in Gaza and emphasize the essential role of the United Nations and its agencies in facilitating humanitarian assistance;

Welcome the commitments made by the President of the Palestinian Authority on June 10th where he (i) condemns the October 7th terrorist attacks (ii) calls for the liberation of hostages and disarmament of Hamas (iii) commits to terminate the prisoner payment system (iv) commits to schooling reform, (v) commits to call for elections within a year to trigger generational renewal and (vi) accepts the principle of a demilitarized Palestinian State;

Ahead of the meeting of the Heads of State and Government that will take place during the high-level week of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 80) in September 2025, we, Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Andorra, Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Slovenia and Spain,
Have already recognized, have expressed or express the willingness or the positive consideration of our countries to recognize the State of Palestine, as an essential step towards the two-State solution, and invite all countries that have not done so to join this call;

Urge countries who have not done so yet to establish normal relations with Israel, and to express their willingness to enter into discussions on the regional integration of the State of Israel;

Express our determination to work on an architecture for the “day after” in Gaza which guarantees the reconstruction of Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas and its exclusion from the Palestinian governance.

Australia has joined a new international statement.

Israel / Palestinian Territories : Joint statement of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs – New York Call (29 July 2025)

The bells are ringing – the parliament session is about to get underway.

It feels like we have already lived a lifetime, but let’s do this!

But first, more coffee.

Buried in this story from the Fin, which seems to be Ryan Stokes complaining about the state of the world, including workers compensation for mental health is this little nugget about support for…a wealth tax.

From the story:

Almost two-thirds of voters would support income tax cuts funded by higher taxes on wealth, and increased taxes on landlords with multiple investment properties, according to a new poll by SEC Newgate Research.

Tax breaks for capital gains from property and shares, trusts and superannuation are too generous and should be dialled back to fund cuts to income tax to reward working-age people and improve the federal budget, tax experts told a roundtable hosted by independent MP Allegra Spender last Friday.

Ahead of Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ productivity roundtable from August 19 to 21, McKinsey released a report that sets five tests for the government’s agenda to be measured against.

Australia has lifted a 22-year-old ban on the import of Canadian beef and beef products, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) says.

Australia imposed import restrictions on Canadian beef in 2003, following the discovery of Canada’s first domestic case of mad cow disease.

The CIFA said Canada holds a negligible risk status for bovine spongiform encephalopathy, which means its beef production system is recognised internationally as safe.

“This regained access to the Australian market is a testament to the co-operation between the CFIA, the Canadian beef industry and our trading partners,” agency president Paul MacKinnon said in a statement.

The announcement follows Australia’s relaxation of import restrictions on American beef last week.

Canberra had restricted US beef imports since 2003 due to concerns about mad cow disease.

The ban was lifted in 2019, but restrictions remained on beef that was sourced from Canada or Mexico and slaughtered in the US, amid concerns it could carry the disease.

Australia’s agriculture ministry said US cattle traceability and control systems had improved enough that Australia could accept beef from cattle born in Canada or Mexico and slaughtered in the United States.

The questions move on to Gaza:

Q: The UK government says it is going to recognise a Palestinian state as early as September unless Israel agrees to a cease fire and two state solution. Is this a good move?

Anika Wells:

Yes, I think unlike what the Prime Minister was saying in the house yesterday, what is happening in Gaza has gone beyond the world’s worst fears. It is now a question of when, not if a two state solution happens. We are working with like-minded parties to ensure that happens as soon as possible.

Q: Rank and file members of the Labor Party have been pushing for a Palestinian state hood for many years now. Could that happen relatively soon?

Wells:

It is a question of when not if. There is things to work through. We need Hamas to release the hostages and we need to secure aid as quickly as possible. Everybody is working on that. Labor has long advocated for a two state solution.

Q: What will happen to the educational content?

Anika Wells:

That is the kind of content that you can see on YouTube Kids. It is also the content that teachers could send a YouTube link home. My kids have learnt number blocks on YouTube. Social media has a place and these laws aren’t infallible. That is the nature of humanity. Kids who are under 18 will find a way to smoke. There is kids who are under 16 who will find a way around this but it is about making a positive impact and it is about the chilling effect that it is the law, you aren’t meant to be on there and there is plenty of other things for you to do.

We would rather kids work out who they are before social media platforms assume who they are.

What does the government expect from YouTube?

Anika Wells:

If you are in a logged out state, YouTube says you don’t see age-restrictive content. That is a social responsibility upon YouTube to fix that in the general sense, I would argue. This is about the chilling effect – there is another survey that asks kids who are north of 16 do they wish they had gotten on social media later or had a delayed start? And they all say “Yes, we do” but when everybody is on it and you are not, that is isolating. You are not on it and it is the law and we would prefer you to be outside playing sport or something. Your friends aren’t on it so you aren’t missing out.

This is very vice-captain behaviour.

Communications minister Anika Wells is speaking to ABC News Breakfast this morning about the government’s formal decision to include YouTube in the under-16s social media ban.

As aged care minister Wells was tasked with enacting parts of the aged care royal commission. Now she is being tested with implementing the ban in the face of pushback from the tech giants.

On the YouTube inclusion Wells says:

Fresh evidence from the eSafety Commissioner is that 37% of kids had their most recent or most impactful online harm at the hands of YouTube. That is evidence that I can’t ignore and they are joining the ban.

What about YouTube Kids?

No, that doesn’t qualify for the laws because it doesn’t have the ability to upload videos or make comments on videos. We can all agree, social media has its place. We use YouTube kids when you need to occupy your child while you are working but persuasive and predatory algorithms do not have a place and that is what we are cracking down on.

Q: How will kids be prevented from logging on? People don’t actually log onto YouTube and parents can’t watch their kids all the time.

I want parents to know we have your backs. The onus is on the platforms to uphold their social responsibility as a social media platform and come 10 December, social media accounts held by under 16s must be deactivated, platforms must take reasonable steps to make sure they don’t get reactivated or new accounts or work arounds. Kids will find work arounds. We know they will. Platforms must take reasonable steps to try and stop that from happening.