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Australia politics live: budget funds to speed up environmental approvals; Coalition deals with Farrer loss

Australia a more attractive place to invest and that’s what we’re doing through the EPBC. > > We’re fast-tracking approvals to build more homes for Australians. > > More efficient approvals mean projects

Paul Keating urges Labor to stick with capital gains tax overhaul and avoid exemptions that would hurt economy

Australia on Wednesday. “The government has done the right thing on housing but it is imperative that the CGT change doesn’t create a new and further distortion to the economy by exempting all other

Labor to highlight ‘risk’ of One Nation to cost of living in bid to dent Pauline Hanson’s popularity

tax cuts. A new [Redbridge Group/Accent Research](https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/one-nation-surges-ahead-of-labor-as-budget-flops-poll-20260531-p602d9) poll published in the Australian Financial Review put One Nation ahead of Labor for the first time, making it the most popular political party

Labor MPs expect eventual concessions for startups after backlash to CGT changes

capital gains tax concessions for startup businesses after [a meme-fuelled backlash to the budget](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/may/17/tech-founders-use-ai-generated-images-to-poke-fun-at-anthony-albanese-in-protest-against-tax-changes), with some wary that scare campaigns could “get out of hand” without clearer explanation of the changes

Butler warns Coalition against using NDIS cuts as ‘pawn in bigger game’ and says bill delays could cost billions

negative gearing and capital gains changes, and have signalled they could team up against the government in the Senate to extend inquiries into the bills. Disability advocacy groups and NDIS providers roundly criticised the proposed

Albanese announces ‘generous’ capital gains tax exemptions for small businesses after budget backlash

Australia’s 2.7m small businesses will receive “generous” exemptions from capital gains tax, as Anthony Albanese flagged startups and testamentary trusts would receive [carve outs](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/may/25/albanese-forges-ahead-labor-budget-tax-reform-cgt-negative-gearing-business-changes) from the government’s contentious tax

Federal budget 2026 summary – winners and losers

capital gains tax and negative gearing reforms will force investors out and let new homebuyers in. However, renters who aren’t able to buy a house are being left behind. The reforms are expected

Pauline Hanson is becoming a problem for Labor – but her focus on battlers could be her kryptonite

negative gearing, capital gains tax and trusts were in part designed to counter One Nation and the myriad frustrations driving voters to embrace rightwing populism. Labor and its trade union allies have also shifted