Key posts

• 7.04amNarrow majority want more public anti-corruption hearings: poll
• 6.52amChina seeks reset in trade ties, security
• 6.39amPM says ‘risky’ spending cuts on budget agenda
• 6.17amThis morning’s headlines at a glance

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Narrow majority want more public anti-corruption hearings: poll

A narrow majority of the electorate wants the nation’s new integrity watchdog to hold more public hearings to crack down on corruption, with only 27 per cent in favour of using open hearings when “exceptional circumstances” apply.

As Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus steps up the case for his draft law to create the new commission, a new Resolve Political Monitor survey shows that 50 per cent of Labor voters want it to hold more public hearings while only 43 per cent of Coalition voters take the same view.

The exclusive results heighten the debate over the powers of the National Anti-Corruption Commission when Greens and some crossbench senators want changes to the government’s draft law to ensure public hearings whenever the agency believes it to be in the public interest.

Dreyfus yesterday signalled the commission could be legislated by the end of this year given the broad support from Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and the welcome from most members of the Senate crossbench to the bulk of the plan despite the differences over public hearings.

Read the full story here.

China seeks reset in trade ties, security

The Chinese government has aired its frustration with the slow progress in repairing its troubled relationship with Australia, setting out hopes for high-level talks with no preconditions to narrow differences on regional security, human rights and trade ties worth $245 billion.

China’s ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, is seeking a reset in relations ahead of a series of global summits next month that he says offer a chance for both countries to “move towards each other” after a difficult few years.

China’s ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, says both countries need to make concessions for relations to improve.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Xiao said ending the trade dispute would help Australia ride out a global recession and provide the government with enough revenue to fund the contentious stage three tax cuts.

The ambassador named tensions over Taiwan and the treatment of Muslims in Xinjiang as the two major issues acting as a barrier to the reset, sending a message to Australia to convey its concerns about human rights through private channels rather than in public.

Read the full story here.

PM says ‘risky’ spending cuts on budget agenda

Spending cuts will form part of this month’s federal budget, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed, as the government comes under pressure to reduce expenditure to ease inflationary pressures across the economy.

Albanese says “risky” spending cuts will form a part of the October 25 budget that Treasurer Jim Chalmers admitted this week could be tweaked depending on the changing forecasts to the global economic outlook.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the October 25 budget will contain spending cuts.Credit:Peter Rae

Chalmers arrived in Washington overnight for the annual meeting of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund – which is warning that the world is on the cusp of a recession caused, in part, by the aggressive increases in interest rates from central banks aimed at bringing down high inflation rates.

The IMF, in a report on government budgets released overnight, urged politicians to trim public spending, saying they should be working in tandem with central banks to bring down inflation.

More on this issue here.

This morning’s headlines at a glance

Good morning and thanks for your company.

It’s Thursday, October 13. I’m Broede Carmody and I’ll be anchoring our live coverage for the first half of the day.

Here’s what you need to know before we get started.

• China’s ambassador to Australia says attempts by the two countries to repair relations is “not moving fast enough”. The ambassador has named tensions over Taiwan and the treatment of Muslims in Xinjiang as the major sticking points. But Foreign Minister Penny Wong says Australia will always speak out on important issues.
• Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed spending cuts will form part of this month’s federal budget. It comes as Treasurer Jim Chalmers meets with international finance ministers in Washington to discuss the pressures facing the global economy.
• Australians in Bali have been left shocked after footage of the 2002 bombings was played on large screens during a 20th anniversary commemoration ceremony. South-east Asia correspondent Chris Barrett has the full story.
• A narrow majority of voters want the nation’s new integrity watchdog to hold more public hearings, according to new polling.
• Victoria’s pandemic declaration has come to an end. But as Chip Le Grand writes, the Victorian premier didn’t seek the chief health officer’s advice beforehand.
• And in NSW, the mandatory reporting of positive rapid antigen tests will be scrapped from tomorrow. But NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant is still asking people to continue reporting positive tests (voluntarily).

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