Live: More people will take up smoking if tobacco excise is reduced, minister says

live Federal politics live: More people will take up smoking if tobacco excise is reduced, minister says Housing Minister Clare O'Neil says reducing the tobacco excise to address the rising take-up of illicit tobacco will not help Australians give up smoking. Follow all the updates in our live blog. Submit a comment or question Live updates Wed 15 Jul 2026 at 7:23am Anthony Albanese maps out AI future with new national framework Australia will seek to harness the benefits of artificial intelligence without losing control of it by tackling challenges such as data centres, copyright, and jobs through a new national framework. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will use a speech in Sydney today to declare the end of the federal government's "issue-by-issue" approach to AI and outline his plan to make the technology work in the nation's interest. Amid community anxiety about data centre developments, workplace automation, copyright protections for artists and the use of AI in defence, Albanese wants to reassure Australians he is focused on their concerns. Albanese will announce the establishment of an Office of AI to operate within the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and coordinate the design of new "Australian Standards" for the technology, according to a short preview of his speech provided ahead of the address. Read the full story from chief digital political correspondent Clare Armstrong in the link below. Wed 15 Jul 2026 at 7:16am O'Neil says reducing tobacco excise will lead to more people smoking Housing Minister Clare O'Neil says the government is aware that Australia's smoking rates are not going in the direction it wants. A 7.30 investigation found Australia's illicit tobacco market is expanding online, with dozens of websites promoting cheap tobacco and vapes. The Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates that 80 per cent of the cigarettes and vapes consumed in Australia last year were illegal. Speaking to Channel Seven, O'Neil says the government believes reducing the tobacco excise won't help people give up smoking. "Reducing tax rates on tobacco would have two big effects. It would make more Australians start smoking more often, and it would give billions of dollars back to big tobacco companies around Australia. It's not the answer," O'Neil says. Wed 15 Jul 2026 at 7:07am Good morning 👋 Hello and welcome to our federal politics live blog! It's great to have you join us on this (very) chilly hump day morning! I'm Josh Boscaini joining you live from Parliament House in Canberra, here and ready to bring you all of today's federal politics news. The prime minister will give a speech today in which he's expected to outline a map for the future of artificial intelligence in Australia. Anthony Albanese is expected to announce the establishment of an Office of AI within his department, which will coordinate the design of "Australian standards" for the technology. We're likely to hear more on AI this morning, so without further ado, let's goooooooooooooo! Loading