Australian politics live: fourfold surge in home battery installations after federal subsidy; O’Brien says Liberals can stand alone

<p>More than 4.3 million households now have solar, helping to drive downward pressure on power bills. Follow today’s news live</p><ul><li><p>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></p></li></ul><p><strong>Ted O’Brien is trying to make ‘Jimflation’ happen</strong></p><p>Having coined the term late last year, shadow treasurer and shadow assistant treasurer, <strong>Ted O’Brien</strong> is still trying to make ‘Jimflation’ happen.</p><p>Cuts aren’t the priority here. Offsets are, and they’re very different things, and so the government has every right to determine what the spending priorities are, but with those rights come commensurate responsibilities, and that means finding room in the budget to pay for them.</p><p>Basic principles. It [tax] needs to be lower, it needs to be fairer.</p><p>The Coalition can reform this week but under certain conditions, and those conditions are overwhelmingly supported by the majority of my party room. And they are that shadow cabinet solidarity is mandatory. That shadow cabinet and the party room have primacy of over any individual party room, and the three senators do need to face ongoing suspensions.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2026/feb/04/australian-politics-live-labor-liberal-anthony-albanese-sussan-ley-leadership-challenge-coalition-littleproud-chalmers-interest-rates-rise-rba-ntwfb">Continue reading...</a>

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