New South Wales Liberal Minister Andrew Constance has refused to speculate on the future of Deputy Premier John Barilaro’s position, following tensions within the Coalition.
“His leadership is a matter for him,” Mr Constance said. “I don’t want to talk about that.
” A breakaway group of Nationals MPs, including NSW Nationals Leader John Barilaro, have indicated their lack of support for their government’s update to the planning laws which include protections for koala habitats. Gladys Berejiklian issued an ultimatum to Mr Barilaro and his colleagues after they threatened to move to the cross bench over the protection policy.
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Berejiklian to meet with Barilaro amid Coalition tension | Sky News AustraliaSky News can reveal New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian will meet with John Barilaro on Thursday afternoon, after he announced the Nationals will not support government legislation following a koala protection policy fight.\n\nTensions have been building over an update to the planning laws which include protections for koala habitats.\n\nThe Nationals are arguing the changes will limit building on farms and the ability to rezone areas for development.\n\n“This is the latest in a long series of private threats from Barilaro to Berejiklian and liberal ministers on several issues over the past couple of years,” Sky News Political Editor Andrew Clennell said.\n\n“Barilaro is known to regularly send threatening text messages, threatening to pull out of the Coalition if the government does not go his way on policy.\n\n“On this issue it appears Berejiklian has had enough.”\n
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Barilaro says he will 'give up his title tomorrow' if necessary | Sky News AustraliaEXCLUSIVE: NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro has told Sky News he is “not going to blow up the government” nor is he going to walk away from his ministerial responsibilities.\n\n“I never thought I’d be part of a government that punishes people for standing up what is right for their communities,” Mr Barilaro told Sky News host Alan Jones.\n\nA breakaway group of Nationals MPs including Mr Barilaro have indicated their lack of support for their government’s update to the planning laws which include protections for koala habitats.\n\nPremier Berejiklian released a statement on Thursday declaring it is “not possible to be deputy premier or a minister of the crown, and sit on the crossbench”.\n\nMr Barilaro said although the meeting with the premier was abrupt and ended with a “threat” he still has the “full support of the party room”.\n\n“It’s very easy for me to give up the ministerial card. If this is about a title I’ll give it up tomorrow,” he said.\n\n“They (Liberal Party) think that I’m the problem. It’s not about me, I’d give up the role, but the idea that we should lose our ministries because we’re fighting for our communities, is wrong.\n\n“I’m not going to blow up the government and I’m not going to walk away from our ministerial responsibilities (because) while we’re at the table, the regions win.”\n\nImage: News Corp Australia
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Australia rallies behind family separated from terminally ill father by ‘mystifying’ border bans | Sky News AustraliaSky News Australia has helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars live-on-air for the family of terminally ill man Mark Keans after they were denied an exemption to Queensland’s strict border laws to visit him. \n\nAfter hearing of Mr Keans’ battle to see his four children before he passes away, Australians dug deep and raised more than $200,000 on the family’s GoFundMe page by the end of the night.\n\nEven Prime Minister Scott Morrison tipped in $1000 to help the family to help pay for the quarantine costs after the family was told they could now enter Queensland but at a cost of $16,000.\n\nIn an emotional interview with Sky News host Paul Murray, Mr Keans' sister Tam Langborne spoke of the pain behind Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s incredibly strict border bans which have left the prime minister “mystified”.\n\n'He's struggling, his major wish when he got diagnosed was that he just wanted his kids since the day he got diagnosed we've been fighting and fighting ... it didn't look like anything was going to happen it was the impossible but we're starting to get a voice,” she said.\n\n'It means so much to our family that people are coming to fight for us.”\n\nIn just 20 minutes after first hearing their story, the Sky News Australia audience raised over $110,000 and that figure had exceeded $200,000 by the end of the night.\n\nSky News Australia will bring you updates on the family’s battle to reunite as it unfolds.\n\n
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Virgin Australia scraps numerous regional routes | Sky News AustraliaVirgin Australia will scrap several regional routes as part of its post-coronavirus restructure. \n\nThe airline will stop offering flights from Sydney to Albury, Uluru, Hervey Bay and Port Macquarie. \n\nOther regional destinations to be phased out include Melbourne to Mildura and Mount Isa. \n\nAirline bosses said the routes were not commercially viable with anticipated demand. \n\nImage: News Corp Australia \n\n
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