Australia news live: Albanese and Trump speak overnight; KPMG apologises to whistleblower ahead of inquiry

Albanese and Trump speak overnightTom McIlroyAnthony Albanese and the US president, Donald Trump, spoke overnight, the prime minister’s office confirmed.Albanese is expected to say more about the call early this morning from Canberra.The call comes a day after US defence official Eldridge Colby gave an endorsement of the Aukus nuclear submarine pact. Australia and the US are also discussing concerns about Trump’s latest round of trade tariffs and the ongoing Iran war.More to come soon.Anthony Albanese and Donald Trump at the White House last year. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/ReutersKey events26m agoAlbanese and Trump speak overnight1h agoKPMG apologises to whistleblower as inquiry looms1h agoMan dies after house fire on NSW south coast1h agoWelcomeThe prime minister will speak about the call in a few minutes, at 7.30am, Canberra time. We’ll bring you details from the presser soon.Albanese and Trump speak overnightTom McIlroyAnthony Albanese and the US president, Donald Trump, spoke overnight, the prime minister’s office confirmed.Albanese is expected to say more about the call early this morning from Canberra.The call comes a day after US defence official Eldridge Colby gave an endorsement of the Aukus nuclear submarine pact. Australia and the US are also discussing concerns about Trump’s latest round of trade tariffs and the ongoing Iran war.More to come soon.Anthony Albanese and Donald Trump at the White House last year. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/ReutersGood morning, and happy Friday. We’re back to regular news today after another week in parliament. Nick Visser here – let’s get to it.Luca IttimaniParliamentary committee urges reform of whistleblower lawsThe Labor-led parliamentary committee investigating KPMG’s audit leaks has put pressure on the Albanese government to reform laws that could have protected the scandal’s whistleblower.The committee, which includes five Labor MPs, on 9 July asked Anthony Albanese to urgently fix whistleblower protections. On Thursday, it published a 30 July letter from Albanese’s assistant minister, Patrick Gorman, acknowledging the concerns and saying Treasury was reviewing tax and corporate whistleblower laws.The committee also shared its submission to Treasury’s review, in which it said Australian law failed to protect the whistleblower and was “largely ineffective in deterring misconduct”.The laws had issues that were “long standing, well known, and have been well-ventilated over many years”, demonstrated most recently by the KPMG whistleblower’s difficulties, the submission reads.The committee said it had made dozens of recommendations in the past decade, unanimously backed by members across the political spectrum, and noted “the ongoing importance of all the recommendations made by the committee that have not yet been implemented by the government”.KPMG apologises to whistleblower as inquiry loomsLuca IttimaniKPMG has contacted the man who blew the whistle on its audit leaks scandal to apologise, ahead of an inquiry into its failures today.The whistleblower was a KPMG employee who sent an email raising alarm in May 2024, in which he claims he was covered by Australia’s legal protections.In a letter published by the inquiry committee, Mike Ebeid, KPMG’s new chair, offers a series of mea culpas.Ebeid told the whistleblower that KPMG still believed not think his email was protected by Australia’s complex whistleblower laws. Ebeid said the firm had still treated the issue as if it were being raised as an official whistleblower issue and would not challenge the matter if a legal case was brought against it.Ebeid has also admitted the firm did not ask its lawyers to investigate “every aspect” of the whistleblower’s allegations, meaning it did not look into some of the ethical issues now being examined.He said KPMG had in April 2026 wrongly claimed it had “not substantiated” allegations of internal leaks because investigations by December 2025 had found confidential information was being shared.A logo at KPMG’s Sydney headquarters. Photograph: Hollie Adams/ReutersMan dies after house fire on NSW south coastAchol ArokNSW police have declared a critical incident investigation into the death of a man who allegedly barricaded himself inside a home and started a fire.Emergency services attended a unit on the state’s south coast at about 1.15pm on Thursday, after reports of concern for the man’s welfare.Authorities were forced to gain entry to the unit and extinguish the fire.The 57-year-old man was treated for his injuries at the scene but could not be revived.The man has yet to be formally identified. A report will be prepared for the coroner.WelcomeGood morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it will be Nick Visser with the main action.KPMG has reached out to apologise to the man who exposed its audit leaks scandal before an inquiry into its failures today, while Labor MPs want the government to do more to protect whistleblowers. More coming up.NSW police have declared a critical incident investigation into the death of a man who allegedly barricaded himself inside a home in Bomaderry and started a fire. More details coming up.