Australia news live: Surge in EV demand and fuel diplomacy push send trade surplus to nine-year low

Marles says Tony Burke’s speech was moved, not cancelledMarles was asked about home affairs minister Tony Burke’s delayed speech before the National Press Club about migration policies.The deputy prime minister said the decision was merely a move of date, not a cancellation. Marles said: double quotation markIt’s not unusual for dates to be moved around in people’s diaries and in terms of presenting speeches of that kind. I think what’s important here in terms of migration policy is complex. It’s one that we’ve been working on since we’ve come to government. Tony Burke will be talking about that and he’ll be talking about that at the National Press Club at the earliest opportunity. He went on: double quotation markMoving around dates in a diary for senior members of government is very routine. It happens literally all the time. The speech hasn’t been called off. A date has been changed. That literally happens every week. And there’s nothing more to it than that. Richard Marles. Photograph: Hilary Wardhaugh/Getty ImagesMarles maintains gambling reforms about striking a ‘balance’ over ‘complex’ issueRichard Marles, the deputy prime minister, said the government still intends to get its gambling reforms past parliament despite opposition from the Greens and the Coalition, who both argue that they do not go far enough.Marles spoke to RN Breakfast, echoing the government line that they are the “strongest reforms in respect of gambling advertising that have ever been put forward”. He went on: double quotation markI mean, we are doing more in terms of breaking the link between gambling advertising and sport, more in terms of protecting our kids from being exposed to gambling advertising on TV and radio at the times when they would be watching and listening. We’re doing more in terms of supporting BetStop, which helps people who identify to restrict their own gambling habits. So this is really important legislation and we’ll work with the parties across the parliament to get it passed. When asked about criticism of the legislation, Marles said gambling was a “complex” issue with differing views. double quotation markIt’s also an area where you need to strike a balance and we believe we’ve done that … We’re not saying that people should not be able to engage in betting but there needs to be a balance. And it’s important. Penny Wong says Australia has ‘more work to do’ forging relationships in the PacificThe foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, is in Fiji today amid a meeting with her counterparts from across the Pacific.Wong said Australia has been working to rebuild trust and Australia’s reputation in the region, as well as its “strategic position in the Pacific”. double quotation markWe’ve got work more work to do. We’ve announced that we do want to engage with and negotiate with both Tonga and Solomon Islands. Obviously, there’ll be a lot of work there that we want to do with them in partnership. Wong also said she hopes China “takes note” of the region-wide opposition to a ballistic missile test Beijing undertook in July. double quotation markIt was a test which was destabilising and in a region where leaders have said we want an ocean of peace. It’s really important that partners respect that, and we would continue to encourage that respect. Penny Wong. Photograph: Andy Rain/EPAWelcomeGood morning, and welcome to Friday. It’s Nick Visser here to get us started. Here’s what’s on deck.Australia has recorded its lowest quarterly trade surplus in nearly a decade amid a long push to secure fuel cargoes during the oil crisis in the Middle East.Electric vehicle imports have surged, with battery EV sales more than doubling in the June quarter to nearly 70,000.Stick with us.