Australia news LIVE: White House confirms Trump held phone call with Albanese; Wong to target Hanson’s call for ‘monoculture’ in national security address

Emily KaineUpdated August 14, 2026 — 7:25am,first published 6:45amKey PostsWatch live: PM press conference By Emily KainePrime Minister Anthony Albanese will hold a press conference from Parliament House in Canberra. Follow along with our livestream. Latest Posts7.15amBowen: PM to update public on Trump phone call ‘soon’ By Emily KaineMinister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen says the PM will provide an update on his overnight phone call with US President Donald Trump “very shortly”.Speaking to the ABC just a few minutes ago, Bowen said he knew the call was happening but had not spoken to Albanese this morning.“I’m sure he will update the Australian people on the call very shortly.”Albanese will hold a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra at about 7.30. We will bring you live updates here.7.11amStudent protests will give Hanson ‘more prominence’: Independent MP By Emily KaineIndependent MP Dai Le says while students have the right to protest in a democracy, yesterday’s protests against Pauline Hanson will give the One Nation leader “more prominence”.The “Say no to Hanson” demonstrations were held by thousands of students around the country who ditched class and took to the streets to protest One Nation’s policies.Students ignored warnings and left class yesterday to protest against One Nation.Oscar Colman“If they’re university students, then you know that’s out of their own time, their rights to protest. That’s the one great thing about our democracy. But I think if it’s high school students, you know, in year 11 and year 12, it’s HSC year, so I think … really study should be your priority from my perspective,” Le told Nine’s Today show.She warned the protest could make Hanson more prominent.“I think by doing these protests, you’re focusing more on. It’ll give her more, I suppose, prominence, and it’ll push, you know, One Nation more out there. So I don’t know, I don’t know if that’s the purpose,” she said.6.47amWong’s veiled warning to One Nation on national securityBy Natassia ChrysanthosForeign Minister Penny Wong will paint Pauline Hanson’s call for a monoculture as a major threat to national security, making the case that Australia’s diversity is a bulwark against global instability while reaffirming that regional diplomacy is Labor’s top priority.Wong will argue that her own Malaysian background demonstrates how migrants have enriched Australia and helped it find common ground with other people in the world, also pointing to Burundi refugee Nestory Irankunda and his opening goal of the Socceroos’ recent World Cup campaign.Her speech comes after a charged debate over multiculturalism was spawned in June by Hanson saying Australia should be monocultural. The One Nation leader later backtracked, saying the diverse Socceroos football team was an example of what she was talking about.Foreign Minister Penny Wong is expected to issue a warning of the dangers of far-right policies.Dominic LorrimerLabor has since worn multiculturalism as a badge of honour as it seeks to counter Hanson’s surging popularity, and Wong’s speech will take this a step further by making the direct link between diversity and successful foreign policy.“Our multicultural society, along with our economy and our democratic institutions, are essential elements of our resilience and raise the costs for those who seek to coerce us,” Wong will say in a speech to the Lowy Institute today.Read the full story here.6.45amTrump holds phone call with Albanese, White House confirms By Emily KaineReports have emerged this morning that US President Donald Trump held an overnight phone call with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.The Australian Financial Review, Nine’sToday show, 2GB and Seven’s Sunrise all reported this morning that a White House official had confirmed the phone call, but provided no details on what was discussed by the two leaders.Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Donald Trump at the White House last year.APIf the reports are true, it would be the first phone call between Trump and Albanese since March, when Trump called the Australian PM to discuss the Iranian women’s soccer team.We will bring you more on this story as it develops.6.37amToday’s headlines By Emily KaineHello and welcome to our national news live blog for Friday, August 14. Here’s what you need to know today.US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese held a phone call, according to reports this morning. The Australian Financial Review said a White House official confirmed the call, but provided no details about what the two leaders discussed. If the reports are true, it would mark the first call between the two leaders since March.Thousands of students around the country skipped class to stage a mass walkout in protest of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation yesterday. The demonstrations in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Wollongong, and Newcastle attracted more than 10,000 people, reports indicate.Foreign Minister Penny Wong will make a speech today in which she is expected to paint Pauline Hanson’s call for a monoculture as a major threat to national security.And Labor would send out more immigration officers to try to deport visa overstayers exploiting the system under a proposed element of the PM’s plan to overhaul the country’s migration program, this masthead revealed.1 of 1