Live: Australia Post CEO reveals 'mind-blowing' bonus

Australia Post's chief executive Paul Graham has told an estimates hearing he received a $1.2 million executive bonus on top of his $1.64 million base salary. Follow all the updates in our live blog. Wed 28 Oct 2026 at 7:38amWed 28 Oct 2026 at 7:38amPM did not misled parliament over golf club grant: Watt(ABC News: Matt Roberts)Labor frontbencher Murray Watt has been deployed to defend the prime minister this morning over claims he misled the parliament.He backed Anthony Albanese after he admitted it was "not correct" to have told the House of Reps that a $6m grant to the Marrickville Golf Club in his electorate was for sewerage works."No he didn't [mislead parliament]," Watt tells ABC's News Breakfast. "The prime minister was correct in saying that the original announcement included that sewerage work to remove pollution going into the Cooks River. Obviously, the situation changed with the New South Wales government, making a similar commitment."Asked if there was a risk the government's response to my colleague Jake Evans's story was more damaging than the story itself, Watt disagreed.Wed 28 Oct 2026 at 7:21amWed 28 Oct 2026 at 7:21amCanavan accuses PM of lying over golf club grant(ABC News: Matt Roberts)Nationals leader Matt Canavan has accused the prime minister of lying and misleading the parliament over a grant awarded to a golf club in his electorate."It's not just that the prime minister has a clear, loose relationship with the truth, it's that ... he takes so long to come clean every time ... it takes so long for him to come clean," he told Nine.Anthony Albanese had previously told the House of Reps the $6 million grant for the Marrickville Golf Club was to fix sewerage issues. But he admitted that was "not correct" when asked in QT after the infrastructure department confirmed the project didn't include any sewerage work.Labor frontbencher Amanda Rishworth, who was on the same panel, defended the PM.She insisted the original proposal included sewerage works but the NSW government had stepped in.Wed 28 Oct 2026 at 7:12amWed 28 Oct 2026 at 7:12amGreens leader proposes $21-a-week tax cut in vow to 'replace Labor'The Greens have called for a $21-a-week tax cut for all taxpayers and a welfare boost in the party's first major policy launch since its new leader vowed to "replace Labor".David Shoebridge, whose first weeks in the role have been derailed by allegations against Greens senator Jordon-Steele John, will front the National Press Club on Wednesday to launch a tax policy to "turn the tide" on inequality.The new proposal would raise the tax-free threshold from $18,200 to $26,000 for all personal income taxpayers, a tax cut of up to $1,092 a year or $21 a week.It would also add the same amount to all income support payments, including the JobSeeker unemployment benefit, student and carer payments, and the Age Pension."No matter who you are, whether you're working, studying, looking for work or on a pension, you'll get more," he will say, according to an extract of a speech seen by the ABC.The policy would cost the budget $22 billion each year, according to the independent Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO). Senator Shoebridge will propose the cost be offset by collecting "rivers of gold" from gas and mining companies.You can read the full story at the link below.Wed 28 Oct 2026 at 7:10amWed 28 Oct 2026 at 7:10amUS nuclear-powered submarine arrives in AustraliaIt's full steam ahead for AUKUS following the arrival of a US nuclear-powered attack submarine — USS Colorado — at HMAS Stirling yesterday for scheduled maintenance.The visit serves as a trial run of sorts for the Submarine Rotational Force–West (SRF-West) plan.What is that? Well, starting in late 2027, SRF-West will establish a permanent presence of up to five US and UK nuclear subs in Western Australia.This will essentially boost the US and UK's military presence in the Indo-Pacific while giving Australian crews and technicians crucial hands-on experience with nuclear submarines before Australia acquires its own fleet in the 2030s.(Supplied: Defence Media)Defence officials confirmed the Colorado will return as the inaugural vessel under that arrangement.This week's maintenance work is basically an opportunity for Australian and allied technicians to show they're up to the task of servicing these high-tech submarines. But while Canberra points to the operation as proof of growing domestic capability, some sources I've spoken with remain concerned about Australia's ability to rapidly scale up local infrastructure and workforce numbers in time. It's a huge undertaking!The Australian Submarine Agency chief Jonathan Mead said in a statement: "This is the fourth maintenance period since 2024. Each visit sees a significant growth in the number of Australians supporting maintenance on visiting boats, from local industry to Navy divers. It is genuinely exciting to see how far we've come as a country in such a short time."Wed 28 Oct 2026 at 6:57amWed 28 Oct 2026 at 6:57amAustralia Post CEO reveals 'mind-blowing' bonusAustralia Post's chief executive Paul Graham has revealed he received a $1.2 million executive bonus on top of his $1.64 million base salary.Fronting Senate estimates last night, Graham was asked by Liberal senator Sarah Henderson about his salary in relation to the company's performance results for the 2026 financial year, which included a pre-tax profit of $31.8 million.An underlying loss of $107.6 million excluded profit from property sales of $139.4 million, according to the company.The CEO told estimates "half" of his $1.2 million bonus was contingent on the company's "property strategy being executed"."That's a mind-blowing amount of money," Henderson responded.Graham will retire at the end of June 2027, and said the decision was made in consultation with his family."I'm 65 next month, I know I don't look it, and it's been a decision that has been coming for some time."Wed 28 Oct 2026 at 6:54amWed 28 Oct 2026 at 6:54amGood morning 👋Hello friends. Welcome to our politics live blog. I'm Courtney Gould from the ABC's Parliament House team, here to guide you through the day.We've got another day of Senate estimates ahead of us, where officials from the Health Department, Treasury, and the Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade will be questioned by senators.The Reserve Bank is also listed to appear. They'll join estimates around the same time the Australian Bureau of Statistics drops its latest inflation data.Focus in the chamber is expected to stick with the government's digital duty of care legislation. But don't be surprised if the Coalition continues to pile on the pressure on the PM and the $6 million Marrickville Golf Club grant.There's a little bit happening this morning, so let's jump straight into it.