“Free trade deal”

Coalition parties have conceded holding onto the seat of Farrer will be a tall order ahead of the crucial by-election. Voters will head to the polls on Saturday to replace former opposition leader Sussan Ley in federal parliament, following her resignation. While the electorate has been held by coalition parties since the seat’s creation in 1949, the contest is looming as a showdown between One Nation’s David Farley and independent Michelle Milthorpe.

An east coast gas reserve will help prevent shortfalls, a federal minister says, but uncertainty remains on how much the scheme will bring down prices for households. Under the reservation plan, gas exporters will have to set aside 20 per cent of their volume for use in the domestic market. The scheme will come into effect from July 2027, and apply to three LNG exporters based in Queensland.