Australia Day is expected to be a scorcher in several capital cities. Sydney is aiming for the hottest temperature with the mercury likely to peak at 38 degrees and nearby, Brisbane is attempting to reach 33 degrees. A reprieve may be on the cards for both cities, however, as a change of rain looks set to arrive. Perth will persevere in heat as temperatures will sit at 31 degrees without any cloud cover arriving to ease the heat. A cooler day is en route for the rest of the country as Melbourne is forecast to top 22 degrees, Adelaide 24 degrees and Hobart 21.

The consumer watchdog has been given the green light to use significant powers as part of its investigation into grocery price gouging. The ACCC will begin by looking into the major supermarkets’ price-placing process. Investigations will include comparing the price farmers are paid and what consumers are then charged at the check-out. Red meat, fruits and vegetables will be a major focus of the inquiry as Australians struggle to put essential foods on the table during an ever-mounting cost-of-living crisis. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the process at his opening National Press Club appearance of 2024 where he explained the investigation would continue for 12 months.

The Prime Minister agrees he has changed his position on the stage three tax cuts but abruptly pulled up short of admitting to breaking a campaign promise. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton called on Labor to bring forward an election and place the changed position before the Australian public. Mr Albanese justified his precarious political move by displaying how the newly reformed stage three tax cuts provided relief for every Australian. The Prime Minister fronted the National Press Club on Thursday to announce the changes, only to be met with a barrage of questioning over his and his government’s trustworthiness. Mr Albanese denied the change in approach from his government has come at the cost of his personal integrity.

Sky News host Liz Storer has branded the defacing of two statues in Melbourne as “terrorism”. Vandals have defaced two statues in Melbourne on the eve of Australia Day – hacking down a statue of Captain Cook in St Kilda and spray painting a Queen Victoria statue near the Botanical Gardens. “This is terrorism,” Ms Storer said. “I don’t care how anyone paints it; this is like in-house terrorism, plain and simple. “These guys make their agenda known – they’re just going to keep destroying stuff until – until what?”

The United States remains a “vibrant democracy” as Donald Trump wins in Iowa, GB News host Nigel Farage says. “I was in Iowa, and it was fascinating, all the big money, all the global businesses backing Haley, two-thirds of the elected local Iowan politicians backing DeSantis,” Mr Farage told Sky News host Paul Murray. “There I was, in a gymnasium of a school, in a little suburb – and they arrive the four-by-fours – it was 28 degrees below freezing, and they arrived to put their votes in for Donald Trump. “It shows you America, through its open primaries, still has a vibrant democracy. “He won by a record margin – not only is he winning, but I got to tell you, he is in the most terrific humour.”

Former Victorian Liberal Party president Michael Kroger is “shocked” at what Anthony Albanese is doing because he has “gone and broken” his stage three tax cuts promise. The prime minister unveiled the government’s new tax plan – after dumping the much-promised stage three tax cuts – in favour of directed assistance for low and middle-income earners. “The polling organisations which will be doing surveys on the tax cuts now will only be asking one question, which is are you in favour of the tax cuts now or against the changes to the tax system, and a majority will say they are in favour,” Mr Kroger told Sky News host Paul Murray. “However, what they’re not going to do is ask question two, which is the fundamental question, which is this: do you believe a promise made to you by Anthony Albanese? And a majority of people are going to say I wouldn’t believe a word he says. “I am shocked at what this bloke’s doing. “If you thought the Voice was a big enough disaster, he’s now gone and broken this promise. “What is this guy thinking? “How many hundreds of times is he on the record saying no changes to the policy?”

Anthony Albanese breaks yet another election promise, how can we trust a PM with this record? Plus, Dave Rubin and Nigel Farage join the show to discuss Donald Trump's second straight win in a Republican state primary.  See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

A small minority have welcomed the destruction of the Captain Cook Statue in Melbourne. Vandals used red spray paint to write ‘The colony will fall’ on the plinth. The metal statue was found toppled off its stone and was later removed by Port Phillip council. “Most locals were shocked and disheartened by the act – a small minority have welcomed it.” Some have labelled the destruction as “a beautiful statement”.

GB News host Patrick Christy has slammed Prince Harry for ‘swanning’ around on a red carpet before wishing any of his ill family members well publicly or flying to the UK to visit them. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attended the premiere of ‘Bob Marley: One Love’ in Jamaica on Tuesday night and snapped a picture with Jamaica’s openly anti-monarchy prime minister. It comes as senior royals in the UK - including King Charles and the Princess of Wales are in hospital recovering from major surgeries. “So basically, while Prince Harry’s family are in hospital, he hasn’t said anything publicly about that - he hasn’t come out and wished them well publicly. “There's no plans for him to come and visit, of course. “He is, however, on a red carpet cosying up to a bloke who essentially wants to abolish the monarchy from his country – it’s a terrible look.”

Sky News host Liz Storer says Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci is “simply a pawn” as you need to look to their stakeholders to find the “gun” held to his head. “I feel sorry for Banducci because this man is simply a pawn in a much bigger man’s game,” Ms Storer told Sky News host Andrew Bolt. “You’ve got to look at their stakeholders, and their two biggest shareholders are BlackRock and Vanguard. “Guys like Brad Banducci are simply following orders; he doesn’t get to make calls like this. “Those guys, BlackRock and Vanguard, are the world’s largest asset managers, they’re the world’s biggest money managers, and that means they control a lot more of what goes on in our world than we can possibly imagine – including what happens at our local Woolies.”

Opposition leader Peter Dutton has slammed Anthony Albanese for the “significant betrayal” on stage three tax changes and calls on him to “refresh his mandate” so Australians can pass judgement on his character. Mr Dutton has called on the prime minister to call an election because of his changes to the stage three tax cuts. “It has been such a significant betrayal of his trust that was instilled, and people voted for him in their millions,” Mr Dutton told Sky News host Andrew Bolt. “If you’re walking away from it, you’ve promised it 100 times, and you are looking the Australian public in the eye and saying that I’m not going to do what I promised you I would do, I think the prime minister needs to refresh his mandate. “I think people need to be given the opportunity to pass judgement on his character and on his betrayal of the Australian people.”

Sky News host James Macpherson says Woolworths’ Australia Day issue is a case of “gaslighting” everyday Australians. “Does the boss of Woolworths imagine that we don’t celebrate Australia Day with food,” Mr Macpherson told Sky News host Andrew Bolt. “All of Australia Day is built around a barbecue. “In fact, their own brochures this week advertised – celebrate Australia Day with sausages and lamb chops. “So, this is just a classic case of gaslighting.”

Teachers’ Professional Association of Qld Secretary Edward Schuller says the he decided to go out to the front of his local Woolworths and hand out "free Australia Day paraphernalia". "We’re celebrating, we’re proud to be Australians, we’re proud to represent Australians,” he told Sky News host Andrew Bolt. He said historically Woolworths has been a “very fine institution” but they’ve been let down by their leadership on this occasion. “And I think Brad, as he’s known, should firstly enjoy Australia Day tomorrow, have a great long weekend and hand in his resignation on Monday. “He doesn’t represent Woolworths workers.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed his government has decided to break an election promise but has defended the move as “choosing a better way forward, given the changed circumstances”. The Albanese government has walked away from its pledge to deliver stage three tax cuts unblemished as it gears up to present proposed changes to parliament. “We are doing the right thing for the right reasons,” Mr Albanese said at the National Press Club on Thursday. Mr Albanese pointed to numerous global and national challenges causing inflationary challenges. “If we were to simply proceed with the old plan, promoted before any of these challenges even existed, it would mean middle Australia missing out on the help that they need and the help that they deserve,” he said. “This is the right decision, not the easy decision.”

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says Australians can’t take Prime Minister Anthony Albanese “at face value”. “And you can’t believe a word that he says,” he said. Mr Dutton held a media conference on Thursday to address Labor’s decision to make changes to the stage three tax cuts to address the cost-of-living crisis. The Opposition leader accused Mr Albanese of misleading the public during his National Press Club address on Thursday over the broken promise. “I think he’s got a very significant credibility problem,” Mr Dutton said.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says $15 a week is not going to cut it for the average Australian under the Labor government’s tax changes. “The Liberal Party is the party of lower taxes ... we dragged the Labor Party, kicking and screaming, to support, stage one, stage two, stage three,” Mr Dutton said during a media conference on Thursday. “Stage three was also about providing support to people with aspiration as well, people who are in households at the moment where they’re paying $24,000 or more extra for their mortgage under this Labor government. “When the Prime Minister came into office to this point now, we know that Australians are paying 27 per cent more tax than when the Prime Minister was elected. “$15 a week is not going to cut it for families who continue to pay more and more for their energy bills under Labor.”

Market Economics Managing Director Stephen Koukoulas says the social and political aspects and the issue of fairness are “certainly front and centre” of the government’s backflip on stage three tax cuts. Mr Albanese fronted the National Press Club on Thursday, where he copped a grilling over his decision to break a major promise on stage three tax cuts. Mr Albanese addressed the press and defended Labor’s plan for reform to address cost of living issues for low and middle income earners. “It’s really just shuffling the tax scales that were in the original stage three package,” Mr Koukoulas told Sky News Australia. “The microeconomic aspect ... it’s been virtually non-existent.”

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has slammed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese saying he thinks the PM has “destroyed his leadership”. Mr Dutton’s comments come after the Prime Minister announced changes to the stage-three tax cuts. “How do you trust a bloke who’s gone to two elections telling you that his word is his bond and that he has made a solemn promise to the Australian public … and then walk away from it and without justification,” Mr Dutton said. “I think he’s destroyed his leadership. “We’re seeing a political charlatan who’s prepared to do or say anything.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he has a “responsibility to act” as the nation’s leader as he defended his government’s tax cut changes. The Prime Minister fronted the National Press Club to defend his decision to break an election promise, where Mr Albanese vowed multiple times that he would keep the former Coalition government's stage three tax cuts. “We are acting in a way in which we will provide assistance to people without adding to inflation because that would be counterproductive,” Mr Albanese said during his National Press Club address. “I accept this is not an easy decision to make, the easy option is to kick the can down the road. “This is the right decision done for all the right reasons and as Prime Minister I will always do what I believe is in the national interest.”

Sky News Australia host Piers Morgan says Donald Trump was exuding “chilling confidence” during his phone call with the former president as he takes a decisive win in New Hampshire. “My phone went on Monday night, I was just about to come in to do the show, and it was Donald ... a very nice chat,” Mr Morgan said. “He really just believes he is going to win.” Donald Trump last night became the first Republican presidential candidate to win open races in both Iowa and New Hampshire – a feat only accomplished before by a sitting president. He got close to 55 per cent of the vote in New Hampshire, making a presidential rematch between Trump and Biden all but certain.