Australia news live: Taylor proposes laws against flag burning and to lock in 26 January as Australia Day

Taylor proposes laws against flag burning, and for 26 JanuaryThe News Corp papers are reporting that the opposition wants to criminalise flag burning, with up to 10 years in prison as punishment.They also want to enshrine 26 January as Australia Day in law, which will spark a new round of that old culture wars battle.Leader Angus Taylor said he would not “be shy in standing up for the national pride that we should all feel for our great country”: double quotation markOur flag represents the country we love. Our war memorials honour Australians who put their lives on the line. Australia Day is our national day that unites us all. These things belong to the Australian people and they should not be torn down, smashed, desecrated, or quietly stripped of their significance. Key events13m agoTaylor proposes laws against flag burning, and for 26 January13m agoFire ban as Sydney sweltersMore money for the Western FreewayThe Victorian government has committed another $550m to the upgrade of the Western Freeway.The money will go to interchange upgrades and new lanes across Melbourne’s west, and adds to a $1bn federal investment.Victorian premier Ben Carroll said: double quotation markWe have listened to the community. Better local roads in growing areas are my priority. I want to help working people in the west spend less time on the road and more time where they need to be. Fire ban as Sydney sweltersOh, Sydney. I have only just caught up with the fact you got to 33C yesterday. But also snow in the south of the state?Meteorologist Tom Saunders temperatures this weekend could be 13C above average, and: double quotation markTemperatures this spring will average as much as three degrees above the baseline from recent decades, potentially the hottest spring on record. Read all about it here:Taylor proposes laws against flag burning, and for 26 JanuaryThe News Corp papers are reporting that the opposition wants to criminalise flag burning, with up to 10 years in prison as punishment.They also want to enshrine 26 January as Australia Day in law, which will spark a new round of that old culture wars battle.Leader Angus Taylor said he would not “be shy in standing up for the national pride that we should all feel for our great country”: double quotation markOur flag represents the country we love. Our war memorials honour Australians who put their lives on the line. Australia Day is our national day that unites us all. These things belong to the Australian people and they should not be torn down, smashed, desecrated, or quietly stripped of their significance. Good morning, all – Tory Shepherd here to kick off your Sunday. Happy Father’s Day if that is a happy time for you, and if (like me) it’s a bit of a sad one, I see you.We’ll be keeping an eye on the ongoing tragedy in Nepal, where they’ve found more survivors but the situation is still so, so dire.Closer to home, and every day there’s another AI story. If you’re a Victorian (and even if you’re not) you may have seen these rather alarming social media posts. Benita Kolovos and Henry Belot have had a look behind the scenes.There’s an increasing amount of smoke (and yes, there have been fires) around the tobacco wars, and naturally the lobbyists are on the move.Need a break from the news cycle? Sian Cain’s 10 Chaotic Questions with Luke McGregor will help you reset.And in a bit we’ll have Insiders, and host David Speers says we’ll be hearing more about the government’s plans for the manosphere, with renewed concern about how it’s affecting boys.