Australian politics live: four-fold surge in home battery installations after federal subsidy; O’Brien says Liberals can stand alone

More than 4.3 million households now have solar, helping to drive downward pressure on power bills. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastCoalition can reform this week, under conditions: LeyLey is facing two challenges, the other of course is the Coalition split. Yesterday we reported that the Liberal leader had offered the Nats a deal that would see the three former frontbenchers who crossed the floor, remain off the frontbench for six months.The Coalition can reform this week but under certain conditions, and those conditions are overwhelmingly supported by the majority of my party room. And they are that shadow cabinet solidarity is mandatory. That shadow cabinet and the party room have primacy of over any individual party room, and the three senators do need to face ongoing suspensions.These are ridiculous suggestions and they’re made by people in the media, not the conversations that I’m having with colleagues, and they’re not the focus of my team. Continue reading...