Australia politics live: bird flu vaccine to begin rolling out to ‘priority species’; Victoria’s new premier pauses right to work from home bill

The brief

Australia's housing market continues to slow due to interest rate hikes. According to Westpac, owner-occupier loans have fallen by 18% and investor loans by 26% in the first three months of 2026, compared to the same period last year. The bank attributes this decline to the Reserve Bank's interest rate rises, rather than the federal budget's tax reforms. This slowdown has caught the Reserve Bank by surprise and may influence its decision on interest rate hikes. Meanwhile, the Australian government has secured $2 million worth of bird flu vaccinations to protect priority species, with the rollout expected to begin in the coming days and weeks.

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