Turning now to independent senator Lidia Thorpe who is leading a crossbench push for the government to act on Indigenous deaths in custody and reforms on Indigenous child removal.

Thorpe wrote a letter to the prime minister, Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney and the Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus to call for the government to take action and implement recommendations from multiple reports.

Senator Lidia Thorpe.

Senator Lidia Thorpe.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

“We need to not reinvent the wheel, the solutions are there and they have been there for decades,” Thorpe told ABC Radio National.

“We just need somebody responsible for oversight and implementation so that we can hold governments to account on the solutions that have been self-determined by the people themselves.”

She said almost all the crossbench senators had signed the letter.

Defence Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong will hold high-level talks with their UK counterparts in the nation’s capital.

Marles will host Grant Shapps and Senator Wong will host Foreign Secretary David Cameron in separate meetings in Canberra today before a joint meeting in Adelaide on Friday.

The British ministers are in Australia as part of annual AUKMIN talks as the two nations, alongside the United States, prepare to advance the AUKUS alliance under which Canberra will acquire nuclear-propelled submarines.

Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Cameron.

Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Cameron.Credit: AP

Friday’s trip to Adelaide is set to include a trip to the Osborne shipyard, where the nuclear submarines are to be built.

A defence announcement is expected.

Defence, climate action and clean energy, cyber, and economic security will feature in the discussions.

The longstanding relationship between Australia and Britain had been strengthened by the trilateral alliance, co-chair of the parliamentary friends of AUKUS Aaron Violi said.

Australia would work with Britain on “ambitious new initiatives to deepen our defence partnership”, Marles said of the visit.

The two nations would work together to ensure peace and stability in the Pacific, Wong added.

AAP

Seven West Media commercial director and Kerry Stokes’ closest executive Bruce McWilliam has left the company.

In a media statement, Seven confirmed the departure this morning, bringing a close to 21 years at the network.

Controlling shareholder and chairman Stokes said McWilliam has been an excellent executive across his time at Seven, involved in all major corporate initiatives across the period. He was also a director at Stokes’ Seven Group Holdings.

“I thank Bruce for his significant contribution to Seven West Media and Seven Group Holdings and wish him and Nicky all the best in the future.”

Seven Network commercial director Bruce McWilliam outside court last year.

Seven Network commercial director Bruce McWilliam outside court last year.Credit: Janie Barrett

McWilliam played a crucial role in the company’s defence of SAS solider Ben Roberts-Smith after he sued this masthead for defamation over a series of articles alleging that he had committed war crimes while on tour in Afghanistan.

Stokes was Roberts-Smith’s financial backer for the case.

A judge ruled in favour of the newspapers in 2023, with an appeal from Roberts-Smith ongoing.

“Working with Kerry Stokes and James Warburton in his two iterations at Seven has never been dull. I’m very proud of my association with Seven and the Seven team, and I wish them every success in the years ahead. Moving forward, I’ll be focused on my corporate and media advisory and property interests,” McWilliam said.

Former UK high commissioner and Coalition minister George Brandis said the comments former US president made against Kevin Rudd made had been “over interpreted”.

Yesterday, Trump said Rudd was “nasty”, “not the brightest bulb” and that he would not last long in his position as ambassador if Trump became president.

“Donald Trump is infamous for making rather wild and off the cuff claims that don’t in the end amount to very much so it’s obviously something that the government should keep an eye on but I wouldn’t over interpret it,” Brandis said on ABC Radio this morning.

Former high commissioner to the UK George Brandis.

Former high commissioner to the UK George Brandis.Credit: Liliana Zaharia

He said Rudd had done a good job in his role, and helped with the AUKUS deal.

“I think he has been a very good appointment as the opposition I think acknowledged at the time his appointment was made.”

Brandis was also asked about former Nationals’ leader Barnaby Joyce’s comments that Rudd was “cooked” as ambassador if Trump was elected.

“Barnaby is entitled to his view,” he said.

“If in that eventuality [Trump’s election], it did become problematic, then, no doubt the situation could be reassessed and revisited, but … I don’t think there is sufficient reason to believe, on the basis of a few throwaway remarks to Nigel Farage, that there is a deep problem here.”

Staying with retired former US Navy Admiral Mike Rogers, who has been questioned about Donald Trump’s opinion of former prime minister Kevin Rudd.

Presented with Rudd’s critical past comments in an interview with former Brexit party leader Nigel Farage, Trump replied: “He [Rudd] won’t be there long if that’s the case.”

Rogers urged calm over the matter.

“I would not draw from this latest kerfuffle that ‘Oh my god, the sky is falling in the United States’ … I would just urge everybody to step back,” Rogers said this morning on RN Breakfast.

“Two individuals expressed a personal opinion about each other.”

Retired US four-star admiral Mike Rogers has spoken about the future of the AUKUS deal, if Donald Trump was elected as president later this year.

“I would assure my Australian counterparts, I believe that America will remain fundamentally committed to this relationship and will remain committed to AUKUS,” Rogers told RN Breakfast this morning.

Rogers, who was also former chief of the Central Security Service, said he would argue the agreement benefits both nations.

He said the fundamental benefit to the US, Australia and the UK meant it would be best to continue the deal.

Health Minister Mark Butler has backed Australian Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd, saying no matter who wins the US presidency this year Rudd will be capable.

Speaking on Nine’s Today program, Butler said he was not concerned about Trump’s comments that Rudd was “nasty”, “not the brightest bulb” and that he would not last long in his position as ambassador if Trump becomes president.

Donald Trump lashes Australia’s ambassador to US Kevin Rudd in an interview.

Donald Trump lashes Australia’s ambassador to US Kevin Rudd in an interview. Credit: AP

“I think Kevin Rudd is very widely respected right across the aisle, he’s bringing his usual work ethic to networking in America, as he did so notoriously here in Australia,” Butler said this morning.

“He’s widely sought out for his advice, particularly around China and Xi Jinping in particular, so we’re very confident that whatever happens in November, he’ll be able to work with all US administrations.”

Former British politician-turned-broadcaster Nigel Farage says the relationship between former US president Donald Trump and Australian Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd is not going to work if Trump wins the election.

Farage – who interviewed Trump and asked him about Rudd’s comments claiming he was a “traitor to the West” – said the AUKUS deal was too important to keep Rudd in his position if Trump wins the presidency.

Former US president Donald Trump during an interview with Nigel Farage. Asked about Kevin Rudd, Mr Trump said: “I don’t know much about him, I heard he was a little bit nasty.”

Former US president Donald Trump during an interview with Nigel Farage. Asked about Kevin Rudd, Mr Trump said: “I don’t know much about him, I heard he was a little bit nasty.”Credit: GB News/Twitter

“If Trump wins the election, that relationship is not going to work … Australia needs just as we [the UK] do, an ambassador that can talk to the president or at least the president’s team … I think given [Trump’s] reaction on the interview, I think your prime minister might need to look for a new person,” he said on Nine’s Today show this morning.

“Trump is very strong, and Trump loves you or doesn’t love you … the use of the phrase traitors of the West is massively over the top and I think the Labor government will just have to accept it.

“We all recognise the strategic important of AUKUS and I think it matters more to Australia than it does either to the UK or America and that is why, faced with the Trump presidency, [Prime Minister Anthony] Albanese is going to have no choice.”

Health Minister Mark Butler says there will be significant punishments for vape manufacturing, importation and supply if the next tranche of laws are passed.

Speaking on ABC TV, Butler said if the laws pass the only way people will be able to access vapes will be through a prescription and if traders try to commercially sell the product they could face imprisonment of up to seven years and fines of up to $2.2 million.

Health Minister Mark Butler.

Health Minister Mark Butler. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

“We’re serious about stamping out one of the most significant public health menaces facing our kids right now,” Butler said.

Asked if the government’s measures would fuel the black market and whether he was concerned, Butler said the only groups arguing this were big tobacco and tobacco retailers.

“Frankly, the only groups that are seeking to raise the white flag and encourage parliamentarians simply to accept this as now part of Australian life are those who are profiting from it – big tobacco and tobacco retailers.”

Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce says Australian ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd cannot stay in his position if former president Donald Trump wins the election this year.

Yesterday, Trump said Rudd was “nasty”, “not the brightest bulb” and that he would not last long in his position as ambassador if Trump became president.

Australia’s ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd and former US president Donald Trump.

Australia’s ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd and former US president Donald Trump.Credit: Bloomberg; Alex Ellinghausen

Joyce told Nine’s Today program Rudd held blame for previously calling Trump “nuts” and a “traitor to the West”.

“Now he has to live by those comments and he can’t possibly be the ambassador … because it’s going to affect our relationship with the United States,” Joyce said.

“Once [Trump] sets a path, I think that Rudd’s cooked and so you know we might as well drag him back and send him to another country.”

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