News Articles for Murray Watt

Australia is hopeful more trade sanctions will be lifted from key exports following a surprise announcement from Beijing, as trade relations begin to improve.

The federal government has temporarily suspended its appeal to the World Trade Organization over China's tariffs on Australian barley after China agreed to undertake a review.

Farmers WA says the federal government should review its promise to ban live sheep exports by sea, branding it a "dumb" commitment that will affect 3,000 people.

A new $20 million round of funding is now open for farmers to help develop ways to measure carbon in their soil, in a plan to help reduce emissions.

With the coalition set to oppose a major Labor election promise on housing, the Greens want a number of improvements to the proposed $10 billion fund.

Australia and China's trade ministers are preparing for a virtual meeting as Canberra continues to pressure Beijing into dropping trade sanctions.

The federal government has committed to assist the flood-affected communities in the Kimberley region, having pledged recovery measures including money, counselling and aircrafts.

The Australian Defence Force will acquire new naval strike missiles and long-range rocket systems in a bid to boost national security.

Homes have been inundated and residents evacuated as a record-breaking flood hits a remote town in WA's Kimberley region.

Australia's agriculture minister has criticised the opposition calling for borders with Indonesia to close, saying it is causing industry insecurity.

Australia will not slam shut its border to arrivals from Indonesia amid an outbreak of foot and mouth disease, Agriculture Minister Murray Watt says.

Routine testing has detected viral fragments of foot and mouth disease and African swine fever in Melbourne, but the federal government says the country remains free of the two diseases.

New measures have been implemented to stop the spread of foot and mouth disease to Australia after cases were detected in livestock in Bali.