Australian news and politics live updates: PM announces 13 weeks pay for ex-tropical cyclone Alfred victims

As Round 2 of the NRL approaches this weekend, the Gold Coast Titans have had to relocate after their training facilities were engulfed by flood waters in the wake of Cyclone Alfred.

CEO Steve Mitchell said the team will be ready to play their first game of the season and are “eager to make the Titans communities from Logan to Lismore proud this weekend”.

“For many people on the Coast and across our region, the last few days have been challenging to say the least as families have dealt with the rain and winds that have battered their homes,’ Mitchell said.

“First and foremost, our thoughts as a club are for those across our region that are doing it tough as a result of this weather event and immense rainfall that has followed.

“Like many, we have had significant damage to our facilities as well and that means we need to change how we operate while we also mop up the damage.

“Working with our players, staff and their families, we first needed to check on the welfare of our people to make sure they were ok, and we’ve offered our support to those who need it most.

“With our high performance centre unusable for training this week, we will send our team to Sydney early to ensure they can properly prepare for our first game of the season this Sunday against the Bulldogs at Belmore.”

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has told Sky News he is trapped at home by floodwaters caused by ex-tropical cyclone Alfred.

Mr Dutton, whose Brisbane seat of Dixon is right in the path of the severe weather, says his home is safe but the water is up and over his front gate.

“There’s been a hell of a lot of rain overnight... and it’s no less shocking than what we see in other parts of northern NSW and the Gold Coast, etc which have all received this downpour,” he said.

“Hopefully it recedes quickly but at the moment a few of us are trapped at home including ourselves.

“Fortunately our house is fine, but the water’s up over our front gate so that’s the reality at the moment and the emergency service workers, the council workers are doing an amazing job but a lot of families, a lot of businesses who are really heavily impacted again this morning.”

Mr Dutton also said the “phenomenal” winds kept he and his family awake overnight.

Australia is to send its military envoy to NATO to top level talks in Paris on Tuesday to discuss future assistance to Ukraine, Defence Minister Richard Marles confirmed on Tuesday.

Air Vice-Marshal Di Turton will attend a meeting convened by French President Emmanuel Macron for military chiefs of staff whose nations are ready to offer Ukraine military support after any peace deal ending the war with Russia.

“We will be listening to what is being talked about in terms of the potential scenarios and planning for Ukraine,” Mr Marles told ABC Radio National Breakfast.

“Right now, that’s in a sense the request of us, is to participate in planning meetings and planning for eventual scenarios in Ukraine,” he added.

“We don’t as yet have a request for boots on the ground in respect of any peacekeeping operation, most obviously, because at this moment there’s not a peace to keep.”

Read the full story here.

The NSW SES have delivered another bleak picture as the deluge from ex-tropical cyclone Alfred continues to hammer residents on the north coast.

“Approximately 10,200 people, or 4500 dwellings, are currently under emergency warnings across the state,” said SES spokesperson Damian Johnson on Monday.

“There is also approximately 1800 residents isolated.

“They might be isolated from food supplies, from medicines and other essential requirements.

“We understand the community’s urgency with getting back into their homes and we want to make sure we can do that as soon as possible.

“We are working quickly to remove warnings so it safe to do so.”

Canada has a new Prime Minister after a former central banker was elected in a landslide victory to take control of the Liberal Party from Justin Trudeau.

Mark Carney will become Canada’s next PM after the governing Liberals elected him as their leader on Sunday.

Carney, 59, replaces Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who announced his resignation in January but remains PM until his successor is sworn in in the coming days.

Carney won in a landslide, with 85.9 per cent of the party room vote.

Read the full story here.

Anthony Albanese has done the rounds of morning TV on Monday and announced new disaster relief payments set to kick in from Tuesday, to assist those affected by Cyclone Alfred.

“Disaster relief payments will kick in from 2pm tomorrow afternoon,” Mr Albanese said on Channel 7’s Sunrise.

“What that does is provide for 13 weeks or up to 13 weeks of pay or full pay for those who’ve lost income in the affected local government areas.

“There’s many across NSW and Queensland who are unable to go to work because their businesses are shut, or because of some of the road closures, some people just can’t get to work.

“That will persist for some time and it will be available to make those applications.”

Anthony Albanese has widened the gap as the nation’s preferred leader over Peter Dutton, as a looming federal election look set to return a minority government, a Newspoll has revealed.

Ahead of what was firming as the first week of the election campaign before the arrival of tropical Cyclone Alfred off of Queensland’s coast, the Newspoll shows both parties lifting a point on primary support.

Labor’s support grew to 32 per cent while the Coalition’s rose to 39 per cent, as the Greens and One Nation remained unchanged.

The change means the two party preferred split between the Coalition and Labor remains at 51 per cent to the Government’s 49 per cent, but suggests Australia is still on a path towards a minority government.

Read the full story here.

An 18-year-old man has gone missing in Logan Reserve, Queensland, as ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred impacts the region.

7NEWS is reporting Caleb was last seen at a home on Burdekin Rd about 11pm on Sunday, after he had been playing in a drain before heading out again.

He has not been seen or heard from since.

Police say he has a medical condition, and authorities and his carers hold concerns for his welfare.

Read the full story here.

AAP is reporting millions of Australians on welfare will have their payments boosted by thousands of dollars each year under indexation changes due to kick in.

More than five million recipients, including pensioners, renters, and job seekers will receive increases from March 20.

A single pensioner will pocket an extra $3913 each year, with couples to receive an additional combined $5902.

People on JobSeeker payments will get an extra $3374 to $5038, with single parents, mainly women, set to be more than $7500 better off annually.

The maximum single rate of pension for those on the Age Pension, Disability Support Pension and Carer Payment will increase by $4.60 to $1149.00 a fortnight.

Read the full story here.

The ADF personnel injured in the horrific crash of two troop carriers during Lismore flood relief efforts, continue to improve leaving only one still in hospital.

Reporter James Wilson told Ben Fordham’s morning show on 2GB that all the troops except one have now been released and will meet with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday.

Two separate investigations into the crash are being conducted by the ADF and the NSW Police crash investigation team, who were at Lismore Base Hospital on Sunday interviewing some of the soldiers.