How Keating coached Albo on China — POLITICO launches in Australia

POLITICO is now live in Australia — welcome to our community! Our flagship Playbook franchise drives the conversation with urgent, in-depth reporting across the United States, London, Brussels, Berlin, Paris and Ottawa — and we’re thrilled now to be launching in Canberra. Consider Playbook your guide to the day ahead in Canberra — a neutral place to gather for every decision-maker with a stake in Canberra, and those who aspire to become one. We don’t take sides, we won’t waste your time, and we’ll spotlight the best journalism, whoever produces it. Timing is everything. Over the next month we’ll be marking five years of AUKUS, 25 years since the 9/11 attacks and 75 years of the ANZUS Treaty: all reminders of the global and endlessly connected era we live in. Today the first ever National Youth Parliament kicks off under the auspices of Speaker Milton Dick — a full circle moment for Playbook’s Ryan Heath, who first arrived at Parliament House in 1999 as a member of John Howard’s National Youth Roundtable (along with Andrew Charlton and ex-minister Kelly O’Dwyer). Come say hello to us at Aussie’s cafe. Or find us on X. Send tips to WhatsApp 0494 380 487 and canberraplaybook@politico.com. If you were forwarded this email, make sure you sign up for free to get it in your inbox. Ryan, Finn and Miriam (soon to be joined by Paul Karp) A message from Amazon: Thousands of businesses in Australia sell on Amazon — most of which are small and medium businesses. Since 2000, Amazon has opened its virtual shelves to sellers worldwide, and small businesses now account for more than half of everything sold in our stores globally. Behind them sits over US$30 billion invested in logistics, tools and services built to help independent sellers grow. Businesses in Australia grow on Amazon. Learn more about how businesses in Australia grow on Amazon. ESSENTIALS Parliament is moving on from Melongate to grown-up negotiations on disability support, gambling ads and tech regulation Read Paul Keating’s China text messages to Albo in a POLITICO exclusive Learn how the new U.S. Ambassador “speaks Trump” Burnham’s a Bunny! Two PMs discuss their shared passion for Rugby League A Labor migration insider urges hard cap on arrivals in our Playbook Interview DRIVING THE DAY TODAY’S VIBE: Constructive. We’ll see legislative action only from Tuesday afternoon. Today in Parliament, the parties are heads down finalizing positions on disability support, gambling ad reforms and reining in big tech. Anthony Albanese and Angus Taylor are keeping up parallel bilateral negotiations. Labor’s still figuring out how hard to clamp down on migration numbers — more on that in our Playbook Interview. BETWEEN THE LINES: The Opposition’s tightrope is proving it can get legislation done through cooperation with Labor — something One Nation can’t do — while seeming tough on the prime minister. NDIS TEA LEAVES: Jenny McAllister — the Minister for National Disability Insurance known for choosing every word with precision — is “hopeful” legislation will pass this week, and called the Coalition’s negotiation approach “extremely constructive” on Insiders. The political danger for Labor is that failure to reform could mean the public views NDIS numbers the way they view migration numbers: out-of-control. McAllister calls 10 percent spending growth per year “unsustainable,” and wants savings of around $5,000 per year per beneficiary. She rejected the idea of an independent NDIS Inspector-General. GAMBLING BENCH PRESS: Major party backbenchers and crossbench MPs are both pushing for a gambling ad bill with teeth. Don’t rule out more Teal stunts. Independent Member for Kooyong Monique Ryan speaks to the media at Parliament House, Aug. 12, 2026, in Canberra. | Hilary Wardhaugh/Getty Images MIGRATION NUMBERS GAME: Everyone wants to cut migration, no one agrees on how. It’s on today’s Cabinet agenda and if there’s a deal, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke could be back to the National Press Clu