Taylor has been asked about comments from Nationals' leader Matt Canavan yesterday criticising what he described as the "feminisation" of education in schools, and arguing it was the reason some young boys had turned to the manosphere online.
Canavan suggested the solution was more male teachers.
Taylor claims some teachers are "running agendas" in schools and says he believes it is a concern of many Australians.
"I am worried, kids come home from school and there are political agendas from time to time being pursued," he says.
Pushed for an example, Taylor says he's seen it with his own kids.
"We don't want any politicisation, whether it's in history or anything else, in our school curriculum," he says.
He would not say that he disagreed with Canavan's call for more male teachers, but claims having a "degree of balance" is "always a good thing."
"The idea that we have a balanced curriculum being run at the moment, that there are not agendas being run by some teachers, I think is wrong," he says.
Can the government really compete with criminals on tobacco price?
Opposition Leader Angus Taylor thinks it can.
He's told ABC News Breakfast he's "confident" that the black-market business model could be destroyed by slashing the tobacco tax by 80 per cent.
There has been some pushback on the claim already, with warnings that even with a cut of that magnitude, the black market would still be able to offer consumers a lower price.
Taylor says that's why the opposition also wants to invest $200 million in state and federal law enforcement.
"This is a bad business that we have to destroy, and I am confident these settings will do it," he says.
So, what about the health implications?
Taylor says the "horse has bolted" on smoking rates, with consumers already reaching for cigarettes at a much lower price.
"But we can fix this," he says.
Shadow Treasurer says economy 'out of whack'
Tim Wilson says the wealth of Australians is "going backwards" after national accounts data released yesterday showed an annual economic growth rate of 2.1 per cent.
Earlier, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said those figures indicated a "robust" and "resilient" Australian economy in the face of serious global economic challenges.
But Wilson says the numbers show Australia's economy is "out of whack".
"Until we get an adjustment and we get a recognition that inflation continues to be the persistent problem at the heart of the Australian economy, stoked by the government and by government spending, we're not going to see a change," he says.
Wilson denies Coalition copied One Nation on tobacco policy
Shadow Treasurer Tim Wilson has been asked if the Coalition initially planned a policy of cutting the tobacco excise by 75 per cent, but then upped it to 80 per cent after One Nation announced its policy.
Last month, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson announced her plan to wipe out the booming tobacco black market by slashing the tax on a packet of cigarettes by nearly $30, bringing it close to the cost of illicit cigarettes.
It's very similar to what we're hearing from the Coalition today.
But Wilson insists they are not playing catch up and have been looking at cutting the tobacco tax for a long time.
"The problem we've got is a government that's only focused on law enforcement," he says.
"We've got a One Nation position which is focused solely on tax cuts.
"What we're looking at is how do we stop the black market, both with enforcement and with reduction in the excise."
Is the US still pushing for Australia to increase its defence budget?
Earlier, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth thanked Australia for its ongoing friendship and outlined the need to "ensure our capabilities match and are complementary".
Marles has been asked a question about what Hegseth meant by the need to "match" with Australia, and if it was in relation to defence spending.
Hegseth has previously criticised Australia for not spending enough.
He says Australia comes to the US with a "good story to tell" about stepped increases to the defence budget.
"We now have defence spending at 2.8 per cent of GDP by the NATO measure, which puts us ahead of most NATO countries," he says.
"We understand the American position, but I think that is a story that is well received here."
Marles has also confirmed the number of American personnel in Australia is growing, in line with the rollout of AUKUS.
"We think that is very important in terms of providing security in the Indo-Pacific and in terms of providing deterrence in the Indo-Pacific, and that is in our national interest," he says.
Marles spoke to Trump administration about Iran war
But he won't go into the details.
He's been asked about the length of the war and whether he has been given any indication of when it might end.
"I think in general terms, we have been advocating for a de-escalation in respect to the conflict in the Middle East, but at the same time what we need to see is an opening of the Strait of Hormuz," he says.
Marles says he wants the rules-based order adhered to.
Australia must retain sovereignty on AI, data centres
Marles says AI is becoming a part of defence capability for countries around the world, and warns access "really matters" for Australia.
"It therefore matters that we have agency here, and that's why collaborating in respect with this technology represents such an important national security opportunity, but also such an important sovereignty opportunity," he says.
On the question of data centres, Marles acknowledges that the government must "get this right" and make sure they are built in the right places.
He says there are also ongoing concerns around issues such as copyright, which the government is committed to "getting right."
"But this is an opportunity that we must grab, and that is what we're trying to do," he says.
Australia sends search and rescue specialists to Nepal
Australia is sending a team of specialist drone operators to Nepal to help with the search and rescue effort, more than a week on from the flood disaster.
The crew, from Fire and Rescue New South Wales and the Queensland Fire Department, will help to map the affected area as Nepali authorities continue to look for the more than 4,000 missing people, including 38 Australians.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong says Nepal's government requested this support and Australia stood ready to further help with the rescue and recovery mission.
The team of 15 adds to the 19 personnel already dispatched.
The government is also sending another $3 million of supplies, including sanitation products and tents.
US, Australia relationship in 'good order', says Marles
Marles is holding a press conference from Washington.
He says both the Australian and US governments are making "good progress" on AUKUS and discussed access to critical minerals.
"The relationship is very much in good order," he says.
Also on the agenda today is AI and data centres, with Marles flagging continued conversations with the Trump administration after holding meetings with tech companies on Monday.
Marles meets US Defense Secretary for Pentagon bilat
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has kicked off a trip to the United States with a bilateral meeting with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon as Canberra moves to reinforce its defence ties with the Trump administration.
Joined by General Dan Caine, President Donald Trump's top military adviser, the pair is expected to discuss the AUKUS defence pact and security initiatives in the Indo-Pacific.
Hegseth thanked Australia for its ongoing friendship and the need to "ensure our capabilities match and are complementary".
The meeting comes two days after US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resigned following months of reported tensions with Hegseth, adding another layer of uncertainty to the Pentagon as Australia seeks to deepen cooperation under AUKUS.
Marles said the talks coincided with the 75th anniversary of Australia and the US formally establishing their defence alliance, describing it as the "cornerstone" of Australia's foreign policy.
He said the partnership was "as important and relevant today as it's ever been".
"We feel that we live in a world which is increasingly challenging, where the strategic threat is growing, not receding."
Chalmers 'not necessarily' surprised by slump in house price growth
There have been several pessimistic forecasts on the housing market this week.
Chalmers is asked if he's still confident that the government's tax changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax will only shave 2 per cent off house price growth, which was the modelling provided by Treasury in the federal budget in May.
He says that modelling needs to be applied across the next few years, not just the last couple of months.
"And if you look at movements in house prices over the last couple of decades, it's not unusual ... for house prices to come off," he says.
Chalmers says the tax changes are one of a "number of reasons" contributing to the more modest growth.
But he says there are other factors at play, including interest rate changes and developments in the economy more broadly.
"Investing in housing or owning your own home is a long-term proposition, and there are movement and volatility in house prices over time."
What will the RBA do with interest rates?
Treasurer Jim Chalmers is speaking with Sally Sara on Radio National Breakfast.
New data released from the Australian Bureau of Statistics yesterday shows the Australian economy is expanding faster than expected, growing by 2.1 per cent over the year to June 30.
But productivity has dropped.
The question many Australians are now pondering is whether the Reserve Bank will increase interest rates later this month.
Chalmers won't speculate on the decision of the RBA, but says productivity must remain a focus.
"I think the main story of the National Accounts is about an economy which has substantial advantages but in the face of serious challenges, and productivity is one of them," he says.
"It's all about trying to shift the productivity challenge in our economy, which has been a huge problem for decades now and will take time to turn around."
$2m funding for register to tackle 'invisible scourge' of racism
An online register for reporting racism against First Nations people has received a $2 million funding boost from the federal government.
About 2,100 racist incidents have been reported to the Call It Out register since it began in 2022.
Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy says the funding comes after the parliamentary racism inquiry heard evidence that "racism is everywhere in this country".
"I can speak personally as well in terms of my experiences and family members, but also more importantly around systemic concerns with it," she said.
"I've certainly heard it from health workers, doctors who work in the medical space, concerns in the workplace."
Professor Lindon Coombes from the Jumbunna Institute, which runs the register with the National Justice Project, says the funding will go towards staffing, web development and public awareness.
He says the public should be assured any information they submit to the register "will be protected, it will be read, and it will be used to come up with strategies to work against racism".
National Justice Project's George Newhouse says they had learnt from other communities who were recording incidents of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism.
He says it is "hard to believe" there were no records kept of racism against First Nations people since 1788.
"If you don't have data, it's an invisible scourge on our society," he says.
"It's visible to people who receive it and feel it, but governments don't see it because they don't see the data."
Coalition unveils plan to cut tobacco tax by 80 per cent
Opposition Leader Angus Taylor is rolling out his plan to tackle the growing tobacco black market today, which includes slashing the excise by 80 per cent.
Taylor says the plan would reduce the tax on a standard pack of cigarettes from about $30 to just $6.
More than half of the tobacco consumed in Australia last year was bought illegally.
Public health authorities have long used the tobacco excise to reduce smoking by making cigarettes more expensive and have consistently warned dropping the tax risked reversing this.
The Coalition has also vowed to legalise, regulate and tax vapes and nicotine pouches for adults.
Currently, Australians aged over 18 can purchase legal vapes through pharmacies, while pouches are banned.
We'll hear more from Taylor later in the morning.
