Australia news LIVE: Treasurer’s push for savings obstructed by PM’s razor gang; final words before Spanish train disaster revealed

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By Daniel Lo Surdo

Welcome to the national news live blog for today, Friday, October 30. Here’s a look at today’s biggest stories:

Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ push for tighter fiscal discipline was obstructed by the prime minister’s razor gang ahead of the last budget, intensifying scrutiny on Anthony Albanese’s economic credentials as Labor scrambles to find savings. Chalmers had often advocated for the lowest-cost option when proposals came to the cabinet’s expenditure review subcommittee ahead of the May budget and years past, but was unable to convince colleagues to tighten belts.
Leaked recordings reveal the messages between the rail control centre in Madrid and two train drivers operating the same line moments before one train smashed into the rear of the other, killing at least 69 people. A controller in Madrid told the driver of a Renfe AVE high-speed train to “resume normal operations” after being stopped due to a signalling malfunction. The instruction in Spanish, according to national newspaper El País, was la marcha normal – a message that led the driver to accelerate rapidly without knowing another train was stationary on the line ahead.
The final section of Sydney’s $30 billion M1 metro line has opened after a two-year wait. The first passenger service ran through Sydney’s south-west suburbs at 4.31am, bringing a festive feel on the trains and stations along the corridor. It marks a historic day for Australian heavy rail infrastructure, and a new chapter for Sydney’s public transport. Follow our live coverage here.