Afternoon Update: Albanese leaves PNG without treaty; Tasmanian stadium plan condemned; and Australia’s quietest cockatoo

Good afternoon. Anthony Albanese’s strategy of pushing back against China in the Pacific has been dealt another blow, with a major defence treaty with Papua New Guinea delayed amid concerns about sovereignty.

The so-called Pukpuk mutual defence treaty, which would commit Australia and PNG to defend each other in the event of a military attack and allow citizens of both countries to serve in the defence forces of the other, was to be signed in Port Moresby this week. Instead the two governments signed a joint communique and pledged to continue negotiations on the wider defence pact.

Speaking at a press conference, Albanese said the text of the defence agreement had been confirmed but both governments had more work to do.

It comes after Vanuatu’s government paused the signing of a joint