Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has surprised political observers by promising to give “full backing” to the Albanese Government’s new threatened species action plan on certain condition.

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek (main picture) says the plan was aimed at putting an end to the extinction of Australian animals and plants.

Mr Dutton was quick to detail the conditions he wanted met in return for throwing his and the Liberal Party’s support behind the plan.

“Yes, I totally back the new anti-extinction plan but only if Minister Plibersek can guarantee key species like liberal moderatus found mainly in inner-urban areas of Sydney and Melbourne are given priority under the plan,” he said.

“We’ve already lost far too many of this key species to very voracious predators like the tealus independus  and we as a party,… I mean we as a nation cannot tolerate losing any more.”

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Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner has dropped his efforts to have the Palaszczuk  Government adopt daylight saving just days after launching a new campaign seeking to bring Queensland into line with other eastern states.

Cr Schrinner is believed to have called off his campaign after receiving a phone call from Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

A spokesperson for the Lord Mayor confirmed that the two leaders had discussed the issue late last night.

“Cr Schrinner decided to scrap his public campaign after the Premier pointed out to him that if he wanted the benefits offered by daylight saving he should perhaps consider getting his fat arse out of bed an hour earlier,” the spokesperson said.

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Former prime minister Scott Morrison says he is ecstatic that the NRL team he backed so passionately had done so well at the 2022 grand final at the weekend.

Asked which team he had supported, Mr Morrison said he was a secret diehard fan of this year’s NRL premiers Penrith Panthers.

But he revealed he had also been secretly registered as a diehard fan of the Parramatta Eels, the North Queensland Cowboys, the South Sydney Rabbitohs, and the Canberra Raiders, all of which had made this year’s finals.

Asked if he was disappointed that the Cronulla Sharks had not made it past week two of the finals, Mr Morrison responded: “Who?”