What we learned — Wednesday 27 August
That is where we’ll close the blog for tonight, but keep your eye out for an image gallery of the best-dressed at the midwinter ball – Canberra’s night of nights - later.
The PM said “all Australians are mourning” the slain Victorian police officers killed in an attack in Porepunkah in the state’s north-west. Sussan Ley also paid tribute.
The home affairs minister, Tony Burke, said there is “no reason to believe” the perpetrators of a series of attacks on synagogues in Melbourne and Sydney knew Iran was allegedly directing them. Penny Wong defended the timing of the move to expel Iran’s ambassadors, saying ‘a line has been crossed.’
The PM said national security settings have not changed despite the Iran revelations.
Richard Marles has met with senior Trump officials, including US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth.
Labor promised to wipe debts of up to $250 in “social security debt reform”.
Linda Reynolds was awarded almost $350,000 in damages after winning her defamation case against Brittany Higgins.
Jim Chalmers has blamed the end of energy rebates, rising travel prices and fuel for a big leap in inflation.
Have a good evening.
Updated
Aly also spoke to what concerns her about the sovereign citizen movement:
I think what it demonstrates is the changing nature of terrorism and violent extremism in not just this country but worldwide as well. It used to be that you could attach terrorism to a particular ideology in a kind of a linear way. And now what we have is a different landscape of terrorism where it might not be aligned to a singular ideology ... The thing that I find particularly disturbing is that the sovereign citizens movement is largely … embedded in conspiracy theories.
Terrorism in all its forms, historically and most recently, has always an element of conspiracy theories, but in a world where we have rising misinformation, disinformation, the capacity of AI to emphasise and increase misinformation and disinformation, conspiracy theories are more and more becoming part of a radicalising narrative for people.
So I’m very concerned about the sovereign citizens movement and I think it speaks to the much more complex environment in which our security agencies work in because these people are much, much harder to detect and you cannot [trace] them linearly to a particular ideology or political stance.
Updated
Aly also spoke to the situation in Porepunkah, and sent her condolences to the families of the officers who lost their lives in yesterday’s shooting - Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart.
I do want to send my condolences to the families of the victims of this man. I’m from a policing family myself. My husband’s a former police, my stepdaughter and her partner are both police officers. We always take time to mourn those who are lost in the line of duty.
Updated
Aly says anti-Semitism ‘bubbling underneat the surface’
Aly says that Australia “absolutely” still has a problem with anti-Semitism, that it’s not just something coming from Iran:
I’ve just spoken in the House about the fragility of social cohesion in this nation. There are periodic episodes of heightened tensions and racism and it’s because we have a gritted-teeth tolerance of difference in this country. I want to change that. I want to make Australians proud of our difference. I want that to be part of our character...
If you look at historically, the most anti-Semitic groups have been the far-right Neo-Nazis. The clue is there in the name, right? And what we’ve seen now is anti-Semitism become more normalised and this is what the Jewish community have been telling me, that it’s become more normalised, but it’s always there, bubbling under the surface. And it’s bubbling under the surface because of the fragility of our social cohesion, so the best thing we can do is target harder, harden our social cohesion, make that part of our character.
Updated
Aly says Coalition attempting to politicise the process of listing a terrorist organisation
Anne Aly, the minister for multicultural affairs, says she is surprised the opposition is seeking to politicise the process of listing a terrorist organisation.
Appearing on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing, Aly was asked about the fact that the Iranian community members told the Australian Senate in 2022 that these officers had questioned and threatened their families in Iran. As a consequence, the recommendation was to list them as a terror group. Was it a mistake that Labor didn’t at the time, despite the warning?
I’m surprised people like Michaelia Cash and people from the opposition are seeking to politicise this because they know full well what the process is for listing a terrorist organisation.
They know full well that the process involves our security agencies, our security apparatus and in the case of listing the IRGC, we need to change the legislation and make that feasible and make that happen. They know there is a process.
… As soon as we got information from our security apparatus, from our security agencies, that the Iranian government was involved in this, with the advice that the IRGC should be listed as a terrorist organisation, we acted and we acted swiftly and in a timely manner.
Updated
CFA warns communities in boundary zones to be wary of fire risk
A spokesperson for Victoria’s Country Fire Authority said “while the risk is more pronounced in some areas, in other areas, like the outskirts of Bendigo and Melbourne, the risk sits on the margins of these zones”. They said:
For communities in or near these boundary areas, it’s important to note that fire risk can still increase quickly under hot, dry, and windy conditions.
The Dampier Peninsula, Derby Coast and the Central Kimberley, Little Sandy Desert, and south-eastern Pilbara in Western Australia and the south-eastern agricultural areas of the Murraylands in South Australia are also facing increased risk.
In Western Australia, seasonal rains have led to increased fuel loads which, coupled with forthcoming warmer and drier conditions, is expected to heighten the chance of fire.
Parts of South Australia could receive above-average spring rainfall, but severe rainfall deficiencies are expected to continue in parts of the Riverland and Murraylands.
Rob Webb, the chief executive of the Australian and New Zealand National Council for fire and emergency services, said people should follow any warnings and advice and have a plan for what they would do in the event of a bushfire.
Updated
Bushfire risk rises across Victoria due to lack of rain
Significant parts of Victoria, including Ballarat and the outskirts of Melbourne and Bendigo, face a heightened risk of bushfires through spring after long-term rainfall shortages through large parts of the state.
Although wetter-than-average conditions are expected to continue for much of Australia, the seasonal outlook from state and territory emergency services warns some parts of Western and South Australia could also experience an increased chance of fires.
The higher risk of fire in Victoria covers a large area that takes in drought-affected parts of south-west, west and central Victoria, as well as south-west Gippsland.
Authorities said the increased risk was mostly expected later in spring.
Updated
Thanks Krishani for taking us through another big day of political news.
Thank you all for joining me on the blog today, I’ll leave you with the fabulous Natasha May for the rest of the afternoon’s political news.
I’ll see you here bright and early tomorrow!
Tl;dr — here’s what happened in question time
The opposition pressed the government on why they didn’t act sooner on listing Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terror organisation.
The government accused the opposition of abandoning bipartisanship on Iran. They also tried to throw Andrew Hastie’s comments of pushing for the listing under the previous Coalition government back at the opposition.
The Coalition then pivoted to playing the rule in, rule out game (similar to yesterday’s tactic) by trying to get the government to rule out tax changes on the family home or the fuel tax credit scheme (the government wasn’t keen to play ball).
Greens MP Elizabeth Watson-Brown asked whether the government would commit to a four-day work week. The government wouldn’t.
Updated
Question time ends
The prime minister takes a final dixer on what the government is doing on the cost of living, and that’s it for question time for today.
Updated
Scamps queries diabetes inquiry response
Back to the crossbench, Sophie Scamps asks the health minister when the government will respond to a parliamentary inquiry into diabetes, which was handed to the government more than a year ago.
Mark Butler says the government will respond “in due course”, so no clear timeline there. But he says the assistant health minister will deal with the recommendations in the report that go to food policy.
And he also says the pharmaceutical benefits advisory committee will provide the government advice on the more equitable rollout of diabetes treatments like Ozempic and Mounjaro.
Updated
Nationals question if farmers will be taxed more to fund biosecurity
Nationals MP Michelle Landry asks Daniel Mulino another rule in rule out question, which is whether the minister will rule out taxing farmers more in order to fund Australia’s biosecurity.
She says the government previously tried to pose a biosecurity protection levy which she says, “would have forced Australian farmers to pay for the biosecurity risks of their foreign competitors”.
Mulino seems to tire a bit of the rule in/rule out game, and his answer is even shorter than the question:
What I can rule in is that the government’s tax policies, I can rule in tax cuts for all Australian taxpayers… I can rule in the fact that we have frozen the beer excise and that I will continue to work for lower taxes for Australians every day.
Updated
Education minister says universities have legal obligation to students even if courses are cancelled
Nicolette Boele gets the next crossbench question and asks the education minister about the cuts to university staff and degrees.
She asks what the government is doing to ensure that courses and units that students have completed and paid for that are credited if the course is cancelled.
Jason Clare says universities have legal obligations to ensure that students are able to complete their degrees, or a similar degree, in the situation where a course is cancelled.
They’ve [the universities have] got to enable that student to complete that degree, to complete the study of that course, or find a mutually acceptable alternative at no disadvantage to that student.
He also calls on universities to properly consult with their students and staff when they’re making these significant decisions.
Updated
Opposition continue questions on taxing the family home
The rule in rule out game continues, with the shadow skills minister, Scott Buchholz, asking:
Can the assistant treasurer rule out any changes to the tax treatment or the family home?
The answer is brief to say the least, and Daniel Mulino starts by saying, “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome”.
He says the government has outlined its tax policies which he says are “very clear”. He won’t bite on the rule in or the rule out.
Updated
Katter says PM should ‘enhance your Christianity and patriotism’ in question about gas reserve policy
It’s time for the father of the house, Kennedy MP Bob Katter, who asks whether the government will implement a gas reserve policy on the east coast, after the closure of the Glencore copper mine in Mt Isa. He also says the prime minister should “enhance your Christianity and patriotism”.
Albanese thanks Katter for his “usual eloquence” in asking the question.
He doesn’t commit to a reserve (something the Coalition had pledged during the last election campaign), but says the future made in Australia policy is to support critical mineral mining in Australia.
Minister Pat Conroy adds:
It is also important that Australian gas has to be available and affordable for all Australians. And that’s why we’ve launched a review into the mechanisms involved there. This follows our work on capping coal and gas prices.
Updated
Chalmers calls O’Brien ‘last person on earth that I’ll be lectured about energy prices’ when asked about ‘extraordinary’ increase
Ted O’Brien comes to the dispatch box and asks the treasurer to “explain to the house why electricity prices have jumped an extraordinary 13% over the past 12 months”.
Jim Chalmers says: “The last person on earth that I’ll be lectured about energy prices is the member for Fairfax.” He then rails off about nuclear energy, or rather the “nuclear meltdown”, which he says would push prices up.
Dan Tehan comes up to make a point of order because Chalmers is not answering the question, and Milton Dick says Tehan doesn’t even need to make it.
I’ve got it. I’m sure … Resume your seat. The Treasurer wasn’t asked about alternative energy sources …
Chalmers stands back up and immediately goes back to attacking the Coalition, so Tehan comes back to the dispatch box, and Dick tells everyone to “take a big breath”. Chalmers continues (while we hear plenty of interjections from the opposition benches):
Electricity prices in July would have been 7.9% higher without the energy rebates we are rolling out with our state and territory colleagues.
The member for Fairfax can have as many nuclear meltdowns as he likes. The truth is we’re helping people with electricity bills. You’d prefer that we didn’t and that’s the difference.
Updated
Nationals ask government about fuel tax credit scheme
We’re back to tax questions my friends, Nationals MP, Pat Conaghan, asks assistant treasurer Daniel Mulino if the government will rule out changes to the fuel tax credit scheme.
As you might be used to by now, Mulino takes the opportunity to do a compare and contrast to the Coalition on their tax policies. Mulino says that the government went to the election with the promise of lower taxes while the Coalition was promising higher taxes.
That doesn’t go down so well, and Dan Tehan stands up to make a point of order. Milton Dick says that Mulino was not asked about alternative policies – and to stick to the actual question.
We don’t get a much clearer answer, Mulino says:
Those opposite have reduced themselves, when it comes to tax, to this rule in, rule out game, I would say our tax policies have not changed. It’s to reduce taxes on taxpayers and that’s what I stick by.
Updated
Coalition continues to grill Labor over why it didn’t act sooner on IRGC
The Coalition is going hard today on why the government didn’t act sooner to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation.
Sussan Ley says the Senate references committee on foreign affairs, defence and trade recommended in 2023 that the government add the IRGC to the terrorist organisation list.
Albanese says the government acted “like adults” in taking this action.
On these issues, we take advice from the intelligence agencies, we go through our appropriate processes, including our national security committee.
Once again, Albanese drags Andrew Hastie’s comments into the Hansard. Hastie said when he was previously chair of the intelligence committee under the Coalition government, he was “keen” to list the IRGC.
Updated
Government doesn’t bite when questioned about four-day work week
To the crossbench, the Greens are asking when the government commit to a national four-day work week – with the same level of pay.
It’s a question that’s been asked a lot recently, and was pushed by the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) ahead of last week’s productivity summit.
And look, I personally wouldn’t complain …
The workplace minister, Amanda Rishworth, doesn’t really bite on the four-day work week (no surprises there, the government has already said there are no plans to do that).
She talks about penalty rates, enterprise bargaining laws that Labor passed, and flexibility at work.
When it comes to flexibility at work, our government put through laws in the last term that do allow workers to request flexibility at work. Whether that’s in the location of where they work or indeed how they might have a span of hours such as compacted work weeks. We believe that we need a strong safety net in this country.
Updated
PM lists measures government has taken to combat antisemitism as Coalition goes on attack
Continuing his answer, Albanese brings up Andrew Hastie’s comments again and then says he’d like an extension of time to go through all the things the government has done to combat antisemitism.
He mentions the antisemitism envoy, which he says wasn’t established by the Coalition government – which sparks an uproar from the opposition benches. Tim Wilson shouts that there’s been an “explosion” in antisemitism under this government.
As his time runs out, Alex Hawke, the manager of opposition business, says he’ll give the prime minister more time (as Albanese asked for) to list the governments actions on tackling antisemitism – Milton Dick tells him to calm down, because he’s jumping in ahead of procedure.
So Albanese continues his answer – he brings up measures including the establishment of a special envoy on antisemitism, the criminalisation of hate speech, the listing of terrorgram as a terror organisation, the appointment of the first national student ombudsman, funding for community safety – for Jewish schools and synagogues and funding for the Sydney Jewish Museum. He ends saying:
Mr Speaker, we on this side of the House, and I would hope across the parliament, understand that there are times when the nation should just come together. I would have thought that yesterday was one of those times and it was. It’s a pity it hasn’t lasted till today.
Updated
Government ignored warnings from Iranian and Jewish communities, Leeser says
The second question comes from shadow attorney general, Julian Leeser, who says the government ignored warnings from the Persian, Iranian and Jewish community about Iran. He asks:
The government has had the report of its own antisemitism envoy with actions to protect not just the Jewish community but all Australians but done nothing. Why is it that this government is always playing catch-up?
Albanese stands up and accuses him of taking a “political response”.
What we’re seeing here, though, is a political response which is entirely inappropriate and entirely different from the leadership of the Jewish community that he raises.
The opposition promptly makes a point of order, and says Leeser’s question isn’t a political attack.
Mark Dreyfus – the former attorney general, and a Jewish MP shouts out, “of course it’s a political attack”, and Milton Dick gives him a warning.
Updated
It’s question time!
Sussan Ley starts, on the expulsion of the Iranian ambassador, and move to list the IRGC as a terror organisation. She asks why the government didn’t take these actions sooner.
Albanese says the bipartisanship that the opposition offered yesterday, when Ley said during question time, “while we sit opposite the government in this chamber, we’re entirely united on the measures announced today”. Since then the Coalition has criticised – as Ley has done now – for not acting sooner.
Albanese says that bipartisanship “hasn’t lasted long”.
He then brings up Andrew Hastie, the shadow home affairs minister who has said he wanted to list the IRGC as a terrorist organisation during the last term of government.
Yesterday he [Hastie] said, “I think we should have listed the IRGC sooner but I understand our intelligence agencies had to stack it all up and do so in a forensic matter.” We [Labor] take these issues very seriously. We listen to intelligence agencies, we don’t try to second guess them.
There’s a couple of interjections from the opposition benches, and Milton Dick tells them to pipe down. Albanese continues:
This is very serious and it deserves a serious response. It doesn’t deserve looking for political distinction and doesn’t deserve the sort of approach we’ve seen with the interviews [by the Coalition] that have taken place in between yesterday at 2pm and this morning.
Updated
Countdown to question time …
This day has already been a whirlwind, and there’s more to come … because we’re on the countdown to question time.
Yesterday’s question time started on the revelations from Asio that Iran had been behind two antisemitic attacks in Australia, and then moved to plenty of questions on tax settings – ie the Coalition trying to push Labor to rule out taxes on family farms and family trusts.
We can expect more on Iran, and more on the economy today – particularly on those higher-than-expected inflation figures.
Updated
Economists say rise in inflation not the start of a resurgence in price growth
Economists are responding cautiously to this morning’s substantially stronger than expected inflation figure, saying that it’s not the start of a new resurgence in price growth.
Cherelle Murphy, EY’s chief economist, said “we still expect further interest rate cuts by the end of the year to make conditions less restrictive and support the economy”.
Taxpayer-funded energy bill subsidies are winding down this year, leading to higher household electricity costs, and this was reflected in the larger-than-expected jump in annual inflation: from 1.9% in June to a 12-month high of 2.8% in July.
ANZ economists noted there was also an 8% monthly spike in travel costs that they said was likely due to the British Lions rugby tour, rather than “the beginning of a new trend for travel”.
Rental costs were up 3.9% in the year to July, according to the ABS figures, lower than the 4.2% pace in June, and 4.5% in May.
Updated
Chalmers blames end of energy rebates, rising travel prices and fuel for big leap in inflation
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has blamed the end of state energy rebates, travel prices and fuel for the higher monthly inflation figures released by the ABS.
Inflation jumped to 2.8% in the year to July, from 1.9% in the month before, the highest rate in a year.
Chalmers said those were “volatile and one-off factors” and this was the eighth month in a row that the headline and underlying inflation rates were below 3%.
We know monthly inflation figures can jump around and are less reliable than the quarterly figures because they don’t compare the same basket of goods and services from month to month.
The official quarterly numbers show that both underlying and headline inflation are at their lowest rates in almost four years.
Updated
Greens claim win after Labor vows to wipe 1.2m historical debts
The Greens are claiming a win over Labor’s announcement that it will wipe around 1.2m historical debts of up to $250.
As my colleague Sarah Basford Canales brought you earlier, people whose entitlements were incorrectly calculated by the income apportionment method (which has been declared unlawful) between 2003 to 2020 will be eligible to apply for a $600 resolution payment. You can read more on income apportionment here.
The Greens have also been pushing for a six-year limit to be imposed on debt collection. Senator Penny Allman-Payne said:
Like robodebt, the income apportionment scandal has shown the systemic issues with the way our welfare system brutalises people living in poverty over ridiculous errors.
The work unpicking robodebt is far from done. The Greens will continue to push Labor to implement the outstanding robodebt recommendations including the six-year limit on debt recoveries.
Antipoverty Centre spokesperson Jay Coonan said the announcement was a “relief” and is also pushing the government to put a six-year limit on debt collection.
It is a relief to see the government beginning to take some action in response to its unlawful debt recovery, but we know these changes will not protect poor people from the harm done by debt raising and collection practices. They do not go anywhere near implementing the robodebt royal commission recommendations that the government committed to two years ago.
Updated
Government cites ‘unreasonable invasion of privacy’ after Bragg requests transparency over housing future fund
A little earlier I brought you the tussle in the Senate over an order for the production of documents by senator Andrew Bragg – for details from the government on how funding in the housing Australia future fund is being spent.
The Coalition is chasing which providers will be building the homes, where they will be and how much they will be paid.
Government minister Tim Ayres said the request is being “actively progressed”, but it looks like Bragg won’t be getting his hands on those documents at all.
A letter, seen by Guardian Australia, from the housing minister Clare O’Neil, says that disclosing how much money was paid to individual housing providers would be “an unreasonable invasion of privacy”.
She states in the letter that the documents contain commercially sensitive details.
The Coalition has said only 17 homes have been built under the HAFF, but that’s not correct, and has been disputed by the government. An AAP fact check from last week says federal funding has supported the construction of more than 2,400 homes.
Updated
Reynolds says she’s not expecting apology from Labor for role in perpetuating ‘me too political hit job’
Linda Reynolds said she’s not expecting an apology from the Labor government for its role in perpetuating a ‘me too’ political hit job” against her but has urged them to read the WA supreme court’s findings “carefully”.
That’s because she’s also separately suing the federal government for its role in signing off on Brittany Higgins’ personal injury settlement without her involvement.
Reynolds has said she wasn’t able to defend against claims she hadn’t supported Higgins after she revealed her alleged Parliament House rape in 2019. Outside the court, Reynolds said:
This has been an incredibly emotionally and financially taxing journey, but I never gave up on the truth and on seeking justice for the gross, the very gross politicisation that allowed Ms Higgins to procure a multimillion dollar settlement… I’m not expecting an apology from the Labor government for their role in this… ‘me too’ political hit job. However, I do call on the Labor government, from the Australian government solicitors and HWL Ebsworth to carefully review Justice Tottle’s findings. It’s time for all of them to acknowledge they got it wrong.
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Reynolds says her reputation has been ‘finally and fully vindicated’
Following her win in the WA supreme court, Linda Reynolds tells reporters outside the court the judgment has “definitively established the truth” and that her reputation had been “finally and fully vindicated”.
Reynolds continued:
This lie was so shocking, it was so despicable and so devastating that I had no choice but to stand up tall and keep fighting no matter how many times I was knocked down, this lie devastated me. It devastated my staff, it devastated my family and so many friends... But let me be very, very clear today, this was never about Ms Higgins’ allegation of rape, and it was also never about the money, this action was always, it was always about the dishonest and devastating attack my reputation that was based on very carefully curated lies by Ms Higgins… Those lies cost me my reputation. It cost me my health.
Updated
Linda Reynolds awarded almost $350,000 in damages after winning defamation case against Brittany Higgins
Brittany Higgins has been ordered to pay her former boss, ex-senator Linda Reynolds, almost $350,000 in damages after a Western Australian supreme court found she had defamed Reynolds.
Justice Paul Tottle delivered the judgment from Perth today finding Higgins’ social media posts in 2023 had defamed Reynolds and Higgins’ defence could not establish truth in any of them. However, Higgins’ legal team had been successful in convincing the court her social media post on 20 July 2023 was honest opinion, fair comment and qualified privilege.
The judge ruled Higgins would have to pay Reynolds $315,000 in damages with an interest payment of $26,109.25 as well as costs for the case.
Reynolds had also sought damages after claiming Higgins and her now-husband, David Sharaz, had conspired together to damage the former senator’s reputation. Justice Tottle said he did not find this was established and also dismissed Reynolds’ team’s attempt to place an injunction on Higgins speaking out further.
We’ll have more in a moment once the two parties leave the court.
Updated
Iran’s ambassador to Australia photographed leaving embassy
Iranian ambassador to Australia, Ahmad Sadeghi, has been photographed outside the Iranian embassy in Canberra.
The ambassador has been declared a “persona non-grata” in Australia, and has been expelled by the federal government, along with three other Iranian officials in the embassy.
Updated
Inflation jumps to highest rate in a year
Inflation has jumped to 2.8% in the year to July, from 1.9% in the month before, in a tentative sign that lingering price pressures may be stronger than hoped.
The monthly data does not present a complete picture of consumer prices, but the rise was well above the 2.3% predicted by economists before the release of this morning’s ABS data, and the highest rate in a year.
As expected, electricity costs explained the reversal in the inflationary downward trend, but the size of the upswing was a surprise.
Electricity costs jumped by 13% in the year to July as government-funded energy bill subsidies elapsed. The ABS said:
The largest contributor was that households in NSW and ACT did not receive payments of the extended commonwealth energy bill relief fund in July.
Payment of rebates for households in NSW and ACT will instead commence in August. This means that those households had higher out-of-pocket costs for electricity in July. In addition to this, prices rose due to annual electricity price reviews coming into effect.
Removing the impact of large swings in some prices such as energy, the annual trimmed mean inflation climbed to 2.7%, from 2.1% in June, and also well above experts’ predictions.
Updated
Victorian treaty bill delayed
The Victorian government has delayed introducing a bill that would formalise Australia’s first formal treaty with traditional owners.
Guardian Australia understands the government had planned to introduce a statewide treaty bill on Wednesday, after it was signed off in cabinet earlier in the week.
But the plans have been delayed due to the Porepunkah shooting. Police are still searching for Dezi Freeman, who they allege shot two police officers dead in an ambush at his property on Tuesday morning.
It is understood the government also wants to ensure the treaty is given the focus it deserves.
The bill is the culmination of almost 10 years of work by the Victorian Labor government, which has also included setting up the First Peoples’ Assembly – a democratically elected body representing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in treaty discussions – and the Yoorrook Justice Commission, which oversees the state’s truth-telling process.
If the bill passes, it will acquit voice, treaty, truth – the three pillars of reform requested in the 2017 Uluru statement from the heart. Victoria will become the first state in the country to achieve this.
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Tanya Plibersek says debt recovery process should be fair and transparent
The social services minister, Tanya Plibersek, said it was important for the debt recovery process to be fair and transparent.
She said:
This $300m package will mean Services Australia does not waste time or resources chasing accidental debts that are uneconomical to recover, and spare Australians with small debts significant stress. It will also provide compensation for those affected by the historical practice of income apportionment, in recognition of clear evidence it was invalid.
Read more:
Updated
The government’s announcement today means those whose entitlements were incorrectly calculated by the method between 2003 to 2020 will be eligible to apply for a $600 resolution payment. The government said it was in “recognition of the fact that we now know this method of calculating entitlements was invalid”.
The government noted the reprieve would not be available for recipients where there has been “significant non-compliance or fraud” and it would “continue to recover every cent of debt in these circumstances”.
A bill will be introduced in the coming weeks to provide legal clarity for the debt calculation method.
Labor promises to wipe debts of up to $250 in ‘social security debt reform’
The Albanese government has announced it will wipe about 1.2m historical debts of up to $250 in a move it claims is an “important first step toward systemic social security debt reform”.
In July, the federal court ruled the social services department could estimate a welfare recipient’s income using its preferred method, meaning thousands of recipients could now be liable for debts totalling more than $1bn and dating back decades.
Previously, Centrelink had made assumptions to calculate a welfare recipient’s wage in order to offer them the right amount of supplemental income. For example, a casual worker might be paid a lump sum for a fortnight’s work, which Centrelink could divide to find a daily or weekly wage within an income reporting period to determine their payment for that period.
That method, known as income apportionment, was used for decades but was ruled unlawful, placing a question mark on more than $1bn in debt owed by welfare recipients stretching back to the late 1970s.
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Alex Ryvchin shocked but not surprised by Iran’s involvement in antisemitic attacks
Earlier this morning, Alex Ryvchin, of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said he wasn’t “surprised” or Iran’s involvement in two antisemitic attacks in Australia, but was still shocked by the events.
He told ABC’s News Breakfast he’d spoken to the owners of one of the targeted businesses and said they were “really rattled” by the revelations.
There was no surprise, really. But also, it still brought us a great degree of shock to know now definitively that this regime – which is responsible for so much misery and bloodshed, that is capable of such atrocities – honed in on our Australian Jewish community and committed attacks on Australian soil.
Updated
Andrew Bragg chastises Labor over lack of transparency
Over in the Senate this morning, the Coalition is having a crack at the government over its lack of transparency – after the shadow housing minister, Andrew Bragg, tried to get documents on spending in the housing Australia future fund (HAFF).
Bragg says the government can’t say how many houses have been built under the scheme, or show how the money has been spent.
He says the Department of Finance reported that $223m had been debited in 2024-25, of the $500m that is supposed to be spent under the HAFF each financial year. The auditor-general then told the opposition that the rest of the money, the $277m had been debited and given to Housing Australia to spend on round one of the HAFF.
But Bragg says there’s still no clarity on where that taxpayer money has gone – hence the order for the production of documents – that the government has so far failed to produce.
Bragg takes a shot at the government, and points to research by the Centre for Public Integrity that the: “FOI regime has sharply worsened under the Albanese government… The proportion of requests granted in full has fallen from 59% in 2011–12 to just 25%t in 2023–24. Meanwhile, refusals have nearly doubled – from 12% to 23%.” Bragg says:
It is a secretive government, it has a shocking record of responding to orders for production of documents …
This government is more secretive than a government led by a man who swore himself into secret ministries.
Greens senator Barbara Pocock also criticises the lack of transparency and says “ministers are making incontestable claims of public interest immunity and there is little recourse to hold them to account”.
Updated
Albanese says national security settings have not changed despite Iran revelations
Anthony Albanese has confirmed Australia’s diplomats in Iran were evacuated just after midnight on Monday, ahead of Tuesday’s press conference revealing Iran’s involvement in the two antisemitic attacks in Australia.
Speaking to the Daily Telegraph’s Bush Summit, Albanese says the government was given full briefings on Asio’s intelligence on Monday morning.
He says Iran has a history of “not respecting diplomats”, making their evacuation from Tehran critical.
We had full briefings about the fact that they were certain. You need to be certain. Be very clear the actions in expelling a diplomat isn’t something that you do for political purposes. It isn’t something that you do lightly.
Albanese also said this was “overwhelmingly, this was an Australian operation”, when asked about a report that Israel provided intelligence towards these revelations.
Intelligence agencies talked to each other, but this was credit, where credit’s due to director-general Mike Burgess and to our friends in Asio, this is something that Australians should be really proud of.
He added that Australia’s national security settings haven’t changed since yesterday’s revelations, and that Australians can “take confidence” in Australia’s national security agencies.
Updated
Government should have added IRGC to terror listing sooner, Sharma says
Australia had some grounds to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation sooner, says Liberal senator and former ambassador to Israel, Dave Sharma.
Speaking to Sky News, Sharma says Iran’s involvement in the two antisemitic attacks was “shocking” and that in international relation terms, “this is about as serious and grave as you can get.”
The Coalition has said the government should have moved sooner to add the IRGC to the terror listing and expel the Iranian ambassador. Sharma said there has been cause to do so, and points to the terror listing of the IRGC in the US and Canada.
Asio has said publicly now on at least a couple of occasions over the past year, and named Iran as an actor that was a country of concern … that is on the public record. The Senate inquiry heard from a number of Iranian diaspora groups who gave first-hand accounts of harassment and intimidation of themselves or their families.
We’ve also had the Iranian ambassador here interfering in a quite unacceptable way in domestic political debate in Australia, and basically fanning the flames of antisemitism.
I think there has been a pretty substantial case here, for at least some time.
Updated
Woolworths profits fall nearly a fifth to $1.4bn
Woolworths’ profits fell by almost a fifth to just under $1.4bn over the year to June, after costs picked up but sales barely moved.
The company said its earnings were squeezed after customers swapped from their typical purchases to cheaper alternatives, along with increased stock loss (theft and waste), livestock costs.
Customers also swapped towards online shopping, away from in-store, which drove up Woolworths’ costs, together taking its net profit margin down from 2.5% to just 2%, Investors will be paid a total of $0.84 per share, nearly half the $1.44 payout they received a year ago.
Amanda Bardwell, Woolworths’ chief executive, said the result had not lived up to the company’s hopes and growth was still slow in August.
Average prices at the supermarket in June were lower than they were the previous year, excluding tobacco, as had been the case each quarter since March 2024, Bardwell said. She acknowledged customers didn’t perceive that to be the case:
Our value perception has deteriorated as many everyday items have risen in price through a period of high cost-price inflation. We are committed to lowering prices where possible.
Big W, the department store branch, saw sales fall with clothing particularly disappointing, which the company blamed on warm weather arriving later in 2024 and staying longer in 2025, straining seasonal supply.
Updated
Marles says he discussed Aukus with Hegseth in Washington meeting
More on the meeting between the defence minister, Richard Marles, and the US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, in Washington overnight.
As well as talks with the US vice-president JD Vance and the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, Marles says he and Hegseth discussed critical minerals, investment opportunities and US-Australia defence ties.
They discussed the Aukus nuclear submarines deal, a key concern for Canberra in ties with Washington. Marles said:
I was pleased to have the opportunity today to meet with some of the most senior members of the US Administration, including Vice President Vance and Secretary Rubio to reaffirm our commitment to the Alliance and advance our strong partnership.
It was fantastic to see Secretary Hegseth again, following our most recent meeting at the Shangri-La Dialogue in May.
Australia’s defence relationship with the United States continues to grow and deepen. We are seeing this across the breadth of our cooperation be it through our work together on AUKUS, US Force Posture initiatives, our recent bilateral defence exercise Talisman Sabre, or the growing ties between our two defence industries.”
Updated
Albanese questioned about the threat of sovereign citizens
Moving on to the shooting of two Victorian police officers on Monday, Raf Epstein asks Albanese about whether the government has taken seriously the threat of the so-called sovereign citizens.
The alleged perpetrator, Dezi Freeman, has been linked to the movement.
Albanese says the government has taken the movement and far-right extremism seriously.
Mike Burgess, the director general of Asio, has been warning about far-right extremism. We have seen that spread, and it is difficult to defend against individuals. We know that that is the case, that this person, Dezi Freeman, who remains on the run is the latest advice that we have received, has [allegedly] engaged in an attack in which two police officers have lost their lives, a third has been seriously injured.
Albanese says his heart goes out to the family and friends of those affected, and the police force in Victoria.
Updated
Iran’s motivations were antisemitism, Albanese says
Anthony Albanese says Iran had two motivations behind their involvement in two antisemitic attacks in Australia.
Speaking to ABC Radio Melbourne, Albanese says the motivations were antisemitism which he says is “very much part of the ideology of the leadership of Iran” and the second was to sow disharmony and attack Australia’s social fabric.
Asked whether this was a security failure, Albanese says it wasn’t.
This is a rather extraordinary intelligence success by Asio and the Australian federal police in today’s world where things are often done on the dark web, where you have encrypted messages, cryptocurrency transfers, you have a complex situation here, and it’s an extraordinary effort by Asio and the AFP to be able to trace the chain of command, if you like, right back to the IRGC, through to the people who perpetrated these criminal acts.
Updated
Labor living in ‘la la land of rhetoric’ on defence spending, says Coalition
Australia needs to up its defence spending, says shadow defence minister Angus Taylor.
The Coalition has pushed for the government to increase its defence investment, particularly following pressure from the Trump administration on all nations to lift their defence spending. During the election, the Coalition promised it would spend 3% of GDP on defence if it won government.
Taylor says spending must reach 3% of GDP to be able to pay for Aukus, and points out that Anthony Albanese hasn’t met with Donald Trump at a time when the US is still reviewing the defence pact.
As my colleague, Tom McIlroy brought you a moment ago, the defence minister, Richard Marles, has met with his US counterpart, Pete Hegseth in Washington, where Aukus would have no doubt been high on the agenda.
The government has committed to increasing spending to 2.4% of GDP by 2033-34, but Taylor tells Sky News it should go further.
It’s nowhere near what is necessary. It’s not even close, no one thinks it’s close … they [Labor] are living in the sort of la la land of rhetoric, not readiness. We need to have the readiness, the agility. We need to have the sovereign capability.
Updated
Tony Burke asked who his favourite celebrity couple is
On a much lighter note (because we all need a little bit of pop culture in our lives), Tony Burke was asked on ABC News Breakfast earlier this morning about the engagement of Taylor Swift.
If you haven’t seen the pics, there is a very large diamond on that finger, courtesy of now-fiance Travis Kelce.
The ABC hosts ask Burke whether he’s got a favourite celebrity couple – a difficult question for anyone, to be fair.
Burke, clearly very taken aback, says he feels like a “bad arts minister” and chuckles, before giving us a very safe answer of:
Not strictly celebrities, but I’ll stick with Albo and Jodie – that’s probably the safest answer!
Updated
Richard Marles met with senior Trump officials, including US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth
The defence minister, Richard Marles, has met with senior Trump administration officials overnight, including the US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth.
There was speculation on Tuesday Marles might not meet Hegseth while in Washington this week. He posted photos including the vice president, JD Vance.
So far neither Labor nor the White House have detailed what took place in the meeting. It comes as the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, seeks a meeting with the US president, Donald Trump.
Marles said he reaffirmed ties between the US and Australia.
“The Alliance between Australia and the United States is longstanding, built on our shared history of deep collaboration,” he posted on social media.
The Alliance between Australia and the United States is longstanding, built on our shared history of deep collaboration.
— Richard Marles (@RichardMarlesMP) August 26, 2025
I was pleased to have the opportunity to reaffirm Australia’s commitment to building on this partnership with US @VP JD Vance and Secretary of Defense… pic.twitter.com/lZfR7NBFOx
Updated
Michaelia Cash says Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps should be listed as terrorist organisation
The shadow foreign minister, Michaelia Cash, says the government should bring on legislation to change the criminal code to allow the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to be listed as a terrorist organisation today.
Tony Burke revealed yesterday the code would have to be amended to allow the IRGC to be listed – currently listings under the code only apply to non-state actors.
On Sunrise earlier, on a panel with Clare O’Neil, Cash was scathing in her criticism of the Albanese government, and said her party had demanded this action for two and a half years.
That is a pathetic response, Clare, two-and-a-half years ago we could’ve stood together and listed this organisation.
Penny Wong, Mark Dreyfus, Clare O’Neil, you were warned. The Coalition, the Iranian community here in Australia, told you this. This is the letter and you said no. You have some serious explaining to do today.
O’Neil said Cash’s accusations were a “rude and unworthy performance”.
Updated
‘We have confidence in Asio assessments,’ says Wong
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has declined to say exactly what evidence Asio presented to make the assessment that Iran had directed some antisemitic attacks in Australia, but said the government had confidence in its security agencies.
After a round of interviews this morning, Wong gave a brief doorstop in the Parliament House corridors. She said there were no Australian diplomatic staff left in Iran, and reiterated “do not travel” warnings for Australians thinking about going to the country, as well as urging people to come home if they were already in Iran.
Wong said she believed there were between 200 and 400 Australians currently in Iran.
Asked what evidence the government had seen which informed the investigations and assessments of Asio to declare Iran as behind the attacks, Wong said she couldn’t comment.
We have confidence in Asio assessments. We have confidence in our security agencies, and we have acted on it, on their assessments. And I refer you to the answers from the director general yesterday.
Asked why Australia was targeted in this way, Wong said Iran had engaged in foreign interference around the world.
What is different about this … is this is orchestration of a violent attack. Obviously, we will continue to investigate the these sorts of issues, the reasons behind as well as the other lines of inquiry.
But I would make this point, this is unacceptable. We have diplomatic relations with countries with whom we don’t agree. We do that for our interests, but to have a foreign country organise a violent action on Australian soil crosses a line.
Updated
Burke rejects Iranian claim moves made to appease Irael
Earlier on ABC AM, the home affairs minister, Tony Burke, rejected Israel claiming some credit for the move on Iran, saying his assessment of Anthony Albanese as “weak” led to the action.
Burke said that was “complete nonsense”.
There was not a minute between us receiving this assessment and us starting to work through what we would do as a response.
Burke, like Penny Wong earlier, also dismissed Iran’s claim that the decision was taken to appease Israel.
We’ve taken this action because Iran has attacked Australians. No other country is involved in terms of that conclusion.
Updated
Hastie says he was ‘always keen to list’ IRGC
While the Coalition has said it’s been calling for the IRGC to be listed as a terrorist organisation since 2023, host Sally Sara asks Andrew Hastie why the Coalition didn’t take that action before that time when it was in government.
Wong was critical a bit earlier, in saying that the Coalition didn’t increase sanctions on the IRGC during its three terms.
Hastie says he was “keen to list it” when he was chair of the intelligence committee and had discussions with other members of the committee, including Labor members who were also supportive of listing it.
So why didn’t it happen? Hastie says:
I was always keen to list it. That’s for whoever was in government then to explain.
We put it through the right channels, but nonetheless, here we are now …
Asked to clarify what the “right channels were”, Hastie says:
I had a number of ministers who had a direct interest in the work of the committee, from home affairs, foreign affairs, defence, and so on. Anyone who sat on the national security committee of cabinet had an interest in what we did on the committee. It wasn’t listed, but here we are, the world has changed.
Updated
Sovereign citizen movement ‘a worrying development’, Hastie says
Following Penny Wong, the shadow home affairs spokesperson, Andrew Hastie, joins ABC RN Breakfast.
He’s asked about the sovereign citizens movement, which the prime minister has said is an ideology that poses real concern.
Hastie says there’s been a breakdown in trust for governments – state and federal – since the Covid pandemic.
There’s more misinformation and disinformation out there. A lot of people went down the rabbit hole during Covid and they never came back up, and so it’s a real risk that some of them are radicalised.
These sovereign citizens, it’s a worrying development … I think law enforcement and intelligence agencies have a lot of work to do in the coming weeks and months.
Hastie says it’s also up to the government to make the case for Australia’s values “as a democracy” and promote the rule of law.
Updated
Sussan Ley pays tribute to slain Porepunkah police officers
The opposition leader, Sussan Ley, has paid tribute to two police officers killed at Porepunkah yesterday. She called the shooting “a heartbreaking tragedy that has touched every Australian”.
“These officers gave their lives protecting their community, and our nation grieves deeply with their families, friends and colleagues. This loss is a solemn reminder of the dangers police face each day and the extraordinary courage it takes to serve,” Ley said in a statement.
To every officer who wears the uniform, you carry our respect and our gratitude.
Ley also spoke of the detective who was left injured, and other police responding to the incident in the rural Victorian town.
In this moment of profound sadness, Australians stand shoulder to shoulder with Victoria Police. We will honour those who have fallen and never take for granted the courage and service that keeps our communities safe.
Updated
Wong rejects Coalition criticism over timing of IRGC terror listing
The Coalition has welcomed the government’s announcements yesterday to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation and expel the Iranian ambassador, but said it should have been done sooner.
Sally Sara asks Wong why the government didn’t do so, and puts to her criticism from shadow foreign affairs spokesperson, Michaelia Cash.
The IRGC has been sanctioned by Australia for many years. We took stronger action against the IRGC than she ever took when she was part of the Coalition government for nine years, including as attorney general. She did not put a single new sanction on the IRGC. They stood by while Iran was elected to the UN body dealing with discrimination against women.
Iran has accused Australia of taking this action to “appease” Israel – asked whether this is the case, Wong says the government “acts in Australia’s interests”.
Updated
Iran regime ‘unpredictable’, Wong says
Iran has vowed to take “reciprocal action” after the Australian government expelled its ambassador, in response to evidence from Asio that Iran was allegedly behind two antisemitic attacks on Australian soil.
Penny Wong has now joined ABC RN Breakfast, and is asked whether Australia expects retaliatory action from Iran.
Wong says she’s seen the Iranian foreign affairs minister’s comments rejecting accusation of Iran’s involvement.
The Iranian regime is an unpredictable regime, a regime which we have seen is capable of aggression and violence. We took steps before this was made public to remove all Australian personnel from the Department of Foreign Affairs in Tehran, and we did so because our first priority is to keep our people safe.
Host Sally Sara asks Wong how many Australians are still in Iran. Wong says the country has been under a “do not travel” status and urges anyone still there to come home – she doesn’t provide a figure on how many Australians are currently there.
Updated
‘A line has been crossed’: Wong defends timing of Iran move
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has also been out in the media this morning, speaking to the Today show a bit earlier.
She first expressed her sympathy for the family and friends of the two Victorian police officers who were killed yesterday.
Then moving on to Iran, she says the expulsion of the ambassador and move to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terror organisation has been a “very substantial response”.
Asked why the government hadn’t taken this action sooner, Wong says:
We have diplomatic relationships with many countries, many of whom we don’t agree with. And the point is we have a channel for communication, to assert Australia’s interests, to deal with consular issues, to help Australians who are in trouble. So we retain diplomatic relations for Australia’s interests. I’ve said that before, but this is a line that has been crossed. These actions are unacceptable and that’s why we’ve taken [this action].
Updated
Iran ambassador expulsion ‘sends the right message’, Andrew Hastie says
Shadow home affairs spokesperson, Andrew Hastie, says expelling the Iranian ambassador sends the “right message” to the Iran, but the government should have done it sooner.
On ABC News Breakfast, Hastie says the Coalition has called for the expulsion of the ambassador, Ahmad Sadeghi, about 10 times since 2023, but yesterday’s decision marks a “red line” for any foreign power that Australia “does not tolerate this sort of thing”.
Yesterday’s decision was a good one, it was backed up by forensic intelligence by Asio and other partners, it draws a red line in the ground for any country who could consider conducting foreign interference, espionage, even targeted killings on our soil. It’s worth reminding your viewers that people could have died in the Adass firebombing. It’s a very fine line between sabotage or burning a building and actually killing people.
Updated
Slain police officers will be named after families contacted, Victorian premier says
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, says the gunman who allegedly killed two police officers and has left another wounded in hospital, is still at large.
Speaking to Sunrise a bit earlier, Allan said police are using all resources to find them.
Every police resource continues overnight to be dedicated to finding this criminal who perpetrated such a horrific act on members of the Victoria police force who go to work every day to keep our community safe …
Yesterday was such a tragic day for our state and also, too, we should remember all of the members of the policing family, not just here in Victoria but around the country, will be just feeling such great grief and loss as a result of what occurred yesterday.
Asked when the government or Victorian police will name the slain officers, Allan says further details will be provided, but they want to speak to the families of those officers first.
Wanting to ensure that members of the family, the next of kin, members of the family of those fallen officers have the opportunity to hear the news directly and have the time to consider what is just the most unimaginable grief that they would be experiencing.
On the injured officer in hospital, Allan says she’ll leave any updates on their condition to the Victorian police.
Updated
Porepunkah deaths an ‘unfathomable tragedy’, Clare O’Neil says
Cabinet minister Clare O’Neil has called the shooting of police officers in Victoria an “unfathomable tragedy”.
Speaking to Sunrise a bit earlier, the MP from Melbourne said the event should never have happened.
To have two police officers valiantly put themselves in the way of danger, not just to protect our broader Victorian community but to protect children and our community, and to see them lose their lives in this way is terrible. I know incidents like this affect every single police officer and their family around the country, so can I say on behalf of the Australian government how deeply grateful we are for the incredible work of our police forces.
O’Neil was joined by shadow foreign affairs spokesperson, Michaelia Cash, on the Sunrise panel, and said she was heartbroken.
We are safe because there are Australians, police officers and others, who are prepared to put their lives on the line each and every day so that we can be so. Two of those officers have now paid the highest price, one is in hospital. On behalf of the Coalition, we are heartbroken for those families, we are heartbroken for the community, but more than that, [is] a clear message to the police across Australia and in particular, those wearing the blue uniform in Victoria, we stand with you.
Updated
Burke declines to say whether Porepunkah suspect on Asio radar
Burke is also asked about the Porepunkah shooting in Victoria, and asked whether a suspect was on the radar of Asio or the federal police.
The home affairs minister says the investigation is being led by Victoria, but the AFP and Asio are assisting.
Burke won’t reveal whether the alleged suspect was on the spy agency’s radar.
Host James Glenday also asks how much of a threat the so-called sovereign citizens movement poses.
Burke won’t draw a link between the movement and the current investigation, but says the laws apply to everyone.
Any ideology – and this [sovereign citizens] is one of them – that somehow comes up with a bizarre conclusion that allows people to say that the law doesn’t apply to them – that creates this problem, and the other thing I’d say – when we raise the terror alert level from possible to probable last year, Mike Burgess was quite specific about the fact we were now dealing with mixed ideologies.
Updated
‘No reason to believe’ attack perpetrators knew Iran allegedly directing them, Burke says
We’re getting a bit more clarity this morning about how the two antisemitic attacks allegedly directed by the IRGC took place.
Yesterday, the Asio director-general, Mike Burgess, spoke about the involvement of “cut-outs”.
The home affairs minister, Tony Burke, is on ABC News Breakfast and says he won’t go beyond what was said, but explains what cut-outs actually are:
“Cut-outs” is a term used in the intelligence community that refers to intermediaries who are there to effectively make sure that, as you go down the chain, people don’t realise who was higher up the chain.
Host James Glenday asks Burke whether that means some of the criminals involved might not have known they were being paid by Iran. Burke says:
The language from the director general yesterday was very deliberate. We have no reason to believe that the people who were actually conducting the actions had any idea who had started it.
That doesn’t change the seriousness from the Australian government’s point of view that Iran was still involved in directing attacks on Australian soil.
Updated
Good morning
Krishani Dhanji here with you – many thanks to Martin Farrer for getting us started.
There is plenty of reaction this morning to yesterday’s revelations that Asio has evidence of Iran’s involvement in two antisemitic attacks in Australia.
A very quick recap here: Asio said it had credible evidence the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) directed two attacks, and could be behind more. The government will now move to list the IRGC as a terrorist organisation, and has expelled the Iranian ambassador and embassy staff.
Tony Burke, the home affairs minister, is doing the media rounds this morning to discuss the issue further, and has been emphasising that the attack on the Jewish community and an attack on Australia’s cohesion is an attack on the whole nation.
We’ll be following the issue closely, so stick with us!
Updated
Changes to humanities fees remain ‘inherently unfair’, Universities Australia chair says
Carolyn Evans will also call for the federal government to acknowledge the importance of humanities and social sciences for future productivity, including setting “new and fairer fees for students”.
Changes to student fees under the job-ready graduates package were, and remain, inherently unfair. From the introduction of the JRG until 2023, domestic undergraduate enrolments declined 6% for medium and high SES [socioeconomic status] students but 12% for low SES students.
Evans will suggest the federal government eliminate the highest level of student contribution, now set at about $17,000 a year for arts degrees, and replace it with the second highest tier.
This would theoretically cost $770m a year but it is giving money back to students at a time they need it most. Besides, some of this debt is unlikely to be repaid anyway. It would be a serious downpayment on a fairer funding system for students, helping open the door to university for more Australians.
‘All Australians are mourning’ slain Victorian police officers, PM says
Last night Anthony Albanese said all Australian are mourning the two police officers shot dead in Victoria yesterday.
The prime minister said in a post on X that “or hearts go out” to the two officers’ loved ones and that it was a reminder of the gratitude owed by Australians to the police for their service.
All Australians are mourning with the families, loved ones and colleagues of the two Victoria Police officers who tragically lost their lives in the line of duty.
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) August 26, 2025
Our nation’s condolences are with everyone whose world has been shattered by this horrific shooting.
While we can…
Updated
Far-right extremists who believe they are above the law a ‘real concern’, Albanese says
Albanese was also asked about the Porepunkah shootings during his appearance on 7.30. The interviewer put to him that there was an alleged link to what’s known as the sovereign citizen ideology.
The prime minister responded “of course these are just allegations that have been made”.
He added that Australia’s security intelligence had warned about “far-right extremism” permeating other nations.
“The fact that this ideology of not seeing themselves being subject to our laws and our society … is of real concern, and Asio have warned that this threat is very real, and that we need to be very vigilant about it,” he said.
Marles meets Vance and Hegseth in Washington DC
There has been speculation over whether the deputy PM and defence minister, Richard Marles, would secure a meeting with his US counterparts on his current visit to Washington DC.
Well, according to pictures posted earlier this morning on social media, he did.
Marles was pictured with both the vice-president, JD Vance, and defence secretary Pete Hegseth. He wrote on X:
The Alliance between Australia and the United States is longstanding, built on our shared history of deep collaboration.
I was pleased to have the opportunity to reaffirm Australia’s commitment to building on this partnership with US @VP JD Vance and Secretary of Defense @PeteHegseth in Washington D.C. today.
The Alliance between Australia and the United States is longstanding, built on our shared history of deep collaboration.
— Richard Marles (@RichardMarlesMP) August 26, 2025
I was pleased to have the opportunity to reaffirm Australia’s commitment to building on this partnership with US @VP JD Vance and Secretary of Defense… pic.twitter.com/lZfR7NBFOx
Australia yesterday declared Iranian ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi “persona non grata” and ordered him and three other officials to leave the country within seven days.
Last night, some embassy occupants were pictured leaving in a black car.
Universities Australia chair says sector will ‘struggle with public trust’ if it does not address issues
The chair of Universities Australia, Prof Carolyn Evans will say the higher education sector must “overcome our shortcomings” to regain public trust.
In an address to the National Press Club today, Evans will note that issues of governance are being raised in various government quarters, including through an expert council, while warning only the “negatives” and “reductive arguments” are being pushed forward in the public domain.
We have already seen changes to governance arrangements emerging with chancellors and vice-chancellors recognising the need for more transparency and public benchmarking of remuneration.
If we as a sector are not prepared to recognise, accept and work to overcome our shortcomings, I accept that we will struggle with public trust. But I would also add, that if we as a society only focus on the shortcomings of universities, we will miss the opportunity to work with the higher education sector to drive better results for all Australians.
Albanese says Iran-backed attacks on “another level”
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has confirmed that Asio found “clear evidence” directly linking individuals in Iran to alleged antisemitic attacks in Australia.
Speaking on 7.30 last night, Albanese said Asio had determined Iran had orchestrated attacks on the Lewis Continental Kitchen in Sydney’s eastern suburbs and the Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne. Iran was possibly behind other attacks, he said.
“[Asio] were able to find clear evidence going back to individuals … and were very specific.”
Albanese was asked if Canberra would sanction those individuals, but he would only say: “We’ll take whatever action is appropriate.”
He described the Iran-backed attacks as on “another level”.
This is foreign action and foreign violence being committed against Australians funded, and using criminal elements here.
Albanese said Australian embassy staff were rushed out of Iran before Tuesday’s stunning announcement as he feared “they would be at risk” if the development was leaked.
Updated
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live politics blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it’ll be Krishani Dhanji with the main action.
Iran has vowed to hit back at Australia after the expulsion yesterday of the country’s ambassador to Canberra, and accusations of Tehran was behind antisemitic attacks in Australia last year. Anthony Albanese told the ABC’s 7.30 last night that Asio had found “clear evidence” directly linking individuals in Iran to the attacks. More coming up.
The prime minister also spoke about the risk that Asio has identified around the spread of far-right extremism and the so-called sovereign citizen ideology.
Meanwhile, the deputy PM, Richard Marles, has posted social media photos of high-level meetings with his US counterparts JD Vance and Pete Hegseth. More on that too in a moment.
