Guardian AU
Australia politics live: Paid parental leave ‘not safe’ with One Nation, Plibersek warns; McKim says Greens want to ‘kill’ NDIS reform bill
Australia's paid parental leave scheme faces political uncertainty, with Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek warning the policy is "not safe" if left to One Nation's Pauline Hanson, whom she describes as "completely unsympathetic" to the financial pressures new parents face. Meanwhile, the Greens have signalled their intent to block the government's NDIS reform bill, with Senator Nick McKim making no secret of the party's opposition. In aged care, shadow minister Anne Ruston is pushing a private member's bill to overhaul the government's controversial integrated assessment tool.
Read article →Guardian AU
Rookie One Nation MP blames lack of staff for mistakenly voting with Greens
One Nation MP David Farley voted alongside the Greens and teal independents to wind back fuel tax credits for miners and farmers — a position directly at odds with the party's traditional base — blaming the error on insufficient staffing support for a new MP. The slip hands opponents an opening to question where One Nation actually stands on the policy, which mining and farming groups are fighting to protect. The party now faces pressure to formally clarify its position before the mistake hardens into a liability.
Read article →ABC AU
Victorian Liberal MP claims assault by party colleague
The Victorian Liberal Party is engulfed in fresh internal turmoil after one of its own MPs alleged they were physically assaulted by a party colleague. The incident marks a dramatic escalation in what has been a prolonged period of dysfunction within the state branch. If the claims are substantiated, the fallout could prove devastating for a party already struggling to rebuild its electoral standing.
Read article →
Sydney Morning Herald
ASIO boss says terror threat level underestimates true danger Australians face
Australia's spy chief is sounding the alarm that the nation's official terror threat rating fails to capture the full danger facing the country. ASIO director-general Mike Burgess has singled out an Iranian-linked network responsible for attacks on Jewish targets across Europe as a credible and growing threat to Australian soil. The warning signals that intelligence agencies are tracking risks that have yet to be fully reflected in public threat assessments.
Read article →Guardian AU
Australian citizen working as spy for Iran ‘orchestrated’ Bondi firebombing, Asio boss says
Iran's intelligence service recruited an Australian citizen to orchestrate a firebombing in Bondi, while a former Australian resident directed a separate attack on a Melbourne synagogue from Iraq, according to ASIO director-general Mike Burgess. The revelations, made in Burgess's annual threat assessment, expose the reach of foreign state actors in recruiting locals to carry out domestic terrorist operations. Burgess also flagged social media as a growing threat to institutional trust, warning it is deepening polarisation and societal discord.
Read article →Get this delivered every morning
Join thousands of readers who get the world's most important stories, curated daily.
Start reading free →