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Australian news: federal and state politics, the economy, courts, weather and the stories that matter across the country.
2056 articles · page 4 of 43
In an op-ed published on October 25, former political adviser Sean Kelly has warned that the brutal attack on independent MP Helen Haines may not lead to meaningful change in how Australian society addresses violence against women, cautioning that the same forces that silence women often reassert themselves after moments of public outrage.
· 2 sourcesThe pay dispute between Australian professional rugby players and Rugby Australia is on the verge of going public, with the deadline for a new collective bargaining agreement expiring on Saturday. Negotiations have grown strained over the past months, with the Rugby Union Players' Association (RUPA) pushing for a significant pay rise and a share of the $100 million fee from co-hosting the men's World Cup next year. Rugby Australia maintains it has made a strong offer and is responsible for securing the long-term future of the sport.
· 2 sourcesTreasurer Jim Chalmers has refused to set a cap on near-record government spending, challenging economists and the opposition to nominate what they would cut, while acknowledging his ambitious budget is causing concern among Labor colleagues about the party's electoral fortunes.
· 2 sourcesNSW Premier Chris Minns has labelled the federal government's plan to sell Sydney's historic Victoria Barracks a 'big missed opportunity,' as Defence sources confirm personnel have begun packing boxes for a Christmas eviction. The 176-year-old Paddington site is one of 67 Defence properties earmarked for sale nationwide, expected to generate up to $3 billion.
· 6 sourcesA wave of threats and violence against politicians in Western Australia has prompted soul-searching among MPs, with many saying it is becoming harder to balance accessibility with safety. The concerns follow an alleged attack on federal independent MP Helen Haines outside her Victorian office, which resulted in the loss of both her legs, and charges against a man for threatening staff at state Labor MP Hannah Beazley's office.
The Western Australian government has indicated it will consider reintroducing a passenger rail service between Perth and Albany following its plan to repurchase the state's freight rail network. The service, scrapped in 1978, would reconnect communities in the Great Southern region, with local leaders citing benefits for tourism, health access and workforce attraction.
· 2 sourcesNationals MP David Littleproud has revealed that his children have been threatened with violence in the past, as Australia grapples with the alleged attack on independent MP Helen Haines this week.
· 4 sourcesAustralian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett has warned that heated political rhetoric is directly linked to the rising number of threats against parliamentarians, revealing that authorities are charging one person a week with criminal offences. Brendan Nugent, 43, has been arrested and charged in connection with the alleged attack on independent MP Helen Haines outside her Wangaratta office last week, according to ABC News. Haines, whose condition improved from critical to serious but stable, had both legs amputated.
· 8 sourcesRecent research from Settlement Services International (SSI) has found that migrant women in Australia are 20 per cent more likely than migrant men to be over-qualified in their jobs, with about 340,000 migrant women working below their skill level. Personal accounts highlight the difficulties in having overseas qualifications recognised and the resulting cycle of lower income and long-term prospects.
Young women in Western Australian politics are refusing to be driven out by a rise in abuse, speaking out after the attack on federal independent MP Helen Haines and incidents targeting other female politicians.
Cosmic Crusader has won the Cox Plate, according to reports from the Sydney Morning Herald and Brisbane Times.
· 2 sourcesCricket columnist Geoff Lawson has accused Australia's Test selectors of sabotaging the national team by disregarding the Sheffield Shield, the domestic first-class competition that has underpinned Test selection for 130 years. Writing in The Sydney Morning Herald on October 25, Lawson argues that the selection of Nic Maddinson, who had not played a Shield match last season, and the continued poor form of Marnus Labuschagne prove the panel has lost its commitment to the traditional pathway.
· 2 sourcesPrime Minister Anthony Albanese has officially opened Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport, with the first domestic flight scheduled to depart on Sunday and the first international flight on Monday. The milestone ends a wait of more than 50 years for a major new airport in Australia.
· 6 sourcesMultiple Australian news outlets carried reports that a support worker has been charged with multiple child sex offences. The available excerpts do not identify the charged individual or give specific details of the allegations.
· 4 sourcesWhen the PNG Chiefs enter the NRL in 2028, they won't just be bringing a new team to the league, they will be asking elite players to relocate to a high-security compound in one of the world's most dangerous cities. A detailed feature in Nine Entertainment Company newspapers charts the unique pitch, following incoming assistant coach Trent Hodkinson and his family on a reconnaissance trip to see if Port Moresby suited them.
· 4 sourcesLove Island Australia host Sophie Monk says that 14-year-olds represent the majority of viewers for the reality show, a revelation that comes as the programme's first episode features a moment of apparent on-screen choking that has drawn criticism.
· 4 sourcesA prominent Australian barrister charged with possessing child abuse material and later found dead had a longstanding relationship with the celebrated children's charity Sunrise Cambodia, where he served as chairman, an ABC investigation has revealed, including text messages in which he asked a former employee to help find virgins.
Sydney will host the Super Netball grand final for the first time in 2027, with the championship match set for July 31 at Afterpay Arena at Sydney Olympic Park. The announcement, to be made jointly by Netball Australia and the NSW government on Sunday, comes as the city also prepares to host the Netball World Cup the following month.
· 4 sourcesMultiple Australian news outlets, including The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, have published the headline 'Final countdown to Australia's new international airport,' though the available excerpts contain no further information about the project.
· 4 sourcesThe Age has obtained text messages revealing that CFMEU construction union leader John Setka received private support from gangland identity Mick Gatto and several Labor-aligned female politicians and union figures during a 2019 domestic violence case, even as the union movement's top officials publicly demanded his resignation.
· 4 sourcesHomicide detectives are assisting the investigation into the Logan drive-by shooting that left four people injured, as the family of a 19-year-old woman shot in the head and neck keeps vigil at her hospital bedside. Police say the woman, from Jimboomba, remains in a critical and unstable condition at Princess Alexandra Hospital, while three men shot in the abdomen are in stable but serious conditions.
· 22 sourcesA Liberal candidate in Victoria's Sunbury electorate has been recorded encouraging voters to support One Nation in the upper house, prompting a swift apology and a new political headache for Opposition Leader Jess Wilson, who has repeatedly ruled out a formal coalition with Pauline Hanson's party.
· 2 sourcesRosehill trainer David Payne has declared the best is yet to come from his unbeaten filly Proxima Dea after she powered to a commanding win in the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick on Saturday, cementing her status as favourite for the VRC Oaks.
· 3 sourcesThe Northern Tasmanian Football Association says it is 'deeply troubled' by a country football club's social media activity, after its former coach was charged with three counts of rape, and says the club has been asked to cease public commentary about the matter that may cause further distress or harm.
· 2 sourcesFormer teammate and AFL media identity Kane Cornes has led tributes for Daniel Stewart, describing the former Port Adelaide forward as a brilliant and caring teammate following his sudden death at the age of 37. The Power have announced they will honour Stewart at their first home game of the 2027 season.
· 7 sourcesThe alleged attack on independent MP Helen Haines has brought into sharp focus the toll of online hate and threats on federal politicians and their staff, with crossbench members revealing their offices are overwhelmed by abuse and one commentator arguing the data suggests such incidents are not an aberration from Australia’s character but a reflection of it.
· 5 sourcesThe NSW Labor government will expedite endoscopy procedures after a preliminary audit found at least 20,000 overdue tests in the public health system, raising concerns about delayed cancer diagnoses. Health Minister Ryan Park announced $17 million in funding to boost capacity, starting with the most urgent cases.
· 3 sourcesEmbattled Greens senator Jordon Steele-John has confirmed he will not attend parliament next week, following historical allegations of misconduct against him that have been aired publicly. In a statement posted on social media late Friday night, Steele-John said he had explored attending Senate estimates digitally but was informed that would be unacceptable, and would instead focus on seeing an independent investigation through to its conclusion.
· 2 sourcesGeoffrey Gates' third novel, The Phantom Surrealist, blends mystery, romance and art history as a PhD student hunts for an Australian artist who disappeared in Spain, according to critic Kirsten Krauth.
· 2 sourcesA five-bedroom Mosman home on Beauty Point passed in at $9.85 million on Saturday after the only registered party did not bid, highlighting the pressure on Sydney’s prestige market from high interest rates and economic uncertainty.
· 2 sourcesThe family of Joseph Paratore, a 40-year-old cyclist fatally struck in an alleged hit-and-run at Bibra Lake last week, has released a statement expressing their grief. Police arrested Craig Daniel Strawbridge, 40, who appeared in Fremantle Magistrates Court and did not apply for bail.
· 4 sourcesDual international Lote Tuqiri has defended Mark Nawaqanitawase's decision to delay his international allegiance and criticised Rugby Australia for leaving Zac Lomax out of the Australia A side to play the United States, saying the Wallabies are wasting the former NRL flyer.
· 4 sourcesA growing number of Darwin home owners and investors are listing their properties to cash in on rising prices, but experts at real estate analytics company Cotality warn the window to sell may be short-lived as the market shows signs of cooling. Darwin has recorded the strongest property market in the country, with house prices up 0.3% and units up 0.8% for September, bucking a national downturn.
· 2 sourcesThe ex-wife of an Adelaide mother has been sentenced for her role in the mother's death, according to reports carried by several Australian newspapers on Friday.
· 3 sourcesThe individual identified as the NCA bomber is reported to have refused food and medication prior to their death, according to news reports. No further details have been made public at this stage.
· 3 sourcesA Platinum frequent flyer has criticised Qantas for refusing to downgrade his fare to catch an earlier domestic flight, while other travellers warn of scams and share positive experiences in a weekly collection of reader letters.
· 3 sourcesParramatta councillor Tanya Raffoul was verbally abused at her gym by a man who filmed the incident, prompting calls from female politicians and advocates for stronger protections for local officials. Raffoul said she had previously reported concerns about the man to police but was told there was little they could do because he had not directly threatened her.
· 3 sourcesNew data from the NSW Coroner’s Domestic Violence Death Dashboard shows that almost all women killed in intimate partner homicides were killed by their abuser, and that nearly three-quarters of men killed by a female partner were the primary abuser in the relationship. The findings come amid ongoing debate over sentences for abused women who kill, highlighted by the case of Nirmeen Noufl, who received a minimum three-year sentence for the manslaughter of her husband after years of documented abuse.
· 3 sourcesQueensland Premier David Crisafulli, approaching the halfway point of his four-year term, has spent the past week in a series of set-piece speeches touting progress on the 'big four' issues of health, housing, crime and cost of living. But analysis suggests his government faces a growing bind: having ticked off most election pledges, it must now show tangible change on long-term problems while public frustration, particularly over crime, remains high.
· 3 sourcesThe Desert Mob art festival in Alice Springs has conclueded its 35th edition, featuring works from 183 artists across 32 Aboriginal art centres and awarding the Vincent Lingiari Art Award to Elizabeth Ngwarraye Bonney for a painting of her grandmother’s Country. The event, organised by Desart, the peak body for Central Australian Aboriginal art centres, brings remote community artists to town for exhibition, talks and a busy art market.
· 3 sourcesAs thousands of children across Victoria compete for places in representative basketball teams, one parent and coach has offered a rare insider view of the intense tryout process. Marc McGowan, a sports reporter whose 10-year-old son Mason was vying for a spot with the Ringwood Hawks, describes a system marked by fierce competition, parental anxiety, and painful decisions as clubs whittle down hundreds of hopefuls.
· 4 sourcesA coronial inquest has found that gaps in supervision and unrestricted access to ligature-making materials contributed to the death of Justin James Cordy, a 34-year-old man who died by suicide less than 24 hours after being admitted to the Alexander Maconochie Centre in February 2023. Coroner Lucinda Wilson also identified failures in police communication and mental health service availability in the days before his death.
Three federal departments paid out almost $100 million in redundancy payments last financial year, according to annual report data analysed by The Canberra Times, with Home Affairs alone spending $74.9 million as part of a voluntary separation program that saw hundreds of staff depart.
The Cox Plate will be run at Flemington for the first time on Saturday, with Gai Waterhouse's Sir Delius the favourite as the legendary trainer seeks a maiden win in the race her father Tommy Smith claimed seven times. The race, Australia's great weight-for-age championship, is scheduled for 5.10pm AEDT after being shifted from Moonee Valley while the track is closed for a 21-month, $250 million rebuild.
· 10 sourcesComedian and drag artist Reuben Kaye has spoken about the death threats and hate he received after making a lewd joke about Jesus on Network 10's The Project in 2023, and his upcoming role as Harold Zidler in Moulin Rouge! The Musical in Sydney next year.
· 3 sourcesFinancial educator and author Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon has warned that at the current average mortgage rate of 6.36 per cent, the total interest paid over a 25-year loan equals the principal borrowed, effectively doubling the cost of the home. Writing in Nine newspapers, she offers a range of strategies to reduce interest and accelerate mortgage freedom.
· 3 sourcesMarnus Labuschagne's Test place is under intense scrutiny after he was dismissed in Gqeberha by a wind-assisted catch, the kind of local knowledge that only the St George's Park ground can offer. SouthAfrica captain Temba Bavuma and spinner Simon Harmer both noted how the narrow gap between two stands funnelled the breeze, holding up Labuschagne's lofted shot to hand Marco Jansen a simple catch. The dismissal leaves the series locked at 1-1 with the final Test starting in Cape Town on Tuesday, and Australian selectors pondering changes to a batting order that has repeatedly failed to convert starts into big scores.
· 4 sourcesAn inquest into the death of eight-year-old Elizabeth Struhs is hearing that opportunities to intervene were missed well before she died in 2022, after her parents withdrew the insulin she needed for type 1 diabetes. The first time a Queensland government employee declared her safe was two days after she had nearly died in July 2019.