Bridget McKenzie fears MPs will ‘retreat from the public square’ following alleged attack on Helen Haines – as it happened

That’s where we’ll leave our live coverage for today. Here’s a recap on the day’s top stories: Anthony Albanese has promised a “swift government response” to ensure safety for MPs, saying politicians and their staff have put up with threats for too long as he floated the provision of duress alarms for political offices. Dan Tehan has attempted to summon the prime minister to answer questions about the $6m grant to the Marrickville golf club, accusing the PM of misleading the parliament on the purpose of the grant. Jacqui Lambie said Pauline Hanson hasn’t personally apologised to her yet over her party’s “Please Explain” cartoon that poked fun at her medical condition. Hanson has publicly apologised for the cartoon. Former mining boss Kellie Parker will lead the new defence agency overseeing the delivery of projects worth hundreds of billions of dollars. Fatima Payman clashed with Labor ministers during a late-night Senate estimates hearing and has accused the prime minister of being “petty” by not granting her additional staff members after she defected from Labor in 2024. Greens leader David Shoebridge said a report from the Australian Signals Directorate about AI threats to online infrastructure highlights the need for investment in another option. For those who missed it, here’s a tl;dr on what happened in question time. Thanks for sticking around, see you tomorrow! The Nationals’ Senate leader, Bridget McKenzie, said she has considering increasing security in her office following the alleged attack on Helen Haines. Speaking on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing, McKenzie said: What’s happened to Helen makes our democracy all the more precious, and the need for all of us to actually work to protect it. I guess as MPs, we’re very concerned about our staff who often bear the brunt of the abusive phone calls, et cetera. She said she also worries that justified security concerns could change how politicians engage with the public: I think what I’m concerned about is that we will retreat from the public square, that people like me will be asked to not be as robust in my prosecution of the issues I care about and the communities that sent me to Canberra. Anne Aly has revealed she already has duress alarms in her office and home. The Labor minister’s comments came after the prime minister earlier today floated providing duress alarms for political offices as part of a “swift government response” to improve safety for MPs. Speaking to ABC’s Afternoon Briefing, Aly said: I have had [a duress alarm] for a while, a personal one as well as in my office and in my home … anything that gives people that kind of that sense of security and safety and certainty, that if they are confronted in a place where you don’t expect to be confronted, you could be out walking your dog or you could be out buying bread and milk, that there is a way that they can then alert the agencies to their predicament. Aly added she would not like to see fear of violence bring an end to MPs’ public appearance. It’s a really unique feature of our democracy, actually, that our politicians, our members are so accessible to the public, that we can go out there and interact with the public. And we need to be able to do that in order to represent them. We can’t represent people that we don’t meet, that we don’t know, that we don’t talk to. I know that every single member of this parliament wants to be able to continue doing that because it really is a cornerstone of our Australian democracy. Western Australian government sets out ambitious renewable targets for state’s electricity grid Australia’s mining state will pursue an ambitious renewable energy target, as it attempts to drive down soaring energy costs and boost business investment, AAP reports. Western Australia’s government wants 75% of electricity in the state’s south-west grid to be generated from renewables by 2030/31. The premier, Roger Cook, says the so-called affordable energy plan will put “maximum downward pressure on energy bills”. He told reporters on Tuesday: Without our plan for affordable energy, energy prices for businesses could increase by 89% by 2032. Delivering affordable energy to businesses is a fundamental part of my government’s objectives to diversify WA’s economy and create more jobs. The plan also includes more support for households to invest in solar, batteries and electric vehicles; and continued support for WA’s domestic gas reservation policy and gas production. Cook said: Ask any WA household that has solar panels or batteries, they will tell you solar is the cheapest energy that is available. Without the plan, we’ll be reliant on ageing coal-fired power stations, and that is just not the way of the future. Good afternoon! I’ll be here to steer you through this arvo’s news. That’s all from me today! My colleague Achol Arok will take you through updates this afternoon. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas (photo ops) … In case you missed it, Christmas came a little early in Parliament House on Monday. MPs and senators brought dolls, toy trucks, bikes and more for families experiencing hardship as part of this year’s Kmart Wishing Tree Appeal. TGA announces new sunscreen rules following SPF saga The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has proposed strengthening sun protection factor (SPF) requirements following a review prompted by revelations that several popular sunscreens were failing to meet the SPF factor advertised. The medicines regulator announced today it would progress the reforms to strengthen consumer confidence and ensure that sunscreen companies and manufacturers understand their obligations. The proposed reforms follow a three-month consultation period this year, which the TGA said drew 120 responses. Among the TGA’s proposed new rules is that brands would have to test the SPF of their finished product – and not just the base formula – before listing it on the medicines register. Additionally, the TGA is planning to limit the SPF claims that cosmetic sunscreens can make so that there is clear distinction for consumers between them and sunscreens that are used for a primary purpose of sun protection. The TGA’s review came after testing by the consumer advocacy organisation Choice found 16 of 20 brands failed to provide the level of skin protection advertised on their bottles. Choice has broadly welcomed the proposed reforms but said the TGA should go further. Andy Kelly, Choice’s consumer impact director, said: We’re pleased to see the TGA has proposed stricter rules. However, the TGA is not proposing to routinely monitor and evaluate test results. Sunscreen brands would also only be required to provide test results confidentially to the TGA. In the interest of transparency and public safety, we believe these results should be made available to everyone and that the TGA should routinely monitor test results, as well as conduct its own compliance testing program. The opposition continually pushed the prime minister to “admit he was wrong” after he previously said a $6m grant for the Marrickville golf club was to fix sewerage flows into the Cooks River. Labor MPs also answered dixers on a digital duty of care, migration, small businesses, veterans and more. The rising cost of living remained a key line of questioning for the opposition and crossbench, as was the government’s treatment of non-citizens who have committed crimes. Despite much talk yesterday about civility and respect in political debate, QT seemed to have revived much of its previous rambunctiousness, with one MP ejected and more warned. And just like that, we have an ejection. The member for Wills, Peter Khalil, has been ejected from the chamber after reacting to a question from Angus Taylor. While kicking him out, the speaker, Milton Dick, said: The leader of the opposition is entitled to be heard in silence and shown the same respect as any other member. To give commentary like that, with remarks that I just said, is completely out of order. Comments and grumblings arise from the opposition benches and interrupt Anne Aly as she attempts to answer a question about small businesses. The speaker of the house, Milton Dick, issues a warning: This continual sledging and remarks and ongoing comment – it is not helpful [for] democracy, and it’s not even funny. The minister’s not saying anything controversial. We don’t need commentary, we don’t need remarks, we don’t need snide remarks. Just remember why we’re here. We’re not getting into … bad habits. People are entitled to their views, but not when ministers are just addressing the house on topics that we should all be supportive of. You can disagree, but not with the snide comments. Nationals deputy targets PM’s ‘failure’ on energy bills Pointing to interest rate rises, and the prime minister’s “failure to deliver the $275 reduction in household energy bills he promised”, the deputy leader of the Nationals, Darren Chester, asks: Why do Australians always pay the price because the prime minister won’t ever admit he’s made a mistake? Anthony Albanese responds he is “stunned” at the opposition raising issues of migration and access to the labour market and said his government had brought down the level of overseas migration by 45%. The offer has been there for other reforms, that would further help to bring down the migration numbers, and do so in a way that had no impact at all on the labour market. Wells calls for unity over combating online harms, including threats of violence The dixer is about how the digital duty of care protects Australians from “serious harm online, such as threats of violence and menacing or harassing behaviour”. The communications minister, Anika Wells, uses the opportunity to offer a reminder to unite MPs: It’s not good enough to wait until threats escalate or a person gets hurt. This is not about censoring political debate, this is not about avoiding the criticism of policy, this is not about misinformation or disinformation. If social media platforms, forums, online games, or AI [chatbot companies] know that the tools they make money from can be used to seriously harm Australians, they should put systems in place to stop it. We don’t always agree in this place, but surely we can agree on this. Dan Tehan asks the prime minister to table the document he was reading from during his answer. Albanese shakes his head and presents the paper to have it tabled. MPs from both side begin raising their voices, forcing the speaker, Milton Dick, to call order multiple times as he attempts to allow the member for Griffith to ask her dixer. He says: I want to hear her question, and I’d like everyone to show her some respect while she asks the question. The manager of opposition business in the house, Dan Tehan returns and asks the prime minister to “stop the spin and admit he was wrong”. It’s met with much grumblings from the government benches and the speaker, Milton Dick, asks Tehan to refer to a point, saying he does not want to set a precedent where “you can just do a statement, and then that’s a question”. Anthony Albanese answers: After we made the commitment to the club which included fixing this issue - which has been an issue since 1947 - the state government have stepped in. That is a good thing. The mood during question time The chamber is certainly livelier than yesterday. Each “hear hear” feels more spirited, and answers are met with louder sneers of discontent from the other side of the political aisle. Question time warning count: one We’ve had our first warning of the day as the prime minister answered another question about the Marrickville golf club. The manager of opposition business in the House, Dan Tehan, has kicked off question time by returning to the $6m grant to the Marrickville golf club. He asks: On 9 September 2026, the prime minister told this house, his $6m taxpayer-funded grant … was to fix sewerage flows into the Cooks River. On 10 September 2026, the prime minister doubled down on this claim in this house. Last week, the Department of Infrastructure confirmed to a Senate inquiry, sewerage works were not in the scope of the $6m grant. This was confirmed again at Senate estimates last night. Will the prime minister give Australians a straight answer, admit he misled the House, and correct the record? The prime minister said it was a matter for the Department of Infrastructure, noted the council was finalising the design of the project – which includes improvements to the clubhouse, stormwater harvesting, a new toilet, and landscaping – and pointed to funding the NSW government later committed to addressing sewerage at the club. Question time is now beginning. After much talk about civility and respect in parliament, following the alleged attack on Helen Haines, yesterday’s QT was a relatively subdued affair. Let’s see if this lasts more than a day. Dementia responsible for more than a tenth of deaths in 2025: ABS Dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, accounted for just over 10% (19,019) of all deaths in 2025, according to the latest causes of death data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The ABS head of mortality statistics, Lauren Moran, said: “This is the first time that dementia has accounted for more than 10% of all deaths in Australia”. It is the leading cause of death. Investment in dementia services, supports and prevention have not kept the same pace, Dementia Australia’s CEO, Prof Tanya Buchanan, said. The other leading causes of death in 2025 were ischaemic heart diseases, cerebrovasculardiseases (such as stroke), lung cancer and chronic respiratory diseases. The data reveals the highest number of asthma deaths recorded in 10 years. There were 484 Australians who died from asthma in 2025, up from 478 deaths in 2024. Women account for almost two-thirds of asthma deaths, and almost to two-thirds of all dementia deaths. Asthma Australia’s CEO, Kate Miranda, said poorly controlled asthma increases the risk: We have effective treatments and clear clinical guidelines, yet too many Australians are not getting the care they need to stay well. Fatima Payman clashes with Don Farrell over office staffing allocation – video At a late-night Senate estimates hearing, the independent senator Fatima Payman accused the prime minister of being “petty” by not granting her additional staff members after she defected from Labor in 2024. Watch the interaction here: Queensland minister defends decision to slash legal centre’s funding The Queensland minister for youth justice, Laura Gerber, has been pressed on her decision to slash funding for one of the government’s chief critics. Greens MP Michael Berkman asked Gerber why the 45-year-old Youth Advocacy Service had lost its funding for bail support services in question time this morning. Gerber said 13 organisations had been approved for funding under a new bail program. She said: The Youth Advocacy Service was not successful in that. They delivered the former Labor government’s failed bail programs. They delivered a program that saw youth offenders on bail reoffend 60% of the time, and when it came to serious repeat offenders, it got even worse. YAC was responsible only for children in Brisbane, not the rest of the state. Other organisations that provided services under the previous scheme will continue to be funded, including Anglicare, which will take over YAC’s funding. Berkman said a recent state government evaluation had shown the YAC scheme was effective in reducing the frequency and seriousness of offending. Dan Tehan tries to summon PM to answer questions on $6m golf club grant The manager of opposition business in the House, Dan Tehan, has tried to summon the prime minister to the chamber to “correct the record” over the purpose of a $6m grant to the Marrickville golf club. He told the House of Representatives: To act in good faith, we are seeking the prime minister attend the chamber and provide a statement of explanation on the matter. We hope that this can de-escalate the issue and clarify the chamber’s understanding. Tehan’s motion did not receive enough votes to pass. Anthony Albanese previously said the funding was meant to fix issues caused by raw sewage flowing into the adjacent Cooks River. But during Senate estimates on Monday, when asked by Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie if the scope of the project included sewerage works, an official from the infrastructure department confirmed it “did not include sewerage works”. Asked if the prime minister had misled parliament, another official said: I don’t believe so. I think that was part of the original plan but as often happens, as the scope of these sorts of announcements happen, the scope can change. Officials concede ‘sloppy’ errors in age assurance tech trial report The secretary for the communications department has conceded in a Senate estimates hearing there had been “sloppy” errors made in references by the firm responsible for the key report into the technology behind the under-16s social media ban, reported by Guardian Australia earlier this year. In August, Guardian Australia reported a number of citation errors in the report for the $3.48m age assurance technology trial, run by the UK-based Age Check Certification Scheme (ACCS), and the company conceding to using ChatGPT in editing. Just days before the report, department officials had told a Senate inquiry they met with ACCS, who claimed that the errors were due to links breaking that had previously worked. The officials have not independently verified this, saying it would be “very difficult” to go back and check. Since that inquiry, the department has conceded a number of errors and published a correction to those citation errors on its website. In response to questions from the independent senator Fatima Payman, department officials denied they had misled the earlier committee, saying they had taken ACCS’s claims on good faith before giving evidence. The department secretary, Jim Betts, apologised to the committee in the hearing and officials conceded it was “sloppy reporting” but Betts downplayed the impact of the errors: We’re talking about six citations in technical footnotes related to future technology unrelated to the substance of the report, which were, subsequently corrected. I’ve written to the committee. We’ve put [a correction] on our website. This isn’t Watergate. ‘I’m determined to make sure we do everything for your safety’ Continued from the previous post: An ongoing review into commonwealth workplaces will be expedited, with recommendations specifically about safety and security to be delivered soon. Anthony Albanese said MPs have had to “put up with the threat environment for too long”, that the government “need to do more”, and “more can and should be done”: You’ve all dedicated so much to the safety of others in the workplace. I’m determined to make sure we do everyhing for your safety and the safety of your staff as well. One MP asked about the interim report of the committee on electoral matters, which made recommendations about aggressive conduct at polling booths. Tony Burke answered that the government was looking at options on how to keep people safe while voting. Anthony Albanese has promised a “swift government response” to ensure safety for MPs, saying politicians and their staff have put up with threats for too long and floating the provision of duress alarms for political offices. The home affairs minister, Tony Burke, also said the government was looking at safety at polling booths around election time, amid greater scrutiny on physical threats and abuse of politicians after the alleged attack on Helen Haines. The Labor party room met on Tuesday morning, with the prime minister giving a long address, saying last week’s attack on Haines “must be a turning point” for civil discourse. Albanese promised a “swift government response” on safety and noted that numerous MPs had raised the prospect of receiving duress alarms, or panic buttons, to alert authorities – among a “series of options” under consideration. He also conceded there needed to be more investment in security and safety. Former ABC news director Justin Stevens’s payout revealed in annual report The ABC’s former news director Justin Stevens received a termination payout of $353,230 after his shock removal by the managing director, Hugh Marks, in May, according to the ABC’s 2026 annual report. Stevens, whose total remuneration for the financial year was $864,394, was replaced by the Reuters executive Simon Robinson last month after a 19-year career at the public broadcaster. Stevens’ base salary was $529,202. Marks has a base salary of $1.1m and ABC chair Kim Williams received $200,000. • This post’s headline has been amended to reflect the correct source of the payout figure. Ability to text triple-zero tested in pilot program A test is under way to explore whether Australians could safely and effectively text triple-zero. The function could allow Australians to access help in situations when a voice call may not be possible or practical, according to a statement from the federal government. Testing will be conducted in a simulated environment that is designed to reflect real-world needs but will not involve public access to triple-zero and will not affect the live service. The communications minister, Anika Wells, said: Being able to text Triple Zero would provide another safe and effective way to contact Triple Zero if people are unable to make a call. Westminster system stops political violence, Angus Taylor says The opposition leader, Angus Taylor, says Australia has historically avoided political violence by having a robust parliamentary system, as politicians consider their personal safety after last week’s alleged attack on Helen Haines. In a joint party room meeting this morning, Taylor acknowledged the ongoing conversation about personal security and the importance of getting it right but did not offer any specific proposals. The opposition leader told colleagues that the foundation of the Westminster system was to stop violence and wars before he moved on to other issues. The sentiment was echoed by the Nationals leader, Matt Canavan, shortly afterwards but he maintained that the opposition has a serious job to hold the government to account. US reveals first Aukus nuclear submarine to be deployed to Australia Washington has revealed the first nuclear submarine that will deploy to Australia under the Aukus agreement, five years after the $386bn defence pact was signed. The USS Colorado, a 10-year-old Virginia-class submarine, will make its new home at Western Australia’s HMAS Stirling from late 2027, the defence minister, Richard Marles, revealed in a joint statement with his US and British counterparts on Tuesday. It’s the first of up to four US submarines, and one from the UK, set to rotate through the base while Australian defence force personnel get to grips with owning and operating nuclear-powered submarines. But the Colorado’s arrival in Australia will be controversial because of outrage sparked in May over revelations the US would deliver lesser equipment than first promised. Original Aukus plans had Canberra receiving two used vessels and a brand new Virginia-class submarine before building one of its own in Adelaide. The fact Washington would now be sending secondhand vessels only was described as “trash” by the Tasmanian independent senator and army veteran Jacqui Lambie, but ministers and top military brass at the time insisted used subs were the best option. – Australian Associated Press UN experts ‘disappointed’ after major parties block bill to ban shackling during childbirth UN experts are disappointed that bills to ban shackling during childbirth and strip-searching children were blocked by the major parties. The independent senator Lidia Thorpe introduced the bills to the Senate, where Labor and the Coalition blocked their progress. The UN human rights council special procedures experts said Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children were disproportionately affected by the measures: It is disappointing that parliament was not given the opportunity to formally decide on reforms aimed at protecting the dignity, bodily integrity and rights of women and children deprived of liberty. The failure of these bills to proceed should not mark the end of efforts to address these longstanding human rights concerns. We encourage Australian authorities and parliamentarians to continue pursuing reforms. The Greens leader, David Shoebridge, has said a report from the Australian Signals Directorate about AI threats to online infrastructure highlights the need for investment in another option. He told reporters: We need investment in an Australian ethical AI, which we can have some kind of comfort in, and not just simply relying upon these same US tech bros who are producing the threats to our very system … the idea that you invite the robbers in to protect the family silver is pretty bloody extraordinary. The ASD report warned that businesses and critical infrastructure must use cutting-edge AI models to defend against digital threats, raising alarms that artificial intelligence is enabling more dangerous threats than ever. Read more here: Chris Minns says federal government must be ‘serious’ about meeting migration targets amid One Nation surge The NSW premier, Chris Minns, says the federal government must be “serious” about meeting net migration targets as polling in the Hunter suggests Labor and One Nation are neck-and-neck in the key region. A poll commissioned by Advent Energy, who are responsible for an offshore gas proposal off the Hunter coast, suggests support for Labor and One Nation at the upcoming state election is tied at 32%. The Coalition was at 14%. Minns was asked on 2GB this morning what he had done to lobby the federal government to bring down migration. Minns, a frequent critic of net migration under the Albanese government, said: The best thing I can do is say what I’ve said privately, publicly, and I’ve said it on this program, and that is, we have to be serious about the target rate for migration and meet it. There’s no use saying, well, we’re going to have on average 200,000, a little bit more than that per year, and then it comes in at 300,000, because then people lose faith in the system. Now, in fairness to [the federal government], they’ve worked hard over the last three months to say these are the new limits. The Albanese government has promised to achieve net overseas migration (Nom) of 245,000 in 2026-27 and 225,000 in 2027-28, while the Coalition says if elected it would more than halve Labor’s Nom target in the first two years from 2028-29. One Nation has said it would have net-negative migration levels for three years, followed by a Nom “ceiling” of 130,000. ‘Selective editing’ of estimates videos ‘humiliate public servants unfairly’, senators told Female public servants are subject to “vile and misogynistic” comments underneath social media videos shared by parliamentarians, Senate estimates hears. Jim Betts, secretary of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts, was asked about a submission sent by the Australian Secretaries Board to a joint committee on parliamentary standards. It expressed concern that public officials were increasingly subject to “ridicule, hostility or abuse” when excerpts of proceedings from parliamentary inquiries were uploaded on social media “without context”. The Liberal senator Sarah Henderson pressed that “being able to highlight on social media and using the vision which is made available through the parliament is a fundamental function of this committee”. Betts replied that there was already 14 hours of footage from Senate estimates yesterday that was now in the public domain, and the submission contained “stark” examples of selectively edited videos. The concern that was expressed by the secretaries board was about the very selective editing of those videos, the overlay of commentary and other captions which were entirely designed to humiliate public servants unfairly … What we also find is … that the comment section on websites hosted by senators and other parliamentarians contain often vile and misogynistic comments about female public servants. At a late-night Senate estimates hearing, the independent senator Fatima Payman accused the prime minister of being “petty” by not granting her additional staff members after she defected from Labor in 2024. Payman has long argued that her office is understaffed as part of a personal gripe Anthony Albanese has with her, but she drove the point home amid escalating threats of political violence. The senator told Guardian Australia last week her staff had also had to deal with human faeces being sent to her office, prompting the intervention of a biohazard team. Payman said she had requested an additional adviser, in line with other independent political offices, two years ago but the prime minister had yet to process the request. Payman said the extra adviser would help her office dealing with the “psychosocial hazards” imposed on her staff since leaving Labor. A document tabled showed she had no advisers, which can be paid more, while most other independents have one or two advisers. Payman continued, butting heads with the trade minister, Don Farrell: Please raise this with the prime minister. Because if he cares so much about the welfare and wellbeing of people who work in this building, then I implore you and the prime minister to please look into the fact that my staff are burning out. They can’t take this any longer. Is the prime minister waiting for something like what happened to Dr Helen Haines to occur to my office, to me, for him to take our request seriously? Farrell responded: “Look, I personally think that’s an outrageous suggestion, Senator Payman.” Payman said: “I can’t believe that I’m saying that or making that suggestion, because it’s been two years.” Farrell asked Payman to withdraw the comments but Payman said she wouldn’t until Albanese processed or responded to her staffing request. Victorian Labor pledges to expand workplace protection orders to hospital workers People who are violent or abusive to health workers could effectively be banned from hospitals in Victoria if Labor is re-elected. The Victorian premier, Ben Carroll, is holding a press conference to announce that if Labor is re-elected next month, it will expand the workplace protection order scheme – that allows retail stores to ban aggressive customers – to hospital settings. Under the plan, people who are violent or abusive to health workers can be hit with a workplace protection order (WPO), which effectively bans them from hospitals for up to 12 months. Anyone who breaches a WPO faces up to two years in prison or a $50,000 fine. Labor will also create a $30m fund hospitals can apply for to improve lighting, CCTV and other safety measures. Carroll says: Our nurses and midwives and health professionals go to work every day to make sure we have a healthy community … They are the heroes of our community, and I’m very pleased to say, under my leadership, we’ll do everything we can to protect them through workplace protection orders. He says people subject to a WPO will “still be able to access healthcare” in an emergency but there would be “guardrails” in place when they receive that care. Aged care algorithm ‘fundamentally flawed’, Ruston says The opposition’s aged care spokesperson, Anne Ruston, has urged the government to listen after a damning investigation by the commonwealth ombudsman. She told ABC Radio National: We’re really hopeful that now the government has this independent report, it will actually listen and say that their algorithm process is fundamentally flawed. The ombudsman’s report followed reporting by Guardian Australia that older people were being left distressed and without adequate care after their home support needs were assessed by an “inhumane” algorithm as part of the government’s mandatory integrated assessment tool. Read more here: Security reviews ramp up for MP offices over attack fears Some politicians will receive security updates in their electorate offices after raising concerns about threats in the wake of the alleged attack on Helen Haines. At least nine MPs will have security crackdowns accelerated for their electorate offices, the finance minister, Katy Gallagher, confirmed, after they raised concerns last week. Security in Parliament House’s public places will also be stepped up. Gallagher did not specify which MPs were affected. – Australian Associated Press Jacinda Ardern joins University of Sydney as lecturer and mentor In news adjacent to federal politics, the former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern has revealed she will lecture and mentor at the University of Sydney after moving to Australia this year. Based in the school of public health, she will host guest lectures and masterclasses and engage in mentoring. Read more here: Teal and regional independent backers were Farrer independent’s top donors Continued from the previous post: The top donor, Regional Voices Fund, backs independent candidates in regional seats while the second-highest donor, Keldoulis Investments, owned by Robert Keldoulis, is a major backer of Climate 200 – the funding vehicle that supports teal independents in getting elected. Overall, Milthorpe spent $1,708,845 on her campaign, receiving $1,680,439 in donations and gifts. Candidates endorsed by political parties, including Farley, are able to defer the campaign spending reports until February the following year when political party annual returns are published. As a result, Farley’s electoral returns show he spent only $5,119 on his campaign and received no donations. This figure will probably be updated in February. The independent candidate Michelle Milthorpe received almost $1.7m in donations from more than 5,000 donors in her campaign against One Nation in the seat of Farrer this year, electoral returns show. Milthorpe, backed by regional independents, including Helen Haines, ultimately lost the battle to One Nation’s David Farley in Sussan Ley’s former seat, 42.45% to Farley’s 57.55% on a two-party preferred basis. The returns data, released by the Australian Electoral Commission yesterday, shows $670,653 of the total amount – or about 40% – donated was over the declaration threshold of $17,300. The top donors for Milthorpe include: Regional Voices Fund Pty Ltd: $215,000 Keldoulis Investments Pty Limited: $117,000 Keep Them Honest Pty Ltd: $75,000 Climate 200 Pty Limited: $61,653 More respectful discourse is ‘what Helen Haines would want’, Richard Marles says The defence minister, Richard Marles, hopes politicians continue to show respect and civility for more than a day, after the outpouring of support for independent Helen Haines: I really hope that all of us can do better … we need to really try and collectively engage in bringing the temperature down, and have a much more respectful and civil discourse. And I know that’s what Helen Haines would want. Political debate should be ‘robust but respectful’, Anne Ruston says A day after MPs addressed the House of Representatives paying tribute to the independent Helen Haines, who was injured after an alleged attack in her electorate, the Liberal senator Anne Ruston maintains that respect is necessary in political debate. She told ABC Radio National: What we do here sets the tone for what the rest of the nation thinks is acceptable. There is a huge responsibility on politicians, not to shy away from robust debate. I don’t want anyone to think that we shouldn’t be having strong debate. Governments need to be held to account for their decisions and that’s our job and we should keep doing it. You can be robust and strong but still be respectful. Katy Gallagher calls for social media platforms to be held accountable for online abuse The minister for women, Katy Gallagher, says the volume, scale and forcefulness of threats and abusive language has increased during her time in politics. This follows reporting from the ABC that found almost 5,000 threats and violent comments were flagged on the social media accounts of 22 Labor politicians in three months by an AI tool. Gallagher told ABC Radio National: It’s simply out of control in an online world and we’ve got to make the platforms accountable. Facebook is the worst in terms of the platforms, Instagram and TikTok less so, but still bad. The platforms have to help us here because, the way it’s going now, our accounts are just a place for people to come and abuse pretty vigorously. Greens to announce plan for Victorian lobbyist register The Victorian Greens will today announce an election commitment to establish a lobbyist register and ban political donations from “big corporate money”. The party said there would be a legislated register for lobbyists and a ban on political donations from the gambling industry, fossil fuel companies and property developers. Victoria has a $7,500 cap on donations but only foreign donations are banned. The state has a lobbyist register – but the only sanction available is the removal of a lobbyist from that register. Guardian Australia last year reported that no lobbyist had been sanctioned in Victoria since the latest code of conduct was introduced by the Napthine government in 2013. The Victorian Greens leader, Ellen Sandell, says the state’s laws have allowed corporations to influence politics in the state: These corporations don’t hand over thousands of dollars out of the goodness of their hearts. They expect something in return, and it’s everyday Victorians who end up paying the price. Former mining boss Kellie Parker will lead the new defence agency overseeing the delivery of projects worth hundreds of billions of dollars. The Albanese government will announce that Parker, who used to run Rio Tinto’s Australian business, has been appointed to the role of national armaments director for five years. She begins next month at the new independent Defence Delivery Agency which was set up in response to cost blowouts and lacklustre project management. The defence industry minister, Pat Conroy, pointed to Parker’s experience in bringing cultural change to the mining company after the destruction of the ancient Juukan Gorge rock shelters in 2020. He said other senior female appointments including the first woman to lead the army, Lt Gen Susan Coyle, were merit-based: They’ve both dealt with male-dominated industries with cultures that are pretty rough and challenging for women, and so they’re perfect people to lead that cultural journey. Malicious actors using AI to find vulnerabilities, defence minister warns The defence minister, Richard Marles, is doing the rounds this morning to address the Australian Signals Directorate’s (ASD) annual cyber threat report. It warns Australians to prepare for more basic and important online services to go offline unexpectedly and urges businesses and critical infrastructure to use cutting-edge AI models to defend against digital threats. Marles told News24 this morning: If you’ve got an old system which is attached to the internet, it is effectively a gateway to a malicious actor. You’ve really got to prioritise hardening your system, even if that’s at the expense of access to it. Malicious actors, are now able to use AI to find vulnerabilities in the systems of organisations and companies, and they’re doing that to exploit them. Female and First Nations public servants facing ‘more egregious’ abuse online, parliament hears A departmental boss has warned that female public servants receive more “more egregious forms of abuse” on social media after complaints from bureaucrats about what they claim is selective clipping of evidence being posted online. Last month the Secretaries Board, which includes heads of departments, asked the government to introduce rules restricting testimony from being uploaded to X and Instagram. They argued the clips were exposing public servants to ridicule and abuse but their bid has been dismissed as an attempt to limit public accountability. Steven Kennedy, secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, told a parliamentary hearing yesterday: I would note that secretaries have observed that it is often female public servants and those from First Nations … backgrounds who experience the more egregious forms of abuse on social media. Thanks, Martin Farrer! This is Kat Wong, I’ll steer us through politics for the rest of the morning. Liberal candidate’s husband allegedly assaulted in Melbourne confrontation The husband of a Victorian Liberal party candidate has allegedly been assaulted during a confrontation about election signs. A Liberal party spokesperson on Monday evening confirmed that the husband of the party’s candidate for Yan Yean, Amanda Dow, had been involved in an alleged incident in Mernda yesterday afternoon: We understand Ms Dow’s husband approached a member of the public who was removing Liberal party campaign signage and was allegedly assaulted. He suffered facial injuries and was taken to hospital and was discharged today. Police confirmed that a 59-year-old Mernda man had been charged with recklessly causing injury, criminal damage and unlawful assault over the incident, which they alleged occurred near Abundant Avenue and Bridge Inn Road about 2pm: Police have been told the victim attended an address to retrieve political campaign signage when he was [allegedly] assaulted. They said the man has been bailed to appear before Heidelberg magistrates court on 1 February 2027. Independent senator Jacqui Lambie says the One Nation leader, Pauline Hanson, has yet to personally apologise to her over her party’s “Please Explain” cartoon that poked fun at her medical condition, as the candidate behind the cartoon refuses to apologise. Hanson publicly apologised for the cartoon that depicted Lambie saying “I can’t laugh because of my prolapsed vagina” and the video was subsequently removed from online platforms. However, Lambie told ABC’s 7.30 last night that Hanson “hasn’t emailed, messaged, even sent me a nice little card and said, ‘I’m really sorry for doing that.’” Mark Nicholson – who is running in the Victorian state election for One Nation and is cofounder of Stepmates Studio which makes the cartoons – told 7.30 it was his job to “pick on people in the public realm” and he would not apologise: Not right now. If I do anything that is apology-worthy, I’ll apologise. Nicholson claimed he had “drawn quite a lot of attention” to the medical issue rather than trivialising it. Lambie said Nicholson should drop out of the election. Welcome Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it will be Kat Wong with the main action.