/qresearch/ -  Q Research

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While Mr Fitzgibbon and Mr Conroy have emerged as prominent frontrunners to succeed Dr Rudd, given the posting has gone to former politicians in recent years, his successor’s credentials would require the approval of the Trump administration.

This requirement could pose a significant hurdle for Mr Conroy, the former Leader of the government in the Senate, who last year derided Mr Trump’s approach to international diplomacy as “moronically stupid” after the US administration imposed 50 per cent tariffs on India.

However, both Mr Conroy and Mr Fitzgibbon are golfers – a skill seen as useful given former ­ambassador Joe Hockey’s forging of a personal relationship with Mr Trump on the golf course.

Labor insiders also said the two former ministers had the right temperament and experience for the job, although both men declined to comment.

Responding to speculation that he could be appointed, Senator Farrell told The Australian he was “very flattered but I love the job of Trade Minister and there is still plenty to do”.

Despite stepping down as ambassador, Dr Rudd will continue to use the vast network of contacts he cultivated within congress and the Trump administration in his new role at the Asia Society. He will also continue to spend time in Washington and has offered to provide any assistance to his successor if it is requested.

Democratic co-chair of the ­bipartisan Friends of Australia Caucus in the US Congress, Joe Courtney, described Dr Rudd as a “force of nature in terms of advancing one of the most complex legislative agendas for the nation of Australia in many decades.”

“Enactment by congress of AUKUS authorities in December 2023 required relentless interaction and presence on The Hill, with the White House, and the Department of Defence. Overnight, Ambassador Rudd earned the respect of members on both sides of the aisle because of his deep understanding of the Indo-Pacific region, the People’s Republic of China, and the critical importance of the US-Australia alliance,” he said.

Australian ambassador to Washington from 2005 to 2010 Dennis Richardson said Dr Rudd had been “outstanding” in the role and it was a “shame he is going after three years”.

“His achievements in the time he’s been there have been very, very significant indeed. So his time as ambassador shouldn’t be measured in terms of duration. It should be measured in terms of achievement,” he said.

Dr Rudd drew heavy criticism as ambassador for his past criticism of Mr Trump as “the most destructive president in history” and a “traitor to the West”. These comments saw him become the subject of an awkward exchange with Mr Trump at Mr Albanese’s October 20 White House meeting with the US President.

Pressed by the media on Dr Rudd’s past remarks, Mr Trump asked if the criticism was “bad” and then suggested “maybe he’ll like to apologise … Where is he? Is he still working,” not recognising that the ambassador was sitting across from him.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/entirely-kevins-decision-rudd-resigns-as-us-ambassador/news-story/7e4d946b0e5ef1ac52068161524e86bc

https://x.com/AmboRudd/status/2010853883543711952

https://x.com/MrKRudd/status/2010826883294703776

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gX1bRyEueug

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhD5xoPUY1s

>>23978158

>>24009669

‘Ghoulish reminder’: Premier calls for demolition of Bondi footbridge

Chris Minns has called for the footbridge where the Bondi terror attack was carried out to be demolished out of concerns it may be ‘exploited’ in the future, ahead of Waverley Council voting on the matter.

Thomas Sargeant - January 14, 2026

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The Premier has called for the demolition of Bondi’s now-infamous footbridge used in last month’s terror attack, ahead of councillors in the suburb voting on the site’s future.

Chris Minns said on Wednesday while victims and their families should have the final say on the matter, he would hate for the footbridge where the massacre took place “to be a ghoulish reminder or even exploited by reprehensible people in the future”.

“We can’t allow one of the most beautiful places on earth to be remembered forever and only as a place of horrible terrorism, because it’s so much more than that,” Mr Minns said.

The comments on the site’s fate came after council revealed a previously commissioned confidential report found the beach’s two footbridges, including one on the northern side which was used to carry out the attack, were already slated for replacement.

Waverley Council will meet on Thursday evening in an extraordinary meeting to determine what actions they will take to mark the site of the terror attack, which will include discussions on the confidential structural report.

The August 2024 report concluded the pedestrian bridges “are reaching the end of their useful life and require replacement within several years”.

“The replacement of the northern pedestrian bridge may form part of a future discussion of a permanent memorial,” the council agenda reads.

The motion around a commemoration and memorial process is expected to pass, and will request council staff to make a plan to replace the footbridges without yet committing to their demolition.

Waverley Mayor Will Nemesh said community consultation is ongoing, and the motion “does not propose a determination either way about the future of the bridge”.

“There are a variety of views in the community about what should happen to the bridge and while I understand the sense of urgency among some in the community, this is not a decision we can rush,” Mr Nemesh said.

“There are many beautiful ideas being shared, but taking our time to hear everyone’s views, especially those of grieving families, is the right thing to do. We should not rush this important process. We want to get it right.”

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Putting on an art exhibition and establishing a permanent memorial to the victims of the attack are set to be considered and voted on by councillors at the upcoming meeting, as well as the relocation of a half-court for basketball earlier planned for the area.

Renaming of the park or playground is not on the agenda, as it is understood to be part of further consultation in coming months.

This is despite widespread calls for a permanent memorial to Matilda Bee, including a change.org petition with more than 11,000 signatures at the time of publication to rename Bondi Park Playground in her honour.

Petition creator Jordan Vic said the signatures marked “a huge number” of supporters, and renaming the playground was a worthwhile cause.

“I’m Russian-Ukrainian and Jewish,” the 25-year-old said.

“This is a piece of land where people had their lives taken, we know it was a prejudiced attack.”

Mr Vic said he is a friend of Matilda’s family, and they have approved of his efforts so victims of the attack “can have a place to come back to where they lost their loved ones”.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/wentworth-courier/ghoulish-reminder-premier-calls-for-demolition-of-bondi-footbridge/news-story/5190fb06c1d018b4b3ee176eb0e23335

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTlgDRGvFEQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhD481a436w

>>23978158

>>23996350

>>24109990

>>24114633

‘Deeply perverse’: US State Department official takes aim at Labor’s hate speech laws

ELIZABETH PIKE - 13 January 2026

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A senior US state department official has admonished the Australian government’s overhaul of hate speech laws, describing a new racial vilification offence included in the legislation as “clumsy” and potentially “deeply perverse”.

The department’s under secretary of state for public diplomacy Sarah Rogers hit out at the package in response to a post on X by Australian activist Drew Pavlou who claimed Labor’s hate speech bill allowed “Muslim extremists to continue preaching hate so long as they can argue they are directly quoting or referencing the Koran”.

“The Australian government now plans to introduce 5 year prison sentences for amorphous acts of “hate speech” – defined in such broad terms that it might cover even the most basic calls to lower migration or deport jihadist extremists,” Pavlou said.

Ms Rogers, a top-ten ranking official within the department reporting directly to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, said she hoped this wasn’t what the laws intended.

“A statute that imprisons you for calling to deport jihadist extremists — but provides safe harbour if you are a jihadist extremist — would be deeply perverse. Let’s hope this isn’t what Australia intends,” she said.

“This could be a clumsy effort to avoid the disgraces seen in Europe + UK, where citizens are jailed for quoting the Bible or even praying silently.

“But the problem with “hate speech” laws — one problem of many — is that they’re enforced by the kinds of people who coddle actual violent zealots, so long as they seem subaltern.”

In a separate post on the new laws, Ms Rogers emphasised the Trump administration’s support for religious freedoms though said the bill could “distort the public sphere”.

“Religious freedom is a core value of our administration, but protecting speech *only* if it’s religious, while arresting people for secular rejoinders, may distort the public sphere in ways that even progressive censorship enthusiasts dislike,” she said

Anthony Albanese on Tuesday left faith leaders stunned after attempting to justify a carve out clause for religious texts, set to be left to the courts to determine which texts and passages are included, by pointing to the Old Testament.

An interrogation of the draft laws by a snap parliamentary committee on Tuesday also failed to quell doubts about the loophole, which would include a special exemption for people who incite hatred on the grounds of race if they can prove they were “directly quoting” or “referencing” scripture for the sake of “religious teaching or discussion”.

The provision has sparked alarm within the Coalition about whether it will “incentivise hate speech” instead of protecting religious views, while Jewish leaders called for the government to abandon the “outdated” idea altogether.

But it was up to department officials to field questions about the new laws after the Prime Minister could not say what religious phrases had prompted the exemption, instead telling journalists at an early morning press conference to “read the Old Testament”.

When pushed to point out what parts of the Old Testament would discriminate based on race – breaching the law and therefore justifying the exemption – Mr Albanese again told reporters to refer to their Bibles.

“I encourage you to read the Old Testament and see what’s there and see if you outlaw that, what would occur. So, we need to be careful,” Mr Albanese said.

Anglican Bishop Michael Stead said he was confused by Mr Albanese’s comments as it was “hard to see any part” of the Old Testament that would meet the brief.

“I looked at his remarks and the point he is making is not clear, some things which are likely to cause fear or intimidation or harassment in the Old Testament are not so much on racial grounds, but more broadly on other grounds and that has been the experience overseas with passages on gender and sexuality,” Bishop Stead said.

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Attorney-General’s Department deputy secretary Sarah Chidgey also struggled to fill in the blanks for Mr Albanese when she fronted the joint committee hearing hours later.

In response to questions about what religious texts and phrases had been carved-out for protection, Ms Chidgey said “that would be considered by a court”.

“We would take it to be the central texts of any religion but it would need to be considered by a court, and we’ve explained that it would include scripture, translation of texts of central importance to the religious practice of various religions,” she said.

The parameters of “religious teachings” or “discussions” would be narrow but also left open for individual judges to interpret, Ms Chidgey suggested.

According to the draft omnibus bill, the government is seeking to introduce a new offence for inciting hatred on the grounds of race or racial supremacy in order to intimidate, harass or cause violence.

But this includes a key defence that would ensure the law “does not apply” when people quote or reference religious texts for the purposes of teaching or discussion.

The Attorney-General’s Department suggested the exemption would not apply to inciting violence – limiting it to cases of harassment and intimidation – and the burden would be put on the speaker to prove they were ­repeating scripture.

The exemption is effectively a “copy and paste” of the provision introduced to recent NSW hate speech laws, which was opposed by the Executive Council of Australian Jewry at the time.

ECAJ co-chief executive Peter Wertheim said his objections were all the more relevant after he faced notorious antisemitic cleric Wissam Haddad in the Federal Court last year.

Haddad tried to use the new “religious text” defence at the time to argue his lectures were not discriminatory, as he was merely quoting the Koran when he referred to Jewish people as “vile and treacherous”.

Mr Wertheim had to call in ­Koranic experts to refute the argument, which was ultimately successful and won the landmark case, forcing Haddad to take down his lectures.

In response to the bid to copy the law on the federal level, Mr Wertheim said “the entire concept” of the exemption was a “relic of outdated thinking”.

“None of the world’s recognised religions promote racial hatred knowingly and deliberately, and to the extent that any religion were to do so, it would be thoroughly shameful,” Mr Wertheim said.

“Invoking religion as an excuse to dehumanise and mistreat others, simply on the basis of who they are, must surely be a thing of the past.”

Some English translations of the Koran have been referenced as potential examples of speech that would be protected under the carve-out, including phrases that call Jews and Christians “the worst of all beings” for being “wilfully deaf and dumb … in the sight of Allah”.

While a niche interpretation of the “mark of Cain” by the Church of the Latter-Day Saints had been used to discriminate against people of colour, however, the church disavowed this belief in 1978.

Christian leaders, including Mr Stead and Australian Christian Churches Pastor Mark Edwards, said they were not aware of any other passages in the Old Testament that could justify the exemption for the text, contradicting Mr Albanese’s claims.

“I’ve got no idea what he was referring to. I don’t see what he was saying or why he raised that,” Mr Edwards.

“I am for hate speech reform but the legislation that has come out is large and we need time to consider that instead of rushing it through in one week. And in addition to that, the federal royal commission has been tasked with dealing with this issue.”

Muslim groups and Equality Australia have also raised issue with the offence due to its focus on race and not other attributes such as religion and gender.

They said they were not consulted on the draft laws, which will be debated by parliament next Tuesday.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/top-jewish-body-slams-religious-texts-carveout-in-anthony-albaneses-hate-speech-bill/news-story/a16c0a00ed242fe3cd896131e68a4d40

https://x.com/UnderSecPD/status/2011032089949622600

https://x.com/UnderSecPD/status/2011040489898754465

Author Craig Silvey’s books pulled from stores after child exploitation charges

PAUL GARVEY - 14 January 2026

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Books have been pulled from shelves, school reading lists across the country have been amended and at least one theatre production has been indefinitely postponed in the fallout from the arrest of prominent author Craig Silvey on child exploitation charges.

Mr Silvey – whose best-selling works include Jasper Jones, Honey­bee and Runt – was understood to still be behind bars on Wednesday after he was unable to post both the $100,000 surety and $100,000 personal undertaking ordered by the court as part of bail conditions.

He was arrested in Fremantle on Monday by Child Exploitation Operations Unit detect­ives, who allegedly found him “actively engaging with other child exploitation offenders online”.

Major Australian book store Dymocks and independent bookshop Readings both pulled all of his works from their websites after the revelations, while his books were listed as “out of stock” on the website of the nation’s biggest book retailer, QBD.

Dymocks chief executive David Allen confirmed it had moved to stop the sale of Mr Silvey’s books soon after news of his arrest broke. “Starting from yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon, we have taken steps to remove any Craig Silvey titles from sale across the distribution channels of our Dymocks business,” he said.

“Due to the recent events and the unfolding situation, we have made the decision to remove all of Craig Silvey’s titles from sale and from the shop floor.”

His novels, however, were still available for purchase through online-only retailers Booktopia and Angus & Robertson.

Sydney performing arts group Belvoir St Theatre had been scheduled to host a stage adaptation of Mr Silvey’s Runt in September, but said it had now paused those plans.

“Belvoir is aware of the deeply distressing charges brought against Mr Craig Silvey in a WA court this week. Belvoir is taking this matter very seriously, and stands firmly with survivors of child abuse and exploitation, and their families,” it said in a statement.

“Whilst Mr Silvey is not directly involved with Belvoir’s stage adaptation of Runt, Belvoir has nonetheless indefinitely paused work on, promotion of and sales for that production while these charges are dealt with by police and the court.”

Mr Silvey’s works had long been staples on school reading lists and curriculums, but education departments across the country have moved to remove his books from lesson plans and school libraries.

A spokesperson for the NSW Department of Education confirmed that state public schools would cease using any texts by Mr Silvey and remove his titles from their school collections while legal proceedings were under way.

Victoria, meanwhile, has removed teaching resources relating to Mr Silvey’s Runt as part of its response. “Craig Silvey’s texts have been removed from the Victorian Lesson Plans, are not on any VCE English, VCE English as an Additional Language or VCE Literature lists, and his books will not feature in the 2026 Premier’s Reading Challenge,” a spokesman for the Victorian Department of Education said.

South Australia’s Department for Education is also taking action.

“We will be advising schools to cease using his books while he is subject to court proceedings,” a spokeswoman said. “This advice will be provided before school resumes on 27 January.”

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Queensland’s Department of Education said there were no Silvey books on the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority’s prescribed test list, but the department was recommending the removal of his books from state schools while the allegations were investigated.

Tasmanian Education Minister Jo Palmer has directed that Mr Silvey’s novels be removed from Tasmanian government schools while the legal process is underway.

In Mr Silvey’s home state of Western Australia, both Jasper Jones and Mr Silvey’s debut novel Rhubarb were until now on the list of texts available for study by the state’s year 11 and 12 literature students.

WA Education Minister Sabine Winton said while students who had previously studied those texts would be able to use them without penalty in this year’s exams, she had asked the state’s education departments to cease using the books for this school year.

WA Premier Roger Cook said he agreed with Ms Winton’s decision. “I think that the minister has made the right decision here, but we have chosen our language very carefully. These are accusations and must be treated as such and we must now allow the process of justice to take its course,” he said.

The City of Subiaco has already announced the short story competition for WA school students named after Mr Silvey since 2023 would no longer carry his name.

His publisher, Allen & Unwin, has said it had cancelled all promotional activity around his works while the legal process played out.

Mr Silvey has been charged with one count of distribution of child exploitation material and one count of possession of child exploitation material.

Magistrate Thomas Hall reportedly told the author at his hearing on Tuesday that imprisonment was “a likely outcome” in the event he was convicted.

His books are among some of the most popular and celebrated novels in the country. Both Honeybee and Jasper Jones were voted into last year’s Radio National Top 100 Books of the 21st Century at 25th and 24th respectively, while The Australian’s Culture team ranked Jasper Jones – a story of a teenage boy in a rural Australian town in the 1960s – as the eighth-best book of the past 25 years ; it has sold more than half a million copies worldwide.

The novel was in 2017 adapted into a film starring Toni Colette and Hugo Weaving.

Mr Silvey is best known to younger readers for Runt, the story of a little girl and her rescue dog, which sold more than 150,000 copies and was also made into a feature film. The book’s sequel, Runt and the Diabolical Dognapping, was published last year and Mr Silvey travelled to schools around the country to promote its release.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/author-craig-silveys-books-pulled-from-stores-after-child-exploitation-charges/news-story/ec3729766004d03c32e663e827ca53da

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrj9Qs1g8uQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MEdbx4pNjI

>>23895384

AFP chief hails arrest of gangland boss Kazem Hamad in Iraq

DAMON JOHNSTON and MOHAMMAD ALFARES - 14 January 2026

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Krissy Barrett quickly designated Kazem Hamad Australia’s most wanted man and a “national security threat” after taking the job as the nation’s top cop – that was easy.

The hard part was throwing the accused global drug trafficker, fire bomber and illegal tobacco kingpin behind bars, preferably Australian bars. But if not here, then an Iraqi prison would be a start.

This week’s capture of the exiled Hamad, who is also suspected of involvement in the attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue, delivers a decisive blow to the man who has pocketed tens of millions of dollars flogging illegal ciggies on Aussie streets and assumed he was untouchable in Iraq.

Last July, then-deputy commissioner Barrett revealed Hamad was suspected of involvement in the synagogue attack that shattered Melbourne’s Jewish community and sowed the evil seeds of anti-Semitism.

“That is a name that has come up … it remains one of our ongoing lines of inquiry,” Barrett said.

By late last year, Barrett was running the show as Australian Federal Police Commissioner and while she raised the rhetoric about bringing Hamad to justice, she also empowered the agency to draw on its global law-and-order network, which included her travelling to Marrakech to attend a major Interpol conference. Before leaving for Morocco, Barrett confirmed enlisting Middle Eastern police chiefs to help crackdown on illicit tobacco trafficking was among her priorities.

“The bilateral meetings and having sideline exchanges at these sessions are invaluable, and I will be asking relevant partners to collaborate with the AFP more often and take symbiotic action in the interests of our countries,” she said.

“Under my commissionership, the AFP will supercharge our work offshore and that means we will take more deliberate and active actions in how we use our reach and partners.”

Less publicly, AFP officers were travelling into the volatile Middle Eastern country and intelligence about Hamad was shared with Iraqi officials. But with Hamad’s capacity to pay millions of dollars to stay free, would Iraqi police swoop?

The answer came in an extraordinary three-paragraph statement released early on Wednesday by Iraq’s National Centre for International Judicial Co-operation announcing that in response to an official request from Australia, Hamad was under arrest.

Iraq’s General Directorate of Narcotics had indeed swooped on him for allegedly trafficking drugs into Iraq and the statement described him as “one of the most dangerous wanted men in the world”.

“He is responsible for importing large quantities of drugs into Iraq and Australia, as well as smuggling heroin,” the centre stated, going on to link him to organised crime and being responsible for “shootings, murders, kidnappings, violent assaults, extortion and drug imports”.

“Furthermore, he is involved with outlaw gangs that have extensive influence within Australia and the Middle East and are responsible for carrying out murders, shootings, money laundering, fraud, assaults, arson and drug trafficking on a global level.”

After the Iraqi statement dropped, Barrett hailed the arrest as a “significant disruption” to his global crime empire that has wrought so much pain in his former hometown of Melbourne.

“This arrest is a significant disruption to an alleged serious criminal and his alleged criminal enterprise in Australia,” Barrett said in a statement on Wednesday.

“AFP members have met with a number of agencies offshore about this alleged offender … I have had one-on-one conversations with law enforcement principals about this alleged offender.”

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The decision to work towards getting Hamad locked up in Iraq represents a significant strategic shift for the AFP, which had previously been more risk-averse.

The lack of an extradition treaty with Iraq tilted the balance in favour of disrupting his criminal enterprise by having him arrested – and prosecuted – in his former safe haven.

But it’s a strategy with risks. Barrett’s statement on Wednesday was notable because it made no reference to extraditing Hamad.

The Australian understands the AFP has not ruled out attempting to bring him back home to face justice and, with his ability to pay bribes, Hamad buying his way out of his Iraqi prison cannot be ruled out.

But as it stands, based on their actions this week and strongly worded statement, Iraqi authorities seem to think jail is the best place for him.

Hamad was deported from Australia in 2023 after serving an eight-year prison sentence for his role in a drug-trafficking syndicate.

He quickly set about establishing himself on a global scale, with tentacles stretching into the suburban tobacco shops of Melbourne. Dozens were firebombed as a turf war erupted.

After the arrest news broke, Barrett reiterated that Hamad was her No. 1 target.

“Last year I announced my No. 1 target, an alleged offshore offender who I called a national security threat to this country,” she said.

Barrett said that after taking over the job of leading the AFP she was focused on “supercharging” the agency’s global reach.

“I set a number of new priorities to identify and target those causing the most harm to Australia,” she said.

“This means our members, who are based in more than 30 countries, are more actively leveraging our expertise, capability and partnerships to keep Australians safe.

“The best way to keep Australians safe is to stop crime happening here in the first place – especially if it is being directed from offshore.

“While the AFP had been working with domestic partners to dismantle this alleged offender’s criminal network, a number of significant events required the AFP to supercharge its efforts in targeting this alleged offender offshore.

“Since that time, the AFP has undertaken significant investigative work, including deploying offshore for the purpose of intelligence gathering.”

Hamad was also publicly named by federal and Victorian police after a series of arson attacks, including a botched fire in Truganina that killed innocent woman Katie Tangey, who was house-­sitting for her brother.

The crime boss was also allegedly linked to the murder of former bikie and gangland kingpin Sam “The Punisher” Abdulrahim.

His grip on the market since a violent battle over the lucrative trade erupted in early 2023 has been linked to almost 200 firebombing attacks and widespread extortion, targeting rival operators and innocent businesses.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/tobacco-kingpin-and-gangland-boss-kazem-hamad-arrested-in-iraq/news-story/eeab338e6aced1231de32437a1acb73c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68swNv2yos8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3bZih_9Dkc

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>>23887892

>>23978158

>>23996350

>>24075586

Australia’s biggest Nazi group to disband to escape jail ahead of crackdown

Sherryn Groch and Paul Sakkal - January 13, 2026

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Australia’s biggest neo-Nazi group will disband by the end of the week to avoid lengthy jail time as the Albanese government moves to outlaw extremist groups after the Bondi terror attack.

On Tuesday, in an internal announcement from within the neo-Nazi National Socialist Network (NSN) leaked to this masthead, leader Thomas Sewell and his state leadership told members that the organisation would be “disbanded in full” by midnight on Sunday.

The decision came hours after the government released the draft legislation of its new hate speech crackdown, to be debated by parliament next week, which include penalties of up to 15 years’ jail for those found to belong to or support outlawed groups, as well as new offences for radicalising children.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has already signalled that the NSN and Islamist extremist organisation Hizb-ut Tahrir could be listed under the new laws, but currently operated below the threshold for charges.

Experts who track neo-Nazis call the development a big blow for the NSN, but warn the group, which is not renouncing Nazism, is far from done.

The NSN is one of the most high-profile neo-Nazi groups in the world, training recruits in combat as they plot to deport people of colour from Australia and build closed “white communities”. It also has direct ties to designated terror groups overseas, and many of its members have been convicted or charged with violent assaults, including Sewell.

Burke told this masthead that, while the fight against bigotry never ends, “any day the neo-Nazis take a backward step is a good day”. They “will still try to find a way to spew hatred and we will keep deporting people and disbanding organisations that hate Australia,” he said.

Sewell and his neo-Nazis have been seeking to rebrand of late as “everyday Australians” as they move to form a political party called “White Australia” and co-ordinate the national anti-immigration rallies.

But online their rhetoric has also been escalating – three Nazis have been charged by the Australian Federal Police in recent weeks over threats to politicians, and Sewell has spoken of his plans for revenge and violent race war in livestreams with extremists overseas.

The NSN said the decision on Tuesday meant that its White Australia political arm, which Sewell had bragged had already attracted more than the required membership numbers to register as a party, would also be disbanded.

“To mitigate the risk of individuals being arrested and charged under these new Draconian laws, we are shutting down all operations,” NSN leaders told members. “Under the proposed legislation, it is likely that it will be illegal for former members to rebrand and continue the organisations’ activities”, they said, citing a similar move used to disband neo-Nazi groups in the United Kingdom.

Neo-Nazis in the NSN decried the proposed laws online, while key figures in the group urged followers to “trust the plan … hold the line and don’t panic”, as they discussed plans for a new replacement organisation that could continue under the guise of a political party, as other neo-Nazi groups have done overseas.

“The decision will be hard for some to accept,” neo-Nazi leaders told their recruits. “However this is simply the end of one chapter. Nothing can stop an idea whose time has come.”

Each state chapter would have a “final meeting” to disband in person at the weekend, they wrote, where “instructions will be given regarding the handling of memorabilia and membership material”. By midnight on Sunday, “all groups, pages and social media of the organisation will be taken down”.

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In a public statement posted to social media shortly after telling NSN members of the decision, Sewell and his leadership said the new laws would allow the government to disband any organisation that has performed Nazi salutes in the past, and called it the death of political freedom. They signed off “Blood and honour”, a slogan of the Hitler Youth.

The NSN had not yet applied to register its planned federal political party, or state parties – seen as a move to exploit loopholes in hate speech laws, including a coming crackdown in NSW after the group’s rally outside state parliament.

The Australian Electoral Commission has very limited grounds to knock back such an application, given it must stay apolitical.

Experts say the group appears to be planning to continue its “active club” model, where members train in boxing at home gyms and go on group hikes, but without their black shirts uniform.

Far-right researcher Dr Kaz Ross said the new laws had made it inevitable that the NSN would disband officially, but its “solid core of membership will be undeterred”.

“I think there is now a heightened threat of violence”, perhaps in particular from the group’s associates if not its core members, she said.

Recent stunts by the NSN, including ambushing politicians on the federal election trail and secretly running the national anti-immigration rallies March for Australia, have been revealed by this masthead as a co-ordinated neo-Nazi push to funnel more recruits (and money) into their extreme ideologies. The NSN is now aggressively recruiting teenagers through social media propaganda, with the help of the close friend of misogynist influencer Andrew Tate.

Mike Burgess, chief of Australia’s spy agency ASIO, told a parliamentary committee on Tuesday afternoon that he had long flagged concerns over the activities of both the NSN and Hizb-ut Tahrir. Both groups used an “insidious strategy”, he said, to stay just “on the right side of the law as the laws currently are” but he warned they were “driving permission for violence in our society” and should be outlawed.

ASIO had thought about what would happen if such laws pushed the groups “underground”, Burgess added. “Of course, individuals don’t cease to exist. They’re still there in society.”

He said his agency was prepared for such a scenario and would continue to surveil those doing harm.

Ross said she was “deeply concerned” about the next anti-immigration march planned for Australia Day later this month, given the NSN’s wild success in infiltrating such protests so far.

Coalition home affairs spokesman Jonno Duniam, described the disbandment as “a welcome development. Groups whose operating model is to espouse racism and antisemitism should have no place in Australia.”

But he wanted the Albanese government to clarify if dissolving the group would make it harder to prosecute individuals for spreading hate.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/trust-the-plan-australia-s-biggest-nazi-group-to-disband-to-escape-jail-ahead-of-crackdown-20260113-p5ntqc.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcgxHUCguds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dkr0fA_YNnc

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Greens hold the cards to pass hate speech bill as Ley walks away

Paul Sakkal - January 15, 2026

Australia’s response to its worst terror attack could collapse after the Opposition Leader Sussan Ley rejected the government’s anti-vilification laws and the Greens complained the proposed hate speech crackdown could crimp the pro-Palestinian protest movement.

Any goodwill between the major parties appeared to evaporate on Thursday when Ley declared Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s reforms to counter antisemitism were nearly unsalvageable, effectively killing off the chance of a bipartisan moment before Ley’s shadow cabinet debated the bill.

The opposition had for weeks called on Labor to adopt in full a report from the nation’s envoy to combat antisemitism, Jillian Segal, which included a proposal for anti-vilification laws.

But a broad range of civil rights groups, legal experts, and transparency advocates have criticised the bill, claiming it was too rushed, too broad, and might have a chilling effect on public discussion about issues such as terrorism and migration that might offend certain racial groups.

Albanese has scheduled a two-day parliamentary session to pass the laws next week and Labor appears most likely to try to pass the bill with the support of the Greens, who do not support the current draft but could shift if the government agreed to extend anti-vilification protections to disabled people, people of other faiths and the LGTBQ community.

“It is extraordinary that they are now saying it is being rushed when they were demanding, demanding and the front pages of newspapers were demanding that it be done prior to Christmas,” Albanese said in Queensland, hours after Ley criticised his handling of the antisemitism crackdown.

Ley said she would go to parliament next week and put forward a separate package of proposals because Labor’s attempt was confused.

“Now, the opposition will continue to scrutinise this legislation carefully, but from what we have seen so far, it looks pretty unsalvageable,” she told reporters in Melbourne.

After MPs raised concerns about Ley suggesting she might introduce her own legislation next week, she scheduled a party room meeting for all MPs on Friday afternoon.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Peter Wertheim, a close associate of the prime minister, said the major parties must unite in the national interest, and Labor needed to accept a Coalition request to get rid of a proposed religious text exemption in the draft law.

“If this all falls over, it means we’re sending a signal to the world that we just had the worst terror attack in our history and we can’t decide what to do about it,” he told this masthead.

Another Jewish community figure, NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip, said it would be the “ultimate travesty” if the Greens, a party the Jewish community has at times accused of fuelling antisemitism, became kingmakers.

Greens deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi said her party would not back the bill in its current form. The minor party wants the anti-vilification laws, which are being rushed into parliament chiefly to target Islamic hate preachers, to extend protections to different minority groups. The Executive Council of Australian Jewry also supports this.

Faruqi aired concerns that Labor wanted to curb the pro-Palestinian protest movement, which uses chants such as “globalise the intifada” and “river to the sea”. There have been debates about whether these slogans encourage violence.

“Antisemitism is something that needs to be addressed at the roots and the crux of it,” Faruqi said, adding that all forms of hatred needed to be confronted at the same time as protecting “legitimate criticisms of nation states [and] the protest movement”.

Labor backbenchers told ministers in a caucus meeting on Monday that they wanted the laws expanded to protect a broader range of minorities. There is consideration inside Labor on creating a Senate inquiry in coming weeks to examine the broadening of the anti-vilification laws. But Greens sources said the party was now in a powerful bargaining position given Ley had been so scathing about the bill, meaning the minor party would be likely to accept nothing less than a move to expand anti-vilification protections in the current bill.

Civil liberties advocates have argued the bill’s language – including prohibitions on “promoting hatred” or conduct that might cause “fear or intimidation” – is too broad and risks criminalising mainstream political speech and social media posts, sparking concern inside the Coalition.

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/greens-to-withhold-support-for-hate-speech-bill-20260115-p5nua9.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v6pp9Mqbd4

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‘Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good’: Jewish groups urge Ley to back bill

Nick Newling - January 15, 2026

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The Executive Council of Australian Jewry has urged the Coalition to pass Labor’s antisemitism reforms drafted after the Bondi attack, fearing that Opposition Leader Sussan Ley’s objections could “allow the perfect to become the enemy of the good”.

The call for unity from a prominent Jewish organisation echoes comments by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese this morning, who told ABC Radio he was “stunned” by the Coalition’s resistance to the proposal after almost a month of demands from the opposition that parliament be recalled.

Support for the bill from the Coalition now seems doomed, after Ley this morning said she had “extremely serious concerns” about the suite of hate speech measures.

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry on Thursday issued a statement urging the Coalition to work to pass the bill, which Ley described as “unsalvageable”.

“By all means, seek to amend the bill to remove its shortcomings, but a wholesale rejection of the bill would not at all be warranted. In our view, the defeat of the bill would be a retrograde step,” co-chief executive Peter Wertheim said.

“The entire history of legislative reform concerning this issue has been one of incremental steps towards achieving the effective proscription of speech that deliberately promotes hatred of people based on their race, nationality or ethnic origin. The current bill would represent a significant further step towards that destination, even if it does not completely get us there”.

The government’s omnibus antisemitism laws – which, among a number of measures, would crack down on “hate preachers”, increase penalties for hate speech, and establish a national gun buy-back scheme – will require the support of either the Coalition or the Greens to pass. The laws were drafted in the weeks after the attack and will be debated during a snap recall of parliament next Monday and Tuesday.

Despite weeks of clamouring for early debate, the federal Coalition argued the bill was rushed without a decent period of scrutiny. Key opposition figures have argued against any further gun reforms, said racial vilification laws would have free-speech implications, and fought against perceived restrictions on freedom of expression and religion.

Senior Jewish figures, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect future negotiations on behalf of their community, said there was time for the legislation to be slowly and methodically considered given the complexity and potential unintended consequences of its swift passage.

Rabbi Nochum Schapiro, former president of the Rabbinical Council of NSW, said the legislation needed a considered debate, but immediate action needed to be taken to stop pro-Palestinian protests and ban the use of chants such as “globalise the intifada”, “from the river to the sea” and “death to the IDF”.

“I’m not an expert on how much time [the legislation] needs, but it needs to have honest discussion, debate, non-politicised,” Shapiro said. “The wider bill needs to have full clarity of what the implications and repercussions of criticism would be.”

(continued)

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The proposed federal hate speech laws do not canvas the prohibition of public marches and demonstrations, which fall under state laws.

Bureaucrats from the attorney-general’s office told the parliamentary inquiry that it would be up to the courts to determine if an individual phrase was hate speech under the new laws.

Albanese on Thursday morning said it was “somewhat stunning, frankly” that the Coalition was backing away from the legislation after weeks of demands that the laws be debated and passed urgently. The prime minister referenced comments from Ley in the days after the attack in which she demanded parliament be recalled before Christmas, allowing only a few days for legislation to be drafted and distributed for consultation.

“You can’t have it both ways. And it just seems to me, people who were watching the events since December 14 would have seen politics being played by the Coalition. They’re still playing politics, and I’m just stunned that they are saying they will vote against legislation, a number of their members [will], without even looking at it,” Albanese told ABC Radio.

During a press conference on Thursday morning, Ley said she had “extremely serious concerns about the government’s legislation”, suggesting the government adopt the opposition’s proposed changes.

“The legislation does not address the real issues that gave rise to the Bondi attack. It doesn’t address Islamic extremism. It doesn’t address ISIS influence, and it doesn’t address the rise of antisemitism and the associated terrorist threat in Australia,” Ley said.

“From what we have seen so far, it looks pretty unsalvageable. As it stands, the government’s proposal is half-baked, and Australians deserve far better.”

The quoting of religious texts has been written into the bill as a legitimate defence in the new hate speech offences, and serves as a legal stopgap to the explicit constitutional right to freedom of religious expression.

Questioned about the constitutional implications, Ley said: “The government has presented a bill with a carefully planned excuse for hate preachers. I think they have opportunities to get around that.”

Albanese said he had met repeatedly with both Ley and Greens leader Larissa Waters to discuss the legislation, and was open to amendments. He said no amendments had been proposed to him so far.

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/albanese-stunned-as-coalition-backs-away-from-hate-speech-laws-20260115-p5nu6n.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxXED4yJ9To

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSxJPLunYRU

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Protesters chant ‘intifada’ at first post-attack rally at Sydney Town Hall

LACHLAN LEEMING - 16 January 2026

An unprecedented police presence including more than 100 officers has watched over the first major pro-Palestine protest to descend on Sydney’s streets following the Bondi Beach terror attack.

Chants of “Long live the intifada” and “Long live the resistance” rang out at Sydney’s Town Hall on Friday afternoon, when more than 300 people rallied against new laws passed by the state government banning protests for up to three months in the wake of the designated terrorist attack.

At least one man, holding a sign reading “Blame Hamas”, was detained by police at the start of the rally, before being released without charge.

Police confirmed three other people were spoken to for similar “breach of the peace” incidents before moving on from the scene.

Protesters held up signs including one reading “Globalise the intifada”, a phrase at the centre of a state parliamentary inquiry that is analysing whether hateful slogans should be banned from being chanted in public.

Protesters also railed against Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s planned visit to Australia and federal laws tackling anti-Semitism, which are due to be debated next week in Canberra.

Jepke Goutsmit, from activist group Jews Against the Occupation ’48, told the crowd Mr Herzog’s invitation was “an act of buckling into Zionist pressure” and that NSW Premier Chris Minns was “trying to make NSW a police state with extraordinary haste”.

“There is absolutely no link between the free Palestine movement and the Bondi massacre – let it be said again,” Ms Goutsmit shouted at the crowd, which was met with a rapturous applause.

The new state protest laws, which can be applied for two weeks at a time for a maximum of three months, were first enacted by NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon on Christmas Eve and remain in place until next week unless extended again.

The Friday rally was the first major event since the Bondi terror attack, after a smaller protest against US intervention in Venezuela at the same location last week.

It’s understood the protest was organised by the Stop War on Palestine group, but promotional material shared online beforehand showed it was backed by other movements including the Palestine Action Group, the Hizb ut-Tahrir-linked Stand for Palestine, Labor Friends of Palestine and the Greens.

The Australian arm of Hizb ut-Tahrir, a radical Islamist group, on Thursday launched an extraordinary attack on ASIO director-general Mike Burgess in which the group accused the national security chief of spreading “lies and disinformation”.

Hizb ut-Tahrir Australia, which is facing a potential ban under new federal hate speech laws to be voted on next week, wrote a wide-ranging open letter to Mr Burgess on Thursday, accusing him of acting as a “propaganda mouthpiece for those seeking to demonise Islam and Muslims”.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/protesters-chant-intifada-at-first-postattack-rally-at-sydney-town-hall/news-story/7eda1d60d93046b6006d981ca7c488ce

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faY3r5sEvwA

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Albanese’s big hate speech bill in jeopardy as bishops unite with imams to oppose it

Paul Sakkal - January 16, 2026

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s closest religious adviser has thrown his weight behind growing demands to halt Labor’s hate speech reforms, in a last-minute intervention in the high-stakes dispute over how Australia should curb antisemitism after the Bondi massacre.

Catholic Archbishop of Sydney Anthony Fisher – whom Albanese, a Catholic, meets regularly – on Friday co-signed a letter to Albanese with top Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh and Scientology leaders asking that he shelve the anti-vilification laws because they might crimp religious expression.

“A rushed legislative process of this nature undermines confidence, increases the risk of unintended consequences, and does not assist community unity or social cohesion,” the letter said.

The letter’s sentiment mirrored that of civil liberties groups, transparency advocates and legal experts. The religious leaders’ position revealed on Friday has reduced the anxiety of Coalition MPs worried they would appear unco-operative by opposing Albanese.

After Opposition Leader Sussan Ley described an emergency bill on anti-vilification and gun restrictions as nearly unsalvageable on Thursday, Albanese and his top lieutenants lined up to savage her on Friday.

“I think what is becoming increasingly clear is that it is Ms Ley’s leadership which is unsalvageable,” Foreign Minister Penny Wong said.

Earlier, Albanese accused Ley of “performative conduct” after the killing of more than a dozen Jewish people in Sydney on December 14. “I haven’t been shouting, I haven’t been banging lecterns. I haven’t been engaged in performative conduct,” Albanese said, referring to Ley.

The increasingly personal debate is fuelled by anxieties that the whole emergency bill is in jeopardy.

The bill takes in a gun buyback, powers to ban hate groups, visa tightening, and a contentious new offence for promoting hatred that various civil society groups believe will hurt free speech.

Albanese and Wong’s sharp attacks on Ley and her motives contrasts with what senior government sources said was their plan to keep exploring a deal with the Coalition.

Top advisers to the prime minister were as late as Thursday asking the opposition in private which elements of the sprawling Combating Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Bill 2026 they could support, indicating an openness to dropping the most controversial elements in the interests of national unity.

Albanese’s alternative is to work with the Greens, who want proposed anti-vilification laws to be broadened from protecting just racial hatred, designed to protect Jews after Bondi, to encompass LGBTQ and religious protections.

Such a move would trigger an even more complex set of trade-offs, and the same government sources, not willing to divulge high-level thinking on the record, said the cabinet was reluctant to expand protections, given how complex and wide-ranging the draft bill already was.

Complicating matters further is the deep feeling in the Jewish community, and the security establishment, that the Greens should not be kingmakers, given the bipartisan criticism that they contributed to the rise in antisemitism.

But Albanese is determined to get a deal done when parliament returns early for a special two-day sitting next week, his confidantes said, so drastically narrowing the bill to win over the Coalition or broadening it to secure Greens would be contemplated.

Failure to win support for his overhaul would leave Albanese exposed after a difficult summer in which he was pressured to back down on a royal commission.

(continued)

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The opposition’s sharp turn against the bill this week has again swung a spotlight on Ley’s tenuous leadership and her pattern of following the calls of a group of rebellious right-wing backbenchers.

A backbencher said on Friday afternoon that they were annoyed Ley did not attend a briefing on the laws to explain what MPs felt was her clumsy and confusing response.

Ley repeated her criticisms of the proposed laws on Friday, saying she would put forward her own crackdown on hate preachers next week that did not include lowering thresholds for hate speech.

“If Penny Wong was as passionate about eradicating antisemitism and dealing with radical Islamic extremism as she seems to be about me, then maybe the country would be in a better place,” Ley told reporters.

Albanese has been accused of playing political games from the moment he revealed he would put gun restrictions and unrelated anti-vilification measures into the same bill, making it difficult for Nationals, who oppose the gun changes, to back the package of reforms.

Jewish leaders feel cut out by Albanese. In private, they say the prime minister consults mostly with Peter Wertheim, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, who is widely respected, at the exclusion of others, before presenting the judgments of his old ally as the view of the entire community when other Jewish leaders have different concerns about the bill.

A major party deal would require both Ley and Albanese to climb down from their respective positions, a prospect which appears dim after a summer of acrimony.

One senior Labor MP said, “We’re all squeezed here, including the Greens.” Another two Labor MPs said it was obviously unreasonable to consider such momentous laws in one week, but one of the MPs said the Bondi killings necessitated such haste.

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/christians-and-muslim-leaders-unite-against-bondi-hate-speech-laws-20260116-p5nukn.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peLOTb6PYwk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbWFPwILw2E

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Labor backs down on post-Bondi changes as political support collapses

Mike Foley and Nick Newling - January 17, 2026

The Albanese government has been forced into a major backdown in its response to the Bondi attack, declaring it will now split its legislation in two and bring separate bills for gun laws and hate speech, as political support for its original reform package collapsed on Saturday.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Saturday that the most contentious element of the original bill, provisions to stamp out antisemitism with new anti-vilification laws, did not have enough support in the Senate.

That is because earlier in the day, in a blow to the government’s political fortunes, the Greens announced they would join the Coalition in opposing Labor’s original omnibus bill, which included laws to tackle firearms, hate speech, migration issues and racial vilification.

“We will only proceed with measures that have the support of the parliament,” Albanese said on Saturday afternoon.

The government has recalled parliament to sit from Monday, and in the Senate it needs the support of either the Liberals or the Greens to enact its changes.

Labor’s original bill included new powers to set up a national gun buyback, toughen gun importation rules, ban hate groups and changes to migration law that would allow the immigration minister to refuse or cancel visas if a person had associated with hate groups or made hateful comments. These elements will be retained in the two bills to be brought to parliament from Monday.

However, the government has ditched contentious anti-vilification provisions, which included a new offence for promoting hatred that various civil society groups warned would curtail free speech.

The prime minister said the Greens had engaged in good faith with the government, after leader Larissa Waters confirmed that her party would back only the gun reforms, which are now expected to pass parliament next week. Waters said the Greens would not support the hate speech and racial vilification measures.

However, Albanese said the federal opposition had been hypocritical in its response to date, given it had urged that parliament be recalled to deliver reform and then rejected his bill. He demanded Opposition Leader Sussan Ley confirm her position on the new bills.

“They have up to this point, of course, called for parliament to be recalled and then opposed [the bill]. When we did it, they called for hate speech laws. When they’ve seen them, they’re now against them,” he said.

Ley criticised Albanese for recanting on his previous claim that the changes could not be adjusted and criticised the parliamentary deadline for dealing with them, which she said prevented community voices from being heard.

“He has decided to split what he told Australians was an un-splittable bill, including when directly asked by the opposition leader face-to-face,” a spokesman for Ley said in a statement.

(continued)

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A government source said it was in negotiations with the Greens and the opposition on the new, truncated hate speech bill.

Waters said on Saturday that there was not enough time to analyse and negotiate the omnibus bill.

“It may be simpler to start afresh with a bill that aims to protect everyone from hatred and discrimination,” she said.

The Greens want Labor’s proposed anti-vilification laws to be broadened from protecting just racial hatred – designed to protect Jews after Bondi – to encompass LGBTQ and religious protections.

Ley all but ended the prospects of the Coalition supporting bill when she said on Thursday that the changes were nearly unsalvageable, even before her shadow cabinet debated it.

The standalone gun bill presents a new challenge for the opposition. Nationals leader David Littleproud has campaigned against firearm reform, labelling it a distraction from tackling antisemitism.

Civil rights groups, legal experts and transparency advocates have criticised the original bill and argued it had been rushed, was too broad, and could have restricted public debate on issues that could offend racial groups, such as terrorism and migration.

The Greens are also concerned that Labor wanted to curb the pro-Palestinian protest movement, which uses chants such as “Globalise the intifada” and “River to the sea”. There have been debates about whether these slogans encourage violence.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Peter Wertheim, a close associate of the prime minister, said last week that the major parties must unite in the national interest and that Labor needed to accept a Coalition request to get rid of a proposed religious text exemption in the draft law.

“If this all falls over, it means we’re sending a signal to the world that we just had the worst terror attack in our history and we can’t decide what to do about it,” he said.

However, Catholic Archbishop of Sydney Anthony Fisher – whom Albanese, a Catholic, meets regularly – on Friday co-signed a letter to Albanese with top Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh and Scientology leaders asking him to shelve the anti-vilification laws because they could crimp religious expression.

“A rushed legislative process of this nature undermines confidence, increases the risk of unintended consequences, and does not assist community unity or social cohesion,” the letter said.

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/greens-oppose-labor-s-hate-speech-laws-as-support-for-overhaul-collapses-20260117-p5nuqa.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjFvRAvvMfQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMmRmTKb6ZI

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PM dumps hate speech laws, tries to salvage anti-Semitism laws

RICHARD FERGUSON - January 17, 2026

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Anthony Albanese has dumped plans to criminalise racist hate speech for now, as he tries to salvage at least some of his anti-Semitism laws.

The Prime Minister said he could not guarantee the eradication of anti-Semitism without the hate speech laws that top Jewish bodies have called for, and said it was up to the Coalition to explain why it had blocked them.

Parliament will still sit on Tuesday to vote on separate bills as part of the legislative response to the Bondi terror attack.

One bill will ban hate groups like Hizb ut-Tahrir and the neo-Nazis, as well give the Home Affairs Minister power to reject the visas of foreign anti-Semites.

The other bill will institute Labor’s $1 billion gun buyback scheme.

But the Prime Minister conceded his plans to criminalise the incitement of racial hatred did not have the support of parliament and he would not bring a bill on that to MPs next week.

Mr Albanese was forced to split his omnibus anti-Semitism bill after the Greens on Saturday said it would only support the gun element of the law, but not the hate speech provisions.

“We do not have a majority in the Senate … that is the parliament Australians voted for,” he said in Canberra.

“It’s clear what (the Coalition) is against.

“It’s up to others to justify why we are not able to proceed (with hate speech laws).”

A spokesman for Sussan Ley said that the Opposition Leader’s statement on Thursday that the bill was “unsalvageable” was clearly the view shared by “a majority of the Parliament”.

“The Prime Minister never provided the Opposition with an opportunity to provide input into the design of this legislation and did not consult us prior to finalising it,” the spokesman said.

“This afternoon, the Leader of the Opposition wrote to the Prime Minister in good faith, imploring him as the leader of our country to outline a pathway forward.”

Greens leader Larissa Waters on Saturday declared that her party was only willing to back the Prime Minister’s $1 billion gun buyback scheme, but they would not support hate speech protections unless they were extended to all religions outside Judaism including Islam.

The Australian revealed on Friday that the Greens had discovered more issues with the omnibus bill than even had the previous day, when they said the anti-Semitic Hanukkah massacre could have happened to powerful women or other minority groups.

The Greens are willing to work with the government to pass gun laws next week, but the rest of the omnibus bill needs a huge amount of work.

“With every hour that passes, more concerns are raised by legal experts, faith groups and the community about the Omnibus bill. This is complex legislation, with a lot of massive pitfalls and omissions, and the process to fix it can’t be rushed,” Senator Waters said in a statement.

“We are willing to sit down with the government to find a way forward, but it’s clear that the amount of negotiations and legal analysis required to produce a good outcome can’t be done in the extremely tight timeframe the government has created. It may be simpler to start afresh with a bill that aims to protect everyone from hatred and discrimination.

“We need to keep all people in the community safe from discrimination and hatred, and good laws don’t come from rushed work.”

Labor’s last hope had been that the parliament’s powerful intelligence committee could suggest changes that would sway a highly sceptical Coalition.

The Australian reported on Saturday that the intelligence committee would make a last-ditch effort to craft changes to Anthony Albanese’s anti-Semitism laws that could satisfy a sceptical Coalition.

(continued)

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The Liberals’ most senior Jewish MP challenged his colleagues on what they would say if there was another Bondi-style attack after the party rejected the legislation.

The Prime Minister had been adamant he would stare down the ­Coalition, religious leaders and some Jewish groups and pass his hate speech and gun reform laws on Tuesday, with Labor MPs ­expecting the Greens to back down on their more radical ­demands and support the bill.

At a Friday meeting of Liberal MPs, opposition frontbencher ­Julian Leeser warned the party was at risk of “ceding the moral high ground” if it didn’t ensure the legislation was passed.

Several Coalition MPs present at the meeting said Mr Leeser ­acknowledged there were deep flaws in the bill and the most ideal outcome would be for more time to drastically change the reforms and come to an agreement with Labor. However, he urged colleagues to consider what would happen if the Coalition failed to pass the laws and another terror attack targeting Jews occurred.

“He said that we would cede the moral high ground and that if a further event happened, Labor would say ‘we tried to fix this and the Liberals didn’t let us’,” one MP said.

Jewish groups have differing views on the legislation, with the Executive Council of Australian Jewry wanting it passed next week and groups such as the Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council wanting a short delay.

Mr Albanese’s closest spiritual adviser, Catholic Archbishop of Sydney Anthony Fisher, joined other Christian bishops and Muslim imams in rejecting the current proposed laws, accusing Labor of breaking a pre-election promise if the bill goes ahead and imploring the Prime Minister to reject dealing with the Greens.

As Mr Albanese had urged parliament to unite next week and provide an immediate response to the anti-Semitic Bondi terror attack, he said he did not control the Senate and would not rule out working with the Greens.

“We don’t have a majority in the Senate, and we’ll engage ­respectfully with people in the parliament … both members of the House of Representatives and the Senate,” he said in Brisbane.

“At the moment … this is like trying to grab smoke, trying to get an arrangement with the ­Coalition. The parliament controls its own destiny … I want legislation to be introduced that is going to be passed.”

The intelligence and security committee has received more than 7000 submissions on the government’s hate speech and gun reform bill, in a fresh challenge to Labor’s push to fast-track the legislation.

While only 113 of the submissions were posted on the Parliamentary Joint Commission on Intelligence and Security’s website by mid-afternoon on Friday, the committee’s secretariat has warned members of the avalanche of new submissions lodged by stakeholders and members of the public by its Thursday 4pm deadline. Deputy chair Phil Thompson said the submissions were overwhelmingly opposed to the bill in its current form, although the claim could not be independently verified.

“The majority of the submissions I have read thus far do not support this bill in its entirety, and people are particularly concerned over the creeping impact of the government’s proposed changes on freedom of speech,” Mr Thompson said.

A Labor member of the committee said many of the last-minute submissions appeared to be the result of lobbying by One Nation and conservative group Advance.

Archbishop Fisher, along with other faith leaders, on Friday sent a letter to Mr Albanese, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke and Attorney-General Michelle Rowland expressing “alarm” at a deal with the minor party, and calling for the current hate speech legislation to be radically reformed.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/coalition-of-faith-leaders-urge-pm-to-delay-hate-speech-laws-rule-out-greens-deal/news-story/4adc2e7d4f494df11715a23004857a5e?amp

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_-PIbnpenc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBxzsy7O43I

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Status of hate laws remains uncertain as politicians converge on Canberra

Tom Crowley - 18 January 2026

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Anthony Albanese's bid to toughen hate laws is still in limbo as politicians converge on Canberra for a special parliamentary sitting to respond to the Bondi terror attack.

On Saturday, the prime minister abandoned a plan to criminalise the promotion of racial hatred, which had drawn criticism from the left and the right.

The remaining proposals include a new gun buyback scheme and steps to blacklist hate groups and deport migrants who disseminate hate.

The gun laws are set to pass with the support of the Greens. But the stripped-back hate laws will need the Coalition's support to pass.

The Coalition's home affairs spokesperson Jonathon Duniam said the Coalition was "working through the provisions of this legislation at the invitation of the government to see what can be salvaged".

A Liberal source said the PM's office had indicated a willingness to shelve any part of the bill the Coalition did not agree to, saying "the position of the government appears to be whatever the opposition says it should be".

A government spokesperson rejected that account, but Labor ministers have suggested the hate laws may not proceed at all unless the Coalition agrees in advance, with the government determined to avoid a fruitless parliamentary debate over any measure that lacks support.

"The PM was pretty clear, he doesn't want division on the floor of parliament. This is a moment of national importance … We want agreement on the way forward. We want the parliament to work together," she said.

PM calls for unity, accused of playing politics

Mr Albanese declared on Saturday that it was "time that the politics stopped" and that the Coalition had "no excuse" not to pass the new hate laws. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has said she would "have a look" at the bills but would "not be lectured about unity".

Senator Duniam said the Coalition had "grave concerns" about parts of the legislation and could not guarantee its support for any aspect, but added the opposition was working through the bill "in good faith" to "see what can be salvaged".

"This exercise we're going through now should have happened at the very beginning, not at the end," he said.

The senator hinted that the Coalition would view favourably the plan to strengthen deportation powers, which is similar to a suggestion the Coalition had previously made.

But he said there were "freedom of speech" concerns about the proposed regime to designate hate groups, including ambiguity over the definition of hate and who would be deemed to be part of a group.

"We want to make sure that any measure that gives a government officer or a minister powers to list a group has appropriate safeguards around it," he said.

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The gun laws will be split into a separate bill, despite the PM's previous insistence that all measures must be considered as a package deal.

That bill will be introduced to the Lower House on Tuesday, along with any hate measures for which the government has secured support.

Monday's sitting will focus on the passage of condolence motions for the victims of the attack.

The parliamentary joint committee on intelligence and security, which met to consider the previous draft of the bill last week, met again on Sunday to finalise its report. Senator Gallagher said it would be published on Sunday night or Monday morning.

The Coalition's shadow cabinet is expected to meet on Sunday evening, with a final position to be agreed at a full party room meeting on Monday.

Peter Wertheim, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said the major parties should "work together to get legislation passed now that will advance us further down the road towards having effective laws against the deliberate promotion of racial hatred".

Mr Wertheim said the council was "disappointed" that plans for a new offence for hate promotion had been dropped and was "very concerned at the message this will send that deliberate promotion of racial hatred is not considered serious enough to be criminalised".

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-18/status-of-hate-laws-uncertain-ahead-of-parliamentary-sitting/106242028

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmJx6-kBrZ0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f8jpnm52nw

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'We'll be back': protesters pledge Invasion Day return

Kat Wong - January 18 2026

Protesters have vowed to return on January 26 after a rally on First Nations deaths in custody was forced to disperse amid "authoritarian" restrictions on public assembly.

About 200 people gathered at Hyde Park in central Sydney on Sunday, weeks after NSW Police imposed a declaration that prevents residents from seeking protest authorisation, leaving participants vulnerable to arrest for obstructing traffic or pedestrians, or marching down streets.

The protest organisers had negotiated with police about moving to another location and suggested crossing the road in smaller groups to ensure they did not block access for others.

But as the crowd began to shift towards the traffic lights, police intervened and issued a move on direction.

Though many disagreed with the orders and the state's anti-protest laws more generally, protest organiser Paul Silva thanked the attendees and urged them to comply for their safety.

"I don't want anyone being attacked, I don't want anyone being brutalised, and unfortunately these laws will allow that," he said.

Police were given the power to issue declarations in laws rushed through NSW Parliament following the Bondi terror attack, where two gunmen killed 15 people.

The ban on protests can be imposed after a declared terrorist attack and extended fortnightly for up to three months. The current declaration has already been extended to January 20.

With police set to decide on another extension on Tuesday, many are concerned it could affect the annual invasion day protests on January 26, which often raise awareness of First Nations issues like deaths in custody.

But Sunday's protesters pledged to return, chanting "we'll be back" and "see you on invasion day" at the police.

Despite the disagreements with protesters, Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna was pleased with the way the situation had been handled.

"They dispersed peacefully, there were no arrests made, and overall I was very happy," he told reporters.

NSW Greens MP Sue Higginson said the turn out was a show of courage in the face of the "anti-democratic" restrictions.

"It is not lawful to march down the streets as we normally would, and that's frightening," she told AAP.

"That's what happens in an authoritarian state. That's what happens in an unhealthy democracy."

Surrounded by dozens of police, including officers on horseback and bicycles, First Nations advocates spoke about their experiences with systemic racism as Mr Silva marked 10 years since his uncle David Dungay Jr died in custody after being restrained by prison officers.

"I'm here to fight for my uncle, for everyone that I've witnessed being taken by this system," he told the crowd.

Since the final report of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody was handed down in 1991, 615 First Nations people have died in custody, Mr Silva said.

In 2025, Australia recorded the highest number of Indigenous deaths in custody in 45 years.

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/9155425/well-be-back-protesters-pledge-invasion-day-return/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5JY9gknbQY

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Coalition crisis as One Nation continues popularity surge, eclipses opposition's primary vote in latest Newspoll

One Nation's primary vote has continued to soar, overtaking the Coalition for the first time in a shock Newspoll.

Max Melzer - January 19, 2026

Primary support for One Nation has eclipsed that for the Coalition for the first time.

One Nation has experienced a surge in the polls over recent months, capitalising on factional infighting within the Coalition in the wake of its defeat at the last federal election as well as broader community dissatisfaction with both major parties.

At the same time, the opposition has experienced a series of record low polling results, putting Coalition leader Sussan Ley under significant pressure to boost support.

However, the latest Newspoll, conducted for The Australian, revealed any hopes Ms Ley may have had her strong response to the Bondi terror attack would help to win back voters were misplaced as her party slumped yet further behind.

The Coalition's primary vote has fallen to a record low 21 per cent, the fourth record low result under Ms Ley's leadership and roughly 10 per cent below the level the party achieved at the last election - where it suffered one its worst ever defeats.

By contrast, One Nation's primary vote has surged seven per cent in two months, reaching a new record high of 22 per cent in January's poll.

The Pauline Hanson-led party captured 6.4 per cent of the primary vote at the last election and has gone from strength to strength since, setting its previous polling record of 15 per cent support in October.

That was before the high-profile capture of former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce, which has further boosted the party's national profile while also robbing the Coalition of one of its previously safest seats.

One Nation and other minor parties and independents have all benefitted from continued dissatisfaction with both the Coalition and Labor, who collectively posted their worst ever share of primary support in Newspoll history.

Just 53 per cent of Australians backed a major party in the latest poll, with 47 per cent instead opting to support One Nation, the Greens, Teals or other independent candidates.

While maintaining a sizeable lead over the Coalition on every front, Labor is still losing face with voters.

The party's share of primary support fell four points to 32 per cent in the latest Newspoll and its two-party preferred lead over the Coalition dropped back to 55 per cent to 45 per cent.

Mr Albanese's personal brand has also taken a blow in the wake of his widely criticised response the Bondi terror attack.

While Mr Albanese retains a healthy advantage in the preferred prime minister stakes, his lead over Ms Ley has narrowed from 54 to 27 per cent in ­November to 51 to 31 per cent.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister's approval rating has collapsed to its lowest level since late 2024 during the peak of the post-Covid cost of living crisis.

Mr Albanese's net approval dropped 11 points, from zero to negative 11, with 53 per cent dissatisfied by his performance.

https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/politics/coalition-crisis-as-one-nation-continues-popularity-surge-eclipses-oppositions-primary-vote-in-latest-newspoll/news-story/22b1c63197274b4ac9fd45bdf94283ab

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGqy9eJXTK8

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Trump asks Australia, Albanese to join Gaza 'Board of Peace'

Matthew Doran - 19 January 2026

Australia and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have been asked by US President Donald Trump to join his "Board of Peace", as the White House tries to push the fragile ceasefire in Gaza into its next phase.

A draft charter for the organisation, which will be chaired by Mr Trump, has been sent to a number of world leaders — including Canada's Mark Carney, Türkiye's Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Argentina's Javier Milei.

It is unclear exactly how many countries have received invitations, but reports suggest dozens are on the list.

The text of the document, first revealed by Bloomberg, stated that each country that accepted the invitation would be represented by its leader and would be given a term of "no more than three years".

If a country wants to stay as part of the Board of Peace beyond that, it would have to make a cash contribution to its efforts of $US1 billion ($1.49 billion).

Speaking to ABC Sydney Radio on Monday, Mr Albanese said he had received correspondence from the US president overnight but could not say whether Australia would join the board.

"That's something we haven't had time to consider," he said.

"I'll have a look at that when I'm in the office this morning, but I'm not going to respond to something that I haven't had the opportunity to give proper consideration to."

Reports suggested the draft charter makes no specific mention of Gaza, suggesting President Trump may want its scope to go beyond the war-ravaged enclave that served as the catalyst for its creation, and it also does not detail what the membership fee for countries wanting to remain part of the organisation would fund.

Decisions of the board would be made by a vote of its members, subject to the approval of the chair — Donald Trump.

Netanyahu criticises lack of Israeli input

The development comes as the layers of bureaucracy being imposed over the future of Gaza become more clear, and the White House says the second phase of the ceasefire in the strip has begun.

Underneath the Board of Peace will be its executive board, which includes US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Mr Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, the White House's special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, former British prime minister Tony Blair, and World Bank president Ajay Banga.

Former UN official Nickolay Mladenov would also be in that group, taking on the role of High Representative for Gaza.

His work, and that of a Palestinian technocratic government working to govern Gaza, would be supported by another group — known as the Gaza Executive Board.

The composition of that organisation has already been criticised by Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said the announcement was made by the US without coordination from his government.

The sticking point for Israel is the inclusion of Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi on the committee. Both countries have been highly critical of Israel's conduct in Gaza throughout the war.

The Israeli leader said he would complain to the United States about their involvement.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-19/australia-asked-to-join-trump-s-gaza-board-of-peace-/106242966

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59yStltX24c

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Bondi massacre families react to Albanese in parliament: Enough with all the politics now, time to act

ELIZABETH PIKE - 19 January 2025

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The families of Bondi victims and survivors say Anthony Albanese’s condolence motion has failed to change their minds about his leadership, with one relative declaring the Prime Minister is “playing politics with our lives” and has done so “since the word go”.

Some immediate family members of the victims were set to meet with Mr Albanese on Monday afternoon following the condolence motions.

For many of them, it will be the first time they meet with Mr Albanese since the terror attack that claimed the lives of their loved ones.

In his first speech to the House of Representatives since the Bondi terror attack, Mr Albanese fronted parliament on Monday to read out the first condolence motion for the victims in which he accepted that responsibility for the tragedy “starts with me”.

“As Prime Minister, I give you this solemn promise on behalf of every Australian. We will not meet your suffering with silence. We will not leave you in darkness,” Mr Albanese told the House of Representatives.

“We will continue to do everything required to ensure your security, uphold your safety and protect and honour your place here with us, as Australians.

“That responsibility starts with me, as Australia’s 31st Prime Minister.”

The speech came after almost a month of public pressure to recall parliament, to establish a commonwealth royal commission and to pass tougher legislation, which sparked a political brawl with the Coalition and the Greens before the proposed bill was split and watered down.

Speaking to The Australian after the condolence motion, the niece of Bondi victim Boris Tetleroyd, Jenny Roytur, said Mr Albanese’s words had rung hollow.

Ms Roytur said she was not part of the meeting with Mr Albanese but stood by her past comments that the PM had “100 per cent” failed as leader in his response to the attack.

“Nothing’s changed about how I feel,” she said. “This is all political. I’m not holding my breath.”

“I would like to see action rather than words, and I’ve said this before.

“It’s all very nice. I understand people feel good saying these things, but I don’t want to feel unsafe in my own country.

“I had to fight for (a royal commission) for 25 days. Instead of that being the first thing a government does, we the victims, the victims’ families had to fight, and that’s ridiculous all on its own.”

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Speaking to The Australian after the motion, Victoria Bilotep, the daughter of Bondi survivor Semyon Teplitsky, said Mr Albanese’s message failed to land.

Ms Bilotep said she had “no interest” in attending the meeting with the PM and accused the Labor leader of “playing politics with our lives”.

“He’s done that since the word go. He’s done that since the vile protests on the steps of the Opera House,” Ms Bilotep said.

“There’s been a lot of words, but I think we’re not sure whether we believe all the words and I think that’s the honest truth.”

“And until then,” Ms Bilotep added about the need for action, she said “it is just blah blah blah from our politicians”.

Bondi victim Rabbi Eli Schlanger’s cousin, Sreuvi Lazarus, survived the terrorist attack and was working at the Chanukah By the Sea event selling food alongside his two children when the gunmen started shooting.

Mr Lazarus said the speeches from Mr Albanese and other MPs were empty as they had not come to the defence of the Jewish community in the past.

“(They) made a statement that actually means nothing. In a way. It’s gaslighting and insulting. Instead of saying, ‘I’m sorry’ they said what is needed,” Mr Lazarus said.

The father said he was waiting for a “real apology without any explanation” and a recognition that everyone who was at Bondi during the attack was a victim.

He also said the one day set aside to debate legislation on Tuesday was not enough time, calling the rush to pass the laws a “red flag”.

“Why is it not being thought through and debated? This is not an issue that you can just snap your fingers and deal with,” Mr Lazarus said.

“This has to be really thought out and dealt with over a long period of time and to pass any laws is just a slap in the face. It’s an insult. It’s just gaslighting.”

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/bondi-massacre-families-to-tell-albanese-in-parliament-enough-with-all-the-politics-now-time-to-act/news-story/b6755190b7ca01f6d2f100790405f863

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHiEEX29zyQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NACONo4aBkY

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Hate speech laws pass House of Representatives after deal struck

Adam Vidler - Jan 20, 2026

The federal government's hate speech laws, devised in response to the Bondi Beach terror attack, have passed the House of Representatives with the support of the Liberals and are set to pass the Senate later today.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was forced to split the gun control and hate speech reforms into separate packages after both the Coalition and the Greens spoke against the combined proposal.

The bill passed the lower house this afternoon by 116 votes to seven, with 27 MPs abstaining - including most Nationals MPs.

Those who voted against the bill were independents Dai Le and Andrew Wilkie; Queensland LNP MPs Llew O'Brien and Colin Boyce; Bob Katter; former Nationals leader turned One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce; and Centre Alliance MP Rebekha Sharkie.

Albanese had met with Opposition Leader Sussan Ley to work through changes to the bill to secure Liberal support.

Among the changes secured by Ley was the requirement that the opposition leader be consulted on the listing of extremist organisations.

Despite demanding a swift response to the Bondi attack, many senior Coalition figures baulked at the laws, saying they had been devised too swiftly and citing free speech concerns.

The Nationals decided to abstain from voting in the lower house, though former leader Michael McCormack voted in favour of the legislation.

The Nationals will move amendments in the Senate but will vote against the bill if their demands are not met.

The bill will still almost certainly pass the Senate with Labor and Liberal support, even if the Nationals vote against it.

Late changes to get bills passed

Nine newspapers reported this morning that some Labor MPs were worried about the government's decision to drop racial anti-vilification elements from the legal package in order to get it through parliament.

"When the government put forward those laws, we heard all kinds of free speech advocates say, oh, but what if it captures this kind of language and that kind of language?" The Age and Sydney Morning Herald chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal told Today.

"So the government's pulled that section of the bill."

Employment Minister Amanda Rishworth said the government was focused on passing workable laws.

"We need to get laws through the parliament. It's a numbers issue," she told Today.

"And so if you have both the opposition saying that we will not support racial vilification laws and the Greens not supporting, then you can't bring it into law."

https://www.9news.com.au/national/hate-speech-laws-to-pass-parliament-after-opposition/5b4cc434-af15-4006-b3cf-aff9c26fa095

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOLzgcocur0

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Sydney protest ban partially lifted, paving way for January 26 march

Daniel Lo Surdo and Jack Gramenz - January 20, 2026

The controversial declaration banning protests on Sydney’s city streets has been partially lifted by NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon, smoothing the path for planned Australia Day marches after a month-long ban.

In a compromise that will allow the annual Invasion Day protest to be staged on Monday, Lanyon has dropped the declaration order for streets in the Sydney CBD, while preserving the ban on all other Sydney streets for another fortnight.

He exercised the first 14-day ban on December 24 under the powers introduced in response to the Bondi terror attack. It was extended by another fortnight on January 6.

The newly excluded area will include Darling Harbour, the suburbs north of Oxford Street and all the eastern suburbs north of Clovelly. It won’t include Hyde Park, Belmore Park and Victoria Park, among the areas included in the annual Invasion Day march.

“This is about getting the balance right,” Lanyon said on Tuesday afternoon.

“This is about ensuring that we are enabling people to protest, enabling free speech, but make sure that the community remains safe.”

Preserving the ban in the city’s northern streets is designed to support the tens of thousands of spectators expected to converge on Circular Quay for official Australia Day celebrations, Lanyon said, while blocking demonstrations in the eastern suburbs was deemed “appropriate” following the Bondi massacre.

A March for Australia anti-immigration demonstration is expected to start at Prince Alfred Park on Monday, south of Central Station and out of the prohibited area, which will coincide with similar rallies taking place in other capital cities. Police are expected to closely monitor the March for Australia and Invasion Day rallies, which will be staged within streets of each other.

The tough protest powers were included in an omnibus bill passed during an emergency sitting of NSW parliament after the Bondi massacre, and were exercised by Lanyon in the hours after its assent.

Tuesday’s decision will allow protest groups to lodge applications to stage demonstrations on CBD streets across the next fortnight, which will then be assessed by NSW Police. A third consecutive total declaration would have extended the ban through to February, prohibiting the annual Invasion Day march staged through the Sydney CBD.

It comes four days after riot squad and mounted police descended on Town Hall to watch over demonstrators rallying against the new protest laws and the impending visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog to Australia.

A man wearing a “Make Australia Safe Again” cap and brandishing a cardboard sign that read “Blame Hamas” was arrested about 5.30pm for breaching the peace, before being released without charge.

Three other people were spoken to for similar breach of the peace incidents, and left the scene without any further action.

One protester was pictured wearing a T-shirt that bore the slogan “globalise the intifada” – a phrase NSW Premier Chris Minns wants to outlaw.

Lanyon backed the application of the month-long protest ban, saying it taken “the heat out of the community” in the weeks after the Bondi shootings.

“I think the fact we haven’t seen large-scale open protests, people marching through the streets of Sydney, has reduced the tension,” he said.

Acting Police Minister Paul Scully said the latest declaration was informed by intelligence gathering and risk assessments.

“The NSW Police’s highest priority is the safety of the community and the NSW government unequivocally supports this work,” Scully said. “We ask the community to respect the decision of the NSW Police, comply with the law and stay safe.”

A coalition of activists, including the Palestine Activist Group and Jews Against the Occupation, has launched a constitutional challenge against the legislation restricting public assemblies.

Elizabeth Ann Jarrett, a member of the First Nations-led political organising group The Blak Caucus, has sued the state over the laws.

A short direction hearing on January 8 set down a timetable, with Justice Julia Lonergan fixing another hearing on January 29.

It will consider whether the case goes directly to the Court of Appeal, under the assumption any decision will be subsequently appealed anyway.

It also has allowed time for other Australian states and territories to weigh in on any arising constitutional issues.

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/sydney-protest-ban-partially-lifted-paving-way-for-january-26-march-20260120-p5nvi9.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12LhcT0-MQc

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Threat of Coalition split as three Nationals quit opposition frontbench

Paul Sakkal - January 21, 2026

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Nationals leader David Littleproud made a bombshell threat to quit the frontbench along with all Nationals shadow ministers if Opposition Leader Sussan Ley accepted the resignations of three rebel Nationals, which she did, leaving the Coalition agreement hanging by a thread.

This masthead has obtained a letter sent by Littleproud to Ley on Wednesday morning saying that Ley had the right to sack frontbenchers Bridget McKenzie, Susan McDonald and Ross Cadell after they broke from the Liberals to vote against the government’s bill to crackdown on hate groups.

But, Littleproud argued in the letter, Ley should avoid doing so because the legislative process was so rushed and the shadow cabinet never signed off on a final bill – a claim heavily contested by the Liberals.

“If these resignations are accepted, the entire National Party ministry will resign to take collective responsibility,” Littleproud wrote in a hand-signed letter sent to Ley.

“Opposing this bill was a party room decision. The entire National Party shadow ministry is equally bound”.

Hours after Littleproud’s letter, Ley accepted the resignations with the full backing of right-wing Liberal powerbrokers such as Michaelia Cash, James Paterson and Jonno Duniam.

Nationals MPs were meeting at 6pm on Wednesday to decide whether to carry out the threat.

After spending weeks piling pressure on Labor over its flat-footed response to the Bondi massacre, a torturous few days of sparring over hate speech laws pulled apart the Coalition and plunged it into a fresh crisis as One Nation nobbles at its right flank.

The joint Liberal-National shadow cabinet on Sunday made an in-principle agreement to back Labor’s crackdown on hate groups so long as they were amended in line with Coalition demands, which they were.

That agreement started to fall apart on Monday when Nationals backbencher Matt Canavan, who has often set the agenda inside the junior Coalition partner, started to campaign against the bill over concerns it would target mainstream religious and political groups.

After the frontbenchers voted against the hate speech laws, they sent resignation letters to Ley on Wednesday morning, as first reported by this masthead, in acknowledgement that they had breached convention as shadow ministers to toe the party line.

Ley repeatedly told Littleproud about the need for his MPs to stick with the agreed position before the vote, Liberal sources speaking on the condition of anonymity said.

But Ley, under pressure to prove that she could enforce discipline, said she had accepted the resignations hours later on Wednesday afternoon, saying, “Shadow cabinet solidarity is not optional.”

“It is the foundation of serious opposition and credible government.”

“I made it clear to David Littleproud that members of the shadow cabinet could not vote against the shadow cabinet position. The shadow cabinet was unanimous in its endorsement to support this bill subject to several amendments that we did then secure.”

One top Liberal said: “Littleproud is threatening to pull the Nationals out of the frontbench at the same time as saying in private that he hopes the Coalition can stay together. It’s a nonsensical position.”

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Flailing in the polls, Ley took the decision to let the frontbenchers go with the full backing of right-wing Liberal powerbrokers such as Michaelia Cash, James Paterson and Jonno Duniam. Duniam and Ley convinced right-wing Liberals such as Andrew Hastie to back the hate crimes bill that made visa cancellations easier and allowed for the prohibition of hate groups such as neo-Nazis and radical Islamists.

Even Ley’s critics in the Liberal Party backed her stance against the Nationals on Wednesday as they expressed private fury at Littleproud for failing to bring his party into a coherent position on the laws.

But the long-run implication for Ley might still be devastating if the wounds caused by the resignations, or an even more damaging Coalition split, erode Ley’s standing further and fuel a leadership challenge from Hastie or Angus Taylor, who missed the parliamentary week as he was on holiday in Europe.

One Liberal made the point that several inner-city Liberal frontbenchers wanted to vote for Labor’s gun restrictions but voted against the laws in line with Coalition policy, an example the Nationals could not emulate against the backdrop of a backlash among online free speech advocates.

The scale of the libertarian/far-right discontent towards Labor’s policies was evident on the social media feed of right-wing darling Andrew Hastie, whose posts were flooded with messages urging a vote for One Nation, which opposed the laws.

Nationals frontbencher Anne Webster said of a split on Wednesday: “We are not afraid to do it again.”

Foreign Minister Penny Wong seized on the tension to create a leadership test for Ley.

“A very important question now is there for Sussan Ley. The shadow cabinet made a decision to support this legislation, but shadow cabinet members have voted against it. Will she enforce the convention that people, shadow cabinet members, who vote against the shadow cabinet position have to resign, or will she squib it?” Wong said.

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/three-nationals-shadow-ministers-expected-to-resign-from-opposition-frontbench-20260121-p5nvoj.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3KosC3LycI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJdn0podSjo

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‘It’s done’: Nationals leave the Coalition, say Ley put them in untenable position

Liberals and Nationals leadership all facing the axe in wake of Coalition schism

Paul Sakkal - January 22, 2026

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The entire leadership of the Coalition could be junked after Nationals leader David Littleproud sparked one of the worst crises in conservative politics in Australian history by blowing up the Liberal-National agreement, infuriating the Liberals.

Fearing a decade of Labor dominance if the Coalition permanently split, Liberal MPs were privately withering in their criticism of Littleproud even as they acknowledged that Ley’s leadership was probably terminally damaged and were discussing options for her replacement.

Some Nationals were canvassing long-shot options with the Liberals to keep the Coalition together via unorthodox arrangements such as allowing some of the five Nationals who did not resign on Wednesday to serve in the shadow cabinet, demonstrating the level of desperation in both parties.

“Can we override the stupidity here?” one senior MP said of the last-ditch talks, claiming there remained about a 20 per cent chance of reviving the Coalition because so many MPs disagreed with Littleproud’s move.

Some MPs backgrounded media outlets that Nationals defector Barnaby Joyce had been right in his recent attacks on Littleproud’s leadership, and even Littleproud’s backers in his own party acknowledged that by tearing up the Coalition and blaming Ley, it meant he would most likely have to depart as leader if any patch-up was to occur in coming weeks or months.

Most MPs spoken to by this masthead said they did not expect a petition to call a special party room meeting to roll Ley before parliament returns in February, so the soonest Ley’s leadership could be challenged would be early next month.

“It feels inevitable that she will be replaced, but the timelines aren’t clear,” said one right-wing MP, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Leadership rival Angus Taylor is returning from a European holiday as planned later this week. He has been in touch with colleagues to assess whether it is the right time to strike, but one of his supporters said it could create even more chaos if a Liberal leadership challenge followed a Coalition split in quick succession.

Andrew Hastie, another likely leadership contender, has defended himself on social media for voting for the hate speech bill along with other Liberals, saying “you often only get the choice between multiple bad options” and telling the thousands of right-wing commenters furious with him that “purity is for keyboard warriors and paid influencers”.

Liberal MPs said there were two prevailing narratives emerging about the Coalition split. One was that Ley had mishandled the saga and her leadership was terminal; the other held that the Nationals had acted recklessly and should not dictate the Liberal leadership.

One source said that both held true: MPs believed Ley’s leadership was badly wounded, but that Littleproud’s actions meant there was a strong appetite not to reward the Nationals, which might buy time for Ley.

Many MPs spent Thursday on the phone canvassing options, but the conversations were disorganised, numbers were not being counted, and key backers of Hastie and Taylor did not want to publicly cut down Ley, instead preferring that she see the writing on the wall herself, leaving it difficult to predict how the next few weeks would play out.

In a press conference in Brisbane on Thursday morning, Littleproud blamed Ley for forcing his hand, as he explained his decision to blow up the Coalition by quitting the joint frontbench along with 10 other Nationals MPs.

The Nationals leader claimed it was Ley’s actions that led to the rupture because she should not have accepted the resignations of three Nationals senators who broke shadow cabinet convention when they voted against the Coalition’s position to support Labor’s hate crimes laws on Tuesday.

“She has forced the Coalition into an untenable position,” Littleproud said, adding “we sit by ourselves”.

“We cannot be part of a shadow ministry under Sussan Ley.”

(continued)

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Ley had asked Littleproud not to speak publicly about politics on Thursday because it is the day of mourning for the Bondi massacre. One Liberal MP who did not vote for Ley said it was “disgusting” that Littleproud made the comments on the day of mourning.

Ley made no public comments except those in a short statement released as Littleproud was speaking, saying: “Today the focus must be on Jewish Australians, indeed all Australians, as we mourn the victims of the Bondi terrorist attack.”

It is the second time the Coalition parties have split since the last election, after the eight-day split in May last year.

Former prime minister John Howard backed Ley’s decision-making on Wednesday and former foreign minister Alexander Downer was critical of Littleproud.

“David Littleproud should have understood the huge responsibility he has to make the coalition work, not force yet another break up. [Doug] Anthony, [Tim] Fischer, [John] Anderson would never have allowed this to happen,” Downer said, referring to previous Nationals leaders.

Ley will need to start making arrangements for a new Liberal-only opposition. Some Liberals, particularly moderates, hope the party will be able to regenerate without the presence of their conservative junior partner.

The crux of Littleproud’s argument is that the Coalition’s internal decision-making process on Labor’s hate crimes laws, which make visa cancellations easier and ban hate groups, was flawed.

Ley and senior Liberals argue that the shadow cabinet, which includes senior Nationals, agreed on Sunday to back Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s watered-down bill if he agreed to Coalition amendments.

Over the next two days, Coalition shadow ministers secured a series of concessions from Labor, executing the will of the shadow cabinet.

But over Monday and Tuesday, the Nationals-only party room held a flurry of meetings to discuss the bill, as right-wing backbencher Matt Canavan raised objections.

After several of these meetings, the junior Coalition partner made amendment requests, some of which the government could not accept. Canavan believed the sweeping new powers to ban hate groups – aimed at neo-Nazi organisations and radical Islamist groups like Hizb ut-Tahrir – could be used to crack down on mainstream political and religious groups, a view shared by the Greens.

Littleproud said his party room – which has often been pushed to its positions by Canavan, a leadership threat to Littleproud – was still working through its processes until late on Tuesday when the Senate started to vote.

Therefore, his MPs felt compelled to vote against the laws, he said, even though the shadow cabinet agreed in principle on Sunday to back the bill with amendments.

Three Nationals frontbench senators – Bridget McKenzie, Ross Cadell and Susan McDonald – had offered their resignations out of respect for shadow cabinet convention, Littleproud said. But, he argued, Ley should not have accepted them and should instead have acknowledged the unique circumstances caused by Labor’s flawed emergency process.

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/it-s-done-nationals-leave-the-coalition-say-ley-put-them-in-untenable-position-20260122-p5nw27.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rWEDBK5Xyk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3_knLgsgHw

>>23978158

>>24009669

Australia holds day of mourning for Bondi Beach shooting victims

japantimes.co.jp - Jan 22, 2026

SYDNEY – Australians will fall quiet in candlelight Thursday on a national day of mourning for the 15 people killed by gunmen who opened fire at a Jewish festival at Bondi Beach.

As flags fly at half mast, millions are being asked to observe a minute’s silence at 7:01 pm east coast time (0801 GMT) for victims of the Dec. 14 mass shooting, Australia’s deadliest in three decades.

Candles will be lit in windows and on doorsteps around the country.

Survivors, families and emergency responders are to join with political and community leaders in an evening of mourning at Sydney Opera House, with the theme “Light Will Win.”

Sajid Akram and his son Naveed allegedly shot into crowds at a Jewish Hanukkah celebration on the famous Sydney beach, inspired by the Islamic State group’s ideology.

“When we look to Bondi, we don’t just see a beach,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.

“We see it as part of our promise to the world. It’s a welcoming embrace, a famous crescent of sand and water where there’s room for everyone,” he told reporters.

“This is a place where nothing should break except for the waves. But a lot broke that night.”

Antisemitism

Among the victims were an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor, a couple who confronted one of the gunmen, and a 10-year-old girl, Matilda, described at her funeral as a “ray of sunshine.”

Despite the dangers of that day, first responders raced to treat the wounded; strangers sheltered each other from gunfire and shop owner Ahmed al Ahmed famously wrested a gun from one of the attackers.

Albanese, who is to address the Opera House event, has faced criticism for alleged foot-dragging in combating antisemitism ahead of the attack.

Since the shooting, he has agreed to establish a high-level royal commission inquiry, which is to include examinations of the security services’ actions, and rising reports of antisemitism.

This week, his left-leaning Labor government ushered through parliament new laws that seek to tighten gun control and crack down on crimes of hate speech and radicalization.

On hate speech and radicalization, the legislation stiffens sentences, sets up a framework for listing prohibited hate groups and makes it easier to reject or cancel visas for suspects.

Security questions

On firearms, Australia will set up a national gun buyback scheme, tighten rules on imports of the weapons and expand background checks for gun permits to allow input from the intelligence services.

“What we need is more kindness in the world, less conflict in the world, not just here, but right around the globe,” Albanese said.

“In a time of turbulence, I really want this nation to be a light for the world.”

Gunman Sajid Akram, 50, was shot and killed by police during the Bondi Beach attack. An Indian national, he entered Australia on a visa in 1998.

His 24-year-old son Naveed, an Australian-born citizen who remains in prison, has been charged with terrorism and 15 murders.

Police and intelligence agencies face difficult questions about whether they could have acted earlier to prevent the shooting.

Naveed Akram was flagged by Australia’s intelligence agency in 2019, but he slipped off the radar after it was decided that he posed no imminent threat.

The Akram duo traveled to the southern Philippines in the weeks before the shooting, fueling suspicions they may be linked to Islamist extremists.

But Australian police say the evidence so far suggests they acted alone.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/22/asia-pacific/australia-mourning-bondi-shooting/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MhUtMBvzbU

>>23978158

>>24156850

Hamas symbol painted across historic Melbourne monuments ahead of Australia Day

EUAN KENNEDY - 22 January 2026

A Hamas symbol has been painted across two historic colonial era Melbourne monuments that were defaced or destroyed ahead of Australia Day.

Amid the debris of the toppled Pioneer Monument, which was erected in Flagstaff Gardens in 1871, an inverted red triangle was found spray painted across the smashed front inscription in addition to the words “Land Back”.

The inverted red triangle is a military symbol used by the terrorist organisation Hamas, which has been adopted by many pro-Palestine activists in Australia.

Hamas is a banned terror organisation in Australia.

The Pioneer Monument was built to commemorate Melbourne’s early settlers and pioneers, many of whom are buried nearby.

The same symbol and phrase was also used to vandalise the Separation Memorial, which was erected in 1950 to commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of Victoria’s separation from New South Wales.

The words “Death to Australia” were also graffitied on the base of the Pioneer Monument.

A police spokesman said it is believed machinery was used to pull down the Pioneer Monument before it was vandalised between 10pm on Wednesday and 6am on Thursday.

“The nearby Separation Memorial was also defaced with red paint,” he said.

“A crime scene has been established and the investigation is ongoing.”

Cables were still attached to the destroyed Pioneer Monument during the daylight hours of Thursday morning.

The act of vandalism and promotion of terrorist organisation Hamas not only comes ahead of Australia Day, but also on a national day of mourning in honour of the 15 victims who were gunned down during the Bondi Beach terror attack on December 14.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said the groups who commit these hateful acts of vandalism “must face the full force of the law”.

“What a disgrace,” Ms Allan said, “Even on a day about love and unity, these people can’t help but introduce hate and destruction.

“The groups who continue to commit these crimes must face the full force of the law.”

State Opposition leader Jess Wilson branded the Hamas vandalism as an “abhorrent act” during a national period of mourning.

“This is an abhorrent act on a day our state is mourning the murder of 15 innocent people,” Ms Wilson said.

“My thoughts are with the Jewish community today as we grieve, reflect, and remember the victims of the Bondi Massacre.”

Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Daniel Aghion told The Australian, the actions of these “so called activists” was insulting to Jews and Indigenous Australians.

“Today is a day of mourning for 15 victims of terror, 14 of whom were Jewish, including a ten-year-old girl,” Mr Aghion said.

“It is disgraceful that such a day would be hijacked by so called activists who want to import symbols of terror from half a world away into this country.

“Their attempt to do so is insulting to both Jews and the Australian Indigenous community, as many Indigenous leaders have said in the past.”

Mr Aghion said the inverted triangle is a signifier designed to tell Hamas agents where Israeli Defence Force soldiers are on the battlefield.

“When you bring it into this country, what you are saying is there are Jews here in this country come and attack them,” he said.

Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece was livid over the vandalism and said the council would be boosting security measures around statues to prevent further damage to the city’s monuments.

“Defacing or damaging city assets in Melbourne will not, and cannot, be tolerated,” he said.

“We are working with Victoria Police to pursue these vandals. We are also taking proactive steps to stop damage to our statues with additional security measures – this is on top of extra measures already in place.

“While there are a range of views on statues and memorials, each time a monument is damaged, it’s ultimately the ratepayer footing the bill and that is unacceptable.”

Police are urging anyone who witnessed the incident, has CCTV, or information about the vandalism to come forward.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/hamas-symbol-painted-across-historic-melbourne-monuments-ahead-of-australia-day/news-story/1273417588ab288d94483702644146c4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fD7g2x_apY

>>23978158

>>24009669

>>24156850

‘Deeply sorry’: Albanese’s regret over Bondi terror attack

STEPHEN RICE - 22 January 2026

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Anthony Albanese has apologised to the Jewish community for being unable to prevent the Bondi terror attack, and pledged on Australia’s National Day of Mourning to “drive antisemitism from our shores”.

“I am deeply and profoundly sorry that we could not protect your loved ones from this evil,” the Prime Minister told mourners gathered at the Light Will Win ceremony at the Sydney Opera House on Thursday night.

It was the closest Mr Albanese had come to acknowledging any responsibility for Australia’s worst terror attack, accepting that on December 14, “everything changed – and for that, I am sorry”.

The Prime Minister had pointedly not been invited to speak – and was booed by some in the crowd – at a vigil held by the Jewish community at Bondi Beach on December 21, but on Thursday night at the Opera House most of the audience applauded as he apologised.

“We cherish the promise that this country is a safe harbour but, sadly, that promise was broken,” Mr Albanese said. “You came to celebrate a festival of light and freedom and you were met with the violence of hatred.”

He called the attack on the Jewish community on Australian shores “cruelty beyond measure”, saying “our hearts were collectively shattered”.

“Jewish Australians were ­targeted because they were Jewish. Today we stand in solidarity with their families and to affirm the shared values of unity, compassion, and resilience that define Australia,” Mr Albanese said.

“A week after the massacre, when Rabbi (Yehoram) Ulman spoke of the 15 souls we mourn tonight, he described the light that each had brought into the world. May their memories be a blessing.

“And in their name, we will work to open all eyes to that light because that is the light that will win.”

Security was tight, with police snipers visible, perched atop the Sydney Opera House sails.

Bondi hero Ahmed al-Ahmed, who wrestled a gun off one of the attackers, took to the stage to light a candle alongside the family members of those killed, shaking hands with Mr Albanese and almost every member of the front row on the way back to his seat.

Also invited were police officers Scott Dyson and Jack Hibbert, who were both shot and left in critical condition as they tried to return fire on December 14.

A contingent of surf lifesavers who were among the first responders at the massacre were also among those attending.

The Sydney Opera House was chosen as the focus of the commemoration to contrast the ugly scenes at the landmark when a mob chanted “f..k the Jews” and threw flares at police just two days after the deadly October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, when Sydney’s ­Jewish community had been warned to stay away.

Speaking outside the Opera House on Thursday night, Rabbi Yehoram Ulman, who lost his son-in-law, Rabbi Eli Schlanger, in the Bondi attack, said the Jewish ­community was returning after those anti-Israel protests to reclaim the icon.

“We were told that this place is not safe for us. It was indeed a moment of darkness for Australia. But today we have returned,” Rabbi Ulman said.

“We are back not in fear, not in hatred, but with our heads high and with a clear message. We are reclaiming this Australian icon that again it should become a place of peace, unity and moral clarity for all peoples.”

Rabbi Ulman called for the public to do 15 mitzvahs, “good deeds”, to honour the victims and “fight darkness” with light.

“And judging from the incredible support from across this nation, one thing is clear to me – that light will win,” he said.

In a moving tribute shown during the service, Rabbi Schlanger’s wife Chaya said his children and his faith were everything to him.

“Family, his children, he would wake up talking about them, go to sleep talking about them. They were his joy and his life,” she said, as his daughter, Priva, shared memories of getting Dr Pepper and talking for hours after a bad day at school.

He saw the miracles in the small things, in everyday life. Him and his Judaism, everything was intertwined, it was who he was.

“He made sure to take notice of every single person and what they needed,” she said.

(continued)

>>24161252

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During the day, flags were flown at half-mast on commonwealth and state buildings around the country, and many Australians of all faiths undertook mitzvahs such as checking in with a neighbour or donating a meal for someone in need. On Thursday night, buildings and landmarks in every state, including the MCG, Brisbane’s Story Bridge, Adelaide Town Hall and Perth’s Optus Stadium were lit up with an installation titled “15 Pillars of Light”.

The minute’s silence at the Opera House was followed by prayers led by Rabbi Pinchas Feldman and the reading of a Tehillim (Psalm 23) by Governor-General Sam Mostyn.

After the national anthem, by the Choir of The Great Synagogue, 15 candles were lit by the families of each of the victims.

NSW Premier Chris Minns reminded the audience that the date had been chosen by the Chabad community, who asked that it coincide with the Shloshim – the one-month mark following the death and burial of a loved one.

“Rabbis have told me that whilst the pain remains, and the grief continues, the one-month mark is a transition where we begin the search for meaning, to find purpose, to take action and to ask questions,” Mr Minns said.

“In the midst of our grief, many have asked whether our country can truly live up to its promise as a nation that we would accept anyone from anywhere and have them live side by side in peace and safety – free to live your life and raise your family and practise your religion.

“It’s a bitter reality to realise that this was a dark and evil crime committed here, in Australia. And we are not immune to the kind of darkness that would see a family decide to maim and kill another family – as they practised their religion. But the story of Hanukkah is not that darkness doesn’t exist, but rather that it can be extinguished with light. Scripture tells us we can defeat evil – but, crucially, not by doing nothing – we need to light the candle.”

Mr Minns implicitly defended his government’s hate speech laws, saying Australia had to accept that “words lead to actions – it’s intolerable for anyone to suggest that another Australian doesn’t deserve a safe space, cultural or any other kind”.

Mr Minns also referred to the violent scenes at the Opera House on October 9, 2023.

“Just as you reclaimed Bondi Beach – you’ve taken back the Opera House tonight too. This is what our Opera House is for – not as a place of hate, loud speakers and racism on its steps with flares and hateful symbols, but a location of peace and unity. Tonight we gather in our most important building to bring out the best in Australia.”

Ahmed al-Ahmed stood and waved to the applauding crowd after being mentioned in Mr Minns’ speech.

The crowd again took to their feet to applaud lifesavers and paramedics, as well as NSW opposition leader Kellie Sloane, as the Premier acknowledged them.

Mr Minns received a standing ovation himself as he left the stage.

Embattled federal Opposition Leader Sussan Ley praised the first responders who “ran toward danger that night” and the surf lifesavers and medical teams whose professionalism and care saved lives.

“These acts do not lessen the pain, but they remind us of who we are,” Ms Ley said.

“We mourn with those who grieve, we stand with those who were wounded, and we affirm, together, that light, dignity and humanity will always endure. Tonight, here we stand together and make clear the light will win.”

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/deeply-sorry-albaneses-regret-over-bondi-terror-attack/news-story/fdeccb9aa91ba9d128684f5c9170c843

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t70apUXK4Ik

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQOBAdY65NU

>>23978158

>>24009669

>>24156850

>>24161252

‘Profoundly sorry’: PM leads tributes to Australian Jews at Bondi memorial

Ben Cubby - January 22, 2026

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was “deeply and profoundly sorry” for not protecting Australia’s Jewish community, in a landmark speech at a national memorial event for the 15 people killed in the Bondi massacre.

Thousands gathered at the Sydney Opera House on Thursday evening for the National Day of Mourning for the victims of the December 14 terrorist attack, united around the theme chosen by Bondi’s Jewish community: “Light will win”.

They were greeted by the surreal sight of police snipers positioned on the building’s famous sails and dozens of armed officers patrolling the concourse.

“We cherish the promise that this country is a safe harbour,” Albanese said to an audience that included relatives of the people killed in the attack and many who survived it, including lifeguards, police and other first responders.

“But sadly that promise was broken. You came to celebrate a festival of light and freedom and you were met with the violence of hatred.

“I am deeply and profoundly sorry that we could not protect your loved ones from this evil.”

Albanese vowed to stand in solidarity with Jewish Australians, attempting to draw a line after a month in which he was criticised by many in that community over perceptions he acted too slowly to curb antisemitism.

His apology was applauded by the audience.

“You are not just accepted. You are valued. You are cherished. You have the right to pray, to learn and to live as proud Jews without looking over your shoulder.

“Australians are committed to driving antisemitism from our shores because it stands in opposition to all we are as a country, the nation we have built together – with care and compassion – over generations.”

NSW Premier Chris Minns and federal Opposition Leader Sussan Ley also delivered speeches, while Governor-General Sam Mostyn read Psalm 23, the “Shepherd’s psalm”, on behalf of King Charles III.

The premier received a standing ovation before he spoke.

“The story of Hanukkah is not that evil doesn’t exist, but that it can be defeated by light,” Minns said. “We must take action and indeed we must change. We start by fighting hate whenever we see it.”

Minns said people who did not accept basic values of decency should not be allowed to come to Australia. “We have to have the confidence to say, ‘Australia is just not the country for you’.”

He praised the bravery of first responders, including police constables Scott Dyson and Jack Hibbert, both of whom were wounded in the terrorist attack, who were present in the audience.

Minns also praised the resilience of the Jewish community, and said: “Tonight, just as you reclaimed Bondi Beach, you’ve taken back the Opera House.”

Ley also lauded the “courage and selflessness” of first responders.

“It has been an honour and privilege to stand with the Jewish community after the Bondi attack,” Ley said.

“We will remember these 15 blessed souls. The light of those we lost lives on in all our hearts.”

She pledged that she would fight for an Australia where Jewish people were respected, loved and safe.

(continued)

>>24161262

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The public were asked to join a minute’s silence at 7.01pm and place a candle on a doorstep or window.

People were invited to perform a “mitzvah”, or good deed, in their everyday lives – something as simple as donating to a charity, volunteering to help another person, or any act of kindness done without expectation of reward.

The Chabad community in Bondi chose the event’s theme: “Light will win: A gathering of unity and remembrance.”

Flags on government buildings flew at half-mast around the country, and installations projected “pillars of light” into the sky at 15 locations around the country, including at Bondi Beach.

The event included video tributes to the 15 people killed on December 14.

Their names were Boris and Sofia Gurman, Edith Brutman, Alex Kleytman, Yaakov Levitan, Peter Meagher, Dan Elkayam, Reuven Morrison, Boris Tetleroyd, Marika Pogany, Eli Schlanger, Tania Tretiak, Tibor Weitzen, Adam Smyth, and 10-year-old Matilda.

Relatives of those killed lit commemorative candles in the Opera House’s great hall.

They were joined on stage by Bondi hero Ahmed al Ahmed, his arm still in a sling after being shot twice after he wrestled a weapon away from one of the killers.

“This country has been a safe haven for Jews ever since the First Fleet,” said an attendee at the event, Rabbi Eli Feldman of Newtown Synagogue. “It’s a country that has been good to us and we’ve been good to it. Australian Jews have done their fair share to build this country.

“There’s belief in the Australian dream, where people and nations and religions of all kinds live together and everyone gets a fair go. That dream was shattered on the first night of Hanukkah. I think there is no Jew in this country who isn’t feeling a sense of grief about their place in this country.

“This violent act didn’t happen in a vacuum. These people were radicalised, and that is a process that happens over time. Nobody wakes up one morning and just becomes a serial killer, a mass murderer. It’s something that is cultivated. This country needs to have a long, hard look at how that happened.”

The mitzvahs could act as an antidote to extremism, he suggested.

“If individuals are doing good deeds, they don’t become susceptible to hateful ideologies,” Feldman said.

“Since the attack, there has been a lot of effort by the government to reach out to the community. Actions will speak louder than words, but in my experience there’s been genuine concern and desire to do whatever it takes. I am hopeful.”

https://www.theage.com.au/national/profoundly-sorry-pm-leads-tributes-to-australian-jews-at-bondi-memorial-20260122-p5nw9g.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgKq9FPc_H8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe5XV4Tg5Qo

>>24161264

Since Bondi was CLEARLY a mossad op why all the hoopla?

Chk the beach pic in newpaper, note the EXTRA pShopped peeps on beach, note the peeps literally FLYING up the stairs, then add the "hero" that was sot 2-5x whilst dis-arming, yet zero blood. "hero" was in on it, was of jew faith, not islam…

why is albo / lees covering up a psyop?

‘Profound insult’: Australian veterans wounded by Trump’s war claims

Harriet Alexander - January 24, 2026

Australian politicians and war veterans have condemned US President Donald Trump’s denigration of the role played by foreign troops in Afghanistan as “utterly shameful” and “a profound insult”, comparing the hundreds of casualties with the president’s record of draft dodging.

Liberal backbencher Andrew Hastie, who served with the Special Air Service Regiment, said Trump had insulted every Australian soldier who served in Afghanistan by suggesting in an interview with Fox News on Thursday they were not on the front line of combat.

Trump said he was not certain that NATO allies would support the US if ever they were asked to do so, though he said the US had never needed them.

“You know, they’ll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan, or this or that, and they did, they stayed back a little, a little off the front line,” Trump said.

“But we’ve been very good to Europe and many other countries.”

Australia operated alongside NATO forces in Afghanistan as part of the International Security Assistance Force from 2001 to 2021. Among the nearly 40,000 Australian troops who served in the conflict, 263 service personnel were wounded and 47 were killed.

Hastie, a contender for leadership of the Liberal Party, said he had joined the Australian Defence Force as a direct result of the 9/11 attack on the United States. He was twice deployed to Afghanistan, where he worked closely with the US Green Berets and Navy SEALs.

“Many Diggers saw combat through small arms fire, IEDs and rockets,” Hastie said.

“If that’s not frontline service, I don’t know what is. Why would a US president kick allies in the teeth like this? Especially when he missed the call to serve in Vietnam. Perhaps to mask a deep insecurity about his own record.

“We put our lives on the line, we lost mates and had others seriously wounded – who still carry the scars both physically and mentally. We were frontline with the US troops, even when we had doubts about the direction of the war.”

RSL Australia president Peter Tinley said Trump’s remarks were “factually wrong, historically ignorant, and deeply offensive” to the 47 Australians who died in the conflict. Australians, including himself, were among the first coalition troops on the ground two weeks after 9/11.

“Our troops didn’t ‘stay a little back’,” Tinley said.

“They conducted offensive counter-insurgency operations, cleared Taliban strongholds, defused roadside bombs, mentored Afghan forces under fire, and fought in sustained close combat.

“To our veterans, I say I understand what you are feeling today. I feel it too. Many of you deployed multiple times, missed births, funerals and years of your children’s lives. Some of you carry visible and invisible wounds that will never fully heal. To have that service dismissed so casually is a profound insult. Your service mattered.”

Tasmanian independent senator Jacqui Lambie, who served in the Australian Defence Force for 11 years, told her 461,000 Facebook followers that the president’s comments that NATO troops hung back off the front lines were “utterly shameful” and called for him to apologise immediately.

Hundreds of those who served had suffered injuries inside and out as a result of their service in Afghanistan, she said, compared with Trump’s efforts to avoid military service.

“So no Mr President ‘they didn’t stay back off the front lines’ – and they didn’t get ‘daddy’ to get a doctor to say they had bone spurs so they could get out of it! What a disgrace!” she posted.

Trump’s remarks have been roundly condemned by world leaders including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

The conflict in Afghanistan was the first and only time that NATO has invoked its collective security clause, which obliged every allied nation to lend its support to the United States.

A government spokesman said: “Australian Defence Force personnel in Afghanistan made a very significant contribution, and we continue to honour their bravery and sacrifice.”

https://www.theage.com.au/national/profound-insult-australian-veterans-wounded-by-trump-s-war-claims-20260124-p5nwoy.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKgOe7lwGYM

>>24114637

Greg Moriarty: Defence secretary, former Turnbull aide to become next Australian ambassador to US

Natassia Chrysanthos and Matthew Knott - January 25, 2026

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s choice of Defence department secretary Greg Moriarty as the next Australian ambassador to the United States has been praised across the partisan divide as a solid choice to replace outgoing ambassador Kevin Rudd in the key diplomatic posting.

Albanese announced Moriarty’s appointment on Sunday morning, describing him as a dignified and “outstanding Australian public servant”.

Speculation about the next ambassador has been rife since Rudd this month made a surprise decision to step down from the prestigious role a year ahead of schedule. In recent years, the plum diplomatic postings to the United States and United Kingdom have usually been handed to former politicians from the party in power, as opposed to career diplomats or former bureaucrats.

But Moriarty’s appointment signals the government wanted to make a safe choice who could deal with the Trump administration in a turbulent era for global affairs. Moriarty was a chief of staff to former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull before serving as defence head from 2017, a role in which he has overseen the introduction of the AUKUS submarine pact.

“He is, I think, an outstanding Australian public servant,” Albanese said on the ABC’s Insiders program.

“He served as an ambassador to Iran and to Indonesia. He’s played a role in Papua New Guinea as well. He was appointed the first counter-terrorism tsar.

“He’s been a former chief of staff to a Liberal prime minister. He has served both Labor and Coalition governments. He’s been of the secretary of the Department of Defence and the AUKUS deal is central to our relationship with the US. And he’s in a very strong position to be on top of all of that detail.”

As a public servant, Moriarty does not have a social media presence. Rudd’s former social media posts criticising US President Donald Trump raised issues.

Turnbull this month backed Moriarty as a candidate. “He is an experienced official and former ambassador who has developed relationships with all the key players in the US national security establishment,” Turnbull told this masthead. “He would be able to hit the ground running in a way others could not.”

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley and foreign affairs spokeswoman Michaelia Cash described Moriarty as a “safe pair of hands” to take over the role.

“He has served Australia in a distinguished career spanning diplomatic appointments and key roles in Australia’s defence and intelligence communities,” they said.

Former prime minister Scott Morrison said Moriarty was highly regarded in the United States and would do an outstanding job.

“Having worked with Mr Moriarty in many roles from his time as ambassador to Indonesia when we were implementing Operation Sovereign Borders through to the conception and establishment of AUKUS in his current role as secretary of Defence, he has consistently demonstrated the highest standards of professionalism, dedication and integrity in the service and love of his country,” Morrison said.

Greens defence spokesman David Shoebridge, by contrast, accused Moriarty of “failing upwards” after overseeing “procurement disasters and scandals”, including the behind schedule and over budget Hunter-class frigate program.

Albanese said the Trump administration had been consulted on the appointment and that Rudd would finish his tenure on March 31.

“He [Rudd] can look back with real pride on taking AUKUS from an idea in to a reality. Also the critical minerals deals, the deals on superannuation investment in the US. And building real, strong links at a leadership level between Australia and the US,” Albanese said.

Michael Fullilove, the executive director of the Lowy Institute think tank, said: “Greg Moriarty is an excellent choice to serve as Australia’s next Ambassador to the United States.

“He’s highly experienced, tough and smart, with a dry sense of humour that will help keep him sane in Donald Trump’s Washington.”

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/defence-secretary-former-turnbull-aide-to-become-next-us-ambassador-20260125-p5nwsl.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp4as-oiCBk

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>>24156858

PM’s forceful message to new citizens as Australia Day marred by Nazi chants

Rob Harris - January 26, 2026

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Anthony Albanese delivered a forceful Australia Day message to new citizens, warning that respect for democracy and shared values is not optional, in a major speech delivered in the aftermath of the Islamic State-inspired Bondi terror attack and amid an increasingly heated national debate over immigration.

At the national citizenship ceremony in Canberra, the prime minister diverted from his prepared remarks to tell new Australians: “It’s the respect for our common humanity that defines Australia. Hope, not fear, optimism, not negativity, and indeed, unity, not division – that is the Australia of 2026 that you are pledging to be a part of.”

Quoting former Labor prime minister Ben Chifley, he said migrants had arrived in a country where “democracy is not just a platitude, but something which is practised”.

Albanese framed citizenship as a civic obligation rather than a cultural badge, saying: “Whether we are Australian by birth or by choice, we all share the opportunity, the privilege and also the responsibility of being part of something quite extraordinary.”

His speech came as Australia’s capital cities erupted with Invasion Day protests and March for Australia rallies, highlighting deep divisions over race, immigration and national identity. In Brisbane, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson used her time at the March for Australia rally to attack migration policies, dismiss climate change and position herself as the defender of “true” Australian values.

In Perth, police told parts of the Invasion Day rally crowd to disperse over concerns someone had thrown something dangerous into the crowd.

In Sydney, a 31-year-old man was arrested under NSW hate speech laws after he made antisemitic remarks while addressing crowds at the March for Australia rally in Moore Park, before repeating old conspiracy slurs and saying “heil white Australia and heil Thomas Sewell”, a prominent neo-Nazi.

NSW Assistant Commissioner Brett McFadden said, “we will allege that the language that was used during this open mic session breached, well and truly, the line of free speech to incite hatred towards another group of the community”.

Some of the March for Australia crowd repeatedly chanted “Free Joel Davis”, referring to the neo-Nazi leader. Davis is on remand after he was charged over a Telegram message in which he encouraged followers to “rhetorically rape” Wentworth MP Allegra Spender.

In Melbourne, a brawl broke out near Parliament Station following the March for Australia rally, with two young men throwing punches before one was restrained in a headlock and kicked in the face with steel-capped boots.

Shortly afterwards, rally-goers clashed with a family of Invasion Day protesters, including a male holding a young child, before police intervened.

Anti-immigration rally-goers chanted “send them back” and “Albo must go”. Among the speakers was extreme-right influencer Hugo Lennon, who told the crowd he was “not sorry for being white”, drawing cries of “heil Hugo” from some in the audience.

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In Brisbane, Hanson addressed a large rally at the city’s botanic gardens, sharpening her attack on immigration, climate policy and the major parties as One Nation support climbs in the polls. She dismissed the heat as not being caused by “that climate change rubbish” before attacking the government on migration levels.

“You’re the one who created this mess, you’re the one who brought all these people into the country – 1560 a day, that’s how many are coming in,” she said, probably quoting an ABS international arrivals and departures statistic that the bureau itself says should not be used for immigration. Waving a large Australian flag, Hanson urged supporters to join One Nation as volunteers circulated, handing out pamphlets.

“They’re only the polls, but they are showing an indication that you are wanting to vote One Nation,” she said. She also condemned foreign lobbying of the federal government, saying she was “disgusted” by politicians she believed put overseas interests ahead of voters.

“You know what Don Chipp said? He said, ‘I’m going to keep the bastards honest.’ Well, I’ll tell you what, mate, I intend to get rid of the bastards,” she said.

Liberal leadership aspirant Andrew Hastie attended a citizenship ceremony in Perth after months of calling for lower migration levels. Asked whether there was a conflict between his stance on migration and his participation, Hastie said Australia wanted to attract people who believed in its values.

“I think Australia is a country that is welcoming. We want people to come here and settle in this country, but they have to sign up to what the prime minister called the Australian covenant,” he said.

“And that means you support our fundamental values of mateship, fairness and democratic freedoms.

“And we’ve seen very recently that there are people in this country who not only don’t support those values, but they’re willing to use violence. That’s why migration is so important as a policy. We’ve got to get numbers right. But it’s also who we bring into this country that matters.”

In Sydney, Hanson was the target of chants at Invasion Day protests, where demonstrators urged young people to “mobilise to fight Pauline” as polling showed One Nation support at record highs.

Liberal leader Sussan Ley celebrated Australia Day in the NSW town of Corowa in her electorate of Farrer, where her tributes emphasised mateship confronting natural disasters rather than immigration.

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/pm-s-forceful-message-to-new-citizens-as-australia-day-marred-by-nazi-chants-20260126-p5nx3r.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtbiFX5qj5k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-ZNTx1TVdI

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>>24156858

>>24175035

‘Brazen and public incitement’: White nationalist refused bail over alleged antisemitic speech

Luke Costin - January 27, 2026

A man will spend at least a week behind bars charged over an allegedly antisemitic tirade at an Australia Day rally in Sydney which he concluded with tributes to neo-Nazi leaders.

Brandan Koschel, 31, is accused of breaching newly passed racial hatred incitement laws in remarks to thousands of attendees of the anti-immigration March for Australia rally on Monday.

The 45-second speech – during which Koschel twice stated Jewish people were the “greatest enemy” – drew cheers from sections of the Moore Park crowd and was live-streamed on YouTube and elsewhere.

He was arrested soon after and faced a virtual bail court on Tuesday, seeking release.

Police described their case as strong, pointing to Koschel citing the new laws and then allegedly knowingly breaching them seconds later.

“The brazen and public incitement towards the Jewish community makes him an unacceptable risk to endanger the community,” the police prosecutor said.

Police alleged he was seen moments earlier standing with people known to be part of or affiliated with the National Socialist Network (NSN), the nation’s largest neo-Nazi group.

Open-source information suggested Koschel had also been a member of the group, the court was told.

“Free Joel Davis, heil white Australia, heil Thomas Sewell,” Koschel said before leaving the stage, referencing NSN leader Sewell and a Sydney lieutenant charged over a public call for people to “rhetorically rape” federal MP Allegra Spender.

But the white supremacist group had disbanded in recent weeks and Koschel was not affiliated with any “active” group, the 31-year-old’s lawyer, Jasmine Lau, said.

She also played down the large white Celtic cross on her client’s shirt at the time of the speech, arguing it was not a symbol of the NSN.

“He tells me it’s just a Celtic cross symbol that was shown on the jumper,” Lau told the court.

The symbol has been used by various white supremacist groups since the 1930s, the US Anti-Defamation League hate symbols database states.

Lau said it was unlikely that Koschel would, if convicted, cross the threshold for receiving jail time.

He had family ties to Sydney, no firearm licence and a limited criminal history including no matters related to hate crimes.

But magistrate Daniel Covington was unconvinced Koschel posed little threat of causing further trouble, despite the limited criminal record.

Proposed bail conditions did not include specific non-association measures and there was no disavowal of the views of the suggested ideology, he said.

“It is difficult for me to determine what conditions could be put in place to both protect the community and the risk of committing further serious offences,” he said.

“There is a real risk of imprisonment.”

He refused bail and remanded Koschel in custody until February 3, when the case comes before Downing Centre Local Court.

Koschel remained silent for much of the bail hearing.

He appeared to make a gesture with his handcuffed right hand before his link from police cells was switched off.

The NSN announced it would disband this month in anticipation of new federal laws targeting hate groups.

Davis, a key Sydney ally of NSN leader Thomas Sewell, told a bail hearing on January 15 he was no longer a member and “that chapter is now closed”.

He has been held on remand since November over the call for his supporters to “rhetorically rape” Spender, whose east Sydney electorate includes a large Jewish population.

Davis has argued rhetorically rape was a philosophical term of art, not a term to incite some to literally sexually assault the Wentworth MP.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/nsw/brazen-and-public-incitement-white-nationalist-refused-bail-over-alleged-antisemitic-speech-20260127-p5nxd8.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0J0BcAuAmO8

>>24156858

>>24175035

Warwick man charged over Perth Invasion Day rally explosive

PAUL GARVEY - 27 January 2026

Police are investigating whether the throwing of a homemade bomb at an Invasion Day rally in Perth on Monday should be classified as an act of terror.

West Australian Police on Tuesday confirmed a 31-year-old man from Perth’s northern suburbs had been charged with one count of making or possession of explosives under suspicious circumstances and one count of endangering the life, health and safety of others over the incident which forced the evacuation of 2000 protesters from Forrest Place in Perth’s CBD.

The man was due to appear in the Perth Magistrates Court on Tuesday afternoon.

West Australian Police Commissioner Col Blanch said police had recovered a “rudimentary” explosive device comprising ball bearings and screws wrapped around what at the time was an unknown liquid.

He described the incident as a “potential mass casualty event”.

Speaking on ABC Radio on Tuesday, Mr Blanch said that, while the motivation behind the alleged incident was not yet clear, the episode could be classed as ­terrorism as those motivations ­become clear.

“To be a terrorist act we have to determine whether there are political motivations, religious motivations or there’s an ideological motivation and the person taking that act is seeking to advance those causes,” Mr Blanch said.

“That is where we are up to in the investigation now. Determining what the motivation is. If it is one of those three, it will become a terrorist act.”

Mr Blanch said police forensics had been analysing the liquid from inside the device overnight.

“We’re still waiting for full chemical analysis, but I can confirm the preliminary tests showed that there were three compounds involved. We are able to say that it is an explosive device, so we will call this an improvised explosive device that was viable. It had the potential to explode and injure many people or kill them,” he said.

He said police were confident the man was acting alone.

Video footage released by police on Tuesday afternoon showed a man hurling an object from the walkway above Forrest Place before running away. The footage also showed the moment the man – who was wearing a T-shirt appearing to feature an ­Aboriginal design – was arrested.

WA Labor MP Dave Kelly was at the Invasion Day event and said he was around 10m from where the device landed in the crowd.

“I saw it coming through the air and landing among people listening to the speeches,” Mr Kelly said.

“I saw the look on the face of a young woman who had the device drop at her feet. I wonder how she feels today.”

On Monday, WA Premier Roger Cook said that while the motivation behind the incident was still unclear, the alleged ­actions were “completely unacceptable”.

“Whatever the motivation for this, we must remember what this day marks. This Australia Day should be about unity, not division. That a peaceful protest was targeted in this fashion runs against the very heart of what it means to be Australian,” Mr Cook said.

“Now, more than ever, it is important that we treat each other’s views with respect. That is what inclusive inclusivity is all about. It is our differences and diversity which has made Australia the country that we all love.”

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/warwick-man-charged-over-perth-invasion-day-rally-explosive/news-story/c54db4440ff5c27bd845f0f855e0773b

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkVSyG6vMEk

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>>24175035

Crisafulli condemns flag burning, reigniting hate speech debate

Catherine Strohfeldt and Matt Dennien - January 27, 2026

The Queensland premier condemned the burning of an Australian flag at an Invasion Day protest in Brisbane on Monday, calling on the federal government to outlaw the act, and triggering fresh debate over hate speech legislation.

Several thousand people gathered in inner-Brisbane on Monday to protest against the date of Australia Day and support First Nations peoples, with one protester photographed burning an Australian flag.

Premier David Crisafulli said the incident was “as disgraceful as you get” and went beyond a legitimate form of protest, adding states would be willing to support the inclusion of flag burning in hate speech laws.

“I think it goes from legitimacy to being provocative,” he said.

“It goes a step further, which is why there has been that justifiable condemnation of the act.”

Crisafulli said the decision would be one for the Commonwealth, “if the leaders in the nation’s capital decided that that was an offence, we’d certainly support it, and we’d certainly police that”.

“The flag is a really important part of who we are as a country, and we should all be tolerant and respectful of that,” he said.

Federal cabinet minister Jason Clare criticised the man who burned the flag as a “knob” who was “obviously just trying to attract attention, and that’s exactly what he’s done”.

“I remember John Howard said something about this back when he was PM. He said that if you change the law here you turn yahoos into martyrs,” Clare told Nine’s Today program, while noting there were state laws that already dealt with the matter.

People burning flags in public places, or which don’t belong to them, can already fall foul of public order and property offences.

The issue of specifically criminalising flag burning has emerged as a political debate at various points over recent decades – with significant constitutional questions.

In 2006, then-prime minister Howard described a burning of an Australian flag by Indigenous protesters in Brisbane as offensive and unrepresentative of mainstream Aboriginal opinion.

“Much as all I despise what they did I do not believe it should be a criminal offence,” he said at the time.

“I see that kind of thing as just as expression, however offensive to the majority of the Australian community, an expression of political opinion.”

Queensland Labor Opposition leader Steven Miles said while he did not condone the behaviour, he thought it ironic that Queensland National figures were “somehow outraged” after last week “blowing the Coalition up about hate crime laws defending freedom of speech”.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/queensland/crisafulli-condemns-flag-burning-reigniting-hate-speech-debate-20260127-p5nxb8.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OS9m-oa8msU

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>>23959526

>>23959554

>>24046421

‘We will see’: Beijing hints at retaliation over Port of Darwin lease

Matthew Knott - January 28, 2026

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China’s top diplomat in Australia has warned of retaliation from Beijing if the Albanese government forces the sale of the Chinese-owned Port of Darwin, as he issued a stern instruction for Australia to respect China’s position on the need to reunify with the self-governing island of Taiwan.

Chinese ambassador Xiao Qian argued it was a mere coincidence that China had decided to conduct live fire exercises in the Tasman Sea while circumnavigating the Australian continent last year as he left the door open to similar future visits by the Chinese navy.

Xiao also said he saw no prospect of a prisoner swap deal or other way to return jailed writer and former Chinese state security official Yang Hengjun to Australia from Beijing, where he is serving a suspended death sentence on espionage charges.

The envoy’s at times pointed comments highlighted the areas of tension that remain in the China-Australia relationship, even as both sides celebrate the resumption of normal trading relations and diplomatic ties after they fell apart under the Morrison government.

As United States President Donald Trump unsettles traditional allies, Xiao painted China as a dependable partner looking to deepen ties with Australia, including by upgrading and expanding the nations’ existing free trade agreement.

Xiao said that Chinese firm Landbridge, which bought a 99-year lease to Darwin Port in 2015, had invested significantly in the facility and made it profitable, raising ethical concerns about Australia’s bid to return it to Australian ownership.

“When you’re losing money, you lease it to a foreign company and when it starts making money you want to take it back. That’s not the way to do business,” Xiao said at an annual new year’s press conference at the Chinese embassy in Canberra.

Rather than a discrete commercial dispute between the federal government and Landbridge, Xiao said the Chinese government saw the issue as an important matter of principle.

“We respect the decision of the Landbridge company … either to continue or to take a different approach, but the Chinese government has obligation to protect the interests, the legitimate interests of Chinese companies overseas,” he said.

“So if anything happens like the port will be taken back by force or forceful measures, then we have an obligation to take measures to protect the Chinese company’s interest.

“This is our position.”

Xiao said Beijing would be “watching very closely” and “we will see when it’s time for us to say something, do something, to reflect the Chinese government’s position and protect our Chinese company’s legitimate interests”.

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Pressed on what actions China could take to intervene over the port, Xiao said it was still a hypothetical question and he did not want to pre-empt any moves by Beijing.

Both Labor and the Coalition announced during the election campaign that they would move to strip Chinese firm Landbridge of its controversial 99-year lease of the port, which sits directly opposite Darwin’s Larrakeyah Defence Precinct.

Albanese later said: “We’ve said we want to see it in Australian hands. I notice this speculation which is there, but we’ll examine the process. We’re determined to make sure it’s in the national interest for it to be in Australian hands.”

The government has since had little to say about the issue, but Albanese reiterated his previous comments when asked on Wednesday afternoon during his trip to Timor-Leste.

Asked about the Chinese military’s live fire drills between Australia and New Zealand last February, Xiao said they were “normal exercises”, not a provocative act as many Australian defence experts argued at the time.

“It just happened to be conducted in that region, in that part of the world, it happened to be near Australia,” he said.

“It has nothing to do with Australia and it [had] nothing to do with the ongoing campaign of the federal elections.”

If the Chinese military returns to conduct such exercises near Australian waters, Xiao said: “I would advise that over-interpretation is not necessary … We look at each other, at least from the Chinese point of view, as partners, not rivals.

“There’s no reason for China to threaten Australia, and there’s no reason for Australia to interpret the Chinese military exercises as targeting Australia.”

Xiao warned there was “no room for compromise” on China’s position on Taiwan, which it argues is a province of China and an integral part of its territory.

He accused Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs of making misleading statements in December when it said major Chinese military exercises around Taiwan were “deeply concerning, destabilising and risk inflaming regional tensions”.

Taiwan, a self-governing democratic island of 23 million people, has never been controlled by the Chinese Communist Party but is not recognised as a nation state by most of the world, including Australia.

China’s president, Xi Jinping, has vowed to reunify China and Taiwan in his annual New Year’s Eve speech in Beijing, describing movement towards that goal as “unstoppable”.

Xiao said Australia and China were reviewing their free trade agreement, struck in 2015, to see if there were areas it could be expanded.

Asked about the status of Yang Hengjun, Xiao said Beijing had received regular concerns about his health from Australia but insisted he was relatively healthy for a man of his age.

This masthead reported last year that Beijing prison officials had slashed Yang’s access to food and hygiene products in a move that triggered official complaints from Australian ambassador Scott Dewar.

“The Chinese resident authorities have been providing the basic necessary medical care to look after his health, so he’s in a relatively stable situation,” Xiao said.

He added there were no discussions under way about a prisoner swap or other deal to return Yang to Australia.

“He’s been sentenced to prison. He has to fully follow the Chinese ruling, which is based on the facts and based on the Chinese law,” he said.

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/we-will-see-beijing-hints-at-retaliation-over-port-of-darwin-lease-20260128-p5nxk2.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoX8-SoKbos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zN_9VFpzmUQ

https://qresear.ch/?q=Landbridge