/qresearch/ -  Q Research

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Cartoon in The Age and SMH ‘encoded antisemitic trope’, Press Council rules

JAMES MADDEN - 10 June 2026

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A cartoon published by both The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age just three weeks after the Bondi massacre conveyed an “antisemitic trope that Jewish people secretly control or manipulate global events, governments, financial systems, or the media”, according to the Australian Press Council.

The cartoon, by award-winning illustrator Cathy Wilcox, suggested those pushing for a royal commission into rising antisemitism following the December 14 terrorist attack were indoctrinated by ­Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, News Corp chairman emeritus Rupert Murdoch, senior members of the legal profession, and various Coalition figures, the APC ruling found.

“The council notes the depiction of political figures carrying the purported grassroots movement above their heads, while Netanyahu, who is both Jewish and the Israeli Prime Minister, stands apart, beating the drum to which the political figures march,” the ruling states.

The cartoon was published on January 7, and attracted widespread criticism, with accusations that it trivialised mass murder and encouraged “Jew-hatred”.

Nine Entertainment, which owns the SMH and The Age, refused to comment on the ensuing uproar for four days following the publication of the cartoon, before both mastheads eventually ran an editorial headlined: “Wilcox cartoon was divisive – and we apologise for the hurt it has caused.”

On Wednesday, the SMH and The Age published the Press Council’s ruling on the cartoon.

“The council considers this imagery encodes the antisemitic trope that Jewish people secretly control or manipulate global events, governments, financial systems, or the media. The council considers this imagery was likely to cause or contribute to substantial offence, distress and prejudice particularly to those who are Jewish.”

The Press Council acknowledged that cartoons are “expressions of opinion that often use exaggeration and absurdity to make a point on serious issues”.

However, it found the Wilcox cartoon’s attempt to draw attention to the political motivation of some of those calling for the royal commission had fallen short of acceptable commentary, and failed to meet the Press Council’s standards of practice.

“Latitude is not unlimited, particularly where a cartoon can reinforce racial, ethnic or religious stereotypes,” the Press Council found.

One of the main complaints about the cartoon was that it implies those personally affected by the Bondi shootings, as well as the broader community, were in favour of a royal commission not out of concern with the murders, “but a willingness to be manipulated by ‘Zionists’, marching to Netanyahu’s drum”.

Notwithstanding the apology on January 11, the Nine mastheads submitted to the Press Council that the cartoon should be considered in the context of the significant public debate following the terrorist attack.

“The publications said the cartoon’s intention was to scrutinise the almost immediate politicisation of the genuine calls for a royal commission, which became a political attack against Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and to illustrate the phenomenon of ‘astroturfing’ where privately funded or politically motivated campaigns are designed to resemble organic grassroots movements,” the Press Council said in its ruling.

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Among those to publicly criticise the cartoon and Nine’s decision to publish it was lawyer Arsen Ostrovsky, who was injured in the December 14 attack.

“Hard to see this as anything but an unadulterated form of Jew-hatred. The royal commission into antisemitism has enormous support from entire community. But she (Wilcox) thinks it’s a Zionist conspiracy. Sick!”

Michele Goldman, CEO of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, welcomed the Press Council’s ruling that the Nine mastheads failed to take reasonable steps to avoid causing substantial offence, distress or prejudice.

“The cartoon not only relied on imagery echoing long-standing antisemitic tropes, it also diminished the broad and genuine support for a royal commission – across the board from sports people, political leaders and the legal and medical professions – by implying that Australians calling for an inquiry were being manipulated,” she said in a statement on Wednesday.

“The council has rightly recognised that the cartoon crossed a line and reinforced harmful stereotypes that have fuelled hatred against Jewish people.”

On Tuesday, The Australian revealed that the royal commission will soon investigate how traditional media companies – both commercial and public – have covered antisemitism and related issues.

The respective editors of the SMH and The Age did not respond to questions from The Australian, nor did a spokesperson for Nine Entertainment.

Wilcox could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/cartoon-in-the-age-and-smh-encoded-antisemitic-trope-press-council-rules/news-story/e21641f4a9ab3564c31feca0024e7602

https://www.theage.com.au/national/press-council-adjudication-20260608-p604tl.html

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Israeli influencer who exposed Sydney nurses may refuse to testify in person

BIMINI PLESSER - 10 June 2026

The Israeli influencer who recorded two Sydney nurses allegedly threatening to “kill” Israeli patients may refuse to travel to Australia to give evidence in their upcoming trial because he’s not sure “what will happen” to him when he arrives.

Max Ilinski – known online as Max Veifer – went viral after he recorded Bankstown Hospital nurses Sarah Abu Lebdeh and Ahmad Rashad Nadir allegedly making violent threats towards Israeli patients last year.

Now that criminal charges have been laid against Ms Abu Lebdeh and Mr Nadir, prosecutors want Mr Ilinski to fly to Sydney and give evidence in person at their trial. But in a police statement seen by The Australian, the Israeli appears hesitant to travel to Australia.

Mr Ilinski was interviewed by Israel’s National Cyber Crime Investigation Unit – which operates under Lahav 433, often referred to as the “Israeli FBI” – on February 19, 2025, about a week before Ms Abu Lebdeh was arrested.

A senior officer asked him: “If you have to, would you agree to come and testify in a court in Australia?”

“Right now, I don’t know,” Mr Ilinski said.

“I don’t know what will happen to me there.”

Mr Ilinski was not completely unwilling to give evidence in the nurses’ trial. He said it would be “no problem” to testify via video-link.

At a hearing in the case last week, prosecutor Justin Hannebery KC told the court the commonwealth’s “plan” for the trial included having Mr Ilinski travel to Sydney to testify.

Mr Hannebery did, however, remind Judge Michael McHugh that the commonwealth had an active application for Mr Ilinski to be allowed to give evidence via video-link. He said that while the plan was to have the Israeli appear in court in Sydney, he would not be withdrawing that application.

The matter of Mr Ilinski’s trial attendance was shelved for the time being.

Mr Nadir and Ms Abu Lebdeh – who are out on bail – have both pleaded not guilty to using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend, while Ms Abu Lebdeh pleaded not guilty to an additional charge of threatening violence to a group.

They have been stood down from their jobs by NSW Health and issued a two-year ban from working with NDIS participants.

Their next court appearance is scheduled for June 23, when Judge McHugh will decide whether the video of their alleged threats will be allowed to be included in evidence.

In the 2½-minute video, Mr Nadir allegedly said, “You (Mr Ilinksi) have no idea how many (Israeli people) come to this hospital … I send to Jahannam”, the Arabic word for “hell”.

Ms Abu Lebdeh allegedly told Mr Ilinski he was going to “die the most disgusting death” and, when asked what would happen if an Israeli patient came into the hospital, she said: “I won’t treat them, I will kill them.”

Their trial, set to begin on August 31, is expected to run five days.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/israeli-influencer-who-exposed-sydney-nurses-may-refuse-to-testify-in-person/news-story/3432be011da879b20e283defe87366e9

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>>24700198

Hanson says planned protest shows One Nation gaining support in WA

Michael Philipps - June 10, 2026

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson believes planned protests ahead of a sundowner to be held in Perth’s east on Wednesday evening show the party is gaining traction in Western Australia.

Hanson is due to speak at a sold-out event at the Crooked Spire in Midland, with an open agenda likely to touch on the federal budget, negative gearing, as well as migration and climate change.

The $70-per-head sundowner is already drawing controversy, with a protest planned in Midland this afternoon ahead of Hanson’s arrival. The protest is organised in part by the WA Greens.

Hanson told 6PR’s Simon Beaumont that people had a right to have their say on politics, but believed protests targeted at One Nation were often “full of aggression”.

“They’re not peaceful protesters, they’re usually full of aggression, and that’s the type that out there pushing their own agenda in Australia, and I think it’s wrong,” she said.

“But it means that One Nation is making inroads, doesn’t it? Really means that we’re hurting those ones that like the status quo and still driving the country into the ground.

“I think we’re all absolutely blown away by this support that’s coming in for One Nation.

“It clearly tells you people aren’t against One Nation, they really want One Nation, they want the Labor Party gone. That’s why people are donating to the party to give us a war chest to actually fight the Labor Party.”

WA Greens MLC Sophie McNeill said the party was a “peaceful and inclusive movement”, while Hanson had spent three decades “spewing her hate-filled, divisive brand of politics, which we are proud to oppose tonight in Midland”.

“Pauline Hanson is being funded by billionaire Gina Rinehart who wants us to turn on each other instead of asking why [Rinehart] is worth $36 billion while the rest of us are struggling to pay our rent or mortgage,” she said.

Speaking at a press conference this morning, WA Premier Roger Cook said he had no concerns about the One Nation event quickly selling out of tickets, but played down their chances at the polls.

“We welcome Pauline Hanson to Western Australia, but One Nation, they talk up a big game,” he said.

“But they’ve got nothing to offer the people of Western Australia.”

It comes after WA Opposition leader Basil Zempilas flagged earlier this week that he would be open to working with One Nation in a bid to oust the Labor government ahead of the next election.

Speaking as the guest of honour at Monday’s Leadership Matters breakfast at Crown Perth, Zempilas acknowledged One Nation’s upward surge following recent poll results showing the party had overtaken the federal government in popularity.

The opposition leader said the recent polls showed there was a level of frustration with the current state of politics within Australia.

“What you cannot deny and what you cannot ignore is that currently 30 per cent of the Australian – and likely West Australian – population are suggesting they could or would vote for One Nation,” he said.

“In our position, you have to consider everything that is in front of you, and there’s a very significant movement towards One Nation in this state and around Australia.”

However, this morning Cook said any alliance between the state Liberal Party and One Nation was purely hypothetical.

“All [One Nation is] about is combining with the Liberals to sow division and hatred in our community, and to cut services and privatise public services,” he said.

“They’re not here to bring prosperity, they’re not here to bring policies, they’re simply here to sow division and resentment, and as a result of that, division in the community.”

Speaking on 6PR, Hanson said the party had installed a strong vetting process to make sure the party had the best possible candidates for WA.

“We’ve actually got a new vetting process now, it’s extremely hardcore vetting of candidates that we’ve got standing for us now,” she said.

“So far, for the next federal election, we’ve had 1500 people who want to be candidates.

“Our next Senate candidate for WA, you’ll be highly impressed with him as well, who I will be putting up as a Senate candidate.

“I’m not just going after those academics, I want those tradies, want people out there who have a passion and want to represent their country.”

https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/hanson-says-planned-protest-shows-one-nation-gaining-support-in-wa-20260610-p605li.html

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Victim-survivors tear up agreement with Catholic church, claiming hypocrisy

Eden Hynninen - 10 June 2026

An organisation representing survivor-victims of clergy abuse has torn up agreements reached with the Catholic Diocese of Ballarat and has accused the church of hypocrisy.

Loud Fence and The Ballarat and District Survivors Memorial Committee said they had been working with the diocese towards two permanent memorials at St Patrick's Cathedral and St Alipius Old Boys School in Ballarat for victims of clergy abuse.

Victim-survivor Gary Sculley said those negotiations and agreements were now null and void.

"We've sat down and negotiated and told them with good faith, transparency, and honesty to come to a resolution on how we build permanent memorials on these sites," Mr Sculley said.

"But they [have] in turn treated us with no transparency, no good faith, and have been fighting survivors and the system through the courts, spending millions of dollars to try and defend the indefensible."

'No good faith'

Mr Sculley said concerns were heightened following the High Court decision in 2024 concerning vicarious liability, where the court determined that an institution cannot be held responsible for abuse or wrongdoing by non-employees.

Victoria and the ACT have already reversed this decision, meaning a priest, Christian brother, or a volunteer can be defined as "akin" or similar to an employee.

Both governments have approved this legislation retrospectively, allowing historical victim-survivors to set aside previous settlements and bring forward new claims.

But Mr Sculley said, despite the reversal, victims-survivors were still struggling.

"They [the church] are still persecuting victim-survivors, sitting them in the witness box for three, four days and just drilling them until they collapse and the case gets thrown out," he said.

"That's the tactics they were using.

"So we cannot, we will not, negotiate with a system that is treating survivors that way until they come to terms with what they've done wrong and accept accountability."

On Sunday, Loud Fence members gathered at Ballarat's St Patrick's Cathedral to tie ribbons on the gates to support survivors of abuse, after hundreds were taken down last week by the church.

'Living memorial for victim-survivors'

Father Marcello Colasante from the Ballarat Catholic Diocese said ribbons outside of the approved placement area were "respectfully removed".

"The understanding reached between ourselves and Loud Fence was to designate one panel of the Cathedral fence for ribbons to be tied to, should anyone wish to do so," Fr Colasante said.

"By doing this, with a focus on a single panel, the panel then becomes a living memorial for victim-survivors of sexual abuse.

"It highlights the ongoing commitment we all have to keeping all people safe, particularly the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults."

But Mr Sculley said these areas were only ever meant to be an interim solution.

Victim-survivor Livio Turkevic said each ribbon represented a victim.

"The parishioners just see them as ribbons," Mr Turkovic said.

"This system does not care about what we say, what we're going through."

"It's just attack, attack, attack, until you break."

'Trust has been eroded'

Fr Colasante said he believed conversations were continuing in relation to the erection of two permanent memorials in Ballarat.

"My understanding is with the arrival of our new bishop, Bishop Freeman, he has clearly stated at his ordination … 'to victim-survivors, your families and the communities deeply affected by the experience'," Fr Colasante said.

"[Bishop Freeman said] 'I pledge my readiness to listen, to learn and to support everything that enables healing and deep peace in your lives.'"

Fr Colasante said he empathised and sympathised with victim-survivors after the High Court decision in 2024.

"Because of that action, they have felt that trust has been eroded, so we as a church community have to work twice as hard now to regain their trust and work together towards what we need to do," he said.

"But we also need to acknowledge that this is going to take some time."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-06-10/loud-fence-ballarat-agreement-catholic-church-torn-up/106769814

https://qresear.ch/?q=Loud+Fence

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Police hunting identity of 'Iceman'

Last month in a children's court hearing, police revealed a user named "Iceman" ordered the firebombing of alcohol distribution centre 80Proof in Melbourne in April.

In a chat called "Jobs" on the Signal app, Iceman messaged a teen about how to carry out the attack.

"You want to make a quick 1K?" it said.

They replied, "Yeah done, what I got to do? If the job is taken, I'll do one tomorrow."

After discussing the location of the job, the car they would use and petrol, Iceman said, "This factory you're doing is full of vodka and alcohol … let everything catch on fire."

Victoria Police said in court that they do not know the identity of Iceman.

The Australian Federal Police is assisting them in trying to track down who is responsible for orchestrating the attacks across Melbourne.

"We work very closely with our state and territory partners, and we will chase down every lead and explore every viable or potential inquiry there," AFP Commander Rob Nelson told 7.30.

Commander Nelson, part of the AFP's covert and technical team, said the force was actively trying to stay ahead of tech savvy criminals using encrypted apps.

"For many years we saw criminals gravitate towards dedicated crypto comms platforms and we worked very successfully with our global law enforcement partners and with industry," he said.

"We've had a lot of success in that space and we will continue to do that, even with these commercially available applications."

He disagrees with the idea that banning teenagers from encrypted apps would stop them being lured into the world of organised crime.

"I think it's kind of an oversimplification to say that we ban them," he said.

"They exist, they're freely available, and certainly I think that there's a high propensity that we would still see the continued use of these."

While the person behind the Melbourne attacks remains at large, he warns of the huge risk for teenagers who are being recruited to work for this criminal network.

"They often do not know who the people are on the other end of this, or their intentions, and so it becomes a very, very dangerous game with some very, very dangerous people," Commander Nelson said.

"I don't think they appreciate what they're getting themselves into much of the time."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-06-09/encrypted-apps-criminals-kids-court-arson-melbourne-attacks/106776506

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLXW-iVRk14

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Apple revamps child safety features 'inspired' by Australia's under-16s social media ban

Lewis Wiseman - 9 June 2026

Apple has announced new child safety controls that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says are inspired by Australia's under-16s social media ban.

The new controls will allow parents to manage the apps, websites and contacts their children can access on their Apple devices.

The prime minister said Apple chief executive Tim Cook called him to give him the heads up about the changes being made to the products.

"Mr Cook told me these changes are in part inspired by Australia's world-leading social media age ban, as well as the continued research Apple is undertaking into the impact of social media on kids," Mr Albanese said.

"I welcome this announcement, and I am proud of the world-leading work Australia is doing to fight for a safer online world for our children."

Lisa Given, a distinguished professor of information sciences at RMIT University, said that while the changes from Apple were a step in the right direction it was another example of tech companies passing the buck on to parents.

"I think one of the challenges with this is that type of a shift puts a lot of control into parents' hands, but that means the onus is on the parents," she said.

"Apple is saying it's on the parents to really understand different features and the apps or websites that kids would be asking to use."

She said that "Australia has definitely got the world talking about this issue" and acknowledged that the Apple changes were likely driven by the social media ban.

But she said there had been a lot of pushback from tech companies that believed a social media ban "shouldn't be met at the platform or app level, it should be managed at the device level".

Australia's social media ban, which began on December 10, stops children under 16 from creating and using accounts on several social media platforms.

In June 2024, Australia's eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said the Joint Select Committee on Social Media and Australian Society had looked into options for policing phone manufacturers when it came to an under-age ban.

Ms Inman Grant has been contacted for comment on the new Apple features.

What are the changes?

The revamp to Apple's child safety offering was unveiled at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in Cupertino, California, on Monday, local time.

It launched three main changes to its child safety features including a new child account that gives parents control over Ask to Browse, time allowances, and screen time settings.

There is also a new dedicated website for parents that adds to the existing child safety features of screen time pass-code notifications and user reporting tools.

Messaging apps will also blur graphic images by default and alert parents, expanding earlier safeguards focused on nudity.

Apple said the changes provided "a new suite of powerful, intuitive, and easy-to-use features designed to allow parents to more easily manage the content their children can see, who they can communicate with, and when they have access to apps."

"At Apple, our mission has always been to create technology that empowers people and enriches their lives, while helping keep them safe," said Sumbul Desai, Apple's vice-president of health and fitness.

"Our approach to helping families create safer digital experiences is grounded in the belief that every child is unique."

Ms Desai said the new tools would let parents "tailor their kids' digital journey" on Apple products.

Professor Given said that while the changes would let parents dictate what their children did on Apple products, it could be a lot of work.

"Apple is basically saying parents can have control as long as they've set up those child accounts," she said.

"If they don't, this could again end up giving parents a bit of a false sense of security because this is something they actually have to actively enable.

"The onus on parents here is absolutely massive and this presumption that parents are going to have the time and even the expertise to kind of go through all of these different requests … is a lot to put on people's shoulders."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-06-09/apple-child-safety-features-revamped/106777228

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Pauline Hanson in tears as she blames Tony Abbott for her 2003 jailing

PAUL GARVEY - 11 June 2026

An emotional Pauline Hanson has made it clear she has not forgotten the role she believes new Liberal Party president Tony Abbott played in sending her to jail.

Speaking at a small Swan Chamber of Commerce function in Perth’s eastern suburbs on Thursday, Senator Hanson shed tears as she spoke about the impact that her 11 weeks in jail in 2003 had on her children and revealed she had experienced domestic violence during her second marriage.

And the senator also declared that her daughter would again run for the senate at the next election as she vowed not leave politics until she had the “right people” in place to continue her legacy.

Talking about her imprisonment for electoral fraud – which was later overturned on appeal – Senator Hanson pinned responsibility at the feet of Mr Abbott and former Queensland premier Peter Beatie.

“It was a political witch hunt, because prior to my trial Peter Beattie changed the laws in Queensland from a six month jail term or a fine to seven years retrospective. That’s why the judge could (sentence) me to three years on each charge,” she said.

“That was structurally set up by Tony Abbott, who set up a slush fund to take me through the process of that legal challenge. And he got ten prominent Australians to put in $10,000 each.

“And one of them was from here in Western Australia that I’m aware of. So I don’t know who they all are, I knew who three were, and one was from here, Western Australia. A prominent businessman.”

Mr Abbott, who was recently named the Liberal Party president, this week publicly backed a preference deal with One Nation, which has leapt past the Liberals in multiple opinion polls.

Senator Hanson, who is 72, became teary when talking about the impact of her imprisonment on her children.

“It was a very hard time for my children,” Senator Hanson said.

“The kids didn’t have their fathers at that time. I was the only one that they had and so I was their whole life. And through politics, they’ve had to wear so much. But you know what they said to me the other day? They said mum, it hasn’t been easy, but you’ve taught us resilience to be independent, to stand on our own two feet, and for that we thank you.”

Senator Hanson endorsed her daughter Lee, who ran unsuccessfully as a One Nation candidate at the last Federal election, as a future One Nation senator.

“She actually is now working for the party, working for a senator, and she will stand for the Senate at the next election and I’m so proud of her. I don’t believe in jobs for the boys, and either you can cut it or you can’t. Because what I’m trying to do, what I’m trying to achieve, you need the right people around you to drive it. And that’s why I think she’s going to be a great asset,” she said.

“I wouldn’t have my sons anywhere near it, but my daughter, she’s different.”

The 72-year-old senator said she was determined to put in place the right people to continue One Nation beyond her career.

“Where’s my life going to take me? It’s building a strong team around me. It’s giving hope back to the Australian people that we can have that change, we can get our country back, fight for our rights, the right to have an opinion, the right to have a say, the right to have a decent standard of living and way of life. And that’s what my job is,” she said.

“I don’t know how long it’s going to be, but I’m not going anywhere till I know that I’m comfortable to hand on to the next one to carry on my legacy, what I’ve started, and I’m not going to give up on it.”

On Wednesday night, Ms Hanson received a rock star welcome in Perth, with hundreds of people cramming into a function room at Midland’s Crooked Spire cafe in Midland to hear from the One Nation leader.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/pauline-hanson-in-tears-as-she-blames-tony-abbott-for-her-2003-jailing/news-story/e8c5879624a4cbd6cd05929efaafc144

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Jim Chalmers slams Angus Taylor’s ‘privilege’ and Pauline Hanson’s links to Gina Rinehart

GREG BROWN - 11 June 2026

Labor is increasingly resorting to class-war rhetoric in its attacks on One Nation and the Coalition, as Angus Taylor rules out striking a deal with Pauline Hanson that would see the Liberals agree to go without a candidate in some seats.

Anthony Albanese has also suggested One Nation’s fundraising drive to “fire the liar” was fake, after it raised more than $2m in two days.

Senator Hanson responded by releasing an audit that “proves the site and money is ridgy didge”, declaring the Prime Minister was “lying again”.

Mr Albanese took aim at Senator Hanson for using a plane “given to her by Australia’s richest person”, arguing it showed One Nation was not interested in representing battlers. “They vote against battlers each and every time,” Mr Albanese said.

In a speech to Labor members on Thursday, Jim Chalmers also used class-war language by accusing the Opposition Leader of being “born already at the top of the ladder”, while claiming Senator Hanson took instructions from billionaire Gina Rinehart.

The Treasurer used a speech to the ALP’s national policy forum to argue prominent opponents of his budget were motivated by protecting their privilege.

Dr Chalmers said aspiration and opportunity should be the birthright of every Australian, “not the exclusive preserve of people already doing well”.

“Our opponents who say we’re pulling up the ladder don’t understand there’s not much point in a ladder with the first few rungs missing,” Dr Chalmers said, according to a copy of his speech seen by The Australian.

“Not everybody is born already at the top of the ladder like Angus Taylor was, not everybody fails upwards like he has. And unlike One Nation, we vote the way workers need us to, not the way Gina Rinehart tells us to. They irony of their position is they want to change the government in order to leave everything as it is – a truly absurd proposition.”

Dr Chalmers said the story of the contentious budget – which included broken promises on clamping down on tax concessions for investors – was too often told by the “biggest beneficiaries of these current arrangements” and accused critics of being motivated by political or commercial interests.

In The Australian on Thursday, Liberal frontbencher and confidant of Mr Taylor, Tony Pasin, called for the party to sit down with Senator Hanson to identify the seats that Liberal and One Nation candidates should run in so they are not competing with each other.

“We should work hand-in-glove to defeat Labor. We should work together to identify which seats are more appropriately targeted by a One Nation candidate or a Liberal candidate,” he said.

While Mr Taylor this week left the door open to striking a preference deal with One Nation, he rejected Mr Pasin’s push for collaboration on the running of candidates. “There’s no plan to carve up seats. We won’t be doing that,” Mr Taylor said.

Powerbroker and Liberal senator James Paterson said any talk of preference deals with One Nation was premature, despite one being floated earlier in the week by Mr Taylor and new Liberal federal president Tony ­Abbott.

“You cannot make a final decision about which candidates you’ll preference in each seat until you know who each of those candidates are,” Senator Paterson said.

“Some political parties, like One Nation, have demonstrated great difficulty in choosing appropriate candidates for public office.”

Mr Albanese said that Mr Pasin’s “extraordinary” push showed “the once mainstream Liberal Party has become just a fringe party”.

“Almost giving up two years before an election is held,” he said.

In his speech on Thursday, Dr Chalmers reflected on the rise of One Nation by declaring our “politics right now makes two ­essential and related distinctions”.

“The first is between three right-wing parties who see economic and social division and divisive politics around the world and want to replicate that here, and a Labor government determined to reject it,” he said.

“The second is between three right-wing parties who seek to whip up and benefit from all this division and dislocation, and a Labor government determined to actually address it.”

Dr Chalmers said much of the democratic world was vulnerable “because governments aren’t ­always meeting the aspirations of working people”.

“We have a responsibility here to rebuild confidence in politics and economic institutions by lifting living standards for workers in particular, and an obligation to future generations to deliver a better standard of living,” he said.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/jim-chalmers-slams-angus-taylors-privilege-and-pauline-hansons-links-to-gina-rinehart/news-story/1f3fcbeec3d7f67798e3f8038e62af47

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Aukus is among Australia’s worst foreign policy decisions and requires ‘heroic’ optimism, Gareth Evans says

Former Labor foreign affairs minister says belief US would defend Australia in event of an existential attack is a ‘ludicrous delusion’

Tom McIlroy and Ben Doherty - 11 Jun 2026

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Aukus will prove to be one of the worst defence and foreign policy decisions ever made by an Australian government and is only being permitted by Donald Trump in order to destroy Chinese nuclear threats to the US mainland, former foreign affairs minister Gareth Evans has said.

In evidence to an independent public inquiry into the $368bn nuclear agreement with the US and UK on Thursday, Evans, a cabinet minister in the Hawke and Keating governments, warned the transfer and construction of submarines to Australia from the early 2030s was effectively only an extension of the American military fleet.

He said a future US administration would not come to Australia’s aid in the event of an “existential attack” and would only assist in a military conflict if its own assets on Australian soil were threatened.

“The notion that extended nuclear deterrence justifies our prostration – that the US really would be prepared to sacrifice San Francisco for Sydney, let alone Miami for Melbourne – is, and always has been, a ludicrous delusion,” Evans told the inquiry.

Foreign affairs minister from 1988 to 1996, Evans told the committee hearing in Melbourne the delivery of three Virginia-class submarines from the US starting in 2032 was unlikely, because of construction delays and existing shortages in the US fleet. And he argued the complexity and timeline of the second phase of Aukus – the UK-designed, Australian-built Aukus class submarines - required even more “heroic levels of optimism” than was needed for the American vessels.

“Every report coming out of the UK indicates that its defence-industrial base is presently under extraordinary stress, with submarine building schedules tightening and costs increasing, and with every prospect of further deterioration, notwithstanding Australia’s commitment to spending $4.5bn over 10 years to help boost production rates.”

Evans said the government’s expected price tag for the deal was “wholly speculative” and argued the US would view the submarines primarily as supplementary assets, effectively embedded into US military command, for the task of finding, tracking, attacking and destroying Chinese submarines seen as posing a risk to the US mainland.

Associate Professor Tilman Ruff, co-founder of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, told the inquiry Aukus would exacerbate regional tensions, and, in the event of conflict, make Australia “a higher priority target, including for nuclear attack”.

He said the use of “weapons-grade, highly-enriched uranium” to power the Aukus submarines undermined global non-proliferation efforts, and said Australia had no solution for how it would deal with hundreds of kilograms of high level radioactive waste.

“It’s a very significant issue, because no country has resolved this huge problem, of how to manage this material. And there’s no guarantee, given the timeframes involved, and the hazards of the material over geological time, that any arrangement we come up could absolutely reliably isolate that material over hundreds of thousands or millions of years.

“The additional complication here is that it needs a really high level of security because in 10,000 years somebody could go and dig that stuff up and build nuclear weapons with it.”

(continued)

>>24704160

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Ruff said Australia had a poor track record, over decades, of attempting to “impose radioactive waste facilities” on unwilling communities.

“The potential for the Commonwealth to declare virtually anywhere in Australia as defence land and impose waste is a profound concern from a democratic and good governance point of view, as well as health and environmental and proliferation ones.”

Thursday’s first hearing of the public inquiry – which is not a parliamentary process and is being backed by trade unions and the Australian Peace and Security Forum – is being led by commissioners including the former Labor minister Peter Garrett and former defence boss Chris Barrie.

Current Labor ministers have accused the inquiry of being anti-Aukus from the outset.

Highly sceptical of the Aukus agreement, the inquiry’s commissioners will hold public hearings around the country before delivering a reporting in October.

The foreign minister, Penny Wong, said on Thursday she and Marles had discussed Aukus with their UK counterparts in regular talks overnight.

The UK government has confirmed the first steel for the newly built joint submarines will be cut next year, even as Britain’s existing submarine program runs years behind targets and billions over budget.

“This submarine capability is central to assuring Australian sovereignty in a much more contested world,” Wong said.

“It is a capability we need in a world that is more contested. There is no doubt that this project has its challenges. There is no doubt it is ambitious. But there is also no doubt that we do need this capability to assure our interests. And we are very focused on delivering it.”

Labor is pushing back on criticism of the plan, including from its own MPs, before the party’s national conference in Adelaide next month.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/11/aukus-among-australia-worst-foreign-policy-decisions-gareth-evans

>>24611802

>>24636292

>>24663282

>>24669493

AUKUS no ‘academic exercise’ despite new UK submarine setbacks

Andrew Tillett - Jun 11, 2026

London | Senior ministers strongly pushed back on growing concerns Britain will struggle to keep up its end of the AUKUS bargain, brushing off embarrassing revelations that the Royal Navy is unable to send any of its five nuclear-powered attack submarines to sea.

Meeting their British counterparts in London on Wednesday (Thursday AEST), Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defence Minister Richard Marles expressed some exasperation over the ongoing criticism and debate over AUKUS, saying the $366 billion acquisition was not an “academic exercise”.

And in the latest move to reduce reliance on China’s stockpile of critical minerals, the Australian and British militaries have struck a deal to work together to secure supplies of rare earths and other raw materials crucial for building modern weapons.

The annual AUKMIN dialogue between foreign and defence ministers was held against the backdrop of fresh global turmoil, with the ceasefire between the US and Iran nearing collapse, the war between Russia and Ukraine dragging on, uncertainty over ties with a Donald Trump-led US, demands for higher defence spending and China’s growing military assertiveness around Taiwan and the South China Sea.

But much of the focus on AUKMIN centred on the AUKUS trilateral agreement, which also includes the United States. The pact aims to supply Australia with nuclear-powered submarines from the early 2030s.

While the US will sell Australia second-hand submarines as an interim step, Britain’s major contribution to AUKUS is designing the boat that will be used long term by both the Australian Navy and Britain’s Royal Navy from the 2040s. Australia’s submarines will use a UK-built nuclear reactor, which will be welded into hulls built locally in Adelaide.

However, Britain’s existing submarines under construction are running years behind and billions over budget.

In a further blow to the country’s credibility as a partner, on the weekend Britain’s Daily Mail revealed that none of the UK’s five existing Astute-class submarines is at sea as they undergo maintenance and repairs.

The AUKUS plan calls for Britain to deploy one of its Astute-class submarines to Perth’s HMAS Stirling naval base to help train Australian crews and technicians to operate and maintain a nuclear-powered submarine.

Opposition to AUKUS is ratcheting up, with former prime ministers Malcolm Turnbull and Paul Keating, a suite of former military officers, think-tanks and non-government politicians among the most vocal critics.

The deal is also unpopular with Labor’s rank-and-file, with backbench MP Ed Husic last week seizing on the revelation that Australia will not get new submarines from the US, breaking ranks to call for a rethink because of the “transactional” nature of the Trump administration.

A crowdfunded “inquiry”, headed by Wong’s and Marles’ former ministerial colleague and Midnight Oil singer Peter Garrett, is set to provide a high-profile platform for attacks on the deal.

Tackling the criticism head-on, Wong said at the joint press conference that while AUKUS was ambitious and challenging, it was also “critical for ensuring our sovereignty”.

“So this is not an academic exercise or theoretical procurement exercise,” Wong said. “It is the response to a central question, which is how do we secure capability in Australia that is critical to ensuring our sovereignty.”

Despite the woes afflicting Britain’s submarine program, Marles said he remained confident AUKUS would be delivered because key milestones had already been met.

These included the construction of facilities at Perth’s navy base and Adelaide’s shipyard to support nuclear submarine operations, and the deployment of 200 submariners on American submarines and 200 workers in Pearl Harbour learning how to maintain submarines. He said 1000 people in Australia were now working on AUKUS

“It’s actually our track record that we establish on the ground which is going to answer that question in history, and we’re answering it,” Marles said.

UK Defence Secretary John Healey confirmed the first steel for Britain’s first AUKUS-class submarine would be cut next year, another milestone. He said the Labour government had inherited a defence force that was hollowed out and unfunded, but had tried to arrest that with a £6 billion injection into submarine construction.

“With submarines, it is a personal priority for me,” Healey said.

https://www.afr.com/world/europe/aukus-no-academic-exercise-despite-new-uk-submarine-setbacks-20260610-p605oo

>>24611802

>>24636292

>>24663282

>>24669493

>>24704185

First steel for AUKUS subs to be cut in UK next year

JACQUELIN MAGNAY - 8 June 2026

The first steel for the AUKUS submarine design being built in Barrow-in-Furness in England will be cut next year, British Defence Secretary John Healey has revealed, as Australian and British ministers launched a robust defence of the multibillion-dollar AUKUS program in London on Wednesday.

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said he was “very confident” the US Virginia-class submarines would be transferred to Australia in the 2030s as planned and that facilities in Stirling, Western Australia were being built “at pace” as part of the triumvirate AUKUS pact between the US, UK and Australia. He stressed that the AUKUS planning was being put into action and that more than 1000 employees were working on the program.

Mr Healey said the AUKUS submarines “was a personal priority for me, as well as for the new First Sea Lord’’ to raise levels of infrastructure and development and to improve maintenance as part of a “speeded up” productivity drive in relation to AUKUS. He confirmed the steel for the first AUKUS submarine would begin to be cut next year in Sheffield.

“You will see the first steel cut for SSN AUKUS that will become the joint submarine force, nothing is more profound, nothing is more important between us as ministers, than that as a conversation,’’ Mr Healey said.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said while AUKUS was “ambitious and challenging … it’s not an academic exercise or a theoretical plan”, stressing it was critical for the country’s sovereignty.

The AUKMIN meeting – the gathering of the two countries’ defence and foreign secretaries – also saw the two countries collaborate on critical minerals for each country’s military and Australia successfully negotiating opportunities of Canberra company CEA Technologies to provide advanced radar technologies to Britain.

The Active Electronically Scanned Array radar is capable of detecting aircraft and missile threats at greater ranges and with increased accuracy, allowing for greater warning, decision and response time.

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said Britain was committed to an Indo-Pacific region “that is open, stable and free from coercion”. She said the two countries discussed how the straightforwardness of the chokehold on the global economy is affecting the UK and Australian economies and the Arctic side of the world.

Senator Wong said Britain has agreed to mobilise investment into Southeast Asia.

“The region is on track to be the fourth-largest economy by 2040,’’ she said.

“We’re bolstering economic resilience by working together more closely on critical minerals, and we welcome the United Kingdom’s support for common resilience in the Pacific. We are both committed to new funding to strengthen maritime security across Southeast Asia.”

In a joint statement released after the press conference, the ministers noted the increasing scale and severity of hostile activity by states, their proxies and non-state actors.

“This includes cyber activities undertaken by China-based information security companies, and recent attempts by Russia to interfere in democratic elections through its proxy organisations, the Social Design Agency and ANO Dialog,’’ the statement said, detailing deepening co-operation to counter the spectrum of hybrid threats.

Ministers reiterated strong opposition to activities that raise tensions and risk miscalculation and escalation in the South China Sea, and have agreed to continue co-operating to uphold navigational rights and freedoms in the region, including through participation in joint activities.

Another serious concern was the human rights violations in China, including the persecution and arbitrary detention of Uighurs and Tibetans and the erosion of religious, cultural, education and linguistic rights and freedoms.

Ministers shared grave concerns about the ongoing systemic erosion of Hong Kong’s autonomy and democratic processes, and the rights and freedoms of individuals, such as the prosecution of British national Jimmy Lai and Australian citizen Gordon Ng.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/defence/first-steel-for-aukus-subs-to-be-cut-in-uk-next-year/news-story/71a9d3f1215f516cc13923fc38a1d1da

>>24648021

>>24649775

Modi wants Australia’s uranium to power India’s data centre boom

Matthew Knott - June 10, 2026

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hoping to use a visit to Melbourne and Sydney next month to unlock a flood of uranium imports and boost defence ties with Australia in a move that will be closely watched by China.

Australia and India struck a historic deal to allow uranium exports in 2014, but there have been only negligible shipments in the following 12 years.

India is planning a major expansion of nuclear power driven by the surging demand for new data centres used for artificial intelligence.

Modi, one of the world’s most important political leaders, is expected to visit Australia in the second week of July, including meetings with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Sydney and a stadium rally for members of the Indian diaspora in Melbourne.

He will also visit Indonesia and New Zealand during the trip.

Albanese hailed Modi as “the boss” during a packed rally of 20,000 people at Sydney Olympic Park during his most recent visit in 2023, sparking debate about whether Albanese was ignoring human rights violations occurring under Modi’s watch.

On Albanese’s trip to India in March 2023, he was ferried around a stadium in Ahmedabad in a chariot decorated with golden cricket bats.

Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said during a meeting with Foreign Minister Penny Wong last month: “On the energy side, we have energy trade, we are looking to expand that as well into the uranium supplies.

“Our own nuclear sector has undergone reform, which will grow nuclear energy.”

The Organiser, an Indian publication with close ties to Modi’s right-wing Hindu nationalist government, reported this week that “expectations are high for progress on uranium supplies for India’s civilian nuclear energy program under safeguards” during the visit.

Australia’s high commissioner to India, Philip Green, told Indian outlet World is One News last week that the countries were also “shooting towards a new and higher level joint declaration” on defence, noting the countries had not signed a defence agreement since 2009.

India, Australia, Japan and the United States are members of the Quad grouping, a partnership of democracies that works to provide a counterpoint to China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific.

Labor changed its policy platform in 2011 to allow uranium exports to India, removing a longstanding ban that had been in place because India is not part of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Australia made its first shipment of uranium to India in 2017, but the trade has not taken off since that small and largely symbolic delivery.

The state-owned Nuclear Power Corporation Of India recently said the country planned to add 18 more nuclear reactors to its energy mix by 2032, almost tripling the nation’s nuclear power capacity.

India is the world’s most populous nation, with 1.47 billion people. Major tech companies such as Google, Meta and Amazon are pumping billions of dollars into the Indian data centre market.

Minerals Council of Australia chief executive Tania Constable said bans on uranium mining in NSW, Queensland and Western Australia would hold back export opportunities to nations such as India.

“Australia has the world’s largest uranium resources yet ranks only fourth in global production, and the opportunity to supply a potentially immense Indian nuclear generation program with Australian uranium exported under strict safeguards will add further impetus to overturn outdated and ideologically driven bans on uranium mining,” Constable said.

“Australia should be given every opportunity to cement our already strong minerals trade with India in coal and gold by backing our uranium miners to help deliver reliable zero emissions energy.”

Ian Hall, an expert on Indian politics at Griffith University, said expanded access to each other’s airbases and naval ports would be the best practical way to drive forward the defence relationship.

“A little bit of energy has come out of the bilateral relationship recently because both nations have been distracted by other things,” Hall said.

Albanese and Modi will also seek to make progress on a free trade agreement, but it is famously difficult for overseas farmers to gain access to India’s market given the power of its agricultural sector.

Human Rights Watch’s latest report on India said the country’s “slide to authoritarianism under the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government continued [in 2025], with increased vilification of Muslims and government critics”.

Modi’s BJP lost 63 seats in India’s 2024 elections, forcing him into minority government.

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/modi-wants-australia-s-uranium-to-power-india-s-data-centre-boom-20260610-p605iw.html

>>24700245

‘A bit messy’: jury still out on child social media ban

Allanah Sciberras - June 10 2026

There is little sign of a dip in cyberbullying or image-based abuse in the six months since teenagers under 16 have been banned from social media.

But, even without a clear fall in reports of online harm, the early results are not necessarily discouraging, experts say, as the nation remains at the front of efforts to restrict under-16 access to social media.

The world-first ban, which stipulates users must be 16 or older to create or hold social media accounts, made international headlines in December.

Call patterns remained largely unchanged since the ban was introduced, a helplines operator said.

Non-profit yourtown operates Kids Helpline and virtual services manager Tony FitzGerald told AAP it was too early to gauge any real difference.

“From speaking to young people, particularly in that 13-16 age group the experience for them has been very inconsistent,” he said.

“Some of them have had social media cut-off, whereas (some) have not had any impact in terms of their access to those platforms.

“It’s been a bit messy for that group.”

Despite this, young people are moving to other platforms such as WhatsApp to interact, which aren’t subject to the social media ban.

“We’ve seen young people come to us who would say they’re being cyberbullied on messaging apps,” Mr FitzGerald said.

“There’s a whole range of other platforms that are out there that are not subject to the social media minimum age restrictions that young people still are interacting on and they’re still experiencing harm.”

There had been no discernible drop in reports of online harm such as cyberbullying and image-based abuse from under-16s, according to the latest report from eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant in March.

Nevertheless, mother of teenage children Bianca Quetti supports the ban.

“My kids were 16 already when it came in … I’m not sure what other parents are thinking, but I would presume most would like it,” she said.

“I mean, there’s probably a way around it, I’m sure they’ve all got a way around it.

“I think it’s not a bad thing.”

Her 16-year-old daughter Taylah narrowly avoided the ban and said there was a lot on the internet she didn’t think young people should be seeing.

But she said not much had changed with the social media accounts of people at her school who should have been impacted by the ban.

“I don’t know if it’s really working that much … most of their accounts didn’t even get banned, so they’re still allowed on there,” she told AAP.

Ellie Johnston, who has a teenage grandson, was sceptical of the ban.

“We just want our kids to be safe, right? And when they go online, they’re not safe because of predators.

“They’re throwing money into something that’s not going to work”.

She said parents had a key role to play.

“Parents are always on their phone … if you want to be a role model, put your phone away properly. Because it’s monkey see, monkey do.”

Advocates are calling for more education for young people on how to navigate the online environment so that, by age 16, they are better prepared and less exposed to harm.

Mr FitzGerald believes there must be a multi-pronged approach that includes tech companies taking responsibility and stronger regulation of their activity in this space.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said one of the key reasons for the social media ban was due to the harm it placed on the health of young people.

“Today is six months since the social media ban came into effect … and it was having a deleterious impact on their mental health and on a range of issues,” he told ABC Radio Melbourne on Wednesday.

Lifeline 13 11 14

https://www.lifeline.org.au/

Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25)

https://kidshelpline.com.au/

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/9289993/a-bit-messy-jury-still-out-on-child-social-media-ban/

>>24669411

>>24700245

>>24704223

Canada seeks to ban social media accounts for children under 16, joining growing global effort

ROB GILLIES - June 11, 2026

TORONTO (AP) - Canada introduced legislation on Wednesday that could bar children younger than 16 from having social media accounts unless the companies show they can make their platforms safe.

Canada is joining a growing global effort to tighten safety protections. Canadian government officials said social media platforms can obtain an exemption if they have put in place sufficient safeguards.

“We are failing our children. Enough is enough,” Marc Miller, Canada’s culture minister, said. “We need basic protection in place.”

The legislation covers seven types of harmful content including content that induces children to harm themselves, content that incites violence and foments hatred and non-consensual intimate images.

A new regulator, the Digital Safety Commission of Canada, will be created. Criteria for what exemptions would look like will be announced at a later date. Miller said setting up the regulator could take up to 18 months.

Miller said platforms will need to prove they are safe. Age verification will also be established.

Countries including Australia, Brazil and Indonesia have introduced or announced age-based restrictions or requirements for children’s access to social media. Others including Britain, France, Spain, Denmark, Thailand and South Korea are studying or developing similar approaches.

Platforms in Canada that offer adult content would not be able to obtain an exemption.

The legislation would also regulate the companies behind artificial intelligence chatbots by imposing on them a duty to act responsibly through measures such as crisis intervention protocols.

In Australia, social media companies have revoked access to about 4.7 million accounts identified as belonging to children since the country banned use of the platforms by those under 16, officials said. The law provoked intense debate in Australia about technology use, privacy, child safety and mental health and has prompted other countries to consider similar measures.

A Canadian government official, in a briefing with journalists, said authorities will try to learn lessons from Australia.

Lianna McDonald, Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, applauded the move, noting sextortion on social media is up dramatically.

https://apnews.com/article/canada-social-media-ban-16-kids-292444c9dd8773aeb4119aaa9eae5990

>>24616963

>>24629102

>>24636140

Court to decide fate of mystery parties fighting to block IBAC corruption report

MOHAMMAD ALFARES and DAMON JOHNSTON - 11 June 2026

A decision on revealing the identities of two mystery parties who are desperately trying to block the publication of a Victorian corruption probe will be handed down on Friday.

The two unidentified applicants, known only as XY and Z, are attempting to block the publication of IBAC’s Operation Richmond report, which concerns the 2016 conflict involving the Country Fire Authority, the Andrews government and the United Firefighters Union.

The Court of Appeal on Thursday heard arguments as to whether the applicants should continue to be shielded by pseudonym orders while they pursue their challenge against the report’s release.

Chief Justice Richard Niall said most of the proceedings could be conducted in open court, despite submissions from the applicants that aspects of the case would require closed hearings because they involved confidential material contained in the yet-to-be-released report.

Barrister Paul Holdenson KC, appearing for the applicants, argued identifying his clients would unfairly fuel speculation they were the subject of adverse findings in the report and cause irreparable reputational damage.

“There has been speculation about who might have commenced these proceedings,” he told the court. “The applicant(s) has to wear the speculation that they commenced the proceeding because they wanted to prevent the public from knowing adverse findings.”

He argued naming the applicants would encourage public inference that they were seeking to suppress damaging findings, creating prejudice that could not be undone, or put back in the “genie bottle” even if they ultimately ­succeeded in their challenge.

Media lawyer Justin Quill, acting on behalf of The Australian, told the court the public had a strong interest in knowing who was attempting to prevent parliament from receiving the watchdog’s findings. “The public interest is as high as it can be,” he said.

“The public should know the identity of parties seeking to stop IBAC from releasing these documents. If it is the case that there is no finding of wrongdoing, there’s nothing stopping Mr Holdenson’s client saying the court found this report was unlawful.”

Chief Justice Niall said the matter was urgent and had significant public interest, before ­reserving judgment until Friday morning.

The interim pseudonym orders protecting XY and Z will remain in place until the court hands down its decision.

The report into Operation Richmond had been due to be ­tabled in parliament, but its release was halted by a late legal challenge in May. The findings will remain confidential until the Supreme Court resolves proceedings between IBAC and the two applicants seeking to block publication, a process that could stretch on for months or even years.

The court last month refused the application for permanent pseudonym orders. However, after the applicants indicated they would appeal, they were granted interim anonymity and are now known as XY and Z.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/court-to-decide-fate-of-mystery-parties-fighting-to-block-ibac-corruption-report/news-story/1a46361b3b9b171be248888746c9c25e

>>24599739

>>24700198

>>24700214

Brittany Higgins makes return to Australian politics in advocacy role

THOMAS HENRY - 11 June 2026

Brittany Higgins is set to make her return to Australian politics as the boss of a progressive advocacy group looking to take on Pauline Hanson’s One Nation.

The former Liberal staffer is set to head up the Vida Fund, a fundraising body which bankrolled teal independent candidates at the last election and was established to promote gender equity reforms.

Ms Higgins’ appointment marks the first major role since she left politics and rose to national prominence after alleging she was raped by her then-colleague Bruce Lehrmann in Parliament House in 2021.

The fund’s campaign against surging support for the ”new right” aims to take on what Ms Higgins deems to be a wave of misogyny and extremism in Australia.

“One Nation and the new right are trying to mainstream misogyny on a scale Australians have never seen before,” Ms Higgins told The Sydney Morning Herald.

“With Barnaby Joyce championing this US-style war on reproductive rights, it has never been more important to get organised and take action.”

The Vida Fund at the 2025 election bankrolled a number of federal teal independent candidates and is looking to run another campaign ahead of the 2028 federal election, as well as a number of key state campaigns.

“Vida Fund was created to ensure progress for women is not treated as temporary, symbolic or optional — because women’s safety, representation and equality are fundamental democratic issues,” the group’s website reads.

Despite an exclusive Newspoll for the Australian showing support for One Nation surging ahead of Labor for the first time in the poll’s history, Ms Higgins claimed the party had a weakness on women’s issues.

“We recently saw One Nation panic when the Sean Black scandal hit the headlines. That tells us they know their atrocious track record on gendered violence is a liability,” she said.

Senator Hanson’s party faced significant scrutiny over its handling of the dismissal of former staffer Sean Black, who was convicted for rape in 2018.

In a defamation case brought by Mr Lehrmann against the Ten Network and Lisa Wilkinson, Federal Court judge Michael Lee found that, on the balance of probabilities, Ms Higgins was raped by Mr Lehrmann.

In the same case Justice Lee rejected claims that former minister Linda Reynolds and chief of staff Fiona Brown had participated in a cover-up, which led to a successful defamation suit brought by Ms Reynolds over the claims of a cover-up.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/higgins-makes-return-to-australian-politics-in-advocacy-role/news-story/e2fc5a09e4517cafa857952402abde95

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/brittany-higgins-returns-to-frontline-politics-to-fight-rising-tide-of-misogyny-20260610-p605jj.html

https://qresear.ch/?q=Brittany+Higgins

https://qresear.ch/?q=Bruce+Lehrmann

https://qresear.ch/?q=Linda+Reynolds

>>24592963 (pb)

>>24599875

‘Profound injustice’: 16 experts demand inquest for Epstein survivor Virginia Giuffre

Carla Hildebrandt and Melissa Fyfe - June 11, 2026

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Some of Australia’s most prominent domestic violence experts have thrown their weight behind Virginia Giuffre’s family’s plea for a public coronial inquest, warning that the circumstances surrounding her death raise broader questions about family violence, coercive control and expose systemic failures.

In a rare intervention, 16 researchers and practitioners from some of the nation’s most influential universities and domestic violence organisations have written a letter to West Australian Coroner Ros Fogliani.

The signatories include WA Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing chief executive officer Alison Evans, University of Melbourne professors Heather Douglas and Cathy Humphreys, Monash University professor Kate Fitz-Gibbon, University of Western Australia professor Melanie O’Brien, Curtin University professor Donna Chung and University of Technology Sydney associate professor Jane Wangmann, who is also on the state’s domestic violence death review committee.

It comes after this masthead revealed Giuffre’s US-based brothers, Sky Roberts and Danny Wilson formally requested a coronial inquest in May.

Giuffre died by suicide on April 25, 2025, at her property in Neergabby, an hour’s drive north of Perth, in WA’s Wheatbelt region.

The family does not dispute their sister took her own life. But they believe police failed in their responsibility to thoroughly investigate domestic violence reports, to provide adequate support and to properly investigate an alleged assault on January 9 and early morning on January 10, 2025.

In their letter to the coroner, Giuffre’s family claimed she repeatedly sought assistance from police.

Giuffre was involved in divorce proceedings with her husband Robert Giuffre, who she shared three children with.

He was granted a family violence restraining order (FVRO) on January 14 against Giuffre in Perth Magistrates Court, shortly after a 72-hour police order against him was lifted.

The FVRO order included two of her children, who were younger than 18.

The experts’ letter says misidentification of victim-survivors as perpetrators is a “well-documented and dangerous failure. One that can result in loss of access to children, exclusion from the family home, criminalisation, and significantly elevated suicide risk”.

WA CWSW chief executive officer Alison Evans said a victim’s distress and suicidal thoughts should not be treated as individual disorders.

“(Suicidality) must be understood as responses to ongoing violence, coercive control and entrapment and systemic failures,” she said.

“When the impacts of abuse are routinely misclassified as a mental health issue, the danger posed by violent partners or family members disappears from view.”

Evans said victims being mistakenly identified as the predominant aggressor can contribute to suicidality.

“In some cases, women’s defensive actions, such as fighting back, are misinterpreted as aggressive behaviour, leading to their identification as the predominant aggressor rather than the person most in need of protection,” she said.

(continued)

>>24592963 (pb)

>>24599875

‘Profound injustice’: 16 experts demand inquest for Epstein survivor Virginia Giuffre

Carla Hildebrandt and Melissa Fyfe - June 11, 2026

1/2

Some of Australia’s most prominent domestic violence experts have thrown their weight behind Virginia Giuffre’s family’s plea for a public coronial inquest, warning that the circumstances surrounding her death raise broader questions about family violence, coercive control and expose systemic failures.

In a rare intervention, 16 researchers and practitioners from some of the nation’s most influential universities and domestic violence organisations have written a letter to West Australian Coroner Ros Fogliani.

The signatories include WA Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing chief executive officer Alison Evans, University of Melbourne professors Heather Douglas and Cathy Humphreys, Monash University professor Kate Fitz-Gibbon, University of Western Australia professor Melanie O’Brien, Curtin University professor Donna Chung and University of Technology Sydney associate professor Jane Wangmann, who is also on the state’s domestic violence death review committee.

It comes after this masthead revealed Giuffre’s US-based brothers, Sky Roberts and Danny Wilson formally requested a coronial inquest in May.

Giuffre died by suicide on April 25, 2025, at her property in Neergabby, an hour’s drive north of Perth, in WA’s Wheatbelt region.

The family does not dispute their sister took her own life. But they believe police failed in their responsibility to thoroughly investigate domestic violence reports, to provide adequate support and to properly investigate an alleged assault on January 9 and early morning on January 10, 2025.

In their letter to the coroner, Giuffre’s family claimed she repeatedly sought assistance from police.

Giuffre was involved in divorce proceedings with her husband Robert Giuffre, who she shared three children with.

He was granted a family violence restraining order (FVRO) on January 14 against Giuffre in Perth Magistrates Court, shortly after a 72-hour police order against him was lifted.

The FVRO order included two of her children, who were younger than 18.

The experts’ letter says misidentification of victim-survivors as perpetrators is a “well-documented and dangerous failure. One that can result in loss of access to children, exclusion from the family home, criminalisation, and significantly elevated suicide risk”.

WA CWSW chief executive officer Alison Evans said a victim’s distress and suicidal thoughts should not be treated as individual disorders.

“(Suicidality) must be understood as responses to ongoing violence, coercive control and entrapment and systemic failures,” she said.

“When the impacts of abuse are routinely misclassified as a mental health issue, the danger posed by violent partners or family members disappears from view.”

Evans said victims being mistakenly identified as the predominant aggressor can contribute to suicidality.

“In some cases, women’s defensive actions, such as fighting back, are misinterpreted as aggressive behaviour, leading to their identification as the predominant aggressor rather than the person most in need of protection,” she said.

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In the experts’ letter, they argued it would be a “profound injustice” if the events leading up to Giuffre’s death were not examined.

“Virginia Giuffre spent much of her adult life in a courageous pursuit of accountability for the abuse she suffered, taking significant personal risk to expose a network of exploitation and in doing so, helping to protect other women,” the letter states.

“It would be a profound injustice if the question of whether systems failed her in her final months were not examined with equivalent rigour.

“We owe her that, and we owe it to the many women whose experiences mirror hers but whose deaths will never receive this level of attention.”

One of the signatories, University of Melbourne professor Heather Douglas, said Giuffre’s death could be the catalyst to help others.

“Most importantly, an inquest could look into how responses to violence and trauma can be improved to ensure that victims like Virginia are not let down by the very systems designed to protect them,” she said.

An inquest would have the ability to scrutinise the actions of police, support services, the courts and other relevant agencies in the lead up to her death and provide recommendations.

The Coroner’s Court of Western Australia said the matter was under active investigation and a decision about an inquest will be made after the police investigation is completed and next of kin consulted.

WA Police and Robert Giuffre have been contacted for comment.

If you or anyone you know needs support, you can contact the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732), Lifeline (13 11 14), the Suicide Call Back Service (1300 659 467), Beyond Blue (1300 22 4636) and Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800).

https://www.1800respect.org.au/

https://www.lifeline.org.au/

https://www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au/

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/

https://www.kidshelpline.com.au/

https://www.theage.com.au/national/western-australia/profound-injustice-16-experts-demand-inquest-for-epstein-survivor-virginia-giuffre-20260610-p605hg.html

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UK defence minister John Healey quits hours before AUKUS meeting with Richard Marles

David Crowe - June 12, 2026

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Belfast: Britain’s defence minister has quit in frustration over cuts to spending on national security in an extraordinary move that has thrown the government into crisis and added to pressure for a leadership challenge to replace Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Defence Secretary John Healey announced his resignation hours before he was due to meet Australian counterpart Richard Marles in Portsmouth to outline their ambitions for the crucial AUKUS alliance on nuclear-powered submarines.

In a widening crisis over national security and Starmer’s authority, Armed Forces Minister Al Carns followed Healey by quitting the government, and they were joined by fellow Labour MP Pamela Nash, who resigned as the parliamentary private secretary in the defence portfolio.

The decisions confirmed a cabinet split over whether to increase defence spending and find savings in welfare programs to pay for the changes, while coming days before likely leadership challenger Andy Burnham hopes to win a seat in parliament and launch a formal bid for the top job.

Seen as one of the government’s steadiest cabinet ministers, Healey declared he had “no other option” than resigning after discovering on Monday that new spending on defence would not meet the standards he believed were necessary for the nation’s safety.

The decision stunned the government after Healey released a letter he sent to Starmer to complain about what he saw as dangerously weak spending in the Defence Investment Plan being negotiated among cabinet ministers.

“You have been unable, and the Treasury has been unwilling, to commit the resources that the nation needs to defend the country at this time of rising threats,” Healey wrote to Starmer.

“As I’ve outlined to you, there are credible ways of meeting the mid-term funding challenges, working multi-nationally and as other European nations are doing, to allow us to protect our ability to deliver the missions of our Labour government.

“You know what defence needs. Without a DIP that meets the moment in this way, I am being forced to make decisions that would reduce the readiness of our forces and increase the risk to personnel on operations, and could make the country less safe.”

The resignation comes one month after former health secretary Wes Streeting quit the cabinet and moved to the backbench over his frustrations with Starmer and the direction of the government, while declaring he was willing to stand for the leadership in a ballot among Labour Party members.

Burnham, the Greater Manchester Mayor, will have his fate decided by voters next week in a by-election for the seat of Makerfield, which he hopes to win so he can return to parliament in Westminster and begin a formal challenge to replace Starmer.

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A survey of Labour Party members last month found that 59 per cent would choose Burnham and 37 per cent would back Starmer in a head-to-head contest.

Streeting, however, would struggle to topple the prime minister. YouGov found 65 per cent would choose Starmer and only 15 per cent would back Streeting in a similar head-to-head race.

Healey’s sudden resignation complicates an Australian diplomatic mission to the United Kingdom this week to shore up the defence alliance and accelerate work on the AUKUS project at a time of deep concerns that British shipbuilders are moving too slowly to start a new fleet of nuclear-powered submarines.

Marles, who is deputy prime minister and defence minister, joined Foreign Minister Penny Wong at a meeting in London on Wednesday with Healey and the UK Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper.

Greens Senator David Shoebridge said Marles had suffered a “humiliation” in the UK and that Healey had left him “standing at the altar with not a nuclear-powered submarine to be seen”.

He noted that Healey’s resignation letter did not mention AUKUS, arguing this showed the pact was a low priority for the UK.

Healey sent a strong signal at the Wednesday meeting that he intended to remain in his job, saying he would be talking to Marles next week at a meeting about Ukraine and emphasising his personal commitment to the AUKUS program.

Asked by journalists on Wednesday about spending levels, Healey blamed the 14 years of Conservative government for doing too little on defence, and he vowed to make progress on building the new fleet of submarines, to be known as SSN-AUKUS and using a common design for UK and Australian vessels.

“You don’t turn that around, you don’t fix that overnight,” he said of the spending.

“But with submarines it’s a personal priority for me, it’s a personal priority for the new First Sea Lord to raise the levels, and pace, and effectiveness of our maintenance program, to raise the level of infrastructure that allows that maintenance to be better.”

Marles was due to meet Healey again in Portsmouth on Thursday, local time (early on Friday, AEST) but the resignation disrupted the Australian mission. Marles visited naval facilities in Portsmouth but cancelled plans for a press conference, just as some Australian journalists arrived for the event.

The loss of Healey and the wider upheaval in the British government adds fuel to the Australian debate over AUKUS when the United States is falling behind on its ambitions to build more submarines, while the UK also needs to speed up construction.

Defence expert Sophia Gaston said the changes did not cast doubt on AUKUS because its budget was protected in the UK’s defence investment plan.

Gaston, a senior fellow at the Centre for Statecraft and National Security at King’s College London, said Healey’s resignation would force Starmer to have difficult conversations about spending cuts to fund security outlays.

The spending plans already on the agenda “will not be sufficient” to address the deteriorating security environment, she said.

https://www.theage.com.au/world/europe/uk-defence-minister-quits-hours-before-meeting-with-marles-20260611-p6064j.html

https://x.com/JohnHealey_MP/status/2065028766540145140

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British Defence Secretary John Healey and Armed Forces minister Al Carns quit over Labour government’s lack of spending

JACQUELIN MAGNAY - June 12, 2026

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British Defence Secretary John Healey and Armed Forces Minister Al Carns have resigned in dramatic fashion in the midst of the Australian-UK ministerial meetings over the Starmer government’s penny pinching on defence.

Mr Healey’s dramatic intervention came as he was to accompany Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles at the Portsmouth Naval Base in England on Thursday to see various defence capabilities.

Late on Thursday Dan Jarvis, a former paratrooper and security minister, was appointed as Mr Healey’s replacement but Mr Marles was clearly rattled by the shock announcement, cancelling a media conference and dis-inviting the press pack who had travelled the three hours from London to the naval base expecting to observe a defence operation.

The carefully co-ordinated advocacy by the top ministers of Australia and Britain in regards to the AUKUS submarine arrangement of just a day earlier has been thrown into disarray. Meanwhile Mr Marles refused to present himself and answer questions whether AUKUS was still rock solid.

Some five hours after Mr Healey’s announcement, Mr Marles finally issued a statement saying he deeply valued the close and collaborative working relationship “with my good friend John Healey as Secretary of Defence, as I have with his predecessors on the Australia-UK defence relationship”.

He added: “I have worked closely with all of them particularly in respect of AUKUS. Our defence relationship is enduring, with deep connections, values and shared interests.

“Acknowledging that ultimately this has been a decision for John, I wish him all the best for the future.”

Just a day ago Mr Healey, 66, was staunchly defending the AUKUS program, saying the pact and deliver of the ambitious nuclear-powered submarine program was his “personal priority”, but in his resignation letter he said the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves were “unwilling to commit the resources the nation needs to defend the country at this time of rising threats”.

Britain is currently finalising a much-delayed defence industry procurement plan with behind-the-scenes debates about the country’s priorities and where the defence money will come from after two years of constant tax rises to boost a booming welfare bill. The talks were continuing right up to this Friday’s deadline previously announced by Sir Keir.

Mr Healey revealed that the work on the defence investment plan had been completed last January, but in the five months since, the government had been unwilling to commit resources needed to defend the country at a time of rising threats.

He said: “Demands have increased since then as have the UK commitments you have rightly made to allies.”

Mr Carns told Sir Keir in his letter: “It has become clear to me that the change I had pushed for is not going to come.”

Mr Carns, who could be a candidate for any future leadership challenge told Times Radio earlier the defence investment plan is not fit for purpose, calling on Sir Keir to “sort it out”.

Mr Jarvis, 53, takes up the role having already been heavily briefed on defence policy, given he had been the security minister in the Home Office in charge of counter terrorism issues.

A former mayor of South Yorkshire, Mr Jarvis will have to draw upon his military discipline, having served with NATO in Kosovo and then in Afghanistan, Iraq and Northern Ireland in dealing with the paltry defence industry plan being signed off by the Starmer government.

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Many have considered the defence role to be a poisoned chalice given the highly unpredictable nature of world events at the moment, coupled with a defence budget that is heavily constrained.

It is unclear if any of Wednesday’s announcements, including British purchasing of sophisticated radar systems from a Canberra firm, will go ahead and if the AUKUS program will face financial headwinds.

Mr Healey said a target for spending 3pc of GDP on defence in 2030 must be set, but added: “I would not be able to accept a DIP settlement that does not give our forces the resources they need.”

In a letter to Sir Keir, Mr Healey wrote he was not able to accept the meagre defence spending rise set out in Starmer’s defence investment plan despite “exceptional challenges’’.

Mr Healey, who has been a parliamentarian since 1997, wrote: “Without a DIP that meets the moment in this way I am forced to make decisions that would reduce the readiness of our Forces and increase the risk to personnel on operations and could make the country less safe.”

He added: “After explaining to you that I would not be able to accept a DIP settlement that does not give our forces the resources they need, I am now left with no other option than to submit my resignation as your defence secretary.

“I wish you all continuing strength in the exceptional challenges you face as Prime Minister. As always, our Labour government will continue to have my fullest support.”

Mr Healey suggested that Sir Keir was poised to announced just an extra 0.08pc increase in defence spending by 2030.

Mr Healey wrote: “As we have regularly discussed, I am certain that a headmark date for 3 per cent of GDP on defence in 2030 is what Britain must set. This commitment would have strong cross-party support. Other European allies are stepping up in this way.”

He added: “Your DIP financial settlement – which I was first given in full on Monday afternoon this week – falls well short of what is required for defence and the country at this dangerous time.

“The extra support is backloaded when the pressure of operations and imperative to speed up readiness to fight is in the first two years and it rises to just 2.68pc of GDP in 2030, when we will reach 2.6pc next year with the investment we are already making.”

Insiders claimed that the Ministry of Defence was offered £10 billion of extra money on Monday with the additional £3.5 billion being an accounting manoeuvre. Armed Forces Minister Al Carns, who could be a candidate for any future leadership challenge told Times Radio the defence investment plan is not fit for purpose, calling on Sir Keir to “sort it out”.

Mr Healey’s resignation was praised by Reform UK’s Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick who has called for a military spending boost.

Mr Jenrick said: “This government has all the money in the world for Ed Miliband’s mad plans, foreign aid, and benefits for foreigners. But nothing for our armed forces.

“Good on John Healey. Shame on them. Reeves and Starmer should go too. And with them this wretched Labour government.”

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/british-defence-secretary-john-healey-quits-over-labour-governments-lack-of-spending/news-story/2822592c059645d97db8546c0f3dbca2

https://x.com/AlistairCarns/status/2065151649749041284

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Analysis: Even before Healey quit, Marles and Wong looked glum

JACQUELIN MAGNAY - June 12, 2026

When Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles walked into the jaw-droppingly gilded music room of Lancaster House on Tuesday, an air of tension appeared to hang over them.

After a meeting with UK Defence Secretary John Healey and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper the ministers emerged through the Corinthian columns with set expressions: Senator Wong looking annoyed but determined; Mr Marles clenching his upper lip.

Here they were in one of the most spectacular buildings in all of London, in the very room that Frederic Chopin had performed for Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and the Duke of Wellington 178 years ago. And they just looked … glum.

What had they just been told in discussions with their British counterparts to prompt such serious faces? Did they know that Mr Healey was meeting his Waterloo?

It now appears Mr Healey’s frustration over defence funding with the British Prime Minister to whom he has shown intense loyalty culminated in his resignation at lunch time some 20 hours later. But it would not be out of the question to assume he had tipped off the Australians about upcoming difficulties with the budget for British defence industry.

To put this in context, the British government had been finalising a much-delayed defence industry procurement plan with behind-the-scenes debates about the country’s priorities and where the defence money would come from.

Mr Healey found out on Monday afternoon that nearly six months of wrangling about the monies was not going his way and that the increase on the hollowed out defence budget – a rise of just 0.08 per cent – would be derisory and ineffective.

At the Lancaster House press conference after meeting Mr Healey and Ms Cooper, the four ministers appeared determined to talk up the future of AUKUS. Mr Marles was even indignant

when it was put to him that AUKUS might be floundering. He stressed he was “very confident” about the transfer of US Virginia class submarines to Australia in the early 2030s “as planned”.

Mr Healey then insisted that AUKUS was “a personal priority” – a hugely ironic moment in retrospect – and detailed the schedule to cut the first steel for AUKUS submarines next year in Sheffield. Then Senator Wong piped up, reinforcing the government stance that trilateral pact was in Australia’s national security interests.

“AUKUS is ambitious and AUKUS is challenging, but it is also critical to ensuring our sovereignty,’’ she said, adding: “This is not an academic exercise or a theoretical procurement exercise. It is the response to the central question, which is, how do we secure capability for Australia that is critical to assuring our sovereignty and ensuring peace in a much more contested region?”

Come Thursday, and Mr Healey and Mr Marles went jogging together in Hyde Park before what was planned to be a catch-up, catch up later at the naval base in Portsmouth, with the media looking at some defensive capabilities.

But just before noon Mr Healey suddenly resigned his ministerial post in a scathing letter to Sir Keir Starmer revealing his deep hurt at the government priorities in not adequately funding defence industry procurement. The debate about the monies had been going on for months, yet until Thursday it was still a “live issue” inside Downing Street, with Ed Miliband, the energy secretary refusing to scale down his net zero projects for defence purposes. Sir Keir, considered the weakest prime minister in living memory, couldn’t broker any deal and Mr Healey left the job in disgust.

His resignation means the much vaunted Defence Investment Plan is now dead in the water.

Mr Marles would still go to Portsmouth, taken around the base by the life peer Vernon Coaker, but he cancelled all media engagements.

It was clear he didn’t want to be questioned about the immediate and long term future of AUKUS and what the dire British budgetary position means for the tripartite alliance.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/even-before-healey-quit-marles-and-wong-looked-glum/news-story/f9333898c625c542f737cfa11500db05

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British defence secretary’s resignation will have “no effect” on AUKUS: Ayres

RIA PANDEY - June 12, 2026

UK Defence Secretary John Healey’s abrupt resignation will have “no effect” on the trilateral AUKUS defence pact, a senior Albanese government minister says.

Mr Healey’s resignation came hours before he was due to appear alongside his Australian counterpart Richard Marles to spruik the $368bn AUKUS deal at the Portsmouth naval base south of London.

Mr Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong are in the UK to take part in this year’s AUKMIN talks, a foreign policy and defence dialogue between Australian and British ministerial officials.

But Innovation Minister Tim Ayres downplayed the impact of Mr Healey’s exit from Keir Starmer’s Labour government, pointing out the deal would endure as an intergenerational partnership.

“It will have no effect on the AUKUS partnership with the United Kingdom and the United States,” Mr Ayres told ABC Radio National on Friday.

“This is a partnership that has deep support across all three countries’ political systems, within the public service and the defence agencies in all three countries, and indeed with the defence industry, because it’s in the interests of all three countries.

“Over the 30-year life of the agreement to provide nuclear-powered conventionally armed submarines, there will be many ministers for defence for all three countries, many secretaries for war in the United States case, who are there charged with delivering this program.”

Mr Healey announced his resignation on social media and said he had “no other option” but to quit.

He attributed this decision to the UK government’s proposed defence spending falling “well short of what is required for defence and the country at this dangerous time”.

About five hours after the British official’s announcement, Mr Marles released a statement saying he valued his collaborative relationship with Mr Healey and described him as a “good friend”.

“I have deeply valued the close and collaborative working relationship with my good friend John Healey as Secretary of Defence, as I have with his predecessors on the Australia-UK defence relationship,” Mr Marles said.

“I have worked closely with all of them particularly in respect of AUKUS.

“Our defence relationship is enduring, with deep connections, values and shared interests.

“Acknowledging that ultimately this has been a decision for John, I wish him all the best for the future.”

Mr Healey’s announcement came less than a day after he declared the AUKUS plan to deliver Australia nuclear-powered submarines was a “personal priority” during a press conference with Mr Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/breaking-news/british-defence-secretary-resigns-hours-before-aukus-media-event-with-defence-minister-richard-marles/news-story/28f300c3acdd4174cc516e5b6c288a04

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Pauline Hanson opens up on domestic violence, prison and racism claims

Michael Philipps - June 11, 2026

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has revealed personal details of her life during her Perth visit, telling of her time behind bars and experiences with domestic violence.

Hanson was at a Swan Chamber of Commerce event in the city’s east to gather support for her party and gave a speech offering intimate details of her life before and during her political career.

While detailing her life running a small business prior to politics, Hanson revealed she had experienced domestic violence in her life but refrained from going into detail.

“I won’t go into detail, but I had domestic violence as well,” she told the audience.

“So again, that’s a little bit of knowledge and history of knowing what happens running small business, being involved in domestic violence.

“But anyway, since then we split up, I’ve actually been a single woman.

“I think my whole life and career has just been involved in politics, and of course, how I got into politics.”

Hanson also detailed her rise in politics and the establishment of the party in Queensland in the late 90s.

“I formed the political party in 1997,” she said.

“The first election in 1998 in Queensland, we won 11 seats in parliament, six Labor, five Coalition.

“That put the fear into the major political parties, especially the Howard government, which was going to have an election in October that year.

“They changed voting systems to full preferential voting.

“They all glued together to put One Nation last in that election.

“That’s why it never translated into seats for us, because they preferenced us last to keep the nation out. We won one senate seat in 1998 in Queensland.”

Hanson also addressed one of the major criticisms of One Nation - whether she considered herself or the party as racist.

“Am I a racist? No, I’m not a racist,” she said.

“Do I care if people want to call me that? No way in the wide world, because you know what, they don’t know who I am.

“I have an open heart and mind to a lot of people that come to this country, but at the end of the day, I am Australian, and I’m so proud of my country, and I respect the men and women that have died and fought for our country to give us what we have today.”

The event MC also opened the floor up to questions from the audience, with Hanson asked about her experience in prison after she was found guilty of electoral fraud in 2003, charges that were eventually overturned.

“The day they brought down the guilty (verdict), I was absolutely devastated,” she said.

“I could have just fallen into a heap. I was handcuffed in that room. I was taken downstairs, and I was strip searched.

“I was taken to the watch house that night, that’s an experience in itself.

“The support from the guards and everyone was tremendous.”

Hanson said one of the most difficult parts of serving a prison sentence was the knowledge that she was not guilty.

“I’d been given a sentence and the people didn’t believe me, that I had to be dishonest about registering a political party when I knew that we had thousands of members,” she said.

She also opened up about her first few nights behind bars, claiming she almost gave up, not just on her political career, but on life itself.

“That night I just, I actually gave up, I stopped eating … I just gave up” she said.

“They put me into the hospital ward at the prison when I was taken there the next day after the night in the watch house, and then I was processed and having that picture taken.

Hanson said her past experiences were what had made her into the woman and political leader she has now become.

“Don’t keep living in the past that’s gone, acknowledge what’s happened, and move on with your life,” she told the audience.

“And I think that’s what I’ve done also with my life, stuck with my principles, what I believe in, what I want to accomplish.

“And I think we’ve all had our ups and downs in our lives, we really have, if you look at it, but you stand up tall and straight, and as I just say to everyone, put yourself up on a pedestal.

“The only one that can pull you down is yourself - only you.

“It’s your friends and your loved ones, the people that really care about you. Listen to their advice, listen to them, and the rest of them - put them to the sideline.

“Just do what makes you happy. Don’t let it get into your head worrying about what other people might say and do about you.”

Asked if she had a piece of advice that she would tell herself as a 10-year-old, Hanson had a simple response.

“Don’t get married at 16,” she said.

https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/hanson-opens-up-on-domestic-violence-prison-and-racism-claims-20260611-p6063h.html

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‘Simply wrong’: former Queensland premier says Hanson was not jailed in a ‘witch hunt’

Rob Harris - June 11, 2026

Former Queensland premier Peter Beattie has rejected Pauline Hanson’s claim that changes to his state’s electoral laws two decades ago were designed to target her, insisting the reforms were designed to combat electoral fraud within the Labor Party following a major corruption scandal.

Hanson on Thursday accused Beattie and newly elected Liberal Party president Tony Abbott of orchestrating a “political witch hunt” that led to her 11-week imprisonment for electoral fraud in 2003, a conviction later quashed on appeal.

Speaking at a business function in Perth, the One Nation founder alleged Beattie had changed Queensland laws before her trial, increasing the maximum penalty from six months’ jail or a fine to seven years’ imprisonment.

“It was a political witch hunt, because prior to my trial, Peter Beattie changed the laws in Queensland from a six-month jail term or a fine to seven years retrospective,” Hanson said, fighting back tears at times.

She said Abbott had set up a controversial $100,000 slush fund to underwrite a legal bid to deregister One Nation in the lead-up to the 1998 federal election.

“It was a very hard time for my children,” Hanson said. “The kids didn’t have their fathers at that time. I was the only one that they had and so I was their whole life. And through politics, they’ve had to wear so much. But you know what they said to me the other day? They said ‘Mum, it hasn’t been easy, but you’ve taught us resilience, to be independent, to stand on our own two feet, and for that we thank you.’ ”

In separate remarks in Perth, Hanson revealed she was abused by a former partner.

“I won’t go into detail, but I had domestic violence as well,” she said of a relationship in her past. “I’ve had a couple of relationships but I’ve never married again.”

But Beattie said Hanson’s account was “simply wrong”, arguing the reforms were driven by recommendations from the Shepherdson Inquiry into electoral fraud and branch-stacking within the Queensland ALP.

“The law change had nothing to do with Pauline Hanson,” Beattie said. “The irony of her claim is that the ALP rorters hated me for the rest of my time in office and no doubt still do.”

Beattie his government had been re-elected on a platform of cleaning up electoral fraud and the law changes delivered on an election commitment.

“The reforms were a response to the independent Shepherdson Inquiry and my desire to stamp out electoral fraud in the ALP. They were electoral integrity measures and nothing to do with Pauline Hanson.”

The Shepherdson Inquiry exposed widespread branch-stacking and electoral enrolment fraud within Labor ranks, triggering a major political crisis for the Beattie government.

Several MPs were found guilty of electoral rorts, while deputy premier Jim Elder resigned to fight charges, and a number of party members were expelled from the ALP as a result.

Among the allegations a state MP had told “war stories” about having nine people enrolled at his unit in the 1980s, and claimed that a federal Labor Party figure – whose name was suppressed – had a dozen people enrolled at his house in the 1970s.

“I don’t deny that I was a fierce critic of Pauline Hanson’s policies at the time and strongly opposed her politically,” Beattie said. “I actively worked against One Nation, as I did against ALP rorters … [but] the law changes were to deal with ALP electoral fraud and nothing to do with Pauline Hanson or Tony Abbott.”

Abbott has since said he was sorry that Hanson went to jail, but has stood by his efforts to expose the “shenanigans” within One Nation.

“Between Pauline and myself there has been a lot of dirty water under the bridge, but her willingness to let the past be the past is a sign of decency which is all too rare these days in our public life,” Abbott said in 2018 when launching her book Pauline, In Her Own Words.

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/simply-wrong-former-queensland-premier-says-hanson-was-not-jailed-in-a-witch-hunt-20260611-p6062o.html

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One Nation has received almost 1200 expressions of interest from people ages 19-94 who want to stand for the party in the upcoming Victorian state election.

“All I see in this state, what’s happened, is the corruption, the gangs on the streets, the crime that’s happening, the break-ins, the carjacking. There’s no respect for authority and then our court system does nothing about it. You’ve got a waste of taxpayers dollars here.”

The event will cap off a fundraising blitz for One Nation, and follows earlier protests outside other One Nation fundraisers in Perth.

Groups such as No Room for Racism, the Victorian Socialists, and Free Palestine Melbourne had planned to gather near the original fundraiser venue “to drive Hanson out”. Online, some far-right figures had spoken of sending their own groups to defend the event.

A late gatecrasher did manage to make it to the new location. Protesters beating drums and chanting as the event got into full swing suddenly swarmed three neo-Nazis arriving outside the venue.

When asked by this masthead why he had arrived, neo-Nazi Michael “Mickle” Nelson said: “I’m here supporting One Nation, yes. Australia for the White Man!”

Nelson and two other members of the now outlawed National Socialist Network were quickly rounded up and marched away by police as protesters rushed at them, screaming for officers to arrest the “Nazi scum”.

Nelson later reappeared, right near the venue entrance as guests were leaving, but was quickly handcuffed and marched away by police. Police at the scene would not say why he was arrested, but Victoria Police has been contacted for comment.

By then, Hanson herself had made a discreet backdoor exit, avoiding the loud protest outside.

The fundraiser was billed as an “exclusive evening … and networking event” with One Nation’s senior leadership, bringing together “business leaders, community figures and supporters seeking a stronger direction for Victoria”. It was organised by Virginia Gibson and her son Ben, with George Mirabella. Gibson is the granddaughter of former prime minister Joseph Lyons.

Joyce told a radio station earlier in the day his party members wanted to be able to walk the streets “unmolested” by the left, who he accused of trying to infringe on the parliamentarians’ rights.

“This is the home of AFL and seminal to that is our right and our freedom to have our political discussion. And if we haven’t got that, we’re losing what Australia is,” he said. “It’s ridiculous. If Carlton supporters can walk around with Collingwood supporters and both go to a pub and have a talk to Essendon supporters, then why can’t we have a political event in Melbourne?”

Moonee Valley City Mayor Rose Iser said she was glad the event did not go ahead in Moonee Ponds. “Moonee Valley has welcomed generations of immigrants from the horrors of wars in Europe, Asia and Africa to give their kids and grandkids a peaceful Australian way of life,” she said.

“I welcome the business owners seeing sense and that this particular brand of hate and division is not welcome in Moonee Ponds or Moonee Valley.”

Melbourne has a particular history of protesting against One Nation. Tens of thousands of people flooded Treasury Gardens in 1996 when Hanson was first elected to federal parliament, to stand against the Queensland senator’s anti-immigration rhetoric – including her infamous declaration that Australia was being “swamped by Asians”.

When Hanson formally launched the One Nation party at Dandenong Town Hall in 1997, protests outside the venue turned violent, as demonstrators hurled rotten fruit and bottles at party supporters and clashed with police.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/melbourne-venue-cancels-one-nation-fundraiser-after-protest-threats-20260612-p6069j.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlgI7SmyEuQ

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>>24676920

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>>24704096

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‘We’re no Nazis’: Hanson, Joyce met by protesters, police at One Nation event

Pauline Hanson has declared she will work with the Victorian Coalition to remove “toxic” Labor as chaos erupted outside her $2000-a-head Melbourne fundraiser with a prominent neo-Nazi pinned down by police

Ryan Bourke - June 13, 2026

Chaos broke out at a One Nation Melbourne fundraiser on Friday night as a prominent neo-Nazi was pinned to the ground by police.

“Hail Pauline Hanson,” Michael Nelson yelled as officers cuffed his hands behind his back outside the South Melbourne venue.

He added: “The great white hope.”

Nelson accused police of arresting him for supporting Hanson.

But police on Saturday confirmed no-one was “arrested” during the chaotic scenes.

“A 22-year-old man was given a direction to move on,” a police spokeswoman said.

Police had a highly visible presence at Canvas House, where scores of people holding banners and playing drums lined the street to protest against the One Nation leader.

Protesters cried chants of “shame” as Ms Hanson and former Nationals leader turned One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce made their way inside.

One protester yelled “Die, Pauline” while another labelled her a “Nazi”.

With protesters refusing to disperse, Ms Hanson was forced to make a backdoor exit alongside Mr Joyce just before 10pm, leaving the venue through an alleyway.

Despite attempts to track her departure with a drone, Ms Hanson and her family were able to escape.

It came after a last minute venue change for the $2000-a-head meet and greet with the One Nation leader.

The fundraiser was originally slated to kick off at Casa Giorgio in Moonee Ponds at 6.30pm but was moved because of safety concerns.

“Due to the safety of our community, the event at Casa Giorgio has been cancelled,” a notice on the venue read.

“We appreciate your understanding, the venue will reopen on Sunday, 14th June.”

The fundraiser was moved to Canvas House, where Ms Hanson arrived to a mixed reception, with supporters treating her like a rock star inside but with angry protesters outside.

The new venue was adorned with orange balloons, with dozens of police officers creating a human barrier between Ms Hanson and her supporters.

Ms Hanson told her supporters she was willing to work with the Victorian Coalition if needed, just to oust “toxic” Labor.

“People have had enough,” she said. “And we’re here to help them.”

Speaking on stage Ms Hanson said she was ready to work with the Victorian Liberal Party if she couldn’t form government in her own right.

“I will work with the Coalition government because it’s Labor who needs to go,” she said. “It’s toxic”.

Ms Hanson and Mr Joyce condemned those who had triggered the event’s switch.

“We’re no Nazis, that’s just crap,” Mr Joyce said.

Ms Hanson, who was wearing a dark blue velvet pant suit, added that she worried about the safety of supporters who would encounter the demonstrators on the way in.

“This has happened for many years and it’s a shame,” she said.

Mr Joyce told the Herald Sun that Victoria was “the next battleground”.

Asked what she made of Premier Jacinta Allan, Ms Hanson said: “I think the people will have their say at the next election.”

She added: “The momentum has changed and they want to see a new government. I think their (Labor’s) time is up”.

It’s understood Melbourne billionaire Adrian Portelli and senior Liberal Colleen Harkin were invited to the event.

The soiree capped off the most successful week of fundraising in the party’s history, with $5m raised by Friday night through its “fire the liar” campaign, targeting Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Labor.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/protest-threats-force-melbourne-venue-to-cancel-one-nation-fundraiser/news-story/9166f3868b3980e43e1365202403f0f4

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>>24673274

Jewish leaders demand action over ‘anti-zio’ bans in sharehouse ads

PHOEBE GRIFFITHS - June 11, 2026

Sharehouse advertisements on a Melbourne flatmates Facebook group have adopted the words “no zios” or “anti-zio”, short for anti-Zionist, as part of a list of household requirements – right next to “looking for someone … friendly, clean and socially warm”.

Many of them included “no zios etc” in the same way other users added “no couples” or “no pets” at the bottom of the listing.

“Absolutely staunchly no Zionists, or recovering Zionists,” one of the posts said in the Fairy Floss Real Estate Facebook group.

“Acab, queer friendly, zio free etc pls,” said another.

“Interests: tea, rice, beans … clean kitchen benches … music, poetry. Dislikes: Zio scum, fascists, Vic Pol, Islamophobes, Zio apologists, gas industry lobbyists.

“No swerfs/terfs/Zionists/cops etc thanks very much.”

The emergence of the “no zio” posts represents a new front in Australia’s post-October 7 antisemitism crisis, which has exploded into hostile attacks on members of the Jewish community.

It also comes after the establishment of the Antisemitism and Social Cohesion Royal Commission and Social Cohesion in response to the Bondi terrorist attack in December.

A final report by Commissioner Virginia Bell is due by the end of the year.

Anti-Defamation Commission chair Dvir Abramovich said Jewish people looking for a sharehouse are being turned away by three letters – “zio”.

“The same exile, the same smiling cruelty, the same little word doing the work the old slurs used to do. Strip off the disguise and the message is naked: No Jews. Not here. Not ever,” Dr Abramovich said.

“Let no one pretend ‘zio’ is politics. It is a slur, popularised by Klan leader David Duke, a code word for ‘Jew’ dressed up for a younger crowd.

“And here is the obscenity of it: the people writing these ads call themselves anti-racist in the very same breath. Their compassion comes with a blacklist, and every name on that list is a Jew.”

Fairy Floss Real Estate is a popular Facebook group with almost 500,000 members.

It was created by online platform Snug and allows users to list available rooms in a sharehouse, advertise lease transfers or help people find a housemate before applying for rentals.

A Jewish man in his 20s, who did not wish to be named, came across the Facebook posts when he was looking for a room in Melbourne.

“I was shocked by how openly and shamelessly I was being excluded because of who I am. Being Jewish and Israeli is not a choice, it is part of who I am,” he said.

“Yet the alias ‘zio’ is increasingly being used to dehumanise and exclude people like me. It is an isolating and painful experience. It sends the message that discrimination against Jews and Israelis is considered acceptable in circumstances where similar prejudice directed at other communities would rightly be condemned.”

Dr Abramovich said history has “seen placards like this before”.

“The decade was the 1930s. The only difference now is the love-hearts and the emojis,” he said.

Another Jewish person, who also did not want to be named, said while they do not consider themself a Zionist, they found the posts offensive to all Jewish people.

The Australian reached out to a number of Facebook users who included “no zio” in their posts, but did not receive a reply.

A spokesperson from Snug thanked The Australian for bringing the matter to their attention and said the remarks “directly violate our established core policies”.

“Fairy Floss Real Estate is committed to providing a safe, inclusive and welcoming community for people seeking residential accommodation,” the spokesperson said. “We have a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination, harassment, and offensive or abusive language of any kind.

“The FFRE group generates over a thousand listings and comments every week. Moderators are volunteers, and where moderators are notified of an issue, we endeavour to take immediate and decisive action to address it including … immediate content audit and removal, members’ account actions and enhanced supervision and moderation.

“Because FFRE relies heavily on voluntary moderation and activity moves quickly – often outside daytime hours – we recognise the challenges of monitoring every post. We are immediately reinforcing our FFRE Community Moderation Policy with our volunteer and internal moderation teams to actively monitor for this language.”

Dr Abramovich said he is calling on the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission to investigate, and on Consumer Affairs Victoria to act, as well as urging Meta to take down the ads.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/victoria/jewish-leaders-demand-action-over-antizio-bans-in-sharehouse-ads/news-story/b723ed6b9991f00402b897382cd9b078

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>>24643186

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>>24649818

Man charged with threatening royal commission witness, possessing illegal weapons

JAMES DOWLING and BIMINI PLESSER - June 12, 2026

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A Northern Rivers neo-Nazi who protested against the “Jewish lobby” outside NSW parliament as a member of the National Socialist Network has been arrested for allegedly sending a series of threatening emails to a witness in the antisemitism royal commission.

Woodburn gym owner and former NSN member Gavin Begbie was hit with eight criminal charges on Thursday after he allegedly sent a series of threatening emails to a witness in the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion.

The NSN was earlier this year disbanded under federal hate laws.

The Australian can reveal Mr Begbie, 59, attended an infamous neo-Nazi rally in November where senior NSN members Jack Eltis and Joel Davis led dozens of men clad in black in chants of “blood and honour” in front of a banner reading “abolish the Jewish lobby”.

The Australian last month reported that Mr Begbie shared news of the NSN’s proscription as a designated hate group in a chat group on an encrypted messaging service, before quickly deleting the post.

Mr Begbie allegedly sent three offensive emails to the witness, which were reported to Australian Federal Police’s National Security Investigations team last month.

Police executed a search warrant at a property in Woodburn, on the NSW far north coast, on Thursday, allegedly seizing right-wing literature, instructions on how to make explosives, electronic devices and two prohibited weapons — a knife and a whip.

Photos from the AFP raid showed Mr Begbie allegedly had copies of an infamous neo-Nazi flyer calling for “the building of a physical and politicised white Australian community”.

Far-right groups across Australia have used the flyer in recruitment campaigns for years. In 2022, copies were found plastered across Melbourne suburbs and in community libraries, sparking concern in the local Jewish community.

Mr Begbie was later charged with four counts of using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend, one count of intimidating a witness, two counts of possessing a prohibited weapon in breach of a weapons prohibition order, and one count of refusing to grant police access to his devices.

He faces up to 10 years imprisonment over the weapons and access refusal charges.

Mr Begbie did not apply for bail on Friday and will remain behind bars until his next appearance at Lismore Local Court on August 12.

(continued)

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AFP counter-terror assistant commissioner Peter Crozier said threats, even if made online, carried real-life consequences including jail time.

“The royal commission was established in response to acts of hatred and intolerance directed at members of our community. Any continued intimidation or incitement of violence against individuals who are providing evidence to this inquiry is wholly intolerable,” Mr Crozier said.

“Using violence, threats or intimidation towards a witness in any proceeding, including before a royal commission, undermines important processes.

“People who believe they can threaten or harass people appearing before royal commissions, or before any sector of the judicial system need to be aware the AFP has the resources and technology to find you and bring you before the courts.”

Royal commissioner Virginia Bell last month warned attempts to obstruct her inquiry would be treated as a felony, after receiving a tranche of online abuse against witnesses compiled by Jewish non-profit The Dor Foundation.

“We have received reports from a number of witnesses concerning a dramatic increase in online hate messages after they have given evidence. I should indicate that in one instance the matter has been referred to the Australian Federal Police for investigation,” she said.

“The commission is keeping a close eye on these instances and recording these offensive social media posts.

“Quite what this undiluted level of hatred and bigotry directed towards members of the Jewish community is thought to benefit by those who post these remarks is lost on me, but the commission has, as one of its principal objects, understanding and assessing the lived experience of antisemitism by members of the Jewish community, and it is being informed by conduct of this character.”

It comes after Killarney Heights man Ian Minus, 68, pleaded guilty to displaying a prohibited Nazi symbol when he sat outside the commission’s hearing building wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with a Nazi swastika.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke last month announced the National Socialist Network would be made a designated hate group after a months-long legal and intelligence process begun in the aftermath of the December 14 Bondi attack. Under the regime, supporters and participants in the NSN or any clear affiliate or derivative group face up to 15 years incarceration.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/man-charged-with-threatening-rc-witness-possessing-illegal-weapons/news-story/948c83012477f1a89acf3fc7f685ea4e

https://www.afp.gov.au/news-centre/media-release/nsw-man-charged-allegedly-sending-offensive-emails-witness

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>>24629102

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>>24704260

IBAC welcomes court ruling that unmasks UFU chief Peter Marshall as ‘Operation Richmond blocker’

DAMON JOHNSTON - June 12, 2026

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Victoria’s anti-corruption agency has hailed a court ruling unmasking Peter Marshall and the United Firefighters Union as the mystery parties trying to block the release of an eight-year investigation as a win for “transparency”.

In a strongly-worded statement after Victoria’s Court of Appeal rejected an appeal by Mr Marshall and the UFU to hide behind pseudonyms while they launch last-ditch legal action, IBAC said it remained committed to releasing the special report into Operation Richmond.

Operation Richmond, which started in 2018 and became a full blown anti-corruption inquiry in 2019, has dragged on for longer than World War II.

The investigation has been running under tight secrecy and while no public hearings were called, scores of witnesses – including then premier Daniel Andrews – were grilled in private by IBAC.

The investigation, sparked by a complaint from a Labor insider, has been digging into the 2016 pay-and-conditions negotiations between the Andrews government and the UFU and Mr Marshall.

“IBAC can now advise that the parties who commenced court proceedings against IBAC in relation to the publication of the Operation Richmond special report are the United Firefighters Union and its Secretary, Mr Peter Marshall,” an agency spokesperson said.

“The court’s decision (Friday) to uphold the refusal of a pseudonym order is in the public interest and supports the transparency Victorians deserve. We remain committed to the release of the special report, pending the resolution of court proceedings.”

Mr Marshall and the UFU were unmasked by Victoria’s highest court as the applicants taking legal action to block the release of Operation Richmond, a major anti-corruption investigation that has been running since 2018.

Chief Justice Richard Niall, in dismissing the appeal on Friday, said; “It is the decision of this court no error has been found. Indeed, her honour’s decision was correct.”

Justice Niall dismissed Mr Marshall’s appeal against a decision by Supreme Court Justice Claire Harris, who last month refused to grant permanent pseudonym orders to the two parties challenging the publication of IBAC’s Operation Richmond report.

Mr Marshall and the UFU are attempting to prevent the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission from tabling its Operation Richmond special report in parliament.

The ruling means the applicants can no longer rely on the anonymity orders that had temporarily shielded them while they pursued their appeal.

Mr Marshall declined to comment when contacted by The Australian after the Court of Appeal ruling. But in a written statement, the veteran union chief — a key witness in Operation Richmond — said he and the UFU had commenced legal action in the Supreme Court alleging that the “so-called Operation Richmond” was “unlawful for various reasons”.

“Pseudonyms have often been given in the past to persons challenging the legality of IBAC’s conduct,” Mr Marshall stated.

“However, the Supreme Court held that a differentiating factor in the present case is that ‘there is a significant amount of information in the public domain about Operation Richmond’.”

Mr Marshall said he and the union had been “restricted at law from commenting on Operation Richmond” as the “examinations were in private” and “confidentiality notices were issued”. “The law still prohibits us from commenting on what is in the report and what it may say about us or anyone else,” he stated.

“Yet, while we have not been able to talk about these things, there has been a consistent and sustained flow of information to the media. We will make a further statement, when we can.”

(continued)

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After a short adjournment after the ruling on Friday, Paul Holdenson, KC, appearing for Mr Marshall and the Union, confirmed his clients would not appeal the decision.

Pressed by reporters outside court, Mr Holdenson refused to identify his clients.

“I cannot tell you (who they are). I’ve been instructed not to,” Mr Holdenson said.

Liberal MP and shadow attorney-general James Newbury called on IBAC to be armed with new powers to fast-track the release of special anti-corruption reports.

“Enough is enough — the Liberals and Nationals are going to end the cover-ups in Victoria,” he said.

“We are seeing outrageous examples where our chief integrity agency cannot table important corruption-based reports. Why? Because of applications that do a ring-around the courts to delay the tabling, to stop the public knowing the types of activity occurring in this state.

“Next week we will move a new legislative requirement which allows IBAC to table their reports fast. It will be a test for the Labor Party — do they want to allow IBAC to table those reports?

“The state government will have a way to step into any court process and say to the court: ‘We are required by law to see these reports tabled’.”

Premier Jacinta Allan has backed the release of Operation Richmond.

“I want to be very clear, this is a matter for the independent authority and that is IBAC,” Ms Allan said after the latest legal action was launched by Mr Marshall and the UFU.

“The government is not a party to this matter and has no involvement in these proceedings.

“I think it’s very important that the report is released, but that’s a matter for IBAC.”

Media lawyer Justin Quill, from Thomsons, said the case was unlike anything he had encountered.

“I’ve never seen someone in the Court of Appeal trying to block the release of their names while also trying to block parliament trying to find out something. It’s quite extraordinary … it’s secrecy on secrecy,” he said.

“This is a report for an investigation that started nine years ago about events that happened 10 years ago. We have gone through two state elections and the Victorian public haven’t been entitled to know until now who is trying to block this report.” The court ordered Mr Marshall and the union to pay court costs.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/court-unmasks-ufu-chief-peter-marshall-as-ibac-blocker/news-story/f9b7a692349f27584708c9838db9a0f7

https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/courts-law/court-rejects-secrecy-bid-over-victorian-corruption-watchdogs-report/news-story/92315f9cb14d31eb6797ca9147e29392

https://www.ibac.vic.gov.au/IBAC-statement-appeal-court

https://www.supremecourt.vic.gov.au/areas/case-summaries/about-decisions

https://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdb/au/cases/vic/VSCA/

https://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/cases/vic/VSCA/2026/139.html

https://x.com/LawLibraryVic/status/2065241017859645813

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>>24711684

COMMENT: 168 days to polls; Victorians deserve to see Operation Richmond before they vote

DAMON JOHNSTON - June 12, 2026

There are 168 days until the Victorian election.

In a fixed four-year political cycle, that’s not very long.

But hopefully it’s long enough for Victorians to have the opportunity to read the findings of the most consequential anti-corruption investigation launched by IBAC before they vote.

Two elections – 2018 and 2022 – have come and gone since the events at the centre of IBAC’s Operation Richmond unfolded a decade ago.

A quick recap:

In 2016, the Andrews government and the Peter Marshall-led United Firefighters Union were locked in a toxic pay-and-conditions dispute, and the UFU was also pushing to grab effective operational control of the volunteer Country Fire Authority.

Labor’s emergency services minister Jane Garrett thought it was a bad deal that was going to cost the Victorian budget hundreds of millions of dollars and smash the CFA.

Garrett opposed the deal. Premier Daniel Andrews sidelined her. Met with Marshall and handed over pretty much everything the UFU wanted. Garrett resigned.

A Labor figure was so disturbed with what went on they lodged a complaint with IBAC in 2018. By the middle of the following year, a full-blown anti-corruption investigation was launched and raids started. Secret hearings followed. Marshall and Andrews were among witnesses grilled in private by IBAC.

On Friday, in a rare and welcome win for transparency in this state, Victoria’s highest court, the Court of Appeal, dismissed Marshall’s attempt to hide behind a pseudonym in a last ditch legal bid he and his union have launched to block the release of Operation Richmond.

The Victorian Supreme Court will this month hear Marshall’s substantive case to have the IBAC investigation declared unlawful. Even if he loses, Marshall will almost certainly appeal this decision, further delaying the report’s tabling in parliament.

And if he loses in the Court of Appeal? There’s always the High Court. An earlier UFU legal scuffle over Richmond ended up there.

Waging lawfare is expensive. But it’s cheap if a union is paying for the lawyers. The hardworking firefighters of this state should be asking the leaders of their union if, in fact, it is in the interests of the rank-and-file for this to continue.

Despite Friday’s win, all of this points to a very real risk that Operation Richmond – which has already dragged on for longer World War II – won’t be released until after the November 28 election.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/168-days-to-polls-victorians-deserve-to-see-operation-richmond-before-they-vote/news-story/337ea0f1afef0272bf2523fc2679b043

‘No escape’: Mum of son abused by childcare worked David William James speaks of ‘horror and fear’

CLAREESE PACKER - June 12, 2026

WARNING: Distressing content

The mother of a child who was sexually abused by a childcare worker says she will “forever wonder” if her son was “trying to tell me something”.

In a harrowing victim impact statement read on her behalf in the NSW District Court on Friday, the woman detailed the “horror and fear” she felt when she discovered her son was a victim.

David William James admitted to a raft of child abuse offences against children aged as young as five at out-of-school hours (OOSH) care centres across Sydney between 2021 and 2024.

The 26-year-old pleaded guilty to 11 charges last December, including using a child under 14 to make child abuse material, filming a sexual act with a child under the age of 16 for abuse material, and possessing and producing child abuse material.

The mother of one of James’ victims told the court that every day was now filled with triggers and reminders that she “can’t escape from”, with the woman wanting to scream “children are not safe” when she sees OOSH staff now.

“There is no escape or way to move forward,” her victim impact statement, read to the court on her behalf, stated.

“I wonder if my son will recall something someday and what this will do to him.

“My son was innocent, he was a little boy who deserved to feel safe.

“(I will) forever wonder if he was trying to tell me something more at the time and I misread the signs.”

She and her husband now finish work early every day to pick their son up and take time off on school holidays to care for him.

The woman also spoke of how school camps and swimming lessons were now “weighted with what could happen”, and of how she feels responsible for James’ actions.

“What is worse than knowing what this man has done is feeling responsible for his actions,” she said.

“The guilt you feel in leaving (your children) to go to work is only eased by assuring yourself that they are safe … Mr James’s actions has stolen this from me.”

She wrote of the “surreal” moment the Australian Federal Police had asked her to identify articles of clothing in a photograph that belonged to her son and how the police were unable to give her any further information about the abuse until a non-publication order had been lifted.

“(There was a) mix of horror and fear when we were finally informed of what Mr James had done,” the woman said.

She said she woke up most nights wondering if the abuse identified by the police was “really all that happened”.

James, who was beamed into the courtroom via an audiovisual link from custody, did not react as the statement was read out.

Parents of his victims also dialled in online for the hearing.

The court was told James was a probationary constable in the NSW Police Force at the time of some of his offending.

He had written a letter of apology, was remorseful for his actions, and open to treatment, the court was told.

James will be sentenced on July 2.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/breaking-news/no-escape-mum-of-son-abused-by-childcare-worked-david-william-james-speaks-of-horror-and-fear/news-story/ff822a4b9df3d2c95032b1829d54e6b2

—

Revealed: Former Knox student allegedly made videos at childcare centres - August 01, 2025

https://archive.vn/vHdei#23419003

Childcare worker, former Knox student David William James charged with producing child abuse material - 4 December 2025

https://archive.vn/4OWXq

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Justice Bond said the appeal bid understated the harm caused by Griffith’s offending and overstated the mitigation value of his cooperation, which occurred in the face of an overwhelming case due in part to him recording the revolting abuse.

“The applicant has created a widening gyre of grave hurt and trauma,” he said

“At the centre and most directly affected were his child victims. His role was to care for them. Rather than do so, he chose time and time again to offend against them.”

“Further out but no less directly affected were the parents of his victims.

“The applicant betrayed the trust which they placed in him, leaving them suffering from undeserved but understandable guilt for having trusted him.

“His conduct has corroded trust in childcare institutions and inevitably wounded the people who once worked alongside him.”

“It must be denounced in the strongest terms. It deserves condign punishment. It calls for a sentence with a very significant deterrent effect.”

Griffith was stopped in August 2022 when he was arrested following an Australian Federal Police investigation.

A harrowing two-day sentencing in Brisbane District Court in 2024 heard 65 Queensland children and four kids from overseas fell prey to the now 48-year-old, who hunted the defenceless victims in numerous childcare centres.

But the fight for justice among alleged victims is not over.

A NSW estimates hearing earlier in the year was told Griffith’s appeal must conclude before he is extradited south to face more than 100 charges.

The mother of a victim said her heart went out to those in NSW waiting for their day in court.

“So we hope that he is moved to New South Wales as quickly as possible,” she said.

“We can only think that for the victims down there they need to start this process.”

The woman thanked AFP investigator Doug and Crown prosecutor Stephanie Gallagher for their support.

She said the appeal had been a gruelling process.

“It cuts very deep to try and hear someone argue that rape is not violent, because any rape, any rape of a three-year-old is violent, regardless of whether they’ve left physical injury,” she said.

https://www.couriermail.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts-qld/court-denies-child-sex-offender-ashley-paul-griffiths-bid-to-cut-jail-time/news-story/d0547d833e661877d56e2e86ea9ace2d

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2CDPX5vsiE

https://www.sclqld.org.au/caselaw/162616

https://archive.sclqld.org.au/qjudgment/2026/QCA26-111.pdf

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>>24704389

Experts demand inquest for ex-prince Andrew accuser Virginia Giuffre

9News Staff - June 11, 2026

More than a dozen women’s safety advocates have written to the West Australian coroner calling for an inquest into the death of Virginia Giuffre.

They claim the 41-year-old accuser of paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein and former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor deserves an inquiry into what led to her taking her life.

Giuffre’s family says her death by suicide at her rural WA home leaves questions that need to be answered.

Experts say those answers will only come from an inquest.

Advocate Alison Evans joined 15 other women’s safety champions from around Australia in writing to the coroner today, calling for a public hearing.

“It would be a profound injustice if the question of whether systems failed her in her final months were not examined with equivalent rigour,” they wrote.

The letter referred to Giuffre’s courageous pursuit of accountability as a victim of Epstein’s sex-trafficking operation.

“A coronial review is such a critical opportunity to better understand where there may have been any systems failures or gaps,” Evans told 9News.

WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch said it was up to the coroner.

“It’s at the coroner’s discretion to always call a coronial inquest if they see fit and police always support a coroner in those,” he said.

The WA Coroner’s Court says a decision on an inquest will be made once the police investigation is complete and following consultation with Virginia Giuffre’s next of kin.

https://www.nine.com.au/australia-news/wa/virginia-giuffre-womens-safety-advocates-call-for-inquest-into-former-prince-andrew-accuser-death-20260611-p6064p.html

https://cevaw.org/open-letter-inquest-into-the-death-of-virginia-giuffre/