Three Nationals frontbenchers resign after breaking ranks to oppose hate speech laws
Tom McIlroy
The opposition leader, Sussan Ley, has accepted the resignation of three Nationals MPs over their decision to split with shadow cabinet on Labor’s hate speech bill.
Bridget McKenzie, Ross Caddell and Susan McDonald will all move to the backbench after voting against the legislation on Tuesday night, the latest in a series of high profile departures under Ley and Nationals leader, David Littleproud.
Convention requires frontbenchers to vote in line with shadow cabinet’s decision or resign their role on the frontbench.
“Senator Bridget McKenzie, Senator Susan McDonald and Senator Ross Cadell have each offered their resignations from the Shadow Cabinet, as is appropriate, and I have accepted them,” Ley said in a statement.
“All three Senators have written to me confirming that they “remain ready to continue serving the Coalition in whatever capacity you consider appropriate …”
“I have asked each to continue serving in our Coalition team, across their various parliamentary and committee duties, but from outside the Shadow Cabinet.”
Littleproud will nominate new members to fill the vacancies in shadow cabinet.
“Maintaining a strong and functioning Coalition is in the national interest,” Ley said.
“The Coalition exists to serve the Australian people. But shadow cabinet solidarity is not optional. It is the foundation of serious opposition and credible government.”
Opposition leader, Sussan Ley has accepted the resignation of three Nationals frontbenchers after they broke ranks to oppose hate speech laws. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAPShare
Updated at 23.40 EST
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NSW housing completions hit five-year high: ABS
NSW has recorded its highest housing completion numbers in five years, with 13,057 homes built from July to September 2025. This is the highest quarter for the state since March 2021.
The state is leading the nation, with more than 75,000 homes under construction. Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data shows housing completions in NSW are trending up by 37% in the September quarter compared to the June quarter.
The minister for planning and public space, Paul Scully, said:
In the last term for the Liberals and Nationals government, housing construction collapsed. We’re turning this around.
These figures are an encouraging sign that all the work the Minns Labor government has been doing to turn the planning system around and unlock more homes right across NSW is showing results.
These aren’t just numbers, they are real homes being delivered for the people of NSW. Each completion means a new key in a new door to help address the state’s housing challenges and give people the ability to choose the neighbourhoods they want to live in.
We know there’s still more work to be done, but more houses are being approved, and more houses are being built, and that’s welcome news.
Updated at 01.19 EST
Jordyn Beazley
Palestine group seeks authorised February march as NSW police narrow protest ban
The Palestine Action Group lodged a form 1 with police to carry out a protest in early February after the police commissioner confirmed protests would no longer be restricted on streets south of Hyde Park.
On Tuesday, police commissioner, Mal Lanyon, announced a 14-day extension to the declaration preventing the authorisation of protests under NSW’s form 1 system, but narrowed the area it covers in a bid to get “the balance right between community safety and a right to protest” ahead of Invasion Day.
The Palestine Action Group spokesperson, Josh Lees, said the group submitted a form 1 with the group Jews Against Occupation after the announcement was made. It proposes a march from Hyde Park to Belmore Park on 1 February.
Lees said:
That is a chance for us now to have an authorised protest, and for the thousands and thousands of people in this country to come out yet again peacefully, to express our opposition to the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Lanyon extended the restriction on protests for a third time, with the current one due to end on 4 February. Police were given the controversial power to restrict protests for up to 90 days after a terrorist attack in December after the Minns government rushed laws through parliament in the wake of the Bondi terror attack.
Updated at 01.09 EST
Jordyn Beazley
Jewish group accuses government of ‘Trumpian repression’ over hate laws
The Jewish Council of Australia has accused the Albanese government of a “Trumpian repression of our democratic rights” after the attorney general confirmed new hate group laws could theoretically impact groups who accuse Israel of genocide.
Appearing on ABC’s 7.30 program on Tuesday night, the attorney general, Michelle Rowland, confirmed a group could theoretically be banned under the new hate group legislation if it accused Israel of genocide and rejected its right to exist, and as a result, Jewish Australians felt harassed or intimidated.
But Rowland said other criteria, including breaching relevant state laws dealing with racial vilification, would also have to be met.
The Jewish Council of Australia’s statement, read by the Palestine Action Group spokesperson, Josh Lees, at a press conference on Wednesday, said:
“Not only does this indicate a move towards Trumpian repression of our democratic rights, it also represents an attempt to slander and intimidate hundreds of thousands of Australians who have been protesting against Israel’s genocide and egregious human rights abuses.
Lees said Rowland’s comments should be “deeply disturbing to everyone in this country”.
He said the “accusation that Israel has committed a genocide in Gaza is not a fringe position”, pointing to it being the opinion of genocide scholars and human rights organisations.
Lees said he did not take comfort in Rowland clarifying that a group would have to breach state laws dealing with racial vilification before it could be considered a “hate group”.
He said: “It seems very unclear to us, again, what that is going to mean in practice. And one of the scandalous things we see now is a very determined attempt to try to define criticism of Israel as racial vilification, which, of course, is absurd.”
Updated at 01.12 EST
Donna Lu
EPA waves through WA fracking project that may add up to 2.6% to Australia’s emissions
A controversial fracking proposal in Western Australia’s Kimberley region has been recommended for approval by the state’s Environmental Protection Authority, a move criticised as “outrageous” over the project’s potential climate pollution and environmental impacts.
The EPA on Tuesday recommended that the Valhalla project, which proposes to drill up to 20 gas wells in the Canning basin, proceed subject to certain conditions.
Bennett Resources, a subsidiary of US-based Black Mountain Energy, announced the fracking proposal – located about 123km south-east of the town of Derby – in 2020.
Bill Hare, a climate scientist and the chief executive of Climate Analytics, has estimated that Valhalla, “if developed as planned, would add 1.8–2.6% to Australia’s [greenhouse gas] emissions”.
Read more here:
ShareTom McIlroy
Nationals MP criticises rushed process around new hate speech laws
Nationals MP Susan McDonald has issued a statement about her decision to quit the shadow ministry, insisting she supports the intent of the legislation she voted against.
McDonald has criticised the rushed process of the new laws and moves to the backbench along with Bridget McKenzie and Ross Cadell.
“Today, Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has accepted my offer of resignation from her Shadow Cabinet.
“This follows a decision by the Nationals Party Room yesterday to not support the Government’s rushed Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Migration Laws) Bill 2026. I support both the intent of the legislation and the Coalition’s firm stance against antisemitism, hate and extremism.
“Serving as the Shadow Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, and the Shadow Cabinet under both Peter Dutton and Sussan Ley has been a privilege. I thank my leader David Littleproud for entrusting me to serve in this position.
“Australia’s wealth and prosperity is built on the backbone of our resources sector. The 1.1 million direct and indirect employees of this great industry work every day to build a better nation, and deliver the essential minerals and energy resources the world needs.
“Our northern border remains the front line against Australia’s enemies. The men and women of the North are built tough, and as a resident of Northern Australia, I know their challenges first hand.
“Securing the future of Northern Australia, and our resources’ wealth, requires careful planning and considered decision making.
“I remain committed to serving and delivering for Queenslanders.”
Nationals MP Susan McDonald has resigned from shadow cabinet after breaking ranks to oppose hate speech laws. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAPShare
Updated at 00.41 EST
Shares slump and gold hits records for third consecutive day in a row
Luca Ittimani
Australia’s share market is on track to fall for a third day in a row, following US markets downhill as international investors worry about Donald Trump’s Greenland gambit.
The benchmark S&P/ASX200 has lost about $36bn since Monday morning, falling from Friday’s close of 8,903 to sit at 8,781 points on Wednesday afternoon.
Commonwealth Bank shares have fallen over that period from $154.30 to $147.88, their lowest since Trump’s Liberation Day tariff announcement in April sent markets spiralling. Australia’s biggest company, once worth $319bn, is now worth $247bn.
Investors sold out of stocks overnight in the US, Europe and Asia as Trump’s war of words escalated with European leaders over his plans to annex Greenland.
Gold prices have hit records three days in a row as investors look for a safe haven, surpassing A$7,000 per ounce for the first time in history, with share prices rising for Australia’s miners as a result.
The Australian share market is on track to fall for a third day in a row, as international investors worry about Trump’s plans to annex Greenland. Photograph: Steven Markham/AAPShare
Updated at 23.42 EST
Three Nationals frontbenchers resign after breaking ranks to oppose hate speech lawsTom McIlroy
The opposition leader, Sussan Ley, has accepted the resignation of three Nationals MPs over their decision to split with shadow cabinet on Labor’s hate speech bill.
Bridget McKenzie, Ross Caddell and Susan McDonald will all move to the backbench after voting against the legislation on Tuesday night, the latest in a series of high profile departures under Ley and Nationals leader, David Littleproud.
Convention requires frontbenchers to vote in line with shadow cabinet’s decision or resign their role on the frontbench.
“Senator Bridget McKenzie, Senator Susan McDonald and Senator Ross Cadell have each offered their resignations from the Shadow Cabinet, as is appropriate, and I have accepted them,” Ley said in a statement.
“All three Senators have written to me confirming that they “remain ready to continue serving the Coalition in whatever capacity you consider appropriate …”
“I have asked each to continue serving in our Coalition team, across their various parliamentary and committee duties, but from outside the Shadow Cabinet.”
Littleproud will nominate new members to fill the vacancies in shadow cabinet.
“Maintaining a strong and functioning Coalition is in the national interest,” Ley said.
“The Coalition exists to serve the Australian people. But shadow cabinet solidarity is not optional. It is the foundation of serious opposition and credible government.”
Opposition leader, Sussan Ley has accepted the resignation of three Nationals frontbenchers after they broke ranks to oppose hate speech laws. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAPShare
Updated at 23.40 EST
Victoria police find man’s body after search for suspect in early morning stabbing
Victoria police said they discovered the body of a man after searching for a suspect in an early morning stabbing of a woman in the Melbourne suburb of Kew.
Officials said the woman, 18, was confronted by a man known to her at around 1am on Wednesday morning outside a home in Kew. She was allegedly stabbed, suffering what was initially believed to be life-threatening injuries. She was taken to hospital and is now in a stable condition.
Police received a triple zero call later that morning and later discovered the body of a man in Antwerp, Victoria, in the state’s west – more than four hours, or about 300kms, from Kew – around 6.15am this morning.
Detectives are continuing their investigations into the incident, but are not looking for anyone else in relation to the alleged attack.
The death of the man is not being treated as suspicious.
Updated at 22.51 EST
Donna Lu
Extreme temperatures recorded in Western Australia
Large parts of Western Australia are experiencing severe to extreme heatwave conditions, with temperatures in the high 40s recorded on Tuesday.
A January heat record was broken at Shark Bay airport, near the popular tourist destination of Monkey Mia. The observation station recorded a temperature of 49.2C at 3.45pm AWST on Tuesday, a Bureau of Meteorology spokesperson said. The maximum was over 2C higher than the previous record, which was set in January 2015.
The BoM spokesperson said:
Across the Gascoyne and Pilbara region, temperatures were slightly below those observed in other extreme heat events in recent years. However, they are exceptional against historical records, being 12 to 16C above the January average.
The spokesperson added that Geraldton airport, which recorded a temperature of 47.1C, was also notable – that maximum is the equal fourth hottest ever recorded in January.
ShareFuture of rogue Nationals a test of Ley’s leadership, Watt says
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Sussan Ley’s call on whether to sack three Nationals frontbenchers who broke ranks to oppose hate speech laws is a major test of her leadership, according to the senior Labor minister Murray Watt.
Watt said Ley and the Nationals leader, David Littleproud, must come out of “hiding” to explain the fate of Bridget McKenzie, Susan McDonald and Ross Cadell after the trio crossed the floor on Tuesday night.
The three Nationals frontbenchers are prepared to quit the frontbench but are leaving the decision up to Ley. Fronting reporters in Parliament House, the environment minister said:
It’s clearly a test of Sussan Ley’s leadership and David Littleproud’s leadership, whether they are prepared to see shadow ministers thumb their noses at shadow cabinet decisions.
If the Australian people can’t have confidence in the alternative government of Australia being able to reach a decision and stick to it, then they’ve got no ability to serve the Australian people.
Updated at 22.31 EST
Anne Davies
New debris balls on Sydney beaches after revelation of huge fatberg stuck in treatment plant
Debris balls have washed up on Sydney’s beaches after a weekend of heavy rain, with the objects found on Malabar beach next to a sewage treatment works and also in Botany Bay.
Sydney Water erected a sign at Malabar beach warning of the potential pollution.
Signage and debris balls on the beach at Malabar. Photograph: Anne Davies/The Guardian
“This area may be affected by sewage debris balls,” the sign states. “Please do not touch any debris. We are cleaning the area and apologise for any inconvenience.”
On Tuesday evening, there were more than a dozen black and grey blobs among other beach debris. When broken open, they had a foul smell. There were also smaller, grey balls.
Read more here:
Tasmania deploys more firefighters to Victoria to help after bushfires
Tasmania’s fire service has now deployed 51 personnel and 10 vehicles to help Victoria after a raft of bushfires spread across the state earlier this month.
More highly-trained firefighters left today for Victoria, en route to support those working on the Mallee, Walwa and Otway fires.
The fire service said the teams would assist with ongoing firefighting activities, adding Tasmania was doing its part to help the national effort. Matt Lowe, the deputy chief officer of the Tasmania fire service, said in a statement:
The purpose of this deployment is twofold. We send crews over and that’s reciprocated when we get busy, as we saw last year with the west coast fires.
But also it’s a valuable time for our people to obtain skills and to work with other agencies, so that they can bring back that knowledge and those skills and apply it in their own state.
The majority of fires in Victoria are now in [the] mop-up and clean-up stage, but they are conscious that with the upcoming fire weather in Victoria, with significant heat and wind coming, they may get new starts which our people can then be redeployed to.
Aftermath of the bushfires at Harcourt, Victoria. Photograph: Ellen Smith/The GuardianShare
Updated at 21.48 EST
Joe Hinchliffe
‘Shattered’ parents of Canadian backpacker found dead on K’gari island mourn adventurous daughter
“I’m 18, and you can’t stop me!” Piper James told her father before she set off backpacking on the other side of the Pacific Ocean – but the young Canadian woman’s trip to Australia ended in tragedy and trauma.
Early on Monday, the now 19-year-old was found dead on a beach on the world heritage-listed sand island and tourist destination of K’gari off the Queensland coast, surrounded by a pack of dingoes near the Maheno shipwreck.
A supplied undated photo of Piper James. Photograph: Todd James/PR IMAGE
A postmortem into her death was to begin on Wednesday, with Queensland police saying a coroner would examine whether she drowned in dangerous waters off the island’s eastern beaches or was killed by the wild canids – as well as other “potential possibilities”.
Read more here:
Updated at 21.26 EST
Aurora australis lights up night sky
Some photos have filtered through of last night’s appearance of the aurora australia, or southern lights, following a major solar storm.
The display was seen across large parts of southern Australia and New Zealand last night.
Two women with a dog are seen taking a selfie with the southern lights at Werribee South Beach, Victoria. Photograph: Ye Myo Khant/SOPA Images/ShutterstockThe aurora australis glows on the horizon over the waters of Lake Ellesmere on the outskirts of Christchurch, New Zealand. Photograph: Sanka Vidanagama/NurPhoto/ShutterstockPeople watching the southern lights at Werribee South Beach. Photograph: Ye Myo Khant/SOPA Images/ShutterstockShare