User Articles

The teal deal: Rise of independents isn’t over yet

Australians are rejecting the old two-party political system and independents will continue to flourish, the millionaire activist backing teal candidates says. Climate 200 founder Simon Holmes a Court said some candidates it backed missed their expectations at the federal election, but Labor and the coalition should remain nervous. The political funding group supported 35 “community candidates” at the May 3 election, according to its website, including high-profile teal MPs Zoe Daniel, Monique Ryan, Sophie Scamps and Allegra Spender.

AAP Newswire

Government

Labor ushers in new MPs

Anthony Albanese has warned Labor MPs not to let the government’s dominant election victory go to their heads as fresh faces joined the party room. The prime minister called for unity and discipline, and for his members not to focus inwards in a speech twice interrupted by a ringing phone. It follows a brutal move by internal powerbrokers to dump two cabinet ministers.

AAP Newswire

Technology

AI being weaponised to attack vulnerable businesses

More online criminals are weaponising artificial intelligence to steal from Australian businesses, including using the technology to create deepfakes of employees’ voices and appearance. Small and medium-sized businesses were at highest risk from the emerging trend, but almost all Australian organisations had encountered AI-based online attacks over the past year, a report has found.

AAP Newswire

Trade

Rudd: Film tariff ‘a tax on Bluey’

Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs on foreign-made movies amounts to a “tax on Bluey”, Australia’s ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd has joked at a high-level economics summit. Speaking in Los Angeles, the former prime minister spoke out against the US president’s 100 per cent tariff on films produced outside the country.

AAP Newswire

Inquest

‘Wish we did better’: security reflects on mall tragedy

A security supervisor dealing with the aftermath of a mall stabbing spree has acknowledged that things could have been done differently. Joel Cauchi, 40, brought a 30cm knife to Bondi Junction Westfield and launched an unprovoked, violent attack on April 13, 2024. He killed six people and injured another 10, including a nine-month-old baby.

AAP Newswire

Politics

Two cabinet ministers face the axe

Two senior ministers are expected to lose their positions in a new-look lineup as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese warns Labor MPs against focusing too heavily on themselves. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus is set to be axed by his Victorian right faction colleagues in favour of Sam Rae, a key ally of Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles. Industry Minister Ed Husic is also on the chopping block to rebalance the ledger between Victoria and NSW.

AAP Newswire

Election

The seats still too close to call

A prominent teal independent is among incumbents still waiting to learn if they will keep their seat in federal parliament. Monique Ryan’s anxious wait for a result in her leafy inner-east Melbourne electorate of Kooyong will continue, as she faces...

AAP Newswire

Police

NSW’s top cop to step down

The boss of Australia’s biggest police outfit is quitting her post, throwing an already under-fire police force into further disarray. NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb will finish up on September 30 after a three-year tenure in charge of the force’s 20,000 employees.

AAP Newswire

Election

Libs claim comeback win over teal

Tim Wilson is set to become the first Liberal to knock off a sitting teal independent, claiming victory in a former blue ribbon seat. Goldstein in Melbourne’s southeast has come down to the wire after Zoe Daniel took a commanding lead on election night and danced on stage. Postal votes have since swung the contest in Wilson’s favour, with the Liberal pulling ahead by 676 votes on Wednesday morning.

AAP Newswire

Politics

Ruptures in Coalition after defeat

There’s a storm brewing within the Coalition, after outspoken Nationals senator Matt Canavan suggested his party should run in more seats after outperforming the Liberals in the Australian election. ”Why don’t we run in outer suburban, peri-urban sort of areas where we look after people who are on the frontiers, who feel ignored by the major cities?” he said.

AAP Newswire

Employment

NZ unemployment remains steady

Unemployment in New Zealand remains at 5.1 per cent, defying expectations of a peak above Covid-19 levels. Stats NZ reported the steady figure for the March 2025 quarter on Wednesday, when major banks had pencilled in growth to 5.3 per cent.

AAP Newswire

Health

Flu spike sparks plea for jabs

Australians are being warned to get vaccinated before a possible severe flu season after an unusual spike in cases across the country. Low vaccination rates have reflected a “lack of concern” for influenza but Australians have been told not to...

AAP Newswire

Inquiry

Soldier fatigue in focus at fatal chopper crash probe

Wearable sleep monitoring devices were proposed to better assess aircrew fatigue before an army helicopter crash killed four personnel, an inquiry has been told. The inquiry into the July 2023 crash also heard the commander of an aviation regiment had proposed a sleep study after identifying fatigue as a key issue for the unit, but it was rejected by headquarters.

AAP Newswire

Politics

State Libs look to learn from federal election lessons

The coalition’s election loss has prompted reflection as leaders in Australia’s most populous state look to sidestep a similar fate. The NSW Liberals will focus on the party’s “timeless” values and snub culture wars after the defeat of their federal counterparts at the ballot box. Labor Premier Chris Minns’ stance on a policy abandoned during the coalition’s unsuccessful campaign meanwhile faces uncertainty.

AAP Newswire

Court

Sole survivor of mushroom lunch takes stand

The sole survivor of a deadly mushroom meal has for the first time publicly revealed what happened after taking a seat at Erin Patterson’s lunch table. Ian Wilkinson’s evidence started on Tuesday at Patterson’s triple-murder trial, where he said she’d rejected an offer by two of her guests to help her serve up a beef Wellington.

AAP Newswire

Technology

NZ eyes under-16 social media ban

An Australia-style legislative ban on social media for under-16s is being proposed by New Zealand’s governing National party. Prime Minister Chris Luxon has announced his party will back a private member’s bill which will require social media companies verify a user’s age as above 16 before they can access certain platforms. The bill, to be introduced by backbench MP Catherine Wedd, does not list which platforms will be included, but includes maximum fines for non-compliance at $NZ2 million.

AAP Newswire