Migration Pressure Mounts as Minns Demands Federal Action; Security Overhaul for Nine MPs After Haines Attack

Minns Urges Federal Government to Honour Migration Targets Amid One Nation Surge

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns has called on the federal government to demonstrate serious commitment to net migration targets, as fresh polling shows Labor and One Nation locked in a tight contest in the Hunter region ahead of the March state election.

A survey commissioned by Advent Energy, the proponent of an offshore gas project off the Hunter coast, places both parties at 32% primary support, with the Coalition trailing at 14%. The region is shaping up as a critical battleground.

When pressed on 2GB radio about his advocacy for lower migration, Minns—a consistent critic of net overseas migration levels under the Albanese government—stated:

double quotation markThe best thing I can do is say what I’ve said privately, publicly, and I’ve said it on this program, and that is, we have to be serious about the target rate for migration and meet it. There’s no use saying, well, we’re going to have on average 200,000, a little bit more than that per year, and then it comes in at 300,000, because then people lose faith in the system. Now, in fairness to [the federal government], they’ve worked hard over the last 3 months to say these are the new limits.

The Albanese government has committed to net overseas migration (NOM) of 245,000 in 2026-27 and 225,000 in 2027-28. The Coalition has pledged to more than halve Labor’s target in its first two years from 2028-29, while One Nation advocates for net-negative migration for three years followed by a NOM ceiling of 130,000.

ShareCaitlin Cassidy

Selectively Edited Estimates Videos Fuel ‘Vile and Misogynistic’ Abuse, Senators Told

Female public servants are facing “vile and misogynistic” commentary on social media videos posted by parliamentarians, a Senate estimates hearing has heard.

Jim Betts, Secretary of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts, addressed a submission from the Australian Secretaries Board to a joint committee on parliamentary standards. The submission warned that officials are increasingly subjected to “ridicule, hostility or abuse” when excerpts from parliamentary inquiries are uploaded online “without context”.

Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson defended the practice, arguing that highlighting proceedings on social media using parliamentary vision is a “fundamental function of this committee”.

Betts countered that 14 hours of footage from the previous day’s estimates was already public, and the submission contained “stark” examples of selectively edited content.

double quotation markThe concern that was expressed by the secretaries board was about the very selective editing of those videos, the overlay of commentary and other captions which were entirely designed to humiliate public servants unfairly …

What we also find is … that the comment section on websites hosted by senators and other parliamentarians contain often vile and misogynistic comments about female public servants.

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Updated at 19.26 EDT

Payman Questions Whether PM Awaits Another Haines-Style Attack Before Acting on Staffing

Sarah Basford Canales

During a late-night Senate estimates session, Western Australian independent Senator Fatima Payman accused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of “pettiness” for failing to approve additional staff following her 2024 defection from the Labor Party.

Payman has long argued her office is under-resourced due to a personal grievance from the Prime Minister. She intensified her case amid rising threats of political violence, revealing last week that her staff had to manage human faeces sent to her office, requiring a biohazard response.

Payman said she requested an additional adviser—standard for other independent offices—two years ago, but the request remains unprocessed. The extra support would help address “psychosocial hazards” facing her team since leaving Labor. A tabled document confirmed she has no advisers, while most other independents employ one or two.

In a heated exchange with Trade Minister Don Farrell, Payman pressed:

double quotation markPlease raise this with the prime minister. Because if he cares so much about the welfare and wellbeing of people who work in this building, then I implore you and the prime minister to please look into the fact that my staff are burning out. They can’t take this any longer.

Is the prime minister waiting for something like what happened to Dr Helen Haines to occur to my office, to me, for him to take our request seriously?

Farrell responded: “Look, I personally think that’s an outrageous suggestion, Senator Payman.”

Payman refused to withdraw the remark, insisting she would not do so until Albanese addresses her staffing request.

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Updated at 19.16 EDT

Benita Kolovos

Victorian Labor Pledges Workplace Protection Orders for Hospital Staff

Individuals who are violent or abusive toward health workers could face effective bans from Victorian hospitals if Labor wins re-election next month.

Premier Ben Carroll announced plans to expand the workplace protection order (WPO) scheme—currently used by retailers to ban aggressive customers—to hospital settings. Under the proposal, perpetrators of violence or abuse against health workers could receive a WPO banning them from hospitals for up to 12 months. Breaches would carry penalties of up to two years imprisonment or a $50,000 fine.

Labor would also establish a $30 million fund for hospitals to upgrade lighting, CCTV, and other safety infrastructure.

Carroll stated:

double quotation markOur nurses and midwives and health professionals go to work every day to make sure we have a healthy community … They are the heroes of our community, and I’m very pleased to say, under my leadership, we’ll do everything we can to protect them through workplace protection orders.

Those subject to a WPO would retain emergency healthcare access, with “guardrails” governing their treatment.

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Updated at 18.59 EDT

Aged Care Algorithm ‘Fundamentally Flawed’, Ruston Says

Opposition aged care spokesperson Anne Ruston has urged the government to heed a scathing Commonwealth Ombudsman investigation.

Speaking to ABC Radio National, Ruston said:

double quotation markWe’re really hopeful that now the government has this independent report, it will actually listen and say that their algorithm process is fundamentally flawed.

The ombudsman’s report followed Guardian Australia revelations that older Australians were left distressed and without adequate care after their home support needs were assessed by an “inhumane” algorithm via the mandatory Integrated Assessment Tool.

Read more here:

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Security Upgrades Accelerated for Nine MP Offices Following Haines Attack

At least nine MPs will receive expedited security enhancements at their electorate offices after raising safety concerns in the wake of the alleged attack on independent MP Helen Haines.

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher confirmed the accelerated reviews, though she did not identify the affected MPs. Security in Parliament House public areas will also be increased.

– Australian Associated Press

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Updated at 18.35 EDT

Jacinda Ardern Appointed Lecturer and Mentor at University of Sydney

Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will lecture and mentor at the University of Sydney after relocating to Australia earlier this year.

Based in the School of Public Health, she will deliver guest lectures and masterclasses and engage in mentoring activities.

Read more here:

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Updated at 17.46 EDT

Sarah Basford Canales

Teal and Regional Independent Backers Top Donors for Farrer Candidate

Continued from previous post:

The leading donor, Regional Voices Fund, supports independent candidates in regional seats, while the second-largest, Keldoulis Investments—owned by Robert Keldoulis—is a major Climate 200 backer, the funding vehicle for teal independents.

Milthorpe’s campaign expenditure totalled $1,708,845, funded by $1,680,439 in donations and gifts.

Party-endorsed candidates like Farley can defer campaign spending reports until February the following year when party annual returns are published. Consequently, Farley’s returns show only $5,119 in spending and no donations, a figure expected to be updated in February.

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Updated at 17.45 EDT

Farrer Independent Spent $1.7 Million on By-Election Campaign, Returns Reveal

Sarah Basford Canales

Independent candidate Michelle Milthorpe received nearly $1.7 million from more than 5,000 donors in her campaign against One Nation in the seat of Farrer earlier this year, according to Australian Electoral Commission data released yesterday.

Milthorpe, backed by regional independents including Helen Haines, lost to One Nation’s David Farley in former minister Sussan Ley‘s seat, securing 42.45% to Farley’s 57.55% on a two-party preferred basis.

The data shows $670,653—approximately 40% of total donations—exceeded the $17,300 declaration threshold.

Top donors included:

• Regional Voices Fund Pty Ltd: $215,000

• Keldoulis Investments Pty Limited: $117,000

• Keep Them Honest Pty Ltd: $75,000

• Climate 200 Pty Limited: $61,653

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Updated at 17.30 EDT

Marles Calls for Sustained Respectful Discourse After Haines Support

Defence Minister Richard Marles urged politicians to maintain civility beyond a single day, following the cross-party outpouring of support for independent Helen Haines:

double quotation markI really hope that all of us can do better … we need to really try and collectively engage in bringing the temperature down, and have a much more respectful and civil discourse.

And I know that’s what Helen Haines would want.

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Updated at 17.33 EDT

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