Politics

Politics · 19 October 2026

Burnham’s ‘big changes’ to welfare: a promise as shaky as a teenager’s Wi‑Fi signal

Tariq Bell, World desk

Mayor Andy Burnham has announced sweeping welfare reforms aimed at ending the NEET crisis, citing a warning from children’s commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza and the upcoming Alan Milburn review. Critics questi…

Politics · 19 October 2026

Greens leader pushes for senator’s leave as internal ‘binfire’ flares into full‑blown inferno

Mabel Crowe, Sydney desk

David Shoebridge has urged Jordon Steele‑John to take personal leave amid allegations, but the senator flatly denied ever offering to step back, deepening the party’s rift.

Politics · 19 October 2026

Lambie slams One Nation cartoon as health mockery

Mabel Crowe, Sydney desk

Jacqui Lambie has blasted Pauline Hanson’s latest One Nation cartoon, calling it a crass attack on her health condition, after previously calling Hanson a "bloody maggot".

Politics · 19 October 2026

Ukrainian Greens accuse new Australian Greens leader of gifting Putin a free pass on military aid

Mabel Crowe, Sydney desk

Ukrainian Greens have publicly rebuked newly‑appointed Australian Greens leader David Shoebridge, branding his position on military aid as absurd and beneficial to Vladimir Putin. The Australian party’s leader is…

Politics · 19 October 2026

Labor’s Tax‑Cut Gamble: A Quick Fix That Won’t Cool the Heat

Rex Blister, Sydney desk

Labor is counting on tax cuts to calm angry voters, but economists warn the measures will be inflationary and won’t be enough to offset rising living costs.

Politics · 19 October 2026

Steele‑John Denies Leave, Blames Greens Leader for Mishandling Complaints

Mabel Crowe, Sydney desk

Senator Jordon Steele‑John denies he is on leave and accuses Greens leader David Shoebridge of mishandling complaints about his conduct towards women, arguing the issue is about factionalism rather than accountability.

Politics · 19 October 2026

Wentworth MP champions GST tweak as Labor’s spending swells like a summer storm

Mabel Crowe, Sydney desk

The Wentworth MP and a senior adviser to the Treasury’s reform team have thrown their weight behind a GST adjustment to balance tax cuts, urging new budget rules as government spending climbs toward record levels under…

Politics · 18 October 2026

Labor’s $2m Lifeline Trim Sparks Unlikely Coalition-Greens-Charity Front-Row

Mabel Crowe, Sydney desk

Labor quietly axed a $2 million-a-year support-finder scheme, prompting the Coalition, the Greens and nearly 200 non-profits to join forces in demanding a reversal, turning a routine budget line into a surprise.

Politics · 18 October 2026

One Nation’s anti‑migration plan would add $275 billion to federal debt, PBO finds

Mabel Crowe, Sydney desk

The Parliamentary Budget Office’s ten‑year modelling shows that One Nation’s proposal to sharply curb migration would swell the Commonwealth’s debt by $275 billion, underscoring the fiscal risk of the policy.