Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has promised a swift response to threats against politicians and their staff, including possible duress alarms for electorate offices and stronger security at polling places. The proposal follows an alleged attack on independent MP Helen Haines, which Albanese said should mark a turning point in political conduct.
Opposition business manager Dan Tehan sought to bring Albanese into the House of Representatives to explain whether he had misled parliament after officials confirmed the grant’s scope did not include sewerage works. The motion failed. Albanese said the project design covered clubhouse improvements, stormwater harvesting, a new toilet and landscaping, while the New South Wales government later committed funding for sewerage work. The department said sewerage may have been part of the original plan but that the scope changed.
The grant has drawn scrutiny because Albanese has a long association with the club and held an honorary membership that was not listed on his parliamentary register of interests. Albanese has said the club’s ageing septic system could allow raw sewage to enter the Cooks River during flooding, while the final project description does not include sewerage repairs.
It was the first year dementia exceeded one-tenth of all deaths, with ischaemic heart disease second and cerebrovascular disease, lung cancer and chronic lower respiratory disease also among the five leading causes. Asthma deaths reached 484, up from 478 in 2024, the highest number recorded in a decade, and women accounted for almost two-thirds of asthma and dementia deaths.
In Queensland, Youth Justice Minister Laura Gerber defended the decision not to renew the Youth Advocacy Centre’s bail-support funding. The centre had worked with children in Brisbane, while other providers will continue under the new arrangement and Anglicare will take over its funding. Greens MP Michael Berkman disputed the decision, saying a state evaluation had found the scheme reduced the frequency and seriousness of offending.