Politics news

• Wells willing to change digital harm proposal to win Coalition support

  13-09-2026 03:31 via abc.net.au
  
  Communications Minister Anika Wells has responded to criticism about proposed new ministerial powers to designate what constitutes serious online harm, saying she is open to changing the bill.
  
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• Trust in Albanese evaporates with broken promises

  13-09-2026 21:00 via smh.com.au
  
  Voters no longer have faith in Labor’s ability to handle the economy, and more mistrust the prime minister.
  
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• Is Hastie a hero for tackling Hanson? It’s complicated

  13-09-2026 21:00 via smh.com.au
  
  The Liberal frontbencher says he used to be “respectful of Pauline … And then she came for me”. He saw her nastiness clearly only once he was on the receiving end.
  
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• More than half of voters don’t trust Albanese. Can he ever win them over?

  13-09-2026 20:54 via smh.com.au
  
  Anthony Albanese spent three decades building up political capital, and then spent through most of it in a single day in May.
  
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• The political pile-on that could be Pauline Hanson's best weapon

  13-09-2026 20:47 via abc.net.au
  
  In both Liberal and Labor research on how to meet the growing electoral threat from One Nation, one piece of advice does not change.
  
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• In the kaleidoscope of Australia's system, who gets to define a migrant?

  13-09-2026 20:44 via abc.net.au
  
  Migrants can be perceived as visa holders, refugees, asylum seekers, permanent residents, short term visitors and sometimes even citizens who speak or look differently.
  
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• Pensioners to shoulder huge portion of private health insurance 'cash grab'

  13-09-2026 20:40 via abc.net.au
  
  Pensioners will be hit hard by the federal government's controversial private health insurance rebate changes, with new analysis revealing that about half of the $3 billion in forecast savings will be clawed back from those on lower incomes. 
  
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• The specialists charging eye-watering mark-ups on medical fees

  13-09-2026 20:08 via smh.com.au
  
  Labor is considering fee caps, incentives to encourage more bulk-billing and consequences for unreasonable pricing as it cracks down on “excessive” specialist fees.
  
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• Best of cartoons, September 14, 2026

  13-09-2026 13:53 via smh.com.au
  
  The news of the day as interpreted by our talented artists, illustrators and cartoonists.
  
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• Debt fears grip voters as Albanese’s approval rating slides

  13-09-2026 10:00 via smh.com.au
  
  Voters’ concerns about rising deficits and broken promises have hit Anthony Albanese hard in the Resolve Political Monitor.
  
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• NT Labor celebrating win, but there's still much trust to earn back

  13-09-2026 07:25 via abc.net.au
  
  Yiwarr McGrath's victory in the remote Mulka by-election has given Northern Territory Labor something to celebrate — but the party is aware it still has an uphill battle ahead. 
  
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• 'Stunned': Emotional PM defends mum against Pauline Hanson remarks

  13-09-2026 05:04 via abc.net.au
  
  Anthony Albanese has fiercely defended his late mother against criticism by Pauline Hanson, who has been called on to apologise for her remarks.
  
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• PM defends late mother against Hanson public housing 'attack'

  13-09-2026 05:04 via abc.net.au
  
  Anthony Albanese has fiercely defended his late mother against criticism by Pauline Hanson, who has been called on to apologise for her remarks.
  
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• Emotional PM defends mum against Pauline Hanson remarks

  13-09-2026 05:04 via abc.net.au
  
  Anthony Albanese has fiercely defended his late mother against criticism by Pauline Hanson, who has been called on to apologise for her remarks.
  
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• Trump would 'love to see' reunified Ireland and Northern Ireland

  13-09-2026 04:38 via abc.net.au
  
  The US president made the contentious comments during a weekend visit to a tournament at his Irish golf course.
  
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• Trump says reunification of Ireland would be 'fantastic' while visiting on golf trip

  13-09-2026 04:38 via abc.net.au
  
  The US president made the contentious comments during a weekend visit to a tournament at his Irish golf course.
  
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• ‘Way out of her league’: Emotional PM defends late mother from Hanson’s attack

  13-09-2026 04:13 via smh.com.au
  
  Anthony Albanese made the comments after Liberal frontbencher Andrew Hastie said Hanson was out of line when she attacked Maryanne Albanese.
  
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• ‘They haven’t seen anything yet’: Hastie says war on One Nation is just beginning

  13-09-2026 02:03 via smh.com.au
  
  The Liberal frontbencher said he pitied Barnaby Joyce for becoming the minor party’s clean-up crew, vowing to defend his seat against the encroaching populist minor party.
  
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• 'Bad language, threats': WA politicians have had enough of copping it online

  12-09-2026 23:59 via abc.net.au
  
  Scrutiny and abuse are all in a day's work for politicians, but for Liberal, Labor and One Nation representatives in Western Australia, social media has proved to be a particularly nasty beast this week.    
  
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• The Coalition finds voice in One Nation battle and starts new free speech fight

  12-09-2026 21:00 via abc.net.au
  
  As fresh battle lines were drawn up over Labor’s proposed digital duty of care this week, another ongoing war entered a new phase.
  
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• Labor and Coalition draw different battle lines over social media fight

  12-09-2026 21:00 via abc.net.au
  
  As fresh battle lines were drawn up over Labor’s proposed digital duty of care this week, another ongoing war entered a new phase.
  
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• ‘Don’t insult me’: Labor luminary unleashes over falling house prices, real wages

  12-09-2026 21:00 via smh.com.au
  
  Bill Kelty, a mastermind of reforms that set up Australia’s modern economy, has delivered a stinging critique of the economic record of Anthony Albanese and Jim Chalmers.
  
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• Why Hastie v Hanson has become a defining moment for One Nation … and the Coalition

  11-09-2026 21:00 via smh.com.au
  
  Putative future Liberal leader Andrew Hastie says Pauline Hanson’s hold on the Coalition has been broken after a bruising political feud that became very personal.
  
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• Labor has started a new war on the internet. Will it backfire?

  11-09-2026 21:00 via smh.com.au
  
  Anthony Albanese and Anika Wells’ latest assault on Silicon Valley is by far the most ambitious attempt yet to rewrite the domestic rulebook for the internet.
  
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• Hastie emerges as genuine conviction politician

  11-09-2026 21:00 via abc.net.au
  
  People who lead us in public life can often sound like one of those dead-eyed "large language models" many are so worried about.
  
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• Germany's election and the UK's sanctions signals political warfare

  11-09-2026 21:00 via abc.net.au
  
  Two significant shifts this week showed political warfare is on full display in Europe.
  
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• Chalmers makes more tax tweaks to temper budget blow

  11-09-2026 20:25 via smh.com.au
  
  The government moved on Friday to address concerns from a range of influential businesspeople and some Labor figures that investment could dry up.
  
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• Former China ambassador warns Beijing is becoming 'smug' and closed

  11-09-2026 10:01 via abc.net.au
  
  A former ambassador to China has sharply critiqued elements of the Morrison government's response to Beijing's coercion, saying some in the Coalition "almost delighted" in being targeted and "paraded" the famous list of 14 grievances handed over by Chinese diplomats.
  
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• Greens settle brutal policy brawl with ‘lots of hugs’

  11-09-2026 09:49 via smh.com.au
  
  Greens leader Larissa Waters said the party was unified and ready to fight on broader climate policy, despite three senators crossing the floor on a key vote.
  
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• Neo-Nazis pledge to campaign to make Hanson prime minister

  11-09-2026 09:29 via smh.com.au
  
  Labor and the Coalition called on Hanson to reject the support, months after she admitted she had to shut down branches “infiltrated by extremists”.
  
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