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Victorian Greens MP for Brunswick Tim Read has died aged 64, with colleagues remembering him for his kindness, integrity...
19/09/2026

Victorian Greens MP for Brunswick Tim Read has died aged 64, with colleagues remembering him for his kindness, integrity and public service.

Read was diagnosed with melanoma in November and had announced earlier this year that he would retire from politics at the state election.

Victorian Greens leader Ellen Sandell announced his death on Saturday, saying he died surrounded by people he loved.

Sandell described Read as a local MP, doctor and scientist who was known for his advocacy on a range of issues.

His work included supporting pill testing, to***co licensing and a statutory ban on solitary confinement in Victorian prisons.

Sandell also credited Read with contributing to Victoria’s anti-corruption and integrity laws.

She said his work would leave Victoria “a better and fairer place” with greater accountability and transparency in politics.

Federal Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has pledged what he described as one of the biggest cuts to immigration in Austra...
19/09/2026

Federal Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has pledged what he described as one of the biggest cuts to immigration in Australian history.

Taylor made the commitment during an address to the NSW Liberal Party state council in Sydney, less than six months before the NSW election.

He criticised the Labor government and said the previous Coalition government had also fallen short in some areas.

Taylor said the Coalition would go further than Labor’s newly announced immigration measures.

Those measures include converting a former quarantine facility into a detention centre and restricting international students from bringing family members to Australia.

Taylor also promised to protect the Australian flag and Australia Day, and said a Coalition government would change laws relating to gender.

The Coalition is seeking to regain support from One Nation voters ahead of the NSW election in March.

Victorian Labor has promised new offences targeting gaps in the family violence justice system if it is re-elected in No...
19/09/2026

Victorian Labor has promised new offences targeting gaps in the family violence justice system if it is re-elected in November.

Premier Ben Carroll says the proposed laws would create a new form of manslaughter for cases where family violence contributes to a person taking their own life.

A second new offence would target perpetrators who abandon a victim needing medical care, following coronial findings involving Belinda Jones and Narelle Simmons.

Labor also plans to increase the maximum penalty for r**e from 25 years to life imprisonment and add five years to the maximum penalty for other serious sexual offences.

The maximum penalty for persistent breaches of family violence intervention orders would rise from five years to 10 years, while the standard sentence for murdering a current or former partner would increase from 25 to 30 years.

The party also proposes changes to court evidence rules, including preventing humiliating and invasive questioning of victim-survivors and allowing patterns of sexual abuse to be considered as evidence.

The proposals form part of Labor's crime and family violence election commitments ahead of the Victorian election.

Small businesses near Melbourne to***conists are facing growing insurance problems as firebombing attacks linked to the ...
19/09/2026

Small businesses near Melbourne to***conists are facing growing insurance problems as firebombing attacks linked to the illicit to***co trade intensify.

A recent blaze in Richmond destroyed a to***co retailer and nearly a dozen neighbouring shops, with about 80 firefighters needed to contain the fire.

Government data shows crime syndicates have been linked to more than 200 firebombings of commercial and residential properties across Australia since 2023.

One Melbourne retailer said their insurer refused to renew their policy because the business was only a few doors from a to***conist.

Other insurance quotes reportedly excluded fire cover, while legitimate to***conists have also been targeted by syndicates.

Skye Cappuccio, chief executive of the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia, said businesses should not be left carrying the financial consequences of criminal activity beyond their control.

Suncorp said it no longer offers insurance cover for to***conist retailers, while businesses nearby may still be assessed individually. QBE also said insurance decisions depend on changing risk profiles.

The attacks are also affecting nearby businesses through reduced foot traffic, lost revenue and reputational damage, according to the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission.

The Coalition has unveiled an education reform proposal that would change how several priorities are taught in Australia...
19/09/2026

The Coalition has unveiled an education reform proposal that would change how several priorities are taught in Australian schools.

Shadow Education Minister Julian Leeser announced the plan at an education conference in Sydney on Saturday.

The proposal would remove the three existing cross-curriculum priorities covering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures, sustainability, and Australia’s engagement with Asia.

Those topics would instead be taught as separate, planned areas within subjects such as history, geography and science.

The Australian Curriculum currently identifies all three as cross-curriculum priorities.

Leeser also proposed greater teaching of Western culture and values, including democracy, the rule of law and Australia’s constitutional development.

The plan includes measures aimed at classroom behaviour, reducing screen time and AI use, improving educational outcomes for boys and creating faster pathways into teaching, including options for veterans.

Leeser said the Coalition also wants students to learn about Indigenous heritage, British foundations and Australia’s multicultural character, while promoting greater national pride.

NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane has unveiled a Liberal plan to freeze the state’s gun buyback scheme if the Coalitio...
19/09/2026

NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane has unveiled a Liberal plan to freeze the state’s gun buyback scheme if the Coalition wins government next year.

The plan would also remove fi***rm ownership caps for primary producers and competition sporting shooters with genuine and demonstrable needs, according to the NSW Liberals.

Sloane has proposed a commission of inquiry into fi***rms laws, with the buyback frozen while the inquiry examines the reforms and stakeholder concerns.

The NSW gun buyback is scheduled to begin on 2 November, with compensation available for affected licensed fi***rm owners under the new ownership limits and weapon classifications.

NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley criticised the proposal, describing it as a major reversal from the Liberals’ previous support for the reforms. She said freezing the scheme would leave more fi***rms in circulation.

Sloane said the Coalition’s approach would focus on organised crime, gangland violence, terrorism, fi***rms trafficking and illegal fi***rms, while increasing resources for the fi***rms registry and relevant police commands.

The Liberal plan also proposes stronger penalties for fi***rms trafficking and mandatory prison terms for carrying illegal fi***rms.

South-eastern Australia is set for unusually warm conditions this weekend, with temperatures forecast to reach 6C to 12C...
19/09/2026

South-eastern Australia is set for unusually warm conditions this weekend, with temperatures forecast to reach 6C to 12C above September averages.

Coastal areas could reach the high 20s, while inland areas are expected to climb into the low to mid 30s.

Canberra and Melbourne are forecast to record their highest September temperatures since 2023, with Melbourne expected to reach 27C on Sunday.

Sydney is forecast to reach 28C, while Hobart could record its hottest September day in seven years at 27C.

Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Dean Narramore said the warm spell would be followed by cooler conditions on Monday and Tuesday.

However, another stronger burst of heat could arrive late next week and continue into the following weekend.

Narramore described the rapid changes as a typical spring “rollercoaster”, with northerly winds bringing heat followed by cooler southerly air.

One Nation has continued expanding its candidate list for the upcoming Victorian state election, with 51 of the 88 lower...
19/09/2026

One Nation has continued expanding its candidate list for the upcoming Victorian state election, with 51 of the 88 lower house positions now filled.

Among the candidates is Michael Piastrino, who is contesting Berwick after previously running for the Liberals in 2022.

His campaign launch was attended by Malaki Salesui, who was convicted in 2021 over his role in an organised car-theft ring. Other people described in the source also commented on Piastrino’s social media posts.

Piastrino said he had met Salesui and Mick Mantzaris through church and said he was not there to judge people but to help them.

Ben Lucas, One Nation’s candidate for Narracan, previously served on Baw Baw Shire Council.

Court records reported by Guardian Australia show he was fined $2,000 and had his licence suspended for two years after convictions for drink-driving and dangerous driving.

Elita Dabrowski, the party’s candidate for Sunbury, previously posted support for Donald Trump’s disputed claim linking paracetamol with autism. Scientists have disputed that claim.

Other candidates have also attracted attention over previous social media comments, including Tammy Lindrum and Bruce Whalley.

One Nation has said it has strengthened candidate vetting, including more extensive background checks and scrutiny of candidates’ social media accounts.

A Victorian detective senior constable has been charged with common assault over an alleged incident involving a teenage...
18/09/2026

A Victorian detective senior constable has been charged with common assault over an alleged incident involving a teenager in Ballarat.

The Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission said the alleged incident occurred in October 2025 after the teenager had been arrested.

IBAC alleges the officer punched and kicked the teenager multiple times while they were handcuffed and compliant. The teenager was under 18 at the time.

The officer is expected to appear before Ballarat Magistrates’ Court on 26 October.

The charge is the fourth assault-related charge against a Victorian police officer brought by IBAC in five weeks.

IBAC said only one Victorian police officer was charged with assault by the watchdog during 2025.

The watchdog’s focused police complaints team investigates serious allegations involving Victoria Police, including cases involving children and young people.

A man has died after being bitten by a shark while swimming off Sorrento Beach in Perth’s north.Emergency services were ...
18/09/2026

A man has died after being bitten by a shark while swimming off Sorrento Beach in Perth’s north.

Emergency services were called to the popular beach at about 10.30am on Friday following reports of a shark-related incident.

Western Australia police said the man died from his injuries. Water and air emergency personnel conducted an extensive search of the area.

Sorrento Beach will remain closed until 12pm on Saturday, with locals urged to stay out of the water until authorities declare it safe.

The City of Wanneroo has also closed all other beaches along its coastline until 12pm on Saturday.

Local MP Liam Staltari expressed condolences to the man’s family, friends and loved ones.

The incident follows another shark attack at Glenfield Beach north of Geraldton on Monday, where a surfer was seriously injured and later reported to be in a stable condition.

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