Andrew Hastie has escalated his public dispute with Pauline Hanson, declaring he intends to defeat her politically after she attacked him through a One Nation animated cartoon. The clash, which has dominated parliamentary debate this week, centres on Hastie's evidence in Ben Roberts-Smith's failed defamation trial and Hanson's subsequent criticism of his conduct.
In a separate development, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has strongly defended his late mother against Hanson's resurfaced comments about her decades-long residence in public housing, calling the remarks "spiteful" and "appalling." Television presenter Melissa Doyle has been appointed chair of the Australia Day Council board.
What sparked the feud between Hastie and Hanson?
The conflict began when One Nation released a cartoon video in late July that repeatedly labelled Hastie a "traitor" following his testimony against Roberts-Smith. According to ABC coverage, the animated video called Hastie a "traitor" eight times over nine minutes. Hastie subsequently accused Hanson of being a "lying coward" and "weak and glass jawed" for refusing to take ownership of the material or remove it from her social media accounts, where it remained pinned to the top of her X feed since publication.
Speaking to News24, Hastie emphasised that Roberts-Smith deserves a fair trial and the presumption of innocence in a separate criminal case currently before the courts. According to SBS reporting, Hastie said he was defending veterans who gave evidence under oath in the Roberts-Smith matter.
How is Hastie responding to One Nation's political challenge?
Hastie has vowed to continue his confrontation with Hanson and One Nation, who have announced plans to target his Western Australian seat of Canning. He told News24 that he has endured criticism for six months and felt compelled to take a stand.
I've copped it for the last six months, and sometimes you just got to draw a line in the sand, because weakness is provocative. People want strength. These guys thought I was weak. I've always been respectful of Pauline. I've tried to build a relationship with her in the past, and it's been good. And then she came for me and I started to see, OK, this is not the person I thought she was. And now she's my political opponent, and she started a fight, and I intend to win it.
Hastie also expressed sympathy for Barnaby Joyce and One Nation MP David Farley, suggesting they may harbour regrets about joining the party. He characterised One Nation as lacking coherent principles and said Joyce had abandoned a position as deputy prime minister to join what he called "this rabble."
Look, I'll say this about Barnaby Joyce. I feel sorry for the bloke, all right? He left a party that made him deputy prime minister twice, to jump in with this rabble, there's no principles, they're all over the shop, and he's out there every week cleaning up after them.
Hastie also criticised Hanson for relying on "childish cartoons" rather than articulating a coherent worldview, questioning whether she could govern effectively if elected prime minister.
Why are Albanese and other Labor figures attacking Hanson over comments about his mother?
Hanson has come under sustained bipartisan criticism for remarks she made in a February podcast interview with Karl Stefanovic in which she attacked Albanese's late mother, Maryanne Ellery, for remaining in public housing for several decades. Hanson claimed such housing "should be limited time," and later told the Australian that Albanese complains about his public housing upbringing.
Albanese responded by defending his mother's character and his own background.
Firstly she made comments about me being complaining about being growing up in public housing. Nothing could be further from the truth. I'm proud to be a 'houso', and I'm proud of the community in which I grew up. I'm also proud about my mother. She was someone who had a tough life. She didn't associate with billionaires. She was someone who as has been documented, when overseas, came back to Australia chose to make the courageous decision in 1963 to keep a child out of wedlock. Who is now the prime minister of Australia.
The Prime Minister characterised Hanson's approach as weak and spiteful.
I said during the last campaign, kindness isn't weakness. I'll tell you what's weakness – nastiness, and spitefulness.
He also offered a pointed personal assessment of his mother's standing.
But I'll make this point. If Pauline Hanson wants to criticise me, then that's fine. But my mother was way out of Pauline Hanson's league, way out of it.
Trade Minister Don Farrell also condemned Hanson's remarks, telling News24 that attacking anyone's mother crosses a line of decency.
Anthony loves his mother, as I'm sure you do, I certainly loved my mother ... To have them attacked publicly this way is just appalling. There's a certain bitterness in One Nation's approach to the world that I find quite un-Australian, actually. I think Ms Hanson should apologise.
According to Capital Brief reporting, Farrell publicly urged both Hanson and Hastie to cease personal attacks and focus instead on economic issues.
Hastie, despite his own feud with Hanson, also criticised her for attacking Albanese's mother.
I don't think you should be talking about the late mother of anyone in this game, and certainly not reflecting on circumstances over which she had no understanding ... I remember in the schoolyard, if anyone said anything about your mum, mate, it was on. So let's leave mums out of it.
Who is Melissa Doyle and what are her new responsibilities?
Television presenter Melissa Doyle has been appointed chair of the Australia Day Council board by Prime Minister Albanese. Doyle, who has spent her career as a journalist and storyteller, expressed her enthusiasm for the role while acknowledging its significance.
I am honoured. I'm humbled. I'm daunted. I'm excited. I'm every single emotion. But above all, as a journalist, as a storyteller, I have spent my entire career telling the stories of people who inspire us heroes. We all need to hear about extraordinary people doing extraordinary things in our community, advocating for us all in so many fields, be it science, be it sport, be it art, be it community leaders. I think we all need to hear those stories. And so to be able to play a role with the National Australia Day Council, to work with the board, to work with the executive, to continue to champion these extraordinary Australians and celebrate them and inspire all of us. Look, it's truly an honour and I'm really excited.
Albanese described the appointment as significant for the nation, noting that Australians have long trusted Doyle to tell Australian stories and that she will now elevate that responsibility in the national interest.
What is happening with Victoria's police recruitment pledge?
Victorian Premier Ben Carroll has announced that the state government will recruit an additional 1,500 frontline police officers if re-elected. The election commitment also includes establishing a new police training academy in Melbourne's south-western suburbs.
Carroll emphasised that community safety is his government's top priority and outlined how the recruitment plan differs from opposition proposals.
We know we've got to get more police on the street, community safety is my number one priority. This comprehensive plan deals with the how. This is the difference between the Liberal One Nation policy on police recruits and Labor's policy. Liberal One Nation have promised more police. They've also said they'll bring them from overseas. What Labor is promising is the pathway to unlock more police. With the second Police Academy to complement Glen Waverley.
What are the Reserve Bank's signals on interest rates?
Senior Reserve Bank of Australia officials are expected to provide further guidance on monetary policy in coming days, with markets closely monitoring their comments ahead of a potential interest rate decision later in September.
The RBA's chief economist, Sarah Hunter, will participate in a fireside chat at a Regional Australia Institute summit in Canberra on Monday. Governor Michele Bullock will then appear before a parliamentary committee on Friday. Both officials are anticipated to reiterate that inflation remains elevated and to leave the door open to further rate increases following three hikes already implemented in 2026.
Recent hawkish comments from Dr Hunter and RBA deputy governor Andrew Hauser sent bond markets into volatility last week. Current market pricing suggests approximately a four-in-five probability that the RBA will raise the cash rate by 25 basis points on 29 September.
What is the government's approach to regulating technology platforms?
Communications Minister Anika Wells has defended the government's digital duty of care bill, which would allow Australians to opt in or out of algorithmically recommended social media content. The Coalition has characterised the measure as censorship, but Wells argued it represents a sensible response to emerging online harms.
We think this is a sensible measure to try and deal with these emerging harms that are coming online every single day. And when it happens to your child and you're the parent, you want the government to act as swiftly as possible. Now, if the Coalition has a different way of meeting that intent of dealing with urgency to address new serious harms, I'd love to hear it. But I haven't had so much as a phone call from the shadow communications minister on the exposure draft.
Wells emphasised that the bill aims to restore user choice over social media feeds and remove illegal content being delivered without consent. She highlighted specific harms affecting children, including AI chatbots promoting dangerous eating practices and grooming occurring on gaming platforms such as Roblox.
This is about giving you choice back over your feed. This is about trying to get rid of the illegal content that is being beamed into your eyeballs against your will. And this is about keeping children more safe online than they have been, as we get more and more evidence around the psychosocial harms that they are experiencing. Like AI chatbots telling girls how to subsist on only 600 calories a day. Like grooming occurring on Roblox, a gaming platform that many, many Australian children use. This is about trying to give Australian parents confidence that we are doing everything we can to make it safer online for their children.
When asked whether the government would extend legislation to combat online misinformation beyond the next election, Wells characterised the question as hypothetical and noted the government's recent legislative achievements in related areas.
That's a hypothetical, David, and I tell you what, I'm up to pussy's bow delivering all the other parts of the portfolio. We just passed news media incentive, the gambling reforms, eight bills last fortnight. This week, we've passed the social media minimum age laws, and we've introduced the exposure draft for the digital duty of care.
Regarding penalties for breaching the bill, Wells noted that while the $100 million figure may seem substantial, the government's focus is on incentivising behavioural change rather than imposing arbitrary fines.
I think the Greens and I agree on the fact that this is about changing the behaviour of big tech, and ultimately this is about the social licence, and no particular figure that we mandate in Australia is going to be enough for the world's richest companies. It's got to be about what incentivises the change in behaviour and what gives them back the social licence that they are losing in Australia.
What is the situation with Middle East conflict and fuel prices?
Energy Minister Chris Bowen has warned that escalating conflict in the Middle East will place upward pressure on fuel prices in Australia. On Friday, Saudi authorities reported that drones launched from Iraq targeted oil infrastructure, disrupting exports of crucial energy supplies.
Bowen sought to reassure Australians about the nation's fuel security, noting that Australia maintains 41 days of petrol reserves and 42 days of diesel reserves in strategic stockpiles.
The situation is getting worse in the Middle East. The dispute involving Saudi Arabia and the Houthis and the ongoing war in Iran is doing nothing to improve the fuel supply around the world and is pushing up prices of oil. We're seeing that in the markets even overnight, and that will inevitably also flow through to Australia. However, the Australian government will remain firmly focused on ensuring our fuel security, just as we have for the last more than six months since this crisis began.
What other incidents occurred?
Two men were restrained on a Qatar Airways flight from Melbourne to Doha after becoming involved in a physical altercation on Friday. The airline confirmed that both passengers were handed over to local authorities upon arrival in Doha. Media reports indicated the men made violent threats toward passengers and crew, including claims they possessed a firearm. A passenger told Nine newspapers the men repeatedly left their seats before beginning to argue and fight.
In Western Australia, police launched a search for two men following a shooting in Perth's south-western suburbs. A man was shot at a residence on Owen Place in Hamilton Hill at approximately 4:35 am. Police and St John WA provided emergency first aid, and the victim was conveyed to hospital with serious injuries. Officers believe two males dressed in all black clothing were involved in the shooting. Police deployed significant resources to search the area and advised residents to lock doors and windows and remain indoors. Members of the public were urged not to approach the men but to contact police immediately if they sighted them or observed suspicious behaviour.
Motor neurone disease rates in western NSW
Researchers have identified an alarming concentration of motor neurone disease (MND) cases across western New South Wales, with incidence rates more than four times the global average. The study found an MND incidence rate of 3.72 cases per 100,000 people annually in the region, compared to the global age-standardised rate of 0.77 cases per 100,000 people in 2021.
In some areas, MND prevalence reached up to seven times higher than expected. Several higher-incidence regions overlapped with areas of intensive agricultural activity, suggesting a potential environmental link. The disease also occurred at elevated rates in women compared to other areas, and the incidence of bulbar-onset MND was unusually high. The global burden of MND continues to increase, prompting further investigation into the causes of the elevated rates in western NSW.
