Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has issued a rallying cry to Labor delegates in Brisbane, urging the party to confront the rise of One Nation and other hard-right populist movements gaining traction globally. His address to Queensland Labor on Sunday morning framed the political moment as critical for the nation's future, coming as the minor party consolidates electoral gains across multiple states.
Albanese's call to arms against populism
Addressing party faithful at the Queensland state conference, Albanese characterised the current political landscape as one where dangerous and divisive movements are advancing worldwide. He emphasised that Labor must take direct action to counter these forces and their methods of spreading misinformation.
Across the world, hard-right populists are on the march. Peddling politics that is dangerous, divisive, and downright dishonest. We simply must defeat them. We owe it to history. And we will defeat them. They'll say anything and do anything to win votes. Bend any facts. Peddle misinformation and disinformation. Turn Australian against Australian.
The Prime Minister argued that One Nation lacks substantive policy responses to Australia's challenges and reaffirmed Labor's commitment to multiculturalism as a source of national strength.
Parties like One Nation have no serious answers to our problems.
Delegates, we unequivocally support multiculturalism because we know it's part of Australia's strength. And because we believe every Australian is equal, whether they are Australian by birth or Australian by choice.
One Nation's electoral breakthrough
One Nation has achieved significant electoral momentum in recent weeks. According to , the party won a seat in the Western Australian parliament when gym owner Luke Herdegen captured a Labor-held lower house seat in Perth. The party is now polling close to 30 per cent of primary votes nationally, marking a substantial shift in the electoral landscape.
Pauline Hanson has stated that a One Nation government would target net migration of 130,000 people annually, plus workers arriving through the Pacific Australia labour mobility stream, according to reporting on the political developments.
Labor's strategy on working-class issues
Albanese's speech contained a detailed roadmap for Labor to reclaim support among traditional working-class voters in outer-suburban and regional areas where One Nation is making inroads. He directly challenged the minor party's credentials on workers' rights and living standards.
It's obvious – One Nation are not on the side of working people. How is their plan to cut penalty rates going to help the people of Logan, or Gladstone, or Strathpine, or Ipswich, or Mt Isa? The only mainstream political force in Australia that seeks to govern in the interests of the Australian people in their own right is the Australian Labor party. The best way to defeat this coalition of chaos is to give Australians real hope of a better future. For their country. And for their families and themselves. To stay positive. To be the party with the ideas that will make our people's lives better, our economy stronger, our country safer, our environment cleaner.
March for Australia rallies claim credit for One Nation rise
Hundreds of people gathered on 30 August at rallies organised under the March for Australia banner, with organisers claiming responsibility for One Nation's electoral gains. More than 300 people attended a "free speech" rally at Belmore Park in Sydney's CBD at midday, according to the event organisers. The gathering drew a substantial police presence, with more than 70 officers deployed including riot squad personnel and mounted police on horseback. A counter-protest had been scheduled for Hyde Park.
Brian Marlow, founder of nationalist activist group Revive Australia, led the Sydney rally. When he asked the crowd whether they had attended the first March for Australia in August 2025, much of the audience raised their hands. Bec Freedom, who organised the inaugural March for Australia in 2025, received applause from attendees.
Marlow attributed One Nation's polling surge directly to the march movement's organising efforts, stating that the party was "romping it home in byelections." At least four attendees wore One Nation shirts at the Sydney event. The rally's social media pages have been highly critical of One Nation in recent weeks over the party's endorsement of a net migration target of 130,000 people annually.
They're romping it home in byelections. Unfortunately, they elected the wrong person in Farrer, David Farley, but we can handle that, we can deal with that later … We have shown that if we get together and we do not give an inch we can win.
Attendees cheered at mentions of "remigration" and an end to "mass" migration during the rally.
Joyce outlines One Nation's refugee stance
Barnaby Joyce has articulated One Nation's approach to refugee intake, suggesting the party would block admissions from countries deemed unsafe by Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Speaking on News24, Joyce raised Nepal as an example of this principle, unprompted, in the context of the recent devastating floods in the region.
The refugee program has got to work within a policy structure we've got. Remember, we've clearly stated that if an area, the Department of Foreign Affairs says it's too unsafe to go there, then it's unsafe to bring people from there and away from there, like such as places in Nepal. I presume that the Department of Foreign Affairs says it's not unsafe to go to Nepal, but I wouldn't be going there at the moment ...
The government currently advises Australians to reconsider travel only to areas within 50 kilometres of central Nepal's Trishuli River, and to exercise caution elsewhere. When pressed on whether One Nation would hypothetically stop accepting Nepali migrants if the department advised against travel to the entire country, Joyce declined to commit to a specific position but indicated the party's general principle would apply.
Well, I don't know what Dfat's position is right now and whether it covers the whole of Nepal. I know the Nepalese community have a huge say in sections of our country and the workforce, but they do it [arrive in Australia] within the visa category. And if they do come in, they'll be within the Nom [net overseas migration].
Joyce also declined to specify whether One Nation would reduce permanent migration below Labor's target of 180,000, saying only that he would "very, very strongly suggest" it would be lower.
Albanese emphasises Pacific engagement
The Prime Minister stated that Australia's role in the Pacific region has become more vital than ever, as he prepared to attend the Pacific Islands Forum in Palau beginning on Monday, 1 September. He argued that supporting Pacific nations' success directly benefits Australia's own interests and security.
The big challenges facing the Pacific require solutions designed and delivered for the Pacific, by the Pacific. In a time of strategic competition in our region, our engagement in the Pacific Islands Forum and our contributions to the infrastructure, regional security and climate action of the region matter more than ever before.
Albanese reaffirmed support for workforce schemes bringing Pacific Island labour to Australia, noting the economic contributions these workers make to both Australian industries and their home communities.
People from the Pacific make an enormous contribution to Australia's prosperity through their vital work in regional industries like agriculture and meat processing. So many of our farmers and food producers rely on them. We know also the wages they remit home help boost the economies of their families and communities, contributing to the prosperity and stability of the whole region.
Tasmanian death treated as suspicious
Tasmania Police are investigating the suspicious death of an 85-year-old woman found at her home in Huonville on Sunday morning. Officers were called to the Stride Street property at approximately 4.30am on 30 August. A 55-year-old man from Huonville has been taken into custody to assist with investigations, according to Tasmania Police.
Criminal investigators, forensics specialists and other officers examined the scene on Sunday morning. Detectives have charged the 55-year-old man with murder, and he is scheduled to appear in court on Monday, 1 September.
Sydney balcony death prompts critical incident review
A 40-year-old man died after falling from an eighth-floor balcony at an apartment block in Elizabeth Bay, east of Sydney's CBD, on Sunday morning before 8am. New South Wales Police attended the scene as part of ongoing investigations into the incident.
Officers from Kings Cross police initially attended the eighth-floor apartment to speak with the man. A 38-year-old woman answered the door but refused to allow them to enter the unit. She left shortly after. Police remained outside the apartment but then heard that a man had fallen from the balcony. Officers located the 40-year-old man and provided assistance until paramedics arrived and treated him for critical injuries. The man died at the scene.
Police established a crime scene and initiated a critical incident investigation. The Professional Standards Command will review the investigation, with oversight from the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission. Police said it remained unclear whether the man fell or jumped, though his injuries were consistent with falling from eight floors. Officers declined to specify what the initial investigation concerned but said they would contact the woman.
Australian woman found safe after Nepal floods
Cara Severino, an Australian woman who had been unaccounted for following devastating flash flooding in Nepal, has been located safely. Severino had been hiking in the region when the disaster struck and was listed as missing. Despite having limited phone reception and a depleted battery, she managed to contact her family on Friday as she made her way towards Kathmandu.
Her parents, Debbie and Frank Severino, released a statement expressing their relief and gratitude for her safe recovery.
We are beyond relieved and so elated to have Cara safe and well and we can't wait to hold her in our loving arms. This morning we are being enfolded in love by our church family who, along with so many of our family and friends, have been praying with us for this miracle. We thank Jesus for answering these prayers. Seeing Cara's name appear on my message bank, hearing her voice and now seeing her photo and speaking with her has been the most miraculous gift. We are incredibly thankful to the Australian Consular Response teams for locating her and bringing her to safety and for the care they are giving her and all the amazing work they are doing to locate others. We are so grateful to her Nepalese hiking partners who saw her through a harrowing several days of hiking in very difficult terrain, so thankful that they have all made it to safety. The scale of this tragedy is staggering and amidst our personal joy we continue to stand in prayer with the many families here in Australia, in Nepal and around the world who have lost loved ones or are still waiting to hear from them, we know that the waiting is horrendous.
Victorian Labor pledges pothole repair blitz
Victorian Labor has committed to fixing half a million potholes if re-elected, with Premier Ben Carroll announcing a $352 million election pledge to double the current rate of repairs. Carroll said the condition of Victoria's roads falls short of acceptable standards and that the government has made "commonsense decisions" to fund the initiative.
The condition of our roads is not good enough. I respect your money and I have made commonsense decisions to show how we can afford it.
The government will fund the pledge by deferring completion of level crossing removals at Highett and Mentone by one year, generating $112 million in savings. This amount will be added to the state budget's existing $1.4 billion roads allocation, allowing Victoria to increase pothole repairs from 250,000 to 500,000 annually.
This is part of my new direction: to spend our money wisely, to focus relentlessly on the basics, and that is what I'm here to do.
Carroll indicated that most pothole repairs will occur during the driest months, in the second half of 2026 and into January 2027. Opposition shadow minister for police Brad Battin questioned the timing of the announcement, given that a state election is scheduled for 28 November, and accused Labor of neglecting roads for 12 years.
Five minutes before an election and all of a sudden Ben Carroll has found there's potholes in Victoria. And now he's come out with a small patch fix for a major problem in Victoria.
In July, the Liberal-National opposition pledged to invest $5 billion over four years to repair and rebuild Victoria's roads, including elimination of 1 million potholes. Their plan involves a 25 per cent increase on current spending.
Northern Territory police suspend search for missing pilot
Northern Territory Police have suspended the search for pilot Bob Bramley, 23, from Tasmania, who is believed to have died in a plane crash in the Gulf of Carpentaria. Bramley was believed to be the sole occupant of a charter plane that reportedly crashed off the coast of Groote Eylandt on Tuesday.
Police divers recovered some pieces of aircraft debris during the multi-day search operation, which included air and sea components with specialist diving teams. In a statement, NT Police said that "following careful consideration of all available information" the search had been suspended, and Bramley's family had been informed.
Every reasonable search option has been considered and undertaken. Our thoughts remain with the pilot's family during what is an incredibly difficult time. Northern Territory police will assess and action any new information should it become available.
Key facts
- One Nation has risen to approximately 30 per cent in primary vote polling and won a seat in Western Australia's parliament on 30 August
- Prime Minister Albanese addressed Labor delegates in Brisbane, calling the current moment "crucial" for defeating hard-right populist movements
- March for Australia rallies drew hundreds of supporters across multiple cities on 30 August, with organisers claiming credit for One Nation's electoral gains
- An 85-year-old woman's death in Huonville, Tasmania is being investigated as suspicious, with a 55-year-old man charged with murder and due in court on 1 September
- Australian hiker Cara Severino has been located safely following devastating floods in Nepal that have caused widespread casualties and displacement
