Burke Criticizes Coalition's Stance on IS-Linked Families' Return
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke addressed the ABC’s 7.30 program last night, describing the pressure to prevent 34 Australian wives and children of IS fighters, who were killed or captured in Syria, from returning to Australia as
“silly hypocrisy”.
Burke emphasized that if the Coalition intends to permanently exclude this group from Australia,
“they should look at the laws they voted for, they put in place when they were in government”.
He further stated,
“There’s a lot of very silly deeply hypocritical claims coming from the opposition today.”
Burke noted that repatriations from Syria occurred under the Morrison government and that some individuals returned to Australia independently.
“We had 40 people under the Coalition do self-managed returns – that didn’t just include women and children, it included fighters. It included men who had gone there to fight. Now, they were among the returns who came back.”
He added,
“The fact that people with Australian passports have returned from those sorts of situations is not new. It happened under them.”
Yesterday, the government announced a two-year ban on one individual from this group entering Australia.
$170 Million Joint Funding for Early Learning Services in Victoria
The federal and Victorian governments have announced a $170 million joint funding initiative to expand not-for-profit early learning services in Victoria’s outer suburbs and regional areas.
This initiative will create approximately 1,110 early childhood education places across 11 locations, including Kings Park, Wedderburn, Weir Views, Geelong, Whittlesea, Casey, Frankston, and Swan Hill. These services are scheduled to be operational over the next four years.
Education Minister Jason Clare stated the fund aims to assist families in accessing early education in
“communities that need them most”.
He added,
“Where you grow up shouldn’t determine whether you can access early education. These projects in Victoria mean more families can access early learning close to home and more children start school ready to go and ready to learn.”
Aussie Teen Suffers Injury in Olympic Snowboard Slopestyle Final
Australian teenager Ally Hickman sustained a bruised sternum after a fall during the women’s slopestyle Olympic final, yet still achieved an admirable seventh-place finish, according to AAP.
Hickman was in fourth position following her first run at Livigno Snow Park on Wednesday, earning a score of 67.70 for navigating three rails and three jumps down the course.
However, she fell during her second run, injuring her sternum, which prevented her from improving her score. Although cleared to compete in the third run, she suffered another fall on the last jump, aggravating the injury.
Hickman was the sole Australian competitor to reach the top-12 final, with Beijing bronze medallist Tess Coady not qualifying.
Jobless Rate Expected to Rise Again
Australia’s unemployment rate is anticipated to increase after a surprising decline, reports the Australian Associated Press.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics is scheduled to release the first labour force figures for 2026 today, with forecasts predicting a slight rise to 4.2% for January.
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate unexpectedly fell to 4.1% in December, surprising forecasters.
NAB senior economist Taylor Nugent indicated a correction is expected in January’s data, with an estimated 20,000 jobs added to the economy during the month.
New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Criticizes Australian Political Instability
New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters expressed dismay at the frequent leadership changes within Australian politics, attributing the turmoil to personal ego.
Peters, currently serving his third term as New Zealand’s top diplomat under the governments of Helen Clark, Jacinda Ardern, and Christopher Luxon, commented on his relationship with newly elected opposition leader Angus Taylor by offering a critique of recent leadership instability.
He told Australian Associated Press in Wellington,
“Can I just say, as an outsider, I’m aghast. The years of stability, first of [Bob] Hawke and then [John] Howard, those years of civility have been very critical for Australia’s success. The churn now really is inexcusable, and the churn both in the Labor and the Liberal party, has been massive.”
He added,
“In the end, you’ve got to stand back and say to those parties … ‘what is going on with you when you think that personal ego is the most important thing to elevation?’”
Peters noted that political turnover complicates diplomatic relations, stating,
“It makes your job harder because you keep on getting new leaders.”He also joked about potentially not needing to build a new relationship with the Liberal foreign affairs spokesperson Ted O’Brien, saying,
“The way the polls are going, maybe not.”
Burke Defends Temporary Exclusion Order Against Woman
Burke disclosed that a temporary exclusion order issued on Monday against one woman—who became an Australian citizen under the Howard government and traveled to Syria during the Abbott government—was prompted by reports of the group leaving the camp and preparing to return to Australia.
He explained that issuing the order earlier would have been illogical since it is valid for two years.
Regarding the children’s potential return to Australia, Burke said they would face circumstances similar to those who returned under the Morrison government. However, he noted that the parents
“may well decide to never come back”due to facing
“the full force of the law”if found guilty of crimes.
Burke also expressed a differing perspective from Jamal Rifi, who is reported to be assisting the group, and stated that the Prime Minister’s position on the matter has remained consistent since before the Bondi terror attack.
Live News Blog Introduction
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories, followed by Nick Visser with the main updates.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke described the pressure to prevent all 34 Australian wives and children of IS fighters killed or captured in Syria from returning to Australia as
“silly hypocrisy”.More details will follow.
New Zealand’s Foreign Affairs Minister has criticized Australian political instability, calling it
“inexcusable”and attributing it to ego-driven leadership changes.
Australia’s unemployment rate is expected to rise again after a surprising fall, with the Australian Bureau of Statistics set to release January’s labour force figures today, forecasting a slight increase to 4.2%.
