News and politics live updates: Hanson praises Trump’s deportation plan as ‘great way of doing it’

EXCLUSIVE: A representative from Taiwan has been invited to observe this week’s National Labor Party conference for the first time, in a move likely to annoy China which considers the self-governing island to be a rogue province.

The Nightly can reveal a member of Taiwan’s de facto embassy in Canberra will attend the three-day event which formally begins on Thursday, despite Australia not having formal diplomatic relations with the democratic nation claimed by Bejing.

Anthony Albanese on Tuesday evening touched down in Adelaide for a full day of preparation ahead of his party’s triennial gathering, amid criticism the milestone event will run to more of a stage-managed script than real debate.

The Prime Minister is hoping to avoid messy dissent among rank-and-file members, unions, and party elders as he aims to tackle a string of new policy pressures since the ALP’s last gathering to determine the party platform in Brisbane back in 2023.

Key policy demands include drumbeats for a gas export tax, implementing workplace artificial intelligence protections, and cracking down on online gambling inducements.

​Read the full story here. ​

Federal Labor MP Luke Gosling has denied being caught up in a physical altercation with the Northern Territory’s Administrator over the weekend and described allegations of an assault as “ridiculous”.

Police on Tuesday interviewed the Territory’s vice-regal representative David Connolly at his office after he claimed Mr Gosling had physically assaulted him at the Darwin Thai Festival on Saturday.

The alleged altercation has emerged a month after revelations that fellow Albanese government MP Josh Wilson was suspended for punching a soccer opponent in the face during an amateur match in Perth.

The Nightly does not suggest that Mr Gosling is guilty of any misconduct, only that police are investigating the claims.

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Earlier today, One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson addressed Leadership Matters hosted by The West Australian, in which she discusses her upbringing, immigration and why she believes the skilled migration program is a farce.

Read the full speech here.

A five-year-old girl was let down by the child protection system which failed to identify and assess multiple and escalating indicators of domestic and family violence before her death, an interim report has found.

The five-year-old, known for cultural reasons as Kumanjayi Little Baby, was abducted from the Old Timers camp at Alice Springs on April 2025.

Her body was found five days later.

Jefferson Lewis, a man unknown to Kumanjayi Little Baby, was charged with her murder and is awaiting trial.

The case sparked a review of the Northern Territory’s child protection system, led by former NSW police commissioner Karen Webb and public servant Greg Shanahan.

In an interim report published on Tuesday, they identified “systemic issues which have broader implications for the Department of Children and Family’s operations”.

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Public school teachers will walk off the job for the second time in months after rejecting a revised pay offer.

Victorian members of the Australian Education Union voted to turn down the state government’s updated offer of a 28.3 per cent pay rise over the next four years.

The union on Tuesday revealed almost 49 per cent of members voted to accept the deal and more than 51 per cent of members rejected it.

The union’s Victorian president Justin Mullaly said the outcome sent an undeniable message to the government that change was needed.

“Members have been telling the Victorian Labor government for years that the under-resourcing of public schools in Victoria is making their work untenable,” he said in a statement.

“When just three in 10 public school teachers plan to stay working in public schools in Victoria, it is obvious there is a problem.”

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A mother has been killed and a young girl seriously injured in what police believe to be a family violence incident at a Perth home.

Police have taken the deceased woman’s 16-year-old son into custody.

Officers rushed to a property in Bentley — about 10 kilometres southeast of the Perth CBD — at approximately 6.15am where they found a 35-year-old female dead.

The 12-year-old girl was found with serious injuries about 600 metres away after fleeing the home and managing to call police.

Members of the public stepped in when they saw the girl, who was found near Albany Highway during peak-hour traffic.

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Albanese government backbencher Luke Gosling has emphatically denied assaulting the Northern Territory’s administrator during a weekend altercation in Darwin.

In a statement David Connolly said “the matter has been referred to the Northern Territory Police Force.”

“As the matter is under investigation, no further comment will be made regarding the incident or the parties involved.”

In response, the federal MP for Solomon has rejected any suggestion of wrongdoing.

“These are ridiculous allegations that I categorically deny,” Mr Gosling said in a statement.

“I’ve had no dealings with the Administrator since congratulating him following the announcement of his appointment late last year.”

Federal Labor MP Luke Gosling has denied being involved in a physical altercation with the Northern Territory Administrator David Connolly.

In a statement the NT Administrator says the incident has been referred to police and is now under investigation.

Asked by Sky News if he had been involved in a run-in with Mr Connolly, the Federal Member for Solomon responded “no”.

When asked again Mr Gosling said: “no mate”.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is facing pressure from his own Labor backbenchers to extend fuel tax relief that expires in less than a fortnight with petrol and diesel prices rising again as tensions flare in the Middle East.

The 16-cent-a-litre cut to excise and the GST expires on August 2, having been extended this month at a halved rate of relief that’s already contributed to higher fuel prices.

The Brent price of crude oil has now surged to $US91 a barrel ($130), the highest price since June 11, in the days before the US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding that has since collapsed, leading to ships being stranded again in the Strait of Hormuz.

Labor backbencher Rob Mitchell, who represents the regional electorate of McEwen north of Melbourne, said many of his constituents wanted the relief to continue as US President Donald Trump ramped up his war with Iran.

“No one’s ever going to argue for higher fuel prices,” he told The Nightly.

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Female leaders are authentic, optimistic and thoroughly modern, the Governor-General has told a London audience, as she publicly backed quotas to install more women into senior roles.

Sam Mostyn said it was these qualities that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had asked her to showcase in appointing her to be a “visible” Governor-General in 2024.

“Certainly, when I was appointed, I felt the full glare of those who did not think a woman should be appointed Governor-General,” she said.

She said it was the job of women like herself to step in.

“I do as my Prime Minister asked me to do in appointing me, which was to be modern, visible and optimistic, and I think women bring a certain series of characteristics to leadership roles. I think we are authentic, I think we are naturally optimistic, and I think we’re thoroughly modern.”

But when asked by The Nightly why women populist leaders such as One Nation’s Pauline Hanson and France’s Marine Le Pen were resonating, despite campaigning as nostalgic politicians on predominantly grievance issues, Ms Mostyn said the community was crying out for courage and compassion, not grievance.

“I’m not going to comment on the two individuals,” she said.

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