Another damning NSW Ombudsman report has exposed that the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) routinely closed reports about unborn children suspected to be at risk of significant harm after birth because it had “no capacity to allocate” a caseworker.
Shadow Minister for Families and Communities, Natasha Maclaren‑Jones, said Minister Kate Washington has presided over scandal after scandal and is now failing expectant parents and unborn children by allowing pre‑natal risk reports to be logged and ignored.
“Just months after the Ombudsman exposed DCJ for closing hundreds of thousands of ROSH reports because it had no capacity, we now find that when it comes to pre‑natal reports, the pattern is even more disturbing, warnings about unborn children are being logged, and close because there is no caseworker.” Mrs Maclaren-Jones said
“The Minister has lost sight of the purpose of pre‑natal reporting. She has failed unborn children at the very point early intervention is meant to occur, because she has failed to properly resource the child protection system.”
“Pre‑natal reporting exists to connect families with support before a crisis and due to under resourcing by the Minister thousands of reports were closed without allocation or referrals to support services. This is not child protection.”
“Minister Washington must end these unlawful practices immediately and ensure there are enough caseworkers to assess and support vulnerable expectant parents and unborn children.”
The report, The Department of Communities and Justice’s practice of responding to pre-natal reports, found DCJ routinely closed pre-natal reports due to “no capacity to allocate”, failed to consistently refer expectant parents to support services, and unlawfully made child protection determinations before children were even born.
In 2023–24, DCJ received 5,007 pre‑natal reports. Of these, 37% were closed due to “no capacity to allocate”. Nearly half of those screened as risk of significant harm were also closed for the same reason.
The report can be accessed here: https://www.ombo.nsw.gov.au/reports/report-to-parliament/final-report-dcj-management-of-pre-natal-reports
Month: September 2026
Construction company collapse exposes Labor’s housing failure
The collapse of more than 1,500 NSW construction businesses in the past financial year is further evidence that the Minns Labor Government’s taxes and charges are making it harder to build the homes NSW needs.
While ASIC data shows 1,540 NSW construction firms became insolvent, industry leaders warn that 98 per cent of developments in the pipeline are not being financed.
Leader of the Opposition Kellie Sloane said the Minns Labor Government will also not meet its National Housing Accord target until March 2032, almost three years late.
“Businesses are drowning in taxes and charges under Labor, and construction companies are collapsing while NSW falls further behind on housing,” Ms Sloane said.
“How many more Bathla style collapses will it take before Chris Minns takes action to reduce state government fees, taxes, and charges in the construction sector?”
“NSW needs business tax settings that reward growth, investment and job creation, which is exactly what our payroll tax reforms are designed to deliver.”
Shadow Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Chris Rath said Labor’s approach was making housing projects increasingly unviable.
“Industry leaders are warning that projects in the areas where homes are needed most simply do not stack up, yet the Minns Labor Government continues to pile on taxes and charges including its $13,000 tax on every new home in Greater Sydney,” Mr Rath said.
“Every building company that closes means jobs lost, projects abandoned and fewer homes for families already struggling with the housing crisis.”
“Labor could’ve addressed their taxes and charges in the recent budget, but they should at least be announcing much needed relief today.”
The Liberals and Nationals have a clear and decisive plan to boost housing supply and invest in infrastructure across NSW. It includes:
- Pausing Labor’s $13,000 tax on every new home until 30 June 2029.
- Cutting payroll tax rates for small and medium construction businesses.
- Working with communities to develop tailored local plans for housing.
- Repurposing the Long Bay Jail site for 12,000 new homes.
- State-led rezoning in Erskineville, Macdonaldtown, Newtown and St Peters for over 10,000 new homes.
- Delivering the Camellia-Rosehill Place Strategy for a further 10,000 new homes.
- Negotiating a new Western Sydney City Deal to provide a long-term plan that delivers the essential infrastructure our growing city needs.
One nation. One flag. Because we are all Australian.
In recent years, we seem perfectly happy to celebrate every difference – every culture, every group, every identity, every grievance. But suggest that Australia might also be celebrated or that we need a common national identity, and suddenly it becomes controversial. It shouldn’t be.
A nation is not a collection of competing tribes permanently negotiating which symbols get to dominate the public square. A nation is a shared home. And a shared home needs symbols that belong to everyone.
That is what a national flag is for.
September 3 is Australian National Flag Day. I’ll bet almost no one knows that. And perhaps that tells us something.
We increasingly talk as though Australia is simply a collection of separate communities, with nothing binding us together except geography. Too many have become antagonistic to our own national story. We teach children to question almost everything about the country they live in, yet rarely teach them to value it.
That is not developing nationhood. And it is certainly not a recipe for social cohesion.
When the Commonwealth sought a design for the new Australian flag in 1901, it wasn’t handed down from some distant authority. More than 32,000 Australians entered a design competition with 14-year-old Melbourne schoolboy Ivor Evans, one of five joint winners. It’s a reminder that national identity is something built together.
The Australian flag is not a partisan symbol. It does not belong to one race, one religion or one political movement. The flag does not belong more to a fifth-generation Australian than to a child whose parents became citizens yesterday. Nor does it exclude Aboriginal Australians or Torres Strait Islanders. Our national flag represents all Australians because it belongs to Australia. And therefore, it belongs to every Australian.
The point of citizenship is that we are part of something bigger than ourselves. Every generation must preserve our institutions, freedoms and social cohesion for the next, but that becomes extraordinarily difficult – perhaps impossible – if we raise children to feel little attachment to the country they will one day be asked to preserve.
Nor can we continually divide people according to ancestry and expect common citizenship somehow to emerge.
National identity and social cohesion are built slowly, generation after generation, and cannot be manufactured by government after it has disappeared.
We should fly one Australian national flag, not because every Australian has the same ancestry, religion, or history. We should fly one flag because citizenship requires something more powerful than our differences: it requires a common allegiance to the country we share.
One nation. One flag.
Because we are all Australian.
55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting in Palau
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will travel to Palau from 31 August to 3 September 2026 for the 55th Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders’ Meeting.
This will be the Prime Minister’s first official visit to Palau and his fifth PIF Leaders’ Meeting.
The PIF is the Pacific’s premier political institution, and Australia is a founding member. Pacific Leaders will discuss the most critical issues impacting the region under the theme “Building Economies: Life. Action. Unity”.
Prime Minister Albanese will be joined by the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, the Hon Chris Bowen MP, and the Minister for Pacific Island Affairs, the Hon Pat Conroy MP.
Prime Minister Albanese
“Australia is a proud member of the Pacific family, and investing in the security and prosperity of our Pacific neighbours makes our region safer and our economy stronger.
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.
The big challenges facing the Pacific require solutions designed and delivered for the Pacific, by the Pacific. And Australia has a key role to play – as a partner and leader.”
“I thank President Surangel Whipps Jr for hosting the 55th Pacific Islands Forum. The Forum is critically important for securing the future peace and prosperity of the region.”
Supporting Pacific athletes to go for gold
The Australian Government is investing in the next generation of Pacific sporting talent on their journey to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Australia will provide $15.6 million over 4 years to support athletes and officials from 13 Pacific countries to access high-performance training and qualification opportunities to compete at major international sporting events.
In partnership with the Australian Olympic Committee, Paralympics Australia, Commonwealth Games Australia and regional organisations, the funding will maximise Pacific athletes and officials’ participation and opportunities for success.
Pacific athletes and officials will be supported for the Tahiti 2027 Pacific Games, the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Rarotonga 2029 Pacific Mini Games and other international sporting events.
This continues Australia’s work with Australian and regional sporting organisations to increase Pacific participation in major games.
This partnership reflects Australia’s commitment to ensure Pacific athletes have every opportunity to compete, succeed and leave a sustained legacy that contributes to continued Pacific sporting excellence.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese
“The Pacific is home to incredible sporting talent. This new partnership will contribute to producing the next generation of successful athletes.
“As we move forward in planning for Brisbane 2032 Australia looks forward to welcoming the best of the best sporting talent from the Pacific and supporting them to go for gold.”
Minister Pat Conroy
“Sport has a unique power to bring people together, and support healthy lives, gender equity and youth leadership.
“This is an investment in the development of athletes across the Pacific. I look forward to seeing many successful Pacific athletes at the upcoming Paralympics, Commonwealth and Olympic Games.”
75 years of ANZUS
Today marks the 75th anniversary of the ANZUS Treaty, a cornerstone of Australia’s defence and security, and a foundation of our enduring cooperation with the United States and New Zealand.
The signing of the ANZUS Treaty in 1951 formalised the Australia-US Alliance, which was forged on the battlefields of two world wars.
For more than seven decades, the Alliance has underpinned peace, stability and prosperity in our region and continues to contribute to the region’s strategic balance.
Today the United States remains our closest ally and principal strategic partner.
As we look to the future, we work closely with the United States to deliver for the Australian and American people, deepening the bonds of friendship and goodwill that have connected our nations for generations.
The Alliance between Australia and New Zealand remains closer than ever, tightly bound by our shared history. Our security partnership was founded in the days of the first ANZACs, with this spirit continuing to enliven our modern Alliance.
Today, our Alliance continues to evolve, including efforts to operate as an increasingly integrated, combat capable ANZAC force. Our Alliance has a critical role in safeguarding national security and supporting stability in the Indo-Pacific as we work to shape a region where sovereignty is respected.
As we mark this milestone amidst an increasingly complex strategic environment, we reaffirm the enduring value of ANZUS.