Category: Australian News

As 2025 comes to a close, on behalf of all our Parliamentary colleagues and the people of Australia, we extend our deep gratitude and warm wishes to the serving members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and their families for another year of exemplary service. 

This Christmas we thank all of those serving both at home and abroad. Your hard work, service and sacrifice is deeply valued.

From the high seas of the Indo-Pacific to the deserts of the Middle East, the skies of Europe to our country’s most remote regions – across the domains of land, sea, air, space and cyber – our ADF personnel have worked every day to keep Australians safe and secure. 

This year, as we saw the global rules‑based order come under increased pressure, the ADF has stepped up.

• Over 3,100 Ukrainian personnel have now graduated from ADF-delivered training in the United Kingdom; and ADF personnel deployed to Europe to protect humanitarian and military corridors into Ukraine as they battle Russian invasion under Operation Kudu.
• ADF personnel supported evacuation efforts in the Middle East to airlift Australians and their families to safety.  
• More than 40,000 personnel from 19 countries and two observer nations took part in our biggest ever Exercise Talisman Sabre – demonstrating how we integrate closely with international partners and respond to a rapidly evolving strategic environment.
• The ADF built closer ties with our Pacific neighbours and ASEAN partners, patrolled the waters of our shared region, helped build naval capability and supported the peace and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific. 

In 2025 our ADF personnel also served at home during some of the most challenging times for Australians. During natural disasters – including this year in the Northern Rivers, across Queensland and beyond – the ADF supported communities, helped search for missing persons, and supported emergency services in their vital work. 

From our outback towns, our northern borders and our garrison towns and cities, the ADF are an invaluable part of many Australian communities and part of the very fabric of our nation. They embody the best of Australia and Australians.

We acknowledge the selfless sacrifice and the separation from family and loved ones while on deployment, especially at Christmas. Service is experienced by the entire family, and our ADF families are an integral part of defending our nation. Thank you for your support for your loved one to serve, and your sacrifice.

At this time of year in particular, we encourage everyone to check in with their friends and families. Support services are available, including through Open Arms.  

People are the ADF’s most important capability. It is an honour to be the ministerial team who have the privilege of overseeing the work of the Australian Defence Force, to be the ministers responsible for facilitating this mission of great service, and whose leadership and courage we hope to emulate.

We thank you and we wish you a safe and peaceful holiday season.

Merry Christmas.

Exercise Christmas Hop 2025 has brought Christmas cheer to some of Queensland’s most remote communities, helping children and families celebrate the festive season.

The annual initiative reflects Defence’s commitment to supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and sharing goodwill during the holidays.

Australian Defence Force personnel visited communities including Mornington Island, Doomadgee, Weipa, Normanton, Kowanyama, Cloncurry, Badu Island, Horn Island, Masig Island, Pormpuraaw, Aurukun, Longreach and Burketown.

A Royal Australian Air ForceC-27J Spartan and C-130J Hercules aircraft played a key role in delivering toys, sporting equipment, education resources and apparel, generously donated by organisations across the country. The exercise was supported by the Australian Army’s 51st Battalion, Far North Queensland Regiment, working alongside Air Force crews to make the deliveries possible.

These donations were coordinated in partnership with the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC), which has worked with Defence since 2021 to bring joy to children in regional and remote areas. 

The AOC plays a central role in sourcing and coordinating donations from organisations nationwide, ensuring communities receive high-quality goods that promote education, sport and wellbeing. This partnership demonstrates a shared commitment to supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and making Christmas special for families in remote locations.

Deputy Prime Minister, Richard Marles:

“Exercise Christmas Hop is about spreading joy and supporting communities in Far North Queensland during the festive season.

“This initiative reflects the strong connection between our Defence Force and remote communities, and highlights the generosity of Australians who help make Christmas special for every child.”

Minister for Defence Personnel, Matt Keogh: 

“ADF personnel are driven by a desire to serve our nation. For some ADF service means being away from their families and loved ones at Christmas, so they understand the importance of bringing some Christmas cheer to our remote communities.

“Well done to all the Defence members who took part in this year’s Operation Christmas Hop, and thank you everyone who donated so generously or helped behind the scenes.”

Commander Air Mobility Group, Air Commodore Benjamin Poxon:

“Exercise Christmas Hop delivers real outcomes for remote communities, while ensuring our aircrew and support personnel are trained to operate in remote areas.

“Exercise Christmas Hop balances meaningful community engagement with airlift training opportunities for the Royal Australian Air Force.”

The NSW Parliament is the first state Parliament to pass essential gun control laws following the anti-Semitic mass shooting at Bondi Beach and it now needs to be followed by legislative action across the country. 

These laws were made stronger by a Greens amendment that will keep firearms out of the hands of people investigated for terrorism related offenses and are a much needed gun safety win for the community.

In a deeply political act, the NSW Labor Party also attached a broad ranging attack on the right to protest to the gun laws, in a move that many informed commentators described as unconstitutional. 

The attack on protest will not not make Australia safer, and is part of a broader false political narrative linking the actions of the appalling two terrorist shooters to a global movement to end violence, oppose a genocide and demand justice. The Greens and millions of Australians who join us in the peace movement, reject these attacks on protest, humanity and global justice.

Greens Justice Spokesperson and Senator for NSW, David Shoebridge:

“The Greens welcome the passage of tougher firearm laws in NSW to stop hoarding of high-powered weapons in our suburbs and acknowledge the hard work of gun safety advocates for decades that has helped achieve this.

“The Greens unanimous amendment strengthens the laws by making it clear no one investigated for terrorism, or living with or linked to proscribed people, should be granted a firearms permit. Guns are a privilege, never a right in our society.

“What we now need is concerted national action so that all states and territories meet, or better, NSW gun safety changes and the Federal government to show leadership with a generous gun buyback and an urgent national firearms register.

“The attacks on free speech and protest that NSW also passed are divisive and dangerous politics from Labor, with most informed observers saying they are likely unconstitutional.

“Peaceful rallies against a genocide, to protect children and call for a just peace have been an essential safety valve in our society for decades, giving dissent and humanity a legitimate and powerful political outlet. These blatantly political attempts by Labor and the Coalition to stop peaceful protest are dangerous, ill-considered and likely to fail in the High Court.”

Greens Deputy Leader and Senator for NSW, Senator Mehreen Faruqi:

“While these are welcome and necessary steps on gun reform following the horrific violence in Bondi, these important advances are being overshadowed by the Minns’ Labor government’s deeply troubling move to restrict peaceful protest. 

“The Palestine justice movement and anti-genocide protests, made up of hundreds of thousands people and including many Jewish community members, have consistently and loudly opposed antisemitism and all forms of racism. Smearing it is a distortion of reality and it is reckless and dangerous. 

“This is a time when unity, solidarity and meaningful leadership are needed, not authoritarianism nor the undermining of democracy, which depends on our right to assemble, to speak out, and to protest.”

Leader of the Australian Greens, Senator Larissa Waters:

“NSW’s firearm reforms should be the impetus for state and federal action on gun control. As a nation we can  build on the last gun buy-back, strengthen our gun laws to keep communities safer, and at the same time tackle antisemitism, racism and radicalisation.

“We need to take action to stop antisemitism, racism, radicalisation and gun violence, to stamp out both the hateful ideologies and dangerous weapons used to commit the horrific Bondi attack. 

“The Greens will work across parliaments to ensure communities are safe from gun violence with fewer dangerous weapons, a national firearms register and strict limits on gun numbers, and we will always defend the right to peaceful protest. 

“Falsely conflating those legions of Australians who peacefully marched against violence in Gaza with the criminal actions of radicalised individuals is a dangerous path. Australians want peace and justice at home and abroad, and the NSW restrictions on democratic rights to peacefully protest take the wrong lesson from this horrific  terror attack. Community and political unity is what is needed right now.

The Albanese Labor Government is delivering on its election commitment to support the critical work of the Reverend Bill Crews Foundation and secure its future in supporting vulnerable Australians.

A new $10 million investment will help Reverend Crews and his team of volunteers provide more free meals, support those impacted by family and domestic violence, and deliver literacy programs for the most vulnerable Australians.

The literacy programs will be delivered through schools across New South Wales and the Northern Territory, while other services will be delivered from the Foundation’s headquarters in Ashfield and Blacktown.

The funding will also support the operation of the Foundation’s Blacktown medical clinic, which provides a range of healthcare services including medical, dental and alcohol and other drug services.

For over 30 years, Reverend Crews and a team of volunteers have provided free meals, accessible healthcare, welfare support and literacy programs for the most vulnerable Australians.

In 2023-24, the Foundation provided almost half a million meals, distributed 25,000 food hampers, and conducted almost 1,300 GP and 500 dental appointments to people in need in Sydney.

This announcement builds on the more than $460 million the Albanese Labor Government is already investing in emergency and food relief and other supports for Australians who are having a hard time.

the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese

“This investment means more free meals, support for those impacted by family and domestic violence, literacy programs for vulnerable Australians and GP and dental appointments. 

“This is a cause extremely close to my heart. I am so proud to call Bill a friend and to have seen up close the impact his work has made on many thousands of people.

the Minister for Social Services, Tanya Plibersek

“Reverend Crews has been there time and time again for Sydneysiders in need, with hot meals, GP and dentist appointments, or just to listen to someone in pain.

“I’ve seen firsthand how Bill and his team change lives every day, including during the festive season which can be such a difficult time for many people.

“This investment will secure the Foundation’s future – to keep serving free meals, providing accessible healthcare, help with welfare support and giving people hope when they need it most.”

I have asked the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet to lead a review into Australia’s federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet will examine whether federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies have the right powers, structures, processes and sharing arrangements in place to keep Australians safe in the wake of the horrific antisemitic Bondi Beach terrorist attack.

The ISIS-inspired atrocity last Sunday reinforces the rapidly changing security environment in our nation. Our security agencies must be in the best position to respond.

The review will be led by Dennis Richardson – a former Secretary of the Department of Defence, former Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and former Intelligence Chief.  

The review will build on the work of the Independent Intelligence Review, conducted by Richard Maude and Heather Smith.

The review will be provided to the Government by the end of April 2026 and will be made publicly available.

In the aftermath of the horrific attack at Bondi Beach, we have seen communities rally up and down the country in solidarity. We have seen the best of humanity on display – so we wanted to take a moment to share some of these stories. 

Ahmed al-Ahmed

His act of heroism has rightly made headlines all over the world, gaining praise from world leaders, the media and the public alike.

An online fundraiser set up to recognise his bravery and support his recovery has now surpassed $2.5 million in donations, as at the time of writing. You can donate to the GoFundMe to support Ahmed al-Ahmed here.

Tens of thousands register to donate blood

In the aftermath of the shooting, the Australian Red Cross made an urgent call-out for blood donations, and the community rallied across the country.

Not even two days after the attack, nearly 50,000 people across the country made appointments to donate blood and plasma. With the holiday season approaching, Lifeblood continues to encourage donations. 

Most importantly, they are looking for universal O-type blood donations that can support all individuals in need. If you can, register today to donate blood with Lifeblood.

Inter-faith solidarity and embrace 

So many pictures of resilience were shared across social media and our television screens this week.

In particular, the heartwarming image of Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins of Emanuel Synagogue and Bilal Rauf of the Australian National Imams Council embracing has stayed with us following a community vigil in Hyde Park in Sydney on Monday night. 

We saw compassion, humanity and solidarity in communities coming together to share grief. This week showed us that, together, we are so much stronger and can combat any hate. 

Strength and courage of community 

We have heard stories of strangers taking care of each other as they were alerted to the danger around them. 

Viral social media videos showed people opening their doors to those seeking shelter from the gunfire, strangers protecting pets like Matcha, who was separated from her owner in the stampede to flee the beach on Sunday, and images of lifeguards running towards the horrific scenes with life-saving medical supplies and supporting people in the immediate aftermath. 

The power of connection has also been on display in so many ways, including the crew from Disaster Recovery NSW sitting down to have conversations with people on Bondi Beach on Monday.

Community will counter hate 

There are people who want to pull our communities apart, but together, we can counter that hatred. In 2026, it is vital that we all keep actively showing up for one another.

The most effective antidote to hate is community. Building community can look like building relationships with your neighbours, reaching out to an acquaintance you don’t know so well, or sparking a conversation with your barista or someone at your gym.

By doing so, we learn that there is much more that we have in common as human beings than what divides us.

The Greens are joining the United Workers Union (UWU) in calling on the Labor Government to take urgent action to guarantee fair pay for the nation’s early childhood educators and prevent a looming pay cliff.

The call follows recent Fair Work Commission (FWC) updates to the Children’s Services Award. With the FWC’s decision to stretch long-term pay increases across several years, a dangerous gap now exists between the scheduled end of current worker retention payments and the actual implementation of the new pay increases. Currently, the expiration of interim retention payments could leave thousands of educators in this majority-female workforce facing a real-terms pay reduction just before next Christmas.

The Greens are urging the Government to bridge the funding gap and permanently lock in the 15% pay increase to ensure stability for workers and the sector.

Greens Early Childhood Education and Care Spokesperson, Senator Steph Hodgins-May:

“After a gruelling year, it is cruel and indefensible to leave educators facing the anxiety of pay uncertainty before next Christmas.

“Staggering this award increase will hurt educators during a cost-of-living crisis and threatens to destabilise the entire workforce.

“The Albanese Government must fund the gap and lock in a permanent 15 per cent pay rise that workers and their unions have been calling for.

“Our kids deserve safe, high-quality care, but that’s only possible if the educators at the heart of the system have a fair wage and a secure future.

The Victorian Greens say today’s loss of an appeal by public housing residents does not give Jacinta Allan’s Labor Government a mandate to steamroll ahead with the mass demolition and displacement of public housing communities.

Residents have spent years fighting Labor’s decision to demolish their homes without consultation and without a transparent, evidence-based case for why refurbishment was ruled out.

The Greens said the court outcome does not change the underlying policy failure at the heart of the tower demolitions, and that today’s decision is not the final word on the future of Melbourne’s public housing towers.

A recent parliamentary inquiry into the redevelopment of Melbourne’s public housing towers heard evidence calling for demolitions to be halted after the government was unable to produce documents justifying its decision. 

The inquiry also recommended that Labor’s discretionary claims of cabinet confidentiality be independently assessed by a legal arbiter, as required under parliamentary rules – a process Labor has actively defied. 

Victorian Greens housing spokesperson Gabrielle de Vietri said the decision was devastating for residents and made clear the fight to protect public housing is not over.

Victorian Greens housing spokesperson, Gabrielle de Vietri: 

“Residents found out through the media that Labor planned to demolish their homes, and they’ve shown extraordinary courage fighting that cruel decision, and this isn’t the end of that fight.”

“Make no mistake – the community will fight this disastrous plan every step of the way, including standing in front of bulldozers if that’s what it takes.

“In a housing crisis, Labor is demolishing public housing and rolling out the red carpet for private developers, handing over prime public land to build expensive private apartments – a choice that’s going to make renting and buying a home in Melbourne even more unaffordable.

“This plan has been shrouded in secrecy from the start. If Labor’s case stacks up, they should release the documents and let them be independently assessed. People are seeing that Labor’s mass demolition and privatisation of public housing has no legs to stand on and it is only a matter of time until the wheels fall completely off.”

The Australian Greens have welcomed the government’s announcement of a federal firearms buyback, with leader Senator Larissa Waters saying that the party would progress efforts to remove weapons from the streets.

Australian Greens Justice spokesperson Senator David Shoebridge urged the government to seize the opportunity for reform, saying the steps should also include transparency measures around weapon ownership, and banning recreational hunting as a valid cause for licensing.

The Greens’ TooManyGuns.org tool allows Australians to see how many weapons are in their local area, revealing the scale of gun ownership in our suburbs. Due to limited transparency nationally there is currently only data available for NSW. 

Despite its urban location, Bondi has 190 guns in the 2026 postcode, with one gun owner possessing a shocking 24 registered weapons. Matraville, also in Sydney’s east, has one firearm owner with a private arsenal of 295 firearms.

The Gun Safety Alliance recommends a limit of one firearm per licence holder, with extras permitted only if proven.

Leader of the Australian Greens, Senator Larissa Waters said:
“We welcome the announcement of a gun buy-back. There are now more guns in the community than before the Port Arthur massacre. It’s time we built on the last gun buy-back and strengthened our gun laws to keep communities safer – at the same time as tackling antisemitism, racism and radicalisation.

“The Greens will help to get guns off our streets, and so should every member of Parliament. It should be above politics to stop the hoarding of these weapons that killed so many innocent men, women and children.

“A gun buyback with practical arrangements for surrender, secure collection, destruction and fair compensation would be a step in the right direction.

“The Greens will work across parliaments to ensure communities are safe from gun violence with fewer dangerous weapons, a national firearms register and strict limits on gun numbers. 

“Bans on rapid action and high-powered weapons in our cities and time-limited licenses with ongoing character checks would also work toward greater community safety from firearms.

“We need to take action to stop antisemitism, racism, radicalisation and gun violence, to stamp out both the hateful ideologies and dangerous weapons used to commit this horrific attack. If we unify to get as many deadly weapons off our streets, we will all be safer.” 

Australian Greens Justice spokesperson, Senator David Shoebridge said:
“We welcome this move for a national gun buyback and it is important to tie it to structural changes in our gun laws that are grounded in community safety.

“No one in suburban Sydney, or anywhere in this country, should have a private arsenal of high powered weapons at their home.

“There must be a clear cap on gun numbers, with multiple weapons only permissible where police are satisfied that there is a distinct requirement based on strict criteria.

“Recreational hunting, which is the reason used to obtain some of the largest caches of deadly weapons, needs to be removed as a basis for obtaining a gun licence.

“Control of wild introduced animals is a credible reason for rural property owners and professional pest controllers to get a gun, it is not a valid reason to arm a suburban accountant or shopkeeper with a dozen hunting rifles.

“The Greens welcome this move to close loopholes and gaps in our gun laws that we, and important advocates like the Gun Safety Alliance, have been trying to close for decades.

“At this moment Australians are right to expect leadership on gun law reform and to reject the empty rhetoric seen in the US, and from some politicians here, thoughts and prayers and no action on gun safety.”

Sue Higginson NSW Greens MP and Spokesperson for Justice said:
“The Greens in the recalled NSW Parliament will work to ensure that the Minns Labor Government introduces the most effective gun laws to keep our communities safe.

“We saw the shocking danger of anyone owning more than one firearm at Bondi, which is why the Greens and advocates like the Gun Safety Alliance are calling for strict limits on gun numbers.

“We are all reeling from the devastation that can happen when the wrong people have guns, and too many guns. For many years now we have been calling out the holes in our gun laws that have led to too many guns in our communities. Now is the time to unite and fix this.”