SBS Our House

SBS News political reporter Anna Henderson speaks to Immigration Minister Tony Burke about visas, the War in the Middle East, and IS brides. Mr Burke says federal Opposition Leader Angus Taylor is trying to turn Australians against one another with his policies.

SBS federal political reporters Anna Henderson, Rayane Tamer, and Naveen Razik have an in-depth conversation with Assistant Minister for Citizenship, Customs, and Multicultural Affairs, Julian Hill, about visa categories, and the task the government faces in dealing with humanitarian visas and family reunion.

The Australian Government has unveiled the 2026 National Defence Strategy, outlining reprioritised investments in drones, missile defence and undersea warfare capabilities. While the government claims the new strategy includes record defence spending allocations, the opposition has accused Labor of artificially inflating the numbers.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has delivered his first National Address since being elected in 2022, calling on Australians to remain calm amid the ongoing fuel crisis. The Prime Minister acknowledged the impacts the war in the Middle East is having on rising petrol and diesel prices, and says farmers, truck drivers, small businesses and families are especially vulnerable to rising costs. He's urged Australians not to take more fuel than is needed, and to use public transport wherever possible to keep fuel available where it's needed most. SBS World News host Janice Petersen speaks afterwards to Chief Political Correspondent Anna Henderson for more on what it means.

Australia and the European Union have signed a landmark $10 billion trade and security pact to eliminate industrial tariffs and strengthen co-operation on cyber and maritime defence. The Prime Minister has hailed it as an economic win, but the deal has faced criticism from the National Party regarding agricultural access. SBS Chief Political Correspondent Anna Henderson has been talking to National Party leader Matt Canavan about their objections to the deal and also about the Government's actions over the fuel crisis.]]

The Federal Government has authorised a temporary 60-day easing of sulphur standards to inject high-sulphur petrol into regional communities facing critical fuel shortages. While Energy Minister Chris Bowen maintains that national reserves are stable, critics and analysts warn that Australia’s decade-long failure to meet international stockpile obligations leaves the country vulnerable to prolonged geopolitical shocks.

Reddit and live-streaming platform Kick will be added to the platforms required to ban 16s when the new rules come into effect in December. Australia's impending social media ban for under-16s, which covers eight major platforms, hinges on ongoing eSafety assessments that distinguish between social media, messaging, and gaming services, explaining why platforms like Steam and Twitch were not initially included.

An unusual alliance of crossbenchers and the Coalition has forced an ongoing extension of Question Time in the Senate. They are demanding the Labor government immediately release the "jobs for mates" report, which it has withheld for two years. Critics, including Transparency International, say the government's refusal to release the report is further evidence of a "culture of secrecy" at a time when its integrity standards are under heightened scrutiny.

Under-fire Optus executives have copped a parliamentary bashing for their response to a triple-zero outage linked to the deaths of three people. The proceedings have immediately zeroed in on CEO Stephen Rue, who is being pressured to explain a significant delay in reporting the fatalities to both the government and the regulator.

The Nationals have formally walked away from support of Australia's net zero emissions by 2050 policy after a party room meeting in Canberra. The decision sets up a potential showdown with their coalition partner the Liberals, who are also reviewing their approach to climate change after their disastrous election defeat.

The Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF) is under intense political scrutiny following the launch of a forensic nine-month federal audit. The $10 billion scheme, intended to boost social and affordable housing, is accused by the Opposition of wasting taxpayer funds and overpaying for properties. The debate has been dominated by the fund's slow delivery and expert concerns that its structure incentivises market-tied "fake affordable" rents over genuine public housing.

The long-awaited overhaul of Australia’s national environmental law is set to ignite Parliament this week, as the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC) faces its first major reform in twenty-six years. This second attempt at a package, featuring an independent EPA and a new National Interest power, has already generated a political firestorm. The Opposition is demanding the bill be split, while the Greens warn the entire package is "riddled with loopholes."

The federal opposition has accused Communications Minister Anika Wells of misleading parliament over when her office was notified of the Optus Triple-Zero outage that has been linked to four deaths. It comes as emails that Optus sent to notify the government and the regulator of the outages, which ultimately affected more than 600 people last month, are scrutinised in Senate estimates. Meanwhile, legislation creating a triple-zero custodian has passed the lower house.

The government has fast-tracked legislation into parliament aimed at strengthening the 000 call system after failures by Optus to ensure access to emergency calls. As parliament resumed, the nation's leaders made time to commemorate the second anniversary of the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas.

The coalition are revamping their proposal for nuclear energy, despite suffering an election loss with this policy. The details are yet to be confirmed, but the Opposition Energy Minister says they will adapt their plan to meet developments in the space.

As one of the world's biggest greenhouse gas emitters per capita, Australia has announced its new 2035 emissions reduction target. The federal government has committed to a target to cut emissions by 62 to 70 per cent by 2035, based on 2005 levels. Some say the target is too high, others say it's too low. Labor says it's both ambitious and achievable.

The Prime Minister is leaving Papua New Guinea empty-handed after a landmark security agreement wasn't signed in the final hours. The delayed deal comes less than two weeks after a similar defence with Vanuatu was delayed over concerns it will affect their other relationships.

Australia's eSafety commissioner has published regulatory guidelines for social media platforms, giving effect to the government's under-16 social media ban. While the ban won't be in place until December 10th, the eSafety commissioner says they want it to be as minimally invasive as possible. Under the guidance, social media platforms will not have to verify the age of every user on their platforms.

The federal government has given the final approval for the Woodside North West Shelf gas project with a series of conditions. The approval comes ahead of the Albanese government's announcement of a 2035 emissions reduction target, and after Australia emphasised its commitment to tackling climate change to Pacific leaders.

Northern Territory Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has been removed from the Coalition frontbench, following fallout from remarks she made about Indian migrants. Sydney Lang takes a look at how the last week unfolded.

What was sold as a rally against mass immigration had far right ideology from the start. With neo-Nazis attending the rally and attempting to recruit new members, is far-right extremism on the rise in Australia? Dr Callum Jones and Professor Greg Barton break down what's behind these rallies, and how the government should respond.

Politicians have condemned the racism and xenophobia displayed at various anti-immigration protests over the weekend. After violent clashes and a large neo-Nazi presence, the Greens are calling on the government to urgently address rising right-wing extremism in Australia.

A lot has happened since the last sitting week. The Prime Minister announced Australia's plan to soon recognise Palestinian statehood, and the best economic minds gathered to solve the productivity crisis. We break down why you should care about productivity at all, and Jacqui Lambie talks through her idea for a 'climate army'.

The latest diplomatic crisis between Israel and Australia is threatening to undermine a 76-year relationship. The Albanese government's decision to recognise a Palestinian state in an upcoming meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, combined with its denial of a visa for an Israeli politician, has led to significant backlash. The Israeli government is accusing the Australian government of inciting antisemitism and has now revoked visas for Australian diplomats in the occupied West Bank.

Top economists, business leaders and unions will gather in Canberra this week to attend a national roundtable on boosting Australia's productivity. It comes as Australia has followed other advanced economies and recorded consistently low productivity growth in the past several decades. Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers says has a realistic, but also optimistic expectation of the roundtable’s outcomes

As Australia prepares to recognise a Palestinian state, some hold concerns that it's a distraction from what is happening on the ground in Gaza. Other groups have criticised the move, which they say rewards Hamas for the October 7 attacks.

Australia will recognise a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly Meeting in September. It follows similar declarations from France, Canada, and the United Kingdom in recent weeks.

Australia's youngest senator thinks her perspective makes her particularly qualified for the job, after a a surprise win at the election. The 21-year-old has gone from uploading make-up tutorials to sitting in parliament and chatting policy while playing Minecraft to reach electorally important younger voters. SBS News spoke to Labor Senator for South Australia, Charlotte Walker.

The first sitting weeks of the 48th Parliament have concluded. Whilst Labor progressed its domestic agenda, issues in the Middle East have dominated headlines. SBS World News Weekly co-host Cat Stirrat explains what has happened in Gaza since the election, with Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi joining the show too.

The Federal Government has announced it will include YouTube in its social media ban for children under 16 years old. The move was informed by advice from the e-Safety Commissioner... but critics have called for broader reform aimed at social media platforms.

Government under pressurThe government is facing internal pressure to recognise a Palestinian state as the UK threatens formal recognition unless Israel ends the war.

Police have made one arrest and briefly detained 17 other protesters after a demonstration over the conflict of the Middle East at federal parliament. While The Greens want Australia to stop supplying weapons parts to Israel and to impose much broader Israeli sanctions, the opposition argues the government should be focusing its criticism on Hamas and not the Israeli government.

The federal Opposition Leader has used an address at the National Press Club to paint her leadership as a departure from Peter Dutton, outlining her plans to rebuild the Liberal Party and draw more women to run for the party. She's also made a deeply personal admission about her own experience of coercion and control, as she vows to use her position to address domestic violence.

United States President Donald Trump has denied that he left the G7 Summit in Canada to work on a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. After a comment at the G7 from French president Emmanuel Macron welcoming Mr Trump's own remarks that he was having discussions with Iran and Israel, Mr Trump posted on social media describing Mr Macron as "publicity seeking", and claiming he is working on matters "much bigger than that". But Mr Trump's shortened visit to the G7 Summit resulted in the cancellation of his meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, which has sparked criticism from the Opposition.

The Greens are reeling from the surprise defection of West Australian Senator Dorinda Cox to the Labor Party. The Prime Minister has defended his new recruit, amid accusations of workplace bullying.

New Federal Multicultural Minister Anne Aly says that social cohesion is not entirely up to multicultural communities. It comes as the government announced plans to open an Office for Multicultural Affairs to sit within the Home Affairs Department. But it falls short of a landmark report's recommendation to create a standalone department for Multicultural Affairs, Immigration and Citizenship, which also raised concerns about how migrant communities feel they are being monitored, rather than supported, by the Home Affairs department.

Eight days after the Coalition split up, the Liberal and National parties have announced they have reunited. The decision signals a deal reached between the two parties on key policies, paving the way for the unveiling of a shadow cabinet.

The Liberal and National parties have taken the first steps towards reforming the Coalition. The Liberal Party has paused its announcement of a shadow cabinet, with the Nationals indicating they're hopeful a coalition agreement will be reached before Parliament returns.

The federal coalition has split - with the National and Liberal parties unable to reach an agreement.

Larissa Waters has become the leader of the Australian Greens after Adam Bandt lost his seat at the federal election. She was an environmental lawyer in Queensland before entering the Senate in 2011. Mehreen Faruqi has been re-elected as the deputy leader.

The coalition's position on net-zero policies and nuclear power have been put under review. Has a bruising defeat brought the climate wars back?

Sussan Ley has been elected as the leader of the Liberal Party. But there are concerns she's on a 'glass cliff', as the first female leader chosen at a time the party is in crisis.

Tanya Plibersek has been demoted to Social Services Minister, as Anthony Albanese reveals his second term ministry.

Former Labor cabinet minister Ed Husic has told SBS News he believes the government should be pushing for Palestinian statehood by June.

Demoted cabinet minister Ed Husic has criticised the Labor Party leadership, as the frontbench of the re-elected government is finalised. Mr Husic claims his stance on Gaza and Labor's factional competition contributed to his departure. Meanwhile, the Liberals leadership contest is also underway after a historic loss in the election.

Dozens of politicians have flooded back into Canberra after Labor's landslide victory at the federal election. A reshuffle has claimed two high-profile MPs. Meanwhile, the Opposition is now looking for a new leader, with two candidates now publicly confirming they will stand.

A win beyond Labor’s wildest dreams, two leaders booted, and underperforming Teals. There’s heaps to unpack about the 2025 Federal Election result, and Simon Welsh from RedBridge joins us on Party Time to talk it all out

Adam Bandt has conceded defeat, losing his seat of Melbourne in an upset that leaves the Greens leaderless. He finished first on the primary vote, but sustained a two-party swing against him. Sarah Witty has won the seat back for Labor after 15 years.

Liberal candidate Tim Wilson has declared victory in the seat of Goldstein [[-stine]], appearing to topple independent MP Zoe Daniels. Two other contests with metropolitan Teal politicians are going down to the wire as well. They're small sparks of hope for a Liberal Party bruised and battered by the election.

The Greens appear to have fewer seats in the lower house after last weekend's election, but they may hold the balance of power in the Senate. It's not the result the party had hoped for; how will it shape the next parliament and the Greens' future?