Nationals holding party room meeting amid anger over hate speech vote
Tom McIlroy
The Nationals are holding another party room meeting this morning, amid anger at a group of frontbenchers who voted against the party’s position on Labor’s hate speech bill last night.
Shadow ministers Bridget McKenzie, Susan McDonald and Ross Cadell voted against the bill, despite the opposition leader, Sussan Ley, and shadow cabinet opting to support Labor’s watered down measure.
Convention requires frontbenchers to vote in line with shadow cabinet or resign their position. It is unclear whether Ley and Nationals leader, David Littleproud, will require the three frontbenchers to resign.
Backbencher Matt Canavan voted against the bill, but he is not bound by conventions of shadow cabinet solidarity.
Some Nationals and some Liberal MPs are angry the trio defied the shadow cabinet, despite days of negotiations about Labor’s bill and amendments agreed by Ley and the Coalition.
The legislation passed the Senate 38 to 22 votes after 11pm.
Key events
Albanese touts passing of ‘strongest hate laws’ in Australian history – video
Here’s a video of Albanese’s remarks this morning, where he said while the laws were not as strong as the government initially put forward, they were “no doubt” a good thing.
Prime minister won’t put forward additional legislation on protections after hate speech battle
Tom McIlroy
Anthony Albanese says the government won’t bring forward additional legislation providing stronger legal protections for religious groups, people with a disability and LGBTQ+ Australians after a lengthy fight over hate speech laws in parliament this week.
Labor cut hate speech provisions for religious groups from the bill drafted in the wake of the Bondi beach shootings, and which passed the Senate late last night. The Greens and the Coalition did not support the measures, meaning they had no pathway through the Senate.
Albanese and senior Labor ministers had flagged possible further protections for other groups in future legislation as recently as last week.
But the prime minister said on Wednesday the government would not proceed with additional laws, because Labor did not have the numbers to pass them on its own:
I’m not sure how many senators we’ve got, but if you can add another 10 people, get them to join the Labor party, then come back to me, but it’s a matter of maths, and there is not support for it.
And I accept that. I’m a pragmatic political leader. I’m in it getting real things done. We got some real things done last night in the Senate.
NSW Health issues new measles alert for Sydney
NSW Health has issued a new measles alert for Sydney after another two cases were confirmed as part of the latest outbreak.
One case was acquired locally from a known case earlier this month, official said, and the other is in a traveller who has recently returned from south-east Asia.
The recently confirmed cases visited “many locations” across Sydney while unknowingly infectious, including healthcare facilities. A full list of those locations is available here.
Dr Christine Selvey, the executive director of Health Protection NSW, said people who may have been exposed should monitor for symptoms:
If symptoms develop and you’ve been at one of the locations at the time listed on the website, see your doctor or health service, including an emergency department. Call ahead to let them know that you may have come into contact with measles so you don’t spend time in waiting rooms with other patients.
Symptoms to watch out for include fever, runny nose, sore eyes and a cough, usually followed three or four days later by a red, blotchy rash that spreads from the head to the rest of the body.
NSW Health is advising people to be alert for signs and symptoms of measles after being notified of a confirmed case who was infectious while visiting locations in greater western Sydney.
The case has returned from Thailand, where there is an ongoing outbreak of measles. pic.twitter.com/ZjpXQKtEAV
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) January 19, 2026
NSW man charged for alleged threats against federal parliamentarian
A New South Wales man will appear before court today on charges he allegedly threatened a federal parliamentarian.
The Australian Federal Police said its national security investigations team investigated a report about a social media post, allegedly linking the man, 45, to the account behind it.
On Tuesday, investigators executed a search warrant at a campsite near Bellingen, NSW, and seized an electronic device.
The man has been charged with one count of using a carriage service to threaten serious harm, which carries a maximum penalty of seven years’ imprisonment. He will face Parramatta local court later today.
Nationals frontbencher who crossed floor says he will step down if asked
Krishani Dhanji
The shadow minister Ross Cadell, a Nationals senator who crossed the floor last night to vote against Labor’s hate speech bill, has said he will step down “if it is so requested”.
The fate of three shadow ministers – including Caddell, Bridget McKenzie and Susan McDonald – still hangs in the balance after the National senators last night crossed the floor to vote against Labor’s hate speech bill.
The Nationals party room met this morning in Canberra, but no decision has been made on whether the three will be forced to the backbench. The decision will ultimately be made by the Coalition leader, Sussan Ley.
The Liberal leadership group is meeting currently where the decision could be made. The leadership group includes Jonno Duniam, who negotiated with Labor on the bill, as well as Ley’s deputy, Ted O’Brien, Senate leaders Anne Ruston and Michaelia Cash.
Speaking to Sky News, Cadell says if he survives and remains a shadow minister next week, “it is because of the understanding tolerance and leadership of Sussan Ley”:
If I am still a member of the shadow cabinet next week, it is because of the understanding, the tolerance and the the leadership of Sussan Ley. I understand if you do the crime, you have to take the time, and if it is so requested, I will be stepping down from shadow cabinet.
I am willing to take my medicine.
Albanese says he’s been focused on politics at home when asked about Trump’s ‘board of peace’
The prime minister was also asked about Donald Trump’s Gaza “board of peace” invitation.
Albanese said:
We’ll give consideration to those issues in line with other countries as well, but we haven’t turned our attention to those issues. We’ve been [prioritising], I think quite rightly, on what do we need to do to keep Australians safe?
Albanese remains aloof after Morrison attacks
At the press conference earlier, Anthony Albanese said Scott Morrison is entitled to make “whatever comments he likes” after the former prime minister released a blistering statement following Albanese’s remarks in parliament this week that antisemitism didn’t start when the Labor government was elected.
Albanese said in parliament on Tuesday:
Let me be very clear. All governments should have done better … the idea that antisemitism began two years ago, with the change of government, is false… Despite the surge in antisemitism on their watch, did the Morrison government appoint a special envoy to combat antisemitism?
Morrison released his own statement later that day, saying Albanese’s remarks about his own government’s actions were a “delusional and cheap diversionary” stunt.
Nationals holding party room meeting amid anger over hate speech vote
Tom McIlroy
The Nationals are holding another party room meeting this morning, amid anger at a group of frontbenchers who voted against the party’s position on Labor’s hate speech bill last night.
Shadow ministers Bridget McKenzie, Susan McDonald and Ross Cadell voted against the bill, despite the opposition leader, Sussan Ley, and shadow cabinet opting to support Labor’s watered down measure.
Convention requires frontbenchers to vote in line with shadow cabinet or resign their position. It is unclear whether Ley and Nationals leader, David Littleproud, will require the three frontbenchers to resign.
Backbencher Matt Canavan voted against the bill, but he is not bound by conventions of shadow cabinet solidarity.
Some Nationals and some Liberal MPs are angry the trio defied the shadow cabinet, despite days of negotiations about Labor’s bill and amendments agreed by Ley and the Coalition.
The legislation passed the Senate 38 to 22 votes after 11pm.
PM says Australians are safer because of these bills
Albanese was asked if the bills as passed would make Australian less safe after a deal with the Coalition to see them passed.
He said that was not the case:
Australians are more safe because of these bills being carried.
The racial vilification provisions, I think were, a recommendation of the special envoy’s report. The Coalition said that they supported its adoption in full. It’s up to them to explain that contradiction.
Albanese said he hopes to see Australia come together during national day of mourning
The prime minister said tomorrow’s national day of mourning will be a moment for the country to reflect and unify, saying:
Australia was born out of an instinct to unify.
We need to come together and tomorrow will be another day in which I want to see national unity. The day of mourning will be an opportunity for all Australians to stand with those who are grieving, those who lost loved ones.
This period has been one of the most difficult in our nation’s history, coming to terms with this. We continue to take action required to keep Australians safe.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is speaking in Canberra after the passage of the hate speech laws.
He said the laws were not as strong as the government initially put forward, but said the laws were “no doubt” a good thing.
Albanese said:
What we were able to do, with the support of the Greens, the strengthening of firearms laws, and with the support of the Liberals and some cross-benchers as well the strengthening on hate speech.
Not as strong as we originally put forward, but no doubt, the strongest hate laws that have ever been in place in Australia. A good thing.
Jewish body calls hate speech laws ‘step in the right direction’
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry issued a statement this morning welcoming the passage of the new hate speech laws.
The body’s president, Daniel Aghion, said the bill was “another substantial step towards achieving effective laws against the deliberate promotion of hatred of groups or individuals based on their skin colour or national or ethnic origin”.
In a statement, Aghion said:
No legislation is perfect, but the provisions of this new legislation represent a substantial achievement. The speed of its passage demonstrates that our parliament can work quickly and decisively when faced with urgent necessity and that Australia as a nation will never be dictated to by terror. …
If not addressed robustly, the problem of growing racial hatred will only get worse. Whilst the Jewish community is presently the main target, every group and every individual in society is potentially at risk in the future. We urge all parties to come together without delay to reverse this scourge.
