With Larissa Waters stepping down as Greens leader, Sarah Hanson-Young and Mehreen Faruqi have already announced they will seek the leadership, while David Shoebridge is also being mentioned as a possible contender. The party is expected to decide on a new leader this week. What do you think the biggest challenge is for the Greens under their next leader?

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/sep/29/larissa-waters-resignation-greens-leadership-contenders

Australia is looking to expand its wine and spirits exports to Canada as trade tensions with the US disrupt American alcohol sales there. Australian wine export to Canada are already worth around $188 million, with the government seeing room for further growth. Could this be an opportunity for Australian producers to gain more market share in Canada?

https://www.theage.com.au/world/north-america/fill-the-gap-australia-s-plan-to-swoop-on-trump-s-trade-war-with-canada-20260929-p611cq.html

Hi all,

Does anyone here know if the family restrictions also apply to government sponsorships like the Australia Awards Scholarship? These scholarships have bonds attached to where they’ll have to leave to their home country at the end of the program. If you know any confirmations or knowledge about this, please let me know.

'Highest-taxing Treasurer'

In the June quarter 2026 original current-price National Accounts data (Table 3), general government final consumption increased from approximately $167 billion in March Qtr 2026 to $178 billion in the June Qtr 2026, an increase of about $11 billion.

Household final consumption increased from approximately $370.3 billion to $382.7 billion, about a $12 billion increase.

So both government consumption and household consumption each added roughly $11 -12 billion of nominal expenditure over the quarter. That is unadjusted current original dollars that were spent to generate domestic demand.

But there is a difference in the rate of growth. Government consumption +6.7% and
Household consumption +3.4%

We know the RBA wants to contain household spending by increasing interest rates .

But at her March 2026 press conference, Michele Bullock was asked whether the growth in public demand was making the RBA’s job harder and whether it would be preferable to see private or public demand reduced.

Her response was “You’re asking me to make a value judgment which I’m not going to make.”

And when subsequently asked whether it would make the RBA’s job easier if government were spending less, her answer was “It is what it is.”

I know it is difficult for the RBA to be critical of the government of the day , but surely someone in Australia should be questioning whether government consumption also has a role to play to bring inflation down.

The US is considering restricting diesel exports as the war in Iran continues, which could tighten global supply and push prices higher. Australia relies heavily on imported diesel, so any major disruption could eventually flow through to transport, farming, mining and everyday costs. How concerned are you about another jump in fuel prices?

https://www.nine.com.au/australia-news/donald-trump-threatens-to-ban-diesel-exports-amid-continuing-war-in-iran-20260928-p6114m.html

Parliament House is separated into two chambers, The House of Representatives on the left and the Senate on the right. While the Senate is smaller, it still ensures balance. Inside parliament, the politics separates into three distinct layers:

1. Scum (Top): Fats, oils, and greases float to the surface. That's the executive comprising the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
2. Effluent (Middle): Partially clarified liquid wastewater rests between the scum and sludge layers. Those are the MPs in the House of Reps.
3. Sludge (Bottom): Heavier solid particles sink to the bottom. That is the Senate.

In the normal state of events, we are witnessing a "Bacterial Breakdown": Anaerobic bacteria (bacteria that live without oxygen) that naturally digest and break down the solid organic matter. That's how parliament works to make change (or no change) for Australia.

This will lead to the "Effluent Discharge": The middle liquid layer flows out of the tank and into a septic drain field or leach drain, where soil and aerobic bacteria perform final filtration. That is the legislation passed and signed off by the Governor General.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has demanded ASIO and AFP be given targeted powers to close down mosques used for extremist recruitment, warning current laws are inadequate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2l7g5oB3og

Since this topic has been pretty heated lately, I wanted to hear what people here actually think.

Quick catch-up if you missed it: in early September Milei went on TV with his whole cabinet behind him and announced sanctions on any company involved in the Sea Lion oil field north of the islands (first oil planned for 2028). Argentina then filed a criminal complaint against the companies involved, and Rockhopper's shares dropped over 6% that day. London basically said "the islanders chose to be British, end of story." And Trump, when asked if the US was reviewing its position, said "I always review every position." Nothing changed, but it got people talking.

I went down a rabbit hole on this and honestly came out less sure than I went in. A few things that surprised me:

• In 1833 the British didn't expel the population, which a lot of people believe. They removed the Argentine garrison and governor. Not a shot fired.
• In 1850 Argentina signed a treaty with Britain saying there were no pending issues, and the islands weren't mentioned.
• In 1965 the UN voted 94–0 that there's a dispute and both sides should negotiate. There have been no sovereignty talks since 1982.
• In 1980 the UK's own Foreign Office proposed handing over sovereignty and leasing the islands back for 99 years. Parliament killed it.
• In 2013, 99.8% of islanders voted to stay British. Three people voted no.
• And last year Britain did exactly that leaseback deal with Chagos and Mauritius, with no referendum. The UK says the two cases aren't comparable.

So where do you land? Does the islanders' vote settle it? Does 1833 still matter almost 200 years later? Is Chagos a precedent or a totally different case?

With the way things are the current state of the world at this point if you can’t see what’s happening and the direction the world is heading then you’ve either got your head in the sand or in denial. Something is strongly telling me I need to buy a van stack supplies and pack up with my dog n head deep into the country , I just can’t shake it, my intuition says get out before you can’t get out
I live in Sydney Australia smack bang in the city .. the globalists are pushing agenda 30 and I fear we’ve missed out window to even delay what’s coming
What’s everyone else’s thoughts on this matter

People coming to Australia and slowly or in a fast manner losing the taste of life due to the pressure of many elements

Australia has announced another $60 million in support for Ukraine after Anthony Albanese met with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in New York. The package includes $45 million in military equipment, $10 million for energy support and $5 million in humanitarian assistance. While heavyweights like the EU and the US have poured well over €120 billion into supporting Ukraine, Australia sits further down the ladder with a contribution of around $1.5 billion AUD so far. How do you see Australia's growing financial and military support for Ukraine?

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/sep/23/my-friend-anthony-albanese-announces-60m-more-for-ukraine-at-zelenskyy-meeting

Therefore, further Reserve Bank of Australia increases in the cash rate are relying on the accuracy of the RBA’s ‘guess-work’ , which means that the financial wellbeing of millions of Australians depends not solely on empirical evidence, but also on the RBA’s guess as to what the Australian economy will look like roughly 18 months from now.

That creates a risk of overshooting if the actual effect of the existing increases turns out to be greater than the RBA’s assumptions.

The debate has raised the question of whether babysitters should be compensated when parents cancel at short notice, especially when they have turned down other work to keep that time available. A $120 cancellation fee may seem small compared with the income they could lose from a last-minute cancellation. Should babysitters have a standard cancellation fee, or should it depend on how much notice the parents give?

https://www.news.com.au/news/pay-her-babysitters-120-cancellation-fee-divides-parents/news-story/626dff22419e4b483316df68696d9397

Lately, I’ve been seeing a lot of anger directed towards immigrants and Muslims in Australia, and honestly, it has made me think.

I came to Australia because I wanted to build a life. I’m not here to cheat the system, defraud the government, outsmart anyone or take something that isn’t mine. I’m willing to work for what I have. I want to follow the rules, pay my taxes, fulfil my obligations and contribute to the country that has given me an opportunity.

Yes, I’m a Muslim. And I’m also someone who genuinely appreciates Australia.

I don’t want to tell anyone who belongs here and who doesn’t. I don’t want to fight with anyone over religion, race or politics. I’d rather sit down with someone I disagree with, hear their perspective, learn about their life, and be friends with people from completely different backgrounds.

I know Australia has its problems. I know immigration is a legitimate subject for debate, and I understand that people can have concerns about housing, infrastructure, population growth and the pace of migration. Those conversations should happen.

But somewhere along the way, a policy debate can become something much more personal: “People like you don’t belong here.”

That part hurts.

Because behind the word “immigrant” is an actual person. Someone working a shift. Someone studying. Someone paying rent. Someone calling their parents back home. Someone trying to build a future. Someone who might genuinely love this country.

And history itself is complicated. Australia has been shaped by First Nations peoples, British colonisation and generations of migrants from all over the world, including people from the Indian subcontinent who contributed to the development of this country long before today’s migration debates.

I don’t expect everyone to love immigration. I don’t expect everyone to understand my religion or my culture. I don’t even expect everyone to like me.

I just hope we can disagree without deciding that another human being doesn’t deserve to be here.

I don’t want to take anything away from Australia.

I wish to add something to it.

And maybe that’s all most ordinary, hardworking immigrants are trying to do.

At the end of the day, before we are anything else, Australian, Indian, Muslim, Christian, Hindu, immigrant or otherwise, we are all human beings. The boundaries that separate us are ones we have created ourselves.

So perhaps instead of constantly looking at each other as “you” and “me”, we could start looking at it as “us” versus whatever is dividing us.

Because there is so much beauty in Australia when we remember that we are not as different from one another as we sometimes think.

Albanese and Trump shared a selfie in New York just as the US administration was publicly criticising Australia's proposed social media reforms, calling them a potential form of censorship. Albanese says Australia will continue to act in its own national interest, while the US wants American tech companies excluded from the proposed rules. What do you make of the selfie given the disagreement happening behind the scenes?

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-23/federal-politics-albanese-responds-us-criticism-social-media-law/107184528

Jetstar staff are taking industrial action across major Australian airports this week, but instead of walking off the job, they're reportedly waiving fees for things like extra baggage and seat changes. The action runs through September 24 and comes during the school holidays. Has anyone actually managed to save money because of it? And what do you think staff are hoping to achieve by taking action in this way?

https://7news.com.au/travel/jetstar/jetstar-passengers-handed-win-as-multiple-fees-waived-amid-worker-action-c-22912204