One Nation’s billionaire patron Gina Rinehart has presented Pauline Hanson with a toy orange bulldozer. using an appearance at a Sky News regional summit to imitate the purr of the machine.
“I want some bulldozer noise,” Rinehart, the Hancock Prospecting boss. One Nation donor, told the crowd at a Sky News summit in Townsville on Thursday.
“You might remember Elon Musk was given a big chainsaw to try to cut government [red] tape,. bureaucracies over in America.
“We need an orange bulldozer. Let’s hear the noise,” she said, imitating the sound.
Hanson has conceded Rinehart has a leading role in formulation of One Nation policies. She recently donated a private plane worth more than $1m for Hanson’s personal use.
And with that, we are going to put the blog to bed. Before we go, let’s recap the big headlines:
The Media Entertainment. Arts Alliance issued a statement in support of Guardian Australia journalist Sarah Martin who was subjected to a personal and unfounded attack by One Nation leader Pauline Hanson yesterday. The federal parliamentary press gallery committee also issued a statement strongly objecting to threats made by One Nation yesterday to ban journalists.
Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed about 563,500 people arrived in Australia by migration in 2025. That was 32,000 fewer than in 2024. lower than every year after 2018, when there were 534,400 arrivals, except for 2020 and 2021 which had pandemic border closures. Migration departures fell by 2,700 people, to 262,700, in 2025 from the previous year. That saw net overseas migration slide from 330,400 people in 2024 to 301,000 in 2025.
Anthony Albanese lifted the threshold for small businesses to get an exemption from CGT to $10m. five times the previous level as the government responds to criticism about its tax reforms. The prime minster said “we’re also proposing to introduce a new innovative business tax concession for start-ups”. addressing another concern that entrepreneurs could be treated too punitively under the proposed change from a flat 50% CGT discount to an inflation-linked model.
Qantas has set a new date for the launch of its nonstop service between Sydney and London: October 2027. The first Project Sunrise Sydney to London services. on a specially manufactured A350 plane built by Airbus in France, will cut four hours off the travel time, Qantas said in a media release.
Jackie “O” Henderson’s legal team told the federal court the former breakfast host is keen to pursue her $82m claim against Kiis FM. While Kyle Sandilands’ legal claim has been formally discontinued by the court. after he settled his dispute with ARN Media for a $12m cash payout, the Henderson claim will go ahead.
Thank you for spending part of your day with us. We will be abck tomorrow to do it all again.
On Thursday, Coggee shark attack victim Leah Stewart underwent further surgery.
“Given the extensive open wounds contaminated with sand. debris, the risk of infection is extreme,” her brother Joshua Stewart posted.
“Please pray for her during her continued surgery. for her body to heal without infection.” A playlist of Stewart’s favourite songs curated by her firends is playing in her hospital room he said, which is being decorated with many photos “to surround her with positive memories, for when she becomes conscious”. Her mother Christine, a registered nurse, remains at her bedside.
Joshua also scuttled rumours in some media reports that Leah’s partner Fernando. the father of their 18-month old daughter August, was attending the World Cup in North America.
“He was presenting at a conference overseas for his work (haha honestly I’m not sure he’s. much of a football fan),” Joshua wrote.
“Again thank you all so much for your prayers, words of support, care, generosity and kindness. Your love, concern. help has made a world of difference to giving Leah and her little family some stability and hope for her recovery.”
Israeli embassy claims flotilla sexual assault allegations part of a ‘smear campaign’
The Israeli embassy in Australia has claimed sexual assault allegations by Australian members of a humanitarian flotilla attempting to bring aid to Gaza are part of a “coordinated international smear campaign against Israel” more to do with “political point scoring than genuine humanitarian concern”.
Earlier this week, the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong,. senior federal police met in Parliament House with members of the group about the allegations and the AFP later confirmed it was conducting “inquiries” ahead of a formal criminal complaint being received.
Some members within the group have alleged they were sexually assaulted. beaten by Israeli soldiers after being detained while attempting to breach Israel’s blockade on Gaza.
In a statement this afternoon, the Israeli embassy said “it is outrageous. offensive that these futile allegations are continuing to receive such widespread attention and being accepted at face value by some activists and public commentators”.
The statement continued:
double quotation mark It is important to note. the flotilla members are professional anti-Israel activists with a track record of fabricating stories. Consistent with this, some participants have been photographed posing as injured. They then reveal miraculous recovery, posing in subsequent photos looking very healthy. Meanwhile, they claimed they were bringing aid to Gaza, but the flotilla carried no significant aid. They alleged that Israel was starving Gazans, but that was also proven to be a lie.
In response, Patrick Keyzer, the father of one of the alleged victims. a practising lawyer, told Guardian Australia that Israel “will continue to defame the activists under the cover of diplomatic immunity”.
double quotation mark Their modus operandi is to deny the allegations, attack the sexual assault victims making the allegations,. portray themselves as the victims. This is a well-trodden path for Israel. It is actually all they have. We’ve all seen the video footage. The Australian government believes the activists, the AFP will investigate these allegations,. we will be taking all available legal steps on behalf of the activists.
Landlords eligible for negative gearing hits five-year high
Nearly 1.3 million landlords claimed rental losses in 2023-24. the highest in five years, suggesting a growing number of Australians could have used negative gearing to pay less tax.
The Australian Taxation Office yesterday quietly released the latest tax data for financial year 2023-24. It showed that for the first time since 2019-20. more property investors ran at a rental loss than a profit: more than 1.26 million compared with 1.07 million. They claimed a record $15bn in net rental losses.
Interest rates were higher than the previous year, making it more costly to hold a rental property with a mortgage.
Most landlords with one, two or three investment properties ran at net rental loss. those with four or more mostly ran at profit.
Landlords continued to skew older in 2023-24. The number of under-40s claiming rental income rose by 3,000, while those 40-plus rose by 43,000. Those over the age of 75 now account for a record 120,000 of the nation’s 2.33 million property investors.
Most property investors now have taxable incomes of more than $90,000 a year.
‘Australia has moved on,’ Asylum Seekers Centre chief tells Hanson
The Asylum Seekers Centre has condemned Pauline Hanson ’s National Press Club speech.
Elijah Buol, the CEO of the Asylum Seekers Centre, said:
double quotation mark We need to remind Ms Hanson. One Nation that Australia has moved on from the racism of the previous century.
Australia’s multicultural story is one of resilience, contribution, and shared opportunity. Migrants and people seeking asylum form the core of our national identity.
They bring skills, culture, courage, and a determination to rebuild their lives in safety. They deserve respect, dignity, and the chance to contribute to the country they now call home.
One Nation’s billionaire patron Gina Rinehart has presented Pauline Hanson with a toy orange bulldozer. using an appearance at a Sky News regional summit to imitate the purr of the machine.
“I want some bulldozer noise,” Rinehart, the Hancock Prospecting boss. One Nation donor, told the crowd at a Sky News summit in Townsville on Thursday.
“You might remember Elon Musk was given a big chainsaw to try to cut government [red] tape,. bureaucracies over in America.
“We need an orange bulldozer. Let’s hear the noise,” she said, imitating the sound.
Hanson has conceded Rinehart has a leading role in formulation of One Nation policies. She recently donated a private plane worth more than $1m for Hanson’s personal use.
Pauline Hanson’s view on ‘monoculture’ closer to sharia law than western democracy, Coalition MP says
The Queensland LNP MP Garth Hamilton has urged voters not to “bend the knee” to Pauline Hanson. after her speech at the National Press Club, saying her push for a “monoculture society” is closer to sharia law than western democracy.
Speaking to The Australian, Hamilton said:
double quotation mark I celebrate the cultural divide of my Irish Catholic side as much as my Scottish Protestant side. I will not deny either. Monoculturalism has nothing to do with unity of purpose. Monoculturalism is about suppression of the individual and I will not stand for it.
Monoculturalism is the mirror image of the social justice warriors of the 2010s who wanted to harness the force of the law to make anyone of a different view comply.
It is mob rule and the ultimate extension of cancel culture. Are we to bend the knee to Pauline’s many shades of victimhood? Monoculturalism has more in common with sharia Law than it does Western liberal democracies.
Monoculturalism is not the opposite of multiculturalism, it is the opposite of conservatism. The belief that the how you live must first. foremost be to comply is everything the Liberal Party has ever stood against. Monoculturalism allows no freedom of speech, of association, of belief. It is usher of Big Brother.
The campaign to raise funds for the Coogee shark attack victim Leah Stewart is just $25,000 short of its $450,000 target. six days after her brother Joshua set up the GoFundMe site.
The family has also used the website to update the public on the 34-year-old mother’s condition.
“She is still in ICU and has required extensive surgery this week,” Joshua posted on Thursday.
“She remains on life support. The doctors, nurses and staff at the hospital have been amazing, as have the highly skilled teams of surgeons.”
Joshua said the family had been “blown away” by the public’s generosity, which had included deliveries of food, nappies. other supplies to the family’s home as well as cash donations to the GoFundMe site.
This post has been updated to reflect that Stewart is 34, not 35 as previously reported.
Jackie “O” Henderson’s legal team has told the federal court the former breakfast host is keen to pursue her $82m claim against Kiis FM.
While Kyle Sandilands’ legal claim has been formally discontinued by the court. after he settled his dispute with ARN Media for a $12m cash payout, the Henderson claim will go ahead.
Justice Angus Stewart presided over a case management hearing of Henderson’s claim against ARN Media. the company’s counterclaim this morning.
Stewart said the trial had been set down for October but could be moved if needed.
Henderson’s barrister, Vanja Bulut, said:
double quotation mark We’re very keen to keep those dates, we’ve been working expeditiously to get all our evidence.
I see no reason why the October date can’t remain.
Sandilands. his co-host on Kiis FM’s breakfast show took separate legal action against ARN after the company terminated their 10-year contracts a year in.
Mo Touré’s parents on the struggles that paved way for a Socceroos career
Amara. Mawa Touré – the parents of Socceroos striker Mo Touré – were children when war broke out in Liberia in 1989. “Everything went helter-skelter, and every Liberian started running for their life,” Amara says.
Amara, his little brother and adult sister walked for 18 days to make it to the border with Guinea. They survived on ripening wild fruit and vegetables, with a warning to avoid anyone they came across. “It was a scary time,” he says.
double quotation mark But now when I reflect on it. it would have been even scarier if I knew the ramifications of what we were going through. Because it was life or death.
Their first son. Al Hassan, was born, followed by Mohamed – now better known as “Mo” – before they travelled to Australia on humanitarian visas. Both brothers have become Socceroos.
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