On a Wednesday in Canberra, a question time that opened with a familiar fight over climate policy ended with a member sent out of the chamber for three hours, a sign of how thinly the day's tempers were stretched. The city was already carrying a heaviness after an alleged attack on independent MP Helen Haines, and the threat of violence brushed against Parliament House itself before a search found nothing. Across the country, the same strains show up in a broader story: cost of living, housing that falls short of its targets, prisons pressed for space, and a citizen held far from home while of
Australian politics live: Coalition MP ejected after swearing at PM as Payman apologises to Haines
Independent MP Helen Haines was the subject of an alleged attack, and detained democracy campaigner Tran Hiep says he was abducted from Cambodia to Vietnam.
Nothing was found, and question time carried on as usual.
Mark
Why does a swearing ejection matter on a day like this?
Mimi
Because the Speaker framed it as a standard. Milton Dick said Australia won't accept that language, on a day when the AFP commissioner was talking about a heaviness over the country.
Luke
Careful, though. The reporting shows the ejection and the Speaker's words. It doesn't link the swearing to the wider mood, and we don't know what O'Brien said.
Mark
And Payman's apology?
Mimi
She said she was frustrated after almost two years of asking for staff, and that the wording was poor but the issue is real. Her office has also had abusive messages since.
Luke
Her account of her intent is hers alone. What's confirmed is the comment, the apology and the abuse she reports.
Mark
Husic's price cap idea seems bold.
Mimi
He said so himself, and expects criticism. He named fruit, eggs, milk and bread.
Luke
It's one former minister's view. Nothing here says the government is considering it, and the profiteering claim is his assertion.
Mark
What about the Long Bay plan?
Mimi
The union says there's no funded alternative for 1,200 prisoners, and the government opposes it.
Luke
And the bomb threat? Nothing was found, and who called it in is still unknown.
Der Puls
- Coalition MP Llew O'Brien was thrown out of question time for three hours after swearing at the prime minister during a heated climate exchange.
- A bomb threat sent federal police and sniffer dogs through the Senate wing, and the search found nothing, leaving unanswered questions about who made the call.
- Senator Fatima Payman apologised to Helen Haines after linking the MP's alleged attack to her own staffing fight, and her office is now swamped with abuse.
- The Coalition's plan to close Long Bay jail for 12,000 homes has drawn warnings of recklessness, while the government is behind on its housing target.
- Tran Hiep, a dual citizen held in Ho Chi Minh City, says he was abducted from Cambodia, and Australia is pressing for consular access and a swift process.
- An independent inquiry into Senator Jordon Steele-John, who denies the allegations, is the next thread to watch as the chamber's tensions continue.
On a Wednesday in Canberra, a question time that opened with a familiar fight over climate policy ended with a member sent out of the chamber for three hours, a sign of how thinly the day's tempers were stretched. The city was already carrying a heaviness after an alleged attack on independent MP Helen Haines, and the threat of violence brushed against Parliament House itself before a search found nothing. Across the country, the same strains show up in a broader story: cost of living, housing that falls short of its targets, prisons pressed for space, and a citizen held far from home while officials press for a fair process. Each thread is a reminder that a democracy is judged less by its quarrels than by how it steadies itself when they turn dangerous.
Question time in Canberra began with a debate over climate policy and ended, for one member, with an early exit. Llew O'Brien, the Coalition MP for Wide Bay, was thrown out for swearing at the prime minister, and Speaker Milton Dick sent him away for three hours, saying such language was completely unacceptable. It was the first of two ejections that day.
The mood in the building was already heavy. AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett spoke of a heaviness hanging across Australia after the alleged attack on independent MP Helen Haines, and warned that lone actors were being driven by personal grievances and ideological concerns. Shortly before lunch, the AFP responded to a bomb threat at Parliament House. A search of the Senate wing found nothing, and inquiries into who made the call continue.
Senator Fatima Payman offered a personal apology to Haines and her office. She had called Anthony Albanese petty for refusing her extra staff since leaving Labor in 2024, and she now says she spoke out of frustration after almost two years of asking. She wishes Haines a full recovery, though her words were poorly worded, and the issue she raised remains real.
Elsewhere, the cost of living pressed on, with Ed Husic calling for price controls on staples like bread and milk. In New South Wales, the Coalition's plan to close Long Bay jail for housing drew sharp warnings from prison officers, while the Minns government is behind on its housing target. In Vietnam, Tran Hiep, a dual citizen, remains held after saying he was abducted from Cambodia, and Australia is pressing for consular access and legal representation. The inquiry into Senator Jordon Steele-John and these cases are the threads to watch.
Question time in Canberra on Wednesday began with a debate over climate policy and ended, for one member, with an early exit. The prime minister had been asked about "getting rid of the climate change department" and was affirming that climate change is real when the usual shouting across the chamber started. Llew O'Brien, the Coalition MP for Wide Bay, was thrown out for swearing at him. Speaker Milton Dick sent him away for three hours and said swearing in parliament was completely unacceptable, adding that Australia would not accept it. It was the first ejection of the day. There were two by the end, along with a run of admonishments from the chair.
The mood in the building was already heavy. AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett had opened her late-night Senate estimates appearance by citing a "heaviness that hangs across Australia" after the alleged attack on independent MP Helen Haines. She said lone actors were being driven by a mix of personal grievances, mental health vulnerabilities and ideological concerns. She also said that the things that once helped keep Australians safe, such as geography, analogue systems and distant criminals, had been eroded by fully integrated technology, social media and artificial intelligence.
Shortly before lunch, the AFP responded to a bomb threat at Parliament House. After midday, federal police, parliament security officers and sniffer dogs searched the Senate wing and found nothing. An AFP spokesperson said a comprehensive search had been conducted and no issues identified. Inquiries into who made the call continue. Despite the focus on political violence, most of the press gallery seemed unfazed and question time went ahead as normal.
Independent senator Fatima Payman, meanwhile, offered a personal apology to Haines and her office. At the late-night committee hearing, Payman had called Anthony Albanese "petty" for refusing her extra staff since she defected from Labor in 2024. She asked whether he was waiting for something like what happened to Haines to happen to her office before taking the request seriously. Payman now says she spoke out of frustration and exhaustion after almost two years of asking, and that she did not intend to diminish the attack, though she understands it could be read that way. She wishes Haines a full and speedy recovery. Her office has received a surge of abusive messages over the past day. She said her comments were poorly worded but the issue she raised is real.
Former industry minister Ed Husic said supermarkets are profiteering on household essentials and the government should consider price caps or controls on fruit, eggs, milk and bread. Speaking on ABC's Afternoon Briefing, he cited strong inflation and sustained cost-of-living pressure, and said people should not have to choose between rent and food. He conceded the idea was radical and expected criticism. The latest inflation figures, released hours earlier, fed a combative question time between Treasurer Jim Chalmers and his shadow, Tim Wilson. A $6m grant for the Marrickville golf club also resurfaced, a day after Albanese admitted he got it wrong when he told parliament it was meant to stop raw sewage entering a nearby river. Labor's social media reforms passed the chamber earlier in the day.
In New South Wales, the Public Service Association, which represents prison officers, called the Coalition's plan to close the century-old Long Bay jail for 12,000 homes "irresponsible, if not reckless". Opposition leader Kellie Sloane said that if elected in March 2027 she would set up a Long Bay Delivery Authority and move about 1,200 prisoners to existing centres, including Goulburn. Assistant secretary Troy Wright said there was no identified alternative or funded plan for capacity and staffing. The Minns government opposes the idea. It is behind on its target of 377,000 homes by 2029 under the National Housing Accord and has committed to rezoning for up to 9,400 homes near a new Woollahra rail station. The site includes the Metropolitan Special Programs Centre, where a 19-year-old died this year after a watchdog warned it could not provide a safe environment. Remand numbers hit about 6,400 in September.
Elsewhere, Defence Minister Richard Marles met US counterpart Pete Hegseth at the Asean defence ministers' meeting, discussing air force base investment, regional deterrence and Aukus. At Senate estimates, Dfat's Elizabeth McGregor said Australian officials visited Tran Hiep, a 51-year-old dual citizen, on 15 October. He told them he was abducted from Cambodia and taken to Vietnam. Vietnamese authorities say he was arrested crossing the border with two other activists. He has been held in Ho Chi Minh City since disappearing on 18 September. Australia is pressing for regular consular access, legal representation and a quick process.
Greens leader David Shoebridge, at the National Press Club, declined to say whether he backs a two-state solution, saying his focus is peace with justice for Gaza. He also refused to comment on allegations against senator Jordon Steele-John, who denies them, saying an independent inquiry must not be hampered. He saw no link to Steele-John's claim that the complaints stem from state factional preselection disputes. The inquiry, the Long Bay plan and Hiep's case are the threads to watch.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
Swearing in the parliament is completely unacceptable.— Speaker Milton Dick
My intention was not to diminish the attack on Helen, and I apologise if this has caused any distress.— Senator Fatima Payman (paraphrased)
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