Parliament Day 1 was touching and funny. Enjoy it while it lasts
Some were symbolically important, like Victorian Labor MP Josh Burns and NSW Labor MP Ed Husic being sworn in together, the first on the Torah and the second on the Koran.

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Sydney Morning Herald
26 minutes ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Immense frustration': Labor base demands sanctions against Israel
Anger is rising among Labor's base over the war in Gaza, with nearly 80 local branches passing motions over recent weeks calling for Australia to impose sanctions on the Netanyahu government and sever military ties with Israel. Australia joined 27 nations to demand an immediate end to the war and condemn Israel's 'drip feeding' of aid to Gaza on Tuesday, but pro-Palestine campaigners within Labor are calling for the government to go further and take concrete actions against the Israeli government. Seventy-eight Labor branches have passed motions calling for far-reaching sanctions against Israeli entities and individuals involved in the war and a two-way arms embargo on Israel, including the supply of military parts and components. The branches include one in Foreign Minister Penny Wong's home city of Adelaide and three in Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's Sydney electorate of Grayndler. 'Strong words are not enough,' the conveners of the Labor Friends of Palestine group said in a letter sent to Wong on Wednesday and seen by this masthead. 'Expressions of concern and repeated calls for restraint have achieved little in the last 21 months; indeed Israel's violence and clear disdain for international humanitarian law have only intensified.' Local branch meetings are the primary way for members to influence party policy, outside its national conference that is held every three years, but they have no formal power to change how MPs or ministers act. Noting that the 28-nation statement said the countries were 'prepared to take 'further action' to support a ceasefire', the campaigners said: 'We urge Australia to take the lead by proposing comprehensive sanctions and an arms embargo as practical measures towards ending the violence in Gaza and the West Bank.

The Age
26 minutes ago
- The Age
‘Immense frustration': Labor base demands sanctions against Israel
Anger is rising among Labor's base over the war in Gaza, with nearly 80 local branches passing motions over recent weeks calling for Australia to impose sanctions on the Netanyahu government and sever military ties with Israel. Australia joined 27 nations to demand an immediate end to the war and condemn Israel's 'drip feeding' of aid to Gaza on Tuesday, but pro-Palestine campaigners within Labor are calling for the government to go further and take concrete actions against the Israeli government. Seventy-eight Labor branches have passed motions calling for far-reaching sanctions against Israeli entities and individuals involved in the war and a two-way arms embargo on Israel, including the supply of military parts and components. The branches include one in Foreign Minister Penny Wong's home city of Adelaide and three in Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's Sydney electorate of Grayndler. 'Strong words are not enough,' the conveners of the Labor Friends of Palestine group said in a letter sent to Wong on Wednesday and seen by this masthead. 'Expressions of concern and repeated calls for restraint have achieved little in the last 21 months; indeed Israel's violence and clear disdain for international humanitarian law have only intensified.' Local branch meetings are the primary way for members to influence party policy, outside its national conference that is held every three years, but they have no formal power to change how MPs or ministers act. Noting that the 28-nation statement said the countries were 'prepared to take 'further action' to support a ceasefire', the campaigners said: 'We urge Australia to take the lead by proposing comprehensive sanctions and an arms embargo as practical measures towards ending the violence in Gaza and the West Bank.

Sky News AU
26 minutes ago
- Sky News AU
‘Ideological targets': Labor's persistence with net-zero is ‘railroading' communities
Nationals MP Anne Webster says her electorate of Mallee has been 'railroaded, steamrolled' and 'flattened' by Labor's persistence in chasing net-zero targets. 'I've just completed a huge survey across my electorate and 5,000 people so far have responded … my electorate is certainly not in favour of Net Zero,' Ms Webster told Sky News host Chris Kenny. 'There are many reasons for that … my electorate has been railroaded, steamrolled, flattened with Labor's persistence on this ideological target.'