Key events
‘Leadership needed not sycophantic capitulation’: Labor anti-war group voices disappointment in party
ALP members who oppose war are disappointed Australia has offered support to the US and Israeli bombing of Iran overnight.
The patron of Labor Against War group, former senator Doug Cameron, said the government had made the wrong decision in supporting Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Albanese’s backing of Israeli and US attacks on Iran shows that we are completely devoid of acting independently from Trump and Netanyahu,” Cameron said.
“There was a time when Labor pursued peace not war. That time is long gone. Leadership needed not sycophantic capitulation to militarism.”
Australia supports Trump’s bombing: Labor
Tom McIlroy
Labor frontbencher Andrew Charlton says the Australian government hopes the bombing in Iran achieves peace and stability in the region.
Speaking on Sky, the cabinet secretary said Australia has a very small presence in the region, with officials supporting diplomats and their families to get home safely.
“Australia stands with the people of Iran,” he said.
“They have faced brutal repression and Iran has been a destabilising force in the region and they’ve been pursuing nuclear weapons in contravention of international law.”
Charlton said Australians should pay attention to the Smartraveller website if they are in the region or contemplating travel to risky locations.
Tom McIlroy
‘Iran is an enemy of Australia’: Andrew Hastie
Liberal frontbencher Andrew Hastie says he supports the bombing in Iran by Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu.
Speaking to Sky News, Hastie said:
Iran is an enemy of Australia. They’ve conducted terrorism on our shores and they’re also a geopolitical bad actor.
They’ve been seeking a nuclear weapon for some time and they’ve just murdered upwards of 25,000 of their own citizens over the last few months.
Hastie, an SAS veteran, says he’s not surprised Trump has taken the opportunity to strike Iran, likening the moves to actions in Venezuala and Nigeria.
Hastie says Trump is “setting the conditions for regime change in Iran”:
There is a lot of risk and as a veteran of the so-called forever wars, I’m very suspicious of regime change by force.
Tom McIlroy
Greens label US-Israel war on Iran a ‘new illegal bombing campaign’
Greens leader Larissa Waters has warned the Albanese government against supporting the growing war in Iran, calling it “a new illegal bombing campaign” by US president Donald Trump and Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu.
Waters said there is a strong likelihood the bombing has direct or indirect assistance from military facilities at Pine Gap and North West Cape:
Trump and Netanyahu’s illegal attacks last night have unleashed chaos across the Middle East.
This war will not bring safety to the brave Iranian people who are fighting for liberation from the brutal regime. Innocent people have already been massacred, including at least 60 children in southern Iran killed by US and Israeli strikes on an elementary school last night. Our hearts ache for their families. This war will see homes and cities razed to the ground and countless innocent lives lost.
Waters said the Greens condemned the “illegal, abhorrent and unilateral attacks”:
Australians do not want to be dragged into another US-Israeli war.
Australia’s support of Trump and Netanyahu’s illegal attack last night was disgraceful.
We cannot bomb our way to peace.”
NSW unveils sweeping foster care reform
The NSW Labor government has announced major changes to the state’s out-of-home-care system.
The Minns government this morning announced it will implement tougher accountability measures for non-government providers in the sector that cares for more than 13,000 vulnerable children.
The government will also spearhead foster care recruitment and reduce the outsourcing of child protection services.
The minister for families and communities, Kate Washington, said:
Despite significant and rising taxpayer investment, rates of restoration, guardianship and adoption continue to fall. It’s clear the current program has failed to deliver, that’s why we undertaking significant reform.
Accountability is non-negotiable when it comes to children’s safety and public trust. We are building a new foster care system where kids come first – every child deserves to grow up with love, safety and stability.
Welcome
Good morning. Welcome to our live news blog this Sunday.
The federal government is moving quickly to respond to events in Iran.
Last night, Australia declared its support for US action to stop Tehran obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent threats to international peace and security.
Anthony Albanese said in a statement: “Australia stands with the brave people of Iran in their struggle against oppression.”
The prime minister said Iran’s ruling regime had been a “destabilising force” for decades through its ballistic missile and nuclear programs, support for armed proxies, and “brutal acts of violence and intimidation”.
The national security committee of cabinet is due to meet about 8.30am this morning, and the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, will speak from Adelaide about 9.45am.
The government has criticised the Iranian regime’s brutal crackdown on protesters, which has left thousands of Iranian civilians dead, and highlighted Iranian-led foreign attacks in Australia.
Iran directed at least two attacks on Australian soil in 2024, carried out to target the Jewish community. Australia expelled Iran’s ambassador to Australia last year.
