Ley apologises to Indian Australians, but won’t go into discussions she had with Nampijinpa Price
Ley said she spoke with Jacinta Nampijinpa Price yesterday, but wouldn’t go into what she called “private discussions” with the senator.
Ley told reporters her decision to dump Nampijinpa Price from the shadow ministry yesterday “speaks for itself”.
Ley also sent out an apology to Indian Australians who were hurt by Nampijinpa Price’s remarks:
May I take this opportunity, as leader of the Liberal party, to apologise to all Indian Australians and indeed others who were hurt and distressed by the comments that were made, comments that I said at the time should not have been made.
May I reaffirm my strong support for all our migrant communities for the values that they bring to this country, for the contribution they make and for choosing to come to Australia.
Key events
Benita Kolovos
Victoria Liberal MP says Nampijinpa Price should apologise to Indian community
Victorian Liberal MP Evan Mulholland also had a bit to say about Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s dumping from the federal party’s shadow cabinet.
Mulholland, who represents Victoria’s northern metropolitan region in the upper house, has been a vocal supporter of the Indian community and was among the first to condemn the racist rhetoric linked to the March for Australia rallies.
He said he “absolutely” supported Sussan Ley’s move to sack the senator after she refused to express support for the Liberal leader or apologise for her comments about Indian migrants.
Mulholland told reporters outside parliament:
The comments were deeply hurtful. I’ve been speaking to Indian community leaders over the past week, and the Indian community makes a great contribution to Australia. They’re entrepreneurial, aspirational, very decent and very, very hard working and it’s important that we show, as Brad Battin and I have shown over the last few weeks, the targeting of our Indian community will not be accepted by anyone and should not be accepted by anyone in this state.
He added that Price should have apologised:
Say sorry, because the Indian community were deeply hurt by those comments. Sorry was an appropriate word to use, and she should have used it.
Vice-chancellor of the Australia National University resigns
Caitlin Cassidy
The vice-chancellor of the Australian National University (ANU) has tendered her resignation after a tumultuous two years at the institution marked by redundancies, proposed course closures and allegations of a toxic work culture.
Multiple sources told Guardian Australia that Prof Genevieve Bell had advised the council of her decision on Wednesday evening, with Provost Rebekah Brown to be interim vice-chancellor until a replacement is found.
Pressure was mounting for Bell to exit after five of the six college deans advised the council and chancellor, Julie Bishop, that they no longer had confidence in her leadership, sources confirmed.
Last week, Bishop held a full day of meetings on campus with deans, council members and members of the union.
She returned to campus on Wednesday to meet with members of the ANU governance project, a group of academics and staff who formed this year amid a growing “crisis of confidence” in leadership at the university, and again met with members of the union on Thursday morning.
We are expecting a formal announcement from ANU at 11am.
US influencer who Bob Irwin labelled a ‘dickhead’ leaves Australia
Joe Hinchliffe
Mike Holston, the US influencer who calls himself “The Real Tarzann” but who Bob Irwin sensationally labelled a “dickhead”, has left the country, Guardian Australia understands.
Holston posted two online videos of himself grappling with a freshwater and a juvenile saltwater crocodile in films he indicated were shot in north Queensland.
The state’s environment authorities described the actions as “extremely dangerous and illegal”, while animal rights and environmental advocates described them as “absolutely abhorrent” and “incredibly cruel”.
None were more colourful in their condemnation, though, than the father of the late and legendary “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin.
Irwin Sr issued a statement about Holston saying “this bloke clearly had no clue” how to handle a crocodile without putting it under dangerous stress, and was among those who said urgent reform was needed so that “nature laws to apply to social media”.
“The more dramatic, or cruel the interaction, the more money these accounts make,” Bob Irwin said, adding:
It’s like a runaway train and it sets a dangerous precedent for others to copy.
Benita Kolovos
The Victorian opposition leader, Brad Battin, has declined requests to do media this morning but has issued a statement on Smith’s resignation. It reads:
Stuart Smith’s resignation was the right thing to do. His comments were unacceptable and do not reflect the standards of professionalism, integrity and inclusion that we all expect of each other. I lead a team that aspires to the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and inclusion. My focus, and the focus of every one of my MPs, is to deliver real solutions for every Victorian – safer communities, better services and cost of living relief.
Benita Kolovos
Labor minister on division in Victorian Liberal party
More on the resignation of the director of the Victorian Liberal party, Stuart Smith.
The Victorian minister Danny Pearson said the messages published by the Australian proved the Liberal party was “deeply divided”. He told reporters outside parliament:
If you cannot govern yourselves, how on earth are you going to be able to govern the state? If this is how they treat each other, how are they going to treat ordinary Victorians?
Ley maintains Nampijinpa Price a ‘valued member’ of the team
Despite Ley dumping Jacinta Nampijinpa Price from the shadow ministry yesterday, the opposition leader said the senator remained a “valued member” of the team.
Ley said earlier:
Jacinta is a valued member of our Liberal party team in our Liberal party party room and has contributed much in public policy and debate in this country and will continue to do so.
Benita Kolovos
Victoria Liberals respond to Smith resignation
At parliament this morning, Victorian Liberals have backed the state director Stuart Smith’s resignation, describing his comments as “inappropriate” and “unacceptable”.
Smith resigned after leaked messages were published by the Australian revealing he ridiculed the party’s women’s council and upper house MP Bev McArthur.
The party’s police spokesperson, David Southwick, told reporters the comments were “inappropriate”, the party had “acted”:
Nobody should be making inappropriate comments. The matter has been handled, and we’re moving on. What Victorians expect from their politicians is to be standing up for them and focused on them and that’s what I’ll be doing every day.
Pressed on whether the Brad Battin had intervened to force Smith’s resignation, Southwick stressed the parliamentary party and its headquarters were separate:
We, as members of parliament, leave it to our Liberal party headquarters. We don’t get involved in how the party operates, and that’s for them.
Evan Mullholland, the Liberals deputy leader in the upper house, made similar comments:
I thought they [the comments] were completely unacceptable, and it’s a good thing that he’s resigned, and the party has moved on. We’re focused on leading up into the next election, winning the next election, because Victoria needs change.
Ley apologises to Indian Australians, but won’t go into discussions she had with Nampijinpa Price
Ley said she spoke with Jacinta Nampijinpa Price yesterday, but wouldn’t go into what she called “private discussions” with the senator.
Ley told reporters her decision to dump Nampijinpa Price from the shadow ministry yesterday “speaks for itself”.
Ley also sent out an apology to Indian Australians who were hurt by Nampijinpa Price’s remarks:
May I take this opportunity, as leader of the Liberal party, to apologise to all Indian Australians and indeed others who were hurt and distressed by the comments that were made, comments that I said at the time should not have been made.
May I reaffirm my strong support for all our migrant communities for the values that they bring to this country, for the contribution they make and for choosing to come to Australia.
Sussan Ley says Coalition ‘stands in solidarity’ with those mourning Charlie Kirk
Sussan Ley is speaking from Hobart, where she just remarked on the shooting of right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk in the US. Ley said:
Can I also send solidarity to the US because of what appears to be a political assassination of Charlie Kirk. We stand in solidarity with those who mourn.
Some images from the wild weather across Sydney and NSW
Australia raises travel advice level for Nepal as Nepalese Australians express grief over unrest
Australia has raised its travel advice level for Nepal after deadly political unrest, but tourism operators say it may still be safe to visit the mountainous nation, AAP reports.
At least 19 people have been killed in anti-corruption protests in the capital Kathmandu. Demonstrators stormed the nation’s parliament and set the building on fire.
We now advise reconsider your need to travel to #Nepal due to civil unrest and the risk of natural disasters. There is widespread civil unrest in Nepal. Shelter in place, stay alert, obey curfews and follow the instructions of local authorities. (1/3)
— Smartraveller (@Smartraveller) September 10, 2025
Nepal’s prime minister has also resigned, with no clarity on who will replace him. A key Nepalese diaspora group in Australia said the crisis stemmed from “years of poor governance, corruption and a lack of accountability”.
“Watching from afar, there is a sense of grief and frustration, particularly as young lives have been lost in the struggle for justice and reform,” the president of the Australia-Nepal Friendship Society, Niraj Gauli, said.
The organisation will hold a vigil in Canberra on Thursday evening, calling for “peace, accountability and genuine reforms” in Nepal.
Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu has reopened but airlines may not resume normal flight operations quickly. Do not go to the airport until your flight is confirmed. Contact your airline or travel provider to confirm travel plans first. (1/4)
— Smartraveller (@Smartraveller) September 10, 2025
Victoria Liberal director resigns over leaked messages
Benita Kolovos
The director of the Victorian Liberal party, Stuart Smith, has resigned after leaked messages were published by the Australian revealing he ridiculed the party’s women’s council and upper house MP Bev McArthur.
The WhatsApp messages from the state party head office group chat include messages in which Smith says the Liberal Women’s Council – the peak body representing women in the Victorian branch – were only able to reach resolutions at a meeting “after two men told them they had to”.
In a later exchange, he shared a video of McArthur, 76, waving an Australian flag with the comment “here’s Bev with dementia”.
Smith, in a statement provided to the Guardian, said he has apologised for the comments and would resign to avoid distraction for the party ahead of the 2026 election. He said:
In the best interests of the party I have tendered my resignation to minimise distractions from the important task of winning the next election. I regret the comments and have apologised for them. I thank the party for the opportunity and wish the team well.
It’s awkward timing for the party to be without a director, just two days before its annual general meeting and ahead of preselections opening.
NSW lashed by wild weather as SES receives more than 850 calls in 24 hours
Wild weather is lashing Australia’s east coast, with heavy downpours triggering a surge in calls for assistance, AAP reports.
Multiple severe weather warnings remain in place, including alerts for damaging winds and hazardous surf across NSW. At least two tornadoes were reported across the state, including one captured on camera from a fire tower at Young as it tore through a field.
The NSW State Emergency Service received more than 850 calls in the past 24 hours, mostly due to heavy rain.
During 50 minutes on Wednesday, the service received a surge of calls from across Sydney, including reports of water flooding homes and stranding vehicles on roads.
Conditions are expected to ease on Thursday, although several warnings remain in place, including for damaging winds in parts of the Hunter, Mid North Coast and Northern Tablelands.
Benita Kolovos
Victoria will soon fast-track ability to subdivide land
Landowners wishing to subdivide or build a second dwelling on their properties will be able to gain approval in just 10 days from next month.
The premier, Jacinta Allan, this morning will announce changes to fast-track approvals for Victorians who want to subdivide their block and sell the land or build a second home on their land.
Currently, applications of this type take more than 60 days, but from October will take just 10 days. It is estimated the change will also save applicants more than $2,400 in fees.
Key criteria must be met to achieve the fast approval, with proposals still required to meet siting, privacy and design standards. The government said important protections – like heritage and environmental overlays – also still apply so that new homes fit well into existing neighbourhoods.
The proposal was first announced in October last year as part of a suite of policy changes the premier made to boost housing supply. Allan said in a statement:
I want to get millennials into homes – and so many people in their 30s are looking at new townhouses and homes on subdivided blocks that have a couple of bedrooms and space for the kids to run around. It works for them. Every time a new home is approved faster, a door opens for young people to live where they want – near the things they need and the people they love.
Coalition says Charlie Kirk’s death ‘absolutely shocking’
Liberal frontbencher senator James Paterson also said this morning the coalition was deeply concerned by Charlie Kirk’s death this morning.
He told RN Breakfast:
It’s absolutely shocking news, and some terrible images are coming out of the United States this morning. As I’m aware, they’ve still not apprehended the suspect or identified them, so it’s difficult to speak to their motives.
But Charlie Kirk is obviously a prominent conservative political activist and someone who’s very close to President Trump. So I think it’s highly likely that you’re right, that this is an act of political violence. And that is a very distressing thing for those of us who think fondly of the United States.
Marles says Nampijinpa Price’s remarks ‘utterly unacceptable’
Marles, the defence minister, said senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price remarks about Indian migrants were “obviously utterly unacceptable”
Marles told RN:
I really want to say from the perspective of the government that we celebrate the Indian Australian community. They make a wonderful contribution to our nation, and they are part of a multicultural diverse country that we are. We gain a whole lot of strength from that diversity.
Read more here:
Marles condemns shooting death of Charlie Kirk
Richard Marles condemned the fatal shooting of US right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk earlier this morning, saying there is no place for political violence while adding Australia is lucky in as many issues are debated “by and large in a civil way”.
Marles told RN Breakfast:
There is no place for political violence. Obviously, our thoughts are very much with Charlie Kirk’s family, but in our societies we need to see peaceful discourse as being the way in which we deal with political issues, and political violence absolutely has no place at all.
I think we are very lucky in Australia to have a culture where we do debate issues through, and we do so by and large in a civil way. Where in fact there are very significant relationships and friendships across the aisle, and that’s the way in which we should be engaging in political discourse.
Read more here:
‘When we work together, our whole region is stronger’, Albanese says from Pacific Islands Forum
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has spent the past day touting Australia’s relationship with Pacific nations during his visit to Solomon Islands for the Pacific Island Forum.
In a series of posts on social media, Albanese said Solomon Islands remains an “important neighbour” to Australia, adding that regional cooperation had made the “whole region” stronger.
The prime minister has also pointed to Australia’s contribution to a fund meant to address the threats of climate change to the region.
When we work together, our whole region is stronger.
I’m proud to be in Solomon Islands for the Pacific Islands Forum this year, to help shape a more prosperous, and secure region. pic.twitter.com/J5L7qxdjaa
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) September 10, 2025
Good morning
Good morning, Nick Visser here to take you through the morning’s news. Here’s what’s on deck:
The NSW SES has received more than 850 calls over the past 24 hours amid a deluge of heavy rain and strong wind. Officials said they have responded to 34 flood rescues and storm incidents in that period, saying a number of vehicles were stuck on roads in flood waters.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said this morning he is “proud” to be in Solomon Islands for the Pacific Islands Forum, saying his role there was to help shape a “more prosperous, and secure region”.
Stick with us.
