Independent Senator David Pocock has called for Julie Bishop to consider her position as chancellor of the Australian National University (ANU), citing concerns about governance. This comes after Bishop announced the resignation of ANU Vice-Chancellor Genevieve Bell, while stating her intention to remain in her role for the remaining year of her term. Pocock, the ACT senator, acknowledged Bell’s resignation as a "great first step," but emphasized that more needs to be done to address governance issues at the university. He expressed doubt in the current leadership’s ability to turn things around.
Meanwhile, former Foreign Minister Bishop has defended her decision to remain in the role, stating she has the confidence of the ANU council. She rejected allegations of bullying leveled against her by ANU academic Liz Allen, stating she had only just heard of the allegations and saying she would continue as Chancellor. She stated that there were “no grounds†for her to stand aside, with or without Bell.
The situation at ANU unfolds amidst broader concerns about leadership and direction, with prominent academics urging Education Minister Jason Clare to reform the ANU Act. A coalition of academics, known as the ANU Governance Project Working Group, are calling for structural change to ensure transparency and accountability, claiming that the current governance structures concentrate power in ways that shield the leadership from accountability. The group said, that the University’s leadership has contributed to crises of trust, poor institutional culture, and decisions that prioritize financial gain before education and public responsibility.
In other news, a member of the opposition Coalition frontbench, James Paterson, has described the murder of a conservative activist in the US as "absolutely shocking news," hinting at possible political motives behind the crime. The shadow minister for immigration and multicultural affairs, Paul Scarr, also said that Australia is not facing “mass migrationâ€, in contrast to Jacinta Nampijinpa Price who had made comments suggesting the federal government’s migration program favoured Indians to win Labor votes. The opposition leader, Sussan Ley, had dumped Price from the shadow ministry over her refusal to back her leadership or apologise for the comments. However, she maintains Nampijinpa Price is a valued member of the team.
Meanwhile, the director of the Victorian Liberal party, Stuart Smith, has resigned after leaked messages revealed he ridiculed the party’s women’s council and upper house MP Bev McArthur. He apologised for the comments and resigned to avoid distracting the party ahead of the 2026 election.
NSW is expected to strip feral horses of special protections. The NSW Liberal party said it would not oppose the repeal of the controversial Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act, a controversial bill brought in to preserve 3,000 wild horses in the Kosciuszko national park. However, the Nationals are likely to oppose the repeal bill and seek permanent recognition of the cultural and heritage significance of the wild horses in the alpine regions.
In Victoria, two police officers have been charged with negligent manslaughter over the death of Luke Briggs, who became unresponsive while in custody in July 2024 and died in hospital. Police Deputy Commissioner Wendy Steendam reassured the public that Victoria Police does not shy away from taking action to uphold community trust and confidence in the organization.
Across the country, wild weather continues to lash Australia’s east coast, with heavy downpours triggering a surge in calls for assistance. The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) received more than 850 calls in the past 24 hours, mostly due to heavy rain, and at least two tornadoes were reported across the state.
In South Australia, a bubble curtain has been trialled to protect giant cuttlefish eggs from a deadly algal bloom. The decision comes after teams filled bag after bag with marine life killed by the algae, and is hoped that it can protect the sensitive population of cuttlefish. However, the owner of Butson Fisheries has said fishing should be paused.
Queensland teenager Max Belter, charged with terrorism offences, has been granted bail in a Brisbane court. He was found to be in possession of violent extremist material and precursor chemicals for bomb-making, but the Magistrate granted bail, considering his age, lack of prior offending and the fact that he hadn’t been engaged in preparations for an attack.
There has been a new ruling that should improve visibility of better offers on energy bills, with retailers having to alert customers if they can get better deals on their electricity by late 2026.
Finally, Qantas’ Frequent Flyer program has moved up in global rankings, but its recent devaluation of points has impacted its redemption rates. The program is ranked 17th in the latest annual report from an airline points analysis firm, but has struggled to beat regional competitors.