Good afternoon.
Senior Liberals say Sussan Ley’s leadership of the party is all but over after a spectacular split over hate speech laws blew up the Coalition for the second time in eight months.
The Nationals leader, David Littleproud, confirmed Thursday morning the party would sit separate from the Liberals when parliament resumes, escalating the turmoil that began Tuesday night when Bridget McKenzie and two other senators crossed the floor to oppose Labor’s bill.
The former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull lamented the “smouldering wreckage” of the decades-long partnership he once led, before Jim Chalmers deadpanned: “I think the kindest thing you can say about the Coalition is that it is a smoking ruin.”
Top news
Labor’s hate speech bill inadvertently led to the Coalition’s collapse. So what’s in it?
Australian shares shoot up after Trump walks back tariff threat
Trump declaration of Greenland framework deal met with scepticism as doubts persist
‘Land back’: colonial monuments destroyed and vandalised in Melbourne’s Flagstaff gardens
Colin Hay ‘strenuously disapproves’ use of Down Under at March for Australia rallies
In video
Cars washed out to sea on Great Ocean Road during flash flooding recovered by helicopter
In a vehicle recovery operation this morning along the Great Ocean Road after last week’s flash flooding, helicopters were used to safely remove 14 cars and caravans from flood-affected coastal areas.
What they said …
***
“The powerful have their power. But we have something, too – the capacity to stop pretending, to name reality, to build our strength at home and to act together.” – Mark Carney
In a rousing speech at the Davos economic, Canada’s prime minister made the case for unity in the face of Donald Trump’s new world order. Jim Chalmers says Carney’s comments were “stunning” and were being “widely shared and discussed” inside the Albanese government.
Full Story
What’s behind the Sydney shark attack cluster?
In just 48 hours, four people were attacked by sharks in New South Wales. In response, nearly thirty beaches have been closed and authorities are warning swimmers to avoid waterways after heavy storms.
Nour Haydar speaks to associate professor Christopher Pepin-Neff about the “perfect storm” of environmental factors that has attracted sharks and what we all need to know before entering the water.
Before bed read
“People keep calling me a hero. But I am not a hero. I am a mum who was at a Hanukah event.”
Jessica Rozen sheltered another family’s little girl with her body during the Bondi terror attack. On this national day of mourning, her recounting of the shattering event is extraordinary and devastating. (And a warning: it contains distressing details.)
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: CAPS. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
Sign up
If you would like to receive this Afternoon Update to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here, or start your day with a curated breakdown of the key stories you need to know with our Morning Mail newsletter. You can follow the latest in US politics by signing up for This Week in Trumpland.
