What we learned today, Monday 19 January
With that, we will wrap the blog for the evening. We’ll be back first thing tomorrow – take care of yourselves.
Pauline Hanson said she wants to build One Nation into a party capable of forming government after a new poll showed its vote continues to rise at the expense of the Coalition.
Anthony Albanese moved a condolence motion for the victims of the Bondi attack, which the parliament spent most of the day on.
The Albanese government is in conversation with the Coalition to negotiate on its hate speech laws that would (in their current form) give a home affairs minister more grounds to deny or cancel a visa if the person has engaged in hate, vilification or extremist conduct, and create a new “hate groups” listing.
New federal government figures show Australians own more than 4.1m firearms, with Queensland and NSW leading the nation for gun registration.
The independent MP Zali Steggall said there has been frustration in her community over the “politicisation” of the Bondi terror attack.
A national day of mourning for the victims of the Bondi beach terror attack will take place around the country this Thursday, 22 January, with the theme “Light will win, a gathering of unity and remembrance”.
The leaders of Australia and 60 other nations have been invited by Donald Trump to join his “board of peace” initiative aimed at resolving conflicts globally, a plan that diplomats said could harm the work of the UN.
The South Australian premier, Peter Malinauskas, has been served a second concerns notice for defamation by lawyers acting for the Palestinian Australian academic Randa Abdel-Fattah.
A crime scene has been established on the Queensland tourist island of K’gari after a 19-year-old woman was found dead on Monday morning.
The former Labor strategist turned mining executive Tim Picton has died after spending several weeks in hospital after an alleged assault in Perth.
The new Sydney Fish Market was officially opened by the premier, Chris Minns.
Updated
Hanson reveals ambition to turn One Nation into viable party of government after record poll showing
Pauline Hanson says she wants to build One Nation into a party capable of forming government after a new poll showed its vote continues to rise at the expense of the Coalition.
The latest Newspoll published in The Australian put One Nation’s primary vote at a record 22%, overtaking the Coalition on 21%.
Labor’s primary vote was 32%.
Speaking at a press conference in Parliament House alongside colleagues including the former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce, Hanson was asked if her ultimate ambition was to grow the rightwing populist party into a viable alternative government.
You bet it is. I’m not just here to prop up the Coalition or the Labor party or anyone else.
One Nation holds just one seat in the lower house – the one held by Joyce after he defected from the Nationals late last year.
Hanson suggested voters were turning to One Nation because they were “fed up” with the leadership of the major parties, including on immigration.
The divisive figure travelled to Canberra for this week’s sittings to respond to the Bondi massacre despite still serving a seven-day suspension from the Senate chamber for her burqa stunt in November.
Hanson opened the press conference with a short message of condolence for the victims of the 14 December massacre before quickly shifting to the Newspoll results.
Responding to the poll on Monday morning, the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, described One Nation as a “divisive force” and said he did not want its vote to be higher than the Coalition.
Joyce dismissed Albanese’s criticism.
It (One Nation) is an alternate political view and it has the backing, obviously, of Australian people in how they vote. And it is not radical if it’s the truth.
Updated
