Emily Kaine Updated October 2, 2026 — 11:54am, first published October 2, 2026 — 6:45am
Key Posts Today’s headlines By Emily Kaine
Hello and welcome back to our rolling coverage of national and world news for this Friday, October 2. Here’s what you need to know today.
Lawyers who lodge visa applications that they know have little chance of success will face tougher consequences under a federal crackdown on misconduct in the Australian migration system. Assistant Minister for Citizenship Julian Hill will use a speech today to outline the proposed changes. Some Australians will likely continue to encounter card payment surcharges at the checkout into the weekend despite the RBA’s ban coming into effect yesterday, after business lobby groups warned many smaller shops – particularly those run by migrants – have been left in the dark about how the new payment system works. The opposition has criticised the Albanese government’s decision to join a $200 million bailout of Rio Tinto’s Bell Bay smelter in Tasmania, despite saying they would have made the same decision if in government. Abroad, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said the co-pilot accused of trying to crash a flight to Israel had undergone “Islamist radical indoctrination” leading him to stab the pilot and plunge the aircraft towards the ground in a horrifying ordeal for 174 passengers and crew. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump claimed, without evidence, that Iran might be linked to the incident. And the US military is dispatching about 9000 troops aboard a group of ships to the Middle East as Trump weighs new strikes against Iran. Latest Posts 11.54am Joyce’s ‘conversations’ with Coalition ‘a figment of his imagination’: Wilson By Emily Kaine
Shadow treasurer Tim Wilson says One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce’s claim he has engaged in conversations with members of the Coalition about securing a deal before the next federal election are “a figment of his imagination”.
“There’s plenty of times where, you know, I think Barnaby is having conversations with people, whether or not they’re in the room or they exist. I don’t know, but I think this is purely a figment of his imagination,” he told News24.
“Our objective is to win majority Liberal-led government the next election with our Coalition partners, the National Party, and I think I don’t know who he’s talking to, but no doubt, it’s a very entertaining one-way conversation.”
Shadow treasurer Tim Wilson. Alex Ellinghause
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