Alex Hawke MP

Labor’s record: - Record company tax take for government - Record insolvency rates and aussie business failures - Record public sector growth & - Record growth in new regulations & govt interference in the economy. But Albo is here from the government and he is here to ‘help’…

Just seen the cheap shot at Sarah Cullens who was a key member of my office when I was Prime Minister. At the time, she was also raising a family while her husband, a Commando, was on deployment. Now she runs a successful public affairs company. She wants to empower more women to do better in politics and public advocacy and is encouraging MPs to help mentor them. What could possibly be wrong with that? ‘Fails the pub test’: Pollies to mentor lobbyists theaustralian.com.au/business/margi…

This morning, I wrote to the Speaker of the House of Representatives to advise of my immediate resignation from the Parliament as the Federal Member for Farrer. In keeping with my final remarks at Parliament House, I shall not be returning for a valedictory speech. I am confident that my efforts and achievements over 25 years will speak for themselves; as a local member, Minister in four Coalition governments and Leader of the Liberal Party, as well as in the minds of the many people whose lives touched mine along the way. Naturally, I am sad to no longer represent my electorate of Farrer. I love the wide western plains of New South Wales, the country towns along the Murray and Murrumbidgee Rivers and the thriving cities of Albury and Griffith; communities that it has been my enormous privilege to serve for almost 25 years. At one stage the western edge of Farrer was the entire New South Wales-South Australian border, touching Queensland at Camerons Corner. I certainly appreciated being able to fly myself in a light plane, often into remote airstrips. Every community in Farrer is unique. My approach was that one size does not fit all and I always fought to ensure that all of my constituents, whether they lived in the bigger centres or miles away from them, were treated with the same importance as anyone else, anywhere else across Australia. I came to know the electorate as a candidate, towing the caravan I lived in when I worked in the shearing sheds, up and down the Murray River. I became attached to the landscapes and lifestyles of this part of Australia and was never prouder than when speaking up for our communities in the national Parliament. The people and their stories will always be with me. Farming families battling fires, dust storms, drought and low irrigation allocations; small business owners breathing activity into quiet streets and local volunteers asking for so little but doing so much. And always, always, the wonderful women of western New South Wales — the ones who put themselves last without ever losing heart. I want to acknowledge their strength, their courage, and their sheer, bloody mindedness when fighting for the people they love and the future they deserve. Wherever I travelled in Australia, part of me would miss ‘my people’, the people I always came home to at the end of every long road. I will continue to live in the best part of Australia. After the Liberal Party suffered our worst defeat in 81 years, it was with gratitude and humility that I took on the role of Leader of our Party. I was elected by my parliamentary colleagues and I thank them once again for the opportunity to serve. I believe my election as the first woman to ever lead not just the Federal Liberal Party, but any Federal Opposition, is a milestone for all women to be proud of. I hope I have paved the way for the next woman to be elected to, and succeed in, both these roles. It will be for commentators and historians to measure the period of my leadership, but I am proud that we were instrumental in establishing a Commonwealth Royal Commission into Antisemitism and that we set clear directions on several key policy areas in tax, industrial relations, energy, national security, and families. I welcome the Coalition’s immediate re-adoption of many of these directions and policies in recent days and weeks. The seat of Farrer was created in 1949. At every one of the 30 elections since, through different and challenging circumstances, it has been held without exception by the Liberal Party (for 60 years) and the National Party (for 17 years). The electorate has always been bigger than any one individual and has always been well-served by the Liberal Party. The election of a Liberal Member in the Farrer by-election is vital for the betterment and ongoing strength of our region and I know that Angus Taylor can and will ensure the Party continues to enjoy the support, trust and confidence of the people of Farrer. I wish every single member of the 48th Parliament the best as they work hard to make this country a better place for our children and grandchildren. I am acutely aware that the blessings my six grandchildren enjoy are not shared by every child. In this luckiest country, that is unfinished business for all of us. Australia is best served by Coalition governments and I particularly wish every one of my (now former) colleagues well as they work diligently and determinedly to win government. For me, I have never lost the feeling I had as a young girl, migrating to Australia, stepping off the plane after travelling halfway round the world. A big sky, a big country, a place to dream your biggest dreams. I thank the people of Farrer for the honour of representing them for the last 25 years.

Pleased to hear that the Prime Minister is safe and well after being evacuated from his residence in Canberra. Threats against any parliamentarian are utterly abhorrent, especially in a country built on expressing our differences through debate.

Thank you @sussanley for taking on the hardest job in politics after the last election for our Party, and for all your dedicated service over 25 years both locally in Farrer and nationally, as a Minister, Shadow Minister and first female leader. You have always shown quiet strength and faithful dedication to whatever task you have taken on in public life. Jen and I wish you all the best for your life post politics.

Sussan Ley deserves to be well remembered as the 16th leader of the Liberal Party, a successful minister, and a hard working and long serving local MP. It was never going to be easy to lead the party after its worst ever defeat. Sussan showed strong character and dignity, often under great pressure. It was to her credit that she well managed the Net Zero debate and created a clear contrast with a government that’s let its emissions obsession do much economic self harm. As John Howard once said, politics is a hard and unforgiving business but it’s the highest and noblest form of public service. Sussan should be honoured for the duty she’s done and the service she’s given.

The Liberal Party is under new leadership. I stand determined and ready to serve the Australian people, because Australia is worth fighting for. #auspol

Labor should be doing everything possible to bring inflation down. Instead, they refuse to confront the problem at its source and rein in the government spending that is driving it. Australians are paying the price for that denial every day through higher mortgages and rising living costs. Only the Liberal Party has the discipline and the economic experience to restore control, ease inflationary pressure, and get the economy moving in the right direction again.

Labor is borrowing money at roughly 4.3 per cent interest to invest in projects targeting a return of just 3.3 per cent. That is a guaranteed, structural loss on every dollar spent. skynews.com.au/business/energ…

Congratulations to Katherine Bennell-Pegg on being named 2026 Australian of the Year. Her remarkable journey from curious student to trailblazing astronaut and space engineer shows exactly what Australian ambition and determination can achieve. Katherine has broken barriers in science and technology, inspired young Australians to take up STEM, and shown the world what we can contribute to exploration, innovation and discovery. We also celebrate Professor Henry Brodaty as Senior Australian of the Year, Nedd Brockmann as Young Australian of the Year, and Frank Mitchell as Local Hero for their extraordinary service to our country and communities. Australia thrives on people who push boundaries and lift others up. Katherine and her fellow awardees embody that spirit. Congratulations to all. 🇦🇺

Today the Liberal Party vetoed Labor’s attempt to criminalise free speech and brought in greater powers to deport Islamist extremists. We succeeded in narrowing the scope of Labor’s broken bill to deal with what it should’ve done from the start – tackling antisemitism and radical Islamist extremism. The Liberal Party will always act to keep Australians safe, defend freedoms and put the national interest first.

🚨A very good explainer by Ben Small MP on the legislation that just passed through the lower house. ⬇️⬇️⬇️ #auspol

Hamas never praised the actions of my Government @AlboMP, but they did praise yours. Wall Street Journal article published on 19 December, 2025 scottmorrison.com.au/media/the-labo…

We cannot defeat evil if we are afraid to name it. That is my message to Parliament as we work to protect Australians from vile antisemitism and the threat of radical Islamist extremism. Hate does not defeat itself. Extremism does not fade on its own. Enough is enough.

Prime Minister, your announcement today of an internal departmental review of law enforcement and intelligence agencies is wholly inadequate. To use an Australian colloquialism its bullshit. It’s weak, it’s wrong, it’s an abrogation of your first and fundamental duty to protect all Australian citizens after the deadliest terrorist attack on Australian soil at Bondi beach. Your departmental review will not go to the heart of the issues and the radicalisation within our country, which has been allowed to explode on your watch. Prime Minister what are you afraid a Commonwealth Royal Commission will uncover? The Commonwealth must take the lead with the most comprehensive, powerful Royal Commission possible. You supported Royal Commissions into the banks, veterans, aged care and welfare system. Now 15 innocent souls including 10 year old Matilda have been murdered by radical Islamists and all you are prepared to commit to is an internal departmental review? It beggars belief and is the latest failure in federal leadership. It’s not good enough to pass the buck to NSW whose Premier has already indicated he will hold a Royal Commission. Why is a Royal Commisson good enough for NSW but not the Federal Government? No one could think that the extremist threat is limited to NSW. These are federal offences, federal responsibilities and failures at the federal level. The threat is national. You yourself have said that this terrorist attack was inspired by the Islamic State, you cannot legitimately conclude that this is a matter to be covered by a state based Royal Commission. Anti-Jew intimidation, harassment and violence has metastasised in our country and must not be allowed to go one day longer. The tsunami of hate is not just an attack on Jewish Australians, it’s a threat to every Australian. Prime Minister enough is enough!

Last night’s terrorist attack on families celebrating the Jewish festival of Hanukkah at Bondi Beach is a tragedy of unimaginable proportions. My heart goes out to the loved ones of all those killed and injured. After yesterday Australia will never be the same. Every Australian has been attacked by this evil and hateful act of violence. It was all too predictable and so many of us said so. The Director General of our national security and intelligence agency ASIO even rang the alarm bell himself warning that the dangerous rise in antisemitism was his ‘number one priority’ in terms of threats to life. Why didn’t our leaders listen and why didn’t they act? The massacre we have seen at one of our nations most inconic landmarks is the culmination of an unprecedented failure of leadership to heed the warning signs that were so obvious to every Australian who opened their eyes. From the disgraceful scenes on the steps of the Opera House just hours after Hamas’s attack on October 7 to the firebombing of synagogues and child care centres, the doxxing of Jewish artists, harassment of jewish students and daily violent protests on our streets, the last two years has seen a tsunami of hate that has left the local jewish community feeling abandoned and alone. In response we got little more than hollow words from our leaders as they stood by and watched the flames of hate burn. The Prime Minister’s public pledge after October 7 that he would not let antisemitism ‘find so much as a foothold here’ in Australia, is now fully exposed for the failure it has been. The fact is Australia is no longer safe for Jews. Everything must now change from here. Everything must be on the table. The law must be enforced. Those who spew hate must no longer be tolerated. We cannot as a country continue as we have done. Our leaders must now finally stand up, accept responsibility for what has happened on their watch and close this shameful chapter in our nation’s history. Every Australian must demand nothing less.

Today we stand together as Australians against hate in this moment of profound tragedy and shock.

For local Hills District families affected by this police operation please read this NSW police update carefully.

An ABC host switched to anti-Tony Abbott mode this week as she blamed him for CSIRO's job cuts despite the ex-PM leaving the top job more than a decade ago, writes Gerard Henderson. skynews.com.au/insights-and-a…

Western countries rely on freedom of speech, thought and worship. The assasination of Charlie Kirk is a direct strike on all of our ability to openly & freely disagree. It is an appalling & terrible crime. We will remember him as a courageous advocate of freedom for everyone.

Whatever the reason Israel’s flag is missing from Canberra’s International Flag Display it should be restored as soon as possible.