mick

Overnight, I joined a virtual Leaders' Summit on the Strait of Hormuz co-hosted by President Macron and Prime Minister Starmer. Australia has consistently called for an end to this conflict. The longer the war goes on, the more significant the impact on the global economy will be, and the greater the human cost. Australians are feeling the impact on fuel supply and prices and we are working to shield families from the worst of it. Australia stands ready to support efforts to restore stability and security in the Strait of Hormuz and I welcome the announcement overnight of the Strait’s reopening. We want to see this hold.

Australia just announced a $53 BILLION military spending surge… and guess who they’re pointing at? China. Why on earth would China attack Australia? China is one of Australia’s largest trading partners. We’re talking about hundreds of billions in trade, resources, energy, agriculture, all flowing both ways. It makes absolutely ZERO strategic sense for China to disrupt that. You don’t attack a country you rely on economically. That’s not how geopolitics works in 2026. This looks a lot less like “defense” and a lot more like pressure from the United States. Washington has been pushing its allies for years to ramp up military spending, fall in line with NATO-style targets, and plug into blocs like AUKUS. And surprise, surprise Australia suddenly “discovers” a massive threat just as it commits tens of billions more to defense. Let’s not forget this also conveniently aligns with buying more US-linked military hardware, deeper integration into US strategy, and further escalation in the Indo-Pacific. Meanwhile, the narrative being pushed is that China is some imminent threat to Australia… despite the fact that the two economies are deeply intertwined and mutually dependent. This isn’t about China attacking Australia. This is about aligning with US geopolitical strategy, justifying massive spending, and selling a threat that doesn’t match reality. And once again It’s the taxpayers footing the bill.

NSW's fascistic anti-protest laws, enacted after Bondi and to allow Isaac Herzog, a war criminal, to tour without opposition, have been defeated in court today. The Appeals court found the laws "impermissibly burden" implied constitutional rights. From the river to the sea.

🚨 DID YOU KNOW 🚨 Labor has allowed nearly 50,000 non-citizens access to their first home buyer 5% deposit scheme. This is unacceptable. Under the Coalition, taxpayer-funded support for housing will be available for Australian citizens only.

JD Vance: Trump says to Iran: “If you commit to not having a nuclear weapon, we are going to make Iran economically thrive.”

Trump announces a blockade of Hormuz

The conflict in Lebanon is contributing to a humanitarian crisis. As UN Security Council members meet today to discuss the protection of UN and Humanitarian Personnel, Australia and partners call for international humanitarian law to be respected, and aid workers to be protected.