Emily KaineUpdated June 10, 2026 — 10:26am,first published June 10, 2026 — 6:45am10.26amSenate inquiry into NDIS overhaul resumes By Brittany BuschDisability Discrimination Commissioner Rosemary Kayess is addressing the Senate inquiry into the government’s overhaul of the National Disability Insurance Scheme.Kayess is outlining her alarm at some of the reforms, including the disability minister being given broad powers to cut participants’ budgets.“It comes down to how fast this all seems to be moving, and what on paper looks like sweeping ministerial discretion and a dramatic shift from the original human rights intent,” Kayess said.She said she had not been provided with evidence that existing budget levels were not providing value for money.“Nobody can give me a strategic understanding of either A, the impact of a 50 per cent cut [to social participation supports], or B, why it’s necessary,” she said.“What are the indicators that demonstrate that we’re not getting good return on money? There isn’t the evidence there, because we don’t collect it and we don’t frame it in a way that would demonstrate to us whether we’re getting effective return on money.”10.04amIn pictures: Belfast erupts By The situation in Belfast remains volatile, as anti-migration protesters take to the streets, setting fire to cars and buildings and halting traffic in the Northern Ireland capital.The violent protests come in response to charges of attempted murder against a Sudanese asylum seeker after a brutal stabbing attack that left a man fighting for his life.A bus set on fire by protesters in east Belfast. PA Images via Getty ImagesProtesters attack a police vehicle on Sandy Row, Belfast, on June 9.Getty ImagesVehicles set on fire by protesters on Lendrick Street in east Belfast.PA/PA via AP9.41amDiscussing migration levels is not racist: PMBy Brittany BuschPrime Minister Anthony Albanese said there was space for reasonable debate about migration in Australia.“It’s not racist to have a discussion about migration. It should be one, though, that’s based upon fact rather than trying to stir up emotion and to stir up division,” he told ABC Radio Melbourne.“The truth is that there was an increase in migration post-Covid, which of course was always going to happen, but the truth is also that there’s been a 45 per cent reduction in net overseas migration.”9.25amPM downplays significance of One Nation polling By Brittany BuschAnthony Albanese has downplayed the importance of One Nation’s surge in the polls.“Primary votes are actually when people put numbers on ballot papers, that’s when a primary vote matters, and we were successful in the last election. I’m convinced that we will continue to be successful,” the prime minister told ABC Radio Melbourne.Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.Alex Ellinghausen“Polls come and go. Polls show if there was an election this Saturday, we would remain as a majority government. So, yeah, that’s just a fact. Do we need to listen to people? Always.” Asked whether he took any responsibility for the surge in the minor party’s popularity, Albanese said:“It is a reality that One Nation’s polling numbers have increased, that reflects a range of issues. I think it reflects people being frustrated with the system, and whether the economy is working for them.” 9.06amAustralia must take Trump ‘at face value’: PM By Brittany BuschPrime Minister Anthony Albanese said that Australia had to take US President Donald Trump at his word that he wanted an end to the conflict in Iran.“President Trump has said – and you’ve got to take it at face value, but also because of the consequences for the US economy as well – that he does want an end to the conflict,” Albanese told ABC Melbourne.“President Trump is clearly responding to the downing of the Apache helicopter that occurred by Iranian fire. We want to see peace break out in the region in a permanent way because this is obviously having a human impact on the region, but it’s having an impact on the entire globe.”Albanese said, when asked whether Trump’s plan in Iran was clear to him, that the president had stated two clear objectives.“One, stop Iran having access to a nuclear weapon, that’s obviously something that we support, given the nature of that regime. The second is an end to the conflict, and I think that is in the interests of people in the United States, but throughout the world,” he said.“What we’ve got to do is make sure that actually happens. We’ve had a number of declarations, as you know. I wake up in the morning and get a readout that says Strait of Hormuz is opened, then a couple of hours later it’s closed, then it’s open, then it’s closed.”8.43amAlbanese ‘very worried’ about renewed violence in Middle EastBy Brittany BuschPrime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was “very worried” about the human and economic impact of the latest outbreak of violence in the Middle East.The US military said it had started launching strikes against Iran this morning in response to the downing of an American Army helicopter.“This is a volatile global environment. I’ve received personally two security updates this morning. We’re not at 9 o’clock yet, and so this is a changing situation,” he told News Breakfast.Asked whether he had received advice that a ceasefire was imminent, as President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed, Albanese said:“On many occasions that has been declared, but we have a caveat, of course, which is that it’s uncertain, but that’s creating a great deal of difficulty as well. I mean, economic markets respond to these news statements that are made in the United States or other places. What we certainly want to see is a preliminary ceasefire.”8.22amHill urges Australians to ‘reflect’ before giving political donations By Emily KaineAssistant Minister for Multicultural Affairs Julian Hill has urged Australians to carefully consider who they are giving their money to, as One Nation launches its own drive for political donations following Labor’s calls for donations to fight the populist party’s influence. We reported yesterday that the Labor Party were running advertisements on social media asking supporters to chip in from $10 to $27 “to prevent One Nation from turning polling momentum into seats”.Labor MP Julian Hill.Oscar ColmanSpeaking to Sky News this morning, Hill said it was routine for political parties to ask for donations, but encouraged people to properly “reflect … before deciding whether they hand over cash”. “Anyone thinking of donating to One Nation, I would encourage them not to be scammed and to actually have a look at the website. The core business of political parties is to put forward policies that are realistic and costed, that might make people’s lives better. “And look, Senator Hanson has now a 30-year track record of voting against wage rises, against the interests of working people, and there’s seriously not a single costed policy anywhere on the website,” he said. 8.01amSocial media ban sparked national conversation, says independent children’s lawyer, motherBy Brittany BuschAn Australian mum whose 15-year-old daughter took her own life after being bullied online said the teen social media ban had succeeded in sparking a national conversation.Independent children’s lawyer Emma Mason said six months on from the introduction of the ban, it was not perfect but had made society more safe.“What we wanted is ultimately to get children offline from particular platforms, and so certainly that’s a work in progress, as you would expect,” Mason told Radio National.“We’re on the track, but at the same time, the question is really not about whether or not every child under 16 is offline. The question is, did these reforms make our environment, our country safer for children, and is there now a really clear national conversation about children online, rather than parents just like me going, this is too hard, I can’t beat this algorithm? So there is success in this.” Mason said there was still more to do, including boosting digital literacy education in schools and giving more support to the eSafety commissioner to hold tech giants to account.“I understand there are 10 current investigations on the eSafety commissioner about systemic breaches by the big tech companies, but unfortunately, it’s just not a quick process … it has to go through due process.”7.38amForeign minister issues warning to ‘foreign forces’ in Iranian territoryBy Emily KaineIranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has issued a warning to foreign forces in proximity to Iranian territory, and said they are “at constant risk on account of their own human errors, plain accidents, or potentially being caught in crossfire”. “To reduce risk, [the] best solution is for them to leave,” he wrote in a post on X. The fresh threat comes after US President Donald Trump blamed Iran for shooting down an American Army helicopter close to the Strait of Hormuz and said the US “must respond” to the attack. The US military said it had started launching “self-defence” strikes against Iran in response. 7.17amMcKenzie doesn’t rule out working with One NationBy Emily KaineNationals senator Bridget McKenzie did not rule out the possibility of working with One Nation to oust the Labor government as Pauline Hanson’s party continues to surge in the polls. Asked on Seven’s Sunrise whether she was open to a coalition with the Liberal Party, the National Party and One Nation, McKenzie said:Senator Bridget McKenzie.Alex Ellinghausen“I’m open to getting rid of the Australian Labor Party and getting Anthony Albanese out of the Lodge in Canberra.” Yesterday, Opposition Leader Angus Taylor gave a similar response to the same question during a press conference. 1 of 2