Emily KaineUpdated August 24, 2026 — 8:07am,first published 6:45amWhat’s making news todayBy Emily KaineHello and welcome to our national news live blog for Monday, August 24. Here’s what is making news today.One Nation has been plunged into disarray over immigration policy, with leader Pauline Hanson forced to intervene and shoot down MP David Farley’s concession that the party’s headline migration figure would be scarcely different to the Albanese government’s target.A long-nosed fur seal has become the first confirmed mammal on the mainland to die of the deadly bird flu virus spreading through Australia, a development in the progression of the virus long expected but dreaded by scientists.All eyes were on the SCG yesterday as Sydney Swans fans gathered for a historic double-header of the men’s and women’s teams amid the ongoing scandal engulfing the club. Last night, this masthead revealed at least one fresh allegation of sexual assault and multiple claims of sexual conduct without consent had been made by the three women at the centre of an investigation involving Sydney Swans players at the Pullman East Melbourne.And Republicans have taken aim at Australia over its News Bargaining Incentive as veteran Republican political activist Grover Norquist warned the change is a “big deal” for the Trump administration and Canberra should expect to be hit with a trade investigation and potential penalties shortly.Latest Posts8.07amConroy: One Nation’s ‘policy incoherence’ proves they cannot govern By Brittany BuschLabor frontbencher Pat Conroy says One Nation’s migration “policy incoherence” demonstrates the minor party is not fit to govern.Pauline Hanson was forced to intervene yesterday to insist her party’s net overseas migration target was 130,000, after MP David Farley said One Nation’s headline migration figure would be similar to Labor’s target.“We had two different [One Nation] figures yesterday contradicting themselves about what their actual position is,” Conroy told Radio National this morning.Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy.Dominic Lorrimer“What we’re focused on is delivering for Australian people, meaningful cost of living relief, while bringing down migration in a reasonable, appropriate way, while making sure we’ve still got the skills that the economy needs.”Treasury has forecast migration to drop to 225,000 in the next financial year, but Labor has consistently overshot projections.Conroy, the minister for Pacific Island affairs and defence industry, would not say whether Labor would target that number, saying Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke would make the announcement in a National Press Club speech, which is yet to be rescheduled after being abruptly cancelled earlier this month.7.43am‘Troubling’: Paterson on fresh sexual assault allegation in Swans saga By Emily KaineLiberal senator James Paterson has commented on revelations in this masthead yesterday that at least one fresh allegation of sexual assault and multiple claims of sexual conduct without consent had been made by the three women at the centre of a police investigation into five Sydney Swans players.“I understand why Swans fans are so disappointed in their club because the club has made such a virtue in the past of their culture, and what this conduct has exposed is a big gap between what they say their culture is and what their culture actually is, and that ultimately comes back to leadership, and they’ve got to take responsibility here.“These are really troubling further allegations in the media this morning,” Paterson told Nine’s Today show.He said the club’s leadership group would have to answer for the culture that had enabled the behaviour of the group of players.Liberal senator James Paterson.Dominic Lorrimer7.04amJoyce says Farley ‘misspoke’ on migration numbers By Emily KaineOne Nation MP Barnaby Joyce has defended his colleague David Farley after Farley’s concession on the ABC yesterday that the party’s headline migration figure would be scarcely different to the Albanese government’s target.Party leader Pauline Hanson intervened to reject Farley’s assertion in a lengthy social media post yesterday afternoon, insisting: “One Nation’s policy is to cut net overseas migration to 130,000.”“It’s 130,000 net. We’ve been saying that all along. It’s 130,000 net overseas migration,” Joyce told Seven’s Sunrise this morning.In his Insiders interview, Farley said this figure did not include a raft of key migrant categories, including Pacific mobility workers and nurses, and that these workers would add at least 100,000 people to the target.6.45amCanada wants benefits of being US state, says TrumpBy Tom HousdenPresident Donald Trump has accused Canada of wanting the benefits of being a US state while maintaining its independence.At the weekend, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced he would match the new US tariffs “dollar for dollar”, declaring that Canada was “at war” with its neighbour.In his first comments since trade negotiations collapsed last week, Trump claimed: “Canada wants the benefits of being a state, without being one!!!”Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney and US President Donald Trump hold a press conference at the White House in 2025. Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via APWriting on Truth Social this morning, Trump claimed Americans had been charged “massive amounts of tariffs” by Canada for “many years”, and there would be “no more!!!”Following his remarks, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Canada would come out worse from any trade war.The US accounts for roughly 70 per cent of Canadian exports.6.42amSwans crisis deepens as fresh allegations of ‘multiple sexual assaults’ emergeBy At least one fresh allegation of sexual assault and multiple claims of sexual conduct without consent have been made by the three women at the centre of an investigation involving Sydney Swans players at the Pullman East Melbourne.They come as police were alerted to the potential existence of a recording relating to the events at the hotel in the early hours of last Monday.The Pullman hotel in East Melbourne, where the Sydney Swans players stayed.Simon SchluterThe new allegation from the woman represented by Jackson Pannam of Slater & Gordon, is that she was the victim of “multiple sexual assaults”.Read more from our reporters Christine Lacy, Cassandra Morgan, Peter Ryan and Eleanor Campbell here.Pinned post from 6.30amWhat’s making news todayBy Emily KaineHello and welcome to our national news live blog for Monday, August 24. Here’s what is making news today.One Nation has been plunged into disarray over immigration policy, with leader Pauline Hanson forced to intervene and shoot down MP David Farley’s concession that the party’s headline migration figure would be scarcely different to the Albanese government’s target.A long-nosed fur seal has become the first confirmed mammal on the mainland to die of the deadly bird flu virus spreading through Australia, a development in the progression of the virus long expected but dreaded by scientists.All eyes were on the SCG yesterday as Sydney Swans fans gathered for a historic double-header of the men’s and women’s teams amid the ongoing scandal engulfing the club. Last night, this masthead revealed at least one fresh allegation of sexual assault and multiple claims of sexual conduct without consent had been made by the three women at the centre of an investigation involving Sydney Swans players at the Pullman East Melbourne.And Republicans have taken aim at Australia over its News Bargaining Incentive as veteran Republican political activist Grover Norquist warned the change is a “big deal” for the Trump administration and Canberra should expect to be hit with a trade investigation and potential penalties shortly.1 of 1