Key events
What we learned, Thursday 26 March
And with that, we are going to put the blog to bed. Before we go, let’s recap the day’s big headlines.
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Australia condemned Iran’s indiscriminate attacks on Gulf states and Jordan, joining with many other like-minded nations at an urgent debate at the United Nations.
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Tropical Cyclone Narelle intensified, threatening Western Australia’s Kimberley coast after wreaking havoc across northern Queensland and the Northern Territory since last week.
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Fuel was the big political topic again today. The shadow defence minister, James Paterson, said the government has the power to trigger the Liquid Fuel Security Act, which would allow the government to require fuel suppliers and companies to provide more detailed information on exactly where fuel is going and where there are shortages. In NSW, Chris Minns, said his government will use “extraordinary powers” against fuel companies if they are unlawfully blocking independent retailers from purchasing fuel.
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And Liberal frontbencher Andrew Hastie said he is open to a new 25% tax on soaring gas profits as part of a Scandinavian-style sovereign wealth fund to strengthen the federal budget amid the global energy crisis.
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The Reserve Bank’s assistant governor, Chris Kent, said soaring fuel prices will “make us all poorer”, but that the central bank was focused on making sure the initial energy shock did not lead to “extended inflationary pressures”.
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The government backed giving 2.7 million workers an above-inflation boost to their wages to help workers cope with the soaring cost of fuel. Unions are arguing for a 5% rise in the minimum wage from July, in line with where many economists predict inflation will reach as the global energy shock delivers another cost-of-living blow to households.
Thank you for spending part of your day with us. We will be back tomorrow to do it all again.
Sydney residents to conserve water after ‘major water main break’
Penry Buckley
Residents in more than 40 Sydney suburbs have been urged to conserve water after a main burst last night at a key pumping station.
In a statement, water utility Sydney Water said a “major water main break” early yesterday evening at its West Ryde pumping station had reduced water transfers to parts of the upper and lower north shores. Managing director Darren Cleary said:
While water supply is continuing, this incident has made it harder for us to move water where it’s needed across the north shore.
We’re asking customers to help by reducing non-essential water use so we can maintain supply to the community while we carry out repairs.
A video of the incident posted to social media appears to show an enormous jet of water rising from the building. Sydney Water has issued a conserve water notice, calling for the reduction of non-essential use while repairs are under way over the next few days, including minimising hosing driveways, watering gardens and washing cars.
“You can also help by taking shorter showers and using the half-flush on your toilet.” it said on its website.
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BoM warns of severe wind and heavy rainfall from Cyclone Narelle
Ashley:
We’re still expecting tropical cyclone impacts to be possible south of Shark Bay through the Kalbarri, Geraldton and inland areas as it moves over land.
The system is packing winds well over 200km an hour at the moment, and all those coastal places between Exmouth and Shark Bay can expect those severe wind impacts.
As well as that heavy rainfall with 200mm or more during 24 hour period is expected close to the path of the system as well.
So that will bring flooding and flash flooding of those areas as it moves through, as well as those two wind and rainfall impacts.
Ashley asked people to keep across all warnings coming out of the BoM.
Latest updates on Cyclone Narelle
Authorities in WA have just given an update regarding Cyclone Narelle, which could possibly reach a category 5 system according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
James Ashley from the bureau said:
Tropical Cyclone Narelle is a severe tropical system, a large and powerful category four system off the Pilbara coast, moving south westwards towards the Exmouth area.
The current track of the system has it moving close to Exmouth overnight tonight and in the early hours of tomorrow morning, and we can expect significant impacts from both wind and rain and potentially even storm surge through the Exmouth area over the next 12 to 18 hours.
The system is expected to move southwards after passing close to Exmouth overnight, taking it close to places like coral Bay, Carnarvon and Denham as a severe tropical cyclone during Friday.
As it moves further south, it will begin to start weakening.
Woman charged after anti-Herzog rallies in February
A woman has been charged by NSW police after thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters rallied at Sydney Town Hall to oppose Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit, as investigations continue into a planned public assembly in Sydney’s CBD last month.
In a statement, NSW police said:
The crowd were issued a number of directions by police to disperse in accordance with the PARD and Major Events Act. When participants failed to comply, officers moved to disperse the crowd, including anyone who had stopped and was blocking pedestrian access.
As part of ongoing inquiries, strike force investigators arrested a 42-year-old woman this morning (Thursday 26 March 2026), at a unit [in] Ashfield.
The 42-year-old was taken to Burwood police station where she was charged with hinder or resist police officer in the execution of duty, intimidate police officer in execution of duty without actual bodily harm, throw missile at police officer executing duty no actual bodily harm and use indecent/threatening etc language in major event area.
She was granted conditional bail to appear at Downing Centre local court on Wednesday 15 April 2026.
Investigations under Strike Force Laine continue.
Andrew Messenger
Queensland attorney general questioned over controversial Legal Aid board appointment
Queensland’s attorney general, Deb Frecklington, has dodged questions about her decision to appoint controversial former Palm Island cop Darren Robinson to the state Legal Aid board.
Shadow minister Leeanne Enoch asked Frecklington whether she had consulted with Indigenous leaders on the appointment, which has been heavily criticised this week. Robinson investigated sergeant Chris Hurley, the officer accused of causing the death of Mulrunji Doomadgee in custody in 2004.
Frecklington dodged the question, criticising Labor members’ record on funding Legal Aid and telling the opposition to “wake up earlier and work harder”.
Earlier in question time, the education minister, John-Paul Langbroek, was pressed on his decision to sign off on renaming the state’s newest theatre, months before holding a public vote on the name, which endorsed his choice.
“The minister has said the premier approves everything he does, including the naming of the Glasshouse Theatre. Did the premier approve the name ‘Glasshouse’ before or after the public consultation process?” shadow minister Di Farmer asked.
“[The] premier approves of everything that I do,” Langbroek said.
He said that 42% of people had voted to call the theatre “Glasshouse” in the public ballot and just five people had written in a name. Qpac’s board recommended naming the theatre after well-known Queensland poet Oodgeroo Noonuccal, but her name was not included as an option in the poll
Woman found dead in water off Lord Howe Island
A woman has died after being pulled from the water at a beach on Lord Howe Island yesterday. In a statement, NSW police said:
About 10.30am (Wednesday 25 March 2026), emergency services were called to Neds beach, Lord Howe Island, following reports of a person unresponsive in the water.
Members of the public pulled a 54-year-old woman from the water and commenced CPR.
Officers attached to Mid North Coast Police District attended with the assistance of local hospital staff, and assisted with first aid, before the woman was taken to Gower Wilson Memorial Hospital; however, she was unable to be revived.
Police have commenced inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the incident and will prepare a report for the Coroner.
Bishop plucked from Australian town to lead Vatican legal wing
Pope Leo XIV has appointed Australian bishop from Broken Bay, Anthony Randazzo, to lead the Vatican’s legal wing, the Holy See Press Office said on Wednesday.
As head of the church’s Dicastery for Legislative Texts, Randazzo, who is from the little-known beachside diocese, will oversee a powerful body charged with “safeguarding” canon law.
Born in Australia to Italian migrants, Randazzo has spent the past five years tending to a flock spread across the idyllic beaches of northern Sydney and the Central Coast of New South Wales.
The 59-year-old son of suburban fruit sellers is the most senior Australian inside the Vatican since the late Cardinal George Pell, who was imprisoned on sexual abuse charges before his convictions were quashed in 2020. Randazzo said:
I am profoundly grateful to Pope Leo for the confidence and trust he has placed in me.
Krishani Dhanji
That’s all from me on the blog this week, thank you for following along! I’ll leave you with the brilliant Cait Kelly for the rest of the afternoon’s news. Take care!
Tl;dr here’s what happened in question time
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Fuel was the name of the game again today, with the Coalition trying to put pressure on the government over fuel shortages across the country.
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Chris Bowen again provided an update to the House on how many bowsers and service stations across the country are running empty.
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Julie Collins told Barnaby Joyce to stop “panicking people” over possible food shortages.
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Dai Le asked the prime minister if the government would cut the fuel excise – but it’s already been ruled out by the treasurer.
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Liberal MP, Henry Pike, got sent off the pitch (out of the House) early on in question time today, but other than that it felt like a far more subdued end to the week.
Luca Ittimani
Auction numbers hit four-year high and Melbourne house prices slip as market slows
The housing market is showing signs of slowing, with the number of homes going to auction at a four-year high and Melbourne home prices slipping since the start of the year.
Nearly half of homes that went to auction last week did not sell, Cotality data shows. Australia’s auction clearance rate was just under 57%, the lowest this year, with Sydney’s at 55%. The national rate was up above 60% for most of last year and spent some time above 70%, when it was very much a seller’s market – but no longer.
Part of the slump is the increasing number of people trying to sell their home. This week is on track to see 4,163 homes go to auction, the highest number since December 2021.
Rising house prices have pushed up sale profits, with resellers’ gains hitting a record $365,000 in December, Cotality has found. More than 95% of those who resold their properties in the December quarter sold at a profit.
Rising interest rates and falling real incomes have now started to weigh on house prices, giving homeowners and investors reason to sell up and cash out. While smaller capital prices are still surging, Melbourne home values have fallen in the last three months and Sydney’s are flat, Cotality daily data shows.
Question time ends
After a final dixer to the health minister, Mark Butler, question time ends for the day.
Liberal MP Leon Rebello is up next
He says a food wholesaler in his electorate operates 50 trucks but was told yesterday that they could not get any fuel from their distributor.
Anthony Albanese seizes on the question and says it goes to the government’s legislation that it introduced this morning, and then brought debate on by adding it to the opposition’s suspension of standing orders.
There’s a bit of a backstory here from the House, so if you want to read a bit more context – go here.
Dan Tehan tries to make a point of order but gets promptly shut down.
Albanese continues and doesn’t hold back any punches.
I was asked – when will we take action – today, this morning we did!
What has it got to do with trucking? That is what the legislation was! You asked that it be brought forward. You then vote against your own suspension of standing orders. And then when the legislation was put before the parliament, you scurried out. You scurried out!
A note here, the opposition said it didn’t want to debate and vote on the bill for truck drivers today because they hadn’t even seen it, and said it needed proper scrutiny.
Dai Le pushes Labor to cut fuel excise
Dai Le asks if the government will cut the fuel excise, with her constituents telling her that fuel in her electorate of south-western Sydney has hit more than $3.50 a litre. She says Italy has cut its fuel excise in response to the crisis.
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has already said the government isn’t considering a cut to the excise.
Anthony Albanese says whether it be in his electorate of Grayndler, or south-west Sydney, or overseas, the fuel crisis is hitting everyone.
He says it’s the government’s role is to shield people from the “worst impacts of what is a global event”.
Nowhere is immune from the impact that this Middle East war is having and what that flows down to, from an impact on the national economy right through to an impact on individuals.
He says the governments tax cuts and medicare bulk billing clinics are helping people – but won’t say anything about an excise cut.
Le tries to make a point of order but the PM has already sat down.
Another constituent story from the opposition
Liberal frontbencher, Tony Pasin, also comes to the dispatch box with a constituent story. It’s a strategy the party has been employing more and more recently.
Pasin says Mary in his electorate (which is in regional South Australia) needs fuel for her tractors but the earliest she is getting fuel, despite ordering it at the beginning of March, is 1 April.
Chris Bowen tells Pasin to give him Mary’s details so he can take up her issue with suppliers, and says he understands “the pressure Mary is under”.
Bowen said earlier that Ampol’s supply to regional South Australia is up 44%, and has now added that Viva’s – another refiner – supply is up 14% in South Australia.
Year on year, the supply is 43% up in NSW, 22% up in Queensland, 14% up in South Australia and 8 per cent in Western Australia. If you take Ampol and Viva together, they are supplying more petrol and diesel to regional Australia now than they were a year ago.
This is an internationally very difficult circumstance and it is time for people of goodwill to come together and that’s what adults in the room do.
