Key events
Ley sets out key demands for any royal commission into Bondi attack
The opposition leader, Sussan Ley, is speaking in Sydney, saying the federal government needs to do more after the Bondi terror attack, including convening a commonwealth royal commission.
Ley said any eventual royal commission should include three prongs: full accountability for executive and ministerial decisions; a “reckoning with antisemitism and extremist ideology”; and for the commission to have “real powers and real voices”.
Ley said:
It is time for the prime minister to start listening and come out of hiding. … [There] are real threats to our social cohesion and they threaten us with violent extremism if we don’t address the causes and the consequences with clear eyes and moral clarity. …
Today is the day for the prime minister to step up, step out and announce this commonwealth royal commission but it must, as a starting point, have those three critical areas within its terms of reference. Australians are watching. Victims’ families are waiting.
Donna Lu
Heat-related ailments affect not only older people, doctors warn
Wright added that while almost one third of hospitalisations relating to extreme heat occurred in people aged 65 and over, heat-related severe health issues affected not only older people:
If someone cannot seek reprieve from soaring temperatures this can place an enormous strain on their body.
So, please spread the word to people in your life – stay cool, stay hydrated, and stay indoors if you can.
At the same time, please make sure to check in on people in your life to ensure they’re okay. This includes not only older patients, but also infants, those who are pregnant or breastfeeding, as well as people with chronic disease and those with conditions that may impair sweating.
Donna Lu
‘Stay hydrated, and stay indoors if you can’: GPs’ advice for managing in the heatwave
With temperatures expected to soar above 40C in many areas today, the Royal Australian College of GPs is advising people to stay hydrated, indoors and to check on others who may be more susceptible to heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Dr Michael Wright, president of the RACGP, warned against complacency in high temperatures. He said:
My advice for all Australians is to drink plenty of water, try to stay indoors if possible during those peak UV hours of 11am to 3pm … check in on friends and family members who are more vulnerable to the impact of heat waves, including older people.
… Heatwaves have caused the most hospitalisations related to extreme weather over the last decade, and the risk of hospitalisation increases with age.
Benita Kolovos
Continuing on from the last post…
Wilson said the changes brought the size of the shadow cabinet back in line with the government’s, following the resignation of Labor MP Natalie Hutchins, meaning MPs won’t have to divide the additional salary and expense allowance.
The next party room meeting is scheduled for the first parliamentary sitting week of the year on 3 February. Liberal MPs are also scheduled to have a party room conference at the end of the month, where a ballot may also be held.
Southwick, who unsuccessfully ran against Groth for the deputy role when Wilson was elevated to the leadership, is considered a frontrunner to take the role this time. But the shadow attorney general, James Newbury, and Battin are also being sounded out to run, according to two Liberal sources.
Benita Kolovos
Sam Groth to step down as deputy Liberal leader at next party room meeting
The Victoria deputy Liberal leader, Sam Groth, will step down from the position at the next party room meeting and his portfolios will be immediately handed over to other shadow ministers.
We had flagged this would occur when Groth announced his plans to quit politics due to infighting within the Liberal party on Monday.
The opposition leader, Jess Wilson, wrote to MPs on Tuesday to confirm the arrangements. She said:
Sam has advised me that he believes it is in the best interests of the party, as well for his family, for him to vacate the deputy leadership at the first party room meeting of the year. Further advice on timing of this meeting will be provided in due course. In the meantime, I have resolved to reallocate Sam’s shadow ministerial portfolios among existing members of the shadow cabinet.
David Southwick will take on tourism and major events, former leader Brad Battin gets sport and Bridget Vallence trade and investment.
Petra Stock
Are crabs animals and should we experiment on monkeys?
Animal sentience, categorising crustaceans as animals and rehoming lab animals are all on the table as the Australian code for animal research is scrutinised for the first time in a decade.
More than 845,000 animals – including mice, rats, guinea pigs, rabbits and primates – are used in laboratories in Australia each year, based on data from Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania. An estimated 192 million animals are used globally.
In Australia, the National Health and Medical Research Council code sets the rules for their use, requiring researchers to minimise animal suffering and ethics committees to weigh harms against benefits before approving research.
Read more here:
Allegra Spender says she hopes Albanese reverses stance on royal commission
Independent MP Allegra Spender says she hopes the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, reconsiders a federal royal commission into the Bondi terror attack.
Spender spoke to RN Breakfast this morning, where she was asked if Albanese should about face:
I hope so, and I think he should. … I think Australians are absolutely shocked by what happened on the 14th of December. And we value as a country our safety and our social cohesion: that everyone, regardless of faith, regardless of background, regardless of sexuality, is safe and welcome in Australia. And that was violated on the 14th of December.
And I think that we need to make sure we understand exactly how this happened and how we can prevent this in the future.
Spender went on to say Albanese shouldn’t be criticised if he changes his stance on the royal commission, noting:
I think if he changes his mind based on feedback from the community, and this is informed feedback, and this is also community feedback, this is grassroots feedback, but this is feedback from judges and all sorts of people who really have thought about these issues. If he changes his mind on the basis of that feedback, I think that is a positive thing.
Minister says many in flood-hit areas in Queensland ‘in shock’ after losses
Kristy McBain, the federal minister for emergency management, said it would take some time to determinate the full impact of widespread flooding in parts of Queensland, noting for many primary producers, it will be the second time they’ve suffered losses after similar flooding in 2019.
McBain spoke to RN Breakfast this morning, saying the situation remained “precarious” for the state’s north and west:
You know, there are some significant losses, and I think the big concern is that we still don’t know the total number of losses because, at this stage, we’ve still got water flowing. And with the forecast looking like there’ll be further rain, those numbers could increase.
So it’s quite precarious here. And obviously, speaking to a number of those producers, they’re quite in shock, I think. And they thought 2019 was kind of a once-in-a-lifetime event where there were a number of losses. And unfortunately, for a number of them, it looks like there’ll be similar losses or more. So that’s quite concerning.
Widespread parts of South Australia also under total fire ban
South Australia also has widespread fire bans across 15 districts, stretching from the state’s western border to the east with Victoria.
The bans include Adelaide, most of the Flinders Range and Kangaroo Island.
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Three areas in Victoria under total fire bans
Three areas are currently under a total fire ban in Victoria amid the extreme heat wave.
Those include the central district, which includes Melbourne and Geelong, the south west district and the Wimmera district.
Total fire bans come with a host of restrictions, including widespread prohibitions on all fires and open flames, as well as welding work and the use of solid fuel barbecues. The use of equipment like chainsaws and lawn mowers should also be avoided where possible, because the risk of starting fires is extremely high.
Today Wednesday 7 January 2026, a Total Fire Ban has been declared for the Central, Wimmera and South West Fire Districts.
No fires can be lit or be allowed to remain alight in the open air from 12:01 AM until 11:59 PM. Find out what you can and can’t do: https://t.co/qTT4P4ne58 pic.twitter.com/bpjnMDw2dW
— cfa_updates (@CFA_Updates) January 6, 2026
Teenager in critical condition after being stabbed during brawl in Sydney’s west
A teenager is in hospital in critical condition after he was stabbed during a brawl in Sydney’s west overnight.
NSW police said officers were called to an address about 10.40pm in the suburb of Shalvey after reports of the fight, which took place in a driveway outside a party of about 40 people. On arrival, they found a boy, 17, with multiple stab wounds.
He was treated at the scene by paramedics and taken to the hospital.
Officers from the public order and riot squad and the dog unit assisted with the crowd that remained at the event, and police have since established a crime scene and opened an investigation. No charges have been laid.
Police are appealing for any information or dashcam footage.
Good morning, and happy (hot) Wednesday. Nick Visser here to pick up the blog. Let’s get to it.
Inflation figures due at 11.30am
The first economic snapshot of the year could show a slowdown in inflation but perhaps not enough to prevent the Reserve Bank increasing interest rates, Australian Associated Press reports.
Hopes of further rate relief were dashed by a resurgence in inflation in the second half of 2025, with analysts and bond traders predicting the central bank’s next move to be up rather than down.
Economists expect the Australian Bureau of Statistics will today reveal the consumer price index fell from 3.8% to 3.6% in November.
Importantly, NAB senior economist Taylor Nugent forecasts the less-volatile trimmed mean figure will rise 0.3% over the month, or 3.3% year-on-year.
Wednesday’s update will have limited relevance for the RBA, given it will be superseded by December quarter inflation data before its board meeting in February.
But a 0.3% rise in the trimmed mean would put the quarterly figure on track for a 0.9% increase, which would be “too hot for comfort” for the RBA, Nugent said.
Given that would be 15 basis points higher than the RBA’s latest forecasts, NAB expects the board will be forced to increase rates in February, with another rise likely to come in May.
The November CPI will be pushed up by the timing of some energy rebates rolling off.
But the RBA will be less concerned by such temporary factors and will pay closer attention to stickier items such as new dwelling costs and market services.
Eelemarni Close-Brown
As eastern Australia prepares for a prolonged period of heat this week, here’s how you can keep yourself cool at home cool in a heatwave.
If you have blinds or curtains – particularly on east and west-facing windows – shutting them early in the day will limit thermal radiation from heating up your home.
Just like trapping the heat during cooler months, closing internal doors will keep the cool air where you need it the most, while a door snake will prevent cool air from escaping and warm air from entering.
Take your cooking outside using a barbecue or camping stove, and try to limit using your oven and dishwasher during the day as home appliances can generate heat.
On Tuesday afternoon, Victoria’s deputy chief health officer, Dr Evelyn Wong, also suggested “wearing loose and light clothing, keeping your skin wet with a spray bottle or a damp sponge, or having a cool shower”.
The City of Sydney’s heat fact sheet advises buying cool packs to keep in the freezer, or filing a sandwich bag with water and freezing it for an easy homemade alternative.
Here’s the full story:
Human remains on WA beach believed to be missing snorkeller
Human remains that washed ashore on a Western Australian beach are believed to be a missing 32-year-old snorkeller.
The man was reported missing off Ledge Point beach, north of Perth, on the afternoon of New Year’s Day. Despite a big air and sea search, he was not found.
Just after 7am on Tuesday, police were told the remains had washed ashore on Fence Reef Beach, north of Ledge Point, WA police said.
While formal identification is yet to be completed, police believe it is the missing man.
His death is not being treated as suspicious and a report will be prepared for the coroner.
Penry Buckley
Worst heatwave since Black Summer bushfires forecast
Swathes of southern and eastern Australia are bracing for extreme temperatures in the first of several days in what is expected to be the worst heatwave since the Black Summer bushfires.
Victoria and South Australia are forecast to bear the brunt of the heat today, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. Most parts of Victoria are forecast to be in the low to mid-40s, with Melbourne predicted to hit 42C, its first 40C January day since 2020. Temperatures as high as 46C are expected in northern Victoria.
The BoM said Adelaide would experience a maximum temperature of 42C on Wednesday, with the heat remaining in the low-40s across the metropolitan region into Thursday.
In the South Australian coastal city of Port Augusta and in Tarcoola in the far north, temperatures are forecast to reach as high as 47C by Thursday.
Western NSW will share in the high temperatures on Wednesday, with Broken Hill forecast to hit 42C, but Sydney is not forecast to climb into the high 30s and low 40s until later in the week.
The BoM’s Angus Hines told Guardian Australia temperature records could be broken this week.
There’s going to be lots of places that are within sight of their temperature records. Most places that have a really long data history, potentially will be a degree or a couple of degrees below their all-time records, but I anticipate that there could be some areas maybe with slightly shorter data history that could set some records.
The BoM has advised of the risk of heat-driven fire danger, with dry thunderstorms and windier conditions later in the week expected to add to the risk. Widespread total fire bans are expected, with people warned to charge their devices in case of power outages and watch out for the signs of heatstroke.
Read more here:
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the best overnight stories and then Nick Visser will pick up the reins.
Swathes of southern and eastern Australia are bracing for extreme temperatures in the first of several days in what is expected to be the worst heatwave since the Black Summer bushfires. More details in a moment.
The first economic snapshot of the year comes at 11.30am today, which is expected to show a slowdown in inflation from 3.8% to 3.6% – but perhaps not enough to prevent the Reserve Bank increasing interest rates. More coming up.
And human remains have washed up on a Western Australian beach, believed to be a snorkeller who went missing on New Year’s Day.
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