Fellow MPs in Canberra have paid emotional tributes to Helen Haines, who had both legs amputated after an alleged attack outside her electorate office in Wangaratta. Independent MP Monique Ryan said a man drove at Helen, while others ran to help and saved her life. Several MPs called for action on violence and abuse, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese saying rage and aggression are rising in politics and across public-facing work. Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek described violence as an ugly, dangerous dead end for democracy.
Parliament returns this week without independent MP Helen Haines, who was struck by a car outside her Wangaratta office. Police are treating the incident as a deliberate attack, and both her legs have since been amputated. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to move a motion allowing MPs to offer messages of support. Security has been increased across public areas of Parliament House, and MPs have backed calls for a civility pledge.
ACT politicians say they have faced death threats, spitting and misogynistic abuse. Several members of the ACT Legislative Assembly have spoken out after federal independent MP Helen Haines was allegedly run down outside her Victorian electorate office on Monday. Canberra Liberals MLA Elizabeth Lee said she received a death threat naming her daughter and partner, left at her front gate. ACT Health Minister Marisa Paterson said she has been spat at and threatened face-to-face, with abuse online increasing over the past 18 months. Greens MLA Laura Nuttall said she has been targeted over her sexuality and gender.
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Capital Brewing Co. co-founder Laurence Kain has shared behind-the-scenes stories from his years running the Foreshore Summer Music Festival in Canberra. He recalled the 2007 event, when heavy rain soaked the site and left the cash so wet it had to be dried in a clothes dryer before it could be counted. In 2008, a crush developed at entry barriers that had not been filled with water. Kain was also inducted into the Australian Hospitality Association's ACT Hall of Fame.
Canberra has a busy weekend of events, starting with the Nara Candle Festival at Canberra Nara Peace Park on Saturday 24 October. The event celebrates the city's sister city ties with Nara, Japan, and features candlelight, Japanese food, music and traditional dance. Other events include the free Festival of Tennis at Canberra Tennis Centre on Sunday 25 October, a K:NOVA K-pop showcase at Kambri Cultural Centre, and the Capital Film Festival, which runs until Sunday 25 October. Markets, a country show at Bungendore and Oktoberfest in the Gardens also take place over the weekend.
Bogong moths are appearing in large numbers across eastern Australia this year, according to sightings posted by citizen scientists. Observations on the iNaturalist platform through the Bogong Watch project show the population has grown sharply. The species had declined over several decades before crashing in 2017, when it was described as undetectable in alpine regions. Ecologist Ken Green has linked the crash mainly to drought from 2017 to 2019, with pesticides and light pollution adding to the earlier decline.
Mosman councillor Michael Randall is organising a Convoy to Canberra to urge locals to join the fight to save HMAS Penguin and its Angophora forest. Randall is running the convoy as a resident, not on behalf of Council, where he has served since 2021.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers faced criticism from across parliament this week, while attending international financial talks in Bangkok. He was forced to deny being sidelined by Anthony Albanese over a tax office credit card payment ban. Rising inflation and interest rates have added pressure, and some Labor MPs say the government's standing has cooled. Critics say the government announced policies before working through the details. Chalmers says he is taking feedback on board.
Qantas has declined to say whether it aggressively competes with rivals on regional routes. The airline's domestic chief executive, Markus Svensson, told a Senate inquiry in Canberra that he preferred not to answer. Virgin's Andrew Cleary said fuel costs after the Strait of Hormuz closure pushed some regional routes into significant losses, forcing withdrawals from several routes. Rex has also stopped flying Sydney services to Orange and Port Macquarie, citing high fuel costs and low demand. The inquiry is due to report by December.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has rejected the idea that Australia was built on a single culture, praising the country's multicultural makeup. Speaking to the Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia conference at Parliament House, he said many communities had added to the nation's identity. He did not directly name Pauline Hanson or One Nation, but his remarks responded to her June call for Australia to become a monoculture. Albanese said migrants contribute to health care, business and the economy. He also announced an $85.2 million investment in migration skills recognition reform.
Two exhibitions honouring Indigenous Central Desert artists will open at FireWorks Gallery in Bowen Hills in October. Remembering (Walala) Kumantjayi Tjapaltjarri and Michael Nelson Jagamara: Possum Stories run from October 10 to November 21. The Walala show traces the artist's work from 1996 to 2026, including his Tingari designs, which he began painting in 1991. Possum Stories presents works by Warlpiri artist Michael Nelson Jagamara created between 2000 and 2019. The free exhibitions officially open on October 17.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has urged Australians not to take multicultural harmony for granted. Speaking to community leaders at the FECCA2026 National Conference in Canberra, he said cultural and religious diversity remains one of the country's strengths. He said maintaining social cohesion requires continued effort. FECCA chief executive Prerana Mehta said the three-day gathering, held at Parliament House and Old Parliament House, would recognise migrant contributions. Mehta said debates about migration numbers, housing and cost of living should not diminish the value of multiculturalism.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he personally intervened after Andrew McKellar of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry contacted him about the tax office's move to refuse credit card payments. Treasurer Jim Chalmers says he and the Prime Minister agreed on a longer transition period and that he was not overruled. The government will provide transitional funding so the tax office can keep accepting credit card payments until the end of the financial year. The Opposition called the reversal an embarrassing backflip and accused the Prime Minister of humiliating his Treasurer.
Three generations of the Notaras family have shaped Canberra's cafés since the 1920s. Greek migrant Harry Notaras opened the Highgate Café in Kingston three weeks before Parliament House opened in 1927, serving more than 4000 meals on opening day. The family's Australian roots reach back to a 1909 naturalisation certificate still held by Eleni Notaras. Sophia Notaras, now 81, recalls home life that mixed Greek customs with Australian customers, including scarce olive oil. Highgate Lane now carries the family name, while the café itself has closed.
Complaints about phone and internet providers fell 6.5 per cent in 2025-26 to 53,834, according to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman. Claims for compensation rose sharply, with financial loss claims up 60.7 per cent. Mobile phone problems made up 46.2 per cent of complaints. The Ombudsman is calling for minimum reliability standards and baseline compensation. It also wants powers to handle complaints about digital platforms, where more than 1100 people sought help, a 70 per cent rise.
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Six cranes are working on a National Security Office Precinct in Barton, Canberra, the biggest Commonwealth construction project in the city in almost 40 years. The Office of National Intelligence and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will use the site, which is expected to house up to 5,000 workers. The project is confirmed to cost at least $1 billion, with the full price to be revealed after completion. Construction is expected to finish by the end of 2028, with occupation starting in 2029. Finance Minister Katy Gallagher says the precinct will be more secure than existing buildings.
Dawn Grant-Skiba, principal of Warrah Specialist School, received national acclaim as one of 13 educators honoured in the 2026 Schools Plus Teaching Awards. The ceremony, held at Parliament House in Canberra, celebrated innovative educators enhancing learning and wellbeing for students. Grant-Skiba, whose school supports students with significant intellectual disabilities, dedicated the win to her team. The award includes a $20,000 fellowship to develop a student-centred initiative. Warrah Specialist School is located in Dural, New South Wales.
