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The government has clarified its claim that all permanent residents will be eligible to join the Australian Defence Force from January next year. Defence Personnel Minister Matt Keogh initially claimed people from any country would be eligible, but has since clarified it will only be open to citizens of Five Eyes nations.

The Prime Minister has labelled comments by Labor Senator Fatima Payman inappropriate, after she broke party ranks to accuse Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. The Opposition is calling for her resignation or dismissal, but Labor's caucus is maintaining a united front.

A senate inquiry has recommended the government pass its controversial deportation bill that would make it easier to deport those in immigration detention. The bill would also allow the government to impose a blanket ban on people from nations whose governments refuse to accept the return of deported citizens.

Two foreign spies operating in Australia have been unmasked. While they were forced out of Australia quietly at the time, their nationality - Indian - has only been made public now. At the same time, the government has just unveiled a foreign investment overhaul ... to protect national infrastructure and resources projects.

The federal government has been briefed by the Israeli military on its findings on the deaths of seven aid workers, including Australian Zomi Frankcom. The IDF says its investigation into the deaths in one of its airstrikes in Gaza is complete and will be made public in 24 hours. But senior Labor politicians and humanitarian groups have called for an independent investigation.

Crossbench politicians are pushing for greater transparency in political donations, and truth in political advertising, ahead of the next federal election. The Fair and Transparent Elections Bill aims to increase transparency and level the playing field for elections.

Immigration detention is set to dominate Australian politics this week, as the government prepares for another High Court case that could see more than 100 people released. An Iranian man, known as ASF 17, will argue his case in the High Court next month.

Independent MP Zoe Daniel says the Association of South East Asian Nations needs to do more to address the crisis in Myanmar. Myanmar is not represented by its military chief Min Aung Hlaing at this year's summit, with Australia maintaining ASEAN's existing ban on political representation by senior members of the military government. More than 4600 civilians have died since the army seized power f...

Changes to stage three tax cuts have passed parliament. It's a win for the Labor government, who secured support from the Coalition for the tax changes. But one piece of legislation won't end the cost of living crisis, with calls for the government to do more to address the ongoing issue.

The government is set to create a national commissioner to help improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. The announcement was made as the government delivered its annual Closing the Gap report on the anniversary of the national apology to the Stolen Generation.

Foreign and defence ministers from Australian and New Zealand have met to discuss regional security. It is the first time the four have convened since New Zealand's change of government last year. The new setting is the called the Australia-New Zealand Foreign and Defence Ministers Consultations, known as ANZMIN.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says inflation and cost-of-living pressures have forced him to amend planned tax cuts due to take effect in July, skewing the benefits to favour lower and middle income earners. The controversial stage three tax cuts were legislated in 2018. Mr Albanese says the economic situation is vastly different than five years ago, and the amendments will benefit millions of A...

Today a trove of cabinet papers have been released for the year 2003. They show how the Howard Cabinet quickly approved the controversial decision to join the US-led invasion of Iraq. But much of the government's deliberations are still secret, with records from the National Security Committee remaining sealed.

While much of the country might be winding down ahead of Christmas next week, for the nation's political leaders the pace has gotten even faster. The government is confronting the impact of the post Cyclone Jasper flooding in Queensland, and simmering tensions over its position on the Middle East crisis.

Airline bosses have appeared before the continuing Qatar Senate inquiry to discuss the Federal Government’s rejection of extra Qatar Airways flights. Qatar Airways says it was shocked to not have extra flights approved by the Australian Government, insisting more planes would have benefited the local economy. It is alleged that Qantas has been receiving privileged treatment from the government.

Debate over a new commission to address poverty was high on the Parliamentary agenda today. And a decision to delay debate over the government's workplace bill until 2024 has dealt a significant blow to Labour's plans to have new workplace laws in place before Christmas.

Australia is seeing a decline in a free bowel screening test participation that is a proven life-saver. Cancer Council Victoria is urging more eligible people to take part in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program.

As the yes and no campaigns for the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum gather steam ahead of the vote on October 14, the most recent polling suggesting support for the yes case has dropped below a majority. The opposition has continued to press its case for a second referendum if the no vote is carried. But the government says the Coalition aren't engaging in the substance of the Voice and...

The Opposition's Indigenous Australians spokeswoman Jacinta Nampijinpa Price speaks to SBS Political Correspondent Anna Henderson about the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, and her support for the 'No' campaign.

Federal parliamentarians have returned to Canberra after a three week break, with workplace issues and cost of living pressures expected to dominate the sitting fortnight. The government's changes aim to ensure labour hire workers are paid the same as directly engaged employees doing the same job at the same site.

A grim forecast of a poorer, less productive and hotter nation forms the core of the latest Intergenerational Report. The document released by the Federal Government looks 40 years into the future, delivering a stark warning about the economic challenges ahead.

The Reserve Bank governor has acknowledged the impact the rate-hiking cycle has had on Australian households, while simultaneously defending the four per centage point increase as necessary to bring inflation back down to the two to three per cent target band. It's a target Phillip Lowe expects to be reached around the end of 2025. Still - he says it's too early to call an end to rate rises - as a...

Australians will be able to get cheaper medications from September 1 after the Parliament passed the Government's changes to allow 60-day dispensing and a last-ditch effort by the Coalition to block it failed.

The Greens will push for all people with disabilities to gain an Australian visa and prevent deportation in Federal Parliament. Currently the Migration Act limits people with disabilities from getting a visa as they do not meet health requirements.

Federal Parliament crossbenchers have come together to support a bill to make political campaigning and donations more transparent. The bill, introduced by Independent MP Kate Chaney, proposes lowering the real-time disclosure threshold for political donations and introducing truth in advertising.