Weekly Wrap Up – 10 October 2025
As Parliament resumed this week, the Coalition made headlines — not for unity, but for deepening unrest.
Last Friday, senior Liberal Andrew Hastie resigned from the shadow cabinet, citing concern that he would not be leading the party’s response on immigration or developing the Coalition’s immigration policy, a role he assumed he would oversee as Shadow Home Affairs Minister. A prominent voice within the conservative wing, Hastie’s exit is more than a resignation – it’s a clear signal that internal divisions are intensifying. And it puts added pressure on Sussan Ley, a moderate who is trying to lift the Liberal Party back from electoral oblivion.
With the Coalition holding just 8 of Australia’s 89 metropolitan seats, the path back to government runs directly through urban and inner-city Australia – voters who drifted away from the party under Peter Dutton’s leadership.
Still, amid the internal noise, the Coalition notched what some are calling its first real tactical win since the 2025 Federal Election. In a rare display of discipline, every Question Time query on Tuesday was directed squarely at the embattled Anika Wells over her handling of the Optus Triple Zero crisis. For the first time this term, the Albanese Government looked visibly on the defensive.
It was a sharp, strategic moment – and a glimpse of what a credible Opposition could look like. But Question Time victories don’t win elections. The larger challenge looms: can Ley unify the party and turn moments like this into lasting momentum?
Top talking points
A Hastie Exit: Andrew Hastie resigned from the Coalition frontbench, citing disagreements over the Coalition’s immigration policy.
PNG–Australia Defence Treaty: Anthony Albanese and PNG Prime Minister James Marape signed a mutual defence treaty.
National Press Club Address: BlueScope Chief Mark Vassella addressed the National Press Club, calling for a domestic gas reserve and price controls on gas.
Polling: Labor leads[paywall] the Coalition 57 to 43 on a two-party-preferred basis. Notably, support for One Nation has almost doubled since the election.
Making headlines this week
A Future Made in Australia?
Triple Zero Custodian
Anika Wells and Australian telecommunication executives agreed to conduct a stress test of the Triple Zero system, aiming to expose system vulnerabilities ahead of bushfire season. Following this, the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Triple Zero Custodian and Emergency Calling Powers) Bill 2025 was introduced, aiming to strengthen oversight of Australia’s Triple Zero emergency service by embedding the role of a Triple Zero Custodian into law. The new framework empowers ACMA to demand information from telecommunications providers, monitor performance, respond to outages, and impose improvement plans. The new rules will begin on 1 November, requiring real time outage reporting, mandatory fallback to alternate networks, and testing of the Triple Zero system during telco upgrades.
Things to watch
13 October: CEDA will host Assistant Treasurer Daniel Mulino to discuss the Government’s productivity agenda.
14 October: The New South Wales, Queensland, Victorian, South Australian, and Western Australian Parliaments will sit.
15 October: The ABS will release building activity data.
16 October: Tony Burke will address the National Press Club, outlining Labor’s approach to Home Affairs.
16 October: The Financial Services Council will discuss innovation in retirement.
16 October: The Australian Insurance Law Association will host the Insurance Fast Forward Conference.
16 October: The ABS will release labour force data.
17 October: CEDA will host Simon Birmingham to discuss opportunities for South Australia in Asia–Pacific markets.
Payday Super, Treasury Consultations, and RBA Updates
Jim Chalmers introduced legislation that will require superannuation to be paid on the same day as salary and wages. The ATO will enhance its ability to detect underpayments and consult with industry on its approach to compliance during the first year of operations.
Treasury opened consultation on draft legislation to establish obligations for payment service providers and a regulatory framework for stored value facilities, including prepaid accounts, stablecoin issuers or wallets that hold customer funds.
During Senate Estimates, Treasury Deputy Secretary Diane Brown indicated[paywall] that the Prime Minister’s Office had taken an interest in the taxation of superannuation balances above $3 million. Brown confirmed that Treasury was reviewing stakeholder concerns and assessing the impact on investments in start-ups, venture capital, and real estate.
Bilateral Visits and Overseas Engagement
Anthony Albanese welcomed the Prime Minister of Singapore, Lawrence Wong, for the 10th Australia-Singapore Annual Leaders’ Meeting. The two announced the launch of the enhanced bilateral CSP 2.0, aimed at advancing new initiatives across education, research, science, culture, and the arts.
Richard Marles hosted India’s Defence Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh, to sign a bilateral agreement on submarine rescue and support, and to establish a forum for joint talks between the two nations’ defence forces.
Matt Thistlethwaite travelled to South Africa and Kenya to attend the G20 Trade and Investment Ministers’ Meeting, where he also held meetings with senior government officials, business leaders, and key non-government organisations.
Capacity Investment Scheme, Approvals, and Live Sheep Export Updates
Chris Bowen announced 20 successful projects under the Capacity Investment Scheme, which will deliver 6.6 gigawatts of generation by the end of 2030 and an estimated $600 million in community benefits.
Murray Watt approved the Pottinger Wind Farm in the NSW Riverina. The wind farm will produce 1,300 megawatts (MW) of electricity from 247 turbines, supplying power to a 500 MW battery energy storage system. Watt also approved the 141 MW Forbes Solar Farm project, which will include 196,000 solar panels.
Julie Collins announced additional grants to support the transition away from live sheep exports, with $20 million available to help sheep producers develop new business plans or adopt alternative farming practices. An additional $10 million will be provided under the scheme in 2026.
Transport Review, Victorian and NSW Developments
Catherine King launched a review into Tasmania’s Freight Equalisation Scheme to ensure it continues to meet the state’s long-term transport and trade needs. The review will assess how the program supports the movement of goods to and from Tasmania.
Construction on Victoria’s $12 billion Metro Tunnel project reached completion a year early and is set to open in early December. To celebrate the milestone, the Victorian Government will offer free travel on weekends throughout summer.
The New South Wales Government’s land audit identified seven additional surplus sites. The sites will first be offered to Homes NSW and Landcom as part of the state’s push to convert underutilised government land into new housing supply, aiming to deliver more than 600 new homes.
Early Childhood, Headspace, and Paid Parental Leave Initiatives
Jason Clare introduced legislation requiring pricing data to be collected across the early childhood and education sector. The bill also advances reforms to the provision of higher education for international students.
Amanda Rishworth introduced Baby Priya’s Bill, which will prevent employers from cancelling parental leave if a child is stillborn or dies. The amendment provides financial stability to grieving parents by ensuring that employer-funded parental leave remains available in these tragic instances.
In response to growing demand for services, Headspace will receive an additional $72.7 million to reduce wait times and improve access to free mental health care for young Australians.