Weekly Wrap Up – 17 October 2025
It’s been a week of reshuffles, warnings, and high-stakes diplomacy in Canberra – while one party is facing internal tremors, the other is playing geopolitical chess on the world stage.
The Coalition is in reset mode following the resignation of Andrew Hastie from the frontbench. The former Shadow Minister for Home Affairs quit over growing tensions around the Liberal Party’s stance on immigration under Opposition Leader Sussan Ley. His departure triggered yet another minor reshuffle, promoting Jonathon Duniam and Andrew Wallace into more prominent roles. But beneath the surface, Hastie’s exit has revealed deeper ideological fractures as the party leaks support to One Nation.
As talk of a UK-style realignment gains traction, with comparisons being made to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, Senator James Paterson – a prominent conservative – urged his colleagues not to splinter and warned that such a path would lead to electoral ruin. His message was pointed: resist the fringes, reject teal-style splintering, and hold the party together.
Meanwhile, Anthony Albanese is preparing for his first official meeting with Donald Trump – a major foreign policy moment for the government. Defence and economic ties are front and centre, with Australia and the US already moving to tighten military industry cooperation through new technology-sharing agreements and joint manufacturing frameworks. The backdrop? A shared concern over an increasingly assertive China.
More to come.
Top talking points
Presidential Meeting: On Sunday, Anthony Albanese will travel to the United States for his first official meeting with President Donald Trump.
India-China Visit: Chris Bowen visited China and India to advance clean energy ties, attract investment, and strengthen partnerships with the world’s top emitters.
Coalition Apology Tour: James Paterson urged the Liberal Party to move on from its “apology tour” and called for unity following the 2025 Federal Election.
Redbridge Polling: Labor leads the Coalition 54–46 on a two-party preferred basis. One Nation’s primary vote has climbed to 14 per cent, overtaking the Greens at 11 per cent.
Jobs Data: Unemployment rose by 0.2 per cent to 4.5 per cent in September, increasing the likelihood of a rate cut.
Making headlines this week
Critical Minerals Push
Superannuation Shake-up
Jim Chalmers revised Labor’s proposed superannuation tax reforms, easing earlier plans in response to public and political backlash. The updated proposal drops the highly criticised tax on unrealised capital gains, replacing it with a tiered system: a 30 per cent tax on earnings for super balances between $3 million and $10 million, and 40 per cent for balances above $10 million – both applied only to realised gains. To avoid bracket creep, Chalmers stated that the thresholds will be gradually indexed to improve equity in the system without unfairly penalising savers. The reforms are set to take effect in July 2026.
Things to watch
20 October: CIS will host Sussan Ley to discuss Australia’s economic and productivity challenges.
21 October: The New South Wales and Western Australian Parliaments will sit.
21 October: The AFR will host the Energy & Climate Summit 2025.
21 October: Veena Sahajwalla will address the National Press Club to discuss green manufacturing and sustainable materials.
21 October: CEDA will host the 2025 AI Leadership Summit.
22 October: CEDA will host Danielle Wood to discuss productivity growth in Perth.
22 October: Matt Kean will address the EnergyFest conference.
Crypto ATMS, Pension Index and Treasury Visits
In his address to the National Press Club, Tony Burke outlined the risks associated with crypto ATMs and stated that the Government will amend AML/CTF legislation to empower AUSTRAC to prohibit their use.
Australia’s score on the global pension index rose to 77.6 per cent this year, driven by higher mandatory retirement contributions and revised economic growth data.
Jim Chalmers travelled to the United States and South Korea to meet with investors and international counterparts, including the G20, IMF, World Bank, and APEC. Discussions centred on promoting Australia as an investment destination, as well as opportunities in clean energy and the digital economy.
Overseas Visit, Intelligence Appointment and Defence Moves
Australia and the United States signed a Joint Statement of Intent to facilitate the co-development and production of critical long-range fires, including variants of the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System and Precision Strike Missiles.
Kathy Klugman will serve as the Director-General of the Office of National Intelligence once Andrew Shearer’s term expires. Klugman has served as Australia’s high commissioner to Sri Lanka and has a particular focus on the Indo-Pacific region. Shearer has been nominated to serve as Australia’s Ambassador to Japan.
Matt Thistlethwaite met with Kenya’s Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Wycliffe Musalia Mudavadi. The two reaffirmed a shared commitment to internationally agreed rules and norms, emphasising the importance of multinational cooperation in addressing global challenges.
Algal Bloom, Supermarket Supplier Relations, and Queensland Energy
The Federal and South Australian Governments released a $102.5 million plan to combat the algal bloom in South Australia. The plan includes $37 million for scientific and environmental measures, including restoration of oyster and shellfish reefs, as well as seagrass and blue carbon restoration.
The Food and Grocery Code Supervisor is seeking views on supplier relations with supermarkets. The survey is the first since the mandatory Food and Grocery Code came into effect and is open until 11 November.
David Janetzki released Queensland’s Energy Roadmap, aiming to reduce energy system costs by $26 billion by 2035. The roadmap includes a $400 million energy investment fund and a new gateway for investors.
Social Media Campaign, Senate Estimates, and Housing Shortfall
Anika Wells launched a $14 million national campaign, “For The Good Of”, to inform families and encourage conversations about Australia’s social media ban, which is scheduled to commence in December this year.
Sarah Hanson-Young threatened to subpoena Meta, TikTok and Snapchat after they declined to appear at a public hearing this week on the under-16 social media ban. YouTube, Microsoft, Google, and eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant were among the witnesses that appeared before the Senate.
ABS data this week revealed that the total number of dwelling units commenced fell 4.4 per cent to 45,156. Reports suggest that the National Housing Accord is already 60,000 homes behind its annual 240,000 target in its first year.
National Standards, International Students, and Medicinal Cannabis Developments
The National Standards for Counsellors and Psychotherapists have been released, detailing the expectations of professionals in a bid to improve mental health care quality and help more people access support.
Jason Clare advised universities of their 2026 international student allocations. Distributions were based on each institution’s performance in delivering government priorities, including new housing, Southeast Asian engagement, and market diversification to support sustainable growth in international education.
Victoria’s cannabis laws will not be amended before the 2026 State Election. This comes as the AMA and Pharmacy Guild called for urgent action on the unregulated rise in medicinal cannabis prescribing and dispensing.