Politics live updates: ABC investigates claims 7.30 freelancer Roshdi Sarraj had links to Hamas

The Australian Broadcast Corporation is investigating whether a Hamas terrorist was hired to help cover the conflict in the Middle East for the 7.30 program before being killed in October 2023.

Roshdi Sarraj, a freelancer who filed video for the public broadcaster, was publicly eulogised by host Sarah Ferguson after being killed in an air strike.

However, he was later identified as “military operative in the military wing”.

When asked during a senate estimates hearing on Tuesday by shadow communications minister Sarah Henderson if he was linked to the Hamas terrorists organisation, ABC’s Editorial Director Gavin Fang said it was still being investigated.

Mr Fang said the taxpayer-funded organisation had approached the Israeli Defence Forces for confirmation that the reporter had links to proscribed terrorist outfit.

“There have been claims made but we have to act on a bigger evidential base than that,” Mr Fang said.

“Some work that had been done by the Committee for the Protection of Journalists.

“The Committee for the Protection of Journalists has not removed that person from their list of journalists that have been killed

“Their view is that person was a legitimate journalist.

“We have attempted to get some clarification from the IDF about their position on this and as yet they have not provided us with any evidence to suggest otherwise.”

Fatima Payman has defended a late-night outburst in Senate Estimates where she accused Anthony Albanese of waiting for her to be targeted in a Helen Haines-like attack.

The independent WA Senator had been talking about her two-year fight for staff on Monday , when she accused the Prime Minister of “waiting for something like what happened to Dr Helen Haines to occur” to her or her staff.

It prompted sharp criticism from Labor’s Don Farrell and Karen Grogan for linking her plight for more staff to the allegedly deliberate attack on the member for Indi last week, which has left her as a double leg amputee.

Senator Payman said on reflection her emotional outburst had been “poorly worded” and insisted that it was not her intention to “diminish the attack on Helen”.

“My intention was not to diminish the attack on Helen, I understand that it could be seen that way and I apologise if this has caused any distress to Helen, or her family,” Senator Payman told The West Australian.

“My thoughts are with Dr Helen Haines, her family and her team as she recovers. What happened to her is horrific, and I wish her a full and speedy recovery.”

Senator Payman said like many female politicians her staff regularly have to monitor and report abuse against her.

Her emotional outburst had come less than a week after a Queensland man was sentenced for threats against her, including: “I hope you goat f..ing degenerate terrorist c..t get hit by a truck (before)… he reverses over your f..ing foul terrorist head — just to make sure that he did the job properly.”

“My office has referred more than 100 incidents of threats and abuse to the Australian Federal Police,” Senator Payman said.

“My staff carry the burden of monitoring, reporting and managing that material every day, on top of the work of representing Western Australians as an independent.”

During her tribute to Dr Haines in the House on Monday, Housing Minister Clare O’Neil thanked political staffers for shielding female parliamentarians from abuse, death and rape threats.

“I say to every staffer — if you’re a ministerial staffer, a shadow ministerial staffer, working on the front line of an electorate office — we thank you,” she said.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has come to the aid of unlikely ally Fatima Payman on Tuesday after she was accused of an astonishing late-night outburst in Senate Estimates.

The WA Senator had been talking about her two-year fight for staff on Monday evening, when she accused Anthony Albanese of “waiting for something like what happened to Dr Helen Haines to occur” to her or her staff.

Senator Payman’s emotional outburst came less than a week after a Queensland man was sentenced for threats against her, including: “I hope you goat f..ing degenerate terrorist c..t get hit by a truck (before)… he reverses over your f..ing foul terrorist head — just to make sure that he did the job properly.”

Senator Hanson weighed into the controversy after Labor’s Don Farrell and Karen Grogan strongly criticised Senator Payman for including Dr Haines in her pleas for more staff.

“It’s hypocritical for the Prime Minister to lecture everyone about turning the temperature down while abusing his powers against his political opponents,” she told news.com.au on Tuesday.

“The Prime Minister has ignored our request for staffing proportionate to the allocation he has given the Greens.

“Our request includes staff to coordinate logistics and security to keep people safe.

“Anthony Albanese is proving exactly why the power to decide staffing allocations should be taken out of his hands.

“He granted David Shoebridge’s request within two weeks. Our request from August remains unanswered.

“You don’t get to preach about politicians’ safety while denying your opponents the staff needed to help keep their people safe.

“It’s a grubby abuse of power.”

Greens Senator David Shoebridge has slammed highly paid public servants for complaining about their Senate Estimates appearances being shared on social media, accusing some officials of dodging questions and avoiding accountability.

Senator Shoebridge had long shared snippets on his social media accounts from his grilling of department heads in estimates, which are dedicated hearings to scrutinise government spending.

Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, and the Arts secretary Jim Betts on Tuesday accused politicians of trying to “humiliate” them online.

“The concern that was expressed by the secretary’s board was about the very selective editing of those videos,” Mr Betts said.

“The overlay of commentary and other captions which were entirely designed to humiliate public servants, unfairly and inconsistently with the Senator’s own resolutions.”

Mr Betts said that often the comment section of the shared clips on social media contained “vile and misogynistic comments about female public servants”.

But Senator Shoebridge vehemently rejected the complaint and expressed his concern that Commonwealth officials were trying to hide from public scrutiny.

“I think it is extraordinary,” he said.

“I can’t tell you how many occasions I’ve sat in Senate estimates and had senior officials — who were sometimes, paid, two, three, four or five times what I’m on — saying ‘oh, I’m going to take that on notice or ducking and weaving and avoiding answers.

“We have a system of accountable government where officials are required if they have the information to provide it.

“We’re paying you to answer the questions in a timely, careful, frank and direct way.

“And of course, the obligation comes the other way for us to ask questions in a respectful way.”

Anthony Albanese is considering a request for greater security measures for MPs including duress alarms as concerns grow for their safety following last week’s violent attack against crossbencher Helen Haines.

“People have been putting up with this growing threat environment for too long,” the Prime Minister told caucus members at a meeting on Tuesday, according to a spokesman.

“I know so many of you have experienced an increase in aggressive and threatening behaviour online and in person. There have been vile threats towards you and your family and damage to your electorate offices.”

“This is particularly acute for women members of caucus, who often receive vile and misogynistic threats to their safety and increased hatred online, often of a violent and sexual nature.

“Women have to be able to do this job and do it safely.”

During the caucus meeting one Labor MP questioned what was being done to protect democracy from aggressive conduct, including at polling booths.

Labor has been accused of rushing through its controversial capital gains tax changes with a bill being introduced to Parliament on Tuesday morning with little notice ahead of an expected vote on Wednesday.

The Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Reform No. 4) Bill 2026 is listed on the House of Representatives notice paper for Tuesday, but shadow treasurer Tim Wilson only received a government briefing from Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ office this morning.

“Just before midnight last night, the Treasurer flagged a new tax bill that he hasn’t flagged to the Parliament, which is being introduced this morning,” Mr Wilson told reporters in Canberra.

“The Treasurer is now trying to bully the Parliament into passing tax changes which have not been discussed by the Parliament and have not been flagged or considered by the Parliament.

“This is a very distressing trend. At every point, this government has taken no interest in democracy or standing up for basic processes.”

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Public servants paid close to half a million dollars have charged taxpayers for a coaching session on how to respond to touch questions ahead of their appearance at Senate Estimates.

Senate Estimates hearings allow elected representatives to call forward government agencies and ask them how they’re spending the public’s money and how they operate.

In a stunning admission on Monday, Australian Human Rights Commission executives revealed that they had paid a communications consultant to help them prepare for Senate estimates.

It comes after Sex Discrimination Commissioner Anna Cody made headlines after a similar hearing earlier this year for saying transgender women who were born male so can’t bear a child could be discriminated against over a “potential pregnancy”.

After repeatedly rejecting questions by claiming they were “hypotheticals”, Liberal senator Leah Blyth remarked that Dr Cody must have been “coached” which prompted Michaelia Cash to question if she had.

“You’re telling me you needed… What did you say? A communications consultant?,” Senator Cash questioned.

AHRC president Hugh de Kretser then admitted his agency had spent taxpayer money on a session preparing for this appearance at Senate estimates but couldn’t reveal the total price tag.

“We engaged a communications consultant to assist with this round of Senate estimates,” he admitted.

“For one short session. I think we have previously as well.

“Senator, of course we prepare for Senator estimates, every time.

“I can take it on notice and provide the cost of that to the committee.”

Senate Estimates sessions will continue until Thursday, with another week of hearings in mid-November.

NSW Premier Chris Minns has shrugged off the threat of opposition leader Kellie Sloane in the lead up to the 2027 state election - instead declaring his fight for the top job is with One Nation.

Mr Minns said the surging threat of One Nation was Labor’s biggest threat, suggesting NSW leader Mike Newman would either be opposition leader or Premier once voters go to the polls.

“One Nation are surging,” he told 2GB on Tuesday morning. “And they’re getting a big, big chunk of the vote.

“The truth of the matter is that if we lose the next election, we’ll lose to One Nation.

“By any poll, by any measure, Mike Newman will either be the premier or the opposition leader after the 13th of March.”

The premier said he did not take the threat “lightly” .

WA Senator Fatima Payman has questioned whether Anthony Albanese has repeatedly ignored her requests for additional staff because he was waiting for her to be attacked.

The independent Senator has long called for more staff and has accused the Prime Minister of punishing her for defecting from the Labor party.

In an emotional estimates session on Monday, the independent Senator said in the two years she’s been pledging for a fairer allocation her staff have been burnt out and underpaid.

“Am I being made an example of? Is the Prime Minister waiting for something like what happened to Dr Helen Haines to occur to my office? To me? For him to take our requests seriously,” she questioned senior Labor Senator Don Farrell.

“I’ve been raising it for two years and the psychosocial hazards that are imposed on my staff.

“My staff are burning out. They can’t take this any longer.

“My staff are expected to do the job of an office that has seven full timers.”

She questioned how Labor could boast about “same job, same pay” when “my chief of staff is being paid as an electorate officer” due to the staff squeeze.

Senator Farrell — who is responsible for electoral matters — describe Senator Payman’s accusation of the PM wanting her to be harmed as “outragous”.

Like many female politicians, Senator Payman has faced a barrage of hate and abuse online which her team helps monitor and report.

Just last week Queensland man Izaac Lee Alford, 33, appeared before court for “disgusting rants” and “repulsive” threats to Senator Payman via voicemails, emails, and X comments.

It included “degenerate terrorist c..t, get hit by a truck” as well as other remarks like “filthy Islamist terrorist”, a “rapist”, and “filthy f...ing pedophile”.

The Glastonbury father of three had previously been sentenced for serious assault, weapons offences, fraud, entering premises with intent, assaulting or obstructing police, drug-related offences and other offences.

According to Courier Mail however, he avoided jail on Thursday with an eight months sentence that was suspended for two years, on a $1500 recognisance bond.

In November last year, a Victorian court sentenced 51-year-old Ballarat man Sean David Sharman who sent Senator Payman racist death threats.

Magistrate Julia Barling heard that he wrote in an email “call me Racist all you want c... But there is a 38Cal with your name on it coming for your Muslim hateful waste of oxygen c... head VERY SOON”.

Activist group GetUp! has condemned the alleged attack on independent MP Helen Haines after it emerged the man accused of running her down had repeatedly shared the organisation’s material online.

Brendan Nugent reportedly reposted GetUp! content 17 times and signed two petitions more than five years ago.

GetUp! acting chief executive Paul Ferris denied Nugent had ever been involved with the organisation.

“GetUp condemns violence against anyone in public life. It has no place in Australia, no matter who it’s aimed at or who commits it,” he told News Corp.

“According to our records, this individual has never donated to, volunteered, or worked for GetUp in any capacity.”

Former Liberal MP Nicolle Flint claims GetUp!’s past campaigning tactics encouraged dangerous behaviour towards her.

“I’m deeply distressed to see similar links between GetUp! and the man accused of attacking Helen Haines MP,” she told News Corp.

There is no suggestion GetUp! had any involvement in the alleged attack.

Dr Haines remains in hospital after both her legs were amputated following the incident in Wangaratta last week.