Australia news LIVE: Wells says gender ‘debates’ would not be policed in reforms; Trump administration will not livestream firing squad execution

Emily KaineUpdated October 16, 2026 — 7:40am,first published 6:45amKey PostsWhat’s making news todayBy Emily KaineHello and welcome back to our live coverage of national news for this Friday, October 16. Here’s what is making headlines today.In case you missed it, yesterday was a packed day in Canberra.Communications Minister Anika Wells introduced the government’s Digital Duty of Care bill to parliament. She revealed the reforms would capture US President Donald Trump’s Truth Social platform and unveiled a list of online harms proscribed under the legislation.Health Minister Mark Butler brought the Albanese government’s private health insurance rebate bill back to the Senate after the Coalition and Greens joined forces on Wednesday to block the legislation. Labor could lose up to $1.6 billion in budget spending to secure a deal with the Greens after the party doubled down on its rejection of the bill.Greens leader David Shoebridge addressed the media to respond to allegations published in this masthead against Senator Jordon Steele-John. Shoebridge said Steele-John would take leave from the party, while the WA Greens conduct an independent inquiry. Steele-John has rejected all the allegations.Overseas, the Vatican says Pope Leo has resumed work from the hospital as doctors said his lung recovered well from surgery. The pontiff’s lung cancer was revealed earlier this week.And the Trump administration has abandoned its plan to livestream the execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan following extensive backlash.Latest Posts7.40amShoebridge ‘knew nothing’ of Steele-John allegations before he was leaderBy Emily KaineGreens leader David Shoebridge has insisted he “knew nothing” of claims of inappropriate conduct against senator Jordon Steele-John, which allegedly spanned the period between 2017 and 2025, before he assumed the party leadership. He dismissed the suggestion the party had turned “a blind eye” to Steele-John’s alleged behaviour towards women, which reports suggest was “well-known within the party”.He said the letter he received from seven women on Tuesday night was the first he had heard of the allegations. Senator Jordon Steele-John talking with party leader David Shoebridge.Alex Ellinghausen“I knew absolutely nothing until assuming this position as leader, and then when I received the correspondence, I acted with what I think is timely and appropriate urgency upon receiving the correspondence ... That’s my obligation, to try and ensure that these matters are dealt with fairly,” Shoebridge told ABC’s News Breakfast this morning. He would not say whether he had directed Steele-John to take leave, only that the decision was made after “a discussion”.Shoebridge confirmed Steele-John would also be taking leave from parliament. 7.21amSharma calls for external party to investigate Steele-John allegations By Emily KaineLiberal senator Dave Sharma says it was the “appropriate” decision for Greens senator Jordon-Steele John to take leave from the party as it investigates allegations of inappropriate conduct from seven women.“I think until these allegations are resolved, it would be appropriate for him to take leave from parliament as well as the party room,” he told Nine’s Today this morning.Liberal senator Dave Sharma.Janie Barrett“I respect that he rejects these claims as he’s entitled to do. He’s entitled to contest these claims, but I think not to be a distraction, I think, during this time, to make sure these allegations are properly aired, that would make sense.”The WA Greens are conducting a separate investigation into the senator’s alleged conduct, but Sharma said an external party with experience in sexual harassment and assault allegations should be employed to investigate the claims.“A credible party ... needs to be brought in for it to be taken seriously,” he said.7.06amUkraine abandons ‘truce’ and attacks Russian oil refineryBy Kyiv: Ukraine attacked a Russian oil refinery on Thursday, abandoning a brief truce involving energy-related targets that it said Moscow did not heed, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he felt betrayed by US President Donald Trump.The drone strike started a fire at the refinery about 300 kilometres south-east of Moscow in Russia’s Ryazan region, according to the Russian Defence Ministry. Russia’s Astra online news outlet posted what it said was a photograph of the blaze.The strike could further complicate Kyiv’s relations with Trump, which have soured again in recent days amid deepening tensions between Ukraine and Washington.Zelensky said he was outraged by Russia’s continuing aerial bombardment of energy infrastructure in apparent defiance of Trump’s demand on Sunday for both sides to halt those attacks.6.45amWells says transgender ‘debate’ not to be policed in bill By Emily KaineCommunications Minister Anika Wells says gender “debates”, including about transgender rights, will not be policed under Labor’s digital reforms, but could not provide more clarity on how the government would determine what constituted a hostile attitude towards women.Asked whether public figures such as author J. K. Rowling – who has used her platform to promote anti-trans views – would be subject to hostile attitude restrictions, Wells said:“No, a hostile attitude example that I used at the National Press Club is material that says to young boys that consent doesn’t matter,” the minister told ABC’s 7.30 last night.Communications Minister Anika Wells at the National Press Club in Canberra on Thursday.Alex EllinghausenShe could not provide further clarity on the scope of the definition, and said the eSafety Commissioner would produce and publish regulatory guidance that would determine whether the intent of online content was hostile.“The reason that that provision is in the bill is because we had more than 20 women’s groups and teachers, teachers’ coalitions from across the country ask us to incorporate that because they’ve noticed that young boys coming through the education system have these hostile attitudes,” Wells said.“The regulatory guidance that was published around what reasonable steps were for the social media minimum age, that’s similarly going to be instructive for how big tech has to assess the risks on its platform against that detail.”6.32amLabor could lose half its savings in private health compromise with GreensBy Natassia ChrysanthosLabor could be forced to forfeit up to $1.6 billion in budget spending that had been earmarked for aged care to land a compromise deal on its contentious private health insurance changes.The Greens doubled down on their rejection of Health Minister Mark Butler’s bill yesterday, saying the party would not pass laws scrapping the Howard-era private health insurance bonuses for over-65s unless pensioners were ringfenced from the changes.Minister for Health, Ageing, Disability and the NDIS Mark Butler during question time at Parliament House in Canberra yesterday.Alex EllinghausenButler announced before this year’s budget that he wanted to get rid of more generous private health insurance rebates for 3 million older Australians. That $3 billion saving would be redirected to aged care, including 5000 extra beds, as the system deals with growing demand.However, Butler was dealt a blow on Wednesday when the Coalition, Greens and crossbench teamed up to knock the government’s bill out of the Senate because it would saddle 1.5 million pensioners who have private health insurance with extra costs and force others onto the public health system.What’s making news todayBy Emily KaineHello and welcome back to our live coverage of national news for this Friday, October 16. Here’s what is making headlines today.In case you missed it, yesterday was a packed day in Canberra.Communications Minister Anika Wells introduced the government’s Digital Duty of Care bill to parliament. She revealed the reforms would capture US President Donald Trump’s Truth Social platform and unveiled a list of online harms proscribed under the legislation.Health Minister Mark Butler brought the Albanese government’s private health insurance rebate bill back to the Senate after the Coalition and Greens joined forces on Wednesday to block the legislation. Labor could lose up to $1.6 billion in budget spending to secure a deal with the Greens after the party doubled down on its rejection of the bill.Greens leader David Shoebridge addressed the media to respond to allegations published in this masthead against Senator Jordon Steele-John. Shoebridge said Steele-John would take leave from the party, while the WA Greens conduct an independent inquiry. Steele-John has rejected all the allegations.Overseas, the Vatican says Pope Leo has resumed work from the hospital as doctors said his lung recovered well from surgery. The pontiff’s lung cancer was revealed earlier this week.And the Trump administration has abandoned its plan to livestream the execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan following extensive backlash.1 of 1