The Point Live: It's on for the Liberals, protests planned for Melbourne in response to Isaac Herzog's planned visit

I have never seen Sarah Henderson look this happy.

Mike Bowers captured Henderson leaving the ABC studios after declaring she was supporting Angus Taylor for the leadership and Jane Hume as the deputy leader.

Here is how Claire Chandler announced her resignation:

Let’s take a look at Sussan Ley’s seat of Farrer. Ley had to be saved against a pre-selection challenge, not once but twice by Alex Hawke and his NSW Liberal faction, after facing some strong opposition from her branch. That didn’t make things easier, but before 2025, Ley held the seat with a 16.4% margin.

At the election, she experienced a 8.9% swing against her. The independent candidate, Michelle Milthorpe finished second and now, Ley’s margin against her is down to 6.2%.

This doesn’t mean Milthrope will run again, although we hear that there have been ‘very promising’ community meetings where Milthorpe has featured. If Ley loses the leadership and resigns, it is not a given that the Liberals would retain the seat.

For those wondering, One Nation has polled at about 6-7% at the election in Farrer, but given its surge in regional and rural seats, you would have to think that vote would increase as well – and preferences are necessarily going to break a Liberal or Nationals candidates’ way.

In news that will shock absolutely no one, Sarah Henderson is backing Angus Taylor. She wants Jane Hume to run for deputy.

Tasmanian conservative Claire Chandler has resigned from the front bench and you’ll see more of that today as Taylor’s allies line up.

Asked if Sussan Ley was ‘done’ Henderson replied:

I think she is, I think we’re going in the wrong direction. We need a credible set of policies, we need to show that can fight for the Australian people, hold this terrible government to account every single day and that why I am hoping that Angus Taylor will be our the next couple of days. It is very difficult time for the Liberal Party.

This is not easy to change leader but at a primary vote of 18%, would wipe out most members in the House of Representatives and we owe it to the Australian people to be a credible opposition to fight hard every single day and under Angus Taylor and his leadership, we can do that.

Kos Samaras job is to look at polling and research for the major parties. So, you know….

For those of you who are able to not pay attention, in 2018 Peter Dutton challenged Malcolm Turnbull for the Liberal prime ministership (you may remember the ‘he’s not a monster’ phase) and in response to all the non-stop leaks and speculation, Turnbull forced Dutton to front up and challenge him, by effectively calling on the spill himself.

Dutton didn’t have the numbers, but it was also revealed that Turnbull had lost just shy of half the party room. That then set the stage for another contest, without Turnbull, who saw the writing on the wall and removed himself. Julie Bishop was knocked out early after her supporters went to Scott Morrison and in a contest between Dutton and Morrison, Morrison won. He came up the middle as it were.

Can this happen here? Never say never, and Ted O’Brien and his staff are doing all they can to try and make it seem like Super Ted is a viable third candidate. And look, stranger things have happened. But O’Brien doesn’t have a strong supporter base himself – so it would have to be a scenario of literally no one else. O’Brien is seen as a more likable Tim Wilson, if such a thing exists, and while Wilson likes to have his name thrown into the mix, there is nothing to suggest he has anywhere near the levels of support needed to be an actual contender.

So it is unlikely there will be a third candidate (Andrew Hastie seems happy for the mess to play out, but you never know with the Liberal party) but don’t rule it out. Stranger things have happened.

Andrew Wallace doesn’t really want to get into any of the gender issues around the Liberals maybe ditching their first woman leader after only nine months, despite the interviewer trying twice. He just says its a bad look for any Liberal leader to be challenged like this.

He also doesn’t think Angus Taylor has the numbers:

I think this leadership challenge – if it ends up being that challenge – if it ends up being that – has been undercooked. I think it’s been unprepared or ill-prepared. I think Sussan has the numbers. I think that the majority of the party room believe that Sussan hasn’t been given a fair go, and they want to given a fair go, and they want to give her that opportunity to succeed. And I am definitely one of those people.

Sussan Ley’s supporters have been out early this morning. Shadow attorney-general Andrew Wallace (it’s ok if you have never heard of him before) wandered into the parliament house ABC studios this morning to speak about why he will be supporting Ley if a spill is called:

I think she has done a very good job in difficult circumstances. This is off the back of two straight election defeats, and the last one of which, unfortunately, was pretty significant. Being the Opposition Leader in federal politics is the toughest job of them of all, especially coming off those two defeats.

Look, with the two splits with the Nationals and the worst attack on Australia’s soil from a terrorist perspective, there’s been a lot going on, and I quite honestly believe that Sussan hasn’t been afforded a reasonable opportunity to succeed, and I want to back and make sure that she does so that we can continue to take the fight up to Labor.

The thing is…the Coalition is going backwards under her leadership – where she has made the decisions which included how she handled the Bondi terror attack. And the vote went backwards. So while she hasn’t had a lot of fresh air, she’s also been responsible for creating a lot of the fog.

AAP has some more on the Closing the Gap target update, which will be reported to the parliament a little later this morning:

Indigenous health services will be upgraded across the country with promises from the prime minister that failure to address disparity with non-Indigenous Australians is not an option.

Anthony Albanese will use his annual closing the gap speech on Thursday to announce a $144 million boost to Indigenous health to upgrade more than 100 services in cities and regional areas.

The prime minister will argue addressing heath outcomes is critical in improving multiple closing the gap outcomes.

“Many of these clinics had not seen a dollar of new investment for decades,” he will say.

“All levels of government will work together to see this funding deliver a change in outcomes.”

Mr Albanese will also announce plans to reduce prices on essential items at all remote grocery stores in Indigenous communities, following a successful trial.

Prices on 30 items like flour, cereal and toothpaste would be in line with those in the city across 225 remote stores

“We all know what it means to be able to put healthy food on the table.The difference it makes for mums expecting a baby, for a child’s health and growth, even for their ability to concentrate at school,” the PM will say.

Mr Albanese’s address will reveal four of the closing the gap outcomes are on track to be met, with a further six targets being improved upon.

“Based on progress to date, later this year we expect confirmation that the target of 95 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children enrolled in preschool has been achieved,” he will say.

“There are four areas where progress is stalled, or going backwards.The most urgent is suicide. Suicide shatters families, it tears apart communities.”

The prime minister will also use the speech to warn against any pre-emptive declaration of failure in closing the gap in outcomes.

“Talk of failure dismisses the aspirations and achievements of Indigenous Australians. It ignores the leaders and communities who are changing lives,” he says.

“Failure is a word for those who have stopped trying – or given up listening.

“The challenges facing us are significant, complex and connected, with causes that reach back generations. But that does not render us powerless – it makes each act of change powerful.”

The closing the gap speech comes after the government announced the roll out of a 10-year plan on Tuesday to address domestic and family violence against Indigenous women and children.

13YARN 13 92 76

Lifeline 13 11 14

Anthony Albanese will deliver the latest Closing the Gap report card, and it is not great news. Only four of the 19 targets are on track, although he will report improvements in another six areas.

In four areas – including the rate of suicides, the number of children in out of home care, early childhood development and the number of adults incarcerated, Australia has gone backwards.

Albanese will deliver the update to parliament, where he will also address the Boorloo (Perth) terror attack, where a man has been charged with throwing a bomb into a crowd at an Invasion Day rally. It did not detonate, but was originally treated as an attempt to intimidate, before being escalated, following days of public pressure for further investigation, into a terror attack.

Albanese:

The danger of that alleged attack was real — and so was the racism and hatred behind it, motivated by a white supremacy ideology.

You’ll be seeing a lot of these expressions over the coming days. (Mike Bowers captured the main Angus Taylor faces as he delivered his statement in the opposition courtyard)

After being caught on the hop by the news of a quiet trial in Laos for one of the people responsible over the methanol poisoning deaths of two Australians (and a very small fine as punishment) Penny Wong has announced a special envoy for the case:

Today I have appointed Mr Pablo Kang as Special Envoy to continue our efforts for progress in the investigations into the methanol poisoning deaths of Australian citizens Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones.

Since their November 2024 deaths, the Albanese Government has been clear to the Lao authorities of the need for transparency and accountability.

We have consistently conveyed our expectations that charges should reflect the seriousness of the tragedy that killed Holly, Bianca and four other foreign nationals.

I have asked Mr Kang to depart for Laos as soon as possible this week and explore all avenues to progress the case.

Mr Kang heads the Southeast Asia Regional and Mainland Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He has previously served as Ambassador to Cambodia, Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates and High Commissioner to Vanuatu.

We understand the heartbreaking grief of the families of Holly and Bianca, which has been exacerbated by the delays and lack of transparency over the legal processes in Laos.

The Albanese Government will continue to press the Lao authorities on Holly and Bianca’s cases and will continue to support their families in their pursuit of justice.

The Israeli president is expected to face another day of protests as his controversial Australian visit nears an end.

Isaac Herzog will be closely guarded by police, who have been granted special search powers, as he arrives in Melbourne for a packed day of meetings with senior politicians and community leaders.

A planned protest in the city’s CBD is expected to attract more than 5000 people, leaving police on high alert.

The demonstration against Mr Herzog’s visit at Flinders Street Station is expected to remain peaceful, according to police who said there is no specific threat to the president.

“We want to be clear that there is no intelligence at this time to suggest that the event is the target of any specific threat,” Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Bob Hill said.

Police have been granted special powers under terrorism legislation ahead of the visit, allowing officers to stop and search vehicles or people in public places, seize items and detain people as a preventative measure.

The powers apply to specific areas Mr Herzog will attend while in Melbourne.

Mr Herzog was invited to Australia by the federal government following the Bondi terror attack but has received a hostile reception from protesters and some politicians over Israel’s actions in Gaza.

At least nine people were charged, and 27 arrested after protesters were punched and pushed by police when an anti-Herzog rally turned violent in Sydney’s CBD on Monday.

Labor Friends of Palestine Victoria committee member Kate Shuttleworth called for a peaceful protest in Melbourne, urging the increased search powers to be used with caution.

“The scenes out of Sydney were deeply distressing. Rank-and-file Labor members were among those pushed, punched and subjected to force. We do not want to see that repeated in Victoria,” she said in a statement. 

“We are asking for calm, for restraint, and for the protection of democratic rights. Peaceful protest is not a threat to Victoria, it is part of who we are.”

The president’s movements have largely been kept under wraps during his visit.

Mr Herzog met with survivors of the Bondi attack in Sydney, before being hosted by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Canberra.

The four-day trip has been welcomed by members of Melbourne’s Jewish community which has been rocked by multiple anti-Semitic attacks, including the Adass Israel Synagogue firebombing in 2024.

“It’s a comfortable feeling,” Adass board member Abe Weiszberger told AAP. 

“Bondi is most probably when the volcano erupted. We’ve seen the volcano bubbling for two or three years.”

Mr Weiszberger said the visit was important for the community, saying it helped bring back a sense of belonging.

“It gives you some comfort in this sea of unknown and where we don’t know what’s the next move,” he said.

The Israeli president has described his four-day trip to Australia as very emotional, saying it was important to visit the community and express condolences.

For those of you who have a life and may have missed the statement last night (I am jealous, what does it feel like) this is what Angus Taylor put out about his resignation from the front bench:

Since last May, I have worked hard as a member of the leadership group and the Shadow Cabinet to help our team regroup and rebuild after the federal election. I have supported the leader and done everything I can to assist her in restoring the Party’s standing with the Australian people.

Despite these efforts, the Liberal Party’s position under Sussan Ley’s leadership has continued to deteriorate, leaving it weaker than at any time since its formation in 1944.

This is a confronting reality, but one we cannot ignore.

As a party that holds itself up as an alternative government, our failures have allowed the Albanese Government to avoid accountability for their mismanagement of our country. This is devastating for Australians who, under Labor, have become poorer, more divided and more disillusioned.

Under Anthony Albanese, Australians are going backwards. Our standard of living is declining, and this government is failing to protect the way of life Australians have worked so hard to build.

This cannot continue.

We must urgently restore Australians’ confidence in the Liberal Party by demonstrating strong leadership, clear direction, and the competence and conviction to courageously fight for our values with a clear vision for the future.

For these reasons, I have tendered my resignation from the Shadow Cabinet, effective immediately.

This is not a decision I take lightly. I remain committed to the Liberal Party, which has provided me the honour and privilege of serving it.

In the period ahead, I will be consulting closely with colleagues about the future of our Party, so it can once again be the party that Australians expect and deserve.

The number of First Nations people in jail in NSW is higher than ever before, while those without convictions are soon expected to make up half of the prison population.

Though the number of people imprisoned has fallen since 2019, fresh data from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research has found the number of Indigenous Australians in custody has increased by 18.1 per cent.

With 4452 Aboriginal adults in jail as of December, First Nations people represent more than a third of the NSW prison population – the highest number and proportion on record – despite making up three per cent of the general population.

This means the incarceration rate for Indigenous Australians is 15 times higher than non-Indigenous people, with one in 25 Aboriginal men in NSW having lived in prison.

“The Aboriginal figures are shocking,” NSW BOCSAR executive director Jackie Fitzgerald told AAP.

Police have stepped up efforts to crack down on domestic violence, but because its prevalence in the community have not decreased, greater law enforcement efforts have had an outsized impact on Indigenous incarceration, she said.

The number of people imprisoned on remand, which means they have been charged but not convicted and are often awaiting trial, has reached the highest proportion ever recorded at 46 per cent of the adult prison population.

NSW’s remand population has grown by 20 per cent since December 2023 due in part to the aforementioned police efforts to step up domestic violence enforcement and changes to bail outcomes.

More people are coming before the courts, as legal action against domestic violence has grown by 50 per cent since 2019.

Meanwhile, those facing domestic violence charges are less likely to receive bail, with bail refusal rates rising from 17.5 per cent to 19.4 per cent between 2023 and 2025.

It is possible this has been influenced by high-profile stories of domestic violence offenders on bail that have gone on to murder current or former partners.

While Ms Fitzgerald acknowledged remand could help incapacitate those with serious charges, bail refusal rates have increased across the spectrum of offences.

If this trend continues, people on remand will account for half of the prison population in the next two years.

“It’s worth a conversation about whether the community is comfortable with incarcerating so many people who haven’t been through that court process,” Ms Fitzgerald said.

“We do also know that many of those people, even if convicted, won’t receive a custodial penalty.”

13YARN 13 92 76

Lifeline 13 11 14

1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)

Men’s Referral Service 1300 766 491

This is just a bit of gossip, but the Fin have also reported it, so I am going to indulge – but yesterday, when everyone was still waiting to see whether Angus Taylor would challenge or not (he ended up doing it just after 7pm) Sussan Ley’s supporters started wandering around accusing Taylor of the T.A.C.O protocol – Taylor Always Chickens Out. It comes from Donald Trump skeptics, referring to Trump’s big threats on things like tariffs, that never come to fruition.

It’s still unclear if Taylor has the numbers. Not all the senators are in town, and Taylor relies on quite a few people in the senate to make up his bloc, so if a party room meeting was called today, instead of tomorrow like Taylor wants, then he wouldn’t necessarily have all his votes.

But even if one was called today, it wouldn’t end it. There would be another meeting called in March when parliament resumes and everyone was in town. So if it happens today, and he loses, don’t assume that’s the end of it.

Hello and welcome to the last sitting day of the parliament – but it’s events outside the parliament which have sucked up all the oxygen.

It is on in Lib spill land, although the when and hows are still being worked out. Angus Taylor has quit the shadow front bench, which was the first domino in the spill, but but he didn’t actually say he would challenge. That comes next. But today will mostly be a messy day of number counting and leaks and too-ing and fro-ing before the main event, which will most likely be held on Friday.

Also happening is Isaac Herzog, who has been credibly accused of inciting the commission of genocide, moving on to Melbourne, where he will be met with more protests. He met with senior politicians in Canberra yesterday, at both Government House and the parliament, and Elizabeth Watson-Brown and Sophie Scamps boycotted parliament in protest of Herzog being hosted in the Peoples’ House.

The government will get another day off from having to answer any major questions, as the opposition is way too busy focusing on itself.
I’ve had about three hours sleep, which makes for a grand total of 15 hours for this week, and the two coffees I have inhaled are yet to make a dent.

So it is going to be a slow, painful fall into the abyss today. Care to join me? Take a breath and we’ll jump in.