‘A journalistic James Bond’: mourners continue tributes at Derryn Hinch’s state funeral
Derryn Hinch’s longtime friend and colleague Darren James led mourners through a state funeral for the former broadcaster and senator on Monday. James said:
He was a journalist, a newspaper reporter, a TV presenter, a godfather, an author, a senator and, a prisoner … he did it all.
Some people pass through life without leaving a ripple, he created tsunamis.
His ex-wife and friend, actor Jacki Weaver, sent a video tribute from America describing Hinch as a wonderful stepfather and companion. She also referenced Hinch’s reputation as a notorious ladies’ man, saying:
I’d like to pay my respects to all the women who loved Derryn, and who loved him back.
I won’t name them all … we don’t have time.
Former 3AW colleagues Denis O’Kane and Tony Tardio spoke of their love for Hinch, who was well known for his hatred of child sex offenders and those that shielded them. Tardio said:
There will never be another like him, even his name was unique.
He was a journalistic James Bond, drama followed him everywhere – even to his first wedding. And then he went on to marry three other times.
Key events
Shadow energy minister rejects Tony Abbott’s claim multiculturalism has failed
Shadow energy minister Dan Tehan has rejected claims by former prime minister and party president Tony Abbott that “multiculturalism in Australia has failed”.
In a video shared on X last week by former deputy prime minister John Anderson, Abbott targets Muslim communities and argues that “diversity is not our strength”.
Speaking to ABC’s Afternoon Briefing, Tehan said:
Tony is a former prime minister and he has his views on various issues.
I have always said, and will continue to say … multiculturalism has thrived in Australia. But one of the problems that we’ve got at the moment is that the Labor party, through walking away from the essence of Australia’s values and making sure that everyone who comes here and makes up the wonderful rich fabric of Australia, needs to also understand the values which are so crucial to who we are as a nation. And my view is that that’s where we’re failing.
‘It’s over’: Divine Playhouse evicted from former church after protests
Kat Wong
An LGBTQ+ inclusive arts space hosted inside a former Sydney church has been formally evicted by its landlords, according to the venue’s promoter, who described the move as feeling like “bigotry masquerading as moral victory”.
Less than two weeks after it opened, Divine Playhouse’s landlord had terminated the venue’s lease.
Divine Playhouse’s promoter and founder of Heaps Gay Events, Kat Dopper, said:
It’s over: our lease terminated, our artists cancelled, our venue being cleared out.”
That’s freedom of expression in Australia right now: some voices get amplified, others get evicted. In this case, it feels like bigotry masquerading as moral victory.
The pop-up was located in Sydney’s central business district inside a former church, which was deconsecrated in the 1930s and has spent most of the years since as a theatre.
Christian groups protested its opening night, claiming the venue’s organisers and performances were mocking religious faith, and pointing to social media images of drag queens dressed as nuns and a performer dressed as a pig offering French fries as holy communion.
Dopper vowed to continue fighting as she announced a “sing-in” protest, set to take place at 12pm on Saturday at Hyde Park.
If we walk away, they’ll believe that intimidation works and they’ll come back, again and again, for every other group they don’t agree with.
Divine will rise again.
Anne Aly rejects ‘competitive’ framing of government responses to Islamophobia and antisemitism
The multicultural affairs minister, Anne Aly, has called for an end to the “consistent comparison” between government responses to Islamophobia and antisemitism.
It comes after the secretary of the Lebanese Muslim Association questioned the difference between the government’s recent announcement on tackling Islamophobia and its full adoption of the antisemitism special envoy Jillian Segal’s report in December.
Speaking on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing, Aly said she takes “a bit of an issue” with the “consistent comparison”. She said:
Both are worthy of pursuit in their own right. Both the elimination of antisemitism and the elimination of Islamophobia and racism in all its forms are worthy pursuits, so I don’t want to get into a competitive kind of environment of Islamophobia v antisemitism, and I take issue with that.
Palestinian academic launches discrimination claim against writers’ festival organisers
A prominent academic and Palestine advocate who withdrew from last year’s Bendigo writers’ festival over a controversial code of conduct for speakers has launched legal action against the event’s hosts.
In a post to social media, Randa Abdel-Fattah announced she has filed a discrimination lawsuit against La Trobe University and Bendigo council on the grounds of political belief or activity. She said:
Universities and cultural institutions must be held accountable for their discrimination and anti-Palestinian racism.
Our fight against anti-Palestinian racism is only escalating. Efforts to silence our voices are expanding, with the goal of purging Palestinians and anti-Zionist voices.
The claim has been filed in the Victorian civil and administrative tribunal.
A spokesperson for the city of Bendigo declined to comment. La Trobe University has been contacted for comment.
This post was amended at 4.09pm. An earlier version incorrectly stated Abdel-Fattah had launched legal action against the organisers of Adelaide writers’ week.
‘A journalistic James Bond’: mourners continue tributes at Derryn Hinch’s state funeral
Derryn Hinch’s longtime friend and colleague Darren James led mourners through a state funeral for the former broadcaster and senator on Monday. James said:
He was a journalist, a newspaper reporter, a TV presenter, a godfather, an author, a senator and, a prisoner … he did it all.
Some people pass through life without leaving a ripple, he created tsunamis.
His ex-wife and friend, actor Jacki Weaver, sent a video tribute from America describing Hinch as a wonderful stepfather and companion. She also referenced Hinch’s reputation as a notorious ladies’ man, saying:
I’d like to pay my respects to all the women who loved Derryn, and who loved him back.
I won’t name them all … we don’t have time.
Former 3AW colleagues Denis O’Kane and Tony Tardio spoke of their love for Hinch, who was well known for his hatred of child sex offenders and those that shielded them. Tardio said:
There will never be another like him, even his name was unique.
He was a journalistic James Bond, drama followed him everywhere – even to his first wedding. And then he went on to marry three other times.
Australian woman who allegedly travelled to Syria to join Islamic State granted bail
An Australian woman accused of travelling to Islamic State-controlled Syria and being a member of the terror group has been granted bail, AAP reports.
Mother-of-four Rayann El Houli was charged in May with travelling to a declared conflict zone and joining IS.
The 34-year-old’s bid for bail was successful on Monday, with Melbourne magistrate Brett Sonnet accepting a combination of factors including the historical nature of her alleged offending and her role as primary caregiver.
He also took into account her compromised health including post-traumatic stress disorder and potential multiple sclerosis, a lack of prior offending and stable support in the community.
Sonnet also pointed to her living within the community for eight months without incident and her cooperation with authorities. The magistrate said on Monday:
In my view, the risk of reoffending is relatively low.
Stephanie Convery
That’s all from me today – I’ll hand you over now to my colleague Achol Arok who’ll take you through the rest of the afternoon.
One dead after Sunshine Coast blaze
A woman has died from her injuries after escaping a fire that gutted a Sunshine Coast apartment and prompted neighbours to evacuate, AAP reports.
The 21-year-old fled the blaze with another woman and was helped by neighbours before being taken to hospital.
She succumbed to her injuries, however, as police declared a crime scene at the Buderim site, with authorities yet to determine the cause of the fire.
Emergency services were called to the address at about 7:30pm on Sunday after reports one of the complex’s units was fully engulfed in flames. A 32-year-old woman was able to flee the fire uninjured, police said.
Residents of neighbouring units were evacuated as the fire engulfed the unit. Fire crews took about an hour to extinguish the blaze, police said.
An investigation into the blaze was in its early stages, Detective Senior Constable Robert Lowry told reporters in Maroochydore on Monday.
Penry Buckley
Jewish community security volunteer describes feeling of being ‘always on call’
The royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion has heard from another witness from the Victorian Community Security Group (CSG), appearing under the pseudonym ACR.
ACR, a CSG volunteer of almost 25 years who is involved in assisting national coordination, has described a feeling of being “always on call” following the escalation of antisemitic incidents since October 2023.
In emotional testimony, ACR has said they “very much discourage my family from attending Jewish community events”:
Particularly when I’m there in a CSG capacity, because selfishly I don’t want to put myself in a position where I would have to decide between extracting them or dealing with a threat if something arose, and so that’s that’s incredibly difficult. And then even when we do attend Jewish events from time to time when I’m there in a personal capacity as a member of a community, I’m never fully there is the reality, I’m always on alert.
ACR said by coincidence they were at Melbourne airport on the way to Sydney on the night of the Bondi terror attack in December:
I walked out of the airport and I drove straight to CSG headquarters, where I assisted with the operations and the crisis management that was occurring there, and remained there until the early hours the next morning.
Mia Freedman’s 28-year-old son to lead Mamamia
Amanda Meade
Mia Freedman’s son, the 28-year-old Luca Lavigne, has been appointed CEO of her family-owned podcasting and media empire Mamamia.
Freedman and her husband, Jase Lavigne, co-founded the women’s digital media company in 2007 and now have the No 1 women’s podcast in Mamamia Out Loud.
Luca, who has been working in the business for a decade, most recently as chief operating officer and chief product officer, takes on the CEO role after Nat Harvey resigned to join Southern Cross Media Group as chief revenue officer.
Luca Lavigne said in a statement:
On behalf of the entire company, I wholeheartedly thank Nat for her outstanding leadership through a period of great opportunity and momentous change for the industry. Her leadership is defined by expertise, passion and dedication. This is a better business today because of her, and Nat will always have our friendship and our gratitude for everything she’s done during her time with Mamamia.
Guardian political reporter Josh Butler has wrapped together all the latest news on One Nation and party leader Pauline Hanson’s comments regarding “mass deportations” and the White Australia policy. Catch up on it here:
Pocock (not that one) challenges Farage in UK byelection
An Australian-born candidate has joined a record number of candidates challenging Nigel Farage in the byelection for the UK seat of Clacton.
A total of 34 candidates are standing, which is believed to be a record, according to Tendring District Council.
The list includes Daniel Pocock, a Swiss-Irish-Australian software engineer, born in the Melbourne suburb of Coburg. He gave an Australian address on the nomination form and is one of two foreign candidates (the other is from Belgium).
He will be running against candidates who include Baron von Thunderclap, Howling Laud Hope and Nick the Incredible Flying Brick (both from The Official Monster Raving Loony Party) and Woke Trump Carrzee – as well as, of course, the inestimable Lord Binface.
Penry Buckley
Jewish community security group requirements have doubled since 2023, royal commission hears
Jewish community security group protection requirements have doubled in the three years since the start of the conflict in Gaza, the royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion has heard.
A volunteer for the Victorian Community Security Organisation (CSG), which like other CSGs in Australia, monitors threats to the Jewish community and provides security for schools, synagogues and events, has appeared under the pseudonym ACO at today’s hearing.
ACO, who holds a leadership role in the Victorian CSG, said national combined data showed the total number of volunteer hours had gone from 86,000 in 2024 calendar year to almost 114,000 hours in 2025.
Asked by counsel assisting, Tamara Philips, how much they estimated the total commitment per person across volunteer and paid members had increased since October 7, they said:
It’s fair to say that the requirements have nearly doubled in that period of time. Certainly, when it comes to the protection of events in our community; those numbers have doubled. When I look at the number of staff we have, that’s tripled.
When I look at the number of synagogues we’re protecting, that’s well over double the numbers that we used to protect. And whilst our volunteer numbers they do continue to grow, it’s nowhere near what we need in order to meet the operational requirements for our community.
More mourners arrive at Derryn Hinch’s state funeral
3AW presenter Denis Walter, the master of ceremonies for broadcaster Derryn Hinch’s state funeral, has arrived at the Timber Yard in Melbourne, as has 10 News journalist and presenter Jennifer Keyte.
South Australian electorate renamed after Lowitja O’Donoghue
Lowitja O’Donoghue, a trailblazing Aboriginal nurse turned Indigenous rights advocate, has been honoured with the renaming of a federal electorate, AAP reports.
The vast division of Grey, which covers the majority of South Australia, is being renamed as O’Donoghue, the Australian Electoral Commission announced on Monday.
O’Donoghue, a member of the Stolen Generations, was the first Aboriginal woman to be trained as a nurse and served as the founding chairperson of both the National Aboriginal Conference and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission. Her advocacy was pivotal to Australia’s native title legislation.
O’Donoghue was a Yankunytjatjara woman, with the electorate of Grey taking in most of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara lands.
The AEC determined the name change despite 235 of the 310 community submissions arguing to retain Grey, named for Sir George Grey. The AEC found the arguments for change were “well detailed, informative, convincing and ultimately persuasive. This contrasted with most of the submissions objecting to the renaming of the electorate.”
The commission noted Sir George spent “a comparatively small part of his life” in Australia, with longer service to the British empire in South Africa and New Zealand, and the AEC decided “the time had come to recognise the outstanding contribution to Australia and its people made by a distinguished Australian”.
The decision comes after an AEC proposal last week to rename the southern Tasmanian seat of Franklin to Tongerlongeter, after an Indigenous warrior who fought colonisation, then took on a leadership role for Aboriginal Tasmanians exiled to Flinders Island.
The AEC has opened consultations on the Franklin switch, which comes after a radical re-drawing of the electorate’s boundaries.
