Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard has confirmed she split up with her longtime boyfriend Tim Mathieson a year ago. Ms Gillard was Australia’s first, and still only, female prime minister, and though they were not married, Mr Mathieson became known as the ‘First Bloke’ – a play on the American tradition of calling a president’s wife the ‘First Lady’. Mr …

Four people – all believed to be young women – have been killed after a car collided with a truck near Stanthorpe in southern Queensland. They were all travelling in a vehicle that collided with a semi-trailer at a New England Highway intersection in the Southern Downs at about 5.30pm on Wednesday. The women reportedly died on impact. The truck …

Four people have been taken to hospital after Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s security detail was involved in a serious car accident on the campaign trail in Tasmania. A vehicle carrying two federal police and two Tasmanian police officers was following Mr Morrison’s car when it rolled near Elizabeth Town in the state’s north on Thursday afternoon. In a statement, the …

The former staffer of embattled MP Alan Tudge who accused him of abuse has released the government from being barred by confidentiality from speaking about a financial settlement from the Commonwealth. In a letter sent from her lawyers to the federal government, Rachelle Miller said she wished to removed any impediment to the government releasing details about her settlement, worth …

The Prime Minister has dismissed a scathing character assessment from one of his own senators, arguing a disgruntled Concetta Fierravanti-Wells is simply “disappointed” her time in federal parliament might be coming to an end. The veteran Liberal took to her feet in the Senate after 9pm on budget night to pour scorn on Scott Morrison, accusing him of having no conscience. “His …

A male nurse has been charged by NSW police after allegedly sexually assaulting three women at hospitals in Sydney’s northwest over a period of three years. Since September last year, Strike Force Rymer has been investigating reports a 25-year-old female patient was sexually assaulted while recovering from heart surgery at a Bella Vista hospital. This led to a 42-year-old man …

Australia will sign an “historic” trade deal with India following years of negotiations between the two nations. The deal, which the Coalition says could reduce our reliance on China, will eliminate tariffs on more than 85 per cent of Australian goods exported to India, currently worth more than $12 billion a year. Meanwhile, 96 per cent of Indian goods entering …

Solomon Islands has confirmed it is drafting a security deal with China – a move that’s triggered alarm in neighbouring Australia and other Western allies in the Indo-Pacific. Leaked papers indicate a Chinese military base could potentially be set up on the island to Australia’s north. That’s sparked concern from Australia, long the chief defence partner and biggest aid donor …

Millions of taxpayers are among the major winners in this year’s budget as the Morrison government hands out $16.4 billion in tax breaks and one-off payments in a bid to woo voters before the election. Temporary cuts to fuel taxes and an increase in the low-and-middle-income tax offset (LMITO) are major parts of the budget package, which Treasurer Josh Frydenberg …

The New South Wales coroner has confirmed that COVID-19 was responsible for the death of a two-month-old baby at Newcastle’s John Hunter Hospital in December. It is understood to be Australia’s youngest COVID-19 victim. The death was first reported publicly in January, at which time authorities said the cause of death was uncertain. The case was referred to the coroner who has determined the infant …