As it happened: Liberals bewildered after Henderson refuses to support Ley; GTA VI delayed again; World leaders slam Trump at COP30

Thanks for joining us on the blog today.

If you’re heading to Oasis in Sydney tonight, here’s a little taste of what you can expect, courtesy of Melburnians.

Meanwhile, it’s likely there will storms and rain across much of the eastern seaboard this weekend, the BOM says.

We will be back on Monday with continuing coverage of news as it happens. Here’s what happened across the afternoon:

• Opposition Leader Sussan Ley’s senior conservative rivals have played down the prospect of a coup, giving Ley at least until next year to prove herself after an escalation of backbench criticism before a climax over energy policy next week.
• It has been revealed that the father of two infants killed in a Queensland house fire that claimed four lives was undergoing treatment for cancer when he learnt his children had died.
• The Pentagon says its review of the AUKUS pact with Australia is in its final stages, but it now agrees that the agreement will bring “significant benefit” for US strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific. We also found out today that Jonathan Mead, the vice admiral spearheading AUKUS in Australia, will retire mid-next year.
• The Northern Territory police command has released a strategy to deliver anti-racism training to all staff and boost Aboriginal employment in the force to 30 per cent. It follows the exposure of systemic racism within the force by a long-running coronial inquest into the death in custody of young Aboriginal man Kumanjayi Walker in 2019.
• Overseas, at least five people died in Vietnam after Typhoon Kalmaegi pummelled coastal regions with destructive winds and heavy rain, officials said on Friday, following the storm’s deadly passage through the Philippines, where it killed at least 188 people.
• World leaders said on Thursday that time is running short for urgent and decisive action to prevent the worst effects of climate change, and blasted the US for its retreat from those efforts, as they gathered at the edge of the Amazon rainforest for the annual United Nations climate summit.
• Speaking of the US, airlines have begun cancelling hundreds of flights due to the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) order to reduce traffic at the country’s busiest airports from Friday because of the government shutdown.

• And Grand Theft Auto VI, the video game that has been anticipated as potentially the largest launch of any entertainment product ever, has been delayed for a second time. It is now scheduled to be released on November 19, 2026.

Here are the key quotes from MPs today during a rough-and-tumble day for Opposition Leader Sussan Ley:

• Sarah Henderson, Victorian senator: “I can’t back in the way things are ... It’s a very difficult time for the Liberal Party. [Sussan] is losing support because of what’s happened since she became leader, and we are all working very hard to get our party back on track.”
• Andrew Hastie: ”I think we can turn things around, and the thing we have to do is come to a position on net zero. And that’s my singular focus. Until we sort that out, it doesn’t matter who leads the party.”
• Scott Buchholz: “Don’t mistake her feminine politeness for weakness. We have come from a previous leadership style of authoritarian [under Peter Dutton] to now a consultative, and some people mistake that, but there are just different styles of leadership.”
• Dan Tehan: “Colleagues have been saying a variety of things over the last few months. What I’m focused on is making sure we get the policy right, the energy and emissions reduction policy right, because that is what the Australian people want us to do.”
• Julian Leeser: “I support her leadership. Sussan is focused on growing the economy and increasing the productivity of Australia.”
• Anne Ruston: Asked by reporters whether Ley will be leader at the next election, Ruston gave a one-word answer: “Absolutely.”
• James McGrath: Asked whether Ley would still be leader following next week’s party meeting to discuss net zero, he said: “Yes, she is.”
• Alex Hawke: “I would say to all colleagues, we’ve got to get together next week, have the argument with each other, and look there’s no problem with argument over policy, we’ve got to have it and we’ve got to sort it out and go to the public with one view.”
• Tony Pasin: ”I don’t sense a concerted effort or any momentum towards change.”
• Roshena Campbell, former Liberal candidate: “I would like to think on how it is going for Anthony Albanese, and I reckon he is rubbing his hands.”

Sussan Ley had this to say when asked for comment on Henderson’s comments:

A suspicious package was delivered to a US military base in Maryland, causing multiple people to fall ill and leading to several being taken to hospital, CNN has reported.

A statement from Joint Base Andrews, located outside Washington, DC, said a building on the base was evacuated after an individual “opened a suspicious package”, according to CNN.

Several people were transported to the Malcolm Grove Medical Centre on the base, it said.
“As a precaution, the building and connecting building were evacuated, and a cordon was established around the area,” CNN said, citing the statement from the base.

“Joint Base Andrews first responders were dispatched to the scene, determined there were no immediate threats, and have turned the scene over to the Office of Special Investigations. An investigation is currently ongoing.”

The package contained an unknown white powder, CNN said, citing two sources familiar with the investigation.

An initial field test from the HAZMAT team did not detect anything hazardous, but the investigation remained ongoing, added CNN, citing one of the sources familiar with the matter.

Reuters