We should never underestimate the lengths to which the Liberal Party will go, or how low they will stoop, in order to gain a political advantage. This was evident in one of the most distressing weeks in federal Parliament in a long time: they exploited their own act of covering up allegations of sexual assault in Parliament House in 2019 and attempted to shift the blame onto Senator Katy Gallagher, accusing her of misleading Parliament during a Senate hearing. The real issue here is the mistreatment of a woman – Brittany Higgins – who was sexually assaulted, and the Liberal Party has decided that they cannot go low enough to seek advantage. However, the Liberal Party’s tactics backfired, and by the end of the week, the focus was on Liberal Party Senator David Van, who faced allegations of sexual harassment and assault by several women Senators and was subsequently asked to resign from Parliament.

We also address the issue of housing affordability in Australia and speak with Cathy Callaghan, senior policy officer at Shelter NSW, who provides an overview of the various aspects of housing policy that need attention in order to achieve a sustainable and equitable housing sector in the future. Housing has been neglected by successive governments over the past 30 years, with social and public housing largely left to the private sector, which is a significant reason why we are facing the problems we have today. Resolving these issues requires substantial effort and focus by government.

Lastly, we examine the opinion polls regarding the Voice to Parliament initiative. While some polls suggest a decline in support for the initiative, others indicate that support remains around 60 per vent, creating a confusing picture. The Voice to Parliament is an important aspiration for First Nations people in Australia, but the debate surrounding the referendum has become toxic, with conservative groups disseminating misinformation to undermine its success. Beneath these layers of deception, the underlying reason for this strategy is a disturbing undercurrent of racism that is becoming more overt and brazen.