Australian news and politics live: Perth Invasion Day alleged bombing attempt declared act of terror

Police have declared the attempted bombing of the Forrest Place Invasion Day rally on January 26 an act of terror.

Authorities allege the incident saw a man allegedly hurl a liquid-filled glass container, wrapped in ball bearings and screws and designed to detonate on impact, into a crowd of 2500 demonstrators.

WA’s Joint Counter Terrorism Team on Thursday said the incident was ideologically driven.

Premier Roger Cook said the man was allegedly driven by a “hateful, racist ideology”.

The 31-year-old has now been charged with engaging in a terrorist act — a first in WA.

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The will-they-won’t-they Coalition games continue with Nationals Leader David Littleproud fronting media this morning to say he won’t be making a running commentary in the media.

“The National Party has been respectful all the way through, and with that respect comes the fact that you don’t give running commentary about where we’re at, but we’ll continue to work in a constructive way,” he told reporters.

He said there was “no decision today” on whether his party could rejoin with the Liberals.

Liberal Leader Sussan Ley has given a deadline of this weekend for a decision, saying she wanted to appoint a full Liberal-only shadow ministry to take into next week’s sittings if no deal was reached.

Mr Littleproud this morning said that “deadlines aren’t always constructive”.

However, he also said he expected there would be a functioning Coalition before the next election.

“Considering where we are in terms of the electoral cycle, I think everyone just needs to take a cold shower,” he said.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong has responded to assertions from a UN member that Australia should arrest the Israeli President Isaac Herzog when he visits next week.

She said the community had asked for Mr Herzog to visit and he had been invited by the Governor-General and Prime Minister to do so.

“I have said previously that Israel will be judged by the International Court of Justice on its compliance with the genocide convention, and I’ve also said previously that it must accept its responsibility for the humanitarian situation in Gaza. But let’s again go back to the context of this visit,” Senator Wong said.

“We have the Australian Jewish community, who have been targeted in an overtly antisemitic terrorist attack, we have had 15 Australians die, we have families mourning, and this was a request from the Jewish community for President Herzog to visit. He is here to provide support to that community and to honour the victims of this horrific terror attack.”

Richard Marles has defended the Government’s $3 billion firesale of the defence estate, claiming Labor is growing the force.

The Defence Minister said the argument put forward by some overnight that selling off properties in inner cities would harm recruitment prospects was “a red herring”.

“The fact of the matter is, when we came to Government, the Defence Force was shrinking. We’ve got it growing again now. Separation rates are much lower than the average. We’ve got more people showing an interest in joining the Defence Force than we have for decades,” he told Sunrise.

“So we’re actually getting recruitment going. But we simply cannot continue to spend money securing property that we don’t use.”

A Sydney teenager could face up to 10 years in prison after allegedly making an online death threat towards Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

The threat was allegedly made on a social media platform by 19-year-old Newtown man Darcy Tinning in January.

After a raid on his home on Wednesday, Mr Tinning was charged with using a carriage service to make a threat to kill. A mobile phone and drug paraphernalia were seized during the search.

The Australian Federal Police’s National Security Investigations team led the investigation after AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett announced a crackdown in October 2025 on groups and individuals targeting the Jewish community.

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Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has defended the Government’s invitation to Israeli President Isaac Herzog, saying his visit will be very important in the aftermath of the Bondi terror attack.

“He will be a welcome and honoured visitor to our country. It is an important visit in terms of the bilateral relationship between Australia and Israel, but in the context of what occurred at Bondi, the visit of the President of Israel will be particularly significant to Australia’s Jewish community,” Mr Marles said.

“I know that his visit will be very meaningful for Australia’s Jewish community.”

Labor MP Ed Husic warned that he didn’t think the Israeli leader’s visit would enhance social cohesion in Australia.

Former prime minister John Howard says it is “imperative” that Liberal Leader Sussan Ley and Nationals Leader David Littleproud get the Coalition back together.

“Both sides have to … concentrate on reforming the Coalition, which is the political imperative that transcends all else,” Mr Howard told The Australian.

“There’s no point in debating what has happened in the last two weeks and the priority must be the reforming of the Coalition.

“Conservative politics work best when there is a functioning Coalition which overall has the same views on economic policy.”

So far, the Liberals and Nationals appear no closer to reunifying the Coalition, as the stalemate drags on.

One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson has revealed that she hopes to form a Coalition with the Liberal and National parties, but only once they sort out their current woes.

Senator Hanson told Sky News a Coalition was “the only way to move forward”.

“I’m not going to be in government and by the looks of it neither is the Coalition,” Senator Hanson said.

“The fact is I am a conservative at heart and I would work with them to give them supply. Would I join up to the rabble that they are at the moment? No.”

“But I have my policies that we need because they are doing nothing to address the important issues that the Australian people want.”

Senator Hanson suggested that the Nationals were “picking up” a lot of her policies already and passing them off as their own.