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TRANSCRIPT
- Pauline Hanson offers a partial apology for her anti-Muslim remarks
- Wages not keeping pace with Australia's inflation rate
- And in AFL, Hawthorn has confirmed it has re-signed Josh Weddle to a four-year contract.
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has made a partial apology for her anti-Muslim comments but has rejected criticism from Islamic groups about the controversial remarks.
Senator Hanson said in an interview on Monday there were "no good Muslims", while also suggesting future generations would suffer if more followers of the religion were allowed into Australia.
The comments were strongly rejected by Islamic faith groups, as well as by Labor and coalition politicians.
Senator Hanson has now told the ABC she does not believe her previous statement about there being "no good Muslims".
"No, I don't genuinely believe that because one woman stood for me. She was a Muslim, not a practising Muslim. If I've offended anyone out there that doesn't believe in Sharia law or multiple marriages or wants to bring the ISIS brides in, or people from Gaza who believes in the caliphate and all the rest of it, then I apologise to you for my comment. But in general, that's what they want. A world caliphate, and I'm not going to apologise for. The fact is I will have my say now before it's too late."
Australia's Race Discrimination Commissioner has also condemned the remarks, demanding Senator Hanson withdraw the comments and formally apologise to Muslim Australians.
New figures show wages are failing to keep pace with the rate on inflation.
Figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics for the December quarter show wages rose 3.4 per cent for the year, up from 3.3 per cent.
But the wage rise is below the 3.8 per cent inflation rate, which ticked up in the final months of 2025.
It's the first time wage growth has been below the rate of inflation since September 2023.
The figures showed healthcare and social assistance industries were the main contributor to wages growth for the quarter.
The Federal Government has defended an approved increase to private health insurance premiums as necessary to keep the private hospital sector running.
Under the changes, private health premiums will rise by 4.41 per cent from April 1, up from 3.73 per cent last year, making it the largest single-year rise in private health premiums since 2017.
Opposition Health Minister Anne Ruston has criticised the decision, saying it puts undue pressure on Australian families already struggling with the cost of living.
But Health Minister Mark Butler says the increase is necessary to meet the rising cost of hospital services.
"Look, I know this is going to be tough for households. The households are dealing with a range of pressures around cost of living, and I know for many of them, private health insurers is one of those pressures. That's why we've worked so hard over the last couple of months. My department and I have worked so hard to get those increases down as low as we possibly can."
A prayer vigil has been held in Chicago to honour Jesse Jackson who has died at the age of 84.
The civil rights leader devoted six decades of his life to civil rights activism.
Congressman Danny Davis from Illinois says Jesse Jackson leaves a significant legacy.
"I don't know anybody other than Martin Luther King who may have had as much impact on growth and development of African Americans during this period of time than Jesse Louis Jackson."
Former head of the Reserve Bank Philip Lowe says the federal government's spending policies are compunding the cost-of-living challenges.
In an interview with the Australian Financial Review, Mr Lowe says government handouts to help families had increased demand in the economy which could trigger interest rate rises.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he's not interested in Mr Lowe's comments.
"Phil Lowe the footballer, former Manly player or former RBA governor. You have people who are exes who get their name in the paper. I haven't seen his comments but what I'm focused on is today."
In AFL, Hawthorn has confirmed its has re-signed Josh Weddle to a four-year contract.
The 21-year-old was coming out of contract at the end of this season and Essendon had tried to lure him with a $10 million dollar deal over seven years.
But Weddle will be at Hawthorn at least until the end of the 2030 season.
