BREAKING NEWS Political bombshell rocks Canberra as high-profile Greens senator Dorinda Cox defects to Labor
West Australian senator Dorinda Cox has defected from the Greens to Labor.
Senator Cox, who was first elected to the upper house in 2021 to fill a vacancy for the Greens, said her values had aligned more with Labor.
She approached Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on an offer to join Labor and bolster its ranks in the Senate.
'I've worked hard to make Australia fairer and much more reconciled, but recently, I've lost some confidence in the capacity for the Greens to assist me in being able to progress this,' Senator Cox told reporters in Perth on Monday.
'I feel reassured with my experience, my skills and my knowledge I can continue to collaborate and build on the existing relationships with an already amazing team of Labor MPs across the country.'
Senator Cox had previously been a member of the Labor Party before joining the Greens, and will be formally admitted into Labor on Tuesday.
Mr Albanese said Senator Cox, the first Indigenous woman to represent the state in the upper house, would be a welcome addition to the government benches.
'She wants to be part of a team that's delivering progress for this country by being a part of a government that can make decisions, to make a difference,' he said.
'Dorinda Cox is someone who's a former police officer. She's someone who has a lot to offer in terms of policy development.'
The senator had been accused of bullying staffers in 2024, with as many as 20 employees leaving the office in a three-year period and complaints made with parliament's workplace support service.
The prime minister said the allegations had been examined.
'They were all dealt with in Senator Cox's case and dealt with appropriately,' he said.
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Daily Mirror
28 minutes ago
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Elon Musk's brutal two-word takedown of Donald Trump's big tax break bill
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The legislation, which has passed the House and is currently under debate in the Senate, would curtail subsidies that benefit Tesla, Musk's electric automaker. The tech billionaire followed his criticism with a threat aimed at Republicans. "In November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people," he wrote in another X post. It's a sharp shift for Musk, the world's richest person who spent at least $250 million supporting Trump's campaign last year. He previously pledged to help defeat Republican lawmakers deemed insufficiently loyal to Trump, but now he's suggesting voting them out if they advance the president's legislative priority. However, it's unclear how Musk will follow through on his criticism. He recently said that he would spend "a lot less" on political campaigns, though he left the door open to political involvement "if I see a reason." 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Musk's post threw another hurdle in front of Senate Majority Leader John Thune's already complex task to pass a bill in time for Trump to achieve his goal of signing it by July 4. The South Dakota Republican has few votes to spare in the GOP's slim 53-seat majority. Two of the Senate's most fiscally hawkish Republicans quickly backed Musk. "We can and must do better," Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul wrote on X. Utah Sen. Mike Lee said "federal spending has become excessive," adding that it causes inflation and "weaponizes government." Still, Trump enjoys fierce loyalty among the GOP base, and in the end, his opinion may be the only one that matters. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt played down Musk's criticism. "The president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill," Ms Leavitt said, and Musk's post "doesn't change the president's opinion." The tension in the GOP delighted Democrats, who found themselves in the unlikely position of siding with Musk. 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Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Pheobe Bishop's flatmate's new life - after locals followed him around the town
A man who was questioned over missing teenager Pheobe Bishop is being followed by Bundaberg locals. Pheobe's former flatmate James Wood, who is believed to be living in a grey Hyundai i35 that had been seized by police as part of the investigation, assisted police with their enquiries after Pheobe vanished on May 15. It is understood that Wood and his partner Tanika Bromley drove Pheobe - their recent housemate - from their derelict Gin Gin home to the airport in the vehicle, and were the last people to see her. Pheobe did not check in for her flight, and was not seen on airport CCTV, sparking a police search across Bundaberg and Gin Gin, including forensic investigations of both the Hyundai and the couple's home. No charges have been laid over Pheobe's disappearance and it is not suggested that Bromley and Wood were involved in her disappearance. Police have since released the Hyundai to Wood, which he appears to have been living out of since the Gin Gin home where he lived with Bromley and Pheobe was declared a crime scene. Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting Wood or Bromley were involved in her disappearance. Despite releasing the Hyundai, police continued to appeal for any information on the movements of the vehicle - a challenge which Bundaberg locals have enthusiastically accepted. Posting his location has become something of a sport for locals - even though Wood has never been publicly named a person of interest or charged over Pheobe's disappearance. A photo of the car was posted to social media on Tuesday, with a local claiming it was spotted 'in the bush' near the Bundaberg racecourse. Meanwhile, last week, Daily Mail Australia witnessed a woman prodding Wood with a beach umbrella as he napped in the vehicle, which was found near a local park. She woke the 34-year-old by prodding him with a beach umbrella through the driver's window. 'He's here,' she yelled, while other concerned locals watched on. Wood started the car and sped away. But a short time later, he was spotted again in the drive thru of a Hungry Jack's. A live dog was visible on the back passenger seat as he left the restaurant car park. It's not the first time since Pheobe vanished that Wood and his Hyundai have been at the centre of controversy. On May 25, Bromley was arrested after police found a sawn-off shotgun, two replica hand guns, ammunition and explosives within the vehicle. She was released on bail on May 27, but is forbidden to contact Wood and is subject to a curfew. Wood was charged with one count each of unlawful possession of weapons and authority to possess explosives, and has been given notice to appear in the Bundaberg court on June 13. Neither Wood nor Bromley's charges are related to the search for Pheobe. Last week, the Hyundai was spotted in Bundaberg with what appeared to be altered number plates. On Monday, a local saw the vehicle and noticed the original number plate, which was 414-EW3, had been painted and taped over. The seemingly altered number plate read 474-BW8. Black tape and maroon paint appeared to have been used for the deliberate modification. Bromley's car's original registration was a Queensland plate, but this had been covered with 'NSW' written on it. The Hyundai symbol at the back of the vehicle had also been changed to a Toyota badge. Queensland Police confirmed to Daily Mail Australia they are aware of the seemingly altered number plate and are making further inquiries. It is understood the number plate has since been returned to its original form. Thursday May 15 It began when Pheobe failed to check in for her flight from Bundaberg via Brisbane to Perth, where she was planning to meet her boyfriend. She was being driven there by her housemates, Tanika Bromley, 33, and James Wood, 34, in Tanika's 14-year-old silver Hyundai ix35 SUV. She had been living with them at their ramshackle home after recently moving out of her mother's family farmhouse just outside of town. Pheobe used her phone for the last time during the trip in a call to her boyfriend at 8.30am, who later told a friend he was unable to hear anything before the call cut out. He later revealed how he waited for hours at Perth Airport for her to arrive, but flight after flight touched down without her. Friday May 16 When she failed to appear in Perth, the alert was raised and on Friday, Pheobe was declared a missing person. Mother Kylie Johnson made her first public appeal for help in the search and work began on sending out hundreds of flyers around town. Her worried mum insisted that the teen's disappearance was out of character. Bromley and Wood told police they dropped her off with her luggage at the airport. Pheobe was described as carrying luggage and wearing a green tank top and grey tracksuit pants. Saturday May 17 Housemate James Wood told a friend he had been printing flyers and admitted 'cops basically asked me if I did her in or hurt her at I was one of the last people to see her alive.' Wood is divorced and only moved to Gin Gin from Emerald, 500km west in Queensland's Central Highlands, around six months ago after the end of his marriage. Bromley is a mother of two and Gin Gin local with family believed to be in the Canberra area. The couple are said to have moved in together earlier this year. Police questioned both over Pheobe and released them without any charges in connection with her disappearance. Daily Mail Australia does not suggest that Wood or Bromley were involved in Pheobe's disappearance. Wood also took to social media offering his 5m tinnie fishing boat as a reward for any information about Pheobe's whereabouts. Monday May 20 Police searched Airport Drive but couldn't find any of Pheobe's belongings. They also failed to locate any CCTV of Pheobe at Bundaberg Airport. A nearby resident supplied CCTV footage of the Hyundai allegedly on Samuels Rd, just west of the airport, around 10.30am, two hours after Pheobe was due at the airport at 8.30am. Tuesday May 21 Reports emerge that Pheobe may have had an argument while being given a lift to the airport and was 'kicked out' of the car. Wednesday May 22 Detectives sealed off Bromley and Wood's rented Gin Gin property, and officers in forensics gear could be seen poring over the house, just off the main road in the centre of town. They were also seen combing areas around Samuels Rd, including a search beyond the perimeter of a local dump. Bromley's Hyundai was also seized by police, with forensic experts examining it at a facility in Bundaberg. Pheobe's last posts to social media before her disappearance also came to light, including an eerie March post to TikTok where she described having a conversation with her younger self. She said she did not 'see nor talk' to her mother any more 'but it's better like this'. Pheobe also wrote that she had been 'in and out' of home for years, but 'this time we're not going back'. The first reports of dead dogs found at the property emerge. Thursday May 22 Daily Mail Australia identified that Wood and Bromley were the couple Pheobe had been living with at the Gin Gin house. The couple's neighbour, Shari Loughland, said Pheobe had only been living there 'for a few weeks, up to a month or two'. Living next door to the couple had become 'horrible' because it was cluttered with rubbish and there had been noise from parties and a howling dog, Ms Loughland said. A stomach-churning stench surrounded the home and Ms Loughland said the remains of up to 11 dead dogs had been found at the property during police inquiries. Daily Mail Australia also revealed Bromley was on bail and facing unrelated charges for possessing a sawn-off shotgun and a flick knife in public. She had been charged back on February 24 after police allegedly discovered the weapons on her on the Capricorn Highway in Emerald, Queensland. Friday May 23 Pheobe's despairing mum made an impassioned plea for the teen to get in touch. 'As each day goes by, it gets harder to breathe. I feel numb, not knowing where you are or if you're okay,' Ms Johnson said. The police search has now expanded into new rural areas for any trace of the teenager, and called in divers to search local waterways. Detective Acting Inspector Ryan Thompson confirmed that officers are focusing on various locations for any signs that could lead to Pheobe's whereabouts. 'We are searching for any evidence or information that could help us find Pheobe,' Detective Thompson said. Saturday May 24 Police and SES volunteers began conducting a land, water and aerial search of the Good Night Scrub National Park, 40 minutes south of Gin Gin. Pheobe's final posts to social media before she disappeared were revealed and suggested the teen had fallen out with her mother, and would not return home. Ms Johnson addressed her daughter directly in a post on Facebook, which also featured a child's drawing of a rainbow and the words 'thinking of you'. 'Phee Phee we won't stop looking for you 'til your home. I urge everyone in Gin Gin to keep their porch lights on tonight and guide our girl home,' she wrote. Sunday May 25 The seach for Pheobe took a dark twist as detectives brought in cadaver dogs in their search of the scrubland park. A former friend revealed she had cut off all contact with one of Pheobe's housemates in recent months over his behaviour. Monday May 26 Detectives said they had recovered items potentially linked to their investigation - but they also believed some evidence may have been moved from the park before they arrived. Police also revealed Bromley had been charged with further unrelated weapons offences, after they allegedly found a shortened firearm, replica handguns and ammunition during their search of the Hyundai. The 33-year-old had been arrested at Milbank the day before and spent a night in jail before she appeared in Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Monday. During the appearance, Magistrate John McInnes told Bromley she appeared to have an 'unhealthy interest in in short firearms'. But he added that she was a victim of domestic violence and 'I suspect you might not be the prime mover here'. Bromley was granted bail with strict conditions, including that she not see Wood, and that she check in at the Gin Gin police station three days a week. Tuesday May 27 Bromley's Hyundai was released by police and was spotted in Bundaberg, sporting a makeshift fake rego plate and the Hyundai logo altered to look like a Toyota symbol. Using tape, white paint and a permanent marker, the numbers of the car's Queensland registration 414-EW3 had been tweaked to be a fake NSW plate 474 BW8. Wednesday May 28 Police suspended their search of Good Night Scrub National park, but said their probe was ongoing and they remained focused on the greater Gin Gin area. Bromley also visited the local police station as part of her bail conditions, trying to hide her face and shunning questions from reporters. That night, police confirmed that Wood had also been charged with unrelated weapons offences over the guns allegedly found in the Hyundai when they searched it. Thursday May 29 Daily Mail Australia witnessed Wood being confronted by an irate local as he slept in the driver's seat of his car under a tree in a local park. Wood appeared to have been living in the Hyundai since police released it to him. 'He's here, he's hiding here,' the local yelled, prodding the 34-year-old with a beach umbrella before he sped away. His bizarre public appearance came as Pheobe had been missing for two weeks, and a bitter rift erupted among members of the teen's family. Pheobe's mother Kylie and her sister Kaylea hit back at her aunt who went on TV to share disturbing texts from the missing teen, and blasted her claims about the youngster's upbringing. Caz Johnson - sister of Pheobe's mum Kylie Johnson - made her allegations about the 17-year-old's tumultuous family life on Network Ten's The Project on Wednesday night. Her aunt revealed Pheobe sent text messages out of the blue on April 26 to say her mother had told her to 'get out', but didn't want to talk about the matter as it was 'a long story'. 'I'm flying the f*** out of here to see my boyfriend,' she wrote, in texts shown on Ten. 'If it goes to plan I'm not coming back. I can't do s*** anymore. I need to get out of this hell hole.' Caz claimed Pheobe had an unsettled childhood, regularly changing schools and having to deal with new stepdads coming in and out of her life. But Pheobe's mother reacted immediately on social media after The Project segment aired, saying her sister knew 'nothing' about her daughter. Saturday May 31 Daily Mail Australia revealed that Bromley was once good mates with Pheobe's mum Kylie and even worked for her NDIS support company. Friends said the pair fell out, with Ms Johnson making Bromley redundant from her role at Smileys Support Coordination last year. On the unrelated weapons charges, Wood is due to appear in Bundaberg Magistrates Court on June 13, while Bromley is due to appear on June 23. Pheobe's grief-stricken mother admitted the 'worst case-scenario could have happened' in a harrowing video released by Queensland Police. She begged the public to share any information about her disappearance with police as Kylie Johnson's voice wavered in front of the camera. 'This investigation will not be over for me until we find Pheobe,' she said. 'The search for Pheobe goes on. I still hold hope that Pheobe will come home but I have to consider the possibility that she also won't. 'If the worst-case scenario has happened, I at least need to know where she's resting. I need to know where Pheobe is. 'My daughter wouldn't just disappear. Someone knows something. 'As a mum, I'm asking you to come forward with your information. 'Please speak to police if you have any information, big or small. You can report information to police anonymously, via PoliceLink or CrimeStoppers.' Sunday June 1 Pheobe's mum posted statement online furiously hitting back after her public plea for help to find her daughter was ripped apart by trolls. 'People wanted a statement, they got one yet still question me as a mother,' her post read. 'I'm sorry that I'm currently an emotional wreck, trying to protect our other children from the media and the trolls, trying to continue to breathe while your world shatters around you! 'If anyone would like to be in this position please step in and show me how to do this. 'Show me what a perfect parent looks like? Show me how to navigate this? Show me how to deal with the unknown and the uncertainty? 'Show me how to use perfect language and emotion in a situation that NO parent ever wants to be in?' The search for Pheobe goes on.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Investigation ordered into death of mum found unresponsive in her jail cell after murdering young daughter
A community is reeling after a mother accused of fatally stabbing her three-year-old daughter died in custody, sparking a corrective services review. A vigil to remember 'beautiful little girl' Sophia Rose near Bundaberg in southern Queensland was held before locals heard the tragic news of her mother Lauren Ingrid Flanigan's death. Queensland Premier David Crisafulli on Monday said 'some explanations' were needed over the Brisbane death in custody, with a review underway. Emergency services found Sophia outside a home with several stab wounds on May 26 and she died at the scene. After being charged with her daughter's murder, Flanigan was found unresponsive in her cell at Brisbane Women's Correctional Centre on May 30. The 32-year-old had suffered a 'medical emergency' in her cell before being rushed to Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane where she died two days later on Sunday. Queensland Corrective Services on Monday said a report would be prepared for the coroner, describing it as 'standard practice for all deaths in custody'. Mr Crisafulli said questions needed to be answered in a 'full and thorough' investigation into Flanigan's death to ensure the incident was not brushed 'under the carpet'. After being charged with her daughter's murder, Lauren Flanigan (pictured) was found unresponsive in her cell at Brisbane Women's Correctional Centre on May 30 'This incident proves that there are some explanations that are needed,' he told reporters on Monday. 'We owe it to everyone involved, people who work in the facility, families of people who have tragically lost their life, to get to the bottom of it.' He said the corrective services system needed to be reviewed in the wake of Flanigan's death. 'For those who do need to be held in custody, we have a duty to provide safe facilities,' he said. 'I think it's important that we don't brush it under the carpet.' The Moore Park Beach community is grieving after coming together to celebrate Sophia on Sunday. Hundreds came dressed in pink and with sparkles, Sophia's favourite things, at the gathering organised by Bundaberg local Trish Mears. Sophia was remembered for her love of dance and a child who had an 'absolute love of life'. MMA fighter dad and mine worker Jai Ruane is pictured on Sophia's first birthday 'She was just a beautiful little girl who was just full of life and lit up a room when she walked into it,' Ms Mears told AAP. Friends, family and supporters blew bubbles and wrote messages in the sand while Sophia's favourite song, 'Sky Full of Stars' by Coldplay, played. 'It was absolutely beautiful and I could certainly feel her spirit there,' Ms Mears said. The vigil aimed to kickstart the healing process for the grieving community with many attendees who did not know each other sharing hugs and kind words, Ms Mears said. But the news of Flanigan's death ensured Sunday ended on a 'tragic' note, she said. Ms Mears, the president of Moore Park Beach Arts Inc, said the community would also honour Sophia at their local festival in August. A GoFundMe set up for Sophia's father and siblings has so far raised $55,000. Lifeline 13 11 14
