For a second time since the election the Coalition has split. 

The Nationals walked out after a number of its senators crossed the floor to vote against hate speech laws this week.  

The Liberals and opposition leader Sussan Ley sided with the government to pass the legislation, but key Nationals raises concerns about the rushed process and the impact on free speech. 

So, is this a moment of real change in conservative politics and could One Nation pick up a few more members? 

Today, David Speers, the ABC’s national political lead and host of Insiders, on how the marriage fell apart once again. 

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David Speers, ABC national political lead

Jessica Chapnik Kahn was there at Bondi on December 14th, shielding her daughter as shots were fired into a Jewish festival, killing 15 people.

More than a month later, she’s trying to find a way to live with what she went through and she says it's her heart that’s guiding her.

Today, on this National Day of Mourning for the victims of the Bondi Beach terrorist attack, we hear Jessica’s story and speak with Michael Visontay, a Sydney resident and commissioning editor of the Jewish Independent, about how the community is dealing with the aftermath of tragedy and the fractious political debate.  

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Jessica Chapnik Kahn, Bondi survivor

Michael Visontay, The Jewish Independent commissioning editor

It’s a busy time of the year at Australian beaches, but a stretch of the NSW coast has been shut down after a surge in shark attacks. 

A cluster of shark bites in Sydney has been linked to a surge in bacteria and faecal matter washed into the harbour and the ocean by recent rain. 

Today, Chris Pepin-Neff, an expert in shark policy from Sydney University on what led to the uptick in shark activity and what we can do to improve safety for swimmers and surfers. 

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Chris Pepin-Neff, Associate Professor of Public Policy at the University of Sydney and a shark policy expert

Greenland is one of Donald Trump’s biggest obsessions right now.

If you don’t like his dream of the US taking over the self-governed island, which is part of Denmark, then you’ll be punished. 

The president is now slapping tariffs on European nations pushing back against the idea.   

Today, the ABC’s global affairs editor Laura Tingle on how the UK and Europe will respond and what it means for the future of NATO.  

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Laura Tingle, ABC global affairs editor

Federal parliament returns early today and the prime minister has removed a racial vilification offence from Labor’s proposed hate speech laws and will now deal with restrictions on guns in a separate bill.

Anthony Albanese had to change course after the bill came under huge criticism from the Greens and the federal opposition, with leader Sussan Ley describing it as half-baked and unsalvageable. 

The bill came after the Bondi attack in a bid to stamp out antisemtism. So, what was in the doomed bill? And was it really that bad? 

Today, Professor Kath Gelber, an expert in regulating hate speech from the University of Queensland, on the problems she saw in the government’s bill. 

Editor’s note: Organisers of August’s pro-Palestinian protest on the Sydney Harbour Bridge estimated 300,000 were there. The police estimate on the day was 90,000 people and the NSW Premier has said more than 100,000 attended. 

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Professor Kath Gelber, Deputy Executive Dean and Associate Dean (Academic) in the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Queensland

He’s known for relentlessly and ruthlessly pursuing Donald Trump’s agenda and for playing a big part in shaping it. 

Now, with the extraordinary start to 2026, which has included the capture of the Venezuelan president and a threat to take over Greenland, there’s a renewed focus on the US president’s key advisor Stephen Miller. 

Today, Ashley Parker, staff writer for The Atlantic magazine, on her investigation into Trump’s deputy chief of staff, his power and growing influence.

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Ashley Parker, The Atlantic staff writer

Donald Trump says “help is on its way” for the Iranians who have taken to the streets in the biggest uprising against the regime since the 1979 Islamic revolution. 

But what does he mean by help? Is Trump ready to order US military strikes as the death toll climbs into the thousands? 

Today, Hussein Ibish from the Arab Gulf States Institute on what to expect in the days ahead and the signals that a new Iranian revolution is underway. 

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Hussein Ibish, senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington DC

This year’s Adelaide Writers’ Week has been cancelled following a debacle that involved a boycott by more than 180 participants, board members quitting and the event’s director stepping down. 

There was outrage about the board’s decision to remove Palestinian Australian author Randa Abdel-Fattah from the rundown citing cultural sensitivities in the wake of the Bondi terror attack. 

Today, Denis Muller from the Centre for Advancing Journalism at Melbourne Uni on the damage done and what it means for free speech.    

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Denis Muller, Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Advancing Journalism at the University of Melbourne and co-host of the Truth, Lies and Media podcast 

The former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will finish up his posting as Australia's ambassador to the United States a year earlier than expected.

He’s received thanks and praise from the Prime Minister for his work, but it’s raised questions about whether Mr Rudd's past critical comments about the US President have hastened his departure from the role. 

Today, former Australian ambassador to the US Arthur Sinodinos on the challenges of the posting, and Director of the ANU Australian Studies Institute, Mark Kenny on whether Mr Rudd’s position was still tenable. 

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Mark Kenny, Director of the ANU Australian Studies Institute 

Arthur Sinodinos, former Australian ambassador to the United States 

Violent anti-government protests in Iran have entered a third week, with fears more than 500 people have been killed and thousands more arrested as the regime cracks down on the unrest.

Donald Trump is now weighing-up military options and Tehran has warned of retaliation. 

Today, how seriously Iran's leaders are taking US threats, and why so many Iranians are now calling for the regime to end.

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Negin Shiraghaei, British-Iranian activist and founder of the Azadi network

Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East Correspondent for The Economist

More than three weeks since the Bondi terror attack, the federal government has announced a royal commission into antisemitism and social cohesion.

Since the massacre, Anthony Albanese has resisted calls to establish an inquiry. 

But after widespread pressure continued to mount, the PM has reversed course, now defending his decision to not call an inquiry sooner.

Today, ABC political editor Jacob Greber on how the government was forced to act, and the CEO of the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies, Michelle Goldman on the reaction from the Jewish community.

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Michele Goldman, CEO of the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies

Jacob Greber, ABC political editor