Politics live updates: Massive taxpayer funded bill for Fiji climate talks revealed

We’re finishing up our live politics blog for the day.

To read the latest edition of The Nightly, click here.

Or head to The Nightly.com.au for all the latest news.

The attack on independent Federal MP Helen Haines was horrific.

Expressions of admiration for her integrity, compassion and courage have quite rightly been at the forefront of many minds.

But some of the political class is looking beyond her alleged attacker as they seek to find a cause for what took place. To lay blame.

And by Monday WA MP Madeleine King, the member for Brand and Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, was blaming the media.

Read the full story here.

WA’s most senior Labor MP has pointed the finger at the mainstream media’s reporting of the Albanese Government for fuelling political anger in the wake of the attack on Helen Haines.

Resources Minister Madeleine King used an address to Parliament on Monday to urge “journalists, editors and media owners” to stop producing content that purposely “rage baits” their readers.

It comes amid calls for the political climate to be turned down after Dr Haines — the Independent MP for Indi in regional Victoria — lost both her legs after allegedly being deliberately mowed down last week.

Anthony Albanese has led these calls, despite it emerging days after the attack his office had distributed a “dirt sheet” on Dr Haines to a number of media outlets after she questioned the Prime Minister green lighting a $6 million grant to a golf club within his electorate.

Read the full story here.

Federal Parliament came to a standstill on Monday as members paid tribute to Helen Haines following an allegedly deliberate attack last week which has left her as a double leg amputee.

Victorian man Brendan Nugent, 43, allegedly mowed the Indi MP down with a four-wheel-drive on Monday afternoon while she was getting items from her car parked in front of her Wangaratta electorate office.

Politicians wore white and orange and donned sprigs of gypsophila, commonly known as baby’s breath, on their chests in honour of the Victorian MP as they voiced their well wishes for her recovery in a Melbourne hospital while an orange cockatoo, Dr Haines’ known campaign sign, occupied her seat in the chamber.

Anthony Albanese led the tributes in the House of Representatives, describing how the shock of last Monday’s incident had left “a stone in our hearts”.

“What brings it home today is, being back in this Chamber in what should have been any ordinary sitting day, looking over at the members for Indi’s seat over there and hoping,” the PM said.

Read the full story here.

Allegra Spender has shared Independent MP Helen Haines first words to her husband Phil after she woke up in hospital from a horrific allegedly deliberate attack.

“Phil told us about your first words since when you woke up after the attack, and said that your first concerns when you awoke were for your staff and gratitude to the first responders, nurses and bystanders,” the fellow crossbencher said.

“That exactly speaks to the character of who you are.

“People have spoken about your empathy and grace, and they deserve recognition.

“But I think it paints a sort of picture of you as a sort of benign force wandering through the parliament.

“What I will say is that you are also a force for change.”

She was among fellow MPs crying in the House on Monday, including fellow Independent MP Monique Ryan and Andrew Wilkie.

Ms Ryan said that the incident had “united the country in shock and grief” but expressed her concern that within days politicians had “reverted to partisan brawling”.

“That’s a poor example to our communities. If we can’t come together to act after the gentlest of us has been subjected to unthinkable violence.

“We can pledge to debate robustly with honesty, respect, and compassion. We can work together against rising inequality.”

She called for the parliament to legislate greater truth in political advertising and digital protections against “impulse farming and anonymous abuse”.

The Albanese government spent nearly $35m on supporting the Pre-COP31 meetings in Fiji earlier this month, with officials unable to confirm a final figure as they work to recoup some of the costs.

During senate estimates representatives from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water revealed $34.6m worth of “contracted commitments”, higher than the $20 million previously reported.

In a fiery committee hearing on Monday Liberal senator Sarah Henderson described the expenditure as “simply out of control”, particularly $700,000 for a hotel bill.

Under questioning the head of the international climate negotiations division in the department, Dr Sally Box, confirmed the contract with Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour was part of the $150 million budgeted for pre-COP.

“These are either mandated events under the UNFCCC that we were hosting in Australia, or they were workshops to support the facilitation of conversations between delegations on negotiations-related issues,” she said.

I’d never been to a synagogue before. Yesterday was my first time visiting a place of worship with a high fence and active security checking tickets.

It was the Melbourne book launch of Bondi Terror by Sharri Markson and Alex Rychin at the Caulfield Shule.

Once with the congregation I met Australians of heart, hope and yes fear of what Bondi meant, what the future held for not only Jews in Australia, but all Australians.

There was no chanting of trash slogans like “Globalise the Intifada”, but instead quite reflection on how we got here, what we need to do next. I was moved by the raw energy of quite resolve and determination that was stronger than any screaming chant.

Instead of slogans, it was a question asked in everyday voice – “How we didn’t heed the warning megaphone of October 7? That abject hate and intolerance could manifest on Bondi Beach? At Hanukka, 11 days before Christmas Day less than a year ago?”

The event was supposed to be a book launch and in form it was, but it was so, so much more.

READ CAMERON MILNER’S OPINION IN FULL

Opposition leader Angus Taylor says he’s open to working with the government on greater safety measures for parliamentarians and their staff.

Australian Federal Police have held several briefings for politicians in the wake of the allegedly deliberate attack on the Indi MP outside her Wangaratta electorate office last Monday afternoon.

“Well, can I say that we are always happy to work with the government on sensible measures that are going to keep Australians safe and that are going to prevent attacks like this,” Mr Taylor told reporters in Canberra on Monday.

“And it’s not just on politicians because it’s on all Australians who are (allegedly targeted by) extremism. We’ll always work with the government on that.

“We’ve already laid out some areas where we think there’s a real need for additional spending on national security and intelligence.

“In particular we are focused on the enhanced screening needed for people on visas or coming into the country.

“But no doubt there may be other areas too that are worthy of focus, and we’re always happy with the government on that.”

Allegra Spender has shared Independent MP Helen Haines’ first words to her husband, Phil, after she woke up in hospital following an horrific attack.

“Phil told us about your first words since when you woke up after the attack, and said that your first concerns when you awoke were for your staff and gratitude to the first responders, nurses and bystanders,” the fellow crossbencher said.

“That exactly speaks to the character of who you are.

“People have spoken about your empathy and grace, and they deserve recognition.

“But I think it paints a sort of picture of you as a sort of being a force wandering through the parliament.

“What I will say is that you are also a force for change.”

She was among fellow MPs crying in the House on Monday, alongside fellow Independent MP Monique Ryan and Andrew Wilkie.

Ms Ryan said that the incident had “united the country in shock and grief” but expressed her concern that within days politicians had “reverted to partisan brawling”.

“That’s a poor example to our communities. If we can’t come together to act after the gentlest of us has been subjected to unthinkable violence.

“We can pledge to debate robustly with honesty, respect, and compassion. We can work together against rising inequality.”

She called for the parliament to legislate greater truth in political advertising and digital protections against “impulse farming and anonymous abuse”.

In less than two weeks’ time, the verdict of the American people on Donald Trump’s second term will be in.

The sheer nastiness of the campaign — along with last week’s horror attack on Australian MP Helen Haines — should give us our own moment to pause and reflect on the direction of our new era of politics.

If the midterm results are bad for the Republicans, Mr Trump will no doubt attempt to spin his way out of them. But for now the record shows him having it both ways. He says he is not on the ballot, but he has poured enormous energy into rallying the MAGA faithful to turn out to vote, staging rallies in swing states and for key candidates.

Back in Australia, well before Helen Haines’ attacker was identified in the media, and his social media posts, which show an assortment of far-left and pro-climate change leanings, were exposed, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson rushed to News 24 airwaves to concede an error.

This related to a cartoon she had published on social media mocking independent Senator Jacqui Lambie for a health condition. She said she now believed the cartoon was not appropriate, that she had not seen it herself and that it would be taken down. Originally, she had told Senator Lambie to “lighten up,” despite now claiming she had not seen it before it went out.

This has zero to do with cancelling or censoring. And it certainly does not mean letting our political leaders off the hook when they are performing badly.

You don’t need an intelligence officer to tell you that in our hyper-connected world, the path to online radicalisation is now so swift and silent that it can be easy to miss.

Australians have always been able to biff with vigour and do it well. The nation hardly has a reputation for being shrinking violets. So as Americans prepare to have their say on President Trump’s methods, so too can we.

Read more.