Nationals Senator Matt Canavan has opened up about his experiences in federal politics during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr Canavan admitted he would “cut politicians some slack in 2020” when the virus first arrived in Australia. “It was novel then,” he explained to Sky News host Sharri Markson. “But a year or so later in 2021, we kind of knew about the virus very well. The Nationals Senator admitted he “became very critical” of the government’s approach to the pandemic as knowledge of the pandemic increased. “Anyone who did was pilloried as a grandma killer.”

Shadow Defence Minister Andrew Hastie has labelled America's decision to pause weapon shipment to Israel as “very problematic”. “This war has to end and only ends when Hamas is destroyed both as a military and political force and if that’s the objective then Israel and its allies must be doing everything they can to reach that objective,” Mr Hastie told Sky News host Sharri Markson. “So, this war can end and we can enter into negotiations for a peaceful settlement. “My fear is that this move by the US government slows that process down. “It slows the march towards defeat of Hamas and that’s why on the face of it this is a very problematic decision.”

Sky News Australia host James Macpherson has responded to Brisbane police being told to consider alternative options to arresting criminals. The Brisbane city watch house is running at half capacity due to water works which has triggered the bombshell memo to police. “Like what do you give him a stern talking to?” Mr Macpherson said. “Do you glare at him? “Do you say to the criminals look normally we’d arrest you but today we’re going to get you to tell us what you think should happen to you. “You could not make this up.”

Sky News host Rita Panahi looks at the latest trans agenda “craziness” with a book for toddlers explaining why their new baby brother or sister is really a “they”. A social media user has reviewed the book, ‘It’s a They!’, by, Lindsay Herriot. “This book is all about welcoming a new baby into the family and not knowing how that baby will identify when they grow up,” he said. “So we’re not going to be assuming their gender.” Ms Panahi said she’s “fascinated and horrified, all at once”. “Good lord but even this craziness isn’t crazy enough for some. The book reviewer thinks this little book is too preoccupied with gender,” she said.

Comedian Josh Ocean Thomas has brutally mocked an audience member who admitted to working for the Biden administration. “Is your job to wake him up?”, the comedian said. “What a s**tshow of a job you have – I can’t believe you admitted that in front of all these people. “You have the freedom to lie – you could have said you were a hooker and I would’ve been prouder of you. “Are you ready to be unemployed, or what’s your vibe?”

Sky News host Peta Credlin says “bureaucrats” are closing the gates to national parks over concerns of non-Indigenous access and damage to sacred sites. “This significant High Court judgement, that has ruled Australia’s National Parks Authority can be criminally prosecuted for damaging sacred sites in the NT,” she said. “What concerns me here is we have already got a whole lot of bureaucrats who run our national parks closing the gates now. “Worried about … rock climbers and damage to sacred sites. “Shutting down our access if we are not Indigenous Australians, won’t this make the national park bureaucrats even more reluctant to keep the parks open as they are now?”

Australia is seeing a “transfer of management” and responsibility of national parks to Indigenous groups which could be “fraught” with bureaucracy, The Australian’s Environment Editor Graham Lloyd says. “We are seeing a transfer of management and responsibility of national parks over to Indigenous groups,” he said. “We are seeing a lot of lawfare in the area to try and prosecute issues of land management. “This is a very fraught area for any bureaucrat to make a decision. “If it is backed up with potential criminal charges if they get it wrong, I think they are going to be very wary.”

Former Labor MP Michael Danby highlights the anti-Israel side of the Labor government ahead of the UN vote on Palestine. Labor is facing pressure to vote down a resolution which would admit Palestine as a full member of the United Nations. “It’s genuflection to the dominant socialist left element in the government,” Mr Danby told Sky News host Chris Kenny. “You’ll never hear that political analysis that this Labor government is different from previous Labor governments on the ABC, you’ll only hear it on Sky unfortunately. “That’s the really serious shift in Australian policy, whether it’s on the environment, or industry, or industrial relations, but particularly in foreign policy. “The New South Wales right are very anti-Israel, and pro-China.”

Author Douglas Murray has slammed university students calling for Intifada as “either sinister or silly”. Mr Murray wrote a piece in the New York Post earlier this month called, ‘College idiots calling for ‘Intifada’ have no idea how many innocents have died from that word’. “It’s extraordinary, isn’t it,” Mr Murray told Sky News host Rita Panahi. “You effectively see, once again, something you and I have talked about in a number of contexts, which is people who must either be sinister or silly. “The sinister ones know what they’re talking about when they chant for Intifada. “The silly ones are chanting a slogan they clearly don’t understand. “Let me speak to the second ones for a moment … if you call for Intifada, you should know what an Intifada is. “There was an Intifada when I was growing up in the late '90s… but the Second Intifada included suicide bombings against Israelis of the most gruesome type.”

Former foreign minister Alexander Downer has called for the Albanese government to “exercise power and authority” after China’s flare stunt or Beijing will think Australia is “a pussycat and can pushed around”. A Chinese fighter jet dropped flares in front of an Australian Navy helicopter in international waters off the coast of South Korea on Saturday evening. Defence Minister Richard Marles has labelled the incident ‘both unsafe and unprofessional’. “This is a serious issue and one that should be taken up by the government,” Mr Downer told Sky News host Chris Kenny. “I’m not sure about the prime minister, but certainly, the foreign minister and the defence minister should be making very strident representations to the Chinese government. “The trouble is if you don’t, if you let these things pass, as happened with the sonar incident, well, China thinks Australia is just a pussycat and can be pushed around. “China understands power, and it understands authority, and Australia needs to exercise power and authority in relation to these incidents so they don’t happen again.”

Cato Institute Latin America Policy Analyst Daniel Raisbeck has said there will “probably” be more arrests of El Salvador government figures. El Salvador President Nayib Bukele announced to his cabinet they are all under investigation for corruption, already arresting one of his advisers. “Bukele wants to portray himself not only as the victor in the war against crime but also the war against corruption,” Mr Raisbeck told Sky News host Gabriella Power. “In a certain sense Bukele has won because there hasn’t been very man times the president of el Salvador is discussed outside of central america or in the region, let alone across the anglo speaking world. “On the other hand … his tactics have been very heavy handed. “The question is to what extent there can be any rules or checks on his power.”

Cato Institute Latin America Policy Analyst Daniel Raisbeck discussed the “continuation” of El Salvador President Nayib Bukele’s battle against crime. Dramatic footage shows the El Salvador President announce to his cabinet they are all under investigation for corruption. “What you see in the video is Bukele launching ‘war against corruption’,” Mr Raisbeck told Sky News host Gabriella Power. “I think it’s a continuation of his war against crime. “El Salvador has been, during the last few decades, one of the most violent countries in Latin America and in fact in the world. “This changed with Bukele who came to power around five years ago. He has imposed very drastic measures against criminal gangs. “This has made El Salvador from one of the most violent countries in the world to one of the least violent in the region.”

A North Sydney council has voted to take the NSW Government to court over its controversial housing reforms, claiming the push for density will destroy the area's heritage. The mayor of Ku-ring-gai has led a last-minute push to delay the implementation of the transport-oriented development plan in his local area, claiming the Minns government is taking a one size fits all approach in delivering its signature housing policy. The new planning rules allow apartment blocks of up to six stories to be built within 400 metres of 31 train stations – with a further six stations to be added later. The Minns government plans to build 170,000 new homes with the reforms. Ku-ring-gai councillors have voted to begin looking at whether there are better ways to deliver density in the four impacted precincts – Gordon, Killara, Lindfield and Roseville. NSW Planning Minister Paul Scully has labelled the move by the local government council as “disheartening”.

The Prime Minister has told Melbourne Airport to "get serious" about a major rail project. Victoria's latest state budget has delayed the Melbourne Airport rail link by a further four years. Airport operators want a train station to go underground. The state government claim the option is too expensive. The Commonwealth has appointed a mediator to break the deadlock but so far no agreement has been reached.

US President Joe Biden was mocked online after telling his supporters, “don’t jump” after wrapping up his speech. Users on X roasted the oldest-ever sitting president for his jumping comment, which he has increasingly used following a speech. “Why does he keep saying that? He randomly says "don't jump" out of nowhere after every speech,” wrote one X user. The 81-year-old visited Sturtevant, Wisconsin on Wednesday as he continues his push to secure the battleground state ahead of the presidential election. During his speech, Biden criticised former US president Donald Trump after he failed to fulfil a $US10 billion investment promise. “In fact, he came here with your senator, Ron Johnson, literally holding a golden shovel, promising to build the eighth wonder of the world. You kidding me.” “Look what happened. They dug a hole with those golden shovels, and then they fell into it,” he said.

The “posh little songbird”, Rufus Wainwright, had a “meltdown” because his musical Opening Night bombed, according to GB News host Darren Grimes.  The Canadian-American singer and songwriter defended his musical after it was forced to close early following mixed reviews.   Reportedly, some audience members walked out mid-performance or during the interval.   He said after Brexit, England entered into a “darker corridor where it is a little more narrow in its outlook and the vitriol”.  “He called it ‘opening night’ – everyone that saw the damn thing wanted it to be the closing night,” Mr Grimes told Sky News host Rita Panahi.  “This is like Trump derangement syndrome, this Brexit derangement syndrome – they blame Brexit for every little thing.”

The Albanese government is making sure “every state gets its fair share” of infrastructure funding, says Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. His remarks come after he announced his commitment of an extra $3.25 billion to Victoria’s North East Link. “On its merits – this is a great project,” Mr Albanese said during a media conference on Thursday. “This is a vital piece of the missing links that are here in Melbourne. “It’s not just about where we are now and the magnificent tunnels that will be built here – it’s about the other upgrades that will occur, including to the M80.”

Former CIA chief of counterterrorist operations John Kiriakou says he can’t “imagine” a situation where the United States cuts off the delivery of weapons to Israel. Mr Kiriakou’s comments come as the US reviews their weapon shipment to Israel. “The delay is temporary, it’ll likely remain temporary,” Mr Kiriakou told Sky News Australia. “I can’t imagine a situation where the US actually cuts off the delivery of weapons to Israel. “It’s a good move symbolically right now, but it won’t last.”

Independent MP Dai Le has pushed for a recent debate over same-sex books being banned from public libraries to remain focused on protecting children. The New South Wales government has threatened to cut funding to some Western Sydney libraries after a local council voted to ban books from public libraries showing same-sex parents. The move has been met with backlash, with thousands of people signing an online petition to overturn the ruling. “What we need to be reminded of in this whole discussion here is children,” she told Sky News Australia. “It’s so critical that children, no matter what faith, what background, what cultural background, what upbringing, our children need to be so protected.”

Lowy Institute Senior Fellow Richard McGregor says in many respects Australia is the “most vulnerable” to Chinese pressure. Mr McGregor says the Chinese would “certainly think that”. “The most important country in this respect to the Philippines is the US which is a treaty ally … Japan is also important," Mr McGregor told Sky News Australia. “Australia is an important third partner in that aspect. “We are the smallest partner … compared to Japan and the United States. “I think China sees us, wants to put pressure on us and so far, the government has stepped up and stood its ground. “I think we’re going to see more of this.”