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One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce has accused “socialist” school teachers of encouraging students to participate in protests against his party on Thursday, as Education Minister Jason Clare cautions children to stay in class and move their protest to the weekend.

The nationwide “students say no to Hanson” protest, with events in state and territory capitals, is hoping to attract thousands of students angry at the ascendent party’s policies, particularly on changes to the school curriculum regarding Australian history and gender

“[Students have] been told to hate this country, and they’ve been advised by people – because it’s not on the students’ own volition – they’ve been advised by a clique of people who have a political purpose,” Joyce said on Wednesday.

Do you honestly believe … that three weeks ago those children of their own volition were saying: ‘I think I’m going to have a political protest against a political party?’ No, they just wanted to go to school and play soccer with their mates.

“Socialist teachers, left-wing teachers are making their statement and using the kids as a prop, and that’s very, very wrong.”

Hi, we are a family of 3 (2 adults and 7yo child) travelling to Sri Lanka in mid-late September. We will be spending 3 days in Sigiriya and are looking for recommendations for an ethical private safari to Minneriya/Kaudulla national parks. Happy to pay a bit more for a private vehicle than travel in a larger group. We want to avoid crowds even if it means seeing less elephants and would rather watch from a distance than crowd around them with dozens of other vehicles so as to not disturb the elephants. Any recommendations and advice would be appreciated!

Wanting to book a train from Trincomalee to Colombo and thought there was a daytime train but the only one showing leaves Trincomalee at 7.30pm. Does anyone know if there is an earlier train?

I’m an Australian heading to Sri Lanka for 2.5 weeks in mid-late September. Visiting Colombo, Nuwara Eliya, Ella, Sigiriya, Trincomalee, Negombo. Just wondering what travel vaccinations I should get? I am up to date with all the standard vaccinations (that we get in Australian anyway). Any advice would be appreciated, thanks.

Fucking grubs.

After Coalition MPs spent tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars on overseas trips on the eve of announcing their retirements from politics, Opposition Leader Jess Wilson has vowed to drastically limit travel entitlements if elected.

Former treasurer Kim Wells announced his retirement just five days after returning from a 12-night taxpayer-funded trip to New York and Hong Kong that cost Victorian taxpayers $8635.

According to his travel report, Wells – who is currently a backbencher and the member for Rowville – said his reason for visiting the United States was to “investigate several areas relevant to my electorate business and work as a parliamentarian”.

As part of the trip, Wells said he was keen to meet law and “enforcement decision makers” to discuss antisemitism and view the Hudson Yards.

“Plan to walk down to the High Line and Hudson Yards to familiarise myself with the area and to compare it with the former Melbourne Lord Mayor’s [Sally Capp’s] plan for the Greenline project,” Wells wrote in his travel report.

But after landing in New York, his meeting with a representative from the Hudson Yards project “didn’t go ahead due to issues”.

On September 14, 2025, just five days after returning to Victoria, Wells announced his intention to quit at the November 2026 election.

Visiting Sri Lanka in September/October and will be travelling from Trincomalee to Negombo by train. Is it easier to just travel from Trincomalee to Colombo Fort and get a cab from Fort station to Negombo or is there a station closer to Negombo that we should get off the train earlier to get a cab from there?

This may well have been spoken about previously, but State Library station smells like a giant pile of stinky damp laundry. When I first went there a week or so after the tunnel opened I thought it was just a new concrete smell. But went there again this week and you can smell it from street level and from the food court concourse in Melbourne Central. Assume it’s some issue with excess moisture or something. Anyone know if it’s fixable or is this just going to be a permanent fixture of this major CBD station?

We are visiting Sri Lanka for two weeks in mid-late September and we’re planning on travelling around mostly by train. I’m finding it difficult to find up to date information on when the line between Colombo and Kandy and also the line between Kandy and Ella will reopen in full. Does anyone have any idea?

From what I can tell, you can currently travel by train from Colombo as far as Rambukkana and from Ambewela to Ella. Is this likely to change before mid September?