If you were forwarded this email (Hi! Welcome!), you can sign up to the newsletter here.
Good morning!
And happy left-handers day. I don’t know how many of you there are, because stupidly the Census doesn’t ask us.
But I do know that only the best of Australians are left-handed – looking at you Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, and TDA’s sport journalist George.
I’ve got 10 seconds
The quote: “We’re going back to work and we’re moving on.”
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to reporters after he survived the second vote on his leadership this year. NZ goes to an election in early November.
The stat: 8 million. The number of Census forms the Australian Bureau of Statistics had received by midnight on Tuesday. The Census is the largest form of information gathering conducted in Australia and happens once every five years. You still have time to complete it if you haven’t already!
The big question:
Yesterday’s results: 65% of you said you take vitamins or supplements daily. Thanks for voting - your responses inform TDA's journalism and research. [2,431 votes].
I’ve got 30 seconds
Some headlines from this morning:
Charges against Bondi Beach massacre hero Ahmed Al Ahmed have been withdrawn. Al Ahmed was accused of intimidation and assault relating to separate incidents in March and June. The 44-year-old always maintained his innocence before prosecutors confirmed on Wednesday they had withdrawn both charges. Speaking outside a Sydney court, Al Ahmed thanked his lawyer and said he was still dealing with the aftermath of being shot in the arm multiple times during the Bondi terror attack. The tobacconist made headlines around the world after footage of him disarming a gunman during the 14 December massacre went viral.
The Commonwealth Bank has reported a cash net profit of $11 billion for the 2026 financial year. The figure, which represents CommBank’s after-tax earnings, is a 7% increase on its 2025 profit. However, Australia’s biggest bank revealed home loan applications have fallen 15% since May. CommBank CEO Matt Comyn described the Australian economy as “resilient”, but he said “growth is slowing, with higher interest rates and inflation placing uneven pressure on household incomes and economic activity.”
Together with AAP.
Recommendation of the day
Sometimes your skin just needs a reset - Avène Cicalfate+ has been trusted by dermatologists for 25 years to make it happen.
Formulated with Thermal Spring Water and gentle skin-repairing ingredients, it visibly restores skin in 48 hours and supports barrier repair across many skin concerns - from post-procedure sensitivity to everyday dryness.
Transparency: This is a sponsored part of the newsletter - the best way to keep the newsletter free for you.
I’ve got 1 minute
The Legalise Cannabis Victoria party is proposing a plebiscite on cannabis legalisation in the state.
Australia previously held a plebiscite on legalising same-sex marriage.
Upper House MP Rachel Payne said the Government should “let the people decide.”
A Victorian Government spokesperson told TDA there are “no plans” to change existing laws.
Cannabis laws
It is illegal to grow or possess cannabis for recreational use in Australia, aside from in the ACT, where it has been decriminalised in some cases.
Since January 2020, adults in the territory can possess 50g of dried or 150g of fresh cannabis. Individuals can grow up to two plants, with a four-plant limit per household. The drug can only be consumed in the home and is still illegal to be sold.
In all other jurisdictions, it is legal only for medicinal use with a prescription.
Plebiscite
You’ve heard the word before, but what actually is a plebiscite? Put simply, it’s a public vote about a proposed law.
It is different to a referendum, which is a vote on changing the Constitution. Plebiscites show a government the public sentiment on a specific idea, but do not have legal force.
In 2017, Australians voted in favour of legalising same-sex marriage through a postal vote. The Federal Parliament passed the actual law later that year.
Proposal
On 29 July, Legalise Cannabis Victoria introduced a bill into the state’s Legislative Council (upper house) proposing a plebiscite on legalising cannabis for recreational purposes.
The party criticised the dedication of police, court and prison resources towards criminalising the drug, and said First Nations Victorians are 11 times more likely to be arrested for possessing cannabis than non-Indigenous people.
It also pointed to data showing the majority of Victorians are in favour of legalising cannabis.
“I have been talking to politicians from all parties for four years and it is very rare that a single one of them says they don’t agree with cannabis law reform... they just lack the courage to do it. So let the people decide,” Legalise Cannabis Victoria Legislative Council MP Rachel Payne said.
Response
A State Government spokesperson told TDA: “There remains no plans to change laws regarding personal use or possession of cannabis at this time.”
They said the Government will “continue to work to reduce harm associated with cannabis through coordinated effort and evidence-based action.”
The Opposition did not respond to a request for comment before publication.
Victoria heads to an election in late November.
Reporting by Emily Donohoe.
Quick hits
🎧 On today’s TDA podcast, multimedia journalist Elliot explains the trial that could finally answer who killed Tupac Shakur. Listen or watch on Apple here, Spotify here, or YouTube here.
🍿 Aussie researchers studied decades’ worth of Barbie dolls. Read TDA Culture at 5pm today to find out what they learnt.
I’ve got 2 minutes
Thousands of high school and university students are expected to walk out of class today in protest of Pauline Hanson and her party, One Nation.
Organisers of the nationwide action say its purpose is to “build the anti-Hanson movement to a scale that can contest the far–right’s dominance”.
It comes amid growing support for One Nation, and in advance of a state election in Victoria, where the party is running candidates.
Education Minister Jason Clare has encouraged students to stay at school and move their protest to the weekend.
Pauline Hanson
Hanson first entered federal Parliament in 1996 as an independent member in the House of Representatives. A year later, she founded the conservative right-wing political party, One Nation.
In July 1998, thousands of high school students staged a national walkout, rallying in eight cities against Hanson.
At the federal election in October that year, Hanson lost her seat, leaving One Nation with no lower house seats, though it did claim one seat in the Senate.
Hanson was elected to represent Queensland in the Senate in 2016.
In June, she delivered her first National Press Club address.
Hanson used the speech to call for a “monocultural” Australia, saying immigration has driven Australia into a “state of crisis.”
This year, One Nation has consistently polled well. RedBridge/Accent Group’s poll for the Australian Financial Review earlier this month put One Nation slightly ahead of Labor, with 31% of respondents saying they would rank One Nation first on a ballot if an election were held that day.
The same poll found 21% of voters aged 18-29 supported One Nation, behind Labor at 26%.
Protests
Rallies are planned across most capital cities, plus Wollongong and Newcastle.
A group called the High School Anticapitalists is working with the National Union of Students (NUS), the peak representative body for tertiary students, to hold the rallies.
NUS President Felix Hughes said: “Pauline Hanson’s racist politics are not welcome on our campuses or in our communities.”
Why?
Organisers say Hanson’s stance on immigration and multiculturalism is harmful to young people.
The NUS also said One Nation has “opposed making tertiary education more affordable,” and “attacked efforts to reduce student debt”.
The walkout comes three months ahead of the Victorian state election, where One Nation is running candidates. The voting age in Australia is 18, meaning most high school students taking part can’t vote.
Response
One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce told The Sydney Morning Herald he believes students are being radicalised at school, saying “left-wing teachers are making their statement and using the kids as a prop”.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Education Minister Jason Clare said “I get it that people don’t like One Nation, I don’t like One Nation either”.
However, he told protesters to save actions for weekends, saying: “I want you at school when school is on, learning”.
Hanson did not respond to our request for comment.
Reporting by Elliot Lawry.
A message from nbn
Getting more from your internet might be easier than you think.
Your favourite program buffering at the cliffhanger. Video calls freezing at the worst moment. While it can feel like that’s just part of life, it may be worth checking what’s available at your address.
With nbn full fibre rolling out to more homes, you might have more options than you realise.
Give me some good news
More than 5,000 little penguins in Victoria will be vaccinated against the H5 bird flu.
The Victorian Government announced the state’s little penguin populations in St Kilda and Phillip Island will be immunised, a day after the Federal Government confirmed it was ready to roll out a vaccine to curb the deadly virus. Speaking on Tuesday, Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said the first vaccines would be released “based on an agreed national approach” to prioritise native bird species. In an update on Wednesday, the Victorian Government said doses have arrived at Phillip Island and are ready to be administered early next week, pending final approvals. The vaccine needs to be given over two separate rounds to ensure its efficacy. Officials said “little penguins usually return to the same colonies and burrows, providing a rare opportunity to vaccinate a wild population and monitor their response over time.”
Reporting by Emma Gillespie.
TDA titbit
Nicole Kidman couldn’t make it back to her primary school for its 150th anniversary, but she still helped it mark the occasion.
Sydney’s Lane Cove Public School had posted a callout asking for their most famous alum to visit for the special occasion.
Kidman sent a video instead, all the way from her holiday in Santorini.
She told students she wished she could be there, and reminisced about “running around that playground” and making friends she still has today. She even learnt how to write with her left hand there!
Reporting by Pavitra Ravi.
TDA asks
