The big question arising from Donald Trump’s electrifying address to Congress today is why don’t our leaders have his courage?

Whatever one’s view of Trump the man, the narcissist etc - 90 per cent of what he said is common sense.

How hard is it to get biological males out of girls’ and women’s sports?

Fix the cost-of-living crisis by “drill, baby drilling” and getting out of the Paris climate accords?

Even former Prime Minister Tony Abbot says Australia should do what Trump is doing and declare an “energy emergency”.

Ban child gender transition?

Trump’s not afraid to take on the noisy LGBTQI+ lobby but Peter Dutton is petrified of them.

Restore freedom of speech?

Trump has banished cancel culture – the sort that has Family First National Director Lyle Shelton embroiled in a five-year legal battle against two drag queens who have weaponised the law in the service of their hurt feelings.

“We are getting wokeness out of our schools, out of our military,” Trump said.

“Wokeness is trouble, we don’t want it.”

Hear, hear!

Sadly, both Peter Dutton and Anthony Albanese are wedded to woke.

They are too scared to touch any of what Trump talked of today.

They are both going into this election pledged to net zero and forcing us to pay the Paris premium on our electricity.

Both refuse to change the Sex Discrimination Act to restore the definition of woman, leaving girls and women unsafe in their private spaces and sports.

For casual observers of politics, Trump’s war on woke might seem new.

But he’s simply implementing long-standing Family First policy.

Many of us thought the radical left was so ascendent that we may not see the tables turned in our life time.

But here we are on the right side of history.

Trump’s list of wasteful spending on US AID was comical.

“$8 million to promote LGBTQI+ in the African nation of Lesotho, which nobody has ever heard of,” Trump said about the landlocked 2-million-person country surrounded by South Africa.

“$8 million for making mice transgender — this is real,” Trump read.

“$1.5 billion for voter confidence in Liberia … $59 million for illegal alien hotel rooms in New York City … $14 million for improving public procurement in Serbia.”

The list went on.

Imagine what would be found if a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) set up shop in Canberra.

Trump chronicled the end of Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI) programs and the teaching of critical race theory, which teaches children to hate America.

The woke mind virus, to use the phrase Elon Musk coined, has infected Australia equally.

Leadership in America is turning the tables on the radical left.

The Democrats sat indignantly. One held at sign saying “this is not normal”.

Weird from the same people who think taxpayers’ money should be spent on making mice transgender.

Democrat women wore pink in protest of Trump’ supposedly anti-women policies.

But 24 hours earlier they voted against getting males out of girls’ and women’s sports.

Nancy Pelosi looked like she was sucking on lemons.

Dutts and Albo are yet to get the message.

If you want common sense for Australia, vote 1 Family First.

Both Labor’s Mark Butler and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton showed how out of touch they are on Australia’s red-hot gender debate this week.

While Donald Trump gets on with getting males out of girls’ sports and de-funding the child gender clinics, our politicians can’t work out whether they are Arthur or Martha.

Butler, who is Anthony Albanese’s Health Minister, was asked about biological males playing in girls and women’s sports.

“This is not an issue in Australia,” he foolishly said.

Kirralie Smith of the women’s and girl’s rights advocacy group Binary was in court last Friday fighting an Apprehended Violence Order brought against her by a male soccer player who identifies as a woman and plays in a women’s team.

Butler is a fool.

Sadly Peter Dutton, whom conservatives hoped would be conservative, inexplicably said yesterday that any inquiry into the harm of children through LGBTIQA+ child gender bending clinics was a “conscience vote” for his MPs.

Family First’s message to Mr Dutton is that it should not be a conscience vote to read the riot act to LGBTIQA+ gender clinics injecting children with puberty blockers without parental consent.

Family First calls on Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton to fight for the overturning of convictions against Australia’s convicted pro-life advocates Kathy Clubb and Graeme Preston.

This follow’s Donald Trump's decision this week to pardon 23 pro-life advocates who were unjustly convicted under the US’s so-called Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.

Trump’s commendable action underscores the importance of safeguarding the rights of citizens advocating for the sanctity of life.

President Trump emphasised the peaceful nature of these protests, stating, "They should not have been prosecuted. Many of them are elderly people."

He further described the group as "peaceful protesters" who were unjustly penalised for their advocacy.

This development prompts us to reflect on similar situations within Australia, particularly the cases of pro-life advocates Kathy Clubb and Graham Preston.

Both were convicted under laws prohibiting protests within exclusion zones around abortion mills.

In 2016, Clubb was arrested for attempting to hand a pamphlet to a couple outside a Melbourne clinic, while Preston faced charges for protesting within the exclusion zone of a Hobart clinic in 2014 and 2015.

Their appeals to the High Court were dismissed, with the court ruling that the laws served a legitimate purpose and outweighed concerns about freedom of speech within the zones.

This decision has been criticised for its implications on free speech and the ability to offer assistance to women considering abortion.

Pro-life leaders have denounced the ruling, stating it has grave implications for freedom of speech in Australia as well as the safety of women and children.

Family First agrees.

In light of President Trump's recent pardons, Family First calls upon Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton to advocate for the overturning of the convictions of Kathy Clubb and Graham Preston.

Their peaceful pro-life advocacy should not be criminalised, and their actions were driven by a genuine concern for both unborn children and their mothers.

MEDIA RELEASE

The best way to stop the escalating pro-Hamas Islamist terrorist attacks on Australia’s Jewish community is for the Albanese Government to apologise for its anti-Israel stance and urgently change tack.

Family First National Director and New South Wales lead Senate candidate Lyle Shelton said the Government needed to turn around its position and begin to lead the nation in unequivocal support for the survival of the only democracy in the Middle East.

He also called for the suspects of bombings on Jewish property to be treated as terrorists under the law so their rights to legal representation could be restricted if authorities deemed it necessary. 

“The Albanese Government has bought into the lie that Israel’s war against Hamas is unjust when the nation has no alternative to defend itself from those who only want a one-state solution and to kill Jews ‘from the river to the sea’,” Mr Shelton said.

“Israel was attacked on October 7 by a barbaric Islamic death cult that is not only anti-Israel but anti-Western civilisation.

“The Albanese Government needs to realise that Israel is fighting a war on behalf of all of us and that it is in Australia’s interest to back Israel.

“Proof of this is the firebombing of a Jewish Synagogue in Melbourne, the home of a Jewish leader in Sydney, and now a Jewish childcare centre in Sydney.

“These horrific bombings and the continued attacks on Jewish businesses has Australia in the grip of its own Krystal Nacht, egged on by the Government’s anti-Israel stance.

“If anyone thinks these acts of home-grown Islamist terrorism will stop with attacks on Australian Jews, they are kidding themselves.

“Stopping Hamas supporters in Australia starts with helping Israel stop Hamas in Gaza, not by constantly undermining Israel’s prosecution of what is a terrible but just war.

“Anyone in western Sydney who thinks Hamas are the good guys should take a close look at the way uniformed gunmen and Gazans terrorised the already traumatised young women hostages as they were transferred to the Red Cross this week.

“People in western Sydney celebrating this and the release of terrorists from Israeli jails in exchange for innocent hostages are a million miles from the values which define Australians,” Mr Shelton said.

“The Albanese Government needs to make this clear so that all Australians are on the same page.

“Domestic terrorism will only end with the Government ending is equivocation on Israel’s war against Hamas.”

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As mums and dads struggle to pay their electricity bills, Anthony Albanese today announced another $2 billion of borrowed money would be thrown at windmills and solar farms.

This is for so-called “green energy” to prop up aluminium smelting which is struggling because so-called renewables are expensive and unreliable for manufacturing.

In contrast, Donald Trump will take the oath of office tomorrow vowing no more taxpayer money for windmills.

“Windmills are an economic and environmental disaster. I don’t want even one built during my Administration. The thousands of dead and broken ones should be ripped down ASAP. Most expensive energy, only work with massive government subsidies, which we will no longer pay!”

He plans to “drill baby drill” to unleash the “liquid gold” under Americans’ feet and in doing so slash energy prices.

But everything Anthony Albanese and nine years of net-zero-obsessed Coalition government has done has raised the price of electricity and pushed us into a cost-of-living crisis.

Aluminium smelting didn’t need “green energy” subsidies from the taxpayer when power came from cheap and reliable coal.

“We need to be more than a quarry. We need to be a country that value adds ourselves, not that exports the raw material, waits for someone else to create jobs and value add, and then import the products back,” Albanese said today as he justified his latest election handout.

But if “green energy” was so cheap (remember the $275 reduction in electricity prices?), why does it need to suck on the taxpayer teat?

We were value adding our aluminium very well before the Coalition and Labor started closing coal-fired power stations to “save the planet”.

Australia’s gold may not be liquid but it is gaseous, rocky and yellow caked.

Albo won’t touch any of it for domestic use because he thinks that’s virtuous for the climate.

Hypocritically he’s happy to take the rivers of gold in royalties from coal and gas sent overseas, ignoring that burning it there is still burning it.

As Trump tacks away from the Coalition and Labor’s commitment to the economy-destroying Paris accord and as Australians watch America becoming wealthy again, pressure may well build here for political change.

Family First is standing Senate candidates in Qld, NSW, Vic and SA, supported by a team of lower house candidates, who are committed to cutting power prices by prioritising gas, coal and nuclear.

Family First is pushing for a pause on Net Zero policies until a proper economic and engineering cost-benefit has been produced.

Family First condemns the Albanese government’s betrayal of Australia’s values at the United Nations.

Labor has damaged Australia’s reputation by supporting one-sided resolutions and funding UN bodies linked to terrorism.

Anthony Albanese and Penny Wong have embarrassed Australia.

Their UN votes are praised by groups that support terrorism and ignore Hamas’ atrocities on October 7.

This betrayal damages Australia’s Jewish community, our principles, and our ally Israel.

The government aligns with those who delegitimise Israel’s self-defence while turning a blind eye to terrorist violence.

Labor’s actions fuel antisemitism and empower extremists.

Backing one-sided UN resolutions and increasing support for the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) sends the wrong message.

The Palestinian General Delegation’s Izzat Salah Abdulhadi hailed these moves, saying they "send a powerful message to Israel."

This came after Australia voted for a ceasefire resolution that demanded nothing of Hamas.

Daniel Aghion of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry rightly called this an “immoral” decision.

"By calling for an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the General Assembly is effectively demanding that Israel abandon the hostages to their fate," Aghion said.

Hamas’ atrocities on October 7 exposed its use of human shields and terror tactics.

Hamas has hidden munitions under schools, hospitals, and houses, using civilians as shields while committing unspeakable acts.

Israel has no choice but to defend itself and ensure Hamas is crushed, preventing further atrocities.

The loss of civilian life in Gaza is tragic, but it is a direct consequence of Hamas’ deliberate actions and refusal to prioritise its own people.

The Palestinians have been offered a state on multiple occasions but chose terrorism and the goal of destroying Israel instead.

Billions in foreign aid, including from Australian taxpayers, could have transformed Gaza into a prosperous region.

Instead, Hamas built terror tunnels, oppressed opponents, and squandered opportunities for peace.

James Paterson, Opposition Home Affairs Spokesman, accused Labor of "trading votes at the UN for votes in the inner city and western Sydney."

He warned these actions encourage anti-Israel extremists in Australia.

Albanese cannot claim to oppose antisemitism while backing motions that harm Israel and embolden Hamas.

The domestic impact is chilling.

Antisemitism is surging.

Melbourne University reported over 150 incidents on campus in the past year, with little accountability.

A Melbourne synagogue was torched, and anti-Semitic graffiti appeared across Sydney.

By supporting UN motions favouring terrorist-linked groups, the Albanese government legitimises these dangerous narratives.

Joel Burnie from the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council exposed Labor’s hypocrisy.

"It calls for ‘immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire’ – an outcome guaranteed to leave Hamas permanently in control over Gaza."

This inconsistency shows Labor prioritises political expediency over security and justice.

Family First condemns this betrayal.

Supporting resolutions that legitimise groups tied to Hamas sends a message that ideology trumps justice.

Australia’s Jewish community deserves leadership that stands firmly against hate and terrorism.

The Albanese government must reverse course.

Australia must stop funding UNRWA.

Australia must defend Israel’s right to self-defence.

Australia must stand for strength, justice, and truth.

Hamas must be destroyed.

Such evil cannot be allowed to exist on the face of the earth.

Anthony Albanese's $1 billion childcare announcement may appear to champion families, but it discriminates against parents who choose to care for their children at home.

By prioritising subsidised childcare over meaningful support for stay-at-home parents, the Albanese government is imposing an unfair economic disadvantage on families who value parental care during their children's formative years.

Family First’s policy is to allow income splitting for tax purposes to end the “couple penalty” which leaves a stay-at-home parent out of pocket. Family First also believes parents and grandparents caring for children should get the same financial benefits as couples who choose to use commercial daycare.

Virginia Tapscott, a mother and advocate for parental choice who is not affiliated with Family First, captured this sentiment powerfully in her recent address at the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship conference in Sydney.

"I couldn't understand why the most important work of my life—caring for my children and raising them—was considered a waste of my time and education," she said.

Tapscott highlighted the cultural shift that treats parenting as a distraction from economic productivity rather than the vital societal contribution it truly is.

Families where one parent stays at home save the government substantial childcare subsidies but receive no financial recognition for their effort.

Meanwhile, these families pay the same taxes as dual-income households, effectively subsidising a system they do not benefit from.

This imbalance creates immense pressure on single-income families, who face rising living costs and feel penalised for choosing to invest in their children's early years.

Tapscott also pointed out the broader implications of this policy.

"The push for equal workforce participation and economic growth has turned into a ruthless march earlier and earlier into motherhood and childhood," she said, warning that this undermines both maternal well-being and societal resilience.

Evidence supports her claim: as workforce participation rises, birth rates decline, presenting severe long-term economic challenges.

The Albanese government’s reforms perpetuate the false narrative that institutional care is superior to parental care.

Tapscott challenges this idea: "It’s time to stop treating women as a problem to be solved. Parenting is by far the strongest determinant of childhood outcomes."

Instead of championing policies that marginalise parents, the government should explore ways to support them—such as tax relief for single-income families, extended parental leave, or recognising unpaid caregiving as valuable labour.

Family First believes parents must have the freedom to choose what is best for their children without financial coercion.

Albanese's childcare reforms fail to address the real needs of families, instead incentivising economic activity at the expense of the most critical years in a child’s life. It’s time for policies that respect and empower all parents, valuing both paid and unpaid contributions to society.