THE SQUIZ
Federal pollies were back in Canberra yesterday to talk energy – and we’ll get to that… But before they got to that, condolences were recorded for the victims of the Wieambilla siege on Monday. PM Anthony Albanese delivered a heartfelt tribute, and Coalition leader Peter Dutton was visibly upset as he recognised the bravery of the attending officers and condemned the attackers and their “callous lack of heeding the pleas that would’ve echoed in between the gunshots.” Local MP and Nationals leader David Littleproud also became emotional as he described the tragedy as “one of the most vile acts”.

WHAT LED TO MONDAY’S VIOLENCE?
Queensland Police are continuing to investigate, and national security agencies are also involved. There are reports about the 3 alleged murderers’ lives and their actions that day, and Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil says “it is likely that radicalisation will form a part of it.” Conspiracy theories and misinformation are being “turbocharged by technology into terrible acts of violence”, posing a new threat to Oz’s national security, she says. That was echoed by Dutton, who said disinformation “infects people’s minds and changes their whole persona”. It’s thought that Gareth Train had been active on several conspiracy websites for many years, posting about the 1996 Port Arthur massacre being a “false-flag” operation to “disarm the Australian population”, along with anti-vaccination and anti-authority conspiracies.

CAN A FUTURE TRAGEDY BE PREVENTED?
Good question… Two weeks ago, Australia’s terrorism threat level was downgraded, but there was a warning of increasing extremism “fuelled by conspiracy theories and anti-authority ideologies”. And last week, O’Neill flagged Oz’s counter-terrorism laws need to change to deal with right-wing extremism. Yesterday, she said new legislation might be required to stop people with extremist views from becoming violent. That’s been echoed by Labor MP Peter Khalil – former PM Kevin Rudd’s former national security adviser – who says there is a “pipeline towards extremism”. If new laws are proposed, they’re likely to have cross-party backing. The Coalition promises support for measures to make it easier for authorities to access encrypted apps, where conspiracy theories often breed. That could be on the agenda for 2023.