A vital highway which serves Far North Queensland is likely to remain cut off for weeks. The Captain Cook Highway is predicted to remain closed off until late January in the wake of ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper and the consequent flooding. Dozens of communities remain cut off after the record breaking floods. Authorities say they have been able to access 16 of 35 isolated areas so far. More than 100 residents from the town of Wujal Wujal have been evacuated to Cook Town after being left stranded for days. As weather conditions ease, home owners between Cairns and Ingham have commenced clean up efforts to begin salvaging what is left of their properties. River levels are still high near the Cape York Peninsula, particularly in the Mitchell River Catchment – prompting the evacuation of nearby residents. It comes as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese prepares to visit the region.

Far North Queensland communities still cut off after flooding, Brittany Higgins & fiancé move to France, ABC sacks presenter Antoinette Lattouf, China approves of Australia’s US Navy refusal, tourists warned to stay away from Iceland volcano. See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

Government slammed over foreign policy to make Australia a “deliberate small target” in Red Sea support debacle, Strategic Analysis Australia Director Michael Shoebridge says. “I also think the government foreign policy is to be a deliberate small target,” Mr Shoebridge told Sky News host Chris Kenny. “To pretend that just by focussing on our local area, South East Asia and the South Pacific somehow the rest of the world and its problems won’t crowd in on us. “But why are petrol prices going to go up at Christmas? “Why are food and energy prices already high? Because of the war in Ukraine, and now because of the threat to Red Sea oil transport.”

The New York Times has hit out at the Australian TV show, Bluey. “They’re kind of saying the dad in Bluey is so idealistic that it’s hard to live up to,” said Sky News host Chris Kenny. “Because he does all the housework, all the games with the kids. “And holds down a job apparently. “Is he the ideal dad?”

There is an “overwhelming sense of weakness” from the Albanese government concerning recent incidents with China and the UN resolution on the war between Israel and Hamas, Sky News host Chris Kenny says. “I’m deeply worried,” Mr Kenny said. “How surprisingly strong Penny Wong and Anthony Albanese were, they were standing up to China, they were saying and doing the right things when it came to AUKUS and the alliance. “But now when it comes to matters, foreign policy and national security, we’ve seen the absolute chaos. “We saw Anthony Albanese try and suppress the issue of the sonar attack against our sailors in an effort not to create a confrontation with Xi Jinping, and now we see the weakness on Israel, voting in favour of that UN resolution … there’s an overwhelming sense of weakness.”

Age verification platforms are set to be rolled out across Australia. Sky News host Chris Kenny reveals the new technology plans to age-restrict certain content in hopes of keeping kids safe online. “This is, I think, really encouraging news for a lot of parents,” Mr Kenny said. “You’ll be able to actually verify the age of users. “Presumably by facial recognition.”

Australian Retailers Association Fleur Brown says there is “no doubt” that Australia is in a cost-of-living crisis. Ms Brown told Sky News host Chris Kenny that it has been “strongly on retailers minds”. “They know they’ve got to compete really hard for that dollar. “We saw that reflected in the Black Friday spending success. “Which were largely extremely genuine sales because retailers know it’s really stiff competition this year.”

Victoria’s Shadow Health Minister Georgie Crozier says warnings about the state’s triple-0 system were delivered to the government “way back in 2016”. Ms Crozier’s comments come after the Herald Sun newspaper broke a story of several triple-0 delays extending over one minute. “This has been going on for years and years,” she told Sky News Australia contributor Steve Price. “The government is saying, yes, we put more staff in. “But they are not telling you how many have left the system.”

Sky News host Chris Kenny has blasted Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as “weak” for failing to send a warship to the Red Sea to assist an international naval force. The US launched a multi-country coalition to protect ships passing through the Red Sea after weeks of drone and ballistic missile attacks by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. Mr Albanese indicated he would not send a warship to join the taskforce as he denounced the Houthi militant attacks. “Diplomatic support won't stop a Houthi rebel rocket or drone attack and diplomatic support doesn't provide the international display of hardware unified against a common threat,” Mr Kenny said. “Supposedly the government is keeping its options open but what's already clear is that Albanese is weak, he is hindered by his focus on domestic politics, keen to protect his left flank, with an eye to his own seat where the Greens are a threat. “As a result, Australia looks weaker and behaves with less certitude.”

Sky News host Liz Storer says the government is consistently putting in place different ways to “raise” Australian children. Ms Storer said that is why they are making kindergarten free so mothers “go back to work” while the government raises them. “Then they’re in school, then they’re in high school, then they’re in uni. “They want to make it so that your child has no option. “To be the little Marxist cog in the wheel that they want them to be.”

The development of green energy projects in regional Australia could become one of the biggest and most divisive issues next year, according to Sky News contributor Steve Price. A string of major green electricity deals were struck in New South Wales, with a consortium awarded the contract to deliver an expanded Central-West Orana renewable energy zone, according to The Australian. Mr Price expected the issue to receive more attention from the media next year as politicians “desperately” push to meet emissions targets. “The battle over food-producing real estate and the largely foreign-backed green energy projects is going to get very ugly,” he said. “It is in fact very ugly already in many parts of regional Australia, it is just that for city folk it’s out of sight out of mind.”

Commentator Kara Kennedy says no one is surprised after a “damming” report has been released, showing China has labelled US President Joe Biden as “a very weak leader”. “What it has shown is that as long as Biden is in office, China knows they can do exactly what they want,” she told Sky News Australia host Caleb Bond. “I don’t think there will be any comments on it from Joe Biden seeing as it has basically labelled him a very weak leader.” Ms Kennedy explained the report disclosed several tactics used to subvert members of Congress for “anti-China views”. “They sought out members of Congress to punish for their anti-China views, even doing things like denigrate US Senators online using fake accounts.”

Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister Patrick Gorman says he does “welcome” federal MP’s’ expenses being released to the public. Mr Gorman sat with Sky News Australia to discuss the release of public expenditure by federal MPs as well as the ongoing flood crisis in Far North Queensland. “It’s entirely appropriate that members of parliament, myself, all 227 members of parliament are accountable for using public money,” he said. “What we know is this is the first release of information we’ve had in more than a year and a half. “Because – what was called the new parliamentary expense management system, was a piece of software developed by the Coalition, the biggest problem with that software is they spent $69 million and it still couldn’t give us a proper report on what money was being spent.”

The Platform Journalist Sean Plunket says New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has been “well-received by the public” despite some in the media painting his government as “racist and uncaring”. Mr Luxon has received criticism about his government’s proposal to dissolve the country’s Maori Health Authority, with critics dubbing the decision to ditch policies seen to favour the country’s indigenous people as anti-Maori. “He’s been well-received by the public and he was voted into office and the strange three-way coalition seems to be working well,” Mr Plunket told Sky News Australia. “There is a major problem with what one might call legacy media in New Zealand, who have given the new administration – Luxon, Winston Peters – no wiggle room, no honeymoon whatsoever. “But a poll just out, a Roy Morgan poll, has the new government in total up five per cent, Labour, the previous government, down nearly six per cent to historically low levels – just 21 per cent support. “While the news media might be painting this government literally as racist and uncaring, the New Zealand public seems to be responding very positively to what has been a very fast start in terms of policy turnarounds and a reset of the liberal mood or progressive mood, of the country to a more conservative and considered one.”

A vote for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza has been delayed for a second time as the UN Security Council struggles to agree on the proposition’s wording. Israel President Isaac Herzog says his nation is ready for another humanitarian pause. Similar to the UN, the families of Israeli hostages are mounting pressure on the government to establish another ceasefire. Calls have also come from the Security Council for Israel to sufficiently discriminate between civilians and Hamas terrorists. Israel maintains it will remain focused on Hamas and its annihilation as southern Gaza is subjected to air raids similarly seen in the northern sector. Warning: this video contains distressing content.

Liberal Senator Dave Sharma says Hamas is “only committed” to the destruction of Israel. He says Hamas wants to “slaughter” as “many Jews as it can get its hands on”. “This is its soul purpose and reason for being,” he told Sky News Australia. “The only option is to remove Hamas from political power. “Most of the world … would like to see Hamas gone from the scene because they know that Hamas throughout its history has held back the cause of peace in the Middle East and has held back the aspirations of the Palestinian people.”

Liberal Senator Dave Sharma says Australia “should be supporting” the United States' request to protect ships in the Red Sea. Mr Sharma’s comments come after Iranian-backed Houthi rebels began launching ballistic missiles and drone attacks on ships in the Red Sea. Australia has joined 43 nations in condemning the Houthi attacks. “I’m puzzled that it has taken so long,” Mr Sharma told Sky News Australia. “I’m horrified that the answer seems to be trending in the no direction.”

Philosopher and Author Sam Harris says social media platforms “have to be moderated”. Mr Harris’ comments come as Elon Musk unbanned conspiracy theorist Alex Jones from social media platform X. “If they’re not moderated, if you’re not cleaning up some of the toxicity … any of these other mainstream platforms would be like 4chan or 8chan,” Mr Harris told Sky News Australia host Piers Morgan. “It’ll just be a completely sociopathic free-for-all. “Nobody wants that”.

The Opposition has blasted the Victorian government over the emergency call wait time in the state. A screenshot showed that 11 Victorians were on hold for over one minute. Victorian Shadow Health Minister Georgie Crozier said it’s not good enough and that no Victorian should be waiting outside the target time for their emergency call to be answered. “It's unacceptable at a time when we're coming into this busy Christmas period when an emergency response ... need to be answered in a timely fashion,” Ms Crozier said. It comes as disgruntled emergency call takers in Victoria are blowing the whistle on wait times and staffing levels as part of protected industrial action. Call takers are calling for more staff, better training, and a pay increase for trainees, which currently sits at $48,000 a year.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says knowing New Zealand PM Christopher Luxon for a very long period of time is a “good thing” for both countries. “It means our relationship is not starting – it's continuing,” Mr Albanese said. The PM listed the number of milestones for the Australia-New Zealand relationship. “40 years of the Closer Economic Relations Trade Agreement, 50 years of the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement and 80 years of reciprocal diplomatic representation. “Our common values that we have as nations mean that there are great opportunities for us to work together on closer economic ties, closer social ties and working together in the international community to meet our common objectives.”