Australia: Senator Duniam to retire; father and daughter found dead in Sydney river

Liberal frontbencher and shadow home affairs minister Jonathon Duniam announced on Sunday that he will quit politics before the next election. The decision is a blow to opposition leader Angus Taylor, as the Coalition faces persistently poor polling and a challenge from One Nation. Duniam, who has represented Tasmania in the Senate for 10 years, said in a statement that after 25 years in politics, it is time to reverse his priorities and leave to spend more time with family. He acknowledged leaving at a difficult time for the Coalition but expressed confidence in Angus Taylor and Matt Canavan as leaders.

In a separate tragedy, the body of a seven-year-old girl was recovered from Sydney's Parramatta River after her father was found dead earlier on Saturday. Emergency services were called to Bayview Park in Concord after a passerby spotted a man's body in the water near a small, drifting boat. The man, believed to be a father in his 40s from Westmead, had hired the vessel earlier that day. He could not be revived. Police divers later found the girl's body. Superintendent Christine McDonald described the incident as an "absolute tragedy" and said police would leave no stone unturned to determine whether it was an accident or intentional. A crime scene has been established, and police are appealing for witnesses.

In other news, Health Minister Mark Butler defended changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), rejecting claims that people with disabilities could die as a result. He argued the scheme had grown too large and become a target for fraud.

Additionally, the federal government's national lung cancer screening program has completed its first year, with nearly 100,000 high-risk Australians accessing the free service and more than 230 primary lung cancers detected. The program targets people aged 50-70 with a history of smoking.