House prices are falling across every capital city for the first time in 15 years and the second time on record, according to figures from Domain’s September Quarter 2026 House Price report.

House prices in Melbourne have fallen for the third consecutive quarter, slumping 3.3% in the September quarter, but remains in the million-dollar club, marginally, with a median price of $1.014m after experiencing its largest quarterly house price fall in four years.

“Geographically, the downturn has broadened, but also across property types with houses and units also falling,” Domain’s chief residential economist, Nicola Powell, said. Morgan Stanley economists agreed, predicting the market will bottom out in the second half of 2027. They expect the downturn to run as deep as 15% from peak to trough.

Helen Haines, the independent federal MP for the Victorian seat of Indi, has had both legs amputated but is in a stable condition after an alleged attack in Wangaratta on Monday afternoon.

Security agencies will review safety precautions for MPs’ homes and offices after numerous federal politicians told police and Asio in safety briefings that they were worried about widening threats after the alleged attack on Haines.

The Labor government and politicians across the parliament are still considering how they will respond when they return to Canberra next week, with ideas being floated including a new committee on MPs’ safety, greater resources for police, and motions of condolence for Haines, who lost both her legs after Monday’s incident. Renewed calls from the crossbench for reforms to question time and the tone of debate in parliament are unlikely to be taken up by the major parties.

In safety briefings with the Australian federal police and Asio granted to Labor, Coalition and crossbench MPs on Wednesday, security of homes and electorate offices was a common concern, according to Guardian Australia interviews with 10 MPs. While a broad review of safety and security is unlikely at this stage, multiple MPs across the political spectrum admitted they had spent thousands of dollars of their own money to install safety features based on the advice of the federal police.

Federal ministers receive stronger security assistance but numerous backbenchers said they felt under-resourced, saying many angry constituents may see all politicians as a homogenous group, and may not differentiate between cabinet members and ordinary local MPs.

With Victoria’s election approaching, local political parties are actively vying for the support of Australia’s largest immigrant population.

However, the heated debates on national security and immigration, fueled by various parties’ plans to reduce net overseas migration, have led many Indian-Australians to believe that politicians are merely spouting platitudes without truly defending the significant economic and social value of immigrants to Australia.

Many Indian-Australian voters feel overwhelmed by the state’s stagnant economy following the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic and social problems. While many Indian-Australian voters are generally conservative and ambitious, potentially representing a strong support base for the Liberal Party, the political atmosphere and rhetoric of some parties have led them to feel alienated from traditional right-wing parties, as mainstream parties “don’t like people like them.”

Despite the active campaigning by Labor and Liberal Party leaders at large community events like Diwali and their emphasis on the importance of minority votes, community representatives point out that politicians at these events only offer empty rhetoric, failing to explicitly and loudly affirm the genuine economic and cultural value that immigrants bring to Australia in their daily public discourse.