Australia Politics Roundup: Hanson-Young Rules Out Greens Leadership Bid as Fire Ants Found in Sydney

Australian politics saw several developments on Monday, according to a live blog from The Guardian, including Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young confirming she will not run for the party's leadership again, and authorities confirming fire ants had been found in Sydney's inner west.

Separately, Australian engineer Robert Pether gave his first public comments since departing Iraq after more than five years in detention, describing his ordeal and his release. Pether and his Egyptian colleague Khalid Radwan were detained in Baghdad in April 2021 after travelling for a meeting with bank officials to resolve a dispute involving Pether's engineering firm, CME Consulting.

"We were innocent when we were taken on the 7th of April 2021, and we remain innocent today," Pether said, according to the report. He also described being "released from prison hours away from death," saying his body was "shutting down after months of critical illness and excruciating pain" while he remained unable to leave Iraq.

Describing the emotional nature of his return, Pether spoke of his relief at coming home after years of detention, calling the experience one that was difficult to put into words given how long it had lasted.

The developments were part of a broader rolling coverage of Australian political news, which also tracked other ongoing stories including matters involving the Albanese government, the Greens, and other parties, alongside the Hanson-Young and fire ant items.

No further details were immediately available on the extent of the fire ant find in Sydney's inner west or on the timeline for any Greens leadership contest following Hanson-Young's announcement.