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Portfolio note · Thursday 12 March 2026

Portfolio — 12 March 2026

Tribune’s note

Senator Wong dominated the Senate's 12 March sitting on two converging crises: an active Middle East evacuation and a domestic fuel supply disruption triggered by the same conflict. More than 3,600 Australians have now been returned across 26 commercial flights, but the government warned that deteriorating security conditions may make those flights the last viable departure option for remaining citizens.

Nine Australian diplomatic posts have taken missile and drone fire, with staff sheltering in bomb shelters — the sharpest indication yet of the operational environment DFAT personnel are working in. On the domestic front, the Minister confirmed market-direction measures on fuel supply and activation of the National Coordination Mechanism, linking the two crises explicitly in her Senate responses.

Primary records (7)

The official records this note draws on — the raw primary documents themselves, as published.