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IrelandVictoria Barracks sale halted, but military move still draws scrutiny
News24's Jaimee Rogers questions why Defence personnel will still relocate, while Jason Clare says the move will save taxpayers money.
News24
Story of Why this story? The video opened at a pace of 93,849 views a day, 11 times a normal first day on this channel (8,400).
Albanese’s outrageous admission leads to government backflip on Victoria Barracks
Things we can learn from the video
Press to jump
- 0:00The government has reversed its plan to sell Victoria Barracks, keeping the Sydney site in public hands.
- 0:41Albanese says this is his first visit to Victoria Barracks, prompting Rogers' criticism.
- 2:08Defence personnel will still relocate to commercial offices; Jason Clare says the move will save taxpayers money.
- 4:14A Senate inquiry excerpt examines whether Defence Plaza's gym facilities can accommodate the personnel moving there.
- 4:51Rogers questions the lease's financial logic and the suitability of replacing military premises with office space.
"This is the first time I've been to Victoria Barracks," Anthony Albanese says in the clip that anchors Jaimee Rogers' sharply critical News24 segment. For Rogers, the admission raises a question: how could the government have proposed selling the historic Sydney military site before the prime minister had visited it?
The government has backed away from selling the barracks, keeping it in public hands. But Rogers' opinion segment separates that reversal from another decision that remains in place: moving Defence personnel into commercial office space at Defence Plaza.
The video drew about 85,000 views in 19 hours, already far beyond News24's usual first-day audience for a regular upload.
Rogers argues that veterans' objections and political pressure prompted the retreat on the sale. The segment also includes Education Minister Jason Clare defending the office relocation on financial grounds: "That'll save taxpayers money."
Rogers challenges that argument, questioning the cost of the lease and whether an office tower can adequately replace purpose-built military premises. A Senate inquiry excerpt brings the practical issue into focus, with Defence official Celia Perkins answering questions about workspaces and the capacity of the building's gym facilities.
Another Rogers segment, criticising taxpayer-funded COP31 expenses, is also drawing an unusually large audience. The barracks video has attracted more views so far, with its central distinction extending beyond Albanese's first visit: retaining the historic site does not mean retaining the soldiers who work there.
An Australian Army base in Sydney's Paddington suburb that houses Headquarters Forces Command.
More on Wikipedia ›Australia's prime minister since 2022 and leader of the Labor Party since 2019.
More on Wikipedia ›The Australian government department responsible for national defence policy and supporting the Australian Defence Force. It is accountable to Parliament for its spending and implementation of government policy.
More on Wikipedia ›Australia's education minister since 2022. A Labor Party politician, he has represented Blaxland in Western Sydney since 2007.
More on Wikipedia ›Published on Trari
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- Channel
- News24
- Subscribers
- 6,270,000
- Channel views, last 7 days
- 20,104,937
- Channel views, pace per day
- 1,210,718 (on a normal day: 3,585,099)
- Video published
- November 8, 2026
- Video views so far
- 85,510 (less than a day online)
- Video views, pace per day
- 93,849
The numbers
The barracks segment had already passed News24's usual full-day audience well before its first day was complete.
💡 Test your knowledge
Which ministerial portfolio does Jason Clare hold in this report?
Jason Clare is identified as Australia's Education Minister in the segment.