What we learned today, Thursday 8 December
That’s where we will wrap up the live blog today on a busy day of news.
Here’s the key points for today:
After a meeting of energy ministers in Brisbane today, Chris Bowen announced an agreement on a “capacity mechanism” which he said would be “keeping the lights on” so there were fewer outages when there was high demand.
This comes ahead of the national cabinet meeting tomorrow where it is expected the federal government will seek an agreement with the states on a cap on coal to lower energy costs across the country.
The NSW energy minister, Matt Kean, indicated NSW was close to an agreement but stressed the state was not seeking compensation for missed royalties, but for the impact it would have on families and businesses.
A former Department of Social Services official told a royal commission he was “directed” to water down legal concerns about the robodebt scheme when the policy was been designed in early 2015.
The federal government announced overhauls to Australia’s environment laws, including plans to establish an environmental protection agency.
The Greens said they would use their boosted numbers in the parliament to push the government to ensure the environmental protection agency is independent and has teeth, while the Coalition expressed concern it would be detrimental to business ahead of a briefing on the plans tomorrow.
The home affairs minister, Clare O’Neil, announced the government would embark on a new cybersecurity strategy led by three eminent Australians, the former Telstra CEO Andy Penn, Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre CEO Rachael Falk and Air Marshal Mel Hupfeld.
O’Neil also announced two new department-led reviews looking at Australia’s national resilience and democracy resilience.
The federal government is looking at counterterrorism legislation to see whether it adequately covers far-right extremism.
John Pesutto has been chosen to lead the Victorian Liberal party after defeating Brad Battin in a party room ballot.
The NSW government will support an Indigenous voice to parliament being enshrined in the constitution.
Until tomorrow, enjoy your evening.
Updated
‘Convivial’ energy ministers' meeting a ‘universe away’ from Morrison times
Energy ministers are heading for Brisbane airport (save Mick de Brenni, Queensland’s minister), generally satisfied with the “team Australia” outcomes today.
What might be surprising is that the issue of coal and gas price caps barely got a mention at the event. Federal, state and territory ministers focused on medium- to long-term issues, leaving the immediate issue of price caps and compensation (if there is any) to the “first ministers” when they meet tomorrow.
Indeed, whether the price of coal will be capped at $125 a tonne and gas at $8-$12/gigajoule (or lower than the $13/GJ being bandied out) remains to be seen. “Numbers were studiously not mentioned” in the chatter on the sidelines of the event, one participant tells Guardian Australia.
The federal energy minister, Chris Bowen, and NSW counterpart (and treasurer), Matt Kean, were “quite convivial” throughout, said our insider. Indeed, the whole meeting was of such a mood. “It’s a universe away from what it used to be,” this person tells us, adding such gatherings during the previous Coalition government of Scott Morrison had been “a complete waste”.
The main achievement was the creation of a capacity investment scheme as noted in earlier posts, which effectively kills off work done by the Energy Security Board to create a capacity market that might have paid mothballed coal- and gas-fired power plants to stay in business.
Other work to watch includes a National Renewable Energy Supply Chain Action Plan (not a very snappy name) that will create job opportunities in manufacturing. It is to be developed by the end of 2023, and is being led by Queensland’s de Brenni.
Updated
