The day that was, Monday 5 December
We will wrap up the live blog there for the night.
Here’s what made the news today:
Labor’s internal review of May’s election campaign has concluded “the unpopularity of Scott Morrison and his government was the most significant” factor in driving Labor back into power.
Scott Morrison and Marise Payne won’t be the only former Coalition ministers who will be called to front the robodebt royal commission, with ministers including Alan Tudge, Stuart Robert, Christian Porter, Michael Keenan and Dan Tehan potentially being called in subsequent hearings.
China’s ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, has suggested that the bilateral relationship between the two countries “is becoming increasingly more mature and stable” as this month marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
MyGov has launched an app, shifting away from the website-exclusive government services portal for the first time.
NSW premier Dominic Perrottet said it was “pleasing to see” climate protester Deanna “Violet” Coco jailed after she blocked a lane of traffic on the Sydney Harbour Bridge in April, and warned others against taking part in protests that “inconvenience people”.
The NSW opposition leader, Chris Minns, says he does not regret supporting the laws.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, will work from home at Kirribilli House after testing positive to Covid-19 for the second time this year. National cabinet, which was scheduled for Wednesday, will be delayed.
We will be back again with all the news tomorrow.
Updated
WA introduces renewable hydrogen into network
Renewable hydrogen has been introduced into Perth’s natural gas network for the first time as part of Western Australia’s renewable energy strategy, AAP reports.
Natural gas company ATCO will supply about 2700 businesses and households in Perth’s south with a blend of 98% gas and 2% hydrogen from Monday.
The company plans to increase the blend up to 10% hydrogen in the future.
Energy minister, Bill Johnston, said hydrogen would play a lead role in WA’s transition to net zero emissions by 2050.
“ATCO’s hydrogen blending project shows how emerging technology can be integrated with existing assets in the gas distribution system and balance energy needs,” he said.
“Blending renewable hydrogen with natural gas creates a pathway to lower emissions and drives us towards our net zero future.”
ATCO and Fortescue Future Industries also on Monday opened WA’s first renewable hydrogen refuelling station.
The station can fill hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles in five minutes, providing for a range of up to 500 kilometres, emissions-free.
Updated
NSW Health urges parents to be alert to the symptoms of meningococcal disease
NSW Health has urged parents and young people to be alert to the symptoms of meningococcal disease and act immediately if they appear.
There have been 29 cases reported in NSW this year. A woman in her late teens has died from the disease – the third such death in NSW this year.
Infections are uncommon thanks to vaccination, but NSW Health said that given there are different strains, the disease can occur in people even if they have been vaccinated.
The symptoms include:
Severe, unexplained limb pain
Difficulty waking up
High-pitched crying in babies
Severe headache
Upset by bright lights
Stiff neck
Red-purple rash which doesn’t disappear with gentle pressure on the skin
Updated
NZ PM Jacinda Ardern losing ground to opposition National party
The last major public poll of 2022 has underscored the tough task ahead for Jacinda Ardern’s Labour party to win a third term at next year’s NZ election, AAP reports.
A TVNZ-Kantar poll released on Monday night confirms opposition party National’s ascendancy, with 38% support to Labour’s 33%.
If those numbers are repeated at the 2023 election, National would govern with a majority in coalition with the right-wing ACT party, which polled 11%.
Citing rising cost of living and inflation, Ardern told TVNZ there was “no question it is a difficult time to be in government”.
“Our job is to crack on because we have the privilege of governing, and that is what we’re doing,” she said.
The figures stand in stark contrast to where Ardern and Labour finished the year, with a 41 to 28 lead over the centre-right National.
National has led Labour in the last six polls published by New Zealand’s broadcasters, TVNZ and Three.
A major difference is opposition leader Chris Luxon, who took the helm 12 months ago, which correlates to the start of National’s soaring support.
The former Air New Zealand chief executive recorded his best-ever personal support in the TVNZ poll at 23%.
While Ardern remains ahead, she clocked her worst result of 29%.
Updated
Darling Harbour live site to open for Sydney World Cup fans
Sydney soccer fans will be able to watch the World Cup semi-finals and final at the live site in Darling Harbour.
The premier, Dominic Perrottet, announced the use of the Tumbalong Park precinct for the three matches on Monday following its debut as a live site on Sunday morning when about 20,000 fans gathered to watch the Socceroos take on Argentina.
Perrottet said:
The thousands of people who screamed, cheered and punched the air for the Socceroos might not have their team to cheer on in the finals but the best footballers in the world are still competing for the ultimate trophy so it is fitting that we can turn the live screens back on at Darling Harbour for the finals.
Updated
Final national cabinet meeting likely to be virtual after PM’s Covid result
Just a quick note from Canberra – Anthony Albanese’s Covid diagnosis presents some complications for national cabinet as well, where the state and territory leaders are being asked to help solve the energy cost crisis.
There had been a leaders’ dinner planned, as a bit of soft diplomacy, as well as one last gathering before the end of the year.
That is obviously no longer going ahead – but the entire final national cabinet meeting on Wednesday will probably be held virtually now, which is not what Albanese wanted as he negotiates with Queensland and NSW to help cap coal prices.
There’s nothing like being in the room to make some of these deals work.
It’s not a hostile situation, by any means – but Albanese’s second bout of Covid makes things a little more difficult.
The prime minister is isolating at Kirribilli House. A spokesman said he was up to date with boosters.
Updated
PM Anthony Albanese tests positive for Covid
The prime minister tested positive for Covid-19 today.
It’s the second time this year for Anthony Albanese, after first testing positive in the first week of the federal election campaign.
Albanese said he would work from home while isolating.
This afternoon I had a routine PCR test which has returned a positive result for COVID-19.
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) December 5, 2022
I will be isolating and will continue to work from home.
I encourage anyone who is unwell to test and to take any extra precautions to keep their families and neighbours well.
Updated
Antoun Issa’s latest afternoon update is up now if you want to catch up on the day’s news.
Poll review warns of ‘importance of Labor governing well’
The Labor election review, released today, warns that the party cannot afford to be complacent, even though the “path back to government for the Coalition appears difficult at present”.
It says it is “reasonable to expect that the Coalition will target Labor-held outer-suburban and regional electorates – a strategy that Labor must anticipate and counter”. The review urges federal and state Labor to focus on delivering demonstrable improvements for communities in areas of long-standing support for Labor, as these communities must not be taken for granted:
The most consistent advice received by the review for the next election was straightforward: the importance of Labor governing well.
By governing well, placing a high value on internal unity and stability, and drawing together voting constituencies around well-designed policies that attend to peoples’ needs, concerns and Australia’s national interest, the opportunity to establish a long-term Labor government can be realised. Competent, trustworthy government, and parliamentarians actively and consistently engaging their constituents, will be rewarded by voters.
The report makes 27 recommendations, including to clearly and consistently articulate the values of the Albanese government. It also urges the party to “develop a policy, political and communications strategy that unites growing support in inner and middle-suburban electorates alongside measures that address the needs of families and working people in outer-suburban and regional areas”.
It says Labor should “aim to align the interests of inner-suburban, outer-suburban and regional voters on climate policy by demonstrating that emissions reductions and job security/economic growth are not mutually exclusive”.
After the loss of the seat of Fowler – where Kristina Keneally was the high-profile Labor candidate – the review urges Labor to “begin the process of rebuilding voter trust in the seat of Fowler, and preselect a strong candidate for the next election”. And on the China front, it says:
While always uncompromisingly promoting and defending Australia’s national interests and Australia’s security, both major parties should avoid unnecessarily divisive and aggressive rhetoric towards China.
The report says the Labor election review team was “also obliged to address the matter of the relationship between the media and politicians”:
A number of people interviewed commented on the behaviour of some of the journalists who travelled with the Albanese campaign team. It was generally suggested that, by comparison to previous election campaigns, fewer senior members of the press gallery travelled on this occasion, and that some journalists seemed determined to make their mark with “gotcha” moments. Media events were described by some as “feeding frenzies” and excessively aggressive towards Anthony Albanese …
The review agrees with [WA] premier [Mark] McGowan. Politics should inspire people, not dishearten them. It is the responsibility of all political parties to uphold decency and respect. All people involved in politics – politicians, staffers, volunteers, the media and electoral officials – should talk politics up and not down, they should inspire, educate and inform people about Australia’s democracy and how they can participate in it.
Updated
And now Bill Shorten is meme-ing about the MyGov app.
Goodbye ‘new myGov inbox message’, hello new myGov app
— Bill Shorten (@billshortenmp) December 5, 2022
Download it here: https://t.co/Qs9nLHA396 pic.twitter.com/7InR5QbqSM
Labor election review released
A review of Labor’s performance in the federal election warns that the party’s loss of support in “heartland areas” is a cause for significant concern.
The report, published this afternoon, also says the party won the May election “against the odds” as it faced headwinds include “partisan media advocacy favouring the Coalition”.
The Labor-commissioned review was chaired by Greg Combet and Lenda Oshalem, with other panel members being Linda White and Craig Emerson.
The report says the electorate decided it was time for a change when faced with “a choice between Labor’s plans for a better future and three more years of Scott Morrison”. It says while several factors contributed to the outcome, “the unpopularity of Scott Morrison and his government was the most significant”.
The report says Morrison’s unpopularity was the result of a range of factors including his “failure to accept responsibility”, his “failure to understand and empathise with the experience of women”, his “failure to develop a credible climate and emissions reduction policy”, and “bellicose politicisation of the relationship with China”.
However, the report includes a cautionary note:
Despite the Morrison government’s unpopularity, Labor’s primary vote did not increase and in fact fell to its lowest level since 1934.
The report says the factors contributing to Labor’s low primary vote were:
A long-term trend downwards in the primary vote of both major parties, driven by declining trust in government, politics and politicians.
Tactical voting by Labor supporters, particularly in seats contested by high-profile and well-resourced independents.
The decision by the Labor campaign to focus voter attention on Scott Morrison’s shortcomings as a leader.
The Labor strategy to offer a smaller and more tightly targeted set of policies, as distinct from offering a broader agenda that may have energised more soft Labor voters.
The proliferation of minor party, Green and independent candidates.
Dissatisfaction with Labor in some heartland seats in Melbourne and Sydney.
A swing against Labor in Tasmania.
The report says the election victory “conclusively affirmed the Labor campaign’s strategic judgement to maintain focus on the Morrison government’s negatives, and to present a more targeted set of policies, even if it may have moderated the primary vote”.
It says the victory was notable because “difficult economic circumstances, the pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and partisan media advocacy favouring the Coalition all unquestionably advantaged the incumbent Morrison government”.
The report says the unusually disparate results in individual seats, regions and states “reflect the political turbulence of recent years and the frustrations of many voters”. The results do not represent a permanent realignment of Australian politics, it says, but “the loss of support for Labor in heartland areas, as evidenced once again in the recent Victorian state election, is cause for significant concern”.
Updated
82,000 roads affected by flood-related closures in two months
Official figures show more than 82,000 roads have been impacted by flood-related closures in just the past two months, AAP reports.
The figures, from the Australian Climate Service and obtained by AAP, follow widespread flooding across parts of New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia.
Since 14 October there have been 82,634 roads impacted by flood-related closures, with 6,841 roads blocked at different times during that period.
The closures peaked on 16 October when 331 roads were closed, impacting supply chains.
As of Friday, 44 roads remain closed nationally, including roads feeding into Victorian ports, and parts of major supply routes such as the Newell Highway near Forbes in NSW.
The NSW Farmers Grenfell chair, Harvey Matthews, said the closure of a stretch of the Newell was causing a major headache for road users in his area.
The pressure that it’s creating for our shire is that it’s putting all this extra traffic onto shire roads that aren’t federally funded, and roads that were never built to take B Doubles or B Triples.
When we take our grain trucks out onto the road, we’re competing with the Newell highway traffic, for a space on the road to get our product to the grain site.
Grenfell producer Wayne Dunford from NSW Farmers said the Newell Highway had already been closed for several weeks.
It’s time and money, and it’s not only to the local farmer right now, it’s also to the whole grain industry.
That’s the supply chain for livestock or grain going to feed lots south. All of it starts to multiply.
The emergency services and agriculture minister, Murray Watt, has said his government is working closely with the states and local governments to get the roads moving again.
He said last week:
We’ll keep rolling up that support as much as we need, but I’m very conscious that the roads and infrastructure is a really big issue.
The final cost of fixing the country’s roads won’t be known until all roads are repaired and reopened.
Updated
Beijing envoy says China-Australia relations becoming ‘more stable’
China’s ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, has suggested that the bilateral relationship between the two countries “is becoming increasingly more mature and stable” as this month marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
Speaking this afternoon, Xiao described last month’s meeting between China’s president, Xi Jinping, and the Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, as “very successful”.
Xiao repeated Beijing’s position that China and Australia should improve, uphold and further develop their relationship as this would serve the fundamental interests of the two countries.
Xiao has been addressing the Australia China Business Council’s webinar event titled “Australia-China Low Carbon and Innovation Cooperation Forum”.
Xiao adopted a noticeably warmer tone that the editorial published earlier today by the state tabloid Global Times (that was about a visit by six Australian politicians to Taiwan).
Xiao said China was “ready to work together with Australia” to deepen the friendship and collaboration between the two countries.
That could include joint efforts on green technology, green services and green infrastructure, Xiao said.
China and Australia have the same objectives and complementary advantages in developing a low carbon economy which promises bright prospects for cooperation.
The Australian ambassador to China, Graham Fletcher, told the same event climate change was one of the topics Albanese and Xi discussed at their meeting in Bali last month.
Fletcher said the leaders agreed climate change was an area for further consultation and collaboration.
He said Australia and China’s climate ministers also met at Cop26, and the countries intended to build on these discussions with further meetings between officials and experts in due course.
Updated
Plibersek to deliver government’s response to environmental laws review
The environment and water minister, Tanya Plibersek, will use a speech in Brisbane on Thursday to deliver the government’s response to the 2020 review of national environmental laws.
Plibersek will deliver the keynote speech at a symposium hosted by the Queensland Conservation Council.
The 2020 review, led by the former competition watchdog head Graeme Samuel, found successive governments had failed to properly protect Australia’s unique wildlife. It made 38 recommendations, including that a new set of national environmental standards guide decision-making about developments that affect threatened plants and animals.
The Albanese government had promised it would respond to the review this year, with a package of reforms to follow in 2023.
It has committed to establishing an independent environment protection agency and it is expected Plibersek’s response will propose a structure for the new agency.
Dave Copeman, the director of the Queensland Conservation Council, said the Samuel review made it clear the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act was outdated and Australia’s environment was in an overall state of decline:
Reform of this law is long overdue, to ensure it is working in the best possible way to safeguard Australia’s natural environment for future generations.
Updated
New Zealand announces Covid response inquiry
A royal commission will investigate New Zealand’s Covid-19 response, with Jacinda Ardern tapping Australian-based epidemiologist Tony Blakely to lead the review.
AAP reports the prime minister announced the commission on Monday, saying that “the highest form of public inquiry is the right thing to do”.
Ardern said:
The Covid-19 emergency was the most significant threat to the health of New Zealanders and our economy since world war two.
New Zealand experienced fewer cases, hospitalisations and deaths than nearly any other country in the first two years of the pandemic but there has undoubtedly been a huge impact on New Zealanders both here and abroad.
It’s critical we compile what worked and what we can learn from it should it ever happen again.
Blakely is a New Zealand-born professor of epidemiology at the University of Melbourne who emerged as a familiar face during the pandemic, explaining the virus and sharing his views on various measures to audiences on both sides of the Tasman.
He will be joined by former minister Hekia Parata and former Treasury secretary John Whitehead to form the royal commission.
Blakely has been asked to begin work in February 2023 and finish by June 2024, meaning the commission will not report back before next year’s election.
The opposition National Party welcomed the announcement, while the Greens labelled it disappointingly narrow in scope.
Both parties want a specific inquiry into the economic response, given rollercoaster house prices and spiralling interest rates among Covid-19’s tumultuous effects.
Updated
This EMERGENCY WARNING - RIVERINE FLOOD - Not Safe to Return is for parts of Mildura, Nichols Point and Bruces Bend.
— VicEmergency (@vicemergency) December 5, 2022
More details at https://t.co/RP7QseJMs3... pic.twitter.com/ARVWmLRp0S
Australia joins pact capping price on Russian oil
Australia has joined the UK, Japan, Germany, Italy, France, Canada and the US, as well as EU member states, in an agreement to put a $60-a-barrel price cap on Russian oil.
The price cap, which comes into effect today, aims to reduce the Kremlin’s income from fossil fuels as well as curtailing Moscow’s ability to finance its war in Ukraine.
The price cap would “immediately cut into Putin’s most important source of revenue”, the US treasury secretary, Janet Yellen, said.
But critics, including Ukraine, say the cap is toothless since it is above the price of existing Russian oil prices of about $52 a barrel.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said:
You wouldn’t call it a serious decision to set such a limit for Russian prices, which is quite comfortable for the budget of a terrorist state.
It’s only a matter of time before stronger tools will have to be used anyway. It is a pity that this time will be lost.
Russian authorities rejected the price cap and on Saturday threatened to stop supplying the nations that endorsed it.
Updated
Chinese state media warns Australia not to ‘play with fire’
The Global Times – a Chinese state media tabloid known for its nationalistic takes on international developments – has published an article warning Australia against “playing with fire”.
The article is in response to news that a group of six Australian MPs from both Labor and the Coalition is travelling to Taiwan, a self-governed democracy that China claims as a province.
We are yet to see any formal response from China’s foreign ministry, and the Global Times article is relatively muted in the scheme of things. But the article includes this passage:
Those who play with fire will perish by it. The politicians from certain countries who visit Taiwan to seek limelight are like [the] political god of plague and pestilence. They bring nothing but risks and tension to Taiwan and no benefit to their own countries, and they also hijack their own countries’ China policy. As the Australian MPs’ Taiwan visit is under way, it has already generated negative impacts on the China-Australia relationship.
It is the first such trip by Australian MPs to Taiwan since 2019, prior to the Covid pandemic. Anthony Albanese has previously been on such a trip (when he was in opposition) but this trip includes no government ministers.
When asked on Saturday about this trip, Albanese played down any suggestion it could inflame tensions with China, saying:
No, there have been backbench visits to Taiwan for a long time. This is another one. This isn’t a government visit. There remains a bipartisan position when it comes to China and when it comes to support for the status quo on Taiwan.
Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP
Updated
Over on Twitter, Antony Green has offered up some analysis on what teals need to do to chart a path to victory:
How to win a seat as a 'Teal' Independent #auspol
— Antony Green - elections (@AntonyGreenElec) December 4, 2022
(1) Take enough Liberal votes to force seat to preferences
(2) encourage tactical voting for you by Labor and Green voters to reach second Place
(3) attract Labor, Green and other preferences to turn second place into victory
Step (1) to attract Liberal voters is a pre-condition that MUST be achieved for steps (2) and (3) to matter, but election results and the Australian Election Study show that deserting Liberals were a minority of teal voters, but enough to prevent Liberal victory. #auspol
— Antony Green - elections (@AntonyGreenElec) December 4, 2022
Enough teal and other voters still preferenced Liberals at rates that meant all Teal seats still recorded a Liberal 2-party majority over Labor. But enough deserted to change the order of exclusion on preferences and that defeated the Liberals. #auspol
— Antony Green - elections (@AntonyGreenElec) December 4, 2022
Tactical voting is much more common under simple majority voting where the tipping point for victory is first versus second. But it is possible in preferential voting when preference flows are asymmetrical and you can get a tipping point between 2nd and 3rd #auspol
— Antony Green - elections (@AntonyGreenElec) December 4, 2022
Not like traditional AUS election experience in 3-cornered contests, e.g. LIB and NAT v ALP, ALP and GRN v LIB, where preferences are symmetrical, that is LIB/NAT and ALP/GRN preference are roughly equal in either direction and seat aligns as traditional left v right contest
— Antony Green - elections (@AntonyGreenElec) December 4, 2022
Updated
Thanks to Cait Kelly for picking up the blog for me for the last hour while I filed a story. I’m Josh Taylor and I’ll be with you for the remainder of the news day.
Alarm at gambling ads targeting children
Concerns have been raised at how betting companies are targeting children with ads, with one activist going so far as to brand it “grooming”, AAP has reported.
The Alliance for Gambling Reform estimates more than 430,000 people under the age of 16 are likely betting online.
Rev Tim Costello said the lack of federal regulation on gambling advertising meant operators were able to “groom our kids with impunity”.
And the implications will be horrific and lifelong.
Costello told parliamentarians reviewing gambling reform that betting companies had built a myth around mateship, such as through the plethora of betting-with-mates ads.
He said that when he first started researching the sector, he came in with the idea Australians just loved to punt and that was what led to such great gambling losses.
But he’d now changed his mind, saying the losses don’t come from a culture “that loves it more than anyone else” but from a lack of regulation.
Costello told the reform inquiry on Monday:
The truth is, we’ve had the worst policies, the least regulation of gambling.
That is why we have the greatest losses.
Updated
Inquiry hears of long Covid’s toll
A federal parliamentary inquiry into long Covid has heard from hundreds of Australians about lingering effects after their experience with the virus, and suggested that the government needs to collect better data to get an accurate picture of how widespread this problem is.
People have complained to the committee about impacts on health, lost capacity to work, difficulty cooking or caring for children, and social isolation due to their long-term symptoms from the pandemic – with federal MPs warning that Australia “may not have seen the full scope of the after-effects of this condition.”
The federal parliament’s health committee is conducting an inquiry into long Covid and repeated Covid infections. Generally, long Covid is being investigated by the MPs as “ongoing symptoms more than three months after a confirmed Covid infection”. Australia doesn’t have an accepted definition of the condition but the committee is adopting the World Health Organisation’s findings that common symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, cognitive dysfunction and others that have an impact on everyday functioning.
In an issues paper, released Monday ahead of a final report expected in coming months, the committee said it had heard from many people suffering long-term symptoms after Covid infection, but noted that Australia’s long Covid rates may be lower currently than other comparable nations. However, the paper also flagged that Australia’s largest Covid waves happened later than those in Europe and the United States, which may be a factor.
The paper also said there was only “limited reliable and consistent data available in Australia regarding long Covid”, noting differences in how different states collect data, and limitations on sharing data including privacy reasons.
“The committee has heard that some of the datasets available may not provide an accurate representation of the general Australian population,” it said, such as an undercounting of people from culturally or linguistically diverse backgrounds.
The committee said some submissions called for a centralised body in coordinating research around long Covid, and suggested that a national database and a national focus on data collection may be required.
The paper said the committee would continue to investigate key questions including an Australian definition of long Covid, how to collect better data, how to boost research into these conditions, how to bring in CALD communities into this process, what healthcare professionals and government can do to manage problems, and the best management of long Covid.
Updated
Hello everyone – this is Cait Kelly, I will be with you for the afternoon. A big thanks to Natasha – the blog queen.
Let’s get into it!
Thanks for your attention today, everyone. I hand you over to the wonderful Cait Kelly.
Updated
Shorten launches myGov app
The minister for the NDIS and government services, Bill Shorten, has launched the myGov app at the Opera House.
Shorten has high hopes for the app – that it takes on the same iconic status as Sydney’s white sails.
He said:
Good morning everybody and welcome here to Australia’s iconic Opera House. It’s about 50 years ago that the Opera House was opened and now, 50 years on, it’s a national icon. I’m hoping that our myGov app that we’re launching here today won’t take 50 years, but I’m hoping it becomes iconic for quality government services to everyday Australians.
I’m really pleased to be announcing this morning that at long last, long overdue, we now have a myGov app.
Fear not, the end to the ‘you have a new message in your myGov inbox’ is nigh – just download the new myGov app
— Bill Shorten (@billshortenmp) December 5, 2022
The app is about convenience, security and accessibility.
Find out more at: https://t.co/13LexUrQSQ
Download it here: https://t.co/Qs9nLHA396
Updated
Damaging wind warning for Tasmania
Windy and wet today due to moist south to southeasterly winds wrapping around a low near #Tasmania. A Severe Weather Warning for Damaging Winds is current for parts of northern and eastern Tasmania (https://t.co/NHL3HY0zFO). An 80 km/hr gust has been observed at Low Head. pic.twitter.com/BSIZ5AFKyW
— Bureau of Meteorology, Tasmania (@BOM_Tas) December 5, 2022
Pocock: 'The right to protest is fundamental to our democracy'
NSW Labor may be defending the laws which have led to Violet Coco’s long sentence for a non-violent protest, but ACT independent senator David Pocock has taken a more nuanced view.
In 2014, while still a Wallabies player, Pocock was arrested for chaining himself to mining equipment in a protest against a new coal mine in NSW.
Locked on selfie with 5th generation farmer, @Ricklaird14, protesting Whitehaven's new coalmine in Leard State Forest pic.twitter.com/VkgIYlZgYu
— David Pocock (@DavidPocock) November 29, 2014
Now a senator, who won his seat by campaigning on increasing climate action and transparency, Pocock said the news of Coco’s sentence “gets at the challenge we have of regulating protest”.
In considered and obviously thought-through comments, Pocock said he believed Coco’s 15-month jail sentence – with an eight month non-parole period – fell on the wrong side of the line balancing the right to protest and the inconvenience it caused everyday life.
Asked for his thoughts on Coco’s sentence, Pocock told the Guardian:
This news gets at the challenge we have of regulating protest. As a society we want to balance the importance and value of protest and civil disobedience against the inconvenience it can cause to everyday life.
Anti-protest laws that result in a 15-month jail sentence, with an eight-month non-parole period and no bail during the appeal process, falls on the wrong side of that line. The right to protest is fundamental to our democracy. Many of the rights we now take for granted were off the back of people willing to risk their civil liberties to raise their concerns and push the conversation on issues that affect all of us.
We look to China and Iran with disbelief at how protesters are treated abroad. But democracy is fragile and ours is not immune.
We must protect our ability to disagree, to voice dissent publicly and, if needed, to protest. We don’t have to look far to see the disastrous consequences of failing to protect the right to protest. Nor to understand why so many young people are so deeply concerned about the changes global warming is causing right around them.
Every time I meet a group of school kids touring Parliament House, climate change very quickly comes up as the issue they’re most concerned about. And rightly so. For so many of them they feel helpless in the face of the changes they’re already seeing.
And many of them have tried the options available to them – writing to their MP, conducting local protests and huge, unprecedented strikes. And still they are not seeing the urgency or scale of action required to create a safe future.
I think history will view people like Violet quite differently from the way many see her today. As Mignon McLaughlin put it: ‘Every society honours its live conformists, and its dead troublemakers.’
Updated
North Sydney apartment building evacuated due to gas leak
Around 50 people have been evacuated due to a gas leak in a North Sydney apartment building.
Fire and Rescue NSW is on the scene and continuing to monitor atmospheric gas levels in the area. A spokesperson said:
It’s believed workers severed a gas main at the William Street site, just before 12.30pm today.
NSW police helped firefighters from Crows Nest and Neutral Bay to clear the adjacent building.
The fire crews have established two lines of hose as a protective measure and are monitoring atmospheric levels as gas company technicians attempt to repair the leak, which could take some time.
An exclusion zone remains in place in William Street, preventing pedestrian and vehicle access to the affected area.
Updated
Victorian parliament to sit for extra day in December
Premier Daniel Andrews confirms parliament will sit for one day on 20 December pic.twitter.com/KJmMOg0xXB
— Benita Kolovos (@benitakolovos) December 5, 2022
Company profits fall as wages rise
Also out today, the Australian Bureau of Statistics released its business indicators report for the September quarter, elements of which will feed into Wednesday’s national accounts.
Company gross operating profits fell 12.4% in the quarter, with wages and salaries lifting by 2.9% over the three months.
Business inventories – stock on shelves and warehouses – rose by 1.7%.
Zooming in on the construction industry, the Australian Industry Group and Housing Industry Association’s construction activity index recorded a contraction in activity for the sixth month in a row.
The 48.2 reading for November was less depressed than the month before but still indicated a contraction as it was less than 50.
HIA economist Tom Devitt said the Reserve Bank’s aggressive monetary tightening was weighing on the sector. He warned:
The lags that characterise this cycle mean the full impact of the RBA’s hikes to date won’t be seen until the second half of 2023.
Further hikes in 2023 would jeopardise the housing industry’s ‘soft landing’ in 2024 and beyond.
The Reserve Bank board is due to make its December cash rate decision on Tuesday.
– From AAP
Updated
Household costs crisis not over yet
Sky-high living costs continue to crush household budgets, with a monthly inflation gauge picking up pace again.
The 1% lift in the Melbourne Institute’s monthly inflation gauge follows smaller increases in October and September.
In October, the index lifted by 0.4%, and in September increased by 0.5%.
The gauge is sitting 5.9% higher than in November last year.
Holiday, travel and accommodation costs lifted 14.6%, suggesting demand for post-pandemic travel remains strong, with private motoring costs also adding 3.3 % to the index.
But consumers paid less for audio-visual and computing equipment, with this category sliding 3.4%.
Core inflation, which excludes volatile items such as fuel and vegetables, lifted 0.7% in November to sit 5.6% higher than 12 months prior.
The institute’s cost of living measure, which unlike the inflation index includes mortgage repayments, unsurprisingly increased across most consumer types given the seven interest rate rises since May.
Employees suffered the most, with the cost of living measure lifting by 1.1% for the consumer type most sensitive to interest rate movements.
The stronger inflation reading for November follows a step down in annual inflation as captured by the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ monthly consumer price index from 7.3% in September to 6.9% in October.
– From AAP
Updated
South Australia on flood alert
The River Murray is currently flooding as a result of high flows upstream, with the highest flood levels in the area since 1974.
A watch-and-act message has been issued for parts of Crescent, near Renmark. Communities along the banks are preparing evacuation plans as the peak is expected within the week.
The ABC is reporting that a group of aged care residents are being evacuated now as a precaution.
#FLOOD Watch and Act MESSAGE issued for parts of Crescent. If you are in this area you should prepare for flooding. Move valuables to a safe place. Consider going to a safer place if the path is clear. More info: https://t.co/OhMPrMtvi5 ID:426/1
— SASES (@SA_SES) December 5, 2022
Updated
Robodebt inquiry probes ‘quick copy and paste’ suggestion
Government officials believed they were being given the opportunity to “effectively co-write” a federal watchdog’s report into the robodebt scheme when they suggested specific changes to its language, an inquiry has been told.
The commonwealth ombudsman was investigating the robodebt scheme in early 2017, with its final report failing to identify the unlawfulness of the program.
The royal commission was shown emails on Monday showing that a commonwealth ombudsman’s official had written to the Department of Human Services asking for “initial comments, points of clarification or feedback” on a draft of a report it was preparing.
In response to that email from the ombudsman’s staff, a Department of Human Services (DHS) official wrote to colleagues in January 2017 saying the department has “been given a great opportunity to effectively co-write the report with the ombudsman’s office”.
The email said:
Given the time pressure the OO is under, any suggested wording you provide in response to their dot points will enable them to do a quick copy and paste in many instances where there is general agreement or at least not totally opposing views.
Jason McNamara, the former general manager, integrity and information group at DHS (now Services Australia), was involved in the department’s response to the ombudsman.
Under questioning, McNamara said the ombudsman was an “independent statutory office holder” that could “reject” any suggestions from DHS.
He said:
This is fairly normal practice with both ombudsman and ANAO [Australian National Audit Office] reports. In my experience it’s fairly normal practice for both the ombudsman and the ANAO to reject those suggestions, but APS agencies do that [propose changes] all the time.
Counsel assisting Angus Scott replied:
Cut and paste words into the independent report?
McNamara replied:
At the end of the day the ombudsman is signing off on the report. If he’s not happy ... he’s going to say ‘No’.
The royal commission was then shown a marked-up version of the executive summary of the report.
DHS proposed removing phrases such as “inaccurate debts” while it suggested changing “better” decision to “new” in reference to debts no longer relying on the flawed “income averaging” method.
The inquiry has not heard yet how the ombudsman responded to these suggestions. The published version of the report incorporates some of the proposed changes.
The ombudsman has previously told Guardian Australia it cannot be compelled to give evidence at the royal commission. It said it was “and has always been willing to consider what assistance he can provide to the royal commission voluntarily”.
The royal commission continues.
Updated
Condobolin residents warned to evacuate
The NSW State Emergency Service is warning people in parts of west Condobolin to evacuate due to flooding.
Parts of West #Condobolin Flooding | Emergency Warning🔴
— NSW SES (@NSWSES) December 5, 2022
People in the following area(s) to EVACUATE NOW due to dangerous major flooding:
🔺Kiacatoo Rd between Kiacatoo & Condobolin
You must evacuate now because roads may be cut by rising floodwaters.
👉https://t.co/BCnxAdOSBj pic.twitter.com/1HmbbTE5Zp
Updated
Changes for new Victorian cabinet
A new minister, upper house MP Enver Erdogan, will take on corrections, youth justice and victims support, while St Albans MP Natalie Suleyman will also enter cabinet, becoming minister for youth, small business and veterans affairs.
In some other minor changes, Gabrielle Williams will gain the ambulance services portfolio but continue as minister for mental health and for treaty and First Peoples. Ben Carroll will hand over responsibility for roads and road safety to Melissa Horne and take on the new portfolio of “manufacturing sovereignty” and employment.
The deputy premier, Jacinta Allan, will become minister for transport and infrastructure (she was transport infrastructure minister previously), while Gayle Tierney’s training and skills portfolio will move into the Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions.
Harriet Shing will remain minister for water, regional development and equality and add the “Commonwealth Games legacy” portfolio to her responsibilities. But with counting in the upper house ongoing, she will not be sworn in on Monday. The premier says he will be responsible for her portfolios until she can be sworn in.
It appears the only casualty of the reshuffle is Shaun Leane, who will be nominated as Labor’s candidate for the upper house presidency, a position he has previously held.
It comes after a group of seven MPs from the ALP’s right faction – including the treasurer, Tim Pallas, and minister Steve Dimopoulos – shifted to the premier’s socialist left.
Updated
Andrews government unveils new-look cabinet
The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, has unveiled his new-look cabinet ahead of a swearing in ceremony at Government House this afternoon.
In a statement, Andrews confirmed Carrum MP Sonya Kilkenny would become minister for planning, replacing Lizzie Blandthorn, who was expected to change portfolios due to perceived conflicts of interest related to her brother’s work at Labor-linked lobbying firm Hawker Britton.
Blandthorn will take on the deputy leadership position in the legislative council, having moved from the lower house, as well as the portfolios of disability, ageing and carers and child protection and family services.
She is the fifth minister to take on the portfolios in a period of 14 months and will also be tasked with leading the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing.
Danny Pearson will remain assistant treasurer, as well as leading a new Department of Government Services. He will also become minister for WorkSafe and the TAC and take on the portfolio of consumer affairs.
Pearson’s portfolio of housing will be passed onto Colin Brooks, who will also become minister for multicultural affairs.
Lily D’Ambrosio will become the minister for the State Electricity Commission – Labor’s key election promise – as well as minister for climate action and energy and resources. Both resources and agriculture will move into the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action.
She will hand the environment portfolio to Ingrid Stitt, who will also retain her role as minister for early childhood and pre-prep.
Mary-Anne Thomas will continue as health minister but take on the key parliamentary role of leader of the lower house, as well as the portfolios of health infrastructure and medical research.
Updated
Heatwaves building across northern and central Australia
Queensland senator Murray Watt has warned those who live in the top of the country to take care as the heatwave is expected in coming days.
Heatwaves are building across much of Nth & Central Aus in coming days.
— Senator Murray Watt (@MurrayWatt) December 5, 2022
Heatwaves can be dangerous, so it’s important that you take steps to prepare for the heat.
Find out how to prepare for heatwaves and find up to date advice. https://t.co/elmDzKzujw pic.twitter.com/s1gRQiSAg3
Minns defends laws that saw climate protester jailed
The NSW opposition leader, Chris Minns, says he does not regret supporting laws that saw climate protester Deanna “Violet” Coco jailed after she blocked a lane of traffic on the Sydney Harbour Bridge in April.
Coco was sentenced to 15 months in prison, with a non-parole period of eight months, on Friday in a judgement that human rights advocates and environment groups have labelled extraordinary and disproportionate.
The laws passed the NSW parliament in April with the support of the Labor opposition despite the head of Unions NSW, Mark Morey, describing them as an “unacceptable” intrusion on the right to protest.
It came after a series of climate protests at Port Botany, Martin Place and the Spit Bridge in Manly.
Today, Minns defended his decision to support the laws – a move that angered some on his backbench when it was announced before it was debated in the Labor party room earlier this year.
Minns said:
I don’t regret supporting those laws ... At the end of the day, you’re talking about a situation where mass protests were shutting down half the city and in a repeated fashion.
Earlier on Monday the premier, Dominic Perrottet, said the sentence was not excessive and that protesters should not “inconvenience” people. Asked if he agreed with the premier, Minns said the protests had been geared towards causing “as much chaos as possible for as long as possible”.
I think most people would appreciate that even in free societies there’s a context and a set of circumstances [and] when you inconvenience literally hundreds of thousands of people as often as possible in consecutive days there will be legislative action in relation to that because it’s not just inconvenience, it could be a situation where people are put in life-threatening circumstances, not being able to access emergency services right when they need them.
Updated
120,000 fee-free training courses to be funded under government deal
The NSW and federal governments have signed a 12-month, $319m agreement to fund 120,000 fee-free Tafe and vocational education and training places in 2023.
The course list includes about 40,200 fee-free places in the care sector (including approximately 10,000 in early childhood education and care), 9,900 in technology and digital, 6,900 in agriculture, 5,200 in construction, 5,000 in hospitality and tourism, 1,200 in sovereign capability and 51,400 in other priority sectors including foundation skills.
Brendan O’Connor, the federal minister for skills and training, said:
The Australian government recognises the urgency of the skills crisis facing the nation, and the challenges particular to NSW, which is why this agreement is so important.
If we want to provide greater opportunity in NSW for secure and rewarding employment, we must be able to skill and reskill our workforce.
Alister Henskens, the NSW minister for skills and training, said:
This additional investment in fee-free training places will target priority industries and help address skills and labour shortages that are hampering businesses across NSW.
Updated
ICYMI: Last week the Federal Court of Australia made orders formally recognising the Native Title rights of the Ankamuthi, Gudang Yadhaykenu, Kaurareg, Kemer Kemer Meriam and Kulkalgal peoples over land and sea in northern Cape York and the Torres Strait region. pic.twitter.com/Tpb1xY2jRv
— Mark Dreyfus (@MarkDreyfusKCMP) December 5, 2022
Fall in national operating profits could be a drag on GDP
There’s quite a bit of other economic news this week, with the September quarter national accounts coming out on Wednesday.
(Occasionally the quarterly GDP figures come out before the RBA decisions, but for that to happen, the first Wednesday in December, March, June and September has to land before the first Tuesday, when the RBA meets. Begs the question why the RBA and ABS agree to make sure GDP comes first and so remove some of the RBA speculation. Maybe they enjoy it?)
The GDP figures have lots of moving parts and some of the last ones landed just a short time ago. Economists will be tweaking their final estimates tomorrow after September quarter trade numbers arrive.
From today’s instalment, though, we learned inventories rose 1.7% for the quarter, which was more than some economists had pencilled in. That should nudge GDP estimates higher.
Gross operating profits, however, fell 12.4% in seasonally adjusted terms. That’s more than the 2% slide the CBA had forecast, so will probably be a drag on GDP.
And despite the high – if not record – prices for various commodity prices, mineral exploration in the September quarter was down 1.5% from the previous three months to just over $1bn. Petroleum exploration fell even more, dropping 5.5% to $230m.
RBA governor Philip Lowe and others have noted that exploration investment hasn’t responded as you might expect from such high prices (and record profit).
One reason might be that investors don’t want to be spending money on new coal mines or gas fields that might have short operating lives – assuming net zero targets mean something.
Updated
Rate rise all but inked in during last big week of economic data
With Christmas coming at a rush, economists are pretty certain the Reserve Bank will do its bit to dim the festive cheer (cue tedious cartoons of governor Philip Lowe as Grinch, etc.)
All but one of the economists surveyed by Bloomberg predict the RBA will hike its cash rate by 25 basis points to 3.1% when its board meets on Tuesday. (The outlier predicted a 15bp rise to 3%, possibly out of neatness.)
Markets, as happens, are not quite so certain. As of Friday, they were estimating the odds of a quarter-point rise as just over a 50:50 chance.
Ahead of Tuesday's RBA board meeting, investors were on the fence about whether there's another 25bp rate rise coming before the summer break. (54% chance they will hike.) Further out, expectations continue to be pared about how far the RBA will go, with a peak now at about 3.6%. pic.twitter.com/fajWN3Rn9m
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) December 5, 2022
At least they’ve lowered their sights. Investors now expect the RBA’s peak rate to be 3.6% in the second half of 2023 – which is better than 4%-plus of a few weeks back if you’re a borrower.
Updated
Morrison among Coalition ministers to appear before robodebt royal commission
Scott Morrison and Marise Payne won’t be the only former Coalition ministers who will be called to front the robodebt royal commission.
Justin Greggery KC, senior counsel assisting the commission, told the inquiry on Monday “successive ministers of [department of social services] DSS and DHS [department of human services] are likely to be called in subsequent public hearings”.
Those ministers could include individuals including Alan Tudge, Stuart Robert, Christian Porter, Michael Keenan and Dan Tehan. Tudge was human services minister when the commonwealth ombudsman and a Senate inquiry were investigating the scheme in 2017. Robert was government services minister when it was the subject of two court challenges from 2019 onwards.
Greggery said Payne, who was human services minister in 2015, would likely give evidence on Tuesday next week, while Morrison, who was social services minister, would give evidence on Wednesday next week.
Greggery said:
The evidence they are likely to give … is anticipated to be evidence which was not in the public [domain] prior to the commencement of the commission.
The commission has previously heard the policies that became the robodebt scheme were progressed through the department after Morrison told officials he wanted them included in the 2015 budget. One official said Morrison’s desire for the measure to be announced in that budget had limited the ability for legal officers to provide sufficient legal advice.
It remains unclear exactly what knowledge Morrison had of potential legal concerns about what became the robodebt scheme.
Greggery said the inquiry had received about 442,000 documents so far.
Among those it received were emails from frontline Centrelink worker Colleen Taylor, who raised the alarm about the scheme directly with the DHS secretary Kathryn Campbell. Taylor gave an exclusive interview to the Guardian which was published on Saturday.
Greggery confirmed Campbell would be quizzed about those emails this week when she returns to the stand.
Greggery said:
… It provides evidence of actual knowledge of persons in positions of seniority within the department and an insight into the mindset of the department during the operation of the scheme … Employees … would have felt restricted in their ability to speak publicly about the effect of the scheme upon them publicly.
The royal commission continues.
Updated
Vehicle sales rise, but long waits persist
Extended wait times for some vehicles remain a factor for Australian car buyers despite the ongoing recovery in the vehicle market, the industry’s peak body says.
The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries says the market rose by 17.9% in November with 95,080 new cars and trucks retailed.
That took demand for the year to 993,509, a 2.3% improvement compared to the same time last year.
FCAI Chief Executive Tony Weber said the automotive sector is continuing to recover from (Covid-19) pandemic-related shutdowns, a global shortage of microprocessors and the general supply chain uncertainty we experienced over the last two years.
While this is positive news, many customers are still facing extended wait times for their vehicle, with expected delivery dates for some models beyond 12 months.
Sales of battery electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid vehicles continued to rise with 13,415 zero and low-emission vehicles sold in November.
Sales of battery electric vehicles more than doubled compared with October to 4,457 while demand for hybrid’s was also up by more than 70% compared to November last year.
The improvement came as the federal government considers purchase incentives, increased fuel quality standards and an emissions target for the light vehicle sector to further boost the alternative-fuel segment.
Toyota led the market last month, selling 20,107 vehicles ahead of Mazda (7,549), Ford (7,165), Kia (6,120) and Mitsubishi (5,559).
The Toyota Hi-Lux was the top-selling model with 5,440 ahead of the Ford Ranger (5,073), the Toyota Corolla (3,732), the MG ZS (3,051) and the Toyota Landcruiser (2,296).
The November market also showed a sharp 36.3% rise in demand from rental fleets with 6,599 vehicles sold as operators prepared for the first major holiday period since Covid-19 border restrictions eased.
- from AAP
Updated
If you couldn’t quite put your finger on why Dominic Perrottet looked different at his press conference today – it took me a few moments – the NSW premier was spec-less.
Premier Perrottet backs sentencing of Deanna “Violet” Coco. He says it is “pleasing to see” and warns others against taking part in protests that “inconvenience people”. “If protesters want to put our way of life at risk then they should have the book thrown at them.” pic.twitter.com/KlrC3Wxhi1
— Tamsin Rose (@tamsinroses) December 4, 2022
My colleague Tamsin Rose was at the press conference today and has the full story:
He accidentally drove over them 🚗 new frames being ordered today, we're told
— Tamsin Rose (@tamsinroses) December 5, 2022
Updated
Underpayment rife among migrant workers
Underpayment is rife among migrant workers in Australia with many not reporting the issue due to fears of deportation, a new report has found.
The Unions NSW audit, released today, showed more than 60% of job advertisements reviewed in the nation’s top eight industries offered illegal rates of pay.
More than one-third of migrant workers surveyed also reported being paid or offered a lower salary because of their visa type, while more than one-quarter received lesser salaries because of their nationality.
Unions NSW is using the latest findings to call for greater protections for migrant workers.
Secretary Mark Morey said in a statement:
Our audit exposes this underbelly and demonstrates the need for the commonwealth to bolster its efforts to stamp out bad employer behaviour while empowering workers to enforce their rights.
The visa system is broken and needs reform to strengthen the protection of migrant workers.
Right now, too many workers remain shackled to their employers due to the uncertainty of their visa status.
Unions NSW wants there to be a firewall between the Fair Work Ombudsman and the Department of Home Affairs so vulnerable workers can act against unscrupulous employers.
It also wants a new substantive visa to allow workers with outstanding claims for workplace entitlements to remain in the country with working rights until their claim has been settled.
Immigration, citizenship and multicultural affairs minister, Andrew Giles, will join the union on Monday to launch the new report.
- from AAP
Updated
Pocock warns against soil degradation on World Soil Day
Happy world soil day to one and all.
Independent senator for the ACT David Pocock has taken to social media to applaud the brown stuff beneath our feet, which does more work than we know – not only growing all our food but also storing carbon.
There are more living organisms in a tablespoon of soil than there are people on Earth.
— David Pocock (@DavidPocock) December 4, 2022
Nearly all of our food comes from soils, yet a third of soils have been degraded. Let's take better care of a key source of our prosperity#WorldSoilDayhttps://t.co/SJNLCnMqJP
Guardian Australia’s rural editor Gabrielle Chan spoke to Pocock recently about these issues of biodiversity and agricultural sustainability which are central to the climate crisis and the future of human life on this earth.
Updated
Perrottet says climate protester's jail sentence 'pleasing to see'
The New South Wales premier, Dominic Perrottet, has defended the sentencing of protester Deanna “Violet” Coco after she blocked a lane of traffic on the Sydney Harbour Bridge in April.
The climate protester was on Friday sentenced to 15 months in prison, with a non-parole period of eight months, with human rights advocates calling it “disproportionate”.
Perrottet said it was “pleasing to see” and warned others against taking part in protests that “inconvenience people”.
He said:
It’s not excessive, and if protesters want to put our way of life at risk, then they should have the book thrown at them and that’s pleasing to see.
We want people to be able to protest but do it in a way that doesn’t inconvenience people right across NSW.
My view is that those protests literally started to grind our city to a halt.
The clear message here, and it’s is a clear lesson – everyone has the right to protest, but do so in a way that doesn’t inconvenience people.
Premier Perrottet backs sentencing of Deanna “Violet” Coco. He says it is “pleasing to see” and warns others against taking part in protests that “inconvenience people”. “If protesters want to put our way of life at risk then they should have the book thrown at them.” pic.twitter.com/KlrC3Wxhi1
— Tamsin Rose (@tamsinroses) December 4, 2022
Updated
Government launches $3.9m in grants to protect species from bycatch
Dugongs and turtles might stand a better chance against commercial fishing nets, thanks to nearly $4m the government is committing in grants to reduce bycatch.
The environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, said the grants launched today will help commercial fishers invest in new technologies and techniques to this end.
We've got some of the most sustainable fisheries in the world, but we can always do better. That’s why our government has launched $3.9 million of grants to reduce bycatch - to protect species like dugongs and turtles from getting caught in fishing nets. pic.twitter.com/lxcYUj1wcn
— Tanya Plibersek (@tanya_plibersek) December 4, 2022
Updated
Nature restoration market could inject $137bn into conservation measures
A nature restoration market could inject $137bn into conservation measures by 2050, according to a report by consulting firm PwC.
The report, which explores the potential and risks associated with establishing a national biodiversity market, estimates $78b of that figure would come from private capital, $8.5b from government, $11b from charities. It estimates $24b could come from forest carbon offsets and $9b from biodiversity offsets.
The federal government is developing a national biodiversity market, which it has said would recognise private landholders who restored and managed habitat by granting them biodiversity certificates that could then be sold to other parties. When it was announced in August, researchers and conservation organisations called for more detail on how the scheme would be designed, including whether it would allow for the trade of certificates as offsets for other habitat destruction.
The PwC report argues a biodiversity market should incentivise work that “anticipates and prevents” negative impacts to nature and “offsetting should only be considered where impacts to biodiversity are unavoidable, if at all”.
It says a market is not a “silver bullet” and should not be a substitute for other important measures, including government funding of conservation work, reducing land-clearing, accelerating action on climate change and managing invasive species. It calls for stronger laws to protect nature and enforcement of those laws.
The report makes several recommendations for the design of a national market. It recommends a national market exclude biodiversity offsets and instead prioritise stewardship certificates that are based solely on conservation outcomes. It calls for a transparent, public register of biodiversity certificates and trades and clearer delineation of biodiversity and carbon markets to avoid “double dipping” where providers of biodiversity credits are able to sell the same credit in both carbon and biodiversity markets.
PwC Australia partner Neil Plumridge said:
While considerable efforts are being made to conserve, protect and restore various native species and ecosystems, more needs to be done to not only stop the decline, but revive Australia’s biodiversity.
A biodiversity market, if implemented successfully, could encourage companies to factor biodiversity into their environmental, social and governance (ESG) plans, ensuring biodiversity remains front and centre of decision making.
Updated
SA premier says Aukus subs will dispel myths about nuclear safety
SA premier, Peter Malinauskas, today said submarines his state would build via the Aukus deal would bust myths about how safe the energy alternative is.
Australians’ feelings about nuclear energy are becoming front and centre of the nuclear debate. If you missed the story yesterday, my colleague Daniel Hurst revealed in an exclusive that a Coalition frontbencher’s survey on the subject was linked to a business that helps an American small modular reactor company.
A Coalition frontbencher conducting a ‘grassroots’ survey about nuclear power is using a website registered by a business that helps an American small modular reactor company, records reveal.
Ted O’Brien, the shadow minister for climate change and energy, issued a statement on Friday saying he was ‘launching a grassroots community engagement program’ under the banner ‘Time to Talk Nuclear’.
You can read the full story here:
Updated
Rezoning could create 70,000 NSW homes
Up to 70,000 new homes could be built in NSW as new areas are rezoned. The NSW premier, Dominic Perrottet, today said he’s “throwing everything at getting more houses built” as the cost of living continues to bite.
Working with councils, rezoning is one important lever that we are pulling to get the ball rolling on more housing supply across our state.
We are throwing everything at getting more houses built so more people get keys in doors and can realise their dream of owning a home.
Through the $73.5m Rezoning Pathways Program, ten areas will be rezoned, including at Riverstone, Camellia-Rosehill, Macquarie Park, Explorer St in Eveleigh, two sites in Parramatta, and one site in Broadmeadow in Newcastle.
The program is part of the state government’s $2.8bn housing package announced in the budget, which included stamp duty reform for first home buyers.
It also comes on the back of the latest Rental Affordability Index, which showed renting has become less affordable in Sydney over the last year, and steadily risen since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Earlier this month, the government announced it would assume responsibility for three planning proposals across the Macarthur Region, saying their approval could lead to the construction of 19,000 new homes as well as providing koala corridors.
While planning proposals are usually assessed by local councils, this program gives the government the ability to make assessments and lead rezoning work on planning proposals it deems significant.
A pilot is under way for developers proposing projects offering more than 1,000 homes in metropolitan areas, and more than 300 homes in regional areas.
- from AAP
Updated
Australia looking to compensate Afghanistan war crime victims’ families
The Albanese government is looking to compensate families of victims of alleged Afghanistan war crimes, more than two years after a landmark inquiry found payments should be offered quickly to restore “Australia’s standing”.
Guardian Australia can reveal the deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, has received a number of briefings from officials about compensation, one of the key outstanding recommendations of the Brereton report he is examining.
Adelaide is expected to build at least eight submarines under the Aukus arrangement, which Malinauskas said would show safety concerns around nuclear energy were misplaced.
Malinauskas told News Corp:
In respect of my position on nuclear power for civil consumption, or use, I’ve always thought the ideological opposition that exists in some quarters to nuclear power is ill-founded.
Nuclear power is a source of baseload energy with zero carbon emissions. For someone like myself, who is dedicated to a decarbonisation effort, we should be open-minded to those technologies and it would be foolhardy to have a different approach.
The PM will meet with state premiers at national cabinet on Wednesday, with a cap on coal and gas prices expected to be a priority agenda item in an attempt to get power bills down.
Albanese said:
It is important that the price of gas is reasonable and can make a profit, but the idea that you have super profits being made at the same time as businesses going out of business … is not on.
We will act before Christmas and I don’t think there is a premier or chief minister who will sit back and say ‘yep, this is all OK’ as prices continue to rise.
- from AAP
Updated
Nuclear off table as states seek power fix
The SA premier, Peter Malinauskas, left the door open to nuclear on Monday, stating submarines his state would build via the Aukus deal would bust myths about how safe the energy alternative is.
However, the prime minister Anthony Albanese and environment minister Tanya Plibersek were quick to shoot their Labor colleague down, each pointing out nuclear energy wouldn’t work out financially.
The discussion comes as Australia desperately seeks a fix for soaring power bills, the PM labelling talk around nuclear energy as a distraction.
Albanese told FiveAA radio:
I have a great deal of respect for ‘Mali’, but everyone’s entitled to get things wrong.
Every five years or so we have economic analysis of whether nuclear power stacks up and every time it’s rejected.
Plibersek was similarly strong, saying nuclear power was “slow to build and really expensive”.
She told Seven:
All this nonsense about small-scale nuclear reactors in every suburb, I don’t know if there’s people up your street who want a nuclear reactor in the local park … I really don’t think that’s the case.
- from AAP
Updated
‘Wherever you stand on Violet Coco, her jailing raises the stakes for climate protest’
My colleague Adam Morton’s column out today is on Violet Coco, who was Friday sentenced to 15 months in jail for her role in a climate protest blocking traffic on the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Wherever you stand on this, the penalty and bail refusal significantly elevates the bar for what protesters – and particularly climate protesters – can expect to face in NSW. Coco is the first person to be sentenced under laws introduced by the Perrottet government in April that carry fines of up to $22,000 and jail terms of up to two years for protests on roads, rail lines, tunnels, bridges and industrial estates. They were passed with the support of the Labor opposition.
The incident continues to draw criticism from groups including the UN and Bob Brown Foundation:
UN official ‘alarmed’ by jailing of climate activist who blocked traffic on Sydney Harbour Bridge
— Sophie McNeill (@Sophiemcneill) December 3, 2022
“Peaceful protesters should never be criminalised or imprisoned”- @cvoule
Important to remember what a terrible message this sends to our region #Australiahttps://t.co/bXP615NLUn
This is your Australia @AlboMP Violet does not belong in jail. Peaceful protestors should never be imprisoned. Anti-protest laws must be repealed Australia-wide. Climate activist who blocked traffic on Sydney Harbour Bridge jailed for at least eight months https://t.co/KrcWfjz1zA
— Bob Brown Foundation (@BobBrownFndn) December 3, 2022
Read Morton’s full column here:
Newspoll shows lift for Labor and Albanese
The latest Newspoll has delivered good news for federal Labor and the prime minister, Anthony Albanese.
Labor’s primary vote has lifted a point to 39% while the Coalition remains unchanged on 35%, according to the final Newspoll survey for the year.
Albanese also enjoyed a surge in support as preferred prime minister, the poll conducted for The Australian newspaper shows.
The result for Labor is more than six points stronger than its election result of 32.6%, while the Coalition’s result is almost a point down on its election tally of 35.7%.
The Greens were unchanged with a primary vote of 11%, Pauline Hanson’s One Nation was on 6% while Clive Palmer’s deregistered United Australia party attracted just 1%.
Other minor parties, including the teal independents, dropped one point to 8%, the Newspoll showed.
Satisfaction with Albanese’s performance rose to a record high with a three-point gain to 62%, while those saying they were dissatisfied fell four points to 29%.
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, suffered a three-point decline in his satisfaction ratings to 36% but those dissatisfied with his performance dropped from 46% to 45%.
The December Newspoll was conducted between Wednesday and Saturday and interviewed 1,508 voters throughout Australia.
– from AAP
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Chemical spill at industrial premises in South Australia
South Australia’s metropolitan fire service is on the scene and advising people to take an alternative route to George St where the incident has occurred.
@SA_MFS crews are currently attending a #chemical spill at an industrial premises on George St at #Greenfields. George St is closed to all traffic. Please take an alternate route and steer clear of the area.
— SA Metropolitan Fire (@SA_MFS) December 4, 2022
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National service brought to end 50 years ago today
It is the 50th anniversary of the end of national service today and while some, like Tony Abbott, would like to see it brought back, today recognises the sacrifices “Nashos” made for their country.
The minister for veterans’ affairs, Matt Keogh, said today marked the end of the national service schemes which ran from 1951 before the Whitlam government ended them in 1972.
Keogh said:
The Nashos were an integral part of Australia’s defence forces in the 1950s, 60s and 70s serving in Australia, Borneo, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and Vietnam.
The first national service scheme, from 1951-59 saw men from across the country called up for training in the royal Australian navy, the Australian army and the royal Australian air force. More than 220,000 served during this period, putting their careers and lives on hold to serve their country.
The second national service scheme took place from 1965-1972 and for some, included service in the Vietnam war. During this period, 63,000 20-year-olds were selected for service in the Army through a birthday ballot.
More than 15,300 national servicemen served in the Vietnam war, with 200 losing their lives.
Keogh said:
No matter the nature of their service, today we honour all national servicemen and thank them for what they have done for our nation.
We thank all Nashos and their families for putting their lives on hold during their years of compulsory service. We know this service was difficult, as was your return to civilian life. The Australian government thanks you.
If you were called up for national service and injured, even if never deployed, you are entitled to claim through the DVA, including for mental health support, as well as hold a White card.
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$1m reward for 1982 Sydney terror bombings
A $1m reward has been announced to help solve a 40-year mystery – the bombing of Sydney’s Israeli consulate and Hakoah Club which shook the Jewish community.
The increased reward was announced today – the first day of a coronial inquiry into Australia’s first terrorism cold case.
A bomb exploded in front of the Israeli consulate in Sydney about 2pm on 23 December 1982, injuring a number of people.
Later that day a car parked in the basement of the Hakoah Club at Bondi exploded, and although no one was injured, it’s believed the blast was intended to collapse the building.
Investigations deemed the bombings to be acts of international terrorism motivated by Palestinian nationalism.
A man was charged in 1983, however the matter was no-billed before the trial began.
In 2011, investigators from the NSW joint counter-terrorism team established Strike Force Forbearance to reinvestigate the bombings and a $100,000 reward was announced the next year.
Investigators want to track down three people who they believe were involved and detectives have prepared a coronial brief of evidence, which is being heard as an inquiry before the NSW State Coroner on Monday.
The NSW police minister, Paul Toole, said it was hoped the $1m reward would “be the final push members of the public need to offer up information – no matter how big or small it may seem – to help police in their unwavering quest for answers and provide closure for all those involved”.
NSW Jewish Board of Deputies CEO, Darren Bark, said the Jewish community remained hopeful that someone with information will come forward. Bark said:
For four long decades, our community has searched for answers about this heinous terrorist attack targeting innocent Australians on our own soil.
– from AAP
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No tsunami threat to Australia from Samoan earthquake
No #tsunami threat to Australia from magnitude 6.7 #earthquake near Samoa Islands Region. Latest advice at https://t.co/Tynv3Zygqi. pic.twitter.com/GbywYmUVRc
— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) December 4, 2022
Climate policy buoying investor confidence
Good morning from Canberra where the end of the parliament sitting doesn’t mean we’re done for the year – just done with seeing most of the MPs!
But the week starts with some good news, at least in terms of investment in emissions reduction technology, with the Investment Group on Climate Change finding actually having a climate policy means people are no longer afraid to invest.
Who. Would. Have. Thought.
The group reports a 14% drop in uncertainty from investors who view climate policy as a barrier to investment in Australia in the year since the survey was last taken, moving from 70% to 56%.
While uncertainty is still high, the group report it is the largest year-on-year change they’ve seen in the survey.
Investors also see sector-by-sector emissions targets (such as emission reduction pathways for coal, industrials, transport etc) as a priority, along with carbon pricing through mechanisms like the safeguards mechanism, while also waiting to see what decisions are made to meet the Labor government’s 2030 target.
Director of policy, Erwin Jackson, said change was slowly emerging in the Australian investor market.
Stronger 2030 emissions targets and bipartisan support for net zero emissions by 2050 are welcome. But they’re not enough on their own. Investors are seeking sector-by-sector emissions targets and detailed plans as a crucial next step.
The government and parliament must strengthen the safeguard mechanism to ensure Australian industries remain competitive in a net zero world.
Australia is in a global race to attract capital to ensure our continued economic prosperity as we steer towards a net zero world. Implementing stable long-term policy and forging political consensus on climate policy reforms will ensure Australia is an attractive destination for capital investment.
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'Unfortunate' Nationals have injected misinformation and vitriol into debate so early on: Langton
Langton is asked about how concerned she is about the prospect of a No campaign with Aboriginal woman Jacinta Price already quite active in opposing it.
I have mixed feelings about that. It’s unfortunate that the Nationals have injected misinformation and vitriol into the debates so early on.
We’ve been through this many times over these kinds of campaigns. I mean, I am saying this now is a bit like you know, the Adam Goodes saga which is terribly unfortunate.
The tragedy is of course – well take for instance, Jacinta [Price] says that she’s Celtic Warlpiri. The Warlpiri people see themselves as a people because they speak the Warlpiri language, and they have Warlpiri traditions. They don’t see themselves as a race. And the Warlpiri people that I’ve spoken to – many of the leaders – believe that the voice is a very necessary part of the Australian political system, and they would welcome it very much because they want their people to be represented.
We are one species; there are no races. It would be terribly unfortunate for all Australians if the debate sinks into a nasty, eugenicist, 19th-century style of debate about the superior race versus the inferior race, and I have to say I’m terribly disappointed that a Warlpiri person – or a Celtic Warlpiri person – has kicked this off.
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Karvelas:
Will there be a draft of legislation that that will be considered?
Calma:
I suspect not … what we’re working on is looking at what the question will be that goes into the referendum, and we’ve been guided by what the prime minister said at Garma.
In that 51 people membership that we had in the co-design process, that comprised the majority of key Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander players around the nation who are working on local voices at the moment, they’re working on other processes at a state level, so it’s very well informed.
And that information at a state and local government level has been shared a lot with those communities, so this is bewildering, really, that people say that they don’t have information when it’s been available.
We’re already seeing fairly significant buy-in by all states and territories already, so it seems at the federal level they seem to be standing alone in now … the National’s position and some of the other minor party members.
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Langton: we ‘tried to speak to as many people as possible’ including Coalition and Pauline Hanson
The former minister for Indigenous affairs under the Coalition Ken Wyatt said that he took the proposal to cabinet twice and implored his former colleagues to consider it and said it was laziness that was behind claims that there was no detail available.
Patricia Karvelas:
Are you speaking to the Liberals about whether they did read the report and whether they think this is the model that should go forward?
Langton:
We cruised the corridors of Parliament House over and over again and tried to speak to as many people as possible and we did speak to Nationals and to Liberal party members.
We spoke to the members of the Greens party, and at that time, there were no Teals. But I have written to teal members of parliament and asked for an appointment to discuss it with them because if they were not present in the last parliament. I spoke to Pauline Hanson and members of her party and took the report to them personally. So we will speak to members in this parliament.
And I am disappointed that people don’t believe we haven’t spoken to them when we in fact did. And that they believe that there’s no detail when we’ve personally handed the report to them and discussed it with them.
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Calma:
The final report also went to cabinet and had been discussed for almost six months amongst the Coalition members before it was released again, unchanged, and released to the public in December last year, so the public have had it for over 12 months, including the government of the day.
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Voice model gets First Nations representation right, co-chair says
The co-chairs of the Indigenous voice co-design groups, Marcia Langton and Tom Calma, are speaking on ABC Radio. They have some strong words following the Nationals coming out last week saying they would not be supporting the campaign.
David Littleproud and his Nationals colleagues raised concerns that the voice would represent inner-city Aboriginal people rather than those from more remote communities.
The report, of course, did make specific structural recommendations around the number of members, regional representation, gender split, and term limits.
Langton said:
I can’t imagine that there is a better model out there.
I can foresee some tweaks. I’m very confident the voice will look much like our detailed proposal in our final report.
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Government ‘aware’ of urgent problems facing Medicare, assistant treasurer says
Jones is also asked about the report on Medicare out from the Grattan Institute, which calls for an overhaul of the way that doctors’ visits are funded.
Look, every MP in the country, in fact every household in the country – if I can put it that way more appropriately – has seen it harder and harder to get access to bulk billing. Difficulty in getting access to GPs in particular, and the big gap between what they’re being charged and what they’re getting back from Medicare. So yeah, there is an issue and there’s no doubt about it.
And as health minister, Mark Butler … is reviewing the operation of Medicare. In the meantime, some initiatives already being rolled out as a part of the election commitments, including our urgent care clinics around the country. So yes, we are aware that there’s an issue. Of course, when the Grattan Institute publishes a report, we always take it seriously and look at what they’re recommending.
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Assistant treasurer warns scams ‘likely to ramp up’ this holiday season
The assistant treasurer, Stephen Jones, has been speaking to ABC News this morning; he’s warning the spate of scams Australians have seen could get even worse this Christmas.
The ACCC has told us that last year, there was about $2bn worth of scams. They expect that to double this year, and there’s always a spike over Christmas time.
So you know, some things to look out for, fake websites selling or allegedly selling toys that don’t exist, delivery scams which we saw during the pandemic. You click a link on the SMS to get information on where your parcel is going to be delivered to and you never ordered the parcel and, of course, you click the link and they get access to information on your phone.
We’re seeing regifting scams. We all heard about regifting but this is where allegedly, the scammers are pretending to sell unwanted gifts at cut-prices at ridiculously low prices. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.
And puppy scams and the ‘hi, mum’ scams are also out there in the field as well. The government wants [people to] be aware that these things are likely to ramp up over the Christmas period and to take extra care.
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Greens to introduce bill to lower voting age to 16
The Greens will make lowering the voting age to 16 a top legislative priority next year, with a private member’s bill to be introduced in the first week parliament resumes.
Both the Greens and independent Kooyong MP, Dr Monique Ryan, had previously expressed their interest in lowering the voting age, with Ryan to consult with her community before moving ahead with either her own bill, or supporting the Greens push.
But the Greens are powering forward, with the party’s youth spokesperson, Stephen Bates, saying young people deserved a seat at the table given the decisions being made in areas such as climate heavily affected their futures. He plans on introducing a private member’s bill to the house in the week of 6 February.
16 and 17-year-olds can drive cars, work, enlist in the Australian Defence Force, and serve their communities, yet they have no say in the composition of their own government, in the economy they will enter for the rest of their working lives, or the dying planet they’re about to inherit.’
The re-emergence of the voting age debate in Australia came after the New Zealand prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, greenlit a parliamentary debate in Aotearoa after a supreme court ruling that the existing age of 18 was discriminatory and breached the human rights of young people.
A bill is being drafted by Ardern’s government to change the voting age to 16.
Courts in Australia have not dealt with a voting age question, but last year, the federal court ruled the government had a duty to protect young people from the climate crisis, a ruling which was overturned on appeal.
Lowering the voting age in Australia has not been dismissed out of hand by the Albanese government, with the special minister of state, Don Farrell, saying late last month Labor had “never ruled out” the move.
The Greens senator Jordon Steele-John led a push in 2018 to lower the voting age to 16 on a voluntary basis. That bill was restored to the senate notice paper in July this year.
While the committee which originally examined the Steele-John bill, led by a then-government senator, recommended the legislation not be passed, Labor MPs included additional comments that said the party supported 16 and 17 year voting “in principle”.
Labor’s issue then was the non-compulsory voting aspect proposed for younger voters arguing “this would privilege the views of those young people who are most engaged, and generally most equipped with economic and social capital and so increase inequality in political participation”.
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Good morning!
The push for younger Australians to get a greater say in the country’s future is being renewed by the Greens who will make lowering the voting age to 16 a top legislative priority next year.
The party is set to introduce a private member’s bill in the first week parliament resumes next year. The party’s youth spokesperson, Stephen Bates, says young people deserve a seat at the table given the decisions being made in areas such as climate heavily affected their futures.
This Monday morning is also a big morning for reports being released. A new one from the Grattan Institute finds Australia’s universal healthcare system is in need of urgent overhaul, while the Australian National University’s 2022 Australian Election Study is also out.
The ANU study revealed that most voters for teal independent candidates were not disaffected Liberals but identified with the political left. It also showed Scott Morrison was the most unpopular party leader since the study began in 1987, while the prime minister Anthony Albanese was the most popular since Kevin Rudd.
There is a new fortnight of hearings beginning today in the robodebt royal commission into the botched welfare scheme. If you want to know about the previous two weeks of hearings, my colleague Luke Henriques-Gomes has this report.
Let’s get into it!
