What we learned, 10 November 2024
With that we’re wrapping up the blog. Before we go, here are the major stories from Sunday:
Residents of Australia’s northern regions have sweltered as a heatwave has continued through the weekend, and is expected to linger into next week;
The health minister, Mark Butler, says the US election shows voters are “focused overwhelmingly on cost of living”
The Greens are mounting a push to give the Great Australian Bight world heritage status;
Pregnant women and infants will get free RSV vaccines under an expanded program;
The parliamentary workplace support service announced it has handled 339 complaints in its first nine months;
Independent senator Fatima Payman has called for the Australian government to impose sanctions and divest from Israel at a pro-Palestine rally in Melbourne.
We’ll pick things up again tomorrow.
Updated
Police investigating after woman’s body found in western Sydney hotel
A man is under police guard and an investigation is under way after the body of a woman was found in Penrith a short time ago.
Emergency services were called to a hotel at 1.10pm on Sunday where they discovered the woman’s body in a hotel room along with a man.
The man, believed to be in his 50s, was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics before being airlifted to Westmead hospital in a critical condition.
The woman is yet to be formally identified.
Officers attached to Nepean police area command have established a crime scene, with inquiries to be conducted by detectives, assisted by state crime command’s homicide squad.
Updated
Large bump in weekend auction numbers and clearance rates
Auction activity has surged this weekend with 2,820 auctions to be held.
This is a significant increase on the 1,972 held last week, but a modest gain on the 2,656 auctions that occurred at the same time last year.
Based on results collected so far, CoreLogic’s summary found that the preliminary clearance rate was 65.8% across the country, which is an improvement on the 63.4% preliminary rate recorded last week and well above the 56.3% actual rate on final numbers.
Across the capital cities:
Sydney: 773 of 1,073 auctions with a preliminary clearance rate of 68.2%
Melbourne: 908 of 1,293 auctions with a preliminary clearance rate of 69.8%
Brisbane: 109 0f 175 auctions with a preliminary clearance rate of 53.2%
Adelaide: 67 of 160 auctions with a preliminary clearance rate of 70.1%
Canberra: 62 of 94 auctions with a preliminary clearance rate of 45.2%
Hobart: Two of three auctions held.
Perth: Thirteen of 22 auctions held.
Updated
Labour figures to be released this week as Australian economists assess ramifications of Trump win
Australian investors will feast on a smorgasbord of labour market data this week as they digest the ramifications of a second Donald Trump presidency for the global economy.
The Republican septuagenarian’s return to the White House has led to expectations inflation could heat up again in the US, given his promises to raise tariffs on imported goods and slash taxes.
That didn’t stop the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates for their second meeting in a row by 0.25% on Thursday.
Even before Trump has a chance to put his hands on the economic levers, core US inflation is expected to rise 0.3% when the October consumer price index is released on Wednesday.
The Reserve Bank of Australia is still lagging its American counterpart, with no indication it is close to beginning its rate easing cycle.
The RBA governor, Michele Bullock, told a Senate estimates hearing last week the US election had no impact on her inflation outlook and her recent remarks have signalled greater focus on domestic factors.
Speaking after the RBA board meeting on Tuesday, during which it held the cash rate at 4.35%, she indicated ongoing strength in the labour market was creating upside risks in the inflation outlook.
Survey measures continue to indicate labour availability is constrained, wages growth has continued to ease, but still generally above rates consistent with inflation targets given the weak productivity growth.
Wages growth is expected to slow to 3.6% when the wage price index is released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday, due largely to a bumper 5.75% increase in award wages dropping out of the data set, Commsec chief economist, Ryan Felsman, said.
The bureau’s labour force survey, to be released the following day, is expected to show an extra 20,000 jobs added to the Australian economy in October, with the unemployment rate edging from 4.1% to 4.2%, according to CBA economists.
They predict the participation rate to remain at a record 67.2%.
An upside surprise to one or both readouts could reinforce the RBA’s hawkish tone.
CBA’s household spending insights report, alongside consumer and business confidence surveys by Westpac and NAB on Tuesday, will provide further insights.
- AAP
Updated
Refugee football match held in Sydney to highlight visa limbo
Former Socceroos captain Craig Foster has umpired a friendly football match on Sunday between Tamil and Bangladeshi refugees who are still waiting for permanent visas from Australia, in some cases for 12 years.
The asylum seekers have been part of a vigil held outside the Punchbowl electorate office of the home affairs and immigration minister, Tony Burke, for 100 days.
The vigil, which runs 24 hours a day, involved long-term asylum seekers from multiple nationalities who have been left waiting for a visa under a Coalition-era fast track policy. They say Labor has yet to introduce a solution.
Foster said the situation amounted to a punishment for people trying to seek asylum.
Over a decade without permanence is ridiculous, punitive and unnecessary. I want to remind our millions-strong football community that these communities are our own. They were victims of an unjust and flawed system. It’s time for the Australian government to let them get on with their lives.
The match was held in Lakemba, part of Burke’s electorate.
Updated
‘No stopping’ Melbourne suburban rail loop as state strikes $1.7bn deal
The Victorian government’s contentious Suburban Rail Loop “cannot be stopped” as a cloud hangs over the rollout of its new public transport ticket system.
Global consortium Terra Verde has been awarded a $1.7bn tunnelling contract for the $34.5bn eastern section of the rail line.
The deal is to build 10km twin tunnels between Glen Waverley and Box Hill, with another consortium already signing a $3.6bn deal to tunnel the rest of the 26km stretch from Cheltenham.
The Labor state government said the latest tunnelling deal came in under what was initially budgeted but the premier, Jacinta Allan, did not say by how much.
It demonstrates there is huge competitive interest from these global construction companies.
The entire 90km orbital rail line is designed to run from Cheltenham to Werribee via Melbourne airport.
Boring on the first phase of the loop is expected to begin in 2026, with completion slated for 2035.
The transport infrastructure minister, Danny Pearson, said there was “simply no stopping” the project as early works power ahead at at all six station sites.
You can’t stop this project.
Victoria has pledged $11.8bn to build the eastern section, with a third of funding expected to come from the federal government and the rest from unexplained “value capture” revenue.
The Albanese government has only committed $2.2bn for the project so far, leaving a $20bn funding hole.
The entire project was initially estimated to cost up to $50bn in 2018, before its 2021 official business case showed the east and north sections could cost between $30.7bn and $57.6bn.
The state’s independent Parliamentary Budget Office cast doubt on that estimate, putting the cost to build the first two sections at $125bn.
- AAP
Updated
Crisafulli expands assistant ministry to 10 positions
Queensland’s new premier, David Crisafulli, says his government will “be supported by a young and hungry generation next assistant ministry”.
The premier has expanded the assistant ministry to 10 positions, as in New South Wales, to “provide a pathway for future leadership” with a heavy focus on representation from regional Queensland.
Leader of the House, Dr Christian Rowan, and Trevor Watts will be assistant ministers to the premier on matters of state and cabinet, with newly elected members of parliament to be appointed to a further eight roles.
The full assistant ministry includes:
Dr Christian Rowan – assistant minister to the premier on matters of state and new citizens.
Trevor Watts – assistant minister to the premier for cabinet and south west Queensland.
Amanda Stoker – assistant minister for finance, trade, employment and training
Herman Vorster – assistant minister for multicultural affairs and international student attraction
Rebecca Young – assistant minister to the deputy premier and assistant minister for planning, housing and better regulation
Janelle Poole – assistant minister for community safety, defence industry, veterans and north Queensland
Bryson Head – assistant minister for regional development, resources and critical minerals.
Bree James – assistant minister for tourism, early learning, creative industries and far north Queensland
Donna Kirkland – assistant minister for mental health, drug and alcohol treatment, families and seniors and central Queensland
Sean Dillion – assistant minister for primary industry development, water and western Queensland.
Crisafulli said his picks “will be instrumental in delivering for Queenslanders”.
These assistant ministers are hungry to serve and their energy and hard work will be harnessed to benefit the length and breadth of our state.
Their roles will also be about listening to Queenslanders to inform strong policy development.
Updated
Fatima Payman calls for Israel sanctions and divestment at Melbourne rally
Senator Fatima Payman has spoken to a pro-Palestine rally in Melbourne calling for the Australian government to impose sanctions and divestment against Israel.
Today we continue the call on this complicit Labor government to take a stand against the illegal Israeli occupation, for sanctions, for divestment, for recognition of a Palestinian state.
.@SenatorPayman calls on Labor to finally take action against genocidal Israel – ie sanctions and divestment – and recognise Palestine 🇵🇸 pic.twitter.com/tZAu5czAAG
— Chris Woods 🏳️⚧️🇵🇸 (@tophermwoods) November 10, 2024
Updated
Police search for SUV in NSW Central Coast waterway
A police operation is under way for an SUV believed to be submerged in a waterway on Central Coast.
Emergency services were called to The Boulevarde, Woy Woy, at about 11am on Sunday after a vehicle – believed to be a small green SUV – ran off a wharf and into the Woy Woy channel.
Officers attached to Brisbane Water Police District have established a crime scene and – with assistance of Marine Area Command, NSW Maritime and NSW Ambulance – are coordinating a search for the vehicle.
Based on information provided to police, the male driver is believed to be the sole occupant.
Updated
SA Liberals accused of spending taxpayer funds on byelection opinion polling
The South Australian Liberal Party is accused of “an outrageous abuse of taxpayers’ money” after allegedly spending thousands of dollars on internal polling ahead of a tense byelection.
But the opposition has hit back, saying the spending was approved by the Treasury.
The Labor government says it has seen leaked information that strategist firm Freshwater was paid $25,905 to conduct research for the Liberals before Saturday’s byelection in Black.
Freshwater was paid using the Global Allowance entitlement, the guidance of which excludes “election expenses, other than Postal Vote Applications”.
The treasurer, Stephen Mullighan, said taxpayers were charged almost $40,000 for polling, public relations support and letters to constituents endorsing the Liberal candidate in the byelection.
On the face of it, this is an outrageous abuse of taxpayers’ money by the Liberal Party.
Mulligan also suggested that the invoice was for polling reported on by The Advertiser on 10 October which was used to “road-test” two local councillors as prospective candidates for the Black by-election.
“Clearly the Liberal party concocted this scheme to avoid having to pay for the internal polling themselves,” he said.
But the SA Liberals’ state director, Alexander Hyde, maintained the funding had been approved by Treasury.
- AAP
Updated
Beautiful, eco-friendly and fire resistant: why architects are choosing walls made of hemp
Michael Leung first came across hempcrete after a family tragedy.
When his father-in-law died from asbestos-related mesothelioma, Leung, an architect, swore off using toxic materials in building.
When you go on a healthy building journey, inevitably you bump into hempcrete.
Building with hemp is growing in popularity, from public buildings in Tasmania to private homes in Byron Bay, with architects looking to more sustainable materials in one of the world’s most carbon intensive industries. With the ability to capture more than twice its own weight in carbon, purported insulation, moisture- and fire-proof qualities, and now with a hempcrete building winning a National Architecture Awards nod, the eco-material is cementing its place in modern construction.
For more on this story, read the full report by Guardian Australia’s Maddie Thomas:
Updated
NSW to establish state-owned toll road operator and ombudsman
A government-run toll body will soon be written into law but Sydney motorists shouldn’t expect it to drive down prices right away.
The Minns Labor government will introduce legislation into parliament this week to create NSW Motorways, a state-owned entity to oversee the Sydney toll road network.
The entity will operate tollways not subject to private concession arrangements such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge and tunnel, as well as the Western Harbour Tunnel and M6 Stage 1, once complete.
It will take over the collection of all tolls and oversee any future revenue adjustment mechanism to protect private toll concessionaires from losses and prevent windfall gains falling into their hands from system reforms.
Private contracts with concessionaires won’t be overridden under the legislation, with the NSW government declaring it still prefers a “negotiated outcome” through a “direct deal process”.
The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal will also be empowered to monitor toll prices, investigate specific tolling issues and make recommendations.
An independent tolling customer ombudsman would be set up to deal with disputes and complaints, with toll operators bound by its decision.
- AAP
Updated
Animal advocates condemn ‘barbaric’ use of chemical foam to cull 30,000 ducks in Victoria
About 30,000 farmed ducks were killed using firefighting foam as part of the Victorian government’s effort to contain bird flu, a method Animal Justice party MP Georgie Purcell has condemned as “nothing short of barbaric”.
The state’s agriculture minister, Ros Spence, confirmed Agriculture Victoria used Phos-Chek, a class-A foam, while responding to a highly contagious strain of avian influenza, or bird flu, which emerged earlier this year at several poultry farms.
“Foaming is approved for use in biosecurity emergencies and was deployed to ensure a rapid and humane method of depopulation,” Spence said in response to a parliamentary question from Purcell.
Phos-Check is used globally as an alternative to other firefighting foams that contain per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are known to have harmful enivornmental effects.
For more on this story, read the full report by Guardian Australia’s Benita Kolovos:
Updated
Victorian premier warns against ‘American-style’ misinformation around Indigenous treaty negotiations
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, has warned against the state’s nation-leading treaty negotiations being subjected to misinformation and “American-style division”.
The First Peoples’ Assembly – Victoria’s democratically elected Indigenous body – will begin negotiating a statewide treaty with the Allan government later this month.
The state’s opposition spokesperson for Aboriginal affairs, Peter Walsh, told the Herald Sun on Sunday the government was “starting secret treaty negotiations”.
Speaking to reporters, Allan says all Victorians “deserve the information and the facts around how treaty is being negotiated”:
Let’s not bring American-style division, any more, into our community. Let’s not create division … Let’s not bring this misinformation, disinformation, fake news information into something that is just so important.
Updated
Littleproud says parliamentary support service report shows workers ‘comfortable to come forward’
The Nationals leader David Littleproud told Nine’s Today program on Sunday that it was on MPs and senators to make Parliament House a safe workplace, after it was revealed there had been 30 complaints of sexual assault, stalking and assault in federal parliament.
What these numbers today demonstrate that after 12 months of reforms, it shows that we’ve created an environment where people feel comfortable to come forward.
We’ve got to create that environment, and I think we’re doing that, and these numbers demonstrate that those reforms are slowly working, but we can all do better, whether it be in Parliament House or outside Parliament House.
Updated
Parliamentary workplace support service handles 339 complaints in first nine months
Federal parliament’s workplace support service has handled 30 complaints of sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking and assault in its first nine months of operation.
Figures from the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service’s annual report show the body handled 339 complaints in its first few months of operation.
Between October 2023 and the end of June 2024, 30 of the cases managed by the services concerned rape or sexual assault, assault, sexual harassment, harassment, stalking or intimidation.
A further 33 cases in the nine-month timeframe were about bullying.
The report said 62 cases involved family or domestic violence, alcohol and drugs or mental health, while there were 90 cases of workplace conflict being managed.
The support service was established after a recommendation from the landmark Set the Standard report, which examined widespread misconduct in federal parliament.
Speaking to Sky News on Sunday, the health minister, Mark Butler, said more needed to be done to address workplace conduct at Parliament House.
It’s really concerning, but as many who have worked in parliament or around parliament for a long time perhaps have said, it’s not entirely surprising.
This is a workplace that really does need to lift its standards, and I think putting that process or that structure in place is an important first step. People need to be held accountable for poor behaviour.
This process is starting to work, but I think this report really concerningly shows that parliament still has a way to go.
MPs passed laws earlier this year to establish an Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission, with powers to investigate workplace conduct and enforce a behavioural code.
- AAP
Updated
‘I’m not optimistic’: the Australians who sounded the climate alarm 55 years ago
Half a century ago, Richard Gun stood on the floor of parliament and became the first known Australian political figure to warn about the “sinister” threat posed by climate change. Today his maiden speech is a distant memory.
I never thought of myself as the first politician to issue a warning about climate change. At the time it seemed to me an existential threat to our civilisation and it seemed like a sufficiently important issue to mention.
Looking back, I’m a bit surprised other people didn’t take it as seriously.
As Australia prepares to participate in Cop29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, Gun’s largely forgotten warning provides a poignant milestone to help measure the country’s action on the climate crisis.
With greenhouse gas emissions rising, fossil fuel production expanding, and devastating fire and floods becoming more frequent, the scale of these threats underscores the warnings given by political and scientific leaders all those years ago – and the amount of wasted time.
For more, read the full feature:
Updated
Pregnant women and infants to get free RSV vaccine under expanded national program
Pregnant women and babies will have greater protection against a condition known as respiratory syncytial virus as part of an expanded vaccination program.
The federal government will spend more than $174m to give pregnant women a free vaccine for RSV ahead of next winter, with national access also expanded for newborns and young children.
RSV is one of the leading causes of hospitalisation for young children, with 12,000 babies admitted each winter.
The health minister, Mark Butler, told Sky News on Sunday that the expanded vaccination scheme would help to keep 10,000 babies out of hospital each year.
We’ve seen about 160,000 cases of RSV recorded over the course of this winter, half of them were under-four-year-olds. It really hits under-two-year-olds very, very hard.
This [vaccination] program we think will cut that hospitalisation rate [for babies] up to 90%, a huge win for families.
RSV is a respiratory virus that affects the nose, throat and lungs, with infants being most at risk.
Butler said immunisations for pregnant women significantly reduces the risk of RSV in children under six months.
Our combination approach, in partnership with each state and territory, will ensure that every single infant in Australia is protected ahead of the winter RSV season.
This is a world-leading approach to reduce the impact of RSV on babies.
– AAP
Updated
Greens to introduce bill to give Great Australian Bight world heritage status
The federal Greens will push for the Great Australian Bight to be given world heritage Protection status to protect the unique biodiversity in the area.
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young will announce the introduction of a new bill to protect “a vast array of marine life, including treasured whale species and sea lions” on Sunday in a joint press conference with South Australian Greens MLC Rob Simms and Sarah Luscombe, Greens candidate in the Black by-election.
The move follows industry efforts in recent years to drill for oil and gas in the Bight, raising concerns about the potential risk posed by oil spills, particularly on sensitive whale nurseries in the area.
Hanson-Young said the federal bill offers “a chance to protect and celebrate just how beautiful our Bight and coastline is”.
The Great Australian Bight is a precious part of South Australia and it should be protected from oil drilling and pollution forever.
The Great Australian Bight is a South Australian icon. It has global significance because of the vast array of unique marine life, including treasured whale species and sea lions that live there. 85% of the species that live in the Bight are found nowhere else on Earth.
Both the Federal and State Governments have been too slow in protecting the area. I will introduce new laws to the Federal Parliament to fast-track protection for the Great Australian Bight with World Heritage status.
Updated
Trump win sends ‘very strong message’ to Albanese government, Michael Sukkar says
The opposition housing spokesman, Michael Sukkar, also spoke to Sky News, where he said the US election result had sent a clear message to the Australian government.
If we look at the electorate in the United States and the cost-of-living issues that they were dealing with, it’s pretty clear that Australians are dealing with it at a much worse level.
It sends a very strong message to this government. This government has been very distracted.
While past comments from the prime minister that were critical of Trump emerged following the US election, Sukkar said he hoped the relationship between the two countries would strengthen.
The United States and Australia alliance transcends leaders, it transcends political parties.
We wish the prime minister the best and hope that he can do a little bit better than he’s done in the past.
- AAP
Updated
Trump tariffs might have ‘indirect’ impact on Australian economy, Butler says
Mark Butler said the relationship between Australia and the US will endure, regardless of who is in the White House.
However, he said Australia’s economy might be impacted by Trump’s plans to impose tariffs.
While Australian goods coming to the US may not be affected, tariffs applied to products from other countries could have flow-on effects.
The greater concern that we have about any impact of that sort of change on Australia’s economic interests is a more indirect impact about what it might do to global growth, to slow global growth even further, potentially to lift inflationary pressures in the global economy.
That would have more a knock-on effect on Australia, rather than a direct change to the US-Australia trading arrangements.
- AAP
Updated
Health minister says Trump election shows voters ‘focused overwhelmingly on cost of living’
Donald Trump’s comeback election victory is an indication voters want to see governments tackle cost-of-living issues, the health minister says.
Issues surrounding the economy and high inflation led Trump back to the White House at the US election, becoming the first president in more than 130 years to win non-consecutive terms in office.
With Australia’s federal election due to be held by May, Mark Butler told Sky News on Sunday that while there are differences in political systems, there are takeaways before voters head to the polls.
If you do take a lesson from the US election last week, it is the same lesson we take from other elections we’ve seen over the last 12 or 24 months, and that is voters want to see their governments focused overwhelmingly on cost of living.
Households (are) expressing a very clear view that they want their governments focused on them, they want their governments doing everything they responsibly can to help them through this cost-of-living crisis.
Anthony Albanese will meet with the outgoing US president, Joe Biden, at the G20 and Apec summits in South America later in the week.
- AAP
Updated
Renewable energy in focus as leaders gather in Peru for Apec summit
Transitioning to cleaner energy and working to reduce food wastage will feature at a major Asia-Pacific summit as world leaders prepare to meet in Peru.
Peru is hosting the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) between Sunday and Saturday, with Anthony Albanese to attend later in the summit.
Peru’s ambassador to Australia, Vitaliano Gallardo, has been working to bolster economic co-operation, with the South American nation pushing for more investment in its mining and critical mineral sectors.
The Apec grouping brings together more than 20 economies to promote trade and investment.
Albanese has dismissed concerns a Donald Trump presidency would hinder a renewables rollout, pointing to Apec and sideline meetings – including with Indonesia’s leader – as evidence of international co-operation on the issue.
The summit was “a useful forum for dialogue but it’s not a decision-making forum” that imposed binding agreements on members, the Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network convenor, Patricia Ranald, said.
Ranald expects a focus on the transition to renewable energy, with a broad interest in decarbonising.
They tend to make statements on what they agree on but I think there would be a shared interest in the transition to low-carbon, green energy economies.
There’s certainly a lot of interest in mining critical minerals.
Given there was a session during the summit focusing on Indigenous people, Dr Ranald said she hoped their rights would be put front and centre of the debate around increased mining.
- AAP
Updated
‘“What have you done for me today” is how Donald Trump sees the world’
On whether or not Anthony Albanese or the US ambassador, Kevin Rudd, might be in trouble for what they have previously said about Trump on social media, Edel says what people had said in the past is not as important as what they are promising to do going forward.
What you said about Donald Trump in the past is less important to Donald Trump than what you are saying about him in the future, otherwise he would not have JD Vance as his vice president at this point. You can say horrible things about him and depending on what you are willing to say, “what have you done for me today” is how Donald Trump sees the world.
Updated
Australia-US trade deficit ‘matters enormously’ to Trump, says thinktank chair
Edel says he believes Australia “is in a good position to advocate for itself”
It has a trade deficit with the United States. For reasons that only Donald Trump knows, this matters enormously to him, and so that is something, but, and I think this is true, whether or not we are talking about Aukus or about tariffs, Donald Trump has to hear the case directly from Australia. It is my personal relationships matter a lot. The fact that Australia runs a deficit with the United States should be a pretty good argument for their case, but they have to make that case with facts and figures directly to Trump himself.
Edel has re-emphasised that uncertainty will be a feature of the Trump administration as “Donald Trump loves being unpredictable” and “prides himself on this”. Edel believes that “in Donald Trump’s mind that creates deterrence” when dealing with other nations he considers adversaries.
The challenge of course is, first of all, with adverse areas, if they don’t know what your red lines are, if you are not clear about communicating those, you might find you have crept right over one. And with allies, they hear the same messages. An uncertain, unpredictable America is one that is very hard for allies to line up next to, so what is his unpredictability? Is it a strength, is it a liability? It is both, and it will be quite challenging to navigate this.
Updated
Language of ‘resilient infrastructure’ may replace ‘climate change’ under Trump
On the climate crisis, Edel says that the US “will not be a leader on climate change under Donald Trump”.
I don’t think that is a surprise to anyone.
Edel says this is an issue given that climate change has been identified by Pacific leaders as the number one security threat.
It strikes me as this is going to be challenging. Particularly when you banish the term climate change from political lexicon. But when we begin to think about and talk about other things that will take place, like resilient infrastructure, that is something that Pacific will get behind and potentially a Trump administration can get behind too.
Given the centrality of the climate crisis to Australia’s engagement with Pacific Island countries, Edel is asked about what pressure that may put on the US-Australia relationship. He says a recognised need to secure critical minerals supply and growing renewable energy generation means the issue of climate breakdown is “not going to go away simply because they become too profitable”.
In the end, Edel says it all comes back to trade.
That is not going to go away. Trump and those in his orbit are very strong on this.
Updated
Trump ‘should be able to get behind’ Aukus
On Aukus, Edel says that a Trump administration may be more amenable to maintaining the new alliance grouping, as it plays into his demand that individual countries engage in more self-reliance.
It depends how well Australia can prosecute its case to Trump. Aukus looks like a deal that he should be able to get behind. Not only is Australia investing in the United States but this is a classic example of allies doing more for themselves and alongside the United States.
Edel is asked about what will happen with the submarine program given that it is the next president who may ultimately decide to go ahead with the deal. Speers suggests that Donald Trump could still “kill the deal” in the meantime.
He could. I think we have to be honest about that. But there are a couple of other things we need to consider. First of all, the president is not the only one who has a say. Congress actually sets the budget so there is a budgetary question here, too, about how high defence budgets are set and more importantly, the clause that you referred to, is whether or not the United States is producing enough capabilities. We have mandates for how many submarines, how many aircraft carriers, how many destroyers, the US is supposed to have.
Updated
Edel: Taiwan in ‘very dangerous position’ under Trump 2.0
Asked about what the US may do regarding the future of Taiwan, Edel says a second Trump administration will be marked by uncertainty as it is unclear how his thinking will translate into action.
Edel says that Trump’s national security advisor “didn’t care that much for Taiwan”.
And sometimes we hear words out of [Trump’s] mouth that make it look like it is a bargaining chip to use against China. That is a very dangerous position for Taiwan itself. We’ve also heard words from those in Trump’s circle that they expect the Taiwanese to vastly ramp up their own spending on their own defences so it is a different picture of what we’re about for Taiwan and one that we think is much more perilous in some ways.
Asked if Taiwan should be nervous, Edel says:
Taiwan has a lot of work to do for itself and with the Trump administration.
Updated
Trump likely to take more “competitive approach” to international issues, thinktank head Charles Edel says
ABC Insiders host David Speers is speaking to Charles Edel, Australia chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, about what a new Donald Trump administration means for Australia.
Edel, an analyst who focuses on the US-Australian relationship, says a second Trump administration will view China as a competitor on the international stage.
What things will begin to look at, is enhanced military posture around the region, it was a more competitive approach to technological competition.
We talked about the economic space, and one of the things that I heard rather regularly from those serving in the administration was we’re going to take a competitive on every issue and that means in international institutions like the United Nations where China has taken over seats like on the Human Rights Council, in the World Health Organization and other places, so it is an issue-by-issue specific question about what the exact policy will look like. But I think it is a starting point to assess that Trump will look to be bringing a range of options to that discussion.
Edel says there will be a “more robust set of policies” on trade policy, particularly tariffs – an issue that will affect Australia.
Updated
ABC Insiders host David Speers is in Washington where he is covering the aftermath of the US presidential election campaign.
He will speak to Charles Edel, the Australia Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, about what a Trump sequel will mean for Australia.
Coming up on #ABCInsiders with David Speers:
— ABC News (@abcnews) November 9, 2024
• Charles Edel interviewed🔎
• 📸 Nick Bryant
• 🛋️ Sarah Ferguson and Charles Croucher
See you at 9am #auspol pic.twitter.com/8yoouNQUJX
Updated
Northern states to swelter as heatwave continues
More than half of Australia is sweating through a heatwave, with scorching temperatures in Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory expected this weekend.
Huge stretches of northern Australia had been warned by the Bureau of Meteorology to expect heatwave conditions stretching into next week.
A severe heatwave warning was current for much of inland Queensland, with extreme and severe heatwave conditions affecting Richmond, Longreach, Roma and Charleville.
Much of the area would see high temperatures stretch all the way up to Friday, with Mount Isa expected to reach maximums above 39C all week.
Brisbane was now experiencing a “low intensity” heatwave with warm temperatures to continue until Friday.
In the Northern Territory, heatwave conditions were affecting Timber Creek, which was due to hit 43C, and Katherine, where the mercury could top out at 42C.
In Western Australia, much of the north coast was gripped by the heatwave, with Broome and Derby feeling the worst temperatures.
For more, read the full report by Guardian Australia’s Mostafa Rachwani:
Updated
Good morning
And welcome to another Sunday Guardian live blog.
Half the country will sweat through a heatwave on Sunday, with scorching temperatures expected across Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. The Bureau of Meteorology has warned huge swathes of outback Australia will roast with the mercury hitting the 40s in some parts.
Anthony Albanese will be jetting off to South America this week to meet regional leaders for a major Asia-Pacific summit. The annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) meeting between representatives of 20 economies to promote trade and investment kicks off in Peru today.
I’m Royce Kurmelovs and I’ll be taking the blog through the day.
With that, let’s get started ...
