What we learned: Friday 19 August
And with that, we will close the blog for the day. Here’s what happened today:
Former prime minister Scott Morrison went on a meme spree last night, sharing and engaging with various jokes on his secret ministerial portfolios, adding that he was “feeling amused.”
The prime minister Anthony Albanese said the issues were not a “laughing matter”, joining another day of former and current parliamentarians sharing their thoughts on the matter, including Amanda Vanstone, Malcolm Turnbull, Angus Taylor and Sussan Ley.
Chris Bowen, the federal climate and energy minister, told the EV summit in Canberra that the previous government’s policy failures have made electric vehicles unaffordable for Australians.
Queensland police deputy commissioner Paul Taylor announced his resignation over lewd comments allegedly made at a police leadership conference in April.
Northern Territory police found missing five-year-old Grace Hughes in good health.
New South Wales Labor upper house MP Walt Secord announced he won’t contest the next state election after previously standing down from the party’s shadow cabinet amid allegations he bullied staff.
A group of Victorian coronavirus quarantine staff threw their colleague a farewell gathering during lockdown, prompting their employer to report them to police.
Australia will provide an additional $25m to help Sri Lanka meet urgent food and healthcare needs, as the country struggles with its worst economic crisis in 70 years.
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Wonderful to hear from women from across the Torres Strait at the leadership forum this morning on Horn Island. pic.twitter.com/pwqWPVIddj
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) August 19, 2022
And as always, Amanda Meade’s Weekly Beast is a must-read, this week covering the media scramble around Scott Morrison’s secret ministerial portfolios:
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Skills and training minister says skilled migration ‘not the solution for everything’
Skills and training minister, Brendan O’Connor, has told the Australian newspaper that migrant visas aren’t a “magic-wand solution” to labour shortages across the country.
His comments come as the government gears up for its Jobs and Skills Summit next month, saying the country should “do better in training our own workforce”.
There is a big focus on skilled migration because it’s something that can be done quickly, but it’s not without its problems. It’s not the solution for everything.
In net terms, skilled migration is great for the economy and society. But you have to think about how it impacts on communities.
Australian workers rightly say, ‘What about us?’ We say we need to invest and give you chances. It’s not just getting into the labour market, and progressing by acquiring skills, (but it’s also) accessing training providers in new areas that are growing.
There’s a global competition for skilled labour. Not everyone will return even if we invite them back.
Some would be going home anyway in a time of crises (those that left during the pandemic). But they fled because it was starve or leave. By giving no support, people just took off.
Updated
Building on the below, you can read Eden Gillespie’s story on the Paul Taylor’s resignation from the Queensland police force:
⚠️ #FloodWarning issued for #KingRiver. Minor flooding may develop at Docker Road Bridge Friday evening. See https://t.co/7ztDwxG1bi for details and updates; follow advice from @vicemergency. #VicFloods @VicSESnews pic.twitter.com/ZTCb6vf4oS
— Bureau of Meteorology, Victoria (@BOM_Vic) August 19, 2022
QPS deputy commissioner resigns over comments allegedly made at police leadership conference
In breaking news this afternoon, Queensland police deputy commissioner, Paul Taylor, has announced his resignation over lewd comments allegedly made at a police leadership conference in April.
The comments were raised at the commission of inquiry into domestic and family violence.
In a statement released this afternoon, Taylor apologised for his comments and said he was “devastated” about the impact his comments have had on the reputation of the police force:
Yesterday, an incident I was involved in at a conference was brought to the attention of the Commission of Inquiry into QPS responses to domestic and family violence.
I am devastated about the impact this has had on the reputation of the Service, because it does not reflect my values, nor those of the organisation.
It was never my intention to offend anyone, and I am deeply apologetic for the harm it has caused. I was remorseful immediately after the incident, and the Commissioner addressed the matter with me soon after.
We will have more details on this story soon.
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Morrison’s secret portfolios not a ‘grave attack on democracy’, says Amanda Vanstone
Former Liberal senator Amanda Vanstone has waded into the discussions surrounding Scott Morrison’s secret ministerial portfolio, saying that she didn’t think it was a “dramatic attack on our democracy”.
Vanstone, who served as immigration minister between 2003 and 2007, and who was known for clashing with the then prime minister, added that she did think there were some “fairly serious questions that need to be answered,” in an interview with Radio National earlier:
I don’t think this is amusing. I think there are some fairly serious questions that need to be answered.
But nor do I think it’s a dramatic attack on our democracy. It’s someone who gave themselves the opportunity to make decisions without telling their colleagues. I don’t call that a grave attack on democracy, but I think his behaviour is not consistent with good cabinet government.
So I don’t think it’s one or the other. I mean, people often try and present issues as being, you know, black or white, who’s right who’s wrong? I think the answer lies somewhere in between.
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Process of London trade role appointment ‘far worse’ than circumstances of John Barilaro’s, says Daniel Mookhey
Earlier today, NSW opposition treasury spokesman, Daniel Mookhey, described the process that landed Stephen Cartwright a lucrative London trade role as “far worse” than the controversy surrounding John Barilaro’s New York appointment.
Mookhey was on Sky News, and said he found it “disturbing” that Dominic Perrottet and John Barilaro were involved in the process:
We had evidence that suggested that Mr Cartwright had negotiated directly with John Barilaro about precisely what he should be paid.
He believed he had an agreement with John Barilaro and Dominic Perrottet to pay him a massive salary outside the NSW public service rules to also cover his school fees, to also cover his accommodation and to also cover his cleaning.
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Russian embassy says Australia ‘was not eager at all’ to ensure new building’s security against Australian espionage
Earlier this week, a federal planning authority revoked the Russian government’s lease over a block of land in Yarralumla, a wealthy Canberra suburb where it was building its new embassy.
The decision has prompted a war of words and threats of legal action from the Russian embassy. News Corp also reported that the Russian government had attempted to bring in contractors to oversee the work, but they were blocked due to fears of links to Russian intelligence.
In fresh comments to the Guardian, a spokesperson for the embassy suggested the Australian government had continually attempted to frustrate its attempts to protect itself from Australian espionage.
In today’s world embassies are built to certain standards of security including protection against espionage by the receiving country. Without going into details and to put it mildly, the Australian side was not eager at all to ensure that in respect of the new building of the Russian Embassy in Canberra.
The lease was terminated by the National Capital Authority earlier this week due to the so-called “use it or lose it” policy over diplomatic land. The NCA said the Russian government had failed to complete the works since leasing the block in 2008 and getting approval for its building in 2011.
The unfinished works, the NCA said, were an eyesore. The Russian embassy in response said it was obtaining legal advice about the decision.
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NSW MP Walt Secord won’t contest next state election
New South Wales Labor upper house MP Walt Secord has announced he won’t contest the next state election after previously standing down from the party’s shadow cabinet amid allegations he bullied staff.
Secord released a statement on Friday saying he would not seek another term in parliament.
Last week he issued an apology amid allegations he bullied staff in the office of former Labor leader Jodi McKay. After initially saying he was not aware of any complaints, the current leader, Chris Minns, said on Monday that he had subsequently become aware of concerns about Secord’s behaviour.
Secord was to face a preselection battle next month, and Minns refused to endorse him when asked about it this week.
In a statement, Secord said he had made the decision after discussions with his “wife, friends and supporters”.
Saying he would “continue to work inside the Labor party”, he seemed to offer a parting shot at McKay, saying:
I believe that the NSW Labor leader Chris Minns provides the best opportunity – particularly in the last four years – for NSW Labor to be re-elected to government.
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Labor to provide $900m to support hospital emergency departments
Earlier this morning, in amid his various interviews, the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, addressed long waits in emergency department tents, saying they “shouldn’t occur”.
Albanese was on Sunrise, and said the government was providing $900m to alleviate some of the long waits:
The federal government is providing additional resources to the state hospital systems and one of my first acts as prime minister was to convene a national cabinet and extend additional funding of some $900m.
The federal government stands ready to work with state and territory governments on health issues. We want to strengthen Medicare. One of the things placing additional pressure on our emergency departments in our hospital system is the fact people can’t see a local GP, so we’ve got a plan about primary healthcare and also about urgent healthcare clinics ... that will be bulk billed.
We will continue to work through these issues because these circumstances shouldn’t occur in a country like Australia in 2022.
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Labor considering Coalition’s proposed tweaks to pension rules
Labor frontbencher Jason Clare says a Coalition proposal to allow retirees to work additional hours is “on the table.”
It comes as the Coalition pressures the government to tweak pension rules and allow retirees to avoid being financially penalised for working, with an eye on tackling the labor shortage.
Here is what Clare told Channel 7 about the issue:
It’s on the table. It’s one of the things we should look at. Cheaper childcare (which we floated during the election) is a good idea as well because thousands and thousands of mums and dads aren’t going to work because childcare is expensive. If we can make childcare cheaper, that’ll work as well.
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Good afternoon and happy Friday, Mostafa Rachwani with you from rainy Sydney today, and a quick thanks to Natasha May for a stellar job this morning.
I am bidding you adieu and handing over to the wonderful Mostafa Rachwani who will see you into your Friday afternoon.
Five-year-old who was missing in NT found safe
Northern Territory police have found missing five-year-old Grace Hughes in good health.
In a statement police said:
Grace and her mother had been missing since Sunday 7 August when she was abducted from the Berrimah area.
Grace is receiving a medical check but is physically in good health.
Her mother is currently assisting police with their inquiries.
Police would like to thank those members of our community who provided information that helped us to find Grace.
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AGL’s profit falls, while search for a new chief executive continues
Australia’s largest generator AGL Energy has posted a slump in full-year profit amid “unprecedented” market conditions even as it continues to search for a new boss, AAP reports.
The outgoing chief executive, Graeme Hunt, told an investor briefing today:
The second half has been one of the most challenging and complex periods in AGL’s operating history.
Hunt said the selection process to appoint a new chair is “well-advanced” and would be announced before an annual general meeting in November, and the global search for a managing director and chief executive officer was still under way.
The leadership team quit after billionaire shareholder Mike Cannon-Brookes scuppered the energy giant’s planned demerger, which would have created an energy retailer and hived off ageing coal-fired operations.
Hunt said the Newcastle liquefied natural gas storage facility near Tomago has been pulled from the market after an unsuccessful sale process.
AGL’s bottom line net profit for the 2021/22 financial year was $860m, including $486m on impairments, revalued contracts and costs associated with its cancelled restructure.
Underlying net profit slumped 58% to $225m and underlying earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation was $1.22bn, down 27% from a year ago.
Shares in AGL fell 5.3%, or 44 cents, to $7.72 in afternoon trade on a cloudy outlook.
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Victorian Covid quarantine workers partied in lockdown
A group of Victorian coronavirus quarantine staff threw their colleague a farewell gathering during lockdown, prompting their employer to report them to police, AAP reports.
The gathering happened after work hours on 4 June last year at a back office site for Covid-19 Quarantine Victoria, which is responsible for the state’s quarantine program.
The agency was told about the social gathering, a spokesperson confirmed.
The workers involved were stood down and interviewed by police over possible breaches of the chief health officer’s directions.
After police looked into the gathering, the matter was referred back to the agency.
The office was never used as a quarantine facility, the agency said.
The small group of staff was internally investigated and counselled, with most having stayed no longer than about an hour after their shift.
The agency found misconduct and took action against employees “where appropriate”, the spokesperson said.
[Covid-19 Quarantine Victoria] imposes the strictest possible infection prevention and control and other safety measures on its staff and expects them and any relevant health directions to be followed at all times.
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‘Opportunities are collapsing around us’, Kylea Tink tells EV summit
The national electric vehicle summit continues today in Canberra where the government has committed to a discussion paper to develop its EV strategy.
Many of the independent candidates who campaigned on a platform of stronger climate action are in attendance.
The independent MP for north Sydney, Kylea Tink, said Australia needs to take action urgently as “the market opportunities are collapsing around us.”
“We don’t have three to five years to kick it (EV policies) around. The market opportunities are collapsing around us. If we don’t do it, others will.” @kyleatink #EVSummit pic.twitter.com/2gdFwOUQCJ
— Dr Sophie Scamps MP (@SophieScamps) August 19, 2022
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Wallabies defence coach quits ahead of South Africa Tests
More coaching news breaking today.
The wallabies defence coach, Matt Taylor, has cut ties with the team as they start preparations for two Rugby Championship Tests against South Africa, AAP reports.
The Wallabies are coming off a record 47-17 loss to Argentina last round although Rugby Australia announced Taylor had decided to step away from international rugby for “personal reasons”.
Head coach, Dave Rennie, and Taylor agreed the time was right for him to “commit his focus to some personal matters”.
Rennie said:
Matt is a great man with a strong work ethic, who is well respected within the Wallabies environment and we will miss him.
Taylor joined the Wallabies before the 2020 season after a long stint with the Scotland national side, spending more than a decade and more than 110 Tests as an assistant coach. The 49-year-old said:
While this was an extremely difficult decision, I know it’s the right one for me and my family at this point in time.
I’m looking forward to spending more time with them and look forward to getting back into coaching when the time is right.
The Wallabies haven’t announced his replacement.
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Seal breaks into New Zealand home and hangs out on couch
A curious young seal has been returned to the sea after breaking into a New Zealand home, harassing the resident cat, hanging about in the hallway for a couple of hours while the children slept upstairs, and miraculously ruining nothing.
The Ross family of Mt Maunganui were more than a little surprised to find the New Zealand fur seal in their home, which is about 150m from the shore, on Wednesday morning.
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PM opposes sentence reduction for Bali bomb-maker
At a press conference in Rockhampton the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has reiterated Australia’s opposition to the reduction of the sentence of the Bali bombing bomb-maker, Umar Patek.
Albanese said Australia will “continue to make representations to the Indonesian government, as we continue to make representations about Australians kept in Indonesian jails”.
He noted the Indonesian system allow sentences to be reduced around anniversaries, but said “when it comes to someone who committed such a heinous crime – the designer and maker of bombs designed to kill people, to kill and maim – we have a strong view”.
He said:
Indonesia is a sovereign nation, but we put our view in the strongest possible terms ... My message is to all Australians my sympathies are with you not to the terrorist who committed this abhorrent action.
Albanese also spoke about the voice to parliament, describing his trip to the Torres Strait as a “huge success” in which he encountered “unanimous support” for the voice.
He said Torres Strait Islanders “want to make sure the voice of a minority within a minority can also be heard through those structures”.
Albanese said Indigenous Australians are “very positive and hopeful” about the voice; they “want to be heard” and to close the gap in outcomes with non-Indigenous Australians.
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Sussan Ley defends Scott Morrison’s meme-spree
The deputy opposition leader, Sussan Ley, has defended Scott Morrison’s meme-spree last night, saying it is a “great Australian tradition” to “take the mickey.”
Ley was on 2GB earlier, and she insisted Morrison had done enough to apologise on the subject, and urged Anthony Albanese to move on, clearly feeling the criticisms had stung the Liberals:
It’s a great Australian tradition, taking the mickey out of yourself.
I think the rest of the country is joining in by sharing these memes and creating quite a few themselves.
It’s fair to say that [Morrison] has reflected on it. He’s issued a long statement, he’s had a long press conference, and he’s talked to colleagues about it.
For four days [the prime minister] has been issuing a spray on this subject. Not one comment or reassurance about bringing the price of your mortgage down, or your grocery bill down, or the cost of fuel and power.
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‘Spend the political capital’: Zoe Daniels on EVs
More from the EV Summit in Canberra where other states and the ACT have had ministers backing in electrical vehicles.
Labor’s ACT chief minister, Andrew Barr, says “everyone is travelling in the same direction, so you can put your foot on the accelerator”. He notes that many jurisdictions were waiting to see the results of the federal election, and his government had stepped up EV efforts in the wake of the change in May.
Speed does seem to be the essence, and the independent federal MP from Melbourne’s bayside electorate of Goldstein, Zoe Daniel, said there’s no reason for the federal government to drag out the consultation period.
Daniel told us on the sidelines of the event:
I’d [like] to see it come before the end of the year.
A lot of evidence is already known, so there’s not a lot of new news.
“We’re in the unfortunate position of being way behind” other nations, she said, but could take advantage of policies already in place. Certainty for industry is needed, as is rolling back red tape.
High petrol costs had elevated conversation about EVs, including a groundswell of support. Daniels said:
It’s in my community already.
Understandably this government is quite risk averse because of the various culture wars we’ve been stuck in for many years
Climate and EVs are among those battles, of course. She said:
Things can change very quickly in politics.
They’ve come on this climate wave, [and] the community’s largely behind it. Spend the political capital, get it done.
What we’re trying to do is positive, so it should generate more positive political capital.
I don’t see a lot of risk in this particular aspect of it.
The new MP is on the waiting list for an EV, as it happens.
As for the multitasker in chief, Daniel said she was “in favour of some sort of investigation” of Scott Morrison’s five secret ministry posts to find out “who knew what, when”, and the advice that was given. Daniel will wait to see the results of the government’s “small investigation” on Monday before deciding on what steps will follow.
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Australians clinch win against US in ocean swim race
Australia’s clash with the US in the swimming, the “Duel in the Pool”, began in Sydney on Friday with an open water 4x800m relay at Bondi beach.
Some of the nation’s best swimmers, including Emma McKeon, Kaylee McKeown and Mack Horton, gathered at Icebergs to watch their compatriots battle it out in the choppy ocean below. Each leg of the relay was one lap of the beach.
Australia came from behind to clinch a narrow victory, anchored home by rising star Kyle Lee.
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Apology from Morrison unnecessary: Angus Taylor
The shadow treasurer, Angus Taylor, who was one of the ministers who Scott Morrison effectively shadowed by being appointed industry minister, has said it is unnecessary for the former PM to apologise.
Taylor told 2GB Radio:
I didn’t make too much of it. I had a very good working relationship with the prime minister. He could have overridden me in many ways if he didn’t like what I was doing – but he never did that. It shouldn’t become a distraction, with rising inflation, interest rates, [and the difficulty] making ends meet. I fear it continues to be a distraction from those issues that really matter ... It’s completely unnecessary [for him] to apologise.
Taylor said he has been clear that he didn’t know Morrison did this, and accused Labor of “hypocrisy” for saying Morrison had to take responsibility for everything.
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South Australia records two Covid deaths and 239 people in hospital
There were 1,062 new cases in the last reporting period, and seven people are in intensive care.
South Australian COVID-19 update 19/08/22.
— SA Health (@SAHealth) August 19, 2022
For more information, go to https://t.co/XkVcAmerhn pic.twitter.com/I2AnGURUK6
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WA records five Covid deaths and 245 people in hospital
There were 1,760 new cases in the last reporting period, and seven people are in intensive care.
Authorities said:
Sadly, today’s report includes five deaths, which were reported to WA Health yesterday – dating back to 13 May.
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Retired judge fined for accident which resulted in driver’s legs being amputated
A retired South Australian judge and state coroner has been fined for causing an accident which resulted in a delivery driver having both of his legs amputated, ABC is reporting.
Wayne Chivell pleaded guilty to an aggravated count of careless driving.
Magistrate Wells said the offence involved a “fleeting moment of inattention” and it was clear what happened was a “tragic accident”.
Reporter Candice Prosser was at the Adelaide magistrates court where the retired judge, who had spent his long legal career in court rooms, was today fined $900. She told ABC:
In 2020, he bought themselves a Porsche at age 70. Last year, he was driving the car when he stopped to tell another motorist that the back door of his truck was opened.
She said the court heard as he went to go back into his own car, he accidentally hit the accelerator.
His car struck and trapped the 66-year-old delivery driver who went around the back of his truck to close the door. The truck driver had both legs amputated as a result of his extensive injuries.
The retired judge said:
All I can say is, that I’m extremely sorry for what happened. I’m very, very conscious of the pain and suffering that I’ve caused to him and his family. Something I very deeply regret.
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Children’s book prize winner a coup for diversity
Returning to her old school for her daughter’s parent teacher interview, author Rebecca Lim had what she describes as a brain snap, AAP reports.
The teacher presented a “personally tailored” year seven booklist featuring Playing Beatie Bow, Picnic at Hanging Rock, and The Getting of Wisdom – the very same classics Lim read at the school more than 30 years ago. She told AAP.
There’s all these other authors out there now, who have far more diverse viewpoints … the fact we’re still pushing the same things to kids after all these years is a little bit dispiriting.
Lim’s daughter told her to do something about it, and the resulting book Tiger Daughter has now won the book of the year award for older readers at the Children’s Book Council of Australia awards announced today. Lim said:
Utter amazement has probably been the feeling throughout all this because I just wasn’t expecting to win it... there’s some pretty dark topics in there.
Tiger Daughter tells the story of Chinese only child Wen, who feels she is a disappointment to her parents.
But when a friend retreats into his shell after something happens to his mother, she tries to rescue him, and in the process helps everyone around her.
The book, which Lim’s two daughters helped illustrate, explores culturally-based domestic violence and also sneaks in a critique of Confucianist philosophy.
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Weekly Beast probes what the Australian’s buried scoop tells us about the Morrison saga
Amanda Meade’s always excellent weekly column is out and it tackles what was of course the biggest story this week – Scott Morrison’s secret ministries.
With so much coverage since the story broke, it’s likely you may have missed exactly how that happened. Meade reports:
The Weekend Australian had the scoop of the year about Scott Morrison’s unprecedented grab for power. But the paper may just have buried the lede, running five paragraphs off page one and splashing instead with a story about John Howard. Perhaps the broadsheet’s underplaying of the story is why the nation’s media largely ignored the bombshell for 48 hours.
The Australian had the first exclusive extract from Plagued, a new book by its political editor, Simon Benson, and chief political correspondent, Geoff Chambers, in the Inquirer section. The accompanying news story ran on page two.
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Half of Volkswagen customers asking about EVs, summit hears
More from the EV summit, where the chief executive of the Volkswagen Group in Australia, Paul Sansom, just said that one in two customers walking into the group’s 180 dealerships are asking about electric vehicles.
By the end of 2030, half of VW cars across 14 brands will be EVs – and by 2040, it’ll be 100%. (I suspect the wave of innovation and mass production out of China and elsewhere will bring those dates forward.)
(Now, it would be nice if only they could expedite bringing more of their models here. This correspondent was recently in Germany – and even passed VW’s giant Wolfsburg HQ on a train. Will spare you the holiday snaps.)
We also heard from NSW’s energetic energy minister and treasurer, Matt Kean, who was among the first ministers in the country to get an EV staff car.
Kean made a point working with “peers and colleagues across the political aisle” in jurisdictions around the nation “who are continuing to push reform to support the uptake of EVs”.
Kean, a Liberal, did not have a warm relationship with Angus Taylor, the former energy minister in the Morrison government, famously not informing him of Origin Energy‘s plan to accelerate the closure of Eraring the nation’s biggest coal-fired power plant prior to the company going public.
Anyway, shifting to EVs is “absolutely essential to our emission reduction goals”, with the state aiming to halve 2005-level carbon emissions by 2030. Transport accounts for 20% of NSW’s emissions, with almost 50% of those coming from passenger vehicles, Kean said.
Apart from aiming for NSW to be the “best place in Australia” to own an EV, Kean also noted there’s $250m available to boost local component manufacturing for EVs in the state. It will be distributed according to “a reverse-auction process”, and the state is open for bids.
Expect more on manufacturing EV parts later in the day when federal minister for industry and science, Ed Husic, chimes in.
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EU willing to help plug Australia’s capability gap
The European Union’s outgoing ambassador to Australia says the bloc remains ready and willing to sell Canberra military equipment to plug any capability gaps arising from the cancellation of a French submarine contract, AAP reports.
The first nuclear-propelled submarines to be delivered by the US or UK under the new Aukus agreement will not be ready for more than a decade.
The EU ambassador, Michael Pulch, said:
There is a long-standing defence cooperation between European Union and Australia.
Frigate purchases, petrol boats ... and armoured vehicles do come from Europe and we continue to work together in that defence cooperation space.
Europe has developed top-notch technology they’ll prepare to export to like-minded countries like Australia.
But Pulch says while Europe remains open to exporting arms to Australia, open tender processes are being followed. He said:
It is, of course, decisions by the Australian government – which kind of armament or weaponry they choose.
We are not as the European Union proposing this. There are tenders that have to be done by the Australian government and then decided upon what offers they get.
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Chris Bowen dismisses carbon tax comparisons with EV policy
Just a bit more on Chris Bowen’s comments at the EV summit in Canberra.
After his formal speech, Bowen told journalists that more than 80% of cars were sold in nations with fuel-emissions standards – and Australia was not in that majority (and nor was Russia).
The point of the consultation paper is to foster “strong feedback” and “good ideas” from the community, industry and beyond. “This is the way of the future, and we’re taking the next big step on the journey,” he said.
Bowen dismissed comments from “a Queensland senator“ that the policy would end the ute and serve up a “carbon tax“. “Australians are over that sort of cheap, dishonest, pathetic sort of politics,” he said, adding it wasn’t a carbon tax.
(Of course, a carbon tax that reflected the damage/cost of carbon emissions would actually quicken the transition from fossil fuels – but that’s not part of the tale.)
The consultation period would be roughly as long as the one for the safeguard mechanism. That one was released yesterday and will be open until 20 September, implying about a month might be expected for the EV one once it’s released next month.
The results, though, would then be taken to cabinet before a policy is settled on. Bowen said:
I’m not going to give a timetable on it.
Another query was about a tweet from another attendee at the EV summit, independent senator David Pocock, who raised the issue of seeking to curb emissions from industry while promoting fossil-fuel developments.
On the same day the government released a discussion paper on the safeguard mechanism (to reduce emissions) they also called for expressions of interest for new offshore oil and gas exploration 🤔
— David Pocock (@DavidPocock) August 18, 2022
Time to get serious about climate - more ambition, more action. https://t.co/UaF5Z2OCqa
So, is the government tapping the brake on emissions with the safeguard efforts (and the EV promotion) while tapping the accelerator on new gas or oil projects?
Bowen said:
That’s a standard departmental process.
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Building-sector woes to be targeted in jobs and skills summit
This morning the federal infrastructure minister Catherine King and NSW premier Dominic Perrottet are speaking at the site where construction of the western Sydney airport is taking place.
King said the lack of builders and building supplies is adding to inflationary pressures, and will be a focus of the upcoming jobs and skills summit.
King said one of the solutions was encouraging greater diversity in the sector, including female participation.
This morning, @SenKatyG and I toured the site of the future Western Sydney Airport to see the progress being made.
— Catherine King MP (@CatherineKingMP) August 19, 2022
The WSA will be a huge economic boost for the region and provide employment opportunities close to home for people in Western Sydney. pic.twitter.com/hCfF3Wbu5t
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Consultation paper for national EV strategy out, but no timeline for policy change
The EV summit’s keynote speech from energy minister Chris Bowen was generally well-received by an audience that is pretty pro-electric vehicles – as you might expect.
There’s no doubt the industry sector had been left all but vacant - at least at a federal level. (The ACT’s 2035 ban on sales of internal combustion light vehicles among those.)
Bowen announced that a consultation paper on EVs and fuel standards will released next month, but did not give a time when he was looking at moving to a new policy. (One pessimistic attendee from the business sector said he was worried ‘we might be here again next year’ waiting for a policy.)
Still, the market is moving – whether Australia likes gas-guzzling utes or not. China’s the world’s biggest auto market and owes that growth to EVs.
China's EV sales have risen significantly since the start of 2020. (Source: @ANZ_Research ) pic.twitter.com/nYYOdeQJar
— Peter Hannam (@p_hannam) August 18, 2022
Michael Wood, NZ’s transport minister, meanwhile, told the summit that about 10% of new-car sales across the ditch were EVs (or about five times the proportion of sales in Australia.)
There is “a real risk”, Wood said, that countries not making the transition to EVs faced becoming the “dumping ground” for dirty, fuel-inefficient cars. (Bowen makes the same point, of course, likening Australia to Russia among nations without fuel-efficiency targets. We’re “a decade” behind Europe, he says.)
NZ has also mandated zero-emissions buses by 2025 and expects to phase out all internal combustion-powered buses by 2035.
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Queensland records 14 Covid deaths and 419 people in hospital.
There were 2,746 new cases in the last reporting period, and 16 people are in intensive care.
Today we have recorded 2,746 new COVID-19 cases.
— Queensland Health (@qldhealth) August 19, 2022
Sadly, we have reported 14 deaths in the past 24 hours.
Full details ➡️https://t.co/rKHIwrH8sQ pic.twitter.com/SC2z5Eh7vh
Australia edging towards 10m virus cases, as health experts prepare to swap pandemic notes with Israel
NSW and Victoria have recorded 49 COVID-19 deaths and more than 10,000 fresh infections combined as Australia edges towards 10 million official virus cases since the beginning of the pandemic, AAP reports.
There are around 185,000 active COVID cases nationwide, with that total declining daily as the Omicron wave continues to subside.
Fewer than 3700 virus patients remain in hospital care.
Meanwhile, NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant will join a team of delegates to Israel next month for a high-level information exchange on managing the pandemic.
Fifteen Australian public health experts and clinicians will meet with counterparts from Israel’s health and foreign affairs ministries, along with leading academics, to discuss ongoing handling of the viral disease.
A key objective is to develop more substantial partnerships that can inform continuing COVID-19 management and help prepare Australia, Israel and other nations for future public-health threats.
Both countries were hailed for their swift and effective responses to the pandemic in early 2020.
Australia announced 135 virus-related deaths on Thursday. There were also almost 20,000 new cases recorded, bringing the total tallied since the beginning of the pandemic to more than 9.88 million.
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Cloud almost 350km long graces skies across the Gulf of Carpentaria
Eyes to the sky in the #Gulf with a morning glory cloud, just shy of 350km long, rolling over the region. This phenomenon is most common during Sep-Nov but decided to make an early appearance this sunny Friday ☀️
— Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) August 19, 2022
How does this unique cloud form? Head to https://t.co/Du0BDym6wX 🤓 pic.twitter.com/4fxEO3Nbow
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AAP have more on the prime minister’s meeting with leading women in the Torres Strait on the second day of his visit to the region to gauge community feedback on an enshrined Indigenous voice to parliament.
Albanese will continue to consult with Indigenous representatives after meeting with the Torres Strait Regional Authority yesterday, as well as local government and council heads from the Torres Strait and Cape York.
He told the ABC:
I want to make sure that this is a successful referendum. Yesterday, I received unanimous support for the voice to parliament, unanimous support for constitutional recognition for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
State and territory ministers have agreed to back the Labor government’s work towards enshrining the voice in a referendum by the end of this term.
Indigenous minister Linda Burney told the ABC they’d all “absolutely and enthusiastically” committed to the referendum.
What was wonderful about that meeting is that we heard from each state and territory about their journey, about where they are with the implementation of truth, treaty and voice. I felt so enthusiastic after that meeting, and so positive because there really is a new dawn coming. I can feel it.
Burney also took aim at the opposition’s position about waiting for more detail before coming to a definitive conclusion.
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The prime minister is in the Torres Strait today, alongside minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney and senator Nita Green, attending a leadership forum on Horn Island.
During his visit, he will be discussing plans for a voice to parliament with Indigenous elders.
Wonderful to hear from women from across the Torres Strait at the leadership forum this morning on Horn Island. pic.twitter.com/pwqWPVIddj
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) August 19, 2022
@LindaBurneyMP, @nitagreenqld and I heard from year 12 students, CEOs and community elders about their priorities, and on how we can ensure female representation in the Voice to Parliament. pic.twitter.com/i0knj8b3aU
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) August 19, 2022
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The ACT records one Covid death
The ACT has released today’s Covid update, and there has been one further death detected, a man in his 90s.
There have been 258 new cases reported. There are 124 people being treated in hospital with the virus, including three in ICU.
ACT COVID-19 update – 19 August 2022
— ACT Health (@ACTHealth) August 19, 2022
🦠 COVID-19 case numbers
◾ New cases today: 258 (140 PCR and 118 RAT)
◾ Active cases: 2,054
◾ Total cases since March 2020: 199,919
ℹ For more detail, including an age breakdown of case numbers, please visit https://t.co/qRDoepyJkh pic.twitter.com/BemzjdeiR1
Sadly, ACT Health has been notified of the death of a man in his 90s with COVID-19. ACT Health extends its sincere condolences to his family and friends at this difficult time.
— ACT Health (@ACTHealth) August 19, 2022
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How is this for a commute to work? Drive 240km north-west of Melbourne to the outskirts of the town of Stawell. Near sheep grazing in unfenced fields, take a left and gear up: hard hat, steel-capped boots, glasses and an emergency self-rescuer – a portable oxygen source that looks like a cross between a hip flask and a hand grenade. Pass rumbling machinery and then descend 1,025 metres underground.
The office in question is the only one of its kind in the southern hemisphere: the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory (SUPL), where researchers will hunt for dark matter, the invisible substance thought to comprise around 85% of the universe.
The lab is officially open, and Guardian Australia recently visited with Prof Elisabetta Barberio, the director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics.
Read the full story here:
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Minister for climate change and energy Chris Bowen and transport minister Catherine King or “CK” have debuted their film careers driving around Canberra in an electric vehicle.
Featuring hit lines including “it’s a great Hyundai, I haven’t been in one of these, it’s a great car” and “look out for the consultation paper, folks”.
Two Ministers in an EV chatting about our plan to get more affordable EVs into the Australian market 🚙 🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/xwDypXceD4
— Chris Bowen (@Bowenchris) August 18, 2022
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AFL CEO Gil McLachlan says the body played “no role” in Alastair Clarkson’s decision to return to North Melbourne as head coach after weeks of negotiations.
NOW | AFL CEO Gil McLachlan on Alastair Clarkson's coaching decision:
— 3AW Melbourne (@3AW693) August 18, 2022
"Alastair had to make a decision on the basis of what the clubs put to him and we played no role in it."
This morning, it was confirmed Clarkson had agreed to a five-year deal with the Roos from 2023 after playing almost 100 games with the club in the 1980s and 1990s.
Dubbed the AFL’s “most wanted man”, speculation had been growing that Clarkson was in line to replace Bombers coach Ben Rutten after president Paul Brasher stepped down from his position.
He told Channel 10 it was “quite embarrassing” to be such a central figure in the saga.
𝐇𝐞'𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞.
— North Melbourne FC (@NMFCOfficial) August 18, 2022
Four-time premiership coach Alastair Clarkson has agreed to lead North Melbourne for the next five seasons.
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Previous government’s policy failures have made EVs unaffordable for Australians, Bowen says
Chris Bowen, the federal climate and energy minister, has kicked off the EV summit in Canberra.
It’s quite a gathering – including a range of politicians (teal MPs of course), but also the US ambassador to Australia, Caroline Kennedy.
Bowen opened with a quip about the US Inflation Reduction Act that recently passed Congress could have been the Inflation and Emissions Reduction Act.
There’s also a standard stump speech reminding the attendees of the previous government’s “decade of denial and delay” on all things climate, including electric vehicles.
Bowen said:
If the intent of an electric-car policy in Australia had been to limit the availability of choice for Australians and to make [EVs] more expensive than they need to be, that policy has been entirely successful.
The main point of the speech, though, as flagged by my colleague Adam Morton, is the plan to release a consultation paper on reducing transport emissions and boosting EV take-up in Australia.
Bowen said:
We believe that now is the time to have an orderly and sensible discussion about whether vehicle fuel efficiency standards could help improve the supply of electric vehicles into the Australian market, to address the cost-of-living impacts of inefficient cars, and to reduce emissions from the transport sector.
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Energy minister opens EV summit
The minister for energy and climate change, Chris Bowen, has begun his opening address at the electric vehicle summit in Canberra.
Bowen opens with a statement on the way climate change aggravates inequalities:
Two fundamental truths in my opinion. Firstly - there is no inequality that climate change doesn’t make worse, including Indigenous disadvantage, whether it be people in substandard housing in remote communities or the people of the Torres Strait dealing with the impacts of climate change today on their beautiful islands that I was able to visit recently and the prime minister was there yesterday.
And secondly - that First Nations people must be integral partners in charting the way forward. And I was pleased that my state and territory energy minister colleagues agreed unanimously last week to the development of a First Nations clean-energy strategy that will be co-designed with our First Nations people.
My colleague, Guardian Australia’s economics correspondent Peter Hannam, is at the summit and will bring you more updates throughout the day.
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“Duel in the Pool”: National swim team soon to face off against USA at Bondi
Guardian Australia photographer Jessica Hromas is at Bondi this morning, and writes:
It looks like a normal day sleepy morning at Bondi Beach in Sydney but soon Australian and USA National team members will be meeting for a relay race.
The race is part of the Duel in Pool series between the two countries only this race isn’t in the pool.
The open water relay at Bondi Beach this morning is the first event in the series which then moves to two nights of fierce competition at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre on Saturday and Sunday.
Each team is made up of 30 swimmers who will race for pride as much as points that will decide the overall winner of the event, AAP reports.
The Australian team features Emma McKeon, Kaylee McKeown and Mollie O’Callaghan who are riding the wave of their Commonwealth Games success.
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Victoria records 27 Covid deaths and 514 people in hospital.
There were 3,857 new cases in the last reporting period, and 27 people are in intensive care.
We thank everyone who got vaccinated and tested yesterday.
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) August 18, 2022
Our thoughts are with those in hospital, and the families of people who have lost their lives.
More data soon: https://t.co/eUcG51fFhA pic.twitter.com/HfV05yoYVA
Clarkson commits to coaching Kangaroos
Four-time AFL premiership coach Alastair Clarkson has chosen North Melbourne as the club he will lead in 2023.
After weeks of negotiating with the former Hawthorn coach, North had to contend with an audacious late bid from Essendon.
But Clarkson has turned down the late interest from the Bombers and will instead return to the club he started his playing career with back in 1987.
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NSW records 22 Covid deaths and 1,986 people in hospital.
There were 6,899 new cases in the last reporting period, and 56 people are in intensive care.
COVID-19 update – Friday 19 August 2022
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) August 18, 2022
In the 24-hour reporting period to 4pm yesterday:
- 96.9% of people aged 16+ have had one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine*
- 95.4% of people aged 16+ have had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine* pic.twitter.com/TfIZrMJCPA
Lucky escape after luxury sports car burst into flames on Gold Coast
The driver of a luxury sports car and have his passenger were rescued from their burning vehicle last night just before the car burst into flames, Channel 7 is reporting.
The rescue came after the driver of the McLaren super car smashed into a power pole on Queensland’s Gold Coast.
Channel 7 is reporting that the 34-year old male driver is understood to be a race car driver.
A luxury sports car worth $330,000 has burst into flames on the Gold Coast after crashing into a power pole, with the driver and his passenger having to be dragged from the McLaren supercar moments before it exploded. pic.twitter.com/XegICmXrSa
— Sunrise (@sunriseon7) August 18, 2022
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Albanese: Bali bomb maker’s release “will cause further distress” to families of victims
Umar Patek, the bomb maker who helped assemble the devices used in the 2002 bombing in Bali, could be released after only serving around half of his original 20-year sentence.
Prime minister Anthony Albanese said he has been advised by the Indonesian government of the further five-month reduction from the previous eighteen-month reduction granted.
Albanese said the planned release of the bomb maker in the attack that killed 88 Australians would cause further distress to the families affected, including families in the prime minister’s own electorate.
It’s not just about the 88 people, we are talking about thousands of people who have been impacted with trauma, who have lost loved ones.
He said the government is making diplomatic representations to Indonesia:
We’ll continue to make diplomatic representations in Australia’s interest.
We’ll continue to do that across a range of issues relating to security and relating to sentences, including the sentences of Australians who are currently being kept in Indonesia.
"I think he's abhorrent. His actions were the actions of a terrorist."
— 9News Australia (@9NewsAUS) August 18, 2022
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the planned release of the bomb maker in the 2002 Bali terror attack that killed 88 Australians. #9News
READ MORE: https://t.co/Enwxoazeir pic.twitter.com/DbaLDcGSU0
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Sydney bus driver critical after crash
A bus driver has been critically injured and a truck driver arrested by police after a late-night collision in Sydney’s west, AAP reports.
The crash happened at an intersection of the Liverpool-Parramatta Transitway at Wetherill Park, around 11.45pm on Thursday.
Police say the 74-year-old bus driver became trapped in the vehicle on impact and had to be freed by fire and rescue officers.
He was taken to Liverpool hospital in a critical condition with leg, back and head injuries.
Four passengers on the bus were also treated by ambulance paramedics for minor injuries.
The 26-year-old driver of the truck was unhurt and sent to Liverpool hospital for mandatory testing.
Following inquiries, police say he was arrested and taken to Fairfield police station where he was assisting detectives.
The force’s crash-investigation unit will examine the circumstances surrounding the accident and anyone with information or dashcam footage is asked to come forward.
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Teal independents to attend national EV summit today
Many of the newly elected independents who campaigned on a platform of stronger climate action are set today’s electric vehicle summit in Canberra.
The member for Kooyong Dr Monique Ryan has taken to social media to share what proposals she will be bringing to the summit:
This is why my 2 proposals seek boost supply of EVs by:
— Dr Monique Ryan MP (@Mon4Kooyong) August 18, 2022
1) setting average standards for manufacturers selling fleets into Aus,
2) ensuring that the tax concessions for expensive new cars coming into the market (which soon become the 2nd hand market) are low or zero emissions.
🚙
A simple change to update the definition of “fuel efficient” vehicles in the Luxury Car Tax would make EVs more competitive & increase supply into Aus.
— Dr Monique Ryan MP (@Mon4Kooyong) August 18, 2022
I’ve written to @JEChalmers how it’ll increase tax revenue by ~$411 million over fwd estimates period: https://t.co/4oGApucnu4 pic.twitter.com/dtSNpDW2Fo
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Australia commits $25m to help Sri Lanka
Australia will provide an additional $25 million to help Sri Lanka meet urgent food and healthcare needs, as the country struggles through its worst economic crisis in 70 years.
The minister for foreign affairs, Penny Wong, and the minister for international development and the Pacific, Pat Conroy, have announced the commitment which brings Australia’s official development assistance response to $75m.
The ministerial release stated:
Our support will be delivered through UN agencies to provide food, health and nutrition services, access to safe water and essential support for those at risk, including women and children.
Australia’s continued assistance to Sri Lanka supports our mutual interest in a secure and resilient Indian Ocean and reinforces our 75 year-strong relationship built on cooperation and community connection.
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Turnbull questioning legality of Morrison’s actions
Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull is taking to social media to question whether Scott Morrison’s secret ministerial appointments were in fact legal.
Most have excoriated @ScottMorrisonMP secret ministerial appointments but said they were “legal”. Is that right? The appointments were made so Morrison could exercise the powers of the ministers secretly shadowed by him - as he did with the decision on the gas lease.
— Malcolm Turnbull (@TurnbullMalcolm) August 18, 2022
Can a person exercise the statutory powers of a Minister under a statute if their appointment to that ministry is secret? Doesn’t our fundamental democratic values mean that in order for a person to exercise the power of “the Minister” they must be publicly declared as such?
— Malcolm Turnbull (@TurnbullMalcolm) August 18, 2022
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Discussions with Greens on the voice “very important,” Burney says
Burney also said she had not yet met with Greens senator Lidia Thorpe, but said:
I can assure you there will not only be discussions with Lidia Thorpe, but also Dorinda Cox and Adam Bandt, which is very important in terms of the Greens.
Burney said while the government’s focus at the moment “is absolutely the referendum” she affirms Labor’s full commitment to the Uluru Statement, including the Makarrata commission.
"there really is a new dawn coming, I can feel it"
— RN Breakfast (@RNBreakfast) August 18, 2022
- @LindaBurneyMP (PART 2)
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Burney calls Howard’s comments on the voice ‘scurrilous’
Circling back to minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney’s interview on ABC Radio this morning.
She was asked about yesterday’s comments from former prime minister John Howard about the voice to parliament, in which he warned it may be “coercive” and criticised a lack of detail:
The points Mr Howard has been making are absolutely scurrilous… and I am pleased to see Malcolm Turnbull has changed his mind.
Howard said "anything that raises the possibility of division and giving special status is not going to work", even with bipartisan support - how will you combat that?
— RN Breakfast (@RNBreakfast) August 18, 2022
"because I'm going to stick to the facts and the government will stick to the facts"
- @LindaBurneyMP (PART 1)
"In all of those years, when Howard refused to apologise [to the Stolen Generation] is really all I need to say.. John Howard's record in reconciliation is not something he should crow about"
— RN Breakfast (@RNBreakfast) August 18, 2022
- @LindaBurneyMP (PART 2)
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Morrison’s secret ministries not a ‘laughing matter’, PM says
The prime minister Anthony Albanese spoke on ABC Breakfast News this morning where hosts asked him about Scott Morrison’s late-night commenting on Facebook – “cracking gags, joking about his multiple jobs, photoshopping his face on people like the coach of the Cronulla Sharks rugby league club and he wrote on Facebook – I’m quoting him directly – ‘As Aussies we can also have a chuckle at ourselves.’ What do you think of that?”
Anthony Albanese:
Well, I think that this undermining of parliamentary system of government, of the whole Westminster system, and our democratic traditions of accountability, something that aren’t a laughing matter, and I’m surprised at the response of Mr Morrison to this. But then again, I frankly was shocked by the revelations that he not only was prime minister but took over responsibility or shared responsibility for five different portfolios as well …
I’m also somewhat surprised that there’s been no concept that there’s a need to say to the Australian people that the wrong thing was done here in undermining our Westminster system of parliamentary democracy.
But people will make their own judgment, I guess, about whether Mr Morrison’s actions has been appropriate. Certainly many of his colleagues have been very clear that they are shocked by the behaviour as well and the undermining of democracy. It’s a pity it took Peter Dutton some time to distance himself from Mr Morrison’s actions.
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Torres Strait Islanders ‘see themselves … as a minority within a minority’, Linda Burney says
The minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, is speaking to ABC Radio as she continues her visit alongside the prime minister Anthony Albanese in the Torres Strait consulting on a constitutionally enshrined Indigenous voice to parliament.
Asked what she is trying to find out from Torres Strait Islanders, she responds:
We’re talking to the people of the Torres Strait about the support for a voice … and we’re also talking to them about a whole range of other issues.
And they have talked very clearly about the various governance structures they have in place up here … and they’re all things we should consider very deeply as we go forward and talk about the design of the voice.
It is a region in itself, it is very distinct … and they see themselves as it was described to us as a minority within a minority.
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National electric vehicle strategy to improve affordability and choice
The climate change minister, Chris Bowen, will tell the national EV summit the Albanese government has written to the states and territories inviting them to work together on a national EV strategy, including considering the introduction of vehicle fuel efficiency standards to drive the uptake of cleaner cars.
Fuel efficiency standards set an emissions target for auto manufacturers averaged across all the cars they sell, measured in grams of CO2 released per kilometre driven. Targets are gradually reduced to zero, when they effectively become a ban on new fossil fuel cars. They are in place across about 80% of the global light-vehicle market.
Excerpts of Bowen’s speech released to media before the event said the strategy would aim to improve affordability and choice by expanding the local EV market. Only 2% of new cars sold in Australia last year were low-emissions vehicles, compared with 9% globally.
In the extract, Bowen pulled up short of promising mandatory fuel efficiency standards, but said it was time for “an orderly and sensible discussion” about whether they could help improve the supply of EVs and cut both emissions and the cost of running a car. He said Australia was the only OECD country other than Russia not to have introduced vehicle carbon dioxide standards or have them in development.
Bowen’s speech notes said:
The lack of such standards in Australia is cited as one of the factors impacting the supply and cost of EVs. Why? Because while Australia doesn’t show leadership, manufacturers prioritise markets which do.
It means consumers aren’t getting the choice available internationally and, as the world moves towards more efficient and cleaner vehicles, we risk becoming a dumping ground for older technology which can’t be sold in other markets.
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Morrison ‘feeling amused’ after meme spree
While Australian leaders and constitutional law experts have been profoundly troubled by the revelations that Scott Morrison undermined the Westminster system of democracy by secretly swearing himself into five additional ministries, the former prime minister himself is “feeling amused”.
Since yesterday, the former prime minister has been responding to memes created in response to the secret ministries saga in comments from his official Facebook account.
Not engaged in day-to-day politics but engaged in day-to-day memes https://t.co/brvI7b6wkl
— Tamsin Rose (@tamsinroses) August 18, 2022
Morrison then made his own post last night with the status of “Scott Morrison (Scomo) is feeling amused” along with his own array of photoshopped images:
It’s been fun joining in on all the memes. But there are so many now I can’t keep up. As Aussies we can always have a chuckle at ourselves.have a good evening. This was my own effort with the Sooshi Mango boys. Glad to be also joining their team, along with all the other gigs you guys have given me today.
feeling amused 🙂 pic.twitter.com/WDrRdzOs0m
— Josephine Tovey (@Jo_Tovey) August 18, 2022
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Good morning!
Australia’s first national electric vehicle summit is taking place in Canberra today as the government attempts to build a national strategy for EVs.
Minister for energy Chris Bowen will be joined by state counterparts, representatives from electric vehicle manufacturers including the head of Volkswagen Australia, and Mike Cannon-Brookes, the CEO of tech company Atlassian and renewable energy advocate, to discuss measures including a fuel efficiency standard.
Reactions continue to come in after the revelations that Scott Morrison secretly swore himself into five additional ministries.
Keith Pitt, who was resources minister at the the time Morrison also took on the portfolio, has said he supports a royal commission into the handling of the pandemic but isn’t calling for the former prime minister to resign.
Pitt and agriculture minister Murray Watt both appeared on ABC’s Q&A program yesterday evening.
Pitt revealed that former deputy prime minister Michael McCormack knew Morrison appointed himself to the resources portfolio in 2021. He responded to Stan Grant:
It may have occurred in a meeting that Michael was at with all of us, including the PM and his representatives, or it may have been a separate discussion. I’m working my way through what is a very complex diary.
We had a discussion, Michael was aware, but my recollection was that he may well have been in the room when we had a previous discussion with the PM.
Watt then called for Morrison to resign, and for the Coalition agreement to be scrapped as he suggested the Nationals ministers involved had done a disservice to the National party.
Let’s kick off!
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