Welcome, readers, to Afternoon Update.
In a remarkable video that emerged on Friday afternoon, the Nationals senator, Matt Canavan, has been recorded saying that the Coalition was backing nuclear power “because it fixes a political issue for us”.
Speaking later to Guardian Australia, Canavan claimed Australian political leaders on all sides of the debate were making energy policy decisions “based on focus groups”. He said nuclear wouldn’t help fix looming warnings of blackouts due to energy grid shortfalls.
Canavan said that attempting to run a modern economy through nuclear or renewable power was “equally unachievable” after a video showed him claiming his colleagues were “not serious” about the idea. The podcast interview took place in August and was uncovered by the ABC.
Top news
Sydney New Year’s Eve fireworks could be cancelled due to train strike, police commissioner says
Victorian MP Moira Deeming won’t return to Liberal party room after motion fails
Suspect Mangione swaps orange jumpsuit for court dress to hear new counts
Republicans fail to pass spending bill in House in setback for Trump
In pictures
Fist bumps and harrowing tales as 136 Australians arrive home from Vanuatu
A group of 136 Australians returned home on two RAAF planes on Thursday evening, sharing emotional stories of chaos, survival and relief following the magnitude 7.3 quake on Tuesday that devastated the capital, Port Vila, leaving up to 14 feared dead and at least 200 injured.
What they said …
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“We’ve resolved everything.”
After a stoush with a comedy musical escalated to threats in legal letters, the Australian Olympic breaker Raygun announced “we’ve come to an agreement”, with Steph Broadbridge, the creator of Raygun: The Musical. We take a look at who said what and when during this “wild ride”.
In numbers
A new study shows more Australians want property prices to decrease rather than increase. Matt Grudnoff, a senior economist at the Australia Institute, suggests the results indicate a shift in attitudes, with more Australians viewing housing as being about “a safe and secure place to live, not a way to make money”.
Before bed read
Australian Christmas gift guide 2024: 57 perfect last-minute present ideas you can buy the morning of
The best handpicked Christmas presents that are truly last minute – no trip to the shops required.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: SUPP. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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