Category Archives: Australian politics

Australia spends billions ‘failing to police’ cannabis that earns black market $25bn a year, Greens say

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David Shoebridge says legalising the drug would bring in $28bn in tax revenue in first decade

Australia’s cannabis industry could be earning the black market $25bn a year and, rather than policing it, we could be gaining revenue from it by legalising it, Greens senator David Shoebridge has said.

“Law enforcement is spending billions of public dollars failing to police cannabis, and the opportunity here is to turn that all on its head by legalising it,” he said.

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Peter Garrett says nuclear submarine deal ‘most costly and risky’ action ever taken by an Australian government

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Midnight Oil frontman and ex Labor minister says the deal ‘stinks’ and backing Coalition’s Aukus pact is departure from established ALP policy

Former Labor environment minister Peter Garrett has lashed the Aukus nuclear submarine deal, calling the former Coalition administration’s decision “the most costly and risky action ever taken by any Australian government” and saying Anthony Albanese’s decision to back it was a departure from established ALP policy.

The Midnight Oil frontman and longtime nuclear disarmament activist claimed the $368 billion deal “stinks”, suggesting the money could be better spent and raising concerns about how Australia will dispose of nuclear waste from the boats.

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Linda Burney insists ‘there is no division’ with Indigenous voice working group yet to finalise advice

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With group to meet again, timetable leaves only a few days for advice to be considered before cabinet meeting

Federal cabinet will have only a few days to consider crucial advice on the voice to parliament from the government’s internal group of Indigenous leaders, with one key member saying both sides may have to “compromise” on the wording of the referendum question and constitutional amendment.

The government’s commitment to introduce legislation for the constitutional amendment in the coming fortnight has been complicated by its referendum working group not yet finalising its advice on key details. But ahead of further meetings next week in Canberra, the Indigenous Australians minister, Linda Burney, rebuffed speculation about disagreement in the working group.

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Four arrested after climate protesters occupy Dominic Perrottet’s office – as it happened

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Six teenagers and a dozen adults occupied NSW premier’s office, protesting approval of new coal and gas projects. This blog is now closed

We’ve got some more information on the news the Albanese government is set to spend $1.3bn buying 220 Tomahawk cruise missiles.

The deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, said Australia would be working closely with the US to get more missile capability.

Making sure we have longer-range strike missiles is a really important capability for the country. It enables us to be able to reach out beyond our shores further and that’s ultimately how we are able to keep Australia safe.

The cruise missiles are a critical part of that, as are the submarines that launch them.

Our banking system is really well capitalised. It’s well regulated. We’re well placed in Australia to withstand some of the vulnerability in banking systems.

Whether it’s Silicon Valley banks, and the steps taken by the Americans, or credit Swiss, and the loans provided by the central bank, we’re monitoring it closely.

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Aukus nuclear submarine deal will be ‘too big to fail’, Richard Marles says

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Australia’s defence minister plays down concerns multi-decade plan could be vulnerable to political changes in the US and UK

Australia’s nuclear-powered submarine deal with the US and the UK will rapidly become “too big to fail”, the deputy prime minister has said.

Richard Marles made the comment in an interview with Guardian Australia’s politics podcast, pushing back at the idea the multidecade Aukus plan could be vulnerable to political changes in both the US and the UK.

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Voice referendum bills still on track for parliament, Labor says, despite impasse in negotiations

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Albanese government hopes to progress two bills in the coming parliamentary fortnight as working group advice is finalised

The Albanese government plans to progress two bills to set up the Indigenous voice referendum in the coming parliamentary fortnight, remaining confident the process remains on track despite its expert group of Aboriginal leaders still finalising its crucial advice to cabinet.

The referendum working group was expected to confirm its advice to government on the exact wording of the question and the constitutional amendment on Thursday. But a communique from its meeting in Adelaide, issued by Indigenous Australians minister Linda Burney’s office, said the process was still ongoing.

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Liberal MP blasts Scott Morrison over unknown appointment as second post revealed

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Former PM appointed Michelle Landry and Ben Morton to administer departments in moves not widely known at the time

Liberal MP Karen Andrews has blasted Scott Morrison for appointing former minister Ben Morton to administer the home affairs department in 2021, saying there was “no reason to keep it hidden” and claiming she was not told about it as the minister in that portfolio.

It has also emerged that Nationals MP Michelle Landry was appointed to administer the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) at the same time and in the same manner as Morton, in moves that were gazetted but not widely known at the time.

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Myer to close flagship Brisbane store – as it happened

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Turnbull concerned about UK economic situation

Malcolm Turnbull rounded out his concerns there with one shared with Paul Keating – although the language he used was a little more moderated than the former Labor PM is famous for.

The bottom line is their economy is sick. It’s got fundamental, sort of existential problems. And you’ve got to ask yourself, whether Britain is going to be able to sustain investment in its navy and its military in the years ahead, given this huge demand that they’ve got elsewhere, not least the National Health Service.

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Matt Kean exploring a move to federal politics if Coalition loses NSW election, sources say

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Figures close to Kean said the Liberal treasurer, a high-profile moderate, has floated the idea

The New South Wales treasurer, Liberal Matt Kean, is said to be considering a move to Canberra if the Perrottet government suffers a defeat on Saturday week in the state election.

Figures close to Kean told the Guardian he has floated the idea and is exploring possible avenues into federal parliament, but his decision would depend on whether the Coalition lost in NSW on 25 March and by what margin, as this would determine how long they would be out of office in NSW.

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Workers face longer hours for less pay without productivity boost, Jim Chalmers says

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Treasurer says Australia must improve service delivery in the care sector to offset ‘woeful’ economic indicators

The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, says Australians’ incomes will fall and the working week will get longer without major boosts to productivity, saying the nation must boost service delivery in the care sector to offset some “woeful” economic indicators.

Ahead of releasing the Productivity Commission’s five-yearly report on Friday, Chalmers again downplayed the prospect of major cost-of-living relief in the May budget, but said it would be soon become a focus for the government.

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ABC staff to walk off job next week – as it happened

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This blog is now closed.

Acting prime minister and defence minister Richard Marles has spoken to ABC News Breakfast this morning after the $368bn announcement of the Aukus deal yesterday.

In response to the reaction from China accusing Australia, the US and Britain of embarking on a “path of error and danger”, Marles defends making a decision that is in Australia’s national interest:

We are seeking to acquire this capability to make our contribution to the collective security of the region and the maintenance of the global rules-based order.

And one of the issues within our region we are witnessing the largest conventional military build-up that the world has seen since the end of the second world war. And it’s not Australia who is doing that, but that shapes the world in which we live.

We’re completely confident these are in complete compliance with non proliferation.

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Most Australian states face sharp power bill rises, despite government’s intervention

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Energy regulators issue draft default market offer, which set cap for this year’s increases

Power bills for households in three states will rise as much as 23.7% from 1 July if the Australian Energy Regulator’s draft determination, announced on Wednesday, is confirmed. Prices in Victoria may rise by almost a third.

The AER chair, Clare Savage, said the increases were “significant” but they could have been as much as 40% to 50% without the federal government’s intervention in December to cap domestic gas and black coal prices.

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Liberal MP says search for Aukus submarine nuclear waste dump site in his electorate is premature

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Rowan Ramsey ‘amazed’ government starting selection process in 12 months, given 33-year life of Virginia class reactor

Rowan Ramsey, the Liberal MP who faces the prospect of a nuclear waste dump in his South Australian electorate, has said he is “amazed” the government will begin the search in just 12 months for a facility that won’t be required for decades.

The comments come as green groups rally against a key component of the Aukus nuclear submarine acquisition: that Australia is required to dispose of the waste generated by its Virginia class submarines and the new SSN-Aukus submarine.

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Could a Donald Trump-shaped torpedo sink Australia’s $368bn Aukus submarine plans?

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Technical risks abound in multi-decade plan for Australia to obtain nuclear-powered submarines. There are plenty of political ones too

On a day of hoopla surrounding the Aukus unveiling in San Diego, perhaps the most revealing moment occurred during a press conference 12,000km away in Canberra.

Given that Australia’s multi-decade plan to gain nuclear-powered submarines will require the support of successive US administrations, a reporter asked the Australian defence minister, Richard Marles, a very direct question on Tuesday: “Are you concerned that a future US president will tear it up?”

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What is the Aukus submarine deal and what does it mean? – the key facts

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The four-phase plan has made nuclear arms control experts nervous … here’s why

In a tripartite deal with the US and the UK, Australia has unveiled a plan to acquire a fleet of up to eight nuclear-powered submarines, forecast to cost up to $368bn between now and the mid-2050s. Australia will spend $9bn over the next four years.

From this year Australian military and civilian personnel will embed with US and UK navies, including within both countries’ submarine industrial bases. From 2027 the UK and the US plan to rotate their nuclear-powered submarines through HMAS Stirling near Perth as part of a push to step up training of Australians.

Embedded personnel and port visits: Australian military and civilian personnel will embed with the the allies’ navies. US nuclear-powered submarines will increase their visits to Australian ports, with Australian sailors joining US crews for training.

Submarine rotations: From 2027 the UK and the US plan to rotate one UK Astute class submarine and up to four US Virginia class submarines through HMAS Stirling.

Sale of US Virginia-class submarines: From the early 2030s – pending approval by Congress – the US intends to sell Australia three Virginia-class submarines, with a potential option for two more if required.

SSN-Aukus: A combination of UK submarine design and US defence technology will contribute to the development of the new SSN-Aukus submarine – intended as the future attack submarine for both the UK and Australia. Both Australia and the UK intend to start building SSN-Aukus submarines in their domestic shipyards before the end of this decade. The first such boat may enter into UK service in the late 2030s, but the Australian navy will receive its first Australian-built SSN-Aukus submarine in the early 2040s.

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Aukus: nuclear submarines deal will cost Australia up to $368bn

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‘Rotational forces’ of US and UK nuclear-powered submarines set to visit Australia from 2027 as part of landmark pact

Australia is to embark on one of its most significant, expensive and geopolitically consequential military tasks in a century: the push to acquire, operate – and eventually build – nuclear-powered submarines.

The program is forecast to cost $268bn to $368bn between now and the mid 2050s, most of it beyond the first four-year budget period, and will depend on help from the US and the UK.

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‘White saviours’ accused of finding flaws in voice proposal ‘to stay in spotlight’ by working group member

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Thomas Mayo says it is now ‘crunch time’ for Australian government’s relationship with advisory group

Constitutional conservatives raising doubts about the proposed wording of the referendum on an Indigenous voice to parliament have been accused of acting like “white saviours”, finding flaws with the proposal “just to stay in the spotlight”, according to a member of the government’s advisory group.

Thomas Mayo, a Kaurareg and Kalkalgal Erubamle man and working group member, said it was now “crunch time” for the government’s relationship with the advisory group.

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Peter Dutton says Coalition would support NDIS cuts to pay for Aukus submarines

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Liberal leader offers bipartisan backing for ‘sustainable’ savings for the next generation defence scheme

Peter Dutton has suggested the Coalition would offer bipartisan support for cuts to the National Disability Insurance Scheme to keep it “sustainable” and pay for the Aukus nuclear submarine acquisition.

The former defence minister and opposition leader offered bipartisanship on budget savings ahead of Anthony Albanese announcing the submarine plan on Tuesday morning AEDT, with the UK prime minister, Rishi Sunak, and the US president, Joe Biden.

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Marcia Langton attacks ‘relentless scare campaign’ waged by opponents of Indigenous voice

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Comments from design group co-chair come after NT’s Country Liberal president announced resignation over party’s opposition to voice

Prof Marcia Langton, one of the most experienced members of the Indigenous voice to parliament working group, has launched an attack on the “relentless scare campaign” waged by opponents and called on the government to “reassure” voters by endorsing the voice co-design report.

Langton has called on the Albanese government to endorse the report as the basis for post-referendum parliamentary processes and public consultations. The report lays out in detail how a national voice model would operate.

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Albanese meets with UK PM ahead of submarine deal unveiling – As it happened

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Severe flooding continued in Queensland; PM to meet Joe Biden and Rishi Sunak to announce Aukus terms. This blog is now closed

Circling back to the interview with Tammy Tyrrell. Tyrrell wants to see the government invest at least 4% of its multibillion-dollar social housing plan in Tasmania. She says it’s only fair, as a government survey shows 4.6% of people most in need of housing support are in Tasmania.

Tyrrell says she will be meeting next week with the housing minister, Julie Collins, about the request.

They haven’t shut me down. They haven’t said no, but they haven’t said yes.

It’s absolutely fundamental to everything that I do. My job is to represent the people of Indi in the federal parliament and in doing that, I try my darnedest to connect policy to the people to the policy, every single time.

So I go to them when I have to make a decision about a piece of legislation I may not be clear on. And I go to them and explain why I’ve made the decision I have once that legislation is through the parliament.

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