The fallout from last week’s leadership spill in the National party continues as Queensland MP Llew O’Brien quits party. All the day’s events live
The hands have been shaken and the talks had – Joko Widodo has left the chamber.
This is interesting.
Joko Widodo:
I would like to propose a number of priority agendas as we head into the century of partnership.
First, we must continue to advocate the values of democracy and human rights.
Continue reading...Sydney and the New South Wales Central Coast are set to receive more rainfall in 24 hours than they have since 1998. Follow the latest
• NSW weather: six families rescued from floodwaters as rain lashes east coast
Commiserations with Canberra and other parts of the east coast that have missed this rain.
Rain: the ONE type of weather #Canberra actually wants this summer, and apparently THE ONLY TYPE we won't get. pic.twitter.com/n7ftT8CNgi
Sydney is not the only place that’s flooded.
Awabakal Nation/Lake Macquarie pic.twitter.com/S5LVHa1PBp
Plenty of locals stopping to have a look at the flooded Hanlon Park in Stones Corner @abcbrisbane pic.twitter.com/Aawo9orQw5
Rains in Sydney#sydneyrain #sydneystorm #parramatta pic.twitter.com/3yTHtSgFaA
Continue reading...Morrison government to spend up to $4m in grant for feasibility study into coal-fired power plant in Queensland
The federal Labor opposition says private investors will not touch “with a barge pole” the Morrison government’s plan to support a coal-fired power plant in Queensland.
The government says it will spend up to $6m in grants for two new Queensland electricity generation projects, including a coal-fired power plant, as part of a bid to lower power prices.
Continue reading...How shall we stare down the challenges of the next decade? Where will we find the hope and solutions required for the 2020s? Listen to a live Guardian Australia panel taking on these big topics. Featuring Guardian editor-in-chief Katharine Viner, Guardian Australia editor Lenore Taylor, political editor Katharine Murphy, Indigenous affairs editor Lorena Allam and writer David Marr
Continue reading...Australia’s economy is unusually dependent on China, and a coronavirus-driven slowdown could mean billions in lost revenue
Australia could be one of the countries worst affected by the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak as factories in China remain shuttered and millions of people are confined to their homes and banned from travelling.
The Reserve Bank of Australia on Friday stuck to its forecast of strong growth this year thanks to a rising housing market, and the stock market – along with others around the world – has largely shrugged off concerns about the global impact of the virus to remain close to all-time highs.
Continue reading...A new record set so soon after the previous record of 17.5C in March 2015 is a sign warming in Antarctica is happening much faster than global average
Antarctica has logged its hottest temperature on record, with an Argentinian research station thermometer reading 18.3C, beating the previous record by 0.8C.
The reading, taken at Esperanza on the northern tip of the continent’s peninsula, beats Antarctica’s previous record of 17.5C, set in March 2015.
Continue reading...Philip Lowe says China’s economy is now bigger and more integrated into the world economy so the impact is likely to be greater
The coronavirus outbreak could do more damage to the Australian economy than 2003’s Sars outbreak, governor of the Reserve Bank Philip Lowe has said.
Appearing before the House of Representatives economics committee in Canberra on Friday, Lowe said China’s economy was now much bigger and more integrated into the world economy.
Continue reading...Dominic Raab calls on government to work with other countries to cut carbon pollution, saying Britain wants a ‘step change’ in international response to climate crisis
The UK foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, has called on Australia to work with other countries to bring down carbon pollution as it works towards the “challenge” of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.
Raab, who met with Australia’s foreign affairs minister Marise Payne on Thursday, said the pair had a “good constructive conversation” about Britain’s goal to reduce emissions as it prepared to host the United Nations climate summit, COP26, in Glasgow later this year.
Continue reading...Thirty-five Australian citizens and permanent residents, including 13 children and infants, have arrived on Christmas Island from Wuhan for a 14-day quarantine. They join 241 other Australians evacuated from Wuhan, China, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak
Continue reading...Online video emerges as the Senate sets up an inquiry into the Coalition’s $100m sports rort grants
Video has emerged online of a member of Scott Morrison’s electorate staff being lauded for helping Cronulla Sailing Club win an $8,400 grant, as the Senate moved on Wednesday to set up an inquiry into the controversial $100m community sport infrastructure grant program.
In the video posted to Facebook, a representative of the club thanks the staffer, identifying her as “Scott Morrison’s PA”, for helping push her to apply for a grant for a new stainless steel barbecue. GrantConnect shows the grant was approved in December 2017 as part of the stronger communities program.
Continue reading...Australian Daniel Ou Yang, 21, was on the Air New Zealand flight out of virus-struck Wuhan to Auckland. Here he writes about the stress of his evacuation
At 2.52pm, we arrived at Wuhan Tianjin airport.
The drive here was smooth, all the big wide roads with no cars on them. We made it through the checkpoints and arrived within an hour.
Continue reading...Prime minister must deal with the National party turmoil as the parliamentary year gets under way in earnest. All the day’s events, live
So what can we expect today, given that parliament is officially back and the climate fires have been acknowledged?
Well, probably an end to what has been described as the “sombre bipartisanship” between Labor and the Coalition.
Awwwwww. I bet he still believes in Santa Claus, the tooth fairy and that the Great Barrier Reef can be saved too!
Here’s Scott Morrison on Barnaby Joyce and the Nationals on the Nine Network this morning:
Continue reading...Crossbencher ‘hopes to think’ she is close to a deal with government on union penalty bill unexpectedly defeated last year
Senator Jacqui Lambie is looking to strike a deal with the government “as soon as possible” on the union penalty bill, while Labor struggles to contain a debate in its own ranks about union-backed superannuation funds.
Lambie is meeting the industrial relations minister, Christian Porter, on Tuesday to continue negotiations on the bill, which would lower the threshold for the deregistration of unions and disqualification of their officials.
Continue reading...Fifty-four defence force personnel from Fiji have been singing while they work as they assist Australia's bushfire recovery. The military staff have been working in rural Victoria, working on clearing roads, re-opening the Snowy River and assisting communities.
Continue reading...Joyce says he will challenge Nationals leader Michael McCormack for the top job when a party room spill is called on Tuesday
Barnaby Joyce will challenge Michael McCormack for the leadership of the Nationals when a party room spill is called on Tuesday, saying he has learned from his past mistakes and is the best person to lead the party to the next election.
The former leader’s tilt at a comeback won support from the cabinet minister Matt Canavan on Monday night, with the Queensland senator resigning his position to back Joyce in the leadership ballot.
Continue reading...Victorian environment minister ‘appalled’ by allegations and her department is investigating
Investigators at the scene of a “koala massacre” at a cleared gum tree plantation in Victoria say the number of animals killed is likely to rise above 40 as they make their way through 10 kilometres of felled timber.
A major incident response has been set up at the site, on private land near Cape Bridgewater, with koalas being treated by vets for starvation and broken bones.
Continue reading...This summer, Scott Morrison has faced international criticism over his climate change policies. But this government is just the latest in a long line that have either failed on meaningful climate policy at home, or blocked stronger climate action on the world stage.
In this episode of Full Story, Guardian Australia editor Lenore Taylor explores Australia’s long track record of stalling on climate change action.
To learn more, you can read Lenore Taylor’s piece on Australia’s broken climate policy promises.
Continue reading...A total fire ban remains in place across the capital territory as fires continue to burn, causing severe smoke and dust haze in NSW
A quick recap.
Looks like the forecast rain is heading over Canberra. We’ll wait to hear if this helps or hinders the firefighting efforts.
Rain heading through Canberra. Let's hope this brings some relief. No sign of the storm yet though. pic.twitter.com/YVJDd3HK3u
Continue reading...Guardian Australia photographer Mike Bowers and reporter Christopher Knaus joined the Cowie family defending their property about 100km from Canberra
Continue reading...Embers flare into an out-of-control blaze on ‘another difficult day’ in NSW and in the country around Canberra
• Terror on all sides: inside a firestorm tearing through the Australian bush
The New South Wales premier, Gladys Berejiklian, says the Australian state has experienced “another difficult day” as multiple emergency fires burned across its south-east.
While five emergency warnings were in place on Saturday afternoon for blazes across the NSW south coast and south-east, at 9pm on Saturday evening just one remained at the highest level.
Continue reading...