Category: Australian News

The Greens have slammed Labor’s latest approval of gas projects saying voters now see Labor as climate charlatans.

Labor’s Federal Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Madeleine King has granted two production licences to Kerry Stokes’ Beach Energy over the Artisan and La Bella oil and gas fields just south of the 12 Apostles in Victoria.

Despite the warnings of the International Energy Agency that there should be no new coal, oil and gas projects to stay within safe climate levels, yet Labor has now approved 28 coal and gas projects since coming to office.

Greens Leader Adam Bandt:

“Labor are climate charlatans, adopting the ‘drill baby drill’ policies of Donald Trump. From the Browse project on Scott Reef, the Beetaloo carbon bomb in NT and now drilling off the Victorian coast, our environment and climate is under threat from Labor.

“Emissions are higher under Anthony Albanese than Scott Morrison, and Labor keeps backing new coal and gas projects. Labor has lost all climate credibility.

“It’s 2024, the climate crisis is already smashing Australia and even worse is to come for our children, but Labor has approved 28 new coal and gas projects. Labor approving 28 coal and gas projects is intergenerational climate crime.

“You can’t put the fire out while you’re pouring petrol on it, and Labor approving new coal and gas is making the climate crisis worse.

“Gas is as dirty as coal, and scientists have clearly said there can be no new coal and gas projects if we are to have any chance at a safer climate.”

Greens portfolio holder for Resources, Trade and Tourism, First Nations, and Northern Australia, and Yamatji Noongar woman, Senator Dorinda Cox:

“This decision is not about gas shortages. It’s about profits and keeping the gas cartel happy. If we wanted to drive down gas costs and look after Australians, we would address the huge profits made and the export of gas abroad at the cost of Australians struggling in a cost of living crisis.

“Minister King’s approval is reckless and continues to threaten our climate goals. By approving these offshore fields, she continues to pander to the gas cartel and is locking us into decades of fossil fuel reliance, at a time when Labor claims to want to invest in renewables for a sustainable future.

“The environmental risks of offshore drilling are well known, from oil spills to the extinction of fragile marine ecosystems and then there is the destruction of intangible heritage—risks that Madeleine King seems all too willing to ignore for her gas buddies and short-term corporate profits.

“First Nations communities and environmental advocates are being ignored in these decisions. Our lands, waters and ecosystems are being sacrificed for the benefit of big corporations, and once again, the government fails to listen to those most affected.

“Instead of expanding fossil fuel projects, Madeleine King should be investing in clean energy solutions that protect our country and respect the rights of First Nations people.

Labor’s secret plans to increase the costs of owning or leasing a home are proof that Labor is at war with homeowners and renters.

Media reports today that Labor is modelling changes to capital gains tax and negative gearing concessions prove that Labor is at war with the dream of home ownership.

This is a betrayal from a Prime Minister who has broken every promise on tax he made at the last election.

Australians are already paying a high price for Labor’s economic mismanagement. Mortgage holders are already up to $35,000 worse off under Labor.

Now 2.4 million Australians claiming rental deductions are next in Labor’s tax hit list.

A housing tax will only increase the price of housing and reduce supply, at a time when it is unaffordable and out of reach for too many Australians.

The only way to solve Labor’s housing crisis is to build more houses and tilt the scales in favour of first home buyers, because we already know that the only policies supporting first home buyers are the ones Labor inherited from the former Coalition government.

According to modelling prepared by Cadence Economics for Master Builders Australia, Labor’s last negative gearing and capital gains attack would mean:

• Up to 42,000 less new dwellings being built across the country.
• Up to 32,000 less full time jobs.
• Up to $11.8 billion less building activity

This will lead to less supply, and more expensive housing – a fact that has been repeatedly conceded by senior Labor figures:

• Anthony Albanese has previously said changes to negative gearing “won’t mean house prices fall.” (Anthony Albanese MP, Sky Australian Agenda, 29/05/16)
• ALP President Wayne Swan has previously said that it was “economically disastrous to do anything on negative gearing … It’s not assisted by pulling further investment and new housing out of the market.” (Wayne Swan MP, ABC 774, 03/05/10)
• Labor Minister Chris Bowen said changes to negative gearing and capital gains would only have a “modest” impact on housing supply and cost and rejected that changes “would massively reduce house prices.” (Chris Bowen, ABC Weekend Breakfast, 13/04/19)

This is a tax grab from a government that has run out of money to fuel its inflationary spending.

Labor has already broken every promise it made on tax at the last election. Since the last election, Australians are paying the price for Labor’s tax policies that wage war on aspiration:

• Labor’s Retirement Wealth Tax: Labor’s broken promise to levy an unindexed wealth tax on Australians superannuation savings. Treasury analysis shows an average 21 year old will ultimately be hit by Labor’s unindexed wealth tax.
• Labor’s Bracket Creep Tax: Labor’s broken promise on the stage 3 tax cuts entrenches bracket creep and will increase income taxes on Australian families by $28 billion.
• Labor’s Franking Credits Clawback: Labor is targeting a $1.5 billion hit on franking credits through tax and regulatory changes;
• Labor’s Tax Hit On Small Business: Labor voted eight times against bigger tax cuts for small business, and have wound back tax incentives to support small businesses to innovate, grow and invest.

At a time when inflation is taxing Australians’ household budgets, Labor’s only economic plan is to add to that cost with higher taxes.

A Dutton Coalition government will deliver lower, simpler, fairer taxes that support aspiration, home ownership, and small businesses – allowing Australians to keep more of what they earn.

The Coalition will strongly oppose Labor’s latest Misinformation Bill, which is an attack on free speech.

Last year, the Government released its first Misinformation Bill. The Bill drew more than 20,000 submissions and comments in opposition to it, and was withdrawn in disgrace last November.

With its latest attempt, Labor has again demonstrated that it does not respect the fundamental right of Australians to free speech. This is a Bill which has no place in Australia.

The Bill gives digital platforms an enormous financial incentive to censor statements made by everyday Australians. If the Government decides that they have not censored enough “misinformation”, they can face large fines. Digital platforms don’t care about the free speech of Australians – but they do care about their profits. So they will censor large amounts of material in order to avoid the risk of fines. Digital platforms cannot be fined for censoring too much material – but they can be fined if they do not censor enough material.

The provisions of the Bill are extremely broad and would capture many things said by Australians every day. Under the Bill, the honestly held opinions of Australians can be deemed to be “misinformation”. Digital platforms are required to identify whether or not pieces of content are “misinformation”. The process of identifying this “misinformation” is highly subjective and will lead to the suppression of the free speech of Australians.

Everyday Australians are captured by the Bill, but some groups are excluded from its operation. For instance, any “reasonable dissemination” of material for an academic, scientific, or artistic purpose is excluded from the Bill. But if an everyday Australian disagrees with an academic, that can be “misinformation”. This is outrageous and creates two classes of speech in Australia – one for favoured groups, and one for everybody else.

The Bill gives the Communications Minister the powers to personally order Misinformation Investigations and Misinformation Hearings. This could include Investigations and Hearings into digital platforms which the Minister believes contain too much “misinformation”. This is wide open to abuse and an extraordinary power for a Minister to hold in a democracy. On the other side of the coin, the Minister can choose to exclude a favoured digital platform from the operation of the Misinformation laws entirely.

The Coalition will strongly oppose this dangerous legislation, and will always stand up to protect the free speech of Australians.

Reports that Allegra Spender and staff of Zoe Daniel sought to influence the Australian Financial Review’s Power List to help their billionaire donor, and founder of Climate 200, Simon Holmes a Court, should concern all Australians.

Reports suggest Simon Holmes a Court helped funnel $13 million to Teal campaigns at the last election through Climate 200.

Before the 2022 Federal Election, Simon Holmes a Court promised Australians at the National Press Club that his bankrolling of the Teal independents came with “no strings attached”. Should these reports prove true, that commitment is clearly now in question.

Allegra Spender and Zoe Daniel have serious questions to answer about this matter.

This is a test of their integrity.

What conversations did these members of parliament have with this billionaire? Did he ask them to seek to influence the AFR Power List? Did they instruct their staff to lobby journalists on this issue?

These Teal members of parliament were elected on a platform of independence, integrity and transparency – how does directly lobbying, or directing staff to lobby journalists, on behalf of one of their biggest donors fit in that equation?

This is not the first time the Teals have failed to meet the standards they set others:

• They said they would lift the tone of Parliament. Yet we have seen Zali Steggall launch slurs on the floor of the Parliament – calling people ‘racists’ and accusing people of threatening her.
• They said they would maintain their integrity. Yet despite at the election promising to end fossil fuel subsidies, voted for a multi-billion subsidy for the coal industry. We even saw Zoe Daniel try to mislead her own community about the issue.
• They said they want to lift the standard of democracy yet have stayed silent on Climate 200 bankrolling a person all but pretending to be a member of parliament.

There cannot be one standard for the Teals and one for everyone else.

The Teals said they would change Canberra but Canberra has changed them.

Today’s Final Budget Outcome reveals Labor’s is taxing more, and spending more, than any government in history.

Labor’s high taxing, high spending strategy is delivering no dividend to Australian families. Australian family budgets can’t win: facing higher taxes, and higher prices due to Labor’s inflationary spending.

Compared to before the election, Labor raised $104 billion in additional income in 2023-24 from higher taxes on households ($43 billion) and businesses ($54 billion). Tax receipts increased by 0.2% of GDP over the financial year, while spending grew in real terms by 2.9%.

Labor’s claims of spending less are false. Labor spent more last year than was spent at the peak of the COVID pandemic when our economy needed it most in an unprecedented global health and economic crisis.

Despite record terms of trade, low unemployment, and a recovering economy after the COVID pandemic, Labor has squandered the strong economy it inherited from the Coalition. With productivity going backwards and Australia now 18 months into a household recession, Labor is claiming credit for one of the smallest surpluses delivered as a share of the economy.

With the strong economic conditions Labor inherited, a drover’s dog could have delivered a surplus over the last two financial years.

The reality is Australians are facing a decade of deficits under Labor. Despite two surpluses, debt is higher under Labor and growing, with interest payments taking up a bigger share of the economy.

This is a consequence of a Labor Government that has abandoned strong fiscal guardrails, and waged war with anti-business policies on the very industries that drive our prosperity. Labor is out of touch and out of its depth on economic management.

Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor said Labor’s entire Budget strategy is to take from hard-working Australians to bolster its own bottom line.

“Australians can see straight through this Treasurer’s spin. This is the biggest spending, biggest taxing government in Australian history.

“Household budgets are in tatters because of Labor. Living standards have collapsed, and families are in an entrenched recession. This is a disastrous situation for them.

“Labor is relying on higher taxes from higher commodity prices and insidious bracket creep caused by Labor’s high inflation.

“All Labor has done is make the structural deficit worse. The consequence is these Budget surpluses will be short lived, with deficits as far as the eye can see.”

Shadow Finance Minister Senator Jane Hume said Labor’s failure to address structural pressures on the Budget and new baked-in spending will simply make life harder for Australians.

“The Finance Minister admitted today that Labor’s lower spending has absolutely nothing to do with their Budget management.

“Labor hasn’t done any hard work, in fact the opposite – payments are down due to lower demand in programs and Labor’s failure to manage its payments to the States.

“Hardworking Australians are suffering under Labor’s fiscal mismanagement. Labor is responsible for the inflation and higher interest rates pain continuing far longer than it needs to. Labor has no plan to end the cost of living crisis they have perpetuated.”

Only a Coalition Government can deliver strong back to basics economic management that gets Australia back on track.

The Albanese Government today announces the appointment of Aftab Malik as Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia in Australia.

Every Australian, whatever their race or religion, should be able to feel safe and at home in any community, without prejudice or discrimination.

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues to deeply affect communities across Australia.

The appointment of Mr Malik is a crucial part of the Government’s strategy to ensure all Australians feel safe and included, and follows extensive consultation with the community.

The Special Envoy will listen to and engage with members of the Muslim community, religious discrimination experts and all levels of government on the most effective ways to combat Islamophobia.

Mr Malik is recognised as a global expert on Muslim affairs by the UN Alliance of Civilisations, and has spent almost a decade working in the New South Wales Premier’s Department, promoting social cohesion and countering hate and extremism.

Today’s announcement follows the appointment of Ms Jillian Segal AO as the Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism.

Mr Malik has been appointed for a three-year term, starting on the 14th of October, and will report directly to the Prime Minister and the Minister for Home Affairs, Immigration and Multiculturalism, and Cyber Security.

The appointment of Mr Malik will bolster the Government’s $90 million investment in initiatives to tackle the ongoing impacts of the Hamas-Israel conflict in Australia, demonstrating the Government’s firm commitment to listening to and working with affected communities.

Minister for Home Affairs, Immigration and Multicultural Affairs and Cyber Security Tony Burke

“Bigotry is always wrong. You should be able to live safely and freely in Australia, regardless of who you are or what you believe.”

Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia Aftab Malik

“Promoting social cohesion and fighting against hate in Australia is more important today than it’s ever been.

“I look forward to working with Muslim leaders and the broader community to promote peace, understanding and inclusivity.”

Today the Albanese Labor Government is taking decisive action to help consumers get fairer prices at the supermarket checkout, in stores and online.

Misconduct in the supermarket and retail sector is unfair, unacceptable and makes cost-of-living pressures worse for Australians.

We don’t want to see ordinary Australians, families and pensioners being taken for a ride by the supermarkets, and we’re taking steps to make sure they get a fair go at the checkout.

The Government is boosting funding to the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) so it can undertake a crackdown on misleading and deceptive pricing practices and unconscionable conduct in the supermarket and retail sector.

Funding of around $30 million will help the ACCC conduct more investigations and enforcement in the supermarket and retail sectors.

This will enhance the regulator’s ability to proactively monitor behaviour and investigate pricing practices where there are concerns about supermarkets and retailers falsely justifying higher prices.

This follows last week’s announcement that the ACCC is taking legal action against Coles and Woolworths for allegedly misleading customers through discount pricing claims on hundreds of everyday products.

In addition to this crackdown, the Treasurer will work closely with states and territories through the Council on Federal Financial Relations to reform planning and zoning regulations, which will help boost competition in the supermarket sector by opening up more sites for new stores.

Current planning and zoning frameworks, including land use restrictions, zoning laws and planning regulations, are acting as a barrier to competition by inhibiting business entry and expansion.

They potentially allow for land banking, preventing competition and pushing up prices in our local communities.

Today’s announcements come in addition to a series of actions undertaken by the Albanese Labor Government to protect Australians at the checkout, in stores and online.

• Last week the Government released for consultation a new mandatory Food and Grocery Code, to ensure Aldi, Coles, Woolworths and Metcash are subject to multi-million-dollar penalties for serious breaches of the Code.
• CHOICE has also released its second Albanese Government-funded price monitoring report, giving Australians accurate data on where to get the cheapest groceries.
• We’ve banned unfair contract terms and increased penalties for breaches of competition and consumer law, and are delivering the most significant merger reforms in Australia in almost 50 years, and working with the states and territories to revitalise National Competition Policy.
• The next phase of the ACCC Supermarkets Inquiry will see the ACCC conduct public hearings with the supermarket sector later in the year.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

“Today we are announcing a crackdown on dodgy supermarket practices.

“We don’t want to see ordinary Australians, families and pensioners being taken for a ride by the supermarkets, and we’re taking steps to make sure they get a fair go at the checkout.”

Treasurer Jim Chalmers

“We’re taking decisive action to help Australians get fairer prices at the supermarket checkout, in stores and online.

“More funding for the ACCC will help to make pricing fair, boost competition and make sure that there are significant consequences for supermarkets who do the wrong thing.”

Canberrans who care about climate change are right to feel let down by Labor, which has just approved three coal mine expansions, undermining the ACT’s net-zero future.

“In a climate emergency, you need climate leaders. Labor has proven this week they are anything but,” said ACT Greens Leader Shane Rattenbury.

“I’ve heard fury from people in the community. I’ve heard disbelief. I’ve heard a huge amount of frustration that Labor is undermining local climate action with these huge new fossil fuel projects.

“Canberrans care about climate change. They know it’s time to band together with real vision, ambition and courage,” Mr Rattenbury said.

Isabel Mudford, Greens candidate for the federal seat of Canberra, said:

“Canberrans expected better from Labor, but it’s clear the old parties have sold out to vested interests profiting at the expense of the community and the environment.

“Local Labor members can’t go around pretending they care about the environment, biodiversity and threatened species while continuing to support their colleagues’ decisions to destroy the planet. 

“It’s essential we make every election a climate election and use every vote we have to choose decisive climate action and leadership. 

“The upcoming ACT and federal elections are a chance to tell the other parties loud and clear that we are done with cooking the planet. We want a cleaner economy and a more sustainable way of living,” Ms Mudford said. 

Mr Rattenbury said the other parties lack genuine ambition on climate and the environment.

“A vote for the Greens is a vote for real climate leadership. We have already delivered 100% renewable electricity to the ACT, a record uptake of electric vehicles, and a nation-leading plan to shut off the fossil fuel gas network by 2045,” said Mr Rattenbury.

“Without the influence of the Greens in local politics, it’s obvious the other parties would not have taken this path.

“While federal Labor was working with the Abbott Government to cut the national renewable energy target, the Greens were in the ACT building toward 100% renewable electricity. 

“While federal Labor has committed this term to a gas-fired future, the Greens have secured a gas-free future for the ACT.

“Last election ACT Labor said it was a ‘crazy’ Greens idea to stop connecting new homes and suburbs to the gas network, but now it’s a reality across Canberra.

“The ACT Greens will keep pushing further, faster, to make a fair transition to net-zero in our community, putting a stop to the federal excuses that it can’t be done,” Mr Rattenbury said.

Next term, a Greens-led ACT Government will:

• Bring forward the ACT’s net-zero target from 2045 to 2040
• Fully fund gas-to-electric upgrades for 5,000 of the lowest income households
• Upgrade all public homes to be efficient and all-electric, including with rooftop solar
• Introduce new minimum standards for rental properties to make sure everyone can live in a home that’s healthy and comfortable
• Take on the ACT’s biggest polluter – transport – with major improvements to public transport and further support for electric vehicles
• Install banks of EV fast chargers in every town centre and in the parliamentary triangle
• Deliver an extra 300MW of battery storage in the ACT
• Cool the suburbs by planting at least 20,000 shade trees each year
• Work with the community to trial and implement city cooling interventions, like misting systems and awnings, water features, street plantings, green roofs and facades.

Detailed information about the ACT Greens’ commitments to climate action is available at https://greens.org.au/act/policies/climate

The ACCC’s interim report on the supermarket sector has underlined the need for laws to stop price gouging and to break up the supermarket duopoly, the Greens say.

“For the ACC to describe the supermarket sector as an oligopoly just shows how easy it is for shoppers to be price gouged,” Greens Economic Justice Spokesperson Senator Nick McKim said.”

“The report has confirmed what Australian shoppers have known for years  – Coles and Woolworths are using their dominant market position to price gouge shoppers and squeeze producers.”

“The report shows that their market concentration is more than two thirds and growing.”

Senator McKim also raised alarm over the revelation that the ACCC is having to obtain some data from supermarkets under compulsion.

“It’s outrageous that supermarket corporations are not fully cooperating with the ACCC.”

“Their arrogance knows no bounds. As if their massive profits based on price-gouging Australian shoppers is not enough, they think they can defy Australia’s corporate regulator as well.”

“We need price gouging laws and divestiture powers to break up the duopoly. These reforms would bring more competition to the market, lower grocery prices, and hold corporate giants accountable.”

“Now that the Opposition supports divestiture powers for the supermarket sector, Labor is alone in protecting the supermarket duopoly.”

“The Prime Minister is talking up a storm but his lack of action is keeping prices high for ordinary Australians.”

“Labor is in the pocket of big corporations. It’s time for them to stop protecting their corporate donors and start working with the Parliament to pass these badly needed reforms.”

The Greens have reiterated their call on Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek to do her job and call in Tamboran Resources’ fracking project in the Beetaloo Basin under the Water Trigger, in response to the Environment Centre NT filing an urgent application to stop the gas company from drilling without an environmental water assessment. 

Greens Spokesperson for the Environment and Water, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“If Minister Plibersek did her job, the community wouldn’t have to take legal action to try to protect surface water and aquifers in the Beetaloo.

“It is shocking that gas fracking cowboys have started drilling with zero environmental water assessments.

“It is disgraceful that the Minister is leaving it to communities on the frontline of environmental destruction to do the government’s job and make sure all assessments are completed before any work starts. 

“The Minister’s request for scientific advice from IESC isn’t good enough. A recent presentation to IESC made it clear aquifers in the Beetaloo are ‘highly susceptible to contamination or drawdown from activities that support shale gas extraction’. 

“Drilling must be stopped right now until a full assessment under the Water Trigger is completed. The Parliament gave the Minister expanded water trigger powers last year precisely for this purpose. 

“I urge the Minister to do the right thing, right now – call this dangerous fracking project in, look at the science, and listen to the communities and Traditional Owners who have been pleading with you to protect their water – the lifeblood of the NT.”