Month: June 2024

Employment data released today shows Australians are working harder to make ends meet as the Albanese Government’s cost-of-living crisis continues to grip the nation.

The trend statistics show that the monthly hours worked by Australians increased by 17 million hours over the past 12 months.

This comes on the back of quarterly Labour Accounts figures released last week which show more Australians are working more than one job. Those figures show there are 974,000 multiple-job holders, up 2.9% over the past year.

The May 2024 labour force figures show the unemployment rate decreased to 4%.

Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor said Australians continue to pay a very high price for a Labor government that can’t manage the economy.

“Australians are facing a deadly combination of high inflation and household recession.

“We are in an entrenched GDP per capita, consumer confidence and productivity recession after two years of Labor’s failed economic management.

“The Treasurer can spin today’s labour force data however he wants. But everyday Australians will see right through it.

“They’re forced to work more and work harder to make ends meet. But Australians don’t need data to know this – they are living it every single day.”

Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Senator Michaelia Cash said that the drop in unemployment cannot mask the pain Australians are feeling under the Albanese Government’s cost of living crisis.

“The cost of living pain is not just in the hip pocket when Australians go to buy every day essentials at the supermarket or have to pay their power bills,” she said.

“It is now clear that pain extends to having to work harder to make ends meet. And the pain extends to small business owners who are fighting a cost of doing business crisis,’’ Senator Cash said.

Australia risks again falling behind like-minded partners supporting Ukraine unless the Albanese Government moves to quickly back the G7 agreement to a $50 billion USD loan for Ukraine obtained through frozen Russian assets.

Having claimed legal difficulties as justification to not use Russian assets, the Albanese Government now needs to stop finding excuses to not support Ukraine and wholeheartedly commit to doing all that Australia possibly can.

Unlike the US, UK, Canada and France, Australia has not yet made any contribution to the unfolding global debate to the transfer of funds from Russia’s frozen assets to Ukraine.

If Australia’s laws need changing to better target Russian assets or make more effective sanctions on Russia, then all Labor needs to do is act, because the Coalition is clear in our support.

The Coalition, since the beginning of Russia’s abhorrent and illegal invasion of Ukraine has offered full bipartisan support to the Labor Government to implement all possible mechanisms that would aid Ukraine’s self-defence.

Instead of acting wherever it can, Labor has let Australia’s relative support decline, including junking military helicopters, ignoring calls to reinstate Australia’s embassy in Kyiv and turning down requests for coal.

If Labor won’t act, then we will explore Senate inquiries or other mechanisms to put pressure on the Albanese Government to do so.

Australia’s weak Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will face a crucial test next week when the Coalition brings an urgent Bill into Parliament to allow workers within the Manufacturing Division of the CFMEU to de-merge from the militant union.

Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Senator Michaelia Cash said the Albanese Government and their allies in the Australian Greens voted against an almost identical piece of legislation back in February which would have allowed this de-merger vote to go ahead.

“This weak Prime Minister who is controlled by the unions must reverse his position and support our legislation in the next sitting week,’’ she said.

The Coalition will introduce the Bill in the wake of the intimidation, bullying and thuggery of CFMEU Victorian boss John Setka who last week made outrageous demands of the AFL to sack their umpire boss Steve McBurney

Mr Setka threatened disruptions on AFL-linked infrastructure worksites across the country because of Mr McBurney’s former role as head of the Australian Building and Construction Commission.

The Coalition will introduce the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Amendment (Standing Up Against Bullying, Thuggery and Intimidation) Bill 2024 when Parliament resumes next week..

The key mechanism of the Bill will enable a secret ballot to occur on the de-merger question. This has been requested by manufacturing workers to protect them from intimidation and retaliation.

Senator Cash said the outrageous recent behaviour of Mr Setka highlighted the need to protect vulnerable workers from the CFMEU.

“These members of the manufacturing division are mostly women and they have wanted out of the CFMEU for a long time,’’ Senator Cash said.

“I’ve met with them in the past and they were very clear. They said that they were sick and tired of being associated with the actions of the militant members of the construction division of the CFMEU and in particular John Setka,’’ she said.

“They talked about intimidation, standover tactics and even violence from members of this union,’’ Senator Cash said.

“The standover tactics of Mr Setka were on full display again last week with his demands for the AFL to sack Stephen McBurney,’’ she said.

“He even stood over Prime Minister Anthony Albanese telling him to ‘stay out of it’. The Prime Minister is so weak that’s exactly what he did – stayed out of it,’’ Senator Cash said.

“It is now time to stand up for the vulnerable workers of the manufacturing divisions of the CFMEU and allow them to get out of this militant union – they should not have to wait another minute,’’ she said.

“Last time a Bill of this nature to allow them to de-merge from the CFMEU came before the Parliament the Labor Party voted against it,’’ Senator Cash said.

“So this will be a test for our weak Prime Minister Albanese and his Labor colleagues. Do they care about vulnerable women in the manufacturing sector or will they capitulate to the CFMEU once again,’’ she said.

“It’s time this weak Prime Minister grew a backbone and stood up for what’s right,’’ Senator Cash said.

Every Australian deserves and should expect access to cheaper, cleaner and consistent electricity. But under Labor, this isn’t happening.

Right now, in households and businesses around the country, Labor’s expensive renewables-only approach is failing.

The Government is now talking about a 65 to 75 per cent emissions reduction target by 2035, but won’t release modelling and won’t tell us how much higher power prices will go up.

Power bills have already increased by up to $1,000 for many Australians, when they were promised a $275 cut. And Labor’s climate target of 43% emissions reduction by 2030 has become unachievable.

The Coalition believes Australia must have a balanced energy mix to deliver cheaper, cleaner and consistent 24/7 electricity. 90 per cent of baseload electricity, predominantly coal fired power stations, is coming to the end of life over the next decade.

Nuclear energy for Australia is an idea whose time has come.

Today, we are announcing that a future Federal Coalition Government will introduce zero-emissions nuclear energy in Australia, which has proven to get electricity prices and emissions down all over the world, to work in partnership with renewable energy and gas as part of a balanced energy mix.

And today, we announce seven locations, located at a power station that has closed or is scheduled to close, where we propose to build zero-emissions nuclear power plants:

• Liddell Power Station, New South Wales
• Mount Piper Power Station, New South Wales
• Loy Yang Power Stations, Victoria
• Tarong Power Station, Queensland
• Callide Power Station, Queensland
• Northern Power Station, South Australia (SMR only)
• Muja Power Station, Western Australia (SMR only)

Each of these locations offer important technical attributes needed for a zero-emissions nuclear plant, including cooling water capacity and transmission infrastructure, that is, we can use the existing poles and wires, along with a local community which has a skilled workforce.

A key advantage of modern zero-emissions nuclear plants is they can be plugged into existing grids. This means they can effectively replace retired or retiring coal plants and avoid much of the new spending needed for Labor’s ‘renewables-only’ system, including new transmission poles and wires. All of which will be passed on in the form of higher bills.

Labor’s approach requires imposing 58 million solar panels, 3,500 new industrial wind turbines, and up to 28,000 kilometres of new transmission lines across the country. Energy experts have warned the cost of Labor’s rollout will be between $1.2 trillion and $1.5 trillion.

No country in the world relies solely on solar and wind as Labor is proposing. By contrast, there are 32 countries operating zero-emissions nuclear plants. Another 50 countries are looking to do so.

Of the world’s 20 largest economies, Australia is the only one not using nuclear energy, or moving towards using it.

Our plan will deliver a net-zero electricity grid by 2050 and a strong and resilient economy. It will set our country up for decades to come.

At the front of this next wave of growth will be those communities which host zero-emissions nuclear plants. Not only will local communities benefit from high paying, multi-generational jobs but communities will be empowered to maximise the benefits from hosting an asset of national importance by way of:

• A multi-billion dollar facility guaranteeing high-paying jobs for generations to come;
• An integrated economic development zone to attract manufacturing, value-add and high-tech industry; and
• A regional deal unlocking investment in modern infrastructure, services and community priorities.

A Community Partnership will be formed in each host community, consisting of experienced local representatives, as the focal point for community engagement and to play an important role in planning the future of the region.

This community engagement process will occur alongside a comprehensive site study including detailed technical and economic assessments.

A Federal Coalition Government will initially develop two establishment projects using either small modular reactors or modern larger plants such as the AP1000 or APR1400. They will start producing electricity by 2035 (with small modular reactors) or 2037 (if modern larger plants are found to be the best option).

The Australian Government will own these assets, but form partnerships with experienced nuclear companies to build and operate them.

Australia is fast running out of energy. The way of life for everyday Australians and the cost of doing business in Australia is already in jeopardy and it is only going to get worse under Labor’s expensive all-eggs-in-one-basket ‘renewables-only’ policy.

We know the Prime Minister and his Government will mount the mother-of-all scare campaigns on zero-emissions nuclear energy.

But we believe Australians are up for this discussion and are open-minded about including zero-emissions nuclear technology as part of a balanced energy mix.

If you are serious about meeting our net zero by 2050 emissions commitments, then you must include zero-emission nuclear as part of your energy mix. Zero-emission nuclear power plants produce no air pollution or carbon emissions. For example, a 1.1 GW AP-1000 reactor cuts approximately seven million metric tonnes of CO2 emissions, equivalent to removing 1.5 million cars from the road.

A zero-emissions nuclear power plant will be a national asset delivering cheaper, cleaner and consistent energy for 80 years. Getting started now on establishing a civil nuclear programme is the right decision for you, your children and your grandchildren.

From today, we will be speaking right across the country on the merits of our plan.

Our plan is bold, visionary and what Australians need to secure our energy and economic future.

For more information visit australianeedsnuclear.org.au

The Treasurer’s five-point plan to avoid recession is just the latest piece of spin from a government with no solutions to Australia’s economic challenges.

Australia is already in a GDP per capita, productivity, and consumer confidence recession after two years of Labor’s failed economic management.

For struggling Australian families and small businesses, there is nothing ‘soft’ about the Treasurer’s ‘carefully calibrated’ plan to let interest rates and inflation run for longer.

In reality, Labor is presiding over a five-step plan to squeeze Australian households:

1. Taking $60 billion from family budgets to bolster its own through deliberate bracket creep;
2. Fuelling higher rates and higher inflation by adding $315 billion of spending;
3. Making the structural deficit worse by increasing spending by $4 for every $1 raised in the latest budget;
4. Losing control of migration and energy policy, making it harder to afford a house and harder to keep the lights on;
5. Smashing small businesses with more red tape, more taxes, and bad workplace laws.

Because of the Albanese Labor Government’s bad policies, Australians are facing higher prices, higher taxes and higher mortgage repayments for longer.

Hardworking Australians are paying a very high price for a Labor government that can’t manage money.

Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor said Australia is facing a deadly combination of high inflation and household recession.

“Nothing can hide the fact that Jim Chalmers and Anthony Albanese have smashed our economy.

“As I have said for a while, and as independent economist Steven Hamilton today writes, Jim Chalmers is a doctor of spin, not of economics.

“The Treasurer likes to create the illusion that he understands what the economy needs. But his actions prove otherwise.

“Economist after economist has been clear, more spending will lead to higher inflation.

“Labor has added $315 billion in spending since the last election – that’s more than $30,000 for every Australian household. Most Australian families don’t feel like they’re getting value for money on that extra spending.

“The RBA has its foot firmly on the brake, the Albanese Labor Government continues to slam the accelerator.

“Australian households are struggling under the weight of Labor’s economic mismanagement. Sadly, this government is completely out of touch with reality.”