Coalition MPs NIMBY on nuclear

GREENER PASTURES

Twelve Coalition MPs need us to legalise nuclear however zero stated they’d need a nuclear plant of their voters, the SMH experiences. They’re: opposition local weather change and vitality spokesman Ted O’Brien (there are strict standards, he pontificated), opposition vitality affordability spokeswoman Melissa McIntosh (we don’t have any coal-fired energy stations to transform, she bleated), in addition to Queenslanders Warren Entsch, Llew O’Brien, Colin Boyce, Michelle Landry and Keith Pitt, West Australian Ian Goodenough, Victorians Sam Birrell and Keith Wolahan, NSW MP Jenny Ware and Senator Dave Sharma. Institutional buyers dealing with $37 trillion in tremendous funds and belongings stated nuclear is the very last thing they need publicity to, Guardian Australia experiences. The Division of Setting and Power has estimated it will value $387 billion to go nuclear, the paper provides.

In the meantime, WA is on observe to extend its emissions 20% above 2005 ranges, Guardian Australia experiences, and it might drive different states to slash far more if we’re to achieve our 43% discount goal (we have been at 26% as of December). It comes as Assets Minister Madeleine King will tweak laws in the present day to make sure each she and Setting Minister Tanya Plibersek will approve adjustments to the session course of of huge fuel initiatives, The West Australian ($) says, not simply King. She confused there was no change to environmental requirements nor any fast-tracking mechanism — only a session rethink for greenies, First Nations peoples, trade and useful resource corporations. In the meantime The Australian ($) reckons Local weather and Power Minister Chris Bowen is about to water down our gasoline effectivity requirements in lockstep with the US following stress from Thailand and Japan. The story doesn’t clarify the place the intel got here from, nevertheless, and doesn’t actually say far more new information than that.

BY THE NUMBERS

Newspoll is in — Labor’s major vote is decrease than on the 2022 federal election, at 32%, whereas the Coalition’s was 37% with the opposite 31% backing both the Greens who have been up one level to 13%, One Nation who have been additionally up one level to 7% or independents who fell two factors to 11% (the Greens are actually making waves proper now, former Liberal attorney-general George Brandis wrote in the present day within the SMH.) The Australian ($) provides that Labor’s two-party most well-liked is 51-49% nevertheless. To a different Information Corp ballot now and the Herald Solar experiences the Victorian Coalition’s major vote has jumped 4 factors to 38, whereas state Labor’s is all the way down to 36%. It provides, 4 strains down, that Labor leads the Coalition on two-party most well-liked 54 to 46. Talking of Victoria — the Libs have preselected former Liberal Tim Wilson to tackle impartial MP Zoe Daniel in a rematch in Goldstein subsequent election, The New Every day experiences. He misplaced it with a 13.1% swing final time.

In the meantime, the Liberals have clung to authorities in Tasmania, the final jurisdiction in Australia dominated by the occasion, however Premier Jeremy Rockliff might want to type a minority authorities. Sky Information Australia experiences Labor chief Rebecca White conceded yesterday however didn’t verify whether or not she’ll resign after her fourth election loss. There was a swing away from each main events (of 35 seats, the Greens gained 4; Jacqui Lambie Community gained two; and independents and others gained two). Lastly, the SA Liberals will most likely lose former premier Steven Marshall’s seat of Dunstan, the state’s most marginal. The Advertiser ($) referred to as it essentially the most bitter by-election in reminiscence, together with the revelation Liberal candidate Anna Finizio utilized for a Labor job 4 years in the past. However don’t take a aspect, new ABC chair Kim Williams has instructed workers on the broadcaster per The Australian ($), since you’re working at a publicly funded organisation and should be neutral all the time.

HOUSING DOUBT

Draining your retirement most likely gained’t cowl a house deposit in Sydney or Melbourne for those who’re 34 or youthful, Guardian Australia says, regardless of what the Coalition is spruiking. That’s per Affiliation of Superannuation Funds of Australia knowledge that discovered even the highest-paid Sydney {couples} aged 25-34 couldn’t afford a median condo with the $150,000 tops they’d have, whereas in Melbourne they’d solely simply afford one ($120,000). However when you’re within the entrance door there are new issues: Guardian Australia additionally experiences rising strata prices on this value of residing disaster are seeing owners fall behind on strata charges and copping litigation for lacking the necessary upkeep and restore levies.

In the meantime, we’d like 90,000 tradies to achieve the Albanese authorities’s purpose of 1.2 million homes within the subsequent 5 years, the ABC experiences. That’s in response to BuildSkills Australia, who stated there’s no approach we’ll handle to get the folks we have to assemble the 60,000 new houses every quarter after the goal’s mid-year graduation — we’ll begin on the again foot, the group tasked by the federal government to deal with expertise shortages stated. Until the federal government fast-tracks tradie visas and makes abroad {qualifications} extra simply recognised, Grasp Builders Australia added, saying they have been attempting to get tradies on the expert precedence record. Right here’s one other concept, the WA Property Council stated by way of WA Immediately — what if we supplied companies payroll tax breaks in the event that they lure employees? Not from abroad, thoughts you — from the east coast. What might probably go incorrect?

ON A LIGHTER NOTE

A fairly drained tradie named Billy strolled right into a barber store in Newcastle, fleetingly perked up by the smiling workers that greeted him. As he plonked down within the chair, proprietor Jordan Magasiva approached and the pair exchanged a few pleasantries earlier than getting all the way down to enterprise. A beard trim in addition to a hair lower, Magasiva confirmed, and began gathering his instruments. Billy laid again because the barber started the lower, the pair exchanging tidbits of information earlier than falling into a snug silence. It was simply so good sitting there, Billy thought, being tended to by this respectable bloke in a gentle chair after an enormous day at work. The vague chatter round him and the low hum of the clippers light into white noise, and Billy drifted off right into a slumber.

Noticing this, Magasiva smiled as he completed the lower, then gathered his instruments and moved on to his subsequent consumer. Quickly after, one other workers member gingerly positioned a gentle towel over the tradie’s eyes as he continued to snooze via the ramble of the afternoon. Three hours later, at 6pm, Billy awoke. What time is it, he requested the workers sleepily, who cracked up. Nobody minded one bit that Billy had occupied the chair all afternoon, least of all Magasiva, who captioned a video of the kip saying he appreciated “how hectic work/life will get”. The barber continued: “Shout out to all of the hardworking males & girls doing what they should do to make ends meet, we should help one another on this journey”. Certainly.

Hoping you are feeling rested in the present day too.

SAY WHAT?

Nonetheless, I say hooray for a former soapie star I’d by no means heard of sounding form of regular.

Janet Albrechtsen

The Australian columnist discovered it pretty regular that Holly Valance, the Neighbours star turned billionaire’s spouse, described 21-year-old local weather activist Greta Thunberg as a “demonic little gremlin”.

CRIKEY RECAP

‘Could take 10 years’: Since 1952, Australia’s makes an attempt to go nuclear have failed repeatedly

“Within the years that adopted the South Australian royal fee, the nuclear debate was reignited a number of occasions, in a number of jurisdictions: NSW deputy premier John Barilaro, of the Nationwide Occasion, referred to as for nuclear energy to be ‘a part of the controversy’ in regards to the state’s vitality provide in 2017; a federal parliamentary committee really helpful Australia contemplate the concept once more in 2019 …

“NSW One Nation chief Mark Latham sought to repeal a NSW prohibition on nuclear vitality in 2019; a Victorian parliamentary committee present in 2020 that ‘with out subsidisation a nuclear energy trade will stay economically unviable in Australia for now’ …

‘Stops democracy decay’: Sports activities rorts FOI paperwork saga a win for former senator

“On overview, each Money and Dreyfus instructed the data commissioner that the doc wasn’t of their possession, and in 2023, the data commissioner determined that the paperwork have been due to this fact not topic to launch underneath freedom of knowledge legal guidelines.

“The federal government later claimed to have misplaced the doc, however the doc was later present in preparation for Patrick’s case within the Federal Courtroom. This week, Justice Natalie Charlesworth within the Federal Courtroom held that the data commissioner erred in its building of the FOI Act …”

“Certainly, TikTok’s response to the most recent tried US ban has demonstrated the facility of its resistance. On March 7, the platform engaged its customers immediately with a pop-up message urging them to contact Congress to complain.

“In doing so, it shifted the narrative from a direct confrontation between itself and Washington to a broader battle between the US authorities and Americans over freedom of expression. The invoice that will drive ByteDance to promote the app or face a nationwide ban should nonetheless move the Senate …”

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Moscow live performance corridor assault: Why is ISIL focusing on Russia? (Al Jazeera)

Kuriga kidnap: Nigerian pupils taken in mass abduction freed (BBC)

Right here’s what occurs if Trump can’t get a $464 million bond (CNN)

Simon Harris to grow to be Eire’s youngest prime minister (The Guardian)

Canada is already making ready for Trump’s potential tariff threats (CBC)

Pope skips Palm Sunday homily, an uncommon determination for a significant occasion (Reuters)

Russian missile headed for Ukraine briefly enters Polish airspace (euronews)

THE COMMENTARIAT

A British buddy with essential classes for Australia — Alexander Downer (the AFR): “No, Mr Keating, we don’t should suck as much as China. We now have to steadiness Beijing’s energy via coalition constructing and co-exist with China throughout the framework of worldwide legislation. Speaking of Paul Keating, his best overseas coverage achievement was signing a one-page safety settlement with an ageing dictator, which lasted a full 4 years. It was theatre with out substance. On the finish of final week, in contrast, we noticed substance with out theatre. Wong and Defence Minister Richard Marles hosted this yr’s AUKMIN talks with their British counterparts, David Cameron and Grant Shapps, and signed a standing of forces settlement with the UK.

“Within the context of China’s belligerent overseas coverage and in an period when Western pursuits and values have come underneath siege in Ukraine and the Center East, this despatched out a transparent message: Western powers, wherever they’re on the map, are progressively rebuilding their collaboration — and never earlier than time. It’s 18 years since AUKMIN was created, 17 because the first assembly at Lancaster Home in London. At a gathering of our Nationwide Safety Committee with Tony Blair and his crew in Canberra in 2006, I requested — given the bonds of historical past and values we had with the UK — whether or not the British prime minister can be prepared to arrange an annual bilateral assembly alongside the strains of our AUSMIN talks with the People.”

Putin will probably be ruthless after the Moscow assault, however Russians don’t belief him to maintain them secure — Andrei Soldatov (The Guardian): “The FSB can be fairly competent at investigating assaults after the occasion, thanks largely to video surveillance, mixed with up-to-the-minute facial recognition expertise. We noticed this within the FSB’s response to the Crocus metropolis corridor assault in Moscow. 4 suspected perpetrators have been recognized, pursued and arrested inside 24 hours. And, certain sufficient, they have been instantly tortured — one of many suspects had his ear lower off and was compelled to eat it by particular forces, all recorded and directly leaked to pro-Kremlin media.

“However these are usually not the qualities that assist to forestall assaults occurring, and repeatedly, the FSB has failed as an intelligence assortment company as a result of different issues are wanted: information-sharing capabilities between companies, each home and overseas, and belief between these companies and inside these companies. Additionally they must be trusted by the inhabitants, and so they must be able to say very uncomfortable issues to the generals — even to the nation’s chief. On this nation the place no freedoms are allowed and political dialogue is strongly censored, belief in nationwide safety providers is briefly provide.”