Australia news live: Matthew Guy stands down as Victorian Liberal leader after election loss | Victoria

Electric vehicle fair held in Peter Dutton’s electorate

An EV fair has been held in federal opposition leader Peter Dutton’s electorate on Sunday, with electric cars, motorbikes, bicycles, scooters and trucks on display.

The display has been organised by energy advocates Solar Citizens to promote zero-emissions transport at John Scott Park in Samford Village in the seat of Dickson.

Solar Citizens national director Heidi Douglas said those who turn out will have an opportunity to ask questions, take test rides and enjoy a cooking demonstration from celebrity chef Alastair McLeod on an EV-powered barbecue.

We’re running this event off the back of an extremely successful consultation for the first national electric vehicle strategy – where our community members made over 600 submissions, calling for strong fuel efficiency standards to address the national shortage of EVs.

There’s a clear demand in the community for EVs, but we’re just not getting enough of them into the country. People know they can save big bucks by making the switch to an EV – if only they could get access to them.

Rooftop solar is very popular in Queensland and by charging your EV from home solar during the day you can basically run your vehicle for free. With fuel and energy prices rocketing, now is the time for Australians to be able to harness our abundant sunshine to save our hip pocket.

Socceroos more head than heart over World Cup win

The Socceroos have marked their first World Cup victory in 12 years after Australia beat Tunisia in its World Cup group match.

A header by Mitch Duke secured the 1-0 win on Saturday night at the Al Janoub Stadium in Qatar.

The win means the Socceroos have recorded their first clean sheet at the World Cup since 1974 and moves Australia into second place behind France in Group D.

Coach Graham Arnold however was taking a cautious approach following the win. He said “the nation is extremely proud” and “there’ll be a few hangovers in the morning” but has warned his team not to become overconfident.

Australia squares off against Denmark on Thursday and needs to win or draw – and for France to beat Tunisia – to make it through to the next round.

Flooding to persist across much of Australia

Multiple catchments holding months of heavy rainfall paint an unfortunate picture of continued flooding for regional communities in NSW, Victoria and South Australia.

As NSW enters the 74th day of its flood crisis, dozens of emergency warnings remain in place on Sunday across Australia’s east and flood peaks continue to wreak havoc around inland rivers.

Locals have pulled together to protect their homes and keep the beers flowing in the tiny NSW town of Moulamein despite the swollen Edward River cutting all access roads and isolating the community.

Residents were told to shelter in place on Tuesday by the State Emergency Service, with the river reaching 6.2 metres and continuing to rise on Saturday night.

It’s expected the tiny town of about 500 will remain cut off through to December.

Overnight, NSW SES performed one flood rescue and fielded 90 requests for assistance after it had issued a dozen emergency warnings including for renewed flooding in Condobolin and Euabalong.

The Lachlan River has slowly begun to fall but remains above record levels set in 1952.

Flooding is also affecting the nearby towns of Jemalong and Hillston, where water is not expected to recede until next week.

The far-west towns of Hay and Balranald towards the Victorian border have also been hit with major floods, with the Murrumbidgee River set to peak next week.

A dozen emergency warnings were in place in NSW on Saturday afternoon, while 71 areas were the subject of watch-and-act alerts.

Victorians living around parts of the Murray River have also been told to prepare to evacuate as a peak approaches the north-western towns of Colignan, Nangiloc, Iraak and Lambert Island.

“Flooding will last for many weeks in this area, as the Murray River will rise, peak and fall very slowly,” VicEmergency said on Saturday.

Major flooding is also occurring on the Murray at Boundary Bend above the historic levels seen in 1975.

In SA, flood warnings have also been issued for parts of the upper and lower Murray River.

The river is expected to hit an early peak in December, before peaking again at higher levels towards Christmas.

– AAP

Resources industry urges Andrews to embrace gas amid renewables push

Australia’s oil and gas industry has congratulated Victorian premier Daniel Andrews on his reelection but has “urged” a returned Labor government to drill for more gas.

The government has promised to revitalise public ownership of the State Electricity Commission with a $1bn fund to drive renewable energy projects and government ownership enshrined in the state’s constitution.

It is part of an ambitious agenda on climate change and energy by the returned government that plans to increase renewable energy targets – from 50% to 65% by 2030, and to 95% by 2035. It has also taken early steps towards moving away from fossil fuels with an ambitious plan to stop gas connections on new homes.

Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association chief executive Samantha McCulloch said on Sunday morning the Andrews government should “recognise the role of gas in a cleaner energy future”.

We congratulate Premier Daniel Andrews and his government on again securing the endorsement of the people of Victoria.

Victoria is facing significant energy challenges during this term: its population is a large user of gas but the state is not producing needed new supply and regulators forecast production to decline 43% by 2025 – only three years away.

The state is outsourcing its energy security to Queensland and South Australia. This is putting pressure on the east coast energy market and costing Victoria’s 2 million domestic and 65,000 business users at least an extra $2 a gigajoule whenever they need to transport gas from Queensland.

McCulloch said “the best way to put downward pressure on prices is to bring on new gas supply that is close to where it is found” but blamed fracking bans and “regulatory uncertainty” for a lack of development within the state.

The International Energy Agency has previously said limiting global heating to 1.5C as set out in the Paris agreement meant there can be no new oil, gas or coal investment beyond the end of 2021.

On Sunday morning, Andrews said he wanted gas reservation policy to help control prices but constitutional arrangements meant the Victorian state government could not go it alone and must wait for action by the federal government.

Matthew Guy to step down as leader of Victorian Liberal party

It’s all happening.

The Greens to back IR bill after amendments

Greens leader Adam Bandt said his party will support the governments proposed industrial relations bill after key amendments were secured, including giving parents the right to request unpaid parental leave and no changes to the better off overall test.

In a statement released on Sunday morning Bandt said the amendments would ensure no one was left behind and hailed the bill as “an important win for all workers”.

The Greens strongly back most of what is in his bill, including abolishing the ABCC and multi-employer bargaining, but we wanted to ensure low paid workers wouldn’t go backwards because of some of the changes.

This is an important win for all workers, especially low-paid workers in the retail and the hospitality industries. The better off overall test has been preserved.”

Workers will now have an enforceable right to unpaid parental leave and better work-life balance.

Greens senator Barbara Pocock said the changes would ensure pay and conditions for those in the care sector.

It’s time workplace law caught up with the real lives of Australia’s 5 million working carers – women and men. Our workplace relations system is broken, but we can fix it, and this bill is a good start.

Australian workers, especially women, have waited decades for an enforceable right to flexibility that actually works for them. The Greens have secured important changes on flexibility and on unpaid parental leave. These will now be enforceable rights.

There is more to do and we will move further amendments in the Senate and continue to fight for greater flexibility and workplace laws that support working carers in the coming months.

Government’s IR commitents

Here is the list of commitments the government has made to secure Senator Pocock’s support on its IR bill:

• A commitment from the prime minister to establish a new independent economic inclusion advisory committee led by the treasurer and social services minister to review the adequacy of support payments annually ahead of each federal budget, and publish any recommendations.

• A commitment from the prime minister to consider and respond to the recommendations of the Murray review within this term of government to better protect subcontractors.

• A commitment from the employment and workplace relations minister to review modern awards.

• Small businesses with fewer than 20 employees based on headcount (and excluding seasonal workers and other irregular casuals) will be excluded from the single-interest multi-enterprise bargaining stream.

• The government will undertake a statutory review no later than two years after the passage of the bill

• The “grace period” during which a single-interest multi-enterprise bargaining authorisation can be granted from six to nine months.

• Introduce a new reasonable comparability threshold into the common interest test.

• Introduce new safeguards for businesses that have fewer than 50 employees based on headcount wanting to exit multi-enterprise bargaining and with the onus of proving a common interest on the applicant for these businesses.

• Increase the “minimum bargaining period” for the purpose of intractable bargaining declaration from six to nine months.

• Require conciliation to take place before arbitration over working arrangements unless there are exceptional circumstances.

• Remove the right to veto an agreement by allowing the Fair Work Commission to compel a multi-enterprise agreement to be put to a vote regardless of whether employee organisations agree and prevent parties unreasonably withholding agreement.

• Carve out civil construction from all streams of multi-enterprise bargaining.

• Give the minister a new power to declare an industry or occupation eligible for the supported (previously low paid) bargaining stream.

• Make it much easier for firefighters, including volunteer firefighters, to access workers compensation benefits for seven additional cancers, including women’s reproductive cancers.

• Task the new national construction industry forum with providing advice to government on measures that will ensure contractors are paid accurately and in a timely manner in the construction industry.

Pocock says he ‘struck a wide-ranging’ IR agreement

Senator David Pocock has released a statement following the announcement this morning that the federal government’s new IR bill will pass the Senate with his support.

Pocock says he has “struck a wide-ranging agreement with the Albanese government” to amend the legislation in a way that “doesn’t put small business at risk or leave the most vulnerable behind”.

His agreement also “includes a commitment from the government to establish, in legislation, an expert advisory committee, led by the treasurer and minister for social services, to review the adequacy of support payments annually ahead of each federal budget, and publish their recommendations”.

Pocock:

This is now a substantially different bill to the one introduced in the House of Representatives a month ago. It is better for business, better for workers and makes sure the most vulnerable in our community are no longer left behind.

I have worked with the government to push them as far as they would go, and then a step further to ensure they addressed key concerns raised with me.

This legislation introduces significant reforms to Australia’s industrial relations system that will benefit women and low-paid workers in particular.

There are now additional safeguards in place for business, especially small businesses, and some important new powers to better protect the low-paid and those reliant on government support.

In what I believe will be a game changer for people living below the poverty line in our country, the government will now also receive independent expert advice that is made publicly available before each federal budget looking at how the most vulnerable in our community are faring and what needs to change to ensure we don’t leave them behind.

Given the pace at which this legislation has moved, my concern has been to ensure stakeholders are heard and any issues addressed. Along with my team we have worked incredibly hard to hear from those who will be affected by it and balance the concerns to help secure a better bill.

I went into this seeking to get the best policy outcome, balancing the urgent need for workers to get a pay rise, with legislation that will work in practice by delivering pay rises for those that need it while not placing unreasonable burdens on small businesses.

I believe we have achieved the right balance, significantly improving the legislation with the added commitment that will help stop governments leaving our most vulnerable behind.

I acknowledge the tough but fair negotiations with the government that have got us to this point.

I thank the prime minister and Minister Burke for their constructive engagement and the many, many workers and businesses, along with their representatives, who have come to me over the past month.

I also pay tribute to the efforts and advocacy of members in the lower house as well as community advocates who have championed many of these reforms for years.

‘Our politics may be divided, but our community is united’

Andrews on when he saw the numbers:

I was probably on the phone. I was probably on the phone but there were lots of hugs and obviously, went and gave the speech and then went home with family and friends senior staff and had a couple of glasses wine.

On whether the election process could require reform given the number of early votes and funding issues:

I think 25 people handing out for one candidate essentially harassing people, getting – 25 people – getting up in their face, being deliberately as ugly as possible – that’s perhaps not consistent with our mainstream values as cross our state.

Conduct matters. The amount of feedback I had from people who were intimidated and fearful and all of that, that’s not us. That is not us. I just say again, our politics may be divided, but our community is united.

Andrews condemns ‘nasty stuff’ on election campaign trail