Apology from Morrison unnecessary: Angus Taylor

Paul Karp

Paul Karp

The shadow treasurer, Angus Taylor, who was one of the ministers who Scott Morrison effectively shadowed by being appointed industry minister, has said it is unnecessary for the former PM to apologise.

Taylor told 2GB Radio:

I didn’t make too much of it. I had a very good working relationship with the prime minister. He could have overridden me in many ways if he didn’t like what I was doing – but he never did that. It shouldn’t become a distraction, with rising inflation, interest rates, [and the difficulty] making ends meet. I fear it continues to be a distraction from those issues that really matter … It’s completely unnecessary [for him] to apologise.

Taylor said he has been clear that he didn’t know Morrison did this, and accused Labor of “hypocrisy” for saying Morrison had to take responsibility for everything.

Key events

Eva Corlett

Seal breaks into New Zealand home, traumatises cat and hangs out on couch

A curious young seal has been returned to the sea after breaking into a New Zealand home, harassing the resident cat, hanging about in the hallway for a couple of hours while the children slept upstairs, and miraculously ruining nothing.

The Ross family of Mt Maunganui were more than a little surprised to find the New Zealand fur seal in their home, which is about 150m from the shore, on Wednesday morning.

Seal pup that broke into an New Zealand home
Seal pup that broke into an New Zealand home Photograph: Supplied

PM opposes sentence reduction for Bali bomb-maker

Paul Karp

Paul Karp

At a press conference in Rockhampton the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has reiterated Australia’s opposition to the reduction of the sentence of the Bali bombing bomb-maker, Umar Patek.

Albanese said Australia will “continue to make representations to the Indonesian government, as we continue to make representations about Australians kept in Indonesian jails”.

He noted the Indonesian system allow sentences to be reduced around anniversaries, but said “when it comes to someone who committed such a heinous crime – the designer and maker of bombs designed to kill people, to kill and maim – we have a strong view”.

He said:

Indonesia is a sovereign nation, but we put our view in the strongest possible terms … My message is to all Australians my sympathies are with you not to the terrorist who committed this abhorrent action.

Albanese also spoke about the voice to parliament, describing his trip to the Torres Strait as a “huge success” in which he encountered “unanimous support” for the voice.

He said Torres Strait Islanders “want to make sure the voice of a minority within a minority can also be heard through those structures”.

Albanese said Indigenous Australians are “very positive and hopeful” about the voice; they “want to be heard” and to close the gap in outcomes with non-Indigenous Australians.

Sussan Ley defends Scott Morrison’s meme-spree

The deputy opposition leader, Sussan Ley, has defended Scott Morrison’s meme-spree last night, saying it is a “great Australian tradition” to “take the mickey.”

Ley was on 2GB earlier, and she insisted Morrison had done enough to apologise on the subject, and urged Anthony Albanese to move on, clearly feeling the criticisms had stung the Liberals:

It’s a great Australian tradition, taking the mickey out of yourself.

I think the rest of the country is joining in by sharing these memes and creating quite a few themselves.

It’s fair to say that [Morrison] has reflected on it. He’s issued a long statement, he’s had a long press conference, and he’s talked to colleagues about it.

For four days [the prime minister] has been issuing a spray on this subject. Not one comment or reassurance about bringing the price of your mortgage down, or your grocery bill down, or the cost of fuel and power.

Peter Hannam

Peter Hannam

‘Spend the political capital’: Zoe Daniels on EVs

More from the EV Summit in Canberra where other states and the ACT have had ministers backing in electrical vehicles.

Labor’s ACT chief minister, Andrew Barr, says “everyone is travelling in the same direction, so you can put your foot on the accelerator”. He notes that many jurisdictions were waiting to see the results of the federal election, and his government had stepped up EV efforts in the wake of the change in May.

Speed does seem to be the essence, and the independent federal MP from Melbourne’s bayside electorate of Goldstein, Zoe Daniel, said there’s no reason for the federal government to drag out the consultation period.

Daniel told us on the sidelines of the event:

I’d [like] to see it come before the end of the year.

A lot of evidence is already known, so there’s not a lot of new news.

“We’re in the unfortunate position of being way behind” other nations, she said, but could take advantage of policies already in place. Certainty for industry is needed, as is rolling back red tape.

High petrol costs had elevated conversation about EVs, including a groundswell of support. Daniels said:

It’s in my community already.

Understandably this government is quite risk averse because of the various culture wars we’ve been stuck in for many years

Climate and EVs are among those battles, of course. She said:

Things can change very quickly in politics.

They’ve come on this climate wave, [and] the community’s largely behind it. Spend the political capital, get it done.

What we’re trying to do is positive, so it should generate more positive political capital.

I don’t see a lot of risk in this particular aspect of it.

The new MP is on the waiting list for an EV, as it happens.

See also  Lightyear stops production on €250,000 solar-powered EV • TechCrunch

As for the multitasker in chief, Daniel said she was “in favour of some sort of investigation” of Scott Morrison’s five secret ministry posts to find out “who knew what, when”, and the advice that was given. Daniel will wait to see the results of the government’s “small investigation” on Monday before deciding on what steps will follow.

Kieran Pender

Kieran Pender

Australians clinch win against US in ocean swim race

Australia’s clash with the US in the swimming, the “Duel in the Pool”, began in Sydney on Friday with an open water 4x800m relay at Bondi beach.

Some of the nation’s best swimmers, including Emma McKeon, Kaylee McKeown and Mack Horton, gathered at Icebergs to watch their compatriots battle it out in the choppy ocean below. Each leg of the relay was one lap of the beach.

Australia came from behind to clinch a narrow victory, anchored home by rising star Kyle Lee.

A split photo above and below the water of Kai Edwards swimming freestyle in the ocean. He is wearing a black full-body swimsuit and a yellow and green cap
Australian swimmer Kai Edwards during his relay leg of the Duel in the Pool, open water relay at Bondi Beach. Photograph: Jessica Hromas/The Guardian
Kareena Lee, Kai Edwards, Chelsea Gubecka and Kyle Lee stand with their arms around each other in shallow ocean water as a small wave splashes on to them from behind
Australian swimmers Kareena Lee, Kai Edwards, Chelsea Gubecka and Kyle Lee celebrate their win at the open water relay. Photograph: Jessica Hromas/The Guardian
Chelsea Gubecka and Charlie Clark sit in their swimsuits on a raft on the ocean
Australian swimmer Chelsea Gubecka and US swimmer Charlie Clark wait to start their legs of the relay. Photograph: Jessica Hromas/The Guardian

Apology from Morrison unnecessary: Angus Taylor

Paul Karp

Paul Karp

The shadow treasurer, Angus Taylor, who was one of the ministers who Scott Morrison effectively shadowed by being appointed industry minister, has said it is unnecessary for the former PM to apologise.

Taylor told 2GB Radio:

I didn’t make too much of it. I had a very good working relationship with the prime minister. He could have overridden me in many ways if he didn’t like what I was doing – but he never did that. It shouldn’t become a distraction, with rising inflation, interest rates, [and the difficulty] making ends meet. I fear it continues to be a distraction from those issues that really matter … It’s completely unnecessary [for him] to apologise.

Taylor said he has been clear that he didn’t know Morrison did this, and accused Labor of “hypocrisy” for saying Morrison had to take responsibility for everything.

South Australia records two Covid deaths and 239 people in hospital

There were 1,062 new cases in the last reporting period, and seven people are in intensive care.

WA records five Covid deaths and 245 people in hospital

There were 1,760 new cases in the last reporting period, and seven people are in intensive care.

Authorities said:

Sadly, today’s report includes five deaths, which were reported to WA Health yesterday – dating back to 13 May.

Retired judge fined for accident which resulted in driver’s legs being amputated

A retired South Australian judge and state coroner has been fined for causing an accident which resulted in a delivery driver having both of his legs amputated, ABC is reporting.

Reporter Candice Prosser was at the Adelaide magistrates court where the retired judge, who had spent his long legal career in court rooms, was today fined $900. She told ABC:

In 2020, he bought themselves a Porsche at age 70. Last year, he was driving the car when he stopped to tell another motorist that the back door of his truck was opened.

She said the court heard as he went to go back into his own car, he accidentally hit the accelerator.

His car struck and trapped the 66-year-old delivery driver who went around the back of his truck to close the door. The truck driver had both legs amputated as a result of his extensive injuries.

The retired judge said:

All I can say is, that I’m extremely sorry for what happened. I’m very, very conscious of the pain and suffering that I’ve caused to him and his family. Something I very deeply regret.

Children’s book prize winner a coup for diversity

Returning to her old school for her daughter’s parent teacher interview, author Rebecca Lim had what she describes as a brain snap, AAP reports.

The teacher presented a “personally tailored” year seven booklist featuring Playing Beatie Bow, Picnic at Hanging Rock, and The Getting of Wisdom – the very same classics Lim read at the school more than 30 years ago. She told AAP.

There’s all these other authors out there now, who have far more diverse viewpoints … the fact we’re still pushing the same things to kids after all these years is a little bit dispiriting.

Lim’s daughter told her to do something about it, and the resulting book Tiger Daughter has now won the book of the year award for older readers at the Children’s Book Council of Australia awards announced today. Lim said:

Utter amazement has probably been the feeling throughout all this because I just wasn’t expecting to win it… there’s some pretty dark topics in there.

Tiger Daughter tells the story of Chinese only child Wen, who feels she is a disappointment to her parents.

But when a friend retreats into his shell after something happens to his mother, she tries to rescue him, and in the process helps everyone around her.

The book, which Lim’s two daughters helped illustrate, explores culturally-based domestic violence and also sneaks in a critique of Confucianist philosophy.

Rebecca Lim is leaning against a bluestone brick wall which is covered in some vines. She is wearing a black top and glasses, and has her arms crossed as she looks at the camera with a faint smile
Rebecca Lim has won book of the year at the Children’s Book Council of Australia awards. Photograph: James Ross/AAP

Weekly Beast probes what the Australian’s buried scoop tells us about the Morrison saga

Amanda Meade’s always excellent weekly column is out and it tackles what was of course the biggest story this week – Scott Morrison’s secret ministries.

With so much coverage since the story broke, it’s likely you may have missed exactly how that happened. Meade reports:

The Weekend Australian had the scoop of the year about Scott Morrison’s unprecedented grab for power. But the paper may just have buried the lede, running five paragraphs off page one and splashing instead with a story about John Howard. Perhaps the broadsheet’s underplaying of the story is why the nation’s media largely ignored the bombshell for 48 hours.

The Australian had the first exclusive extract from Plagued, a new book by its political editor, Simon Benson, and chief political correspondent, Geoff Chambers, in the Inquirer section. The accompanying news story ran on page two.

Peter Hannam

Peter Hannam

Half of Volkswagen customers asking about EVs, summit hears

More from the EV summit, where the chief executive of the Volkswagen Group in Australia, Paul Sansom, just said that one in two customers walking into the group’s 180 dealerships are asking about electric vehicles.

By the end of 2030, half of VW cars across 14 brands will be EVs – and by 2040, it’ll be 100%. (I suspect the wave of innovation and mass production out of China and elsewhere will bring those dates forward.)

(Now, it would be nice if only they could expedite bringing more of their models here. This correspondent was recently in Germany – and even passed VW’s giant Wolfsburg HQ on a train. Will spare you the holiday snaps.)

We also heard from NSW’s energetic energy minister and treasurer, Matt Kean, who was among the first ministers in the country to get an EV staff car.

Kean made a point working with “peers and colleagues across the political aisle” in jurisdictions around the nation “who are continuing to push reform to support the uptake of EVs”.

Kean, a Liberal, did not have a warm relationship with Angus Taylor, the former energy minister in the Morrison government, famously not informing him of Origin Energy‘s plan to accelerate the closure of Eraring the nation’s biggest coal-fired power plant prior to the company going public.

Anyway, shifting to EVs is “absolutely essential to our emission reduction goals”, with the state aiming to halve 2005-level carbon emissions by 2030. Transport accounts for 20% of NSW’s emissions, with almost 50% of those coming from passenger vehicles, Kean said.

Apart from aiming for NSW to be the “best place in Australia” to own an EV, Kean also noted there’s $250m available to boost local component manufacturing for EVs in the state. It will be distributed according to “a reverse-auction process”, and the state is open for bids.

Expect more on manufacturing EV parts later in the day when federal minister for industry and science, Ed Husic, chimes in.

EU willing to help plug Australia’s capability gap

The European Union’s outgoing ambassador to Australia says the bloc remains ready and willing to sell Canberra military equipment to plug any capability gaps arising from the cancellation of a French submarine contract, AAP reports.

The first nuclear-propelled submarines to be delivered by the US or UK under the new Aukus agreement will not be ready for more than a decade.

The EU ambassador, Michael Pulch, said:

There is a long-standing defence cooperation between European Union and Australia.

Frigate purchases, petrol boats … and armoured vehicles do come from Europe and we continue to work together in that defence cooperation space.

Europe has developed top-notch technology they’ll prepare to export to like-minded countries like Australia.

But Pulch says while Europe remains open to exporting arms to Australia, open tender processes are being followed. He said:

It is, of course, decisions by the Australian government – which kind of armament or weaponry they choose.

We are not as the European Union proposing this. There are tenders that have to be done by the Australian government and then decided upon what offers they get.

Peter Hannam

Peter Hannam

Chris Bowen dismisses carbon tax comparisons with EV policy

Just a bit more on Chris Bowen’s comments at the EV summit in Canberra.

After his formal speech, Bowen told journalists that more than 80% of cars were sold in nations with fuel-emissions standards – and Australia was not in that majority (and nor was Russia).

The point of the consultation paper is to foster “strong feedback” and “good ideas” from the community, industry and beyond. “This is the way of the future, and we’re taking the next big step on the journey,” he said.

Bowen dismissed comments from “a Queensland senator“ that the policy would end the ute and serve up a “carbon tax“. “Australians are over that sort of cheap, dishonest, pathetic sort of politics,” he said, adding it wasn’t a carbon tax.

(Of course, a carbon tax that reflected the damage/cost of carbon emissions would actually quicken the transition from fossil fuels – but that’s not part of the tale.)

The consultation period would be roughly as long as the one for the safeguard mechanism. That one was released yesterday and will be open until 20 September, implying about a month might be expected for the EV one once it’s released next month.

The results, though, would then be taken to cabinet before a policy is settled on. Bowen said:

I’m not going to give a timetable on it.

Another query was about a tweet from another attendee at the EV summit, independent senator David Pocock, who raised the issue of seeking to curb emissions from industry while promoting fossil-fuel developments.

On the same day the government released a discussion paper on the safeguard mechanism (to reduce emissions) they also called for expressions of interest for new offshore oil and gas exploration 🤔

Time to get serious about climate – more ambition, more action. https://t.co/UaF5Z2OCqa

— David Pocock (@DavidPocock) August 18, 2022

So, is the government tapping the brake on emissions with the safeguard efforts (and the EV promotion) while tapping the accelerator on new gas or oil projects?

Bowen said:

That’s a standard departmental process.




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