Madeleine King says an east coast gas reserve is ‘totally on the table’
King was asked about a speech BlueScope chief executive Mark Vassella delivered at the National Press Club on Wednesday, where he called for a gas reserve on the east coast.
King says it is “totally on the table”:
We are wanting to design this with everybody involved, so that comes from the gas industry itself but really importantly the consumers of gas in this country, so that’s industrial users, energy companies, day to day users.
Key events
‘Incredibly hopeful’, Bridget McKenzie says of Gaza peace deal
Asked about the Gaza peace deal, senator Bridget McKenzie says she’s “incredibly hopeful this is the closest we’ve got to end the war”:
It’s also, as I read it, the deradicalisation of Gaza, Hamas finally laying down arms, being no part of a government going forward, hostages being returned. I think that is a really, really positive outcome. We are very close.
‘Disappointing’ to see taxpayer funds used to bail out copper smelter, Bridget McKenzie says
Victorian Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie is speaking to the ABC.
Mckenzie, the Nationals’ Senate leader, is asked about the joint federal and Queensland government bailout of the Glencore Mount Isa copper smelter announced this week.
McKenzie says:
We’re glad to see the mighty town of Mount Isa live to fight another day. It’s incredibly disappointing though we’ve had to see $600m of taxpayers’ money to bail out yet another foreign-owned entity as they face energy costs through the roof.
Lisa Cox
Good Advice matter before Senate estimates, continued
Senator Lidia Thorpe, who has pursued the Good Advice matter in estimates for more than year, asked Wednesday’s Senate hearing why a conflict of interest register tabled by the NLC “doesn’t mention anything about Good Advice, with board members being involved with Good Advice?”
The council’s chief executive, Yuseph Deen, responded:
The declaration process is obviously self-declared, and I’d imagine the information that you have in your hand may be outdated, and we need to provide an updated register for reference.
Thorpe asked Deen if the NLC would “support an independent investigation into the operations of Good Advice?” She said: “Because Good Advice is actually bad advice and bad for country”.
Deen responded:
I would be just trying to find the right words for it. Should there be issues found with Good Advice or any independent consultancy that deal with matters of Aboriginal land … within the NLC’s jurisdiction, what we would always support is to ensure that traditional owner decision-making is protected.
And if that is through a mechanism of an independent investigation, then we would look at the outcome of that investigation.
In late June, following formal consultations overseen by the NLC, Beetaloo Energy announced traditional owners had consented to the sale of appraisal gas from its Carpentaria pilot project.
In previous statements to Guardian Australia, a spokesperson for Empire told Guardian Australia the company had “a long history of respectful engagement with traditional owners over the last decade”. He said it had held more than 30 on-country meetings and continued to consult traditional owners about current and future works.
Guardian Australia sent detailed questions to McDonald via email and post before publication of the investigation in June. He declined to respond.
You can read the full investigation here:
Lisa Cox
Malarndirri McCarthy tells Senate estimates of ‘concern’ over Darwin consulting firm and its gas company client
Indigenous Australians minister Malarndirri McCarthy has told a Senate estimates hearing she was concerned about the consulting activities of a little-known Darwin firm called Good Advice and its gas company client Empire Energy following a Guardian Australia investigation.
New documents tabled in the federal parliament after a request from Senator Lidia Thorpe show the minister sought to raise her concerns formally via the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) after a major leak of Northern Land Council (NLC) files, correspondence and recordings.
In a hearing on Wednesday, Greens leader Larissa Waters said talking points in the tabled documents stated the minister was very concerned about allegations “about third parties using misinformation or deception to influence traditional owners”.
Waters asked: “What actions did you take in response to those concerns?”
McCarthy confirmed “this was a concern for me” and said she had instructed the NIAA, to “discuss with the Northern Land Council what was occurring” and “I appreciate that those conversations took place”. The documents show the minister sought advice in July on how to raise her concerns formally with the NLC through the NIAA.
Good Advice is a Darwin-based consulting firm whose sole director is Greg McDonald, a former NLC resources and energy branch manager. The company was registered in April 2023, shortly after McDonald left the land council, and its work involves helping gas companies navigate their relationships with traditional owners in the Top End.
Guardian Australia revealed in June that traditional owners claimed Good Advice promised them private deals and gathered signatures to smooth the way for Empire Energy’s – now known as Beetaloo Energy – sales of appraisal gas from its Carpentaria pilot project in the Beetaloo Basin.
The leaked documents also revealed serious concerns among traditional owners and bureaucrats about the lobbying activities of Empire Energy, Good Advice and several members of the NLC’s full council, who were employed as advisers by the consulting firm in an individual capacity.
The NLC has previously said councillors were “part-time public officials” who often wore many hats and “are entitled to engage in outside employment opportunities in an individual capacity”. The NLC has previously told the senate that five of its councillors had declared conflicts with Good Advice.
More to come.
Madeleine King says an east coast gas reserve is ‘totally on the table’
King was asked about a speech BlueScope chief executive Mark Vassella delivered at the National Press Club on Wednesday, where he called for a gas reserve on the east coast.
King says it is “totally on the table”:
We are wanting to design this with everybody involved, so that comes from the gas industry itself but really importantly the consumers of gas in this country, so that’s industrial users, energy companies, day to day users.
Gaza deal ‘truly welcome relief’ for whole Middle East, Madeleine King says
The federal resources minister, Madeleine King, is speaking to the ABC. She is asked about the signing-off of the first phase of the Gaza peace plan.
She says:
It must be truly welcome relief for the people of Israel and indeed the whole Middle East.
My thoughts are with the families of the hostages … I’m sure Monday can’t come soon enough after what has been a horrific two years.
Palestine advocacy group says weekend marches to continue despite Gaza peace deal
A pro-Palestine student group says nationwide marches will go ahead over the weekend after Israel and Hamas agreed to the “first phase” of the Gaza peace plan.
It comes after New South Wales’ top court today banned a planned pro-Palestine march to the Sydney Opera House scheduled for this weekend. The Sydney organisers, who had proposed marching to the Opera House, said they would change the planned route.
Jasmine Duff, Students for Palestine co-convenor, says the global pro-Palestine movement should continue to protest:
Israel continues to occupy Gaza, and we must keep fighting for a lasting end to the bombing and starvation beyond this temporary ceasefire.
We hope every day for an end to Israel’s bombardment and welcome any second of solace for Palestinians, but we do not trust Israel or Donald Trump. Israel broke both previous ceasefires. The Palestine movement across the world must continue marching, striking, occupying and sailing to push for the genocide to permanently end.
Krishani Dhanji
That’s it from me today, thanks for following along on the blog!
I’ll leave you with the fabulous Adeshola Ore for the afternoon, and will see you back here bright and early tomorrow.
Tl;dr here’s what you missed in question time
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The Coalition took a more varied approach to questions today, but tried to push Labor on the situation around six Australians who have returned from Syrian detention camps.
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Labor fought back and argued the Australian citizens were entitled to their rights, “no more, no less”.
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Two crossbenchers pushed the government on its controversial proposed changes to freedom of information laws.
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Two Liberal MPs got kicked out today (the vibe was definitely a bit rowdier than we saw earlier this week), including Andrew Wallace and shadow treasurer Ted O’Brien.
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Anthony Albanese made public comments during a dixer about progress on the Gaza peace deal.
Question time ends with Tony Burke on the Liberal ‘clown show’
After a final dixer where Tony Burke called the entirety of the Liberal party a “clown show” (following Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s comments yesterday), question time is over for the day.
Here’s a flavour of Burke’s burns:
We are never quite sure if the clown show is going to be a scary clown, Pennywise of Stephen King’s It, or whether it will provide Bozo.
Independent Helen Haines asks why Labor is ‘expanding cabinet secrecy’
Independent MP Helen Haines takes up the freedom of information fight, and asks the attorney general about the controversial expansion of the cabinet exemption.
Why is government expanding cabinet secrecy when the [robodebt] royal commission recommended the exact opposite?
Michelle Rowland says the premise of Haines’ question is not correct and that what the government is doing is “clarifying” the cabinet exemptions.
In relation to the closing observation made by the [robodebt] royal commission about the cabinet exemption, the government stated that it is critical that the cabinet … is comprehensively informed in all its deliberations because decisions taken by the cabinet are collective, and the principle of collective responsibility requires that ministers should be able to express their views frankly in cabinet meetings, in the expectation they can argue freely in private while maintaining unity in public when those decisions have been reached. And this in turn requires that opinions expressed in the cabinet and cabinet committees, including in documents and any correspondence, are treated as confidential.
Sussan Ley pushes Labor on support given to Australians returning from Syria detention camps
Opposition leader Sussan Ley accuses Anthony Albanese and Tony Burke of contradicting each other on the support given to Australians who have returned from Syrian detention camps.
The government has said it hasn’t supported the six Australians, except for the consular assistance that they’re legally entitled to. This is what Burke said earlier.
Albanese starts listing a set of facts, and says again that the government has not provided support but that Australian citizens have legal rights.
Ley tries to cut in with a point of order on relevance but Milton Dick says Albanese is being relevant.
Albanese continues, and says the AFP is prepared to monitor those who do return.
So we have a number of ongoing investigations and matters that relate to Australians who have traveled overseas. I want to provide confidence and assurance that we remain prepared and positioned for any self-managed returns alongside our partner agencies.
Anika Wells takes question on local content quotas for streaming services
Independent MP Zali Steggall asks Anika Wells (who’s had more of a break during QT today) whether the government will implement Australian local content quotas for streaming services, as promised by Labor in 2019, 2022 and 2025. She says quotas would save 55,000 jobs in Australia.
We essentially get a “it’s being worked and we’ll tell you more soon” answer … whenever soon is.
Wells says:
We agree that local content quotas are very important and our commitment to the Australian industry, both in communications and arts, is important and [we] will continue to do that work and give you an update as we can.
Jim Chalmers rejects claim Treasury has modelled a national carbon tax
Is the government implementing a nation wide carbon tax? Shadow treasurer Ted O’Brien asks the treasurer about Treasury department modelling on a marginal abatement incentive. O’Brien says “that is a carbon tax of around $300 a ton. This is over 10 times more expensive than the carbon tax Julia Gillard introduced”.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers stands up and looks like he’s having a bit too much fun when he says he’s “pleased” to see O’Brien at the dispatch box after 170 odd QT questions. Chalmers says there’s no economy-wide carbon tax incoming.
The Treasury modelling and our policy does not assume an economy wide carbon price in place. Treasury’s report makes that clear because that is not the government’s policy and so the question he has asked is not based on reality …
Chalmers then says Treasury modelling shows Australia shouldn’t go down the path of the “cookers” through a “disorderly” renewable transition “which will cost jobs and cost investment.”
O’Brien tries to make a point of order on relevance, which Milton Dick doesn’t accept but Chalmers says he’s done with the answer anyway.
“Is that it?,” shouts O’Brien, who then promptly gets booted out (the second for the day).
Independent Allegra Spender asks about changes to freedom of information
To the crossbench, independent MP Allegra Spender asks the government why it’s moving ahead with changes to the freedom of information bill that were advised against by the findings of the robodebt royal commission.
The proposed FOI amendments would allow more exemptions for cabinet documents.
Albanese says those responsible for robodebt should not be let “off the hook by suggesting bizarrely that somehow reform of a system that is broken, the FOI system, has something to do with support for robodebt”.
The robodebt royal commission did not find cabinet processes were the problem. They found ministers acted directly in contravention to the advice they were given.
Spender tries to raise a point of order but Milton Dick says the PM is being relevant. Albanese continues:
Anyone who wants to be in a party of government … would say the cabinet processes do need, do need to be confident, that’s the law and it always has been the law.
Bowen rejects claim rollout will ‘swallow up’ important areas of prime land
Shadow energy minister Dan Tehan flings another question to Chris Bowen (it takes two goes, Milton Dick makes him start the question again because there’s too much noise).
Tehan puts to Bowen that the renewables rollout will “swallow up important areas of biodiversity and prime agricultural land” to 1.7 times the size of Tasmania, and asks Bowen to provide a map showing the areas at risk.
Bowen accuses Tehan of “disinformation”.
What the honourable member for Wannon is doing is spreading disinformation. When I see that, I will call that out.
Chris Bowen takes question on land needed for renewable energy rollout
It’s Chris Bowen’s turn for a question (a real mixed bag of questions today). Nationals leader David Littleproud asks the energy minister exactly how many hectares of Australian land will be needed for Labor’s renewable energy rollout.
Bowen says there are a few estimates:
The ANU, for example, has estimated 120,000 hectares, or 1,200 square kilometres. In the NSW context, the NSW agriculture commissioner has estimated that it would need 55,000 hectares in NSW, or 0.1% of rural land.
Opposition asks how many more people are expected to return from Syrian detention camps
Liberal MP Phil Thompson takes the next question, and says federal police revealed in Senate estimates yesterday that they expect more Australians in Syrian detention camps to come back to Australia – so will the government tell the public how many more they expect to return from that cohort, and where will they live?
Anthony Albanese gives us this very short answer:
The assumption of the question is wrong because the assumption suggests they are coming back to Australia with our support, which they are not.
