ScoMo unveils plan to shake-up how we recycle

Scott Morrison will unveil a radical plan to get Aussies to reuse and buy products manufactured with recycled goods.

Scott Morrison will seek to accelerate Australia’s recycling industry, transforming everything from old tyres into roads in a bid to curb waste and drive new jobs.

The Prime Minister will on Monday unveil the “ReMade in Australia” campaign, which aims to get Aussies to reuse and buy products manufactured with recycled goods.

“Australians are doing the right thing and they want to be assured that the efforts they make in recycling at their homes and workplaces are delivering real outcomes, from the roads they drive on to the sunglasses they choose to wear,” Mr Morrison said.

“We are taking responsibility for our waste, we put a stop to it being shipped overseas as someone else’s problem and we have made recycling one of six national manufacturing priorities.”

With both leaders on the unofficial campaign trail, Anthony Albanese on Sunday launched a scathing attack on Scott Morrison as he positions himself as Australia’s alternate leader ahead of the federal election.

Scott Morrison spent Sunday campaigning at Bathurst and Forbes. Picture: Getty Images

The Labor leader vowed to unite the country with his vision for Australia to become a renewable energy superpower, reignite domestic manufacturing, provide more opportunities for training, improve job security and adopt the call for “Voice, Treaty, and Truth”.

“We can put the climate wars behind us,” Mr Albanese declared at a rally on Sunday.

But Treasurer Josh Frydenberg hit out at Labor’s plan for a 43 per cent emissions reduction target come 2030, claiming their use of the safeguards mechanism “would punish” large industrial companies across Australia.

“If Anthony Albanese gets his way we will get a Green Labor government – (Greens leader) Adam Bandt is already calling his parliamentary members shadow ministers,” Mr Frydenberg told a Liberal council meeting on Sunday.

“It (the federal election) will be a choice between a weak Labor leader in Anthony Albanese who is not prepared to stand up to the unions and the Greens, and a Prime Minister who has shown his courage and conviction to get us through this crisis.”

But in his strongest leadership pitch yet, Mr Albanese blasted Mr Morrison for pitting people and states against each other, saying that in tough times “every one of us has to hold a hose”.

He also accused the Prime Minister of “cuddling up to anti-vaxxers” and “giving comfort to extremists”.

Labor Leader Anthony Albanese. Picture: Flavio Brancaleone

“I can promise you if I get something wrong, I’ll own up to it,” Mr Albanese told party faithful.

“I may not always be the smoothest talker – but I can promise you I’ll always tell it straight. I won’t run and hide from responsibility.”

Mr Albanese said leadership was about facing up to problems and looking for solutions. “We all want to put the past two years behind us. To do that, we need to put this government behind us.”

But Mr Morrison, who spent Sunday campaigning at Bathurst and Forbes, said while Mr Albanese was “politicking back in the inner city”, he was speaking to flood victims.

“The only way you really understand what a Labor government will do is what they did last time they were in government,” he said.

TAXATION REVENUE BOLSTERS BUDGET

The nation’s budget bottom line is almost $8bn better off following a cash injection from income and company tax receipts.

Financial statements for October show the federal deficit has reduced from $51.8bn to $43.9bn over the past four months.

Finance Minister Simon Birmingham said the boost of about $2bn a month confirmed Australia’s economy remained resilient, as it grappled with Covid curveballs such as the Omicron variant.

“As we head towards Christmas, more Australians in jobs and more confidence across the economy will be key to further improving our budget position,” Senator Birmingham said. “Given the tax cuts we’ve delivered for households and businesses, the strength in tax being paid is further proof of Australia’s economic recovery.

“With our tax cuts, Australians are getting to keep more of what they earn, but thanks to a stronger economy, they’re earning more overall and contributing to a better than expected budget bottom line.”

Tax receipts were $15.6bn higher at the end of October than was expected at the May budget. Welfare payments are also due to be $1.2bn less than forecast with at least 350,000 jobs returned since the state of September.

Retail sales rose 4.9 per cent during October, signalling an improvement in consumer and business confidence.

The government will release its mid-year economic outlook in two weeks. National accounts released last week revealed lockdowns across Victoria, New South Wales and the ACT wiped 1.9 per cent from the economy in the September quarter. Gross domestic product was up 3.9 per cent through the year.

The Reserve Bank of Australia has forecast economic growth could be as high as 5.5 per cent in 2022.

Originally published as ScoMo unveils plan to shake-up how we recycle