Politics latest: Australia, Indonesia finalise new defence agreement

The Pacific nations have hailed their 'very close cooperation' after striking a landmark defence deal while celebrating 75 years of bilateral diplomatic relations.

Indonesian Defence Minister and President-elect Prabowo Subianto is welcomed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

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4:41 pm August 20, 2024

Mining body slam Labor after blocking $1bn project

Staff writers

The chief executive of Australia’s national mining body has slammed the government for blocking the construction of a $1bn mining project at the 11th hour with an indigenous protection order.

The McPhillamys open cut gold mine in Blayney, New South Wales was due to extract up to 60 million tonnes of ore until it was shelved by Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek on Friday.

Ms Plibersek granted an Indigenous protection order over the project, which had received state and federal approval, based on the advice of a coalition of Wiradjuri elders wanting to protect the headwaters.

In a statement today, CEO of the Minerals Council of Australia Tania Constable said the project had the support of the recognised Local Aboriginal Land Council and warned against the government’s “dangerous” and “disappointing” decision.

“This project was a significant opportunity for economic development, and it is concerning that taxpayer funded activist groups such as the Environmental Defenders Office have been allowed to derail it by undermining the voices of local Aboriginal communities who supported the project," she said.

“Australian mineral companies work closely with Traditional Owners every day to identify, protect, and promote cultural heritage, ensuring that the world's oldest and longest continuing heritage is preserved for future generations.

“Federal interventions that override state level decisions and dismiss the input of local Aboriginal representatives risk setting a dangerous precedent.

“We urge the government to provide clarity and transparency regarding the decision-making process and ensure that future decisions reflect the voices of those who truly represent their communities.”

Jack Newman

3:36 pm August 20, 2024

Dutton attempts to silence Chalmers in fiery QT

Jack Quail

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has moved to silence Treasurer Jim Chalmers as Labor continues to defy repeated attempts calling for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to name the number of visas granted to arrivals from Gaza since October 7 that have been later cancelled.

“Today in Question Time, every single question on the Middle East. Not one single question on middle Australia. Not one question about middle Australia,” the Treasurer said, antagonising opposition MPs.

Frustrated with Labor continuing to avoid answering questions on the cancelled visas, the Opposition Leader moved that Dr Chalmers no longer be heard.

The House divided to vote on the motion, which was ultimately defeated as Labor holds a majority.

3:21 pm August 20, 2024

Labor questioned on full gambling advertising ban

Jack Quail

Greens MP Elizabeth Watson-Brown has pressed Communications Minister Michelle Rowland during Question Time as to why Labor will not press ahead with a full ban on gambling advertising amid pressure from its own backbench MPs to do so.

“Today on the ABC, one of the pioneers of online sports betting said in relation to gambling advertisements, if you want to protect children, you go ahead with a total ban,” Ms Watson-Brown asked

“If you want to protect bookmaker profits, you go ahead with a partial ban. Minister, who do you want to protect?"

In response, Ms Rowland said Labor was taking an “evidence-based” and “consultative” approach to reforming gambling advertising, and took aim at the Greens for their failure to consult on the legislation.

“The member, I am happy to stand corrected, has never sought a briefing on this matter directly with me, but my door is always open,” she said.

3:16 pm August 20, 2024

Katter slams Brisbane Olympics, pagan rituals

Jack Quail

North Queensland MP Bob Katter lobbed a characteristically bizarre query during Question Time, the subject of which appears to be the taxpayer benefit derived from the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.

“Doesn't the federal government's backing of the Brisbane Olympics confiscate $30 billion off Queensland's coal and cattle farmers giving it to the [International Olympic Committee] whose Paris opening ceremony was, I quote: "A pagan ritual denigrating Christianity”?

Mr Katter went on – “Didn’t Christians abolish slavery, create from a brutal imperium from the Dark Ages, the Renaissance?

“Didn’t communism murder 78 million people? Didn’t Christian Gorbachev, the Pope and the Christians abolish Communists?

“Didn’t pagan rituals sacrifice children to the tree and crocodile gods? Do such rituals still live on Mr Treasurer?”

The question elicits a roar of laughter from across the chamber. Almost unable to contain himself, Jim Chalmers took to this dispatch box, giving a defence of Brisbane’s bid to host the 2032 games.

2:46 pm August 20, 2024

PM grilled on cancelled visas for Palestinian refugees

Jack Quail

The subject of every single question asked of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese by the Coalition during Question Time has focused on the number of visas granted to arrivals from Gaza since October 7 that have been later cancelled.

But the Prime Minister has time and time again refused to state whether any visas have been cancelled, arguing instead that security agencies are continuing to monitor Palestinian refugees from Gaza in Australia.

In providing a straight answer, Mr Albanese would consequently invite questions about the reason behind the cancellations.

That could include visa cancellations on national security grounds, thus opening Labor up to Coalition attacks that the vetting procedures applied to the 1300 arrivals from Gaza have been insufficient.

The Australian understands that between 7 October 2023 and 12 August 2024, 43 visitor visas granted to Palestinians have been cancelled. Of those cancellations, 20 have been revoked.

2:28 pm August 20, 2024

RBA and government working together on inflation: Chalmers

Jack Quail

Fresh meeting minutes from the Reserve Bank’s most recent meeting in early August have further demonstrated the federal government and the RBA are working in tandem in the fight against inflation, Jim Chalmers has claimed.

Reiterating guidance from RBA governor Michele Bullock, the statement suggested the central bank is growing increasingly concerned that markets are running away from the narrative that it will not cut rates until 2025.

“The future for the cash rate inferred from market pricing was not sufficient to return inflation to the midpoint of the target range in 2026,” the minutes read.

Speaking during question time, the Treasurer said the minutes, alongside recent comments made by Ms Bullock who claimed an increase in public demand was “not the main game” had proven the government’s critics were incorrect.

“All of those points absolutely obliterate the dishonesty peddled by people opposite and people who should know better,” Dr Chalmers said.

“Those opposite want higher inflation and higher interest rates so that nobody notices they have no policies and no credibility in the third year of a three-year term.”

2:03 pm August 20, 2024

Reynolds denies any link to ‘bot’ social media accounts

Paul Garvey

Linda Reynolds has emphatically denied any connection to dozens of ‘bot’ social media accounts posting messages of support for the senator amid her defamation action against Brittany Higgins.

Users of X, the social media platform formally known as Twitter, have identified more than 50 accounts – almost all of which have been created in the past month – that have all posted messages sympathetic to Senator Reynolds.

The posts, identified by X user @EmergencyBK, all use similar language and express similar sentiments, with the wording and the small number of followers of the accounts all suggesting that they are the work of paid ‘bots’.

A spokesman for Senator Reynolds told The Australian that the senator had no idea about the origin of the posts.

Read the full story here.

1:51 pm August 20, 2024

Pre-election enrollment at record levels

Jack Quail

The share of Australians enrolled to vote has reached a near-record, with pre-election enrolment now at its highest level of all time.

Official figures released by the Australian Electoral Commission on Tuesday show 97.9 per cent of all eligible Australians were enrolled to vote at the end of June.

That figure is higher than the proportion leading into the previous federal election in 2022 at 96.2 per cent.

An estimated 92.9 per cent of Indigenous Australians are enrolled to vote, significantly higher than the 79.3 per cent leading into the 2022 federal election.

Australian electoral commissioner Tom Rogers said Australia’s electoral roll was in “great shape” and placed Australia’s democracy in a “globally enviable position”.

“I am confident the next federal election will once again break enrolment records. It is likely to be the best base for participation in a federal election since federation,” he said.

1:01 pm August 20, 2024

Labor 'spooked' by Dutton on Palestinians visas: Greens

Rosie Lewis

The Greens have accused the government of being "spooked by Peter Dutton" in delaying any announcement of a permanent pathway for Palestinians on visitor visas to remain in Australia.

Greens immigration spokesman David Shoebridge also claimed Labor's lack of action against Israel had allowed the Opposition Leader to call for a total ban on Palestinians from Gaza.

“At the core of that is a vacuum and worse that's been created by the Albanese government through their repeated refusal to offer a genuine humanitarian visa to people fleeing genocide," Senator Shoebridge said.

"There was messaging just two weeks ago from the new Minister (Tony Burke) that he was contemplating creating a new visa class, but it appears they've been spooked by Peter Dutton and Labor are now refusing to do this most basic thing to create a genuine humanitarian visa class for people fleeing a genocide.

"When you add to that the lack of action from the Albanese government to take meaningful steps to end the genocide, which could include, as other nations have considered and moved, sanctions on extreme elements of the Netanyahu government and a very explicit ban on two-way weapons trade with Israel, the failure of the Albanese government to take a single substantive step in that space also creates the environment for Peter Dutton to behave as he does."

12:54 pm August 20, 2024

Aged care reforms to be finalised 'very shortly'

Rosie Lewis

The Albanese government expects a deal with the Coalition on its aged care reforms to be finalised "very shortly", as the major parties attempt to ensure the residential care sector is viable and investable.

Following a meeting of the Labor caucus, in which Aged Care Minister Annika Wells updated her colleagues on where negotiations with the Coalition were up to, party sources said there'd be more to say about the deal once it was clinched, "which could be very, very shortly".

The sources noted it was a very complex area of policy and bipartisan support was important.

"You can't have this change from government to government," Labor sources said.

"The sector won't invest if they're not confident about the rules. And you can't just play politics with the finances and sort of care options for older Australians as well. So I think both us and the opposition have worked really, really hard to try and land an agreement."