Your noon Briefing: PM’s backflip as Paris target shelved

Welcome to your noon digest of what’s been making news and what to watch for.

Hello readers. Here is your noon roundup of today’s top stories and a long read for lunchtime.

PM Malcolm Turnbull and Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton attending a Refugee Week Event at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture Kym Smith

Last backflip on Paris?

Malcolm Turnbull says he retains the “absolute support” of Peter Dutton as he shelved a central element of his signature energy policy, saying the government will not legislate or regulate the 26 per cent Paris emissions target. The Prime Minister today announced new measures to lower power prices but said the future of the national energy guarantee was now in the hands of the states.

Queensland Liberal National president Gary Spence has urged federal MPs to topple Malcolm Turnbull and install Peter Dutton. Keep up with all the latest from parliament as the PM fights to keep his hold on the helm in our live blog, PoliticsNow.

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Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews speaks during the 2018 State of the State address in Melbourne, Wednesday, August 15, 2018. (AAP Image/Stefan Postles) NO ARCHIVING

Solar scheme ‘like pink batts disaster’

Victoria’s $1.24 billion pledge to provide heavily discounted solar panels to thousands of households has drawn parallels with the former Rudd government’s failed home insulation scheme, amid fears it could attract dubious operators and lead to safety risks

“Daniel Andrews’s solar panel election promise sounds a lot like Kevin Rudd’s pink batts disaster.”

David Southwick, opposition energy spokesman

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17 August 2018 Townsville, Qld - Clive Palmer announces a $15,000 sponsorship package for the Saints Cricket Club in Townsville - Photo: Cameron Laird (Ph: 0418 238811 - [e-mail])

Clive ‘buying candidates’

Pauline Hanson has accused Clive Palmer of trying to “buy” candidates for his start-up party, intensifying the feud between the two political populists. Infuriated by the cherrypicking of One Nation talent for Mr Palmer’s new United Australia Party, Senator Hanson said voters should be wary of candidates who “chop and change”. The Weekend Australian revealed that One Nation candidates had been offered campaign assistance worth up to $100,000 to defect to the new Palmer outfit, which is being set up to contest the federal election due by next May.

“There’s an old saying you can’t buy your true friends, and Clive Palmer should know after his last tilt at federal politics, you shouldn’t buy your candidates.”

Pauline Hanson

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(FILES) In this file photo taken on April 10, 2018 One hundred cardboard cutouts of Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg stand outside the US Capitol in Washington, DC. It has turned into a brutal reality check for Facebook. The social network star -- which had weathered storms over privacy and data protection -- is now looking ahead at a cloudier financial future that threatens to end its years-long breakneck growth pace. Shares in Facebook plummeted 19 percent to $175.30 in early trade Thursday, wiping out some $100 billion -- believed to be the worst single-day evaporation of market value for any company. / AFP PHOTO / SAUL LOEB

The long read: Activists who beat Silicon Valley

Facebook and Google mined personal data on a global scale until a real estate developer decided this was not right, writes Nicholas Confessore.

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Comment of the day

“ ‘Transactional cost’ of dumping now less than the cost of carrying the PM any further.”

Eric, in response to ‘Malcolm Turnbull’s leadership on knife edge as rebel numbers swell’.