Australia news live: Dutton outlines nuclear energy policy; NZ PM’s Asean arrival delayed by plane breakdown | Australian politics

Dutton outlines Coalition power coverage that includes giant and small nuclear reactors

The opposition chief, Peter Dutton, has this morning outlined the Coalition’s pre-election power coverage, which would come with large-scale nuclear energy crops and small modular reactors.

He was spruiking nuclear power on Dawn, and argued that nuclear crops could possibly be constructed at retiring coal belongings:

So [if] there’s a coal fired generator that’s already acquired an present distribution community, [it has] wires and poles there to distribute the power throughout the community to houses and companies, [and] that’s what we’re occupied with.

Dawn host:

Australia is ranging from floor zero on this. Why didn’t the Coalition get the ball rolling on nuclear whereas in authorities for 11 years?

Dutton argued the expertise of in the present day “doesn’t resemble something that you’ve seen prior to now”, and the expertise is “unbelievable” in comparison with what it was 50 or 70 years in the past. He wouldn’t identify a particular suburb the place these crops can be positioned, as an alternative pointing to any suburb with an present coal-fired energy generator.

Final October, centre-right thinktank Blueprint Institute was calling for a “drastically accelerated deployment” of renewable power, batteries and electrical energy transmission infrastructure and argued there isn’t any prospect of nuclear power enjoying a task in Australia earlier than 2040. You’ll be able to learn the total story from our local weather and surroundings editor Adam Morton under:

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Making the rounds on breakfast tv this morning, treasurer Jim Chalmers has lashed the Coalition’s nuclear-focused, pre-election power coverage.

As we reported earlier, opposition chief Peter Dutton mentioned the Coalition’s coverage would come with large-scale nuclear energy crops and small modular reactors. He argued the expertise of in the present day “doesn’t resemble something that you’ve seen prior to now” and urged nuclear crops could possibly be constructed at retiring coal-fired stations.

Talking on Dawn, Chalmers started by spruiking renewables because the “least expensive” and “cleanest” option to “fulfill our power wants into the longer term.”

He argued that nuclear is “the most costly possibility, essentially the most divisive possibility and longest to construct.”

[Dutton is] extra occupied with low-cost and divisive politics than low-cost and dependable energy. We see that on this more-or-less tradition struggle over nuclear power, it is a nuclear fantasy. It’s costlier, it takes longer, and we right here in Australia our benefits and our future lies in renewable power.

Chalmers argued that nuclear would price “lots of of billions of {dollars}”, take many years to construct, and would “flip our again as a rustic on the massive renewable power alternative earlier than us”.

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NZ prime minister’s Asean arrival delayed by aircraft breakdown

The New Zealand prime minister, Chris Luxon, is scrambling to make his option to Melbourne on business flights after a breakdown of his Defence Pressure aircraft, AAP stories.

Luxon is attending his first worldwide gathering of leaders in the present day after accepting an invite from prime minister Anthony Albanese. Nevertheless, his plans to take a NZDF 757 from Wellington airport went awry when upkeep points grounded the aircraft.

Radio NZ stories Luxon scrambled to get from the Rongotai defence power base to Wellington airport, the place he caught an Air New Zealand flight to Auckland earlier than transferring to a trans-Tasman flight to the Victorian capital.

The delay means the Kiwi prime minister will miss just a few of his bilateral conferences on the summit, the place he’s assembly southeast Asian leaders back-to-back all day.

Quite a lot of accompanying workers and media have been left at Rongotai base, hoping to attend the Melbourne talks if the aircraft is deemed flight-worthy.

The recurrent faults are an ongoing subject for New Zealand leaders, which Luxon has beforehand labelled “extremely embarrassing”. Not like Albanese, who has the same aircraft at his disposal, New Zealand leaders should borrow the aircraft from NZDF obligation after they search to undertake worldwide journey.

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Dunkley byelection exhibits voters reject ‘politics of concern and loathing’: Daniel

Turning to home points, Zoe Daniel mentioned the Dunkley byelection demonstrated that the “politics of concern and loathing” shouldn’t be touchdown with voters.

Daniel mentioned she was happy to see one other girl elected in Dunkley, and that the ladies’s vote shouldn’t be underestimated:

I can’t inform you what number of ladies walked out of the polling sales space [in 2022] and gave me a wink and somewhat thumbs up on election day final time and I believe each the federal government and the opposition have to pay heed to that.

There have been two classes to be gained from Dunkley, she argued: to not take something with no consideration, and that the “politics of concern and loathing” didn’t land. She mentioned:

I don’t assume it might land in my voters [either]. I believe folks see straight by that form of rhetoric and individuals are occupied with reasoned conversations concerning the points affecting our nation, in addition to price of residing and the way stress on households will be alleviated.

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Zoe Daniel says Asean has not performed sufficient on disaster in Myanmar

The impartial MP for Goldstein, Zoe Daniel, was simply on ABC RN to debate the continuing humanitarian disaster in Myanmar. She argued that Asean hasn’t performed sufficient on the problem, and must do extra.

Daniel acknowledged that the scenario is “difficult” however mentioned she is “fairly mystified” concerning the “lack of consideration this will get in Australia, given the quantity of consideration that we give to different conflicts on this planet”.

Daniel mentioned she has been exerting stress on the federal government since she was elected to impose sanctions, however Australia continues to be “method behind our allies within the US, the EU and Canada” in sanctioning “significantly state-owned enterprises to stop that monetary move that’s, in impact, funding a struggle by the junta towards its personal folks”.

Q: Why has Asean been gradual to take motion on Myanmar?

Daniel mentioned there was an financial component, and that international locations in Asean view it as tough to impose something on the junta:

There’s additionally I believe, a want inside Asean for financial cooperation and to attempt to take that route with the junta as a type of leverage … My concern although is that, I believe, that we could be heading down the trail of a type of normalisation with the junta and also you’ve at present acquired a scenario the place about 30% of the nation is in steady management of insurgent ethnic teams, and the junta is actually solely holding the key cities.

Any type of normalisation with the junta that’s pushed by Asean, and I believe might be raised with the Australian authorities for help this week, might backfire as a result of it might in impact permit the junta to enter a few of these areas which are fairly steady and are literally managing themselves.

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Dutton outlines Coalition power coverage that includes giant and small nuclear reactors

The opposition chief, Peter Dutton, has this morning outlined the Coalition’s pre-election power coverage, which would come with large-scale nuclear energy crops and small modular reactors.

He was spruiking nuclear power on Dawn, and argued that nuclear crops could possibly be constructed at retiring coal belongings:

So [if] there’s a coal fired generator that’s already acquired an present distribution community, [it has] wires and poles there to distribute the power throughout the community to houses and companies, [and] that’s what we’re occupied with.

Dawn host:

Australia is ranging from floor zero on this. Why didn’t the Coalition get the ball rolling on nuclear whereas in authorities for 11 years?

Dutton argued the expertise of in the present day “doesn’t resemble something that you’ve seen prior to now”, and the expertise is “unbelievable” in comparison with what it was 50 or 70 years in the past. He wouldn’t identify a particular suburb the place these crops can be positioned, as an alternative pointing to any suburb with an present coal-fired energy generator.

Final October, centre-right thinktank Blueprint Institute was calling for a “drastically accelerated deployment” of renewable power, batteries and electrical energy transmission infrastructure and argued there isn’t any prospect of nuclear power enjoying a task in Australia earlier than 2040. You’ll be able to learn the total story from our local weather and surroundings editor Adam Morton under:

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‘Two-way funding’ with south-east Asia central to commerce fund, treasurer says

As Daniel Hurst reported, the federal authorities will arrange a $2bn fund to “turbocharge” commerce and funding in south-east Asia, with a deal with clear power and infrastructure.

The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, was requested how the funding would work whereas on ABC Information Breakfast simply earlier:

What this new funding facility is all about is ensuring that we will turbocharge that two-way funding, which is so essential to the area, but additionally to our nation, its employers and employees as properly.

What you’ll hear from us in the present day can be a huge deal with funding, attempting to get that two-way funding and commerce pretty much as good as it may be, as a result of we recognise that when the area is safer and extra affluent, our folks right here in Australia are safer and affluent as properly.

And the way can Australian firms acquire entry to this funding? Chalmers mentioned the federal government would “clarify all of these preparations”, and added:

For the needs of explaining to your viewers in the present day, it’s a $2bn facility, it’s all about ensuring that we will make this two-way funding extra enticing to folks, to traders, additionally de-risk it the place we will. It’s within the pursuits of each Australian we get this two-way funding [and trade] occurring the perfect it may be.

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Ladies take up surf coaching amid spike in regional drownings

A grant supplied to Browsing NSW has helped 150 ladies obtain their teaching certificates, as nearly 100 folks drowned throughout summer time, AAP stories.

By way of the grant – one among 22 below the state authorities’s Investing In Ladies program – Browsing NSW focused regional and distant areas that accounted for 60% of drownings alongside the coast, up 9% over the earlier 12 months.

Applications help officer Kathy Walton mentioned:

Seashores aren’t patrolled on a regular basis … we’re giving these expertise to regional areas and surfers, then they’re ready to make use of these expertise when it’s an unpatrolled seaside … It’s very helpful to the neighborhood.

Gendered perceptions of browsing are bettering on the again of Australian champions equivalent to Layne Beachley, Stephanie Gilmore and Tyler Wright.

The grants additionally helped native companies, with some members filling roles at understaffed surf faculties.

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As Martin flagged earlier, the Liberal celebration in a single day chosen administration guide Simon Kennedy to contest the Prepare dinner byelection created by the resignation of Scott Morrison.

You’ll be able to learn the total story on this from Paul Karp and Amy Remeikis under for all the main points:

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As we start the second day of the Asean summit, overseas affairs minister Penny Wong has shared these photographs of assembly along with her Malaysian counterpart, Mohamad Hasan.

A heat welcome to Malaysian International Minister Mohamad Hasan on the ASEAN-Australian Particular Summit.

We had the privilege of exchanging 4 Memorandums of Understanding following the 2nd Australia-Malaysia Annual Leaders’ Assembly. pic.twitter.com/QTokO6EAKh

— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) March 4, 2024

Wong wrote on X:

Australia and Malaysia will work much more carefully collectively on shared challenges and alternatives together with cyber safety, larger schooling, sports activities, and nuclear non-proliferation.

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Emily Wind

Emily Wind

Good morning, Emily Wind right here reporting for running a blog duties. Many because of Martin for kicking issues off! I’ll be bringing you our rolling protection in the present day.

See one thing that wants consideration on the weblog? You may get in contact by way of X, @emilywindwrites, or you possibly can ship me an electronic mail: [email protected].

Let’s get began.

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Australian program to eradicate crimson hearth ants is a ‘shambles’, Senate inquiry advised

Our reporter Daisy Dumas watched yesterday as senators got the surprising reality concerning the authorities’s nationwide program to eradicate crimson imported hearth ants.

It has acquired greater than $1.2bn of federal and state funding taking it by to 2027 however the parliamentarians have been advised that the scheme was an “absolute shambles” beset by an absence of transparency and waste.

The eradication goal is so giant, mentioned Richard Shannon, who previously labored on this system, that “it’s the equal of placing man on the moon”.

“We’re additional away from eradication than we have been 5 or 6 years in the past after I was a part of this system,” he mentioned, including that it was “too clandestine”.

Learn Daisy’s full story right here:

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Commerce push to south-east Asia

Daniel Hurst

Daniel Hurst

Australia will arrange a $2bn fund to “turbocharge” commerce and funding in south-east Asia, with a deal with clear power and infrastructure.

The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, will announce the fund in Melbourne on Tuesday when he addresses a gathering of 100 chief executives from Australia and south-east Asia.

Albanese will say in a speech that he’s pursuing “essentially the most important improve of Australia’s financial engagement with Asean for a era”, referring to the Affiliation of Southeast Asian Nations.

He may also promise to enhance entry to long run visas for south-east Asian travellers, saying this “demonstrates unequivocally that Australia is open for enterprise, tourism, and commerce”.

The $2bn south-east Asia funding financing facility is to be managed by Export Finance Australia. It’s anticipated to supply loans, ensures, fairness and insurance coverage to extend Australian commerce and funding in south-east Asia.

“The federal government I lead has made it clear: greater than another area, south-east Asia is the place Australia’s future lies,” Albanese will inform enterprise leaders, in line with speech notes distributed to media upfront.

Learn Daniel Hurst’s full story right here:

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Welcome

Good morning and welcome to our rolling information weblog. I’m Martin Farrer, bringing you the in a single day headlines earlier than Emily Wind takes the helm.

The Liberal celebration final evening selected administration guide Simon Kennedy to contest the Prepare dinner byelection created by the resignation of Scott Morrison. Kennedy beat off competitors from the mayor of Sutherland shire, Carmelo Pesce, and struggle widow and veteran household advocate commissioner, Gwen Cherne. However putting in Kennedy, who didn’t win Bennelong in 2022, means the celebration gained’t enhance its small variety of ladies MPs.

Anthony Albanese will in the present day deal with overseas and commerce coverage as he pronounces a $2bn plan to spice up commerce with south-east Asia with a speech to enterprise figures at in the present day’s session of the Asean summit in Melbourne. Improved visa entry, higher finance alternatives to spice up commerce and funding, and on-the-ground help for companies in Indonesia and Vietnam have all been flagged to strengthen Australia’s standing within the area. Extra arising.

And there was some surprising testimony at a Senate listening to final evening into the federal government’s program to eradicate hearth ants. Senators heard the plan had descended into “absolute shambles” and the nation was farther from eliminating the harmful and doubtlessly deadly bugs than it was 5 years in the past. The committee heard the impression of the invasive species could possibly be worse than rabbits, cane toads, foxes, camels, wild canine and feral cats mixed.

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