Draw a line under the last month, and keep going from here.

Green Hydrogen is dead, apparently.

Peak Warming Man said:

Green Hydrogen is dead, apparently.

These guys could hold a funeral apparently.

Peak Warming Man said:

Green Hydrogen is dead, apparently.

I think rumours of its death may have been exaggerated, at least in WA
https://www.geraldtonguardian.com.au/news/geraldton-guardian/15b-murchison-green-hydrogen-project-to-begin-construction-in-early-2027-ammonia-production-in-2030-c-19137935

dv said:

Peak Warming Man said:

Green Hydrogen is dead, apparently.

I think rumours of its death may have been exaggerated, at least in WA
https://www.geraldtonguardian.com.au/news/geraldton-guardian/15b-murchison-green-hydrogen-project-to-begin-construction-in-early-2027-ammonia-production-in-2030-c-19137935

It’s resting.

What about green methane?

Is that a thing?

Or green petrol for that matter.

The Rev Dodgson said:

dv said:

Peak Warming Man said:

Green Hydrogen is dead, apparently.

I think rumours of its death may have been exaggerated, at least in WA
https://www.geraldtonguardian.com.au/news/geraldton-guardian/15b-murchison-green-hydrogen-project-to-begin-construction-in-early-2027-ammonia-production-in-2030-c-19137935

It’s resting.

What about green methane?

Is that a thing?

Or green petrol for that matter.

Something from 2020:
https://thehill.com/changing-america/sustainability/energy/477848-how-a-scientific-breakthrough-is-making-green-methane/

The Rev Dodgson said:

dv said:

Peak Warming Man said:

Green Hydrogen is dead, apparently.

I think rumours of its death may have been exaggerated, at least in WA
https://www.geraldtonguardian.com.au/news/geraldton-guardian/15b-murchison-green-hydrogen-project-to-begin-construction-in-early-2027-ammonia-production-in-2030-c-19137935

It’s resting.

What about green methane?

Is that a thing?

Or green petrol for that matter.

Those are both things but it seems not very price competitive at present.

Well one thing I did not know about was the

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1967_New_South_Wales_new_state_referendum

concerning the creation of a new state of New England and Northern Rivers.

It was quite unusual in that only a part of the state was required to vote. The boundaries of that area had been determined by a commission before WW2.

The proposal failed (46% yes 54% no). New Englanders were mainly Yesses: Newcastle and Maitlanders were mostly Noes.

—-

Near as I can tell, this is the only time a referendum or plebiscite has been held in only part of an Australian state or territory.

Fun fact: the state of Victoria has never held a referendum or plebiscite. The last referendum in Victoria was held in 1898, at which time it was a Colony.

dv said:

Well one thing I did not know about was the

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1967_New_South_Wales_new_state_referendum

concerning the creation of a new state of New England and Northern Rivers.

It was quite unusual in that only a part of the state was required to vote. The boundaries of that area had been determined by a commission before WW2.

The proposal failed (46% yes 54% no). New Englanders were mainly Yesses: Newcastle and Maitlanders were mostly Noes.

—-

Near as I can tell, this is the only time a referendum or plebiscite has been held in only part of an Australian state or territory.

Fun fact: the state of Victoria has never held a referendum or plebiscite. The last referendum in Victoria was held in 1898, at which time it was a Colony.

Sir Earle Christmas Grafton Page was splitter in chief.

Differences over sectarian issues, milk, electricity and the southern boundary brought it all unstuck.

“A referendum of New England electors was held on 29 April 1967. The ‘no’ vote was led by the Australian Labor Party who campaigned hard. The referendum was narrowly defeated with 54% voting ‘no’. The very high ‘no’ vote in the Labor strongholds of Newcastle and the Lower Hunter offset the majority ‘yes’ vote elsewhere, although the no margin was not high. The threat of restricted access to the highly regulated Sydney milk and dairy products market also boosted the ‘no’ vote in rural areas.”

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_England_New_State_Movement

dv said:

Well one thing I did not know about was the

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1967_New_South_Wales_new_state_referendum

concerning the creation of a new state of New England and Northern Rivers.

It was quite unusual in that only a part of the state was required to vote. The boundaries of that area had been determined by a commission before WW2.

The proposal failed (46% yes 54% no). New Englanders were mainly Yesses: Newcastle and Maitlanders were mostly Noes.

—-

Near as I can tell, this is the only time a referendum or plebiscite has been held in only part of an Australian state or territory.

Fun fact: the state of Victoria has never held a referendum or plebiscite. The last referendum in Victoria was held in 1898, at which time it was a Colony.

Very interesting.

I know what I’d say if I saw him.

Was reading about the economic reform roundtable this morning. Looks like the favored outcome is likely going to be a recommendation for an increase in the rate and a broadening of the base, of the GST.

Surprisingly good Newspoll for ALP in Victoria, 53-47.

For the Labor leader, Jacinta Allen, not such good news.

30% approval, 61% disapproval.

Not bad for the opposition leader Battin, 40% approval, 35% disapproval.

Preferred Premier: Battin 41, Allen 36.

dv said:

Surprisingly good Newspoll for ALP in Victoria, 53-47.

For the Labor leader, Jacinta Allen, not such good news.

30% approval, 61% disapproval.

Not bad for the opposition leader Battin, 40% approval, 35% disapproval.

Preferred Premier: Battin 41, Allen 36.

I’ve never heard of Battin, all the media seems to be about John Pesutto

https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/perth-drive/fiona-argyle-nedlands-resignations/105504882

Fiona Argyle, mayor of Nedlands, has a great interview on the ABC radio.

dv said:

https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/perth-drive/fiona-argyle-nedlands-resignations/105504882

Fiona Argyle, mayor of Nedlands, has a great interview on the ABC radio.

Nedlands sounds like comic book town.

Peak Warming Man said:

dv said:

https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/perth-drive/fiona-argyle-nedlands-resignations/105504882

Fiona Argyle, mayor of Nedlands, has a great interview on the ABC radio.

Nedlands sounds like comic book town.

Sounds Dutch.

dv said:

https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/perth-drive/fiona-argyle-nedlands-resignations/105504882

Fiona Argyle, mayor of Nedlands, has a great interview on the ABC radio.

Hmm, “I’m a globalised girl”.

I know nussing about this controversy, is she a goodie or a baddie?

Bubblecar said:

dv said:

https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/perth-drive/fiona-argyle-nedlands-resignations/105504882

Fiona Argyle, mayor of Nedlands, has a great interview on the ABC radio.

Hmm, “I’m a globalised girl”.

I know nussing about this controversy, is she a goodie or a baddie?

I too know little about it and the facts are in dispute. I expect more will come to light when the Local Government Minister’s office takes a look. There council divided neatly into two factions based on mutual accusations of malfeasance: It’s not a party political matter.

Bubblecar said:

Peak Warming Man said:

dv said:

https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/perth-drive/fiona-argyle-nedlands-resignations/105504882

Fiona Argyle, mayor of Nedlands, has a great interview on the ABC radio.

Nedlands sounds like comic book town.

Sounds Dutch.

“Mayor Argyle is married with four children, the Argyle family live in Nedlands with their dog Peter Miller and two chickens. “

Funny name for a dog.

One issue that was raised when Brian Harradine was a senator remains unresolved.

Casual vacancies in the senate arise when a senator dies, resigns etc. These replacement senators have to be approved by the state parliament. (Different rules apply for territorial senators). By the mid 1970s there was a long standing convention that the replacement would be someone from the same party as the outgoing senator. The NSW Liberals broke this convention when Lionel Murphy left the senate to join the High Court, appointing an independent (Cleaver Bunton) rather than an ALP member as Murphy’s replacement.
Eyebrows were ruffled and feathers were raised, and in 1977 a referendum was held to ensure that such replacements must be from the party that the outgoing senator represented at the time of their election, and the referendum got up by about 75-25.

Brian Harradine was an independent Tasmanian senator for a very long time and was in his 70s by the time he left, and the question was sometimes asked: what happens if he dies? Parliament still has to approve someone and in the absence of any rule, the new senator would probably be a Lib or a Lab depending on who was governing at the time, which would hardly be a like for like replacement.

That’s still the situation today. The problem rarely arises as you need to have a pretty good statewide following to get up as an independent in the Senate. I think the only case since BH was Xenophon, as he originally ran in the Senate as an independent, but he quickly formed a party thereafter.

Note that none of this applies to senators who leave their party to be independent (Lidia Thorpe, Tammy Tyrrel etc). If you were elected as a representative of a party, you’ll be replaced by a member of that party.

In short:

The NSW Ombudsman says Revenue NSW attempted to silence and prevent complaints going to the corruption watchdog.

A special report on the matter was tabled in state parliament.

Taxpayers have a statutory right to complain to integrity agencies.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-08/revenue-nsw-silences-complaints-going-to-icac-watchdog-responds/105507018

We should be paying more for our energy. Here’s why.

Millie Muroi
Economics Writer
July 11, 2025 — 5.00am

Very few people would agree if I were to say our energy bills should be higher. But what if I told you you’re already paying more than the number you see written on your bills every quarter?

Those relying entirely on renewable energy sources such as the sun to power their homes might think they’re spared. But even the most environmentally conscious among us are paying a higher price than what we see on paper.

Of course, as Rod Sims, former chair of the country’s competition watchdog and Superpower Institute director, said in a speech last month, we couldn’t have gotten where we are without fossil fuels. Coal, oil and gas have helped propel us from city to city, country to country, and even earth to moon. Most of our day-to-day activities would be much harder – if not impossible – without them.

But Sims points out there is no contradiction between enjoying what we have and wanting the world to move away from fossil fuels as fast as possible.

The problem is, humans are generally quite good at procrastinating. Despite the deadline to hit net zero emissions looming closer and clearer, we seem better at ignoring the threat of irreversible climate change than acting on it.

But as economics professor Ross Garnaut puts it, we did not move from the Stone Age because we ran out of stones. We have something to learn from our ancestors’ drive to do things better.

By some estimates, Australia producing intensive green exports could slash world emissions by up to 10 per cent.

There are a handful of people who still deny the science behind climate change. But there are also plenty of sensible people with reasonable concerns about the best way forward for Australia. Sims outlines several of these worries and why we shouldn’t let them get in our way.

First, the concern that the rest of the world is not moving to net zero, so Australia taking action is pointless.

But just because everyone else is sleepwalking towards a cliff, it doesn’t mean we should follow. In fact, it’s a good time to walk in another direction. It’s also a myth to say no one else is trying or that we’re all lacking in ambition.

As Sims points out, we often hear about China building coal-fired and nuclear electricity generation facilities at a mind-boggling scale. But last year, about 80 per cent of China’s 429 gigawatts of new electricity-generating capacity (roughly enough to power 322 million homes) was solar and wind powered.

And the European Union has had enough appetite (or perhaps courage) to introduce a price on carbon.

Second, some people claim Australia only accounts for about 1 per cent of world emissions, so it doesn’t matter what we do.

The clear moral argument is that we should still play our part. But Sims also points out that when we include exports (Australia is the biggest supplier of coal and gas combined in the world), our contribution to emission is more than three times higher.

From an economic perspective, we’re also throwing away what’s called our “comparative advantage”. That is, because of our nearly bottomless supply of solar and wind, and our relatively small population, we’re actually able to generate clean energy at a lower cost than most other countries – and sacrifice far less in terms of other things we could be doing with our time and resources.

Countries such as China, Japan, South Korea and India face a growing shortage of low-cost green energy to run their economies, meaning there’s a big opportunity for Australia to step in as a supplier.

But Australia also has a chance to step up as a maker and exporter of goods such as iron and steel.

Right now, despite Australia having the ingredients – huge amounts of iron ore, the coking coal needed to turn the iron ore into iron (the metal), and the thermal coal and gas to power the whole process – most of our iron ore is shipped out to, and turned into iron and steel in, north-east Asia.

But as green iron becomes more crucial in the quest for a net zero world, the costs of producing the stuff will change.

The renewable energy needed to create green hydrogen (the replacement for coking coal), and to power the process (instead of thermal coal) are expensive to export – as is green hydrogen. Sims notes exporting coking coal only adds about 10 per cent to the cost of producing iron, while exporting hydrogen instead would just about double the cost.

Rather than sending off all the ingredients, Australians could (and it will make more sense to) make the entire green product here ourselves. What we do now to build this capability will matter hugely – for ourselves, and for the world. By some estimates, Australia producing intensive green exports could slash world emissions by up to 10 per cent.

Third, some people ask why Australia can’t use nuclear energy or carbon capture and storage rather than renewables such as solar and wind power.

The Liberal Party’s resounding defeat, while not purely down to their nuclear policy, was a sign the political appetite is just not there for nuclear. But nuclear and carbon-capture techniques are also very costly.

“Of all the nuclear plants built since 2000 in countries such as the USA, the UK and France, projects have been much delayed and costs have around tripled those first estimated,” Sims points out. “Nuclear energy costs are now three to five times that of firmed renewable energy.”

The possible exceptions to this trend – South Korea and China – have more opaque costings for nuclear and have been helped along by heavy government subsidies.

While carbon-capture costs haven’t yet fallen enough to be a realistic option in most circumstances, and nuclear costs have continued rising, the cost of solar, wind and batteries has fallen rapidly. Solar power in particular could, over the next decade, offer electricity at half the cost of the cheapest available today.

The fourth issue people raise is that green products are expensive. But that is only if you ignore the cost of climate change. The harm to our environment and the possibly irreversible change to our planet are costs that are not reflected in the price we pay for products and energy generated using fossil fuels.

People living in floodplains and farmers facing longer and worse droughts might see these costs most directly, but many of us don’t see it in our everyday lives.

Putting a price on carbon helps to capture this cost. It might drive up the price of some of our goods and services – especially over the short term – but it helps reflect the full consequences and guides businesses and customers to push for cleaner alternatives.

The government providing subsidies – such as payments or grants – to generators of renewable energy and makers of green products could also achieve a similar aim.

Just as gas and minerals have played a huge role in Australia’s economic development, so can exporting green energy-intensive goods. Research by the Superpower Institute’s research lead Reuben Finighan shows the potential export revenue from these goods could amount to roughly the same size as all Australia’s current exports put together, and six to eight times larger than the country’s combined coal and liquefied natural gas export revenue.

That’s if we invest about 5 per cent of our economic output – or gross domestic product – every year for the next few decades. It’s another bill to foot, but as Sims points out, about the same level of investment as when Australia leapt on the Chinese minerals boom two decades ago. We’ve done it before so we can do it again.

https://www.theage.com.au/business/the-economy/nuclear-is-off-the-table-but-we-should-be-paying-more-for-our-energy-20250710-p5mdye.html

Witty Rejoinder said:

We should be paying more for our energy. Here’s why.

Millie Muroi
Economics Writer
July 11, 2025 — 5.00am

Very few people would agree if I were to say our energy bills should be higher. But what if I told you you’re already paying more than the number you see written on your bills every quarter?

Those relying entirely on renewable energy sources such as the sun to power their homes might think they’re spared. But even the most environmentally conscious among us are paying a higher price than what we see on paper.

Of course, as Rod Sims, former chair of the country’s competition watchdog and Superpower Institute director, said in a speech last month, we couldn’t have gotten where we are without fossil fuels. Coal, oil and gas have helped propel us from city to city, country to country, and even earth to moon. Most of our day-to-day activities would be much harder – if not impossible – without them.

But Sims points out there is no contradiction between enjoying what we have and wanting the world to move away from fossil fuels as fast as possible.

The problem is, humans are generally quite good at procrastinating. Despite the deadline to hit net zero emissions looming closer and clearer, we seem better at ignoring the threat of irreversible climate change than acting on it.

But as economics professor Ross Garnaut puts it, we did not move from the Stone Age because we ran out of stones. We have something to learn from our ancestors’ drive to do things better.

By some estimates, Australia producing intensive green exports could slash world emissions by up to 10 per cent.

There are a handful of people who still deny the science behind climate change. But there are also plenty of sensible people with reasonable concerns about the best way forward for Australia. Sims outlines several of these worries and why we shouldn’t let them get in our way.

First, the concern that the rest of the world is not moving to net zero, so Australia taking action is pointless.

But just because everyone else is sleepwalking towards a cliff, it doesn’t mean we should follow. In fact, it’s a good time to walk in another direction. It’s also a myth to say no one else is trying or that we’re all lacking in ambition.

As Sims points out, we often hear about China building coal-fired and nuclear electricity generation facilities at a mind-boggling scale. But last year, about 80 per cent of China’s 429 gigawatts of new electricity-generating capacity (roughly enough to power 322 million homes) was solar and wind powered.

And the European Union has had enough appetite (or perhaps courage) to introduce a price on carbon.

Second, some people claim Australia only accounts for about 1 per cent of world emissions, so it doesn’t matter what we do.

The clear moral argument is that we should still play our part. But Sims also points out that when we include exports (Australia is the biggest supplier of coal and gas combined in the world), our contribution to emission is more than three times higher.

From an economic perspective, we’re also throwing away what’s called our “comparative advantage”. That is, because of our nearly bottomless supply of solar and wind, and our relatively small population, we’re actually able to generate clean energy at a lower cost than most other countries – and sacrifice far less in terms of other things we could be doing with our time and resources.

Countries such as China, Japan, South Korea and India face a growing shortage of low-cost green energy to run their economies, meaning there’s a big opportunity for Australia to step in as a supplier.

But Australia also has a chance to step up as a maker and exporter of goods such as iron and steel.

Right now, despite Australia having the ingredients – huge amounts of iron ore, the coking coal needed to turn the iron ore into iron (the metal), and the thermal coal and gas to power the whole process – most of our iron ore is shipped out to, and turned into iron and steel in, north-east Asia.

But as green iron becomes more crucial in the quest for a net zero world, the costs of producing the stuff will change.

The renewable energy needed to create green hydrogen (the replacement for coking coal), and to power the process (instead of thermal coal) are expensive to export – as is green hydrogen. Sims notes exporting coking coal only adds about 10 per cent to the cost of producing iron, while exporting hydrogen instead would just about double the cost.

Rather than sending off all the ingredients, Australians could (and it will make more sense to) make the entire green product here ourselves. What we do now to build this capability will matter hugely – for ourselves, and for the world. By some estimates, Australia producing intensive green exports could slash world emissions by up to 10 per cent.

Third, some people ask why Australia can’t use nuclear energy or carbon capture and storage rather than renewables such as solar and wind power.

The Liberal Party’s resounding defeat, while not purely down to their nuclear policy, was a sign the political appetite is just not there for nuclear. But nuclear and carbon-capture techniques are also very costly.

“Of all the nuclear plants built since 2000 in countries such as the USA, the UK and France, projects have been much delayed and costs have around tripled those first estimated,” Sims points out. “Nuclear energy costs are now three to five times that of firmed renewable energy.”

The possible exceptions to this trend – South Korea and China – have more opaque costings for nuclear and have been helped along by heavy government subsidies.

While carbon-capture costs haven’t yet fallen enough to be a realistic option in most circumstances, and nuclear costs have continued rising, the cost of solar, wind and batteries has fallen rapidly. Solar power in particular could, over the next decade, offer electricity at half the cost of the cheapest available today.

The fourth issue people raise is that green products are expensive. But that is only if you ignore the cost of climate change. The harm to our environment and the possibly irreversible change to our planet are costs that are not reflected in the price we pay for products and energy generated using fossil fuels.

People living in floodplains and farmers facing longer and worse droughts might see these costs most directly, but many of us don’t see it in our everyday lives.

Putting a price on carbon helps to capture this cost. It might drive up the price of some of our goods and services – especially over the short term – but it helps reflect the full consequences and guides businesses and customers to push for cleaner alternatives.

The government providing subsidies – such as payments or grants – to generators of renewable energy and makers of green products could also achieve a similar aim.

Just as gas and minerals have played a huge role in Australia’s economic development, so can exporting green energy-intensive goods. Research by the Superpower Institute’s research lead Reuben Finighan shows the potential export revenue from these goods could amount to roughly the same size as all Australia’s current exports put together, and six to eight times larger than the country’s combined coal and liquefied natural gas export revenue.

That’s if we invest about 5 per cent of our economic output – or gross domestic product – every year for the next few decades. It’s another bill to foot, but as Sims points out, about the same level of investment as when Australia leapt on the Chinese minerals boom two decades ago. We’ve done it before so we can do it again.

https://www.theage.com.au/business/the-economy/nuclear-is-off-the-table-but-we-should-be-paying-more-for-our-energy-20250710-p5mdye.html

It’s good to see someone from the mainstream media arguing in favour of a price on carbon for a change.

Recognising the future costs of GHG emissions, and making those costs visible to everybody, is something that all politicians who support a market economy should be in favour of.

Witty Rejoinder said:

We should be paying more for our energy. Here’s why.

Millie Muroi
Economics Writer
July 11, 2025 — 5.00am

Very few people would agree if I were to say our energy bills should be higher. But what if I told you you’re already paying more than the number you see written on your bills every quarter?

Those relying entirely on renewable energy sources such as the sun to power their homes might think they’re spared. But even the most environmentally conscious among us are paying a higher price than what we see on paper.

Of course, as Rod Sims, former chair of the country’s competition watchdog and Superpower Institute director, said in a speech last month, we couldn’t have gotten where we are without fossil fuels. Coal, oil and gas have helped propel us from city to city, country to country, and even earth to moon. Most of our day-to-day activities would be much harder – if not impossible – without them.

But Sims points out there is no contradiction between enjoying what we have and wanting the world to move away from fossil fuels as fast as possible.

The problem is, humans are generally quite good at procrastinating. Despite the deadline to hit net zero emissions looming closer and clearer, we seem better at ignoring the threat of irreversible climate change than acting on it.

But as economics professor Ross Garnaut puts it, we did not move from the Stone Age because we ran out of stones. We have something to learn from our ancestors’ drive to do things better.

By some estimates, Australia producing intensive green exports could slash world emissions by up to 10 per cent.

There are a handful of people who still deny the science behind climate change. But there are also plenty of sensible people with reasonable concerns about the best way forward for Australia. Sims outlines several of these worries and why we shouldn’t let them get in our way.

First, the concern that the rest of the world is not moving to net zero, so Australia taking action is pointless.

But just because everyone else is sleepwalking towards a cliff, it doesn’t mean we should follow. In fact, it’s a good time to walk in another direction. It’s also a myth to say no one else is trying or that we’re all lacking in ambition.

As Sims points out, we often hear about China building coal-fired and nuclear electricity generation facilities at a mind-boggling scale. But last year, about 80 per cent of China’s 429 gigawatts of new electricity-generating capacity (roughly enough to power 322 million homes) was solar and wind powered.

And the European Union has had enough appetite (or perhaps courage) to introduce a price on carbon.

Second, some people claim Australia only accounts for about 1 per cent of world emissions, so it doesn’t matter what we do.

The clear moral argument is that we should still play our part. But Sims also points out that when we include exports (Australia is the biggest supplier of coal and gas combined in the world), our contribution to emission is more than three times higher.

From an economic perspective, we’re also throwing away what’s called our “comparative advantage”. That is, because of our nearly bottomless supply of solar and wind, and our relatively small population, we’re actually able to generate clean energy at a lower cost than most other countries – and sacrifice far less in terms of other things we could be doing with our time and resources.

Countries such as China, Japan, South Korea and India face a growing shortage of low-cost green energy to run their economies, meaning there’s a big opportunity for Australia to step in as a supplier.

But Australia also has a chance to step up as a maker and exporter of goods such as iron and steel.

Right now, despite Australia having the ingredients – huge amounts of iron ore, the coking coal needed to turn the iron ore into iron (the metal), and the thermal coal and gas to power the whole process – most of our iron ore is shipped out to, and turned into iron and steel in, north-east Asia.

But as green iron becomes more crucial in the quest for a net zero world, the costs of producing the stuff will change.

The renewable energy needed to create green hydrogen (the replacement for coking coal), and to power the process (instead of thermal coal) are expensive to export – as is green hydrogen. Sims notes exporting coking coal only adds about 10 per cent to the cost of producing iron, while exporting hydrogen instead would just about double the cost.

Rather than sending off all the ingredients, Australians could (and it will make more sense to) make the entire green product here ourselves. What we do now to build this capability will matter hugely – for ourselves, and for the world. By some estimates, Australia producing intensive green exports could slash world emissions by up to 10 per cent.

Third, some people ask why Australia can’t use nuclear energy or carbon capture and storage rather than renewables such as solar and wind power.

The Liberal Party’s resounding defeat, while not purely down to their nuclear policy, was a sign the political appetite is just not there for nuclear. But nuclear and carbon-capture techniques are also very costly.

“Of all the nuclear plants built since 2000 in countries such as the USA, the UK and France, projects have been much delayed and costs have around tripled those first estimated,” Sims points out. “Nuclear energy costs are now three to five times that of firmed renewable energy.”

The possible exceptions to this trend – South Korea and China – have more opaque costings for nuclear and have been helped along by heavy government subsidies.

While carbon-capture costs haven’t yet fallen enough to be a realistic option in most circumstances, and nuclear costs have continued rising, the cost of solar, wind and batteries has fallen rapidly. Solar power in particular could, over the next decade, offer electricity at half the cost of the cheapest available today.

The fourth issue people raise is that green products are expensive. But that is only if you ignore the cost of climate change. The harm to our environment and the possibly irreversible change to our planet are costs that are not reflected in the price we pay for products and energy generated using fossil fuels.

People living in floodplains and farmers facing longer and worse droughts might see these costs most directly, but many of us don’t see it in our everyday lives.

Putting a price on carbon helps to capture this cost. It might drive up the price of some of our goods and services – especially over the short term – but it helps reflect the full consequences and guides businesses and customers to push for cleaner alternatives.

The government providing subsidies – such as payments or grants – to generators of renewable energy and makers of green products could also achieve a similar aim.

Just as gas and minerals have played a huge role in Australia’s economic development, so can exporting green energy-intensive goods. Research by the Superpower Institute’s research lead Reuben Finighan shows the potential export revenue from these goods could amount to roughly the same size as all Australia’s current exports put together, and six to eight times larger than the country’s combined coal and liquefied natural gas export revenue.

That’s if we invest about 5 per cent of our economic output – or gross domestic product – every year for the next few decades. It’s another bill to foot, but as Sims points out, about the same level of investment as when Australia leapt on the Chinese minerals boom two decades ago. We’ve done it before so we can do it again.

https://www.theage.com.au/business/the-economy/nuclear-is-off-the-table-but-we-should-be-paying-more-for-our-energy-20250710-p5mdye.html

Good one.

https://youtu.be/pL3EwR8zqwA?si=UO2pmytd0UXKkKJ9

Constitutional Clarion
Batman’s Treaty – Why did it fail

dv said:

https://youtu.be/pL3EwR8zqwA?si=UO2pmytd0UXKkKJ9

Constitutional Clarion
Batman’s Treaty – Why did it fail

nanananananananananano idea.

The polls continue to suggest a status quo result in Tasmania.
DEMOS poll today indicates something like
13 Lib
10 ALP
6 Green
4 Independents
2 uncertain

With the disappearance of the Lambie network, Independents are polling at 20% which does add a lot of unpredictability. Looks like being a terrible primary vote share for Labor but maybe some of those independent votes will writtle home for them. The Greens are up a few percent compared to 2024.

18 is the mark required and I suppose it is possible that the ALP and Greens will together reach that target but ALP are adamant they will not govern with the support of the Greens. This is tantamount to saying they refuse to govern. Tasmanian politics is depressing.

The Nats have polled at 6.2 % in the seat of Lyons. Shooters have polled at 6.1%. If most of Shooter’s preferences flow to Nats and they get a few more from independents then they could be in with a shot of a seat remembering that a quota is 12.5%.

So it may be that the Liberals can put together another minority government with something like Libs 13 Independents 4 Nats 1.

Now that I’m employed by Education Queensland, I get emails such as this.
~~~
Dear colleagues

Welcome to Term 3!

I hope you all had a relaxing and enjoyable school holiday break.

During my visits to schools and communities in the first semester, I listened to what matters most to you.

In June, I was proud to announce the Crisafulli Government’s $21.9 billion Education Budget, designed to give Queensland teachers, students, and families a fresh start.

Through the More Teachers, Better Education Plan, $222.1 million is being directed towards specialist support for teachers and students. This includes enhanced resources to prevent and address bullying, more behaviour support specialists and expanded professional development opportunities.

We’re also committing $1.09 billion to build 15 new schools where they’re needed most. New primary schools will open in Caloundra South and Ripley Valley, along with a new high school in Gracemere, ensuring students have access to a world-class education close to home.

In addition, we’re making a significant investment in special schools. Six new special schools will provide purpose-built facilities for up to 800 students with disabilities in Central Logan (Berrinba), Beenleigh, Moreton Bay South, Springfield-Redbank, Ipswich West and Coomera. These schools will give students the support and spaces they need to thrive.

One of the most important investments we’re making is in early childhood education by investing $12.7 million to strengthen regulation and ensure quality and safety in early childhood education and care services.

From 2026, families will benefit from the Back to School Boost which provides $100 for every Prep to Year 6 student to help parents cover the cost of books, stationery, sports and arts activities—providing both educational support and cost-of-living relief.

We know reading is critical to lifting literacy calls and I want to thank all the teachers, students and school leaders participating in the 2025 Premier’s Reading Challenge. We have just passed the halfway mark but there is still time for students to get involved and discover their love of reading. I encourage you to visit the Premier’s Reading Challenge website for more information.

I look forward to seeing many of you as I continue visiting schools across Queensland. Wishing you all a fantastic term ahead!

Kind regards,

John-Paul Langbroek MP
Minister for Education and the Arts
1 William Street | Brisbane QLD 4000
PO Box 15033 | City East QLD 4002

Divine Angel said:

Now that I’m employed by Education Queensland, I get emails such as this.
~~~
Dear colleagues

Welcome to Term 3!

I hope you all had a relaxing and enjoyable school holiday break.

During my visits to schools and communities in the first semester, I listened to what matters most to you.

In June, I was proud to announce the Crisafulli Government’s $21.9 billion Education Budget, designed to give Queensland teachers, students, and families a fresh start.

Through the More Teachers, Better Education Plan, $222.1 million is being directed towards specialist support for teachers and students. This includes enhanced resources to prevent and address bullying, more behaviour support specialists and expanded professional development opportunities.

We’re also committing $1.09 billion to build 15 new schools where they’re needed most. New primary schools will open in Caloundra South and Ripley Valley, along with a new high school in Gracemere, ensuring students have access to a world-class education close to home.

In addition, we’re making a significant investment in special schools. Six new special schools will provide purpose-built facilities for up to 800 students with disabilities in Central Logan (Berrinba), Beenleigh, Moreton Bay South, Springfield-Redbank, Ipswich West and Coomera. These schools will give students the support and spaces they need to thrive.

One of the most important investments we’re making is in early childhood education by investing $12.7 million to strengthen regulation and ensure quality and safety in early childhood education and care services.

From 2026, families will benefit from the Back to School Boost which provides $100 for every Prep to Year 6 student to help parents cover the cost of books, stationery, sports and arts activities—providing both educational support and cost-of-living relief.

We know reading is critical to lifting literacy calls and I want to thank all the teachers, students and school leaders participating in the 2025 Premier’s Reading Challenge. We have just passed the halfway mark but there is still time for students to get involved and discover their love of reading. I encourage you to visit the Premier’s Reading Challenge website for more information.

I look forward to seeing many of you as I continue visiting schools across Queensland. Wishing you all a fantastic term ahead!

Kind regards,

John-Paul Langbroek MP
Minister for Education and the Arts
1 William Street | Brisbane QLD 4000
PO Box 15033 | City East QLD 4002

So that covers $1.3 billion.

I wonder where the other $20.6 billion is going?

Divine Angel said:

Now that I’m employed by Education Queensland, I get emails such as this.
~~~
Dear colleagues

Welcome to Term 3!

I hope you all had a relaxing and enjoyable school holiday break.

During my visits to schools and communities in the first semester, I listened to what matters most to you.

In June, I was proud to announce the Crisafulli Government’s $21.9 billion Education Budget, designed to give Queensland teachers, students, and families a fresh start.

Through the More Teachers, Better Education Plan, $222.1 million is being directed towards specialist support for teachers and students. This includes enhanced resources to prevent and address bullying, more behaviour support specialists and expanded professional development opportunities.

We’re also committing $1.09 billion to build 15 new schools where they’re needed most. New primary schools will open in Caloundra South and Ripley Valley, along with a new high school in Gracemere, ensuring students have access to a world-class education close to home.

In addition, we’re making a significant investment in special schools. Six new special schools will provide purpose-built facilities for up to 800 students with disabilities in Central Logan (Berrinba), Beenleigh, Moreton Bay South, Springfield-Redbank, Ipswich West and Coomera. These schools will give students the support and spaces they need to thrive.

One of the most important investments we’re making is in early childhood education by investing $12.7 million to strengthen regulation and ensure quality and safety in early childhood education and care services.

From 2026, families will benefit from the Back to School Boost which provides $100 for every Prep to Year 6 student to help parents cover the cost of books, stationery, sports and arts activities—providing both educational support and cost-of-living relief.

We know reading is critical to lifting literacy calls and I want to thank all the teachers, students and school leaders participating in the 2025 Premier’s Reading Challenge. We have just passed the halfway mark but there is still time for students to get involved and discover their love of reading. I encourage you to visit the Premier’s Reading Challenge website for more information.

I look forward to seeing many of you as I continue visiting schools across Queensland. Wishing you all a fantastic term ahead!

Kind regards,

John-Paul Langbroek MP
Minister for Education and the Arts
1 William Street | Brisbane QLD 4000
PO Box 15033 | City East QLD 4002

do you take issue with anything in the email?

diddly-squat said:

Divine Angel said:

Now that I’m employed by Education Queensland, I get emails such as this.
~~~
Dear colleagues

Welcome to Term 3!

I hope you all had a relaxing and enjoyable school holiday break.

During my visits to schools and communities in the first semester, I listened to what matters most to you.

In June, I was proud to announce the Crisafulli Government’s $21.9 billion Education Budget, designed to give Queensland teachers, students, and families a fresh start.

Through the More Teachers, Better Education Plan, $222.1 million is being directed towards specialist support for teachers and students. This includes enhanced resources to prevent and address bullying, more behaviour support specialists and expanded professional development opportunities.

We’re also committing $1.09 billion to build 15 new schools where they’re needed most. New primary schools will open in Caloundra South and Ripley Valley, along with a new high school in Gracemere, ensuring students have access to a world-class education close to home.

In addition, we’re making a significant investment in special schools. Six new special schools will provide purpose-built facilities for up to 800 students with disabilities in Central Logan (Berrinba), Beenleigh, Moreton Bay South, Springfield-Redbank, Ipswich West and Coomera. These schools will give students the support and spaces they need to thrive.

One of the most important investments we’re making is in early childhood education by investing $12.7 million to strengthen regulation and ensure quality and safety in early childhood education and care services.

From 2026, families will benefit from the Back to School Boost which provides $100 for every Prep to Year 6 student to help parents cover the cost of books, stationery, sports and arts activities—providing both educational support and cost-of-living relief.

We know reading is critical to lifting literacy calls and I want to thank all the teachers, students and school leaders participating in the 2025 Premier’s Reading Challenge. We have just passed the halfway mark but there is still time for students to get involved and discover their love of reading. I encourage you to visit the Premier’s Reading Challenge website for more information.

I look forward to seeing many of you as I continue visiting schools across Queensland. Wishing you all a fantastic term ahead!

Kind regards,

John-Paul Langbroek MP
Minister for Education and the Arts
1 William Street | Brisbane QLD 4000
PO Box 15033 | City East QLD 4002

do you take issue with anything in the email?

Well if I worked in education I’d certainly take issue with getting a letter written in such party political promotional terms.

The Rev Dodgson said:

diddly-squat said:

Divine Angel said:

Now that I’m employed by Education Queensland, I get emails such as this.
~~~
Dear colleagues

Welcome to Term 3!

I hope you all had a relaxing and enjoyable school holiday break.

During my visits to schools and communities in the first semester, I listened to what matters most to you.

In June, I was proud to announce the Crisafulli Government’s $21.9 billion Education Budget, designed to give Queensland teachers, students, and families a fresh start.

Through the More Teachers, Better Education Plan, $222.1 million is being directed towards specialist support for teachers and students. This includes enhanced resources to prevent and address bullying, more behaviour support specialists and expanded professional development opportunities.

We’re also committing $1.09 billion to build 15 new schools where they’re needed most. New primary schools will open in Caloundra South and Ripley Valley, along with a new high school in Gracemere, ensuring students have access to a world-class education close to home.

In addition, we’re making a significant investment in special schools. Six new special schools will provide purpose-built facilities for up to 800 students with disabilities in Central Logan (Berrinba), Beenleigh, Moreton Bay South, Springfield-Redbank, Ipswich West and Coomera. These schools will give students the support and spaces they need to thrive.

One of the most important investments we’re making is in early childhood education by investing $12.7 million to strengthen regulation and ensure quality and safety in early childhood education and care services.

From 2026, families will benefit from the Back to School Boost which provides $100 for every Prep to Year 6 student to help parents cover the cost of books, stationery, sports and arts activities—providing both educational support and cost-of-living relief.

We know reading is critical to lifting literacy calls and I want to thank all the teachers, students and school leaders participating in the 2025 Premier’s Reading Challenge. We have just passed the halfway mark but there is still time for students to get involved and discover their love of reading. I encourage you to visit the Premier’s Reading Challenge website for more information.

I look forward to seeing many of you as I continue visiting schools across Queensland. Wishing you all a fantastic term ahead!

Kind regards,

John-Paul Langbroek MP
Minister for Education and the Arts
1 William Street | Brisbane QLD 4000
PO Box 15033 | City East QLD 4002

do you take issue with anything in the email?

Well if I worked in education I’d certainly take issue with getting a letter written in such party political promotional terms.

As an employee, how would you prefer such information be conveyed to you?

I mean tit seems to me to be pretty by-the-by to me. “This is your CEO speaking, we think education is important. We’re working on a series of initiatives – here is a summary of a few. Thanks for listening”

Other than saying the Premier’s name, it doesn’t feel partisan at all.

Divine Angel said:

Now that I’m employed by Education Queensland, I get emails such as this.
~~~
Dear colleagues

Welcome to Term 3!

I hope you all had a relaxing and enjoyable school holiday break.

During my visits to schools and communities in the first semester, I listened to what matters most to you.

In June, I was proud to announce the Crisafulli Government’s $21.9 billion Education Budget, designed to give Queensland teachers, students, and families a fresh start.

Through the More Teachers, Better Education Plan, $222.1 million is being directed towards specialist support for teachers and students. This includes enhanced resources to prevent and address bullying, more behaviour support specialists and expanded professional development opportunities.

We’re also committing $1.09 billion to build 15 new schools where they’re needed most. New primary schools will open in Caloundra South and Ripley Valley, along with a new high school in Gracemere, ensuring students have access to a world-class education close to home.

In addition, we’re making a significant investment in special schools. Six new special schools will provide purpose-built facilities for up to 800 students with disabilities in Central Logan (Berrinba), Beenleigh, Moreton Bay South, Springfield-Redbank, Ipswich West and Coomera. These schools will give students the support and spaces they need to thrive.

One of the most important investments we’re making is in early childhood education by investing $12.7 million to strengthen regulation and ensure quality and safety in early childhood education and care services.

From 2026, families will benefit from the Back to School Boost which provides $100 for every Prep to Year 6 student to help parents cover the cost of books, stationery, sports and arts activities—providing both educational support and cost-of-living relief.

We know reading is critical to lifting literacy calls and I want to thank all the teachers, students and school leaders participating in the 2025 Premier’s Reading Challenge. We have just passed the halfway mark but there is still time for students to get involved and discover their love of reading. I encourage you to visit the Premier’s Reading Challenge website for more information.

I look forward to seeing many of you as I continue visiting schools across Queensland. Wishing you all a fantastic term ahead!

Kind regards,

John-Paul Langbroek MP
Minister for Education and the Arts
1 William Street | Brisbane QLD 4000
PO Box 15033 | City East QLD 4002

I have already noticed that the Crisafulli government is spending truckloads on TV ads telling us all the fantastic things that they are doing so incredibly well. I personally object to our taxes being used to ramp up party political advertising.

diddly-squat said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

diddly-squat said:

do you take issue with anything in the email?

Well if I worked in education I’d certainly take issue with getting a letter written in such party political promotional terms.

As an employee, how would you prefer such information be conveyed to you?

I mean tit seems to me to be pretty by-the-by to me. “This is your CEO speaking, we think education is important. We’re working on a series of initiatives – here is a summary of a few. Thanks for listening”

Other than saying the Premier’s name, it doesn’t feel partisan at all.

We get similar emails from the Director General for the Justice Department.
Budget updates, latest news in regards to what’s going on, etc.

Michael V said:

Divine Angel said:

Now that I’m employed by Education Queensland, I get emails such as this.
~~~
Dear colleagues

Welcome to Term 3!

I hope you all had a relaxing and enjoyable school holiday break.

During my visits to schools and communities in the first semester, I listened to what matters most to you.

In June, I was proud to announce the Crisafulli Government’s $21.9 billion Education Budget, designed to give Queensland teachers, students, and families a fresh start.

Through the More Teachers, Better Education Plan, $222.1 million is being directed towards specialist support for teachers and students. This includes enhanced resources to prevent and address bullying, more behaviour support specialists and expanded professional development opportunities.

We’re also committing $1.09 billion to build 15 new schools where they’re needed most. New primary schools will open in Caloundra South and Ripley Valley, along with a new high school in Gracemere, ensuring students have access to a world-class education close to home.

In addition, we’re making a significant investment in special schools. Six new special schools will provide purpose-built facilities for up to 800 students with disabilities in Central Logan (Berrinba), Beenleigh, Moreton Bay South, Springfield-Redbank, Ipswich West and Coomera. These schools will give students the support and spaces they need to thrive.

One of the most important investments we’re making is in early childhood education by investing $12.7 million to strengthen regulation and ensure quality and safety in early childhood education and care services.

From 2026, families will benefit from the Back to School Boost which provides $100 for every Prep to Year 6 student to help parents cover the cost of books, stationery, sports and arts activities—providing both educational support and cost-of-living relief.

We know reading is critical to lifting literacy calls and I want to thank all the teachers, students and school leaders participating in the 2025 Premier’s Reading Challenge. We have just passed the halfway mark but there is still time for students to get involved and discover their love of reading. I encourage you to visit the Premier’s Reading Challenge website for more information.

I look forward to seeing many of you as I continue visiting schools across Queensland. Wishing you all a fantastic term ahead!

Kind regards,

John-Paul Langbroek MP
Minister for Education and the Arts
1 William Street | Brisbane QLD 4000
PO Box 15033 | City East QLD 4002

I have already noticed that the Crisafulli government is spending truckloads on TV ads telling us all the fantastic things that they are doing so incredibly well. I personally object to our taxes being used to ramp up party political advertising.

would you rather the money come from lobbyists, special interest groups and/or high net worth individuals?

it’s hardly uncommon for a government to use public funds to communicate with people about what they are doing.

diddly-squat said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

diddly-squat said:

do you take issue with anything in the email?

Well if I worked in education I’d certainly take issue with getting a letter written in such party political promotional terms.

As an employee, how would you prefer such information be conveyed to you?

I mean tit seems to me to be pretty by-the-by to me. “This is your CEO speaking, we think education is important. We’re working on a series of initiatives – here is a summary of a few. Thanks for listening”

Other than saying the Premier’s name, it doesn’t feel partisan at all.

As with all political promises regardless of party, I believe it when I see it in action. However I would like to see incentives for teacher retention.

Divine Angel said:

diddly-squat said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

Well if I worked in education I’d certainly take issue with getting a letter written in such party political promotional terms.

As an employee, how would you prefer such information be conveyed to you?

I mean tit seems to me to be pretty by-the-by to me. “This is your CEO speaking, we think education is important. We’re working on a series of initiatives – here is a summary of a few. Thanks for listening”

Other than saying the Premier’s name, it doesn’t feel partisan at all.

As with all political promises regardless of party, I believe it when I see it in action. However I would like to see incentives for teacher retention.

what do you think the department could do to improve retention?

diddly-squat said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

diddly-squat said:

do you take issue with anything in the email?

Well if I worked in education I’d certainly take issue with getting a letter written in such party political promotional terms.

As an employee, how would you prefer such information be conveyed to you?

I mean tit seems to me to be pretty by-the-by to me. “This is your CEO speaking, we think education is important. We’re working on a series of initiatives – here is a summary of a few. Thanks for listening”

Other than saying the Premier’s name, it doesn’t feel partisan at all.

OK, I know we live in different universes, but is still weird when we are presented with the same text but see completely different words.

diddly-squat said:

Divine Angel said:

diddly-squat said:

As an employee, how would you prefer such information be conveyed to you?

I mean tit seems to me to be pretty by-the-by to me. “This is your CEO speaking, we think education is important. We’re working on a series of initiatives – here is a summary of a few. Thanks for listening”

Other than saying the Premier’s name, it doesn’t feel partisan at all.

As with all political promises regardless of party, I believe it when I see it in action. However I would like to see incentives for teacher retention.

what do you think the department could do to improve retention?

Issue guns to teachers.

The Rev Dodgson said:

diddly-squat said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

Well if I worked in education I’d certainly take issue with getting a letter written in such party political promotional terms.

As an employee, how would you prefer such information be conveyed to you?

I mean tit seems to me to be pretty by-the-by to me. “This is your CEO speaking, we think education is important. We’re working on a series of initiatives – here is a summary of a few. Thanks for listening”

Other than saying the Premier’s name, it doesn’t feel partisan at all.

OK, I know we live in different universes, but is still weird when we are presented with the same text but see completely different words.

I mean it’s not uncommon for people to have different opinions on things, I guess I see this and I see a workplace communication that provides an update on what is happening at more senior levels in the organisation. What specifically do take exception with?

diddly-squat said:

Michael V said:

Divine Angel said:

Now that I’m employed by Education Queensland, I get emails such as this.
~~~
Dear colleagues

Welcome to Term 3!

I hope you all had a relaxing and enjoyable school holiday break.

During my visits to schools and communities in the first semester, I listened to what matters most to you.

In June, I was proud to announce the Crisafulli Government’s $21.9 billion Education Budget, designed to give Queensland teachers, students, and families a fresh start.

Through the More Teachers, Better Education Plan, $222.1 million is being directed towards specialist support for teachers and students. This includes enhanced resources to prevent and address bullying, more behaviour support specialists and expanded professional development opportunities.

We’re also committing $1.09 billion to build 15 new schools where they’re needed most. New primary schools will open in Caloundra South and Ripley Valley, along with a new high school in Gracemere, ensuring students have access to a world-class education close to home.

In addition, we’re making a significant investment in special schools. Six new special schools will provide purpose-built facilities for up to 800 students with disabilities in Central Logan (Berrinba), Beenleigh, Moreton Bay South, Springfield-Redbank, Ipswich West and Coomera. These schools will give students the support and spaces they need to thrive.

One of the most important investments we’re making is in early childhood education by investing $12.7 million to strengthen regulation and ensure quality and safety in early childhood education and care services.

From 2026, families will benefit from the Back to School Boost which provides $100 for every Prep to Year 6 student to help parents cover the cost of books, stationery, sports and arts activities—providing both educational support and cost-of-living relief.

We know reading is critical to lifting literacy calls and I want to thank all the teachers, students and school leaders participating in the 2025 Premier’s Reading Challenge. We have just passed the halfway mark but there is still time for students to get involved and discover their love of reading. I encourage you to visit the Premier’s Reading Challenge website for more information.

I look forward to seeing many of you as I continue visiting schools across Queensland. Wishing you all a fantastic term ahead!

Kind regards,

John-Paul Langbroek MP
Minister for Education and the Arts
1 William Street | Brisbane QLD 4000
PO Box 15033 | City East QLD 4002

I have already noticed that the Crisafulli government is spending truckloads on TV ads telling us all the fantastic things that they are doing so incredibly well. I personally object to our taxes being used to ramp up party political advertising.

would you rather the money come from lobbyists, special interest groups and/or high net worth individuals?

it’s hardly uncommon for a government to use public funds to communicate with people about what they are doing.

I would rather neither. Currently it is both.

Michael V said:

diddly-squat said:

Michael V said:

I have already noticed that the Crisafulli government is spending truckloads on TV ads telling us all the fantastic things that they are doing so incredibly well. I personally object to our taxes being used to ramp up party political advertising.

would you rather the money come from lobbyists, special interest groups and/or high net worth individuals?

it’s hardly uncommon for a government to use public funds to communicate with people about what they are doing.

I would rather neither. Currently it is both.

Well I suppose at least with public spending we can hold governments to account about their priorities. Don’t like the amount a party spends on marketing verses allocating that to delivering programs, vote them out.

Personally I think it’s good to (1) know what a government’s priorities are, and (2) have a system that ensures government messaging is paid for by public funds.

captain_spalding said:

diddly-squat said:

Divine Angel said:

As with all political promises regardless of party, I believe it when I see it in action. However I would like to see incentives for teacher retention.

what do you think the department could do to improve retention?

Issue guns to teachers.

Bring back the cane.

Honestly, I don’t know. I’m certainly no expert in behaviour management, which is the main issue of retention. My assessor and both supervising teachers told me I should become a teacher. I just laughed.

The behaviour management teachers I’ve come across are literal angels. The school I’m working in is a rough school. I’d seen a lot at Mini Me’s school, the kids at this school are on a whole different level. I get so much work there because relief staff come for a day or two, and never return.

diddly-squat said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

diddly-squat said:

As an employee, how would you prefer such information be conveyed to you?

I mean tit seems to me to be pretty by-the-by to me. “This is your CEO speaking, we think education is important. We’re working on a series of initiatives – here is a summary of a few. Thanks for listening”

Other than saying the Premier’s name, it doesn’t feel partisan at all.

OK, I know we live in different universes, but is still weird when we are presented with the same text but see completely different words.

I mean it’s not uncommon for people to have different opinions on things, I guess I see this and I see a workplace communication that provides an update on what is happening at more senior levels in the organisation. What specifically do take exception with?

All of it is worded with the specific intention of telling employees what a great job the current political party in power is doing, and nothing else.

No hint of how people might communicate their concerns about current procedures, or even how the information provided is supposed to help them do their job better. It’s party political self promotion, pure and simple, and would be regardless of the party that happens to be sending it out.

The Rev Dodgson said:

diddly-squat said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

OK, I know we live in different universes, but is still weird when we are presented with the same text but see completely different words.

I mean it’s not uncommon for people to have different opinions on things, I guess I see this and I see a workplace communication that provides an update on what is happening at more senior levels in the organisation. What specifically do take exception with?

All of it is worded with the specific intention of telling employees what a great job the current political party in power is doing, and nothing else.

No hint of how people might communicate their concerns about current procedures, or even how the information provided is supposed to help them do their job better. It’s party political self promotion, pure and simple, and would be regardless of the party that happens to be sending it out.

I agree with your assessment. Thanks for writing it, when I was unable to find the words.

The Rev Dodgson said:

diddly-squat said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

OK, I know we live in different universes, but is still weird when we are presented with the same text but see completely different words.

I mean it’s not uncommon for people to have different opinions on things, I guess I see this and I see a workplace communication that provides an update on what is happening at more senior levels in the organisation. What specifically do take exception with?

All of it is worded with the specific intention of telling employees what a great job the current political party in power is doing, and nothing else.

No hint of how people might communicate their concerns about current procedures, or even how the information provided is supposed to help them do their job better. It’s party political self promotion, pure and simple, and would be regardless of the party that happens to be sending it out.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I mean how many management teams make a habit of communicating bad messaging to their employees? This to me looks like it could come from the CEO of any multi billion dollar organization.

Alan Kohler on us and America and China

I found it an interesting read.

diddly-squat said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

diddly-squat said:

I mean it’s not uncommon for people to have different opinions on things, I guess I see this and I see a workplace communication that provides an update on what is happening at more senior levels in the organisation. What specifically do take exception with?

All of it is worded with the specific intention of telling employees what a great job the current political party in power is doing, and nothing else.

No hint of how people might communicate their concerns about current procedures, or even how the information provided is supposed to help them do their job better. It’s party political self promotion, pure and simple, and would be regardless of the party that happens to be sending it out.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I mean how many management teams make a habit of communicating bad messaging to their employees? This to me looks like it could come from the CEO of any multi billion dollar organization.

If it’d come from Musk, he’d have asked what we did in an average week.

Divine Angel said:

diddly-squat said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

All of it is worded with the specific intention of telling employees what a great job the current political party in power is doing, and nothing else.

No hint of how people might communicate their concerns about current procedures, or even how the information provided is supposed to help them do their job better. It’s party political self promotion, pure and simple, and would be regardless of the party that happens to be sending it out.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I mean how many management teams make a habit of communicating bad messaging to their employees? This to me looks like it could come from the CEO of any multi billion dollar organization.

If it’d come from Musk, he’d have asked what we did in an average week.

Silver lining, good job by you.

And honestly, thank you for the work you do DA. Education is super important a admire people that choose it as a career.

diddly-squat said:

Divine Angel said:

diddly-squat said:

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I mean how many management teams make a habit of communicating bad messaging to their employees? This to me looks like it could come from the CEO of any multi billion dollar organization.

If it’d come from Musk, he’d have asked what we did in an average week.

Silver lining, good job by you.

And honestly, thank you for the work you do DA. Education is super important a admire people that choose it as a career.

It’s ongoing education for me too. I’ve fucked up plenty of times but honestly, the staff at that school are among the best humans to have ever walked the earth.

Divine Angel said:

diddly-squat said:

Divine Angel said:

If it’d come from Musk, he’d have asked what we did in an average week.

Silver lining, good job by you.

And honestly, thank you for the work you do DA. Education is super important a admire people that choose it as a career.

It’s ongoing education for me too. I’ve fucked up plenty of times but honestly, the staff at that school are among the best humans to have ever walked the earth.

When you work with decent people it makes all the difference to the job not sucking.

Cymek said:

Divine Angel said:

diddly-squat said:

Silver lining, good job by you.

And honestly, thank you for the work you do DA. Education is super important a admire people that choose it as a career.

It’s ongoing education for me too. I’ve fucked up plenty of times but honestly, the staff at that school are among the best humans to have ever walked the earth.

When you work with decent people it makes all the difference to the job not sucking.

It’s funny because some of the staff have done relief work at Mini Me’s school, but hated it because they didn’t feel welcome. It’s true, the staff there are very clique-y.

Coalition accuses PM of making ‘excuses’ for China as visit ends

As if anyone cares what the Coalition thinks.

www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/if-anthony-albanese-has-his-way-well-be-the-switzerland-of-the-south-pacific/news-story/fdd5e05cb17a216a55bb1b57342580e3

“Commentary by Peta Credlin”

Um, no thanks

dv said:

www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/if-anthony-albanese-has-his-way-well-be-the-switzerland-of-the-south-pacific/news-story/fdd5e05cb17a216a55bb1b57342580e3

Switzerland is a very wealthy country, with good chocolate. What’s not to like?

party_pants said:

dv said:

www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/if-anthony-albanese-has-his-way-well-be-the-switzerland-of-the-south-pacific/news-story/fdd5e05cb17a216a55bb1b57342580e3

Switzerland is a very wealthy country, with good chocolate. What’s not to like?

And clean. Very, very clean.

Michael V said:

party_pants said:

dv said:

www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/if-anthony-albanese-has-his-way-well-be-the-switzerland-of-the-south-pacific/news-story/fdd5e05cb17a216a55bb1b57342580e3

Switzerland is a very wealthy country, with good chocolate. What’s not to like?

And clean. Very, very clean.

All that nazi loot got them a good start…

Quite a headline

dv said:

Quite a headline

Can they demand that?

dv said:

Quite a headline

Dear oh dear.

Am I gunna hafta put up with Erica on the tele all night?

Woodie said:

Am I gunna hafta put up with Erica on the tele all night?

Nah, we are going to Grantchester soon. Then we will watch another Hudson and Rex episode. Nearly to the end of those. We are thinking we’ll go back to Scandinavia after that and watch “The Sommerdahl Murders”. I’m missing the sound of Danish. I can’t understand them, but I got used to hearing it when we watched a lot of other things from there.

The Sommerdahl Murders

This is like watching Steve Martin trying to fill Peter Sellers’s shoes. Give up.

Woodie said:

Am I gunna hafta put up with Erica on the tele all night?

I’ll peep into the election coverage now and then but certainly won’t be glued to it.

Swing against Labor on the early figures.

Utterly useless Liberals will be the largest party in parliament.

What comes of giving Tasmanians the vote.

Bubblecar said:

Utterly useless Liberals will be the largest party in parliament.

What comes of giving Tasmanians the vote.

Is it still going to be a hung parliament?

party_pants said:

Bubblecar said:

Utterly useless Liberals will be the largest party in parliament.

What comes of giving Tasmanians the vote.

Is it still going to be a hung parliament?

Yes, it is looking very much like a status quo result. Minority govt by Libs with the support of independents.
Expect another election next year I suppose.

Eric asks a pertinent question: does ALP even have the personnel to run a govt?

JR saying he will go to the Governor and ask to form govt which I guess is tantamount to declaring victory?

dv said:

JR saying he will go to the Governor and ask to form govt which I guess is tantamount to declaring victory?

“Mr Governor your highness, my pack of clowns is ready to clown again.”

Bubblecar said:

dv said:

JR saying he will go to the Governor and ask to form govt which I guess is tantamount to declaring victory?

“Mr Governor your highness, my pack of clowns is ready to clown again.”

”…I mean Mrs…”

Counting will resume tomorrow.
Does seem the results have been largely in line with the polls, and that the major change will be in the Independents.

Bass
3 Lib, 2 ALP, 1 Green. 1 unknown (either Lib or Shooters).

Braddon
4 Lib, 2 ALP, 1 Independent (Craig Garland)

Clark
2 Lib, 2 ALP, 2 Green, 1 Independent (Kristie Johnson)

Franklin
2 Lib, 2 ALP, 1 Green, 2 Independent (David O’Byrne, Peter George)

Lyons
3 Lib, 2 ALP, 1 Green, 1 uncertain (either Liberal or Shooters)

ie 14 Lib, 10 ALP, 5 Green, 4 Independent, 2 uncertain.

The Shooters will support the Libs in govt so the uncertain seats aren’t going to affect things one way or another. The Liberals need 2 of those 4 Independents: Labor needs 3.

Garland and Johnson supported the no-conf motion against Rockliffe. They should be easy gets for ALP.

David O’Byrne opposed the motion against Rockliffe. He is a former ALP member.

The one new Independent is Peter George. Actually he is the leader of the Peter George group but he’s basically an independent. He is a community activist, environmentalist etc, former ABC journalist.

On the face of it, Winter has an opportunity to form government.
It will require some flexibility, even humility.

Among the independents, three are opposed to the Macq point stadium, the exception being O’Byrne.

https://theconversation.com/labor-to-put-disclaimer-under-mark-lathams-caucus-room-picture-261097

Link

There won’t be any meaningful updates from Tasmania until 2 Aug, when the distribution of preferences is carried out. TBH the main thing that will determine who governs will be the diplomacy of Rockliffe and Winter, with their fates in the hands of independents.

Meet the most important voice in Australian foreign policy
Penny Wong speaks with The Economist

Jul 17th 2025
KUALA LUMPUR

Penny Wong, Australia’s foreign minister, prefers to talk about her job, not herself. Asked what it was like to be in Washington on January 20th, listening to Donald Trump’s inaugural polemic against “woke” politics, the first gay person and first Asian-Australian to hold the office answers by drawing on a different identity. “I’m a parliamentarian,” she says, “so the peaceful transfer of power in the world’s superpower was quite a moving event.”

Ms Wong’s answer reveals a political savvy and quick wit that have made her the most popular minister in Australia’s Labor government, re-elected in a thumping of the opposition in May’s general election, and the most consequential Australian foreign minister in a generation. Anthony Albanese, the prime minister, has little interest in questions of geopolitics, leaving them to Ms Wong and Richard Marles, the defence minister. But Ms Wong’s popularity and reputation for mastering her brief means that hers is the most important voice on the big strategic questions.

When Labor returned to office in 2022, Ms Wong inherited a mess. The previous government, a conservative coalition, had turned sharply against China, which in turn had stopped buying Australian commodities or taking its ministers’ phone calls. More worryingly, China had signed a security agreement with the Solomon Islands on Australia’s northern approaches and was looking to rack up more deals with other island states wary of the previous government’s refusal to take climate change seriously. The announcement in 2021 of the AUKUS submarine-building pact surprised South-East Asia, which reacted with suspicion.

So the dramatic improvement in relations with the rest of the region has been Ms Wong’s big achievement. But what is impressive is that it has been accomplished mainly through her personal diplomacy, without any underlying change in policy. A gruelling travel schedule in her first year on the job took Ms Wong to 18 Pacific Island states and every country in South-East Asia but Myanmar. China has slowly lifted all trade restrictions imposed under the previous government, but Australia has continued to work closely with America to constrain China’s regional ambitions. AUKUS remains on the books.

A big part of this has been the rapport with her counterparts in Asia. Ms Wong was born in Malaysia to an ethnic Chinese father and an Australian mother, and lived on the island of Borneo until eight years old. She has begun to talk about this heritage more now, she says, because she wants Asia to see the multicultural society that Australia has become. She was only the second Asian-Australian elected to parliament in 2001. But, she points out, there are now more than a dozen serving. Nor has her sexual identity been a hindrance. One minister from a conservative Muslim country regularly asks after her wife.

Ms Wong’s diplomatic skills will be put to the test in her second term. Australia faces a more difficult international situation than during Labor’s first three years in office. China continues to bully its neighbours. But now the Pentagon is demanding that Australia sharply increase defence spending, and asking it to commit in advance to fighting alongside America were it to fight China over Taiwan. Many Australians regard this as an affront to their sovereignty. AUKUS hangs in the balance.

Critics say that Ms Wong has not done enough to preserve the alliance with America. She has met Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, twice, but otherwise the government seems to be keeping the Trump administration at arms’ length. In a speech on July 10th in Kuala Lumpur, she highlighted Australia’s differences with America on trade. Asked whether she fears such talk might lead to a backlash, Ms Wong shrugs. “I think we have to be who we are.” ■

https://www.economist.com/asia/2025/07/17/meet-the-most-important-voice-in-australian-foreign-policy

So Maggot keating, after destroying most Australian farmers livelyhoods and generally being a complete cunt, somehow manages to get a million dollars in tax debt voided. Colour me surprised.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-23/ato-tax-office-reversed-decision-paul-keating-four-corners/105548664

Witty Rejoinder said:

Meet the most important voice in Australian foreign policy
Penny Wong speaks with The Economist

Jul 17th 2025
KUALA LUMPUR

Penny Wong, Australia’s foreign minister, prefers to talk about her job, not herself. Asked what it was like to be in Washington on January 20th, listening to Donald Trump’s inaugural polemic against “woke” politics, the first gay person and first Asian-Australian to hold the office answers by drawing on a different identity. “I’m a parliamentarian,” she says, “so the peaceful transfer of power in the world’s superpower was quite a moving event.”

Ms Wong’s answer reveals a political savvy and quick wit that have made her the most popular minister in Australia’s Labor government, re-elected in a thumping of the opposition in May’s general election, and the most consequential Australian foreign minister in a generation. Anthony Albanese, the prime minister, has little interest in questions of geopolitics, leaving them to Ms Wong and Richard Marles, the defence minister. But Ms Wong’s popularity and reputation for mastering her brief means that hers is the most important voice on the big strategic questions.

When Labor returned to office in 2022, Ms Wong inherited a mess. The previous government, a conservative coalition, had turned sharply against China, which in turn had stopped buying Australian commodities or taking its ministers’ phone calls. More worryingly, China had signed a security agreement with the Solomon Islands on Australia’s northern approaches and was looking to rack up more deals with other island states wary of the previous government’s refusal to take climate change seriously. The announcement in 2021 of the AUKUS submarine-building pact surprised South-East Asia, which reacted with suspicion.

So the dramatic improvement in relations with the rest of the region has been Ms Wong’s big achievement. But what is impressive is that it has been accomplished mainly through her personal diplomacy, without any underlying change in policy. A gruelling travel schedule in her first year on the job took Ms Wong to 18 Pacific Island states and every country in South-East Asia but Myanmar. China has slowly lifted all trade restrictions imposed under the previous government, but Australia has continued to work closely with America to constrain China’s regional ambitions. AUKUS remains on the books.

A big part of this has been the rapport with her counterparts in Asia. Ms Wong was born in Malaysia to an ethnic Chinese father and an Australian mother, and lived on the island of Borneo until eight years old. She has begun to talk about this heritage more now, she says, because she wants Asia to see the multicultural society that Australia has become. She was only the second Asian-Australian elected to parliament in 2001. But, she points out, there are now more than a dozen serving. Nor has her sexual identity been a hindrance. One minister from a conservative Muslim country regularly asks after her wife.

Ms Wong’s diplomatic skills will be put to the test in her second term. Australia faces a more difficult international situation than during Labor’s first three years in office. China continues to bully its neighbours. But now the Pentagon is demanding that Australia sharply increase defence spending, and asking it to commit in advance to fighting alongside America were it to fight China over Taiwan. Many Australians regard this as an affront to their sovereignty. AUKUS hangs in the balance.

Critics say that Ms Wong has not done enough to preserve the alliance with America. She has met Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, twice, but otherwise the government seems to be keeping the Trump administration at arms’ length. In a speech on July 10th in Kuala Lumpur, she highlighted Australia’s differences with America on trade. Asked whether she fears such talk might lead to a backlash, Ms Wong shrugs. “I think we have to be who we are.” ■

https://www.economist.com/asia/2025/07/17/meet-the-most-important-voice-in-australian-foreign-policy

:)

Kingy said:

So Maggot keating, after destroying most Australian farmers livelyhoods and generally being a complete cunt, somehow manages to get a million dollars in tax debt voided. Colour me surprised.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-23/ato-tax-office-reversed-decision-paul-keating-four-corners/105548664

I wasn’t aware that Australian farmers were destitute. Certainly none of my farmer cousins are. Maybe it’s just that the farmers you know couldn’t organize a fuck in a brothel.

Witty Rejoinder said:

Kingy said:

So Maggot keating, after destroying most Australian farmers livelyhoods and generally being a complete cunt, somehow manages to get a million dollars in tax debt voided. Colour me surprised.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-23/ato-tax-office-reversed-decision-paul-keating-four-corners/105548664

I wasn’t aware that Australian farmers were destitute. Certainly none of my farmer cousins are. Maybe it’s just that the farmers you know couldn’t organize a fuck in a brothel.

Thanks Witty for your completely uninformed comment.

I’m sorry if I insulted your cult leader.

It appears that you know nothing of the outcomes of his moronic decisions in WA.

Kingy said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

Kingy said:

So Maggot keating, after destroying most Australian farmers livelyhoods and generally being a complete cunt, somehow manages to get a million dollars in tax debt voided. Colour me surprised.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-23/ato-tax-office-reversed-decision-paul-keating-four-corners/105548664

I wasn’t aware that Australian farmers were destitute. Certainly none of my farmer cousins are. Maybe it’s just that the farmers you know couldn’t organize a fuck in a brothel.

Thanks Witty for your completely uninformed comment.

I’m sorry if I insulted your cult leader.

It appears that you know nothing of the outcomes of his moronic decisions in WA.

I never said Keating wasn’t a cunt. Anyway I’ll inform you about the lives of the other 99% of Australians who get fired, have to change careers to pay the bills and generally are at the whim of a market economy. Why should farmers receive any special treatment?

Witty Rejoinder said:

Kingy said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

I wasn’t aware that Australian farmers were destitute. Certainly none of my farmer cousins are. Maybe it’s just that the farmers you know couldn’t organize a fuck in a brothel.

Thanks Witty for your completely uninformed comment.

I’m sorry if I insulted your cult leader.

It appears that you know nothing of the outcomes of his moronic decisions in WA.

I never said Keating wasn’t a cunt. Anyway I’ll inform you about the lives of the other 99% of Australians who get fired, have to change careers to pay the bills and generally are at the whim of a market economy. Why should farmers receive any special treatment?

Farmers can’t change careers. They provide the food you eat, and the clothes you wear.

Bankrupt them, and you either buy food from overseas or starve.

Google “Primary Producers”.

Kingy said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

Kingy said:

Thanks Witty for your completely uninformed comment.

I’m sorry if I insulted your cult leader.

It appears that you know nothing of the outcomes of his moronic decisions in WA.

I never said Keating wasn’t a cunt. Anyway I’ll inform you about the lives of the other 99% of Australians who get fired, have to change careers to pay the bills and generally are at the whim of a market economy. Why should farmers receive any special treatment?

Farmers can’t change careers. They provide the food you eat, and the clothes you wear.

Bankrupt them, and you either buy food from overseas or starve.

Google “Primary Producers”.

We all learned this in school… the basic needs… Food, water, shelter….

Farming isn’t just another industry… Farmers need special treatment because they provide the food,

Kingy said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

Kingy said:

Thanks Witty for your completely uninformed comment.

I’m sorry if I insulted your cult leader.

It appears that you know nothing of the outcomes of his moronic decisions in WA.

I never said Keating wasn’t a cunt. Anyway I’ll inform you about the lives of the other 99% of Australians who get fired, have to change careers to pay the bills and generally are at the whim of a market economy. Why should farmers receive any special treatment?

Farmers can’t change careers. They provide the food you eat, and the clothes you wear.

Bankrupt them, and you either buy food from overseas or starve.

Google “Primary Producers”.

Oh dear…

Witty Rejoinder said:

Kingy said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

I never said Keating wasn’t a cunt. Anyway I’ll inform you about the lives of the other 99% of Australians who get fired, have to change careers to pay the bills and generally are at the whim of a market economy. Why should farmers receive any special treatment?

Farmers can’t change careers. They provide the food you eat, and the clothes you wear.

Bankrupt them, and you either buy food from overseas or starve.

Google “Primary Producers”.

Oh dear…

Witty, the idea that the integrity of the food supply should be entirely dependent on capitalist-style market economics is not sensible. Capitalism is a good thing generally, but it needs to stay in its lane. We need to be able to eat regardless of the profitability of producing food, Both social stability and life itself depend on the availability of food,

esselte said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

Kingy said:

Farmers can’t change careers. They provide the food you eat, and the clothes you wear.

Bankrupt them, and you either buy food from overseas or starve.

Google “Primary Producers”.

Oh dear…

Witty, the idea that the integrity of the food supply should be entirely dependent on capitalist-style market economics is not sensible. Capitalism is a good thing generally, but it needs to stay in its lane. We need to be able to eat regardless of the profitability of producing food, Both social stability and life itself depend on the availability of food,

The majority of Australian agricultural output is for export, around 70%. In some places and industries like WA wheatbelt cereal grains this figure is nudging 90%. The domestic populace going hungry is not an issue here.

party_pants said:

esselte said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

Oh dear…

Witty, the idea that the integrity of the food supply should be entirely dependent on capitalist-style market economics is not sensible. Capitalism is a good thing generally, but it needs to stay in its lane. We need to be able to eat regardless of the profitability of producing food, Both social stability and life itself depend on the availability of food,

The majority of Australian agricultural output is for export, around 70%. In some places and industries like WA wheatbelt cereal grains this figure is nudging 90%. The domestic populace going hungry is not an issue here.

This is correct.
The Australian people do not depend upon our farmers to feed us by knocking down most of the trees and wiping out wildlife never yet discovered.

Do the National Farmers Federation claim to produce all the food we import?

Anyway, what did Keating do to force the farmers into bankruptcy? It is OK to blame him but one must inform the listeners what he actually did.

roughbarked said:

party_pants said:

esselte said:

Witty, the idea that the integrity of the food supply should be entirely dependent on capitalist-style market economics is not sensible. Capitalism is a good thing generally, but it needs to stay in its lane. We need to be able to eat regardless of the profitability of producing food, Both social stability and life itself depend on the availability of food,

The majority of Australian agricultural output is for export, around 70%. In some places and industries like WA wheatbelt cereal grains this figure is nudging 90%. The domestic populace going hungry is not an issue here.

This is correct.
The Australian people do not depend upon our farmers to feed us by knocking down most of the trees and wiping out wildlife never yet discovered.

Do the National Farmers Federation claim to produce all the food we import?

Anyway, what did Keating do to force the farmers into bankruptcy? It is OK to blame him but one must inform the listeners what he actually did.

I was wondering that as well. I asked the bingbot, but the bingbot did not know.

roughbarked said:

Anyway, what did Keating do to force the farmers into bankruptcy? It is OK to blame him but one must inform the listeners what he actually did.

yes.

Britain pledges 50-year AUKUS support in message to Trump

By David Crowe
July 25, 2025 — 7.47am

London: The British government will sign a 50-year treaty with Australia to cement the AUKUS defence pact in a massive strategic and financial deal, backing the plan when it is under extraordinary pressure from US President Donald Trump and his advisers.

The treaty will include a $41 billion pledge to scale up industry in both countries to build new submarine fleets with a common design, amid fears that Trump will undercut AUKUS and leave Australia and the UK exposed.

But the deal will require a soaring investment from Australia to ramp up construction in the UK on the new design for nuclear-propelled submarines, after it made another $800 million payment to the US to support its shipbuilding.

The new treaty is a significant move from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his British counterpart Sir Keir Starmer because it counters the open questions in the Trump administration about whether AUKUS will work.

Albanese and Starmer have formed a personal friendship that helps deepen support for AUKUS in both governments at a crucial point when Trump advisers are reviewing the three-way defence pact struck in 2021.

The new treaty will be signed when UK Defence Secretary John Healey and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy visit Australia from Friday, just as a Royal Navy aircraft carrier visits Darwin during the Talisman Sabre defence exercise.

Extra conditions and costs could be added to the AUKUS deal after a US review, it’s been reported.

Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong will sign the treaty when they meet the visiting ministers for the annual talks known as AUKMIN.

Trump’s approach to AUKUS is in doubt while the Pentagon conducts a review led by Department of Defence under-secretary Elbridge Colby, a critic of the agreement. There is no formal deadline for the review.

Announcing the treaty in London, the UK government said the outcome would be worth up to £20 billion for the UK – about $41 billion – in terms of exports over 25 years. It said this would create more than 7000 jobs in British shipyards.

While the UK statement did not specify the payments from Australia, the transfer of technology is a fundamental part of AUKUS because it assumes the nuclear power plants would come from the UK.

The Australian and UK governments have already made joint investments in the nuclear power systems made by Rolls-Royce for the Royal Navy, part of a $4 billion spending promise from Australia to help the UK.

The nuclear power plants depend on long-term defence sharing with the US under agreements dating to 1958, making Trump’s support a pivotal factor for the AUKUS plan.

Healey emphasised that AUKUS strengthened global security and was one of the UK’s most important defence deals.

“This historic treaty confirms our AUKUS commitment for the next half century,” he said. “Through the treaty, we are supporting high-skilled, well-paid jobs for tens of thousands of people in both the UK and Australia.”

Lammy said the UK and Australia relationship was “like no other” and had a real impact on global peace.

“Our new bilateral AUKUS treaty is an embodiment of that – safeguarding a free and open Indo-Pacific whilst catalysing growth for both our countries,” he said.

Lammy’s mention of the Indo-Pacific highlights a contested aspect of the three-way AUKUS agreement, given reports that Colby has questioned why the UK has sent an aircraft carrier to the Pacific.

When a British defence team met Colby and others in the US capital last month, according to the report, he told them they should turn back an aircraft carrier they had sent east.

“He was basically saying, ‘You have no business being in the Indo-Pacific’,” one unnamed official told Politico.

The special adviser on AUKUS to the UK government, Sir Stephen Lovegrove, said earlier this month that he believed the US Navy was “completely committed” to the pact despite fears the Pentagon would rethink the plan.

Colby and other AUKUS sceptics in the Trump administration have argued that the UK should focus on the Atlantic and leave security in the Indo-Pacific to the US, while top British officials have emphasised that security threats are now global.

More than 40,000 military personnel from 19 countries are in and near Australia for the Talisman Sabre exercise, which runs from July 13 to August 4. The UK has deployed 3000 of those personnel.

https://www.theage.com.au/world/europe/britain-pledges-50-year-aukus-support-in-message-to-trump-20250725-p5mhnu.html

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jul/24/jobseeker-super-tax-vinnies-st-vincent-de-paul-welfare-reform-poverty-report

Link

Former NSW Families Minister Gareth Ward has been found guilty of four counts of sexual abuse

dv said:

Former NSW Families Minister Gareth Ward has been found guilty of four counts of sexual abuse

!!!

https://kristiejohnston.com.au/2025/07/24/joint-statement-from-independent-mps-kristie-johnston-and-craig-garland-and-independent-candidate-peter-george/

Three of the independents who will decide the fate of govt in Tasmania release a joint statement, saying that they will get full briefings from the Premier’s office and consult with various experts, and that the process may take weeks.

Bridget Archer, you may recall, was a moderate Liberal member for Bass for some years but lost her seat this year, and has been successfully elected to Tasmania’s parliament in the recent state election. Indeed she won around 1.55 quotas on first preferences.
Her surplus (the 0.55 quotas) will have to be distributed based on preferences. Observers at the stations have reported that an unusual fraction (25%) of Archer’s preferences are going to other parties. Normally people vote through the fellow party members of their number 1 candidate first. The “leaks” among Archer’s voters are going to female ALP and Green members.
This may ultimately help elect the ALP to the seventh and final seat in Bass.
Pure speculation on my part but perhaps there are Tasmanians who like Bridget but don’t much like the Tas Libs generally.

dv said:

Bridget Archer, you may recall, was a moderate Liberal member for Bass for some years but lost her seat this year, and has been successfully elected to Tasmania’s parliament in the recent state election. Indeed she won around 1.55 quotas on first preferences.
Her surplus (the 0.55 quotas) will have to be distributed based on preferences. Observers at the stations have reported that an unusual fraction (25%) of Archer’s preferences are going to other parties. Normally people vote through the fellow party members of their number 1 candidate first. The “leaks” among Archer’s voters are going to female ALP and Green members.
This may ultimately help elect the ALP to the seventh and final seat in Bass.
Pure speculation on my part but perhaps there are Tasmanians who like Bridget but don’t much like the Tas Libs generally.

Sarahs mum was almost a fan of Bridget Archer. She thought she was good for the Liberal Party, which is probably true.

The respondents were asked if they believed Australia should avoid taking sides in any conflict between the US and China. The survey found that 57 per cent agreed, 16 per cent disagreed, and the remainder were unsure.

…

https://www.theage.com.au/world/europe/fight-together-britain-warns-on-china-backs-australia-20250728-p5mi7g.html

Give a holler if you want me to post the article.

Witty Rejoinder said:

The respondents were asked if they believed Australia should avoid taking sides in any conflict between the US and China. The survey found that 57 per cent agreed, 16 per cent disagreed, and the remainder were unsure.

…

https://www.theage.com.au/world/europe/fight-together-britain-warns-on-china-backs-australia-20250728-p5mi7g.html

Give a holler if you want me to post the article.

I think it’s risky to agree to anything Trump inspired.

Tamb said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

The respondents were asked if they believed Australia should avoid taking sides in any conflict between the US and China. The survey found that 57 per cent agreed, 16 per cent disagreed, and the remainder were unsure.

…

https://www.theage.com.au/world/europe/fight-together-britain-warns-on-china-backs-australia-20250728-p5mi7g.html

Give a holler if you want me to post the article.

I think it’s risky to agree to anything Trump inspired.

The pivot to Asia dates back to the Obama administration. Also Trump is so transactional he might abandon Taiwan for a trade deal.

roughbarked said:

So are they saying that Israel did not block aid, or that blocking aid does not breach international law, or what?

The Rev Dodgson said:

roughbarked said:

So are they saying that Israel did not block aid, or that blocking aid does not breach international law, or what?

Probably something along the lines of Gazans not being human so international humanitarian law shouldn’t apply.

Witty Rejoinder said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

roughbarked said:

So are they saying that Israel did not block aid, or that blocking aid does not breach international law, or what?

Probably something along the lines of Gazans not being human so international humanitarian law shouldn’t apply.

Speaking of which, TATE tells me that Nova Peris says her support for action against anti-semitism is driven by her hatred of all forms of racism.

The Rev Dodgson said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

So are they saying that Israel did not block aid, or that blocking aid does not breach international law, or what?

Probably something along the lines of Gazans not being human so international humanitarian law shouldn’t apply.

Speaking of which, TATE tells me that Nova Peris says her support for action against anti-semitism is driven by her hatred of all forms of racism.

Hate is not a good thing on which to base action.

WA Liberal Party State Council supports call to abandon net zero, reduce Welcome to Country ceremonies

The WA Liberal Party has supported a motion to abandon a target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, putting added pressure on Australian Opposition Leader Sussan Ley to drop the policy for the federal party.

Delegates at the WA Liberal State Council also approved a motion to get rid of the Indigenous and Torres Strait Islands flags behind the prime minister at press conferences and cut back on Welcome to Country ceremonies.

It is understood both motions were carried with an overwhelming show of support when they were read out and without needing to go to a ballot.

The behind-closed-doors meeting was held at a hotel in federal MP Andrew Hastie’s electorate of Canning, one of only four seats the Liberals now hold in WA.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Hastie said the motion was about sending a “clear signal” to Australians.

——

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-26/wa-liberals-support-motion-to-abandon-net-zero-by-2050-policy/105576674

WA Libs resisting Ley’s efforts to drag the party back to the centre, and perhaps trying to find out if they can get negative seats.

dv said:

WA Liberal Party State Council supports call to abandon net zero, reduce Welcome to Country ceremonies

The WA Liberal Party has supported a motion to abandon a target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, putting added pressure on Australian Opposition Leader Sussan Ley to drop the policy for the federal party.

Delegates at the WA Liberal State Council also approved a motion to get rid of the Indigenous and Torres Strait Islands flags behind the prime minister at press conferences and cut back on Welcome to Country ceremonies.

It is understood both motions were carried with an overwhelming show of support when they were read out and without needing to go to a ballot.

The behind-closed-doors meeting was held at a hotel in federal MP Andrew Hastie’s electorate of Canning, one of only four seats the Liberals now hold in WA.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Hastie said the motion was about sending a “clear signal” to Australians.

——

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-26/wa-liberals-support-motion-to-abandon-net-zero-by-2050-policy/105576674

WA Libs resisting Ley’s efforts to drag the party back to the centre, and perhaps trying to find out if they can get negative seats.

Sending a clear signal.

Listening might be necessary first.

dv said:

WA Liberal Party State Council supports call to abandon net zero, reduce Welcome to Country ceremonies

The WA Liberal Party has supported a motion to abandon a target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, putting added pressure on Australian Opposition Leader Sussan Ley to drop the policy for the federal party.

Delegates at the WA Liberal State Council also approved a motion to get rid of the Indigenous and Torres Strait Islands flags behind the prime minister at press conferences and cut back on Welcome to Country ceremonies.

It is understood both motions were carried with an overwhelming show of support when they were read out and without needing to go to a ballot.

The behind-closed-doors meeting was held at a hotel in federal MP Andrew Hastie’s electorate of Canning, one of only four seats the Liberals now hold in WA.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Hastie said the motion was about sending a “clear signal” to Australians.

——

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-26/wa-liberals-support-motion-to-abandon-net-zero-by-2050-policy/105576674

WA Libs resisting Ley’s efforts to drag the party back to the centre, and perhaps trying to find out if they can get negative seats.

in fairness.. the WA Libs probably don’t want to alienate their current base.. ;)

I have to hand it to Malcolm Roberts. Most ON officials leave the party or get disqualified or go to gaol or something within the first couple of years but he’s really made a go of it.

dv said:

I certainly hope he got it right anyway.

dv said:

LOL

dv said:

Counting will resume tomorrow.
Does seem the results have been largely in line with the polls, and that the major change will be in the Independents.

Bass
3 Lib, 2 ALP, 1 Green. 1 unknown (either Lib or Shooters).

Braddon
4 Lib, 2 ALP, 1 Independent (Craig Garland)

Clark
2 Lib, 2 ALP, 2 Green, 1 Independent (Kristie Johnson)

Franklin
2 Lib, 2 ALP, 1 Green, 2 Independent (David O’Byrne, Peter George)

Lyons
3 Lib, 2 ALP, 1 Green, 1 uncertain (either Liberal or Shooters)

ie 14 Lib, 10 ALP, 5 Green, 4 Independent, 2 uncertain.

The Shooters will support the Libs in govt so the uncertain seats aren’t going to affect things one way or another. The Liberals need 2 of those 4 Independents: Labor needs 3.

Garland and Johnson supported the no-conf motion against Rockliffe. They should be easy gets for ALP.

David O’Byrne opposed the motion against Rockliffe. He is a former ALP member.

The one new Independent is Peter George. Actually he is the leader of the Peter George group but he’s basically an independent. He is a community activist, environmentalist etc, former ABC journalist.

On the face of it, Winter has an opportunity to form government.
It will require some flexibility, even humility.

Among the independents, three are opposed to the Macq point stadium, the exception being O’Byrne.

Results finalised in Clark, exactly as anticipated, and unchanged from before the election except that one Lib is replaced by another (Simon Behrakis out, Marcus Vermey in). Behrakis is Rockliffe’s parliamentary secretary.

Big cut in company tax would boost economy – but it comes with a sting

By Shane Wright
July 31, 2025 — 10.30pm

Company tax could be slashed to 20 per cent for firms with revenue below $1 billion, but businesses would be hit with a world-first “cashflow tax” to encourage them to invest in Australia and capture a share of the enormous earnings of tech giants such as Netflix and Apple.

The radical tax overhaul proposal from the Productivity Commission would hit large corporate taxpayers including BHP, Rio Tinto, Glencore and Woolworths, but would capture companies that currently pay little or no tax including Transurban, News Corp and Amazon.

The commission estimates its plan would deliver an estimated $15 billion boost to the economy, setting the stage for a battle over company tax settings at Anthony Albanese’s economics roundtable.

The commission’s report, the first of five that will form a key part of the debate at the three-day roundtable between August 19 and 21, focuses on the tax system and ways to make the Australian economy more dynamic.

Commission deputy chair Alex Robson said the tax proposals were aimed at encouraging businesses to spend more on investment that would help lift overall productivity.

“In the past 10 years productivity grew by less than a quarter of its 60-year average. To turn this around, we need business to expand and invest in the tools and technology that help us get the most out of our work,” he said.

“If we don’t get our economy moving again, today’s children could be the first generation to not be better off than their parents. We need to spark growth through investment and competition – the best way to do that is to reform our company tax system.”

Currently, businesses with a turnover of less than $50 million face a corporate tax rate of 25 per cent, with a 30 per cent rate for all other firms – one of the highest rates in the developed world.

Under the commission’s proposals, the rate would drop to 20 per cent for all businesses with revenue of less than $1 billion, about 98 per cent of all firms. About 500 businesses, the nation’s biggest corporate taxpayers, above the $1 billion threshold would continue to face a 30 per cent tax rate.

To cover the cost of the tax cut and encourage businesses to spend more by investing directly in technology, equipment and research, the commission recommends the introduction of a 5 per cent cashflow tax on all businesses.

Companies would be able to deduct the full cost of capital expenditure, such as new technology or machinery, in the year it is made from their taxable cashflow to encourage businesses to make productivity investments.

What’s a cashflow tax?
Company tax is paid on the taxable income (after deductions) of a business. A key part of taxable income is that it allows a company’s capital spending to be written off gradually over time.

In a cashflow tax, however, business write-off capital spending in a single year – the year in which it makes the expenditure.

Unlike company tax, under a cashflow tax a business cannot claim interest deductions to reduce their overall taxable income. Proponents argue the tax encourages businesses to invest more, reducing their taxable income, while ending the tax advantage of debt.

At present, an investment is depreciated over a number of years, which the commission believes acts as a disincentive for firms to sink money into speculative or large projects.

Unlike the company tax system, the interest on borrowings will not be able to be used to reduce what they owe through the cashflow tax.

The commission argues the current tax system disadvantages small and medium-sized businesses, which often have to rely on their own savings to grow, more than major corporations that can easily borrow, including from overseas parent companies.

“The company income tax system tends to favour incumbents while restricting capital expenditure by other firms,” it found.

Modelling of the proposal by the commission estimates it will increase investment by $7.4 billion, the size of the economy by $14.6 billion and productivity by 0.4 per cent.

The overall impact on the federal budget is estimated to be zero, as large companies will pay more tax, offsetting the lower tax paid by firms under the $1 billion threshold.

The commission believes ultimately the cashflow tax rate could be increased, allowing the company tax rate to be reduced for large firms.

While cashflow taxes have won support among academics, no country has introduced one to replace traditional company tax.

Proponents argue they are more difficult for large companies to avoid, particularly multinationals that may sell intellectual property or move debt between their international subsidiaries to reduce their overall tax burden.

Tech giants such as Apple, which in 2022-23 paid $141 million in tax on $481 million of taxable income despite reporting $12.6 billion of total income, and Amazon which reported $6.5 billion in income across four entities and paid $125 million in tax, meet their legal tax requirements in Australia.

They argue they contribute more to the economy through the value of their services and by selling items that attract GST.

A cashflow tax, however, would lift their overall tax burden if they failed to carry out domestic capital investment.

Any change of company tax rates is likely to be contested at the roundtable, with large firms and those that pay little tax at present expected to raise concerns. The ACTU this week said opposed cutting the company rate.

Apart from tax, the commission has proposed a major overhaul of business regulation, arguing it has grown to the point it is holding back companies and reducing their ability to make a profit.

It notes that the Brisbane City Council has created a checklist with 31 steps before a business owner could start a cafe and “even contemplate charging $5.50 for a flat white”.

In NSW, it takes an average of nine years to get approval for a wind farm, while the average wait for a prospective Canberran house builder to get the OK for a development application is almost six months.

Starting with the federal government, the commission recommends all levels of government overhaul the way they create regulations with a focus on simplification.

“Regulation is important, but over-regulation is a handbrake on growth,” commissioner Barry Sterland said.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the government already had a substantial productivity agenda but was ambitious to do more.

“Reducing regulatory burden is an important part of our productivity effort, and we’re working with regulators on potential reforms to be considered as part of the roundtable process,” he said.

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/big-cut-in-company-tax-would-boost-economy-but-it-comes-with-a-sting-20250731-p5mj5u.html