Australia has backed an ambitious global electrification target, with Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen declaring “the world is having an electrification moment”. Greenpeace welcomed the initiative but said limiting global warming to 1.5°C would require a rapid phase-out of fossil fuels, alongside greater electrification.
A dangerous genie is trying to escape from its bottle. Letting it out will diminish us as a people and a nation. Beating hate requires leadership, investment and institutions that help people belong. And it requires politicians willing to stand up to racism, not harvest it or fail to call out those who indulge in it.
The Tasmanian government is planning on handing hundreds of megawatts of hydro energy to Firmus Technology behind closed doors, while local industry waits in line. It is yet another Tasmanian – and Australian - story about who the government really serves.
Politicians are rethinking how Victoria’s house of review, the Legislative Council, is elected – with implications for how fair and representative the state’s elections are.
Controversially, the Liberals and Nationals recommended preferences for the far-right One Nation ahead of centrist independent Ms Milthorpe, a move criticised by more moderate Liberals. But did Liberal and National voters toe the party line? Not particularly.
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The nation has been through wars before, and history shows us that national governments have tended to let extractive industries dictate tax policy during these periods.
New analysis has found Australians would be paying significantly more tax today if income tax brackets had been indexed to inflation since the Howard government came to power. The Australia Institute’s report challenges Opposition Leader Angus Taylor’s claim that indexation is needed to protect workers from bracket creep.
This week, former Canberra Liberals leader Leanne Castley left the party. This follows the Liberal party pushing out their first female leader in February, and with this move the Coalition now has just 98 women elected across Australia’s state, territory and federal parliaments – compared to over 200 men.
Australians living with life-limiting illnesses could be left without access to essential disability supports under proposed changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), according to Palliative Care Australia (PCA). In its submission, they argue that the new rules risk creating a “dangerous gap” that could unfairly exclude some people with life-limiting or terminal illness from the NDIS.
The Conservation Council of WA (CCWA) has called for major environmental reforms, warning Western Australia's biodiversity is under growing threat as more than 128,000 hectares of native vegetation is subject to clearing applications. According to CCWA’s newly released report, WA has already lost 16 flora species and 23 fauna species to extinction.
The destruction of a historic raintree in Cairns has reignited calls for governments to recognise urban greenery as an essential public health measure. After months of campaigning and a discontinued legal challenge, devastated locals watched on as the tree was cut down on Tuesday.
More than 200 Palestine supporters have dressed up in Kath and Kim-inspired activewear for a Brisbane fun run, with some risking arrest to raise funds for a High Court challenge to Queensland’s hate speech laws. Organisers said the event was a “creative act of defiance” against “censorship and the criminalisation” of Palestine solidarity in Queensland.
It isn’t always easy to keep up with what’s happening in the US. “Shorter America” is a series where Dr Emma Shortis loops you in on what’s going on in America and shares news and analysis that you can trust.
Former environment minister Peter Garrett will lead a public inquiry into the Australian Government’s $368 billion AUKUS defence pact, amid growing concerns over the lack of scrutiny surrounding the nation’s most expensive defence project. The independent inquiry will run for five months, with the Midnight Oil frontman and environmental campaigner saying there has never been a more critical time to uncover the facts.
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If you want to understand the limitations of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as a measure of wellbeing, then the latest figures for the March quarter are a great example. The overall picture saw the economy grow by 0.3% for the March quarter and by 2.5% for the last year. This shows slow growth but not as slow as some were predicting.
Global investment in clean energy technologies is expected to reach $US2.2 trillion this year, nearly double the amount flowing into oil, gas and coal, according to a new report by the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Over the weekend, Defence Minister Richard Marles revealed Australia would receive three used Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines, rather than the previous arrangement, which involved two second-hand and one new vessel. The trilateral security deal is facing scrutiny on multiple fronts, with internal Labor divisions surfacing alongside the launch of a public inquiry into AUKUS.
