Key events
Tom McIlroy
Forecasts suggest ‘cautious confidence’ in the economy, says Chalmers
In the wake of the IMF report warning of a “clear and present danger” to the world economy, Chalmers said that Treasury and Reserve Bank forecasts suggest some “cautious confidence” is appropriate on things getting better, and as a result, helping the standing of Labor against One Nation.
He said Treasury, the RBA and economists expect inflation to be better, unemployment to be lower and the effects of tax reform to be positive.
They don’t expect things to get a lot better in the next ۱۲ weeks but they do expect things to get a bit better over the next ۱۲ months.
Good morning from Krishani
Krishani Dhanji
Good morning, Krishani Dhanji with you here, thanks to Martin Farrer for getting us started.
We’re at the halfway point of this sitting week – but there’s still plenty to come. For the government, all eyes will be on the resources minister, Madeleine King, introducing the gas reservation plan today. Labor will also probably be hoping to stretch their Josh Frydenberg distraction card out another day and taunt the Liberals with it during question time.
And there’ll likely be more reaction today to the proposed livestreaming of an execution by firing squad in the US, with the government and opposition strengthening their language, saying Australians should not be seeing that footage. The government’s putting the onus on the streaming platforms because the eSafety commissioner does not at the minute have the power to force them to block the stream.
I’ve got my coffee, I hope you’ve got yours – let’s get cracking.
Ben Doherty
Josh Frydenberg hasn’t ‘closed the door’ to politics
The Josh Frydenberg book-promotion/comeback-to-politics tour continues.
The former treasurer and ousted member for Kooyong appeared on ۷:۳۰ last night, again raising the possibility of his return to frontline politics.
His memoir, A Grateful Son, is the Trojan Horse that legitimises questions like: “Do you think you’d make a good prime minister?”
“Look, I haven’t closed the door to reentering politics,” Frydenberg reiterated. “That would involve running for a seat, winning it, joining the party room and then proceeding after that. So there are a lot of steps.”
He told host Sarah Ferguson that “if I was to run, it would be at the next election”, but insisted “it’s not a decision that I have taken”.
Full marks for persistence: Ferguson tried again. “Do you have what it takes to lead the country?”
Frydenberg: “Look, I think it’s important to know what you believe in, and I certainly do, to have policy ideas that can take the country in the right direction, and to be consistent with the philosophy and the values of our great party, and that’s what I articulate in the book.”
Sarah Basford Canales
Labor introduces gas reservation scheme legislation
Gas companies would be forced to set aside ۲۰% of exports for Australian use under new legislation for a national gas reservation scheme to be introduced, with Labor committing to more transparency and tighter rules to prevent the system from being gamed.
The resources minister, Madeleine King, will introduce the amended bills that will give the Australian Energy Regulator the power to force companies to meet a target of ۱۱۰% of demand each year.
It will also limit ministerial discretion and replace the Turnbull-era domestic gas security mechanism.
In a speech to be delivered at the National Press Club King will say a successful energy transition for the country will rely on a “guaranteed supply of affordable gas” for households, renewable energies and the processing of critical minerals and rare earths.
King will also say Australia must continue exporting traditional commodities, including gas and coal.
No two countries will follow exactly the same pathway to reducing emissions. What remains important is the commitment to the goal and a peaceful and inclusive journey toward it, so that we can minimise the damage caused by climate change, while making sure our communities have the energy they need.
Sarah Basford Canales
Mark Dreyfus says platforms shoiuld prevent execution live stream from being shown to Australians
Mark Dreyfus has fired off a warning to social media platforms about the livestream of US military execution planned for December.
The former attorney, who is now the special envoy for international human rights, said Australia held longstanding opposition to the death penalty and had raised it with the United States.
Australia opposes the death penalty in all circumstances, for all people … the proposed livestreaming of an execution is deeply distressing. Platforms have a responsibility to prevent this disturbing content from being shown to Australians.
Yesterday, Anthony Albanese said he found the proposed streaming of a firing squad execution “completely abhorrent”, adding “we should do whatever we can to stop that occurring”.
The prime minister told ABC social media platforms risked harming their reputation for allowing streams of the execution but the government was limited in the ability to shut them down.
Albanese said the government was receiving advice on its options. He said:
If there is something, anything we can do, we will do. I assure you of that.
Chalmer warns agaist scolding One Nation voters: ‘Feelings are as real as facts’
Tom McIlroy
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has urged progressives not to disregard voters that are attracted to One Nation’s message in the Bernie Fraser oration at the Shine Dome in Canberra last night.
Chalmers said Pauline Hanson would be a disaster in government, calling One Nation “inexperienced, incompetent and incapable of managing the economy or our international reputation”.
But the treasurer said a significant number of Australians see value in the One Nation-aligned message of returning to the “good old days”.
Our role as progressive people is not to scold those who see appeal in that message. It’s not to mock them, dare I say cancel them, or talk down to them.
He said the government should instead genuinely acknowledge the pressures people are under and deliver measures to make people’s lives better.
The far right strategy is to divide people and it’s working; their goal is to talk down our economy so that their endless negativity becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Their core message is often clear and sometimes very appealing: let’s just go back to a more nostalgic version of the world we remember.
We have all the facts to push back on this, but facts don’t beat feelings. Feelings are as real as facts.
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it’ll be Krishani Dhanji with the main action.
