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Key events
Spectre of black summer bushfires hangs over Optus outage, minister says
McBain said the spectre of the black summer bushfires hung over the Optus outage, particularly given reports that the incident lead to at least four deaths.
The minister is asked about an ANU study that found communities affected are still grappling with the long-term effect of that disaster.
Everyone is impacted and, as I said, sometimes those impacts can be uneven, but the trauma of an event like the black summer bushfire will remain with everyone in the community, whether they were impacted directly or not.
McBain said a skills shortage for essential trades has slowed reconstruction and repair efforts in regional areas.
I think the other thing we’ve seen, obviously during Covid, was we’ve had a number of people from our more metropolitan areas buy up in regional areas because they love the lifestyle that we get each and every day, but that’s had an impact on people trying to recover from bushfires as well.
The minister said that high insurance premiums have been an issue for some time but the government had created the “hazard insurance partnership” with insurance companies to meet regularly and discuss the issue, was “investing in disaster risk reduction” to bring them down and has initiated a “review into disaster funding arrangements and disaster responding arrangements”.
There is more work to do in this space, but it’s really important that those communication lines remain open, and I’m really keen to work with the assistant treasurer to make sure insurers are also holding up their end of the bargain when we are investing in mitigation and disaster risk reduction.
Optus outage ‘absolutely disgraceful’, says emergency management minister
The federal minister for emergency management has blasted Optus outage as “absolutely disgraceful”.
Speaking to the ABC on Sunday morning, Kristy McBain said this was the second in “only a couple of years” and “not good enough” from the Telecom.
The fact that no state or federal government was advised of this outage I think is beyond reprehensible
The minister said the last outage prompted a review that delivered 18 recommendations that were adopted by government.
Optus clearly needs to review its protocols. No doubt that they will be employing crisis communications specialists to come in and help them, but what they need to be doing is getting their systems in order so that Australians can have confidence that when they dial triple-0, it’s going to get through to one of our emergency operators.
Republicans warn Australia of ‘punitive measures’ over recognition of Palestinian state
Anthony Albanese says he will push for improved global peace and security during meetings with world leaders this week, as allies of Donald Trump warn Australia’s recognition of Palestine could spark “punitive measures” from the US.
Albanese arrived in New York on Sunday morning, Australian time, ahead of the UN general assembly and his possible first meeting with the US President.
Australia will use the UN talks to formally recognise Palestinian statehood, in concert with countries including France, Canada and the UK, but the decision has sparked a backlash from Israel and allies of Trump in Washington.
“What we want to see is increased peace and security and stability around the world,” Albanese said. “Australia plays an important role. We are a trusted partner and an ally.”
A group of 25 senior Republican lawmakers, including Texas senator Ted Cruz and Trump loyalist Elise Stefanik of New York, have written to the prime minister, as well as French president Emmanuel Macron, Keir Starmer of Britain and Mark Carney of Canada, urging a rethink.
The letter was sent to Trump and the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio.
This is a reckless policy that undermines prospects for peace. It sets the dangerous precedent that violence, not diplomacy, is the most expedient means for terrorist groups like Hamas to achieve their political aims.
For more on this story, read the full report at Guardian Australia:
Low tariffs not dependent on sit-down meeting with Trump, Bowen says
On the potential for a meeting between Anthony Albanese and Donald Trump, Bowen has poured cold water on whether any charm offensive by the Australian PM might have turned the US from its present course.
There are plenty of world leaders who have met with Donald Trump who haven’t had good outcomes, who have got very high tariffs. Who have come over, had meetings, left optimistic and then they’ve got high tariffs. The way Anthony Albanese has managed the relationship, we have the world’s lowest tariff on Australia.
Asked whether the meeting or results matter, Bowen says:
Results matter, David. Of course, the prime minister has made it clear he’s very happy to meet, but results matter. And this prime minister and this foreign minister and this government have delivered pretty good results when it comes to the bilateral relationship.
Asked whether a sit-down meeting is a priority, Bowen adds:
It’s not my place to announce these things, David. I’m a humble cabinet minister.
Asked whether it is not a priority, personally, Bowen says:
Of course a meeting with the president is always a good thing. But I’ll tell you what’s even more important is results. I’d much rather Anthony Albanese get a great result for our economy with the world’s lowest tariff without a meeting, than to have a meeting and get the opposite result, which is what many other world leaders have found themselves in that situation.
And that’s a wrap.
‘Israel will be truly free and secure when Palestine is’, Bowen says
Bowen is asked about Australia’s decision to support Palestinian statehood and a letter written by a number of US Republicans warning that any such move would threaten Israeli security and that “there could be consequences for doing so”.
Bowen is asked whether that worries him “at all”.
Well, we obviously have set Australia’s foreign policy based on our interests and our values. And while everyone is entitled to their views, we will determine Australian foreign policy, not anyone else. And we’ve determined a couple of things – that the time is right, in concert, as you said, with like-minded states.
We have been waiting 80 years for a two-state solution, and that we now see recognising Palestine as a step towards a two-state solution, not the result of negotiations.
And to your question, I believe that Israel will be truly free and secure when Palestine is. That’s what I believe. And vice versa. That these two states have to come to a peaceful coexistence, understanding we’re a long way from that as we speak.
And we believe, as other countries have reached a similar conclusion, that recognising Palestine this week is a meaningful step forward to that two-state solution which has eluded us for 80 years.
Australia talking privately to Turkey about rival bids to host Cop31 summit, Bowen says
On Australia’s bid to host an upcoming international climate conference, Bowen said the government is talking to their Turkish counterparts about their competing bid.
We have overwhelming support for our bid. This situation hasn’t really changed for a while, David. We have the overwhelming support from countries around the world for our bid.
The process, as Bowen suggests, relies on consensus and so “the two bidding countries sorting it out”. If they can’t …
Otherwise it goes to Bonn. I’m not going to discuss with my Turkish counterpart through you on the lawns of the UN. I will do it privately through him.
‘I don’t have much respect for those in federal politics who engage in climate change denial’: Bowen
Bowen is asked about Donald Trump’s view on the issue – which is largely that it isn’t an issue at all and countries should pursue fossil fuel extraction at all costs.
Bowen:
The president has views about this, about climate change. I have my views. I’m not here to comment on the views of others in other political systems. I will comment on the views of my opponents and colleagues in Australia. And I don’t have much respect for those in federal politics who engage in climate change denial, soft or hard.
The minister is asked whether Treasury modelling assuming the US will also play its role in climate action is “out of date”.
I opened with the fact that renewable energy is double fossil fuel investment, for example, and that renewables will surpass coal this year as the world’s largest source of energy. The Treasury modelling isn’t based on any political decisions by any other countries – United States or anybody else – it’s based on the practical, real market facts.
Bowen accuses National party of betraying farmers
Bowen is asked about calls from the Coalition and commentators on the right wing of Australian politics to abandon the country’s commitment to pursuing net zero – and specifically whether he thinks the loudest voices are “cranks and crackpots”.
I think they’re both. I think there are people of bad faith in Australian politics exploiting this issue. The National party, they are, in my view, betraying regional Australia. The national risk assessment I put out during the week showed people in regional Australia have a lot at stake in dealing with climate change. Farmers know that. I think the National party betrays farmers and people in regional areas when they engage in this cheap politics.
Bowen says points to several figures within the National party – Barnaby Joyce, Matt Canavan and others – and says they are promoting “disinformation”.
There are people who engage in climate change denial, who just ignore all the science, and I think that’s deeply unfortunate. I don’t have any respect for that.
For genuine Australians going about their business, listening to debate who are confused, of course, I have respect for what they are concerned about and the need to give them the correct and factual information against the disinformation they hear from so many on the right of politics.
Bowen says of the 60,000 Australians with home batteries: ‘Many of those people will never get an energy bill again’
Bowen is being grilled by skilled on the expectations for any transition of the Australian economy away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy, particularly the need to quadruple offshore wind and boost EV sales uptake.
It is worth reminding that the existential threat posed by global heating requires a rapid, global transition away from fossil fuels in order to limit the worst effects. There are very real constraints on this process – skills, investment, and even, in some cases, regulation – and in many cases Australia’s efforts today have suffered from a failure to act in the past.
The minister acknowledges there are problems but is bringing the conversation back to the broad sweep of technologies that are making a change a reality but is trying very hard not to commit to specific numbers – and not be drawn on whether there may be more public spending to help it on the way.
In one example, Bowen points to the rollout of home batteries:
We’re already seeing impacts of policies with downward pressure on prices. So, for example, the 60,000 Australians who put a home battery in since 1 July, that’s helped them. Many of those people will never get an energy bill again.
Even though some people can’t afford them right now, Bowen says the effect of this is already being seen as those people have, largely, exited the grid during periods of peak demand. Asked whether the public can expect the price to come down, he says:
We’ll see over coming years. This is not a political promise. The Australian Energy Market Operator, with all their work, and this has effectively been backed by the Treasury, found energy prices coming down 13% if we stick with the plan of rolling out more of the renewable energy over the next decade.
‘Renewable energy investment is continuing at a rapid pace,’ Bowen says
The global embrace of renewable energy is continuing with twice as much investment as fossil fuels, even as governments appear to be falling behind on their climate goals.
The energy and climate minister, Chris Bowen, is speaking to ABC Insiders host David Speers live in New York where he acknowledged that efforts to reach the Paris climate target are lagging.
Renewable energy investment is continuing at a rapid pace – $2tn, double the investment in fossil fuels. Some time this year, renewables will surpass coal as the world’s largest source of energy. Some time next year, wind and solar separately will surpass nuclear as sources of energy.
So, massive amounts of renewable energy investment, including obviously in China and in India and in the global south, in developing countries.
But you’re right. The world’s action has taken us from a track of 4C warming 10 years ago to now somewhere between 2C and 2.8C. That’s good progress but not yet enough, so we’ve all gotta keep going.
Tom McIlroy
PM lands in New York ahead of possible meeting with Donald Trump
The prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, has arrived in New York for the UN general assembly and a series of meetings with world leaders.
The PM left Sydney early on Saturday morning and will be away for 11 days, with the trip including stops in London and the United Arab Emirates.
Albanese said climate change will be front and centre in New York – days after federal Labor announced its 2035 climate targets in Australia.
“What we want to see is increased peace and security and stability around the world,” he said. “Australia plays an important role. We are a trusted partner and an ally.
We are a country that plays a positive role in our region, in the Pacific, as well as of course, with our Asean neighbours, and our traditional allies, such as our five eyes partners, including the United States and the United Kingdom.
Albanese said he will take the opportunity to interact with counterparts gathering in New York.
We also have particular issues to advance, such as our social media ban, where Australia is leading the world.
Chris Bowen on Insiders
The minister for climate change and energy, Chris Bowen, will speak to ABC Insiders host David Speers this morning.
Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce has appeared on Sky News this morning to talk about climate change followed by the Climate Change Authority’s Matt Kean.
We will bring you the latest as it happens.
Good morning
And welcome to another Sunday morning Guardian live blog.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has landed in New York ahead of a meeting of the UN general assembly and a possible one-on-one with the US president, Donald Trump. The PM left Saturday morning with stops in Dubai and London.
Optus has pledged to investigate a 10-hour outage that stopped emergency calls being connected during which at least four people died. The outage was caused by a botched firewall update to the telecom’s network and acknowledged it had been contacted by the industry ombudsman.
I’m Royce Kurmelovs and I’ll be taking the blog through the day.
With that, let’s get started …
