Greens Leader Adam Bandt
Greens Leader Adam Bandt (Image: AAP/Tracey Nearmy)

IS THE GRASS LOOKING GREENER?

One week on since UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the world “humanity is on thin ice”, Labor struck a deal with the Greens over its signature climate policy, agreeing to a suite of amendments, including — most notably — an absolute cap on real emissions. The minor party openly conceded the deal would in no way stop all new coal and gas projects, but its leader, Adam Bandt, said it should significantly rein in their number. “Coal and gas have taken a huge hit,” he told reporters on Monday, pointing out the hard cap means “real pollution must actually come down” and fossil fuel corporations can no longer “buy their way out of the cap with offsets”.

It’s fair to say the general response to the Labor-Greens deal has been pretty mixed. Over in The Australian ($), for instance, it’s been criticised as a “bloody-minded victory” for the Greens, which will impose a “bureaucratic and legal stranglehold on all future development”, jeopardise energy security and strengthen the “economic hand of our potential adversaries” — whoever they are. Meanwhile The Australian Financial Review ($) told its readers the Greens had plainly “blinked” on their demands, and to this end it downplayed Bandt’s claim the hard cap spelled the end of about half of the country’s proposed 116 new fossil fuel projects. “A lot of these projects” weren’t going to go ahead anyway due to the “gas industry’s alarm” over Labor’s reasonable pricing regime. So there, says the Fin’s Jennifer Hewett.

Speaking of the gas industry, its key spokesperson Samantha McCulloch isn’t particularly thrilled with the deal, either. She claimed the policy — by stalling or stopping the opening of new gas fields — would make it harder for the country to meet its climate targets, because it would mean we’re relying on “dirtier fossil fuels” for longer, which is plainly something you’d only say if you’d (wrongly) subscribed to the view gas is not a fossil fuel. But Labor’s Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen has in any case poured cold water over these concerns, saying there’s nothing in the amended policy which stops the development of new coal and gas projects. And, indeed, he’s already signalled willingness to work with the Coalition to amend the new rules if need be. This, former leader of the Greens Bob Brown told your Crikey Worm, was tantamount to “treachery”: “To say ‘I’ve got a backdoor way of reneging on the hard cap’ is robbing Australians of hope. What [Labor is] really doing is selling out the next generation — this will disgust voters around the country.”

If you’re in anyway inclined to doubt Brown’s objectivity, you need only consider the words of climate-sceptic and former editor-in-chief of The Australian Chris Mitchell: “Luckily for the nation,” he said, “Albanese is following [the US lead] of saying one thing and doing another.” 

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SORRY, NOT SORRY, SAYS DEEMING

It seems the description of Moira Deeming’s performance in the Victorian Liberals’ partyroom on Monday as “worthy of an Academy Award” was probably apt after all. The controversial MP — dubbed “Bernie Finn in a skirt” — reportedly took to Twitter mere hours after surviving a push to have her expelled from the party, walking back her condemnation of the organisers behind the controversial Let Women Speak rally: “Don’t worry, I never condemned you, or [Katherine Deves], or [Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull],” Deeming tweeted in response to anti-trans activist Angie Jones.

This prompted Victorian Liberal Leader John Pesutto, who had pushed for Deeming’s expulsion, to tell 7.30 that there would “be consequences” if Deeming’s social media posts were at odds with the concessions she gave the partyroom: “I am determined to make diversity and inclusion a top priority in the Liberal Party and anyone who cannot live up to that will not be given a platform.” Deeming’s tweet is a vindication of sorts for Pesutto, who’s been variously pilloried in the media for his seeming inability to persuade the partyroom to drop Deeming from their ranks. As it turns out, his failure in this respect was probably no more and no less than a reflection of the fact that Deeming had told the partyroom she was a victim of child rape and that her uncle was a survivor of the Holocaust. Both considerations, one might imagine, would probably change the vibe of any room in the circumstances.

Sticking with Liberal Party woes, former MP Trent Zimmerman has described the Liberal brand as “tarnished”, and urged his party to do some serious “soul-searching” after coast-to-coast defeats across the mainland. It’s sage advice, of course, but decidedly less colourful than that relayed by former Liberal strategist Tony Barry on Saturday night: “It is difficult to admit you have an ugly baby, but it’s time for the Liberal Party to start have that conversation,” he told the ABC’s election panel.

It seems to be a sentiment shared by NSW Liberal frontbencher Anthony Roberts, who’s reportedly seeking to have the state’s preselection process completely overhauled, according to the SMH ($). Like Alister Henskens and Mark Speakman, Roberts is now firming up as a key contender for the NSW Liberal leadership, with both Matt Kean and James Griffin having vacated the field.

Three independents have meanwhile guaranteed the new Minns Labor government supply as it eyes its small lead in two seats, having won 45 out of the 47 required to form majority government.

PIGS TO THE SLAUGHTER

An ABC investigation has broadcast horrifying footage of pigs being killed in a gas chamber — the most common, albeit little known, method in which pigs are lawfully prepared for slaughter in Australia. The footage, aired on 7.30 last night, showed the animals squealing and thrashing about in their cages, their eyes teary as they desperately pushed their noses through the bars trying to escape the high concentrations of CO2.

The person who filmed the footage, animal activist and Farm Transparency Project director Chris Delforce, told the ABC he took the footage because he believed most Australians were ignorant of the painful deaths visited on the millions of pigs slaughtered in Australia each year. “People still don’t know that this is happening,” he said. “The industry is saying these pigs [are] going into the chamber, they’re coming out asleep. And that it’s perfectly humane.” There is arguably little desire for change within the industry, however, given it’s been some 10 years since footage of the practice first came to light in Australia. 

PUTIN SINGLES OUT OZ

Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Australia of joining a global “axis” with the United States and NATO reminiscent of that which existed between Nazi Germany, Italy and imperial Japan during World War II. The comments were made on Russian TV channel Rossiya-24 on Sunday evening, and follow on the heels of the AUKUS announcement, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the Kremlin last week, and come one day after Putin announced the country would station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. Though the US has downplayed concerns about Putin’s recent actions, a spokesperson for NATO has labelled his conduct “dangerous and irresponsible”.

ON A LIGHTER NOTE

It’s not every day a monstrous tornado sweeps through, laying waste to the tiger enclosure at your local drive-through zoo. But so it was in the southern US state of Georgia on Sunday morning, when reports of two missing tigers started circulating throughout the community. For reasons unknown, it turns out the two giant cats were split on the extent to which they should leg it or not, with only one of the two found basking in its new-found freedom well outside the property of the zoo a few hours later.

There are credible rumours the two tigers were inspired by the recent freedom-loving antics of a certain two-year-old zebra in South Korea, who went all Shawshank Redemption on the joint last Thursday, busting its way to freedom. The cheeky zebra, by the name of Sero, was subsequently sighted strutting the streets of Seoul, checking out garbage bins and filmed casually jaywalking a busy road.  Although Sero was recaptured within hours, serious questions reportedly remain. It’s not known, for instance, precisely how he escaped, whether he was inspired by the tales of Marty from Madagascar, and, much less, whether he identifies as a zebra with white stripes or indeed a zebra with black stripes.

SAY WHAT?

You are a joke and an embarrassment to the once great newspaper you have dragged into the gutter.

Fiona Landis

The wife of recently dumped ClubsNSW boss Josh Landis delivered ($) a spray via text to an unnamed SMH reporter over its pokies reform coverage on election night. She initially denied she was behind the flurry of abuse, but has since sent an apology to the hapless journalist.

CRIKEY RECAP

How the right reacted to losing the final mainland Liberal government

Mar 27, 2023

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“The final domino in mainland state politics has fallen, with Labor’s Chris Minns winning the NSW election over the weekend — bad news if you’re a gambling reform advocate; terrible news if you’re a Liberal.

“ ‘We don’t want Labor! Now we’ve got Labor! Thanks, Liberals. That’s what you’ve given us. …. That is not what the people of NSW want,’ said Rowan Dean (who would presumably be yelling this whether on camera or not) on Sky News’ Outsiders, which is increasingly resembling a hard-right primal scream therapy session. He quickly added a touch of nuance to his argument, demonstrating an admirable understanding of psephology to point out: ‘OK, they might have voted for it.’ “

France’s fiery fury at pension reform a sign of country’s ‘democratic deficit’

Mar 27, 2023

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“The great French tradition of forcing kings into hasty retreat is alive and well, with Charles III cancelling a state visit this week because of mass demonstrations over President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reforms. The striking workers who would usually provide the assorted finery that accompanies a state visit had literally refused to roll out the red carpet for King Charles, declining to provide any flags or furnishings.

“What may surprise onlookers in countries such as Australia, where the right to strike has been eroded to the point of criminalisation, is that these actions receive broad support from the public.”

Fringe and extreme candidates flop at the NSW election, again

Mar 27, 2023

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“The NSW election marks yet another disappointing result for fringe and extreme political figures and parties who were unable to capitalise on an anemic election campaign and any vestiges of COVID-19 frustration.

“One Nation, led in NSW by Mark Latham, was floated in the media as a potential ‘kingmaker’, ‘major player’ and ‘dark horse’. Despite the former Labor leader predicting three or four upper house seats, One Nation is on track to win just a single seat and has nothing to show in the lower house.

“The more fringe candidates fared even worse. Craig Kelly’s United Australia Party-affiliated independents, the anti-vaccine Informed Medical Options Party, and the full-blown, QAnon-believing, AUSTRALIAONE-affiliated independents barely registered on election day, even as they spread baseless claims of election fraud.”

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Surgeon Charlie Teo disputes claims in fiery display before regulator (The Sydney Morning Herald)

NDIS on track for $5.7 billion budget blowout (The Australian Financial Review)

Family of Indigenous man shot dead by police in Queensland claim he was unarmed (Guardian Australia)

Peter Dutton to delay decision on Voice support until after the Aston by-election (The Australian)

Former SAS soldier accused of war crimes tells court he could be targeted by Islamic extremists (The Age)

Lawyers for the Victorian government apologise for failing to provide crucial documents to the Yoorook Commission (The Age)

World’s population bomb might not go off after all says study (The Guardian)

North Carolina lender will take over failed Silicon Valley Bank (The Australian Financial Review) 

Google and Telstra warn government against changes making make free-to-air television available on their devices (The Age)

Trump vows vengeance at first rally of 2024 presidential campaign (The Atlantic)

A migrant rescue ship funded by British street artist Banksy was seized by Italy’s coast guard in Sicily after carrying out a rescue operation (Reuters)

Fears of recession grow as banking stress puts U.S and Europe central bank researchers on watch for credit crunch (Reuters)

More than eight million people vote in legislative elections in Cuba (Al Jazeera)

Why the size of the Mississippi tornado that’s caused 26 deaths was so remarkable (The Washington Post)

Twitter says parts of its source code were leaked online (The New York Times)

Police monitor first Hong Kong protest since 2020 (BBC)

THE COMMENTARIAT

The Liberal brand is tarnished — Trent Zimmerman (Guardian Australia): “The [NSW] election result will provoke some deep soul-searching in Liberal ranks. One of the debates already under way is whether this new national picture reflects a common theme or if there are factors unique to each state that makes a national narrative more difficult to ascertain. It’s an important question and will determine some of the learnings for the Liberal Party. 

“Despite the differences between the elections at state and federal level, there is an undercurrent of trends we must be prepared to face. We have to also recognise support for the Liberal brand is overwhelmingly influenced by what happens in Canberra, not state capitals, such is the centrality of federal politics in the media and the minds of voters.”

Making the no case on voice to parliament — Tony Abbott (The Australian) ($): “Let’s be clear that it’s no longer just constitutional recognition that many Indigenous leaders now want and that the government is proposing to give. They’re seeking a mechanism to overcome, in Senator Pat Dodson’s words, “the tyranny of our dispossession”, as if history can be undone.

“Maybe the Voice wouldn’t be the ‘third chamber of the Parliament’ Malcolm Turnbull originally called it; or the ‘fourth arm of government’ (after the executive, legislative and judicial arms), as some lawyers have said. But it would certainly be a massive disturbance to the way we have been governed; a form of co-governance, in fact, where the representatives of the 4% of Australians with Indigenous ancestry have a constitutionally guaranteed special and extra say over the governance of everyone.”

WHAT’S ON TODAY

Eora Country (also known as Sydney)

  • The incoming NSW Labor government will be sworn in at the state’s Government House some time today.

  • Barack Obama’s much-anticipated speaking tour will kick off at the Sydney Opera house tonight.

Ngunnawal Country (also known as Canberra)

  • As the federal government prepares to debate its Housing Australia Future Fund legislation, Senators David Pocock, Lidia Thorpe and MP Max Chandler-Mather will address a housing rally hosted by The Australia Institute at 11.30am on the Parliament House lawns.

Beijing, China

  • Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews will touch down in Beijing to begin discussions on education, trade and cultural issues, marking the first visit by an Australian politician since details of the AUKUS agreement were unveiled.