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Government puts planned voter ID laws on hold
By Nick Bonyhady
The federal government has shelved plans to introduce voter ID laws before the next election after crossbench Senator Jacqui Lambie declared her opposition.
The proposed changes would have required voters to present one of a variety of ID forms, be vouched for by another person or cast a provisional ballot.
Critics attacked it as a solution in search of a problem that would disproportionately stop Indigenous people in remote areas, where government IDs are less common, from voting.
Senator Lambie says she believes there could be a problem with people voting illegitimately, but there is no evidence it is a substantial one. On the other hand, she said the country was “blindfolded” as to the risks of introducing restrictions on voting that could disenfranchise people. On balance, she said, the potential risk made her decide to oppose the laws.
There is still a path for the law to pass the Senate without Senator Lambie. That would require the support of One Nation along with Centre Alliance Senator Stirling Griff, who had put several conditions on his vote that the government hasn’t met.
In addition, rebel Coalition backbenchers Alex Antic and Gerard Rennick have made it hard for the government to get any legislation through the Senate because of their concerns about vaccine mandates.
But Labor says the government has confirmed it won’t proceed with the bill before the next election.
Meanwhile, the Greens have accused Labor of a “cynical stitch-up” to pass changes to charity laws last night after the opposition sided with the Coalition.
The Greens say the new laws will put onerous disclosure burdens on more charities and discourage non-profits from doing advocacy work.
Coal use to peak in 2026 as renewables surge past forecasts
By Mike Foley
Experts predict demand for coal will peak in 2026 as the growth in renewable energy continues to outstrip forecasts, with the International Energy Agency predicting a 60 per cent growth in global clean energy generation over the next five years.
The optimistic outlook for clean power in the International Energy Agency’s annual renewables market report poses a fresh test for the Labor Opposition, which is yet to announce its climate policy ahead of the federal election due by May.
Renewables are set for another five years of record growth, the International Energy Agency says. Credit:Getty
The Coalition government’s recently released climate plan backs gas as a key fuel for coming decades and it remains to be seen how Labor responds when it reveals its policy in coming days, with the federal leadership eager to appease the left and right of the party.
Blue-collar unions want to avoid a looming scare campaign from the Coalition over jobs and economic losses under ambitious emissions reduction targets, following a similar campaign at the 2019 election. This masthead revealed yesterday that Labor will dump a plan to set vehicle fuel emissions standards following contested claims from the Prime Minister that it would raise petrol prices.
Deal to protect LGBTQI students sets up vote on religious freedom
By David Crowe
A deal on the treatment of gay and lesbian school students could clear the way for Prime Minister Scott Morrison to get his Religious Discrimination Act through the House of Representatives this week, overcoming Labor objections to his signature bill.
The deal has gained support from some Liberal MPs to vote for the Religious Discrimination Act if it is put to a vote in the lower house, despite earlier reservations about the impact of the draft law on the LGBTQI community.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison during a doorstop interview last month. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
If they back the religious freedom bill, Mr Morrison and his senior colleagues appear willing to remove a highly contested section of the Sex Discrimination Act that gives religious schools the authority to expel or suspend students because of their sexuality.
But the offer may not be enough to guarantee the numbers in the lower house for the Religious Discrimination Act, with three moderate Liberal MPs said to be holding out against rushing the law this week while it is meant to be reviewed by an inquiry over summer.
Floods continue to inundate parts of NSW, Qld
By Daniella White
Floods continue to affect parts of Queensland and NSW after the southern state recorded its wettest and coldest November on record.
There are 18 active flood warnings across NSW, mostly in the state’s north, Central West, Hunter and Riverina districts.
The NSW State Emergency Service has responded to thousands of calls for help from floodwaters since the downpours began hammering the state earlier last month.
In Queensland, about 1000 residents in the border town of Inglewood were forced to evacuate on Tuesday night due to flood waters, while a 73-year-old man died yesterday near Toowoomba after his ute was washed away.
Yesterday, the Bureau of Meteorology said NSW had recorded nearly three times its average November rainfall this year, breaking a previous record from 1917.
America records its first known Omicron case
By Broede Carmody
The United States has formally identified its first known local case of the Omicron coronavirus variant.
The person infected with the new variant – which experts say could be as or more infectious than Delta, but so far not as dangerous – is in California and is vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the White House.
Dr Anthony Fauci speaking from the White House.Credit:AP
Dr Anthony Fauci, Chief Medical Advisor to US President Joe Biden, says the person returned to the US from South Africa on November 22 and – while vaccinated – had not received a booster shot.
The patient tested positive to coronavirus on November 29 and genomic sequencing has since confirmed they have the Omicron variant. They are experiencing “mild symptoms”, Dr Fauci added.
In Australia, NSW has so far recorded six cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant. Australia’s first known Omicron case was detected in Sydney over the weekend.
Read more about the situation in the US courtesy of our world desk.
Australia’s economic recovery hinges on $400 billion in household and business savings
By Shane Wright and Jennifer Duke
Australia’s recovery out of its third-worst economic downturn in history will rely on households and businesses spending almost $400 billion put away in savings through the pandemic, as warnings grow interest rates may be pushed up faster than expected.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg yesterday said the “damn lot” of money socked away by Australians was pivotal to the next 12 months as official figures showed the economy contracted by 1.9 per cent during the lockdown-plagued September quarter.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg says the monthly budget figures are tracking better than forecast.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
NSW, which was in various levels of lockdown through the entire three months period, bore the brunt of the downturn with the domestic state economy contracting by 6.5 per cent. NSW state final demand is now 2.9 per cent down on where it was in September 2019.
While Victoria and the ACT both went into lockdown during the quarter, they did not suffer the same hit as NSW. Victoria’s domestic economy shrank by 1.4 per cent to be 0.4 per cent smaller than two years ago while the ACT endured a 1.6 per cent hit.
Victoria’s pandemic laws contain nation’s most rigorous safeguards, experts say
By Josh Gordon and Sumeyya Ilanbey
Legal experts say the Andrews government’s controversial pandemic laws will include the most rigorous safeguards against human rights abuses in the nation.
The bill is expected to clear a final hurdle when it returns to the Parliament’s upper house today after a marathon debate that ran for 21 hours.
Independent upper house MP Catherine Cumming and the Reason Party’s Fiona Patten celebrate the conclusion of debate on Victoria’s pandemic bill.Credit:Joe Arao
The legislation will make Victoria the only jurisdiction in Australia with tailor-made laws to tackle pandemics.
The bill states that it will be up to the premier and health minister of the day to issue public health orders (as is the case in other jurisdictions). Some are concerned the law would give too much power to politicians. Others say it’s an improvement on existing state-of-emergency laws.
A number of amendments were made under an eleventh-hour deal with upper house crossbench MP Rod Barton (from the Transport Matters Party). A new independent panel of experts will be set up to review detention orders imposed during a pandemic. And a non-government MP will also chair a joint parliamentary committee, charged with reviewing public health orders.
SA parliament adjourned after former premier tests positive to COVID-19
By Roy Ward
South Australia has adjourned Parliament this morning to allow SA Health to complete contact tracing after the state’s former premier Jay Weatherill tested positive to COVID-19 yesterday.
Mr Weatherill met with several members of the opposition this week, including Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas, who will quarantine for seven days as a close contact.
Former South Australian premier Jay Weatherill.
SA Health has asked local politicians and staff not to have face-to-face meetings with each other.
Deputy Chief Public Health Officer Chris Lease has sent a letter to staff and politicians advising that the morning sessions of both the House of Assembly and Legislative Council will be adjourned for contact tracing.
“Members of Parliament, and all staff who worked at Parliament House on 30 November or 1 December 2021, should avoid undertaking in-person meetings or electoral office business or other work which involves working closer to any person than 1.5 metres,” the letter says.
This morning’s headlines at a glance
By Broede Carmody
Good morning and thanks for reading our live coverage.
It’s Thursday, December 2. I’m Broede Carmody and I’ll bring you some of the morning’s biggest stories.
Here’s what you need to know before we get started.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews outside state Parliament earlier today. Credit:Chris Hopkins
- Parts of NSW and Queensland are on alert after heavy rain and flash flooding. In Queensland, the floods have turned deadly with the body of a 73-year-old man pulled from a car that was swept off the road and submerged in flood waters west of Toowoomba. And the Leslie Dam in Warwick, in Qld’s Southern Downs Region, has spilled for the first time in 11 years. Parts of Melbourne were also hit with flash flooding yesterday – the first day of summer. Yesterday, we reported that NSW recorded its wettest November on record. The state recorded 251 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday and zero deaths. NSW has so far recorded six cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant.
NSW has recorded its wettest November on record. Credit:Brook Mitchell
There is growing speculation federal Health Minister Greg Hunt will announce his retirement from politics. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
Former SA premier Jay Weatherill. Credit:Tash Sorensen
- Elsewhere, the ACT reported four new cases of COVID-19 yesterday. And in the NT, authorities located three people who police say scaled a fence and escape from the Howard Springs quarantine facility in Darwin. The lockout in Katherine is due to end next week.
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2021-12-01 21:42:09Z
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