Albanese says criticism from Howard towards Chalmers ‘not surprising’
Former prime minister, John Howard, has criticised comments from the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, that the RBA is “smashing the economy” with its rate rises.
According to The Australian, Howard said, “She [RBA governor Michele Bullock] does not deserve the Chalmers broadside.”
Anthony Albanese was asked about this a moment ago and responded:
I think John Howard criticises the Labor party whenever he’s asked as long as the day ends in Y.
It’s a matter for him. I treat former prime ministers, including John Howard, in a respectful way, but I think it is becoming what it is, and I think that is a matter for him to reflect, but it is pretty regular and it’s not surprising.
Key events
GDP figures to show how much the economy is ‘being smashed’
Peter Hannam
Global markets are in a bit of a funk after overnight data from the US pointed to weakening growth there, and we’ll soon get an update on how Australia’s economy has been faring.
At 11.30am Aest, the ABS will release the quarterly national accounts (which we previewed here), with the focus probably on the annual pace of gross domestic product growth.
Economists were tipping that the economy expanded 0.9% in the June quarter from a year ago. If that number is right, and the ABS doesn’t revise the March quarter growth figure of 1.1% too much, it will be the weakest growth result – outside the Covid disruptions – since the early 1990s.
On a quarterly basis, growth may tick a bit higher to 0.2% compared with the March quarter growth (vs the previous three months) of 0.1%. (The ABS might also tweak that latter figure.)
The government, especially treasurer Jim Chalmers, has been lowering expectations of late, talking about how the higher Reserve Bank interest rates were “smashing the economy”.
With the stage three tax cuts (and a lot of government rebates) kicking in from 1 July, it’s possible the June quarter will mark the nadir of growth in this cycle.
With stocks down 2% today, though, and the Aussie dollar wilting below 67 US cents, investors may well be focused on more recent tidings than Australia’s June quarter GDP.
Anyway, stay tuned for those GDP numbers to land here soon.
Here’s the full story from Rafqa Touma on Iran summoning the Australian ambassador for a Wear it Purple Day-themed social media post:
Albanese questioned on census debacle
Q: Are you concerned about leaks out of your cabinet that you were expressing frustration about the handling of the census question?
Anthony Albanese responded:
I don’t discuss cabinet issues.
Albanese defends transition away from live sheep export to sheep meat trade
Anthony Albanese was also questioned about the sheep industry, and whether he has spoken to it about live exports during his WA visit?
The PM said he met industry representatives in Canberra and Kalgoorlie.
The live sheep export industry, we said in 2019 and repeated in 2022, that we would set a timetable … We have set that timetable. This as an industry that is worth $80m in exports a year. The money that we have on the table is at least $107m for adjustment …
I think that this is an industry, if you compare $80m for live exports with $4bn, which is what the sheep meat export industry is worth. I think that indicates where the industry needs to go. We want to make sure that people are looked after and that people work with industry on that.
Reporter: “It’s more than that, it is people’s livelihoods and people’s jobs.”
Albanese defended transitioning from the live export trade to the sheep meat export trade, saying “we can create more jobs”.
I understand that adjustments are hard, which is why we had that support available and why we are engaging.
Albanese says criticism from Howard towards Chalmers ‘not surprising’
Former prime minister, John Howard, has criticised comments from the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, that the RBA is “smashing the economy” with its rate rises.
According to The Australian, Howard said, “She [RBA governor Michele Bullock] does not deserve the Chalmers broadside.”
Anthony Albanese was asked about this a moment ago and responded:
I think John Howard criticises the Labor party whenever he’s asked as long as the day ends in Y.
It’s a matter for him. I treat former prime ministers, including John Howard, in a respectful way, but I think it is becoming what it is, and I think that is a matter for him to reflect, but it is pretty regular and it’s not surprising.
Albanese weighs in on NSW Liberals federal intervention
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is speaking to reporters from Perth.
He was asked about Liberal Moore MP Ian Goodenough’s appearance at his media event yesterday, and said, “Often, we will invite local members to show them respect.”
I was recently with Michael McCormack in the electorate of Riverina … I’ve been with a range of local members …
I think people want local members who actually are local and are committed to making a difference rather than shopping around for a seat because they think somehow they are owed it. Ian, I think, has been shabbily treated by his own party and it is just one example of the chaos that is there in the modern Liberal party.
Albanese then turned to the NSW Liberal party and described the situation in his home state as a “farce”.
If the NSW leadership of the Liberal party has been dismissed for incompetence, how about you dismiss the federal leadership of the Liberal party in the organisational sense for incompetence for appointing someone as an administrator that is not available and didn’t know anything about it.
Independent urges government to work with crossbench to pass environment watchdog legislation
Independent MP Andrew Wilkie has called on the government to work with the crossbench to pass its new environment watchdog powers, after reports it may be weakened to pass parliament. Lisa Cox has all the details below:
In a video posted to X, Wilkie said:
It is bitterly disappointing to hear that the prime minister is ready to cave in to Coalition demands to water down the new Environment Protection Agency.
Look, the Coalition is the mob who abolished the carbon price, who waged endless climate wars and who took no steps to repair our broken environmental laws in their nine years of office.
So what’s going on? Why doesn’t the Labor party just ignore the opposition and work with the crossbench? Because after all, we’re the members of the parliament that want these reforms to really work, and work well.
The Federal Government is considering watering down their environmental watchdog to appease the Coalition. This would be an egregious betrayal of trust and another backflip from the Government on important environmental reforms. #auspol #politas pic.twitter.com/e6gsXtcX9x
— Andrew Wilkie MP (@WilkieMP) September 4, 2024
Cash splash to boost canoe slalom world championships
Funding has been announced to help Australia host the canoe slalom world championships, AAP reports, after the success of the country’s athletes at the Paris Olympics.
The federal and NSW governments have committed $3.2m for Paddle Australia to host the championships at Penrith’s Whitewater Stadium in Sydney in October 2025.
About 300 athletes from 50 countries will compete in 10 events, including canoe and kayak singles, canoe and kayak teams and kayak cross, in front of an estimated 20,000 spectators.
Australian households are now familiar with whitewater sports after the success of sisters Jess and Noemie Fox at the Paris Olympics, who won three gold medals. The pair are scheduled to compete at the home championships next year.
In honour of their triumph at the Games, the NSW government has also announced the island in the centre of the whitewater stadium will be named Fox Island after the Fox family. Jess Fox said:
I remember being a six-year-old in the stands for Sydney 2000 and an 11-year-old in the stands when the world championships were here in 2005, so to have that legacy 20, 25 years on, for me it means so much.
Foreign minister says Russian attack on Poltava ‘horrific’
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has described Russian attacks on the Ukrainian city of Poltava as “horrific”.
In a post to X, Wong wrote:
Russia’s attacks on the Ukrainian city of Poltava are horrific. More than 50 lives have been lost and hundreds are injured. Our thoughts are with the families of the victims and their loved ones. Australia continues to support Ukraine as it fights Russia’s brutal, illegal war.
Tehan claims Giles ‘put community safety at risk’ to ‘reduce his workload’
Earlier this morning, the shadow immigration minister, Dan Tehan, was asked about Paul Karp’s exclusive story that former immigration minister Andrew Giles raised the threshold for ministerial reconsideration of character cancellations, increasing the risk that criminals convicted of serious offences might keep their visas.
Tehan told ABC RN:
I see this report as deeply, deeply disturbing, and it puts serious question marks on Andrew Giles ability to remain a minister of the crown.
It seems to reduce his workload he put community safety at risk. Now he’s a very, very good friend of the prime minister’s, that’s why he wasn’t sacked in the first place.
The prime minister needs to look at this report. Paul Karp, the reporter from The Guardian, has done superb work when it’s come to this issue and others, and if this report is accurate – to reduce his workload he put community safety at risk – then he should not be a minister of the crown and I would hope that the prime minister will [look] very seriously at this report in The Guardian today.
Giles has been contacted for comment.
Christopher Knaus
Regulator considering action after three energy retailers allegedly took welfare money from former customers
The national energy regulator is weighing up whether to take new action against three retailers for their alleged use of Centrelink’s Centrepay system after a landmark court win against AGL.
The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) won a major case in the federal court against AGL in August after alleging the energy giant used the government-run payment system to wrongly take welfare money from almost 500 customers for years after they ceased being customers.
A Guardian Australia investigation into the Centrepay system has revealed two other major energy retailers, Origin and the Queensland-based Ergon Energy, have also allegedly used the system to deduct welfare payments of former customers.
The government services minister, Bill Shorten, has since referred three energy retailers to the AER for potential investigation. It is understood the AER, having won in the federal court, is now weighing up whether to take enforcement action against the three retailers.
Speakman defends Liberal party and says challenges of last few weeks will be ‘overcome’
Mark Speakman defended the Liberal party and said its fundamentals “remain sound”, telling reporters:
We are a party that is committed to the basic values of individual freedoms, standing up for families and small business, strong economic management. We are the party that for most of the century has delivered in Australia. Those fundamentals remain sound.
Here on Macquarie Street, I lead a united team … full of talented individuals, whether they are longer-serving members or newbies …
Those fundamentals are there and of course there have been challenges in the last few weeks, but they are challenges we must overcome. We will overcome and we will unite and take the fight up to Labor.
Mark Speakman stands by decision not to call for Don Harwin’s resignation
Q: Do you regret not having sacked Don Harwin, which could have potentially avoided this federal intervention?
Mark Speakman responded that “I don’t have the power to sack anyone on state executive”
The federal executive, however, have the power to intervene if they believe there are appropriate circumstances… Federal executive has the power to intervene if they think there is a risk to campaign readiness and that’s obviously what the federal executive has decided.
And what is more important than the internal make up of the Liberal Party administration committee, be it state executive or a smaller committee, is making sure we give the people of South Wales outgrew best chance of defeating these terrible Labor governments and that is what matters…
But no, I don’t regret not calling for Mr Harwin’s resignation… It is nothing to do with faction or mates. I have formed a good-faith opinion that the stuff up down on Macquarie Street was at the feet of the state director.
NSW opposition leader speaking in Sydney following federal takeover
The NSW opposition leader, Mark Speakman, is speaking to reporters in Sydney.
Yesterday, the federal Liberal executive intervened in the NSW party, demanding it appoint a temporary committee of three to run the troubled division after the failure to nominate candidates for some council seats.
Speakman has told reporters:
I don’t know what is in that report that has led federal executives to form the view that intervention was appropriate. My views about culpability for the nominations debacle remain the same. They remain unchanged.
Asked about Rob Stokes’ announcement that he wouldn’t be involved in the administrative committee (see earlier post), Speakman said:
There will be plenty of excellent people who can serve on any administrative committee set up and I’m sure we will find good people to serve on that committee.
