Australian Politics
Opposition Confirms It Will Develop 6 Nuclear Power Sites
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has confirmed the Coalition’s energy policy—expected to be released ahead of the federal budget in May—will probably include six nuclear plant sites.
While he has yet to name the exact locations, Tasmania has been ruled out as a potential host state. It’s considered likely that the reactors would be built on the sites of old coal stations to take advantage of existing transmission infrastructure.
This means the Labor-held seat of Hunter, the independent seat of Calare, and Coalition-held Flynn, Maranoa, O’Connor, and Gippsland may be all on the shortlist for nuclear power stations.
At the Australian Financial Review Business Summit in Sydney on March 12, Mr. Dutton said the Coalition would encourage nearby communities to accept the plants by offering them subsidised energy—a model he said was used in the United States. He told the audience that it would also provide an incentive for the industry to establish jobs.
“Nuclear is the only proven technology which emits zero emission and firms up renewables,” he said.
The opposition’s position comes as modelling on Australia’s net zero transition estimates the country will need to invest hundreds of billions, and even trillions, to fully reduce emissions.
The tremendous cost stems from the widescale investment in wind turbines, solar panels, batteries, and pumped hydro (where available), but also into transmission infrastructure, as well as electrification of public transport networks and private vehicles (buying EVs instead of regular cars).
Nuclear Detractors Also Point to Cost
Energy experts say it’s difficult to estimate the cost of transitioning to nuclear, given the technology is not currently commercially available.
But during the speech, Mr. Dutton dismissed what he described as “straw man arguments” against nuclear, including cost.
“Australia’s energy mix is about 21 percent gas, 47 per cent coal, and 32 percent renewables. Ontario province in Canada is about 5 percent gas, 35 percent renewables, and 60 percent nuclear. South Korea is about 30 percent gas, 30 percent coal, and 30 percent nuclear, with the balance mainly hydro … Australians pay almost double what Ontario and South Korean residents pay,” he said.
He said reactors produce a “small amount of waste” and said the government had already signed up to deal with nuclear waste via the AUKUS agreement.
The Australian Radioactive Waste Agency (ARWA) found there were 2,061 cubic metres of intermediate-level waste in 2021, compared to 1,771 cubic metres in 2018. It projects 4,377 cubic metres in the next 50 years, compared to 3,734 cubic metres projected in 2018.
Intermediate-level waste is produced in nuclear medicine—for example, imaging, scanning and radiotherapy.
Currently, the waste is stored in more than 100 places, but most of it is held at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) facilities in Lucas Heights, Sydney.
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Court Strikes Down $3,000 Fine for Person Trying to Leave City During Pandemic
The NSW Supreme Court has found that a $3,000 fine for leaving Greater Sydney without a permit in 2021 was unlawful, casting doubt on the validity of around 30,000 similar fines issued during the pandemic.
This is the second such ruling.
The state’s Revenue NSW, however, says it will not withdraw the fines and, will instead, treat each one on a “case-by-case basis,” likely meaning those fined will need to argue their case with the government and potentially take the matter to court.
The case centred on a $3,000 fine imposed on Angelika Kosciolek for leaving Greater Sydney in 2021. She was homeless and made plans to travel to South Australia after being offered accommodation there.
But Justice Desmond Fagan said fines issued during COVID-19 must pass the “bare minimum test,” established in a 2022 Supreme Court ruling. That ruling said that for a fine to be valid, the penalty notice must clearly state the relevant Act, and the provision related to the offence.
Ms. Kosciolek’s fine was found to have not passed that test, and the Redfern Legal Centre (RLC) said most COVID-19 fines also failed to precisely state which laws had been broken.
‘Withdraw and Repay’: Redfern Legal Centre
“If a COVID fine fails to state the specific offence, the fine is invalid,” Samantha Lee, senior solicitor at the Centre, said. “RLC considers that the judgment supports the conclusion that the remaining COVID fines are invalid and urges Revenue NSW to withdraw and repay the 29,000 remaining fines.”
Yet Commissioner of Fines Administration Scott Johnston, from Revenue NSW, told a Budget Estimates hearing that it would not be withdrawing any of the remaining fines, but will continue to “review and treat every matter on a case-by-case basis.”
However, Ms. Lee urged Mr. Johnston to “come to his senses.”
“The commissioner is refusing to honour a supreme court judgement and do the right thing and give people back their money and withdraw these fines that don’t meet the legal requirements,” she said. “We’re giving the commissioner time to come to his senses and make the right decision to withdraw these fines. If not, then watch this space.”
More than 33,000 COVID fines, worth millions of dollars, were cancelled after a NSW Supreme Court ruling in 2022 found that details of the offences were insufficient.
In that instance, Revenue NSW withdrew 33,121 fines, meaning roughly half of the 62,138 COVID-related infringement notices issued in the state during the pandemic were invalid. However, it emphasised that the decision to withdraw the fines did not mean the offences had not been committed.
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Greens Leader’s $1 Million Expense Bill Causes Debate
Greens leader Adam Bandt claimed $963,166 (US$637,000) in expenses in a single year, including $23,000 for two private jet flights during the 2022 election campaign. He also spent $204,000 on printing costs and $12,000 on a government-provided vehicle and petrol allowance.
That’s in addition to his $314,000 salary and the wages of his personal staff, according to the Department of Finance.
Mr. Bandt booked a chartered flight from Townsville to Rockhampton, costing $8,300, to announce details of his party’s plan for the country to rapidly transition from coal to renewables. The second charter between Canberra and Brisbane, at a cost of $15,000, was to attend the Greens’ election campaign launch.
A private jet emits as much carbon dioxide in one hour (two tonnes) as the average person emits in an entire year. Staff Travel Adds Another $372,000
His other travel costs included almost $29,000 on government COMCAR trips and taxis, and $57,000 for domestic flights. Another $372,000 was spent on staff travel expenses.
Mr. Bandt’s spending was criticised by independent MP Dai Le, who is among the most frugal MPs in claiming expenses.
“I’m shocked by the news of parliamentarians overspending and surprised by the Greens use of chartered flights when they are the party that opposed the use of fossil fuels,” she said.
“At the end of the day, how we spend and what we spend on, will be judged by the people when it’s time to cast their vote.”
The Greens spokesperson said: “As the leader of the third-largest political party in Australia you would expect Mr. Bandt would engage in extensive travel and—unlike the prime minister and many ministers—he doesn’t have access to government VIP flights. All Mr. Bandt’s expenditures are within entitlements.”
Despite the size of his claim, Mr. Bandt ranked below several Labor ministers, including Employment Minister Tony Burke, Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for 2022 expenses.
‘Legitimate work expenses’: Stephen Conroy
Mr. Bandt also found a defender in former Labor senator Stephen Conroy. “To my shock, I’ll actually defend Adam Bandt,” Mr. Conroy told Sky News Australia. “The amount of travel and the work expenses, providing they’re within [the guidelines]—and there’s no suggestion from any of these stories, not one single suggestion that anyone has gone outside the guidelines.
“These are legitimate work expenses. A politician’s job is to communicate with their constituents. Adam Bandt is the leader of a political party, so you’d expect him to be out there up front.”
Last year, it was revealed that Mr. Albanese spent almost $700,000 on domestic and international travel, and other expenses, in the first three months of his prime ministership.
In addition, Mr. Albanese and his deputy Richard Marles incurred more than $5 million in costs using defence jets to move around Australia and overseas.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/greens-leaders-1-million-expense-bill-causes-debate-5605422
************************************************Home Schooling Must Be Consistent With Australian Curriculum: New Laws
The syllabus is so wishy-washy that no problems should arise
The Queensland government has introduced legislation in parliament mandating that home education is consistent with the Australian government’s curriculum.
This comes amid an almost tripling of students who are been homeschooled in the state since the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Education Minister Di Farmer introduced the Education (General Provisions) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024 on March 6, which includes amendments related to homeschooling.
Under the proposed changes, students who are schooled at home are required to follow the government’s syllabus for senior subjects.
The minister noted that more than 10,000 students are currently registered for homeschooling in Queensland.
Ms. Farmer said that given these higher numbers, it is “more important than ever” that students are undertaking a high-quality program.
In addition, she highlighted that the legislation provides “safeguards for student wellbeing.”
“The bill requires a summary of the educational program to be provided at the time of application for home education registration to ensure the child or young person has immediate access to a high-quality program and removes the separate time-limited provisional registration application,” Ms. Farmer told parliament.
“This will provide a single and simplified home education registration process with appropriate oversight by the department.
“Further, the bill removes the need for a certificate of registration and associated obligations, to reduce an unnecessary regulatory burden for parents. Instead, parents will continue to receive a written notice, as they do now, setting out evidence of registration and any conditions on registration.”
Ms. Farmer said the bill establishes a “new guiding principle” emphasising that home education “should be in the best interests of the child or young person.”
“This must take into account the child’s safety, well-being, and access to a high-quality education. This amendment was included in the bill after public consultation on home education amendments was completed,” Ms. Farmer said.
“Using a guiding principle which makes explicit that a child or young person’s best interests must be central to the significant choice of home education is something I am confident Queensland families and home educators will support.”
Home Education Australia spokesperson Samantha Bryan raised concerns with AAP that the mandate may lead to more parents taking home education underground.
Ms. Bryan also told the publication most families registered with the Home Education Unit are succeeding with homeschooling, even if they are not following the national curriculum.
“If children are already receiving a high-quality education, if the system’s not broken, why are we trying to allegedly fix it,” she said.
Ms. Bryan suggested a dual enrolment option allowing families to combine part-time homeschooling with part-time school attendance.
“Families are making great sacrifices because they desperately love and care about the wellbeing of their child,” she said.
“Some of these families would love to put their kids back in school so I think a dual enrolment option—part-time home education, part-time school— would be great.”
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http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM -- daily)
http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)
http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)
http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)
http://snorphty.blogspot.com/ (TONGUE-TIED)
http://jonjayray.com/blogall.html More blogs
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Evelyn Rae, a conservative Australian political commentator
Margo Robbie -- a beautiful australian
My son Joe at ANU
One of the happiest pictures ever -- Cleo Smith, aged 4
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