The Point Live: Coalition net zero saga drags on. As it happened.

The divisions in the house for the environmental protection laws are ongoing and having popped into the chamber to see what is what, the crossbench have been sitting in the opposition front bench for some of the divisions, which is very telling. They are pretty much acting as the opposition at the moment when it comes to policy, and that’s the message they are sending to the government – they’ll fill the place of the opposition when necessary to make sure the government doesn’t get away with all of what it’s trying without some attention.

It is desperately needed.

The Coalition are on the media train at the moment, answering questions about how Sussan Ley’s leadership is totally fine, which is absolutely what happens when someone’s leadership is totally fine. There is a line of questioning emerging about whether this is because Ley is a woman and this is one of those rare moments in politics when you can say that gender is not the main reason this is happening (I am sure there is an undercurrent). The Liberal party being a mess and Ley having no authority is not a gender issue – it’s one of personal ambitions over sense (which I write about in The New Daily tomorrow)

We will be back to cover the last day of this sitting early tomorrow morning – thank you to everyone who joined along today – it truly is incredible to see so many people here with us. I don’t take your support lightly. None of us do.

So get a big rest tonight – you are going to need it. Until tomorrow morning – take care of you. Ax

In the federation chamber where the government sent the FOI bill – Michelle Rowland and most of the crossbench are in there at the moment.

Helen Haines is trying to get the measure that will have the fee increase scraped – Rowland declined to answer why the fee was so high and Haines is also trying to get rid of the cabinet in confidence exemption. The government is against this too.

The government looks like they are just trying to wedge the crossbench – this bill debate is running at the same time as the environmental one, which means that the independents are having to split their time between the two, in order to get their concerns on the Hansard record.

Tuning into the Federation chamber though and Haines is more than a match for them on this – she just shouldn’t have to be.

In the senate David Pocock is moving an amendment on the bill that will give police powers over welfare and well…it’s still not great.

This just makes it the social services minister who has to approve the recommendation. That’s still not addressing the very real legal concerns groups like the Law Council of Australia have raised because of the core issue here – it is something police can do BEFORE A CONVICTION.

Just a reminder – politicians who are charged with the most heinous of crimes are still paid until and if they are found guilty. That’s how the presumption of innocence works.

Lots of different moods and stories going on in question time, as Mike Bowers caught:

There is just one more left in this week (thank Dolly) so what did we learn?

Again, nothing that we didn’t already know

The Coalition are not across their brief enough to be asking gotcha questions that bite. That’s part of the point – they only want the half of the story they are telling to get attention, but when it is so obvious and easy to shut down, it defeats the purpose.

There has also been an attempt to minimise Sussan Ley during QT and to try and share some of the issues around. Part of this is to try and minimise how open she is to Labor attacks about her leadership position, but the tactics team need not bother – Labor doesn’t care enough about Ley to hasten her departure. They are being deliberately gentle.

That has to bite.

Catherine King is taking a dixer on this announcement from yesterday:

The Government will restructure Rex’s existing debt to the Australian Government. Approximately $90 million of existing debt will be carried forward and a new commercial loan of $60 million will be provided to Rex.

This will supplement the $50 million being contributed by Air T towards the recapitalisation of the business.

In exchange for this financing and to ensure value for taxpayer money, Air T has agreed to a range of commitments aimed at preserving essential regional aviation connectivity and improving governance arrangements.

This will include returning more aircraft to service and increasing the frequency of profitable flights across the Rex network.

To safeguard this public investment, the Government will retain its security over all Rex’s aircraft and simulator. This will ensure Rex’s Saab fleet cannot be sold without the Government’s permission and will continue to service communities across regional and remote Australia.

For which she gets a public pat on the back from the prime minister and then Sussan Ley thanks the pilots and staff.

The LNP are all energised because the member for Solomon, Luke Gosling, told Sky News Kieren Gilbert that power bills will fall by about 20% over the next decade due to renewables.

The Prime Minister has now twice been asked to respond and whether or not he agrees.

The Prime Minister has pointed out that Gosling was referencing a report by the Climate Change Authority (your can read it here).

The report says the following (Albanese handily referenced the page 8):

“Expert analysis by the Australian Energy Market Commission projects residential electricity prices will fall by 13% (about 5c/kWh) and average household energy costs will fall by about 20% (around $1,000/year) over the next decade under a coordinated renewables rollout. Households that fully electrify (by transitioning to electric transportation, appliances, heating, and integrating solar and battery storage) could potentially cut energy costs by as much as 70% (AEMC, 2024). As well as saving money, the decarbonisation and growth of electricity production is a necessary pre-condition for the decarbonisation of other sectors.”

Back to question time and the opposition is having another go at a gotcha over something the member for Solomon said on Sky in relation to power prices coming down because of the solar sharer program.

Anne Webster asks:

Q:My question is to the Prime Minister. Does the Prime Minister agree with the Member for Solomon, there will be a 20% decrease in power bills over the next decade?

Anthony Albanese:

‘Expert analysis by the Australian energy market commission rejects residential electrician prices will fall by 13% about 5 cents per kilowatt. Our average household energy costs will fall by about 20% around thousand dollars per year over the next decade under a coordinated renewables rollout’. That is the direct quote, that is the direct quote.

That is the direct quote. That is an entire misrepresentation to pretend that the Member for Solomon that that is his view, he is quoting, he is quoting the advice which is something that – something that the member I am sure knows.

According to an ABC story: The Australian National University’s interim vice-chancellor says after years of operating deficits it’s tracking towards balancing its budget by the end of 2026.

However, despite the ABC referring to the ANU’s financial situation as “dire”, the ANU actually already delivered a surplus in 2024 and did so in 2023 as well!

The ANU has continued to prosper over the longer term too, growing its net assets (assets minus liabilities) by over $1.7 billion over the last decade, including growth of $1.1 billion just since 2020.

So, what’s going on?

Essentially, there are two sets of figures floating about:

1. The figures in the university’s independently audited financial statements, which show surpluses for 2023 ($135.3 million) and 2024 ($89.9 million), and continued growth in net assets and retained surpluses.
2. The university’s own ‘adjusted’ figures. These do not appear in the university’s audited financial statements. Australia Institute research has found that the adjustments to these figures cannot be justified.

Unfortunately, most reporting on the ANU continues to ignore the audited financial statements and simply repeat the ANU’s claims of financial distress.

The Teals are a no in the house and now so are the Greens, when it comes to the environmental laws. That won’t change the outcome in the house, where the government holds a massive majority and it doesn’t mean the Greens won’t negotiate when it comes to the senate, but it does point to the government having a pretty big PR battle on its hands (as it should, the laws are terrible)

Sarah Hanson-Young has said:

In its current form we cannot support this package and will be voting against it in the House of Representatives. It has been written for the mining and forestry lobby and does nothing to guarantee protection for our environment.

These laws have been criticised by every major environment and climate group, but welcomed by the likes of BHP, Chevron and the BCA. This shows exactly who the laws are written for.

It is now up to the Prime Minister to decide if he wants to again let mining and logging lobbyists and their political representatives like Roger Cook run the show, or if he wants to protect nature, forests and our climate.”