Nuclear power like ‘building a Blockbuster video’ retailer within the age of Netflix, says Kean
Matt Kean, former NSW minister for power, likened constructing nuclear energy crops in 2025 to opening a Blockbuster retailer “when Netflix is already here” on Q+A final night time.
He was responding to coverage strategist Parnell Palme McGuinness, who was urging a begin to nuclear “right away” for “prosperity long-term”.
Kean stated:
We’re not beginning 20 years in the past, we’re speaking about as we speak, and folks speaking about constructing nuclear as we speak are the identical folks which can be … arguing that we ought to be constructing a Blockbuster video advanced when Netflix is already right here.
There’s new know-how which seems to be like wind, photo voltaic and storage … We want extra power, I agree with you, power to the system grows our economic system and underneath the frontier modelling it is going to have 40% much less power than different and that can imply an enormous hit to our economic system. Below the frontier economics modelling, there’s a $300m smaller economic system for Australia, that’s the fact.
Key occasions
Rafqa Touma
Good morning weblog readers – that is Rafqa Touma, and I’ll be taking you thru the day’s stay information updates. Thanks to Martin Farrer for getting us rolling this morning.
125,000 properties with out energy days after cyclone
Greater than 125,000 properties are at nighttime as crews work to revive energy throughout QLD and NSW in Alfred’s aftermath.
At 6am, there have been 118,319 outages in South East Queensland, in keeping with Energex – 4444,000 in Gold Coast, 20,000 in Redland Metropolis, 15,000 in Brisbane Metropolis, 15,000 in Moreton Bay Regional, and 12,000 in Logan Metropolis.
There have been greater than 7,500 properties with out energy in NSW, primarily within the Northern Rivers area, in keeping with an Important Vitality replace this morning.
‘Not give into bullies’: Turnbull doubles down on Trump
Malcolm Turnbull has doubled down on his criticism of Donald Trump, saying that it was “ludicrous” for world leaders to “become just a conga line of sycophants” within the hope the US president wouldn’t place tariffs on their economies.
Talking on ABC’s 7.30 program final night time, the previous prime minister stated world leaders ought to “not give in to bullies” after Trump lashed him in a late-night social media put up. The US president was responding after Turnbull stated his “chaotic” insurance policies performed into China’s arms.
Right here’s our full story:
How Brisbanites are responding to Cyclone Alfred
Our workforce of reporters have been busy speaking to folks and discovering tales within the aftermath of Cyclone Alfred.
After among the wettest climate the town has ever seen, Brisbanites are feeling Covid flashbacks and cabin fever as they address being unable to go outdoors.
There was a special kind of downside for Amber Butler whose accomplice needed to drive her to hospital by means of the peak of the storm to present start.
And when the storm compelled a wildlife hospital to shut, a koala recovering from stomach surgical procedure bunked up with a possum in Mallory Wilson’s home in Nerang.
Shark assault fears after surfer lacking off WA coast
Emergency companies are scouring waters for a lacking surfer feared taken by a shark after a surfboard with chew marks was recovered off a distant southern seaside, Australian Related Press reviews.
The “reported shark bite incident” was being investigated at Wharton seaside within the Duke of Orleans Bay space, about 60km east of Esperance, the state’s main industries division stated on Monday.
Police stated that at 12.10pm, there was a report of a “possible surfer in distress”.
“A surfboard with evidence of bite marks has been recovered from the water … but no surfer has been sighted,” police stated in an announcement.
“It is believed the surfer was the victim of a serious shark bite incident.
“A shark was sighted in the area a short time prior, and beachgoers left the water.”
Police, Marine Rescue WA, and SES personnel had been looking the shoreline for the lacking surfer.
Ipswich avoids extra extreme flooding as Brisbane and Lismore residents return to examine injury
Ben Smee
The town of Ipswich west of Brisbane seems to have averted extra extreme flooding in a single day by mere centimetres – the Bremer River peaking just under the main flood stage.
Some components of the Ipswich CBD had been inundated and a few houses underwater, however residents had been narrowly watching the Bremer, which peaked at 11.49m, simply shy of the main flood stage of 11.7m.
Among the focus in Queensland as we speak will change to the west, together with the Lockyer Valley, which was notably badly hit in 2011.
The city of Laidley was inundated and flood sirens had been sounded in Grantham. The warnings are a legacy of the 2011 occasion that swallowed the city.
In locations like Brisbane and Lismore, locals are returning to examine flood injury.
However there are nonetheless energetic warnings that the risk won’t be over. Extra rainfall and thunderstorms related to ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred are anticipated in flood-hit areas on Tuesday.
Richard Scolyer reveals mind most cancers has returned
Former Australian of the 12 months Richard Scolyer has revealed his mind most cancers has returned and surgical procedure to take away it was unsuccessful.
Scolyer was identified with an incurable type of mind most cancers in 2023 and it was handled with pioneering immunotherapy based mostly on his personal analysis.
In a put up on Instagram on Tuesday night Scolyer stated “unfortunately there is a larger volume of quickly growing brain cancer (glioblastoma) in my left brain”.
“The prognosis is poor.”
Among the tumour was eliminated final week however “some of it couldn’t because of its site”, he wrote.
He stated the immunotherapy and different most cancers remedy he obtained “may have made a difference in my brain tumour and survival”, however extra work was wanted in a medical trial to show this.
“Either way I am proud [of the work],” he stated. “I hope [it] will make a difference for others.”
Scolyer informed the Sydney Morning Herald the medical prognosis was that he has “months, not years” to stay.
Extra on that competitors report:
One space examined by the taskforce was non‑compete clauses, which might be written into employment contracts to stop or prohibit an worker from becoming a member of a competitor or beginning their very own rival enterprise.
These clauses have been used to unreasonably forestall employees transferring to extra fascinating jobs in industries resembling childcare and the broader care sector.
Staff affected by non-compete clauses skilled a 4% decrease wage relative to comparable employees with out non-competes, Andrew Leigh is because of say in his speech as we speak.
“Recent Productivity Commission modelling suggests reforming non-competes could permanently lift Australia’s productivity and GDP, by allowing workers to move more easily to higher value jobs, and by facilitating firm entry and expansion,” he’ll say.
The taskforce, which was arrange in 2023, additionally examined the aviation sector, discovering competitors had helped to “bring down prices, improve service, and give Australians more choices in the skies”.
“Because when competition works, consumers win.”
The federal authorities has additionally introduced it is going to contribute $1.2m to collectively launch the social enterprise mortgage fund alongside different buyers.
The fund intends to offer capital for social enterprises, particularly these offering employment alternatives for folks going through obstacles to work.
Competitors change might enhance family funds, Leigh to argue
Family budgets can be bolstered and cost-of-living pressures would ease underneath proposed adjustments to the nation’s competitors coverage, the federal authorities says, Australian Related Press reviews.
The assistant treasurer, Andrew Leigh, will as we speak reveal the findings of a authorities taskforce in a speech to the Financial Society of Australia in Perth later this morning.
Leigh will argue a revitalised nationwide competitors coverage might end in an ongoing enhance to GDP of as much as $45bn, in keeping with Productiveness Fee modelling – a rise of as much as $5,000 a 12 months for each family.
The fee additionally estimated proposed adjustments would decrease costs by an estimated 0.7% to 1.5% in the long term, he stated.
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our stay information weblog. I’m Martin Farrer with the highest in a single day tales after which it’ll be Rafqa Touma with the primary motion.
In unhappy information that broke yesterday, former Australian of the 12 months Richard Scolyer has revealed his mind most cancers has recurred and his “prognosis is poor”. Extra on this quickly.
Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton have each cancelled fundraising occasions with donors amid heightened sensitivity about political campaigning within the wake of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred. We reported completely final night time that the prime minister had determined to postpone a dinner with 10 rich donors in Sydney due to fears he might be accused of insensitivity in the identical manner Labor attacked Dutton for attending an opulent occasion with pubs tycoon Justin Hemmes. However the Coalition chief then cancelled one other occasion.
1000’s of houses are nonetheless with out energy, faculties stay shut and the specter of additional flooding stays in Queensland. We may have the most recent from the areas hit by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred. Plus, our political correspondent writes that whereas the storm could have blown Albanese’s election plans off track, his high-profile response might assist him win again voters.
There’s been one other sharp selloff on Wall Avenue in a single day on fears that Donald Trump’s financial insurance policies might result in a recession within the US. The benchmark S&P 500 index fell 1.4% to its lowest level since September, whereas the tech-focused Nasdaq has slumped by 2%. The ASX is on observe to open down 0.81% later this morning consequently so a authorities plan to enhance family funds being outlined by Andrew Leigh this morning is nicely timed. Extra developing.
