Australia politics reside: first repatriation flight arrives from Beirut; energy union launches advertisements questioning nuclear power

So what’s that ARC analysis venture on islands truly about, anyway?

A weblog watcher has taken the difficulty to search for the analysis venture that has Liberal MP James Stevens all sizzling and bothered, Archipelagic Connections in Australian and Pacific Literature:

Australia is commonly outlined as an remoted island-continent, ‘girt by sea’. This venture goals to problem this protectionist delusion by analysing literary and historic connections between totally different geographical websites which have been represented as enclosed in Australian historical past.

It expects to supply new interpretations of interconnected narratives of Aboriginal Australian, South Sea Islander and migrant enclosure in Australian literature.

The venture will present vital advantages, a extra inclusive and located understanding of Australia’s connections to the Pacific area, the intersections between colonisation, enslavement, and border safety, and Aboriginal, South Sea Islander, and migrant literatures.

Effectively smash us down and name us avocado – seems that the analysis venture is much more in-depth than what the Coalition would have you ever imagine.

The nationwide curiosity take a look at assertion that accompanies each profitable analysis grant says the venture “reconsiders Australia’s ‘girt by sea’ image through a literary and historical analysis of continuities between various sites of isolation and enclosure: islands, reserves, and detention centres”.

The venture additionally contributes to nationwide strategic initiatives into the ‘truth telling’ on Australia’s previous relations to Aboriginal Australians and the examine of environmental change in islands and archipelagos.

So there you go.

You’ll be able to learn extra about tasks awarded ARC grants, and why – right here.

This week’s gameplan

It’s a brief parliament week (the general public vacation in Canberra yesterday meant the parliament didn’t sit), so that you simply have to take a seat by three query instances (huzzah).

However in these three days the federal government plans on reintroducing the Assist To Purchase laws (the shared fairness housing scheme) again into the Senate. The Greens and the Coalition nonetheless don’t assist it, so at this stage within the recreation, it’s about making a degree.

(I don’t assume anybody, together with the federal government, believes they’re truly going to drag the double dissolution set off over this.)

Former defence head of Netherlands to deal with Nationwide Press Membership

A former chief of defence of the Netherlands will warn of the growing nationwide safety challenges posed by the local weather disaster when he addresses the Nationwide Press Membership in Canberra right now.

Tom Middendorp, who’s now chair of the Worldwide Army Council on Local weather and Safety, mentioned in a press release issued prematurely of his speech:

Local weather change is undoubtedly the largest gamechanger of this century. It impacts not simply the environment, but additionally our economies and safety in profound methods.

For Australia and its area, the escalating local weather impacts – starting from meals and water insecurity to displacement and battle – demand pressing, coordinated motion.

Our safety challenges are more and more being formed by local weather dangers, and the way we reply right now will outline the longer term stability of our area and past.

Additionally right now, the previous Australian defence drive chief Chris Barrie will launch the Australian Safety Leaders Local weather Group’s motion plan titled “Protect, Prevent and Prepare”. Barrie mentioned:

All of the billions of assets being put into confronting China is not going to assist one iota in coping with the best menace to our future safety in Australia and the area – and that’s local weather disruption.

Opposition wade into analysis grants funding, once more

There’s a lot taking place on the earth, and Australia in the meanwhile, which after all means the opposition is … analysis grants. Particularly, the advantage of tasks granted an Australian Analysis Council grant.

The Albanese authorities arrange a evaluation of how the grants operated after which launched laws to satisfy the suggestions of that evaluation, which included establishing an impartial board which made choices on the grants with out political interference.

The SA Liberal MP James Stevens nonetheless desires to make a problem of the grants although, and so an “opposition analysis” of the grants has been carried out. Spoiler: he’s not comfortable:

…Over $20m of taxpayer cash has been awarded to teachers for analysis similar to “identifying the causes of gender bias in the staged English-language translations of ancient Greek tragedy” and difficult the “protectionist myth” that Australia is in actual fact an island continent.

These examples are simply two of greater than 20 tasks recognized by the opposition as missing any clear profit to the Australian group.

The island analysis has actually sparked his annoyance:

Committing nearly half one million {dollars} to problem the truth that Australia is an island continent is farcical.

The identical fund that’s supporting vital analysis into excessive climate occasions, area exploration and human mind perform, has additionally allotted $3.7m to discover “innovative musical approaches” to “multispecies justice”. It’s totally absurd.

And naturally, coming at this level of the electoral cycle, it was even be linked to value of residing:

These tutorial thought bubbles couldn’t be additional faraway from the challenges of on a regular basis Australians who’re struggling to pay their family payments.

Australians know our nation is an island. What they don’t know is why the Albanese authorities thinks we have to spend half one million {dollars} to problem it.

There may be tutorial debate throughout the geographical group over Australia’s island standing. Many assume it’s too large to be an island, and since it sits by itself tectonic plate it doesn’t get island standing – it’s a continent.

The ARC awards grants in quite a lot of areas.

(And Liberal ministers have a behavior of getting a twig at ARC funding, to the detriment of our analysis sector – see beneath from 2022.)

Whats up, and welcome to the primary sitting day of the parliamentary week.

Thanks to Martin for taking us by the morning. You’ve gotten Amy Remeikis with you now to take you thru the parliament day, together with the Canberra crew of Karen Middleton, Paul Karp, Daniel Hurst, Sarah Basford Canales and Josh Butler. We now have Mike Bowers with us and he’s already strolling the hallways.

Prepared? Espresso quantity two is on the range and there’s a florentine biscuit that may do for breakfast.

Let’s get into it.

Authorities’s Gaza response backed by ballot bounce

Daniel Hurst

The newest Guardian Important ballot reveals a five-point bounce in satisfaction with the federal authorities’s response to the Israel-Gaza battle for the reason that query was final requested in August.

Respondents had been requested to consider the Australian authorities’s response to the Israel-Gaza battle and to pick the choice closest to their view. The bulk – 56% – selected “I am satisfied with the government’s response”, a rise from the 51% end result within the earlier ballot.

An extra 30% mentioned the federal government’s response had been “too supportive of Israel” whereas 14% mentioned the federal government’s response had been “too harsh on Israel”.

Youthful voters had been extra doubtless than older voters to view the federal government’s response as too supportive of Israel.

The Coalition has accused the federal government of getting “abandoned Israel”, whereas the Greens have slammed the federal government for failing to impose sanctions on members of “the extremist Netanyahu government”.

However the newest Important ballot signifies that about 57% of Coalition voters and 49% of Greens voters are glad with the Labor authorities’s response. Some 61% of Labor voters say the identical.

Energy unions query Coalition nuclear plans in new advertisements

The ability trade union has launched an promoting marketing campaign questioning the Coalition’s proposal to construct nuclear reactors in Australia.

The video ads query the $600bn price ticket to construct nuclear reactors, in distinction to advances in battery know-how and the power of Australia’s renewable trade.

The marketing campaign will launch initially for viewers throughout Queensland uncovered to plans for nuclear power, earlier than increasing forward of the 2025 federal election.

The ETU’s nationwide secretary, Michael Wright, mentioned the advertisements had been prompted by electrical employees’ issues that an abrupt shift in direction of nuclear would rob the trade of a jobs and expertise growth, notably in regional areas.

Renewables and batteries in Australia are producing a lot low-cost power we’re on monitor to hit local weather targets. This may create practically 100,000 extra jobs for electricians by 2050 – so many who we have to rewire our coaching system to talent up sufficient folks.

Extra from the arrival of repatriation flights from Lebanon

Extra from the scenes at Sydney airport final night time as Australians had been reunited with their family members getting back from Lebanon.

Ahmad Hamid embraced his youngsters and thanked the Australian authorities for serving to them get residence safely. “We got our kids back from Lebanon, from the war. Thank you very much,” he mentioned.

“The situation is very bad (in Lebanon) – the war and the airplanes.

“We spent 10 days on the phone every night. We couldn’t sleep, especially with three kids there.”

A government-assisted flight touched down in Sydney final night time with tons of of Australians and their households on board fleeing Israel’s rising assault on Lebanon, Australian Related Press reviews.

Dana Hamieh was among the many 349 individuals who arrived in Sydney on the Qatar Airways flight after fleeing the Lebanese capital of Beirut. “We were lucky to get out of there because as we were at the airport they were bombing the surrounding suburbs,” she mentioned.

“It was a very difficult situation to be in. Leaving our homes, our parents’ homeland and our houses and friends and relatives.”

1000’s extra are anticipated to comply with, with nearly 3,800 Australians and fast relations registered to depart with the Division of International Affairs. They are going to journey from Lebanon into Larnaca in Cyprus earlier than returning to Australia on connecting flights.

In two weeks, Israel’s bombing marketing campaign has killed greater than 1,400 Lebanese folks and left one other 1.2 million with out properties.

Two extra flights had been additionally scheduled to go away Beirut right now.

Passengers might be met by Australian Crimson Cross crew, together with psychological first support provisions, in Sydney and can then be flown on to their nearest airport.

Medical personnel may also be onboard the flight to offer help and a second flight will depart tomorrow and arrive again in Australia on Thursday.

The federal authorities is working to safe additional seats on industrial airways out of Lebanon, however the overseas minister, Penny Wong, famous flights out “are subject to security and operational restrictions”.

Good morning and welcome to our reside politics weblog (sure, it’s a sitting week in Canberra). I’m Martin Farrer, bringing you the highest in a single day tales earlier than Amy Remeikis takes the wheel.

The occasions of the Center East proceed to dominate the home information agenda right now. There have been jeers for Anthony Albanese in Melbourne and cheers for Peter Dutton in Sydney at occasions held by the Jewish group to mark the primary anniversary of the 7 October Hamas assault on Israel. A big crowd additionally gathered outdoors Sydney City Corridor final night time “to honour and mourn and remember” Palestinian and Lebanese lives misplaced.

The gatherings got here as a Qatar Airways flight carrying 349 folks fleeing destruction in Beirut arrived again in Australia as a part of the federal government’s efforts to repatriate folks from the war-torn nation. Extra particulars to comply with.

Amid the dialogue about protests in Australia and finger-pointing by politicians, now we have a highly effective story from an Australian well being employee in Gaza who provides a blunt evaluation of what folks again residence must know concerning the scenario within the besieged territory after a 12 months of battle. “… it is worse than you can imagine,” Sally Stevenson says. “The destruction is everywhere, as far as the eye can see, it is in the air we breathe. There is no safe place in Gaza. For anyone, especially children.”

Our newest Important ballot, printed right now, reveals Australians seem prepared for extra radical options to the cost-of-living disaster, with worth caps on hire, groceries and power payments topping an inventory of doable reforms with 70% assist. Half these requested had been in favour of decreasing “tax breaks like negative gearing”. They had been additionally requested concerning the authorities’s response to the Israel-Gaza battle and 50% mentioned they thought Labor had carried out properly.

And the ETU, the Electrical Trades Union, has launched an promoting plan questioning the Coalition’s plan to construct nuclear energy vegetation in Australia. Extra on that in a couple of minutes.