Dutton says he is the solulu
Peter Dutton was also asked about Anthony Albanese’s quip yesterday, that the opposition leader was “delulu with no solulu.”
So, does he have a solulu? Dutton told the program:
Yeah, it’s coming up. The solution to this problem is going to come up in about five weeks. Get rid of this bad prime minister. He’s so far out of his depth, it’s embarrassing. And let’s get our country back on track.
Key events
King speaks on women’s budget statement in parliament
In the House of Representatives, Catherine King has been making a ministerial statement on the women’s budget statement.
Representing the minister for women and finance, Katy Gallagher, King said a women’s budget statement had been tabled as a budget document as part of every budget delivered by the Albanese government.
Gender responsive budgeting creates better and fairer outcomes and ensures that all Australians have equal access to the opportunities and resources, and I particularly pay tribute to the minister for finance and the treasurer for actually embedding that within our budget development processes, it makes a substantial difference …
I invite those opposite to commit to supporting and continuing to embed gender responsive budgeting because it makes a difference … They provide vital analysis and outline the key measures in each and every budget which provide important supports for women.
Sarah Basford Canales
Portraits of British monarchy removed in home affairs department office
It’s been a bit of a lacklustre morning in the legal and constitutional affairs committee of Senate estimates this morning but there was one brief moment of reprieve.
The Liberal senator James Paterson asked home affairs department officials whether portraits of the British monarchy within the office had been taken down.
The department secretary, Stephanie Foster, said they had been removed and there were now other notable people gracing the offices’ walls.
“The portraits we have in our buildings now are of our ministers,” Foster revealed, adding she asked for the portraits to be up. Foster said she would have to check whether they were meant to be a like-for-like replacement.
The Greens senator David Shoebridge chimed in:
When one monarch passes, they cease to be the monarch.
Israeli politicians sign letter urging Australian MPs to dump two-state policy
A handful of Israeli politicians, including one within Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party, have urged Coalition MPs to dump Australia’s longstanding two-state policy on Israel and Palestine ahead of the upcoming federal election.
You can read the full story from Sarah Basford Canales below:
NT government scraps 50% renewables target by 2030
The Northern Territory government has scrapped its target of 50% renewables by 2030, which was implemented by the former Labor government.
The minister for mining and energy, Gerard Maley, said in a statement the target was “unachievable” and argued that meeting the target would put an “unacceptable financial burden on Territorians”.
He claimed meeting the target would cost up to $5bn, and said:
If we don’t make these changes, Territorians would be paying the highest power prices in the country.
The government has capped retail electricity prices to 3%, and outlined a number of other measures, including:
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Strategic investment in energy infrastructure “to address forecasted energy supply shortfalls”
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Expansion of large-scale solar and battery storage to “reduce the cost of supply whilst maintaining grid stability”
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Development of the Beetaloo Sub-basin to “provide an abundant and reliable source of gas”
Albanese answers more questions on ‘delulu with no solulu’ quip
On ABC Radio Sydney, Anthony Albanese was again asked about his “delulu with no solulu” quip at the Coalition yesterday, and whether he knew what it meant before he said it?
The prime minister said he did, continuing:
I do think that Peter Dutton is delusional if he speaks about fiscal policy and deficits given that he left deficits of $78bn that we turned into a surplus. Another deficit of above $50bn that we turned into a second surplus of $15bn and then we’ve halved the deficit that we inherited this year.
But this morning Angus Taylor’s made the rather extraordinary statement, declaration, that they will repeal our tax cuts. That is, they will introduce legislation for higher taxes. So, under Peter Dutton people will earn less and they’ll be taxed more.
As we reported earlier, it seems podcasters gave the PM the idea for the “delulu” comment.
Albanese says election will be called ‘imminently’
Anthony Albanese says the upcoming federal election will be called “pretty imminently.”
Speaking on Triple M radio this morning, the prime minister said the election would be in May:
And it’ll be called pretty imminently, I can assure you of that as well … I can confirm that I’m not calling it today, but I will call it soon.
I think that Australians want to get on with it. Certainly my caucus colleagues do …
Albanese also spoke with ABC Radio Sydney this morning and was asked the same question, answering “it’ll be soon”.
The last day the election can be held is 17 May, which Albanese has ruled out. If the election was to be held on 10 May, it would need to be called by 6 April to allow for the 33-day window.
Sarah Collard
National Justice Project responds to ‘damning’ report showing high rates of Indigenous children in out of home care in WA
Law firm National Justice Project says the Human Rights Watch report released this morning, which examines the very high rates of Indigenous children in out of home care in Western Australia, is “damning” and that families aren’t getting the necessary support to ensure they stay together.
Aboriginal children make up nearly 60% of the Western Australia’s out-of-home care system despite Aboriginal children representing only 7% of the child population.
The report, All I Know Is I Want Them Home, details the disproportionate removal of Aboriginal children from families in WA, with authorities removing children from mothers fleeing domestic violence or experiencing homelessness.
The report found the most common reason for a child protection notification was because of exposure to domestic and family violence. Other triggers include homelessness, incarceration, food insecurity or allegations the parent had been physically abusive to the child.
Some Aboriginal mothers had children removed after they sought treatment for injuries caused by a violent partner. Many said they were scared to seek help for fear their children would be taken away.
National Justice Project senior solicitor Karina Hawtrey contributed to the report and told Human Rights Watch that WA was one of the few jurisdictions to allow ‘unborn child safety investigations’ which can act as a deterrent for pregnant women accessing prenatal healthcare.
The ideal situation is that any investigation occurring during pregnancy is being used to identify supports that can be provided to the mother before the child is born to prevent the risk of future removal.
However, in practice, these investigations can lead to a higher level of scrutiny of expecting mothers and higher rates of early removal.
Read the full report here.
Aerial shooting of feral horses in Kosciuszko national park halted
The practice of shooting wild horses from helicopters has been halted after approximately 6,000 were culled from the Kosciuszko national park, but some argue those remaining still present too great an environmental threat.
AAP reports that a petition with more than 10,000 signatures spearheaded by the Invasive Species Council calls for the repeal of the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act, passed in 2018 by the Coalition government.
It mandated the feral horse population be culled to 3,000 by mid-2027 over nearly one-third of the park for heritage reasons. But the law has been savaged by scientific experts and environment groups as catastrophic for conservation efforts.
Richard Swain, an Indigenous river guide and council ambassador, described the law as “ridiculous” in how it “still protects a feral animal over our native plants and animals”.
Between 3,000 and 4,000 wild horses are believed to remain in the KNP after a population count in October, but the release of an official number has been delayed while the figures are peer-reviewed.
Aerial shooting resumed in NSW under the state Labor government in November 2023, reversing policies in place under the former Coalition government.
The agenda for Senate estimates today
Here’s a look at the agenda for Senate estimates today, which kicked off at 9am AEDT.
In the finance and public administration committee, the department of prime minister and cabinet is expected to face questions from the Coalition over Australia’s relationship with Israel, as well as Ukraine.
In the legal and constitutional affairs committee, foreign interference incidents are expected to be raised.
In the environment and communications committee, the new salmon legislation and the North West Shelf gas extension are on the agenda.
And in the rural and regional affairs transport committee, Melbourne’s Suburban Rail Loop is also expected to be discussed.
Albanese says Dutton copying former Liberal government’s 2022 fuel excise cut
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has accused Peter Dutton of copying the former Liberal government’s 2022 fuel excise cut. As AAP reports, he told ABC radio:
This is what Scott Morrison did in the 2022 budget but then it disappeared because it was time-limited.
This is time-limited as well – just for one year, no ongoing cost-of-living help.
