Australia news live update: Scott Morrison to unveil details of 2050 net-zero emissions plan

Paul Karp

Last nighttime the Australian National Audit Office gave grounds astatine Senate estimates. Labor and Greens senators focused connected car parkland rorts and Liberal senators asked astir the ANAO’s telephone not to analyse the ABC for paying Louise Milligan’s ineligible costs successful the Andrew Lamingdefamation matter.

Auditor general, Grant Hehir, said determination were nary documents mounting retired the ABC’s rationale for the decision, truthful the ANAO could lone justice disconnected grounds astir a fig of meetings held betwixt in-house counsel and the managing director.

The ABC had explained they paid Milligan’s costs due to the fact that of fears of vicarious liability for Milligan and the narration betwixt the Laming substance and different defamation case.
Hehir criticised the deficiency of documentation:

“Normally you’d person an anticipation that they would papers those decisions, gathering the costs of an worker that’s thing you’d expect to spot ...It’s hard for america to accidental that [whether it was appropriate] without grounds 1 mode oregon the other. Not being capable to signifier an sentiment is simply a reasonably beardown connection from that perspective.”

On car parkland rorts, the ANAO’s Brian Boyd set retired that successful mid-September 2018 the curate for municipality infrastructure, Alan Tudge, asked his unit to conscionable with with MPs from six named marginals, and that this canvassing process was expanded to a database archetypal of 20 marginals, and past yet 29 by April 2019, soon earlier the election.

Boyd said that, dissimilar sports grants, determination was nary maestro spreadsheet of projects, the papers was a tracking papers oregon to-do database to cheque that Liberal MPs, candidates oregon work senators were consulted astir each electorate.

Greens senator, Janet Rice, asked for much item astir the documents, noting that the existent minister, Paul Fletcher, has knocked backmost a Senate bid for accumulation of documents claiming helium doesn’t person them oregon they don’t exist.

Hehir said helium was “uncomfortable” giving much item than was successful the ANAO study without the curate contiguous to assertion nationalist involvement immunity implicit it, and took the questions connected notice.

Happy Tuesday, the 3rd past parliamentary Tuesday of the year.

I know. It feels similar a decennary to maine too.

Today, we’ll get to spot immoderate of the government’s clime plan. We won’t get each of the details connected the woody struck with the Nationals though – that’s considered furniture successful confidence. Basically, payer wealth volition beryllium spent to guarantee the inferior Coalition spouse doesn’t stroke up the amusement connected the barest of minimum commitments, which they are supporting arsenic agelong arsenic determination are nary large changes. In the meantime, we perceive things from them astir however star panels don’t enactment successful the acheronian (no, but batteries do) and adjacent (from Anne Webster yesterday) that windfarms don’t enactment successful the acheronian either.

(It indispensable person been the mythical magic upwind that brought down a gum histrion subdivision successful beforehand of my location overnight. Obviously determination is nary different explanation.)

And of course, LNP legislator Matt Canavan is having the clip of his beingness trotting retired wherefore helium thinks the net-zero emissions people successful 30 years clip is simply a greenish phantasy and perchance the extremity of civilisation. Are those Nats who are connected committee with net-zero disquieted astir his views and however often helium is sprouting them? No. Of people not. His lawman leader, David Littleproud, thinks Canavan has a “big” aboriginal successful the National party.

So today, we’ll spot Scott Morrison’s latest triumph lap, arsenic helium explains Australia is present joining wherever astir of remainder of the satellite was headed successful 2015. As for a much ambitious people for 2030? Lols. That’s not happening nether this government.

Meanwhile, estimates continues wherever the $10,000 spent connected grooming the trainers connected however to grip the hearings appears to person resulted successful each 2nd question being taken connected notice, which means we find retired nothing. While the questions are yet answered done a written connection submitted weeks later, determination is nary accidental for travel up. It’s resulted successful little scrutiny and accidental of discovery. It’s a occupation which has been creeping into the hearings for a fig of years now, but it’s opening to go a joke.

We’ll inactive bring you everything that happens arsenic it does though, on with the large Covid announcements and of people you volition person contiguous discourse astir each of the clime announcements. Who’s excited? (Obviously that’s rhetorical.)

Mike Bowers is with you, arsenic is Katharine Murphy, Paul Karp, Daniel Hurst and Sarah Martin.

It being parliament, you person me, Amy Remeikis, with you for astir of the day. I’m astir to marque java No 3. Join me?