‘Unscientific nonsense': Albanese blaming floods and droughts on climate change
Sky News host Chris Kenny slams Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's 'exaggeration' for blaming Australian floods and droughts on climate change.
'Do you remember when he was dealing with a downgraded cyclone in Queensland and the resultant flooding in the leadup to the election, remember he blamed it on climate change,' Mr Kenny said.
'I called this out at the time, it is factually incorrect, it is climate alarmist piffle.'
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an hour ago
- Sky News AU
Albanese government throwing $9 billion per year at net zero climate targets, new IPA findings reveal
The federal government's spending on climate change and net zero has soared to more than $9 billion a year, new research has found. Analysis from the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) has shown that spending on climate-related programs has increased fifteenfold over the past decade. According to IPA's analysis of federal budget papers, spending on net zero has risen from about $600 million to $9 billion annually since 2015. At the same time, the Albanese government has seen emissions actually rise year on year to figures higher than under the former Morrison government. IPA deputy executive director and economist Adam Creighton said the array of 'programs' and 'funds' related to climate change and net zero was 'ridiculous'. 'Spending on climate change and net zero in the most recent federal budget has reached around $9 billion annually,' he said. Mr Creighton said the true cost was likely even higher once state-level and private sector compliance costs were considered. Despite this, Energy Minister Chris Bowen has repeatedly claimed renewables to be the 'cheapest and cleanest form of energy'. Meanwhile, the Australian Energy Regulator's default market offer has rise by as much as 50 per cent in parts of the country since 2022. Mr Bowen and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have still not conceded that they did now lower power bills by $275 as promised at the 2022 election. 'We have never denied that energy prices are higher than we would like,' Mr Bowen said at the National Press Club energy debate ahead of the election. 'If we keep the path we're on, energy prices will fall by 13 per cent over the next 10 years.' According to the IPA, the high energy prices in Australia have been caused, at least in part, by the ambitious net zero target. 'Decades of poor decision making, based on flawed and misleading advice and ideology, is crushing … household budgets,' Mr Creighton said. The Albanese government has reaffirmed its commitment to net zero since winning its mandate in the 2025 federal election. However, Environment Minister Murray Watt recently gave approval to the North West Shelf gas project, which Mr Albanese said was needed to address energy reliability. 'You don't reduce emissions and take action on climate change by just having good wishes,' Mr Albanese said on Tuesday. 'We need to make sure that there is security of energy supply at the same time as we support the transition which reduces our emissions. 'What you do is have a target, which is what we have with net zero.' Sky News understands the Albanese government won't support a climate trigger in national environmental laws, as proposed by the Greens. Mr Albanese is not expected to announce Australia's 2035 climate target until closer to September, Sky News recently revealed. The new climate target could be put as high as a 75 per cent emissions reduction by 2035 from 2005 levels as internal deliberations and departmental advice continue. The growing price tag has renewed political pressure on the opposition, with internal divisions surfacing over the future of the Coalition's commitment to net zero by 2050. Senior Coalition figures have been openly debating whether to revisit or abandon the net-zero target. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said it was necessary to 'take the time to get this right' on net zero, and that the joint party room would evaluate its position. 'We have to play—as a country—our part in the global response to climate change,' she told reporters at Parliament House last Thursday. 'Net zero, Paris targets, gas—all of the resources conversations around critical minerals, they're all part of that. 'We have to get this right. We have to play our part, but we have to make sure that we don't do it at any cost.' The Nationals nominally reaffirmed support for net zero by 2050 but leader David Littleproud confirmed that the commitment is now under review.
The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Coalition angry over super changes, Labor up for talks
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"What this change is about, it's about making concessional treatment for people with very large superannuation balances still concessional but a little bit less so," he said last month. "In terms of the calculation of unrealised gains, that's actually not unique in the system. "And if you make a loss you can carry the loss forward." Nationals senator Matt Canavan said taxing unrealised gains was a major sticking point for the coalition. "There's no way in hell we'll support attacks on people that don't have the means to pay for it," he told Nine's Today show on Wednesday. "This so-called tax on unrealised gains is incredibly unfair." Tax on unrealised gains is already part of the Australian tax system and is, for example, paid under land tax regimes. Greens Leader Larissa Waters told Nine her party, which holds the balance of power in the Senate, believes the threshold should apply to balances above $2 million, rather than $3 million. "It's important to remember that I reckon nobody watching your show would be impacted by this tax," she said. "It would touch only half a per cent of people - we are talking about folk who have an awful lot of money in their super accounts - that is not ordinary people." On Tuesday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that if the coalition was willing to negotiate a deal on the changes, then that was "good". "I welcome the fact that they're saying that they won't just say no to everything from the very beginning but we'll, of course, talk to people in the Senate." Mr Albanese noted that some super accounts are worth more than $100 million. "That's not really to provide for an adequate retirement, is it?" he told Perth radio 6PR. The federal coalition has drawn a red line on the government's plan to double the tax on superannuation balances above $3 million, as the prime minister welcomes possible negotiations. 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"In terms of the calculation of unrealised gains, that's actually not unique in the system. "And if you make a loss you can carry the loss forward." Nationals senator Matt Canavan said taxing unrealised gains was a major sticking point for the coalition. "There's no way in hell we'll support attacks on people that don't have the means to pay for it," he told Nine's Today show on Wednesday. "This so-called tax on unrealised gains is incredibly unfair." Tax on unrealised gains is already part of the Australian tax system and is, for example, paid under land tax regimes. Greens Leader Larissa Waters told Nine her party, which holds the balance of power in the Senate, believes the threshold should apply to balances above $2 million, rather than $3 million. "It's important to remember that I reckon nobody watching your show would be impacted by this tax," she said. "It would touch only half a per cent of people - we are talking about folk who have an awful lot of money in their super accounts - that is not ordinary people." On Tuesday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that if the coalition was willing to negotiate a deal on the changes, then that was "good". "I welcome the fact that they're saying that they won't just say no to everything from the very beginning but we'll, of course, talk to people in the Senate." Mr Albanese noted that some super accounts are worth more than $100 million. "That's not really to provide for an adequate retirement, is it?" he told Perth radio 6PR. The federal coalition has drawn a red line on the government's plan to double the tax on superannuation balances above $3 million, as the prime minister welcomes possible negotiations. Labor plans to double the concessional tax rate on the proportion of superannuation balances above that level, to 30 per cent. The policy was formulated after Treasury noticed a small number of people appeared to be using the system as a tax reduction strategy rather than solely for their retirement, as intended. An aspect of the policy, to tax unrealised capital gains on those very large accounts, has proven contentious. Many are set up under self-managed super fund structures. Unrealised gains are 'paper profits' - increases in the value of assets such as properties or shares that haven't been cashed in. Treasurer Jim Chalmers has described the proposed change, first flagged more than two years ago and which is still before the Senate, as "modest". "What this change is about, it's about making concessional treatment for people with very large superannuation balances still concessional but a little bit less so," he said last month. "In terms of the calculation of unrealised gains, that's actually not unique in the system. "And if you make a loss you can carry the loss forward." Nationals senator Matt Canavan said taxing unrealised gains was a major sticking point for the coalition. "There's no way in hell we'll support attacks on people that don't have the means to pay for it," he told Nine's Today show on Wednesday. "This so-called tax on unrealised gains is incredibly unfair." Tax on unrealised gains is already part of the Australian tax system and is, for example, paid under land tax regimes. Greens Leader Larissa Waters told Nine her party, which holds the balance of power in the Senate, believes the threshold should apply to balances above $2 million, rather than $3 million. "It's important to remember that I reckon nobody watching your show would be impacted by this tax," she said. "It would touch only half a per cent of people - we are talking about folk who have an awful lot of money in their super accounts - that is not ordinary people." On Tuesday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that if the coalition was willing to negotiate a deal on the changes, then that was "good". "I welcome the fact that they're saying that they won't just say no to everything from the very beginning but we'll, of course, talk to people in the Senate." Mr Albanese noted that some super accounts are worth more than $100 million. "That's not really to provide for an adequate retirement, is it?" he told Perth radio 6PR. The federal coalition has drawn a red line on the government's plan to double the tax on superannuation balances above $3 million, as the prime minister welcomes possible negotiations. Labor plans to double the concessional tax rate on the proportion of superannuation balances above that level, to 30 per cent. The policy was formulated after Treasury noticed a small number of people appeared to be using the system as a tax reduction strategy rather than solely for their retirement, as intended. An aspect of the policy, to tax unrealised capital gains on those very large accounts, has proven contentious. Many are set up under self-managed super fund structures. Unrealised gains are 'paper profits' - increases in the value of assets such as properties or shares that haven't been cashed in. Treasurer Jim Chalmers has described the proposed change, first flagged more than two years ago and which is still before the Senate, as "modest". "What this change is about, it's about making concessional treatment for people with very large superannuation balances still concessional but a little bit less so," he said last month. "In terms of the calculation of unrealised gains, that's actually not unique in the system. "And if you make a loss you can carry the loss forward." Nationals senator Matt Canavan said taxing unrealised gains was a major sticking point for the coalition. "There's no way in hell we'll support attacks on people that don't have the means to pay for it," he told Nine's Today show on Wednesday. "This so-called tax on unrealised gains is incredibly unfair." Tax on unrealised gains is already part of the Australian tax system and is, for example, paid under land tax regimes. Greens Leader Larissa Waters told Nine her party, which holds the balance of power in the Senate, believes the threshold should apply to balances above $2 million, rather than $3 million. "It's important to remember that I reckon nobody watching your show would be impacted by this tax," she said. "It would touch only half a per cent of people - we are talking about folk who have an awful lot of money in their super accounts - that is not ordinary people." On Tuesday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that if the coalition was willing to negotiate a deal on the changes, then that was "good". "I welcome the fact that they're saying that they won't just say no to everything from the very beginning but we'll, of course, talk to people in the Senate." Mr Albanese noted that some super accounts are worth more than $100 million. "That's not really to provide for an adequate retirement, is it?" he told Perth radio 6PR.
The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
World Environment Day asks us to help turn the tide on plastic in the ocean
Every minute, more than 250 kilograms of plastic enter the Australian environment, that's about 145,000 tonnes each year. The Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) is the voice for Australia's oceans. Their plastics campaign manager, Cip Hamilton, said plastic pollution is causing unnecessary devastation to our marine life. "Every marine species has encountered plastic pollution, and none of the impacts are positive. It's entangling turtles, suffocating corals and starving seagulls," she said. "We recently saw a 90-day-old seabird chick over on Lord Howe Island with over 400 pieces of plastic in its stomach - the researchers could feel the crunch of plastic beneath their fingers as they handled the birds. This is not normal. This is not okay. We urgently need more action." The AMCS is calling for more to be done to stop plastic pollution at the source. "Corporations must be financially accountable for the packaging they place on our shelves and, importantly, we need government regulation to decrease the tidal wave of plastics that is inundating our beaches and oceans," Cip said. "We have a petition running calling for the Australian government to finalise a strong global plastics treaty, and we're also running a survey asking customers to compare the price of loose and packaged produce at the supermarkets. Last year, we found that 70 per cent of the time, it was more expensive to buy loose items than pre-packaged, so we're calling on customers to help us uncover these practices, and we'll use these results in our 2025 audit." If you want to add your voice to help reduce plastic pollution, you can sign the Strong Global Plastics Treaty petition available on You can also take part in the 2025 shopper survey by signing up on the Plastic Investigation Unit page. Plastic Free July is a global movement that empowers millions to be part of the solution to plastic pollution. If you want to take the challenge, you can find ideas at World Environment Day is the United Nations' biggest global platform for environmental awareness and action, celebrated every year on June 5. This year, the focus is on ending plastic pollution, with communities around the world encouraged to implement and advocate for lasting solutions to #BeatPlasticPollution. The global celebrations will be hosted by the Republic of Korea. Over the past 28 years, the country has made remarkable progress in improving water and air quality, managing chemicals safely, and protecting and restoring ecosystems. While plastic pollution is a major concern, it's also one we can solve. You can find more information by visiting Every minute, more than 250 kilograms of plastic enter the Australian environment, that's about 145,000 tonnes each year. The Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) is the voice for Australia's oceans. Their plastics campaign manager, Cip Hamilton, said plastic pollution is causing unnecessary devastation to our marine life. "Every marine species has encountered plastic pollution, and none of the impacts are positive. It's entangling turtles, suffocating corals and starving seagulls," she said. "We recently saw a 90-day-old seabird chick over on Lord Howe Island with over 400 pieces of plastic in its stomach - the researchers could feel the crunch of plastic beneath their fingers as they handled the birds. This is not normal. This is not okay. We urgently need more action." The AMCS is calling for more to be done to stop plastic pollution at the source. "Corporations must be financially accountable for the packaging they place on our shelves and, importantly, we need government regulation to decrease the tidal wave of plastics that is inundating our beaches and oceans," Cip said. "We have a petition running calling for the Australian government to finalise a strong global plastics treaty, and we're also running a survey asking customers to compare the price of loose and packaged produce at the supermarkets. Last year, we found that 70 per cent of the time, it was more expensive to buy loose items than pre-packaged, so we're calling on customers to help us uncover these practices, and we'll use these results in our 2025 audit." If you want to add your voice to help reduce plastic pollution, you can sign the Strong Global Plastics Treaty petition available on You can also take part in the 2025 shopper survey by signing up on the Plastic Investigation Unit page. Plastic Free July is a global movement that empowers millions to be part of the solution to plastic pollution. If you want to take the challenge, you can find ideas at World Environment Day is the United Nations' biggest global platform for environmental awareness and action, celebrated every year on June 5. This year, the focus is on ending plastic pollution, with communities around the world encouraged to implement and advocate for lasting solutions to #BeatPlasticPollution. The global celebrations will be hosted by the Republic of Korea. Over the past 28 years, the country has made remarkable progress in improving water and air quality, managing chemicals safely, and protecting and restoring ecosystems. While plastic pollution is a major concern, it's also one we can solve. You can find more information by visiting Every minute, more than 250 kilograms of plastic enter the Australian environment, that's about 145,000 tonnes each year. The Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) is the voice for Australia's oceans. Their plastics campaign manager, Cip Hamilton, said plastic pollution is causing unnecessary devastation to our marine life. "Every marine species has encountered plastic pollution, and none of the impacts are positive. It's entangling turtles, suffocating corals and starving seagulls," she said. "We recently saw a 90-day-old seabird chick over on Lord Howe Island with over 400 pieces of plastic in its stomach - the researchers could feel the crunch of plastic beneath their fingers as they handled the birds. This is not normal. This is not okay. We urgently need more action." The AMCS is calling for more to be done to stop plastic pollution at the source. "Corporations must be financially accountable for the packaging they place on our shelves and, importantly, we need government regulation to decrease the tidal wave of plastics that is inundating our beaches and oceans," Cip said. "We have a petition running calling for the Australian government to finalise a strong global plastics treaty, and we're also running a survey asking customers to compare the price of loose and packaged produce at the supermarkets. Last year, we found that 70 per cent of the time, it was more expensive to buy loose items than pre-packaged, so we're calling on customers to help us uncover these practices, and we'll use these results in our 2025 audit." If you want to add your voice to help reduce plastic pollution, you can sign the Strong Global Plastics Treaty petition available on You can also take part in the 2025 shopper survey by signing up on the Plastic Investigation Unit page. Plastic Free July is a global movement that empowers millions to be part of the solution to plastic pollution. If you want to take the challenge, you can find ideas at World Environment Day is the United Nations' biggest global platform for environmental awareness and action, celebrated every year on June 5. This year, the focus is on ending plastic pollution, with communities around the world encouraged to implement and advocate for lasting solutions to #BeatPlasticPollution. The global celebrations will be hosted by the Republic of Korea. Over the past 28 years, the country has made remarkable progress in improving water and air quality, managing chemicals safely, and protecting and restoring ecosystems. While plastic pollution is a major concern, it's also one we can solve. You can find more information by visiting Every minute, more than 250 kilograms of plastic enter the Australian environment, that's about 145,000 tonnes each year. The Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) is the voice for Australia's oceans. Their plastics campaign manager, Cip Hamilton, said plastic pollution is causing unnecessary devastation to our marine life. "Every marine species has encountered plastic pollution, and none of the impacts are positive. It's entangling turtles, suffocating corals and starving seagulls," she said. "We recently saw a 90-day-old seabird chick over on Lord Howe Island with over 400 pieces of plastic in its stomach - the researchers could feel the crunch of plastic beneath their fingers as they handled the birds. This is not normal. This is not okay. We urgently need more action." The AMCS is calling for more to be done to stop plastic pollution at the source. "Corporations must be financially accountable for the packaging they place on our shelves and, importantly, we need government regulation to decrease the tidal wave of plastics that is inundating our beaches and oceans," Cip said. "We have a petition running calling for the Australian government to finalise a strong global plastics treaty, and we're also running a survey asking customers to compare the price of loose and packaged produce at the supermarkets. Last year, we found that 70 per cent of the time, it was more expensive to buy loose items than pre-packaged, so we're calling on customers to help us uncover these practices, and we'll use these results in our 2025 audit." If you want to add your voice to help reduce plastic pollution, you can sign the Strong Global Plastics Treaty petition available on You can also take part in the 2025 shopper survey by signing up on the Plastic Investigation Unit page. Plastic Free July is a global movement that empowers millions to be part of the solution to plastic pollution. If you want to take the challenge, you can find ideas at World Environment Day is the United Nations' biggest global platform for environmental awareness and action, celebrated every year on June 5. This year, the focus is on ending plastic pollution, with communities around the world encouraged to implement and advocate for lasting solutions to #BeatPlasticPollution. The global celebrations will be hosted by the Republic of Korea. Over the past 28 years, the country has made remarkable progress in improving water and air quality, managing chemicals safely, and protecting and restoring ecosystems. While plastic pollution is a major concern, it's also one we can solve. You can find more information by visiting
