Anthony Albanese trying to ‘play the centre' in second term
Former NSW Labor treasurer Michael Costa says Anthony Albanese is trying to 'play the centre' in his second term as prime minister.
Labor has approved a bid by major Australian oil and gas company Woodside to extend the life of the North West Shelf gas project until 2070.
'It's early days, I think you are being a bit optimistic,' Mr Costa told Sky News host Andrew Bolt.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Age
25 minutes ago
- The Age
‘I can smell success': Montemurro aims for Asian Cup glory with Matildas
'I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to tell you how important this is to me ... the opportunity it affords me personally in my career and as a person to bring the game to the next level,' he said. The mission to extract him from his contract at Lyon was delicate and protracted. Despite months of rumours linking him to the Matildas, which he also fuelled himself, Montemurro said he only signed his multi-year deal on Saturday, having secured his release over the weekend. FA overlooked him for Tony Gustavsson five years ago, and had another chance to sign him a year ago, when he was in the country to coach the A-League All Stars, but the federation hesitated; sources suggest they may have had to pay a hefty fee to Lyon to belatedly get him over the line, but better late than never. Interim chief executive Heather Garriock had a positive spin. 'I don't think it's a missed opportunity,' she said. 'Everything happens for a reason ... to have Joe with a French championship under his belt is only going to help the Matildas.' Montemurro wouldn't go as far as making an Ange Postecoglou-esque declaration that he would win a trophy in his second season, when invited. He declined to even put himself in the same 'category' as the Tottenham Hotspur boss, even though he is the only Australian coach with a comparable resume in European football. 'The only promise I make is that we will play an exciting brand of football and that the integrity and the level and the respect of the Matildas will always be at the top of my thinking,' he said. But he did offer the following: 'I can smell some success.' Montemurro rubbed his hands together with glee at a question about his philosophy, and his tactical plans for the Matildas. As he acknowledged, what he had to say was what most coaches offer in these circumstances: a promise to play proactive, attacking football. The difference is that he, unlike most, has the track record and knowledge base to actually pull it off. 'We want to control the game. We want to have the ball. We want to be able to control the game even when we don't have the ball,' he said. 'You'll see a team that will take risks. You'll see a team that's going to be brave. You'll see a team that's going to excite. I know no other way of playing football, and it's a matter of now instilling that identity. But the beauty of it is that I think we've got some traits as athletes in Australia that can really bring that to life and really bring that in a special way - an Australian way, hopefully.' Montemurro certainly has the tools, at least in the short term, to pull off something special at the Asian Cup, which kicks off on March 1 - a tournament he described as 'winnable'. Though his remit also includes a much-needed evolution of the playing group - a process he acknowledged that caretaker coach Tom Sermanni had already begun - there remains enough star power at his disposal to realistically aim for what would be the team's first silverware since 2010. He expressed hope that Mary Fowler might recover in time from her ACL injury to feature at the tournament, noting that she was in the right environment at Manchester City to give her the best possible chance. Loading As for Sam Kerr, who is yet to return from her own ACL tear, and the vexed question of whether she will be his captain, he played a straight bat. 'Let's get her fit and right and then we'll have those discussions from there,' he said. Montemurro was due to travel down to Canberra later on Monday, ahead of the Matildas' friendly against Argentina, to address the playing group for the first time pre-match. He will take charge of his first game later in June against Slovenia at Perth's HBF Park.
The Age
42 minutes ago
- The Age
Australia's horror housing crisis singled out by global think tank
Australians' living standards are being undermined by restrictions on where homes can be built and the types of businesses being established across the nation's cities, the OECD has found in a report urging all governments to overhaul planning and competition laws. The Paris-based think tank singled out Australia as one of a handful of nations that desperately needs to make planning rules more flexible, joining a growing chorus of experts arguing the nation's economic fortunes are being hamstrung by a dysfunctional housing sector. In its six-monthly review of the global economy, the OECD argued that the complex rules and regulations governing house construction and land use across Australia were one of the reasons behind the nation's expensive housing. It urged all levels of government to reduce red tape, arguing this would not only help bring down housing costs but enable businesses to become more competitive, which in turn would boost the nation's lagging productivity levels. 'A range of policy actions, including easing zoning restrictions, is needed to strengthen competition and productivity, as well as to raise housing investment to reverse the long-standing decline in housing affordability,' it argued. The OECD is forecasting the Australian economy will expand 1.8 per cent this year and 2.2 per cent in 2026. Underlying inflation is expected to remain within the Reserve Bank's 2 to 3 per cent target band. Financial markets put the chance of a follow-up rate cut by the Reserve Bank at its early July meeting at 80 per cent. Markets believe the official cash rate, now at 3.85 per cent, will be 3.1 per cent by Christmas. Despite the improved economic outlook, the organisation noted business investment was likely to remain subdued. It found Australia had a large private-sector 'investment gap', with businesses not spending as much as they should on new equipment and buildings. The OECD said part of this was due to sluggish private demand, while a lack of competition and heavy regulations, particularly around the use of land, meant Australian firms hoarded cash rather than improving plant and machinery.
West Australian
42 minutes ago
- West Australian
China's commerce minister backs closer Australia ties
China's Commerce Minister Wang Wentao has had a "pragmatic and constructive" exchange on deepening bilateral economic and trade relations with Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell in Paris, according to a Chinese commerce ministry statement. The two countries should enhance communication and co-ordination under multilateral and regional frameworks, and jointly safeguard the multilateral trading system in the face of "severe challenges" posed by unilateralism and protectionism, Mr Wang told Senator Farrell. China and Australia should create a good business environment for the two countries' firms, Mr Wang added. Senator Farrell is in France leading Australia's delegation to the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting. On the sidelines of that meeting, Australia is set to host an informal meeting of World Trade Organisation ministers to discuss the importance of an open global trading system. with AAP
