Latest news with #CanberraAirport
Sky News AU
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Former opposition leader Peter Dutton returns to Canberra for first time since losing seat and the federal election
Peter Dutton has arrived in Canberra in the first public sighting of the former opposition leader since he lost his seat in the federal election. He flew into Canberra Airport on a domestic Qantas flight on Wednesday afternoon. Mr Dutton was met by a small media pack at the airport. 'I think the model for me will be to lead a graceful silence," Mr Dutton told reporters. 'I'd say to my colleagues, the Liberal Party rebuilds from here, and that's as it should be. 'The best model I've seen is where leaders, former, make a graceful exit from politics and maintain their graceful silence, so that will be my model'. When asked how he was in the wake of the election defeat, he said, "I'm very good, thank you". Mr Dutton also commented on how he plans to spend his time now that he is free from life in politics. 'I feel there are lots of opportunities but most importantly, to spend some time with family and friends and that's about it,' he said. 'But as I said, the easiest thing for former leaders to do is maintain a graceful silence so I'll leave that to others. "I just want to say thank you to all of those who have offered good wishes, there are a lot of people who have been very kind and generous in their remarks, so I am very grateful for that." The Coalition suffered a resounding loss in the election, winning only 40 seats to Labor's 89, with counting remaining ongoing in a further 11 seats. The 54-year-old's political career was dramatically ended in the election as Mr Dutton not only lost the race to become prime minister, but also the Queensland seat of Dickson. The ex-Liberal leader held the seat since 2001, and was holding onto a slim 1.7 per cent margin at the time voters went to the polls, making it the most marginal seat in Queensland. He was ultimately booted out of parliament after being unseated by Labor candidate Ali France. Mr Dutton was gracious in his concession speech and congratulated the Labor Party and the newly-elected Dickson MP Ali France on their victory as he reflected on a Coalition campaign that "clearly wasn't good enough". He said Ms France would "do a good job as a local member" and that he was grateful to have spent such a long time in politics. "Twenty-four years is a long time to be in public life, and it has been an amazing honour," he said. "Our Liberal family is hurting across the country tonight, including in my electorate of Dickson, and I want to say thank you very much to all of them."
News.com.au
07-05-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
Peter Dutton breaks cover as he is seen for first time since losing his seat and the federal election
Peter Dutton has returned to Canberra for the first time since Saturday night's election wipe-out. The former opposition leader flew in to Canberra Airport on a domestic Qantas flight early Wednesday afternoon. He arrived to a small media contingency and declined to answer questions about the future of the Coalition, stating it was a matter for the party. He also declined to answer question asking about why he was in Canberra. 'I think the model for me will be to lead a graceful silence,' he joked. Asked how he was feeling after Saturday's results, he said: 'I'm very good, thank you'. Mr Dutton said he was looking forward to spending quality time with family and friends following the disastrous election result. 'I feel there are lots of opportunities but most importantly, to spend some time with family and friends and that's about it,' he said 'But as I said, the easiest thing for former leaders to do is maintain a graceful silence so I'll leave that to others.' Exiting the airport, Mr Dutton thanks his supporters for their 'generous' comments and said he was 'grateful' for their support. 'So thank you very much to all those who offered their good wishes,' he said.
Sydney Morning Herald
07-05-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Federal election results 2025 LIVE updates: Wilson hails ‘truly incredible' Goldstein win; Tight race in key seats; PM to give Left an extra ministry
Key posts 1.13pm In pictures: Dutton lands in Canberra 12.59pm Peter Dutton arrives in Canberra after election loss 11.55am The state of play in Australia's undecided seats 11.41am 'Building future industrial base': Wilson doubles down on nuclear 11.30am 'Lot of work ahead' for Liberals, says Wilson 11.11am Wilson claims 'truly incredible' victory in Goldstein 10.49am Exclusive: Wilson hints at shadow ministry role as Goldstein win inches closer 10.21am Labor campaigning in Greens seats since 2023: Watt Hide key posts Latest posts Latest posts 1.13pm In pictures: Dutton lands in Canberra Peter Dutton has just arrived in Canberra from Brisbane. Our photographer James Brickwood, who followed Dutton throughout the election campaign, snapped these first images after the former opposition leader's historic election loss. 12.59pm Peter Dutton arrives in Canberra after election loss By Paul Sakkal Peter Dutton has just arrived at Canberra Airport to thank staff at his Canberra office. The defeated leader said he did not want to commentate on his historic weekend loss when asked who should lead the party in his absence. He said he would not become a commentator on politics and said he there were 'lots of opportunities' in his private life that he wanted to pursue. 'But most importantly I want to spend some time with family and friends,' he said. Asked how he was feeling at a personal level, he said, 'I'm very good, thank you'. 'The easiest thing for former leaders to do is to maintain a graceful silence.' Asked how the party will rebuild, he said this was up to his former colleagues. Dutton flew into Canberra on a commercial Qantas Link flight from Brisbane. He flew alone, but his private staff met him at Canberra airport. 12.53pm Wilson hints at economic ambitions in next term By Daniel Lo Surdo More from Wilson's press conference in which he claimed victory in Goldstein, and also shared some aspirations for the next parliamentary term. Wilson said that the challenges Australians face have become 'more substantial' in recent years, and pledged to support policies that elevate employment and education opportunities over the next three years. 'It doesn't shock anybody that I have a deep interest in economic policy,' Wilson said. 'I look at the challenges this country faces right now and the scale and the sense of urgency, and nothing has changed. In fact, it's become more substantial … that sense of aspiration, that dream is at risk right now.' Wilson has been backed by moderate Liberals to serve as shadow assistant treasurer in the next opposition ministry. He previously served under Angus Taylor, a frontrunner for the Liberal Party leadership, as the assistant minister for industry, energy and emissions reductions within the Morrison government. 12.38pm 'Very strong campaign': Vic shadow treasurer praises Wilson By Rachel Eddie Victorian shadow treasurer James Newbury, whose state seat of Brighton falls within Goldstein, said Liberal colleague Tim Wilson, who claimed victory earlier today, had campaigned strongly for a year. 'I think that Tim and the local Liberal Party ran a wonderful campaign in our community – a very, very strong campaign,' Newbury said. 'Tim started a year out from the election and ran a very strong local campaign in our community.' He said Wilson enjoyed massive community support, and Victorians and Australians expected candidates like him, who weren't out in their electorates just on election day. 12.16pm In pictures: Tim Wilson claims victory in Goldstein Liberal Tim Wilson has hailed a 'gravity-defyinig' victory over teal Zoe Daniel in the key Melbourne electorate of Goldstein. Our photographer Paul Jeffers snapped these images in Brighton. 11.55am The state of play in Australia's undecided seats By Shane Wright and Matt Wade It's approaching lunchtime so it's time to do an update on the state of play of the undecided seats from Saturday's election. And let's just say – nails will be nibbled down to the quick. Fellow seat caller Matt Wade and I have just gone through all the close electorates to see how far away we are from determining a winner. The most high-profile is the seat of Melbourne, where Greens' leader Adam Bandt is in a lot of trouble. With just over a third of the vote counted to the two-party preferred level, Labor's Sarah Witty has a 1921 vote lead over Bandt. A key issue will be how Witty and Bandt perform in some Liberal-leaning booths in the seat's east. If Bandt doesn't make ground there, it's all over. Loading Bandt has also suffered from a particularly poor performance on postal votes, of which almost 18,000 were issued to Melbourne voters. Of the 10,000 postals that have been counted, Bandt is getting about 27 per cent support. Among the votes cast on Saturday, his primary vote was more than 42 per cent. Across other seats, expect a drawn-out slugfest in electorates such as Bullwinkel in WA, Monash and Bendigo in Victoria, Bradfield in NSW, and Longman and Ryan in Queensland. Kooyong, where teal independent Monique Ryan is fighting to survive, is also likely to take days before a winner is clear. 11.41am 'Building future industrial base': Wilson doubles down on nuclear By Daniel Lo Surdo Wilson has reiterated his support for nuclear power hours after a party room colleague broke ranks to urge the Liberals to ditch the controversial policy. Wilson said he believed in nuclear power 'not as an end, but as a beginning'. 'Nuclear power is part of building the future industrial base of our country,' Wilson said. Loading 'If we don't do that, then we are saying either we're going back to coal, or we as a nation are going to deindustrialise. That is not a future I'm prepared to accept. ' In an interview with this masthead, Liberal senator Maria Kovacic earlier shared her preference to scrap the nuclear plan in favour of renewable energy investment. She said she thought the Australian people had rejected Coalition's energy policy at the polls on Saturday. Kovacic's comments are the first public rejection of the Coalition's nuclear plan by a member of the federal party room. 11.30am 'Lot of work ahead' for Liberals, says Wilson By Daniel Lo Surdo Returning to Liberal Tim Wilson, who claimed victory in the seat of Goldstein this morning, after he usurped teal incumbent Zoe Daniel as postal votes were counted in the key Melbourne electorate. Wilson conceded there was a 'lot of work ahead' for a downtrodden Liberal Party, but shared optimism for its future. 'We very much built [our campaign] from the bottom up, and I think there are a lot of lessons for the recovering Liberal Party about how it wants to take on the future of the country,' Wilson said. 'Three years ago we were written off here. We went back to the ground. We listened, we heard the messages from the community. We were honest with ourselves enough to learn and grow. We looked at what it is we needed to build and to appeal to people's aspiration for the future of this country. We are an example of what could be done.' Wilson held Goldstein from 2016 to 2022, before losing the seat to Daniel. 11.29am Laura Tingle to leave 7.30 for global ABC role Laura Tingle has been appointed the ABC's global affairs editor, one of its most senior reporting roles, until recently occupied by John Lyons. This means she will leave her current position as political editor of flagship current affairs program 7.30, which she has held since 2018. Tingle is also the ABC's staff-elected board director. Her position as a board director will remain unchanged. Before joining the ABC, she held reporting roles at The Australian Financial Review, The Australian, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, winning two Walkley awards. The global affairs editor leads the ABC's international coverage, with reporting and analysis of major world events. 'I'm exceptionally excited to have the opportunity to use my experience to report back to Australians on the big events around the world that also shape our nation,' Tingle said. 11.11am Wilson claims 'truly incredible' victory in Goldstein By Daniel Lo Surdo Staying with Wilson, who has c laimed victory in the Melbourne seat of Goldstein, toppling one-term teal incumbent Zoe Daniel after she defeated Wilson in 2022. Daniel had initially claimed victory on election night before the flow of postal votes dramatically veered towards Wilson, putting the Liberal candidate, who had held Goldstein from 2016 to 2022, in pole position to win the seat. 'We have won,' Wilson said. 'We have done something truly incredible … we had to defy political gravity to get here.'
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Stop work at Aussie airport after warning project will be 'nail in the coffin' for rare animal
A stop work has been ordered in Australia's capital after a warning bulldozers were on a pathway towards one of Australia's rarest animals. Canberra Airport announced its decision after experts warned the project would dissect one of the last three populations of Canberra grassland earless dragon. Little remains of the species' original habitat and Friends of the Grasslands president Professor Jamie Pittock said he was 'shocked' by the airport's decision to start clearing land for its new Northern Road. Fresh talks between the Federal Government and stakeholders about the future of the controversial road were announced in October 2023, and Pittock said it was 'disappointing' that construction had begun before they were resolved. 'This is one of the nation's most critically endangered animals. We're down to several dozen surviving in the wild, and this mob want to whack a two-lane road through the habitat of one of the three remaining populations. It simply doesn't add up,' he told Yahoo News. The majority of the new works are understood to have occurred at the airport's southern end in an area where the lizard has not been documented. But completing the plan involves extending the road to the north where the lizard lives. Scientists warn the tiny lizard will be unable to cross the large road, further fragmenting the last of the dragons, which have long been decimated by development around the city. Related: Hunt for rare dragon lizard not seen for 30 years On Monday, Pittock, who also specialises in environmental governance at Australian National University, joined the ACT Conservation Council and called on Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek to halt works at the site. The Canberra grassland earless dragon is one of 110 threatened species she had earmarked for recovery in 2022 and he warned the project could be one of the last 'nails in the coffin' for the species' future in the wild. Speaking with Yahoo he added: 'There are already so few there are problems with their genetics, and this would only be made worse if they're split into two populations. Roads do things like enable more effective hunting by cats and foxes. They do things like enable the spread of weeds that transform the habitat.' First pictures: Aussie animal believed 'extinct' rediscovered Hunt for tiny Aussie animal not seen since 1990s Fears for future of tiny lizard stalling construction of 310,000 new homes Plibersek's office referred questions from Yahoo News to her Department, which confirmed Canberra Airport had agreed to suspend work on the upper portion of its proposed road 'due to the higher conservation values of this area'. 'Canberra Airport continues to work with the department, the ACT government and species experts to manage potential impacts on the Canberra grassland earless dragon,' it said. Canberra Airport, which is privately managed by Capital Airport Group confirmed with Yahoo it will now develop what it's dubbed a 'nature-positive' plan. "Canberra Airport remains committed to balancing critical environmental conservation with infrastructure needs," its head of aviation Michael Thomson claimed in a statement. "The Northern Road project has been rigorously assessed and approved by the relevant authorities, ensuring no net loss of habitat, no fragmentation, and no increased risk to the Canberra grassland earless dragon population." But Chief Executive of the ACT Conservation Council and critic of the plan Dr Simon Copland isn't confident the suspension of works will result in a fairytale ending for the dragons. 'The real question is why did they start construction if they didn't already have a plan to protect the species in place? It feels like they're just reacting to pressure,' he told Yahoo. Legally, Canberra Airport can go ahead with the road project because it has federal environmental approval. But Copland has called on Plibersek to revoke it, noting that a protection plan has not been produced. The road was green-lit by then Environment Minister Peter Garrett in 2009 before the true significance of Canberra's dragons was understood. For decades it was thought there was only one species of grassland earless dragon in Australia, but in 2022 genetic testing revealed there were four, including one in Canberra that had been pushed to the brink of extinction and only existed in the wild at three sites. West of Melbourne, debate is occurring over the future of its grassland earless dragon, where a tiny population was rediscovered at a site earmarked for development. Several have been successfully bred at Melbourne Zoo, but less than 1 per cent of its original wild habitat remains. Pittock argues it's pointless to continue breeding Canberra's dragons in captivity if there's no habitat left to release them into. 'The airport has said it's all okay because there's a captive breeding program in place. But I'm sorry, I'm a scientist, and conserving a threatened species in a shipping container at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve is no conservation strategy on its own,' he said. 'This project really is the most environmentally damaging project underway in Canberra today.' Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
