Latest news with #Littleproud
Sky News AU
2 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Push for algal bloom to be declared a natural disaster
Nationals Leader David Littleproud spoke with Sky News Australia on the dismissal by the Australian government of algal bloom in South Australia, not being declared a natural disaster. "Those fishermen, they are farmers as well, and I think that definition has been lost on many,' Mr Littleproud said. 'It's one of significance, definitely when you look at the impact, and I think we need to broaden those definitions, and as a parliament, we should do that. 'We are tearing communities apart, and unfortunately, when you see many parts of the rest world now saying that we're not going to get to net zero, we need to actually make sure that we're sensible about this… not at any cost and not at the cost of regional Australians.'
Sky News AU
2 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
'Impossible': Nationals leader issues stern warning to Sussan Ley on net zero fight after Joyce calls on Coalition to dump emissions targets
Nationals leader David Littleproud has admitted achieving net zero is almost 'impossible' in a major blow to Sussan Ley's efforts to unify the Coalition on the controversial issue of emission reduction targets. The matter of emissions reduction targets has become a contentious sticking point within the Coalition, with the Nationals deciding to briefly exit its decades long political partnership with the Liberals in late May in protest over the issue. However, Liberal leader Sussan Ley in an attempt to modernise the party's brand has hailed 'reducing emissions' as a crucial policy aim so that Australia is "playing its part in the global effort.' Yet the issue once again ignited on Monday, with veteran Nationals MP and former party leader Barnaby Joyce insisting the Coalition needed to scrap its position on clean energy targets. Mr Joyce told Channel Seven's Sunrise program that the Coalition needed to desperately find policies which would separate them from the Labor Party, and implored his party to withdraw its support for emission reduction targets. 'You have to find issues which are binary, which you are fully for and the Labor Party is fully against,' Mr Joyce said. 'That's why such issues such as net zero, I say: find a point of division. You don't believe in net zero, they do believe in net zero ... if you have another way of going about it, there are your numbers.' When pressed about Mr Joyce's critical comments, Nationals leader David Littleproud said his party was committed to overseeing its review process into the polarising issue, but conceded that it was almost 'impossible' to reach the government's current renewables targets. 'What we are experiencing, particularly in regional areas, that I don't think people in metropolitan areas understand is the real burden of our landscape being ripped up,' Mr Littleproud told Sky News. 'Our livelihoods are being ripped up for this full renewables approach – we are tearing communities apart. 'Unfortunately, when you see many parts of the rest of the world now saying that we're not going to get to net zero, we need to actually make sure that we're sensible about this, rather than trying to achieve the impossible.' Mr Littleproud's comments are contrasted by remarks made by Liberal leader Sussan Ley who has repeatedly said the Coalition needed to become more embracing of renewables projects. Mr Littleproud said the Coalition needed to put forward a 'sensible position, but not at the cost of regional and rural Australians.' He also said that backbenchers were allowed to 'advance their own bills" with Mr Joyce vowing that he would table legislation in the new parliamentary term to abolish the government's net zero targets. Mr Littleproud further blasted the Albanese government's 'hasty' push to roll out renewable projects nationwide to meet federal climate targets and said regional communities were being asked to shoulder the burden of the energy transition. 'I say to city people we are not saying we don't believe in climate change, but you are asking us to bear all the burden and there is a consequence for your food security, and a consequence for the electricity bill that you are receiving at the moment,' Mr Littleproud said. 'When you see people like Zali Stegall rail against just six wind turbines on north head, yet she's prepared to see our landscaper littered with hundreds of them the irony and the hypocrisy."
Sky News AU
07-07-2025
- Business
- Sky News AU
Nationals Leader warns against the ‘unintended consequences' of AI
National Leader David Littleproud has warned against the "unintended consequences" of Artificial Intelligence amid China urging Australia to adopt the technology more quickly. "While the reality is it is encouraging that the Chinese government wants to enrich our trade, we also need to understand the unintended consequences, like AI, where that environment hasn't fully matured," Mr Littleproud told Sky News Australia. "We should be able to work with China to enrich our trade, that is one way in soft diplomatic terms to keep stability in our region, but just understand the consequences of particularly emerging technologies and what that might do."
Sky News AU
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
‘The real tragedy': Shadow health minister Anne Ruston says youth pushed to crime networks for vapes under Labor
The opposition has accused the Albanese government of driving young people into the arms of organised crime after new data revealed less than one per cent of vapes are purchased legally. Documents obtained by The Daily Telegraph revealed on Monday that one in every 1,686 vape sales occur legally through a pharmacy—about 0.06 per cent. Organised crime syndicates have been importing vapes, of which more than 10 million are sold nationally every month on the black market. Shadow health minister Anne Ruston told Sky News that the government's restrictive model of only allowing vape sales in pharmacies created the booming black market. 'We told the government when they put this policy forward that it wasn't going to work,' Ms Ruston said on Monday. 'The government knew right from the get-go that the prescription-only model wasn't working. 'The real tragedy of all this is the fact that young Australians particularly (are being) forced into the hands of organised crime to access vapes. 'Organised crime is benefiting from the failure of this government's policy.' Figures obtained via Freedom of Information showed an average of 5,932 vapes were sold legally, compared to more than 10 million sold illegally every month. Asked what the opposition's approach to vape regulation would be, Ms Ruston admitted it did not yet have one. 'We've made it very clear that all policies that we took to the election that we are intending to look at and make sure that they are fit for purpose,' she said. Nationals leader David Littleproud, who conceded that he had previously supported a prescription-only model, called for a 'regulated' model of vape sales. 'I admit that I got it wrong … on a prohibition model around prescriptions for vaping,' Mr Littleproud told Sky News on Monday. 'We've got to get to a regulated model. Look what's worked—what worked with tobacco back in the 90s was a regulated model." Mr Littleproud said by regulating and taxing vape products, the government could reinvest some of that money into treating health issues caused by smoking. The government's vaping reforms—championed by Health Minister Mark Butler—were intended to reduce youth uptake and ensure access for adults trying to quit smoking.
West Australian
09-06-2025
- Business
- West Australian
The US needs Australian beef for hamburgers, Littleproud says
Anthony Albanese should play hardball with the US on beef as tariff talks grind on, Nationals leader David Littleproud says. American beef imports have emerged as a key negotiating item in the Albanese government's efforts to secure a tariff carve out. The Trump administration has been pushing for Australia to loosen import rules to include beef from cattle originating in Canada and Mexico but slaughtered in the US. The Prime Minister has confirmed biosecurity officials were reviewing the request but vowed his government would not 'compromise' Australia's strict bio laws. But the prospect of changing laws has sparked unease among cattle farmers worried about keeping bovine diseases well away from the country's shores. With beef imports seemingly key to securing a US tariff exemption, Mr Littleproud on Monday said there needed to be some 'perspective'. 'The United States does need Australia and other countries to import beef to be able to put on their hamburgers,' he told Sky News. 'They don't have the production capacity to be able to produce the type of beef that goes on their hamburgers. 'So this is a tax on themselves that they put on Australian beef.' Despite being subject to the blanket 10 per cent tariffs on foreign imports, Australian beef into the US has risen by 32 per cent this year, according to Meat and Livestock Australia. Meanwhile, the cost of domestically produced beef within the US has been climbing, as cattle farmers struggle with drought. Mr Littleproud said the Nationals were not against importing American beef provided that it was from cattle 'born in the United States and bred all the way through to their slaughter in the United States'. But beef from cattle originating in third countries was a risk because 'we don't have the traceability that we have over the US production system'. 'And that's why Anthony Albanese needed to rule out straight away that he would not open that up to those cattle that were born in Canada, Mexico, or anywhere else in the Americas, because that poses a significant risk unless we can trace those cattle,' Mr Littleproud said. Mr Albanese has been clear in saying he would 'never loosen any rules regarding our biosecurity'. But he has also said that if a deal can be struck 'in a way that protects our biosecurity, of course we don't just say no'. Mr Littleproud acknowledged Mr Albanese's words but said 'when you see reports from departments saying this is what's on the table in terms of negotiations – where there's smoke, there's fire'. In addition to the baseline 10 per cent duties on foreign goods, Australia has also been subjected to 50 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium. Only the UK has been able to secure a partial exemption from the Donald Trump's tariffs. A key UK concession was scrapping its 20 per cent imposts on American beef and raising the import quota to 13,000 metric tonnes. But with many British goods still subject to tariffs, analysts have questioned whether the deal was worth it. The US has trade surpluses with both the UK and Australia. Though, Australia also has a free-trade agreement with the US, meaning goods should be traded mostly uninhibited. The Albanese government has repeatedly criticised Mr Trump's decision to slap tariffs on Australian products as 'economic self-harm' and 'not the act of a friend'.
