Latest news with #McKim
Sky News AU
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
New Greens leader to be decided next weel following Adam Bandt's dramatic loss of Melbourne seat
The Greens have set a date to pick their next leader following an election result that saw former head Adam Bandt dethroned and evicted from parliament. Senator Nick McKim, who is the acting leader of the Greens after Mr Bandt's departure, has ruled himself out of the title debate. Sky News declared victory for Labor's Sarah Witty in the electorate of Melbourne on Wednesday, confirming former seat holder Mr Bandt's almost 15-year-run in parliament had come to an end. In the wake of the party being left leaderless, Mr McKim said that Thursday was a 'sad and emotional day' for the Greens movement. 'Our vote held up, but we lost seats on a rise in Labor's vote that was a result of Australians rejecting Peter Dutton's Trumpian agenda rather than any kind of endorsement for Labor,' Mr McKim said in a statement. The Greens' Brisbane MP Stephen Bates and Griffith MP Max Chandler-Mather also failed to be re-elected, and Mr McKim said Mr Bandt coming up short as well was 'a bitter blow'. 'They are outstanding people who have contributed so much to our movement,' he said. 'However our party is bigger than any of us, and we are ready to get to work on the critical issues facing our country.' The party will meet on Thursday next week to decide on their next leader and leadership team. 'There are a number of incredible people who would make great leaders of our party, and I have absolute confidence that whoever is chosen will lead us strongly and well,' Mr McKim said. The acting Greens leader ruled himself out of leadership discussions on Friday morning, but said there were 'already conversations underway' about who will fill the role. 'I'm not going to make any predictions or endorse any candidates,' Mr McKim said. Though a number of his colleagues were considering 'throwing their hat into the ring', the acting leader confirmed he would not be joining them. 'I've always believed that if you're going to lead a political party, you have to be prepared to give it 120 per cent... I don't want to let our party down,' he said. Outgoing opposition leader Peter Dutton slammed Mr Bandt over the former Greens leader's claims as to why he lost his Melbourne seat. "The Greens got the highest vote in Melbourne, but One Nation and Liberal preferences will get Labor over the line," the outgoing Greens MP told reporters on Thursday. Mr Dutton then responded saying the Greens lost their seats "because of their appalling treatment of the Jewish community'. "Australians were rightly disgusted at their behaviour," he wrote to X.
ABC News
01-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
The Greens want to move salmon farms from water to land. The Tasmanian industry says it can't be done
Tasmania's salmon industry — a $1.3 billion operation concentrated mostly in the state's south — has become a contentious political topic this federal election campaign. It produced almost 75,000 tonnes of Atlantic salmon in the 2022-23 financial year, and those in support of the industry argue it's an important economic contributor to the state, while providing employment to regional communities. Photo shows Salmon farm location map 4 Those black, circular things floating in the water off the Tasmanian coastline? They are salmon farms. Here is how many there are — and who owns them. The industry, made up of three foreign-owned companies — Tassal, Huon and Petuna — has recently found itself at the centre of several environmental incidents, and has played a key role in a last-minute In February, Rotting fish and Not long after, video released of live salmon being placed into bins with dead fish resulted in Tasmania's salmon industry operates mostly in the state's south in channels and bays. ( ABC News: Luke Bowden ) The industry has been criticised by conservation and environmental groups for years over its impact on the To mitigate the impacts to marine areas, environmental groups such as Neighbours of Fish Farming (NOFF) have argued that commercially-farmed salmon could be moved to land-based operations. They say land-based farming also minimises the spread of disease, reducing the need for antibiotics, and removes noise and light pollution for coastal communities. In Iceland, grow-out tanks by land-based salmon company Laxey — each measuring 28m in diameter and 13m in height — can hold up to 5,000 cubic metres of seawater. ( Laxey ) It's a strategy the salmon industry strongly opposes, arguing the move to 100 per cent land-based farming would be economically, logistically and politically unrealistic. The push to land-based salmon farming In Tasmania, commercially grown salmon starts in freshwater land-based hatcheries, before being moved to saltwater open-pen farms on maturity. Land-based farming uses Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS), a controlled environment that reuses water and limits the movement of fish. On Wednesday, Tasmanian Greens Senator Nick McKim announced a new policy to force salmon farms out of the state's coastal waters and in to land-based farms. In his announcement, Senator McKim said "for too long, the salmon corporations have treated Tasmania's oceans like a dumping ground". ( ABC News: Jake Grant ) The Greens' proposal includes $50 million of Commonwealth funding for environmental remediation, independent monitoring of salmon farms for compliance with animal cruelty and environmental standards, and a "jobs transition package" for Macquarie Harbour workers. Under the policy, the salmon industry would self-fund its transition to land-based farming. "This is about transitioning the industry onshore, getting the industry out of Macquarie Harbour, to give the Maugean skate a fighting chance of survival," Mr McKim said. The Greens have not put a timeline on the completion of the transition. In April, Laxey completed its first salmon transfer to land-based grow-out tanks in Iceland. ( Laxey ) Photo shows Large ship next to a fish farm pen in the ocean. Foreign companies now own Tasmania's big three salmon farming operations. Here's a look at how industrial fish farms are run overseas — and the problems operators have encountered when there's opposition to their practices. Tasmania's salmon industry is regulated by the state government. Mr McKim said there were "plenty of levers that can be pulled" at a state level to instigate the transition. "There's no doubt that the powers exist to transition the industry on shore and to force it to transition on shore," he said. The Tasmanian government has not supported the Greens' policy. "They clearly have a focus on shutting down Tasmanian industry. They are anti-everything," Minister Felix Ellis said. Independent federal candidate for Franklin and Climate-200-backed anti-salmon campaigner, Peter George, has also flagged land-based aquaculture as an environmentally positive alternative. Mr George took leave from his role as NOFF's president to challenge federal Fisheries Minister Julie Collins in the federal election. In his campaign material, Peter George says "Labor and Liberal … are putting corporate interests and overseas profit before the people of Franklin". ( ABC News: Ebony ten Broeke ) Why the Tasmanian industry says it can't work Luke Martin, outgoing chief executive of the industry's peak body Salmon Tasmania, dismissed the case for 100-per-cent land-based farming as "voodoo economics". "It will never get to a point where you do the entire production period, the entire two-year life cycle of the fish, on land," Mr Martin said. Mr Martin says he doesn't think land-based salmon farming would be economically viable. ( ABC News: Luke Bowden ) He said large amounts of water, energy and land would be required to transition the industry, requirements he deemed unfeasible. Mr Martin also argued that the cost of moving the industry to land-based farms was significant and would drive up the price of the product, making it economically unviable. "We're talking about giant artificial ponds, enormous tanks built into the Tasmanian landscape — which community would be lining up to put their hand up in Tasmania?" he said. " It is just not economically possible. I don't believe it's environmentally feasible and certainly the engineering considerations are very complex as well. " Thousands turned out to Hobart's parliament lawns to protest the environmental damage caused by marine fish farms. ( ABC News: Jake Grant ) However, he said the industry was investigating how it could expand the amount of time fish spend on land before being transferred to marine pens — with an eye to expanding operations. "The future of the industry lies with a combination of partial on-land farming for the small fish, where the smolt [young fish] would spend around 12 months of their life," he said. "And then secure leases in deeper water, into more open water areas like outer Storm Bay, potentially off the coast." Mr Martin said if land-based farming did become feasible, he believed the industry would move closer to bigger mainland markets to minimise costs. Has it worked elsewhere? Other commercially grown finfish, such as barramundi, are farmed at land-based facilities in Queensland and the Northern Territory at far smaller volumes than Atlantic salmon. Photo shows Large ship next to a fish farm pen in the ocean. Foreign companies now own Tasmania's big three salmon farming operations. Here's a look at how industrial fish farms are run overseas — and the problems operators have encountered when there's opposition to their practices. However, land-based commercial Atlantic salmon farms do exist, and have been implemented at small scale in many countries — most notably in the US, Canada, Japan and Europe. The scale of production at these land-based locations is far smaller than their ocean counterparts. The largest example of land-based RAS aquaculture is Florida-based company, Atlantic Sapphire, which raises salmon in a "bluehouse", a climate-controlled indoor facility that minimises the risk of disease and environmental contamination. But profitability remains a challenge. In 2023, the company harvested just over 1,500 tonnes, a decrease of about 700 tonnes from the previous year. Atlantic Sapphire is the largest global onshore aquaculture company in the world. ( Supplied: Atlantic Sapphire ) Canada is the world's fourth-largest producer of Atlantic salmon, with the majority of its industry farming in west coast waters off Vancouver Island in British Columbia. It is attempting to transition part of its billion-dollar industry to land-based practices. In June last year, the Canadian government promised to ban marine salmon farming in British Columbia by 2029, citing environmental concerns and the need to protect wild salmon populations. The plan has left the region's peak-industry body, the British Columbia Salmon Farmers Association, concerned and doubtful it can be achieved without significant job losses. Its executive director, Brian Kingzett, told the ABC the estimated cost to transition the industry was more than 2 billion Canadian dollars. "We had a political decision, not based in science," Mr Kingzett said. "Much like Tasmania, we're largely a remote island. Our salmon farms are in rural areas, we don't have the power grid or the land to support on-land aquaculture."
Perth Now
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Perth Now
Record anti-salmon rally calls for major party sinking
Anti-salmon farming protesters have gathered in record numbers as the Greens vow to put the issue at the forefront in any post-election minority parliament. The industry has been under increased spotlight in Tasmania amid mass fish deaths and federal law changes to thwart conservationists' challenge to aquaculture approvals. More than 6000 people rallied in Hobart on Sunday - heeding a cry to vote against the salmon industry-supporting Labor and Liberal parties. The protest was several times bigger than community action in mid-March at a remote beach in the state's south. That site was one of several where salmon matter washed up over summer during the death of millions of farmed fish from a bacteria outbreak. "We know thousands of people have had a gutful with the toxic salmon corporations," Greens senator Nick McKim said. "People are going to send a message to the old political parties." His comments come as polls point towards a Labor victory at the May 3 election, although it is unclear from the surveys whether the party will have the numbers for a majority. "(The Greens have) worked with independents in the last parliament and we're very happy to work with like-minded independents in this parliament," Senator McKim said. "We know we need to build a coalition for nature. "We stand ready to put this issue front and centre if we have the balance of power." Former Greens leader Bob Brown said the protest was the largest anti-salmon rally of the election campaign and on a par with his foundation's national day for action to protect forests. "As with the (campaign to protect the) Franklin River, we will end this threat to our waterways," he said. Labor and the Liberals support the salmon industry and in March combined to pass legislation to protect its future in Tasmania's remote Macquarie Harbour. The laws effectively put an end to an environment department review of aquaculture in the harbour, which was sparked by conservationists aiming to protect an endangered fish. Dr Brown's foundation has challenged the law change in the Federal Court, but no dates for the matter have been set. Booker prize-winning author Richard Flanagan told the crowd to vote for an anti-salmon candidate and encourage their friends to vote for an anti-salmon candidate. But people should "think carefully" about whether they should vote for candidates wanting to shut down industries, Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockliff said. "We'll always back our salmon industry, our forest industry, our farmers, our miners … because they're so important for regional communities," he said. Despite the sector's issues, sales of Tasmanian salmon at Coles and Woolworths outlets nationwide increased by seven per cent in the first few months of 2025 compared to the same period a year earlier, according to an industry body. Independent candidate Peter George, who is running on a platform of getting the industry out of waterways, conceded he faced an uphill battle in Franklin. The Tasmanian seat, where the mass deaths occurred, is held by Labor's Julie Collins on a 13 per cent margin. The Greens' Franklin candidate Owen Fitzgerald pulled out of the race on April 16 after becoming aware he was a dual citizen.
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Gamer senator takes to streaming in chase of youth vote
Donning a gaming headset and a hoodie, a 59-year-old senator has turned to one of the world's most popular video games as he seeks a victory royale on the youth vote. In the lead up to the May 3 federal election, Greens senator Nick McKim has begun streaming himself playing Fortnite Battle Royale. "This is the corner of woke: we are dubbing, we are Griddying, we are fighting faschies," he told his stream, as he referred to winning, doing the Griddy dance move and standing up to fascists. The senator is no stranger to Fortnite, having reached level 91 after hours spent playing with his stepchildren. But the livestream format presents new challenges. Everyone should be able to afford the Fortnite skins they want 💚 — Nick McKim (@NickMcKim) April 14, 2025 While Senator McKim is trying to communicate with his teammates and beat up to 99 other players, viewers ask unconventional questions. "Will you smoke a doobie if weed gets legalised?" one said, while another asked, "can you explain the salmon industry in Fortnite terms?" "It's supposed to be fun and I'm having fun," Senator McKim told AAP. "It's very unfiltered because what I want to try and do is make politics more relatable and more accessible to more people." The Tasmanian senator is not the first politician to hop onto Twitch. Progressive US Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez garnered more than 400,000 concurrent viewers in 2020 when she livestreamed herself playing social deduction game Among Us as she encouraged Americans to vote. Canadian MP Jagmeet Singh and former US presidential nominee Bernie Sanders have also taken part in pre-election streams. Senator McKim's decision to livestream came from chats with his family and younger staff as they sought ways to reach out to new audiences. Gen Z and millennials are expected to outnumber baby boomers for the first time when Australians next head to the ballot boxes. "There is this group of hard-to-reach voters among young people and there's an increasing number of news-avoiders, people getting fatigued from this relentless spray of bad news," University of Sydney media expert Timothy Koskie told AAP. "Traditional news media still has reach, still has the ability to set the agenda, but it's not necessarily going to reach this group of voters." Politicians are throwing everything at the wall to capture their attention. Independent senator Fatima Payman went viral in September after delivering a "brain rot" speech in the upper chamber that accused the government of "capping" (lying) and assured the crossbench would "mog" on (outclass) both major parties. Meanwhile, major parties have funnelled resources into TikTok content as their leaders sat down for interviews with influencers. The Liberals even released a diss-track called "Leaving Labor" that referenced a year-old rap beef between musicians Drake and Kendrick Lamar. For the Greens gamer, livestreaming offers a more conversational alternative to legacy media's one-way form of communication. Senator McKim has so far garnered a few hundred viewers and his staff are considering collaborations in future streams after chatters requested Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather and NSW senator Mehreen Faruqi join the battle bus. But he is unlikely to try different games any time soon. "I'm at least a semi-competent Fortnite player and I don't really want to get on and be a total noob in some other game," he said.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Codexis to Participate in TD Cowen 45th Annual Health Care Conference
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Feb. 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Codexis, Inc. (NASDAQ: CDXS), a leading provider of enzymatic solutions for efficient and scalable therapeutics manufacturing, today announced the Company will attend the TD Cowen 45th Annual Health Care Conference, being held March 3-5, 2025, in Boston, Massachusetts. Management will participate in a fireside chat on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at 1:10 pm ET. A live webcast of the event will be available in the Investor Relations section of the Company's website, A replay will be archived for 90 days following the event. About Codexis Codexis is a leading provider of enzymatic solutions for efficient and scalable therapeutics manufacturing that leverages its proprietary CodeEvolver® technology platform to discover, develop and enhance novel, high-performance enzymes. Codexis enzymes solve for real-world challenges associated with small molecule pharmaceuticals manufacturing and nucleic acid synthesis. The Company is currently developing its proprietary ECO Synthesis™ manufacturing platform to enable the scaled manufacture of RNAi therapeutics through an enzymatic route. Codexis' unique enzymes can drive improvements such as higher yields, reduced energy usage and waste generation, improved efficiency in manufacturing and greater sensitivity in genomic and diagnostic applications. For more information, visit For More Information Investor ContactCarrie McKim(336) 608-9706ir@ Media ContactLauren Musto(650) 421-8205media@ in to access your portfolio
