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The Guardian
5 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Labor accused of ‘gaslighting' Australians on climate crisis as fossil fuel projects keep getting approved
Australian federal and state governments have approved a wave of fossil fuel developments over the past six weeks, sparking accusations Anthony Albanese and other leaders are 'gaslighting' the public – claiming they take the climate crisis seriously while pushing up emissions. Peter Dunn, a former commissioner of emergency services for the Australian Capital Territory, says the Albanese government is 'trashing its integrity' and has 'lost their licence to lead, days after the election'. Dunn, a member of Emergency Leaders for Climate Action who lived through the 2003 Canberra bushfires and the catastrophic 2019 fires at Lake Conjola on the New South Wales south coast, is furious about the government's decision to greenlight Woodside's extension of the North West Shelf gas processing plant. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email 'I'm bloody angry, bitterly disappointed, and I see a government that I was really hopeful for doing great things trashing its integrity,' he says. 'That's the thing that's really got me worked up at the moment – because there is no integrity in what I'm seeing [from the government] in the climate space whatsoever … You lose your integrity, you lose your licence to lead. They just lost their licence to lead, days after the election.' Federal and state governments and agencies have approved several fossil fuel projects since April, ranging from large developments to smaller extensions. They include the production operations for Santos' Barossa offshore gas project off the Northern Territory, two coalmine extensions in NSW, Viva Energy's floating gas terminal in Geelong, and nine new areas for gas exploration in Queensland. Decisions for other major projects are looming. On 22 May, Albanese and the NSW premier, Chris Minns, travelled to Maitland to get a better grasp of the scale of the flood disaster extending from the NSW Hunter up to Coffs Harbour. The prime minister told communities 'You are not alone', acknowledging that due to climate change 'tragically, we're seeing more extreme weather events'. Six days later, the environment minister, Murray Watt, a former minister for emergency management, announced provisional approval for the extension of Woodside's project to 2070 with 'strict conditions'. A final decision is due soon. When asked before the widely anticipated announcement how giving Woodside the green light aligned with Labor's climate commitments, Albanese said last week 'It is net zero, not zero' and 'You don't change a transition with warm thoughts'. 'I was really upset when I heard the prime minister say it's net zero not actual zero,' says Serena Joyner, the chief executive of Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action. 'It's gaslighting, because you have to actually reduce emissions or climate change will just run away. 'It's a cognitive disconnect.' Joyner lives in the Blue Mountains, another region badly hit by the 2019-20 black summer fires. She estimates her family has a few years left in the area before they will have to move due to the difficulty of insuring as bushfire risk grows, driven by the climate disaster. Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action (BSCA) was formed in 2018 to help ordinary people affected by climate-fuelled disasters engage with leaders. The group has spent years meeting with MPs, repeatedly sharing their stories and trauma to highlight the urgent need for climate policy action, which Joyner says brings a heavy emotional toll. She says the early weeks of the re-elected Albanese government have led to 'a reassessment of how to engage, because what we've been doing with Labor in the last couple of years, it's hard to see how it's working'. 'Being cooperative and playing nice with Labor isn't getting us anywhere,' she says. 'We're an organisation that works very hard to be reasonable, sensible: we don't go to rallies, we don't go to protests. We have meetings with politicians and tell them our stories. 'They offer sympathy and then just go and approve massive fossil fuel projects anyway.' Sign up to Afternoon Update Our Australian afternoon update breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion BSCA member Angela Frimberger says when governments approve new fossil fuel developments and expansions 'climate-affected people want to know what governments are thinking, and do they care about their problems at all'. 'You just want to sit across a table from them and say, 'What do you think is going to happen?',' she says. Frimberger lives on the edge of Lake Innes, south of Port Macquarie, on a property she and her family manage for biodiversity conservation. Their house survived black summer but fire tore through half of the habitat, which they have since worked to regenerate and restore. The fires were followed by floods in 2022 and then the record-breaking event of May this year. Days before Watt announced his North West Shelf decision, a soaked Frimberger stood in the rain filming a video for BSCA's social media pages, saying: 'It's happening again, another unprecedented event' and 'Minister Watt, please remember those of us out here'. She says she was 'devastated that our government would do this while reeling from a current disaster and still struggling to recover from past disasters'. 'The government is approving projects such that regular people like me have to pay the cost,' she says. Georgina Woods is the head of research and investigations for the Lock the Gate Alliance, a national organisation that developed out of community opposition to fracking proposals. She says people feeling the effects of climate change are frightened about what the approval of new fossil fuel projects means for them. 'The business model of coal and gas companies is based on demand assumptions that are wholly inconsistent with preventing catastrophic levels of global warming,' Woods says. 'By giving these companies approval to expand their operations, the Australian government is telling all of us it expects this outcome too.' A government spokesperson said that 'only Labor has a concrete, real plan to see our emissions reduce while ensuring our economy continues to grow'. 'As we've consistently said – gas has an important role to play in the transition as the ultimate backstop for renewables,' they said. The government pointed to climate action during its first term, including reforms to the safeguard mechanism, which they said had 'already begun to work'. 'This [North West Shelf] project is subject to those reforms, which means this plant is required to bring their emissions down each year and reach net zero by 2050 under the safeguard mechanism.'
NDTV
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Executive Fired For Calling Anchor "Too Gay" To Receive Rs 85 Crore In Compensation
A CBS executive fired after the network accused him of calling an anchor "too gay" will now receive nearly Rs 85 crore ($10 million) in compensation. Peter Dunn, who was serving as the president of CBS Television Stations, was suspended by the network in 2021 after allegations surfaced against him of making racist, sexist and homophobic remarks at work. An appeals panel found that Mr Dunn was sacked before an investigation into his conduct was completed, thereby breaching his terms of termination. A panel of retired judges said the network clearly violated Mr Dunn's employment contract which stated that CBS had to determine at the time of his firing if it was "for cause" or "without cause.". As per his lawyer, Larry Hutcher, CBS caved to pressure from the "woke" critics who tried to cancel him. "This was never about Peter's conduct, it was to appease the woke mob. It was like the Red Scare, and it was very shortsighted and unfair," Mr Hutcher told the New York Post. CBS issued a statement stating it strongly disagreed with the decision, adding that a "procedural issue" led to the arbitration ruling in Mr Dunn's favour. "Four years ago, we removed Peter Dunn as head of the CBS Television Stations for reasons that have been well documented and reported publicly," a company spokesperson said. "This decision was not based on the substance of the allegations against Mr Dunn." The saga started in 2021 when an article in the Los Angeles Times detailed allegations that Mr Dunn and another CBS top boss fostered a hostile work environment. CBS immediately suspended Mr Dunn and initiated an internal investigation. However, before the probe could be completed, Mr Dunn was relieved of his duties and not provided any legitimate reason for the sacking. Mr Hutcher said the decision by the network 'destroyed' his client's life and kept him from getting any other jobs.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Executive fired for ‘calling anchor too gay' wins $10m payout from CBS
A CBS executive who was sacked after the network accused him of calling an anchor 'too gay', has won a pay out of nearly £10 million. Peter Dunn was suspended by CBS in 2021 amid allegations the television executive had made racist, sexist and homophobic remarks at work. However, an appeals panel has found that the former executive was fired before an investigation into his conduct was complete, thereby breaching his terms of termination. The network's actions have 'destroyed' Mr Dunn's life and kept him from getting any other jobs as a result, his lawyers said. 'This was never about Peter's conduct — it was to appease the woke mob,' his lawyer, Larry Hutcher, told The New York Post. 'It was like the Red Scare, and it was very shortsighted and unfair.' It is the latest blow to the network after it was accused of political bias in the lead up to the election. Mr Dunn was placed on leave in 2021 after an article in the Los Angeles Times accused him of fostering a hostile work environment. One former employee claimed the executive, who had worked at the network for 20 years, had made 'racist, sexist, homophobic and discriminatory comments,' including calling an anchor 'too gay'. Another said he had called a black presenter at a Philadelphia affiliate a 'jive guy'. Before finishing its investigation, CBS fired Mr Dunn, writing in his termination letter that he would continue to be paid 'as though your termination is without cause,' and it could alter the termination terms once the investigation ended, according to court filings. But when the investigation was finalised four months later, the network changed his termination to 'for cause' – denoting serious misconduct that justifies dismissal – thereby stripping him of millions in payouts owed in equity and back pay. 'The proper and prudent response would have been to suspend him, continue to pay him, wait for the investigation to be completed, and then fire him,' Mr Dunn's lawyer said. When the case moved to arbitration last year, a panel of retired judges ruled that CBS had to determine at the time of Mr Dunn's sacking if it was 'for cause' or 'without cause'. The employment contract did not allow for 'a new and nebulous third option' a judge wrote last year. After CBS appealed the decision, a second arbitration board ruled in Mr Dunn's favour last week, ordering the network to pay him $7 million plus interest, equating to a total of $9.78 million. 'This case was always about Peter Dunn trying to restore his otherwise impeccable reputation that he spent over 20 years at CBS developing,' Mr Hutcher said. 'We are grateful that the original arbitrator and that the appeals panel agreed with Mr Dunn that he had been wrongfully terminated, and that we look forward to the award being confirmed in [court] so that we can enforce this judgment.' A CBS spokesman told The Post that a 'procedural issue' led to the arbitration ruling in his favour, and that it 'strongly' disagrees with the decision. 'Four years ago, we removed Peter Dunn as head of the CBS Television Stations for reasons that have been well documented and reported publicly,' the spokesman said. 'This decision was not based on the substance of the allegations against Mr Dunn.' CBS has been rocked by a series of resignations in recent months after Donald Trump sued the news outlet amid claims it doctored an interview with Kamala Harris to make her appear more coherent. Wendy McMahon, the CBS president, resigned this week, following hot on the heels of 60 Minutes executive producer Bill Owens, who left amid claims of encroachment on journalistic independence. The departures have fuelled speculation that the network's corporate parent will soon settle its lawsuit with Mr Trump. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Executive fired for ‘calling anchor too gay' wins $10m payout from CBS
A CBS executive who was sacked after the network accused him of calling an anchor 'too gay', has won a pay out of nearly £10 million. Peter Dunn was suspended by CBS in 2021 amid allegations the television executive had made racist, sexist and homophobic remarks at work. However, an appeals panel has found that the former executive was fired before an investigation into his conduct was complete, thereby breaching his terms of termination. The network's actions have 'destroyed' Mr Dunn's life and kept him from getting any other jobs as a result, his lawyers said. 'This was never about Peter's conduct — it was to appease the woke mob,' his lawyer, Larry Hutcher, told The New York Post. 'It was like the Red Scare, and it was very shortsighted and unfair.' It is the latest blow to the network after it was accused of political bias in the lead up to the election. Dunn accused of racist comments Mr Dunn was placed on leave in 2021 after an article in the Los Angeles Times accused him of fostering a hostile work environment. One former employee claimed the executive, who had worked at the network for 20 years, had made 'racist, sexist, homophobic and discriminatory comments,' including calling an anchor 'too gay'. Another said he had called a black presenter at a Philadelphia affiliate a 'jive guy'. Before finishing its investigation, CBS fired Mr Dunn, writing in his termination letter that he would continue to be paid 'as though your termination is without cause,' and it could alter the termination terms once the investigation ended, according to court filings. But when the investigation was finalised four months later, the network changed his termination to 'for cause' – denoting serious misconduct that justifies dismissal – thereby stripping him of millions in payouts owed in equity and back pay. 'The proper and prudent response would have been to suspend him, continue to pay him, wait for the investigation to be completed, and then fire him,' Mr Dunn's lawyer said. When the case moved to arbitration last year, a panel of retired judges ruled that CBS had to determine at the time of Mr Dunn's sacking if it was 'for cause' or 'without cause'. The employment contract did not allow for 'a new and nebulous third option' a judge wrote last year. CBS strongly disagrees with appeal win After CBS appealed the decision, a second arbitration board ruled in Mr Dunn's favour last week, ordering the network to pay him $7 million plus interest, equating to a total of $9.78 million. 'This case was always about Peter Dunn trying to restore his otherwise impeccable reputation that he spent over 20 years at CBS developing,' Mr Hutcher said. 'We are grateful that the original arbitrator and that the appeals panel agreed with Mr Dunn that he had been wrongfully terminated, and that we look forward to the award being confirmed in [court] so that we can enforce this judgment.' A CBS spokesman told The Post that a 'procedural issue' led to the arbitration ruling in his favour, and that it 'strongly' disagrees with the decision. 'Four years ago, we removed Peter Dunn as head of the CBS Television Stations for reasons that have been well documented and reported publicly,' the spokesman said. 'This decision was not based on the substance of the allegations against Mr Dunn.' CBS has been rocked by a series of resignations in recent months after Donald Trump sued the news outlet amid claims it doctored an interview with Kamala Harris to make her appear more coherent. Wendy McMahon, the CBS president, resigned this week, following hot on the heels of 60 Minutes executive producer Bill Owens, who left amid claims of encroachment on journalistic independence. The departures have fuelled speculation that the network's corporate parent will soon settle its lawsuit with Mr Trump.
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
CBS ordered to pay nearly $10 million to fired executive who called anchor 'too gay', blames ‘woke mob' pressure
CBS has been ordered to pay almost $10 million to a former top executive it dismissed before completing an internal investigation into allegations that he made racist and sexist remarks, reports New York Post. The remarks, according to court documents and his lawyer, included calling a Black anchor 'a jive guy' and labelling another 'too gay.' CBS allegedly acted under pressure from what the executive's legal team called a 'woke mob.' Peter Dunn, who served as president of CBS Television Stations, was removed in 2021 after the Los Angeles Times published a report accusing him of fostering a hostile work environment. The broadcaster suspended Dunn and another executive and began an internal review. However, Dunn was fired before the investigation was completed. At the time, CBS said the termination would be treated 'as though without cause' but that the company could revisit the matter once the probe concluded. Months later, after completing its review, CBS attempted to reclassify Dunn's dismissal as 'for cause,' which would have allowed the company to withhold back pay and stock awards. That move led Dunn to pursue arbitration, where a panel of retired judges found the company had violated his employment contract. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Cinnamon: The Greatest Enemy of Blood Sugar Magazine Glyco Learn More Undo The appeals panel ruled CBS had no right to delay its decision on whether the firing was for cause. The contract required the company to make that determination at the time of dismissal, not retroactively. Arbitrators said the broadcaster could not invent a 'new and nebulous third option' to defer its choice. CBS must now pay Dunn more than $7 million in compensation, plus interest, bringing the total to approximately $9.78 million. 'This was never about Peter's conduct. It was to appease the woke mob,' Dunn's lawyer, Larry Hutcher, told The New York Post. 'It was like the Red Scare, and it was very shortsighted and unfair.' CBS responded to the ruling by citing a procedural issue and insisted it disagrees with the outcome. 'Four years ago, we removed Peter Dunn as head of the CBS Television Stations for reasons that have been well documented and reported publicly,' a spokesperson said. 'This decision was not based on the substance of the allegations against Mr. Dunn.' Hutcher argued that CBS should have simply suspended Dunn and waited for the investigation to finish before making any decision about his employment. 'The proper and prudent response would have been to suspend him, continue to pay him, wait for the investigation to be completed, and then fire him,' he said. He also noted that Dunn had spent more than 20 years at CBS and was focused on restoring his reputation. 'We are grateful that the original arbitrator and the appeals panel agreed with Mr. Dunn that he had been wrongfully terminated,' Hutcher said. 'We look forward to the award being confirmed in the Supreme Court so that we can enforce this judgment.' CBS maintains it stands by the findings of its investigation and the resulting decisions. 'We're grateful for the many voices who spoke up in a process that led to significant cultural change at our television stations,' the company added.
