Aussies not buying the Donald Dutts Show | Between the Lines
The Wrap with Amy Remeikis
Well, those two weeks were quite the month, weren’t they?
The headlines could cause whiplash; from a focus on the alternative prime minister’s past, to election date scuttle, to Chinese military vessels niggling boundaries, to Donald Trump making it clear to the people in the back where his America stands, it’s easy to see how quickly news fatigue can set in.
Trump, who is doing exactly as intended, is following the well-worn path his once most trusted advisor described as ‘flooding the zone with shit’, which is a strategy that boils down to hacking the media’s inability to focus when there are so many shiny headlines around.
The leopards didn’t just tell people they would eat faces, they explained how they would do it. But we have a habit in modern democracies of prescribing good faith to people running in positions we have been taught to respect. Sure, Trump is enabling an unelected foreign billionaire to rampage through the country, and by association, the world, slashing foreign aid, backing in the far right, lie about allied leaders and abandoning the principles of democracy, but did you hear he’s bringing back plastic straws?
And yeah, the tech giants that own our data, dictate how we see the world and what information we are allowed are quietly rewriting maps and calendars (did you get the reminder it was International Women’s Day? Nope, didn’t think so) at the behest of a Diet Coke slurping ego-maniac with the emotional regulation of a caffeinated toddler, but the opposing party wore pink this week and held up little signs, so don’t worry about a thing.
It was almost a relief to see Australian politics follow well worn predictable paths of not acknowledging anything wider happening in the world, because, well ‘it’s just not the right time’.
As I write this, I am flicking between this page and the BOM weather radar where a category two cyclone is threatening most of the people I love in the world.
Preparations have gone on all week, with politicians across the political divide working together to prepare communities for what is being called a ‘once in 50 year event’ and is anything but normal.
Nothing reminds people of the precariousness of existence, or just how finite our resources really are like an impending climate disaster.
And you’re allowed to talk about that as much as you want. You can use words like resilience and callbacks to former premier Anna Bligh’s ‘we are Queenslanders’ speech, and remind the nation that Queenslanders are the “the people that they breed tough north of the border”, the ones “that they knock down…and get up again” and that weather “may break our hearts…but it will not break our will” and community and coming together and the humour in watching dad’s move barbecues a little bit further under the veranda and setting up meet ups to ‘blow Alfred back east’ – you can talk about all of that.
Just as long as you never, ever, talk about the reason for it. Especially if you are Peter Dutton. Because if there is one thing you can count on the Coalition under Dutton to do, it’s live in the past.
Dutton responded to the Greens leader Adam Bandt rationally linking worsening weather events to climate change (something we used to call ‘a fact’) and very quickly used his friendly media bullhorn to accuse Bandt, and anyone else raising facts, of “playing politics with this event”.
“I think people understand that, as I say, it’s not a regular occurrence, but certainly with precedence in this part of the world. That’s the reality of weather systems,” Dutton, who has no climate policies, despite being the leader of the party wanting to be the alternative government, said.
Greens MPs, like Labor and Coalition MPs, had been out helping their communities prepare, filling sandbags and talking people through evacuation procedures. Federal Greens had asked their local MPs, if they were comfortable speaking on the climate elephant in the room and were told, resoundingly yes – because it was being raised on the streets by people trying to work out how to sandbag their properties.
Because Australians, whether Dutton wants to acknowledge it or not, are able to see what is happening.
But maybe those conversations aren’t happening in the rooms Dutton is in. Shortly after his interview where he accused people of ‘politicising’ a cyclone, the Australian Financial Review reported Dutton had left Queensland to attend a fundraiser thrown in a Sydney billionaire’s Vaucluse mansion.
It’s never the time to talk about the reason behind our worsening climate disasters, but apparently a looming climate disaster can’t stand in the way of political fundraising.
Because if you only ever see things through a political lens, everything can be justified.
It’s not as though Dutton hadn’t already calculated the potential for political mileage himself, having earlier in the week warned Anthony Albanese against calling an election this weekend (as rumoured) while Queenslanders were facing down Cyclone Alfred.
“People probably want from their prime minister governing not campaigning, at a time like this,” Dutton said on Wednesday, the day after he had spent the evening hobnobbing in Vaucluse.
People probably want their politicians mapping out a way through the climate crisis, at a time like this too.
But it’s not the time for that. Oh no. That would be “politicising” what is already inherently political.
Constantly claiming that ‘it’s not the time’ to speak about what is right in front of us, that it’s ‘politicising’ to speak about something that politics governs the policies for, is what got us into this mess. And it serves political vested interests to not speak about it.
The way to beat that? The same way you tackle all bad faith politics; by cutting through the shit and focusing on flushing the toilet.
Politicians can claim whatever they like. They can’t hold back reality. And collectively, they can’t hold back you.
We’ll be with you in that fight. Thank you for all you do in ensuring facts, and voices, are heard above the vested interests. It’s going to be a rough campaign, but with your help, we’ll make sure facts and research is part of the conversation. Take care of you. Amy x
— Amy Remeikis is the Chief Political Strategist at the Australia Institute
The Big Stories
Trump a greater threat to world peace than Putin or Xi Jinping
More Australians consider US President Donald Trump a greater threat to world peace than Vladimir Putin or Xi Jinping, our research found.
“There is rising community concern, particularly around the AUKUS submarine pact and the way it would tie us ever more closely to Trump’s America,” said Dr Emma Shortis, speaking to Sky News about the research.
In a poll of 2009 Australians, conducted before the weekend’s disastrous White House event with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, 31% rated Trump the greatest threat to world peace, compared to Russian President Putin (27%) and Chinese President Xi (27%). 15% were unsure.
Respondents were asked if they thought Australian interests would be better served by a closer alliance with the United States or a more independent foreign policy.
44% said they’d prefer a more independent foreign policy. 35% would prefer a closer alliance with the United States.
The brutal reality of Australia’s insurance crisis
As Cyclone Alfred wreaks havoc on the east coast, our new research has unveiled the grim reality of our insurance crisis. As premiums soar, almost one in five Australians admit their home is uninsured or underinsured. That represents around 1.4 million homes at risk.
“Australian families are facing an almost impossible choice when it comes to home and contents insurance. They either find the money to pay ridiculous premiums or risk losing everything they own,” said Matt Grudnoff, Senior Economist at The Australia Institute.
“At a time when we’re experiencing more regular and more severe floods, fires, storms and cyclones due to climate change, more Australians have been abandoned by greedy insurance companies. It’s not fair. It’s not right.”
The research was covered in the Daily Mail, ABC News Breakfast TV, News.com.au, The Australian, and many more outlets and syndicates.
Cutting the public service saves nothing
Research from the Centre for Future Work shows that sacking public servants actually costs the country a fortune, as public jobs are replaced by consultants, contractors and labour hire workers.
“Promising to reduce the size of the public service is a cheap political stunt.”
Private health insurance companies making billions, but crying poor
While Australians struggle through a cost-of-living crisis, health insurers are raking it in, but still increasing their customers premiums above inflation.
According to the latest data from APRA, the biggest of them all, Medibank, recorded a pre-tax profit of $785 million last year, yet has been given permission to increase premiums by 3.99% from next month … above the average increase and above the rate of inflation.
BUPA made $607 million and is putting premiums up by 5.10%, while NIB made $289 million and will hike premiums by 5.79%.
“How much profit is enough?” said Dave Richardson, Senior Research Fellow at the Australia Institute.
60 jobs: Salmon industry finally comes clean
The salmon industry has finally owned up and admitted that there are 60 salmon farming jobs on Tasmania’s west coast, not 400, as has been often claimed.
“This misleading behaviour may have caused the government to invest in oxygenation trials when in fact it would be more economically prudent to destock and provide direct support to affected workers,” said Eloise Carr, Director of the Australia Institute Tasmania.
The Win
ACT moves to ban fossil fuel and gambling advertising in schools
The Australian Capital Territory has voted to ban fossil fuel and gambling companies from sponsoring school programs from next year.
Comms Declare reports that there’s more than 60 fossil fuel-sponsored school programs across the country – which are used to improve the image of the industry and give often one-sided information about energy and climate change.
Time for the rest of the country to follow!
The Bin
Dutton demands end to work from home
Demanding a return to the office, Dutton says women seeking flexible work can find job-sharing arrangements.
“Peter Dutton’s one-size-fits-all approach will take us backwards,” said ACTU President, Michele O’Neil.
“Having the freedom to work from home has helped a million extra women enter the workforce in the past four years, particularly working mothers, carers, and people with disabilities and health conditions. This has meant less financial stress for households.”
“Working people in our outer suburbs face some of the longest and most expensive commutes. Forcing hundreds of thousands of workers back on the roads will mean less time with your kids and more time stuck in traffic.
The Quote
“I’ve had a gutful. You’ve made more than enough money off the arse of Tasmania. Move it on.”
“Go and put them on land. Go and put your fish somewhere else.”
– Jacquie Lambie, Independent Senator for Tasmania
Podcasts
The pros and cons of minority government with David Pocock and Tony Windsor | Follow the Money
Independent Senator David Pocock and Tony Windsor AM, former independent parliamentarian who held the balance of power during the Gillard minority government, join Amy Remeikis to discuss how they negotiate with the major parties, the growth of the independent and minor party vote, and why there’s so much fearmongering about minority governments in Australia.
Listen now:
Insecurity guarantee | After America
After a week when America’s reliability as an ally was called into question, new research shows that more Australians think Donald Trump is the greatest threat to world peace than either Xi Jinping or Vladimir Putin.
Listen now:
Australia’s economy has turned a corner. America’s is heading off a cliff. | Dollars & Sense
Greg and Elinor discuss the end of Australia’s per capita recession, why the humble chickpea deserves some of the credit, and why DOGE is looking like a disaster for the American economy.
Listen now:
What’s On
SYDNEY: What’s the Big Idea? | 7pm AEDT, Tuesday, 11 March
Join Alice Grundy, Managing Editor of Australia Institute Press, in conversation with Amy Remeikis and Bill Browne who will be delving into big ideas for a better Australia from leading thinkers from Australia and around the world.
Policy School – No new coal mines: a policy not a slogan | 11am AEDT, Thursday 13 March
NEWCASTLE: Big gas is taking the piss | 6pm AEDT Monday 24 March
Gas exports have led to a tripling of wholesale gas and electricity prices since LNG exports began in 2015. LNG companies deliberately exposed Australians to global prices, which is driving up YOUR energy bills.
Join Richard Denniss and Konrad Benjamin from Punters Politics to find out how the gas companies have managed this spectacular heist of our gas and what can be done about it.
CANBERRA: Politics in the Pub | 6:30pm AEDT, Wednesday 26 March
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