Fighting for Facts | Between the Lines
The Wrap with Amy Remeikis
Truth and trust can be funny things.
Holding someone’s trust means people believe what you say to be true. Speaking the truth consistently wins people’s trust.
But trust isn’t always treated with the deference it should be. Too often it can be abused, with truth usually the first to pay the price.
There were a few instances this week which had us thinking about trust and the role it plays in dictating what is true or not.
One was the somewhat slavish and uncritical reporting of the Business Council of Australia’s ‘Regulation Rumble’ report which loudly declared Victoria the “worst state in Australia to do business”.
Headlines across Australia’s media outlets swallowed the conclusions: ‘Victoria ranks last for business amid state spending splurge’, ‘Victoria ranked worst state in Australia for business’ and ‘Victoria ranked worst for business as Labor debates brand damage in Albanese stronghold’ were just some of the headlines. And not just at News Corp – that last one was the ABC.
To the casual observer, it seems that media outlets are faithfully reporting on an independent report. But a cursory glance at the ABS data on business investment – you know, the raw numbers of where private business is putting its money – showed investment in Victoria was outstripping nearly every other state.
The difference came down to feels versus data. The BCA was ranking what cost businesses money – looking at planning systems, payroll taxes, property taxes and charges, retail trading hours, workers’ compensation premiums etc. Which makes sense – the goal of the BCA, which exists to advocate for businesses (and yet is never treated in the same way as unions, which exist to advocate for workers) is to improve conditions for capital. It exists to pressure state governments into creating the most favourable conditions possible for business.
The ABS, on the other hand, measures the numbers.
And as chief economist Greg Jericho pointed out, the numbers show not only is Victoria proving desirable for private business investment, it’s doing better than most jurisdictions in Australia.
Then let’s turn to News Corp’s defence of the gas industry, with its breathless headlines across the nation on Monday to ‘Step on the Gas’. The Sun Herald called it an exclusive. The crux of the coverage? ‘We must step on the gas or the lights will go out’.
Turn the page though, and you’ll find a little disclaimer (and we mean little) – these cheerleading articles were sponsored by Santos, APA Group, Tamboran Resources and Jemena.
All major gas companies who have more than a small vested interest in expanding Australia’s fossil fuel industry. The Guardian’s Adam Morton was one of the few within the media to call it what it was: selling readers a lie.
It’s the same tactics being used by the salmon farming industry in Tasmania. Media reports will tell you that a $1.3 billion industry is at risk because all the science for saving the endangered Maugean Skate says to stop salmon farming in Macquarie Harbour.
But what people aren’t being told is that of that billion or so in sales that the three foreign-owned companies make each year selling salmon, very little of it comes back to the people of Tasmania.
Not in jobs – the whole industry is only responsible for 0.5% of Tasmania’s workforce.
Not in company tax – the most recent public records show no tax was paid.
And not in environmental benefit – the pollution from this industry is what is killing the skate and choking its habitat, Macquarie Harbour, which sits within Tasmania’s Wilderness World Heritage Area.
Molding truth to fit the narratives of vested interests does eventually come at a cost; losing people’s trust. And once lost, it is almost impossible to win back.
Once you see the pattern, you can’t unsee it. But facts aren’t partisan. And it is why the research from the Australia Institute is more important than ever. Our only interest is following where the research leads us.
It’s why we don’t take your trust for granted. And why we will continue to shout the truth – based on facts and evidence – even when it is uncomfortable. Even when it goes against the political tide.
It was your trust in us that helped us win the battle to have more scrutiny on the electoral changes that would have entrenched the two-party system.
It’s your trust in us that enables us to continue taking on the gas industry and other vested interests, because it is what is right for the nation.
It’s your trust in us that lets us continue to place issues that really matter on the agenda – not for political points or influence, but because it’s what we should be talking about.
We don’t take that trust lightly. Thank you for yours. We won’t let you down.
As always, take care of you. Amy x
— Amy Remeikis is the Chief Political Strategist at the Australia Institute
The Big Stories
How not to battle inflation | Stephen Long
Economists including former Reserve Bank governor Bernie Fraser are increasingly convinced there are more effective tools than interest rates to fight inflation – but what are they?
“Profit gouging, supply shortages, climate change, all these things [are driving inflation]. Putting up interest rates won’t deal with that, but it’ll make life worse.”
Read: How not to battle inflation by Stephen Long in the Saturday Paper
In his Guardian column, Greg Jericho writes that the economy is now so weak due to the Reserve Bank’s 13 interest rate hikes that were it not for Commonwealth and state government spending and investment, we would now be in a recession and close to 100,000 more people would be out of work.
“The RBA board should urgently reconsider their policy and start undoing the damage.”
The RBA’s next cash rate decision comes Tuesday, December 10, 2024 at 2:30 PM AEDT.
International Court of Justice: what countries are legally required to do to combat climate change
Australia was one of the first countries to present oral pleadings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), as the court began to examine what countries are legally required to do to combat climate change and what is their responsibility to assist nations most affected.
Despite our Government’s clear election commitment to act on climate change, Australia argued against developing international law to meet the existential threat of climate change, and that the rule of prevention does not apply to harm caused by greenhouse gas emissions.
This comes just after the launch of Climate of the Nation, our annual report tracking Australia’s attitudes towards climate change and energy.
We found three quarters (75%) of Australians believe the nation’s climate policy should be based on best-practice science, free from industry influence, and almost two-thirds (64%) want credible action to address fossil fuel production – in line with a commitment made at COP28 – if Australia is to co-host the COP31 summit in 2026.
Australia records its hottest-ever spring
This year’s spring was at least 1C warmer than any spring from last century, with temperatures 2.5C above pre-industrial levels.
We published a new report that found that extreme heat fuelled by climate change also will exacerbate inequality. It shows outer-urban and rural areas are most as risk, because they have a higher concentration of vulnerable people and face a higher likelihood of extreme heat.
All the more reason to stop approving new gas and coal mines, with a sense of urgency.
Australia’s actual emissions have barely changed since 2005
Last week, DCCEW released new emissions data. When looking at this information, it is crucial to remember that the reported emissions level is distorted by the Government’s inclusion of dodgy ‘land use’ emissions.
A big reason why is there was massive land clearing occurring in 2005, which when stopped, is recorded as “emissions” reduction.
When you look at actual emissions from the rest of the economy, the fall is a mere 1.8% since 2005.
Our book launch
Last week we were delighted to officially launch our new book, What’s the Big Idea? to a local audience in Canberra.
Editor Alice Grundy was the MC for the evening
With speeches from Amy Remeikis, Greg Jericho and Allan Behm, it was an uplifting reminder that the solutions are there, Australia just needs the courage to implement them.
The Win
Electoral reform impasse provides opportunity for real scrutiny
Thank you to the more than 21,000 people who signed our petition calling for a parliamentary inquiry into the rushed changes to our electoral laws. The bill did not pass after talks between the government and Coalition failed to end in an agreement, resulting in the perfect opportunity for further scrutiny of the proposed changes.
We delivered the petition to Parliament at a press conference with independent MPs Helen Haines, Dr Sophie Scamps, Dr Monique Ryan and Kate Chaney.
You can add your name to the petition here to ensure that when the Electoral Reform Bill returns for debate, it will undergo the appropriate scrutiny.
While the donation disclosure changes in the proposed bill were positive, the Australia Institute has identified serious concerns with the Australian Government’s bill.
The Bin
Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has given an early Christmas present to coal companies by refusing to reconsider the impacts of three mine expansions.
The Living Wonders case saw a Federal Court challenge to the approvals of these projects, arguing that their climate impacts would affect species and ecosystems protected under federal environment law.
Instead of joining the environment groups, in court Minister Plibersek sided with the coal companies, winning the case and an appeal in July.
This brings these enormous coal mines one step closer to approval.
The Quote
Coal fired power is the most unreliable form of power,
— Minister for Climate Change and Energy, The Hon Chris Bowen MP
“There has not been a single day in the past 18 months without some coal-fired generation experiencing unplanned outages.”
Most recently, unplanned coal power plant outages saw Sydney at risk of blackouts.
Podcasts
What’s the point of Australia? | Follow the Money
Australia Institute Chief Political Analyst Amy Remeikis joins Ebony Bennett to discuss the slings and arrows of the political year, why Australia doesn’t use its power on the international stage, and how next year’s federal election campaign is shaping up.
Listen now:
Return to Trumpland with Zoe Daniel | After America
Zoe Daniel MP, Independent Member for Goldstein and former foreign correspondent, joins Dr Emma Shortis to talk about the incoming Trump administration, Australia’s relationships with the United States and China, and the role of independent politicians in Australian defence and foreign policy-making.
Listen now:
Making America pay | Dollars & Sense
President-elect Trump says he’s going to make other countries pay with a sweeping new tariff regime—but in reality, everyone will lose.
Listen now:
What’s On
Minority Report with George Megalogenis | 11am AEDT, Friday 4 December
Australian politics is shifting. The two-party system was broken at the last federal election—and another minority government is a real possibility after the next election.
Join journalist George Megalogenis to discuss his new Quarterly Essay, ‘Minority Report: The new shape of Australian politics’ for Australia’s Biggest Book Club
Näku Dhäruk The Bark Petitions with Clare Wright | 11am AEDT, Friday 13 December
Join award-winning author and professor of history Clare Wright in to discuss her landmark new book, Näku Dhäruk The Bark Petitions: How the people of Yirrkala changed the course of Australian democracy, for our final Australia’s Biggest Book Club webinar for 2024.
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