The Gas Man Cometh
The Wrap with Amy Remeikis
One of the problems with hope is that it’s often left to fend for itself. People might work to maintain their hope that things will get better, but hope without action is essentially just delusion.
When hopes are dashed, the flip side is usually despair.
Which makes sense – you don’t have to do anything to despair. You just kind of slide into it.
It’s easy to hope. It’s just as easy to despair. Neither truly require you do anything except throw your hands up in the air and hope that someone will do something. And if that person who does the thing, does the wrong thing, well then you can despair. You had hope, it was dashed. Now you can be bitter. Despair. Because obviously you can’t do something. Right?
Recently I underwent surgery and when I came to, sore and hazed, my mind feeling as though it was coated in molasses, muscle memory had me reaching for my phone. I saw two things. Anthony Albanese again refusing to sanction Israel, despite rightly acknowledging Israel’s on-going blockade of aid to Gaza as an “outrage” and Labor approving the North West Shelf extension.
I did not feel despair. I felt rage. Not because I didn’t see it coming, but because we know they know better.
Instead of closing down coal and gas projects, the Albanese government is looking to open up more. They’ll call it ‘expansions’ or ‘extensions’ or ‘securing our energy future’ but it all amounts to the same thing – more fossil fuels, more emissions, more hardship, more extreme weather and fewer chances to arrest the warming climate.
There is no more time to just hope things will get better. And certainly no time to despair. So what’s left?
Ray Bradbury used to say that action is hope. Greta Thunberg, who is currently on a humanitarian mission to deliver aid to Gaza, says with action you’ll find hope everywhere. At the core of climate action is hope for humanity.
Let’s choose action then.
You don’t have to change the government to change the country. You just have to change the government’s political priorities.
The Australia Institute is good at that. Changing the Stage 3 tax cuts from handouts to the wealthy to a more equitable distribution to low and middle-income earners was impossible. Until it wasn’t. A federal integrity commission was impossible. Until it wasn’t. (Although yes, lot’s more work to be done there.) Increasing the minimum wage above inflation was impossible. Until it wasn’t.
Changing Labor’s commitment to fossil fuels is impossible…
I’m hoping that with you on our side, we’ll finish that sentence right. And that’s not a false hope. That’s one that comes through action, through the unglamourous slog of doing the work and making the impossible the inevitable. Will you help change Australia’s political priorities by donating to the Australia Institute’s EOFY appeal today?
There are more options than the one the government is painting. There are more futures to choose from. Good intentions and accepting the science is not enough to save us. Changing political priorities from underwriting coal and gas companies to putting Australians (and the world) first – well, that’s a good first step.
Rage is much better than despair. Like a bushfire, once the embers settle, it can clear the way for new growth. Let’s put that energy into action. Thank you, as always, for walking with us.
Take care of you – Amy x
— Amy Remeikis is the Chief Political Analyst at the Australia Institute
The Big Stories
Australia’s gas policy mess | Richard Denniss on 7.30
This week, Richard Denniss joined Laura Tingle on ABC’s 7.30 to talk about how exactly we ended up in this mess, and what we can do to fix it.
“The Liberals went to the election saying ‘we don’t have a shortage of gas’, and a proposal to tax gas exports. The Greens want to tax the gas industry. Industry in Australia, households in Australia want cheaper gas.”
“All Labor have to do is make one group sad: the foreign owned gas industry,” said Richard Denniss.
“If they are willing to do that, they can literally provide cheaper gas in a cost of living crisis to Australian households.”
The fight to save Murujuga | Video Report
The Murujuga Rock Art is a unique 40,000-year-old collection of rock engravings on the Dampier Archipelago, facing destruction from acid rain caused by nearby gas processing. Gas processing that does not need to happen at Murujuga.
The new Australian Environment Minister Murray Watt, however, decided to approve a 50-year extension to Woodside’s North West Shelf gas project. This could have devastating consequences for the rock art.
The Australia Institute’s Stephen Long and Elinor Johnston-Leek travelled to Murujuga and spoke to the Traditional Custodians, acclaimed artists, and archaeologists fighting to save this priceless heritage.
Watch:
The super tax debate is divorced from reality and more proof that Australia’s tax system is built for the rich – Greg Jericho
“The unhinged criticisms to changes in superannuation make more sense when you realise that Australia’s entire tax debate is geared to ensure rich, wealthy people and companies get richer and wealthier,” writes Greg Jericho.
This graph shows that the Federal Government gives over $33 billion in tax concessions to the top 10% of income earners, just through superannuation concessions and the CGTD.
That’s more than double what the Federal Government spends on all government schools. It’s more than double the cost of putting dental in Medicare.
The Government’s proposed changes to the tax rate would slightly lower the tax break on earnings from super balances over $3 million – only 0.5% of people with super. That hasn’t stopped the confected outrage from certain media outlets and commentators.
“Don’t be fooled into thinking they are caring about you. Instead think of what could be done if Australia’s tax system was better designed – better schools, better hospitals, better infrastructure.
“Right now, Australia’s tax system works to give the wealthiest in society the smoothest of rides. These super changes will force them to go over a very small speed bump. They should be supported and they also should be just the start.”
Australia must resist US bullying to increase its military spending – Allan Behm
“The US secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, may not be the sharpest tool in President Trump’s tool kit. But, in the great American tradition, he is a top hustler,” writes Allan Behm.
Hegseth is demanding that Australia ramps up its defence spending to 3.5% of GDP forthwith – almost double our present defence budget.
In a display of common sense, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese countered that Australia would determine its defence budget for itself and decide on what capabilities Australia needs.
“Albanese cut to the heart of the problem: setting an arbitrary rate – a percentage of GDP – is no way to calculate budget priorities.
“Let us all hope that Albanese can maintain his poise and resist the strident calls for military boosterism.”
The Win
EnergyAustralia admits offsets don’t reduce emissions
In a landmark moment in the fight against greenwashing, EnergyAustralia has apologised for selling a ‘carbon neutral’ energy plan, acknowledged that carbon offsetting is not the most effective way to reduce emissions, and will now focus on direct emissions reductions.
This has been a long time coming. The admission came after Parents for Climate took EnergyAustralia to the Federal Court over its Go Neutral claims.
The Australia Institute has for years explained how the government program Climate Active enables greenwashing by providing a ‘carbon neutral’ certificate to polluters that purchase enough offsets.
The Bin
WA government “doctored” report on gas industry pollution
Last week, a report into the impacts of gas industry pollution on the Murujuga rock art was published. A leading scientist and the report’s chief statistician Emeritus Professor Adrian Baddeley has expressed “grave concern” about “unacceptable interference” from WA’s Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER).
A key graph in the report was edited in a way that increased the “acceptable level” of pollution
Professor Benjamin Smith, a world-leading rock art expert, said that the report “was not worth the paper it is written on”. Watch Professor Smith explain the situation to the Project here:
Podcasts
Why Australia’s economic growth is “pathetic” | Dollars & Sense
Greg and Elinor discuss the latest quarterly GDP figures, why the above-inflation increase to minimum and award wages is a good thing, and the latest from Tariffland.
Listen now:
The golden age | After America
Trump promised a golden age for the US economy – and now a golden dome to protect the continent.
Listen now:
Profit vs priceless heritage: the fight to save Murujuga | Follow the Money
The Murujuga site in north-western Australia is potentially the most important rock art site in the world, but it’s being destroyed by rampant industrial development.
Listen now:
Protecting your ABC | What’s the Big Idea?
The ABC is always under attack. The best thing we can do for democracy is defend it.
Listen now:
What’s On
Politics in the Pub: Australia and Trump’s America | Canberra + Online
Australia has been facing an unprecedented disruption in the contemporary rules-based order since Trump returned the White House. This poses the question: how should Australia act on trade, foreign policy and security?
Join Dr Emma Shortis, Director of International & Security Affairs and author of After America: Australia and the new world order, the first in Australia Institute Press’ seasonal essay series, Vantage Point. She will be in conversation with Dr Richard Denniss, Executive Director of The Australia Institute as they discuss AUKUS, free trade and how the new parliament can best represent Australian interests.
Join the livestream or RSVP >
After America: Rethinking the Rules | Adelaide
Each week, rapidly changing news comes out of the United States – Australia’s closest ally. From introducing sweeping tariffs to mass deportations, from leaking military actions to defunding research bodies, the consequences of the Trump administration are crashing around the world.
So what does this mean for us? Join Senator for South Australia, Sarah Hanson-Young and the Australia Institute’s Director of International & Security Affairs, Dr Emma Shortis as they explain what the current situation is and discuss what Australia can do to choose its own path towards prosperity and security.
Changing the Narrative of Progressive Politics with Musa al-Gharbi | Canberra
Join Dr. Emma Shortis in conversation with renowned sociologist Musa al-Gharbi for a compelling discussion of his provocative new book, We Have Never Been Woke, and how we can move beyond elite narratives to create meaningful change.
It explores the paradox of progressive politics in America that celebrates diversity and inclusion as it grapples widening social and economic inequality. Musa al-Gharbi argues that the social justice language of ‘inclusion’ and ‘equality’ has too often been co-opted by well-educated elites and used to maintain exclusionary institutions and practices, arguing this ultimately protects the interests of the elites themselves, at the expense of the disadvantaged.
This discussion is far from a cynical takedown, but rather an attempt to understand how good intentions can produce harmful outcomes – and what can be done about it. A book signing will follow the discussion.
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