The Critical Decade: NSW Climate Change Report Released

The Climate Commission has released a report on New South Wales climate impacts and opportunities.

Climate commissioners Tim Flannery, Will Steffen and Lesley Hughes spoke to the media about their report.

  • Listen to the media conference:

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  • Download ‘The Critical Decade’ report (PDF)

This is the Climate Commission’s summary of its report, ‘The Critical Decade’.

New South Wales (NSW) is home to over a third of Australians, 31% of the national economy and is highly vulnerable to climate change. Scientists are concerned that climate change is increasing the risk of hot weather, heatwaves, and bushfires, and changing the patterns of drought and heavy rainfall. A changing climate is costly, putting pressure on human health, agriculture, infrastructure and the natural environment.

NSW is becoming hotter and drier. Record-breaking hot days have more than doubled across Australia since 1960 and heatwaves in the greater Sydney region, especially in the western suburbs, have increased in duration and intensity. [Read more...]

Queensland ALP Announces Six-Member Shadow Cabinet

Queensland Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced her Shadow Cabinet following the ALP’s devastating defeat in the recent election.

The ALP was reduced to seven members in the 89-seat Legislative Assembly. This may fall to six if the party loses the South Brisbane by-election caused by the resignation of former premier Anna Bligh.

The six members all have multiple responsibilities. [Read more...]

State Treasurers Not Impressed After Meeting With Swan

Liberal State Treasurers were in Canberra today to meet with Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan, ahead of the Council of Australian Governments meeting.

State Treasurers Mike Baird (NSW), Kim Wells (Vic), Christian Porter (WA) and Tim Nicholls (Qld) commented on their meeting with Swan.

  • Listen to the Treasurers before their meeting:

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  • And after their meeting:

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  • And Treasurer Wayne Swan’s perspective:

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Julia Gillard Meets With Campbell Newman

Prime Minister Gillard has met with Queensland Premier Campbell Newman for the first time since last weekend’s election.

The advent of the Liberal National government in Queensland means that Gillard now faces non-Labor premiers in the four largest states: NSW, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia.

Gillard also maintained her criticism of Tony Abbott over his plan to consider a scheme to assist families to employ nannies.

This is how Channel 10 reported the meeting:

Eric Ripper Resigns As W.A. Opposition Leader

Eric Ripper, Western Australia’s Leader of the Opposition, has announced his resignation.

The W.A. Labor caucus will meet next Monday and is expected to endorse Mark McGowan as its new leader.

  • Listen to Ripper’s press conference (32m)

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Eric Ripper

Ripper, 60, has been Leader of the Opposition since September 23, 2008. He was elected in the aftermath of former Premier Alan Carpenter’s election defeat.

Mark McGowanRipper was first elected to Parliament in 1988. He served as a minister under Carmen Lawrence in the early 1990s and was a minister throughout the term of the Labor government elected in 2001 under the leadership of Geoff Gallop. He was Deputy Premier and Treasurer in the Carpenter government.

At his press conference, Ripper endorsed Mark McGowan as the next leader of the ALP. McGowan, 44, has been the member for Rockingham since 1996. He held a number of ministerial positions in the previous government, including Education and Training. He is currently Manager of Opposition Business, Shadow Minister for State Development, Regional Development, Housing and Works, and Trade.

McGowan studied law and was a naval legal officer before entering parliament.

Andrew Fraser New Deputy Premier of Queensland

Andrew Fraser has been sworn in as the new Deputy Premier of Queensland.

Fraser replaces Paul Lucas, who resigned yesterday.

Katy Gallagher Elected ACT Chief Minister

Katy Gallagher was today appointed Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory, following the retirement of Jon Stanhope.

Katy Gallagher, Chief Minister of the ACTGallagher was elected unopposed by the ALP caucus on May 13. She was endorsed by a vote of the ACT Legislative Assembly today, winning 11 votes to 6 for the Liberal leader Zed Seselja. Her deputy is Andrew Barr.

Gallagher, 40, brings to four the number of female heads of government in Australia. She joins Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Queensland Premier Anna Bligh and Tasmanian Premier Lara Giddings, all of them from the Labor Party.

The five male leaders are: Premier Barry O’Farrell (NSW), Premier Ted Baillieu (Vic), Premier Mike Rann (SA), Premier Colin Barnett (WA) and Chief Minister Paul Henderson (NT).

The longest serving head of government is South Australian Labor Premier Mike Rann who has been in office since March 2002. The longest serving Opposition Leader is Tasmanian Liberal Will Hodgman who has held the position since March 2006.

Cyclone Yasi, Soldier’s Death, Egypt: Today’s Briefings

  • Assistant Treasurer Bill Shorten – Flood Insurance. (8m)

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  • 1.50pm AEDT – Opposition Leader Tony Abbott. (8m)

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  • 1.30pm AEDT – Queensland Emergency Services Minister Neil Roberts. (17m)

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  • 11.35am AEDT – Prime Minister Julia Gillard. (25m)

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  • 10.30am AEDT – Queensland Premier Anna Bligh. (32m)

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  • 10.00am AEDT – Lt. Gen. David Hurley announces the death of another Australian soldier in Afghanistan. (9m)

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Bligh Warns Of Catastrophic Power Failures Across Northern Queensland

11.45pm AEDT UPDATE – Anna Bligh and Ian Stewart have given their final media briefing for the night. Briefings will resume in the morning.

Bligh said 89,000 homes are now without power, mainly in Townsville and Ingham. The peak of the storm surge is still 2 hours away and will last 4 hours after that.

Deputy Commissioner Stewart reported on 6 people in their 60s in Hinchinbrook who have been advised to seek safety on the second floor of their building. The first floor is expected to be flooded.

  • Listen to Bligh and Stewart. (10m)

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9.55pm AEDT – A catastrophic power failure across northern and far north Queensland is a possibility when Cyclone Yasi hits landfall in the next few hours.

Premier Anna Bligh told a press briefing tonight that inland electricity transmission towers have never been tested by a Category 5 cyclone but Cyclone Larry saw towers ripped out of the ground. Describing the network of transmission towers that form a “spine” supplying northern Queensland, Bligh warned that many areas which will be unaffected directly by Yasi may be left without power for days. She said there were already early reports of power outages.

Anna Bligh and Ian Stewart

Bligh also warned of scenes of unprecedented heartbreak and devastation over the next 24 hours. Her comments echo earlier statements today, indicating that the government expects major and catastrophic damage from Yasi.

Bligh said the high tide due around now will be repeated in the morning at around 9.30am, creating a storm surge. Residual effects of high winds can be expected at that time. It is accordingly very dangerous to go outside too early after the cyclone hits. Winds may appear to have died down but the second storm surge will occur around the time of tomorrow morning’s high tide.

Deputy Commissioner Ian Stewart told the briefing that emergency personnel have bunkered down in the affected areas. It is “eerily quiet” but this was not expected to last long.

  • Listen to Anna Bligh and Ian Stewart. (10m)

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Cyclone Yasi About To Hit: Bligh And Gillard Speak

Cyclone Yasi is about to hit far north Queensland and Premier Anna Bligh and Prime Minister Julia Gillard have spoken at press conferences to offer advice and support to people in the cyclone’s path.

Julia Gillard

  • Listen to Gillard’s press conference. (20m)

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  • [Read more...]