Energy security is the federal government’s number one priority, according to Josh Frydenberg, the Minister for the Environment and Energy.
Frydenberg held a press conference this morning, following last night’s blackout across the whole of South Australia. [Read more…]
Bob Such, the former Liberal-turned-independent member of the South Australian Parliament, has died, at the age of 70.
Such held the seat of Fisher in the House of Assembly for 25 years. First elected in 1989, he served as a minister in the Liberal government led by Premier Dean Brown. He was moved to the backbench after Brown was deposed by John Olsen in 1996. In 2000, Such quit the Liberal Party and was re-elected as an independent in 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014.
Following this year’s state election, Such and Geoff Brock held the balance of power after Jay Weatherill’s Labor government was returned with 23 seats to the Liberal Party’s 22. A few days after the election, Such was diagnosed with a brain tumour. [Read more…]
The Council of Australian Governments met in Canberra and discussed a range of issues, including terrorism, reform of the Federation and the taxation system.
The Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, held a joint press conference following the meeting. He was accompanied by Premiers Baird, Napthine, Newman, Barnett, Weatherill and Hodgman, as well as the Territory Chief Ministers Gallagher and Giles. Felicity-Ann Lewis represented Local Government. [Read more…]
The former leader of the South Australian Liberal Party, Martin Hamilton-Smith, has defected and will become a minister in the Labor minority government led by Jay Weatherill, securing its position in the hung Parliament.
The decision was announced at a surprise press conference in Adelaide this morning. Hamilton-Smith will become Minister for Investment, Trade, Defence Industries and Veterans Affairs. He has guaranteed to support the government on Supply and confidence motions. He will sit on the crossbenches and contest his electorate of Waite as in independent Liberal in 2018. [Read more…]