.png)
3 hours ago
16
James Paterson says Liberals must end post-election ‘apology tour’
Dan Jervis-Bardy
A senior Liberal frontbencher has called for an end to the naval-gazing that has plagued his party since its disastrous federal election defeat, warning a prolonged “mass public therapy session” makes the opposition appear unfit for government.
The Victorian senator James Paterson said the party must stop the post-election “apology tour” and urgently shift its focus to holding Labor accountable and devising a policy agenda that applies traditional Liberal-conservative values to modern Australia.
In a speech laying out his vision for the party’s future, the Victorian senator said the Liberals must reject the “false choice” that it must turn into either a “free market version of the teals” – in doing so rejecting culture wars – or adopt Nigel Farage-style populism.
Delivering the Tom Hughes Oration last night, a speech in honour of the former Liberal attorney general, Paterson said:
The alternative to these false choices is to maintain the classical liberal-conservative fusion that Menzies built and make it relevant for the modern world.
Key events Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature
Education ministers to consider new national standards to combat bullying
Krishani Dhanji
Federal, state and territory education ministers will consider a proposal for a new national standard on anti-bullying when they meet on Friday.
The communications minister and eSafety commissioner are also set to brief the ministers ahead of the social media ban taking effect on 10 December.
The government announced the anti-bullying rapid review in February, with co-chairs Dr Charlotte Keating and Professor Jo Robinson to present their findings and recommendations to the meeting.
The education minister, Jason Clare, says the review shows the prominence of bullying in and out of school hours.
Complaints about online bullying to the eSafety commissioner have increased by 450% in the last five years ...
The review reminds us bullying doesn’t stop when the school bell rings any more. Today it can follow you all the way home after school. The internet means that you can be bullied now at any time, day or night, and anyone can see it.
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Murray Watt to spruik proposed rewrite of nature laws to WA miners
Faster environmental approvals could save proponents hundreds of millions of dollars, according to analysis the federal environment minister will use to sell his planned rewrite of nature laws to Western Australian miners.
Murray Watt wants to speed up assessment times for projects as part of changes to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC), which he plans to introduce to federal parliament in November.
A combination of measures to “streamline” approvals – including the introduction of special “go” zones to accelerate green energy projects – are designed to reduce the timeframe for decisions by at least 20 days.
New departmental analysis released by Watt’s office found that would save applicants about $440m.
Watt will promote the analysis in a speech to Western Australian business leaders, hoping to secure their support after their fierce resistance to the Albanese government’s first attempt to overhaul the EPBC Act.
The minister will tell the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Western Australia:
Having modern, fit-for-purpose environmental laws in place will protect Australia’s precious natural environment, while also supporting speeding up assessments and approvals for national priorities like more homes, jobs, renewable energy, critical minerals and the economic prosperity Australia needs in the future.
We know that time is money – our new streamlined assessment process, as well as other reforms and initiatives, will deliver substantial cost savings for businesses and bring forward important economic development.
While in Perth, the environment minister plans to meet with the Western Australian premier, Roger Cook, who personally lobbied Anthony Albanese to shelve Labor’s nature laws in the last term of parliament.
Dan Jervis-Bardy
‘Our solemn task is to get ourselves in a state where we are capable of governing again’: Paterson
The Liberals have been locked in an extended period of public blood-letting and infighting after suffering the worst election defeat in its 80-year history at the May poll, with sackings and resignations from shadow cabinet, damaging leaks and frequent outbreaks of disunity all testing Sussan Ley’s authority.
In the speech, the shadow finance minister said a period of “reflection and self-examination” was necessary after the election loss, particularly given MPs’ regret with how robust internal debate was sacrificed for unity under Peter Dutton’s leadership.
But Paterson said it cannot “drag on for ever”.
An ongoing mass public therapy session doesn’t exactly scream ‘ready for government’.
Paterson acknowledged the Liberal party – unlike Labor – granted backbench MPs freedom to speak their mind on policies, reflecting on how he had threatened to cross the floor to oppose the Turnbull government’s proposed extradition treaty with China in 2017.
But, without naming any rogue MPs on his side, he said that “freedom must be exercised judiciously”.
The Liberal party is not a thinktank. Or an activist group. Or a debating society. We are a political party designed to win and hold government. Those of us who remain in parliament have a special obligation to our party and our country. And our solemn task is to get ourselves in a state where we are capable of governing again. The consequences if we fail are dire.
James Paterson says Liberals must end post-election ‘apology tour’
Dan Jervis-Bardy
A senior Liberal frontbencher has called for an end to the naval-gazing that has plagued his party since its disastrous federal election defeat, warning a prolonged “mass public therapy session” makes the opposition appear unfit for government.
The Victorian senator James Paterson said the party must stop the post-election “apology tour” and urgently shift its focus to holding Labor accountable and devising a policy agenda that applies traditional Liberal-conservative values to modern Australia.
In a speech laying out his vision for the party’s future, the Victorian senator said the Liberals must reject the “false choice” that it must turn into either a “free market version of the teals” – in doing so rejecting culture wars – or adopt Nigel Farage-style populism.
Delivering the Tom Hughes Oration last night, a speech in honour of the former Liberal attorney general, Paterson said:
The alternative to these false choices is to maintain the classical liberal-conservative fusion that Menzies built and make it relevant for the modern world.
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories before our day’s blogger steers the news ship through the oceans of live updates.
James Paterson, the shadow finance minister, has called for an end to the naval-gazing that has plagued his party since its disastrous federal election defeat, warning a prolonged “mass public therapy session” makes the opposition appear unfit for government. We have more details in a minute.
The International Monetary Fund expects Australia’s economic growth to slow in the coming months as the global economy battles trade tensions and faces risks of an AI bubble. More coming up.
English (US) ·