Australian Politics

The Housing Industry Association (HIA) expects detached housing starts to total 123,370 in 2022, which is 17% lower than in 2021.

Australia is caught in its worst living standards crisis in a century but the government has gone to Hawaii.

As described yesterday, this is the reality of China’s olive branch to Australia: Beijing has said the “most difficult time for China-Australia relations has passed”, but told Canberra to improve the relationship the Albanese government needs to reduce hurdles on Chinese businesses.

You couldn’t write a worse script for the Albanese Government.

Whaaambulance again: “Further taxing our coal exports won’t make electricity cheaper for Australian consumers, it will just cost jobs and undermine our reputation as a reliable trading partner,” the company with huge holdings in the Hunter Valley of NSW said on Wednesday.

I’m afraid the world is just not ready for Chinese reopening.

Really?

Why is it that women now run the four most evil lobbies in Australia?

Pharmacists in NSW can administer vaccines for flu and COVID-19, but they are to be given the power to administer a much wider range of vaccines under a 12-month trial that will begin on 14 November.

The move towards some form of energy price caps is gathering more steam: Energy expert Bruce Mountain says a temporary windfall profits tax on the coal and gas sector would be most easily implemented if it took the form of a levy on ­exports.

The greatest lobbying parasite in Australia is puffing itself up for the energy battle ahead: The mining lobby group said a temporary tax on coal and gas producers would be a “perverse” way to deal with rising energy prices.

Could it be that now that Albo has been forced to take the issue seriously, emergency energy policies may actually take the best possible course?

A parliamentary joint select committee is scheduled to release a report on its review of the federal government’s National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) bill.

The tyrant is readying to make war: Xi Jinping has ordered Chinese military to prepare for war, warning China’s national security is facing “increased instability and uncertainty”.

Another big LNG takeover in the offing: The nation’s energy market is set to be radically reshaped again as electricity giant Origin Energy gives its early blessing to a monster $18.4bn takeover bid led by one-time AGL suitor Brookfield.

Pass the popcorn.

In last month’s federal budget, Treasurer Jim Chalmers announced a “new housing accord” that would aspire to “build one million new, well located homes over five years from 2024”.

After using September’s Jobs & Skills Summit as a Trojan Horse to ramp immigration, Stephen Saunders argues immigration minister Claire O’Neil’s “big, gutsy” migration review is another sham with a predetermined outcome of driving immigration to record levels.

I said after this year’s election that the Albanese Government’s win was more a protest vote against Scott Morrison than a ringing endorsement of Labor.