Did you know that the majority of residents in and around Tarong & Callide (Qld), Liddell & Mount Piper (NSW), Port Augusta (SA) and Low Yang (Vic) are supportive of having nuclear power plants built in their midst? No, neither did I.

 

In June 2024 Leader of the Opposition & Liberal MP for Dickson Peter Dutton - the politician with 30 nicknames implying he is either a fascist dictator or a root vegetable (or both) - flanked by both the Leader of the Nationals & the Morrison lookalike spokesperson on Climate Change and Energy, announced that if he won federal government in 2025 he would establish a nuclear power industry in Australia.

The initial seven nuclear power plants would be sited at retiring coal-fired power stations in:

Tarong in Queensland, north-west of Brisbane

Callide in Queensland, west of Gladstone

Liddell in NSW, in the Hunter Valley

Mount Piper in NSW, near Lithgow

Port Augusta in SA

Loy Yang in Victoria, in the Latrobe Valley (rarer than a dodo bird, SMR reactor only)

Muja in WA, near Collie (ditto another dodo).

Then, in the months that followed, when hard questions began to be repeatedly asked Dutton went quiet on the subject. Leaving most of heifer's dust shovelling to be done by fellow Queenslander, the Nationals Leader & MP for Maranoa David Littleproud.

A task he is obviously not performing well......

The Noisy Elephant

@TheNoisyTrunk

#DavidLittleproud said, on #ABC 2/09/2024 Afternoon Briefing*, these exact words:

"Well, on all seven locations, the majority of people living in these locations that we're proposing for 'nuclear' power plants to take over from transition from coal-fired power stations support this"

We have a question, @D_LittleproudMP YES, THIS IS A QUESTION TO YOU David and it WILL be followed up.

WHERE is it documented that a MAJORITY of people in the 7 locations SUPPORT "this" (The transition to nuclear power).

1/. WHO polled this

2/. WHEN was it polled

and

3/. WHERE can we view the polling methodology.

We ask because #GregJennett didn't ask, and he SHOULD have, and secondly it needs to be verified given it is such a big claim and goes against the official polls.

Please reply to this post so that all can see rather than us having to go down a more formal approach and then republish stating such.

#NuclearPower

*https://iview.abc.net.au/video/NU2422C156S00

#DavidLittleproud said, on #ABC 2/09/2024 Afternoon Briefing*, these exact words:

"Well, on all seven locations, the majority of people living in these locations that we're proposing for 'nuclear' power plants to take over from transition from coal-fired power stations support… pic.twitter.com/AFbZRAquzO

— The Noisy Elephant (@TheNoisyTrunk) September 2, 2024

So the Coalition appears to believe that a homegrown nuclear power policy will get it over the line at the 2025 general election? Despite the fact that it will take too long reaching operational status, costs up to 85 billion to build & once all 7 reactors are up and running will need many billions of megalitres of water annually to function

 

On Wednesday, 19 June 2024 the Leader of the Coalition Opposition & Liberal MP for Dickson Peter Dutton (Qld) held a joint press conference with Leader of the National Party & MP for Maranoa David Littleproud (Qld), Liberal MP for Farrer Sussan Ley (NSW), Liberal MP for Hume Angus Taylor (NSW) and Liberal MP for Fairfax Ted O'Brien (Qld).

These representatives of their parties have sat in the Australian Parliament for approximately the last 22, 7, 22,10 and 7 years respectively.

From that Wednesday press conference an est. 10,047 word transcript was produced which alleges to outline a Coalition policy on nuclear power as part of Australia's energy mix, with 7 nuclear power plants to be constructed in the vicinities of Tarong and Callide in Queensland, Blackmans Creek and Mount Piper in NSW, Traralgon in Victoria, Collie in Western Australia and Port Augusta in South Australia.

All 7 of these projected sites according to Dutton & Co are to be compulsorily acquired from the existing owners on behalf of the Commonwealth and it is anticipated that the nuclear build will begin sometime in the next 10 years (before 2035) and the first two nuclear power plants will be complete in the next 11 to 12 years (2035-37) with the remaining five being completed by sometime in the 2040s.

When it comes to the projected cost of the build no estimation is given other than "it will be a big bill, there’s no question about that".

However the CSIRO GenCost 2023-24 report calculates a 7 large-scale power plant build as costing up to $85 billion in today's dollars, with the first nuclear power plant completed at est. cost of up to $17 billion. While a small scale SMR nuclear power plant (as yet commercially unrealised) has a tentative est. build of somewhere between $5.1 and $9.3 billion. A total cost for 7 small scale plants being between est. $ 35.7 to $65.1 billion in today's dollars.

The Australian Energy Council, peak industry body for electricity and downstream natural gas businesses operating in the competitive wholesale and retail energy markets, is not critical of CSIRO's timetables and costings.

The CSIRO GenCost 2023-24 final report also indicates an estimate of total build years to completion for 7 large-scale nuclear power plants as 40.6 years - with a most optimistic completion date in 2064-2065 if construction commenced immediately. While the report also states estimated total build years to completion for 7 small-scale nuclear power plants is 30.6 years - with a most optimistic completion date in 2054-2055 if construction commenced immediately.

In the joint press release transcript it states: "we’ve looked at water" as part of the basis of making the announcement of Coalition intentions to build those seven nuclear power plants if elected to govern in 2025.

However that brief mention did not qualify or quantify nuclear power production water needs, which according to a nuclear power-neutral Smart Water Magazine quote:

one nuclear reactor requires between 1,514L and 2,725L litres of water per MWh. It equates to billions of gallons of water per year, and all this water requires filtering somehow.

This would see Queensland & New South Wales required to each find an additional est. 27,786 megalitres of water per annum and Victoria, South Australia & West Australia each required to find an additional est. 13,893 megalitres per annum.

To put that into some perspective two nuclear power plants operating for one year in NSW would require the equivalent of 557 years of Clarence River average water discharge into the sea.

Further, in the joint press release, this quartet of Coalition politician also appear to be asserting that an Australian nuclear power industry will supply "cheaper" electricity.

The Australian Energy Council states:

Australian retail household electricity prices in the National Electricity Market (NEM) are the lowest they have been for eight years, and on an international comparison are the 10th lowest of the 38 OECD countries. The average cost per unit of electricity has fallen to 27 cents/kWh according to the most recent Australian Competition and Consumer National Electricity Market (NEM) data. When compared against other countries using a purchasing power exchange rate, Australian average prices per kilowatt-hour are equivalent to 17.6 US cents (c/kWh), well below the OECD average cost of 24.2 US c/kWh and less than many European countries.

World Nuclear Association graph, 30.04.24. Click on image to enlarge

According to the World Nuclear Association in 2024 there are nuclear power reactors operating in 32 countries plus Taiwan.

Looking at the graph of 58 countries above, 5 of the 15 countries with the highest household electricity prices were countries with nuclear power in the mix.

The Czech Republic operating 6 nuclear reactors has the second highest household electricity price, Belgium operating 5 nuclear reactors the 7th highest, Spain with 7 nuclear reactors the 10th highest, Slovenia sharing 1 nuclear reactor the 12th highest and the United Kingdom operating 9 nuclear reactors the 14th highest.

The full transcript of the 17 June 2024 joint press release can be read at:

https://www.peterdutton.com.au/leader-of-the-opposition-transcript-joint-press-conference-with-the-hon-david-littleproud-mp-the-hon-sussan-ley-mp-the-hon-angus-taylor-mp-and-mr-ted-obrien-mp-sydney/

Less than twelve months out from the next federal election and Peter Dutton's 'when I am prime minister' promises are beginning to mount

IMAGE: The Guardian 11.06.24
Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

It would appear that Leader of the Opposition & Liberal MP for Dickson, Peter Dutton(left), has decided that his style of leadership less than twelve months out from the next federal general election is to commence a sustained presidential-style campaign to win back government.

The 'when I am prime minister' comments and promises have increased recently.

To add context and keep track of what Dutton has been promising since becoming opposition leader, here is a list of promises made so far. Not all of which have stood the test of time.

Dutton’s super promise

The Mercury, 2 March 2023:

The Opposition Leader said the Coalition would not support the changes given Labor had declared it would not tinker with superannuation during the election campaign. “We’re dead against it, and we will repeal it. We’re not going to stand by and watch Australians attacked,” Mr Dutton said. Treasurer Jim Chalmers defended the changes on Wednesday morning, arguing while there would be some “political cost” to the move, overall it was a “modest” reform.

Dutton promises improved facilities for female sports participants during shire visit

St. George and Sutherland Shire Leader, 18 August 2023:

Mr Dutton, accompanied by the MP for Hughes and shadow sports minister, made an early election promise that a Coalition government would help sporting clubs improve facilities to help increase female participation.

He said $250 million would be provided over four years for community sporting infrastructure across the country.

Dutton promises another vote if Indigenous Voice fails

Brisbane Times, 2 September 2023:

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has promised to hold a referendum on constitutional recognition for Indigenous Australians if the Voice is defeated at the ballot box next month, and he wins power at the next election.

Setting out some of his alternatives to a Voice that is written into the Constitution, the opposition leader said he supported “regional voices” and the recognition of First Australians.

Cook returns fire over Dutton defund pledge

The Australian, 31 January 2024:

The federal Opposition Leader on Tuesday used an address to the WA Chamber of Minerals and Energy to promise to withdraw financial support for the EDO [Environmental Defenders Office]...

Dutton railroads PM in byelection: Campaign on Track

Sydney Morning Herald, 02 Feb 2024:

Dutton will travel to Melbourne's bayside today to pledge $900 million towards extending Melbourne's rail network to the booming suburbs south of the electorate.

The electrification of the Frankston-Baxter line, along which a diesel V/line service runs, would include new stations at Langwarrin and Frankston East, both of which sit within Dunkley.

Dutton promises more tax cuts under Coalition

The Sydney Morning Herald, 07 February 2024:

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton emerged from a Coalition party room meeting yesterday to admit he could not block the Labor tax cuts and would not roll them back if he won power, but he vowed to add to them with further measures announced before the election.

Dutton: 'I'll wind back regulation'

The Australian Financial Review, 3 April 2024:

Peter Dutton will promise business leaders cheaper energy prices and less government interference under the Coalition, pledging to stay out of the way of employment and profit growth through a simplified industrial relations system...

Invoking the vision of Liberal Party founder Robert Menzies in an address to the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia, Mr Dutton will pledge to better represent workers and business operators if the Coalition wins the next election, delivering a "back-to-basics economic agenda"....

A year out from the next election, Mr Dutton will to call for sustainable wage growth delivered through productivity enhancements....

He will tell attendees the Coalition is developing plans for a dramatic ramp-up in domestic gas production and will present policies for deployment of nuclear power technologies.

Campbell: Dutton’s migration promises a year too late to seize political initiative

The Daily Telegraph (Online),19 May 2024:

On Thursday night, in his budget-in-reply, speech Peter Dutton finally grabbed the political opportunity this represents by promising to cut permanent migration for two years from 185,000 to 140,000 – or by 25 per cent – and to work with universities to set a cap on foreign students.

He will also ban foreign investors and temporary residents from buying existing homes in Australia.

I’ll kick out any foreigner who commits serious crime: Dutton

The Australian, 7 June 2024:

Peter Dutton says no non-citizen who commits a dangerous crime in Australia should be allowed to stay in the country as a matter of principle, arguing they should be deported “immediately”

Dutton vows to ‘make Victoria great again’

Herald Sun, 8 June 2024:

Peter Dutton wants Victoria to return to its “manufacturing powerhouse” glory days — and he says with his strong economic leadership skills, he can get us there.

Dutton to pull Australia out of Paris Agreement if elected

The Sydney Morning Herald, 8 June 2024:

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has signalled he will scrap the nation’s legally binding 2030 climate target and risk Australia’s membership of the Paris Agreement on climate change, following his vow to deploy nuclear energy to reach net zero by 2050.

Dutton declared on Saturday that a Coalition government would not pursue Australia’s legally binding climate target to cut emissions by 43 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030.

To be continued.....

Opposition Leader & Liberal MP for Dickson, Peter 'The Dickson Spuddler' Dutton, receives a burning response to his declaration on Saturday that a Coalition government would not pursue Australia’s legally binding climate target to cut emissions by 43 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030

Bushfire survivors call out Peter Dutton’s abandonment of communities on the frontline of climate change

________________________________

Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action

________________________________

June 8, 2024

BUSHFIRE SURVIVORS FOR CLIMATE ACTION (BSCA) has spoken out in response to Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s statements in The Australian today that the Federal Liberal Party would dump Australia’s interim emissions reduction targets. The organisation, founded and led by bushfire survivors, has labelled the move reckless and devastating.

“Here we are watching communities face climate-fueled disasters roll around again and again, with insurance costs rising and homes in some regions becoming uninsurable, yet the Opposition Leader is prepared to delay climate action until the 2040s. To say our members are distraught is an understatement,” said Serena Joyner, Chief Executive Officer of Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action.

“What’s particularly hard to understand is how the Coalition can justify the ever growing expense of worsening climate disasters. The bushfires of 2019-2020 and the 2022 Northern Rivers floods each cost insurers more than $4 billion, and the cost to farmers of the Black Summer fires was $5 billion. Nearly 60% of all local government areas were disaster-declared in 2022 and councils everywhere have been unable to keep up with repairs to local infrastructure.

“And insurance costs are just beginning when accounting for the personal financial and emotional costs to people and communities across the country from more frequent and destructive fires and floods. There’s only so much we can take. Does Peter Dutton expect our regions to just give up and move to the city?

“Scientists tell us if we delay urgent climate action we guarantee that global temperatures will keep rising. That would condemn Australia to face summers like Black Summer on a regular basis, if not worse. It is beyond belief that the Opposition Leader thinks that is an acceptable future for this country.”

About Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action:

BushfireSurvivors for Climate Action (BSCA) is a non-partisan, community organisation made up of bushfire survivors, firefighters and their families working together to call on our leaders to take action on climate change. BSCA formed shortly after the Tathra and District fire in March 2018, and its founding members were all impacted by bushfires, including the Black Summer bushfires in 2019-20, Blue Mountains in 2013, Black Saturday in 2009 and Canberra in 2003.

BSCA has been at the cutting edge of legal reform to reduce climate emissions and hold governments, agencies and companies to account. In 2023 the NSW Environment Protection Agency was the first such agency in the country to introduce a climate policy, which it was required to do as a result of landmark court action taken by BSCA.

https://bushfiresurvivors.org

Opposition Leader & Liberal MP for Dickson, Peter 'The Dickson Spuddler' Dutton, firmly reminded that “Australians voted decisively for action on climate in the 2022 election"

Peter Dutton proposes decades of delay on climate 

Federal Liberals still with no climate plan

_________________________________

Solutions for Climate Australia

_________________________________

8 June 8 2024

National climate group Solutions for Climate Australia expressed extreme disappointment and concern at the Opposition Leader Peter Dutton proposing further decades of delay in tackling climate change, despite increasing climate disasters.

This follows a statement by Peter Dutton today, in an interview with The Australian, that the Federal Liberal Party wants to reject current targets and plans to reduce Australia’s climate pollution this decade.

“It is a tragedy that the Federal Liberal Party has no plan to stop the increasing climate disasters which are directly killing Australians, and damaging communities, agriculture and businesses across the country, and globally,” said Dr Barry Traill, Director of Solutions for Climate Australia.

“We need decisive action on climate pollution this decade to protect farmers, our food supply, businesses and trade. From uninsurable houses, to declining crop yields, to direct threats to life and property, we are all now being hurt by climate disasters.

“Australians voted decisively for action on climate in the 2022 election. Mr Dutton’s weak, do-nothing approach on climate is out of step with the electorate. The community showed it expects all political parties to adopt strong, science-based targets to reduce pollution.”

“The federal Coalition has not heeded the message of the nation on climate. They must do better.”

ENDS

Opposition Leader & Liberal MP for Dickson, Peter 'The Dickson Spuddler' Dutton, informed his nuclear policy is a disaster and that "this is more of the same from the party who already gave us a decade of denial and delay on climate”

 

Dutton's nuclear policy a disaster for Australia

_____________________________

Climate Council

_____________________________

8 JUNE, 2024

Responding to reports today that Opposition Leader Peter Dutton would rip up Australia's 2030 climate targets if elected, Climate Council CEO Amanda McKenzie said:

“Dutton’s climate policy is a disaster, and the consequence for Australians would be more extreme heat, fires and floods. Instead of ripping up Australia’s 2030 climate targets, Peter Dutton must listen to the communities already ravaged by worsening climate disasters.

“There are 195 countries signed up to the Paris Agreement. Opting out would make Australia a global laughing stock.

“The Liberals haven't learned the lesson Australians gave them at the last election: this is more of the same from the party who already gave us a decade of denial and delay on climate.”

Head of Policy and Advocacy Dr Jennifer Rayner said: “Peter Dutton is now promising Australians more climate pollution and a more dangerous future for our kids.

“This is the make-or-break decade to slash climate pollution by accelerating Australia's move to clean energy. This is what it takes to keep our kids safe from escalating climate change and set Australia up for our next era of prosperity.

“Australia is already making great progress, with 40 percent of the power in our main national grid coming from clean energy, and one in three households having solar on their roof. Doing a massive u-turn on this momentum makes no sense when we can accelerate it instead.”

ENDS

The Climate Council is Australia’s leading community-funded climate change communications organisation. We provide authoritative, expert and evidence-based advice on climate change to journalists, policymakers, and the wider Australian community.

For further information, go to: climatecouncil.org.au

Or follow us on social media:

facebook.com/climatecouncil and

 twitter.com/climatecouncil

Opposition Leader & Liberal MP for Dickson, Peter 'The Dickson Spuddler' Dutton - less a slow strip tease of election campaign policies more a full frontal flash

 

Google News, snapshot 09.06.24

ABC News, 8 June 2024:

The federal Coalition has confirmed it will dump Australia's commitment to reduce emissions by 43 per cent by 2030, arguing it is unachievable.

Australia has committed under the Paris Agreement to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 43 per cent on 2005 levels by the end of the decade.

Abandoning the target would also mean withdrawing from the Paris Agreement.

The Sydney Morning Herald, 8 June 2024:

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has signalled he will scrap the nation’s legally binding 2030 climate target and risk Australia’s membership of the Paris Agreement on climate change, following his vow to deploy nuclear energy to reach net zero by 2050.

Dutton declared on Saturday that a Coalition government would not pursue Australia’s legally binding climate target to cut emissions by 43 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030 – a significant escalation of Australia’s long-running climate policy war ahead of the next federal election due by May next year.

Dutton told The Australian on Saturday that the government’s renewable goal was unattainable and “there’s no sense in signing up to targets you don’t have any prospect of achieving”.

The opposition has said if it forms government it would build up to seven emissions-free nuclear power plants to replace the energy supply from Australia’s dirty coal plants, which have begun to shut down across the country. He would also pause the rollout of wind and solar farms.

The CSIRO found Australia could not build a nuclear plant until 2040 and Dutton has said the Coalition would boost the role of gas power to fill gaps in the energy grid until his reactors are built....

The Guardian, 8 June 2024:

Opposition leader reportedly told News Corp he would oppose the legislated 2030 emissions target – a 43% cut compared with 2005 levels – at the next election....

Dutton also reportedly conceded that the Coalition’s commitment to introduce nuclear power in Australia would not lead to plants being built before 2040, a point made by experts, and critics who have accused the opposition of planning to delay action to address the climate crisis.

Yesterday's very public move against science and commonsense by Opposition Leader & Liberal MP for Dickson, Peter 'The Dickson Spuddler' Dutton may or may not be news to the Climate Change Authority in the nation's capital Canberra.

I suspect that the intention of this move is to excite his flying monkeys into 'bombing' yet another independent authority in the hope of modifying its published opinion.

The Australian Government's Climate Change Authority is "an independent statutory body established under the Climate Change Authority Act 2011 to provide expert advice to the Australian Government on climate change policy." It has a Chair, along with seven members, an ex-officio member, a four member secretariat headed by a CEO and, a published Charter. The Authority meets at least every six weeks from February to December, with its latest meeting held on 14 May 2024.

This is a brief look at the Authority's views.....

2035 Emissions Reduction Targets, updated 15 May 2024, excerpts:

The Climate Change Authority is developing advice on the 2035 emissions reduction targets for Australia’s next Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), as requested by the Minister for Climate Change and Energy.....

Australia is due to submit its next NDC under the Paris Agreement in 2025. Under the Climate Change Act 2022 the Australian Government must receive the authority’s advice before submitting Australia’s next emissions reduction targets. We expect to submit our 2035 targets advice to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy in the fourth quarter of 2024....

The authority will provide advice on the 2035 greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets it considers should be included in Australia’s next NDC. We will also advise on the social, employment and economic benefits of the targets and associated policies it recommends and the physical impacts of climate change on Australia, including for rural and regional Australia.

In accordance with the Climate Change Act 2022, our advice will include an explanation of how the targets have taken into account matters set out in Article 2 of the Paris Agreement, including the global temperature goals of well below 2°C and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

The authority’s work is always guided by the principle set out in the Climate Change Authority Act 2011 that any measures to respond to climate change should be, among other considerations, economically efficient, environmentally effective, equitable, in the public interest and consistent with Australia’s foreign policy interests and commitments."

We consider scientific evidence to understand and advise how the global temperature goals and broader principles of the Paris Agreement should guide Australia’s domestic emissions reduction efforts.

In preparing its advice, the authority will consider the challenges and opportunities the net zero transition presents for the Australian economy, and broader contributions Australia can make to the global effort. This includes looking at how Australia can support other countries reduce their emissions and build resilience to climate change impacts, through the goods and services we export, and by building on our history of contributing to capacity building through knowledge-sharing, technology transfer and climate finance in the region.

2024 Issues Paper: Targets, Pathways and Progress, 11 April 2024, excerpt:

The evidence the authority has considered so far suggests a 2035 target in the range of 65-75% below 2005 levels would be ambitious, and could be achievable and sustainable if additional action is taken by governments, business, investors and households to achieve it. However, attempting to go much faster could risk significant levels of economic and social disruption and put progress at risk.

So you think that next year's federal election campaign will be just like other federal election campaigns in the Northern Rivers region? Not if those sitting on the Opposition benches in the Australian Parliament have their way

October 2023 found many adults in the est. 315,775-strong resident population of the NSW Northern Rivers region eager to believe the misinformation, misdirection and downright politically-inspired lies and racial slurs being put about by the Liberal-National Party Coalition and Advance Australia for much of that year.

So much so that 62.32% of all of Northern Rivers voters felt comfortable at the national referendum to metaphorically spit in the faces of est.14,879 other Northern Rivers residents whose ancestors had lived in Australia for at least the last 40,000 years.

For that 62.23% life seemingly went on as before after the referendum vote. With no thought that they themselves, except for their barely disguised animosity towards First Nations peoples, were not the homogeneous group they thought themselves to be.

For the last national census revealed that 40,240 people who were living in Northern Rivers region were born overseas and 12% had only arrived in Australia within the 5 years prior to 2021.

In fact the Northern Rivers resident population contains migrants from over 90 different counties around the globe, speaking at least 50 different languages other than English in their homes.

Now the success of the negative divisive "No" campaign in the lead up to that national referendum vote appears to have encouraged the Liberal-Nationals Coalition to contemplate a national campaign along similar disruptive lines for the federal general election due next year.

However, based on the performance of the Opposition in Parliament and elsewhere, this time the bogey man employed is likely to be 'migrants'.

 It will be migrants who will be held responsible for the high house prices, rising rental costs, increased cost of living pressures and spike in domestic violence in Australia. With the Labor Party solely responsible for their supposedly increasingly high numbers, including an unspecified number of allegedly violent asylum seekers who have been left to roam at will.

So now, instead of being encouraged to hate on est.14,879 of their fellow community members, the Coalition and Advance Australia will be encouraging Northern Rivers voters to hate on up to 40,240 of their neighbours and work colleagues. To form a negative opinion on those community members who come from a non-English speaking background and, in particular on the over 4,000 who only arrived in Australia during the last seven years.

If as many people living in the two federal electorates covering the Northern Rivers region again embrace the thinly disguised racist rhetoric of another 'fear' campaign, then we are all in for yet another sustained attack on social cohesion and local community spirit by the Liberal-Nationals Coalition, supported by Advance Australia and other shadowy pressure groups.

Australia is now less than twelve months away from a federal general election and we are being warned of what is to come in the 2025 election campaign

"GO HOME YELLOW DOG"
Construction site in Melbourne
ABC News, 3 April 2020

Neo- Nazis marching in Ballarat, December 2023
The Age, 3 December 2023

Just a small sample of the casual #racism I sometimes cop as an Arab Australian journalist 🤌🏽

Notice how polite I was to him before he declared immigrants are the root of all problems.

I was covering a hit and run by the way…but I guess the culprit is always “immigrants”. pic.twitter.com/Q7tI0l15XU

— Nabil Al-Nashar | نبيل النشار (@NabilAlNashar) March 6, 2024

The Saturday Paper, 1 June 2024:

Editorial

In defence of Laura Tingle

The statement from Justin Stevens is eight sentences long. If crabs could write, their words would be as chinless and scuttling.

Nowhere does the ABC’s news director attempt to support his political reporter. Nowhere does he try to engage with the truth of what she said the weekend before.

Laura Tingle’s remarks, he claimed, “lacked the context, balance and supporting information of her work for the ABC and would not have met the ABC’s editorial standards”. Those standards, he said, served a vital role. “Laura has been reminded of their application at external events as well as in her work and I have counselled her over the remarks.”

Tingle had made the mistake of saying what is obvious: Australia is a racist country. It was settled on the racist fiction of terra nullius. It federated over racist concerns. It developed policies unique in their racism and was horrifyingly late in dismantling them.

Race has defined most elections in the past three decades. It is an ever-replenishing anxiety, an excuse for policy failures and a salve for lost primacy. The Voice referendum was lost to racism and the racket was so old and familiar that campaigners were told they couldn’t mention it.

“We’re a racist country, let’s face it,” Tingle said last weekend. “We always have been and it’s very depressing and a terrible prospect for the next election.”

That last point is important and the reason for the backlash that has followed. Right-wing politicians and the right-wing press are preparing for an election fought on race. Peter Dutton has never campaigned on anything else. He does not know how.

The purpose of the attack on Tingle is to license what will be said once the campaign is under way. It is a warning about what will happen to people who stand up against what will be an ugly and vicious attempt to win office through fear. Dutton’s budget reply speech was an opening salvo. He had no qualms about linking migration to the housing crisis, despite limited evidence to support this. He added on schooling and childcare and queues at the doctor. Migrants were also the cause of congestion on roads.

Almost all these lines once belonged to John Howard. He saw the double benefit of racism: the creation of an other you could campaign against and who you could blame for all your own failures. Underfunded healthcare stopped being his problem and became the fault of refugees. Traffic on the M4 became an issue of border security. His strawman wore blackface.

Tingle’s statement last weekend made another point about Australia: racism is almost never punished, but the people who name it almost always are. This is especially true if they are women or if they are not white.

The status quo depends on an agreement not to mention what is obvious. Racism is too central to the project of Australia. For people such as Dutton and those in the Murdoch press, it is too big to fail. That is the truth behind what Tingle said and it is the reason it needed to be said.

This article was first published in the print edition of The Saturday Paper on June 1, 2024 as "His strawman wore blackface".

***********

NOTE:

Australian society was not always so shy of admitting its racism. The last slave known to have been sold was an Aboriginal house servant in northern Australia, a fact admitted by the then Minister for Home & Territories in 1927.

While more than one Aboriginal female child was human trafficked and sold as a house servant as late as the beginning of the 20th Century. Along the Australian east coast sea route from south-east Queensland to Tasmania and from Tasmania to the southern coast of mainland Australia.

SEE: https://northcoastvoices.blogspot.com/2020/06/australian-prime-minister-scott.html