Summary Edition of the Inside Canberra newsletter published 13 April 2018. ‘Inside Canberra’ – the source you can trust since 1947 is published by the Keating Media office in Parliament House, Canberra. Subscribers can read the full edition and future editions.
The Prime Minister has been put on notice (Photo by Rob Keating/Keating Media)
Contents
- The Week in Politics
- From the Gallery
- Josh Frydenberg at the Press Club: The Energy Statement We’ve Been Waiting for
- Inside Canberra Forums
- Lockheed Martin 2018 Vernon Parker Oration and Dinner
- Electoral Funding and Disclosure Reform Bill to Ban Foreign Political Donations
- New Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Council of Australia
- Secretary Of The Department Of Veterans’ Affairs Resigns
- Launch of the Australian Constitution Centre at the High Court
- Deputy Nationals Leader Keynote Speech on Rural Health
- Strange bedfellows
- Rooster or feather duster?
- Public sector egalitarianism
- Why Aren’t We Talking About Nuclear Power?
- Economic Reform is Overdue
- Protecting Privacy
The Week in Politics
The political agenda this week has been dominated by the opinion polls. Views on the Coalition’s prospects at the next election have crystallised since the release on Monday of the latest Newspoll which confirmed the 30th consecutive loss for the government under Malcolm Turnbull’s leadership. There were Coalition members going everywhere but one thing was clear: Malcolm Turnbull did not have the unadulterated support of the party. (Subscribe to Inside Canberra to read the full article)
From the Gallery
• It’s rumoured from a source clued into the Government that Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will call the next election for August this year.
• A source in government relations who has been butting heads with government Minister’s said a Minister recently said to them he would use state power by “making their life uncomfortable” if this person didn’t back down. (Subscribe to Inside Canberra to read the full article)
Josh Frydenberg at the Press Club: The Energy Statement We’ve Been Waiting for
Canberra – 11 April 2018: The Minister for the Environment and Energy Josh Frydenberg answers a question from David Denham, Preview Magazine about emissions reductions. The Minister said it was important to recognise that emissions were at their lowest for 28 years. It was a significant improvement. This was during the Q&A session at the National Press Club after the Minister delivered his address about the National Energy Guarantee. (Photo by Rob Keating)
On Wednesday the Minister for Energy and the Environment, Josh Frydenberg, appeared at the National Press Club to explain why Australia needs a National Energy Guarantee (NEG). He said that he wanted to make three points: firstly, he said that the traditional energy system had been turned on its head and disrupted in recent times; secondly that we were paying a high price for the ideological debate over energy and climate change; and finally that the NEG is the best way to guarantee energy reliability and affordability while meeting Australia’s climate change commitments. (Subscribe to Inside Canberra to read the full article)
Inside Canberra Forums
Michael McCormack speaking at the Defence Forum in 2016 (Photo by Rob Keating)
Proposed Forum Schedule for 2018:
Regional Development and Agriculture Forum in partner-
ship with the National Rural Press Club (TBA) with Michael McCormack MP, Leader of the Nationals, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
May Budget Briefing and Budget Forum: Monday, May 7 with The Hon Michael Sukkar MP, Assistant Minister to the Treasurer
Infrastructure Forum Monday the 18th of June with The Hon Paul Fletcher MP Minister for Urban Infrastructure and Cities
Foreign Affairs and Investment Forum Monday the 25th of June with The Hon Julie Bishop MP, Minister for Foreign Affairs
Revenue and Financial Services Forum Monday the 13th of August with The Hon Kelly O’Dwyer MP, Minister for Revenue and Financial Services
Resources and Energy Forum Monday the 20th of August with Senator The Hon Matthew Canavan, Minister for Resources and Northern Australia
Education, Science and Training Forum Monday the 10th of September with Senator the Hon Simon Birmingham, Minister for Education and Training
Health Forum Tuesday the 16th of October with The Hon Greg Hunt MP, Minister for Health
Defence Forum Monday the 26th of November with Senator the Hon Marise Pyne, Minister for Defence
Fore Professional & Corporate Subscribers; to register please email inside-canberra@keatingmedia.com.au or call our office on 02 6373 3001.
Lockheed Martin 2018 Vernon Parker Oration and Dinner
The 25th Ambassador of the United States of America to Australia The Honourable John Berry will return to Australia to talk about “Strengthening Democracies in the 21st Century and Australia’s Leadership Opportunity” Former Ambassador Berry is now the President of the American Australian Association based in New York. The Oration will be given at the Australian Naval Institute (ANI) Annual dinner to be held at Hotel Realm in Canberra on Thursday, 10 May 2018 at 6.15pm.
Electoral Funding and Disclosure Reform Bill to Ban Foreign Political Donations
Mathias Cormann (Photo by Rob Keating)
On Monday Senator Mathias Cormann the Minister for Finance and Leader of the Government in the Senate said he “welcomed the unanimous report and recommendations of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters in relation to the Government’s proposed Electoral Funding and Disclosure Reform Bill, including our proposed ban on foreign political donations”.
New Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Council of Australia
On Tuesday Minerals Council of Australia, Chair Dr Vanessa Guthrie announced the appointment of Ms Tania Constable PSM as the MCA’s new Chief Executive after the resignation of former CEO Brendan Pearson.
Ms Constable most recently worked as the Chief Executive of the Co-operative Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Technologies (CO2CRC).
Secretary Of The Department Of Veterans’ Affairs Resigns
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced on Wednesday that Mr Simon Lewis PSM has advised him of his intention to resign from his position as Secretary of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs with effect from 18 May 2018.
He said, “It is my intention to recommend to the Governor-General that he appoint Elizabeth Cosson AM CSC as the Secretary of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs”.
Launch of the Australian Constitution Centre at the High Court
Julian Leeser MP (Photo by Rob Keating
Julian Leeser MP (pictured left) the Parliamentary Ambassador of the Australian Constitution Centre launched the centre at the High Court with Chief Justice Kiefel and CEFA CEO Kerry Jones on Monday. The Australian Constitution Centre at the High Court is a collaboration between the High Court, CEFA and the Government. The Centre tells the story of Australian democracy from its origins in Europe, to the making of the Constitution in the 1890’s and right through to the present day via its interpretation by the High Court.
Strange bedfellows
The Prime Minister has a fairly busy schedule in the parliamentary break leading up to the budget. Next week he heads off to the UK for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting which kicks off in London on April 16. Next, he travels to Germany for three days before making a brief visit to Belgium. His European outing winds up in France where, on April 25, he’ll open the $100 million Sir John Monash Centre at Villers-Bretonneux, the scene of France’s bloody western front battles during World War I. And this is where it gets interesting: (Subscribe to Inside Canberra to read the full article)
Protecting Privacy
The revelations that data collected by Facebook have been used by companies like Cambridge Analytica have caused outrage and consternation among Facebook users. The reaction is that Facebook should have protected its users but this was not the basis on which the platform operated. It left it to individuals to take measures within the site to protect their data from being harvested. It transpired that most users, including Facebook’s inventor and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, had not taken any such precautions.
Additional Photos from the Josh Frydenberg National Press Club Address
See photos below, or visit the Keating Media photos website to view more photos from Frydenberg’s National Press Club Address.
Canberra – 11 April 2018: Alan Finkel, Australia’s Chief Scientist chats with Minister Josh Frydenberg ahead of the Minister for the Environment and Energy’s National Press Club Address. (Photo by Rob Keating)
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