‘Fantasy': Coalition struggles on net zero policy as rest of world ‘abandons' it
'Net zero is just a fantasy, it's just not reality, and of course, you say that in Australia and you get dismissed,' Mr Sheridan told Sky News Australia.
'Global carbon emissions have gone up quite radically between 2020 and 2023.
'All centre-right parties around the English-speaking world have abandoned net zero by 2050 as a hard target.

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SBS Australia
a few seconds ago
- SBS Australia
'It's a long game': International student cap increase welcomed, despite housing caveat
The addition of 25,000 student enrolments for next year has been welcomed by the university sector, despite questions about how to unlock the placements. On Monday, Education Minister Jason Clare announced a National Planning Level of 295,000 international student places for 2026 to manage growth in a "sustainable" way. The government will issue a new direction for the changes, replacing Ministerial Direction 111, which acted as a de facto cap and enabled it to reduce numbers by slowing visa processing and assigning quotas for international students to each university. Clare announced two caveats for universities to gain additional placements: student housing and a focus on Southeast Asian neighbours. Education Minister Jason Clare has increased international university numbers by 9 per cent for 2026. Source: AAP / Lukas Coch Phil Honeywood, CEO of the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA), welcomed the 9 per cent increase but highlighted that the levels were still lower than during the pandemic. "Any increase in the enrolment figures from the government is very welcome ... however, it's patchy," he told SBS News. "Our English language colleges are collapsing as we speak because of the combination of high student visa fees and just a concern that the future for Australian international education is not fantastic." Regional Universities Australia CEO Alec Webb reacted to the news with "positivity", praising the fact that "no university will go backwards in 2026". "It definitely signals that Australia is still open for business, and Australia should still be a destination that is being considered for prospective international students," Webb told SBS News. New housing critical to extra placements Universities will have to demonstrate stronger engagement with Southeast Asia and progress in providing secure student accommodation for both local and international students in order to apply for an increase in their allocation. While Honeywood encouraged the pivot to closer neighbours such as Thailand and Indonesia — "great student source markets" — he expressed concern about housing backlogs. "It's taking purpose-built student accommodation companies anything up to three years to get a project approved and commence construction. So it's a long game," he said. It's a concern also expressed by Webb, who hopes universities will get clarity around housing expectations soon, as well as more information about how the 25,000 placements will be split between metro and regional universities. "Obviously, that can't be a new site build, there is an incredible amount of delay and lag associated with not only obtaining the planning permissions, but also with the actual construction itself," he said. "So we're very keen to work with the department and the government to better understand what the expectation is in regards to securing the supply of housing." SBS News has contacted Clare for comment. The focus on housing reflects the intersection between education and migration, a point exacerbated during the federal election campaign. Australia 'the least worst' option The sector has repeatedly raised concerns that the ongoing debate about international student numbers is deterring prospective students from choosing Australia, delivering a blow to the $34 billion a year industry. However, Honeywood says Australia can capitalise on recent disruption to the global market caused by Donald Trump's presidency in the United States. "Australia's been very fortunate that other countries we compete against, particularly Canada, Donald Trump's USA now and the UK are also winding back on international student recruitment," he said. "And therefore when students are thinking which country to go and study at, they're obviously seeing that Australia is in many cases the least worst when it comes to their ability to access education." From tariffs to university education, experts argue that President Donald Trumphas created global uncertainty that Australia can capitalise off. Source: AP / Evan Vucci This week's announcement outlines capacity for 2026 ahead of new legislation, subject to passing, which will establish the Australian Tertiary Education Commission. The body will oversee student caps and university allocations, balancing which courses and skills are needed and hopes to provide stability to the sector from 2027.

Sky News AU
28 minutes ago
- Sky News AU
Indigenous artist avoids sacking from government role despite releasing foul-mouthed rant labelling Anthony Albanese a ‘genocidal c***'
Indigenous musician Fred Leone has escaped being sacked from a government board despite releasing an abusive clip to social media labelling Prime Minister Anthony Albanese a 'c***' for his handling of the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Prime Minister Albanese is reportedly considering a potential shift in foreign policy following in the footsteps of the UK, France and Canada, with September's UN General Assembly a possible timeframe for Australia to formally recognise a Palestinian state. Mr Albanese's hardening stance on the conflict was not enough to satisfy Indigenous musician and federal public servant Fred Leone, who posted a lengthy expletive-laden rant to Instagram last week scolding the PM and his cabinet colleagues in the strongest possible terms. Mr Leone, who was driving in his car at the time, began the clip by declaring that Anthony Albanese was a 'weak as p***, f****** dead s*** damn arsed leader' and that he was the 'poxiest f****** leader this country has ever had.' The Butchulla songman was nominated to the board of the Music Australia Council by Arts and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke in 2023 and rakes in an annual salary of $24,540 from the position. Mr Leone, who has an extensive track record of expressing controversial personal opinions, seemed unphased about his position as a civil servant and proceeded to launch a blistering personal attack aimed at his ministerial bosses. Mr Albanese copped the brunt of the tirade and was characterised by Mr Leone as a 'f****** child' who had been 'sucking Zionist n*** for the last two years, it's pathetic.' 'You (Mr Albanese) call anybody who calls out Israel an antisemite, what we are talking about is disgusting, you are selling weapons parts to Israel, go get f***** you piece of s***. Mr Leone said Foreign Minister Penny Wong should also 'go get f*****' and that she was a 'gutless piece of s***' and a 'lying b****.' The man then turned his sights to Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, who personally appointed him to the lucrative federal board. 'Tony Burke, you f****** weak arse c***. How many Israeli IDF soldiers are here and living in this country with dual citizenship and you are here galivanting around,' Mr Leone said. He also appeared to threaten the trio, at one stage stating, 'don't come near me or I'll rip you in front of everybody.' The outburst, which would typically warrant instant termination in most workplaces, did not result in Mr Leone being stood down from his official capacity as a federal bureaucrat - with The Australian reporting he would remain in the role until his term on the board lapsed at the end of August. In a brief statement to The Australian, Mr Burke said 'his (Leone's) language escalated as soon as he was told that he wasn't going to be reappointed to Music Australia.' Mr Leone said he 'couldn't give a f***' if he 'never got any funding from the Australin government ever again.' 'I will apply, and I couldn't give a f***, I couldn't care less,' he said.

Sky News AU
an hour ago
- Sky News AU
‘Fatigue is setting in': Ukrainian ambassador says Putin does not want to end war
Ukraine's Ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko says the Russia-Ukraine conflict will continue as Vladimir Putin believes he has the "upper hand". 'It's up to Putin to decide when it is going to be over,' Mr Myroshnychenko told Sky News Australia. 'It doesn't look like he wants to end; he feels like he is at an upper hand. 'Fatigue is settling in because it's been a four-year war, you know, Putin planned to take over Kyiv in three days, take over Ukraine in six weeks … he didn't succeed.'