Latest news with #Gillard
Sky News AU
6 days ago
- Business
- Sky News AU
Mining giant Rio Tinto urges Albanese government to reimpose carbon tax and boost green energy subsidies to meet renewables targets
Mining giant Rio Tinto has used it's submission to the Productivity Commission ahead of the Albanese government's economic roundtable to lobby for the re-imposition of a carbon pricing scheme and bolstered green energy subsidies. Letters to the Productivity Commission's five pillars review, which will compile the agenda of the Albanese government's reform roundtable are beginning to flood in from a range of business groups and bodies. The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry used its submission to rail against the implementation of a 2035 emission reduction target larger than 65 per cent, stating the move would impede economic growth and stymie manufacturing. Meanwhile, the Australian Council of Trade Unions submission to the PC called on the government to consider imposing a Julia-Gillard style, economy wide carbon tax and said the policy was the best measure the government could take to ensure Australia was meeting its international climate obligations. The nation's second largest mining company joined the ACTU in advocating for the government to roll out a carbon tax, a policy which has been shelved for more than a decade since the fall of the Gillard government in 2013. Rio Tinto told the five pillars review that a new carbon pricing scheme was the only way the government could achieve its ambitious goal to have 82 per cent of Australia's electricity grid powered by renewables by 2030. 'Market-based price on carbon is the most effective way to incentivise the private sector to make low-carbon investments and drive down emissions,' Rio Tinto's submission read. The multinational company went a step further than the ACTU and outlined that a carbon tax alone was not enough to lower emissions in line with federal deadlines, arguing for the government to expand subsides to renewable energy producers. The consortium said greater federal funding packages were needed if the government wanted to bring down emissions in heavy industry while remaining 'commercially competitive in a global market.' Rio Tinto is one of the most significant inheritors of the Albanese governments Future Made in Australia fund that provides up to $1.5 billion in grant funding to support pre-commercial innovation, demonstration and deployment of renewable energy and low emission technologies. The company has several clean energy projects nationwide including large-scale solar and wind farms, battery storage facilities and renewable energy purchasing agreements. Rio Tinto, unlike the ACCI resoundingly backed in the government's goal of achieving 82 per cent renewable energy generation by 2030, and said the target 'provides certainty that Australia is committed to a decarbonisation pathway underpinned by the development of renewable energy at scale'. Australia's highest profile business leaders, including Rio Tinto CEO Kellie Parker and Fortescue founder Andrew Forrest joined Mr Albanese in Shanghai, on the second day of his six day long China visit and urged the PM to unleash greater collaboration on green steel and industrial decarbonisation efforts. 'We will create the future together of steel decarbonisation,' Ms Parker said. Fortescue, who's former CEO Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest is an ardent renewables advocate used its submission to call on the government to boost taxpayer funded stimulus packages for renewable projects and lashed the ATO for not providing an adequate environment for clean energy investment. 'The Australian tax system does not currently provide sufficient incentives for major investment in new renewable or decarbonisation projects,' Fortescue's submission read.
Sydney Morning Herald
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Is Australia ready for another female leader?
It's been more than a decade now since the Australian Labor Party dumped Julia Gillard as prime minister and turned back to Kevin Rudd to save the furniture. After a torrid term in office, Gillard said of her gender as she departed: 'It doesn't explain everything; it doesn't explain nothing. It explains something.' Ley's elevation to the liberal leadership is a significant moment in Australian political history, and it sets twin tests. The first is for the Liberal Party: after years of decline in female support because of perceptions it is too male-dominated, too blokey, is it ready to be led by a woman? And will the party give her time to grow into the role? The second test is for those Australians who struggled, during Gillard's prime ministership, with the mere fact that a woman was leading the country – many of whom shared sexist and denigrating memes. We don't know yet whether Australians are ready for a woman to lead a major political party once again, let alone whether a majority would be prepared to vote a woman into the prime ministership. (And that's before you factor in the 33 seats the Coalition has to win back to form government.) The federal political landscape is supposed to have changed for the better in the past decade, with shocking revelations raised by Brittany Higgins and Rachelle Miller leading to the Respect@Work report into sexual harassment, the Set the Standard report into parliament's workplace culture and more. Steps have been taken to improve the culture in Canberra with the creation of a Parliamentary Workplace Support Service and an Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission – though both lack the teeth they need. In theory, the arrival of another federal leader who happens to be a woman should be no big deal. It has become commonplace for state premiers and chief ministers to be women. Women have held almost every senior portfolio federally, though not as treasurer. Countering that, the Liberal Party has, to be blunt, failed in the past decade with its treatment of and appeal to women, with its policy offering becoming less and less appealing to women under Scott Morrison and then Peter Dutton.
The Age
26-06-2025
- Politics
- The Age
Is Australia ready for another female leader?
It's been more than a decade now since the Australian Labor Party dumped Julia Gillard as prime minister and turned back to Kevin Rudd to save the furniture. After a torrid term in office, Gillard said of her gender as she departed: 'It doesn't explain everything; it doesn't explain nothing. It explains something.' Ley's elevation to the liberal leadership is a significant moment in Australian political history, and it sets twin tests. The first is for the Liberal Party: after years of decline in female support because of perceptions it is too male-dominated, too blokey, is it ready to be led by a woman? And will the party give her time to grow into the role? The second test is for those Australians who struggled, during Gillard's prime ministership, with the mere fact that a woman was leading the country – many of whom shared sexist and denigrating memes. We don't know yet whether Australians are ready for a woman to lead a major political party once again, let alone whether a majority would be prepared to vote a woman into the prime ministership. (And that's before you factor in the 33 seats the Coalition has to win back to form government.) The federal political landscape is supposed to have changed for the better in the past decade, with shocking revelations raised by Brittany Higgins and Rachelle Miller leading to the Respect@Work report into sexual harassment, the Set the Standard report into parliament's workplace culture and more. Steps have been taken to improve the culture in Canberra with the creation of a Parliamentary Workplace Support Service and an Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission – though both lack the teeth they need. In theory, the arrival of another federal leader who happens to be a woman should be no big deal. It has become commonplace for state premiers and chief ministers to be women. Women have held almost every senior portfolio federally, though not as treasurer. Countering that, the Liberal Party has, to be blunt, failed in the past decade with its treatment of and appeal to women, with its policy offering becoming less and less appealing to women under Scott Morrison and then Peter Dutton.
Sydney Morning Herald
11-06-2025
- Health
- Sydney Morning Herald
NDIS to slash fees for key health workers to curb costs
Key National Disability Insurance Scheme health workers such as physiotherapists, dietitians and podiatrists will have their payments slashed in the new financial year as the agency that runs the $48.8 billion scheme seeks to bring down its costs. The National Disability Insurance Agency says a review of more than 10 million transactions found that many pricing limits for NDIS therapies were out of step with broader market rates. In some cases, NDIS providers were charging fees that were 68 per cent higher. The agency confirmed on Wednesday that the maximum hourly rate for NDIS physiotherapists would be cut by $10 from July 1, resulting in a new national cap of $183.99 an hour. Similarly, dieticians and podiatrists will have their maximum hourly rates slashed by $5 in the new financial year, resulting in a new national cap of $188.99 for both professions. 'Inflated therapy price points – initially established to support market development in some states and territories in 2019, do not have conclusive evidence to continue,' the NDIA said in a statement. 'Data confirms that people with disability have been paying 'NDIS premiums' for certain therapies. As a result, a number of price points have been adjusted to align with non-NDIS market rates. 'These pricing adjustments are a big step towards further safeguarding participants to ensure they are charged the same as anyone else.' While some professions have had their maximum NDIS rates cut as part of this year's annual pricing review, disability support workers will have their price limit lifted by 3.95 per cent to reflect the recent increase to the minimum wage. Introduced in 2013 by the Gillard government, the NDIS today supports up to 700,000 Australians with a disability and contributes to some 500,000 jobs.
The Age
11-06-2025
- Health
- The Age
NDIS to slash fees for key health workers to curb costs
Key National Disability Insurance Scheme health workers such as physiotherapists, dietitians and podiatrists will have their payments slashed in the new financial year as the agency that runs the $48.8 billion scheme seeks to bring down its costs. The National Disability Insurance Agency says a review of more than 10 million transactions found that many pricing limits for NDIS therapies were out of step with broader market rates. In some cases, NDIS providers were charging fees that were 68 per cent higher. The agency confirmed on Wednesday that the maximum hourly rate for NDIS physiotherapists would be cut by $10 from July 1, resulting in a new national cap of $183.99 an hour. Similarly, dieticians and podiatrists will have their maximum hourly rates slashed by $5 in the new financial year, resulting in a new national cap of $188.99 for both professions. 'Inflated therapy price points – initially established to support market development in some states and territories in 2019, do not have conclusive evidence to continue,' the NDIA said in a statement. 'Data confirms that people with disability have been paying 'NDIS premiums' for certain therapies. As a result, a number of price points have been adjusted to align with non-NDIS market rates. 'These pricing adjustments are a big step towards further safeguarding participants to ensure they are charged the same as anyone else.' While some professions have had their maximum NDIS rates cut as part of this year's annual pricing review, disability support workers will have their price limit lifted by 3.95 per cent to reflect the recent increase to the minimum wage. Introduced in 2013 by the Gillard government, the NDIS today supports up to 700,000 Australians with a disability and contributes to some 500,000 jobs.
