Key Points
- Calls for 25% tax on gas exports at Greens-led review
- Second indigenous woman dies at Bandyup Women’s Prison
- Bulldogs skipper injured ahead of Thursday game against Swans
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TRANSCRIPT
The Australian Conservation Foundation is among environment groups calling for a new tax on gas exports.
A Greens-led parliamentary inquiry is examining the issue over the next two days in Canberra and is due to report back just before the Federal Budget on May 12.
There are calls for a 25 per cent tax on gas exports or an increase in the petroleum resource rent tax on windfall profits.
Chief Executive of the Australian Conservation Foundation Adam Bandt says it's time for gas corporations to pay their fair share of tax.
"Big gas corporations are making billions of dollars in profits, they're not paying their fair share in tax and, in many cases, they're paying no tax at all. Big gas corporations are raking in profits and meanwhile everyday Australians get higher interest rates, fuelled by inflation, and higher insurance premiums fuelled by the climate crisis."
Opposition leader Angus Taylor says a new tax is a bad idea.
"The industry says it will be the end of the industry. That's what it says. It says it will all be over, there'll be no further investment. But that's the clearly intent of it, people want that industry gone. We need our own oil and gas."
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The Western Australia Greens are calling for a review of a women's prison after a second Indigenous woman died inside the jail in less than five weeks.
A 40-year-old Indigenous woman died at the Bandyup Women's Prison in Perth's northeast on Saturday morning.
Her death comes just over a month after a 35-year-old woman died inside the same prison.
WA Greens leader Brad Pettit says the state government needs to carry out a review to work out what's going wrong.
He's also calling for the WA government to fully implement any outstanding recommendations from the 1991 royal commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody.
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Early voting opens today for the by-election in the Nepean electorate in Victoria.
The by-election, for a seat on Melbourne's Mornington Peninsula, was prompted by the resignation of first-term Liberal MP Sam Groth.
It comes about seven months out from the full state election, in November.
Election day is on May 2.
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Shadow Housing Minister Andrew Bragg has questioned whether the head of government housing fund is up to the job.
The Housing Australia Future Fund is tasked with increasing the supply of social and affordable housing.
The government has a target of building 1.2 million homes by the middle of 2029.
Senator Bragg says the government must ensure the head of the agency is up to the job.
"I mean this is now a proeprty developer, a major insurer, it's doing a million things and so we think that the new head of Housing Australia should be nominated by the minister and then put before the Senate so we can actually kick the tyres and see whether they have the executive functioning skills and the experience to run this monolithic agency.”
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New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Luxon has survived a secret ballot of his own partyroom on his leadership.
Beset by internal leaks and poor polling, Mr Luxon brought on the vote himself.
The National Party hasn't released the tally of the vote, but Mr Luxon now claims the issue is behind him, ahead of the election to be held on the 7th of November.
"Today, our caucus had a good, honest discussion. Our team is more determined than ever to serve Kiwis and to win the election. To put that media speculation to rest, I moved a formal motion of confidence in my leadership. That motion was passed confirming what I have been saying. I have the support of my caucus as their leader. Caucus has answered clearly and decisively. It has backed my leadership, and that matter is now closed and I won't be commenting further on it."
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In a major change of policy, Japan has scrapped its long-time ban on export of lethal weapons.
There have been severe limits on Japan's defence policy, guarded by its pacifist constitution since the end of the Second World War, but many of these are now being discarded in the current international security environment.
The export of equipment such as missiles, fighter jets, and destroyers will now be allowed.
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary, Minoru Kihara, says the government will decide what to sell, and whom to sell it to, on a case-by-case basis.
"In order to create an ideal security environment, and to strengthen the national defence industrial base, which supports the self defence force's ability to sustain combat operations, the Japanese government will be strategically promoting the transfer of defence equipment and technology."
Australia has previously welcomed loosening of traditional defence restrictions by Japan.
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In AFL, Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli is in doubt for Thursday's clash with Sydney as he recovers from a knee injury.
Bontempelli is one of several injured stars who will be given right up until game time at Marvel Stadium on Thursday night to prove their fitness.
Coach Luke Beveridge says he won't risk injured players.
"Give him right up until the death. I mean we had two six-day turnarounds. This is another shorter one, six day. There's a couple of boys who are a little bit sore and ultimately they'll play if there's no risk that they'll injure what they're sore with."
