It’s déjà vu with the mining lobby using scare tactics to ward off taxes. The lobby is threatening to unleash an ad campaign if the Labor government refuses to rule out a windfall tax on super profits, in a warning harking back to the mining tax ads against the Rudd government.
The UN, leading economists and unions have been calling on governments to impose a windfall tax on surging profits of fossil fuel companies caused by inflation and the Ukraine war. US president Joe Biden last month threatened to impose such a tax, while the UK has already gone ahead and introduced the measure. The Albanese government says it’s still considering options.
Top news
Gina Rinehart | Is this the photobomb of 2022? Gina Rinehart was spotted at Donald Trump’s presidential campaign launch event at Mar-a-Lago, in the background of a photo posted to Instagram by the former president’s son Eric. Rinehart, the executive chair of mining and agricultural company Hancock Prospecting, has publicly backed Trump since at least 2016, when he was elected president.
Floods | Water levels in Forbes – a town in the central west region of New South Wales – peaked today at 10.68 metres, just below the 10.8-metre record set in 1952. Residents now wait for the water to recede to start the clean-up, while a third person – a man in his 20s – is feared missing in Eugowra. Continued flooding in the nation’s south-east will cost “billions of dollars”, the federal government says. Watch this short video of a road in the central west region becoming completely submerged in water in just a few minutes.
Messy Victorian politics | The state’s anti-corruption watchdog, Ibac, is busy this election season, with both sides of politics under the microscope. Labor has been referred to Ibac over claims the party avoided reforming the widely criticised upper house group voting system to “keep the Greens at bay”. And the opposition leader, Matthew Guy, has been referred, alongside his former chief of staff, over allegations of trying to circumvent political donation laws. Guy has denied any wrongdoing.
NT strike | Hundreds of teachers, prison officers and other public servants will walk off the job in the Northern Territory amid stalled pay negotiations with the government. Unions have pushed back against the 2% annual wage increase offered to public sector workers by the NT government. Public sector wages Australia-wide have seen scant growth amid soaring inflation, rising just 2.4% over the last 12 months compared to 3.4% in the private sector. Inflation is at 7.3%.
Bruce Lehrmann retrial | The ACT government is pushing for urgent reforms to remove a loophole that prevents the use of video recordings of rape complainants’ evidence in retrials if, like Brittany Higgins, they initially gave evidence in the courtroom. Current rules prevent video recordings being used in retrials.
‘Hardcore’ Twitter | After sacking half of Twitter’s workforce, Elon Musk has given the remaining half a Thursday deadline to commit to working “long hours at high intensity” and being “extremely hardcore” or else leave with three months’ severance pay. Twitter has seen nothing but upheaval since Musk took over, including an advertising boycott and botched product launches.
Xi’s Trudeau rebuke | Xi Jinping had no smiles for the Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, at the G20 summit – a sharp difference to the Chinese leader’s affable exchanges with Anthony Albanese and US president Joe Biden. Xi angrily rebuked Trudeau, on camera, over alleged details of their private conversations being shared with the media. Earlier this month, Trudeau warned China is undermining democracy in Canada after reports emerged that Beijing interfered in its federal elections.
Republicans seize House | The GOP has won a slim majority in the House of Representatives, but keeping all Republicans in line to maintain majority votes will be a major challenge for whoever becomes the next House speaker. And the first fight among Republicans has already started on who exactly will be their House leader.
Iranian police open fire, beat women | Iranian security forces have opened fire on people at a metro station in Tehran and beaten women who were not wearing mandatory hair coverings as protests over the death of Mahsa Amini enter a third month. Watch the footage here, caution is advised.
Lula at Cop27 | President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has told the world that “Brazil is back” in a rousing speech at Cop27, vowing to undo the environmental destruction seen under his far-right predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, and work towards zero deforestation of the Amazon rainforest.
Full Story
The whistleblower tapes exposing racism in Queensland’s police force
Audio recordings leaked to Guardian Australia by a whistleblower reveal several officers and sworn police using racist and offensive language while working in a Brisbane watch house. It follows evidence at the state inquiry into police responses to domestic and family violence, which included dozens of examples of racist, misogynistic and sexist behaviour. What does this say about the culture of Queensland police? Listen in this 23-minute episode.
What they said …
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“What is housing for? Is it something to invest in – or is it a human right?” – David Pocock
The independent senator was responding to community pleas at a town hall in the ACT to pass the federal government’s industrial relations bill, which Labor and unions say will help grow wages. “We’re desperate,” one attendee told Pocock. The senator’s vote is needed to pass the bill, but he has flagged concerns and wants more time to consult.
In numbers
Before bed read
It’s that time of year and my colleague Alyx Gorman has put together a very creative Christmas gift guide – 50 ideas for presents under $50. I personally use this as my guide every year, and would highly recommend. I may, however, reserve the Indigenous botanical chocolate for myself.
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