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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Martin Farrer

Morning Mail: Australia’s costly SUV obsession, News Corp shakeup, election fever in Britain

Anthony Albanese has spruiked new fuel efficiency standards but gains could be lost because SUVs and utes are so popular.
Anthony Albanese has spruiked new fuel efficiency standards but gains could be lost because SUVs and utes are so popular. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

Morning everyone. Australia might be buying more electric vehicles, but the national obsession with SUVs and utes is expected to cancel out all the gains from cleaner cars. Meanwhile, the Murdoch empire’s top executives are gathering in Sydney ahead of an expected restructuring of the Australian business next week and it’s election fever in Britain as Rishi Sunak calls an election for 4 July.

Australia

  • Succession planning? | Lachlan Murdoch has been joined in Sydney by the News Corp UK boss, Rebekah Brooks (pictured), and global chief, Robert Thomson, ahead of the announcement of a major restructure of the empire’s Australian newspapers next week.

  • Electric shock | The transport sector “is projected to be Australia’s highest-emitting sector by 2030” according to a new government roadmap on emissions, partly because drivers “increasingly prefer heavy passenger vehicles”. SUVs accounted for more than 50% of new vehicles sold in Australia in 2022 in a trend that could offset any reduction in emissions from “the increased adoption of electric vehicles”. Our Temperature Check column says the claim of a $600bn carbon capture windfall is based on heroic assumptions and selective analysis.

  • ‘Recipe for chaos’ | The Albanese government’s proposed cap on international students is a “recipe for chaos” and the largest ever government overreach in Australia’s higher education system, leading policy experts have warned.

  • Battery pack | The country’s first national battery strategy has been unveiled aimed at turning Australia from a “dig-and-ship” economy into a powerhouse manufacturer of better – and safer – renewable energy storage.

  • ‘Insidious’ | Victims of the debt collection industry say they have been bombarded with phone calls, seen the harassment of friends and family – and even faced misleading and false threats.

World

Full Story

Greg Lynn trial: murder or ‘tragic accident’?

Greg Lynn denies murdering Russell Hill and Carol Clay at a remote alpine campsite in March 2020 in a case that has gripped the nation. Nino Bucci talks to Nour Haydar about the trial’s latest developments.

In-depth

A bill introduced to Queensland’s parliament yesterday marks one of the final hurdles in a 25-year fight by Kerri Favarato to discover her genetic origins. Under the planned legislation, Favarato and other donor-conceived people will be able to demand her medical records from the clinic where she was “produced” in 1982.

“It’s been hard, but I would prefer to know the truth than be lied to,” she says. “And I think that’s something that parents are really scared about. The truth will always come out.”

Not the news

Elefant Traks, the independent hip-hop and electronic music label that broke beloved Australian artists such as the Herd, Hermitude and Horrorshow, are “calling it a day” after 26 years in which they have revolutionised the business. Ahead of a farewell tour of gigs, Tim Levinson and Kenny Sabir (pictured) speak to Jack Tregoning about their successes and why Levinson is sticking to their plan of not being “another old white guy running the shop”.

The world of sport

Media roundup

Growing super balances mean an increasing number of women can retire without relying on a partner’s income, according to new data cited by the Australian. The national capital has been ranked the second-best city in the world for quality of life, the Canberra Times reports. Residents in Surfers Paradise want action taken over a series of “hit-and-runs” against pedestrians involving e-scooters and e-bikes, the Bulletin reports. Talks over alleged racism at Hawthorn are on the brink of collapse according to a former player, the Herald Sun reports.

What’s happening today

  • Sydney | A hearing is expected on an injunction by a Star casino group partner against the Sydney Morning Herald to prevent publication of a inquiry into Chinese crime links.

  • Environment | A public hearing on proposed aerial shooting of brumbies in Kosciuszko National Park is set to be held.

  • Canberra | The deputy commander of the US/Indo-Pacific command will speak at the National Press Club.

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Brain teaser

And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.

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