The Climate Council has joined the Greens in condemning the approval of Glencore’s Ulan coal mine expansion, near Mudgee, NSW.

Amanda McKenzie, Climate Council CEO:

It’s nonsensical to cut climate pollution with one hand while approving new coal projects with the other.

Every time this government waves through a new coal or gas project, it undercuts Australia’s 2035 climate goal before it’s even set. Our analysis (attached) shows we’d already be starting from a clearly stronger position – about 10 million tonnes closer to net zero – if the government had simply followed the science and stopped greenlighting more fossil fuels.

If the Government wants its 2035 climate target to be taken seriously, it must stop approving new and expanded coal and gas projects. Approving more coal now makes it harder to meet our climate goals, and puts Australians at greater risk of worsening climate disasters.

“While coal and gas projects are still being waved through without considering their climate damage, the Government can’t credibly claim it’s doing everything possible to fight climate change. It’s time to stop rubber-stamping pollution and start making decisions that put people’s lives and livelihoods first.

Health Minister Mark Butler and Aged Care Minister Sam Rae are up in the Blue Room:

Minister Rae:

Growth and demand for Aged Care Services is growing extraordinarily fast in the home care space. We’ve gone from about 155,000 people accessing home care services through the Home Care Packages program in 2020 to well over 300,000 people now just announcing the profile by which will introduce an additional 83,000 packages, a growth component to that, just over the next 12 months or so.

Minister Butler:

We have to get this legislation through the parliament this week. If we don’t, there is simply no way we can introduce the new aged care system on the first of November.

This demand trajectory is steep, and governments for years, not the next. few years, but for many years ahead are going to have to manage what is going to be for some time, a big increase in demand.

Wrong, wrong, wrong …

The more the lies are repeated, the more we’ll keep calling them out and fact-checking:

The Australian economy grew by 0.6 per cent in the three months to June, taking annual growth to 1.8 per cent.

Federal Treasurer, Jim Chalmers, is speaking in Canberra:

1.8 is a really good outcome in the context of what’s happening around the world and what’s happened in recent quarters but, over time, we’ll need to do better than that, and that’s what we’re working on.

Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister Pat Gorman has just appeared on Sky, urging respect for the Australian flag on National Flag Day.

Just like respect, you teach respect, you teach people how to be respectful of the flag, you teach them how to be respectful of our national symbols. That’s the appropriate course. I recognise that we need to respect the Australian flag.

Australians’ relationship with the national flag has always been complicated.

First and foremost, it’s one of the few national flags which includes another nation’s flag in its corner.

It’s a flag which represents only a tiny bit of this nation’s history.

And on the weekend it was effectively weaponised as a symbol of division in those silly little marches against immigration.

Economics 101 says “tax what you want less of and subsidise what you want more of”, yet the government is now seeking to charge for transparency. Under proposed reforms to the freedom of information (FOI system), each FOI application may cost $30 to $58 unless you’re seeking your own information. It’s expected to mostly impact journalists, academics, and researchers, in other words the people who help us all understand what is going on in our governing institutions.

Yet it remains relatively cheap to meet with senior politicians, just this week the AFR reported it may cost as little as $20,000 for to meet “10 times annually over private lunches and dinners” with the shadow treasurer, or $2,000 per dinner. This isn’t abnormal, last year we published research showing that while public protest is increasingly criminalised, it remains cheap to meet with government ministers including the Prime Minister:

lobbying on behalf of private, corporate interests remains under-regulated, including the ongoing practice of ‘cash-for-access’ payments – where money changes hands for privileged access to politicians.

Access to politicians is cheap: in 2024, it typically costs from $1,500 to $4,000 for a meal with a government minister. Special occasions offer even more opportunities, for instance during the 2024 federal budget there was a “Standing Networking Dinner” with the Prime Minister, Minister for Finance and a government backbencher with tickets costing just $1,500 per person.…

it costs lobbyists only $4,000 for meetings with South Australian politicians including the Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong; Minister for Trade and Tourism and Special Minister of State Don Farrell; and Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler. In other words, the maximum fine for a single protester in South Australia could pay for twelve lobbyist meetings with prominent South Australian ministers.

Many cash-for-access payments are not publicly disclosed. Payments over $17,000 are disclosed (after a wait of up to 18 months) [from next year anything under $5,000 will need to be disclosed]. But, when dinner with the Prime Minister only costs $10,000 or less, the result is that most of these payments happen in secret.

Despite efforts by politicians and the media to undermine the social legitimacy of protest by labelling them “annoying” or “self-indulgent”, Australia Institute polling research shows widespread support for peaceful protest.

Statement from the Australian Bureau of Statistics:

Australian gross domestic product (GDP) rose 0.6 per cent in the June quarter 2025 (seasonally
adjusted, chain volume measure) and 1.8 per cent compared to a year ago. This release
includes the first estimates of the 2024-25 financial year, with GDP rising by 1.3 per cent for the
2024-25 financial year, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics
(ABS).
Tom Lay, ABS head of national accounts, said: ‘Economic growth rebounded in the June quarter
following subdued growth in the March quarter, which was heavily impacted by weather
events.’
Domestic final demand was the main driver of growth led by household and government
spending. Public investment was the largest detractor from growth.
Net trade also contributed to GDP growth, led by exports of mining commodities.
GDP per capita increased 0.2 per cent this quarter, following a decrease in the March quarter.

Question: A lot of people are watching the leaders of China, of India, North Korea, Russia, together and wondering about this apparent strategic shift in power in the world and what it means for countries like Australia. Is this a product of what Donald Trump has done – his approach to global affairs? Is this a natural shift in power away from the United States?

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese:

The United States is our most important partner. I make that point. And I look forward to discussions with President Trump, further discussions. My job as the Australian Prime Minister is to stand up for Australia’s national interest. That’s what I continue to do. I engage diplomatically across the board, and I look forward to continuing to participate. This month is going to be a busy month, beginning with the Pacific Islands Forum next week. In our neighbourhood, the relationships that we have, whether it be that or the week after, Papua New Guinea’s 50th anniversary will be a very significant event. Australia, of course, played such an important role in that.

Question: On the FOI bill, it does make it harder to access freedom of information documents. Does this break your promise for a more transparent and accountable Government?

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese:

Not at all. It’s the opposite.

I stood here last week and spoke about a national security issue, including the expulsion of an ambassador – the first since the Second World War, since the Japanese Ambassador was expelled during World War II. I think most people, and people that I’ve had discussions with, would find it surprising that people can put in anonymous FOI requests.

What that means is that there’s no way to determine whether a foreign agent or actor is putting in requests about information that are sensitive, and no way of ascertaining that.

I think most Australians, and I know some of – without giving up people in the gallery – I know that there are people in the gallery I spoke with this morning, weren’t aware – and I don’t know if you were aware – that you can put in an FOI request anonymously. I’ve got to say, I was somewhat surprised by that. And the obvious implications of security, for example, are there for all to see.