Clint Jasper

2 months ago | abc.net.au | Clint Jasper

The federal government has committed to establishing a $1.2 billion strategic reserve of 31 "critical minerals" that underpin everything from the suction power in your vacuum to the green energy transition and advanced weapons manufacturing. A common feature of these minerals is that Australia has the ability to dig them up, but the ability to process them into something useful lies in China.

2 months ago | abc.net.au | Clint Jasper

As the world digests the potential impact of US President Donald Trump's latest round of tariffs,the response has been swift and strong. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has vowed to use "dispute resolution" powers if necessary, while Opposition Leader Peter Dutton suggested he'd be willing to use defence and security as a bargaining chip in negotiations. But to understand what these tariffs mean for Australia, it's important to understand what we sell overseas, and who actually buys it.

2 months ago | abc.net.au | Georgie Hewson |Andrew Thorpe |Stephanie Chalmers |Clint Jasper

While Australia's imports from the United States are worth more than what we export to it, there are still many sectors that would feel the pain of tariffs. We export a lot of meat to the US, so the beef industry is on alert. Other industries that have the US as a key customer include gold, pearls and other precious stones, and optical and medical goods. Australia exported $US1.35 billion worth of pharmaceuticals to the US last year, mostly blood products and vaccines.

Feb 24, 2025 | abc.net.au | Clint Jasper

Access to voice and SMS calls would be extended to huge areas of reception dead zones across the country as part of Labor's pledge to include mobile phone services in the universal service obligation. Currently, only broadband internet via the NBN and landline and payphone telephone access are included in the universal service obligation (USO), a long-standing policy that ensures all Australians have access to some level of communication technology.

Jan 27, 2025 | abc.net.au | Daniel Mercer |Clint Jasper

At a site in the industrial suburb of Kwinana, about an hour south of Perth, coal was once stockpiled high. The black fuel would be loaded on to a conveyor belt and transported just a few hundred meters away to a giant plant that sat on the edge of the turquoise Indian Ocean. From here, it would be pulverised, fed into a huge furnace and used to generate much of the power that kept Western Australia's capital running. It's a different story these days.