Karen Middleton

Dec 12, 2024 | theguardian.com | Karen Middleton |Graham Readfearn

Peter Dutton claims his plan to introduce nuclear energy in Australia will “keep the lights on” at a lower cost than the Labor government’s renewables-reliant transition. “This is a plan which will underpin the economic success of our country for the next century,” Dutton said in Brisbane on Friday. “This will make electricity reliable. It will make it more consistent.

Dec 9, 2024 | theguardian.com | Karen Middleton

Australians will be offered respiratory vaccines from next year without the usual assessment that ensures they are the most effective available at the best possible price, under the confidential $2bn onshore manufacturing deal the Morrison government struck with Moderna. The agreement exempts Moderna’s mRNA vaccines from assessment by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee, a government memorandum has revealed.

Dec 9, 2024 | theguardian.com | Paul Karp |Karen Middleton

Bill Shorten has accused Peter Dutton of not being ready to govern and failing to admit mistakes, after the opposition leader appeared to back away from an earlier promise to cut net overseas migration. The government services minister accused the opposition leader of “stubbornness” and not having done his “homework” on two different measures of migration. Dutton’s office has denied dumping the commitment.

Dec 7, 2024 | theguardian.com | Karen Middleton

Senior federal minister Murray Watt alleges the firebombing of a Melbourne synagogue on Friday “looks like terrorism” but security agencies are yet to confirm it, as Peter Dutton blames the government for the conditions which led to the attack. The workplace relations minister confirmed Australia’s security agencies are examining the circumstances of the attack to determine whether it should be declared a terrorist act.

Dec 6, 2024 | theguardian.com | Karen Middleton

At a fundraising event for Lifeline Canberra on Monday night, general manager Adam Miller opened with a brief and distressing reality check on the telephone counselling service’s work across the country. “Out of the 10 busiest days in Lifeline’s history,” Miller told the audience, “five have been in the last six months.”He was speaking nationally, not just locally. Given that Lifeline is 60 years old, it was a solemn illustration of the times in which we live.