Politics live: new standards for datacentres being built in Australia; report warns of drone threat | Australian politics
Good morning
Krishani Dhanji
Good morning, Krishani Dhanji We’re here with you as politicians gather in Canberra for another week.
There are many issues on today’s agenda; As the situation in the Middle East escalates, the government will come under more pressure on global oil supplies.
The Liberal party will continue to deal with the results of the South Australian election at the weekend and the European Union president Ursula von der Leyen He arrives in Sydney today before addressing federal parliament this week. She will be the first female foreign leader to achieve this.
Government introduces new rules for data centers and AI; This will force companies to increase clean energy supply and minimize their water footprint by building new developments.
I got my coffee, I hope you got your coffee too; let’s get stuck in!
important events
Australians are ‘victims’ right now: Hume
Deputy federal Liberal leader, Jane HumeHe said the South Australian election results sent a message to his party that the public was “looking for a change”.
State election results over the weekend showed One Nation was able to convert some of its votes into seats in the upper and lower houses. Some Liberals described the poll, which showed One Nation ahead of the Coalition, as a “protest” or “middle finger” vote.
Hume told Sky News this morning that his party “will not answer to either right or left or one side”.
He says the coalition will need to present a better policy platform to win back voters at the next election.
I think the biggest message to the federal coalition is that Australia is looking for change. They are rightfully victimized right now.
They are looking for solutions to high energy bills, out of control immigration policy, decent environments, they want their living standards to be improved and their lifestyles to be restored, I don’t think this is an unacceptable or unreasonable demand.
Hume says Ashton HurnThe SA Liberal leader fought valiantly “in the wake of a scandal that rocked the previous coalition opposition in South Australia”.
Government announces new policies for data centers
The government is today announcing some ground rules for companies looking to build data centers in Australia, including ensuring they contribute to clean energy sources and minimize their water use.
Australia has the second largest data center construction pipeline in the world after the United States. But data centers use large amounts of power and water, and the government predicts that by 2030 data centers will consume approximately 6% of grid-supplied energy.
The new rules state that data centers must bring new clean energy, cover the full share of energy connection costs, increase efficiency, support grid stability and not increase energy costs for households and businesses.
Companies will also need to support employment and industry in Australia.
Tim Ayres is the minister responsible, and at the end of the ABC interview he was finally asked about the announcement. He says the “guidelines” outline what the government expects from companies and investors to build data centers in Australia.
It sends a message to the states and territories, we don’t want to see a race to the bottom on these standards, and it makes it very clear that if you have a data center investment for Australia, we want to see you support additional electricity through power purchase agreements, which means you’re contributing to Australia’s resilience rather than undermining it.
Should Australians work from home to save fuel?
James Glenday then asks Tim Ayres Does he think Australians should consider working from home to save fuel? Countries like Sri Lanka have switched to a four-day working week and are encouraging public servants to WFH.
Ayres says the government will not dictate this and is trying to remind everyone that the Coalition is trying to “ban” working from home.
Australians will make their own decisions and working from home will be a viable option for many people. We don’t go any further than that.
Industry minister questions fuel safety
industry minister Tim Ayres On ABC News Breakfast this morning, he did his best to avoid directly answering some tough questions, including whether Australia would seek to leverage our coal and gas exports to secure fuel imports.
Ayres, who joined the program a little earlier, said overall the government was working with international partners to “maximise” fuel supplies and ensure Australia’s fuel was getting to the regional areas where it needed to be.
Homeowner James Glenday He tries to push Ayres on whether we’re considering a mutual approach, but Ayres isn’t biting. He says:
We are an excellent partner on energy security for a number of our partners in the region in terms of refined fuel products and crude oil.
Glenday then asks Ayres if the government will levy a 25% export tax on gas companies if prices start to rise (as reported last week).
Ayres sidesteps the question:
We have taken action at the state level for the first time to introduce a reservation scheme that will ensure Australian gas is available to Australian households and Australian businesses. The details of this booking plan will be decided in the normal way through an appropriate cabinet process… We will release these details once they have been properly decided.
Lowy Institute article warns of drone terrorism threat
Governments around the world are unprepared for the growing threat of drones being used to carry out terrorist attacks, a report warns.
Advances in drone technology, 3D printing and AI-assisted navigation should prompt leaders, including those in Australia, to rethink their strategies to combat extremism, according to the Lowy Institute article.
The report points to a number of events in recent years as “warning signs” of what could happen if governments do not take action.
These include a British student arrested for using a 3D printer to make “kamikaze” drones for the Islamic State, seven men in Queensland with homemade weapons and a drone-mounted improvised explosive device, and two separate US plots involving the use of drones.
“What was once the exclusive domain of state actors is now accessible to almost anyone with a credit card and a data signal,” the authors said. James Paterson (not senator) and Lydia Khalil wrote.
The combination of easy accessibility and payload potential and the limitations of indigenous counter-drone systems poses a growing challenge.
Drones were also used to lethal effect in the Russia-Ukraine war and the Middle East conflict, where they were loaded with explosives and flown to military personnel or sensitive areas.
The report warns that many civilian and military areas could be targeted, including mass gatherings and large events.
He argues that “difficult decisions” will need to be made to decide which positions to defend and how to do so.
via AAP
Good morning
Krishani Dhanji
Good morning, Krishani Dhanji We’re here with you as politicians gather in Canberra for another week.
There are many issues on today’s agenda; As the situation in the Middle East escalates, the government will come under more pressure on global oil supplies.
The Liberal party will continue to deal with the results of the South Australian election at the weekend and the European Union president Ursula von der Leyen He arrives in Sydney today before addressing federal parliament this week. She will be the first female foreign leader to achieve this.
Government introduces new rules for data centers and AI; This will force companies to increase clean energy supply and minimize their water footprint by building new developments.
I got my coffee, I hope you got your coffee too; let’s get stuck in!
