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👋 G’day everyone, Archie here.
A couple of weeks ago, I was in North Queensland, enjoying 26 degrees and the sun.
Man, am I missing it this week.
Here in Sydney, it has not stopped raining.
My colleagues keep telling me, “Just wait for your first spring/summer…you’ll understand why so many people live here.”
I hope they are right.
Also, shout out to those who replied with Yum Cha and hangover cure recommendations. I’m looking forward to trying them. Of course, I’m always taking suggestions — just reply to this email and I’ll be on the other side!
Yesterday, I filed a story about the comments made by the Productivity Commission Chair Danielle Wood, who warned that young Australians may be worse off than their parents. That story 👉 here.
Now let’s crack on 🗞️
It’s frustrating that we still don’t have the final federal improvement approval.
🗣️ Why did she say that?
Woodside Energy’s profits have dropped 24% in the first half of the year. That figure was revealed yesterday after the company released its half-year financial report.
Despite the drop in profits, the fossil fuel giant still pulled in more than $2 billion after paying over $300m in tax.
It’s unclear how much of the hundreds of millions paid in tax actually went to Australia.
The only tax figure directly linked to Australia is the $109 million paid in Petroleum Resource Rent Tax (PRRT).
CEO Meg O’Neil told investors and journalists in a teleconference:
“It’s frustrating that we still don’t have the final federal improvement approval. Time frames are certainly something that needs to be considered when we’re thinking about how to lift productivity in Australia.
“We know that the federal government understands how important the North West Shelf extension is for our communities, customers and our workforce, and therefore the nation and we look forward to a positive final outcome in the very near future.”
Woodside is months late on responding to the conditional approval for its North West Shelf gas project in WA — a decision that could see 80 million tonnes of emissions a year until 2070.
For my full breakdown, check out today’s video:
Around the Grounds 🦘
Across the country, things are happening at a local level that have an impact nationally. Here’s the stories you might not hear about in the traditional media.
1️⃣ First Labor MP in seat named after a Liberal PM
Mathew Sims at the Eastern Melburnian recently sat down with one of Melbourne’s newest MPs, Gabriel Ng, to get his thoughts on a variety of issues including healthcare, education, housing and climate change.
Mathew asks: how hopeful are you about Australia’s future identity?
The Menzies MP says he’s “pretty optimistic.”
“I think we have a really well-functioning democracy,” he said. “While there are people on the fringes who sometimes try to divide us, on the whole, I'm really optimistic.”
Read that story by clicking below 👇
2️⃣ Getting rid of the hounds
Victoria would save more than $450m over 10 years if the Greyhound racing industry was scrapped in the state.
The figures come straight from a Parliamentary Budget Office report released last week, commissioned by the Animal Justice Party Victoria MP Georgie Purcell.
Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff announced on August 10 the state would shut down greyhound racing by mid-2029.
Jacob Wallace at the Gippsland Monitor asks Bass Coast Shire councillor Jon Temby for his thoughts. He said: “I think it's taking advantage of plenty of people who can't afford to throw away weekly shopping money.”
“My preference would be to get rid of the industry.”
Read that story by clicking below 👇
3️⃣ Alleged turkey murder in regional NSW
A group of native Brush Turkeys have been found poisoned at Safety Beach near Coffs Harbour, with laboratory tests confirming high levels of the banned pesticide chlorpyrifos.
It’s the second time this has happened at the beach in 2 years.
The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) is investigating the deaths and is urging the public to report any suspicious pesticide activity.
EPA Director of Regional Operations John Forcier said: “We are hopeful that someone in the community could still have vital information to help us stop this happening again.”
He said “pets and members of the public could also be at risk if exposed to some chemicals”.
The negligent use of pesticides that harms any non-target animal or plant can attract fines of up to $500,000 for an individual and $2 million for a corporation.
Read that story by clicking below 👇
The Government vs. Netanyahu
Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke has responded to Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who called PM Anthony Albanese a "weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia's Jews" in a social media post on Tuesday night.
Netanyahu's comments come after Burke blocked the visa for far-right Israeli politician, Simcha Rothman. Rothman had planned a speaking tour of Australia. Israel has since declared it would revoke the visas of a number of Australian representatives to the Palestinian Authority.
Tony Burke told ABC Radio National on Wednesday morning: "Strength is not measured by how many people you can blow up or how many children you can leave hungry. Strength is much better measured by exactly what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has done."
"When there's a decision that we know Israel won't like, he goes straight to Benjamin Netanyahu, he has the conversation, he says exactly what we're intending to do, and has the chance for the objections to be made person-to-person."
Thanks for catching up with me. I hope you enjoyed this issue, and I’d love to hear your thoughts. Just reply to this email and I’ll be on the other side 👋
I’ll be back on Friday.
Cheers, Archie