⏱️This edition of the National Account’s newsletter is a seven-minute read.
👋 G’day everyone, Archie here.
Got some very exciting stories today, so let’s crack straight in with the news 🗞️
🔥 Pants on fire
Queensland’s Crime and Corruption Commission have found that Former Townsville Mayor Troy Thompson lied about his military service and cancer diagnosis during his election campaign.
For my full breakdown, check out today’s video:
It is disappointing for the people...who tirelessly volunteered over the past two decades to support his [Barnaby Joyce’s] political ambitions
🗣️ Why did he say that?
David Littleproud was just one of the many National Party members providing commentary now former-colleague Barnaby Joyce, whose long-flagged exit from the National Party has finally come to be.
All of the noise around Joyce’s departure almost seems like it was by design, as recent polling has revealed his decision to leave the party might be more of a survival move rather than the liberation he’s making it out to be.
Polling released this week from the Armidale-based New England Times has revealed nearly 60 percent of voters in Joyce’s electorate of New England wouldn’t want him to recontest his seat.
The polling found voters overall believe Joyce has served the electorate well, but now believe it’s time to move on.
Just 10 percent of the New England voters polled said Joyce should recontest the election in the Senate.
Around the Grounds 🦘
Across the country, things are happening at a local level that have an impact nationally. Here are the stories you might not hear about in the traditional media.
💧 Water bill
In Victoria’s Gippsland region, Latrobe City Council has told the state government that any money from water used to fill coal mines should stay in the region.
Engie, AGL and Energy Australia plan to fill their open-cut mines with 2,354 GL of water over the next 30 years, enough to fill Sydney Harbour four-and-a-half times.
The council wants some of that revenue to fund local projects and warns rivers and lakes are already under pressure in a drying climate.
Read that story by clicking below 👇
⚖️ Kapterian coughs up
Federal Court judge Sarah Derrington has ordered Liberal candidate Gisele Kapterian to pay the court costs of Independent Nicolette Boele.
A month after the seat of Bradfield, on Sydney’s North Shore, was called for Independent candidate Nicolette Boele, Kapterian announced her intention to challenge the results in the Court of Disputed Returns.
A result for that petition was never handed down: instead, Kapterian abandoned the challenge in late September, stating she was “satisfied that, overall, the correct outcome has been declared”.
Judge Derrington said the aborted challenge gave “little or no public benefit” and questioned whether it strengthened faith in democracy.
But Kapterian won’t be out of pocket personally. Instead, the Liberal Party will cover the costs.
Read that story by clicking below 👇
🐮 Coming to West Vic
A group of Zimbabwean dairy farmers has spent a week in western Victoria learning how to boost milk production back home.
Twelve representatives from the Zimbabwe Association of Dairy Farmers toured farms to see herd management, breeding programs and machinery in action.
They hope to improve productivity, using smaller, heat-tolerant cows, and eventually become self-sufficient and export milk.
Read that story by clicking below 👇
ARCHE Energy responds
Energy Consultancy firm ARCHE Energy has responded after Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen critiqued modelling from the company used by the National Party to justify dumping Net Zero.
The company’s statement, released earlier this week, revealed a decision in calculation to ignore how Australia’s power grid operates, including the effect solar has on pricing and what it means for coal power stations.
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 Monday.
Cheers, Archie