Australia news live: deputy Nationals leader backs net zero and Littleproud as leader; interstate emergency teams help assess NSW floods damage | Flooding
Key events
Hogan also backed Littleproud should “absolutely” should remain leader.
Asked about whether someone like Michael McCormack returning as leader would be a good idea, he said:
I think this is a hypothetical that is not on the cards.
… David Littelproud very strong support in the national party room. And I would say even more support after the process he followed, how transparent he was.
On the topic of what was and wasn’t put the Nationals party room, Hogan says the request for the Coalition junior partner to be able to breach cabinet solidarity was not brought up with the party room because “it wasn’t a non negotiable.”
Speers:
What about his demand to end shadow cabinet solidarity – that didn’t go to the party room did it?
Hogan:
No, because it wasn’t a non negotiable. So David brought that up in one of his conversations with Sussan. She said that would be unacceptable. David said fine, that’s not a non-negotiable.
Hogan says despite the criticisms of the National’s decision this week, the feedback from the communities they represent is overwhelmingly positive:
I can tell you the feedback into my office from my community. I know a lot of my colleagues have said this, is very different from the commentary in the cities about what we’ve done this week. People are grateful and thankful that we’re standing up for these regional policies we have. They’re important to people’s daily lives.
Hogan backs net zero
Speers asks Hogan outright:
What is the Nationals position now on net zero?
Hogan:
The Nationals support net zero 2050.
Hogan said that policy was settled seven years ago and “that’s not up for review or being changed.”
Nationals leader David Littleproud staunchly defended the “principled” decision to cut ties with the Liberals over its refusal to immediately re-commit to positions on nuclear power, a $20bn regional future fund, powers to break up supermarkets, and reliable phone and internet access in the bush.
Speers asks Hogan about reports the party room didn’t know about the four policy demands until after Littleproud had raised them Sussan Ley.
Hogan insists:
He got the [party] room’s approval to do all of this.
Deputy Nationals leader, Kevin Hogan, is speaking with ABC Insiders following his party’s momentous announcement they would be breaking away from the coalition agreement, only to come back admitting there is still room for the two parties to kiss and make up.
Before the announcement, Hogan twice told Sky News all Coalition policies were up for review.
David Speers asks Hogan about the shift with the break coming because the Nationals had four key policy areas they demanded not be changed, including nuclear. Hogan responds:
The party room had our very firm position on nuclear. We discussed nuclear, we reviewed it in the sense that the policy that we took to the election could be could be relaxed, if you like. But there was a view in the room which I respect, that we have a nuclear facility at Lucas Heights already, but we are saying that we’re going to have nuclear submarines in this country over the next decade or so. And so at least, if the moratorium on nuclear was the least we should, we should do, and I was exceptionally happy with that.
Woman dies after being shot by police in South Melbourne
A woman has died after being shot by police in South Melbourne on Saturday evening.
Victoria police said officers were called after reports that a male had a machete at about 5pm:
Police located a male and whilst he was being arrested, a vehicle was [allegedly] driven at a police officer, striking them.
The officer shot at the offending vehicle, striking a female driver and her male passenger.
The 34-year-old female has died at the scene, while the 26-year-old male has been taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The male senior constable has been taken to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening-injuries.
Homicide Squad detectives will now investigate the matter with oversight from professional standards command, as is standard procedure for a fatal police shooting.
Many NSW towns still isolated amid floods
As of 7pm last night these New South Wales mid-north coast towns remained isolated: Croki, Moto, South West Rocks, Hat Head, Crescent Head, Louth Park, Gillieston, Duckenfield, Millers Forest, Woodberry Swamp, Lambs Valley, Anambah, Hinton and Osterley.
NSW SES say they will be prioritising resupply in those locations and expect access to be restored as water recedes.
Premier Chris Minns in his op-ed said:
As we look forward, it’s important that everyone is across the process of emergency response and recovery from here. Our first priority, of course, is to save people in imminent risk of death. The next priority is to supply food and shelter. The last priority is the cleanup effort.
I understand that there will be some frustrations if your possessions have been swept away, or your business has been smashed. You want to start the recovery as quickly as possible. But we’ve got to make sure the third priority doesn’t jump in front of the first one.
As flood waters recede, we can move into the cleanup phase.
Minns pens op-ed on NSW floods: ‘These are tough communities … but they are in pain’
The New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, has penned an op-ed reflecting on the people of the mid-north coast and the Hunter “as they deal with the floods that have smashed their communities this week”:
These are tough communities … But they are in pain right now, as they count the costs of the damage, while mourning those who have died in terrible circumstances.
These deaths are a shocking tragedy, but it’s important to know that this disaster could have been on a much larger scale. If it wasn’t for the bravery and professionalism of our emergency workers and volunteers, we may have been mourning hundreds of deaths this week.
We have seen an incredible logistical effort, working in exceptionally difficult circumstances. In the coming days and weeks, we will hear more stories of people being plucked out of impossible, desperate situations. We will learn of volunteers putting themselves in harm’s way to rescue complete strangers.
Good morning
Natasha May here, bringing you Sunday’s news.
New South Wales continues to deal with the devastation from floods on the mid-north coast where over 30,000 people remain isolated as waters start to recede slowly.
About 200 additional emergency service partners from Queensland, Western Australia, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT have been deployed to support the NSW SES.
The state government is also using helicopters to provide isolated farmers with emergency fodder for their stranded livestock. There have been 43 helicopter aerial drops and nearly 131 emergency fodder drops by other means since midday on Saturday.
The NSW premier is urging those affected to be patient as they await clean-up assistance. Chris Minns says the priority remains saving people still at risk, although he understands the frustrations “if your possessions have been swept away, or your business has been smashed”.
Meanwhile, commuters in Sydney will enjoy fare-free travel on trains tomorrow as the NSW government attempts to make up for headaches last week when an overhead wire failure delivered knock-on delays from Tuesday evening through to Wednesday.
On Monday, travel will be free on all Sydney trains, Airport Link, and Sydney Metro services on the Opal network but will not extend to buses, ferries and light rail, which will charge fares as normal. Free travel will not apply to regional train services and coach ticketing, including TrainLink services.
Let’s get into it!
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