PM names royal commissioner and delivery date of April 2023
Albanese:
We know that almost 400,000 Australians fell victim to this cruel system. A human tragedy with very real consequences for its victims.The royal commission will examine the establishment of the scheme, who was responsible for it, and why it was necessary, how concerns were handled, how the scheme affected individuals and the financial costs to government, and measures to prevent this ever happening again.Catherine Holmes AC SC had been appointed the royal commissioner. The commissioner is a former chief justice of the supreme court of Queensland. She led the Queensland floods commission of inquiry after the 2010-11 floods, and acted as counsel assisting the commission of inquiry into abuse of children in Queensland institutions in 1998-99.The final report will be delivered to the governor general by 18 April 2023. It is vital so that we get to the bottom of how robodebt came about so that we can ensure that it can never, ever happen again.
Albanese calls for “sensible” approach to climate amidst granting of offshore petroleum permits
Prime minister Anthony Albanese was also asked about the announcement from the resources minister granting offshore petroleum exploration permits for 47,000 sq km of ocean.
The Greens and Independent ACT Senator David Pocock has been critical of the effects this will have on the environment, calling into question the government’s commitment on greater climate action and cutting emmissions.
Albanese responds that there is a need to be “sensible” about balancing climate commitments and human needs:
Well, people still put petrol in their cars at the moment. I don’t know how you got to the press conference, but chances are it was in a car. Am I right?But you got there. You know, we need to be sensible about this. And we need to change the way that our economy functions, our energy mix across the board. But these lights that are on in this press conference are powered with - and this building is a pretty good building, there’s solar panels, all of that - but chances are if you’re in NSW at the moment and you flick a switch, then that will be powered not by renewables.But we have a plan to change that energy mix, to lower our emissions. And that plan includes 82% of renewables being part of the energy mix by 2030. But what that doesn’t mean is that immediately you can stop using fossil fuel sources today. We have a plan to get there. It’s outlined very clearly, that plan. And, you know, we had that endorsed, indeed, by the House of Representatives by a huge majority just a couple of weeks ago.
No “concrete proposals” from Perrottet about buyback scheme for flood victims, PM says
At the robodebt media conference, Albanese was also asked about his recent conversation with NSW premier Dominic Perrottet about the joint buyback scheme for people in Lismore.