Australian news and politics recap May 29: China’s ‘no political strings attached’ move with Pacific nations

Former Labor frontbencher Joel Fitzgibbon has welcomed Anthony Albanese reaffirming his view on the importance of gas in his renewable shift after the North West Shelf extension was approved on Wednesday.

He said new environment minister Murray Watt who charged forward with the decision after it was twice-delayed under his predecessor Tanya Plibersek was a “very good appointment”.

“This is a big decision but a positive sign for the industry going forward,” he told Sky News on Thursday, referring to the job creation and economic investment the project delivers.

“I think pragmatism is shining through. Murray Watt, the new environment minister, is also a Queenslander, and he too understands the sector, and that’s really, important,

“Murray, as the lead, is also a great negotiator, very good at consultation in the Senate.

Speaking from the Australian Energy Producers conference in Brisbane, Mr Fitzgibbon said the sector was feeling “pretty optimistic about the future” after Senator Watt’s proposed decision.

Teal independent Allegra Spender has lambasted the environmental approvals process for energy projects in Australia after a six-year delay on the North West Shelf expansion.

The Wentworth MP told Sky News on Thursday the nation’s environmental laws were outdated and urged a second-term Labor government to “fix” them to protect the environment and investment.

“If you can’t simplify project approvals, make sure that we’re protecting the environment but also giving business certainty, you know, then all of our electricity costs go up,” she said.

“Whether it be gas projects or whether it be renewable projects.

“That’s why I think (we need) to fix our environmental laws … both to protect the environment, but also to make it easier for businesses to invest.”

Wentworth Teal independent Allegra Spender has called for the government to “supercharge” the shift to green energy after the approval of the North West Shelf gas expansion.

Speaking on Sky News on Thursday, Ms Spender said Australia’s shift “absolutely” shouldn’t be done at the expense of excessive cost or reliability but the transformation needed to be stepped up.

“I’m not one of those people saying ‘oh, stop gas production now’. We can’t. We absolutely need gas, but we also need to move to alternatives.

“We need to question ourselves about, you know, betting on gas well past 2050 when we’re in 2025 and we know gas is part of that problem.

“We do need domestic gas. I absolutely accept that. But we also should be trying to move out of gas and be building up renewables fast enough.

“We do need to make sure that this transition is affordable and absolutely reliable.

“I absolutely believe that gas is a critical part of our domestic energy system.

“I think that’s it’s finding that right balance. It’s a difficult balance to strike.”

Billionaire Elon Musk has confirmed he is leaving US President Donald Trump’s administration, firing off a final message to the Republican as he leaves his White House role.

Taking to X, which Mr Musk owns, the now former Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) leader, confirmed he was out of the Trump Administration.

“As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,” Mr Musk wrote.

“The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”

Read the full story.

Nationals backbencher Michael McCormack says despite wanting a gig in Sussan Ley’s recently unveiled Shadow Cabinet he would support the Coalition in the rebuild.

Both Mr McCormack and fellow former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce were excluded and sent to the backbench, Liberal leader Sussan Ley announced on Wednesday.

It comes after both Mr McCormack and Mr Joyce were publicly critical of Mr Littleproud’s short-lived call to walk away from the Coalition agreement.

“I’m not going to sugarcoat it. Of course, I’d like to be on the frontbench but I’m not,” McCormack told Sky News on Thursday.

“Barnaby Joyce and I are going to be sitting on the backbench together. Who would have thought?

“So I realised … you’ve got to sit on the pine for a while and that’s okay. That’s all good. We don’t always get what we want in life.

“It’s the team that’s been chosen and I’ll get in behind that team, as I’m sure Barnaby will as well.”

“I want the Nationals to work in close conjunction with the Liberal Party to form a credible Opposition so that we can restore and re-earn the faith of the Australian people.

“2028 seems a long way away, and it is, but we need to absolutely keep this bad government accountable, and that’s what we’ll do every day.”

Nationals backbencher Michael McCormack has defended his lambasting of Nationals leader David Littleproud’s short-lived separation from the Coalition, saying he has no regrets.

Speaking on Sky News on Thursday, the Riverina MP held firm on calling his leader out.

“It wasn’t a sensible move. I described it as madness and it was,” he said.

“And I’m not sorry. I did what I did to get the parties back together.

“(It) wasn’t undermining, certainly wasn’t.

“I’ve always done things for the Nationals and for regional people, and always will.

“I need and want David Littleproud to be the best he can be.”

Anthony Albanese has reflected on how rugby league helped shape him to the leader he is today while appearing on breakfast radio on Thursday.

In a string of interviews the Prime Minister celebrated his home State of NSW claiming victory over Queensland at Brisbane’s State of Origin game last night.

But while revelling in the win, the PM revealed playing the sport as a school boy had provided him with his first public speaking gig.

“In year 5 and 6 I went to St Mary’s Cathedral school. When I was in year 6, I wasn’t the best player in the team but the brother Simpson, I remember him well, made me captain of the team,” he said.

“What that meant was that every Monday morning I had to stand up in front of the school and report on how we went on Saturday and that was my first public speaking.

“He obviously saw some leadership potential (in me) and here I am.”

Iron ore magnate Gina Rinehart may still be Australia’s richest person but that massive pile of dosh is now just a little shorter than it was last year.

The name behind the Hancock Prospecting and Hancock Agriculture empires — with assets stretching from Roy Hill and Atlas Iron through to Bannister Downs Dairy, Drizabone and Rossi boots — is worth $38.1 billion, according to this year’s Australian Financial Review Rich List.

Compared to your bank balance that’s still pretty decent, no?

Mrs Rinehart has now held the title for six-straight years, but this year’s figure is 6 per cent down on where it stood last year thanks to a softer market for her No.1 earner, iron ore.

​Read Dan Newell’s full story here.​

Anthony Albanese says he wants the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games to be an opportunity to “get kids off their phones”.

Speaking to Brisbane breakfast radio on Thursday, the Prime Minister said sport could be an avenue to get children under 16 outdoors and away from screens.

“I think Brisbane 2032 will be fantastic for this city but also the nation,” he said.

“And one of the things I’m really passionate about while we’re doing the under 16s ban of social media is, we need to get kids off their devices (and) onto the sporting field.

“One way we do that and inspire those kids is the Brisbane Olympic Games. It’ll be really important.”

Anthony Albanese has admitted he feels sorry for Peter Dutton after his historical election loss on May 3.

Mr Dutton was the first Opposition leader to lose his own seat and he brought the Coalition to lowest representation since its formation.

Speaking on Brisbane breakfast radio on Thursday, the Prime Minister was asked: “Do you feel sorry for him?”

“Oh absolutely, it’s a tough game, you lose your job,” he admitted.

“On a personal level I had an ‘ok’ relationship (with him), I wouldn’t say it was a warm relationship - I’m not going to gild the lily.

“But we had a respectful relationship. But I sincerely wish him, Kirilly and his family all the very best. It’s really hard to lose your seat.”

Mr Albanese had started his campaign by visiting Mr Dutton’s northern Brisbane seat of Dickson and then, seeming to rub salt in the wound, returned on the last day of campaigning.

“People were saying ‘oh, you’re just playing with his mind’ and I was like ‘no, no, I think we’re a real show in Dickson,” he told KIIS 97.3 FM.

“I thought it’s the most marginal of Queensland seats. I thought that would happen (he’d lose his seat). It was the first one to fall at 1.7 per cent.”

Labor won seven new seats in the State at the election, bringing it to 12.