The federal government is pushing ahead with plans for a nuclear waste dump in the NT. But traditional owners of the site say claims they support the dump are false, writes Freya Cole.
Martin Ferguson
Follow Crikey’s latest coverage of Martin Ferguson. Crikey’s Martin Ferguson coverage includes independent news, blogs and commentary.
The energy paper’s peculiar logic about nuclear power
The draft energy white paper proposes that nuclear power could be a backstop power supply decades hence. But it takes some unusual twists of logic to do it.
Crikey Says: Crikey says: our energy future
“The door is closing…I am very worried – if we don’t change direction now on how we use energy, we will end up beyond what scientists tell us is the minimum [for safety]. The door will be closed forever.”
Will Australia miss the global solar boom?
Ferguson has mostly been interested in protecting the supply of fossil fuels or export or use at home, although he has shown an increasing interest in solar of late, writes Giles Parkinson from Climate Spectator.
Governments’ failure to regulate is costing mining industry, taxpayers and environment
A failure to sensibly regulate the mining industry is compromising its productivity, the environment — and the electoral fortunes of the Labor government, writes Lionel Elmore, Crikey naturalist.
Australia Network deal: is Mark Scott really in trouble?
How much trouble is ABC managing director Mark Scott facing over his lobbying on the Australian Network contract deal?
Parkinson: a green light for renewables
At a recent discussion in Sydney about the prospect of nuclear energy in this country, Martin Ferguson reflected that Australia may have no choice but to go nuclear if it was unable to find a clean energy alternative, writes Giles Parkinson.
$3.2b later, Ferguson loses in the ARENA of renewables
Martin Ferguson’s department has been stripped of responsibility for billions in renewables programs as the Greens demand greater certainty for the sector.
Parkinson: carbon chaos in Canberra
There is good reason why the government did not release the details of its carbon pricing package before the weekend, writes Giles Parkinson, of Climate Spectator.
Parkinson: low-carbon economy not as hard as it looks
Our hung parliament presented, for the first time in living memory, an opportunity to deal with the substantive policy issues ignored in the campaign, writes Giles Parkinson of Climate Spectator.
Parkinson: pride and prejudice on solar scheme
If the Labor government had wanted to further distinguish its clean energy policy from its predecessor’s, then it would have got a fair bit of traction from the choices made in the first round of the $1.5 billion Solar Flagships program, writes Giles Parkinson, of Climate Spectator
Last Bets: the campaign to lure more tourists to our tables
Forget Oprah — she was so 2010 — the big buzz word in tourism is now gamblers. The bigger the better. And the big high rollers are in Asia. James Packer and other Australia casino operators want a piece.
Political snippets: Punishing Western Australia but not too much
I cannot see that it really matters which government gets the extra money from the Western Australian mining industry.
Carbon capture is doomed — is government finally backing away?
If CCS is a failure, then we deserve to know where our money has gone.
Nuclear myths in meltdown, in Japan and here
Amid all the quotes about Japan’s unfolding nuclear crisis that have galvanised the world’s attention, one stood out, writes Giles Parkinson of Climate Spectator.
climate change Hamilton: a new brand of environmental radicalism
While environmentalism has had some very substantial successes, all of the gains are now jeopardised. No one ever achieved radical social change by being respectable.
The ideology dividing both parties
Ideology and personalities are usually the stumbling blocks to political unity. But they work in quite different ways in the Liberal and Labor parties.
How long will Labor hold its anti nuclear line?
The Labor government is holding firmly to its anti nuclear platform for now but the rumblings of dissent from within the party are growing.
Energy ministers accused of gagging criticism on policy
A new directive issued by the Ministerial Council of Energy (MCE) last month will infringe on the independence of the Consumer Advocacy Panel, consumer groups have told Crikey.
Political snippets: How merchant miners profiteer
Iron ore prices have risen by about 170 per cent between 2003-04 and 2009-10. Plus, grave risks for Labor with the RSPT, the Murdoch forum for racists and other political snippets.
Budget 2010: renewable energy gets peanut money, spread thin
This year’s Budget is smoke and mirrors on the renewable energy front. Everyone gets a share, but this is all peanut money, writes Tony Kevin.
The government’s strange flip flops on nuclear
This government has an extraordinarily inconsistent attitude toward nuclear issues. It refuses to countenance an Australian nuclear power industry and launched the International Commission on Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament.
Savva: Kevin, you’re part of the ALP, remember?
Kevin Rudd may be the ALP’s top dog, but that doesn’t mean he gives a crap about being a loyal party member. He acts like he’s above the Labor faithful, but the Labor premiers will bide their time for revenge, writes Nikka Savva.
Minister for coal out of step with climate change action
Darren Lewin-Hill led a group of four local climate campaigners meeting with their federal MP, Energy and Resources Minister Martin Ferguson. They weren’t encouraged by his rhetoric.
We need to exploit our energy superpowers
There is vast global demand for Australia’s natural resources and we need reforms to get worker productivity moving and let this boom happen again. The old Labor union bosses need to set their PM straight, writes former Keating minister Gary Johns.
