TO LIDDELL AVAIL
Embattled energy company AGL will defy pressure from the federal Coalition government to sell or extend the life of its ageing Liddell coal-fired power station, and plans to continue with the 2022 transition of the site to a mixture of gas, batteries, pumped hydro, demand response and renewable energy technologies.
The Age reports that AGL chief executive Andy Vesey has explained that the much-publicised potential sale of the site to Alinta was limited to a brief and quickly declined expression-of-interest from the smaller rival company. Vesey also explained that while AGL’s plans have drawn political fire, they are the right thing to do in terms of both global warming and shareholder value. That second justification is the focus of a separate criticism from the corporate watchdog, as outlined in The Australian ($) today, which has said that AGL’s transition will not benefit consumers.
CBA FESSES UP
The Commonwealth Bank has admitted to breaching its obligations under the Corporations Act in selling some of its credit insurance products to ineligible customers.
As the ABC reports, Australia’s biggest bank sold its (now ditched) CreditCard Plus products to at least 65,000 unemployed customers, all of whom were ineligible to claim under the policies’ employment exclusions. CBA has now admitted to breaching fairness provisions and announced it would both refund those customers $10 million, plus an additional $16 million for an estimated 140,000 customers who bought its Personal Loan Protection and Home Loan Protection products.
AUSSIE SWIMMERS HIT NEW WORLD RECORD
On night one of the Commonwealth Games, the Australian women’s team demolished their own 4x100m freestyle world record, and Cate Campbell posted the fastest women’s relay split in history.
The Age reports that a resurgent Campbell, now the quickest woman to perform in the split relay, plus Shayna Jack, Bronte Campbell and Emma McKeon beat their previous mark of 3:30.65s to grab both a new world record of 3:30.05s and an opening night gold medal.
THEY REALLY SAID THAT?
No Australian Head of State would wear their brogues on the beach! Time for a republic!
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young
A well-dressed Prince Charles checks out Broadbeach on the Gold Coast and sadly seals the monarchy’s fate.
READ ALL ABOUT IT
Coal dream to fail, says Snowy Hydro chief ($)
Melbourne’s summer-like temperatures nudge late season heat records
John Howard in warning on mega-union ($)
‘Somewhat disorientating’: Daughter of poisoned ex-spy makes first comments
Death of 2,400 Australian sheep on ship to Middle East sparks investigation
Malcolm Turnbull: ‘I need to keep delivering’ ($)
Not ‘leftie pinko nonsense’: Waleed Aly on the Greens idea of a universal basic income
‘Pools with moveable floors’: the private school arms race intensifies
WHAT’S ON TODAY
Sydney
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Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) event will cover new directions in energy policy, disruptive blackouts, the Finkel review, emissions targets, and the Federal Government’s National Energy Guarantee. Speakers will include TransGrid CEO Paul Italiano, Energy Security Board Chair Dr Kerry Schott, and AGL Energy CEO Andy Vesey.
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UNSW Business School’s International Conference on Tax Administration, a biennial event bringing together tax administrators and academics from around the world.
Brisbane
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Three-day Women of the World (WOW) festival begins, and is set to feature roughly 100 speakers.
Melbourne
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The Think Pink Foundation will announce a two-week marathon in support of people with breast cancer, set to run from tomorrow — April 7 until April 21.
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The Earl of Wessex Prince Edward will be in Melbourne for a formal dinner.
Perth
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William Tremlett of Hovea, WA, will receive an Annual Bravery Award from the Royal Human Society of Australasia for going in to rescue a man from drowning at Squeaky Beach, Victoria on March 29, 2017.
THE COMMENTARIAT
Aboriginal people have a right to protest the StolenWealth — Amy McQuire (IndigenousX): “Australia has always wanted to stake a claim on Aboriginal culture – but only when it benefits them. They remain ignorant when the legislative bullets are fired to weaken and destroy it, and do not seek to protect it when the right to culture and ceremony is in the way of profit and white prosperity. But when we need to show ourselves to the world, when we need to present a different face, it is Aboriginal culture that is seen as the antidote to the cultural cringe.”
How are you feeling? What Census 2021 should ask — Jenna Price (The Age): “We should all thank Sherry Arnstein. Then we should memorise what she said and repeat it to our politicians, to our bosses and to anyone who ever wants to consult with us. And that includes our friends at Census 2021. This is your opportunity to tell the Australian Bureau of Statistics what you want to know.”
CRIKEY QUICKIE: THE BEST OF YESTERDAY
“Look. It’s no fun publicly opposing an argument made by Bernard Keane. It’s even less fun opposing an argument publicly made by oneself. Still. A girl can only make her way to peaceful sleep through honesty. Ergo: first, Bernard was a bit wrong yesterday about Greens economic policy; second, I was a bitwrong about Greens economic understanding back in 2016. We’ll get to Bernard at the end. First, it’s all about me.”
“You might have heard that the country’s two biggest news outlets are boycotting the Commonwealth Games. But looking at the Fairfax and News Corp newspapers and websites today, there’s plenty of coverage of the Gold Coast event.”
“Labour in the UK is under attack in an unprecedented fashion around the issue of anti-Semitism — and until last weekend they were being buffeted by it. Now? The issue may have reversed on those using it as a stalking horse for yet another attempt to topple leader Jeremy Corbyn. In the ensuing chaos, the uglier manifestations of the right have been drawn out in ways they should have imagined, but didn’t.”
HOLD THE FRONT PAGE
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