Health News at Your Fingertips

In an interesting appointment, the Australian National University has announced it has hired former attorney general George Brandis to “help drive the University’s vital work on national security and the law”.

Brandis has been appointed a “Professor in the Practice of National Security” and will be primarily based at the national security college in the ANU college of Asia and the Pacific. He will also be teaching at the ANU’s college of law.

ANU calls the appointment an “opportunity” for students:

The position of Professor in the Practice of National Security brings to ANU the opportunity for students to engage directly with former senior officials who have practical experience at the highest levels of national security policymaking and law reform.

Christopher Knaus

Two home affairs officers used fake medical certificates to claim sick leave

Two officers at the former department of immigration and border protection engaged in corrupt conduct by using fake medical certificates to claim sick leave on dozens of occasions between 2011 and 2017, an investigation has found.

The Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity has published the results of an investigation into two officers, Officer Q and Officer H, who repeatedly used fraudulent medical certificates to claim personal leave.

Officer Q claimed personal leave 28 times using the fraudulent certificates, obtaining a benefit of about $9,270, while Officer H used fake medical certificates six times, gaining a benefit of $384. The pair worked in a corporate services area in the department.

Jaala Hinchcliffe, the integrity commissioner, said:

The evidence demonstrates that both officers engaged in conduct during the performance of their duties as Home Affairs employees to dishonestly benefit themselves and cause a financial detriment to the Commonwealth.

Officer Q has been convicted and sentenced to a 12-month good behaviour order.

Dutton urged to let Liberal party room decide climate policy

I just wanted to take a moment to highlight a story from Sarah Martin and Katharine Murphy earlier this morning, reporting on how Liberal MPs are urging opposition leader Peter Dutton to let the party room decide a new position on climate change policy.

This of course comes after Dutton has said this week that he will maintain the Coalition’s climate policy it took into the election.

Tasmanian MP Bridget Archer told Guardian Australia she believed a bipartisan approach to the target should be considered, while senior Liberal Anne Ruston said a party room debate was required:

It’s up to the party room to reframe our position now we have got through the election for our policy position going forward.

You can read more on the story at the link below:

Press conference ends

The press conference has wrapped up, but not before Chris Bowen gives a final answer to a question on a capacity mechanism, saying the government believes it is “necessary and important”:

Ministers were unanimous in their view a couple of weeks ago that a capacity mechanism is necessary and important. We have a deal of work to do to get the design principles right.

We all want it to support storage and new technologies and the massive transformation to an 82% renewable grid which the government is committed to, that is what we will continue to work on and we will implement that.

The market is under stress but prudent careful management will
ensure that we maximise the chances of keeping the lights on and keeping reliable service to consumers across the board. We will continue to monitor the situation closely.

Continuing to emphasise the importance of renewables for the future, Daniel Westerman says that over the last year thousands of megawatts worth of solar and wind projects have been connected to the grid:

Australia’s got an enormous job to do in connecting new generation sources, particularly solar and wind. As well as battery storage.

Over the last 12 months, we will have connected 4,000 megawatts of solar and wind projects and by the end of this calendar year, hopefully 5,000 megawatts.

Yes, we might have had a delay in the last couple of days while we have focused on keeping the grid secure for homes and businesses. Our priority will be to continue to connect the new generation sources at pace.

Next, Chris Bowen is asked what the “overall plan” looks like, with some states discussing various moves. The minister says the government wants a capacity mechanism to help “provide that safety net” under the energy grids:

A capacity mechanism is very important going forward. Yesterday, or the day before, the ESB put out its latest thinking and consultation paper which will help inform ministers make decisions. Ministers have instructed that this be proceeded with as a matter of pace. We will do that, ESB’s work will inform the next round of ministers’ consideration.

I want to see this done right. As I have made clear, there will be a degree of flexibility as to how states implement the capacity mechanism with particular regard to their own state’s circumstances. This is a transformation which we need to get moving on.

We need to make faster progress on the transformation and we need the capacity mechanism to help us do that to provide that safety net underneath as we engage in this significant transformation to a more renewable economy, a more renewable energy system with more storage.

I have made clear, and ministers have made clear, we want the capacity mechanism to focus on new technology, storage being prime amongst it. That is what we will deliver. There will be further discussions between me and the state ministers but I am confident we will deliver a good national framework because we have to be getting on with the job because this transformation which is so important to the new government’s agenda is actually so important for the country.

Aemo to undertake detailed investigation with aim of preventing another suspension

Daniel Westerman says the measures taken by Aemo was “not where the market operator wants to be”:

We will be working very closely with the regulator and the energy markets commission on a series of actions that do take steps to prevent this from happening again.

It is not a place where the market operator wants to be in suspending the market and we are looking at – we will undertake a detailed investigation, together with the regulator and others to understand comprehensively the lessons learned and put in place actions so it doesn’t happen again.

Transition to firmed renewables ‘will protect from international price shocks’

Daniel Westerman says the longer-term plan is to move away from “international price shocks”:

This situation is caused by a multitude of factors. Yes, ageing plants which break down and have more maintenance issues is an issue.

The war in Ukraine and the impact of global commodity prices is an issue, yes. It points to the long-term answer which is a transition to firmed renewables and transmission.

That is the long-term answer to delink us from international price shocks, as well as ageing infrastructure.

Engagement with generators cordial, Aemo chief says

Daniel Westerman has said Aemo’s engagement with generators has been cordial, and highlighted by the fact that generation under Aemo direction has reduced:

At an operational level, we have exceptional working relationships with each generator and, to quantify that, we have been able to reduce the amount of generation that is under direction from Aemo from about 5,000 megawatts down to less than a thousand megawatts.

That has been reprofiling of generation and collaborative working and a trajectory back towards making the market more functional and restoring normal order to it.

‘I am not here to comment on the particular activities of any particular generator’

Chris Bowen is asked if the “dysfunctional” behaviour of generators this past week have damaged their social standing:

I think it was referred to as a dysfunctional market. In relation to the generators, I have made clear Aemo has our full support in the actions they have taken.

The Australian energy regulator, through Ms Savage, remains vigilant to their behaviour. I am not here to comment on the particular activities of any particular generator, other than to reinforce the federal government’s expectation that all generators, and I am sure I am joined by my state and territory colleagues, that generators bid into the market as they are required to do as a matter of law.

Before taking questions, Chris Bowen has just added a comment, saying the government backs Aemo in its move to return to normal market conditions:

What the chief executive has outlined today is, I think, a prudent and carefully managed approach to return to more normal market conditions. Risks remain in the system and I know that Aemo remains vigilant about what needs to be cared for in the coming days but the process laid out by Aemo, which Mr Westerman says has been briefed to state and territory ministers in the lead-up to today’s announcement is a prudent, carefully managed and staged return with the same prudence that Aemo has shown over recent days.

Also, I have spoken this morning to the Australian energy regulator Clare Savage who will continue her close activity and monitoring of behaviour of generators and ensure that consumers’ interests are put first and I say the Australian energy regulator has the full support of the federal government as we go through this period for any action that she deems necessary to take.