Coalition criticises Labor for electricity price rises but Chris Bowen blames ‘10 years of denial and delay’

Josh Butler

The Coalition is complaining about Australian electricity bills rising under the Albanese government, saying Queensland and NSW residents have seen their bills go up 50% in some cases since Labor returned to power in 2022.

The opposition shared figures with journalists ahead of the shadow energy spokesperson, Dan Tehan, appearing on Insiders earlier today, claiming median Queensland power bills have gone up as much as 54% in the last four years.

In NSW, the Coalition analysis is that the median bill for some residents could have gone up as much as 50%.

In other states, the Coalition says median bills have gone up by lower amounts, including 40% in South Australia, 26% in Victoria and 23% in Tasmania.

While the Coalition is again pointing to the Labor government’s promises of a $275 reduction in power bills ahead of the 2022 election, that time period has also included the global energy crisis from Russia’s war on Ukraine, as well as the impact of expected inflation gradually increasing prices across the economy.

We heard Tehan on Insiders earlier, but the energy minister, Chris Bowen, also blamed the Coalition for part of the price rise. He told Sky:

double quotation markThat’s the result of an international energy crisis, particularly around Ukraine that we had to deal with. It’s the result of 10 years of denial and delay.

My final point is the irony and hypocrisy of the Coalition quoting a figure like that which includes a 20% price rise that Angus Taylor changed the law to hide in the most disgraceful act of an energy minister in living energy.

He knew that prices were going up 20%. He didn’t want to tell the Australian people that before the 2022 election so he changed the law to hide it so it was released weeks after the election, not days before.

That was a reference to the controversial change, under the former Coalition government, where a key electricity pricing update was delayed until after the election.

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Updated at 22.41 EDT

Key events

What we learned, Sunday 5 July

We’re bringing our live news blog to a close now.

Here’s what’s happened so far today.

• A giant petrel found north of Newcastle at Hawks Nest has become the sixth confirmed case of the deadly H5N1 virus, and the first in NSW. A seventh bird found in WA is also being tested.

• The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, told Labor’s NSW conference a rightwing “axis of grievance” was forming between the Liberals, Nationals and One Nation.

• Coalition frontbencher Dan Tehan said the Liberals were “not entertaining” a coalition with One Nation, which is ahead of his party in the polls.

• UN science advisers expressed “utmost concern” about the future of the Great Barrier Reef and said the government’s climate targets needed to be improved.

• Two men have been charged after police in NSW alleged an imitation pistol had been pointed at a Sydney synagogue.

• The Australian Space Agency is helping with an investigation after four objects – suspected to be space debris – were found north of Townsville.

• A 27-year-old man is fighting for his life with head injuries after an incident during a suburban football match in Melbourne.

Look after yourselves.

Remember, if you are out and about along the coast today and you spot any dead or sick birds or marine mammals, the advice is to avoid handling the animals and to take photos or a video and call the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.

ShareJosh Butler

Bowen downplays calls for datacentre boom to be powered by nuclear energy

Staying with energy minister Chris Bowen on Sky, he downplayed the prospect of Australia embracing nuclear energy to power datacentres, rejecting the viability of the necessary technology in Australia.

The minister also foreshadowed new announcements “in the next few weeks” about datacentres and AI.

Datacentres for artificial intelligence operations require massive amounts of power, and Bowen said the federal government was setting rules about how those large AI companies would have to help supply some of their own power.

But he said any talk of nuclear being part of that mix was “a massive distraction”, and claimed those companies wouldn’t need nuclear power to operate. He told Sky:

double quotation markAustralia’s a very hot market for datacentres, a lot of the investment coming in. And this investment’s coming in knowing Australia’s energy policies and knowing our situation. They know. They don’t make these multi-billion dollar investments lightly. They look at Australia’s government’s position.

They say, yep, we want to do business in Australia. We’re saying, great, come on in, but there’s going to be rules. We want this to work for Australians, not just for you, not just for the big datacentre companies … You’ve got to bring on your own additional renewable energy and storage.

Bowen added: “I’ll have more to say about that in the next few weeks. We’re making good progress about that.”

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Updated at 22.51 EDT

Coalition criticises Labor for electricity price rises but Chris Bowen blames ‘10 years of denial and delay’

Josh Butler

The Coalition is complaining about Australian electricity bills rising under the Albanese government, saying Queensland and NSW residents have seen their bills go up 50% in some cases since Labor returned to power in 2022.

The opposition shared figures with journalists ahead of the shadow energy spokesperson, Dan Tehan, appearing on Insiders earlier today, claiming median Queensland power bills have gone up as much as 54% in the last four years.

In NSW, the Coalition analysis is that the median bill for some residents could have gone up as much as 50%.

In other states, the Coalition says median bills have gone up by lower amounts, including 40% in South Australia, 26% in Victoria and 23% in Tasmania.

While the Coalition is again pointing to the Labor government’s promises of a $275 reduction in power bills ahead of the 2022 election, that time period has also included the global energy crisis from Russia’s war on Ukraine, as well as the impact of expected inflation gradually increasing prices across the economy.

We heard Tehan on Insiders earlier, but the energy minister, Chris Bowen, also blamed the Coalition for part of the price rise. He told Sky:

double quotation markThat’s the result of an international energy crisis, particularly around Ukraine that we had to deal with. It’s the result of 10 years of denial and delay.

My final point is the irony and hypocrisy of the Coalition quoting a figure like that which includes a 20% price rise that Angus Taylor changed the law to hide in the most disgraceful act of an energy minister in living energy.

He knew that prices were going up 20%. He didn’t want to tell the Australian people that before the 2022 election so he changed the law to hide it so it was released weeks after the election, not days before.

That was a reference to the controversial change, under the former Coalition government, where a key electricity pricing update was delayed until after the election.

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Updated at 22.41 EDT

Joe Hinchliffe

Man in critical condition after serious head injury during Melbourne suburban football match

A man is fighting for his life in hospital after an incident during a suburban football match in Melbourne.

The 27-year-old Epping Australian rules footballer sustained what first responders described as a “serious head injury” during a reserves clash away to the neighbouring northern suburbs team of Lalor early on Saturday afternoon.

News outlets and social media reported two Epping players were tackling an opponent when their heads clashed, with one then hitting his head on the hard ground of the cricket pitch in the middle of the field.

He was taken to the Royal Melbourne hospital in a critical condition, in which he remained as of 11.30am on Sunday.

The rest of Saturday’s matches at Lalor FNC were abandoned. Epping FNC released a statement thanking their opponents and everyone who assisted during and after the accident. Lalor said the club’s focus was on the injured wellbeing of the player and everyone affected, saying in a statement:

double quotation markFootball comes second on days like today.

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Updated at 22.22 EDT

PM’s NSW Labor conference speech marked by silent pro-Palestine protest

A speech by the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, to the NSW Labor conference has been marked by silent pro-Palestine protests, but otherwise passed without incident.

Yesterday, as the NSW premier, Chris Minns, entered the main chamber of Sydney’s town hall to give his address, two men unfurled a Palestinian flag from one of the balconies. They were quickly removed by NSW police.

Today, two protesters stood up and draped a flag which read “Stop Arming Genocide. Free Palestine” and a keffiyeh over a balcony near the stage as the prime minister walked up to make his speech.

Unlike yesterday, they were not removed by police. After discussion with security, they sat down, but the flag remained draped over the balcony for tue duration of the speech.

Later during the speech, which we previewed earlier, a woman stood up in the delegates level of the conference. Draped in a Palestinian flag, she walked out of the conference hall.

There is unlikely to be potentially embarrassing discussion for the federal government on Palestine and the Aukus agreement at today’s conference, after the “Australia and the World” committee report was placed last on the agenda, despite the issues appearing frequently among motions submitted to the conference.

Earlier, Labor left delegates briefly hijacked the conference to try to force debate on motions to repeal anti-protest laws, second last on today’s agenda, which critics say has been done to silence debate. A motion to bring forward discussion was rejected by the right faction-controlled conference.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the 2026 NSW Labor state conference in Sydney, Sunday, 5 July, 2026. Photograph: Steven Markham/AAPPrime Minister Anthony Albanese arrives at the 2026 NSW Labor state conference in Sydney, Sunday, 5 July, 2026. Photograph: Steven Markham/AAPShare

Updated at 22.49 EDT

Josh Butler

Wong announces new diplomatic postings for Australia

The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has announced a raft of new diplomatic appointments, including ambassadors to Australian posts in Mexico City, Nauru and Bangkok.

In a statement, Wong revealed the new diplomatic postings including:

• Glenn Morrison as Australia’s next ambassador to Croatia

• Keara Shaw as Australia’s next high commissioner to Ghana

• Sanchi Davis as Australia’s next consul general in Makassar, Indonesia

• Amanda Riethmuller as Australia’s next ambassador to Kuwait

• Crispin Conroy AM as Australia’s next ambassador to Mexico

• Lisa White as Australia’s next high commissioner to Nauru

• Pablo Kang as Australia’s next ambassador to Thailand

• Jeremy Green as Australia’s next ambassador for Apec

Wong said:

double quotation markAustralia’s diplomatic network enables us to promote our interests in peace, security, trade, investment and other areas of cooperation.

Australia takes the world as it is and seeks to shape it for the better – these diplomatic appointments will deepen Australia’s connections abroad and increase our ability to influence where it matters.

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Updated at 21.48 EDT

Exclusion zones in place after suspected space debris found near Townsville

The Australian Space Agency has confirmed that “suspected space debris” thought to contain hazardous chemicals has been located north of Townsville.

Queensland police said four objects were located on Friday and Saturday in the Forrest beach area and 50-metre exclusion zones had been enforced around each object.

The objects were thought to contain hazardous chemicals, the police said, but there was “no danger to the local community and police are not investigating the incident.”

The Queensland fire department had rendered the objects safe, a police statement said.

A spokesperson for the Australian Space Agency, which is working with police and the National Emergency Management Agency, confirmed the objects were thought to be space debris.

Seven News has reported that a local fish and chip shop was already looking to promote the incident, selling a “space junk snack box.”

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Updated at 21.29 EDT

Two charged after imitation pistol allegedly pointed at synagogue

Two men have been charged after police in NSW alleged an imitation pistol had been pointed at a Sydney synagogue.

Police said they were called to the Double Bay place of worship on Saturday lunchtime after reports occupants of a car were allegedly seen pointing a firearm in the building’s direction.

During a search of an SUV police allege they located and seized an imitation pistol. Two men were arrested.

A 22-year-old man was charged with allegedly possessing and using an offensive weapon and an intimidation offence. A 25-year-old was charged for allegedly possessing an unauthorised pistol.

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National committee recommends ‘heightened flock biosecurity’ as sixth bird-flu case confirmed

Poultry operations that keep free-range birds will be allowed to bring their birds indoors, authorities have said, as Australia confirms its sixth case of the deadly H5N1 bird flu.

The acting Australian chief vet, Dr Sam Hamilton, said the Consultative Committee on Emergency Animal Diseases had met to discuss “appropriate response activities.” He said:

double quotation markCCEAD discussed practical precautionary measures, given the suspect detections in new locations in NSW and WA and endorsed an approach at this time involving heightened flock biosecurity.

This includes options for states and territories to utilise non-mandatory measures including advising commercial poultry producers to house free-range birds where practical while maintaining animal welfare.

Hamilton stressed there had been no detections in poultry, agricultural systems or in wild birds.

Australia has six confirmed cases – including the first for NSW confirmed last night – and a seventh bird found in WA is undergoing testing.

All have been migratory seabirds that had likely come from the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic.

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Updated at 20.59 EDT

UN advisers on Great Barrier Reef say government’s climate targets are falling short

United Nations advisers have expressed “utmost concern” about the future of the Great Barrier Reef and said the government’s climate targets fall short of being aligned to 1.5C of global heating.

Unesco and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has issued recommendations to the 21-country World Heritage committee which will meet in South Korea later this month.

The reef has been hit by multiple coral bleaching events in recent years, while problems remain with pollution and nutrients from the land running into the reef. The Unesco advice says:

double quotation markWhilst the resilience of the Reef remains evident, its capacity to tolerate and recover from such events is increasingly compromised, and this is of utmost concern.

The advisers said the government needed to improve its climate targets which, they said, “still fall short of being 1.5C-aligned.” Australia needed to go back to the committee in 2028 with a report on progress.

The federal environment minister, Murray Watt, welcomed the recommendations, as did Queensland’s environment minister, Andrew Powell. Watt said:

double quotation markAustralia is doing more than ever to better protect and manage the Outstanding Universal Value of the Reef. Our efforts are making a difference – but we know there is more work to do.

Conservationists said the world was watching Australia’s response, and that water quality and climate targets remained issues the government had to address.

Photograph: AscentXmedia/Getty ImagesShare

Updated at 20.43 EDT

Dan Tehan claims new coal plants would ‘drive down emissions’ – but they won’t

Dan Tehan has been asked on the ABC’s Insiders program if a Coalition government would support building now coal-fired power plants.

Responding to questions from host Davis Speers on new coal-fired power, Tehan said:

double quotation markWell, if there is a want from the private sector to invest in that, then there is no reason why we shouldn’t do that, because, David – and let me finish, it’s a very important point – the new technology drives down emissions, compared to the existing.

New coal-fired power plants – so-called ultra super-critical plants – do have lower emissions than plants currently operating in Australia.

But they don’t “drive down emissions” – even when they are compared against old technology.

They would simply slightly lower the rate of rise in emissions, and would continue to pump high rates of CO2 that would stay in the atmosphere for a century or more.

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Updated at 20.01 EDT

Dan Tehan says Liberals ‘not entertaining’ idea of coalition with One Nation

Senior opposition figure Dan Tehan is talking to the ABC’s Insiders program.

After some sustained questioning, he has said the Liberals are “not entertaining” the idea of being in a coalition with One Nation – the rightwing party currently ahead of the Liberals in the polls. He said:

double quotation markIt’s a no – we are Coalition Liberal party-National party. It is not even being talked about.

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Updated at 19.29 EDT

NSW confirms first H5N1 birdflu case

A giant petrel found on the New South Wales coast at Hawks Nest, north of Newcastle, has been confirmed as the state’s first case of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu.

The positive test is the sixth confirmed case.

Samples from a seventh bird – another giant petrel found at Mullaloo beach in Western Australia – are also being tested at CSIRO’s labs.

The NSW agriculture minister, Tara Moriarty, confirmed the test and said there was no spread into wild birds or commercial poultry. She said:

double quotation markThe NSW Government has been preparing for a positive result for some time and there is a clear plan in place to support industry and the community.

At this stage the result is limited to a single migratory seabird and has not impacted our poultry sector or domestic wildlife.

She said surveillance of high risk areas using drones and people on the ground had been ramped-up. Poultry producers had been told to heighten biosecurity measures.

A sick southern giant petrel found at Port Elliott in South Australia in June. Photograph: Wildlife Welfare OrgShare

Updated at 19.21 EDT

Penry Buckley

PM defends tax changes as conference motions call for further action

Anthony Albanese will defend the federal government’s negative gearing and capital gains tax changes to delegates at the NSW Labor conference today, as some local branches call for the party to take reforms further.

In his speech this morning, the prime minister is expected to say:

double quotation markIn all the conversations I’ve had and the interviews and press conferences I’ve held, no one has argued that the housing market was working fine the way it was. No one has been able to say that the status quo was fair or reasonable or sustainable for the future.

And once you get to that point, once everyone acknowledges that the system is broken. Then the choice for a party of government is very clear. If you don’t have the ticker, you can kick the can down the road and leave the problem to a future generation. Or you can do the hard thing, the right thing – and fix it. That is the choice we have made.

As The Australian has reported, some local branch motions for further changes, including a call by the Glebe branch to remove grandfathering arrangements for investors on rental properties, have the support of NSW party’s economics committee and are expected to be referred to the federal party.

While Labor leadership has sought to project unity at this year’s conference ahead of the state election next year, there may still be flash points between left and right delegates today.

A committee report on Australia’s role in the world, which discusses the Middle East and endorses the Aukus agreement, will not be debated today, Labor sources confirmed yesterday. But Labor left faction members were still negotiating for motions for the state government to repeal protest laws to be debated this afternoon.

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Albanese to criticise rightwing ‘axis of grievance’ at NSW Labor conference

Penry Buckley

The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, will use a speech at the second day of NSW’s Labor conference to attack what he says is a rightwing “axis of grievance” forming between the Liberals, Nationals and One Nation.

One Nation loomed over the first day of the 2026 NSW Labor conference, with the premier, Chris Minns, warning the party needs to “climb Everest” to stay in power amid the rising threat posed by Pauline Hanson’s party at next year’s state election.

In response to a federal Liberal frontbencher’s comment this week that her party might need a “rebrand” to win back voters, Albanese is expected to tell Labor delegates this morning:

double quotation markThe problem is not their [the Liberals] brand – it is their product. It is not their sales pitch – it is their policies. It is not what they call themselves – it is who they are. It is the race to the bottom that all three rightwing parties are caught up in. They are the axis of grievance. Each trying to be more anti-fairness, more anti-worker, more anti-aspiration.

This is why, for all the shifts in the landscape over the years, the fundamental contrast in Australian politics remains the same. Our opponents only ever define themselves by who and what they are against. We are defined by what we are for. By our enduring Australian values of fairness, aspiration and opportunity for all. And by what we do to give those values life and weight and meaning for all Australians.

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Welcome to Sunday

Graham Readfearn

Good morning all and thanks for being with us. Graham Readfearn here.

First up, we will have news in a few minutes that NSW has recorded its first confirmed case of the deadly H5N1 bird flu in a giant petrel found north of Newcastle at Hawks Nest.

We also have the second day of the annual NSW Labor party conference.

The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, will use a speech today to describe a right-wing “axis of grievance” forming between the Liberals, Nationals and One Nation.

Yesterday the NSW Premier Chris Minns said the party needed to “climb Everest” to stay in power.

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